"If I wanted a job as a Plumber right now, I could probably pass the exam in my sleep," Tyler muttered, a smirk playing on his lips as the new tactical data settled into his mind.
"Ex... Extraterrestrial brother!"
Tyler turned his gaze—all dozens of them—toward a poacher groaning on the deck.
"Not enough? Or are you looking for a head start to the hospital?" Tyler warned, his voice a low rumble.
"No..." the poacher wheezed. "The ship is still on autopilot. If no one takes the helm, we're going to plow straight into the docks! You have to let us steer!"
"Shut up. I'll handle it," Tyler barked. He reached for the dial on his chest.
WHOOSH!
In a flash of light, Tyler didn't just transform; he multiplied. A small, black-and-white figure appeared, sporting a wide, jagged 'V' shaped mouth that looked like a permanent, deathly grin. Ditto.
CRACK!
Within seconds, the deck was swarming with identical, evil-grinning toddlers. With a clear division of labor—thanks to his newly acquired Plumber piloting skills—the clones expertly manned the controls. They guided the massive vessel to the shore, docking it with surgical precision just as the police sirens wailed in the distance.
By the time the officers boarded to escort the poachers away, Tyler and his clones had long since vanished.
Later that evening, the stars twinkled over the lake. Tyler tiptoed out of the Rustbucket, the cold night air hitting his face.
"We're leaving tomorrow," he whispered to himself. "I can't pass up the chance to spar with a real alpha predator. Ben was right; the Kraken is a 'strong enemy' node."
If he simply waited for villains to show up, his progress would stagnate. He needed to be proactive. He reached for the watch, ready to dive in—
GREEN LIGHT.
A lean, blue-and-black blur screeched to a halt beside him.
"Ben? What are you doing out here as XLR8?" Tyler asked, surprised.
The visor on Ben's face retracted. "I got my butt kicked during the day, Tyler. I need a rematch. I have to prove I can handle that overgrown lizard!"
"You sure XLR8 is the right pick for an underwater tank?"
"Trust me!" Ben grinned. "Speed beats power every time. You think I'm just a kid who can't use his watch? Watch this!"
Eight minutes later...
"TYLER! SAVE ME!"
Ben was sprinting across the surface of the lake like a skipping stone, the massive Kraken breaching right behind him, its jaws snapping at his heels. "My timer is almost out! She's faster than she looks!"
"Tsk. To fight a sea monster, you need a monster of your own!"
Tyler leaped into the air, and as he hit the water, a pillar of crimson light erupted from the surface.
A four-armed giant, skin the color of dried blood, burst from the depths. His muscles were twice as thick as Ben's Four Arms, his four eyes sporting dual-pupils that pulsed with a sinister light. The Tetramand Butcher.
"I've got this!" Tyler roared. He planted his feet on the muddy lakebed, spreading his four massive hands.
CRASH!!
The Kraken slammed into Tyler with the force of a freight train. The water exploded around them. Tyler swayed, his heels digging into the silt, but he held. He had out-muscled the leviathan.
Enraged, the Kraken began to thrash, trying to crush him with its coils.
"Just a test of strength? Boring," Tyler grinned.
The Plumber combat memories surged. He shifted his grip, moving from raw pushing to high-level grappling. He caught the Kraken's neck in a lock and grabbed its underbelly.
HEAVE!
With a roar of effort, Tyler executed a perfect overhead suplex. The twenty-meter beast was launched out of the water, silhouetted against the moon before crashing back down.
"Never seen wrestling, have you, fish-breath?"
Tyler didn't stop. He treated the prehistoric terror like a training dummy, using advanced throws and joint locks. The Kraken spent more time in the air than in the water. It wasn't just a fight; it was a masterclass in humiliation.
"Wait... is Four Arms even supposed to do that?" Ben asked from the shore, reverting to human form. "I thought he just punched things. You're... you're doing martial arts with a dinosaur."
After the eighteenth throw, Tyler finally let go. The Kraken bobbed in the water, its eyes glazed. Suddenly, it leaned over and began to retch uncontrollably. The leviathan was actually seasick.
"You're too strong, Tyler... you made the water monster throw up," Ben said, sounding both impressed and slightly disgusted.
[Ding! Host has dominated the Kraken in single combat. Absolute superiority established. Progress: +1%]
[Template Mastery: 9/100. DNA Unlocked: The Void-Guzzler!]
Tyler looked at the retching Kraken and sighed, awkwardly patting the beast's back before turning to head home.
That night, Captain Shaw was awakened by a strange noise near the docks. He grabbed his flashlight, his temper flared. "First I pass out for no reason, now people are messing with my boat at 2 AM?!"
He swung the light around, illuminating a massive, red, four-armed shadow.
"Evening, Captain," Tyler said, his double-pupils reflecting the flashlight as he flashed a mouth full of fangs.
"OH, GOD! GHOST!!"
Captain Shaw hit the deck, unconscious for the third time that week.