DOTM: Chapter 376/377

Chapter 376: Don’t Ever Think About Snapping Your Fingers Again!

Star-Lord could really be unreliable sometimes. If Ethan were truly going to kidnap all these people for labor, would he be hiring someone to help retrieve the Orb? Wouldn't he be worried they'd all run off, taking everything with them? Bah, he would never do something like that anyway—Ethan wasn't that kind of person.

"You're overthinking it. As for them, they're all from Earth."

"Earth?"

Star-Lord was stunned for a moment, then turned to glance at the people behind Ethan and, unusually, fell silent.

Ethan knew Star-Lord's background, but since they weren't familiar with each other yet, this wasn't the time to talk about personal matters. Right now, they were simply employer and employee. Maintaining an appropriate distance made both parties feel more comfortable.

"Your ship is nice. Can I buy one?"

Although Ethan was sitting in the pilot's seat, he didn't touch any of the controls. He knew nothing about flying a spaceship. The way it was piloted seemed similar to an aircraft, but he hadn't even flown a propeller plane, let alone a jet.

Star-Lord looked at Ethan in surprise. He hadn't expected this guy to be interested in a spaceship like the Milano—after all, it was a Ravager ship, and Ravagers didn't have a great reputation in the galaxy.

To put it nicely, they were mercenaries who took jobs for money. To put it bluntly, they were scum, bandits, and thugs. If someone blew up a Ravager ship, no one would worry about innocent casualties.

"You sure you want this kind of ship?"

Plus, the Milano could only be considered a small spacecraft. Calling it a space fighter would probably be more accurate, and it had very limited internal space.

It was fine with just a few people, but Star-Lord glanced back at Ethan's group. With this many people, they would definitely be crammed and uncomfortable.

Ethan also looked back and realized the issue. He had liked the ship's appearance but hadn't considered much else. Now it was clear this model wasn't suitable for him. Using it as a carrier-based aircraft on the Prinz Eugen's lift platform would be overkill.

"Never mind, forget I asked."

"What? What were you guys talking about?"

Tony had just finished inspecting the ship and was now standing by the pilot's seat. After examining everything that piqued his interest, he turned to ask Ethan what he and Peter had been discussing.

They had already exchanged names earlier. Tony found it odd that this guy was actually named Peter. It sounded like an Earth name. Was it a translation glitch?

"I was originally asking Peter where I could buy a spaceship like his, but I've decided not to."

"Oh, that." Tony waved it off casually. "Honestly, you don't need to rush to buy one. Once I finish analyzing the data I've gathered, I can build one tailored just for you."

Just like Star-Lord, Tony also felt this spaceship was too small for Ethan's situation. There wasn't enough space for equipment, let alone proper living quarters.

"Considering you'll probably have even more companions in the future, you'd better get a big enough ship."

Tony continued speaking, but the previously quiet Star-Lord finally couldn't hold back his curiosity.

"You can build spaceships?"

His tone didn't sound like genuine curiosity—it was more like suspicion.

Tony stood next to him and gave him a disdainful look. "What? You doubt me?"

"Oh no, nothing like that. I was just curious about what kind of spaceship you'd build."

"It'll definitely blow your mind."

"I'll be looking forward to it."

At that moment, Thor walked over. Unlike the others, he wasn't interested in exploring every part of the ship. He had simply taken a walk around to familiarize himself with the space, confirmed where food and drinks were stored, and then taught the others how to use the ship's basic facilities.

Having finished those tasks, he now came to Ethan with a few questions. He still didn't fully understand what they were doing or what the Orb actually was.

"Huh? Didn't I tell you?"

Thor and Tony looked at him with exasperated expressions. "No. You haven't said a single word about that… Orb."

Tony had wanted to ask earlier, but with Star-Lord around, he wasn't sure if it was safe to talk about it, so he had suppressed his curiosity.

Thor didn't care about that. Even if Star-Lord had bad intentions, he'd just beat him into submission.

"Actually, that so-called Orb is the Power Stone."

When Thor asked what the Orb was, Star-Lord had instinctively perked up his ears. He assumed Ethan wouldn't say anything in front of him—but Ethan didn't avoid the question at all and answered directly.

But Star-Lord had no idea what the Power Stone even was. He just thought to himself, Did I really go through all this trouble, even preparing to fall out with the Ravagers… for a stone? What a ripoff. Fortunately, he had already found a buyer. As long as he got paid, it was all worth it.

On Earth, things like gold and gems were considered precious. But in the vast universe, they weren't that special. There were countless planets just in the Milky Way, and the value of most common minerals wasn't high. Only those with unique and irreplaceable functions were truly valuable.

However, the reactions of the two men next to him made it very clear—this wasn't just any gem.

"Another Infinity Stone?"

Thor's expression turned grim. He was starting to understand why his father had been so eager for him to improve his strength. Aside from Odin's declining health, the continuous appearance of the Infinity Stones clearly pointed to a looming crisis.

To handle it, he had to become stronger. His trip to Nidavellir to forge a powerful weapon was now even more necessary.

Even setting aside unknown threats, Loki had already informed him that the infamous Thanos had been eyeing the Infinity Stones for a long time. No one really knew what that lunatic was after. But everyone knew this madman could casually slaughter half a planet. If he got the stones, Asgard and even the Nine Realms would be in grave danger.

"You already possess two Infinity Stones. Why go after the Power Stone too?"

Tony focused on another angle. He had learned a lot from Ethan about the Infinity Stones and knew Odin had always tried to keep the stones apart. It was common knowledge that even the strongest beings couldn't wield more than one at a time.

Even Ethan could only perfectly control one stone. Tony had once asked him during a break in their training, "If you can suppress Thor with just the Space Stone, what would happen if you used two at once? Could you challenge the God-King?"

The answer Ethan gave at the time was, "If I tried to use two Infinity Stones simultaneously, the most likely outcome would be me blowing myself to atoms. I might not even leave a soul behind."

Ethan had clearly stated that he only acquired the Reality Stone for training. Once his plan was complete, he intended to place it in a secure location instead of keeping it on him.

He was even planning to give away the stone he already had—so why was he going after another one?

"Is there something special about the Power Stone?"

"No, there's nothing special. In fact, I can't even control the Power Stone."

Ethan estimated that he could at most withstand the Power Stone's impact and unleash its power in a brute-force way. But he wouldn't be able to control it precisely like the Space Stone or incorporate it into his combat system.

"Then why still go after it?"

"Because I don't want Thanos to have it."

Thor nodded. That was a perfectly reasonable answer.

Thanos was already formidable. If he obtained another Infinity Stone, it would only make him more difficult to deal with. Since they had already uncovered some of Thanos's plans, it made sense to interfere.

"So, you want to find the Power Stone first and hide it somewhere safe?"

"A safe place?"

Ethan didn't quite get that idea. Odin might have done something similar, but that was probably because he didn't have the strength to protect the stone himself anymore.

So why were Thor and Tony still thinking that way?

"When you're up against someone like Thanos, where in the universe is actually safe?"

Thor had no answer to that. But Tony suddenly had an idea.

"Can't you just take the stone to another universe?"

Ethan paused. He really hadn't thought of that. It was like he had fallen into a mental blind spot.

"That's actually a good idea. If things get bad, to prevent Thanos from getting it, I could throw the stone into another dimension."

Ethan rubbed his chin thoughtfully. If Thanos really did manage to collect all the stones, he could just drag Thanos into another world for the final battle. That way, Thanos could snap his fingers all he wanted, and it still wouldn't matter.

Still, that would be a last resort. For now, he preferred to stick to his original plan. "But have you ever considered using the stones yourselves? Using their power to fight Thanos?"

Thor might have once thought his strength was enough. But after getting personally thrashed by one of the Infinity Stones, he had changed his mind.

Tony, standing beside him, immediately caught on to Ethan's idea. "You want to give the Power Stone to Thor, let him master it, and use it to fight Thanos?"

"That's exactly what I'm thinking." Then he turned to look at Tony. "And you, Tony, could control a stone too."

(To be continued.)

Chapter 377: Find a Senior Technician?

"Me?"

Tony pointed at himself. He thought Ethan was joking. Although he was a super genius and believed that given enough time, he could figure out how to use the Infinity Stones, the fact that Ethan had waited until Thor awakened his thunder power before considering giving him the Power Stone clearly showed that Ethan had specific requirements for the user's base strength.

Even though he had injected some enhancement serum and could develop various high-tech armors, Tony didn't think he had the physical capability to handle an Infinity Stone himself.

"Of course not now. You still need to further improve your strength."

Once Tony's magic power reached a solid foundation, and his armor was further optimized and upgraded to achieve a perfect fusion of science and magic, his strength should hit its peak.

Moreover, Tony was still working on enhancement serums. Once completed, his body would be strengthened further, enabling it to withstand the force of more energy. At that point, he might barely qualify to use an Infinity Stone directly. Combined with specially-designed armor, he should be able to fully unleash an Infinity Stone's power.

While they were deep in discussion, Star-Lord, sitting nearby, was completely confused. He couldn't make sense of what they were saying. Why did it feel like the people around him were crazy?

"Are you guys... rehearsing a play or something?"

"…"

Tony and Thor both turned to look at Star-Lord, who was piloting the ship. Star-Lord looked at them as if they were a bunch of idiots, and Ethan was clearly included in that look.

"It's nothing. What we were just talking about, you'll understand once you see the item."

"Item?" Star-Lord recalled their objective for this trip. "You mean the Orb, which you just called the Power Stone?"

Ethan nodded. "Its real name should be the Infinity Stone. This particular one represents power."

Star-Lord didn't dwell on whether the item was real or fake and immediately asked with curiosity, "How many of these things are there?"

"Six." Ethan raised his hand and used his magic power to project the appearance of the Infinity Stones, just as he had done when explaining them to Nick Fury and the others.

Recently, he had been practicing with the Reality Stone. Although he still couldn't transform magic power into physical objects, creating a magical illusion nearly identical to the real thing had become much easier.

His right hand functioned like a high-end projection device. It not only showed the appearances of the six Infinity Stones but also displayed the Big Bang and the moment when the six Infinity Stones were formed.

Of course, he hadn't witnessed this scene firsthand. The visuals were thanks to what he'd seen in Guardians of the Galaxy and Avengers: Infinity War in his previous life. Both the Collector and Wong had specifically demonstrated it.

While explaining the origin of the Infinity Stones, Ethan also 'played' a scene depicting how easily the Power Stone could destroy a planet. This, of course, also came from the demonstration shown by the Collector in Guardians of the Galaxy.

Star-Lord, who was piloting the ship, went from not taking it seriously at all (he assumed the images Ethan was projecting were from some kind of implanted tech, like his own translator implant), to gradually becoming shocked, and finally stared wide-eyed as Ethan dismissed the terrifying images.

"You know I almost peed myself just now? You actually asked me to help you find something that dangerous?"

"Correction. Even if I hadn't hired you, you'd still have gone looking for it yourself. My appearance actually helped you resolve a bigger problem—how to get rid of that thing as quickly as possible."

Star-Lord opened his mouth, then suddenly realized what Ethan said made a lot of sense. He didn't know how to respond.

"Who is that Thanos you mentioned earlier?"

In truth, Ethan didn't know much about Thanos either. He only knew a few things, which he summarized in one sentence: a madman who wants to balance the universe through force, and his method is eliminating half of all life.

"So that lunatic named Thanos wants to get the Infinity Stones and then use their power to wipe out half of all life in the universe?"

"Pretty much."

Thanos's actions weren't exactly secret in the universe. But most people assumed he was just showing off his power and never thought much about why he always killed half and spared half.

But no matter how good his reasoning sounded, no intelligent lifeform wanted their fate decided by someone else, no matter how weak they were, or even if they were already on the brink of death.

After hearing Ethan's explanation of Thanos, Star-Lord grew more curious. "This Thanos is that powerful? Sounds like he could do what you're talking about even without those Infinity Stones."

"You probably thought my 'kill half the universe' line was just a metaphor. But Thanos really plans to do it. And if he has to go planet by planet, he'd never even make it out of the Milky Way in his lifetime."

"So what do the Infinity Stones have to do with it? With them, can he actually wipe out half the universe?"

"Yes."

Even Thor was hearing this for the first time. Originally, he and Tony just thought Thanos wanted to collect the stones to make himself unstoppable, so he could destroy any planet at will.

It wasn't until now that they learned Thanos's true purpose was to wipe out half of all life. Their first reaction was, "This guy is nuts. He couldn't do that even if he tried for eternity." But once Ethan confirmed that the Infinity Stones could make it possible, they finally understood the full danger of the situation.

"Once Thanos gets all six Infinity Stones and embeds them into a piece of equipment so they can release power together, all he has to do is snap his fingers."

Ethan casually snapped his fingers, emphasizing the gesture.

"And half the life in the universe will be gone."

Thor and Tony's expressions darkened, while Star-Lord looked utterly horrified. He was starting to regret letting Ethan and his group onto the Milano. How had he gotten dragged into something this terrifying?

Even worse, it didn't seem like he could back out. If he backed out now, there was a real chance Thanos would end up with the stone. And once that happened, he might collect the rest. At that point, no matter which corner of the universe he hid in, he could be wiped out with a single snap.

"And you still want to carry this stone with you like that? Shouldn't you destroy it?"

Tony thought the same thing. To prevent Thanos from collecting all six Infinity Stones, couldn't they just destroy one?

If the stones couldn't be gathered, he wouldn't be able to snap his fingers. Although they would still have to deal with this lunatic, at least they wouldn't have to worry about dying suddenly in a snap.

"One of the six Infinity Stones represents time… I think you can guess what that means."

Among the group, only Thor had average intelligence. Tony and Star-Lord both had minds far beyond the norm. As soon as Ethan said the word "time," they understood.

"You mean, even if we destroy one, as long as Thanos gets the Time Stone, he can restore the destroyed one?" Tony rubbed the bridge of his nose. "How would he do that? Go back to before it was destroyed and take it, or just reverse its time to before it was damaged?"

"The latter."

The Time Stone could not only reverse time on objects, but also accelerate it, trap someone in a time loop, and see countless future outcomes.

"Even worse, we have no way to destroy the Time Stone, unless you want to be hunted down as enemies by the sorcerers of Kamar-Taj."

Tony smirked bitterly. He had originally intended to say, "Then let's just destroy the Time Stone," but after hearing Ethan, he realized the thing was being guarded by those sorcerers. Clearly, they weren't going to let it be destroyed.

"Actually, you don't need to worry too much. As long as the Space Stone is in my hands, Thanos won't be able to collect all six."

Star-Lord didn't understand what Ethan meant, but Tony and Thor did. They both let out long sighs of relief, and the tension from earlier eased significantly.

"I almost forgot about that."

"Can one of you explain why we're safe just because the Space Stone is in your possession? Do you have some kind of special method to keep it hidden from this Thanos guy?"

"Something like that."

Without explaining in detail, Ethan was already considering whether to use teleportation magic to head to Nidavellir after retrieving the Orb, or simply have Star-Lord fly them there.

In terms of efficiency, teleportation was definitely faster and more convenient. But if they traveled with Star-Lord, maybe they'd run into Rocket Raccoon?

He wasn't interested in kidnapping a raccoon as a pet. Rocket was a top-tier technician who understood high-level tech. He could handle things like weapon and spaceship repair, which were currently lacking on their team.

Not to mention, bringing Rocket would also come with the bonus of Groot. Having a mobile plant life form in a metallic environment could even improve the living conditions.

However, Ethan's interference had completely derailed the original plot. After getting paid, Star-Lord definitely wouldn't return to Xandar, as he could be caught by Yondu. So the chances of meeting Rocket Raccoon were slim.

That said, Ethan could make a trip to Xandar specifically to invite Rocket and Groot to join the team.

(To be continued.)