Looking at the list and various intelligence compiled by the old prophet, Apocalypse couldn't help but smile.
"There are so many mutants in this world... and these super-powered individuals! It's truly amazing."
"Mind control... and the ability to manipulate magnetic fields. It seems I've found a new target."
Apocalypse smiled. He had long coveted the power of mind manipulation, an ability that could serve as a true trump card against ordinary humans.
Though he already possessed some psychic abilities, they were limited to basic telepathy. They couldn't brainwash or completely control someone's mind. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been deceived for thousands of years by his human followers.
Now, he was deeply tempted by Professor X's psychic power. With such an ability, ruling the world would be child's play.
However, the X-Men under Professor X were formidable. Each of them possessed immense strength and potential—especially Jean Grey. If he acted now, his chances of success were slim. It was better to first find his own Four Horsemen of Apocalypse.
Thanks to the old prophet's final effort, Apocalypse now had access to vast information. He had pushed the old man's power to its limit, and with the prophet already on the brink of death, when his ability would naturally be at its strongest, he had managed to list out most of the top-tier individuals in the Marvel universe.
Though he didn't know about the Phoenix Force, the presence of Omega-level mutants alone was enough to make him cautious.
After some thought, Apocalypse decided to search for more elite mutants. Magneto's Brotherhood was an obvious candidate.
In addition, he considered visiting the Xavier's School to see if any promising mutants could be recruited.
But for now, he needed to gather all the mutants in Egypt.
The current world situation worked heavily in his favor. Almost all the mutants in Egypt had already been captured by the military. The weak had mostly perished, while the strong had been sent to laboratories. Apocalypse didn't even need to mobilize his forces to find them. By simply following the prophet's clues, he could recover those powerful mutants with ease.
If this were happening in first-world countries, regions with numerous strong individuals, and extensive advanced technology... Apocalypse might have faced a real challenge. But Egypt? It was practically a wasteland. With a mere wave of his hand, he can turn entire armies to dust.
Only a week later, Egypt's political landscape was completely transformed. The mutants who had once been hunted became the nation's rulers. After being rescued by Apocalypse, those mutants who had been imprisoned in labs were strengthened. They crushed the Egyptian army without even needing Apocalypse's help.
When Egypt deployed tanks, aircraft, and heavy firepower, Apocalypse finally stepped in. With a wave of his hand, their entire army was reduced to ash. The Egyptians quickly submitted.
Even Cairo, the capital, was reshaped into a massive pyramid by Apocalypse. He then publicly declared his intention to establish a new global order, one ruled by mutants.
...
One week later, the X-Men were still locked in debate, unable to reach a decision. Magneto offered to surrender in hopes of saving the remaining mutants, but Professor X persuaded him otherwise.
The old professor wasn't naive. In the current circumstances, if he continued to push for coexistence, the mutants would face extinction.
However, Magneto's condition was also deteriorating. He trembled with every step and looked like a man on the verge of collapse, not someone who could lead the Brotherhood.
Despite holding countless meetings, the mutants couldn't agree on a strategy. The truth was, while they possessed great powers, they lacked leadership. Strong abilities didn't equate to strong command.
Professor X was an excellent teacher, principal, and counselor. But put him in charge of a rebellion, and he was utterly lost. At this point, even attempts to communicate with government officials were futile. The authorities were clearly set on eradicating mutants.
Magneto, who once possessed leadership skills and a revolutionary spirit, had now become a hollow shell, lifeless and lethargic.
To Shin, the so-called leaders he encountered were simply unreliable. The ninjas in the Naruto world were already foolish enough. The World Government in the One Piece world was even worse. Now, even this group of mutants seemed just as hopeless.
'At this point, doing anything is better than sitting here doing nothing. Can stalling solve anything?'
Soon, Shin was proven wrong. No, the problem wasn't solved, but the situation had drastically shifted. The emergence of Apocalypse in Egypt had captured 90% of the world's attention.
Finally, the tense atmosphere at the school eased. Most of the surveillance troops stationed outside had withdrawn.
Still, Shin knew this was only temporary. He hadn't watched the original X-Men movie, but he had seen X-Men: Apocalypse. He was fully aware that the ancient mutant would soon target the academy.
What surprised him was how much had already diverged from the original plot. Magneto wasn't leading the Brotherhood. Professor X wasn't bald, and he even looked significantly older than Shin remembered.
Though confused, Shin remained intrigued by Apocalypse's powers. But he wondered, could he truly transplant the X gene into his own body?
His physical capacity had already reached its limit. He was preparing to completely expel the Otsutsuki bloodline from his body.
Currently, the Otsutsuki blood gave him powerful regeneration, chakra, and the ability to manipulate gravity and space-time.
Those abilities were impressive, but Shin's core power still stemmed from chakra. As for the bloodline traits, the increasingly advanced ninja world had begun to replicate and counter them.
If those kekkei genkai abilities could be converted into ninjutsu, then Shin no longer needed to cling to the so-called Otsutsuki heritage.
Even if this caused a drop in chakra levels, it would be worth the trade. Thanks to his evolved physique, even without the Otsutsuki blood, his chakra would remain multiple times greater than that of a standard Otsutsuki—still qualifying as a powerhouse.
Once his chakra was developed to the limit, any further increase would be purely quantitative, not qualitative.
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