Chapter 562: Sinestro Corps Attacks (2)
A Fatal Flaw
"Is that why you're looking for Carol?"
"Yes, Parallax should be..."
"It's dead."
Before Hal could finish, Luke gave him the direct answer. "That bug came to Earth to cause trouble in '03 and was beaten to death by someone."
"How is that possible?"
Hal's eyes were wide. "Parallax is the physical embodiment of the emotion of Fear. Unless fear ceases to exist in the world, it cannot die."
Luke lit a cigarette and took a long drag. "Nothing is absolute. Don't jump to conclusions before you fully understand the secrets of the world."
He flicked the ash, making a gesture to dismiss Hal.
"All right, Hal. This matter is over. You can go now."
Hal was speechless, his face changing several times, but ultimately he remained silent. He could tell that Luke Shaw definitely knew something, perhaps even had contact with Parallax. If Luke would speak, he could provide the answers Hal needed. The problem was...
He carefully glanced at Luke. Those eyes flashed with a ghastly green light, as if they could pierce one's soul. Hal felt thoroughly uncomfortable, like he was standing naked in the street.
This guy is definitely hiding something. Perhaps, like Carol, he's a metahuman.
With a sense of disappointment, Hal turned to leave. At the door, he turned back.
"Say hello to Carol for me."
Luke nodded. After Hal was gone, the smile on Luke's face vanished instantly.
Something wasn't right. This guy wasn't investigating the Parallax matter earlier or later, but precisely at this critical moment.
Did something go wrong at Green Lantern Corps headquarters?
Or is it Sinestro?
Luke drummed his fingers on the tabletop, thinking for a moment. He left the company, returned to the Lake View Villa's underground base, sealed all entrances, activated the defense measures, and set up more than a dozen energy barriers.
Having done all this, he took a deep breath, spread his fingers, and a ghastly green flame burst from his palm. It quickly expanded into a huge, fiercely burning fireball. An invisible force spread outward, causing all organic life—mosquitoes, flies, insects, and ants—within a hundred meters to instantly freeze. This was still a result of Luke's deliberate control.
The fireball grew larger. Within its core, a constantly struggling bundle of yellow threads surfaced. It was the Fear Entity's core essence—Parallax's original body.
"I'd like to see who is calling out to you."
Luke scoffed. He formed hand seals, casting a Soul-Tracking Spell recorded in the Celestial Master's Stratagem. A dot of golden light and his consciousness injected into the yellow thread bundle. The next second, his soul seemed to enter a time-space corridor. Everything around him twisted in a bizarre way. A strong light hit him head-on. With a loud roar, his vision was swallowed by the brightness. After an unknown time, his sight returned to normal.
A purple flower pistil appeared in front of him. Focusing, he saw that the surroundings were a hill covered in purple plants.
Scattered across the hill were six warriors in yellow battle armor. One of them was a familiar face: Thaal Sinestro.
"It is you causing trouble, after all," Luke thought to himself. Sinestro also sensed something. He turned to look, and a faint, looming phantom appeared in the woods. The aura emanating from the phantom made his face change dramatically.
Parallax also surfaced, opening its fanged mouth and emitting an angry shriek.
"Destroy it, Thaal! I feel it! It's on him!"
Sinestro gestured. The Yellow Lantern warriors quickly spread out to check the surroundings. Confirming there was no danger, Sinestro slowly stepped forward and asked in perfectly standard English,
"Earthling?"
Luke ignored him and turned his attention to the nearby Parallax.
"What an ugly bug."
Parallax opened its mouth wide and spewed a yellow energy wave.
Boom!
The entire forest was consumed by the blast, but the phantom was unaffected, still flickering as before.
"Is that all your strength? Heh heh!"
"Too weak. Not even as strong as my watchdog."
Parallax was furious. It was about to attack but was stopped by Sinestro. He had realized that the phantom was not real, only a projection. There was no need to attack it.
"Who are you?"
"Didn't you guess?"
Sinestro's heart sank. Earth was hundreds of millions of light-years from this planet. The fact that this person could pinpoint his location from such a distance meant his power was too terrifying.
"What do you want?"
Luke's gaze dropped to Sinestro's right hand, where a yellow glowing ring was flashing.
"I am interested in that Lantern Ring. Two months' time. Come to Earth and give it to me. Otherwise, I'll take your life."
Sinestro was secretly enraged. He had lived for so long and never met such an arrogant fellow. Parallax was grinding its teeth, desperate to pounce and tear the phantom to shreds.
Luke continued,
"Listen up, Thaal Sinestro. Don't think about running away. I'm watching you. Even if you escape to another dimension, I can find you. Two months' time is your last chance."
As soon as the words fell, the phantom vanished, as if it had never been there.
Arkillo, the Yellow Lantern Corps drill sergeant, asked in confusion,
"Leader, what was that?"
"Just a clown. Ignore him."
Sinestro turned and left, leaving the others looking at each other. Although they didn't understand English, their leader's expression suggested the phantom was not that simple.
Back at his base, Sinestro locked himself in his quarters. The composure vanished from his face, replaced by a savage fury.
"Earthling!"
"That damned Earthling!"
He still couldn't forget the scene of his friend Abin Sur being dissected by Earth scientists—an arrogant planet, an arrogant civilization.
Parallax hissed,
"You'd better find my other half of the body quickly."
"Why?"
"That Earthling stole my Fear Essence. I can feel him, and he can track me."
Sinestro's pupils constricted. "You mean, as long as I'm with you, he can find me anytime, anywhere?"
"Exactly."
"Damn it!"
Bang!
Sinestro punched the wall. He had originally planned to secretly gather strength and only go to Earth to retrieve the core once the Corps was strong enough to rival Oa. The phantom's appearance, however, disrupted his entire plan.
The opponent could use the Fear Essence to track Parallax's location. This meant that if the Yellow Lantern Corps ever went up against the Green Lantern Corps, Sinestro would have nowhere to hide and nowhere to retreat.
"What do you plan to do?"
Parallax was anxious. It didn't want to be locked up for another few hundred million years.
Sinestro was silent, thinking for a long time before saying fiercely,
"Expand our forces and head to Earth. We will retrieve the core essence at all costs."
Preparation for the Attack
Metropolis, Lake View Villa.
After ending the connection, Luke headed to Coast City and found Hal Jordan eating.
"What do you know about Thaal Sinestro?"
Hal looked bewildered. "How do you know about him?"
"Give me all the information you have on him. His background, family, friends, wife, comrades, mission records, everything. I want the whole file."
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