🎉🎉DOTM: Chapter 560/563

Chapter 560: Mr. Arendelle

With Nebula's abilities, she could have achieved even greater fame than Mordred, but Nebula usually kept a low profile, simply doing her job and rarely doing anything extra.

On the contrary, her appearance attracted many hungry wolves. Every time she went to the front lines for new weapon testing, some soldiers would harass her, only to be brutally beaten by Nebula.

"Did Captain forget about my enhancement?"

"No, I haven't forgotten. I've already found time to make your enhancement serum."

Nebula's enhancement was relatively more complex. She wanted to retain her existing qualities and some abilities while restoring her human body as much as possible.

Currently, a large part of her body was mechanical, and restoring a human body was not easy, especially while retaining most of her abilities.

To solve this problem, Ethan thought of many methods. Finally, with Tony's help in the Batman world, he completely solved it.

"You need to think carefully. If you choose this method of enhancement, at least for a short time, I won't be able to enhance you further."

He took out a tube of serum that was completely different from all previous enhancement serums. This serum emitted a mercury-like glow because, in addition to the liquid, it contained a large number of nanomachines.

The liquid component would enhance and restore Nebula's remaining body parts, while the nanomachines would copy the mechanical equipment and then completely integrate and assimilate with her body.

Outwardly, it would look no different from a normal body, but it could undergo various transformations when necessary, becoming the mechanical equipment she wanted to use.

Besides this, the nano-body would give Nebula another ability. Similar to a technological version of Mystique, she could freely change her appearance to a certain extent.

Nebula held the tube of serum in her hand, listening to Ethan's introduction. After he finished, she nodded with satisfaction.

"It sounds much better than I expected. I'm curious, how much stronger can this serum make me?"

"Hard to say."

Ethan couldn't determine this point either. He was truly uncertain about the final effect of this serum. He could only determine a minimum baseline. After fully taking effect, Nebula's combat power would definitely surpass those in his team who were not skilled in combat. Ethan was referring to enhanced physical qualities, not actual combat ability.

However, whether she would become stronger or weaker than people like Logan and Selene, who focused on improving their combat ability, was difficult to determine.

"Very good. Do I drink it too?"

"No, this serum needs to be administered by injection."

Handing over an injection gun, Nebula decisively loaded the serum and injected herself in the arm.

Her swift and decisive action even surprised Ethan a little.

The others watched Nebula curiously. Although Ethan's serums usually didn't cause any special changes after use, only specific serums would bring about drastic changes in a short period.

But the serum Nebula was using was clearly not ordinary, so they were all looking forward to seeing what changes would occur in her.

They didn't have to wait long. Nebula's body quickly began to visibly shake, and it looked as if something was constantly moving beneath her skin. The sight looked quite painful.

Even though none of them were ordinary people, they felt uncomfortable watching this scene. What was even more frightening was that they could fully imagine how painful this situation was. Yet Nebula, as the person experiencing it, acted as if nothing was wrong, calmly observing the changes happening to her body.

When she witnessed some of her mechanical structures being expelled from her body and new limbs growing in their place at an astonishing speed, her eyes were filled with wonder.

She could clearly feel that these new limbs were somewhere between flesh and mechanical structure, with many parts transformed from the nano-tissue. With just a thought, she could transform them into the mechanical equipment she wanted to use.

Although the transformation was not yet complete, the most important part, her head, had finished the transformation. The mechanical structure of her head had already fallen to the ground, but she felt that her computation and other abilities were not only unaffected but had even been greatly enhanced.

At the same time, she found that her control over her body had become stronger, but having a body that was almost entirely flesh after so long gave her a moment of daze. She hadn't felt this sensation in a very long time.

She extended her hand, watching her skin freely switch between white and blue with a single thought, and then transform into an energy cannon with another thought. This would require Nebula to learn some kind of energy application to unleash its true power.

"... "

"Uh, theoretically, your body is also your strongest weapon."

Nebula's current state reminded Ethan of the female Terminator in the red leather bodysuit who relentlessly hunted the governor on the streets.

In a way, the two were very similar. Both were long-legged girls over six feet tall with sweet appearances, but were actually cold-blooded killing machines.

"Very good!"

Nebula experimented a few more times. The transformation was nearing its end. As her body continuously expelled the original outdated parts, she casually tore off her clothes and stood there completely exposed.

Along with that, she also took the opportunity to examine her body, gently touching the areas that were previously mechanical structures.

By the time she had finished looking, the initial transformation of her body was completely finished. It was only then that everyone noticed Nebula's forehead was covered in fine sweat.

It was understandable. How could a transformation that replaced more than half of her body not be painful at all? But Nebula had suffered various forms of pain since childhood. She was almost accustomed to living in pain and would never show her weak side in front of outsiders, always maintaining a cold demeanor.

When she was examining her body just now, she was actually taking a breath and recovering. At that time, she couldn't make any big movements or speak. It took a while before she returned to normal.

Selene brought a new set of clothes, and Nebula put them on piece by piece right in front of Ethan.

"Are you treating me like I'm not here?"

Nebula glanced at Ethan, not feeling that there was anything wrong with her actions.

"I have many detection devices on me. Your hormone levels have only changed slightly, which proves you have no interest in me whatsoever."

"... "

After getting dressed, Nebula used her ability again to change her appearance to look like an Earthling.

"Oh? It seems you still prefer partners who look similar to your own race."

"... "

Nebula looked at her body again. This was different from before, where she used a holographic projection to conceal herself. Now, her appearance had truly changed to look like an Earthling, which was also a novel experience for her.

"Does this look suit your preferences now?"

"You're thinking too much!"

Ethan decisively turned the topic back to weapons.

"Since we're free, and Nebula needs to test her current condition, I also want to see the specific situation of the rifle you manufactured. You have a training ground or a weapon lab or something like that here, right?"

"Yes, we do, but it's not here."

Things like weapon manufacturing, weapon testing, and the development of new weapons were all done in other locations. Due to the danger of weapon manufacturing, this kind of work definitely could not be done in the city center.

Ethan and the others were in the Cherry Military Industry offices, located in a regular office building in the city center. Annette and her team occupied a quarter of one floor, while the weapon laboratory and manufacturing plant were built in a relatively remote area in the suburbs.

"Let's go directly."

They didn't use teleportation this time, not because there were many people, but because both places had a large number of ordinary employees. Annette and her team needed to maintain their ordinary person identities and concealed their extraordinary abilities as much as possible.

The transportation in this world was good, and the vehicles were advanced enough. Traveling from the city center to the suburbs didn't take long, and there was no traffic congestion.

It only took half an hour for everyone to arrive at the weapon laboratory located in the suburbs.

"The rifle production line is in another factory not far away. This is the laboratory used for developing and making new equipment."

Not many people worked here, but they were all high-level technical talents recruited by Annette with high salaries. As for the money, this group had enough means to obtain startup capital, which was also the reason why Cherry Military Industry could rise rapidly.

Seeing the company boss arrive with a group of people, the laboratory manager and chief weapon designer came forward to greet them.

"This is Edward Miller, the laboratory manager. This is Fernando Donato, our chief weapon designer, currently responsible for the further improvement of the rifle."

As for Ethan's identity, he was the company's behind-the-scenes investor, which also explained why Cherry Military Industry never lacked funds in its initial stage, because there was Ethan, a hidden backer, behind the scenes.

And for this identity, Ethan temporarily assigned himself a surname. In this world, he needed a certain degree of hidden identity, and making up a surname would cause less trouble.

"It is a great honor to meet you, Mr. Arendelle."

"Just call me Ethan."

Ethan Arendelle, that was his full name in this world. When the crazy girl Mordred asked him about the meaning of this surname on the way, she was fooled by Ethan telling her the surname symbolized powerful magic.

However, when he said this surname, he always felt as if a new flag had been planted behind him.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 561: Heavy Sword

Mr. Arendelle wanted to see Cherry Military Industries' products, to witness the results of his investment firsthand.

As the chief designer, Fernando Donato knew this was the moment to prove his worth. He took out his latest improved Heavy Sword rifle.

"Compared to the previous prototype, the gun body is slightly smaller, and the weight has been significantly reduced. Its current weight is no longer a burden for soldiers."

Ethan looked at the row of rifles in front of him, all named Heavy Sword. He found the name quite accurate, the things looked truly substantial.

However, for Ethan, this weight was nothing. He casually picked up the large rifle in front of him and examined it up close.

At first glance, the appearance of the Heavy Sword was simple, just a long rectangular box. However, within this relatively simple large frame, it had still been aesthetically enhanced. Although it was a fully assembled rifle, the various components were clearly visible, allowing even someone encountering this weapon for the first time to instantly see the distribution of its modules.

"The modular design makes it convenient for soldiers to maintain, repair, or even replace parts. If necessary, they can simply disassemble several damaged rifles and assemble a working one from the intact parts. This rifle can still be used normally."

In the era Ethan once lived in, or the current era of the Marvel Universe, modularity was already a standard requirement for many weapon designs. However, in the world of Starship Troopers, this was a very advanced weapon concept.

Naturally, the ones who proposed this concept were Annette and Selene. It was precisely these advanced concepts that allowed them to successfully secure the Federation's order.

"After further improvements, the Heavy Sword rifle can currently fire five-millimeter diameter metal particles at six times the speed of sound. It can easily penetrate the bugs' exoskeletons and cause fatal damage to their internal tissues."

The principle of the Heavy Sword rifle was to use energy to propel metal particles at high speed. The basic principle was actually the same as gunpowder weapons, just with a different energy source. Even the basic principle of Gauss weapons in StarCraft hadn't changed, that Gauss rifle which fired needle rounds also used electromagnetic propulsion.

The world of Starship Troopers was quite advanced in energy application. Miniaturization was not difficult for them, and the technology to use energy for propulsion was readily available. What they lacked was practical combat experience and some inspiration. Long-term warfare would slowly stimulate this inspiration, which was why human weaponry rapidly evolved and upgraded in the later stages.

Ethan chose the period just as the war with the bugs began. At this time, the Federation most lacked various inspirations, and they took advantage of this.

At this point, Ethan and his team didn't even need to collect more advanced technology from other worlds. Using the existing technology of the Starship Troopers world, combined with their own knowledge, they could manufacture many pieces of equipment that would satisfy the Federation.

Ethan observed that apart from the modularity and energy propulsion, this rifle was essentially made entirely of existing technology in this world. Annette and Selene had merely combined some technologies and ensured they could be used normally.

At this moment, Fernando Donato was still introducing the Heavy Sword rifle in his hand to Ethan.

"Because it uses metal particles as ammunition and due to its size, the ammunition capacity is very high. This is beneficial for dealing with large numbers of bugs. At the same time, we have improved the cooling system to ensure that soldiers can empty all the ammunition they carry before the rifle becomes unusable due to overheating of the barrel."

Ethan had thought the cooling issue would be troublesome. He didn't expect it to be solved so easily?

Thinking about it, the technology in Starship Troopers was already quite advanced. It was not that the development of war weapons went off track, but rather that most technologies became obsolete because they weren't suited for the fight against the bugs, requiring a new tech tree to be developed, hence the awkward situation.

Listening to the various data reported by Fernando, this rifle was already an excellent, mature product. Considering it was to be issued to millions of infantry soldiers, with the current parameters of the Heavy Sword rifle, even if it received no upgrades for the next ten years, the Federation would likely continue to use this rifle as its primary weapon.

If the Heavy Sword rifle could be further upgraded to increase the projectile speed to over ten times the speed of sound, then it would be no different from the Gauss rifle in StarCraft.

Facing this kind of weapon, even if Ethan's team members were equipped with protective suits with energy shields, they wouldn't dare to charge straight into the dense hail of bullets head-on, because their protective suits' energy layers would be destroyed before they even reached the enemy.

As the explanation concluded, several targets appeared in front of Ethan and the others. They were all alloy steel plates. Ethan raised the rifle in his hand and pulled the trigger.

Ethan had specifically practiced marksmanship back then and wasn't unfamiliar with firearms.

With the strengthening of his mental power, the improvement of his physical fitness, and the enhancement of his self-control, he quickly mastered this simple weapon completely.

After just three shots, he had figured out the Heavy Sword rifle's trajectory. After that, the bullets he fired never missed the humanoid target's head, quickly shattering the heads of the targets at ten, thirty, and fifty meters.

"Good power!"

After test firing for a while, Ethan nodded to Fernando with a satisfied expression and then gave Annette a look. Such a good weapon, they should first get a few dozen for themselves as reserves.

Those like Logan and Ada, who liked using thermal weapons in combat, definitely needed to upgrade their equipment.

Furthermore, aside from being a bit large, this rifle had very little recoil. It wouldn't drift randomly during continuous fire due to recoil and trajectory, making it quite simple to use.

If used in conjunction with the various aiming assistance systems on their protective suits, they could completely harvest enemy lives as if playing a video game.

Ethan expressed his satisfaction. This was good news for Fernando, meaning his abilities had been recognized by the backer. Considering the company was already on the right track, it seemed he wouldn't have to worry about his livelihood for a long time.

Since the main concept for the first generation Heavy Sword rifle was proposed by Annette, one of the company's founders, although he was the chief weapon designer, he didn't have personal copyright on this weapon, so he couldn't enjoy royalty fees for it yet.

As long as he could make significant and excellent improvements to this weapon, he could get a share of the income from the company's main product. For every Heavy Sword rifle sold, he would receive a certain percentage.

The premise was that he could remain firmly in his position as chief weapon designer. If the big boss wasn't satisfied with his abilities, this long-term meal ticket might slip away from him.

"Besides the rifle, are there any other new projects in the weapon lab?"

Ethan put down the weapon, while Nebula beside him was still firing the rifle. In this relatively enclosed weapon testing ground, the sound of the Heavy Sword rifle firing wasn't unbearable. The sound of the rifle firing was less deafening than the sound of bullets hitting the targets. This also meant that prolonged firing of the weapon wouldn't damage the soldiers' hearing, which was another advantage.

It didn't even affect Ethan's conversation with Fernando. The chief designer, hearing Ethan's question, immediately listed several planned projects currently on the list.

Including the design draft for a new all-terrain vehicle (still in the initial conceptual stage); a new type of exoskeleton armor with decent defensive capabilities; heavy infantry weapons that could complement the Heavy Sword rifle; and small firearms for officers or use in confined spaces.

"Currently, these are the directions we've set, but we don't have many people at the moment, and most of our energy is focused on the modifications to the Heavy Sword rifle."

This was also normal. After all, the Heavy Sword rifle had already secured an order. Before it was completely finalized and put into production to start bringing in a steady stream of funds, those other projects would definitely have to be postponed.

"The all-terrain vehicle can be dropped. After the Heavy Sword, prioritize the design and manufacturing of exoskeleton armor."

Upon hearing this, Fernando looked at Manager Edward Miller and company boss Annette. This matter wasn't something he could decide, and he also wasn't sure if he should listen to this behind-the-scenes backer.

However, Annette quickly stated her position. "This is also the company's decision. Our company doesn't have much advantage with all-terrain vehicles, and as for the other types of infantry weapons..."

Edward Miller, having been recruited as a manager, was quite sensitive to these business matters and immediately understood why these projects were being abandoned.

Cherry Military Industries was not a top-tier military industrial group. Securing the rifle order was already the limit. The boss was actively giving up the market for the other types of infantry equipment to avoid being ganged up on by the large corporations.

Then, while other large corporations were competing for the other pieces of the pie, they would first focus on developing exoskeleton armor, which the Federation didn't currently prioritize too much. This way, when the Federation had a demand for such equipment, Cherry Military Industries would already have a stable foundation and a relatively mature product prototype.

"That sounds like a correct development strategy."

As for whether this mysterious backer had received some information, Edward and Fernando didn't care. In any case, their work had been recognized, and the next step was to work hard to make the company develop better and better, which was also a way to secure better treatment for themselves.

It was a good thing for the company to have a clear development strategy. Since the boss had approved, they naturally had no reason to object.

Moreover, with Cherry Military Industries' current R&D capabilities, it wasn't suitable to start multiple projects simultaneously. Focusing on one was better.

The specific details would definitely be discussed slowly afterwards. There was no need to continue this topic now.

At this moment, Nebula put down the rifle. After this period of test firing, through her body's feedback to this firearm she was very familiar with, and comparing it to her state when using this weapon before, she gained a better understanding of her current body.

The improvement in physical fitness was very obvious.

(To be continued.)

Special thanks to mikestarling101 for sponsoring this extra chapter 🎉🎉🎉

Chapter 562: Dual Line Operation

Nebula's brain recorded her personal data from using the Heavy Sword rifle before. After comparing it with her current usage, she found that her physical fitness had improved dramatically. She remembered that the potions Ethan made were supposed to be slow-acting.

"Your potions are quite special."

Nebula's significant physical improvement wasn't surprising at all, as the nanite components were equivalent to replacing more than half of her body. Naturally, her new body had much better physical capabilities.

If it were anyone else, their bodies would still be the original ones after using the potion, requiring gradual modification and improvement, so the effects would naturally be much slower.

"Your new body still retains some ordinary flesh and blood. This part still has room for improvement. If you continue to train, your physical fitness will improve further."

Nebula's potion didn't completely lock her potential, it just meant her potential for development was relatively less.

After testing the Heavy Sword rifle, Nebula went to a laboratory specifically designed for testing physical data. This time, all non-essential personnel were cleared out, leaving only Ethan and other internal staff.

Here, Nebula could test her physical data in more detail. Overall, she was very satisfied with her new body, except that while her arms could transform into energy weapons, they lacked the energy to serve as ammunition.

It wasn't that Nebula herself had no energy, any living organism contains energy. Moreover, half of Nebula's body was mechanical, and these mechanical parts also had additional energy sources supplying them.

The problem now was that if Nebula relied on her own bio-energy or the energy maintaining her mechanical structure to shoot, she would quickly drain her own energy.

"So you have a few options now. Implant a powerful enough energy source within yourself, or simply learn to master a certain type of energy. Or learn how to utilize the various energies freely available around you."

In most worlds, this kind of energy floats everywhere. For example, the various magnetic fields, radiation, and matter present throughout the universe are all forms of energy. If Nebula could utilize these energies, she could also solve this problem.

"Relatively speaking, I personally recommend you learn to master a certain type of energy, followed by implanting an energy source."

Nebula didn't hesitate for long at all, perhaps she had already made up her mind.

"I want it all!"

"Huh?"

"First, implant a small energy source. I will also work hard to learn the techniques for utilizing the surrounding energy and determine the type of energy best suited for me to learn and master."

Ethan nodded. Nebula really did want it all, she didn't want to miss out on any method she could think of.

"Then go for it!"

Nebula finished testing her new body and was very satisfied with the compensation Ethan provided, so she started to care about her job.

"Is your new spaceship ready?"

"The modifications are complete. I originally came here to gather you all back."

However, it now seemed that most people couldn't leave this world for the time being, so he would probably have to go back by himself first.

"Anyway, I don't have anything important to do here. I can go back with you."

Nebula found staying in this world quite boring. The technological level of the Earth Federation was nothing special to a warrior like her who had roamed the universe for countless years.

Furthermore, due to her race, she had to live a low-profile life here, mostly avoiding contact with people.

Even though the modifications were complete and she no longer had racial appearance issues, she didn't want to just stay here doing nothing.

"That's good too. Anyway, after I go back, I need to set up a teleportation room on the ship."

After the teleportation room was set up, these crew members could freely travel between the Artemis (Moon Goddess) and the Starship Troopers world. Considering there wasn't much going on in the main world and they would be drifting and exploring in the vast universe for a long time, having everyone busy in this world now could prevent them from getting too bored.

"That's good. I'll ask around to see who else is ready to go back."

Selene and Annette definitely couldn't leave, they had to continue managing Cherry Military Industries here, at least until it was running smoothly.

Ada also couldn't leave for now, but she was relatively free and could travel back and forth between the ship and this world, the type who could come and go as she pleased.

The few who had joined the army couldn't leave right now. After Ethan sent out inquiries, O'Connell and Jonathan said they wanted to stay here for a while longer.

Logan said he could only go back after finishing the matters at hand. He was currently on a mission with the Roughnecks. Even if he wanted to go back, he'd have to wait until the battle was over to apply for discharge.

Betty was currently a ship's pilot and also couldn't leave immediately, but she had indicated that she would deal with things here as quickly as possible and return to her own world. She was the most eager to go back among everyone.

Mordred and Galahad, however, were willing to go back to the ship. This was because they were relatively free and could come back anytime after returning. They could also travel back and forth like Ada.

"Oh right, what about Evelyn and Sherry?"

"They were at the rifle factory before, but they should be arriving soon."

Evelyn and Sherry were definitely going back to the ship. This world held no attraction for them, watching stars back on the ship was more interesting.

Imhotep and Anck-su-namun were still busy developing their cult. They had finally trained their first batch of loyal followers and definitely wouldn't leave at this time.

However, Imhotep still asked for Ethan's opinion. If Ethan needed him back, he would naturally bring Anck-su-namun and come before Ethan immediately.

Considering Imhotep would have nothing to do back on the ship, it was better to let him stay here and busy himself.

After asking around and confirming everyone's wishes, there was no need for Ethan to stay here any longer.

"Are you planning to leave directly?"

"I'll go back early and set up the passage so you can travel back and forth freely."

He had no interest in fighting bugs, he wasn't very interested in the male and female protagonists of this world either.

Even if he wanted to establish a marine corps on his ship in the future, the male protagonist Johnny was an excellent command talent, but if he didn't specifically intervene, Johnny might grow up to become a general. How could he recruit him then?

As for the female protagonist, she would also grow up to become a fleet commander. She probably wouldn't be recruitable to serve him until she was old and close to death.

So, recruiting talent wasn't something to consider for now, especially since the Artemis wasn't short on people at the moment.

When Evelyn and Sherry arrived, Ethan took the few people who were ready to go back and left directly. Mordred didn't leave this time, she hadn't had enough fun yet. Consequently, Galahad also didn't leave, he had to stay and continue watching over Mordred.

When Ethan returned to the mansion, Laura happened to be teaching Leah some basic life skills. Actually, it was mainly teaching Leah how to use the team's learning equipment. Once Leah knew how to use it, Laura prioritized recommending several types of knowledge for Leah to self-study, only helping Leah with some adaptation, such as having conversations with her.

When Ethan returned with a few people, Leah was stumbling through a conversation with Laura using the newly learned language of the main world.

Seeing Ethan return, Laura looked behind him in surprise.

"Why did only a few people come back?"

"They all have things to do and can't get away for now. They'll be staying in that world for a while longer."

After briefly explaining everyone's situation to Laura, she learned that that world had been designated as a new base for sustainable development by everyone. Ethan would establish a stable teleportation channel on the spaceship after returning this time, allowing everyone to travel back and forth freely.

"That's a shame, hearing about it makes me want to go see it."

Although bugs sounded unpleasant, she didn't necessarily have to go to an alien planet and fight them head-on. She just wanted to see what Earth in that world was like.

Leah, on the other hand, was completely confused. She didn't understand many of the things Ethan said, so she just sat obediently to the side.

"Who is this little girl?"

Compared to Nebula, who paid no attention to Leah's presence, and Sherry, who was still observing with some curiosity, Evelyn simply asked.

"My new disciple."

This time, even Nebula turned her head to look at Leah. She knew about Ethan's terrifying strength, and a child noticed by such an existence would definitely not be an ordinary little girl.

Looking at the still very young Leah, Nebula suddenly thought of herself and Gamora. They were also adopted by Thanos from a young age and kept by his side and taught for many years.

"I really want to see what this child's talent is like."

"You're also going to learn energy manipulation and control. I believe you'll soon know what her talent is like."

Although he hadn't officially started teaching anything yet, Ethan was confident in Leah's talent. Whether it was her comprehension, personality, or bloodline, Leah had virtually no weaknesses in terms of talent.

Even without considering the Diablo bloodline, the remaining so-called ordinary human bloodline, given the special nature of humans in the Diablo world, Leah's bloodline was nowhere near ordinary.

Over the next few days, the returning individuals rested and adjusted briefly. Laura took some time to spar with Nebula again. Although it was just simple close combat, both were surprised by each other's improvements.

Evelyn and Sherry continued teaching Leah some basic knowledge, and Sherry also began teaching some introductory magic lessons.

Ethan then notified Bruce Banner and Maria Hill. After the two arrived with their luggage, Ethan took the few individuals who had changed into new gear and left the Marvel Universe, returning to his main world.

He released the Artemis on a desolate asteroid covered only in rocks. After being busy for so many years, he was finally officially setting off towards the sea of stars.

(To be continued.)

Special thanks to mikestarling101 for sponsoring this extra chapter 🎉🎉🎉

Chapter 563: The Gap between Reality and Fantasy

The Artemis's propulsion engines were normally arranged in a two-forward, two-aft layout, similar to an animal's four limbs, positioned at the four corners of the spacecraft. During takeoff, this allowed the ship to lift off the ground smoothly. After ascending to a certain altitude, the four thrusters would slightly adjust their positions, finally settling into a two-forward, two-aft arrangement with the front lower than the rear.

The original Prometheus was not particularly good at flying in atmospheric environments, as it wasn't designed for long-duration cruising and exploration within an atmosphere.

Now, the Artemis, based on the Prometheus prototype and extensively refitted by Tony Stark, had compensated for this weakness. The anti-gravity engines brought back by Ethan allowed the ship to easily overcome the pull of gravity and lift off with much less thrust than before.

Not only was takeoff easier, but flying within the atmosphere had also become more stable with much less turbulence. Ethan sat in the captain's chair and felt no vibration at all, though this was also related to the asteroid's weak gravity and thin atmosphere.

Maria Hill and Nebula served as the main and co-pilots of the Artemis.

Nebula was an experienced pilot, skilled in flying almost every type of spacecraft in the Marvel universe. Even if she hadn't encountered this specific ship before, her special, computer-like brain allowed her to master the necessary knowledge in the shortest possible time.

Before takeoff, Nebula conducted a comprehensive inspection of the entire ship's condition and absorbed all essential knowledge about it. All that remained was the actual piloting, and she had no shortage of spacecraft piloting experience.

In contrast, although Maria Hill had also done a lot of homework, even secretly learning on the Prometheus for a while and becoming more familiar with the ship's operating systems than Nebula, her lack of spacecraft piloting experience was a fatal weakness. In the short term, she could only serve as Nebula's co-pilot.

The Artemis slowly departed the desolate asteroid. Then, Nebula piloted the ship into the vast emptiness of space, picking a random direction to proceed while continuously testing the various functions of the ship.

The weapon systems didn't require practical testing for the moment, she just familiarized herself with how to operate them. However, she tested the ship's acceleration, deceleration, emergency stops, and all other maneuvers.

The Artemis's performance surprised Nebula.

"I didn't expect that guy to actually have some skill."

Nebula didn't know much about Tony Stark. It was just that Tony often spoke casually, and strangers often didn't get a good first impression of him.

Although she already knew Tony was a very famous figure on Earth and a super genius, she didn't place much importance on a genius from such a backward planet.

When she learned that Ethan had given the ship to Tony for modifications, she always thought it would be more reliable for Ethan to just steal a better ship in space.

She didn't expect Tony to modify the ship so well. From Nebula's extensive piloting experience, this ship definitely reached the level of a first-class spacecraft in the universe, sufficient to support a group of adventurers surviving in space.

Ethan continuously monitored the ship's parameters on the display screen in front of him. After all, his understanding of his new ship was very limited, even less than Nebula, who was currently in the pilot's seat. This was actually quite dangerous for a captain. If you don't understand your own ship, how can you make correct judgments and give commands at critical moments?

He had to not only remember the data in front of him but also use his own senses to judge how long the ship needed to accelerate, how long to decelerate, and how long to turn. Turning also needed to be distinguished between horizontal and vertical, as well as multi-angle maneuvering adjustments.

Even without testing the weapon systems, the Artemis didn't travel very far after officially launching. At this point, if they turned around, they could even see the asteroid they had just left through the front window.

After completing the maneuverability tests, everyone no longer had to be strapped into their seats. Bruce Banner had already walked to the front window, gazing out at the vast, endless expanse of the universe with a sigh.

"I never thought I'd have the chance to travel in space."

Ethan stood beside him, looking at the dark scenery in the distance, dotted with specks of light and a few faintly visible planets.

"Your world is also about to take this step. With your status, you'll see this scene sooner or later."

Banner knew that Tony had already mastered space travel technology but was holding back the technology because it wasn't convenient to take too big a leap at once.

However, given Tony Stark's personality, he wouldn't be able to suppress it for long and would definitely release these technologies gradually.

Furthermore, as a member of the Avengers, Bruce Banner knew what kind of dangers lurked in the universe, and Earthlings had to prepare early. So, from every perspective, it was inevitable for Earthlings to enter the universe.

"Speaking of which, can this ship maintain gravity after leaving the asteroid?"

"This ship itself has an artificial gravity device, and it has been reinforced to a certain extent after the modification. It can not only provide standard gravity for the entire ship (Earth standard) but also achieve gravity enhancement and reduction in specific areas."

The gravity room was located next to the training module, part of the training module. As the number of non-humans on board increased, Ethan also needed to come up with some new ways to keep them busy.

Although he didn't know if this kind of thing had any practical training effect, as long as it could help them expend their excess energy, that was a good thing.

Nebula was still testing the ship's various systems, but she was no longer sitting in the pilot's seat. She had engaged the autopilot and was using and checking other systems.

This included testing the radar and communication equipment. The communication equipment wasn't just for talking; it could also intercept other people's communication information. They weren't living in a universe without other life, there were powerful cosmic civilizations here, and they might even encounter other spacecraft.

Banner knew this, of course. He was very curious about what the first cosmic civilization he encountered would be like.

"There's no difference. Have you forgotten that Nebula is a cosmic being?"

Turning his head, Ethan remembered that Nebula usually maintained a human appearance to avoid trouble, and even now, she hadn't changed back to her original form.

When Ethan mentioned this, Nebula reverted to her original appearance, a cosmic race with azure blue skin.

"Wow!"

Banner wanted to get closer to observe, but he felt that would be too rude, so he resisted the urge to approach.

"Thor is also a cosmic being, right... In a sense, so am I."

"Your appearances always make me overlook that."

Neither Thor nor Ethan looked significantly different from humans. Without displaying their special abilities, it was difficult to associate them with alien life.

"Let me show you around first. You'll have plenty of time later to slowly admire these monotonous views."

The universe's starscape was amazing at first glance, but after looking at it for a long time, it was just the same old thing, and they could absolutely look at it until they were sick of it.

Ethan took Banner to the lounge area, and then showed him around the entire ship.

In fact, it wasn't just Banner who needed to tour the entire ship. Sherry, Evelyn, and others were also on this ship for the first time, and they also needed to look around to get familiar with it and understand where they would be living, so they wouldn't get lost in their own home, which wasn't something to be proud of.

"Although the space is much smaller than the Prinz Eugen, it feels more comfortable to live in."

The Prinz Eugen was certainly large enough, but there were too few people on board. You could often walk down a corridor for a long time without hearing any human voices. Staying in such an environment for too long could make people feel uncomfortable.

So, when they were on the Prinz Eugen, everyone's cabins were close together, and their activity areas were basically limited to a few places, which made it more lively.

The Artemis was relatively much smaller. Everyone's rooms were almost in one area, and just a few steps out of the bedroom led to various activity rooms. There was basically no situation where you walked for a long time and didn't see anyone.

Of course, when they wanted a relatively free environment to be alone, Ethan also had a solution.

He had created a small island on the Prinz Eugen. This independent space with an island had been cut out by him and placed into a cabin.

The cabin door was labeled "Summer Beach." Anyone who wanted to find a quiet place with pleasant weather for a vacation could come here.

"So, your ship has an entire island and a sea inside?"

Bruce Banner, who was following Ethan and getting familiar with each area, watched with wide eyes as a plain, empty cabin was transformed into a Hawaiian-like resort with just a few simple manipulations by Ethan.

He suspected he might be under some kind of illusion. He bent down and touched the soil and grass under his feet.

"Is all this real? I mean, it's not some spell or special equipment that just makes people see this kind of illusion to achieve relaxation, right?"

"These are all real. This island and the surrounding seawater are real. The only drawback is that there are no creatures here, and no creatures in the surrounding sea."

This small world barely managed self-circulation, but it wasn't enough to give birth to and sustain more life. Even throwing some fish into the seawater would likely disrupt the currently unstable environmental system.

So, raising animals and such would have to wait.

"If you get bored on the ship, you can come here to relax anytime, but you'll have to figure out where to live yourself. For example, the small wooden cabin by the forest over there was built by Logan himself."

Bruce Banner suddenly realized that the situation here was completely different from the space travel he had imagined.

(To be continued.)