DOTM (Moved)

"Maybe he'll have to wait a long time."

The silhouette of State Island slowly faded beyond the horizon. Ethan leaned against the railing of the poop deck, staring absently in the island's direction, lost in thought.

Arthur had heard Brent's parting words as well, but neither he nor Ethan had any intention of attempting the Sea of Storms anytime soon. How long they would remain in the Sea of Calm was still an open question.

"Theoretically, the longer we stay, the more resources we'll accumulate," Ethan said after a while, "and the easier it'll be to adjust when we finally reach the new sea areas."

But he also knew that wasn't the whole story. Staying too long in a place that no longer posed any challenge might erode his will to move forward.

"I'm not going to keep him waiting too long," Ethan said finally, his tone firm.

"Any specific plans?" Arthur asked.

Ethan shook his head without hesitation. "No clue at all!"

"…," Arthur sighed, feeling a mix of exasperation and amusement. Sometimes Ethan seemed like a meticulous, purpose-driven captain—an admirable role model. Other times, he acted so carelessly it was like dealing with an entirely different person.

"So, where are we heading now?" Arthur asked.

"Just drifting on the sea… Wherever the wind takes us," Ethan replied casually.

This time, Ethan had deliberately set off in a new direction, one he hadn't explored before. But unlike his previous voyages, where he had clear objectives, this trip lacked any concrete destination. Neither the Orb nor the island pointer had given him any clear guidance.

With no other options, Ethan decided to test various aspects of the Goddess of Dawn's performance. He experimented with speed under favorable winds, navigated against headwinds, and studied how to optimize the ship's efficiency under different conditions.

These practices weren't random. They were drawn from the navigation books Ethan had copied into the Book of Inheritance.

In the Sea of Calm, knowledge about sailing was typically passed down from experienced adventurers to novices. But Ethan hadn't gone through this process.

After leaving his home island, he had relied on his unique abilities to overcome challenges and quickly made his way to State Island, where he became an adventurer. While his father had taught him the basics of steering a sailboat during his childhood, that was as far as his knowledge went. He had no mentor to guide him in advanced sailing techniques and had been forced to learn everything on his own.

Even with an extensive library of information at his disposal, real-world practice was full of challenges. Fortunately, the Sea of Calm lived up to its name, its wind and wave conditions were mild enough for trial and error. Had he been on Earth's volatile seas, the Goddess of Dawn would have capsized long ago.

In addition to improving his sailing skills, Ethan continued his daily training regimen.

Rather than reducing his practice time during this voyage, Ethan had increased its intensity. His days were meticulously planned, with little room for idleness. Even at night, thanks to the magic stone-powered lights on the ship, he was able to read and study well into the evening.

Fishing, which had once been a regular activity, was now mostly abandoned. The ship was stocked with enough food to last months, and with just two people on board, it was more practical to use what they already had. Only when they grew tired of the stored provisions would they catch something fresh to improve their meals.

Since there were no other crew members, cooking duties had to be shared. Arthur, who had never cooked before, found himself developing basic culinary skills out of necessity.

Both Arthur and Ethan managed to prepare meals that were edible, though far from gourmet. The food was passable, just enough to fill their stomachs without aiming for anything luxurious.

"I think we should prioritize finding a cook before worrying about a doctor," Ethan joked one evening as they ate.

He glanced at the time-space pointer on his wrist, half-hoping for a reaction. But as usual, it remained still. The same was true for the island pointer, which swung back and forth in chaotic, aimless motions.

Compared to his earlier voyages, Ethan's luck this time seemed to have run dry.

"Well, people can't be lucky all the time," Ethan said with a shrug. "Maybe my luck was too good before, and this is just normal now."

He wasn't wrong. Floating islands in the Sea of Calm were notoriously difficult to find. If they were easily located, adventurers wouldn't struggle as much as they did to survive. Many spent months at sea, barely scraping by, living off minimal supplies while desperately searching for islands.

Countless adventurers, their resources depleted, would push on out of sheer desperation, hoping to discover an island before their supplies ran out, only to vanish without a trace.

Ethan's earlier voyages, where he quickly locked onto targets and even collected space-time energy, had been an anomaly. Such fortune couldn't last forever.

"Since we're not finding anything right now, let's take this time to consolidate what we've already gained."

Ethan had been making steady progress in several areas.

His studies, particularly in the magical improvements to language learning he had theorized about during his time in the biohazard world, had yielded noticeable results. Over the past few weeks, he had refined the knowledge transmission spell he was working on. Arthur had even volunteered to test it twice.

Arthur's feedback had been encouraging: "It's a little uncomfortable, but there are no lasting effects."

With confirmation that his direction was correct, Ethan continued to refine the spell. It was now in the stage of slow, incremental improvement and wouldn't take much longer to perfect.

In swordsmanship, his daily practice with Arthur, combined with Arthur's targeted guidance, had helped Ethan gradually eliminate his weaknesses. As their training sessions grew more intense, his skills steadily improved.

Ethan's spiritual power, the cornerstone of his training system and the key to his future achievements, was another focus of his efforts. He never neglected this area, incorporating daily rituals like meditation and breathing exercises to support his growth. For added intensity, he burned through at least one pack of cigarettes infused with magical properties every day. This steady practice had brought his spiritual power to the level of a true mage, though he was still just a beginner on this path.

These were all things he could practice on State Island. However, some skills weren't suitable for public spaces, like the use of the hot weapons he had brought back from the biohazard world.

"These weapons are incredible," Arthur had remarked.

During their time in the Resident Evil World, Arthur had witnessed many things that upended his worldview. After learning about modern warfare with Alice's help, he even began to wonder whether he should abandon traditional martial arts in favor of studying the so-called "scientific knowledge" behind these weapons.

From the perspective of a future ruler, Arthur reasoned, these weapons were far more valuable to a nation than a single highly skilled warrior.

Ethan had gently dispelled this line of thinking, explaining that with the technological level of Arthur's world, it was impossible to build an industrial system from scratch, no matter how smart or determined one might be. A complete industrial revolution required countless brilliant minds working together, alongside the infrastructure to support them.

Still, Ethan hadn't entirely dismissed Arthur's curiosity. Instead, he suggested that they might encounter similar worlds in the future, where Arthur could gather more information. Ethan also encouraged him to slowly organize practical plans that could be implemented in his own world once he returned.

"I'll help, of course," Ethan had said. "I've got plenty of 'experience' with this sort of thing."

He'd even offered a concrete suggestion: "Start with something simple. Collect information about crops like potatoes, corn, and sweet potatoes, and how to grow them. That alone would make your country far stronger."

Arthur had immediately understood the significance of such crops after researching them. With renewed determination, he resolved to follow Ethan to new worlds, confident he'd discover more game-changing resources like potatoes, corn, and sweet potatoes.

Now, on the Goddess of Dawn, Arthur dismantled the pistol he had just fired, cleaning and maintaining it with practiced ease before putting it away. His movements were smooth and efficient, as if he'd been using firearms for years. Watching him, it was hard to believe he and Ethan had started learning about guns at the same time.

"You're not fully in control of your body," Arthur explained.

Arthur's training had reached a level where he could control his body with precision, allowing him to master such tasks much faster than Ethan.

"How long would it take me to reach that level at my current pace?" Ethan asked.

Arthur thought for a moment before shaking his head. "It's hard to say. It depends on talent, really."

Ethan sighed. Talent wasn't something he could change. He turned his attention to the target they had set up, a makeshift bullseye positioned on the bow, about ten meters away.

Ethan could hit the target with every shot, but his accuracy wasn't great. Meanwhile, Arthur consistently landed near the bullseye.

"Unfortunately, ammunition is limited," Ethan said with some frustration. "We can only afford to use a little for practice. Otherwise, I'd spend hours making up for my lack of talent through sheer repetition."

Though his natural aptitude for firearms was mediocre, Ethan's optimism remained intact. His luck had been good so far, and with the time-space pointer at his disposal, he had high hopes for the future.

Out of habit, Ethan summoned the Space-time Orb, glancing at it casually. This time, it didn't display the usual "searching" message. Instead, three arrows appeared, pointing firmly in the same direction.

"There's a target!" Ethan exclaimed, his spirits lifting.

After three months of aimless drifting at sea, consolidating his progress, and edging closer to boredom, the Orb had finally given him a new lead.

"I wonder what kind of world it'll be this time?"