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Clearly, Sebastian could only absorb energy that directly acted upon him.
For non-contact energy, he could only foolishly watch from where he stood, like a helpless husband.
Similarly, he could only release energy through contact, not through long-range attacks.
Although Sebastian had stored the missile energy he had just absorbed within his body, ready to be released at any time, there were no lockable targets on the sea surface.
This was a bit awkward.
"Riptide!"
Sebastian pretended nothing had happened, silently withdrew his stance, and looked at the other Mutant.
Riptide received the command, and a tornado once again condensed in his hand, roaring towards the patrol boat where Darian was!
The people on the boat immediately panicked, scrambling into the cabin. Those who couldn't hide in time grabbed onto fixed objects nearby, terrified of being swept away by the tornado.
Facing the approaching tornado, Darian was not flustered at all.
He activated his gravity boots, standing firmly in place, completely unaffected by the tornado.
Charles and Raven, unable to find anything to hold onto, were blown to the ground by the strong winds and instinctively clung to Darian's legs.
The bespectacled fat man also couldn't find anything to hold onto. Seeing that Darian's thighs were occupied, he desperately hugged Charles.
Charles: "???"
Suddenly, a colossal sound of twisting metal came from the sea.
Erik emerged from the sea again, raising his right hand, and a gigantic ship anchor was violently lifted from the water!
[NPC: Erik Lehnsherr]
[Codename: Magneto]
[Affection: 0]
[Evaluation: A man of the moment, one of the leaders of the Mutants, founder of the Brotherhood. Although called Magneto, he only controls metal.]
Like Charles, Erik was also one of the leaders of the Mutants.
However, these were clearly future plot points and had little to do with them at present.
What Darian found subtle was that this Erik would seemingly also form an organization called the Brotherhood in the future.
Isn't that a coincidence?
And at this moment, Erik finally remembered his ability. He controlled the heavy anchor, swinging it in the air, and smashed it fiercely towards the yacht!
As expected of a man of the moment, he started with a grand spectacle!
So why didn't he use this move from the beginning, insisting on being an assassin playing stealth and assassination?
However, Sebastian still had a backup plan. He quickly took his two Mutant subordinates and escaped from the submarine beneath the yacht.
Erik immediately used his ability to try and stop them, but he couldn't drag such a massive submarine.
But he stubbornly refused to deactivate his ability. Under its influence, he was dragged through the sea by the submarine, accompanying it all the way.
Gurgle gurgle!
Charles looked at the bubbles rising from the sea and anxiously shouted, "Oh no, he's about to suffocate!"
Darian spread his hands: "Don't look at me, I've never known how to swim since I was little."
Charles: "....."
Sensing that Erik was about to give out, Charles immediately leaped into the sea, hugged him tightly, and simultaneously entered Erik's consciousness through telepathy.
After much persuasion, and even swallowing a few mouthfuls of seawater, Charles finally convinced Erik to let go.
Subsequently, the Coast Guard fished the two drenched men onto the boat.
Although Charles was soaked and one of his shoes was missing, he was in high spirits because he had met another one of his kind.
He first introduced himself and Raven to Erik, then pointed at Darian and said, "This is Darian. Like us, he also possesses special abilities."
Darian enthusiastically said to Erik, "Hello, I see you have a great talent for assassination. Are you interested in joining our Brotherhood? Our guild just happens to need an assassin."
Erik: "....."
As expected, Sebastian and his group successfully escaped, and the Coast Guard quickly lost track of them.
In fact, even if Sebastian and the others had been stopped, it would have been useless, as their group also had Red Devil, a Mutant with teleportation, as backup.
With a tank and damage dealer, as well as crowd control and displacement, it could be said to be a perfectly balanced team composition.
In contrast, Darian's Brotherhood seemed somewhat like a makeshift troupe.
In the brief skirmish just now, only Darian was dealing damage. Charles and Raven were almost useless, clinging to his thighs the entire time, not even knowing how to cheer.
He'd have to teach them properly when they got back!
After the failed attempt to capture Sebastian, everyone had to return to the bespectacled fat man's research Base to make further plans.
During this time, Charles said something to Erik, and the latter also followed them to the research Base.
After witnessing the powerful strength of Sebastian and his group, and learning of their cooperation with the Soviet Union, the bespectacled fat man immediately established a Mutant department, intending to recruit various Mutants to join and use their strength to fight against Sebastian.
Upon hearing that the bespectacled fat man was using his S.H.I.E.L.D. authority to search for Mutants across the U.S., Darian agreed to his invitation without a second thought.
The others also joined this department, and Erik was no exception.
So, the bespectacled fat man led everyone on a tour of the research Base.
This place primarily focused on military technology research. Various black technology products that transcended the era could be seen everywhere, greatly broadening everyone's horizons.
Darian, however, had no reaction. After all, the technology in S.H.I.E.L.D. was much more advanced than these.
"This is Hank McCoy, our most outstanding young researcher here. Many scientific achievements have come from his hands."
The bespectacled fat man then introduced a refined man in a White lab coat.
[NPC: Hank McCoy]
[Codename: Beast]
[Affection: 0]
[Evaluation: The Beast, the smartest Mutant on Earth. He is a top scholar with the powerful physique of a Beast, so he chose to enter politics and become a diplomat.]
Darian's heart filled with joy; he had encountered another Mutant.
And judging by this evaluation, he knew he was not simple, with both intelligence and combat power online.
As for choosing to be a diplomat, in Darian's opinion, it was perfectly normal. After all, those who are truly capable often hold civilian positions.
As a telepath, Charles also perceived that Hank was a Mutant, and said in surprise, "I didn't expect to meet other Mutants here."
He hadn't expected to meet so many of his kind in such a short period of time.
Could it be that Mutants attract each other?
However, Hank had never exposed his true identity, and being suddenly revealed by Charles made him somewhat flustered.
Charles, realizing this, felt a bit awkward and apologized repeatedly.
Fortunately, Raven came to his rescue in time, complimenting Hank a few times, which made Hank overjoyed. He even started to show off his superpowers, his large, hand-like feet performing a Spider-Man-style handstand for everyone on the spot.
Seeing Raven's high-level moves, how she managed to make the science guy go into full display in just a few words, Darian suddenly had an idea.
He poked Raven and said seriously, "Raven, do you know? Among all members of the Brotherhood, you are the one I have the highest hopes for."
Raven rolled her eyes.
Currently, there were only three people in the entire Brotherhood.
Besides Darian, there was only Charles left. She didn't think this counted as a great compliment.
Darian ignored Raven's expression and continued without batting an eyelid, "So, the guild now has an important task for you: invite this big-footed fellow into our Brotherhood."
"What's in it for me?"
Raven had been rebellious since childhood. Although she joined the Brotherhood with Charles, it didn't mean Darian could order her around casually.
"If you invite him in, I'll create a guild branch for you called the Sisterhood. All future female members who join the guild will be under your management."
"Deal!"
Raven was overjoyed at the news and immediately agreed.
And she indeed did not disappoint Darian. After the bespectacled fat man left, in less than five minutes, Hank proactively sought out Darian and proposed to join the Brotherhood.
He stated that he was deeply moved by the ideals of the Brotherhood and was willing to contribute to a bright future for Mutants!
Darian ignored Hank's constant glances at Raven and nodded, "Very good. I fully sense your heart dedicated to fighting for Mutants. I approve your joining. You are now a member of our Brotherhood."
Then, he patted Hank's shoulder: "Hank, although you've just joined our Brotherhood, among all members, you're the one I have the highest hopes for."
Raven: "???"
"So, the guild now has an important task for you."
Hank asked suspiciously, "What task?"
Darian didn't answer directly. He waved his hand, and under the gaze of all the Mutants, the Whiplash Armor appeared out of thin air beside him.
Looking at this sci-fi armored suit, everyone present was stunned.
Charles exclaimed in surprise, "What is this?"
Darian explained, "The Whiplash Armor. Its defense is strong enough to withstand missile attacks, it has ultra-long endurance and flight capabilities, and it also possesses two high-energy electric whips whose destructive power is enough to easily tear a car apart."
"Hiss!"
Hearing this, everyone couldn't help but gasp, once again contributing to global warming.
Although each of them was exceptionally gifted and possessed unique skills, this impact from cutting-edge technology still brought them unprecedented shock.
Erik's eyes lit up even more.
As someone who played with metal, he felt that this armored suit had a strong connection to him.
I want it, I want it!
Hank, on the other hand, quickly stepped forward, adjusted his glasses, and meticulously examined every part of the armor's structure.
His voice trembled with excitement: "Incredible. The completeness of this technology surpasses this era by at least several decades."
As the smartest Mutant on Earth, he could tell at a glance that the technological level contained in this armored suit was far beyond what this era could possess.
Especially the Arc Reactor in the center of the Whiplash Armor, emitting a faint blue light.
This was actually a stably operating miniaturized controllable nuclear fusion device!
One must know that nuclear weapons had only recently been invented in this era. Controllable nuclear fusion was simply a fantasy to them!
Hank immediately felt that Raven was no longer as appealing. He stared unblinkingly at the Whiplash Armor, muttering various scientific technical terms.
Seeing Hank almost pressing himself against the Whiplash Armor, Darian stepped forward, patted his shoulder, and said, "Your task is to thoroughly research the technology of this armored suit and try to replicate it."
Hank came back to his senses, somewhat troubled: "This technology is truly too advanced, especially this energy core. Its principles are completely beyond my cognitive scope. Just understanding it might take a very long time, let alone replicating it..."
Darian waved his hand: "You mean it can be replicated, right? Then it's settled. This task is yours."
"Uh, actually, what I meant was..."
"I declare that you are now the chief scientist of the Brotherhood, in charge of the research department. However, the research department hasn't been established yet, so for now, you'll be temporarily managed under Raven's Sisterhood."
"I'm willing to serve the Brotherhood!"
Hank straightened up, his hesitant gaze instantly becoming firm.
But soon, his big head regained reason. He pushed up his glasses and said, "However, relevant research may consume a large budget and require the procurement of many specialized equipment and materials."
The core meaning of Hank's statement was very clear: he wanted money!
Darian smiled easily: "That's not difficult, is it? This is already a research Base. Whatever equipment and materials you need, just apply for them."
Hank: "....."
Everyone: "....."
Can it be played this way?
Seeing that Hank had no objections, Darian also handed him the Iron Monger armor data obtained from Tony's office for research. Then, he simply handed over the Green Goblin suit and pumpkin bombs as well, asking him to research and replicate them simultaneously.
Unlike the BT, these pieces of equipment could neither self-repair nor automatically replenish ammunition. Once energy or ammunition ran out, they were practically just a pile of scrap metal.
It was precisely for this reason that Darian decided to hand these pieces of equipment to Hank, to see if he could replicate them. After all, these were products of black technology within this server, not equipment from the game system, and therefore did not possess those extraordinary, heaven-defying functions.
As the smartest Mutant on Earth, with Hank's intelligence, he might be able to mass-produce these pieces of equipment. By then, there would be a continuous supply of armored suits and Green Goblin suits for casual use.
Seeing Darian continuously pull out various high-tech products, everyone else was stunned.
Didn't you say your ability was magic?
This magic looks so scientific!
Erik: (ω)
I want it, I want it!
Afterward, Darian did not forget to remind him, "Remember, this research needs to be strictly confidential. This concerns the core secrets of our Brotherhood. If it leaks out, I'll turn Raven into a hairy-chested, foot-picking man who'll constantly wander in front of you."
Raven: "....."
Hank gulped. The mere thought of that image was suffocating, and he quickly swore he would not reveal a single bit of it.
Having gained Hank, this top scientist, Darian was very satisfied and immediately set his sights on Erik as the next target.
According to Charles, Erik's mother was killed by Sebastian, and he himself had suffered various inhumane experiments at Sebastian's hands. His heart was already filled with hatred.
A man like this, whose eyes were only on revenge, would not be tempted by women. Women would only affect the speed at which he manipulated metal.
So, a man must be sent!
Darian patted Charles's shoulder: "It's decided, it's you, Old Charles!"
Charles: "?"
Compared to his stepsister Raven, Charles's charm was no less captivating.
He used a bit of persuasion and easily won over Erik in just one night.
The next day, Darian saw the two enthusiastically greeting each other.
"Charles!"
"Erik!"
Watching the two of them act like brothers, Darian didn't know what happened that night, nor did he want to know.
He noticed that the quest progress had increased to four people, and he was quite satisfied.
Just eight more Mutants to recruit, and the main quest would be complete!