Chapter 279: The Green Lanterns Take Action
"What is that?"
Sinestro stared at the irregularly writhing shadow, but couldn't make out its true form.
The longer he looked, the more his eyes burned with a needle-like pain.
A terrifying murmur echoed endlessly in his ears, as if whispering from deep within his soul, tempting him to step into an abyss without end.
At this moment, the entire Yellow Lantern Corps could be seen clutching their ears and howling in place with their eyes tightly shut. Blood streamed from the corners of their eyes.
Some Yellow Lanterns, whose bodies were covered in eyes, looked especially miserable—after all, they had far too many to suffer with.
Even Sinestro, as the leader of the Yellow Lanterns and the master of fear, felt his scalp tingle with unease.
"Stop!"
Lyssa trembled uncontrollably, overwhelmed by the presence of this nameless, indescribable entity. A deep, involuntary fear took hold of her—fear born from the unknown.
The fear harnessed by the Yellow Light had tangible form and could at least be confronted.
But this—this unnameable, unseeable presence—was like an ant gazing up at the unreachable sky.
"I can't stop it."
Allen held up his Yellow Lantern ring, trying to dispel the manifestation of the Cthulhu deity. But it refused to respond, as if he'd truly contacted a mysterious and dangerous being by accident.
What's more, the yellow light was continuously pouring into the shadowy figure, gradually transforming it from an illusion into something real—drawing it into the physical world.
"Boss, save me!"
Allen, unable to remain calm, teleported behind Sinestro, trembling as he peeked at the blurred shadow.
Where Sinestro had once seen him as a promising rookie, now he was starting to look more like a ticking time bomb that could wipe out the Yellow Lantern Corps at any moment. Sinestro even began to suspect he might be an undercover agent sent by some other faction.
"What exactly did you see?"
According to the rules of the Yellow Lantern ring, one couldn't just imagine something out of thin air to spread fear—there had to be a coherent, reasonable concept to manifest.
The problem was, Cthulhu deities didn't exist in this universe.
"I learned about the Cthulhu Mythos… from some doujinshi featuring monster girls," Allen admitted, a little sheepishly.
After all, he was an energetic young man with diverse interests—not just in humans, but in monster girls, beast girls, and Lovecraftian-themed waifus. He had, in fact, conducted in-depth "academic" research on all of them.
He even attempted a scientific project to raise an octopus into an octopus girl.
Unfortunately, that project had failed—mainly because he'd kept the octopus in the toilet and accidentally flushed it away.
"Return to the void!"
Sinestro could no longer stand idly by. If this so-called Cthulhu entity truly descended into reality, the resulting backlash could plunge the entire Yellow Lantern Corps into catastrophe.
And they'd be the first casualties.
Materializing a battle axe, Sinestro charged at the shadow like a war god.
In that moment, the commanding aura of the Yellow Lantern leader erupted in full.
"Boss, you're amazing!"
Allen cheerfully cheered him on from the sidelines, completely lacking any sense of remorse for having caused the mess in the first place.
But within seconds, Sinestro halted mid-air.
He had just realized something: the closer he got to the shadow, the more overwhelming the fear became.
Still, he couldn't afford to back down in front of his subordinates—especially not from a creature conjured by a rookie. It would undermine his authority completely.
"Come out."
Sinestro summoned the Yellow Lantern battery. With a booming shout, a dazzling golden creature burst forth.
It looked like a cross between a beast and an insect, its body composed of overlapping armored segments, exuding a bloodthirsty menace.
This was Parallax, the yellow emotional entity of fear.
All Lantern rings had corresponding emotional entities, which could merge with ring-bearers. Usually, the entity controlled the action—except Parallax.
Because Sinestro was Parallax's master, he would never relinquish control.
The next moment, Parallax dove into Sinestro's body. Instantly, his golden aura surged; his uniform became more majestic and terrifying, and his presence transformed dramatically.
"Die!"
Sinestro roared, his mouth full of razor-sharp teeth, feral and wild.
BOOM!
A deafening blast echoed through the heavens.
Sinestro pierced through the Cthulhu-like shadow with his body, restoring his dignity as the leader.
In an instant, the shadow disintegrated into dust.
"I feel… oddly disappointed."
Allen tilted his head, imagining what it might've been like if Cthulhu had fully manifested. But he wisely reined in the crazy idea. Now wasn't the time—Sinestro would be the first to kill him.
"Boss, I have to admit… you're at least a thousandth as handsome as I am," Allen quipped.
"Allen, I'm warning you," Sinestro said sternly. "Unless it's absolutely necessary—or I give the order—never summon that so-called Cthulhu again."
"Got it, boss! No problem, boss!"
That said, Allen realized that a normal Yellow Lantern ring wasn't enough to summon an actual Cthulhu deity.
Even after all that time, he had only manifested a faint shadow. The ring was nearly depleted of energy. Parallax-empowered Sinestro, on the other hand, possessed fear energy in abundance.
Now, the other Yellow Lanterns looked at Allen with nothing but dread.
They'd initially planned to bully the newcomer—only to find out he was a terrifying monster in disguise. They immediately gave up any such notions.
"You've completed the basic training. Next is the final trial."
Sinestro no longer dared to let him recklessly use the Yellow Ring's power. But stripping him of his status as a Yellow Lantern felt like a waste.
Letting go of someone with the potential to become a powerhouse Yellow Lantern just wasn't rational.
He believed that if Allen ever managed to "raise" a Cthulhu deity, he alone could take on the entire Green Lantern Corps.
Not that it would threaten Sinestro's own position—after all, he was Parallax's master.
"Boss, I can't wait to become a full-fledged Yellow Lantern!"
Allen declared passionately, "The hypocritical Green Lanterns will one day bow before the might of the Yellow Lantern Corps!"
Sinestro just smiled faintly.
That kind of talk was fine to hear, but not worth taking too seriously.
He himself had once been a high-ranking member of the Green Lantern Corps and knew that the Guardians of Oa had a secret plan—a hidden operation to cultivate an Ultimate Lantern.
As for the strength of this Ultimate Lantern… even he couldn't be sure he could win.
To meet the criteria of an Ultimate Lantern required more than experience—it demanded an unbreakable will.
If not for unforeseen events, and his eventual defection from the Corps, he might have been one of them.
The Final Trial: The House of Fear.
Allen was taken into a pitch-black room that would manifest the thing each candidate feared most.
Countless rookies had failed here—otherwise, the Yellow Lantern Corps would already outnumber the Green Lanterns.
This step was absolutely essential.
Those who couldn't embrace fear would eventually be consumed by it and become food for Parallax.
Sinestro certainly didn't want Parallax growing too strong and breaking free of his control someday.
After all, being enslaved for so long, how could Parallax not bear resentment?
As the door closed—
Allen was swallowed by darkness. He raised his ring, letting its yellow glow illuminate the space, but the darkness around him seemed to devour all light, reducing his visibility to barely a meter.
Only Lyssa was observing the process through the Book of Parallax.
If he passed, his trial would be recorded within its pages.
"Hello?"
Allen glanced around. "Anybody home?"
Click.
It sounded like a light switch being flipped.
Suddenly, the scene shifted to a familiar place.
It looked like a hospital, with the sterile smell of disinfectant lingering in the air.
"Hiss… Greenhill Rehabilitation Center?!"
Allen immediately recognized it.
His unforgettable old home.
A place full of… geniuses.
"Allen."
A voice called from behind.
He turned to see a group of medical staff staring at him.
Their masks revealed emotionless eyes, and in their hands were syringes filled with unknown fluids—his inescapable nightmare.
"Is it time for another shot?"
Allen asked in a trembling voice, every hair on his body standing on end.
He'd always feared injections more than anything.
The thick needles, the sting as they pierced the skin, the tightening muscles resisting the fluid—all of it often left one cheek numb for hours.
He even suspected the shady hospital was experimenting on him in secret.
"Come now, you naughty thing."
As the voice fell, Allen was already lying on the bed with his butt raised, flashing a shy grin.
"Please don't go easy on me."
The staff exchanged awkward glances.
Dr. Chen, the one holding the syringe, asked in confusion, "Allen, haven't you always been terrified of injections? Why so cooperative today?"
"Oh, you. The more I resist, the more excited you get, don't you?"
Allen batted his eyes. "I saw your secret stash in the D-drive—folder marked 'Patient 1021.' Who would've thought you were such a perv behind that white coat."
"Now, now, don't spout nonsense."
Dr. Chen glanced nervously at his colleagues. "He's just a mental patient. Nobody believe a word of it. I'm not that kind of person."
But the more you deny…
The more it sounds true.
The two nurses gave him a look that screamed: So that's the kind of man you are.
"Don't worry, Dr. Chen," Allen chirped. "This little secret is just between the four of us. At most, it'll only be seen by a couple million readers. I trust them to keep it confidential."
"That's enough! Shut up already!"
Dr. Chen shouted, moving in to give the injection.
Allen suddenly yelled, "More sacks, more balls!"
"What now?!" Dr. Chen snapped.
"Half-immortals and simp experts must be punished too! Don't let them off!" Allen declared solemnly.
"You done?"
Dr. Chen rolled his eyes.
"Nope, one last question."
Allen gave him a pitiful look. "Can we skip the injection?"
"No," Dr. Chen said flatly.
"Alrighty then… AH-DA!"
Hiss…
Allen flipped like a mule, punching Dr. Chen in the face, making him grimace in pain.
"Doctor, hang in there—I'll go get the orderlies!" the two nurses cried as they ran for the door, leaving the doctor to his fate.
"What the hell is wrong with you?!"
Dr. Chen tried to flee, but a tremendous force slammed him onto the bed. He struggled, but couldn't move.
"Every injection from you has traumatized my soft, squishy soul—you get that?!"
Allen snatched the giant syringe, a wicked smile spreading across his face. "No, of course you don't. You're a cold, heartless monster. Keh-heh-heh…"
"Stop! Allen, don't do anything stupid!"
Dr. Chen panicked. "I was wrong before. I'm sorry, okay? Put the syringe down—it's dangerous. You'll hurt yourself!"
"Too late for apologies now."
AH!
SPLURT…
AAAAHHH!!!
Allen raised the syringe high, eyes rolled back, tongue sticking out like a possessed demon. A low, guttural growl escaped his throat.
With the needle plunging into Dr. Chen's sedentary rear, an anguished scream pierced the air.
AHHH…
AHHH…
Both of them screamed—though for very different reasons.
Allen's was one of cathartic release.
Dr. Chen's was one of abject despair.
"Feel the pain I once endured! Keh-heh-heh…"
Allen pressed down on the plunger with growing force, an evil gleam in his eyes.
"Oh god—stop! Stop, please!"
Dr. Chen struggled in terror. "You can't do this! It's going to swell! It's going to SWELL!"
"Hehehe… I don't buy that."
Allen said cruelly, "The last bit—let's get it all in!"
Pfft…
The injection ended, and as the needle was pulled out, a thin trace of blood could clearly be seen.
Dr. Chen appeared dazed, as if his soul had left his body. His legs gave out and he collapsed into a kneeling, duck-like sitting position, knees buckled inward—like a puppet that had been completely wrecked.
"Hm… Dr. Chen, why is one side bigger than the other? Looks like it did swell."
Through Dr. Chen's pants, Allen noticed the left side was visibly about a cup size larger. He commented with casual interest, "Don't worry, Dr. Chen. I'll fix that for you. After all, I once personally performed reconstructive work after crossing over—very successful, and the client was extremely satisfied."
That fortunate recipient, of course, was Gotham's current mayor—an avant-garde individual who wholeheartedly embraced natural therapy.
"No! No more, please!"
—
Planet Oa.
The news of Kentar's death had already spread within the Green Lantern Corps—most critically, the loss of a Green Lantern ring.
The video transmission recorded before his death had been sent back, exposing the true culprit to all.
In an instant, hatred toward the Yellow Lantern Corps surged throughout the Green Lantern ranks.
Any organization requires a defined enemy to maintain unity and purpose.
That's precisely why the Guardians had deliberately never fully eradicated the Yellow Lantern Corps—so that the Green Lanterns would always remain vigilant, always have a goal to strive toward.
Now, the situation had exploded.
Kentar had been a seasoned Green Lantern with strong relationships across the Corps—many comrades who had fought and bled alongside him. There was no way they'd just sit idly by.
That day, several Green Lanterns defied orders and flew straight toward Korugar.
With all 3,600 sectors under surveillance, the Guardians of Oa naturally knew where the Yellow Lanterns were.
"Shouldn't we stop them?"
"No need for concern. It's time to knock the Yellow Lantern Corps down a peg."
"Agreed. They've been a bit too active lately. It's time for a good show of force."
"Then have the Green Lantern Corps stand by—but exclude the team investigating the source of the whistleblower video."
"I've got a bad feeling about this. Could a disaster simulation help forecast what's coming?"
"It's worth a shot."
In the Central Council Hall, the Guardians keenly sensed that danger was drawing near.
The anonymous tip and Kentar's death were riddled with suspicious details.
The sudden appearance of Yellow Lantern Grin, leading to both their deaths, left far too many questions.
As the self-proclaimed protectors of cosmic justice, neither the Guardians nor the Green Lantern Corps would allow themselves to become pawns in someone else's scheme.