The woman's appearance almost rivaled the frightening power of Ugliness Is a Weapon. But the woman wore so many jewels that she looked like a treasure vault on legs. Every part of her that could hold jewelry carried one. Gold glinted across her wrists. Silver wrapped around her arms. Crystal pieces caught the light. Deep-red stones sparkled. Rare green gems shone like polished glass. The sight made Caroline's heart twist with hungry fascination. What pushed her excitement even higher was the sudden tremble from her storage space. Even from across the room, the jewels made her storage space stir awake. In that instant, the woman no longer looked ugly to her at all. She looked more appealing than the handsome husband and Wilbur combined. Caroline stepped forward with a warm, enthusiastic smile. “Ma'am, hello. I'm Alger, sent by the military. It's a pleasure to meet you.” The woman forced her tiny slit of an eye open wider and shuffled forward, pushing her nearly 400-pound body closer. She stretched out her hand with effort. Her fingertips came within inches of touching Caroline, but a sharp voice split the air. “Stop right there!” Caroline lifted a brow as she paused. The woman's hand hovered only about two inches from hers. A pang of frustration hit her chest. Two inches. Two inches, and she could copy the woman's ability and drink in all the energy from those jewels. But she knew she had to wait. Everyone here was still sizing each other up. So she kept her smile relaxed and said, “Is something wrong? There's one of me, and there are four of you. Do you think I'd come close to hurting you? The military sent me because I'm young and female. They thought I'd be easier to work with. This is their way of showing they want to build trust with you.” She let real warmth fill her voice. Her smile glowed with sincerity. She looked at the heavy woman like she was studying a priceless treasure. The room fell into silence when her words ended. Even the woman who had reached for her stepped back.Wilbur narrowed his eyes as he examined her. “You look like someone who's trying too hard. That usually means they're hiding something.” Windsor had already gone downstairs to keep others from coming up. Even the handsome middle-aged man stepped forward to shield his wife, his arms rising as he set his body between her and Caroline. Caroline held her tongue. A heavy pause stretched between her and the others, thick enough to taste. She realized she had slipped too far into the act when her own excitement pushed her over the edge. She drew a slow breath and forced her thoughts into order. She met their eyes with care and said, “Alright. Let's sit down and talk about a real partnership.” At the same time, she dropped her gaze to her arm and scratched lightly as if her skin bothered her. She opened Zero System beneath the motion. She had no other way forward. She had to use it. When she lifted her head again, a softer, brighter smile spread across her face. “Friends, I come in peace. I need you to believe that.” ... One hour later, Caroline walked down the stairs with a small smile still curled at the corner of her mouth. The handsome middle-aged man walked beside her to escort her out, and every inch of his posture showed respect for her. Even when she stepped out the door and found Raven, the man remained at the entrance. He raised his hand and waved as if he hated to see her leave. “I hope we see each other again soon.” Caroline let her earlier warmth fall away. She offered only a cool nod as a goodbye, then she mounted Raven and rode off. During that hour, Caroline used everything she knew about the military to play Alger perfectly. She traded more than 30 military meat cans for two large bottles of holy water. She also copied the abilities of the heavy woman, the handsome man, and Wilbur.Windsor's power was wind-type, and she still lacked the matching energy color, so she could not copy it yet. But she had already gained more than enough. Once she blended in with the family, Caroline said she loved jewelry and gemstones. She even gave the heavy woman two pieces of drained jewelry as gifts. The heavy woman grew thrilled and showed Caroline her entire gemstone collection. Caroline drained every piece in the vault, along with the stones the woman wore. After that tour, Caroline needed only 15 more slate units to upgrade her storage space. She had gained the power of 20 full slates in only one hour. It felt like she had made a fortune overnight. Before she left, Caroline said she might return later, or that the military might send someone else to work with them.