Chapter 169: Roy VS Diana
Upon hearing Hippolyta's words, Antiope was momentarily stunned.
She then quickly replied, "Understood. I will certainly ascertain his strength and devise a combat strategy that can effectively counter him."
Hippolyta nodded and continued, "If there's nothing else, you may leave."
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
Antiope bowed slightly to Hippolyta, turned, and walked toward the study's door.
Just as she was about to leave, Hippolyta suddenly remembered something and said, "Wait a moment."
Antiope stopped, turned back, and looked at Hippolytawith confusion.
Under her gaze, Hippolyta said slowly, "Starting today, increase the intensity of Diana's training."
"She is no longer a child; it's time to set higher goals for her."
"Very well, I will devise a new training regimen for her."
Antiope replied immediately without any hesitation.
On Themyscira, not many people knew that Diana was the illegitimate daughter of Zeus, but Antiope was one of them.
It was precisely because she knew Diana's true identity that she placed her hopes for dealing with Ares, God of War, on Diana.
Otherwise, even if Diana was Hippolyta's daughter, she wouldn't have believed Diana could possess the strength to face Ares.
Compared to ordinary humans, the Amazons' constitutions were indeed stronger.
But even so, it was still not at a level where they could contend with Ares.
Not to mention that Ares was a god.
Even compared to other Superhumans, the Amazons' physical attributes held no advantage.
After answering, Antiope bowed slightly to Hippolytaonce more.
Then, she left the study under Hippolyta's gaze.
At this moment, neither Hippolyta nor Antiope knew that Diana had already invited Roy to observe her afternoon training.
After finishing lunch in the communal dining hall, Dianaacted as a guide, introducing Roy to Themyscira while asking him about his Universe.
Although Diana was a full-grown adult, because she had never left Themyscira, she was currently like a little girl full of curiosity.
However, this was normal.
If their roles were reversed, he would have been even more curious than Diana.
Leaving the town, Diana brought Roy to her private training ground.
It was an open grassy area located on the edge of a cliff.
The area of the grass was not small, slightly larger than a basketball court.
Even though it was Diana's private training ground, there were quite a few people inside.
Before even reaching the training ground, Roy saw twenty or so Amazon Warriors.
Some of these Amazon Warriors held spears, some carried bows and arrows, and others wore longswords.
They were gathered in small groups, standing around the training ground chatting.
Several weapon racks stood at the edge of the training ground.
On the small hills on either side, some archery targets were placed.
Seeing Diana approaching the training ground with Roy, the gazes of these Amazon Warriors fell upon them, and they quickly began to whisper among themselves.
Neither Diana nor Roy cared about their scrutiny.
Diana didn't care because she was the daughter of Hippolyta, the Princess of the Amazons, and had grown up under everyone's gaze and attention.
Roy didn't care because he also had extensive experience being the center of public attention.
Let alone being scrutinized by twenty people, even if it were tens of thousands, he wouldn't take it to heart.
Soon, Roy and Diana arrived at the training ground.
Seeing that her combat instructor Antiope had not yet arrived, Diana said to Roy, "Besides casting magic, do you have any other combat styles?"
"Although I am a mage, I have also studied close-quarters combat for a while."
"However, I am not very skilled in using cold weapons like swords."
Roy said slowly.
He was telling the truth.
While his close combat skills were quite good, he indeed wasn't very proficient with cold weapons like swords.
Of course, if he needed to use them, he could.
Hearing his answer, Diana's eyes suddenly lit up, and she said quickly:
"Aunt Antiope isn't here yet, why don't we have a simple spar first?"
"Don't worry, I certainly won't bully you for being a mage."
Looking at the expectant expression on Diana's face, Royreplied with a smile, "Since you want to play, I'll play with you for a bit."
Diana walked happily toward the weapon rack and picked up two longswords.
Just as she was about to hand one to Roy, Roy said, "No need, I have my own."
Have his own?
Diana looked at him in confusion.
Under Diana's gaze, Roy utilized SSR: Iceman's superpower to create a transparent ice sword that looked like a crystal work of art.
To him, this was nothing, as simple as breathing.
But seeing this scene, both Diana and the other Amazon Warriors around the training ground showed surprised expressions.
Without any hesitation, Diana quickly asked, "Besides an ice sword, can you create other weapons?"
"Yes!"
"As long as I want to, any cold weapon will do."
Roy replied.
As soon as he finished speaking, an envious expression appeared on Diana's face.
Although she didn't know exactly how Roy did it, she was certain of one thing: Roy's ability was very convenient.
If she also had such an ability, she could use a suitable weapon at any time according to different situations.
Not only that, she would no longer have to worry about not having a handy weapon.
'If only I knew this kind of magic too!'
Diana lamented in her heart.
After her lament, she put one of the longswords back on the rack and picked up a shield.
Shield in her left hand, sword in her right!
Although Diana had not yet awakened her divine power, seeing her current appearance, images of Diana wearing her wonder woman uniform, holding the Sword of Athena and the divine power shield, unconsciously flashed through Roy's mind.
After a simple flourish of her sword, Diana said to Roy, "Are you ready?"
Roy didn't speak, but nodded.
Seeing his response, Diana didn't hesitate and initiated the attack first.
In the blink of an eye, Diana was in front of Roy, her longsword swinging out like lightning.
Facing Diana's attack, Roy raised the ice sword in his right hand to block her strike.
Clang!
A crisp sound of impact immediately rang out!
Although what Roy held was not a metal sword but an ice sword,
the ice sword he created was no weaker than the metal sword in Diana's hand in terms of both durability and sharpness.
Not only that, if he wanted, the ice sword in his hand could further change its form.
For example, becoming larger or longer.
However, he did not intend to do that now.
Diana was not an enemy; there was no need to change the ice sword's form to catch her off guard.
The moment Roy swung his sword to block her attack, Diana knew that what Roy had said earlier was true: he indeed wasn't very skilled with cold weapons.
From her perspective, Roy's sword movements had many openings.
The reason he could block her attack was simply because Roy's strength was sufficient and his speed was fast enough.
In other words, Roy's swordsmanship was far inferior to hers; he had only relied on superior physical attributes to block this single attack.
Realizing this, Diana immediately changed her tactics, turning her wrist as the longsword traced a graceful arc, slashing toward Roy.
Although it was a very ordinary slash, it had to be said that Diana truly lived up to being a female warrior who had practiced swordsmanship since childhood.
The angle of this strike was extremely tricky.
Roy could clearly see the trajectory of the incoming sword, but he couldn't continue to use the ice sword to block this strike from Diana.
It wasn't that he couldn't react, but purely a matter of the angle.
Just as the longsword was about to hit him, Roysuppressed the urge to use intangibility or energy absorption, pushed off hard with his legs, and retreated.
Diana seemed to have guessed his choice to evade long ago, following him like a shadow and swinging her longsword once more.
Roy sighed helplessly and once again used SSR: Iceman's superpower.
He didn't choose to Freeze Diana, but instead created a buckler in his left hand.
The crystal-clear buckler instantly took shape, blocking the longsword in Diana's hand.
After her attack was blocked again, Diana didn't continue. She took a few steps back, creating distance between herself and Roy.
She then said to Roy, "Using a sword and shield is more difficult than just using a longsword. Are you sure you want to fight me with a sword and shield?"
Hearing her words, Roy said calmly, "The difficulty of sword and shield is indeed higher, but it's more suitable for me to learn your combat style."
What?
Diana looked at Roy in surprise.
After a few seconds, a bright, sun-like smile appeared on her delicate, fair, oval face.
"You plan to learn while fighting me?"
Diana asked Roy.
"Yes!"
"I am very confident in my learning ability."
Roy replied with a serious face.
"In that case, let me see just how strong your learning ability is!"
As soon as she finished speaking, Diana charged at Royonce more.
Despite using the same weapons, there was no suspense; in front of Diana, a master of cold weapons, Roy quickly fell into a disadvantage.
If it were a real battle, Diana wouldn't even have a chance to get close to him.
But in a cold weapon sparring match, he lost all initiative without any suspense.
Under the gaze of the other Amazon Warriors, Roy was driven into a frantic state by Diana, retreating repeatedly.
Time passed bit by bit.
Just when Diana and everyone else thought he couldn't hold out much longer, things began to develop in the opposite direction.
After adapting to Diana's attack rhythm, and especially after personally witnessing Diana's sword and shield techniques, Roy gradually found the knack for using them himself.
Although his movements were still somewhat clumsy and far from as proficient as Diana's, he had indeed learned the sword and shield techniques from her.
He really learned it?
Seeing Roy's sword and shield techniques gradually become more proficient, Diana showed a look of surprise.
Even though Roy had clearly stated his learning ability was good, she never imagined he could actually master the use of sword and shield in such a short time.
The use of cold weapons looks simple.
But to truly become proficient is a very difficult thing.
Without long periods of diligent practice, it's hard to truly master them.
Especially in front of an expert.
One can see the depth of the opponent's skill at a glance.
Diana had seen at a glance earlier that Roy was not skilled in swordsmanship.
Though surprised, Diana quickly calmed her mind.
Letting one's thoughts wander in battle is a major taboo!
Diana set aside her playful mood and began to treat Royas a true opponent.
Once she got serious, Roy fell into a disadvantage once again.
Though he lost the initiative again, his defense remained watertight, and he didn't let Diana land a hit on him.
Compared to Diana, there was indeed still a gap between them now.
But it was no easy task for Diana to hit him either.
Unconsciously, a few more minutes passed.
Finding that she couldn't defeat Roy for the time being, Diana stopped her attack and said to Roy, "I'm stopping, I lose."
Before Roy could speak, she continued, "You've never practiced with a sword and shield before, yet by learning my movements, you quickly mastered the techniques."
"If we keep fighting, the one who loses will definitely be me. Your learning ability is too incredible."
Diana was not a sore loser and looked at Roy with a calm face.
"You didn't lose!"
"I only barely blocked your attacks by learning from you. Let's call this one a draw."
Roy said to Diana.
He wasn't being humble.
Without using his other superpowers and magic, even if he continued to learn Diana's techniques, it would be impossible for him to win against her.
He wouldn't forget that Diana was a demigod, with divine power hidden within her that ordinary people did not possess.
Once Diana awakened her divine power, she could easily defeat him if he didn't use his superpowers and magic.
"A draw it is, then,"
Diana replied quickly.
Roy nodded and dispelled the ice sword and ice shield.
Diana scanned the surroundings and said with a frown, "Why hasn't Aunt Antiope arrived yet? It's almost time for training."
"Perhaps she was delayed by something else,"
Roy replied.
Just as he finished speaking, Antiope appeared in his and Diana's line of sight, riding a warhorse.
Before long, Antiope arrived at the training ground, looked at Roy with a cold expression, and said quickly, "What are you doing here?"
"I came to watch Diana's training."
Roy didn't mind Antiope's expression and spoke casually.
"Diana's training is not a performance; it's not convenient for outsiders to watch. Please leave here immediately."
Antiope said quickly.
"And if I say I won't leave?"
Roy asked Antiope in return.
Seeing Roy and Antiope becoming confrontational, Dianasaid quickly, "I invited Roy here. There's no harm in letting him watch."
Chapter 170: Diana's Magical Talent
Antiope originally wanted to say something more.
But seeing the pleading expression begin to surface on Diana's face, she let out a helpless sigh.
Then, with a serious face, she said to Roy, "You can stay and watch Diana's training, but you absolutely must not disturb us."
Before Roy could answer, Diana's voice rang out.
"He definitely won't disturb me."
After saying that, Diana turned to Roy and gave him a bright smile.
Roy nodded, turned, and walked toward a small hillside next to the training ground, sitting down on the grass.
Once he left the training ground, Antiope did not hesitate and immediately gathered the surrounding Amazon Warriors, explaining the new training content.
When Antiope finished explaining the new training content, Diana first showed a look of surprise.
But soon, the surprised expression on her face turned into one of anticipation.
In her view, Antiope increasing the difficulty of the training meant that her strength was greater than before, which was why the difficulty needed to be raised.
This thought of hers wasn't necessarily wrong.
However, Antiope increasing the training difficulty wasn't just because her strength had improved; it also had something to do with Roy.
Although Hippolyta had put it delicately, Antiope knew that Roy's arrival had started to make Hippolyta worry that Themyscira would be found by Ares, God of War.
Although Themyscira was shrouded in a thick mist created by Zeus using his divine power, this mist did not have the ability to block outsiders from invading; it only had the effect of hiding Themyscira.
In other words, anyone could pass through the mist to reach Themyscira.
If Roy from another Universe could arrive at Themysciraby coincidence, then Ares, God of War, also had the possibility of finding Themyscira by accident.
Although the likelihood was small, Hippolyta still hoped Diana could grow quickly enough to reach the point where she could confront Ares, God of War.
When Diana was ready, Antiope immediately signaled the surrounding Amazon Warriors to attack Diana.
These Amazon Warriors were all elites she had carefully selected.
Seeing Antiope's gesture, the Amazon Warriors positioned around the training ground, holding bows and arrows, were the first to attack Diana.
Sharp arrows shot rapidly toward Diana from different angles.
Diana did not stand still and wait for death; she began a series of flexible dodges.
Even though Diana was dodging incoming arrows, it must be said that her light attire combined with her agile movements as she evaded the arrows was very pleasing to the eye, like watching rhythmic gymnastics.
Especially when she displayed physical qualities far beyond those of an ordinary person, flipping up and down with her pleated-skirt-like short skirt flying freely, it was particularly beautiful.
Diana was not the kind of bombshell who would immediately make one think of carnal pleasures; rather, she was a beauty who perfectly blended feminine grace and strength.
While the archers launched their attacks on Diana, the other Amazon Warriors were not idle either, starting to throw javelins at her.
Although the javelins were more powerful, for Diana, they were actually easier to dodge.
The only problem was that after dodging the javelins, the Amazon Warriors wielding swords and shields arrived in front of her, swinging their longswords at her.
Clang, clang, clang, clang, clang... The continuous sound of swords clashing against shields soon rang out on the training ground.
Despite being outnumbered, Diana was not at a disadvantage at all.
Not only that, she even successfully repelled several Amazon Warriors.
According to the current progression, it was only a matter of time before she defeated all the Amazon Warriors.
But clearly, Antiope would not let her win so easily.
After Diana repelled a few Amazon Warriors wielding swords and shields, Antiope sent in female warriors wielding spears, battle-axes, and war hammers.
As these female warriors wielding long-reach weapons joined the fray, Diana quickly became flustered.
In a one-on-one situation, she could easily defeat these people.
But as the saying goes, two fists are no match for four hands.
Even though she had superior physical qualities and more exquisite combat skills, without awakening her divine power, she still couldn't manage to deal with ten or twenty Amazon Warriors at the same time.
These Amazon Warriors were, without exception, the elites of Themyscira.
More importantly, they had participated in the battles where the Amazons resisted humanity.
In other words, their combat experience far exceeded Diana's.
Their talent was indeed not as good as Diana's.
But in the years past, they had been training every single day, always maintaining their peak condition.
If one had to point out a deficiency, it was that after coming to Themyscira, they had never again engaged in a true battle of life and death.
However, that didn't mean they were easy to deal with.
After holding out for over ten minutes, Diana was struck hard in the chest by an Amazon Warrior wielding a war hammer, and she was sent flying back uncontrollably.
If it were an ordinary person, being hit like that would result in heavy injury if not death.
But for Diana, an attack of this level wasn't enough to make her completely lose her combat capability.
However, looking pathetic was definitely unavoidable.
Under everyone's gaze, the knocked-back Diana fell onto the grass in a very disheveled state.
Before she could get up, those Amazon Warriors swarmed over like a hive of bees.
What happened next was very simple.
Diana tried to get up and resist, but the surrounding Amazon Warriors did not give her such an opportunity.
Seeing this scene, Antiope let out a helpless sigh.
In her view, Diana falling into such a predicament wasn't because Diana's strength was insufficient, but because Diana wasn't being serious at all.
Let alone killing intent.
Diana didn't have a shred of killing intent on her.
Even her fighting spirit—the fighting spirit Diana was currently displaying—couldn't even be called strong.
Although Diana was already unable to rely on her own strength to get up and counterattack, Antiope did not issue the command to stop the attack.
It wasn't until Diana had been pinned to the ground and beaten by the surrounding Amazon Warriors for several minutes that she finally issued the command to pause.
As the Amazon Warriors dispersed, Diana, her body stained with quite a bit of dirt, stood up with a dark expression.
Although she had experienced being pinned to the ground and beaten by a group of Amazon Warriors before, there had never been an audience in the past.
But now, Roy was sitting on the small hillside next to the training ground, witnessing the entire process of her being beaten up.
For her, this was a very embarrassing thing.
After standing up and taking several deep breaths to calm her mood, she said to Antiope, "I've rested enough, I can continue training!"
Antiope nodded and signaled another group of Amazon Warriors to go up and besiege Diana.
Soon, Diana's one-versus-many battle broke out once again.
Compared to just now, she held out a bit longer this time.
But the result was still the same; she was once again pinned to the ground and beaten by a group of Amazon Warriors.
In the time that followed, Diana stood up again and again, and was knocked down again and again.
It wasn't until the Sun began to set that she failed to successfully defeat all the Amazon Warriors.
Although she didn't achieve victory, as long as one's eyes weren't blind, anyone could see that her performance was better each time.
If nothing else, during the last few times, Antiope had to personally intervene to knock her to the ground.
After the training ended, Antiope glanced at Roy, who had been sitting on the small hillside watching the training all afternoon.
Then, she led the surrounding Amazon Warriors away from the training ground.
She had originally intended to take Diana back with her.
But Diana said she wanted to stay behind to process things for a while.
Antiope saw through Diana's plan at a glance.
Although she didn't want Diana to spend time with Royat all, she had no way to stop Diana.
Forcing Diana away would only make her more rebellious.
"Did I perform very terribly?"
Diana came over and sat down next to Roy, asking with a discouraged face.
"No, you performed quite well."
"If it were anyone else, they wouldn't have been able to stand back up after being knocked down once or twice."
"But you didn't give up even after being knocked down twenty-three times."
Roy looked at Diana with a serious expression.
In terms of strength, the current Diana was indeed far inferior to the wonder woman in the movies.
But without awakening her divine power, it was already very impressive that she could do this much.
One must know that her current physical qualities were only stronger than an average Amazon; she had not yet truly brought out the power of her demigod body.
Twenty-three times?
Hearing Roy's words, Diana showed a look of surprise.
She hadn't expected Roy to actually seriously count how many times she had fallen.
"Standing up is useless; I still can't defeat Aunt Antiope."
Diana said with a frown.
"No, in a one-on-one situation, she is definitely not your match."
"Although she knocked you down the last few times, she took a huge advantage."
"Furthermore, you were trained by her personally; she knows your strength very well and knows your fighting habits."
Roy continued.
Compared to other Amazons, Antiope, as the General of Themyscira, was indeed not weak in strength.
But she wasn't at a level that Diana couldn't handle.
"I also know her fighting habits very well, but I still couldn't block her attacks."
Diana replied.
"You couldn't block them because your stamina had already been consumed significantly, and your movements and reactions had slowed down."
"Although I am not a warrior, my eye has always been very accurate."
"If I'm not mistaken, it won't be long before you become the strongest warrior on Themyscira."
"Even if your mother and Antiope came at you together with everyone else, they wouldn't be your match."
Roy looked at Diana and said quickly.
He wasn't just comforting Diana; he was stating a fact.
Perhaps even Diana herself hadn't noticed that this afternoon, she had come close to activating the divine power within her body several times.
Diana did not answer immediately, thinking for a few seconds.
Then, she said to Roy, "If I become the strongest female warrior of Themyscira, could you go all out and have a fight with me?"
"I want to see just how strong you are."
"Or rather, see just how strong your magic is!"
Hearing Diana's words, Roy said with a smile, "Of course."
"Alright, it's getting late; it's time to head back."
After saying that, he raised his right hand and casually drew a circle in the air.
The next second, a Portal Spell shimmering with golden sparks appeared in front of him and Diana.
This is?
Diana looked at the Portal Spell in front of her with a face full of astonishment.
"What kind of magic is this?"
Diana immediately asked.
"Just an ordinary Portal Spell; it doesn't have any special name..."
"You can call it the Gate of Teleportation or the Golden Portal."
Roy stood up and replied casually.
"I like this magic!"
Diana said with a serious face.
"If you want to learn it, I can teach you."
Roy continued.
If it were the Kamar-Taj Portal Spell, he wouldn't be able to teach it to Diana.
But what he was performing now was a Portal Spell he had modified.
As long as he wanted to, teaching Diana would not be difficult.
Although Diana in the movies never used any magic, that didn't mean she had no magical talent.
As the daughter of Zeus, she not only had magical talent, but her magical talent was also very high.
She didn't know magic simply because she hadn't learned it.
"I can learn magic too?"
Diana looked at Roy with a surprised face.
"Of course!"
"I have already confirmed it; not only do you have magical talent, but your magical talent is also quite good."
Roy replied.
Hearing his answer, Diana immediately said, "Then when will you teach me?"
"Tomorrow."
"Once you've finished your daily training."
Roy said slowly.
"Okay!"
Diana immediately nodded.
Passing through the Portal Spell, Roy and Diana returned to the palace.
To be precise, they returned to the corridor outside Diana's room.
The Kamar-Taj Portal Spell requires imagining the destination in one's mind to be successfully cast.
After Roy's modification, even if one cannot imagine the destination in their mind, the exit can be locked through spatial coordinates.
Closing the Portal Spell behind him, Roy said to Diana, "If there's nothing else, I'll head back first."
"Mm-hmm."
Diana nodded.
Roy said nothing more, preparing to use teleportation to return to his room.
At that moment, Diana suddenly remembered something and said to him:
"If you want to eat anything, just tell someone, and they will deliver the food to your room."
Diana said to Roy.
"Okay, I understand."
Roy nodded.
The next second, he disappeared from Diana's sight.
After returning to his room, Roy did not immediately have someone bring dinner; instead, he went to the balcony to enjoy the night view of Themyscira.
After ten minutes or so, he finally had someone bring dinner and inquired about the location of the bathhouse.
The room he was currently living in did not have a private bathroom, only a washroom.
The Amazon Warrior he asked first told him the location of the bathhouse and then went to prepare the food.
Not long after, a dinner similar to his lunch was delivered to his room.
After finishing dinner, Roy rested in the room for a few minutes.
Then, he walked unhurriedly toward the bathhouse.
Soon, he arrived at the bathhouse not far from his room...
Chapter 171: Diana's Curiosity
This was Roy's first time in the palace's bathroom.
But he knew that the bathrooms on Themyscira were very different from those outside.
The bathroom was located inside a cave, and there were no lights inside.
However, it wasn't dim at all.
Because the water inside was emitting a soft, pale blue glow.
In the center of the bathroom were five pools stacked together like a hot spring.
The top pool was the largest, and the spring water flowing from its edge fell like a small waterfall into the pools below.
Neither the overall layout nor the pools themselves showed much artificial trace; they looked as if they had formed naturally.
Around the bathroom and along the passage, there were several transparent glass bottles the size of buckets in various shapes, serving as both decorations and lighting fixtures.
Inside the bottles was the glowing spring water.
Beside the pools were some large clay jars, and on the rock walls on both sides were two stone pillars that seemed to support the walls but were actually decorative.
This bathroom is truly unique!
Although he had seen this scene in a movie, Roy still couldn't help but marvel in his heart after arriving here in person.
After glancing around the bathroom, Roy didn't hesitate and immediately took off his clothes and went to the top pool.
The moment he touched the spring water, he discovered that the water emitting the pale blue glow contained a special energy.
The Energy Absorption granted by the Black King Shawcard made him unconsciously absorb the energy from the spring water.
Although he didn't know exactly what this energy was, after absorbing some and sensing it briefly, Roy found that it was somewhat similar to Life Energy, having effects such as dispelling fatigue and restoring physical strength and injuries.
Not only that, he also found that when he began to absorb the energy of the spring water, the surrounding water immediately dimmed a bit.
Without any hesitation, he immediately stopped the Energy Absorption.
Obviously, the energy in the spring water was limited.
If he didn't stop, the Energy Absorption superpower granted by the Black King Shaw card would cause him to continuously absorb the energy until the spring water and the energy in the spring's source were completely drained.
After stopping the Energy Absorption, Roy went to the side of the pool against the wall and sat down.
The water temperature was just right, neither cold nor hot.
More importantly, the special effects of the spring water made his mind relax unconsciously.
After soaking for a few minutes, a thought flashed through his mind.
Should I take some spring water back to study and make a similar bathroom in the palace of Wakanda?
Although he wasn't sure why this spring water possessed a special energy similar to Life Energy, he was absolutely confident he could figure it out through research.
As long as he could understand what was going on, with his current abilities, he could not only replicate one but also create a pool with even better effects.
Before Roy could decide whether to build a similar bathroom in the palace of Wakanda, he heard faint footsteps coming from the passage.
Although the footsteps were very light and there was the interference of the sound of flowing water, the footsteps were still keenly captured by him.
Not long after, a graceful figure appeared in his sight.
As he had guessed, the person who came to the bathroom was none other than Diana, wearing pale gold leather armor and a short skirt.
After coming down the steps of the passage, Diana didn't speak but looked him over with great interest.
Although he had long been used to being looked at by others, when Diana's curious gaze fell on him, Roy still felt a bit uncomfortable.
Usually, people wouldn't look at him with a gaze as if they were looking at a rare animal.
Roy coughed and said to Diana, "Why are you here?"
Hearing his words, Diana withdrew her gaze as if looking at a rare animal and said to him, "This is the bathroom I usually use."
What?
Roy was stunned for a moment.
Because this bathroom wasn't far from his room, he instinctively thought there were many similar bathrooms in the palace.
It turned out that this was the bathroom Diana usually used.
"I didn't know this was the bathroom you use. I only asked for the location of a bathroom, not anything else."
Roy didn't want Diana to misunderstand him as a pervert, so he spoke quickly.
Diana came to the side of the pool and said slowly, "Although no one else comes here besides me, this isn't my exclusive bathroom, but a public one..."
At this point, Diana paused, then looked at Roy seriously and continued, "Can you stand up for a moment?"
What?
Roy looked at Diana with a face full of surprise.
He knew Diana had never seen any man before, but he didn't expect her to actively ask him to stand up.
Seeing the surprised expression on his face, Dianacontinued, "The books say that the body structures of men and women are different, but the books don't say exactly where they are different, nor are there any corresponding pictures. I'm curious about exactly what is different."
"Isn't this a bit inappropriate?"
Roy replied quickly.
Although it didn't matter if Diana took a look, he always felt it was a bit strange to do so.
How should he put it?
It made him feel like he had become a gigolo.
"I just want to take a look, I won't do anything to you."
Diana said calmly.
I'm afraid I'll do something to you!
Roy complained in his heart.
After thinking for a bit, he sighed helplessly.
Let her see then, it's no big deal, just treat it as satisfying Diana's curiosity.
Having made a decision, he stood up.
As he had guessed, Diana looked him over seriously with a gaze that didn't contain any special meaning, just pure curiosity.
Then, she said slowly, "I see. Are all other men like you?"
"Uh... strictly speaking, I'm one of the more outstanding ones!"
Roy said as he sat back down.
Diana didn't understand the subtext in his words and said seriously, "Although I'm not a mage, I know that traveling to another Universe is certainly not an easy thing."
"The fact that you could easily arrive here shows that you are an outstanding one among mages. You are indeed more excellent than others."
After saying that, without waiting for Roy's answer, Dianaraised her hands and placed them on the straps of her leather armor.
What is she doing?
She doesn't want to come in and bathe too, does she?
Although he had often taken baths with Skye, Mary Jane, Selene, the White Queen, and others, Diana wasn't Skyeand the others.
He and Diana had known each other for less than 12 hours.
Not long after, Diana's graceful body, which seemed to have been blessed by Venus, the goddess of beauty and love, appeared in Roy's sight.
Roy unconsciously swallowed his saliva.
Under his gaze, Diana calmly entered the pool and sat down opposite him.
The pool they were in was very large, a circular pool about two or three meters in diameter.
Not to mention accommodating the two of them, it wouldn't be a problem even if five or six more people came.
When Diana sat down, most of her body was covered by the glowing spring water, making the atmosphere in the bathroom become normal.
At least for Roy, the atmosphere became normal.
Diana didn't know how tempting her actions just now were to Roy, and she calmly chatted with him.
As before, she mainly asked about things in the Marvel Universe.
Since Diana didn't ask about anything involving his secrets, Roy answered every question patiently, satisfying her curiosity.
Time passed bit by bit.
Half an hour later, Roy and Diana left the bathroom.
After reaching the passage outside the bathroom, they said goodnight to each other and then walked toward their respective rooms... Early the next morning.
After finishing breakfast in his room, Roy followed an Amazon Warrior to Hippolyta's study.
After the Amazon Warrior who led the way left, he sat down opposite Hippolyta.
"When do you plan to leave Themyscira and return to your own Universe?"
Hippolyta didn't waste words and went straight to the point.
"I only arrived yesterday, and I have no intention of leaving in the short term."
Roy looked at Hippolyta calmly.
After a few seconds of silence, Hippolyta spoke, "I heard from Diana that you plan to teach her magic?"
"Yes."
Roy nodded.
"There has never been a mage among the Amazons. Are you so sure she can learn magic?"
Hippolyta continued.
Hearing her words, Roy sighed helplessly.
Then, he said calmly, "Your Majesty, actually there's no need to beat around the bush with me, and no need to test me."
"I know who Diana's father is, and I know you've turned her into a weapon against Ares, God of War, or rather, the god-slaying sword."
"Only a god can kill a god!"
"If I'm not mistaken, Zeus probably told you that at the time."
Before he could finish his sentence, Hippolyta's gaze became extremely vigilant.
Roy didn't care about her gaze and continued, "I will help Diana deal with Ares."
"If you need, I can also take down Ares alone, or tie him up and bring him before you."
"I said yesterday, I have no ill will toward Themyscira."
"Although I am also a human male, I am different from those who enslaved you before. You don't need to worry about me treating the Amazons as slaves."
If he were a supervillain, he might have the idea of conquering Themyscira.
But he wasn't.
Besides, he wouldn't stay in this World forever, so conquering Themyscira would bring no benefit other than making Diana hate him.
"How do you know all this?"
"You just arrived in this Universe yesterday?"
Hippolyta asked with a frown.
"Because I am a mage who has mastered a lot of magic!"
Roy replied.
Although he didn't know these things because of magic, it didn't stop him from using magic as an excuse to fool Hippolyta.
Hearing his answer, Hippolyta fell silent.
After ten seconds or so, she continued, "I believe you indeed have no ill will toward the Amazons, but to us, you are after all a stranger from another Universe."
"If you can really teach Diana magic and help her deal with Ares, I will be very grateful to you."
"But if you want to harm Diana and the Amazons, even if my strength is far inferior to yours, I will certainly do my best to stop you!"
Roy could understand why Hippolyta had such thoughts and didn't take Hippolyta's threat to heart, saying unhurriedly, "Although my personality is quite free-spirited, I have no interest in being a villain or a bad person."
"Is there anything else? If not, I'm going to watch Diana's training this morning."
Hippolyta said nothing more and nodded.
Without any hesitation, Roy immediately performed Teleportation and disappeared from Hippolyta's sight.
After several consecutive teleports, he arrived at the small hillside of Diana's exclusive training ground.
Just like yesterday, he sat down on the hillside and enjoyed watching Diana's battle.
It must be said that seeing a group of beautiful women with curvaceous figures, fair skin, and outstanding looks fighting with cold weapons is indeed a very pleasing sight.
Time passed bit by bit.
Unknowingly, it was noon.
Although he had been sitting on the hillside without leaving, besides admiring the battle between Diana and the Amazon Warriors, Roy also quietly used Telepathy to sense the humans outside.
The movie didn't specify the location of Themyscira in detail, but one could guess without thinking that Themyscira is located in the Mediterranean Sea.
Without much effort, Roy sensed the mental signals of the countries around the Mediterranean Sea.
Choosing a few at random, he began to read their memories.
Soon, he found the intelligence he needed in these people's minds.
As he knew, the outside World was currently in World War I, with the Triple Alliance of Germany, Austria, and Italy resisting the Allied Powers composed of Britain, France, Russia, the U.S., and other countries.
August 1918!
After discovering it was August 1918, Roy knew that World War I was about to end.
He remembered very clearly that World War I started on July 28, 1914, and ended on November 11, 1918.
This time was about what he had expected.
The Divine Power inside Diana already showed signs of awakening.
And in the movie, not long after she first awakened her Divine Power, she met Steve Trevor, who accidentally crashed his plane in the waters of Themyscira.
Then Diana followed Steve Trevor and left Themyscira, preparing to kill Ares, God of War, who had secretly caused the start of the World war.
After confirming the exact time, Roy ended the Telepathy.
Although he didn't know exactly which day Steve Trevorwould come to Themyscira, if nothing unexpected happened, it should be in November.
From the time Diana left Themyscira to the time she killed Ares, God of War, only a few short days had passed.
Of course, it couldn't be completely ruled out that Steve Trevor might arrive at Themyscira in October.
There are no black-skinned Amazons in this Universe, so other aspects might not be exactly the same as in the movie
Chapter 172: Activating divine power
Just like yesterday afternoon, Diana did not win in the new training plan formulated by Antiope.
However, compared to yesterday afternoon, she was lasting longer and longer.
Not only that, but Antiope herself was taking action more and more frequently.
Clearly, Diana had begun to slowly adapt to the new training intensity and had made some progress.
Although in the short term, she still couldn't defeat Antiope and the others all at once.
But as long as she persevered, victory was only a matter of time.
When Diana came before him, Roy didn't wait for her to speak; he simply waved his right hand casually and created a Portal Spell back to the palace.
Although they had lunch at the public canteen in town yesterday, it went without saying that as the princess of Themyscira, Diana usually ate in the palace.
Outside Diana's room.
"Wait for me here a moment; I'll change my clothes first."
Diana said to Roy.
"Okay!"
Roy nodded.
The morning's training had not only stained Diana's clothes with quite a bit of dirt but had also left her covered in sweat.
If there were no training in the afternoon, Diana would not only change her clothes but also take a bath.
But clearly, she still needed to train in the afternoon.
After hearing Roy's answer, Diana returned to her room.
Just a few minutes later, Diana, having changed her clothes, appeared in Roy's sight once again.
Although she had changed her clothes, Diana's attire remained largely the same.
Her upper body was still in a form-fitting leather armor that exposed her shoulders and arms.
Her lower body featured a short skirt and boots that perfectly showcased her shapely, long legs.
"Let's go."
After coming out of the room, Diana said to Roy.
"Mhm."
Roy replied quickly.
Just as he thought Diana would head straight to the dining hall in the palace, Diana tilted her head and observed him for a few seconds.
Then, she proactively pressed her curvaceous and alluring body against him, hooking her arm through his right one.
This... it had to be said, Diana's move was beyond Roy's expectations.
If they were outside, this gesture of Diana's would be nothing special; many couples and spouses would do this.
But the problem was, this wasn't the outside world, but Themyscira.
More importantly, they weren't a couple or spouses.
Unlike the surprised Roy, Diana didn't think there was any problem and led him toward the dining hall.
On the way to the dining hall, Diana also introduced the layout of the palace to him.
For instance, where the dining hall, library, armory, training ground, and gardens were located, as well as the meanings behind the murals on the walls and the sculptures next to the passages.
Aside from the slightly intimate actions, Diana at this moment was much like a tour guide showing Roy around the palace.
Before they knew it, they had moved from the living quarters at the top of the palace to the dining hall located halfway up the mountain.
Without any surprise, upon arriving at the dining hall, Roysaw Diana's mother, Hippolyta.
Just like when they met in the morning, Hippolyta was still wearing her armor and cape, looking majestic and imposing.
Behind Hippolyta stood two Amazon Warriors, motionless as statues.
These two Amazon Warriors were both clad in pale gold armor, with longswords at their waists and spears over two meters long in their hands.
Clearly, they were Hippolyta's personal guards.
Besides these two Amazon Warriors, there were several maids in the dining hall wearing thin gowns.
On the surface, these maids gave off a weak and powerless impression.
But Roy knew that they were also experienced warriors.
Every citizen a soldier!
For the Amazons, this wasn't just a description, but a fact.
Seeing Diana affectionately holding Roy's arm, Hippolytafrowned slightly.
She wasn't surprised that Diana would bring Roy to the dining hall for a meal.
But she hadn't expected Diana to make such an intimate gesture with Roy.
Although somewhat surprised, Hippolyta said nothing, merely glancing at the two of them before looking away.
After arriving at the long dining table that could accommodate twenty to thirty people, Roy and Diana sat down.
Hippolyta's seat was at the head of the long table.
Diana sat down on her left.
As for Roy.
He sat down on Diana's left.
Although the first seat on Hippolyta's right was also empty, Roy had no intention of sitting there.
After Roy and Diana sat down, the maids in the dining hall quickly approached them carrying silver platters and placed the appetizers from the platters in front of them.
Unlike the public canteen in town, the dining sequence in the palace was exactly the same as a Western meal.
First came the appetizers consisting of vegetables, fruits, seafood, and meat to stimulate the taste buds and increase the appetite.
Then came the soup, which also served to whet the appetite.
Next were the side dishes used to transition between the appetizers and the main course, usually consisting of seafood, chicken, or foie gras.
After the side dishes came the most important part of the meal: the main course.
After finishing the main course, there were salads, desserts, and hot drinks.
This lunch took a full hour to conclude.
After finishing lunch, Diana didn't head straight to the training ground but instead took Roy to the palace library.
Although she was an unquestionable female warrior, reading was also one of her hobbies.
As a child, because she had no playmates her age, she would often run to the library to read by herself.
Over time, reading became one of her hobbies.
The library's area wasn't small, covering nearly a thousand square meters.
Most of the books here were brought by the Amazonswhen they relocated to Themyscira, with only a small portion written by the Amazons themselves.
For example, those recording the history of the Amazons.
After moving to Themyscira, the Amazons lived a truly secluded life.
Although they could go to the outside world, they had never left Themyscira.
If Themyscira hadn't been created by Zeus using divine power, it would have been impossible for such an isolated island to sustain so many Amazons.
"There are books here that record how humans once enslaved the Amazons and how my mother led our people to revolt against them."
"If you're interested, you can take a look."
Diana said to Roy.
"Okay!"
Roy replied.
He knew that the Amazons had once been enslaved by humans, but he wasn't very clear on the specifics of what happened back then.
Whether in movies or comics, these were just background stories.
Roy chose the books recording the history of the Amazons.
Meanwhile, Diana chose an ancient Greek book that was no different from a cultural relic.
To be precise, it was "On Virtues and Vices" written by the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle.
If left outside, this ancient book with its long history would have long since become unreadable.
But here, the book was exceptionally well-preserved.
Despite obvious signs of age, the book could still be held and read normally.
Of course, one couldn't be too rough.
Otherwise, even a new book would be damaged.
Roy and Diana took the books they wanted to read, sat down at a table by the window, and began browsing through the books in front of them.
Perhaps because the other Amazons didn't really like reading.
In the vast library, there was no one else besides Roy and Diana.
Roy turned to glance at Diana, who was reading intently, then looked back and began browsing the book in front of him.
Time passed bit by bit.
An hour passed before they knew it.
There were no clocks in the library, but Diana easily judged the accurate time from the angle of the sunlight and said to Roy, "It's almost time for training."
"Okay!"
Roy replied quickly.
After putting the book back on its corresponding shelf, he waved his hand and created a Portal Spell to the training ground.
Through the Portal Spell, he and Diana arrived at the training ground.
Seeing him and Diana emerge from the Portal Spellglowing with golden sparks, Antiope and the surrounding Amazon Warriors all showed surprised expressions.
They had never seen Roy cast the Portal Spell magicbefore; this was the first time.
Although curious, Antiope didn't ask Roy but instead gave him a look that said, "You should head out."
Roy didn't speak; he immediately used teleportation to reach the small hillside next to the training ground.
After he left, Diana's afternoon training soon began.
Whether it was a last-minute decision or planned all along, the training intensity in the afternoon was even higher than in the morning.
In the morning, Antiope would only step in after Dianahad defeated some Amazon Warriors.
But now, she took the lead and was the first to launch an attack on Diana.
As for the other Amazon Warriors, they followed behind her, rushing toward Diana together.
Without any suspense, Diana, who had not yet awakened her divine power, was quickly knocked down by Antiope's group.
Diana quickly scrambled back up.
Then, she was knocked down once again.
Get up, get knocked down, get up, get knocked down... Diana, who had just started to adapt a little this morning, experienced the same feeling as yesterday afternoon all over again.
If it were anyone else being knocked down repeatedly in such an unfair fight, they would have long since lost control of their emotions and gone berserk.
But not only did Diana not get angry, her competitiveness was thoroughly piqued, and she had no intention of giving up or taking a break.
Truly worthy of being wonder woman!
After seeing the tenacious fighting spirit Diana displayed, Roy sighed inwardly... Night.
The palace bathroom.
After finishing dinner, Roy and Diana sat in the same bathtub to soak.
If there was anything different, it was that they were no longer sitting across from each other tonight, but sitting together.
"Today's training is over. When do you plan to teach me magic?"
Diana asked Roy.
"We'll start in a moment."
Roy replied.
"Great!"
Diana looked at Roy with a face full of anticipation.
After finishing their bath and putting on their clothes, Royand Diana went to the observation deck at the top of the palace mountain.
Under Diana's gaze, Roy said unhurriedly, "My teaching method might be a bit different from what you imagine. I won't teach you things that are too basic; instead, I'll directly teach you how to cast magic."
"There is a powerful energy hidden within your body. As long as you learn to use this energy, learning magic will be a very simple matter for you."
Although he knew the energy inside Diana was divine power, Roy didn't intend to tell her the truth directly.
It was better for Diana to learn that she was a demigodfrom the mouth of Ares, God of War.
Telling Diana now, there was no guarantee she wouldn't have other thoughts.
To avoid unnecessary accidents, Roy decided to keep it from Diana for the time being, just like Hippolyta.
"There's a powerful energy hidden inside me?"
Diana looked at Roy with surprise.
"Yes!"
"The reason you can't feel it now is that you haven't awakened yet, or rather, you haven't activated it..."
At this point, Roy paused, came before Diana, and continued, "I'll take you to sense that energy."
Although she didn't know what Roy was going to do next, Diana didn't hesitate at all and immediately nodded.
Roy didn't say anything else; he raised his right hand and pressed his index and middle fingers against Diana's forehead.
The next second, he activated the Electromagnetic Rotation Force within his body.
Under his control, the Electromagnetic Rotation Forceflowed into Diana's body through his fingers.
Diana didn't know what the Electromagnetic Rotation Force was; she only felt a warm current like tepid water flowing through her body.
Just as she was wondering what would happen next, her body suddenly jolted.
Roy didn't possess divine power.
Although he knew Diana would unconsciously release the divine power in her body in moments of urgency or danger, he didn't plan to use that method to let her feel the existence of divine power, choosing instead a gentler way.
He used the Electromagnetic Rotation Force to stimulate the divine power inside Diana, thereby drawing it out.
Just as he had guessed, when he stimulated the divine power in Diana's body with the Electromagnetic Rotation Force, the divine power quickly gave an instinctive reaction.
"This is the energy hidden within your body."
"Remember the current feeling, and use your consciousness to guide and control this energy."
Roy said to Diana.
"Okay!"
Diana replied quickly.
Although she hadn't known she had divine power hidden within her before, she quickly found the knack for guiding and controlling it.
After activating the divine power in Diana's body, Roydidn't immediately withdraw the Electromagnetic Rotation Force, but instead assisted Diana in controlling the divine power from the side.
Only when Diana could guide and control the divine power on her own did he withdraw the Electromagnetic Rotation Force.
Without his assistance, Diana's control over the divine power immediately dropped significantly.
However, she quickly adapted and returned to her previous state.
Right at that moment, Roy's voice rang out.
"When casting magic, you can use this energy as mana."
After saying that, Roy took out a suspension ring from the system space.
Although he had already improved the Portal Spell and removed the restriction of having to use a suspension ringto cast it.
It couldn't be denied that the suspension ring was a very useful tool.
Especially for beginners.
"What is this?"
Seeing the suspension ring in Roy's hand, Diana immediately asked
Chapter 173 – "Mage" Diana
"suspension ring!"
"An aid for beginners learning the Portal Spell."
Roy answered without hesitation.
Then he handed the suspension ring to Diana.
On the surface, the suspension ring looked like a plain golden band worn on two fingers.
In reality, it was far from simple.
When he was bored, Roy had studied the ring in depth.
He discovered a Portal array hidden inside.
Thanks to that array, Kamar-Taj mages didn't need extra steps; they only had to focus, picture the destination, and draw circles in the air.
What Roy planned to teach Diana wasn't Kamar-Taj's orthodox Portal Spell, but a version he had refined.
The suspension ring would still help her master it.
Diana took the ring and asked, "You cast Portals without wearing it."
"Perfectly normal. I'm no novice; I don't need the aid."
Roy replied calmly.
"Oh!"
Diana nodded and slid the ring onto her right index and middle fingers.
Once it was on, Roy said slowly, "Raise both hands. Keep the left still; draw circles with the right."
"Focus. Picture where you want to go. Don't limit yourself to the scene in front of you—visualize every detail of the destination."
"While you do that, channel your energy and gather it in your circling right hand."
"The clearer the image, the faster the Portal forms."
Diana nodded and tried at once.
Under Roy's gaze she kept drawing circles in the air.
At the same time she guided the newly awakened divine power within her.
She had never touched magic before, and her power had only just awakened.
Yet Roy had guessed correctly—her magical aptitude was excellent.
Within a minute or two a fist-sized rift appeared in front of her, still too small to show what lay beyond.
In terms of completion it was only a crude prototype, unable to let anyone through.
But in terms of progress she was already close to mastering the spell.
All she needed now was to sharpen the mental image and stabilize the Portal with her power.
As time passed the rift grew from fist-sized to twenty or thirty centimetres across.
After a while its diameter reached a full metre.
Not only did it widen, the scene on the other side also became clearer.
At this rate she would need only half an hour to create a Portal large enough for people to walk through.
As the saying goes, plans can't keep up with change.
As she poured in more power she lost control of it, watching helplessly as it surged out and cloaked her silver-white bracers.
Diana looked straight at Roy.
"Don't worry, it's nothing serious. Stop practicing and draw the energy back into yourself."
Roy said serenely.
"Mm!"
She answered at once, halting her right hand.
The power wrapped around her bracers faded and returned to her body.
Only then did she breathe a sigh of relief.
"Let's call it a night," Roy said.
Clearly Diana was no longer in the right state to continue.
Her power had only awakened that evening; her control was still shaky.
If she kept going she might release it unconsciously as an Impact blast, just as she had once knocked Antiope away in the movie.
"All right," Diana replied.
She had sensed her power slipping even before it wrapped her bracers, but she had kept channeling it to maintain the expanding Portal.
Hearing her answer, Roy flicked his right hand and opened a Portal back to her room.
So this is the gap between us?
Watching him conjure a two-metre golden gateway with a casual wave, Diana envied him.
Before learning the spell she hadn't fully appreciated its difficulty.
Now, understanding the principles, she realized how hard it was to make it look effortless.
They stepped through and returned to the palace.
"Good night," Roy said.
"You too," Diana answered.
Without another word Roy activated his teleportation power and vanished from her sight, reappearing in his own room.
Time flew.
More than a month passed unnoticed.
During that time Roy left Themyscira several times to visit the outside world.
Because the war still raged, every European country felt a heavy, oppressive gloom.
After a few trips he gave up on experiencing 1910s Europe.
The longer they spent together, the closer he and Dianabecame.
On a beautiful moonlit night Diana came to his room, intent on understanding "physical pleasure" and "reproduction."
She had read the twelve scrolls in which Clio, the olympian gods' historian, criticized worldly pleasure, and knew the act of human procreation could bring delight.
But she didn't know exactly how.
Moreover, Clio had concluded that while a man was necessary for reproduction, a woman might not feel pleasure in the process.
Diana was inquisitive and eager to learn.
To find out what physical pleasure and human reproduction truly entailed, she set her sights on Roy.
What happened next was simple.
Roy certainly didn't refuse, and Diana discovered exactly what physical pleasure meant.
Though she told neither Hippolyta nor Antiope about it.
But as women who had been there before, Hippolyta and Antiope saw the change in her at a glance and guessed what had happened between her and Roy.
Then, without surprise, Hippolyta summoned Roy to the study and, as Diana's mother, had a long, earnest talk with him.
During the conversation, Roy also told Hippolyta of his plan to take Diana away from this Universe.
Her first reaction to the idea was refusal.
Only after Roy guaranteed that Diana could return to Themyscira at any time did Hippolyta agree.
The condition, however, was that Diana had fulfilled her destiny by slaying Ares, the God of War.
Roy understood why Hippolyta set that requirement.
Although Ares had not appeared for a long time, he had become a lingering nightmare in the hearts of the Amazons.
As long as Ares lived, neither Hippolyta, nor Antiope, nor any other Amazon could truly feel at ease.
Their fear of Ares had also greatly influenced Diana.
In short, Diana trained so hard because Hippolyta and the others had impressed upon her that killing Ares was a mission she must complete.
Even if Hippolyta had not said it, Roy would still wait until Diana had slain Ares before taking her away.
Letting Diana return to Themyscira from time to time was no problem for him either.
Without the dimensional coordinates of the DC cinematic Universe he could not send her back.
Now that he knew those coordinates, he could open a dimensional gate for Diana whenever he wished.
Moreover, once Diana mastered the Portal Spell herself, she could cast it and return on her own.
After reaching an understanding with Hippolyta, Roymoved in with Diana openly.
More precisely, he moved into Diana's room.
Since experiencing so-called physical pleasure, Diana had fallen in love with poker.
Every night she would invite Roy to play.
Roy naturally accepted, using practical lessons to teach her professional tricks and skills.
After more than a month of study Diana became not only a highly skilled card-shark but also a qualified mage.
Under Roy's tutelage she mastered a dozen fairly basic spells and became a bona-fide sorceress.
She learned spells every Kamar-Taj mage could use: Portal Spell, Mirror Dimension, Energy Whip, and the Rings of Raggadorr.
The only difference was that when Diana cast them she did not need to borrow power from any entity like the Vishanti or other elder gods, nor draw energy from other dimensions.
The divine power within her was enough to fuel these spells.
In other words, if she was borrowing, she was borrowing from herself.
Days passed one by one.
In the blink of an eye it was mid-October.
At noon that day,
Roy and Diana, having finished lunch, strolled leisurely out of town and wandered around Themyscira.
Diana linked her arm through Roy's, pressing her alluring curves against him.
In the past the Amazon Warriors on the island would have been stunned to see Diana walking so intimately with a man.
By now they were used to it.
Although Hippolyta had made no formal announcement, every Amazon on the island knew she had approved of Diana and Roy being together.
Without noticing, the pair reached the cliff above the beach.
Roy wore a white robe in the classical Greek style that suited Themyscira.
Beside him Diana wore her usual close-fitting leather armor and short skirt, showing off her graceful curves and long, round legs.
The sea breeze lifted her hair and skirt, making her look especially bewitching.
'Aunt Antiope told me I'm now the strongest Amazon Warrior on the island and they won't schedule training for me anymore,'
'If I want to train I can arrange it myself or spar directly with you.'
Diana said softly, looking at Roy.
Roy smiled and replied, 'Whenever you want to spar, I'm free.'
He had not been idle during the past two months.
While teaching Diana he had kept up his own cultivation.
To others, though, his cultivation looked like sitting around day-dreaming.
'Mm-hmm!'
Diana nodded and kissed him on the cheek.
Just as Roy considered persuading Diana to play a game of wild poker right there, he heard the roar of a plane engine in the distant sky.
Without hesitation he turned toward the sound.
Nothing showed in the blue sky.
But he knew he had not misheard,
for Diana had heard it too and was staring at the sky in puzzlement.
Although she had mastered the Portal Spell, she had never left Themyscira, using the spell only to move quickly about the island.
A few seconds later a World-War-I German propeller plane pierced the camouflage field surrounding Themyscira and came into view.
Black smoke trailed from it, carving an obvious black line across the sky.
At the same time the out-of-control aircraft plunged rapidly toward the sea.
Though he could not see the pilot, Roy was certain it was Steve Trevor, the male lead of the movie.
Moments later the plane crashed into the ocean.
'Is that the thing you called an airplane?'
Diana asked.
'Yes, that's an airplane,'
Roy answered quickly.
At his reply Diana pulled out her sling ring and slipped it onto her left hand,
then drew circles in the air with her right.
Soon a Portal to the beach formed.
When it stabilized Diana stepped through first.
Roy followed unhurriedly and stood beside her.
Diana dismissed the Portal behind her, turned to Roy and said, 'The man in the plane is still alive; I'll save him.'
She began to conjure another Portal above the crash site.
'No need—I've got it.'
The words had barely left his mouth when Roy activated his Magnetism Manipulation Superpower.
Effortlessly he locked onto Steve Trevor and the metal objects on him
Chapter 174 – Lightning Storm
While locking onto Steve Trevor with his magnetic-field manipulation, Roy also sensed the German warship outside Themyscira's concealment field.
Shrouded in thick fog, the German warship was slowly advancing toward Themyscira.
At its current speed, it would breach the island's camouflage in minutes.
Roy paid them no mind.
He could wipe them out right now, but he'd let them live a little longer.
Steve Trevor had no idea he'd been tagged.
He was yanking the warped stick with every ounce of strength.
The bent control column had trapped his legs, pinning him to the seat.
Worse, the crashing plane was sinking toward the seabed.
Steve refused to drown like a rat stuck in a cage.
No matter how hard he pulled, he couldn't free himself.
As the aircraft was about to vanish beneath the waves, he saw something impossible.
The broken fuselage exploded into hundreds of shards.
Before he could process it, an invisible force lifted him and held him above the water.
A heartbeat later, one metre above the sea, he was hurled toward the beach.
He was an ace pilot and a spy, yet he'd never imagined flying like this.
Moments later he skimmed over the sand and spotted a man and a woman he didn't know.
He had no idea who they were.
He did know they were both stunning.
Before he could speak, Roy released his power.
Gravity reclaimed Steve and he slammed onto the sand.
Luckily the drop had only been a metre.
Any higher and the landing would have hurt.
Steve was certain these oddly dressed strangers had shredded the plane and made him fly.
He sprang to his feet without hesitation.
"Who are you?"
Diana asked the instant he stood.
Though Steve was male, her tone was calm—nothing like her first meeting with him in the film.
It made sense.
In the movie he'd been the first man she'd ever seen.
Until that moment she'd known men only by reputation.
Now men were nothing new; she studied carnal pleasure with Roy daily and understood exactly what they were.
Instead of answering, Steve studied Roy and Diana.
"Who are you people?"
"Where is this place?"
He knew one of them had saved him from drowning, but until he decided they could be trusted he wouldn't reveal a thing.
Diana frowned.
Before she could press him, Roy spoke.
"Captain Steve Trevor, fighter pilot, American Expeditionary Force, serial number 8141921, assigned to British Intelligence to spy on the German Army."
Roy gazed at him, unhurried.
The instant he'd stopped bending the magnetic field he'd switched to Telepathy and skimmed Steve's memories.
This World's Steve matched what he expected.
Steve stared, stunned.
He'd never laid eyes on Roy before, yet Roy recited his file verbatim.
"How do you know that?"
"Only my handler and I have those details."
Roy answered slowly, "I'm a sorcerer; I just read your mind."
A sorcerer?
Did he think Steve was five?
Disbelief was written all over the pilot's face.
"Roy isn't just a sorcerer—he's a formidable one," Dianaadded.
"I'm Diana. This is Themyscira."
Themyscira?
Steve racked his brain; the name meant nothing.
Before he could ask more, the German warship pierced the veil and appeared on the horizon.
"That's the German Navy—we need to move," Steveurged as landing craft raced shoreward.
"No need," Roy replied.
He raised his hand and summoned a storm.
Ink-black clouds swallowed the sky, pressing down like a lid.
Lightning Storm.
Roy whispered the name.
Silver bolts—thick and thin—lashed down, obliterating the landing craft in seconds.
The soldiers died before they could react.
The larger warship lasted only moments longer.
Under Diana and Steve's gaze, dozens of barrel-thick lightning Beasts tore the hull apart.
Sailors and officers were charred black.
Explosions ripped through the magazines and the shattered hulk sank.
Roy used Telepathy to confirm every German soldier inside the boundary was dead, then banished the storm and let sunlight flood the sea again.
Steve gaped at the sinking wreck.
Diana remained unruffled; even if Roy had summoned Angels or demons she would have taken it in stride.
Ignoring Steve's shock, Roy flicked his wrist and opened a Portal Spell ringed in golden sparks.
"Inside," he told Steve.
Steve hesitated, studying the gateway.
"What is it?"
"A portal. Quit stalling—go."
Steve wanted to say something more, but one look at Roy's face and he thought better of it.
He drew a deep breath, stepped through the Portal Spellwith his heart in his throat, and arrived in the palace throne room.
I can really come through?
Where is this place?
Steve glanced around, surprise written all over his face.
Only after Steve had crossed the portal did Roy and Diana follow at a leisurely pace.
What happened next was simple.
Hippolyta and Antiope entered the hall leading a company of Amazon Warriors.
Then they interrogated Steve with the lasso of truth.
Once the lasso of truth was looped around him, Stevebegan recounting who he was and what mission had brought him.
'British Intelligence learned that German Army General Ludendorff is heading to a secret Ottoman military Base.'
'I posed as a German pilot and flew there with them.'
'According to the reports, the German Army was beaten and starving for funds and supplies.'
'The intel was wrong.'
'The Germans are having the Turks manufacture explosives and all kinds of new weapons, plus a secret weapon that could win them the war.'
'Heading the project is Ludendorff's top scientist and sadist, Dr. Isabel Maru—'Doctor Poison' to the frontline troops.'
'Inside the Base I met her and watched her test her poisons on prisoners of war.'
'If she succeeds, countless people will die from her poison weapons and the war will grind on until Germany stands victorious.'
'My orders were to observe and report, but I had to act.'
'I couldn't let her finish a weapon that would bring such Carnage.'
'So I stole her notebook.'
'She spotted me, ordered the soldiers to seize me, but I still escaped in a fighter plane.'
'I meant to fly straight back to Britain, but on the way I ran into a German warship.'
'They attacked my fighter and forced me to ditch nearby.'
'If I can get Dr. Isabel Maru's notebook to Britain, millions of lives will be saved and the war will end.'
When Steve finished, Diana asked at once, 'What war are you talking about?'
Steve blinked.
Then continued, 'The World war started by the Central Powers led by Germany—the war to end all wars.'
'It's been raging four years; twenty-seven nations, twenty-five million dead.'
'Not just soldiers—civilians from every country.'
'Unarmed women and children slaughtered, their homes looted and razed.'
'I've never seen anything so horrific; it's like the apocalypse.'
After Steve described the war raging outside, Diana, Hippolyta, and every Amazon Warrior wore looks of disbelief.
Though they had not seen the Carnage themselves, twenty-five million dead let them imagine how terrible it must be.
Hippolyta glanced at Diana first, then commanded, 'Take him away.'
'Yes, Your Majesty!'
Under Roy's gaze, two Amazon Warriors marched Steveout of the throne room.
Once he was gone, Hippolyta said to Roy and Diana, 'Come with me.'
Without waiting for an answer she walked toward her study.
Roy and Diana followed her out of the hall without a word.
A short while later they reached the study.
Hippolyta seated herself behind the desk.
Roy and Diana sat opposite her.
The instant they were seated Hippolyta asked without hesitation, 'What do you think?'
'The World war outside must be Ares' doing!'
'We can't stand by while Ares uses it to regain his strength—we have to stop him!'
Diana replied, her face flushed with urgency.
She turned to Roy as she finished.
'I agree with Diana.'
'Though we have no proof yet that Ares caused the war, odds are he's the mastermind.'
'Whether to end the war or keep him from harming humans and Amazons later, we need to take him down.'
Roy said calmly.
Hippolyta fell silent at his words.
After a few seconds she said, 'Since you both feel this way, leave Themyscira with Steve tomorrow and stop Ares.'
'Mm-hmm!'
Diana nodded eagerly.
Hippolyta rose and added, 'Diana, come with me to the tower.'
Diana didn't hesitate; she produced her suspension ring, slipped it on, and opened a Portal Spell to the tower right in front of Hippolyta.
Once the portal formed she told Roy, 'Wait here for us; we'll be back soon.'
Though Hippolyta hadn't said so, Diana knew she was about to receive the god-slaying sword.
'All right.'
Roy answered promptly.
Under his gaze Diana and Hippolyta stepped through the portal.
The gateway closed, and they vanished from sight.
Roy walked onto the study balcony and waited eagerly for Diana's return.
At last he was going to see Diana in her wonder womanguise!
He marveled to himself.
Barely ten minutes passed before a portal ringed in golden sparks appeared in the study.
When it stabilized, Diana stepped through in a new outfit.
Crimson armor edged in gold, a deep-blue skirt, and boots the same hue as her armor.
Though Diana usually wore similar leathers and skirts, nothing suited her like the wonder woman costume.
Besides the classic uniform she now carried an exquisite longsword and a shield.
The god-slaying sword!
And the divine power shield!
More than that, atop her head sat the tiara that could be thrown like a boomerang.
The bracelets of submission she wore in any case.
Except for the missing lasso of truth at her waist and the fact she bore the god-slaying sword rather than the blade of Hephaestus, her look differed little from what Royremembered.
wonder woman!
This was exactly how wonder woman should appear!
Roy looked her over, thoroughly satisfied