The steps of the enraged Hulk gradually quickened, soon turning into a full-fledged charge toward the X-Men.
Storm tried to strike him with incandescent lightning, but the thick, python-like bolts striking the Hulk's sturdy body felt like little more than a tickle. They had no effect other than raising a cloud of white smoke.
If even Thor's lightning had no effect on the Hulk, how could Storm's lightning possibly affect him?
Consequently, Magneto stepped forward despite his severe injuries. Using the scrap metal on the ground, he formed a massive, Gundam-like mechanical fist in front of the incoming Hulk. With an iron fist even larger than the Hulk's body, he sent the beast flying over a thousand meters away.
However, as Magneto hunched over and spat out a large mouthful of blood mixed with organ fragments, the mechanical iron fist that had just been so effective instantly crumbled into iron slag like loose sand.
"Stop, your body has already reached its limit!" Shadowcat supported Magneto's body and reached into his chest, forcibly massaging his aging heart to keep him alive.
The inability to spontaneously perform even the most basic physiological functions, such as a heartbeat, showed just how far Magneto had pushed his body!
"No—" Magneto's trembling legs still moved forward. If there was one organ in his body still functioning normally, it was undoubtedly his brain, which carried his lifelong convictions.
"Let me help you."
Marcus, who had been mysteriously appearing and disappearing, descended from the roof once again. Without a word, he pulled out a syringe and injected a tube full of light pink liquid into Magneto's arm.
"What are you doing?" asked Kitty (Shadowcat), her eyes wide open as she tried to save Magneto.
"It's a cardiotonic," Marcus replied, explaining the main composition of the liquid, while simultaneously warning Magneto, "Don't expect the effects to be mild."
"That is exactly what I want," Magneto said resolutely. With the drug taking effect, he stopped his bloody coughing and wiped the crimson from the corner of his mouth.
[Virus Touch Activated. Target: Magneto. Zombie Virus Injection Successful — Target is on the verge of death; mutant gene resistance failed; infection successful. Mutation process ongoing; mutation will be completed within 24 hours.]
Due to his extreme physical weakness, Magneto could not resist the invasion of the zombie virus despite his mutant genes. This was undoubtedly good news for Marcus, allowing him to extract all of Magneto's value before his death.
Although the cardiotonic Marcus injected into Magneto was mixed with his own blood, its effects were real. However, this stimulant had been designed by Alex specifically with Marcus's highly regenerative physique in mind.
For Magneto, who possessed the physique of an ordinary human, forcibly administering this injection would undoubtedly hasten his death greatly due to its severe side effects. But judging from Magneto's resolute gaze, he no longer cared about such things.
"I will ensure that mutants receive the rights they deserve," Marcus promised Magneto, sounding almost as if he were delivering an elegy.
No matter how Magneto interpreted this promise, at the very least, he no longer had any regrets.
Accompanied by the screeching of truck tires rubbing against the ground, several military trucks carrying unknown cargo arrived at the entrance of the Mutant Academy.
The officers in American uniforms disembarking from the vehicles indicated that these were reinforcements from the U.S. government—and the enemies the X-Men were about to face.
"Repel them!!!" shouted Cyclops, who had survived the Red Hulk's assault.
If even a villain like Magneto was willing to fight to the death for mutants, what reason did the X-Men have to hold back!
Numerous mutant students rushed past Magneto, charging toward the heavily armored trucks and lunging at the American officers, who hadn't even drawn their pistols yet.
However, the officer leading the reinforcements maintained his composure as the bizarrely shaped mutants charged at him. Without any haste, he ordered his subordinates:
"Release the Hunters."
Suddenly, five or six figures burst from the cargo bay of each military truck, sprinting toward the attacking mutant students at an unusually fast pace. These strange individuals were covered in various tubes; they were clearly experimental subjects of a biochemical project.
Their abnormal running speed alone was unsettling, and many mutants were extremely cautious about what abilities they might possess. This mystery was revealed the moment they engaged.
The hands of these humanoid creatures, known as **Hunters**, underwent astonishing mutations. First, they turned into black blood vessels, then coiled and reshaped themselves into machetes, sharp claws, spiked shields, and even freely moving appendages for combat.
Every weapon they formed was incredibly sharp. Caught off guard, many mutants were torn to pieces or pierced to death by the Hunters' bizarre weapons.
After suffering an initial setback, the mutants quickly launched a counterattack, firing red or purple energy beams at the Hunters. But before these beams could hit them, black, shell-like substances formed on the Hunters' skin, acting as armor to block the attacks.
Even if some powerful mutants managed to break through their defenses, the Hunters could heal their wounds at an extremely rapid pace. After just one round of offense and defense, the mutants found themselves at a significant disadvantage.
Looking at these Hunters belonging to the government's reinforcements, a faint, almost imperceptible smile appeared on Marcus's lips.
This ability to restructure and regenerate was undoubtedly the result of the **Blacklight Virus** modification that Marcus had long been seeking. And the reason these biological weapons created by the Blacklight Virus could carry out military operations in such an organized manner was due to the zombie control helmets manufactured by Tony.
In other words, these Hunters were actually a new species born from the fusion of the Blacklight Virus and Marcus's zombie virus. Each of them was connected to the zombie mental link dominated by Marcus.
Currently, this group of Hunters was being controlled in battle by the government using the zombie control helmets. However, if Marcus so desired, he could instantly bring all the Hunters before him under his own control.
Created by the combined effects of the Blacklight Virus and the zombie virus, each of these new zombie species possessed enough strength to contend with Alpha's subordinates and easily overpower most mutant students. It was no surprise that the X-Men suffered such heavy losses in their initial clash.
Possessing such terrifying combat power, these Hunters were undoubtedly the secret trump card of the U.S. Congress.
However, every product of the Blacklight Project was the result of countless cruel human experiments. Was Captain America, who had just recently taken on the presidency, aware of this situation?