Three days passed, and Edward did not stay cooped up inside his room. He would walk around the island during the day while continuing his calculations at night. During this time, Diana would come to see him and talk all night.
Today, Queen Hippolyta finally came to see him.
“So, have you calmed down?” asked Edward calmly.
“We apologize for our previous actions,” said the queen. Edward looked at her and could not tell whether she was sincere or was putting on a diplomatic mask, just like himself when dealing with certain people.
“It’s water under the bridge,” he said calmly.
“I will be direct,” said the queen. “What price do we need to pay for you to repair our protective shield?”
“I only have two requirements,” replied Edward, also choosing to be as direct as possible. “Firstly, let my ship stay here until it’s fixed. Secondly, allow me to study all your magical artifacts, especially the Lasso of Truth.”
“Study?”
“Yes, just study.”
“That can be arranged,” replied Hippolyta. Since the intruder was already here, it made no difference if he stayed a little longer. “When can you begin?”
“Tomorrow.” He had just finished his calculations for the Flash Dimension’s Coordinate and needed to consult Morgana.
“I’ll be waiting.”
...
“Morgana, here are the coordinates.”
“Okay, let me plug it in.” A few seconds later, her voice rang in his mind again: “It’s not working.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m not picking up any signal on that coordinate.”
“How is that possible? Did I make an error in my calculations?”
“No, I double-checked, and there were no problems,” replied Morgana.
“Did the Akashic Record give us the wrong coordinate? No, that’s unlikely. Their whole brand revolved around knowledge and the truth, so it’s unlikely they would make such a major blunder.”
Edward frowned, “If not them, what is the issue?”
“Let me run some deeper diagnostic,” the purple-haired elf said before quieting. Edward did not hear from her until more than half an hour later.
“We might be in trouble.”
“What did you find?”
“Because this world is constantly merging with others, constantly expanding, finding the correct coordinate is currently impossible.”
A projection screen appeared before Edward, and he soon understood what she meant. It took too many calculations to deduce one timeline from the infinite multiverse with the constant space-time turbulence of this universe due to the Convergence.
And even if they could pinpoint the coordinates, Netheril was not equipped to navigate such a chaotic multiverse.
“So, we need a completely new Navigation System?” groaned Edward, who knew such a thing would take time, and that’s the last thing he wanted.
Knock! Knock!
“Come in.”The original appearance of this chapter can be found at Ñøv€lß1n.
“What’s wrong?” asked Diana. Although he’d only known this man for a few days, he’d usually be calm or smiling, but tonight, he had a deep frown plastered on his handsome face.
“The damage to my ship was more severe than I anticipated.”
“Is that so? Is there anything we can do to help?”
“Depending on who you’re comparing me to.”
“How about you become my sparring partner?”
Edward paused what he was doing and glanced at her. “Fine, I needed a break.” He stood up, and two swords appeared in his hand while a sword and shield manifested for Diana.
“I thought you were a Mage?”
“If I fight like one, you won’t have a chance.”
“Big words. Let's see if you can back them.”
Clink!
The battle lasted more than an hour, resulting in Diana painting on the floor and Edward not having a single scratch on his body.
“Are mages supposed to be this powerful with a sword?”
“If they are a good one, then yes.”
Diana shook her head. “So, how do I compare?”
“To whom?”
“Some of the best warriors you’ve fought or met.”
“Hmm, not bad.”
“Only not bad?”
“What can I say, your attribute ranges from Tier 4 and Tier 6 based on my dimension’s system. So, you’re only not bad. What? Not satisfied?”
“Can say that I am.”
“Different dimension, different rules.”
“How so?”
“My dimension has a stricter and more hierarchical power system. People start at Tier 0 and go upward after years of hard work and study. Meanwhile, in this place, a Tier 0 human can acquire an artifact or cosmic power that grants them Tier 10, 11, and even more power.
“I see.”
Edward could see she was still unhappy, so he continued, “I can tell you you’re one of the most talented individuals I have met regarding Combat, even better than my wife, Olivier. The only thing you lack is combat experience.”
“How do I lack experience? I fight and train with my sisters every day.”
“I’m not talking about training, but life and death battles with powerful enemies.”
Diana immediately smiled wryly. “Where would I have a chance on this island?” Besides a few missions or events she participated in in Olympus, most of her battles were against her sisters.
“I can help you with that.” A black portal appeared before him, and he took out a helmet.
“What is this?”
“Virtual Reality. You can think of it as a very real illusion where you can choose any opponents to battle.”
“That’s interesting.”
Diana did not hesitate to put it in her head and closed her eyes. Ten minutes later, she opened them with wide eyes, “Where am I? Wasn’t I decapitated?”
“The illusion is too real so you will feel slightly disoriented. It will pass.”
As clarity loomed over her mind, she looked at the helmet excitedly, “Can I let my sisters use it as well?”
“As you wish.”
(AN: We should leave for the Flash in the next chapter.)