"It seems that going to Kamar-Taj is really troublesome. Why do we keep running into so many things along the way?" Shin looked at Wolverine, who was now calling Captain America 'brother', busily helping him catch up on USA's current situation and even helping him pick a house, and sighed.
Was Wolverine just curious about Captain America as a living legend, or was it because he'd finally met someone with a shared past? Maybe it was just Captain America's natural charisma?
Either way, during this period, Wolverine completely forgot about his memory predicament. He followed Captain America around every day and even sparred with him from time to time.
If Wolverine's healing factor were excluded, he wouldn't stand a chance against Cap. Although his mutation enhanced his body, in terms of raw strength, agility, and stamina, he was slightly inferior to Captain America.
As for combat skills, it was even worse. If Wolverine had retained his full fighting ability, he might have stood a chance, but with most of his memories gone, he relied purely on instinct.
Against less experienced mutants, Wolverine came across like a master. But when fighting Captain America, who'd fought through World War II and brought down the Axis and Hydra, —he was clearly outmatched.
Still, thanks to his healing factor, Wolverine was never seriously hurt no matter how badly he was beaten. He didn't mind the abuse, and over the course of these battles, he seemed to be recovering some of the techniques he'd once forgotten.
Captain America was even more pleased. It was rare to find a sparring partner of equal strength who didn't mind taking hits. He felt as if the stiffness in his body from 70 years of cryo-sleep had finally been worked out. The two quickly became close, if they were in One Piece, they'd probably have sworn brotherhood by now.
...
"So, you finally finished helping Captain America?" Shin put down the newspaper in his hand. With little to do lately, he'd developed the habit of reading the paper, specifically, the infamous Daily Bugle.
Yes, the very paper whose editor-in-chief seemed to be Spider-Man's number one hater, publishing daily smear campaigns against him.
Most of the Daily Bugle's headlines were pure gossip, fun to read, but highly questionable in terms of truth.
Still, the editor had guts. Whether hero or villain, he'd go after anyone spinning every story in the worst light possible.
Recently, the Bugle had covered the Fantastic Four and Doctor Doom, but now it had shifted focus to the Fisks Tower.
All of Wilson's employees fell into a coma? Was it some new kind of conspiracy theory? Biological weapons? Sonic attacks?
The article even vaguely hinted that many of New York's crimes could be traced back to Wilson, suggesting that this so-called benevolent tycoon had a far more sinister side.
It was only because of these roundabout accusations that Kingpin hadn't silenced him. Kingpin wasn't as patient as Spider-Man.
Shin marveled at how this editor was still alive.
Maybe the reason he targeted Spider-Man so much was because no one else would tolerate him. After all, Spider-Man was just too forgiving.
Or maybe it was twisted gratitude, after all, Peter Parker had to earn a living by photographing himself as Spider-Man! Was that a form of self-mockery?
Ironically, what Spider-Man feared most wasn't being smeared in the press but not being talked about. He probably wished the editor would mock him daily, just so his photos would keep selling.
While Shin's mind wandered, Wolverine glanced at the newspaper, then looked away and said, "I'm done. I have to admit, Steve's a good man. No wonder I used to follow him."
Captain America's charisma was undeniable. The kind of soldierly integrity he carried from his wartime experience made Wolverine feel a certain kinship.
Now that Cap had bought himself a small house and started a new life, it seemed his ties to S.H.I.E.L.D. and the military were basically cut.
The war was long over, and now Captain America just wanted to experience the world. He had no intention of joining any new organization.
"So, you're back to wanting your memories now?" Shin asked.
"Of course! I was just... uh, taking a break," Wolverine replied quickly, looking at Shin nervously.
Clearly, now that the fun was over, he remembered why they'd come here in the first place.
"Alright then. We'll visit the New York Sanctum tomorrow," Shin said with a wave of his hand.
The next morning, Shin brought Wolverine to the New York Sanctum. A powerful magic barrier surrounded it, repelling idle wanderers. To the untrained eye, the place was unnoticeable.
Although Wolverine had a strong healing factor as a mutant, he knew nothing about magic and would never have found the Sanctum on his own.
He might have had experience with mystics in the past and even made some magical acquaintances, but all that had been lost with his memory.
Shin, on the other hand, despite not being a magician, had multiple means of detection, observation Haki, chakra perception, and more. With these abilities, it wasn't hard for him to locate the New York Sanctum.
Only when Shin dragged Wolverine up to the Sanctum's entrance did the mutant finally seem to process what was happening. He stared blankly at the building in front of him.
"This is the sorcerer's base? That's a surprise! How are they hiding in plain sight here in New York?" Wolverine asked.
"I thought sorcerer's and wizards were supposed to live in deep forests or some other dimension."
"What this gentleman said isn't entirely wrong," came a voice. The door of the New York Sanctum opened, revealing the white-bearded Ancient One with a warm smile.
"When the three sanctums were built, only the London one had any population nearby. The other two were just desolate lands, perhaps with a few scattered natives at best."
"Our history predates that of New York itself. But the magic leylines not only attract practitioners like us they also affect ordinary people. In the end, both New York and Hong Kong developed into major cities."
"That's not necessarily a bad thing. Even though we study magic, we don't reject technology. All three sanctums and even Kamar-Taj are connected to the internet."
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