Chapter 255: Becoming a Reality Step by Step

Ethan took his promises very seriously. Although most of his previous promises were made to appease Loki, who liked to stir up trouble, once a promise was made, he had to keep it.

Since there had been no suitable options before, he could only give Loki vague guidance using treasures Loki already possessed. Now that he had the proper materials to help Loki grow stronger, Ethan immediately made his stance clear.

As long as there were suitable items that could enhance Loki's strength, Ethan would uphold his promise and hand them over to him.

Loki glanced again at the bottle in his hand. He wasn't worried that Ethan was trying to deceive him. After spending time together, he had developed a clear understanding of Ethan's character.

"Thank you very much."

Loki was the Prince of Asgard and had received strict etiquette training since childhood. Even the seemingly reckless Thor could act like a true noble gentleman when the occasion required.

It was just that, most of the time, the Asgardian gods didn't place much importance on formalities, which led many to mistakenly view them as a group of crude individuals.

Ethan nodded to Loki and didn't linger. He knew Loki didn't want him staying to watch whether he drank the potion.

He had made the item and handed it to Loki. This was something Loki deserved. Whether or not to use it, when, and how—those were all Loki's decisions.

As a mage, Loki had his own methods for assessing the potion's effects and usage. Even if he didn't use it the way Ethan suggested, there was no concern about it being wasted.

Returning to his room, Ethan closed the door and continued what he had been working on for some time—analyzing elemental crystals.

Azeroth had many elemental forces, including elemental creatures of various attributes. Ethan wasn't interested in the creatures themselves, but in what they left behind after death—elemental crystals of various elements.

These crystals contained pure elemental power. Remembering their usefulness, Ethan had asked Varian for a large number of elemental crystals to help him analyze and master elemental forces.

He wasn't greedy and only chose water and fire elements, which he had the best grasp of. He was close to fully mastering both, with only one final threshold left.

Once he crossed that threshold, he would fully understand these two elements, and his spiritual power would begin to carry those attributes. His magic would then naturally possess dual elemental affinity, making it easier and faster to cast water and fire spells.

To illustrate: when casting a fireball, he currently had to circulate spiritual power, mobilize his magic, adjust the energy composition to match fire attributes, and then construct and cast the spell.

But once he mastered fire element characteristics, and his magic naturally carried the fire attribute, he could skip those tedious steps. A single thought—"I want to cast a fireball"—would cause his magic to shift to fire, form a fireball, and launch it instantly.

In addition, his affinity with fire would increase, making it easier to summon and manipulate external fire elements. In areas rich in fire energy, he could cast powerful fire magic with minimal personal cost.

These were the advantages of elemental mages. After taking such a difficult path, Ethan was finally reaping the benefits. Not only did he gain the strengths of an elemental mage, but he also avoided the drawback of being influenced by a specific element. He could continue increasing elemental attributes in his magic without worrying about conflicts with those already mastered.

He had analyzed, understood, and mastered the fire element using his own spiritual power, rather than having fire elements possess him to grant their power.

The outcomes might seem similar, but the processes and implications were vastly different.

As another fire elemental crystal in his hand was consumed, turning to powder and dissipating into the air, Ethan finally crossed the final threshold.

He no longer needed to mobilize his spiritual power or perform complex transformations. With a thought, flames appeared in his palm, seamlessly converted from his magic. This flame, born from his own magic power, felt like an extension of his body—completely under his control.

Burn hotter. Soften. Condense.

With the same amount of magic, the flames in his hand could easily change shape and nature. Ethan clenched his fist. The flame didn't extinguish but instead wrapped around his fist, still burning intensely.

Looking at the flames on his hand, Ethan suddenly remembered that his Flame Cloak had been destroyed in the battle with the black dragon. He had considered crafting a new one, but now it seemed unnecessary.

With a thought, a pair of large fiery wings unfurled behind him. Compared to his previous Flame Cloak, these wings looked more real. Each feather was lifelike. Although his earlier Flame Cloak had also taken on a feather-like shape as his spiritual power grew, those feathers had no practical function.

This time was different. Even though Ethan hadn't tested them in action, he was sure the feathers would improve his maneuverability in flight.

More importantly, when these wings unfurled, they would no longer release uncontrollable heat. The flames were completely under his control, and the surrounding temperature barely rose, an ordinary person standing nearby might only feel some warmth.

This didn't mean the wings were harmless. If someone foolishly reached out to touch them, the best option would be to immediately sever that hand—it would hurt less that way.

Retracting the wings, Ethan clenched his fist again and gave himself a small nod of recognition.

"Congratulations on mastering an element. You're finally no longer a rookie mage."

In Ethan's grand plan, mastering an element was just the beginning, but it was still worth celebrating. Compared to his earlier reliance on equipment, he now had confidence in his own abilities. Even if he lost all his gear, he could still cast spells reliably.

Though he had magic power before, its shallow depth severely limited his combat potential. If he couldn't overpower an opponent with sheer magic volume, he had few effective ways to fight.

Elemental mastery, however, greatly amplified the effects of his spells without increasing cost. This meant a free power boost—something to celebrate.

Perhaps because of this happiness, Ethan entered an excited mental state. Instead of resting, he continued working, aiming to fully master a second element.

Water had long been his next target. Living in a world surrounded by water, he had always studied the water element. Originally, he thought water would be the first element he'd master, but the elemental crystals provided by Varian had helped fire take the lead.

Still, that didn't matter. It was just a matter of timing. With two elements mastered, his combat effectiveness would soar.

Even more important was that Ethan's magic came from within. The surrounding environment had minimal impact. Even in a world with no elemental or magical energy, he could still cast spells normally.

Although he hadn't yet encountered such a world, he couldn't rule out the possibility.

"If I really do find one, maybe I can leave a coordinate. Then, if I run into some magic-using enemies, I can drag them there to fight."

He glanced at the remaining materials. They were mostly containers holding different energy types: a portion of nature power, some arcane energy, a bit of Holy Light, and a trace of shadow energy. His elemental crystals had been entirely consumed. He had planned to ask Varian for more before, and now he could request crystals of other elements to bring back and study at leisure.

As for the dragon blood potion, Ethan had already used it. Without its boost, he wouldn't have been able to master two elemental affinities in such a short time.

The potion had significantly accelerated his understanding of fire. Combined with the elemental crystals, it was a crucial factor in crossing the final threshold.

"It's had a clear effect on my body too."

Since using the divine blood potion to break his body's limit, Ethan had trained diligently. If his original body was a small water cup, then now, his potential was like a huge bucket.

The problem was that the gap was so large he couldn't fill it quickly (i.e., unlock his full potential). The dragon blood potion not only slightly strengthened his spiritual power and deepened his elemental mastery, but it also "filled the bucket" with more water.

"Looks like my height's increasing again."

This was something Loki, Logan, and Diana had once teased him about. Now, with the chance to turn things around, Ethan felt delighted.

He struck a few poses in front of the mirror. While his physique wasn't as exaggerated as Captain America's, he was no longer the skinny fisherman's son from before. Combined with his subtly optimized features, the goal he once dreamed of was gradually becoming a reality.

(To be continued.)

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