Blackstone Valley did not celebrate victories.
It cataloged them.
By morning, everyone knew Ben Tennyson had survived a limiter test.
They didn't say it openly. No one congratulated him. No one challenged him either. Instead, the valley shifted its posture—subtle changes in routes, conversations cutting off when he approached, guards posted a little farther back than necessary.
Distance.
Respect's cheaper cousin.
Ben sat on the edge of the shack's roof, legs dangling, watching smoke curl lazily upward from cooking fires. His body still ached from the fight—deep, lingering soreness that reminded him the limiter hadn't just restricted power, it had punished use.
Lin Yue handed him a cup of bitter tea. "You slept for three hours."
"New record," Ben said, taking a sip and immediately regretting it. "Does this stuff ever stop tasting like regret?"
She allowed herself a faint smile. "If it does, you're probably dying."
"Comforting."
Below them, a group of men argued over a shipment of spirit stones. One glanced up, noticed Ben, and immediately backed off.
Ben noticed.
"People are avoiding me," he said.
"They're recalculating," Lin Yue replied. "You didn't die when you were supposed to."
Ben frowned. "I was supposed to die?"
"Yes," she said simply. "Someone paid for that test."
The words settled heavily.
Ben turned toward her. "You're sure?"
She nodded. "Mercenaries don't move without coin. And not six of that caliber."
Ben exhaled slowly, eyes narrowing. "So someone wanted to see how dangerous I am with the leash on."
"And whether the Enforcers' limiter actually worked," Lin Yue added.
Ben stared down at the Omnitrix. Its glow was steady now—muted, constrained, but present. He could feel it adapting, probing at the boundaries imposed on it.
They're testing the watch through me, he realized.
"Any guesses who paid?" he asked.
Lin Yue hesitated. "Several possibilities. Sects. Independent clans. Black market brokers."
Ben snorted. "So basically everyone."
"Yes."
He leaned back on his hands. "That's… not great."
Before Lin Yue could reply, footsteps echoed below.
Measured. Unhurried.
Old Liang emerged from the shadows of the alley, hands clasped behind his back.
"You passed the test," he said.
Ben raised an eyebrow. "Funny. No one told me I signed up."
Liang smiled. "You did the moment you transformed publicly."
Ben sighed. "Figures."
Liang gestured toward the valley. "Someone paid to learn how long you last under restriction. They have their answer."
Ben sat up straighter. "And?"
"And now," Liang said calmly, "they will try something smarter."
Lin Yue stiffened. "Like what?"
Liang's eyes gleamed. "Like hiring you."
Ben blinked. "I'm sorry—what?"
The offer came that afternoon.
A messenger arrived—alone, unarmed, and visibly nervous. He bowed low when Ben approached, avoiding eye contact with the Omnitrix entirely.
"My master requests your presence," the messenger said.
Ben crossed his arms. "Your master has a name?"
"Master Qiao," the man replied. "A broker."
Lin Yue hissed quietly. "Information dealer."
Liang nodded. "One of the better ones."
Ben frowned. "So what—he sends assassins at me at night, then invites me for tea?"
Liang shrugged. "Efficiency."
Against every instinct telling him this was a bad idea, Ben went.
Master Qiao's residence wasn't a house—it was a platform overlooking the valley, guarded by people who didn't look threatening until you noticed how little they moved.
Qiao himself was unimpressive. Thin. Well-dressed. Cultivation modest, but stable.
Dangerous in the way merchants were.
"You survived," Qiao said pleasantly, pouring tea. "Good. I hate wasted investments."
Ben didn't sit. "You paid for the test."
Qiao smiled. "I contributed."
"Why?" Ben asked flatly.
Qiao gestured for him to sit again. "Because I wanted to know whether you're a weapon… or a liability."
"And?" Ben pressed.
Qiao studied him carefully. "You're inconvenient."
Ben smirked. "I get that a lot."
Qiao chuckled. "Which makes you useful."
Lin Yue bristled. "He's not for sale."
Qiao waved a hand dismissively. "I don't buy people. I buy outcomes."
He slid a small jade token across the table.
"A job," Qiao said. "Simple. Clean."
Ben didn't touch the token. "What kind of job?"
"There's a caravan arriving tonight," Qiao said. "Sect-owned. Carrying something it shouldn't."
Ben's eyes narrowed. "And you want me to steal it."
"No," Qiao replied calmly. "I want you to be seen near it."
Lin Yue stiffened. "That's suicide."
Qiao shook his head. "No. That's leverage."
Ben leaned forward slowly. "You want the sects to think I interfered."
"Yes," Qiao said. "Fear is currency."
Ben stared at the jade token.
"And what do I get?" he asked.
Qiao smiled. "Information."
"About what?" Ben asked.
"About the man who ordered last night's test," Qiao replied.
Silence fell.
Ben looked at Lin Yue. Then at Liang.
Liang gave a slight nod.
Ben exhaled slowly.
"Fine," he said. "But I don't steal."
Qiao tilted his head. "You won't need to."
Night fell quickly.
The caravan moved along the valley's outer edge, heavily guarded. Sect insignia gleamed on polished armor. Formation arrays hummed faintly.
Ben watched from a rocky outcrop above.
"Remember," Liang said quietly beside him. "Visibility without engagement."
Ben nodded.
The Omnitrix pulsed faintly, eager.
"Five breaths," Ben murmured to himself. "Max."
Lin Yue grabbed his arm. "Be careful."
He smiled faintly. "Always."
Ben stepped into the open.
He didn't rush.
Didn't sneak.
He walked.
The guards noticed him immediately.
"Stop!" one shouted. "Identify yourself!"
Ben raised his hands—and let the Omnitrix flare.
Green light surged as XLR8 manifested in a controlled burst.
One breath.
Ben vanished.
He reappeared atop the lead caravan, metal groaning under sudden impact.
Two breaths.
He sprinted across the wagons, movements blindingly fast but precise, making sure to be seen.
Shouts erupted.
Formation arrays flared.
Three breaths.
Ben leapt off the caravan, skidding to a stop in full view of the guards.
He didn't attack.
He saluted.
Four breaths.
The transformation snapped off as Ben rolled behind cover, heart hammering as backlash slammed through him.
He didn't look back.
He didn't need to.
By morning, rumors exploded.
The artifact demon challenged a sect convoy.He moved faster than sight.The limiter didn't stop him.
Qiao kept his word.
He met Ben at dawn, pale and tight-lipped.
"You made an impression," Qiao said.
"You said you'd tell me who paid," Ben replied.
Qiao swallowed.
"The Crimson Cliff Sect," he said quietly. "Specifically… the elder you escaped."
Ben felt something cold settle in his chest.
"So he's still watching," Ben murmured.
"Yes," Qiao said. "And now he knows you're not broken."
Ben nodded slowly.
"That's fine," he said.
Lin Yue looked at him sharply. "Ben—"
He smiled grimly.
"I was planning on paying him a visit eventually."
The Omnitrix pulsed—slow, deliberate.
Somewhere far away, an old man smiled as reports reached him.
The anomaly was alive.
And now, it was interfering.