In the basement of the X-mansion, Charles Xavier moved his wheelchair automatically and stopped before a huge, imposing steel door.
The door had a rather impressive X symbol.
Xavier keyed a sequence at the door, and a state-of-the-art panel jutted out from a hidden section.
Deliberately, he edged closer to the panel. The biosensors picked up his signatures and the panel descended to his eye level.
A ray of green light was emitted from the panel and scanned Xavier's face, from the forehead to his eyes.
There was a ding sound followed by a feminine computerized voice.
[Retinal scan successfully completed. Identity confirmed].
[Greetings, Professor].
"Greetings," Xavier replied as the doors opened mechanically.
He slowly entered before the doors closed behind him.
The room was unbelievably large, round and dark.
A narrow bridge stood before Xavier leading to a circular platform.
When Xavier passed through the bridge, lights sequentially lit up his path until he arrived at the metallic circular platform.
A pristine, shiny metal helmet with tubes embedded in it, lay on the desk surface.
It was the Cerebro.
It was only made possible through the help of Hank and his old friend.
Xavier gently picked the Cerebro and wore it over his bald head.
Then, he closed his eyes in concentration as the machine jumpstarted its own functions.
With Cerebro on, Xavier felt his telepathic range amplified to astonishing levels.
It gave him the feeling of a god looking down on the Planet Earth, nothing could escape his senses.
He abruptly opened his eyes just as the white, human-shaped lights manifested in the dark room.
These white lights represented human life on Earth, and they were as numerous as ants.
Then came the red mental lights that represented the evolutionary spectrum of normal humans, mutants.
Xavier felt connected to all of them. It was beyond mere bonding.
Mortal minds were so fragile, so juvenile.
They were like his children.
And through this Omega-level link to all life, Xavier could easily get any information he wanted.
Of course, they were exceptions to this telepathic spying.
He could do nothing about his old friend, Eric.
However, this time around, Xavier wasn't looking for mutants or those who had lost themselves. He badly wanted to find out what had happened to Jean.
At least, he hoped so.
It was easy to locate each student or worker from Midtown High. They were subtly connected.
'Huh?' Xavier noticed an anomaly in the sea of white and few red lights.
There was a mind he couldn't read. A white light, a normal human nonetheless.
From the silhouette, it was undoubtedly feminine. A girl.
His brows creased into a frown. He couldn't understand what he was seeing.
'A normal human whose brainwaves can't be interpreted,' Xavier cautiously thought. 'Neither are they mutant. What type of conundrum is this?'
He stretched his probing range, leaving the enigmatic human aside.
The results weren't satisfactory.
'All in all, as amazing as she seems, I still can't find any clues from the student's minds except for something about a new student.' Xavier removed the Cerebro from his head and placed it on the desk.
"It was all a waste of time," he sighed tiredly. "I hope Katherine's explanation was on point or else…things could get really troublesome."
Jean was his most prized student, and he had basically raised her like his daughter.
Xavier wouldn't stay calm when he also had to keep eyes on the other children.
He rubbed his temples before deciding to leave the Cerebro room.
***
The evening sun shone bright and warm against her skin as she silently walked through the bustling streets of New York.
Seol Hwa looked at the orange-tinted skies, hands tucked in her coat and suddenly came to a halt.
The winter air softly whistled past her face, the chill barely as cold as the astral winds of the Extreme Icefield.
'The architecture of this world is quite innovative, I must admit. But the pollution can't be ignored even if I want to,' Seol Hwa lightly mused.
Gwen, who had been loud and talkative, suddenly noticed Seol Hwa wasn't beside her.
She looked back and saw Seol Hwa standing there on the street like a fool.
'A beautiful fool,' she corrected herself.
"Seol Hwa, why did you suddenly stop and leave me to walk by myself?" Gwen pouted with a disapproving look as she walked towards her.
The passersby couldn't help but blatantly look at the two girls.
They were like two radiant flowers among wilting plants.
"Don't you think the sun is nice today?" Seol Hwa said suddenly, her tone was serene as gentle lake.
"Huh?" Gwen raised one of her brows, a confused expression on her face.
She then looked upwards. Well, the sun was just the sun and the sky was less…cloudy.
She was used to seeing it though it was less frequent in winter.
Gwen finally returned her gaze to Seol Hwa when the light became intense.
Her skin was slightly red even though the evening sunlight was weak.
"Seol Hwa, stop. It's bad for your skin to remain exposed to the sunlight," Gwen warned.
"It's fine," Seol Hwa said, but still heeded Gwen's plea.
The two resumed their walk home.
"You are so weird. Who stops in the middle of the street to look at the sun?" Gwen murmured, "The UV rays will make you look like a hag in no time."
She cast a sideway glance. This time she was more attentive and careful.
She feared Seol Hwa might disappear and she might not even know.
'How's her skin still so flawless even after staying exposed for a longer time than me?' Gwen noted with a thoughtful look. 'I can't handle it even for a few seconds longer and she looks unaffected?'
'How unfair. I wish I could tan easily.' Her shoulders comically slumped.
"Sometimes I wonder if you are a daywalker vampire," Gwen said.
"What's a daywalker vampire?" Seol Hwa asked in mild curiosity.
"You don't know about vampires? You mean you've never read vampire stories with hot alpha males and omegas?" Gwen showed a dramatic, shocked expression.
Seol Hwa shrugged.
Gwen sighed. "You know what? I shouldn't even be surprised. I have a feeling the list of surprises in store for me are endless."
'That's crazy intuition, mortal.' Seol Hwa nodded.
"They're beautiful monsters in human skin that suck blood of the living. They are usually afraid of sunlight and crosses. And…and garlic," Gwen patiently explained.
A look of pure disgust contorted Seol Hwa's face as some memories briefly crossed her mind.
"Bloodsuckers?! You romanticize such revolting bloodsuckers? I feel disrespected comparing me to such lowly creatures. I'm honestly disappointed in you Gwen."
"What?" Gwen didn't expect to trigger such a reaction from Seol Hwa.
"I…I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wrong you," an apology escaped her mouth before she could even think.
"I didn't know you hated vampires with a passion when they're just fiction."
Seol Hwa's expression mellowed a bit. "You know nothing."
"I'm not angry with you. I just don't like these…vampires."
It was true she didn't like those lowly night creatures.
The idea that Gwen had about them was merely fictitious while she had to deal with them in the world of Murim.
They weren't as 'hot' as Gwen described them, but they were the ugliest pieces of shit that would cannibalize an unborn child just for a pint of blood.
Using mortal villages like pig farms was the least of their crimes.
She could tolerate Jiangshi created by the Demonic Corpse Division but never bloodsuckers.
'The mortal doesn't know that in my earlier cultivation years I had to hide for months from them.'
It was a shameful experience that she would never forget.
Luckily, after growing stronger, she had launched a racial-wide massacre to settle the scores.
Or else she wouldn't have been the Bloodborne Devil Empress.
'I hope they don't exist in this reality.' She finalized her thoughts, a savage glint in her eyes.
The doctrine of a demon dictated that grudges remain even in death.
If some pests deeply annoyed you, then exterminate them.
And even if she wanted, Seol Hwa couldn't erase her memories.
There was momentary silence between the two as they took a corner that led to residential blocks.
"Um, do…do you mind if I ask you a question?" Gwen found the courage to break the silence.
Seol Hwa nodded.
"What do you like reading? What do you enjoy doing in your free time?" Gwen asked.
"I like reading cultivation techniques and I enjoy cultivation," Seol Hwa answered frankly.
"Cultivation? You enjoy gardening, getting in touch with nature? That's super awesome, Seol," Gwen exclaimed excitedly.
Seol Hwa was dumbfounded.
Her honesty had been beautifully misinterpreted.
'Okay, if that's what you mean. You aren't wrong either. I was also an alchemist.'
'The herbal compendium record, with tens of millions of herbs and plants, had gardening tips so…'
"It seems I also need to tap into my inner femininity," Gwen said, her eyes gleaming as if she had found a new direction in life.
Seol Hwa lightly shook her head, puzzled by what Gwen implied.
"Is cooking also part of your hobbies? Now that we are talking about cooking, you promised me food," Gwen remembered, her eyes brightening with anticipation.
"In life, you must always exercise patience. Impatience breeds disappointment," Seol Hwa advised, glancing at Gwen.
"Understood, Shifu. What do they call it in Korean, hmm?" Gwen touched her chin thoughtfully before giving up.
She then had the guts to cup her hands, slightly bowing. "Master, excuse me for my impatience. However, I can't wait to eat your divine meal."
Who said arse-licking wasn't a stratagem to get what you want?
A faint smile curved Seol Hwa's lips.
"Who taught you to be ridiculous?" Seol Hwa amusedly asked as she stopped.
"Don't easily bow to other people,' she added before using her slender finger to tilt Gwen's head up.
Gwen stared up at the dreamy woman in front of her. Her lips parted in amazement, her brain short-circuiting.
She felt her cheeks warm.
While Seol Hwa's touch had been simple and innocent, Gwen didn't think so.
It was like electricity, sending jolts of shock, warmth and pleasure throughout her body.
She could feel her heart hammer against her chest like it was about to explode.
It was frightening.
And when Seol Hwa's finger left her skin, Gwen didn't react.
She could still sense the ghost of her touch lingering on her chin.
Who knew such an unsophisticated touch could cause such catastrophe in her mind and heart?
Gwen was going crazy, biting her lip. 'And how can she effortlessly sound so cool and domineering?'
'Don't bow easily to other people.' Seol Hwa words echoed inside her head.
After that, Gwen didn't utter any word for the rest of the walk.
At long last, their apartment building came to view.
"What type of dish would you like?" Seol Hwa casually asked.
"…" Gwen seemed not to hear, her blank eyes looking ahead.
Seol Hwa immediately waved her hand in front of Gwen's dazed face.
"I'll count to 3, if you don't say something, the deal's off the table," Seol Hwa said with a hint of sarcasm.
That seemed to yank Gwen.exe back to reality.
She turned her head and stared at Seol Hwa. "Don't you dare."
She then smiled.
"Today, I'll eat you out…oops…" She clamped her mouth, realizing what she had said before rectifying herself. "I…I meant eat anything you cook."
Seol Hwa had a clueless look.
Gwen was enlightened after seeing her expression.
She was safe.
And…and it seemed her new neighbor was too innocent.
Suddenly, Seol Hwa looked at the skies again, then at her surroundings, subtly scowling.
She didn't spot anyone and her current senses couldn't extend beyond a certain range.
But her killer instincts had never been wrong.
'Who was spying on this empress just now?'
'Those were clearly telepathic signals stretched far wide. To cultivate their psychic reach to that level means they are very powerful.' Seol Hwa thought as they entered the building.
'Sigh, are these psychic masters everywhere?'
'And…those two bandits that have been tailing us from a safe distance…' She looked at the streets 500 meters away as she stepped into the elevator.
'Heh.' She chuckled inwardly. 'It looks like things are getting interesting.'
Some matters just never changed. Be it the Murim or this world.
~~<>~~
Gwen inspected the apartment the moment Seol Hwa welcomed her in.
It was modest and had a certain homely feel to it even though it was basically identical to hers.
"I should probably remove the shoes, right?" Gwen asked as she kicked off her shoes.
They chaotically landed near Seol Hwa's perfectly organized ones.
Seol Hwa blandly stared at her.
Gwen looked away in embarrassment.
"Oh, I should…I should set them right. Order, yeah," She clasped her hands, feeling strangely in the spotlight before perfectly arranging her shoes…twice.
Seol Hwa raised her brows.
"Make yourself comfortable," she said before moving to the kitchen.
"What are you cooking?" Gwen dropped her bag on the sofa and asked.
She then followed Seol Hwa.
"Something simple. Ramyeon."
"Ram…what?
"Ramyeon. Korean instant noodles," Seol Hwa patiently replied as she organized the ingredients she would use.
"So basically, Korean ramen."
"Not really but close. And…" Seol Hwa stopped herself.
"And what?" Gwen asked, her curious gaze stuck onto every action Seol Hwa was doing.
Just from the way she was handling the ingredients, the way she was chopping the green onions and other vegetables, Gwen could tell Seol Hwa hadn't been merely boasting.
'A pro. She makes cutting veggies feel like some kung fu skit,' she noted.
Seol Hwa's every movement was filled with charm and intention.
'Is she even cooking instant noodles? Because DAMN…that smell…'
'If heaven was a smell, then I am in culinary heaven?' She couldn't help but salivate.
She didn't utter a word, fearing it would disrupt Seol Hwa's flow.
Her trust in the cook was already high so…she let her cook.
Soon, Seol Hwa had two bowls of steaming ramyeon and a separate plate with pickled radish set on the table.
Gwen's ravenous eyes were glued to the two bowls.
Gulugulu!
The spicy aroma at close range did nothing to calm the cries of hunger from her stomach.
Gwen took her bowl and gazed at the piece of art before her.
The broth had a rich red color and the egg lay at the top of the noodles like a little yellow crown.
But right now…she didn't care about the little details.
The smell beckoned her to take a taste.
To…devour.
"Will you eat or continue staring? Savor it while it's hot," Seol Hwa said in an amused tone as she picked her chopsticks.
Gwen's hands shook as she tried to hold the chopsticks in the right way.
Seol Hwa smirked, mirth in her amber eyes.
"Look at me and the way I do it," she instructed her, deciding to help her.
"Like…Like this?"
"Heh."
"Just observe."
"Like this, right?"
"You are quick learner. Now enjoy."
The first taste Gwen took, sent her straight to the noodle dimension.
The foodgasm hit her so hard that she forgot all sense of modicum.
The noodles were bouncy and chewy. Everything was so perfect, melting in her mouth the moment she swallowed.
Beads of sweat rolled down her temples, the spicy feeling catching up.
Her eyes watered but she just couldn't put the chopsticks down.
Seol Hwa grinned, humored by her behavior. "Is it too much for you?"
Gwen's watery eyes stared at Seol Hwa over the bowl.
She then pointed at Seol Hwa with her chopsticks.
"Does your family register have additional space for another sibling?" Gwen asked unabashedly.
"Or to make it even more perfect, should I just marry you?"
Seol Hwa nearly coughed her food.
'This mortal is harboring very dangerous thoughts.'
'Wanting to marry the Devil Empress?'
'In your dreams!'
''Toad wishing for swan meat. Stop being greedy.'
~~~<>~~~
Yu_ner's corner:
Toad lusting swan meat lol
Also, Ramyeon is Korean instant noodles.
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