There were many things women could do, and Ethan had known this for a long time — but that didn't stop him from rediscovering it tonight.

The steam hung thick in the hot spring, wrapping the two of them in a private haze. Ethan leaned back against the smooth rock, muscles loosening as the warmth seeped deep into his bones. Across from him, Ada sat half-submerged, her damp hair clinging to her neck, the faint shimmer of water tracing the line of her collarbone.

Compared to Diana, Ada's strength was undoubtedly much lower, leaving her unable to do more than match his rhythm.

"If I hadn't made a move, how much longer would you have waited?"

Ada didn't lean on Ethan like a delicate woman. She continued to soak opposite him, just like before, as if nothing had happened.

However, the two pieces of cloth lying not far away proved that something indeed had.

"It shouldn't have been much longer."

As a healthy man, who hadn't fantasized about a few, or even dozens, of women? He had imagined more than once that if he ever truly gained those miraculous abilities, he would definitely do something about it.

He had never hidden his thoughts about Ada, and someone as perceptive as her couldn't have missed it.

In fact, everyone on the ship could tell, which was why Ada had been living aboard for so long and none of the bachelors had dared to approach her—in any way. Even though Ethan hadn't actually made a move, Ada was already considered the captain's "possession."

Ada had thought that day wouldn't be too far off. Judging from how enthusiastically Ethan had made that heavy bet to invite her back then, his interest in her was significant.

Unexpectedly, Ethan's patience was much better than she had imagined—or perhaps he was simply timid, though Ada quickly dismissed that thought. He had been so slow to act that Ada began to feel uneasy. If he didn't make a move, wouldn't it seem like she was overestimating herself? She had her pride too.

Actually, Ethan hadn't figured out how to handle this matter.

The thought of traveling freely between worlds, gathering the women he liked, and building a grand palace was something he had envisioned countless times. In reality, though restrained, he was indeed doing something similar.

Especially after his power kept increasing, he felt less pressure about certain things.

However, he always hoped there wouldn't be any conflicts among them. But how was that possible? So, since he couldn't find a solution yet, he decided to set it aside. Although he preferred to solve problems early, this one was particularly troublesome.

The only method he could think of was to procrastinate.

As everyone's life level continued to rise, Ethan even felt that he and his companions could one day evolve into a new divine race. By then, after countless years together, they would have long since lost other attachments. Having lived side by side for so long, they would be used to each other's presence. At that point, his goal would be achieved in a way.

"Are you thinking about how to explain it to Diana?"

Seeing Ethan deep in thought, his gaze unfocused, Ada—very confident in herself, especially after their recent "test"—immediately guessed what he was thinking.

"Mm."

"Actually, you don't have to say anything."

"Huh?"

Ada realized that some of her earlier assumptions might have been wrong. Ethan sometimes appeared very mature—he had been through a lot and wasn't young anymore—but when it came to emotional matters, he was surprisingly naive.

"Do you think Diana won't guess?"

"Uh..."

Indeed, with Diana's sharpness, she would probably sense the truth the next time they met without him needing to say a word.

"You still don't know why Diana is wary of me but not of Selene, do you?"

"..."

Ada was right. Ethan hadn't understood that part at all. He had thought it was because Ada had a better figure—she had everything Diana had, and things Diana didn't—and she was always by his side, which was why Diana felt threatened.

Looking at Ada's fair, well-proportioned forearms opposite him, Ethan noticed that she was still wearing the pair of bracelets he had given her back then.

Those bracelets could be used for both attack and defense. Ethan had made them based on the Nebula Chain, because he remembered how Ada in the original story always used a grappling gun. He disliked that tool, so he specially crafted this magical equipment for her.

Now, seeing Ada show off those bracelets, he suddenly realized something.

"You've never given Diana any jewelry or accessories, have you?"

"..."

Ethan covered his face. He finally understood. Regardless of whether he had overthought it, he had only ever given one woman jewelry all these years. Standard items like pendants and bracers given to everyone didn't count.

"Also, a piece of advice: absolutely, absolutely do not give bracelets, anklets, or necklaces."

Ada stood up and left, leaving Ethan with a headache, wondering how he could fix this huge mistake.

Just as she was about to leave the cave, Ada suddenly stopped and reminded him, "Although Diana can guess, don't tell her about these things yourself. Trust me, knowing something in your heart and having someone say it out loud are completely different."

"..."

Ethan had planned to confess to Diana, but after Ada said that, he hesitated. Maybe he should ask someone else first.

Thinking about it, who was on the ship right now?

Nebula? She wouldn't care about such issues. She'd probably just say, "If you can't get along, just separate."

Maria Hill was a workaholic who hardly ever thought about romance. All her energy was focused on work, and even if she did engage in relationships, it was only for relaxation or to meet personal needs.

There was no point asking the younger ones. Only Logan had enough experience in emotional matters.

After coming out of the hot spring, Ethan flicked his finger, and all the water on his body instantly evaporated, leaving him clean and refreshed. The clothes he had discarded nearby automatically flew to him, dressing him neatly as if someone had helped.

Leaving the cave, he turned over a small sign at the entrance, switching it from "In Use" to "Vacant."

He had put up such signs for all the hot spring caves to avoid awkward encounters.

However, the one he built for himself was rarely visited by anyone, as it was located high up the mountain, requiring a long climb and even a stretch of snowy path.

In contrast, there were several hot spring pools halfway up the mountain with various temperatures, which others preferred.

Coming down the mountain, Ethan stopped by Logan's small wooden house but found it empty. Helpless, he left the island and returned to the Goddess of the Moon.

When he reached the bridge, he was surprised to see everyone gathered there, even Ada, who had just shared that "sparring session" with him.

"What are you all looking at?"

"We're watching the moment our spaceship breaks out of the galaxy."

Ethan saw Banner sitting at his station, monitoring various readings and observing data changes.

Outside the front window, there wasn't much to see with the naked eye, but everyone except Leah could sense the energy fluctuations around them.

"I didn't know about this before."

At the edge of a galaxy, radiation, heat, and all kinds of energy became increasingly intense. This not only affected the flight speed of the Goddess of the Moon but also corroded its hull.

If not for the protective energy shield, the ship would inevitably suffer erosion. Perhaps it wouldn't cause major damage right away, but since they would be traveling through countless galaxies, accumulated wear was still a concern.

"Is the energy shield consuming a lot of power?"

"Not much. Based on current readings, even if radiation continues to increase for the next half day, it won't damage us."

Not even the energy layer would be seriously affected, which was why everyone could leisurely observe this phenomenon.

"According to the data, the outer edge of this galaxy is much more resilient than the solar system. Maybe the central star's mass is larger?"

Ethan said he didn't understand, and he didn't care what the star's mass implied. He just needed to ensure the Goddess of the Moon remained safe.

After a while, the ship, which had been gradually slowing, suddenly vibrated violently as if passing through a thin membrane. Then, its speed surged again, quickly accelerating to maximum velocity.

"We're out."

Through the front window, the dark starry sky looked the same as before. However, within visible range, there were no large celestial bodies, only scattered starlight—meaning there were no nearby planets or star systems.

Although they could confirm they were now between major galaxies, the distance between star systems was unimaginably vast. Without a space-jump system, interstellar travel would be excruciatingly long.

According to Luna's calculations, at the current speed of the Goddess of the Moon, it would take at least half a year to reach the target galaxy.

"Now everyone has plenty of free time."

(To be continued.)