"Extract!"
Although Darian didn't know what happened, this was a free reward, might as well take it.
[Congratulations on obtaining a one-time skin: Charles Xavier (Strongest Telepathy)]
"Charles's skin card, I've hit the jackpot this time!"
Darian's eyes lit up instantly.
To know, Charles was among the top-tier Mutants, even more dangerous than Erik.
If he wanted to, he could infiltrate anyone's brain, read memories, implant thoughts, control minds, or even cause immediate brain death, turning them into a living corpse.
If it weren't for Charles placing moral shackles on himself, this Earth would have long been played in custom mode by him.
Darian was enjoying himself when Charles asked: "By the way, are you planning to stay this time? Or rather, how long until you leave again?"
He was a bit worried that Darian would be like last time, leaving for over a year without a word.
Darian grinned: "Don't worry, I'm not leaving this time."
[Teleportation anchor deployed, cross-server teleportation point officially activated. You can now freely travel between the current server and the main server.]
Darian decisively used the teleportation anchor.
He had long decided that when he came back one day, he would turn this place into his own server.
After using the teleportation anchor, a server option immediately appeared on the map.
At the very top was his own main server, Earth-9527.
Below it was the current instance, Earth-10086.
"Perfect!"
Darian nodded with satisfaction.
This way, he could shuttle between the two servers at will and never have to worry about not being able to return.
News traveled fast.
Before long, the veteran members of the Brotherhood knew Darian was back.
Except for the two immortal brothers who didn't know where they had run off to, talking about heartfelt matters, everyone else rushed over to reminisce.
Even Hank, who usually wished to be welded into the laboratory, rarely put down his research and rushed over.
After more than a year, this group of young people who were once a bit naive now exuded a sense of composure and capability, each shouldering heavy responsibilities in the Brotherhood.
The most obvious change was in Hank.
He had improved the serum from back then and re-injected himself. Now he could freely switch between human and Beast forms, a Mutant version of the Hulk.
Seeing Darian, Hank felt a bit embarrassed and scratched the back of his head.
"Darian, I've basically studied all the technological materials you left before you left. In some places, I even tried to make improvements and upgrades according to my own ideas, but there's one thing, it's shameful to say, but after so many days, I still haven't been able to build the Arc Reactor."
His tone was filled with self-reproach, as if he felt he was too stupid for not having figured out cold nuclear fusion technology in a year, failing Darian's expectations.
Darian: "..."
You really are the one who knows how to act tough with those thick eyebrows and big eyes.
The materials he left when he departed were all era-defying; if placed in the seventies, calling them alien technology wouldn't be an exaggeration.
Yet Hank not only digested them all but could also upgrade and iterate on them himself.
This intelligence was simply heaven-defying!
Darian coughed lightly and patted Hank on the shoulder: "It's already quite good. You don't need to worry about the Arc Reactor. I brought the complete design blueprints this time, and that's not all."
As he spoke, he took a tablet computer from his chest and handed it over.
It stored various technological materials, all the technical achievements he had collected from the main server and other servers.
Hank took the tablet, his pupils shrank as soon as his eyes scanned a few lines.
"These... where did these technologies come from!?"
Hank's fingers trembled as he gently swiped on the screen, flipping page after page, completely absorbed as if he had been sucked in.
For a researcher, these technical materials were more attractive than anything else.
Other members couldn't suppress their curiosity and crowded over to peek at the tablet screen.
As a result, one by one, they were like under an illusion, their eyes unfocused, expressions dazed, their brains clearly in an overload state.
Besides Charles the Professor, everyone else here was basically a cultural desert; how could they understand such profound things?
But even if they didn't understand, they still knew how to pretend.
After all, having been in the Brotherhood for so long, if nothing else, they had to maintain face.
"So that's it!"
"I vaguely thought about this direction before, I didn't expect someone to actually do it!"
"Wonderful, this design concept is truly absolute!"
A bunch of idiots!
Darian couldn't be bothered with them and asked Hank: "Don't worry about that, just tell me if these things can be built?"
"Absolutely no problem!"
Hank pushed up his glasses, the light reflecting off the lenses, his whole face full of irrepressible excitement: "With such detailed technical blueprints, as long as there is enough time and equipment, I can fully comprehend them, and building them is just a matter of time."
Darian nodded: "Very good. In a while, I will build a new research Base for you and configure brand-new equipment. Resources and manpower will also be allocated to you as soon as possible. You just need to focus on your research."
"Okay!"
Hank was boiling with enthusiasm, wishing he could immediately throw himself into research, not even glancing at the goddess Raven beside him.
Women only affect the speed of his research!
The reminiscing ended, and someone suggested holding a banquet tonight to celebrate Darian's return.
But this proposal was flatly rejected by Darian.
What a joke, how could he spend his first night back with this bunch of idiots?
A luxurious Villa hidden in the forest.
This was originally Sebastian's residence and the headquarters of the Hellfire Club.
But after Darian inherited the Black King title, it became his private residence.
Other members were driven out, and usually, only his secretary Emma could enter freely.
Darian sat on the leather sofa, looking at the spacious office.
Everything was spotless, clearly someone had arranged for regular cleaning.
Just then, the door suddenly opened, and a blonde figure walked in.
This person was Emma, whom he hadn't seen for a long time.
Although they hadn't seen each other in a long time, Darian didn't feel any strangeness, after all, he had flipped through her various CGs hundreds of times.
Today, Emma wore an off-the-shoulder white top, her exquisite collarbones and rounded shoulder lines fully visible, her blonde hair draped casually, exuding a lazy sexiness.
"My dear My Lord Black King, have you finally decided to come back?"
Emma's tone carried a bit of resentment, making Darian seem like a heartless man.
It was no wonder she reacted this way.
Before Darian left, he had called her to his room, saying he could fight all day long.
Emma didn't believe it, so they fought for three hundred rounds, changed several sets of equipment during the process, and unlocked so many moves that she was embarrassed to recall them.
In short, she was defeated in the end.
Her legs were weak, her waist was sore, and she felt as if she had been hollowed out, having to lie there waiting to respawn.
As a result, when she woke up the next day, Darian had vanished into thin air, and there was no way to contact him.
If Darian hadn't told her in advance that he was leaving, Emma would have suspected that this scumbag had just pulled up his pants and run away like before.
Even so, there was still a little resentment in her heart.
"Ahem, I was delayed by something."
Darian felt Emma's gaze and was a bit embarrassed: "Let's not talk about that. How is the Hellfire Club doing during this time?"
Emma knew Darian was deliberately changing the subject and rolled her eyes at him.
However, she didn't dwell on this topic either.
Emma walked directly to Darian, sat on the desk, crossed her legs, revealing her high-end dark-attribute leg equipment, completely unconcerned about the holy light faintly flashing under her skirt, her thin high heels dangling with her movements.
There were too many highlights, and Darian's gaze kept shifting, not knowing where to look for a moment, feeling a bit overwhelmed.
Seeing this, the corners of Emma's mouth curled up slightly, and a hint of satisfaction flashed in her eyes.
It seems that after a year, her charm is still as strong as ever.
Emma's mood instantly improved, and she said: "With the materials you left behind, plus the scientific support of Dr. Hank, in your words, the development of the group under the Hellfire Club can be said to be flourishing, and the market value of the group has multiplied several times more than before you left."
"Now the companies under our umbrella cover fields far exceeding the initial scale, expanding into new materials, new energy, biomedicine, Military support, and other high-tech industries."
"Many people now want to come to us to seek cooperation, including the U.S. Military."
Speaking of this, a hint of unconcealable pride appeared in Emma's eyes.
Back then, to pave the way, the Hellfire Club had really spent a fortune.
Round after round of money-scattering offensives were needed to barely bribe a few high-level personnel to work for them, and each one of them didn't work hard, only wanting to squeeze more money out of them.
But now?
They didn't need to actively scatter money at all.
Those high-level personnel took the initiative to come to them, holding checkbooks, smiling like chrysanthemums, putting their posture lower than anyone else, just begging to cooperate with them.
Even if someone found out about their Mutant background, they all tacitly chose to be selectively blind.
Not only did they dare not say anything, but they also worked hard to praise the various advantages of Mutants in front of them, righteously attacking those humans who resisted Mutants, sharing hatred with them, as if Mutants were some new idols.
Emma simply fell in love with this feeling.
Compared to the rough route of conquering humans with force that Sebastian used back then, this way of controlling humans with money and power was simply too satisfying!
Now she only needed to sit in the office drinking coffee, without having to do anything, and a large group of humans would rush to help her settle various troubles.
Anyone who dared to take action against Mutants openly, those humans who had interests tied to them would be the first to jump out and oppose it, even more excited than her, just to claim credit with the Hellfire Club.
Even human politicians had to look at the Hellfire Club's expression because they knew clearly that as long as the Hellfire Club released a little wind, their votes would be affected, and their campaign funds would also have problems.
This was something that was unimaginable before.
Thinking of this, Emma felt sincere admiration for Darian.
"I now completely understand the sentence you said back then."
"Which sentence?"
"The best way to conquer humans is not to make them fear you, but to make them unable to live without you."
Emma smiled slightly: "And now, those humans simply cannot live without us, because without us, they can't make money, can't get promoted, can't live a good life. They are more anxious than we are to maintain our interests, because our interests are their interests."
"That's just the beginning."
Darian laughed: "When our people completely infiltrate the high levels of various industries, and the entire country's economic lifeline, technological development, livelihood security, etc., all have to look at our expressions, that's what's truly 'unable to live without us'."
"As long as we don't let a loaf of bread sell for 500,000, and sell it for 499,999.9, there's basically nothing to worry about."
Emma's mouth twitched: "Letting you be the Black King was truly the most correct decision."
Such a dark guy, if you don't be the Black King, who can?
The two hadn't seen each other for a long time, so inevitably there was a lot to talk about, chatting for hours.
Well, pure chatting, as pure as it gets.
During this time, Emma constantly changed poses, the holy light dazzling Darian.
Finally, perhaps finding the table too hard, she simply sat on Darian's lap and continued chatting.
Darian realized that this guy was definitely doing it on purpose.
This wasn't chatting at all, it was clearly teasing, to retaliate for his disappearance for over a year.
Yet Emma only talked about serious business, with a serious expression and a serious tone, only her body wasn't behaving.
Every now and then she would suddenly reveal a northern hemisphere, and every now and then she would roll up the hem of her skirt, then pull at her dark-attribute leg equipment.
Back and forth, Darian felt that his current anger was even greater than Liang Kun's.
He finally couldn't take it anymore, hugged Emma, and stood up abruptly.
"My Lord Black King, where are you taking me?"
Emma soared into the air, not afraid but laughing, taking the opportunity to wrap her arms around Darian's neck, her eyes flashing with triumph.
"My room."
Darian walked to the left with a blank expression while holding her.
Emma looked at the direction he was walking, laughing even more happily: "But that's a wall, not a door..."
Bang!!
Darian kicked a big hole in the wall, stepped over it directly, and walked into the bedroom next door.
Gulp!
Emma swallowed a mouthful of saliva, feeling that she might have played too big.
She laughed dryly: "Well, actually, I still have things to do and have to leave first. There's a meeting at the group, it's quite important, really, I'm not lying to you."
Darian threw her onto the bed and sneered: "Want to leave? Too late! Today I will unlock all the CGs that weren't unlocked last time!"
Emma kept backing away until she shrank to the head of the bed with nowhere to hide, wanting to cry but having no tears.
"Wait... I really have things to do... ah... don't... Oh My God..."
After that, there was a long, stinky, and lengthy cutscene.
Skip!