Chapter 65

The flames were still burning, but their movement seemed to be frozen in a single moment, as if time itself had paused. However, this was not a true suspension of time. Apart from the Time Stone, one of the few gems said to possess infinite power, there was nothing in this world that could truly stop time.

Even with the Time Stone, Zhou Yi did not believe it could pause the entire universe's timeline. If such a power truly existed, the universe would have collapsed long ago. He still had a skeptical attitude toward the abilities of the Infinity Stones.

Of course, this did not mean that there were no similar abilities in the world. Time, after all, was a relative concept. For the vast majority of people, it was an absolutely fair existence, which was why many believed in the equality of all before time. However, for a select few, time was not fair.

For example, the two brothers who had lived for centuries and were still wandering, or the entity that now stood before Zhou Yi.

Professor Charles was one of those who had been treated unfairly by time. Unlike the two brothers, who had been given special physical treatment, Charles's special treatment lay in his mind.

At this moment, Zhou Yi was pulled into Charles's mental world, where time had been paused. Everything that existed in the physical world was completely frozen here. This included Charles himself and Zhou Yi's physical body, but their thoughts were free.

Time could not confine their thoughts, for thoughts had no boundaries.

Seeing Charles smiling at him, Zhou Yi sighed helplessly and tried to take a cigarette from his pocket. But in this world, everything was static, including the cigarette that should not exist. In this frozen time, it did not exist, so Zhou Yi could not take it out.

"Professor, I just wanted to give this young man a little lesson. There was no need to pull me into this!"

The bald professor stood up and walked to Zhou Yi. Here, his spirit was free from the constraints of his aged body, allowing him to do such things.

"Of course, I trust your judgment, so I didn't bring you here for this young man. Or rather, that's just a side issue. How about it, are you in trouble? I haven't heard anything from Ororo and the others!" Pinching his nose, Zhou Yi pondered what the professor needed his help with. Over the years, due to Ororo, Jean Grey, and Rachel, his relationship with the school had been steadily improving. However, the school had never asked for his help, politically or financially.

They maintained their isolated position in society, doing their best to protect some mutants. Although they could do more with Zhou Yi's help, they never did. This was why Zhou Yi was willing to accept these mutants. It showed that they did not want to exploit him but maintained a friendly and sincere relationship. They treated him as a friend, and he was willing to reciprocate with sincerity.

"There are some things I don't want Ororo and the others to worry about, as it could be dangerous for them," the professor smiled. "But for you, there is no danger. So I hope you can help me."

"Alright, I agree. Tell me, what kind of problem is it that you don't trust even your own students?"

"I have an old friend who has a dangerous idea. This idea requires the abilities of a new student at my school to help him, so I hope you can protect this new student for a while."

"An old friend?" Zhou Yi was surprised. "Someone you call an old friend is not just anyone. Can I know the name of this troublemaker?"

"Erik Lensherr, that is the name of my old friend," the professor said with a nostalgic look. "Of course, humans have given him a more formidable nickname: Magneto."

Zhou Yi's lips curled slightly. He felt he had been tricked by this old bald head. Magneto was a well-known figure in this world, almost causing a war between two superpowers during the Cold War. This was not a joke.

But this was not even Magneto's most famous deed. What truly shocked the world was his creation of a metal city in the Pacific Ocean using his magnetic powers. He extracted countless metals from the seabed and built a massive city. Using the Earth's magnetic field, he turned it into a city of eternal daylight. The Earth's magnetic field provided endless energy, making it like a giant ship moving unpredictably with the Earth's chaotic electromagnetic field. This was Magneto's city, a city of mutants. Humans could not even reach this place, hidden deep within the chaotic magnetic field, a moving Bermuda Triangle. Only Magneto knew how to enter and leave, and only mutants could be invited into his city.

Like Professor Charles, he was a true leader of mutants. However, while Charles was a peaceful advocate of communication, Magneto was a complete warrior. He was also one of the most powerful mutants.

If possible, Zhou Yi really did not want to face this king of mutants. His abilities were troublesome, and Zhou Yi had no confidence in defeating him. At best, it would be a fifty-fifty situation, which was clearly also the professor's estimate.

"Professor, you don't want me to face this famous Magneto, do you?" Zhou Yi did not fully understand Charles's intention. Asking him to deal with Magneto would exceed the limits of their relationship.

He and the mutants were friends, but not to the point of risking his life for a minor favor. Don't mention the foolish idea that Charles was worried about his student and sought Zhou Yi's help. There were countless mutants in danger, and if he truly cared about their safety, he would have asked for help long ago.

For Zhou Yi to help meant that the benefits of this request were worth using their friendship.

"I know Erik," Charles saw Zhou Yi's confusion and explained. "We are old friends, and I understand him well. He is a genius. We once had the best collaboration in the world. Even today, after we parted ways, our beliefs have not changed. Both of us fight for the survival of mutants, but our methods differ."

"But one thing I can be sure of is that he would not harm mutants unless there was no other choice. And now, he has that reason."

Listening to Charles explain, Zhou Yi was uncertain.

"Are you sure Magneto wants to use this so-called mutant transformation device to influence all the political leaders at the summit to open up various unequal treaties for mutants? It sounds like a good thing."

"It would be a good thing if there were no other side effects. But Erik's experiment is not perfect. This morning, a senator he used as a test subject died due to genetic collapse."

"Wow! That's a tragic news." Zhou Yi felt a bit schadenfreude. He had heard of this senator, an extreme anti-mutant activist and someone Zhou Yi disliked. So, in a way, his death was good news.

"The situation is not as you think," the professor corrected, sensing Zhou Yi's thoughts. "This genetic collapse is irreversible. If Erik uses it at the summit, all the attendees and innocent bystanders will be in danger. This could lead to war."

"Alright!" Recognizing the severity of the situation, Zhou Yi's expression turned serious. "What do you want me to do?"

"To be precise, I'm not asking what you will do, but what the Dawn Knight will do?" Charles smiled slyly, knowing Zhou Yi's other identity.

"I knew I couldn't hide it from you!" Zhou Yi shrugged, knowing his identity was hard to keep secret from this wise old man. As the most powerful telepath in the world, his mental abilities were enough to distinguish all species. The Dawn Knight, a popular superhero, had no reason to be overlooked. Once in his mental network, all secrets would be revealed. Zhou Yi was prepared for this.

"So, do you agree?" This was the final question, representing the professor's attitude. He was requesting, not demanding, and the decision was in Zhou Yi's hands.

"I have no reason to refuse, do I?" Zhou Yi smiled bitterly, showing his stance. His superhero identity made it impossible to refuse Charles's request.

"Don't worry, my young friend." The professor relaxed upon hearing Zhou Yi's response. "My old friend is not without weaknesses. There might be an easier way for you."

Listening to the old man's plan, Zhou Yi felt a bit of sympathy for the yet-to-be-met Magneto. Being outsmarted by someone who knew him best was indeed pitiful. But thinking of their future relationship, Zhou Yi discarded this sympathy.

People always take care of themselves first, and no one is an exception.

After finishing the serious talk, Charles silently disappeared from Zhou Yi's sight. Time seemed to resume, and the stark contrast almost made Zhou Yi forget the young man standing in front of him.

The raging flames instantly turned into countless sparks, which still frightened the mutant named John. As a student who had never experienced combat, he suffered severe psychological trauma.

But this was not in Zhou Yi's consideration. His mind was filled with Charles's plan. Thinking of it, he looked at the elegant manor. He needed to find a way to quickly resolve the critical issue; otherwise, he would have a hard time explaining to Ororo and the others.

With this in mind, he walked past John, not noticing the flames in the young man's eyes. Even if he had noticed, he probably wouldn't have cared. After all, they were not on the same level, and there was no possibility of interaction.