DOTM (Moved)

Ethan hadn't come across many women in this world so far, and even when he did, none of them had shown the slightest interest in him.

Back in the Resident Evil world, Jill had taken an interest in Ethan, but that was mostly due to her professional instincts as a police officer. Once she uncovered the truth of the situation, she immediately distanced herself, vanishing as if to focus entirely on exposing the truth and taking down the Umbrella Corporation.

As far as Jill was concerned, Ethan was nothing more than a mysterious young man with decent skills but an unclear background.

Not that Ethan had the time or energy to think about romance. He had spent over half a year solving the problem of survival and stabilizing his foothold in the Sea of Calm.

His next priorities were clear: accumulate wealth, strengthen himself, and prepare for future travels to other planes. Each journey required him to consider whether there were unique resources worth acquiring, as well as collecting knowledge that could be transcribed into the Book of Inheritance for later study.

Whenever he had free time, Ethan buried himself in the Book of Inheritance. Even after copying a massive amount of information on ship mechanics and sailing techniques from the Raccoon City library, he still hadn't finished absorbing the language-learning materials left behind by the Ancient One.

Then there was the magical knowledge Merlin had recorded in the book, alongside the alchemy and herbalism notes Ethan had obtained from Akara.

In short, his sea of knowledge felt endless. Ethan had neither the mental capacity nor the interest to think about women at the moment.

"I'll think about it when I'm stronger," he told himself.

He felt that now wasn't the right time to develop relationships. Even if they expanded their team, he couldn't just recruit someone based on appearance or gender. Any new companions had to be chosen for practical reasons.

"Putting aside the issue of trust, Arthur," Ethan asked, "what kind of people do you think we need on our ship?"

Arthur hadn't just been practicing his swordsmanship during their time in the Sea of Calm. He had also been learning about the region's culture and customs. Compared to Ethan, his studies were more focused, gathering insights by chatting with experienced sailors and extracting valuable information from their tales.

Arthur's good looks and friendly demeanor made him popular with most people, who were happy to talk to him. His habit of treating others to meals only increased his likability.

Some veteran adventurers even invited Arthur to join their crews. Though he declined their offers, he always expressed his gratitude politely. Many of them promised to help him if he ever got into trouble.

Arthur understood these promises weren't to be taken too seriously, but his natural charm meant he rarely rubbed anyone the wrong way.

Because of these interactions, Arthur had picked up a wealth of practical knowledge, things that couldn't be found in books and could only be learned through firsthand experience.

"Well," Arthur said thoughtfully, "at the very least, we need a ship doctor who knows medicine."

On long voyages, particularly extended ones, having a skilled doctor and a good cook on board was crucial.

Doctors ensured that the crew could receive treatment in emergencies, while cooks provided balanced diets to prevent health issues caused by nutritional deficiencies.

In the Sea of Calm, the role of cooks was somewhat diminished, thanks to the abundance of magical fruits that addressed basic nutritional needs. But the importance of doctors remained constant. Most adventurers in the Sea of Calm dreamed of having a professional doctor aboard their ships.

In reality, however, most had to settle for buying emergency medicine on State Island and relying on their own limited medical knowledge to deal with injuries and illnesses.

Ethan had already considered this issue and agreed with Arthur. He even thought it would be better to find a skilled doctor from another plane. Not only would such a person better protect his secrets, but Ethan also doubted the competency of the doctors in this world.

After living in the Sea of Calm for several years and spending time on State Island, Ethan had come to understand how rare doctors were in this region.

State Island only had one hospital, which, in Ethan's eyes, was no larger than the small community clinics he remembered from his past life. The staff consisted of only a handful of doctors.

As for their medical expertise? Ethan hadn't needed their services himself, so he couldn't judge firsthand. But based on the evaluations of others, the doctors were competent enough at treating minor illnesses and injuries. Beyond that, however, their abilities seemed limited.

They could handle headaches, fevers, and simple wounds with ease, but for more severe conditions, they lacked the tools or skills to provide effective treatment.

In addition to the lack of medical skills, the scarcity of medicine made the situation even more difficult.

The Sea of Calm was a barren region where even basic necessities like food and drinking water required special measures to procure. Drinking water, for instance, relied heavily on high-quality water-type magic stones for purification. Though the guild monopolized the magic stone trade, no one questioned their practices because the guild supplied clean water for all of State Island.

Food supplies were even more complicated. The reason State Island could sustain its population and ensure that countless adventurers could exchange for adequate food was due to a combination of factors. The guild regularly transported food from the other side of the Sea of Storms, supplemented by sea creatures and occasional harvests from floating islands.

In such an environment, large-scale herb cultivation was impossible. There wasn't even enough land to grow food, and any usable space was already maximized. Medicinal herbs, with their specific environmental requirements, were even harder to grow. And, of course, no single herb could cure all illnesses.

Because of this, State Island was often helpless when it came to unusual diseases. Most of the time, whether a patient survived depended entirely on their immunity and luck.

Given this situation, Ethan had prepared for such challenges during his trip to the Resident Evil world. Along with advanced daily necessities and firearms, he had brought back a substantial stock of emergency medicines. But those medicines were designed for Earth's illnesses, there was no telling whether they'd be effective against the unique diseases of this world.

"The issue of finding a doctor… it's not easy to solve," Ethan admitted.

If Ethan's knowledge of magic potion-making and herbalism improved, he could perhaps manage as a makeshift doctor, capable of handling minor ailments. But that still wouldn't solve the problem of more complex or life-threatening illnesses. He couldn't expect sheer willpower or luck to be enough in those situations.

With the Sea of Calm offering no real solution, Ethan realized he'd have to look for a doctor in other worlds.

When considering potential candidates, the first figure that came to mind was a reindeer worth fifty baileys. Despite the unusual appearance, the medical skills were undeniable.

Next, he thought of an older woman with twin ponytails and an exaggerated bust. Not only was she a phenomenal doctor, but her combat abilities were also terrifying. With Ethan's current strength, he doubted he could even survive one of her casual strikes.

"But they're both from anime," Ethan muttered, scratching his head.

So far, he'd experienced the Marvel Cinematic Universe; Diablo 2; the Arthurian legend's parallel plane; and the Resident Evil movie universe.

"There doesn't seem to be any strict pattern to the worlds I've entered."

He wasn't even sure if it was possible to enter an anime world. And even if he could, his current abilities wouldn't allow him to accomplish much. Forget recruiting either of those doctors, he'd be lucky if they didn't ignore him outright.

"Other than those two, who else is there?"

In standard movie worlds, finding doctors would likely be easier. But since he was looking for a reliable companion, it made sense to choose someone with an established role in their world someone he was familiar with and could trust.

He considered broadening his search beyond traditional doctors. Maybe priests, shamans, or druids could work as well?

"When I've gathered enough space-time energy, I'll head to a new plane and see what's possible."

For now, there wasn't much point in overthinking it. He couldn't afford to obsess over finding the perfect doctor and end up with no one.

Without the ability to pinpoint specific worlds, it was impossible to make detailed plans in advance. All he could do was take things one step at a time.

"For now, the most practical solution is to strengthen our bodies and avoid getting sick in the first place. That way, we won't need a ship doctor," Ethan said.

Arthur stared at him, speechless. "What do you mean 'just avoid getting sick'? Do you really think a strong physique is enough to handle every medical emergency? Some situations can't be avoided, no matter how healthy you are."

"Well, in theory, if your body's strong enough, you could be immune to all diseases," Ethan replied.

"And how strong would someone need to be to pull that off?" Arthur asked, raising an eyebrow.

Ethan thought for a moment. "Probably as strong as Merlin."

Originally, he'd wanted to say "demigod-level strength," but the term felt too abstract. Using Merlin as a reference seemed more tangible.

But the comparison only made Arthur more exasperated. Ethan's suggestion of reaching Merlin's level was completely unrealistic, at least in Arthur's eyes.