But compared with the students, who were lost and at a loss, Chen Xiao felt little grief. He knew the professor was most likely still alive.
What truly held his attention now was the system interface quietly appearing in the corner of his vision.
On the screen, his spirit attribute was slowly but steadily approaching the thousand-point mark.
Indeed, even though his constitution had long since surpassed three thousand and his one-handed grip strength exceeded fifty tons, his spirit had only just reached the threshold of a thousand points.
And an almost instinctive premonition told him that once he crossed that threshold, something would change.
After an unknown stretch of time, the value finally passed one thousand.
Hum.
An invisible ripple swept through his body. Instantly, comfort flooded every part of him, as though years of blockages had cleared away at once. The faint sense of sluggishness within his body vanished completely.
"Congratulations, host. Your soul and body have completed their final fusion." "Reconstructing attribute panel..." "Recalibrating Superman talents..." "Refreshing X-Gene potential in sync..."
Feeling the earth-shaking changes within him, Chen Xiao slowly exhaled, the corners of his lips lifting slightly. "Finally. No wonder something always felt off."
In theory, Superman's various abilities-Super Thinking, Heat Vision, Super Hearing, and so on-were not powers awakened later in life, but innate physiological instincts.
Just as people used their eyes to see and their mouths to eat, they needed no "trigger" or "awakening."
They only needed time to awaken naturally under yellow sunlight, evolving in step with the body's growth.
Yet before this, even after Chen Xiao had integrated the Superman template, those abilities had been slow to appear. Heat Vision and flight had only barely activated through external stimulation.
As for the extraordinary comprehension that allowed him to grasp something completely with a glance, or the godlike hearing that could independently filter and categorize information, there had not been the slightest sign of either... But at that moment, a sensation as cool and clear as mountain springwater poured in through the top of his head and flowed throughout his body. Chen Xiao felt everything relax, from deep within his marrow to his fingertips and the ends of his hair, even the most hidden corners of his consciousness. Like rain after a long drought, it finally filled in the missing piece.
His senses themselves had not changed: his sight, hearing, and sense of smell were just as sensitive as before. But his brain was clearly working faster, and his comprehension had abruptly risen by a considerable margin.
Problems that had once stumped him now became clear with a single thought. Complex deductions and logical analysis flowed as naturally and smoothly as water.
Previously, whenever he unleashed his hearing, every sound in the academy rushed into his ears at once-footsteps in the corridors, pages turning in classrooms, spatulas clattering in the kitchen, distant birdsong... They all blended into a buzzing din that made his temples throb. So most of the time, he kept his five senses restrained to an ordinary person's level.
Now, however, those sounds automatically separated into layers and fell into place in his ears. Irrelevant noise quietly faded, while important sounds were clearly isolated and amplified in a specific direction, orderly and effortless.
His smell and sight changed as well.
Hum!
Chen Xiao's eyes suddenly lit up. Two beams of translucent white light swept outward like searchlights in a fan, landing on the concrete rooftop beneath his feet.
In an instant, the solid concrete faded away layer by layer in his vision, revealing the room below without any obstruction.
On the window seat, the young Kitty rested her chin in her hands, lost in thought. Her vacant gaze was directed outside, and she was wearing...
Ahem!
With a slight shift of thought, Chen Xiao instantly withdrew his X-Ray Vision and turned his attention back to the attribute panel.
Host: Chen Xiao [Vitas Chen] Race: human Level: one star Bloodline: Kryptonian Superman [Bronze Age] Strength: grip strength, 52 tons; punching force, 300 tons Speed: 230-420 meters per second Eyes: Heat Ray [traits: temperatures of 2,000-7,000°C, with kinetic impact]; X-rays [can penetrate the vast majority of nonmaterial obstacles] Ears: can directionally capture any faint sound within one kilometer, without requiring a transmission medium such as air Brain: real-time computing power approaching that of a high-performance computer Defense: Man of Steel; Bio-Force Field [nascent, extremely weak] Physiology: cells throughout the body can continuously evolve through sunlight X-Gene abilities: Energy Berserk [burns stored energy within the body, instantly increasing strength fivefold]; Energy Fission [level two, spontaneous energy fission with explosive properties] Origin: 4 Functions: Virtual Battlefield; storage space [2 × 2 meters]
Compared with before, the panel was now far more detailed. Hearing, vision, thinking, and other modules had all been recalibrated, categorized, and labeled.
The strength section had gained another dimension: for the first time, it listed punching force alongside grip strength. And compared with his previous estimate of "twice his grip strength," the actual increase far exceeded his expectations.
The reason was likely that he had already broken through to the realm of "strength coursing through the entire body." When he punched, he could fully mobilize every inch of muscle and every nerve in his torso, achieving a sixfold increase over his base strength.
And under the fivefold berserk boost, three hundred tons of punching force shot straight up to fifteen hundred tons. Add the powerful subsonic kinetic energy, and his theoretical peak approached four to five thousand tons.
That was precisely what gave him the confidence to clash head-on with Juggernaut when unleashing his level-one ability, despite having only fifty-two tons of grip strength.
Just as Chen Xiao was absorbed in his physical transformation, his outer ear suddenly twitched.
Clarice quietly appeared at the rooftop entrance. With a slight frown, she hurried up behind him and lowered her voice. "Vitas, Ms. Ororo wants you in the office."
Chen Xiao gave a small nod. "All right. I'm coming."
As for why Storm had summoned him, he had already heard it clearly.
In the office, Storm sat quietly in an armchair. Wolverine leaned against the window, gazing heavily out beyond the grounds, his thoughts unknown.
Opposite her, Iceman and Colossus sat side by side, their expressions downcast.
On the sofa to one side, the slender Shadowcat leaned against a cushion, grief still lingering on her face. She still struggled to accept the professor's death.
Beast, Hank, who had rushed back after hearing the terrible news, also sat silently nearby.
As for Rogue Anna, who had received the injection,
after learning of the professor's death last night, the last glimmer in her eyes had gone out completely. Under Logan's gaze, she had silently turned and left the academy.
Just then, steady footsteps sounded. The black-haired youth entered with his usual expression and, under everyone's gaze, calmly sat down beside Kitty Pryde.
Looking at that unruffled face, Storm and the others inexplicably felt that Chen Xiao seemed different today.
More composed, more grounded.
There was no anxiety in his eyes, only certainty; no hesitation, only calm, as though every difficulty in the world was merely a problem waiting to be solved before him.
Sitting motionless, he was like a verdant peak standing in silence, possessing an unshakable weight of his own.
People really do grow through experience. Storm sighed softly inwardly.
Similar thoughts crossed the others' minds.
Without discussing it, they all concluded that this composure was the mark the professor's death had left on him.
Everyone was there. Iceman looked around, his voice low and hoarse. "What should we do about the school now?"
His words carried bewilderment, like a lost traveler standing at a fork in the road, not knowing which way to go.
Hank paused briefly, his voice slow and low. "Charles founded this school. Now that he's gone, the school should come to an end with him.
"Let the students go home."
Unlike most mutants who had endured discrimination, Hank was more like a scientist trapped by his genes. He had long been troubled by his mutated form and had always struggled to balance reason and identity.
Ideologically, he and Professor X were closely aligned, advocating coexistence between mutants and humans.
For that reason, he had long had reservations about Scott's continued intensification of combat training for the senior students, and had ultimately chosen to leave the academy.
He loathed Magneto's establishment of the Brotherhood and his constant provocation of conflict even more.
Now that the professor had suddenly passed away, beyond his grief, he felt an even deeper loneliness. There was one fewer person who shared his ideals.
Without the professor's protection, this already highly sensitive academy would inevitably attract covetous attention and pressure from all sides.
There were already people eyeing this place hungrily.
Rather than wait for the flames of war to destroy everything, it would be better to disband now and let the children return to their homes.
Besides, a mutant cure was now available. After taking it, they could return to ordinary lives.
Hank's words struck everyone in the chest like a heavy hammer, stopping even their breathing for a moment.
Iceman's Adam's apple bobbed, his voice dry. "Most people have nowhere to go. Without the academy, where else can we put down roots?"
At those words, silence fell around them, broken only by quiet sighs.
Yes. Where could they go if they left this place?
Not to mention the students rescued from underground laboratories and secret research institutes. Their own parents had abandoned them long ago, and society had cast them out. The academy was the only home they knew. Closing its doors would be no different from pushing those children back to the edge of a cliff.
Just then, Chen Xiao spoke, his tone even, yet cutting through the stagnant air like a blade. "Why should it close?"
Every gaze turned to him at once. His expression unchanged, he continued, "The professor founded this school to give wounded children a place to stay."
"After all these decades, this place has long since become more than classrooms and dormitories. It's a shield, a spark, the last light deep in the hearts of countless mutants."
"Really disband it? That wouldn't be carrying on his final wishes. It would be crushing his life's work with our own hands. For many people, that would hurt even more than losing him."
With that, he looked at Storm. "Ms. Ororo, is the school short of money?"
Storm shook her head. "The funding comes from a company controlled by the professor's family. A professional team manages it, and the money arrives on time every month."
"Even our X-Men salaries and mission bonuses are all paid by that company."
Chen Xiao nodded and looked around at everyone. "We have the money, the teachers are all here, and classes can continue as usual. So why can't the school keep running?"
His words were like a stone cast into stagnant water, jolting everyone.
Right. The facilities were intact, and the people were still here. Why did everything have to stop?
Did this beacon have to go dark just because Charles was gone? That would truly be letting him down.
Hank sighed softly and tapped his fingers on the table. "It's not that simple. Besides money and people, there are undercurrents we can't see."
"Before, Charles's prestige kept the various factions from daring to reach in. In their eyes, the academy was forbidden ground they couldn't touch."
"But now that he's gone... if we keep stubbornly holding on, I'm afraid we'll run into a real brick wall."