Before long, the X-n escorted Toras and his companions back to the Sanctuary. Eric imdiately rushed over to see lin.
"Uncle, I…" Eric was so excited that he couldn't wait to confirm whether he had truly awakened his Cosmos. But when he saw lin raise a finger to his lips, he obediently fell silent and waited.
lin enveloped Eric in his Cosmos, carefully examining his physical condition.
Awakening one's Cosmos was a good thing, but if it ca at a great cost, then it would be the opposite.
After a thorough check, lin finally relaxed. Aside from so injuries sustained during battle, Eric's body showed no issues at all.
Moreover, within Eric, a Cosmos as small and delicate as an unborn infant truly existed.
"Congratulations, Eric. You've indeed awakened your Cosmos."
"Really? That's aweso!" Eric jumped up and down in excitent.
lin didn't interrupt him. Thanks to lin's Cosmos and various advanced technologies, Eric, who was around fifty years old, still looked like he was in his late twenties or early thirties. But this couldn't change the fact that he had grown up, married, and had children.
…
…
Having always regarded Eric as his own child, lin was naturally overjoyed to see him again—not just a mory, but truly alive before him.
"Then… Uncle, does my awakening an that all mutants have the chance to awaken their Cosmos too?" Eric asked.
"It's possible, but the chances are very slim."
A bucket of cold water right over his head—but Eric wasn't discouraged. He had already ntally prepared himself for this. After all, over these past decades, many mutants had tirelessly tried to awaken their Cosmos. If it were easy, there would have been more than just this one miracle.
"First, tell everything that happened earlier. Be detailed—I need every bit of information."
"Alright."
Eric then recounted his battle with Apocalypse without missing a single detail.
When he finished, lin fell into deep thought, slowly piecing together a vague answer.
"Eric, based on your account, your success was the result of long-term preparation blooming into a miracle in the face of life and death," lin said.
"My preparation… blooming into a miracle between life and death?"
"That's right. Since you were a child, you've lived in the Sanctuary, trained alongside the Saints, growing up bathed in the Cosmos. You've also diligently practiced Cosmos cultivation yourself. And just now, you ntioned that when you sensed Mu saving you all, it was at the exact mont you felt you were about to die.
I believe your past training wasn't useless. It's like inflating a balloon—your practice was the air filling it. The balloon was of such high quality that no matter how hard you tried, it wouldn't burst. But the air was always there.
Then ca the needle—true mortal danger—which punctured the balloon, and all that stored air was finally released. That release was your Cosmos."
Eric pondered lin's explanation carefully and asked, "So… for mutants to break through their natural limits, they must keep cultivating Cosmos and then face mortal danger to possibly awaken?"
"There may be other factors as well—like the environnt in which you grew up. Eric, you were raised amidst my Cosmos and that of others. Perhaps under this influence, your physique beca different from others. There could be other unknown factors too. These are things we still need to study.
But the two conditions I just ntioned should definitely be correct," lin said.
"I see."
Eric was completely calm now—not because he had lost hope, but because the conditions were simply too harsh.
Setting aside the environntal and physiological factors, very few mutants would have the perseverance to train in Cosmos. And even if they did, there's no way to quantify it. Finally, awakening in a life-or-death crisis—that's not sothing you can plan for.
This death stimulus had to be real, a true final squeeze of one's potential.
Eric was certain: if he had ntally prepared himself beforehand, his Cosmos would never have awakened.
"Uncle, can I tell Charles and the others about this?" Eric asked cautiously.
Mutants having the possibility to awaken Cosmos would cause massive waves—not just among mutants, but also for the Sanctuary and the entire world. It could change the global landscape entirely, and he had to be careful.
"You can, but no spreading it around. Only among yourselves—don't let the other kids know just yet," lin agreed.
"No problem."
After Eric left, Shion and Aiolos stepped out from the shadows.
"What do you both think?"
"Inevitable within the accidental," Shion replied. "That child Eric is surrounded by golden radiance. Anyone like that is bound to be extraordinary and leave a bold mark in history."
Hearing this, lin almost laughed out loud. He certainly knew Eric was a child of destiny. In different tilines, Eric had been a major villain, had thought of destroying the world, led mutant revolutions, and even established a mutant nation.
But that was all in tilines where he hadn't t lin. Now… lin believed that even if Charles himself turned evil, Eric wouldn't follow.
And besides, in this chaotic grand universe, so-called "children of destiny" were everywhere. According to lin, every movie, every TV show, every ani, every comic book—each one had several children of destiny. In such a ssed-up world, destiny was the cheapest commodity.
"Aiolos, what do you think we should do? Let it be, or…?"
"My lord, I think the best course is a balance between letting it be and managing it," Aiolos answered directly, sensing that lin was testing him.
"Oh? Interesting. Explain," lin said, a smile curling his lips.
"Eric awakening Cosmos may be a miracle, but its existence proves it's not impossible to replicate. If we can find the exact thod for mutants to awaken Cosmos, the Sanctuary's strength will soar to a new level. So we must not let the opportunity slip by.
However, we also can't restrict Eric's freedom or assign soone to watch him closely. Eric is proud. It's that pride that made him who he is today. If he found out he was being monitored, even if he didn't resent the Sanctuary, it would create division. And if that pride were ground down, even with awakened Cosmos, his future growth would be severely limited," Aiolos replied.
lin nodded approvingly. As expected of the Sagittarius who was often called the "Political Commissar"—his answer was precise and thorough.
"Contact Howard. Have him assist with this research."
"Yes, my lord." Aiolos bowed and departed.
After Aiolos left, lin turned to Shion and asked, "Still thinking about retiring?"
Shion froze for a mont before giving a bitter smile. "My lord, although you've activated the golden bloodline in both and Aries, extending our lives, the future still belongs to the young."
lin knew that recently, Shion had been keeping Aiolos close, involving him in managing the Sanctuary's affairs, just as Aries had been grooming Saga as his successor.
lin hadn't objected. In fact, he had supported them. But from lin's perspective, training them was fine—handing over the reins was still too early.
"Calling yourself old in front of … Is that appropriate?" lin teased.
Cough cough Shion almost choked, looking at lin with an aggrieved face. "My lord, please don't tease like that."
"Shion, you and Aries nurturing Aiolos and Saga is fine. But don't rush to hand over authority just yet. Like you said, the future is theirs. They're still young. Right now, improving their strength is far more important than managing the Sanctuary. You can train them, but don't let mundane affairs hinder their cultivation," lin instructed.
"Understood, my lord," Shion replied with a smile.
Even though their dream of early retirent was shattered, the fact that lin didn't oppose their chosen successors was enough to fill them with pride.
"Good. Now, how's that girl I asked you to watch?"
Shion's expression turned serious. "She has an enormous power sealed inside her. Although dormant, I can sense the destructive rage hidden within it. My lord, if we don't control it, it could spell disaster for the Earth. Perhaps we should seal it—or…"
Seeing the ruthlessness flash through Shion's eyes, lin shook his head with a wry smile.
Shion was still too naïve. Killing Jean Grey was simple—but destroying the Phoenix Force? Almost impossible. The Phoenix Force was one of the three ancient primal powers. If it could be destroyed, it would have been wiped out eons ago.
Jean Grey was rely one host of the complete Phoenix Force. Killing Jean would only cause the force to move elsewhere.
"Better to guide than to suppress. Trying to smother it will only lead to an even greater catastrophe. Better to teach her to accept it, control it, and fuse with it through her own will," lin said.
"Then, my lord, you an…"
"Leave her to Shaka."
"Understood."
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