The temperature gradually rose above zero. Although it wasn't as warm as before, the cooler air now felt more comfortable.
Ethan looked up at the sky. The sun had begun to set, and it was no longer suitable to continue sailing, so he went ahead and prepared dinner. The two others on the boat weren't picky eaters, anything that filled their stomachs was fine but their appetites were far from small. They ate much more than Ethan, who was still in his growth phase.
Logan explained that his body seemed to need a huge amount of energy. The only way to cope was to keep eating. He could feel that with sufficient food, rest, and proper exercise, his body was gradually returning to its peak state.
"It shouldn't be long now."
Logan moved different parts of his body slightly, observing the state of his muscles. It had been years since he felt this full of power. Even if his body had returned to its peak, it would still take some time to readjust.
"So when you fought your clones before, you could only use 70% of your strength?"
"Seventy percent?" Logan shook his head. "Not even half."
Logan was a veteran who had fought in the First World War, the Second World War, and the Vietnam War. He possessed incredibly rich combat experience. He'd learned various fighting techniques and honed them on countless battlefields.
Though the movie version portrayed him as somewhat weaker, his combat experience remained extensive. The Logan from the old trilogy had amnesia, so he hadn't been able to exert his full strength. The current version, however, retained all his memories, he was simply confined to a weakened body.
Now, having recovered from that period of weakness, he had returned to his peak. Though it wasn't as if he'd broken through some barrier like in martial arts novels, he had gained a new understanding of power control. In terms of close combat, Logan was likely the strongest person Ethan had encountered so far.
So, during this time, as Logan gradually adapted to the new world and learned various navigation skills, he took on a new role—guiding Ethan in melee combat. This included not only weapon training but also hand-to-hand combat. They also conducted sparring sessions to help Ethan build real combat experience.
After undergoing actual combat training with Diana on Paradise Island and tapping into most of his potential, Ethan had now hit a bottleneck. Under Logan's careful guidance, he had reached a point where he was fully tapped out. To continue improving, he would need to gain more real-world experience and find ways to enhance his physical capabilities.
"Improve physical fitness? Break through the limits of the human body? Is that even possible?"
"It's just about improving physical ability not immortality."
Logan gave him a familiar look. "Are all wizards monsters?"
Ethan wanted to refute him, but thinking of the top-tier wizards he knew, it didn't seem inaccurate. He could only swallow his words. He was also slowly realizing he might be a little monster himself. He just hoped he wouldn't end up being taken down by some self-righteous hero.
That said, it wasn't clear whether those so-called heroes were targeting Ethan right now. Wolverine, on the other hand, was more inclined to beat him up mainly because Ethan had drawn his blood several times, saying bluntly that he wanted to study Logan's healing factor.
Ethan's idea was solid.
The potions he created involved extracting certain "concepts" from specific substances and then amplifying them into a potion.
So, could he extract the "self-healing" ability from Wolverine's healing factor? If he could obtain Wolverine's regenerative abilities, it would not only extend his lifespan but also significantly enhance his recovery capabilities.
Unfortunately, either his thinking was flawed or his ability wasn't strong enough. After two months of trial and error, he had to rely on data stolen from the research institute, combining it with the recovery potion formula found within. By mixing it with part of the healing factor, he was able to create a few vials of side-effect-free life-saving potion.
Logan had seen with his own eyes how Ethan used his blood, then configured the potion from scratch using that concept and formula. He now felt that magic was more magical than ever. Somehow, through such a seemingly chaotic process, Ethan actually created a viable potion.
"How effective is this stuff? Any side effects?"
Ethan wasn't entirely satisfied with the result, but it was much stronger than the previous cigar version. And besides, all the cigars had been used up. Logan had cleaned out the entire stock.
"There are no side effects. After drinking it, it's like having your peak-period self-healing ability."
"Once?" Logan focused on the number of uses, trying to understand what "once" actually meant.
"Yes, it activates as soon as you drink it. No matter how badly injured you are, as long as you're still breathing, you'll be fully restored."
"But it only restores your body to its healthiest state, and the effect gradually fades afterward."
So in theory, the best time to use it was when one was critically injured. That way, the potion could bring the user back to full health at the last moment and maximize its effect. It wouldn't store any leftover healing energy in your body if the injuries weren't severe—that was a problem Ethan hadn't been able to solve. If he ever could, then granting himself long-term self-healing wouldn't be out of reach.
"Sounds good enough already."
Dr. Rice had also developed a recovery potion, but its effectiveness was far inferior to Ethan's version and it came with heavy side effects. Small doses had almost no effect, while large doses caused people to enter a frenzied state. Unless there were no other options, no one used that stuff.
"What's this potion called?"
"How about 'Big Health Potion'?" Ethan thought for a while. Calling it a resurrection potion didn't seem appropriate. After thinking it over, that name seemed most fitting. But judging from Logan's expression, he clearly didn't like the name, so Ethan quickly changed the subject.
"Oh right, these are for you and Laura. You should wear them all the time."
"These look like... belts?"
"Yeah, they're belts."
Logan didn't believe Ethan would just hand over ordinary belts, especially when he specifically said they were for him and Laura. That meant the belts must have special functions, so he waited quietly for an explanation.
While tidying up the cluttered desktop, Ethan explained the belts' functions.
They were actually improved versions of the battle belts he and Arthur used before. Aside from the fewer and more discreet storage slots for "gear," the belts' biggest role was to act as life preservers for Logan and Laura.
"Life preservers?"
At first, Logan was confused, but then he realized: both he and Laura had Adamantium in their bodies. If they fell into the sea, they'd sink straight to the bottom.
"Don't expect too much. These belts will just barely allow you and Laura to act like normal people. You'll still need to learn how to swim if you want to avoid drowning… not that you two can actually drown, right?"
"Trust me, it's better than just dying."
These were good items, and for Wolverine, they were even more valuable than those vials of potion, especially in a world filled with oceans. If he ever fell into the sea, climbing back up from the bottom would be no easy task.
He had just taken out two bottles of potion, one for himself and one for Laura, to prepare for emergencies. But the belt was held tightly in his hand, as if anyone trying to take it from him would have to fight him to the death.
In the following days, Ethan's main challenge was teaching Logan and Laura how to use the belt. He had overlooked a major issue—unlike Arthur, Logan and Laura were different.
Although Arthur was a knight, he had grown up under Merlin's tutelage. Trained by a top magician like Merlin, Arthur was no stranger to spiritual power, even if he couldn't wield it as freely as a true mage.
But these two had absolutely no concept of how to use mental power and the tools Ethan made required mental power to activate.
In fact, when certain parts of the body are used, mental power is naturally invoked. For example, when exercising, you not only expend physical strength but also energy. So as long as one masters the method, there's no problem with ordinary people being able to use it. Some people grasp it quickly, while others need time.
Laura picked it up very quickly, perhaps it had something to do with her youth. Ethan explained it to her once, and she was able to learn it with ease.
Logan was a bit more troublesome, and Ethan didn't have a better solution. He could only have him train every day and develop his physical instincts. Once the instincts kicked in, there wouldn't be any more issues.
"Doesn't seem like magic is that magical after all…"
Ethan looked at Logan, speechless at his disgruntled expression. He could only pretend he hadn't heard it. It wasn't that he had made a device that ordinary people couldn't use—he had just ignored the issue before. He certainly wasn't going to tell Logan that he could modify the belt to make it easier to use. He'd just let this guy practice slowly.
At the moment, his attention was on the space-time orb, which had remained still for a long time and had finally pointed in a clear direction. With the course confirmed, their next target was naturally locked onto the Sinking Island. Ethan was looking forward to reaching the first Sinking Island on the route. What kind of island would it be? What might be on it? Ideally, it would allow them to replenish some supplies. Otherwise, if the voyage continued for too long, they'd be forced to turn back.
Even if drinking water wasn't a concern, food supplies definitely were.
But when they finally saw the first island on the route and circled around it for a while, Ethan couldn't make any expression other than a wry smile.
"Seems like there's nothing here… other than grass?"
(To be continued.)