Drift Of The Multiverse: [Marvel] [Resident Evil] [DC] [Bleach] [DB]
Chapter 292: Unable to Reject

Chapter 292: Chapter 292: Unable to Reject

Taking potions, training, and teaching Sherry.

Ethan’s life became very peaceful. Occasionally, he would also give Selene some guidance on using the Holy Light. After several months of focused training, the female vampire was finally able to skillfully cast Holy Light spells.

There was even an unexpected gain. When Selene wanted to hide herself, her presence became extremely faint. Even if Ethan wasn’t actively looking, he would easily overlook Selene hiding in a corner.

"What is this? Did your bloodline react with the Shadow Energy and awaken some kind of special talent?"

"I’m not really sure either. I’ve been thinking about that recently."

Ethan held a bag of potato chips in his hand. Ever since enhancing himself with potions, his appetite had increased significantly. The main reason was that his physical enhancements required large amounts of energy. Although Ethan could absorb magic power directly, he still preferred to replenish his energy by eating, so he often carried snacks and munched on them whenever he had free time.

"When I wrap myself in Shadow Energy, I can hide better in dark areas. Even the sounds my body makes, like footsteps, are absorbed by the energy and don’t get transmitted."

"Hold on." Ethan raised the hand holding the potato chips, motioning Selene to pause. "I remember giving you a priest’s notes back then, right? Though he was a Shadow Priest, that guy definitely wasn’t moonlighting as an assassin."

He had read those notes himself. They were all focused on training Shadow Energy and balancing the relationship between Holy Light and Shadow, preventing the practitioner from leaning too far into or falling into the shadows.

It was a very thorough set of notes, giving Ethan deeper understanding of Shadow Energy and also offering useful references for mastering Holy Light.

But there was absolutely nothing in them about stealth or concealment, so there was no way Selene had learned that from the notes.

"So why did you awaken this ability?"

Selene said she didn’t know either. She had simply followed the prescribed steps to study Holy Light and Shadow, spending time each day training both energies. At the same time, she had maintained her physical training. Her fitness had improved significantly thanks to both energies, but this new ability had appeared completely out of nowhere.

After some thought, the only explanation was the influence of her bloodline.

"What a convenient ability."

The two didn’t bother hiding their conversation. Ada stood not far away and heard Selene’s words clearly.

She suspected that Ethan was deliberately letting her hear it. So many magical powers seemed just within reach, but she didn’t dare reach out easily, unsure whether immense benefits like these were hiding something more dangerous underneath.

Still, that didn’t stop her from feeling envious. For a spy, Selene’s ability was extremely useful and could make infiltration missions significantly easier.

"You want to learn? I can teach you."

"Why do you keep showing me so much favor?"

Ada had been wanting to ask for a while. She had planned to find the answer through her own investigation. That kind of cautiousness seemed to come with the job. People like her always trusted what they discovered themselves more than what others told them directly.

However, after observing for some time, Ada gradually understood Ethan’s personality. He disliked trouble and wasn’t one to beat around the bush. Maybe because he was too proud or too confident, he didn’t seem to bother lying to them.

Under these circumstances, if she had questions, she could simply ask him. The answers he gave were usually the truth. After probing for a while, Ada finally decided to ask directly.

"Because I find you pleasing to the eye."

Ethan wasn’t lying. That was indeed one of the main reasons he wanted to bring Ada along. To put it bluntly, it came down to her appearance... and the rest of her figure.

"Then what do you want me to do?"

"There aren’t many people on my ship. I just want to find companions I enjoy being around to go on adventures together."

As for what Ada could do, Ethan had thought of her as a recon-type operative for gathering intelligence, and a long-range sniper-type support in combat.

"So it’s not about what I want you to do, but what you can do."

Now that the number of companions had increased, assigning specific roles or responsibilities didn’t seem necessary anymore. This wasn’t a game, after all. There was no need to worry about team composition or class balance.

With the many potions he had ’accidentally’ created, and the various cultivation knowledge he had gathered across different worlds, even an ordinary person could be transformed into a non-human existence in a short time.

Once everyone was strong enough, combat roles didn’t matter. They could switch responsibilities depending on the situation.

In short, it was about using overwhelming strength to crush the enemy. That was also Ethan’s favorite method.

"Then what kind of reward do I get? From the sound of it, you want me to work for you long-term. That one bottle of potion obviously isn’t enough."

Ada understood what Ethan meant. He wanted her to join his team.

During this time, Ada had already learned that Ethan lived in a world of oceans. He had a warship that looked like something from the Age of Sail, but with many unique devices.

Several companions lived with him on that ship, but this time, only the female vampire named Selene had accompanied him here.

After spending so many days together, Selene’s identity as a vampire had long been exposed. Because of this, Annette and Sherry were somewhat wary of her, probably afraid that Selene might suddenly lose control and bite someone.

From the daily conversations between Ethan and Selene, Ada had gathered that there were likely two other men and a little girl on that ship. That was her professional assessment.

It looked like a small elite team. What Ada didn’t understand was why Ethan had taken such a liking to her and wanted to recruit her.

This mage could freely travel between different universes and planes. That kind of life sounded fascinating, but she was still a bit uneasy, worried that it might not be so simple.

"What do you want?"

"Shouldn’t work come with compensation? Since you’re inviting me to join, you should at least explain what benefits you’re offering."

Ethan hadn’t expected Ada to raise such a topic. He wasn’t sure whether Ada was a freelance spy, but that seemed likely now, so discussing compensation made sense.

"An enhanced version of the potion you’ve seen. Beyond that, I can guarantee your lifespan will far exceed that of ordinary humans."

The serum improved from the G-virus couldn’t directly increase lifespan. It could only keep one’s appearance and physical condition in peak form for a longer period. At best, being extraordinarily healthy would allow someone to outlive the average person.

But that wasn’t difficult for Ethan. He had already accumulated enough methods for increasing lifespan. He couldn’t promise too much, but living a few hundred years was no problem.

If he found more fortuitous encounters during future travels, or made breakthroughs in any of the training methods he had mastered, living for thousands of years wouldn’t be out of the question.

"That sounds very appealing."

Ada was indeed tempted. Getting to visit many different worlds was also interesting—an extremely challenging job. She could live longer, gain enhanced physical capabilities, and see all kinds of strange and wondrous things.

It seemed perfect in every aspect. Now, she was only concerned about one thing.

"Once I board your ship, am I not allowed to leave?"

Normally, if someone gave you so many benefits, they’d expect you to serve them like a slave for life. Want to leave? Pay back everything you took first—which, more often than not, meant death.

But Ethan hadn’t thought that way. Although he hoped his companions could stay with him for a long time—ten years, decades even—he couldn’t say for sure whether conflicts might eventually arise after hundreds or thousands of years.

He believed in parting on good terms. He didn’t want conflicts to develop. The best-case scenario would be to separate peacefully before ideological differences became too great.

That way, they could remain friends. Ethan could even visit his old teammates from time to time.

"So if that day comes, and you no longer want to stay aboard the ship, you’re free to leave anytime."

As for where to go afterward? She could return to her original world, or choose another she preferred. Ethan could help send her there.

Ada was surprised that Ethan would hold such a view. She had thought this mage might be like those historical tyrants who never tolerated betrayal—even if it was just someone choosing to stop working for them.

"Do you really mean that?"

"I can’t guarantee my views won’t change in the future, but at least for now, that’s how I think."

Maybe that sounded naive or immature, especially when so much was at stake. If such a situation really occurred, could Ethan truly bear to watch his ’investment’ walk away?

He couldn’t speak for the future, but at present, Ethan had a bottom line. So although he never considered himself a great man, he didn’t see himself as a bad one either.

"If that’s the case, then I’m very willing to join."

Ada’s quick agreement surprised Ethan a bit.

"What? Surprised? Honestly, accepting your offer is the rational choice. The benefits you’re offering are too good to refuse."

Not just Ada couldn’t say no—even Annette, who had been standing nearby, changed her mind. She no longer wanted to find a new world. Now, she wanted to stay aboard Ethan’s ship.

(To be continued.)

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