Marvel's New Magneto

No matter how unwilling Ororo was, she still followed everyone as they set off. These students were the future of mutants, and she would rather bear the cost herself than let them suffer harm.

The young people couldn't understand her feelings. Whether male or female, they were at an age full of vigor and vitality. Having been suppressed for a long time, they were suddenly stirred by Erik's encouragement and their emotions erupted. In this passionate moment, they would dare to charge forward even if it meant facing a sea of flames or a mountain of blades.

Of course, while they were eager to try, there was also a tinge of anxiety in their hearts. After all, in their limited lives, they had few experiences of truly using their powers in combat. If they had any such experience, it was likely the brief conflict from a few days ago, which had ended in their crushing defeat. This had dampened their confidence, so now they desperately needed a victory to prove themselves and regain their self-assurance.

Long-term training was tedious. The academy not only taught them how to control their abilities but also isolated them from the outside world. They only got rare opportunities to go out with their instructors, like prisoners allowed a brief breath of fresh air.

Now they were finally able to break out of this cage and breathe the free air. Along the way, even the soft rustling of tree branches in the breeze and the gentle chirping of birds flying by became quite charming.

This sense of wonder lasted until they reached the riverbank Erik had mentioned.

The river was a tributary of the St. Lawrence River in Eastern North America, originating from the Great Lakes. It passed through several nature reserves, with lush vegetation and picturesque scenery on both banks. The river was wide but its current was not swift, and few ferocious fish swam in it. Migratory birds seeking to avoid the winter liked to linger here, making it a prime location for wealthy locals.

It was supposed to be a bustling scene, but now it seemed to be on the edge of hell.

Large numbers of residents were being urgently evacuated from their homes by the police. More than a dozen police cars had been knocked over and were burning, sending black smoke into the air. Helicopters circled helplessly overhead, offering no comfort to the public, while the National Guard fought on the front lines. They had deployed several armored vehicles and heavy weapons, firing relentlessly at the demons responsible for all this destruction.

"My God, is that a snake?" Fireman John exclaimed.

His classmates were just as stunned as he was.

Among the rain of gunfire, the fire and chaos, massive pythons slithered through, their eyes gleaming coldly, their long tongues flicking in and out. In the thick smoke, they appeared as menacing creatures, like ancient beasts left over from a prehistoric world.

The Amazonian anaconda is considered the largest snake in the world, reaching lengths of up to ten meters and weighing over 225 kilograms. It is as thick as an adult man's torso. But compared to these giant snakes, the Amazonian anaconda was nothing more than a distant relative. The pythons here were as massive as ancient trees in a primeval forest. Their black and white patterns formed a network on their scales, and their midsections were as thick as barrels, large enough to swallow a cow. When they stood upright, their bodies reached heights taller than a two-story building. No one knew how these monstrous snakes had grown so large. Bullets barely hurt them. Instead, the impact seemed to enrage them, and they would lash out, crashing into houses or wrapping themselves around cars left behind by fleeing residents, crushing them into heaps of scrap metal. If the snakes hadn't slowed down after leaving the river, there would have been piles of bodies already.

The National Guard, relying on armored vehicles, fought while retreating. Their ammunition was nearly exhausted, and they had only managed to take down a few of the snakes. Their commander stayed hidden behind the lines, calling for reinforcements, exposing his helplessness. Journalists bravely reporting from the front lines captured the scene with their cameras, and thousands of viewers sat glued to their TVs, mouths agape, shocked by the live broadcast.

"Are we really going to face these guys? They're like dragons, we'll die!" John, usually fearless, swallowed hard, his cold sweat running down. Even the boys were terrified, and the girls, especially those who were afraid of snakes, looked pale.

Erik ignored Ororo's protests and led the students to the riverbank. On the other side was the main battlefield, where the snakes were wreaking havoc. Due to the National Guard's limited manpower, they couldn't manage the situation on this side of the river. Only a few brave journalists hid behind trees, trying to get a glimpse.

"Erik, you can't do this! These snakes are strange. Storm won't affect them much, and even if I summon lightning, it won't kill them. Your abilities can't handle such massive creatures either. Let's take the kids away before they notice us," Ororo pleaded.

With her experience, she could have forcibly stopped Erik's risky move, but every time she had that thought, Erik's cold smile and piercing gaze dispelled it. She could only offer gentle advice.

Ororo was gentle but not weak. She had no problem expressing her opinions even in front of a furious Scott. But when it came to Erik, she always felt small and powerless.

"It looks like I need to give you some confidence," Erik said, ignoring Ororo's anxious expression. He walked straight to the riverbank, a metal coin twirling between his fingers.

When he reached the point where the water was almost touching his feet, Erik stopped and turned back to address the academy members.

"You're all very talented, with great potential, but you're performing poorly. Even a trained ordinary person could easily put you in a difficult position. Why? Because you're always driven by instinct, like beasts, simple and primal. I don't know what's holding back your thoughts, preventing you from showing your true power. You need to think and find the best method for yourselves, rather than treating your abilities like rifles, shooting at flying targets in the playground every day."

Erik waved his hand and pointed at the largest of the giant snakes on the opposite bank. This snake had a crown-like structure atop its head, making it look even larger than the others. Whenever it raised its head and roared, the surrounding snakes seemed to respond in unison. It was the king of the snakes.

The snake king seemed to sense the threat from across the river. It looked over, its cold eyes locking with Erik's ruthless gaze, as he raised his hand toward it.

The metal coin rolled in Erik's hand, like a dice thrown in the air, spinning and slowing down, until it was parallel with his palm, revealing the face that fate had chosen.

The students from the academy and the journalists hiding in the distance were mesmerized. At that moment, Erik looked like a legendary deity descending to the earth. His clothes moved without wind, his brown hair stood on end, and silver sparks of electricity like tiny jumping snakes surged from his body, flashing along his arm. As the electric sparks became more intense, the coin in his palm grew brighter, as if all the energy had concentrated in it, until it shone like a small sun.

The light lasted only an instant before vanishing. All that remained on people's retinas was a long streak, like their eyes had been scorched.

In the wake of the intense light, people were temporarily blind. Before they could recover their vision, they heard the snakes across the river letting out terrible, chaotic screams. After a while, through their tears, they opened their eyes to see the enormous snake king had disappeared. All that was left was a headless, mangled snake carcass.

At that moment, everyone from the academy, including Ororo, was left speechless. Their impression of Erik had been limited to his ability to control metal. They thought his skills were similar to the previous Magneto's, subtle but ultimately the same. But now they realized that this new Magneto had taken a completely different step, walking far down a path of his own.

This path was so far beyond their imagination, and the scenery along it was drastically different. Storm stared at Erik's back, her heart racing.

Ignoring the reactions of others, Erik continued, launching one attack after another, taking down the remaining giant snakes with ease as if they were nothing more than small birds, leaving the last one for the young students to handle.

"Your homework today is to take down the last snake and save the people of Westchester from their panic," Erik said, signaling Ororo to help the students.

Everyone stared at Erik, who seemed so relaxed, their shock not yet fading. Their bodies felt stiff and uncooperative. Normally proud of their abilities, they now seemed like ineffective weapons, making mistakes even when facing a single giant snake. Fortunately, Ororo didn't scold them like she did in training sessions.

---

It wasn't just the academy students who were stunned; the ordinary people by the river were equally shocked, including the millions watching the live broadcast on TV. They had been watching a terrifying movie about ancient beasts battling an incompetent military when suddenly, the script was changed to a fantasy genre. A group of humans appeared on the dangerous scene, using their powerful super abilities to effortlessly slay the vicious giant snakes like chickens. The TV audience was just amazed, but for the soldiers, police officers, and armed civilians, it was completely baffling. Why were these super tough snakes completely unaffected by their steel storms, yet so easily defeated by the guy in the gray tracksuit?

Now this man had even sent a group of kids across the river to freeze and roast the last remaining snake, pounding it relentlessly.

The National Guard's commander and his men sat by their armored vehicles, bewildered, unable to comprehend what had just happened. While many knew mutants were around, few had ever interacted with them. Mutants often kept to themselves, either living in isolation or hiding in the crowd, so a public display like this was unheard of.

You've heard of mutants threatening presidents and officials, you've heard of mutants committing crimes, but have you ever seen a mutant step up to save humanity in the face of danger?

Today, they had witnessed it, yet they couldn't quite process it, and some even thought it was some unknown superhero team.

Now, it was time for the professionals to step in.

The reporters clutched their microphones tightly, their eyes shining brightly, as though they had spotted a delicious piece of meat in front of them.

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