Chapter 280: Allen Visits Xandar
Allen passed the final test smoothly and officially became a Yellow Lantern.
To be honest, no one had expected that he was afraid of injections.
However, with the physical enhancements from mastering all four classes, there was no reason to fear an ordinary doctor anymore, so he completed the test without a hitch.
"Bully-Man is officially here—oh yeah!"
Allen struck a heroic pose in front of everyone, proudly announcing that he was now a member of the Yellow Lantern Corps.
Looking at him like that, people couldn't help but feel a little uneasy.
He almost wiped out the entire Yellow Lantern Corps—what if he causes even more trouble?
If the Yellow Lantern leader isn't around, it could lead to a serious mess.
"You need to choose a sector and designate a Green Lantern there as your target," Lyssa reminded him.
The Yellow Lantern Corps doesn't maintain universal order, but they do choose a sector to operate in.
The main task is to defeat the Green Lantern within that sector.
After all, the primary reason for the Yellow Lantern Corps' existence is to eliminate the Green Lantern Corps.
Once they succeed, civilizations across the universe will come to fear the Yellow Lantern Corps.
"I've had it with those green freaks for a while now."
Allen agreed, "Green is the color of shame."
Mmm...
Lyssa nodded in satisfaction. Showing hostility toward the Green Lantern Corps was a clear sign of a qualified Yellow Lantern.
In truth, she hadn't understood the implication behind the color green—she simply saw it as a way to mock the Green Lantern Corps.
In a star chart room, a spherical interstellar map formed by yellow light hovered in the air, already divided into 3,600 sectors.
"You can mark a sector to claim it as your territory."
On the star chart, many sectors already bore yellow lantern markers, indicating they were occupied by Yellow Lanterns.
Allen casually pointed to an empty sector and declared with grand ambition, "I can't wait for the Green Lantern Corps to see my pants slightly damp."
"Good luck."
Lyssa gave him an odd look. The sector he chose happened to be guarded by a veteran Green Lantern.
Most rookie Yellow Lanterns would normally inquire which sectors had rookie Green Lanterns to improve their chances in a confrontation.
Korrad has teleportation technology to shorten a Yellow Lantern's travel time.
A rhombus-shaped portal opened—an advanced long-range teleportation technology not even the three great empires of the universe possessed.
Indeed, only the Green and Yellow Lantern Corps had access to it, since it was a product of the Guardian civilization.
"I'm heading out. Don't wait for me for dinner."
With that, Allen stepped decisively into the rhombus portal.
As for Yellow Lanterns' private actions, Sinestro never intervened, nor were there any mandatory orders to kill Green Lanterns. Only during team battles was attendance absolutely required—skipping one meant inevitable punishment.
Once in space, gazing out into the endless void, Allen suddenly felt lost.
"Big Sis, how do I find that Forgiveness Guy?"
He turned around, realizing an awkward problem—the portal had already closed.
Alone in space, Allen looked utterly lost.
To understand the scope: a single sector could encompass an entire star system with billions of planets.
Of course, the vast majority of those planets were lifeless. Only about one in 100,000 was a habitable world—a flourishing system.
Among them, the number of planets that could nurture intelligent life was even smaller, let alone develop into interstellar civilizations.
Typically, one star system might have three to five civilizations.
"I'm not around… everyone must really miss me."
Allen found himself growing nostalgic for his teammates. If he hadn't been chosen by the Yellow Lantern ring, he might be organizing a barbecue party right now.
Meanwhile, back in Knowhere with his teammates…
"Cheers!"
Everyone raised their glasses and feasted on roasted meat, having completely forgotten about Allen.
They figured now that their captain had joined the Yellow Lanterns, there was no need to worry about his safety. Their previous concerns had been unnecessary.
After all, the Yellow Lantern Corps was full of villains—perfectly suited to Allen's temperament.
"We're really not going to look for the boss?" Yondu asked.
"Don't kill the vibe while we're drinking."
Frank downed his drink and said calmly, "You can only think of a plan once you're full."
"Maybe Allen's having so much fun he doesn't want to come back."
Hela speared a thick-cut steak and took a big, satisfied bite.
"Brain! I love roasted brains!"
Illusion's tongue extended unnaturally long as he sampled the grilled delicacy.
Seeing how unconcerned everyone was, Yondu could only go along with it reluctantly.
Meanwhile, Allen was already headed toward another planet.
In the vastness of space, there was no sense of direction. Even getting back to Knowhere was out of the question—he had no idea where to go, and worried he might end up going the wrong way entirely.
The only option left was to find a habitable planet and pressure them into revealing the Green Lantern's whereabouts.
At that moment—
An Orange Lantern ring entered the Korrad star system, only to sense its chosen one was no longer there. It immediately changed direction and sped deeper into space.
Once locked onto a target, the ring would never give up on its host—unless they had exited the universe entirely.
"Warning: You are approaching Planet Xandar. Please stop immediately!"
Following the ring's recorded sector star map, Allen used auto-navigation to head toward Planet Xandar.
A second-tier civilization dominated by humans, Xandar welcomed interstellar immigrants.
It remained a monarchy, led by a long line of queens.
Across the universe, monarchies were quite common.
The Shi'ar Empire and the Skrull Empire were prime examples.
Though Xandar was only a mid-tier power, it belonged to the Shi'ar Empire's sphere of influence, which explained its open immigration policies.
Hands on his hips, Allen raised his Yellow Lantern ring and faced the cross-shaped starfighters forming a defensive screen. "I'm Bully-Man, and I'd like to have a word with your queen."
The Nova Corps went on high alert.
Inside the planet, Queen Corettija spoke in alarm: "Why is there a Yellow Lantern here all of a sudden!?"
The Green Lanterns had rarely shown up in the area, mainly because Xandar had always maintained local order on its own, leaving little need for intervention.
In truth, the operation of galactic civilizations mirrored the power structures of nations on Earth—different in appearance but identical in essence.
"Your Majesty, I suggest we stall him and wait for a Green Lantern to assist," a minister proposed.
They could only think of one force capable of opposing the Yellow Lantern Corps: the Green Lantern Corps.
"You want to doom the Nova Corps?" Corettija frowned.
She doubted they could take on even a single Yellow Lantern.
In the movies, the Nova Corps couldn't even stop Ronan's fleet without the intervention of a hero-level Nova.
"Your Majesty, I didn't mean we have to fight him," the minister said hastily. "We can invite him in under the guise of diplomacy while secretly contacting the Green Lantern Corps."
"…That's our only option."
The cost of war was far too high. If the Nova Corps were wiped out, Xandar would lose its leadership over the system—especially with two rival civilizations eyeing them hungrily.
As soon as the order was given, the defense was lifted.
To Allen, that so-called defense screen was nothing but decoration. A single charge could've shattered it.
"Welcome, Yellow Lantern."
Escorted by two fighters, Allen descended to Xandar.
On the landing pad, Queen Corettija and her ministers waited respectfully.
"Hey there, folks!"
Allen greeted them with a casual grin. "I'm Allen of the Yellow Lantern Corps—Bully-Man in charge of… uh, criminal activity in this sector."
"Whew, almost said 'maintaining law and order.'"
His muttered correction was clearly audible, and everyone present suddenly felt he wasn't too bright.
"Greetings, great Yellow Lantern. I am Queen Corettija of Xandar."
Corettija was tall and elegantly curvaceous, exuding a noble and regal air.
"Eh, your name's too long. I'll call you Sis Cor."
"…"
Corettija smiled politely. Being called "sis" by a Yellow Lantern was still a show of respect. It wasn't her place to scold him for being informal.
Allen declared, "Sis Cor, I'm putting it out there—if anyone dares attack you, I'm the first one to step in. Bully-Man doesn't shy away from trouble—in fact, I enjoy it."
Um…
That almost sounded like something a Green Lantern would say.
Just with a bit of a threatening tone.
"Thank you, Lord Allen, for offering protection. What does Xandar need to provide in return?"
Corettija, ever the shrewd ruler, didn't believe a Yellow Lantern would offer protection for nothing—he had to have a motive.
"Oy…"
Allen drew out the word in exaggerated offense. "Do I look like a beggar here to collect protection money?"
"..."
If he wasn't asking for payment, that was suspicious.
It went against everything the Yellow Lantern Corps stood for.
"Please, follow me. Xandar has prepared a feast in your honor."
Corettija didn't believe a word he said. She was just stalling for time, hoping the Green Lanterns would show up.
"Sweet, free food!"
Allen had always had a thing for free meals and immediately strode toward a nearby building.
"Your Excellency, you're headed the wrong way—that's a public restroom," Corettija quickly pointed out.
"Xandar is seriously rich."
Allen stared at the lavish building in disbelief. "Even your bathrooms are this fancy?"
"Apologies for the misunderstanding," Corettija said awkwardly.
"Sis Cor, I'm not exaggerating here. There's definitely some shady business going on. Someone's skimming money, pulling strings. You've got a whole network of corruption here." Allen sounded dead sure.
Hearing this, Corettija cast a suspicious glance at her ministers.
As soon as her gaze met theirs, they all looked down, avoiding eye contact.
Corruption was universal—even the big three empires weren't immune to it.
During the meal, Corettija brought up various issues related to governance. Allen responded with ideas from before his transmigration.
He spoke of communism and the hundred schools of thought.
Corettija's expression changed at first, but after thinking it through, she began to see the sense in it, and her opinion of Allen shifted.
Presented with alien delicacies, Allen didn't hesitate. He dug in, not the least bit concerned about being poisoned.
After eating his fill, he wiped his mouth and leaned back lazily.
"You still haven't called the Green Lanterns? If you don't hurry, I'll be off-duty soon."
Ah…
The ruse was exposed. Corettija calmly insisted, "Lord Allen, you must be mistaken—we haven't contacted the Green Lanterns."
In reality, she was desperately hoping they'd arrive soon.
But at that moment, the Green Lanterns were all stationed on OA and had no interest in sector-level issues.
They only prioritized Yellow Lantern threats. Unless it was planetary destruction or species-level extinction, they left it alone.
"Sis Cor, honesty is key."
Allen said bluntly, "I came to Xandar so you'd call the Green Lanterns. Now you've put me in an awkward spot."
"..."
So they were just a pawn in his plan?
Good thing the Green Lanterns hadn't come—otherwise, they'd never explain their way out of it.
"I'm out. Not playing anymore."
With a dramatic toss of his head, Allen flew back into space.
As they watched him go, Corettija and the ministers breathed a sigh of relief. This Yellow Lantern wasn't nearly as terrifying as the rumors claimed.
"Send a notice—we're launching a full investigation into internal corruption."
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
Corettija had taken Allen's corruption comment to heart and decided to clean house.
Suddenly, the ministers realized how dangerous Allen truly was—just a few words from him could plunge Xandar into political turmoil.
As for Allen, he was already en route to a second planet.
The moment he arrived on Xandar, he immediately thought of the Guardians of the Galaxy movie. Thinking of the movie reminded him of the Orb, and thinking of the Orb inevitably brought the Power Stone to mind.
And the Power Stone was on Morag—a long-abandoned planet.
He searched the star chart and was pleasantly surprised to find that it was located within his own jurisdiction.
…
Above Planet Korvad.
Six figures glowing with green light looked down upon the planet below.
"Sinestro, get out here!"
The leading figure let out an enraged roar, his voice echoing all the way into the planet's interior.
In an instant, the Yellow Lantern Corps appeared en masse, rising into space like thousands of shooting stars.
"Rykor, are you looking to die?"
Sinestro's expression darkened as he issued a deadly threat.
As the proud leader of the Yellow Lantern Corps, being called out and insulted by name—if he didn't respond with some harsh words, it would be hard to save face.
"We're here to avenge Kental. Prepare to face judgment."
Rykor clenched his fists, his body radiating green light. His companions, who had come with him, simultaneously readied themselves for battle.
"For the sake of our past camaraderie, leave now, and I'll spare your life."
Sinestro had once come from the Green Lantern Corps. Among the many veteran Lanterns, there were more than a few who had fought side by side with him through life and death. Because of this, he often didn't go to extremes.
"We don't need your traitorous and hypocritical pity. We are prepared to die in battle."
With those words, it became clear that this matter could not end peacefully today.
"Take them down."
As the leader of the Yellow Lantern Corps, Sinestro naturally wouldn't lower himself to take action personally. Instead, he ordered his subordinates to launch an offensive.
In the vastness of space, six Yellow Lanterns and six Green Lanterns clashed in a fierce battle.
Both sides unleashed their full abilities, wielding the power of the emotional spectrum to its fullest. There was no doubt—they were all seasoned Lanterns.
The remaining Yellow Lanterns silently observed the battlefield. Without Sinestro's explicit permission, they were forbidden to act—even if their comrades died. This was an unspoken pact.