Arthas watched Diana’s figure disappear at the end of the corridor, and the door leading to Hippolyta’s bedchamber slowly closed.
The surroundings instantly fell silent, leaving only the soft chirping of unknown insects in the garden.
The warm atmosphere from earlier dissipated considerably with Diana’s departure, leaving only the rustling of leaves as the sea breeze blew through them.
Arthas had originally wanted to imitate an adult, strolling through the garden with his hands behind his back, enjoying the rare exotic night scenery.
But after only two steps, he found it incredibly boring.
Although the flowers here were beautiful, he didn’t know their names, and after looking at them for a while, they were all the same.
As for the statues, though full of artistic flair, how could they compare to a living, beautiful older sister?
“Sigh…” He sighed, found a large stone that looked relatively clean and flat, and plopped down on it.
“Sister will definitely be in there for a while, right?” “It’s late at night, I can’t just wait here idly.” “How about…
reviewing my lessons?” Although only seven years old, Arthas was a studious child, and it definitely wasn’t because he was too bored.
He crossed his short legs and assumed a proper meditation posture.
Closing his eyes, he began to replay in his mind the lessons Queen Hippolyta had taught him that afternoon.
“Tranquility…
Guide energy…
Perceive the flow…” Those originally obscure and difficult-to-understand concepts quickly became clear in his genius little mind, like building blocks.
Queen Sister said that Divine Power was not merely a passive defense or a simple power amplification.
It was living energy, like water, like fire, and like wind.
Since it could be used to strengthen the body, granting greater strength, faster speed, and even invulnerability.
Then, by this logic.
Could it also leave the body and directly become a means of attack?
Like…
the fireballs conjured by those mages in Asgard?
Once this thought emerged, it grew wildly in Arthas’s heart like weeds.
After all, which boy hasn’t fantasized about shooting beams of light from his hands?
That was a hundred times cooler than just hacking and slashing with a sword!
“I’m just sitting around anyway, might as well try.” “If it really works, I’ll have a long-range attack method too.” “It’ll save me the trouble of always having to rush into close combat, which is so tiring.” Arthas acted immediately.
He took a deep breath and began to try and mobilize the golden Divine Power within his body.
This time, he didn’t let the Divine Power flow through his limbs to strengthen his muscles.
Instead, he tried to guide them with his mind, making them converge towards his arms.
At first, the Divine Power was a bit resistant.
They were accustomed to flowing evenly throughout the body; suddenly being forced to change direction was like a group of mischievous little fish being herded into a narrow net.
But in the face of Arthas’s powerful spiritual energy and talent, this resistance quickly crumbled.
Golden specks of light obediently followed the meridians, continuously surging into his arms.
“Yes, just like that…” “Be good, go this way…” Arthas muttered to himself, as if coaxing a child.
As the Divine Power converged, he felt his two arms begin to heat up.
The feeling wasn’t uncomfortable; rather, it was warm and full of power.
It was as if his two arms had become two huge reservoirs filled with water.
“Seems like it’s not enough.” “This amount is, at most, a small flashlight, right?” Arthas was somewhat dissatisfied.
He was Odin’s son; if he was going to play, he was going to play big.
So, he increased the intensity of his guidance.
The Divine Seed within him seemed to sense its master’s ambition and began to operate frantically.
More, purer Divine Power was extracted, surging towards his arms like a rushing river.
The warm feeling gradually changed.
It became scorching, and somewhat distended and painful.
A dazzling golden light began to emanate from beneath his skin, unable to be concealed by his sleeves.
His deep red sleeves bulged, as if two fierce beasts about to break free from their cages were hidden within.
Arthas slowly stood up from the stone.
He felt his arms were heavy, as if weighing a thousand catties.
But he didn’t stop; instead, he grew more excited.
“This feeling…
it really seems possible!” “So, how do I launch it?” “Just push it out?
Too crude.” “Throw it out?
That’s throwing a bomb.” A flash of inspiration suddenly struck him, and he thought of a pose.
Although he didn’t know why he thought of it, that pose, in his opinion, was simply the standard answer for “firing a beam of light.” It was a coolness etched into some kind of subconscious.
Arthas took a deep breath and stabilized his lower body.
He first placed his left arm horizontally across his chest, palm open.
Then he raised his right arm vertically, his elbow resting steadily on the back of his left hand.
That pose was precisely the legendary— [Cross Ray Stance].
“This is it!” “The feeling is right!” The moment this pose was struck, the Divine Power gathered in his arms seemed to find an outlet for release.
They no longer darted around but rapidly surged towards the front of his raised right arm.
An extremely dangerous, extremely unstable aura began to condense in his arm.
“Uh…
wait…” Arthas suddenly felt something was wrong.
The feeling of “controlling everything” had vanished.
It was replaced by a terrifying sense of “imminent loss of control.” The heat in his arm was rapidly rising, turning from scalding to searing.
“Hey hey?
So hot, so hot!” “What’s going on?” “Did I turn up the output too much?” “Like turning a faucet to maximum, and the pipe is about to burst?” He exclaimed internally, a layer of cold sweat instantly breaking out on his forehead.
The Divine Power continued to gather, unstoppable.
Like a truck going downhill with failed brakes.
“No, no!
I have to pull it back!” “My hand will be useless if this continues!” Arthas tried to cut off the supply of Divine Power, wanting to disperse that energy back into his body.
But how could that highly compressed Divine Power be so easily managed?
They were like a group of ignited gunpowder kegs, squeezed together, under immense pressure.
At the slightest gap, they would explode.
It was impossible for them to flow back as docilely as before.
“It’s over!
I can’t pull it back!” “It’s getting hotter and hotter!” “If this explodes in my hand, won’t I become a one-armed hero?” “No, a no-armed hero!” At the critical moment.
Arthas made an incredibly wise decision.
Since he couldn’t pull it back, then— Shoot it out!
He was going to test the move anyway, so let it go where it was supposed to go!
But he hadn’t completely lost his mind.
He glanced at the beautiful garden in front of him and the palace buildings faintly visible in the distance.
“If this hits the ground…” “Sister Hippolyta would probably kill me to apologize, right?” “No, no, can’t damage public property.” So, at the last moment, he abruptly raised both arms.
He aimed the destructive “L”-shaped hand gesture at the vast, boundless night sky above his head.
“For this Imperial Prince—” “Go!!!” With a roar in his heart.
The Divine Power, already at its critical point, finally found a breakthrough.
“Boom!!!” There was no “pew” sound of a laser firing as imagined.
Instead, there was a deafening roar, like thunder exploding.
An extremely thick, incredibly dazzling golden beam of light erupted from the front of his right arm.
The brilliance of it instantly illuminated the entire Imperial Garden as if it were daytime.
Even the moon in the sky seemed to dim in that moment.
That beam of light was not just light.
It was more like liquid gold, carrying unparalleled high temperature and impact force.
It tore through the air, emitting a sharp whistling sound.
Wherever it passed, space seemed to distort, rippling with transparent waves.
It shot straight into the sky at an incredible speed.
Like a golden spear aiming to pierce the firmament.
The thin layer of clouds that had enveloped Paradise Island was instantly vaporized clean by this beam of light.
Even the higher atmosphere seemed to have a hole punched through it.
That might was simply like divine punishment descending.
Arthas felt his body slide back several meters, pushed by a huge recoil.
Two deep furrows were plowed into the grass beneath his feet.
But he gritted his teeth, refusing to release the pose.
The Divine Power within him poured out like a flood through an open sluice gate.
That feeling of utter exhilaration made him want to scream.
“Wow!” “That was too fierce!” “It actually fired!” “And the power is this immense?!” He squinted, watching the pillar of light shoot straight into the sky, his heart filled with shock and ecstasy.
This was way cooler than just conjuring fireballs!
Fortunately, he had raised the direction slightly in that instant.
Although the pillar of light was fired toward the sky.
Its residual power still affected a small hill in the distance.
It was merely grazed by the energy spilling out from the edge of the light pillar.
The rocks on that hilltop instantly glowed red hot, then melted like wax, flowing down as magma.
If this shot had truly hit the ground or some palace.
Even Paradise Island, which was said to be protected by the gods, would probably have been blasted with a huge crater.
Arthas secretly stuck out his tongue internally.
“That was close, that was close…” “I almost became the Director of the Demolition Office.” It lasted for about five or six seconds.
The earth-shattering pillar of light finally began to weaken.
It wasn’t Arthas who stopped it voluntarily.
But because…
he ran out of mana.
Although this move was terrifyingly powerful, the consumption was proportional.
Just this one shot completely drained the small amount of Divine Power accumulated in his body.
Even his physical strength was significantly overdrawn.
As the last trace of golden light dissipated into the night sky.
Darkness once again enveloped the surroundings.
But that darkness was only temporary, as the afterimage of the intense light still lingered in everyone’s eyes.
“Hoo…
hoo…” Arthas maintained that posture for another two seconds.
Then his arms dropped down limply.
The feeling of “I am a god” instantly vanished.
It was replaced by a dizzying sensation of the world spinning.
It felt like riding a roller coaster ten times in a row, then being hit over the head with a club afterward.
His legs felt heavy as lead and trembled uncontrollably.
“Oh dear…” “My head is so dizzy…” “Looks like I overdid it a bit…” He staggered, trying to turn around and find a place to sit.
But his legs gave out, and he uncontrollably started falling backward.
Right at that moment.
A rush of footsteps came from behind him.
Accompanied by the crisp clanking of metal armor.
Diana, who had just fully armored up and was preparing to give Arthas a big surprise, had just stepped out of the secret chamber door.
Before the smile on her face could fully blossom, she was frozen by the shock of the golden light that had shot into the sky moments before.
Although she was in the secret chamber, she could feel the powerful Divine Power fluctuation and the light illuminating the night sky, even through the walls.
“That was…” “Divine Power outburst?” “Enemy attack?!” Her first reaction was that a powerful enemy had invaded.
But soon she distinguished the aura of the Divine Power.
That was…
Arthas?
“What’s going on?” “He caused that just now?” “Didn’t I just teach him the Basic Control Method?” “How much time has passed?” “This can be called basic?
This could probably shatter a mountain!” The shock in Diana’s heart was simply beyond words.
This wasn’t just learning; this was practically inventing an ultimate move!
But before she could recover from her shock.
She saw the small figure swaying precariously like a falling leaf after the light disappeared.
That intense feeling of weakness was clearly visible even from a distance.
“Arthas!” All her surprise instantly turned into worry.
She no longer cared about the surprise; she pushed off forcefully with her feet.
Her entire body transformed into a red and blue blur as she rushed over.
Just one second before Arthas was about to make intimate contact with the ground.
A pair of arms wearing silver bracelets caught him steadily.
Immediately after, he was embraced by a warm yet firm hold.
It was the firmness of metal armor and the softness of a woman’s body.
“Little Arthas!” “What happened to you?” “Don’t scare me!” Diana’s anxious voice rang in his ear.
She looked at Arthas, pale-faced and covered in cold sweat in her arms, and her heart clenched.
How could this child cause such a huge commotion the moment she looked away?
And put himself in this state?
Did he suffer cultivation deviation?
Or Divine Power backlash?
Arthas struggled to open his heavy eyelids.
Although his vision was blurry, he still clearly saw the person holding him.
In that instant.
His pupils slightly dilated, and his previously sluggish brain felt as if an awakening agent had been injected into it.
Was that…
Sister Diana?
No.
That wasn’t just Diana.
That was Wonder Woman, wearing full battle armor, a Star Diadem, and bearing the Godkiller Sword.
Moonlight fell upon her, plating the red breastplate with a holy silver edge.
Her anxious expression did not detract from her beauty; instead, it added a heartbreaking tenderness to her heroic aura.
In Arthas’s eyes.
Diana, at this moment, was more beautiful than anything he had ever seen.
More dazzling than the Golden Palace of Asgard.
More brilliant than the light of Bifrost Bridge.
That kind of beauty struck straight to the soul.
It made him forget his physical exhaustion, forget his dizziness.
In his eyes and heart, there was only this one figure left.
“M-Mom…
Mama…” Arthas subconsciously murmured the words.
This time, it wasn’t due to a misunderstanding, nor was it to be mischievous.
Rather, the dependence and astonishment originating from the depths of his soul made him instinctively utter the most intimate title in the world.
In his heart, perhaps only the word “Mama” could match the ultimate tenderness and beauty before him.
“You…” “You are so beautiful…” His voice was very soft and weak.
But every word clearly reached Diana’s ears.
Diana was stunned.
She was originally anxiously checking if Arthas was injured.
Hearing this sudden, silly compliment.
And looking at Arthas’s eyes, which were about to close but were still fixed intently on her.
The infatuation and attachment within them were pure, without a trace of impurity.
Her heart suddenly trembled.
A mixture of bitterness and sweetness she had never felt before welled up in her heart.
The words she had intended to use to scold him for being reckless were all swallowed back.
Only deep affection remained in her eyes.
“You silly boy…” Diana said softly, her eyes feeling warm.
“At a time like this, are you still worrying about whether I’m beautiful?” “Don’t you know how dangerous what you just did was?” But the corners of her mouth lifted uncontrollably.
It was the joy of being wholeheartedly praised by the one she cherished.
She tightened her arms, letting Arthas rest his head on her firm yet warm breastplate.
The cool metallic sensation seemed to help him regain a little consciousness.
However, Arthas could no longer hear her scolding.
After uttering those words.
His last bit of willpower finally ran out.
With a satisfied smile on his lips, as if he had just had a beautiful dream.
He was in Diana’s arms, under the starry sky that he himself had illuminated.
He spectacularly passed out.
Although his breathing was faint, it was stable.
Clearly, he was just exhausted and not seriously harmed.
Diana looked at the sleeping little guy in her arms.
She sighed helplessly, yet her eyes were full of amusement.
She gently raised her hand and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.
“What a troublesome little monster.” “To cause such a commotion at only seven years old.” “When you grow up, I fear you might turn the Nine Realms upside down.” She muttered to herself, her tone carrying a hint of pride she hadn’t even noticed.
“However…” “No matter how strong you become in the future, no matter where you go.” “As long as I am here.” “I will surely catch you.” “Just like this moment.” She slowly stood up, holding Arthas securely in her arms.
She looked up at the night sky, which had returned to peace.
Then she glanced at the hilltop in the distance, which was still smoking and had a chunk missing.
She couldn’t help but shake her head.
“It looks like Mother will be nagging me again tomorrow.” Thinking of this, she couldn’t help but laugh out loud.
The laughter sounded exceptionally clear and pleasant in the night.
Holding her “little trouble,” she turned and walked toward the direction of the sleeping quarters.
The red and blue figure, stretched by the moonlight, looked remarkably harmonious.
It was as if all the world’s chaos and danger were, at this moment, blocked outside those Guardian Silver Bracelet.