Their mutant pig breeding program had made a huge breakthrough, and that was just the beginning. Their canned food production, supply salvage operations, and disaster-response machinery were all starting to deliver results. Most importantly, they'd managed to breed an entire range of mutant animals. All of this progress was thanks to the methods Caroline had taught them. Many of these mutant animals had already been trained and tested. Now, they were being put to use on the front lines against mutated creatures or in supply-gathering operations. That was why the army suddenly carried themselves with a new swagger. Finally, they didn't have to scrape by anymore. When Nathaniel heard that they'd survived by eating mutant cockroaches, he immediately approved a production line specifically for making compressed biscuits out of those cockroaches. He even declared, "This production line could save millions of lives one day." He told Francis, "You must thank Caroline properly!" But as soon as Francis heard that, he started stressing out, his face all scrunched up. Because no matter how hard he thought, he had no idea how to thank Caroline. It was obvious that she didn't lack regular supplies. Plus, she'd already given the army the coordinates to two supply spots. When those shipments arrived, she'd get first pick. On top of that, she also held shares in the canning plant. Caroline really didn't lack for anything. So what could they possibly give her? "Caroline's always wanted a stash of herbs, right? Turns out we finally have some. We can give her those. And there's something else we killed on the front lines this time—I bet she'll love it." Nathaniel gave Francis all the details. Francis didn't think much of it at first. What could be so impressive? But when Nathaniel had the thing's corpse hauled back to the shelter, Francis couldn't stop grinning. Man, Caroline's bound to like this thing. It's not nearly as much as all the good she's done for the army, but hey, it's a start. So when Caroline's group reached the 40th floor, Francis hurried out to greet them, all smiles. He looked like a completely different person from the stressed-out man he'd been just a few days earlier. "Hey, Caroline, come quick, Nathaniel's got a surprise for you! I've been dying to show you for the past few days." Francis was like a kid with a new toy, eager to show it off to his friends. Caroline's curiosity was definitely piqued. What's this surprise he's talking about? What's the big deal about it? They all headed into an empty room. Francis flung the door open and presented the surprise with a flourish. "Look, here it is!" And inside the room was ... a gigantic turtle. It looked like a mutated red-eared slider. There were the signature orange patches on its neck, but its shell and skin were an exotic, bright green. The thing was huge—easily as big as two tables. Caroline couldn't imagine how the army had managed to drag it all the way up here. The mutant turtle was already dead, lying on its stomach with its eyes closed. Its legs were tucked inside its shell, its tail was missing, and it had lost a back leg and some scutes. Caroline stared at the turtle, thinking, Sure, I've never seen a mutant turtle before. But at the end of the day, it's just another mutant animal. Why is Colonel Sutton so excited about it? "Colonel Sutton, isn't this just a giant turtle? What's the big deal about it?" Denton asked, rubbing his chin. Francis smacked Denton on the head. "It's not just any turtle! This isn't ordinary at all." He turned to Caroline. "Caroline, you're missing the point! This isn't just a regular turtle—it's a real ninja turtle!" Francis began explaining the turtle's background. Turns out the army had put in a lot of effort to bring it down. Because this turtle had instant healing abilities. One time, they thought they'd killed it. But it turned out it was just lying there, pretending to be dead. When the soldiers approached, it suddenly snapped awake and bit one of them."We analyzed its blood and found a vitality serum that can heal wounds instantly. There's also an enzyme that keeps you young. The army drew all its blood and took its tail and a leg for research. The rest is yours. And ... " Francis pulled out a tiny bottle, holding about one ounce of liquid. "This is the turtle's blood we refined for you. Commander Ball said I have to give it to you. As long as it's not a fatal wound, a dose of this will heal you instantly. And yes, it can actually help keep you looking young."