Chapter 581: Slicing the Fear Essence (1)
The Green Lanterns Arrive
Before long, Hal and the remaining members of the Green Lantern Corps arrived. Seeing the large bug standing motionless and dazed, their expressions were priceless.
No one would have thought that the infamous Parallax/Sinestro would fall into the hands of Earthlings.
The eldest Green Lantern warrior stepped forward and respectfully said,
"Friends from Earth, thank you for your help. The Green Lantern Corps will never forget your kindness."
Luke waved his hand. "Its target was Earth, so naturally, we had to stop it. I assume there's another reason you pursued us here?"
"..."
The Green Lantern was taken aback by Luke's directness. After a pause, he continued, "Parallax is a dangerous beast that threatens the safety of the universe, and the Green Lantern Corps' most terrifying enemy. If possible, please allow us to take it back to Oa. We have a prison specially prepared for it there."
Luke shook his head. "If I recall correctly, it escaped from the Oa prison in the first place."
The Lantern stated solemnly, "I guarantee on my life that such a thing will never happen a second time."
Luke smiled without commenting. He intensely disliked people who guaranteed things with their lives; those who wagered their lives invariably ran into trouble eventually.
"Let's discuss this later. We need to return to Earth for rest and recuperation."
Intruders at the Villa
A few hours later, inside the Lakeside Villa north of Metropolis.
The six members were seated in the dining room, enjoying a dinner meticulously prepared by Ava. Various dishes were served and devoured almost instantly. Barry ate the most; being near exhaustion, he needed a lot of food to replenish his energy. A quarter of the entire table of food went into his stomach. Next were Diana and Linda. Luke ate the least, stopping after two steaks and a vegetable salad.
After eating their fill, their exhausted bodies and minds were significantly relieved. Barry sighed contentedly.
"Boss, what are you planning to do with the big bug?"
"I haven't decided yet."
J'onn spoke up, "I do not recommend keeping it on Earth. It is too dangerous."
Clark nodded, agreeing with J'onn's opinion.
At that moment, Ava, the domestic robot, approached.
"Young Master, three unknown intruders have been detected in the eastern woods."
As she spoke, she projected a holographic screen showing three strange-looking alien creatures in green armor—the remaining Green Lantern Corps soldiers, excluding Hal.
"These guys are persistent," Luke muttered.
They had been following them in outer space and still hadn't given up even on Earth.
Linda asked confusedly, "Can't the Green Lantern Corps return to headquarters anytime? Why didn't they go back for reinforcements? We didn't see Oa send any troops during the battle."
Barry explained, "Their link with headquarters is cut. They can't get back."
Luke looked surprised.
"What happened?"
"Hal told me that before coming to the Solar System, Sinestro first went to Oa and apparently damaged something. The Green Lantern rings' communication and teleportation functions are disabled. Lanterns scattered across the universe can't return to HQ, and HQ can't provide remote assistance."
Diana slammed her hand on the table.
"If they can't even get back, and they're still demanding we hand over Parallax, what exactly are they trying to do?"
Clark and J'onn's expressions also became grim. Both had initially intended to return Parallax to the Corps to minimize trouble, but it turned out the Lanterns had been lying.
"Young Master, they are moving toward the villa. Should I stop them?"
"I'll go."
Linda stood up and left the dining room, but returned a short while later. Luke's mouth twitched slightly, and Clark looked helpless. The three unlucky Lanterns had been beaten so severely by Linda—their legs were broken—that their injuries would sideline them for at least a few days.
Without outside interference, the group continued to discuss the problem of Parallax. They couldn't find a satisfactory solution. Parallax was unlike a regular criminal: it couldn't be killed or permanently contained, and one slip-up could lead to an unimaginable disaster.
"Maybe we should just send it back to Oa after all."
Diana shook her head, turning to Luke. "Can you use the sealing method you used on it last time?"
Luke tapped his finger on the table, deep in thought. The others let him be, waiting quietly.
Time flowed silently. After a full five minutes, Luke finally snapped out of his reverie.
"I have an idea. We can try it."
The Deification Seal and the Green Knife
Two days later, on a secluded, unknown island in the South Pacific.
Clark, Barry, Linda, Diana, and J'onn stood guard in five directions around the island. They occasionally glanced backward. Twelve hours had passed, but Luke, sitting cross-legged in the center of the Bagua (Eight Trigram) Formation, remained still. If not for the golden characters radiating from his body, they would have thought he was asleep.
Barry couldn't help but whisper,
"What kind of spell is the Boss preparing that takes this long?"
"He's condensing his Divinity."
Barry looked bewildered. "Divinity?"
Linda shrugged. "I'm not sure. That's what he called it."
"Can Divinity deal with Parallax?"
"It should be able to!"
As she spoke, a powerful soul fluctuation erupted from behind. Luke, who had been meditating, suddenly opened his eyes. Golden light shot from them, then transformed into roaring green flames.
He raised his hand. Five yellow Lantern rings flew out of a box and floated obediently behind him.
At the same time, the suppressed Parallax regained consciousness. It was about to resist when Luke's finger pointed at its brow. Soul energy surged into its consciousness like a tsunami, instantly severing its link with the body.
Luke took a breath, then manipulated the Fear Essence to decompose the body. Yellow particles scattered. The golden-yellow body visibly shrank, eventually leaving only a constantly struggling yellow ball of thread.
The Fear Essence!
Half was inside Luke; this was the other half.
If Luke were to swallow it, he would possess the complete law of Fear. His Fear-related abilities would be vastly enhanced, possibly unlocking new powers. However, the possibility of backlash would also increase geometrically, leading to an immediate loss of control.
Parallax in its complete form is a fundamental force that transcends gods. Sealing it completely is virtually impossible.
"The Guardians split you in two back then. Now it's my turn."
Luke opened his fingers, and green flame erupted from his palm. The flame compressed and condensed, constantly changing form from the inside out, turning into a short green knife etched with golden runes.
The knife sliced toward the ball of thread. The moment it made contact, an angry shriek echoed in Luke's mind. A faint, worm-like creature appeared—Parallax's original consciousness.
It stared fixedly at him, constantly releasing waves of fear.
Luke scoffed, slammed his hand down, and the Bagua Formation instantly activated, isolating this space from the surroundings.
"Don't struggle. No one is coming to save you. Today is your doomsday."
Luke increased his power. The blade penetrated the thread ball, slicing down bit by bit, intending to divide it in two. Parallax shrieked hysterically, the fear fluctuations increasing by dozens of times.
Unfortunately, this had zero effect on Luke, who already possessed a portion of the Fear Essence.
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