"Who the hell are you?"
Pierce lay on the ground, looking up at Ethan, who had just sent him flying. This young man, whom he had completely ignored before, turned out to be an even more terrifying existence than Logan.
"A mutant? Impossible. There can't be any other mutants in this world."
Before Ethan could answer, Logan stepped on Pierce's injured foot, pressing down harder. "Thanks a lot for your hard work. You almost got us killed."
Then, bending down, he grabbed Pierce by the collar and lifted him off the ground. Logan had no sympathy for the man who had slaughtered all his comrades, let alone the patience to talk to him politely.
"Now, you're going to tell us everything you know."
Pierce smirked mockingly, as if Logan had just said something utterly ridiculous.
"And then what? Kill me?" Though Logan had him by the collar, Pierce's hands were still free. He raised a hand and casually waved his fingers. "If you're going to kill me anyway, why should I tell you anything?"
Seeing his smug expression, Logan's eyes darkened. Holding Pierce in place with his left hand, the metal claws on his right hand extended, stopping just short of Pierce's forehead.
"Because otherwise, you'll get to experience exactly what it feels like to have your brain pierced."
"Please."
Pierce acted as if he didn't care, but Ethan was getting impatient.
When he had watched the movie, he had hated this guy. But Pierce had been like an unkillable cockroach, always managing to escape until the very end.
Now that he had him in his hands, there was no way he'd let him get another chance to slip away. Stepping forward, Ethan carefully examined the man before him.
His appearance was unremarkable. His physique was average. The only distinctive thing about him was his mechanical prosthetic, but even that wasn't particularly rare in this era.
"Who are you?"
"Ethan... just a passerby who doesn't like the sight of you."
To this world, to Pierce and his people, Ethan was indeed just a passerby. But this passerby didn't like them and he was strong enough to do something about it. That was why Pierce and his men were doomed.
Pierce didn't believe him. He was convinced the other man was just toying with him.
"Maybe you think keeping your mouth shut is a good idea," Ethan said, his voice calm, "but you should understand—sometimes, dying is a mercy."
Pierce sneered. "What, are you going to torture me? Superhero Wolverine... and this nobody from who-knows-where?"
Ethan smiled. It was a bright, cheerful smile. "I really admire people like you, the ones who have no idea how screwed they are."
He gestured for Logan to release Pierce's collar. The man's legs were severely injured; he couldn't even stand properly, let alone run away.
"First off, let me make something clear, I'm not a mutant."
A flicker of uncertainty crossed Pierce's face, but he remained silent, waiting for Ethan to continue.
"I'm a magician."
Seeing Pierce's skepticism, Ethan chuckled. "Don't laugh, and don't assume I'm lying. I'm exactly the kind of magician you're thinking of."
Ethan wasn't just introducing himself to Pierce, he was also taking the opportunity to let Logan know more about him. The two had grown somewhat familiar with each other over time, but they hadn't had a chance for a proper introduction. Now was as good a time as any.
"I'm not from this world. I just happened to pass through on my travels. And while I was here, I stumbled upon what you were up to. I didn't like what I saw, so I decided to intervene—just a little."
Pierce still looked confused, unable to make sense of Ethan's words.
"But that's not the point," Ethan continued, his smile warm and pleasant—at least, in his own mind. "I've been to many strange places and met many people with unique abilities, including a priest of Rathma."
Pierce furrowed his brows.
"You probably don't know what a Rathma priest is. Simply put, they're exceptionally skilled at communicating with death. They can raise corpses, turning them into skeletons and other undead servants. They're masters of curses, poisons, and soul-related magic."
Pierce was a smart man. He was beginning to understand what Ethan was implying.
"Oh, and in that world," Ethan added with a casual tone, "the common folk have another name for Rathma priests, they call them necromancers."
Pierce's face twisted in unease.
Ethan, however, wasn't done. "I got along quite well with that priest, and I picked up a few tricks from him, not too much, just the basics. For example, I learned how to extract a person's soul entirely from their body and keep it... 'safely' stored."
A strange light flickered in Ethan's hand. It was like a mix of smoke and flame, a pale white mist that gave off an unsettling aura. Logan instinctively felt uncomfortable. If he weren't sure that Ethan wasn't a threat to him, he might have backed away.
Pierce, unable to move due to his injuries, could only stare at Ethan's hand in horror. He wanted to run, but he couldn't. And Ethan kept speaking, his words getting more terrifying by the second.
"I'll take very, very good care of your soul. I'll make sure it never fades away or disappears."
Only an idiot would believe that was meant kindly.
Pierce wasn't afraid of death. But the thought of being controlled even after death, of being tormented for eternity that terrified him. His instincts screamed that Ethan wasn't bluffing, that everything he said was the truth.
Just as Ethan's right hand moved to touch his face, Pierce finally broke.
"I'll talk! What do you want to know? I'll tell you everything!"
Sweat drenched his shirt. He felt as if he had just been pulled out of a river. In all his years, he had never been as terrified as he was today. He didn't even dare to look at Ethan anymore. Instead, he turned to Logan, speaking directly to him, as if even one more glance at Ethan would be enough to doom his soul.
"He's all yours."
Ethan withdrew his hand, the eerie glow vanishing. With a casual flick of his wrist, the magic suit on his body shifted back into ordinary clothes. Without another word, he turned and walked back into the house.
He didn't care what information Pierce had to offer. As long as Logan got what he needed, that was enough. The next step of the plan would be led by Logan, a local of this world. Ethan would simply provide some additional firepower.
Back inside, he found two pairs of eyes staring at him, one wide with curiosity, the other filled with fear, awe, and uncertainty.
Compared to Laura's open curiosity, Gabriela's expression was much more complex.
Ethan turned his head slightly, glancing at the security camera in the corner. They must have seen the entire fight. But then he noticed something odd, Gabriela was making the sign of the cross at him.
...Does she think I'm some kind of demon?
Well, considering the silent footage she had just watched, it wasn't surprising. She had no idea he had introduced himself as a mage.
Too lazy to explain further, Ethan simply told Gabriela that once they eliminated the pursuing soldiers, he and Logan would take turns attacking the enemy's base. That genetic research facility would be completely destroyed by him. During that time, while no one was paying attention, Gabriela should take the money and quickly find a secluded place to live.
Gabriela understood that this was the best choice for her. Although she didn't have much money, it was enough for her to start a new life somewhere remote.
As for Laura, though Gabriela was reluctant to part with her, she knew they were from completely different worlds. Staying together would only bring endless trouble. At the very least, after witnessing what had just happened, she was certain Laura would be safe here.
"Thank you both!"
"You're welcome."
Before, no matter how many times Ethan had tried to reason with her, it had been useless. But now, after seeing just a glimpse of his strength, Gabriela had to admit that he had been right all along. She finally understood, if she had tried to run as she had planned, they never would have escaped these pursuers.
As Gabriela started packing her things, Logan returned to the house. Donald Pierce was nowhere to be seen.
"Did you get everything you needed?"
"Yeah."
If they had only needed the location of the research facility, Gabriela could have told them, or they might have even been able to find it online. The research center was officially registered under the guise of cancer research, so its public address was easy to locate.
However, capturing Pierce allowed them to extract far more precise and in-depth intelligence.
For example, what secret facilities did the research center have? How could they gain access? What escape routes were available? Who were the key personnel? And did they have any other security measures besides conventional weapons?
The interrogation had yielded significant results. Not only had they confirmed basic information, but Logan had also learned something that made his blood boil.
The next-generation Weapon X project had already borne fruit. The enemy had successfully created a clone of him, one with nearly identical abilities. The only notable difference was a slightly weaker healing factor, which sometimes required the use of drugs. However, in terms of raw strength and endurance, this clone surpassed Logan in his current state—of course, they had no idea that he had recovered.
This clone's codename was X-24, and he was considered the most successful creation yet. As the mastermind behind it all, Dr. Rice planned to use this prized creation to secure even greater benefits and power.
And once Dr. Rice achieved his goal, Wolverine and Professor Xavier, the last remaining mutants would lose what little value they had left and face complete annihilation.
Logan clenched his fists, his eyes burning with rage.
"I'll kill them first!"
(To be continued.)
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