This ball of faith power seemed to have undergone some transformation. It was a bit similar to the energy Marvin continuously contributed from the cross.
Previously, Ethan definitely wouldn't have directly absorbed this kind of energy. At most, following the principle of not wasting anything, he would add it to his cross.
However, the situation was different now. After sending most of the energy into the cross, he kept a portion of the purest energy and sent it into his mental universe, lighting up a new point of light next to the magic power planet.
He controlled the point of light to orbit the magic power planet, making it a satellite of the planet, spreading its energy properties throughout his entire mental universe, allowing his mental power to slowly analyze and understand this energy.
Over time, this point of light might slowly grow into a new planet, adding new variations to his magic power.
These tasks seemed complicated, but in reality, Ethan completed them in a very short time. It was as if he just had a thought, I want it this way, and the ball of energy obediently followed his intentions.
"It's really convenient to use, and it unreasonably fulfills desired outcomes according to one's thoughts."
Ethan now understood why many gods of faith, even if they realized the trouble with overly relying on faith power, were still unwilling to quickly abandon this power and seek new paths. This power is strong, convenient, and easy to obtain, and it is indeed very difficult to give up.
After receiving Imhotep's tribute, Ethan thought for a moment, transformed a portion of the power, and handed it to Imhotep in the form of a bestowal.
This energy was essentially stored by Ethan on Imhotep. Imhotep gained the right to use this vast power, and could also help Ethan continue to refine it, while Ethan still held absolute ownership of this power and could reclaim it at any time.
But this did not mean there were no benefits for Imhotep. As long as he continued to develop this cult and attract more faith, even if he did not train himself, he could gain more powerful strength. He could even use powerful spells far beyond his current level of ability.
It was just that this type of spell would be categorized as divine magic.
Ethan originally wanted to advise Imhotep not to become overly addicted to this illusory power. But after thinking about it, the man went through great lengths to help him gather believers and faith power, and then got lectured in return. Anyone would feel unhappy about that, right?
Even if it was for the other person's own good, this wasn't the time to say it, so he swallowed those words back.
If Imhotep could truly devote himself to being Ethan's servant, what would be the harm in Ethan granting him everything he desired, just like those gods do?
For Imhotep, this seemed no different from trying to become stronger himself. After all, he was also diligently serving his god.
After thinking for a moment where he stood, he decided to just let Imhotep do as he pleased.
He had already responded to the offerings presented, so there was no need to play any more tricks about a god descending. Besides, he did not want to play that game.
Ethan decided to go see Annette and the others first, and used teleportation directly to their location.
Cherry Military Industries, the name uses a word similar to Sherry's, just with the first letter changed.
This arms company located in North America was currently evolving from a small workshop into a large company. When Ethan arrived to see Annette and the others, Annette was practically buried under huge piles of documents and couldn't lift her head.
Selene, on the other hand, was quite free. Her task was to ensure the company was not harmed by any visible means. She was a hidden combatant and usually had a lot of free time.
When Ethan arrived, Annette just looked up, greeted him, and then went back to being busy. Selene, meanwhile, got Ethan some drinks. Neither of the two women drank these, so the fact that they were prepared in the office clearly meant they were specifically for Ethan, knowing he would definitely come by.
"Looking at this situation, if I hadn't come, you weren't planning on leaving right away?"
"Yes."
Annette did not have time to answer, so it was Selene who replied to Ethan's question.
"After a period of observation, we feel this world has some developmental value."
"Oh?"
"Because it has abundant resources, and its level of civilization is not low. Considering the current situation, we can also produce various weapons and equipment here without restraint."
Annette provided a more detailed explanation, and she had finally finished processing most of the documents she had on hand.
"Finished being busy?"
"It's all trivial stuff. Mainly, the company is starting to get on the right track, and there aren't suitable people to do many things, so I have to do them myself."
Once the company is truly up and running, the rest will be routine work that can be handed over to hired staff. At that point, they would just need to arrange for someone to monitor the company's operations and ensure its development path does not deviate.
"Like this time, we can use the Federation's financial and material resources to mass-produce rifles in this world. Next time, we can use the Federation's financial resources to manufacture new exoskeleton armor. If the company develops, we can even build new types of warships ourselves."
Everyone on the ship knew that Ethan had been busy setting up logistics bases everywhere. Worlds like the Marvel Universe and the world of King Arthur had been listed as his logistics bases.
The Marvel Universe is also Ethan's primary world for acquiring equipment. Everything, including the spaceship, is currently handled by Tony Stark.
It's not about what Tony Stark will do in the future. It's just that as a mature team, resources should not be overly concentrated in one place, and new manufacturing bases should indeed be established.
Ethan had always been doing this. The Transformers world was a new battlefield he opened up, but it was a spur-of-the-moment decision at the time, so he could only casually sow a seed and return, without truly starting any plans or arrangements.
He had not expected that after throwing this group of people into the Starship Troopers world, these team members would actually start making such efforts.
"This world's aerospace technology is very mature. It possesses spaceport construction technology, large space battleship construction technology, and even faster-than-light flight technology, all of which we need."
The Starship Troopers world is bogged down in the quagmire of war, and the war with the Bugs will not end anytime soon. Taking advantage of their need for weapons, Ethan and his team only need to provide some advanced concepts and prototype products to gain the financial support of the entire Federation, and perhaps even obtain various advanced technologies from the Federation. This kind of deal looks very profitable no matter how you look at it.
"You're planning to turn Cherry Military Industries into the largest technology group in this world?"
"More or less."
Annette believed that if possible, it would be best to be bound to this world long-term and not control the flow of time so it could develop, allowing them to benefit greatly from various new technological achievements.
She also suggested that Ethan send someone to be permanently stationed in this world, or they could appropriately rotate personnel, to ensure Cherry Military Industries develops normally under their supervision.
Ethan sat there, holding a cup, carefully considering Annette's suggestion.
He had to admit, this plan was very reliable. Even if nothing else was considered, large space battleships were an issue that could not be avoided.
Although Tony helped, Stark Industries was not his company after all. A battleship like the Prinz Eugen had already cost a lot of money and involved many connections. A large space battleship would likely drain all of Stark Industries' funds.
Looking at how Weyland Corporation almost emptied its coffers to build the Prometheus, and how Weyland Corporation was quickly acquired by other groups after all the crew members on the Prometheus were annihilated, one can see how immense the funds consumed by such a product piled with advanced technology are.
Although his relationship with Tony was very good, he also felt uncomfortable asking the other person to sell everything to help him build a spaceship. Therefore, he ultimately needed to find a way himself.
In comparison, the Starship Troopers world itself has a demand for weapons, and Ethan is not short on various technical concepts. If needed, he can bring back blueprints and physical objects, and then use the Federation's resources for production.
He would not even need to spend his own money to buy his products. With the Federation mass-producing them, taking a small batch of products would be nothing at all.
Developing like this, when his strength is sufficient, building an advanced space battleship will be a matter of course. As the war deepens, the Federation will definitely need to upgrade and replace its warships, which means Cherry Military Industries can build new types of warships without any suspicion.
This is much more convenient than being constantly monitored in the Marvel Universe. Moreover, with his personal strength being absolutely overwhelming, he does not need to worry about people with ulterior motives.
Most importantly, the Starship Troopers world has faster-than-light flight technology. This technology, which many sci-fi worlds consider absurd, is real here. This is completely different from opening a wormhole for spatial jumping. It is indeed traveling at speeds exceeding the speed of light. Although there are many details worth complaining about, existence is existence, and he very much wants to obtain this technology.
From any perspective, listing this world as a new base is a good choice.
"As your warships get bigger and bigger, you can't always rely on just a few of us, right? You'll definitely need more personnel then. Whether you recruit from other worlds or whatever, this world is an excellent training base."
Ethan was already convinced. He was not silent because he did not want to agree, but because he was seriously considering his upcoming plans and arrangements.
Once it was decided to develop this world as a base, the first thing to address was having enough advanced technology, and it had to be weapon technology that met the Federation's needs. Only these things could bring more development resources to Cherry Military Industries.
"Besides the Gauss rifle, does the Federation need any other new weapons?"
(To be continued.)