The journey away from the route was smooth. Since they were heading away from the shipping lane, the farther they sailed, the less dangerous it became. In addition, the three ships had stored enough supplies, so even if they didn't restock along the way, they had more than enough to support the return trip to the central island.
The formation of the three ships also made some adventurers who preferred looting cautious. They didn't dare to launch attacks casually and even took the initiative to avoid them, lest they become targets of retaliation.
"That saves a lot of trouble."
On the return trip, now that they had entered the route again, the biggest difference was the increased number of adventurers they encountered. The closer they got to the exit, the more adventurers appeared. Most of them chose to steer clear, some even staying completely out of sight of the Goddess of Dawn and its accompanying ships.
With no incidents, the voyage at sea quickly became boring, and the topic of conversation shifted to Ethan's next move.
"You're going to another world?"
Logan knew that Ethan routinely stored a portion of his energy to activate his plane shuttle magic when needed, so he could leave for another world at any time.
Considering that, no matter how long Ethan stayed in another world, he would always return to the moment he left, it meant there was no need to find a remote location to dock the ship. They could even activate the circle while moored and resting at night.
"I'm not going to buy a new ship in this world. I'm going to ask a friend to help me build a good enough one."
The ship Ethan envisioned needed Tony Stark's help to build. First, the Stark Group had sufficient material resources, and Tony himself possessed enough black technology. In that world, Ethan also had enough "capital" to support the construction of such a ship.
However, if he truly wanted to build a warship of that level, Ethan would definitely need to pay an additional price. The dividends he received from the Stark Group alone weren't enough to get Tony to help him build such a costly vessel.
Moreover, for a massive and high-tech warship like this, if a certain someone named Nick Fury didn't step in, he wouldn't be worthy of his title as Director of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Although there were plenty of complications, none were unsolvable. This time, Ethan didn't plan to stay in that world for long. The main purpose was to discuss the ship with Tony Stark. As for additional compensation, Ethan could think about that later or search for it himself. Offering to extend Tony's lifespan or improve his physical condition was a good option.
He still had enough Spring of Life on hand, and with the potions and magic he knew, it wouldn't be difficult to improve Tony's health. Combined with some specialized enhancement potions, he could even raise Tony's physical fitness to the level of Stephen Rogers. That should be more than enough to get Tony on board with building the new ship.
After thoroughly considering the plan and finding no major issues, Ethan shared it with Logan and Diana. Neither of them had much to say, since they didn't know what kind of world it was or what kind of people Ethan had met there.
When Logan learned that the world was also Earth, and that its era wasn't much different from the one he'd lived in before, he quickly lost interest. Only Diana asked a few more questions.
The Marvel world's Earth timeline was nearly a hundred years ahead of the one Diana came from, but she didn't have a detailed grasp of her own era. For her, the Marvel world and her own weren't all that different, either way, there were plenty of new things she didn't know.
As Ethan briefly introduced the world, he looked to the sky.
The sun was slowly sinking below the sea's horizon. As the fleet stopped to rest, Ethan stood inside the captain's room with everyone already in position and ready.
As the circle activated, light flared and faded again. The scenery in front of Ethan and the others shifted from the captain's quarters of the Goddess of Dawn to the interior of another building.
But the moment they appeared, several robed figures rushed out to surround them. That was until someone Ethan was very familiar with ran over. Upon seeing that it was Ethan, he immediately signaled the others to stand down.
"Please don't appear directly inside the temple next time you come. It really makes us nervous."
"Sorry, Daniel. I really couldn't think of a better place to 'land.' Appearing in the middle of New York City would've caused even more trouble."
The one who had rushed over and calmed the others was Daniel, currently stationed at the New York Sanctum. Ethan had lived with him for a time before. While not close friends, they were familiar with one another.
"How have you been lately?"
"Same as always."
"Nothing interesting happened?"
"Ethan, for mages stationed at the Sanctum, the last thing we want is for anything 'interesting' to happen."
For mages stationed at the temple, "interesting" usually meant big trouble. Peaceful and uneventful days were the lifestyle they preferred.
Daniel had been assigned to the New York Sanctum not only because of his strength, but also due to his temperament.
After a brief exchange, Ethan introduced his companions.
Daniel didn't show much enthusiasm toward Diana and Logan. He was like that with strangers. He'd been the same with Ethan at first, only warming up after getting to know him.
Only when he saw their small companion, Laura, did Daniel offer a warm smile. It was clear that Daniel's aloofness wasn't an issue. He was just distant toward people he assumed weren't from the same world. You meet today, and who knows when you'll meet again.
"Alright, I'm heading out to find Tony for something. I'll come see you when I have time."
"Next time, don't just barge in. At least give us a heads-up." Daniel had never expected the Sanctum he was stationed at to be so casually entered. More importantly, Ethan had technically "invaded" from another plane. The defensive barrier formed by the three Sanctums hadn't even responded.
If Ethan could do it, it meant that malicious beings from other planes might be able to do it too. Daniel was seriously considering whether he should notify the Ancient One to reinforce the barriers protecting this world.
Leaving Daniel to his own thoughts, Ethan took Logan and Diana out of the Sanctum and onto the streets of New York.
"This is New York?"
"Yeah."
"Who were those people just now?"
Logan hadn't asked many questions until now. Since Ethan said this world was another Earth similar in era to the one he came from, he figured he'd understand it himself. Only after they'd walked a distance did he speak.
"They're mages. Their job is to protect this world from other-dimensional invasions and threats from the mystical realm."
After a brief explanation of the Kamar-Taj mages and what they did, Logan quickly understood why Ethan had connections with them.
Coming from another world, possessing mystical powers—Ethan checked both boxes. If he couldn't establish a good relationship with these mages, it would've been impossible for him to travel in and out of this world so freely.
While Logan focused on those "strange" people, Diana was more fascinated by the surroundings. The city here was completely different from any she had seen before. Cleaner streets. A more advanced look. People dressed in styles very different from her own world. Cars speeding down the road. All of it fascinated her. Her head was practically swiveling as she tried to take everything in.
"Where are we going now?"
"To find a friend." Ethan took out his phone and dialed Tony's number. He wasn't sure it would go through, since Tony had a bad habit of ignoring calls, especially when he was "busy." He could completely ignore any so-called "interruptions."
Fortunately, Tony answered. It seemed he wasn't too busy at the moment.
"Dear Ethan, I didn't expect to hear from you so soon. Let me guess where you are? Britain, fifteen hundred years ago? Or Mars, five hundred years from now?"
"Neither, Tony. Though if you're interested, I can show you both. Where are you? I've got business with you."
Tony wasn't surprised at all that Ethan had contacted him. In fact, it would've been surprising if he hadn't. Wasn't Ethan just calling to confirm his location?
"I'm in New York. My Stark Tower is complete. It's an iconic landmark now. If you're in New York, you can't miss it."
Ethan didn't even need to look for it. He was already staring at the famous Stark Tower, what would later become Avengers Tower, the base of the first generation of Avengers.
"I'll head over now."
"You planning to fly straight here? Should I be waiting on the landing pad?"
"I've got a couple of friends with me. I'll just take a cab. Just make sure your security guards don't stop us at the door."
Ethan's suggestion was immediately rejected by Tony. He told Ethan to stay put and said he'd send someone to pick up Ethan and his friends.
As for their exact location? That wasn't a problem for Tony Stark.
(To be continued.)
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