693. The Farm Corridor——!!

"So it's you. You're the one most corrupted by upper-level contamination."

Alex wrinkled his nose as he shoved Deadpool aside, shaking his head with a helpless chuckle.

"I finally understand why the TVA keeps trying to catch you. You're too deeply tied to my world. Or maybe... your ability to break the fourth wall—that is the contamination."

"I have no idea what you're saying," Deadpool replied, genuinely confused, "but I am incredibly moved. Can I have an autographed photo of you? Or I can give you one of mine instead. You did save my movie—or, well, another version of me's movie. Man, that sounds weird."

Deadpool stroked his chin and swayed from side to side, mumbling to himself.

Letting out a long sigh, Alex decided to just ignore the guy.

After a pause, Alex turned his gaze toward the hospital room. Inside, Wolverine lay still and quiet in a hospital bed, covered in medical tubes and equipment.

Even though history had been corrected—bringing back the Avengers and countless other heroes—just as the Dark Watcher had said, this timeline was already locked in place. The fact that Magneto and other mutants had crossed over into this world had become a fixed event—unchangeable.

And because of that, the damage Logan suffered couldn't be undone either.

Noticing Alex's gaze, Polaris gently spoke.

"Mister Fantastic and Stark have done everything they could. But… Logan's injuries are too severe. And on top of that, his lifespan… it's running out. Even if they try to reawaken his healing factor, it's unlikely he'll survive."

"His lifespan?" Alex turned to glance at Polaris in disbelief.

In all his memories, Wolverine had never shown any signs of aging. If anyone could be called immortal, it was him. But now, looking at the frail old man in that bed, Alex went quiet.

"That's what Doctor Strange said."

Polaris sighed and continued.

"History has changed. Most events from before have been rewritten, including the Essex Corporation's genetically modified corn—the one that suppressed mutant genes. Without that, Logan's healing factor should've remained unaffected. But… here we are. Nothing's working."

Alex didn't respond. He silently opened the door and walked into the room.

The place was warm and homey. On the bedside table sat an old photo of Wolverine with the X-Men. A fresh bouquet—probably from S.H.I.E.L.D.—rested beside it. Advanced StarkTech medical devices surrounded the room. Clearly, the Avengers were doing everything possible for Logan.

Alex slowly stepped closer to the bed, staring down at the now-aged and worn James Logan Howlett. Though old, his body still looked powerfully built.

Reaching out, Alex gently placed two fingers on Logan's brow.

In that moment, a flash of brilliant white light burst forth—

Alex's entire field of vision was swallowed by milky radiance.

And when his senses returned, the first things he noticed were the scent of soil and fresh grass... and a breeze brushing softly across his face.

Slowly opening his eyes, Alex realized he had somehow arrived at a vast and open farm.

In the distance, golden wheat fields rippled under the caress of the breeze. Two giant windmills turned slowly beside them. Everything felt so tranquil, peaceful, and serene—almost unreal in its simplicity.

He blinked, and then suddenly heard the sound of children laughing and playing. Turning his head, he saw Storm—Ororo Munroe—leading a group of kids through the fields, laughing as they chased one another.

What struck Alex was that Ororo wasn't in her usual combat suit. Instead, she was dressed like a simple country girl. When she noticed Alex, she didn't react with surprise—just gave him a warm smile.

It was the kind of smile one would offer a distant friend finally arriving home. She didn't recognize Alex, that much was clear. But it didn't matter. Her welcome was genuine.

"Interesting…" Alex murmured, eyes drifting toward the largest structure on the farm.

Walking through the earth between the crops, it didn't take him long to reach the building. It looked like a barn, but had clearly been converted into a tavern. Through the windows, he could already see a bar counter inside.

Pushing open the doors, Alex stepped in—and immediately spotted Wolverine, James Logan Howlett, sitting at the bar and chatting casually with Colossus.

Logan looked aged here, just like in the real world, but there was something different in his demeanor. He looked... content. There was a calmness to him, a peace in his smile that Alex had never seen before. No more pain. No more despair.

Alex's steps slowed. Even he, battle-hardened and sharp, found himself captivated by the serenity of this moment.

Then Logan noticed him.

He blinked once, smiled knowingly, and waved Colossus away before walking out from behind the bar. His steps were a bit unsteady, but his grin was solid.

"I knew you'd show up here eventually," Logan said, voice deep and gravelly but lightened by joy.

"How… is this even possible?" Alex asked, looking around in disbelief.

Originally, Alex thought this might've been Logan's mental landscape—something he had entered in hopes of reigniting Logan's will to live. But now… being here, walking on this soil, hearing the wind, seeing the smiles—he knew.

This wasn't a typical mental construct.

This was something else entirely.

Because every person here... was truly alive, with consciousness, with souls.

In a typical psychic realm, everyone apart from Logan himself would've just been an illusion. But here… Ororo, the kids, even Colossus—they each had their own living, breathing soul.

That said, their memories seemed... altered. Not completely false, but modified—just enough to keep them anchored here without questioning things too much.

Hearing Alex's confusion, James took him by the arm and led him out of the tavern.

"To be honest, I'm not really sure what this place is either," Logan said. "All I remember is that, right before I died, I caught a glimpse of a tavern. I walked in, met a bartender named Jack… We had a drink, talked a bit, and even made a bet. Then he told me he'd grant me a wish—and the next thing I knew, I woke up here."

"A bartender named Jack?" Alex blinked, surprise flashing in his eyes.

He hadn't expected that.

Of all beings… that Jack?

The One-Above-All's right hand—The Fulcrum.

It all made sense now. The one who'd caused all this chaos was a corrupted Watcher, one of the Fulcrum's own. There was no way the cosmic balance-keeper would just let that slide. The fact that He got involved personally was proof enough that the highest entities had been watching all along.

"You look like you know him," Logan noted, raising a brow.

"You could say that," Alex said with a shrug. "We've met, but… we're not exactly close."

He didn't dwell on it. Instead, he turned his attention back to this strange, peaceful world.

"If I'm not mistaken, your body is still in the real world, unconscious," Alex said slowly. "So this place… is it your mind? Or did Jack create a unique pocket dimension just for you?"

Logan gave a sheepish grin. "Honestly? I've got no idea. I don't really understand this metaphysical stuff. But if you asked me what this place is… I'd say it feels like heaven. All the people I knew, my friends… they're here. And they're real. I can feel that."

"That's… actually a pretty good way to put it," Alex said softly, plucking a wildflower from the field and holding it to his nose.

This place… it did feel like heaven.

Most of the people here were X-Men—ones long dead in the timeline they came from. But their souls had been brought here, gathered into this serene existence. In some way… maybe Jack had given them what they'd always fought for.

Peace.

If it was The Fulcrum behind this, it wasn't surprising at all. After all, He was the being served by every particle, every lifeform, every action—and even every concept—within the multiverse.

"Oh, right."

Just then, James suddenly remembered something. He looked at Alex and spoke.

"Jack told me that this world was created from the contamination surrounding you. The Dark Watcher might've lost his mind, but he wasn't wrong about everything. There are far too many universes still under the control of higher forces. But this world—shaped by your energy—is the first truly free world in the entire multiverse."

"A free world…"

Alex repeated the words under his breath, nodding slightly in thought.

It made sense. From the moment he arrived here, Alex had felt an inexplicable connection to this world—a bond so deep, so intimate, it felt as though it had always been a part of him. Long before any of this had started.

This world had already broken free from time's shackles. It was no longer bound by rules, either.

It felt more like… a concept. A realm that existed only within the imagination. A space of thought and spirit. One that could only be accessed through soul projection.

And now, Alex understood why this place felt so familiar—because it had been built from the essence of his own power. The Fulcrum had gathered the upper-level "contamination" that clung to him and used it to create a world beyond all order. A world that defied all structure.

"It doesn't sound so bad," Alex said with a soft smile, patting James on the shoulder. "I was planning to pull you back, actually. Charles is still waiting for you out there. But looking at you now… it seems you're doing alright."

"You did save me, Alex." James said seriously. Then he tilted his head with a small grin. "As for Charles? I've already saved a spot for him right here."

Alex followed Logan's gaze toward the distant windmills.

One of them had been spray-painted in bright gold letters: Sunseeker. The other bore a giant letter X.

"Hah, nice. I see you've been planning ahead." Alex chuckled, looking back at Logan. "Anything else you need? Maybe I can help."

"Hmmm…"

Logan dropped the grin and started seriously pondering, stroking his chin.

After a moment of thought, he said gravely, "I need brewing equipment. Since there's no time here, all the beer ends up tasting the same. It's fine for now, but who knows how long I can take it."

"Oh, that's easy."

With a snap of his fingers, Alex conjured a flash of ghostly green fire—and in its wake appeared a machine about the size of a compact car, along with several oak barrels.

He walked over and gave the machine a solid pat.

"Custom-built by Tony Stark himself—automated brewery system. One-touch function for crafting beer, wine, whiskey, even sake. Any vintage, any type, you name it!"

...

📢Advanced chapters on p@treaon📢

For advance chapters: p@treon.com/Uchiha_Itachi007 (replace @ with a)

1. 30 advanced chapters of American Comics: Multiverse of Madness.

2. 20 advanced chapters of The Witcher: Wolf School's Hunting Notes.