Chapter 281: The Debut of Ghostfire Hero Allen
Planet Morag.
This planet had once housed a glorious civilization, but now lay abandoned.
Its sky hung perpetually dim, shrouded in year-round mist. Steam gushed endlessly from the ground, making it inhospitable for living beings.
With a scorching year-round temperature of 78 degrees Celsius, it was utterly unfit for humanoid life.
Allen pierced through the dense fog and entered the planet's atmosphere.
As far as the eye could see, abandoned structures blanketed in dust stood as evidence of what was once a highly developed civilization.
"The Power Stone should be stored in a great hall."
Recalling scenes from the movie, Allen darted around quickly in search of the place.
Before long, he found a decrepit hall.
Inside, metallic decorations hinted at a hidden array of advanced technologies and precision instruments.
"So, here's the question—how do I find the Power Stone?"
Indeed, before evacuating, the Morag civilization had hidden the Power Stone inside the Orb and stored it using space-folding technology.
Many theories had circulated, but the most plausible explanation was that their excessive research into the Power Stone's energy had caused drastic planetary changes, forcing the entire civilization to relocate.
According to lore, all cosmic power stems from the Power Stone. But since this is the Western comic universe, that background naturally doesn't apply here.
So—tear it down.
A thought popped into his head.
Allen manifested a massive golden hammer.
"Eight! Eight! Eight!"
He smashed the structure without mercy, reducing the dilapidated building to rubble.
After all, this was an abandoned planet with no one around to accuse him of destroying cultural relics.
Halfway through the demolition, a cube-shaped space box formed from purple light suddenly appeared.
Suspended in its center was a metallic sphere covered in intricate patterns.
"The Orb!"
Exactly like in the movie. Allen rushed over to grab it, carefully glancing around for any hidden traps.
False alarm—nothing happened.
"Let's see what this legendary Purple Diamond is all about."
With a firm grip on the Orb, Allen twisted with all his might, teeth clenched. "Open up!"
He tensed his whole body, every muscle trembling—but the Orb didn't budge.
"Is this a fake?"
He examined it for a long time, but couldn't find a single seam. It looked like a solid iron ball.
"What the hell, it really is a fake."
Thud!
In a fit of rage, Allen slammed the Orb on the ground and stomped on it furiously.
Thump...
Due to its round shape, his foot slipped and sent him sprawling on the floor.
Enraged, he yelled, "You've got a lot of nerve for a ball! I'll extinguish your arrogance!"
Springing to his feet, Allen began unbuttoning his shirt—he was really going to vent his frustration on it.
At that moment, an orange light pierced through the atmosphere, heading straight for Allen mid-pee.
"Huh? What the hell is that?"
He paused, tilting his head curiously at the incoming light.
Moments later, an orange ring hovered before him.
"An Orange Lantern Ring!?"
The emotional spectrum consisted of Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, and Violet rings, each corresponding to a different Lantern Corps.
Red, Orange, and Yellow represented the villainous factions. Green, Blue, and Indigo were aligned with justice. Violet, symbolizing love, was ambiguous—after all, love makes people do stupid things.
Of course, White and Black Lantern Rings were unique anomalies, almost never appearing under normal circumstances.
Held in his palm and surrounded by an orange glow, the ring had clearly chosen him.
"Looting gear right after stepping outside? Even I feel a little embarrassed."
Without hesitation, Allen slipped it onto his finger. The next second, he involuntarily recited an oath:
"What's mine is mine. It's mine. Mine. Mine. Not yours."
…
Far away on the planet Okaara, Larfleeze looked up toward the distant reaches of space.
"Finally... I've done it. Not only do I get a Yellow Ring, but I also gain an Orange Lantern Wraith."
Any veteran Yellow Lantern would've destroyed the Orange Ring on sight.
They knew Larfleeze well—any new Orange Lantern was doomed to become one of his mindless spirits.
…
As the ring bound to Allen, a greedy impulse began swelling inside him.
"My precious..."
He pounced on the Orb like a rabid dog, clutching it in both hands with a greedy, twisted grin. "No one can take my treasure."
Hmm…
Realizing how creepy he sounded, Allen gave the Orange Ring a suspicious look and muttered, "Stupid ring thinks it can turn me into Gollum? What a joke. I'm a top-tier agent, so tough I wouldn't crack even if ten long-legged blondes in black lace tried to tempt me."
But as a master bullshitter, Allen refused to admit his will had already started wavering.
Looking back at the Orb, he couldn't help but murmur again, "My precious..."
Startled, he quickly covered his mouth and shoved the Orb under his armpit.
"Sentient life form locked."
"From a certain star system."
"You possess boundless greed."
"You belong to the Orange Lantern Corps."
A summoning chant echoed in his ears.
No need to guess—it was clearly Larfleeze summoning his new recruit.
Just then, as Allen was about to ascend into the air, a diamond-shaped portal suddenly opened before him.
It was a summons from the Yellow Lantern Corps.
This must be something major—otherwise, they wouldn't be recalling Lanterns so abruptly.
A surge of force cut off the Orange Lantern summoning mid-way.
In the blink of an eye, Allen was pulled back to Korugar.
…
Waiting like a hunter by a rabbit hole, Larfleeze suddenly felt the summoning interrupted.
"What's going on? Did he realize something?"
Losing both the ring and the recruit was like watching money burn—Larfleeze was absolutely livid.
"I will reclaim that Orange Ring."
With that, he transformed into a streak of orange light and shot into space.
…
In orbit around Korugar.
Six Green Lanterns had already been defeated and restrained by the Yellow Lanterns.
But before the Yellow Lantern Corps could celebrate, countless green streaks of light rained down like a meteor shower.
"Prepare for battle!" Sinestro commanded with a deep voice.
This was just how the Guardians operated.
They'd let a few Green Lanterns stir up trouble, then send the Corps en masse to demand justice, trying to force the Yellow Lanterns to yield.
But Sinestro wouldn't release his prisoners so easily. A full-blown battle was inevitable.
Once proud to be a Green Lantern, Sinestro had defected after discovering the Guardians' supposed justice wasn't as noble as it seemed.
In the name of political trade-offs, the Guardians were willing to sacrifice their own.
He could accept fellow Lanterns falling in battle—but not being sold out as pawns.
"I'm back, boss."
Having returned through the portal, Allen quickly made his way to the base. Seeing everyone out in space, he promptly rushed to regroup.
"Holy crap, so many 'Forgive-Me' Lanterns!"
Gazing at the green meteor shower in the distance, Allen tactically retreated behind Lyssa and declared seriously, "Sister Lyssa, I will support you silently from the rear."
"Also, there's a tough fight ahead. Remember to protect yourself."
In chaotic battles, no one spares time for rookies—especially not veterans, who are fully engaged on the frontlines.
"Got it," Allen replied. "Boys have to protect themselves out there."
"…"
Lisa stepped up beside Sinestro, asserting her status as his right hand.
Meanwhile, Allen turned to a Yellow Lantern nearby and asked, "Hey good-looking, why are you crying? You scared?"
This Yellow Lantern looked like a crab with a trash can for a shell and a basketball covered in eyes for a head. Hundreds of eyeballs turned toward him in frustration.
"It's your damn fear projection—my eyes still hurt like hell!"
He'd suffered the worst from facing Allen's Cthulhu illusion. With so many eyes, recovery took much longer.
Allen whispered mysteriously, "No worries. I've got a solution."
"What is it?"
"Just pop the extra eyes. Two are enough."
"…"
Such an insane suggestion was enough to drive anyone mad.
If not for the looming battle, he might've decked Allen on the spot.
Now, thousands of Green Lanterns had formed ranks, staring down the Yellow Lantern Corps.
"Sinestro, release the Green Lanterns immediately and surrender unconditionally for trial!"
Their current leader, Abin Sur—dubbed the greatest Green Lantern—had once been Sinestro's closest friend.
Now, the two former allies stood on opposite sides, a situation neither wanted.
"I'll give you a chance to rephrase that," Allen called out from behind a Yellow Lantern, poking his head out with exaggerated arrogance. "Not only do you want us to release prisoners, but also surrender? I wouldn't dare dream so big."
Tsk…
Sinestro shot Allen a displeased look.
"The Yellow Lantern Corps will never agree to your absurd demands. Think carefully," he stated firmly.
"The Green Lantern Corps will not back down," Abin Sur responded resolutely.
"Then we have nothing more to discuss."
Allen conjured an axe and raised it high. "Our Axe Gang earned its place in the underworld and the elite by chopping our way through!"
Tsk…
Both Green and Yellow Lanterns looked at Allen with annoyance.
The leaders were in the middle of negotiations—why was this side character running his mouth?
"Does he speak for you?" Abin Sur glared at Sinestro, barely resisting the urge to beat the chatterbox senseless.
"He doesn't. But I will not concede," Sinestro replied coldly.
"Boss, you're so cool and powerful!"
Allen sucked up immediately. "From now on, you're my one and only idol."
"Can you shut up?"
Sinestro shot him a look so icy it could freeze stars—one more word and he'd probably kill him.
"Nope."
Allen solemnly declared, "You may be the boss, but I'm the protagonist. No matter how much I screw around, I won't die."
"Are you challenging my authority?"
Allen's endless chatter finally pushed Sinestro over the edge.
"Oh come on, you think I'm that ungrateful?"
Allen grinned cheekily and admitted, "Okay yeah, I totally am."
"You're dead!"
Furious and humiliated, Sinestro swung his warhammer at the lunatic.
Boom!
A shield of green light materialized in front of Allen, blocking the deadly blow.
Sinestro turned toward Abin Sur, as if asking why he intervened.
But Abin Sur stood motionless, expression unreadable.
"I'm done pretending. Time to spill the beans."
Allen dodged to the frontlines of the Green Lanterns, stripping off the yellow aura and donning a green uniform again.
"Green Lantern Allen, requesting to return to the Corps!"
He didn't forget to turn and say cheekily, "Sorry! I was undercover!"
"…"
The air froze.
Both sides stared in complete disbelief.
The Yellow Lanterns were stunned—how had they recruited a Green Lantern spy?
The Green Lanterns were baffled—when did they get this crazy guy on their team?
"I, as leader of the Yellow Lantern Corps, hereby revoke your authority to wield the Yellow Ring."
At this point, Sinestro could no longer allow a mere outsider to wield a Yellow Lantern Ring. He raised his own ring, releasing a burst of yellow light in an attempt to lock down the one on Allen's hand.
What happened next left both sides utterly stunned.
In the blink of an eye, the green glow around Allen vanished, replaced by an orange aura.
As the yellow light shot toward him, he lifted the Orange Lantern Ring and absorbed the incoming energy.
"Sorry to disappoint—but I just joined the Orange Lantern Corps."
Allen wore a smug, infuriating grin.
A single person possessing three different Lantern Rings—this was utterly unprecedented.
"So it was you,"
Abin Sur suddenly came to a realization. "Kental died investigating you."
The whole chain of events had started with an investigation into a being outside the Green Lantern Corps who somehow wielded the power of a Green Ring.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa—watch what you say. You can eat whatever you want, but you can't just say whatever you like."
Allen spread his hands innocently. "I don't even know what crime I supposedly committed. You guys just came after me out of nowhere—I've been completely baffled this whole time."
"Please come with us. Oa doesn't let criminals walk free—but it also doesn't persecute the innocent," Abin Sur said solemnly.
"He's one of mine. I'll be the one to judge him," Sinestro interjected.
He, too, was extremely curious about Allen's secrets. For someone to wield three Lantern Rings... If he could uncover that mystery, perhaps the Yellow Lantern Corps could evolve into a full-spectrum force.
"Oh, come on. You two grown men trying to get your hands on me—has it ever occurred to either of you how I feel about this?"
Naturally, Allen had no intention of surrendering.
In an instant, a ghost flame motorcycle radiating with three-colored light materialized beneath him. He flicked his hair back in dramatic flair and declared breezily,
"Sorry boys, gotta bounce! I'm the fastest playboy in the whole damn galaxy—catch me if you can! Jieh heh heh...!"
He twisted the throttle.
With a blast, the ghost flame bike shot forward, trailing a blazing ribbon of tricolor light.
"After him!"
"After him!"
Abin Sur and Sinestro issued simultaneous orders to their corps.
A rare sight indeed—members of both the Green and Yellow Lantern Corps streaked across the stars like a meteor shower, chasing a single target.
Meanwhile, the Orange Lantern deputy Larfleeze, arriving mid-chase, came face-to-face with Allen on his bike.
Crash!
Unable to dodge in time, Larfleeze felt as if he'd been run over by a celestial freight train.
"Oops. My bad. Ghost Flame Rider don't play by traffic rules."
Left dazed and crumpled by the cosmic hit-and-run, Larfleeze could only watch in disbelief as the culprit sped off into the stars.
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