Chapter 113: Perfect Extremis

Words : 1037 Updated : Oct 5th, 2025

No one heard Killian's quiet muttering. But even if they had, no one would've cared. He was just a defeated man, a tragic remnant of ambition crushed by the wrong enemies. And from the moment Luke chose to target him, Aldrich Killian's fate had been sealed. Now, with the sudden reappearance of the guard swiftly dealt with, the warehouse fell into a tense, eerie silence. Killian, crumpled on the floor like discarded garbage, didn't even try to resist anymore. Wanda was no longer restraining him with her crimson magic, but he still didn't dare to move a muscle. After what he had witnessed, he knew resistance was meaningless. Even if he injected himself with Extremis, he knew, he was sure of it, he would still be no match for these people. And right now, he was less than nothing. Just a powerless, broken man. Meanwhile, Luke stood at the center of the room, quietly inspecting the vial of shimmering blue liquid in his hand. It pulsed faintly with a soft, almost hypnotic glow. Then, the familiar chime of the system echoed in his mind. [Ding. The Extremis virus in your hand feels a rare warmth for the first time and decides to perfect its shortcomings.] [After injection, success rate: 100%. Side effects: None. Adverse reactions: None. Regeneration and physical enhancement: Improved.] Luke blinked. Then he smiled. The vial in his hand had just become a Perfect version of Extremis. How convenient. He glanced at the two remaining vials resting in the safe and casually reached for them, but nothing happened. No system prompt, no glow, no warmth. Luke paused thoughtfully, tapping the vial with his finger. 'Guess the system's telling me one is enough.' He wasn't bothered. It made sense. Wanda and Sharon each had their own distinct paths to power. They didn't need Extremis like he did. And if they ever did need more power at some point, well, the system would probably take care of that too. Luke looked down again at the vial in his hand. At the small flickering letters only he could see: [Name: Perfect Extremis Virus Variation: Perfection, Enhancement, No Side Effects Mutation Level: Fourth Order Special Note: This is the optimal time to inject it, what are you waiting for?.] A grin spread across his face. Without hesitation, he turned to Maya Hansen, who was still crouching in the corner like a frightened animal. She flinched as his eyes locked on her. Her first instinct was to scramble away, only to realize she had nowhere to go. The wall was already pressing against her back. "What do you want, don't come any closer!" she blurted out in panic, bracing for the worst. But Luke wasn't interested in her in the slightest. Pretty face or not, she'd once been on Tony Stark's bed. That alone made her categorically unappealing, a woman willing to use her body just to climb the ladder. And he wasn't interested in Tony's sloppy seconds. "Get up," he said calmly. Maya swallowed hard. Her legs trembled slightly as she stood. He didn't even raise his voice, but somehow it was more terrifying than shouting. She braced for some cruel command. Instead, Luke casually held out the vial and smiled. "Help me inject this." Maya blinked. "What?" "I said, inject it," he repeated. "Now. No more questions." Seeing his expression harden, Maya hurriedly snatched the syringe from the table. Thankfully, the equipment Killian had prepared earlier was still in place. She loaded the vial carefully, her hands trembling slightly. Across the room, Wanda and Sharon exchanged glances. They had known Luke was after something, but neither expected him to inject himself on the spot. He was usually very cautious, and calculated everything before making a move. This felt... too reckless. Still, neither woman said anything at first. Their trust in Luke ran deep. Wanda because she really trusted him that much after all these years together, and Sharon because she was deeply brainwashed by the system. But Killian, lying motionless just meters away, suddenly lit up inside. He lowered his head quickly to hide the wicked smile stretching across his face. Finally. Finally, his chance had come. He knew Extremis better than anyone, even Maya, the original creator. What no one else realized was that the current virus required consistent, repeated injections. It wasn't permanent. If it wasn't maintained, the subject would suffer uncontrollable overheating, cellular collapse... explosion. Only he and Maya had the formula and knowledge to replicate it. If Luke injected himself now, he'd become dependent on him. And if those two super-powered women cared about their golden boy as much as they appeared, they'd follow his orders too, under Killian's thumb. His heart pounded with excitement. 'Soon,' he thought. 'Soon, they'll all be under my control.' Back at the table, Maya hesitated. She looked at the syringe, then back at Luke. "Wait," she said softly. "This formula... it's not finished. There are risks, serious ones. I have to warn you." Luke tilted his head slightly. He didn't expect that. He studied her for a moment. Despite everything, this woman, who had helped create the mess they were in, still had the conscience to warn him. He gave a faint nod of acknowledgment. Noted. But Killian? His fingers curled into fists. His jaw clenched. He wanted to scream, What the hell are you doing?! He bit the inside of his cheek to keep himself from shouting. Maya had just jeopardized his entire plan! He swore silently, once he regained control of everything, she would be the first to die, he would strangle her with his own hands and watch as the light disappeared from her eyes, stupid traitorous bitch. As Maya stood frozen with the syringe, Wanda finally stepped forward, worry etched across her face. "Luke," she said softly, "if it's dangerous... maybe wait a bit until it's improved?" Sharon chimed in too, visibly tense. "Boss, why not take a second to think this through?" But Luke simply looked back at them both and smiled calmly, full of confidence. ...

Chapter 113: Perfect Extremis

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