Caroline frowned. No wonder the base alarms hadn't gone off earlier—maybe the man hadn't intended to attack them at first. But looking at him now, she knew leaving that gate closed had been the right call. His morals shifted with the wind—good or evil decided in an instant. Now, he clearly wanted to attack them. "I didn't think you people could be this cold," the man said bitterly. "You almost left me to die out here. Guess even at the end of the world, it's people you gotta fear most. My patience is gone. So don't blame me for what happens next." As he spoke, his gaze shifted to Snow, who was still engaged with the mutant mantises nearby. Snow was closest—about ten feet away—baring his teeth in a low, threatening snarl. Caroline's stomach dropped. No. She wanted to call Snow back, but the man's lips moved rapidly, silently forming what seemed like a phrase. Snow was already backing away, but then his piercing yelp tore through the air. Blood began streaming down his head. At the same moment, the blood and grime on the man's own head began to diminish—as if the injury was being transferred. Snow wasn't even a year old yet; by dog standards, he wasn't even an adult. His whimper carried that pleading tone only young dogs could make. It hit Caroline and Tyler like a knife. Tyler rushed over immediately, scooping up the large pup and carrying him away to a safer distance. The wound on Snow's head finally stopped worsening once he was moved far enough away, but the injuries from the man's head had been almost entirely transferred to the young dog! In all his life, Snow had never been hurt this badly. Despite his size, despite being a wolf, he'd lived a soft life under Tyler's care—more pet than predator. The pain wracked his whole body. Caroline now realized that some of the dead mantises near the man had peculiar wounds, almost as if they'd been attacked by their own kind. He must have already transferred part of his injuries to them earlier. He had lain on the ground, deliberately retaining some of his wounds, waiting for them to emerge—all to ambush them and transfer his remaining injuries onto their group! "Heh ... didn't expect you guys to take down so many mantises. You're tougher than I thought." Then, without warning, he drew a knife and stabbed himself hard in the arm. Blood spattered across the dirt. The scent of it drove one of the remaining mutant mantises mad—it lunged for him, blades snapping. The man didn't even try to dodge. He offered his other arm directly to the mantis's attack. The creature's strike crushed through flesh and bone; his arm completely snapped. Yet, the manic grin on his face only widened. The man slammed his shoulder into the mantis, knocking it aside, then bolted toward Caroline and Tyler. As he ran, his lips continued to move incessantly, slowly forming what seemed like an incantation. Caroline knew his plan—get within the effective range of his ability and instantly transfer his grievous wounds onto them. Tyler's threads shot from his hands, slicing through the air with deadly precision. His face was set, cold, ready to end this. As the man closed in, Caroline prepared to summon an ice blade to pierce his throat. They struck at the same time. But the man's muttering quickened. Two nearby mantises collapsed instantly, twitching, dead. He had transferred his fresh injuries to them in the blink of an eye. Frowning, Caroline exchanged a look with Tyler. In unison, they both pulled out grenades. The same thought passed through their minds: Blow him apart, and he wouldn't even have time to speak. The man's pupils shrank when he saw the grenades. Even the strongest ability users feared explosives. Sometimes, raw force was the best counter to supernatural power. But before they could throw, Raven moved first. Caroline saw a black streak shoot forward like lightning. The man's mouth opened, finishing his chant in a rush. Mid-leap, Raven's front legs snapped with a sickening crunch. Raven didn't even flinch. He pushed off powerfully with his hind legs, continuing his charge. Caroline grabbed Tyler's arm, stopping him. She looked from the trembling, blood-soaked Snow to Raven—whose entire body radiated a deadly, frozen rage. She understood. Raven was furious. The man, now panicking, drove his knife into his own thigh, trying to shift the damage again. Raven's back leg gave out, but by then, he was already on top of him. Raven's eyes blazed with feral light—pure, merciless intent. He looked at the man the way only predators looked at prey. "Ahhhh!" The man screamed as Raven's jaws closed around his throat. The scream ended abruptly. The man never got another word out.