Death Island, Plan
Xu Mo paid no mind to Professor X and the others' speculation.
Instead, he sat aboard the cruise ship, listening to Erik Lehnsherr—Magneto—outline his plan to create a mutant nation.
According to Magneto, the reason he had been securing vast amounts of money by any means necessary was simple: to establish a homeland for mutants.
The chosen location was an isolated archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean.
Of course, putting the plan into practice would not be so simple. Construction could take time, but defense capabilities had to come first. For that reason, Magneto had opened channels with the Soviet Union, intending to purchase nuclear weapons.
After repeated failures over the years, Magneto had realized that brute force alone could not achieve his dream. This time, he was prepared to take a more strategic, indirect path.
Xu Mo admired the man's persistence. After some thought, he concluded that although Magneto's idea of building a mutant country was idealistic, perhaps even naive, it wasn't entirely without merit. At the very least, setting up the organization's headquarters on the archipelago was a sound decision.
Magneto had already bought the island through shadowy means. Located about 1,000 nautical miles east of the United States, the archipelago was infamous as the "Islands of Death." The reefs in its waters had claimed countless ships over the centuries, turning the area into a natural ship graveyard.
The main island alone spanned more than 2,000 square kilometers—ample space for constructing bases and facilities.
Guided by Magneto, Xu Mo and his companions steered the yacht eastward. Hours later, they reached the islands and docked smoothly under Magneto's magnetic control.
The main island was oval in shape, its dense jungle already hiding several metallic houses—clearly Magneto's handiwork.
Inside one of the structures lay towering stacks of U.S. dollars, each pile nearly the height of a person.
"This is everything I've gathered over the last two years," Magneto explained. "After paying for the island, this is what remains—1.6 billion dollars."
Xu Mo and Emma Frost, the White Queen, showed no reaction. Xu Mo's own fortune exceeded one hundred billion, and Emma, back when she controlled the Hellfire Club, had commanded tens of billions herself. Such sums no longer impressed them.
Xu Mo picked up a bundle of bills, noting how dry and well-preserved they were thanks to Magneto's sealing of the room against the island's humidity.
Building facilities would not be an issue. Magneto had already surveyed the island and discovered rich metal deposits underground. With his powers, he could easily establish a steelworks and construct fortifications.
The real challenge was personnel. Recruiting scientists and logistics teams through normal channels would be too troublesome. Emma had a simpler method: abduct members of underground organizations and brainwash them into loyal subordinates.
Xu Mo tossed the bills back onto the pile and turned to a girl with twin ponytails who stood nearby.
She was one of the mutants they had recently brought back. Her mutation merely enhanced her movement speed to three times that of a normal person. But her true value lay elsewhere—she was Shadow, a notorious hacker.
Her most infamous stunt had been breaching S.H.I.E.L.D.'s network and replacing Nick Fury's profile photo with a black boiled egg.
"Shirley," Xu Mo said, "I'll provide you with the approximate locations of several underground groups. Can you pinpoint their bases?"
The girl tapped her chest confidently. "Of course."
Satisfied, Xu Mo shifted his gaze to Raven Darkhölme, Mystique.
"Compile everything you know about the Sentinel program headquarters."
As a permanent stronghold, the island needed a defense force. Sentinel robots would be ideal. They were not only anti-mutant weapons but also incorporated mutant abilities into their systems. A well-armed squadron could rival even Omega-level mutants. With enough of them, defending the island—or even threatening America itself—would be possible.
Raven frowned. "We can't take the Sentinel headquarters alone. Their base is designed specifically to counter mutants. Not even Emma's psychic abilities could infiltrate it."
"You don't need to worry," Xu Mo replied calmly. "I have my own method. Just provide the intel."
Seeing his resolve, Raven reluctantly nodded. "Fine. I'll have it for you tonight."
Xu Mo then looked back at Magneto.
"Your immediate task is to construct the main structure of the base and then lead a team to salvage the wrecks around the island."
He never understood why Magneto had left such a treasure trove untouched, instead relying on underworld deals with men like Kingpin.
The truth was simple: the reefs around Death Island had sunk countless ships over the centuries. Many were laden with cargo, riches, or even historical artifacts. Salvaging just one ship could yield more wealth than years of criminal operations.
Finally, Xu Mo turned his attention to John, another mutant at his side.
"The salvage will depend on you," he said.
John had been captured and broken by Emma, dragged here against his will. But now, his abilities would prove useful. Magneto could only lift metal wreckage—everything else would fall to John.
John quickly nodded in agreement.
The mutants around them were visibly energized. Unlike Magneto, they had no burning desire for domination. They simply wanted a safe haven, free from persecution. The island promised exactly that. And given that even Magneto had bent the knee to Xu Mo, his power was clearly more than sufficient to protect them.
When all the arrangements were made, Xu Mo tasked Emma with overseeing operations, then withdrew to a cliffside.
Using a telekinetically controlled blade, he carved a chamber into the rock face—just large enough to serve as a private retreat.
His preparations complete, Xu Mo stepped inside. His accumulated points were finally sufficient.
It was time to break through to the planetary level.