Chapter 434: The Amazonian City
A City Frozen in Time
Antiope witnessed an astonishing sight.
The "butler," who looked like a hairy kid (a colloquial term for a young, inexperienced man), conjured a battlesuit out of thin air. The constantly flowing plates of armor shimmered with a faint red light, and the man flew up without any visible propulsion.
The "mysterious sorceress," who hadn't spoken at all, was even stranger. She created a magical purple carpet that carried two people soaring into the sky, where they looked down on everyone.
Was this scorn? Mockery? Or a blatant show of force?
Regardless of the reason, Antiope was furious. She raised her leather whip and fiercely struck her horse's flank. The black horse, Garven, let out a loud whinny, its hooves pounding the ground as it bolted north.
The tall female warriors followed close behind, while the three from the surface trailed unhurriedly above them.
After crossing the vast plains, a city shimmering with golden-red light appeared in the distance. The city was situated on a hilltop, its highest points seemingly touching the setting sun.
The low walls and Doric column architecture gave Luke Shaw the illusion of traveling back in time.
The city was full of residents: merchants, hunters, farmers, blacksmiths... all of them, without exception, were women, and every single one was powerfully built.
With a command from Antiope, the streets instantly cleared. The Amazonians standing on the sides of the road curiously observed the three figures flying overhead.
Outsiders?
Their immortality made their concept of time vague. They vaguely recalled that decades ago, a man named Steve Trevor had arrived at Paradise Island. Afterward, Princess Diana disappeared, supposedly having gone to the World of Men. How was she doing?
Luke Shaw quietly studied his surroundings, generally judging the Amazonian civilization's progress through their food and tools.
It was almost unbelievable. After thousands of years, they were still living in the campfire era, wearing leather armor and wielding copper weapons, with virtually no entertainment, yet possessing immortality.
Should he pity them? Or envy them?
Mera was also discreetly observing the city's structure. The more she saw, the more confused she became. Was this truly the warrior race her teachers spoke of, one that could rival Atlantis?
With defensive facilities like this, Xebel only needed one fleet to utterly destroy the entire city.
Furthermore, she noticed something strange.
A Puzzle on Paradise Island
The palace stood at the city's highest point. By the time they reached it, the sky had grown dark. Luke Shaw used the excuse of travel fatigue and the need for rest to postpone the audience with the Queen until the following morning.
Antiope agreed without the slightest hesitation. The trio were ushered into the western palace. The Amazonians provided the cleanest water and the fattest food, then retreated to stand far off.
Everything was prepared as closely as possible to Luke Shaw's demands.
After Antiope left, Mera sat down on a chair and whispered with a mysterious expression.
"Did you notice anything strange about this city?"
"No children, no old people."
"You noticed too."
Carol nodded. "I generally observed that the residents in the town are young women, between twenty and thirty-five years old, and every one of them is incredibly strong."
Incredibly strong was what Carol silently added. She was a woman herself, and while she was shocked by the Amazonians' physique, she wasn't envious. Men had their beauty, women had theirs; there was no need to forcibly change one's physical traits and train into a muscle rod.
Mera blinked, asking with confusion,
"No children? How do they reproduce?"
Luke Shaw smiled wryly. "You should be asking: no men, how do they have children?"
Both girls rolled their eyes at him simultaneously and leaned together, whispering and discussing.
Luke Shaw took off his outer coat and stood at the window, watching the city's night view through the floor-to-ceiling glass. To be honest, he didn't like this island at all. It was backward and oppressive. As far as his eyes could see, it was just a group of numb puppets. Thousands of years of repetitive life had erased their pursuit of a better life. Only the daily combat training allowed them to reclaim a bit of their former passion.
The Amazonians were undoubtedly powerful; even the street vendors could easily carry a hundred kilograms. Unfortunately, in this closed environment, that strength was useless.
Speaking of which, there was a Mother Box here!
Luke Shaw's eyes flashed. After careful consideration, he slowly shook his head. One Mother Box was enough; putting two together would likely attract the attention of Apokolips.
Steppenwolf was nothing, but Darkseid was the problem.
"Luke, what are you looking at?"
"The wonderful scenery."
Luke Shaw whistled. "I noticed that the Amazonians don't wear undergarments."
Carol exploded in fury, grabbing him and pulling him away from the window. "What time is it, and you're still worried about that? We're seeing the Queen tomorrow! You have to tell us the next step in the plan!"
"We don't need a plan. The moment our identity was confirmed, the initiative was already in our hands. They don't have many choices."
Mera asked, puzzled, "What do you mean?"
Luke Shaw sighed. "This island is too backward. Both humans and Atlantis possess the power to easily destroy them."
Carol and Mera fell silent simultaneously. The Amazonians' physical condition was extremely strong, even slightly superior to Atlanteans. Unfortunately, their weaponry was pathetic. What era was this? They were still riding horses and shooting arrows. They truly didn't realize that modern thermal weapons were not a joke.
"Of course, this is all just on the surface," Luke Shaw added. "We can't rule out the possibility of a bloodline descendant possessing the power of the Old Gods. Such beings cannot be measured by conventional combat power."
The Amazonian Council
Meanwhile, in the central chamber of the palace.
A bonfire roared, illuminating a hall covered with murals of the Old Gods. A council meeting was in progress, attended by Queen Hippolyta, her sister Antiope, Palace Captain Philippus, and other key figures of Paradise Island, including Sether.
Sether gave a detailed account of the situation with Luke Shaw's trio, including her own assessment. Philippus said gravely,
"Is that red-haired woman really an Atlantean Princess?"
"Based on the current intelligence, there is a seventy percent chance."
The statement caused the entire room to fall silent. Paradise Island was isolated from the world. The magical shield restricted them, but it also protected them. The Amazons did not understand the outside world, and the outside world did not know of Paradise Island's existence.
Now, that balance was broken. Atlantis had found the island's location, meaning that if war were to break out, they would be in a completely passive position.
Antiope said solemnly, "I believe that the Princess's purpose for coming to the island is not merely an alliance; she has other intentions."
"She is probing our strength?"
"Yes."
Antiope nodded seriously, turning her gaze to her sister, Hippolyta. "Your Majesty, we must be proactive."
"What do you propose?"
"We must do as they did: display our own strength. We must let the people of the sea know that the Amazons have always been a powerful warrior tribe."
Sether nodded in agreement.
"I agree with this suggestion. We are the masters of this land. We cannot allow outsiders to look down upon us."
Support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/MistaQuartz
On Patreon, you can explore Extra Chapters in advance!