Lord of Cinder in American Comics

Chapter 326: Wolverine's Endgame

Ash once gave Wolverine an ember, the power remaining within the heart of the hero who linked the flame. Only those who possess the power of fire can see the markings within and summon the assistance of those drawn to it.

The embers that Ash personally crafted not only provide the user with unparalleled power, but also send Ash coordinates so that she can go there to assist.

Now, that ember has been crushed.

Ash arrived at the campfire at the Firelink Shrine, followed the embers to send out coordinates, and stepped directly into the void, heading towards another world.

Logan, the Wolverine, was currently clutching his head, enduring the pain brought on by Charles's mental storm.

Logan traveled back in time from 2014 to 1973 and changed the fate of mutants, but he never expected that mutants would face extinction.

Now it is 2029, and mutants around the world have been almost wiped out by genetically modified foods, forcing the X-Men to disband.

Over the years, with the combined efforts of various forces, genetically modified foods have been popularized in all aspects of life, replacing traditional foods. These genetically modified foods will infinitely weaken mutants, and they will eventually die for various other reasons.

Exhausted, Logan spent his days drinking, numbing himself with alcohol, and barely making ends meet as a driver.

He also had to live in seclusion on the Mexican border to care for Charles Xavier, who was suffering from illness. Who could imagine that Professor X, who originally possessed the world's most brilliant mind and could control all minds, would actually develop Alzheimer's disease?

At this moment, Charles was like an unruly child, needing to take medication all day and evading the endless pursuit of research institutions outside.

This kind of life has no end in sight; only death awaits everyone.

But peace is often shattered. A strange woman finds Wolverine and entrusts him with a girl named Laura, instructing him to take her to the "Garden of Eden" on the Canadian border. To Logan's surprise, Laura is actually an artificial mutant created by implanting his genes, and in the legendary Garden of Eden, there is a group of children in similar circumstances to Laura.

Left with no other choice, Logan embarked on a journey of escape with his child, Professor X Charles, and the ailing Caliban.

On the way to Las Vegas, Charles went berserk and out of control because he had not taken his medication.

Now, everyone around them is caught in Charles's mental storm, having their memories haphazardly examined by him.

Unable to withstand the strain, Caliban had already fainted, and the bleeding from his seven orifices indicated that he could not endure it for much longer.

Logan struggled to his feet, extended his steel claws from between his fingers, and fiercely dug them into the ground as he crawled toward Charles inside the car.

Logan was old now, and even his adamantium claws were no longer as neat as before, with one near his little finger even sticking out at an angle.

The pain caused Logan to groan in pain. His self-healing ability was gradually weakening, and his physical strength and power were not what they used to be.

Logan climbed into the car, trying to suppress the urge to explode in his head. He was the only one who could hold on; outside, all was already silent. In a little while, this place would probably become a dead zone.

Logan looked at Charles, whose eyes were rolling back, and placed his hand on Charles's neck. As long as he pinched the carotid artery to restrict blood flow, even Professor X Charles would fall into a coma due to insufficient blood supply to the brain.

"Logan!"

Charles suddenly regained his composure, the storm in his mind had subsided, and he calmly looked at Logan before him, uttering Logan's name.

Logan finally breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Charles return to normal.

“Charles, you should take your medication on time… Never mind, enjoy these few moments of lucidity you have…”

Logan put Charles back in his seat, sat in the driver's seat himself, took out a cigar box from under the seat, took out the last cigar inside, and put it in his mouth.

Logan extended his claws, which gradually turned red-hot, and brought the cigar to the claws, preparing to light it.

But in the end, Logan gave up, brought the cigar to his nose, took a deep breath, and put it back in its original box.

Charles looked at Logan, his weak voice trembling with gasps, and asked, "Logan, you've never explained how you heated Adamantium to plasma temperature..."

Logan said without turning his head, "That's my secret! It was just an adventure in a dream..."

"Really? Traveling through time and space, venturing alone into space to destroy satellites with missiles, battling vampires, falling into a reactor..."

Professor Charles X recounted Logan's experiences in another world in detail, and with each sentence he spoke, Logan's expression grew increasingly grim.

"Enough! Charles, you said you wouldn't pry into the memories in my brain!"

“I’m sorry, Logan. I was just confused and indiscriminately saw the memories of thousands of people around me…”

“This is a one-time exception... You need to take your medicine, Charles.”

Logan placed the Alzheimer's medication next to Charles and a glass of water in his hand.

Seeing Charles remain unmoved, Logan said, "You don't expect me to feed you when you're sober, do you?"

Charles looked at the medicine and water beside him, shook his head, picked up the water and took a sip.

"I'm sorry, Logan..."

Logan sighed at Charles's apology. He thought Charles was apologizing for the past and was about to say a few words of comfort when he didn't expect that he would be controlled by Charles.

Logan, whose body was being controlled, struggled and asked, "Charles, what do you want to do!"

"I'm sorry, Logan, perhaps in another world, these children still have hope..."

Charles, controlling Logan, removed an ornament hanging on the car's rearview mirror. In the center of that ornament, woven and sewn with colorful threads, was the ember that Ash had once given to Logan.

Logan cursed at Charles and was forced to hand over the embers inside the ornament to him.

“I’m sorry, Logan. Perhaps your friend can offer some hope. I’ll arrange everything…”

Charles apologized again, but was met with even harsher profanities from Logan.

Logan knew what it meant to have everything arranged: to use his still-clear mind to plant a seed of goodwill towards mutants in the consciousness of the newcomer.

It's even possible that Charles might abandon his past beliefs and be completely transformed into a mutant in the future.

Logan thought about the adventure from decades ago. Although the process was full of pain and destruction, the memories it brought were indelible. Ash, who always managed to arrange everything but always ran into trouble; Stark, the wealthy tycoon; and even Snow, the woman who always wanted to have something to do with him—all of these were beautiful memories of the past.

He originally thought that all of this was in the past, that the world had its own development and should not be interfered with, and that Logan was already able to calmly face death.

Once he had accomplished all this—sent the child to a shelter in Canada and then sent Charles away—he would find a grove of trees and quietly await his death.

But now, Charles is going to harm his friends in another world, even alter their consciousness, which Logan cannot accept.

But now, even though Charles is ill and weak, his brief periods of lucidity are enough to demonstrate his past prowess as the strongest mind controller.

At the same time, Charles kept Logan's mouth shut to prevent him from giving any warning to the visitors.

Charles crushed the embers in his hand, and a surge of power erupted from them, filling his body and transforming his previously weak physique into a full and powerful one.

And outside the car, a portal slowly opened.

Chapter 327: Overestimating One's Abilities

As soon as Ash stepped out of the portal, a peculiar mental force attempted to invade his mind and alter his memories and perceptions.

Following this spiritual force, Ash saw Charles in the car and a resentful Logan.

Seeing that Ash remained unmoved, Charles increased his power output. In Charles's view, even if Ash had special powers, killing ordinary people in the world would be a piece of cake for him, who possessed the most powerful brain. After suffering so many years of hardship, he was not afraid to face even the mutant god Apocalypse.

Charles unleashed all his power, infusing Ash with a new consciousness, taking the mutant children to another world, and then doing everything in his power to protect them.

Ash stood motionless in front of the portal, as if she were truly being controlled.

Tears welled in Logan's eyes, and he closed them in anguish. He didn't want to see his friend become Charles's puppet.

"This is your idea? Interesting..."

Under Charles's horrified gaze, Ash walked over and opened the driver's side door of the car as if she didn't feel anything.

Ash looked Logan up and down, then opened Logan's tightly closed eyelids and asked, "Logan, how come you look so much older?"

At this moment, Logan's originally black hair had turned brown and white, and his unkempt, bushy beard made him look even older.

Upon seeing Ash, Logan assumed that Ash had become the person Charles wanted her to be. Overwhelmed with pain and sorrow, he broke through Charles's blockade and whispered his apologies.

"I'm sorry, Ash. I should have buried that thing. I'm so sorry..."

The aged Logan, coupled with his belief that he had killed his friend, looked heartbreaking.

Ash snapped her fingers in front of Logan, trying to wake him up.

"Hey, don't be sad, I'm fine."

"How could you be alright! You couldn't even detect Charles's psychological transformation..."

Ash stepped aside, revealing Charles behind her, and said, "Don't cry, that little bit of power is useless against me. I'm very strong..."

"Very strong? You can't even beat the Vampire Ancient... You've definitely changed. You don't even recognize your own strength anymore. It's all that old guy's fault..."

Hearing this, Ash felt a little embarrassed. He had been too ruthless in the past, and Logan had no real understanding of his strength.

Logan fell into a deep sleep after the vampire incident, and when he woke up, he was sent back, never witnessing the subsequent escalation of events.

Ash released Logan from his control with a wave of his hand and turned his head toward Charles.

Ash said, "Take a good look at that old guy. He's no match for me. Besides, you're from the Civil War era. Who's the old guy here?"

At this moment, Charles was covered in cracks, and the power of fire flowed through his body. He was like a broken piece of porcelain, with the flames barely filling the cracks.

Charles's eyes had long been burned, leaving only a few glittering spots in his eye sockets.

Logan felt no sympathy for Charles's plight at this moment. He had turned against his own friend, and this predicament was entirely his own fault.

Logan looked at Ash, making sure he was alright.

Are you really alright?

Faced with Logan's concerns, Ash could only try to reassure him.

Ash said, "Don't worry, the moment he crushed the Ember, he started burning. The Ember was created based on your healing ability; he simply doesn't have that kind of power..."

To illustrate this power, Ash placed his hand on Charles, who instantly turned to ash. A strange gust of wind blew by, and Charles was completely gone, leaving not even ashes behind.

Only after Charles disappeared did Logan believe Ash's story. He beckoned Ash to get in the car and quickly drove away.

Despite losing Charles, Logan still planned to send the X-23, who was little Laura, inside the car to a shelter in Canada.

Ash pulled out a can of chilled beer and handed it to Logan, asking with some curiosity, "How come you look so much older? Does time fly here?"

Logan took the beer, saw the brand was Ash's, and instead of drinking it, he threw it behind the vehicle, where it hit Caliban.

Caliban, who was in pain, was woken up by the blow. Feeling the coolness, he opened a beer and slowly sipped it.

Caliban did not interrupt the conversation between the two men in the front of the vehicle. While he was being affected by Charles's mental storm, he clearly felt the gap between Ash and Charles.

As the Death Knight of Apocalypse, Caliban had experienced the power of the mutant god Apocalypse, but compared to Ash, it was like a firefly's glow.

It's unclear how Logan made such a friend, but Caliban knew the importance of keeping quiet.

Logan said, "I went back in time and prevented the creation of the Sentinel robots. Then I lived in this world for fifteen years, during which time almost all the mutants died out..."