DOTM: Chapter 173/174

Chapter 173

The explosion that soared into the sky marked the end of the final objective. Ethan glanced at the people around him. Steve and his team were visibly excited, overjoyed at having completed such a daunting mission. At the same time, this explosion in the game symbolized the complete loss of any chance for a German counterattack. In the current situation, the war had essentially come to an end.

Diana, who had defeated Ares, had finally fulfilled her greatest wish. Of course, she knew that it wasn't entirely due to her own power that she had been able to defeat the God of War so easily. A major reason was Ethan's involvement. Without Ethan's guidance, she might have taken many detours and would never have reached her current level of strength. In that case, defeating Ares wouldn't have been so simple—or even possible. She might have been the one to fall to Ares in the end.

"It's all over."

"Yeah."

No one paid attention to the surviving German soldiers. Unlike the British soldiers who had been locked in fierce combat with the Germans for years, Ethan and the others held no deep grudges against these ordinary troops. Now that the war was essentially over, there was no need to slaughter them.

"So, what's your plan next?"

"I'm going back to deal with some trouble."

Having seen Ares beaten like a dog with his own eyes, Ethan felt it was all worth it, the effort he'd put into guiding Diana hadn't been in vain. There was no longer anything in this world that warranted his attention. Perhaps decades or even close to a hundred years from now, when Batman and Superman finally appear, he might feel the urge to watch the drama unfold.

As he became more synchronized with this world, its time flow gradually aligned with his own. But how long would it actually take to reach that era a hundred years later? If he wasn't careful, he might not live to see that day. So, for now, he wasn't concerned about Batman or Superman, and his plan to extract Superman's blood for research had also been pushed to a lower priority.

They would meet again eventually.

For now, the most pressing issue was the island covered in grasslands. With the amulet in hand, he wanted to explore the island carefully to see if anything strange was hidden there.

"Do you need help?"

Diana currently had no particular goals. She had originally intended to return to London with Steve and the others to live a while among ordinary people. But now she realized that there were still many things she didn't understand. Despite having read many books and learning a lot from Ethan, she still felt like there was much she hadn't grasped.

Hearing that Ethan had some trouble to deal with, she felt she should lend a hand first. She was also very curious about what Ethan usually did.

"Not needed for now."

Ethan didn't think the issue was serious enough to require Diana's help. In fact, now that he had the amulet, he no longer believed the grassland could pose any real threat to him.

"The amulet I made earlier was for resolving minor disturbances. Right now, I just need to explore an island and see what's on it."

After briefly explaining the situation on the island, Diana became even more curious about Ethan's world.

"Sounds interesting. I'd like to see it too."

Ethan looked at Diana. Seeing that she was genuinely interested, he nodded. There was no reason to hide his world from her. With Diana's strength, she wouldn't be in any danger. Besides, since she wasn't planning to return to Paradise Island anytime soon, she could tag along for a bit of sightseeing.

In that case, there was no need for them to return to London with Steve. Laura and Logan had been with them all along, and they had all the necessary gear. They could leave directly.

So, after returning to the small town they had previously rescued and resting for the night, Ethan prepared to say goodbye to Steve and the others.

"Wait, maybe we should take a group photo as a keepsake."

Samir was especially eager to take a picture with Ethan. In his mind, this man who claimed to be a magician was likely a messenger of the gods. Taking a photo with such an entity would make his life feel complete, maybe even ensure he'd see Ethan again in the afterlife?

Ethan's expression turned slightly strange upon hearing about the commemorative photo.

He had thought that his interference had altered the plot enough for that iconic photo to never exist. But now, after everything, they were still going to take it? What was even more absurd was that he would now be included in the photo. He couldn't help but wonder if Bruce Wayne would pull it out in the future and ask him, "Who are you?"

Watching Samir excitedly run around to find a camera and someone to take the picture, Ethan didn't refuse. He actually found it amusing and was curious how Batman would interpret his presence in the photo later on.

As for Logan and Laura, they were just doing it for fun.

After the group photo, it was time to part ways. In truth, Ethan didn't have a deep bond with these people. They could only be considered temporary companions. Even though they had participated in a few missions together, they'd barely interacted. Only Diana had talked with them more, so it was mainly her saying goodbye.

"I'll come find you later."

Unlike Ethan, Diana would definitely return here again. She just didn't know if she would see these people the next time.

"Let's go!"

Standing together in a remote area outside town, Steve and the others had come to see them off. But they were puzzled why Ethan had brought everyone to such an isolated spot. When they saw the radiant magic circle light up beneath their feet, they realized that Ethan's idea of "leaving" was completely different from what they'd imagined.

After the flash of light, the group vanished. Charlie made the sign of the cross on his chest and turned to his stunned companions. "Do you think the next time we see them, it'll be in heaven?"

Ethan didn't know, and didn't care, whether these people would end up in heaven or hell in the future. After returning to the Goddess of Dawn, he quickly realized the most troublesome part was fielding Diana's endless questions. The barrage was enough to make his scalp go numb.

"So, you've been living on a ship this whole time?"

"Yeah."

"This world is entirely ocean?"

"Pretty much."

"And the trouble you mentioned is that island? It just looks like grass."

"That island has a strange power that interferes with perception, causing hallucinations without people realizing it. So... Diana, don't go flying over casually."

Watching Diana fall back onto the deck, Ethan let out a long sigh of relief. Then he explained everything she needed to know and gave her a learning tool so she could quickly master the language of this world.

"My language-learning ability is really fast. I don't need this."

"I know you know many languages, but we can't afford to learn from scratch. This tool just uploads the language knowledge into your brain. Whether you master it quickly still depends on you."

After playing around for a bit, Diana chose the fastest transmission method.

One had to admit, Diana's talent was truly impressive, enough to make anyone jealous. She absorbed the entire language knowledge stored in the tool almost instantly, far faster than Ethan had anticipated. After a brief conversation practice with him, she could already speak the language fluently, like a native.

"See? I told you I learn fast."

"I know you're amazing."

From that moment on, Diana's curiosity didn't give her a moment's rest. When she had been searching for Ares, she had come across as a mature woman. But now, she seemed more like a young girl. Laura had apparently found a playmate her age and took Diana by the hand, exploring even the most inconspicuous corners of the Goddess of Dawn.

"What a fun boat."

It wasn't just a sailboat. The Goddess of Dawn was equipped with several devices crafted with magic stone technology, like a water supply system and a temperature-controlled refrigerator. While such things weren't unheard of in her world, Diana had never had a chance to experience them.

Their first day back in this world passed with Diana learning and familiarizing herself with the environment. Thankfully, with energetic Laura accompanying her, Ethan got to laze around on the deck with Logan, soaking up the sun and chatting about what came next.

"Are you going to explore the island next?"

"Of course. I want to know whether the source of that power is a magic stone or something else." If it turned out to be a magic stone, that would mean a huge gain for Ethan—money that could be used to upgrade or even build a new ship.

"What if there's nothing?"

That was a real possibility. Maybe there really wasn't anything there. Or worse, maybe he just wouldn't be able to find what he was looking for. That would be awkward, a waste of time and resources. He might have to consider turning back.

"Isn't that what life in this world is like? You can't guarantee a reward from every expedition, but that's no reason to give up any opportunity."

"That's true."

Logan reached for a cigar, only to realize that the stash he'd stocked up on in London had already run out. Since he hadn't expected to return so soon, he hadn't bought much.

"Shit, we should've made another trip to London first. If I'd known, I would've stocked up more."

Ethan smiled and tried to console the disappointed Logan. "Next time we visit a world with cigars, I'll make you a special storage item just for them."

"You better."

Just then, Ethan noticed a ship appear on the distant horizon. It was clearly headed toward the island nearby.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 174

"Adventurer?"

Logan and Ethan stood together on the poop deck. Without climbing the mast, the poop deck was generally the highest point on a sailboat and offered the widest view—this was why the console and steering wheel were located there.

"Of course."

Ethan was holding a high-powered telescope, which allowed him to better observe the situation. But even with a specialized high-powered telescope, he still couldn't see clearly at such a distance. All he could tell was that the other party was using a sailboat of similar tonnage and structure. For more details, they'd have to wait until the ship got closer.

"In this world, what's the relationship like between people who are also sailing adventurers...?"

Logan was a little curious. Most of what he had learned from Ethan so far had been about the environment of this world, followed by how to operate and sail a sailboat. Until now, he hadn't seen any other adventurers and didn't know how they usually interacted.

"Generally, it doesn't matter much. But if two parties discover the same island at the same time, they become competitors."

Ethan continued watching through the telescope. At this moment, the sun's angle was just right, and the other ship was approaching. He could see flashes of reflected light, which meant someone aboard the other ship was also using a telescope to observe them.

"The flash is coming from the top of the sail, someone is looking from the top of the mast. It's likely they spotted us a while ago."

Adventurers in this sea were highly wary of each other. If they noticed another adventurer and still approached without hesitation, they were either desperate, perhaps running low on supplies and having no choice—or confident in their own strength, certain they could handle any competition.

Logan listened as Ethan explained and formed a clear idea. Most of the time, adventurers in this world competed against one another. Even if the resources on an island were enough for two or more teams, everyone still wanted to monopolize the gains, even if they couldn't carry everything away.

"So, even in another world, humans are still the same."

"That's right."

"Until a consensus is reached, treat them as enemies. And even after one is reached, you still have to maintain a considerable degree of vigilance."

Ethan put down the telescope and stood on the poop deck, looking into the distance. He didn't adopt a battle stance, but Logan knew Ethan was already prepared. From where he stood, Ethan could activate the Goddess of Dawn at any moment.

No matter what, he couldn't allow the Goddess of Dawn to remain stationary, passively hoping the other side had no hostile intent. If they continued to approach in a straight line, Ethan would have to start the ship, whether it was a sailboat or a warship, a motionless vessel was just a floating coffin.

"Has the other side slowed down?"

Ethan raised the telescope again and saw that the other ship was adjusting its sails and slightly altering course. They were no longer heading straight in, which might have been a sign of goodwill?

Even so, Ethan didn't lower his guard. He had already positioned himself in front of the console, and Logan had rushed to the deck to retract the springboard that had been set up.

Now Ethan only needed to use the console to raise the anchor and hoist the sails, and the Goddess of Dawn could instantly switch from stationary to moving. The current wind direction was also favorable, he could quickly accelerate and avoid a disadvantageous position in combat.

"They're gradually slowing down."

Ethan kept a close watch on every movement. As the two sides drew closer, he could now see several people standing on the other ship's bow through the telescope—they were also observing them.

"It doesn't look like the worst-case scenario."

The worst case would be an immediate attack, no words exchanged, just a direct assault. That kind of situation would only end when one side was completely eliminated.

The current behavior meant the other party wasn't looking to initiate conflict. Whether they were trying to intimidate or had other intentions, at the very least, they weren't choosing to resolve the encounter with force.

"This means they're not confident they can win, so their combat strength... is probably comparable to ours."

In a naval conflict, a ship's combat capabilities were the first priority. From appearances, the opposing ship was on equal footing.

With similar displacement and no cannons mounted on the upper deck, both ships seemed evenly matched—neither held a definitive advantage in a fight.

"Could it be that our side looks too undermanned, making them think we're easy to handle?"

That possibility couldn't be ignored. When two ships looked evenly matched and actual strength was uncertain, manpower became another factor in assessing combat ability. Ethan didn't have many people on board. In some places, that might make him look like an easy target, but on a route like this one—called the Suicide Route...

"It might actually make them wary?"

"Exactly."

Ethan observed as the other ship continued to slow down. As they got even closer, he could clearly see the people on the opposite deck through the telescope. He noticed the captain appeared to be a young man.

Around twenty-eight years old, a little older than Ethan. Most of the crew were also young, except for a middle-aged man in his forties standing beside the captain. The two seemed to be discussing something.

When the young man noticed Ethan watching him, he actually greeted Ethan politely.

"Uh... maybe they don't have hostile intent?"

Logan had also seen the gesture, which seemed to be a sign of goodwill. While he wouldn't naively assume they were friends, polite people were always easier to get along with.

Ethan responded politely as well, and reminded them through gestures that they needed to continue slowing down if they wanted to approach—otherwise, they would be treated as hostile.

This was a simple and commonly recognized sign language used by sailors. All adventurers in this sea region understood it. Ethan had learned it from Philip, and this was the first time he had officially used it.

As soon as Ethan signaled, the other party immediately began slowing down. Although the ship was still moving, it was crawling across the water like a turtle. If they tried to attack now, they'd be completely vulnerable to artillery fire from the Goddess of Dawn.

If they wanted a mutual-destruction battle, sure, they could open fire but no one would willingly give up their speed and initiative just to get close to the enemy. So at this point, it was basically confirmed they didn't want an armed conflict.

Because the other party showed goodwill, Ethan directly shouted a warning when their ship got close enough.

"This is Ethan of the Goddess of Dawn. I'd like to remind our new friends that this island possesses a strange power that interferes with perception, causing people to fall into illusions without realizing it, so don't board it casually."

Ethan could see that some people on the opposite ship were confused by his warning. Some didn't seem to believe it, but the young man—presumably the captain—still gestured a polite thank-you to Ethan. Under his command, the ship resumed standard operations and slightly adjusted course to approach the Goddess of Dawn.

"We're docking next to your ship. Please don't misunderstand our actions."

As the distance between them shrank, they could now communicate by shouting. The young captain called out directly, then began guiding his ship to dock just outside the Goddess of Dawn, stopping alongside it.

"Their handling is really good."

The two ships were docked very close together, and since they were the same size, they could cross back and forth with just a springboard. Yet during docking, the other ship didn't touch the Goddess of Dawn at all.

Given the ages of the crew and their captain, mostly in their twenties, it probably wasn't experience that gave them this precision. This had to be a team of talented adventurers.

And being able to gather such skilled sailors meant the captain himself was not ordinary. He was worth paying attention to.

Ethan had already walked to the deck ahead of time, quietly waiting for the young captain to board his ship.

"Welcome aboard the Goddess of Dawn. I'm Captain Ethan, and this is First Mate Logan."

Logan didn't particularly care for the title of first mate, but there was no point arguing with Ethan at this moment. So he accepted it and greeted the young man.

"Hello, Captain Ethan of the Goddess of Dawn. I'm Cleo, captain of the Eternal, and this is my first mate, Bob." Cleo had a very pleasant demeanor and a sunny smile. He reminded Ethan of Arthur. At a glance, the two looked quite similar, but Ethan could sense that Cleo and Arthur had very different personalities.

As Ethan's spiritual power improved, he noticed he wasn't just improving in magic. Sometimes, he could pick up on someone's aura or presence with just a simple feeling.

This wasn't a magician's ability. Even ordinary people feel uncomfortable around a bloodthirsty murderer, or relaxed around kind, respectable older people. Ethan's situation was just a heightened version of that perception.

However, this sense could only be used as a reference, it couldn't determine whether someone was friend or foe. The specifics would have to be figured out through further contact.

For now, they had enough time to get to know each other.

(To be continued.)