#380 - The Missing Queen

The first thought that popped into Yang Le's head upon seeing Wonder Woman in the security checkpoint was: 'Crap, I've been exposed.'

But Yang Le immediately reconsidered, feeling something wasn't right. Wonder Woman didn't seem to be here to interrogate him. Besides, if she was really here because of the N metal, she would have brought the priest along.

Confused about Wonder Woman's intentions, Yang Le decided he should talk to her face-to-face. Guessing wouldn't get him anywhere, and a candid conversation would be more effective. But before that, basic protection was necessary.

He pressed his little watch, transforming into an Asgardian form. This was one of the few alien heroes in Yang Le's arsenal who could stand against Wonder Woman and didn't look too aggressive. However, he hadn't given this form a name yet.

After hiding the N metal warhammer, Yang Le calmly opened the car door and saw a dispirited Diana. She no longer resembled the invincible Valkyrie of the battlefield. Although her heroic spirit remained, she seemed much more vulnerable.

Blessed by the goddess of beauty, her face seamlessly blended masculine heroism with gentle softness. Even the goddess of beauty herself couldn't surpass this.

And now, this goddess with unparalleled beauty wore a rare, vulnerable expression, which made Yang Le, already favorably inclined towards Wonder Woman, even more captivated in his Asgardian state.

"Can we talk?" Wonder Woman ignored the dazed Yang Le and walked to the side.

"Uh, sure," Yang Le replied, snapping out of his trance. He quickly caught up with Wonder Woman, even more puzzled about her motives.

Yang Le left Midway City after collecting the Starro variants. He didn't want to disrespect Hawkman by researching his stuff under his nose. So, Yang Le drove the little car about a few dozen kilometers away from Midway City, as a sign of respect, albeit a small one.

The bright moon hung high in the sky, providing clear visibility even without lighting. Moreover, Yang Le and Wonder Woman were not ordinary people; they could see clearly even in dimmer light.

They walked in silence. Yang Le, unsure of the situation, didn't take the initiative to speak, simply following and admiring Wonder Woman's long, shapely legs and slender waist.

"Slap!" Before he could become completely mesmerized, Yang Le slapped himself. He realized that, due to the nature of his Asgardian form, he was somewhat obsessed with powerful women, and Wonder Woman fit the bill perfectly, which explained his repeated lapses in composure.

"Is something wrong?" Wonder Woman asked, turning her head in confusion upon hearing the sudden sound. Naturally, Yang Le couldn't admit he was captivated by her beautiful legs, so he chuckled and said,

"Mosquitoes."

This excuse was even worse than saying 'one HP left' in an FPS game. After all, Yang Le's skin was impervious to missiles at this point. If any mosquito could pierce his skin, it would have to be an elite-level threat, like Steppenwolf.

Diana, blessed with the extraordinary wisdom of Athena, naturally didn't believe Yang Le's nonsense. She easily saw through his lie and knew the real reason.

But Diana didn't mind. She parted her red lips and said with a faint smile, "Come with me."

With that, she took the lead and jumped onto a red rock that had appeared unnoticed. Slightly embarrassed, Yang Le didn't dare to look up and obediently followed Wonder Woman, jumping onto the red rock as well.

The red rock wasn't low, probably over four meters high, but for two superhumans, it was just a small hop. By the time Yang Le jumped onto the red rock, Wonder Woman had already walked to the edge and was about to sit down.

Yang Le had just started to walk towards Wonder Woman when she spoke.

"My mother is dead," Wonder Woman said, looking ahead. She didn't hide the sadness in her eyes, which gradually moistened like a lake, but no tears fell.

Ignoring the saddened Wonder Woman, Yang Le was dumbfounded upon hearing this. What was going on? This wasn't a game, and he hadn't skipped any scenes. How could the Queen of the Amazons be dead?

"My condolences," Yang Le said after thinking it over.

"She was a good mother. When I was young, she not only rigorously trained me into a warrior but also nurtured me with love, allowing me to grow strong," Wonder Woman's black hair fluttered in the breeze. Bathed in moonlight, she resembled a painting from ancient Greece.

"Can I know what happened specifically?" Yang Le asked tentatively.

"Of course," Diana said calmly. If her eyes weren't slightly red, no one would be able to tell if she was sad.

"A few hours ago, I received an urgent message from Paradise Island, and I returned there. When I got back to the island, I found my mother's palace in ruins, completely devastated. Then, my sisters and I found a barely alive guard inside the palace. After saving her, we learned from her that my mother had been killed."

At this point, Wonder Woman's hands gradually clenched, as if she wanted to crush them, and she said fiercely,

"We asked her if she saw the attacker's face, but the guard said she didn't. She only knew that the attacker used some kind of magic and was very strong. Amazons have a high magic resistance, but even so, she was defeated and almost killed immediately."

"Wait a minute," Yang Le interrupted Wonder Woman's narration. "You mentioned that your mother's palace was almost destroyed. Didn't anyone else hear such a big commotion?"

"That's exactly what I was going to say next," Wonder Woman continued. "The guards outside the palace didn't notice the attack. It wasn't until the captain of the guard noticed that no sound had come from inside for too long and went in to check that they discovered the stark contrast between the inside and outside of the palace."

'The ability to instantly kill the Queen of the Amazons and her personal guard, and also possess such profound illusion magic,' Yang Le thought, crossing his arms and tapping his elbow with his finger.

'This isn't the power of some second-rate character.'

"What about your mother's body? Maybe we can find some clues on it," Yang Le asked directly, not caring whether he might offend Wonder Woman.

"There is no body," Wonder Woman said, suppressing her anger. "The body disappeared."