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The Black Queen approached Ivan, who was eating and fixed her gaze on the man who had dealt her a significant blow the previous night.
"Very well, Ivan Shaw, I'll remember you!" A fierce light flashed in the Black Queen's eyes.
Although Ivan noticed it, he chose to ignore the intense glint in the Black Queen's eyes.
"I remember you too, especially your alluring figure. By the way, you shouldn't be a mutant but a witch. You control ancient magic that can absorb the life force of others, but that's forbidden magic."
The Black Queen's face changed slightly, but she quickly regained composure.
"I don't know what you're talking about. I do have the ability to absorb the vitality of others, but it's merely a natural ability and has nothing to do with magic."
"Don't be quick to deny it. If it were someone else, you might have deceived them. But the magic in your body is as conspicuous as the sun in the night to me. I must admit, I admire your ability to enhance forbidden magic that absorbs life force and create magic that hides your magical power fluctuations. You could be called a magic genius of our time."
The Black Queen's hand clenched tightly under the table, forcibly suppressing the fear in her heart and feigning ignorance.
"This ancient magic that absorbs vitality was banned by the magical world long ago. Not only is it too malicious, causing harm to countless innocent lives, but it also has its flaws. After all, the absorbed vitality, one's own, is lost too rapidly, making it prone to backlash.
In essence, this is a common trait of all ancient magic. Even a simple flame spell in ancient magic requires intense concentration. Otherwise, if the flame isn't controlled well, it might prove fatal. Nowadays, magic is gradually simplified and can be enhanced with a magic wand for better control. Although the power is significantly reduced, it also minimizes the danger of a backlash, marking substantial progress."
The Black Queen struggled to maintain an expressionless face to conceal any vulnerabilities, but her attention was gradually captivated by Ivan's words.
"Apologies for digressing. Returning to you, when you began absorbing my life force last night, I noticed an anomaly. It's a form of magic absorption, but the strange thing is the magic fluctuation on you is very faint. If someone else were in your place, they wouldn't detect it.
It took me considerable effort to understand what was happening. Your body is inscribed with magic runes, yet these runes are concealed within you and aren't visible externally. These runes prevent the loss of life force you to inhale from your body and also isolate magical fluctuations. However, the runes themselves possess magical power, so I sensed something amiss."
"Because your forbidden magic is prohibited by the magical world, you've disguised it as an ability. To reduce the risk of exposure, you chose to restrain the subject absorbing life force, rendering them exhausted and unable to resist, giving you ample time to act."
A smirk appeared on the Black Queen's face.
"These are mere speculations; there's no concrete evidence. I admit that I am indeed a witch, but the flaws of forbidden life magic cannot be eliminated. Any wizard who uses this magic not only loses the life force absorbed from others rapidly but risks consuming their life force. This magic has long been disputed."
"That's why I said you're a magical genius. You've achieved what countless wizards couldn't. The arrangement of these magic runes opens up a new avenue, producing a remarkable magical effect."
With a wave of his hand, Ivan conjured a burst of light and shadow. Runes materialized in mid-air out of nowhere. The Black Queen, gazing at these runes, could no longer maintain her expressionless facade, her face changed dramatically.
"Last night, while you slept, I used self-created magic to reveal the runes in your body and recorded them for study. I hope you won't mind."
The so-called self-created magic was a deception; Ivan used his powerful mental prowess to trace the trajectory of magic power in the Black Queen's body, locating the runes. Ivan even experimented with placing these runes on himself, forming a unique magical circuit, thus understanding their role.
"How is this possible? Why can you do such a thing? I... I get it now. You're also a wizard. You concealed it so well that even I was deceived."
"Well, I'm also a wizard, but I consider myself a researcher, studying everything I'm interested in, including science and magic."
Ivan then shared his views on magic, including knowledge of ancient magic. At this point, the Black Queen realized that Ivan's understanding of magic was unprecedented. With her centuries of experience as a witch, she paled in comparison. The more she listened, the more uncomfortable she became, feeling thoroughly outclassed by Ivan. Even her previous intention to plot against him seemed like a mental blow.
The Black Queen departed, disheartened, beaten inside and out by Ivan. She found no face to stay and bid farewell to Shaw, promising to support his plan as agreed, even forgoing a meal.
Thinking about the Black Queen's embarrassed departure, Shaw was delighted and secretly praised his son: "Well done! As expected of my son, You made excellent use of the Black Queen, who always hindered me. After this lesson, she'll likely avoid me in the future."
After breakfast, Shaw and Ivan headed to a secret room to discuss the plan.
"Ivan, you're aware of my entire plan. Any thoughts?"
Ivan pondered for a moment, organized his thoughts, and said, "Honestly, Father, I'm not optimistic about your plan. Using the conflict between the United States and the Soviet Union to detonate a nuclear bomb, stimulating mutant genes in humans with nuclear radiation — it's too drastic."
Shaw's expression changed slightly, he hadn't expected his son to voice this opinion. Just as he was about to persuade, Ivan continued, "I don't object to increasing the number of mutants, but I disagree with this method. While most people today carry hidden mutant genes, forcefully activating them could lead to the collapse of their bodies due to the overpowering nature of mutants. How many innocent lives will be lost?
Even if the activated mutants survive, how do you think they'll treat us, the ones responsible for their loved ones' deaths? I doubt they'll be grateful; instead, they might see us as enemies and retaliate directly, making us the target of public criticism. Even if we attempt to keep it secret, mutants possess diverse abilities, and it's uncertain what they might discover. How do you plan to handle the truth?"
"Everything I do is for the future of mutants, and sacrifices are inevitable. Mutants will be the masters of Earth's future, and humans will be eliminated sooner or later. For the ascendancy of our race, no matter the cost, as long as mutants use their abilities wisely, removing the human obstacle won't be difficult. Though some mutants may not understand me initially, I believe that when faced with human persecution in the future, they'll make the right choice."
Ivan's expression soured. While he had always known Shaw held extreme views, he hadn't anticipated the extent of his radicalism, akin to Hitler's ideology.
Observing Shaw's somewhat unhinged demeanor, Ivan realized that trying to dissuade him would be futile. He nodded, "Alright, Father. Since you've made a decision, though I disagree, I won't oppose it. But I implore you to plan for contingencies. As my strength increases, I've started sensing something peculiar—a vast will in the depths of the universe, guiding its development and controlling its overall direction, akin to the legendary will of the world or the way of heaven. Your plan, which will undoubtedly harm countless innocent lives, is bound to face condemnation. During its execution, various problems will arise. Luck may become our greatest adversary. Sometimes, the enemy maybe thousands of times weaker than us, yet unforeseen accidents on our end could lead to failure."
Shaw's expression turned peculiar. He scrutinized Ivan and remarked, "My child, you've surprised me. As a scientist, how can you believe in such divine concepts?"
"Some argue that the culmination of science is theology. Wasn't Einstein a devout believer? I, too, find it necessary to believe, based on my own experiences."
"Moreover, certain mysterious phenomena can be explained by science. Take the will of the universe, for instance. Each creature possesses its magnetic field. When countless beings believe in a person, an entity, or a phenomenon, the magnetic fields of these beings emit waves. The collective belief, when these waves converge, creates a formidable existence—that is, God.
"Consider this hypothetical scenario: if there are myriad races and creatures in the universe, and certain rules are established, with the collective cognitions of all these beings converging, could there emerge a being capable of controlling the entire universe? An entity embodying the universe itself? If such an existence indeed exists—even if it lacks individual thoughts and is merely a collective will—your plan overtly opposes the will of most living beings. We will undoubtedly face adversity, encountering various misfortunes, with success rates of 99% facing a 1% failure rate. Luck, the most unpredictable element!"