Marvel's New Magneto

With the scent of war from another world, Erik quietly returned to the place where he was now settled.

Not long ago, he had gone back to the world controlled by the main god to retrieve something.

As a successful reincarnator who completed the task, he had the privilege of being exempt from the main god's surveillance. Originally, this was meant as a reward to protect victors from being toyed with by that mysterious existence. However, the bloodline of Magneto in him had caused a strange change. Now, he had become a living bug. By relying on his sensitive perception of the magnetic field, he could use the unremovable wristwatch produced by the main god's space, and through the subtle connection, find the coordinates of the time and space of the various plot worlds he had experienced, thus opening portals to other dimensions.

This had happened more than once, and no one could detect it.

He had just slipped back into a world, landing at the exact spot where he had once completed a mission and reported back to the main god's space. He had disappeared from this place in the stunned gazes of the characters in the plot. Now, he had returned quietly without a sound.

But everything had started anew. In the underground research base, no one would remember what he looked like, nor would the man who had been fooled by his invisibility powers sneak up to attack him.

All he had to do was take the scientific research results, which had been painstakingly acquired by the scientists, right in front of everyone.

It was no challenge at all. He got what he wanted, then left under the hateful and fearful gazes, returning to his dormitory at the academy.

The wind lightly stirred the curtains, and the afternoon sunlight still shone on his **, as the melodious sound of the music box slowly unfolded. The world seemed to freeze for a moment when he left, then continued its flow forward.

Erik lay on **, casually playing with the items he had brought back, smiling contentedly.

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At the academy, the young people scattered across an open space, each training their abilities.

Mutants' abilities varied. Some required very little space to use, while others were more troublesome. Depending on their abilities, some needed a long corridor to project their energy in a straight line, while others needed an entire area to unleash their full potential. Fortunately, there were not many of them, so the space was usually sufficient.

From the professors on down, the academy's instructors always hoped students would control their powers as best as possible, so self-training was an essential part of the curriculum.

However, today, the young people were mostly distracted.

This was not because they lacked focus; it was simply that Erik didn't have enough professional spirit.

He was supposed to be guiding the students on how to properly handle their powers and how to best utilize them, but on the first day of class, he was late.

For now, Storm, Ororo, was filling in for him. In order to cover for Erik, she had to cancel her activities with the X-Men and stay at the academy to teach.

"John, be careful with your flame; it's about to fly into Bobby's hair." The students were lively and active, and if they weren't careful, they would cause a little trouble.

"Pete, move a bit slower, do you want the little troublemaker to take away your iron-clad muscles?"

Ororo kept reminding the young people, but today it seemed their attention was much lower than usual, glancing over at her from time to time.

Ororo looked down at her attire, puzzled, as it seemed fine. Was there something wrong with her makeup? Unfortunately, she didn't have a mirror on hand.

While she was still wondering, she noticed a carefree figure standing nearby. At that moment, everything made sense— the students had been checking out the new instructor.

"Erik, where have you been sneaking off to these past few days? The kids have been waiting for you to start class," Ororo said to Erik.

Erik tossed the small glass bottle in his hand and glanced at the practicing students, casually replying:

"I went to another world and brought back some local specialties."

The glass bottle containing the potion floated in the air, rising and falling, its transparent body reflecting golden light under the sunlight.

Ororo was somewhat confused but quickly became intrigued by the floating glass bottle.

"What's with this bottle? Didn't you only—" she asked halfway before being interrupted by Erik.

"How long have they been training like this?" he asked, gesturing toward the curious young people.

"Five or six years for the longest, and at least two or three years for the shortest. They're much better than when they first came," Ororo answered in response.

"Indeed, they can't be considered complete beginners anymore," Erik said as his gaze swept over the students.

Among these young people were Bobby, the Iceman, who could create and control ice and even turn his body into ice with Omega-level potential; John, the fiery one, who controlled flames and had a hot-tempered and impulsive personality; Kitty Pryde, the Shadowcat, who could change the molecular structure of herself and any object she touched to pass through solid materials; and Lorna Dane, who was Magneto's daughter, with powers similar to her father's and Erik's own.

And, of course, there was the little troublemaker, who smiled at Erik from the crowd. Though her power was a bit dangerous, the lively and beautiful young girl always drew the attention of the boys. Bobby, the Iceman, was standing next to her, talking to her.

As Erik observed his students, his students were also eyeing him.

Unlike other instructors, who always wore their X-Men uniforms with perfect discipline, Erik dressed very casually. He wore a simple gray sweatshirt and a pair of jeans, looking very relaxed, like someone who had just finished a morning jog. He didn't look like the highly skilled mutant elder he was.

If the people in the room hadn't seen him drive Strick and his group out of the academy that night, it would have been hard to accept this guy as their teacher.

Ororo hadn't expected Erik to show up in such a manner. The reason she and other X-Men instructors insisted on wearing uniforms for class was to look more serious and maintain authority, especially considering their young students. If they couldn't keep control, the class would easily turn into a free-for-all party, which would be a disaster. Now, seeing Erik in such casual clothes, she hoped he wouldn't turn the lesson into a game.

Clapping his hands, Erik called off the training and gathered his students together.

The girls were obedient and quickly gathered around, but the boys were a bit slower, clustering together in groups.

"What do you think he's going to teach us? How can he be late for class and not get in trouble?" John, the fiery one, muttered from the back of the group.

"Don't say that. Have you forgotten how he defeated the enemy that day?" Bobby tried to calm his friend.

"He got lucky. If I had been more careful, maybe I could have turned the tables. Now it should be my turn to be the instructor," John grumbled.

"Shh!" The girls in the front row shushed them.

Everyone waited for the new instructor's first words. To be fair, Erik was highly anticipated, especially because of his unique perspective on using powers. Even the professor admired him. Even rebellious students like John wanted to learn some tips from him to enhance their own abilities.

But today, Erik wasn't going to talk about that—his speech had nothing to do with the lesson.

"I'm the new instructor Erik. Many of you should already know I'm from another world. Compared to others, my ability is fairly average, but I can do things that many strong people can't. Why? Because I have rich imagination and experience. Imagination, I'll help you develop it step by step, and experience, you can't gain just through practice in the training ground. So, I'm planning to give you some special homework."

"I've received word that a giant snake has appeared in a nearby river, scaring the local residents. The police can't handle it, and the National Guard came, but it was useless. I'm going to take a few people to deal with it. Who wants to come with me?"

The moment Erik finished speaking, everyone froze.

No one expected his first speech to be about going to kill a giant snake. Even the most troublemaking students were stunned.

"Wait, wait. Erik!" Ororo snapped out of her stupor and quickly intervened.

"It's class time. What are you planning to do? How could there be a giant snake nearby? Even if there were, they're just kids. You're going to take them on an adventure?"

Erik shrugged. "In my opinion, they've trained enough. If we keep relying on training alone, there won't be much progress. It's time for some real combat teaching."

Ororo angrily said, "We don't need to interfere with outside matters. The army will handle it. If not, there are superheroes. They need to stay in the academy."

"Stay in the academy?" Erik smiled. "Ororo, look at these young people. They're not kids anymore. Do you want them to stay in the academy forever?"

"It's dangerous outside. Humans are hostile to us and try to capture mutants. I can't allow you to take them out there," Ororo insisted.

"Exactly, that's why mutants have always stayed cooped up in this small circle, distrusted by humans."

Erik pushed past Ororo and walked toward the students.

"I often wonder, what exactly are mutants? What is our relationship with humans?"

"From a biological standpoint, mutants are people whose genes have mutated, creating an abnormal human species, often referred to as a deformity. But we know we aren't deformed. We are people with natural abilities."

"Abilities make us different from ordinary people, so we are rejected. We endure persecution year after year, and it only deepens. Because of fear, mutants isolate themselves from society, huddling together for warmth. But this is not a long-term solution. We must integrate into society and become part of humanity. We should tell humans that we are not monsters or deformities. We are the pioneers of evolution, humanity's protectors. Only by doing so can we break through the cage that locks us in."

"Look around you. Think about it. How long have you been here? Away from your families, cut off from society, living in fear and unease, enduring others' suspicion and disdain. You can continue this life, hiding under the wings of others, day after day, year after year, or you can choose to break the rules with me, take the risk, and try to embrace the world."

"Today, I will leave the academy, save the humans threatened by the giant snake, and tell them: I am a mutant. No difficulty can stop me. You can stay in the safe academy and study in class, but I hope someone will dare to step up for their fellow mutants and join me in this adventure."

After Erik finished speaking, he observed the students' reactions. On their youthful faces, there was both yearning and confusion. They thought deeply, weighing their options as they hesitated and chose their path.

Finally, someone stood up. It was Bobby, the usually composed Iceman, not the impulsive, reckless John.

"My home is in Boston. I've been at the academy for two years. I have my dad, mom, and a younger brother, Ronnie. My parents always thought I was in prep school. My brother hates mutants, and I've never dared to tell them what I'm doing. But I really want to go home. I want to tell them I'm a mutant, then go back to my old life…"

Bobby, recalling the past, went from confused to resolute.

"Erik, if you can let me live like I used to, I'll follow you."

Bobby's words moved the students. Whether they were waiting for their families or not, they all longed for a normal life. Trauma made people retreat, but it couldn't take away the desire for a good life. One by one, the students stepped forward.

"I want to go home and see if my heartless parents still remember me," a girl said, smiling through her tears.

"I want to buy new clothes, eat a big meal. I'm so tired of the cafeteria here," her friend joked.

"I hate being so sentimental. It makes me uncomfortable. I'll join in too." John couldn't help it.

Before long, no one was left there.

Seeing such a scene, Ororo had never felt so helpless. She could control the wind and rain and call for thunder, and fly high in the sky like a goddess on earth. However, facing the students who expressed their deepest desires, she felt unprecedentedly powerless.

This is an unstoppable trend. Erik has fanned the flames in their hearts. Now who can put them out?

"Maybe we should wait for the professor to come back and discuss this..." Ororo said weakly.

"If you're worried, just follow us." Erik walked away without looking back, surrounded by the young people.

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