But Tyler was not about to let him through. His brows furrowed, and he suddenly lunged at the man. The boss activated his ability, trying to take control of Tyler's limbs, but Tyler did not resist at all. Caught off guard, the boss put too much force into his power. In the next instant, Tyler was already right in front of him, so close their faces were almost touching. A cold smirk crossed Tyler's face as he raised his hand. A compact pistol appeared in his grip, and he fired straight at the man's eye. There was no scream like he expected because the bullet bounced right off. The man's eyeballs were coated with a layer of metal, completely impenetrable. The deflected bullet spun through the air, turning into the boss's weapon as it shot toward Caroline. She reacted instantly, freezing the bullet mid-air until it turned into a shard of ice. When the first attack failed, Tyler did not hesitate. This time, he pulled out several grenades and hurled them straight at the man—no matter how tough you were, grenades did not discriminate. At the same time, both he and Caroline leaped back. The explosion thundered through the floor, shaking the walls. When the smoke cleared, a massive crater yawned in front of them, but the boss had dodged to a corner, completely unscathed. So this was why he dared to provoke the entire shelter. His clothes were in tatters, and his chest was exposed. His skin still looked normal, but it was shimmering faintly with a metallic sheen. He looked furious—humiliated, even. For the first time, before and after the apocalypse, he had met someone he couldn't kill, and worse, someone who was forcing him onto the defensive. Tyler's expression darkened. He released all his abilities at once, letting them fade from his body, and a sharp ceramic blade formed in his hand.He was done playing around. It was time for close combat. Moving with the speed of a panther, he darted forward, striking for the man's neck. The man retaliated by controlling the steel bars jutting from the floor after the blast, sending them lashing toward Tyler. Tyler dodged, springing behind him, his legs pushing off the ground with explosive power. As the man began to turn, Tyler leapt, pressing a hand on his shoulder, spinning mid-air, and driving the blade into the same spot on his neck. Then, he did it again. And again. When the blade snapped, he did not hesitate to store the broken one away and draw out another. Fourth strike. Fifth. Every time, the blade hit the same point. Meanwhile, Caroline worked on the sidelines, sweeping up all the metal the man could control—every stray pipe, every twisted bar—pulling them straight into her space. She even sliced off the steel bars he tried to use and sent those away too. Watching Tyler, she could not help but admire his precision. Every movement deliberate, every strike landing exactly where it needed to. By the eighth blow, a thin crack finally appeared along the side of the man's neck. His once smug face now flickered with panic. He reached out to summon more metal to protect himself, but there was nothing left. Caroline had taken it all. She caught Tyler's gaze and gave a subtle nod. "Your power's still suppressed. Let me handle this." Tyler stepped back without a word. He could kill the man eventually, but it would take time. Caroline had already seen enough. She had stayed back earlier to clear the area of usable metal and observe how Tyler fought under pressure. Now, it was her turn. The man sensed the danger, but he still refused to back down, glaring at the two of them with disbelief. Caroline's lips curved into a faint smile as she had already unlocked the ability to counter his. With a push off the ground, she charged forward. Her power surged, coating the floor beneath them with water. Before the man could react, she froze it solid. Ice spread rapidly, crawling up his legs and locking him in place. His eyes widened. Two abilities? He had never seen anyone wield both. For the first time, fear flickered in his eyes. He should've run while he could. Caroline stepped closer, her tone calm but merciless. "Sorry," she said with a faint smile. "You're not going anywhere."