Ethan sat in his room, quietly observing the fluctuations of the space-time energy stored in his left hand.
"The energy consumption seems minimal."
His growing familiarity with this energy had significantly reduced the cost of each plane shift. However, he'd reached a plateau, this seemed to be the minimum possible consumption. There was no way to optimize it further.
In other words, his mastery of space-time energy had hit a bottleneck. Physically, he was already at a standstill, and now his control over this energy had similarly stagnated. Worse yet, he had no clear direction for improvement.
The only noticeable change was the strengthening of his connection to the DC universe. He still couldn't synchronize time flow between worlds, but he could sense that the gap between visits had shortened. He could now return sooner after each departure, within a more manageable timeframe.
After thinking it through, Ethan realized his only viable option was to continue traveling. He was already prepared to leave at any time, so he activated the space-time teleportation circle.
But nothing happened.
Confused, Ethan examined the magic circle in his hand for a long time before finally discovering the cause.
The circle appeared to be in a cooldown state, like an engine that needed time to rest.
"So… I can't jump from one world directly to another. And there's a forced cooldown between plane shifts."
The revelation caught him off guard. He'd never encountered this before because he'd never had this much energy left after a jump. Now he was profoundly grateful for his impulsive experiment. If he'd discovered this limitation during an emergency, it could have cost him his life.
"This kind of half-understood ability can't be relied on as a last-resort escape. I might just get myself killed one day."
Staring at his left hand which looked perfectly normal despite the magic it housed, Ethan sighed, placed his tools on the nightstand, and leaned back on the bed with a book.
He'd just spent a night resting on Paradise Island and wasn't remotely tired. A night of reading seemed like the perfect way to pass the time.
As his travels across different worlds increased, the information stored in the Book of Inheritance also grew exponentially, far faster than he could study it. The sheer variety of knowledge it contained was overwhelming. Many topics were irrelevant to his immediate goals, but he firmly believed in the old saying: "No knowledge is ever truly useless."
Immersed in his reading, Ethan eventually drifted off, slipping into unconsciousness like a stone dropped into a still lake.
---
The next morning, Ethan woke with a sore neck. As he rubbed the stiffness from his muscles, he frowned.
"Why did I fall asleep so suddenly?"
Any unexplained phenomenon immediately triggered his vigilance. He abandoned his usual routines and instead sat still, scanning his body for anomalies.
It didn't take long to find one.
"My mental state feels… off."
Ethan closed his eyes and dove inward, focusing on his spiritual core. He was startled to discover strange fluctuations in his mental energy, a faint but undeniable change.
If his mental power had previously resembled dry, cracked earth, then now it seemed as though a thin layer of moisture had seeped into the ground. Clear droplets of water seemed to be seeping through the surface.
"Is this… magic power?"
He quickly recalled the descriptions from the Book of Inheritance and the records Merlin had left behind. Ethan's training followed a distinct progression:
1. Coalescing Mental Power: The foundation. Mental energy coalesced into a singular, cohesive core.
2. Expanding the Ground: As the core grew stronger, the "mental landscape" expanded like a vast plain.
3. The Birth of Magic Power: When the dry mental ground began to absorb moisture, it meant that magic power was being born.
The appearance of moisture on the mental terrain indicated that his body had begun producing its own magic power. Once this process matured and a proper "spring" formed, Ethan would finally possess a self-sustaining source of magic energy, completely his own, untethered to external artifacts.
This magic would be exceptionally versatile. Its neutral nature meant it could be attuned to various elemental properties depending on Ethan's knowledge and understanding. The more deeply he grasped an element, the more seamlessly his magic would transform to match it.
Most intriguingly, if Ethan mastered two opposing elements—like fire and water—he would be able to wield both simultaneously without experiencing any internal conflict. This adaptability was the greatest strength of self-generated magic power.
At present, though, he was still in the early stages. The moisture indicated that the brewing process had begun, but there were no actual "springs" yet. This stage was critical, any contamination now could permanently compromise the purity of his magic.
To prevent issues, Ethan needed to avoid using mental power to interact with external objects, even familiar ones.
"Looks like I'll be relying more on Tony's glasses for the next few days."
Despite the inconvenience, this development was a pleasant surprise, one that had arrived much earlier than either he or Merlin had anticipated.
Once his magic matured, he'd finally be able to cast spells using his own energy instead of relying on artifacts. Moreover, this power could be redirected inward to strengthen his body.
His greatest weakness, his fragile human physique might finally have a solution.
Magic power brewed internally was safer and more stable than external energy infusions. The strengthening effect would be slow but steady, without the dangerous side effects associated with foreign power sources. Over time, the gradual enhancements would add up to impressive results.
And if he paired this process with custom-formulated potions, the improvements would come even faster.
"A happy surprise, indeed."
But the timing still puzzled him. Why now?
"Could it have been the potion from the T-virus experiment?"
He probed deeper into his spiritual core, searching for clues. After careful examination, he found the answer.
The psychic-enhancing potion had done more than raise his mental limits, it had also optimized his spiritual energy in subtle ways. The resulting structural changes had allowed his magic to develop sooner than expected.
The transformation had occurred so smoothly that he'd never noticed it until this morning.
With the mystery solved, Ethan relaxed and revised his plans.
Rather than attempting another plane shift immediately, he decided to stay on Central Island for a while longer. He could use the time to adjust to the brewing magic power and explore the island's surroundings.
However, he wouldn't attempt another jump from here. Too many eyes were watching this place, and he couldn't afford to have anyone uncover his secrets.
The open sea was a much safer choice. Out there, he could ensure no one was nearby before activating the teleportation circle. If anyone did appear, he'd have time to respond accordingly.
"Out to sea it is, then."
Over the next few days, Ethan wandered around Central Island, familiarizing himself with the streets near the dock where his boat was moored. He made a mental map of the key shops and resources he might need later.
He also paid a visit to the large guild hall located in the island's central district. The structure was massive, consisting of multiple halls dedicated to different aspects of adventurer business. Each section was clearly marked, with signage to help newcomers navigate the complex and find the appropriate service counters.
Curious, Ethan browsed the task boards but found mostly long-term acquisition requests:
Ongoing collection of various ores and lumber.
Continuous procurement of magic stones.
Long-term search for rare species.
The last one caught his attention.
"Rare species?" he muttered.
A nearby guild attendant, noticing Ethan's unfamiliarity and young appearance, walked over with a professional smile.
"It's mostly for food," the attendant explained. "The guild is constantly seeking animals that can be domesticated and bred to supplement the food supply."
Ethan nodded in understanding. In any world, food was often the most fundamental resource. Here, the sea frequently produced floating islands, some of which harbored unknown flora and fauna. If these animals grew quickly and could be farmed efficiently, they'd help ease the population's food scarcity.
Once he'd familiarized himself with everything he needed, Ethan realized he'd spent nearly half a month on Central Island. Without any pressing reason to stay longer, he decided it was time to set sail once again.
The Goddess of Dawn, now restocked with fresh food and water, departed the harbor and headed back out to sea.
Unlike before, Ethan had no clear destination this time. He simply steered the ship in the opposite direction from his previous voyage, curious about what lay beyond the horizon.
Based on Philip's descriptions and his own observations, Ethan had constructed a rudimentary mental map of the region.
If the right side of Central Island marked the path he'd originally traveled from, and the north and south routes extended into parallel stretches of ocean, then the western side of the island led toward the Sea of Storms.
Most adventurers treated the Sea of Storms as an impassable boundary. The very name seemed to carry an aura of finality, as though everyone simply accepted that nothing lay beyond it.
Ethan found this assumption suspicious and intriguing.
What's really out there? he wondered.
In addition to satisfying his curiosity, Ethan had another motive. This less-explored route meant fewer adventurers and less risk of detection. He didn't know how long the cooldown on his teleportation ability would last, but spending this time at sea would ensure he was far from prying eyes when it finally reset.
The journey to the Sea of Storms was no short trip. Sailing from the island's harbor to the sea's border required months of travel.
That extended timeframe suited Ethan perfectly.
During the voyage, he could monitor the development of his magical power and experiment with casting low-cost spells.
***
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