{Chapter: 87 - Upgrade For Chan Ho}
She was trying to sound confident, but Aiden could sense her inner turmoil. He could practically feel her heartbeat increasing. She knew who he was. Everyone in her field did. Aiden wasn't just powerful—he was the anomaly. The man who absorbed the Extremis virus and remained stable. No fever, no overload, no self-destruction. He became stronger instead.
Scientists wanted to study him. Secret organizations wanted to dissect him. Governments wanted to monitor him. But none had succeeded.
Raina, who once dreamed of capturing Aiden, experimenting on him, unraveling his very DNA to unlock perfection, now stood face-to-face with the subject of her obsession. Yet it was he who had come to her doorstep.
"You look like you've seen a ghost," Aiden said, his lips curling into a slight smirk.
"I'm just… surprised," Raina replied, the confidence faltering slightly in her voice.
"You shouldn't be." His tone was calm but cold, like the surface of a still lake hiding deep currents. "Did you expect Chan Ho instead of me? If I hadn't intervened, he would've ended up in your little lab, strapped to a table, dissected like an animal."
Raina's face stiffened, but she didn't deny it. She knew Aiden was right.
Chan Ho blinked. "Wait… me? Why?"
Aiden didn't look at him. His gaze remained locked on Raina. "Because you're special. Not just skilled, not just loyal—but biologically unique. Someone like Raina wouldn't pass up the chance to understand how your body handles power. But now, I've changed the narrative."
He took a step forward. The guards visibly tensed but didn't fire. Raina lifted a hand slightly, signaling them to hold position.
"I'm not here to destroy you, Raina," Aiden continued. "At least, not today. I'm here to offer you something. A chance to work with me instead of against me."
Raina's brow furrowed. "You're serious?"
"You know I am," he replied. "You're smart enough to realize this facility won't survive if I decide to destroy it. So instead of being reduced to ash, how about evolving? Help me enhance Chan Ho. Use your expertise—ethically—and join something greater."
The silence that followed was suffocating. Everyone waited for her answer.
Raina finally sighed, lips pressed together. "You've… certainly made an impression. Let's talk inside."
Aiden nodded. "Good."
The guards parted like a wave, and the entrance to the lab hissed open.
As Aiden and Chan Ho stepped inside, a new chapter began—one filled with science, power, and perhaps, betrayal yet to unfold.
As they walked through the sterile corridors of the underground facility, the fluorescent lights buzzed faintly above, casting long, cold shadows across the smooth white floors. Raina walked with a deliberate elegance, her flower-patterned dress flowing behind her like petals drifting in the wind, though there was tension hidden in every step. Her hands were folded calmly before her, but her mind was spinning with calculations and contingencies.
She turned her head slightly, speaking over her shoulder with a soft, knowing smile. "We can cooperate, you know. I'm aware you're a consultant for S.H.I.E.L.D., not officially one of their agents. That makes you... flexible. Independent. Someone like you could stand to gain far more by working with someone like me."
Her tone was warm, persuasive—measured in the same way a seasoned diplomat or manipulator would use when trying to tame a force of nature. Raina, the so-called Girl in the Flower Dress, was not just a scientist—she was a visionary. A dreamer. A seeker of evolution.
But the man behind her, walking with effortless control, was not so easily swayed.
Aiden shook his head without hesitation. "There's no need for cooperation."
The words were spoken without hostility, but they dropped like a hammer, final and immovable. As he raised his hand ever so slightly, an unseen force swept through the corridor like a silent hurricane. The guards stationed nearby suddenly froze in place, their limbs stiffening as though bound by invisible chains. Gasps of confusion and fear echoed through the hall as their weapons were yanked from their grips, clattering through the air before pointing back at their owners with ominous precision.
Raina froze mid-step, the smile slowly slipping from her face. Her eyes darted between the hovering weapons and Aiden's unbothered expression.
"You… You've grown stronger than the last reports suggest," she said cautiously.
"Where's the Centipede Serum?" Aiden asked flatly, turning his eyes toward her—calm, but colder than steel.
Raina hesitated. Her mind scrambled through possibilities, weighing the risks. She was not a fighter. She was a manipulator, a believer in transformation through science. But at that moment, science wouldn't save her.
Suddenly, her feet lifted off the ground. Invisible pressure coiled around her throat like a tightening noose. Her body writhed as her breathing constricted. She clawed at her neck as though tearing at the air itself, legs kicking uselessly above the floor.
Aiden's voice remained steady, clinical.
"I know you're smart, Raina. Resourceful. You've achieved more than most without ever touching a gun or throwing a punch. That kind of mind... I'm actually very optimistic about your future. I don't want to kill you."
Raina's face turned red as she squinted through the pressure, gasping. Her pride was wounded, but her survival instinct screamed louder. She didn't have time to formulate an excuse or clever retort—only a silent, urgent plea for air.
After a few more seconds of agonizing silence, Aiden released her. She dropped to the floor in a heap, coughing violently and gasping for breath. Her hands trembled as she reached for the wall to steady herself.
"Follow me," she wheezed, not daring to meet his eyes as she turned and led them deeper into the facility.
Behind her, Aiden and Chan Ho walked silently. Chan Ho's steps were slower, more hesitant. The young man couldn't help but glance around nervously at the blinking machinery, the armed guards who now stared at them with fear rather than authority.
The deeper they went, the more advanced the equipment became—cylindrical containment pods, tubes of glowing green liquid, displays tracking cellular regeneration and neurological activity. The lab reeked of cutting-edge science and moral ambiguity.
Finally, Raina stopped at a reinforced vault door. She placed her hand against the scanner, letting it read her biometrics before inputting a passcode.
With a hiss of pressurized air, the door opened, revealing a small refrigerated chamber. Inside was a secure case containing several vials of glowing orange serum—the infamous Centipede Serum.
Aiden stepped forward and examined the case. "This is it?"
"Yes," Raina nodded, brushing back a strand of hair. Her voice was steadier now, but there was a hint of defiance in it. "It's evolved over the years. This version is more stable than the prototypes you're familiar with. We've integrated elements of Extremis, gamma radiation treatments, even slight traces of alien DNA—"
"I didn't ask for the ingredients," Aiden interrupted. "I asked you to inject it."
Raina blinked. "Into who?"
"Him," Aiden nodded toward Chan Ho.
Chan Ho flinched, eyes wide. "Wait… what?"
"If you want to become stronger, then take the serum," Aiden said, his voice firm but not unkind. "This is your path forward. You said you wanted to change."
Chan Ho hesitated, eyes flicking to Raina and then back to Aiden. He bit his lip hard enough to draw blood. His legs trembled. "Will… will it hurt?"
"Yes," Aiden said bluntly. "But pain is part of power. You can either accept it—or stay weak."
Chan Ho clenched his fists, then slowly nodded. "I… I'll do it."
Raina turned to Aiden, lifting a brow. "Are you serious?" she asked softly. "The Centipede Serum is volatile. Even with all our progress, there are… side effects. Not everyone survives. Not everyone stabilizes. You can't just—"
"Is there a problem?" Aiden asked, raising an eyebrow.
The weight of his gaze settled on her like a mountain.
Raina sighed. "No. But you should be aware of the risks. If he burns from the inside out, or loses control… don't say I didn't warn you."
Aiden didn't reply. He simply watched.
Raina approached Chan Ho and prepared the syringe. Her hands were steady, but her mind was racing. She had no intention of dying today—but part of her was fascinated. Curious. She wanted to see what would happen. After all, that's what she lived for: to witness transformation.
"Inhale deeply," she said softly. "It'll help with the shock."
Chan Ho obeyed. The moment the needle pierced his arm, the serum surged into his bloodstream like liquid fire. His veins lit up in glowing orange beneath his skin. He gasped sharply, then screamed.
His body convulsed violently, muscles spasming, sweat pouring from his skin. His back arched, fingers clawing the air. The smell of burning skin filled the room as steam began to rise from his body.
Raina took a step back, watching anxiously.
"His body… it's adapting faster than expected," she murmured. "That's impossible—no normal subject should react like this."
Aiden said nothing. He already knew. Chan Ho's platelet structure had been very special—this outcome was predicted.
Slowly, Chan Ho's screams subsided. His breathing steadied. The glowing veins dimmed to a faint pulse. He collapsed to his knees, panting hard—but alive. Stronger. Changed.
Raina stared at him with a mixture of awe and disbelief.
"How…?"
Aiden turned to her. "There's more to the world than you understand. Keep studying, and you might catch up."
He glanced around the lab, eyes narrowing at the research terminals and unfinished projects.
"These scientists," Aiden said. "They're not good people. But they're useful. I want them to continue this work—under a new direction."
Raina looked up. "You want me to oversee them?"
*****
You can support me by joining my Patreon and get upto 60 chapters in advance.
patreon.com/Eden_Translation