Chapter 88: Professor, You've Changed
Madelyne suddenly pushed herself up. Her face was still deathly pale, a dull ache lingering in her chest. Her gaze first turned cold, then trembled, before finally crumbling.
"...Suffered? Professor Xavier, is that what you're asking me now?"
She let out a cold, hoarse laugh.
"After you disappeared, this World went to hell. Humans created Nimrod Sentinels, killing Mutants on sight, not even sparing children.
Xavier's School is gone, the X-Men scattered. Those still alive are either hiding, dead, or hunted as monsters."
Madelyne's nails dug deep into her palms. She avoided Thor's gaze, her tone growing colder and harder, like a thorny rose.
"As for me? I was never one of your 'children'.
I'm just a clone of Jean Grey, a replacement for Scott Lang to fill his loneliness!
The moment Jean returned, he turned and left. I wasn't even worthy of your salvation."
Her chest heaved, her voice cracking as if split open.
"The Nimrod was just shouting... that I'm an aberration, to be purged.
You see, even the robots are more straightforward than you all. At least they don't pretend to love me, don't pretend I'm a person."
Then Madelyne suddenly looked up, the crimson in her eyes not yet faded, a hint of desperate ferocity in her gaze as she rasped, her voice ragged:
"Why have you come back now? To pity me? Or to tell me I'm still just a mistake?
I don't need redemption, Professor. I just want to know—what exactly am I?"
Thor didn't immediately offer comfort to the nearly shattered Madelyne. He gave her a once-over before saying;
"Madelyne, your fashion sense has improved quite a bit from before."
"? Professor, you... are complimenting me?"
Madelyne was momentarily stunned. She had thought about what the Professor might say next—some philosophical reasoning to persuade her, things like that.
She truly never expected that the Professor's first reaction after hearing her outpouring would be to compliment her fashion sense?!
"Madelyne, in my heart, you're like all the other X-Men, my child. As for that idiot Scott, when we meet, I'll help you kick his ass!"
"Professor... you... just called Scott an idiot?!!!"
"You... you've changed?! You never used to swear!"
Madelyne was utterly bewildered now. This Professor who had returned after disappearing felt very different. Yet, in her psychic perception, this was indeed the Professor X she knew—not a single discrepancy. His smile was still gentle, his head just as shiny.
"Madelyne, people change. That idiot Scott isn't worthy of you; it's his loss."
"It's true you're a clone of Jean, but you're also Madelyne Pryor. As long as you are Madelyne for a day, you'll be Madelyne for life."
"You don't need to live in anyone's Shadow. You are you, my child. Welcome back."
Thor amiably spread his arms toward Madelyne in a welcoming gesture.
"Thor, could you not flirt here? Can't you come help me?!!!"
Betsy's voice suddenly echoed in Thor's mind, clearly very displeased, even carrying a hint of anger.
Good grief!
She's fighting up front, and you're flirting in the back?!
Are you treating her like she's completely invisible?!
She knew it!
No wonder Thor and Zeus both wield lightning—they're both equally lecherous!
"Betsy, show some respect. I'm the Professor now!"
"The Professor comforting a homeless child is perfectly normal, isn't it?"
"You...!"
Betsy grew even angrier. The last three Nimrod Sentinel Robotss bore the brunt, each chopped into one hundred and eight pieces, scattered parts everywhere.
"Detecting trans-dimensional Mutants, Elizabeth Becky Braddock, Professor X Charles Xavier. Uploading terminal data... zzzzt..."
Betsy looked at the Nimrod Sentinel Robots, now just a head but still talking, and *shua*—sliced it in half, then stomped it twice into a metal pancake.
Clearly not fully vented yet, she turned her gaze to the other Sentinel parts, beginning a new round of catharsis.
"That's... Betsy?! Didn't she sacrifice herself to cover Blink's escape?"
Only then did Madelyne remember they were being pursued by Sentinel Robotss. Turning around, she saw another familiar figure venting on Sentinel parts.
"And how did she become so strong now?!"
Madelyne was genuinely shocked this time. Even she, an Omega Level Mutant, couldn't defeat these ten Sentinel Robotss working together. Yet now, Betsy handled them alone with ease?
And it didn't even seem to take much effort?!
"No need for such surprise, Madelyne. Back then, I took the gravely injured Betsy to one of Nathaniel's research facilities. We used the technology there to save her, and enhanced her a bit along the way."
Thor, synthesizing what he understood about this Earth's situation, began fabricating. It helped that this was a Universe with only Mutants—any blame could be conveniently pinned on those mad scientists.
"Na!than!iel!"
Hearing that familiar name, Madelyne gritted her teeth, enunciating each word as if she wished to devour his flesh and drink his blood. Her telekinetic power began spreading uncontrollably, causing rubble on the ground to slowly levitate.
"That monster who created me, then threw me into hell..."
"Don't let anger cloud your mind, Madelyne."
Thor mimicked Professor X's signature gesture, middle and index fingers gently pressing together on his temple. A wave of gentle psychic energy instantly soothed Madelyne's agitation.
"I understand, Professor. You won't stop me, right?"
Madelyne calmed herself and looked at the familiar-yet-unfamiliar (Thor-version Professor).
"Of course. I happen to have some accounts to settle with Nathaniel myself."
"Madelyne, my child, will you join us?"
Thor extended a sincere invitation.
Madelyne stared at Thor for several seconds before finally nodding in agreement.
"Alright, count me in."
"Betsy, let's go."
Thor addressed Betsy, who had finally finished venting.
"Yes, Professor."
Betsy walked over, face cold. The psionic armor on her body gradually dissipated, and the two katana in her hands were returned to the personal space Thor had added for her.
She very naturally took her place behind Thor, gripping the two handles of the wheelchair.
"Madelyne, I've only been gone a year, and the outside World has changed drastically. So, could you trouble yourself to lead the way?"
Thor looked at Madelyne.
"Where do you want to go, Professor? To find the X-Men, or to Genosha to see your old friend Magneto?"
"Let's go see my children first."
"Alright, then we might have quite a distance to cover."
Madelyne, in her high heels, led the way ahead.
"Ouch!"
"What's wrong, Professor?"
Having taken only a few steps, Madelyne turned back upon hearing the Professor's voice.
Thor glanced at Betsy, who was subtly expressing her displeasure behind him, and said to Madelyne,
"It's nothing. The jungle terrain is a bit rough, not very friendly to an old man like me."
Chapter 89: The Surviving X-Men
Northwest of San Francisco, in the waters off the Golden Gate Bridge.
An artificial island floated quietly on the sea level.
This was discovered by the X-Men while they were fleeing with a small number of Mutants. It had now become their temporary base and was given a name: Utopia.
On the white, reflective sandy beach, a few scattered Mutants—children—were playing by the seaside. They were building sandcastles one moment and having water fights the next, having the time of their lives.
Behind them stood two people, a man and a woman. A burly man wearing a black and gold combat suit was biting a cigar, slowly exhaling smoke rings.
"Fuck Charles! That son of a bitch, who knows where he's off enjoying himself!"
"Always talking about peace! Inclusion! Brotherly love!"
"Motherfucking peace!!!"
"To hell with inclusion and brotherly love!"
"Mutants are about to be fucking slaughtered clean by the Sentinels! And at a time like this, he just drops everything and quits!"
"He even went into hiding!"
"Motherfucker! Charles, that son of a bitch!"
"He'd better never come back!!!"
Wolverine Logan opened his mouth and immediately cursed the Professor's entire family. His tone was incredibly violent, as if he wanted to use his claws to stab Charles right in the ass!
"Logan, it's too late for cursing now."
Storm Ororo Munroe quietly watched the children playing ahead, letting the salty sea breeze blow through her white hair.
"Charles chose his path, and we chose ours."
"From now on, the lives of Mutants are on our shoulders. It has nothing to do with Charles Xavier anymore."
"Fuck..."
Logan spat a large glob of phlegm onto the ground and stomped on it heavily with his foot.
"That old geezer says pretty things every day, but when it comes to the crunch, he's nowhere to be found!"
"Motherfucker! I told him back then we should have taken out those scientists. That goddamn coward, all for his so-called peace, wanted to play house with these damn villains!"
"Motherfucker! Now look at this mess! He's gone and hidden himself away!"
"For fuck's sake, in a race war, can you really talk your way into peace?!"
"Charles, fuck..."
"Logan, Ororo, Scott wants you to come over. We need to coordinate the upcoming combat preparations."
Clarice appeared beside the two with a'shua' sound, interrupting Logan's stream of profanity.
"What about these children?"
Storm Ororo glanced at the children playing ahead and asked.
"Go on, leave these little ones to me."
Clarice patted her chest and said.
"Motherfucker! That idiot Scott looks a lot more pleasant than that moron Charles right now!"
Logan's mouth simply wouldn't stop; he continued to curse even as he walked away.
"He is the Captain now, after all, isn't he?"
Storm Ororo replied.
Clarice flashed to the side of the playing children. "Alright, kids, Bobby has prepared ice cream and smoothies for you. What flavors do you want?"
"I want strawberry!"
"Chocolate is the best!"
"Bullshit, vanilla is the tastiest!"
The playing children, hearing there was food, immediately started arguing with one another.
"Alright, if you keep arguing, there won't be any for you!"
Clarice casually opened a purple portal, signaling for the children to go in first.
Hearing that they might not get ice cream, the group of children shut their mouths and rushed into the portal impatiently, with Clarice following right behind them.
Inside a somewhat crude church, Cyclops Scott stood before a huge table, his hands propped on it, eyes fixed on a spread-out map.
Once Logan, Ororo, and Clarice had all entered, he cleared his throat and spoke.
"Alright, everyone is here. Let's discuss the next combat plan."
"I've already contacted Magneto Erik. If necessary, Claricecan take the children and leave first."
"Motherfucker! Why don't we just go straight to their headquarters and take out those scientists?"
"Those goddamn Sentinels are like locusts, you can't kill them all. Why don't we just go kill the people controlling them?!"
Logan grumbled as he made his suggestion.
"Their nest has at least a thousand Nimrod Sentinels. If you go, it's certain death."
A Black man with short hair, wearing a black and blue skin-tight combat suit and holding a highly sci-fi mechanical cannon, stepped out from the shadows in the corner.
"And you are?"
Ororo glanced at Scott, then looked at this unfamiliar Black man and asked.
"I am Bishop. I come from the future."
"Alright, Mr. Future Soldier, do you have any good suggestions?"
Sunspot Roberto didn't give this suddenly appearing Black man any face and retorted directly.
"In the future, the Nimrod Sentinels have almost slaughtered the Mutants to extinction, leaving only a small portion kept in concentration camps. Now, Nimrod has sensed a change in the past timeline and has traveled back specifically to stifle this glimmer of hope."
Bishop ignored Sunspot's words and spoke.
The room fell into silence; the atmosphere was so oppressive it felt as if one could squeeze water out of the air.
"Then what do you think we should do now?"
Cyclops Scott quietly listened to this cruel future and threw out the question.
"Find the Nimrod Mother Mold and destroy its source core. Otherwise, it doesn't matter how many units you kill."
An unfamiliar voice with a slight mechanical tint appeared abruptly.
Everyone looked toward the sound and saw another tall white man appear nearby, dressed in extremely sci-fi gear.
Half of his face was purely mechanically reconstructed, and his mechanical left eye flickered with a red light as he sized up everyone present.
"Wow! Are you a future soldier too? That is so cool!"
Jubilee Li Qianhuan blew a large bubble, lightening the somewhat heavy atmosphere.
"Cable, you're here too."
Bishop looked with a heavy expression at the two-meter-tall mechanical warrior before him.
This guy came from an even more distant future than he did. If even he had to travel back to stop the Nimrod Sentinels, then the future situation must truly be critical.
"We have about half a day of preparation time. The Nimrod Sentinels will attack Utopia and Genosha in succession. The Mutant nation created by Magneto will be destroyed by giant Sentinels today, and he will be captured and thrown into a concentration camp."
"Our time is running out. If you don't want Mutants to go completely extinct, then follow my arrangements."
Cable's gaze slowly swept across everyone present, lingering for an extra second only on Cyclops Scott.
"What should we do?"
Storm Ororo's brow furrowed. Two Mutants in a row had traveled back from the future just to stop this Sentinel Robots; that was enough to prove how terrifying this Nimrod Sentinel was!
They had to be fully prepared!
"Tonight, they will send hundreds of Nimrod Sentinels for a night raid. The only chance of winning is..."
Cable paused here and looked at the red-haired woman standing beside Scott, wearing a yellow and blue skin-tight combat suit.
Chapter 90: War is Imminent
"No, I don't agree with this proposal."
Cyclops Scott decisively rejected the idea.
"Scott, they're right. Maybe only I can put an end to these robots."
Phoenix Jean, standing beside Scott, spoke softly.
"No! The Phoenix Force within you is too unstable!"
Scott clasped Jean's hand, not giving her a chance to continue, and looked at Cable and Bishop.
"Besides this method, is there any other way? You came back from the future, you should know the weaknesses of these robots."
"There's no other way besides destroying the core of the mother unit. Even if you completely erase these Sentinels at a molecular level, as long as the mother unit exists, these Sentinels will continue to be produced endlessly."
Cable glanced at Phoenix Jean Grey a few times and spoke indifferently.
"Bishop, don't you have a solution either?"
Scott looked at Bishop.
"Cable is right, otherwise, no matter how many we kill, it's useless. And... the opponent is Nimrod, who possesses multiple Mutant abilities. Dozens of them are already hard for us, hundreds of them..."
Bishop paused there, and everyone present understood his meaning.
There was nowhere left for them to run. Magneto's Mutantnation was also doomed tonight; they could only fight with their backs against the wall.
"I have a question. Since we know they're coming early, why don't we concentrate our firepower and take out most of these Sentinel Robotss first?"
Rogue Anna Marie LeBeau raised a question.
"Anna, others aren't as durable as I am. If we concentrate our firepower and unleash a wave first, we'll only be picked off one by one."
Wolverine Logan, for once, didn't start with profanity.
Though he was a hothead, he had still experienced many wars and understood some battle arrangements.
The X-Men's remaining high-tier combat power was all here. Even if they unleashed their full power to instantly kill these Sentinel Robotss, they would fall into exhaustion or even collapse.
At that point, if a few more Nimrods arrived, it would be a one-sided slaughter.
"Logan, we only have this method now. Concentrate all firepower to take out the first wave, then have Blink take us away."
Scott pondered for a moment and agreed to the plan.
"Fuck you, Scott! Motherfucker! I just said you were more tolerable than that cowardly Charles! And you pull this shit on me!"
"You're telling all of us to die!"
Wolverine Logan, true to his fiery temper, immediately grabbed Scott by the collar.
"Logan, Scott and Anna are right, this is our only option now, unless you want Jean to make a move..."
Storm Ororo stepped forward.
"Fuck!"
Logan released Scott, his gaze sweeping over PhoenixJean, his eyes flickering, but in the end, he did not continue to speak.
"Anna is right, even if we die, we'll drag them down with us."
"Hank, Betsy, Warren, Emma, Kurt, Kitty, and Remy were all killed by that son of a bitch Nimrod!"
Magik Illyana, with a 'clink,' drew her Soulsword and plunged it into the ground with a'swish,' a powerful magical fluctuation surging from her body.
"Illyana..."
Colossus Peter was about to speak but was glared at fiercely by her, forcing him to swallow his words.
"Illyana is right, we can't escape anymore. I'll be responsible for freezing them into ice blocks."
Iceman Bobby let out a gentle breath of cold air, lowering the temperature in the room.
"Then I'll be responsible for giving them fireworks, how about it?"
Li Qianhuan was still chewing her bubblegum, colorful energy orbs appearing in her hands.
"Then I'll be responsible for tearing them to pieces!"
Laura, with a'swish,' extended her adamantium claws and echoed.
"Laura! Motherfucker, you brats! We adults haven't even spoken yet, what are you trying to do?!"
Logan saw that Laura also agreed to the plan and immediately flew into a rage.
"Uncle Logan, Uncle Logan! You're the best, just listen to us this time, okay?"
Li Qianhuan skipped over to Logan, her big eyes blinking, full of pleading.
"Qianhuan, this is war, people will die, it's not playing house."
"But we have no other choice, do we? Do you really have the heart to let Sister Jean use that power?!"
"Motherfucker! You brats are just annoying!"
Logan stretched out his big hand, roughly ruffled her hair, messing it up, then gently tapped her forehead, finally conceding.
He didn't forget to glare fiercely at that bastard Scott, "Scott! Motherfucker! You agreed to this! Even if we have to die, you better die before these brats, understand?!"
"I'm the Captain, it's my duty."
Scott ignored Logan's threat and said.
"Cable, you said they would probably attack tonight. From which direction, from where, and how many in the first wave?"
Cable glanced at the X-Men, who were ready to fight to the death, and spoke.
"The first wave will come from the southwest. They have Nightcrawler's ability and are the first assault team, about ten units in total."
"Once the assault is successful, the remaining dozens will surround this island from all directions, giving you no chance to escape."
"And you've dealt with these robots before. Even if you run, they can replicate Blink's ability, unless you run off this Planet."
Cable remembered something as he said this and looked up at Scott.
"Do you have a large amount of metal materials here?"
"Yes, what do you want to do?"
Scott thought for a moment and replied.
"Prepare a backup plan. To be honest, I'm not very optimistic about your battle plan, so I need to hand-craft a spacesuit for you idiots, just in case."
Cable casually threw the mechanical cannon he was holding onto the table, making a dull thud.
"Hand-craft? Are you sure? There's only half a day left."
Scott frowned.
After Beast Hank's death, they lost a top scientist. To be honest, the scientific literacy of those present wasn't high. Even if they had the idea of escaping Earth, they didn't have the means.
"Half a day is too little? I only need two hours."
Cable looked up at Scott, then scanned the others, speaking very calmly.
"Oh, I forgot, all of you combined probably don't even have a single doctoral degree, do you?"
Chapter 91: Despair
Silence.
A deathly stillness, so profound you could hear a pin drop, filled the entire church.
The X-Men wanted to argue, but they found that this man claiming to be from the future was, damn it all, speaking the truth!
Aside from Professor, Beast, and White Queen, they truly couldn't muster a single doctorate among them.
"Alright, so you future soldiers also look down on people based on education."
Sunspot Roberto immediately bristled and began to sneer, but Cable couldn't even be bothered to give him a glance.
"You...!"
"That's enough, Roberto. He is here to help us, after all. Anna, take him to our metal storage area."
Scott ordered.
"Alright, future soldier, follow me."
Rogue Anna, though also feeling a bit uncomfortable, understood the gravity of their race's survival. She led Cable out of the church.
"Bishop, you're from the future too. Aren't you going to help?"
Iceman Bobby looked curiously at the burly black man.
"To be honest, I'm a soldier, just like you all, not a scientist."
Bishop shook his head.
"Alright, people, now we need a battle plan. Peter and Logan are responsible for frontal assault.
I'll handle the first wave of Nimrod Sentinels. Bobby, you and Ororo work together to create a blizzard to suppress the rest.
Laura, Qianhuan, and Illyana, you three form a team. Follow behind Logan and Peter. Don't try to be heroes; target isolated Nimrod Sentinels.
Roberto, you're on air support. Clarice, you protect the children and the injured Mutants.
Bishop, you and Cable will act as the mobile response team, putting out fires wherever they flare up."
Scott roughly outlined the battle plan.
"What about me, Scott? You know I can't just do nothing."
Phoenix Jean asked.
"Jean, you'll work with Anna, Bobby, and Ororo to contain them. Leave the rest to me."
"Scott, if you release your energy at full power, your body won't hold up for long."
Jean said with concern.
"Jean, we have no choice. Like Logan said, I can't die after they do."
Scott took Jean's hand, a flicker of determination in his eyes.
Jean didn't say anything more, simply stepping forward to hug Scott.
This fool. Did he really think she didn't know what was going through his mind?
Seeing this, the others gave the young couple some privacy and filed out of the church.
"Laura, Qianhuan, Illyana, you three brats protect yourselves, hear me?!"
Wolverine Logan looked at Laura and the other two and admonished them.
"Tch, worry about yourself first, Logan. Don't be the first to die."
Magik Illyana curled her lip disdainfully.
"You...!"
"Uncle Logan! Illyana's just worried about you, she's just bad at saying it directly..."
Li Qianhuan didn't finish before Illyana forcibly dragged her away.
"Protect yourself, you hear me, Laura."
Logan ignored Li Qianhuan and the other girl, looking at Laura.
"I will, Logan."
Laura nodded.
"Bobby, want to bet on who takes down more Nimrods?"
Sunspot Roberto nudged Iceman Bobby with his elbow.
"No. It's a good idea, but that's not my mission, you know."
Iceman Bobby shrugged.
"Alright, next time then."
Bobby didn't respond. Who knew if there would even be a next time?
Time slipped away in the final quiet, and night fell.
Whoosh... whoosh...
Crash... splash...
The night on Utopia was very quiet, with only the endless sound of the evening wind and ocean waves.
Ten Nimrod Sentinels swished as they stormed into the church full of Mutant children. However, before they could begin their slaughter, a crimson beam of light capable of piercing the heavens swept across.
BOOM—————!
The searing energy beam mercilessly ravaged the Nimrod Sentinels. The excess energy blasted half the church to smithereens, and the residual energy tore through the sky, illuminating half the night.
"Anna, Bobby, Jean, it's our turn."
Storm Ororo saw their agreed-upon signal and spoke to the three women beside her.
"Good, let's show them what we're made of!"
Rogue Anna removed her glove, grasped Ororo's hand, and instantly copied the other's ability.
The remaining Nimrod Sentinels, having seen Scott's energy beam, no longer hid. One by one, they emerged from the dark seawater, aiming their varied Mutant abilities at Storm and the others.
BOOM———!
Thunder suddenly cracked. The sky above Utopia rapidly gathered dark clouds, and the surrounding temperature plummeted. With the first snowflake's descent, the blizzard arrived as scheduled.
Ororo's eyes suddenly blazed with white light. Holding Anna's hand, the two rose slowly into the sky together.
Iceman Bobby, seeing this, quickly activated his power. Ice-blue cold joined the fray. With the three of them working together, an exceptionally terrifying blizzard coalesced in mere seconds.
This terrifying natural disaster, enough to make anyone pale, descended instantly, crashing down upon the dozens of Nimrod Sentinels below.
Phoenix Jean's immense psychic power, like a colossal mountain, slammed down, carrying the blizzard with it!
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The collaboration between the three Omega-level Mutants was seamless. Under their full-force assault, dozens of Nimrod Sentinels were utterly annihilated in the first clash, leaving not a single scrap behind.
"We did it..."
Rogue Anna, looking at their handiwork, had just let out a sigh of relief when a purple psionic blade pierced through her chest with a sickening *thud*.
A Nimrod Sentinel had somehow circled behind them, perfectly timing its attack to take out Rogue Anna first.
"Anna!"
Iceman Bobby's roar echoed to the heavens. His face, usually wearing a relaxed, carefree smile, was now twisted beyond recognition.
Those clear blue eyes were instantly replaced by crimson fury.
One moment, she was fighting side-by-side, smiling and saying they'd protect Utopia together. The next, she lay in a pool of blood, falling into the deep sea.
She was the girl he held in his heart, protected countless times. The one person, in countless life-and-death battles, he truly wanted to keep safe.
*Crackle... crackle—*
Enraged, Iceman Bobby fully unleashed the energy within him. The space for miles around instantly froze, groaning under the strain.
Ice-blue cold erupted from him as the center. The churning seawater froze. A power that made even Storm and the others feel a chill of dread erupted without restraint!
The Nimrod Sentinel that had stabbed Rogue Anna had no time to dodge. Its three-meter-tall mechanical body was frozen solid in moments.
With a *crack*, it shattered into countless icy fragments. Iceman Bobby had utterly erased it from existence, down to the molecular level, leaving no trace.
Bobby caught Anna's body, gently reaching out to brush her hair.
"Bobby... I'm sorry..."
Anna, looking at Bobby holding her, instinctively tried to raise her hand. It lifted halfway before falling heavily, motionless.
"Anna! Anna! Don't go to sleep! Open your eyes, please..."
Tears welled uncontrollably in Bobby's eyes, freezing into crystalline ice droplets the moment they fell through the air, landing on Anna's chest.
"Bobby, we're in big trouble."
Storm Ororo looked at the dozens of Nimrod Sentinels that had appeared again, and a sliver of despair inevitably rose in her heart.
In a place no one noticed, a thread of green light, too fine for the naked eye, quietly pierced into Anna's body.
The ground forces were the first to buckle. Wolverine Logan and Colossus Peter had just charged forward when they were immobilized by the Nimrod Sentinels using Magneto's power.
Sunspot Roberto was knocked flat on his back by a NimrodSentinel's punch, out cold.
Only Bishop was left struggling to hold on, with Cablefrantically providing cover fire. But alas, there were simply too many Nimrod Sentinels; they couldn't kill them fast enough!
This assault on Utopia didn't involve just a hundred Nimrod Sentinels!
A full two hundred and fifty had come!
Laura, Li Qianhuan, and Illyana were being suppressed by two incredibly coordinated Nimrod Sentinels, unable to break free to help the others.
Inside the church, Cyclops Scott gasped for breath. Having used his full power to obliterate ten Nimrod Sentinels, he had no combat capability left for the time being.
But who knew the attacking Sentinel Robotss numbered more than ten? The news of Anna's death had already spread to everyone via communicator.
They had nowhere left to run. Blink Clarice had just tried to evacuate him and the children when she was critically wounded by a Nimrod Sentinel and fell into a pool of blood.
Was this really the end for Mutants?
At the same time, each battlefield was gradually being overrun. The Nimrod Sentinels' blades were raised high.
One hundred and fifty Nimrod Sentinels slowly closed in. Their cold, emotionless, metallic voices echoed across the shattered Utopia, pronouncing the final judgment:
"Mutant threat. Complete eradication. Genocide. Execution complete."
Scott closed his eyes in resignation. Just as everyone had prepared to meet their deaths, a gentle yet achingly familiar voice resonated in all their minds,
"I'm sorry I'm late, my children."
Chapter 92: Robots Are People Too
"Pr... Professor?!"
Scott stared at the sudden appearance of Thor, Madelyne, and Betsy before him, feeling momentarily dazed. But he quickly snapped out of it, shouting urgently at Thor:
"Professor! You all need to leave, there are many Nimrod Sentinels here... huh?"
Scott stretched out a hand, wanting Thor and the others to go first, and then witnessed a truly miraculous scene.
The Sentinel Robots that had just been preparing to slaughter them were all frozen in place, unable to move, as if time itself had been stopped around them.
"Oh, Scott, I promised Madelyne I'd come kick your stupid ass!"
Thor maneuvered his wheelchair in front of Scott, speaking in a teasing tone.
"Professor, you never used to swear. And Madelyne..."
Scott looked at Madelyne with a complicated expression, only to see her glance at him before turning her head away, as if she'd seen something filthy.
"Times change, and this old man changes too. Isn't that perfectly normal?
If I hadn't come, wouldn't your stupid plan have failed again?"
"Uh..." Scott awkwardly rubbed the back of his head. He couldn't quite figure out why his plans always failed. Looking at the still-frozen Nimrod Sentinels, he asked,
"Professor, what's going on with these Sentinels?!"
"Simple. I'm controlling them."
Thor spread his hands as if stating a trivial matter.
"But they're Sentinel Robots! They're not human!"
"Scott, I call you a fool, and you still won't admit it.
Let me ask you, doesn't the word 'robot' contain the character for 'person'?"
"Yes... but what does that have to do with your abilities, Professor?"
Scott replied instinctively.
"Exactly. Since 'robot' contains the character for 'person,' if I can control humans, then I can control robots too. It's that simple."
???
Scott really wanted to take off his glasses and get a good look at what was going on inside this Professor's head.
Since when did the Professor's abilities have anything to do with fucking concepts?!
Could he control anything as long as it had the character for 'person' in its name?!
Then why didn't the Professor use this ability when they were fighting Sentinel Robots before?
"Of course, because I evolved, you fool. Back when I saved Betsy, she and I used Nathaniel's technology to enhance ourselves together."
"I have to say, your enemy knows you best. At the very least, isn't it enough that I can save you all now?"
Thor looked at Scott with a smile.
Betsy, watching Thor spinning his wild tale ahead, helplessly slapped her forehead.
She remembered they were here to find that bald woman, Cassandra, weren't they?
Why was he getting so addicted to acting now?
"Scott? Are you okay? The Sentinel Robots on our side suddenly stopped moving? Was it done by the people the Professor brought?!"
The voice of Jean Grey suddenly echoed in Scott's mind.
"Jean, the situation is a bit complicated. Betsy isn't dead. The Professor's abilities seem to have been enhanced. And... I suspect this enhancement changed the Professor's personality. Anyway, just come over and see for yourselves."
"Okay, wait! Scott! The Nimrod suddenly disappeared! It's like it was erased by a blackboard eraser!"
The next second, Jean's exclamation rang out again, clearly having encountered some extremely bizarre situation.
Scott looked at Thor.
"Oh, Jean, don't worry. I erased all these Sentinels. You can come over now, my children."
Thor's voice once again echoed in the minds of all the surviving X-Men.
"Professor... what exactly did this enhancement of yours enhance?"
Scott felt like he was dreaming. Not only had the Professor's power changed, but he had also become more powerful and terrifying. This made the words of blame he originally had completely unspeakable.
"Just enhanced mind control and Telepathy."
"How did those Sentinel Robots suddenly disappear?"
Scott pointed at the empty air around them, where five Sentinel Robots had been standing just moments ago, now gone as if they had never existed.
"Sigh... Scott, I think you all need to study harder. Since I can control them, why wouldn't I be able to erase the very concept of their existence?"
Thor pushed his wheelchair forward, picked up a wooden stick, and with a *smack*, hit Scott on the head, giving his backside a few extra whacks for good measure.
"Professor, what are you doing?"
"I promised Madelyne I would, so of course I have to follow through! If I can't kick your ass, can't I at least hit you?"
Thor stated matter-of-factly.
"Motherfucker! Charles, you son of a bitch! You fucking... mmmph..."
Wolverine Logan crashed through the wooden door and charged in, but before he could get more than a few words out, Thor physically muted him.
"Isn't this our World War I veteran? What a warm welcome. Truly my good boy. I'll take your silence as agreement."
Ignoring the furious Logan, Thor looked at the other X-Men.
"Children, it's been a long time. You've suffered!"
"Wah... Professor! You're alive, that's wonderful!
You don't know... Kitty, Remy... they all sacrificed themselves! And just now, even Anna..."
Li Qianhuan threw herself at Thor, tears uncontrollably streaming from the corners of her eyes, soaking Thor's clothes.
"Alright, Qianhuan, you're an adult now. Why are you still crying like when you were a child?"
Thor gently stroked Li Qianhuan's head, comforting her like a wounded kitten.
"Also, Anna and Clarice aren't dead."
"Really? You're not lying to me, Professor?"
Li Qianhuan lifted her head, staring at Thor's kind, bald head.
"Of course. When have I ever lied to you, my child?"
"I helped them block the sensation of pain..."
"Wait! But they sustained severe injuries and lost a lot of blood. Blocking pain only stops them from feeling the agony!"
Bishop stepped forward, voicing his doubt.
Thor looked at Bishop as if he were looking at a fool.
"Didn't you go to school, child?
If I've blocked their pain, and they can't feel pain, how could they die?"
Bishop felt his worldview had been insulted, and the one insulting him was none other than the famous founder of the X-Men, the Professor. For a moment, he was at a loss for words.
Mainly because, no matter how he thought about it, this didn't seem reliable at all?!
It simply wasn't scientific!
"Professor, welcome home."
Storm Ororo, having now set aside her reservations, spoke to Thor.
"Ororo, I didn't expect your fashion sense to improve so much in just a short time apart."
Thor looked at Ororo, dressed in a pure white uniform, and offered a compliment.
"You also look much more spirited, Professor."
*Beep beep beep—!*
Cable, holding a small device, walked to the corner. He first measured the vital signs of the unconscious Clarice, then walked over to Anna, who was being held by Iceman, and measured hers as well.
"The Professor is right. Both their vital signs are stable. They just need to sleep it off."
Scott secretly gave Jean a look. Understanding, Jean quietly released her psychic power to sense the Professor before them.
Only after confirming it was indeed the Professor they knew did she slowly nod to Scott.
These little actions, of course, didn't escape Thor. To punish these two youngsters, he deliberately stirred things up with Madelyne and Cable, saying,
"Madelyne, come take a look at your fine son, Cable. This is the son you had with Scott."
Chapter 93: The Silent Quartet
The air fell silent once again.
Everyone's eyes were on Madelyne, Cable, Scott, and Jean; clearly, they were all eager to witness the unfolding drama.
Upon hearing Thor's words, Scott froze in place. His eyes darted around frantically, unsure where to look; he dared not look at Madelyne, nor at Cable, only managing to squeeze out a dry sentence:
"Madelyne, Nathan..."
He stopped halfway. He owed this mother and son too much; even with a heart full of guilt and regret, he didn't know how to voice it.
Madelyne's expression instantly turned cold as a block of ice. She swept a glance at Scott, the disgust in her eyes completely undisguised.
She then looked at Cable, a faint trace of softness flickering in her eyes, but it was quickly suppressed.
She turned her head away, her tone cold and a sneer curling her lips. "Professor, stay out of this," she said coldly. "He and I were over long ago—from the day he abandoned me."
Cable listened quietly, glancing first at Madelyne and then at Scott, before finally saying calmly,
"I am indeed aware of the relationship between us, but now is not the time for this. We are not yet completely safe."
Jean Grey looked at the delicate situation and gently patted Scott's arm to signal him to stay calm. She then looked at Madelyne and Cable, speaking in a peaceful tone,
"Let's not dwell on this for now. Let's get out of danger first; we can talk about these things later."
She could clearly sense Madelyne's resentment, Scott's guilt, and Cable's detachment, but now was truly not the time for such matters.
Thor looked at the four with some disappointment. There was no confrontation after all—how boring. And to think he had deliberately fanned the flames.
Scott caught this scene just as he looked up. His mouth twitched slightly, completely at a loss for words.
Professor, what exactly are you disappointed about?
"Betsy! It's so good that you're okay!"
Li Qianhuan's emotions came and went quickly; one could hardly tell she had just been crying her eyes out.
She skipped over to Betsy and gave her a tight hug, the excitement on her face impossible to hide.
"Don't worry, Qianhuan. I said I would protect you all."
Seeing the young girl reminded Betsy of her own days at the X-Mansion. She reached out to pinch Li Qianhuan's cheek, her lips curving upward in a rare smile.
"I knew you'd be fine, Betsy. Welcome back."
Seeing a familiar face, Illyana let down her guard and walked over to give Betsy a big hug as well.
"Professor, thank you for saving Anna."
Bobby knelt down before Thor with a thud.
"Bobby, you are all my children. This is what I should do, isn't it?"
"Once Anna wakes up, don't miss such a good opportunity. How about having a daughter to be my granddaughter?"
Thor used his telekinesis to lift Bobby, pointing him in the right direction while teasing him along the way.
"Pro... Professor, I will."
Bobby was clearly embarrassed, his ears turning bright red as he carried Anna to the side to rest.
"Professor, Magneto's side is also in danger right now. Should we go help?"
Scott finally managed to calm his emotions and spoke to Thor.
"Rest easy; you all should get some sleep. Eric's side wasn't attacked tonight, so there's no rush to head over there."
"You've been through enough tonight. Get some rest; I'll keep watch for you."
"Professor, but you're getting on in years. Can your body handle it? How about I do it? I'm young and recover quickly!"
Li Qianhuan skipped over again and patted her chest as she spoke.
"You little brat, get to sleep already! If you don't listen, believe it or not, I'll give you a spanking!"
Thor raised the wooden staff in his hand as he spoke, making a motion as if he were going to strike.
"Bleh..."
Li Qianhuan knew she couldn't persuade Thor, so she just made a face and turned to walk toward Laura and the others.
Seeing this, the others also found spots to settle down and rest.
"Charles, you son of a bitch, you've finally had a reliable day."
Wolverine Logan realized he could speak again, dropped that remark, and turned to urge Li Qianhuan and the other kids to get to sleep!
"Thor, I'll stay with the children today."
Betsy's voice rang in Thor's mind as she walked toward Illyana.
Thor didn't answer. The reason he had timed his rescue so precisely was because he was observing and comprehending the Mutants' abilities, even deriving corresponding Laws based on them.
For example, Cyclops's eyes were essentially a valve connected to another dimension; theoretically, as long as his body could withstand it, he could fire high-power blasts continuously for 24 hours.
He had long mastered Storm's authority; even before his power-up, he was stronger than her, and now it went without saying.
Bobby's ability also strengthened his comprehension of the ice element, taking his Law of Elements to the next level.
Sunspot Roberto and Scott brought his Law of Energyclose to Perfection, and he had also just comprehended the Laws of Destruction, Rebirth, Life, Emotion, and Creation from the Phoenix Force within Madelyne and Jean.
There were even the Laws of Time, Space, Reality, and Soul that he had already mastered.
Most importantly, he had comprehended two other Laws, though they were very faint; had he not been extremely meticulous, he might not have even noticed their existence.
They were the Laws of Chaos and Order. To this, Thorcould only say that the Phoenix Force was truly overpowered—fortunately, he now possessed it as well.
Not only did he have the Phoenix Force, but he also had Chaos Magic; it would be perfect if he could get the Goblin Force as well.
Thor had already entered the middle stage of the Single Universe Level and wasn't far from the high stage. Once he could crush Franklin, it would be time to settle scores with that brat Valeria.
He believed that day was not far off.
Thor glanced at the sleeping X-Men and pushed his wheelchair onto the beach, intending to relax while feeling the sea breeze.
But when he got out there, he realized the sea before him was still frozen.
Bobby was such an environmental hazard; who could stand the sea breeze turning into a freezing wind?
Thor snapped his fingers, thawing the frozen seawater. Hmm... listening to these natural environmental sounds occasionally was quite helpful for sleep.
"Should I call you Professor, or by your real name?"
Madelyne had come out at some point and sat on a rock next to Thor, tilting her head as she looked at him.
She had long suspected that this Professor wasn't the real one. As an Omega-level Mutant herself, she naturally knew the upper limits of Telepathy and Telekinesis.
But those couldn't explain what happened tonight—the disappearance of the Nimrod Sentinels, and the resurrection of the previously deceased Anna.
All signs pointed to this Professor being an impostor; she just didn't know what this person's ultimate goal was.
"Does it matter, Madelyne? At the very least, I've done what a Professor should do, instead of going to an alien Planet to be a live-in son-in-Law like your actual Professor."
Thor glanced at Madelyne. He didn't care whether they could figure out his identity; it was just more fun this way, wasn't it?
That bald woman Cassandra was even collaborating with the Nimrod Sentinels. Taking her down using the identity of the person she despised most—that was interesting, wasn't it?
"Wait! What do you mean our Professor went to an alien Planet to be a live-in son-in-Law?!"
Madelyne's brain overloaded for a minute after hearing this news before she finally asked.
"Exactly what it sounds like... Hmm?"
Thor's brow furrowed suddenly as he pulled Madelyne in front of him. He had just sensed someone watching him, and it wasn't an illusion.
Madelyne was about to ask more when she was suddenly frozen in place. In the next second, a strange young man appeared before Thor.
He was dressed very simply: a pair of flip-flops, very baggy jeans, and a blue short-sleeved shirt with a large number 4 printed on the chest.
"Thor Odinson, you... know where Valeria is, right?"
Chapter 94 Franklin
"Are you Franklin Richards?"
Thor looked at the young man before him with a grave expression, his fingers gripping stormbreaker tightly, surrounded by seven-colored lightning.
As expected, you really shouldn't badmouth people in the Marvel Universe. Look at this, someone traced the connection right back to me for a real-life confrontation.
"You don't need to be so nervous; I have no ill intent toward you."
"Besides, there is a peak Multiverse-level entity standing behind you, and I don't want to fight anyone."
Franklin said.
"There's someone backing me?" Thor was momentarily confused by what Franklin was saying. "Wait! Are you talking about Loki?!"
"I don't know who that is, but a while ago, the timeline of the Multiverse was ruled by a new god. Spying on such an existence at will could cause unnecessary trouble, and as I said, I don't like to fight."
Franklin said with an indifferent expression.
"Are you here to take Valeria back?"
Thor put away stormbreaker and asked.
"No, I just sensed someone talking about me, and since you happen to have Valeria's scent on you, I came over to take a look."
"You don't know how intense Reed's desire for control is; it's normal that Valeria can't stand it. To be honest, I can't stand it either. Sometimes, I really wish I were just an ordinary person."
Perhaps Franklin hadn't spoken to anyone in too long, as he began complaining to Thor about his dad the moment they met.
"What about Susan? You should be able to talk to her, right?"
"Oh, you mean Mom? She is indeed much better than Reed, but for the safety of Valeria and me, she listens to Reed most of the time."
"Maybe they're afraid my abilities will go out of control, like turning an entire street of people into noodles or something."
Franklin shrugged.
"Doesn't Reed know your strength? You're already at the Multiverse level; how could you possibly be out of control?"
Thor was genuinely curious now.
"He knows! When Galactus came before, he and a bunch of heroes teamed up and were still no match for him. I told him I could turn Galactus into a doll, but he absolutely refused. In the end, he stole a lighter from Galactus and managed to force him away."
"The Ultimate Nullifier?!!"
Thor was shocked. The power level of your Universe is a bit off the charts!
"Hm? You know about that lighter? It seems you're a bit different from the Thors I've met. That lighter only works on beings below the Multiverse level; it's similar to the Infinity Stones and has some requirements for the user."
"Oh, right, you still haven't told me where Valeria is."
Franklin asked.
"She's in the Land of Nihility doing research. Are you going to take her back?"
"So that's where she is. I was wondering why I couldn't sense her existence in the Multiverse. So she ran outside the Universe."
Franklin thought for a moment and recalled the place. When he had previously traveled through the Multiversewith his mind, he had seen employees from the Time Variance Authority and learned about this Multiversedumping ground from them.
"Don't worry, if Valeria is willing to work for you, just let her play. I snuck out too; this is just a mental projection of mine."
Seriously?!
He has already mastered so many Laws, so why can you still read minds?!
As expected of a top-tier Multiverse existence, it's simply terrifying!
"Don't worry, I'm not reading your mind. That's Professor X's ability, not mine."
"You explaining it is the same as not explaining it at all."
Thor slapped his forehead; he was completely helpless against this guy.
"Aren't you going back, Franklin?"
"Not for now. If Valeria can sneak out to play, why can't I?"
Fine, you're stronger, so whatever you say goes.
"Then do you want me to send you to find Valeria now?"
Thor asked.
"It's boring to go find her now. I think watching you play Professor X is more fun."
"Are you planning to use the same trick again, waiting until Magneto Erik can't hold on anymore before going in to show off?"
Franklin walked over to Thor's side, casually flicked Madelyne away, tossed her onto the beach, sat in her previous spot, and asked curiously.
"Something like that. Aren't you curious why other Omega Level Mutants aren't even on the same dimension as you?"
Thor threw out a question to divert his attention.
"I know. If we're really going by Mutant classifications, I should be above Omega Level. It's just that I'm probably the only exception right now, and they're too lazy to think about it."
"Then what major events has your Universe experienced?"
"Hmm... actually, quite a few. Ultron, Infinity Stones, Galactus, Skrulls, Mutant Sentinels, Ragnarok, Dimensional Demon God invasions, Civil War, Sentry Robert, and Jean Grey going berserk. There might be some others, but I'm too lazy to think about it."
"What about you?"
"Me? Haven't you already seen my memories?"
"To be honest, I didn't look. I just read your thoughts for that split second. Prying into other people's memories isn't something I like to do."
Franklin conjured two chocolate bars out of thin air and said while munching on one.
"My Universe didn't have Mutants or the Fantastic Four. Most developments were probably similar to your Universe. In the end, I perished along with Ragnarok, and then I don't know how I ended up in the Land of Nihility."
"That couldn't have been easy. If I remember correctly, Asgard in every Universe is destined to be destroyed by Ragnarok, with very few exceptions."
Franklin said with the chocolate bar in his mouth.
"Franklin."
"What is it?"
"What are the conditions for advancing to the Multiverselevel?"
After chatting with Franklin for so long, Thor finally asked the question on his mind. After all, he hadn't stepped into that tier yet, and understanding it in advance was better than not being prepared at all.
"Oh, you're talking about that? It's simple, there are two paths."
"The first is to stack up based on the power of Laws. The more Laws you master, the easier it is to advance. In this case, you have many methods, but your combat power is barely passable."
"Unless someone is proficient in all Laws, but for most people, mastering just one is already very difficult."
"The second way is to specialize in one or a few Laws. For example, me: Reality, Time, Space, Karma, Creation, and Energy are the Laws I have mastered."
"Additionally, specializing in just one is like that new god standing behind you; they are an existence that has walked one path to its end."
"The reason I don't want to cross paths with him is because of the Law he has mastered."
"Loki only mastered one Law?!"
Thor was a bit surprised.
"Perhaps this new god Loki you speak of has mastered some other Laws, but in my perception, his strongest is the Law of Time."
"And it's not just the Law of Time for a single Universe, but the Law of Time for all Multiverses. For example, the Law of Time that you and I have mastered—if we were to go up against this Loki, neither of us would be able to use that Law of Time."
"That's so twisted."
Thor muttered to himself.
Watching the show in his past life, he only knew he was strong, but he didn't expect him to be this strong. It could be said that unless an omnipotent-level entity makes a move, there's basically no way to deal with Loki.
"Thor, you might not be able to show off anymore."
Franklin said indifferently, interrupting Thor's train of thought.
"What do you mean?"
"The fight has already started on Magneto's side, and he's no match for them."
"You mean someone came to the rescue?"
"Yes, trust me, you will definitely be shocked when you see her."
Thor's entire focus was on Loki and Franklin, but upon hearing this, he immediately used his Mental Energy to lock onto Magneto Erik from thousands of miles away.
Hmm... Magneto is still in a sorry state.
Let me see who stole my chance to show off!
Thor's Mental Energy instantly covered the entire battlefield, and then he saw a woman floating in the air, looking heroic and spirited, wearing blue and gold armor and a red cape.
Finally, his gaze fixed firmly on her hands. She was wearing a pair of red gloves and arm guards, and in the very center of her palm, she was gripping a very ancient and heavy metal hammer!
Chapter 95: Magneto Turns the Tide
A crimson sun slowly rose from the horizon, dispersing the pervasive darkness.
On a small island in the Pacific Ocean sat the Mutantnation of Genosha.
The World's remaining Mutants had gathered here, and the leader of this nation was none other than the septuagenarian Magneto Erik Lehnsherr.
It turned out that this Mutant extremist, the inventor of Mutant supremacy theory, was not only among the most powerful within the Mutant race but also possessed exceptional management skills.
This island nation, spanning 1,286 square miles, was managed by him in an orderly fashion; its cultural landscape, technological strength, and entertainment industry were in no way inferior to any of the World's top developed nations.
Yet, such a thriving developing nation faced its doomsday early this morning.
Thousands of Nimrod Sentinels launched a sudden raid; the Genosha Guard suffered heavy losses in the first encounter, and as the morning sun rose, the entire island was permeated with a thick scent of blood and Death.
"Lorna, Pietro, protect yourselves. I have already lost Wanda; I cannot lose you too."
The elderly Magneto Erik glanced at his children, donned his helmet, and his body slowly levitated, soon rising high above the island.
Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh—!
The Nimrod Sentinels detected a high-risk target, simultaneously aimed at Magneto Erik, and began launching one long-range attack after another.
For a moment, energy beams and elemental attacks flew across the sky, charging straight toward Magneto in the air.
Boom, boom, boom—!
Explosions resounded continuously; however, these attacks—each appearing terrifying and capable of slaughtering ordinary Mutants at will—failed to cause even a ripple when they struck the faint magnetic field in front of Erik.
"You humans are always like this. Faced with us naturally powerful Mutants, you feel dread, fear, envy, jealousy, and greed. The uglier you act, the more it proves that we Mutants are naturally meant to stand above humanity."
"Did you think you could deal with me by using Sentinel Robots built without metal?"
"How laughable. I am Magneto Erik Lehnsherr, and today, you will pay the price for your actions!"
Erik extended an aged hand and pressed down gently.
A magnetic field instantly enveloped the entire island, suppressing thousands of Nimrod Sentinels until they were unable to move; the terrifying force forced them to their knees, red lights flashing incessantly in their eyes.
"Warning, warning! Large-scale magnetic suppression detected. Formalizing emergency protocols..."
Magneto Erik was not a soft-hearted man; how could he give this group of robots a chance to turn the tables?
He looked down at the fields of Nimrod kneeling under magnetic pressure, lightly lifted an aged finger, and gave a cold snap.
There was no earth-shattering explosion, no World-tearing force.
Only the invisible force of electromagnetism, rewriting the operation of all things in an instant.
What he controlled was never just iron; it was the electromagnetic Origin that maintained the operation of all matter in the World.
Even if the Nimrod abandoned metal and used composite armor,
their internal circuits, energy cores, atomic bonding, and mechanical operations were all rooted in electromagnetism.
The moment the snap fell.
Microscopic particles within thousands of Sentinels fell into violent disorder, power chains snapped, and energy circuits self-destructed.
Their precise structures began to crumble and disintegrate layer by layer from the inside.
Row after row of Nimrod bodies froze in place, their optical red lights extinguishing in unison.
The slaughtering legion that had been rampaging just moments ago completely lost all function at a single thought from the Electromagnetic Dominator.
Thousands of Nimrod Sentinels were now stripped clean by Magneto Erik, their parts stacked neatly together, forming a pile as high as a small mountain.
This was the true strength of Magneto Erik, the man of grand spectacles!
He was far, far more powerful than those burst-type X-Men.
If X-Men like Storm, Iceman, and Cyclops were glass-cannon mages with high burst damage but weak endurance, then Magneto Erik was a battle-mage who balanced output and tankiness.
As long as magnetism existed, Magneto Erik would remain invincible!
Broken Sentinel remains across the ground were still emitting black smoke, and just as the surviving Mutants thought they had won—
In the next moment, above the sea, a heavy roar tore through the clouds.
A dozen or so massive shadows slowly emerged.
They were far more burly and cold than the previous Nimrod, their bodies shimmering with a dark luster that isolated magnetic fields.
These were not those mass-produced mediocre creations, but hunting models specifically tailored by humans to counter Magneto's electromagnetic power.
Equipped with wide-range anti-magnetic suppression fields, they transcended conventional electromagnetic frameworks and possessed immortal-like molecular restructuring.
The prestige Erik had just displayed by annihilating a thousand Sentinels with a thought was suddenly and firmly restricted the moment these dozen-plus exclusive hunting machines descended.
An invisible anti-magnetic Domain pressed down from all sides; the magnetic field he relied on to dominate all things experienced severe lag and disorder for the first time.
"An anti-magnetic field?" Erik's eyes narrowed slightly; the preparations for these Sentinels were indeed thorough.
He sensed that his power had been weakened by 50%, but to deal with them, half his strength was enough.
Magneto Erik produced two Adamantium spheres the size of fists, which circled his body as electromagnetic power began to converge frantically.
Boom—!
In the next second, the two spheres shot out at incredible speeds, kicking up layer after layer of sonic booms as they smashed straight toward the giant Nimrods!
Boom, boom, boom, boom!
Puff!
With unmatched power, the upper bodies of two giant Sentinels were instantly blown apart; their out-of-control torsos slowly crashed into the sea, kicking up massive waves.
Seeing this, the remaining ten giant Sentinels began to synchronize, their cold, emotionless voices echoing above:
"Detection: Omega Level Electromagnetic Dominator. Individual threat rating—Destruction Level."
"Anti-magnetic suppression field partially failed. Targeted killing weapons breached defenses."
"Individual combat mode disadvantaged. Elite units lost. Hunting plan obstructed."
"Judgment: Conventional decentralized combat power cannot suppress the target. Activating ultimate fault-tolerance protocol."
"Wide-range network synchronization. Overloading anti-magnetic cores. Unlocking swarm Fusion permissions."
"Protocol Serial: Magneto Exclusive Supreme Body Integration Program, about to activate."
"Relinquishing independent combat. Annihilating individual consciousness. Assimilating armor, energy, and field structures."
"Reshaping Model: Anti-Magnetic Supreme Sentinel, Hunting Form deploying."
Clack, clack, clack...
The ten Nimrod Sentinels, each over ten meters tall, instantly assembled together, and a giant Sentinelreaching a full hundred meters in height officially debuted.
Magneto Erik continued to control the two Adamantiumspheres, constantly bombarding the giant Nimrod. Unfortunately, the attacks that had easily destroyed a giant Nimrod Sentinel earlier could now only punch a small hole in its current form.
In the blink of an eye, it automatically recovered and restructured.
The giant Nimrod raised its fist high, locked onto Magneto Erik, and teleported directly above him to smash down with immense force.
Bang—!
Erik had no time to dodge and could only prop up his magnetic shield to its maximum extent.
As the two collided, the entire island trembled violently under the force of the attack.
Erik looked somewhat disheveled now; resisting an attack of this magnitude while being countered by the anti-magnetic field was quite a struggle. His face was flushed red, clearly pushing himself to the limit.
Bang, bang, bang!
Seeing its sneak attack succeed, the giant Nimrod entered a frantic punching mode, giving Magneto Erik no chance to escape.
"Erik!"
Seeing her father—who had just nonchalantly crushed numerous Sentinel Robots—now in such a state, PolarisLorna manipulated magnetism to control an Adamantiumlongblade and attacked!
The giant Nimrod didn't even glance her way; it used telekinesis to hurl the longblade back at a speed so fast that no one could react!
"Lorna!"
Pietro took off instantly, intending to pull Lorna away, but the moment he moved, his entire body was imprisoned in place by an invisible force.
He could only watch helplessly as the longblade pierced toward Lorna!
At the critical moment, an ancient and heavy hammer tore through space, directly knocking the Adamantiumlongblade away before returning to its Master's hand.
It was a fully armed, blonde woman standing suspended in the air, surrounded by thunder. With her appearance, the sky began to darken, and thunder and lightning appeared in succession.
Rumble—!
"Thank you for saving Lorna! Also, who are you?"
Pietro shouted toward the sky, thanking this stranger who had suddenly stepped in to save Lorna.
The blonde woman smiled upon hearing Pietro's words, the gold and silver winged helmet on her head shimmering.
"I am Thor Odinson, from Asgard. People of Midgard, it seems you need some protection from the thunder, do you not?"