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Chapter 758: A Dauntless Spirit
Larfleeze watched Starscream, his heart filled with despair.
He had long since ignored the tossed-aside Loki. His vacant eyes stared at the ring in Starscream's hand, his expression as grief-stricken as if his father had died, filled with agony.
"Mine! That's my, Larfleeze's, ring! You despicable thief!"
Larfleeze was overwhelmed with grief. He felt he was far too unlucky; he'd been unlucky his whole life. As far as he could remember, he hadn't lived a single good day since birth. The most blissful period of his life, surprisingly, had been his days wandering the cosmos as a petty thief...
He had wanted to seize the Orange Lantern Ring to change his tragic fate, but Starscream had crushed his hopes.
The sight of Starscream holding the ring and reciting the oath was, in Larfleeze's eyes, a resounding slap across the face that made him see stars and his mind roar.
This Lord of the Orange Lanterns, who should have shone brightly in the Spectrum War, was personally snuffed out by a subordinate sent by Tony.
The Lord of the Orange Lanterns, with whom even the Guardians of Oa had to humble themselves to negotiate and compromise, was, barring any unforeseen circumstances, no more.
And it was all done right in front of Larfleeze. In reality, the only thing standing between Larfleeze and changing his destiny against all odds was... one Starscream.
Oh, perhaps Loki counted too, but that guy had long since vanished. A few drops of Frost Giant blood on the ground proved that a god had indeed been here moments ago.
Starscream kicked away a large boulder blocking his way and glanced with some regret in the direction Loki had fled, clicking his tongue. "Count yourself lucky. Otherwise, I would've had my first Orange Lantern soldier."
Killing Loki, then using the Orange Lantern Ring to create a perfect construct of him—that would surely have been a very meaningful endeavor.
If he'd had the chance, Starscream absolutely would have dealt a killing blow. He didn't care if killing Loki would provoke the wrath of the god Thor. Cybertron never bothered with such things. If you didn't attack, anything was negotiable. If you attacked, then no one would hold back.
After waiting for a moment, Starscream looked around suspiciously, scanning the area again and again.
"He really got away? Hmph, that makes sense. That bastard couldn't break through my powerful chassis. This was personally upgraded for me by Primus."
Starscream rubbed his chin.
Proto-Adamantium was an extremely precious treasure even on Cybertron. Even a demigod would have to go to great lengths to breach such a chassis, and the vast majority of them couldn't shatter it.
On Earth, Captain America's shield is made of this very stuff, which possesses both the indestructibility of True Adamantium and Vibranium's property of absorbing and reflecting all energy.
Even if Loki had desperately bombarded Starscream with magic and divine power, causing his chassis to reach its energy absorption limit, the inherent hardness of Adamantium would have allowed Starscream to endure for much longer...
Moreover, Starscream could use the energy absorbed by the Vibranium to power his weapons. He could have completely tanked and absorbed Loki's attacks, then blasted them right back at him...
"From now on, Cybertron has three... no, if you count Optimus Prime's Green Lantern, that makes four Lantern Corps. With the most mysterious Orange Lantern in my grasp, the other Lantern Rings, like the Indigo Lantern, Blue Lantern, and Violet Lantern, should have also appeared by now."
Starscream swept a cold gaze over the dazed and broken Larfleeze, snorted coldly, and slowly walked toward him.
Larfleeze shivered violently and retreated frantically, screaming, "What do you want?! I'm warning you, Lord Larfleeze is a powerful warrior!"
"A warrior who's covered in wounds from my weapons?"
Starscream looked at Larfleeze, whose body was covered in wounds. He was somewhat surprised at how tough the guy was, that he hadn't actually been blasted to death.
In his databanks, Tony had specifically emphasized this person, Larfleeze. But no matter how Starscream looked at him or analyzed the data, this guy was clearly just a weakling... His willpower, physique, awareness, and combat skills were definitely at the bottom of the food chain.
After a moment's thought, Starscream considered whether or not to kill this idiot.
The Orange Lantern Ring was transmitting the emotion of greed to him, desperately needing an Orange Lantern warrior, but this greedy feeling was brutally suppressed by Starscream.
Starscream looked at the ring in his hand, a vicious glint in his eyes. "I am the master. You will obey my commands. Otherwise, I don't mind destroying you and creating a new ring."
The Orange Lantern Ring immediately quieted down.
"Destroy it? No! You despicable thief, you can't do that! Give it to me, I want it! If Lord Larfleeze gets the ring, he'll gladly spare your life!"
Hearing Starscream's words, Larfleeze flew into a rage. With a look of shock and anger, he lunged forward, pouncing toward the ring in Starscream's hand.
His rage was so extreme, it was as if Starscream was trying to take his very life...
Unarmed, Larfleeze had no intimidating presence whatsoever; he was even worse than a weakling.
With a dark expression, Starscream kicked Larfleeze in the face, sending the creature who valued money over life flying to one side.
*Very good. This was true greed.* Starscream roughly understood why Tony had told him to pay attention to this guy. Just based on this selfless, dauntless spirit of protecting another person's wealth at the cost of his own life, he was absolutely worthy of the Orange Lantern Ring.
In Larfleeze's eyes, what belonged to others would sooner or later be his. Regardless of whether it was reasonable or not, he simply possessed this powerful self-confidence.
"How did you manage to hypnotize yourself into such an idiot?" Starscream asked, his expression dark.
Larfleeze scrambled up, covered in dirt, and said angrily, "What hypnotism? Lord Larfleeze has always been like this! All the wealth, treasures, and life in this world—Lord Larfleeze has the right to possess it all!"
"If you dare try to take my things, I'll kill you," Starscream sneered.
"I'll try to take it even if you kill me! That's mine!" Larfleeze's expression was fierce. On his grasshopper-like face, he had clearly thrown all caution to the wind, his eyes glued to the Orange Lantern Ring.
The Orange Lantern Ring flickered, seemingly moved by Larfleeze and showing obvious favor. It certainly wouldn't mind having two sycophants fighting over it; that way, it would have two wielders.
Starscream stared at Larfleeze for a long moment, looking at this ugly creature... a being that was clearly trembling nonstop with fear, yet still stubbornly stared at the Orange Lantern Ring.
He had to admit, he had lost.
So there really were people in this world who valued money more than their own lives. A true hard-ass who would sincerely fight to the death to protect the wealth in someone else's hands. This kind of selfless defender of the common good was truly shocking.
The very definition of an iron-blooded tough guy. That probably described someone like Larfleeze...
Starscream walked over and viciously punched Larfleeze to the ground. While the other was dizzy and terrified, he grabbed the guy's ugly, broom-like hair and flew off into space.
"You're very interesting. There's a more open place that will be better suited for your talents."
Starscream said, "From now on, you are a servant of the great leader, Starscream—don't speak. If you speak, I'll kill you!"
(end of chapter)
Larfleeze watched Starscream, his heart filled with despair.
He had long since ignored the tossed-aside Loki. His vacant eyes stared at the ring in Starscream's hand, his expression as grief-stricken as if his father had died, filled with agony.
"Mine! That's my, Larfleeze's, ring! You despicable thief!"
Larfleeze was overwhelmed with grief. He felt he was far too unlucky; he'd been unlucky his whole life. As far as he could remember, he hadn't lived a single good day since birth. The most blissful period of his life, surprisingly, had been his days wandering the cosmos as a petty thief...
He had wanted to seize the Orange Lantern Ring to change his tragic fate, but Starscream had crushed his hopes.
The sight of Starscream holding the ring and reciting the oath was, in Larfleeze's eyes, a resounding slap across the face that made him see stars and his mind roar.
This Lord of the Orange Lanterns, who should have shone brightly in the Spectrum War, was personally snuffed out by a subordinate sent by Tony.
The Lord of the Orange Lanterns, with whom even the Guardians of Oa had to humble themselves to negotiate and compromise, was, barring any unforeseen circumstances, no more.
And it was all done right in front of Larfleeze. In reality, the only thing standing between Larfleeze and changing his destiny against all odds was... one Starscream.
Oh, perhaps Loki counted too, but that guy had long since vanished. A few drops of Frost Giant blood on the ground proved that a god had indeed been here moments ago.
Starscream kicked away a large boulder blocking his way and glanced with some regret in the direction Loki had fled, clicking his tongue. "Count yourself lucky. Otherwise, I would've had my first Orange Lantern soldier."
Killing Loki, then using the Orange Lantern Ring to create a perfect construct of him—that would surely have been a very meaningful endeavor.
If he'd had the chance, Starscream absolutely would have dealt a killing blow. He didn't care if killing Loki would provoke the wrath of the god Thor. Cybertron never bothered with such things. If you didn't attack, anything was negotiable. If you attacked, then no one would hold back.
After waiting for a moment, Starscream looked around suspiciously, scanning the area again and again.
"He really got away? Hmph, that makes sense. That bastard couldn't break through my powerful chassis. This was personally upgraded for me by Primus."
Starscream rubbed his chin.
Proto-Adamantium was an extremely precious treasure even on Cybertron. Even a demigod would have to go to great lengths to breach such a chassis, and the vast majority of them couldn't shatter it.
On Earth, Captain America's shield is made of this very stuff, which possesses both the indestructibility of True Adamantium and Vibranium's property of absorbing and reflecting all energy.
Even if Loki had desperately bombarded Starscream with magic and divine power, causing his chassis to reach its energy absorption limit, the inherent hardness of Adamantium would have allowed Starscream to endure for much longer...
Moreover, Starscream could use the energy absorbed by the Vibranium to power his weapons. He could have completely tanked and absorbed Loki's attacks, then blasted them right back at him...
"From now on, Cybertron has three... no, if you count Optimus Prime's Green Lantern, that makes four Lantern Corps. With the most mysterious Orange Lantern in my grasp, the other Lantern Rings, like the Indigo Lantern, Blue Lantern, and Violet Lantern, should have also appeared by now."
Starscream swept a cold gaze over the dazed and broken Larfleeze, snorted coldly, and slowly walked toward him.
Larfleeze shivered violently and retreated frantically, screaming, "What do you want?! I'm warning you, Lord Larfleeze is a powerful warrior!"
"A warrior who's covered in wounds from my weapons?"
Starscream looked at Larfleeze, whose body was covered in wounds. He was somewhat surprised at how tough the guy was, that he hadn't actually been blasted to death.
In his databanks, Tony had specifically emphasized this person, Larfleeze. But no matter how Starscream looked at him or analyzed the data, this guy was clearly just a weakling... His willpower, physique, awareness, and combat skills were definitely at the bottom of the food chain.
After a moment's thought, Starscream considered whether or not to kill this idiot.
The Orange Lantern Ring was transmitting the emotion of greed to him, desperately needing an Orange Lantern warrior, but this greedy feeling was brutally suppressed by Starscream.
Starscream looked at the ring in his hand, a vicious glint in his eyes. "I am the master. You will obey my commands. Otherwise, I don't mind destroying you and creating a new ring."
The Orange Lantern Ring immediately quieted down.
"Destroy it? No! You despicable thief, you can't do that! Give it to me, I want it! If Lord Larfleeze gets the ring, he'll gladly spare your life!"
Hearing Starscream's words, Larfleeze flew into a rage. With a look of shock and anger, he lunged forward, pouncing toward the ring in Starscream's hand.
His rage was so extreme, it was as if Starscream was trying to take his very life...
Unarmed, Larfleeze had no intimidating presence whatsoever; he was even worse than a weakling.
With a dark expression, Starscream kicked Larfleeze in the face, sending the creature who valued money over life flying to one side.
*Very good. This was true greed.* Starscream roughly understood why Tony had told him to pay attention to this guy. Just based on this selfless, dauntless spirit of protecting another person's wealth at the cost of his own life, he was absolutely worthy of the Orange Lantern Ring.
In Larfleeze's eyes, what belonged to others would sooner or later be his. Regardless of whether it was reasonable or not, he simply possessed this powerful self-confidence.
"How did you manage to hypnotize yourself into such an idiot?" Starscream asked, his expression dark.
Larfleeze scrambled up, covered in dirt, and said angrily, "What hypnotism? Lord Larfleeze has always been like this! All the wealth, treasures, and life in this world—Lord Larfleeze has the right to possess it all!"
"If you dare try to take my things, I'll kill you," Starscream sneered.
"I'll try to take it even if you kill me! That's mine!" Larfleeze's expression was fierce. On his grasshopper-like face, he had clearly thrown all caution to the wind, his eyes glued to the Orange Lantern Ring.
The Orange Lantern Ring flickered, seemingly moved by Larfleeze and showing obvious favor. It certainly wouldn't mind having two sycophants fighting over it; that way, it would have two wielders.
Starscream stared at Larfleeze for a long moment, looking at this ugly creature... a being that was clearly trembling nonstop with fear, yet still stubbornly stared at the Orange Lantern Ring.
He had to admit, he had lost.
So there really were people in this world who valued money more than their own lives. A true hard-ass who would sincerely fight to the death to protect the wealth in someone else's hands. This kind of selfless defender of the common good was truly shocking.
The very definition of an iron-blooded tough guy. That probably described someone like Larfleeze...
Starscream walked over and viciously punched Larfleeze to the ground. While the other was dizzy and terrified, he grabbed the guy's ugly, broom-like hair and flew off into space.
"You're very interesting. There's a more open place that will be better suited for your talents."
Starscream said, "From now on, you are a servant of the great leader, Starscream—don't speak. If you speak, I'll kill you!"
(end of chapter)
