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By now, Diana had grown so comfortable around Ethan that she even wiped her greasy hands on his pants without a second thought. Her expression remained perfectly neutral, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

She also no longer hesitated to ask him personal questions. Whenever something crossed her mind, she'd blurt it out directly.

"Can you stay here for a long time this time?"

Compared to his last visit, when he'd barely managed to stay for half a year, Ethan's situation had improved significantly. The magic circle on his left hand still contained a considerable amount of time-space energy. Based on the energy consumption rate from last time, he could probably stay for more than six months this time.

But deep down, he had a nagging feeling that he wouldn't be able to.

That, however, wasn't the real reason for his contemplative mood. The truth was that staying here no longer served much purpose.

Diana's training was essentially complete. From this point on, her growth would depend on her own dedication and the effort she put into practicing the techniques he had taught her. He could offer occasional advice, but her future progress lay squarely in her own hands.

The endless combat drills had also begun to lose their effectiveness. While Diana's rapid growth continued to challenge him, Ethan had already pushed his current potential to its limits. He was brushing against the ceiling of his abilities, and without a breakthrough, no amount of sparring would help him improve further.

His research into divine power had also hit a dead end. He had been too ambitious, trying to grasp a force far beyond his current capabilities. At this stage, he couldn't even glean basic insights from observing divine power, let alone analyze or manipulate it. The only thing he had learned was to not recklessly interact with such high-level energy, lest he end up destroying everything he had built.

"You've seen how strong I am by now," Ethan said. "And you've probably noticed the problem I'm facing."

Diana thought back to their countless sparring sessions. As her combat skills improved, she had started to feel less pressured by Ethan's tactics. He hadn't unveiled any new techniques recently, and her growing strength made his existing ones less threatening.

"You're stuck… a bottleneck?"

"Exactly." Ethan didn't bother sugarcoating it. "You've probably noticed that my physical fitness isn't great. Even after years of training and fighting, I've only barely surpassed the level of a normal human."

Diana nodded. She had certainly noticed. Compared to the Amazons on Paradise Island, Ethan's physical condition was unimpressive. Without his magic, a single punch from her would incapacitate him. Yet, paradoxically, he was the only person on the island who could keep up with her when she went all out. The thought alone made her marvel again at the mysteries of magic.

"So, what are you planning to do?"

Ethan glanced at Diana's curious expression. She genuinely seemed eager to know how he intended to overcome this obstacle. After all, in her view, the limitations of one's body were determined by one's bloodline. With no divine heritage, how could Ethan possibly hope to break through his human constraints?

"Can my divine power help you?" she asked.

Ethan blinked in surprise. He hadn't expected her to suggest that.

"Help me? With divine power?"

Diana nodded. "I read in one of the books from home that gods can grant mortals special abilities. Some can even alter their bloodline or race entirely. I thought maybe I could do that someday."

Ethan's excitement quickly faded.

"When you've fully mastered your divine power and evolved from a demigod into a true god, maybe you'll be able to do something like that," he said, shaking his head. "But even if you could, I wouldn't want that. It would mean becoming your subordinate, a lesser god beneath you. My strength would always have a limit."

Diana's expression faltered, and Ethan immediately softened his tone.

"But I appreciate the thought. Really. And I do have a plan to get through this bottleneck. It just requires a bit of luck."

"Luck?"

Ethan nodded. His luck had served him well so far, but obtaining the materials he needed to surpass his human limitations was proving tricky. He knew of substances that could help like the drug from Lucy or the Blood Orchid but he had yet to encounter them in his travels.

The simplest way to find such resources was to continue visiting new planes. The more worlds he explored, the higher the chance of coming across materials capable of fundamentally enhancing his physical abilities. Even if he couldn't find those specific ones, something like Captain America's super-soldier serum would achieve the same effect.

And if his luck ran dry?

Well, there was always a backup plan: he could ask Tony Stark to help him acquire samples of Captain America's blood, the Hulk's genetic material, or even Extremis serum. All three contained genetic modifications that could strengthen his body significantly.

And if that failed, he could still resort to more esoteric methods. There were magical techniques that could extend one's life and enhance physical strength, albeit with steep costs, as the Ancient One had demonstrated by tapping into forbidden energies.

"Need my help?" Diana asked, striking a confident pose, one she'd learned from Ethan himself. "You know I'm strong."

"I'll let you know if I need you." Ethan smiled. He didn't dismiss the offer outright. Who knew what the future held? Having Diana as backup might one day make the difference.

Diana's face lit up instantly. For all her strength and combat skills, she was still a young girl at heart.

"But before that, I might need to leave for a while," Ethan continued.

"Where to?"

"Another world."

That was what Ethan had been pondering all along. His time-space energy reserves were still abundant, and he had no compelling reason to stay here any longer. This was the perfect opportunity to test whether he could travel directly to a new plane without first returning to his original world.

Diana's mood shifted immediately.

She had assumed Ethan would stick around longer this time. She had been so excited about their continued training and his involvement in her growth that she hadn't considered he might leave again.

Still, she knew better than to argue. Ethan needed to leave to grow stronger, and staying here would only slow him down. So she bit back her disappointment and said nothing.

"I won't be gone long," Ethan promised.

With his increased mastery of time-space energy, returning to Paradise Island would become easier. He might not be able to control the exact timing, but he was confident it wouldn't take decades like before.

"Promise?"

"I promise."

Once Ethan made a decision, he acted on it without delay.

That very night, he finished organizing his belongings. By the next morning, he was ready to leave. Hippolyta, having learned the news from Diana, came specifically to see him off.

"You're leaving so soon?"

"It's not really that sudden," Ethan replied. "Everything I could do here has been done. From here on, it's all up to Diana."

He turned to Diana and pointed at the object she was holding.

"This was made specifically for you. It doesn't just condense your divine power into a blade, there's a lot more to it. I look forward to seeing how much of its potential you've unlocked the next time we meet."

The battle cross Ethan had crafted for Diana was uniquely tailored to her. It was far more advanced than the one he used himself. Hippolyta had provided many rare and precious materials for its construction, and Ethan had poured all his current knowledge and skills into creating it.

The design seamlessly blended Amazonian aesthetics with subtle touches of Greek mythology, resulting in a weapon that was both elegant and deadly. Its feminine grace didn't detract from its lethality—instead, it gave the weapon a distinct character that suited Diana perfectly.

However, the beauty of the battle cross was just the surface. Its true strength lay in its functionality.

While it could form a divine energy blade, allowing Diana to use it like a traditional sword, the weapon also served as a tool to train her energy control.

Right now, when Diana wielded the battle cross, the golden energy forming the blade shone brightly, almost like a glowing tube. This brightness indicated inefficiency, too much energy was being wasted. With continued practice, the glow would gradually dim, eventually disappearing entirely while retaining its sharpness. That would signify Diana's mastery of her divine power, ensuring minimal energy loss.

In the most advanced state, the blade would only materialize at the moment of impact. Outside of attacks, the energy would remain dormant, completely invisible.

What Diana didn't know, however, was that the battle cross wasn't limited to sword form. Ethan had incorporated several other modes into the design: it could shift into a long whip, a chain, or even a bow. Each mode required a different application of energy control, making the weapon a versatile training tool.

Ethan hadn't just given Diana instructions and advice, he had poured immense effort and resources into her growth. Ironically, her battle cross was far superior to his own, which had only received a basic upgrade for durability and strength.

"Next time we meet, I'll have a surprise for you," Diana said confidently.

"I'm looking forward to it."

After saying goodbye to Diana and Hippolyta, Ethan left quietly. He didn't make a grand farewell or attract unnecessary attention, his departure was as subtle as his arrival had been.

The blue glow of the teleportation circle lit up the area. Hippolyta and Diana stood side by side, watching as Ethan vanished into the shimmering vortex. They exchanged a silent glance, both looking forward to his eventual return.

Ethan's mood, however, was far less optimistic.

As the light of the spell faded and his surroundings came into view, he found himself staring at a familiar room. His face immediately darkened, and he cursed under his breath.

He had returned to his hotel room on the central island.

So much for testing if I could travel directly from one plane to another…

***

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