After confirming the plan, Ethan immediately began preparing the potion. The primary ingredients were Alexander Corvinus's blood, Ares's divine blood, and the Blood Orchid he had brought back earlier.
These three formed the main components, supplemented by a variety of auxiliary materials. He had used quite a few ingredients already, and of course, it was impossible to concoct the potion in one go.
Ethan's concept was solid, and he already had a relatively complete formula in mind, but theoretical planning and actual execution were two different things. No matter how well he planned, many problems arose in practice.
The only fortunate thing was that failure in preparation didn't completely ruin the materials, and Ethan only used very small doses each time. So although there had been several failures, it didn't make him too discouraged.
"Don't worry. Since you already have a direction, you'll succeed eventually if you keep at it."
The sunlight had already begun pouring in through the window. The night had passed quickly, and Ethan's lab bench was a mess. His seventeenth attempt had ended in failure.
"It seems I was too optimistic before."
He should be glad that he hadn't rushed from the beginning, recklessly combining the Blood Orchid and divine blood. The outcome might have been worse than now.
After over a dozen failures, he had discovered that Corvinus's blood made an excellent carrier, while Michael's blood, different from that of his ancestor, served as a perfect bonding agent, allowing completely different materials to fuse together.
If he hadn't collected these two types of blood as the base, he would have had no material capable of withstanding divine blood and would've been forced to use the divine blood crudely and directly.
Furthermore, divine blood's effect was extremely violent. If Ethan wanted to fully harness the energy within it, he had to take it slow. Rushing would only put him in a worse predicament.
"I should be glad these failed attempts brought me back to a calm mindset."
If he had succeeded on the first try, he couldn't guarantee he wouldn't get carried away and gamble recklessly. After all, many people have that mentality—"What if I take the risk and it turns out great?"
"It's already dawn. Should we put the experiment on hold for now?"
"You're right. There are other issues that need resolving."
One of his agreements with Odin was to stabilize the unpredictable factor—Loki. Even if he couldn't completely stabilize him, he at least had to keep him under control.
At the same time, Selene, as an unplanned traveler, needed to be dealt with. Whether she stayed or not, the issue needed addressing.
"Speaking of Selene…"
Ethan drew a test tube of Alexander Corvinus's blood, stored all the ingredients in a specially crafted box, and left the workshop.
"Oh, right."
Before heading to the deck, Ethan handed Diana the test tube containing Corvinus's blood. "Take this to Selene's room. Have her drink it."
"Drink it?"
"Selene is a vampire and can't be exposed to sunlight. This blood will allow her to walk in the sun." Ethan had thought it through. Whether Selene stayed or not, she would have to live on the ship for a while. On a ship sailing across the sea, it was too troublesome to avoid the sun completely. Helping her solve this problem now would earn her gratitude and cost him little.
Only then did Diana realize Selene was actually a vampire. Although she had many questions, she wasn't in a rush to ask and simply handed the test tube to Selene.
Ethan had no habit of eavesdropping. He headed straight to the deck and saw Loki already standing by the ship's edge, staring off into the distance. Logan was at the helm, steering the Goddess of Dawn to maintain pace and direction with the two ships ahead.
"You're up early. Can't sleep well in a new world?"
Loki still wore his usual attire, hands clasped behind his back and chest out, gazing at the world before him. Only when Ethan came up beside him and greeted him did he turn and glance over.
"It's an interesting place."
"Oh?"
"Didn't you notice?" Loki nodded toward the distance. "This isn't a planet."
Ethan truly hadn't realized it. If Loki hadn't said anything, it might have taken him a long time to figure it out. "How can you tell?"
"Because Asgard isn't a planet either."
Loki didn't elaborate on how it was similar to Asgard or how it differed from a planet. He just seemed intrigued by this world.
"Something like Asgard?"
Ethan didn't think too deeply about it. He knew if he didn't understand now, it simply meant his level wasn't high enough. Since he was still stuck on the sea, it wasn't worth worrying about this world's secrets yet.
When he grew strong enough to challenge the limits of the world, it wouldn't be too late to ponder those things.
"Have you considered what I said yesterday?"
"It's tempting. Prove it to me."
Loki still hadn't stated his stance, but this response was better than Ethan expected. At least he wasn't mocking Ethan, calling him a weak human mage.
The lack of direct rejection showed Loki was seriously considering it, leaving room for flexibility.
Ethan wasn't surprised. This was Loki. He would never speak or act absolutely. As long as he had room to maneuver, he'd always leave himself a way out. Even if things turned for the worst, he'd have a retreat ready.
Still, Ethan wanted to leave a deep impression, so he painted a vivid picture for Loki.
"Imagine this: some time from now, your father Odin passes away from old age. Thanos leads his army to attack Asgard, now without its protector. The realm plunges into crisis. Even your brother Thor is barely holding on, seconds away from death at Thanos's hand."
"And then, you—Loki! Son of Odin! God of Mischief! Heir of Jotunheim! Descend from the sky clad in golden armor, surrounded by rainbow light! You strike down Thanos with overwhelming power, save your brother Thor, protect all of Asgard, and become a peerless hero in the eyes of every Asgardian—including Thor. Don't you want to see that happen?"
Loki kept a calm expression, as though none of it affected him. But his eyes betrayed him. Since coming aboard the Goddess of Dawn, Ethan had never seen such a fanatical look in Loki's eyes.
"As expected, Loki's greatest weakness is always wanting to outshine Thor."
He noticed Loki take several slow, deep breaths before responding in a relatively calm tone.
"Golden armor? I don't think I need something that gaudy."
Ethan was about to say it didn't matter, but suddenly remembered something. He gave a mysterious smile instead. "No, you'll need it."
Loki looked at Ethan's expression and immediately understood.
The armor Ethan mentioned definitely wasn't ordinary. It was likely a treasure that could greatly boost a god's power.
He understood Ethan was trying to show that staying and working with him wouldn't just make him stronger. He'd also gain access to powerful relics—treasures far more valuable than Thor's hammer.
He already knew the essence of Mjolnir was just a hammer. Thor's power over storms and lightning came from within himself. Once he realized that, Loki lost interest in Mjolnir.
Now he was genuinely curious to see what kind of golden armor Ethan was talking about and wanted to experience its magic for himself.
"Maybe I'll look forward to it."
Loki's response satisfied Ethan. At least it meant there wouldn't be trouble anytime soon. As long as Ethan kept giving him "hope," the two of them could make great partners. Ethan would provide opportunities and treasures to strengthen him, while Loki would help with his own power.
"You'll be glad you made the right choice."
Loki responded with an unreadable smile, then ignored Ethan and continued gazing into the distance.
"That scene you described... I look forward to seeing it come true."
Ethan turned to greet Logan, but then noticed Diana standing behind him. From what she said, it seemed she had come out a while ago.
"You want someone that powerful to save you or Paradise Island?"
That seemed unlikely. Maybe if he wore blue tights and a red cape? But Diana quickly corrected his thinking.
"No. What I meant was that when you're in trouble, I'll descend in golden armor under rainbow light to save you."
"…"
Right. She was an independent, powerful woman. The fantasy of being rescued by a peerless hero would never apply to her. She was a peerless hero herself. But Ethan didn't want to be the one needing rescuing.
"I work this hard so that scene never becomes reality."
(To be continued.)
***
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