Ben 10: My Cousin is an OP Slacker — Chapter 216

Chapter 216: The Null Void King

The Null Void.

A sprawling, extradimensional prison carefully engineered by the brilliant minds of the Galvan. Within this boundless, dark crimson expanse, countless jagged asteroids—ranging from mere pebbles to the size of small moons—drifted aimlessly through the ether. Occasionally, the eerie silhouettes of eyeless, winged monstrosities known as Null Guardians darted between the floating rocks, patrolling the endless twilight.

At this moment, on a barren asteroid roughly the size of two of Ben’s bedrooms, a small, crackling bonfire brought a fleeting touch of warmth to the desolate space.

Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle…

Klein sat cross-legged by the dancing flames, his signature dead-fish eyes staring blankly into the fire, entirely devoid of life.

He was exhausted. Not physically, but mentally. After he and Grandma Verdona had successfully rescued Ben a short while ago, Klein had formulated a foolproof plan to trick his grandmother into returning to Anodyne. He had fed her all the right lines: ‘Grandpa is already missing,”Grandma, you should head back and wait where it’s safe,’ and’The moment I find him, I’ll send him straight to you.’Unfortunately, Verdona was dead serious this time. Instead of retreating to Anodyne, she tapped into her immense Anodite powers to’help’ track down her wayward husband. With her mastery over Mana—a sensory network that vastly eclipsed Gwen’s—the scumbag Grandpa Max naturally had absolutely nowhere to hide.

She tracked his energy signature straight into the Null Void.

To prevent his grandfather from being beaten into a bloody pulp, Klein, the ever-filial grandson, had no choice but to tag along. Ben and the others had wanted to join the rescue mission, but to preserve whatever dignity Max had left, Klein had ordered them to stay in Bellwood under the guise of “tracking the Highbreed’s movements.”

Sighing, Klein reached into his spatial pocket and pulled out a bag of marshmallows. He skewered a few onto a thin wooden stick and held them over the fire.

A few minutes later, he handed the perfectly toasted, golden-brown treats to Verdona.

“Grandma,” Klein began, his tone carefully measured. “When we finally catch up to Grandpa, please try to keep your cool. I know he’s spent the last few years flirting with ordinary Earth women, but there might be a massive misunderstanding. It wouldn’t hurt to at least listen to his excu—I mean, explanation first.”

Call it a rare pang of conscience. Even though Klein had technically sold Max out, he still felt obligated to appease the furious Anodite out of respect for the years she and Max had spent raising the family. At the very least, he hoped to talk her down from a lethal strike to a severe, non-fatal beating.

After all, the Null Void was crawling with hardened criminals that Max had personally locked away. If word got out that the legendary Magister Tennyson had been beaten half to death by his own wife… Klein shuddered. He couldn’t even bear to picture the sheer humiliation.

“You don’t need to spout nonsense to me, boy. I have my own plans,” Verdona scoffed, though her glowing eyes softened slightly. “Besides, weren’t you the one who first tipped me off that your grandfather was having an affair?”

She took the skewer with her right hand, delicately peeling off the slightly burnt outer layer with her left before popping the warm, gooey center into her mouth.

“Not bad, my dear grandson. You’ve got some skill,” she hummed, her expression improving significantly. A wistful gleam flashed across her face. “Marshmallows… Max used to roast these for me, too. Back then, we were…”

Before she could finish her nostalgic thought, a vicious, guttural roar shattered the silence.

Both of them turned toward the sound. Several Vulpimancers bounded out from the shadows of a neighboring asteroid, their sharp claws digging into the rocky terrain. Judging by their aggressive, low-to-the-ground posture, they were definitely hunting for a meal.

“Tsk. These little puppies aren’t behaving at all,” Verdona murmured, her brow furrowing in annoyance. She raised her right hand, and a swirling vortex of vibrant purple Mana immediately flared to life around her fingers.

Klein didn’t even flinch. He just sat there, quietly watching the fire. He had zero intention of intervening; letting Grandma Verdona vaporize a few wild Vulpimancers to vent her pent-up marital frustration seemed like an excellent stress-relief strategy.

However, before Verdona could unleash her arcane wrath, a sudden barrage of crimson lasers rained down from above, intercepting the beasts.

A moment later, a distinctly ‘thin’ Tetramand—a four-armed warrior—charged into view, riding atop one of the eyeless Null Guardian dragons.

“Manny?” Klein murmured softly, recognizing the familiar, hot-headed face.

Verdona tilted her head, her glowing eyes studying the newcomer. “Do you know him, grandson?”

Klein shook his head slightly. “Not well. But he’s a Plumber’s descendant.”

Verdona nodded, instantly understanding the implication.

Before the Vulpimancers could recover from the laser fire, a blur of blue and black lightning zipped across the rocky terrain. Bam! Bam! Bam! Three of the beasts were knocked flying in rapid succession.

Klein had already sensed the kinetic shift in the air. As the blue-black streak skidded to a halt, his suspicion was confirmed. It was Helen, the Kineceleran half-breed.

Verdona raised an eyebrow at the XLR8-like girl. “Let me guess. You know her, too?”

“Same situation as the four-armed guy,” Klein replied dryly.

By now, the surviving Vulpimancers had realized they were outmatched and scrambled away into the dark red abyss. Manny and Helen dismounted and approached the campfire.

“It’s you?” Manny grunted, his four arms crossing over his chest in clear displeasure. He had rushed in assuming they were just local residents—the peaceful descendants of ancient Null Void prisoners who just wanted to survive in this harsh pocket dimension.

But Manny’s scowl wasn’t about the rescue. He simply couldn’t stand Klein. It was no secret that Manny had a massive crush on Helen, and Helen’s attitude toward Klein was… painfully enthusiastic.

And right on cue, Helen’s face lit up behind her visor. She practically vibrated with excitement at the sight of Klein. Not only was she genuinely happy to see him, but she also knew exactly how terrifyingly overpowered he was. Having him here meant they had just gained the ultimate backup.

Still, she kept her professional composure enough to ask the important questions. “What are you doing all the way out here?”

“This is my Grandma Verdona,” Klein introduced, gesturing to the glowing Anodite. He then cleared his throat. “We came here to… ahem… find my Grandpa.”

Manny and Helen exchanged bewildered glances. “Find your Grandpa?”

Manny shot Klein a highly skeptical look, his expression practically screaming: What the hell did your Grandpa do to get thrown into the ultimate cosmic prison?

He didn’t voice it out loud—mostly because he didn’t want to get punched—but Klein read him like an open book.

Fortunately, Helen had far more tact. “Why don’t you two come with us to see Wolf Head? He might know where your Grandpa is.”

Wolf Head? Klein deadpanned internally. What kind of cheesy, B-movie title is that? It doesn’t sound imposing at all.

Despite his internal complaints, Klein glanced at Verdona. She gave a curt nod, having remained completely silent in front of the strangers, only speaking to her grandson. Seeing her agreement, Klein accepted Helen’s offer.

However, just as the group prepared to head toward this ‘Wolf Head’s’ base, another deafening roar echoed through the void.

This time, it was followed by a booming, maniacal male voice that sounded incredibly familiar to Klein.

“ALL WHO RESIST ME SHALL PERISH!”

“Oh no! It’s the Null Void King!” Manny gasped, his tough-guy facade shattering as his face drained of color. Helen’s expression mirrored his absolute dread.

Null Void King? Klein blinked, genuinely confused. When did some edgy tyrant pop up in the Null Void? I haven’t been gone that long.

But as the self-proclaimed ‘Null Void King’ finally stepped into the dim light, riding atop a massive, mutated beast, Klein’s dead-fish eyes widened in sheer disbelief.

“Dr. Animo?!”

Verdona glanced at Klein, clearly amused by his reaction. “Grandson, you certainly know a lot of people in this prison.”

Klein rubbed his temples, letting out a long, exhausted sigh as he organized his thoughts. “Yeah, well… I’m the one who threw him in here.”