Chapter 377: Transmigration, X-Men Universe
Deep within the endless void, the raging of space storms never ceased.
Peter allowed this violent spatial turbulence to sweep his body along as he drifted forward.
Time passed second by second during this process, and just as Peter was drifting into a daze, a blinding light finally emerged from the darkness ahead.
The light expanded rapidly, like a giant open mouth, swallowing Peter whole.
The sensation of weightlessness vanished in an instant, and immediately after, a solid and gentle tactile sensation finally came from beneath his feet.
Casually retrieving his war hammer into his storage ring, Peter looked around, but the scene before him left him somewhat bewildered.
What appeared before his eyes at this moment was a huge, exquisitely manicured lawn.
Sunlight filtered through the lush canopy, casting dappled shadows on the ground.
Not far away, several retro British-style buildings made of red brick with a strong Victorian flair stood quietly; the towering arches, delicate stone carvings, and the ivy climbing the walls all exuded an ancient and profound academic atmosphere.
The air was filled with the fresh scent of soil and newly cut grass, and in the distance, one could faintly hear a few crisp bird calls.
"What the hell, where did this drop me off? Is this still the country?"
Looking at this architectural style, which was completely different from the magnificent Asgard palace earlier, Petercouldn't help but let out the voice of a professional mage.
Just as he was about to close his eyes and switch to Byakugan to scan this unknown environment to determine if he was still on Earth,
Hum~
Suddenly, the Observation Haki deep in his mind emitted a sharp warning.
Almost at the same time the warning appeared in Peter's mind, a crisp but terrified young female voice came from not far behind:
"Scott, stop!"
Accompanied by this exclamation, a piercing sound of air tearing suddenly rang out.
Two high-energy beams, as thick as buckets and an eerie scarlet color, carrying high temperatures and Impact force that seemed almost capable of melting space, headed straight for Peter's back.
Wherever the red beams passed, the originally flat lawn was instantly plowed into a charred deep trench, the soil instantly carbonized under the high heat, emitting a pungent burnt smell.
This energy was so violent that it was no less than the full power output of Tony's repulsor blast!
"What a... warm welcome ceremony~"
Noticing the laser, Peter muttered this complaint, his body remaining motionless as if rooted to the spot, only extending his right hand as if waving away a fly.
The moment his right hand was raised, pitch-black Armament Haki instantly covered his entire palm and forearm like liquid metal.
Boom——!!
The moment the high-heat red beam struck that pure black palm, it erupted with a deafening roar, as if a surging tsunami had crashed into an insurmountable steel wall.
But the violent energy, capable of melting through tank armor, was forcefully blocked in the void half an inch in front of his palm, unable to advance even a fraction further.
The terrifying Impact force vented crazily in all directions, turning into countless red torrents scattering everywhere, scorching the turf within ten meters of Peter until it was riddled with holes, with soil flying everywhere.
However, the black palm at the center of the storm did not tremble in the slightest.
"Is this all the power you have?"
Peter chuckled, his five fingers slightly curled, and he squeezed inward fiercely.
Crack——!!
Under the suddenly constricted pupils and incredulous gazes of the people opposite, those two red lasers containing destructive energy were actually crushed by Peter using pure physical strength, as if they were two fragile chocolate sticks!
The violent energy collapsed instantly, turning into red spots of light scattering across the sky, like a brilliant meteor shower, finally disappearing completely into the air filled with the smell of burning.
The scene fell into a deathly silence in an instant, as if even the air had stopped flowing.
Only the long, charred trench on the ground, the still-smoking soil, and the strong smell of burning in the air indicated that the shocking scene just now was not a hallucination.
Peter slowly turned around, withdrew the Armament Hakifrom his hand, and scanned forward with a calm and slightly playful gaze.
Standing stunned a few dozen meters away from him were a few people.
At the very front was a middle-aged man sitting in a special metal wheelchair. His face, which was originally gentle and scholarly, unfazed even if Mount Tai collapsed before him, was now filled with undisguised astonishment and shock.
Beside the wheelchair stood a young girl with beautiful Red Hair. Her hands were still stiffly held in the casting posture of trying to block the laser with telekinesis, her lips slightly parted, and her beautiful eyes were filled with disbelief, as if her worldview had been greatly impacted.
And the young boy called "Scott" was currently sitting on the ground in a sorry state, his hands tightly covering his eyes, his body still trembling slightly. Clearly, Peter's act of directly crushing the laser with Armament Haki had caused him significant backlash.
Finally, there was a burly man wearing a well-fitting blue suit, but with skin that appeared beastly and grayish-blue. And a young man who looked somewhat similar to Scott.
The two were standing firmly in front of the wheelchair as if facing a great enemy, their muscles tensed to the limit, clearly very wary of Peter's sudden appearance.
"Professor, Charles Xavier."
Peter looked at the bald man sitting in the wheelchair and silently recited this name, which he was very familiar with in his previous life.
"And 'Phoenix', Jean Grey, 'Cyclops' Scott Summers, as well as 'Beast' Hank McCoy and 'Impact' Alex Summers..."
This textbook-level classic configuration, combined with the retro castle building that couldn't be more familiar, allowed Peter to successfully understand everything before him.
"So that's it, Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters."
Peter raised the corners of his mouth, a strange and excited intent rising in his deep eyes.
He had actually, because of the space exile by that ugly monster Ebony Maw, accidentally crossed the dimensional barrier of the Marvel Universe and descended directly into the X-Men Universe.
Moreover, judging by the youthful age and current state of these core characters, this seemed to be the very early plot timeline of "X-Men: Apocalypse".
It seems to be the first time Cyclops displayed his abilities in front of the Professor?
"A bit interesting..."
Muttering this, Peter subconsciously looked at Jean, his eyes clearly revealing a trace of... possessiveness.
Don't misunderstand, he didn't fancy Phoenix's appearance. Although Phoenix did have some beauty, for Peter, who spent his days with beauties like Gwen and Felicia, it really didn't count for much.
What Peter was truly coveting was actually the Phoenix Force within her; this was a top-tier ability that was second to none throughout the entire Marvel Universe!
Chapter 378: Crushing, Shocking Phoenix for a Century
As the host of the Phoenix Force, even without using the Phoenix Force, Jean was a top-tier telepathic Mutant and could naturally read the meaning in Peter's eyes.
She shuddered, almost reflexively raising her hand to blast out a telekinetic force, attempting to make Peter abandon his thoughts.
But if Cyclops's laser was like a tickle to Peter, what did Jean's telekinesis amount to?
Peter didn't even need to use Armament Haki for defense; he simply stuffed his hands into his pockets and took Jean's telekinetic attack head-on, remaining completely unfazed.
"I could treat that last time as a misunderstanding, but this time, how do you explain it?"
Hearing this, the members of the opposing Mutant squad couldn't help but be stunned.
Especially Professor X. As the World's most powerful telepath, in that instant, he instinctively wanted to use his mental power to probe this young man who had appeared out of thin air, to determine if the other party harbored any hostility.
However, the moment his mental tentacles touched Peter, what he "saw" was not a human brain, but a boundless sea of stars burning with golden flames! In the center of that star sea, a towering figure, indescribable in words, sat upon a throne. Merely the aura naturally emanating from it felt like a golden mountain condensed from pure spiritual power.
That vast, ancient, and noble spiritual pressure made Charles's mental power feel like a snowflake thrown into molten lava; it was instantly evaporated and vaporized, and he couldn't even let out a scream!
"Pfft!" Charles groaned in pain. A mouthful of blood he couldn't suppress nearly spewed out, but he forced it back down, his throat filled with the metallic taste of blood.
He gripped the armrests of his wheelchair tightly, his knuckles turning white from the excessive force, and his forehead was instantly covered in beads of sweat.
"Professor!"
Impact noticed Charles's strange state and hurriedly stepped forward to support him, while simultaneously staring at Peter with a guarded gaze.
"Who exactly are you?"
Hank took a step forward, his muscular body slightly crouching like a blue predator about to pounce on its prey. Beast-like claws had already extended from his fingertips, and his deep voice was filled with a warning tone.
Peter did not answer their question.
He just asked back, unhurriedly:
"Is this the attitude you show to guests?"
"Guests?" Impact sneered,
"Uninvited guys don't deserve to be called guests!"
"Alex, calm down!"
Professor X forcefully stopped Impact through the pain, then looked at Peter and said:
"You are not a Mutant."
Charles looked at Peter, his tone carrying a hint of certainty, but more so, an unprecedented sense of confusion and shock.
"In my telepathic network, someone like you has never appeared. Your brain... is like a star, so dazzling that it's impossible to look directly at, or even understand!"
"You can think of me as a lost traveler."
Peter shrugged.
"However, before finding the way home, I discovered some interesting little things."
As he spoke, his gaze fell back onto Jean.
At the same time, the Omnitrix also activated:
[Detected high-dimensional active energy: Phoenix Force, currently recording...]
Seeing Peter looking at Jean like a pervert again, Impact's expression darkened. He exchanged a glance with Beastand immediately rushed up, preparing to stop Peter.
But the next second, both of them froze in place, because Peter's figure... had abruptly disappeared.
The next moment, he had already crossed a distance of several dozen meters and appeared in front of Jean without any warning.
This speed, bordering on teleportation, made everyone present shrink their pupils in shock!
"Back off!"
Hank let out a deafening roar; his beastly instincts allowed him to be the first to react. He stomped his legs hard against the ground, sending turf mixed with soil flying into the sky!
His massive body turned into a blue afterimage, bringing with it a sharp whistle that tore through the air as he lunged fiercely at Peter.
Beast's fighting style was extremely violent; his thick arms were covered in blue fur, and those gleaming claws, capable of easily tearing through tank armor, were now aimed directly at Peter's throat!
Meanwhile, Impact and Jean also moved!
Dazzling light flashed on Impact's hands, firing a visible energy blast.
Jean thrust her hands forward forcefully, and her vast telekinesis instantly condensed into a solid wall that nearly warped the light, attempting to trap Peter in place.
Although Charles, sitting in his wheelchair, was as pale as paper, he still endured the excruciating pain in his brain, attempting to mobilize his remaining, trembling mental power once more to implement the weakest of mental interferences against Peter, even if it could only delay his movements by 0.01 seconds!
Facing the joint siege of three top-tier Mutants, Peter's face didn't even have any excess change in expression.
"Good coordination, but unfortunately, the power is too weak."
Peter commented indifferently, as if a teacher was instructing a student.
He tilted his body slightly, and with an elegant arc that was exquisite to the millisecond—as if he had long since foreseen the trajectory of the attack—he easily dodged Hank's claws, which were capable of splitting mountains and cracking rocks.
Following through, he extended his left hand and flicked his index finger against that invisible wall of telekinetic force in the void.
"Ping!"
The wall of telekinetic force that Jean had condensed was like fragile paper under Peter's fingertip, instantly shattering into billions of invisible energy fragments.
The violent backlash force was like an invisible giant hammer, causing Jean's vision to go black as she couldn't help but stagger back several steps, a trace of blood spilling from the corner of her mouth.
As for Charles's mental power, it was directly devoured by the powerful soul Peter had obtained from devouring the Myriad Spirit Cavalry. Not only did it fail to cause even a fraction of an Impact, it was instead completely devoured!
Professor X let out an irrepressible, painful low cry. His vision went black, he almost completely lost his mental connection, and he slumped powerlessly into his wheelchair.
As for the last one, Impact...
"Young man, don't be so hot-headed."
Peter didn't even glance at him. Just at the moment Impact's attack was about to hit his body, a Rasenganappeared in his right palm, crashing directly into that energy wave.
Boom!
The terrifying explosion shook the entire academy.
The ferocious expression on Impact's face instantly froze, replaced by extreme terror. He felt as if he wasn't clashing beams with the opponent, but rather being hit by a missile.
His tall, thin body was sent flying backward as if hit by a high-speed train, dragging a twenty-meter-long dark trail across the grass before crashing heavily into the trunk of a century-old tree that required two people to wrap their arms around!
Crack!
The century-old tree that Professor X loved most, which should have escaped disaster due to Peter's appearance, snapped upon Impact. The huge upper canopy, carrying countless falling leaves, collapsed with a roar, while Impact, embedded in the trunk, slid to the ground like a pile of mud, visibly breathing more out than in...
In less than ten seconds, the four strongest members of Xavier Academy... were completely wiped out!
Chapter 379: You've Really Opened Up Your Path, Haven't You ~
Wisps of smoke rose from the charred turf, and the air was filled with the acrid smell of high-energy Radiation burns.
In the deathly silence, Peter strode forward, walking step by step toward Jean Grey, who had fallen to the ground.
Fear filled Jean's eyes. Facing a monster like Peter, who could not be measured by any common logic, she could only frantically kick her feet against the ground, her body retreating backward.
Seemingly noticing that the atmosphere was wrong, Cyclops hesitated for a moment before finally forcing himself to block Peter's path, despite his discomfort.
But before he could do anything, Peter's gaze swept over him first.
Conqueror's Haki!
Before he could even open his eyes, Cyclops passed out on the spot without even letting out a groan.
Having dealt with this final obstacle, Peter arrived in front of Jean Grey, who had nowhere left to retreat.
"Don't come any closer!"
Jean instinctively mobilized her telekinesis, attempting to push Peter away.
But Peter's hand ignored this fragile barrier, grasping her wrist as precisely as if passing through water, and pinned her against the wall in a wall-slam pose.
The moment their skin made contact, Jean shuddered, resigning herself to her fate as she closed her eyes, tears even hanging from her long eyelashes.
Seeing her looking like a delicate flower about to be ravished.
Peter suddenly found it somewhat amusing, so he just watched her quietly, almost face-to-face.
One second, three seconds, five seconds... half a minute.
A full half-minute passed, yet the humiliating and painful scenes she had imagined did not occur.
Jean opened her eyes in disbelief, only to be met with a handsome face wearing a smirk that was just begging to be punched.
"What were you expecting?" Peter asked Jean Grey, knowing the answer.
Jean, who had just turned 16, had never encountered such a situation. Her small, round face was so red it looked like it could drip blood; let alone speaking, she didn't even dare to look at Peter again.
Tsk~
Seeing this, Peter couldn't help but curl his lip.
How boring!
If he had played like this with Gwen when he had just awakened his past-life memories, he would have found it infinitely amusing.
But now, Jean's reaction was truly boring to him.
Just as he was thinking this, a green light suddenly lit up from the dial on Peter's left wrist.
Peter looked down and discovered that Jean Grey's Mutantgene had been successfully collected.
[DNA sample collection successful: Omega-level Mutant]
Peter looked at the translucent panel appearing in his field of vision, his brows furrowing almost imperceptibly.
The information stream from the panel and his mind told him that he had not obtained what he truly desired—the Phoenix Force itself.
What he had obtained now was only Jean's own Mutanttalent—the ability that was highly similar to Invisible Woman Susan's, yet possessed subtle differences (Susancould turn optically invisible, while Jean had telepathy).
Tsk~
This made Peter frown involuntarily.
He had originally thought that this collection would be like when he collected the Fantastic Four's genes before, where he would directly obtain their abilities, but it seemed that was not the case.
However, it made sense; the Fantastic Four had their body structures directly altered by Galactus using cosmic Radiation, which belonged to rewriting at the genetic level.
But Jean Grey was different.
She was essentially just an Omega-level Mutant.
It was just that the Phoenix Force had a special fondness for her, so it had injected a portion of its origin power into her body before she was born.
[So... essentially, I only obtained Jean's superpowers and... a constitution that attracts the Phoenix Force?]
[What is this? I wanted to drink water, but ended up with... a water bottle?]
[Judging by this situation, I can't leave this World early after all.]
[I'll likely have to wait until the Apocalypse storyline reaches its finale, when Jean releases the Phoenix Forceherself, to have a chance to take this power for myself.]
With this thought, Peter already had a complete plan in his mind.
Ignoring Jean Grey, who had yet to recover from her shyness, Peter used Soru to flash in front of the man slumped in the wheelchair.
Charles Xavier leaned against the back of the chair. The residual blood at the corner of his mouth made him look disheveled, but he still tried hard to maintain his dignity, though his azure eyes were filled with vigilance and scrutiny.
Peter ignored Professor's scrutinizing gaze, walked up to the wheelchair in a carefree manner, and looking down at him from above, said:
"For the coming days, I will be staying here."
He used the tone of stating a fact, clearly giving the other party no room for negotiation.
Before Charles could respond, Beast Hank had already struggled to crawl up from the ground, dragging a clearly injured leg, and like a blue wall of flesh, blocked firmly in front of the wheelchair.
"Fxxk u, you aren't welcome here, monster!" Hank let out a low roar, baring his sharp fangs, and assumed a defensive stance.
"Ha~ Looking like that, yet you're the one accusing me of being a monster? Impressive, you've really mastered the art of double standards~"
Peter retorted with a taunt, and only after Beast was rendered speechless did he turn to look at Professor again.
Professor took a deep breath, but ultimately lifted his slightly trembling right hand and pressed it onto Hank's muscular shoulder.
"Hank, stand down." Charles's voice was hoarse but carried an irresistible authority.
"Professor!" Hank turned back, his eyes full of unwillingness:
"He almost beat Impact to death!"
"Stand down." Charles emphasized his tone, signaling with his eyes for him not to make a pointless sacrifice.
Hank's tense muscles slowly relaxed. He unwillingly retracted his claws and stepped aside very slowly, but his eyes remained fixed on Peter like a leopard.
Charles braced his hands on the armrests, tried to sit up straight, and spoke to Peter with a smile:
"Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters... has always been committed to the peaceful coexistence of humans and Mutants. So, of course, we welcome anyone, including lost travelers, provided that you do not harm others in the school without cause."
Speaking of this, he paused, and finally said with a hint of bitterness:
"Regarding today's events, we indeed did some things wrong. Please allow me, as the Dean of the school, to apologize to you on behalf of these children, sir!"
Hearing this, Cyclops, Beast, and Phoenix, who were by his side, all felt a sense of existential doubt.
We were clearly the ones who got beaten up! Now we actually have to apologize to the perpetrator?
Is there no justice? Is there no law!
Peter took in the aggrieved gazes of the others, and a moment later, he smiled with satisfaction:
"Very good, kid, you've really opened up your path, haven't you!"
"I like young men with vision, so I can do you a small favor. Consider it my payment for the accommodation~"
As he spoke, Peter immediately lifted his foot and walked toward Impact.
Chapter 380: I Suspect He Has a Dual Personality!
Noticing Peter's movements, Beast instinctively took a step forward.
He was somewhat worried that Peter wanted to finish Impact off completely.
After all, judging by his previous behavior, it would be entirely reasonable for this guy to do something like "directly snap Impact's neck, and then add, 'Look, I helped you reduce one mouth to feed.'"
As for him healing Impact?
What kind of joke is that...
Holy crap!
He's actually healing him?
Beast had barely finished his internal complaint when he saw a blinding white light emerge from Impact's body. Following that, the bones that had been so dislocated they were nearly piercing through his skin instantly snapped back into place.
His pale, paper-like complexion also became visibly rosy.
"Done~"
After using the Horse Talisman to complete the healing of Impact, Peter thought for a moment and reached out to touch the chaotic ground.
In the next second, the traces of the battle all around were completely erased, and even the century-old tree that the Professor loved most, which had been broken by Impact, was restored to its original state.
"OMG~!" This time, not to mention Beast, even Professor Xcouldn't maintain his composure and couldn't help but stutter:
"Uh... sir, are you really not a Mutant?"
In the Professor's view, judging by the combat power Peterhad displayed and this miraculous healing ability, if Peterwere a Mutant, he would definitely be an Omega-level Mutant, not inferior to himself or Magneto.
Perhaps even above Omega-level!
After all, in front of him, he didn't even have room to fight back!
Not to mention controlling him, he only needed a single glance to make him suffer a strong backlash!
Thinking of this, the Professor's thoughts couldn't help but become active, and he couldn't help but secretly think:
If he could really build a good relationship with this unknown powerhouse, perhaps... he could really use his power to get Magneto to officially join the academy?
At that time, their Mutants could definitely form a united front because of this.
Once this step was achieved, would the day when Mutants and humans coexisted peacefully be far off?
Facing Professor X's gaze, which was so enthusiastic it was almost scorching, Peter gave him an elegant smile and then said:
"Just call me Peter. As you can see, I am not a Mutant; I am a genuine human!"
"How is this possible!" Phoenix couldn't help but exclaim:
"How could a human possess such powerful strength!"
"Just because humans like you can't do it doesn't mean humans from other places can't~"
Peter replied casually, then yawned. Not giving anyone else a chance to continue questioning, he said:
"Alright, I'm tired and I'm going to rest. I'll pick a room myself. Also, I don't like being disturbed. If anyone comes to disturb my rest... consequences be damned."
After saying this, Peter drifted away, leaving Professor Xand the others staring at each other in place.
...
Unknowingly, Peter had already been living at Xavier's Academy for three days.
Because the academy was full of curious brats, and because the Professor had specifically instructed them, Peter lived quite leisurely and comfortably.
He even got along quite well with a few socially extroverted brats.
At this moment, on the school lawn, a young girl with a clearly Asian appearance was sitting beside Peter with a bitter face:
"Mr. Peter, I always feel like something is still missing!"
At this moment, clusters of colorful electric light were flickering between the girl's hands, but they disappeared suddenly after only appearing for a short while.
"It seems like even with all my might, I can only generate this much firework energy."
The girl was named Jubilee, and she was the first person in the academy to have contact with Peter.
Because of her cheerful and lively personality, and her Asian features which Peter liked, she had successfully become Peter's little follower over the past few days.
Peter extended a finger and tapped Jubilee's palm:
"The source of energy is not your palm, but your entire body. You shouldn't be trying to stare blankly at your palm."
"Instead, you should be looking for your power within your body and guiding it out bit by bit..."
While speaking, Peter opened his right hand, and blinding electric light formed instantly in his palm.
Chirp, chirp, chirp~!
The electric light emitted a harsh screech, sounding as if thousands of chicks were chirping in unison.
This was exactly the signature skill of Kakashi and Sasukefrom Hokage, Chidori, or rather, Raikiri.
Peter then thrust his hand into a nearby stone pillar, and the terrifying piercing power of Chidori easily pierced through the stone pillar.
"This is just the first step. Once you are familiar with gathering energy in your palm, the next step is to let the energy extend on its own without passing through your limbs, for example..."
Following Peter's explanation, Chidori Current, ChidoriSharp Spear, Lightning Release, Rasengan, and other abilities were displayed by Peter one after another.
This scene, not to mention Jubilee, caused a great shock to the surrounding Mutant teenagers.
They all let out gasps, and the way they looked at Peterwas even more respectful than when they saw Professor X.
...
In the principal's office on the second floor of the main building.
Charles sat in front of the huge floor-to-ceiling window, smiling as he watched the incredible scene on the lawn.
Hank stood behind him, holding a steaming cup of coffee, his brows furrowed:
"I seriously suspect that guy has a dual personality now," Hank speculated.
"The side we met that day was his evil side, and now, is this his kind main personality?"
Just as he finished speaking, a violent tremor suddenly came from beneath their feet!
The degree of the tremor was so exaggerated that even the chandelier on the ceiling began to sway from side to side, emitting a harsh screech of metal friction.
The wall plaster peeled off in large chunks, instantly covering Beast and the Professor in dust.
"Holy crap, did he hear me talking bad about him behind his back!"
Mr. Beast felt incredibly panicked at this moment!
"If you're scared, don't keep talking about him behind his back!" Professor X first retorted this way, then added:
"Besides, this earthquake shouldn't have anything to do with Mr. Peter; perhaps it's just a simple natural phenomenon."
Speaking of this, he suddenly paused because he discovered that Peter below... seemed to be smiling!
That smile was not the cunning smile of a conspiracy succeeding.
It was more like... the relaxed smile of someone who finally got a game or when some important holiday arrived.
Why would that guy have such a reaction? Could it be... he had been living in the academy all this time just to wait for today?
Waiting for an earthquake like this?
Why do that?
And what was his purpose?
Professor X suddenly felt a strong sense of unease:
"Alright, Henry, I've changed my mind. Go check where the source of this earthquake is. This matter seems to really not be as simple as I thought!"
And just on the lawn below, Peter also stretched contentedly, then patted Jubilee's little head and said:
"Alright, today's lesson ends here. Class dismissed!"
After saying this, he disappeared from where he was, while secretly thinking in his heart:
Has it finally started? Since Apocalypse has already awakened, then the distance to obtaining the Phoenix Force naturally won't be far, right~
Chapter 381: Apocalypse Awakens, You Need a Tissue
That night.
"Have you found the source of the earthquake?" Professor X sat in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, his voice carrying a trace of weariness.
"We found it, yes. The epicenter is shown to be in Cairo." A look of confusion appeared on Beast's face.
"But... how could an epicenter in Cairo affect us here? Besides..."
Before he could finish, the Professor chimed in,
"Your thinking is correct. We indeed misunderstood that young man. If this incident really had something to do with him, he could have gone straight to Cairo instead of staying here with us."
Just as Professor X breathed a sigh of relief at this conclusion, thinking he could get some good rest, a sudden psychic shockwave swept through the entire academy.
It wasn't powerful enough to knock everyone unconscious like Peter's Haoshoku, but it was enough to wake all the sleeping Mutants.
"This is..." Beast and Professor X exchanged a look, then rushed toward Jean's room without a second thought.
"Children, it's nothing major."
"Don't worry, we will handle everything. What you need to do now is go back and get some good rest."
After comforting the children who had been awakened by Jean's psychic shockwave, Professor X arrived at Jean's bedroom.
Jean Grey was currently lying in bed with a look of pain on her face. Cold sweat soaked her thin pajamas, and her wet red hair clung to her pale cheeks.
As she struggled in her nightmare, the temperature in the room was rising rapidly at an extremely abnormal and terrifying rate!
*Sizzle—*
The exquisite vintage wallpaper on the walls began to curl on its own, its edges turning scorched yellow, and then sparks actually flared up out of thin air.
The lamp on the nightstand, the glass filled with water, the heavy hardcover books... every object in the room broke free from gravity under this uncontrolled, violent telekinesis, floating in midair.
Jean let out a deeply suppressed groan of pain, her hands clawing tightly at the bedsheets, her nails nearly tearing the mattress. Beneath her skin, a heart-palpitating, dark-red glow, flowing like magma, was faintly visible!
Professor X didn't even need to consciously read her mind to feel the immense pressure from that psychic shockwave.
Countless fragments of scenes pricked at his mind like needles—
The sky burned with fire, cities were reduced to ruins, and above that endless destruction, a towering blue figure looked down upon all living things like a god.
"Jean! Wake up!"
Finally, under Professor X's gritted-teeth calls, Jean Greywoke up from her nightmare, and the terrifying psychic shockwave dissipated.
After barely easing the unease in Jean's heart, the Professor left the bedroom and said to Beast beside him without a second thought:
"Jean's nightmare this time isn't that simple. I sensed an ancient, powerful, and extremely dangerous existence in her nightmare! We must find the source immediately, or else the entire World might be in big trouble!"
"So, you mean... use cerebro?" Beast asked.
"Yes!" The Professor took a deep breath and nodded.
"This might be the only way to uncover the truth!"
Before long, the two entered the underground cerebrochamber.
As Professor X put on the special helmet, a vast sea of light points immediately appeared on the metal walls of the entire spherical room, representing every living soul on Earth.
"Egypt... Cairo..."
Charles closed his eyes, his immense psychic power scanning half the Earth like a radar, quickly locking onto the energy source that made his heart palpitate.
Suddenly, he snapped his eyes open, a hint of astonishment in his voice. "Wait, this is... Moira?!"
"Agent Moira MacTaggert, why is she there too?!"
Looking at Moira's photo appearing on the screen, a highly complex emotion suddenly surfaced on Charles's gentle face, filled with deep nostalgia and hard-to-conceal worry, his eyes looking somewhat dazed for a moment.
"Staying up in the middle of the night, coming to the Underground Room to daze off at a crush whose memory you personally erased... I'm familiar with this plot."
A lazy, even somewhat teasing voice abruptly sounded behind the two of them.
"Who?!"
Hank's fur instantly stood on end, his blue muscles tensing up. Almost out of beastly instinct, he spun around, bared his sharp claws, and assumed a fighting stance.
With a ripple like waves in the air, Peter's figure appeared out of thin air without warning.
At his fingertips, a barely perceptible thread of energy was currently swirling.
But the moment his figure emerged, that energy also sank into his body and disappeared—it was precisely a sliver of the Phoenix Force he had captured earlier when Jean's nightmare went out of control.
Although this sliver of the Phoenix Force was thinner than a strand of hair and almost useless for combat, it confirmed Peter's previous speculation—he had indeed obtained the ability to absorb the Phoenix Force by copying Jean's Mutant genes!
With this thought, Peter was in an excellent mood, and when he looked at Professor X, he rarely showed a bit of a joking attitude.
Thus, with a flash of his storage ring, a pack of tissues instantly appeared in his hand:
"Professor, I think you need this~"
Professor X's old face flushed red, completely losing his usual gentle and refined demeanor:
"Don't talk nonsense, I don't have that kind of bad habit!"
"Hmm?" Peter blinked, intentionally putting on an innocent and pure expression.
"Is using tissues to wipe tears some kind of bad habit?"
Professor X: "..."
Ah, so it was using tissues to wipe tears. I thought he meant using tissues to wipe somewhere else...
To ease the embarrassment, the Professor quickly thought of a new topic:
"You... you've been here the whole time?"
"You could say that." Peter had a serious look on his face, but he was secretly thinking.
It really felt good to use Invisible Woman Susan's ability to watch the drama unfold from the sidelines.
Should I use this ability to spy on Harry's date next time?
That kid bragged to high heaven before, saying he dominated the San Fernando Valley, but Tony, that playboy, didn't seem to have ever seen him at any orgy!
Could it be that he talks a big game, but in reality, he just stands on the dance floor like a nobody?
Shaking his head to toss out those messy thoughts, Peteralso behaved slightly more seriously.
"Back to the point, everything that happened today has also made me sense an unusual aura."
"That 'big guy' in Jean's nightmare feels like he'd be a pretty good punching bag. So, count me in for this mission, how about it?"
Professor X took a deep look at Peter. The other party's bottomless strength, like a cosmic black hole, made it impossible for him to even think of refusing.
More importantly, from his observations of Peter over the past few days, Peter didn't seem like a purely evil person.
If he was willing to help, for them, perhaps... it really would be a good thing?
Chapter 382: If I Don't Win, It's a Bust
In the blink of an eye, three more days had passed since the earthquake.
That night, a familiar yet unfamiliar figure quietly slipped into the academy.
It was none other than Mystique, Raven.
Travel-worn and weary, she found Charles and brought bad news that was enough to shake the entire MutantWorld: Magneto Erik's hidden identity had been exposed, and his wife and daughter had been brutally shot and killed with wooden arrows by ignorant human Police.
Now, Eric was completely consumed by despair and madness, standing on the brink of going berserk and destroying the World.
"Charles, I'm begging you! You're the only one who can convince him to come back now!" Raven's tone was extremely anxious, her eyes red.
Professor X didn't hesitate at all and immediately agreed to Mystique's request.
The group then appeared in the Cerebro chamber once again, the atmosphere so heavy it felt as if it could condense into water.
When Charles put on the helmet again, expanding his telepathic power globally in an attempt to find Magneto's trace in the vast crowd of people,
He succeeded!
But just as he successfully locked onto Eric, a sudden change occurred!
Because he saw that next to Eric, there were four other figures standing.
The person in the center of those four figures—was the very god-like being he had sensed in Jean's nightmare a few days ago!
Realizing something was wrong, Professor X immediately tried to sever the connection.
But it was already too late!
Before he could make a move, the blue-gray-skinned freak had already looked up, flashing a sinister smile at him across the vast void.
In the next second, a grand will, ten million times more terrifying than Jean's nightmare, descended with a devastating aura of destruction along Charles's mental link!
"I feel you... my child... such a powerful fellow Mutant!"
An ancient, hoarse, decaying voice that seemed to originate from the yellow sands and deep inside the pyramids thousands of years ago exploded in Charles's mind like a great bell!
It was Apocalypse!
This progenitor of the Mutants, who had lived for thousands of years, actually reverse-locked the Professor's location through the global telepathic network established by Professor X!
"Ah!!!"
The moment the Professor's mind was invaded, he couldn't help but let out an extremely shrill scream.
His body began to twitch violently in his wheelchair uncontrollably, his eyes rolled back, and bright red blood seeped from the corners of his eyes, nostrils, and even his ears at the same time!
The equipment in the Cerebro chamber, unable to withstand this terrifying power, flashed blindingly with dangerous red lights, emitting sharp and piercing alarms.
"Professor!"
Professor X's reaction at this moment terrified everyone else on the scene:
"Quick! Cut the connection! Pull the plug!"
Hank and Raven completely panicked. They scrambled to shut down the equipment, only to discover in despair that all physical controls had failed, and the entire cerebroseemed to have been endowed with an independent, evil life.
"Let me do it!"
Impact Alex's eyes were blood-red; he could never stand by and watch the Professor be tortured to death like this.
In order to let the Professor, who served as the bridge of communication between humans and Mutants, survive, he would rather sacrifice himself!
With a roar, his hands instantly lit up with a blinding, high-energy glow, aiming at cerebro's core device.
Just as he was preparing to destroy it completely, even if it meant his own death,
A fair and slender hand lightly chopped down on Alex's neck.
Impact Alex didn't even have time to make a sound before his eyes rolled back and he passed out.
The energy in his hands, which was powerful enough to blow up an entire building, instantly dissipated as well.
"Damn it! What are you doing!"
The clueless Mystique was almost driven mad with anger:
"Are you trying to get us all killed!"
Hearing this, Peter glanced at her with some annoyance:
"Are you, little Smurf, from Dunhuang?"
"What do you mean?" Mystique couldn't help but ask.
"So many murals!"
In the next second, everyone felt their vision blur.
Following that, they saw Peter's figure traverse space, appearing directly behind the violently twitching Charles.
Without any extra movements, he simply placed a hand casually, almost mindlessly, on the back of Charles's head.
Buzz~!
The power of the Horse Talisman took effect on the Professor.
Wherever the soft white light passed, that terrifying will, which was frantically battering Charles's mental World like a World-destroying tsunami, was suddenly grabbed by the throat by an invisible steel hand like a barking rabid dog,
Without even a shred of room to resist, it instantly vanished into thin air!
Apocalypse, who had tried to trace the connection to physically confront Professor X, was kicked right back by the noble horse!
The piercing alarm in the Cerebro chamber came to an abrupt halt, and the flashing red light returned to a calm, deep blue.
Everything quieted down, as if the apocalyptic scene from just now was merely an illusion.
Hank, Raven, and Alex widened their eyes, their jaws nearly dropping to the floor as they stared at Peter like he was a monster.
As if waking from a nightmare, Professor X suddenly stood up from his wheelchair. He gasped heavily, his face still filled with the extreme terror of surviving a disaster, his eyes unfocused.
"No... no... we must destroy cerebro immediately! He knows our location! He is too terrifying, he will come! We are no match for him at all! We will all die..."
Charles's voice was incoherent. He had clearly been utterly terrified by Apocalypse's ancient pressure, falling into deep self-doubt and despair.
Slap!
Just then, an extremely crisp, loud slap suddenly echoed in the dead silent Cerebro chamber.
Everyone looked up and saw that it was Peter who had raised his hand and given Professor X a hard slap.
Peter withdrew his right hand and looked at Charles, who had been spun around twice in place by the slap. His tone carried an unquestionable authority:
"Now, is your mind a bit clearer?"
Charles clutched his burning, swollen cheek, staring blankly at Peter, and nodded subconsciously.
Only then did he suddenly realize, due to the change in his eye level:
"Wait! That's not right!"
He suddenly looked down at his standing legs and the bullet casing lying on the floor—the very one that had paralyzed his legs. For a moment, he didn't know whether to cry or laugh:
"I... I actually..."
"Well~ consider it a small reward for being so obedient before."
Peter rubbed his nose a bit unnaturally as he spoke.
Actually, he hadn't planned on directly healing Professor X's legs... well, to be precise, because he remembered the Professor always being in a wheelchair in the movies, he had almost forgotten that the Professor's paralysis could also be healed by his Horse Talisman.
"In short, from now on, put your heart back in your chest and just sit back and watch me handle this!"
As he spoke, Peter casually stretched his body, his bones letting out a series of crisp, popping sounds like crackling beans.
He narrowed his eyes slightly, his gaze seemingly piercing through the thick layers of the earth, looking toward far-off Cairo, Egypt:
"Dealing with this kind of old relic who just crawled out of the dirt, if I can't take him down within ten moves, you can count it as my loss!"
Chapter 383: The Horseman of War, Wolverine
In a luxurious presidential suite in Cairo.
"Ugh!"
With a muffled groan of pain, Apocalypse's tall, blue body staggered back a step.
For the first time, a look of shock and confusion appeared in his deep eyes.
He felt like a thief trying to peer into a room through a keyhole, only to be stabbed in the eye with a red-hot iron rod by the person inside the moment he leaned in.
"My Lord, what's wrong?" Storm, Ororo, noticed his abnormality beside him and asked with concern.
Psylocke and Angel also cast inquiring glances.
Only Magneto Erik remained immersed in the boundless grief and hatred of his deceased wife and daughter, indifferent to everything around him, with a visible, distorted magnetic field swirling around his body.
Apocalypse waved his hand to indicate he was fine, but for once, a frown creased his usually expressionless face.
He spoke slowly, his voice as raspy as if it had been weathered by wind and sand for thousands of years: "I... have found an interesting soul."
"His power is immensely strong, and his mind is sufficient to host my consciousness. He is simply the perfect vessel, fully worthy of becoming my new body to walk the mortalWorld."
"Then let's take it!" Angel said, impatiently flapping his metal wings, making a screeching metallic sound,
"Let those mortals see who the true ruler of this World is!"
"Yes, my Lord, your will is our command!" The psionic blade in Psylocke's hand hummed.
But Apocalypse did not respond immediately.
The force that had expelled him earlier gave him a faint, long-forgotten sense of unease.
The last time he felt this way was two thousand years ago.
And then... he was betrayed by his own followers, sealed in endless darkness for a full two thousand years!
"No rush." Apocalypse ultimately chose to play it safe. He shook his head, his deep gaze sweeping over the four beside him,
"Before we usher in the new era, we need more power. We must liberate more of our people."
As he spoke, he turned his gaze to "Magneto" Eric:
"My child, I can feel the burning rage in your heart. Tell me, who is our common enemy?"
Hearing this, Eric's eyes instantly became bloodshot. He looked up and spat out a name through gritted teeth:
"Stryker... William Stryker!"
"He built an X Laboratory, specifically to experiment on, imprison, and torture our kind!"
"Very well." Apocalypse nodded, a cruel smile spreading across his face. "Then let his hell become the cradle of our new army."
...
Alkali Lake, Canada, General Stryker's secret Base.
Heavily guarded, cold steel and concrete formed a massive underground fortress where countless Mutants he had captured for experimentation were imprisoned.
But today, this fortress met its doom.
Accompanied by a violent shaking of the earth, Magneto, enhanced by Apocalypse, hovered in mid-air.
With his arms wide open, he looked like an apocalyptic conductor.
Under his will, the metal structure of the entire Basegroaned, twisted, and deformed!
"Rumble—!"
The massive metal walls were torn apart by brute force, and the entire underground structure actually flipped upside down in the blink of an eye!
General Stryker, who had been hidden in the deepest depths of the underground, stared in utter bewilderment at the sunlight appearing before him and Old Magneto in the sky.
It took him only 0.01 seconds to make a decision.
"Activate the sonic weapons! Quick!"
At Stryker's command, a piercing hum rang out as several massive sonic transmitters were aimed at Magneto in mid-air.
The invisible sonic waves vibrated through the air, powerful enough to rupture the internal organs of any living creature in an instant.
Eric, who was not wearing his helmet now, shuddered violently in mid-air, his face contorting in pain.
However, before a smug smile could form on Stryker's face, Apocalypse in the distance calmly raised his hands.
As he raised his hands, the sophisticated sonic instruments instantly short-circuited.
Immediately after, the sand on the ground suddenly came alive, turning into giant yellow pythons that instantly swallowed the sonic instruments along with General Stryker and his soldiers.
The dense yellow sand sealed them tightly inside, leaving behind only severed, twisted limbs.
The battle ended with absolutely no suspense.
Apocalypse stepped into the depths of the destroyed Base, and countless cages imprisoning Mutants automatically swung open before him.
Those tortured, numb-eyed Mutants, upon feeling the kindred yet supreme power radiating from Apocalypse, fell to their knees one after another, the flames of "hope" and "fanaticism" reigniting in their eyes.
Just then, a wild, inhuman roar echoed from the deepest part of the Base.
A figure rushed out like a fired cannonball, smashing through the heavy alloy gate, covered in shards of laboratory equipment and drenched in blood.
He was a man with knotted muscles, yet his entire body was covered in experimental devices.
At this moment, there was only the most primal wildness and desire to kill in his eyes.
He stared at Apocalypse from a distance, and with a sharp "snikt", three gleaming Adamantium claws popped out from the backs of his hands!
That's right, this man was none other than the famous "Wolverine," Logan!
At this moment, like a thoroughly enraged Beast, he lunged at the nearest target, Apocalypse, regardless of friend or foe.
Angel and Psylocke were about to step forward to stop him, but Apocalypse raised his hand to halt them.
"Clang!"
Logan's steel claws struck squarely in front of Apocalypse, only to be blocked by an invisible Telekinetic Shield.
The Adamantium claws scraped against the shield, producing only a shower of blinding sparks without leaving even a single white mark behind.
Apocalypse studied Logan with great interest.
"Excellent healing ability, excellent skeleton... excellent willpower. Aside from being a bit short-legged, he has almost no flaws."
He admired Logan as if appreciating a work of art, then suddenly extended a finger, lightly tapping Logan's forehead.
An invisible power instantly surged into Logan's body, making his wild eyes grow even redder.
The wounds on his body healed at a speed visible to the naked eye, and his muscles swelled crazily, turning him into something as exaggerated as a demon muscle man in the blink of an eye.
Apocalypse felt the almost limitless healing factor within Logan. Although his own abilities included a similar effect, it did not stop him from appreciating this pure, powerful talent.
"The Four Horsemen are the symbols of the Apocalypse," Apocalypse's voice echoed in the empty Base. "But my army does not mind having one more brave horseman."
He pressed one hand onto Logan's head, blue light surging.
"From this day forth, you shall be my fifth Horseman. Your name is—'War'!"
Chapter 384: Just Twisting It Into a Pretzel with One Hand~
Logan let out a painful roar as the Adamantium skeleton inside his body began to resonate with Apocalypse's power, becoming even more indestructible.
His eyes were completely covered by a blue glow, ultimately turning into a state of absolute loyalty and cold indifference.
A brand new killing weapon, far more terrifying than ever before, was born.
Apocalypse looked at his new masterpiece with satisfaction, as well as the large army of Mutants behind him whom he had liberated and strengthened, before turning his gaze once again toward distant America.
"Now, it is time to reclaim what rightfully belongs to me."
...
The next afternoon.
Over the Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters, the sky suddenly darkened.
It wasn't the kind of darkness where dark clouds blocked the sun, but a more eerie, oppressive feeling, as if the entire sky was covered by a giant shroud.
The next moment, the ground began to shake violently.
In the middle of the lawn in front of the school, countless grains of sand and stones gathered out of thin air, defying all laws of physics as they rapidly piled upward, extended, and took shape.
In just a few dozen seconds, a pyramid over a hundred meters tall, massive enough to blot out the sun, rose from the ground and descended upon this peaceful land.
At the top of the pyramid, Apocalypse stood with his hands behind his back, his blue body looking like a god or a demon in the shadows.
Behind him were the five newly transformed Horsemen—Storm, who controlled wind and thunder; Psylocke, wielding psionic blades; Angel, with his metal wings; and the murderous Horseman of War, Wolverine Logan, whose eyes were covered in a blue glow.
The most eye-catching was Magneto Erik, who hovered in their midst.
He wore his iconic telepathy-blocking helmet, a magnetic field surging around him, with nothing but cold hatred left in his eyes.
The sudden destruction of the school naturally alerted Professor X.
Everyone hurriedly rushed out of the ruins, looking up at Apocalypse floating in the sky and his Five Horsemen, falling into a collective silence.
What kind of joke was this? An opponent like this... how on earth were they supposed to fight them!
Looking at Magneto standing respectfully behind Apocalypse, Professor X's voice couldn't help but tremble:
"Calm down, Eric! This isn't you! Revenge won't bring you anything; it will only drag you into a deeper abyss!"
"Into a deeper abyss?" Magneto let out a cold laugh, his laughter filled with self-deprecation and sorrow.
"I was swallowed by the abyss long ago, Charles! When I watched my wife and daughter get shot and killed with arrows by those 'pigs', I was already in it!"
"And him, he gave me the power for revenge! He will lead us to build a World that belongs only to Mutants! No more discrimination, no more persecution!"
"That is not building, it's destruction!" Charles almost roared. "You will destroy everything! Including the peace we once fought for!"
"Peace?" Eric seemed to hear the biggest joke in the World. "Is your so-called peace just having us wag our tails like pets, begging for handouts from humans? Charles, you are too naive!"
There was nothing left to say.
Apocalypse had already lost his patience. He looked down on Professor X from above, as if looking at a prize he was determined to obtain.
"My child, I understand your hesitation. But only by completely purging the dregs of the old World can a new order be established."
"Now, merge with me. Your mind will become the beacon of the new era."
As his voice fell, the Five Horsemen turned into five beams of light, leaping down from the top of the pyramid and charging straight at the school's crowd.
Seeing this, the expressions of everyone from the school changed drastically. The X-Men, consisting of "Beast" Hank, "Mystique" Raven, "Impact" Alex, "Cyclops" Scott, and "Nightcrawler" Kurt, immediately rushed forward to meet them.
A decisive battle concerning the fate of humanity in this World erupted!
But the battle was not as drawn out as those in legendary epics.
It even showed a completely one-sided trend.
Beast's proud brute strength seemed so laughable in front of Wolverine's indestructible Adamantium claws.
In just a single exchange, Beast's chest was slashed with three deep wounds that exposed his bones, and he was then kicked flying, collapsing half a wall.
Scott's Cyclops lasers were extremely powerful, but Angel's metal wings blocked them, absorbing all the laser beams.
With another flap, countless sharp metal feathers shot out like a torrential rain, forcing the Cyclops and Impactbrothers to dodge in embarrassment.
Mystique's form was unpredictable, but in front of Psylocke's psionic blade, which could sever mental links, she had no room to display her skills.
Nightcrawler, who was still just a rookie, possessed a bug-like teleportation ability, but in the face of the Storm and lightning created by Storm, he could only flee in panic!
Not to mention, Magneto was still steadily holding the fort from the sky.
He didn't even have to lift a finger himself; simply by controlling all the metal around them, he left the X-Menand the students trying to help completely bound and exhausted.
Despair.
Complete and utter despair, like freezing seawater, drowned the hearts of everyone present.
Professor X watched his beloved students fall one by one and saw the school he had built with his life's work turn to ruins in the flames of war. The light in his eyes visibly dimmed.
Was submission to the opponent really his only option left!
Just as he made up his mind, preparing to sacrifice himself to get Apocalypse and the others to stop,
a lazy voice rang out somewhat abruptly from the edge of the battlefield.
"Tsk tsk tsk, I must say, when you Mutants fight, the special effects are indeed much more impressive than the Superheroes on our side."
Everyone looked toward the source of the voice and saw Peter sitting leisurely on a patch of lawn that was still relatively intact.
A bucket of popcorn had appeared in his hands at some point, and he was currently enjoying the show as both sides fought to the death.
The Five Horsemen looked at this human who was acting as if none of this concerned him, especially after sensing that he didn't have a single trace of Mutant aura, and their expressions turned somewhat unfriendly.
Apocalypse's gaze also instantly locked onto Peter.
But there was no malice on his face; instead, it was filled with solemnity:
"Who... are you?"
"Me?" Peter casually put the popcorn back into his storage ring, then slowly stood up and grinned at Apocalypse.
"Just the guy who's going to take your life~"
"Roar!"
Just as Peter finished speaking, a wild roar echoed from not far away.
The "Horseman of War" Wolverine, this highly popular character who had been completely remodeled into a killing weapon, was the first to charge at Peter, driven by Apocalypse's will.
His speed was so fast that he left only an afterimage, his Adamantium claws cutting a deadly cold light through the air, aiming straight for Peter's throat.
Facing this strike that was powerful enough to tear through tank armor, Peter didn't even bat an eye.
He merely spread his fingers casually, a pitch-black substance emerging on his fingertips.
Clap~
Accompanied by the sound of flesh colliding, Peter's palm firmly caught Wolverine's incoming fist.
And his splayed fingers precisely clamped down on the other's three steel claws, making it impossible for the bewildered Logan to pull his claws out no matter how hard he struggled.
"Good strength, but unfortunately, your brain is completely fried."
Peter commented with a smile, then made a light wrist-twisting motion.
"Creeeeak~!"
Accompanied by this action, an ear-piercing sound of metal twisting suddenly rang out.
Under everyone's dumbfounded gazes,
the Adamantium claws, which were supposedly indestructible and had been further enhanced by Apocalypse, were actually... twisted into a pretzel by Peterwith sheer force!
Chapter 385: Sheltering from Sand and Avoiding the Wind ~
Time seemed to stop flowing at this moment.
Everyone, including Apocalypse, stared at Wolverine's twisted metal claws, their expressions frozen in shock as if struck by a paralysis spell.
You have to be kidding me!
Professor X and the others knew Peter was strong.
But they truly hadn't expected this human to be this exaggeratedly powerful.
Those were bone claws made of Adamantium!
Not only could they cut through iron like mud, but their toughness was astonishing; even if an elephant stepped on them, they probably wouldn't deform in the slightest.
Yet right now, that man named Peter had actually twisted Adamantium into a pretzel with his bare flesh and blood?!
In the dead silence, Peter raised his leg again and delivered a clean, crisp front kick, landing solidly on Logan's chest.
Bang!!!
Logan's stocky frame flew backward like a cannonball. While still in mid-air, his body was folded into a "V" shape by the terrifying force.
After flying an unknown number of meters, his back slammed directly into the massive pyramid created by Apocalypse.
It actually smashed straight through the pyramid's outer wall, which was several meters thick.
Even though Logan possessed extraordinary regenerative abilities at this moment and had been brainwashed by both Stryker and Apocalypse into a fearless warrior...
...he couldn't help but let out a shrill, miserable howl after enduring such a heavy blow.
The pain contained in that sound made the X-Men in the distance shudder with fear.
But just when everyone thought Logan was surely dead...
...a series of eerie "click-clack" sounds came from the hole in the pyramid.
Before long, a completely unharmed Wolverine, whose aura was even more violent than before, reappeared before everyone.
Logan's innate healing factor, combined with Apocalypse's enhancements, gave him what was practically true immortality!
Walking out of the pyramid, Logan shook his head. There was not a shred of fear in his crimson eyes, only a purer desire for slaughter.
"Roar!"
He let out a bestial roar, then once again charged toward Peter, knowing neither pain nor fatigue.
But the next second, he was sent flying back even faster.
Charging up, flying back—it happened over and over again.
After this process continued for who knows how long, Peter grew completely tired of this "dodgeball" game.
"Tsk, it seems normal methods won't make you behave ~"
As he spoke, he raised his left hand and casually tapped the Omnitrix.
A flash of green light flickered by.
Peter's figure changed rapidly within the light. His original human form vanished, replaced by a giant over three meters tall, covered in a shell as tough as ancient tree bark, with limbs as thick as the trunks of thousand-year-old trees.
Flora Colossus!
After the transformation, Peter just stood there casually, giving off a sense of immovable, mountainous solidity.
Facing Wolverine, who was pouncing again, he couldn't even be bothered to dodge. He simply raised a finger, and a wooden shield erupted from the ground, trapping Wolverine's claws firmly within it and bringing his charge to a complete halt.
"Children," Peter's leisurely voice came from the giant's body, laced with a hint of playfulness, "do you know what the best solution to soil erosion is?"
"Huh?"
Jubilee, who was in the midst of shock, subconsciously replied, "Wh... what?"
Just then, Logan finally used his other hand to shred the wooden shield, roaring as he charged over again.
At the same time, Apocalypse, who had been watching coldly from the top of the pyramid, slowly raised his hand.
Following his movement, the surrounding yellow sand quickly transformed into two massive yellow sand dragons, roaring as they swept toward Peter.
Facing this "desperate situation" of being attacked from both sides, Peter, transformed into the Flora Colossus, merely revealed a wild smile: "The answer, of course, is... to shelter from the sand and avoid the wind!"
This Chinese dad joke made Jubilee unable to help but laugh out loud at an inappropriate time.
And the moment Peter's voice fell, he slammed his hands together: "Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence!"
Rumble rumble rumble—!
The ground of the entire Xavier Institute began to shake violently, like never before!
The solid earth rolled and cracked like ocean waves, and countless massive trees, thick enough to require a dozen people to embrace them, drilled out from underground in a display of wild, savage growth!
They twisted, intertwined, and climbed, and in the blink of an eye, they created a primeval forest that blotted out the sky above the ruins!
Wolverine, who had been halfway through his pounce, was instantly tightly bound by dozens of tough tree roots and vines, tied into a giant wooden cocoon; no matter how he struggled, he couldn't break free in the slightest.
The two sand dragons controlled by Apocalypseperformed even worse.
When the sandstorm, comparable to a sandblaster, hit this impenetrable forest, it immediately lost control, having no choice but to turn into powerless sand and fall in a rustle.
Even Magneto, who was floating in mid-air, was shocked to discover that his connection to the surrounding metal had been largely severed by this suddenly appearing forest, with countless metal remnants locked tightly underground by the tangled tree roots.
No matter how he tried to manipulate them, it was very difficult to make those metal remnants break free from the tree roots.
The entire battlefield was instantly swallowed by a sea of green.
This scene caused even Apocalypse's eternally unchanging blue face to show obvious fluctuations.
It revealed a look of obvious bewilderment.
He did not understand!
He clearly knew from television programs that humans were a species that possessed no superpowers.
Yet why could the human before him display such power?
Compared to his yellow sand, which symbolized destruction, this display of creating an entire forest with a wave of a hand was more like the legendary... God of Creation!
After casting a satisfied glance at the tightly bound Wolverine, Peter turned his gaze toward Magneto, whose expression was equally ugly, and a kindly smile appeared on his face: "Next, it's your turn."
The moment his voice fell, Magneto found it amusing.
This human wanted to attack him?
What a joke; he could fly using magnetic fields!
As a human, what could he possibly use to fight someone who could fly?
Just as he was thinking this...
Pfft, pfft, pfft~
A strange sound came from below.
Magneto looked down and discovered that the source of the sound was actually Peter, who had already returned to human form.
At this moment, he was like a weightless paper cutout, stepping on the air and walking toward him in the sky, step by step.
Moonwalk!
Seeing this scene from below, the corners of Professor Xand the others' eyes twitched involuntarily.
This guy... just how many bizarre abilities is he still hiding?