Chapter 56 : Combat Cooperation!!

In the afternoon, Carl didn't head to the classroom. Instead, he found a spot to continue soaking in the sun and catching up on some much-needed sleep to recharge his energy.

Perched atop the canopy of a towering tree, its branches stretching over ten meters high with a thick canopy, Carl's form lay effortlessly as if defying gravity. His body swayed gently with the breeze.

Just as Carl thought the day would be uneventful, the atmosphere shifted around him, and the wind howled. Storm, clad in sleek black battle attire, soared up towards him.

Carl opened his eyes, a hint of resignation in his voice. "Professor Ororo, your arrival is still so imposing."

Storm smiled softly. "Carl, you're not too bad yourself."

"Can you explain how you managed to lay on the tree without falling?" 

Glancing curiously at the branches and leaves beneath him, Ororo couldn't discern any sign of his ability being involved, leaving her somewhat puzzled.

Sitting up, Carl explained, "It's quite simple, really. You just make yourself lighter."

"Ah, I see. That's how you're able to jump from such great heights," Storm acknowledged.

Unable to affect external substances but capable of rendering oneself lighter—could this ability be a byproduct of physical enhancement?

Deep in thought, Storm shifted the conversation to the matter at hand. "Professor X has requested that we assemble everyone and head to the refurbished training base for a simulated battle."

"A simulated battle," Carl echoed, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, the objective of this exercise is to enhance the teamwork among the X-Men. After all, each of us possesses unique abilities."

As the saying goes, shared adversity binds people together.

Despite feeling confident in his combat skills, Carl followed Storm to the underground base.

The training room, spacious as ever, now transformed into a nighttime street scene, complete with lifelike buildings that gave Carl a sense of reality.

Reaching out, Carl grasped a handful of the wall of the adjacent shop. To his surprise, the sturdy cement crumbled like tofu in his hand, leaving him with a tangible sensation.

"Such formidable abilities," Carl exclaimed in awe.

He could be certain that the structures before him were real, yet the gloomy sky was merely a simulated backdrop, and some distant vistas were also fabricated.

The issue lay in the fact that the layout of this venue was different from his previous visit.

Typically, constructing a vast underground base like this would require considerable time, unless there was some superhuman ability at play...

In this training session, only the X-Men were participating: Shadowcat, Colossus, Iceman, Nightcrawler, Storm, and Wolverine.

"Alright, everyone's here," Storm announced.

"This time, the training will involve combating a group of robotic soldiers. As per the scenario, these robots will possess mutant abilities and be armed with modern weaponry."

"Our objective is to neutralize these mechanical adversaries and successfully complete the mission through coordinated efforts."

As Storm concluded, Colossus pondered, "Robotic soldiers with mutant abilities? Is such a thing possible?"

Iceman nonchalantly shrugged, remarking, "It must be the Professor's idea. Perhaps he believes our usual training routines are too mundane."

"Very well, let's see how I can freeze those machines," he added with a smirk.

The X-Men present appeared quite relaxed, not taking the challenge of this training exercise seriously.

Except for Carl, whose eyes narrowed slightly. "Robotic soldiers with mutant abilities... could it be Sentinel?"

"In a moment, the battle will commence. Everyone, prepare yourselves."

With Storm's prompt, the team dispersed at intervals along the street, ensuring mutual support without risking being overwhelmed by the enemy.

As for Carl, he opted to take a different approach. With a powerful smash, he propelled himself dozens of meters into the air, landing atop the nearby towering structure, much to the envy of Colossus and the others.

"The spatial dimensions of the training room have been altered as well," Carl mused thoughtfully. Through his senses, he could ascertain that the ceiling now lay just a few dozen meters above his head.

Boom boom boom!

In that moment, a distant roar echoed, accompanied by the vibration of air, heralding the arrival of danger. Suddenly, more than a dozen rockets tore through the atmosphere, spewing flames as they hurtled towards the crowd, instilling instant shock in everyone present.

"Watch out! Find cover!" 

The initial onslaught was fierce, catching them off guard.

Some swiftly dodged, while others stood their ground with unwavering confidence. Take, for instance, Iceman, positioned boldly amidst the street. As two rockets streaked towards him, he extended his hands without hesitation.

With a mighty roar, an intensely chilling blue aura erupted from his palms, resembling torrents from high-pressure water hoses, engulfing the incoming rockets mid-air.

Under the freezing embrace of water molecules, the rockets, each capable of wreaking havoc across ten square meters, were promptly encased in ice, then plummeted to the ground, shattering upon impact.

Meanwhile, on the opposite end, Shadowcat remained unfazed, shifting into a state of ethereal nothingness. The rockets pierced through her form, detonating harmlessly several meters behind her.

The explosion's fiery aftermath swirled menacingly, yet failed to inflict even the slightest harm upon her.

It was a spectacle of unparalleled elegance, a display of sheer prowess.

Some faced the crisis with composed resolve, while others swiftly evaded. For instance, Anna darted into a nearby building, evading the impending explosion.

Similarly, Colossus and Storm chose the path of evasion.

As for Carl, perched atop the building, his elevated vantage point drew the attention of multiple rockets—three, to be precise.

However, as the trio of rockets breached Carl's 30-meter threshold, a crimson gleam illuminated his eyes, unleashing two scorching heat rays in rapid succession.

Boom boom boom!

At a blistering temperature of 5,000 degrees Celsius, the three rocket warheads succumbed to consecutive detonations, erupting into a cascading array of shockwaves amidst the fiery spectacle above.

Within the fiery sky, three humanoid robots, towering at ten meters tall with bodies cloaked in purple hue, materialized, emanating a chilling aura of impending doom.

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