"Death… Deathwing?!"
John rubbed his eyes, unsure if he was seeing correctly.
No one answered him. Apparently, what he was seeing was real.
The little girl sitting beside him didn't dare utter a word now.
She remembered how she'd ruthlessly mocked Xu Dan earlier just to support John. At this moment, her cheeks burned with embarrassment. She shrank back, grabbing the hem of John's clothes and hiding behind him.
But things didn't unfold the way she imagined — John did not step forward like a hero or an older brother to shield her.
Instead, he reached back and pried her fingers off his clothes, one by one.
The gesture was unmistakable: he was drawing a line.
The little girl froze, frightened and wronged.
Older mutants weren't like the younger ones; they didn't obsess over childish drama.
Right now, everyone's focus was on something far more shocking.
World of Warcraft had only been out for a short time, yet the map was already vast. Quests required long treks, leveling was slow and arduous, and improving combat power or acquiring skills took serious grinding.
Just when they were still struggling to clear a small group boss…
Someone was actually riding Deathwing?
World of Warcraft officially declared that the game had no bugs, and that any player who found an exploit or cheat would receive a one-million-dollar reward from Antarctica Studios.
So then—who was going to explain the flaming dragon on the screen, with fire surging beneath its obsidian scales… and the man standing on its head?
Gradually, everyone tore their eyes away from the computer and stared at Xu Dan.
Xu Dan only smiled, unconcerned.
But he leaned subtly toward John — the easily-manipulated Pyro. In the series, John's mental defenses were notoriously weak.
Xu Dan planned to give him a little "secret."
"Didn't you know? If you top-up nine-hundred ninety-nine dollars in World of Warcraft for the first time, you have a chance to get a Mystery Pack. It can contain anything. My mount came from that."
"!!!"
John's eyes widened as if struck by lightning.
He stared at Xu Dan in shock — then pure ecstasy.
The others shot John strange looks, but the naturally selfish John had no intention of sharing what he'd just learned.
He felt as if a new door had opened before him — a door he wanted as few people as possible to discover.
Tonight, he would secretly top-up $999. Maybe he, too, could obtain some invincible reward like Deathwing!
He imagined his character wreathed in fire, descending like a god of flames upon mortals.
One word: cool.
…
The poor fool had no idea he'd walked right into Xu Dan's linguistic trap.
First, the $999 top-up only gave a chance to get a Mystery Pack.
Second, the Mystery Pack was essentially a lottery — the lucky drew something amazing; everyone else got a cheerful thank you for your patronage.
Seeing that everyone's attention had shifted, Xu Dan smirked, logged out, and slipped out of the computer room.
The moment he stepped out, a large blue figure hurried over — the Blue Beast.
More precisely: a mutant.
Though the X-gene shaped his appearance, the vast knowledge in his mind had never dimmed.
"Ah, Mr. Xu Dan! The professor asked me to pick you up. I rushed straight out of the lab — sorry, I'm late!"
"Make way, Mr. Hank," Xu Dan said casually.
Hank — better known as Beast — smiled. "You're very forgiving, sir."
Xu Dan suddenly turned, gestured toward John inside the computer room, and said mischievously, "Mr. Hank, I think your students could use a few more classes on basic reasoning. Especially that one."
Hank chuckled. "Uh… I think church might be more helpful."
"Whatever you choose. It's your academy." Xu Dan shrugged — he'd only been teasing.
"This way, Mr. Xu Dan."
Beast led him toward Professor X. As the host — and given his physical limitations — meeting the bald telepath first was only polite.
Knock, knock.
Hank gave a symbolic tap on the office door and entered with Xu Dan.
Inside, the first thing they saw was the unmistakable gleaming bald head.
"Well, Hank, you finally remembered to knock. Welcome, Mr. Xu Dan."
Xu Dan studied the bald man. An average person might see just an educated, wheelchair-bound elder.
But he knew better: this "crippled old bald man" possessed the strongest mind on Earth.
With the Cerebro amplifier, his psychic power could cover the entire globe.
If he wished to kill someone, he could obliterate their brain with a thought.
"Professor X, nice to meet you." Xu Dan smiled.
Professor X maneuvered his wheelchair out from behind the desk and spoke as he approached. "Mr. Xu Dan, I'll be direct. As I said on the phone, we need your help with our virtual combat program…"
"Why me?" Xu Dan asked. "There are plenty of hackers and experts out there. Even in your own academy, you have geniuses. Why choose a businessman who makes games?"
Professor X smiled and guided them into the restricted underground area accessible only to X-Men.
"I expected you to ask. At first, I didn't know whom to choose. But after speaking with Riva, I chose you. That child never lies. She said you were incredibly capable — so I trust her judgment."
"I'm guessing this wasn't purely a technical decision," Xu Dan said calmly.
"Correct. The virtual combat system is far less complex than the games you create. I could have found many technicians for this. But why you? First, you've never discriminated against Riva or any mutant. Your eyes remain steady and unprejudiced. Second, I heard you personally wrote your entire game. That means you have deep experience with combat systems — and I value that experience."
Professor X's sincerity was unmistakable.
Xu Dan nodded. It wasn't difficult to understand.
Thank you, my dear Riva, he thought.
"My elder holds you in high regard, Xu Dan," Professor X continued, smiling kindly. "If you ever need help, reach out directly. The X-Men will support you."
But that warm, gentle smile nearly made Xu Dan jump.
This… this… is this a 'son-in-law approval'?
The problem was — he had no intention of escalating things with Riva just yet.
Riva was a modern woman, with a free girl's heart.
And Xu Dan… well, he admitted he was a bit greedy.
Would Riva accept that?
That was why he hadn't given her any promises.
In this world, people believed in open negotiation and mutual freedom — not traditional, one-to-one binding relationships.
-----------------------
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(End of Chapter)