"Furthermore, the Mutants Republic has recently had a series of clashes with several major powers, stemming from these countries secretly setting up roadblocks to prevent Mutants from leaving the country."
"To this end, Magneto personally went to negotiate with the Phoenix Force. In the Britain, which took a hard line, the two sides were on the verge of a confrontation and almost turned against each other on the spot."
"It is said that dark clouds loomed over London that day, as if the end of the world was approaching."
"Although a fight didn't ultimately break out, it's widely believed that Britain was intimidated by the Phoenix Force and forced to concede."
"Furthermore, fueled by the internet, the antagonism between ordinary people and Mutants has quietly intensified."
"Besides..."
With the old butler's detailed explanation, Chen Xiao quickly grasped the recent situation.
Overall, there were no earth-shattering changes; the fact that various countries were preventing Mutants from leaving the country was also within his expectations.
Although Magneto has established a nation and wants to rely on Mutants worldwide to build a prosperous society, it will be quite difficult. The pie is only so big; if you take a bigger slice, others will inevitably take less. Not to mention that groups with diametrically opposed views are naturally difficult to unite.
Therefore, it was entirely expected that they would secretly sabotage us.
Iron Man's sudden emergence, however, drew his attention a bit more.
This means that the Avengers are about to take shape, and the assembly of the alliance often foreshadows the appearance of the Mind Stone on Earth.
As for the Space Stone, it is currently located somewhere on Earth; however, he does not intend to act prematurely, but will wait for Loki to deliver the Mind Stone to him before making his move.
"By the way, young master, a strange thing happened last night in a small town in New Mexico, Mexico."
"What's up?"
"Last night, a large patch of aurora suddenly appeared outside the town, illuminating the entire night sky, followed by a shooting star streaking down in flames."
"This morning, someone rushed over to check and discovered a huge impact crater; however, there were no rubble at the bottom of the crater, only a hammer lying there quietly."
"Hammer?" Chen Xiao raised an eyebrow slightly.
"Yes, it's a hammer; nobody can lift it, not even shake it."
"This strange incident immediately attracted a large crowd in the town, and even the local newspaper and television station came to interview and report on it."
Chen Xiao nodded slightly, as if he had figured something out. He was now about 70-80% sure of where the hammer came from.
Thor?
Before the words were finished, a long-lost notification sound suddenly rang out from the depths of my mind, clear and steady:
Main quest triggered: Defeat the ' Destroyer ' and demonstrate Superman's power to the false gods.
"Mission accomplished, reward: 3 points of Origin."
"Three points of Origin?" Chen Xiao's eyes flickered slightly, a hint of surprise in them.
He knew better than anyone how precious the Origin was; his two previous uses had already made him truly feel the qualitative change in his power; and the key to his subsequent advancement to Silver- level Superman lay precisely in this. He hadn't expected the reward to be so generous this time.
As for the difficulty? He didn't take it seriously at all.
Compared to his previous missions, his strength has now increased by several levels. Even if Odin himself came, they would have to fight to the death to see who prevails.
He turned to the red-haired girl beside him. " Yidileisi, would you like to embark on an impromptu journey?"
"Huh?!" She was taken aback at first, then her eyes lit up and a smile spread across her face. "Darling, really?" She was already overjoyed to be able to go out with him.
"But we need to prepare some things first. Let's go."
Chen Xiao stood up, Yidileisi immediately followed, her face beaming with joy.
The butler stood there, completely bewildered: Why did the young master suddenly decide to go on a trip?
As Chen Xiao descended to the second basement level, Yidileisi paused, her gaze sweeping over both sides before she froze in shock.
The entire wall was embedded with rows of independent glass display cases, filled with various battle suits: there was the Pegasus armor she had worn, as well as the black Draco that Chen Xiao usually used; there were also several Superman suits that resembled the comic book designs but had very different details, and a black suit that was matte all over and obviously made of a special alloy.
"Darling, what... are these?"
"The combat equipment I make," Chen Xiao said casually, "Like this suit I'm wearing now. Don't be fooled by its ordinary-looking appearance; it's actually made from high-polymer composite materials."
"Fireproof, corrosion-resistant, bulletproof; extremely flexible, tear-resistant, breathable and comfortable to wear."
"It integrates an encrypted communication module, is resistant to dirt and water, and is capable of handling both daily operations and emergency raids."
"... A surprise attack?" Yidileisi blinked, feeling that something was off about what she was hearing.
Is all that effort put into developing high-tech combat suits just for this?
"Here, this set is yours."
Chen Xiao casually picked up a well-tailored black women's suit and handed it over.
Yidileisi caught it instinctively; the touch on her fingertips was light yet solid, as thin as a cicada's wing, yet faintly revealing a metallic, heavy texture.
Does a piece of clothing really need to go to this extent?
At this moment, Chen Xiao strolled to a corner and stood before a black Superman suit covered in scales, resembling light armor, and said with a hint of regret, "Unfortunately, this suit isn't finished yet."
His original plan was to draw inspiration from the Iron Man armor to create a suit with a built-in micro nuclear fusion core that could continuously release simulated sunlight energy.
From now on, he will no longer need to fly high into the sky to bask in the sun; he can replenish his energy and advance anytime, anywhere.
More importantly, Superman relies on stellar radiation. If he were to be forcibly transported to a planet of perpetual night or the dark depths of space by an enemy and unable to escape for a while, his energy would eventually be depleted.
With this suit of armor, the crisis was easily resolved.
In the future, if capabilities allow, we could even compress a yellow dwarf star and embed it into the core of the armor...
Of course, this idea is indeed a bit too far ahead right now.
Old Bridge, New Mexico.
As soon as the strange phenomenon appeared outside the city, the town became lively. People from surrounding towns flocked to see the spectacle, all wanting to try and shake the giant hammer hanging in mid-air.
In the afternoon, in a corner restaurant, local residents sat in small groups, their glasses clinking together. Someone slammed their fist on the table and cursed.
"Damn it! Who do those people think they are? What gives them the right to block people from getting close!"
"Exactly! If I hadn't forgotten my weapons, I would have given them a taste of their own medicine long ago!"
"We should go find the mayor and formally negotiate. That hammer originally belonged to our town!"
As soon as he finished speaking, a silver luxury car came to a smooth stop in front of the store, attracting everyone's attention.
But what everyone was really staring at wasn't the car, but the girl with fiery red hair and exquisite features in the back seat of the convertible.
Chen Xiao pushed open the door and entered, his gaze sweeping across the entire room. He then took Yidileisi, who was carrying a long sword and smiling, and sat down by the window.
"Boss, two cups of black coffee, a pizza, a steak, and some cheese-baked..."
He was indeed hungry after driving for half a day.
As they were talking, the four people walked into the restaurant one after the other.
The moment they stepped across the threshold, Chen Xiao's gaze locked onto the blond young man who was nearly 1.9 meters tall, with broad shoulders and a thick back, looking just like a top gym instructor.
In Chen Xiao's eyes, this person appeared no different from an ordinary person, but his bone density and muscle structure far surpassed those of ordinary people; moreover, a powerful force that had been dormant for a long time was slowly pulsating within his body, faintly revealing a sense of oppression.
Chen Xiao understood immediately: Thor was indeed here.
It wasn't a coincidence.
This town is too small; this is the only decent restaurant—clean, bright, and that's about it.
The four walked straight to a round table in the center of the hall. The brown-haired woman waved and called out, "Hey! Izzy, a sandwich cake and four coffees, please!"
A voice responded from the kitchen, "Coming right away!"
Thor sat down and glanced around, his gaze quickly landing on the calm-looking black-haired boy by the window. He raised an eyebrow and said, "Friend, why are you staring at me? Is there something you need?"
Chen Xiao smiled, his expression sunny and open, his voice neither too loud nor too soft. "It's simple, here, you're the one who can take a beating the most."
He wasn't surprised that the other person noticed him staring.
It would be a joke if the Crown Prince of Asgard, one of the top warriors in the current divine realm, didn't even have this much perception.
Even though his divine power was sealed at this moment, his warrior instincts remained as sharp as ever.
Upon hearing Chen Xiao call himself the "strongest," Thor, who had been somewhat downcast due to his limited power, immediately perked up.
At this moment, Darcy was more voluptuous than Jane among the four, also noticed Chen Xiao. Her eyes lit up, and she exclaimed in a low voice:
"Jane, that guy is so cool, so aloof and handsome!"
Jane was staring at Thor when she heard this, so she subconsciously turned her head and her gaze fell on the person by the window, and she couldn't help but be slightly taken aback.
If Thor is the kind of heroic and imposing figure that inspires awe, then the dark-haired boy sitting by the window, dressed in a sharply tailored black suit, with shoulder lines and height that are in no way inferior to Thor's, is the kind of handsome and cool person who exudes a quiet sharpness.
Especially his clear, black-and-white eyes, gentle yet seemingly radiant, as bright and captivating as the first rays of dawn.
Coupled with his composed demeanor and the inherent authority and sense of control he exudes, he seems like a protagonist who has stepped out of the screen, captivating in every gesture.
only...
When their gazes swept over the red-haired girl, who was also dressed in a sharp black suit, with delicate features and a commanding presence, Darcy and Jane couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness, realizing they had paled in comparison.
"My God, these two are like a pair of glowing lights," Jane blurted out.
Darcy sighed and nodded, "Really."
Such exclamations were not limited to them. Many customers in the store also frequently cast glances their way, their eyes filled with amazement and self-consciousness. The gap was so large that it made people hesitant to approach.
Seeing this, Chen Xiao shook his head slightly in his heart: What a pity.
The journey was so quiet that not a single person dared to cause trouble because they coveted Yidileisi's beauty.
When did Westerners, who used to believe in "go for it," learn to follow the rules?
Taking a bite of her pastry, Yidileisi tilted her head and asked with a smile, "Darling, where to next?"
Chen Xiao smiled faintly, "Didn't I say, let's see what happens?"
"..."
He kept his word. As soon as they finished dessert, he paid the bill, got up, and headed straight for the Mjolnir with Yidileisi.
Chen Xiao was indeed interested in Mjolnir, which was born from the core of a dying star and whose handle was taken from the tree trunk of the World Tree.
However, what he was concerned about was not the power it granted to its holder, but its material composition and forging process. Perhaps he could extract ideas from it to help him improve his envisioned Stellar Suit and replicate the same dense and high-energy alloy structure.
" Izzy, another sandwich cake."