"Wait… what's that?!"
Following the beam of light, everyone spotted two figures hiding inside a corner cabinet.
"Is… is it safe now…?"
"C-can we come out…?"
A boy and a girl with similar facial features, both wearing green jackets, cautiously peeked out.
They were clearly twins.
"What happened?" Ethen asked gently as he walked over.
"H-hello… I'm Andy," the boy said nervously.
"All the adults suddenly drove away, and we were scared, so we hid in the cabinet…"
"I'm Mandy," the girl added quietly.
"…Hmm."
Ethen's expression grew serious. He hadn't gotten any useful information yet.
"Alright. You two come back to the car with us first. It's safer there."
Grandpa Max nodded and said reassuringly, "Just stay close to Big Brother Ethen. He'll protect you."
"O-okay…"
The twins each grabbed a corner of Ethen's clothes.
Ethen sighed helplessly and positioned himself in front of them, shielding them as they headed toward the cabin door.
Everyone slowly moved outside—
And just as the door was pushed open—
Click.
The Fate Watch on Ethen's wrist lit up as its screen rose.
[Ding! Mission issued: Eliminate the Mushroom Monster Army.]
[Mission Details: Mushroom Monsters have been attracted by your previous battle. They have gathered their forces and are approaching to hunt. Counter-kill them.]
[Mission Reward: 20 reward points.]
"Wait."
Ethen raised a hand, stopping everyone.
He made a shushing gesture.
At the same time, the prototype tool in his hand transformed into armor, covering his body.
He gripped the Sword of Bezel, carefully pushing the door open just enough to create a narrow gap.
Everyone peered through it.
The forest path outside—
The trees on both sides—
Countless glowing eyes lit up the darkness.
Every single one of them was staring directly at the cabin.
"We're surrounded," Ethen said in a low voice, his expression grim.
Shit… why now of all times?
"Ethen… should we go around them, or fight our way out?"
Ben asked excitedly, clearly itching for action.
"Go around!" Ethen snapped quietly, pointing at the twins.
"Don't forget—we still have kids with us!"
If Andy and Mandy got caught in a fight like this, the consequences would be terrifying.
Just as everyone hesitated—
Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang.
From the forest—
Bloated, grotesque Mushroom Monsters staggered out one after another.
Their bodies were swollen and twisted, their movements stiff and unnatural.
Andy and Mandy froze.
They clamped their hands tightly over their mouths, terrified of screaming.
Grandpa Max immediately pulled them close, shielding them behind him.
Ethen stared coldly at the approaching monsters.
Then—
Click!
He pushed the door fully open.
"There's no point hiding anymore," Ethen said calmly.
"These freaks are clearly here for us."
"AHHH!!"
"AHHH!!"
The Mushroom Monsters screeched, raising their fungus-covered arms as they charged straight toward the group!
A battle was inevitable.
Whoosh! Bang!!
A flash of green light suddenly erupted!
Ben slammed down on the Omnitrix, his voice low and determined.
"Forget it—I'm transforming first. If my identity gets exposed, then so be it!!"
"…Wait." Ethen's expression shifted.
"That voice…"
"…Transformation?"
"What did he say…?"
Andy and Mandy looked at Ben in confusion.
The green light slowly faded.
Standing there now—
Was a terrifying plant-based alien covered in thick vines.
Wildvine.
"Ugh—this is annoying!!"
Wildvine lifted his vine-wrapped arms and complained loudly.
"I turned into the male version of a plant princess—Wildvine!! And I don't even know how to use this alien yet!"
The Mushroom Monsters froze for half a second.
Then—
They screamed even louder.
The forest erupted into chaos.
...
Author's Note:
The fanfic Ben 10: Daily Check-In System Activated! Part 1 is now fully completed.
The entire story has been uploaded on Patreon as a dedicated collection:
📚 Ben 10 (Chapters 1–132)
Organized into 14 posts, with multiple chapters per post for easy binge reading.
🔗 patreon.com/Shadow_demon_007
Thank you all for your continuous support and love for this story 💙