DOTM: Chapter 328/329

Chapter 328: Keep the Fun

After finishing a lively meal, Ethan went straight out of the cabin and onto the deck.

By then, night had completely fallen, and the sky was filled with stars. Ethan didn't bother finding a lounge chair and simply sat on the deck, leaning against the mast and gazing blankly at the star-strewn sky.

In the past, he could sit here without being disturbed. Even after Logan, Loki, Selene, and Ada had successively come aboard, none of them were particularly fond of chatting or making idle conversation.

That wasn't the case anymore. He hadn't been sitting long when O'Connell, who was bored inside the cabin, came over and sat down beside him, also leaning against the mast and looking up at the brilliant night sky.

"Is this really not my world?"

"I can guarantee it's definitely not."

Ethan didn't turn to look at O'Connell's expression, unsure whether he appeared lost or indifferent.

"It looks no different from the world I live in."

Since there was nothing else to do, Ethan gave him a brief explanation of this world's situation.

These few had arrived too suddenly. Ethan hadn't planned on bringing them back, so when they returned, he hadn't followed his usual procedures. He'd only arranged their accommodations and introduced the ship's crew.

He hadn't had time to explain the general nature of this world.

Ethan's explanation was thorough. While he was describing the world, Jonathan and Evelyn also came out onto the deck, so they ended up hearing it too.

"It's all seawater?"

"No wonder you live on a ship."

Islands that rose from the seafloor and quickly developed plants and even animals felt magical to Evelyn. She asked more questions, and Ethan ended up spending more time explaining.

By the time he was almost finished, Jonathan asked about Ethan's "destination." "So does that mean we'll just keep drifting aimlessly at sea, searching for those islands that suddenly appear?"

That kind of life sounded free, but there was always a sense of uncertainty, of maybe running out of supplies at any time. It didn't seem like an easy way to live. Jonathan was already starting to think about what kind of world he wanted to live in, rather than staying in this ocean-covered place worrying about the next meal.

Seeing his expression, Ethan could guess what he was thinking. He casually reassured him not to worry about food.

As for a destination, Ethan didn't have a good answer, so he first explained the situation with the Sea of Storms and the Sea of Miracles outside it.

Maybe everyone was bored, because the crew gradually came out onto the deck, each finding a spot to settle down.

Logan stood at the railing smoking a cigar, while Ada leaned against the wooden wall of the cabin with her arms crossed, listening to Ethan and the others talk.

Loki, whether on purpose or not, stood on the poop deck above, leaning on the railing and looking down at everyone on the main deck.

Even Annette, who usually preferred staying in her room doing research, and Laura and Sherry, who liked hiding away to play games, came out.

In a short time, the deck became just as lively as the dining hall had been earlier.

Of course, Logan and the others already knew everything Ethan was talking about. Ada, who had joined later, had also learned about it.

But for Jonathan and the others, this was all new, and they found it hard to imagine a circular ocean world.

"So after crossing that Sea of Storms or whatever, the environment won't improve much? Then why even go?"

Ethan looked up at the star-filled sky again.

"Because of the endless land."

"Wasn't that proven to be just a rumor?"

"The endless land does exist."

Ethan's answer was firm, which made Evelyn curious. Jonathan frowned in thought for a while, then gave up trying to understand. O'Connell waited quietly for the rest of the story.

Quick-witted people like Loki and Ada had already guessed what Ethan meant.

Sure enough, Ethan said exactly what they had anticipated.

"The so-called endless land is there."

Ethan extended his left hand and pointed to the star-filled sky. O'Connell, sitting next to him, and Evelyn, sitting across from him, both looked up in the direction he pointed.

"The stars?"

"That is the endless land."

At this point, perhaps only the real "ancients," Imhotep and Anck-su-namun, still didn't understand. But they kept a low profile and didn't ask, just quietly listened to what Ethan had to say next.

Jonathan stared at the sky for a while, then lowered his head to look at Ethan again.

"Are you serious?"

"Of course."

Jonathan opened his mouth, but didn't know what to say.

Was he supposed to say "stop dreaming"? Even if those planets really had endless land and were fertile enough to grow crops, how would they get there? On this sailing ship? He doubted it could even cross the Sea of Storms, let alone reach another planet.

Evelyn, on the other hand, didn't think that deeply. Her first reaction after looking up was that Ethan must have some special magic that could take them from here to those distant planets.

After all, Ethan could already travel between different worlds and planes. Maybe this kind of thing was easy for him?

Compared to Evelyn, Annette, being a scientist, thought about things differently.

"I've heard Selene mention the situation in the Sea of Miracles. Are you sure we can leave this ocean world?"

A world filled entirely with ocean should be enclosed in some kind of energy barrier. Although she didn't know what surrounded it, she assumed there was something like an energy "lid" in the sky. If there wasn't, then there would be a strong gravitational pull beyond the ocean, sucking everything into space.

And space is practically boundless. This world didn't seem very large. If it were "leaking," it would've become a dead zone long ago.

The fact that it hadn't meant that even the space-like region above was enclosed by some form of energy wall. So even if Ethan set his sights on another planet, the first problem would be how to get out.

"That's not a problem for me."

Whether it was punching a hole in the energy wall, breaking it entirely, or simply opening a portal to leave, Ethan could do all of that depending on the specific conditions.

"What about travel and survival in space?"

Traveling through space isn't like sailing across an ocean. The issues are far more complex. Worse still, no one knows how long such a journey would take. The distances between planets are unimaginably vast, and restocking supplies is a serious concern.

"And... you'd also need a big enough spaceship."

"Those are all easy to solve."

Annette had wanted to keep raising concerns so Ethan would take space travel more seriously and not treat it like a joke.

But she quickly remembered that Ethan could already travel to many different worlds, including civilizations far more advanced than her own. Maybe he had already done extensive research on space travel?

Having spent so much time with him, she was certain Ethan wasn't from some "primitive era" with no grasp of "modern science." He had a solid understanding of space. Based on that, his confidence could only mean he already had a plan.

"If that's the case, then I'm really looking forward to the day it happens."

Countless people had dreamed of traveling to space. Even those who hadn't were still fascinated by the idea. Just a few words exchanged between Ethan and Annette sparked interest in nearly everyone on the deck.

Imhotep and Anck-su-namun still didn't understand what was being discussed.

As for Loki, who had already experienced countless space voyages, he naturally wasn't excited.

The others were all at least a little intrigued. Even O'Connell and Jonathan, whose understanding of space was much more limited than the "people from the future," became interested after Selene gave them a basic explanation.

As for Evelyn? She wasn't particularly interested in space. She was more curious about whether Ethan would go to other worlds. Would he visit Earth's ancient civilizations? Or had he already been to one?

"Camelot?"

"Wait a minute." Before Evelyn could react, O'Connell looked at Ethan in disbelief. "King Arthur's Camelot?"

"Yes."

At the time he'd visited, Arthur had still been quite young. Ethan wasn't sure whether the legendary city of Camelot was something Arthur built after inheriting the throne, or if it had already existed.

Now, after so many years, Ethan was sure that the city had indeed existed when he visited. Even if it wasn't supposed to appear that early, the "enhanced" Arthur had been fully capable of building it ahead of schedule.

"Any others?"

"Doesn't seem like it."

Ethan thought about it. Most of the time, he had been in modern or near-modern eras. The few older settings he had visited were not on Earth, like the Sanctuary world and Azeroth.

He hadn't expected Evelyn to suddenly make a very decisive choice after a few questions.

"I think staying on your ship will give me more chances to witness legendary history. So until I can return to my own world, I want to stay here."

Ethan nodded. He had no objections to that.

Evelyn's decision to stay meant that Jonathan and O'Connell would stay as well. It was clear that the Goddess of Dawn would remain lively for the foreseeable future.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 329: Million Angel Babies

After chatting until midnight, everyone returned to their rooms to rest.

Although it didn't really matter if Ethan and the others didn't sleep, their current physical condition allowed them to remain in a normal state for extended periods without growing tired or weak due to lack of rest.

Still, there were a few ordinary people aboard, and everyone was used to maintaining the habit. Even if they didn't sleep, they would find something to do to pass the time, rather than staying up all night chatting.

Ethan didn't rest either. He hid away in his workshop, continuing to study the ball of death energy on his arm.

He had always felt that this mass of death energy was important to him. It was a strange feeling, but as his strength increased, his spiritual power grew stronger, his magic deepened, and he even carried a trace of divinity. A sudden feeling like this wouldn't come out of nowhere. There had to be a reason.

After researching it for half the day in the workshop, he vaguely formed a hypothesis.

This dense and pure death energy was indeed important to him, and the key to the matter seemed to lie in his Holy Light Cross.

Everything in the world has two sides. Light and darkness oppose one another, yet they are also interdependent. However, his Holy Light Cross was singular in nature, containing only pure and extreme Holy Light energy.

If it were just a magic item, that wouldn't be a problem. But the Holy Light Cross had already undergone changes, evolving to contain a small internal world. Continuing to maintain such a highly polarized energy state wasn't a good sign. Anything too extreme eventually collapses.

"Maybe that's why this thing began spontaneously absorbing negative energy bodies like souls—to stabilize this world?"

Holy Light symbolizes positive forces such as light and life. But a world can't be supported by positive energy alone. It also requires negative energy to maintain balance. So the Holy Light Cross began absorbing souls on its own.

"Especially souls with strong faith. Though they're inherently biased toward negative energy, their devout belief allows them to 'generate' positive energy like Holy Light."

Their very existence also provides the negative energy needed by the world, making the internal realm more complete and stable.

Ethan now suspected that the reason heaven was so willing to accept devout souls might stem from this same principle.

Heaven was full of positive energy. Whether it was the Old Man upstairs or the angels, they all clearly used powers of a positive nature.

But such a place, being the final destination for the dead, must also possess a perfect integration of positive and negative forces.

If that was the case, then his little Holy Light Cross did indeed have the potential to evolve into a miniature heaven.

Whether it could truly become heaven aside, acquiring this death energy gave Ethan the opportunity to genuinely master Holy Light.

Holy Light was too extreme. Even the Holy Light he had created had extreme properties. It was troublesome to completely master it—like mastering fire and water—without being affected by it and integrating it into his own magical attributes.

But this ball of death energy reminded Ethan that as long as he could maintain a balanced energy structure and not push it too far into extremes, fully mastering Holy Light might not be impossible.

He had understood this principle for a long time, but had never found a suitable opposing force. He had considered the energy within death magic stones, but unless they possessed extremely high purity, they couldn't balance out his Holy Light.

Because the quality hadn't been high enough, Ethan had never applied the idea in practice—until Anubis gave him this "gift."

"Should I use it directly as 'nourishment' to help me master Holy Light, or use it to stabilize the Holy Light Cross?"

Although the death energy Ethan acquired was pure, it wasn't much in quantity. He could only choose one of the two options.

Technically, the severed part of his arm had enough concentrated death energy, but it wasn't preserved. Even with Loki's frost sealing it, the death energy had still dissipated once the arm was destroyed.

So only a small portion remained at the stump of his severed arm.

"Upgrade the Holy Light Cross!"

Ethan quickly made his decision without hesitation.

Although this death energy could be used to assist in mastering Holy Light, it wasn't enough to bring it under full control. Worse, it might lead to delays or dead ends, especially since finding a replacement energy source would be difficult.

Unless he could use this death energy as a foundation to generate something like shadow energy, it would take far too long, and Ethan didn't want to stay one-armed that long.

Since using it directly involved too many complications, that option was out. That left him with just one choice: using it to enhance the Holy Light Cross.

This would be simple and wouldn't cause any additional issues. Injecting this death energy would stabilize the inner world of the cross and keep it from becoming too extreme.

If the Holy Light continued evolving in an extreme direction, the small world inside the cross would collapse. Even if Marvin, the soul currently living within, was devout in his faith, he was still a soul. He would be destroyed by the increasingly extreme Holy Light energy.

Unless Marvin's entire life form transformed before that happened—becoming a Holy Light energy being and shedding his ghostly negative traits—he couldn't survive in that environment.

But with the death energy injected, balance could be achieved. It would allow Marvin to live more comfortably and prevent him from being treated as a target for purification as Holy Light intensified.

Ethan carefully guided the death energy into the cross. In his magical sight, the internal world expanded. A vast new land appeared. Marvin's originally tiny living space grew immensely, and the black soil even began to nourish Marvin's "body."

Marvin suddenly noticed the ground beneath his feet expand countless times. Except for the patch of white stone tiles where he stood, the rest had turned into black soil.

He bent down and touched the black earth. A cool, soothing sensation spread through his hand, making him feel inexplicably at peace.

At the same time, the once-blinding light in the sky softened. Looking up, he saw that what had once been a vast, indistinct white glow now had a sun. The sky was like the one he remembered from life. After the death energy was injected and tempered the Holy Light, the energies condensed, forming the sun Marvin saw overhead—a manifestation of Holy Light.

Now, the world inside the cross had become more and more like the one Marvin had known. It was no longer a confined space flooded with harsh light from all directions.

He didn't know exactly what had happened, but he sensed that his environment had improved. He believed this to be a gift from God, so he returned to the greatly expanded cross and resumed his prayers.

Ethan ignored Marvin for now and continued to monitor the changes inside the cross.

The black land, formed from condensed death energy, emitted fluctuations ideal for the undead or souls. That's why Marvin felt comfortable here.

These fluctuations also suppressed the extreme aspects of Holy Light, causing it to condense into a form similar to the sun. In its prior scattered form, Holy Light would have been overtaken by the invasive death energy. Now, as a condensed form, it was no longer threatened.

Once Holy Light contracted its energy, it no longer endangered Marvin. On the contrary, Marvin's continued existence would further nourish the Holy Light. This meant that even if Ethan no longer went around collecting faith through churches to generate more Holy Light, the Holy Light Cross now had the ability to regenerate its energy. Ethan wouldn't have to worry about it running dry.

"Just as I thought."

Marvin's presence also provided a foundation for the death energy's continued existence, preventing it from being slowly purified and erased by the Holy Light over time.

Of course, this was only in the early stages. When opposing energies first come into contact, they clash. Marvin served as a buffer between them.

With time, this antagonism would transform into interdependence. Eventually, even without Marvin as a buffer, this heaven-like small world wouldn't suddenly collapse.

"I accidentally absorbed Marvin's soul back then, and I didn't expect it to bring such benefits."

This saved Ethan a great deal of trouble. If Marvin hadn't been there, Ethan would've had to personally manage the balance, constantly recreating "cycles" to prevent these two forces from destroying each other.

Now he began to consider whether he should absorb more souls into this little heaven. If this miniature world grew and housed enough souls, and if it developed enough devout believers and evolved beings similar to angels, then maybe one day he could summon an angelic army at will during battle.

"Looks like I don't even need that many souls to have an angel army."

After thinking it through, he realized he could shape angels directly from Holy Light. These pure energy bodies wouldn't need complex thought or emotions. As long as they could follow commands and fight, they wouldn't require souls at all.

To solve the issue of command and control, he could selectively absorb a few devout souls. If they were as loyal as Marvin, they could serve as field commanders.

"Those would be called Archangels."

He suddenly found himself looking forward to future battles where he wouldn't need to act personally—he could simply raise his hand, and a million angels would descend and crush the enemy.

"Should I call the move 'Million Angel Babies'?"

(To be continued.)