BEN 10: RISING OF THE SHIELD HERO
CHAPTER 4: OFF-LIMITS
WHEN Ben uses Alien's abilities to kick human butts, he has to hold back. Most of them can potentially kill the Homo sapiens. Villains like Vilgax are the ones who bring out the true potential of Ben's powers and push him to limits. Sadly, such situations are very rare and we have never seen an alien form pushing its abilities to limits. Alien X creating a universe or warping the whole reality is not his limit. Atomix creating an artificial sun is not his limit.
Just some weeks ago, I got a chance to read Akame ga Kiru X Ben 10 fanfics and saw a different Ben. A Ben I have never seen in my life. While he doesn't kill, his wrath loosens some limiters and in some cases, he doesn't hold back with humans. I got to read Ben turning into Alien X and trying to erase every evil in the universe. It is gold. If I were Ben, I would do the same thing in the world of Shield Hero. Sadly, Ben isn't me and his morals are respectable. So Ben won't kick some weak a**es without a proper reason even if they are badmouthing or falsely accusing him.
However… you hurt his important person and you are dead.
Also it seems like fans have different ideas of master control. Conflicted here. As you see, Ben in this story doesn't scroll or tap the omnitrix. The canon Ben has a habit of forgetting the omnitrix functions. Since this Ben is from Universe 2040, I made some changes.
Thanks for your advice and reviews. I will try to improve my stories.
"Will you… punish my daughter?"
Ben was staring at a mother… who was asking him if he would punish her daughter. He felt uneasy. But his answer was prepared.
"Maybe, maybe not. Maybe I will turn her into a new person and change her mindset for the better so that she can contribute to society."
"So you believe in improving an evil personality into a good one? Being optimistic, there."
Ben shook his head and smiled at her.
"My belief in that is about… 70 percent… Maybe up to 90%. My best friend was a villain… he was like my nemesis. His powers were… overwhelming me for some time. And now he and I are best friends and he is dating my cousin."
Mirellia returned a smile.
"So can you discipline her?"
"Not now is all I can say. I can't give you a guarantee since I don't know her well enough. But don't worry too much. You already have many things on your plate."
"She is my daughter, after all. The country is fine. And will be fine with Melty being the next ruler. She is… totally opposite of her sister. You know Melty?"
"No. I don't."
Ben shook his head as he picked up some snacks from the plate.
"Anyway… I also want to make you a second request. Are you OK with that?"
"Yea. Whatever. As long as it involves saving people and kicking butts. Will I have to save some villages from military bullies? Or will I have to kick some government servants?"
Mirellia laughed and nudged Ben's shoulder.
"Sure a funny boy you are. I want you… to watch over Melty. You see how you were set up by Malty, right?"
"Kinda. I don't know how the Church is involved. I forgot to investigate that part."
"I am sensing that Malty is working together with the Church to take over the throne. I am away… and it is a perfect situation, isn't it?"
Ben narrowed his eyes at that thought. He didn't like it. Something… far worse. His hero instincts were warning about THAT something.
"How do you know?"
Ben's tone dramatically changed. The Queen leaned back on the chair and made an eye contact with the hero.
"Just a hunch. And you know Malty has a bad history, right?"
"A very bad one at that. I regret I pried into her mind too much."
"Please protect Melty. It's better if you can take her in… until I'm back at the capital."
Ben smiled to assure Mirellia but he wasn't feeling too good about the potential situations that would happen in the near future.
"I can bring her to you in no time, you know?"
The Queen laughed.
"Ha! I plan to make you two get used to each other and get engaged!"
The teen tried to laugh it off.
"No, no, no. It's a bad idea, you see."
"You have a girlfriend back in your world?"
"No, it's not that. I just…"
The Queen laughed at the teen acting funny. Looks like some stress from overwork had decreased.
"You can be the King, too, in the future."
"That's worse. I have saved the universe enough times and the future me said everyone elected him and he became the president."
"Future you? The president?"
The Queen was confused.
"Er… In our world, the leader of a nation is called the president."
Not every country has its leader as a president. Some have unusual governments but he thought he didn't need to tell her that much.
"Aw, OK. But if you become a King and do something stupid like Aultcray, I'll make sure to get you a punishment from Melty."
Ben felt chills.
"Oh, um… I'm good. Thanks."
"And the third thing." She changed her tone to a serious one.
"Is there more?" Ben tried to give attention to Mirellia again.
With a serious look, the Queen explained a cruel truth to Ben.
"It's not only Melromarc that has a dragon hourglass. And it's not only our country that is assaulted by the waves of calamity and monsters."
"What do you mean? The other countries have their own heroes, too, huh?"
The Queen's serious face created shivers through Ben's spine.
"Sadly, no. There are only FOUR Cardinal Heroes in the world."
"You don't mean– what? So the King is…"
Ben was surprised. And at the same time, disappointed.
"Right. The King did the summoning and took all the heroes for Melromarc. So while we have legendary heroes to defend people, other countries are helpless… well, they have their own share of heroes but cardinal heroes have incomparable strengths and powers."
Would it help? When said Cardinal Heroes, he could only recall a bunch of idiots. Itsuki with an idiotic sense of justice and his opinion of looking down on everyone else as an NPC, and Motoyasu with an uncontrollable perverse. Ren… this guy might be a little better than the other two but looked utterly helpless.
"Uh… as far as I know, they don't seem too powerful."
"But you are."
"I am different from them in many ways, you see. They have died in their worlds once, but I'm alive. Perfectly healthy… so I guess I will be different. Only if I could show you how trashy those guys were in the court, you would get it."
Immediately she felt the anxiety kicking in again.
"Well, that's what my spies report back to me, too. I don't like their… attitudes. We can't blame them for their disabilities… since it is destiny. But attitudes are different. Like Malty being a spoiled brat."
"So what's the number three you want? I will try my best to fulfill their shortcomings."
She forced a smile on her face and nudged his shoulders again.
"That's the spirit. The second wave is drawing near… I suggest you take a world tour after this wave. When you have to work with other cardinal heroes, don't help them too much. If they know you are strong, then they will just rely on you."
Ben shrugged.
"Thanks. So… Am I officially one of your… spies?"
Mirellia got up and walked to the worktable.
"I can never title you my underling, Shield Hero Sir."
"... After you have made a ton of requests, Your Majesty?"
Oh Ben, acting all buddy-buddy with the Queen of all people… Ben now has two friends. Erhard the Bald and Mirellia the Queen.
Ben is currently washing his face, as he thinks about the Queen's requests. The Queen granted him some money, which he tried to refuse but the Queen was persistent and now he has saved about thousands of silvers in his pocket fast enough.
Stream water has many properties, and a medieval world such as this one has things more natural, reserved and organic. This kind of environment is rare in the universe, hardly found on other planets across several galaxies.
Stream water is cold, and refreshing. For about a year, he had been a hero and carried a burden. Now, being a nobody again feels anew. Add a camping area made by himself. A stream is close to his wooden barriers.
Speaking of walls built by piling up tree trunks, Ben was a carefree type and used to work things out without thinking much of them. But now Ben seems to take Prof Paradox too seriously and he has trust issues. See how he suddenly built a house.
"Seems like I got a job."
Ben changes into new clothes as his usual shirt and trousers are sent to the laundry. It's not like any laundry service is present around this era, he supposes, so he washes his clothes in the stream water…
"The new armor is… comfortable. Maybe I should purchase some more from that Bald guy. What's his name? Erheat? Oh, it's Erhard."
Ben plans to wander around the town again in case he finds something he wants. He's got a good bag of money. First things first, how about magic-related items?
Ben was many things but he could never properly use magic. His grandma is an annodite, which is a mana being, but no helping to him being a noob at magic despite being the wielder of the most advanced device in the known universe. His cousin, Gwen, is gifted with magic, since she was young and she could handle grimoires at 10.
He stops his steps in front of a seemingly magic shop and enters the building. There is a lady in a black cape and attire, and a hat that's like those of witches. On the headwear are pearls and two roses.
"Welcome, customer. Are you interested in magic?"
Ben rubs the back of his neck and forces a smile.
"Yeah. I hear about Magic everywhere so I want to try it."
"Oh, it's fine."
The woman smiles back at Ben.
Ben looks around and sees a crystal ball on her table. There are books on the stalls behind her.
"First, we have to examine your aptitude in magic. There are many kinds of magic like ritual magic, healing, and support. It's best to use the type of magic suitable for you."
"Aw… OK. Thanks. Er… how to… examine it?"
The woman puts her hand on the crystal ball.
"It's easy. Just… put your hand on this sphere and everything will be worked out."
"Ah… Ok."
Ben does as the woman said. And the sphere gives off some light. The woman looks at the sphere.
"Oh, you are… suited with healing and support magic. But… you seem to be… very strong at them. Is there anyone in your family good with magic?"
Ben thinks for a while and recalls two people.
"I think so. My grandma and my cousin are good at this stuff. They are… very strong, I suppose."
"Well, that explains it."
After that Ben bought a guidebook from the shopkeeper.
"Oh… I don't think I can read this thing… but…"
The woman just smiles and assures him.
"Don't worry. You can learn our language in no time. I am sure. And wait, are you one of those summoned heroes?"
Ben nods. "Yes, why?"
"The Hero of the Shield, huh? Though the Church of Three Heroes and the King seem to dislike you, the Queen admires the heroes of Shield. I am sure you have… people who will support you."
Once again Ben goes into the forest to upgrade his levels. He wants to test healing magic but no luck. There is no monster on the edge of the forest that can get a scratch on him. And he forgets about his priority and when he recalls, he has already slain a trail of monsters.
Ben sighs as he explores the depths of the forest. He had the breakfast at the inn downtown, what a shame there was no chilli fries available. By the time he arrived into the forest, the food must be digested already.
"Tennyson. Hey."
He hears a familiar elderly voice… out of nowhere. He feels some goosebumps as he knows who it is. Turning around, he sees a green-skinned frog-like alien who is about 6 inch tall.
"Az- Azmuth?! What are you doing here?!"
"Azmuth yes. But no. I am not him, I am an AI program input in the omnitrix, to help you in case you are in trouble."
The "Azmuth" is standing on a boulder nearby. But he is… transparent… and… too green. No, it's all green. Azmuth isn't green, he's grey.
"Oh, I get it."
Genius Ben says cheerfully.
"So am I in trouble?"
"Sort of. You have a popular trait of running into trouble wherever you go. I have been watching you for all time, since the omnitrix's main AI activated me. It was when you first stepped into this world."
Ben rubs his ears as he feels uncomfortable. Azmuth has a habit of spying on him by putting weird GPS stuff and cameras and recorders in the omnitrix. Ben can't blame him. The most intelligent of the 5 galaxies think differently.
"Did Azmuth send you to aid me, or just insult me?"
"I am not insulting you. You running into trouble is a fact since you got the omnitrix."
"Then what are you doing here?"
The hologram narrows his eyes and jumps onto the small shield on Ben's right arm.
"I am annoyed by this thing. You are called the Shield Hero or Shield Devil whatever. But you haven't used this thing even once."
"Wait, are you also spying on me?"
"I've said about it. Come on, you have a shield to protect yourself, but all I see is you going on the offensive with alien powers. Shall I lock the Omnitrix so that you will use the shield, huh?"
Ben sweatdrops.
"No, look. Let me explain."
"It's like you are cheating in a game. You know. And don't be irresponsible. You showed off your powers in front of the whole country. Oh, kid, I can't even imagine what will happen next."
Ben looks down as he recalls his fault.
"Something magic-related tried to scan the Omnitrix. Probably that magic status of yours."
"So what happened?" Ben asks.
"Nothing. Omnitrix is the most advanced technology in the known universe but it's not hackproof. But it has defensive features like blocking light-related energy and other energy forms from entering it. So it can easily counter the scans. Even if it can analyze, can't do anything with a vast data collection."
Ben nods in agreement. He doesn't even know the magic status indicator tried to scan his device. And he doesn't know his partner can do those things. But he says nothing back because he's afraid AI Azmuth will scold him.
"What do you want to do with the shield then? I can upgrade it to a certain level if you want." says Azmuth as he looks into the core of the shield.
"Really?"
"But… you have to use it more than you did."
"Aw, man!" Ben exclaims.
"Shields are meant to protect. So you can defend yourself or others using it. I have already analyzed its functions. And I know you haven't checked what it can do. Hilarious there, Ben Tennyson."
Ben tries to look away from the hologram as the core begins to glow faintly.
"Azmuth has created countless technologies that contributes to society. He didn't care about the universe before you became a hero. Did you know?"
"Well, he is like an old man who is obsessed by his own inventions."
AI Azmuth sighs.
"I can't deny it. But as stubborn as he is, you are one of the very few people who actually get his attention and respect. You are called a hero at 10. Also, not to mention that he changed because of you."
Ben's face is blank as he's surprised to hear it.
"Maybe you did something wrong while recreating him, hah! Whatever, he created ascalon, one of the most powerful weapons in the universe. A planet was destroyed because of its existence… then he retrieved and gave it away to homo sapiens. Only for another monster to arise. He has done many things to regret… but he never regrets creating the omnitrix. Ascalon became a weapon… but Omnitrix is a symbol of peace and diversity. And a TRUE hero is ultilizing its endless possibilities to save the day. Why would he complain, huh?"
"What do you mean?"
Ben thinks this AI talks too much and frankly praises him. The core of the shield is glowing brighter and brighter.
"The Ascalon was a weapon. The Omnitrix is the symbol and peace and diversity. And the Shield is the defense. You have wielded those three devices. You know what I mean? Even Azmuth didn't create a shield like yours. So use it to protect more people. You have offensive abilities as well as some defensive abilities. But now you are the Legendary Hero of the Shield, devil or not. And I know you aren't a devil. Just utilize your devices wisely to defend more people."
Ben looks up at Azmuth AI.
"I… I understand."
The hologram smiles at Ben and jumps off the shield as the core glows brightly.
"Alright, kid. I have added some more handy functions in the shield. Magic is not my thing but I can increase your inventory storage. And alien shields."
"Alien shields?"
"Yeah, check it out."
"How?"
AI jumps and slaps Ben's forehead.
"Ow…"
"Kid, don't be an idiot. Open your status magic and search it. I can tell you and project what you see in status outside… but you don't rely on me, OK?"
"O.. OK."
Ben goes silent as he focuses on the icon. And a screen pops up.
"Shield… shield… shield…" he mutters as he goes through several icons.
"Oh what? I've got a whole lot of… shields? This is a… tetramand one… and this one is… petrosapien and –"
"I hope you–"
Suddenly a scream interrupts Azmuth's voice.
"AHHHH! MONSTER! YOU UGLY DON'T COME HERE!"
Ben and Azmuth turn in the direction the scream comes from and looks at each other.
"Sounds like a job to you, Ben 10."
"Yeah, Azmuth."
"Don't call me– uh… whatever."
The hologram disappears as Ben starts running.
A couple of seconds later, he sees a girl lying on the ground with fear in her eyes and several large serpent monsters.
"IT'S HERO TIME! HUMONGOUSAUR~"
The earth under the girl shakes as a large orange dinosaur creature runs into the serpent monsters and punches hard in their necks.
Immediately the heads are off and the rest of the bodies fall down onto the ground.
Then the dinosaur man sees where they came from. It was a wide puddle about 30 feet wide and filled with mud.
"Oh, I guess I overdid a little."
"AHHHH! Lizard MONSTER! HELP!"
The vaxasaurian turns around and looks at the girl, his hand shaking in refusal.
"No, I am not a monster. I am an alien. Please don't scream."
She is a pretty blonde girl around his age. Her body is trembling in fear.
"YOU! YOU SPEAK! THE MONSTER SPEAKS!"
"I am not a monster. See! I saved you…"
The dinosaur man points the corpses behind to assure her. But to his surprise, he sees the serpent bodies are being regenerated.
"Oh no."
"THEY ARE… THEY ARE REBORN!"
"OK, OK, please don't scream. Slowly… breathe in and out… and go hide behind that tree. Go, go, shu."
"WHY DO I HAVE TO LISTEN TO YOU, MONSTER?!"
"For the third time, I AM NOT A MONSTER AND PLEASE GO HIDE BEHIND THAT TREE. IT'S FOR YOUR SAFE–"
A serpent monster runs into the massive body of the lizard man and bites onto the shoulder.
"AHH! Aw, man. You should tell me first before you bite. It stings." says the vaxasaurian as he holds the monster's head with one hand and throws it back into the puddle.
The blonde girl watches in horror and then decides to follow the lizardman's orders. She runs into the bushes to hide.
"OK, Ben. No hindrance anymore. How about… you and I duel? Huh?"
He growls as he grabs the necks of the monsters and squeezes to death.
"Two down… and–"
And he sees several heads rise from the black puddle.
" – and… seven more. OH CRAP! IT'S THE GODDAMN HYDRA!"
Hydra monsters are not very common among adventurers but he heard about them at the inn. They can regenerate as long as their core is not destroyed.
"A formidable enemy, huh? The monsters I have fought till now are… WEAK!"
He punches the nearest heads and they shatter at the contact while he defends himself with an orange shield on right hand.
"Alright, I can han– Oh, I didn't see that coming."
Three serpent heads are twining around his legs and struggling to pull him from balance.
"A-YAHHH!"
The dinosaur man jumps into the air and then falls onto the ground, shattering the earth and the serpent heads… while the main body of the monster rises from the puddle because of the impact.
The blonde thinks she's gonna fly as she holds tight around the tree.
"Bingo…"
By the time he touches the ground, he has become three times larger and his huge fists are continuously shot into the hydra's trunk, breaking it down into pieces.
The monster is down but humongousaur doesn't break a sweat.
He shrinks into his original size and walks towards the girl.
"You fine?"
The girl nods in response and in fear.
"Are you going to… eat me?"
"Why do you jump to that conclusion? And I am not a fan of cannibalism."
The giant sighs as he lends a hand to the girl. The girl looks at the hand in confusion but she holds onto it and gets up.
"Why do you save me if you are not going to eat me?"
The humongosaur bows to see her face closely.
"I could've just grabbed and consumed you. I wouldn't waste time defeating that hydra if I was gonna eat you, OK?"
Hopefully, the girl doesn't have a cannibalism fetish.
"Is everything alright?"
The girl is staring at the giant's face for while then she is brought back to reality. She nods her head in response.
"OK, I will take you back home. Er… where do you live?"
Then the massive alien lifts her up and puts down onto his shoulder. He decided to take her home as a transportation service. She didn't even say her name… and stayed mostly silent as she feared the lizard monster.
For Ben, he didn't transform back for the sake of his identity. As AI Azmuth said, showing off his abilities is just… irresponsible.
The blonde girl silently memorized the strange green-black hourglass symbol on his chest and a orange shield that is rather small compared to his massive body, on his right hand.
The creature was naked. But none of them commented about it.
"I am from a noble family. You will get a fine reward from my rewards."
The girl finally speaks and reveals to Ben about her family.
"Oh great. I hit the jackpot, huh?"
Ben jokes as he runs from the monsters, keeping the girl safe in his palms.
"What are you exactly?"
"I am… just a passing-through adventurer. I like eating girls."
Her face shows an angry emotion now.
"No, you don't."
She isn't afraid of the lizard man anymore. He's been protecting her all this time.
"I have never eaten a girl so I don't know. Maybe I like their taste."
"Your jokes suck."
The girl yells at him, placing her palms on her hips.
"Yes, yes, OK. Please just don't stand up on my palm. It's dangerous."
The girl becomes quiet and sits down, turning towards the front, spouting.
Well… The dinosaur man sighs internally.
"How far is it, miss?"
"At this rate," she says, thoughtfully. "Probably next half an hour."
"Oh great. I have to run for next 30 minutes her."
He tilts his head to see if the monsters are still coming after him. When he sees nothing, he puts down the girl onto a boulder.
"Let's fly, shall we?"
"What–"
A green light blinds here temporarily and the lizard man disappears. In his place is a humanoid red stingray creature with golden horns and green eyes. It has gills on its sides. The shield is now wing-shaped but still small compared to his body. She notices a crystal core in the middle.
"JETRAY! Alright, get on."
"What? What just happened?"
Ben didn't want to show his powers but… forget it.
The girl steps back in surprise.
"Get on my back. This one can fly at very high speed. Oh… do you want a dragon? I think I have–"
"WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!"
Jetray looks at her, confused. Then after a few seconds… Oh yeah, I didn't tell her that I am a shapeshifting monster. Good…
"Look, I can transform into the forms of… monsters, like this one and the previous creature. Come on, get on my back."
The girl stares at the creature for a couple of seconds. That weird looking insignia on his chest… is the same.
Then she breathes out heavily and walks to the back of the creature.
"Your skin is slippery."
"As long as you hold me tight, it will be OK."
Jetray lowers his body for the girl to get on.
"Hold tight, around my neck. Don't worry, this one doesn't have a nose and thus doesn't breathe. I will be fine if you squeezes my– hey, HEY, I AM JUST KIDDING. I am just kidding, okay?!"
Jetray screams as she squeezes his neck piece.
"Ready for the air trip?"
"I am ready."
"Alright… Whoa…"
The stingray alien carrying a human girl on his back flies off the forest and shoots in the direction the girl mentioned.
"AHHHHH! IT'S… AMAZING!"
"Hold me tight, don't daze off."
The aerophibian is slowly flying, compared to his usual speed, for the girl's safety.
The hero has to do more than kick criminal butts and save people. He has to take them home too. For the criminal, it's the big house… the prison.
"Oh, God. What did you ride, Aria?"
A fat middle-aged man runs towards them calling out her name as the aerophibian glides around and descends to the ground.
"Are you her–?"
"The MONSTER SPEAKS!"
A blonde woman that looks like an older version of Aria also runs out of a building nearby as she sees them.
"ARIA, OH MY GOD! YOU TAMED A MONSTER?"
Jetray tries to smile as he doesn't know how to respond.
"Uh… yes. The weather is fine today, right?"
The couple stares at him in fear and the stingray alien notices it.
"OK, okay. You are her mother, right?"
The woman nods quietly.
"Aria is your name? You never told me."
He tilts his head to see Aria down.
"You never asked."
"Oh… sorry."
"And you never told your name, either."
The couple looks at them, confused.
"Thanks for bringing her back, Mr… I am her father, Brambilla."
Jetray turns at the man and gives him a creepy smile.
"Yeah, it's nothing. I am… You can call me Jetray for now."
"For now?" Aria's mom asks.
"It's… complicated. Then, Aria,..."
"Yes."
"Excuse me, mister and mistress. I will take my leave."
Then Jetray flies off into the sky. He hears a soft goodbye of Aria.
"I am exhausted. Oh,... let's go grab a smooth– er… man."
Jetray then quietly goes back home.
"Where did you go, Aria?"
Mr. Brambillia asks softly. Her mom looks worried, too.
"I was walking around the pool… and a flying monster suddenly appeared and took me to the forest."
"Umm? That stingray-looking–"
"No, Dad. He is the one who saved me. I was taken to a nest…. I saw some eggs there. And I ran as soon as I could. I encountered a hydra monster."
"Hydra Monster?" asks the Mom worriedly.
"Yes, it was… a little smallert than the one you told me."
"I don't think… that stingray monster-" Her Dad's comment is interrupted by Aria.
"He's not a monster."
"Oh, sorry. But no way that stingray can defeat a hydra monster."
The mother nods in agreement with the mother.
"No, he was a bigger creature at first. It was… uh… like a combination of a lizard and a dragon. It was huge… and he can enlarge himself even to the size rivaling the hydra."
The parents don't believe their daughter's claims.
"Alright. Whatever. You are safe. That's all we need to hear." says the mother, with a look of disbelief in her eyes.
As they walk back to the manor, the mother points out a feature inthe monster's appearance.
"Did you see… a weird plate on his arm? A plate kinda like a wing?"
"Yes. I… I did. I think it was a shield." answers the daughter. Mr. Brambillia is busy thinking why a monster wields a shield. And again… a sentient talking monster. A shield.
Monster… Devil… and he has a shield. Shield Devil! He figures it out! He watched the live broadcast of the trial at the capital, and the crime was related to Malty, the first daughter of the King.
Aultcray and Malty looked utterly pathepic at the face of the Shield Devil… he humiliated them without hestitation.
His abilities… are incredible. He has plenty of knowledge on magic subject… but has never heard of such abilities. Wait… no that theory is impossible!
He probably… possesses otherworldly powers!
"What's the dinner tonight, Mom?"
"Go ask Uncle Chris yourself, Aria."
Mr. Brambillia silently grits his teeth while he is following his wife and their daughter some feet away.
Mr. Brambillia is one of the loyal servants dedicated to the King.
That Shield Devil… I must report to His Highness as soon as possible.
Before leaving the capital to practice his shield skills, Ben visits the usual shop where he sells the excess crystals, that Erhard don't buy. Ben said to Erhard that he also wanted to see the resulting armor he forged with his crystals. But it may take a little longer.
Just in a few days, he's made earnings from the crystals and monster remains and his life is… comfortable… but isn't really perfect without his favorite drinks, food and games.
I doubt Professor Paradox will bring me things I ask of him.
Ben recalls. It was a live broadcast. If he didn't do well, he might have a bad name in the town around this time. But...it was lucky rather than a coincidence. Malty, the spoiled brat of a princess, and the King, the idiot of a fake ruler. But the wielder of omnitrix couldn't care less to punish those villains of the nation.
The second wave is drawing nearer… Where will the monsters assault this time?
He noted to visit the place where the last wave assaulted so that he can prepare the things he needs.
"Wait… What happened to my level?"
Ben finally sees the dramatic difference in his status level when he leaves the shop and accidentally looks at the icon.
Benjamin Kirby Tennyson
Level: 35
"Perhaps that monster you defeated recently has quite a high level."
A hologram suddenly appears right before his eyes… It was…
"AHHH! AZMUTH!"
The people in the street looks at Ben and comments their own thoughts.
Ben whispers to Azmuth. "Hey, don't scare me like that."
"Ahem… sorry about that. I was going to say I had successfully hacked your status thingy and will going to appear here just on the screen. None other than yourself can see me."
"Oh."
"And I am talking directly into your mind so you needn't bother yourself speaking out loud. Otherwise, the surrounding will think you are crazy. You can talk to me by focusing what you want to say."
Silence takes place in the virtual conversation for some seconds.
So you have pried into my brain, huh?
"No harm, Tennyson. I just want to help you as I am programmed to do so after all. For your sake, I recommend this shield…"
A crystall sphere appears in the screen.
Ben looks at the sphere while walking to the nearest restaurant.
Is that a shield?
"Right. But… Yes. It has an analytic ability that can scan creatures or people in a limited distance and see their skills and level. It's really a handy tool."
So where can I find?
AI Azmuth rubs his chin that has tentacles hanging down from it.
"The nearest place is the magic shop."
Huh? The one that I went to this morning.
"Exactly."
Ben turns in the direction of the magic shop.
That lady sounds nice. Anyway, thanks Azmuth.
"I'd prefer you don't call me that name."
Ben ignores AI Azmuth's last comment and takes off.
"The Crystal Ball? Yes, gladly. 750 silvers."
Ben looks at the hologram and shrugs.
So he bought the crystal ball with 750 silvers and let his shield absorb it.
"Uh… I got some strange abilities, you see."
"Don't speak out loud." The hologram scolds at him.
Ben ignores again.
"Thanks Azmuth. But I think I should do things by myself from now on."
"I said don't- Wait, what do you mean? Are you treating me like some useless old man?"
Ben stands on the bank of a lake near the forest while he talks to Azmuth.
"You see… I think it's… more realistic to rely on my own. It's not like I don't want your help. But… I couldn't do those things without you. Like… fusing alien powers and my shield… That analyzing thingy and stuff. I don't like being alone but… I feel like it's better that way."
AI Azmuth wears a furious old man face.
"Alright, I get it, I get it. I will lock away myself and don't call me out and cry when you need help, OK?"
Ben chuckles.
"You are really like Azmuth, hmmm? Especially scolding me."
"Of course. Azmuth programmed me in this omnitrix to scold me when you do something crazy and he is busy. You see, you have lived all your life without me and in just half a day, you already blaming yourself? I can't believe the infamous Ben Tennyson has mental issues! If you need some therapy, I wlll gladly help you."
Ben laughs as he looks into the shield list.
"Thanks whatever. Partner."
AI Azmuth smiles when Ben calls him Partner instead of Azmuth.
"OK, I will get some rest. The omnitrix can save energy that way."
The hologram disappears and Ben selects a shield out of the list.
Consequently, a shield appears in the place of the original small shield.
It has the face of an orange ballon monster.
"Alrighty! Let's practice some moves."
Ren can't believe what he just saw.
The Shield Hero, or the Shield Devil by haters, who was recently accused for a rape crime yesterday, is now talking to the thin air. The view is… quite… lonely. Ren understands the rest two of the heroes would not like to befriend Ben.
The main reason is that Ben is more powerful and overwhelming. They said all those things about the Shield class being useless and played only by losers.
Itsuki has a twisted sense of justice. As long as he gains profit from "justice" he will full-support justice. In Ben's case, no one stood up the King and his daughter. And he couldn't get any profits… that mich is obvious. One wrong move and he is good as dead in this crazy "isekai."
(A/N: "Isekai" means other world, whereas "sekai" means the world. I don't know Japanese. In a translation of original material, they just wrote isekai instead of translation.)
Motoyasu is one person Ren doesn't want to get in contact with anymore. He can be wrongly accused as Ben has been, and maybe he will have to fight Motoyasu.
Motoyasu is the worst… Ren commented. Blinded by lust… he can't really decide things on his own anymore. Like an animal,... he follows the orders of "women." You can trick him easily if you are a cute girl.
Ren doesn't think about those things anymore.
But…
Ren doesn't have courage and powers like Ben. He couldn't even stand up for the poor Shield Hero. But that guy… solved all the problems by himself.
The grand plans of Malty destroying the Shield Devil collapsed rather miserably. But Ren doesn't understand why the King hates the Shield.
Ren turns back into the forest after watching Ben practise for a couple of minutes.
I have to practise, I have to be strong.
When someone made a list of skills Ben has, flirting never was one. Even then many girls fell for him. He has a lot of fangirls back in Bellwood, no… all over the universe. Since he can transform into many species… maybe every sentient species in the galaxy, there are his fangirls of different species in the galaxy.
Even then, flirting never was his specialty. In fact, it is a weakness. He likes Sumo Slammers… which is stated to be childish, and Chilli Fries and Smoothies… which people remark "Lame Taste."
Kai is one of those people who says his tastes are lame, she contradicts Ben in many traits. Disliking smoothies and Sumo Slammers for example.
However, Ben couldn't really choose Ester over Kai. Ester is half-human but her opportunity for marrying Ben is no less than Kai. But… at the end of the day, Ester contradicts Kai. Ester never bad-mouths Ben's tastes, in fact, she likes them. She would go on dates with him on holidays.
If he has to choose… it's Ester. He feels bad choosing people over others… but he believes Kai doesn't like him a bit. And he gets along VERY WELL with Ester. She is no less cheerful and funny than Ben and fun to hang out with. Even Jimmy Jones commented about his movie date with Ester.
When Ken, his future son, came from the future, he said that neither Ester nor Kai wasn't his mother. Ben just gave him a thumb-up out of embarrassment when Kenny said that thing to him.
He said to Ken. "The future is not set in stone. It has endless possibilities," was the reply which made Kenny facepalm.
But he wondered if Paradox is some sort of mentor of his future son.
When he asked Ken who his future wife is… Ken said two words.
"No spoiler, Dad."
That brat…
A fact he doesn't know is different Ken*s from different universes have different mothers. No joke, Benjamin.
"Oh, and I need to warn you about-"
"AHHH! AZMUTH! YOU AGAIN! Don't scare me off like that!"
Azmuth's hologram suddenly appears again and Ben who was lost in thoughts of romance was forcefully kicked out of the dream realm.
"Sorry, Ben. I wanted to notice you about the teleportation feature I recently found in your… status thingy."
"Oh, thanks. It becomes weirder and weirder, hmm?"
"Yep. I don't recommend using it, though. But it will be useful when you have to go to the designated locations where the calamity is predicted to assault."
"Wait, the location is PREDICTED?"
"Of course. I don't understand magic but as far as I know, they have ancient techniques to know where it will assault. I suggest you visit the Church and library for information about recent waves."
Ben stands up from the boulder and walks to and fro on the bank.
"Well, visiting the Church is out of the question. I can't bring myself hearing more hateful stuff from this crappy culture."
"Language, Ben." Azmuth growls.
"Sorry, ahem! But I will try sneaking in again using you know what. And where is the library exactly?"
"I AM NOT YOUR SECRETARY! OR are you taking back what you just said a moment ago?"
Ben doesn't know, honestly, if he has to laugh or cry.
"OK, Okay. I understand. I will do it myself."
"Alright, I will go to bed, again."
The angry old alien disappears again.
Ben sighs silently as he transforms his shield back to the original one.
"Let's go… BIG CHILL…"
Like that, the Shield Hero mysteriously disappears.
There are two alien forms that can turn both intangible and invisible. Ghostfreak and Big Chill… but Ghostfreak has a bad history so Ben usually avoids using him. Though Big Chill doesn't have telekinesis and physical body possession abilities like Ghostfreak, he sure is one of Ben's favorite aliens.
The Church of the Three Heroes is the last place he wants to go to. He will go slay dozens of aliens than sneak around the Church and hear the non-sense badmouthing about him or talking down of demi-humans. Even the Queen herself is involved in their conversation… as a bad figure, unfortunately. He knows the Queen is a kind person and the Church must be taking advantage of her character.
The necrofriggian stares at the dragon hourglass for a moment, trying to analyze its magic with his shield and omnitrix. But no luck.
Every time the nuns enter the hall, he just hides somewhere although he is invisible because he doesn't want to hear unnecessary words.
"Relax, Tennyson. They can't do anything to you."
The AI Azmuth appears again.
Why are you here? I thought you went to sleep, hmm?
"You are all tensed up. And I know how it is when you explode."
The necrofriggian is annoyed by that.
How do you know?
"You know Azmuth spied on you years ago. Like that time with Kevin boy. Or every time someone hurt your family. Not to mention you desperately tried to save the universe from the brink of destruction many times."
What's your point?
"You are a hero, not a revenger. You fight to protect people, not to avenge them."
A brief silence follows.
Are you reading my mind?
"No, of course not. Galvans can't read minds. I can only interact with a portion of your brain that's connected to status magic."
Ben looks around and sees the nuns go out of the room.
"Then, Az– sorry, partner. Can you please analyze that sand?"
Azmuth disappeared for a moment and then he returns.
"Sadly no. This sand seems to be beyond my knowledge and the capabilities of the crystal ball. But don't worry too much. Let's get you to the library before you destroy everything."
You consider me a villain, huh? Well, I can't blame you.
"I have calculated about 3,467 ideal situations and over 45% of them have you destroying the Church and 20% of them have you attacking the spoiled red-haired girl and the low-IQ King. And 60% use Alien X to exterminate the whole calamity thing from existence. And then you are to attend the court and receive the punishment for abusing celestialsapien abilities."
The necrofriggian can't ignore artificial intelligence's predictions.
How many of them could I save everyone?
"About 40%. For my standards, it is not… good but according to the circumstances, it is fine."
And what about demi-humans?
The Hologram Azmuth narrows his eyes. Big Chill has already left the Church.
"I hope luck is on your side."
After some minutes, Human Ben is seen walking out of a valley.
"According to the Map, the library is on the other side of this street… so…"
Ben does not think things are okay this way. But he can't just change everything, this much is obvious. And he understands he can't make a mess using Alien X powers in a universe that is not his. There is no Chadzmuth here.
Ben thinks positively. But is still stressed out. He can't help but think of the failure rate every step he takes.
He has saved the universe several times, AI Azmuth is right. But he and the Omnitrix were the only natural things in all universe he lived in. The original universe is gone. He failed once. Game Over and Reset are not considered in Reality.
He transforms into XLR8 and by using the fraction force, he runs at a speed faster than the sound itself, breaking the sound barrier several times.
The entrance has double glass doors. The library wasn't really a place for him, because his days were busy just with hero work. The last book he had to read was related to history. He doesn't dislike books. It's just that due to several occasions, he doesn't have a chance to enjoy them.
Alright, let's move.
Breathing heavily for a moment, he walks into the building. It is fancy… compared to the shops of commoners. And well built.
"Hey, what are you doing here?"
The welcome isn't nice, honestly. But Ben tries to keep his cool.
"Er, I am looking for some documents of the last calamity wave. I want to know about the country's history and bordering countries."
Ben's words are fast as if he were rapping. He forgot to transform back to human form.
The library staff isn't nice as Ben comments. She takes a glance at his face and checks on his shield. And she starts throwing daggers from her eyes at him. She is quite a beauty… and looks innocent. But her attitude to Ben is… something…
I wish everyone here is blinded by the propaganda of the Church and the King.
Ben internally sighs as he walks towards the stalls she pointed without another word. Someone is staring at him and it is her. He doesn't dare turn around to check on her.
Ben notices that the King has bad history against the Shield. No wonder Aultcray hates the Shield "Devil" guts. But he doesn't understand. The knowledge kept here is limited. Typical Brainwashing, huh? All he sees are the books about the three heroes, and religious materials, as well as… the stairs to hate the Shield "Devil."
It's a miracle the librarian allowed him in.
He clenches his fists as he sees the books about human supremacy and how demi-humans are "low-lives". Ok, put it down, Ben.
He can still feel the stare on his back so he takes great care with putting books in their place back.
He wonders what percent of this country hates his guts.
Siltvelt…., Zeltoble…., Shieldfreeden… the surrounding countries also have interesting histories with Melromarc,... though the books only mention the rights of the nation and the wrongs of the other countries in political disagreements and wars.
Beastmen and demi-humans… so this means not all non-humans are demi-humans, huh? He finds documents about beastmen… that are… humanoid in many characteristics but… in appearance, they are totally different from humans. From his theory, most of them are sentient. And demi-humans… their appearance is influenced by human characteristics but they possess animalistic features.
"Siltvelt… is a country that was once under the rule of four great races: Hakuko, Genmu, Shusaku, and Aotatsu.
And after the war with Melromarc, the Hakuko's forces were vastly devastated. As a result, they, as a race, descended from a position of authority but still hold some influence. Those of the Shusaku race tend to be pro Shield Hero radicals while those of the Genmu race are more moderate. The middle-of-the-roaders prefer not to lean too much on the hero while the radicals dedicate themselves to the hero. The previous Shield Hero met his end in less than a month in Siltvelt. Whether he was weak or struck down in a conspiracy is unknown, and Siltvelt had difficulty in accepting it."
The documents about Shieldfreeden aren't much. But both the Siltvelt and the Shieldfreeden people seem to worship the Shield Hero, which makes Ben remember his fame back in the homeworld.
Zeltoble seems to have a dark history of constant warfares but now it's a country of merchants.
Az– Uh… Partner?
"What do you need?"
The hologram of Azmuths appears in front him, in a pose of sitting on the edge of a rack.
I need all these books copied. Can you analyze it?
AI Azmuth facepalms and jumps onto Ben's shoulder.
"Uh… how troublesome of you. OK, OK, I will help."
CHAPTER (4) ENDS. Thanks for reading. Please write reviews and I will try my best to improve my story. Thanks, everyone.
Sorry about plenty of spelling errors and grammar mistakes. I don't know why but my docs are just reverted back off my knowledge.
Christopher Paradox Chronos.