The days of being a spiritual mentor in Meiman.

Chapter 4742 X Royal Newcomer (21)

Chapter 4742 X Royal Family: New Life (Twenty-One)

The place where they landed was indeed vast and empty, with heavy echoes. There were no plants below, only some moss in the corners. Even without Stark-Schiller, it was clear that the underground hot springs were nearby, as they had felt the humid heat shortly after landing.

They said there were two openings down there, one of which was noticeably warmer than the other. The three of them headed in that direction. The opening was quite spacious, so they chatted as they walked.

“Most mutants are impatient,” Stark remarked. “If they say they want to build a hot spring, they start immediately, not even willing to wait a day longer. Charles didn’t know to stop them.”

“Perhaps Charles would have been happy to see this happen,” Schiller said. “If he hadn’t agreed and supported it, the mutants wouldn’t have been in such a hurry to come over.”

“I think he’s interested in developing tourism,” Steve suggested. “To be precise, he’s interested in developing tourism for people from the Central Universe who come here. This place is a perfect nursery, it’s time to bring those little devils over.”

That's true, Stark thought so too. But to bring them over, there needs to be something attractive. A primeval forest alone isn't enough, which is why he's in such a hurry to build these things. He's just worried that the mutants lack experience in this area, and that rushing things might backfire.

"You all think so?"

"Is not it?"

Schiller shook his head and said, "The mutants in the central universe have finally gotten their due, they're the bosses wherever they go in the universe, and even on Earth they carry a lot of weight, everyone has to greet them with a smile. The new generation of mutants hasn't suffered the slightest bit of humiliation. How could Charles possibly let his children face this kind of predicament again?"

“That’s true,” Stark nodded. “If it were me, I definitely wouldn’t be able to bear it. Discrimination isn’t a knife, it’s a bottle of poison that slowly corrodes you, making you feel rejected and isolated by the world. This kind of long-term damage is sometimes more painful than intense conflict. I don’t want children to suffer like this, not any child.”

"Then why is he in such a hurry?" Steve asked, puzzled. "I thought they were just fed up with taking care of the kids."

“From your perspective, that’s true,” Stark said. “After all, non-mutant parents always have some trouble dealing with mutant children. Besides, Thomas Jr. is a very powerful mutant. However, to say that Scarlet Witch couldn’t handle his children is a bit of an exaggeration. Otherwise, why would she have chosen to have a daughter after having twin brothers?”

“That makes sense,” Steve said. “But Thomas is actually very well-behaved. He has never used his mutant powers in front of me and his mother. That first outburst doesn’t count.”

They walked and talked, the heat and humidity growing increasingly intense until they could barely keep their eyes open. Schiller had to turn into a cloud of mist. Stark looked at Steve and asked, "Can you keep going?"

“You underestimate me,” Steve said. “You have to understand, the navigator is responsible for guiding the ship. In other words, if the existing route doesn’t work, you have to find a way to go down and clear it. I’ve seen all kinds of harsh space environments, this is nothing.”

They continued forward, and ahead lay a white mist. The true nature of the underground hot spring was finally revealed. Rather than a hot spring, it was more like a cloud of extremely hot water vapor. At least from here, only water vapor could be seen; the actual hot spring itself was likely still below.

The temperature here is no longer suitable for ordinary people. The entire cave is like a giant steamer; an ordinary person without protective gear would likely be cooked alive if they stayed for too long. The humidity is so high that it feels like drowning.

Stark peered over; his Jaeger could operate near the sun without a problem, so this was a piece of cake. Then he said, "This is a flue, and the hot springs are much deeper than we thought. This proves the volcano is also larger than we imagined."

“I can see that,” Schiller said, maintaining his misty appearance. “With such a complex underground cave system, the volcanic activity here must be very frequent. Shall we go down and take a look?”

“Since you’re already here,” Schiller said, “Steve, stand in my fog and I’ll take you down.”

Steve stepped forward, and Schiller enveloped him in gray mist. Stark went down first, and soon his voice came through: "It's deep here, hundreds of meters deep. There's nowhere to land below. I've set up a platform here; fly towards the red light."

Below them was even denser steam. They were now like venturing into a gas giant, surrounded by scorching gases, thankfully without deadly storms or pressure. They continued downwards, flying for over seventy meters, until finally, they saw a trail of red light.

Schiller led Steve to the platform, but the steam was so thick that they couldn't see anything. Stark had to project a 3D topographical map, then pointed down and said, "The real hot spring is down there, about 150 meters above the ground. The temperature is extremely high, so it's definitely not possible to soak in it directly."

“For mutants, drawing water isn’t difficult; it just requires some design,” Schiller said after a moment’s thought. “What about the others? Have they gotten in yet?”

“I already told you, that’s a long way for them. I reckon they’ll have to go around in circles to get here.” Stark pointed in a direction and then said, “There’s a cave entrance over there; they might come from there. Why don’t you go and meet them?”

Schiller glanced down; the cave entrance Stark was pointing to was very close to the hot spring. He shook his head and said, "Let's not go. The Gray Fog doesn't like hot places like this."

“Oh, the symbiote’s problem,” Stark said. “How does it move around near the sun?”

"He avoids being near the sun as much as possible. How should I put it, he's as close to the sun as a human is close to a ghost."

The analogy amused the other two. Ultimately, Stark still flew over to pick them up. But the others saw him as if they'd seen a ghost. Suddenly, a blue figure flew towards you from a thick cloud of steam; Captain America from the main universe almost threw his shield away.

“It’s me, it’s me!” Stark shouted.

"Good heavens," Captain America from the main universe said helplessly, "what are you doing here? Weren't you sick?"

“Steam therapy helps with recovery,” Stark spouted nonsense. “You’ve taken a roundabout route; there’s actually a direct path to the cave just a few dozen meters away on the ground.”

“Really?” Spider-Man asked. “I was thinking that such a winding route would be a bit troublesome to bring water to. It would be great if there was a direct route.”

No sooner had one Spider-Man finished speaking than another Spider-Man appeared: "That's right, I was just thinking about a solution. Going this way is indeed a bit difficult; I'm wondering if there's another way."

Stark was puzzled by his concern for the mutants' hot springs, but didn't say much. He guessed it was probably some kind of plan in the local universe, but it couldn't be a bad thing, so he didn't ask any further questions.

Then came all sorts of mutants; basically, anyone who could withstand the heat arrived, while those who couldn't were brought here under Polaris's protection. Everyone marveled at the magnificent sight, and then began to discuss how to build it.

Some people suggested building it right here, as long as a direct passage is created, much of the heat can dissipate. Adding some water or having someone adjust the temperature would also make it a decent place to soak.

However, most people support bringing the water upwards. Aside from the environment, the location is far too far from the ground; even a direct elevator would take ages to reach. Many mutants' abilities are also limited, preventing them from coming down directly, making it too inconvenient.

However, deciding where to divert the water was another problem. The others hadn't found a suitable place along the way; most were narrow, small caves requiring extensive renovation. But Stark quickly suggested that the sinkhole he'd encountered on his way there was a good option.

Don't be fooled by its depth of several tens of meters; this is actually an advantage, as it allows you to carve out rooms from the sinkhole walls. After soaking in the hot springs, running back to the royal court would be too far, so accommodation is necessary. You'll also get hungry while soaking, so a restaurant is needed. And after a relaxing soak, you might want a drink, so a bar would be a must. The closest place to the hot springs is the cliff face of the sinkhole.

His suggestion was approved by most people, and many envisioned the beautiful scene of the hot spring resort. However, that was a matter for later; first, they had to figure out how to bring the water up.

Using mutant abilities to gradually draw water is definitely not feasible; it would be best to establish a water diversion system that can operate stably. The Spider-Man from the local universe volunteered, saying he could go back and have Iron Man design it, which would be highly efficient and run smoothly.

The mutants neither confirmed nor denied it, but they had to admit that Iron Man's skill was indeed exceptional. It would be ideal if he could design it.

They conducted very detailed measurements here and quickly obtained the data. The local Spider-Man rushed back overnight, and the local Iron Man also worked through the night to draw up the drawings, finishing almost everything in one night.

After all, it wasn't anything particularly complex, and it wasn't difficult for Iron Man at all. The only challenge was ensuring its stable operation and preventing it from being affected by mutant abilities. But mutants were already restricted on the island. Finally, Iron Man assured him that the system he created wouldn't malfunction even if Magneto got drunk and acted out.

The mutants received the blueprints and, seeing that they were indeed effective and economical, happily began construction. Under Magneto's standardized procedures, although the number of participants decreased, efficiency remained high. For any missing materials, they could ask Hellfire Clique to make small-scale purchases, or simply send mutants to buy them. The local Iron Man thoughtfully considered the island's limited resources, using very few materials, and all were standard parts that could be bought anywhere. Thus, the hot spring resort was built in just two or three days.

Although the rooms on the cliff face are not yet fully completed, they are sufficient for current needs. The baths at the bottom of the sinkhole are exquisitely constructed, maintaining the natural style characteristic of Krakya. More like a large greenhouse than a bathhouse, there are both indoor baths with crystal domes and outdoor baths.

On the day of completion, the mutants held a small celebration, but they immediately began preparing a hot spring banquet. In addition to inviting all mutant factions, they also invited the Avengers from the central universe and the main universe. Most importantly, they invited the Avengers from the local universe, a gesture of goodwill.

In addition, they invited their friends from ordinary society, such as Black Panther from Wakanda and the Weather Witch from S.H.I.E.L.D., and even human scientists who were unable to leave the island. In short, everyone the mutants knew was there, making it destined to be a grand event on Clarkia Island.