127 Guardians Of The Universe!
(~˘▾˘)~~(˘▾˘~)
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Oa, within the cold and majestic open-air temple.
Above each towering stone pillar, there stood a cosmic guardian with blue skin, resembling old elders of a cultivation sect; they were the masters of Oa, the founders of the Green Lantern Corps.
Their faces are indifferent, as if devoid of any excess emotion, as they looked down below.
"A huge pillar of light has vanished from the cosmos!"
Looking up at the stone-like Guardians of the Universe, Sinestro felt sorrow for his mentor, who was both a teacher and a friend and at the same time felt anger.
"The inhabitants of two planets have been annihilated by an unknown enemy, the one who wields the power of yellow fear!
And we still don't know who it is!"
"Abin Sur only uttered one phrase before his demise—'The Parallax'!"
Sinestro glared angrily at the Guardians of the Universe, hoping they could provide an answer, something more than the simple order given to Corps members to search for the enemy and prepare for battle.
"We are aware, and we will assess this disaster before deciding whether to invest on a larger scale."
The voices of the Guardians of the Universe, who have lived from the beginning of the universe until now, remained unwavering.
"Assess? Guardians, I can lead the Corps to confront this formidable enemy. I will prove to you that our golden age has not passed.
But I want to know what you're truly hiding."
Sinestro's tone was intense.
The members of the Green Lantern Corps joined the Corps to safeguard cosmic order and justice, not to become mere robotic soldiers blindly following orders without knowing the details.
The Guardians fell silent for a moment.
"Guardians, no one knows how long you've lived or how powerful you are, but one thing is universally acknowledged, that is, you possess knowledge as vast as the universe itself. There is almost nothing you do not know. But this time why?! Why is the message conveying the mission so brief?!"
Taking two steps forward in excitement, he loudly questioned, almost unable to control his emotions. The lives of Corps members can be sacrificed for the safety of the universe, but they should not die meaninglessly, oblivious to everything happening.
"The power of will has always been the Corps' weapon for us to combat the darkness in the universe. However, when this power is insufficient..."
Finally, one of the Guardians spoke.
"Among us, there has been intense debate about whether to utilize the power we have sworn never to use—the power of fear."
The Green Lantern Corps has maintained order and peace in the universe for billions of years, but the dark forces in the universe have not always succumbed below their green light, as seen with Krypton or the New Gods.
Although Sinestro did not know the past history of the Corps, he suspected a connection between this, and the cryptic "Dark Ages" mentioned in the Book of Oa.
"The power of fear is too unpredictable, with a high risk of corruption."
Another Guardian looked at a broken pillar in the temple and continued.
"The emotional spectrum of power in the universe—red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet—becomes less influential on its users as they approach the center of the spectrum. For example, the green power of will has almost no effect on its user, while the other types of power vary in their impact."
"One of us, in an attempt to prove that fear can be controlled, had noble intentions but a naive perspective. He delved directly into fear itself, ultimately being consumed by it and becoming our enemy."
This is the origin of Parallax. Before it grew powerful by feeding on fear, the Guardians had asked Abin Sur to imprison it deep underground on a lifeless planet.
"But now, it has escaped and grown increasingly powerful."
Sinestro, who had become arguably the strongest Green Lantern since Abin Sur's death, raised an eyebrow and remained silent for a small while before asking, "Is the power of fear stronger than the power of will?"
One of the Guardians of the Universe nodded.
"The power of will derives entirely from one's own will. The strength of one's own will determines the extent of power that can be harnessed, but it often has limits.
Fear, on the other hand, is different; it can draw strength from the fear of others."
Infinite life; Infinite fear; Symbolizes Infinite power.
"The Green Lantern Corps has upheld cosmic justice for countless ages, and its reputation resonates throughout the universe. Just catching a glimpse of the Corps' light is enough to make countless evildoers tremble.
You can only imagine the kind of power that represents."
"Parallax may have absorbed the fear of multiple civilizations. His strength... can our warriors resist it?"
Sinestro's complexion changed slightly, his brow furrowing. Suddenly, he realized something crucial.
The Guardians of the Universe exchanged glances and fell silent for a moment.
"In this case, we have no choice.
We must combat fear with fear!"
Sinestro wondered how the Guardians of the Universe truly regarded the Corps members? If he didn't ask, what would be the result? The lives of the fearless and righteous warriors of the Corps' would be regarded as the consequence of the secret the Guardians wanted to hide.
Sinestro clenched his fist tightly to suppress his anger, and a few traces of respect appeared on his stern face.
"I believe we need to forge a yellow power ring."
"The ring is right here; take it." One of them extended an open palm, and a yellow power ring floated towards Sinestro, its gleam reflecting in his eyes.
"The power of fear and the power of will share the same source. You don't need training to harness its power.
Corps members have determined that Parallax is on its way to a life-bearing planet called Earth."
He waved his hand to display an image—the Parallax, resembling a flowing desert of death, flying through the cold void of space, heading in a specific direction with great momentum.
"Your task now is to use the Corps' reputation built over billions of years to solve this crisis for the universe."
The Guardian of the Universe warned, "But remember, be cautious of the corruption of fear."
"I will," Sinestro affirmed.
With the yellow power ring clenched in his hand, Sinestro's heart raced. He dared not put on the ring in the temple, holding back his excitement, turned and swiftly departed.
In the ancient temple, only the Guardians of the Universe who guarded the order of the universe remained.
After a long silence, a voice devoid of emotion broke the stillness, "The reputation accumulated by the Corps over countless years will make him incredibly powerful, but he may not necessarily be able to defeat and capture Parallax."
"Don't worry; there are still powerful lifeforms such as the Kryptonians and that unknown race."
One of them gazed apathetically at the vast cosmic nebula.
"I've arranged for someone to guide them."
...
Boom!
Tomar-Re soared in from outer space, following the directions indicated by the flashing lantern ring. He was about to enter the small town to meet with the two newly chosen candidate Lanterns.
However, he suddenly encountered a powerful resistance, as if he had fallen into a quagmire, making it almost impossible to approach.
He became vigilant, thinking he had encountered an enemy. The green light quickly condensed into a high-tech suit resembling space suit.
"Why didn't the lantern ring give a warning?"
The powerful and invisible force filled the airspace above the small town, leaving Tomar-Re astonished by its magnitude, his gaze darting around in vigilance.
Two green figures ascended from the town.
David looked at the alien before him and slightly frowned.
Just now, he didn't want a random stranger to run over to his home, so he used his gravity manipulation to stop the person outside the town.
'In the Green Lantern Corps, most Lanterns are honest, fearless, and trustworthy people. But the little blue guys who lead the Corps are not.'
In mid-air, Clark Kent experienced a wonderful sensation. He was flying effortlessly, just like a bird without flapping it's wings. It reminded him of the feeling of flying in his dreams.(T/N: I think Clark hasn't learned flight in this fic. Tho it could be plothole if it was mentioned in previous chapters)
"New recruits, I'm Tomar-Re of Sector 2813. It seems you're adapting quite well."
Tomar-Re sounded surprised.
Many of those chosen by lantern rings are initially scared and disoriented by the ring's power.
He was keenly aware that these two successors chosen by the rings seemed to be extraordinary, like the strange force he had encountered earlier.
"Wait a minute, are you a Kryptonian?"
Hovering a few meters away, Tomar-Re saw Clark and received a notification from the lantern ring, and felt as if he had seen a ghost.
"Isn't Krypton supposed to be destroyed?"
Every member selected by the lantern ring undergoes familiarization with the ring and combat training before formally becoming a Green Lantern, usually through a mentorship system.
"The Corps' orders didn't tell me I'd be training a Kryptonian," Tomar-Re glanced at the sun overhead. "And you are a Kryptonian who has been under a yellow sun!"
"And you... are an unknown species in the universe, not recorded in the power ring's database? The ring's assessment of you is an unknown life form with potential rivaling that of a Kryptonian?"
Tomar-Re felt that the surprises he had encountered today were already enough.
What could he even teach these two? I'm afraid only the experience of using the lantern ring.
"In fact, we don't plan to join your Corps," David stated, facing the alien who had just delivered a lengthy speech just after meeting and resembled a fish-man.
He had no interest in leaving the Earth behind and putting out fires all over the universe under the leadership of those little blue smurfs.
"Are you the same?" Tomar-Re looked at Clark, who was looking at him with curiosity.
He was no stranger to such looks, having been assigned responsibility for over 80,000 star systems in his sector.
"Joining the Corps is entirely voluntary. But I suggest you both take some time to learn more. You have no idea what an honor it is to be a part of the Corps..."
Tomar-Re was about to provide a detailed introduction to the history of the Green Lantern Corps.
Meanwhile, David stroked his chin, deep in thought.
This Tomar-Re was just an ordinary member of the Green Lantern Corps. He might not be aware of the message that the lantern ring had transmitted to the central headquarters on Oa. However, it was highly unlikely that the Guardians of the Universe were ignorant of Clark's presence.
'Do the Guardians, knowing that Clark is a Kryptonian, treat him as an ordinary candidate for the Corps, have they given up the millions of years-long rejection of Kryptonians?' David was skeptical that the situation was not as simple as it seemed.
He suspected that a major conflict might be looming, with the Guardians intending to exploit Clark and his powers.
"Abin Sur informed us that the universe appears to be facing a crisis," Clark interjected, getting straight to the point.
David felt somewhat resigned, but his brother was eager to let others take advantage of him.
"Abin Sur..."
Tomar-Re sighed with emotion, thinking about his deep friendship with Abin Sur, as their sectors were adjacent, and they had developed a strong bond over the years.
It wasn't just the loss of his dear friend; the Green Lantern Corps had lost a fearless and great Lantern.
"You're right. Parallax roams this sector of the universe, consuming life through fear wherever he goes.
When he accumulates enough strength, he might attack Oa. For millions of years, no single person has dared to launch an offensive against us."
His expression grew solemn, and he pursed his lips, speaking softly to himself.
"I suspect this is why the guidance mission was so hastily organized."
Under normal circumstances, the process of guiding new recruits involved bringing the backup Lanterns to Oa first, where they would complete their training.
At the very least, it was essential to give the new recruits a glimpse of the Corps' past glory and history, helping them understand the honor and responsibility that came with being a Lantern.
"All right, those responsibilities will be handled by our official Corps members. We already have people searching for Parallax's whereabouts," Tomar-Re said, his attitude indicating that while they were facing a powerful enemy, Parallax was not necessarily an insurmountable disaster. He smiled and continued, "Now, let me introduce you to the abilities of the power rings."
David shook his head inwardly. Tomar-Re had not encountered Parallax, and in fact, almost no existing Green Lanterns had. Even if Parallax was a creation of the Guardians, one thing the Guardians were skilled at was concealing their dark history.
To this day, members of the Green Lantern Corps remained unaware of Parallax's power.
'Ordinary Green Lanterns are like a candle in the wind when facing Parallax.'
The Emotional Spectrum, one of the fundamental sources of energy in the universe, was an energy field generated by the emotions of all living beings in the universe. Each type of emotion had a corresponding conscious energy entity known as a 'Lantern Entity'.
'Lantern Entities need to bond with a life form to fully harness their powers. Parallax is the Lantern Entity of the power of fear, and its current host was originally one of the Guardians.'
However, the Green Lantern Corps members at the forefront of this situation were in no rush, and David shared their patience.
'As one of the entities in the Emotional Spectrum, Parallax's power and importance to the fate of the universe are undeniable.'
If he could make Parallax resentful, he might be able to provide a substantial amount of emotional points.
A glint flashed in his eyes.
Moreover, Parallax itself is a very high-level entity, and his current body couldn't display his full strength at all.
"Right now is a rare opportunity."
However, Parallax had not yet arrived on Earth, so there was no need to rush.
While Clark was anxious to act because of the potential danger in to universe, he noticed that Tomar-Re didn't seem overly concerned. He realized that the Green Lantern Corps had safeguarded the universe for countless eons, and they should be incredibly powerful.
As an outsider, he didn't want to appear more worried than the intergalactic law enforcement officers.
Clark remained skeptical and didn't say anything more.
Tomar-Re led them to a quiet and uninhabited wilderness, where he demonstrated the power of the lantern ring and recounted the history of the Corps using its power.
"The Guardians use the power of will as the Corps' weapon, and it's the most potent force in the universe. Across the 3,600 sectors of the universe, peace and order are maintained under the green light of willpower.
If you can master it proficiently, you can accomplish almost anything."
"Anything?" Clark had to voice his doubt. Wouldn't that be the same as the Almighty God?
On the other hand, David remained calm, knowing that Tomar-Re's words weren't an exaggeration. He lowered his gaze to the power ring in his hand, his eyes gleaming with curiosity.
'The Emotional Spectrum is the power of idealism, and as long as a Lantern's willpower is strong enough, with a single lantern ring, you can reach the upper limits of willpower's potential. Shattering planets, creating stars—nothing is out of reach."
David paused for a moment, thinking to himself.
'I wonder how much of the power of willpower I can unleash with this lantern ring.'
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(~˘▾˘)~Don't forget to send your power-stones!~(˘▾˘~)
