Taking money directly from other people’s accounts was, after all, a slow and unsatisfying way to make money.
Ethan had once stood at the pinnacle of the Marvel universe, possessing power so overwhelming that countless superheroes and supervillains trembled at his name.
If anyone discovered that someone like him had to resort to stealing money to cover his expenses, they’d probably laugh until their ribs hurt!
Besides, Ethan considered such petty theft beneath his dignity.
He had given up his invincible cosmic power and returned to this universe for far more than a little money.
What he wanted was a comfortable, carefree life, one where he could enjoy himself without worrying about trivial matters.
At the same time, he intended to recreate the incredible technologies he had encountered in the Marvel universe, bringing those scientific breakthroughs into this world.
But there was an even more important reason behind his return.
“The One Above All once told me that the Marvel universe is merely a projection of the original universe, one of countless parallel universes.”
Ethan’s eyes gleamed as he recalled those words.
“If I can gain control over the original universe, that means I’ll eventually be able to control countless parallel universes as well!”
A faint smile appeared on his face.
“When that day comes, even the One Above All will stand beneath me.
Creation and destruction will be matters of a single thought!”
That was one of Ethan’s greatest ambitions.
If he could truly control the original universe, all the parallel universes connected to it would fall within his reach.
He could create entire realities or erase them with a mere thought.
Even an existence as powerful as the One Above All would no longer be beyond his reach.
Of course, nobody else knew about his plan.
And the One Above All, despite knowing the relationship between the universes, could not directly enter the original universe because it originated from a parallel reality.
That left Ethan with an opportunity no one else possessed.
“World-changing technology?”
Chloe Bennett blinked curiously.
“Are you planning to develop mobile phones, computers, or some kind of software?”
“Have you ever heard of Pym Particles?” Ethan asked, the corners of his mouth curling upward.
“Pym Particles?
What are those?”
Chloe thought for a moment, but judging by her expression, she clearly wasn’t particularly familiar with Marvel movies.
The name meant almost nothing to her.
“They’re a fictional scientific discovery from the Marvel movie Ant-Man,” Ethan explained.
“Pym Particles can be used to make objects shrink or grow.
With the right technology, you can change an object’s size almost at will.”
“Objects can shrink and grow freely?” Chloe exclaimed in surprise.
“Can that sort of technology really be developed?”
“Other people might struggle with it, but I can do it.”
Ethan’s confidence was absolute.
His mind contained an enormous body of scientific knowledge from the Marvel universe.
He understood the structure and operating principles of Pym Particles, as well as the methods required to reproduce the technology in the real world.
To him, it wasn’t some mysterious scientific frontier.
It was a problem he already knew how to solve.
“But even if you can make things shrink and grow, how useful would that actually be?” Chloe asked skeptically.
“I suppose it might be helpful in warfare, but wouldn’t bigger equipment still be more intimidating to the enemy?”
Ethan shook his head.
“You’re looking at it from the wrong perspective.
Shrinking and growing are merely the most basic applications of Pym Particles.
Their real value lies in the countless possibilities that become available once you understand how to manipulate them.”
He gave her a confident smile.
“But there’s no point explaining everything right now.
You’ll understand when I actually make it work.”
With that, Ethan suddenly sprang to his feet and jumped into the swimming pool, sending a great splash of water toward Chloe.
“Come on in!”
He beckoned playfully.
Chloe laughed before jumping into the pool after him.
Before long, the two were splashing around together, enjoying the warm weather and each other’s company.
The afternoon passed in a particularly pleasant fashion.
Almost half a month later, the specialized equipment and materials Ethan had ordered through overseas black-market suppliers finally arrived in New York City through discreet channels.
Everything was transported to the basement of his villa, where it was carefully stored.
During those two weeks, Ethan had transformed the entire basement into a makeshift laboratory.
What he called a makeshift laboratory, however, would have been considered a dream facility by many research and development teams.
It contained an impressive collection of specialized instruments, precision equipment, and carefully selected materials.
“Sir, everything is ready.”
JARVIS’s voice echoed throughout the laboratory.
Ethan hadn’t spent the previous two weeks simply relaxing and enjoying himself.
Alongside his other activities, he had transferred all the foundational theories and technical information related to Pym Particles into JARVIS’s database.
He had then tasked the AI with analyzing, organizing, and integrating that information until it could provide the assistance he needed.
By now, JARVIS had developed an understanding of Pym Particle technology that nearly matched Ethan’s own.
With Ethan’s extensive practical experience and JARVIS handling the calculations and measurements, a technology that might otherwise have remained beyond humanity’s reach for thousands of years was suddenly within striking distance.
Ethan put on his precision equipment and adjusted the thin display positioned in front of his eyes.
Experimental readings appeared across it, allowing him to monitor even the smallest changes in the data.
“Excellent!” he exclaimed.
“I’m getting impatient.
I want to see Pym Particles brought into this world with my own hands!”
“It is an honor to work alongside you, Sir,” JARVIS replied in a distinctly human-sounding voice.
“Save the compliments and get to work!” Ethan laughed.
“Let’s begin with the first step.
Molecular separation, followed by the detection of subatomic particles!”
According to the principles Ethan had brought from the Marvel universe, Pym Particles were extraordinary subatomic particles that could be used to alter the size of objects.
When an object interacted with them under the proper conditions, its molecular and atomic structure could be manipulated, allowing the object to shrink or expand.
The remarkable part was that these particles were believed to exist throughout the surrounding environment.
They weren’t necessarily rare or confined to some inaccessible part of space.
The real difficulty was detecting them, isolating them, and understanding how to put their unusual properties to practical use.
Modern scientists had yet to uncover the principles Ethan knew.
Without that knowledge, they had no clear reason to search for these particular particles, let alone develop the specialized instruments needed to identify them.
Ethan, however, already knew what he was looking for.
His immediate task was to calibrate his customized instruments, identify the telltale fluctuations associated with Pym Particles, and isolate the particles so that their properties could be studied.
“Understood, Sir.”
Ethan and JARVIS immediately began working.
JARVIS’s greatest contribution lay in its ability to process and analyze measurements with extraordinary precision.
The instruments could detect the fluctuations associated with the particles and display the results numerically, but the relevant values were exceptionally subtle.
Even a difference in the sixth decimal place could determine whether a reading was useful.
That was one of the reasons ordinary researchers would struggle to identify the particles.
Without knowing which values to look for, they could easily overlook the crucial signals hidden among the measurements.
Ethan had no such problem.
He knew the precise fluctuation values associated with Pym Particles.
He could distinguish the relevant patterns even when the measurements extended to the tenth decimal place.
However, manually examining every reading would waste an enormous amount of time and concentration.
That was precisely why he had JARVIS.
An AI capable of processing vast quantities of data was the perfect partner for this experiment.
“Molecular separation complete!” Ethan announced after finishing the preliminary procedure.
“JARVIS, begin scanning for particle fluctuations!”
He worked with practiced efficiency.
After all, Ethan had risen to prominence through his mastery of technology.
His understanding wasn’t limited to theories and calculations.
He knew how to conduct the experiments himself.
“Scanning…”
The displays began filling with streams of measurements as JARVIS analyzed the collected data.
Ethan focused intently on the results, waiting for the readings he had spent years of knowledge and two weeks of preparation working toward.
Then JARVIS’s voice sounded again.
“Sir, particles matching the specified fluctuation values have been detected!”
Ethan’s eyes lit up.
“How many?”
“Approximately fifteen cubic nanometers of material matching the target readings have been identified.”
“Nice!”
Ethan clenched his fist and waved it excitedly.
For the first time in what felt like an eternity, genuine excitement surged through him.
After more than five hundred years in the Marvel universe, he had grown accustomed to overwhelming power and events on a cosmic scale.
Very little could surprise him anymore.
But this was different.
He wasn’t merely remembering a technology from another universe.
He was taking the first real step toward recreating it in this one.
And for Ethan, that was more exhilarating than almost anything else.
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