Chapter 1443 - Ch: 175-181

Chapter 175 – The Foggy Capital

Although Roy said nothing, Diana knew he loved her new look.

It wasn't just Roy—she herself adored the change.

Wearing the armor made her feel like a warrior at last, not merely the princess of Themyscira.

She twirled the god-slaying sword in a casual flourish and asked Roy, "Fancy a spar?"

"Now?"

Roy replied.

"Of course now!"

Diana said with complete seriousness.

"Since you're in the mood, I'll humor you."

The moment the words left his mouth Roy opened a Portal Spell to leave the study.

When the portal stabilized he stepped through first.

Diana followed without hesitation.

After they departed, Hippolyta sighed in resignation.

They emerged on a cliff-side training ground.

Roy closed the portal and asked, "Her Majesty isn't letting you take the lasso of truth?"

"Mother will have it sent to my room later."

Diana answered at once.

Roy nodded and said no more; he summoned his frost power and shaped a crystal-clear ice sword.

Seeing the blade but no shield, Diana frowned. "You're not using a shield?"

"Not right now."

"If I need one I can make it in an instant."

Roy replied.

"I won't give you that chance."

The instant she finished, Diana—god-slaying sword in one hand, divine power shield on the other—shot toward him.

She was lightning fast; in a blink she was in his face, the sword streaking for his throat.

Though her strike was fierce, the god-slaying swordnever touched him.

Clang!

As the blade was about to land Roy flicked it aside with a casual parry.

Having watched her train so many times, he knew her fighting habits by heart.

Besides, compared with his first day on Themyscira his swordsmanship had improved dramatically.

Under Diana's subtle influence he had grown comfortable with cold steel.

Of course, in skill and experience he still lagged behind her—she had trained since childhood.

When the god-slaying sword was deflected Diana didn't stop; she followed with a shield bash.

Roy sidestepped instantly, evading the divine power shield.

Before he could reset, the sword came again.

Clearly Diana meant to give him no breathing room.

Reading her intent, Roy stopped evading and swung his ice blade.

Clang!

The god-slaying sword and ice sword collided once more.

Both knew what the other intended; neither gave ground, and they clashed in close-quarters combat.

Clang-clang-clang-clang… The ringing of ice, god-slaying sword, and divine power shield formed a strange percussion piece.

Minutes slipped by.

After three or four minutes they broke off in perfect sync, each stepping back.

"If I hadn't dueled with you on your very first day here, I'd find it hard to believe your swordsmanship could grow this much in just two months," Diana said, eyes full of admiration.

"Perfectly normal," Roy said with a grin. "I have an excellent teacher."

The teacher he spoke of was none other than Dianaherself.

In the spare moments between teaching her magic she would coach his blade work.

At his answer Diana's delicate, fair face bloomed in a radiant smile.

The next morning after breakfast in the palace dining hall Roy and Diana walked into the throne room.

Roy had changed back into ordinary clothes.

Diana wore a black fur coat over her armor, her graceful figure completely hidden.

Steve had been brought in earlier and waited for them.

Seeing them he said at once, "They told me you'd take me off Themyscira—when do we leave?"

"Right now," Roy answered, studying Steve.

A night's rest had left Steve looking far fresher than the day before.

He had also shed his German uniform jacket, wearing only a shirt, pilot's coat, and trousers.

Before Steve could say more Roy raised his right hand and opened a Portal Spell to London.

To avoid trouble Roy placed the exit in a narrow alley within the city.

Once the portal stabilized he warned, "Just so we're clear: Diana and I aren't here to fight your war. Our target is Ludendorff.

If it doesn't interfere with our plan we'll lend a hand, but don't try to order us. Understood?"

Though Roy's tone was blunt Steve merely nodded. "Understood."

"Then let's go."

Without another word Roy stepped through the portal.

Diana followed.

Steve came last.

The instant Steve crossed Roy dismissed the spell.

"Where are we?" Steve asked, glancing around the alley.

"London," Roy answered.

London? Steve stared at him in surprise.

"If you don't believe me, take a look outside—LondonBridge is nearby," Roy added.

Steve wasted no time leaving the alley.

Moments later he saw London Bridge a short distance away.

It really is London.

He had seen Roy's portal the day before, yet he had never imagined those golden-sparking rings could carry them straight from Themyscira to London.

Composing himself Steve said, "I need to see my superiors and hand over Doctor Poison's notebook. Coming with me?"

Roy didn't answer immediately; he turned to Diana. "Feel like meeting some human officials?"

Alone he would have had no interest in seeing Steve's superiors—or Sir Patrick, the guise of Ares, God of War.

But he wasn't alone.

This was Diana's first time leaving Themyscira and entering human society.

Wherever she wished to go he would gladly accompany her.

After a moment Diana said, "Let's meet them.

They may not believe Ares exists, but it can't hurt."

Ares? The name sounded familiar.

Steve looked at her in puzzlement.

"Then we'll pay them a visit," Roy said.

"Mm!"

Diana nodded at once.

Steve swallowed his curiosity and said, 'Then let's go.'

With that, he got his bearings and set off first toward the British Intelligence Agency headquarters beside the River Thames.

It was 1918; the British Intelligence Agency had not yet been renamed the Secret Intelligence Service.

As for the designation MI6, it would not appear until the early days of the Second World War.

Steve led the way, with Roy and Diana following unhurriedly behind him.

'I don't like the weather or the air here.'

Diana said, frowning.

'Neither do I,'

Roy replied.

Compared to the scenic, beautiful Themyscira, London's current weather and air quality were abysmal.

The arrival of the Industrial Revolution had filled Londonwith coal-powered industry.

London had long been prone to fog.

Add the thick smoke from burning coal, and the city was now a veritable fog capital.

That same coal smoke made London's air quality extremely poor.

Yet, in these times, no one cared about air quality.

On the way to the British Intelligence Agency, Roy and the others passed many British soldiers and officers in uniform.

A glance at their tunics told you whether they had just come from the front or were stationed in London for rest.

Dirty tunics and weary faces meant they had just left the trenches.

Those with spotless uniforms and bright spirits were on leave in the capital.

'Morning, darling!'

'Hey, beauty!'

'Stay and have breakfast with us?'

...The soldiers on the roadside couldn't take their eyes off Diana and called out.

Although she wore a long black fur coat that hid her armor, skirt, and shapely figure,

her alluring face still drew every gaze.

Having never before set foot in the World of men, Dianadidn't understand the soldiers' words; she merely found them enthusiastic.

'Are all people here so friendly?'

she asked Roy.

'No—only to beautiful women.'

'Ignore them.'

Roy answered.

Diana nodded, looked away from the soldiers, and curiously studied the other people in the street.

Soon she spotted a man and woman walking hand in hand.

Unsure whether they were married or merely sweethearts, she unhesitatingly slipped her left hand into Roy's right

and asked, 'In human society now, does walking hand-in-hand mean you are husband and wife?'

'Not necessarily.'

'They could also be lovers.'

Roy replied calmly.

Hearing their exchange, Steve—who had been leading—stopped and glanced back at them in puzzlement.

When Steve first met Roy, Roy had been wearing a white robe reminiscent of ancient Greece.

Because the clothes seemed out of time, he had assumed Roy, like Diana, was a native of Themyscira.

Now he realized Roy was entirely different.

If Diana felt like a little girl raised in complete isolation, knowing nothing of the outside World,

then Roy felt like a man long seasoned by society.

Though Roy looked no more than twenty, Steve sensed his worldly experience rivaled his own.

Steve's instinct was spot-on; Roy's experience indeed matched his.

After a moment's thought, Steve asked, 'You've been to London before?'

'A few times,'

Roy answered.

Just as Steve was about to speak further, a boxy automobile turned into their street.

Seeing it, Diana's eyes lit up. 'Is that an automobile?'

'Yes, that's a car.'

Roy answered without a trace of impatience.

'I want to ride in one.'

Diana said, full of curiosity.

'No problem.'

Roy saw nothing odd in her request.

As soon as he answered, he used Telepathy to lock onto the driver and passenger.

Moments later the driver pulled alongside and stopped.

The passenger in the rear stepped out without hesitation.

'All right, get in,'

Roy told Diana.

She nodded and climbed into the back seat.

Once she was settled, Roy followed, closing the door.

Steve frowned, then opened the front passenger door and sat beside the driver.

As he debated whether to state their destination, the driver started the car and headed for the British Intelligence headquarters.

After a few seconds of silence, Steve turned to Roy. 'What will happen to the driver and passenger?'

'Nothing.'

'After dropping us off, the driver will return to where we hailed him and pick up the passenger waiting there.'

'They'll remember nothing and suffer no after-effects.'

Roy said calmly.

Steve said no more.

A little over ten minutes later, the car stopped in front of the headquarters.

Once Roy and the others alighted, the driver turned back toward the earlier street.

Without hesitation, Steve led Roy and Diana inside.

Had this been the twenty-first century, entering the Secret Intelligence Service headquarters would have meant rigorous checks.

Now, the guard merely glanced at Steve's pass and waved them through without a search.

Following Steve, they arrived outside a conference room.

Though the door was closed, they could clearly hear the noisy argument within.

'Wait here for me,'

Steve said, then pushed the door and went inside.

Seeing this, Diana asked at once, 'What are they arguing about?'

'Whether to sign an armistice with Germany,'

Roy replied.

Sign an armistice?

Diana frowned immediately.

Then, pushing the still-open door, she strode straight inside.

Chapter 176 – The Fiancée and the Linguist

After Diana entered the conference room, Roy followed her in without hesitation.

Steve hadn't noticed them come in; he was heading toward a British Army colonel seated in the front row.

The moment he stepped inside, Roy spotted Ares, God of War, disguised as Sir Patrick.

Ares stood in the center of the room and began, "Listen to me…

"Germany is arrogant beyond measure; they will never surrender. If we want to end the war and restore peace to the World, the best way is to negotiate and sign a peace accord—"

Before he could finish, Ares saw Diana and instinctively fell silent.

Although he had never seen her before, he could clearly sense the divine power within her and instantly recognized who she was.

Once Ares's gaze fixed on Diana, the others in the room began studying her as well.

"Who is she?"

"What is she doing here?"

"Who brought her in?"

A chorus of questions erupted throughout the room.

Steve's superior spotted Diana and snapped at Steve, "This is no place for women. Get her out—now."

"Sorry, sir. I'll take her out at once."

Steve answered quickly.

He walked over to Diana and Roy, ready to escort them from the room.

Diana started to say something, but before she could speak, Steve pleaded, "Can we step outside first, please?"

Seeing the appeal in his eyes, Diana frowned.

To spare him further trouble, she nodded, turned, and headed for the door.

Roy had expected Diana to burst in with some declaration that unless Ares was slain, the war would never end.

In reality, she proved far less impulsive than he'd anticipated.

Moments later they were in the corridor outside.

Once the door shut behind them, Steve asked, "We'll have to wait here a bit. Can I get you anything to drink?"

"No, thank you."

Diana replied at once.

"I'll take a coffee."

Roy spoke up after Diana declined.

"Right, I'll have someone bring it."

"Don't wander off—just sit and wait for me."

Steve pointed to a bench along the corridor.

Roy and Diana glanced at the bench, shook their heads, and remained standing.

Seeing they wouldn't sit, Steve sighed in resignation.

He headed for the pantry.

A few minutes later he returned with three cups.

Although Diana had refused, he'd brought her one anyway.

Handing the coffee to Roy and Diana, Steve took a sip of his own and said slowly, "I'm not fond of the red tape here either.

"But in a place like this, you put up with it whether you like it or not."

Diana looked puzzled. "If you dislike it so much, you should try to change it instead of just accepting it."

I'd love to change things, but I can't!

I'm only an ordinary man!

No magic, no super-powers!

Steve grumbled inwardly.

"Change isn't that simple. If Steve could overhaul the system, he wouldn't be an Air-Captain—he'd be Prime Minister."

Roy took a sip and spoke at an unhurried pace.

Steve hadn't expected Roy to defend him; he stared in surprise.

"What's a Prime Minister?"

Diana asked, puzzled.

"The head of Britain's bureaucracy—like an ancient Roman dictator, with sweeping powers over administration, the military, legislation, the courts, education, everything."

Roy gave a brief explanation.

Although Diana had read many books, their histories were rather old.

Understanding now, she told Steve, "Since the Prime Minister can change things, work to become him.

"Good luck—I believe in you!"

If only I could!

But I can't!

Steve said helplessly, "All right, I'll do my best."

Time crept by.

Twenty minutes later the meeting finally ended.

As the doors opened, officials in suits and Officers in uniform filed out.

Colonel Crawley, Steve's superior, strode straight over and snapped, "Trevor, what were you thinking, bringing women into the conference room?"

Steve ignored the colonel's irritation and answered briskly, "I've brought urgent intelligence."

He lifted the notebook in his hand and offered it to Crawley.

"These are Dr. Isabel Maru's notes—Doctor Poison's. We need to decrypt them at once, and I must brief the generals immediately."

Colonel Crawley didn't even glance at the notebook. "That doesn't give you leave to bring—especially women—bursting in here."

"With respect, sir, the intelligence I've brought could alter the course of the war."

Even so, Crawley remained incensed that Steve had ushered Roy and Diana inside.

Had only Roy entered, he'd have raised no great objection.

But Diana had entered as well.

This wasn't the 21st century!

Letting a woman into an important conference—indeed, even onto these premises—broke every rule.

After all, equality of the sexes didn't exist yet.

Before Steve could say more, Ares's voice rang out.

"Colonel Trevor!"

Leaning on his cane, Ares approached while saying, "I heard you'd fallen in action. Clearly you survived and brought two friends."

At his words, Colonel Crawley spoke before Roy or Dianacould reply. "I apologize for their intrusion, sir."

Though annoyed, Crawley was Steve's superior.

A commanding Officer must answer for his subordinate's mistakes.

"No need for apologies, Colonel."

"In fact, I should thank the ladies—the room quieted the moment they entered."

"I am Sir Patrick Morgan; honored to meet you both."

With gentlemanly poise, Ares gave a slight bow.

"I'm Diana, from Themyscira."

Diana answered promptly.

Only then did Roy add unhurriedly, "Roy Chen—pleased to meet you."

Ares feigned ignorance of Themyscira, ready to question Diana further.

Right then, Steve spoke up. "They're my colleagues. Thanks to their help, I was able to bring back Dr. Isabel Maru's notebook."

"What's written inside will absolutely change the course of the war."

Colonel Crowley handed the notebook to Ares.

"Is this Doctor Poison's notebook?"

Ares continued asking.

"Yes!"

Steve answered quickly.

"If this is Doctor Poison's notebook, we have to decrypt the intelligence inside immediately."

"Colonel Crowley, please notify the other generals to come to the war-room as soon as possible."

"Also, have the decryption unit start working on the contents at once."

Ares returned the notebook to Colonel Crowley and said earnestly.

"Yes, Sir!"

Colonel Crowley took the notebook and headed straight for the decryption unit.

After Crowley left, Ares told Roy and the others, "The generals won't arrive for a while; go rest in the lounge."

Roy and his two companions nodded.

They followed Ares into a well-furnished lounge.

Roy and Diana sat together on one sofa.

Ares sat opposite them.

Steve took a single armchair nearby.

Once inside, Ares had black tea and several kinds of pastries brought in.

"I've never heard of Themyscira. Which country does it belong to, and where is it?"

Although he knew perfectly well how Themyscira came to be, Ares pretended ignorance and asked Diana.

Roy knew what he was scheming, but he didn't expose Ares.

The reason was simple: no matter how Ares probed, Diana would never reveal Themyscira's location.

Diana had simply never visited the World of men; she wasn't stupid.

"I'm sorry, I can't share any information about Themyscira."

"All I can say is that Themyscira is a small island with beautiful scenery and a pleasant climate," Diana said slowly.

"My apologies for asking."

Ares put on an apologetic expression.

"It's all right."

Diana shook her head and answered softly.

After her reply, Ares turned his gaze to Roy. "You two aren't really Captain Trevor's colleagues, are you? Roy, you and Diana seem very close."

Ares had already recognized Diana; he knew she was the daughter of Zeus and Hippolyta—his half-sister.

In other words, he knew Diana was the god-slaying sword Zeus had prepared to use against him.

Yet for some reason he felt Roy posed an even greater threat than Diana.

"Diana is my fiancée!"

Roy had been about to say "girlfriend," but after a moment's thought he chose the word "fiancée."

After all, Hippolyta had already approved of their union.

Although there had been no formal engagement ceremony, calling Diana his fiancée was perfectly acceptable.

Fiancée?

Ares kept his expression calm while a flurry of thoughts raced through his mind.

Impossible!

Amazons had no tradition of marriage!

Besides, Hippolyta would never allow Diana to marry!

Could it be Zeus's arrangement?

No!

Zeus would never do such a thing!

Diana was a demigod; Zeus wouldn't let her marry a mortal!

Uncertain what was going on, Ares let the matter drop and smiled. "I see."

Time passed bit by bit.

Half an hour later a uniformed soldier entered and said, "Sir, the generals are in the war-room."

"Very well."

With that, Ares stood, leaning on his cane.

They arrived at the war-room shortly afterward.

Besides the summoned generals, Colonel Crowley was also there.

They stood before a map, discussing continuously.

Maps and documents lay scattered across the table.

Among them were photographs of General Ludendorffand Doctor Poison—

specifically, pictures of Doctor Poison before her disfigurement.

"Any intelligence decrypted?"

Ares asked immediately upon entering.

"I'm sorry, Sir. We couldn't decrypt anything. The notes use two languages, and our people haven't identified which two," Colonel Crowley replied quickly.

He handed the notebook back to Ares.

Diana, standing beside Ares, glanced at the writing and said at once, "Turkish and Sumerian."

The moment she spoke, Ares, Colonel Crowley, and the others all stared at her.

"Surely someone else in this room knows them too?"

Diana added.

"Who is this woman?"

a British general asked quickly.

Just as Ares and Steve were about to introduce her, Roy's voice rang out.

"Diana is a linguist."

A linguist?

Colonel Crowley and the other generals looked surprised.

"Since Diana can read it, please translate the contents for us," Ares said, handing her the notebook.

Diana nodded, took the notebook, and skimmed through it.

"It records a formula for a new poison gas."

"Mustard gas, but with hydrogen replacing sulfur."

As soon as she said that, Colonel Crowley interjected, "Current gas masks can't stop hydrogen-based agents."

"The notes say they plan to release this new gas on the front line," Diana continued.

"When and where?"

Steve asked urgently.

"It doesn't say," Diana replied.

Though no specifics were given, Steve didn't hesitate. "Wherever they intend to use it, we have to find the factory producing this gas and destroy every last canister before they move."

"Ludendorff was last seen in Belgium," Colonel Crowley said slowly.

"We can't send troops directly into German-occupied Belgium,""especially not while they're on the verge of surrender," a white-haired general told Steve.

"I've seen this gas with my own eyes. If the German Armyuses it on the front, the consequences will be catastrophic—everyone there will die!" Steve said earnestly.

"Soldiers are prepared to die when they set out," the white-haired general replied.

Steve wouldn't give up. "Send me. Just give me some logistical support."

"Give me a chance—I can wreck Ludendorff's plan!"

Chapter 177 – Cowards and Helpers

"Are you out of your mind?"

"I'm not letting anything derail us at this critical moment!"

The white-haired General rejected Steve's proposal without a second thought.

He knew full well that if Germany deployed the new gas on the front, it would kill vast numbers of soldiers.

Still, he could not approve Steve's plan.

From his perspective, Germany was on the verge of signing an armistice.

Once that document was signed, the war would simply end.

If, on the other hand, Steve's operation caused Berlin to walk away from peace, he himself would become the scapegoat.

Both Britain's high command and the Allied leadership would throw him to the wolves.

In short, doing nothing was—politically—the safest course.

At the General's answer Diana's face darkened with displeasure.

Rejected again, Steve nevertheless pressed on. "Sir, I—"

He had barely spoken when Ares's voice cut in.

"Right now the armistice is the only thing that matters."

"We must keep negotiating with Germany and press them to sign; it is the surest way to end the war."

"I understand your feelings, Captain Trevor, but authorising your mission could easily strand the peace talks."

When Ares finished, the white-haired General fixed Stevewith a stare. "Captain Trevor, you will do nothing. That is an order."

A hundred protests screamed inside Steve, but an order was an order; he swallowed them.

"Yes, Sir. Understood."

He stepped back, defeated.

At that moment Diana's voice rang out.

"I don't understand!"

Steve's first instinct was to stop her from saying another word.

Short as their acquaintance was, he already knew exactly what kind of woman she was.

Yet as he moved to silence her, he froze, eyes wide in disbelief.

What was happening?

His mind was alert, but from the neck down his body no longer answered him.

Telepathy!

The instant Roy saw Steve try to intervene, he seized control of the Captain's body.

Steve had no idea how he'd lost motor function, yet suspicion snapped straight to Roy.

Without hesitation he locked his gaze on him.

Before he could speak, Diana stepped up to the white-haired General, fury blazing. "You know this new gas will slaughter thousands, yet you do nothing—letting those men die."

"You think your life more precious, more noble, than theirs, but you are nothing but a coward!"

"In my homeland generals do not hide behind desks like cowards; they fight at the fore, sharing every danger with their soldiers."

"You should be ashamed. You are unfit to command, unfit to watch men march to their deaths."

Her tirade left the General's face livid.

As he opened his mouth to roar back, Roy moved beside Diana and swept his gaze over the room. "She's right—you're all cowards."

"High rank or not, you've less courage than raw recruits."

"You're not soldiers; you're politicians, calculating gains while soldiers' lives weigh nothing."

With that he unleashed Telepathy, battering them with terror they could not resist.

In the next breath the generals—and Colonel Croyli—felt dread flood them, horror naked on their faces.

Ignoring their panic, Roy slipped an arm around Diana's slender waist and walked her from the chamber.

At the same moment he returned Steve's bodily control.

The instant he felt movement again Steve blurted an apology to Ares and the General, then hurried after Royand Diana.

Diana's anger still burned even after denouncing the white-haired General.

Seeing Steve follow, she rounded on him. "How can you let such men lead you?"

"Is your job merely to hand over a notebook?"

"You neither resisted nor stood your ground—you're no warrior at all!"

"Ares will never negotiate; he will never surrender!"

"On Themyscira you said millions would die—and now you would do nothing but watch?"

The more she spoke the fiercer she became, right hand rising instinctively.

Roy caught her wrist at once.

Now awakened, Diana's divine strength dwarfed any mortal's; a single impulsive blow could end Steve's life today.

Steve lifted both hands, earnest. "I will stop the gas—just not their way. I'll find another route to Doctor Poison and Ludendorff."

"What other route—asking them politely to quit making it?" she shot back, scornful.

"I'm taking you to the front. You want to stop Ludendorff; so do I. Our goal is the same."

He met her sarcasm with calm certainty.

"It had better be."

Seeing his resolve, Diana's tone softened, her temper cooling.

"Before we leave we'll need a few helpers…," Steve said, then turned to Roy. "Can your portal drop us straight into Belgium?"

"Of course."

"Forget Belgium—want the Moon? I'll put you there."

Roy answered with unruffled confidence.

"The Moon's unnecessary—Belgium will do."

...A hotel beside the River Thames.

After leaving British Intelligence headquarters Roybrought them here.

Once he had checked them in Steve departed, promising to learn where their prospective allies were currently stationed.

Only then could he recruit them.

Although Steve hadn't said who he was recruiting, Royalready had a fair guess.

Barring surprises, the helpers Steve wanted would be Samir, Charlie, and the Chief.

As for the Captain who was supposed to take them to Belgium—there was no need to look for him now.

With Roy around to open a portal, he didn't need anyone to ferry them to Belgium.

Inside the hotel suite's living room.

Diana slipped off her black fur coat, revealing the claret-red armor and blue skirt beneath, and sat down on the sofa.

The god-slaying sword, divine power shield, and lasso of truth she casually set on the coffee table.

Seeing Diana idle on the sofa, studying the room, Roywalked over and sat beside her. "If you're bored, I can take you shopping."

"Shopping?"

"What's so interesting about a street?"

Diana looked at him, puzzled.

"Uh—'shopping' doesn't mean wandering the street; it means going out to buy things."

Roy explained.

"I don't need anything."

Diana shook her head, quick and decisive.

"The shops outside have things you won't find on Themyscira. You might discover something you like."

Roy pressed gently.

She considered for a few seconds, then said softly, "All right, let's go shopping."

She reached to pick up the god-slaying sword, divine power shield, and lasso of truth, ready to strap them on.

"Leave them with me."

Roy told her.

In the next instant the weapons vanished from the coffee table, stored away in his system space.

"What kind of magic is that?"

Diana stared, surprised.

"Interdimensional Pocket."

Roy answered calmly.

He wasn't using an Interdimensional Pocket at all, but "system space" served as a handy excuse.

"Teach me!"

"I want to learn that spell!"

Diana's eyes lit up.

"It's rather complicated; we'll see later."

Roy said slowly.

Her magical talent was promising, but not enough to master Interdimensional Pocket overnight.

"Mm."

Diana nodded.

Once she'd wrapped the black fur coat back around her alluring figure, Roy led her out of the hotel.

Outside, Roy used Telepathy to skim the memories of nearby pedestrians.

After locating the commercial district, he didn't head straight there; instead he teleported with Diana into a pawnshop.

He took a gold brick from his system space, exchanged it for current British currency, then escorted her to the shopping street.

Because of the war the district wasn't bustling, yet plenty of people still browsed the stores.

For ordinary citizens the economy was grim, but wealthy nobles and merchants hadn't seen their lifestyles dented.

Without hesitation Roy brought Diana into an upscale women's boutique.

After seeing her wonder woman look, he wanted to see her in something different—like the gray suit-and-skirt outfit from the film.

That style was more androgynous, yet it let her show a different charm.

Inside the boutique he bypassed the court-style gowns and pointed her toward modern skirts and tops.

He picked out several sets, then sat on the sofa outside the fitting room to wait.

Soon Diana emerged in her first modern outfit: a white blouse and light-gray mid-calf skirt.

She proved an age-old truth—beautiful people look stunning in anything.

"This skirt is hopeless for movement, and so are the shoes," she complained.

From her point of view the outfit was nothing but impractical.

High heels—she'd never worn them—made every step awkward.

The slim, ankle-length gray skirt did show off her waist, but it restricted her stride and run.

Good-looking, yes; combat-ready, not at all.

Diana disliked it, though Roy rather liked it.

"You'll get used to it."

"These clothes aren't meant for battle; a little inconvenience is normal."

"Try a few more."

Roy suggested.

"All right."

Diana returned to the fitting room.

Over the next while she modeled several different looks.

Each style suited her perfectly.

In the end Roy decided the gray blazer and skirt—closest to the film version—suited her best.

He added a dark vintage hat and black spectacles.

Compared with the earlier outfits, Diana preferred this one too; at least the skirt wasn't skin-tight and allowed movement.

When she stepped out in the final ensemble, Roy looked her over with satisfaction.

He had the assistant pack up every outfit she'd tried and paid for them all.

He didn't stash the bags in system space yet; only after leaving the boutique did he store them and head for a restaurant.

They dined on the waiter's recommendations and shared a bottle of fine vintage wine.

Sated, they returned to the hotel.

That evening Steve—having located Samir and Charlie—came to collect them and led the way to the tavern the pair frequented.

It was an ordinary place: small, plain décor, yet packed with patrons.

Before entering they heard the clamor inside.

Steve pushed open the door and strode in, Roy and Dianafollowing close behind.

Inside, Steve began scanning for Samir and Charlie

Chapter 178 – Payment for the Mission

The moment they stepped into the tavern, Diana frowned.

Then she asked Roy, "Are these the helpers Steve was looking for? They don't look like good people."

Diana wasn't judging by appearances; the patrons inside were acting wild and unreliable.

"Yes."

"But not all of them. He probably only wants one or two."

Roy said slowly.

Like Diana, he didn't like the tavern atmosphere.

Although it wasn't as dark as later-era bars and lacked deafening DJ music, the clamor inside was just as bad.

Soon after entering, Steve spotted Samir mid-hustle.

In a gray suit and looking refined, Samir solemnly told several men, "Even in Africa I never saw a deal dripping with cash like this."

"Once it's in our hands, we'll be rolling in money."

"My uncle, an African prince, and I have already prepared…"

At that moment Steve, who'd been watching, slapped the nearby railing and cut in, "Hold on—which African prince?"

Seeing it was Steve, Samir reined in his gaze and silently cursed him.

"I choose to forgive your disrespect!"

Without changing expression, Samir prepared to keep hustling.

Steve wouldn't let it go. "Seriously, which prince?"

"Sudan? Angola? Someplace else?"

"Can we talk in private?"

Realizing Steve wouldn't let tonight's "business" continue, Samir kept smiling and told the men, "Gentlemen, excuse me a moment."

He rose and followed Steve to the bar, then snapped, "You bastard, I almost had them investing—do you know how much I would've made tonight?"

"Thanks to you the money's flying away!"

"You self-righteous prick!"

If he could beat Steve, Samir would've punched him already.

As the saying goes: cutting someone's income is like killing their parents.

After cursing Steve out, Samir finally noticed Roy and Diana.

He ignored Roy and stared at Diana in surprise.

She wore a gray suit-jacket and skirt straight out of a film, a dark bowler hat, and black-rimmed spectacles that made her look intellectual.

Once he saw her, Samir couldn't look away.

"My God, you're a perfect work of art!"

He praised her with his usual flair.

Before Diana could answer, Steve introduced them.

"Samir, this is Diana, and that's her fiancé, Roy Chen."

Fiancé?

Hearing Roy was Diana's fiancé, Samir froze.

He mentally grumbled: aside from being young and handsome, the guy looks unremarkable!

Could Diana really go for a pretty-boy like that?

Though thinking this, he kept a straight face and extended his right hand. "Diana, delighted—call me Sami."

"Sami?"

Diana, oblivious to his motives, looked puzzled.

When she didn't shake, Samir decided to push further.

Without hesitation he stepped forward for an embrace.

But as he raised his arms, Roy hit him with a subtle psychic jolt.

Samir shuddered, inexplicable fear flooding him; he stepped back and his slick thoughts vanished.

Neither Diana nor Steve noticed Roy's mental nudge.

Seeing Samir retreat, Steve suspected something and glanced at Roy.

He didn't ask about magic, simply saying, "Samir's a top spy—silver tongue, speaks a dozen languages."

Diana replied at once in French, "You don't look impressive."

Instantly Samir answered in Italian, "Neither do you."

Then in Spanish: "Your eyes are as gentle as your smile."

"And your gaze tells me exactly what you want."

Diana retorted in Russian.

"I speak Chinese too, beautiful lady!"

Samir shot back in Chinese.

"Can you recite Socrates in Ancient Greek?"

Diana calmly asked in Ancient Greek.

Uh… Samir was stumped.

He couldn't even identify the language she'd used.

Neither Roy nor Steve recognized it either.

Though clueless, Roy found the multilingual exchange intriguing.

He thought: having Diana switch languages while playing cards would be fun!

Decision made—he'd try it tonight.

"Great, you're done—where's Charlie?"

Steve asked the deflated Samir.

Before Samir could answer, glasses shattered at the bar, followed by gasps and the sound of fists.

Across the room a bald bruiser was pounding a rather comical-looking man.

"There he is!"

Samir pointed at the fighters.

Under everyone's gaze the bald man slammed the comic fellow against the bar, landed several punches, then pinned him to the wall and kept swinging.

Watching, Diana remarked, "At least Charlie's fists look solid."

Steve shook his head. "That's not Charlie."

Diana looked surprised.

She'd assumed the bald bruiser was Charlie.

Turned out she was wrong.

The one being beaten was Charlie.

After a dozen blows, Charlie collapsed backward onto the floor.

After Charlie hit the floor, the bald brute kicked him again for good measure, then swaggered off cursing.

Once the thug was gone, Charlie slowly picked himself up.

Without a moment's hesitation, Steve and Samir stepped forward.

At a table near the bar.

Roy and the others took their seats, watching Charlie lift a glass of hard liquor and drain it in one go.

"Steve, may God watch over you!"

Setting the glass down, Charlie slurred like a drunkard, speaking to Steve.

Without waiting for an answer, he snatched Steve's glass.

"Why were you fighting just now?"

Diana asked Charlie.

"I accidentally picked up his drink."

"Mistakes happen; it's perfectly normal."

Charlie replied with a shrug.

Hearing that, Diana turned to Steve and said earnestly, "I'm certain he's no warrior."

"Charlie's a professional sniper."

"That means he shoots very well—accurately, from far away."

Steve explained slowly.

As he finished, Charlie let out a foolish giggle. "They never know what hit 'em, hee-hee-hee..."

"If you can't see their faces, how do you know who you hit?"

Diana frowned.

Though Amazon Warriors used bows, the range wasn't so great that you couldn't see a target's face.

"I don't know!"

"But that's the beauty of it."

Charlie answered.

"There is no honor in your way of fighting!"

Diana said, brow still furrowed.

"Honor? What's that worth? Who's going to pay for my honor—you?"

Charlie replied, utterly indifferent.

Just as Diana opened her mouth to retort, Roy spoke up.

"Quit wasting everyone's time, Steve. Tell them the real business."

Roy said to Steve.

"All right."

Steve nodded.

Then he told Samir and Charlie, "We're heading to Belgium. Counting prep, we've got two days max."

"What's the payout?"

Charlie asked straight out.

"Better be a good one!"

Samir added.

Steve looked embarrassed. "Here's the thing... er... it's a short trip, and you'll gain a lot..."

"It's for a noble cause—freedom, friendship, peace, ending the war..."

Seeing him stammer, Samir and Charlie guessed what was coming.

"In other words, you've got no money, and we get nothing. Right?"

Samir asked Steve.

"That's right."

Steve admitted.

Without hesitation, Samir turned to Diana and, in French, said, "A photo of this beautiful lady would do."

"You don't need a photo—I'm coming with you."

Diana replied.

Samir stared at her, surprised.

Before he could say more, Roy declared, "A thousand-gram gold bar apiece. That's your fee."

What?

Everyone—Steve, Samir, Charlie—looked stunned.

In 1821 Britain adopted the gold standard; the pound became the standard currency, one pound equaling 7.32 g of gold.

In 1914, with World War I, Britain suspended the gold standard, halting minting and redemption.

Though official exchange ceased, private dealing in gold only grew livelier.

That very noon Roy had swapped gold for pounds at a pawnshop—proof enough.

At 7.32 g per pound, a 1,000-g bar equaled £136.

On paper, £136 sounded modest.

In reality, it was a tidy fortune.

One pound today bought 192 kg of bread, 80 kg of sugar, or 15 kg of butter.

Spent entirely on sugar, £136 would fetch 10,880 kg—10.8 tons.

While Samir and Charlie gaped, Steve was first to recover. "I don't have gold, let alone two 1,000-g bars!"

"I know; I never expected you to pay."

With that, Roy pulled two bars from system space and casually set them on the table.

Without a second thought, Samir and Charlie each grabbed one. "Deal! We're in!"

Roy hadn't hired them on a whim; he'd thought it through.

First, the expense was trivial to him.

Second, he still sensed no sign of Ares near the tavern.

In the film, when Steve failed to recruit them, Ares would arrive and bankroll the mission.

In return, Steve would report their movements.

Roy wanted to see whether, without that tip-off, Arescould still track them.

Lastly, footing the bill made Samir and Charlie assume he was the boss.

Whoever pays the piper calls the tune.

An iron rule.

They examined their bars at once.

Samir was delicate, nicking it with a nail.

Charlie was cruder.

He bit down on the bar, leaving clear teeth marks, and grinned.

Content, they slipped the gold into their coat pockets.

Just then the bald thug stormed back, revolver in hand, fury on his face.

"You damned thief!"

He pressed the muzzle to Charlie's skull.

Before he could fire, Diana—seated beside Roy—acted.

In a blur she seized his gun arm, twisted, and sent him flying into a table.

She returned the revolver to Roy.

Water-molecule shift!

Roy took the gun and, without pause, triggered the transformation

Chapter 179: Interdimensional Pocket

Under the watchful eyes of Steve and the other two, the metal revolver first turned into an ice sculpture.

In the next second, the frozen revolver dissipated rapidly like smoke, vanishing without a trace in the blink of an eye.

"This is..." Samir and Charlie immediately wore expressions of disbelief.

Steve hadn't expected Roy to be able to decompose a revolver in such a manner either.

However, compared to Samir and Charlie, he was relatively calm.

This wasn't the first time he had seen Roy perform magicthat science couldn't explain.

Although he didn't know how Roy had just done it, decomposing a revolver seemed much more ordinary compared to a Portal Spell that could ignore distance.

"How did you do that?"

Samir asked immediately.

Before Roy could answer, Steve spoke up: "He's a sorcerer, the kind that uses real magic."

"A sorcerer?"

Samir and Charlie were stunned for a moment.

Though it was somewhat hard to believe, they eventually chose to believe it.

Just as Samir was about to say more, Roy turned to Steveand said, "Once you're ready to set out, come find me and Diana at the hotel."

"Alright!"

Steve replied immediately.

Roy said nothing more and stood up.

Under the gaze of Steve and the others, he and Diana left the pub.

It wasn't until they disappeared from sight that Stevesuddenly remembered a very important matter.

He had no money to prepare the supplies needed for the mission!

Uh... should he chase after him to ask if he had any more gold bars?

This thought involuntarily popped into Steve's mind.

But he quickly dismissed the idea, his gaze falling on Samir and Charlie.

Even though he didn't speak, Samir and Charlieimmediately guessed what he was thinking.

"Don't expect me to give you the gold bar; that's my payment,"

Samir said quickly.

"I won't give it to you either,"

Charlie added immediately... at the pedestrian walkway beside the River Thames.

After leaving the pub, Roy didn't take Diana back to the hotel immediately; instead, he took a stroll with her along the River Thames.

"The night sky shouldn't look like this,"

Diana looked up at the night sky, where nothing but the moon was visible, and said with a sigh of emotion.

"Yes!"

"But it's unavoidable; the development of technology inevitably brings some changes,"

Roy replied.

Compared to the night sky seen from Themyscira, London's night sky could be said to be non-existent.

Forget a sky full of stars; even the more well-known stars couldn't be seen.

"I'm starting to understand why Mother and the others are unwilling to leave Themyscira,"

Diana took Roy's right arm, pressing her alluring body against him, and said softly.

Although it had been less than 24 hours since she left Themyscira, she was already starting to miss it.

This was normal.

First, she had never left Themyscira before.

Second, compared to Themyscira, London's environment was much worse.

Never mind Diana; even Roy didn't like London's environment and climate right now.

"Once the war is over, we'll go back,"

Roy said to Diana.

"Mm-hmm!"

Diana nodded, pressing her body even closer.

After walking along the River Thames with Diana for over ten minutes, Roy put his arm around Diana's slender, alluring waist and cast Teleportation.

In just the blink of an eye, he and Diana were back at the hotel.

Just as he was planning to start tonight's card game with Diana and have her use different languages during the game, Diana spoke up: "While there's still time, why don't you teach me the magic of the Interdimensional Pocket."

"It's probably not the right time now, is it?"

Roy replied.

"What's not right about it?"

Diana asked, puzzled.

"Uh... never mind, learning it now is fine,"

Roy said slowly.

Then, without any hesitation, he used Telepathy to transmit the contents of the Interdimensional Pocketspell into Diana's mind.

Interdimensional Pocket!

Just from the name, one could tell what kind of effect this magic had.

To give a simple example, the magic Loki used in the movies to store things like Daggers and the Tesseractwas of the same nature as the Interdimensional Pocketmagic.

If there was anything different, it was just the method of casting and the name of the magic.

However, the principle was the same: opening a parallel space similar to the Mirror Dimension to serve as a storage pocket.

Compared to the Mirror Dimension, which was vast in scope and immobile, the parallel space opened by the Interdimensional Pocket magic was much smaller.

Although the volume was smaller, it added an effect similar to being portable.

After transmitting the contents of the Interdimensional Pocket magic to Diana, Roy began to explain the specific casting steps and precautions to her.

Because Diana had already learned the Mirror Dimension, the initial stage of the Interdimensional Pocket magicpresented no difficulty for her.

The only problem was that she currently couldn't make the opened parallel space follow her movement.

To solve this, she either had to set up an independent following and moving effect for the parallel space, or she had to be able to precisely connect to the entrance of the parallel space from different locations.

After some thought, Diana chose the relatively simpler method of connecting to the parallel space entrance from different locations.

What followed was very simple.

Diana began sensing and connecting to the entrance of the parallel space from various locations.

Time passed bit by bit.

Unknowingly, two or three hours had gone by.

Although Diana's magical talent was good, it hadn't reached the point where she could master a brand-new spatial spell in just a few hours.

Realizing that she indeed couldn't master the Interdimensional Pocket magic in a short time, Dianastopped her practice.

Then, she proactively invited Roy to start the card game.

Roy, of course, would not refuse.

Soon, sounds unsuitable for children echoed in the bedroom.

Unlike before, Diana used several different languages this time.

It had to be said that when Diana used different languages, it indeed brought some previously unseen changes to the card game, making it even more stimulating... Noon the next day.

Roy, who had slept only after being busy until the middle of the night, slowly opened his eyes and turned to look at Diana lying beside him.

Seeing that Diana hadn't woken up yet, he carefully withdrew his right arm, which Diana was using as a pillow.

Although his movements were very light, he still woke Diana up.

Diana opened her bleary eyes and said to Roy, "Morning~"

"Morning!"

"What do you want to eat?"

Roy asked Diana.

"You decide,"

Diana replied.

"Alright!"

"Go back to sleep; I'll call you when the breakfast arrives,"

Roy continued.

Diana nodded and closed her beautiful eyes, which seemed to ripple like autumn waters, once again.

Roy got up and walked toward the bathroom.

After finishing his washing, he went to the living room, picked up the phone, and dialed the number for room service.

After a brief inquiry about what lunch options the hotel currently provided, he ordered a very standard English lunch for himself and Diana.

Not long after, a waiter pushed a dining cart to the outside of the room and rang the doorbell.

Roy opened the door, let the waiter push the cart in, and had the food from the cart placed on the dining table.

After giving the waiter a 1-pound tip, the waiter left the room with a face full of smiles.

Just as the waiter left, Diana, who had finished washing up, walked out of the bedroom.

Diana wasn't wearing the clothes she had bought yesterday; instead, she had put on her deep red armor and blue skirt.

"Let's have lunch first,"

Roy said quickly upon seeing Diana.

"Mm-hmm!"

Diana nodded and sat down at the dining table.

Roy sat down opposite her and began enjoying the lunch before him.

How should he put it?

Although he had ordered the hotel's signature dishes, the lunch before him could only be considered mediocre.

British cuisine was never abundant to begin with, let alone during wartime.

After finishing lunch, Diana continued practicing the Interdimensional Pocket magic.

Roy sat on the sofa in the living room, guiding Diana's practice while considering whether to severely injure Aresin advance.

Although Diana had already awakened her divine power, there was still some gap between her and Ares.

In the movie, Diana being able to defeat Ares was due in no small part to her protagonist's aura.

Additionally, Steve's sacrifice had stimulated her potential to a certain extent.

Otherwise, she likely wouldn't have been Ares' match.

After some thought, Roy dismissed the idea of heavily wounding Ares beforehand.

With him assisting from the side, even if the current Dianawas slightly inferior to Ares, the one who would ultimately win would be Diana.

Since that was the case, there was no need to severely injure Ares in advance.

Furthermore, letting Diana fight a normal-level Areswould also allow her to gain more experience.

Time flew by.

Unknowingly, it reached three in the afternoon.

Just as Roy was about to let Diana take a break, the doorbell rang.

"I'll get the door."

As soon as he spoke, Roy used Teleportation to reach the entrance foyer and opened the door.

As he had guessed, the people standing outside were none other than Steve, Samir, and Charlie.

To be precise, it was the three of them, already prepared to set out.

Glancing at the three of them, Roy said, "Come in."

After saying that, he walked toward the living room.

Steve and the others didn't hesitate, immediately entering the room and closing the door.

Upon reaching the living room, they saw Diana, who had already put on her black fur coat.

"We're ready and can set out at any time,"

Steve said to Roy.

"Good!"

Roy nodded.

Under the gaze of the three of them, he raised his right hand and gave it a casual wave.

In the next second, a circular Portal Spell shimmering with golden sparks appeared in the living room.

Once the Portal Spell took shape, Roy and Diana were the first to walk in.

Steve followed closely behind them into the Portal Spell.

As for Samir and Charlie, they took a careful look at the Portal Spell before passing through it.

When Samir and Charlie arrived, Roy didn't hesitate and immediately deactivated the Portal Spell, saying to Steve, "Belgium has been reached."

"I need to confirm our specific location first."

After saying that, Steve took a map out of his backpack and began verifying their current position.

Soon, he determined their exact location and said, "Follow me; we'll go see The Chief first."

"The Chief?"

Diana looked at Steve, puzzled.

"The Chief is a smuggler, a very famous smuggler!"

"I contacted him this morning; he can take us through the German Army's lines and lead us to the German munitions factory."

Steve put away the map and said to Diana.

"First a con man and a killer, and now a smuggler; you really know how to pick helpers,"

Diana complained about Steve.

Up until now, she didn't have much of a good impression of Samir and Charlie.

If it weren't for the fact that Roy had already given them payment, she wouldn't want to travel with Samir and Charlie at all.

Steve didn't mind Diana's complaint; he took the map to Roy, pointed to a location on it, and said to Roy, "Can you take us here?"

"I can!"

Roy glanced at the position on the map and once again performed the Portal Spell magic.

Soon, the golden-shining Portal Spell took shape.

Seeing the Portal Spell formed, Steve immediately put away the map and walked in with Samir and Charlie.

When they had all gone through, Roy and Diana then passed through the Portal Spell, arriving in a forest on the other side.

"Follow me."

Steve turned and said to Roy and Diana.

Roy and Diana nodded and followed him deep into the forest.

After advancing in the forest for over ten minutes, The Chief appeared in their sight.

Just as in Roy's memory, The Chief was a Native American.

Clearly, The Chief hadn't expected them to arrive so quickly.

Upon seeing Steve, The Chief frowned and said, "How did you get here so fast?"

"Roy is a sorcerer; he opened a Portal Spell that ignores distance."

Steve said, pointing at Roy.

"A sorcerer?"

"A Portal Spell?"

The Chief immediately frowned.

If it weren't for the fact that Steve didn't have any smell of alcohol on him, he would definitely have suspected Stevehad drunk too much.

"Big guy, what Steve said is all true,"

Charlie spoke up after seeing The Chief's expression.

Then, he went to The Chief and gave him a hug.

"Good to see you!"

Samir also went to The Chief and shared a hug with him.

"Me too,"

The Chief replied quickly.

When The Chief and Samir finished their hug, Steveintroduced Roy and Diana to him.

The Chief took a serious look at Roy and Diana and said slowly, "Where did you find these two?"

"It wasn't me who found them; they found me."

"To be precise, they rescued me from the sea,"

Steve replied.

After saying that, he checked the items he had asked The Chief to prepare.

British tea, German beer, novels by Edgar Rice Burroughs... as well as rifles, sniper rifles, grenades, and other weapons.

After checking the items, Steve picked up two bottles of beer and handed them to Roy and Diana.

At the same time, Samir, Charlie, and The Chief also picked up beers.

"May we all get what we want!"

Charlie spoke first.

"May we never get what we deserve!"

Samir followed immediately.

After saying that, he raised his beer toward Roy and Diana, signaling for them to join in.

Roy and Diana glanced at each other, opened their bottle caps, and clinked bottles with them.

Then, they raised their bottles and took a sip.

After finishing the beer and organizing their gear, they followed The Chief out of the forest and began heading toward the front line where fighting was ongoing

Chapter 180: The Goddess of War

On the way to the front lines, Diana asked the Chiefbeside her, "What do you fight for?"

"I do not fight."

The Chief replied.

"Then why are you here doing smuggling business?"

Diana continued to ask.

"To me, this place is no different from any other."

The Chief replied slowly.

"But this is always a battlefield. You have come to the battlefield, yet you do not fight, nor do you pledge loyalty to either side. This is not a choice an ordinary person would make."

Diana looked at the Chief with a face full of confusion.

Although she didn't have a good impression of smugglers, she was curious why the Chief stayed on the front lines of the battlefield to do smuggling business.

Obviously, the front lines of a battlefield were not a good place to do business.

Even for smuggling, there were many places better than the front lines.

"Because I am homeless."

"The previous war took everything from me."

"Although it is dangerous here, here, I am free."

The Chief turned his head to look at Diana and answered unhurriedly.

"Who took everything from you? The Germans?"

Diana was not clear about the history of Native Americans and instinctively thought that the previous war the Chief mentioned was also started by the Germans.

"No, the Americans!"

After saying that, the Chief turned his head to look at Steve.

Although Steve was currently working for the British Intelligence Agency, he was not British, but an American.

As a member of the American Expeditionary Forces, he had been sent to the British Intelligence Agency to assist Britain in gathering intelligence on Germany.

After hearing the Chief's answer, Diana didn't ask anything more and fell silent.

Because of the weather, the road to the front lines was not easy to travel, being incredibly muddy.

Not only that, on the way to the front lines, they also encountered many refugees fleeing the disaster.

These refugees, with their families in tow, had expressions that were either blank or fearful, blindly following the crowd forward.

As victims of the war, all they could do now was stay as far away from the battlefield as possible.

As for how to live after leaving their hometown, that was not a problem they needed to consider now.

Only by surviving would they need to consider how to spend their future lives.

Seeing these refugees, Diana showed a look of unbearable pity.

Especially after seeing that there were newborn babies among the refugees, she became even more determined in her idea that she must defeat Ares as soon as possible and stop the war.

"We can help them leave here first."

Diana turned her head and said to Roy.

"As long as the war doesn't end, refugees will not disappear."

"Even if we stay behind to help them now, it won't be of much significance."

Roy replied.

To tell the truth, if it weren't for making Diana more mature, he wouldn't want to move with Steve and the others at all.

But now, he could only choose to move with Steve and the others.

Because only in this way could Diana truly mature and become wonder woman.

Otherwise, she would always just be the princess of Themyscira.

Hearing Roy's answer, Diana immediately frowned.

Although it was somewhat unbearable, she finally accepted Roy's statement.

If the culprit is not dealt with, the refugees will not disappear!

Even if they could help these refugees in front of them, it would only be helping them temporarily.

After advancing for more than an hour like this, they finally arrived at the British front-line trenches.

Like the refugees they met on the road, the British soldiers in the trenches also had numb expressions, with no vitality or passion visible on their faces.

This was normal.

As the war lasted longer and longer, the soldiers' morale would gradually decline.

If nothing else, seeing comrades die one after another was enough to make them become numb.

"Where is the German Army?"

After entering the trench, Diana turned her head and asked Steve.

"Just a few hundred yards ahead of us."

Steve replied quickly.

Just as Diana was about to continue questioning him, a shell landed in front of the trench and exploded with a bang.

The sound of a huge explosion immediately rang out, and the blasted soil fell into the trench like raindrops.

The sudden explosion did not cause much emotional fluctuation in the British soldiers in the trench; they could only instinctively press close to the walls of the trench.

Roy did not let the splashing soil fall on himself and Diana. He immediately used his Magnetism Manipulation Superpower to create an invisible force field that wrapped them up.

The soil first fell on the high-strength force field and was then bounced off, flying elsewhere.

After advancing in the trench for a while, a British soldier excitedly hugged the Chief and said loudly, "Chief, it's so good to see you."

After letting go of the Chief, this soldier shouted to the surroundings, "The Chief is back! The Chief is back!"

Although the Chief was not a member of the British army, to the British soldiers here, the Chief was one of their own.

Not only that, every time the Chief came, he would bring them some things.

However, this time, the Chief was not here to do business with them, but to lead Roy and the others through the German lines.

When leaving the forest, Steve had asked Roy if he could directly open a portal to take them through the Germanlines.

Although he could easily do it, Roy refused Steve without even thinking about it.

As for the reason, it was simple: because Diana needed to witness the tragic situation of the front lines with her own eyes.

Only after coming here would Diana have the chance to lead Steve and the others to break through the Germanlines and perform wonder woman's first highlight moment.

After being rejected by him, Steve soon guessed that he had other plans.

Although he didn't know what Roy was planning, Steve's intuition told him that Roy's plan must be related to Diana.

After advancing in the trench for a while, a middle-aged woman sitting at a corner of the trench holding a child suddenly grabbed Diana's right hand, looked at her with a pleading face, and said in Dutch, "Please, help us. The Germans took everything from us."

"Those who couldn't escape were captured and turned into slaves."

The official languages of Belgium are mainly Dutch and French.

To be more accurate, the northern part of Belgium mainly speaks Dutch, and the southern part speaks French.

Only in a small part of the eastern region is German used.

Diana knelt down in front of the middle-aged woman and replied in Dutch, "Where did it happen?"

"In Veld, on the other side of No Man's Land."

The middle-aged woman pointed towards the Germanlines and said.

"Diana, we should go."

Seeing Diana stop, Steve said immediately.

Diana ignored Steve, turned her head to look at Roy, and said quickly, "I want to help them. Those who couldn't escape were turned into slaves by the German Army. I can't just stand by and do nothing."

Hearing that the German Army had turned those who couldn't escape into slaves, she decided to help those people.

If the refugees on the road only made her feel pity.

Then the German Army turning ordinary people into slaves touched her bottom line.

Because the Amazons were also turned into slaves by humans back then.

"In that case, then stay and help them."

Roy nodded and replied quickly.

Hearing his answer, Steve said quickly, "You don't want to defeat the German Army opposite us, do you?"

"Do you know why the front is called No Man's Land? It's because no one can come out of there alive."

"The army has been stationed here for almost a year, but not an inch of land has been captured."

"Because on the opposite side of the trench, a group of German Soldiers are aiming here with machine guns."

"As long as someone pops their head out of the trench, they will fire without hesitation."

Although he knew that Roy and Diana were not ordinary people, Steve still didn't think much of the two of them.

In his view, even if Roy and Diana possessed extraordinary powers that others did not have, they could not withstand bullets and shells with their physical bodies.

He didn't know the true strength of Roy and Diana, so it was normal to have such thoughts.

"So we just leave them to die?"

Diana looked at Steve with a face full of dissatisfaction.

"It's not leaving them to die, it's just that we can't save everyone in the war."

Steve replied quickly.

Just as Diana was about to continue saying something, Roy spoke up, "Don't mind them. Do what you want to do. I support you."

After saying that, he took out the god-slaying sword, divine power shield, and lasso of truth from the system space and gave them to Diana.

Diana did not have any hesitation and immediately took off her black fur coat, revealing the armor inside.

Then, she took the god-slaying sword, divine power shield, and lasso of truth from Roy's hand.

Roy put Diana's black fur coat into the system space and said to Diana, "I'll deal with the enemies in the trenches, and you handle the enemies in the town."

"Okay!"

Diana replied immediately without any hesitation.

After hearing Diana's answer, Roy immediately used his Magnetism Manipulation Superpower.

Under the gaze of Diana, Steve, and the others, he floated up and flew into the air ten or twenty meters high.

Seeing this scene, whether it was Steve and the others, the British soldiers in the trench, or the German Soldierson the opposite side, they all showed expressions of disbelief.

Although they didn't know how he did it, the Germans on the opposite side didn't hesitate for long and immediately aimed their machine guns at him, pulling the triggers frantically.

Da da da da da da... Bullets struck toward Roy like a rainstorm.

He didn't let these bullets hit the force field that wrapped him 360 degrees without any blind spots, but directly stopped the incoming bullets in the air.

How is this possible?

If violating gravity and flying up like a god was already enough to shock Steve and the others.

Then seeing the bullets stop in front of him, they were directly stunned.

Diana was not as shocked as Steve and the others and came to the top of the trench.

Then, holding the god-slaying sword and divine power shield, she launched a charge towards the German Armyopposite.

Diana's charge soon attracted the attention of the Germans.

Just as they were about to turn their guns to attack Diana, Roy took action.

Without any effort, he locked onto the metal helmets worn by the German Soldiers.

As the German Soldiers prepared to attack Diana, he raised his right hand and made a gripping motion in the air.

In the next second, the metal helmets on the German Soldiers' heads dented inward, crushing their heads.

With the death of the German Soldiers, the continuous sound of gunfire immediately vanished without a trace.

Steve, the others, and the British soldiers didn't know what had happened.

However, seeing Diana charge out dozens of meters without receiving any attacks, they immediately reacted.

"The German firepower has disappeared! Everyone, charge!"

Steve shouted and was the first to rush out of the trench.

Charlie, Samir, the Chief, and the British soldiers in the trench followed closely behind, rushing out of the trench with him.

Diana soon arrived in front of the German trenches.

Seeing that the German Soldiers inside were all dead, she didn't have any hesitation and immediately rushed towards the town behind.

When Diana passed the German trenches, Roy used Teleportation to arrive outside the town ahead of time to wait for Diana.

Soon, Diana arrived outside the town.

"I can deal with the soldiers inside myself."

Diana said to Roy.

"Of course."

Roy replied.

He hadn't planned to deal with the German Army in the town anyway.

Although he could easily wipe out the German Army in the town, if he took action, there would be no chance for Diana to perform.

Diana nodded and immediately rushed into the town.

As soon as she entered the town, Diana received a fierce attack from German Soldiers, with bullets constantly flying towards her.

Diana held the divine power shield in front of her and ran without slowing down.

Soon, she arrived in front of a building that was being used as a firepower output point by the German Soldiers.

Without any hesitation, her legs suddenly exerted force, and she leaped high, crashing through the second-floor window and entering the building.

After entering the building, Diana immediately began her attack.

She didn't use the god-slaying sword immediately but rushed towards a German soldier in front of her and knocked him away with a punch.

The other German Soldiers did not have any hesitation and turned their guns one after another, firing at her constantly.

The incoming bullets were blocked one by one by the divine power shield and bracelets of submission in Diana's hands, and not a single one hit her.

At the same time, she continuously attacked the surrounding German Soldiers.

The second after she came in, Roy used Teleportation to arrive in the room, appreciating Diana's battle at close range.

Although he had seen Diana fight with other Amazon Warriors on Themyscira, when fighting with Amazon Warriors, Diana would try her best to avoid going all out.

Especially after she awakened her divine power.

But now, she didn't hold back at all.

In less than ten seconds, the German Soldiers in the room were defeated by her one by one, either being thrown out of the window or heavily smashed against the wall.

After dealing with the enemies in this room, Dianaimmediately pulled out the god-slaying sword and went to another room.

The huge gap in strength destined that the German Soldiers could not be her match.

Arriving in the second room, Diana brandished the god-slaying sword in her hand, dealing with the German Soldiers in front of her in a smooth and flowing manner.

It must be said that when Diana put on the wonder woman uniform, her battle looked even more pleasing to the eye.

Holding the god-slaying sword and divine power shield, Diana was like the goddess of war in myths and legends, unstoppable, and quickly dealt with all the enemies in the room.

Diana in actual combat is indeed a bit more charming!

Roy, who witnessed the entire process of Diana's battle, sighed emotionally in his heart

Chapter 181: The First superhero Activity

After taking out all the enemies in the room, Dianaglanced back at Roy.

Then, with a sudden burst of strength in her legs, she ran toward the window.

Bang!

Diana smashed through the window using her divine power shield and landed on the roof of the neighboring house, quickly making her way toward the square in the center of town.

As Diana left the room, Roy didn't stay idle either. He used teleportation to arrive ahead of time on the roof of a building near the square.

The square was occupied not only by dozens of German Soldiers but also an armored vehicle.

While Diana was killing the enemies inside the building, Steve and the other three finally reached the outskirts of the town and began their own battle.

Although the backgrounds of the team members were somewhat complex, they all possessed rich combat experience, and their combat skills were significantly higher than those of average soldiers.

If there was any problem at all, it was Charlie, the sniper, who was still struggling with some psychological trauma.

Even when he had an enemy in his sights, he resisted pulling the trigger.

Unlike Charlie, who was shrouded in trauma and not yet fully prepared for battle...

...Steve, Samir, and The Chief performed with immense bravery, much like modern-day special forces soldiers.

Working in seamless coordination, they lacked heavy weaponry but relied on their rifles and grenades to pierce into the town like a sharp blade, continuously tearing through the German Army's defensive lines.

As for the British soldiers in the trenches, they wouldn't be able to reach the town to join the fight in such a short time.

One slow step leads to every step being slow!

The actions of these British soldiers proved this principle.

Even without support from the British soldiers, Steve and his team weren't stopped by the German Soldiers as they pushed steadily toward the town square.

Not long after Roy teleported to the vicinity of the square, Diana also arrived.

Under the watchful eyes of Roy and the German Soldiers, Diana, holding the god-slaying sword and divine power shield, leapt from the roof and performed a classic superhero landing in the square.

Then, before the German Soldiers could even open fire, she swung the god-slaying sword in her hand.

Squelch, squelch, squelch... The sharp god-slaying swordcontinuously sliced through the bodies of the German Soldiers!

In just a few short seconds, Diana had carved out a gap in the square.

At the same time, German Soldiers in other parts of the square began firing at her incessantly.

Diana raised her divine power shield, blocking the incoming bullets.

Just as she was preparing to counterattack, the small-caliber cannon on the armored vehicle aimed right at her.

Without any hesitation, the gunner immediately fired a shell.

Boom!

The high-speed shell slammed hard against the divine power shield and exploded violently!

The divine power shield blocked the shell.

However, the massive Impact still caused the shield to fly out of Diana's hand.

After losing the divine power shield, Diana immediately changed her tactics and began moving with great agility.

Relying on her far-beyond-human speed, she quickly reached the front of the armored vehicle.

Slash!

The god-slaying sword struck the armored vehicle like lightning, leaving a conspicuous crack on its hull.

Although the god-slaying sword was sharp, it was clear that it couldn't destroy the armored vehicle directly.

Realizing this, Diana retreated more than ten steps.

Then she accelerated again, slamming into the armored vehicle like a tank herself.

Boom!

With no suspense at all, the armored vehicle was overturned by Diana's super strength, landing on its side in the square.

Diana didn't stop there. She sheathed the god-slaying sword on her back and approached the armored vehicle once more.

She reached out with both hands, grabbed the edge of the armored vehicle, and exerted a sudden burst of power.

The armored vehicle, which had only just fallen, was immediately flipped into the air by her.

After tumbling several times in the air, the armored vehicle smashed into a house behind it.

Having eliminated the threat of the armored vehicle, Diana drew the god-slaying sword once more and began a one-sided slaughter.

Under her assault, the German Soldiers in the square died one after another.

Before Steve and the others could even reach the square, the German Soldiers there had already been cleared out by Diana.

To be precise, except for the German sniper in the tower, all other enemies had been taken out by her.

Shortly after Diana arrived at the square, the sniper spotted her and fired several shots.

But unfortunately, the sniper failed to land a single hit.

Aside from Diana's speed being too fast to lock onto, it was also because she was wearing the bracelets of submission.

The only shot that had a chance of hitting Diana was deflected by the bracelets of submission.

After finishing off the German Soldiers in the square, Diana didn't hesitate and sprinted toward the tower.

Reaching the vicinity of the tower, she pushed off hard with her legs, leaping high into the air and crashing into the top of the tower like a cannonball.

Boom!

The massive force of the Impact caused the top of the tower to shatter, with bricks falling to the ground like raindrops.

It wasn't until Diana had smashed through the top of the tower and killed the sniper inside that Steve and his three companions finally arrived at the square.

Seeing the corpses of the German Soldiers in the square, they all instinctively swallowed hard.

Although they had seen many corpses, the ones they usually saw were either killed by bullets or blown into a bloody mess by shells.

The German Soldiers in the square, however, were either beaten to death by Diana's bare hands or hacked down by her god-slaying sword.

As everything returned to calm, the town residents around the square emerged from their houses one by one, looking up in unison at the tower whose top had completely collapsed.

Under their gaze, Diana walked to the edge of the tower and appeared in everyone's sight.

In the next second, the town residents burst into applause and cheers, expressing their gratitude to Diana.

Seeing the uncontrollable expressions of happiness on the faces of the townspeople, Diana also wore a gratified smile.

Just then, Roy's voice suddenly rang out in her mind.

"Go and enjoy the gratitude of the townspeople."

Diana immediately turned to look at Roy standing on the roof and nodded to him.

Then, she took a step forward and once again performed a superhero landing, arriving in the square.

Before she could speak, one of the townspeople approached her holding the divine power shield and handed it to her.

"Thank you!"

With that, Diana took the divine power shield and slung it onto her back.

What followed was quite simple.

The townspeople surrounded Diana, expressing their thanks one after another.

Diana responded to their gratitude with friendliness.

When the townspeople finally stopped crowding around her, Roy teleported to her side.

"Well done!"

Roy said to Diana.

"Mhm!"

Diana nodded.

This was not only her first battle in the true sense, but also her first time killing and helping the weak against the strong.

In other words, this was wonder woman's first superheroactivity.

Although she had killed many German Soldiers, she didn't take it to heart.

Because she killed to save people.

A short while later, Steve came up to them and said, "We can rest in this town for a bit and set off again tomorrow. What do you think?"

"I have no objection," Roy replied.

"I have no objection either," Diana said slowly.

"Since no one objects, we'll stay here for the night and set off tomorrow."

"I'll go ask the residents for some intelligence; they might know things we don't," Steve continued.

Roy and Diana nodded.

Under their gaze, Steve asked the nearby townspeople who the mayor was.

Then, he followed one of the residents toward the mayor's residence.

After he left, Roy and Diana chatted while observing the situation in the town.

Samir, Charlie, and The Chief also stayed in the square, relaxing their bodies and minds.

Time passed bit by bit.

Ten minutes later, Steve returned to Roy and Diana with a grey-haired man wearing a black suit.

"This is the town's mayor, Basque Farrell."

"Mr. Farrell, please repeat what you just told me."

After Steve finished speaking, Basque Farrell didn't hesitate and quickly said, "A few kilometers north of the town, there is a castle."

"After the war started, that castle was occupied by the German Army."

"I heard from some other refugees that the German Armyis using that castle as a frontline headquarters."

"Also, it seems there's a banquet being held at the castle tomorrow. They've taken many people from the nearby towns to help out."

Hearing Farrell's account, Roy's first reaction was that Ludendorff was preparing to fire gas shells at this town during the banquet, just like in the movie, to prove the gas's power to other German generals and high-ranking officials.

Diana and Steve didn't know this, but the idea of going to the castle to investigate occurred to both of them.

After Farrell left, Steve said quickly, "After dawn tomorrow, I plan to disguise myself as a German officer to enter the castle and see if I can find the whereabouts of Ludendorff and Doctor Poison."

There's no need to search for them.

The banquet is being hosted by Ludendorff; you'll see him as soon as you go in.

Although he thought this, Roy didn't say it out loud. He said to Steve, "Let's all go together tomorrow."

"Good!"

Steve and Diana nodded simultaneously... That night.

The town square was filled with laughter and music.

The bodies of the German Soldiers had been cleared away. The townspeople, no longer enslaved, used what few supplies they had left to hold a small celebration in the square.

Calling it a celebration, it was actually just a group of people gathering in the square to drink, chat, and dance.

Roy and Diana sat by a dried-up fountain, beer in hand, watching the townspeople dancing on the square and chatting casually.

"If there were no war, everyone would live very happily," Diana said with a sigh of emotion.

"Yes," Roy nodded.

While he wasn't as full of compassion as Diana, he had to admit that the scene before him was quite touching.

For ordinary people, happiness is sometimes very simple.

Take these townspeople, for example.

Though their lives weren't wealthy now and their future was uncertain, as long as they were no longer being exploited and enslaved, it was enough happiness for them.

Even if life was a bit hard now, they could improve it bit by bit through their own efforts.

"So we must stop Ares no matter what!" Diana's expression suddenly became very serious.

"Don't worry, we will definitely stop Ares and end the war!" Roy replied quickly.

Although he knew this World War wasn't orchestrated solely by Ares, but was an inevitable product of conflicts between nations reaching a certain stage, he didn't plan to waste time explaining this to Diana.

Or rather, even if he did explain, Diana would still view Ares as the culprit.

"Mhm!" Diana nodded, set her glass aside, took Roy's hand, and said to him, "Let's go dance too."

Although he didn't particularly like dancing, he didn't refuse Diana and followed her onto the square.

Then, he put his arm around Diana's slender waist and, accompanied by the music, began a simple ballroom dance with her.

"Is this how people live when there is no war?" Dianaasked Roy.

"Yes," Roy replied.

Diana said nothing more and rested her head on his shoulder.

After staying in the square for over half an hour, they left and went to an intact house near the square, specifically the top-floor room.

The owner of the room had left town shortly after the war began. The room had been vacant for some time, and there was visible dust on the furniture.

While the room wasn't very clean, it wasn't a problem for Roy at all.

Under Diana's gaze, he raised his right hand and snapped his fingers.

Cleaning Charm!

With the snap of his fingers, a soft light quickly enveloped the entire room.

When the light faded, the room was spotless, and all the furniture had been cleaned thoroughly.

Closing the door, Roy and Diana immediately began an adult-rated card game... After dawn.

Roy and Diana arrived at the square and met Steve and his three companions.

By this time, Steve had changed into a German Colonel's uniform he had obtained from somewhere.

Judging by how clean the uniform was, it was certain he hadn't stripped it from a dead man, as it was neat and tidy without any bloodstains or bullet holes.

Samir, Charlie, and The Chief were wearing their previous clothes, no different from yesterday.

When they came down from upstairs, Steve said quickly, "If there's nothing else, let's set off."

"Alright," Roy replied.

Without any hesitation, they mounted their horses and began the journey to the castle a few kilometers away.

To avoid drawing unnecessary attention, they didn't take the main road but rode through the forest to reach the outskirts of the castle.

Vehicles passed by the road outside the castle from time to time. German Soldiers stood guard at the castle gates, checking visitors' invitations.

Roy and the others stood in the forest beside the road, observing the castle flying the German flag.

"Can you open a portal to send me inside?" Steve asked Roy.