Half a month later.
The gloom that had shrouded the deep mountains of Romania was gone for good.
Starfire Pharma's infrastructure machine was on full display across this isolated stretch of land.
The crumbling ruins of the old village had been replaced by rows of prefabricated buildings in a modern industrial style, flanked by round-the-clock guard towers.
The surviving villagers had shed their ragged medieval homespun and changed into clean thermal clothing. They lined up outside Star Fire's medical tents to collect supplies and broad-spectrum vaccines.
No more living in daily terror. No more creepy cult gatherings. Between Star Fire's overwhelming firepower and generous provisions, the villagers made a remarkably smooth transition from cult followers to Star Fire contract temps.
As for the four great lords who'd once ruled from on high, only three remained, and every one of them had been subjected to Star Fire Group's mandatory corporate onboarding.
Heisenberg's underground factory was officially rechristened Star Fire Heavy Industries, European Branch. The once-arrogant metal maniac's biggest daily headache was no longer how to overthrow Miranda, but how to deal with Star Fire logistics' tedious scrap-metal procurement approval forms.
Lady Dimitrescu and her three fly daughters had gotten a thorough reality check after witnessing Ryan's hands-on approach to diplomacy, and packed away every last shred of their aristocratic pride.
Star Fire custom-formulated mutation-suppressing drugs for them. In exchange, the Lady now served as a contracted sparring partner for Star Fire's B.O.W. combat testing program. Of course, the unlimited supply of premium red wine and luxury cosmetics Ryan had promised also played a major role in keeping them cooperative.
Donna Beneviento, who suffered from crippling social anxiety, had her botanical talents discovered by Luis. The horrifying damage the parasite had done to her face had been completely repaired by Star Fire's cutting-edge medical tech. She now spent her days quietly in Star Fire's newly built greenhouse, cultivating natural pollen extracts for antiviral agents.
Deep underground, the cavern that had once been a nightmare-inducing nest had been converted into a top-tier sterile laboratory bathed in cool lighting.
The massive Megamycete core was sealed behind multiple layers of high-strength transparent containment, surrounded by banks of real-time monitoring instruments. Miranda stood outside the containment unit in a crisp white lab coat.
She had returned to her original appearance, composed and elegant in her normal human form, though a trace of barely-concealed restlessness still lingered in her eyes.
The sensor door slid open silently. Ryan walked in with his hands in his pockets.
"Judging by the look on your face, the hardware seems to meet your standards." Ryan walked to the control console and glanced at the data streaming across the screen.
"The equipment is the pinnacle of what human technology can achieve." Miranda turned around, brow furrowed slightly. "But cloning a body with zero rejection response that can perfectly house Eva's consciousness? Equipment and raw data alone can't do it. The Megamycete's power is too volatile."
"That's because you've been working in isolation so long your brain's gone stiff." Ryan pulled over a chair and sat down, then brought up a classified file and pushed it in front of Miranda.
Miranda's eyes scanned it and froze.
It was Ethan's physical analysis report.
"You noticed Ethan's body too, right?" Ryan tapped the screen. "Look at the cellular activity and Mold fusion rate. Ethan Winters is a true Mold-compatible host. His body has been completely replaced by fungus, yet it perfectly retains human consciousness, emotion, and physical stability."
Miranda stared at the data in disbelief, murmuring that it was impossible.
"How could the Megamycete allow an outsider's consciousness to override assimilation?" Miranda's finger traced the cellular reconstruction imagery on screen, her brow locked tight. "His body actually died back in Louisiana. What he is now is entirely composed of fungus... yet he shows no signs of going berserk."
"That's the blind spot in human assumptions." Ryan's tone was flat. "You wanted to build the perfect vessel but ignored the vessel's own compatibility. Ethan's genetic sequence and unique antibody mechanisms let him reach some kind of bizarre symbiosis with the Mold, instead of one-sided consumption. That's the key. As long as he cooperates with our research team for some blood draws and harmless testing, Eva's resurrection stops being a myth and becomes science."
He looked at Miranda, his gaze steady, telling her to dial back the impatience. As long as she played her part as Star Fire's senior researcher and took it one step at a time, he'd deliver on his promise.
Miranda took a deep breath, pulled her eyes from the screen, and for the first time gave a solemn nod.
...
Surface camp. Star Fire temporary command post.
Ryan had just stepped out of the elevator and pushed open the office door when he saw Mia sitting stiffly on the couch. She'd changed into Star Fire standard casuals and looked much healthier. Over by the window, Jill leaned against the wall, flipping through an intelligence report. She'd clearly been talking with Mia for a while already.
"Mr. Cole." Mia stood up the moment Ryan walked in.
"Sit down. Relax. Nobody can hurt you here." Ryan walked behind the desk, poured two glasses of warm water. "What's on your mind?"
Mia gripped the glass with both hands, her knuckles going white. She was quiet for a long time, visibly wrestling with herself, before finally looking up at Ryan with a complicated expression.
"Mr. Cole, you saved me and Ethan, took us in... there's something I'd feel terrible hiding from you any longer. It'd be repaying your kindness with betrayal." Mia took a deep breath, her voice trembling slightly. "The truth is, I'm not just some ordinary tourist. I'm an operative for an organization called The Connections."
She lowered her head and waited for the verdict.
The shock she'd expected never came. The only sound in the office was Ryan drinking his water. Over by the window, Jill didn't even look up.
"That's it?" Ryan set down his glass.
"You... you already knew." Mia's face went blank with shock.
"Of course." Ryan spread his hands. "We've had your full background since the moment we met. It's been sitting in Jill's files this whole time. In fact, that report Jill was just reading? Latest intel on your former employers."
Jill closed her tablet, walked over, and gave Mia a smile. Faint, but solid.
"The Connections are rats who like to hide in the dark and pull everyone's strings. But what Star Fire does best is flipping their board over." Jill's voice carried a quiet, reassuring weight. "Your files, Ethan's files, including his unique physical condition, are all classified at Star Fire's highest level. No matter how many moles The Connections have, they're not getting in here."
Mia's eyes went red. Her lips trembled. "Thank you... I kept worrying that if we slipped out of their control, they'd come after Ethan, or sabotage our future."
"Star Fire's rules are simple." Ryan stood and walked to the window, looking out at the bustling construction site. "You came in here today and told me the truth on your own. That makes you one of us now. Stay with Star Fire and stop worrying. All the baggage you've been carrying? Star Fire's handling it from here."
Outside the window, Sherry and Becky were passing by with a Shadow Force patrol. Sunlight fell across their black tactical gear, steady and sure.
[This novel is now COMPLETE. Read the entire series right now on Patreon: patreon.com/NiaXD]