[Marvel : Mutant God] Chapter 31 - 35

Chapter 31: The Gift of Despair

As Richard rose and drew the Masamune from the ground, the fourteen mutant agents who had entered the plaza immediately shifted into combat stances.

Though they'd only just arrived, all had received reports of Richard destroying Sentinel robots with strange long-range attacks and critically wounding Benjamin, the Operations Department head. The surveillance team had witnessed Richard taking the gravely injured Benjamin away but hadn't confirmed his death. Out of professional caution—and primarily to preserve morale—they hadn't informed the agents that Benjamin was likely dead.

As Operations Department members, these agents understood Benjamin's considerable power. They were equally familiar with the formidable capabilities of the Sentinel robots—the Department's ultimate countermeasure against mutant threats. Now, confronted with someone who had single-handedly destroyed three Sentinels and incapacitated Benjamin, they recognized that Richard represented the most dangerous adversary they'd faced since joining the department.

If initially they'd questioned Benjamin's decision to issue a Class A warrant for Richard, those doubts had evaporated. In fact, they now believed Benjamin had underestimated their target. Richard's demonstrated ability to destroy multiple Sentinels and grievously wound a senior agent qualified him for an S-class warrant.

After all, even Magneto had only managed to destroy five Sentinels on his own. While Richard's current abilities might not match Magneto's, and he hadn't committed acts that shocked America and the world as Magneto had, his performance tonight alone warranted S-level classification.

Seeing the mutant agents hesitate to attack, Richard wasted no time. He activated Blinkstep, materializing before two agents like a phantom.

Octoslash!

Rather than employing Gravesong or Zanshin, he executed Sephiroth's signature technique. Eight lightning-swift strikes launched in an instant.

Swish-swish-swish-swish-swish-swish-swish-swish!

When Richard had vanished from view, the two agents had become hypervigilant, bracing for his attack from any direction. Yet when he appeared before them and performed Octoslash, they could only watch helplessly as the Masamune carved through their bodies.

Did he really just recently awaken his powers?

In their final moments, this singular question flash through both agents' minds. Then they collapsed, expressions frozen in disbelief and shock—or more accurately, their dismembered bodies fell to the plaza in pieces large and small.

Witnessing Richard kill two agents instantaneously, the remaining operatives, reporters on the helicopter, and viewers watching the broadcast all registered shock. Before Richard, the slain agents had moved with the sluggishness of normies. They'd stood motionless, unable to resist, dodge, or even react visibly as he attacked.

This defies logic!

How is this possible?

He must be using invisible powers!

After seeing two professional agents dispatched so effortlessly, viewers who had assumed Richard couldn't possibly survive the night expressed disbelief. They might have accepted the agents being defeated, but not so completely massacred without landing a single counterattack.

For those who trusted the Department of Mutant Affairs and harbored anti-mutant sentiments, the scene before them demolished their long-held beliefs. Had the agents on-site been able to hear the viewers' shouted curses through their screens, they would have been subjected to the vilest language, demanding to know if they were simply wasting taxpayer dollars.

If the broadcast audience couldn't accept what they witnessed, the on-scene agents found it even more incomprehensible. Beyond shock, watching Richard kill their comrades as easily as crushing ants triggered an instinctive, primal fear. Those with weaker resolve even contemplated immediate departure and resignation.

Though Department positions offered excellent compensation—several times a standard police officer's salary—no paycheck mattered if you weren't alive to spend it. Whatever posthumous benefits the Department provided would mean nothing to the dead.

Richard possessed no telepathic abilities, yet reading the expressions on the agents' faces revealed their uncontrollable terror. Recognizing this, he paused his assault and addressed them:

"I've been contemplating what 'gift' to offer in return for the Class A warrant issued against me by the Department of Mutant Affairs."

"Now, I have my answer!"

"I'll give you despair!"

To ensure the agents heard him clearly, and to guarantee the news helicopters captured his declaration, Richard employed a minor magical technique he'd recently mastered, projecting his voice to reach everyone at the scene and through the broadcast.

Despair?

The agents' expressions darkened to their limit upon hearing Richard's words. Had their abilities permitted, they would have immediately demonstrated how unwelcome his "gift" was. Unfortunately, they lacked such capability.

Though the agents offered no verbal response, Richard had no intention of prolonging the inevitable.

Shift Slash!

Under everyone's watchful gaze, he vanished again.

The next instant, he materialized behind an attractive female agent with an hourglass figure and voluminous golden waves of hair.

Slash!

The Masamune moved with lightning speed, sending the woman's head flying, ending her life without warning.

After executing the female agent, Richard didn't immediately use Blinkstep again. Instead, he summoned Firaga.

The Wall of Fire!

As the spell manifested, a barrier of roaring flames over thirty feet high appeared from thin air, encircling the entire plaza.

Wall of Fire wasn't a separate ability but a variation of Firaga. Whether creating fire walls, fireballs, or pillars of flame, all were possible through this versatile power.

Seeing the blazing barrier instantly surround the square, both the on-site agents and remote viewers immediately grasped Richard's strategy: close the gate and trap the prey.

Understanding his intentions didn't translate to stopping him. The fire wall served dual purposes—preventing the agents' escape while blocking Los Angeles police and special forces outside from providing ranged support.

Under the gaze of countless viewers, Richard began the final phase. Or more accurately, the final slaughter.

Octoslash, Gravesong, Zanshin, Thundaga, Blizzaga, Firaga, Judgement Cut End...

Blinkstep, Repulsion, Ion Shock Wave...

He unleashed his arsenal of skills and X-gene powers one after another, moving like Death itself descended from hell, harvesting agents' lives with methodical fury.

Lightning, ice, and fire interwove in deadly harmony...

Blood splattered and severed limbs scattered across the ground...

Thunder, explosions, screams...

Richard, wielding the Masamune, orchestrated an unforgettable symphony of carnage before countless witnesses.

Chapter 32: Top Mutants

Richard's self-orchestrated slaughter didn't last long—just over a minute, in fact.

Though brief, viewers felt like they were watching an R-rated horror film. Television stations broadcasting the footage immediately applied blur effects, obscuring the agents' gruesome deaths. Even with this censoring, audiences could still discern the scene's horrific bloodshed.

Many viewers experienced nausea, feeling their stomachs churn uncomfortably. The once-bustling online comment sections fell eerily silent, with no new posts appearing.

Particularly notable were the netizens who had previously posted sarcastic remarks—they now frantically deleted their comments. Though it seemed unlikely Richard would hunt them down for their mockery, these users erased their digital footprints by unspoken consensus.

If before they'd watched with voyeuristic anticipation, hoping to see Richard punished by the mutant agents, they now recognized their profound miscalculation. Richard had destroyed multiple Sentinel robots and then calmly waited in the plaza for reinforcements—clear evidence of his absolute confidence.

To have believed the arriving agents could subdue him wasn't mere shortsightedness; it was complete ignorance.

Many mutants suffered discrimination and registration under the Mutant Restriction Act because they lacked power. Richard clearly wasn't among those with unusual appearances and minimal abilities.

Is this the strength of a top-tier mutant?

Are the Los Angeles branch personnel complete idiots?

Why would anyone provoke such a dangerous individual?

Richard would never have imagined that after witnessing his rampage, the very viewers who'd tuned in hoping for his defeat would immediately purge their comments and redirect blame to the branch agents.

After eliminating all fourteen mutant agents, Richard didn't immediately use Blinkstep to depart. Instead, he began harvesting their mutant powers.

Though some agents had died before revealing their abilities—like the first two operatives and the blonde female agent—their powers couldn't have been insignificant. Mutants recruited as Department operatives possessed at least respectable capabilities. Most boasted Beta-level powers to showcase, and even the weakest would have impressive Delta-level abilities. The Department wouldn't have recruited them otherwise.

After completing his power collection, Richard didn't linger to examine the system's information. He used Blinkstep to vanish from the plaza, disappearing from public view.

As he departed, the massive fire wall surrounding the square began dissipating. Within minutes, it had completely vanished. Nevertheless, the Los Angeles police and special forces remained cautious, waiting several more minutes before entering the plaza to collect the fallen agents' remains.

After executing more than twenty consecutive Blinkstep jumps, Richard finally arrived at Sabretooth's hideout.

In the living room, Sabretooth immediately approached him. "So your 'personal business' was killing every agent?"

"Any objections?" Richard countered.

Sabretooth frowned. "I acknowledge your power, but this response will only prompt the Department to send stronger agents after you."

Richard certainly understood that tonight's actions would trigger severe retaliation from the Department, but he remained unconcerned.

"Whether I eliminated all the Los Angeles Branch operatives or not, the Department was never going to let me walk free," he said calmly. "But let's change the subject. With your connections, you should be able to find contact information for Xavier's School. Contact them and ask them to take these children."

"I reached out to my contacts as soon as we returned," Sabretooth replied quickly. "They provided the school's number."

"Then what are you waiting for?" Richard asked, perplexed. "Don't tell me you're planning to adopt these kids yourself?"

"They've already dispatched a team," Sabretooth explained, his expression growing peculiar. "To be precise, they were en route before I even made contact."

Though Sabretooth spoke diplomatically, Richard immediately grasped the subtext.

"I see. They're coming for me." He nodded in understanding. "Now that the Los Angeles branch situation has concluded, it's time we part ways."

As Richard prepared to Blinkstep away, Clarice's voice interrupted:

"They're not coming to arrest you. They only want to bring you to the school to meet Professor X."

"No need," Richard replied firmly. "I have no interest in meeting them at present. I'm leaving now—perhaps we'll cross paths again someday." He smiled at Clarice. "By the way, your cooking is excellent. I enjoyed it tremendously."

With those parting words, he activated Blinkstep, vanishing instantly from their sight.

In the Los Angeles suburbs, Richard settled onto the sofa of an empty house marked with a "For Sale" sign. He called up the system's information panel.

[Gain new abilities: Super Strength, Blinkstep, Accelerated Healing, Energy Absorption, Momentum Shift, Pressure Burst, Illusion Creation, Hurricane Manipulation, Invisibility, Enhanced Senses, Mind Whip, Hypnotic Suggestion!]

[Same type abilities detected, ability fusion in progress!]

[Super Strength, Enhanced Durability, Accelerated Healing, Energy Absorption, and Enhanced Senses enhanced!]

[Hurricane Manipulation can be transformed into the skill 'Aeroga'. Do you wish to transform it?]

Without hesitation, Richard chose "Yes."

[Skill Aeroga acquired!]

[Aeroga Level 1 (0/100)]

[X-Gene Update]

[Alpha level: Plunder, Super Strength, Enhanced Durability, Accelerated Healing]

[Beta level: Blinkstep, Repulsion, Stone Body, Ion Shock Wave, Mental Shielding, Mind Charm, Momentum Shift, Pressure Burst, Illusion Creation, Invisibility, Enhanced Senses, Mind Whip, Hypnotic Suggestion]

[Delta level: Energy Absorption, Telekinesis, Beast Intuition, Bone Claws]

Reviewing the updated X-gene mutant power list, Richard smiled with satisfaction. Though he hadn't acquired any new Alpha-level powers, his haul remained impressive.

His Super Strength, Enhanced Durability, and Accelerated Healing had been enhanced yet again. The Delta-class Energy Absorption had also strengthened. Moreover, his newly acquired Enhanced Senses that was originally Delta-level, upgraded to Beta-level.

Beyond the upgraded Enhanced Senses, his other new abilities—Momentum Shift, Pressure Burst, Illusion Creation, Invisibility, Mind Whip, and Hypnotic Suggestion—all represented significant additions to his arsenal.

Chapter 33: Phantom Sword Teleportation

Richard reclined on the sofa, methodically reviewing the descriptions of his seven newly acquired abilities.

[Enhanced Senses: Telescopic Vision and Spatial Awareness]

[Momentum Shift: Divert attacks directed at you to other directions, causing them to miss or deflect]

[Pressure Burst: Compress air to create projectiles with power and speed comparable to assault rifles, which can be fired continuously]

[Invisibility: Optical Invisibility]

[Illusion Creation: Use the power of the mind to make enemies experience hallucinations]

[Mind Whip: Unleash a mental strike that assaults the target’s spirit, inflicting searing pain that echoes through the body like a surge of electricity.]

[Hypnotic Suggestion: Hypnotize targets through mental power, or implant imperceptible psychological suggestions, causing targets to unconsciously follow your commands]

As usual, the system's descriptions remained minimalist. Nevertheless, they provided sufficient information for Richard to understand the strengths and limitations of each new power.

First, all seven abilities were Beta-level—a respectable classification. Second, each could prove highly effective in specific scenarios. Finally, and most intriguingly, three of his newly plundered powers belonged to the psychic domain.

Combined with Mental Shielding and Mind Charm already in his possession, Richard now commanded five distinct mental abilities. Numerically impressive, these five psychic powers together still paled in comparison to Professor Xavier's telepathic mastery. In truth, they fell significantly short of even Emma Frost, the White Queen of the Hellfire Club.

Though currently inferior to Xavier, Richard firmly believed that continued acquisition of mind manipulation mutant powers would eventually make him a psychic on par with the Professor. His intuition suggested that after plundering just a few more psychic abilities, powers like Mental Shielding, Mind Charm, Illusion Creation, and Hypnotic Suggestion would integrate into a more comprehensive and potent mental capability.

This was merely intuition, but Richard trusted it implicitly.

After examining his new abilities, Richard shifted focus to the system task information.

[Mission "Son of the Devil (II)" completed!]

[Mission reward Phantom Sword has been delivered!]

[Obtain new weapon: Phantom Sword!]

[Phantom Sword: A weapon derived from Virgil, a long sword condensed by mana, functioning as both weapon and skill!]

The system's introduction to the Phantom Sword was characteristically brief. However, for Richard, who already understood its nature, no explanation was necessary—he knew precisely what capabilities the Phantom Sword possessed and how to wield it.

Unlike Dante, Virgil eschewed firearms. Consequently, the Phantom Sword served as Virgil's primary means of ranged attack. Though technically a sword, Virgil rarely employed it in close combat, instead launching it like a flying blade.

Beyond its function as a ranged weapon, the Phantom Sword offered additional strategic utilities. It could immobilize enemies and, most importantly, facilitate teleportation of either the wielder or opponents.

The immobilization function was self-explanatory—it restricted enemy movement. The teleportation capability, however, functioned similarly to Blinkstep but with distinct limitations. Unlike Blinkstep, Phantom Sword teleportation required the sword itself as a medium.

When the Phantom Sword struck an enemy, Richard could choose to teleport himself to the target's position or, conversely, teleport the target to his location. In essence, the Phantom Sword resembled the "Flying Thunder God Technique" with an added reverse teleportation function.

In the game, the Phantom Sword also manifested as a skill with various formations possessing different effects. The system, however, had classified it as a weapon rather than a skill—a distinction Richard welcomed. This classification meant he needed only to adjust his magical output to modulate the Phantom Sword's speed and power.

After mentally reviewing the various sword formations, Richard closed the information panel and immediately attempted to summon the Phantom Sword.

Though both were weapons, the magically-formed Phantom Sword differed fundamentally from the Masamune. The Masamune existed as a physical object, permanent whether in use or not. The Phantom Sword, being energy condensed into form, had limited duration.

When the mana sustaining the Phantom Sword depleted, or after launching it as a projectile, Richard would need to condense a new one.

Despite having just acquired it, Richard had instantaneously mastered the method of forming the Phantom Sword. With a mere thought, he channeled mana from his body, manifesting a meter-long blade that emitted an azure glow.

Examining the Phantom Sword—identical to his mental image—Richard rose from the sofa. Taking the sword in his right hand, he practiced several swings in the living room.

Though Virgil exclusively used the Phantom Sword for ranged attacks, Richard saw no reason to limit himself similarly. Regardless of its intended purpose, the Phantom Sword remained a blade usable in close combat. While its sharpness couldn't match the Masamune, it easily surpassed conventional metal blades.

His Masamune techniques transferred seamlessly to the Phantom Sword, with only one adjustment needed—adapting to its shorter length and correspondingly reduced attack range. This adaptation presented no significant challenge.

After practicing for several minutes, Richard activated Blinkstep and departed the living room, Phantom Sword in hand.

Several consecutive Blinkstepes brought him to a small park just a few kilometers from the house. It was an unremarkable space of modest size, deserted at this late hour.

Upon arrival, Richard identified a large tree approximately seventy to eighty meters away. Without hesitation, he raised his right hand and executed a light swing. The Phantom Sword launched forward like a projectile.

Whoosh!

The sword sliced through the air like a blue laser, leaving a fleeting azure trail in its wake. Within moments, it pierced the tree with perfect accuracy, passing completely through the trunk before embedding itself halfway into another tree several dozen meters beyond.

Witnessing this, Richard immediately activated the Phantom Sword's teleportation ability.

In the next instant, he materialized before the second tree as if he'd used Blinkstep. While Blinkstep and Phantom Sword teleportation appeared identical, Richard immediately discerned their subtle differences.

Setting aside fundamental distinctions, the Phantom Sword's teleportation felt slightly "faster" than Blinkstep. This wasn't a matter of actual velocity but of activation time—the Phantom Sword required no "wind-up" period.

The moment Richard conceived the desire to teleport, he instantaneously materialized at the Phantom Sword's location. Blinkstep, conversely, demanded a brief "start-up" interval. Under normal circumstances, this fraction of a second proved negligible, but in ultra-high-speed combat, it could become a fatal liability.

Though few enemies could exploit this brief vulnerability—mere tenths of a second—it remained Blinkstep's inherent weakness. Inessa, whom Richard had dispatched with Octoslash in the restaurant parking lot, had fallen victim to a similar tactical opening.

Having experienced the distinction between Phantom Sword teleportation and Blinkstep, Richard opted to continue practicing rather than return to the vacant house. Mere knowledge of a technique differed vastly from true proficiency.

To rapidly familiarize himself with the Phantom Sword's applications across various scenarios, thorough practice was essential. Barring unforeseen developments, tomorrow would find him the Department of Mutant Affairs' most wanted fugitive, second only to Magneto himself.

While Richard honed his Phantom Sword techniques in the empty park, Cyclops and Storm piloted the X-Men's iconic Blackbird jet at maximum velocity toward Los Angeles.

Simultaneously, Mystique led several Brotherhood of Mutants members on their own urgent journey to the city.

Chapter 34: The Transformer Witch

The next morning, Richard awoke in the master bedroom of the vacant house. Though not yet eight o'clock, he knew it was time to leave—the real estate agent would soon arrive with potential buyers.

After retrieving toiletries from his system space—towels, toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, and shower gel—he headed directly to the bathroom to freshen up.

Half an hour later, washed and dressed in clean clothes, he used Blinkstep to depart. Rather than immediately leaving Los Angeles, he teleported to a nearby neighborhood and located a decent chain restaurant.

With a baseball cap and sunglasses providing minimal disguise, he entered calmly and ordered a standard American breakfast from the server: coffee, fried eggs, bacon, sausages, and bread.

As he enjoyed his meal, Richard watched the morning news playing on the restaurant's television. Unsurprisingly, his rampage at the Los Angeles branch dominated headlines across all major news channels and newspapers.

"Experts" invited by various stations analyzed his actions with practiced eloquence. Official spokespersons from the Department of Mutant Affairs and other agencies vowed to bring him to justice at the earliest possible moment.

While watching, Richard retrieved a disposable phone from his system space and searched his name online. As anticipated, reports about him saturated the internet:

"65 Dead! Illegal Mutant Attacks Los Angeles Branch of Department of Mutant Affairs!"

"Horrific Live Broadcast! Los Angeles Branch Becomes Living Hell!"

"Revenge or Provocation? Illegal Mutant's Killing Spree!"

"From Wealthy Heir to Mass Murderer: Who is Richard Wesley?"

"The 'Natural Enemy of Mutants' Falls! Safety Promised by Department of Mutant Affairs Proves Hollow!"

"Bloody Slaughter by Illegal Mutant! Birth of the Silver-Haired Devil!"

After skimming these reports, Richard logged into a Los Angeles community forum. Immediately, he encountered countless posts related to him. Browsing through several pages, he discovered something unexpected—his massacre at the Los Angeles branch had earned him a cult following overnight.

These zealous fans not only flooded comment sections across various platforms but had already established dedicated websites and forums. They'd bestowed multiple nicknames upon him: Silver-Haired Grim Reaper, Sword Daddy, Silver Samurai, Angel of Death, The Silver Seraph, The Conductor of Death...

Richard shook his head helplessly at these monikers and the fan-designed images and logos featuring his likeness. Though uncertain of these followers' identities, their willingness to post without fear of repercussion suggested they were normies rather than mutants.

The Mutant Restriction Act forced both registered and unregistered mutants to maintain low profiles. Exceptions existed, of course—like the Brotherhood of Mutants and other radical elements who actively sought chaos.

After browsing these fan sites for several minutes, Richard returned the disposable phone to his system space. If he were a celebrity or influencer, he might have appreciated this sudden fanbase. But he was neither.

Today, he ranked as an S-class fugitive of the Department of Mutant Affairs. While reviewing the news, he'd discovered the Department headquarters had elevated his status from Class A to Class S—their highest threat designation.

The Department of Mutant Affairs had also placed a staggering bounty on his head: $100 million for his capture, dead or alive. Even those providing reliable information stood to gain between $5,000 and $3 million, depending on the intelligence's value.

*{Can only be redeem if the caller called to the dedicated tip line}

Furthermore, either to provoke him or to entrap him, the Department of Mutant Affairs had publicly announced that the Wesley family's "illegally acquired assets" would be auctioned in three days. These included the family's ancestral home, art collections, land holdings, and more.

Had he been the original Richard Wesley, such news would have infuriated him. But this Richard felt nothing. Less than an hour after crossing into this world, he had disbanded "Crimson Manor" established by his predecessor's father and personally burned its main building.

If the Department hoped to draw him out with such obvious trap, they'd severely miscalculated. Beyond his lack of attachment to the Wesley legacy, Richard remained unconcerned for another reason: whatever the Department confiscated and auctioned, he intended to make them—and the U.S. government—repay with interest later.

As he finished breakfast and prepared to leave, four strangers—one woman and three men—approached his table.

"May I join you?" asked the blonde, curvaceous woman who appeared to be in her early twenties.

"Whatever. I was about to pay and leave anyway," Richard replied, placing several bills on the table.

"Don't I look like your type?" she asked, her voice low enough that only he could hear. "Richard Wesley."

Upon hearing his name, Richard's instinct was to summon the Masamune and eliminate the threat. However, seeing the woman's pupils shift instantaneously from green to blue, he reconsidered.

He recognized her identity immediately. "Mystique."

With the blonde's identity confirmed, the three men accompanying her required little deduction.

"Did Magneto send you?" Richard asked.

"Can't I simply want to meet you?" Mystique countered.

"If you're going to waste my time with this nonsense, we have nothing further to discuss."

Though Mystique currently presented as undeniably attractive, Richard felt no interest when considering her natural appearance and actual age. From a purely power-based perspective, Mystique represented the ultimate "transformer"—possessing her meant access to countless forms.

But knowing she matched Professor Xavier in age, with blue-scaled skin resembling reptilian textures, extinguished any desire he might have felt.

He wasn't so shallow as to be swayed by mere appearances!

Beyond physical beauty, he valued a woman's "inner qualities" as well!

Chapter 35: Scarlet Witch and North Star

Richard's dismissive response left Mystique frowning. Though she'd never met him personally—only his father—she had assumed that a young man his age would be easily manipulated, incapable of resisting her charm.

Her current form represented a meticulously crafted composite of several Hollywood A-list actresses, combining their most appealing features. This appearance could seduce not only inexperienced youth but also worldly middle-aged men. After all, the actresses she'd chosen ranked among America's most desirable women.

Yet surprisingly, her carefully designed appearance failed to impress Richard in the slightest. A man's interest in a woman revealed itself in his eyes, before anything else—and Richard's betrayed absolutely no fascination with her.

Could he prefer men? The thought materialized unbidden in Mystique's mind.

Same-sex attraction wasn't uncommon in America. The country even legalized same-sex marriage. As this possibility occurred to her, something shifted in her gaze.

Though she could transform into a handsome man just as easily, she had no intention of doing so. Regardless of her appearance, her sexual orientation remained constant. She excelled at seducing men while disguised as beautiful women, but transforming into a man to seduce another man crossed a personal boundary.

Seducing a woman while disguised as another woman, however—that remained within her comfort zone.

After studying Richard for several seconds, she continued:

"Erik sent me here to inquire whether you'd be interested in joining the Brotherhood of Mutants." She skipped the pleasantries, delivering Magneto's offer directly. "He also instructed me to inform you that should you join the Brotherhood, he'll personally ensure the Wesley family assets are returned to you with interest."

Richard smiled and shook his head. "I have no plans to join any mutant organization at present—neither the Brotherhood nor the X-Men. Furthermore, I don't require anyone's assistance reclaiming the Wesley family holdings. What was taken from me, I'll recover with my own hands."

Confidence radiated from him as he met Mystique's gaze. While he didn't yet possess the strength to challenge the U.S. government and Department of Mutant Affairs directly, given sufficient time to develop his abilities, he felt absolutely certain he could someday contend not merely with the countries powers but with the three great cosmic empires simultaneously: Shi'ar, Kree, and Skrull.

"I acknowledge your impressive capabilities," Mystique conceded. "Single-handedly eliminating all mutant agents in the Los Angeles branch demonstrates considerable power. However, you must realize the Los Angeles branch represents just one of dozens within the Department of Mutant Affairs network."

She leaned forward slightly. "Your ability to handle one branch doesn't equate to challenging the entire Department of Mutant Affairs. More critically, the X-Men won't remain passive. According to my intelligence, they arrived in Los Angeles last night and are actively searching for you."

Mystique wasn't surprised by Richard's reluctance. In fact, immediate acceptance would have raised her suspicions. Generally, young mutants possessing extraordinary powers developed an instinctive arrogance.

St. John Allardyce—"Pyro"—provided a perfect example. While attending Xavier's School, he'd demonstrated mere rebelliousness. After joining the Brotherhood, however, this evolved into genuine superiority complex, reinforcing the belief that humans represented inferior creatures. He'd even modified his name, inserting "Saint" before John Allardyce.

"I'm not so arrogant as to believe I can challenge the Department of Mutant Affairs in my current state," Richard replied. "Nevertheless, I remain disinclined to join the Brotherhood—at least for now. I appreciate Magneto's generosity."

While joining the Brotherhood would certainly secure Magneto's assistance, Richard preferred avoiding such obligations. More importantly, Magneto appeared unaware of his own children's whereabouts.

Specifically, "Scarlet Witch" Wanda and "Polaris" Lorna weren't currently affiliated with the Brotherhood. Had they been present, Richard might have considered Magneto's offer more seriously. Unfortunately, neither was available, and Richard had no knowledge of their locations.

This universe differed significantly from both the Marvel Cinematic Universe and X-Men film continuity he recognized, substantially diminishing the advantage his transmigrator knowledge typically provided.

Seeing Richard's resolute expression, Mystique sighed. "I've delivered my message. Since you decline Brotherhood membership at present, our business concludes."

She stood to leave with her three companions. After several steps, however, she paused and turned back. Deliberately leaning forward to emphasize her generous décolletage, she addressed him in a seductively honeyed tone.

"I'll remain in Los Angeles until tomorrow. Should you reconsider—or simply find yourself bored tonight—you're welcome to visit my hotel."

As she spoke, Mystique extracted a hotel room card from her jacket pocket and extended it toward Richard.

Though diplomatically phrased, her subtext couldn't have been clearer. Richard ignored the proffered card.

"No need," he responded evenly. "I'm not interested in old w... women significantly older than myself."

He'd initially intended to say "old woman" but opted for a marginally more tactful phrasing. Even with this moderation, Mystique's expression instantly frosted over.

Though far from ordinary, she shared with most women a particular sensitivity regarding age references.

"You..." Considering the power disparity between them, Mystique suppressed her indignation, settling for a venomous glare before departing with her associates.

After they left, Richard paid his bill and exited the restaurant, seeking an isolated location to practice his abilities. He hoped to advance all his current skills to level three as quickly as possible.

Shortly after leaving, however, his Mental Shielding ability triggered a powerful warning: someone was using telepathy to pinpoint his location!

Several names immediately flashed through his mind. Professor X? Jean Grey? Emma Frost, the White Queen of the Hellfire Club? While numerous mutants possessed telepathic abilities, these three represented the most formidable within this timeline.

Mental Shielding could shield him from mental intrusion to a degree but couldn't identify the telepath targeting him.

Without hesitation, Richard activated Blinkstep—consecutively. Though Blinkstep wasn't a psychic ability, constantly changing positions effectively prevented telepaths from maintaining their lock.

Soon, he arrived in a forest dozens of kilometers from Los Angeles. Despite the distance, the unknown telepath quickly reacquired his position.

Persistent, aren't you? Richard inwardly cursed.

Though still uncertain who tracked him, one thing remained clear—he deeply resented this invasion. Without Mental Shielding's partial protection against telepathic intrusion, he wouldn't have detected the surveillance. Worse, without this defense, a telepath could potentially read his memories or alter his subconscious without his awareness.

This vulnerability—whether location tracking, memory scanning, or subconscious manipulation—deeply disturbed him. It violated his fundamental sense of privacy and security.

After brief deliberation, Richard abandoned evasion. Instead, he settled on a nearby boulder, withdrew the Masamune from his system space, and methodically began polishing the blade while awaiting his pursuer's arrival.

Time ticked forward.

Within ten minutes, a sleek black aircraft with distinctly advanced technology appeared on the horizon.

The Blackbird!

Upon recognizing the X-Men's iconic jet, Richard immediately identified his telepathic tracker.

The Phoenix Force host.

Jean Grey.