"I don't know," Tony Stark said, glancing at Erik Lehnsherr, "but it definitely won't be anything good. Erik—if your abilities were enhanced, what do you think the result would be?"
"I… don't know," Erik replied.
Erik Lehnsherr was already extremely powerful. After receiving buffs from the quiz game—especially gaining Haki from the One Piece world—he could easily overwhelm his former self.
Even so, he still felt that his mutant abilities had vast untapped potential. If they were fully developed, even he had no idea how strong he might become.
Back in the light-screen footage, the scene shifted.
Raven arrived at a black market with another blue-skinned mutant she had just rescued.
The market was run by the mutant Caliban, who had appeared earlier in Wolverine's future footage, where he accompanied Logan while caring for an elderly, senile Professor X.
Caliban's mutant ability allowed him to track other mutants within a certain range. He used this power for business, becoming one of the most well-informed intelligence brokers among mutants. He also helped them obtain fake passports and identities.
Naturally, none of this came free.
Raven had come for the sake of the blue-skinned youth beside her—Kurt Wagner, whose skin resembled hers and who possessed teleportation abilities.
She had rescued him from an underground fighting pit and now wanted Caliban to arrange a new identity for him, allowing Kurt to live safely elsewhere.
Caliban took the money and did the job. As a bonus, he offered a piece of intelligence: Magneto's whereabouts had been exposed, resulting in the deaths of his wife and child.
Raven immediately grew anxious.
Although she and Magneto had their conflicts, they shared a long history. Knowing that something had happened to him, she couldn't simply ignore it.
She immediately asked Kurt Wagner to teleport her to Professor X's academy to seek help.
In the Eternal Space, Tony Stark couldn't resist teasing:
"See? Your bond really runs deep. Honestly, Erik—your future self owes Raven far too much."
Raven had originally been doing fine alongside Professor X. Magneto persuaded her to leave, and she loyally helped him—only to nearly die at his hands in the end.
Erik Lehnsherr pressed his lips together and remained silent.
Back in the future footage, not long after Raven and Kurt left, the white-haired Ororo Munroe appeared before Caliban.
Caliban was surprised. "How did you get in here? We're closed!"
Ororo wasn't alone.
Apocalypse emerged from the shadows behind her and demanded that Caliban tell him the location of the most powerful mutant currently alive.
Caliban was clearly wary. His bodyguard, Psylocke, stepped out from behind him, watching Apocalypse and Storm closely.
A businessman at heart, Caliban asked Apocalypse for payment.
Apocalypse replied calmly, "My child, I have no money."
Caliban laughed. "I already told you—we're closed."
Unexpectedly, Apocalypse lifted his cloak and began his verbal assault:
"I require your help, my child."
As the first mutant in history, he could indeed claim that the blood flowing through all mutants originated from him.
Naturally, Caliban had no interest in suddenly gaining some self-proclaimed ancestor. Seizing the moment, he abruptly pulled out a gun and aimed it at Apocalypse.
Apocalypse's pupils turned white—his power activated.
The last person who had threatened Apocalypse with a knife had been buried alive in a wall. But it was clear that Apocalypse held a strong bias: he treated humans and mutants very differently.
Before Caliban could pull the trigger, the gun in his hand aged as if weathered for tens of thousands of years, crumbling into sand on the floor.
Yet Apocalypse did not harm him.
Coincidentally, Caliban shared one thing with Apocalypse—they were both bald.
Apocalypse looked at him and said in a low voice,
"You are all my children. But you have lost yourselves by following blind leaders. Those false gods and the systems of the weak—they destroyed my world."
Seeing the tension escalate, Psylocke suddenly moved.
She grabbed Storm, pressing a blade to her throat with one hand, while wielding a glowing purple psionic blade with the other to block Apocalypse.
It was clear that Psylocke's ability allowed her to manifest energy weapons.
Outside the screen, Bruce Banner couldn't help exclaiming,
"Mutants are truly incredible. These abilities… how do they even work? I really want to study them properly."
He immediately noticed Erik Lehnsherr's sharp, hostile gaze and hurriedly raised his hands.
"Don't misunderstand—I mean normal research! Like getting blood drawn for a medical checkup. Really. As a victim of human experimentation myself, I would never support that kind of thing. I'd never conduct human experiments."
Tony Stark chuckled.
"Really, Bruce? If you turn into the Hulk again, are you telling me you wouldn't experiment on yourself?"
Bruce paused, then shrugged.
"That's different."
Natasha Romanoff said gravely,
"Apocalypse is clearly siding with mutants. He wants to destroy human civilization."
Tony turned to Magneto and raised an eyebrow.
"Is that what you want, Erik?"
Erik met his gaze and remained silent.
Back in the footage, Psylocke stared at Apocalypse uncertainly and demanded,
"What exactly do you want?"
Apocalypse remained unfazed.
"I want you… to experience the pinnacle of your power."
In the blink of an eye, he silently enhanced Psylocke's abilities. The purple blade in her hand became visibly sharper and far more dangerous.
Psylocke froze in shock.
Apocalypse seized the moment to tempt her:
"You've only just tasted true power. I want you to be free—not like those who only seek to control you."
It had to be said—Apocalypse was a master manipulator.
He wasted no words. Instead, he directly strengthened Psylocke's power, letting her personally feel the benefits.
Unlike certain bosses who do nothing but promise empty rewards—trying to stuff employees full of imaginary benefits.
Clearly, Caliban was one such boss. He may not have mistreated Psylocke, but compared to Apocalypse, he was instantly outclassed.
Her resolve wavered.
She chose to switch sides.
"I know who you're looking for," Psylocke said calmly.
"And I know where to find them."
....
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