Becoming a Star Realm was easy. But Ethan still had time before he needed to take that step. For now, he would concentrate on his ultimate domain.
Ethan checked his status panel:
[Master: Ethan Hunt
Physique: 40 Sun
Spirit: 40 Sun
Talent: Infinite Comprehension]
(25 days remaining)
Ethan could feel that his progress in creating the ultimate domain was quite slow. By his current calculations, it would take at least twenty more days.
"Now then... what should I do?"
Then it hit him. He remembered what he had planned earlier. He wanted to create an Ironman-like suit for common people. Something that would allow ordinary individuals to battle against martial artists. After all, he couldn’t possibly afford to give everyone the seed of laws.
Ethan made his way to the lab he had built. He picked up the communicator and called his father.
"Dad, please come to my lab for a moment. I need to discuss something with you."
Twenty minutes later, Jack arrived.
Ethan explained, "Dad, I want to create a type of combat suit. Something that can give normal people a chance to fight against the powerful ones. I want your help combining genetics with the design, so that only Earthlings can use it, and no one else. Ideally, each suit will be uniquely bonded to its owner. That way, no one would kill others to steal it. What do you think?"
Jack was stunned. He had always known that his son was kind-hearted, but he never realized how deeply he cared for ordinary people. The Earth had truly been blessed with a supreme leader. His heart filled with pride.
"Yes, son. I think that would be an excellent project. I’d be honored to contribute to such a noble cause. Now give me the details. I’ll begin immediately with my research team."
Ethan nodded in satisfaction. He then drew out the design of the suit.
It would be based on nanotechnology. The suit would instantly wrap around its owner the moment they summoned it. Each suit would be genetically locked to one specific user. Not even the wearer’s own children would be able to use it.
As for distribution, Earth already had a contribution system in place.
Those willing to join the military could undergo rigorous training. The best performers would receive a suit for free. Martial artists could earn suits using their contribution points. They could buy them for their family.
For common people who didn’t rank high in training and didn’t have martial arts backgrounds, they could still earn suits by demonstrating unique talents or achievements and collecting contribution points.
Jack liked the concept and said, "Alright. You create the suits, and I’ll embed the genetic code into them."
"Deal."
Ethan began working on the project immediately. He decided to create a batch of one hundred suits as a trial.
To do that, he began developing a futuristic version of the Ironman suits, combining the Law of Metal and the Law of Thunder. He planned to incorporate various elemental laws into different suits, giving users different abilities. For example, someone wearing a suit embedded with the Law of Fire would be able to wield flames in combat.
As for using supreme laws in the suits, Ethan hadn’t considered that yet. If a situation arose where it was necessary, he would create some in the future.
He first designed the suits in detail, then used his knowledge of nanotechnology he earned by reading books and gathering knowledge and the principles of metal creation to craft them. That part was relatively easy. He then created a core within each suit that would serve as its power source. This energy core could supply uninterrupted power for up to one month of continuous combat. After that, it would need to be recharged using contribution points.
He added different elemental powers to each suit. After one day, all one hundred suits were completed.
However, the genetic fusion process was still ongoing on his father’s side. That part would take time and thorough research.
Each suit had three power levels. Every level was one hundred times stronger than the last. The first level alone matched the strength of a peak Emperor Realm warrior.
To unlock the next levels, the user would need to merge the suit with their genome. This would require commitment and hard work. The user would first need to understand the suit completely.
Ethan had designed everything this way deliberately. He understood human nature very well. When people received things without effort, they tended not to value them. Even if they were given such a supreme gear, they wouldn’t care.
He wanted people to earn their power.
Ethan was genuinely excited about this project. A sudden childhood memory surfaced in his mind. He remembered the Omnitrix, the alien device from the Ben 10 cartoon he used to watch.
In that show, a young boy had found a strange watch embedded with alien DNA. When he pressed the button, the watch displayed a selection of alien forms. By choosing one, he could transform into that alien, gaining all its powers—even god-level abilities.
That was the ultimate weapon for an ordinary human.
But something like that would need heavy research and experimentation. He decided to consider it after he achieved the Star Realm.
Only eight days remained now for the competition , as one more day had passed.
[Master: Ethan Hunt
Physique: 80 Sun
Spirit: 80 Sun
Talent: Infinite Comprehension]
(24 days remaining)
Ethan resumed his seclusion, continuing to cultivate in silence.
Meanwhile, in the World of the Ancients—
Ethan left the Black Mountain City and headed toward the Black Mountain Range.
He had sensed some powerful presence emanating from that region. At least Emperor-level beasts were lurking there.
He didn’t fly. Instead, he walked—taking his time to admire the scenery.
"If I were the same person I used to be in my previous life, would I ever have dared to come to such a place? Would I have ever been able to appreciate such frightening beauty?"
He smiled to himself.
"Strength gave me this freedom. The freedom to admire the world’s wonders, to go wherever I wish. Maybe I’m not the strongest yet, but I will be someday. When that day comes, I’ll stand atop every world and behold all the beauties the universe has to offer."
He climbed higher into the mountains. Beyond that lay the deep forest of the Black Mountain Range.
Eventually, he reached the forest and began to walk—without purpose, simply exploring this unknown world.
After thirty minutes, he had ventured deep into the dense wilderness. That’s when he came across a stunning lake.
But Ethan immediately knew something was off.
To the untrained eye, it appeared beautiful. But in truth, it was an illusion.
The lake was real, yes. But it was not beautiful at all.
The water was pitch black. A noxious stench wafted from its surface. Dead beasts floated throughout the water, their corpses half-rotten and grotesque.
Ethan allowed the illusion to cloud only his left eye. Through that lens, the lake appeared heavenly—crystal clear water, fragrant air, vibrant fruit trees surrounding it. A young maiden stood in the water, bathing. Her naked back shimmered in the sunlight.
To any young man, this scene would be irresistible. They would lose all sense of reason.
Ethan smiled coldly.
"Not bad. Let’s see who the hell is playing mind games with this daddy. Is that girl a ghost? Or is there a beast with spiritual powers here? We’ll find out soon enough."
In Aetherion—
Ryan—or rather, Ethan’s other clone—had just arrived near the campus of the Hunter Academy.
It was enormous. The academy stretched across fifty thousand hectares of land.
Ethan felt several incredibly powerful auras within the grounds. Some of them even surpassed the power level of his main body.
"The hunters here are no joke. Let’s see what surprises this place has in store for me."
He reached the main gate.
Thousands of young men and women had gathered outside. Some looked nervous, others excited. A few were eerily calm.
Ethan stood at a corner quietly. The gate would open in one hour. After that, the recruiting teachers would emerge.
The first stage of the test would involve evaluating everyone’s talent. Only the top one thousand would qualify for the second stage: a live monster-hunting trial.
That test would last for two days, and participants would earn points by killing monsters. At the end, the top two hundred scorers would be selected for enrollment.
As Ethan thought about the talents of these people—and considered whose abilities he might extract—he heard a voice.
"Hello"
"Brother, where are you from? I’m Saimon, from the Moonveil City. What’s your name?"
Ethan turned and saw a young man with sharp, striking features. He would definitely stand out in the crowd.
"Hello, I’m Ryan," Ethan replied. "I’m from a faraway place. You probably haven’t heard of it. Nice to meet you."
Saimon nodded as if he understood. Then he gestured toward the girl next to him.
"This is Siri, my twin sister. We’re hoping to get in together, if luck is on our side."
Ethan looked at the girl. She had a cute, delicate appearance and an adorably shy demeanor.
She greeted him softly. "Hello."
Ethan smiled back.
But inside, his mind was alert. There was something unusual about this girl. He could feel a tremendous power lurking within her body. Still, he didn’t probe her with his mental energy. He had no interest in drawing some unwanted attention right now.
One hour later, the gates opened.
Five teachers stepped out. Three male, two female. Each one radiated a terrifyingly powerful aura.
Ethan could tell they were suppressing their true strength. Otherwise, the pressure alone would have reduced the students to pulp.
Each of them possessed at least two Suns of power. They were likely SSS-rank or top-tier SS-rank hunters.