The blue-skinned alien woman—who claimed to possess unparalleled understanding of fear—treated Sinestro with deep reverence. Her eyes shone with open admiration and devotion, almost worshipful, as if Sinestro were a divine figure. Her gaze lingered around him without pause.
Lisa Draka.
Thea didn't know much about her—only that in the original timeline, she had been a major general of the Yellow Lantern Corps, responsible for training new recruits. She was fiercely loyal to Sinestro. The Book of Parallax had been under her control, and she was said to possess enough combat power to face three Green Lanterns at once. Unfortunately, her end was anticlimactic—she encountered the plot-armored Hal Jordan and his allies, failed spectacularly at posturing, and was promptly bound and dragged away.
In short: capable, broad-minded, but with an inflated confidence in her own abilities.
"Lisa Draka was born from fear," Sinestro said directly. "She comes from the Tarrok Blue Star Cluster and possesses the ability to sense the fear of others. I have high expectations for her."
Thea nodded. This woman might be arrogant, but her ability was indeed impressive. As long as she didn't run into cheat-level beings, she served well as a mid-level boss. Understanding Sinestro's intention, Thea summoned the Book of Parallax.
"Uh—"
"Ah!—"
The massive golden tome materialized before them, provoking different reactions.
Thea and Sinestro—both masters of fear—remained entirely unaffected. Diana felt slight discomfort at first but quickly overcame it.
Deadman's mental state was unlike that of ordinary beings. With a fragment of Thea's spiritual power embedded within him, he was immune to the book's influence.
Lisa Draka, despite her proud claims, was clearly struggling. Her face had gone pale, her lips pressed tightly together. But she held on, refusing to embarrass Sinestro.
Hal Jordan, who had come only to observe, suffered the worst of all.
Countless fear-laden memories surged through his mind. The image of his father's fatal plane crash alone replayed over a dozen times. The overwhelming terror clawed at his nerves. A few seconds more and he would have been reduced to a vegetable.
Thea jumped in alarm. She couldn't just let a fellow Earthling die so stupidly. The power rings could only watch, but she now wielded fear magic. A modified anti-fear spell enveloped Hal, restoring his clarity. He gasped violently, collapsed on the ground, completely unable to stand.
Thea cast a subtle glance at Lisa Draka.
This woman—who usually saw herself as above all others—was now lowering her head slightly before Thea, no longer daring to show even the slightest contempt.
"Not bad," Thea said calmly. "I approve her joining the Yellow Lantern Corps."
This was the unspoken agreement between her and Sinestro. Both were extremely cautious when selecting new recruits. Without Sinestro, there would be no new yellow rings; without Thea, there would be no official members. And with both sharing ambitions for the Corps, it was no coincidence they had found new candidates at the same time.
"Has your book gained new functions?" Sinestro asked as he drew a mass of yellow energy into his hand. It was far larger than what he had seen before—the fear energy of Parallax being pulled toward it even from afar.
"Yes," Thea replied. "Any sentient being who touches or even looks at the Book of Parallax will be overwhelmed by fear. Even if they manage to withstand it, their speed will drop sharply. Overcoming fear grants acceleration; being affected by fear slows you down."
She explained the upgraded abilities of the book. As the first being ever acknowledged by the yellow power ring, Sinestro remained entirely unaffected.
The book had many limitations, but when used properly, it could deliver tremendous results.
Thea immediately thought of a certain group of weak-willed speedsters—those lunatics who sprinted across the world like wild horses. The book would be perfect for dealing with them.
After listening, Sinestro nodded and resumed crafting a power ring. Half-distracted, he said, "Why don't we let your new subordinate and mine have a spar?"
As expected—Sinestro never missed a chance to compete.
Thea didn't mind. She also wanted to see Deadman's true capabilities.
"Very well," she said. "As you wish."
Lisa Draka stepped confidently into the center of the training field.
She waited.
Ten seconds.
Twenty.
Thirty.
Confusion replaced confidence.
Weren't we going to fight? Where is the opponent? Is someone actually here?
Deadman had been present from the start—he simply hadn't attacked because she wasn't moving.
Sinestro's crafting speed noticeably slowed. As before, he was attempting to sense Deadman's presence. An invisible enemy was infuriating. Even with overwhelming power, it meant nothing if one couldn't hit the target.
Facing an unseen foe naturally stirred fear. Sinestro glanced at Thea. Her selection was indeed perfectly aligned with the Yellow Lanterns—someone who could instill fear simply by existing.
I'm fighting an invisible opponent?
Seeing Sinestro's serious expression, Lisa realized this was no joke. The opponent was already here—just unseen.
She tried to sense him but found nothing—no fluctuation, no presence.
Her earlier composure faded as she scanned her surroundings cautiously.
Even without a ring, Sinestro wouldn't have chosen someone mediocre. Lisa Draka still had real ability.
Her expression contorted, veins rising on her forehead. Her breathing grew heavy. She searched intensely—then suddenly wrapped her fist in psychic force and punched fiercely toward her side.
In Thea and Diana's view, Deadman was knocked back two meters, floating in mid-air as he rubbed his jaw, looking genuinely startled.
Sinestro looked pleased.
Thea took the opportunity to ask, "What ability is that? Her eyes looked unusual."
As someone who relied heavily on ocular-based techniques, Thea was sensitive to such traits.
"Lisa Draka possesses a form of limited precognition," Sinestro explained. "She can briefly foresee events related to herself within a small area and short timeframe."
Since he had already revealed it in battle, he didn't bother hiding it. In some ways, his relationship with Thea was now closer than with the Green Lantern Corps. There was no reason to conceal something so basic.
Thea nodded.
Precognition? Please.
At best, Lisa's ability was heightened prediction—nowhere near true foresight.