Chapter 85: A Feat Surpassing the Twelve Labors
Diana's eyes flashed with surprise as she looked at her mother.
When had her Amazon tribe ever been conquered? Why had she never heard of it?
Hippolyta's expression was akin to the anger of someone whose secret had been exposed.
"That happened thousands of years ago. It's a disgrace to the Amazon tribe. How could you possibly know about it?"
She stared intently at David, feeling as though this man was shrouded in mystery. Not only did he possess strength close to that of a god, but he also knew many lost secrets.
"That is a tale from the past.
Heracles, once a renowned hero in Greece, the son of a god, was mocked. They said that despite his strength being able to shake mountains, he could never conquer the women on Themyscira."
From his throne, David slowly recounted the humiliating history that the Amazon warriors desperately wished to hide.
"He led his warriors here, intending to conquer this island. But the brave and fearless Amazon queen possessed a magic belt bestowed by Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love.
Instead, he was defeated by the Amazon queen…"
"Enough! That was all the provocation of Ares, the God of War."
David had mentioned her defeating the world-renowned hero, yet shame and anger flickered across Hippolyta's face. She wanted to stop David from continuing.
But David paid no mind. Not only Diana, but many of the later-born members of the Amazon tribe wore expressions of bewilderment, clearly unaware of this ancient past.
He wanted these people to know that the Amazon tribe's insistence on never being conquered was nothing but a joke.
"Unfortunately, after defeating Heracles, the Amazon queen… was later deceived by Heracles, who stole her belt, stripping her of her power. This reduced the entire Amazon tribe to prisoners of the great demigod."
David paused, his tone seemingly regretful, with a subtle emphasis on the word "deceived." Hippolyta, standing below, had a shifting expression.
In fact, by saying the Amazon tribe had been conquered, he had already been generous. The reality was that they had been enslaved, reduced to mere chattel.
"Your Amazon tribe was conquered long ago, so don't act as if you'd rather die than yield."
"If the goddess's belt were still in my possession."
Hippolyta gritted her teeth and spoke in a low growl, clenching her fists and glaring at David. "Outsider, there is no way you will be sitting on my throne unharmed today!"
With the magic belt gifted by a major god, she possessed power rivaling that of deities. Even the famous great demigod had suffered a crushing defeat at her hands before he achieved godhood.
Just a mere outsider!
"Losers always have excuses."
David shook his head slightly.
"Setting aside whether the belt could give you the strength to defeat me.
Your belt seems to be gone."
He chuckled softly.
"Let me guess, it's because you were 'captured' by a man, and it was reclaimed by the Goddess of Love?"
In truth, for a man to obtain a woman's belt, even if nothing happened, it was far more than a simple deception.
Aphrodite, disappointed in Hippolyta because of this incident, had intended to remain indifferent to Themyscira. However, seeing the suffering and pain of her people, Hippolyta repented and prayed to the Goddess of Love for help.
Aphrodite's heart eventually softened, and she aided Hippolyta in driving away Heracles, the son of Zeus. Afterward, the Amazon women habitually wore bracelets, which became a tradition.
"Those in the know among the Amazons understood that it was a constant reminder of their days as slaves, to forever be wary of outsiders and men."
"You wish for the Amazons to once again bow down to others. That is absolutely impossible."
For Hippolyta, this past was an utterly humiliating one. She didn't understand why David seemed to know the intimate details of it, yet hadn't revealed them publicly.
It was a golden opportunity to undermine her authority as queen and the dignity of her people.
Yet, facing an outsider who sought to enslave Themyscira once more after such a long time, she felt no gratitude.
"Precisely because of the painful lessons of history, we know the taste of losing freedom. It is worse than losing our lives!"
Facing a group of Amazons whose confidence had been shaken after learning their tribe had once been enslaved, Hippolyta shouted with passion, her voice echoing through the ancient hall of the Amazon tribe.
"The gods watch over us. We do not fear returning to the embrace of the gods."
Mentioning the gods, the Amazon warriors, many of whom bore wounds, regained their confidence. Their eyes erupted with a tenacious, unyielding light as they shouted.
"Outsider, you can kill us all, but you can never strip us of our dignity!"
They were a race created by the gods from the souls of women who had died by men's hands, mixed with earth and divine power. If they died, perhaps they would return to the embrace of the gods, so what was there to fear?
Clap, clap, clap!
"I admire your resolve to die rather than surrender."
David applauded, aware that these Amazons weren't just talking.
In the comics, this island, which resembled paradise, had fallen many times, even being massacred completely, yet it had never submitted to any unrelated outsiders.
"Since that is the case, it seems I can only obtain an uninhabited paradise island as my private collection!"
He slowly stood up, holding his long sword. His face was cold, with a hint of regret. He wiped the blade with his finger, as if preparing for a massacre.
This simple action made the Amazons recoil in fear, facing him as if confronting a great enemy. Their hearts pounded wildly.
"Outsider, you are not permitted to harm my people."
Wonder Woman struggled to stand and stop David, but the Lasso of Truth had bound her like a caterpillar. Furthermore, the Lasso of Truth was like Kryptonite to her, almost her weakness.
"Otherwise, I will make you pay for your blood debt."
Once bound by the Lasso of Truth, her divine power was greatly reduced. She had just managed to struggle to her feet, hopping a little.
"You don't look very intimidating in that state."
David flicked his longsword, and Diana, who had finally managed to stand, lost her balance. Like a clumsy oaf, she fell back onto the throne.
"Perhaps I'll keep you in the end, Amazon princess, as my trophy to prove I destroyed the legendary Amazon tribe!"
With that, he turned his gaze back to the Amazons.
"Wait a moment!"
The Amazon Queen's expression tightened. As if facing some terrifying monster from mythology, she quickly cried out.
"Any last words?"
David leaned on his sword, his posture relaxed, as if killing all the Amazons was no difficult task for him.
The female warriors behind her had hearts pounding like war drums, extremely tense, their gazes all fixed on their queen.
"Outsider, Zeus's son Heracles completed the Twelve Labors and became a world-renowned great hero, attracting countless warriors to follow him, willing to lay down their lives for him."
Hippolyta stared intently at David, a bead of sweat appearing on her palm. The pressure was immense; she and her people had already experienced this man's terrifying strength.
"If you can achieve a feat greater than that of Heracles, our Amazon tribe will submit to you."
This was no longer the age of gods. The ancient deities were no longer on this planet. She wasn't sure if her soul and those of her people would return to the embrace of the gods after death.
Moreover, they had lived on Themyscira since birth, living freely. They were not familiar with the [Realm of the Gods] where the gods resided.
"Going there might not be as free as it is now; perhaps they would become servants."
"What is this feat you speak of, surpassing the Twelve Labors?"
David sneered, looking at everyone in the hall who feared him like tigers.
His original intention was not to destroy the Amazon tribe. It would bring him no benefit. Making an enemy and leaving was also not ideal. Given their fierce nature, they might come off the island for revenge.
He didn't want to kill them, as it would only lead to endless entanglement and trouble.
"The best choice is to conquer the Amazon tribe, but have them unwilling, harboring resentment, yet helpless and fearful, forever under my rule."
A strange glint flashed in his eyes.
Hippolyta felt as if she had been slapped hard across the face by David's sneer. She had just refused to yield, and now she was saying it was not impossible to submit, going back and forth.
But for the sake of her daughter and her people, she, as queen, had no choice but to do so.
"The Twelve Labors? An achievement surpassing Heracles?"
Diana exclaimed in surprise, her brow furrowed.
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