Caroline stared at the text floating inside her storage space and let out a dry laugh. This thing always talked like it had a dark soul. Every time it opened its mouth, it claimed she would use this ability to hurt people. Well, she might. Just a little. Tyler's ability had leveled up after soaking in the spring water. His body looked stronger, leaner, and more solid than before. The metal covering his skin had also gotten tougher. This time, if they ran into someone like the metal-control leader they fought before, Tyler's blade-arms could probably slice right through that guy's defenses. And that wasn't all. Tyler raised both arms, and the metal shimmered. Now his arms could turn into long blades or any metal object he wanted. Each finger could shift into a sharp dagger, changing size however he wished. Other parts of his body could also form metal weapons. Basically, if he got close to someone—even if his back was turned—he could grow a blade from his spine and stab straight into their heart. Caroline watched as he showed off his new skills. They were amazing, except for one thing—Tyler was going to ruin so many shirts. "I don't think this is all," Tyler said, clearly excited. "Once we get into real fights again, I'll test more." Beside him, Denton was bouncing around like a kid who had eaten way too much sugar. He hopped back and forth across the living room, testing his upgraded stamina. His steps were lighter, his movements quicker, and there was a new kind of energy flowing through him. He looked much more lively than before. He'd asked at least five times to try out his upgraded ability. And every single time, both Tyler and Caroline shut him down immediately. By the end of it, Denton looked completely defeated. He went to the corner of the room, squatted there, and sulked like a sad little kid. "Why can you all test your abilities but not me? I can feel mine got stronger too." His voice was miserable, and his slumped posture made Caroline's chest ache a little. After all, he was underage. It felt too cruel to keep him left out.They weren't in their apartment now. Caroline had moved everyone to a more open space where they could line up all the wooden tubs. "Alright, you can test your ability too. Just give me a second," she said. Caroline walked to the windows and opened every one of them. Only then did she turn around, smiling brightly at Denton. "Okay. Go ahead." Denton happily snapped out of his gloominess. He looked at Caroline's smile, then at the wide-open windows, and suddenly felt oddly insulted. It was nice of her, but the way she did it made him feel hurt and humiliated at the same time. Still—whatever. He was excited again. He activated his ability right away. In an instant, shiny insect-like scales covered his body. This time, they were even more colorful than before. Deep black scales glowing under shifting rainbow and yellowish light. This time, the scales didn't just cover his arms and legs. They spread over his face too. Denton was officially wrapped from head to toe in shiny, bug-like armor. Two long antennae sprouted right from his forehead. They swayed in the breeze coming through the window like soft, awkward little twigs. But the worst part, the part that made everyone freeze, was the smell. If his old smell was like something had exploded in a sewer, the upgraded version smelled like he had fallen into the sewage and someone had boiled it. The stench rolled through the room like a wave of doom. It was so stinky that Caroline had trouble opening her eyes. But Denton was thrilled. He called out excitedly, "Guys! These antennas are so cute! And I swear I can feel the amazing electric waves of the world!" Caroline wanted to beg him. Kiddo, forget the electric waves; just spare us. With no other choice, and under Caroline and Tyler's desperate begging, Denton finally took back his ability. Caroline and Tyler looked at each other. Their expressions matched—shocked. Because Denton's ability wasn't just stinky anymore. The power inside the stink had upgraded too.A moment ago, both of them felt their bodies go numb. Their movements slowed. Their nerves tingled with sharp little pinches. They had no way to block it. One breath was enough to make their arms heavy, their legs slow, and give them tiny prickling pains. Overall, Denton's ability was now a powerful support skill. Wherever Denton's stink spread, that area became their team's defensive zone. Even if someone could hold their breath long enough to handle the smell, they might not survive the impact that came with the smell. The only problem was the ability didn't differentiate between friend and foe. Maybe, with training, Denton could change that. "Tyler! Caroline! My ability ... it finally doesn't stink to me anymore!" Denton shifted back to his normal form and happily announced the great news.