Marvel: Master Of Role-Playing-Chapter 152: Surging Undercurrents

Reid's reluctance to depend on his telepathic powers for direct mind control was fully evident in how he chose to handle William.

Years ago, Charles had spared William's life, hesitating to eliminate him due to his ties to the military. Instead, he chose to alter the man's memories.

But in the end, that decision backfired. It opened the perfect window for Reid to exploit, turning William into a weapon and launching an attack from a direction the mutant never expected.

Now, Charles Xavier's body was deteriorating rapidly. The psychological shock from the previous incidents had sent his condition into steep decline. And yet, that same frailty had sharpened his senses. His vigilance had never been more intense.

Every fluctuation in Reid's psychic energy, every suspicious movement from LexCorp or within Gotham, was under constant surveillance. Any further attempts to operate in the shadows were becoming more difficult. But William, he was the key to breaking through that blockade.

Because Reid knew that fake memories could always be uncovered one day, his approach to non-allied heroes was simple: either kill them or lure them in through other means.

Even when he used telepathic abilities, it was limited to planting subtle suggestions, built on trust that already existed. Over-relying on such power would only lead to unexpected consequences in ways he couldn't foresee.

Reid understood this all too well.

...

Meanwhile, far away in Xavier's School.

"Ororo, how are things going lately?"

Inside his office, Charles sat in his wheelchair, visibly weakened. His once-imposing presence had withered. Even most of his teeth had fallen out. Despite being one of the most powerful telepaths alive, there was no psychic cure for the pain that lived in his heart.

The deaths of Erik and Raven had pushed his body to the brink.

Beside him, Ororo Munroe gently opened the report in her hands and started to read aloud. She knew Charles' eyes were cloudy now, and it was hard for him to see clearly.

"Gotham has been completely rebuilt over the past year," she began. "Every aspect of the city has recovered. It's once again become an economic powerhouse, almost on par with New York. On top of that, LexCorp has started investing in Gotham through its partner company, Wayne Enterprises. The city's economy is climbing even higher."

These facts were public, obvious to anyone paying attention, but Charles couldn't afford to ignore them. He needed to understand every part of Gotham, LexCorp, and Wayne Enterprises to avoid missing any key details that might put mutants in danger again.

"What about behind the scenes?" he asked, his voice raspy. "Have we received any updates from the mutants we sent into Gotham?"

While the FBI and S.H.I.E.L.D. had gradually pulled back from infiltrating Gotham, the mutants had continued sending in spies. It wasn't just because they could use their powers to protect themselves better there. The main reason was that Charles had no other choice.

Even if the cost was high, he had to keep pushing forward.

"The spies..."

As soon as the topic came up, Ororo's expression darkened.

"Seventy percent of the spies we sent into Gotham have lost contact with us. Of those, only forty percent are confirmed to have been targeted by the city's hidden forces. The rest..."

"They betrayed us, didn't they?"

Ororo didn't finish her sentence, but Charles already knew the outcome. He had chosen the most determined mutants he could find to infiltrate Gotham. But loyalty was fragile. Human nature was unpredictable.

And the dream he had once championed—overthrowing humanity and building a world for mutants—had become more distant with every passing day. Especially after Erik's death and the collapse of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants.

His grip over the mutant population had weakened to the point of collapse. And it didn't stop there.

Not long ago, another mutant from his generation, Emma Frost, had led a group away from his leadership. They had abandoned the old dream and started trying to integrate into human society.

Naturally, Charles was livid. So enraged, in fact, he had nearly used his powers to wipe out Emma and her followers.

But he couldn't.

Emma was also an Omega-level telepath. Though her powers weren't quite as strong as his, they were close enough that she couldn't be controlled so easily. And as long as he still wanted the rest to follow him, he absolutely couldn't use force to suppress Emma and her group. All he could do was let it happen and watch as the mutant community split even further.

"What about the remaining thirty percent? Did they send back any intel?"

Charles' next question was met with a shake of the head from Ororo.

"I'm sorry. The information they gathered is no different from what ordinary Gotham citizens already know."

In truth, those agents hadn't survived because of skill or strength. They couldn't infiltrate any major gang or corporation, let alone uncover real secrets. They could only live as regular citizens of Gotham. That's why they survived.

"I see," Charles murmured, closing his eyes.

There was no anger in his voice. Just exhaustion.

"Keep selecting new spies and sending them into Gotham. If even one of them gets close to City Hall, or finds a way into Wayne Enterprises, it will be worth it."

He understood how hopeless that sounded. Even he didn't dare get close to Gotham carelessly. But he had no other choice. He could only keep sending mutants, probing again and again, hoping at least one mission would succeed.

"But Professor, we don't have enough people anymore. And the kids at the academy haven't fully matured yet. Right now, only Peter can barely be considered new combat strength. As for those mutants outside the academy who used to rely on us, their numbers are shrinking fast."

Charles didn't reply. He couldn't think of a solution either. He didn't dare leave the academy to recruit new mutants like he did with Jason. ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm

"Hank gave me a suggestion. It might be our only chance." Charles opened his eyes slowly, finally having made his decision.

"Are you really going through with it? If we clash with humans in this situation and fail..."

Ororo naturally knew what suggestion he was talking about. It was a technology Hank had accidentally discovered while studying the body of a fallen comrade.

A method that could activate the X-gene in an ordinary human, forcibly evolving them into a mutant.

"I know the risks," Charles said, voice low. "But unless mutants become the dominant species on Earth, we'll never have a chance to turn things around. I... can't hold on much longer."

That final sentence revealed just how worn and aged he had become. Ororo could only sigh and quietly leave his office.

As Charles watched her leave, he murmured, "The only good news, if any, is that Jean's memories of Reid... are finally gone."

Unknowingly, the mutants had already reached the end of the road.

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