Chapter 73 Professor X's Telepathic Call
All of Bruce Wayne's probing—
His suspicion.
His psychological pressure.
His attempts to regain initiative—
Had been neutralized completely by one simple concept:
Money.
Lynn did not care about Batman's identity.
Did not care about Bruce Wayne's trauma.
Did not care about Gotham's darkness.
In Lynn's eyes—
Bruce was simply a damaged "component" requiring repair.
And repairs required payment.
That completely emotionless transactional attitude left Bruce without any psychological leverage at all.
"I understand," Bruce finally said through slightly clenched teeth.
In practical terms—
He accepted Lynn's existence.
An uncontrollable ally.
A dangerous neutral party.
Someone who could neither be threatened nor manipulated emotionally.
Only cooperated with.
"Excellent."
Lynn nodded lightly.
He preferred intelligent patients.
Then he turned toward Alfred Pennyworth.
"Mr. Pennyworth, the patient is stable."
"My work here is complete."
"As for the consultation fee…"
A brief pause.
"I trust Wayne Enterprises' financial department understands efficiency."
Alfred finally allowed himself a visible expression of relief.
The elderly butler bowed deeply.
"The Wayne family will remember your assistance permanently, Dr. Lynn."
Lynn merely shrugged.
Memory held little value.
Numbers inside bank accounts mattered more.
…
The Wayne stealth aircraft carried him back toward New York silently.
By the time Lynn returned to Miracle Clinic—
It was already after midnight.
He didn't even bother turning on the lights.
Instead—
He sat comfortably behind the reception desk and opened several encrypted overseas accounts visible only through retinal verification.
A long series of newly added zeroes reflected faintly across the lenses of his gold-rimmed glasses.
For one of the rare times recently—
Lynn felt genuine satisfaction.
Money.
A nearly unbreakable mental fortress.
A powerful ally forced to obey transactional rules.
Perfect.
But just as he prepared to head downstairs and fully examine the changes brought by Iron Will · Fear Immunity—
Something abnormal occurred.
His newly strengthened mental defenses emitted a warning signal instantly.
A vast telepathic force touched the outer edge of his consciousness carefully.
Not violent.
Not invasive.
It resembled a cautious tide repeatedly knocking against an enormous steel gate.
[Warning!]
[Unknown High-Intensity Telepathic Connection Detected!]
[Iron Will · Fear Immunity Activating Defensive Countermeasures…]
Lynn's eyes narrowed slightly.
This psychic presence felt completely different from Loki's Mind Scepter.
Far purer.
Far stronger.
Yet—
There was no forceful intrusion attempt whatsoever.
Only polite contact.
Interesting.
Lynn leaned back slowly in the chair.
Then intentionally opened an almost microscopic gap within his mental defenses.
Instantly—
An aged and gentle voice echoed directly inside his consciousness.
"Forgive the intrusion, Dr. Lynn."
"I am Professor X."
"A friend of mine is dying."
"I require your assistance."
Charles Xavier.
The world's strongest telepath.
Lynn showed no visible emotional reaction to the famous name.
But internally—
Analysis of All Things had already begun rapid evaluation.
Mutants.
X-Men.
Potential benefits:
Countless abnormal abilities.
Extremely valuable treatment targets.
Exceptional biological diversity.
Potential risks:
Political conflict.
Government pressure.
Mutant discrimination issues.
Possible involvement with S.H.I.E.L.D., anti-mutant agencies, and Magneto simultaneously.
For someone currently prioritizing stable growth—
The mutant world resembled a massive vortex of trouble.
"Professor Xavier," Lynn replied telepathically through the tiny opening in his mental defenses.
His mental voice sounded colder than spoken speech.
Pure logic without emotional fluctuation.
"You could have visited my clinic physically."
"Instead, you chose direct psychic contact."
"That gives me reason to question your sincerity."
Inside the distant mental connection—
Charles Xavier paused briefly.
He had communicated telepathically with thousands of minds over decades.
Most people reacted with awe.
Fear.
Shock.
But Lynn's mind felt entirely different.
An enormous steel fortress frozen at absolute zero.
Charles's telepathy resembled ocean waves crashing harmlessly against an ancient glacier.
Even more concerning—
Lynn could respond through the psychic connection almost effortlessly.
"I apologize," Charles answered gently.
"The situation is extremely urgent."
"I had no better option."
"And…"
A slight pause.
"My students informed me your clinic does not accept ordinary appointments."
"So you decided to skip the queue?" Lynn replied dryly.
"Professor."
"My rules are simple."
"I do not perform charity work."
"Especially when mutants are involved."
"Your world attracts endless complications."
"And I'm merely a doctor attempting to operate a peaceful clinic."
The connection almost closed.
Then Charles spoke urgently.
"Please wait."
"You may be interested in this patient."
"His name is Logan."
Lynn's movement stopped immediately.
Logan.
Wolverine.
The name triggered immediate system-level interest.
Weapon X.
Adamantium skeleton.
And most importantly—
One of Marvel's greatest regenerative abilities.
Lynn's current healing factor originated from enhancements connected indirectly to The Punisher and Green Goblin physiology.
Strong.
Fast.
But still limited fundamentally.
Extreme catastrophic damage remained dangerous.
Wolverine's regeneration operated differently.
True cellular-level immortality.
A healing factor capable of regenerating from near-total destruction.
Even adamantium poisoning failed to kill him permanently in most comic continuities.
For the first time during the conversation—
Lynn became genuinely interested.
"Continue," he said calmly.