At the entrance of the Clown House.
Zack rubbed his temples, his spirits bright. "After a bit of fresh air, I'm completely awake."
Ben stayed on guard, cautiously saying, "Zack, we've waited half an hour already. We need to be careful when we go down later."
Honestly, it was so dark, he was still a little scared.
"With me here, what are you afraid of?"
Zack reassured him gently, then tapped the Carnitrix screen, selecting his favored alien.
As a red light flashed and faded, a terrifying alien appeared.
Ben's vision went dark, and he almost couldn't stand steadily. "Zack, with you here, I'm even more scared."
"Ah? Then I'll go in first."
A chilling voice rang out, and Zack's figure phased into the Clown House.
"Carnifreak is even more terrifying than before," Ben said, trembling as he stared at Zack's back.
...…
Beneath the Clown House was an underground base.
Zombozo stood in front of a giant machine, clenching his fist fiercely. "Our plan, prepared for so long, was ruined by a werewolf!"
He cursed, bandaging the burn across his chest.
"Boss, but we still managed to grab a lot of money." Frightwig spread out her living hair, revealing various gold and silver treasures.
Thumbskull said ferociously, "Werewolf, huh? The four of us together can definitely kill him!"
"You're right… we'll see if he dares to come!"
Zombozo caressed the clown machine lovingly. "Just a little more, and the Clown Machine could have absorbed everyone's souls."
If it had succeeded, the entire town would have been at his mercy.
As he touched it, the mechanical casing suddenly felt rough.
And very cold…
"Hey."
An upside-down skull face emerged from the clown machine, its grin stretching to its ears. "Why are you touching my face? Harassing me?"
"Ugh—ahhh! Ghost!!!"
Zombozo threw up his hands, his hair bristling, collapsing onto the ground!
His legs trembled, and he almost couldn't hold back his urine.
"G-Ghost, Ghost!!"
"B-Boss, how does this look like a wolf?"
Frightwig's face turned pale, Acid Breath sprayed out corrosive liquid, and Thumbskull began to doubt his boss's intelligence.
Pfft.
Zack's ethereal body phased out of the Clown Machine, slowly materializing.
It was a giant, over two and a half meters tall.
Its claws were like scimitars, its body as strong as a beast.
A massive hole opened in its chest, and thick crimson tentacles—each as wide as a bucket—emerged from it…
It wasn't a werewolf at all.. nor a Ghost, or a phantom, but more like a monstrous ghost god!
"Bang, bang, bang!"
Zombozo's face went pale, and he scrambled back to Thumbskull and the other two. "All four of us, let's go!"
Thumbskull and the others didn't react.
They were frozen, staring blankly at Zack.
Had the God of Death come for their lives?
Zack bared his teeth in a ferocious smile. "Wow, the three enhancements my main body got all carry over to Carnifreak. That's awesome!"
Bang, bang, bang!
He spread his body, and immediately two or three blood-red tentacles emerged.
The blood-red tentacles loomed over Zombozo and his henchmen, striking down at them!
Bang!!
One tentacle landed on Thumbskull.
Thumbskull's eyes instantly bulged, his body curling up as he desperately tried to use his back to bear the weight. "A mountain… it's like a mountain pressing down…"
Rumble!
He suddenly collapsed to his knees, then was pressed firmly to the ground by the tentacle.
Yes, it was like the Five Finger Mountain pressing him down.
Bang!
Another tentacle lashed out—Frightwig tried to entangle it with all her living hair, but she was still flung high into the air, unable to resist!
In the face of absolute power, numbers were nothing but a joke.
Finally, Acid Breath.
He spat his corrosive liquid at the tentacle, but it simply phased to avoid the attack, then materialized and struck him directly!
The Circus Freak Trio was instantly defeated in one round!
"Ah ah ah!"
Zombozo lost all will to fight, frantically dodging the strikes of the blood-red tentacles.
"Clown, don't run. I'm a kind person—I don't like scaring people like this. If you just let me knock you out, you'll be fine! Kekeke~~"
Zack 'helplessly' extended his blood-red tentacles, lashing furiously around Zombozo.
Zombozo darted nimbly, constantly fleeing for his life.
Don't run.
Just one hit, and you can sleep painlessly.
"I'll help you!!"
With a cheerful shout, the figure of Diamondhead came crashing down!
He looked at Zombozo with determination and charged. "Golden Arches Fat Clown, don't run!"
Zombozo immediately skidded to a halt, unable to dodge in time, and was tackled to the ground by Ben.
"Eh, wait—"
Zack, caught off guard, couldn't stop the blood-red tentacles he had already swung.
Bang bang bang!
The tentacles slammed into Zombozo, his eyes rolled back, and he fainted instantly.
Ben also looked distraught, having been flung hard by that blood-red tentacle, hit so brutally that his very soul felt like it was about to fly out of his body!
"So this is how you treat allies…"
It hurt—hurt so much!!
He, Diamondhead, was actually injured by Zack's attack!
"Uh…"
Zack silently retracted his tentacles, glancing at the four enemies neatly laid out on the ground, and at Frightwig still hanging in the air.
This time, he had taken down quite a few opponents.
He looked up, his eyes shifting to Frightwig.
She immediately shut her beautiful eyes tight, held her breath, and activated the ultimate art of playing dead.
I'm unconscious… you can't see me…
Ding! The host has defeated the clown Zombozo and the Circus Freak Trio, and even conveniently disciplined Ben. Progress +1!
Template progress: 20/100. Critical node reached. Killer Mode has advanced to Killer Auto-Activation!
Zack set Frightwig down, a bit bewildered.
Before, reaching a critical node always unlocked new functions.
This time was different… An old function had advanced!!
What is Killer Auto-Activation?
Zack suppressed the doubt in his heart, shaping his tentacles into a large net and scooping up all five of them.
He flew upward, easily carrying the five captives out of the Clown House.
A moment later—
Zombozo, the short man, Frightwig… All five were tied together, looking utterly dejected.
"I—I—this clown didn't do anything! They were the ones who robbed the money! It's unfair!" Zombozo, with his swollen pig-like face, actually cried out in injustice.
"Boss is selling us out?"
Frightwig and the others looked at Zombozo in disbelief.
"Hey, clown." Zack put Ben down, then glared fiercely at Zombozo. "I warn you, don't sell out your teammates, otherwise… I'll show up in your dreams to find you~~"
"Aaahh!! Don't do that!"
Zombozo looked terrified.
Frightwig nodded vigorously at Zack, and Thumbskull gave a thumbs up.
The most supportive episode of Carnitrix Ghostfreak!
The local Plumbers came to arrest Zombozo's gang. Zombozo transformed into a culprit straight out of Conan, confessing his crimes on the spot while weeping bitterly.
...
Zack, ethereal and hidden somewhere, quietly spoke: "System, open the personal panel."
=====
—PERSONAL PANEL—
Host: Zack
Age: 11
Template: Carnitrix
[Transformation Duration: 20 minutes]
[Cooldown Duration: 10 ~ 0 minutes]
Killer Auto-Activation: Unlocked
Killer Consciousness: Unlocked
Progress: 20/100
Skills:
Multilingualism: Proficiency in five major languages.
Advanced Driving: Expertise in operating vehicles across land, air, and sea.
Close-Combat Techniques: Training in hand-to-hand or close-quarters fighting.
Precision Firearms Training: Instruction in the accurate and precise use of firearms.
Items: None
Unlocked Aliens:
The Original Ten
Snare-oh (Mummy)
Feedback -> Backlash
Frankenstrike
Wraithwolf
Gorebolt
Terror Eye
Wildvine
Ditto
Gluttony
Grave Glacier
Upgrade
Megawhatt -> Overkillowatt
Way Big
Ripjaws
Carnifreak
Chimera
Personal Physique: Entry-Level Plumber strength
[Mental Energy: Significantly above average for a human]
=====
Killer Mode had disappeared, replaced by Killer Auto-Activation.
The advanced form of Killer Mode: Killer Auto-Activation.
Regardless of whether the host transforms or not, the Carnitrix will scan enemies for the host and recommend suitable aliens to break the situation!
The Killer Mode, which previously required manual operation, had now been transformed into automatic recommendations by the Carnitrix.
All Zack had to do was decide whether or not to transform into the best option given by the Carnitrix.
"This way, it doesn't matter if I remember the plot or not."
"No matter what enemy I encounter, the Carnitrix will provide the best option!"
Zack showed a smile.
"Vilgax… are you scared?"