Its plump body had exceptionally thick limbs. Except for its hard, golden-yellow back, the rest of it was grayish-white.
"What an amazing alien! It can transform into a giant iron ball and roll around, smashing the stone man into pieces! I'll call you Cannonbolt!" Ben touched its belly and found it surprisingly soft.
Cannonbolt rested its chin thoughtfully. "Not a bad name. I approve."
Beneath its hard shell, Cannonbolt's interior was remarkably soft. During combat, it would curl into a yellow sphere, spinning at high speed to deliver lethal blows through sheer kinetic force.
At that moment, Gwen's eyelids fluttered slightly as she slowly opened her eyes.
Seeing this, Grandpa Max gently lowered her from his arms and carefully supported her.
"Gwen, how are you feeling?" he asked with concern, his gray hair glinting under the light.
"I'm fine," Gwen shook her head. "Just drained too much magic. A good sleep will fix it."
Her gaze then swept over the wrecked surroundings—craters pocked the floor, and huge holes gaped in the walls. It looked as though a terrifying monster had just rampaged through.
"What happened? I must've missed something," Gwen murmured, dazed.
"Geek, Lucian saved you. Shouldn't you say something?" Ben spread his hands helplessly.
Then, Grandpa Max recounted everything that had happened, including the terrifying stone golems.
After hearing her grandfather's words, Gwen's face turned pink. She quickly thanked Lucian and threw her arms around him in a tight hug.
"Thank you, Cuz! You're the best!" she said, holding him close.
Lucian smiled and gently patted her back. "It's nothing. Grandpa saved you first. If he hadn't carried you out of the way, I might not have arrived in time."
"Thank you, Grandpa," Gwen said, her eyes glistening as she looked up at her kind-hearted grandfather.
Then she buried her face against Lucian's chest again, holding him tightly and refusing to let go...
[Ding~ Successfully rescued Grandpa Max and Gwen]
[Obtained Random Enhancement Effect]
[Big Chill: Greatly enhances control over cold energy. Can transform into various animals and plants to attack targets.]
[Note: Not merely mimicking a creature's shape but embodying its essence, allowing attacks that carry its natural abilities.]
Lucian paused, a flicker of delight crossing his eyes.
This ability surpassed even Diamondhead's weaponization!
In essence, the creatures formed by Big Chill weren't just hollow shapes.
For example, if cold energy took the form of a bull, a simple imitation would charge forward stiffly. But with both form and spirit, it could gallop with powerful legs and unleash a true bull's charge.
Similarly, if Big Chill condensed into a python, it wouldn't just slam into its enemies—it could open its sharp fangs and viciously bite down.
In short, every construct formed from cold energy could attack with the same characteristics as the lifeform it represented.
Of course, that didn't mean Diamondhead was weaker than Big Chill. After a 25% enhancement in crystal hardness, Diamondhead's crystals were far tougher than Big Chill's ice, giving him greater defense and destructive power.
"If Diamondhead's crystals could do this too, how powerful would he be?" Lucian murmured to himself.
He imagined a crystal rhinoceros charging at full speed—what a terrifying sight that would be.
Right now, he could form a flawless rhinoceros, but it couldn't move. It was still just a lifeless construct.
Its crystal limbs were immobile, its power limited and impractical—more effort than reward. Turning it into a weapon was far more useful.
Just as the group was about to leave the museum, Ben's sharp eyes caught something. He crouched down and picked up a stone from the rubble.
It was dull yellow, etched with intricate patterns. At first glance, it didn't look special at all—just like a cheap trinket from a street stall.
"Whoa, look what I found!" Ben's eyes widened, then drooped as he sighed in disappointment. "Just a useless rock. What a waste of my excitement."
He started to toss it away.
"Hold on." Lucian stopped him, taking the stone from his hand as his gaze sharpened.
"This is a Charm of Luck…" After a moment of careful inspection, he spoke slowly.
"Cuz, what does it do?" Gwen asked curiously.
"Whoever wears the Charm of Luck becomes incredibly fortunate—like being possessed by a 'Luck King,'" Lucian said with a faint smile.
"What's a Luck King? Can you eat it?" Ben scratched his head in confusion.
"Doofus, Cuz means someone with amazing luck," Gwen said confidently, though she wasn't exactly sure herself what a "Luck King" was supposed to be.
"This seems to belong to that evil wizard…" Grandpa Max stroked his chin, frowning slightly. "Items of unknown origin shouldn't be used. They could have side effects."
"Relax, Grandpa. That wizard looked pretty tough to me—not nearly as scary as you think," Ben shrugged.
"But if that evil wizard was wearing the Charm of Luck, why wasn't he lucky? He seemed pretty normal to me," Gwen said, puzzled.
"Maybe he couldn't draw out its power. Everyone's body works differently," Lucian said with a knowing smile, handing the Charm of Luck to Gwen.
In the original timeline, Hex indeed couldn't use the Charm of Luck's power—but for some reason, Gwen could. Lucian guessed it was due to the energy within her, allowing her to fully unlock the amulet's magic.
Gazing at the charm in her hand, Gwen's eyes lit up in surprise. "Cool! Is this a gift from you, Cuz?"
"Yes. Only you can bring out its true potential," Lucian nodded.
"Thank you, Cuz!" Gwen said excitedly, clutching the precious charm close, clearly unwilling to part with it.
Before long, the group left the ravaged museum, just before the city enforcement team arrived.
...
Late that night, inside a decaying, dust-covered house, Hex strode quickly to a rickety wooden chair and sat down without hesitation.
His face glowed with excitement as he pulled an ancient book from his cloak.
"The Archamada Book of Spells!" His eyes gleamed. "With this, I can finally unleash the full power of the Charms of Bezel."
He eagerly flipped to the pages describing the pendant chain and began chanting the ancient incantation with fervor.
The strange, archaic symbols echoed through the empty, decaying room.
Sizzle!
A brilliant golden light erupted from Hex's Charms of Bezel, dazzling and radiant, as if a divine miracle had descended from the heavens.
But just as his excitement peaked, the once blazing Charms of Bezel suddenly dimmed without warning, fading like the last light of dusk.
"No!" Hex looked down and froze—one of the pendants was missing.
"My Charm of Luck! Where did it go?!"
His bloodshot eyes widened with fury, his expression twisting into madness. Without the complete Charms of Bezel, he couldn't channel the Supreme Magic.
"I know!" Hex snarled, slamming his fist down and shattering the wooden table before him. "It must've been those museum brats! They stole my pendant during the fight!"
"Just you wait... you alien freaks..."