DOTM: Chapter 525/526

Chapter 525: Lord God Ethan?

The new technologies and ideas Ethan mentioned weren't just the ones Tony had collected from this world's galaxy, they also included the technology contained within the starship components he had specifically brought back from the Engineers.

Especially the anti-gravity technology, which was of paramount importance. This would definitely require repeated research and testing.

Most of the technology Tony currently possessed could be directly applied to the new starship, including the reactor from the Prometheus, which would be replaced with the most mature Arc Reactor technology Tony had.

There would certainly be many other details requiring adjustments, and it was estimated that in the end only the exterior design would remain unchanged.

After casually discussing the gains from this trip, Tony's greatest interest lay in the alien anti-gravity technology. Only after Ethan promised to send him those parts first thing tomorrow morning did Tony float back into the air, put on his armor, and fly away.

By the time Tony left, a hint of red light had appeared on the horizon, and it was actually already morning. This guy simply thought the parts were too big and heavy and was too lazy to move them himself.

Since Ethan had storage space, carrying things was convenient and simple, so naturally Ethan would handle the transport.

Ethan didn't sleep after Tony left, continuing to lie there waiting for dawn. Then, he took a good shower, changed into fresh clothes, and only then drove the luxury car from the garage to deliver the items to Tony.

He had been busy with this and that during this period, constantly running around for several years. Even though each task wasn't particularly troublesome, the overall time dragged on for a long while.

Therefore, at this time, Ethan didn't want to return to that kind of life rhythm so quickly. He was preparing to relax properly and enjoy some easy days, while also waiting for Tony to complete the starship modifications.

After handing the items over to Tony, Ethan returned to the manor and immediately announced something to all the team members.

"We'll be having a long period of vacation next, as we'll be waiting here for our own spaceship. Is there anything you guys want to do during this time?"

He wasn't trying to interfere with everyone's personal lives, he just wanted to see if anyone had a place they wanted to go. If they had any ideas, they didn't necessarily have to stay here and wait. Everyone could find a world they wanted to visit and have fun.

"There's nowhere we particularly want to go at the moment."

The few of them exchanged glances. For a moment, they really couldn't think of anywhere specific they wanted to go. However, Ethan saying this reminded everyone that they had such an option.

"Do we have to make a decision right away?"

"No, for the next while, if there's any world you want to go to, you can come find me. But the premise is, don't wait until I suddenly go off to some world before you decide where you want to go."

Ethan was going to relax and enjoy life properly next, and he wouldn't be randomly running off to other worlds in the short term. But if it took a long time, he might get bored, and finding him then wouldn't be as simple as it was now.

"So, where are you planning to go?"

Ethan thought about it and then suddenly felt that going to Las Vegas to have some fun might not be a bad idea.

Apart from the existence of superheroes like Iron Man and Captain America, some powerful organizations and various aliens, this Marvel Universe was largely no different from an ordinary Earth.

The things to do were also pretty much the same. Ethan thought about it and wondered if he could experience Las Vegas. He had lived for several decades across two lifetimes and had never actually been to such a place.

"Let's go to Las Vegas!"

Hearing this location, it wasn't surprising that O'Connell, Jonathan, and Logan expressed interest. What surprised Ethan was that even Evelyn and Selene showed interest.

Regardless, everyone reached an agreement and collectively headed to Las Vegas for some fun.

Ethan and the others didn't need to worry about money. Ethan had always held the identity of a Stark Industries shareholder, and the annual dividends were not a small sum. Furthermore, backed by the super-rich Tony Stark, and none of this group having a screw loose, they could thoroughly enjoy all the entertainment options available.

One advantage of this was that they didn't have to hold back when having fun.

But there was also a disadvantage, it didn't take long for everyone to get bored.

After experiencing various magical adventures, witnessing the vastness of the universe, and seeing all sorts of worlds or planets, ordinary entertainment could no longer satisfy these people.

At this point, even Sherry realized that after gaining many things that ordinary people could not obtain, they were also drifting further and further away from ordinary people.

Evelyn and Jonathan, for example, had previously thought that once they had obtained what they could from Ethan, felt tired and weary, they would return to their own world, or find a pleasant world to settle down in, and go back to that ordinary pace of life.

Now everyone realized that this situation was simply impossible.

Even if they felt bored, they probably wouldn't choose to return to ordinariness. More likely, they would seek out more interesting and exciting things to alleviate their boredom.

After returning from their trip to Las Vegas, everyone started thinking about what kind of worlds they should go to for fun.

Tony had only just begun to formulate the detailed modification plan. Starting the work would still require some time, and the completion of the modifications was even further away.

During this time, everyone couldn't just sit around and wait, right?

Of course, Mordred and Galahad were busy with catching up on studies. Going to Las Vegas earlier wasn't suitable for their age, so Tony used his connections to send them to a private academy to experience student life.

Also, Sherry had always been taught by Annette, Selene, and others. Annette also hoped to use this time to let her experience the academy life of an ordinary girl, so she was sent there as well.

Laura strongly disliked studying, and after undergoing the potion enhancement, her appearance had also become increasingly mature. She didn't look like a student at all, so she didn't go with her friends.

After returning from their trip to Las Vegas, Laura was also the first person to suggest that she wanted to go to other worlds to have fun.

This time, she chose to go alone, only taking her companion Auriel, and then proposed going to a world with abundant natural power.

And then, Ethan sent her to the world of Avatar, letting her go play with a group of blue-skinned aliens.

In a civilization similar to a primitive tribe, Laura would have plenty of opportunities to connect with nature. Although it was unknown if her Druid powers would make significant progress, she should have a lot of fun. And with the human demolition team as antagonists for her to fight, Laura definitely wouldn't be bored.

Laura's departure didn't start a trend. Compared to the young Laura, the rest were adults. After appropriate relaxation, everyone voluntarily worked hard on their training, ensuring their strength could steadily improve.

Selene also proposed an idea that gave everyone more motivation to work harder.

"Sending us to other worlds doesn't necessarily have to be for relaxation and fun. If there's something you want to obtain but don't want to or temporarily don't have time to get yourself, you can also send us to go, just like carrying out a mission."

It must be said that years of habit had somewhat constrained Ethan's thinking. He had never really considered letting his companions go to a certain world to retrieve things he needed on his behalf.

Worlds like Prometheus were completely without difficulty. Was there any difference between him going and Logan going? Even if the way they handled things was different, as long as the starship was brought back in the end, the objective would be achieved. There was absolutely no need for him to go personally.

Moreover, as Ethan's understanding of his own space-time magic circle deepened, his application of this magic became increasingly effortless and casual.

The various past restrictions were slowly disappearing. Now, he no longer needed to personally accompany others to travel, he could directly unleash the magic circle and send the target object directly over, and the accuracy of the teleportation was quite high.

Even if there were some errors resulting in less accuracy, or even sending them to the wrong place entirely, with their current strength, these people were more than capable of protecting themselves. As long as they weren't instantly killed by some inexplicable existence the moment they appeared, they would have a complete opportunity to send a signal for Ethan to pick them up again.

Furthermore, since Ethan could hide a return magic circle on Galahad's shield, as his magical strength grew and his understanding of space-time travel deepened, he could completely create specialized return items, giving one to each of his companions, ensuring they could return on their own.

"In a sense, this is also the evolution and improvement of the team."

Not only could they help Ethan retrieve specific items, but with some increase in strength, everyone could choose their own development direction. They could select target worlds and go there to obtain the training resources they needed, without having to wait for Ethan to acquire or even create everything before they could find a new path.

To go a step further, Ethan could completely create this space-time teleportation magic into a fixed magic circle or a teleportation device.

This way, everyone could go to any world they wanted anytime and anywhere, and Ethan wouldn't have to be responsible for casting the spell for every teleportation.

"I always feel like this arrangement has a strange sense of déjà vu."

He increasingly felt that this direction of development was essentially creating a small Lord God Space on his ship, wasn't it? It was just relatively freer and not as mechanized.

Although he had somehow haphazardly developed towards the direction of a Lord God, which made Ethan himself feel a bit speechless, after thinking it over carefully, he felt there was nothing wrong with it.

If he could truly analyze the principles of the space-time magic circle, turn it into magic completely under his own control, and then create teleportation devices that could be used at will, he felt it would be a good thing.

The environment where they could come and go freely gave everyone more choices. He was very curious if anyone would go and never return when that time came.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 526: Ethan Joins the Avengers

In the following time, Ethan began to seriously consider how to turn the space-time teleportation magic circle into a standalone device.

This was not a simple task. It was equivalent to completely replicating the teleportation magic circle he had on hand. This required him to have a crystal-clear understanding of all the details, energy properties, and energy flow methods of this magic circle.

Even though he could now use the shuttle magic in fancy ways, it didn't mean he fully understood the magic circle. Therefore, this was a long-term project, not a problem that could be solved in a few days by just brainstorming and starting to figure things out.

While Ethan was engrossed in researching the magic circle and Tony was focused on tinkering with the Prometheus, things that were originally going to happen were still occurring in places not affected by Ethan.

For example, one of Tony Stark's warehouses was burglarized. Although the stolen items weren't anything major, it still angered the proud Tony Stark.

The Avengers were no longer purely a civilian organization but an official agency. As a vital member of the Avengers, Tony Stark was currently in a cooperation honeymoon period with the authorities, and the resources Tony could mobilize at this time were considerable.

So the Avengers quickly found the thief, which also led to more events. The mastermind behind the theft was former S.H.I.E.L.D. member, the first-generation Ant-Man, Hank Pym.

Because Hank Pym was already old and not suitable for intense physical activities, the person who carried out the operation this time was Scott Lang, whom Hank Pym had recruited.

Up to this point, it seemed like a very ordinary incident, but then it involved Pym particles, Darren Cross creating a new type of suit that could shrink people, and selling this suit to the remnants of Hydra.

This made things bigger. Upon learning that Scott Lang and Hank Pym stole the special parts from Tony Stark's warehouse to stop Cross, the Avengers immediately regarded both generations of Ant-Man as allies on their side.

Anyway, anyone who opposed Hydra was considered a righteous person.

It wasn't just the Avengers who thought this, it was the current consensus among all official personnel.

Thus, what was originally a small matter of catching a thief became the fuse for the Avengers' official mobilization under the overarching context that Hydra must be eliminated. Unfortunately, Darren Cross's strength as a villain was truly inadequate. Facing Captain America and Iron Man, who had already mastered Holy Light and Arcane magic, he had no chance of winning at all.

Darren Cross put on the suit he had meticulously crafted, striking a pose that screamed, "The whole world can't stop me, you're all pathetic!" He frantically mocked Tony Stark's Iron Man suit as nothing more than a pile of outdated metal junk and Captain America as an old antique who should be displayed in a museum.

This behavior infuriated the two giants of the Avengers. Tony no longer hid his magical abilities and switched into his latest magical Iron Man suit, beating Darren Cross to the point where he seriously doubted his life.

He really was doubting his life because Tony's suit displayed all sorts of unscientific abilities. If a heavy Iron Man suit could float in the air without using thrusters, it could be explained as anti-gravity or magnetic levitation technology. The kind of blue flash followed by incredibly lethal metallic particle weapons could be considered electromagnetic weapons. But when he saw Tony conjure a bunch of fireballs and ice arrows with a wave of his hand, he was utterly confused about what that was.

Especially when he tried to attack the innocent bystanders nearby to distract the superheroes, that old antique who only knew how to use a broken shield waved his hand and unleashed a dazzling golden light that directly blocked his laser weapon. What in the world was that?

If he hadn't been in so much pain from the beating, Cross might have even suspected he was having a nightmare full of malicious fun.

Because Tony could create an arcane energy field within a certain range, Cross had no way to escape Tony's magic detection within this range, no matter how small he became, so...

The final outcome was completely without suspense. Tony Stark severely punished Darren Cross, and with the help of Ant-Man Scott, disarmed Cross and successfully captured him.

The matter was considered successfully concluded. As for the subsequent pursuit and capture of the remnants of Hydra, that had nothing to do with Tony.

Moreover, this kind of work didn't require the Avengers to mobilize collectively. Official agencies like the FBI had to show their faces, right?

The next relatively special event was Captain America Steve Rogers personally inviting Scott Lang to join the Avengers.

Although the first-generation Ant-Man and father-in-law, Hank Pym, wasn't very willing, Scott eventually joined the Avengers.

Because a very clear problem was laid before Hank Pym. The government was strengthening its management of superheroes, especially those with special talents and abilities. If they continued to live like ordinary people, it would be fine, but once they started doing things relying on their special abilities, they would either have to join an official agency or become subjects of surveillance or even arrest.

Hank Pym had worked for S.H.I.E.L.D., so he naturally knew how to choose at this time.

Furthermore, while he was hesitating, someone he never expected suddenly appeared before him.

This person was Howard Stark, whom he had thought was long dead.

Hank Pym had a past conflict with Howard, but after so many years, although Hank Pym's temper was still bad, people tend to listen to some advice when they get older.

Howard analyzed the current situation with him, and Hank Pym tacitly agreed to Scott joining the Avengers.

This way, Hank Pym established a certain cooperative relationship with the authorities. His Pym Technologies could continue operating, and he could also continue his research work, trying to find a way to rescue his wife from the quantum realm.

"Actually, about this matter... I think there's someone who can help you."

Ethan listened as Howard and Tony explained the course of events, then looked at Hank Pym and Scott Lang in front of him, as well as Hank Pym's daughter, Hope van Dyne.

"So, you brought them here?"

Ethan spread his hands, feeling a bit speechless. Did this matter have anything to do with him from start to finish?

"After all, you're also a member of the Avengers, so consider this a benefit for the new teammates."

"Wait!" Ethan scratched his head. "When did I become an Avenger member?"

"Haven't you always been?"

Tony wore an expression that said, "How could you forget something so important?" If Ethan weren't certain about his memory and knew this guy's personality, he might really have been fooled.

"It's always been the opposite, right?!"

"Your name has always been on the Avengers roster."

Tony Stark conveniently projected a hologram via the device on his wrist, showing the Avengers roster. Ethan's name and some simple information were at the very bottom of the list of all members.

"... "

Ethan's mouth twitched slightly. He guessed his name wasn't added temporarily. Considering the close relationship between the Avengers and the Stark family now, his name had probably been on there for a long time.

But it didn't matter. Generally, unless it was extremely urgent, like the Earth being destroyed or Thanos gathering the Infinity Stones, the Avengers' regular operations had nothing to do with him.

After all, Thor, the new King of Asgard, also had his name on there. He even saw Loki's name on the alternate list.

"The Ancient One?"

Ethan glanced at Tony. This guy really had a big heart. But Tony shrugged, looking indifferent. After all, this was just an alternate list, and the people on it were potential recruits for the Avengers, but it didn't mean they would definitely join.

"This shouldn't be difficult for you either."

Hank Pym hadn't spoken the entire time. He had been quietly observing Ethan, unable to understand why both Tony and Howard recommended he ask this young man for help.

At least so far, he hadn't seen anything special about this young man. But Howard's resurrection and rejuvenation, as well as Tony Stark's miraculous methods, forced him to sit here patiently.

Hank Pym still had many doubts. Scott Lang, being outgoing, fully utilized his personal strengths after joining the Avengers and quickly chatted his way into becoming friends with his new teammates.

This was especially true with Captain America Steve Rogers, whom he greatly admired. Coupled with the fact that Rogers was generally easy to get along with, even if Scott talked a bit much, Steve didn't show any dissatisfaction but patiently answered Scott's strange questions one after another.

Among these was the source of the Holy Light power that Steve possessed, learned from a sorcerer named Ethan.

Later, he learned that Tony Stark had also learned magic from Ethan, and at that time, he became very curious about this sorcerer, Ethan.

However, in his imagination, Ethan was a wise old man with a long beard, living in seclusion in some hidden or remote place, like Gandalf from The Lord of the Rings.

What the heck was this young man living in a luxury mansion in Malibu, Los Angeles, wearing high-end designer casual clothes, and holding a cold cola in his hand?

He really couldn't reconcile this young man with the image in his mind, but Scott still asked the question he had been holding back for a long time.

"Are you a sorcerer?"

"Yes."

"Like the kind of sorcerer depicted in legends and stories?"

"Pretty much."

Ethan flicked his finger, and the cola in the cup floated into the air, then hovered in front of everyone, changing into various shapes.

Just this much, at most, proved he had some special abilities, which was far from the sorcerer they had in mind. So Ethan casually turned the cola into something else.

Of course, it needed to be accompanied by some special light and shadow effects, such as magical radiance and a few mysterious runes, along with a palm-sized magic circle pattern. Finally, under everyone's gaze, the liquid turned into stone.

"Wow!"

(To be continued.)