DOTM: Chapter 260/261

Chapter 260: Sell?

While Ethan was happily chopping down sharks one by one, the other captains weren't just standing idly on their ships. From his detection goggles, Ethan could tell that several figures had jumped into the sea one after another.

"It seems it wasn't just the captains who jumped… maybe they weren't even captains at all."

They were all veteran adventurers who had spent considerable time at sea. Ethan didn't believe these people had no way of dealing with underwater threats. It was likely their ships even had crew members specifically trained for underwater combat.

After finishing off the last shark around him, Ethan noticed a figure not far away battling a Death Shark.

Although visibility was still poor, Ethan could make out one detail: "That's combat gear powered by magic stones."

After returning to the Goddess of Dawn, Ethan went back to his room to shower and change clothes. By the time he emerged, the battle outside was already winding down.

People began surfacing one after another. At this point, Ethan could clearly see that these individuals were indeed wearing various types of magic stone gear. Most resembled light armor, and a few looked more like leather armor, but none were wearing the set he had previously captured.

"Wait…"

Ethan hadn't expected to notice anything unusual, but one person's magic stone gear stood out. Although it looked similar to the others, the bodysuit beneath the armor appeared more like the one he had obtained earlier.

"The adventurers on that ship don't seem ordinary."

It was just a quick glance, so Ethan couldn't be sure of his observation. He would have to take a closer look the next time they interacted. He had already remembered which ship that person belonged to and had also noted its captain.

What Ethan didn't realize was that while he was observing the other captains, many of them were also observing him.

From the initial surprise at seeing a pure wooden, unarmored sailing ship equipped with a magic stone shield, to Ethan—who, although not the first to enter the water, was the first to emerge—he had drawn considerable attention. Even though he tried to keep a "low profile," his strength was still obvious.

For some captains who were more familiar with or friendly toward Brent, Ethan's display made them sigh with admiration: Brent really was reliable. He hadn't just brought along some random, unknown person, this young captain was quite strong.

"All ships, report your status."

The communicator came to life again, and all the captains could hear the reports from their "comrades." Although the swarm of Death Sharks had caused some trouble, there were no casualties. Only one unfortunate fellow hit his head during a collision.

However, that bump hadn't even broken the skin, which turned out to be the worst injury sustained in the whole encounter.

"Adjust course. Head toward the island."

Knowing that all ships were intact, Brent ordered the fleet to continue forward. This time, they would land directly on the island. For some reason, the closer they got, the heavier the sense of oppression became. Even the dullest among them could feel that something was about to happen.

The captains gathered once more on the Hope, but no one sat in the meeting room. Instead, they all assembled on the quarterdeck, staring together at the land ahead.

"The weather's getting weirder and weirder."

One captain glanced toward the sky. Thick dark clouds blocked out the sun, with lightning faintly brewing within. Rain or snow occasionally fell, and it was impossible to tell whether the next moment would bring snow or rain. Sometimes, it would even start snowing and suddenly shift to rain halfway through. They had experienced this several times on their approach.

This kind of weather was rare, even in the later stages of the route.

Occasionally, lightning would strike the sea, or a whirlpool would suddenly appear, causing significant problems for navigation. Several times, they had narrowly avoided collisions caused by abrupt whirlpools or lightning strikes.

Fortunately, all crew members were seasoned sailors, so no irreparable accidents occurred. The fleet steadily drew closer to the massive landmass that almost blocked the entire route.

"I can't shake the feeling that there's something strange and oppressive about that land."

Brent hadn't put down his binoculars. He kept staring at the land in the distance. This place made him deeply uneasy, as if something inside him were warning him to stay away.

The others didn't know, but Ethan understood why.

As a mage who had faced Death energy head-on multiple times, Ethan could tell the island was saturated with negative energy—primarily Death energy.

Brent and the others hadn't recognized it as such, partly because Death energy wasn't the only kind of negative energy. It was just one of the more prominent types.

Ethan couldn't identify all the different forms of energy either, but he was certain that none of them were friendly to humans. Prolonged exposure to this environment would likely not just corrode the body but also pollute the mind, potentially driving people mad.

"What a… wonderful place."

Everyone could tell Ethan was being sarcastic. The captains nodded in agreement. Brent finally lowered his binoculars and looked around, as if about to ask if anyone wanted to withdraw.

But considering that such a strange land blocked the route, and whatever unknown threats it might contain, this danger had to be dealt with. In the end, he said nothing.

As the fleet gradually approached the land, the possibility of sudden incidents at sea decreased. The captains returned to their ships one after another, and Ethan also had to go back to make some preparations before landing.

Just before he left, Brent pulled him aside.

"Maybe you should stay on the ship."

"Worried that I'm not strong enough to handle this?" Ethan knew Brent was concerned about his safety. Compared to the others, Ethan still seemed too young. "Don't worry. If things go wrong, I'll retreat immediately."

Ethan wasn't concerned that this place posed a real threat to him. His strength had grown tremendously compared to before, giving him confidence.

More importantly, he had plenty of ways to protect himself and his companions. If things got out of hand, he could even hide in other worlds. If he didn't have the courage to step onto land under these circumstances, he might as well just find a safe world and retire early.

Back on the Goddess of Dawn, Ethan began organizing his gear for the landing.

There wasn't much to sort. With the expansion of his storage space, the little equipment he had was all stored inside. On his person, he only carried some basic gear, mainly to mislead the other captains.

In contrast, Logan looked fully prepared for battle, with a full set of firearms and a backpack stuffed with various supplies.

Loki still wandered around carrying his scepter. Ethan knew his equipment was stored with magic and would be summoned when needed.

Selene's situation was more unique. She had previously worn a custom-made leather suit with designated areas on the back for storing magazines. Her main weapons were two modified Beretta 93F automatic pistols, along with two backup sidearms.

Given the current situation, that loadout was no longer sufficient. Fortunately, Selene was a warrior with hundreds of years of experience. Besides firearms, she was also skilled with bladed weapons. She now wore a specially crafted set of light armor and carried a longsword and two short swords.

Of course, the Berettas were still with her. She also carried enough grenades to ensure she had plenty of options in combat.

"So, here's the problem. If we all go ashore, who's going to guard the ship?"

"Actually, I could stay behind." Loki's response was as quick as ever. He wasn't interested in exploring the strange land. If he stayed behind, he could do his own thing—or maybe stir up a little trouble to give Ethan a headache.

Unfortunately for him, Ethan shut that idea down before it could take shape. There was no way this Prince Charming was going to stay on the Goddess of Dawn and just quietly guard the ship, so Ethan absolutely wouldn't leave him behind.

"Laura can't stay either. In this situation, I'd rather leave the ship empty." As long as the people were safe, losing the ship didn't matter.

Perhaps sensing Ethan's dilemma, Brent had his crew signal for the Goddess of Dawn to berth directly alongside the Hope, so his crew could help watch over Ethan's ship.

Ethan didn't fully trust Brent's people, but there was no better option at the moment. Since Brent had offered, Ethan nodded and accepted, then led his team to land alongside Brent.

"Even though it's not rocking like the sea, this place feels worse. I'd rather be back on the ship."

Logan started complaining within a minute of stepping onto land. Although he hadn't become a druid, his time studying under Broll had changed him. He had developed a strong dislike for environments filled with negative energy and lacking natural balance.

Laura felt the same, and even Auriel, whom she held in her arms, had a look of agreement on her face.

Their conversation wasn't loud, and Auriel's subtle nod was barely noticeable, yet it still caught someone's attention.

"Is that little one your pet?"

Ethan turned to look and saw that it was the captain he had marked for close observation. The man wore a broad smile and was staring at Auriel in Laura's arms.

"Would you be willing to sell it to me?"

(To be continued.)

Chapter 261: Weird Brad

Ethan turned and sized up the person in front of him. This was a tall and slender young man, who looked only a few years older than Ethan, and whose appearance was definitely impressive.

Perhaps it was just a feeling, but Ethan always sensed that although this person was courteous and left a good first impression, there was a subtle sense of detachment about him.

"Sorry, we're not planning to resell it."

"That's a shame. I really like small animals." The man extended his hand and shook Ethan's. "I'm Brad, captain of the Ripper."

"Ethan, captain of the Goddess of Dawn."

After shaking hands, Brad turned and returned to his crew. Ethan noticed that after he went back, his eyes occasionally glanced over at their group.

"What's wrong with this guy?"

Brad's behavior was too strange. To suddenly want to buy a pet in this kind of environment? Anyone with a normal IQ could tell how odd the situation was.

"Does he have some ulterior motive?"

But they had never met before, had no conflicts, and Ethan hadn't even heard his name.

After thinking about it, Ethan finally focused his gaze on Auriel. The only plausible explanation was that Brad had his eye on Auriel, and it definitely wasn't because he liked small animals.

"Auriel?"

Auriel, who looked like a kitten, had lived on the ship for so long but never seemed to grow. She always appeared to be a tiny kitten. Yet the number of magic stones she consumed would be enough to render a magic stone cannon useless if used as ammunition.

Given the massive amount of energy consumed, Ethan certainly didn't believe she was just a harmless kitten. Not to mention, Auriel had already displayed many anomalies even before being brought aboard.

"Collecting magic stones? Or... that special magic stone that can restore its own magic power?"

Ethan recalled the assassin whose name he never learned. That man had tried to kill him because of Auriel. He came from the next sea region. What was Brad's background?

"We need to be cautious with this guy from now on."

Having sailed for years and experienced multiple worlds, Ethan was no rookie. There was no way he would let his guard down just because Brad was now his so-called "teammate."

Whenever Ethan discovered someone had ulterior motives and their target was already in his possession, he would always assume the worst and treat the person as a potential threat who could attack at any time.

"I know what to do."

Logan, with his extensive experience, saw it too. He nodded to Ethan and adjusted his position in the group, always staying between their group and Brad's. If something happened, Logan would be the first line of defense.

It was a sound decision. Logan could slow the enemy's advance, alert the others, and he wouldn't die even if ambushed, making him the best choice for this role.

Although Laura was also immortal, she was still a child and remained under everyone's protection.

That said, it had been a while since Laura boarded the Goddess of Dawn. She was nearly thirteen now, and since girls matured earlier, she had already grown taller. Anyone treating her as a weakling would suffer for it.

At that moment, Brent began gathering everyone who had come ashore. Once everyone was assembled, they began exploring the land.

Because of the strangeness of the environment, no one suggested splitting up. Although the landmass was vast and searching together would take more time, no one brought up the idea of separating.

Compared to the other captains, Ethan's group was unusually small. From the beginning, they were surrounded. Standing next to them were Brad and his subordinates.

"Captain Ethan, didn't you recruit more crew members?"

Brad had looked around more than once and had already figured out who belonged to Ethan's ship. Even though everyone was moving together, the divisions between crews were obvious, making it easy to tell who came from which vessel.

"I prefer to adventure with like-minded people." Ignoring Loki's gaze, Ethan casually made up a line without hesitation. "I think companions like that can truly unite and overcome all kinds of difficulties when a crisis arises."

Just as Ethan was speaking, screams suddenly rang out from the outer edge of the group, followed by shouts and the sound of clashing steel.

"An enemy attack?"

Brent had called together several captains this time. While not all responded, a few joined, bringing a fleet composed of several warships.

Each ship carried hundreds at most and dozens at the least. Even the smallest ships, besides Ethan's had landed with dozens of people.

Altogether, there were at least several hundred people. It may not have been thousands, but with several hundred moving together, Ethan, standing in the middle, couldn't immediately see what was happening at the perimeter.

Soon, though, he didn't need to. Enemies emerged from all directions. Ethan and his group, standing behind Brent, quickly saw the attackers in front of them.

"Where did these guys come from?"

Even Ethan's detection goggles, which he never removed, gave no warning. These enemies seemed to appear out of nowhere.

"They're coming from underground."

"Underground?"

Loki, who had been bored and aimlessly wandering, actually knew more about the surroundings than anyone else. He had the highest overall awareness among them all.

"Your goggles are being interfered with by the energy here, so they couldn't detect them."

Ethan realized it too. He had already determined the enemies were undead. The land was saturated with negative energy, and his detection goggles worked by sensing energy to locate enemies. In this environment, it was like searching for water in the ocean—no wonder there was no alert.

"Engage the enemy!"

Brent had already assumed a battle stance. Ethan noticed he was wearing a full suit of battle armor, each piece releasing magical energy. Clearly, this was a complete set of magic stone equipment.

It was the first time Ethan had seen Brent fully geared up, and he was very curious about how strong Brent actually was. He also noted that Brent's weapon was a two-handed greatsword. If stood upright, it would nearly match Ethan's height.

Brent didn't wait for the enemies to reach him. After shouting to engage, he raised his greatsword and charged. With a wide horizontal slash, he cleaved the first few undead in half.

Where the greatsword passed, fierce flames erupted, burning the bisected undead as if they were firewood, continuing to burn until nothing was left.

"As expected, he's very powerful."

Ethan also drew his Battle Cross. Considering their enemies were undead, he activated the weakened Holy Light power within the Battle Cross again. While it wasn't as powerful as the Holy Light he now controlled, it was sufficient for enemies of this level.

Brent's charge did little to slow the undead. More surged into the crowd. These adventurers weren't an army. They weren't good at forming tight formations or holding a line, so the fight quickly devolved into chaotic melee—everyone tangled together, unable to tell whether the creature next to them was enemy or ally.

But this kind of chaos was familiar to adventurers. They were long used to fighting like this.

Even Logan, who came from a military background, preferred this type of battle. He ignored the undead's attacks and used raw power to rip the creatures in front of him to pieces.

While fighting, Ethan continued observing the battlefield. He noticed the forms of the undead varied widely. Some looked like beasts, others like humans, and others still like strange monsters.

The only thing they had in common was that they were undead. Besides being hard to kill, they gave off an unbearable stench. Ethan suspected that the smell itself was a form of psychological attack meant to demoralize the living.

"Captain Ethan's skills are impressive."

While Ethan was analyzing the situation, Brad was analyzing him. He had long noticed that this young captain moved freely through the undead horde. Few monsters could get close, and any that did were immediately cut down. Ethan's strength was far beyond what Brad had expected.

What shocked him more was that, after watching for so long, he realized Ethan didn't seem to be wearing any magic stone gear. The only thing that resembled equipment was the weapon in his hand that could release energy blades. But that wouldn't enhance physical strength or speed. This meant Ethan was fending off these monsters using nothing but his own power.

The discovery made Brad reevaluate him.

Ethan, meanwhile, was keeping an eye on Brad out of the corner of his eye. The man had been circling near him for some time. Ethan could tell Brad was skilled. Every attack he made took down an undead in a single blow.

These were undead creatures. While not particularly powerful, there was a big difference between defeating one and actually killing it.

Their biggest trait was their resistance to death. But for Brad, that didn't seem to be a problem.

"This guy injects energy into the target at the moment of impact, causing an internal explosion that disperses the death energy, effectively eliminating the undead."

(To be continued.)