Bai Qi hadn't reacted at first. It was only when Derek mentioned he was Professor X's student that Bai Qi suddenly came to his senses.
Iceman, Robert Drake. Wasn't this one of the few Omega-level mutants in the X-Men?
Bai Qi couldn't understand how such a powerful Omega-level mutant could have been infected by the zombie virus. After all, he could turn his entire body into ice, and the virus shouldn't be able to spread within ice.
What Bai Qi also didn't understand was that Derek wasn't a telepathic mutant. Why were other superheroes and mutants, upon being infected and turned into zombies, all mindless? Yet, this guy retained his own thoughts and could even speak.
Under Bai Qi's threats and enticements, Drake spilled the beans about what had happened.
The Quantum Virus had swept across the globe, and even Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, where Professor X resided, couldn't escape it.
After repelling wave after wave of zombie horde attacks, the school was eventually overrun. A portion of the mutant students were safely evacuated as the school fell. Derek didn't know their exact whereabouts; that was Logan and the others' responsibility. He, along with many teachers, stayed behind to buy time for more students to escape.
The result was that all the teachers who stayed behind to cover the retreat and the students who couldn't escape in time, including Professor X, were all infected and turned into zombies.
The story up to this point wasn't too problematic. Faced with an unrelenting zombie horde, the fall of such an isolated fortress was inevitable, especially when the target was just a school.
The real point of the story came later.
After infecting everyone in the school, the zombie horde naturally moved on to find fresher flesh and blood. As time passed, Professor X, now a zombie, managed to regain his intelligence using some methods he had employed before being infected.
After successfully regaining control of his body and familiarizing himself with his new state, Professor X sequentially used his telepathy to awaken the intelligence of more zombies in the school.
Professor X was able to quickly regain his intelligence and his memories for two reasons. Firstly, he had placed a mental safeguard on himself just before he was infected. Secondly, he was himself a mutant with psychic abilities. Even without that safeguard, Professor X, with his psychic specialty, would have been among the first to self-awaken.
However, other mutants weren't as fortunate. And helping other zombies awaken from the outside was an extremely mentally taxing task. Even for Professor X, since his own awakening, he had only managed to help a handful of the zombies around him awaken, including Storm, Ororo Munroe, Beast, Hank McCoy, Cyclops, Scott Summers, and currently, in front of Bai Qi, Iceman, Drake.
Bai Qi was somewhat puzzled. Since Professor X had already helped Derek awaken his intelligence, why didn't Derek stay by Professor X's side to help? Instead, he came to the zoo and declared himself king.
To this, Derek didn't hold back any information.
Professor X had indeed helped many turned mutant zombies regain their intelligence, but this process was extremely draining mentally. Even Professor X was gradually finding it difficult as the number of intelligent zombies increased.
Many urged Professor X to rest, but seeing the zombies outside gnawing on each other out of hunger, Professor X knew he couldn't stop.
Over time, the number of intelligent zombies grew daily, but Professor X's condition worsened at a visible rate. He even came close to succumbing to his hunger several times.
Derek noticed something was wrong with the Professor. However, he knew that despite being an Omega-level mutant himself, his current strength was no match for the Professor's if they were to fight.
Therefore, Derek used a somewhat flimsy excuse and fled the school before Professor X completely lost control. To avoid being discovered by Professor X later, Derek ran non-stop after escaping.
Of course, the ice palace he was currently in was just a temporary refuge for Derek. Derek's true destination was the other side of the Earth, or perhaps to build a house that could block mental intrusion.
While Derek was narrating his arduous journey in detail, Bai Qi was not idle. Bai Qi quietly activated the clock within him, allowing it to conduct a comprehensive examination of Derek's physical condition, ensuring that his subsequent plan could be implemented.
"Alright, I have a general understanding of your situation."
After receiving the report from the clock, Bai Qi decisively interrupted Derek's speech and asked, "If I were to give you a chance to become human again, would you be willing?"
Hearing Bai Qi's words, Derek first froze. Upon realizing what was said, he nodded frantically, even kneeling before Bai Qi without hesitation.
It wasn't that Derek's reaction was excessive. The impact of becoming a zombie on him had been too great.
Even though Derek had regained his intelligence with Professor X's help, it was only his intellect that had recovered. His sense of taste, smell, and even the ability to reward himself were gone. He also had to endure the lingering hunger that came with being a zombie. Of course, these were not the most important things. The most crucial point was that Derek's body was slowly decaying with time. Even turning himself into an ice person only slowed down this process.
Now, hearing Bai Qi say he could help him become human again, how could he not be excited?
Seeing Derek's satisfied demeanor, Bai Qi nodded and said, "I can make you human again, but I have my conditions."
"Good, good, good. Please rest assured, as long as I can become human again, I will agree to any conditions."
"My condition is that you must obey me completely for five years. After five years, you will be free, and you can do whatever you want. It will be none of my concern."
"Really? Is that all?"
Derek couldn't quite believe it. The price for becoming human again was just working for this person for five years. After five years, his debt would be settled. Let alone five years, he wouldn't even mind fifteen years if it meant becoming human again.
Looking at Derek's face full of excitement, Bai Qi couldn't help but want to laugh out loud.
The reason Bai Qi only asked Derek to work for him for five years wasn't because Bai Qi was particularly kind. In fact, Bai Qi had already calculated that after he took the five Infinity Stones from this world and absorbed them, the world would enter its countdown to collapse within five years. If Derek were still his subordinate at that time, letting him go would at least make his other subordinates feel reassured.