Ch 80- Parallax is back
As soon as Marcus received the [Green Lantern Battery],
The [Phoenix Force] appeared and dismantled it into pieces.
It turned into a pile of parts floating in midair.
The complexity alone was enough to make people's scalps tingle, let alone reassemble it.
This instantly enraged all the Green Lanterns!
The [Green Lantern Ring] and [Green Lantern Battery] are paired one to one, with no backups.
This was equivalent to turning 3,600 Green Lanterns into 3,599 in an instant!
How could they not be angry?
However...
Sinestro, who had not yet recognized the [Yellow Lantern Ring] as his own, stepped in front of Marcus, his gaze sweeping over the crowd.
With the prestige he still held,
All the Green Lanterns in sight subconsciously fell silent.
This level of authority and loyalty made Marcus very satisfied.
With a thought,
The dismantled [Green Lantern Battery] was restored to its original state.
Being able to dismantle and reassemble it meant he had already gained a preliminary understanding of its structure.
Then...
Was this really Marcus goal?
Parts began appearing out of thin air one after another, flying through the air and assembling themselves into a yellow necklace.
Taking out a [Yellow Lantern Ring], the yellow necklace automatically attached itself to it, forming a pattern that created a mysterious magic circle.
This ownerless [Yellow Lantern Ring] immediately began absorbing fear energy from the surroundings.
All the Green Lanterns stared with wide eyes!
This was...
Directly giving the [Yellow Lantern Ring] the ability to absorb and store fear energy?
No need for daily recharging anymore?
The Green Lanterns looked at one another, inexplicably jealous.
But that wasn't even the most outrageous part!
Marcus took out an old [Yellow Lantern Ring], and the [Phoenix Force] appeared again, dismantling it.
This time he only observed it for a few seconds before waving his hand.
He casually discarded the pile of parts!
"Snap!"
Marcus snapped his fingers.
A brand new [Yellow Lantern Ring] split into two, two into four, four into eight...
Until a giant cube of rings was formed.
A rough estimate put the number at over ten thousand!
The first [Yellow Lantern Ring] flashed, and all the others were stored inside it.
It even had storage functionality!
Marcus tossed the [Yellow Lantern Ring] to Sinestro.
"Throw away the old ones. They're useless now."
Sinestro: "..."
The Green Lanterns: "..."
Do you even know what you're saying?
This was ridiculous!
The Lantern Rings that the Guardians of the Universe spent countless years developing could be copied after one look?
Across the entire universe, nobody had ever managed that.
Except the Guardians themselves.
And now...
That record had just been broken!
Compared to the Green Lantern Corps shock, the people of Earth were already used to it.
Marcus ability to create things out of thin air was no secret.
Fortunately,
Sinestro had seen plenty of incredible things before. After a brief moment of shock, he became excited instead!
The stronger Marcus was, the brighter the future looked!
Holding the [Yellow Lantern Ring], he knelt on one knee before Marcus, raised the ring high, and solemnly recited:
"Daylight fades, and darkness grows."
"Let those who spread evil fear my light."
"Burn with the fire of fear, all who oppose me."
"Fear is the source, my king is supreme!"
The [Yellow Lantern Ring] flashed, and Marcus' vast and majestic voice echoed out.
"The oath is accepted. Welcome to the Corps."
In an instant,
The green skin below Sinestro's neck turned yellow, and a golden battle suit formed around him automatically, looking incredibly imposing!
"Buzz..."
Massive amounts of fear energy surged from all across Earth, wrapping Sinestro in a giant cocoon.
The terrifying amount of power caused yellow strands of energy to appear on every Green Lantern present.
That was fear energy made visible!
Marcus nodded in satisfaction.
Compared to the highly subjective [Green Lantern Ring], whose strength depended entirely on an individual's willpower,
The [Yellow Lantern Ring] could absorb fear from everyone.
Its upper limit was naturally much higher.
Its abilities were similar to the [Green Lantern Ring], but significantly stronger.
Only the [Black Lantern Ring] and [White Lantern Ring] ranked above it.
At that moment,
Sharon walked over. While taking back the [Green Lantern Battery], her gaze landed on the Cocoon of Fear.
She wanted one too!
Marcus spoiled his wives. How could he refuse?
With a wave of his hand,
He gathered the remaining hundreds of old [Yellow Lantern Rings], crushed them all together, and fused them into one.
One magical rune after another lit up and engraved themselves onto the ring.
At a glance, it was obvious this version was far superior to the mass-produced models.
Once it was finished,
Before even recognizing an owner, it had already begun stealing fear energy from Sinestro.
Its quality was obvious.
This made Sharon hesitate a little.
Should she wear it or not?
After all, she was already very comfortable using the [Green Lantern Ring].
"What are you thinking about?" Marcus asked with a smile. "Dual Lantern wielders are completely normal. There's no rule saying you have to stick to only one."
Sharon's eyes lit up.
"Really?"
"You don't trust me?" Marcus raised an eyebrow.
Sharon stuck out her tongue, gave him a quick kiss, took the [Yellow Lantern Ring], and put it on her free left hand.
No oath was necessary.
The ring recognized her immediately and began aggressively absorbing fear energy from Sinestro.
There wasn't even any cocooning process. It could absorb and convert energy in real time.
Comparing the two,
The difference was obvious.
Sinestro's expression became a little awkward, and he quietly lowered his head.
Comparing himself to Marcus wife?
Was he crazy?
If the boss gives you something, just take it.
No need to complain.
This attitude made Marcus even more satisfied.
"I have a civilization under my command, and I'm planning to conquer parts of the universe soon. When the time comes, follow along and recruit suitable people for the Yellow Lantern Corps."
"Yes, my king!"
Marcus glanced at the system interface.
The rewards still hadn't been settled.
Very good.
The rewards were accumulating. He was planning something big.
Marcus suddenly sensed something and looked toward the sky.
In the crowd, Gwen looked up almost at the same moment.
Sharon was a step slower, followed by Sinestro.
But they couldn't determine where it was coming from.
Their rings weren't smart enough.
However, Marcus and the others had already revealed the direction.
When everyone looked up,
The sky suddenly darkened, and a gigantic face appeared overhead.
It was Parallax!
After devouring countless Green Lanterns on Oa, it had grown to planetary size.
"Hahahaha!"
"Human, I told you I'd be back!"
Parallax blotted out the sky, descending to returning to destroy the world!
Its arrogant voice
Echoed across every corner of Earth. Countless windows shattered from the shockwaves, triggering massive earthquakes and causing active volcanoes to erupt one after another.
It was as if the end of the world had arrived!
Looking at the giant face above them, larger than the Earth itself...
Countless people fell into despair.
The Green Lanterns and the others all turned serious, transforming into green light as they prepared to fly up...
"Whoosh!"
But Sinestro was one step ahead. He transformed into a yellow streak of light and charged directly in front of Parallax.
He raised the [Yellow Lantern Ring] high, positioning himself directly in front of Parallax's mouth.
Blocking most of the sound waves.
The other Green Lanterns quickly followed, raising their [Green Lantern Rings] and standing shoulder to shoulder with Sinestro, forming a giant light shield.
They blocked Parallax outside the atmosphere.
But...
That was all they could do.
Even the Lantern Corps had limits.
Facing a colossal planetary-level creature, any attack seemed meaningless.
Then...
"GET LOST!"
Parallax roared!
Several weaker Green Lanterns had their manifested light shields shattered. Their yellow fear energy scattered, drifting toward Parallax.
They were afraid!
"Get back here!"
Sinestro roared angrily. The fear energy drifting toward Parallax was immediately redirected and absorbed by his [Yellow Lantern Ring].
Parallax was stunned.
Its own specialty was absorption...
And it lost in absorption to a [Yellow Lantern Ring]?
How ridiculous was that?
Then...
Wasn't the [Yellow Lantern Ring] it left behind on this planet supposed to be just a coordinate?
How had it become so powerful?
And if it wasn't mistaken,
That red-skinned guy was the former leader of the Green Lantern Corps, wasn't he?
There were too many confusing elements here.
Parallax was completely baffled.
Then came the rage!
"How dare you resist me!"
"I will revoke your authority to use the Yellow Lantern Ring!"
Normally,
At this point the [Yellow Lantern Ring] would abandon its host and fly back to Parallax.
But...
Sinestro stared mockingly at Parallax.
The [Yellow Lantern Ring] on his hand remained completely stable.
It didn't move at all.
Revoke it?
It would have to belong to you first.
And then...
Sharon, who had finally adapted to her [Yellow Lantern Ring], or rather the [Supreme Yellow Lantern Ring], arrived on the battlefield.
She didn't even do anything.
The fear energy flowing toward Sinestro was automatically swallowed by the [Supreme Yellow Light].
And while it was at it...
Even some of the fear energy around Parallax itself, which wasn't being fully controlled, was pulled away and devoured.
Parallax was stunned on the spot!
"Who are you?" Parallax roared angrily. "That's not a Yellow Lantern Ring! Which Guardian violated the agreement and interfered without authorization?!"
That was its instinctive conclusion.
The Guardians of the Universe originated from Maltus and were among the earliest intelligent lifeforms in existence.
Their civilization and technology had long surpassed the limits of a single universe and were comparable to the Observers.
Once, they used their advanced technology to help a primitive civilization develop into a prosperous advanced society.
But that rapid progress led to internal conflict, eventually causing that civilization to destroy itself.
Since then,
The Guardians had vowed never to interfere directly with the natural development of the universe.
Of course, they couldn't simply do nothing.
So they created the [Green Lantern Ring] and established the Green Lantern Corps to maintain universal order.
If a Guardian had secretly acted this time,
It would be a complete dimensionality reduction attack.
They would be punished by the Guardians themselves!
Unfortunately,
No one bothered answering Parallax.
Sharon directly fired a [Yellow Light Ray], blasting a small hole through Parallax's body.
Using fear energy to damage a creature that feeds on fear energy was like using water to evaporate water.
It completely ignored common sense.
Yet somehow it worked.
The reason was simple.
The quality of Sharon's fear energy far surpassed Parallax's own fear energy.
It was like a blade of ice cutting through a curtain of water.
Which was somehow even more outrageous.
"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!" Parallax roared furiously. "Let's see how one person protects an entire planet!"
Enraged and humiliated,
Parallax immediately dispersed into a massive cloud, intending to envelop and devour the entire Earth.
After all, Sharon was only one person.
Faced with an attack on this scale,
There was little she could do.
There was no other choice.
They could only choose...
Ch 81- Parallax is cooked
"Marcus, help me!"
Marcus, who had been watching the show, flashed to Sharon's side.
"You are dumb." Marcus said. "Since your lantern ring can absorb fear energy, and the current Parallax is made entirely of fear energy, and it even spread itself out, why don't you just swallow it?"
Sharon's eyes lit up!
That's right!
She immediately raised the [Supreme Yellow Light] and activated the "Energy Absorption" function for the first time.
As the nearby Parallax energy was absorbed, a huge area was instantly cleared.
"So efficient!"
Sharon happily raised the [Supreme Yellow Light] and began flying around at high speed to clean everything up.
Like an eraser,
Everything she passed over vanished without a trace.
Even Parallax became afraid!
But it was too late to shrink back, so it could only threaten her.
"If you don't stop, I will destroy this planet!"
To make the threat more convincing,
Parallax accelerated its attack. Streams of yellow smoke descended toward Earth with a destructive aura.
Sinestro and the Green Lanterns immediately returned to a defensive formation, but there were too few of them to protect every area.
Seeing that a disaster was about to happen...
Marcus raised a hand.
Bright orange-yellow lines appeared, rotating, overlapping, and intertwining into a [Magic Shield]. With a push of his hand, it transformed into a diamond-shaped barrier.
[Seraphim Shield]!
Within a few blinks, its size expanded to planetary scale, even covering the atmosphere under its protection.
Parallax's attacks struck it without creating even the slightest ripple.
Even the portions of Parallax's body trying to enter the atmosphere were forcibly pushed back into space!
Simple and overwhelming.
The Kamar-Taj sorcerers had already been preparing to act.
When they saw this scene, all of them were stunned.
This was ridiculous!
How could someone cast it on such a massive scale?
Mordo looked at the Ancient One and subconsciously asked, "Sorcerer Supreme, can you cast it on this scale?"
"..."
She was human, not a god!
For a common spell like a Portal, she could still imagine reaching that level through practice.
But!
[Seraphim Shield] was a Contract Spell!
No matter how much she trained, would Seraphim really be willing to lend that much power?
Power crossing dimensions would already be heavily weakened.
Protecting an entire planet...
The Ancient One suspected that Seraphim had directly supplied a third of its own power just to achieve this scale across dimensions.
What she could not understand was how Marcus managed to convince Seraphim to lend him so much power.
Marcus would say...
Borrow?
No.
When he activated [Seraphim Shield] earlier, it expanded several times, and the other side became a little unwilling.
It started reducing the amount of power being supplied.
But Marcus had already made his move. How could he let himself get embarrassed?
Using [Dimensional Manipulation] on the spot, he directly traced the connection back to Seraphim's dimension.
The power that should have been reduced to 1% instantly returned to 100%.
And while he was at it...
He forcibly extracted part of Seraphim's power!
Yes!
Forced extraction!
Seraphim naturally resisted, so Marcus directly froze it with [Power of Time].
The being that was untouchable in the eyes of Kamar-Taj was basically a giant power bank in Marcus's hands.
At most, it was a little larger and from a more premium brand.
And with Earth protected by the shield,
Sharon no longer had any worries.
She flew through the fear energy gathered by Parallax and simply devoured everything she encountered.
At first, Parallax refused to accept reality and kept attacking the [Seraphim Shield], trying to break it.
But...
How could a newly grown creature shake the full support of an ancient Seraphim?
It was completely useless.
Parallax nearly smashed itself senseless before finally accepting reality.
By this point,
Sharon had already devoured one-tenth of its total mass.
There was no choice.
Parallax could only act decisively, sacrificing a third of its fear energy to distract Sharon.
Its body shrank, and it immediately turned and fled into space.
It ran!
What revenge?
What pride?
Nothing was more important than staying alive!
But...
Did Parallax really think it could escape just because it wanted to?
"Whoosh!"
Sinestro stopped in front of Parallax, and the other Green Lanterns followed.
All of them wore harmless smiles.
Run?
Sure, you can try.
"Get out of my way!" Parallax roared, baring its fangs and claws. "Otherwise, I'll devour all of you!"
In the past,
Some Green Lanterns might have been intimidated.
But now...
Facing a stray dog trying to run away, who was afraid of that?
Not to mention,
Sinestro, standing at the front, directly threw out a [Yellow Lantern Ring].
Using a [Yellow Lantern Ring] like a talisman, who would even think of that?
Parallax was horrified to discover that its all-devouring tentacles were automatically absorbed the moment they approached the [Yellow Lantern Ring]!
Devour?
It couldn't devour anything at all!
Only the fear tentacles connected to its main body could barely resist the absorption.
But...
Sinestro and the Green Lanterns weren't pushovers either!
Working together, they maintained a barrier and held Parallax in place. It couldn't break through, couldn't escape, and all they had to do was keep annoying it.
Meanwhile,
Parallax had no time to waste with them. The fear energy it had abandoned was almost completely drained by Sharon!
Was this woman a black hole or something?
She was swallowing so much fear energy, yet somehow absorbing it faster and faster!
The more anxious Parallax became, the calmer Sinestro and the others grew.
They even started chatting.
"I never thought there would come a day when I'd be fighting under the lead of a Yellow Lantern Ring," one Green Lantern said with emotion.
The others nodded in agreement.
"Yeah!"
"And even more unexpected, Sinestro is leading us, but he's wearing a Yellow Lantern Ring!"
"Actually, Sinestro proposed creating Yellow Lantern Rings before..."
"The Guardians really are too old-fashioned."
"If you ask me, Marcus is a hundred million times better. Why don't we... give it a try too?"
"Huh?"
"One or two people would be fine. If too many switch sides... the Guardians will definitely hold us accountable."
"Well... maybe we shouldn't cause trouble."
Listening to the discussion among the Green Lanterns, Sinestro felt pleased.
Aside from the energy source they used, the [Yellow Lantern Ring] and [Green Lantern Ring] were nearly identical in ability.
Constructs, illumination, support functions...
The difference was...
The [Green Lantern Ring] focused on protection, while the [Yellow Lantern Ring] was built purely for combat!
...
Sinestro glanced at Sharon.
Marcus had not called Sharon back and instead poached him, the former leader of the Green Lantern Corps...
Sinestro had already figured something out.
The Green Lanterns beside him were probably the last members of the Corps.
If another group of capable recruits joined the Yellow Lantern Corps...
Then Sharon becoming the new leader would be inevitable.
With that thought,
Sinestro looked to the side and revealed a rare smile.
The [Yellow Lantern Ring] on his hand flashed as he activated its communication function and contacted several capable Green Lanterns.
"Blake, Lex..."
"Listen carefully..."
And so,
While Sharon enjoyed her feast in the distance,
Parallax struggled desperately outside,
Sinestro quietly swung his hoe from inside...
The atmosphere was strangely harmonious.
After realizing the power of the [Yellow Lantern Ring] and the absurd strength of Sharon's unreasonable [Supreme Yellow Light],
And after recognizing that Marcus intended to train Sharon into the next leader of the Green Lantern Corps...
Several people immediately understood.
This was fighting for a leadership position!
After exchanging glances,
They silently nodded.
They had made the most sensible choice.
Join the Yellow Lantern Corps!
The [Yellow Lantern Rings] they had been secretly holding were immediately slipped onto their fingers.
Then...
They recited the oath together:
"The day is dark and the night is bright.
Evil traitors fear my divine light.
Burned by the fire of fear, those who oppose me shall perish.
Fear is the source, my king is authority!"
The [Yellow Lantern Rings] flashed, and Marcus's vast, majestic voice echoed out.
"The oath is accepted. Welcome to the Yellow Lantern Corps!"
Only then did the other Green Lanterns nearby finally react.
Why had they suddenly defected?
But...
After seeing them remove their [Green Lantern Rings] and immediately become noticeably stronger,
Their expressions changed.
Looking down at the [Green Lantern Rings] on their own hands, they began to feel tempted.
Maybe...
The Green Lantern Corps really wasn't worth waiting for anymore?
Ch 82- Surrender??
Some Green Lanterns had different ideas.
Some of the more decisive ones followed suit and directly put the [Yellow Lantern Ring] on their fingers.
But...
The [Yellow Lantern Ring] was just like an ordinary ring and showed no intention of recognizing them as its owner.
They had a feeling...
Even if they recited the oath, no contract would be formed!
...
Their own [Green Lantern Rings] might even abandon them because of it.
The few of them looked at each other, completely confused.
Why was this happening?
Sinestro saw everything and smiled silently.
Although the [Yellow Lantern Ring] in his hand was not as powerful as Sharon's [Supreme Yellow Lantern Ring].
The Parallax Monster's ugly face twisted in frustration, its eyes darting around as if searching for a way to drag someone down with it.
But unfortunately...
As the "replica source" of the new generation [Yellow Lantern Rings], Sinestro could freely decide whether any [Yellow Lantern Ring] would recognize a particular owner.
Unlike the [Green Lantern Ring], which required specific qualifications before selecting a host.
Of course,
The [Yellow Lantern Ring] also had an automatic selection function.
After all, it was impossible for Sinestro to personally choose every single member.
That would be exhausting.
Letting the [Yellow Lantern Ring] select candidates itself and then verifying whether they were qualified was the most practical solution.
But this modification
Gave Sinestro tremendous control over the [Yellow Lantern Corps].
It guaranteed that no opposing voices would appear.
The entire [Yellow Lantern Corps] would obey him absolutely.
It greatly satisfied Sinestro's desire for control.
...
Although the original purpose of this design
Was simply because Marcus wanted to be lazy. As long as he controlled Sinestro, he could command the entire [Yellow Lantern Corps].
While he was thinking,
Sharon had already absorbed all the fear energy left behind by the Parallax Monster.
Then she attacked it from behind.
This made the Parallax Monster furious!
Unfortunately...
It was blocked by Sinestro and the others, reducing its speed to a crawl.
After a while,
Sharon caught up to it, charging through its body without restraint while the Supreme Yellow Lantern crazily absorbed the fear energy it had accumulated over countless years.
At this moment,
The Parallax was filled with regret.
Why had it gone after the Chitauri Legion while traveling through space?
If it hadn't,
It would never have met Marcus.
It wouldn't have become enemies with him.
And it certainly wouldn't have delivered itself right to his doorstep.
It hated itself!
If only time could be reversed...
It would slap its past self and tell it to focus on dealing with the Green Lantern Corps instead of chasing extra opportunities.
But it was too late now.
With no other choice...
The Parallax Monster dragged Sharon around while she continued feasting on its energy and eventually returned to Earth once again.
Through the massive [Seraphim Shield], it looked down at Marcus.
"Human, what exactly do you want?" the Parallax Monster said, lowering its head. "We've fought three times, and you haven't suffered any losses. Why don't we make peace?"
What a sight.
Sinestro and the others exchanged strange looks.
After dealing with the Parallax Monster for so many years, they had never seen it act this humble.
This was...
Fear.
The mighty Parallax Monster, the embodiment of fear itself, was actually afraid.
What a rare sight.
At the same time,
The newly joined Yellow Lanterns under Sinestro became even more excited about the future.
Working under someone this powerful was incredible.
Faced with the Parallax Monster's attempt to compromise, Marcus had no intention of killing it outright.
He said calmly, "Sharon's Yellow Lantern Ring still needs a Lantern Beast. Go inside it yourself."
The Lantern Beast represented the power source of a Lantern Ring.
It could greatly strengthen the ring's abilities.
A very useful enhancement.
But for the Parallax Monster,
Being trapped inside a tiny ring?
"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!" the Parallax Monster roared. "How is that any different from being imprisoned? I will never agree!"
"Oh." Marcus replied calmly.
Then he said, "Sharon, drain him dry."
Sharon immediately increased the power of the [Supreme Yellow Lantern Ring].
The Parallax Monster instantly felt weak...
She was draining it so hard that it could barely endure it anymore!
The Parallax Monster's ugly face twisted even further, its eyes darting around as if searching for someone to take down with it.
But unfortunately...
Marcus was anchoring a Mephisto-level entity to Earth, and the [Seraphim Shield] was impossible to break.
Sharon held the [Supreme Yellow Lantern Ring], which completely countered it.
As for Sinestro and the others...
The [Yellow Lantern Ring] and the Parallax Monster drew power from the same source. Although the power gap was still enormous, it was impossible for the Parallax Monster to kill them instantly.
Would Marcus and Sharon just sit back and watch their subordinates get wiped out?
The Parallax Monster felt a little hopeless.
It couldn't escape.
It couldn't win.
Even surrendering felt like a luxury.
How was it supposed to play this game?
Seeing that its size had already shrunk by more than half,
The Parallax Monster sighed and looked weakly at Marcus.
"I agree."
As it spoke,
Its still enormous body rapidly condensed into a small mass and flew toward Sharon's [Supreme Yellow Lantern Ring].
However...
A look of disgust flashed across Sharon's face. She covered the [Supreme Yellow Lantern Ring], preventing the Parallax Monster from entering.
Then,
The Ion Shark emerged from her [Green Lantern Ring] and smacked the Parallax Monster away with its tail.
The Parallax Monster tumbled through space and glared angrily at Sharon.
"What the hell do you want? Humiliate me, human?!"
This anger posed no threat to Sharon.
She did not even look at it and instead complained to Marcus.
"This thing is too ugly. I don't want it."
The Parallax Monster froze on the spot.
...
Too ugly?
That was the reason?
You rejected me because I'm ugly?
And you even slapped me away?
...
It had never suffered such humiliation in its life!
Even worse...
Marcus nodded seriously.
"It really is too ugly," Marcus agreed. "Besides, if you're going to become the future leader of the Green Lantern Corps, carrying around a Parallax Monster would be a bit inappropriate."
As soon as those words fell,
Sinestro immediately stepped forward.
"My king, your subordinate doesn't care about appearances. Why not let me use the Parallax Monster as my Lantern Beast?"
The anticipation on his face was impossible to hide.
However...
Marcus looked at Sinestro's red face, then looked at the ugly Parallax Monster.
What gave you the right to judge appearances?
He casually waved his hand.
"Take it."
"Thank you, my king, for your reward!"
Sinestro grinned from ear to ear. Standing beside Marcus, he raised his [Yellow Lantern Ring] toward the Parallax Monster.
Get in yourself.
The Parallax Monster felt utterly miserable.
...
Marcus had already wrapped an arm around Sharon and turned to leave...
He was just leaving!
The [Seraphim Shield] would naturally be canceled afterward.
That made the Parallax Monster narrow its eyes slightly, and some dangerous thoughts surfaced...
But in the next moment,
Sinestro gave a signal, and the other Yellow Lanterns immediately gathered around, surrounding the Parallax Monster.
Although they could not truly threaten it, they could delay it long enough.
Long enough for Marcus to notice and release the [Seraphim Shield] again.
At that point...
The Parallax Monster would not even have the chance to surrender.
The Parallax Monster sighed and helplessly flew toward Sinestro. It obediently entered the [Yellow Lantern Ring] of the ant that had once been powerless against it.
"Buzz..."
Sinestro looked as if he had been struck by lightning. Yellow electricity flashed across his entire body as he leaned backward and let out a long cry with his mouth open.
Since sound could not travel through space, the scene looked a little funny.
However, the surrounding Yellow Lanterns and Green Lanterns all looked horrified.
Because...
In their eyes, Sinestro's energy signature was skyrocketing.
The Parallax Monster was different from the Ion Shark.
It was a complete entity that had devoured thousands of Green Lanterns and plundered multiple civilizations along its journey.
Even after Sharon had drained a huge amount of its energy, a starving camel was still bigger than a horse.
Now all of that energy was being absorbed by Sinestro.
He received an enormous power boost on the spot.
Ch 83- Aftermath
Half an hour later,
Sinestro finally adapted to this brand-new state.
His entire body, energy, and spirit had undergone a tremendous transformation.
Now, when he looked at the Green Lanterns...
He subconsciously shook his head.
And finally realized
How ridiculous they must have looked in the eyes of the Parallax Monster back then.
...
A Parallax Monster that powerful
Didn't even have the ability to make Marcus fight personally.
The later-created [Yellow Lantern Ring] and the casually deployed [Seraphim Shield]
Had been enough to deal with it.
The difference was overwhelming.
Sinestro floated forward and looked at his former comrades.
A distant smile appeared on his face.
"The crisis here has been resolved. This planet is my king's private domain. Please do not approach it again without his permission."
Looking at their former leader,
Now warning them like a loyal guard,
Many Green Lanterns could only smile bitterly.
How...
Had things ended up like this?
Seeing their expressions, Sinestro kindly offered a reminder.
"My king's wife is also a member of the Green Lantern Corps. I believe that maintaining a good relationship with her will bring limitless opportunities in the future."
At this point, it was no longer a hint.
It was completely explicit.
"Oh, right."
"Since I have stepped down, the position of Green Lantern Corps leader is now vacant."
"You should return to Oa as soon as possible and elect a new leader."
"I will notify Queen Sharon later and have her return to Oa as well."
The Green Lanterns looked at each other.
Anyone capable of rushing to Earth as reinforcements was an elite.
Naturally, none of them were stupid.
One of them stepped forward and said, "Then we'll wait nearby and return together with Queen Sharon. That way we'll have someone looking after us along the way."
Sinestro smiled.
Success.
But not enough.
What he needed were firm supporters of Sharon.
He raised his hand.
Many of the [Yellow Lantern Rings] being held by the Green Lanterns began glowing with yellow Lantern.
"The Yellow Lantern Rings created by my king no longer corrupt the minds of their users. They are simply tools."
"As former comrades, I am happy to share this joy with you."
"Now, follow me and recite the oath."
"The day is dark and the night is bright."
The Green Lanterns were deLanterned.
Without hesitation,
They immediately repeated after him.
"The day is dark and the night is bright."
Sinestro smiled meaningfully and continued.
"Evil traitors, fear my divine Lantern."
"Burn in fearful fire, those who oppose me shall perish."
"Fear is the source, my king is authority!"
When the oath was completed,
The [Yellow Lantern Rings] flashed brightly.
Marcus's vast and majestic voice echoed through space.
"The oath is fulfilled. Welcome to the Corps."
Yes!
The Yellow Lantern Corps!
These people would become members of the Yellow Lantern Corps, serving as nails driven into Oa and becoming Sharon's strongest supporters.
Ensuring Sharon could smoothly take the position of Green Lantern Corps leader.
"Congratulations. We're all family now," Sinestro said with a smile. "Space is too barren. Come rest on my king's planet."
What?
The warning from earlier?
That was for outsiders.
Now everyone was one of their own.
After entering the atmosphere, Sinestro no longer restricted them.
He only reminded them of one thing.
Do not cause trouble for my king.
Then he departed at Lantern speed.
After all, if he did something this impressive and didn't report it to Marcus, it would be like wearing fine clothes at night.
"Sinestro really latched onto a powerful backer," someone said with emotion.
"You're not wrong."
"The Parallax Monster became his Lantern Beast. A real one, not a puppet."
"Tell me honestly, wouldn't you want that too?"
"I would..."
"I'm jealous."
After chatting for a while,
Everyone dispersed to experience the customs and culture of Earth.
Of course,
They all remembered one thing.
Absolutely do not cause trouble for my king.
At the same time,
After listening to Sinestro's report, Marcus showed a satisfied expression.
As expected of the former leader of the Green Lantern Corps and someone responsible for maintaining order throughout the universe.
He handled things effortlessly.
He was definitely worth training.
The best part was...
Sinestro waved his hand.
Thousands of [Green Lantern Rings] appeared, densely filling the hall.
"My king, there are 3,278 Green Lantern Rings here. They were collected when the Parallax Monster swept through Oa."
"What do you think we should do with them?"
Good guy.
Sinestro's change in mentality was really fast.
Half a day ago, he was in charge of the [Green Lantern Corps].
Now he was directly withholding more than 3,000 [Green Lantern Rings] from the [Green Lantern Corps]?
Have to say...
As a boss,
Marcus was very satisfied with what Sinestro had done.
But...
These belonged to those old guys among the Guardians of the Universe. If he swallowed all of them, the other side would probably lose their minds.
That would be troublesome.
Although Marcus now possessed [Multiverse Level] power, the development of many of his abilities had not caught up yet.
If he really started a conflict with those old fossils,
He personally was not afraid, and he could also protect the people around him.
But...
Don't forget,
Cybertron had already begun exploring cosmic forces, and wars would soon break out across the universe.
Marcus could not protect everyone forever.
Although the Guardians of the Universe had a rule of "not interfering with the operation of the universe", rules existed to be broken.
It was not that he was afraid.
It just was not worth causing trouble over a few thousand [Green Lantern Rings].
Why throw away a bigger opportunity for such a small gain?
So...
Marcus said, "Let them choose hosts within Earth's territory."
After a pause,
He looked at Sharon and added, "Lower the host selection standards a little. These people will be your team from now on."
Sharon nodded and communicated with Ion Shark.
Strands of green energy shot out, linking all the [Green Lantern Rings] in the air.
Soon,
All the [Green Lantern Rings] flew out of Dawn Tower and spread across the entire world.
One after another, they descended and chose new hosts.
After all...
The selection standard of the [Green Lantern Ring] was simply willpower.
It had nothing to do with civilization level and depended entirely on personal experience and character.
As long as the requirements were not excessively strict, there were plenty of people on Earth who qualified.
Of course,
Even with lowered standards, only a little over a thousand people truly qualified.
Lowering the requirements further would reduce combat effectiveness and not be worth it.
"Put the rest throughout the universe," Marcus said. "Use the highest standards. A corps can't exist without a few elite members."
Sharon nodded.
"I agree. The current team is enough for me to establish a firm foothold in the Green Lantern Corps."
Sinestro also agreed.
"Those who obtain Green Lantern Rings will be scattered and unable to form an organization. Later, we can have our people recruit them. That way, they'll already be half one of us. I'll handle this matter and make everything clear to them."
Look at that.
How reassuring was this guy?
Marcus nodded slightly in approval.
He casually tossed an "Eternal Life BUFF Ring" to Sinestro as well, though it could not truly grant eternal life.
Then he waved his hand.
The Gate of Babylon opened, and densely packed [Resurrection Crosses] emerged.
He motioned for Sharon and Sinestro to take them.
Five hundred each.
"Use them to win people's loyalty."
Sharon was pleasantly surprised.
Standing on her tiptoes, she kissed Marcus.
"Thank you for the reward, my king!"
Sinestro naturally did not know what the [Resurrection Cross] did, but he thanked him immediately anyway.
If Marcus said it was valuable and Sharon reacted like that, then it had to be something good.
"Then I'll be leaving first," Sharon said reluctantly. "I need to stabilize the situation over there. I'll probably have to stay for quite a while..."
Marcus smiled and wrapped an arm around Sharon's waist.
"Then I'd better make the most of the time we have and take good care of you."
Sharon was not shy at all and simply smiled sweetly.
"Okay!"
The two looked at each other, and the atmosphere instantly heated up.
How self-aware was Sinestro?
He turned around and left immediately.
More than a thousand new Green Lanterns had just appeared on Earth.
Those people needed to be gathered together and given some basic indoctrination.
If anyone was found causing trouble, he would deal with them personally.
Everything had to be done perfectly to ensure that Queen Sharon could smoothly take over the [Green Lantern Corps].
Ch 84- Aftermath
As Sinestro saw it,
A subordinate needed to think about solving problems for the boss if he wanted to avoid being eliminated.
He did a good job of that.
And there was another person with the same mindset and awareness.
Nick Fury!
Previously,
The news that Marcus had become the owner of Earth had been heard by a large number of people.
It had already spread everywhere.
Just as Fury predicted...
Countries represented by the United States immediately began shouting slogans about "freedom" and "democracy", strongly protesting this act of "giving away Earth as a gift."
In public opinion, they started attacking the "Saviour," accusing him of having "ulterior motives" and saying that Earth had taken him in only for him to "covet the planet."
Damn...
They were really asking to die.
That took some guts.
Fury looked horrified.
Did these people not know how powerful Marcus was?
They actually thought this kind of manipulation would work?
Wasn't this just suicide?
But there was no other choice.
Before Marcus noticed any of it, Fury could only move as quickly as possible and clean up the mess.
There were also some countries that understood the situation.
After all, an arm could not wrestle a thigh. The more aggressively people jumped around now, the worse the reckoning would be later.
So they chose to remain neutral.
There were also underdeveloped countries that had suffered from war for years. They directly supported the idea with both hands and feet.
After all...
Their countries were already full of problems.
If Marcus could unify everything, then everyone would become one family behind closed doors.
"Hill, contact the countries willing to join first and establish a new Security Council."
"It should be completed within three days," Hill replied.
There was no difficulty in that task. The framework already existed. It just needed some adjustments.
She was very good at this sort of work.
"Phil Coulson, keep an eye on the neutral countries. Bring in as many as you can."
"I'll do my best..." Phil Coulson smiled bitterly. "No matter what, I'll provide a list within a week."
Fury patted Phil Coulson on the shoulder.
At a time like this, that was all they could do.
Then he looked at Natasha Romanoff.
"Natasha, you..."
"Stay close to Marcus. Don't let him pay attention to this news for the time being. At least make sure nothing goes wrong for the next two months."
Natasha shrugged.
"Then you probably don't need me. He doesn't have time to care about any of this. Every day he's either traveling around sightseeing or spending time with his girlfriends."
"..."
Hill: "..."
Phil Coulson: "..."
Just thinking about it,
Marcus was probably dating a girl right now.
Meanwhile, they were here racking their brains over a unification plan that human civilization had failed to achieve for thousands of years.
How depressing.
"Alright!"
Fury clapped his hands and said seriously, "He has that kind of power. What's there to envy? Get back to work!"
"Yes!"
Just as the meeting was about to end...
A green meteor shower descended.
Four streaks of green light crashed through the glass and stopped in front of Fury, Hill, Phil Coulson, and Natasha.
They were [Green Lantern Rings]!
A scanning beam projected from each [Green Lantern Ring], sweeping over them from head to toe.
Then they all spoke at the same time.
"Intelligent life detected!"
"Nick Fury, Maria Hill, Phil Coulson, Natasha of Earth!"
"You possess the willpower required to overcome fear and meet the recruitment standards of the Green Lantern Corps!"
"Will you take the oath and become members of the Green Lantern Corps?"
The four of them looked at each other in confusion.
What was going on?
Of course they recognized the [Green Lantern Rings].
Sharon had one.
And that extraordinary power...
If they could obtain it, they naturally wanted it.
Finally,
The eyes of the other three landed on Natasha.
"Don't look at me. I don't know either." Natasha spread her hands. "I only know that Parallax attacked Oa, the headquarters of the Green Lantern Corps. A lot of Green Lanterns probably died there. That means a lot of Green Lantern Rings became ownerless."
Phil Coulson rolled his eyes.
"That green meteor shower just now... don't tell me those were all Green Lantern Rings?"
Fury and Hill's eyes widened at the same time.
Holy shit!
There had to be thousands of them, right?
This was...
Earth was becoming the Green Lantern Corps new recruiting ground?
"It shouldn't be wrong," Fury said cautiously. "Parallax attacked Oa, and those Green Lantern Rings should have ended up in his possession. After becoming Sinestro's lantern beast, they were handed over to Marcus..."
"But Marcus can already create Yellow Lantern Rings out of thin air, so he probably doesn't care about these. That's why he let them search for hosts on Earth."
"In that case, when Sharon goes to Oa later, these Green Lanterns from Earth will become her team, and they'll definitely support her."
As expected of Fury.
Just from a few pieces of information, he pieced together most of the truth by himself, and he was basically correct.
"Then... should we accept them?" Hill asked. "If we do, does that mean we'll go into space and become cosmic police officers?"
Well...
Phil Coulson's excitement immediately faded.
Fury also looked at Natasha.
"Probably," Natasha explained. "I heard from Sharon that the universe is divided into 3,600 sectors by the Green Lantern Corps, and each Green Lantern Ring corresponds to a sector. Our solar system would probably get, at most, one sector."
In that case...
Fury made the decision first and pushed the [Green Lantern Ring] away.
"I refuse to join."
The [Green Lantern Ring] flashed, turned around, and left without hesitation.
Phil Coulson sighed as well.
"I refuse too."
His [Green Lantern Ring] also flew away.
Hill did not have much attachment to it either. After refusing, [Green Lantern Ring] left as well.
Only the [Green Lantern Ring] in front of Natasha remained floating in place.
Natasha said,
"You can leave too. I don't need it."
That's right.
She didn't need it.
Natasha already had access to the [Eye of Agamotto], allowing her to borrow the power of a Time Stone mage.
A [Green Lantern Ring]?
Was it really better than Marcus's [Book of Contracts]?
After the [Green Lantern Ring] flew away,
Natasha quietly added, "There are cells from a certain planet. Injecting them can give someone at least Superman-level strength. Even if you can't get the latest version, the older version should still be available."
Phil Coulson's eyes lit up.
Now that was something worth having!
After all...
The power granted by a [Green Lantern Ring] might not even be as strong as Superman.
Meanwhile,
It turned out that Sharon alone was enough.
Marcus had fed her so thoroughly that she was completely exhausted and had fallen asleep.
There was no point in continuing.
So Marcus got up and went to find Faora in the underground laboratory.
The other girls were still busy.
The battle was over,
But the chaos it caused was still spreading.
Loki was leading people in disaster relief efforts across various regions, building goodwill toward mutants.
When the girls studied the [Book of Contracts], the first ability they all chose without exception was [Light of Recovery].
Once distributed,
As long as a person still had a breath left in them, the recovery speed could save them.
As for Faora...
She possessed the [Tiger Talisman], allowing her to split into two versions of herself.
This was perfect for Marcus, who was only half satisfied.
Lying on the empty laboratory workbench,
Marcus held one Faora on each side and opened the system panel.
He still had not checked the rewards from this event.
[Congratulations to the host for gaining the allegiance of "Nick Fury", adding a strategist and agent background to the family!]
[Congratulations to the host for gaining the allegiance of "Thaal Sinestro" and establishing the "Yellow Lantern Corps", adding powerful combat strength and heritage to the family!]
[Congratulations to the host for obtaining the "Parallax Monster" as a lantern beast, greatly increasing the strength of the "Yellow Lantern Corps"!]
[Family strength is growing. Comprehensive reward settlement in progress...]
[Congratulations to the host for receiving the reward...]
Ch 85- Catwoman
Name: [Astronomical Computer Blueprint];
Grade: [S];
Description: A computer constructed from celestial bodies that can perform simulation calculations!
Slogan: Computing power is everything!
Well...
This thing came from the same civilization as Marcus's Tiga.
A civilization that achieved godhood through science and technology!
But!
For Marcus personally, it was not of much use.
He already had [Dimensional Control], so what else did he need?
Tiga, for him now,
was just a smart housekeeper. It could not carry abilities like [Dimensional Control] under normal circumstances.
But!
For Cybertron, this thing was practically a divine artifact!
Besides...
The symbiotes under Novita could also take the path of "becoming gods through technology" as long as they were equipped with a genetic system.
As long as there were enough resources,
it would not be impossible for them to become gods in the future.
And,
this system was universal. In the future, Marcus's subordinates could gain this kind of power as long as sufficient resources were available!
"The problem is manufacturing this large-scale astronomical computer requires at least one galaxy as a starting point..."
"Forget the Milky Way. If I get the chance to travel through the universe..."
"I'll find some barren galaxy nobody wants and build the astronomical computer there..."
But in that case,
he could not set up defenses for the entire galaxy, could he?
Right!
Marcus turned his attention to Tiga's [Genetic System].
Under [Dimensional Control],
the so-called "Dark Plane" was actually closely related to the [Mirror Dimension].
There were some differences, though.
If the universe Marcus currently lived in was considered the "Main Universe",
then places like the [Mirror Dimension], [Dark Plane], and [Anti-Universe] were "alternate dimensions" born alongside the Main Universe.
Just like underage children,
they were born from the Main Universe and closely connected to it. If they eventually matured, they could become entirely new Main Universes.
And the reason for all of this,
was because at the beginning, a complete universe had split into multiple universes. These alternate dimensions had grown from the leftover fragments that were not incorporated into the new universes.
...
Just find an ownerless alternate dimension and hide the astronomical computer inside.
Even someone as powerful as the Ancient One
would have extreme difficulty finding it without precise cosmic coordinates.
"But if I do that, ordinary units that want to access the astronomical computer will first need to master spells and open a path into the alternate dimension..."
Although there were [Scientific Spells], not everyone could sense magical power.
There were limitations.
Marcus could not solve that problem for now, so he decided to think about it later.
Things would work themselves out eventually.
Marcus yawned. He had gotten enough exercise and was feeling sleepy.
He simply lay down on the laboratory table and fell asleep.
When he woke up again,
Faora was fully dressed and observing cells with her naked eyes.
That's right!
With her naked eyes!
The microscopic ability granted by [Super Vision] was far more convenient than an ordinary microscope.
...
It saved a lot of equipment.
Without disturbing Faora, Marcus teleported into the living room.
Just in time for a [Portal] to open, and Natasha walked out.
"Yo, our busy woman is back," Marcus joked. "So, how did it feel wiping out HYDRA?"
Natasha punched him playfully.
Marcus caught her and pulled her into his arms.
"You really gave us a huge problem," Natasha complained. "Fury is so stressed his lips have gone pale."
Marcus raised an eyebrow.
Fury?
Pale?
Good grief.
This was serious.
"Can't be helped. He brought it up himself," Marcus shrugged. "I never intended for everyone to know that Earth belongs to me."
Natasha agreed with that.
After all...
Apart from women, there seemed to be nothing else on Earth worth Marcus going out of his way for.
"Then why do you want Fury to unify the world's governments?" Natasha asked curiously.
"Don't you think it's fun?" Marcus smiled. "I'm not interested in managing things, but I am interested in giving Fury difficult problems to solve."
Natasha thought of Fury's troubled expression, constantly scratching his head even as new hair grew in.
She couldn't help laughing.
She had known Fury for years and had never seen him this anxious.
It really was interesting!
"By the way, about the Green Lantern Rings..."
Natasha briefly described what had happened earlier.
This surprised Marcus.
"I can understand Fury refusing, but Hill and Phil Coulson..."
They were both ordinary people. How could they resist that kind of temptation?
"So, are you planning to give them some compensation?" Natasha asked with a playful smile. "They're working for you now. How are they supposed to persuade those stubborn countries if they don't have any power?"
Good grief!
Was she sure that kind of "persuasion" would be done with words?
Marcus pressed a finger against Natasha's lips, a smile appearing at the corner of his mouth.
"That depends on how you convince me."
Natasha slowly crouched down in front of Marcus, her movements full of charm.
"Oh..."
Natasha's argument was very persuasive, and Marcus was convinced.
He told her to go directly to Faora. The lower-grade version of the [Kryptonian Blood Potion] could be distributed as standard equipment.
After all, they were all working under him now. There was no reason to treat them poorly.
Natasha left to handle it.
At that moment,
Darcy and the other girls returned to Dawn Tower after helping with disaster relief.
Everyone looked tired, but their spirits were high.
"I treated 987 people today!" Celeste said proudly. "You have no idea, this is the first time in my life I've been thanked this much!"
"Yeah!" Jean sighed. "I never imagined Mutants would be treated like this."
"What's so surprising about that? You saved them. Of course they'd be grateful." Skye said. "Those idiot politicians used to target Mutants. Let's see how they keep doing that now."
"Hmph! The whole Earth belongs to our family now. What trouble can they cause?" Lorna raised her head proudly. "If you ask me, Marcus should make Mutants and Inhumans the future direction of human evolution!"
Esme and the other girls immediately nodded in agreement.
Their conversation gave Marcus an idea.
Or...
Should he turn Earth into one of those 'spiritual awakening' worlds from novels?
People with X-Genes, Inhuman Genes, and similar abilities could awaken superpowers and become the new elite.
Hmm...
That actually had potential!
Once Fury finished his current work, Marcus could have him handle it.
For now...
"Hey, girls!" Marcus opened his arms. "To reward everyone for working so hard today, I booked a full restaurant in france. It should be time by now..."
"Wow!"
"Seriously?"
"I feel like I could eat an entire table by myself!"
"Call Kara, Diana, and the others!"
"Let's go!"
The girls immediately opened one [Portal] after another and gathered all of Marcus's wives. They even dragged Sharon out of bed.
Everyone rushed off toward the banquet Marcus had promised.
Marcus originally planned to go too...
But Darcy opened a [Portal] beneath his feet and dropped him somewhere else.
As soon as he landed,
he saw Catwoman, Selina Kyle, sitting in front of him, carefully dressed up.
Marcus was a little confused.
What was going on?
"I promised you before that if you saved Earth, I'd become your woman." Selina Kyle smiled. "Now I'm here to keep that promise."
Marcus raised an eyebrow.
Keeping a promise?
You don't exactly look reluctant.
Are you sure you're just honouring an agreement and not interested in me personally?
Selina Kyle truly lived up to her reputation as Catwoman, the woman who constantly toyed with Bruce Wayne.
She could tell exactly what Marcus was thinking.
She stood up, letting her cloak slide from her shoulders.
Underneath was a tight leather outfit.
With a graceful stride, she walked toward Marcus, making no effort to hide the desire in her eyes.
"Fine, I'm interested in you too."
"Come here, baby."
Wait for patreon or continue on fanmtl: American comics: dominate the multi-universe, starting with concubines.
Continue from chapter 82: take down Wanda! Milkey way tiger!