American comics: I am full of martial virtues and I love to be kind to others.

“I can do it,” Lynn assured him. “The FBI won’t leak your information.”

“Third,” Wolverine looked at the villagers who were watching warily in the distance, “tell them to put down their guns. If we’re going to cooperate, I don’t want to keep worrying about bullets coming from behind.”

“I’ll handle it,” Lynn said.

Wolverine nodded. "Then we have an agreement. But let's be clear first: if that thing is too dangerous, I'll handle it my way."

“As long as it doesn’t cause unnecessary casualties, I can accept it,” Lynn said.

They headed towards the snowmobiles. The villagers, seeing Wolverine approaching, immediately tensed up and raised their weapons—even though most of their guns were already destroyed.

“Relax,” Lynn said loudly. “He’s not the enemy. In fact, he’ll help us find the real attacker.”

“Are you crazy?” Tom questioned. “He has those claws, and that speed—”

“That’s precisely why he’s the perfect ally,” Lynn said. “And if he really wanted to hurt you, you would be dead already. He’s been restraining himself.”

John carefully observed Wolverine, then said, "The old folks have told stories about warriors who can survive alone in the wilderness, about hunters who can fight alongside wild animals. Maybe...maybe you're one of those legendary figures."

Wolverine glanced at John, seemingly surprised by this recognition. "I'm not some legendary figure. I'm just someone who wants a quiet life."

“But you’re willing to help us,” John said, “that’s enough.”

The tense atmosphere eased slightly. Although the villagers remained wary of Wolverine, they no longer considered him an immediate threat.

“Now we need to make a plan,” Lynn said. “Logan, you said the scent is in the cliff area to the north. We need to search there.”

"Now?" Tom asked. "The sun has just risen, and the temperature is still twenty degrees below zero."

“The sooner the better,” Wolverine said. “Tracking is easier in warm weather—the scent is more active. And if there were a blizzard today, all the tracks would be covered.”

“He’s right,” Lynn agreed. “Sarah, you and I will go with Logan. Tom, you and the others go back to the village and tell the villagers not to go out alone for the time being.”

"There are only three of you?" John said worriedly. "That thing is dangerous."

“That’s why we need to keep the squad size,” Lynn explained. “More people make too much noise, and in dangerous terrain, squads are easier to coordinate. And,” he looked at Wolverine, “we have Logan.”

Wolverine scoffed. "Don't expect me to be a babysitter."

“Nothing is needed,” Lynn smiled. “All I need is your tracking skills and those claws.”

They made some simple preparations. Lynn and Sarah checked their weapons and ammunition, and also brought some basic mountaineering equipment—ropes, ice axes, and first-aid kits. Wolverine didn't need any equipment; he simply stood there, patiently waiting.

"Don't you need a winter coat?" Sarah asked, noticing that Wolverine was dressed relatively lightly.

“The healing factor,” Wolverine said briefly, “My body can adapt to extreme temperatures.”

“A convenient feature,” Sarah commented.

“Sometimes,” Wolverine said, a hint of bitterness in his voice.

Once everything was ready, the three began their journey north. Wolverine led the way, stopping periodically like a hunting dog to sniff the air and examine the tracks on the ground. Lynn and Sarah followed behind, remaining vigilant.

The terrain became increasingly rugged. The flat snowfield gradually turned into rolling hills, and then into rocky mountains. The wind grew stronger, and the swirling snowflakes obscured the view.

“Here,” Wolverine stopped on a rocky outcrop, crouched down to examine the ground, “there are footprints, very fresh.”

Lynn went over to look. There was indeed a huge footprint, matching the one in the case file—about fourteen inches long, resembling both a human foot and a claw.

“This is what the attackers left behind,” Lynn confirmed.

“The scent matches up,” Wolverine said, his nose twitching. “It’s the same scent I smelled before. Very fresh, probably less than an hour old.”

“Is it nearby?” Sarah looked around warily, her hand on her gun.

“Perhaps,” Wolverine said, “but this scent is strange. Sometimes it’s strong, and sometimes it disappears suddenly, as if it can hide its presence.”

"Some kind of disguise ability?" Lynn guessed.

“Perhaps,” Wolverine said, “or perhaps it knows how to use the terrain and wind to conceal its tracks. Either way, we need to be careful.”

They continued on, following the footprints and the scents. The path wound its way through crevices in the rocks, along steep slopes, and finally came to the edge of a cliff.

Below lay the surging ocean, waves crashing against the cold rocks. The cliffs were riddled with caves and fissures, their dark entrances like gaping mouths.

“Somewhere in here,” Wolverine said, “I can smell it, a very strong scent.”

“Then let’s go in,” Lynn decided.

“Wait,” Wolverine raised his hand, “did you hear that?”

Lynn and Sarah held their breath and listened intently. At first, they could only hear the wind and the sound of waves, but gradually, they heard another sound—a low, breathing-like sound coming from the nearest cave.

“It’s inside,” Wolverine whispered, “and it knows we’re here.”

No sooner had the words left his mouth than a huge figure burst out of the cave.

It was a large creature, at least seven feet tall, with a body covered in thick white fur and huge claws on its hands and feet. Its face resembled both a human and some kind of wild beast, and its eyes emitted a ghostly blue light.

It let out a deafening roar that echoed between the cliffs.

"Back off!" Wolverine roared, his claws instantly springing from his fists as he assumed a fighting stance. The creature didn't hesitate and pounced directly at them.

The creature was incredibly fast, covering a distance of over ten meters in almost an instant. Its claws lashed out at Wolverine, leaving a cold, flashing line in the air.

Wolverine rolled to the side, dodging the first blow. His claws struck the spot where he had just stood, leaving five deep furrows in the hard, frozen ground, sending shards of ice flying.

“Damn, this guy’s strong,” Wolverine growled, quickly rising to his feet to retaliate. His adamantium claws clashed with the creature’s, producing a piercing metallic scraping sound. Sparks flew between them; although the creature’s claws weren’t metal, their hardness was astonishing, and they weren’t easily severed by Wolverine’s claws.

Lynn and Sarah immediately drew their guns, but quickly realized that firing in such rapid close combat was too dangerous and could accidentally injure Wolverine. They spread out and tried to flank him from the side.

Sensing their movement, the creature suddenly changed direction and pounced on Sarah. Its speed was astonishing; Sarah barely managed to dodge, but the creature's claws still grazed her bulletproof vest, leaving five deep scratches. If it weren't for the bulletproof vest, that blow would have been enough to disembowel her.

“Sarah!” Lynn shouted, firing repeatedly. The bullets struck the creature's back, but seemed to cause little damage. The creature's thick fur and skin acted like natural armor, the bullets merely embedding themselves within it without penetrating to any vital organs.

The creature turned to face Lynn, unleashing a deafening roar. The sound was not only loud but also carried a primal, oppressive force that instinctively instilled fear. Lynn felt his heart race and his palms begin to sweat, but he forced himself to remain calm and continued firing.

Just as the creature was about to charge at Lynn, Wolverine leaped onto it from behind. His claws dug into the creature's shoulder, attempting to subdue it. The creature howled in pain, shaking its body frantically, trying to shake off Wolverine.

"Hold on tight!" Wolverine gritted his teeth and persevered, but the creature's strength was too great. It suddenly leaned backward, slamming its back heavily against the rock wall behind it. Wolverine was trapped between the creature and the rock wall, and the enormous impact forced him to let go.

Taking advantage of the moment, the creature grabbed Wolverine's leg with its claws and flung him away like a rag doll. Wolverine's body tumbled through the air and crashed heavily onto the snow several meters away.

“Logan!” Sarah shouted.

Wolverine got up from the snow and shook his head. "I'm fine. This little injury is nothing to me." Indeed, the wound on his shoulder had begun to heal, and the bleeding had stopped.

The creature didn't pursue Wolverine; instead, it turned to face Lynn and Sarah. It stood there, its chest heaving, its deep blue eyes fixed on them, but strangely, the look in its eyes wasn't pure killing intent, but rather some kind of warning?

“Wait,” Lynn suddenly said, raising his hand to signal Sarah to stop firing, “it doesn’t want to kill us.”

"What?" Sarah asked, bewildered. "It almost ripped me open!"

“But it didn’t,” Lynn observed the creature. “Did you notice? Each of its attacks wasn’t fatal. It was driving us away, not killing us.”

Wolverine stopped attacking, frowning. "You're right. When I stabbed it, it could have attacked my head or throat directly with its claws, but it chose to grab my leg."

The creature seemed to sense that they had stopped attacking. It took a few steps back, still maintaining a defensive posture, and growled softly, as if warning them not to come closer.

“What is it protecting?” Lynn said. “It doesn’t want us to get close to that cave.”

Just then, a strange sound came from deep within the cave—a high-pitched sound, like a baby crying.

Upon hearing the sound, the creature immediately became more tense, its body taut, ready to fight at any moment.

“Oh my God,” Sarah whispered, “it has children.”

Suddenly everything became clear. The creature attacked the people not out of malice or bloodlust, but out of a maternal instinct for protection. The villagers' activities were drawing ever closer to its nest, threatening its young, so it had no choice but to attack, attempting to drive the humans away from the area.

“We’re not here to harm your child,” Lynn said slowly, though he wasn’t sure if the creature could understand human language. “We just want to understand the situation.”

The creature's eyes darted between Lynn, Sarah, and Wolverine, seemingly assessing their threat level. Its growls subsided, but it remained vigilant.

“We need to convince it that we are not a threat,” Wolverine said. “But how?”

“Let it see our sincerity,” Lynn said, then slowly placed the gun on the ground and raised his hands. “See, no weapon.”

Sarah hesitated for a moment, but did as she was told. Wolverine retracted his claws and spread his arms to indicate that he meant no harm.

The creature stared at them for a long time, its deep blue eyes flashing with complex emotions—fear, anger, protectiveness, and a hint of hesitation.

“I know you understand us,” Lynn continued, his tone gentle. “You’re not just any beast, are you? You have wisdom, you can judge. We are not your enemies.”

The creature slowly took a step back, then another. Its posture relaxed slightly, but it remained alert.

Suddenly, an even smaller figure peeked out of the cave. It was a cub, only about a quarter the size of an adult, covered in light-colored fur, with large, curious eyes. It cried out in a childish voice, seemingly looking for its mother.

The adult creature immediately turned and responded to the cub with a gentle hum, signaling it to return to the burrow. But the cub seemed disobedient, instead coming out and looking curiously at these unfamiliar visitors.

“Oh my god, it’s too small,” Sarah said softly.

The cub toddled toward its mother, who gently cradled it in her large hand, protectively shielding it from the human. This gesture evokes the instinctive reaction of all mothers protecting their offspring—maternal love is universal, whether in humans or wild animals.

“There might be more than one,” Wolverine’s nose twitched. “I smell at least two or three cubs.”

“So that’s why it attacks people,” Lynn said, “not for food, not for territory, but to protect its offspring.”

“Those who were attacked may have inadvertently approached this area,” Sarah reasoned, “and it perceived them as a threat.”

“And it never killed anyone,” Lynn added. “It just hurt them, frightened them, and forced them away. It was a defensive attack, not a predatory one.”

The mother animal remained tightly protective of her cubs, her eyes still filled with unwavering vigilance. But Lynn noticed that her posture had shifted from aggressive to defensive. She was unlikely to attack unless they threatened the cubs.

“What should we do?” Sarah asked. “We can’t kill it, but we can’t let it keep attacking the villagers.”

“We need to find a balance,” Lynn said, “so that both the village and the villagers can live safely.”

“But first, we need to figure out what it is,” Wolverine said. “This isn’t an ordinary wild animal, nor does it resemble any mutant I’ve ever seen.” (End of Chapter)