Marvel: Beginning with the Collection of Shinra Tensei

Finding Charles wasn't difficult. Knowing which building he had entered, and with the help of the X-System app on his phone, Han Yu quickly pinpointed his location without wandering around unnecessarily.

As expected, Charles was in class when Han Yu found him. He stood at the back of the classroom, listened briefly, and then left.

"What on earth? I couldn't understand a single word!"

Han Yu leaned against the corridor wall, pulled out his phone and earbuds, and casually opened a random playlist on his music app. With nothing else to do but wait, he strolled around the campus, reminiscing about school life.

Time passed, and the bell signaling the end of class finally rang.

"Everyone, make sure to review the material for next week's lessons. It'll be hard to keep up otherwise. Also, I'll be hosting a weekend tutoring session if anyone wants—"

Charles spoke to the students as they packed their books and chatted with one another. However, no one paid him any attention. Class was over, and everyone was eager to leave.

"Sigh, students only listen to me during class. The moment it's over, I might as well not exist," Charles muttered, shaking his head. He began packing up his teaching materials. The weekend tutoring session was free, but it seemed the students had no interest.

To them, weekends were precious, and few were willing to sacrifice their free time for extra lessons.

As Charles stepped out of the classroom, a voice called out to him.

"Mr. Charles, do you have a moment to chat?"

Charles turned around to see a young Asian man, who looked even younger than him—probably just over 20.

"Are you one of the teachers of those students I bumped into earlier?"

Charles recalled the earlier incident where he had collided with Peter Parker and his friends. Though they hadn't even exchanged glances at the time, Charles still remembered Han Yu. Was this the legendary memory of a genius?

"I'm not. I came specifically to find you. I have a few questions if you have the time," Han Yu replied with a smile.

Dressed casually in a khaki top, black trousers, and white high-top sneakers, Han Yu exuded youthful energy. Combined with his youthful appearance, he looked indistinguishable from a high school student.

"Sure, let's head to my office," Charles offered.

Thinking Han Yu was likely a student from another school seeking academic advice, Charles was more than willing to help. He started toward his office, but Han Yu stopped him.

"Could we go somewhere more private? There are some topics I'd prefer others not to overhear. How about the campus café? I noticed they have private rooms."

Han Yu gave an apologetic smile. Asking to meet in a secluded place with someone he had just met was a bold request. It was only thanks to his trustworthy demeanor that Charles didn't outright reject him.

Since the café was still on campus, Charles felt reassured. The two began walking toward it, chatting casually along the way. Han Yu kept the conversation light, sharing simple personal details without revealing his true purpose.

"Watch out!"

As they passed the sports field, startled cries came from nearby. Charles turned his head just in time to see a soccer ball hurtling toward him, growing larger in his vision. He couldn't dodge in time!

Just then, a slender hand appeared between him and the ball, effortlessly catching it mid-air.

"Are you alright?" Han Yu asked.

"I'm fine… Wow, your reflexes are amazing!" Charles exclaimed after a brief pause. Then, with growing excitement, he asked, "Are you a soccer player? Were you planning to recruit me for the team? No, that doesn't seem right... Are you a coach, maybe? You should've mentioned earlier—I'm actually interested in soccer! It'd be fun to be an assistant coach!"

As Charles babbled on, it was now Han Yu's turn to be stunned. In his memory, Charles had always been a quiet and composed person. Yet the man in front of him was far more lively than he had imagined.

"Perhaps this is just one of those temporal changes… The curse of parallel universes," Han Yu thought. Ever since arriving in this world, its timeline had deviated from what he remembered. The events etched in his memory were now just that—memories. Whether they would unfold in the same way was uncertain.

"Mr. Han, are you alright?"

Seeing Han Yu suddenly spacing out, Charles called out to him. Since Han Yu had been the one to seek him out, his silence now seemed rather odd.

"Sorry, I got distracted," Han Yu apologized with a small laugh. Clearing his throat, he steered the conversation back on track. "Mr. Charles, I heard you're well-versed in biology. What's your take on the term 'mutation'?"

"Oh? That's an interesting topic." Charles' eyes lit up as he delved into the subject—one of his areas of expertise and passion. "Mutation, by definition, is the process by which single-celled organisms evolve into dominant life forms. The origin of life on Earth itself is a result of countless generations of evolutionary progress…"

Han Yu smiled and asked, "That's a great explanation. But do you think humans can mutate?"

"Of course," Charles replied. "Darwin's theory of evolution already demonstrates that humans evolved from apes—"

Before Charles could finish, Han Yu gestured for him to stop.

"No, I'm not talking about physical mutations. I mean something internal, a higher level of mutation—like… certain special abilities."

Hearing this, Charles froze. He suddenly felt that this young man sitting across from him wasn't here for a simple academic discussion.

Charles lowered his head and stirred his coffee with a spoon, hiding the slight flicker in his eyes from Han Yu. In a neutral tone, he asked, "What do you mean?"

Han Yu smiled, and the next sentence he spoke left Charles utterly shocked.

"Mr. Charles, you're… a superhuman, aren't you?"

The spoon in Charles' hand stopped stirring for a second but quickly resumed. Looking up with an expression of confusion, he replied, "I have no idea what you're talking about."

His slight hesitation didn't escape Han Yu's sharp observation. That small reaction confirmed Han Yu's suspicion—Charles did possess such an ability.

"Don't worry," Han Yu reassured him. "I'm also what you might call a superhuman. I came here to discuss how we can bring together others like us. If the world discovers there are a large number of superhumans, it will undoubtedly spark fear among ordinary people. Worse, it could lead to war."

Han Yu's words startled Charles. They weren't baseless; Han Yu's memory held vivid recollections of a war between humans and mutants. Despite being a group of people with extraordinary abilities, most mutants harbored no ill intentions. Yet, they were seen as threats and hunted relentlessly.

Faced with persecution, the mutants resisted, and the conflict escalated into a full-scale war.

"How can I trust you?" Charles asked.

As soon as the words left his mouth, he saw the coffee in his cup begin to levitate on its own, swirling gently in the air before settling back onto the table.

This small display of Han Yu's abilities convinced Charles that he, too, was a superhuman. Taking a large sip of his coffee, Charles spoke, his voice tinged with excitement he could no longer suppress. "I've always believed I wasn't the only superhuman in this world. And now, I've finally met another. But I prefer to call us mutants—humans with genetic mutations."

Han Yu was taken aback. "Wait a second—'always'? Mutants? When did you first discover you had this ability?"

"I was seven years old," Charles answered.

Han Yu pressed further. "What exactly is your ability?"

In response, Charles extended his hand toward the spoon on the table. What he did next left Han Yu stunned for an entire year—he bent the metal spoon with nothing but his mind!

"Wait, wait!" Han Yu exclaimed. "Your ability is controlling magnetic fields?"

Suddenly overwhelmed, Han Yu waved his hands, signaling Charles to stop. Rubbing his temples, he muttered to himself, trying to make sense of it all. Things were taking a completely unexpected turn.

"Are you alright? Did my ability affect you somehow?"

Seeing Han Yu in distress, Charles quickly moved closer, concerned that his power might have caused it.

"No, I'm fine. I just need a moment to process this," Han Yu replied, exhaling deeply. After a pause, he asked, "So, you call people with these abilities mutants, and your power is controlling magnetic fields?"

"Yes… Is something wrong with that?"

Something wrong?

Everything is wrong!

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