The pad's design was sleek and ergonomic, with a matte black surface that glowed faintly with blue energy lines. The holographic interface projected directly into the user's mind, allowing for intuitive control without the need for physical input.
Ethan carefully integrated each component, connecting the processor, shield generator, navigation system, and power source into a cohesive unit. The final step was calibrating the device, a painstaking process that required fine-tuning its tachyonic field and quantum algorithms.
Ethan couldn't help but marvel at the device he had created, the Quantum Time Pad rested on the table before him, its surface glowing faintly with an aura of immense power. He leaned back in his chair, sipping a hot cup of tea, contemplating the journey that had brought him to this moment. Months of intense labor, trial and error, and theoretical exploration had culminated in the creation of a device that defied the very laws of nature. And yet, his work had just begun.
"Helios," Ethan said, setting his cup down. "Let's run a complete diagnostics test on the pad. I need to confirm every feature is functioning perfectly before we move on."
"Understood, sir," Helios responded, its voice calm and precise. "Initiating diagnostics now."
The room was filled with the soft hum of the Quantum Time Pad as Helios ran its scans. Ethan watched as holographic projections danced across the surface of the pad, displaying its intricate internal mechanisms and energy flow.
The first feature Ethan tested was the pad's temporal shielding. This was, without a doubt, its most essential capability—a layer of protection against one of the most terrifying forces in the multiverse: time manipulation.
Ethan activated the shielding, and immediately, he felt an almost imperceptible shift. The air around him seemed to distort, as though he were looking through a heat haze. He reached out with his senses, trying to detect any connection to the past or future, but there was none. It was as if he existed solely in the present moment, cut off from the flow of time.
"Helios, analyze the shielding," Ethan said.
"Temporal shielding is functioning at optimal efficiency," Helios reported. "You are now completely isolated from the local timeline. Time-based attacks will have no effect on your current state."
To test the shield's strength, Ethan activated one of his older devices—a temporal disruptor designed to accelerate or decelerate time within a specific radius. He aimed the disruptor at himself and fired. The disruptor emitted a burst of energy, but as the wave collided with the bubble surrounding Ethan, it dissipated harmlessly.
"Perfect," Ethan said, nodding. "No time-based attack can touch me now."
The implications of this were staggering. With the pad's shielding, he could operate outside the influence of beings like Metron or the Reverse Flash, both of whom had wielded time as a weapon.
The next feature Ethan tested was the pad's ability to trap a target in a time loop. He placed a small robotic drone on the table and programmed the pad to create a loop around it.
The pad emitted a low-frequency pulse, and the drone began to move. It hovered a few inches off the table, then landed—and repeated the exact same sequence. Over and over, the drone performed the same actions, as if stuck in an endless replay.
"Helios, how stable is the loop?" Ethan asked.
"The loop is entirely stable," Helios confirmed. "Energy consumption is high but within acceptable limits. The target is trapped indefinitely unless the loop is manually deactivated."
Ethan deactivated the loop, and the drone returned to normal. "This feature is devastating," he said. "Anyone caught in this loop would be helpless unless they had a deep understanding of temporal mechanics. It's not just a weapon—it's a prison."
Ethan moved on to one of the pad's most groundbreaking capabilities: dimensional travel. He activated the pad's dimensional mapping function, which sent a quantum time pulse rippling through the multiverse.
The holographic interface displayed a map of nearby universes, each represented as a glowing bubble. Ethan studied the map closely, noting the detailed annotations that described each universe's properties.
"Helios," he said, "prepare to open a breach to one of these universes. Let's see how stable the connection is."
"Understood," Helios replied. "Which universe would you like to visit?"
Ethan selected a universe that appeared similar to his own but with minor deviations. The pad emitted another pulse, and a swirling vortex appeared before him. Steeling himself, Ethan stepped through the breach.
On the other side, he found himself in a parallel version of Gotham City. The skyline was familiar but subtly different—taller skyscrapers, advanced architecture, and a general sense of technological progress. Ethan marveled at the stability of the breach, knowing that this capability opened up endless possibilities for exploration and innovation.
He returned to his own universe and closed the portal, satisfied with the pad's performance. "Dimensional travel works flawlessly," he said. "The multiverse is now within my reach."
Ethan decided to test the pad's durability next. The casing was made from a meta-alloy synthesized using the Echobox, and it was theoretically indestructible. To confirm this, Ethan subjected the pad to extreme stress tests. He exposed it to temperatures exceeding 100,000°C, submerged it in corrosive acids, and even struck it with his Shazam-enhanced flames.
The pad emerged unscathed from every test. "As expected," Ethan said. "This device is impervious to anything in this universe."
He also confirmed that the energy powering the pad was unique. Even Helios, with all its advanced analytical capabilities, struggled to identify or replicate the energy source. This made the pad truly one of a kind, ensuring that it could never be duplicated or sabotaged.
Ethan sat back, the Quantum Time Pad glowing softly on the table before him. He couldn't help but marvel at what he had created. This device wasn't just a technological marvel—it was a symbol of his defiance against those who sought to control him.
"With this pad," he said, "I don't have to fear Metron or anyone else who thinks they can manipulate time. They can try, but they'll fail."
And yet, despite his pride, Ethan felt a lingering sense of disappointment. The pad, for all its power, lacked the one feature he desired most: the ability to travel through time itself. This limitation wasn't due to any flaw in the device but rather the boundaries of Ethan's current knowledge.
"This isn't the pad's fault," he murmured. "It's mine. But I'll figure it out. It's only a matter of time."
He leaned forward, placing a hand on the pad. "This is just the beginning. With this device, I'll reshape the future on my own terms."
For now, Ethan was content. The Quantum Time Pad was a masterpiece, the culmination of all his knowledge and ingenuity. But he knew that his journey was far from over. There were still mysteries to uncover, challenges to overcome, and enemies to face. And with the Quantum Time Pad in his possession, he was ready for whatever came next.
A/N: I am kind of disappointed with my other novel, Hero in ancient Greece, I had high hopes for it but it hardly met my expectation I am not expecting much though, but for those of you interested in reading it, the synopsis is below .
Hero in ancient Greece is a Chinese oriented novel of someone (Diomedes)who transmigrated into the world of ancient Greece. He has an attribute panel system which gives him stat point, In this world there are gods and monsters, but they had long faded into obscurity, with multitudes thinking they are just myths, legends and stories. Diomedes lives an aloof life in Argos as an hunter but destiny (Author's plot) will soon catch up to him.
Read and add to your collection to find out more and if you are interested for me to keep writing hero in ancient Greece, leave a comment.