DOTM: Chapter 254/255

Chapter 254: Companions' Promotion

Broll Bearmantle, as the future Archdruid, possessed immense strength even now. He held profound insights into the doctrines, spells, and techniques of the Druids. It could be said that, given the current circumstances, Ethan would not be able to find a better Druid mentor unless he traveled to the Night Elves' homeland and invited one of their legendary figures.

Bringing Logan, Laura, Selene, and even Loki, Ethan and the others sat down obediently to listen to Broll's teachings.

As a Druid, Broll had no resistance to spreading the Druidic faith or teaching "outsiders" about Druid abilities.

Druids were not a group that closely guarded their own powers. In fact, they promoted their beliefs whenever possible, hoping more people would come to understand the importance of nature's balance.

If possible, Druids wished that everyone in Azeroth would become one of them, so they wouldn't have to constantly worry about the balance of nature being disrupted and the world heading toward ruin.

Although Druids did not hoard their knowledge and freely shared their spells and training methods, no human had ever successfully become a true Druid. At present, only the Night Elves and Tauren, who had deeper connections to nature, could truly walk the Druid path.

Broll also didn't believe this group of "humans" in front of him could become Druids. He was willing to teach not only because of Varian's request, but also in the hope that they could spread the Druidic philosophy. Even if they couldn't become Druids, helping them understand the balance of nature would still bring joy to the Druid community.

As it turned out, Broll was correct. No one in the group was able to truly comprehend the natural balance or become a genuine Druid.

Loki and Ethan were both mages. Their attitude toward energy was rooted in control. They would never "communicate," "mutually respect," or "earn recognition" from an elemental force before using it to cast spells.

Wolverine, being a mutant, could only grasp the surface-level applications of Druidic power and couldn't progress further, let alone become a Druid.

Selene's physique was fundamentally incompatible. Broll directly commented that her existence was highly unusual, seemingly violating the laws of nature.

Fortunately, Laura, the youngest and most pure-hearted among them, showed a hint of potential. Broll paid special attention to the child, and consequently, Logan, as her "father," also sat in on more lessons. Eventually, Laura learned to communicate slightly with "nature."

This wasn't enough to make her a Druid, but it did give her a few tricks, such as obtaining more information from animals. At the same time, Laura began trying to form a deeper connection with Auriel, similar to a hunter's bond with their pet, though the underlying principles were different.

Seeing this, Ethan was reminded of a hunter skill that allowed them to share senses with their companion, gaining their pet's perception—a convenient reconnaissance ability.

After asking Broll, the future Archdruid confirmed that such a spell wasn't difficult. Many spellcasting classes knew similar techniques. However, Druids rarely used it because they could transform into various animals themselves. They could go wherever a hunter's pet could sneak, without needing to "borrow external forces."

Since Laura didn't have the potential to become a true Druid, Ethan felt that learning this spell as a "substitute" was a good choice. This way, as Laura matured, she could complement her strong melee combat skills with excellent reconnaissance abilities.

Perhaps due to the mental training Ethan had provided her during this time, Laura progressed quickly in learning simple spells. What amazed Broll most was that she could even cast a few basic Druidic spells—truly low-level spells, such as accelerating a seed's growth or manipulating nearby plants to hinder enemies.

She could also harness nature's power for healing, though the healing spells she could cast were limited to treating simple external wounds and couldn't deal with anything deeper.

Still, Broll remarked that while Laura had a little talent, it was very limited. Her progress on the Druid path would likely remain shallow.

The root problem was that, beneath the calm exterior of both Laura and Wolverine, a fierce and turbulent spirit lay hidden. This was a significant barrier to mastering the Druidic balance philosophy.

Ethan had no solution for that. Beyond personality, it likely stemmed from their mutant genes. It seemed these two were destined to walk a path other than that of the Druid.

Fortunately, this wasn't a game. Failing to become a specific "class" didn't mean one couldn't learn related skills. So, for the time being, Laura and Logan continued to study Druidic knowledge under Broll. Having gathered the knowledge he needed, Ethan shifted his focus to another form of energy:

Holy Light and Shadow—two opposing forces, mutually restrictive, yet interdependent.

To better experience the properties of these energies, Ethan specifically visited the Cathedral of Light. As one of the largest cathedrals in this world, the Cathedral of Light housed many priests, including a number who specialized in studying Shadow magic.

Ethan originally just wanted to explore the two forces. But soon, another person joined him to learn the same knowledge.

Selene's body was exceptionally compatible with Shadow magic. Even more interestingly, despite being a vampire, Selene longed for the light. After learning about the Holy Light's philosophy of balance between light and shadow, she successfully mastered the Holy Light as well.

Within her body, Shadow and Holy Light formed a perfect balance, fully aligned with her unique constitution. As a result, her learning speed far surpassed Laura's progress with nature magic. While Ethan was still studying the nature of these two energies, Selene had already mastered her first Shadow spell: Shadow Word: Pain.

Moreover, Selene was technically a human mutated by a virus. She was still alive. So, once she grasped the Holy Light, it no longer caused her harm.

Even undead creatures in Azeroth could wield the Holy Light—but doing so caused them immense pain.

Selene, however, faced no such issue. The Holy Light's anti-undead attribute had been partially neutralized in her case. After using Alexander Corvinus's blood, her innate darkness had also been diluted. This was one reason why Selene felt only discomfort, but not injury when Ethan used Holy Light around her later.

Now that she had learned to wield the Holy Light herself, even Ethan's version, which carried the symbolic belief of humanity resisting vampires, had minimal effect on her.

This is truly an unexpected surprise.

Ethan had originally planned to gather data on Death Knights, but Stormwind hadn't yet come into direct conflict with the Scourge and lacked reliable information. If he wanted more, he'd need to travel to Stratholme or storm Acherus directly.

He was inclined to do so, but time was limited. He had assumed he'd have to wait until next time to help Selene grow stronger—but to his surprise, she had innate talent with Shadow and Holy Light. After mastering both, her physique improved further. She moved faster, hit harder, and became stronger overall.

Could it be that you are one of those legendary people who dwell in darkness but long for the light?

Selene didn't know how to answer that. But in her heart, she was glad she had made the right choice. If she hadn't stayed on Ethan's ship, would she have ever had the chance to learn these things?

Now that she had mastered both Shadow and Holy Light, Selene felt a little closer to being a normal person.

Perhaps because of these two energies, her once pale face now had a bit more color. In the sunlight, her hair wasn't pitch-black anymore, but had a slight brown hue.

It's a pity I can never learn those healing spells well.

Compared to how easily she picked up Shadow magic, Selene found the practical use of the Holy Light far more difficult. She had learned it, but casting healing spells was still a struggle. Therefore, she wasn't really a priest—she had only mastered a few of a priest's skills.

That was already more than enough for Ethan and the others. They weren't here to "change professions," but to learn useful abilities. If possible, Ethan didn't mind his companions learning every bit of knowledge this world could offer.

Compared to Logan and Selene, it seemed Loki hadn't gained anything, right? Ethan definitely hadn't forgotten about him. He had been quietly working in the background, studying and experimenting late into the night with materials provided by Varian.

Catch.

Returning from Selene's training, Ethan casually tossed a small vial to Loki. The second prince of Asgard caught it easily.

He examined it. The vial was no bigger than a finger and contained a red liquid. It looked like blood—but it wasn't as thick.

"What is this?"

"A potion I concocted using black dragon blood." Ethan gave a simple explanation of its origin and effects. "Given your physique, you can drink it directly. It will enhance your physical strength and mental power to a certain extent."

(To be continued.)

Chapter 255: Becoming a Reality Step by Step

Ethan took his promises very seriously. Although most of his previous promises were made to appease Loki, who liked to stir up trouble, once a promise was made, he had to keep it.

Since there had been no suitable options before, he could only give Loki vague guidance using treasures Loki already possessed. Now that he had the proper materials to help Loki grow stronger, Ethan immediately made his stance clear.

As long as there were suitable items that could enhance Loki's strength, Ethan would uphold his promise and hand them over to him.

Loki glanced again at the bottle in his hand. He wasn't worried that Ethan was trying to deceive him. After spending time together, he had developed a clear understanding of Ethan's character.

"Thank you very much."

Loki was the Prince of Asgard and had received strict etiquette training since childhood. Even the seemingly reckless Thor could act like a true noble gentleman when the occasion required.

It was just that, most of the time, the Asgardian gods didn't place much importance on formalities, which led many to mistakenly view them as a group of crude individuals.

Ethan nodded to Loki and didn't linger. He knew Loki didn't want him staying to watch whether he drank the potion.

He had made the item and handed it to Loki. This was something Loki deserved. Whether or not to use it, when, and how—those were all Loki's decisions.

As a mage, Loki had his own methods for assessing the potion's effects and usage. Even if he didn't use it the way Ethan suggested, there was no concern about it being wasted.

Returning to his room, Ethan closed the door and continued what he had been working on for some time—analyzing elemental crystals.

Azeroth had many elemental forces, including elemental creatures of various attributes. Ethan wasn't interested in the creatures themselves, but in what they left behind after death—elemental crystals of various elements.

These crystals contained pure elemental power. Remembering their usefulness, Ethan had asked Varian for a large number of elemental crystals to help him analyze and master elemental forces.

He wasn't greedy and only chose water and fire elements, which he had the best grasp of. He was close to fully mastering both, with only one final threshold left.

Once he crossed that threshold, he would fully understand these two elements, and his spiritual power would begin to carry those attributes. His magic would then naturally possess dual elemental affinity, making it easier and faster to cast water and fire spells.

To illustrate: when casting a fireball, he currently had to circulate spiritual power, mobilize his magic, adjust the energy composition to match fire attributes, and then construct and cast the spell.

But once he mastered fire element characteristics, and his magic naturally carried the fire attribute, he could skip those tedious steps. A single thought—"I want to cast a fireball"—would cause his magic to shift to fire, form a fireball, and launch it instantly.

In addition, his affinity with fire would increase, making it easier to summon and manipulate external fire elements. In areas rich in fire energy, he could cast powerful fire magic with minimal personal cost.

These were the advantages of elemental mages. After taking such a difficult path, Ethan was finally reaping the benefits. Not only did he gain the strengths of an elemental mage, but he also avoided the drawback of being influenced by a specific element. He could continue increasing elemental attributes in his magic without worrying about conflicts with those already mastered.

He had analyzed, understood, and mastered the fire element using his own spiritual power, rather than having fire elements possess him to grant their power.

The outcomes might seem similar, but the processes and implications were vastly different.

As another fire elemental crystal in his hand was consumed, turning to powder and dissipating into the air, Ethan finally crossed the final threshold.

He no longer needed to mobilize his spiritual power or perform complex transformations. With a thought, flames appeared in his palm, seamlessly converted from his magic. This flame, born from his own magic power, felt like an extension of his body—completely under his control.

Burn hotter. Soften. Condense.

With the same amount of magic, the flames in his hand could easily change shape and nature. Ethan clenched his fist. The flame didn't extinguish but instead wrapped around his fist, still burning intensely.

Looking at the flames on his hand, Ethan suddenly remembered that his Flame Cloak had been destroyed in the battle with the black dragon. He had considered crafting a new one, but now it seemed unnecessary.

With a thought, a pair of large fiery wings unfurled behind him. Compared to his previous Flame Cloak, these wings looked more real. Each feather was lifelike. Although his earlier Flame Cloak had also taken on a feather-like shape as his spiritual power grew, those feathers had no practical function.

This time was different. Even though Ethan hadn't tested them in action, he was sure the feathers would improve his maneuverability in flight.

More importantly, when these wings unfurled, they would no longer release uncontrollable heat. The flames were completely under his control, and the surrounding temperature barely rose, an ordinary person standing nearby might only feel some warmth.

This didn't mean the wings were harmless. If someone foolishly reached out to touch them, the best option would be to immediately sever that hand—it would hurt less that way.

Retracting the wings, Ethan clenched his fist again and gave himself a small nod of recognition.

"Congratulations on mastering an element. You're finally no longer a rookie mage."

In Ethan's grand plan, mastering an element was just the beginning, but it was still worth celebrating. Compared to his earlier reliance on equipment, he now had confidence in his own abilities. Even if he lost all his gear, he could still cast spells reliably.

Though he had magic power before, its shallow depth severely limited his combat potential. If he couldn't overpower an opponent with sheer magic volume, he had few effective ways to fight.

Elemental mastery, however, greatly amplified the effects of his spells without increasing cost. This meant a free power boost—something to celebrate.

Perhaps because of this happiness, Ethan entered an excited mental state. Instead of resting, he continued working, aiming to fully master a second element.

Water had long been his next target. Living in a world surrounded by water, he had always studied the water element. Originally, he thought water would be the first element he'd master, but the elemental crystals provided by Varian had helped fire take the lead.

Still, that didn't matter. It was just a matter of timing. With two elements mastered, his combat effectiveness would soar.

Even more important was that Ethan's magic came from within. The surrounding environment had minimal impact. Even in a world with no elemental or magical energy, he could still cast spells normally.

Although he hadn't yet encountered such a world, he couldn't rule out the possibility.

"If I really do find one, maybe I can leave a coordinate. Then, if I run into some magic-using enemies, I can drag them there to fight."

He glanced at the remaining materials. They were mostly containers holding different energy types: a portion of nature power, some arcane energy, a bit of Holy Light, and a trace of shadow energy. His elemental crystals had been entirely consumed. He had planned to ask Varian for more before, and now he could request crystals of other elements to bring back and study at leisure.

As for the dragon blood potion, Ethan had already used it. Without its boost, he wouldn't have been able to master two elemental affinities in such a short time.

The potion had significantly accelerated his understanding of fire. Combined with the elemental crystals, it was a crucial factor in crossing the final threshold.

"It's had a clear effect on my body too."

Since using the divine blood potion to break his body's limit, Ethan had trained diligently. If his original body was a small water cup, then now, his potential was like a huge bucket.

The problem was that the gap was so large he couldn't fill it quickly (i.e., unlock his full potential). The dragon blood potion not only slightly strengthened his spiritual power and deepened his elemental mastery, but it also "filled the bucket" with more water.

"Looks like my height's increasing again."

This was something Loki, Logan, and Diana had once teased him about. Now, with the chance to turn things around, Ethan felt delighted.

He struck a few poses in front of the mirror. While his physique wasn't as exaggerated as Captain America's, he was no longer the skinny fisherman's son from before. Combined with his subtly optimized features, the goal he once dreamed of was gradually becoming a reality.

(To be continued.)