When they checked Nelson again, his hair had already grown past the edge of the wooden tub he was soaking in. It was over a foot and a half long and still growing. And it wasn't just long. It was thick. Thick, shiny, pitch-black hair—pretty much the dream of every bald guy in the apocalypse. But that wasn't the end of it. Five hours later, when the sky started to dim, Nelson's hair had grown so much that it dragged across the floor. Caroline stared at him. Because the hair was so long and heavy, the way he had fallen asleep—leaning forward on the rim of the tub—had changed. Now his head was yanked backward by the weight of the hair. His neck was bent, and his mouth hung wide open. Right then, Denton and Tyler walked in. When they saw that the previously bald Nelson had grown this much hair overnight, they were stunned. Denton, of course, was the most curious. He poked Nelson's forehead. Then he lifted a handful of the thick hair and played with it. "Caroline," he asked, "what kind of experiment did Nelson do this time? Is this some sort of super hair-growth serum?" Caroline looked over and laughed. "Denton, do me a favor and hold Nelson's head for a bit. If he keeps bending backward like that, he's going to wake up with a sore neck." Denton was standing beside him, so he helped hold Nelson's head up. And since he had nothing else to do, he started braiding it. By nighttime, when Nelson finally woke up, Denton was working on braid number 56. The second Nelson opened his eyes wide, Denton stopped and grinned. "Hey, you're up! Did you know you grew a whole head of braids while you slept?" Nelson, completely confused, looked down at the water in the tub and saw his reflection. His eyes shot wide open. He looked like he was searching for someone. A moment later, he found Caroline, chatting with Tyler nearby. He thrust his hand in the air and shouted, "Carolineeeee! Your spring water is amazing! I have hair again! And it even comes with a style!" Caroline had no words.Honestly, these two were perfect for each other. One had the nerve to make random stories. The other would believe everything. When Nelson finally showed up on the 40th floor, everyone—including Francis—was stunned. People who knew Nelson thought. What kind of experiment did he run on himself this time? Hair growth? Self-styling? People who had never seen him before stared even harder. With that head full of long, twisted braids, he doesn't look reliable. Nelson walked in carrying his medical kit. A soldier stepped forward to inspect his medicines. Nelson shot the soldier a flat, emotionless look. He didn't say a word. He simply turned around to leave. Thankfully, Summer—who understood Nelson's personality—grabbed his arm quickly. She told the soldier, "Don't check his stuff. He's a bit eccentric, but I promise he would never harm Commander Ball." Francis backed her up. He explained that Nelson was the one who created the medicine that drove off steelworm and developed the cure the military used to fight the plague. "This man saved the entire shelter twice," Francis said firmly. "I can vouch for him." Only then was Nelson allowed inside. Nelson was putting on airs. He actually hated walking into a room full of people. If Caroline hadn't told him that Nathaniel was extremely important and had to be saved, Nelson would've seen the crowded office and walked away without a second thought. When Nelson stepped in front of Nathaniel, his face was cold and unreadable. He didn't say a word as he pulled a syringe from his medical kit and gave Nathaniel a shot of the nutrient serum he had made himself. Caroline had warned him earlier; his ability was too unusual, too powerful. He couldn't reveal it easily. Nelson needed to add a few normal medical steps, then use the real treatment as the last step—spring water mixed with his blood. Nelson listened. He always did. After the nutrient shot, he hung an IV bag for Nathaniel. Nathaniel's body was stronger than before. He finally managed to slip the needle into his vein without any trouble.Once the IV was dripping, Nelson checked the time. The room was full of people. He hated it. Nelson needed to leave as soon as possible, even though he had only been there for three minutes. Then he took out his final move, his strongest "medicine"—a tiny bottle of spring water mixed with his blood. Nelson carefully poured it into Nathaniel's mouth. Just seconds after Nathaniel swallowed it, his eyes snapped open. Francis was so excited that he nearly jumped straight into the air. "This is amazing! Commander Ball's awake!" Excited, he rushed forward to grab Nelson's hand. No one expected what happened next. The quiet, socially anxious young man shot to his feet like he'd been shocked. His eyes turned sharp and dangerous. He glared at Francis like a cornered wolf, hand already pulling out a scalpel. That terrifying look in his eyes hinted at something clearly. Touch me and see what happens.