chapter 18

"Good stuff, good stuff."

"This battle wasn't fought in vain."

Robert felt genuinely satisfied. With a wave of his hand, the helmet was neatly stored in the System's item storage space. Then, he sat comfortably on a small stool, ready to return to his favorite pastime—fishing.

Splash!!

Just as he got settled, the water erupted with a loud splash. A drenched, disheveled figure struggled to climb out from the pond.

"Uh, Teacher Logan."

"Need a hand?"

Robert looked at the miserable state of Wolverine and couldn't help but feel a tinge of sympathy. Logan, for all his toughness and regenerative powers, had clearly been through hell. Nuclear-level punishment wasn't a problem for his healing factor—but running into Magneto? That was another story.

Besides his notorious fear of heights, Logan's worst nightmare had always been Magneto. There was simply no defense against someone who could twist and bend the very metal in his bones.

Robert quickly stepped forward, helping lift Logan out of the water and removing the chunks of steel painfully embedded in his body.

Logan let out a deep breath. Relief was visible on his rugged face.

Chapter 16: Kamar-Taj's Magic! Portal! [Please support with fresh flowers and votes!]

With Magneto subdued, the mutant community finally found a moment of peace.

However, for Robert, life was becoming strangely complicated.

Everywhere he went, he'd encounter groups of children whispering and pointing at him.

"Is that the guy who took down Magneto? He's insanely strong!"

"He looks so normal though—doesn't seem special at all!"

"I heard he awakened two abilities. That's insanely rare!"

"Terrifying!"

Robert ignored the attention. He treated the whispers like wind in his ears, completely uninterested in others' opinions. When you had real power, there was no need to prove yourself or seek validation.

He'd rather spend his time catching fish.

But, to be fair, there were perks.

At the very least, the X-Men teachers no longer insisted he attend classes.

That alone made life significantly better.

Now, Robert had achieved something truly admirable in his eyes—fishing freedom.

"But this System really gives out great stuff," Robert muttered to himself.

"No matter what you get, it always serves a purpose."

"It'd be great if I could fish up something even more ridiculous next time."

Robert grinned, excitement bubbling up at the thought of more rewards. Greed? Perhaps. But it was only natural to want more power, more tools, more surprises.

With a shake of his head, he sat down again and tossed his fishing line into the water.

[Ding!]

[Sign-in successful. Obtained: Extraordinary Fishing Rod]

[Extraordinary Fishing Rod: A magical enhancement for ordinary rods. Indestructible. Slightly increases the chance of catching high-level fish.]

"Huh?"

Robert's eyes gleamed.

Now this was a good reward.

He had noticed during previous fishing sessions that some of the fish were unusually strong. Clearly enhanced by some kind of power, they were difficult to reel in. More than once, he feared his basic rod would snap.

But this rod? It was on another level.

He could finally fish without worry. Not only did it have a higher success rate, but more importantly, it wouldn't break—no matter what came out of the water.

"Wonderful."

As he watched the bobber dancing gently on the water's surface, a sense of peace washed over him. For someone who loved fishing as much as Robert, this was pure bliss.

Just enjoying the breeze, the pond, and the quiet.

But then—

A tug.

The bobber sank beneath the surface in an instant.

Robert's eyes sharpened.

"Got something. Feels like a big one!"

"Come to me!"

This time, with the System's extraordinary rod, he didn't hold back. He activated his Superman-level strength.

Veins bulged across his forearms, his muscles surged with power, and with a single mighty pull—Bang!

The lake exploded upward.

A massive fish launched into the air, water spraying in every direction.

"Blue."

Robert's gaze locked onto the fish as he reached out and grabbed it midair.

[Congratulations: You obtained "Portal"]

[Portal: The most foundational yet profound space magic from Kamar-Taj. Allows instant travel to any location with a single thought.]

"Portal magic?"

Robert was stunned.

Despite being one of the first spells learned at Kamar-Taj, Portal magic was anything but basic. Its power was practically broken.

Any magician could use it to go anywhere on Earth instantly.

And that wasn't the full extent of it.

With enough mental strength, Portals could even link to other dimensions, other galaxies, and unknown realms.

Ridiculous.

In most worlds, this type of spell would be locked behind elite ranks—taught only to advanced sorcerers.

But Kamar-Taj handed it out like an orientation pamphlet.

"Man, this is way too useful. I won't have to walk to fishing ponds anymore."

"Who knows where the System's fishing grounds will appear next?"

Currently, the fishable zone was within the grounds of Mutant Academy. But the System could refresh the location at any time.

It might spawn a new pond in another city—or another planet!

This reward was right on time.

"Now I can go anywhere… literally."

Invincible.

[Ding!]

[Milestone Reached: Independent fishing success has met the System threshold.]

[Bonus Activated: Every catch from now on will receive a 100x power critical hit.]

As the System's voice echoed, Robert felt a strange, cooling sensation flood his mind.

His thoughts quickened, sharpened.

Then—BOOM!

A shockwave burst from where he sat. The ground cracked and caved beneath him, forming a pit several meters wide.

Robert sat dazed in the center, blinking in disbelief.

"My strength… it's gone off the charts."

"This System's rewards are completely insane!"

"Now… I really am worthy of Superman's title."

From a simple, peaceful fishing trip to obtaining interdimensional travel and superhuman strength boosts, Robert's journey had become something out of a fantasy novel.

The sky was the limit.

And with the System's help—he might just surpass even that.