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

Chapter 256: Chapter 256: Arcane Spring



After admiring himself in the mirror for a moment, Ethan looked at the magic set placed beside him.

The cloak was in tatters, with only the hood still intact. However, after inspecting it, Ethan found that only half of the face-concealing enchantment remained. The rest of the magic had already failed. The item was now nothing more than a rag.

Although the outfit didn't look too bad on the surface—just a little worn—the defensive magic circles embedded in it had been completely destroyed and were beyond repair.

Once a magic item is damaged, it's impossible to rebuild the magic circle, as the internal structure becomes riddled with holes. Even if the outfit could still be worn, its durability was less than that of a basic cloth garment sold on the street.

In comparison, these two items weren't the worst off. At least they had fulfilled their mission and perished in battle.

The real tragedy was the pair of boots.

Ethan looked down at his bare feet. He had truly overlooked the fact that physical development would also affect foot size. Foot size usually stabilizes early on. Even if height changes later, unless the growth is drastic, foot size generally doesn't change much.

He wasn't sure if it was the effect of his potion, but during his time in Azeroth, not only had he grown taller, his feet had also gotten bigger.

Although the increase wasn't dramatic, the shoes that had once fit perfectly were now too tight. Combined with the long journey and numerous battles, the boots had become severely worn.

He had originally intended to repair them properly, but the size issue couldn't be solved. Now, they could only be declared scrap. He doubted anyone on the ship would be interested in picking up his worn-out shoes.

Adding to that were the bracers, which had become practically useless, and the combat cross, whose power was increasingly insufficient. The meticulously crafted set had finally reached the end of its service.

Ethan looked around and found that only the belt was still barely usable. However, with his continued use of the Cosmic Cube's spatial energy to expand the storage ring—now successfully expanded to two cubic meters—the belt would soon be phased out as well.

"A whole set of equipment, all scrapped."

There was no sense of attachment. Since he began sailing, he had lost count of how many sets of equipment he had replaced. He had even changed ships several times, so this set meant little.

Moreover, compared to the equipment he originally obtained from the Diablo world, this set held no sentimental value. It was experimental from the start. The fact that it had accompanied him through so many battles for so long already meant it had served its purpose well.

Packing up the items, Ethan didn't plan to keep them as souvenirs, nor did he intend to leave them in Azeroth. Even if he had to destroy them, he would do it in a safe place. He completely disassembled the items into fragments or raw materials. Even if they had no value for reuse, he didn't want anyone to use them to uncover the details of his magic.

In the days that followed, Ethan didn't stay in his room to train. His strength had increased too rapidly recently, and he needed time to consolidate it.

He wasn't worried that the sudden surge in power would destabilize his foundation, because this growth was the result of long-term accumulation finally reaching a qualitative change. What he chose to consolidate was his mindset.

"A significant increase in strength can lead to mental inflation, giving the illusion of omnipotence. If this mindset isn't well controlled, it's easy to fall into ruin."

Facing Anduin's question, Ethan simply explained his actions.

The young prince didn't fully understand Ethan's words yet, but his father, Varian, nodded in agreement and told his son to remember the sentence, even if he couldn't comprehend it for now.

"Are you preparing to leave?"

Ethan had come to see Varian mainly to say goodbye. He had stayed in Azeroth for a long time and gained quite a lot here.

Although there were still many goals he hadn't achieved and some valuable things he hadn't obtained—like information on Death Knight magic—there wasn't enough time left for him to complete those tasks, so he decisively chose to give up.

He could consider gathering that information next time he came, but he didn't know when that would be. He wasn't planning to return to Azeroth anytime soon, and with his subconscious deliberately avoiding it, random teleportation wouldn't bring him back either.

Facing Varian, the king of Stormwind whose fate wasn't particularly favorable, Ethan didn't say much. Given the situation Varian was in, even if Ethan had warned him in advance, it would have been hard to change the king's decisions.

As for the young Prince Anduin? He had previously considered coaxing Anduin aboard his ship, trying to build a connection with the prince of Stormwind, possibly securing a reliable 'port' in Azeroth for the future.

But during this period, he realized the idea was impractical. Varian would never hand his son over to a 'stranger' like him.

Varian was not like the Merlin he had encountered before. That Merlin had absolute confidence that even if something went wrong, he could instantly arrive and rescue Arthur. That was why he had no fear allowing the young Arthur to adventure with him.

Moreover, this prince's personality seemed more aligned with Jaina Proudmoore's neutral stance. Before experiencing the profound change of losing his father, there was a significant difference in values between him and Ethan. Forcing the two together would likely lead to conflict. Ethan had no intention of trying to change the future king's mindset—that would be a thankless and difficult task.

"I've been here long enough. We'll leave once everything is packed."

Watching the canal water slowly flow, Varian didn't say anything to make him stay.

Although Ethan had helped him recover his memory and kill the black dragon Onyxia, Ethan was ultimately a visitor from another world. That identity alone made Varian wary. No matter what, he could not trust Ethan as much as he trusted Valeera or Broll.

Ethan leaving actually brought him a sense of relief. He no longer needed to worry about Ethan causing unexpected trouble and threatening Stormwind's safety.

Furthermore, Varian was aware that many nobles in the kingdom wanted to deal with Ethan after the Onyxia incident. Some had even taken concrete action, but he had secretly blocked them.

The reason was simple, he couldn't predict what this foreign mage would do if provoked.

Before leaving Stormwind and returning to Theramore, Jaina Proudmoore had specifically warned him not to trust Ethan too much, but also not to offend him unnecessarily. Ethan's power was terrifying, and it was unclear whether even more powerful forces stood behind him.

Inexplicably provoking such a person, who knew if it would bring about another entity like the Burning Legion? Azeroth already had enough problems. Since Ethan had shown goodwill, there was no need to turn him into an enemy.

Even if only for the sake of Stormwind's safety, Varian had to ensure Ethan wasn't troubled by those fools. Thankfully, once the king returned, Stormwind Intelligence had resumed its proper role, intercepting and eliminating several foolish assassins, and secretly warning a few scheming nobles. That was why Ethan had been able to train peacefully for so long.

What Varian didn't know was that Ethan was well aware of those nobles' actions. Although Varian appeared quite friendly, Ethan never let his guard down. The fact that Stormwind Intelligence agents were monitoring him couldn't possibly escape his notice—he simply pretended not to see it.

In any case, both sides got what they wanted, and the cooperation could be considered fairly pleasant. Sometimes, things didn't need to be spelled out too clearly. Now that he had come to say goodbye, he didn't know when they would meet again, or even if they would.

"In any case, thank you for your warm hospitality during this time."

"Stormwind will always be grateful for your assistance, sir. You will forever be a friend of the Stormwind Kingdom, and you're welcome to visit again anytime."

Ethan's journey in Azeroth had officially come to an end. As the familiar teleportation magic array activated and then closed, Ethan and the others returned to the violently rocking Goddess of Dawn.

Suddenly shifting from stable land to a turbulent sea, everyone felt unwell. They were tossed around and dizzy for quite some time before gradually adjusting.

"I almost forgot I came to Azeroth in the first place because I couldn't stand the rocking of the sea."

No one wanted to talk. The rocking was simply too intense. After standing still to recover, they each returned to their rooms.

No one was in the mood to chat. Everyone had gained something from their time in Azeroth and needed time to sort through it.

Ethan had even more to deal with. He had to dispose of the scrapped magic set, along with a large pile of raw materials and energy brought back from Azeroth—especially the Holy Light energy. He planned to use Azeroth's Holy Light as a reference to refine his own version, absorbing its strengths and possibly eliminating some of its weaknesses.

Although he didn't plan to make the Holy Light his next primary energy attribute, it was extremely useful in many situations, so he certainly wouldn't ignore it.

"Should I craft another staff?"

After his previous staff was destroyed in battle, Ethan hadn't crafted a new one. This time, he had brought back a large quantity of materials from Azeroth, and it would be a waste not to use them.

Moreover, he already had an idea in mind. He hadn't started crafting it in Azeroth due to a lack of time, and because some of the materials he needed had been left on the ship.

Now that he was back aboard and had all the materials ready, the staff he had named Arcane Spring could finally begin to take shape.

(To be continued.)

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