Chapter 233: Metal Statues Strike Back

"Get out of here!"

Under the relentless barrage of lightning strikes, the command vehicle had completely malfunctioned and was on the verge of collapse. Sitwell and Crossbones made the decisive choice to jump out.

Normally, a vehicle’s metal shell and insulated rubber tires protect its occupants from lightning, as long as they don’t touch any exposed metal inside. However, the high energy of the lightning still inflicts physical damage, such as scorching the exterior and damaging the engine.

George concentrated all the descending lightning on the armed helicopters, tanks, and vehicles. Each target endured multiple simultaneous lightning strikes, relentlessly and without pause.

If they didn’t escape in time, the destruction of their vehicles would mean certain death.

Similarly, Hydra’s elite soldiers recognized the danger. Those in tanks and cars quickly abandoned their vehicles to take cover, while those in helicopters parachuted out in a desperate bid for survival.

"Parachuting will only get you killed faster," George said coldly.

With a slight adjustment of his wand, the lightning bolts targeting the helicopters redirected toward the parachuting Hydra soldiers.

By the time those soldiers reached the ground, they had been reduced to charred remains.

"Truly ruthless," Coulson murmured to himself as he watched the Hydra soldiers perish.

It wasn’t out of sympathy for them—S.H.I.E.L.D. agents like him rarely harbor such feelings for enemies. However, he couldn’t help but notice the stark difference between George’s Superhuman Academy and the X-Men led by Professor X, who seldom killed their adversaries. George’s approach was undeniably more ruthless.

"If possible, I hope I never have to face this guy as an enemy. He’s terrifying."

"Retreat! Fall back now!"

After escaping the command vehicle, Sitwell immediately ordered a retreat via radio and began fleeing with Crossbones toward an area outside the storm clouds’ reach.

Under the relentless lightning strikes, continuing the fight was futile. Even if Hydra soldiers were willing to risk their lives, they couldn’t locate their enemy’s position.

For now, they could only retreat and wait for reinforcements equipped with insulated combat suits to resume their plan.

"Professor."

George turned to Professor X, who placed a hand on his shoulder. Together, they extended their psychic powers beyond the school’s boundaries.

Although Hydra soldiers carried devices to block psychic interference, George’s intention wasn’t to control them but to locate their positions.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

George adjusted his attacks, and lightning began raining down on the retreating Hydra soldiers.

Despite their frantic attempts to escape, none could outrun the speed of lightning. One by one, they fell before reaching the edge of the storm’s coverage.

These Hydra soldiers, though physically superior to ordinary humans, were no match for George’s relentless strikes. Even Asgardian warriors trembled under his lightning. For these soldiers, it took only two or three bolts to completely stop their hearts.

While wide-range magical attacks might not be effective against powerful individuals, they were devastating against ordinary soldiers.

That said, not all Hydra troops were struck down. Some, including Sitwell, Crossbones, and the Winter Soldiers enhanced to rival Captain America, managed to escape the storm clouds.

Their survival was mainly due to George’s deliberate decision to capture them alive. Otherwise, a concentrated barrage of hundreds of lightning bolts would have felled even the Winter Soldiers.

"Go!"

Lowering his wand and ceasing the ancient magic, George turned his attention to the metal statues standing around the school.

Instantly, the previously lifeless statues opened their eyes and let out strange roars before sprinting out of the school grounds.

Their mission: capture the remaining Hydra soldiers who had fled.

George found the Mimicry Transfiguration spell to be intriguingly abstract. Unlike simple enchantments that imbued lifeless objects with intelligence, this spell also granted them unique abilities based on George’s own imagination.

For instance, when George cast the spell on a dragon-shaped statue, it gained the ability to flap its wings and breathe fire, despite the sheer weight of its metal frame.

If he could fully master this spell, he might one day unlock the potential of every statue, granting abilities he envisioned, such as charm for a nine-tailed fox, rebirth for a phoenix, or soul consumption for a three-headed hellhound.

Even Morgana’s mage, Sun Long, had touched upon this concept, transforming ordinary cloth dragons into true fire-breathing creatures.

"These statues are alive?"

Coulson and his team were shocked as they watched the metal statues spring to life and charge into battle.

When they had first entered the school, they noticed the towering four-to-five-meter-tall statues, but they hadn’t imagined they were actual combatants under George’s command.

Faced with these massive statues, the Hydra soldiers stood no chance.

If the statues were solid metal, each would weigh at least a hundred tons. In close combat, even the enhanced Winter Soldiers would be crushed.

Ordinary firearms couldn’t even dent them; only Hydra’s advanced energy weapons might cause minimal damage.

However, George had crafted these statues from highly durable alloys, making them resistant even to energy weapons. Unless completely destroyed, they would continue fighting.

Before long, Sitwell, Crossbones, and the Winter Soldiers were captured by the statues and brought to the school’s central plaza, bruised and battered.

"Next time, I should get some vibranium from Wakanda to make the statues. That’ll make them truly indestructible," George mused as he noticed small dents on the statues caused by energy blasts.

While regular energy weapons were ineffective, high-powered energy cannons could still leave marks. Vibranium, however, would solve that problem entirely.