DOTM: Chapter 306/307

Chapter 306: Summoning Magneto

When Ethan first wanted to use teleportation magic, he had to rely not only on the ring which stored the energy of the Cosmic Cube, but also on spatial energy to create a Mirror Dimension where he could use teleportation magic freely.

As his strength increased and his understanding of spatial energy deepened, he could now use this kind of teleportation magic in the real world.

There were still occasional errors with long-distance teleportation, but for anything within his line of sight, it was as easy as moving a finger, or even just a thought.

With Ethan leading the way, neither ordinary agents nor special forces could stop them. Considering Moira's identity and Charles' feelings, Ethan didn't use excessive force. He merely "invited" them to step aside and not block his path.

By the time Ethan and the others walked out of the building and reached the relatively spacious front courtyard, Sebastian Shaw, codenamed the Black King, was wearing a helmet and confronting the heavily armed special forces.

The reason they hadn't immediately opened fire on him was because Sebastian was holding one of their own. If they shot, they would end up riddling their own comrade with bullets.

The appearance of Ethan's group immediately attracted attention from both sides. Sebastian glanced at the group of young people that had suddenly appeared and casually tossed the agent he was holding into the air.

"Looks like I've found my target. You're useless now."

Sebastian could enhance himself by absorbing energy. His physical strength was far beyond that of an ordinary human. A full-grown adult male was effortlessly thrown high into the air by him. If nothing intervened, the man would fall to his death.

But just as he reached his highest point, a blue halo appeared above his head. Then, the same blue halo appeared behind the special forces group. The young agent, who should have continued to rise, instead shot through the portal and crashed into the crowd of special forces like a bowling ball.

Although it was chaotic, no one was seriously injured or killed.

Sebastian watched it all unfold, then shifted his gaze toward Ethan.

"A very interesting ability."

To him, it looked like Ethan could open doors to any location at will, and connect them to wherever he pleased. The energy emitted by the ability felt strange, but he couldn't quite identify why.

Sebastian didn't pay it much mind. As long as it was an energy-based ability, he wasn't worried. There was no way it could harm him.

More importantly, Ethan's power didn't seem to be offensive. It looked purely supportive.

He didn't know that Ethan was using magic rather than mutant abilities.

But in a sense, magic was still a means of manipulating energy. Superficially, it could be countered by Sebastian Shaw, who could absorb energy.

However, even though Sebastian could absorb energy, there were limits to his absorption. That was why he always released energy quickly after taking in large amounts.

As for Ethan... while his magic had limits, he could draw power from near-infinite sources in other dimensions. Not to mention, if he prepared twenty Arcane Spring staves, he doubted this guy could take it.

Previously, he'd thought about stabbing this guy with a knife, but after seeing Sebastian tank bullets without damage, he realized physical attacks using kinetic energy wouldn't work unless it was a sneak attack when Sebastian's guard was completely down. His power needed to be actively used.

Thinking of this, Ethan glanced at Ada beside him. As an elite spy skilled in infiltration and assassination, she had plenty of ways to deal with someone like Sebastian.

While the special forces had stopped firing, someone still tried launching a rocket at Sebastian. It also failed to harm him. The forces quickly fell into confusion and helplessness.

Sebastian, now supercharged with absorbed energy, lifted his foot to unleash a powerful explosion that would wipe out the surrounding soldiers and clear the area of annoying pests.

He completely ignored Ethan and his group. He didn't think they were capable of stopping him.

Unfortunately, just as he was about to stomp down, a halo appeared beneath his feet. Suddenly, Sebastian felt the ground disappear, and before he realized what had happened, he was a hundred meters in the air.

The fall wouldn't kill him, especially with his loyal subordinate Azazel around. Ethan hadn't expected this simple spell to eliminate him. Other than saving the soldiers, he had another goal—drawing out Azazel.

Azazel, the demon-like mutant with teleportation powers, appeared mid-air, caught the falling Sebastian, then teleported them both to the ground and appeared in front of Ethan.

"Don't interfere in my business, child."

Given that Sebastian was at least in his sixties or seventies, calling Ethan a child wasn't technically wrong. But Logan suddenly realized that with the time Ethan had spent across different worlds, his actual age was at least over thirty, nearing forty. Plus, with his future lifespan certainly stretching beyond a thousand years, yet his appearance fixed at twenty-five, he would probably be mistaken for a kid often.

Thinking of this, Logan couldn't help but laugh out loud, drawing awkward glances from everyone nearby.

"Sorry, I just thought of something funny. Don't mind me."

He then gestured for them to continue, while the surrounding special forces were speechless. They were fighting for their lives, and this guy was laughing? At least show a little respect.

Sebastian had lived a long time, and being an example of extended life himself, quickly understood what Logan was laughing about.

"Apologies. Seems I misjudged your age."

"It's fine, it happens a lot." Ethan shrugged. "After all, it's something that makes a lot of people envious."

"Indeed, it would make many people envious." Sebastian ignored the surrounding soldiers and continued speaking with Ethan. "We are destined to be different from ordinary people. That means, once humans discover what we can do, we'll be forced to make a choice."

He spread his arms and pointed at the encircling special forces. With the addition of the team that had followed behind Ethan's group, they were now fully surrounded, making his argument seem even more convincing.

"To be enslaved by humans, or to become their rulers."

Ethan wasn't truly a mutant, but he knew the future of mutants. Logan had experienced countless conflicts between mutants and humans and knew that Sebastian wasn't wrong.

Even the young mutants behind them, though they didn't fully grasp the situation, were starting to waver. Especially with all those gun barrels pointed at them, no one could guarantee the special forces—who were supposed to protect them—wouldn't open fire at any moment.

Ethan nodded, seemingly agreeing with Sebastian, which made the surrounding special forces tense up. Several soldiers glanced repeatedly at their commander.

The commander was internally cursing whoever had assigned him this mission. But since he hadn't received any kill orders, he restrained himself and signaled his team to wait and not act rashly.

"Your argument makes sense. Unfortunately, I don't agree with your methods."

"You know what I plan to do?"

"Incite conflict between the U.S. and the Soviet Union. Stir things up until they spiral out of control, triggering war... nuclear war."

Ethan never worried about spoilers. He was just using this conversation to let others know what Sebastian planned. Whether they believed him or not didn't matter.

He'd issued the warning. If they still rushed toward their own destruction, it wasn't his job to clean up after them.

Ethan's words contained too much information. The special forces around them were stunned. Several guns that had been aimed at Ethan quickly shifted direction toward Sebastian.

At this point, Ethan was far more trustworthy than the mutant who had appeared out of nowhere and started killing. At the very least, Ethan had saved their comrade.

Seeing the weapons now pointed at him again, Sebastian decided to get rid of these insects first. Then, he could have a proper conversation with Ethan—about the future of mutants—without anyone around to interfere.

Besides, he had to make sure no one learned about his plan before it succeeded. From every angle, these people had to die.

Just as he was about to unleash the massive energy he had stored, Ethan moved first.

"Although I'd love to use you to test my strength, I already promised Erik I'd leave you for him. So... By the name of Ethan, come forth, Magneto!"

As Ethan extended his right hand, a magic circle glowing with faint blue light appeared on the ground in front of him. As a brilliant light flashed, Charles, Erik, Moira, and Emma Frost—the White Queen—who were supposed to be far away in another country, appeared within the circle.

The first thing Erik did upon arriving wasn't to charge at Sebastian, but to turn and complain to Ethan.

"Can't you change the chant for that spell or at least say it a little quieter?"

"This magic doesn't require a chant. I was just shouting for fun."

(To be continued.)

Chapter 307: Man of the Moment

Erik suddenly had a strange feeling, as if his power had been sublimated. Now, he felt that with just a slight movement of his fingers, he could plaster all the metal in the entire building onto Ethan's face.

Although he wasn't sure whether such an attack would be effective against this mage with a mysterious background and strange abilities, he really wanted to try it.

"Save your strength. Your mortal enemy is right there."

Ethan noticed Erik's gaze. His casual joke seemed to have pushed young Magneto to the brink of losing control. At this moment, he wasn't foolish enough to continue provoking him. Instead, he "kindly" reminded him that Sebastian Shaw was right there, and if he had any big moves, he should use them on that guy.

Moreover, he had deliberately created this face-to-face opportunity for Erik, so Erik should be grateful.

Before Charles and Erik had left, Erik hadn't wanted to go to the Soviet Union with Charles. Since he knew Sebastian would show up eventually, he preferred to stay behind and wait for him.

Considering that Charles might not be able to handle the White Queen alone, and Erik was still hesitating, unsure what to do, Ethan suggested that Erik accompany Charles—but he had to take an amulet with him.

It was a small amulet, easily kept in a pocket or worn on a chain around the neck. The item didn't have much actual function; it was simply a tracking and alert tool.

When Ethan spotted Sebastian, he could send a signal to the person holding the amulet. The amulet would glow and emit a slight vibration, ensuring it wouldn't go unnoticed if tucked away.

Once the signal was received, crushing the amulet would count as a response. Ethan could then teleport everyone holding the amulet—and anyone within approximately three meters of them—to his location.

After understanding how it worked, Erik went to the Soviet Union with Charles, no longer needing to remain behind waiting for Sebastian.

Given the urgency of the situation, Charles and Erik quickly captured the White Queen, Emma Frost, almost immediately after arriving. Since they already knew Sebastian's plan, they didn't waste time interrogating her. Once the target was secured, they waited for Ethan's signal.

Ethan didn't keep them waiting long. Not long after Emma was captured, the amulet emitted a strong glow. Charles and Moira, holding onto the White Queen, stood beside Erik, which was why they were teleported back together.

Charles had returned with Erik because he remembered a method from his memory that could be used to defeat Sebastian, which required his presence. If Erik acted alone, the battle might become too difficult.

He also wanted to make a final attempt to persuade Erik to let go of his hatred and not kill Sebastian. Of course, as the leader of a heinous criminal organization, Sebastian would receive due punishment: imprisonment.

Ethan was fully aware of Charles's intentions, but he had no plans to participate in the battle. Both Charles and Erik wanted to resolve the matter with their own hands.

Whether to kill or capture Sebastian alive was their choice to make.

He was only here to deliver something and had received a few benefits from the old professor. Beyond that, he could act as he wished—like intervening slightly if the young professor and Magneto couldn't hold their own and ended up falling into a trap.

"Step back."

This wasn't directed at Logan and Ada, but at the group of young mutants who were getting closer and closer.

These young people were at an age when their "chuunibyou" hadn't fully passed. Their spirits were high, and their blood boiled easily. In simple terms, they were impulsive and eager to show off at the slightest provocation or opportunity.

If they got too close to the battlefield, Ethan might not be able to react in time to protect them, even if he wanted to. It was better to stay at a distance.

In addition to these few, there was also the CIA agent Moira, who was gradually developing a romantic relationship with young Charles. She was staring worriedly at the two men on the field.

Or rather, her gaze was mostly on Charles. She was clearly worried about him getting hurt.

Ethan really wanted to tell this woman, "As long as you don't shoot randomly, your Charles will be just fine for a long time."

"Back up, back up!"

The special forces commander also understood that the upcoming battle wasn't one ordinary people like them could get involved in. He decisively ordered his team to retreat. Instead of tightening the encirclement, they fell back to a safer distance.

How far was considered safe? That was based entirely on how far Ethan and the others retreated. As long as they were a bit farther back, it should be fine.

The commander was very clear-headed. He didn't issue a direct retreat order, as that would be considered fleeing. However, adjusting the troops' positions based on battlefield conditions was considered tactical flexibility.

Moira, who had been reluctant to move, was finally pulled back a considerable distance by Ada, leaving a large open area for the people in the field.

Sebastian, Azazel, Erik, and Charles.

"It seems I forgot something."

Ethan glanced around and remembered that Sebastian had another subordinate codenamed Riptide, a mutant who could create tornadoes. He wasn't sure where the guy was hiding at the moment.

After everyone had pulled back far enough, the battle among the remaining people finally erupted.

As expected, Magneto, Erik, was the first to strike. Sebastian had actually wanted to reminisce with his old friend, but Erik clearly had no such intentions. He just wanted to kill the man on the spot—preferably tear him to pieces.

Charles played the role of proper support. His first move was to try and control Sebastian mentally, but he found that his psychic powers couldn't penetrate the opponent's helmet. The helmet had clearly been specially made to counter him.

"My power can't penetrate that helmet!"

Erik immediately realized what needed to be done, but the power he used to try and pull off the helmet was like a stone sinking into the sea—gone the moment it got close.

Sebastian smiled. "Erik, you should know that this kind of trick won't work on me." A ball of energy formed in his hand. It was a chaotic mix of absorbed explosive force, thermal energy, and some of Erik's magnetic field energy, compressed into a constantly twisting light sphere, which he then hurled at Erik.

At the time, Erik was focusing his powers to manipulate the surrounding building's metal. His main means of attack and defense was metal, while his physical body was only slightly stronger than that of an ordinary person. Distracted, his reaction slowed by half a beat. He was about to be struck by the terrifying energy sphere.

Suddenly, a red shadow appeared beside Erik, grabbing him and teleporting him to another spot before the blast could land.

"Hm?"

Sebastian looked at his subordinate. When he saw Charles standing still, fully focused on using his powers, he realized what had happened.

"I was careless. I forgot to prepare mind-control countermeasures for the others."

Azazel had betrayed him just like that. The situation now became three against one. With Azazel helping Erik dodge Sebastian's attacks, Erik could fully concentrate on using his powers.

"I always heard that the Magneto family are showmen. Now I see it for myself."

Erik's control over energy was still rough, but if given enough prep time, the spectacle he could create wouldn't be much less impressive than it would be in the future.

All the steel rebar from the surrounding buildings was pulled out. The rebar danced through the air, twisting wildly as it launched wave after wave of attacks at Sebastian.

Smashing, whipping, stabbing, even gathering into massive balls to crush Sebastian—Erik used every method he could think of.

The sheer momentum and visual impact made the surrounding special forces soldiers weak in the knees.

Sebastian had been formidable before, but in terms of spectacle, Magneto was far more terrifying. For both Sebastian and Erik, eliminating the special forces was a simple matter, but everyone would rather face Sebastian than Magneto, who attacked with overwhelming metal from every direction.

Even the young mutants wore dazed expressions. They had finally realized just how big the gap between them and Magneto truly was. Even Havok, who always thought his power was explosive and destructive, now felt that the damage he could cause was child's play in comparison.

Only Ethan and Logan remained calm. Logan had seen the future Magneto and knew just how terrifying he could become. What was happening now was just a warm-up.

Ethan, on the other hand, was watching Sebastian. The man was still standing in place, not dodging or defending, relying solely on his powers to withstand Magneto's attacks.

"Idiot."

After observing for a moment, Ethan came to a conclusion: Sebastian was finished. He had already seen through the true tactic hidden beneath Erik's frenzied attacks.

At the same time, he reached out and pressed down on the White Queen, stopping her just as she was about to establish a psychic link and warn Sebastian on the battlefield.

"As a captive, it's best to behave. That way, you'll suffer less."

Emma Frost didn't know who Ethan was or what his identity was, but the ease with which he disrupted her psychic link made her realize he wasn't someone to mess with.

At that moment, the real trick hidden behind Erik's storm of attacks was finally revealed. Sebastian, distracted by the flashy attacks, completely failed to notice the fine, nearly invisible wires of metal that had already wrapped around his helmet.

(To be continued.)