A crimson flash flared, and Lucian returned to his original form.
Slix Vigma froze for a split second, then let out a cold laugh. His razor-sharp claws shot forward as he lunged in a vicious strike.
From Slix Vigma's perspective, the Earthling was right in front of him. There was no way he could escape.
"Dodge, Cuz!"
Ghostfreak's eyes widened. Wrapped in an icy, sinister aura, he surged forward, about to intercept.
Lucian looked as though he had anticipated this all along. He raised the Omnitrix without hesitation, holding it squarely in front of himself.
Crack!
Slix Vigma's claws slammed directly into the Omnitrix calibration plate.
The next instant, a massive burst of green light erupted from the center of the watch, rippling outward as a violent energy field that sent Slix Vigma flying through the air.
Beep!
After triggering its protective function, the Omnitrix restored its transformation capability. The display shifted from red back to green, bright and pleasing to the eye.
The corner of Lucian's mouth lifted slightly as he looked at the fallen Slix Vigma and said calmly, "Did you really think I'd just walk up and let you kill me?"
His plan all along had been to use Slix Vigma to trigger the Omnitrix Calibration Edition's guardian function, speeding up the watch's cooldown.
"That scared the hell out of me. I really thought you were done for just now," Blood Shadow Tiger said, still shaken as he patted his chest.
Shadow Death Guard's figure flickered as he appeared in front of Slix Vigma, grabbing hold of him to prevent any chance of escape.
"You said you had a way to activate the escape pod controls. Do it now. Everyone else can't wait any longer," Shadow Death Guard said.
Lucian turned his head and saw nothing but pairs of eyes filled with longing for home. They looked helpless, almost pitiful.
They just wanted to go home…
With that thought, Lucian stopped hesitating. He pressed the Omnitrix and began rapidly cycling through his heroes.
Ditto, Rath, Blitzwolfer, Feedback, Sandbox, Jak the Freeze, Muddragon, Bone-Armored Lizard, Technorg, Blood Shadow Tiger, Shadow Death Guard, Snare-Oh…
At last, the three-dimensional projection of "Upgrade" appeared. Lucian's eyes sharpened as he slapped it down.
Thud!
Lucian's body transformed at high speed. His skin turned pitch black, splitting into numerous cyan lines that spread like circuit pathways, radiating a strong technological presence.
"Upgrade!"
Round, ring-like eyes. A body patterned in black and green. It looked soft and pliable, almost like liquid metal.
The moment Upgrade appeared, it shifted from a humanoid shape into a pool of black liquid, surging forward to envelop the stunned Slix Vigma.
As the core of the Megacruiser, Slix Vigma was a robot to begin with, which made him a natural target for Upgrade's control.
That said, while Upgrade could possess any electronic device, its effectiveness dropped sharply when dealing with highly intelligent machines.
As for how to handle that, Upgrade had already thought it through.
A heartbeat before full possession, Upgrade spoke. "Technorg, if Slix Vigma rips me apart or shows signs of breaking free, punch me."
"Heh… that doesn't sound very right," Technorg said, scratching his head.
"Relax. It won't hurt. You'd be hitting Slix Vigma, not me."
As the words fell, Upgrade completed the possession.
The resulting form had a flattened head and a long, slender body. Two thin arms extended outward, each ending in four claws. With no legs, it hovered in midair, resembling a massive octopus.
The possessed Slix Vigma was now coated in a layer of black skin threaded with glowing emerald-green patterns, all traces of its former malice and eerie presence gone.
"Earthling, you always manage to create miracles at the critical moment. This time is no different," Shadow Death Guard said with a laugh.
Upgrade froze. This was the first time he had ever heard Shadow Death Guard laugh. "So you can laugh after all? I thought you were the silent type."
"Silent type? What does that mean?" Shadow Death Guard asked in confusion.
Upgrade didn't answer. He flew to the main console and began rapidly typing, trying to activate the emergency escape pods.
Suddenly, Slix Vigma regained a trace of consciousness. It stretched out its claws and tore open the green skin on its own face.
"Earthling, don't think you can completely control me…"
Before Slix Vigma could finish, a fist smashed into its face, and it immediately went quiet.
Upgrade's black skin flowed back over Slix Vigma, regaining full control.
"Looks like this really works," Technorg said, staring at his own fist with a silly grin. "Figures. Solving things with your fists is much simpler."
After a flurry of operations, Upgrade finally activated the emergency escape pod system.
Inside the main control room, the walls on both sides slid open, revealing rows of entrances. Inside each was an emergency escape pod.
Nearly five hundred escape pods were activated by Upgrade. All their doors stood wide open, like gateways to a paradise, stirring excitement and hope in everyone's hearts.
"Friends, hurry in! Go back to your homeworlds and reunite with your families!" Upgrade called out loudly.
Shadow Death Guard and Blood Shadow Tiger were the fastest. Their figures blurred into afterimages as they each dove into an escape pod, entered planetary coordinates, and sealed the hatch...
The other aliens followed close behind, like ants scattering in all directions. One by one, they boarded their own pods and selected their destinations.
With the heavy hatches shutting tight, the pods shot away from the ship and vanished into the vast universe.
Watching the aliens depart one after another, Upgrade suddenly seemed to think of something. He waved his hand, and a large mass of red light flared in front of him.
He teleported all the beauties from the VIP lounge over here.
The black rabbit-eared alien, the dragon beauty in a sailor outfit, the Lolita cat-girl, the fox-woman in a tight red dress, the white-haired, red-eyed loli… around forty or fifty in total.
At that moment, the Omnitrix on Upgrade's body began to flicker.
He hurriedly detached from Slix Vigma and shifted back into human form. A dazzling red light burst out, restoring him to Lucian's appearance.
Slix Vigma, just freed from control, flew into a rage. It extended its sharp claws and lunged straight at Lucian.
A pale white figure shot in from the side at high speed.
"Loser, don't you dare hurt my Cuz!"
Ghostfreak stretched out his claws. Wrapped in freezing cold air, he tore Slix Vigma cleanly in two and flung the remains onto the floor, where they lay as two useless wrecks sparking with short-circuited electricity.
"Nice work, Ben," Lucian said with a satisfied smile.
"Big Brother!"
The white-haired loli cried out and hugged Lucian from behind, rubbing against him affectionately, clinging tightly.
Lucian turned around, patted her on the head, and said with a soft laugh, "Be good and go home. Go back to your hometown. Your family must really miss you."
"Mmm… then Big Brother, you have to take good care of yourself…" Tears welled in her eyes, her voice choking. "Even if I'm not there to feed you anymore, remember to eat on time, okay? Otherwise… I'll be really sad."
She truly liked Lucian. The aura around this Earthling made her feel comfortable, without the slightest trace of evil or darkness.
"Get back to your planet, you little brat! Stop crying here!"
A harsh voice suddenly cut in.
The fox-woman in the tight red dress, Yenji, tall and graceful, stepped forward on slender legs and came to stand in front of Lucian.
"Hmph, you fox spirit!" the white-haired girl puffed up her cheeks.
Yenji took two more steps forward, hooked an arm around Lucian's neck, and let her other hand slide across his chest. Her voice turned soft and seductive. "Mm, very nice body. Just my type."
Lucian brushed her hand away and said with a helpless smile, "You should go back too. Stop messing around. If you wait any longer, you won't make it home."
"Or… how about I go back to Earth with you…" Yenji's beautiful eyes rolled as she grinned mischievously. "Anyway, there's no handsome guy like you on my planet. Instead of going back to mope around, I'd rather follow you and enjoy some family happiness!"
"I can't afford to support you."
The moment she heard that, Yenji panicked. "I eat very little! I won't cost you much. I just need you to help me every night…"
"You should go. Go back now," Lucian waved her off.
"I am the Empress of Fox Star, you ungrateful brat!" Yenji planted her hands on her hips, radiating queenly authority as she snorted coldly. "You can't transform right now, so don't blame this Empress for getting rough later."
Lucian rolled his eyes at her, then turned around and walked toward the emergency escape pod, Ghostfreak following close behind...