Return (Two-in-One)

The salty sea breeze brushed against the tanned, rough, and weathered face of Daniel Farent. He didn't know how many times he had stood on the deck like this, gazing out at the sea, yet this was the first time he had waited so desperately for the coastline to emerge before his eyes.

Seven years. Daniel had never expected his final adventure to be so long and fraught with such hardship; he felt a profound sense of exhaustion. Over nearly twenty years of wandering and exploring, he had seen a world rich, magnificent, and mysterious, but every inch of the path he had walked was scattered with his youth and passion.

Daniel Farent was truly tired. He wanted to sink into the fine leather-upholstered sofa in front of the estate's fireplace, drink the finest gin, and find a gentle, beautiful woman to care for him for the rest of his life—or perhaps a few, if that were possible.

Jack had been waiting at Victoria Harbour for two days. Although reports kept coming in that Daniel and his group's return journey was going smoothly, this matter was the only thing James had focused on lately. He also hoped that the well-traveled Mr. Farent could help young master James, as his situation recently had not been good.

"What did you say? James has locked himself away!"

After embracing and exchanging pleasantries with Jack and the others, Daniel couldn't wait to open a bottle of gin in the carriage back to the estate. As he swallowed the drink in his glass, he asked Jack with a puzzled expression.

Jack chose his words carefully and said slowly, "A lot has happened in these few years. You might not know, but there are many things in this world beyond our imagination. Some people have even exceeded our understanding of what it means to be 'human'."

"Hah!" Daniel poured himself another half-glass, his tone strange. "Kid, what I've seen and experienced is far more complex than you can imagine. It's just surprising to hear you bring this up."

Daniel suddenly felt unsure about what had happened during the years he was away. He had thought the news he brought back would shock everyone, or perhaps be dismissed with a sneer.

But looking at the situation now, it seemed he was the one who needed to prepare himself. He downed another gulp of gin, listening as Jack recounted the various events that had occurred during the American Civil War.

Edmonton, beneath the Howlett Estate castle.

In the deepest part of the underground palace, within a quiet stone chamber, the light from the fire flickered. James looked at the pinkish meat, seared to a slightly caramelized color on the plate before him, and forced himself to swallow the last bite.

The flavor he once loved was now so difficult to swallow. It was a prime five-medium-rare filet mignon, cut from the loin of a Simmental cattle specifically raised for his consumption on the Howlett ranch. The chef was a Frenchman who had been at the estate for years and had always understood James's palate best.

But at this moment, James frowned as if chewing wax. He chewed with force, stretching his neck and pressing his tongue against the roof of his mouth, struggling to force it down.

How he wished this steak were rarer, even rawer, perhaps even filled with fresh, rich blood—only then would the taste be right.

Months had passed. Since returning to the estate castle from Joliet Town and burying Victor, James had locked himself underground. He had only given instructions to Butler Vane and Jack from a distance of over ten meters, then ordered people to deliver food and news at set times every day.

James's appearance had changed significantly. The few who had seen him were too shocked to speak.

This was why Jack was exceptionally worried. He feared that young master James had been influenced by those vampires, and that this was the only explanation for Victor's death. Fortunately, the young master's mind was still clear, though that dangerous aura seemed directed at everyone.

He used immense willpower to force himself to eat like this every day, and he had to finish it all. That day, James had accidentally "plundered" the entirety of Victor's power, which included the vampire source blood Victor had absorbed from Adam.

Victor's Sabretooth power and the mutant genes within James had fused perfectly, as if they were always meant to be one. This had caused James's bone claws to grow into a brand-new form.

His physique had also become as tall as Victor's, his height increasing by nearly thirty centimeters. From his original height of just under two meters, he had grown into a giant, as robust as Victor.

Beyond the complete restructuring of his bones, James's skin, fascia, and muscle tissue had also been replaced. His original body, after years of training and the improvements from reaching the Huajin realm, had been exceptionally tough—far exceeding the resilience of an ordinary human—but it had not yet reached the level of supernatural ability.

Now, although James hadn't performed precise tests, he could feel that the bullets of the current era might only be capable of causing superficial damage to his flesh.

His beast-like perception, sense of smell, and various sensory capabilities had been further enhanced, and he even possessed a vague awareness of things that posed a positive or negative threat to him.

From his previous life's martial arts training, this was the miraculous state of "hearing nothing, seeing nothing, yet sensing danger and avoiding it." He had once doubted if such a skill was real, but now he had gained a similar perception through the power of his mutant genes.

As for Adam's source blood, after being absorbed by Victor and then re-absorbed by him, its vampire traits and power had diminished somewhat. He had become somewhat averse to sunlight, and touching pure silver caused a slight stinging sensation, much like a mild metal allergy.

His speed and neural reflexes had improved significantly, and he had gained an instinct for concealing his presence. At the same time, he felt that he possessed the ability to transform others into vampires through his bite.

The most troublesome part was the bloodthirsty darkness of the vampire power and the violent wildness of the Sabretooth, which caused James's consciousness to feel fractured. He constantly fought to control the violent thoughts in his mind and the physiological craving for fresh blood.

Because he and Victor already possessed powerful mutant abilities, their bodies had not been converted into the structure of a vampire—meaning they were not limited to organs that could only absorb blood—but they both developed an extreme craving for blood and a disgust for normal human food.

This meant that he and Victor could still eat normal food and absorb energy from it.

It was just that, from a mental and physiological sensory perspective, every bite felt like rotting, putrid meat to them, while fresh blood looked delicious, sweet, and incredibly appetizing.

Victor had not resisted this desire; he had even indulged it. It was precisely this that had greatly fueled Victor's bestial nature, leading to the final, frantic battle with James.

James tried every means to control himself and attempted to resolve the drawbacks of the vampire power within him. That was why he had sealed himself in the underground stone chamber, avoiding everyone to keep his bloodlust in check.

Currently, James's surging power and unstable mental state had caused him to fall from the Huajin realm of cultivation as soon as the battle ended. He could no longer control his strength with ease; these days, he often accidentally tore or snapped the specialized steel equipment in the underground training room.

Since entering the Anjin realm, James had begun tempering his body. At that time, his base strength was only about five times his body weight. After training all the way to Huajin and the subsequent changes to his body, he already possessed strength and punching power measured in tons.

But now, the numerous training devices in this underground space were completely useless to him. He didn't know how strong his body had become. The heaviest custom barbell weighed two tons, yet he only felt a slight weight when doing simple arm curls.

The giant Iron Stake, which originally required a minimum of three tons of impact force to move even slightly, now felt like hitting a wooden post for an ordinary martial artist.

The heaviest hollow mercury-lead ball, weighing three tons, could be manipulated at will with pure physical strength, without even needing to focus his internal energy. These two were the only toys he had left to play with.

He didn't know why such a bizarre connection and change had occurred between him and Victor. His understanding of the abilities brought by the so-called X-gene in mutants was far too limited.

In an era where modern science was still in its infancy, everything was a matter of crossing the river by feeling the stones. He could only use the capital he had accumulated in this period to consciously push for some progress in scientific research as quickly as possible.

The most urgent problem to solve was the vampire power entrenched in his body. James was confident that the key to solving it lay in his control and perception of his own internal energy and blood.

Although he could no longer perfectly manipulate his blood and energy, stimulate his heart, or burst forth with massive amounts of externalized force, he could still clearly feel a cold, stagnant blood-energy within him. As long as he could re-enter the Huajin realm and regain control of his body, he would be able to suppress this vampire source blood, or even eliminate it entirely.

He had no desire to possess this inferior power, which came with such significant side effects.

Ding, ding, ding.

The bell hanging in front of the quiet room rang coldly. This was the method James had specifically set up for the people in the estate to contact him in case of an emergency. He stood up slowly, his terrifying figure moving forward, and he shook another iron handle to signal that he had heard.

This was Daniel's first time entering the tunnel beneath the Howlett Estate. When he had returned last time, the renovation project was in full swing; although he had observed it many times, he had never seen the finished result.

At this moment, he felt as if he were entering a pharaoh's tomb for an archaeological expedition. The deep tunnel and underground space were crafted with great care, representing the highest level of architectural skill of the current era. The air was fresh, free of foul odors, and the combination of oil lamp lighting was quite reasonable.

Yet, going to see James in such an environment still made his skin crawl. Butler Vane was also helpless and told him that he would have to go in to see the young master alone, adding a warning that made one afraid to think too deeply: "No matter what you see, do not be afraid."

"Ja-Ja-James, it's me, Daniel. Are you there?"

Mr. Daniel walked tremblingly toward the deeper stone chamber. His voice shook uncontrollably. Since entering the underground, it felt as if a cold, terrifying aura was blowing against the nape of his neck. He felt like a little rabbit that had wandered into a lion's den.

"Alright, that's far enough. It's been a long time, Teacher Daniel, thank you for your hard work." James's voice drifted out from the stone chamber. Daniel could still recognize it as James's voice, yet it had become hoarse and low, as if resonating with a faint, guttural whistle from deep within his chest.

He stopped abruptly, peering cautiously into the room. He could vaguely make out a figure sitting cross-legged, their silhouette flickering in the firelight. However, the figure was excessively large, even more exaggerated in bulk than Victor had been when he left.

"James! You—what on earth happened to you?"

Daniel asked anxiously. He couldn't fathom how, if this person was indeed James, something could have transformed him into this state.

"I suppose you could say that. Jack should have told you about the American Civil War and the vampires. I've been affected by it, but don't worry, I have it under control."

James's voice grew even raspier. He could smell the scent of a living person and could even feel the rhythmic, subtle pulsing of Daniel's carotid artery. He struggled to suppress his physiological craving for flesh and blood, but four fangs instinctively sprouted from his gums.

He seized the moment and hurriedly asked, "Quick, tell me about Wakanda. Stick to the important parts, don't stay down here too long!"

"Oh, oh! Right." Daniel gave a start and began to recount his experience searching for the Wakanda tribe in Africa, his pace quickening.

"...Jason and Blake were killed on the spot. The rest of us were captured and locked up. They even used red-hot branding irons to mark us."

"I found out later that it was a mark for thieves and intruders. We were locked up for over three years, mining as slaves in total darkness. It was all thanks to Kenyara, that black slave from your manor; he rescued the three of us during the night of the tribe's sacrificial ceremony."

"Did you memorize the route and the location?" James seemed to be suppressing something, his words gritted out one by one.

Daniel hurriedly reached into his inner jacket pocket and pulled out a roll of leather wrapped around a flat, elongated piece of black metal. "I did, I did! I even stole a piece of the metal ore they worshiped as life itself. I'll give it to you—I'm putting it on the floor."

He frantically placed the leather scroll on the ground, momentarily at a loss for what to do, feeling completely helpless.

"Thank you, Teacher Daniel. From now on, just stay at the manor. Do whatever you like; Vane will make the arrangements for you. Go now. When I'm feeling a bit better, I'll talk with you more."

Daniel nodded in silence and slowly walked up the corridor.

Just as he was about to emerge, Daniel faintly heard a heart-stopping roar echoing from deep underground. The sound was full of misery and pain, enough to make one's blood run cold.

He suddenly felt that the powerful, god-like guardian of the Wakanda tribe was not nearly as terrifying as this.

In the underground space, James slowly picked up the leather map Daniel had left behind and looked at the pitch-black, uneven piece of raw metal ore, lost in thought.

Today's chapter is being released early. I've been organizing my thoughts; I was still affected by recent events, and the pacing and plot handling weren't great. You all can see that all the stories in the first volume take place even earlier than the earliest main plotlines of the Marvel or mutant cinematic universes. So, I originally wrote this segment to lay a foundation for the protagonist—it's a very, very small "map." I didn't expect such short content to give everyone such deep thoughts and perceptions about certain characters.

I didn't handle it well, and I truly have a lot to learn. But the story has only just begun; we're nowhere near the end. I will continue to work hard, and as the plot progresses, some of the plot holes will be explained more reasonably.