bookbashuk Chapter 4722 X Royal Newcomer (1)
Chapter 4722 X Royal Newcomer (1)
Chapter 4722 X Royal Family: New Life (Part 1)
Upon hearing this, Professor X's expression changed. He stared at Cyclops for a long time without saying a word.
“Regardless, I am very sorry.” Professor X took a deep breath, his reason finally returning. Only Schiller could read a certain coldness in his fluctuating brainwaves, like a storm.
Within a minute, Professor X regained his gentle demeanor. He even removed the fourth-generation brainwave amplifier helmet from his head, revealing his blue eyes, which became even deeper, like the crystal lake beside the Royal Court of Clarkia.
“There’s no need to feel sorry, Professor…” Cyclops tried to comfort Professor X. He was someone who could very well understand that no one is obligated to be perfect. In his eyes, Professor X was already perfect enough, and any mistakes, even those that affected him, should not be criticized.
“I’m not apologizing for this.” Professor X looked at him with a completely different expression—a more authentic version of himself, devoid of any feigned compassion—which almost stunned Cyclops, leaving him shocked and even horrified.
Because of that brief moment of eye contact, Cyclops felt as if he had touched a planet. As vast as Earth, yet as insignificant. As his senses amplified, his self-awareness diminished, all because an overwhelming, inescapable feeling engulfed him. It was something called the X Force, rooted in his genes, yet never truly acknowledged. Now, within Professor X's consciousness, he was rediscovering himself amidst the entire universe and countless stars.
Cyclops jolted awake and stumbled backward. Gabriel rushed forward to support him, glaring at Professor X with hostility.
Cyclops patted his hand, stopping him. He gasped for breath, and the lavish and magnificent halls of the Shia Empire's palace gradually came into focus before his eyes. But the feeling wasn't good enough; compared to that sensory impact, the real world seemed rather lackluster, even the capitals of the three great empires had lost their luster.
“Scott,” Professor X’s tone was like the first drop of rain in a storm, “I believe you understand that if I wanted, I could perfectly erase all your memories, even your personality, without leaving a trace. So, what caused this tragedy today was my mistake, not an error.”
“It’s not that I’m too harsh on you. On the contrary, perhaps years of being together have made me soft-hearted. I haven’t made any deep changes, and I’ve been cautious and restrained in any alteration of your memory—I admit it was a mistake. Otherwise, you would never have had the chance to recognize him.”
Cyclops stood there, stunned. Professor X continued, “Otherwise, you wouldn’t want to sacrifice yourself to fight for power for him. Scott, whatever you think of me, I have never regarded the X-Men as weapons. You are my students and children, and you embody my life’s work. If you want to throw all of this away for someone else’s dream of becoming emperor, I can assure you that all the schemes of the person who ruined you will be in vain. You know I have the ability to do it.”
“No, Professor.” Cyclops stepped forward, extending his hand, and said, “You must have misunderstood. I didn’t…”
“He’s manipulating you,” Professor X said, looking into Cyclops’ eyes. “He’s hiding his own lust for power beneath his desire for you to make mutants stronger. No matter how he convinces you, he’s manipulating you.”
"But the Shi'ar Empire can indeed be used as a base for mutants..."
“Scott, you’ve really lost your mind.” Professor X seemed to find it incomprehensible. “With the troubles on Earth not yet fully resolved, how much spare capacity do we have to participate in the internal affairs of the three great empires? It seems that the previous failures did not teach you that force alone is not enough. Before pursuing interventionism, you should first consider your own capabilities.”
“Besides, you shouldn’t see me that way.” Professor X’s voice was filled with anger: “How could I send you into another war for the future of mutants after you’ve already sacrificed yourself twice? Every time you die, you’re not bringing me closer to the home that mutants dream of, but always further away—I will never want to set foot in such a place again. You are destroying my utopia.”
Having said that, he turned and left, leaving Cyclops standing there dumbfounded. Schiller glanced at Cyclops, deciding to give the brothers some time. He then turned to find Professor X. He found Professor X on the rooftop of the palace—or more precisely, on the edge of the terrace at the very top of a spiraling staircase. The professor was gazing into the distance, at the towering, exotic buildings where a purge was raging. The city he had once lived in was being destroyed.
"Were you waiting for me, Professor?"
Professor X slowly turned his head to look at Schiller, who was immediately enveloped by brainwaves that seemed to have a physical presence, containing a chilling rage.
Schiller stood next to Professor X, also gazing at the distant city, and said, "The moment your memory manipulation was discovered, you must have felt extremely guilty, reflecting on whether you were too controlling. But as it turns out, you were never strong enough."
"The space you concede will always be taken by someone else. Nobody knows what these people will do with your students. War, massacre, betrayal—anything is possible. Professors from other universes may not want to be this tough, but they may have no other choice."
“I thought you would come to persuade me that taking over the Shi'ar Empire was the best option,” Professor X said. “We can let mutants take root here, just like in your universe.”
Schiller gently shook his head: "I have never had any purpose other than for you yourselves."
He also turned to look at Professor X. When their eyes met, Professor X couldn't find a single sign that he was lying.
“No country, power, or resource can compare to people.” Schiller took a light breath and continued, “Every change in the universe must begin with a change in people. Acquiring political status for Krakia, destroying the Red Gate Oran factory, and altering the structure of the Shi'ar Empire are all means, not ends.”
"To vindicate the Kraken is to reduce your existential anxieties. To destroy the Redgate factory is to remove the obstacle that unites humanity with you. To change the landscape of the Shi'ar Empire is to reunite the brothers and also to make you realize just how much courage it takes to 'not abandon any mutant'."
"Saving the weak and ravaged mutants is no difficult task for you; you can brave even the most dangerous and dangerous situations. But what if this mutant is also powerful, independent, and filled with hatred towards you? What will you do then?"
The coldness in Professor X's brainwaves gradually disappeared, which meant that he was beginning to seriously consider the problem.
As Schiller pointed out, mutants cannot all be weak, and the Clarkia cannot only unite and save weak mutants in distress. If they want to truly live up to their slogan and become a true home and paradise for mutants, the most troublesome thing is those mutants who stand against them but are powerful enough.
If you don't confront him, he'll launch a fierce attack on you; if you do confront him, it goes against your principles and creates internal strife, needlessly depleting the mutants' internal strength. You can't kill him, and you can't win him over—so what should you do?
Professor X had long realized, as Schiller said, that for mutants, problems that can be solved with violence are not really problems. Their fighting power is already sufficient, even excessive. The biggest challenge they face now, and their long-standing weakness, lies in the issues that require careful consideration, a combination of soft and hard tactics, and the use of psychological warfare and political wisdom to resolve.
Unfortunately, every step the mutants take from here on may face this very dilemma. Their adversaries will not be fools, nor will they be weaklings. Even individuals as fragile as humans have created things like the Redgate Orchid factory, which pose a significant threat to them.
Meanwhile, Professor X also realized that the mutants in Schiller's central universe had definitely not only made their way in the world through sheer force of will. They must also possess extremely high levels of political maneuvering to have established themselves on both Earth and other planets.
Double the territory means double the opportunities, but it also means double the enemies. They've earned what they have today by simultaneously beating up Earth's politicians and kicking away alien civilizations.
Professor X sighed softly and looked at Schiller, saying, "You want me to talk to you, so I'll grant your wish—can I meet the mutants from your universe?"
“Absolutely no problem, Professor,” Schiller said with a smile.
As the setting sun cast a shimmering glow on the distant buildings, the magnificent palace appeared dwarfed by the rings of the giant star Proxima Centauri. Two even smaller figures descended the spiral staircase.
"I'm a little curious. You could have been more discreet and kept everyone from knowing that the Shi'ar Empire's invasion was related to you. Why did you expose yourself?"
"No one in this world can hire Schiller without paying a price. It's better for the multiverse to know this sooner rather than later, lest they fall into the trap of other Schillers."
"So you're just preparing for the worst? Why do I feel like you're just trying to be lazy and don't want too many universes to ask the central universe for help?"
"I do have this consideration, but as I said before, we do not practice interventionism."
"Can't we even ask for help?"
“In the past, I might have accepted any invitation. But now, I can better understand why my friends prefer to spend their time traveling, dining out, and holiday parties.”
"And what about yourself? I heard you charge quite a lot."
“That’s right, I always charge high prices, but you’ve already paid.”
"Payment complete? What did you take?"
“Clarkia Island is beautiful and a wonderful tourist destination. Thank you for your invitation; we will have a pleasant time together.” Schiller smiled at him.
Professor X paused, while Schiller continued walking. Professor X watched his figure gradually disappear around the corner, as if he had briefly touched upon the truth behind some profound cosmic rule—a truth that is simple yet profound, ineffable.