[Spatiotemporal Studies LV3 (50%)]
Ian hadn't expected that just watching the events unfold would yield an unexpected gain.
Confirming the existence of world inertia had increased his progress in Spatiotemporal Studies by 50%.
Just like the inertia of matter, the influence of all internal factors forms the inertia of the world.
To a certain extent, this does indeed represent the absoluteness of time!
Without external forces, nothing changes.
If the external force is insufficient, the changes will be minimal!
This 50% progress in Spatiotemporal Studies had strengthened his spatial vision.
He could even see faint traces of the storyline—or rather, the trajectory of fate.
Ian only discovered this change when he met the Professor again.
However, his spatial vision still couldn't see a detailed future, only that the Professor's fate remained unchanged.
This time, the Professor came to find Ian again, but he wasn't alone. He brought Storm and Scott with him.
"It seems this ordeal has dealt a huge blow to the Professor!"
Ian could tell that the Professor's abilities had become stronger, but his eyes lacked the usual brilliance.
For him to bring Storm and Scott along spoke volumes.
"Looks like you've resolved the problem smoothly!" Ian said with a smile.
Perhaps Ian's words or his smile irritated Scott.
Scott roared angrily, "You call that smooth?! Jean…"
"Scott!!!" the Professor interrupted.
The Professor's words still carried weight. Though Scott was still furious, he lowered his arms and stepped back, remaining silent.
"Apologies! Jean's departure has left Scott a bit emotionally unstable. I apologize on his behalf!" the Professor explained.
"It's fine," Ian waved dismissively.
He had already glimpsed Scott's future—he was a dead man walking. Ian had no interest in quarreling with him.
"Professor, why have you come to me this time?" Ian asked directly.
"I need your help, Ian! The children need your protection. The X Academy can no longer guarantee their safety!" the Professor pleaded.
It was clear that the Professor's spirit was broken. Otherwise, with his pride, he would never admit defeat so easily.
Before Ian could respond, Storm and Scott immediately objected: "No, Professor!..."
Before they could finish, the Professor stopped them.
"Scott, Ororo!"
But this time, Cyclops and Storm didn't immediately comply. They desperately wanted to argue.
Ian had no interest in listening to their dispute, so he refused outright:
"Professor, I can't agree to this! In fact, you don't need to entrust the students to me at all."
"What protects those children has never been the school itself—it's you. As long as you're alive, no one dares to harm them!"
"Of course, except for lunatics like Stryker!"
Ian did have some interest in those young mutants at X Academy. Their abilities were remarkable and had significant research value.
But he had never considered taking them in.
Because as long as the Professor was alive, those children would never truly belong to anyone else.
It wasn't just about the Professor's personal charisma—it was also the invisible influence of fate.
This wasn't Ian's imagination!
Despite the Carnegie family having far greater resources and intelligence than the Professor's X Academy, Ian had never successfully recruited even one of the students destined to be with the Professor.
The Professor left, disappointed.
He hadn't achieved his goal, but he did gain Ian's promise—that when necessary, Ian would protect the children.
After watching the Professor depart, Ian took Elsa and left Washington as well, heading north in an aircraft.
"Ian, what are we doing here?" Elsa asked as they stood by a lake.
Ian observed the still water and replied, "We're here to check on Jean Grey."
"Jean is dead, isn't she? She was buried in this lake…" As Elsa spoke, she suddenly sensed something. "She's not dead?!"
She had seen the satellite footage of Jean being swallowed by the flood. If not for the familiar yet volatile consciousness emanating from the lakebed, Elsa would never have believed that Jean was still alive.
"A mere flood could never kill the host of the Phoenix Force," Ian explained.
Though Ian couldn't see through the lake, he could clearly sense a powerful and unprecedented energy lurking beneath.
It was far stronger and more chaotic than he had expected.
Moreover, this energy contained a profound will of destruction.
Without a doubt, this overwhelming power was the Phoenix Force!
As long as the Phoenix Force remained, Jean Grey could not possibly be dead.
Most likely, she had merely fallen into a dormant state, unable to fully adapt to the awakening of the Phoenix Force.
"What is the Phoenix Force?" Elsa asked.
"It is the embodiment of destruction—one of the most powerful forces in the universe," Ian explained.
He could sense that the Phoenix Force was still in a dormant phase and had some time before it would fully awaken.
"Let's go." Ian turned and left decisively, without any hesitation.
"You're not taking her with us?" Elsa asked in surprise.
"What use is power that cannot be controlled?" Ian replied.
There was another reason he didn't mention—the Phoenix Force didn't align with his own abilities.
Still, this trip wasn't in vain.
Feeling the sheer might of the Phoenix Force made Ian realize how weak he still was.
A Level-4 Elemental Master might seem powerful, on par with Professor X and Magneto, but in truth, it was still fragile.
Only upon reaching Level-5, where his X-Gene abilities would undergo another transformation, could he truly be considered a powerhouse.
An Elemental Master had the potential to reach Level-5, but to get there, his X-Gene Studies needed to reach Level-5 first.
Back at Cumberland Island's Mutant Academy, Ian sought out Selene to inquire about Rogue's studies.
"Anna will complete her basic courses in another month," Selene reported.
"One month?" Ian glanced at Rogue, who was diligently studying in the classroom, and nodded in satisfaction. "Not bad!"
Finishing the basic curriculum in just over a year was faster than Ian had anticipated.
Clearly, Rogue was eager to solve the issue of her uncontrollable powers.
"Anna is very intelligent and works extremely hard. She puts all her energy into her studies—she's the most dedicated student in the entire school!" Selene praised.
Ian understood Rogue well.
Obsession is a powerful force—sometimes even stronger than hatred. And Rogue's obsession was with controlling her own abilities.
Since her progress exceeded expectations, Ian decided to make arrangements in advance.
"Selene, take her to familiarize herself with the lab this month. Once she successfully condenses her Rune of Law, she will officially join the research team."
"Understood!" Selene nodded.
After completing basic courses and gaining full control over their abilities, every student had to make a choice.
They could either join the research team and continue studying to become scientists, or they could enter combat training and join the action squad.
Every student had to make this decision—Rogue was no exception.
However, due to the uniqueness of Rogue's abilities, Ian had already determined her path in advance.
He had informed her of this long ago, and she hadn't resisted the decision.
She didn't like combat. Her personality wasn't suited for it.
And so, her future was set.
Add power stones 💪 😎