Chapter 018: The School of Mutants (7).
The shock felt more like a slap to his soul than to his body.
Daniel froze in place, his eyes wide, staring at the glowing screen before him, the air around him somehow too heavy to breathe.
The bright words on the screen repeated in his mind countless times:
[You have completed a hidden main quest]
[Congratulations — you have gained 300 gems]
Daniel thought, startled:
(Wh…what is happening? A hidden main quest?!)
His pulse quickened; he felt his breaths ricochet inside his chest — especially with that large number of gems. He put his hand to his forehead, trying to take in what he was seeing, then said inwardly in a hesitant voice:
(Luna…)
(Luna, what is this main quest?)
Her voice came after a short moment, flat but carrying that familiar electronic calm:
[The main quest is: join the X-Men.]
Daniel raised an eyebrow in incredulous surprise. "Join the X-Men? That's the main quest?!"
[Honestly…] Luna said with a hint of mild sarcasm, [I didn't expect you to join them so quickly. This was a hidden quest — it was meant to appear later… but unfortunately, you triggered it now.]
Daniel let out a sardonic sigh:
(Great — I completed a hidden quest without even knowing…)
He ignored Luna's comment, then, after a moment, steadied his voice and asked:
(So there are other hidden quests I can earn a lot of gems from, right?)
Luna replied, admonishing:
[Yes, but not that many. Don't pin all your hopes on hidden quests.]
"How many then?" Daniel asked.
[....]
Daniel laughed inwardly and, closing his eyes mischievously, said:
(So the number isn't as small as you're trying to make me believe, is it? You don't want me getting strong too fast, huh?)
Luna answered in a tone half-angry, half-teasing:
[I don't know where you get these stupid ideas from.]
[They're hidden. How can I tell you how many there are if they're hidden in the first place, you fool.]
Daniel smiled, shaking his head:
(Yes, yes, I know…)
Before Luna could finish, a strong voice rang through the room as if piercing the barrier between his mind and the real world. It was Charles' voice, clear and steady: "Daniel? Are you all right?"
Daniel opened his eyes quickly, as if waking from a long dream. He looked around, then turned to Charles, who stood near the door with genuine concern in his eyes.
"I'm fine, I was… just thinking a little. Don't worry."
Daniel stepped forward, a faint smile on his face: "I just didn't expect to join the X-Men — that makes me very happy."
Charles, who could tell the sincerity in Daniel from the strength of the atmosphere in the room, was surprised by this feeling and inwardly pleased.
After a short silence before Charles would leave again, Daniel suddenly asked, "Shouldn't you wake Matt now?"
Charles looked up at him; his voice was calm but carried clear seriousness: "By the time you leave school, I will. Don't worry — his condition is stable." Then, after a moment, his tone deepened: "Although I'm sure if he knew of our power he wouldn't reveal it… I still don't like mutant secrets leaving the school walls. Not because we fear people, but because some — like the Purple Man — could extract and exploit those secrets against us."
Daniel nodded quietly, understanding: "I agree completely. No one wants those secrets in the wrong hands."
"Let's go downstairs." Charles said, indicating the door with a gentle smile, as if wanting to fold away that strange moment and return the day to something resembling normal.
They left the office together. The light in the hallway was softer, but the air felt heavier, laced with tension and curiosity. They found Jean, Scott, and Beast standing outside, their faces reflecting both worry and intrigue.
Charles moved calmly between them and addressed the three in a serious but comforting tone: "Daniel has been honest with us. And from now on — he is to be considered one of the X-Men."
A brief silence, then the three faces changed — a mix of astonishment and wonder. Jean was the first to collect herself; her eyes flashed with that intensity words suddenly reveal. "What?" she whispered, then smiled as the idea came to her — "You joining the X-Men? You?"
It was indeed strange; after all, Daniel was human, not a mutant. Beast immediately shifted the mood: "Where are we going?"
"To the Cerebro device. There's a small task we need to do." Charles replied.
They exchanged quick looks, no longer sure what to expect next, and then headed for the elevator — Charles, Daniel, Jean, Scott, and Beast. The doors closed behind them and the glass reflected their faces; the conversation began to surge like a current.
Jean didn't stay quiet long: "Daniel… may I touch the energy you mentioned? Just to feel what it's like." Her voice hovered between request and curiosity, her eyes burning to study that energy.
Daniel smiled, extended his hands, and showed the gloves made of Hextech metal. At first glance the gloves looked ordinary, but they began to glow faintly when he touched them; when Daniel did so, a few sparks of mana appeared around the gloves — pale halos of light that lingered in the air for a few seconds.
Jean's hand reached out slowly, her fingers trembling as she approached the mana that had formed around Daniel's gloves. But the moment the tips of her own energy brushed that mana, what no one expected happened — as if Jean's energy noticed another presence, it spread instinctively, like a living language seeking sustenance: threads of blood-red light streamed toward the blue mana halos around Daniel's gloves, attempting to merge with and absorb them.
For a short moment the elevator filled with a faint electric hum; subtle vibrations passed through the air and the faces present shifted in an instant — sweat beaded on Daniel's brow.
Charles' eyes froze, then before doing anything he inhaled deeply and sent a calm tone into Jean's mind — not control, but a soothing touch: (Jean… your energy.)
Scott staggered back a step, his hands on his glasses as if bracing; his voice came out strained: "Jean! Stop — you're losing control!"
Beast, inwardly afraid of Jean losing control there, began pressing the elevator buttons.
Fear crept into Daniel's veins, and in an instant Daniel made the gloves disappear.
A second of tension, then the blood-red threads began to withdraw. Jean, eyes shining with astonishment and remorse, snapped her hand back and pulled her energy inward as though waking from a trance.
The following minutes were heavy with breath: Charles rubbed his brow, more reassuring himself than anyone else; Daniel felt his racing heart slow bit by bit; Scott pressed his hand to his mouth unconsciously, trying to regain his composure; and Beast restarted the elevator.
Jean looked at the faces before her and said quickly, "I… I'm sorry. I didn't mean that. I just felt a strong pull toward that blue energy."
Daniel offered a shaky smile, more to reassure her than himself: "It's okay. You didn't hurt anyone." Then he looked to Charles: "Is everything all right?"
Scott said to Jean, "You're okay, right?"
Jean nodded softly. "Yes… actually, it's the other way around."
"The other way around?"
The others echoed her words, their voices filled with confusion.