DOTM: Chapter 392/394

Chapter 392: The Increasingly Stable Rear Area

Maria Hill was not Nick Fury's only choice. Phil Coulson was also an option.

Relatively speaking, Black Widow Natasha Romanoff was not among his choices.

This was because Maria Hill and Phil Coulson shared similar beliefs with him. They were both willing to sacrifice everything to protect this world. As for Natasha, he was not sure if the Black Widow would make that level of sacrifice at a crucial moment.

"So you want to send Maria Hill to me, have her follow me to various universes to gain experience and learn... Why don't you just say you want me to help you train an excellent Earth protector?"

That was quite the calculation. What benefit would he get from training Maria Hill? After all, once she learned what she needed, she would leave the team.

It was not that Ethan was unwilling to teach and train talent, nor did he mind people he had a good relationship with temporarily joining his team. But you could not possibly take all the benefits, could you? Even if we were not talking business and were talking friendship—sorry, there was not really any friendship to speak of between him and Nick Fury.

Even if Maria Hill had not found a suitable new job and came to Ethan herself, it would have been easier for Ethan to accept than Fury so clearly trying to take advantage and shove her over.

Of course, the other party coming to talk so openly was more reliable than secretly sending her over, taking advantage, and then just running off.

"Although S.H.I.E.L.D. has disbanded, it still left behind quite a bit..."

Nick Fury did not approach the discussion with Ethan with the mindset of taking advantage. The current situation was somewhat like sending someone to a special academy for advanced studies. Sending them in was fine, and the other party was willing to accept and teach, but the tuition fee could not be ignored.

The final agreement was not excessive. Nick Fury promised to provide Ethan with sufficient "support," offer necessary resources when needed, and use his connections to help Ethan resolve some minor issues.

It might seem like Ethan did not gain anything. But in reality, he gained a lot.

Nick Fury had been the director of S.H.I.E.L.D. for so many years, and the various connections and forces behind him were complex. Although these forces were useless in Ethan's eyes, living in this world and even wanting to acquire various resources inevitably required dealing with these people.

He could not possibly rely on force every time. Therefore, engaging in some appropriate "friendly exchanges" would actually save a lot of effort.

For example, regarding the Prinz Eugen issue this time, even though Tony resolved some of the military's objections, there were still many people watching the ship. Nick promised to ensure that similar troubles would not arise again.

Subsequently, when Ethan continued to build large things in this world, he would not have to worry about similar situations occurring. Only at this point did Ethan truly acquire a relatively stable logistical base.

Nick Fury, on the other hand, believed that proactively engaging in deeper cooperation with Ethan would yield more benefits, which was much more reliable than "capturing him for careful study and interrogating him for various knowledge."

Leaving aside the question of whether they could defeat him, even if they did and captured Ethan, would they get what they wanted? What if the other party got desperate and decided to go down fighting? Putting everything else aside, if he just left a coordinate and summoned that Burning Legion, what could Earth use to resist it in its current state?

Even if Asgard, who claimed to be Earth's protectors, intervened and defeated the invading enemies, would Earth be unharmed? And how much would be lost because of that battle?

No matter how you looked at it, cooperation was more reliable.

It was safe and had no side effects. Even if they gained less, they could at least use it with peace of mind. Things at the level of the Infinity Stones were best not thought about by Earth for now.

As an agent, you had to be arrogant when you should be and back down when you should. If you could not even protect yourself, what kind of agent were you? It was just that Comrade Nick Fury now had to protect the entire Earth. Not only did he have to back down himself, but he also had to suppress a bunch of idiots who wanted to jump into action.

From this perspective, he was not suited to follow Ethan to other worlds either. Who knew what changes would occur as soon as he left? He might finally "return after completing his studies" only to find Earth ruined by a small group of idiots. Then everything would be for naught. This was also a common ailment among agents; it was difficult to trust anyone other than themselves, and they could only feel at ease when everything was under control.

"Maria Hill will be needing your care next."

"I recall Hill received very systematic military and ship command training?"

"Yes." Nick Fury thought of the warship Ethan had commissioned. Ethan had said he lived in a world entirely covered in water, and he immediately understood that Ethan might want Hill to command his new ship. "Believe me, Hill won't disappoint you."

That was indeed the case. Ethan agreeing to let Hill join was not without reason.

He could already control sailing warships quite well, but operating a modern warship was completely different from a sailing warship. Even with a full set of AI systems installed on the Prinz Eugen for assistance, he would inevitably need some time to adapt.

Even just the huge change in tonnage was not something one could adapt to quickly when piloting. With Hill, it was different.

Maria Hill had experience commanding the Helicarrier in S.H.I.E.L.D., and she had rich experience in warship command and piloting. She could better help Ethan utilize the full capabilities of the Prinz Eugen as quickly as possible.

Furthermore, because Maria Hill had commanded a Helicarrier, this would also be helpful when he switched to a spaceship in the future. Surface vessels only needed to consider one plane. Even if they encountered enemies from the air or underwater, these were not major considerations while piloting.

But flying into the air or even going into outer space was another matter entirely. The directions and angles alone could drive someone encountering it for the first time mad. If there was no one to teach them, the degree of madness would increase by several levels.

If Rocket Raccoon were recruited onto the ship, there would naturally be no need to worry about this. But without Rocket, Maria Hill could be considered a relatively reliable choice.

The main business was concluded. They had even agreed that Maria Hill would report to Ethan's mansion in Los Angeles in a few days. Just as he was about to say goodbye, he suddenly heard that Ethan had actually come to invite Steve to Thor's coronation ceremony. The one-eyed man decisively swallowed his farewell words, poured himself another cup of coffee, and sat back down.

Steve and Ethan were both quite speechless at this guy's behavior, but it was not some secret matter, so if he wanted to listen, he could listen.

After hearing Thor's invitation, Steve only sighed, "This world feels increasingly strange to me."

A legendary god inviting him to attend the ceremony where he inherits the position of God-King? How did that sound like a fairy tale? Yet, this was something that was actually happening, and Steve did not even know what expression was appropriate.

"Actually, it's not much different from a presidential transition. It's just that Asgard's God-Kings serve for a longer time..."

Thor was already fifteen hundred years old, but this was just the beginning for the long-lived Asgardians. Furthermore, as his power grew stronger, Thor's lifespan would continue to extend, and ruling the Nine Realms for tens of thousands of years would not be surprising.

This news was good news for Nick Fury.

Compared to the unfamiliar Odin, it was undoubtedly much better for Thor, who had several good friends on Earth and even a girlfriend who was human, to rule Asgard. This meant that for the time being, there was no need to worry about Asgard harboring hostility towards Earth, or rather, worrying about Odin suddenly being dissatisfied with Earth's current state and wanting to tidy up his "backyard."

He believed that as long as they negotiated well with Thor, they could ensure Earth maintained its current situation without major fluctuations.

Silently, he kept all the various analyses in mind. These things would all need to be written into reports for certain people to see. After all, Nick Fury was a very conscientious advisor.

He had considered going himself to see the specific situation in Asgard, but realized it was not appropriate. They had not invited him, had they?

On the other hand, Hill, who was about to join Ethan's team, would have the chance to go and see. He considered urging Hill to report to Ethan immediately after returning, and finally strive for the opportunity to go to Asgard.

"Is it appropriate for me to go?"

Nick Fury knew himself well, and Steve also felt that his relationship with Thor did not seem to be that close. However, since the other party had clearly sent an invitation, it did not seem appropriate not to go, so he changed his question.

"Well... should I prepare a suit?"

"You don't need to worry about that. The clothing style in Asgard... You'd be better off wearing your usual casual clothes than an Earth suit."

"Okay, I'm not really used to those suits anyway."

What should Captain America wear? This was too easy to solve. Even if Thor had not prepared anything, Ethan could easily conjure a full set of armor for him, and even throw in a shield as a bonus.

He was very curious if adding some Holy Light to the armor would pique the interest of the noble Captain America, causing the Holy Light to actively break through spatial barriers and perform a Holy Light baptism or something similar. If this really happened, it would mean that after being enhanced by the Super Soldier Serum, Steve would be strengthened again by the Holy Light and gain the ability to use Holy Light energy. His strength would increase significantly, possibly even making him one of the strongest individuals on Earth.

After all, they had to face Thanos's threat, and training a few more powerhouses could also ensure their chances of winning.

However, experimenting on someone without asking first seemed a bit unethical, so Ethan decided to find an opportunity to ask Steve what he thought, whether he would be open to trying some new things. If he wasn't willing, then so be it.

While he was contemplating this, Steve suddenly asked Ethan for a favor.

"Tell me about it?"

"I have a friend who has been brainwashed and controlled by Hydra for years. I wonder if you can resolve this?"

(To be continued.)

Chapter 393: The Last Few Trivial Matters

Ethan knew that Steve was talking about his good friend, now codenamed the Winter Soldier, whose full name is James Buchanan Barnes.

In the original plot, the Winter Soldier was controlled by Hydra and even attacked Nick Fury. This time, he also launched an attack, but Nick Fury was fully prepared. Not only was he unharmed, but he even managed to capture Bucky.

Of course, at that time, he did not know the Winter Soldier's identity. He had only gathered information through various investigations that Hydra had a very powerful, seemingly enhanced soldier, and that this person was involved in multiple assassinations and mysterious deaths. So, successfully capturing this person was also considered eliminating a hidden danger.

The only surprise was that this person turned out to be Captain America's old comrade and good friend. This rendered many of his original arrangements useless, and he could only lock up the Winter Soldier for now and try to get him back to normal. As long as he recovered, given his relationship with Steve, this modified soldier codenamed the Winter Soldier would become an asset on his side.

Because the brainwashing methods used by Hydra were crude and not at all mysterious, Nick initially did not think of asking Ethan for help. Of course, there was also the thought of "do not bother that mage with such a small matter".

Steve did not know this. He just felt that since Ethan could easily lift the mental control on Hawkeye, Selvig, and others, healing Bucky should not be difficult either.

He was not wrong. After arriving at the secret base where Bucky was held, Ethan just checked him briefly and gave his answer.

"It's not too much trouble, I can handle it."

Hydra's brainwashing method is to suppress the person's original personality and then overlay it with a blank new personality, using this new, controllable personality to control the body.

This newly formed personality cannot completely suppress the old one, but there is a very simple way to force the original personality to retreat actively into the depths of the mind and give up control of the body.

That is pain!

People have self-protection mechanisms. When instinct feels it can no longer bear more pain, this mechanism activates. At the mental or personality level, this means severing the connection with the body and no longer "feeling" the maddening pain.

At the same time, while torturing the target, they actively design something similar to a trigger word, causing the original personality to develop a "fixed mindset." When these trigger words are used, it means they are about to be tortured again, and they will actively retreat and give up control.

However, this so-called control method has many hidden dangers. For example, when the true personality wants to "come out," they cannot stop it at all.

This is also why, in the original plot, after Bucky gradually regained his memory and self, if no one used the "activation trigger," he could continue to be normal. Over time, that temporary new personality might even completely disappear, at which point the trigger would be useless even if used.

Ethan did not explain too much. In his eyes, this type of hypnosis was very crude, troublesome, time-consuming, and came with huge hidden dangers, making it hardly worth mentioning.

And on the mental energy level, it appeared as a chaotic, disordered mass of mental energy surrounding Bucky's own mental energy. The outermost layer of energy was not some external force. It was also Bucky's own mental energy, a part actively separated as an isolation layer for self-protection, and also the soil for the birth of the new personality.

So, the simplest and most direct way to solve Bucky's problem is to clear away this part of the mental energy. A slightly more troublesome method is to help Bucky's own mental energy absorb this part faster.

"Whichever method you choose, there are no hidden dangers or side effects. The only difference is that the first method will make Bucky feel a bit mentally drained for a period afterward."

This is not a big deal either. After a good period of rest, this lost mental energy will recover significantly, and the individual will feel that they have returned to normal.

The remaining subtle differences will not affect most people.

"Let's go with the first method!"

Steve did not understand all this complicated stuff. He just felt that the first method was faster, and he always felt that this mass of so-called separated mental energy was not a good thing. Even though Ethan clearly stated that it was all Bucky's own mental energy and there would be no problems, he still felt uneasy.

He even felt that all the bad things the Winter Soldier did were caused by this stuff.

Strictly speaking, he was not wrong to think that way, but unfortunately, Bucky would not forget everything he had done before just because he returned to normal.

As Ethan said, that was originally his mental energy. Even if a new personality was created, it used the same body. Both memories and everything else used the same "storage device." Bucky did not become an unknowing bystander just because he lost control of his body; he witnessed everything "he" did like a passenger.

"Alright, no matter what, I'll remove this mass of mental energy first."

Separating this mental energy is not that easy. To ensure safety and success in one go, some preparatory work is needed. Ethan spent several more hours setting up the site, constructing a large number of magic circles and various mysterious symbols under the eyes of Nick Fury and Steve, which were starting to look like mosquito coils.

Such a complex magic circle, the final effect was merely to ensure the smooth execution of this procedure.

After making so many preparations, this clearing work was completed in just five minutes.

With the aid of the magic circle, everyone saw Bucky's mental body partially drawn out, and then they saw how Ethan cut away that layer of distinct mental energy that enveloped Bucky's mental body.

But when Ethan announced it was finished so quickly, the two of them were still a bit stunned.

"Done? Just like that?"

"What else did you expect? That I'd create a bunch of magic runes, chant spells for hours, then cause an earthquake, tsunami, volcanic eruption, accompanied by thick dark clouds and continuous lightning, and finally wreck your base before solving the problem?"

Ethan patted Nick Fury's shoulder. "If you want to see that kind of scene, I can fulfill your wish, but don't ask me for compensation for any losses afterward."

"No, thanks. This is just fine."

Nick did not care about losses or not, but this was his personal secret base, and he did not want his secrets known to more people.

Steve did not care about all this complicated stuff. After Ethan announced the problem was solved, he rushed over to check on Bucky.

During this time, Bucky had been kept frozen in special facilities (obtained from Hydra), so even though Bucky had been captured for a while, there had been no conversation between them until now when they finally met properly.

"Steve?"

Bucky had already woken up from all the commotion. He felt a bit mentally drained but also a sense of lightness all over, as if a heavy burden had been lifted. What surprised him even more was seeing his friend Steve Rogers as soon as he opened his eyes.

He was not surprised by this, however. As Ethan had said earlier, although Bucky had lost control of his body, he knew everything he needed to know. As the Winter Soldier, he received a lot of information during missions, and Bucky also possessed this information. He knew Steve's current situation, including many details that Steve himself might not have noticed.

This information was obtained to better deal with Captain America, but it certainly would not be used now.

Ignoring the conversation between the two friends, Ethan and Nick stepped out and chatted about other things.

"What are your plans next?"

"Go to England and pick up Selvig and the others."

For Ethan, going anywhere was just a matter of casting a spell, but this time he was taking many people to Asgard. He did not want to make multiple trips back and forth, so it was best to gather everyone together first and then send them all at once.

Besides that, he was not planning to stay in this world much longer. The things that needed to be dealt with were mostly finished. The Prinz Eugen was undergoing testing, and he would go to receive the ship soon. A formal warship's sea trials last for a year, and the testing includes various details.

But Ethan did not need Tony to test it in such detail for him, especially since Tony had already developed nano-repair robots. This meant that even after returning to his own side, the warship could be repaired and adjusted on its own if problems arose.

This test only needed to ensure that the Prinz Eugen could be used normally and most equipment was functioning properly. It seemed there were no serious design flaws currently.

Any problems that arose later would be minor details. At most, a certain system or piece of equipment might not achieve the theoretical effect, or even have no effect at all, but corrections could be made based on the various adjustment plans Tony provided.

Moreover, Tony, realizing that the flow of time on Ethan's side was different from his own world, had started thinking about going out with Ethan again.

Of course, the reason he found was very reasonable: he needed to be present to better help Ethan conduct detailed tests on the Prinz Eugen, ensuring that he handed over a perfect warship, not a defective product with a lot of problems.

"So, after Thor's succession ceremony, you will leave again?"

"Yes."

There really was not anything left here either. He had stayed this long just to wait for the new ship to be launched. The testing was not even being done here, so what else was there to do but leave?

Currently, his only remaining goal in this world was to borrow the Time Stone from Kamar-Taj. He was not greedy. Surely the Ancient One would not refuse if he just wanted to look at the Time Stone for a few days at Kamar-Taj.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 394: Follow Your Heart

After dealing with Bucky's "mental illness" and accepting thanks from Steve and Bucky, Ethan continued his journey by plane to London.

He could have used a single spell to go anywhere he wanted, but Selvig and Jane Foster still needed to enter and exit through official channels. Otherwise, after Ethan left, it would be very troublesome for them to return to London and continue their previous work.

Anyway, Ethan had nothing to do during this time, and Tony's private jet was quite comfortable to ride in. He might as well take it as a short vacation for himself.

It was a pity that there was no one to accompany him during such leisurely times. What a failure.

"I have been working hard for over ten or twenty years, inside and out, but I am still single. Isn't that a bit too much of a failure?"

It was not that he had never thought about such things. For example, he had actively pulled Ada into his team, saying that her spy skills were outstanding. In reality, that was just a bonus. The fundamental reason was that he had liked this character in his previous life, and now that he had the ability and opportunity in this life, he invited her over as a matter of course.

It was just that there had been no substantial action since then. He was like an otaku addicted to games who could not extricate himself, constantly immersed in the ocean of magic, swimming around happily. Only when he was not training and was alone would he occasionally think about such things.

But such time was not much for Ethan now. Most of his time was either spent training or preparing for the next step of training.

He rubbed his smooth chin. So many years had passed, and Ethan had never grown a beard. At first, he was young and had not started growing one. Later, his body underwent several enhancements. Perhaps his personal subjective will was more resistant to hair not on his head. As a result, the few stubbles that had just sprouted gradually disappeared, and eventually, they just stopped growing.

He was very satisfied with his current appearance. His body transformation had been completely finished long ago, and his appearance had been optimized over a long period of time. Although he could still be recognized as Ethan, if you compared a photo to his appearance back then, the change was quite significant: from an ordinary face to a handsome guy.

Coupled with a height similar to Steve Rogers, and a set of muscles that were not overly exaggerated but very well-proportioned, he definitely had the capital to launch an offensive against any member of the opposite sex without causing disgust.

"Could it be that I have developed some kind of psychological problem?"

Ethan considered himself a vulgar person, and the things he liked were also vulgar. But such a vulgar person like himself had never thought of gathering a large group of beauties to fill his ship. He always felt that something was not normal.

Ethan did not dwell on his dilemma for long. After finding Jane Foster and Selvig and conveying Thor's invitation, Ethan brought the two of them, along with the intern Darcy and Darcy's intern, to Los Angeles.

They would stay here for a few days, and then after Steve arrived to meet up, Ethan would take them all to Asgard together.

Taking advantage of this last period of free time, Ethan had a few final things to deal with. The first one was to go to Kamar-Taj and borrow the Eye of Agamotto from the Ancient One for some training.

This was not Ethan's first time visiting Kamar-Taj. In fact, the first place he arrived when he first used the space-time orb to cross planes was Kamar-Taj.

That time, he was a plane-jumper who was intercepted and "placed under house arrest" by the Ancient One, the Sorcerer Supreme who protected the world.

At that time, his range of activity was very small, only the house he lived in and the attached small courtyard. He was not allowed to go anywhere else.

This time was different. He was now visiting as a great mage from another world. In a sense, the only person in Kamar-Taj qualified to receive him was the Ancient One herself.

All areas of Kamar-Taj were open to him, and he even met some mages he had not met before but had already "known" for a long time.

For example, Kaecilius, who would betray the Ancient One in the near future, and Mordo, who led Doctor Strange, Stephen Strange, to Kamar-Taj and provided him with a lot of help during his process of learning how to become a mage.

And Wong, who would inherit the title of Sorcerer Supreme from Doctor Strange and become his most capable assistant.

These people had a strange attitude towards Ethan. Perhaps they could not understand why someone like Ethan would be valued by the Ancient One and personally received?

However, the Ancient One had very high prestige in Kamar-Taj, and no one would question her decisions, except for Kaecilius, who would betray Kamar-Taj in the future.

Ethan could sense that Kaecilius was filled with various negative fluctuations, but this was not something he needed to worry about. Kaecilius's betrayal was completely under the Ancient One's control. In order to perfectly escape the shackles of the Dark Dimension, the Ancient One also needed him to continue following the "original history."

When it was time for a private meeting, without outsiders disturbing them, and protected by magic so there was no need to worry about being overheard, the Ancient One finally sighed softly. "I have seen countless possible futures through magic, and now I have missed the best opportunity."

Kaecilius was not necessarily going to betray. As long as he was appeased in time when he discovered the Ancient One's secret and his beliefs wavered, and everything was explained clearly, Kaecilius might not necessarily turn to Dormammu. He might even become completely loyal to the Ancient One and even inherit her mantle.

Even if he did not have the qualifications to become the Sorcerer Supreme, he could still become a capable assistant to the next generation of Sorcerer Supreme, after all, Kaecilius's strength was among the top among the many mages in Kamar-Taj.

It was just that at that time, the Ancient One had already chosen the "future" and decided to use Kaecilius's hand to free herself. Ethan really did not know how to evaluate this approach.

"This is the price of prying into the mysteries of time. You will find yourself caught in one choice after another, and no matter what choice you make, you will find that things can never be perfectly resolved. You will fall into various internal struggles, and if your mental will is not strong enough, you will even be completely lost."

Only then did Ethan understand why the Ancient One took him on a tour of Kamar-Taj, letting him meet almost all the mages.

She knew that he was going to use the Eye of Agamotto for training, so she let Ethan understand in advance the price of prying into time, or the potential troubles he might encounter.

"Thank you for your teachings, Ancient One."

The Ancient One smiled and accepted Ethan's bow frankly. When Ethan straightened up again, she began to introduce the Eye of Agamotto in detail.

What Ethan was most concerned about was the core Time Stone. He was not even interested in the Eye of Agamotto, which was a tool that made it more convenient for mages to use the Time Stone. All he wanted was the Time Stone, or rather, the energy containing the time attribute within it.

Time always passed quickly during training. A few days passed in the blink of an eye.

Of course, there could not be any earth-shattering progress in such a short time, and Ethan did not suddenly have an epiphany and comprehend some heaven-defying laws. He just gained a further understanding of the nature of time, and after cross-referencing it with the space-time orb he had, he discovered some things he had overlooked.

What Ethan had in his hand was the space-time orb. Space-time is not just space.

Just like the anchor points Ethan left in the Marvel world, the positioning is not just spatial coordinates, but also the location of time points.

Ethan finally understood that he had never been able to accurately locate time points because he knew too little about time. His space-time orb had always been walking forward with a limp. If he could understand the energy of time deeply enough, he could even arbitrarily decide to go to any time point in any world.

However, it was unknown when he would be able to do that, especially in the worlds he had already experienced. It was difficult for him to choose a time point that had already "passed" to travel to.

For now, through this period, Ethan had barely gained an entry-level understanding. Even with such a shallow understanding, it allowed him to know how to adjust the energy properties of the space-time orb.

Other effects had not yet appeared. The biggest effect at present was that the time positioning of the space-time anchor points was much more stable and clear than before.

For example, for the space-time anchor points that had been left, after he left, he could leave a more accurate mark on the timeline. When he came back next time, he could even return to the time point he had left before.

It was a pity that Ethan still could not achieve such accurate positioning, so there would still be a certain error, the error was about eighty to one hundred days.

Compared to before, this error was completely negligible!

The harvest from this trip was good, so Ethan was always happy when he went to Asgard to attend Thor's coronation ceremony. Everyone thought he was simply happy for Thor.

Feeling a little embarrassed about being misunderstood, Ethan personally forged a hammer and gave it to Thor before leaving the Marvel Universe. This hammer was certainly not as good as Thor's Stormbreaker, but its power was not bad. After all, he had secretly learned a lot from the dwarves and used rare Asgardian materials, so the final product was better than most weapons.

"It can also be compensation for destroying your Mjolnir."

Although the hammer, named Might of Minethil, looked a bit strange in shape, Thor did not care about the hammer, but about Ethan's intention. He happily accepted the gift and said that he would use it often.

As for Steve, Ethan did not forge armor for him. In the end, he only gave him a handbook on the training of Holy Light for paladins. As for whether he would read it or train, that was up to Steve to choose.

After doing all this, Ethan and Tony went to take over the Prinz Eugen, and then he would leave this world.

(To be continued.)