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Chapter 204: The New King

"Who are you? Where am I?"

Jean Grey asked warily.

She had been in the academy moments ago, so how had she ended up in this strange place?

Her face grew tense. Few could evade the professor and be abducted from the academy without anyone noticing.

Thor smiled. "Defeat me, or be defeated by me. You'll find out soon enough."

"No, I want to know now," Jean said, activating her telepathic abilities.

Thor did nothing, but the system's notification echoed in her mind: "Drip! Psychic energy invasion detected."

"Mental barrier activated!"

"Ugh..."

Jean groaned as a wave of dizziness overwhelmed her.

Was this opponent skilled in psychic defense like the professor?

Seeing Thor approach, Jean glanced around the empty arena, gritted her teeth, and attempted to manipulate the floor with her telekinesis...

"Warning! Arena environment cannot be damaged!"

A sudden voice spoke in her mind.

Jean: "!!!"

Before she could react, Thor sprinted behind her and struck her on the back of the head.

"You..." Jean's vision blurred, and she lost consciousness...

"Drip! Congratulations to the host for successfully completing the challenge! Reward: Omega-level Mutant, Jean Grey!"

Thor reappeared in the bar, looking at the unconscious girl in his arms, and breathed a sigh of relief.

He had been worried that Jean might unexpectedly unleash her full power...

It appeared that Jean had not yet become the Dark Phoenix, or even awakened the Phoenix Force.

The reason for choosing her was that in the "Apocalypse" storyline, Jean didn't fully unleash her powers until the end. Although she was strong beforehand, it was still manageable.

Noticing the curious stares around him, Thor realized that he might be perceived as a corpse collector. After all, Jean Grey's appearance was not considered valuable by many.

.....

On Earth, the battle for supremacy in Wakanda had finally concluded.

Although T'Challa had initially gained the upper hand, his guilt and sympathy for his cousin led him to show mercy repeatedly, only to be overpowered by Erik and left severely injured.

The soldiers surrounding them were silent.

Everyone knew T'Challa was the more suitable king, but Wakanda's tradition was that the victor becomes king. Now, no one could stop Erik.

Princess Shuri nearly drew her hand cannon several times, but the queen stopped her with a shake of her head.

Intervening in a duel could have severe consequences. If she acted, she would have no place in Wakanda.

"It's for my father!"

Erik raised his short sword and looked down at T'Challa's neck.

"Bang—" A spear blocked his dagger.

Zuri, filled with grief, said, "Your father died because of me. He is not your enemy; kill me instead!"

Erik, his face twisted with fury, replied, "You and him will both die. I won't hold back!"

With a swift move, Erik struck Zuri, causing him to vomit blood and fall.

"No!!!" Zuri's death ignited T'Challa's fury, and he tried to fight Erik despite his severe injuries.

Unfortunately, he was too weak to stand, let alone fight effectively.

Erik delivered a powerful punch, knocking T'Challa to the ground, and stomped on his despair. He raised his head and declared to everyone, "This is your king!"

Grabbing T'Challa by the hair, Erik lifted him up and slammed him onto the ground, continuing, "This is the Black Panther who was supposed to lead you into the future! Can he protect you?"

Erik then threw T'Challa off the cliff, announcing, "Now, I am the king!"

A priest draped a necklace symbolizing royal power around Erik's neck, and all the soldiers bowed in submission for the first time.

This was Wakanda.

Both Princess Shuri and the queen were deeply saddened. Realizing they could no longer remain, they covered their mouths and left quietly.

In the dead of night, Erik woke from a dream granted by the Black Panther.

He was now fully reborn.

"Burn the remaining heart-shaped herbs!"

His first order was to eliminate any lingering concerns.

"However, this is against our traditions..."

Erik seized a maid by the neck. "Tradition should have been changed a long time ago!"

Amid the raging fire, Princess Shuri sneaked in and took a heart-shaped herb.

"If you had left during the day, I might have ignored you. But now, you're courting death!"

As Erik's cold voice echoed, Shuri looked up in horror to see his sneering face.