Chapter 210: Petiness
Elaine didn’t take her eyes away from the monitor. Yes. Gideon was a bit paranoid and ended up buying all of the medical equipment and basic research equipment needed and able to buy from the Infinite Shop since people from the Greenwarden would arrive in a couple of days.
"Stable if we’re only talking about vital signs. His heart rate and blood pressure are still within the minimum range, but the infection hasn’t slowed down at all." She handed Gideon several photographs taken only two hours apart. "Look at this."
The first picture showed black veins stopping at Jace’s wrist.
The second had already reached his shoulder. "It keeps replacing healthy tissue with fungal structures. Blood analysis found almost no bacterial activity, only microscopic fibers that continue growing even after being removed from the body."
Gideon silently looked at the photos. "And his brain?"
"We don’t have proper imaging equipment, but his reflexes are disappearing one by one. The pain response is almost gone and his body temperature keeps dropping despite external heating."
Elaine finally took a deep breath. "If nothing changes, I think the safest option is ending this before the parasite completely takes over, just like what Freebound wanted."
Before Gideon could speak, a loud metallic sound suddenly echoed through the tent. Everyone instinctively turned toward the isolation chamber.
Jace’s eyes slowly opened. There wasn’t any white left. His entire eyes had turned completely black as if the darkness had swallowed them.
His body suddenly sat upright in one stiff movement, every joint bending at an unnatural angle as though invisible strings were pulling him from behind.
The restraints immediately tightened around his wrists, yet he didn’t seem to feel them at all even as they dug into his flesh until his arms started turning blue from how tightly they restrained him.
"I will sedate him again."
"No."
Gideon’s answer immediately startled Elaine.
"I want to know what he... or rather, what the parasite wants. Let him be. If he becomes dangerous and this containment chamber can no longer hold him, you’re free to call my guards and kill him."
Elaine’s brows knitted together. She stepped in front of him and tilted her head, disbelief written all over her face.
"Is this how you’re punishing Jade? That’s childish, Gideon."
He let out a quiet chuckle. "I’m not. I just want to know what kind of parasite we’re dealing with and what it’s capable of doing. We have the perfect subject right in front of us."
He sighed and looked back at Jace. "At least wait until the Greenwardens arrive and let them examine him. Maybe they know what this parasite is."
Elaine crossed her arms. "Then go talk to Jade. You’ve been avoiding her since yesterday." She paused before continuing. "And those people who arrived this morning? What are you planning to do with them?"
Gideon clenched his fists. The situation inside Cinder Dusk had become more complicated than ever. Freebound’s relationship with his Safe Zone was already hanging by a thread because of what Jade had done, and now another unknown group had suddenly appeared at the gate asking for protection.
"I’ll talk to Johan first and send a dove to the Mercenary Guild to verify their identities."
Elaine rolled her eyes. "Ugh, you can just ask Jade about it, they will be the one who contacts the guild. You kept saying it’s for the sake of Cinder Dusk whenever I tell you to speak with Jade, but we both know this isn’t only about the Safe Zone. Your ego is hurt."
She looked at him seriously. "Yes, she crossed the line, but she did it because she trusted you."
"Trust?" Gideon snickered. "If she really trusted me, she would’ve told me about Jace’s condition from the beginning. Even if he had been dying or infected by a parasite worse than this one, I would’ve still helped."
"So I’m right." Elaine sighed. "This is about you and her. Why not talk it through instead of turning everything into a political issue?"
Gideon didn’t answer. His eyes returned to Jace, who had already broken free from the restraints. Every medical staff member had retreated from the glass chamber while Jace continuously slammed his body against the reinforced wall.
Thick black ooze poured from his mouth, nose, ears, even the corners of his eyes, yet he didn’t stop moving as if pain no longer existed.
Gideon knew Jace wasn’t there anymore. What remained was nothing more than an empty shell being controlled by the parasite.
Ending his life now would probably be the merciful thing to do, and they already had enough black goo samples for Delilah to begin her research.
Even so, this was the only living specimen they had and he wanted to see how desperate Jade was, knowing he wasn’t the man she thought he was.
He finally turned toward the exit. "Keep recording every movement and every symptom until the Greenwardens arrive," he said calmly. "I’ll go deal with those people first."
Without waiting for Elaine’s response, Gideon left the containment tent while Elaine could only watch him go, clearly wanting to argue further but knowing she wouldn’t change his mind.
***
Gideon temporarily placed the group outside the Safe Zone barrier. He asked them to build their own tents while making sure they had enough blankets, firewood and food to keep themselves warm.
There were about thirty of them in total, and two were already suffering from hypothermia.
Jace’s condition had put everyone on high alert. He knew the Pyrovour Borealis flowers were still intact and Freebound’s men were even patrolling the area every day to make sure nobody accidentally entered the valley and alerted the flowers.
Even so, there was still an instinct at the back of his mind telling him to be careful with everything.
He couldn’t afford to lower his guard anymore.
When he arrived at the temporary camp, Johan was already waiting for him near the tents. The old man had even given the group a nickname, the refugees.
Among them were two Children of Eden and one of Johan’s old friends, which was the only reason the old man kept trying to persuade Gideon to let them inside the Safe Zone.
Unfortunately, Gideon couldn’t.
No matter how much he respected Johan, he couldn’t come up with a good enough reason to allow thirty strangers into Cinder Dusk while an unknown parasite was still being investigated. If he made an exception for a few people, he would have to do the same for everyone else.
"Ah, Chief Gideon." Johan looked at him from head to toe before letting out a sarcastic chuckle. "Or should I start calling you Lord Gideon now since you’ve decided to rule this territory with an iron fist?"
Gideon only shrugged. "I don’t mind. But they are uninvited guests, Johan. I just want to be careful. Are they ready to talk to me?"
Johan sighed and shook his head. "They’re ready. Just... try talking to them nicely."
"I will."
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