The atmosphere in the command and control room suddenly became tense.
However, neither Nick Fury nor the expression of Bridge beside him changed at all.
It seemed that they were not intimidated by Professor X, one of the strongest telepaths in the world.
"I don't doubt your resolve, but you cannot protect these over four thousand mutants. They will become a focus of attention, constantly living in fear. You think you can protect them, but do they truly believe you can?"
"No, you are not Magneto. You are just Professor X. You can only protect the students in your school."
Fury shook his head as he spoke.
Everyone fell silent. Even the X-Men members, no matter how unconvinced they were, could not completely refute this because it was a fact. They themselves lacked confidence in achieving this.
Over four thousand mutants, along with more than a dozen powerful mutant guards, represented a ticking time bomb left by Magneto.
Certain politicians and high-ranking officials could not allow this time bomb to exist.
By any means necessary, they needed to defuse this bomb.
"So, let's make a deal, Professor."
At this moment, Fury revealed his true intentions, causing Professor X to raise his eyebrows and look at Fury thoughtfully.
"I can help them find a place where no one knows about them, where they can live peacefully. I guarantee they will be under our protection, and no one will disturb them."
"What do you want us to give in return?"
Professor X knew very well that there is always a price to pay for help, and Fury was treating these mutants as bargaining chips to gain the return he needed.
"I need your support."
Fury stated his purpose.
He needed Professor X and the extraordinary abilities of the X-Men. He foresaw an imminent crisis that S.H.I.E.L.D. alone could not handle. For instance, in this recent encounter with the unknown monster, Bridge, along with a thousand elite agents, fully armed, were nearly wiped out.
Including Professor X and the X-Men.
To deal with this level of threat, S.H.I.E.L.D. was currently insufficient. He needed the support of Professor X and the X-Men to counter crises that even S.H.I.E.L.D. might be unable to manage.
This was both a transaction and a cooperation.
The bargaining chips were those thousands of mutants, who were also essentially "hostages" in his hands. With these mutants, Professor X and the X-Men would not have any other thoughts.
He had already lost the chance to win over Bi Xiao and needed to select new candidates. During this transitional period, he could not lose control of the world.
...
Bi Xiao returned to the manor from Forks, looking refreshed.
Obviously, he had spent a wonderful time in Forks Town with Bella. When certain desires are aroused, they can be more ferocious than beasts. At least Bella almost collapsed every time.
This was despite her physical condition constantly improving. If it were the original Bella, her small frame would have been unable to endure.
The reason for returning to the manor was simple.
The twins had completed their treatment.
Over three days, his magic had continuously stimulated the twins' cell division, maintaining vitality, and nurturing their internal organs and muscles. The special nature of his magic allowed the twins to skip the recovery phase.
Now, the twins were healthier than many athletes.
It was evident from their appearance.
Initially, due to malnutrition, blood loss, and poor sleep, the twins had frail bodies and pale complexions, looking weak and listless from head to toe.
Now, their skin was glowing with health, they had grown taller, and their demeanor had transformed from weak and listless to full of energy.
Most importantly, their abilities had been fully activated.
On the manor's beach, a figure about 1.6 meters tall was darting back and forth like a ghost, moving faster than the world's fastest cars, constantly accelerating until only afterimages could be seen.
Bi Xiao, wearing a T-shirt, sat leisurely on a beach chair, drinking juice and watching.
In the nearby sky, Wanda, dressed in sports pants and a vest, was floating quietly with red energy flickering around her, eyes closed, seemingly trying hard to control and use this energy.
After a while, Bi Xiao slowly spoke.
"Stop."
At his words, the figure darting back and forth on the beach stopped instantly before him, revealing Pietro's form.
Wanda, floating in the sky, also cautiously descended.
"Very good. Your abilities are showing initial results."
Looking at the energetic twins standing in front of him, Bi Xiao nodded in satisfaction. With a snap of his fingers, two necklaces inlaid with golden gemstones appeared before the twins amidst a golden light.
They were very exquisite.
The twins exchanged glances, reached out, and grabbed the necklaces in front of them, hearing Bi Xiao's voice in their ears.
"These necklaces are magical artifacts I crafted. When you wear them, the magic within will gradually improve your bodies, keeping them active and enhancing your physical fitness over time."
"Your abilities are impressive, but they are all based on your physical and mental states."
Bi Xiao placed his cup on a glass table beside him, then stood up and looked at the twins seriously, saying, "So, from now on, what you need to do is eat constantly, exercise vigorously, and continuously combine your abilities with training."
"Understood!"
The twins nodded energetically at Bi Xiao's words.
Over the next month, the twins underwent a seemingly tedious but actually very enjoyable process of eating, intense exercise, and continuously using their abilities until they were exhausted.
Their strength increased continuously, and they never lacked nutrition.
The twins were able to persevere partly because the chef's food was genuinely delicious. After exhausting all their energy, they devoured the food with great pleasure when they were famished.
Moreover, they did not need to worry about injuries during high-intensity training.
The necklaces gifted by Bi Xiao contained his magic, which constantly transformed the twins' bodies, even while they slept.
Under this dual combination, the twins' physical fitness skyrocketed in a month, completely surpassing that of ordinary people.
This was especially true for Quicksilver. His ability to enhance his body and move at high speed required extremely strong bones, organs, and muscles to function properly.
During this month, Bi Xiao occasionally spent a few days in Forks, or stayed at the manor contemplating improvements to the Light Prison spell.
He even actively sought out Ancient One to discuss how to improve the Light Prison spell.
The progress was gratifying, but to completely perfect it would take time. Bi Xiao believed this spell had high growth potential and could be continuously enhanced as his knowledge expanded.
Everyone was making progress.
The past month has been relatively peaceful on Earth.
At least there had been no disturbances from either Hell or Heaven.
After a month, Bi Xiao observed that the twins had barely met his requirements, so he began the second phase.
According to the original plan, Bi Xiao transferred basic magical knowledge to Wanda through memory transmission, just as he had done with Bella. Pietro, however, had to endure much more intense training.
The gifted necklace released a gravity magic that could automatically adjust.
This magic applied a constant threefold gravity on Pietro. Under these conditions, he had to continuously use his abilities. As he gradually adapted, the gravity multiplier would increase.
This prepared Pietro for the next stage that Bi Xiao had meticulously planned for him.
It is worth mentioning that Wanda, as the host of Chaos Magic, was a natural at mastering magic. Learning basic magic was a piece of cake for her. She could fully understand the basic magic once she had memorized and cast it.
Her exaggerated proficiency even made Bella feel ashamed.
She could completely rival Bi Xiao in his prime.
According to Bi Xiao's calculations, it would take Wanda about a month to fully digest these basic magics. The most time-consuming part was not using the magic but understanding the basic magical knowledge. Practically, Wanda's practical skills were maxed out, but the theory needed her own comprehension.
Pietro, on the other hand, had a tougher time. Initially, the threefold gravity caused him immense discomfort, with his body, organs, and bones all suffering under the strain. The first time the gravity mode activated, he almost collapsed on the ground.
Not to mention running at high speed; even taking a step was extremely difficult.
But Pietro gritted his teeth and persevered. This training process was also a test of his mental strength.
Bi Xiao was not idle either.
He selected several notorious villains as test subjects.
In a residential area near Norwood Park, Cook County, Illinois, John Wayne Gacy was sitting in his house, on the sofa, listening to beautiful music from the television, drinking beer, and reminiscing about his past pleasant experiences.
For him, these memories were delightful, although for those he had brutally murdered, they were undoubtedly painful.
Gacy was a serial killer. To date, he had raped and killed thirty-three young males aged between fourteen and twenty-one. Currently, twenty-six bodies were buried in the crawl space of his house.
Every time he thought of those corpses, he couldn't help but show a sick smile.
He craved more stimulation; he wanted to enjoy that thrill.
Gacy did not fear being caught because he believed the police would not capture him. He was planning to hunt for a new victim tonight.
However, just as Gacy was lost in his thoughts, an invisible force suddenly surged around him.
Gacy's body stiffened abruptly, a primal fear and terror overwhelming him. Before he could scream, he vanished from his house.
The only sounds remaining in the house were the songs from the television and the silent wait of the twenty-six corpses buried there for the demon's demise.
Gacy's vision darkened and then brightened, and he found himself in an unfamiliar place.
A very bright and spacious area.
Underfoot, the ground seemed to be paved with marble, stretching out endlessly in all directions. The sky was a clear blue, with sunlight streaming down. Just as Gacy calmly pondered where he was and why he had ended up here...
A series of unfamiliar roars and shouts reached his ears.
"Who the hell are you, damn bastard? Come out right now, I'm going to kill you. Why did you bring me to this godforsaken place?"
"Where the hell is this? And who the hell are you?"
"Hehe, you all look quite tasty."
Gacy was startled and turned his head, only to be astonished by the sight of five strangers standing not far away. They were dressed differently and had various skin tones.
Among them were young individuals and a small elderly man who appeared gentle and refined. Yet, for some reason, Gacy sensed a familiar aura emanating from them.
However, their reactions were varied, with some examining each other and others impatiently shouting.
Gacy narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing these people, his mind racing, trying to understand why he was here, what this place was, and why these people were captured along with him. Was there something in common among them?
While Gacy was thinking...
A figure emerged just ten meters away, accompanied by transparent, mirror-like polycrystalline formations.
The sight was so stunning that it rendered everyone present silent. Six pairs of different eyes focused on this figure, their gazes fierce, sinister, and cold.
It was a very young Asian man, extremely handsome, so much so that Gacy felt a stir within him.
Though dressed only in gray sweatpants, white sneakers, and a T-shirt, his nearly perfect and upright physique exuded a strong masculine charm.
At least for Gacy, this was undoubtedly his ideal prey, surpassing all those he had poisoned before. The sight of him excited Gacy.
"Who the hell are you?" asked a fierce-looking black man, a hint of barely noticeable panic in his voice.
"You are my carefully selected test subjects from around the world. Without exception, you are the worst of the worst, murderers, rapists, cannibals. It's time to repay these blood debts."
The young man smiled. He was Bi Xiao.
For his experiment, Bi Xiao had specifically chosen six test subjects from around the world. Each of them carried blood debts for murder, rape, torture, cannibalism, and so on.
Bi Xiao's blunt words cast a shadow of gloom and murderous intent in the eyes of the six most vicious people in the world.
One of the white men even pulled out a gun from behind his back, aimed it at Bi Xiao, and said coldly, "Let me leave this godforsaken place, or I'll make you realize that death is a mercy."
His coldness was merely a disguise for his fear.
After all, though these people were covered in blood and guilty of countless atrocities, none of them were fools. They could all see how bizarre the current situation was.
They had been in their respective homes or committing crimes when they were suddenly pulled into this strange space by a terrifying, invisible force.
Moreover, Bi Xiao's dramatic entrance made them uneasy.
It was hard not to think of something eerie.
If they were facing a human, the white man would have mercilessly pulled the trigger, as he had done countless times before. But now, he wasn't sure if his gun could threaten Bi Xiao.
Bi Xiao's face remained expressionless, still calm.
Most of those present were familiar with this kind of calm, as they too had killed innocent people with such calm exteriors.
Judging by their eyes, they were the same kind of people.
Bi Xiao didn't waste words or make any unnecessary movements. The white man's gun began to heat up, its outer shell turning red.
The high temperature caused the white man to cry out in pain, forcing him to drop the gun, which fell to the ground and sank like it had dropped into water. The white man's left hand gripped his right wrist, and the others glanced over, deeply shaken.
The white man's hand that had held the gun was already burned and blistered.
"You—"
The white man looked up sharply, panic-stricken, at Bi Xiao.
Bi Xiao snapped his fingers.
The crisp sound echoed in their ears, like a gong striking at dusk, shaking their brains. But what truly terrified them was that their bodies seemed beyond their control.
The white man with the burned hand walked up to Bi Xiao, his face filled with fear and despair.
Bi Xiao extended his hand, a golden light spot appearing in his palm like a magical seed. Under the incredulous gaze of the six, it shot into the white man's chest.
Instantly, a scorching force brutally coursed through the white man's body.
He couldn't help but scream in agony.
His wails echoed in all directions, visible golden lights entwining around his blood vessels, criss crossing and overlapping, making his body turn red.
The scene was terrifying.
The other five, including Gacy, broke out in cold sweat.
~~~
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