Chapter 151: A New Universe, The Tyrant Has Not Fallen
Lin Nuo followed the cracked ground, moving in a straight line toward the northwest.
The nearest settlement marked by the system was forty-seven kilometers away.
For him, possessing the limit speed of Quicksilver, he could arrive in less than thirty seconds at full sprint.
But he was not in a hurry.
He needed to first figure out his remaining combat power.
After walking out of the crater, Lin Nuo sat down on a protruding piece of sandstone.
He rolled up his shirt sleeves and looked down at his arms.
The muscle lines were perfect, and under the blessing of the Asgardian Divine Constitution, a faint golden luster was still visible on the surface of his skin.
He clenched his fist.
Muscle fibers bulged beneath his skin, and every bundle of tendons contained the power to crush steel.
"Strength is not a problem."
He relaxed his fist and tried to activate his Bio-force fieldagain.
A transparent, three-dimensional protective shield appeared thirty centimeters from his body surface.
He raised his hand and flicked it.
The force field was as sturdy as before.
"Defense is also not a problem."
Next was the ultimate molecular reconstruction.
Lin Nuo picked up a fist-sized piece of sandstone from the ground.
Driven by his will.
The molecular structure of the sandstone was forcibly rewritten in his palm.
Three seconds later, the rough stone had turned into a smooth, pure iron marble.
"Molecular reconstruction... the speed is a bit slower than before, but it's still usable."
He tossed the iron marble aside casually.
With a ding, the marble smashed through a boulder ten meters away.
"Next."
He tried to activate Chaos Magic.
He closed his eyes.
His spirit sank into the core within his chest.
That dark red Law core, which originally pulsed like a heart, was now entangled by dense golden runes, like a bead bound tightly by chains.
He used his will to pull at those runes.
The runes did not budge.
Instead, they released a burst of stinging pain upon his mental touch.
"Tch."
Lin Nuo withdrew his mental energy.
"It is indeed locked."
The Reality Manipulation Authority was likewise inaccessible.
Although the source fragment of the Space Stone was still in his body, its external projection function was limited.
Simply put, he could feel that he possessed the underlying knowledge of spatial laws, but he could not invoke it to tear space or perform teleportation.
"What about the God of Death divinity?"
He focused his will.
That aura of pressure originating from the source of death was indeed still there.
It was deeply embedded in the foundation of Lin Nuo's life.
But its external projection was also limited; he could not actively release the divinity to suppress others.
"Core retained, external projection limited."
Lin Nuo repeated the system's diagnostic result.
"Translated into plain language, it means I have the foundation of the God of Death, but I can't make people kneel on the spot like I did in Asgard."
"Unless the other party perceives it themselves."
He stood up and patted the dust off his backside.
The inventory was complete.
Summary as follows.
All Law-based abilities were paralyzed or limited.
Physical abilities were almost entirely intact.
As he was now, smashing a mountain range with one punch was no problem.
Exceeding the sound barrier while running was also easy.
Withstanding missile attacks without a scratch was standard equipment.
But wanting to do what he did before—snapping his fingers at a nuclear bomb and turning it into a rose—sorry, that wasn't possible for the time being.
"It's not too miserable."
Lin Nuo adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses.
"At least it's stronger than the maxed-out state of most superheroes."
"It's just that I've been downgraded from a server administrator with Creative Mode enabled to a top-tier combat character."
He strode out and picked up speed.
The Quicksilver gene activated in his leg muscles.
The sand and stones on the Gobi desert turned into blurred ribbons beneath his feet.
Thirty seconds later, he was standing beside a four-lane interstate highway.
The road surface was severely cracked; it looked like it hadn't been maintained for a long time.
By the side of the road was a sign worn down by the wind and sand.
The English on it was blurrily legible.
[546 miles to New York City]
New York.
This World also had a New York.
Lin Nuo adjusted his glasses.
Over five hundred miles.
For him, he could finish running it in less than ten minutes.
But he chose to walk.
Because he needed to observe the details of this Worldalong the way.
He walked along the gravel shoulder of the highway for about ten minutes.
An old pickup truck drove toward him.
The car slowed down beside Lin Nuo.
The driver's side window rolled down.
A middle-aged white man wearing a baseball cap poked his head out and looked Lin Nuo up and down.
"Hey, brother, where did you walk from?"
"There's no sign of life for dozens of miles in this Gobi desert."
Lin Nuo smiled, revealing that gentle expression that made people feel like they were bathed in a spring breeze.
"My car broke down, and I walked east for a while."
"Can you give me a ride?"
The middle-aged man hesitated for a moment.
He looked at Lin Nuo's shirt and trench coat, which, although damaged, clearly looked expensive.
He was a rich guy.
"Get in."
Lin Nuo opened the passenger door and sat in.
The pickup truck restarted, the engine emitting an aged roar.
"You don't look like you came to the wilderness for camping in that outfit."
The middle-aged man glanced at him curiously.
"On a business trip, ran into an accident."
Lin Nuo leaned back in the seat and raised his hand to adjust his glasses.
"Buddy, can you turn on the car radio?"
"I want to hear the news."
The middle-aged man turned on the radio.
After some noisy static, a news broadcast clearly entered the cabin.
[…Trask Industries announced today that the new generation of Sentinel robot prototypes has completed testing. The project has received full funding support from the federal government. Trask Industries CEO Bolivar Traskstated at the press conference that the Sentinel program will achieve full deployment within the next three years, at which time humanity will possess the ultimate defensive means to deal with the Mutant threat…]
Lin Nuo listened quietly.
Trask Industries.
Sentinel robots.
Mutant suppression.
He was quickly piecing together the background of this World in his mind.
[…At the same time, the Mutant Rights Protection Association based in New York issued a statement strongly condemning this militarized targeting plan. The association called for the United Nations to intervene and investigate. However, according to insiders, several major countries around the World have already signed secret cooperation agreements with Trask Industries…]
The announcer's tone on the radio was flat.
But the amount of information hidden in every sentence made Lin Nuo very satisfied.
Mutants were the oppressed party in this World.
Human governments were secretly pushing for an extermination plan against Mutants.
And within the Mutant community, according to his memory of the X-Men storyline, it was not peaceful either.
Professor X's moderate faction and Magneto's radical faction had long been in opposition.
There were also some independent forces, such as the Hellfire Club.
Lin Nuo's fingers tapped lightly on his knee twice.
"Buddy."
"When will we arrive in New York?"
The middle-aged man checked the road conditions.
"At this speed, probably tomorrow morning."
Lin Nuo smiled.
"That's too slow."
"Just drop me off at that gas station ahead."
"I'll figure something out myself."
Ten minutes later, the pickup truck stopped at a desolate gas station.
Lin Nuo pushed open the car door and thanked the middle-aged man.
After watching the pickup truck drive away, he confirmed that there was no one around.
Then, Quicksilver's speed was activated at full power.
Only a blur was left on the road.
...
It took Lin Nuo less than eight minutes to stand under an overpass in the suburbs of New York City.
The outline of the city unfolded in the distance.
Skyscrapers.
Heavy traffic.
Neon signs.
It was very similar to the New York in his Universe.
But there were some subtle differences.
On the police cars patrolling the streets, there was a badge he hadn't seen before, with a hexagonal star array drawn on a blue background.
The emblem of the Mutant Affairs Administration.
The street lamp posts were covered in posters.
The content of one of them was.
[Found a Mutant? Please call XXX-XXX to report. Protecting human communities is everyone's responsibility.]
Lin Nuo looked at that poster, his lips curling slightly.
"This kind of social atmosphere."
He straightened his damaged shirt collar.
This World was even more chaotic than he had imagined.
And chaos, for him, meant opportunity.
"Let's go."
He put his hands into his trench coat pockets and walked toward the city entrance with quick, small steps.
"First, find a place to change clothes, then go and probe the trump cards of this new World."
Chapter 152: Urban Dark Alley, Bullets Can't Even Tickle
Lin Nuo stepped into downtown New York in his leather shoes.
Although his shirt was torn, his gold-rimmed glasses and leisurely stride made him look like a financial executive who had wandered into a low-end neighborhood.
Passing by a menswear store that hadn't closed yet, he walked inside.
The clerk looked at his tattered yet extraordinary attire, hesitating between calling security or bringing out the most expensive suit.
Lin Nuo raised his hand and fished a small piece of gold out of the inner pocket of his Vibranium trench coat.
It was something he had casually slipped into his pocket before leaving Asgard.
A corner of an armrest he had twisted off the solid gold throne.
It weighed a solid half-pound.
He slapped the gold chunk onto the checkout counter.
"The best suit, please."
"A white shirt."
"No tie."
"Leather shoes, size 43."
Fifteen minutes later, Lin Nuo walked out of the menswear store looking completely refreshed.
The brand-new white shirt hugged his broad-shouldered, narrow-waisted build.
The top two buttons were left open as usual.
A slim-fit black suit jacket replaced his dust-covered Vibranium trench coat.
The trench coat was neatly folded and tucked under his arm.
Its bulletproof capabilities were irreplaceable.
He needed to find this World's information hub.
The fastest way wasn't going online.
Nor was it going to a library.
It was to ask those who controlled the underground intelligence network.
New York's gangs.
...
Nine o'clock in the evening.
Downtown.
An underground bar called "The Abyss."
The entrance was hidden deep within an alley where the moonlight couldn't reach.
Two burly bouncers sat by the iron door, smoking.
Lin Nuo walked over.
"Excuse me."
The bouncer on the left stood up. He was half a head shorter than Lin Nuo, but his shoulders were as broad as a wall.
"Who are you? No entry without an invitation."
"I am my own invitation."
Lin Nuo didn't stop.
The bouncer reached out to grab his shoulder.
Or rather, he tried to.
Lin Nuo's shoulder didn't budge an inch.
Yet the bouncer felt as if his palm was pressing against a steel wall.
He pressed down with all his might.
Lin Nuo's body didn't shift even a single millimeter.
"You..."
Lin Nuo tilted his head and glanced at him.
His gaze was very gentle.
Unreasonably gentle.
Then, he gave a gentle push forward with his right hand.
The force was precisely controlled—not enough to kill, but enough to ensure he couldn't stand his ground.
The bouncer flew back two meters, his back slamming into the opposite wall.
The other bouncer drew his gun.
Lin Nuo had already walked inside.
The iron door closed behind him.
...
The layout of the underground bar was a bit classier than he had expected.
Dim lighting.
Low jazz music.
Various kinds of people sat scattered across a dozen tables.
There were patrons passed out drunk, as well as brokers making deals in the corners.
Behind the bar stood a Black bartender with a goatee.
Lin Nuo walked over and sat at the bar.
"Bourbon, neat."
The bartender sized him up and poured a glass.
Lin Nuo raised the glass and took a small sip.
Cheap bourbon.
Compared to the Château Margaux Potts had prepared for him, it tasted like rusty water from a pipe.
"I want to see your boss."
The bartender's hand paused.
"Are you looking for Rayno?"
"If Rayno is the boss of this turf, then yes, I'm looking for him."
"Rayno doesn't see strangers."
Lin Nuo took another sip of his drink.
"Then make him come see me on his own."
He placed the glass on the bar.
He lightly flicked the side of the glass with his finger.
*Buzz.*
The glass didn't break.
But the granite slab where the bottom of the glass touched the bar cracked directly into four pieces.
The bartender stared at the crack for three seconds.
Then, without a word, he walked through the back door.
Two minutes later.
The back door opened.
A middle-aged white man wearing a purple velvet suit and hands full of gold rings walked out.
Four fully armed bodyguards followed behind him.
"Are you the guy who took down my two men at the door?"
The man's voice was gruff, carrying a heavy Brooklynaccent.
This must be Rayno.
Lin Nuo turned around and leaned against the bar.
Resting his elbows on the stone surface.
His posture was as casual as if he were in his own living room.
"I wouldn't say 'took down'."
"Just a gentle push."
"He couldn't hold his own balance."
Rayno's face twitched.
"Do you know whose turf this is?"
"I don't, which is why I'm here to ask."
"But before you answer my question, could you have those guys behind you move their barrels away from my face?"
"It's rather impolite."
Rayno snorted coldly.
"First tell me who you are and which gang you're with."
"I don't belong to any gang."
"Then you're looking for death!"
Rayno made a gesture.
The four bodyguards raised their guns simultaneously.
Lin Nuo sighed.
"You just have to go through this routine, don't you."
He didn't stand up from the bar.
"Fire."
*Bang bang bang bang!*
Four bullets left the barrels almost simultaneously.
Point-blank range.
Aimed at his chest and head.
The warheads rushed toward the target at over three hundred meters per second.
And then.
*Clink clink clink clink.*
Four soft metallic clinks.
The bullets struck Lin Nuo's skin as if hitting a titanium alloy plate.
The copper warheads deformed on the spot, flattened into four copper pieces, and clattered onto the floor.
Lin Nuo's shirt wasn't even torn.
Because he was wearing the folded Vibranium trench coat underneath.
But even without the trench coat, his Hulk-level physical defense was more than enough to ignore such small-caliber firearms.
The bar fell silent for two seconds.
Then, a wave of screams erupted one after another.
The brokers and patrons who had been making deals in the corners scrambled and crawled toward the exit.
Rayno's face turned deathly pale.
Lin Nuo looked down at the four bullet fragments on the ground.
He bent down, picked one up, and examined it closely between his fingertips.
"Nine-millimeter Parabellum?"
"This kind of junk is too small even to pick the teeth of my canary at home."
He stood up.
One step.
Two steps.
He walked up to Rayno.
Rayno took a step back, his back bumping into his own bodyguards.
The bodyguards' guns were shaking.
Lin Nuo reached out his right hand.
His slender fingers grabbed Rayno's purple suit collar, lifting him like a chick.
Lifted with one hand.
Rayno's feet left the ground, and his fingers turned blue due to restricted blood flow under his gold rings.
"Now, I ask, and you answer."
Lin Nuo's smile remained gentle.
"First question."
"Where is the Trask Industries office in New York?"
"41st Street... Third Avenue... 28th floor..."
Rayno's voice trembled.
"Second question."
"The distribution of Mutant underground forces in this city."
"Who... who on earth are you?"
"Those who don't answer questions have no right to ask them."
Lin Nuo's fingers tightened slightly.
Rayno's face turned purple.
His lips trembled as he spilled everything he knew.
Professor X's Mutant Academy is in Westchester.
Magneto has been missing recently.
The Hellfire Club has a manor in Uptown.
Something big happened inside the club recently.
The White Queen fell out with the traitors inside.
It's said that Agents with government backgrounds are also involved.
The situation is very chaotic.
"The White Queen?"
Lin Nuo's fingers paused.
"The one... from the Hellfire Club... the silver-haired woman..."
Rayno was on the verge of suffocating.
"Her name is... Emma Frost..."
"A telepathic Mutant, very powerful..."
"But she seems to have been blindsided recently."
"Some rogue Mutants under her command teamed up with the Military, wanting to capture her for experiments..."
Lin Nuo released his grip.
Rayno fell directly to the ground, coughing violently.
Lin Nuo casually pulled a silk pocket square from Rayno's suit and wiped his fingers.
"Very well."
"It seems the order of this World is even more broken than I imagined."
"It is perfect for the Star Umbrella to move in."
Chapter 153: The Storm is Coming, the White Queen's Desperate Situation
Lin Nuo took two things with him.
A black sedan he had snatched from Reno, keys and all.
A hand-drawn map of the Hellfire Club manor.
Reno's men had once delivered goods to the club, so they were vaguely familiar with the outer routes.
Lin Nuo sat in the driver's seat, steering with one hand.
The night scene of New York flew past on both sides.
A new prompt popped up in his mind from the system.
[Potential target detected in this Universe: Emma Frost, the White Queen.]
[Identity Tags: Mutant Omega-level telepath, Inner Circle King of the Hellfire Club, possesses secondary mutation ability of Diamond Form.]
[Romantic Connection: Scott Summers, Cyclops.]
[Relationship Status: Ambiguous, unrevealed.]
[Intercept condition triggering.]
Lin Nuo looked at the name "Scott Summers" on the system panel.
Cyclops.
The most straight-laced good guy in the X-Men.
Professor X's direct disciple, the benchmark figure of the Mutant Justice League.
And the ambiguous relationship between Emma Frost and him, in some comic storylines, even led to the split of the X-Men's core team.
"Cyclops's woman."
Lin Nuo tapped the steering wheel with one hand.
"So if I intercept her, what good things can I extract from that Summers kid?"
The system replied.
[Cyclops's core ability, optic Impact, is essentially a release of dimensional energy channels.]
[Expected intercept reward: Dimensional Energy Core Fragment, which can be used to lift part of the law seals.]
This sentence made Lin Nuo tap his fingers on the steering wheel twice more.
Lifting the law seals.
This meant that as long as he successfully conquered this World's female lead, it would be possible to gradually restore the Chaos Magic and Reality Manipulation Authority sealed away by the Ancient One.
"Alright."
He stepped on the gas.
"It seems my recovery roadmap starts with this White Queen."
...
Two in the morning.
The outskirts of New York City, at the end of Winston Street.
A torrential rainstorm came without warning.
The curtain of rain was dense and heavy, as if someone in the sky was spraying the ground with a fire hose.
Lin Nuo parked the car at the edge of a forest about three hundred meters away from the Hellfire Club manor.
He grabbed the folded Vibranium trench coat from the back seat and put it on.
He also found a long-handled black umbrella in Reno's glove compartment.
He pushed open the car door.
He opened the umbrella.
The torrential rain pelted the umbrella, making a dense, crackling sound.
Lin Nuo walked along a gravel path overgrown with weeds toward the manor.
The outline of the manor emerged under the illumination of lightning.
An English classical building.
A three-story main building.
It covered a vast area.
Ivy climbed all over the red brick outer walls.
From the outside, it looked like a well-maintained noble estate.
But Lin Nuo's five senses told him that the situation inside was anything but peaceful.
His Asgard-level extraordinary hearing penetrated the heavy rain and thick brick walls.
He clearly caught the activity coming from beneath the main building of the manor.
Gunfire.
Not conventional firearms.
It was the discharge sound of some high-frequency energy weapon.
Accompanied by muffled groans, Impacts, and a woman's low growl.
The sound wasn't loud.
After being weakened by layers of walls, it was very faint by the time it reached Lin Nuo's ears.
But his hearing was sharp enough to distinguish every detail.
That woman's voice was very cold.
Carrying an innate arrogance and disdain.
Even in the desperate situation of being besieged, every retaliation of hers seemed like attention bestowed upon ants.
The White Queen.
Lin Nuo stopped in the curtain of rain.
He was in no hurry to rush in.
Holding his umbrella, he stood by the cast-iron fence on the outskirts of the manor.
Rainwater dripped from the tips of the umbrella ribs.
He was waiting.
Waiting for the perfect moment.
To take advantage of her vulnerability.
This was his specialty.
...
Beneath the manor, the fortifications.
This was originally the exclusive secret Base of the Hellfire Club's Black King.
Twenty-centimeter-thick steel plate walls, an independent power supply system, and an electromagnetic shielding layer.
It was initially designed to prevent external intrusion.
Now, however, it had become a cage trapping the White Queen.
In the center of the secret chamber.
Emma Frost leaned against the cold metal wall.
She wore a white, form-fitting evening gown.
The kind of haute couture tailoring that looked expensive at a glance.
But the left shoulder of the gown had already been torn open.
The pure white fabric was stained with several dark red marks.
That was her own blood.
Her right arm, from elbow to fingertips, had completed its diamond transformation.
The crystal-clear diamond surface refracted a cold, hard luster under the dim light.
But the diamond was covered with faint blue lines.
Those were the traces left behind after a new type of gene inhibitor had seeped in.
Her telepathic abilities had almost completely failed.
A disc-shaped device was installed on the ceiling of the secret chamber, continuously releasing pulse waves that interfered with mental energy.
That was the latest technology provided by Trask Industries.
A mental shield specifically designed for telepathic Mutants.
Within the range of this machine, her mind-reading and mental control were completely useless.
At the entrance of the secret chamber, a man in a crisp military uniform leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, his tone full of banter.
His name was Danton.
He was once a member of the Hellfire Club's Black Chess faction.
Now, secretly colluding with Trask Industries, he had launched this coup against the White Queen.
Behind him stood six fully armed human Agents.
Mental shields were mounted on their helmets.
What they held in their hands were not ordinary rifles, but special assault rifles loaded with gene-suppressing warheads.
Beside Danton also stood two Mutant traitors.
One was a tall, bulky man with metallic skin, possessing the ability of living metallization.
The other was a thin, withered old man, electric arcs constantly sparking from his fingertips, possessing a mid-level electrical manipulation ability.
"How does it feel, Miss Frost?"
"Your mental power is locked, and your Diamond Form is about to give out."
Danton took two steps closer to her.
"Every single line in this secret chamber is controlled by me."
"The informants you planted in the club were all cleared out three hours ago."
"No one from the outside is coming to save you."
"Your unofficial lover, Mr. Cyclops, is busy fighting Magnetoon the West Coast."
"He can't spare any attention for you."
Emma looked up.
Her features were flawlessly exquisite.
A high-bridged nose, diamond-shaped thin lips, and a pair of light gray eyes.
Her silvery-white long hair still maintained a smooth curve despite her disheveled state after the battle.
The way she looked at Danton was like looking at a cockroach that had accidentally wandered into a banquet hall.
"You bring a pack of boot-wearing lackeys to run wild on my turf,"
"and then expect me to feel afraid?"
Her voice was hoarse, but her tone remained as arrogant as ever.
"Danton, have you forgotten how you got into the Hellfire Club in the first place?"
"You knelt before my desk, begging for three days and three nights. I only gave you a position because I pitied you."
"Now you've smashed your Master's teacup, only to turn around and wag your tail for a new owner."
"Don't you find it embarrassing?"
Danton's face darkened.
"You think you're still in a position to lecture me?"
He grabbed Emma by her collar, violently dragging her forward.
"You're finished, Frost!"
"Trask Industries has already given me full authority to handle you."
"Your genetic samples, your diamond-form data, your mental frequency—all of it is what they want."
He leaned in close to her face.
The breath coming from his mouth carried the stench of cheap whiskey.
"If you know what's good for you, cooperate with the experiments obediently."
"I can still say a few good words for you to the higher-ups and get you a cell with a window."
"But if you don't cooperate..."
His finger slid along the edge of Emma's torn collar.
"Then don't blame me for not being a gentleman."
A flash of cold killing intent flickered in the corner of Emma's eyes.
Her diamond-form right fist swung out fiercely.
Although the diamond surface was covered with inhibitor lines, its pure physical hardness was still considerable.
The fist brushed past Danton's cheek.
Danton shrank back, avoiding the blow.
But the rush of air sliced off a few strands of his hair.
"You still dare to strike?"
Danton stepped back two paces and gestured to those behind him.
The two Mutant traitors rushed forward.
The burly man with metallic skin punched Emma's diamond-form arm.
That cracked diamond arm let out an ominous shattering sound.
Several new cracks spread from her fingertips to her elbow.
Emma let out a muffled groan.
The other electricity manipulator took the opportunity to strike.
High-voltage electric arcs wrapped directly around her waist.
The conductivity of the Diamond Form was extremely low, but the inhibitor residue in the cracks became a pathway for the current.
Pain flooded into her nerves through the cracks.
Emma was knocked back.
Her back slammed into the wall, and she collapsed.
She knelt on one knee on the metal floor.
Her long silver hair fell in a mess, covering half of her face.
Sweat seeped from her temples, mixing with the previous blood.
Her diamond-form right arm was covered in dense cracks; she couldn't hold out much longer.
Danton squatted down, looking down at her.
"Such beautiful silver hair... if it gets stained with the filth on the ground, it would be such a waste."
This sentence wasn't spoken by Danton.
The voice came from the entrance of the secret chamber.
Clear.
Deep.
Carrying a laziness unique to an onlooker.
Everyone turned their heads at the same time.
A man wearing a fitted black suit, his white shirt unbuttoned at the top two buttons, with gold-rimmed glasses resting on his high-bridged nose, was leaning against the steel doorframe at the entrance.
His hands were tucked into his pants pockets.
A long black trench coat was draped over his shoulders.
There was not a single drop of rain on his body.
He just stood there so casually.
Looking like a high-society gentleman who had arrived five minutes late to a cocktail party.
Danton frowned.
"Who are you?"
"Where are the guards at the door?"
Lin Nuo tilted his head.
"You mean those guys standing at the manor's main gate with guns?"
"Oh."
He pulled a flattened copper shrapnel from his pocket and gently flicked it toward Danton's feet.
The shrapnel bounced twice on the ground, making a crisp clinking sound.
"They're all asleep."
Chapter 154: The Shadow Emerges, A Greeting from an Uninvited Guest
Lin Nuo's voice refracted back and forth between the metal walls of the secret chamber.
Danton looked down at the flattened shrapnel on the ground, his heart skipping a beat.
"What do you mean they're all asleep?"
"Exactly what it sounds like."
Lin Nuo straightened up from the doorframe, stretched his long legs, and sauntered into the secret chamber.
His leather shoes tapped rhythmically against the metal floor.
Six human Agents immediately raised their guns and aimed at him.
A dense cluster of infrared laser dots marked his chest and forehead.
Lin Nuo didn't even look at them.
His gaze passed over Danton's shoulder and landed directly on Emma, who was half-kneeling in the corner.
He watched for three seconds.
In those three seconds, he gathered all the information he needed.
Silvery-white long hair. Pale gray eyes. A torn white evening gown. Dense cracks on her diamond-form right arm. And, the arrogance in her eyes that hadn't been extinguished even in this desperate situation.
The corners of Lin Nuo's mouth twitched slightly.
"A group of grown men bullying a lady whose clothes are nearly torn off—that's really not very gentlemanly."
Danton took a step back. He didn't know this man, but his instincts were screaming warnings.
To be able to silently breach twelve armed guard posts around the estate in a rainstorm and stand here unscathed—this person was definitely not ordinary.
"Who the hell are you?" Danton's hand pressed against the holster at his waist. "A Mutant? Or someone from some gang?"
"Neither."
Lin Nuo stopped in the center of the secret chamber and looked around. The psychic suppressor on the ceiling hummed. The ground was scattered with debris from the battle. The air was filled with the acrid smell of gunpowder and suppressants.
"But your question reminds me of a joke."
He pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses. "A mouse asks a cat, 'Are you a mouse?' The cat says, 'How could I be?' Then the mouse feels relieved."
Danton's brow twitched violently. "And then?"
"Then the mouse was gone."
The muscles on Danton's face tightened. "Fire!" He jerked the pistol from his waist.
The six human Agents pulled their triggers simultaneously. A mix of gene-suppressant rounds and armor-piercing bullets flew at Lin Nuo from all directions. The secret chamber was small. With this kind of covering fire, there was simply no room to dodge.
Over a dozen bullets struck Lin Nuo's body within 0.2 seconds. Bang bang bang bang! Then, a series of crisp clinking sounds followed.
Upon hitting his body, all the projectiles instantly lost their kinetic energy. The armor-piercing bullets were flattened into thin sheets. The liquid inside the gene-suppressant rounds vaporized immediately upon contact with his Bio-force field.
Lin Nuo looked down at the new bullet holes in his shirt. "It's brand new." His tone sounded genuinely distressed. "Do you know how hard it is to get an appointment with a tailor in New York?"
He raised his head. His eyes behind the gold-rimmed glasses looked at the nearest Agent. The Agent's hand holding the gun was trembling.
The next second, Lin Nuo flashed in front of the man at Quicksilver-level speed. To everyone's perspective, he had simply vanished for an instant. Then, he appeared less than ten centimeters directly in front of that Agent.
He extended his right hand, using two fingers to pinch the barrel of the rifle as if holding a cigarette. With a gentle squeeze, the specially made alloy barrel was twisted into a pretzel shape between his fingers.
"Bang." Lin Nuo dropped the deformed rifle onto the ground. Then, he extended his index finger and poked the Agent in the forehead. The force was precise to the extreme. Not too much, not too little.
The Agent's eyes rolled back, and he fell straight backward. The remaining five Agents retreated simultaneously.
Lin Nuo didn't give them a chance. His figure flickered continuously in the secret chamber five times. With each flicker, an Agent lost consciousness and collapsed to the ground.
Within six seconds, six fully armed human Agents lay on the floor. Not a single person was bleeding, and not a single person had died. It was all precise, physical knockouts.
Only three people remained standing in the secret chamber: Danton, the burly man with metallic skin, and the elderly man with electrical manipulation powers.
Danton was still holding his gun, but the muzzle was shaking. "You... who exactly are you..."
"I told you, that question isn't important." Lin Nuo turned his back to Danton and faced the two Mutant traitors.
The metallic burly man gritted his teeth and launched the first attack. His right fist was encased in a thick layer of living metal armor, and he smashed it with full force toward Lin Nuo's face—an iron fist capable of punching through steel plates.
Lin Nuo extended his left hand, fingers spread. His palm caught the heavy blow. With a muffled boom, a shockwave rippled out in all directions. The metal floor cracked in a circle around them.
But Lin Nuo's body didn't move an inch. He tightened his fingers, wrapping them directly around the burly man's fist as if squeezing an orange. The metallic skin let out a shrill sound of deformation under his Hulk-level grip. The layer of living metal armor was crumpled like tin foil.
"Aargh!" The burly man screamed. Lin Nuo kicked forward with his right foot, the tip of his shoe hitting the inside of the burly man's knee with precision. The two-hundred-plus-pound metal body knelt down directly.
Lin Nuo released his fist and slapped the back of his head with his palm. The burly man's face smashed into the floor, leaving a face-shaped indentation in the metal. He passed out cold.
The elderly man with electrical manipulation powers backed away two steps in fear. He raised both hands, his ten fingers discharging electricity. A high-voltage arc swept toward Lin Nuo, covering everything.
Lin Nuo stood still wearing his Vibranium trench coat. The arc struck the surface of the coat and was perfectly absorbed by the Vibranium's insulating properties, not even singeing a single hair.
Lin Nuo walked two steps toward the old man. The old man increased the current. A hundred thousand volts of blue-white lightning exploded in the secret chamber, illuminating everyone's faces with a ghastly pallor.
But when the lightning approached within a meter of Lin Nuo, it was deflected onto the wall by his Bio-force field. The wall was left with a scorched, charred mark.
The old man's ability was already at maximum output. It was useless. Completely useless. Lin Nuo walked up to him and leaned down.
"At your age, don't get too excited; it can easily cause a cerebral hemorrhage." He reached out and lightly chopped the back of the old man's neck. The old man rolled his eyes and collapsed to the floor.
The battle in the secret chamber, from start to finish, took less than thirty seconds. Eight armed personnel. Two Mutant traitors. All on the ground. And Lin Nuo's breathing rhythm hadn't even changed.
He straightened the collar of his shirt, stained by bullet holes, and turned to the last person still standing: Danton.
Danton's gun had dropped. His legs were turning to jelly. What the man before him had accomplished was completely beyond his comprehension.
"Don't... don't come over..." "Trask Industries won't let you go! They have Sentinel robots, they have a Mutant genetic database..." "If you dare lay a finger on me, the entire U.S. Military will hunt you down!"
Lin Nuo walked up to him and looked down at this shivering former Hellfire member. "What was it you just did to that lady?"
He tilted his head. "It seems..." He extended his right hand, using two fingers to pinch the knot of Danton's tie, and pulled it slightly forward. Danton's face was nearly pressed against Lin Nuo's chest.
"You seem to have torn her collar?" "And said some rather impolite things?"
Danton's lips were deathly pale. "I... I..."
"Forget it." Lin Nuo let go, raised his leg, and kicked Dantonin the abdomen. The force was controlled just right. Danton's body arched like a shrimp, flew three meters away, knocked over several iron shelves, and curled up in the corner, dry-heaving uncontrollably.
The secret chamber was completely silent. Only the humming sound of the psychic suppressor on the ceiling remained, along with the heavy breathing of a woman in the corner.
Lin Nuo turned around and walked toward Emma. He stopped two meters in front of her, not coming any closer. Subsequently, he crouched down to bring his line of sight level with hers.
Emma raised her head. Silvery-white hair fell on both sides of her cheeks. She used her one remaining functional left hand to support herself on the ground, staring at Lin Nuofor five seconds. Her pale gray pupils were filled with vigilance, scrutiny, and a trace of vulnerability she was trying desperately to suppress.
"Who are you?" Her voice was hoarse, but her tone still carried the unique arrogance of the White Queen. "Why are you helping me?"
Lin Nuo smiled at her. It was still that gentle smile that made people feel like they were in a spring breeze, yet simultaneously caused a faint chill. "Because I just happened to be passing by."
"Besides, I have a bad habit." His gaze lingered on her face for a second. "Seeing something beautiful being trampled on makes my heart ache."
Emma's brow furrowed. Her lips moved, wanting to say something, but Lin Nuo had already stood up.
He took off his Vibranium trench coat from his shoulders, shook off the dust, and handed it to Emma. "Cover your shoulders first." "Although I wouldn't mind taking another look, you probably would."
Emma stared at the black trench coat, then looked at the hand offering it. Slender, powerful fingers. Clean nails. There was not a hint of hesitation, nor any false warmth.
She was silent for three seconds, then reached out and took it. The trench coat draped over her bare shoulders. The fabric was unexpectedly warm, carrying the crisp scent of cedar from the man.
Emma pulled the collar together and raised her head. "You still haven't answered me." "What kind of person are you, really?"
Lin Nuo pushed up his glasses and crouched back down to her height. Up close, he revealed a rather wicked smile. "My name is Lin Nuo."
"A foreigner who happened to be traveling to this lovely place." "Ms. Frost, or should I call you the White Queen?"
"In the future, regarding your security issues, you could consider outsourcing to me long-term." "The first order is free, after-sales service is guaranteed, I'll ensure your satisfaction and guarantee your safety."
Emma stared at his overly handsome face, which was smiling in a very unprofessional way. She spoke. There was a warning in her voice.
"I don't need anyone's protection." "But if you really were just passing by, I owe you my life." "The White Queendoesn't like owing debts." "Speak, what do you want?"
Lin Nuo tilted his head. "So direct?" "Then let me claim a small request in advance."
"That buzzing piece of junk on the ceiling—point the way, and let me tear it down." "Your psychic power is locked, making it inconvenient to see people." "And I hope you use your clearest state of mind to take a good look at what the person who saved you looks like."
Chapter 155: Breaking the Shackles, the White Queen's First Mind Reading
Lin Nuo stood up after saying this.
He didn't wait for Emma to agree or refuse, looking up at the psychic dampener on the ceiling.
The disc-shaped device was embedded in the center of the metal ceiling.
Thick cables ran from both sides into the power lines within the walls.
The surface of the device flashed with a rhythmic blue pulse light.
Lin Nuo reached out directly.
A Bio-force field extended from his palm.
A transparent tentacle of the field precisely wrapped around the base of the disc device.
The field tightened.
The metal base emitted a harsh, twisting sound.
The mounting bolts were snapped one by one.
The cables were severed by the field.
The entire device detached from the ceiling and fell into Lin Nuo's open palm.
He weighed it in his hand.
"About twenty kilograms, mediocre workmanship."
With one hand, he crushed the expensive military-grade psychic dampener into a ball of scrap metal and tossed it into the corner.
The humming sound disappeared.
The secret room was quiet, with only the breathing of the two people remaining.
Emma's body visibly relaxed a little.
The stinging sensation that had been continuously suppressing her psychic power was rapidly fading.
Her sea of consciousness was like a reservoir with its floodgates opened, and her psychic power began to slowly flow again.
It hadn't fully recovered yet.
But it was enough for her to perform some basic telepathy.
She looked up, her light gray pupils fixed on Lin Nuo.
Instinct drove her to do something every telepath would do when facing a stranger.
She attempted to read Lin Nuo's thoughts.
The tentacles of her psychic power stretched out like silk threads.
Gently. Stealthily. Tentatively, they touched the outer wall of Lin Nuo's consciousness.
Then she hit a wall.
It wasn't a normal mental defense.
It was something she had never seen before.
Lin Nuo's mental plane wasn't like that of an average human, a fence that could be climbed over.
Nor was it like Charles', a carefully constructed castle.
His core consciousness was like a star.
Scorching. Massive. Impossible to look at directly.
The moment her psychic tentacles approached the surface of his consciousness, they were rebounded by a ridiculously powerful mental counter-pressure.
It was like a mosquito trying to bite the surface of the Sun.
Emma's expression changed abruptly.
Even her breathing faltered for a beat.
In that rebound, her psychic power had sensed some fragmented information.
It wasn't something Lin Nuo had actively released.
Rather, that shell of consciousness was so formidable that as it repelled her, it inadvertently leaked a wisp of residual emotion.
That wisp of emotion contained conquest, possession, and something that made her instinctively feel danger.
It was like the calm, unhurried greed deep in the eyes of a beast examining its prey.
"Read anything?"
Lin Nuo's voice rang in her ears.
Calm. Even with a hint of a smile.
He knew.
From the second she initiated the psychic probe, he had known.
His Asgard-level superhuman perception kept him highly sensitive to any form of energy contact.
The moment Emma's psychic tentacles touched him, it felt like a cold finger had traced the back of his neck.
Not painful. But very clear.
Emma bit her lip.
"You are not a Mutant."
This was her conclusion.
"You have no X-Gene in your body."
"But your mental barrier is stronger than any Mutant I have ever seen."
"Including Charles."
The Charles she referred to was Professor X.
The World's strongest telepath.
The fact that she even brought up Charles for comparison showed she was truly shocked.
Lin Nuo moved an overturned metal chair and set it upright.
Then he sat down opposite Emma quite naturally.
He crossed his legs.
Resting his palms on his knees.
"Not a Mutant, but stronger than a Mutant."
"Aren't you curious how that's possible?"
Emma, wearing his trench coat, slowly stood up from the floor.
Her legs were still a bit weak.
Her diamond-formed right arm was slowly reverting.
The crystalline diamond surface was retreating piece by piece into normal skin.
The light blue veins left by the inhibitor were fading.
She leaned against the wall, using her left hand to smooth back her cascading silver hair.
"Curiosity is one thing."
Her voice regained some strength. And some coldness.
"But before I get the answer, there is one thing I want to know more."
"Did you really just pass by when you came here?"
"Or were you aiming for me?"
Lin Nuo tilted his head.
His smile was extremely sincere. So sincere that no normal person would believe it.
"Ms. Frost, if I said I was aiming for you, would you believe it?"
"No."
"Then what if I said I was just passing by?"
"Also no."
"Then that's correct."
Lin Nuo stood up and walked over to her.
He was more than half a head taller than her.
The distance was close enough that she could smell the cedar scent on him.
It was the same scent as the trench coat draped over her shoulders.
The man lowered his head, his gaze meeting hers directly.
"You are a woman accustomed to controlling everything."
"You hate losing control, hate being manipulated, and hate owing favors even more."
"But tonight, you've experienced all three."
"So your current state is, it's even worse than getting beaten up."
Emma's breathing paused for half a second.
He was too accurate. Accurate enough to be uncomfortable.
"You—"
"I don't need mind reading."
Lin Nuo extended his index finger and tapped his temple.
"I just need to look at your eyes."
"Your left eye blinks faster than your right, which means you are nervous."
"Your shoulders keep hunching inward, which means you are on guard."
"You are wearing my coat, yet you haven't relaxed your hand on the collar for a moment, which means you are afraid."
With every point he made, Emma's expression tightened a little more.
In the end, she lifted her chin slightly.
That was her standard reaction when feeling threatened, using arrogance to mask her unease.
"So what?"
Her voice cooled down.
"Now that you've finished analyzing, what do you intend to do?"
"I intend to tell you that being afraid is nothing to be ashamed of."
Lin Nuo took a step back, giving her room to breathe.
"You have been carrying too much on your own."
"The infighting of the Hellfire Club, the pursuit by Trask Industries, those humans outside who wish to wipe out Mutants."
"No matter how strong your psychic power is, you cannot block attacks from all directions at the same time."
"You need a shield."
"And I."
He spread his hands.
Those hands had just crushed living metal with bare hands five minutes ago, ignored high-voltage arcs, and caught a dozen bullets.
"Happen to be the strongest shield in the World."
Emma looked at him.
Her psychic power was slowly recovering.
She could feel what was radiating from the man in front of her.
Not goodwill. Not sympathy.
But a dangerous, beautifully packaged desire for plunder.
Every word of his was like offering candy.
But she couldn't see what was hidden under the candy wrapper.
"I said, the White Queen doesn't like owing debts."
Emma finally spoke, her tone stiff.
"But I also don't like making deals with strangers."
"Especially strangers who smile too handsomely."
Lin Nuo raised an eyebrow.
"Oh, are you complimenting my looks?"
Emma's mouth twitched.
"I am saying you are very dangerous."
"Thanks, that's the best compliment I've received tonight."
He adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses again.
He turned and walked toward the exit of the secret room.
When he reached the door, he stopped. Without looking back.
"Ms. Frost, it's still pouring outside."
"In your current physical condition, it would be a struggle just to walk out of this building."
"Not to mention Trask Industries, Danton's backers, will soon send a second wave of people."
"You have two choices."
"One, tough it out yourself and wait for your lover with no official status to finish up and rush over to save you."
"Provided he can make it in time."
"Two."
He turned his head, his profile sculpted perfectly in the dim light.
"Come with me."
"I don't want your life, your money, or your power."
"I only want one promise from you."
"What promise?"
Emma's voice was full of wariness.
Lin Nuo smiled.
That kind of smile, impossible to guard against, the exclusive smile of a refined scoundrel.
"Just treat me to a cup of coffee when you have time in the future."
"Black coffee, no sugar."
"I'm a man of simple tastes."
He left after saying that.
His footsteps faded away in the corridor.
Only Emma was left in the secret room.
She stood in the mess, wearing the trench coat he had left behind.
The effect of the inhibitor hadn't completely worn off.
Her diamond form had not yet recovered.
The sound of rain outside grew louder.
The sound of engines gathering in the distance could be heard.
That was Trask's reinforcement.
She gritted her teeth. Leaning against the wall, she walked toward the door.
When she reached the end of the corridor, she saw Lin Nuoholding that black umbrella, standing in the pouring rain outside the manor's main gate.
He looked back at her.
Then he tilted the umbrella toward her direction.
Half of his own shoulder was drenched in the rain.
Emma stopped under the porch.
The curtain of rain wove a barrier between them.
She looked at his rain-soaked shoulder.
Looking at his expression, which seemed completely indifferent.
Then, she walked out.
Walking under the tilted umbrella.
Lin Nuo didn't speak.
He just naturally made space under the umbrella.
The sound of their footsteps was drowned out by the downpour.
They walked along the path they had come from, toward where the car was parked.
After walking about ten steps, Emma finally spoke.
Her voice was kept very low by the sound of the rain, but every word was clear.
"Lin Nuo."
"Hmm?"
"Your coffee."
"I only drink espresso."
"And it must be at a place I choose."
"Deal."
The rain grew heavier.
Lin Nuo's umbrella was tilted toward Emma's side.
His left shoulder was already completely soaked.
But his pace didn't quicken.
He was as steady as if he were taking a walk in the sunshine.
Emma slightly turned her head and glanced at his side profile, wet from the rain.
The lenses of his gold-rimmed glasses were covered in water droplets.
But he didn't even wipe them.
Her gaze lingered on his profile for two seconds.
Then quickly retracted.
Looking forward again.
"Your coat."
"Wear it for now."
"You can return it to me when we get to a safe place."
He paused for a beat.
"Of course, if you are reluctant to return it, I wouldn't mind."
Emma didn't answer.
But she wrapped the Vibranium trench coat tighter around herself.
Rainwater burst into white splashes on the surface of the umbrella.
In another five minutes, Trask's reinforcement convoy would arrive at this manor.
But that was no longer important.
Because the White Queen had already made the first choice in this World that was not led by herself.
She chose to stand under a stranger's umbrella.
And the corners of that stranger's mouth, at an angle she couldn't see, slowly curled up.
"Ms. Frost, are you interested in hearing a story?"
"What story?"
"A story from another Universe."
"About how a man went from an unknown, penniless researcher to the ruler of an entire Planet."
Emma's steps paused slightly.
"Is the story you're talking about your own?"
"Yes, non-fiction."
"You are quite immodest."
"Humility is the fig leaf of the weak, Ms. Frost; you wouldn't like the weak."
Emma didn't refute.
Because he was right.
She indeed did not like the weak.
And the man in front of her, soaked to the bone yet still composed, had nothing to do with the word "weak" by any standard.
"Get in the car and we'll talk, the rain is too heavy."
Chapter 156: The Fallen Queen, Only Her Mouth Remains Tough
Lin Nuo held the steering wheel with one hand, his index finger tapping rhythmically against the leather rim.
In the passenger seat, Emma Frost wrapped the black Vibranium nano-trench coat tightly around herself.
Water was still dripping from the tips of her silver-white hair, with a few droplets landing on her snow-white collarbone and sliding down along the tear in her clothes.
Her fingers were clutched tightly around the collar of the trench coat.
"Where are we going?"
Emma's voice was low, raspy from prolonged dehydration.
Lin Nuo didn't turn his head, his attention still fixed on the intersection ahead, obscured by the curtain of rain.
"Do you think that, given your current physical condition, you have any room to choose where we go?"
Emma turned her head, staring at his profile.
Inside the car, only the faint blue light from the dashboard outlined the man's features with striking clarity.
He wore gold-rimmed glasses, his expression gentle, and even his posture while gripping the steering wheel appeared incredibly refined.
Yet, twenty minutes ago, it was these very hands that had kneaded a metal gun barrel like noodles in the Underground Room.
"You said earlier that you came from another Universe."
Emma's voice still maintained the dignity of a queen within the Hellfire Club.
"You also said you conquered an entire Planet."
"Mm."
Lin Nuo steadily pressed the brake, and the car came to a stop at a red light.
"Do you think I'm easy to fool?"
"Miss Frost."
Lin Nuo turned his face, his gaze lingering on her face for a second.
"You watched with your own eyes as I ignored a dozen bullets and cleared out Trask's elite Agent. In the face of these facts, 'parallel Universe' is actually the easiest part to accept, isn't it?"
Emma's throat moved.
She couldn't refute it.
As a telepath, she was best at deconstructing other people's lies, but now her mental power was a chaotic mess, and the life magnetic field radiating from this man on a physical level was so powerful that it made her feel suffocated.
"Turn left at the intersection ahead."
Emma broke the silence.
Lin Nuo clicked the turn signal, and the steering wheel turned lightly half a circle in his fingers.
"Go on."
"Three blocks north, there's a grey apartment building."
Emma leaned back against the seat, her voice laced with exhaustion.
"That's my personal property; you won't find it on the Hellfire Club's accounts, and Trask's people can't track it down."
Lin Nuo smiled.
"A safe house? It seems you have quite a few people you need to guard against."
"In this line of work, those who don't leave themselves a backup plan end up dead in a gutter."
"Fine, I'll listen to the hostess."
Lin Nuo stepped on the gas, and the car cut a black line through the water in the pouring rain.
...
Midtown Manhattan, a high-rise residence with excellent privacy.
A penthouse duplex.
Emma stood before the door, the door lock's iris scanner emitted a green light, and the steel door slid open to both sides.
The sensor lights in the living room turned on automatically, casting a warm orange glow.
The interior furnishings were extremely exquisite, with huge floor-to-ceiling windows facing the rainy view of the East River.
In the center of the living room sat a large, dark brown leather sofa, and the electronic fireplace in the corner, sensing the temperature, spat out crimson flames.
After entering, Emma stumbled.
The inhibitor was metabolizing slowly in her blood, and the exhaustion from the battle was only now hitting her all at once.
Her knees went weak, and her body involuntarily tilted to one side.
As Lin Nuo closed the door, his body was already in motion.
He didn't use any deliberate gentleness; instead, he wrapped his right arm directly around her waist and hooked her shoulder precisely with his left hand, catching her steadily before her body could hit the ground.
Emma's breath hitched suddenly.
Because they were so close, she could smell the faint scent of cedar on his shirt, mixed with the coldness of rainwater.
"Let go..."
Before she could finish, Lin Nuo had already placed her on that soft leather sofa.
Emma's body sank into the cushions, her silver-white long hair completely spread out, scattering across the dark leather.
The trench coat shifted to one side during the struggle, revealing her damaged white dress underneath.
On her fair shoulders, there were several obvious bruises, which looked particularly jarring under the warm light.
Those were the marks left by the Mutant traitor's gravity suppression in the Underground Room.
Emma gritted her teeth, using her elbows to prop herself up on the sofa cushion, attempting to stand up again.
"Lie down."
Lin Nuo stood by the sofa, looking down at her.
His tone was devoid of any inflection, yet carried a sense of command.
Emma's movements froze.
She found that her body, at this moment, had instinctively obeyed his command.
This feeling of losing control made her feel angry.
"Lin Nuo."
Emma looked up, her light grey eyes filled with coldness.
"Don't get it wrong, this is my house. You were brought in by me."
"Here, I am the Master, you are not."
Lin Nuo looked at her.
The light from the fireplace made his profile flicker in and out of the shadows.
He bent down, resting his hands on the back of the sofa on either side of Emma.
The distance shortened instantly.
Lin Nuo reached out his right hand, using two fingers to gently pinch her delicate chin, forcing her to meet his gaze.
His palm was extremely hot.
That temperature wandered across Emma's cold skin, bringing a slight shudder.
"You are indeed the Master of this house."
Lin Nuo's voice was low, carrying a playful smile.
"But your brain is all mush right now, you can't even send out a simple psychological command. Your diamond form has shattered, and now you can't even transform your fingertips."
"The Hellfire Club traitors are dividing up your territory outside, and Trask's reinforcements are hunting you outside the block."
"As for that lover of yours far away on the West Coast, Scott Summers, he's probably so overwhelmed by the provocations of the Mutant Brotherhood right now that he doesn't even know you're about to die."
Lin Nuo's fingers gently caressed her chin.
"So, Miss Frost."
"The only thing you can still use to struggle right now is that mouth of yours."
"Do you really think you're qualified to discuss with me who is the Master?"
Emma's breathing became rapid.
She stared fixedly at the man in front of her, but couldn't say a word.
Because everything he said was the truth.
The hollowing out of the Hellfire Club's power, Trask's pressure, and Scott's absence.
All her reliance was torn to shreds in front of this stranger who had suddenly appeared.
[Ding! Detected that the target character 'Emma Frost' psychological defense has significantly loosened, interception progress increased to 15%!]
[Detected 'Cyclops' luck entanglement, dimension energy core fragment collection progress has been locked!]
The system notification in his mind caused the arc of Lin Nuo's mouth to deepen slightly.
Lin Nuo let go and stood up straight.
"Are you done?"
Emma let out a breath, pulling the slipped trench coat back onto her shoulders, trying to use a cold expression to hide her dishevelment.
"Since you're done, go pour me a glass of water."
"There are clean glasses on the second shelf of the cabinet. Warm water, I don't drink cold."
Lin Nuo looked at her, maintaining this queenly facade, and chuckled out loud.
"You are really good at giving orders in desperate situations."
"This is called being stubborn."
Lin Nuo turned and walked toward the open kitchen.
The cabinet door was pulled open, and the kettle made a faint humming sound.
Five minutes later, he walked back with a glass of warm water and held it to Emma's lips.
He didn't lower the glass, but instead touched her lower lip with the rim of the glass.
"Drink."
Emma stared at that hand with distinct knuckles.
"Are you feeding a pet?"
"The only difference between you and a pet right now is that you're wearing clothes."
"..."
Emma snatched the glass and tilted her head back, drinking all the warm water.
The warm liquid eased the burning sensation in her throat and also restored a bit of her reason.
She set the empty glass aside and stood up, propping herself on the sofa.
This time, although her legs were still trembling, she didn't fall again.
"I want to take a shower."
She looked at Lin Nuo, her eyes filled with caution.
"Where is the bathroom?"
"Turn left at the end of the hall."
"Are there any clean clothes to change into?"
"In the third compartment on the right side of the wardrobe, there is a white bathrobe."
Lin Nuo disappeared into the hallway for a moment, and when he returned, he had a soft silk bathrobe in his hand.
He draped the bathrobe over the arm of the sofa, his expression calm.
"Do you need me to carry you in?"
"No."
Emma gritted her teeth and walked around him toward the hallway.
As she passed by him, she deliberately kept her distance, but that faint scent of cedar still penetrated her breathing inescapably.
At the bathroom door, she stopped and turned back to look at him coldly.
"The door lock is digital, you'd better not get any crooked ideas."
Lin Nuo leaned back on the sofa and crossed his legs.
"Miss Frost, if I really wanted to do something to you, back in the secret room, you wouldn't even have had the chance to put this on."
"Bang."
The bathroom door slammed shut.
The sound of water soon followed.
Lin Nuo sat in the living room, listening to the pitter-patter of water from the bathroom, and slowly closed his eyes.
The mana inside his body was still locked tight by Kamar-Taj's Vishanti seal.
The perfect-level Chaos Magic source and the Reality Manipulation Authority lay dormant deep inside, without the slightest reaction.
But this physical-dimensional power, along with his speed that exceeded limits, was already enough for him to walk sideways in the Mutant World.
What he needed now was more "dimension energy core fragments."
As long as he completely broke through Emma's defenses and seized the complete fragments from Cyclops, he could forcibly tear a rift in the Universe law seal within him.
Twenty minutes later.
The bathroom door opened.
Emma walked out.
She had changed into that white bathrobe, the belt tied tightly, accentuating the curve of her slender waist.
Her silver long hair was simply wrapped in a towel on top of her head, revealing a face that was unadorned yet still beautiful. A few wet strands of hair clung to the side of her neck, and water droplets slid down her delicate skin, seeping into the collar of the bathrobe.
Lin Nuo opened his eyes, his gaze lingering on her bare feet and long, slender legs for a moment, before withdrawing it generously.
"You're quite obedient."
Emma walked to the other side of the sofa and sat down, crossing her legs, trying her best to let the hem of the bathrobe cover her knees.
"What did you expect me to be like?"
Lin Nuo poured himself a glass of water, holding it in his hand and shaking it gently.
"A gentleman who gives a bulletproof trench coat to a stranger on the battlefield, but in private, likes to talk while pinching the Master's chin."
Emma turned her head away.
"In Mutant psychology, there is a very fitting classification for people like you."
"Oh?" Lin Nuo became interested. "I'd love to hear it."
"Sophisticated scumbag."
Lin Nuo didn't get angry, but instead nodded with a smile.
"That's a very accurate assessment. However, I prefer to take it as a compliment."
He stood up and stopped in front of Emma.
The distance between them was only half a step.
Emma subconsciously shrank back, but the sofa space was limited, and she had nowhere to retreat.
"Don't look at me with those eyes like you're looking at a monster, Emma."
Lin Nuo called her name for the first time, dropping all polite titles.
"If I were really a bad guy without any bottom line, tonight in this room, you wouldn't be wearing this bathrobe, but nothing at all."
Chapter 157: Mind-Reading Backlash, Grabbing the Nape to Demand Compensation
The living room fell silent.
The flames of the electronic fireplace flickered, casting a deep red glow on the walls.
Emma stood where she was, the knuckles of the hand clutching the collar of her silk bathrobe slightly flushed.
She was somewhat annoyed.
Ever since Lin Nuo entered, her reactions seemed to be consistently one step behind.
As the White Queen, accustomed to directing affairs in the business World and the upper echelons of Mutants, she found this feeling of passivity extremely uncomfortable.
Her breathing was somewhat ragged, her gaze falling on Lin Nuo's right arm resting on the back of the sofa.
At this moment, deep within her parched sea of consciousness, a surge of psychic power finally gathered once more.
The lingering effects of the inhibitor in the Underground Room had mostly faded; although she was far from her peak, it should be sufficient to handle an ordinary human brain.
She needed to regain the initiative.
And the fastest way to regain the initiative was to pry open this man's head and see what secrets were hidden inside.
This person's origin, his purpose, and the "Another Universe" he had mentioned—was all of this the truth, or a scam specifically designed for her?
"Sit."
Emma gestured to the seat opposite her, her tone cold, attempting to regain the dignity of her usual commanding demeanor.
Lin Nuo was very cooperative.
He sat down obediently, taking the opportunity to remove his gold-rimmed glasses and wipe the fog off them with the hem of his clothes.
He leaned back against the soft leather backrest, looking exceptionally relaxed, perhaps even a little lazy.
"Miss Frost, I can cooperate with whatever you want to ask."
Emma sat in the armchair opposite him, her legs pressed together and tilted to one side, her damp silver hair draped over her shoulder.
Although the neckline of her bathrobe was pulled tight, her fair collarbones were still dazzling under the light.
"Evidence."
Emma stared into his eyes, her tone filled with scrutiny.
"You said you conquered your World, and you also said you possess power beyond comprehension."
"I need to see something with my own eyes that can convince me."
Lin Nuo smiled silently.
He put his cleaned glasses back on the bridge of his nose, then slowly extended his right hand, palm up, and laid it flat on the coffee table between them.
"Then, as you wish."
As his voice fell, the tip of his right index finger began to vibrate strangely.
It was not a muscle tremor, but some kind of physical change at a more microscopic level.
A faint cracking sound seemed to ring out in the air.
On the surface of his index finger, a layer of extremely hard crystal abruptly emerged.
That was the carbon element in the air, under the powerful compression of his Bio-force field, being forcibly rearranged at the molecular level in an instant.
Three seconds.
A crystal, refracting dazzling seven-colored light under the illumination, stood steadily on his fingertip.
It was an unpolished yet flawless diamond, about the size of an infant's fingernail.
Lin Nuo flicked his finger lightly.
"Ding."
The crystal traced an arc through the air, landing accurately into the empty glass in front of Emma, making a crisp clinking sound.
"Molecular-level matter restructuring."
Lin Nuo withdrew his hand unhurriedly.
"This is just the most insignificant little toy I have."
"If you need, I can also hand-craft a miniature nuclear fusion core for you in this living room, using your exquisite furniture as raw material."
Emma stared at the twinkling crystal in the glass, her throat tightening.
As a learned person, she knew very well what terrifying pressure and control were required to instantly compress carbon atoms into diamond.
This was not a Mutant ability.
At the very least, it was definitely not any kind of extraordinary power recorded in the Mutant genetic map.
This man truly came from another highly developed World.
Her heartbeat began to accelerate.
Intense curiosity and vigilance toward an unknown powerhouse completely overwhelmed her reason at this moment.
Now was the time.
While he was distracted by speaking.
Emma did not hesitate in the slightest; the psychic power deep within her consciousness transformed into a nearly tangible needle, instantly piercing through the void and heading straight for Lin Nuo's cerebral cortex.
She was greedy, but also cautious enough.
She did not need to read all of his memories; she only needed to pierce his outermost thoughts and grasp the real motive for his arrival at this apartment tonight.
The psychic needle crossed the coffee table at the speed of light, accurately piercing the edge of Lin Nuo's consciousness.
However, the next second.
"Boom!"
Emma's body trembled violently.
It was as if a deafening roar of ten thousand tons of thunder exploding simultaneously rang in her ears.
That was simply not a brain that could be browsed at will.
The instant her psychic needle touched his consciousness, a torrent of will, filled with rage, destruction, and an unrivaled divine factor, poured back directly along the psychic link.
That was not an active attack from Lin Nuo, but a passively triggered defense.
The formidable physical will of Hulk, superimposed with the mental barriers of the Asgard gods, returned the backlash force exponentially the very first second it sensed an intruder.
Three parts of her power were met with nine parts of lethal rebound.
Emma's vision turned completely blood-red in an instant.
"Ugh..."
She let out a suppressed, painful groan, and her whole body toppled forward directly from the chair.
The extremely intense headache caused her to lose control of her body, and a trace of bright blood even spilled from the corner of her mouth.
Lin Nuo on the sofa did not dodge.
One second before Emma collapsed toward the edge of the coffee table, he extended his left hand, his five fingers accurately gripping the nape of her neck.
His fingers were hot, the temperature of his fingertips pressing against her cold skin, sparking an uncontrollable shiver in her.
He held her up with one hand just like that, fixing her forward-leaning body in mid-air.
Her silver hair hung limply over the coffee table.
Lin Nuo took a clean napkin out of his pocket with his right hand, leaned over slightly, and meticulously wiped away the streak of blood from the corner of her mouth.
"I said that prying into others' privacy without permission requires paying a price."
His voice was very light, even carrying a hint of gentle reproach.
But to Emma, it felt like cold water being poured down her back.
Because in that brief contact just now, she had read the emotional remnants scattered on the outer wall of his defense.
It was an indifference toward life.
An extreme possession of all things.
And a shameless sense of plunder that treated the entire World as a toy.
This man's gentleness was just the sugar coating he used to package his violence.
"You..."
Emma's voice trembled, her nape clamped tight by his large hand, making it difficult for her to even breathe.
"What... lives inside your body..."
Lin Nuo applied a little force, lifted her from mid-air, and placed her back onto the armchair.
Subsequently, he braced himself over the armrest, lowered his body, and his eyes behind the gold-rimmed glasses locked onto her gaze at close range.
Their breaths were even mingling together.
"Someone very greedy lives inside, Emma."
Lin Nuo's slender fingers slid slowly up along her neck, finally resting beside her delicate earlobe.
"I like beautiful things, and I like making beautiful things completely my own even more."
"Your actions tonight count as an illegal intrusion."
Lin Nuo's finger lightly scraped against her cheek.
"Now, Your Highness White Queen, how do you intend to compensate for my mental distress?"