"So, how do you plan to deal with Apocalypse?" Erik asked Charles, after organizing his thoughts.
"I've pinpointed a location," Charles said, meeting Erik and Raven's gazes. "I have strong reason to believe Apocalypse is hiding there, but I need to confirm it."
This was precisely why Charles had shared the intelligence about Apocalypse with them. Time was of the essence.
Although the diary didn't specify when Apocalypse would revive, all clues suggested it would be soon. Considering Apocalypse was truly a figure of apocalyptic proportions, like the one described in the Bible, Charles couldn't afford to relax even for a moment. The sooner they dealt with him, the better.
"And after you confirm it?" Raven pressed.
"There is no 'after'," Charles shook his head. "Apocalypse is not someone we can defeat—at least, not as we are now."
"Our next step is simply to keep an eye on Apocalypse and, if possible, prevent or delay his awakening."
"Until someone truly capable of facing Apocalypse emerges, any action we take is a gamble with the fate of the entire world."
Charles's words immediately piqued Raven and Erik's curiosity.
He had elevated Apocalypse to god-like status.
If Charles wasn't exaggerating, Apocalypse was an immovable mountain that no Mutant could shake.
A ferocious wolf that had entered a flock of sheep? No, even that analogy was too mild. It would be more fitting to compare him to a dinosaur.
And yet, someone could actually oppose such a being?
"So, Charles," Erik couldn't help but stare at him with intense curiosity, "who exactly is this person you speak of who can oppose Apocalypse?"
"A remarkably gifted young girl," Charles replied truthfully. "Jean Grey. I've studied her extensively. She might be the most talented Mutant I've ever encountered—even more talented than you."
"Wait a minute, Grey?"
Erik's brow immediately furrowed at the name. "Are you talking about the Grey family's child? She's only about six or seven, right?"
"You know her too?"
Now it was Charles's turn to be surprised. He hadn't expected Erik to recognize who he was talking about.
"I accidentally saw her use her powers," Erik explained with a shrug. "She flipped over every car on a whole street because someone broke her toy."
Six or seven years old, flipping over every car on a street!
Raven was utterly stunned.
*This talent is terrifying.*
Even Erik, back in the day, might not have been able to do something like that at the beginning. He had only gradually learned to control his abilities and grow stronger after undergoing Charles's special training.
If Erik was telling the truth, that little girl was truly terrifying.
"That sounds like something she could do."
Charles couldn't help but smile. For a mutant who could instantly kill Apocalypse, such a feat was hardly surprising.
Erik didn't say much. The two exchanged a look, seeing the same thought in each other's eyes.
*Such an exceptionally gifted mutant must be recruited!*
However, they couldn't rush things.
After all, both Charles and Erik were currently in a state of near-solitude.
Charles's Mutant Academy had been closed for years, and after Erik's capture, the Brotherhood of Mutants had long since become a mere shell of its former self.
It would be best to wait until they had rebuilt their organizations before pushing this matter forward.
Thus, the path ahead for Charles and Erik was clear and straightforward.
Setting aside other concerns for now, they had to help Charles reopen the Mutant Academy!
Establishing a mutant nation was a long and arduous task, fraught with infinitely complex issues across every facet of society.
Regardless of anything else, one thing remained absolutely fundamental:
First, they had to gather the mutants together, didn't they?
The Mutant Academy was the best way to achieve this.
And so it was.
Charles, Erik, Hank, Raven, and a few others came together and began working tirelessly for the mutant cause.
***
"Another one, bartender."
In an obscure bar on an unknown street in Manhattan, Zhou Cheng set down his glass and softly called to the bartender in front of him.
He'd been in the X-Men world for quite some time now, and he had to admit, he'd had a fantastic time.
This was the real benefit of interdimensional travel.
From a material perspective, this world wasn't particularly remarkable. In fact, its infrastructure was even more primitive than his own.
Yet Zhou Cheng found it genuinely enjoyable, finding it quite amusing.
But after several days had passed in the blink of an eye, his enthusiasm had begun to wane.
So he'd made a decision.
Once he finished this round, he'd simply leave and explore other worlds.
After all, he already had a clone watching over things back home, so there was no need to rush back anytime soon.
"Whiskey!"
As he was quietly savoring his drink, a voice suddenly rang out beside him.
A burly man had sat down next to Zhou Cheng.
Normally, Zhou Cheng would have ignored such irrelevant people, but this hulking figure stirred something within him.
The voice sounded strangely familiar.
Zhou Cheng couldn't help but glance at the man sitting beside him.
His expression immediately shifted slightly.
*Uncle Wolf!*
Just as he'd suspected. He hadn't been mistaken.
It seemed that the Stryker who had ultimately rescued Uncle Wolf was indeed Raven in disguise.
His memory hadn't failed him.
Yet even so, in the not-too-distant future, Uncle Wolf would still fall into Stryker's hands again.
Was this an inescapable fate for Uncle Wolf?
Zhou Cheng couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
"Hey, kid..."
As these thoughts flashed through his mind, Uncle Wolf, noticing Zhou Cheng's gaze, turned his head. "Keep staring at me like that, and I'll gouge your eyes out. You hear me?"
Zhou Cheng: "..."
Uncle Wolf's temper was truly volatile.
But with Zhou Cheng's current power level, he naturally wouldn't bother arguing with him.
To put it bluntly, Wolverine was now utterly insignificant in Zhou Cheng's eyes—no more than an ant.
The opponent's self-healing ability, which had troubled so many, seemed like a joke to Zhou Cheng, rendering it utterly useless.
The two were on completely different levels.
Zhou Cheng withdrew his gaze without saying another word, turning to savor his wine.
*Bang!*
A sudden, violent crash echoed through the tavern as the door was kicked open.
A group of burly, aggressive men stormed in, their eyes sweeping the room before locking onto Zhou Cheng.
"There he is!"
"It's him!"
"How dare that yellow-skinned monkey still be here!"
Amidst the furious shouts, the gang charged straight toward Zhou Cheng.
"It's the Flying Car Gang."
"Who provoked them? This is bad."
"Get away quickly!"
The tavern erupted in panicked whispers.
The surrounding patrons scattered like rats fleeing a plague.
Some recognized the Flying Car Gang's reputation, but even those who didn't wisely fled from the intimidating display.
Soon, a wide circle had cleared around Zhou Cheng and Wolverine, who remained seated in their original spots.
Wolverine glanced at the Flying Car Gang members, then turned to look at Zhou Cheng, his brow furrowing slightly.
Uncle Wolf had heard of the Flying Car Gang's reputation.
Those guys were a ruthless bunch. And this young man beside him?
"Kid, whatever trouble you've gotten yourself into, I think you should leave immediately."
Wolverine couldn't help but warn Zhou Cheng.
Zhou Cheng chuckled.
Despite Uncle Wolf's gruff exterior and foul temper, he was a kind-hearted soul at heart.
"These guys aren't any trouble at all," Zhou Cheng said with a casual smile, as if the Flying Car Gang members were insignificant riffraff, not worth mentioning.
Wolverine's brow furrowed again.
This young man is truly overconfident, completely unaware of the Flying Car Gang's power.
But Wolverine didn't know that Zhou Cheng simply didn't care.
The conflict between Zhou Cheng and the Flying Car Gang was actually quite simple.
It all stemmed from some bullying Zhou Cheng faced that morning due to his Asian heritage, and he'd simply put a few low-level thugs in their place.
He hadn't expected them to have connections.
To ordinary people, their backing might seem formidable.
But unfortunately for them, they had provoked Zhou Cheng.
"Kid, you dare kill our Flying Car Gang members? You're dead!"
An enraged roar echoed as a group of Flying Car Gang members surrounded Zhou Cheng.
Zhou Cheng didn't even glance at them. He slowly raised his wine glass and casually took a sip, as if nothing had happened.
Then he casually waved his hand.
*Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!*
The burly members of the Flying Car Gang surrounding them all shuddered simultaneously, as if struck by a speeding car.
They were sent flying backward in unison.
They soared over ten meters before crashing heavily against the bar wall, then collapsed to the ground.
Motionless.
For a seasoned killer like Wolverine, a single glance was enough to confirm.
Every member of the Flying Car Gang was dead.
Wolverine's gaze toward Zhou Cheng was filled with astonishment.
He never would have imagined that the unassuming young man sitting beside him was also a Mutant.
And a remarkably powerful one at that.
He had wiped out a group of people with a casual flick of his hand!
*I really misjudged him.*
The entire bar fell silent instantly.
Everyone stared at Zhou Cheng in frozen fear, not daring to breathe.
Some quietly began dialing the police.
As for Zhou Cheng?
He remained unfazed, calmly continuing to sip his drink as if nothing had happened.
*Which world should I visit next?*
Zhou Cheng was simply pondering this question.
*Clink!*
After setting down his glass, Zhou Cheng made an interesting decision.
*Why not just jump randomly?*
Like opening a blind box, he would see which world he ended up in.
Having made up his mind, Zhou Cheng wasted no time. With a thought, he activated his dimensional-shifting ability.
In an instant, he vanished without a trace.
*Where did he go?*
*Where did that guy go?*
Everyone present, including Wolverine, stood dumbfounded.
***
*Whoosh!*
The scene before Zhou Cheng blurred.
He found himself standing in a bustling, modern metropolis, teeming with traffic and life.
This was a modern urban setting, which meant his Smart Body could now come online.
"Smart Body," he thought, instinctively reaching out to summon it and search for information. But he paused.
*Wouldn't it be more interesting to witness this world with my own eyes, to gradually unravel its mysteries?*
With this thought, Zhou Cheng began to wander through the city, hoping to spot familiar people or events that might help him identify this world.
In just half a day, he had a good grasp of things.
He overheard animated discussions and conversations in many public places, easily finding the information he sought.
People were enthusiastically discussing matters related to the "Ultimate Team."
"I can't believe Captain America is dating someone else's wife!"
"I'm telling you, Thor is actually mentally ill! He's got issues and is even trying to quit the Ultimate Team."
"Yeah, I heard he often talks to himself out of nowhere!"
"What a joke! Even if Hulk helped everyone defeat the Chitauri, it doesn't erase the fact that he killed over 800 people in Manhattan!"
As Zhou Cheng pieced together these various pieces of intelligence, he understood perfectly which universe he had landed in.
Without a doubt, this was a Marvel universe—specifically, the renowned Ultimate Universe.
Earth-1610.
"This is an interesting universe," Zhou Cheng thought, a grin of genuine interest spreading across his face.
Of course, familiar characters like Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, and Nick Fury all existed here.
However, their origins, personalities, and experiences were somewhat different.
Some were even radically altered, enough to shatter one's worldview.
A thought struck Zhou Cheng, and he instinctively began recording these ideas in his diary.
***
Inside Stark Mansion.
"Jarvis, I'm going to propose to her! I've made up my mind!"
"Do you think I might be rushing this a bit?"
Tony Stark, the super-rich heir and genius scientist, looked particularly excited today, a glass of red wine in his hand.
It was hard to tell whether he was genuinely contemplating this or had had a bit too much to drink.
"Young Master Tony," the balding old butler Jarvis replied calmly, "if you're asking for my opinion, you know I can't stand her. In fact, I still don't understand what you see in her."
"And you're not really asking for my opinion, are you?"
In this universe, Jarvis wasn't Tony's AI, but his old butler!
"No, Jarvis, I am genuinely asking for your opinion," Tony said matter-of-factly. "It's just that if the answer isn't what I want to hear, I'll choose to ignore it."
He then casually took another sip of his wine.
Jarvis shook his head wearily but said nothing more, continuing with his duties.
The playboy, meanwhile, settled comfortably on the sofa and began eagerly brainstorming ways to surprise Natasha with a proposal.
Natasha was a special woman—perhaps the first woman who had ever truly touched Tony's heart.
He had to make this proposal unforgettable.
"Hmm, what's this?"
As his mind raced, Tony's peripheral vision caught something.
On the coffee table before him now lay a black diary.
-----------------------
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