Inside the Oasis World, within a hollowed-out simulation zone, a blank slate of reality awaited its creators.
Professor X, Wolverine, Storm, Cyclops, and Jean Grey stood silently in a line, lost in thought as the memories of their past came flooding back. They had agreed to a strange and revolutionary request—to extract and relive pivotal moments from their lives, their struggles, and their triumphs.
From the center of each of their foreheads, a slender, silvery-white stream of light emerged—glowing strands of memory pulled from the depths of their minds.
Opposite them stood Joseph, focused and serene. His fingers moved as if plucking invisible strings in the air, weaving magic in delicate arcs. Each gesture summoned a thread of memory, which drifted forward and embedded itself into the air before vanishing into the void.
A soft hum resonated through the air, like the sound of countless tuning forks vibrating in harmony.
Wherever a thread of memory landed, the world began to reshape. The ground trembled and shifted. Buildings erupted from the flat plain like stone flowers in bloom. Human figures appeared one after another, outlined in faint light before solidifying into recognizable forms.
"Erik, Charles—how can you, as Mutants, side with the humans like obedient lapdogs?!"
"Shaw, our future shouldn't be written in bloodshed!"
...
"Erik, Shaw is wrong. Don't fall into his trap!"
"No, Charles. You're too idealistic. I agreed with him from the beginning. I only killed him because he murdered my mother. Can a tiger ever live among sheep? We Mutants—how can we be prey to humans?"
...
"Look at this, Logan. With Adamantium bonded to your bones, you'll become something new—something glorious. You'll become the greatest weapon I've ever created!"
"AAAGGGHHHHHH!!!"
...
"Soon, all of humanity will become Mutants!"
"Erik, you madman! That machine of yours will kill them—it's not evolution, it's a death sentence!"
...
Scenes from First Class, Wolverine, X-Men, and other familiar events played out vividly—like reliving moments from a film, except this was no performance. These were real memories, immortalized in the minds of those who had lived them.
Joseph watched as each image was projected and captured.
At the same time, a digital assistant—Alice—recorded every detail.
Of all the memories, Wolverine's stood out as the most challenging to extract. His mind was fractured, riddled with trauma and gaps. But with his full cooperation and Joseph's skillful blending of Legilimency—a four-ring magic technique—and Oasis's projection system, they managed to bring it all together seamlessly.
This monumental memory project would soon be transformed by Alice into a cinematic documentary.
Its title: "Mutants: Past and Present."
"When this is released," Joseph explained earlier, "the X-Men will no longer be an urban legend. They will stand before the world as heroes, as a reality people cannot ignore."
When the last vision faded and the memory constructs settled into the illusionary landscape, Professor X looked around with a mixture of awe and sorrow.
The entire scene was a mirage—an illusion made from memories—yet it felt as solid and convincing as the real world.
This kind of feat went far beyond what Charles Xavier had imagined possible, even with his psychic talents.
In the past, he might have objected to Joseph's plan. Broadcasting their history, their identities, their inner struggles... it went against everything he had tried to protect.
But tonight, Joseph had broken through every barrier.
First by lifting the entire school into the sky and making it invisible.
Now, by turning memory into magic, and magic into history.
More than anything, Charles felt the weight of age. His time as the sole leader of the Mutant cause had passed. The world no longer belonged to men like him.
It belonged to Joseph.
In every possible way—wisdom, power, strategy, vision—Joseph had surpassed him. There was no shame in that. Only acceptance.
"The tides of history roll forward, unstoppable and vast," Charles thought. "Those who ride them flourish. Those who resist… are swept away."
It was a proverb from the Dragon Kingdom he'd read recently.
Charles had been immersing himself in the region's ancient philosophies, and the more he studied, the more he appreciated the depth and insight of its culture.
Maybe, he thought, Joseph's rise was not a threat to the school—but its salvation.
Perhaps it was time to step back. To become simply the headmaster again, and let Joseph lead the future.
And Joseph had no intention of keeping things small.
"Only by stepping onto the world stage," Joseph said gently, as if reading Charles' mind, "can Mutants become more than survivors. We need to become symbols of hope."
He gestured toward the illusionary academy.
"Soon, the world will know the name 'Xavier's School.' But they won't know where to find it. Only Mutants—those we acknowledge—will gain access."
His voice was calm, but every word carried conviction.
"In time, we'll open enrollment to all corners of the world. New students will arrive. Others will graduate. This floating island will become more than a school…"
Joseph's eyes gleamed with quiet ambition.
"It will become a sanctuary. A holy land for Mutants across the globe."
He paused for a moment, then added inwardly:
A kingdom in the sky.
Like the Amazons of Paradise Island.
Like Atlantis beneath the sea.
But Joseph kept that last part to himself. He knew better than to speak of nations and empires before their time.
Creating a country wasn't just about gathering Mutants. It required infrastructure, governance, laws, diplomacy, economy, stability...
And those were the things Mutants lacked most.
Not to mention, maintaining a floating magic base 3,000 meters wide was already the upper limit of his power.
For now, this was enough.
The kingdom could wait.
Back in the illusionary world, Joseph stretched his arms overhead, exhaling slowly. He turned to Professor X with a relaxed smile.
"Professor, since we're here in Oasis… how about a little walk?"
Charles blinked. "A walk?"
"There's something I'd like to ask you," Joseph said with a boyish grin. For a moment, the weight and intensity of the evening faded. Storm and the others exhaled softly, unconsciously relieved.
This was the Joseph they knew.
The student, not the revolutionary.
Tonight, he had been overwhelming—even frightening. But now, he felt like one of them again.
Charles tilted his head, intrigued. "What's the question?"
Joseph's eyes sparkled with curiosity.
"You can use Cerebro to connect mentally with every living person on the planet," he began. "Through that, you can identify Mutants and distinguish them from ordinary humans, right?"
Charles nodded slowly. "That's correct."
"So…" Joseph leaned forward slightly. "What's the difference? How exactly do the brainwaves of a Mutant differ from those of a regular person? I'd love to use that information to improve my detection magic."
Charles blinked.
"Detection magic?"
Joseph pointed toward the ground beneath them, indicating the very space they were standing in.
"Oasis is built with magical infrastructure. The game bracelets, helmets, and pods—they all have embedded detection enchantments. When someone logs in, the system scans them to determine if they're human or Mutant."
Charles's eyes widened. "You used magic… to identify Mutants?"
Joseph nodded.
"And now, I want to improve its precision using the insights from Cerebro."
Charles took a slow breath, his mind racing.
Earlier, Joseph had mentioned creating Mutant-only simulation zones in Oasis.
Now, the full picture came together in his mind:
Oasis wasn't just a game. It was a tool.
A recruitment net.
A screening system.
A training ground.
Joseph was building an ecosystem to discover, sort, and raise the next generation of Mutants—without them ever needing to leave their homes.
And the moment they stepped into Oasis…
They'd find family.
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