DOTM: Chapter 372/373

Chapter 372: Xandar

Originally, Ethan was too lazy to concern himself with the messy affairs between Hydra and S.H.I.E.L.D. Hydra's reputation was too notorious. They could accomplish some things from the shadows, but once exposed, they'd suffer a miserable end.

Because the Marvel Universe—even just the movie universe—is far deeper than they imagined. If their Project Insight actually succeeded, neither the Asgardians, the guardians of Earth, nor the sorcerers of Kamar-Taj would sit idly by.

If either of these two groups took action against Hydra, which was composed of ordinary humans, would the outcome even be in question?

However, just because you don't want trouble doesn't mean trouble won't find you. Ethan didn't want to get involved with those guys, but that didn't mean Hydra would leave him alone.

Since that was the case, why not just expose them to Nick Fury and let the two sides clash? Ideally, they'd beat each other to a pulp—that would be truly satisfying!

"How do I know whether what you're saying is true or false?"

"I don't care whether you believe me or not. You're going to investigate anyway. To save you from being completely fooled, I'll kindly help you one more time."

Ethan had already seen through this man's personality. As long as he was given a hint, he would definitely dig into it thoroughly. Even if Ethan had just said something in passing, Fury wouldn't dare to treat it as a joke. He had to get to the bottom of it before he could rest easy.

Besides, the fact that Hydra had infiltrated S.H.I.E.L.D. to such an extent was already a reality. As long as Fury investigated in the right direction, it wouldn't be hard to find clues. To help him get there faster, Ethan gave him a lead: "Project Insight."

If Nick Fury had only been slightly suspicious before, now he was starting to believe that Ethan might be telling the truth.

"How do you know about this project?"

"I told you, S.H.I.E.L.D. has long been riddled with spies. What you think is a secret is actually known by more people than you imagine."

S.H.I.E.L.D.'s internal situation was a complete mess—not only were there Hydra agents, but also informants planted by other forces. Nick Fury wasn't unaware of this, but he hadn't expected the situation to be this bad.

Even an "alien" knew about their most important secret project. Was S.H.I.E.L.D. still a secret organization? Was someone handing out flyers with details about S.H.I.E.L.D.'s structure and future plans?

"You just mentioned up to the former director of S.H.I.E.L.D.?" Even in his shock, Nick Fury, being an elite agent, didn't miss a single detail. At that thought, he suddenly felt uncertain about who he could really trust.

Then he looked at Black Widow beside him. "Do you think Natasha is trustworthy? She hasn't been turned by Hydra?"

He asked this right in front of Natasha Romanoff, while carefully watching both Ethan's and Natasha's expressions.

"Besides Natasha, the people you can trust are Phil Coulson, Maria Hill, Clint Barton, Sharon Carter, Victoria Hand…" Ethan thought for a moment, then added another name.

Of course, there were more who hadn't been absorbed by Hydra, but considering Nick Fury's position, he couldn't be expected to know the status of every low-level agent. What he needed to confirm were top-tier combat personnel and high-level agents with sufficient access to resources.

"That's it?"

"Forget the rest. Even if they haven't been absorbed by Hydra, they won't be able to help you."

Nick Fury nodded, his frown deepening. "Rumlow is also one of Hydra's people?"

Ethan chuckled. "Don't count on the STRIKE team. Every one of them is loyal to Hydra."

Loyal… That was even worse than being recruited.

Nick Fury realized the situation was far more serious than he had imagined. As for why Ethan was telling him all this, he hadn't overlooked what Ethan said earlier either.

"I'm someone who hates trouble. So, when it comes, I prefer to eliminate it at the root."

Clearly, Ethan was very unhappy about Hydra trying to provoke him, and he wanted to cut them off completely. He didn't plan to act personally—he intended to use Nick as the knife to take them down.

In Ethan's view, he didn't care if S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hydra tore each other apart. From his earlier behavior, it was obvious he didn't like S.H.I.E.L.D. either. So to him, it was just two enemies fighting. He could sit back, snack in hand, and enjoy the show.

What was most frustrating was that Nick Fury found himself forced into being that knife. Whether due to his role as S.H.I.E.L.D.'s director or his duty to protect the world from Hydra's destruction, he couldn't let Hydra grow under S.H.I.E.L.D.'s cover.

He had no choice but to fight Hydra to the bitter end. It was truly frustrating. Looking at Ethan again, he realized that being a sorcerer probably required a high level of intelligence. He shouldn't have provoked this man from the start.

"I'll look into this thoroughly."

He didn't say anything about asking Ethan for help. He knew Ethan wouldn't agree, so there was no point humiliating himself.

Compared to Ethan, he had a more suitable person to ask for help. Although they didn't get along well, since the opponent was Hydra, he believed that person would definitely lend a hand.

Just as Nick Fury was about to leave, Ethan seemed to remember something and said, "Tell Maria Hill that if S.H.I.E.L.D. dissolves and she can't find a job, I'm willing to hire her."

Nick, halfway turned around, stopped and stared at Ethan with his one eye, then replied word by word, "I'll convey your generosity to Hill."

Ethan waved his hand, dispelling the illusion. Fury turned and left with a dark expression, not even calling Phil Coulson to go with him.

That look perfectly matched the illusion Ethan had created—it seemed like they had argued and parted on bad terms.

Nick Fury's departure didn't cause anything noteworthy to happen. In the following days, no one from Hydra made any moves against Ethan.

Although he didn't know when Nick would take action, Ethan didn't plan to stick around just to watch the two groups fight.

He felt this was a perfect opportunity to leave. By the time he returned, S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hydra would have either reached a conclusion or destroyed each other.

In his estimation, Nick Fury would definitely go to Steve Rogers. Since this was about Hydra, Captain America would undoubtedly get involved.

Compared to the passive defense shown in the original storyline—where even the first move was within the enemy's calculations—this time Nick was taking the initiative. Maybe the advantage would be on S.H.I.E.L.D.'s side?

"Who cares? Best if they're both crippled."

Each day, Ethan brewed potions and taught Tony. Once Tony had finished most of the foundational lessons, Ethan also decided it was time to head into the universe.

"Thor and Jane have been together long enough. If they don't take a break, they'll probably start arguing."

Tony had experience in this regard. After checking on his parents and confirming there wouldn't be any unusual events in the next few months, and after explaining things to Pepper, he called Thor over.

As expected, both Thor and Jane wanted to spend some time apart and do their own things.

Plus, Thor had a mission and couldn't just laze around on Earth.

"Are you ready to go?"

Seeing the large group around him, Thor knew Ethan had the Space Stone and could teleport freely, but suddenly transporting a group this large to an advanced civilization could easily cause problems.

If they landed on a planet inhabited by a sensitive species, it might spark a conflict.

"Considering the number of people, and that some may not adapt well to harsh environments, it's better to choose a peaceful planet with conditions similar to Earth."

After thinking it over, Thor offered a suggestion.

"Xandar is a good option. The Nova Corps are strong, but they won't start a fight. They're a peace-loving civilization."

"In that case, our first stop will be Xandar!"

Ethan was about to teleport everyone there but suddenly realized he didn't know the planet's coordinates. He had to ask Thor.

Though Thor couldn't distinguish most Earth locations, he was very familiar with many places in the universe. For a well-known planet like Xandar, he had the coordinates memorized and provided them before Ethan even asked.

The teleportation was successfully activated. Although Ethan had chosen a relatively remote area to land, the sudden appearance of such a large group still attracted the Nova Corps' attention.

This was when Thor's presence proved useful. Asgardians had a strong reputation in the universe, and Thor, as Odin's eldest son, was well known among many advanced civilizations.

After confirming Thor's identity, the Nova Corps didn't make things difficult. Instead, they politely arranged accommodations and stated that as long as Ethan's group didn't break any laws, there would be no trouble.

However, most of the group ran into a major problem.

Except for Thor, who was fluent in several galactic languages, the others couldn't understand a single word. In that state, they couldn't even shop.

But on a planet with a highly advanced civilization, this issue was easily solved. The friendly Xandarians provided each of them with a language translator. Once the device was placed behind the ear, they could communicate normally with most races in the universe.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 373: A Lot of New Technologies

This translation device could be considered a very common item in the universe. Civilizations that reached a certain level, or intelligent beings who frequently traveled among various civilizations, would typically carry one.

Of course, there were exceptions. For instance, Asgard did not mass-produce such products. They were accustomed to a more traditional method—directly learning and mastering the languages of the universe. The long lifespan of Asgardians gave them this foundation.

Someone like Thor not only understood the languages of all major civilizations but could even understand the language spoken by Groot, the tree creature.

Asgard's method couldn't be widely adopted. After all, there were massive differences in lifespan between races. Not all civilizations were as peaceful and stable as Asgard. Many who traveled the universe struggled just to survive, and simply didn't have time to slowly learn languages. More importantly, learning one or two languages wasn't enough. There were so many in use across the universe, and it wasn't uncommon for someone to spend years learning a few, only to find they'd become obsolete. That would be a tragedy.

It was exactly this kind of environment that created a large market for translation tools.

This inconspicuous little device contained nearly every known language in the universe, ensuring that any alien language you heard could be converted into something understandable.

To the user, the other person would always seem to be speaking in their "native language."

The device, about the size of a fingernail, could be attached behind the ear. It could stick to the skin like a normal mechanical device, making it visible at a glance, or it could alter its appearance so that others couldn't tell you were wearing anything.

"This thing is amazing."

Tony turned it over in his hand, studying it for a long time, trying to figure out its inner workings. If he didn't need it immediately, he would've wanted to take it apart on the spot.

"No need to rush. We'll buy some standard items later. Those will be enough to keep you busy for a while."

Even though they were just civilian products, the technology they contained was enough to boost Tony Stark's tech level by several tiers. The Stark Group would also undergo massive changes.

It was foreseeable that even without relying on the highly profitable arms business, the Stark Group—armed with advanced civilization tech—would remain one of Earth's top companies, and could even become its leading tech powerhouse.

"Now I feel like the shares I gave you back then were absolutely worth it!"

Just based on the technical data Ethan had already brought him, Tony felt that even if he gave Ethan more shares, he still wouldn't be losing out.

"Don't feel like you owe me. Once you get those things, I'll get what I want from you. It's a win-win."

"You're right, my friend. It's a shame I don't have any wine. Otherwise, I'd definitely share a drink with you!"

Now that they had the translation devices and could communicate freely with the locals on Xandar, there was no need to hide in their lodgings. They could move around and experience the alien scenery.

Of course, to avoid trouble, someone with decent combat ability should accompany them. The cities on Xandar were well-secured. Even if conflict broke out, the Nova Corps would quickly intervene to stop any violence.

Moreover, Xandarians themselves were fairly peace-loving and rarely caused trouble. Ethan only arranged for protection against other races.

Xandar was a very open and civilized planet. Naturally, it had travelers and even residents from many different races.

"Don't worry, we won't go far. We'll just explore nearby."

To Evelyn, Imhotep, and the others, even the cities of the 21st century felt futuristic. Those novelties alone could keep them reminiscing for quite a while.

Unexpectedly, they had now arrived on an alien planet. Facing a city full of aliens, it was hard not to feel nervous. Thor was technically an alien too, but he looked like a human, so they hadn't fully processed that before. But the aliens on Xandar came in all shapes and colors. Even many humanoid ones had pink, green, or blue skin, making it clear they were no longer on Earth.

In that kind of environment, even someone as bold as Evelyn didn't dare to wander off. Jonathan, who often caused trouble, didn't dare make a move either. Ethan had already warned him in advance—Xandar's laws were strict. Although its people loved peace, they had no sympathy for criminals and weren't hesitant to act.

On a high-tech planet like this, any of Jonathan's tricks would easily be detected. It was best for him not to "touch" anything he wasn't supposed to.

"Relax, I'm the most honest one here!"

After spending time together, everyone knew what he was like and gave him a look of deep mistrust.

"I'll keep an eye on him."

O'Connell volunteered, saying he would keep watch over Jonathan and make sure he didn't cause any trouble.

Ethan nodded, then began asking Thor if he knew of any underground merchants on Xandar.

Bringing up such a topic in front of the Xandarian reception staff was a bit inappropriate. Sure enough, the pink-skinned staff member looked very awkward.

What was even more frustrating was that Thor, the Prince of Asgard, didn't care at all about maintaining the image of a "friendly neighbor." He straightforwardly said that he knew a few such merchants, and there was even one nearby. He could take Ethan there.

Strictly speaking, the topic they were discussing was against Xandarian law. Should he pretend not to hear it? Or report it and arrest these "guests"?

As he struggled internally, Ethan noticed his conflicted expression and offered a brief explanation, "We just want to buy some technical data. That shouldn't be a problem, right?"

Hearing Ethan's clarification, the staff member's expression softened a bit.

In the universe, it wasn't uncommon for relatively backward civilizations—or individuals who had left their home planet—to go to advanced planets and buy more developed tech. Even entire civilizations sometimes did this. It wasn't a rare occurrence.

Even on Xandar, there had been similar deals. If the authorities saw them, they'd deal with them. If not, they'd pretend not to know. As long as the underground merchants didn't sell sensitive Xandarian tech, most people turned a blind eye.

"Ahem, as long as it's not something too sensitive, it should be fine."

"Don't worry, we're not planning to buy weapons or warships."

Ethan did want to buy a spaceship, but after recalling the appearance of ships in the Marvel Universe, he realized the only one that fit his aesthetic was the kind of fighter jet Star-Lord flew. That model seemed exclusive to the Ravagers, and if he wanted one, he might need to find Star-Lord himself.

After settling things with the Xandarian reception staff, Ethan, Thor, and Tony went straight to the nearby underground merchant.

Ethan had been wondering if it would be the same one from Guardians of the Galaxy, but unfortunately, the one Thor introduced wasn't that person. It was someone who hadn't appeared in the films.

This was a light-skinned Xandarian who looked no different from a human. He quickly met Ethan's group and provided a large amount of technical data in various categories that Tony needed.

After Thor paid and the transaction was completed, Tony sincerely expressed his thanks.

He had just been shopping like crazy, buying up almost every piece of technical data that caught his interest. Many of the items weren't even urgently needed, meaning he had bought a lot of extras.

Thor didn't mind and generously footed the bill, which Tony truly appreciated.

Although Ethan had been watching the whole time, he still didn't really know what Tony had actually bought in the end.

"How was the haul?"

"Haul?" Tony immediately knew what Ethan was curious about. "With this data, over half of the projects I'm currently researching can be declared obsolete."

The newly acquired materials covered multiple areas. Some of the things Tony had only been conceptualizing now had complete production methods. And they were mature technologies, no further testing required.

"Buddy, give me some time, and I could convert your Prinz Eugen into a spaceship."

It was a great idea, but Ethan didn't think it was necessary.

"The Prinz Eugen is almost finished. No need to delay construction for modifications. I need to use it soon." As for a spaceship, he'd rather just build a new one.

Besides, Ethan could tell Tony wasn't making the suggestion out of practical needs—he just wanted to use the Prinz Eugen as a platform to test all the new tech he'd just gotten.

If Ethan really agreed, Tony would definitely go wild, completely gutting the Prinz Eugen and rebuilding it from scratch. That might actually take more time than just building a new ship. Who knew when Tony would actually finish the so-called spaceship version of the Prinz Eugen?

"You'd better draft a plan and prioritize these technologies."

Ethan didn't want to let Tony randomly pick projects to research. That might eventually result in a major breakthrough, but before then, all those technologies would just sit idle, unable to be put to practical use.

"Take the nanite repair tool, for example. That's something we need in large quantities right now."

With this technology, not only would regular maintenance become easier, but even major damage could be handled easily. Damaged parts could be directly repaired using this tech.

Combined with the technology Tony had already mastered, it was now possible to build repair robots. When something broke, these robots could rush over and patch up the damage themselves. It was incredibly convenient.

(To be continued.)