Shock registered on every face at the press conference—from Lucivar Trask to the blonde reporter, from the agents to the civilians. Back at Silver Manor, Emma Frost and Clarice displayed identical expressions of astonishment as they watched the broadcast.
Even Richard himself couldn't conceal his surprise. While he had anticipated Magneto's appearance at the press conference, he never expected the Master of Magnetism would arrive alone—or that he would invoke Richard's name to call for mutant rebellion.
Magneto's grandiose rhetoric reminded Richard of the anime One Piece. If he didn't know that particular series didn't exist in this universe, he might have suspected the white-haired Magneto was secretly a devoted fan.
The future masters of the earth! The age of mutants! You really dare to say that!
Richard silently criticized Magneto's audacity. Though he understood Magneto wasn't trying to frame him—merely leveraging his influence to inspire other mutants to resist—the Brotherhood leader had still appropriated his name without permission.
More concerning was the impression Magneto's speech created. Anyone listening would naturally assume Magneto supported Richard as the new leader of the mutant community, positioning him to usher in this so-called "mutant era." From that perspective, Magneto had essentially used his lifetime of credibility to elevate Richard's standing.
The problem was that Richard had no desire for such momentum. He had never aspired to become the mutants' new leader—not now, not ever.
If Magneto weren't Wanda's father, Richard would have taught him a severe lesson for this presumption, short of killing him. But that familial connection granted the old mutant a temporary reprieve.
Never mind! Since you're Wanda's father, I'll overlook this transgression... for now.
Noticing Richard's surprised expression, Clarice asked with uncertainty: "Didn't you actually tell him about fighting back?"
"I did say those words," Richard admitted helplessly, "but my advice to him at the time was to spend more time with his family instead of wasting his efforts saving mutants who don't know how to stand up for themselves."
"Do you want to issue some kind of clarification?" Clarice pressed.
"There's nothing to clarify," Richard shook his head, speaking deliberately. "Any attempt to distance myself from his statements would only suggest I fear the authorities, which would create more complications than it solves."
After delivering his inflammatory speech, Magneto engaged in a brief skirmish with the mutant agents protecting Lucivar Trask. Realizing he couldn't eliminate all the agents quickly, Magneto shifted tactics. He forced the surviving agents to scramble for cover by manipulating the cure-dispensing guns, while simultaneously redirecting the conventional firearms toward Lucivar Trask himself.
Ratatatatatatata!
The floating pistols and rifles unleashed a devastating barrage, instantly transforming the defenseless Trask into a bloody sieve.
Having eliminated his primary target, Magneto disregarded the remaining agents and turned his attention to the Trask Industries headquarters building.
Magnetic Field Manipulation!
Under Magneto's overwhelming power, the reinforced concrete structure began to vibrate violently. Reporters and security personnel fled the scene in panic, racing toward the surrounding streets to escape the impending destruction.
Within seconds, the towering Trask Industries headquarters—hundreds of feet tall—imploded as if professionally demolished.
BOOM!
The building's collapse sent seismic tremors through the ground, while thick clouds of pulverized concrete billowed outward like a sandstorm.
Hovering above the devastation, Magneto surveyed his handiwork with satisfaction before vanishing into the distant sky, well ahead of reinforcements from the Department of Mutant Affairs and their Sentinel robots.
He had arrived alone at the X-gene cure's unveiling, assassinated the heavily-guarded Lucivar Trask before countless witnesses, and departed without a scratch.
This was the power of a veteran top-tier mutant.
The live broadcast cut off when the headquarters building began to shake. Even the most dedicated reporters and camera operators prioritized survival over coverage when faced with such destruction.
After the broadcast ended, Richard's phone rang. Seeing Tony's name on the display, he answered.
"Is what Magneto said true?" Tony demanded without preamble. "Did you really suggest that other mutants should rebel?"
"You called just to ask me that?" Richard asked, frowning.
"What else would I call about?" Tony shot back.
Richard sighed heavily before responding. "Yes, it was my suggestion."
Though this wasn't actually what he'd advised Magneto, Richard saw no value in elaborate explanations and simply "confessed."
"I didn't expect you to care about the mutant community," Tony remarked. "It seems I underestimated you. Nothing else—I'll hang up now."
The line went dead.
Moments later, Richard's phone rang again. This time, Professor X was calling with the same inquiry: was Magneto's claim accurate?
Again, Richard "admitted" it without clarification.
After ending the call with Xavier, Richard turned to Clarice and Emma. "I'm heading to the training ground."
"Alright," they responded in unison.
Under their watchful gaze, Richard teleported away instantly.
Training Ground Behind the Main Building
To facilitate his daily skill practice, Richard had commissioned a specialized training facility behind the manor's main building after moving in. Though resembling an indoor sports hall, the space remained deliberately empty, without conventional training equipment—which in no way hindered Richard's regimen.
After teleporting into the training area, Richard immediately summoned the Masamune from his system space.
While the Masamune's appearance remained unchanged from before, its power had increased dramatically. Even without magical enhancement, the blade could now easily slice through reinforced concrete buildings. After fusing with the Yama Sword, the "Separation" ability from that weapon had manifested on the Masamune like an enchantment.
Richard executed a few practice swings before channeling the mana within his body, molding it into a specific form around himself. In an instant, his casual home attire transformed into a black button-down windbreaker with distinctive silver shoulder armor.
The transformation extended beyond just his clothes—his footwear and belts also shifted to match Sephiroth's iconic style. Ever since mastering this magical wardrobe change, Richard had incorporated it into his training regimen, perfectly replicating Sephiroth's appearance each time.
Though this transformation granted no additional combat benefits, Richard enjoyed the aesthetic. Looking impressive was its own reward; everything else was secondary.
With his Sephiroth appearance complete, Richard wasted no further time and immediately began his daily practice.
"Gravesong!"
The Masamune in his left hand cleaved through the air like lightning, executing four smooth, consecutive cuts that left shimmering traces in their wake.
Time Passes
Half a month elapsed in what felt like the blink of an eye.
Significant developments had occurred beyond Silver Manor's walls. The U.S. government and Trask Industries had established "healing rooms" in every major city, offering free X-gene neutralizing injections and reducing the mutant population without bloodshed. Meanwhile, Magneto's Brotherhood launched attacks against these facilities, while mutants influenced by his inflammatory rhetoric initiated various forms of resistance.
Despite the escalating situation outside, Richard rarely left the manor. He no longer participated in the upper-class social scene or appeared in public, instead channeling most of his energy into training.
After two weeks of intensive practice, he had successfully upgraded all his skills to level 4. More significantly, Sephiroth's template fusion degree had increased from 60% to 65%.
As the template integration continued, he awakened a powerful new ability:
Heartless Angel!
In the original game, Heartless Angel forcibly reduced an enemy's health or courage to just 1 point. Though this wasn't a game environment, the skill Richard awakened produced remarkably similar effects.
[Heartless Angel Lv1: After striking an enemy, ignore physical fitness and defense, immediately inflicting a near-death critical injury effect! NOTE: If the difference in strength or life-force is too great, there exists a probability that the skill effect will be nullified!]
As always, the system's explanation remained characteristically terse.
After awakening the Heartless Angel ability, Richard ventured outside to test its effects on various criminals—both human and mutant. His field trials confirmed that Heartless Angel was indeed remarkably equitable in its application.
Regardless of whether the target was an ordinary human or a powerful mutant, regardless of their physical condition or defensive capabilities, Heartless Angel treated them all identically—severely injuring without killing outright.
Though these test subjects ultimately perished, their deaths resulted from subsequent finishing blows or the natural progression of their critical injuries, not from the immediate effects of Heartless Angel itself.
After completing these trials, Richard concluded that Heartless Angel functioned almost like a "karmic law" skill. Though he couldn't determine its precise metaphysical mechanism, he wasn't particularly concerned with theoretical understanding. Knowing its practical effects was sufficient.
Training Ground - Evening
After completing his nightly training session, Richard returned the Masamune to his system space and reverted his clothing to normal.
Teleportation!
Without hesitation, he transported himself directly back to the bedroom in the manor's main building.
Emma Frost, reclining on the bed in a provocative white nightgown, immediately set aside the book she'd been reading when he appeared. She rose gracefully and approached him.
"Should I shower first," she asked, draping her arms around his neck and pressing her curvaceous form against him, "or shall we engage in something mutually... satisfying?"
Richard responded by lifting her by the waist and striding toward the bathroom. "There's no reason we can't do both simultaneously."
Soon, the sound of running water mingled with more passionate acoustics from within the bathroom.
Nearly an hour later, Richard carried a flushed and exhausted Emma back to the bedroom. Not long after, the indomitable White Queen initiated another challenge.
A true duelist never refuses their opponent's invitation—especially when issued by a previously defeated adversary. Without hesitation, Richard and Emma began their second encounter of the night, each refusing to yield as they engaged in an intense exchange of offensive and defensive maneuvers.
Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters - X-Men Underground Base - Laboratory
While Richard and Emma were affirming their reputations as duelists through their mutually gratifying contest, another couple demonstrated their synergy in a different context.
Jean Grey and Scott Summers worked in determined silence, analyzing the X-Gene Cure through painstaking reverse engineering.
Though half a month had passed since Trask's press conference, Professor Xavier still hadn't identified the source of the cure. This wasn't due to any diminishment of his telepathic abilities, but rather because the security measures implemented by the government and Trask Industries had reached unprecedented levels.
Even Trask's own researchers remained ignorant of the cure's origin. They received only the undiluted concentrate, with no information about its production or source. Their sole responsibility was diluting the solution to precise specifications and adding secondary ingredients to create the final product.
Though Professor X had anticipated strict security protocols, he hadn't expected such comprehensive compartmentalization. His most significant discovery after two weeks of investigation was that Trask Industries hadn't developed the cure independently—S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Department of Mutant Affairs had contributed numerous specialists to the project.
Among them was Dr. Bruce Banner, holder of seven doctoral degrees. Like Trask's researchers, Banner and his team remained unaware of the raw solution's origin. They hadn't even been fully briefed on the nature of their work, believing they were simply solving technical problems rather than developing a mutant cure.
Beyond the extraordinary security measures, another factor complicated Xavier's search: anti-telepathy technology had matured significantly. In addition to the conventional mind-shielding helmets, Xavier had discovered numerous facilities completely impervious to psychic intrusion.
After decades of fearing the invisible "threat" of telepathy, American researchers had finally developed telepathic countermeasures that could be implemented on a limited scale. This development represented an ominous trend for Xavier, whose powers were exclusively telepathic in nature.
Though these protective measures couldn't be widely deployed throughout society, strategic placement in key facilities proved sufficient. After all, not every location required absolute secrecy.
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