Chapter 202: Surprised

Antiope wore a dark green cloak. Her figure was tall and strong on the left side, with muscular arms and wheat-colored skin. Her body was lean and athletic, and her blonde hair waved to her shoulders. Between her brows, she carried the presence of a proud and resolute warrior, along with the air of royalty.

"Humans, what a creative race."

Antiope sighed in admiration at the Emperor Building's staggering height and majestic presence. The light refracting across the entire sky and the dazzling, fantastical colors were an eye-opening sight.

Who would have thought that humans, once believed to still be in the Middle Ages, had developed such a vastly different and intricate system? Scientific research had shaped everything that humanity was today.

In contrast, Paradise Island still appeared stuck in the Middle Ages. For thousands of years, there had been little progress, no development of new magical systems, or much of anything else.

At that moment, she saw Bardi walking through the doorway. His figure was sturdy, clad in a white trench coat that gave off a gentle yet refined aura. His facial features were sharp and well-defined. In the soft light, his deep eyes carried a magnetic charm.

Bardi's appearance easily left a favorable impression.

Even an Amazon warrior couldn't help but admire Bardi's looks, as well as the aura widely praised by the outside world, a great philanthropist, a scientist, and a leader of human progress over the decades.

The two shook hands and greeted each other politely.

During the handshake, Bardi's expression was warm and smiling. Yet he could feel that this Amazon warrior possessed combat power equivalent to a high-level Kryptonian genetic warrior.

A formidable Amazon warrior.

Besides Lex, two other reporters were present, a slightly overweight man with a bit of a belly, and a young woman with bright, curious eyes—recording everything from behind.

The conversation between Bardi and Antiope was pleasant, subtle, and naturally paced. Through some of Antiope's humorous anecdotes, Bardi obtained a wealth of information about Paradise Island.

In his mind, he sketched out a rough image of a secluded island populated by strong female warriors, dense jungles, and Greek-style architecture.

"This Atomic Institute…"

"Nuclear Self-Fusion Simulation Institute…"

"Electromagnetic Effects Research…"

"Biology…"

Bardi smiled as he explained that these were all areas of human research. They might seem like minor fields, but the facilities held large, steel pipe-like machinery, advanced electronic testing instruments, and various devices accessible to the average person. Antiope was amazed.

With science alone, things that were once considered miracles—such as the Earth's rotation, gravity, the sun, and energy—had all been explained through logic and reason. This amazed her deeply.

In her eyes, humanity's efforts and advancements were becoming more impressive and awe-inspiring.

And yet, this was only the tip of human research.

Bardi had not shown her his own work.

Still, this alone was enough to astonish Antiope.

Before leaving Paradise Island, she had thought the changes in the world were limited to buildings and flying vehicles for transportation. Even the appearance of cell phones had surprised her.

Now, standing in the most famous building on Earth and touring the research labs on the lower floors, she realized just how out of touch Paradise Island was due to its centuries-long isolation.

When Bardi casually introduced the depth of human research, along with the derived weapons like atomic bombs, nuclear warheads, hydrogen bombs, and other arms capable of wiping out Paradise Island—Antiope was shocked.

What kind of path had humanity taken over these thousands of years?

Even if the gods had ignored humanity, did humans have to go this far, creating such devastating weapons?

This was power close to a miracle, yet humans had mastered it.

If, one day, such weapons were used by evil forces, even a few nuclear bombs would be enough to wipe out tens of millions of lives. These were instruments of destruction.

She couldn't help but feel a chill. At the same time, she was a little relieved that Paradise Island had chosen now to rejoin the world.

Otherwise, in a few more decades, if Paradise Island had not revealed itself, it would likely have been discovered and either destroyed or faced an even more dangerous struggle to survive.

By the end of this visit, through Antiope's subtle reactions, Bardi confirmed that nuclear and atomic bombs still had a strong deterrent effect on Paradise Island.

From the moment he shook her hand, he had sensed that her strength was no less than that of a high-level Kryptonian genetic warrior. If her power was divine or magical, and unaware of Kryptonian genetic traits, it could indeed suppress Kryptonians.

One-on-one, even Bardi's genetically enhanced warriors might not be able to defeat her.

But Bardi had three million Kryptonian genetic warriors.

Paradise Island was not made up entirely of fighters like Antiope.

Even the most powerful among them, Diana—Wonder Woman—who was slightly stronger than Antiope, was not a concern.

He wondered, could 100,000 Kryptonian genetic warriors kill one of the twelve Olympian gods?

How strong were the Greek gods, really?

To create such powerful Amazon warriors from clay.

From mud to flesh, forming bodies from the atomic level, generating genetic information, encoding that information into a stable living form. In an instant, the development and evolution that took millions of years—from apes to humans—appeared in their hands.

This was indeed a miracle, the so-called power of gods.

Bardi silently wondered, if he were to face such gods, what chances did he have?

His focus was always on stronger beings.

There was nothing on Earth that could threaten him anymore. Now, his eyes turned toward Paradise Island, toward the Greek gods—the closest deities to Earth.

"Thank you, Mr. Bardi. Humanity has truly opened my eyes."

Antiope expressed her thanks. The trip had been worthwhile. She now understood the true state of the world and the Amazons' place in it.

Humans—perhaps they no longer needed the Amazons' protection.

She felt a faint bitterness in her heart. Amazons had always seen themselves as humanity's guardians. Now, she realized that even if Paradise Island's magical barriers were lifted, they wouldn't withstand the bombardment of a dozen nuclear bombs. They would be reduced to scorched earth.

That realization shook her.

"My niece, Diana, will represent Paradise Island in the future and walk among humans. I will recommend that she visit the Emperor Building. I hope Mr. Bardi can meet with her and help her understand humanity better. So she won't spend all her time thinking of swords and battles."

Antiope sighed. Diana was the strongest warrior on Paradise Island. Even she wasn't Diana's match.

Let her come see for herself. Just how many nuclear bombs could she withstand?

Bardi agreed easily. He didn't take Diana seriously.

After all, Diana could be considered a demigod, with the blood of Zeus flowing through her. She would serve as a gauge of the Greek gods' power.

At this point, the visit to the Emperor Building, and the chance to witness the greatest pioneers of mankind, came to an end.

After Antiope left.

At that moment, Hera alerted Bardi to an abnormal fluctuation.

"Master, Barry Allen has just begun running at 100 kilometers per second, Mach 300, in Papua New Guinea. His speed is increasing... Mach 400... Mach 500... Mach 600... Mach 800..."

In an instant, Bardi felt the trembling of his cells, a distortion in his soul, and a pull in space-time, as if something was trying to drag him backward.

The entire world before his eyes twisted into a vortex, his vision blurred, and dizziness overwhelmed him.

(To be continued.)

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