DOTM: Chapter 350/351

Chapter 350: Underground Laboratory

"What just happened?"

Tony and Ethan stood on the lawn, looking out at the Pacific Ocean. The terrifying sensation from moments ago made Tony feel like jumping off the cliff into the sea would be better than standing there.

"Space collapse."

Ethan was incredibly thankful he had made the right choice—to perform the summoning ritual in a small, isolated space instead of foolishly picking some random spot to summon the souls of the Stark couple.

This universe wouldn't collapse entirely from one such incident, but if he had done that, he would have been completely locked onto by the other party, who would keep a constant watch on him going forward.

"It looks like that space was completely destroyed."

"It doesn't matter. We won't need that place anymore anyway."

The Ancient One didn't think it was a big deal. That pocket dimension was where she had connected to the Dark Dimension to draw power.

She had worried that drawing magic directly from Earth was too dangerous, which was why she had specifically chosen that space. Now that she was determined to sever her link to the Dark Dimension, she wouldn't be drawing power from it anymore, so the space was no longer necessary.

Tony was curious about what it looked like when a space collapsed due to a mysterious force, but for now, he was more concerned with whether Ethan's soul summoning ritual had succeeded.

Although he had watched the entire process from the side, he couldn't see anything.

The magical glow emanating from Ethan's hands had been dazzling. The symbols formed by his hand gestures were mysterious and beautiful, and the final magic pattern was certainly magnificent, but had it actually worked?

As an ordinary person, Tony couldn't see souls, so he missed the moment when the two soul lights had entered the cross Ethan had prepared in advance.

Since it concerned his parents, even though he always said he wasn't young anymore and had weathered many storms, Tony couldn't remain calm. Once it was safe, he immediately asked if the ritual had succeeded.

"Of course it succeeded."

Ethan took out the cross, intending to release the souls of the Stark couple like he had shown Imhotep before. But just as he was about to act, he remembered—this wasn't the Goddess of Dawn. After leaving the Mummy world, the Ocean world no longer had any 'jurisdiction' over Anck-su-namun's soul, which was why nothing special had happened then.

However, the Stark couple were from this world. Their souls were governed directly by this universe's underworld or hell, or perhaps by some powerful being. He had just stolen their souls, and showing them off now would be an open provocation.

Whether it was a rigid law or a sentient higher being, it was unlikely they would just turn a blind eye.

"We'd better change locations, and I need to make some preparations."

Ethan thought for a moment and asked Tony where the lab for cultivating the bodies was located. He wanted to familiarize himself with the route first to facilitate the Stark couple's resurrection—and the future resurrection of the Ancient One.

After hearing that his parents' souls had been "rescued," Tony calmed down and was in the mood to joke again.

"Guess. You'll never guess."

Ethan looked at Tony's smug expression, then down at his feet, then back at the mansion resembling a European palace.

"You didn't set up the lab here, did you?"

Tony looked even more surprised. He thought the setup was foolproof and completely unexpected.

"How did you figure that out? I thought hiding it here would be the last thing anyone would think of."

Not many people knew Ethan's identity. Those who did were aware he was a mage. It wasn't strange for a mage to deal with mysterious matters, but no one would think a high-tech lab was hidden beneath his residence.

Ethan hadn't overanalyzed it. He just saw Tony's smug expression and connected the dots.

Tony had done this out of necessity. Resurrection wasn't something that could be publicly discussed, and cloning technology was a sensitive topic. More importantly, he couldn't openly purchase the related equipment and materials. He needed a good cover for the enormous expenditures.

So the absurdly rich Tony Stark came up with a plan: he gifted Ethan a property. The house had to be a top-tier luxury mansion with expansive grounds and an eye-watering cost.

The large estate ensured no one could easily observe what was happening. The vast space around the house also helped prevent unwanted intrusions.

The inflated costs were crucial.

During construction, Tony personally visited the site multiple times, constantly nitpicking and replacing materials with more expensive ones, making the cost soar like a rocket.

The contractor, of course, was overjoyed. But the real purpose was to cover some questionable expenses.

Once Tony was satisfied with everything, he had successfully purchased all the equipment and resources he needed. After the house was delivered, he personally built the bio-lab.

The lab was underground, and the entrance was in Ethan's master bedroom.

Calling it a "bedroom" was a bit misleading. Ethan's master suite was more like a multi-functional apartment. Upon entering, it resembled a small living room, followed by a private study. Further in was the actual sleeping area, complete with a bathroom, shower, and walk-in closet.

The lab's entrance was hidden in that study.

"Another bookshelf?"

Seeing the hidden entrance behind a bookshelf, Ethan was speechless. Are secret room designers really that unoriginal?

"Classic designs are classic for a reason."

Tony demonstrated how to move the bookshelf and open the concealed wall panel. In addition to standard tech-based security that allowed only Tony access, there was also a separate "magic" sensing system.

"Oh? Now this is interesting."

Once Ethan's mental signature was recorded, he could simply release a thought to trigger it. In short, it was activated by intent alone.

This tech had been developed by Tony based on magic stone technology. Ethan had to admit, Tony's ability to mess with black technology really was like cheating.

Behind the hidden door was an elevator.

Taking it led them to a vast underground chamber—Tony had even dug a tunnel connecting his house directly to Ethan's.

"You sneak. You connected your house straight to my bedroom?"

At first, it didn't sound like a big deal, but upon realizing where the entrance was, Ethan felt deeply uncomfortable.

Tony hadn't thought much about it at first, but after Ethan pointed it out, even he started to feel something was off.

"You've got to trust my character."

"I think changing rooms would be more reliable."

Tony was speechless. "Even if you don't trust my character, at least trust my orientation!"

Ethan, of course, knew Tony's orientation. Otherwise, he wouldn't have stopped at just a few complaints—he would have dismantled the entire underground tunnel on the spot.

While the two were bantering, the elevator reached its destination. As the three of them stepped out, a vast space spread out before them.

Tony, ignoring the earlier awkwardness, proudly began introducing his masterpiece.

This underground lab wasn't just a bio-lab. The space was huge and divided into multiple sections. Aside from one area labeled the "birthing room," the remaining spaces could be arranged however Ethan liked.

However, Ethan had already noticed areas clearly intended for "forging" and "mechanical processing." It was obvious those functions were pre-planned. The remaining blank sections were left for him to configure for magical research.

In addition, Tony explained that the walls and ceiling could serve as massive display screens capable of projecting various environmental settings. With adjustments to temperature and humidity, they could even simulate an immersive natural environment, eliminating any sense of being underground.

"Well? What do you think?"

"A very good laboratory."

After looking around, Ethan was very satisfied with the underground lab.

The space was ample, the equipment was complete, and with Tony—the insanely wealthy patron—handling all material costs, he really couldn't think of any drawbacks.

As for Tony putting the bio-lab here? That wasn't an issue either. The entire mansion and lab were Tony's gifts. So what if he stashed a few things inside?

In reality, this was Tony's secret base, just conveniently placed under Ethan's name.

After exploring for a while, they finally arrived at the biological lab Tony had dubbed the "birthing room."

The name was actually quite fitting. For the Stark couple and the Ancient One, resurrection was more like welcoming a new life.

"Ever since you suggested this method, I've been making preparations. I even taught myself a ton of related tech. At this point, I'm one of the world's top experts in genetics and cloning."

"'Expert' isn't always a compliment."

Ethan casually replied, then looked at the two most conspicuous glass cylinders in the lab.

These were clearly the devices used to cultivate the Stark couple's new bodies. According to Tony, everything was ready. All he had to do was press a button, and the machines would begin the body cultivation process. The whole thing was automated and required no further intervention.

In reality, plenty of tasks would be needed throughout the process. Tony had spent a tremendous amount of time, energy, and money to prepare everything.

It also showed just how much he trusted Ethan. He firmly believed Ethan would keep his promise and never considered the possibility that his preparations might go unused.

Seeing how competent Tony was, Ethan felt he should show some appreciation. Not just to repay Tony's trust, but also to give the Ancient One more confidence in him.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 351: The Stark Family

Choosing a completely empty room, Ethan began to get busy.

In the past, he would have needed to make various preparations, such as pre-drawing Circles, preparing casting materials, and so on, which was not only troublesome but also very time-consuming.

Now, he no longer needed those tedious preparations. As his magic power had grown stronger, Ethan could cast most spells using his own strength.

By standing still and continuously releasing, arranging, and integrating his magic power, he could construct a sealing and isolating spell, separating this room from the outside.

No matter what happened inside, it wouldn't be detected from outside, to the extent that even the Ancient One felt as though she had entered an unfamiliar space.

"Oh?"

Ethan's improvement in strength exceeded her expectations. In his full casting state, she could clearly sense that Ethan's current magic power was immense. In all of Kamar-Taj, no other mage could compare to him except herself.

Moreover, to complete a spell like this, it wasn't enough to simply have a vast amount of magic power. One also needed to have walked far along the path of magic, possessing sufficient insight and deeply rooted magical knowledge.

The Ancient One could tell that this magic bore traces of Kamar-Taj, as well as many magical theories she had never encountered before.

"It seems that traveling across different worlds really does allow a mage to grow faster."

Ethan, still casting the spell, managed a small smile. As the space isolated from the outside stabilized, he let out a sigh of relief.

That was just the beginning. These were merely the preparations. The real work had yet to begin.

He held up the cross. Ethan closed his eyes, connecting with the seemingly ordinary object in his hand. As he gently raised his right hand and opened his palm, releasing a soft golden glow, a gate that looked like it was made from pure white marble materialized out of thin air before them.

"What is this?"

Let alone Tony Stark, a complete layman when it came to magic, even the Ancient One couldn't tell what kind of spell this was.

The white stone gate looked tangible, but the Ancient One could sense that it was something between reality and illusion, like a projection from another dimension into this world—yet it was still genuinely connected to this world.

"Gate of Heaven."

Ethan didn't explain in detail. The name was merely a convenient label.

As the gate slowly opened, two figures walked out from the field of light.

The small "Heaven" that Ethan controlled had undergone some self-evolution recently, gaining a few additional functions.

For example, the souls of Howard and Maria Stark, as ordinary people, were invisible to Tony. But after spending time in this small "Heaven" and being influenced by its energy, they gained a physical form upon exiting the Gate of Heaven.

Tony could not only see his parents, but could even touch them.

Even Anck-su-namun's soul hadn't received such treatment.

It was precisely because of this that Ethan had deliberately sent the Stark couple's souls into the cross and then had them emerge from the Gate of Heaven.

Howard and Maria still seemed a bit confused, clearly unsure of what was happening.

Seeing the people standing before them, Howard instinctively shielded his wife and looked on with vigilance.

"Who are you?"

Although Howard had been a super genius during his lifetime, he received no special treatment after death, merely resting like any ordinary soul in the world of the dead.

Ethan wasn't sure how the afterlife worked in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but when he found and summoned the couple's souls, they had been sleeping in the realm of the dead.

After being summoned, they hadn't woken immediately. By the time they did regain consciousness, they hadn't yet figured out their surroundings before being sent out through the Gate of Heaven.

It was clear that Mr. Howard Stark was still in a state of confusion. Ethan could only first confirm that his mental state was stable.

"Mr. Howard Stark, do you remember what happened before?"

"What happened before?"

Howard turned to look at Maria beside him and noticed that she looked like she had in her youth. His foggy thoughts began to clear, and he gradually grasped the current situation.

"I remember… I was attacked while driving…"

"Attacked?" Tony Stark, who had been completely overwhelmed upon suddenly seeing his parents again, immediately exploded when he heard this. He had always believed his parents had died in an accident, but now they were saying it was an attack? "Who attacked you?"

"You are…?"

Howard looked at the agitated man. His face seemed very familiar, but Howard was sure he didn't know him.

Ethan reached out and held Tony back, stopping him from rushing forward.

"We can talk about the attack later. Right now, they need to understand the current situation."

"Tony? Is that you, Tony?"

Just as Tony was calming down, Maria suddenly spoke.

It had to be said, blood ties were truly miraculous. Even though Tony was now much older than she remembered, Maria, as his mother, still recognized him.

Perhaps Maria had been silently watching from the side, sorting through her thoughts. After all, she was Howard's wife and a highly intelligent woman herself.

"Tony?" Howard was taken aback, then carefully examined the man in front of him. At last, he recognized that this was his son, just older. "So it is you. Seems quite some time has passed."

"Twenty years, give or take."

The Starks were attacked and killed by the Winter Soldier in the early 1990s. About twenty years had passed since then, and Tony had gone from a man in his twenties to a middle-aged man nearing forty.

"That long, huh."

Howard looked down and studied his body. It had a translucent, ethereal quality. He quickly realized that he was no longer in his physical form.

"I'm in soul form now?" Howard didn't seem particularly upset about being dead. "So, souls really do exist in this world."

As the family began exchanging words again, Ethan felt his head throb. He had no choice but to interrupt.

"Let's pause the talking for a moment. Let me explain the situation. After that, you can talk as much as you want. I won't stop you."

Although Howard wanted to ask who Ethan was, he decisively kept quiet and listened to this unfamiliar young man explain what was going on and why he and Maria were here.

While Ethan was speaking, the family of three huddled close, exchanging looks. Though they didn't interrupt, their silent interaction still made a vein twitch on Ethan's forehead.

Once he finally finished explaining, Maria gently reached out and touched the wrinkles on Tony's face. "You've grown so much."

Howard's focus wasn't on Tony's age. After being dead for so long, it made sense that his son had grown.

He was concerned about something else.

"You want to bring your mother and me back to life?"

"Yes."

Tony gave a brief explanation of the preparations he had made to help his father understand how the resurrection would work. Of course, while explaining, he might also have wanted to show off to his dad—like, Your son is amazing now. Aren't you proud?

Seeing the family falling into another endless loop of chatting, Ethan knew that unless he let them fully express themselves, he wouldn't be able to get another word in.

He reminded Tony that Howard and Maria's souls could not leave this space, but if he wanted to step out, he could exit through the door.

Tony nodded in understanding and continued talking with his parents. After twenty years apart, there was a lot to say.

Howard and Maria also wanted to know what had happened over the years, especially to their son.

After giving the necessary instructions, Ethan and the Ancient One left the room.

The isolation and sealing spells Ethan had set up didn't prevent normal human passage. Although walking through the doorway felt like pushing through a thin film, even ordinary people could pass through.

"A very interesting cross."

The Ancient One didn't fully understand the cross's function, but she had figured out part of it. She knew that with this cross, her soul would be completely protected.

She wouldn't have to worry about being pulled into the underworld by some rule or powerful being, nor would she fear being seized by Dormammu and taken to the Dark Dimension.

"So now you don't have to worry about the future. Your problem really isn't that hard to solve."

"Yes."

The Ancient One was now completely relieved. She hadn't expected that a problem that had haunted her for so long could be resolved so easily.

"However, I'm increasingly convinced that you should inherit the title of Sorcerer Supreme."

"No, thank you."

Ethan refused decisively, not giving the Ancient One any chance to continue.

"If you're really in such a rush to mentor someone, I think the one inside is pretty good. Even if he doesn't inherit the title, it would still be a layer of insurance."

Ethan had just casually made a suggestion, but unexpectedly, the Ancient One began to seriously consider it.

"Perhaps you're right."

She had originally believed that although there were many candidates, only one should be trained. To avoid future power struggles, it was best to choose and cultivate only one.

But now, upon further reflection, what harm would it do to train an additional Tony? Nothing at all. Tony wouldn't care whether he inherited the title or not.

On the contrary, if Tony formed an alliance with Kamar-Taj, it would be a tremendous benefit for their mages.

(To be continued.)