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Matthew Ellis straightened his tie, his face extremely solemn, and said, "Given what I've experienced this time, I've personally felt the tragic plight that some special groups once endured. Therefore, I believe it's necessary for me, on behalf of the White House, to offer a belated apology to the much-maligned Mutant group that has already disappeared... 'Mutants are people too!'"
"Mutants are people too." A short sentence, yet it conveyed more than a thousand words.
In an instant, whether it was Professor X, Logan, or Lorna Dane, all of them widened their eyes in disbelief, and then tears streamed down their faces uncontrollably.
Only the younger Little Wolf Girl, with her watery big eyes, looked at the three crying profusely, her forehead full of big question marks.
She didn't yet understand the impact this sentence had on the three of them, but she innocently wondered in her heart, "Should I cry with them too?"
"The President is right, Mutants... are people too!"
Professor X couldn't help but shed tears of old age. He never expected that the wish he had fought for his entire life would be fulfilled in this way today, when Mutants had almost been exterminated.
Although this belated outcome had long lost its practical significance.
But for Professor X, these short six words were equivalent to putting the most perfect period on his entire life.
It indirectly proved that the cause he had worked for in the first half of his life was not a waste of life!
At the same time, for Logan, Laura, and Lorna, it also meant a brand new beginning!
"Charles, this... this must be the gift Mr. Karl specially prepared for us, right?"
Logan secretly wiped away a tear, asking knowingly.
"That's right."
Professor X nodded, his voice choked, "To make the President of the U.S. say such an incredible thing in such a solemn occasion, besides Mr. Karl, I really can't think of anyone else who could do such a thing."
Obviously, everyone automatically ruled out the possibility of President Matthew Ellis having a change of heart.
Because that situation... simply didn't exist!
And the facts were exactly as they had guessed.
This last sentence was precisely what Karl had asked President Matthew Ellis to add.
If this were a decade or so ago, even with the favor of rescue, President Matthew Ellis would never have agreed to say such words in public for the sake of his political career.
After all, at that time, the Mutant group was universally recognized as an "inferior species" that everyone reviled and attacked.
He wouldn't risk his presidency for a single sentence.
But the situation now was completely different...
Since most of the Mutants had already died out, even if some remnants remained, they could only barely survive under the ravages of the m43 virus, unable to make any waves.
And the public's hostility towards this extinct inferior species had also greatly diminished as their numbers sharply declined, becoming far less intense than it was back then.
Therefore, President Matthew Ellis was willing to take the opportunity to push the boat along with the current, using this request as an opportunity to indirectly establish a relationship with Karl.
This way, if there was ever any danger again in the future, he could seek reliable support and help from the other party immediately.
For a qualified politician, every action must first weigh the benefits and costs behind it.
And at this moment, the hearts of Professor X, Logan, and Lorna Dane were simultaneously filled with an inexpressible emotion.
Logan said nothing more, only silently vowing in his heart that he would pledge his life's loyalty to Karl Merks.
And Lorna Dane, beside him, was filled with endless admiration and worship for this Boss she had not yet met, and secretly resolved to diligently hone her Mutant abilities so that she could meet him in person soon.
Only the Little Wolf Girl, whose mind was not yet mature, twisted her small head, staring at the three crying and laughing, looking left and right, and asked in confusion:
"Dad, what's wrong with you? Did that old man on TV just say something bad?"
"No, Laura, what that person said actually isn't important."
Professor X interjected before Logan, smiling, "What's important is that Mr. Karl Merks has vindicated us Mutants in his own way... From today onwards, you no longer need to hide your identity. You can proudly tell everyone that you are Mutants!"
"Huh? Karl Merks, that name again. Lorna and I have been hearing about him a lot lately."
The Little Wolf Girl blinked her big eyes and looked at Logan, "Dad, is he really a great hero?"
"Of course." Logan nodded heavily without hesitation, "My Master is not only a great hero, but also the guardian deity of us Mutants... oh no, of humanity!"
The Little Wolf Girl immediately put on a mature act, clasping her hands in front of her, one hand pinching her chin in thought, as if considering a major decision.
After a long while, she spoke surprisingly, "Lorna, why don't we marry him together when I grow up... I read in comic books that's how it works?"
The room was first silent, then Logan and Professor X burst into laughter.
They knew this was just an innocent child's joke and naturally wouldn't take it seriously.
But a faint blush appeared on Lorna Dane's exquisite face, and even her emotions became somewhat flustered.
As the saying goes, which young man or woman doesn't dream of love?
Lorna Dane was precisely at that age where she was both innocent and yearning for love, and she would inexplicably pay great attention to handsome or highly talented men (mostly older ones).
And Karl happened to meet all the characteristics of the perfect lover in a lovesick girl's ideal, so even though they hadn't met yet, Lorna Dane's heart already held a certain yearning.
However, she actually couldn't even distinguish between "worship," "admiration," and "love" at this point.
Lorna Dane slowly lowered her head and murmured in a voice only she could hear, "Actually, this... isn't impossible."
Only Lorna Dane didn't know that the perfect love interest she was yearning for didn't even have time to tally his recent gains, because he was currently helping the gluttonous Vampire Queen put out a fire!
...
...
Egypt.
Giza Plateau.
Inside the Hall of Gods within the Khufu Pyramid.
Trevor Slattery and Arthur Harrow stood with their eyes closed, and on the ground around their bodies, there was a large runic magic circle drawn with blood.
And at the center of the magic circle, an ushabti shaped like a snake-headed human was placed.
From a distance, it looked like a cult ritual in progress.
"The time is ripe; the ritual can begin."
Suddenly, Tzeentch's whispers simultaneously echoed in the minds of Trevor Slattery and Arthur Harrow. The two abruptly opened their eyes, their pupils filled with excitement.
Was the moment of their ascension finally here?
Snap—
Arthur Harrow flicked his finger outwards, releasing a psychic energy from a distance, shattering the snake-headed human-shaped ushabti in the center of the magic circle.
This ushabti was specially left behind by Tzeentch earlier.
Its purpose was to use the power of the Egyptian Gods within it to open a dimensional passage connecting to Celestial Heliopolis, thereby initiating the subsequent invasion plan.
As the ushabti shattered, a black mist immediately rose.
In the blink of an eye, a giant figure with a head like a strange cobra materialized in the center of the magic circle.
"I am the Snake Goddess, Wadjet... Mortal who released me, to thank you for your good deed, I will grant you extraordinary power. Are you ready to become my agent?"
Wadjet, named the Snake Goddess, was about to begin her customary grand opening speech... However, before she could finish, she heard Arthur Harrow, standing on the right, chanting an obscure and difficult-to-understand Egyptian incantation.
"￥#@%&..."
Immediately after, a divine power shot out from Arthur Harrow's hand, then passed through nine statues of gods consecutively, and finally, through Trevor Slattery's body, reconnected to Arthur Harrow, completing the final closed loop.
Buzz—
The runic magic circle on the ground suddenly lit up, and an irresistible divine power instantly bound the Snake Goddess Wadjet tightly, continuously drawing divine power from her body to open the dimensional passage to Celestial Heliopolis.
"Ah? My power, what... what are you doing?"
The Snake Goddess Wadjet, having come to her senses, immediately let out a scream, but no matter how much she struggled, it was futile.
Soon, as the last trace of Wadjet's divine power was completely extracted, the dimensional passage to Celestial Heliopolis successfully opened.
Arthur Harrow and Trevor Slattery exchanged glances, then stepped into it without hesitation.
The next second, their figures appeared in Celestial Heliopolis.
Looking at the towering temples in the distance, Arthur Harrow and Trevor Slattery's faces showed an evil smile.
"￥#@%&..."
Immediately, the two of them, at the cost of burning their own lives, forcibly tore open a Warp Rift in this dimensional space!
And after the Warp Rift was successfully summoned, the two of them would serve as key nodes to stabilize the Warp Rift, continuously releasing psychic energy like candles until the battle ended, or until this Warp Rift was banished by the enemy, at which point their physical bodies would shatter and their souls would return to the Warp.
But even knowing they were "doomed," the two of them had no complaints whatsoever in their hearts.
Because... as a reward for successfully opening the Warp Rift, their Master, Tzeentch, would personally elevate them both to Tzeentch Daemon Prince (also called Daemon Prince, both mean the same) after this battle.
(Note: Under normal circumstances, due to the less pure bloodline of mortal followers, the highest they can be elevated to is Daemon Prince or Chaos Lord, while Greater Daemons are the most powerful beings below the Four Lackeys.)
Meanwhile.
In the most magnificent temple at the center of Celestial Sun City, Osiris, the God of the Underworld, was originally raging at his priests because his investigation into the death of the Scarab God Khepri had been fruitless for some time.
"Hmm?!"
Suddenly, as if sensing something, he turned his head to a certain direction outside Sun City, his pupils contracting sharply.
"What's going on? I actually sensed a strange and powerful force over there?"
Osiris's first reaction was that someone was invading Heliopolis?
But he quickly dismissed this idea.
Because ever since the Egyptian Gods decided to leave Earth thousands of years ago and no longer favor humanity, establishing the rule that "all gods are forbidden to descend to the lower realm in their true forms, and can only bestow power upon their agents among humans," Celestial Heliopolis had officially severed its connection with Earth.
On normal days, if the gods wished to go to Earth, they could only do so through the only existing link, which is the Golden Bridge known to the World as the "Path of the Gods"—the Khufu Pyramid—to reach Earth!
Beyond that, it was almost impossible for external enemies to achieve a dimensional invasion by obtaining the dimensional coordinates of Celestial Heliopolis.
Because apart from the Nine Pillars Gods, the other Egyptian Gods simply did not know the dimensional coordinates of Celestial Heliopolis.
However.
Just as Osiris was hesitating, preparing to send someone to check that direction, a priest ran in, his expression panicked.
"My Lord, it's terrible! A huge dimensional rift suddenly appeared on the plain outside Sun City, and a large group of demons are pouring out of it, endlessly. They kill everyone they see and have now attacked the city walls of Sun City."
"What did you say?!"
Osiris's face was filled with shock and anger upon hearing this. Someone actually dared to invade Celestial Heliopolis?
And they were demons... Could it be a Hell Lord?
But the Egyptian Pantheon had always kept to themselves and never conflicted with those Hell Lords before?
However, the situation was urgent, and now was clearly not the time for too much thought. So, after a brief moment of contemplation, Osiris ordered:
"Go and inform Horus. Tell him to gather the 'Gods of War' (referring to combat-oriented deities) and eliminate all those Invaders who dared to invade Celestial Heliopolis!"
As the most noble God King of the Egyptian Pantheon, Osiris would not personally intervene unless absolutely necessary, as it would truly diminish his prestige.
"Yes."
The priest quickly responded and left.