🎉DOTM: Chapter 220/222

Chapter 220: Alexander Who Knows
They got in the vehicle, sat down, and drove all the way.

The soldiers remained silent, and Ethan had no intention of speaking with them either. If the guy happily chatting now turned hostile later and ended up fighting Alexander, it would be awkward.

Although he didn't know exactly what Alexander's intentions were, it was never a bad idea to consider the worst-case scenario and be prepared.

Selene and Michael, who were also seated in the vehicle, looked bewildered. Michael couldn't figure out what kind of world he had stepped into. What had happened today had completely shattered his worldview. Everything and everyone now filled him with suspicion and caution. The sudden appearance of heavily armed soldiers made him tense. He curled up in his seat, that posture giving him a sense of security.

Selene sat on the other side, wondering why she had followed them in the first place. When the soldiers gestured for them to get in, she had followed Ethan without thinking.

After a while, she gradually recovered from the shock of her adoptive father's death and other events. Confusion began to creep in. Looking at Ethan, who sat in front of her with his eyes closed, she finally couldn't hold it in and asked the question that had been weighing on her mind.

"Will you kill me?"

Ethan was caught off guard by the question and stunned for a moment. He opened his eyes and looked at Selene, realizing that his efficient killing earlier had probably made the female vampire believe he intended to completely purge Budapest.

"Maybe."

At this point, Ethan couldn't be bothered to keep hunting. He had realized that he lacked the means to eliminate these dark creatures on a large scale. Or rather, even if he had a method, implementing it wouldn't be easy.

If the vampires were to resist him to the end and charge him without fear, he wouldn't have minded wiping them out. But they had scattered too quickly. After he killed the two Elders, he came out of the mansion and barely saw another soul.

Under these circumstances, hunting down every vampire scattered across Europe would take an enormous amount of time and energy, with little benefit. Naturally, he wasn't interested.

"If killing vampires gave me experience points, I wouldn't mind spending the time. Unfortunately, this isn't a game, and it doesn't have such a system."

The car returned to silence. Selene didn't ask what he meant by "maybe." If the man in front of her wanted to kill her, it would only take a flick of his hand. She didn't believe she was any stronger than the other vampires. Under that strange light, she probably wouldn't even know what hit her.

The only thing she could be thankful for was that she had finally learned the truth before she died, and had seen her enemy perish with her own eyes. From that perspective, Ethan was actually her benefactor.

The car soon arrived at a dock. While Budapest was referred to as a single city, it was actually composed of two cities on either side of the Danube, so it wasn't surprising for a dock to be located in the city.

Ethan knew from the movie's plot that Alexander was hiding on a ship somewhere along the dock, but he didn't know which dock or which ship it was. He didn't even know how many docks Budapest had. He wasn't sure if the second film's plot even took place in Budapest.

In any case, no matter where Alexander had docked his ship in the original story, at this moment, his ship was anchored at the Budapest dock. Ethan followed the group of soldiers and quickly boarded one of the many ships parked there.

Once inside the cabin, he finally saw the final target of this trip: the immortal Alexander Corvinus.

Alexander was already waiting for Ethan and the others. When he saw Ethan, he deliberately observed him for a few moments. But in his eyes, this was just an ordinary young man. He couldn't understand how someone like him had managed to single-handedly bring down the entire vampire faction in Budapest.

While Ethan and the others were on their way, Alexander's soldiers had thoroughly searched the blood-soaked mansion and found not a single vampire, not even in the stone chamber where the Elders used to rest.

"Hello, young man. Perhaps you're curious about my identity…"

Alexander was interrupted by Ethan before he could finish.

"I know who you are, Alexander Corvinus." As soon as Ethan spoke, Michael Corvin and Selene behind him also realized the old man's identity. In the story Ethan had told them earlier, this man was a key figure.

Compared to the calm demeanor of those present, Alexander Corvinus did not feel at ease. He had a bad feeling that things were heading in the worst direction.

"You know me? What else do you know?"

"Everything." Ethan looked around the cabin. There were sofas, tables, and even a small bar. But he wasn't interested in alcohol. He casually pulled a can of Coke from the nearby fridge. Without the slightest sense of formality, he even asked Michael if he wanted anything to drink.

"I'm good."

Ethan ignored the refusal and handed him a drink anyway. "You've been running around in the rain all night. You need some calories. A bit of sugar helps you stay calm."

He had undergone plenty of training, and Selene wasn't even human. Michael, on the other hand, was just an ordinary person. Running around for so long had taken a toll on him. Ethan didn't want the guy to suddenly collapse from exhaustion.

Hearing Ethan's reasoning, Michael, a doctor himself, knew that his condition wasn't great. He obediently took the drink and sipped it.

Ethan walked over to the seat across from Alexander and sat down before continuing their earlier conversation.

"I thought you'd only show up after all the vampires and werewolves were dead. Didn't expect your reaction to be this quick."

Alexander had lived for thousands of years and experienced many things. His intellect was definitely above average. From the moment Ethan said his name, he knew something was wrong. Now, Ethan's words made it clear that this young man hadn't come for the vampires and werewolves—he'd been targeting him from the start.

"What do you want?"

"Your blood."

Both men understood each other well. Neither bothered to talk in circles. Ethan got straight to the point.

Alexander looked at the young man in front of him, still confused about what kind of backing he had.

"You're on my turf, yet you make demands like that?"

Ethan remained calm. The man's reaction was reasonable. If Ethan wanted his blood, he had to demonstrate that he had the strength to take it. If he couldn't prove that, Alexander would vanish without a trace.

Ethan held the empty Coke can in his hand. Without any special movement, a glass-like substance suddenly enveloped the can and slowly lifted it into the air. The "glass" rotated, twisted, expanded, and shrank. Finally, with a light tap from Ethan, the Coke can crumbled into tiny fragments that sparkled under the light and gently scattered across the coffee table in front of him.

"For me, there's not much difference between a boat and a can."

Alexander Corvinus had lived a long life and seen much. His long years had taught him plenty, but he had never seen a power like this.

"What kind of ability is that?"

"Magic." Ethan used Mage Hand to retrieve another can of drink from the fridge. "Let me introduce myself. I'm a mage from another world. I travel across different worlds collecting special things."

"Other worlds?" Alexander immediately caught the key part of Ethan's words and understood why his blood was being targeted.

As for magic? Alexander didn't find it all that surprising. In his view, the power in his blood wasn't inferior to magic.

"If I give you my blood, will you leave this world?"

"Yes."

"How much do you want?"

Alexander was decisive. He agreed to Ethan's demand without hesitation. Now he understood why so many vampires had been helpless before this young man. With power like that, even his own soldiers would be of no use.

According to his subordinates' reports, only a few low-level vampires had escaped the mansion. The rest didn't even leave behind corpses. He had thought his son Marcus might have escaped. Now it seemed he was likely dead beyond saving.

That's why Alexander feared this mage and wanted him to leave as soon as possible. Since Ethan's words implied that he would leave after taking the blood, there was no reason to fight him.

"A normal dose is fine."

Just a few samples were enough for Ethan to study. A small test tube would do. However, Alexander was generous. He ordered his men to bring out a full set of equipment and had 400 milliliters of blood drawn without hesitation.

Once Ethan had the blood, he no longer cared about the issues with the werewolves and vampires. Michael's situation didn't need his attention anymore. As his ancestor, Alexander would naturally protect the only remaining human descendant.

Noticing Alexander still staring at him, Ethan activated a magic circle in front of him to prove he was a man of his word and would indeed leave this world after getting what he came for.

To avoid any "accidents," Ethan specially reminded everyone before activating the circle. But when he returned to the Goddess of Dawn, he found that someone had come back to his ship with him.

(To be continued.)

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Chapter 221: Two Plans
Ethan's teleportation magic circle required any non-sentient objects to be completely "lifted" before they could be taken along. Simply placing or touching something in the circle without fully picking it up—even if he held the handle—wouldn't work.

For humans or any sentient beings, as long as they were within the circle and their will was to "follow Ethan," they would be transported as "passengers" by the circle.

That's why Ethan had specifically reminded Michael Corvin and the others before activating the magic circle to depart. Both Alexander and Michael had immediately stepped out of its range. Only Selene, who stood at the edge of the circle, had not moved.

He thought Selene simply hadn't paid attention to his words or was lost in thought about her future. He didn't expect her to end up being brought along when he returned.

The fact that she came along meant she had subjectively chosen to leave that world. What Ethan wasn't sure about was whether this female vampire could truly adapt to life in this new world. After all, here, sunlight was abundant, and it wasn't realistic to hide in the cabin all the time.

"Who is this…"

The blue glow of magic faded gradually. To Diana, who was standing by the door, it had only been a moment. What surprised her was that this time, Ethan hadn't returned with materials or objects—but with a person. Was there something special about this woman? Or had Ethan found her to be an excellent partner?

Selene was looking around with curiosity. The gentle sway of the ship told her she was on a vessel. That in itself wasn't unusual, but the ship's design and construction looked very "old," as though it were a wooden sailing ship.

"This is Selene."

Ethan didn't go into detail. He just introduced her by name. He wanted to ask what Selene intended to do. Only by clarifying her thoughts could he decide what to do next.

"Did you intentionally stand within the range of the magic circle?"

"Yes."

Selene withdrew her gaze from her surroundings, though she continued to glance at Diana. Her instincts told her this tall, beautiful woman was extremely dangerous—more dangerous even than Ethan. After Ethan asked that question, the woman had shifted slightly, clearly ready to either attack or… protect Ethan?

That was absurd. Did this powerful mage even need someone to protect him?

She wondered if her instincts were off. But as a seasoned fighter, she would never admit she was wrong.

"Because I don't want to stay in that world."

For Selene, there was nothing left to hold onto in that world. She had lost everything. Even if she hadn't followed Ethan, she had nowhere to go. It was better to follow him into another world—at least she could leave behind all the painful memories.

Ethan understood Selene's thinking. She didn't want to remain in a place filled with sorrow and wanted to start a new life elsewhere. A normal desire.

"Then you now have two choices."

Selene looked at Ethan, waiting for him to continue.

"Stay on my ship and become part of my crew. You'll experience many strange worlds, and your life will become much more exciting."

Ethan originally wanted to say, "But you'll need to earn our approval first." But after thinking it over, there was no need to say it outright. If she could earn their trust, of course she'd be allowed to stay. If she couldn't, even if she wanted to stay, he'd eventually send her to another world.

Selene simply didn't want to stay in the Underworld. Changing worlds wasn't difficult for Ethan. She didn't seem like the type who'd get kicked out when the energy ran dry. Ethan could definitely find a new world for her to settle in.

"The other choice is… for you to send me back?"

Selene was smart. She had already figured out the second option. If one option was to stay, the other was obviously to leave.

"Of course, you can choose to go to another world. I have no interest in returning to your original world."

The truth was, Ethan hadn't even marked the coordinates of the Underworld. If he wanted to go back, he'd have to rely entirely on luck. And considering that each "random" teleportation was influenced by his subconscious, he had no desire to return anytime soon—maybe not ever.

If he promised to send Selene back, he'd just be giving himself unnecessary trouble. So he left it at that.

Selene didn't know this. She thought Ethan was being considerate, allowing her to choose a suitable world. That made her feel he was actually a kind person, not as cold as he appeared.

"Thanks."

"No problem."

He would never admit he couldn't go back. That would ruin his image too much.

"I can't decide right now."

"That's fine. Even if you made a decision now, you'd still have to stay here for a while." Ethan briefly explained that he couldn't continue teleporting between planes for the moment—he needed some rest.

He had Diana take Selene to a room to rest. She could think about her future while staying here.

"Oh right, before you settle in, be sure to close the windows and curtains. There's plenty of sunlight here." Selene nodded, thanked him, and left the captain's cabin.

It wasn't long before Diana returned. After closing the door behind her, she crossed her arms and looked at Ethan.

"What's the deal with that woman?"

"Something went wrong when I came back." Ethan waved it off. He didn't care whether Selene stayed or left. His only objective had been the blood of those two. Now that he had it, he could begin his next plan.

"You're not going to continue?"

Ethan shook his head. While his control over space-time energy had improved significantly, and the cooldown period after each teleportation had shortened, frequent use still put strain on his body. The root of the issue was that his body was still too weak—just an ordinary human.

"I've collected enough for now. There's no need to jump to another world so soon."

He took out his spoils. One test tube contained Michael Corvin's blood. The other—a blood bag—contained Alexander Corvinus's blood.

"Blood?"

Diana wasn't surprised to see Ethan collecting blood. She'd even helped him acquire Ares's divine blood. She wondered, though, whether this was some god's blood? But if Ethan could draw this much blood, the god couldn't be that powerful.

"Blood with special properties."

Ethan briefly explained the special nature of the two samples. Diana then understood why he wanted them.

"You're trying to take advantage of the blood's property of absorbing all foreign traits and making them part of itself?"

"Exactly."

Ethan had many good things on hand. The Spring of Life was pure life energy. Then there were the Blood Orchid and divine blood, both of which fit perfectly with his goals.

Of these, divine blood was the most valuable. If used well, it could lead to a complete transformation for Ethan.

Right now, he had two options. The first was to turn everything into a one-time-use potion. After taking it, his body would be enhanced many times over. Even if he couldn't reach Diana's current level, he could become something close to a demigod.

He wouldn't say he'd become invincible, but beating someone on Captain America's level wouldn't be hard.

The second option—and the one he was leaning toward—was to use the ingredients frequently and over time. This wouldn't bring immediate dramatic changes, but it would yield long-term benefits.

Ethan made his decision almost without hesitation: he chose the second option.

"Why? Because there's too little divine blood?"

"No. Because I want a broader future."

The first plan didn't even require Alexander or Michael's blood. With other ingredients, he could already make a potion that significantly improved his body. But that came with a ceiling.

Even if he used divine blood as the base, the most he could hope for was a body stronger than Captain America's. And while the divine blood might grant some latent potential, it still wouldn't allow him to surpass the demigod level.

To continue improving after that? He'd have to abandon his current body, undergo extreme transformations, or find a substance more powerful than divine blood to craft a new potion.

With the second option, there wouldn't be a massive immediate boost. The potion would gradually improve his physical condition, but its real effect was to remove his body's limitations—to lift the ceiling on his potential.

The downside was slow progress. But the upside was clear: there would be no upper limit. As long as Ethan kept pushing himself, he could grow endlessly—perhaps even surpass Diana one day.

There was one more crucial reason Ethan chose the second option: if he used divine blood for direct enhancement, he couldn't guarantee what effects it might have on his spiritual power. Sure, it might boost it. But it might also permanently shape or alter it. And that was unacceptable to Ethan.

With the second option, he could ensure his spiritual power remained untouched—his greatest asset would remain intact.

The first option offered huge benefits, but carried serious risks. The second offered plenty of benefits too—but with far fewer risks. Knowing himself, Ethan didn't even have to think twice. He would always pick the second option.

"This way, even if my potion fails, I'll still have control over my future."

(To be continued.)

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Chapter 222: Unparalleled Heroes
After confirming the plan, Ethan immediately began preparing the potion. The primary ingredients were Alexander Corvinus's blood, Ares's divine blood, and the Blood Orchid he had brought back earlier.

These three formed the main components, supplemented by a variety of auxiliary materials. He had used quite a few ingredients already, and of course, it was impossible to concoct the potion in one go.

Ethan's concept was solid, and he already had a relatively complete formula in mind, but theoretical planning and actual execution were two different things. No matter how well he planned, many problems arose in practice.

The only fortunate thing was that failure in preparation didn't completely ruin the materials, and Ethan only used very small doses each time. So although there had been several failures, it didn't make him too discouraged.

"Don't worry. Since you already have a direction, you'll succeed eventually if you keep at it."

The sunlight had already begun pouring in through the window. The night had passed quickly, and Ethan's lab bench was a mess. His seventeenth attempt had ended in failure.

"It seems I was too optimistic before."

He should be glad that he hadn't rushed from the beginning, recklessly combining the Blood Orchid and divine blood. The outcome might have been worse than now.

After over a dozen failures, he had discovered that Corvinus's blood made an excellent carrier, while Michael's blood, different from that of his ancestor, served as a perfect bonding agent, allowing completely different materials to fuse together.

If he hadn't collected these two types of blood as the base, he would have had no material capable of withstanding divine blood and would've been forced to use the divine blood crudely and directly.

Furthermore, divine blood's effect was extremely violent. If Ethan wanted to fully harness the energy within it, he had to take it slow. Rushing would only put him in a worse predicament.

"I should be glad these failed attempts brought me back to a calm mindset."

If he had succeeded on the first try, he couldn't guarantee he wouldn't get carried away and gamble recklessly. After all, many people have that mentality—"What if I take the risk and it turns out great?"

"It's already dawn. Should we put the experiment on hold for now?"

"You're right. There are other issues that need resolving."

One of his agreements with Odin was to stabilize the unpredictable factor—Loki. Even if he couldn't completely stabilize him, he at least had to keep him under control.

At the same time, Selene, as an unplanned traveler, needed to be dealt with. Whether she stayed or not, the issue needed addressing.

"Speaking of Selene…"

Ethan drew a test tube of Alexander Corvinus's blood, stored all the ingredients in a specially crafted box, and left the workshop.

"Oh, right."

Before heading to the deck, Ethan handed Diana the test tube containing Corvinus's blood. "Take this to Selene's room. Have her drink it."

"Drink it?"

"Selene is a vampire and can't be exposed to sunlight. This blood will allow her to walk in the sun." Ethan had thought it through. Whether Selene stayed or not, she would have to live on the ship for a while. On a ship sailing across the sea, it was too troublesome to avoid the sun completely. Helping her solve this problem now would earn her gratitude and cost him little.

Only then did Diana realize Selene was actually a vampire. Although she had many questions, she wasn't in a rush to ask and simply handed the test tube to Selene.

Ethan had no habit of eavesdropping. He headed straight to the deck and saw Loki already standing by the ship's edge, staring off into the distance. Logan was at the helm, steering the Goddess of Dawn to maintain pace and direction with the two ships ahead.

"You're up early. Can't sleep well in a new world?"

Loki still wore his usual attire, hands clasped behind his back and chest out, gazing at the world before him. Only when Ethan came up beside him and greeted him did he turn and glance over.

"It's an interesting place."

"Oh?"

"Didn't you notice?" Loki nodded toward the distance. "This isn't a planet."

Ethan truly hadn't realized it. If Loki hadn't said anything, it might have taken him a long time to figure it out. "How can you tell?"

"Because Asgard isn't a planet either."

Loki didn't elaborate on how it was similar to Asgard or how it differed from a planet. He just seemed intrigued by this world.

"Something like Asgard?"

Ethan didn't think too deeply about it. He knew if he didn't understand now, it simply meant his level wasn't high enough. Since he was still stuck on the sea, it wasn't worth worrying about this world's secrets yet.

When he grew strong enough to challenge the limits of the world, it wouldn't be too late to ponder those things.

"Have you considered what I said yesterday?"

"It's tempting. Prove it to me."

Loki still hadn't stated his stance, but this response was better than Ethan expected. At least he wasn't mocking Ethan, calling him a weak human mage.

The lack of direct rejection showed Loki was seriously considering it, leaving room for flexibility.

Ethan wasn't surprised. This was Loki. He would never speak or act absolutely. As long as he had room to maneuver, he'd always leave himself a way out. Even if things turned for the worst, he'd have a retreat ready.

Still, Ethan wanted to leave a deep impression, so he painted a vivid picture for Loki.

"Imagine this: some time from now, your father Odin passes away from old age. Thanos leads his army to attack Asgard, now without its protector. The realm plunges into crisis. Even your brother Thor is barely holding on, seconds away from death at Thanos's hand."

"And then, you—Loki! Son of Odin! God of Mischief! Heir of Jotunheim! Descend from the sky clad in golden armor, surrounded by rainbow light! You strike down Thanos with overwhelming power, save your brother Thor, protect all of Asgard, and become a peerless hero in the eyes of every Asgardian—including Thor. Don't you want to see that happen?"

Loki kept a calm expression, as though none of it affected him. But his eyes betrayed him. Since coming aboard the Goddess of Dawn, Ethan had never seen such a fanatical look in Loki's eyes.

"As expected, Loki's greatest weakness is always wanting to outshine Thor."

He noticed Loki take several slow, deep breaths before responding in a relatively calm tone.

"Golden armor? I don't think I need something that gaudy."

Ethan was about to say it didn't matter, but suddenly remembered something. He gave a mysterious smile instead. "No, you'll need it."

Loki looked at Ethan's expression and immediately understood.

The armor Ethan mentioned definitely wasn't ordinary. It was likely a treasure that could greatly boost a god's power.

He understood Ethan was trying to show that staying and working with him wouldn't just make him stronger. He'd also gain access to powerful relics—treasures far more valuable than Thor's hammer.

He already knew the essence of Mjolnir was just a hammer. Thor's power over storms and lightning came from within himself. Once he realized that, Loki lost interest in Mjolnir.

Now he was genuinely curious to see what kind of golden armor Ethan was talking about and wanted to experience its magic for himself.

"Maybe I'll look forward to it."

Loki's response satisfied Ethan. At least it meant there wouldn't be trouble anytime soon. As long as Ethan kept giving him "hope," the two of them could make great partners. Ethan would provide opportunities and treasures to strengthen him, while Loki would help with his own power.

"You'll be glad you made the right choice."

Loki responded with an unreadable smile, then ignored Ethan and continued gazing into the distance.

"That scene you described... I look forward to seeing it come true."

Ethan turned to greet Logan, but then noticed Diana standing behind him. From what she said, it seemed she had come out a while ago.

"You want someone that powerful to save you or Paradise Island?"

That seemed unlikely. Maybe if he wore blue tights and a red cape? But Diana quickly corrected his thinking.

"No. What I meant was that when you're in trouble, I'll descend in golden armor under rainbow light to save you."

"…"

Right. She was an independent, powerful woman. The fantasy of being rescued by a peerless hero would never apply to her. She was a peerless hero herself. But Ethan didn't want to be the one needing rescuing.

"I work this hard so that scene never becomes reality."

(To be continued.)