DOTM: Chapter 564/565

Chapter 564: Hulk Is Not A Problem

In Dr. Banner's original expectation, space travel should be very novel, but would quickly become boring and monotonous, and he would have to abide by various rules to avoid any terrible incidents.

Most areas of the ship had no gravity, so he could float around freely, but he had to be careful not to bump into anything he shouldn't.

Eating and drinking were strictly controlled, and he had to eat a lot of unappetizing nutrient paste to ensure his nutritional needs were met.

However, after taking a tour of Ethan's ship, he found none of this was true.

Even as a normal person, he needed to ensure proper nutritional intake, and the bottled water on Ethan's ship was enough to solve this problem, and it even tasted quite good, since both Tony and Ethan were the types who enjoyed comfort whenever possible and would never make themselves suffer in this regard.

While the Artemis was said to be not very large, that was compared to the Prinz Eugen. In reality, the Artemis was not small, much larger than Star-Lord's Milano, with ample internal space. Furthermore, artificial gravity was present in almost all areas. If you didn't look out the window while moving around inside, you wouldn't feel like you were in space at all.

Even more ridiculous was having an entire island with a pleasant climate used as a vacation spot. Was this even space travel?

As if sensing Banner's worldview wasn't shattered enough, Ethan pointed to the snow-capped mountain in the distance.

"That's a volcano, but it's basically impossible for it to erupt."

Besides the fact that Ethan wouldn't let a volcanic eruption destroy his island, the fundamental reason was that the energy contained within the volcano was insufficient to cause an eruption.

"There are many hot springs from the mid-slope upwards. These hot springs have different water temperatures. If you like, you can find a satisfactory pool to soak in."

"... "

Banner nodded speechlessly, taking note of everything Ethan had told him.

There were sea baths, hot springs, forest cabins, plains, and beaches, and even snow on the mountain. If he wanted, he could even climb the mountain and build a snowman or something.

Banner had the illusion that he wasn't here to adventure in another universe, but to go on vacation.

After touring the island, he returned to the Artemis. After a day of exploring, Banner ate another meal on the spaceship. It was ordinary food, automatically heated and provided by the ship's machines. Although the ship had a large stockpile of ingredients and even a dedicated area for cultivating easy-to-grow crops, like potatoes, potatoes, and potatoes, there was currently no chef on board.

Both Ethan and Sherry could cook, but if there was a more convenient option, Ethan wouldn't do it himself.

Sherry also didn't want to cook. She wanted to try the food provided by the machines first before deciding whether to cook herself in the future or not.

"You could find a chef."

"Don't count on it. I feel like chefs are harder to find than tech and combat talents."

Bruce Banner took a bite of a meat bun. The food provided by these machines wasn't delicious, but the taste was above average. For Banner, who had experienced hardship, this was already quite good.

"Chefs are hard to find?"

Banner didn't quite understand Ethan's reasoning. Weren't chefs everywhere? They should be easy to find, right? How could they be harder to find than non-humans with powerful combat abilities and top-tier tech talents? Could it be that chefs were the most formidable profession in this world?

"It's hard to find chefs who meet the requirements."

Ethan had been thinking about getting an excellent chef for his ship back when he was still sailing on the sea. Now he had broken out of the ocean and was heading into the universe, and he still hadn't found one, likewise, there was no dedicated doctor, though the latter was no longer very meaningful for the current team.

"Are you very picky about your food?"

"I think Ethan means it's hard to find a chef who has decent combat ability, the right personality, and who he also genuinely appreciates."

Maria Hill and Nebula also arrived at the mess hall at this time. They had been busy in the cockpit all day, completing some basic tests for the Artemis.

This didn't mean the tests were over, it just meant the two could relax a bit. The subsequent testing would be a long-term process, requiring continuous observation of various data from the entire spaceship. It would take at least three months for the basic testing of this spaceship to be considered complete.

Considering that the Artemis didn't purely rely on human control, all these tasks could be handed over to the intelligent system Luna. However, it was Nebula and Maria Hill's personal habits that made them insist on staying in the cockpit and monitoring things.

Turning his head and seeing the two also walking over with their food, Ethan raised the lemon tea in his hand and gestured towards Hill. "Maria is absolutely right."

Hill had been with him for a considerable amount of time and had gained a sufficient understanding of Ethan's personality and some of his ways of doing things.

She had figured out Ethan's recruitment criteria. Setting aside strength for the moment, first and foremost, the personality couldn't be too bad. The most important point was that Ethan had to find the person pleasing to the eye.

If he found you pleasing, everything was easy. Even if your strength was poor, he could invest a large amount of resources in you and forcibly create a powerhouse.

If he didn't find you pleasing, the kind where he'd feel disgusted just looking at you, would you still expect Ethan to bring you onto his ship?

"Actually... I can learn to cook, I just need some time to figure out how to use these things?"

Leah had been sitting there eating quietly. She had been following everyone around and visiting places, never saying anything, as silent as if she didn't exist.

She had only been here for a short time and wasn't familiar with anyone. Although Ethan held the title of teacher, he hadn't actually taught her anything significant so far.

Laura and Sherry were still taking turns teaching her basic knowledge, and now Evelyn had joined in. According to Ethan, Leah had to learn most of this common sense knowledge before she could officially begin learning Ethan's magical knowledge.

"If you're interested, you can try it when you're resting, but for now, your priority is still learning various common sense things."

Speaking of learning, after finishing their meal, everyone went to the study room.

There were many devices placed there. Besides the smaller learning machines specifically for learning languages and other knowledge, there were also a few slightly larger simulation devices.

"What are these used for?"

After explaining the functions of the learning machine to Banner, Banner also tried it out briefly and learned the language of this universe. With Banner's intelligence level, he could completely handle a one-time knowledge transfer, and this information wouldn't cause him any burden.

"That's really convenient. Does this mean anyone can learn anything?"

"This thing just accelerates the speed of information transfer. If it's some profound knowledge, then for someone who can't learn it, this thing might kill them."

That's why Ethan never used this kind of thing to teach people profound magical knowledge. The greatest possibility of transferring those complex messages was causing the other party's brain death, mental annihilation, or soul collapse.

Banner subconsciously touched his head, making sure he didn't feel any discomfort.

"With your intelligence, this little bit of information isn't enough to kill you. Besides, it's quite hard for you to die now."

Banner was currently immortal. Even if he appeared to die on the surface, the big guy inside would come out and he would immediately recover.

Thinking of his own situation, Banner smiled awkwardly, then decisively changed the subject, asking about the purpose of the other large simulation device.

"Used for learning piloting knowledge."

Although there were Nebula and Hill as pilots on the ship, everyone lived on the spaceship, so piloting this spaceship became a necessary skill to master.

It wasn't convenient to practice directly with the spaceship at ordinary times, so specialized simulation devices were made so everyone could learn spaceship piloting at any time.

"Besides the Artemis's piloting program, this simulation device can also simulate the piloting methods of all aircraft on Earth and some spaceships in the universe."

Tony naturally had enough data, and there were no real control sticks in the simulator. After selecting the aircraft to practice, a realistic holographic image would generate an identical cockpit environment for the user to practice in.

"It just requires wearing the corresponding suit, which can also provide the user with a realistic feeling."

For example, gripping a holographic control stick would be difficult to feel real, but when connected to the suit, the gloves would provide the user with a realistic tactile sensation, making it very close to operating a real control stick.

And to distinguish them from combat suits, these practice suits were brightly colored and could be chosen according to personal preference.

Banner went in and experienced it. Although the Raptor fighter he piloted was shot down by the virtual enemy shortly after taking off, what he cared about wasn't his record, but the feeling of piloting a real fighter when the simulation program started.

"The database of these simulation devices can be updated and modified by Luna. In the future, if new spaceships or fighters are discovered, as long as there are detailed parameters, Luna can fill them into the simulation program."

"That's really good."

Banner watched as the younger people all got into the simulator devices. In a way, this thing was also a large game console, and they were mastering piloting skills while playing a game.

Seeing that only Ethan and himself were left, Maria Hill and Nebula had already returned to the cockpit. Banner realized that Ethan had something he wanted to talk about.

"You want to talk to me?"

"Yes, I know you've always wanted to solve that problem. Actually, I've mentioned it to you many times before, but you didn't seem to pay much attention, or rather, you always thought I was joking."

The smile on Banner's face gradually disappeared. He realized that what Ethan had mentioned countless times before was not a joke.

"You really... have a way to solve my problem?"

"Problem?" Ethan shook his head. "The first thing you need to do is change that idea. The Hulk isn't a problem."

(To be continued.)

Chapter 565: Transmission Platform
For Banner, the Hulk had always been the root cause of his current troubles, but Ethan was now telling him that the Hulk wasn't the problem, which made it completely impossible for him to accept.

"You can keep going back... How was the Hulk born?"

Fundamentally, the Hulk's birth was entirely caused by Dr. Banner's own experimental accident, just as Tony Stark said to Banner in the original plot: "That level of radiation could have killed you."

But not only did Banner not die, he was alive and kicking and possessed abilities many people only dreamed of. The Hulk's existence made Banner practically immortal, which held a fatal attraction for many.

"You mean, I caused all of this myself?"

"Pretty much."

Ethan gestured to Banner, and the two didn't stay there but went to Summer Beach, where they chatted while enjoying the cool sea breeze and watching the sun half-set.

"Actually, the Hulk is just another you. You should know that when some people are escaping reality, a new personality can emerge to control the body in place of the original one, right?"

This kind of scenario mostly happens in movies and TV shows, but there are real-life cases as well. However, Banner had never thought in this direction. In his heart, he had always seen the Hulk as a separate, distinct entity.

"You mean, the Hulk is actually my other personality?" Banner was somewhat incredulous. "That... how is that possible?"

"Why isn't it possible? Just because his appearance is accompanied by massive physical changes? But even if your body changes, it's still your body, isn't it?"

The Hulk didn't appear out of thin air, nor was he some other creature occupying Banner's body. Everything about the Hulk is based on Banner, and the physical changes aren't hard to understand. The gamma radiation caused some special mutations in Banner's body, just like the Fantastic Four mutated after being exposed to cosmic radiation. This is not at all strange in the Marvel universe.

And the Hulk didn't really have a true personality at first, he just felt Banner's own negative emotions. Unlike the core personality, Banner often chose to escape, while the Hulk would vent these negative emotions wildly. Just like a child who doesn't know how to hide their feelings, he simply acted according to instinct.

"Everything the Hulk does isn't something you don't want to do, but something you dare not do. If you can't face all of this squarely, then even I won't be able to help you."

The current Banner hasn't experienced the Avengers' numerous battles, hasn't gone to space to become a gladiator, hasn't been beaten badly by Thanos, and hasn't been sternly rejected by the Hulk, who has already awakened his self-awareness. The Hulk had had enough of the cowardly Banner, always making him solve things whenever trouble arose, which is why he refused to help Banner. This is also why the Hulk wouldn't appear in Avengers: Endgame.

It wasn't until that major battle reached its end that Banner finally began to bravely fight the enemy, no longer relying on the Hulk. Only then did he truly become an Avenger member, rather than a scientist who was part of the Avengers group because of the Hulk.

However, by that time, the Hulk had grown into an independent consciousness, and trying to merge the two would lead to unpredictable changes.

"It's different now. The Hulk is like a newborn baby, he doesn't understand anything, and his mental consciousness is unstable. At this time, you can fully accept everything about him, including the physical mutation, which isn't uncontrollable."

But Banner must face the fact that the Hulk is part of himself. If he continues to reject and refuse to acknowledge this in his heart, even if Ethan can help him assimilate the Hulk this time, it's not guaranteed that a new personality won't emerge again.

"I need to think about it carefully."

"You have plenty of time to think it over now."

With Ethan, Banner had no work to do. He had plenty of free time every day to think carefully about the relationship between himself and the Hulk, how he should treat the Hulk, or rather, should he really acknowledge, as Ethan said, that the Hulk is actually himself.

Everything that needed to be said had been said. Ethan didn't press further.

He could help Dr. Banner and was willing to lend a hand to resolve this minor issue for Banner. Banner's current situation was similar to that of the resurrected Howard and his wife. After getting new bodies, the spiritual energy in their souls needed to merge with the spiritual energy of the new bodies.

Banner's situation was slightly reversed. After his body mutated, coupled with his own personality traits, a new mental entity appeared. This mental entity was rejected by Banner himself and eventually became the Hulk.

If he was willing, Ethan could merge these two mental entities. Considering that the Hulk currently had no independent consciousness, after the re-merging, Banner would still be Banner, and even his personality wouldn't be affected at all.

However, if he delayed for too long, it would be hard to say. Once the Hulk developed a personal consciousness, even if they could merge, it would be difficult to tell if it was Banner or the Hulk, and a new personality might even be born.

Ethan had told Banner all these things. The situation was clear, how Banner chose to proceed was up to him.

Leaving Banner on the island to slowly contemplate his future, Ethan went to another cabin.

This teleportation room was specifically designed for group teleportation and had detailed detection and scanning functions. However, Ethan was now going to make some modifications, such as isolating some smaller teleportation areas for individuals to teleport separately.

With the intelligent system Luna and a warehouse full of freely moldable nanomachines, Ethan could easily modify the area according to his ideas.

In just half a night, he transformed the originally empty teleportation cabin into the form he had envisioned.

From then on, this cabin was divided into several areas. Personal teleportation pads, circular platforms less than a meter in diameter, with an operating interface next to each platform for users to make specific selections.

However, the teleportation pads were currently just for show and didn't have actual teleportation functionality.

According to Ethan's design, these personal teleportation platforms could also be used for simultaneous group teleportation, so even though everyone stood on different platforms, their destination would be the same.

Besides these, there was also a large circular platform, which was the teleportation pad Ethan was currently focusing on building.

This teleportation pad could ensure that everyone on the ship could stand on it without feeling crowded, and there was even extra space for packages or other items.

Compared to the other platforms, this large teleportation pad looked more like a magic Circle created with modern technological materials.

For now, this teleportation pad only led to one world, the Starship Troopers world. Ethan directly recorded the coordinates of that world into the teleportation magic Circle, so anyone on the ship could use this teleportation Circle to go to that world in the future.

The entire teleportation Circle didn't require Ethan to provide energy. Using the ship's own energy, after attribute conversion, it could perfectly activate the teleportation Circle. It could be said that Luna, as the intelligent system, could operate all these teleportation platforms.

"After simple testing, the teleportation platform is operating normally. Do you need me to relinquish control of this platform?"

According to Ethan's previous thinking, he would definitely have asked Luna to completely sever its connection with the platform. However, his ideas had changed now, so he retained Luna's authority over all equipment on the ship.

"No need. I need you to monitor all data on this teleportation platform for a long time. Notify me immediately if there are any abnormal fluctuations."

"Okay, sir."

Although the teleportation platform was ready, Ethan wouldn't immediately let the crew use it for travel. He wasn't sure about the platform's safety and needed to observe it for a long time to confirm there were no issues before personally using it a few times to see the actual effect.

Spatial teleportation was never a simple or casual matter, let alone this kind of cross-planar teleportation. No amount of caution was too much.

So, for the next period, everyone on the Artemis was busy with things to do, and life was relatively peaceful.

Nebula and Hill conducted a full-scale inspection of the spaceship.

Leah followed Evelyn, Sherry, and Laura to learn various necessary common sense knowledge. She also began to show her extraordinary talent. She quickly mastered some basic knowledge about spiritual power training that Sherry taught her. At this rate, within three months, Sherry probably wouldn't have anything left to teach her in terms of magic.

Seeing Leah's learning speed, the temporary teachers all realized how formidable Leah's talent was and understood why Ethan was willing to take Leah as his disciple.

It was also fortunate that Sherry was much older now, otherwise, it was hard to say if she could withstand this kind of shock... for the second time.

Banner was still struggling, but he borrowed a small gadget from Ethan. This gadget allowed him to interact with the Hulk more directly, similar to opening a chat room in his own mental consciousness world. Banner could now have a good face-to-face talk with the Hulk, although the Hulk on the other side had no independent consciousness at all and could only give some very instinctive feedback.

Meanwhile, Ethan stayed in the teleportation room for a long time. While observing the large teleportation platform, he also worked on perfecting the smaller personal teleportation platforms. By the time he had personally completed the construction of all the platforms, he had also basically confirmed that there were no issues with the large platform. So, he began to personally test it by traveling to the Starship Troopers world through this platform.

If there were no problems, he would need to start considering issuing specialized teleportation equipment to everyone, ensuring his crew could return here when needed.

(To be continued.)