Ben10: A Romantic Adventure with a Gender-Swapped Class

With a soft click, the car door opened, and the four people filed out, their figures disappearing into the thick night sky cut through by the car headlights.

Grandpa Tian Mark remained in the driver's seat, the dim interior light illuminating his graying temples as he leisurely tidied up his scattered belongings, a thin layer of night dew covering the car window.

As for what they did after getting out of the car? The answer is self-evident—the soul of camping, the campfire that leaps with warmth and laughter.

The division of labor was completed in silent, tacit understanding.

Kevin stretched his shoulders and neck, walked to the pile of dead wood at the edge of the forest, glanced at it, and then steadily lifted up two of the thickest, mottled tree trunks.

The heavy weight pressed down on his shoulders, but his steps did not falter in the slightest. He walked steadily toward the open space reserved in the center of the camp—the center where everyone would sit. Naturally, he had to choose the sturdiest "throne," especially the spot reserved for Xiaowen.

Xiaowen then turned around and opened the trunk of the "old, beat-up car," her movements as swift as untying a familiar knot.

She bent down and reached inside, and soon came out with a large handful of barbecue skewers carefully wrapped in oil paper. The aroma of meat and the spiciness of the marinade wafted out faintly.

Next came neatly folded waterproof tarpaulins, jingling cutlery boxes, and several windproof camping lights, which she arranged methodically next to the tree trunk Kevin had placed, as if setting up a miniature, warm nest.

Ben, whom Kevin had officially labeled a "vandal," took on the heavy responsibility of logging without hesitation.

She shook her wrist, as if warming it up, her lively eyes scanning the low bushes and fallen branches around her, searching for suitable "fuel" to burn.

As for Mo Bai, being the "target of the vandalism," Kevin naturally included him in the lumberjacks' camp without any explanation.

He smiled helplessly, said nothing more, and silently followed the little boy's footsteps.

The two of them disappeared into the depths of the forest, one after the other, the rustling of the branches and leaves quickly swallowed up by the night.

Time slipped by quietly amidst the chirping of insects and the sound of a distant stream.

Kevin and Xiaowen had already set up the barbecue grill together, and the charcoal glowed a dark red light under the iron frame.

The camping lights came on, casting warm halos of light on the tree trunks.

The camp was taking shape, lacking only that flickering flame that could illuminate everyone's faces.

Xiao Ban and Mo Bai, carrying bundles of neatly chopped firewood that exuded the fragrance of pine resin, emerged from the shadows at the edge of the forest.

This is certainly no challenge for them... or rather, it's no challenge for the alien heroes inside and outside the story.

The firewood was skillfully piled up in the center of the open space, forming a small pyramid.

Xiao Ban stood still, a familiar, slightly smug smile playing on his lips. With a flick of his wrist, he crisply tapped the Ultimatrix watch face on his wrist.

"Swampfire!"

A flash of green light appeared, a wave of heat hit them, and the swamp fire instantly took over the place of the little boy.

She habitually shouted, then opened her palm, which was engulfed in flames, and a stream of blazing fire shot precisely to the bottom of the woodpile.

The dry firewood crackled and popped merrily, and golden-red flames suddenly leaped up, greedily licking the air and instantly dispelling the surrounding darkness, enveloping the camp in warmth.

The flickering firelight illuminated Xiaowen's half-silent face.

She sat on the flattest section of tree trunk that Kevin had specially chosen for her, resting her chin on her hand, looking at the fire giant still striking its "entrance pose," and couldn't help but speak, her voice carrying a hint of habitual helplessness.

"That's too exaggerated."

Upon hearing the sound, the fire giant nimbly turned its massive body toward the barbecue grill.

Suddenly, she picked up a stainless steel skewer and started threading a round, starchy sausage onto it.

Hearing Xiaowen's words, she argued with the skewer while retorting in a muffled voice, the flames swaying slightly with the sound waves.

“Wrong, this is called swamp fire, not ‘too exaggerated’,” she paused, then added, her voice earnest with a touch of childlike innocence, as if she felt her argument wasn’t convincing enough. “Otherwise, I would have yelled as soon as I appeared—” She deliberately dragged out the word, mimicking an exaggerated exclamation, ““Too exaggerated!”

Kevin, sitting next to Xiaowen, was carefully placing a skewer of meat on the grill, the fat dripping onto the charcoal and sizzling.

He continued the conversation without looking up, his tone the usual banter between friends.

"The question is, why do you always have to yell and scream?"

The little boy finally managed to skewer the starch sausages and brought them close to the campfire to roast, the sizzling aroma of oil mingling with the scent of burning firewood.

She waved the skewer and answered confidently, the firelight dancing in her eyes.

"This move is called intimidating the enemy with your aura!"

Upon hearing this, Kevin raised an eyebrow, his gaze passing over the flickering campfire and landing on Mo Bai, who was sitting quietly opposite him.

Mo Bai was intently watching the fire, the flickering flames reflecting in his calm eyes.

Kevin asked in a slightly mischievous tone.

"Hey, doesn't it give you the creeps to hear her shouting the name of an alien hero like that?"

Mo Bai seemed to have just been pulled out of her thoughts. She raised her head slightly, her gaze sweeping over the figure grilling sausages, and a barely perceptible, indulgent smile appeared on her lips.

His voice wasn't loud, but it came through clearly.

"Whatever she wants."

Just then, Xiaowen seemed to suddenly remember something, looked around, and interrupted the relaxed atmosphere with a puzzled expression.

"Where's Grandpa? He's the one who started this party!"

The atmosphere around the campfire paused subtly for a moment.

Ben instantly transformed back into human form, the light of the Ultimatrix faded, revealing her face with the same puzzled expression. She and Wen exchanged a glance, then stood up in unison and walked towards the "old, beat-up car" parked quietly not far away.

The car door was ajar, letting in the dim yellow light from inside.

As the two approached, about to call out, they caught a glimpse of Mark Kurauchida's low, serious voice on the phone.

"How could Area 51 have disappeared?" Grandpa's voice was tense, filled with disbelief and gravity.

On the other end of the phone, Xiao Bo's voice came through the receiver, carrying the unique echo of the scene and a hint of anxiety.

"Yes, only a large box remained at the scene, with no signs of an explosion."

Mark Tian's brows furrowed even more, and his fingers tapped unconsciously on the steering wheel.

"That was probably done by locals. Let's send the local air force to investigate first."

There was a moment or two of silence on the other end of the phone, as if Xiao Bo was observing his surroundings, before his voice came through again, tinged with helplessness.

"They've arrived, but I'm sure they won't tell us their findings."

“Okay, Xiao Bo,” Tian Mark took a deep breath and said decisively, “We’ll be right there.” He had just hung up the phone when he heard Xiao Ban’s deliberate cough behind him.

When Tian Mark heard the voice, he turned around. The stern look on his face from the phone call was still there, but when he saw his granddaughters, he immediately regained his composure.

He didn't waste any words and gave the order directly.

"Let's set off now."

The engine roared back to life, and the "old, beat-up car" sped away with everyone, soon rejoining Kevin's space shuttle.

Kevin skillfully piloted the space shuttle, which silently glided into the deep night sky like a shooting star in reverse. Before long, it hovered over a desolate desert illuminated by searchlights as if it were daytime.

Below, a huge crater, seemingly created by a meteorite, is clearly visible, with the outline of some kind of massive man-made structure faintly discernible at the bottom.

As everyone stepped off the space shuttle, the dry wind whipped up sand and grit that stung their faces.

A colonel in a crisp air force uniform, with a stern expression, was already waiting at the edge of the pit, his epaulets reflecting a metallic sheen under the bright light—Colonel Lausanne, the air force commander on site.

Mark Tian walked at the front, his steps steady. He extended his hand and shook hands with Colonel Lausanne politely, his voice calm yet carrying an invisible pressure: "Colonel Lausanne."

Colonel Lausanne merely nodded slightly, his attitude distant.

Just as the atmosphere became slightly tense, Xiao Bo's voice came from the bottom of the pit, filled with the urgency of discovering a new clue.

"Grandpa Tian! We just cleared away the sand on top, there's something underneath you need to check!"

Everyone's attention was immediately drawn to it.

They descended to the bottom of the pit via a makeshift ramp, where the ground beneath their feet felt hard and cold.

It was an unimaginably huge container, buried deep underground. Its material was neither gold nor stone, and it had a matte, dark color. Its edges were tightly fitted, like a giant box forcibly embedded in the earth.

Kevin crouched down, and with a professional curiosity, tapped the cold surface with his knuckles, then pressed it hard. His expression changed instantly.

He looked up, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

“Solid Cassiet supermetal? You can’t find that on Earth!” He stood up, surveying the colossal creation, his tone growing increasingly grave. “It’s a level three technological artifact; that place is at least several hundred light-years away from Earth.”

Mark's brows furrowed tightly, his gaze piercing like lightning as he looked at Colonel Lausanne, his voice low and serious.

"Colonel, you explain it to us."

Colonel Losang seemed to be pricked by a needle, his eyes flickered, and his voice carried the coldness and unquestionable tone of an official.

The refusal was obvious: "Your level is not high enough."

Seeing that he was deliberately hiding it, Xiao Ban's stubbornness immediately surged up.

She strode up to Colonel Lausanne, meeting his condescending gaze without fear. Her chin was slightly raised, and her words were crisp and clear, carrying the unique clarity and undeniable sharpness of a young girl.

"Then upgrade my grandfather's character!" She paused, her tone resolute, "Otherwise, we're leaving."

Colonel Losang probably didn't expect to be contradicted by a girl like that. He lowered his head slightly and met Xiaoban's unwavering, even somewhat aggressive, eyes. A hint of anger flashed across his face.

He turned to look at Tian Mark, his tone carrying a questioning tone and a hint of barely perceptible plea for help.

"Aren't you going to do anything about her attitude?"

Without the slightest hesitation, Mark Tian stepped forward, almost standing shoulder to shoulder with the young colonel, his gaze steadily meeting Colonel Lausanne's. His words were clear, powerful, and full of defense.

“If there’s a problem with her attitude, of course I’ll take care of it.” Mo Bai, who was standing next to her, didn’t say anything, but nodded silently and firmly, her gaze always on Xiao Ban, showing her silent support.

Colonel Losang's expression grew increasingly grim; he remained expressionless, his lips tightly pressed together, seemingly unyielding.

Seeing this, Tian Mark said no more, turned around decisively, and said in a deep voice to the crowd surrounding him.

"let's go"

Seeing Mark Tian leading the way, Xiao Ban, Mo Bai, Kevin, Xiao Wen, and Xiao Bo turned around without hesitation and walked towards the slope. Their shadows were elongated in the bright light, and Colonel Losang's forehead was covered with fine beads of sweat.

He was all too aware of the weight of this enormous mystery before him, and all too aware of the need for the abilities of these "special individuals."

The inner struggle lasted only a moment before he finally couldn't hold back any longer and hurriedly spoke to their retreating figures.

“That’s a detention device!” His voice sounded somewhat abrupt at the bottom of the empty pit.

Everyone paused. Tian Mark slowly turned around, his gaze piercing.

Colonel Lausanne swallowed hard, speaking rapidly as if eager to distance himself from something.

"They detained the alien enemy forces that landed on Earth in the past few years, for four to five years, maybe a few decades..." The last sentence was somewhat vague and perfunctory.

"Decades?" Xiao Ban turned around abruptly, her voice rising with shock. In the firelight, her face was filled with disbelief and anger. "You've kept these people locked up here for decades?" She pointed to the cold metal cage at her feet.

Colonel Losang, as if his tail had been stepped on, immediately straightened his back, his voice suddenly rising in pitch, carrying an almost obsessive sense of self-righteousness.

“They’re not human! They’re aliens!” He waved his arms, trying to emphasize his position. “These suspects could endanger Earth’s security, so locking them up is a necessary security measure!”

Mo Bai, who had been standing quietly beside Xiao Ban, raised his head at this moment. He was usually not talkative, but his voice was clear and calm, like a stone thrown into a deep pool, carrying an undeniable power, and his gaze was fixed on Colonel Losang.

"I suddenly remembered something someone said before: aliens are people too, it's all about people, just like Earthlings. Earthlings also have good and bad people, you can't just condemn everyone."

This calm yet powerful rebuttal left Colonel Losang speechless for a moment, but the stubbornness in his eyes did not fade, clearly indicating that he had not truly listened.

The anger and intense curiosity in Xiaoban's heart could no longer be contained.

She ignored Colonel Losang and stared intently at the massive, unknown metal barrier beneath her feet, her tone resolute.

"I want to see what's inside!"

Colonel Lausanne, as if he had finally found a reason to stop him, hurriedly shouted.

"No! Once you go in, you won't be able to get out!"

"Who said that?" Xiao Ban's lips curled into a stubborn, even slightly provocative smile.

Without further hesitation, she abruptly raised her hand and crisply slapped the Ultimatrix watch face on her wrist!

"Frost Ghost~!"

As the light faded, the little boy transformed into an ice phantom.

Her icy eyes swept coldly across Colonel Losang's astonished face, and then her body began to become ethereal and transparent, as if merging into the water.

Under the breathless gaze of everyone, she was like a ghost without a physical form, ignoring the supposedly indestructible Cassiter super-metal wall, and lightly "floated" forward. Her entire translucent figure passed through the thick wall without any hindrance and completely disappeared above the dark space of the huge container.

Only a deathly silence remained, along with the varied expressions on everyone's faces—Tian Mark's solemnity, Xiao Bo's tension, Kevin and Xiao Wen's worry, Mo Bai's furrowed brows as he stared intently at the spot where Xiao Ban had disappeared, and Colonel Losang's still serious expression.

The cold metal walls blocked out the view and the sound, leaving only the howling wind at the bottom of the pit, telling of the unknown wait.