Chapter 47: The Fusion of Psychic Powers and the Legilimens Charm

"It seems I can't afford to give up on the Tony Stark lead just yet," George muttered to himself.

After leaving the rooftop, George didn't return to school. Instead, he hopped on his beloved motorbike and headed straight for Manhattan. He had resolved to make time to go to the Middle East and rescue Tony Stark.

Initially, he had considered taking Wolverine along for the rescue, but that might draw SHIELD's attention. Besides, relying on others wasn't as reliable as handling things himself.

So, his initial plan had been to find a proxy, loot the Bronx's mafia families, and invest heavily in Stark Industries' stocks for massive profits.

But circumstances had changed, and upon further reflection, George realized he had overlooked a critical issue: Could Tony Stark really escape on his own?

In the cinematic universe, the answer was a definite yes. But this wasn't the movie universe—it was a world that included Wolverine and Professor X. George wasn't even sure which Marvel universe this was.

If Tony Stark failed to escape and died in that cave, George's investments would be a catastrophic loss.

To ensure his Stark Industries stock gamble was foolproof, George concluded he needed to personally rescue Tony from the Middle East. Once Stark was safe, he would instruct Lyon to liquidate all available cash and invest it in Stark Industries, guaranteeing a fortune.

As for being detected by SHIELD, George had a plan.

He wasn't the same novice wizard he had been before, with limited spell knowledge and burdensome companions. Now, Lyon—one of the Bronx's mafia leaders—was his partner, capable of providing a convincing fake identity for him.

Moreover, his mastery of magnetism had progressed to the point where he could deflect sniper bullets and perform long-range assassinations. He had learned every spell in the first-year syllabus, along with some from advanced studies.

In short, George was confident he could infiltrate the Middle East, save Tony Stark, and leave without anyone discovering his involvement.

If possible, he could even strike a covert partnership with Tony Stark. With allies in both the criminal underworld and legitimate enterprises, his future plans would be much easier to execute.

Meanwhile, in New York's most opulent banquet hall, Obadiah Stane stood at the podium, passionately attempting to restore investor confidence in Stark Industries.

"Tony Stark is not so easy to kill. Even now, the military hasn't given up their search for him.

"And even if something were to happen to Tony, Stark Industries boasts the world's most brilliant engineers. Our weapons are still the best on the market.

"So trust in Stark Industries' future! Believe in us!"

Later that evening, as Obadiah rode home in his luxurious car with his bodyguards, he was fuming.

"Those damned short-sighted fools! Do they really think Stark Industries can't produce better weapons without Tony Stark?"

He knew the company's stock would fall if something happened to Tony, but the plunge was far worse than he had anticipated. If the stock price wasn't stabilized, even with Tony out of the picture and the company fully under his control, it would be a pyrrhic victory.

"And the Ten Rings! I'll have them wiped out one day for extorting me!"

It was Obadiah who had hired the Ten Rings to ambush Tony Stark in the Middle East, hoping to eliminate Tony and gain full control of Stark Industries.

However, the Ten Rings recognized Tony Stark and began making exorbitant demands, far beyond what Obadiah had anticipated.

"Have we pinpointed their location yet?"

"Boss, we've narrowed it down to the Baghlan Province desert in Afghanistan. But it'll take another two weeks to pinpoint their exact location," the driver responded.

"Once the location is confirmed, send a team to eliminate both Stark and those Ten Rings scum," Obadiah said coldly, his eyes flashing with malice.

If they dared to threaten him, they would pay with their lives.

"Showtime!"

High above the road, George peered through his binoculars, spotting Obadiah's car approaching. He quickly descended to the roadside and began chanting:

"Softening Charm!"

A blue magical beam struck the asphalt, causing it to soften and collapse.

Obadiah's speeding car hit the softened ground and flipped over, crashing onto the roadside and skidding a considerable distance.

George had staked out this route after learning it was Obadiah's regular path home.

Why not ambush him at his home? For one, George wanted to engineer a car accident that would land Obadiah in the hospital, further tanking Stark Industries' stock.

Additionally, the security at Obadiah's mansion made a stealthy infiltration for intel more troublesome.

Approaching the overturned car, George saw Obadiah and his bodyguard inside, both injured but struggling to free themselves from their seatbelts.

"Good evening, Mr. Stane," George said cheerfully, crouching beside the wreck and waving at the two men.

The bodyguard, alert and trained, abandoned his seatbelt and reached for his handgun. But George had anticipated this.

"Stupefy!"

A blue magical beam hit the bodyguard before he could fire, rendering him unconscious.

Obadiah's pupils shrank in fear, but he quickly offered, "No matter who sent you to kill me, I'll pay you ten times whatever they're offering!"

"Tempting," George replied with a grin. "But I'm not here to kill you."

As he spoke, George activated his psychic abilities and cast another spell:

"Legilimens!"

A month earlier, George had sought Professor Snape's guidance on the Legilimens Charm. Initially, Snape had refused, deeming George too inexperienced for such an advanced spell.

George had lied, claiming he was a natural Legilimens, able to read unguarded thoughts and communicate with magical creatures. He argued that learning the spell would help him control his abilities better.

After verifying George's claims, Snape reluctantly agreed to teach him.

Though George had only achieved a rudimentary mastery of the charm after a month of practice, when combined with his Level 2 psychic abilities, it allowed him to forcibly extract thoughts—especially from those gripped by fear.

"Now, tell me where Tony Stark is," George said, as two razor-sharp blades extended from his sleeves, hovering menacingly before Obadiah's eyes.

"Or you'll lose your eyes next. Then your ears. And finally... your life."