Gods and Mortals' First Clash

National Museum of Natural History, Washington, late at night. This was a hall of knowledge and history, where countless precious artifacts slept in silence, telling stories of times gone by. But in Bruce's eyes, it was merely a maze of reinforced concrete, glass, and infrared sensors. Like a drop of ink dissolving into the deep sea, he silently passed through layer after layer of security, creeping toward his long-locked target—the antique restoration room on the third floor.

Every movement Bruce made had been calculated and refined countless times. He avoided every surveillance camera, his footsteps making not the slightest sound on the polished marble floor. He was like a ghost walking along the edge of physical laws, with darkness as his finest disguise.

However, just as he was about to reach the restoration room, an exceptionally sharp, almost beastlike instinct made him stop abruptly.

There seemed to be an unusual disturbance in the air.

It was not infrared radiation, not a pressure sensor, nor any known technological creation. It was a powerful presence born from life itself, filled with divine majesty.

Bruce hid in the shadow beneath an enormous Tyrannosaurus Rex fossil skeleton, silently observing the tightly shut door of the restoration room through his mask's tactical lenses.

He knew he had been discovered.

Perhaps he had already entered the other party's range of perception from the very first second he stepped into the museum.

"A demigod... just as formidable as the rumors said." Bruce thought. This kind of perception that transcended the five senses was something no mortal could attain, no matter how hard they trained.

But he showed no sign of panic. Since she had not attacked immediately, there was still room to talk.

He slowly stepped out of the shadows, no longer deliberately concealing himself, and walked steadily toward the door one step at a time. His footsteps echoed through the vast, silent hall like the tolling of a judgment bell—clear and forceful.

Creak—

The restoration room door automatically swung inward just before he could touch the handle.

The room beyond was brightly lit.

A woman in a white work uniform stood with her back to him before a massive worktable, her long, glossy black hair casually pinned up. She was tall and athletic; even the loose uniform could not conceal the perfect curves of her body, like those of an ancient Greek goddess statue.

She seemed to be carefully cleaning an ancient bronze helmet with a small brush, as though completely unaware of the uninvited guest behind her.

But Bruce could feel that every muscle in her body was poised to strike. Her seemingly casual stance contained hundreds of deadly counterattack possibilities.

"The museum is closed, sir." Diana Prince did not turn around. Her voice was cool and pleasant, carrying a distinctive accent that seemed to come from a distant age. "If you're here to steal something, I'm afraid you've come to the wrong place."

"I'm not here to steal anything, Ms. Prince." Bruce stopped at the doorway and did not take another step forward. His voice, altered by a modulator, was low and hoarse. "I'm here to find someone. Someone... who shouldn't be here."

Diana's hand paused slightly as she cleaned the helmet.

She slowly set down her tool and turned around.

The moment Bruce saw her face clearly, even his heart, long wrapped in cold rationality, could not help but stir faintly.

It was a face that made every word in the world pale by comparison. Her deep brown eyes seemed to contain the sea of stars and wisdom spanning a thousand years; her high nose, full lips, and flawless facial contours all radiated beauty beyond mortal limits and sacred majesty. Simply standing there, she seemed to be the center of the entire world.

"You have the wrong person." Diana looked at the man shrouded in darkness, her expression calm and unreadable, but Bruce could read the extreme vigilance hidden beneath that calm.

"Is that so?" Bruce asked. "Princess of Paradise Island, daughter of Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons, descendant of Zeus, king of the gods, and a human—Diana. That name should not be unfamiliar to you, should it?"

Bruce's words were like a massive bomb, stirring towering waves in Diana's once-still heart.

Her pupils contracted sharply!

That name, that identity—no one had mentioned them in nearly a century except herself! Who exactly was this man covered in darkness? How did he know secrets that were not even recorded in Sky Eye Society's most highly classified files?!

The next second, Diana moved!

She was as fast as lightning, almost leaving an afterimage where she stood! Bruce saw only a blur before a gust of wind carrying a sacred aura rushed at his face!

But Bruce had already been prepared!

The instant Diana moved, his body reacted as well! Rather than retreat, he stepped forward, lowered his body slightly, and shot out his right hand like lightning, accurately grabbing for Diana's incoming wrist!

Slap!

A crisp sound echoed through the hall.

Bruce's hand firmly locked around Diana's wrist.

A flash of surprise crossed Diana's eyes. She had not expected this mortal to keep up with her speed, much less accurately predict the path of her attack! Strength surged through her wrist, and a force powerful enough to overturn a tank erupted in an instant!

However, Bruce's arm was like forged steel, utterly unmoving! The miniature power system inside his knight armor instantly overloaded, canceling out that divine strength!

"Your strength is impressive, Princess." Bruce's voice remained steady. "But brute force alone can't catch a bat."

In the instant they struggled against each other, a golden light suddenly flew from Diana's waist. Like a living spirit snake, it curved around Bruce's guard at an unbelievable angle and instantly wrapped around his body!