The man lying unconscious on the ground—his identity was unmistakable.
He possessed the same Healing Factor as Sabretooth and shared with him a relationship of mutual hatred. In the Marvel Universe, there was only one person who fit that description: Logan—the tragic hero of the X-Men.
Logan, better known to the world as Wolverine, was the lone wolf whose body had been reforged with adamantium, his claws indestructible and his will unbreakable.
Of course, his power was impressive only by Earth's standards. Across the greater Multiverse, Wolverine's mutant abilities didn't even qualify as Alpha-level. What made him truly formidable was his iron will and years of combat experience—enough to stand toe-to-toe with some of the Avengers' strongest members.
As for why Logan had been beaten so badly by Sabretooth, it was simple: Sabretooth's abilities naturally countered his own.
Unlike the elemental contrast between Magneto and others, Sabretooth's Healing Factor rivaled Logan's, but his raw strength, speed, and durability far surpassed it. Naturally, that gave him the upper hand in battle.
After all, one's a tiger, the other's a wolf. It's not surprising the wolf can't beat the tiger. Or, to put it more humorously—Logan's the younger brother, Sabretooth the elder. And across countless worlds, it seems to be a universal rule that the elder brother always ends up bullying the younger.
Still, if one were to rank the most popular characters in the Marvel Universe, the list could easily stretch into the dozens—or even hundreds.
Yet, no matter how much that list was trimmed down, Wolverine's name would always rank near the top.
Even if he couldn't quite surpass Tony Stark's Iron Man, the gap wouldn't be large. Back before Herman's transmigration, there had been endless calls for Wolverine's return.
Setting aside the fans who only cared about female superheroes, Wolverine easily made the top ten in popularity.
Some admired Tony Stark for his sleek armor and the irresistible romance of machinery. Others liked him for his charm and confidence. But those who loved Wolverine were drawn to far more than his powers.
Most were moved by his tragic story.
And despite all the pain and loss that life threw at him, Wolverine never lost his kindness or sense of honor.
It was hard not to like a man like that. Compared to those characters blessed with obvious "protagonist halos," Wolverine's resilience and humanity inspired people on a deeper level. At least for Herman, before crossing over, Wolverine had been one of the heroes he respected most.
"So, you want to kill that guy over there?" Herman pointed at the motionless Logan in the distance, flashing a bright, easy smile at Sabretooth.
"I guess I'll have to play the part of his savior." He wasn't looking for a reward—he simply did what he wanted, when he wanted.
Whether it was saving lives or taking them, he acted purely on instinct. Well, that did sound a bit like something Homelander would say. But in truth, with the power Herman possessed now, he could act even more freely on Earth than Homelander ever could.
"No, no, no... I don't just want to kill him. I want to kill both of you. Your head will make a fine trophy."
Sabretooth licked his lips, baring his teeth in a savage grin. There was no way he'd let the man who had turned him into a pig's head walk away unscathed.
And even without any personal grudge, the moment he sensed Herman's strength, he was bound to attack.
There was no deeper reason. Sabretooth simply lived for the thrill of danger. The greater the prey, the greater the pleasure in the hunt.
It had to be said—Sabretooth was a true mutant predator. Any opponent he couldn't immediately kill, he viewed as prey destined to fall beneath his claws. Over the years, he had wandered across the world, encountering countless powerful mutants.
Yet, no matter who they were—whether they provoked him or not, whether they wounded him or nearly killed him—in the end, they all became corpses beneath his claws.
That bloodlust, coupled with his complete lack of empathy, was exactly why Logan and Sabretooth had become mortal enemies.
"Man, you people from the past really don't value your lives. The last one who tried to kill me didn't end up so well."
In Herman's eyes, Sabretooth was already a dead tiger. He didn't even bother hiding that he was someone who had come from the future.
Of course, even though Herman's words made that fairly obvious, there was no way Sabretooth's brain could grasp something as complex as time travel.
"You piece of trash! I'll show you what true despair feels like!"
Sabretooth roared, enraged by Herman's calm, dismissive attitude, and launched himself forward like a cannonball.
His speed was blistering, the air itself rippling with the force of his charge. But really, how could anyone call him smart? The beast clearly hadn't learned his lesson.
To ordinary eyes, Sabretooth might have seemed impossibly fast—but to Herman, it was nothing short of a crime against intelligence.
"This guy... should be called a saber-toothed pig." Herman was speechless. He was about to slap Sabretooth away again.
Suddenly, Sabretooth flashed a "clever" grin and, mid-sprint, abruptly changed direction, circling around Herman.
Alright.
So he wasn't completely brainless—just not working with much. Avoiding a head-on clash with Herman was a decent call, but spinning around him like an idiot was an eyesore.
Worse, Sabretooth seemed convinced he'd found a way to counter Herman.
"Hahaha! Must feel awful having all that power and no way to use it! Slip up for a second and I'll show you real cruelty!"
He sounded smug as he darted around Herman, moving with feline agility.
A tiger is still a cat, after all. Sabretooth clearly had plenty of combat experience, even trying to rattle Herman with trash talk.
However.
Would that actually work on Herman?
...
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