DOTM: Chapter 157/158

Chapter 157

Logan and Laura, now dressed in warmer clothes, stepped out of the cabin and were greeted by falling snow. Logan was stunned for a moment, looking around to make sure it wasn't just his imagination, then muttered a curse under his breath before walking over to stand beside Ethan.

Logan temporarily took over for Ethan, allowing him to go change into something thicker and warmer. After that, the two of them stood there together, cautiously navigating forward.

Sailing through heavy snow required careful speed control. Due to reduced visibility, they would need to find a suitable place to anchor if necessary. Fortunately, the wind wasn't too strong, and the sea was calm. The Goddess of Dawn glided across the water as if skating across a mirror.

"How long do you think the snow will last?"

Ethan looked up at the thickening dark clouds overhead. He didn't expect the snowfall to end anytime soon, and he couldn't see where the clouds ended. It was unrealistic to think they could quickly sail out of the snowy zone.

"It probably won't be short, and there's no chance of leaving this area for now."

Encountering such extreme weather for the first time, Ethan suddenly realized a flaw in the design of the Goddess of Dawn: how to maintain a stable internal temperature under extreme conditions?

"There are temperature control systems in the cargo hold, but not in the regular cabins… I really didn't consider this at first."

The pleasant climate of the Sea of Calm had made him completely overlook the issue. Even though he had previously spent time on a snowy, windy island in this region, he had treated that as an exception and hadn't paid much attention to it.

If sudden temperature changes like this were common along the route, then he definitely needed an internal temperature control system—otherwise, even someone with a strong constitution couldn't endure repeated exposure to extreme cold and heat. Let alone someone who was only a bit tougher than average.

He took out the Book of Inheritance and opened it to the page where he recorded his ship's upgrade requirements. He had already noted some remarks before, but this time he added a genuine new entry.

It wasn't that he lacked confidence in his memory, it was just that having a detailed and organized record was more convenient for future reference, and it would also help others understand his needs more clearly.

At the moment, there weren't many entries on the page, and the existing requirements were fairly broad, like: better seaworthiness; improved resistance to wind and waves which basically implied increased displacement; a sturdier hull; enhanced firepower; more sustainable energy; and ideally, a propulsion system not reliant on sails.

Ethan stood with the Book of Inheritance open. Logan, due to his height, could just tilt his head slightly and see the page but to him, it appeared completely blank.

"What is that?"

"Want to take a look?" Ethan activated the page with a thought, and the previously blank sheet immediately revealed a chart in Logan's eyes.

"Is this... your ship upgrade plan?"

The contents were straightforward. After skimming just a few lines, Logan understood what Ethan was doing. He thought it was a solid practice and realized that Ethan hadn't entered this route expecting to reach the final destination in one go. His main goal was to test whether the ship could handle the journey, and identify any weaknesses.

"So you're recording all the issues and requirements, and once you've gathered everything, you'll know exactly what kind of ship you need."

"Exactly."

"You're going to build a new ship." Logan glanced over the list, then looked down at the sailboat beneath their feet,the Goddess of Dawn and felt that, to meet Ethan's expectations, a new vessel was indeed necessary.

"Most likely, I'll have to build a new one."

Ethan was speechless. Now he was genuinely curious, just how many ships do adventurers end up replacing along this route before reaching the final destination? He couldn't believe anyone could build a powerful warship capable of adapting to the entire journey from the very beginning. Too many problems only reveal themselves when you're actually out at sea.

Even with all of Brent's suggestions, Ethan still ran into various small issues while sailing, like the insulation problem in the cabins. No one had reminded him about that, right?

"Judging by your standards, you probably need a battleship," Logan said, glancing at the listed requirements for stronger firepower and armor. Then, realizing his wording might be unclear, he quickly added, "I mean a modern battleship, tens of thousands of tons in displacement."

"I know. I'm not talking about a sailing warship."

Of course, Ethan had already considered this. Why else would he be thinking about getting Tony Stark involved in designing his next ship? With the technology that guy had at his disposal, it shouldn't be hard to build a proper warship, assuming Ethan offered enough money or dangled some fresh tech in front of him.

"Forget tens of thousands of tons for now, we don't have the time. A few thousand tons should be manageable."

A warship in the several-thousand-ton range might only count as a destroyer or frigate in the modern world, not exactly "powerful" but here, things were different. The largest ships in this world only displaced a few thousand tons. And with full-metal construction, even ordinary magic cannons might not be able to penetrate their alloy hulls.

"The problem is how to bring it back… and maintenance is going to be a huge issue too."

Just building a ship didn't mean you could use it forever. Even basic wooden sailing ships required tedious and ongoing maintenance to stay seaworthy over the long term.

According to his plans, Ethan didn't just need to build a new ship, he also had to solve a variety of logistical and maintenance problems. The easiest solution would be to recruit a skilled professional as a teammate, and equip the ship with some kind of "super advanced" maintenance facility. The ideal tool would be reliable, efficient, and not overly sensitive to environmental conditions.

He had thought of something, something from the Marvel world but unfortunately, it wasn't located on Earth, and he had no idea how to get it yet.

If he could get his hands on that tech and learn how to mass-produce it, many of his logistical headaches would disappear.

"Similar tech exists in other worlds, but I haven't come across it yet."

Aside from that, Ethan didn't want his ship to be just a ship. It would also serve as his home, his factory, and a mobile logistical base that could support both himself and his teammates. It would also function as his magic tower.

As a magician, of course he was interested in the idea of a magic tower, an integrated offensive and defensive facility. But unlike traditional magicians, he wanted to adapt the concept and transform it into a magic ship, capable of both offense and defense.

He had already documented these ideas in various notes, complete with priority levels. But he hadn't written down the idea for a magic tower just yet, he wasn't qualified to consider that level of complexity for the time being.

Plus, he had a strong hunch that even the ship he was using now—complete with its extensive design notes—might eventually become obsolete. He had no idea what kind of vessel would ultimately be required to meet all of his needs. If he started building a magic tower now only to find out he had to switch ships again, it would be a waste. He would wait until things became clearer before revisiting the idea.

Logan, meanwhile, was thinking along a completely different line.

"Whether it's your ship plans or just trying to live better in this world, we're going to need more people. That's always been true, right?"

"Yeah."

Ethan had always intended to recruit more teammates. But teammates weren't easy to find. It had taken considerable effort to convince Wolverine, and Laura who came with him couldn't be of much help yet.

"So what's your next target?"

Logan thought about it but wasn't sure what kind of teammate they really needed next, so he asked Ethan instead. After all, this was Ethan's ship, he just wanted to understand the kind of person Ethan was looking for.

"Aside from someone who can maintain the ship?"

Ethan had already considered a few roles. For instance, the lack of a ship's doctor had bothered him for a while, but he still hadn't found a suitable candidate. Aside from that and a mechanic, he was currently thinking about recruiting someone with sniper or reconnaissance and intelligence expertise.

"I've got a few ideas. I'm looking for someone good at long-range support and intelligence gathering."

Having such a person would improve their ability to gather information and allow someone to provide remote support during combat, keeping an eye on their surroundings from a distance.

In battle, such a teammate would be a huge asset. Although it didn't seem like a role with much relevance to sailing, Logan was curious why Ethan suddenly brought up this kind of teammate.

"Why are you looking for someone like that? Do you already have someone in mind?"

"There was a navigator I knew who picked a sniper as his partner from the very beginning. I think that kind of choice is worth learning from."

Ethan had indeed thought of a few people, but he wasn't sure if he could successfully recruit them. He responded casually when Logan asked, but now that the topic was on the table and they weren't doing anything urgent, he took the opportunity to mentally evaluate some candidates.

After thinking it over, he narrowed it down to two people.

The first was Legolas. He seemed like the more likely option. Friendly, adventurous, and with an extremely long lifespan, even if he didn't stay permanently, it wouldn't be difficult to convince him to come along for an adventure lasting a hundred years or so. However, the appearance of an elf might be a problem in many worlds. Still, that wasn't a big deal, a little magic could take care of it.

The second candidate was Ada Wong—not the icy version, though. As an elite agent, she didn't have any major weaknesses aside from being an ordinary human (?), and while her combat power wasn't on Legolas' level, she was a master of reconnaissance and infiltration. Ethan added her to his list mostly because she was a beauty. But her personality was quite strong, and the odds of persuading her to join were pretty slim.

Ethan didn't mention Ada, but he did tell Logan he was thinking about Legolas and then watched as Wolverine's expression twisted into something strange. After a long pause, Logan finally said:

"You can go to Middle-earth too?"

(To be continued.)

Chapter 158

The Lord of the Rings, whether as a novel or a franchise holds great influence in the Western world. Even many people who don't read novels are familiar with its story. Plenty of movie worlds even use a "real-world" setting, so a lot of the cultural knowledge is widely shared.

Just like how in the Marvel Universe, Tony Stark enjoys listening to AC/DC and makes Star Wars jokes with Ethan.

In Wolverine's world, The Lord of the Rings is also a well-known literary work, and the name "Legolas" is naturally recognized by many.

"Of course I can. Why not?"

Logan's knowledge and worldview weren't that different from the average person's, but thanks to his longer lifespan, he had accumulated all sorts of scattered information. Being an ordinary person at his core, it was natural for him to have some common assumptions.

"Isn't that a novel?"

As for questions like this, Ethan was more than ready. He'd read plenty of speculative literature in his previous life and picked up a lot of bizarre theories—multiverse theory, fictional worlds being real, and so on. In this life, he'd gained magical knowledge and, more importantly, the actual ability to travel between planes. That kind of "proof" made it hard for someone like Wolverine to argue otherwise plus, Logan wasn't the kind to get hung up on philosophical paradoxes.

"I'm just curious what it would feel like to team up with a 'legendary' character."

Ethan spread his hands. He wasn't especially curious about the experience himself after all, all these characters were technically "legendary" to him. No need to emphasize the obvious.

"If you want, I could take you to meet Arthur."

"Which Arthur?"

"The most famous one."

"King Arthur?"

"Exactly."

Logan shot Ethan a strange look, then shook his head and muttered, "Looks like I've still got a lot to get used to."

Their conversation left Laura confused. Having grown up in a research facility, the books she was most exposed to were X-Men comics. She didn't know much about the Arthur they were talking about, but she didn't ask. After listening for a while, she wandered over to the side of the ship, leaned on the railing, and stared up at the snowflakes falling from the sky, this was the first time she'd ever seen real snow.

"So you're seriously thinking about making Legolas your teammate?"

"Why not?"

"Aren't you worried that once the elven prince joins, you'll never find a girlfriend again?"

"..."

Ethan touched his chin but didn't respond. Of course, he had considered that very practical issue. That's why Legolas was only a candidate, his first choice was Ada. He had no intention of overlooking the world of the Resident Evil games. After harvesting plenty of benefits from the movie version's T-virus, he was determined to get his hands on the various viruses and research from the game version as well.

"Alright, let's set that aside. Any backup options? Or other kinds of talents you're looking for?"

The snowfall was getting heavier, and visibility continued to worsen. It was no longer safe to continue sailing, so Ethan had already brought the ship to a stop. He and Logan stood together, watching the rare sea snow as they chatted about potential future teammates.

"I haven't thought of anyone else for now, just a cook who's good at making knockoff dishes. That guy can even pretend to be an archer."

However, that particular individual came with too much baggage, and it was unlikely Ethan would ever succeed in recruiting him. He wasn't even on the list of backup candidates.

"A cook pretending to be an archer?"

Logan didn't understand who Ethan was referring to, but he didn't care. He was just making conversation.

"So aside from that? A top-notch technician, someone for long-range firepower and intel gathering, and a cook… you don't have any other targets?"

"Not for now." Ethan had considered roping in a few mutants, but setting aside whether they were suitable or not, after visiting the world of Logan (Wolverine 3), he wasn't even sure if he could still access worlds where mutants existed. Could there be other timelines where mutants still thrived?

If Logan was a standalone timeline, then perhaps he could access other parallel worlds. But if it was simply the end of a mainline timeline, he wasn't sure whether he could shift the timeline backward. Maybe if he mastered space-time energy to a certain extent? After all, his dimensional travel wasn't just spatial, it involved time as well.

The Marvel and DC universes were two worlds he could return to repeatedly, both rich in potential talent. But whether those people could be recruited was another matter entirely.

Most superheroes had ties, commitments to their world or people. In fact, many became heroes because of those ties. If they could just walk away from it all, they likely would have chosen quiet, ordinary lives.

"After thinking about it, the most recruitable ones might be Wanda and Daisy Johnson—two unfortunate kids."

Of the two, Scarlet Witch would probably be the easier one to convince. Without intervention from Quake, she would only continue binding herself down more and more as her powers grew, and eventually be unable to leave that world at all.

The DC side was even worse. Almost no superhero would just up and leave their world. They had their own missions. Take Diana, for example. Even if her mother, Hippolyta, desperately wanted her to leave, Diana herself wouldn't. If Darkseid invaded Earth, she'd stay and fight rather than run.

And given their friendship, if Diana fought Darkseid, Ethan would probably have to fight alongside her. Great. A showdown with the Lord of Apokolips.

That was the situation, Ethan had his eye on potential teammates, but they wouldn't necessarily be willing to leave everything behind and follow him. And the ones who were willing to leave... he might not find valuable.

That's why his ship was still mostly empty. In all this time, only two new people had joined him, one grown man and one little girl.

Ethan shared all this with Logan, who wasn't surprised. If not for the desperate situation in his world, where mutants had almost no hope left, Logan wouldn't have stayed either. Even if Charles was the only one left, he would've stayed behind to help him guide the new generation.

"They're all good people."

"The better they are, the harder they are to recruit."

Logan suddenly chuckled and patted Ethan on the shoulder. "That's your problem, Captain. I'm just a crewman now, technically, just your combat guy."

"Don't joke. There are only two and a half people on this boat. What kind of divisions of labor are you talking about? If you want a title, then I hereby officially appoint you First Mate of the Goddess of Dawn."

Logan waved it off, not taking the title seriously.

"I'm not much help unless you can send me to a parallel version of my world, one where mutants haven't been wiped out yet. Then maybe I could convince some good folks to join us."

Having spent years with the X-Men, he knew exactly who might want to escape a world where they were constantly hunted. There were plenty of solid choices with both skill and character. It wouldn't be hard to gather a few companions.

But for now, that was easier said than done.

"It all comes down to luck."

"Hasn't luck always been on your side? Maybe you'll find a suitable companion soon."

Logan already knew the basics of dimensional travel. Aside from the two worlds Ethan had marked, the rest of the destinations were random. Even Ethan had no idea where he might end up next—or whether he'd land in a world where mutants still existed. It really did come down to luck.

"I just remembered someone, someone skilled in medicine, stealth, intelligence gathering, and assassination. A top-tier spy and doctor."

The memory had struck Ethan suddenly. He even slapped his thigh, wondering why he hadn't thought of that person earlier.

"Oh? Sounds like someone pretty hard to define."

How exactly do you combine assassination, stealth, and medicine? Logan thought. Was this guy a doctor or a killer? He was about to ask more when he noticed Ethan's expression suddenly looked... constipated.

"What's wrong?"

"Forget it. That guy's out of the question. With just the two of us right now, going to that world would basically be suicide."

Wolverine's healing ability aside, that world had far too many attacks targeting the mind and soul. And this wasn't the comics, Logan wouldn't be unkillable here.

Ethan had once considered checking out that world, but now he wanted to avoid it entirely. It was simply too dangerous. Until he had enough power to protect himself, he figured he'd better steer clear. Even if he did arrive by accident, his best bet would be to drop an anchor point, record the coordinates, and leave immediately. Come back when he was actually ready.

As they talked, the snow began to fall more lightly. Ethan looked up and noticed the thick clouds had thinned. Faint sunlight filtered through, and the sky was gradually brightening.

"Looks like the snow's about to stop."

Logan glanced up in surprise, then checked his watch. "It's only been three hours?" Judging by the earlier conditions, it wouldn't have been strange if it lasted three days and three nights.

"Let's clear the snow off the deck first."

Ethan shook off the snow covering his body and joined Logan in clearing the deck. Just as they finished, the snow had stopped completely. The clouds had dispersed, and the sun now shone down warmly. It wouldn't be long before the temperature rose back above freezing.

"If this kind of thing happens often, your new ship should probably have an enclosed bridge."

Logan, having shed his heavy clothes, gave his suggestion. Ethan simply responded with a look that said: You don't say.

(To be continued.)