Ten minutes later, inside the grand, solemn Amazon palace.
Everlasting braziers burned between enormous marble columns. Atlanna and J'onn finally met the legendary Amazon Queen-Hippolyta.
She sat upright on her throne, clad in magnificent dark-gold armor. Time had left no trace on her exquisitely beautiful face.
She was an ancient being who had truly lived for tens of thousands of years, and had personally led all the Amazons into that great war in ancient times.
In fact, almost all the Amazon guards standing in two rows inside the palace had survived that ancient war and lived to this day.
Blessed by the gods, they seemed never to age, much less die of natural causes.
As Atlanna looked at these eternally youthful warriors, an almost imperceptible trace of envy flashed in her eyes.
Although Atlanteans possessed powerful physiques and lived far longer than humans, their lifespans were limited to a few hundred years, nowhere near comparable to the true immortality of the Amazons.
Hippolyta's penetrating gaze swept over the two visitors before finally settling on Atlanna.
She gave a slight nod, her voice ethereal.
"Atlanteans... It has indeed been far, far too long since we last met. How has your king been lately?"
Atlanna naturally knew Hippolyta meant King Atlan of ancient times. She shook her head gently and said with a bitter smile:
"Your esteemed Majesty, that ancient king turned to dust long ago. We Atlanteans live for only a few short centuries. From ancient times to the present, countless monarchs have succeeded one another on the throne of Atlantis."
Hippolyta nodded slightly, a glimmer of understanding of mortal birth, aging, sickness, and death passing through her eyes. She did not dwell on the matter, instead getting straight to the point.
"Then, Atlanteans of this new generation, why have