Drift Of The Multiverse: [Marvel] [Resident Evil] [DC] [Bleach] [DB]

"Let me see the Mother Box?"

Hippolyta's proposal was so abrupt that Ethan couldn't help but suspect, for a moment, that this might be an imposter.

Was this some kind of test? That could be part of it, but Hippolyta's demeanor didn't suggest she was trying to trap him into revealing any flaws. It seemed more like she genuinely wanted him to inspect the Mother Box. However, wasn't it unnecessary to bring it out just for a simple test?

Even so, Ethan wasn't about to pass up the opportunity. Even if this made him seem suspicious, possibly even like an agent of Darkseid, he still nodded in agreement. He carefully observed Hippolyta's expression. The Amazon Queen didn't show any signs of unease or malice when he agreed to examine the artifact.

"Well, anyone with even a little knowledge of the Mother Box would want to see it up close," Ethan reasoned internally. "My curiosity is normal and won't necessarily make her think I'm working for Darkseid."

The Mother Box was stored in a cave on Paradise Island, secured by multiple layers of mechanisms and strict guard rotations. Outside the cave lay a wide-open plain, making it almost impossible to approach undetected.

Without Hippolyta's approval, breaking in to steal the Mother Box would be a near-impossible task for Ethan in his current state. Escaping afterward would be even more difficult.

Looking around, Ethan noticed Hippolyta had brought a group of elite Amazon warriors this time. They surrounded him and Arthur, each one armed to the teeth, their sharp eyes constantly monitoring the two of them.

"Well, at least Hippolyta hasn't confiscated my weapons," Ethan thought with a wry smile. "If something goes wrong, I might at least have a fighting chance. Without my equipment, though, I'd be in real trouble if things turned hostile."

Most of Ethan's current strength came from his gear. Without it, his combat effectiveness would drop dramatically.

Among his equipment, the Book of Inheritance, tucked safely in his back pocket, was his most valuable magical artifact. It served as both a source of powerful spells and his primary defensive tool.

"We're here."

The group's pace was swift, and it didn't take long for them to reach the cave where the Mother Box was stored.

As they entered the cave, the number of accompanying warriors decreased. Only a few remained to guard Hippolyta, who now held the hilt of her sword in a tight grip, ready to draw it at a moment's notice. She stood fully alert, prepared to fight if necessary.

Ethan, however, didn't make any sudden or suspicious moves. He simply circled the stone platform where the Mother Box rested, maintaining a cautious distance while closely observing the artifact.

"So, this is the Mother Box…" he murmured, more to himself than anyone else.

Hippolyta let out a small sigh of relief at his behavior. Things weren't spiraling into the worst-case scenario—at least not yet.

"Yes, this is the Mother Box," Hippolyta confirmed, her voice steady. "Does it help with your teleportation magic?"

Ethan frowned slightly, focusing his senses on the artifact.

For now, he couldn't detect anything unusual. It felt completely inert to him, like an ordinary box. If he hadn't known better, he might have thought there was no difference between it and the stone platform beneath it.

But he was well aware that the Mother Box was anything but ordinary. It was a highly advanced creation, a technological marvel crafted by beings far beyond the comprehension of even the gods.

"Maybe I should try to make direct contact," Ethan suggested cautiously.

Hippolyta hesitated, her expression unreadable. After a long pause, she finally nodded, though her stance shifted back into a fully guarded posture, her focus razor-sharp.

Arthur, standing nearby, silently watched Hippolyta's every move. He didn't fully understand her caution but instinctively knew he needed to stay on guard as well. Who knew if she might suddenly turn hostile?

At the same time, he didn't want to appear too wary, it might provoke Hippolyta into thinking they had ulterior motives. The tension left Arthur feeling deeply uncomfortable.

Ethan, on the other hand, seemed completely unfazed. His attention was solely on the Mother Box, his thoughts consumed by the task at hand.

Hippolyta's reactions? Arthur's discomfort? These were secondary concerns. The opportunity to study the Mother Box up close was far too valuable to waste on distractions.

Before now, Ethan hadn't seriously considered the Mother Box, knowing it was beyond his reach. But now that it was right in front of him, there was no way he would hesitate.

"Even though I don't fully understand its capabilities, I know it has the power to open dimensional portals. That means it must be connected to space and time in some way. And the sheer amount of energy it holds… it's practically limitless," Ethan mused as he carefully approached the artifact.

He extended his left hand, deliberately choosing it for the task. A mysterious magic circle, one he had no memory of creating, was inscribed on the palm of that hand. He wanted to see if there would be any resonance between the circle and the Mother Box.

To his surprise, there was indeed a reaction.

As Ethan's left hand made contact with the Mother Box's surface, he noted that the texture felt no different from stone. Externally, nothing unusual seemed to happen.

Hippolyta had expected something to happen, but Ethan merely stood at the edge of the stone platform, his left hand resting on the Mother Box, motionless, as if doing nothing at all.

No, something was off. If he were truly doing nothing, he would have stepped back by now.

Her pupils narrowed as she scrutinized Ethan. It was only then she noticed that the young magician had his eyes closed and his brows tightly furrowed.

In reality, Ethan was simply trying to focus. He could faintly sense the space-time energy he needed emanating from the Mother Box, but the sensation came and went, making it difficult to pinpoint. He had no choice but to pour all his mental energy into the task, leaving him unable to pay attention to anything happening around him.

Hippolyta, however, was on high alert. Sweat formed on the hand gripping her sword's hilt, her tension so palpable that even the sound of a pebble falling to the ground might prompt her to draw her weapon.

When nothing unusual happened for some time, her nerves eased slightly. It wasn't until Ethan opened his eyes and took a few steps back, deliberately distancing himself from the Mother Box, that she finally let out a long, quiet breath.

"It does help with my magic," Ethan said, sounding both surprised and satisfied.

He was amazed to discover that his control over space-time energy had significantly improved after just a brief contact with the Mother Box.

Not only could he sense the energy within his body more clearly, but the energy's consumption rate had also decreased.

During his time on Paradise Island, Ethan had diligently trained to refine his control over space-time energy, which had already reduced its depletion rate considerably. Initially, he could only stay in this world for a month before being forcibly returned to the Sea of Calm due to running out of energy. But now, he estimated he could last an additional 20 days before hitting the minimum warning threshold.

After only a short interaction with the Mother Box, his time had increased by another ten days, extending his total stay in this world to nearly two months.

"What an incredible artifact," Ethan thought, marveling at its power.

He also had the distinct impression that his space-time orb, the mysterious device linked to his abilities had undergone subtle changes. However, with others present, it wasn't the right time to inspect it further.

Hippolyta had no way of knowing what had changed for Ethan, but seeing him retreat calmly without hesitation finally put her mind at ease.

Her grip on her sword's hilt loosened, and her tightly wound nerves began to relax. While she couldn't entirely rule out the possibility that Ethan might be connected to Darkseid, she could at least be certain he wouldn't make a move now.

"Well then, Your Majesty," Ethan said, his tone light but direct, "you didn't bring me here to see the Mother Box purely out of the kindness of your heart, did you? What is it that you need? If it's something within my power, I'll do my best to help."

Ethan was not the type to take advantage of someone's generosity without giving something in return. He understood that Hippolyta wouldn't have shown him the Mother Box without expecting something in exchange. He suspected this request would ultimately tie back to Diana.

Sure enough, Hippolyta explained her hope: she wanted Ethan to use the Mother Box to improve his magical abilities, or even to study its workings and develop a way to reliably locate it. This would allow Ethan to freely travel to and from this world in the future.

"Still worried about Ares?" Ethan asked.

It wasn't that he underestimated Ares, but the god of war had been soundly beaten by Diana, who had barely left the island and had little experience at the time. Ethan found it hard to take him seriously as a threat.

Even if Ares had managed to recover somewhat, defeating him would still be a relatively easy task now.

"No," Hippolyta said, shaking her head. "I'm worried about Darkseid."

Her answer caught Ethan off guard, leaving him momentarily stunned.

It was likely his arrival that had rekindled Hippolyta's awareness of Darkseid, a far more terrifying and dangerous existence than Ares. A being of such immense power, Darkseid had set his sights on Earth long ago.

Years of peace and isolation had dulled the Amazon Queen's vigilance, allowing her to subconsciously push the threat of Darkseid to the back of her mind. But now, with Ethan's presence serving as a stark reminder, she realized that even if Diana managed to defeat Ares, it wouldn't guarantee a peaceful life forever.

"Compared to Darkseid, Ares is nothing," Hippolyta said, her voice carrying a mix of bitterness and resolve.

She was right. Against a being like Darkseid, Ares was little more than a weak adversary, a mere mob in the grander scheme of things. Ethan finally understood why Hippolyta had made such a bold decision, even taking the risk of letting him interact with the Mother Box.

"She's trying to find a way out for Diana," Ethan thought.

Hippolyta didn't say as much, but her intentions became clear when she asked another question.

"If you could travel freely between this world and others, and if you were able to take Diana with you in times of danger... could you send her to a place where Darkseid wouldn't be able to find her?"

Ethan paused, considering the question carefully.

Darkseid did possess the ability to traverse multiple dimensions, but his reach was limited to the parallel worlds and multiverses within the DC framework. Ethan wasn't sure whether Darkseid could step outside that structure entirely.

"Maybe? Maybe not?" Ethan mused. He wasn't sure.

He regretted not being more familiar with DC comics in his past life, but in the end, it didn't matter.

"Even if he can travel between planes," Ethan said aloud, "it's nearly impossible to find someone in the endless expanse of the multiverse. The chances are slim to none."

***

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