DOTM: Chapter 225/226

Chapter 225: Selene's Food

"Holy Light?"

Loki's strength was formidable, and his perception naturally sharp. The moment Ethan's energy appeared, he was able to roughly analyze its properties.

After observing it for a while, Loki looked up at the sun hanging in the sky.

Naturally, Ethan noticed the gesture and, without waiting for Loki to ask, began explaining the characteristics of his energy.

"In fact, for many living beings, the sun is a symbol of life. So this vibrant, extremely bright energy shares certain traits with solar energy."

In Azeroth, the Tauren didn't originally believe in the Holy Light, yet the Tauren tribe eventually produced paladins who wielded it. The official explanation was that the Tauren Paladins' power came from their belief in the sun.

Maybe that was just a patch explanation made up by the developers in his previous life, but now Ethan could look at it differently: perhaps the Tauren's reverence for the sun caused their spiritual fluctuations to align with the Holy Light, allowing them to wield its energy without believing in it directly.

The Holy Light Ethan used wasn't exactly the same as the one in Azeroth, but by trying to align it with solar energy, any deviation had been reduced to a negligible level.

Given that its effects and appearance were nearly identical, the energy in his hands could be considered true Holy Light.

This energy was pure, powerful, and highly exclusive, making it difficult to control. However, Ethan now wielded it with ease.

"Is it because the energy intensity is low?"

"That's one reason."

When the intensity and quantity are kept in check, even extreme forms of energy can be subdued by powerful mages, making control manageable.

Of course Loki could do the same, but what was the point of using energy so weak and minimal?

"For practice."

These innately powerful races left Ethan speechless. Born with immense energy reserves, most of them neglected basic foundational training.

As energy intensity grew with age—and since the energy was inherently their own—it functioned more like instinct, rarely running out of control.

Occasionally, some exceptionally gifted individuals were born with overwhelming power. Due to their strong parents, like Diana and Thor, their energy was restrained in their youth and released gradually as they aged, allowing them to adapt to it over time. As a result, no Protoss would bother "wasting time" with such basic training.

"With long-term contact and practice, one can master its properties, understand the energy's various traits, and gradually increase control until they can fully command that type of energy."

Ethan shaped the Holy Light in his hand, flattening it and molding it into various weapons like swords, spears, blades, and halberds.

However, his current control of the Holy Light was limited to this level. A slight increase in energy would render it harder to manage, and the transformations lacked intricate detail, only mimicking outward appearances. More complex shapes were still beyond him.

"So what you're saying is, I should extract a bit of energy from the Casket of Ancient Winters, get used to that small portion, and then gradually increase the amount until I can fully master it?"

Of course Loki knew this cultivation method, but he hadn't used it in over a thousand years.

"Why do you want to master the Casket of Ancient Winters?" Ethan clasped his hands together. The Holy Light vanished from his palms, and in its place appeared a pair of radiant wings formed from condensed Holy Light on his back. "Once your understanding of this energy reaches a certain level, you become the Casket of Ancient Winters."

Looking at Ethan, Loki finally understood what he meant.

Once he fully mastered the energy inside the Casket, he could completely absorb it and convert it into his own power.

As a mage, he naturally understood the significance of assimilating a type of energy and transforming it into personal mana, it meant his strength would increase dramatically. If he succeeded, his power would no longer be inferior to Thor's, who wielded the power of thunder—assuming, of course, what Ethan said was true, and that Thor's power was truly hidden within him.

Otherwise, based on Loki's current level, he should be strong enough to crush Thor, freezing him into an ice sculpture with a mere wave of his hand.

Ethan dissipated the Holy Light wings behind him. Currently, their only function was visual flair. They served no practical purpose other than emitting weak Holy Light energy that made Selene very uncomfortable. She had leapt down from the poop deck and retreated to the front of the ship the moment the wings appeared.

After Ethan retracted the wings, Selene returned, but she looked at him like a vampire staring at the sun, which needed no further explanation.

Ethan took out the scepter that Loki had used before.

"I was going to melt this down and forge something else, but it looks like you still need it."

Loki accepted the scepter. The spot where the Mind Stone used to be embedded was now empty. He instantly understood what Ethan meant.

"Extract a portion of the energy from the Casket of Ancient Winters and set it in here?" Loki thought it over. It was a good plan, and he was quite used to using this scepter. "I'll need a suitable vessel."

"We can work on that."

Ethan spread his hands, his expression ambiguous, but Loki immediately grasped his meaning.

"Even if it seems a little like cheating, you've at least provided some preliminary proof for what you said."

Ethan had claimed he could help Loki become stronger. Although this time it was more about providing guidance than offering direct power, those key factors of growth lay within Loki himself. Sometimes, just offering a path forward could make a huge difference. Loki acknowledged that and didn't bother denying Ethan's 'help.'

Though he didn't make an official statement, he had already hinted that he was willing to remain onboard and accept a formal crew position to assist Ethan.

After giving Loki a new 'cultivation path' to focus on for the time being, the next issue Ethan had to deal with was Selene's.

Selene's problem could be seen as either minor or major—her dietary needs.

As a vampire, Selene couldn't eat ordinary food. The only thing she could consume was blood. However, the Goddess of Dawn had plenty of resources in storage—everything except blood.

There wasn't even an emergency supply of blood packs, as no one aboard needed them. The only one who might, Ethan, had already crafted numerous life-saving potions for himself. If those couldn't save him, then no amount of blood packs would help, so naturally none were stocked.

So… what Selene would eat had become the biggest issue.

"You can't eat anything besides blood?"

"No."

"What about water?"

"Water should be fine."

Ethan touched his chin, thinking about what to do. At present, the options were limited. The Goddess of Dawn didn't have blood packs, and unlike Earth's age of sailing, there were no livestock like cows or sheep on board. Killing animals for blood wasn't feasible in an emergency.

"I can use magic to create something similar to blood, but I don't know if it'll work."

He wasn't sure what exactly vampires needed from blood. Was it just that their mutated bodies could only absorb liquid nutrition, making blood the most efficient option? Or did they require something else?

As a mage from the arcane side, Ethan understood that blood contained life force, spiritual energy, soul imprints, and more. If vampires needed those things, then he would be at a loss.

"The Underworld world seems to follow science. Vampires and werewolves are mutated species, not magical curses."

But even in such a 'scientific' world, vampires could absorb memories through blood. That left Ethan uncertain about how to proceed.

No one could give him a definitive answer. All Ethan could do was prepare a batch of 'artificial blood' and let Selene try it.

It didn't take long, nor did it consume many materials. Within half an hour, Ethan had created a sizable batch.

Selene held a cup of the freshly made liquid and drank. After observing her for a bit, Ethan noticed her expression didn't look too good.

"Did it not work, or did it taste bad?"

Selene frowned, her expression reminded Ethan of drinking bitter medicine in his previous life. She clearly wasn't enjoying it.

"It doesn't taste good, but it does relieve hunger. Still, I feel a bit weak, like I'm not fully satiated."

Ethan nodded and took a bit of her blood to analyze. Based on her reaction, the liquid he created was edible for Selene—it could stave off hunger and maintain her basic survival. It wouldn't push her into the mummified state caused by blood deprivation.

But surviving on this concoction left Selene in poor health. She felt weak, and it wasn't enjoyable at all.

"It can only sustain life, nothing more."

That was good enough for now. When they visited another world later, he could consider bringing her some blood.

But Ethan was thinking bigger. He wanted to fundamentally change Selene's situation.

"I can make myself non-human. There's no reason I can't fix a vampire's physiology."

(To be continued.)

Chapter 226: The First Step Towards Inhumanity

A simple conversation gave everyone a basic understanding of each other. The most important ones were Loki and Selene, as both had just arrived here, making this conversation quite necessary.

After that, the following days passed uneventfully.

Selene spent some time each day teaching Laura basic knowledge alongside Diana. Fortunately, Laura had received some foundational education at the research facility, so the teaching process started off smoothly.

Although Laura didn't enjoy it, Logan still carried a great deal of authority in her eyes. After being threatened with, "No games if you don't study," Laura had no choice but to start learning with a sour expression.

However, her learning ability was only average, just that of a typical child. Only when learning combat skills did she show exceptional talent.

Thus, in addition to academic subjects, a formal combat training course was added. This made Diana very happy, while Selene could only look on speechlessly.

Aside from teaching Laura, Selene was also learning herself. Unlike Loki, who possessed strong physical and mental capabilities and could instantly absorb the language and knowledge of the world, Selene had to rely on daily pre-sleep study. Using a learning tool, it would take her a while to completely "download" the material, and even longer to fully master it.

During these days, Selene often attempted to speak the local language to communicate with everyone. This helped her become fluent more quickly and avoid standing out.

Selene lived a fulfilling daily life, though she wasn't used to being in the sun constantly. Her skin couldn't handle it, so she usually hid in the cabin to spend time with Laura.

During this time, the most carefree person was Logan. Other than controlling the Goddess of Dawn to follow the two ships ahead, he had nothing to worry about. His strong physique and unique healing factor allowed him to remain at his peak without needing regular training.

So for the most part, Logan was the only one frequently appearing on the deck. Ethan remained hidden in his workshop, only emerging for meals or to stretch his legs.

Logan didn't mind. He knew what Ethan was doing, since Ethan hadn't kept it a secret from him.

This research wasn't just about Ethan's future. It concerned the fate of everyone aboard. Only by successfully developing that potion and surpassing the limits of human physiology to reach the extraordinary realm could this improvised crew have any hope of a future.

Otherwise, if Ethan's body began to fail—or even started to deteriorate and his magic failed to reach the desired level, then this small group would fall apart completely.

Logan still remembered he had another mission. If Ethan couldn't hold on, would he stay? Maybe he should consider finding a suitable world to settle down in with Laura.

At the same time, if his strength didn't increase fast enough, could they really keep Asgard's God of Mischief in line? That guy would probably be the first to cause trouble.

Though Logan hadn't spent much time with Loki, he had already gotten a good grasp of the kind of person he was thanks to Ethan.

Speaking of Loki, although the second prince of Asgard was currently acting obedient, it was only because he had his own goals. Once he fully mastered the power of frost, and if Ethan hadn't significantly grown stronger by then, and couldn't offer him more "help," Loki wouldn't hesitate to turn his scepter against their current "ally."

So Ethan buried himself in his research, aiming to solve his own issues as quickly as possible, something that aligned with everyone's interests. Even Diana, who didn't mind Ethan's power level, hoped that he could take that step.

The reason was simple—she wanted Ethan to live longer.

Only Selene wasn't thinking that far ahead. She was just enjoying her new life and occasionally wondering whether she should stay permanently, or move on to another world to start anew.

Time passed slowly. Life at sea was monotonous, but when everyone had something to occupy themselves with, time seemed to fly.

They had already left the "suicide route" and were adjusting course toward the central island.

At their current pace, they would arrive in a few days.

During this time, Ethan's Goddess of Dawn followed quietly. Occasionally, the two ships would dock side by side before sunset to exchange updates, ensuring everything remained in order.

These interactions also served as a reminder for both sides to stay cooperative and avoid sudden schemes. As long as everyone remained united, they could all profit upon returning to the central island.

So far, there had been no conflict between the two groups, and the cooperation seemed to be going smoothly.

Just before reaching the central island, Ethan finally made a breakthrough in his research. After countless failures and even taking time out to help Loki build a new scepter core capable of holding frost energy, he succeeded. Stabilizing Loki was part of the reason, but the pause also gave Ethan time to reorganize his thoughts.

This decision turned out to be correct. After a brief break and restarting the potion configuration process from scratch, he finally succeeded.

Using the blood of Alexander Corvinus and Michael as the foundation, he created a fortified serum that incorporated the Blood Orchid and divine blood. In the final stage, he used up a large portion of his stored materials as supplementary components. For this single small vial, he had practically emptied his inventory.

"Just this little bottle?"

The test tube was about ten centimeters long and the thickness of a finger. It was filled with golden liquid that glowed faintly in the dark.

Ethan specially crafted a containment device to hold the potion, afraid of wasting even a drop.

"Yes."

To Diana, it didn't seem special—just an ordinary glowing liquid.

"Why haven't you used it? Is there still a problem?"

"Problem?" Ethan paused, then understood what Diana meant. "No, there's no issue. I haven't used it yet because that's not how it's meant to be administered."

"You don't drink it?" Diana looked at the injection gun tossed to the side. "Not even injected?"

"No." Ethan had wanted to drink it in one gulp, it would've been the simplest method, but the serum's potency was far too intense. If he drank it outright, the immense energy would blow him apart without leaving a trace of soul residue. "It's for soaking."

"Soaking?"

One of the biggest obstacles in his previous attempts was that the energy was too overwhelming. He had to find a way to stabilize it so his body could absorb it gradually instead of being overwhelmed.

But no matter what he tried, he couldn't resolve that issue. Eventually, he changed his approach. He stopped aiming for single-use absorption and abandoned the idea of injecting the energy directly into his body. This eliminated most of the complications, and finally, the potion was completed.

"Add one drop to a bath and soak for five hours."

Based on his calculations, it would take at least five hours to absorb the energy in a single drop. This slow external-to-internal method also avoided the danger of overdosing and exploding.

"It takes a long time, but it's much safer."

More importantly, none of the energy would be wasted. He could fully absorb it. As time went on, the required soak time would decrease, and the dosage could increase. That meant this "transformation" process would speed up, and the total time needed would be less than expected.

"I see." Diana nodded, then motioned for Ethan to follow her. She headed toward Ethan's room.

Ethan was confused by her actions but followed anyway. When he saw Diana heading straight into his bathroom, it finally clicked.

"Wait, what are you doing?"

"You're soaking, aren't you?" Diana crossed her arms. "You can't be disturbed during this, right? I'll guard you. If anything goes wrong, I can pull you out in time."

Of course Ethan knew that, but Diana was being way too casual about this. And she didn't even close the bathroom door?

"At least close the door?"

"If it's closed, I might not notice something's wrong in time." Diana clearly didn't think too much about it. She knew what Ethan was struggling with. "Don't worry. I'm very familiar with your body, so there's nothing to be embarrassed about."

"..."

Ethan wanted to say he was the one feeling awkward, okay? And wasn't that statement too easy to misinterpret? But he decided not to argue and prepared to start his first strengthening session—fully clothed from the waist down.

After preparing the warm water and adding a drop of the enhancement serum, Ethan immersed himself in the softly glowing pool, submerging even his head.

Although completely underwater, Ethan didn't feel the need to breathe and experienced no suffocation. He could clearly sense the immense energy slowly seeping into his body and transforming him.

Everything went smoothly, just as he had expected, except for the constant banging sound caused by his inability to move...

(To be continued.)