[Six Eyes Lv. 2 (1/300): 360-degree long-distance vision has doubled, expanding from 200 meters to 500 meters. Provides high-fidelity dynamic tracking of small targets and energy flows.]
With the upgrade, Su Mu's perception underwent a qualitative change. Within a 500-meter radius, everything became clear—not just shapes, but the intricate dance of energy particles.
Furthermore, Level 2 had awakened a sub-ability: Clairvoyance. His vision could now penetrate up to ten centimeters of solid steel. Unlike the monochrome, bone-like vision of the Byakugan, Su Mu's X-ray sight was in full, vibrant color. He could see the internal mechanisms of machines and the biological flow of living beings with absolute clarity.
"This is almost too much..." Su Mu muttered. Getting one of the most coveted superpowers from his previous life so easily felt almost surreal.
"Wait."
His expanded vision caught a flicker of movement. Several high-tech drones were weaving through the skyscrapers, closing in on his position. Further back, he sensed a heavily armed tactical unit moving with practiced, lethal efficiency.
This isn't Kingpin's mob. Gangsters didn't use military-grade surveillance and tactical coordination of this caliber. This is a government black-ops unit. Stryker?
A cold, ferocious smile touched Su Mu's lips. He didn't hide. As the lead drone hovered to center him in its camera lens, he waved mockingly. Then, with a flick of his wrist, a basketball-sized azure singularity expanded, swallowing the drones in a silent vacuum of force.
He didn't stick around to fight the army yet. Through the original owner's memories, he knew these units often included brainwashed "tame" mutants. While Infinity made him untouchable to physical threats, some exotic mutant powers could still be dangerous at his current fusion level.
He needed to grow. Once he unlocked Reverse Cursed Technique, he would have the ultimate healing factor, making him truly immortal.
In a hidden military facility.
A wall of monitors flickered and died simultaneously. Colonel William Stryker, a man with eyes as cold as flint and a soul built on anti-mutant fanaticism, stood up.
"Status report," Stryker barked.
"Colonel, we lost the feed on Subject 9527," a technician reported. "He appears to have undergone a secondary awakening. His power levels have spiked off the charts."
"Play the last recorded footage."
The main screen flickered to life. The high-definition camera captured a tall, lean youth with striking white hair and eyes like glowing sapphires. The boy grinned directly into the camera—a look of pure, unadulterated provocation—before a blue orb of energy erased the feed.
Stryker narrowed his eyes. He remembered 9527. The boy's original power was identical to Sebastian Shaw, the Black Emperor. But the boy had been weak, unable to even absorb the kinetic energy of a punch. He had been discarded as a low-tier failure.
"Azure black holes. 360-degree perception. And a complete change in physical appearance," Stryker murmured. "He's become something else entirely."
He turned to his officers. "Capture 9527 at all costs. The research value of a secondary awakening this potent is immeasurable. Deploy Experimental Subjects 1085 and 1086. 1086's spatial distortion abilities should be able to bypass whatever shield he's using."
Stryker stared at the frozen image of Su Mu's smile. "You want to provoke me, boy? Be careful what you wish for."
Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters.
In a subterranean lab, Jean Grey handed a digital tablet to a bald man in a wheelchair. Her expression was deeply concerned.
"Professor, we've detected massive troop movements from Stryker's division. They are mobilizing everything for a single target: Subject 9527."
"9527..." Charles Xavier closed his eyes.
He remembered the young man, Su Mu. He had sensed him months ago, but his power had been so faint, so dormant, that Charles hadn't prioritized him. It was a rare oversight—the boy's energy absorption reminded him too much of Sebastian Shaw, the man who had nearly triggered World War III.
Charles concentrated, reaching out with his mind, aided by the Cerebro amplifier. He swept his consciousness across New York, looking for that specific mental signature.
Seconds passed. Then minutes. Charles opened his eyes, looking baffled.
"I can't find him."
Jean stared. "What do you mean? Is he dead?"
"No," Charles said, his voice hushed. "It's as if his mind is... shielded. Even your consciousness, Jean, has a signature I can track. But Su Mu has vanished from the psychic plane entirely. He has developed a mental defense that even I cannot penetrate."
Charles realized the gravity of the situation. A mutant who could absorb energy, manipulate space, and block the world's most powerful telepath...
"Jean, find him immediately," Professor X commanded. "We must reach him before Stryker or Magneto. A mutant with this much raw power, who can hide from Cerebro... he has the potential to be a Level 5 Mutant."
"Or perhaps... he already is."