As a compassionate old man, a truly kind-hearted person whom Zhou Yi considered a contemporary saint, he was deeply mired in self-reproach at this moment.
For the sake of saving him, for his abilities, for the ambitions and hatred of certain people. Did it really have to come at such a great cost? And even if a price had to be paid, why did it have to be innocent people who bore the final brunt of the damage?
This was a question he had pondered before, but as always, he still couldn't find the right answer. He could only blame himself for everything, allowing the feeling of guilt to become even heavier. Perhaps this would make him feel a little better.
"You can only blame yourself for having such powerful strength, yet failing to suppress the evil thoughts and greed in people's hearts, and failing to restrain their hatred and wickedness. Charles, you are wrong, you always have been. You only ever watched Mutants get hurt, wanting to soothe their wounds. But you never thought about how much they longed for revenge, nor did you ever think about how much pain their revenge would cause."
Seeing Charles's pain, Zhou Yi spoke calmly. He had witnessed too much hatred. It was an eternal theme that permeated almost all life. And the destruction it brought was enough to topple a giant, the vampires were like that, and so were the Mutants.
"Charles, you must make a change. Otherwise, all the sacrifices made this time will be meaningless. If there can be one Stryker, why can't there be a second? As long as you don't change, these people will emerge endlessly!"
Zhou Yi's words plunged Charles into thought. Before he could think it through, the alarm sounded in Lakeside Town, interrupting his train of thought. The residents of the town had discovered the surging flood and set off the alarm, warning all the residents of the town. But apart from that, they had no way to stop it.
Neither the National Guard nor the local fire department seemed too weak when facing this sudden natural disaster. The residents of the town began to flee, hiding in their houses, hoping that their houses could survive the flood.
But in reality, they knew very well that it was just an impractical fantasy. The wooden houses in the town couldn't possibly withstand such a flood. They were just comforting themselves.
Some people began to pray, either to a nonexistent God, or to those true heroes. God, naturally, wouldn't respond to them, but the heroes would.
Hearing the prayers of some people, Zhou Yi first brought Charles and Jean to the top of the church in the town, where he settled them. Then, he charged towards the flood with all his might.
His figure tore through the air, creating waves of air, like thousands of troops charging forward. Such a scene naturally attracted the attention of those humans who were still fleeing. They stared intently at the black knight in the center, making different sounds.
Some who didn't recognize this hero were asking those around them, trying to find out who this guy was, a human or a monster. Those who recognized him, however, cheered at this moment. A superhero who could save Paris from a near-apocalyptic attack was bound to be able to save them from this natural disaster. This might just be their wishful thinking, but at this moment, they would desperately grab onto even a straw to save their lives.
Zhou Yi naturally wouldn't know what these humans were thinking, and at his level, he no longer cared what these people thought. Saving lives had become a part of his nature and duty, no longer a matter of mere interest.
The value of life was so high that it was no longer suitable to be treated with something as trivial as interest.
Powerful gravity turned into an invincible drill, leading a surging wave of air that instantly tore through the flood's defenses. Under the dual effects of extreme speed and powerful ability, the flood's momentum was instantly curbed.
Like a bridle had been placed upon them, they could no longer surge forward. A more peculiar sight appeared before everyone.
The surging flood began to flow backward. Under the impact of the black figure's shockwave, the endless water flowed back to where it had charged through. Countless giant trees and mud floated in the water, like a giant, earthy-yellow python, winding forward. The momentum was terrifying and spectacular.
However, no matter how terrifying the momentum was at this moment, it was only a temporary show of power. Zhou Yi's power, no matter how great, could not reverse the laws of nature. The flood could not flow backward forever; it would inevitably return to its normal course.
But even this moment was enough. Because the destruction of the dam gave the flood a chance to show its might, taming this beast only required rebuilding a cage. This was Zhou Yi's plan.
The Force Field began to twist and operate at high speed. The highly concentrated Force Field even affected the water's movement, causing the water to twist again into a vortex capable of tearing everything apart. The swirling water scraped against the soaked earth, shredded layers of rock, and drilled deep into the earth, into the middle of the mountains.
When the flexible water became hard, it possessed unimaginable destructive power. The earth rumbled under the flood's impact. With the sinking of the Force Field carrying immense gravity, the water even tore open the mountainous terrain filled with rocks, reshaping a valley in this place.
The geology changed dramatically because of one person's power. He tamed the flood, separated the mountains, and caused the earth to sink.
People watched everything before them in amazement. The flood had completely disappeared, trapped in the newly opened valley. Only a stream of water, like a small creek, still flowed on the streets, telling people of their recent rampage.
A terrifying crisis was rendered invisible in the hands of the so-called superhero, who defeated the terrifying disaster and was even changing the world they lived in.
Many people, no longer caring about the murky water beneath their feet, knelt piously on the ground. Some might be followers of God, but at this moment, they only believed in the deity before them. A deity who lived in reality, far more real than God.
And those who knew of the Dawn Knight became even more excited. Superheroes were already extremely popular in this world, and their fans were definitely no fewer than those of so-called stars. After all, stars gained recognition through fabricated heroic acts, while the actions of superheroes were undoubtedly real. Naturally, they had even more massive support.
These Dawn Knight supporters cheered loudly, shouting the Dawn Knight's name, not at all caring about the threat of the disaster they had just experienced. The atmosphere was so enthusiastic, it was like a major festival.
For a time, the entire town and even the mountains echoed with the same sound. This sound naturally reached Professor Charles's ears. As a master of the mind, he heard not only this cheer but also those voices from the depths of the heart. This near-fanatical emotion couldn't help but make him fall into deep thought.
To be fair, hadn't he done a lot for this world? Actually, no, he had made great contributions to humanity in his youth, even once preventing the outbreak of a nuclear war between two giants. Without him, this world might have already been a post-apocalyptic wasteland, with radiation spreading and humanity eking out a miserable existence.
However, almost no one knew him, let alone cheered for him. Not only him, but all Mutants did not receive this treatment. If a superhero like Zhou Yi was enjoying the life of an upper-class celebrity, they were simply worse than beggars and vagrants, like trash.
If the difference in treatment was due to the difference in abilities, perhaps he wouldn't have any other thoughts. But their abilities weren't bad. Even if they weren't as good as this almost god-like superhero, their huge base could completely erase the gap between them. Compared to the lone Zhou Yi, they had more advantages.
However, reality didn't acknowledge their existence. The Dawn Knight could bask in the cheers of humans in the sunlight, while they, the Mutants, had to tremble under human laws, struggling to survive.
Jealousy inevitably arose in Charles's heart. Although he quickly dispelled this negative emotion, he still felt regret. He regretted the so-called future of the Mutants, something that, in his opinion, had yet to show any sign of dawn.
He felt that he seemed to have to make a choice, but he didn't have the courage to make such a choice. The contradictions of the Mutants and the misunderstandings between them and humans had already become very deep. They had also bred countless hatreds because of these misunderstandings.
A wrong choice could very likely lead to the most terrible consequences. He had made such a mistake with Jason. He had treated Jason as the beginning of easing relations with humans, but he didn't expect that it almost led to the destruction of the Mutants.
With the lessons of the past, as a leader among the Mutants, he dared not and could not make any decisions lightly.
At this moment, Zhou Yi, having resolved everything, had returned to their side. He glanced at Charles, who still wore a bitter smile, and asked calmly.
"You still can't make up your mind, Charles?"
"I can't do this. I can't risk the children to do those dangerous things. Zhou Yi, many of them are children. Why can't they live peacefully like ordinary people?" Charles replied bitterly. Wise as he was, he naturally understood Zhou Yi's meaning. But some decisions were not easily made.
"That's just your way of thinking, not theirs. Isn't it? You just want them to live ordinary lives, but you haven't considered what they really want. You can't stop them from making any choices, even if you're their teacher. It's like everything you did regarding the other being within Jean's body; it was all just your wishful thinking, wasn't it?"
"Jean is different; the personality within her is very dangerous." Charles tried to argue, but he was roughly interrupted.
"I am also dangerous! Charles, your mind is bound by timidity and countless concerns. I admit you are an upright and kind person, but that kindness doesn't help them at all. The world is always moving forward, Charles. Things that don't keep up with progress will be crushed by the tide."
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