DOTM: Chapter 399/400

Chapter 399: Doomsday Collapse

The lightning spell Ethan cast was essentially a shaping of arcane energy. He had not fully mastered the lightning element himself, but his persistent training with the Reality Stone, along with it, had given him a considerable understanding of energy shaping.

Furthermore, Ethan cast the spell with the intention of releasing all the energy from the fully charged Arcane Spring, holding nothing back. The immense arcane energy resonated with the energy already present in the sky, making the power of the lightning even more terrifying.

As the arcane energy fully erupted, thick bolts of lightning fell from the dark clouds, almost every bolt containing terrifying energy that would blast any undead creatures within a certain range into ash.

Bolt after bolt! The rumbling sounds rose and fell, eventually merging into a continuous roar!

The sky and the ground were connected by endless lightning, with streaks of light forming links between heaven and earth. Because there was so much lightning, everyone felt surrounded by a curtain of light. Ethan's control over magic was unquestionable; he perfectly avoided all the adventurers present, blasting the seemingly endless undead to death.

The violent lightning storm lasted for a full ten minutes. Even though these lightning bolts were only striking at a distance from them, the adventurers still felt their hearts tremble. Those ten minutes felt as long as ten years to them, fearing that a lightning bolt might suddenly strike near them.

At the speed of these lightning bolts, they would have no chance to react, and their fate would definitely be no better than that of the undead.

Many turned their gaze towards the young man who was radiating surging energy fluctuations all over his body, lifted off the ground by the energy, with clothes billowing and surging in the energy wind.

"Is this... really something a person can do?"

They had all heard what Beckford said earlier, as well as Ethan's previous words. In the eyes of many, Ethan's actions were the best response to Beckford's earlier theory.

After the young man slowly descended from the air, the lightning around him still showed no sign of stopping, and even became more violent. Everyone present could no longer hear any sound; their ears had long been deafened by the violent roar of the lightning, and almost everyone's ears were filled only with a "buzz".

They no longer paid attention to the undead creatures. Everyone gathered together, and without prior arrangement, stood behind Brent. This place seemed to be the safest.

The adventurers' reaction was nothing compared to Beckford, who was even more shocked than they were.

He was not shocked by the lightning storm Ethan unleashed, but by the violent fluctuations in the surrounding energy, including the death energy in his hand, which was affected and became very unstable. The energy contained within it seemed to attract the lightning from the sky, and several bolts, each as thick as three or four people standing together, struck towards Beckford, forcing him to release the energy ball in his hand to avoid being struck to death by the continuous lightning.

An attack that had been brewing for a long time was casually neutralized by the other party, and his undead army, which he had accumulated for many years, was also wiped out.

This time, he had dispatched most of his undead subordinates, precisely to capture the adventurers in one fell swoop. He had never imagined that something like this would happen.

Why was this guy named Ethan so powerful? So powerful that he did not seem like a human at all.

Beckford would never have guessed that he had inadvertently guessed the truth.

Whether in terms of life level, the intensity of the energy contained within his body, or other aspects, Ethan was already vastly different from humans. Now, his appearance was the same as a human's, but his inner being had long since upgraded to a higher-level life form.

If he were to go to some relatively backward civilizations now, he would definitely be worshiped as a true god. Even on his own ship, Imhotep and Anck-su-namun served him as a deity.

As the lightning storm gradually weakened, the dark clouds in the sky also thinned considerably, and Ethan had long since returned to a more ordinary appearance, without the terrifying fluctuations around him.

Beckford still did not dare to act rashly and continued to stand in place, carefully observing Ethan.

It was not until he saw the long staff in Ethan's hand slowly crack and even turn into ash that he let out a slight sigh of relief.

In his opinion, Ethan's terrifying attack just now was entirely due to the reckless use of a powerful magic stone equipment. He was not worried if it was just relying on equipment.

This meant that the theory he firmly believed in was not wrong. Although Ethan was very powerful, he still had to rely on equipment to display that terrifying strength. And no matter how powerful a weapon was, it could not fundamentally solve the problem. His own philosophy was the correct one.

Before he could deliver any profound remarks, he saw something that made him feel like collapsing — Ethan took out another identical long staff from somewhere.

Although Ethan was not skilled in telepathy, he could roughly guess some of Beckford's thoughts.

"You think I rely on equipment?"

He did not open his mouth to deny that he could make you cry even with his bare hands, but was preparing to let this madman understand that even relying on tools, I am not someone you can look down upon.

Ethan had mass-produced staffs like the Arcane Spring for ease of use, and he had stored more than twenty in his storage space. It was for this reason that he could so extravagantly unleash all the arcane energy contained in a staff in a single casting.

This level of energy output was not only powerful but also caused serious damage to the staff. Just now, not only was the energy output frantic, but it even triggered the vast energy between heaven and earth, and the final result was the complete destruction of the Arcane Spring as a casting tool.

But what did that matter? He was not short of one anyway.

No matter how good a staff was, it was made for use. Ethan had been collecting materials and learning knowledge for so many years, he had not even found a girlfriend, frantically training to improve his strength and create more powerful tools.

Was it just to put things at home to look nice?

No, it was to eliminate his enemies more easily!

After taking out the second Arcane Spring, Ethan still did not waste words with Beckford. He no longer wanted to waste saliva on this madman. This person had his own beliefs and persistence. If he were a friend, Ethan might even express admiration.

Unfortunately, his methods were unacceptable to him, and more importantly, Beckford had already stood on the opposite side of him and become his enemy. There was no possibility of reconciliation between the two sides.

So what else was there to say? In a situation where it was either him or himself who died, they could only rely on strength to decide the winner.

As it currently stood, the outcome was already decided.

Beckford, whom Ethan had been very wary of initially, was now just a slightly troublesome obstacle in his eyes.

He slammed the Arcane Spring in his hand onto the ground. The surging arcane energy perfectly fused with Ethan's own magic power, and a wave of light with fire radiated from the spot where the staff struck. Except for the area where the adventurers behind him were standing, every place swept by this wave turned into a fiery hell, burning the undead who had escaped the lightning storm into ash.

Beckford immediately released his own death energy, forming a protective energy layer, but he found that although his energy layer blocked the strong impact, it could not completely block the terrifying high temperature.

His hair began to curl under the scorching heat and emitted a burnt smell. Beckford had to increase the output of energy to barely withstand the flame impact that Ethan casually unleashed.

At this moment, Beckford no longer had the look of being sure of victory from before. He was much more disheveled now, and coupled with the continuous high-intensity use of death energy, Beckford himself was not feeling well.

And Ethan, who had made him so disheveled, stood there very casually, as if he had just waved his hand to drive away a bug. It was only then that Beckford noticed that Ethan was only wearing a very ordinary set of clothes, on which there were no energy fluctuations.

"How is this possible?"

Beckford was just talking to himself, while Ethan smiled disdainfully.

"The limit of humans? How much do you... know about people?"

He did not expect Beckford to answer this question at all. He just spoke suddenly, wanting to mock him a little.

"Ignorant idiot."

As Ethan's mocking words fell, magic light reappeared around him. Blue magical light continuously combined into one magical formation pattern after another and various mysterious symbols around him, at his feet, and even in the air beside him. Even those who did not understand what these symbols meant could realize that Ethan was brewing an even more powerful attack.

The lightning and flame impacts he had released before were just casual spells and did not involve these complex steps.

Ethan had no intention of explaining this move to everyone. In fact, these magical formations were analyzing everything on this island, including all the energy fluctuations within this sea area.

When these magical formations finally took shape and began to operate, the magic he released again would not only use his own power and the power in the staff, but would even turn the island that Beckford had created into his own weapon.

Since he was going to destroy this obstructive island anyway, he might as well use it casually, treating it as waste utilization.

This was Ethan's thought, but if he had explained his actions in detail, it would have caused a huge shock to Beckford: the Island of Death that he had painstakingly created had actually become a weapon that the other party could use casually to attack himself, which was truly too stimulating.

Unfortunately, Beckford did not have the chance to know this. When Ethan unleashed this move, except for the ground where the adventurers behind him were standing, the entire island was instantly destroyed.

The immense energy transformed into earthquakes, lava eruptions, flame impacts, and so on. A doomsday-like scene destroyed everything that existed on the island and himself. Under the towering magma and the continuously erupting flames, Beckford did not even have a chance to say a last word.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 400: Kick Aside the Obstacles and Move Forward

The massive island that had almost completely blocked the entire shipping lane... or rather, a piece of land, had simply vanished.

The dark clouds in the sky had also dispersed. They had already thinned out considerably when the thunderstorm subsided, and now not a single cloud could be seen. The clear, azure sky was a soothing sight.

However, the surviving adventurers on this small island could not feel at ease. The power displayed by the young man who had suddenly appeared was terrifying. They had no idea how to approach him now.

Logically, they should have expressed their gratitude, as Ethan's appearance had saved their lives. He had even used that strange light rain to cleanse the death energy from their bodies, preventing them from facing the tragic fate of becoming undead.

Ethan had also completely destroyed Beckford, restoring "peace" to this sea area. They no longer had to worry about a madman suddenly appearing, wanting to turn everyone into undead, or even uniting the entire sea.

But no one "dared" to walk up and thank Ethan. The gap in strength was too immense, leaving them helpless. An enemy they had fought with all their might but could not truly harm was simply dealt with by a casual wave of his hand. The vast difference in power created an enormous chasm between them, leading to the thought that Ethan was simply not the same kind of being as them.

Ethan glanced back at these adventurers, unsurprised by their thoughts.

Similar things happened repeatedly in countless universes. If he had defeated Beckford by fighting with all his strength, suffering severe injuries, and using his last ounce of energy, they would have seen him as a hero, even praising him wildly, perhaps even as the greatest adventurer in this sea area.

But now... probably no one would boast loudly. Perhaps they would discuss it privately, but that would be the extent of it.

However, Ethan did not care about this situation at all. His reason for coming here to kill Beckford, in the end, was because Beckford was blocking his path. He was not trying to save the world or anything.

Moreover, he was heading to the Sea of Miracles next and would not have any further interaction with most of the people here. Ethan truly did not care at all how they viewed him.

Brent, the only one who remained composed, was silently using the Holy Light energy he had just mastered to examine some of the more seriously injured adventurers.

Only after confirming that everyone had no fatal injuries and no rampant death energy in their bodies did he return to Ethan's side and inquire about Ethan's situation.

It was then that Brent learned why Ethan had missed the guild's summons and the attack.

There had been a problem with the communication device, preventing Ethan from confirming the exact date, causing him to be delayed on his journey. By the time he arrived, the battle had reached its most intense moment.

"Anyway, at least you made it in time."

Brent could not ask for too much. The guild's summons were not a mandatory order, and there would have been nothing to criticize even if Ethan had not come.

Besides, Ethan had come and saved the lives of most adventurers, and had even allowed him to master the miraculous power of the Holy Light. All the adventurers, including himself, owed him this favor.

Ethan did not tell Brent the truth. He did not plan to mention the Prinz Eugen. He had not even brought his companions, leaving the Prinz Eugen docked in a relatively remote location and using magic to get here himself.

He did not want these people to see his ship. Ultimately, he did not want the guild to know his situation.

Looking at the reactions of most of the adventurers here, he felt his arrangements were correct.

There were indeed some good-natured people among the adventurers, but in this world with almost no legal constraints, most people's character... He did not know what kind of trouble his warship, which was far beyond the capabilities of this world, would attract, nor could he expect these people to suddenly become moral paragons. Therefore, the best option was to hide it and not let it be seen.

"Are you going back to the central island together next?"

"No, I'll head directly to the Sea of Miracles."

Ethan did not lower his voice when he answered, and all the adventurers heard his words. Most of them secretly sighed with relief in their hearts.

Ethan observed their subtle reactions from the corner of his eye, silently lamenting the so-called "great kindness turns into enmity" that was often discussed in his previous life. He was truly experiencing it now.

He had saved all the adventurers, and everyone owed him a huge debt of gratitude. In this world where strength was paramount, Ethan's immense power left most adventurers with no idea how to repay this favor.

This made many people feel awkward. Small matters were not enough to repay him. Should they keep working for Ethan? Were they willing to be Ethan's subordinates? If Ethan needed their help for something big, would it be an easy matter to resolve? Considering that Ethan's strength required help, it was likely that such a situation would be their death sentence.

No one wanted to die, especially survivors who had just overcome a great catastrophe. They all wished they could live forever.

The best outcome was for Ethan to go to the next sea area, where it was very likely they would never meet again. For most people, this was truly the best situation.

At this point, many adventurers finally began to thank Ethan, saying that if he needed any help, they should feel free to ask. At this time, it was nothing more than asking for supplies like food and water. It would take a considerable amount of time to sail from here to the next sea area.

Ethan did not ask for anything. These people were just being polite, and Ethan disdained to take advantage of such a small matter.

So, although the atmosphere was awkward for a while, it eventually ended on a relatively friendly and cheerful note.

Brent wanted to say something, but was ultimately stopped by Ethan's gaze.

After the adventurers dispersed one after another and returned to their ships to sail back to the central island, Ethan spoke a few more words to Brent, who was the only one who remained.

"Having been recognized by the Holy Light, you can no longer be considered an ordinary human. I hope you use this power wisely."

Ethan did not have much to say about this. What he wanted to talk about was actually something else.

"You can also spread the Holy Light. Perhaps it can be of more help to the adventurers."

Ethan was curious whether the power of the Holy Light could spread in this world. This was not Azeroth. For the Holy Light to reach here, the planar barrier had to be opened. In this situation, even if the concept of the Holy Light was spread, how many people could truly gain the Holy Light's recognition?

This question was difficult to answer, but what if he suddenly wanted to come back and take a look one day? Anyway, it was just a casual remark, and he did not care about wasting a little bit of saliva.

"Hope to see you again, Brent!"

Brent nodded and watched as Ethan cast a teleportation spell and disappeared before his eyes.

Ethan, who had cast the teleportation magic, returned to the bridge of the Prinz Eugen. All his companions were gathered there, watching Ethan's performance through the "Round Table"—the Prinz Eugen's observation capabilities were very powerful. After releasing the detectors, they could observe all the details through the equipment.

"What a perfect performance."

Tony benefited the most. He suspected that Ethan had deliberately used arcane magic for casting, precisely to allow him to feel the operation and changes of arcane energy more.

As Tony's own magic level improved, he began to have his own ideas about magic, and at the same time, he took the first step on the path of combining magic and technology.

With his current strength, he was not yet able to observe all the details of the magic Ethan had cast before, but the special detection devices released from the Prinz Eugen could record all the energy fluctuations, allowing him to carefully examine and study this data, and then turn it into knowledge he truly mastered.

"Thanks for the compliment. Are there any adventurers around?"

The first half of the sentence was directed at Tony, and the second half was asking Hill.

Ethan's delay this time was because he was busy with various tests on the Prinz Eugen.

At the same time, everyone was also learning how to manually pilot the Prinz Eugen. Although there was assistance from artificial intelligence, Ethan wanted everyone to master the ability to manually operate this warship.

After this period of adjustment and practice, even if the Prinz Eugen's artificial intelligence system was shut down, everyone on the ship could still operate this huge steel warship well and navigate, avoiding the embarrassing situation of not knowing how to operate their own ship without the auxiliary system.

"There are no ships within visual range," Hill also answered another question incidentally, "and that only remaining island is also collapsing and sinking."

Ethan's magic had completely destroyed the entire island. The reason the island did not disappear immediately was that Ethan had maintained it with his magical power. As soon as he left, the island, which had lost its energy support, naturally began to collapse and sink.

By this time, even Brent had already left by ship, and there was no one left on the island. The sinking of an island in this sea area was not uncommon, and no one paid any attention to it.

As for Beckford? Ethan's magical attack had destroyed both his body and soul, leaving not a single trace behind.

"Deactivate stealth mode."

The reason the Prinz Eugen had not been discovered was due to the stealth equipment it was equipped with, but this only worked when completely stationary.

"You just eliminated an enemy, aren't you going to rest for a while?"

"Enemy?" Ethan shook his head. "Beckford was once my enemy, but now he's just a small obstacle on my path forward. Now that the obstacle has been removed, of course I should continue moving forward."

The twenty-thousand-ton steel warship began to move, heading straight towards the Sea of Miracles. Thanks to Beckford, he did not have to worry about encountering other adventurers on this journey during this time.

(To be continued.)