It was hardly fair to blame Toad for his rage; he actually trusted Reef immensely. The reason was that the first time, Reef had absolutely no obligation to save him, yet against all common sense, Reef had actively rushed in to do so. So, the second time, the thoroughly reassured Toad had boldly attacked, only to be betrayed at that very moment! It was like a man who found a million in lost cash and returned it to the owner, but then borrowed a hundred thousand and never paid it back. Toad's fury wasn't about his injuries; it was likely the realization that the one person he’d finally trusted had brutally deceived him... that agonizing, bloody feeling of being hurt after daring to trust someone!

By now, the battle was essentially winding down. The Green Hulk's eyes were completely blinded, and he had fled into the sea, his fate unknown. Among the Fantastic Four, The Thing (Grimm) was captured and likely destined to revert to a normal human. The remaining leader, Mr. Fantastic (Reed), was firmly locked down by two Vampire Counts.

The Vampire Counts, having learned from the demise of the one who was killed, were exceedingly cautious, adhering to the principle of 'no merit sought, but no fault committed' while grappling with him. Adding to Reed's misery was a horde of fanatical Blood Servants relentlessly bombarding him with weapons—it was truly agonizing.

One Vampire Count in particular seemed exceptionally experienced. Wielding a Corrupted Communion Knife, he consistently aimed for the little finger, the heel, or the back when striking, seeking only to break the skin and draw blood. This accumulation of curse damage layered upon Reed's skin, much like psoriasis or vitiligo, inflicted damage that was surprisingly severe.

Fang Senyan and his group certainly coveted the formidable power of this fallen sacred artifact. However, after scanning it, they discovered that this corrupted holy relic could either only be wielded by vampires or, after being purified by a Great Power, by a devout Paladin. It was utterly out of reach for Fang Senyan and his allies, so they abandoned any thought of double-crossing.

Yet, Fang Senyan and the others had underestimated the capabilities of the Fantastic Four's leader. After leaving behind a bloody, rubbery arm, Reed screamed and fled into the submarine, then detonated the explosives before the others could close in. Clearly, Reed must have had a contingency plan, which explained his seemingly 'suicidal' action. Staring at the dark, churning ocean, no one truly dared to pursue recklessly.

After this battle, Fang Senyan's group suffered a dip in morale due to the death of one Vampire Count and Toad's severe injuries. But upon returning to the rendezvous point, they realized their group's casualties were relatively light. The team led by Magneto had suffered the heaviest losses, losing seven mutants outright, including two of Professor X’s prized pupils: Pyro and Iceman.

Logically, Pyro and Iceman were young and should not have been deployed, but Magneto admired Pyro's potential and brought him along. Unexpectedly, Pyro engaged the Human Torch from the Fantastic Four, who countered fire with fire and reduced Pyro to ashes. Iceman, seeing Pyro killed, instantly went berserk and charged forward first, thus becoming cannon fodder... Magneto had intended to recognize their talents by bringing them, but instead, he had inadvertently caused their doom! He felt utterly disgraced and was about to lose control, but the opponent Magneto faced was a powerhouse no weaker than himself: Batman! Furthermore, Magneto's abilities were heavily constrained by the environment; in a place like a scrap metal factory, he was a god, but in areas lacking metal or where metal was scarce, he was trash. Consequently, Magneto's team not only sustained the most casualties but also failed their mission. It was the contingent led by the other major figure, Prince Dracula, that successfully completed the mission, though they still lost three Counts. Their opponents were characters like Deadpool, Blade, and Ghost Rider; the clash resulted in both sides being severely wounded.

After this engagement, both sides felt immense pressure. Upon learning the casualty list, Doctor Charles closed his eyes in pain. After a long moment, he stated firmly, "No, I think we can negotiate with them. Aren't our airships designed to build at least many more? Why can't we cooperate?" Hearing Doctor Charles's words, Prince Dracula suddenly spoke up, "Doctor, your idea is excellent, but regrettably, it is impractical." Doctor Charles looked stunned. "Why?" Prince Dracula sighed, "In fact, I learned about the events of the World's End approximately two years ago. In Europe, a group of people abandoned by their governments formed an organization called 'Survival,' and they also began implementing methods to adapt to the apocalypse." Doctor Charles frowned. "Then why didn't you join at that time?" Prince Dracula replied slowly, "I would have liked to join with my own descendants, but regretfully, the Survival organization is led by Countess Bathory, who is also a princess. Moreover, many of her philosophies—such as bathing in blood and constructing the Iron Maiden (this device is incredibly bloody and violent; imagine a suit of plate armor whose interior is lined with numerous hollow spikes. The victim is shoved inside, the plates sealed, and the hollow spikes pierce the victim's body, allowing blood to stream out through the spike openings)—are objectionable." "If I were to join, I would have to abandon our principle of remaining hidden among humanity and never harming human life, embracing slaughter as pleasure, and becoming their slaves! This is absolutely unacceptable; even death would not force us to yield." Doctor Charles frowned. "We can simply exclude the Survival organization from the potential partners we negotiate with." Doctor Octopus and Magneto also sighed and shook their heads simultaneously. "Charles, at this juncture, cooperation seems nearly impossible. Think about it: the other organizations have likely been preparing for the apocalypse for a long time. Trying to persuade them to switch from plans they've spent months or years meticulously preparing to our hastily assembled scheme—even if the leaders are convinced, everyone else will believe you used your psychic powers to control them." Charles froze. Fang Senyan cut to the chase, "Professor, what is the justification you offer for why your plan is superior to theirs?" Professor Charles considered this, then said earnestly, "It's because we possess the intelligence you provided, which details the exact nature of the disasters accompanying the 2012 apocalypse! This allows for targeted preparations." "GOOD." Fang Senyan looked into Charles's eyes, "Professor, you believe my words because you can see the most tangible evidence within my mind! Magneto believes me because he knows your character and integrity! Doctor Octopus believes you because he... had no choice, oh no, because he is as upright as you are... Doctor Dracula (this is Dracula’s quirk; he prefers to be called Doctor) believes me because the Cullen family also possesses vampires capable of mind-reading, like the potentially limitless Edward Cullen (can the protagonist’s potential be weak?)." At this point, Fang Senyan continued slowly, "But why should anyone else trust me? Every ark currently being built by the other factions might hold the hopes of countless people, and in a sense, they determine the immense power wielded by the future rulers of Earth after the catastrophe!!" "Professor, if you step forward to persuade the other factions to cooperate, at this critical juncture of life and death, they will only speculate negatively. They will assume you are leveraging your unique, overwhelming superpower to seize authority and resources, never considering genuine cooperation." Professor Charles covered his face with both hands, finally sighing out in painful exhaustion, "Yes, I understand. You are right." Fang Senyan nodded, looking at him seriously. "Mr. Charles Francis Xavier, within a two-kilometer radius centered on this conference room live many unarmed humans. They have no power to resist; perhaps they mean nothing to others, but they are our family, friends, and lovers—the greatest motivation for us to survive and strive in this world." "And surrounding these humans are the factories manufacturing the escape vehicles for when the world ends! Now, these two most precious assets should be, and must be, under your surveillance! The war has begun, and the enemy's retaliation could arrive at any moment. Any hesitation or mercy could mean the murder of our family, of our very lives!" Professor Charles took a deep breath. He felt everyone in the room watching him, a gaze so heavy it could crush an ordinary person, but Charles couldn't look away because his lover and children resided here too! "I understand," Professor Charles’s expression suddenly turned cold. Jean flinched, instantly realizing the Professor had self-hypnotized and entered his second persona—the cold persona that discarded mercy and sorrow! It is worth mentioning that this very alter ego eliminated Charles's own twin brother while he was still a fetus, forcing the twin to flee as a spiritual entity. Professor Charles then coldly stated, "Workers Mark, Samst, Vidor, and Casly in Workshop Number Three have a 45% probability of being spies. Recommendation: execution. In Workshop Number Six, Hark, Bobby, and Tony attempted to steal classified documents. For security reasons, execution is recommended." Then, Professor Charles turned to Prince Dracula. "Doctor Octopus requests the kidnapping of the following researchers. Please dispatch personnel to carry out this work. After kidnapping, bring them to my room; I will brainwash them. If there is nothing else, the meeting is adjourned." (To be continued)