DOTM: Chapter 179/180

Chapter 179: The Fruit of Life?

"What did you see?"

Logan was also wearing glasses, so he could see the footage transmitted by the probe. Only Cleo didn't know what was going on, but his intelligence was clearly above average, and he quickly realized they had discovered something under the spring.

So, he had been observing the others closely and asked once he saw Ethan's look of surprise.

"It's hard to describe. I'm not sure what this thing is."

It appeared to be a massive plant, but it vaguely resembled a human figure. Ethan couldn't tell whether that impression came from the viewing angle or if his mind was simply making associations. To confirm anything, he'd have to see it with his own eyes.

"I'm going in. Do you want to wait here?"

"No, I'm coming with you."

Logan wouldn't stay behind, and with his abilities, he wasn't afraid of any danger below. Ethan's question had really been directed at Cleo. But the captain of the Eternal was not someone who would stay behind either, and he immediately expressed his desire to go down with them.

"The probe is actually quite fast, but it still took half an hour to reach the bottom. I have a way to speed up our descent, but it still won't take less than thirty minutes... Can you handle the breathing issue?"

Ethan's meaning was clear. He could provide the speed, but whether they could breathe underwater was up to them. He could cast underwater breathing on Cleo, but didn't offer it directly. This was a test to see whether Cleo, or an adventurer at his level, had the means to survive underwater.

As expected, Cleo said it wouldn't be a problem. He could handle such a small matter himself.

The three exchanged looks. Ethan sent a quick message to Diana through his glasses. In fact, his glasses had been in "voice mode" the entire time, so Diana had heard everything. She already knew Ethan was planning to dive into an underground cavern and that communication might be lost. The message was simply to keep her from worrying.

"If I don't hear anything within an hour, I'll come find you."

"Alright."

After setting the rescue window with Diana and finalizing preparations with Logan and Cleo, Ethan jumped into the spring first.

The spring wasn't very wide. The three of them had to jump in one by one with a bit of spacing between them. Ethan, who went first, didn't rush to activate his descent spell. Instead, he sank slowly, trying to sense whether there was anything unusual about the water.

"The temperature isn't high, but it's not uncomfortable. Oxygen levels are extremely high…"

Ethan had already activated underwater breathing. The spell had limits, if the water's oxygen content was too low, it would still leave a person short of breath. The essence of the spell was to isolate water molecules and extract the oxygen within them for breathing. In this spring, the oxygen content was so high that, in theory, someone could breathe without magic if they didn't mind choking on water.

"They say some people with great lung capacity can breathe underwater longer than normal. In this environment, someone like that might be able to stay underwater indefinitely."

It was all speculation. Ethan had never seen someone like that himself, and he wasn't interested in testing the theory.

As he slowly sank, he received signals confirming that Cleo and Logan had entered the water after him. Once Logan sent his signal through the glasses, Ethan used his water element control to lock onto both of them and then accelerated their descent.

If they just sank at a natural rate, it would take too long to reach the cave. Ethan had to speed things up with magic.

But it wasn't comfortable. Imagine being shoved down one of those giant water park slides. Now imagine sliding faster than the steepest section. That was what diving with Ethan's magic felt like. Cleo and Logan even started to wonder if they'd been tossed into an industrial washing machine.

It wasn't a fun trip. Even Ethan wasn't exactly comfortable. The tight space and rapid descent were suffocating. When he saw light below, Ethan sped up even more and burst out of the spring water.

As he experienced free fall, Ethan glanced up. The spring water was held in place by some invisible film, perfectly suspended inside the stone ceiling. It looked just like the spring they had entered from above.

"Feather Fall!"

Ethan's body was just that of an ordinary human. As he surveyed the scene, he didn't forget to cast a spell to prevent a deadly fall. The cave was much taller than he had expected. Jumping straight down from that height would be like diving off a ten-story building. Without any assistance, he'd end up as a smear on the floor.

Feather Fall was a simple spell, meant for precisely this kind of high-altitude fall. It wasn't difficult to cast and didn't use much magic. Naturally, Ethan had no trouble with it. The only inconvenience was that the spell required material components. Ethan kept feathers stored in his space ring, all collected from Paradise Island.

Floating down gently like a feather, Ethan was still airborne when water splashed behind him. Cleo and Logan had fallen through the spring after him. The two feathers in Ethan's hand transformed into white streaks of light, shooting toward his descending companions.

The moment the light struck them, both of them floated just like Ethan and began descending slowly.

Logan already knew Ethan was a magician. He'd never seen this specific trick before, but he wasn't surprised. The magician he knew always pulled out moves like this.

Cleo, on the other hand, was surprised. At first, he panicked, thinking he was being attacked. Then he realized Ethan had helped prevent him from crashing to the ground. He didn't ask what ability Ethan had used.

Adventurers in this sea were cautious. No one would casually reveal their abilities to someone who might be a future competitor. Even if Cleo didn't harbor any ill intentions, Ethan, with any amount of caution, wouldn't be foolish enough to drop his guard.

If the situation were reversed, Cleo would do the same. The fact that Ethan had helped him earlier had already shown that his moral standards exceeded those of most adventurers in this world.

The three of them drifted slowly before finally touching the ground. The Feather Fall spell ended upon landing, ensuring they didn't continue floating and mess up their footing during any future movement.

Ethan, who had cast the spell himself, still didn't fully understand the theory behind it. He used it mechanically, following the instructions in his book. Maybe one day, after deeper study, he could cast it without needing actual feathers.

Setting that aside, Ethan walked a few steps and picked up the probe that had landed nearby. A quick check showed that it wasn't damaged. This tool, built by Tony Stark, was very durable. He turned it off and stored it away before looking up at the strange plant in the distance.

"What the hell is that?"

Since arriving in this world, most things Logan had seen were still within the range of his understanding. He even sometimes felt like he was still on Earth, and only the sudden weather shifts reminded him that this wasn't the same place.

Now, though, he finally felt like he was in another world. The object in front of him looked like a giant plant. Countless vines extended from it to the top of the cave, covering the entire ceiling. These vines emitted a warm, comforting glow that lit up the cave like daylight. They were the source of light down here.

"Maybe a plant?"

This thing contained an incredible amount of vitality. Ethan looked up at the vines stretching across the ceiling and suddenly had a theory.

"Maybe... all the grass on the island is part of this thing."

Cleo remained silent. He frowned at the plant, deep in thought. After observing it for a long while, he still didn't speak.

"Maybe I know what it is. But it's not exactly the same as what I've heard about. I'm not sure if it's that thing or not."

"What is it?"

"The Fruit of Life."

Ethan blinked, then pointed at the massive object that would take at least a dozen people linking hands to encircle.

"You're saying this thing is called the Fruit of Life? Are you sure it's not the Tree of Life?"

Cleo shook his head. "That's why I'm not certain. The Fruit of Life I've heard about is a small plant. The main part is the fruit, and it's only about the size of a fist."

"Then why do you think this is the Fruit of Life?"

With such a huge difference, why would Cleo think they were the same thing? Ethan didn't believe Cleo was just guessing. There had to be a reason.

"Because the Fruit of Life is said to look like a person holding a giant fruit."

Ethan turned to look at the plant again. Its shape really did resemble a person cradling a large object—a giant sphere, with all the vines extending upward from it.

"So, this is a Fruit of Life... scaled up a thousand times?"

(To be continued.)

Chapter 180: Life

Cleo continued to stare at the massive plant in the distance as he explained the Fruit of Life he knew about.

Only then did Ethan understand that the so-called Fruit of Life resembled a small human holding a fruit, and the human-like figure beneath it was only vaguely outlined, giving the appearance of a person.

But the humanoid figure before them was already very distinct. Anyone looking at it would immediately recognize it as a plant and would describe it as a "human-shaped plant." It had a defined head and torso, but its legs appeared fused together, more like roots anchored to the ground.

"I don't know if it's just an illusion..."

After quietly observing for a while, Ethan began to feel like something was watching him.

"That thing... it feels like it's looking at us?"

Logan and Cleo stared at it for a long time but didn't notice any reaction from the strange plant. Still, they couldn't ignore Ethan's instincts and stayed cautious, continuing to watch the distant figure.

"What do we do now?"

They had come to explore the island and uncover its secrets. Now that they had found what was clearly its core, this plant, what should they do next?

"Let's figure out what this thing is."

After observing for a while and confirming that nothing strange was happening, Ethan noticed that the sensory interference and energy disturbances he had experienced on the surface had vanished. The amulet's energy had also stopped depleting. This discovery allowed him to quietly observe the situation rather than rushing up to the plant.

Remaining vigilant, they approached. Ethan didn't believe he could let down his guard just because the strange interference was gone. It could just mean a more terrifying threat lay ahead.

Even if this was the Fruit of Life that Cleo had mentioned, so what? For it to grow so massive, it either had unknown abilities or had undergone some strange mutation. Either possibility meant danger, so caution was necessary.

Thanks to their caution, they avoided the first surprise attack.

"Jump back!"

Time was tight, and there was no time to explain where the danger was coming from. Ethan simply shouted the solution.

The three, including Cleo, leapt backward the moment they heard Ethan's command. Almost at the same instant, several sharp vines burst from the ground, stabbing upward and narrowly missing them.

"Keep moving!"

After landing, they didn't stop. Following Ethan's instructions, they continued retreating and avoided another attack.

"To the right!"

Normally, people would instinctively dodge backward, but this time Ethan shouted for them to go right. Fortunately, the group reacted quickly. No one was injured by the sudden change in the vines' attack pattern.

They watched as the thick vines that had burst from the ground didn't continue forward but instead curved in an arc like a bridge, then plunged back into the soil. Cleo felt cold sweat on his forehead. These attacks revealed intelligence. The first two seemed like distractions, just to set up the third for a finishing blow.

"This thing... it's intelligent?"

It wasn't just Cleo who noticed. Logan, with his combat experience, had picked up on it as well. But Ethan didn't answer. He was fully focused on sensing the energy fluctuations to predict the next attack.

However, after waiting for a moment, he discovered that the strongest energy fluctuation was coming from the plant itself.

"It seems it realized that tactic didn't work on us and is preparing something stronger."

The moment Ethan thought this, the plant that resembled a human opened its eyes. Its green pupils gleamed with awareness, clearly indicating it was a sentient being.

"Humans. You are witnessing life."

Ethan noted that the voice didn't come from the plant's mouth like a human's would. Instead, the words appeared directly in their minds. It had used mental power to create a spiritual link and broadcast its thoughts.

This wasn't a good sign. It meant this being possessed extremely strong mental abilities. Considering the prior mental disturbances on the island, bringing others along to face this thing may have been a mistake.

Ethan immediately took out all the remaining amulets and handed them to Logan and Cleo. He wanted to ensure his teammates wouldn't suddenly turn on him mid-battle.

As for himself? Even without an amulet, he had other means of defending against mental attacks. They just weren't as convenient.

He opened the Book of Inheritance. Now that he had his own magic power, forming a magic circle had become much faster. He quickly constructed a defensive circle and applied it to himself.

Logan and Cleo watched as Ethan held up a heavy book. The pages flipped open, displaying complex symbols that formed a beautiful and intricate blue disc of energy. The disc expanded, rising above Ethan's head before slowly descending.

As it did, a ring of glowing glyphs appeared around Ethan's head. The characters connected to form a luminous band of light, rotating gently above his forehead.

The glowing circle didn't vanish but continued to fall, stopping around Ethan's waist. It expanded outward, forming another glowing band filled with mystical runes. The two rings rotated in opposite directions, one clockwise, the other counterclockwise.

"Nice trick," Logan commented. He could tell it was some form of defensive magic. Given the situation, he figured it was designed to block mental intrusion.

That was good news for all of them. As long as Ethan could protect himself, even if they were mentally compromised, he could still find a way to get them out of danger.

After reinforcing his defenses, Ethan didn't put away the Book of Inheritance. Instead, he began constructing a new, more complex magic circle. This spell required significantly more magic. He usually avoided using his full power, but as he cast the spell, magical light flared from his wrists and ankles.

"Ready?"

Ethan closed the Book of Inheritance and nodded. He was prepared to fight. He kept the book in his left hand and pulled out his staff with his right. The gem at the top glowed brightly, a sign that its energy had been fully activated. At any moment, Ethan could launch a powerful energy attack.

"Sorry to keep you waiting."

Physically, Ethan wasn't strong. But he never forgot that his greatest strength didn't lie in his body. With magic, many of his weaknesses could be covered or even turned into advantages.

"What now?"

"Let's try talking first?"

The creature had launched an attack without warning, but it was now communicating. Ethan didn't think talking would resolve things, but he was curious. He wanted to know what this being was and if it would give him any answers.

"What exactly are you?"

The plant-like entity responded, though its answer was cryptic.

"I am life."

Life?

Logan and Cleo looked at each other, clearly confused. Only Ethan had a vague suspicion. He believed this thing might be an evolved or mutated form of the Fruit of Life, perhaps influenced by some unknown factor.

Perhaps his intense mental activity had drawn attention. The creature known as Life glanced at Ethan, and in the next instant, Ethan felt an energy trying to invade his mind. It was blocked by his defensive spell. The glowing ring on his forehead spun faster for a moment, then returned to normal.

After its failed attempt, Life showed no anger. Instead, its next words made all three tense up again.

"Humans. As a reward for reaching this place, you will become true life."

As the words echoed in their minds, plants began to sprout from the cave floor at incredible speed. Most of them bloomed in seconds.

What had once been a barren cave was now a vibrant garden. The air filled with the thick fragrance of flowers and herbs.

"Fake! That scent is poisonous!"

Ethan was wearing his magic suit, and the hood itself had a partial filtering effect. Cleo was in a similar state. Ethan noticed a faint ripple of energy around Cleo's face as the toxic fragrance hit. His armor's protection seemed comprehensive. The unprotected-looking head was actually shielded by an energy layer. That probably explained how he had been able to breathe underwater earlier.

Only Logan, who wasn't wearing anything special and had relied on Ethan's underwater breathing spell, suffered from it.

His self-healing factor constantly fought off the toxin-laced floral scent. Though clearly uncomfortable, he didn't fall. And being poisoned outright? That was never going to be easy for Wolverine.

This so-called "Life" had unleashed a powerful move, only to find that all three remained standing. Logan coughed a few times, which gave it a little dignity.

Even that mild reaction disappeared after he drank a small potion.

(To be continued.)