American comics farmer: start by adopting the villain savior.

Chapter 236 Starting with a powerful move—Divine Punishment Has Arrived! [Bonus Chapter, and please vote with monthly tickets.]

Sunlight streamed through the dome, scorching the circular arena.

The central sandy area, soaked in troll blood, emitted distorted, hot steam.

Several Amazonian support soldiers, clad in light armor and expressionless, rushed into the area. They swiftly used specially made grappling hooks and nets to drag the massive, two halves of the carcass and the broken logs away from the site.

Only two thick, sticky streaks of blood remain on the yellow sand, proving that a roaring behemoth once existed here.

Wiping his forehead, unsure whether it was hot or cold sweat, the host forced an excited tone and shouted into the magical megaphone:
"It seems...it seems our challengers are already impatient!"

"Please be patient, everyone! Just a moment! The next... the next beast hasn't even been brought up yet! It's moving too fast! Let's give the 'kitchen' some time to prepare! Let's continue 'cooking'!"

The audience erupted in cheers.

Hey! Did you see that?!

A female warrior with scarlet battle markings on her face and a physique as robust as a bull grabbed her companion's neck and roared excitedly, "This is what real fighting is like! It's so much better than those lousy, drawn-out battles! Who cares if she's a spy or not, this strength! This decisiveness! I love it!"

She pounded on the stone railing, wishing she could jump down and fight.

“That’s right!” Her companion echoed, licking her lips. “Her Majesty the Queen will surely be satisfied! This is truly worthy of the name ‘Ring of Victory’!”

"Blood should flow like a waterfall to be truly satisfying!"

"I wonder if she can split her opponent in two in the next match?"

The shadow below.

Several young soldiers, dressed in uniform leather armor and clearly recent recruits, huddled together.

"...Too fast, I didn't even see it...that's a troll!" One of the girls, with short brown hair, murmured, her face pale. "During the last drill, our small team struggled in the simulated combat...and she only used one..."

"Not only that. Did you just see that?"

A freckled girl next to her gripped her arm tightly, her voice tinged with lingering fear: "The way she looked at us... when she came out, she swept over our side... it was so cold... I felt a chill on my neck..."

"Wasn't it said that the people on Paradise Island over there are all weak and incompetent warriors?"

"Those little brats are scared again."

Several veterans, their demeanor calm and their armor stained with old scars, sat together. Their reactions were much calmer, but their eyes still held a scrutinizing gaze.

"The technique is very skillful."

A female warrior with half her hand missing crossed her arms and commented in a low voice, "It doesn't seem like she's a self-taught fighter. Her power, angle, and timing are terrifyingly precise."

"And that armor... looks familiar, but I can't remember where I've seen it before."

"An outdated model from the ancient times of the empire," an old soldier beside her, wiping a short spear with a cloth, replied without looking up, "but the 'aura' is new."

"Someone is giving her special treatment. The question is, who? Right under our noses?"

She raised her head, her sharp gaze sweeping across the high platform, her expression suggestive.

"But the focus now isn't on who helped her, but on her. That look in her eyes... it's like a cornered beast..." She paused, then uttered a few words, "...a vengeful spirit seeking revenge."

Upon hearing this, the veterans fell into a brief silence, and a heavy atmosphere, as if a storm was brewing, filled the air.

Be careful!

A female officer wearing a centurion's insignia turned slightly to her deputy and whispered with a hint of worry in her voice: "The situation may get out of control."

"Her Majesty the Queen would have preferred to see her struggle and beg for mercy, not... this crushing counterattack. This was not in the plan."

"But sir," the lieutenant said nervously, glancing towards the platform, "that weapon..."

"Silence!" the centurion interrupted her sternly, his gaze sweeping across the surroundings. "Do our job and keep a close watch. I have a feeling today... won't end peacefully."

On the high platform.

Under the canopy.

Queen Hippolyta's previously amused expression vanished without a trace.

She gripped the armrest of the throne tightly.
The hard metal creaks and groans under your fingers, as if it might shatter at any moment.

Her eyes were fixed on the greatsword in Diana's hand, which shone with an understated brilliance, and the clearly extraordinary dark red armor.

"That weapon...that armor..."

She gritted her teeth and growled, a sound only her closest guard captain could hear, "Where did that come from?! That's not the pile of scrap metal I ordered to be sent down!"

The head guard felt the terrifying pressure emanating from the Empress, his scalp tingling. He immediately knelt on one knee and, forcing a smile, replied, "Your Majesty, we...we followed your orders and only gave her the standard, damaged equipment...This subordinate...this subordinate didn't know..."

"do not know?!"

The empress whirled around, her eyes blazing with fury. "Overnight, junk has been transformed into divine weapons? Did she forge them herself by hand?!"

The head guard felt incredibly wronged but dared not defend himself. He could only bury his head even lower, his voice trembling, "Perhaps...it really is...when we escorted her out this morning, she...was already dressed in her armor, waiting there smartly..."

"We checked the cell and found no tools or signs of unauthorized entry..."

"waste!"

The word was squeezed out through clenched teeth, the Queen's chest heaving slightly with anger.

She turned her gaze back to the aloof red figure in the center of the field, her eyes becoming incredibly dangerous.

Someone had silently intervened right under her nose, strengthening this 'intruder'...

Is this a provocation directed at her?
Looking into Diana's eyes, which met her gaze without fear.
Anger mingled with a certain inexplicable apprehension.

"Second round, increase the difficulty!" she coldly commanded. "I want to see her lose at least one limb..."

The deafening noise was kept out by an invisible barrier.

Diana stood in the center of the room, her eyelids slightly lowered, her gaze lingering on the brand-new greatsword in her hand.

The warm, metallic touch of the sword was soothing to her fingertips; it felt as if the blade was connected to her very being, an extension of her arm and a manifestation of her will.

It was him…

The tall figure of the man who called himself the farmer involuntarily appeared in my mind.

A warm feeling mixed with intense gratitude welled up in Diana's heart.

If it weren't for the weapons and armor he had skillfully reshaped, she might have still been able to defeat the trolls earlier, but she would never have been able to so easily crush them. More importantly, this perfectly timed power planted an unprecedented seed of confidence in her heart.

Taking a deep breath, Diana suppressed her turbulent thoughts and began to calmly plan the battle.

Ten consecutive wins...

We must be efficient, and we must conserve our energy.

Ideally, every match should be as quick and decisive as the first, giving the opponent no chance to wear down their strength.

"Ladies and soldiers! I'm sorry to have kept you waiting! It seems that ordinary beasts can no longer satisfy the appetite of our 'spy' lady!"

The host's excited, trembling voice was amplified again by the magic, forcibly interrupting her thoughts:

"Then, next."

"Let us welcome the Sky Reaper from the Poison Mist Swamp."

Almost the instant the words fell!

Behind the giant gate came a commotion even more ferocious than the trolls before!
That was the ear-piercing scraping sound of heavy metal chains being violently struggled and slapped against the stone wall, mixed with a kind of vicious hiss!
The sound carried a magical disturbance that pierced the eardrums, something no land creature could produce!
"Clang!!!"

The gates are fully open!

A colossal creature roared out from behind the gate, suddenly gaining altitude!
It has a ferocious head resembling that of a monitor lizard, a slippery body covered with dark green scales, and a pair of leathery, fleshy wings with a wingspan of up to five meters.

The fan also generated a stench-filled wind pressure, stirring up clouds of dust on the field.

"This is the Sky Death God of the Poisonous Mist Swamp, a deadly nightmare with a wingspan exceeding five meters!"

"Venom Dragon!"

"Roar--!"

The dragon nimbly circled in the air, its cold, vertical pupils locking onto the girl beneath it.

It opened its enormous mouth, filled with fangs, not to roar, but with an unnatural thumping of its throat—

"puff--!"

A large plume of dark green acid, emitting pungent white smoke, was then sprayed out!

It sliced ​​through the air, heading straight for Diana!
Acid is coming right at me!

To tell the truth
The appearance of aerial units like the Wyvern in the second match far exceeded Diana's expectations, clearly indicating that someone had deliberately increased the difficulty.

Exhaling a breath of stale air, Diana's eyes sharpened, and she propelled herself backward with a sudden burst of strength! "Swoosh—!"

The acid splatter slammed into the spot where she had just been standing, instantly corroding a huge crater in the hard rock, emitting thick white smoke and a foul stench.

This thrilling scene naturally caused the already noisy audience to erupt into a frenzy, with various sounds exploding like a pot boiling over:

"Yes! That's it! Turn her into a puddle of mud!" A female warrior with a snake totem wrapped around her arm screamed excitedly, her face twisted with pleasure.

"Hide? Let's see how long you can hide! Aren't you just a sitting duck?!"

A soldier with a gruff voice laughed loudly, slapping his thigh forcefully.

"The market is open! The market is open!"

There were even dedicated gamblers weaving through the crowd, shouting, "I bet the dragon will finish the fight in ten breaths! Three to one! I bet that the spy can hurt the dragon, ten to one!"

"This is so unfair!" a recruit couldn't help but mutter to his comrade. "The second match is against the Flying Dragon; this is clearly designed to kill her!"

"Shut up!" the squad leader beside her immediately snapped, but a complex look flashed in his eyes. "The Queen's will is the rule..."

"However, the second ring is a flying dragon... that's really too much."

Dark green acid plumes poured down from the sky one after another, scorching hissing craters in the sand.

Diana's figure flashed rapidly across the field, leaving behind a series of dazzling crimson trails.
However, the dragon's attack range was still too large.
Even after just one side spit, a few drops of venom still splashed towards her shoulder and neck area, which she couldn't completely avoid!

Diana's pupils contracted slightly; it was too late to completely avoid the attack!

Fortunately, at this critical moment...
"Fuck!"

Just as those few drops of deadly venom were about to touch the armor, they were precisely intercepted by a sudden, bright blue arc of electricity!
The electric arc flashed and disappeared in an instant, vaporizing the venom and leaving only wisps of pungent blue smoke.

Diana was startled at first, but then a sense of indescribable relief welled up inside her.

It's Mr. Locke!
He not only repaired the equipment last night, but also left such a clever enchantment on it!

This silent protection made her feel as if that reliable man was standing behind her, supporting her in the face of all powerful enemies.

The last trace of hesitation in his eyes vanished, replaced by a steely resolve.

She must win!

Not only to live up to this gift, but also to rescue my mother who is trapped in prison!
"Roar--!"

Seeing that ranged attacks were ineffective, the dragon let out an angry roar.

It began to descend, attempting to physically capture the prey using its claws and tail stinger!

Its enormous wings flapped, stirring up a fierce wind!
Can.
This vulnerability was revealed after the dive.
Diana stared in astonishment at the dragon's insignificant body, which seemed to have been electrocuted. Her eyes narrowed slightly.

It was as if a stroke of good fortune had come to him.

If this giant sword...
Now it is connected to her by blood, an extension of her arm, and a manifestation of her will.
Then
Without the slightest hesitation, Diana suddenly exerted force from her core, her whole body muscles began to tense, and her hands gripping the sword hilt suddenly swung back, then she hurled the heavy greatsword in her hands like a javelin!
"Om-!"

The moment the greatsword left his hand, a strange change occurred!

An invisible pressure suddenly spread out from the giant sword! The light in the once bright arena suddenly dimmed, as if an invisible giant hand was pulling at the sky.

Thick, dark clouds gathered frantically from all directions at a speed visible to the naked eye, rolling and hanging low, with blue and white lightning flashing like dragons, and muffled thunder rumbling like the war drums of a giant god!
That greatsword that was thrown from his hand was no longer made of ordinary iron!
The eerie blue light flowing inside the sword burst forth instantly, as if some kind of seal had been broken!
The speed surged, tearing through the air!
It produced a deafening explosion of a thousand birds screaming simultaneously!
"boom!!!"

The giant sword stretched and deformed in mid-air.
Until countless raging lightning bolts burst forth from the sword, coiling and converging!
Transforming this massive physical sword into a spear of pure destructive lightning energy! With speed beyond visual perception, it pierced straight through the dragon's natural scales, which were naturally able to deflect and even be immune to most low- to mid-level magic!
Violent lightning raged and exploded within its body!

The dragon's roar abruptly ceased, leaving only a short and mournful cry.

Its massive body suddenly froze in mid-air, the bloodthirsty light in its eyes instantly extinguished, and it plummeted straight down from the sky, billowing black smoke.

"boom--!!!"

The heavy dragon corpse crashed into the sand, stirring up clouds of dust.

The entire arena fell silent once again, all the audience members were completely stunned by this blow that seemed like divine punishment.

"Zeus above..."

Many soldiers murmured and clutched their chests.

In the silence, Diana walked expressionlessly toward the still twitching corpse of the dragon.

The smell of burning flesh and blood filled the air.

She walked to the greatsword, which had returned to its original state after the power of the thunder dissipated, and slowly pulled it from the corpse.

There were no cheers, no demonstrations.

She simply closed her eyes, gently touched the blood-stained tip of her sword to the ground, and bowed her head to mourn for the powerful creature that had been forced to fight.

This is respect for life.
Immediately, she flicked her wrist, and a flash of sword light appeared.

He then precisely severed the dragon's head, ending its final suffering.

The movements were swift and decisive, filled with thorough resolve and a touch of compassion.

Then she turned around, her greatsword pointing diagonally at the ground once more. Her crimson armor seemed to gleam with lightning and fire in the sunlight. Her gaze returned to the platform, silently proclaiming:
Second match, won.

The deathly silence lasted only a moment before it was completely shattered by an even more frenzied roar!

"By Zeus!"

A warrior pointed to the lingering thunderclouds in the sky, his voice distorted with shock, "That's divine punishment! It's the power of a god! She's summoning thunder!"

"Is it the gods helping her?!"

More eyes flooded the red figure bathed in invisible glory in the center of the field.

His pupils reflected an unbelievable shock.

This extraordinary power instinctively reminded them of the long-silent Mount Olympus.

but
Not everyone thinks that way.

"fart!"

A fanatical supporter of the empire abruptly stood up, his face contorted with offended anger, and retorted sharply, "What gods! That's the power of false gods!"

“Mount Olympus has long abandoned us! She must be a spy sent by Olympus! Using the power of a false god to blaspheme our queen and defile our ring of victory!”

Before long, the accusation ignited the emotions of another group.

Doubt, anger, and rejection made the commotion in the stands even more chaotic and polarized.

And in that highest place.

Queen Hippolyta remained silent.

She looked at Diana, or more precisely, at the greatsword that had just unleashed a terrifying burst of lightning.

A look of surprise and uncertainty flickered in her eyes.
This power…

This pure yet domineering power of thunder, carrying an aura of disintegration and destruction…

She had only seen something similar in a distant memory...

In an inconspicuous corner of the audience.

The shadows effectively concealed a tall figure.

Locke slowly withdrew his hand, quietly concealing the arc of electricity that no one could detect.

The dragon's seemingly accidental loss of balance during flight, which actually created an excellent opportunity for Diana to attack, was partly due to him.

only…

He looked up at the strange dark clouds in the sky that were slowly dissipating due to the release of energy, and a look of bewilderment appeared on his face.

This was the 'ultimate move' he'd tucked into that giant sword!
The original intention was to use it as a last resort, or at least as a trump card to turn the tide of battle at a crucial moment.

According to his vision, even those who initially come into contact with him and receive his power should, like Bruce, undergo a gradual process of adaptation and development, slowly drawing out the power within them.

Who would have thought…

This girl actually used her trump card, a one-time ultimate move, right in the second match against a flying dragon?!
And they did it so thoroughly and so boldly!

Locke rubbed his temples and sighed helplessly.

perhaps…

All I can say is that Diana and that Bruce kid were fundamentally different.
Is it because of her demigod bloodline?
Perhaps she was born with an extraordinary affinity for this extremely masculine and powerful thunderous force.
It was like parched land receiving timely rain.

It instinctively absorbs and unleashes its power.

(End of this chapter)