DOTM: Chapter 294/295

Chapter 294: Return from Procurement

Leaving the previous town didn't cause Ethan and the others any trouble.

Perhaps, as time passed and Ada gradually noticed the obvious changes in her body, she began to prove her worth. She could always identify their search targets one step ahead of the Federal agents and perfectly guide Ethan and the others to narrowly avoid them.

Ethan didn't know, nor did he care, what would happen after the Federal agents failed to find them. He could guess a bit just from the occasional triumphant look that appeared on Ada's face.

During the following period, Ethan enjoyed a very relaxed time, treating it like a vacation. Every day, he took his medicine, trained his power, and taught Sherry. He also discussed the difficulties Selene encountered during training and introduced some information about his world to Ada.

Time passed slowly. After estimating that the time was almost up, Ethan stopped Ada's suggestion of moving again—it was clear Ada had her own intelligence sources within the Federal agents, and she already knew that, after over half a year of searching, they had finally pinpointed their location.

At this point, Ada also realized that even if she didn't leave with Ethan, her days ahead would likely be difficult. It was clear she was already on some people's wanted list, and her spy career, which had just reached its peak, might come to a premature end.

"I hope the life ahead won't disappoint me."

"It shouldn't."

If she was simply seeking excitement, Ethan could guarantee that he would visit more special and thrilling worlds in the future. Good things generally existed in high-tech, high-magic, or high-mystery worlds. Searching for treasures in such places would definitely come with trouble.

"We're surrounded."

This was a small farm in the south. The surroundings were quite desolate. They had lived here for a month and thought they could stay quietly until their departure, but they hadn't expected to be discovered so soon.

There were no visible figures in their line of sight, but the experienced Ada and Ethan, who was wearing high-tech glasses, could both accurately detect how many armed personnel were surrounding them.

"What a shame. I wanted to say goodbye to them."

Being chased for more than half a year had worn on Ethan's patience. He had originally wanted to teach these guys a lesson, but time was running out. These guys were lucky today.

However, even without him, this world was filled with enough disasters. Even if Umbrella collapsed, troublemaking companies continued to emerge one after another. The emergence of biological weapons was like opening Pandora's Box. As far as Ethan knew, this world wouldn't see a moment of peace in the next twenty years.

"Step into the magic circle."

It wasn't Ethan who activated the teleportation circle. Instead, it activated automatically when the time was up. His control over the magic circle was far greater than before. Even though the circle had activated, he could still delay the final teleportation slightly to give some last-minute instructions.

"After stepping into the magic circle, you must think in your heart that you want to come with me. Don't resist or refuse to leave. Otherwise, you'll be left here alone."

Ethan's expression was serious. No one present dared to take it lightly. This was a critical matter that would affect their future lives, so they paid full attention.

Actually, there was no need to be overly nervous. Among them, even the twelve-year-old Sherry understood what she needed to do. They had gotten along well during this time, and she wouldn't resist going with Ethan in her heart. So, no accidents would happen.

"Let's go!"

Seeing that everyone was ready, Selene stuffed the things she had bought into several large bags, carrying one on her back and holding several in her hands, looking like a walking luggage rack.

Prompted by Selene, both Ada and Annette also bought a lot of clothes and daily necessities. Annette had initially thought that bringing a few changes of clothes and basic items would be enough. But now that she had decided to stay on Ethan's ship, her shopping list had significantly expanded.

She also prepared many clothes for her daughter, Sherry—not just clothes that fit her now, but also various sizes to accommodate future growth.

She packed two large boxes with miscellaneous items and carried a large bag on her back. This was after Ethan reminded her that she couldn't bring too much, prompting Annette to carefully pick and reduce the amount to this.

Ethan also carried some items. His personal belongings were, of course, stored in his space storage. The large box in his hand contained items for Logan and the others—mainly daily necessities, and of course, cigars were never missing.

A flash of light lit up. The agents outside could also see the dazzling light coming from the farmhouse. They would likely be on edge for a while, but when they rushed in, they would find nothing but an empty, ordinary farmhouse. Ethan hadn't left anything useful for them—except a letter for Leon.

The content of the letter was brief. It was a greeting, a well-wish, and a reminder for Leon to continue training. Ethan looked forward to seeing some progress the next time he visited.

After giving Leon this benefit, Ethan also had to remind him that it came from him. Given Leon's personality, even if they couldn't become friends, Ethan didn't want to be seen as an enemy.

While Ethan had been wandering across the North American continent, Leon had already begun trying to train using the knowledge he had acquired in his "dream." At first, he merely felt his spirit becoming clearer. Gradually, his mind also became sharper, and eventually, he triggered the seed Ethan had planted. Leon had truly preserved these "treasures."

When Leon successfully triggered and began training that seed, Ethan sensed it. Moreover, as Leon continued his daily training, Ethan could faintly sense a subtle, nearly imperceptible connection being formed between his Holy Light Cross and Leon.

It was somewhat similar to establishing a link with a space containing special energy, but the relationship between the two parties was reversed.

"I wonder what the Holy Light Cross will eventually become. A miniature heaven, perhaps?"

He had some expectations for it. If it really succeeded, and he had a small world of his own, his strength would rise significantly like a rocket. Moreover, as something he had personally made and gradually cultivated and evolved, there was no risk of losing control over it.

Besides Leon, Claire also showed some response, although a bit later. Judging from her situation, it wasn't because her talent was poor. Ethan guessed she had been delayed because she was busy.

"I almost forgot about that."

Ethan suddenly remembered that after the events of Resident Evil 2 came Resident Evil: Code Veronica. The Veronica virus was quite unique. It could even cause blood to turn into fire and granted the ability to freely control flames. Although the viruses in Resident Evil weren't very "scientific," the Veronica virus was definitely the most mystical among them.

It was a pity he had missed it, but thinking about it, it wasn't a big deal. After the Veronica virus appeared, Wesker would soon collect a sample, and it would later reemerge in the hands of a warlord in America. By that time, Leon would already be an elite agent reporting directly to the president, and Ethan could obtain the virus through Leon.

In any case, now that the Holy Light Cross had established a connection with Leon and Claire, Ethan had control over the space-time coordinates of the Resident Evil world. Even without leaving an anchor point in his space-time travel magic circle, he could still return to that world accurately.

It was the familiar captain's cabin. He had always been used to traveling back here, but now it seemed he needed to specially designate a larger room for traveling.

Otherwise, with more and more people and piles of bags, the space would be too small to fit everything.

With so many people returning at once, suddenly appearing in a different place while still in a daze, it was inevitable that there would be bumping and commotion.

Laura was in the cabin and was the first to notice Ethan's return. She quickly ran over, opened the captain's cabin door, and was stunned by the number of people inside.

"Wow!"

It wasn't unusual for Ethan to bring back a pile of stuff when returning from a trip, but bringing back so many people at once was rare. She had followed Ethan to several worlds before, but she had never seen him bring back this many people at once.

Laura quickly spotted Selene in the crowd. Selene had been tasked with a mission during this trip.

Laura needed some personal items and was counting on Selene to buy them. It seemed Selene hadn't forgotten, because Laura saw her organizing a box and pushing one of them toward her.

"This box contains what you wanted."

"Thank goodness you were there."

As Laura grew up and received guidance from Selene, she gradually came to understand the things a girl needed to know—unlike before, when she was like a wild child with little understanding of basic things.

She had realized that there were many things she couldn't ask her father, Logan, or her "uncle" Ethan—to buy, so she turned to Selene, a fellow woman, for help.

With the door open and Laura and Selene talking, their voices carried outside. Logan, at the helm, knew Ethan was back and also noticed the presence of many unfamiliar scents.

"Did Ethan bring back new people?"

Loki, who had been sunbathing on the deck, got up, walked to the cabin door, looked inside, and then glanced at Logan at the helm, spreading his hands.

"He seems to have brought back quite a few people."

Logan locked the helm and walked down. He wasn't particularly curious about who Ethan had brought back, but he had asked Ethan to help buy cigars. He hoped the world Ethan went to sold them.

As soon as he stepped into the cabin, he saw a group of women.

Spotting Ethan in the crowd, Logan walked over and found "his box," then looked at Ethan curiously.

"Did you go to a world full of women?"

(To be continued.)

Chapter 295: Further Strengthening

Ethan briefly explained the situation in the Resident Evil world they had just visited to Logan. Just then, Loki also entered.

The previously spacious captain's cabin suddenly felt crowded. With everyone chatting amongst themselves, the already confined space became even noisier.

Even Annette, who had just arrived, was only quietly speaking with Sherry, and Ada was silently looking around. But the increasingly lively Laura and Selene created enough noise on their own.

"Alright, let's do introductions first, then I'll arrange your rooms."

Ethan clapped his hands to get everyone's attention and then introduced Ada, Annette, and Sherry to the group.

For now, he only mentioned their names. The details could be learned later. After all, sailing on the ocean meant not seeing land for two or three months. Other than chatting and joking around, there weren't many other ways for everyone to pass the time, so he wasn't worried about a lack of interaction.

Ethan didn't say outright that Annette and Sherry might leave after finding a suitable world. He had already noticed that Annette seemed to have changed her mind, and he wasn't going to interfere. If Annette could settle down and serve his group wholeheartedly, there would be no issue with her staying.

After all, Annette was a top-tier scientist. Her expertise wasn't limited to bioweapon viruses. She knew a lot. Her intelligence was definitely high enough, and with a bit of training, she could become a scientific researcher on the ship.

This was exactly the kind of person Ethan's team lacked. He couldn't always rely on Tony Stark for logistics. Although he and Tony were friends, friendship wasn't a reason to always take without giving. Even the best relationships required mutual effort to maintain.

Ethan understood this, which was why he didn't want to go to the Marvel Universe again before resolving the matter of resurrecting Tony's parents.

"Selene, I'll leave the room arrangements to you."

He let Selene handle the arrangements because everyone who came this time was female. Although the rooms on Ethan's ship were all equally spacious and comfortable, and there were plenty of vacant rooms on the large Goddess of Dawn to choose from, it was more convenient for Selene to answer their questions.

Also, having Selene arrange the rooms meant they would be near hers. This was also a reminder to the newcomers that if they had any questions they didn't want to ask the captain directly, they could go to Selene.

"I'll go too."

Laura looked around and decided to follow Selene. The arrival of so many new people was actually what made her the happiest. Ethan noticed Laura constantly glancing at Sherry and realized that Laura saw someone close to her age and was excited to finally have a playmate.

Thinking about the previous crew on the ship, besides Ethan, who had a relatively normal age, Laura's father, the Wolverine Logan, was at least two hundred years old.

Not to mention Loki. That guy was already fifteen hundred years old, the 'oldest' on the ship.

Even Selene, the woman she interacted with most often, was over six hundred years old. Among the entire crew, Laura was the youngest, and her only playmate was a strange creature that looked like a cat.

Although Auriel was highly intelligent, she still couldn't fully replace a human. Laura had long hoped to have a friend on the ship, and this time, she finally saw someone close in age.

"Uh… she should be about my age, right?"

Just as Laura was about to head out with Selene, she suddenly turned back and quietly asked Ethan this question.

Ethan was momentarily stunned. Seeing Laura glancing occasionally at Loki and Logan, he finally understood—Laura was worried that although Sherry looked young, she might actually be an old monster.

"Sherry is twelve years old this year. A real twelve."

Laura smiled and nodded, then happily ran off to make friends with little Sherry.

With so many people leaving, the captain's cabin suddenly felt much emptier, leaving only the men behind. The first thing Logan did was light a cigar.

He had wanted to light one earlier, but with all the women around, he'd held back and only taken one out to bite on.

"Now can you tell us in detail what you gained this time?"

Logan didn't know what kind of world Resident Evil was, but he knew that Ethan had always been trying to collect special items to make potions to strengthen himself. He could feel that Ethan had become stronger than before.

It wasn't just Logan who noticed. Loki could also sense it. The magical fluctuations around Ethan were much more obvious than before. This indicated that his strength had increased rapidly in a short time, and his control hadn't yet caught up, so the fluctuations were more noticeable and easier to detect.

"The gains were good. After I finish this enhancement, I won't have to look up to you two anymore."

"Look up?"

Logan's first reaction was that Ethan might be overestimating his strength, but then he saw Loki subtly gesture. Only then did Logan realize Ethan was talking about height.

"Uh… actually, your build now is very standard."

Logan wasn't trying to comfort him. Even from the start, Ethan's height wasn't lacking. It was just that the people around him were all taller and more imposing. Even Diana was slightly taller than him when wearing heels, which always made him feel a bit unbalanced.

After using the God's Blood Potion, his body had further developed. Now, his height had reached around 1.8 meters, with an error of no more than two centimeters. Combined with the lean muscles he had gained from long-term training, his physique was indeed very standard.

Still, with his current height, aside from the two in front of him, he could only surpass Tony, Hawkeye, and untransformed Banner among his acquaintances. Captain America and Thor were both bulkier and more imposing. Even Doctor Strange was tall. So, he had always wanted to accelerate his "growth" rate.

This time, he finally got what he wanted and couldn't be happier.

"As long as you're happy."

Logan didn't care about that kind of thing. Loki, on the other hand, said that as a Frost Giant, his current height was already a disgrace to Frost Giants. He had never even considered growing to that 'height' and didn't understand what Ethan was obsessing over.

"People always look down on what they already have."

Ethan didn't care how Loki mocked him. What he needed to do now was use the potion he had brought back to further increase his strength.

"After this, I'll stay on the ship to digest the power I gained. Then I plan to go to an X-Men world."

Logan's brow twitched slightly. In the end, he said nothing. He silently patted Ethan's shoulder, then turned and left the captain's cabin.

He didn't call Loki. After spending so much time together, he was sure that Loki wouldn't do anything to threaten Ethan's safety anymore, so he was no longer as wary of him as before.

"Do you need me to guard the door for you?"

"If you can, then yes. If anyone's looking for me, just ask them to wait a bit."

"Oh?" Loki heard from that that the potion would complete the enhancement very quickly, unlike the previous ones, which had to be taken in multiple doses, each lasting several hours. "Just wait a little?"

"Since I used the God's Blood Potion to enhance my body, my tolerance for these kinds of enhancements has increased a lot. I don't have to worry about the surging energy harming me, so this enhancement can be completed in a very short time."

The enhancement potion Ethan had in hand couldn't be used by ordinary people at all. If he gave this bottle to Ada, the only possible outcome would be death by explosion. There would be no other result.

For Ethan, it was like pouring water into an empty bucket. Even if the water was added quickly, as long as it didn't exceed the bucket's capacity, there wouldn't be a problem.

However, this enhancement would also increase his physical stats and change some characteristics. He needed to find a place where no one was around. Otherwise, if his clothes burst after using the potion, it would be too awkward.

Besides that, there wasn't much else to consider. Ethan didn't even close the door to the captain's cabin. He walked directly into his bedroom next door, took off his clothes, and tilted his head back to drink the entire small bottle of potion.

The effect of the medicine came quickly. Ethan felt a burning energy, like fire, slowly spreading from his stomach to his entire body. As it spread, he felt itchy all over.

This was a sign that his body was beginning to enhance. Though the itching was uncomfortable, there was nothing he could do about it, and he could also gauge the condition of his body through this sensation.

At the same time, he remained fully conscious and kept staring at the full-length mirror in front of him, making sure no accidents occurred during the enhancement. If any part of his body suddenly became deformed, he would immediately terminate the process. Even if it meant losing some strength, he wouldn't allow it to continue.

Fortunately, although his body was visibly changing, the changes were all for the better.

His height gradually increased to his ideal range, and the muscles on his body became more defined and explosive. While not as exaggerated as Captain America or Thor, he could now be considered a muscular man.

The changes to his appearance were not drastic, only some optimization. His facial features remained the same but became more refined and pleasant to the eye. Now, Ethan standing next to the original Arthur wouldn't be overshadowed.

The physical transformation gradually stopped, and his body ceased changing.

The potion Ethan had gone through so much effort to make clearly didn't only enhance appearance. The biggest changes were actually in areas not visible on the surface, such as his strength, speed, agility, and so on...

(To be continued.)