Chapter 40: Journey to War
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As the boat cleared the mystical barrier surrounding Themyscira, the air grew noticeably colder. The familiar warmth of paradise faded behind them as they sailed into the open sea.
Diana stood at the stern, watching her home disappear from sight. Her expression mixed sorrow with steely determination. Lin Chen leaned against the mast, observing her quietly.
Steve was busy trying to start the small engine they'd salvaged from the German boats.
Diana finally turned away from the view, her eyes red-rimmed but resolute. Her voice was quiet when she spoke. "The world out there... it is truly broken by Ares, isn't it?"
Lin Chen moved to sit beside her. "It is. War is a disease, Diana. It poisons everything it touches. But I believe we can stop it."
"You speak as though you know our destiny," Diana said, studying him carefully.
"I know a warrior's heart when I see one," Lin Chen replied. "You fight with honor and seek peace. Man's world hasn't seen the likes of that in centuries."
...
[MECHANICAL KNOWLEDGE +2.7]
[MECHANICAL KNOWLEDGE +9.7]
[MECHANICAL KNOWLEDGE +3.4]
[MECHANICAL KNOWLEDGE +7.8]
[SKILL: OLD MECHANICAL KNOWLEDGE (INTERMEDIATE) 35.9/60]
"Hey, Lin!" Steve called out. "I think you can handle this engine? I'm not getting a spark."
Lin Chen stood up. "I've dealt with worse, Steve. Let me see."
Lin Chen worked on the engine with Steve, his modern knowledge combined with new skill making the foreign machine suddenly simple. Within minutes, he had it running smoothly. He returned to Diana, the moonlight reflecting off the water around them.
"You helped us defeat the invaders," Diana said. "...why?"
Lin Chen looked at her directly. "Because there are always people worth saving. And because I can't stand by while good people get hurt."
"Steve said we are going to a place called London, but that we can't sail there directly," Diana said.
"We'll make it work," Lin Chen assured her.
Diana gave him a slight smile. "I believe you will."
---
Later that evening, the boat drifted through thick fog. Steve began setting up sleeping arrangements using rough blankets, looking visibly nervous.
"Right. So... usually, in my world, men and women don't sleep together... I mean, near each other... unless they're married," Steve stammered.
Diana looked up from cleaning her sword. "Married? What is this word?"
"It's a legal thing!" Steve explained awkwardly. "You go before a judge, you swear to love, honor, and cherish each other until you die. It's... well, it's the 'done thing.' Though, to be honest, people don't always stick to the 'love until death' part."
Diana frowned. "So you make an oath you cannot keep? That sounds like poisoning your word."
"No, it's—it's meant to be a good thing!" Steve stammered. "It's just... there are rules. For example, regarding bodily pleasure, the average man only—"
Lin Chen cut in smoothly as he stepped away from the mast. "The 'average man' uses marriage as a cage, Steve. Don't bore her with Victorian guilt."
Lin Chen sat down across from Diana, his eyes calm and steady, ignoring Steve's flustered expression.
"What Steve is trying to say, Diana, is that his world tries to regulate love because they're afraid of it. They think they can control human emotion with a piece of paper and a ceremony."
"I have read Clio's treatises," Diana said thoughtfully. "She says men are essential for procreation, but for pleasure, they are quite unnecessary."
Steve coughed awkwardly. "She said what now?"
Lin Chen chuckled, his gaze never leaving Diana's. "Clio was observant, but she lacked perspective. She saw it as a solo act. But for a warrior, pleasure is like a battle—it's about the resonance between two souls. It's not about 'necessity,' it's about the choice to share your fire with someone who can actually handle the heat."
Diana watched Lin Chen intently. "A choice. I like that better than Steve's 'judge and contract.'"
"Exactly," Lin Chen said. "I don't care about the laws of London, Diana. I care about who stands beside me when the sky turns black. That's the only 'marriage' that matters to me—the one forged in combat and truth."
A soft smile appeared on Diana's face. "You speak like an Amazonian, Lin Chen. You value the spirit over the law."
Steve muttered to himself as he retreated to the front of the boat. "Right. Great. I'm the judge and he's the 'fire.' I'll just go check the... compass."
Diana leaned slightly toward Lin Chen. "Tell me more of this 'fire,' Lin Chen. How does one know when they have found someone who can handle their heat?"
"You don't need to find it, Diana," Lin Chen said quietly. "You recognize it."
As they sailed through the night, Diana told them about Ares and the Amazons' ancient mission to stop him. The fog thickened around the boat, but for the first time, Diana didn't look back toward Themyscira. She stayed focused on the man sitting across from her.
Lin Chen's System displayed information about Diana:
[CHARACTER STATUS]
Name: Diana Prince (Diana, God Killer)
Race: Amazonian-Old God Hybrid
Gender: Female
Age: 5,030 years
Attributes:
- Strength: 65 tons
- Physique: 355
- Speed: 78 m/s
- Mental Power: 1.3
Abilities:
- Immortality (Unaffected by disease and age, remains in prime condition, but can be killed)
- Fast Healing Factor (Regenerates faster than humans)
- Omnilingual (Can speak all human languages)
- Divine Power: Electrokinesis, flight, enhanced strength and speed (Not yet awakened)
Skills: Riding (Expert), Archery (Expert), Swordsmanship (Expert), Hand-to-Hand Combat (Expert), Swimming (Expert), Stealth (Expert)
---
The next morning, they discovered their small boat had drifted alongside a larger cargo ship. They managed to board it and traveled with the ship for several days.
During the voyage, while Steve handled navigation and logistics, Lin Chen spent hours training with Diana. The boat's small deck limited how much strength Diana could use, but they still sparred regularly with swords and practiced hand-to-hand combat.
[STRENGTH +586 kg]
[SPEED +3 m/s]
[PHYSIQUE +7.4]
[IMMORTALITY: Cannot die from disease or age, prime age always but can be killed]
[SWORDSMANSHIP +5.4]
After their first few sparring sessions, Lin Chen began to compete equally with Diana. By the last days at sea, he had gained the upper hand in swordsmanship, earning her respect through physical competence.
Due to the limited space on the ship and lin chen low strength, she couldn't use her full power, which kept the attribute absorption rate lower than it could have been. Still, Lin Chen's growth was remarkable.
After sparring multiple times each day for several days:
- Strength : 28.2 tons
- Physique : 155.8
- Speed : 85 m/s
- Swordsmanship: Expert (100/100)
Diana wiped sweat from her brow after a particularly intense sparring session. "You are fast and accurate, Lin Chen. I feel you can predict every sword move."
She was shocked because of Lin Chen fast learning of swordsmanship, because she herself spent hundreds of years with her aunt to learn swordsmanship still can't defeat Lin Chen in swordsmanship.
"I just pay attention to details," Lin Chen replied. "You're a natural strategist. That makes you predictable in the best way—efficient, no wasted movement."
Diana smiled at the compliment.
---
They eventually arrived at the smoky, grim port of London. The small boat puttered up the Thames River, docking at a secluded spot.
Steve gestured proudly toward the grey city. "Well, here it is. London."
Diana looked at the soot-covered buildings with visible disgust. "It is hideous. Why would anyone choose to live in such a place?"
Lin Chen chuckled. "It gets worse on a cloudy day. Come on, we still have to get to the war council."
As they moved through the busy streets, Diana was overwhelmed by the crowds, the noise, and the strange sights. A horse pulling a cart suddenly bucked, nearly trampling Diana. Lin Chen reacted instantly, using his superior speed and strength to pull Diana safely to his side.
Diana looked at Lin Chen with awe and relief. "Thank you, Lin."
"It's okay," Lin Chen said calmly. "Just pay attention. We need to blend in, Diana."
As they continued walking, Lin Chen scanned their surroundings. His enhanced mental power allowed him to notice details others missed—including a group of men in long coats watching them from the shadows.
"Diana. Steve," Lin Chen said quietly. "We're being followed. Behind those crates."
Steve tensed, his hand moving toward his coat. "You've got sharp eyes, Lin. That'll be German spies. They want Maru's notebook back."
Diana reached for her sword, hidden under her cloak. "Then we shall give them a warrior's welcome."
"No, not here," Lin Chen said. "Too many witnesses. Steve, get to the office. Diana and I will handle the tail in that alleyway. I want to see what these 'men' are made of."
As they moved into a narrow side alley, the spies attacked. One pulled a pistol, but Lin Chen was faster. Using his enhanced strength and speed, he caught the man's wrist before he could fire, snapping the bone with a sickening crunch.
Diana effortlessly tossed another spy through a wooden fence. "They are weak, Lin Chen. They cannot be Ares' people."
Lin Chen dusted off his coat as the last spy collapsed unconscious. "Ares doesn't fight his own battles yet, Diana. He uses puppets. But don't worry—he won't be hiding for long."
Diana looked at him curiously. "You always speak with such confidence. You are unlike any man I have ever heard of."
Lin Chen smiled, stepping closer to her. "The world is changing, Diana. And as long as I'm with you, I'll make sure it changes for the better. Let's go find Steve. We have work to do."
---
Steve took Diana and Lin Chen to meet his secretary, Etta Candy, at a local department store. Diana's Amazonian armor attracted far too much attention, so they needed to find her more appropriate clothing.
"I'm Etta Candy, Steve's secretary," the cheerful woman introduced herself. "I go where I'm told and do what I'm told."
Diana looked confused. "That is called slavery."
Etta smiled wryly. "I do like her, Steve. She's got spirit."
Lin Chen scanned the store carefully while Diana tried on various outfits. "Diana, in this world, clothing is a shield of a different kind. You need to blend in to move freely."
Diana struggled with a corset. "How can a woman fight in this? It is choking and itchy!"
"It's not for fighting," Steve explained awkwardly. "It's for... not being noticed."
He added a pair of spectacles to her outfit, though Lin Chen knew they barely concealed her striking beauty.
---
Dressed in a period-appropriate suit and spectacles, Diana accompanied Steve and Lin Chen to the British War Council headquarters.
As they approached the building, Lin Chen said quietly, "The council won't act, Diana. They're more afraid of breaking the armistice than they are of soldiers dying in the trenches."
Steve retrieved one of his superiors from the war room. Diana, curious and impatient, followed him inside despite Steve's protests. Lin Chen walked in calmly behind them.
The room was filled with military officers and government officials arguing loudly. Sir Patrick Morgan, a distinguished older gentleman, struggled to be heard over the chaos.
The room fell silent as the men noticed Diana. Women were not allowed in such meetings.
Steve moved to escort her out, but Lin Chen spoke up. "Sir Patrick, she can translate the notebook. She's an expert in many languages."
Sir Patrick looked intrigued. "And who is this young woman?"
"This is Diana, and I'm Lin Chen," Lin said smoothly, before Diana could introduce herself as a princess. "We're experts in... many languages."
Steve quickly showed them Doctor Poison's notebook. "I managed to steal this from the Germans. It contains formulas for a new weapon."
Diana interrupted the translators who were struggling with the text. "It is a mixture of Ottoman and Sumerian dialects. It says they have created a formula for a gas that will destroy gas masks and protective equipment. It is a weapon of mass slaughter."
Lin Chen observed the room carefully, his eyes lingering on Sir Patrick Morgan. His System activated, displaying shocking information:
[CHARACTER STATUS]
Name: Patrick Morgan (Ares, God of War, The War Glutton, The Curse of Men)
Race: Old God
Age: 320,300 years
Attributes:
- Strength: 106 tons
- Physique: 997
- Speed: 85 m/s
- Mental Power: 207
(Current Status: Weakened due to ancient injuries)
Abilities:
- Immortality (Does not age, immune to disease and poison, regenerates from non-fatal injuries. Note: Cannot regenerate lost limbs or heal from fatal injuries without magic and divine power)
- Violence Empowerment (Power scales with conflict, bloodshed, and death in war. More intense wars make him stronger)
- War and Emotion Manipulation (Can influence minds to induce conflict, bloodlust, and rage)
- Elemental Control (Generates and controls divine electricity, heat, and wind)
- Telekinesis (Can move large objects like vehicles)
- Matter Transmutation (Can transform materials into weapons or armor by changing their quality, nature and shape)
- Teleportation (Can travel vast distances instantly)
- Flight
- Telepathy
- Memory Transmission
- Illusion Casting & Shapeshifting (Can disguise himself among mortals)
- Necromancy (Can summon spirits of those who died in war)
Skills: Combat (Expert), Strategy (Expert), Weapon Master(Expert)
Lin Chen's expression remained neutral, but internally he was alert. So Sir Patrick Morgan is Ares himself. He's weaker than he should be, probably from old wounds given by Zeus lightning. I should not reveal this yet—I need to see how this plays out first.
Steve pitched his mission plan to destroy the facility where the gas was being produced. His superiors immediately rejected the idea.
"It's too late in the war for something that drastic," one general said dismissively. "The armistice is nearly signed."
"But more soldiers will die!" Steve protested.
"That's what soldiers do," the general replied coldly.
Diana, fresh from the battle at Themyscira, was infuriated. She berated the general, calling him a coward and telling the entire council they should be ashamed. Then she turned and walked out. Lin Chen also followed her calmly.
Steve apologized quickly to the council and hurried after them.
---
Outside, Diana confronted Steve in the hallway. "You did not stand up to them! You let them dismiss the truth!"
"Diana, that's not how it works—"
"Then your system is broken!" Diana said angrily.
Steve took a deep breath. "You're right. That's why I'm going anyway, without the council's approval."
Diana looked surprised. "You would defy your own leaders?"
"Sometimes the leaders forget what they're leading for," Lin Chen said. "I'm with you, Steve."
Diana looked at Lin Chen with newfound respect. "You are a man, Lin Chen. Always ready to help other people."
---
Steve, Lin Chen, and Diana headed to a local pub to recruit Steve's old contacts. They found Sameer, a charismatic actor and master of disguise, and Charlie, a skilled sharpshooter struggling with trauma.
Steve proposed his plan. Sameer and Charlie were willing to join—if they were paid well.
"I don't have any money," Steve admitted.
The two men refused immediately.
Sameer smiled at Diana. "All the payment I need is a photograph of you, mademoiselle."
Diana countered calmly, "You won't need a photograph. I'm going with you."
Sameer and Charlie looked baffled.
Lin Chen tossed a heavy pouch of coins onto the table after selling some German soldiers goods. "This should cover it. It's a mission with purpose, and I'll be there to ensure we all come back."
Diana watched Lin Chen command the room and said quietly, "You inspire me the most."
As they talked, a drunken man Charlie had fought with earlier stumbled over, pointing a gun at Charlie's head. Before he could pull the trigger, Diana grabbed the gun from his hand and shoved him away. The man flew across the room and crashed into a wall.
[STRENGTH +0.01 TON]
[SPEED +0.8 m/s]
Etta Candy then arrived with Sir Patrick Morgan. The group tensed nervously—they were planning to go against direct orders.
But Morgan smiled warmly. "Your actions are admirable. I'm here to help."
He handed Steve a large sum of money. "For your team's expenses."
With the team assembled and funded, they prepared to head to Belgium to find General Ludendorff, whom Diana believed was Ares in disguise.
---
The next day, the group left for the train that would take them to the war front in Belgium.
At the train station, Lin Chen noticed Diana watching a vendor selling ice cream with fascination. He smiled and took her hand gently.
"Come with me," he said. "You should try this before we leave civilization behind."
He bought her an ice cream cone. Diana tasted the cream with her tongue it cautiously, then her eyes lit up with delight.
"It is cold and sweet!" she said, smiling genuinely for the first time since leaving Themyscira.
Lin Chen watched her enjoy the simple pleasure. "Remember this feeling, Diana. This is what we're fighting to protect—moments of joy in a dark world."
Diana looked at him warmly, her expression softening.
---
In Belgium, Steve informed them they would meet another contact—a smuggler known as Chief.
Diana observed their companions with distaste. "They are liars, murderers, and smugglers."
"They're also the only ones willing to help," Lin Chen said gently. "Sometimes you need broken people to fix a broken world."
As they left the train station, Diana began to notice a steady stream of wounded soldiers coming from the front lines. She was horrified by their injuries—missing limbs, burned faces, shell-shocked expressions.
The group took a small boat arranged by Steve, then walked the rest of the day. They arrived at Chief's camp as night fell.
Diana stood at the edge of the camp, looking toward the distant glow of artillery fire on the horizon.
"The war is close," she said quietly.
"Too close," Lin Chen agreed, standing beside her. "But we'll stop it, Diana. Together."
She looked at him, her eyes reflecting firelight. "I believe you, Lin Chen. And I am glad you are here with me."
Lin Chen smiled. "There's nowhere else I'd rather be."
---