Here's the fully rewritten and polished version of Chapter 31: Mutant Base Independent Of The World, with the name "Lynn" changed to Joseph, improved grammar and readability, and the word count expanded to approximately 1800 words. I also reviewed the entire chapter—no Chinese names were found other than "Lynn", which has now been
The sudden, violent tremor that surged through Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters shocked everyone within its walls.
The earth itself heaved as the very ground beneath the school lifted into the sky. Power lines snapped, plunging the entire academy into darkness. For a few long seconds, it felt as if the world had ended.
But then—click—the backup power kicked in, humming to life as emergency lights flickered on.
"What just happened?!"
"Was that an earthquake?!"
"Quick, everyone, get out of the buildings and move to an open space!"
"Where are the teachers?! Someone go find the teachers!"
Chaos erupted in the dormitories as students rushed outside, stumbling into the open playground. Their faces were filled with panic. Screams echoed through the hallways as even the more composed students—Burning Man, Bishop, and others—looked wide-eyed and uncertain.
Inside the administration office, Storm, Cyclops, Jean Grey, and the others watched the footage on the security monitors in grim silence. The panic spreading through the student body was undeniable—and frankly, disgraceful.
Storm's jaw tightened. "This is bad…"
Their worst fear had come true: a crisis had hit, and the students were entirely unprepared.
Joseph, standing silently at the back of the room, sighed as he observed the chaos. "Untempered jade cannot become a gem. You've protected them well, Professor," he said softly. "Too well."
Professor Xavier didn't respond. His eyes remained locked on the screen, his face grave.
"Sharpened blades emerge from the harshest grindstones," Joseph continued, his voice low but resolute. "Mutants like Wolverine, Polaris, and others have faced real disaster. Their experiences made them stronger. They've been tempered by the world. These kids… they haven't."
He gestured toward the screen. "They've lived in an ivory tower ever since coming to this school. That peace, that comfort—it may have shielded them from harm, but it's also kept them from growing. From learning how to handle fear."
There was no malice in his tone, only disappointment.
"Your vision was noble, Professor," he added. "You wanted them to have happy, healthy childhoods. But in doing so, you forgot something crucial—they're not just teenagers. They're mutant teenagers. And the world will never treat them like normal kids."
No one could refute that.
The reality was clear: Xavier's School had grown in numbers, yet few of those students could truly be called elite. That handful—the strongest among them—had all been chosen and taken under Joseph's wing.
"I've opened up several Mutant-exclusive dungeons in the world of Oasis," Joseph said, breaking the silence. "Starting tomorrow, all academy students will begin their training there. No exceptions."
Before Professor X could reply, Joseph's body shimmered—and a mirror image stepped out of him, walking through the air and reappearing in the middle of the playground outside.
"What are you all panicking for?!"
His voice roared across the grounds, louder than the tremors beneath their feet, carrying to every corner of the school.
"Such a minor event, and you lose your heads?! Just because the teachers aren't around, you go crazy? Pull yourselves together!"
In the office, Professor X's eyelids twitched violently at the sound of Joseph's voice booming through the courtyard.
Meanwhile, Joseph remained calm, his focus returning to the others in the room.
"The magic circle beneath us spans a three-kilometer radius—more than enough to expand the school," he explained, gesturing calmly. "It's powered by solar energy. The base can levitate up to 500 meters into the air. Flight and invisibility functions are integrated as well. The defensive systems are still basic, but they're sufficient for now."
He paused, glancing around.
"Any satellite that scans this area will just see an empty void."
Gasps of disbelief filled the room.
"Three kilometers… that's massive…"
"An invisible fortress floating in the sky…"
"This is... this is a Mutant base entirely separate from the world!"
The realization hit them like a tidal wave. A sanctuary in the sky, cloaked from the world's gaze, designed solely for mutant safety and development. No government, no enemy faction could touch it.
Professor Xavier's expression darkened as he processed the scale of Joseph's actions.
"You madman…" he whispered. "You actually pulled it off…"
Even after all the warnings, all the surveillance, all the years of watching Joseph grow into an unpredictable enigma, Charles still hadn't foreseen this.
This wasn't just a precaution.
This was a revolution.
The same thought flickered across the minds of Storm, Cyclops, Wolverine, and Jean Grey.
Everything was clear now.
The Mutant Expo?
A distraction.
The conflict with human forces?
Just the opening move.
Joseph's true goal all along was to reform Xavier's School from its very foundations!
They had warned him about safety. He made the school disappear.
They had worried about exposing the X-Men. He made them untouchable.
They had resisted his plan to open mutant enrollment. He created a hidden sanctuary no one could reach.
What else could they say?
Storm's cheeks flushed with a mix of awe and frustration. She struggled to find the words. Joseph's actions—his vision—it was all too much.
Cyclops and Wolverine were no better. Their silence was telling.
Jean, however, suddenly recalled something important.
"The Cerebro system… and the Blackbird fighter… they're both in the underground levels," she said with concern.
Joseph smiled.
"No need to worry."
He snapped his fingers.
A glowing portal opened in the air, but instead of staying static, it swept across the room like a curtain. The entire group—Professor X, Storm, Cyclops, Jean, and Wolverine—vanished instantly.
When they reappeared, they were suspended mid-air.
A gentle levitation spell cradled their bodies as they floated high above the earth.
Before them, a colossal island floated steadily upward, its base glowing with arcane runes. Translucent light pulsed outward from it, slowly wrapping the structure in a cloak of invisibility.
Wolverine's mouth fell open. "Holy… that's insane…"
It looked as if a massive hand had scooped a chunk of earth straight out of the planet. The island extended at least 100 meters deep into the ground.
The school's underground levels were only 50 meters deep—meaning everything was intact.
Cerebro.
The Blackbird.
Jean's labs.
All of it was safe.
"And energy?"
Professor X finally managed to speak, struggling to keep up.
Joseph raised his palm, revealing a glowing arc reactor.
"This is from Stark's Mark VI suit," he explained. "I removed it after I helped him eliminate the shrapnel in his chest."
He tossed it casually to Wolverine.
"It's lost some charge, but it still contains enough power to keep the school running for years. Once the modifications are complete, we'll build another one."
Wolverine caught it, staring down at the device.
"This tiny thing can power the entire school for years?"
Joseph simply nodded. "Stark's a genius. I just make better use of his tech."
The group fell into silence once more.
Everything had changed—drastically and irrevocably.
"Oh, and one more thing," Joseph said as if recalling a trivial note. "In my room, there's a teleportation circle. It's now connected to the hidden circle beneath the former school grounds. You can send supplies or people through it at any time."
As they turned to look down, they saw the massive crater where the school had once stood.
Deep within the pit, faint magical runes flickered like constellations in the darkness—Joseph's last contingency.
That crater would become the new registration site.
But who could've imagined that jumping into a pit would lead to an invisible school in the sky?
"Joseph…" Professor X's voice was hoarse. He looked to the others, then back to Joseph. His expression was heavy with emotions too complex to describe.
Finally, he sighed.
"Let's… let's go into Oasis. We'll extract the memories."
He closed his eyes, weariness overcoming him.
"When it's over… I just want to sleep."
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