To Diana, it was as if she were trying to pull a mountain fused with the whole Earth!
Lucci stood there unmoved, not even a tremor!
Not only that, the force that should have suppressed and weakened her opponent was dissipating like a drop into the sea—doing absolutely nothing!
"How... How is this possible?"
Diana was completely shocked! Her face was full of disbelief!
The Lasso of Truth was one of the most powerful relics in the Olympian pantheon, never before seen to fail in thousands of years. Yet Lucci treated it as nothing!
"Why... why is the Lasso of Truth useless against you?" she asked in a confused tone.
Lucci looked at her surprised face and said lightly, "It's a bit interesting, but not a big deal.
To me, it's useless."
"Impossible!" Diana couldn't accept it!
She poured all her divine power into the lasso, unleashing its core ability—Judgment—at Lucci!
"Answer! Why do you want the Mother Box?"
"Do you have some ulterior motive?"
In her mind, under the power of the Lasso of Truth, no lie could be hidden! Anyone bound by it could only speak their truest thoughts!
But Lucci shook his head lightly.
He gazed at Diana, a trace of pity in his eyes.
"I told you, it's useless."
Before his words even fell, a law of the soul as vast as the universe erupted instantly from Lucci's eyes!
This force, countless times more powerful than the Lasso of Truth, pure and infinite, instantly dominated Diana's spirit!
Lucci's voice, like a divine edict, echoed in Diana's mind.
"Alright... let's start with this.
What do you most want to do right now?"
Diana's body trembled suddenly!
Her eyes instantly grew vacant and unfocused, as if she had lost her soul.
Under the astonished gaze of the Amazon warriors in the stands, she spoke in a dreamlike tone, without any emotional fluctuation, revealing her deepest, truest thoughts.
"Right now... what I want most is to punch you in the face... hard...
Then, somehow sneak off Themyscira... go to the human world... and have some fun..."
The words had barely left her mouth before the audience fell dead silent.
Queen Hippolyta's blood pressure soared as she heard her daughter's honest confession!
She felt dizzy for a moment, unable to bear it, and covered her forehead with her hand in a "don't look" gesture.
This silly daughter!
The other Amazon warriors exchanged looks, their expressions turning very odd.
"What's going on?"
"Did you hear that? The princess really wants to sneak out and play?"
"What did she say... what's in the princess's heart?"
The next second!
Diana's body jolted as she snapped out of the strange state!
Realizing she had just blurted out her thoughts in front of everyone,
her mind went blank with a loud "boom"!
Unprecedented emotions—shame and shock—rushed to her face!
"You... what did you do to me?"
She pointed at Lucci, her voice trembling with embarrassment and anger!
Lucci released the sword, letting the God Killer Sword fall to the ground with a clang. He spoke plainly:
"Nothing much."
"I just used the power of the law of the mind to make you say what's in your heart."
Law of the mind?
Diana, Queen Hippolyta, and all the Amazon warriors were deeply shocked at those words!
He had truly suppressed the power of the Lasso of Truth!
He could even make a demigod tell the truth!
Could it be... he truly controlled that legendary and supreme force beyond the gods—a law?
"You—!"
Diana was furious!
To have her inner thoughts exposed in public before the whole tribe—
for the proud Diana, this was even more unbearable than defeat!
She gritted her teeth, abandoning the lasso and sword, and smashed her bracers together!
BOOM—
An unparalleled shockwave of golden divine power exploded instantly from her "Bracelets of Submission"!
This power originated from King Zeus himself—enough to burn mountaintops to the ground!
It was her ultimate move: the Holy Power Shock!
"Diana! Stop!"
Queen Hippolyta was alarmed. She never expected her daughter to lose control and use such a move!
But it was too late!
That torrent of golden, destructive energy swallowed Lucci whole in an instant!
The whole arena quaked violently!
The Amazons in the stands were overwhelmed by the aftermath of the energy, fear showing on their faces!
But when the dazzling golden light faded,
what appeared before everyone was a scene they'd never forget.
Lucci still stood where he was.
He hadn't moved an inch, his posture unchanged, wearing the same calm expression.
The destructive divine power was like a passing breeze to him.
Not only that, but the remnants of golden divine power were slowly absorbed and devoured by his body as if he were a whale drinking water!
Silent. Dead silent.
Everyone was so shocked by the scene that they forgot to breathe.
This Prince Lucci—
not only did he resist all of Diana's might,
he didn't even move?
And he was absorbing her power?
Was this... still a "human"?
"Enough."
Queen Hippolyta finally recovered from her shock. She stopped the fight with a tired and exasperated tone, all tension dissipated.
She stepped down from the stands, walking toward Lucci. All that remained on her face was boundless shock and... awe.
"As expected... Prince Lucci."
"Your strength is far beyond anything our Themyscira can comprehend."
"The Mother Box—I entrust it to you."
"It will be much safer with you than it is here."
Diana stared blankly at her hand, then at the unharmed man before her.
At that moment, her pride and confidence were completely shattered.
Could there really be such a powerful being in this world?
Lucci gestured and returned the Lasso of Truth and God Killer Sword to Diana with telekinesis.
He was about to speak when suddenly his brows shot up!
Because at that moment, his "MagicNet," which covered the world, sent him an alert!
A violent spatial fluctuation, filled with rage and destruction, was converging fiercely at a certain place on Themyscira!
Moreover, the newly added "good and evil detection" function in the MagicNet instantly issued a top-level "pure malice"...!
"No... what a coincidence!"
A cold arc appeared at the corner of Lucci's mouth.
"What's wrong, Prince Lucci?"
Hippolyta noticed the change in him and asked suspiciously.
Lucci did not explain, instead pointing in the direction of the northeast, the highest mountain in the arena.
"The Mother Box—is it over there?"
Hippolyta was shocked, her eyes wide.
"You... how did you know?"
Lucci's gaze grew cold.
"Because a powerful spatial fluctuation is converging there as we speak."
"If I'm not mistaken...
I'm afraid the people of Apokolips are coming."
"What?"
"Is it really true?"
Hippolyta, Diana, and all the Amazon warriors present were shocked at his words!
The people of Apokolips had arrived so soon?
Lucci saw their incredulous expressions and said lightly,
"Let's go check it out. We'll know soon enough."
With that, his mind moved!
The cosmic power he controlled to the extreme instantly activated!
A gentle spatial ripple instantly enveloped the three!
In the next moment, Lucci, Hippolyta, and Diana vanished from where they stood.
…
In the highest mountains of Themyscira was an ancient cave—
the forbidden land of the Amazon tribe.
Here, the most elite guards were stationed year-round.
No one was allowed to enter without the queen's permission,
for the sacred relic—the Mother Box—was kept here, tied to the tribe's mission and glory.
Within the cave was another subterranean paradise, more like a natural underground temple than a cave.
A circular opening in the cave's ceiling let in a beam of sunlight, forming a pillar of light several dozen meters wide, bathing the entire temple in a sacred and solemn atmosphere.
Directly under the pillar of light stood a simple stone pedestal.
Atop the pedestal rested a silent cube—the Mother Box.
At this moment, twenty of the most elite Amazon guards, swords drawn, formed a circular defensive formation around the stone pedestal,
faces all filled with vigilance and solemnity.
Just moments ago, the mysterious box—silent for thousands of years—had suddenly trembled!
As if a giant beast long asleep was about to awaken!
This unprecedented change made the guards feel as if they were facing a deadly enemy!
They could clearly sense the box emanating an ominous energy, full of destruction and chaos!
"Stay alert!"
The captain shouted.
"No matter what happens, no one is to approach the Mother Box!"
"Yes!"
But before they could react further,
another change occurred!
The holy pillar of light twisting down from the sky suddenly contorted violently!
Amidst the light, a boom tube descended from above!
"What... what is that?"
The Amazons stared in shock at the strange passage!
The next second—
Whoosh—
With a metallic screech and piercing scream,
creatures with bat-like wings, charcoal-black skin, fanged mouths, and hideous appearances rushed out of the cosmic tunnel in droves!
Parademons!
From Apokolips' cannon fodder army!
Their goal was clear: the Amazon warriors standing before the Mother Box!
"Enemy attack!"
The captain roared!
"For the Amazons—!"
Battle erupted instantly!
The battle-hardened Amazons fought without fear!
They roared, swinging their swords and charging the hellish creatures facing them!
Blades flashed, blood splattered!
Individually, Amazon warriors were extremely skilled.
Their swordsmanship was deadly, each strike decapitating a demon!
But the enemies were endless, pouring constantly from the boom tube!
Even worse, at that moment,
a tall, burly, overwhelming figure strode out of the boom tube.
He wore hideous living armor of unknown metal, studded with spikes and thorns.
In his hands was a double-bladed battle axe larger than himself, radiating a sinister red glow.
Beneath his helmet, his eyes glowed crimson like molten lava, filled with boundless destruction and the desire to kill.
He was Steppenwolf!
Darkseid's greatest conqueror!
His arrival dropped the temperature in the cave by several degrees.
A suffocating, terrifying pressure instantly filled the air!
He ignored the fierce battle between the parademons and Amazons.
His eyes fixed only on the Mother Box atop the stone pedestal!
Striding forward, he reached for the box.
"Stop!"
The captain, noticing this, sliced down two parademons with her sword and charged desperately at Steppenwolf!
Three nearby Amazons abandoned their fights and charged from three directions!
Determination filled their eyes!
But in the face of absolute power, courage was too fragile.
Steppenwolf didn't even glance at them.
He just swung his massive axe sideways.
BOOM—
A visible wave of terror instantly swept forth!
The brave Amazons, before even touching Steppenwolf's clothing,
had their sharp swords shattered instantly!
Their armor crumpled like paper!
They were sent flying backward, crashing into the cave wall dozens of meters away,
bones snapping with sickening sounds!
Blood blossomed like red lotus flowers, instantly staining armor red.
One strike!
With a single blow, four elite Amazons were already dead or dying!
The remaining warriors, though skilled, were powerless.
Even the captain had been defeated in one blow.
How could they stand against the war god of Apokolips?
Steppenwolf strode easily to the stone pedestal.
He reached out, seizing the humming Mother Box.
Familiar power surged from the box,
and a satisfied smile appeared on his helmeted face.
"At last... I have it."
He whispered, raising the Mother Box high.
Buzz—
An even stronger spatial fluctuation erupted instantly!
A larger and more stable boom tube opened up behind him.
But just as Steppenwolf was about to step into the passage,
a completely different, gentle, and vast spatial ripple suddenly appeared in the cave!
Light flashed.
Lucci, Hippolyta, and Diana appeared instantly!