DOTM: Chapter 368/369

Chapter 368: Good Resources Should Be Shared

Odin, who had been beaming with joy over his eldest son finally awakening the power of the God of Thunder, now wore a face full of dark lines.

Watching Thor struggle in pain on the field, constantly being hit by magical attacks from various angles and getting covered in dirt, he felt it was necessary to strengthen Thor's magical education.

He didn't expect him to immediately become an all-around warrior proficient in both magic and martial arts, but at the very least, he should have some ability to deal with tricky and hard-to-defend spellcasters.

Seeing Thor's clumsy performance, Odin could no longer bear it. He waved his hand, broke through Ethan's spatial barrier, and signaled for both sides to stop.

In fact, they could have stopped earlier. This battle was meant to draw out the power of the God of Thunder within Thor.

However, Odin wanted to see how far Thor could push his power, so he didn't call a halt immediately. Now, he deeply regretted that decision and wished he had stopped the match sooner.

Ethan's spatial isolation was cast using an Infinity Stone. If Odin were in his prime, he could have broken through it with a wave of his hand.

However, in his current extremely weakened state, he couldn't break it so easily.

Ethan gave Odin face. Upon sensing Odin's move, he followed through and dispelled the spatial isolation spell, also lifting the various distorted spatial forces in the area.

Thor, caught off guard, fell hard again. Fortunately, this time there was no overwhelming magical energy plastered across his face.

And since he had heard his father's call to stop, he withdrew his power and stood up once more.

Thor looked quite disheveled at the moment, but aside from his hair, there were no serious injuries on his body.

Ethan, on the other hand, hadn't moved from start to finish. He merely stood there, waving his arms and rotating his wrists. His biggest movements were tossing Thor once and punching him a few times.

After stopping the casting, the glove on Ethan's right hand completely disintegrated into dust, and the Space Stone detached from the back of his hand, slowly falling toward the ground.

However, before it hit the floor, Ethan caught it with Mage Hand, making it hover in his palm. Then, with a spell that concealed objects in another dimension, the blue Space Stone vanished in his hand.

Thor had been watching Ethan's actions closely. Now, he finally had a more accurate and clear concept of the Infinity Stones.

"It's terrifying. After you used the Infinity Stone, I couldn't even get close to you."

Thor, who now understood why Ethan had done what he did, wasn't angry—he only expressed a bit of grievance over the loss of his hammer.

"Even though I understand why you did it, was there really a need to destroy Mjolnir?"

He also understood why Odin had arranged for Ethan to fight him. With Ethan's spatial abilities, he could have easily separated him from the hammer. There was no need to guess what would have happened next—he had already experienced it.

"Do you think Mjolnir still has value?"

Mjolnir, the hammer of the God of Thunder, was merely a tool to help Thor better exert his power. Now that he had awakened his hidden strength, Mjolnir had lost its most significant use and was reduced to being just a physical weapon that could return when thrown.

After mastering the power of the God of Thunder, Thor had also gained the ability to fly. Although he flew with sparks and lightning, it was much more agile than flying with the hammer.

Considering Mjolnir's durability, Ethan believed the weapon wouldn't be able to withstand the full power of the awakened Thor. At that point, Mjolnir would become a rather awkward weapon to wield.

"You need a better weapon."

Ethan looked at Thor and finally gave him another suggestion—one that nearly broke him.

"You also need a new haircut..."

"What?"

Thor hadn't noticed this until now, but once it was pointed out, he realized his hair had been severely 'damaged' during the battle. Even washing it wouldn't restore its former flowing golden glory.

"No!"

Whether it was an illusion or not, Ethan felt that Thor's attachment to his hair ran deeper than his attachment to his hammer. That anguished cry conveyed how much he loved his golden locks.

Ignoring Thor, who was now inspecting his hair, Ethan walked up to Odin.

"Thank you very much, Ethan."

Although the outcome had differed slightly from what he expected, Thor had finally awakened his power. Next, Odin would teach him how to use that power while gradually transferring his authority, completing the handover of the Asgardian throne.

"You're welcome, All-Father."

Before Ethan could exchange a few more polite words, he saw Odin hand him a red stone. Having just stored the Space Stone, Ethan immediately recognized it as the Reality Stone.

No one noticed when Odin had destroyed the Aether and extracted the Reality Stone. Although his body was in its worst condition ever, he could still manage such a feat easily. But this exertion would require a significant amount of time to recover from.

"Thank you, All-Father."

"As you said before, you're welcome."

Odin still had matters to discuss with Thor. It wasn't appropriate to speak in front of outsiders, so he asked Loki to entertain Ethan and the others, while he walked toward Thor.

His attitude was clear: the show was over, and everyone should leave.

Aside from Queen Frigga, who stayed behind to tend to Odin, even Loki had to leave the area, giving space to All-Father Odin and his heir, Thor, the God of Thunder.

No one thought anything was wrong with this. Everyone was already satisfied after watching such a grand spectacle for free.

As Ethan left the training ground, he walked over to Tony and quietly instructed, "Make sure to give me a copy of the footage."

He didn't even need to ask. Knowing Tony, he had definitely recorded the entire battle in secret.

Although Ethan had been one of the participants and knew more than anyone about what had happened, he still wanted to keep this 'souvenir.'

After all, he had beaten Thor so thoroughly that he couldn't even fight back. Of course, a scene like that was worth preserving.

Seeing Ethan's expression, Tony gave a knowing gesture, indicating it was no problem. Although he had recorded the fight to analyze both Ethan's and Thor's combat abilities, and even learn a few unknown techniques from it, watching it as entertainment was perfectly enjoyable too.

Cough cough!

Just as the two shameless guys were discussing how to share the video, Loki, who had appeared behind them at some point, suddenly interjected.

"Be sure to save a copy for me too."

Then, without waiting for Tony's response, he walked straight past and left.

After everyone dispersed, they returned to rest.

Ethan found a place to meditate and recover.

He didn't expect to gain any insights from the battle. He simply used meditation as a substitute for sleep and rest. The fight hadn't consumed much of his magical energy; even toward the end, he still had plenty left.

What was truly drained was his mental energy.

The Space Stone's energy was vast. Using such immense power required tremendous mental strength, and since this was his first time channeling such a large amount of energy, there were some minor inefficiencies—for instance, he had to use more mental energy than necessary just to ensure there were no errors.

So, even if Odin hadn't called the match to a stop, Ethan would've stopped on his own soon, as he truly couldn't have sustained it much longer.

"Such powerful tools really do require sufficient strength to use freely."

After Thanos used the snap with all six Stones activated, not only was the gauntlet severely damaged, but Thanos's hand also suffered serious, irreversible injury.

Even someone as powerful as Thanos suffered backlash. Ethan felt that even if he obtained the Infinity Gauntlet and all six Stones, he still wouldn't be able to unleash their full power. In the end, he simply wasn't strong enough.

"I can't get complacent yet!"

Beating the hammer-wielding version of Thor wasn't something worth celebrating. He still needed to keep working hard. Moreover, even when facing the hammer-wielding Thor, it was only with the Infinity Stone's power that he had managed to win so easily.

Only when he could fight opponents of that level without using the Infinity Stones—relying solely on his own power to the point where they couldn't even touch him—could he afford to feel slightly proud.

With those thoughts in mind, the night passed quietly.

Ethan stored away the Reality Stone, carrying it with the same spell that concealed objects in another dimension, just like he had done with the Space Stone.

Next, he planned to say goodbye to Thor and return to Earth with Tony to check on Prinz Eugen's situation. After that, they would travel the universe together for a while.

What Ethan didn't expect was that, just as he was about to go say goodbye to Odin, Thor—now sporting a new, neat short haircut—appeared directly in front of him.

"Father needs to sleep for a while."

It seemed that using his power continuously earlier had taken a toll on Odin. But this didn't surprise Ethan. What did surprise him was that Thor actually wanted to go to Earth with him, and then travel through the universe for a while.

"What about Asgard? Don't you need to watch over it?"

"With Loki here, I believe Asgard will be fine," Thor replied with a smile as he glanced at Loki, who had also come to see Ethan off. "Besides, I have a few things to take care of on this trip. It's also to better protect Asgard."

Others may have thought Thor was heading out to handle some minor matters, but Ethan understood what he was really after.

"Could it be... to go to the dwarves and forge Stormbreaker?"

(To be continued.)

Chapter 369: Steel and Arcane

When they set off for Asgard, they were accompanied by Tony, Logan, Selene, Laura, and Auriel.

Upon their return, the group was even stronger with the addition of Thor, who had already mastered the power of the God of Thunder. Unfortunately, he could not be considered a member of the Goddess of Dawn.

Ethan could already tell that Odin intended for Thor to inherit the position of God-King, which was why he allowed Thor to travel the universe with him.

As for why Thor was with him, it was likely that Odin wanted him to learn how to control his power from Ethan. At the same time, it was a way to repay Ethan for his help.

As Ethan and the others traveled through the universe, there were definitely many things they didn't understand, which Thor could help explain. Thor's presence was also like having a mobile wallet. He just didn't explicitly say, "Buy whatever you want, I'll pay!"

"Where is this?"

"Next door to Tony's place. It's considered my residence in this world." Nominally, this property belonged to Ethan, but in reality, Tony had used Ethan's name to build a base that could serve as a cover. Ethan, however, highly doubted the effectiveness of such a disguise.

Not many people in this world knew his identity, and those who could target Tony's secrets happened to be among them.

"Tony's home? Isn't it that building in New York?"

Thor didn't know much about Tony. He had always thought that the Stark Tower he visited last time was Tony's residence.

"That's just one of my many properties. We're currently in Los Angeles, on the West Coast of North America."

Knowing that Thor wasn't familiar with Earth's geography, Tony explained the difference in the simplest way: one was on the East Coast, the other on the West Coast.

Explained like that, Thor easily understood.

As for saying things like "I'm filthy rich and have tons of properties," there was no need. After all, strictly speaking, Asgard ruled the Nine Realms, and Earth just happened to be one of them.

That meant Earth was Asgard's territory, and Thor, who was about to become God-King, was technically the ruler of all Earthlings.

"We have some matters to attend to next, so Thor, you might need to wait a few more days."

"No problem. I can also take this opportunity to visit some old friends."

Thor was talking about Dr. Selvig. Jane had already recovered and returned to her own life. Having been gone for so long, she likely had many things to deal with.

"Take this. We'll notify you when we're about to leave."

Tony casually handed Thor a phone. It had excellent signal reception. In Tony's words, as long as the God of Thunder was still on Earth, he would definitely receive the call.

As for whether Thor could use it? He could even pilot a spaceship. Understanding a basic communication device wouldn't be a problem.

"Do you need my help?"

Seeing Thor and Jane staring at him intently, Ethan understood they wanted him to open a portal and send them directly to London.

After all, when Thor flew now, he was wrapped in lightning, and his control over his power was practically nonexistent. If he were holding Jane, she'd likely get electrocuted before they flew two meters.

"That would be best."

Turning around, he opened a portal. Thor waved at Ethan and, smiling, took Jane to visit Selvig and other old friends.

After Tony took off his armor, he sent the armor and the "logistics station" back for necessary repairs and maintenance. He then went to the lab below to check on his parents' condition. Although Jarvis had already reported that everything was normal, he needed to see it with his own eyes to feel at ease.

Ethan didn't go with him. Instead, he walked around the house to check on those who had stayed behind.

He found that they were doing quite well, especially Evelyn and the others. Having arrived in a new world, they were curious about everything.

O'Connell and Jonathan were very satisfied with the rich entertainment options, while Evelyn was eagerly catching up on the scientific achievements of the past several decades. She felt she had missed out on far too much. Even if the length of a day were multiplied several times, it still wouldn't be enough.

Imhotep and Anck-su-namun were much calmer. The two of them enjoyed a peaceful life, no longer needing to hide their relationship, while also diligently working to improve their strength.

They knew this life had been granted by Ethan. They saw themselves as Ethan's servants, and if their strength was too weak to help their master, being abandoned would be entirely understandable.

For the sake of their future, Imhotep was training more diligently. He had previously asked for Ethan's notes on Holy Light and Shadow, and also "requested" some of Ethan's Holy Light as a seed to help comprehend this power that Ethan completely controlled.

Although Imhotep hadn't yet recovered to his peak, he had already condensed some weak magical energy and cultivated some progress with the Holy Light seed. He could now be considered a priest proficient in ancient Egyptian magic with a preliminary grasp of Holy Light.

Originally, he had mastered many divine Egyptian spells, but after abandoning his faith in the Egyptian gods, he lost the divine power granted by them and could no longer cast those spells.

After Ethan returned, Imhotep immediately reported that his training had made some progress and hoped that Ethan, his "master," would give him a chance to prove himself.

"There will be opportunities."

Ethan didn't have high expectations for the two ancient Egyptians who considered themselves his servants. For now, he was just cultivating them. As for what they would become in the future, even he was a little curious.

"Where is Ada?"

"Ada went shopping with Pepper at noon." Imhotep took his duties seriously. Although focused on training, he kept a close eye on the movements of everyone on Ethan's ship. When Ethan casually asked, he immediately had the answer.

This was a pleasant surprise. Ethan suddenly felt it was quite nice to have someone like this as a subordinate.

However, Imhotep certainly didn't know that Ada, despite her appearance as a normal woman, was anything but ordinary. On the surface, she was out shopping. In reality, she was likely gathering intelligence.

Especially since she was close to Pepper Potts, many hidden details of the Marvel Universe would be accessible to her. As a spy, she probably found it quite enjoyable. Spies seemed to have a habit of digging up secrets just to satisfy their own curiosity, even when not on a mission.

"Pack your things. Soon, I'll take you all out to see a wider world."

Ethan hadn't originally planned to bring so many people into space, but thinking about how cooped up they'd been in the manor, it seemed more fitting to take them out for a tour.

Watching Imhotep bow and retreat, Ethan stood on the open-air balcony for a while, then went to the underground lab to find Tony.

However, before he reached the study entrance, Tony appeared in front of him.

"If there are no problems, we can go see your new ship anytime."

"Everything normal with Howard?"

"Yes. The equipment is operating normally. Everything is progressing as planned." This was good news. It meant there were no issues. All that remained was to wait. Soon, his father would be able to leave the restoration equipment and be fully resurrected.

Although there was still time before he would be completely independent from those machines, he would soon be able to talk and interact like a normal person. Except for needing daily rest in special equipment, his daily life wouldn't be much different from others'.

"Is there anything you want to do in the meantime?"

"Hmm... thoroughly research and develop a new strengthening potion."

After seeing the battle between Ethan and Thor, he increasingly felt that his own combat power was laughably small. He hoped to develop a stronger potion as soon as possible. At the same time, he was considering how to effectively combine the strengthening potion with his armor.

"And I want to further improve my armor."

"About your portable logistics station," Ethan said. Although he didn't know much about the Iron Man armor, that didn't stop him from giving reasonable suggestions. "You could completely redesign that thing into a vehicle that can be ridden or piloted. That's better than a pile of metal composites."

For example, make it a rideable mechanical flying object. It already flew. Making it suitable for Tony to ride or pilot would at least add another function.

And if he spent a little effort on its appearance, this logistics equipment could become less conspicuous. If he drove it around like a normal car, who would suspect it was actually Tony's mobile armory?

"That's a really good idea."

His mind was already racing with designs and manufacturing plans. But it was easier said than done. Solving all the technical challenges wouldn't be any easier than resurrecting his parents.

"If I can fully master nanotechnology, it'll become much easier."

At this time, nanotechnology on Earth was still in its early stages. Only a few top scientists had made some breakthroughs. The most notable among them was Dr. Helen Cho—the female doctor who secretly liked Thor.

But in the wider universe, nanotechnology was no longer rare. It was already on Ethan's list of must-have tech. Acquiring it would also be crucial for maintaining the Prinz Eugen in the future.

"We can get nanotechnology soon. Besides those two goals, I think you should start learning magic."

"Learn magic? You'll teach me?"

"If you've got free time, why not?"

Ethan was curious about what Tony would become after learning magic. With enhanced strength and armor combining both tech and magic, how far could his combat power rise?

As for magical energy? Ethan thought arcane energy would suit Tony perfectly.

(To be continued.)