021. The Old Photo
Duke charged into the enemy camp, going on a killing spree like a tiger among a flock of sheep.
'Darkness' is a magical ability; its greatest power is making others lose their strength, suffocating them, and plundering their lives. Similarly, it can also transform into 'Dark Blades', rapidly carving out wounds.
He is immune to most physical damage!
In short, on today's battlefield, he is 'invincible'.
The black mist meandered through the German Army like a snake; everyone it brushed past had their lives taken, silently and without a sound.
The maxim heavy machine gun went silent, and Wonder Woman suddenly felt the pressure vanish. Logan and Victor, who had been taking cover, also scrambled up and leapt into the German Army's trenches.
Their side was completely pumped up.
"Come on!"
"They did it! Charge!"
General offensive, charge!
Slash— Slash— Slash-slash-slash—
Victor gave a tiger-like roar and pounced into the trench. Like a roaring beast, he slammed his claws onto the heads of two German Army soldiers, pinning them to the ground and turning their brains into 'cauliflower'.
"Roar—!"
He was a beast, a pure beast, his killing intent fully ignited once stimulated by blood. Inside the trench, he was a heartless killing machine, his sharp tiger claws easily taking a life with a single strike.
Tearing throats directly!
After taking down a few soldiers, Diana frowned slightly at the sight. She strongly disliked this scene, even though Victor was on her side. Compared to Victor, Logan's bone claws also pierced into the enemies' chests, but it didn't feel as crazed or bloodthirsty. She really didn't like Victor; she had sensed his thick, bloody aura since their first meeting.
This was a murderous aura that could only be possessed by someone who had slaughtered at least a thousand people!
"Duke!"
The soldiers from behind had already rushed in, and the German Army in the trenches had collapsed. She called out to Duke, leaving the rest to them.
?
After taking down the German soldier in his hands, Dukeflew over. In his 'Darkness' form, he could turn into invisible mist or a humanoid shape. However, in his humanoid state, he had no facial features—he was just a human-shaped mass of black mist. Of course, he could also mimic various shapes, like a dragon... a Black Dragon or something.
But that was just for show; it only had the effect of scaring people.
"They ran that way, over there!" Diana said, pointing toward a passage entrance.
"Is that Veld over there?"
"Yeah."
"Then clear the way— Doutzen Kroes, Logan, Victor, keep up."
"Understood!"
"GO—"
Diana took a massive leap, just like the Hulk, flying out nearly a hundred meters as if gravity didn't exist. Although Doutzen Kroes couldn't do that, her agile movements still allowed her to easily clear the trenches and follow. The two brothers were left clicking their tongues at the sight. Is this Zeus's daughter? Earlier, they were a bit speechless seeing a 'god' pinned down by heavy machine gun fire. If a god... is also afraid of bullets, and bullets can even kill gods, then why the hell should they fear Ares?
Slaughter the bastard and use his skull as a chamber pot!
But seeing her now, it seemed she hadn't been using her full strength. Shaking their heads, the two followed!
As for Duke, they had already sparred with him and personally felt the power of that 'Darkness'. When the 'Darkness' grabbed their necks, they instantly lost their strength, as if it were drained away in a flash.
It was only because they were Mutants that they could burst out with power to counterattack; a normal person would definitely have their strength drained... dying of exhaustion.
Steve looked at the four departing figures, gritted his teeth, and called out, "We follow too, GO— GO!"
He could tell that his series of 'cold decisions' had already dropped Diana's favorability of him to the lowest point, but... that was for the mission. No, he had to find a chance to explain.
Samir, in the back, glanced at his old buddy and secretly shook his head. For his old buddy to try and chase a goddess—it would be difficult! Although he didn't know Diana's true identity yet, with this 'combat power', it wouldn't be strange to call her a goddess.
Yeah, a real 'goddess', not the kind in those little pamphlets!
"You guys stay here, I'll go over first."
Fortunately, Wonder Woman still said a word to the weakling four-man team.
Duke naturally knew that with Wonder Woman's superb combat skills, these German Army soldiers were no match for her, but he still followed to fight alongside her. Of course, he only acted as support; he didn't try to steal Diana's thunder.
This could be considered a bit of experience for the Wonder Woman, even if this experience didn't amount to much.
Of course, he also needed the experience.
In front of the large clock tower in the center of Veld, an armored vehicle was frantically unleashing its firepower, with a cannon on top and a maxim heavy machine gunbelow.
Diana knew this thing posed the greatest threat to her.
Her shield was accidentally blown away by a shell.
Diana was very angry; she took a few quick steps and lunged forward!
Boom!
The extremely hard armored vehicle was actually dented by the impact.
Logan, who had just taken down a German Army soldier nearby, was instantly stunned. "Hiss... can you do that?"
"What?" Victor turned his head to look and was also stunned because Diana directly picked up the armored vehicle and threw it several meters away, where it crashed heavily onto the ground. "Cough... you're kidding... oh, shit!"
Caught off guard, a bullet hit his shoulder. Victor angrily went over and tore the person apart.
This scene terrified the weakling four-man team.
Steve: "..."
Samir: "..."
Charlie: "..."
Chief: "..."
Before Steve's group of four could even act, the remaining soldiers were dealt with by Duke, Wolverine, Brother Tiger, and Doutzen Kroes. Duke remembered that he still had talent points to farm.
Bang— A villager fell to the ground.
"Diana— over there!" Duke pointed toward the clock tower. "A sniper!"
Bang! Another shot went right through Duke. Of course, Duke was fine, still looking at him with a 'black' face.
"Damn, what on earth is that thing?"
Bang! Another shot.
You're really getting cocky, aren't you?
"Diana!"
Duke made a gesture with his hands clasped together. At this moment, the two were of one mind. In the original plot, Steve, Samir, and Chief were carrying 'Ironhide' to launch Diana into the air. Now, Diana stepped on Duke's hands and used the leverage to spring upward.
Although he could have easily dealt with that guy himself, shouldn't such a classic scene be recreated?
Boom—
The entire roof of the clock tower was collapsed by Diana's impact, kicking up a massive cloud of rolling dust.
"Cough... is she okay?" Victor was dumbfounded. This was too much—she literally collapsed a building.
"She should be fine!" Logan said.
As the rolling dust settled, Diana's figure appeared atop the clock tower. Looking down at the townspeople who were clapping for joy, weeping, and happily embracing their loved ones, she felt happy for the first time. Helping others with her own strength and receiving such heartfelt gratitude—this feeling was truly wonderful.
Click—
"Thank you all. It is truly my honor to take a photo for you. Thank you very much!" the old photographer said tremulously.
An old photo was left behind. It was no longer the five people from the original plot; to Diana's left were Duke, Doutzen Kroes, Logan, and Victor, and on the right were Steve and the others.
022. The First Follower
(It's cold in Harbin. Just now, when I was bleeding the radiator, a foul stench of rotting garlic hit me, instantly making me feel nauseous and dizzy. Even now, my chest still feels a bit tight.)
...
...
"How does it feel to be a hero?"
Duke dispelled the'Shadow', but he kept 'Refusal' active on himself to reflect enemy attacks. Heaven knows when a bullet might just biu out from some hidden bush and pierce his skull.
He had to be on guard at all times.
"It's wonderful! I love the feeling of being thanked," Dianasaid with a smile.
"You did it."
"Yes, I did," Diana said, turning her head to glance at Charlie, who was slumped dejectedly against a telephone pole in the distance. "He talked about shooting for so long, but he actually doesn't know how to use a gun."
Duke shook his head. "Just focus on yourself, Diana. Not everyone can live life the way they imagine."
In truth, he was also quite curious about Charlie.
They said he was an excellent sniper, but in reality... in his memory... in the movie, that guy seemed like he never fired a single shot. If you say he was just a con man trying to swindle a bit of money from Steve? A guy who wasn't a soldier going to the battlefield would only meet a dead end. Surely, no normal person would choose this path.
Besides, the three of them clearly knew each other. Even if they didn't know every intimate detail, they definitely understood one another.
So Duke felt that Charlie most likely suffered from some kind of war trauma!
He couldn't be bothered with him. Steve had finished his call, and his expression was one of massive embarrassment. It went without saying that he had definitely been chewed out by that Sir Patrick.
General Ludendorff's laboratory was located at the German Army High Command, only a few miles from the small town. In the past, if the town's garrison had been wiped out, reinforcements would have been dispatched long ago, but now... they didn't have the strength.
Meanwhile, Ludendorff was hosting a banquet. As for the location where the poison gas bomb would be dropped, it was currently unknown.
"What happened?" Diana walked over and asked.
"Uh... Sir Patrick refused to let us go to the German ArmyHigh Command, citing the reason that... we cannot prevent the signing of the agreement," Steve said.
"We don't actually need to worry about the signing of the armistice."
"Why?"
"Ares would absolutely never..." As she spoke, Dianaseemed to realize something. "Of course, that makes sense! Ares has forged an ultimate weapon!"
Steve frowned. "You mean Ludendorff?"
"No, I am talking about Ares. Ludendorff is Ares."
Duke laughed.
"What are you laughing at? What, do you think my judgment is wrong?" Diana frowned.
"No..." He certainly knew that Ludendorff was not Ares, but Duke couldn't say that yet. He asked in return, "What is Ludendorff's rank?"
"General," Steve replied.
"And what is above a General?"
"Uh... some lords, various ministers... chancellors, and... the Emperor," Steve said instinctively.
"A general might seem to have high status in war, commanding hundreds of thousands of troops, but at best, he is just working for someone else. There are so many big shots above him. As the God of War, how could Arespersonally participate in human warfare? Gods are arrogant, and Ares is even more so. Would a powerful deity, capable of slaughtering gods single-handedly, lower his status to... participate in the front lines of human war?"
As he spoke, Duke glanced at Steve.
"I'm not saying humans are weak, I'm saying they are extremely weak. Do you really think he would personally lead an army to fight on the front lines? To put it bluntly, in the eyes of such a powerful deity, humans aren't even worth noticing. Let alone Ares, even if it were me... if I wanted to kill you, I would never do it myself. That would be... too beneath me."
A chill ran down Steve's spine. He didn't know why, but he kept feeling like Duke was warning him.
Diana didn't notice. She frowned and thought for a while. "So you think Ludendorff is not Ares at all, but rather someone... standing behind him?"
"I believe Ares incited the greed in human hearts and started the war, but he would never personally lead humans into battle. You have to understand, it's not difficult for a powerful god to tempt and corrupt an emperor. When the boss at the top speaks, the underlings below have to move quickly, right? That Ludendorff is likely just a pawn," Duke said.
The two then realized that Ares could not be defined in ordinary terms. For a god to manipulate an emperor... it was indeed not difficult.
"Then what do we..." Diana was lost. What should they do next?
"Continue advancing toward the High Command. I believe Ludendorff is definitely an important pawn, as is that Doctor Poison. As long as we take them out and destroy the poison gas bombs at the command post, I believe Areswill definitely show himself," Duke said.
The two pondered for a moment. Steve nodded. "Fine! We don't have a better plan anyway."
He didn't realize at all that the initiative of the conversation had been taken over by Duke, and in fact, it was no different from his previous decision.
—Night fell, a bonfire party.
Duke and Diana sat side by side. Perhaps because of her background in the guard, Doutzen Kroes had gone to the side to keep watch.
"Is that dancing?"
"I suppose."
"They are just hugging and swaying back and forth."
"Perhaps they want more than just to hug." Duke raised an eyebrow.
Just now, Steve wanted to come over and chat, but Dukeglared at him and sent him back. Diana just smiled and said nothing. In fact, she understood; she just hadn't really experienced it herself.
(She was criticizing the twelve volumes of books about worldly pleasures!)
Samir was running around with drinks, like a waiter: "Oh, respected My Lord magic user, would you like a drink?"
Duke took it with a smile.
Who knew, Samir knelt on one knee right there.
"What are you doing?" Duke asked curiously.
"Please—accept my allegiance." Samir's eyes were full of fanaticism.
"Allegiance? You want to join me?" Duke didn't know much about Western culture.
"It's a follower," Diana explained.
"Oh." He understood. It was like a squire beside a knight, one who takes an oath, one who pledges allegiance. Dukewas curious. "You want to pledge allegiance to me? Why, because of magic?"
"Yes! You opened a brilliant door for me, leading to a new world. Thrills, excitement, a completely new kind of... entirely different life that I have never touched before. I really want to understand it. Please accept my allegiance. I, Samir, swear to God... may lightning strike me if I betray you."
As he spoke, he tapped his shoulder and made a complex gesture. Duke didn't understand it. Was this a ceremony for swearing allegiance?
He didn't speak, lost in thought.
In the future, he was destined to become a Law God. Some things couldn't be done personally; he needed a clever errand runner. And Samir was smooth enough; back at the tavern, he had been able to swindle the people around him into believing his royal identity.
This ability was not ordinary.
However, he clearly wanted to learn magic. Could this system-inherited magic be taught to others?
"Hey—System, can magic be passed on to others?"
023. The Host didn't ask.
Honestly, when Duke saw this face, he didn't think of Samir from "Wonder Woman", but rather the communications soldier from another movie, "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra".
Although the movie was ten years old and Duke didn't remember his name in it, he was a highly efficient communications expert. With him in the command center, he could ensure smooth communication and ultimately achieve victory.
In both movies, he was the smart, slick type.
A follower?
That was certainly worth considering.
After all, living in this strange world 100 years ago, one still needed a 'local' to act as a guide.
"Hey—System, can magic be taught to others?"
The System was silent for a moment before speaking: 'Yes, Host, but this System does not recommend you do so.'
"Ah, why?"
It was purely telepathic communication; outsiders wouldn't know.
'This System must consider the Host's privacy and safety.'
"Is that so?...Then there must be a compromise, right?"
Currently, Duke was still a pure and honest person. After all, having transmigrated not long ago, he still possessed the mindset of a dutiful university student, and he considered himself a good person. Although he could deceive Samir, using testing him as an excuse—testing him for a lifetime or something—and Samir would have no choice, he believed that effort should yield rewards.
Deceiving people was something he couldn't bring himself to do yet.
'It is recommended that the Host only teach followers with a loyalty rating of 90 or above.'
"90?"
'Yes, Host. Loyalty below 90 carries the risk of betrayal. As long as the loyalty reaches 90, they will never betray you unless subjected to powerful mind control.'
"I see, then how do I see the loyalty rating?"
'The Host killed 42 German Army soldiers today, including 2 sergeants, gaining a total of 326 Talent Points. Additionally, you obtained the talents [Pistol: Slightly Accomplished] [Rifle: Initiated]. Talent Points are sufficient; you can search for [Eye of Truth] in the 'magiccategory' of the mall.'
Duke didn't rush to buy the magic, but curiously asked: "How is your ranking calculated?"
'Slightly Accomplished', 'Initiated'—who would have thought the System was a literary youth?
No, a literary girl.
The voice was very neutral, so Duke automatically defined the System's gender as 'female'.
'There are 5 levels in total: Novice, Slightly Accomplished, Initiated, Highly Proficient, and Peak Mastery.'
Truly literary.
Well, it's just Initial, Intermediate, Advanced, Peak, and Perfection.
There are very few people using pistols on the battlefield now; most use rifles. [Rifle: Initiated] is normal; it was probably dropped by one of those two sergeants, right?
While Duke was 'thinking', Samir remained half-kneeling, his heart pounding, terrified that the other party would refuse.
If he were really rejected, that... would truly be worse than death. Having witnessed the mysteries of the world of magic, he certainly wouldn't choose to 'enter a treasure mountain and return empty-handed'.
Almighty God, bless me!
[Eye of Truth] was easy to find; only the talents that could be redeemed were lit up, while other skills exceeding the current Talent Points were all greyed out.
It actually costs 300 Talent Points?
Damn it, I'll exchange for it.
Because Duke discovered that the Eye of Truth wasn't just for seeing 'loyalty'; it had other uses, such as seeing through enemy disguises, discerning enemy weaknesses, and so on.
'It is recommended that the Host does not purchase too many spell skills at this stage.'
"Why?"
'The 'innate magic' the Host obtained from the lottery is passive growth; it will automatically upgrade as the Host's rank rises. However, purchased spells and talents obtained from the outside world require the Host to spend Talent Points to upgrade. Mall spells are fixed according to the Host's rank upon purchase. For example, [Eye of Truth] is currently at the peak of the Hero Level.'
"Damn! System, you scammed me!"
'The Host did not ask.'
"I..."
Forget it, forget it, no point in being angry. Anyway, the Eye of Truth is very useful, it's just a pity it can't'see through' things.
Otherwise, hehehe...
"Does that mean the current Eye of Truth can only see through people below the peak of Hero Level?"
'Yes, Host.'
Damn... it feels like the value dropped quite a bit instantly.
If someone's strength is lower than his, is there even a need to look? Hmm... but then again, if someone's strength is higher than his, looking is pointless because he can't beat them anyway.
"This restriction of yours is too fucked up. Is there even any point to it this way?"
'This is for the Host's safety. If the opponent's strength is greater than the Host's, the opponent is highly likely to notice the Host spying on them, which will bring uncontrollable danger to the Host.'
"Uh... alright."
The System means well, pure Ah Q spirit.
'Additionally, the Host can only teach followers innate magic that the Host has already learned. You cannot buy new magic in the mall to teach them (unless the Host has learned it), nor can you grant talents obtained from killing enemies, but... magic items from the mall are unrestricted. Furthermore, a follower's magic can only start practicing from the 'Mortal' level, and their highest achievement can only be one major rank lower than the Host.'
That is to say, if he doesn't rank up now, Samir can reach the peak of the Elite level at most, and cannot improve further.
(Strength levels are—Cannon Fodder → Mortal → Elite → Hero → Legendary → Demigod → Main God)
The conversation with the System ended, and Dukescanned Samir with the [Eye of Truth]. Loyalty was 60%.
Just as expected.
It wouldn't be 90% right off the bat; 60 is considered passing.
He turned his head and glanced at Diana: "Do you think I should accept him?"
In an instant, all eyes gathered.
Just as Duke was chatting with the System, the people at the bonfire party all looked over; after all, Samir looked too conspicuous. Although the world has entered the modern era, the spirit of nobility, knighthood, and followers passed down since the Middle Ages still had many supporters.
Samir swallowed hard and turned his eager gaze to Wonder Woman. Success or failure depended on her words.
"Ask me?" Diana appeared a bit puzzled, "Why ask me?"
"You know, I am from the East, and I... don't understand this culture of yours very well. Give me a suggestion." Dukesaid with a smile.
Samir only then realized the problem. The other party was not European; there was a cultural gap. This was a yellow-skinned magician from the East.
Hmm, there are magicians in the East too?
"My suggestion... my suggestion is that you can accept him as a follower." Diana glanced at Samir, saw the pleading in his eyes, and ultimately decided to help him out.
She had a decent impression of Samir.
"Alright! Since Diana has spoken, I have to give her this face, so I'll accept you."
"Thank you, thank you!" Samir was instantly excited, stood up, and bowed repeatedly to the two.
"Alright, don't be too happy. Since you voluntarily became a follower, you must understand that once you betray..." Duke warned coldly.
Stared at by the cold gaze, Samir shuddered and quickly patted his chest to guarantee: "I understand, I swear in the name of God..."
"Alright, alright, God has nothing to do with me here." Duke waved his hand, stopping Samir from swearing, "As for whether you can receive instruction in magic, it requires passing heavy tests. If you don't meet the standards, you might never be able to practice magic in your life. It's not too late to regret it now."
"I... do not regret it!"
"Really don't regret it?"
"No regrets!" Samir nodded firmly.
"Good, take this. Consider it a gift for becoming an apprentice. For now, you are only a named apprentice."
024. 20% Hostility
A mage taking on an apprentice should count as an apprentice, right?
"This is..." Looking at the ring in his hand, Samir was a bit bewildered.
"The [Ring of Premonition]. It can enhance your sixth sense, allowing you to sense danger in advance and so on." Duke waved his hand. "It's just a small magic item I made on a whim, an unranked little toy. Take it."
It really wasn't much, just a little toy with 10 talent points.
With his traditional Eastern mindset, Duke felt that since someone was now his follower, he had to give them some kind of 'welcome gift' or something, right?
"Thank you, Master."
"Don't call me Master. Call me Boss."
"Yes, Boss... but... how do I wear this?" Samir's expression was a bit awkward. The ring was very small, and it wouldn't fit on any of his fingers.
"Drop some blood on it, any finger will do."
This thing had been made to Duke's size, and Samir's fingers were clearly thicker.
"Oh."
Hardening his heart, he bit his fingertip. After the blood dripped onto it... the droplet was instantly absorbed by the ring's face and disappeared, which shocked Samir once again. Then, when he put it on, the ring suddenly grew larger and slipped easily onto his little finger.
Does this count as a pinky ring?
The moment he put it on, Samir shuddered, as if an electric current had instantly coursed through his entire body.
Charlie tossed a small pebble over, and Samir, as if he had sensed it 0.5 seconds in advance, jerked his neck back, and the pebble flew right past the tip of his nose.
"This, this is too magical."
Samir exclaimed in wonder. Just now, he didn't know why, but he felt danger approaching and that he should pull his neck back, so he reacted subconsciously.
Who would have thought, who would have thought.
Everyone around was dumbfounded, and Charlie, who had thrown the pebble, was even more bewildered. He could guarantee that, from his angle, Samir definitely couldn't have seen him.
Diana wasn't very shocked; there were plenty of magicitems on Themyscira, and many that enhanced premonition. She just found it a bit curious that the ring had suddenly appeared in Duke's palm.
Charlie scurried over, pointed at his own nose, and flashed a comical grin: "Boss, what do you think of me? I'm also willing to follow you..."
Duke laughed: "Your aptitude isn't good enough!"
"Huh?" Charlie immediately wilted and walked back with his head hanging low. He wanted to force it, but he had already witnessed Duke's abilities; Duke could kill him in minutes. Even if there were 100 Charlies, it would be a waste.
This wasn't nonsense; the Eye of Truth had gleaned Charlie's data.
'magic Aptitude: E; Loyalty: 10%.'
An E-level aptitude could be considered grassroots-level talent.
—S, A, B, C, D, E, F, seven levels. Charlie was at the sixth level. It could be said that just being able to get started was already quite good.
As for Samir, it surprised him. Besides needing someone tactful to handle things, the data checked by the Eye of Truth was also an important reason.
Samir—'magic Aptitude: B; Loyalty: 65%.'
He had just received a ring, and his loyalty had increased by five points. An aptitude of B was quite good. Although the system said that a follower's highest magicachievement could only be one major rank lower than his, that didn't mean you would definitely reach it. According to Samir's B-level talent, he could probably touch the threshold of Legendary, but without a stroke of luck, he would likely remain at the peak of the Hero realm for his entire life.
'Completion' wasn't a realm; accurately speaking, it should be [Peak Completion]. A major rank was divided into four minor stages—Early, Mid, Late, and Peak.
'Completion' meant that you could jump into the next major rank at any time, but... not everyone could cross this watershed.
The Chief had self-awareness, but still asked anyway.
Duke smiled and shook his head.
'magic Aptitude: F; Loyalty: 20%.'
His aptitude was even weaker than Charlie's; someone like this couldn't even touch the threshold of getting started. As for the loyalty, perhaps it was because they had hit it off when they first met?
Duke turned his head to look at Steve.
The other party smiled: "I'm... not very interested in magic."
This was a lie. It was because he knew very well that Dukewouldn't take him, so he simply dismissed it.
"What a pity, your aptitude is actually quite good, magicAptitude B... but unfortunately... you actually have 20% hostility towards me?" Duke said playfully.
Hostility, huh? He understood; he had snatched the guy's sweetheart. Although he hadn't'snatched her away' yet, the situation was already very clear. If he really did snatch her away, this hostility would surely be even higher!
"Hmm?"
The members of the squad immediately looked over in unison, especially Logan, who was gnawing on a lamb leg, his eyes flashing with a hint of coldness. They had become friends through fighting, and they were the same kind of people. Duke had also told them their true identities, which counted as a favor. They weren't quite good friends yet, but they were definitely partners.
As for Victor, he had long since run off somewhere.
Diana also frowned slightly and looked over.
Doutzen Kroes, however, had eyes shining with excitement. Back on Themyscira, she had long wanted to kill Steve. Her hand rested on the hilt of her sword, and she prayed in her heart: Make a mistake, make a mistake.
"Ahem, I don't know what you're talking about? What hostility, and 20%? How did you calculate that..." Stevewas very embarrassed. He was indeed very unhappy with Duke, but it didn't count as hostility; at most, it was just jealousy.
That's right, 20% is exactly like that. Once it reaches 50%... then it's true hostility.
Duke pointed to his right eyeball, and a brilliant 'magiccircle' composed of purple magic runes suddenly burst forth from it: "This is the magic 'Eye of Truth', capable of seeing through all falsehoods!"
Steve instantly turned red in the face, and he didn't even know where to put his hands.
Diana frowned!
"Alright, I was just joking with you. 20% hostility is nothing; at most, it counts as jealousy. But you need to be careful... once it breaks 50%, that's real hostility, and I will perform a humanitarian destruction on you. I am a person who roots out evil completely, and I absolutely will not allow anyone who harbors hatred for me to exist by my side." Duke sneered.
"Ahem... just joking, well... I'll go to sleep first." Steveturned around in a panic and almost tripped over his own feet.
"Tch!" Doutzen Kroes expressed her great anger at not being able to take the opportunity to kill Steve.
"Steve."
"Hey—wait for me."
Charlie and the Chief hurriedly chased after him.
Samir also wanted to follow along to see, but he still asked eagerly: "Boss, what about me... what about my aptitude?"
"Same as Steve."
"B?" Samir grinned excitedly, but quickly became confused again, "Then... this, what level does this count as?"
—S, A, B, C, D, E, F, seven levels. You are in the third tier.
"Wow—that's not bad!" Samir twisted excitedly, then apologized, "Boss, Steve... he doesn't really... well, I'll go talk to him. Please don't take it to heart."
"Go ahead." Duke waved his hand casually. He didn't take Steve seriously at all.
"Right." Samir and Steve were considered good friends, and he didn't want to see his old buddy go down a path of no return.
A goddess isn't someone you can chase after; just honestly marry a local White woman.
You are not people of the same world!
"Logan!" Duke beckoned.
"Something up?"
"Why don't I see Victor?"
"Him? Don't worry about him. He's probably off living it up again."
025. First Blood
"Carefree?" Wonder Woman was very puzzled. What was there to be carefree about in this place?
Carefree, huh?
Duke glanced at Wonder Woman. He had guessed what Victor was up to. He must have gone to find a woman for some fun. Back during the South Vietnam war, he had killed an Sir in a fit of rage just because he was stopped from snatching a woman, and as a result, he was shot for ten hours straight.
Damn, how many bullets were fired? What a waste!
Seeing that Logan didn't look like he was going to stop him, it was likely a consensual encounter.
"Is this leg of lamb delicious?"
Duke didn't want to continue on this topic because his mind kept drifting toward the plot where Steve took Wonder Woman's first blood. He couldn't help but think about it.
So he simply changed the subject.
"It wasn't prepared well; the gamey smell is very strong!" Logan said while continuing to tear off large chunks of the lamb leg.
"Then why are you still eating it?"
"It's a gesture from the townspeople, after all. If I don't eat it, they'll feel bad," Logan replied.
"Then do you know that this is the last sheep left in the town?" Duke asked.
Because of the German Army's occupation, there were almost no living creatures left in the small town besides the people. Sheep, chickens, pigs—all had been slaughtered. The only food left was some potatoes, carrots, and coarse bread like barley and rye; they couldn't even afford milk. All the cows had been killed for meat, and the only milk-producing sheep was... currently on the grill.
Oh, and a few horses. If it weren't for the need to use them for hauling goods, the German Army would have slaughtered them long ago.
Duke had seen it with his own eyes: the townspeople were salivating while watching Logan and Victor bite into the meat... and their eyes were full of reluctance.
"I know!"
"And you still want to eat it?"
This wasn't something the townspeople had slaughtered voluntarily; it was something Logan and the others had asked for.
"Otherwise? That mayor held my hand and insisted on giving a 'reward.' If I don't take it, he'll feel bad again. This town is too poor; it was stripped bare by the German Armyand nothing was left except that sheep... Should we kill the horses instead?" Logan shook his head. "Compared to a sheep, horses are more useful to them."
As for the sheep, it was meant to be eaten anyway. The wool was gone, the milk was gone, and all that was left was the meat.
"Perhaps your approach is right!" Duke sighed.
"This is the cultural difference between East and West. You Easterners are just hypocritical."
"You've been to the East? It's not hypocrisy; it's modesty." Duke shook his head with a bitter smile.
"No, but I've met many Easterners."
"Aren't Westerners even more hypocritical?"
Logan paused for a moment, then nodded. "That's true! Take the U.S., for example. Washington is even filthier than the slums. The Mafia in Philadelphia controls the entire city, and even the police and the military there have to listen to them. Americans... ha, they have to live with hypocritical masks every day. It's just terrible."
Diana frowned. "Then isn't that hell?"
"It's more hellish than hell!" Logan replied.
Duke glanced at Logan, who had finished gnawing on the lamb leg, and said, "You're a century-old antique. Tell Diana... some experiences she needs to pay attention to."
Diana's interest was immediately piqued.
After leaving Themyscira, she couldn't find her way home. Once this war was over, she was destined to stay in the human world, and she had no experience in this regard.
Logan first scanned Diana, then looked at Duke, and curled his lips with a smile. "If you're the long-lived type, then... you must change your place of residence frequently. At least once every 20 years, though I recommend every 10 years. Because your ageless appearance is destined to attract attention."
Duke nodded; he was aware of this.
Changing locations was actually quite easy. Forging an identity in this era was much easier than in the future because, in today's world without the internet... it's very hard to be tracked.
Take Logan, for example. He had gone from Canada to the U.S. and then to Western Europe, having changed his residence countless times.
"Also... try as much as possible to stay with 'your own kind' and reduce the time spent with humans. If you can't do that, when interacting with humans, you must also remember... you can't give them your true heart; you have to maintain a proper sense of distance."
Diana frowned. "Why is that?"
"There is a saying: 'Those who are not of our kin are bound to have different hearts,'" Duke said.
"Yes, that's not wrong. Humans are exclusionary toward outsiders, and there are many organizations that like to hunt our kind for their amusement. So, when dealing with humans, don't show your 'uniqueness.' Even in times of absolute necessity, you must protect yourself first." Logannodded.
"The Farmer and the Viper," Duke added.
"Right!"
Diana was very confused. "What is The Farmer and the Viper?"
"You don't know?" Duke was curious. Well, it made sense. If Wonder Woman had read this story, she wouldn't naively believe that all humans were kind. "It's a story from Aesop's Fables, a collection of fables said to be written by Aesop, an Ancient Greek slave who was freed in the 6th century BC. It tells the story of a farmer who saved a frozen snake, only to be bitten to death by the snake in return."
"How could it be like that?"
Diana frowned deeply; she couldn't accept this.
She wasn't stupid and soon realized what this fable was implying.
Duke patted her shoulder. "Humans are a collection of kindness and evil, half light and half darkness. You can never guarantee whether a person is good or bad, so when helping others, you must leave some room for yourself first."
"One last piece of advice! If you're going to find a 'partner,' it's best to find one of 'your own kind.' Never unite with an ordinary person. This is... a feeling from my own personal experience! I once loved a girl. We stayed together for 20 years. She grew old while I didn't change, and my wounds would heal very quickly. In the end, she revealed my secret to a group of people, and as a result..."
Diana was somewhat shocked. "You were hunted by them?"
"Right here!" Logan pointed to his shoulder.
"There's nothing there?" Duke was curious.
"That's where her shotgun hit me. I always wanted to leave a mark to warn myself, but unfortunately..." Loganshrugged, feeling quite helpless.
Duke patted his shoulder. He understood that his powerful self-healing ability left no scars on his body, and even tattoos would be hard to apply.
"Back then, we were very poor. She betrayed me for money." Many years had passed, but pain could still be seen in Logan's eyes.
Diana couldn't imagine how a partner who had lived together for 20 years could actually betray her husband for money.
"Alright, I'm going to find a place to sleep too." Loganstood up with a smile. After turning around, he very discreetly made a 'keep it up' gesture toward Duke.
Duke could only smile bitterly. He had been noticed.
Sure enough, the older the ginger, the spicier it gets!
026. [True · First Blood]
In the small inn within the town, Steve Trevor drank barley ale cup after cup, and before long, his face turned red.
The three people accompanying him on the side were also very helpless.
"Steve, is this really necessary?"
"Congratulations, My Lord Samir, you've climbed onto a high branch." Steve cupped his hands in a salute.
They had tried to persuade him many times just now, but Steve wouldn't listen to anything. Now that he was even making sarcastic remarks about him, Samir got angry and slammed the table.
"Yes! I did climb onto a high branch, so what? If you have the ability, go climb one too. Would they even take you? Just look at your pathetic state, drinking, drinking... Go ahead and drink yourself to death! Are you worthy of her? Pursuing her, really? What woman would like a lousy drunkard?! Now look at her, Wonder Woman... and look at you, just a grunt. What do you have to pursue her with?"
The Chief whispered while holding Samir down: "Stop talking."
"Why shouldn't I speak? I'm going to say it! Steve, have you forgotten why you came here? You're supposed to be stopping the deployment of the poison gas bomb, and right now... you're actually here wallowing in romance. Are you worthy of the people? Are you? Huh? Speak! Are you worthy?"
Saying that, he spat on the ground.
"Ptui! You are not worthy!"
"Look at your pathetic state!"
Samir suddenly grabbed Steve by the collar and dragged him toward the door: "Go! Go grab her! If you have the ability to sit here drinking, if you're so capable, go pursue her to her face! Go!"
After finishing, he kicked him out the door.
"Right, I'm going." Perhaps provoked, or perhaps it was drunken heroism, Steve really stumbled over there.
"Damn it, are you crazy?" Charlie, seeing this, quickly dragged Steve back inside the door.
"If you go now, you'll definitely be passed over!" The Chief also didn't think it would go well; even without Duke there, no woman would like a drunkard confessing to her.
"You'll die, do you know that—huh?!" Charlie roared, almost right in Steve's ear.
This shout finally 'woke' him up a little.
Steve, having regained a little bit of his senses, immediately broke into a cold sweat. This was truly… courting death.
— No Zuo No Die!
"What, finally sobered up?" Samir snorted from the side.
"I'm awake, I'm awake!" Steve wiped the sweat from his forehead, nodding repeatedly. Just now, he had really almost been doomed.
"Good that you're awake! Pull yourself together; that's not a woman you can hit on. Also, remember your mission—you're here to destroy the poison gas bomb, not to chase girls!" Samir snorted. "Since you're awake, go get some sleep; we have to hit the road bright and early tomorrow! Don't let down the people of Britain who are counting on you, and don't let down your secretary."
"What does that have to do with my secretary?"
"In your current pathetic state, you can only go hit on that fat secretary of yours, Etta Candy." Samir curled his lip in disdain.
"..." Steve gritted his teeth, turned his head to look at the two figures still sitting together by the campfire outside the door, sighed in his heart, and turned to go upstairs.
He had drunk a bit too much and was feeling somewhat tipsy.
"I must say, that was too harsh." The Chief shook his head.
"Yeah, I really thought you were going to kill Steve." Charlie chimed in.
"You're overthinking it. I just wanted him to see himself clearly. We're old pals, after all, and I don't want to watch him head down a path of no return." Samir sighed.
"That Duke is a magic user, we all know that now, but what is Diana? Looking at how she fights... she doesn't seem like a magic user." The Chief asked, puzzled.
"How would I know? But Diana is definitely stronger than the boss, and by far." Samir shook his head, glanced behind him, and also went upstairs. "Let's go, let's get some rest. We've been fighting all day and I'm tired."
"Yeah, rest, let's rest!"
"Charlie, you go with the Chief; you bastard snore when you sleep."
"As if you don't! By the way, if you're going to follow him, then us brothers are going to split up."
"That's... the boss's business, I guess. Anyway, it's not up to me to worry about."
"That's true."
By the campfire, Duke sat right next to Wonder Woman, with less than half a fist's distance between them. Wonder Woman hadn't heard a single word of the argument inside just now because he had set up a [Spell Formula].
Even if she had heard it, what would it matter? It would only make things awkward for both of them, and Dukedidn't want to give Steve any more chances. If he had really come over just then, he would have definitely sent him flying with a magic ball!
"I just remembered something." Suddenly, Wonder Woman blurted out.
"Ah, remembered what?"
"Just now, I saw Victor with his arm around a woman, going inside."
"Uh... cough, cough."
"What's wrong?"
"It's nothing."
"Oh."
Such an awkward conversation.
"Just now... you deliberately had Logan come over, right?" Diana asked, suddenly smiling like a flower. For some reason, Duke always felt that her eyes were filled with 'danger'—a kind of danger that wanted to eat him up.
"Yeah, I wanted Logan to pass on some experience to you."
"I'm not talking about that, but his last warning."
"Last?"
Duke was stunned for a moment, and his face immediately flushed red. Had he been seen through?
"This... really, really not. I don't know why he would say something like that. But I think Logan meant well. Think about it, you are Zeus... cough, cough, you are a long-lived goddess. If you found a human, they would be gone in a few short decades, and you... wouldn't you be very lonely?"
Diana continued to show that 'dangerous' smile: "So, does that mean you are also one of those long-lived ones?"
"This..."
Suddenly, Duke froze. That's right, although he could use magic, but... this doesn't increase his lifespan, right?
The system popped up in time: 'According to the scan of this world, as long as one's strength enters the Hero level, their lifespan will be significantly extended. According to this system's scan of the host, as long as no powerful enemies appear, the host can live for 200 years.'
"Impossible! Then Magneto, Professor X... they're at most eighty-something, right? Don't tell me they only have Elitelevel strength."
'That is because there are issues with how they use their abilities, and also, a 40% variance.'
"Fine, fine, I get it. You—disappear quickly, don't affect me picking up girls."
The system went offline without a word.
"I really do count as a long-lived species. According to my current magic cultivation, I have about a 200-year lifespan. When my strength improves, my lifespan will also increase."
"Oh?" Diana looked at Duke playfully, the 'dangerous' flavor in her eyes seeming to become even more intense, "Then do you want to try what Victor and the others are doing right now?"
Holy crap—thump, thump, thump, his heart started pounding directly.
Could it be that he could finally say goodbye to his virginity? And, the one helping him was a goddess! A real goddess, not the kind in adult movies.
Was he about to harvest Wonder Woman's—[True · First Blood]?
Honestly, it was... really... exciting!
If it were Gal Gadot, he might be a bit awkward, but not that nervous; however, the person in front of him was the daughter of Zeus!
Oh my god, is this the rhythm of knocking down a god...?
Hmm... why does it taste a bit salty in his nose?
027. If You Are My Brother, Come Cut Me
(Don't ask me for it, I won't write it, the River Crab beast is very powerful ￣ ω ￣ =)
Early the next morning, when the first ray of dim yellow sunlight shone through the window, Duke woke up.
He just lay there without moving...
The space beside him was already empty, but he could still feel the warmth.
His mind was a mess. He had actually just, like that, slept with Zeus's daughter...?
Uh, to be precise, it should be that he was slept with.
Thinking of the battle of the century last night, Duke had the urge to cover his face. He had been completely crushed; it was so embarrassing for a Chinese man!
Not only was he taken, but he was also crushed in terms of strength, sigh.
But there was no help for it; after all, she was a warrior, and he was just a physically weak magic user.
In close combat against a warrior, a magic user inherently has no advantage, right?
Even though he wasn't a pure magic user, Wonder Womanwas a pure warrior, and the strongest female warrior on Themyscira at that!
It was a blessing that she hadn't snapped his waist in half!
"Sigh, it seems... I need to properly train my body."
Unfortunately, there were very few magic spells in the store to strengthen the physical body; it seemed he would have to rely on plundering from the outside world.
Creak—
The door creaked. Duke shuddered and quickly lay on his back, pretending to be asleep.
As the door opened and closed, a pleasant fragrance drifted in, reminiscent of the 'Ocean Breeze' aromatherapy from the Hilton hotels of his past life.
He twitched his nose unnaturally.
"Stop pretending, get up!"
Was he discovered?
Duke sat up awkwardly. He didn't cover himself with the quilt like in the movies; he just sat there. After all, whatever was supposed to happen last night had already happened.
Besides, he was a man; that kind of thing was obviously something for a woman to do.
Diana must have gone to wash her hair; it was still a bit damp.
Goddesses, after all, always have to pay attention to their image; how could she be like a greasy old man!
"I... last night... was I okay?"
After all, it was his first time trying; Duke didn't know what his level was.
Diana tilted her head, wiping her hair, and looked at Dukeplayfully: "A total mess!"
"Ahem... was it that bad? I thought it was okay?" Duketouched his nose unnaturally.
Besides, it was your first time too, and you haven't compared it with anyone else, so how can you be sure he was a mess?
Although he didn't have time to check how long it had been, he felt he had lasted at least half an hour, okay? For a Chinese man... that was quite good.
If not for those few bright red petals nearby, he would have truly thought Diana was a seasoned veteran.
"Alright, hurry up and get up. We're leaving after breakfast."
As she spoke, Diana took out her longsword and'swish, swish, swish, swish' went the blade on the bedsheet!
A small square gap was left on the bed, and those few plum blossom petals were already gone.
Duke broke into a cold sweat watching this. It seemed women all liked to collect plum blossoms?
Just that Wonder Woman was a bit too fierce, playing with a sword directly!
Also, this was the God Killer, you know! You're using it for this?
He hurriedly got dressed, washed up, and went downstairs to eat.
Just as he walked down the stairs, he saw the brothers Logan and Victor looking at him with evil grins. Victor, that bastard, kept nodding, looking like he understood and approved.
As for Doutzen Kroes, she still had the expression of an experienced veteran.
It made Duke quite puzzled; being from the same Themyscira, why was the gap so large?
He had forgotten that the women of Themyscira were not ignorant of such things between men and women.
Duke raised an eyebrow: "Why are you looking at me like that? Is there something on my face?"
"Yes!" Victor nodded vigorously.
"What is it?"
"You smell like Diana." Logan also teased with a smile.
When this was said, Steve, who was drinking carrot porridge at another table, immediately slumped, feeling the sweet carrots in his mouth turn sour.
"Remember to treat Diana well, otherwise I'll cut you!" Doutzen Kroes threatened, drawing her sword.
"..." Duke was speechless and turned to go get his food.
He remembered that before doing the deed, he had written down a 'Spell Formula'; he wasn't used to people eavesdropping.
Don't even mention soundproofing in houses from this period, especially a small-town inn; it was only slightly better than those dark and dirty wooden shacks in "Pirates of the Caribbean".
When they were doing that, the others definitely couldn't hear, so there was no need to worry.
In fact, they really couldn't hear.
Victor had just finished and came out to use the restroom, then saw Duke and Diana enter the room. What were they doing... did that even need guessing?
Unfortunately, he pressed his ear to the door for half an hour and didn't hear a single note.
He thought Duke couldn't perform, but later he realized that damn guy must have set up some kind of'Soundproofing magic', and then he went back to sleep dejectedly.
The meal was very simple.
During World War I, in a town that had just experienced the flames of war, one couldn't expect anything delicious.
Breakfast was potato pancakes, radish soup, and some leftover roasted lamb scraps from last night, chopped up as a side dish.
After Diana finished getting ready and came down, she sat straight down next to Duke.
This made Steve even sadder.
Chief, Charlie, and Samir were also somewhat emotional; they really hadn't expected that Diana came from an isolated island full of female warriors.
Steve only knew this much and didn't know about her identity as Zeus's daughter; otherwise, in the original plot, he definitely would have been arrogant and puffed up.
Xu Xian dared to sleep with a snake.
He dared to sleep with Zeus's daughter!
But now, he could only wallow in sorrow and melancholy.
After breakfast, the group set off on time.
"The horses were gifts from the townspeople; we are heroes, after all," Samir said.
"Um... brothers, I said this was a two-day mission. Now two days have passed, and I keep my word!" Steve was listless, but still decided to let his companions leave.
Samir had already followed Duke, so he didn't care, but the journey ahead was even more dangerous; Chief and Charlie couldn't get hurt.
"You won't make it without us," Chief said.
"Yeah! We don't worry about Diana and the others, but you... you won't make it," Charlie said, shaking his head. "Although you might be better off without me."
"The bounty is already gone."
"What we got before is enough."
"Heh..." Steve smiled and shook his head. His sweetheart was gone, but fortunately, he still had his brothers.
If you are my brother, come cut me ヽ( ￣ ω ￣ ( ￣ ω ￣ 〃 ) ゝ
Duke spat out his mouthwash and walked over: "I think it's better if you all leave. The coming battle... is already at a level you can't touch."
"Even we don't dare say we'll definitely survive, and we might not be able to take care of you. Your chances of survival are less than one in a hundred."
"That's right! You'd better leave." Victor stepped forward to shoo them away; he didn't want to bring along some dead weight.
"This is also for your own good!" Logan said.
The next mission didn't require disguising themselves as German Army Sirs to infiltrate the banquet.
With their power, sneaking in wasn't difficult at all.
Moreover, Ludendorff wasn't an opponent of the same level. They only needed to take out Ludendorff and then be on guard for the 'God of War' Ares, who could appear at any time.
Of course, Duke also had the intention of stomping on Steve one last time.
This was your mission to begin with; you just up and left, is that how irresponsible you are?
Let Wonder Woman see Steve's true nature clearly.
It had come to this, and he absolutely would not allow a single mistake to occur!
028. Should I let him die?
"Leave, don't throw your life away for nothing!"
Duke patted Steve on the shoulder, offering some well-intentioned advice.
"Strictly speaking, this isn't your mission. Remember, your mission was just to deliver the notebook back. And this, this is Diana's mission; killing Ares has nothing to do with you. You have already delivered Diana to the battlefield as promised, and we can complete the final objective ourselves. Gods are not something you mere mortals can face!"
"Don't be rash and throw your life away; it's not worth it! Sometimes being a little cowardly, compromising, or retreating... it's not shameful, because this is simply not a power you can contend with."
The words implied something more.
Diana also walked over: "Thank you for your help, Steve, thank you. Without you, I wouldn't have made it here. But Duke makes a valid point. In the upcoming battle... you might die! Let's end it here!"
"Exactly, get out of here quickly, you weakling!" Doutzen Kroes was always full of hostility.
Steve didn't speak. He was silent, thinking. Why on earth did he embark on this 'point of no return' in the first place? It seemed like he really had fallen for Diana, but part of it was also because he didn't want to break his promise, right?
The poison gas and all that, that could be considered his mission.
But if you really think about it, what does that have to do with him? Even if mustard gas was deployed on the front lines, it wouldn't poison him! Besides, it wasn't an order from his Sir; he had come running here all on his own.
And there really might be a God of War as the final target. He couldn't even beat Duke, so forget about the God of War.
Moving forward, he might really die!
But retreating would definitely allow him to survive.
However, for some reason, he didn't want to retreat. It wasn't for the girl he liked, but for the courage in his heart. If he retreated this time, whenever he faced danger in the future, he would probably still choose to retreat and avoid it.
This was a vicious and terrifying cycle!
He couldn't!
Suddenly slapping Duke's hand away, Steve shook his head and said calmly: "No! I must go! Something Samir said last night was very right."
"Huh?" Samir was stunned. It has to do with me?
"[Don't let down the British people who have always been counting on you!]"
As for the fat secretary afterwards, he automatically ignored that. Even if he became a 'loser' this time, he would never go after a fat woman.
Having his hand slapped away, Duke didn't get angry: "Listen to me, the British people have no expectations of you, because they don't even know who you are. Also, you are clearly an American; even if you were to let anyone down, it wouldn't be the British."
"Haha, interesting!" Victor laughed outright.
Logan also shook his head with a smile.
"Eh, you're an American?" Samir was stunned.
"America?" The Chief's reaction was quite intense. His home had been... by Americans. But he quickly calmed down; he couldn't paint everyone with the same brush.
Having his secret exposed, Steve didn't mind much; he would have to go back to his unit after the war ended anyway.
"No need, I won't run away. Although I can't beat the God of War Ares, I must take down that Doctor Maru. I cannot allow her to live and continue poisoning this world." Stevesaid.
"Tsk, seeking your own death!" Doutzen Kroes sneered.
"Good!" Duke clapped his hands and praised, "Admirable courage, I admire you!"
As he spoke, he turned and moved closer to Diana.
"My dear, can I share a horse with you? I don't know how to ride."
"Sure." The two had already done 'that' thing; what else was impossible between such intimate friends?
Steve's face darkened again.
Damn it, I just want to annoy you to death. Duke was debating in his heart, after arriving at the German ArmyHigh Command later, should he let him die?
This seemed... very feasible?
But in the end, Duke vetoed this plan.
Diana wasn't stupid.
If Wonder Woman suspected he had killed Steve and it caused a rift between them, what then? Killing one Steveand ending up with a broken relationship with Wonder Woman wasn't worth it!
In fact, Diana had indeed noticed. She wasn't stupid; how could she not see that Steve was interested in her? However, in comparison, plus consecutive disappointments, she ultimately chose Duke. Firstly, Dukewas the first man she had met; secondly, Logan was right that they were 'the same kind of people'; thirdly, she was very interested in the secrets Duke held.
They sped along the way; European horses had very strong stamina.
Duke liked being in the back; he didn't want to sit in Diana's lap, but instead wrapped his arms tightly around Wonder Woman's waist.
Steve had originally been behind, but after seeing this scene, he was so irritated that he shouted 'Giddy up!' and dashed to the front. Out of sight, out of mind!
Heh, trying to fight me, Duke sneered.
Soon, the group arrived at their final destination — an old castle of the German Army.
"Stay hidden." Feeling vehicles passing by, Steveimmediately crouched in the bushes.
"How are we supposed to get in?"
"The few guards at the gate are easy to lure away!"
"Yeah, me walking in so brazenly really wouldn't look suspicious at all!" Steve shook his head.
"I can get through!" Wonder Woman said.
"No, that's too dangerous."
"Dangerous?" Diana frowned. What kind of danger was that?
Duke couldn't watch anymore: "Hey! Hey! No need to hide like this, they can't see us."
"How is that possible..."
Steve had just started to speak when he saw a circle of black, purple-glowing things, similar to some kind of mysterious script, appear around them. He had seen this before. Back on Themyscira, it had been used to save Antiope, who was supposed to be dead. Although he didn't understand what it was, the fact that it could forcibly snatch back a soul that Satan had set his eyes on was incredibly heaven-defying.
Seeing everyone standing around, and a vehicle driving past without noticing them, Steve immediately stood up in embarrassment.
In the end, they found a vehicle and drove over with Samir, as they had always done.
Seeing this clownish scene, although Duke despised him, he was still quite impressed.
"Chief, we need to familiarize ourselves with the terrain so we can advance or retreat as needed," Charlie said. "What do you think, Diana?"
The two turned around, (= @ __ @ = )???
There was no one left!
Not only had Diana disappeared, but Duke, Doutzen Kroes, Logan, and Victor were gone too.
They were on the other side.
"How are we going to get in?" Diana asked.
"Get in? Why would we want to get in?" Duke shook his head.
He remembered that ridiculous scene when Dianaattended the party, stealing a noblewoman's evening gown and sticking the 'Godkiller' on her back. Walking all the way in with such an obvious sword hilt exposed, and somehow not getting caught? And when Ludendorffdanced with her, he didn't even notice when he put his arm around her waist. That was too ridiculous!
Also, Wonder Woman was his woman now, and he wouldn't allow a guy like that to take advantage of her.
"Ah? If we're not going in, why did we come here?" Dianaasked, puzzled.
The two brothers, Logan and Victor, were also very confused.
"This is just the castle for the banquet. Do you really think that mustard gas bomb... is being manufactured here? There must be a military base hidden nearby, and that... that is our objective!" Duke said.
029. Gustav Giant "Cannon"
"Duke makes sense. This kind of ancient castle must have belonged to some nobleman in the past; its structure is not suitable for manufacturing large-scale weapons of mass destruction or poison gas bombs. Because once the poison gas leaks, absolutely no one in the entire castle will be able to escape," Victor said.
"Also, I found that," Duke suddenly said, pointing to the very top of the castle.
"That is..." Diana frowned.
The sky was getting dim. Logan carefully identified it and immediately gasped: "That is... the Gustav Giant 'Cannon'!"
"???"
Duke was also a weapons enthusiast and had studied various weapons from World War I and World War II. Among them, the Gustav Giant 'Cannon' was the most heaven-defying. This thing had a caliber of 800 millimeters, and a single shell weighed 7 tons (armor-piercing shell). It was definitely a super-tonnage behemoth.
But this thing was developed in World War II, yet it existed now in World War I?
However, remembering that this was not Earth, he felt relieved.
But looking closely, it was a bit different.
The Gustav Giant 'Cannon', also known as the Dora Giant 'Cannon', had a total weight of 1,350 tons, exceeding 26 Tiger heavy tanks. This thing was a land-battleship-style giant armor.
And the giant 'cannon' built on the very top of the castle was not exactly the same as the World War II-style Gustav Giant 'Cannon'. First, it was immobile, a fixed turret; second, its barrel length and caliber were much smaller than that of the World War II version.
It could be said to be a simplified, scaled-down version of the Gustav Giant 'Cannon'.
"This thing is very powerful, right!" Diana frowned.
She didn't recognize this thing, but the super-thick caliber and the super-long barrel were all highlighting its might and dominance. She had been blown away by an armored vehicle's shell just yesterday, and this... its diameter was ten times that of that armored vehicle.
If this hit her, she wasn't sure if she could withstand it!
"It's not a question of whether it's powerful or not, it's that kind of... Ahem, Diana, look closely at its orientation." Dukesweated, almost habitually spouting lines from "The Mermaid".
The more she looked, the more shocked Diana became, and finally, her beautiful eyes widened and her mouth opened: "That is... the direction of Feld Town?"
The small town they had stayed in yesterday.
In the original plot, General Ludendorff fired a shot, poisoning all the residents of Feld Town to death.
In fact, this already laid the groundwork for Steve's death. He had rushed into the mustard gas; although he only probed the edge, he still inhaled quite a bit of mustard gas. This stuff was fatal, and in this era, it could be said there was no cure. Even if he hadn't flown the plane into the sky and exploded, even if he had luckily survived, he would have become deformed.
Because mustard gas is a blistering agent, the whole person would look like they were severely burned and rotting...
Logan also looked worried: "The maximum range of the Gustav Giant 'Cannon' is said to reach 38 kilometers. This one is obviously simplified, but... the landing point is enough to hit Feld Town!"
"Shit! Amansa..." Victor's mouth twitched immediately.
Amansa was the one he had fooled around with last night. The current Victor still possessed humanity, and thinking of the woman he had been intimate with last night about to die miserably, anger welled up in his heart.
"Are you sure they will fire?" Diana asked.
"Are you sure they won't know that Feld Town has already been liberated by us?" Duke didn't answer, but asked back.
"Feld Town is only 10 hours away from here, it belongs to the front-line defense of this last position, they will definitely know," Logan said.
"This cannon isn't for us, is it?" Victor suddenly said.
"Very likely! If the war situation in Feld was deadlocked, the other side would receive the news in time and then fire to raze the entire Feld front line. It's a pity, they encountered a different kind of enemy, and the war situation ended in a very short time, so they likely didn't receive effective information. But a whole night has passed, I don't know if they have any special contact methods, if they do... then they must know something happened to the Feld front line," Logan said.
For example: setting a specific time period for contact, if the time is exceeded and the other party hasn't contacted, then something must have gone wrong.
"We can't let them fire!" Diana gritted her teeth tightly.
"I have a way to prevent the shell from being fired, but if that happens, the shell will blow up the Gustav Giant 'Cannon'. Once the mustard gas leaks, everyone in the entire castle will die miserably."
Mustard gas had already appeared in World War I. When the German Army used poison gas for the first time, they killed five thousand people in five minutes.
Once the mustard gas explodes, not a single living thing will be left in the castle.
"Steve and the others..." Diana frowned.
Steve and Samir just went in!
She subconsciously thought that Duke wanted to kill Steve, but Samir was also accompanying them; surely he wouldn't kill his follower too, right?!
"I'm sorry, I also just discovered the Gustav Giant 'Cannon'." Duke shrugged helplessly.
This was true!
He had indeed just discovered it; the place where they were hiding before was blocked, so it couldn't be seen at all.
It had been several years since the movie, and he had long forgotten the plot here. If he hadn't accidentally seen that Gustav Giant 'Cannon', he wouldn't have thought of the plot where Ludendorff fired a cannon to poison the residents of a small town.
Diana just subconsciously doubted it for a moment, then immediately threw it out of her mind. Looking from here, the angle of the previous ambush point... could not see the Gustav Giant 'Cannon'.
"Are you sure they will definitely fire?" Diana asked again.
"Not sure!"
"Then... can we just destroy the barrel directly?"
"It is precisely because I am not sure if they will fire that we cannot destroy the barrel. If the Gustav Giant 'Cannon' is destroyed, wouldn't Ludendorff immediately know that the enemy has infiltrated? Doing so will only have two consequences!"
"Which two?" Diana asked.
"First, Ludendorff gets scared, shrinks inside the castle and doesn't come out, and directly orders the military base to have the planes loaded with poison gas bombs take off and airdrop to the predetermined targets. And we don't know where the base is, nor do we know the target, so the mission fails. Second, Ludendorff escapes and rushes to the military base. Which one do you think it is?"
Logan felt a toothache.
Victor shook his head: "Undoubtedly the first one! Since the enemy has infiltrated, who dares to guarantee that there won't be an ambush on the way to the base?"
Doutzen Kroes expressed agreement with Victor's judgment.
Duke nodded: "If they really contact the base, I'm afraid we won't be able to stop the poison gas airdrop."
Diana gritted her teeth: "Then just make the Gustav Giant 'Cannon' unable to fire, but we must notify Steve and the others to evacuate!"
"No problem, leave this to me, I can infiltrate quickly, but what about the base?"
"The base?"
"If they really fire and it explodes, I'm not sure if the basecan see the castle. If they can see it, I'm afraid there will be trouble. Diana, I want you to hover nearby and overlook from high altitude to see where the base is hidden? I think the base won't be too far from the castle."
Diana gritted her teeth: "Okay!"
030. The giant 'fireball' exploded.
"What about us?" Logan asked.
"Can you give me a pair of wings to play with?" Seeing Diana sprout wings, Victor was envious.
"Stop joking! This is a critical moment, and you aren't used to flying. What if you get exposed? After we deal with Ares, I'll let you fly to your heart's content," Duke said.
"It's a deal, then."
"Yeah." Duke nodded, glanced at Diana, and said, "I'm going!"
"Don't let me down," Diana suddenly said.
This remark clearly had a hidden meaning; was she afraid he would take the opportunity to kill Steve Trevor? Heh, he didn't have that intention anymore. As a winner, why would he destroy his own cause for the sake of a loser? Duke didn't respond to Diana; he spread his wings and shot into the sky. Because he was fast enough and the sky was gradually darkening, the guards didn't notice anything unusual.
Diana also flew up and disappeared into the dim sky.
"Damn, I'm envious," Victor pouted.
"Stop being envious. Go meet up with the Chief and the others first."
"Yeah."
Duke first flew high into the air, then dropped vertically onto the very top of the old castle. To his surprise, there were no soldiers guarding this spot. Wasn't this too much of a joke?
It really was the final 'party,' after all.
He immediately set up a 'Spell Formula' — — — — 'As soon as the cannon is fired, the barrel will explode.'
"Okay."
Standing at the top of the castle, peering around, he discovered that Samir hadn't entered the banquet hall but was guarding the vehicles outside. That made sense; as a driver and servant, Samir naturally didn't have the qualifications to go in.
He casually tossed a piece of magic text over.
— — [Leave]
It was in Chinese characters.
Samir was stunned for a moment, then turned his head to look around. He didn't see anyone, but he already understood. Things seemed to have changed, and his boss was notifying him to leave. So, he quickly found an excuse to go to the bathroom and snuck away. As for Steve Trevor, he believed his boss would have a way to handle it.
Seeing that he had left, Duke flew down from the castle. There was no need to find someone to swap clothes with, because he had an Asian face; wearing anyone else's clothes wouldn't help.
Transforming into darkness, he hid on the ceiling in a corner, where absolutely no one could discover him.
After searching for a while, he finally found Steve Trevor. This guy was actually chatting with Doctor Poison. Recalling the plot where he admired Doctor Poison, Dukefelt goosebumps all over. She looked like that, and he still admired her? The insincere things he said were truly high-level; he had to admire him!
He set up a 'Spell Formula' — — — — 'As long as someone is still talking in this banquet hall, my voice will only be heard by Steve Trevor.'
To avoid any other people in this banquet hall named Steve Trevor, Duke specifically marked him.
"Steve Trevor, leave immediately, this place is about to explode!"
"Someone like me, who silently watches over you from behind, can give you..." Steve Trevor was still insincerely hitting on Doctor Poison when, at that moment, he suddenly heard Duke's voice.
"Steve Trevor, get out of here quickly, there's a problem here, it's about to explode. If you don't want to be blown into ash, get the hell out of here!" Duke continued to roar.
To be honest, he didn't really want to save Steve Trevor. Although in the very end, Steve Trevor did unflinchingly fly the plane loaded with poison gas bombs into the sky, and his heroism was admirable. But so what? To put it bluntly, did it have anything to do with him? Anyway, the land where the poison gas would be dropped was foreign land, not in China.
However, no matter how much he didn't want to see this person, he still had to save him.
Steve Trevor was startled. His first reaction was: Damn it, does this bastard Duke want to get him killed?
Then... huh? Why didn't the people around him react at all?
They were still hitting on girls and dancing.
"Did... did you hear that?"
"Hear what?" Doctor Poison was stunned for a moment.
"Steve Trevor, you bastard, hurry up and leave, quickly, this place is going to explode!"
This was indeed Duke's voice, and then he saw a mass of black mist huddled in the corner. His brows jumped immediately: "Sorry! It seems someone is calling me, I'll be right back."
Saying that, he ignored Doctor Poison's puzzled look and turned to leave.
After meeting up with the squad, Steve Trevor asked dissatisfiedly: "What are you doing? I was about to..."
"Ah, yes, you were about to hit on that Doctor Poison. Tsk tsk tsk, an ugly freak, an ugly woman with a mask on her face, and you could actually go hit on her. Tsk tsk, Steve Trevor, I admire you. You even dare to hit on a woman like that!" Duke laughed heartily, then mimicked Steve Trevor's tone, "Oh...'Someone like me, who silently watches over you from behind'... Ugh — —"
Logan and Victor laughed playfully.
Doutzen Kroes was full of mockery.
Samir: "Hey, buddy, you really went to hit on an ugly freak?"
Steve Trevor felt a bit uncomfortable being stared at by everyone's strange gazes and eagerly defended himself: "That was just a plan, just a plan, I was trying to get..."
Before he could finish his sentence, the very top of the old castle suddenly exploded with a 'boom'!
Yellow, thick poison gas smoke instantly poured down like a waterfall, covering the entire old castle in the blink of an eye.
It really, really... it really fucking exploded!
"This is... poison gas?!" Steve Trevor was startled.
No need to think about it, the people inside definitely wouldn't be able to escape. The moment you inhale this poison gas, your respiratory system will be destroyed. It will take away your breath, and you will gasp desperately. However, that's useless; the more you gasp, the more poison gas you will inhale. Immediately after, a burning sensation will strike, not just internally, but externally as well.
In less than five minutes, you will fall to the ground, convulsing... and eventually die.
Steve Trevor was terrified. If he had really stayed inside, he reckoned there would be one more corpse on the ground by now.
"Oh, shit!" Victor realized something was wrong. The wind was blowing this way, and mustard gas was about to be blown over.
"Run!" Logan shouted.
Duke hadn't expected the plot to develop like this either? He quickly sprouted wings, grabbed Steve Trevor with one hand and Samir with the other, and shot into the sky.
"You guys hurry up. Logan, Victor, you don't need to run, just stroll slowly."
As for Doutzen Kroes, she was an agility-type warrior, and her speed was exceptionally fast. Although Doutzen Kroeswas unhappy that Duke saved the two men and didn't help her, a beauty, she still ran quickly, jumped on a horse, and sped off into the distance.
The two of them simultaneously raised their middle fingers: "Fuck!"
But then again, their 'healing ability' could prevent poisons, anesthetics, etc., from having an effect on their bodies for more than a few seconds. So, even though mustard gas was very deadly, to the two of them, it was just a toy; they could inhale all they wanted.
The Chief and Charlie couldn't do that; they quickly ran after the horses.
The poison gas leaked, and the horses also instinctively sensed the danger and ran away!
They weren't Doutzen Kroes; in the end, they didn't catch up to the horses, running until they were wheezing, but fortunately, the poison gas didn't reach them. When it was still thirty meters away, the wind direction changed, and then it gradually dissipated.
The two humans watched Logan and Victor slowly strolling out of the shit-yellow poison mist, and immediately opened their mouths wide, dumbfounded.
Holy crap!
Just then, Diana descended from the sky: "I've found the base's location."