Caroline and Raven barely even made contact with the big fish before backing off. They didn't dare go head-to-head with it. Who would've thought that after all this time, it would show up so far away in the mountains! That's when Caroline realized—the fish wasn't singing. It was some kind of mental attack, a voice that hit straight into her mind. It didn't talk, it was transmitting its meaning straight into her consciousness. The fish floated in the water, swinging its tail, its icy blue, dead eyes watching Caroline like she was something interesting. Caroline's lips curved into a smirk. She'd just thought of the perfect way to deal with this giant fish! She pretended to clutch her head in pain. Raven came over, worried, even baring his teeth at the fish. Goldy stayed nearby, looking ready to attack. Caroline shot Raven a look, "I'm fine! Let's play sick together!" Raven paused for a second, then flopped to the ground with a weak whimper. Caroline broke into a sweat. Okay, that's too much. But it would have to do. The fish didn't seem that bright anyway. Mutations follow the original creature's traits. Fish, for example, aren't exactly known for their big brains. Goldy watched for a moment before understanding what she meant. She slid down Caroline's arm and coiled around her wrist, becoming a golden bracelet again. Then Caroline looked weakly at the giant fish in the pond. "Be your pet? Can you stop the singing? I'll do it!" But the fish had survived the apocalypse too—it wasn't that easy to fool. It watched Caroline for a while. Maybe it was overconfident in its power, but it finally stopped using its ability. As if to threaten her, it swam to the edge of the pond, leaped out of the water, and slammed its massive tail against a nearby tree.Bang! A foot-thick tree snapped clean in two. Obviously, this fish wasn't just good at mental attacks; it was physically strong, too. Under the moonlight, its tail glinted like metal, showing Caroline just how powerful it was. Caroline pretended to be scared and promised she'd behave. Raven stayed on the ground, lying obediently beside her. He didn't fully understand what was going on, but if his human was doing it, he would too. Caroline slowly stood up and even made a water ball, gently rolling it toward the pond. The fish didn't get it at first, but after Caroline pushed a few more balls and acted like she wanted to play, it cautiously moved closer. It nudged the water balls around, clearly loving it. Caroline carefully controlled the balls, luring the fish closer. She even encouraged it to bump the ball with its head, making it look like they were playing together. It was clear the fish had some intelligence. It didn't like being lonely. Smart creatures probably need companions. Just as most humans couldn't stand being isolated deep in the mountains, this fish probably felt the same. It wanted to keep humans as "pets," never letting them leave its territory. And when its pets were in danger—like the man who'd just died—it would even come to their rescue. Clearly, the fish took good care of its pets. Caroline had guessed its motives and was using the water ball to play along. Finally, the fish got so caught up in playing that it leapt out of the water, chasing the water ball Caroline controlled, soaring into the sky! Its body leaped into the air right in front of her, water spraying everywhere. Under the silver light, Caroline saw its smooth, elegant form clearly and finally got a full view of the fish.It was a giant ... silver arowana! Its body was sleek and beautiful, with small, sharp pectoral fins. Its silver scales shimmered brilliantly in the moonlight. Caroline gently reached out and touched the fish's body. In an instant, the giant fish vanished. Caroline let out a sigh of relief and smiled. The plan worked! At the same time, she didn't feel any vibration from the Zero System on her wrist, which meant she hadn't copied the fish's ability. As she had suspected, the fish's ability—like the naked man's—was an orange energy "Transcendent Ability," incredibly powerful, and beyond her current level to copy.