The flames were still burning, but their furious posture seemed to be instantly arrested, as if time itself had been paused. However, this was not genuine temporal stasis; outside of the Time Stone, one of the legendary gems rumored to hold infinite power, there was arguably nothing in this World capable of truly stopping time across the physical plane.
And even regarding the Time Stone, Zhou Yi doubted its ability to pause the timeline of the entire Universe; if such a power truly existed, the Universe would have collapsed long ago. He maintained a skeptical, wait-and-see attitude toward the claims surrounding the Infinity Stones.
Of course, this did not mean similar phenomena didn't exist. Time itself is relative. For the vast majority of people, time is an absolutely equitable, unwavering existence—hence the idea that all beings are equal before it. But for a very select few, time is distinctly unfair.
Take, for example, the two brothers who have wandered the World for hundreds of years, still retaining their youth, or the presence that materialized before Zhou Yi at this very moment.
Professor Charles—a man who has been treated unfairly by time. Yet, unlike those two immortal brothers who received physical longevity, Charles's special treatment resided entirely within his mind.
At this moment, Zhou Yi had been pulled into Charles's Mental Energy World. In this specific psychic realm, time had been completely paused. Everything from the physical World was utterly frozen: the roaring flame, Charles's own body, and Zhou Yi's body. But here, their thoughts flowed freely.
Time could not imprison their consciousness, because thoughts have no boundaries.
Seeing the bald Professor smiling at him, Zhou Yi sighed in resignation and instinctively reached for a cigarette. But in this World, everything was static. And this naturally included the cigarette, which, in this moment of frozen time, shouldn't exist. Thus, Zhou Yi couldn't retrieve it.
"Professor, I was just planning to teach that Little fellow a minor lesson. There was really no need to pull me in here!"
The bald Professor stood up and walked toward Zhou Yi. Here, his spirit was freed from the physical limitations of his aging body, allowing him to move easily.
"I have complete faith in your sense of proportion. I invited you here not because of the Little fellow. That is, at best, a secondary concern."
"What, are you in some kind of trouble? I haven't heard Ororo or anyone else mention anything!" Pinching the bridge of his nose, Zhou Yi wondered what sort of assistance the Professor required. Over the years, thanks to Ororo, Jean Grey, and Charisse, his relationship with the school had become genuinely warm. But the Academy had never requested his help, politically or financially. Never.
They simply maintained their isolated position, quietly working to protect Mutants. Although they could leverage Zhou Yi's power for far greater results, they didn't. This genuine restraint was the very reason Zhou Yi respected this group of Mutants.
It showed they weren't trying to exploit him; they were maintaining a friendly exchange, treating him with sincerity. That was all Zhou Yi required to reciprocate their friendship.
"There are certain things I don't want Ororo and the others to worry about, as it would expose them to unnecessary danger," the Professor smiled. "But for you, that danger is negligible. Therefore, I hope to secure your help."
"Alright, I agree. Tell me, what kind of problem is so serious that it makes you distrust even your proudest students?"
"I have an old friend who is currently pursuing a highly dangerous plan. This plan requires the ability of a new student in my Academy to help him accomplish it. I need you to protect this student during this time."
"An old friend?" Zhou Yi was genuinely surprised. "Someone you call an old friend is certainly no ordinary person. May I know the name of this fellow who's up to no good?"
"Erik Lehnsherr—that is the name of my old friend," the Professor replied, a hint of deep, complex memory in his expression. "Of course, humans have given him a more striking nickname: Magneto."
Zhou Yi pursed his lips slightly, feeling that the old bald man had tricked him into a colossal mess. The name Magneto was famous; he had nearly triggered a war between two world Superpowers during the Cold War.
And that wasn't even his most shocking feat. The most World-altering thing he did was use his ability to physically create a floating metal city in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Using his supreme control over magnetic fields, Magneto forcibly extracted metals from countless seabed mineral veins, forging an enormous metropolis. Harnessing the Earth's magnetic field, he turned this structure into a city of perpetual motion.
The Earth's magnetic field provided endless power, allowing the city to move unpredictably through the chaotic electromagnetic fields, making it a wandering Bermuda Triangle. Only Magneto knew how to enter or exit, and only Mutants were permitted to receive his invitation.
He, like Professor Charles, was an unquestioned Mutant leader. However, if Charles represented the peace-loving faction that advocated dialogue, then Mr. Magneto was the thoroughgoing militant. He himself was one of the most powerful Mutant existences on the planet.
If possible, Zhou Yi truly wanted to avoid confronting this king among Mutants. His ability was incredibly difficult to counter, so much so that Zhou Yi wasn't even confident in defeating him. By Zhou Yi's estimation, the best outcome would be a fifty-fifty stalemate. And this, clearly, was also the Professor's assessment.
"Professor, you're not trying to make me compete with this famous Mr. Magneto, are you?" Zhou Yi didn't fully grasp Charles's intention; from any perspective, asking him to neutralize Magneto far exceeded the scope of their friendship.
He was friends with Mutants, yes, but not to the extent of risking his life for a minor favor. The claim that Charles was worried about his students and needed Zhou Yi's help was foolish; countless Mutants are in danger daily. He wouldn't have waited until now to speak up. For Zhou Yi to help meant the benefit involved must be worth the cost of their friendship.
"I know Erik," Professor Charles began, sensing Zhou Yi's confusion. "We are old friends, and I understand him perfectly. He is a Genius man. We once shared the greatest collaboration this World has ever seen. Even today, though we walk different paths, our core belief has not changed. Both he and I fight for the survival of Mutants. It is only our means to achieve that belief that differ."
"But one thing I can guarantee is that he will never intentionally act to harm Mutants. Unless there is an overwhelming reason. And now, he has that reason."
Listening to Professor Charles detail the complex situation.
Zhou Yi spoke with great uncertainty. "Are you confirming that Magneto intends to use this so-called Mutant modification device to influence all the dignitaries at the summit, compelling them to revoke discriminatory anti-Mutant treaties? That actually sounds like a positive development."
"If there were no side effects, it would indeed be a good thing. But Erik's experiment is flawed. This very morning, a senator he used as a test subject tragically died. The cause was genetic collapse."
"Wow! That is truly unfortunate news." Zhou Yi couldn't help a hint of schadenfreude. He knew the senator's name; he was a leading, extreme anti-Mutant pioneer—a man Zhou Yi disliked intensely. From a certain perspective, his death was good news.
"The situation is not what you think," the Professor corrected, seeing through Zhou Yi's thoughts. "This genetic collapse is irreversible. If Erik uses it at the summit, all attendees, and any innocent bystanders, will be in mortal danger. This single act could easily ignite a World war."
"Alright!" Realizing the severity of the situation, Zhou Yi's expression became serious. "What exactly do you need me to do?"
"To be precise, I am not asking what you should do. Rather, I am asking what the Dawn Knight should do?" Professor Charles smiled slyly; Zhou Yi's alternate identity had not escaped the wise old man.
"I knew I couldn't hide it from you!" Zhou Yi shrugged indifferently. He had always known keeping his identity secret from this man would be impossible; as the World's most powerful Mental Energy user, his powers allowed him to distinguish all species. There was no way he could have missed the popular Superhero, Dawn Knight. Once Zhou Yi entered his mental observation network, all secrets were laid bare. He had been prepared for this disclosure.
"So, you agree?" This was the final query, and it underscored the Professor's posture: he was asking, not demanding, and the initiative remained with Zhou Yi.
"I have no reason to refuse, do I?" With a wry smile, Zhou Yi made his position clear. His identity as a Superhero made it impossible to decline Professor Charles's proposal.
"Do not worry, my young friend." Hearing Zhou Yi's response, the Professor visibly relaxed. "My old friend is not without weaknesses; there may even be a most effortless way for you to handle this."
Listening to the old man's plan, Zhou Yi felt a pang of pity for the yet-to-be-confronted Mr. Magneto. Was it not too cruel to be schemed against by the very person who knew him best? However, considering his future relationship with the militant Mutant, Zhou Yi quickly suppressed his sympathy.
One always looks out for oneself first; no one is an exception.
With the main business concluded, Professor Charles silently vanished from Zhou Yi's sight. In an instant, time seemed to rush back into existence. The sheer shock of the shift almost made Zhou Yi forget about the poor Little fellow blocking his path.
The raging Fire instantly dissolved into countless, harmless sparks. Nevertheless, the sight severely frightened the Mutant named John. As a student in the school who had never experienced real combat, he was severely traumatized psychologically.
However, this wasn't Zhou Yi's concern. His mind was filled with Professor Charles's detailed plan. Thinking of the mission, he glanced back at the elegant manor. He needed to find a way to quickly resolve the most crucial part of the plan; otherwise, if something went wrong, explaining it to Ororo and the others would be impossible.
With this thought, he walked straight past John. He didn't even notice the renewed glint of angry, persistent Fire in the young man's eyes. Even if he had noticed, he probably wouldn't have cared. They were simply not on the same level, and their paths were unlikely to ever cross again.