Chapter 18: Burning Laboratory

Jiang Chen's body had changed—just not in the way others might notice. He could feel it. The Extremis serum had integrated perfectly within him, its effects coursing through his veins. Unlike those who had perished before, he didn't fear the destructive side effects. His absolute luck had ensured that.

Watching him shatter the reinforced glass with a single punch, Ain staggered backward in shock.

"H-How…?" Ain stammered, his face pale. "That glass is missile-proof. How did you—"

His words trailed off, his eyes wide as he slowly processed the reality: Jiang Chen had not only survived the Extremis experiment, but he had come out stronger—far stronger.

"Kill him!" Ain suddenly shouted toward the door.

Within seconds, seven heavily armed men burst into the room. Ain pointed at Jiang Chen, his hand trembling.

"Be careful, he broke the glass with one punch!" he warned before stepping back to let the soldiers do their work.

The gunmen raised their rifles, unloading a barrage of bullets at Jiang Chen without hesitation. Smoke filled the air as the gunfire echoed through the lab.

As the gunfire ceased, the men relaxed, assuming the job was done. One of them sneered, tapping the barrel of his rifle.

"Thought he was tough. Guess not," one soldier chuckled, dismissing the threat.

The group began to laugh, but their arrogance was short-lived. Out of the gunpowder haze, a flicker of flame shot forward like a fiery serpent, wrapping around one of the men. In mere seconds, he was incinerated into nothing but ash.

The laughter stopped.

From the smoke emerged Jiang Chen, his body enveloped in flames. His eyes burned with a fierce intensity, like a demon risen from hell itself.

"What the hell…?" one of the remaining gunmen muttered, his voice trembling.

The soldiers raised their guns once more, but it was futile. Bullets melted before they could even reach him, disintegrating in the heat surrounding Jiang Chen's form.

"We...we need to run!" one of them shouted, panic seizing them.

But it was too late. Flames erupted from Jiang Chen's body, sweeping across the lab in a torrent of heat. The men screamed, but their cries were short-lived as they were consumed by the inferno.

Within moments, silence fell over the lab. The bodies of the armed men lay as smoldering heaps, their arrogance reduced to ash.

Ain, who had been watching the chaos unfold, stood frozen in place. His eyes widened with manic excitement.

"I did it!" Ain muttered, his voice shaky with glee. "I finally succeeded!"

He began laughing, his hysteria growing louder, bordering on madness. But the laughter abruptly stopped when Jiang Chen turned to face him, his gaze cold and unrelenting.

"What...what are you going to do?" Ain stammered, his earlier excitement draining from his face, now replaced with raw fear. "I made you strong! You owe me!"

Jiang Chen's flames extinguished, leaving his body clear of fire. He stepped toward Ain, his voice calm but laced with deadly intent.

"I made myself strong."

Before Ain could respond, Jiang Chen's hand shot out, wrapping around the scientist's throat. Ain gasped, clawing at Jiang Chen's arm, his face turning red.

"You think you could control me?" Jiang Chen's voice was low, his words cutting through Ain's desperate pleas.

Ain's hands flailed in the air, searching for anything to save himself. His fingers brushed against a syringe that had fallen from his coat earlier, and with the last of his strength, he tried to jab it into Jiang Chen. But his trembling hand failed him, and the syringe clattered to the floor.

Jiang Chen's eyes narrowed as he realized what Ain had attempted. An antidote, no doubt.

But Ain's efforts meant nothing now.

"You should've thought of this before you experimented on me," Jiang Chen hissed, tightening his grip.

Ain's mouth opened in a silent scream as flames began to creep up his body.

"No! Please! Have mercy!" Ain begged, his eyes wide with terror.

Jiang Chen simply watched, unflinching, as the flames engulfed Ain. His cries echoed through the lab until they were snuffed out, leaving nothing but ashes in their wake.

"Good! Well done!" a voice suddenly broke the silence.

Jiang Chen turned to see the other prisoners in the laboratory, their eyes wide with hope as they pressed against the glass of their cells.

"Hero! You saved us!"

"Please, get us out!" they shouted, desperation coloring their voices.

Jiang Chen's gaze swept across the terrified faces of the captives. With a casual flick of his wrist, he hit the control panel on the wall, releasing the locks on their cages. The doors swung open, and the prisoners poured out, fleeing toward the exit.

As they ran, Jiang Chen simply sighed and walked out of the laboratory, his mind already elsewhere. He wasn't their hero. He wasn't here to save anyone but himself.

Once outside, he realized the lab was hidden beneath an old, abandoned factory. A perfect cover for the horrors that had been conducted underground.

"What a vile place," Jiang Chen muttered under his breath.

With a snap of his fingers, a flame sparked to life in his hand. He tossed it over his shoulder, watching as it soared through the air and ignited the factory behind him.

As the building erupted into flames, Jiang Chen walked away without looking back, the inferno lighting up the sky behind him.