Reincarnation Paradise: The Crucible.

Chapter 399 Negotiation under Threat
"Tsk, I just mentioned it casually. These politicians are really brave. Throwing mushrooms in their own territory is really cruel."

In the waters near the coast of San Francisco Bay, Panlagon stood on a large lotus leaf floating on the water, gazing at the giant mushroom cloud at the end of his field of vision, marveling in amazement.

Before the outbreak of the Antidote War, he did propose to Worthington II that the military plant a big surprise on Devil's Island that could be used to kill both sides at the necessary moment, but he didn't expect that they would actually dare to do so.

Behind him, the thin Lin Feng also looked far into the distance. After hearing his leader's sigh, he narrowed his eyes and said calmly:
"The power displayed by Magneto is too exaggerated and has frightened the masters in the White House. Taking advantage of this opportunity when the other party takes the initiative to start a war, it is undoubtedly the best outcome to decisively kill him. Those politicians will not let this opportunity go."

"Devil's Island is not a densely populated city. It is surrounded by the sea and is located in a remote area. It is the detonation site with the smallest impact range, and..."

"And what?"

"When I was in the first-level parasitic beast world, I also lit a mushroom in Tokyo. The power of this one is not right now. The detonation should be a third-generation nuclear weapon similar to a neutron bomb. It mainly kills with high-energy neutron radiation, but the residual radioactive contamination is relatively small. That's why they dared to light a mushroom in the San Francisco Bay."

After saying this, especially when he heard that this member of his team had ordered mushrooms in Tokyo, Pan Lagong, who was in the front row, raised his eyebrows slightly, looked back in surprise at Lin Feng, who was standing behind him with a calm expression, and then continued:

"It doesn't matter what type of mushroom it is, as long as it's powerful enough. I actually hope this mushroom can kill the phoenix directly! If she doesn't die, let alone the mission, the whole world will be seriously threatened."

"It's unlikely. The yield of this bomb is not exaggerated. And we should retreat, Captain. This distance is far from safe. The damage caused by neutron radiation is direct and permanent damage to genes. If the injury is too serious, the treatment medicine may not be effective."

"Got it, get ready to retreat... Wait!"

The steps that were about to retreat suddenly stopped, Panlagon's face became solemn, and a grand image of a flaming phoenix shining in the sky was reflected in his slightly dilated pupils.

"This level of power really can't do anything to Phoenix, and it seems to have angered her..."

…………

On both sides of the bay, a group of government workers in full protective suits were looking from afar at the giant mushroom rising into the sky, and the boiling waves crashing against the shore due to the strong explosion nearby.

Matte glass masks obscured their expressions, and only the dull sound of conversation slowly echoed on the shore.

"They actually used it...are those damn mutants so difficult to deal with?"

"Don't worry, the equivalent has been strictly calculated, and the abundant iodine in the bay is enough to offset most of the effects. As long as we can catch all the mutant terrorists this time, all the damage will be worth it."

"Lifting the entire Golden Gate Bridge... How could a carbon-based creature possibly control such a great force?"

As they spoke, everyone's eyes shifted to the huge red metal bridge that had been broken into several pieces in the surging waves and was slowly sinking. Their tone was full of melancholy. This ancient bridge, which has stood in the strait for nearly 70 years, carries too much history and glory.

You have to know that the entire federation has only a 230-year history, and this bridge runs through one-third of it.

So compared to the soldiers and innocent people who died in the nuclear explosion, they obviously felt more sorry for this all-metal bridge that was completely destroyed by an unexpected disaster.

"Wow!!"

Suddenly, something unexpected happened. A high-pitched cry that pierced the clouds and split the rocks was heard. Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw a gorgeous giant fire phoenix that looked like a cloud hanging from the sky spreading its wings in the sky, and it forcibly pressed back the golden-red mushroom cloud rising in the distance.

"What's this?"

...............

"What's this?"

The city of San Francisco, with the rise of a giant mushroom cloud in the bay, the city, which had just calmed down not long ago, was once again in an instant boiling. Although this scene had only been seen in film and television materials in the past, as a country that first developed this destructive weapon and the only one to use it in actual combat, no one would be unaware of the meaning behind this mushroom cloud.

So chaos began to spread rapidly. Although more than ten years have passed since the end of the Cold War, the fear of nuclear war has never been eliminated. Now it has been ignited again by this familiar mushroom cloud.

But the confusion did not last long. After the red lotus and the nuclear explosion, another more shocking picture suddenly emerged.

At the end of the field of vision, the towering mushroom cloud that symbolized the highest military power of mankind was actually suppressed by a gorgeous fire phoenix with its wings spread wide. This scene that went against common sense made the entire boiling city fall into a daze for a short time.

.........

The White House, underground command post.

It was not just the civilians in the city who were stunned. All the senior government officials present were silent, staring at the satellite images displayed on the screen with trembling pupils.

The atmosphere in the command post suddenly fell into an unspeakable silence that was deeply disturbing. No one spoke, only the sound of heavy breathing slowly echoed.

The scene of Magneto lifting the entire Golden Gate Bridge not long ago was certainly shocking, but its symbolic significance is far less than the picture in front of us. If the power that represents the ultimate destruction of mankind can be easily suppressed by mutants, then in the future, can humans really still occupy the mainstream dominant position as always?
Who can guarantee that today’s mutants will not be tomorrow’s humans?

An uncontrollable and intense sense of panic grew wildly in the heart of the Federal President. The last time he had this feeling was three years ago when all of humanity was nearly wiped out by Professor X.

This time the panic will only be worse. Professor X is old and is bound by the academy. At worst, they have ways to directly destroy his body. But the fire phoenix on the screen is different. She can use the most intuitive power to forcibly suppress it, or even directly swallow the nuclear explosion.

This also means that at the conventional material level, they may not have the power and means to fight against it, and even the specific origins of the opponent are not clear at present.

Thinking of this, he suddenly turned his head to look at the blue-haired beast sitting upright in the crowd, and then his slightly excited and difficult words broke the silence in the command post.

"Minister Hank, do you know anything about this fire phoenix and the red lotus from before?"

Different from the stagnant expressions of everyone in the room, Beast Hank remained calm the entire time. Upon hearing this, he slowly stood up, glanced around at first, and then finally met the federal president's eyes that were filled with deep fear.

"Instead of this, Mr. President, could you first explain to me why nuclear weapons were placed on Alcatraz Island and detonated without my knowledge?"

"………" Facing Hank's question, the Federal President, who was outwitted, froze in his expression, pursed his lips tightly and did not respond. However, the tall Defense Minister Trask beside him quickly took over the conversation and responded:

"Hank, that's a necessary emergency measure that will only be implemented when the war situation is out of control. The Department of Mutant Affairs has no right to..."

"The Department of Mutant Affairs has the right to know and manage any matters related to mutants. This is a regulation clearly stated in the Federal Constitution, and Alcatraz is a battlefield of conflict between humans and mutants!"

Before Trask could finish his defense, he was interrupted by Hank's firm shout. After he finished speaking, he withdrew his gaze from the Minister of Defense and looked at the silent Federal President on the side.

"As the aid, the X-Men also fought desperately for the stability of the federal government on Alcatraz Island. But before the nuclear weapon was detonated, they, including me, knew nothing about it. Mr. President, have you thought about how to deal with the angry old man in the academy?"

"…The soldiers stationed on Devil's Island are also unaware of this. The mutants gathered by the Brotherhood are too numerous and too diverse. We cannot take the risk of this war, and we also… have no other choice."

"As for Professor X, we will give him a satisfactory answer later."

After a long silence, the President of the Federation responded in a low voice. The two looked at each other for a moment, and Hank looked away at the giant fire phoenix shown on the satellite image, and said lightly:
"There's nothing much to say about that flaming lotus, but as for this fire phoenix..."

"She is the first known Omega-level mutant, possessing far greater power than both Magneto and Professor X. However, this terrifying power cannot be restrained at all, and could even destroy the entire Earth without her realizing it, so the professor used his psychic powers to forcibly seal it a long time ago."

"It is obvious right now that this unexpected nuclear explosion caused her to completely break through the professor's seal at the moment of life and death. Now the trouble of the Brotherhood is no longer the focus. Once this uncontrolled destructive force enters the city, the consequences will be..."

Hank didn't finish his words, but the meaning behind them was clear.

"It's just known...destruction..."

On the other side, after receiving the specific intelligence, the Federal President, the Minister of Defense and others turned their gazes back to the screen in front of them, their faces changing from gloomy to pale with nervousness.

Although it is not certain whether Hank's claim that the force was enough to destroy the entire planet is exaggerated, the image of the fire phoenix on the screen flying in the smoke and fog of the nuclear explosion is real.

Even if they don't want to admit it, if nuclear weapons are ineffective against this Fire Phoenix, then humans really can't come up with a better response for the time being. Once the rioting Fire Phoenix really invades the city, the entire San Francisco may become a scorched earth. The Federation cannot afford such a loss, and they, as decision makers, are even more so.

The command post fell silent again, but was soon broken by the questioning voice of the Federal President.

"We need Professor X's help. Since the professor has sealed it before, can he seal it again now?"

"The professor won't let this go, but we have all witnessed the power of the Phoenix, and he can't guarantee whether he can complete the seal again."

"So what else can we do now?"

"Phoenix is ​​almost impossible to destroy on a physical level, and the power of technology is of little help on a spiritual level. All we can do at this stage is to wait, or prepare to evacuate the population in advance."

"But regardless of success or failure, the conflict between humans and mutants cannot continue. Otherwise, it will only cause endless troubles. Among the more than 10 million mutants, this fire phoenix may not be an isolated case. In addition, humans and mutants have never been enemies."

"…Okay, after this battle, the federal government will stop all policies that are unfavorable to mutants and will take steps to ease the conflict between the two sides. Minister Hank, if we want to achieve the above, what do mutants need most?"

“Equal status, and a bigger voice.”

…………

Above the San Francisco Bay, a huge wooden warship, about a hundred meters in length, was quietly floating in the clouds in the sky. The hull at the front of the warship was unfolding layer by layer, and an extremely large magical gun barrel was protruding from the interior of the hull. Its surface was covered with dense and complicated inscriptions, reflecting a faint glow under the cold moonlight.

The glow spread all the way to the low, cold muzzle of the gun and then disappeared without a trace. What emerged instead was the extreme depth inside the barrel that swallowed up all the light. Looking in the direction of the muzzle, one could see an immeasurable giant mushroom-shaped cloud of smoke rising from the boiling and chaotic sea below.

The sight continued to move upwards, and above the smoke cloud there was a gorgeous fire phoenix spreading its wings and soaring. Its broad flaming wings were spread wide, and at the same time it was holding back the golden-red smoke cloud beneath it, as its wings flapped, the massive amount of energy produced by the nuclear explosion was being continuously devoured and absorbed by the fire phoenix.

Then, the rolling smoke and clouds began to shrink at a speed visible to the naked eye, and although the size of the fire phoenix above did not change, the dazzling light around it became more and more dazzling and bright, even reflecting the clouds in the sky with a golden red.

Naturally, when the clouds were illuminated, the armed warships hidden in the clouds were also illuminated by the flames of the Fire Phoenix. On the deck, the X-Men were gathered at the bow of the ship, all looking down at the magnificent scene in the sea.

"Xinhuo, how confident are you that you can really save Qin by doing this?"

In the crowd, Logan frowned, and after his eyes moved around the Fire Phoenix below, he glanced sideways at Xu Yue who was in the front of the crowd.

"grasp?"

"I can't say I'm sure of it. You've seen how terrifying the phoenix is. Humankind's supreme military power is nothing more than food in front of it. I can only say that we should gather all our strength and give it a try. The longer we wait, the more terrifying this phoenix will become."

At the front bow of the ship, Xu Yue casually answered Logan's questions behind him while carefully observing the fire phoenix devouring the smoke and clouds in the sea.

Thanks to his passive skills and special equipment, his eyesight is unrivaled, so the details he observes are more in-depth and comprehensive.

The pupils in his eyes were so deep that they seemed to automatically devour the surrounding light. He could see the huge amount of sea water being consumed inch by inch around the Fire Phoenix, the pure energy being continuously extracted and devoured under the wings, and the red-haired figure in the Phoenix's body that was tightly surrounded by countless energy flows.

The next second, as if aware of being watched from above, the red-haired figure in sight suddenly raised its head and looked over, and then a pair of pitch-black eyes instantly enlarged in Xu Yue's field of vision.

A muffled groan suddenly sounded from the bow of the ship. Xu Yue, who was looking down, twitched his cheek immediately. At the same time, the fence he was holding on to was unconsciously strengthened and flew with wood chips. Two lines of shallow bloodstains flowed from the corners of his tightly closed eyes.

"What's wrong?!"

"It's okay, I just said hello to someone in advance."

(End of this chapter)