Wisps of smoke rose from the charred turf, and the air was filled with the acrid smell of high-energy Radiation burns.
In the deathly silence, Peter strode forward, walking step by step toward Jean Grey, who had fallen to the ground.
Fear filled Jean's eyes. Facing a monster like Peter, who could not be measured by any common logic, she could only frantically kick her feet against the ground, her body retreating backward.
Seemingly noticing that the atmosphere was wrong, Cyclops hesitated for a moment before finally forcing himself to block Peter's path, despite his discomfort.
But before he could do anything, Peter's gaze swept over him first.
Conqueror's Haki!
Before he could even open his eyes, Cyclops passed out on the spot without even letting out a groan.
Having dealt with this final obstacle, Peter arrived in front of Jean Grey, who had nowhere left to retreat.
"Don't come any closer!"
Jean instinctively mobilized her telekinesis, attempting to push Peter away.
But Peter's hand ignored this fragile barrier, grasping her wrist as precisely as if passing through water, and pinned her against the wall in a wall-slam pose.
The moment their skin made contact, Jean shuddered, resigning herself to her fate as she closed her eyes, tears even hanging from her long eyelashes.
Seeing her looking like a delicate flower about to be ravished.
Peter suddenly found it somewhat amusing, so he just watched her quietly, almost face-to-face.
One second, three seconds, five seconds... half a minute.
A full half-minute passed, yet the humiliating and painful scenes she had imagined did not occur.
Jean opened her eyes in disbelief, only to be met with a handsome face wearing a smirk that was just begging to be punched.
"What were you expecting?" Peter asked Jean Grey, knowing the answer.
Jean, who had just turned 16, had never encountered such a situation. Her small, round face was so red it looked like it could drip blood; let alone speaking, she didn't even dare to look at Peter again.
Tsk~
Seeing this, Peter couldn't help but curl his lip.
How boring!
If he had played like this with Gwen when he had just awakened his past-life memories, he would have found it infinitely amusing.
But now, Jean's reaction was truly boring to him.
Just as he was thinking this, a green light suddenly lit up from the dial on Peter's left wrist.
Peter looked down and discovered that Jean Grey's Mutant gene had been successfully collected.
[DNA sample collection successful: Omega-level Mutant]
Peter looked at the translucent panel appearing in his field of vision, his brows furrowing almost imperceptibly.
The information stream from the panel and his mind told him that he had not obtained what he truly desired—the Phoenix Force itself.
What he had obtained now was only Jean's own Mutant talent—the ability that was highly similar to Invisible Woman Susan's, yet possessed subtle differences (Susan could turn optically invisible, while Jean had telepathy).
Tsk~
This made Peter frown involuntarily.
He had originally thought that this collection would be like when he collected the Fantastic Four's genes before, where he would directly obtain their abilities, but it seemed that was not the case.
However, it made sense; the Fantastic Four had their body structures directly altered by Galactus using cosmic Radiation, which belonged to rewriting at the genetic level.
But Jean Grey was different.
She was essentially just an Omega-level Mutant.
It was just that the Phoenix Force had a special fondness for her, so it had injected a portion of its origin power into her body before she was born.
[So... essentially, I only obtained Jean's superpowers and... a constitution that attracts the Phoenix Force?]
[What is this? I wanted to drink water, but ended up with... a water bottle?]
[Judging by this situation, I can't leave this World early after all.]
[I'll likely have to wait until the Apocalypse storyline reaches its finale, when Jean releases the Phoenix Force herself, to have a chance to take this power for myself.]
With this thought, Peter already had a complete plan in his mind.
Ignoring Jean Grey, who had yet to recover from her shyness, Peter used Soru to flash in front of the man slumped in the wheelchair.
Charles Xavier leaned against the back of the chair. The residual blood at the corner of his mouth made him look disheveled, but he still tried hard to maintain his dignity, though his azure eyes were filled with vigilance and scrutiny.
Peter ignored Professor's scrutinizing gaze, walked up to the wheelchair in a carefree manner, and looking down at him from above, said:
"For the coming days, I will be staying here."
He used the tone of stating a fact, clearly giving the other party no room for negotiation.
Before Charles could respond, Beast Hank had already struggled to crawl up from the ground, dragging a clearly injured leg, and like a blue wall of flesh, blocked firmly in front of the wheelchair.
"Fxxk u, you aren't welcome here, monster!" Hank let out a low roar, baring his sharp fangs, and assumed a defensive stance.
"Ha~ Looking like that, yet you're the one accusing me of being a monster? Impressive, you've really mastered the art of double standards~"
Peter retorted with a taunt, and only after Beast was rendered speechless did he turn to look at Professor again.
Professor took a deep breath, but ultimately lifted his slightly trembling right hand and pressed it onto Hank's muscular shoulder.
"Hank, stand down." Charles's voice was hoarse but carried an irresistible authority.
"Professor!" Hank turned back, his eyes full of unwillingness:
"He almost beat Impact to death!"
"Stand down." Charles emphasized his tone, signaling with his eyes for him not to make a pointless sacrifice.
Hank's tense muscles slowly relaxed. He unwillingly retracted his claws and stepped aside very slowly, but his eyes remained fixed on Peter like a leopard.
Charles braced his hands on the armrests, tried to sit up straight, and spoke to Peter with a smile:
"Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters... has always been committed to the peaceful coexistence of humans and Mutants. So, of course, we welcome anyone, including lost travelers, provided that you do not harm others in the school without cause."
Speaking of this, he paused, and finally said with a hint of bitterness:
"Regarding today's events, we indeed did some things wrong. Please allow me, as the Dean of the school, to apologize to you on behalf of these children, sir!"
Hearing this, Cyclops, Beast, and Phoenix, who were by his side, all felt a sense of existential doubt.
We were clearly the ones who got beaten up! Now we actually have to apologize to the perpetrator?
Is there no justice? Is there no law!
Peter took in the aggrieved gazes of the others, and a moment later, he smiled with satisfaction:
"Very good, kid, you've really opened up your path, haven't you!"
"I like young men with vision, so I can do you a small favor. Consider it my payment for the accommodation~"
As he spoke, Peter immediately lifted his foot and walked toward Impact.
*******************************
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