DOTM: Chapter 510/511

Chapter 510: Best Placement

"So ugly!"

It wasn't just the two women, Nebula and Annette. Even the roughnecks Logan and Star-Lord looked disgusted.

A purplish-black stalk, topped with purplish-red petals. The petals were spread open, and the central stamen area looked like a gaping maw, faintly showing purplish-black liquid.

The flying vines and the spurting purplish-black liquid all came from this "great mouth". At the same time, there were things on the stalk, whether tentacles or branches and leaves, that were twitching.

In short, this thing was incredibly hideous. It was unbelievable that such a thing existed on this planet.

"Is this considered a plant or an animal?" Everyone turned to look at Logan, perhaps the druid could provide an accurate answer.

But Logan wasn't entirely sure either. This thing had the appearance of a plant, but its behavior was more like an animal. "Perhaps it's a similar species to Groot?"

"I think Groot is still very cute..."

Comparing this thing to Groot felt like an insult to the adorable tree person.

Almost everyone felt this way. Even Annette didn't want to look at this ghastly thing anymore. She directly took out a few incendiary grenades and threw them out.

Logan also took out the automatic rifle from his storage space. It was an M-series automatic rifle with a grenade launcher attached. After loading it with incendiary rounds, he launched a fiery attack on these ugly purple flowers.

Ethan didn't hold back either. He also disliked this thing, not only was it ugly, but it also popped out to scare people. Not killing it would be letting himself down.

He didn't need to make any movements. He just needed to channel his magic power, and fireballs would condense beside him, one after another. These fireballs attacked the purple flowers in continuous groups of five.

Explosions constantly rang out. The shockwaves and airflow generated by the explosions blew away the mist that had gathered again. At the same time, the firelight from the explosions seemed to affect the purple thick mist. A few sparks that splattered far away actually eliminated some of the purple mist.

"This purple mist can be dispersed by fire."

This was good news. Previously, they didn't know what chemical reaction fire would have with this mist, so they didn't dare to use it easily. Ethan's fireball spell was only cast after the mist had been dispersed. Before that, he only used spatial magic.

This was because they were worried that this mist was flammable and explosive gas, and this entire forest was filled with such thick mist. Who knew if lighting a cigarette would blow everyone to ashes?

This battle, however, led everyone to an unexpected discovery. Fire could actually disperse the mist. This was a good discovery, albeit a minor one.

This seemed to mean that even without protective suits, one could move freely in the mist-filled jungle as long as they carried a torch.

"Why does it feel like playing an online game..."

After burning all the large purple flowers to ashes, Annette walked over to collect some samples of the purple flowers. After finishing the collection, she threw another incendiary grenade.

Don't think that because Annette is a scientist and researcher, she's a weakling with no combat ability. This woman is a formidable individual who almost shot and killed the protagonist Leon.

Moreover, having lived in Ethan's team for so many years, she has also mastered the necessary combat skills. Not focusing on combat skill practice doesn't mean she lacks basic combat capabilities.

This was also an implicit requirement Ethan had for all his crew members. At the very least, you must have basic self-preservation abilities to do what you want to do.

Although he didn't explicitly state this, everyone on his ship was smart and understood this point. Therefore, even Evelyn would insist on exercising to ensure she wouldn't become a burden.

"The existence of this thing seems to prove another matter."

"What?"

While Annette was collecting samples, Logan brought up another point.

"Since these flowers hunt in groups, it means there are prey on this planet that they can capture!"

Star-Lord had put his weapon away, but upon hearing this, he drew it out again.

"So, the possibility of life existing on this planet is very high."

After all, if there were no prey, what would these things capture? Their numbers didn't seem to suggest they couldn't reproduce due to lack of food. If they only sought plants for food, there would seem to be no need to evolve into such highly aggressive forms.

Therefore, there must be creatures on this planet that can be hunted by these plants. Of course, it could also be other mobile plants.

The rest of the journey was calm. They didn't encounter any more dangers or those large purple flowers.

After circling a large area and Annette collecting samples of various plants they saw, the small team turned around and headed back along the original path.

With the help of auxiliary radar and maps, there was no embarrassing situation of getting lost and not being able to find the camp.

For the next few days, Ethan would explore deeper into the forest with Star-Lord. After Annette went with them initially, she later focused on various analyses and experiments at the camp. They had collected enough samples, and after the first few surveys, it was difficult to find new, uncollected samples.

Annette's work was heavy because many of the collected samples contained unknown components. She needed to perform various comparisons and tests to determine exactly what these substances were, and most importantly, whether they were harmful to the human body.

As of now, Annette still had a lot of work to do. She had only analyzed that one type of plant was edible and absolutely harmless to the human body, even containing rich nutrients. However, it didn't taste very good. Everyone who tried it after it was cooked ended up throwing up.

As the explored area grew larger, Ethan and the others learned more about this planet, and he and Star-Lord encountered more creatures.

Not just the large purple flowers, but also various other strange plants, most of which were aggressive. Some even disguised themselves as ordinary plants, but would suddenly ambush you the moment you got close. Before that, you could barely detect that this thing was alive.

It could be said that this jungle was full of dangers. At the same time, half a month after arriving on this planet, they finally encountered the first suspected animal.

It was a massive creature, a full three meters tall. Ethan's first reaction upon seeing it was: Is this thing a dinosaur?

Upon closer observation, they found there were significant differences, but this herbivore did somewhat resemble a Triceratops. Its sturdy body had very strong defenses. The corrosive liquid sprayed by the purple flowers, when it hit this creature's body, only left an inconspicuous mark and caused no damage at all.

After discovering this giant animal, Logan attempted to communicate with it and found that this creature was very docile and friendly. It was even willing to help Ethan and the others carry various items and escorted them all the way back to the camp before turning to leave.

Unfortunately, this creature was unwilling to stay at the camp. Logan's explanation was that "it wants to go home".

"So, most creatures in this forest have fixed activity areas."

It's still unclear what else is in this forest, but it's obvious that this primeval jungle is very dangerous. Without sufficient strength, one might not even be able to preserve their corpse after entering.

"So, is such a world really suitable for settlement?" Star-Lord spread his hands, wanting to ask Ethan if he intended to continue the survey. After a month of surveying and personally living on this planet, they had a general conclusion.

Overall, the environment of this planet is suitable for human survival, but the problems are also obvious. The entire planet consists of oceans and jungles, plus very scarce coastal plains.

If the people from that training ground were to relocate here, the first thing they would have to solve is how to gain living space in this dangerous jungle. The coastal plains are safe, but the area is limited, and this area lacks any resources.

"Think about Earth in ancient times, it wasn't much safer than this."

Moreover, Ethan didn't think the people from the training ground needed to directly enter this dangerous forest to compete with the local creatures for survival resources.

"Actually, there's a more suitable place to arrange that training ground."

Star-Lord followed Ethan's gaze and looked into the distance, where the purple ocean appeared before their eyes.

Thinking of the overall size of the training ground and the size of this planet, and then calculating the size of this ocean a bit, Star-Lord understood Ethan's idea.

"You want to place the entire training ground on this purple sea?"

"Yes, don't you think it's very suitable?"

There are no purple mists or unknown seed threats on the ocean, and the training ground itself is a large body of water, so placing it in this purple ocean wouldn't feel out of place.

More importantly, according to the current survey data from the underwater detector, there are only microorganisms in this ocean, and no threats like giant monsters.

Ethan thought of doing this because he remembered that legend: crossing the stormy sea to find the endless land...

Now, the endless land is here. Ethan would place the entire training ground on the purple ocean, and then leave a passage so that adventurers could pass through the energy layer to reach the purple ocean. Then, as long as the adventurers worked hard and progressed, they could reach this purple continent.

Moreover, the strength of adventurers who could successfully break out of the training ground would be guaranteed, and they could open up enough living space for those who came later.

When more and more people arrive here, the situation of this world will gradually become known to more people, attracting more people to leave the training ground and come outside. By the day the training ground stops operating, they should have adapted to the environment of this planet.

As for where these people will go in the future, that's up to them.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 511: Space Jump

A placement plan had been decided, but that didn't mean they would execute it immediately.

For the next period of time, Ethan and the others continued to live on this planet, observing its environment more closely. This allowed them to gain a deeper understanding of the planet.

The planet's mass was quite large. Although the training ground was like a small asteroid, it could be fully contained within the ocean, and would only occupy a very small part of it.

Additionally, the planet's atmosphere was rather unique because it contained a peculiar component that prevented the star's light from directly penetrating. Instead, this special substance was stored in extremely high regions and then slowly released into the planet.

This meant there was almost no distinction between day and night on the entire planet. The sky constantly emitted a soft purple glow.

The gravity was slightly greater than Earth's, which had no effect on Ethan and the others. As for the people in the training ground, they might be a little unaccustomed to it at first. Ethan would likely turn off the training ground's gravity generator.

In the second month of residing on the purple planet, the others also landed one after another.

Ethan began attempting to remove his helmet and move around the planet without any protective measures. His body was strong enough, and his resistance to various abnormal conditions was the best, so he was the first to try.

After him came those with strong self-healing abilities like Logan. Finally, by the time Star-Lord could also live on this planet safely and soundly, five months had passed.

They not only established a temporary camp but even personally built a small village, using materials entirely collected from the planet, thus confirming that the planet had all the resources necessary for human survival.

Even food was sourced locally. Thanks to Annette's tireless efforts and the bold attempts of Ethan and the others, they tested over a dozen edible plants. Yes, only plants, because the discovered creatures were huge and difficult to kill. It wouldn't be troublesome for Ethan and the others, but considering the strength of the people in the training ground, it would be difficult for them to hunt these creatures directly, so they prioritized trying various vegetables.

Some of these foods were delicious, some had little taste, and some made you question your life choices, but they all contained rich nutrients and could meet the human body's needs.

Ethan and the others not only recorded various data but also attempted artificial cultivation. Ultimately, three types successfully sprouted, one of which had almost no requirements for the living environment. It could grow as long as it was watered and grew incredibly fast. This was the only food that was successfully cultivated to maturity.

The characteristics of this plant were very suitable for space travel, especially since it was rich in nutrients.

Unfortunately, it didn't taste like much when eaten, but Star-Lord still took some seedlings, planning to plant this species on the Milano.

By this time, the survey work could be declared complete. Ethan and the others were certain that this planet could support long-term human habitation.

As for what long-term effects living in this purple environment might have on the human body, Ethan didn't know. Perhaps countless years from now, if he remembered, he could come back and see.

"What else do we need to do next?"

"After investigating here, we'll go check out a few other planets."

During the initial period of living on this planet, Yondu, who was bored waiting in orbit, flew his fighter jet around the vicinity a few times and discovered three other planets of considerable mass in this star system.

Preliminary observations from a distance suggested that these planets might also be habitable.

Since there were other options, it didn't matter to look at a few more places. Star-Lord didn't mind making a few more trips. After all, this kind of work just took time and wasn't dangerous.

Considering the generous reward Ethan had offered, even without personal connections, he was willing to continue.

After packing up their things and destroying all the buildings they had constructed, Ethan and the others left no trace in this place. It wasn't that Ethan hadn't thought about leaving messages or similar things to leave future adventurers who stumbled upon the place utterly bewildered.

But he wouldn't get to see that scene and couldn't enjoy the satisfaction of a successful prank, so he abandoned that childish idea. As for the words Star-Lord carved on the stone slab with a laser, he just pretended not to see them. He didn't remind Star-Lord that the people of this world wouldn't understand what he wrote.

Everyone in Ethan's group, except for Betty, could speak English, and English was mostly universal throughout the galaxy (correct), which made Star-Lord overlook the fact that he was in another universe.

Even Betty, after understanding the situation, had already mastered multiple Earth languages through learning devices during this time for easier communication with everyone.

Plus, he was constantly traveling in space anyway and had seen many strange and wonderful planets. Just a purple planet alone wasn't enough to remind him of this.

So, when the Milano left the purple planet and followed behind Yondu's fighter jet towards the next target planet, Star-Lord still hadn't realized. He was happily fantasizing about the expressions on the faces of the first successful adventurers to land years from now when they saw the stone slab he had carved the message on.

Finally, Rocket Raccoon couldn't stand his smugness anymore and exposed the situation he had overlooked, which finally made Star-Lord realize.

"Damn it, I completely forgot about that."

"Hahahahahahaha!"

The one laughing so unrestrainedly was, of course, Rocket Raccoon. Their time together had created some chemistry between them, making them somewhat like teammates, but when there was an opportunity to mock Star-Lord, Rocket Raccoon wouldn't hold back at all, nor would he express himself subtly. He would only mock Star-Lord in a more exaggerated manner.

His pride a little hurt, Star-Lord decided to change the subject to distract everyone.

He connected the communicator and asked Yondu why he wasn't using jump drives.

Although they were all within the same star system, the distances between planets were not as simple as stepping out and going downstairs to buy something at the supermarket. It was much more convenient to use space jumps for long-distance interstellar travel.

A single jump for a relatively short distance, or several consecutive space jumps for a longer distance, would get them there.

According to the star chart transmitted by Yondu, the nearest planet wasn't close, so why weren't they using space jumps?

"Do you think I don't know that? Have you forgotten we're in another universe? The space jump drive on our ship doesn't work here!"

"Hahahahahahaha, are you an idiot? Didn't you think of that before?"

Rocket Raccoon found another opportunity to mock Star-Lord wildly. Regardless of whether he had thought of it before, it didn't stop him from ridiculing Star-Lord as a brainless idiot.

Their conversation served as some entertainment during the journey. Ethan took this opportunity to ask Betty: how did the Empire's spacecraft undertake long-distance travel?

Let's not discuss whether objects can truly break the speed of light and travel at light speed. After all, he had even been to universes like DC and Marvel, where there were more than just one or two individuals who could move at light speed or even faster.

Even assuming one could have a spaceship capable of traveling at light speed, given the vastness of the universe and the terrifying distances between planets, even traveling at light speed, it would take countless years to exit a galaxy similar to the Milky Way, let alone the even more terrifying distances between large galaxies.

Given this premise, how did the spacecraft of the Empire, which had vast territories, move between planets?

Was it by traveling at speeds many times the speed of light, or did they possess technology like space jumping?

"The Empire builds special jump gates at some relatively important nodes, and all spacecraft can use these specialized jump devices for long-distance movement."

Ethan nodded. The Empire's method reminded him of a game where a similar approach was used. The spacecraft itself couldn't perform space jumps, but there were devices (artificial celestial bodies) capable of creating wormholes or spatial distortions located in specific areas.

"Why do they do that? Is it because of some technical reason that prevents spatial transfer devices from being installed on spacecraft?"

Rocket Raccoon's hearing was very sharp. Although he was sitting in the co-pilot's seat and still arguing with Star-Lord, it didn't stop him from eavesdropping on Ethan's conversation.

He was even more unwilling to miss topics related to technology.

"I'm told it's for convenience of management, to prevent certain unruly people from frequently jumping giant spacecraft directly near planets. You should know that even without considering the impact of wormholes formed by space jumps on planets, large space battleships alone are equivalent to artificial celestial bodies, and getting too close to a planet can cause various disasters."

"Okay, I understand."

Ethan covered his face. He had never expected that the Empire chose this method purely for traffic control, but upon careful thought, it did make some sense.

Betty then mentioned that when she was in the military academy, they were taught tactics involving destroying the teleportation devices when necessary to buy time.

"This... Do other civilizations also use jump devices for long-distance travel?"

If it were before, Betty might have answered as a matter of course: "Is there any other way?"

Now she knew that this seemingly mere space fighter, the Milano, could perform space jumps, so she could no longer have that thought.

"Because... the Empire hasn't encountered external enemies for a long time, and many tactics are based on the technology the Empire currently possesses."

Thinking of countless Imperial commanders smugly destroying the jump devices, believing they had bought more time, only for the enemy fleet to directly initiate a space jump and instantly appear before them, what a pathetic and ridiculous scene that would be.

(To be continued.)