Chapter 424: Biological Containment

The air in the main hall was so heavy that Jessica and Ashley struggled to breathe. Alexander’s crimson aura kept Marcus frozen, paralyzed by panic and suffocation.

Before the tension reached a breaking point, the elevator doors slid open. Stephen rushed into the room, holding a metallic briefcase in his right hand. Assessing the scene in a fraction of a second, he opened the case without wasting a moment.

"Hold him for just one more second, Alexander," said Stephen.

Stephen pulled out a pneumatic injector loaded with a cartridge of fluorescent blue liquid. Moving behind Marcus, he pressed the injector against the side of his neck. A hiss of compressed air echoed through the room as the compound surged into his bloodstream.

Marcus’s bulging muscles stopped twitching. The unhinged glare in his bloodshot eyes began to fade, and his twisted joints snapped back into alignment with sharp cracks. With a muffled groan, his legs gave out, and he collapsed onto his knees before slumping unconscious onto the floor.

Alexander deactivated his aura, letting his eyes revert to their dark color, and stared down at Stephen as the older man knelt to check the boy’s pulse.

"What is wrong with him?" asked Alexander, crossing his arms. "His body was moving like he didn’t have bones."

Jessica and Ashley rushed to Marcus’s side, checking his breathing while looking at Stephen for answers.

"It’s a hyper-adaptation overload," explained Stephen, stowing the pneumatic gun into his briefcase. "The TMC sent a shipment of advanced skill stones and high-purity supplements. I administered them to Marcus to accelerate his growth before sending him into combat missions... But I failed to account for the catalyst factor of his innate ability."

"His ability?" asked Ashley, looking up with tears in her eyes. "What does his ability have to do with him going crazy?"

"His ability is called [Flesh Weaver’s Metamorphosis]," answered Stephen. "It’s a rare talent of a mutative grade. It allows him to alter his bone density, muscle elasticity, and tendon flexibility in real time to adapt to impacts or dodge lethal strikes."

Stephen paused, pointing at the empty vial in the injector.

"The issue is that the TMC’s advanced stones raise mana density to a level his brain wasn’t ready to process. The combination of the constant cellular mutation from [Flesh Weaver’s Metamorphosis] and the massive energy surge triggered an overload psychosis. His survival instinct took over, perceiving everything around him as a lethal threat."

"Is he going to be okay?" asked Jessica, stroking her son’s hair.

"Yes. The neutralizing serum will suppress the energy flow from the stones for the next forty-eight hours," said Stephen, standing up. "He needs total rest and a metabolic purge. He’ll recover, but for now, he won’t be returning to the front lines."

Alexander looked down at the unconscious boy on the floor, then turned his gaze back to Stephen.

"Make sure he doesn’t take anything else without supervision," said Alexander in an icy tone. "Next time, a neutralizer won’t arrive in time."

"It was my mistake," admitted Stephen, letting out a heavy sigh as he adjusted his briefcase. "He never showed side effects during testing. The kid kept asking for more potency. The truth is, you’re placing a massive load of pressure on them, Alexander. Ben and Leo are in the exact same situation."

Alexander knitted his brow, a flash of concern crossing his face.

"That can’t be..." said Alexander. "The same thing won’t happen to them, right?"

"Don’t worry," said Stephen to reassure him. "I’ve already called them in. I’ll conduct an examination to evaluate both of them and ensure the mana density isn’t affecting their mental faculties."

"Do it quickly," said Alexander in a firm voice. "I don’t want any of them destroying their minds trying to catch up to me."

Jessica and Ashley, with Stephen’s help, lifted Marcus’s body to take him down to their apartment five floors below. Before stepping out of the penthouse door, Jessica turned to Alexander with eyes full of gratitude.

"Thank you, Alexander... and I’m sorry for all this mess," whispered Jessica.

"There’s nothing to forgive. Take care of him," answered Alexander.

Once the door clicked shut and the penthouse regained its silence, Alexander walked back toward the master suite and sat on the edge of the bed where the girls awaited him beneath the sheets.

"Alexander... what was all of that?" asked Helen, adjusting her robe and looking at him with concern.

"It was the same thing that happened back then," replied Alexander, staring at the wall. "Do you remember, Aria? When I almost lost my mind the day you were hurt?"

Aria nodded slowly, her gaze tinged with unease.

"I remember it very well," said Aria softly.

"Not as much as I do," chimed in Ms. Gable, crossing her arms over her chest. "You slaughtered my bodyguards and almost killed me too. That time, I thought you had gone completely mad."

Alexander lowered his eyes, scratching his head as guilt washed over his face.

"Forgive me... I can never apologize enough for acting that way," said Alexander in a sincere voice. "I am sorry."

Ms. Gable looked at him for a second and then softened her expression, letting out a warm smile.

"It’s in the past, Alexander," said Ms. Gable. "What matters now is that we know what happened to Marcus and that Stephen has the situation under control."

Alexander remained silent for a moment, staring down at his hands as he reflected on everyone’s words in the room.

"I know they’re doing it to try and catch up to me," said Alexander in a quiet voice. "It surprises me how much things have changed... Before, I wanted to be on Marcus’s level; I wanted to have what he had, and now I am what he’s striving to reach. It’s amazing how life turns around."

Aria glided off the bed, stepped up behind him, and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, resting her chin against his neck.

"Never think for a second that any of this is your fault," whispered Aria, looking him in the eyes. "You have always done the best you can, and every single one of us is grateful to you."

"Thank you, all of you," said Alexander, cracking a smirk as the dark glint returned to his eyes. "However, time is short and I don’t know when I’ll have to leave again... so nobody leaves this room until I am satisfied."

The girls let out playful chuckles as Alexander spun around on the bed.