The RV rolled down the highway.
Nico sat back in his seat, staring out the window as the road stretched ahead.
Bianca drove, one hand on the wheel, humming along to the song playing through the speakers.
Nico looked down at the Nemetrix. The red glow reflected faintly in his eyes.
He flipped through the silhouettes.
One after another.
Different shapes. Different instincts.
Different problems.
He stopped on one.
"…Tyrannopede."
Bianca glanced at him.
"Please tell me that's not something you're about to try while I'm driving."
Nico leaned back.
"I'm just looking."
The dial shifted to another shadow.
"Panuncian… Terrarachnula… Hypnotick…"
Bianca raised an eyebrow.
"Those names sound illegal."
Nico smirked slightly.
"Pretty sure they are."
He paused, thumb hovering over the dial.
'Ten of them.'
'Ten things I need to control.'
The Nemetrix pulsed once.
Like it was waiting.
Bianca broke the silence.
"So… what's the plan when we actually catch up to this Ben kid?"
Nico didn't answer right away.
He looked out the window again.
"Watch him first."
Bianca nodded.
"And if he's not a problem?"
Nico's voice stayed calm.
"Then we leave him alone."
Bianca glanced at him, then back to the road.
"And if he is?"
Nico looked at the watch.
The red glow didn't feel lighter.
"Then I do my job."
The RV kept moving.
Miles passing.
The distance between hunter and target slowly closing.
Bianca glanced at Nico.
"So… what do you think we'll be dealing with?"
Nico raised an eyebrow.
"We just met a mad scientist who can control animals. I don't think we'll face anything worse than that."
Bianca nodded slowly.
"Right. So that means we're definitely going to face something worse than that."
Nico looked at her.
"…You had to say it."
Bianca kept her eyes on the road.
"I didn't say it. The universe did."
The Nemetrix pulsed faintly.
Like it agreed.
Nico looked down at the Nemetrix.
"Great. The watch agrees."
BOOM.
The RV jerked to a stop.
Cars screeched. Horns blared. Tires burned against asphalt.
Bianca slammed the brakes, gripping the wheel.
"What the—"
They both looked ahead.
Silence fell over the road.
Then they saw it.
A massive lizard-like creature stood in the middle of the highway. Green scales glistened under the sun. Water dripped from its body, pooling beneath its claws.
Its tail dragged behind it, long and heavy.
Its breath came out slow.
Hungry.
Bianca blinked.
"…You had to say it."
Nico stared.
"…I hate being right."
The creature turned its head.
And looked straight at them.
The Nemetrix lit up.
Ready.
The creature took a step forward.
The ground trembled.
Cars around them began to back up. Some drivers just abandoned their vehicles and ran.
Bianca's hands tightened on the wheel.
"Okay. New rule."
Nico didn't look away.
"Yeah?"
"We stop predicting things."
"Agreed."
The creature opened its mouth.
A low, guttural roar rolled across the highway.
Water spilled from its jaws like it had just crawled out of a lake.
Nico pushed the RV door open.
"I'll handle it."
Bianca grabbed his sleeve before he could step out.
"Don't go in blind."
Nico paused.
Fair.
He looked at the creature again. The way it moved. Heavy. Slow… but not sluggish. Built for water. Strong tail. Thick hide.
'Aquatic. Durable. Close-range fighter.'
He looked down at the Nemetrix.
His thumb hovered over the dial.
"Then I won't."
He stepped out of the RV.
Heat from the road hit him. The smell of rubber and panic filled the air.
The creature roared again and charged.
Nico slammed the dial.
"Let's do this."
Red light burst outward.
---
Inside the red void—
Nico stood still.
The shadows shifted.
He didn't reach for Crabdozer.
Not this time.
A new shape moved.
Long. Fluid. Fast.
A predator made for water.
Nico took a breath.
"You."
The shape lunged—
Outside—
The red light twisted, stretched—
Then snapped into form.
A sleek, aquatic predator hit the ground where Nico had stood. Long body. Fins along its sides. Eyes sharp and focused.
Water seemed to gather around it, drawn in.
Bianca leaned out of the RV window.
"…Okay. New one."
The lizard creature roared and charged.
The predator didn't roar back.
It just moved.
Fast. Silent.
And ready to hunt.
The creature charged.
Heavy. Fast.
Too big for the road, but still fast enough to be dangerous.
Aqua Chomper didn't meet it head-on.
It slipped to the side.
Smooth. Almost like it flowed instead of moved.
The creature's claws slammed into the asphalt—
CRACK.
Too slow.
Aqua Chomper circled.
Low. Quiet. Watching.
Inside the red void—
Nico moved slowly.
Controlled.
The predator mirrored him. Not fighting him. Not yet.
'Water type. Strong body. Heavy swings.'
'Don't clash. Outmove it.'
Outside—
The lizard spun, tail whipping across the road.
Aqua Chomper dropped low.
The tail passed over it by inches.
Then it struck.
Fast.
Its jaws snapped onto the creature's arm—
Not to crush.
To pull.
The massive body lost balance for half a second.
That was enough.
Aqua Chomper twisted, using the creature's own weight against it, dragging it sideways across the road.
Cars shook.
Glass cracked.
Bianca leaned out the RV window, watching closely.
"…Okay, that's new."
Inside—
Nico stepped forward again.
The beast followed.
More in sync now.
Less resistance.
"Good," Nico said under his breath.
Outside—
Aqua Chomper released its grip and backed off instantly.
No overcommit.
No rage.
The lizard roared, stumbling back to its feet.
Angrier now.
More reckless.
Bianca narrowed her eyes.
"Yeah… you're learning."
The creature charged again—
Faster this time.
No hesitation.
Aqua Chomper didn't move.
Not yet.
Inside—
Nico waited.
Breath steady.
Timing.
"…Now."
Outside—
At the last second—
Aqua Chomper surged forward.
Not away.
Through.
It slipped under the creature's body, water trailing behind it like a current, then twisted upward—
Driving the creature off its center again.
Another opening.
Another mistake forced.
The fight wasn't about overpowering it.
It was about breaking it down.
Piece by piece.
And Nico was starting to enjoy it.
The beast lunged.
Claws raised. Jaws open.
A direct hit.
Inside the red void—
Nico didn't move.
He closed his eyes.
'Don't panic.'
The attack came—
And then—
Nico blinked.
The ground vanished beneath him.
He dropped.
Falling.
Endless red stretching around him.
"What is happening?"
He kept falling. No control. No balance.
Then he forced himself to breathe.
In.
Out.
He closed his eyes again.
'Focus.'
The falling slowed.
Then stopped.
He rose back up.
The red void returned to normal.
Nico opened his eyes.
"…Okay."
Outside—
The beast's claws passed straight through Aqua Chomper.
Like it wasn't there.
No impact.
No resistance.
Just water-like distortion.
The creature stumbled forward, confused.
Aqua Chomper stood behind it. Untouched.
Inside—
Nico looked at his hands.
'Not water…'
He looked up at the predator.
'Intangible.'
A small smile formed.
"Okay… that's useful."
The creature spun around, confused.
It swiped again.
Claws tore through Aqua Chomper—
And hit nothing.
The predator's body flickered, like water breaking apart, then snapping back into shape.
Inside—
Nico steadied his breathing.
'Not automatic… I did that.'
He flexed his hand.
Aqua Chomper's form blurred again for a second.
'Timing.'
Outside—
The creature roared, louder now. Angry. Frustrated.
It charged again, faster, throwing its full weight forward.
Bianca leaned out the window.
"Okay, it's officially mad."
Nico watched from inside the red void.
He didn't move yet.
He waited.
Watched the rhythm.
Heavy step.
Heavy step.
Commitment.
'Now.'
The claws came down—
And passed through him again.
No damage.
No contact.
The creature stumbled forward from its own force.
That was the opening.
Nico stepped forward.
Aqua Chomper solidified instantly.
This time—
It attacked.
Fast.
Jaws locked onto the creature's shoulder.
A sharp twist—
Not to tear—
To control.
The massive body dropped to one knee.
Road cracked under the weight.
Inside—
Nico moved with it now. No hesitation.
No fear.
"Stay down."
Outside—
Aqua Chomper forced the creature flat against the road.
Its tail thrashed once—
Twice—
Then slowed.
Bianca crossed her arms, watching.
"…You're getting good at this way too fast."
Aqua Chomper didn't answer.
But its grip didn't loosen.
Not until the fight was over.
Then
Nico opened his mouth—
A blast of hot water shot out.
He froze.
"…That was not on purpose."
The force hit the creature full on, launching it off the road and into the river below.
SPLASH.
Silence followed.
Aqua Chomper stood still at the edge, watching the water.
Inside—
Nico felt it.
The pull.
The instinct to dive in. To chase. To finish it.
Aqua Chomper leaned forward slightly.
Waiting.
Hunting.
Nico took a slow breath.
'No.'
He didn't move.
Minutes passed.
Ripples faded.
The creature didn't come back up.
The Nemetrix pulsed.
Time was up.
Red light peeled away as Nico reverted back to human. He stepped back from the edge, breathing steady this time.
Bianca walked up beside him, looking down at the river.
"…Did you just water-blast a giant lizard into a river?"
Nico nodded.
"By accident."
She glanced at him.
"Of course."
They both watched the water a moment longer.
Nothing.
Bianca turned back toward the RV.
"Well. Either it left… or it's planning something."
Nico looked at the Nemetrix.
"…Yeah."
The hunt wasn't one-sided anymore.
---
[For the Reader]
Natural Predator of the Amperi Race
Name: Aqua Chomper
Abilities:
Resistant to water and electricity
Can release water charged with electricity
Intangibility (timing-based)
Hot water breath
Resistant to mind reading
High speed
High durability
Weaknesses:
Slightly slower than its natural prey
Takes increased damage from strong electrical attacks, especially in water
---
Nico and Bianca returned to the RV.
Bianca started the engine and pulled back onto the road, taking a different route.
The highway slowly cleared behind them.
Inside, the RV went quiet again.
Nico looked down at the Nemetrix. The red glow had dimmed slightly as it recharged.
He tapped the tracker.
The hologram appeared.
A blinking dot.
Still moving.
Still ahead.
Not far.
Nico sighed.
"…We're close."
Bianca kept her eyes on the road.
"How close?"
Nico watched the distance shrink slowly.
"Close enough that we'll run into him soon."
Bianca nodded.
"Good. I'd rather meet the kid before something worse does."
Nico didn't answer.
He looked out the window again.
'Ben.'
A ten-year-old with a watch that could change the galaxy.
Nico glanced at his own wrist.
Then back at the tracker.
Two signals.
Moving closer.
The road stretched forward.
And this time—
They weren't a day behind anymore.
Meanwhile, in the water—
The creature moved beneath the surface. Slow at first. Then faster.
It rose.
Water broke as it came up for air.
The massive body began to shrink.
Scales pulled back. Limbs shifted. The tail shortened.
In seconds, the monster was gone.
A man stood in its place.
Dark skin. Wet clothes clinging to him. Yellow eyes, sharp like a crocodile's, scanned the riverbank.
He climbed out, water dripping from his body.
"What the hell was that?"
He looked back at the water, jaw tight.
The memory hit him—
That thing.
Fast. Silent. Untouchable.
"That thing came out of nowhere."
He clenched his fist.
Not fear.
Annoyance.
Frustration.
He looked toward the road above.
"…And it didn't feel like the kid."
He started walking along the riverbank.
Slow. Thinking.
"First the watch kid… now that thing…"
His eyes narrowed.
"Yeah. Something's going on."
And this time—
He was paying attention.
To be continued
Hope people like this Ch and give me power stones and enjoy