chapter 3

Learning is not as carefree as fishing.

"Ororo-sensei, I believe that learning is simply a means to understand the world and improve oneself. I can also understand the world here," said Robert.

"There's absolutely no need to go to a classroom to study."

"You dare talk back?" Storm scolded him.

"Be good and come back with me. You need to catch up on all the lessons you've missed! You're the only one in the entire X-Men Academy who constantly skips class!"

Storm glared at Robert. With a wave of her hand, a powerful gust of wind appeared out of thin air, trying to pull Robert toward her. This was Storm's power—an inexplicable supernatural force that could summon the weather at will.

But something strange happened.

The wind howled, and the grass bent under its force. A powerful pressure acted on Robert's body.

If it had been the old Robert—without any abilities—he would have already been swept off his feet and pulled directly into Storm's grasp. After all, he had only the frail body of a teenage boy, too weak to resist divine-like power.

But now things were different. He had obtained Superman's body.

His strength, speed, physique, and all other aspects had improved drastically. Even his weight had increased significantly. Storm's power, which once could have easily carried him away, now felt like a spring breeze—completely ineffective.

"Hmm?"

A trace of surprise flashed through Storm's eyes.

Her powers weren't working on Robert?

Ordinary humans couldn't possibly withstand that kind of force. By all rights, he should've been floating in the air by now.

Yet he was standing firmly, completely unmoved.

"You've awakened?"

Storm's eyes widened in disbelief.

The nature of mutant powers was mysterious. Some mutants were born with their abilities active, while others couldn't trigger their X-gene until facing life-or-death situations.

Still, most mutants awakened their powers in adolescence, often through intense emotional experiences.

Robert had always been inconspicuous at the Mutant Academy. Though Professor X had confirmed that he was a mutant, he had shown no signs of any power, living as a regular student.

Unexpectedly, and without fanfare, he had awakened his abilities.

And not only that—he was powerful enough to resist her wind control. That was truly surprising.

"Robert, you've actually awakened. What ability did you gain?"

"It looks like some kind of enhanced physique," Storm observed, walking over to Ryan's side to get a closer look.

"I'm not exactly sure. Since you asked, I won't hide it. I've felt a huge surge in power these last couple of days. I came here to fish and get a better grasp of my strength," Robert replied calmly.

"So that's why... no wonder you've been acting this way."

Storm suddenly understood.

While Robert was known for his laziness, he'd never completely ditched class just to go fishing. It turned out he was working on controlling his newfound power.

But her expression quickly changed again.

"You should have told us. After awakening, you need proper guidance to fully develop your abilities. Hiding it from us is irresponsible—not just to the school, but to yourself," she said sternly.

"Yes, Teacher. I understand," Robert said.

His face showed a complex expression: three parts shame, three parts hope, and four parts indifference. Even an Oscar-winning actress would struggle to replicate such emotional layering.

Storm noticed his attitude and continued her explanation.

"It seems your abilities are physical in nature. If your body starts to undergo strange changes, that's completely normal. You don't need to panic. Teacher Hank went through the same thing."

"If something like that does happen, be mentally prepared."

She spoke with great seriousness.

Humans are social creatures. Most people can't survive alone. Without the support of society, they become lonely, helpless, and mentally exhausted.

That's what made life so hard for mutants.

Because their powers often altered them physically or mentally, they were ostracized from normal human society. Mutants with visible physical differences especially faced bullying and prejudice.

Storm was giving Robert a heads-up.

Of course, Robert knew that his powers didn't come from the X-gene at all. His strength came from Superman's body, which had nothing to do with being a mutant.

Still, he nodded solemnly in response to Storm's kind advice.

"You've just awakened, and this is the stage where your physical enhancements will grow the fastest. You must ensure you're getting enough nutrition," Storm added.

"I'll have the Professor personally design a diet plan for you."

Storm truly was a great teacher, and she explained everything with patience and care.

If Robert were really a mutant, all this would have been incredibly valuable.

Unfortunately, none of it applied to his current situation.

"All right, that's all the theoretical stuff," Storm concluded. "Now it's time to test you."

"We'll start some adaptive training next so you can improve control over your abilities."

"Come with me. We're going to assess your strength, speed, and physical condition."

She turned and walked away without looking back.

Robert's eyes lit up. He had been looking forward to this. He wanted to know just how strong the Bronze Age Superman's body really was.

Though the Bronze Age Superman was the weakest version among the different Superman iterations, he was still far superior to any ordinary human.

In terms of strength, speed, and resilience, he was unmatched.

Inside the Depths of Mutant Academy

Hidden deep within the academy was a powerful machine.

This was the Cerebro (Mind Wave Amplifier), a sophisticated device created through the joint efforts of Beast Hank, Professor X, and Magneto.

It allowed Professor X to amplify his psychic powers across the entire planet.

In theory, with Cerebro, Professor X could eliminate every living person on Earth in an instant. He was essentially a walking nuclear bomb—capable of global-scale devastation.

It was with this machine that Professor X had located Robert and brought him to the academy. Back then, Robert had not yet awakened his powers, so he had seemed quite ordinary.

Just another face in the crowd.

Now that he had awakened—and with such immense power—it was hard not to take notice.

Storm felt both awe and excitement.

It was rare for someone truly gifted to appear among the students at the academy. Robert's sudden transformation brought a much-needed sense of hope.

…

They walked through the training hall, with lights gradually activating overhead. Massive reinforced equipment lined the walls, ready to test mutants at their limits.

Storm turned back toward him.

"We'll start with basic benchmarks."

She pointed toward a massive steel bar, embedded deep into the ground.

"Try lifting that."

Robert nodded and walked over, sizing up the solid steel embedded in reinforced concrete. Even among mutants, only a few like Colossus or Rogue could lift something like this easily.

He took a deep breath and grabbed the bar.

Crack!

The steel bar slowly rose into the air, concrete cracking beneath his feet. His arms flexed effortlessly, muscles rippling with immense force. Storm's eyes widened in disbelief once again.

"…You really weren't kidding."

Robert smiled faintly and put the bar down gently.

Storm checked the equipment panel and quickly did the math. Her astonishment only grew. The values were off the charts for someone newly awakened.

"Let's test speed next."

She gestured toward the long corridor lined with motion sensors.

Robert stepped up and waited for the countdown.

"Three, two, one—go!"

A blur shot down the corridor, triggering sensors so rapidly that the system glitched trying to keep up.

Storm stared at the final reading: the equivalent of a supersonic sprint.

That wasn't just awakening—it was transformation.

"You're not a simple mutant, are you?" she muttered under her breath, suspicion flickering in her eyes. But she said nothing more.

She turned back toward him.

"You're special, Robert. Don't waste this gift."

And with that, they continued deeper into training.