Drift Of The Multiverse: [Marvel] [Resident Evil] [DC] [Bleach] [DB] Chapter 27

A magical tool that could store knowledge and information?

Ethan's request wasn't unreasonable. In fact, many magicians had similar tools. However, Ethan added an extra requirent: the tool needed to be capable of "absorbing" or "copying" new books or materials he obtained so that he could review them later.

"Oh, that's an interesting idea," rlin replied. "But I'll need to study how it could be implented."

For a magician of rlin's caliber, their imnse ntal power granted them an almost perfect mory. Even unfamiliar information could be morized and retained flawlessly in a short ti, making tools like this unnecessary for soone like him.

But Ethan was far from reaching that level. For soone like him, a magical tool to manage and store knowledge was essential.

Unlike many mages, Ethan didn't have the luxury of a fixed residence where he could build a library to store all his collected books. Based on the environnt Ethan had described before, carrying and storing books was clearly going to be an ongoing problem. And now, with his need to acquire and study even more books, the issue had beco one of his biggest headaches.

"It'd be helpful if I had a clear example to work from," rlin said, pondering.

Ethan knew the perfect example. Back in his previous life, he had used tablet computers, an incredibly convenient tool for managing information. He had even considered trying to replicate sothing similar, powered by magic stones. Such a device, if built, might even surpass the tablets he rembered.

The problem, of course, was that Ethan knew next to nothing about how to work with magic stones. For now, this was rely a backup plan for the distant future.

Instead, Ethan turned his attention to sothing rlin could directly use as a reference: his wristband, a device that recorded information.

"How about this?" Ethan asked, handing the wristband over to rlin.

"Oh?" rlin examined the slim white strip. It was an unassuming item, usually hidden under Ethan's wrist guards, which explained why rlin hadn't noticed it earlier.

Now that he was holding it, rlin imdiately recognized its unique qualities. "Interesting," he said. "Using this as a reference, I should be able to co up with so ideas fairly quickly."

At that mont, Ethan rembered the magic stone he still had. Unsure whether its attributes aligned with rlin's needs, he handed it over as well, hoping it might help.

rlin's eyes lit up the mont he saw the magic stone. Without another word, he grabbed the wristband and the stone and disappeared into his laboratory, completely engrossed in his work.

Ethan stood there, montarily taken aback. It was a reminder that, even as a legendary magician, rlin still had the eccentricities common among his peers. When sothing piqued his interest, everything else seed to fade into the background.

Arthur, who had been quietly observing, explained with a polite smile, "When rlin becos fascinated with sothing, he tends to focus on it completely, often ignoring everything else around him. Please don't take it personally."

"Oh, I don't mind," Ethan replied, waving his hand dismissively. "I was just wondering how long it might take for him to make the tool I need."

Arthur, confident in rlin's abilities, responded firmly, "It won't take long. You can trust in his skills."

With nothing else to do, the two began chatting. Since they would be working together in the future—exploring worlds across different planes, it was a good opportunity to get to know each other better.

Arthur, despite his mature deanor, was still a teenager—only fourteen years old—making him much younger than Ethan. His slender fra and voice, which had only recently begun changing, made his youth even more apparent. Compared to Ethan, Arthur seed small and fragile, which left Ethan feeling like he might end up as a babysitter.

Arthur, however, was no ordinary teenager. As the son of a king, he had received a privileged upbringing. Even though circumstances had kept him away from the castle, rlin had taken him in and provided him with a well-rounded education.

Noticing Ethan's subtle smiles during their conversation, Arthur quickly deduced what he was thinking.

"I'll tell you what," Arthur said, proposing a sparring match.

Ethan raised an eyebrow.

"We've got ti to kill, and this is as good a way to get to know each other as any. Besides," Arthur added, "if we're going to be partners, it's important to understand each other's abilities. In a crisis, we need to know who can handle what. Otherwise, how will we know whether to trust our teammates to handle sothing alone or if we need to step in to help?"

Ethan couldn't argue with that logic. Nodding, he agreed to Arthur's challenge.

And then…

The result was embarrassing for Ethan.

Arthur might have been young, but he was no ordinary fourteen-year-old. Though he'd lived away from the royal court, rlin had personally overseen his training from a young age. Over more than a decade, Arthur had built a solid foundation in both physical combat and magical techniques.

Ethan, by comparison, was woefully underprepared. A self-taught mage apprentice with a malnourished childhood, Ethan had only recently begun practicing basic swordsmanship. What little he knew of lee combat had been taught to him by a priest in passing.

First, he'd been beaten by rlin. Now, young Arthur was thoroughly thrashing him. Ethan couldn't help but feel dejected.

Fortunately, Arthur's combat experience was still limited. His youth ant he lacked physical strength compared to adults, and he had little real-world battle experience. By exploiting these weaknesses, Ethan managed to win a few rounds later in their sparring session, salvaging so of his pride.

"You have a solid foundation."

"Your foundation is terrible."

The two spent most of the day sparring, and, unsurprisingly, verbal jabs flew freely during their bouts. Each tried to distract the other, their words growing bolder as they got caught up in the heat of the match.

"I've only been practicing swordsmanship for a few months and all of that has been self-taught," Ethan admitted.

Arthur nodded in understanding. Given those circumstances, Ethan's diocre skills made sense. On top of that, Ethan was primarily a mage, which ant he'd likely spent more ti studying magic than honing his swordsmanship.

"Considering that, it's impressive you've reached the level you have," Arthur said sincerely.

Ethan gave a wry smile. He wasn't so sure about that. His progress might have seed quick, but that could just be due to his lack of a proper foundation. He suspected he'd hit a bottleneck soon, one caused by his limited physical strength and natural talent. His growth, already stunted by his childhood environnt, would only beco harder to maintain.

anwhile, Arthur, despite being only fourteen, wasn't much weaker than Ethan physically. Once Arthur matured and his body fully developed, Ethan doubted he'd stand a chance against him in a head-to-head clash.

"Maybe you should think about finding a way to improve your physical fitness," Arthur suggested.

Ethan considered this carefully. The worlds he might explore in the future were unknown.

A better ship would be one way to survive the challenges ahead, but a stronger body would also be a crucial asset.

Another factor weighed on Ethan's mind: longevity.

Now that he had the ability to travel between worlds, the possibility of extending his lifespan was no longer just a dream. Immortality might be out of reach, but living far beyond the years of an ordinary human seed plausible.

Ti, however, moved differently across worlds. Ethan realized he could easily find himself aging too quickly while caught up in his travels. If he didn't address the issue, he might die of old age before achieving his goals.

"That would be such a waste," he muttered to himself.

Ethan's seemingly aimless actions often hid deeper intentions. He constantly evaluated his priorities, adjusting his plans based on the unpredictable circumstances he faced.

His initial focus had been survival: improving his strength to ensure he could protect himself. That goal was mostly complete.

Next ca finding a systematic thod for advancing his magical training. eting rlin had provided a much-needed breakthrough on that front.

As for the magical tool to store knowledge and materials, that was more of a side quest, one that rlin had already taken on.

With those two priorities nearly resolved, Ethan's next focus would undoubtedly be physical fitness and longevity.

The idea of extending his lifespan had been in the back of his mind ever since he discovered his ability to traverse planes. However, his imdiate need for safety had taken precedence, forcing him to shelve the thought.

Now, with the issue of physical limitations brought to the forefront, Ethan was reexamining the matter of longevity.

"Many worlds offer ways to extend a person's lifespan," Ethan mused. "The real problem is whether I'll be able to visit those worlds."

For now, his best option was to take things one step at a ti, while continuing to work hard toward becoming a mage.

In Ethan's mind, many mages likely possessed thods to extend their lives, whether through ancient texts or Personal breakthroughs achieved during observation of the mysteries of magic. He believed that, as long as his magical skills advanced enough, he would eventually solve the problem of longevity on his own.

Physical fitness, however, presented a bigger challenge. Improving his body could enhance his vitality, boost his combat abilities, and give him a greater sense of security in dangerous situations.

Unfortunately, there were no shortcuts to building physical strength. For now, persistent training was his only option.

This ti, though, Ethan had a teacher—a very special one. The future legendary King of Britain: Arthur Pendragon.

Arthur, for his part, seed to enjoy playing the role of instructor. Nearly every day at dawn, he dragged Ethan out of bed and subjected him to the sa grueling training regin he had endured as a child.

"Wait a second," Ethan said after three days of relentless practice. "Are you telling this is the sa training you did when you were eight years old?"

Arthur's sunny deanor faltered for a mont, and for the first ti, he looked a little sheepish.

"Well," Arthur admitted, rubbing the back of his head, "I did make so… adjustnts. The original regin wasn't this intense. I was too young to handle this level of training back then."

"...Seriously?"

Ethan tilted his head back and stared at the sky, incredulous. The "kindhearted" young King Arthur, with his honest face and noble bearing, had turned out to be a mischievous little scher.

Unfortunately for Ethan, he didn't have much ti to dwell on his revelation. Just as his disbelief started to fade, rlin erged from his laboratory for the first ti in days.

The legendary magician looked pleased with himself as he approached, and the good news he brought made Ethan's frustrations vanish instantly.

"The tool you asked for," rlin said with a satisfied smile, "is ready."