Caroline's lips lifted into a cool smile. Well, look at that. She'd just wrapped up one deal, and another one practically fell right into her hands. She didn't care what kind of mutant animals they were talking about. The offer was solid. It was tempting enough to take. And seeing how desperate they all looked made it hard to say no. After all, she couldn't deny them the chance to make what she called "A Lovely Day in the Neighborhood." Caroline walked with the group toward their base. The thin, dark man still lay motionless on the ground, and she finally understood exactly how he had tried to trick her. He had earned what came to him. After devouring the canned food she had traded him, he hadn't been satisfied. He had sensed she wasn't ordinary. Knowing she'd head for the leader's mid-rise at dawn, he had planned to gather people to ambush her. But once others heard about Caroline's strength, no one dared to join him. That failure made him furious. He was nothing more than a weak ability user with no real power. He couldn't take Caroline head-on. So, he shifted his focus to the outsiders. He had seen them meeting the leader's men around midnight and could tell they weren't your average ability users. What he didn't know was that those outsiders had already noticed Caroline and wanted to strike a deal with her. So, he ended up walking straight into a trap no one laid. When Sharon and her team discussed how to approach Caroline, they realized showing up uninvited might look suspicious. Bringing the thin man as a “gift” seemed smarter and would help them build trust faster. So, they captured him.He tried running a few times, but they kept dragging him back and beating him until he was barely breathing. When Caroline learned the full story, she stared down at him with a cold expression. Her voice was calm. “Normally, I'd solve this kind of problem with force. But tonight, I'm in a surprisingly good mood.” She actually was. She just hadn't noticed. While collecting supplies, her fingers would sometimes brush the bullet hanging around her neck, and Tyler's face would flicker through her mind. That tiny trace of warmth made her softer than usual. Good moments always made her reluctant to spill blood. She had wanted to spread a little kindness instead. But the apocalypse never failed to ruin that. “Forget it.” Without another word, Caroline swung her ice blade and ended the man's life. He had plotted against her and tried to rally others to kill her. Someone like that didn't deserve to live. She had given him his chance. If he had just taken the trade, eaten his canned food, and left like the tall thin man before him, he'd still be breathing. Caroline kept her promises. Especially tonight, when killing anyone was the last thing she wanted. But greed had sealed his fate. She slid the bullet back beneath her shirt and exhaled slowly. Love weakens survival. Love weakens ambition. Love weakens focus. For now, she had to push Tyler out of her thoughts. ... Two hours later, Caroline reached the group's territory with them. She didn't waste a second. Her storage space still needed an upgrade, so she brushed off their cheerful invitation to stop by the base and went straight to handle the mutant creatures.When she arrived, the place struck a chord of memory. Before the apocalypse, she had come here often. It was the Polar Marine Park of Hornvale. She used to come here just to watch the penguins. If anyone ever asked what her favorite animal was, she could never decide. She loved so many—cats, dogs, roly-poly pandas, chubby penguins, even plump sea lions. In truth, she had a soft spot for anything round and fat. Those animals always made her feel at peace. As a child, she could spend an entire day in this park, watching polar bears, penguins, and sea lions perform. They all shared one trait—they were adorably fat. That had always been her kind of beauty. She could spend a whole day just in this place. Through ten long years of the apocalypse in her past life, she never saw those lovable, chubby creatures again. And even now, in this life, she still hadn't. Until now. Now she had to face them as enemies.