The so-called Sol Tekkaman refers to mobile battle suits developed by humans using existing technology after researching Tekkaman, designed specifically to combat Radam monsters.
To be honest, the mobility, combat capability, and defensive power of this equipment are entirely incomparable to actual Tekkaman. It can't even be considered a knock-off.
Tekkaman are warriors created when alien lifeforms capture other biological races and weaponize them. Tekkaman possess extremely powerful combat strength.
Furthermore, Tekkaman are created by capturing organisms from the invaded species, modifying them, and allowing special insects to parasitize and control the host. When not in weaponized form, these controlled organisms are highly concealed, easily infiltrating enemy forces and launching sudden attacks from within.
Combined with their overwhelming numbers, terrifying swarms, and technology capable of terraforming entire planets, the power of the Radam is truly frightening. Few races can withstand their invasion.
If the protagonist of the story hadn't been an Earthling, Earth in that world would have been completely overrun by the Radam within ten years.
"The Sol Tekkaman technology isn't superior to what we already have."
This tech can only supplement existing technological reserves and serve as a reference for improving exoskeleton battle suits. If they were to develop anything based on it, it would definitely be an optimized or upgraded version.
With Ethan's capabilities, even the true Tekkaman technology wouldn't be difficult to decipher, so there was no need to bother with studying Sol Tekkaman.
In that world, after Earth's forces repelled the first wave of Radam attacks, they managed to crack Tekkaman technology and develop their own Tekkaman—Space Knights—to fight against the Radam's Tekkaman.
The technology Ethan had access to was far more advanced than what existed in that world. He also controlled mystical powers. Cracking the core Tekkaman technology would take him no time at all.
Among the various technologies, such as the collection of positive and negative matter in the universe, converting positive matter into exoskeleton suits, and storing negative matter within the suit to release as needed (like anti-matter cannons), Ethan was only interested in the technology related to harvesting and utilizing positive and negative matter energy from the universe. That could be useful to him. As for anti-matter cannons and Tekkaman armor, those were just fringe benefits.
"As for space technology..."
Although Earth in that world had constructed the Orbital Ring and begun exploring space, it was still in the early stages of becoming an interstellar civilization. Compared to the level of technology Ethan currently possessed, it was far behind.
"Well done."
Looking over the harvest, Ethan didn't hold back his praise.
What was most important to him was that Shirou had undergone further training, gained more experience in space combat, and become increasingly familiar with the team's standard equipment.
"If possible, I want to be able to freely travel to and from that world."
Shirou's dream was to become a hero of justice. He had originally hoped to help the people of that world, but unfortunately, the crisis faced by that world was far beyond his power. Even if he gave it his all, he could only make a small difference. When faced with this kind of war between civilizations and races, where the goal was mutual destruction, he deeply felt how powerless he truly was.
"I've already entered the coordinates into the teleportation device."
The Space Knight world was now a freely accessible location. If Shirou wished, he could return to that world and try to save it at any time.
"However, I suggest you raise your strength further before taking on the heavy responsibility of saving the world. Your current power isn't enough."
Shirou had already completed two trials, and his strength had reached a bottleneck. Even if he managed to break through, his progress would no longer be as rapid as before.
The reason he improved so quickly before was due to his low starting point and the fact that his instructors were all top-tier existences, so his growth had been abnormally fast.
But talent is what it is. His natural aptitude had its limits. To go further, he had to surpass that limit.
"It's time to use the basic potions."
Everyone in Ethan's team was eligible to use strengthening potions. At present, only the youngest members hadn't used them.
Only after using the strengthening potion could they truly be considered on the same starting line as their teammates.
However, for someone like Logan, who had already touched the threshold of a new realm, with strength approaching that of a demigod, and although he had not completely undergone a life transformation, if Shirou wanted to catch up to him, he would have to work even harder after using the potion.
The temporary meeting concluded, and everyone returned to their own tasks.
Mordred took the opportunity to summon the group of veterans she had recruited to the meeting room. Ethan had already prepared the items she needed.
Sherry, Shirou, Scáthach, and others who had nothing to do found a spot nearby to watch.
Mordred didn't bother talking about ideals or the future. She laid her cards on the table directly and had Duke, who was guaranteed not to leave after just one mission, give a live demonstration to prove the effectiveness of the item.
"This is the reward for this mission. You will follow me to a place and act with me. What exactly we do will be decided based on the situation at the time."
Everyone looked at one another, but no one raised any objections. This was exactly what they had been expecting.
These shrewd veterans could tell that this mission was clearly a test from the employer. Whether they could gain more benefits in the future depended on their performance this time.
At the same time, this was also their chance to observe the employer and decide how dangerous it would be to work under him long term, and whether it was worth the risk.
Among these people, there were definitely some who planned to take the reward and leave afterward.
But regardless, no one voiced a desire to withdraw. They sorted out their gear as quickly as possible, fully armed themselves, and followed Mordred to the mission site.
"Same as last time?"
"Same as last time."
Ethan wouldn't intervene during the entire process. What to do, how to act, and what results they achieved would all depend on Mordred herself. Ethan would only show up to pick them up when the time came.
After Mordred departed, Ada also prepared to leave.
Compared to Mordred's destination, the world Ada was heading to was even more dangerous.
The Mass Effect world was relatively peaceful during the early and mid-stages, but the specific location Ada was going to was constantly at war.
"This time's different from Macross. If you run into danger, retreat immediately."
"Don't worry. Back when I was just an ordinary person, the missions I took on were much more dangerous than what I'm facing now."
Ada gently kissed Ethan's communicator, smiled, waved goodbye, and then set off.
Turning around, Ethan saw that Annette had already returned to the Resident Evil world to continue running her company.
Selene and the others had also gone back to the Starship Troopers side. However, O'Connell, Evelyn, Scáthach, and a few others weren't in a hurry to leave. Luna informed him that these few were currently wandering around the ship, seemingly planning to explore the entire vessel in one go.
Ethan also wanted to explore, but he had other matters to attend to.
Betty and Nebula had gone to the bridge to familiarize themselves with the new ship's systems.
"How's Luna doing?"
"She's currently upgrading."
Luna's database upgrade didn't affect some basic functions, but once the upgrade was complete, she would need to restart, and during that time, nothing could be done.
"What do you think of the new ship?"
"Tony took our habits into consideration, so there aren't many drastic changes, but this ship's size is far different from the Artemis, so its actual operation will definitely be very different."
That meant they would need some time to adapt, especially when it came to faster-than-light travel, which would require multiple practice runs before they could use it proficiently.
Although there were many problems to resolve, Betty seemed very enthusiastic. This ship was much more powerful and faster than the Artemis. Although the hope was still slim, it had grown just a little.
"It's perfect that we're going to observe the remaining planets next. This kind of 'short-distance' flight is ideal for testing various functions."
With the new ship, flying within star systems now counted as short trips. This statement made Ethan feel satisfied. He didn't disturb them further and turned to deal with other matters.
As he made his rounds, Ethan remembered Ryu, whom he had left alone for a year.
He had intentionally given this person a long vacation to see if he would continue training and improving without being prompted by tasks or supervision.
He figured the timing was about right and decided to check in.
He didn't notify anyone. The crew knew about Ryu's situation, but no one paid it much attention.
It was similar to when Ethan suddenly thought of developing the Transformers world as a base. The results were still uncertain, and Ryu might disappear from their view entirely. There was no need to waste time on a 'passerby.'
They would only pay attention to him if Ethan officially brought him into the team.
So Ethan went alone to the Nasuverse, then hid in the shadows and observed Ryu for a while. He found that this person was indeed somewhat worthy of the resources he had invested in him.
Ryu hadn't been slacking off. He trained every day.
After a year of training, while his strength hadn't improved dramatically, his aura had become much more stable than before. His upper limit hadn't increased much, but his lower limit had clearly risen, meaning his overall strength was now more consistent.
Ethan was very satisfied and was just about to reveal himself when he suddenly noticed that outsiders had entered his territory.
(To be continued.)