But there were just too many bats—they seemed endless. The man showed no fear. He made short, sharp sounds with his mouth, like he was giving orders. Then, Caroline heard singing! It came from deep in the mountains—eerie and haunting. She couldn't tell if it was a man or a woman, and she couldn't figure out where it was coming from. As soon as she heard it, Caroline felt sleepy, and a sudden wave of sadness hit her. Memories from her past life rushed back—betrayal, pain, helplessness ... Things she'd buried deep were suddenly surfacing. She felt like she was in a dream. Her movements began to slow. Just then, a sharp pain shot through her hand! She looked down and saw Goldy, who had been coiled around her wrist like a bracelet, awake now and squeezing tightly. The little golden snake flicked its tongue, its cold eyes fixed ahead. Caroline quickly calmed herself. That song could cloud her thoughts. Though she'd only been dazed for a few seconds, that was all it took to get killed. A cold sweat ran down her forehead. Caroline realized there were things in this mountain even more dangerous than the man in front of her. She quickly grabbed a needle from the storage space and jabbed her finger hard. The pain cleared her mind a lot. "Goldy, go!" The man was shielded by bats, so tightly there was no opening. With that eerie song still messing with her, Caroline knew she had to end this fast.Her hand felt lighter. Goldy had slipped out. Small and lightning-fast, the little snake was perfect for a stealth attack. But the bats were stacked in layers, tightly protecting the man. There was almost no gap. Caroline knew she had to create an opening for Goldy! With that thought, more ice blades materialized and shot toward the man. Yet again, bats swarmed, adding more layers around him. But just after the ice blades struck, Caroline shifted her ability—turning the blades into steam. Clouds of vapor billowed up, scalding the bats. Instantly, chaos broke out. They still surrounded the man, but not as tightly as before. Small gaps appeared. Seeing the bats in disarray, Caroline quickly raised her gun and opened fire. At the same time, Goldy slipped through the gaps. "Ah!" the man shouted. "What the hell is that?" Caroline knew Goldy had struck. The bat formation grew even more chaotic, beginning to fall apart. The man was in too much pain to control them anymore. Before the toxin spread completely, Caroline charged forward. She wanted his ability. This time, she held back from killing all the bats. Instead, she used water balls to knock them aside, trying to keep them alive. After all, if she got his ability, she'd be controlling these bats herself. Enemy bats could die, but the soon-to-be-hers deserved a little care! When Caroline rushed into the swarm, the man was already on the ground. His face twisted in pain, blue veins throbbing on his neck. Caroline didn't care about his state. She reached out and touched his hand. Her Zero System vibrated. She knew she'd copied the ability. She glanced at the Zero System.Special Ability: King of Bats Note: Want to dance gracefully among a swarm of bats? Want to feel the tight embrace of bats? Want them to call you boss? Use this skill! You'll become the closest one to them. Available Uses: 5 Caroline didn't have time to comment, her lips just twitched. She shut the system down. "Goldy!" The little golden snake immediately returned to her. Caroline didn't put Goldy back on her wrist. It perched on her shoulder. Nearby, Raven stood among a pile of bat corpses. Dozens lay dead at his feet. He didn't have a single wound, but his face was still scrunched up, probably from the bats' sounds. As soon as Caroline got the ability, she ordered the bats to back off. The man, no longer able to control them, was on the verge of death. Caroline reached out and touched his hand again—better to top off her ability uses while she could. But the moment her hand made contact, the man—who'd been moaning in pain with his eyes closed, looking half-dead—suddenly grabbed her wrist!