Logan was happy.
He had successfully stopped a World from being destroyed.
But Wolverine was also a little lost, because he didn't know whether his own World had been saved.
After all, the goal of this trip through time had been to reverse the future, yet he hadn't returned to the past he'd wanted to reach.
"In fact, even if you didn't actually change the future, I think I still have a way to make it up to you," Fang Yuan said to Logan.
Logan's hopes flared at once, and before he could ask, Fang Yuan added, "But we can first go and verify whether the future has changed."
"But… how?" Logan was puzzled.
"You said it should have been Charles who came back, right?" Fang Yuan asked.
Logan nodded. "That's right, but only I can handle the physical toll of having my consciousness travel that long."
"Then, if Charles enters your mind, he'll probably be able to communicate with the Professor X of your World." Fang Yuan proposed an idea.
Wolverine thought it was fantasy, but Fang Yuan was certain.
"We can try, and I think someone with Professor X's ability would definitely have left some back doors."
"Huh?" This Universe's Professor X promptly sent a mental question mark.
I'm that good? How come I didn't know?
Thanks to Fang Yuan, the Awakened's dealings with the authorities had gone smoothly, so Charles hadn't fallen into despair like in the original plot.
But Charles hadn't developed his Telepathy to a high level either; at least for now he couldn't separate his mind from his body.
Whereas the elderly Professor X could already transfer his mind into another body and come back to life.
Fang Yuan's confidence came from the original plot—Charles really had been able to speak with the future Professor X through Wolverine.
At his insistence, Charles decided to give it a shot.
After all, it was the warning Logan brought that had let them realize the Sentinel threat and erase a huge hidden danger from the future.
Logan had helped them save the future; naturally they wanted to help Logan save his World.
Fang Yuan didn't know how the future Logan's timeline was faring either; having Charles take a look was partly about gathering intel.
Charles focused completely and entered Logan's memories; instantly a string of life-and-death partings washed over him, catching him off guard.
"You really are… a pitiable man." Charles wiped his eyes and focused on the scene of Wolverine's crossing.
Then he opened his eyes on the platform where Wolverine lay; Charles sat up, saw Wolverine on the slab, and a girl holding Logan's head—clearly she was the one helping with the crossing.
Not far away a man was desperately guarding the door, but the Sentinels outside were about to break through.
Turning his head, he saw a big bald man in a wheelchair—obviously the elderly version of himself—smiling at him.
"Hi, Charles," the elderly Professor X said with heartfelt joy.
The instant Charles arrived, he knew everything about the past; seeing the incredibly beautiful World in Charles's memory, the elderly Professor X felt as if he'd glimpsed his own private utopia.
"Hi, Charles," Charles also nodded.
Charles felt this bald old man hardly resembled himself; those wise eyes seemed able to see through everything.
"Did Logan fail?" Charles asked, frowning.
The elderly Professor X nodded, then quickly shook his head.
"Our original plan wasn't wrong; we just hadn't expected the past to change before Logan even went back."
"It just looks like the altered past didn't affect the fixed future."
The elderly Professor X didn't sound disappointed—perhaps because in Charles he had already found the perfect timeline.
Being able to see that dreamlike World—where Mutants and humans lived in peace and even became adored stars—before the World ended was the greatest comfort to an old man who had spent his life safeguarding Mutant-kind.
"Fang says he has a way!" the full-haired Charles quickly exclaimed. "I believe he can definitely help you!"
"Fang? That miraculous man?" The elderly Professor X looked a bit dazed.
Following Charles's memory, his Telepathy reached the past World and saw the man who had saved the entire planet's fate.
As to whether Fang Yuan could save their World, the elderly Charles was deeply skeptical—or rather, he'd hoped too many times and ended up numb with disappointment.
But just then, within the elderly Charles's Telepathy, Fang Yuan's right eye playfully winked at him.
The elderly Professor X was stunned and immediately returned to his own timeline.
Even he could only observe the past briefly through the young Charles; he couldn't maintain the link for long.
Yet that single instant reignited hope in his heart.
"Fang Yuan is far from simple," the elderly Charles realized at once.
But instead of suspecting ulterior motives, the elderly Charles felt reassured.
The more unfathomable he seemed, the more likely he was to save their World at a time like this.
Someone as experienced as the elderly Professor X naturally understands that the trope of a naïve idealist who preaches love and friendship and saves the World with love and justice at the crucial moment simply can't happen.
At least not in their World.
If Mutants and humans were living in harmony, what would my Fox here even film?
The feeling of being watched vanished in an instant. Fang Yuan glanced around for a moment and locked onto Charles and Logan's direction.
'Gone?' he wondered silently.
Just now Fang Yuan had keenly sensed someone watching him, yet he couldn't identify who, so he simply blinked theatrically.
Whoever it was, he couldn't lose on momentum first!
But Fang Yuan already had a guess. His mental attribute was now a solid B-rank, bolstered by all kinds of auras; even Charles wasn't this strong.
In this situation, the only being who could still make him barely notice their presence was probably the elderly Professor X.
Charles's consciousness quickly returned.
'How did it go?' Logan asked urgently.
He was desperate to know whether this trip had been worth it.
Charles pressed his lips and shook his head, then looked to Fang Yuan. 'Fang, what's your method?'
Having personally witnessed that lifeless, oppressive future timeline, Charles wanted more than anything to help them avert it all.
'No good?' Logan looked as though he'd lost his soul. 'How could it not work?'
Charles quickly reassured him. 'Don't worry, we still have Fang. Professor X also said we can trust Fang!'
The 'Charles' in Charles's words was naturally the elderly Professor X.
Logan calmed down at once; if the elderly Professor X was sure, then it had to be fine.
Logan might not admit it, but Wolverine was basically Professor X's number-one fan.
Fang Yuan naturally wouldn't let everyone down.
'Of course!' he said with a smile and a nod.
Before his trip to Marvel he definitely wouldn't have had a solution, but now—after studying there and training diligently for several years—he really did have a way.
Fang Yuan slipped on the Infinity Gauntlet, the blue gem gleaming atop it.
The Space Stone can theoretically transport across space within this World, cross parallel Universes, and handle many other space-related feats.
Of course, all of that depends on the user's own ability.
Fortunately, Fang Yuan had spent eight years studying magic; his spellcasting had improved markedly, and with the [Ancient One Template] he could now use the Space Stone to sense spatial barriers.
The Ancient One was right—magic requires accumulation.
Although Fang Yuan could currently only perceive space, not traverse it, with Logan's help it would be no problem.
Fang Yuan only needed to place a Space Stone mark on Logan; once Wolverine returned to his own timeline's Universe, Fang Yuan could lock onto his World's coordinates and cross over using the Space Stone.
Just like how S.H.I.E.L.D. opened the door for Loki.
Fang Yuan shared the first half of his plan with Logan and the others, and everyone realized the time for parting had come.
Charles and the others felt a pang of sorrow; Logan had become a comrade they acknowledged, yet they all knew he didn't belong here.
This World had its own Wolverine.
But Logan merely smiled with relief.
He had grown used to loss in his life—Silver Fox, his brother, comrades, lovers, mentors had all drifted away—but from this journey onward Logan had regained friends and family.
'It's already been worth it,' he said.
Sabretooth Viktor clapped him on the shoulder. 'Take care, Jimmy.'
Logan nodded hard.
Uncomfortable with the heavy mood, he spoke up. 'Right, Hank escorted the Superhuman to prison and isn't here. If he gets back, let him know for me.'
'He asked me if he was still alive in the future; I said yes, but I lied.' Logan shrugged. 'Now he doesn't have to worry.'
'Haha!' Everyone shared a knowing laugh, the sorrow fading a bit.
Finally Wolverine admonished them, 'Guys, cherish your World.'
They all nodded in reply; only those who have lost know how to cherish. They hadn't lost anything, yet Logan had shown them what loss feels like, so each of them now treasured the World they possessed.
Many of them kept glancing at Fang Yuan, eyes full of gratitude.
Fang Yuan accepted it calmly.
He had long since said that for Mutants to have today, they all owed him a kowtow.
'I shouldn't be gone long; I'll leave the rest to you,' he instructed Charles and Erik.
The two quickly agreed.
A flash of blue light burst from Fang Yuan's hand; Charles caught on at once and used Telepathy to sever Logan's bodily connection.
On his own, Logan couldn't extract his consciousness from his past body, so he needed Professor X's help.
After a whirl of images before his eyes, Logan snapped them open.
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