chapter 3

"Battle detected, drop reward: Super Self-healing Factor (Wolverine)!"

Endless listened to the echoing voice in his head, his expression momentarily stunned before joy sparked in his eyes. He was well-acquainted with the sound of the alert; this was an ability he had accidentally gained. By observing the battle of a specific target, he could pick up the rewards dropped by them on the spot.

The first time he discovered this ability was during an underground black boxing match. Out of sheer necessity, he acquired his opponent's fighting skills and won decisively, avoiding suspicion.

Now, after witnessing Wolverine's Super Self-healing Factor, Endless felt a surge of excitement. This was the most useful ability he had encountered in months. To be precise, Wolverine was the first person with extraordinary powers Endless had come across in years. The Super Self-healing Factor was invaluable—it accelerated the body's natural recovery to an almost superhuman speed, making it necessary to completely destroy the body to stop the healing process. Wolverine's nearly two centuries of life were largely due to this factor, which also slowed aging.

For Endless, obtaining this self-healing factor, combined with his youthful body, provided him with a crucial advantage in such a dangerous world.

A HUD-like interface appeared before him, showing his current abilities:

[Character Panel]: Endless [Abilities]:

Variant Ability: Water Control (Born)

Super Self-healing Factor (Wolverine)

"Fark!" Endless muttered. Now was not the time to review his panel. The old inks, positioned not far from him, had turned their attention toward him. Initially, they had been wary of the unfamiliar voice, but upon seeing a teenager, they seemed relieved. Outlaws often worry about drawing the attention of law enforcement, and in America, the police were no joke.

"Stinky boy, you've come to the wrong place," the leader of the old inks said with fierce indifference, raising his gun and aiming at Endless's head.

"Boss, don't let this kid go. He's seen our faces," one of the younger thugs whispered.

Logan Howlett, weakly lying on the ground, called out, "Endless! What are you doing here? Get out of here, now!"

"Hey! Old man, I don't care who you are. Be quiet or I'll see if this kid can catch a bullet like you did," the leader of the old inks sneered, clearly intent on using Endless as leverage.

"Damn it, he's just an ordinary kid. Let him go," Logan growled, trying to suppress the anger within him. He was no longer a superhero; he could no longer punish the wicked or save others, but he didn't want to put an ordinary person in danger because of his own problems.

"Shut up! What are you, anyway?" The old ink leader glared at Logan and then turned his attention back to Endless, his disgust palpable. "I thought mutants were extinct, but here you are, hiding in the shadows. Aren't you tired of living? Why don't you end it?"

It's a pity that social scum like you are still alive, and how can Wolverine, as the former X-Men, die so easily

"Compared to him, I think some people should have ended their misery long ago," Endless said with a tone of contempt. He clearly aimed his words at the old ink leader.

Logan, stunned, recognized the boy's code name and was shocked that someone still knew him. Despite the world's decay, it seemed there were still those who remembered the X-Men.

"Shut up!" The old ink leader was momentarily taken aback by Endless's words. Turning back to Logan, he finally recognized him. "Houli crab, I recognize you, Wolverine. I read Xavier's School comics when I was a kid. So you're still alive, huh?"

The old ink leader's eyes gleamed with mockery. "Wolverine, can you still fight crime now?"

"What do you mean by that?" Wolverine growled, sensing danger and raising his head. His beast-like eyes, now fierce and determined, revealed his inner turmoil.

Old Mo, sensing that Wolverine wouldn't act rashly due to Endless's presence, ordered his men to step back. "Calm down," he said, signaling his crew to retreat about ten meters. He then aimed his guns at both Endless and Wolverine, preparing to shoot.

Without warning, the leader pulled the trigger. The sound of gunfire echoed as bullets sped towards the heads of both Endless and Wolverine.

Bang!!

Roar!

Wolverine's instincts kicked in. He raised his Adamantium claws, deflecting the bullets aimed at him. But as he glanced at Endless, his eyes widened in horror. He saw the teenager being shot through the head, collapsing to the ground.

"Ah!"

The beastly rage within Wolverine exploded. He roared and, with renewed ferocity, charged at the old inks. His strength and claws tore through them with deadly precision.

"Fark! Shoot!" The old ink leader panicked, realizing his mistake. The elderly Wolverine, now a furious beast, was unstoppable. Within moments, several of the old inks lay dead in pools of blood.

Only two of the old inks, near the van, managed to flee in terror. As they passed by Endless's fallen body, they saw a hand reach out from the ground, clutching at them.