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Chapter 195 Hope
Author: Rowing Without Oars 233
"What's wrong?"
Receiving another communication, the Manhunter captain turned its head to look at its subordinate.
"Have the invaders been dealt with?"
"No. Manhunter 'Beta' has also been destroyed," the Manhunter replied. "The third line of defense has been breached. The enemy is continuing to advance deeper."
A rare, almost grave expression appeared on the Manhunter captain's face.
"Who are the intruders?"
"There is one Green Lantern," the Manhunter said. "And another unidentifiable being."
The Manhunter captain pondered for a moment. It didn't think a single Green Lantern could pose any threat to their factory. The focus should be on that unknown being.
As the predecessors of the Green Lantern Corps, each individual Manhunter possessed impressive combat capabilities. A single, fully-equipped Manhunter squadron was sufficient to handle most affairs within an interstellar sector. And now, they had been enhanced by the one they called the "Grandmaster," who had not only designed special weapons against Green Lanterns but had also strengthened their individual combat capabilities.
This was why they hadn't taken the intruders too seriously at first.
But now, it seemed the "unknown being" among the intruders was becoming the primary threat.
"I am connecting to the Grandmaster," the Manhunter captain said.
Connecting once more with their superior, the so-called "Grandmaster," a red glow flickered in its eyes as it listened for a moment. The other Manhunters waited nearby, while Desaad watched with a chuckle.
"...The Grandmaster says it's not a big problem." The Manhunter captain turned its head and said in a deep voice, "We are activating the Hunter Leader."
"Received."
The command was given, and the communication was cut again. Desaad looked at the squad of Manhunters and said with a light laugh, "It seems the situation isn't looking good. Shouldn't you all head back and take a look?"
"Thank you, but we can handle it," the Manhunter captain said calmly. "The Hunter Leader is a prototype Manhunter, a walking planetary destroyer. It is equipped with star-destroying weapons. No matter who the intruders are... they are dead for sure."
"This thing is... also a Manhunter?"
When the massive, several-dozen-meter-tall machine burst through the crust, revealing its enormous body, Hal couldn't help but curse.
"Those @#&% Guardians! Just how much have they not told us?"
His Power Ring roaring at full power, his condensed willpower materialized into a piercing spear. The spear, glowing with brilliant green light, struck the giant Manhunter's outer shell like a meteor... and snapped in two.
"What?" Hal was stunned. "How?"
"Energy signature similar to willpower detected," the Power Ring said.
"What does that mean?"
"The enemy's power source has an energy signature similar to this ring's."
"Similar to my ring?" Hal was even more astonished. "But that's impossible. Only the Guardians can bestow the rings. No one besides the Green Lantern Corps can..."
Before he could finish, a blast of green energy erupted from the Manhunter's hands. Hal hastily summoned a bubble-like shield to envelop himself. The blast sent him, shield and all, hurtling through countless layers of the factory's metal plating and out of sight.
A red glow flickered in the Hunter Leader's eyes.
"No one can escape..."
BAM!
A silver fist, wreathed in lightning and creating a sonic boom, smashed into the Manhunter's face. The explosive force of the punch sent the Manhunter staggering back two steps, but it quickly regained its footing.
The equally gigantified Orin Vale stood before it, assessing its condition.
That punch was not weak; even Superman would have stumbled from it. But this several-dozen-meter-tall hunk of metal actually withstood it. If nothing else, its hardness was on a completely different level from the other Manhunters.
A heavyweight opponent.
"Biometric Identification... failed. No match found."
The Hunter Leader locked its cold gaze on Orin Vale.
"Executing strategy... Terminate all life."
A green glow flared, and a blast of green energy shot toward Orin Vale. But he dodged it with a slight lean of his upper body, then accelerated into a thrust. His right whip kick struck the opponent's flank, and the immense force blasted sparks and shards of green light from its metal body.
He followed with a spinning turn and a leaping flying kick. His red-and-silver form trailed lightning as the Mach-speed kick unleashed astonishing force. A transparent shockwave, laced with electricity, burst from the kick, sweeping through everything with devastating power.
The Manhunters' factory was no match for this impact. Empty buildings and structures were instantly obliterated, sending black smoke billowing into the sky. The glass-like crystal structures shattered and crumbled, and the shockwave, like a heavy hammer striking tofu, easily demolished the alien alloy structures.
Massive industrial facilities and mechanical structures were torn apart like rags. Gears and chains from the production lines danced in the shockwave, and the unfinished husks of Manhunters were crushed to dust by the impact.
Theoretically, this entire planet was populated only by Manhunters. No matter how hard he fought, there wouldn't be an Aihara Ryuu jumping out from a rooftop to warn him, so naturally, he didn't have to hold back.
After his chain of kicks, Orin Vale charged forward again, only to see his opponent instantly readjust its balance and swing an arm to meet him.
Arcs of electricity appeared all over his body as his figure abruptly accelerated. During his sprint, he ducked under the opponent's sweep and delivered a powerful palm strike to its chest armor. He then sidestepped the Manhunter's downward smash and drove a knee into its abdomen.
The Hunter Leader retreated again under the barrage, but its hands didn't stop. It raised both arms high and brought them crashing down toward Orin Vale's head. Orin Vale pushed off with his feet, his body retreating backward while trailing electricity. Seizing the opening as the attack missed, he flashed forward to get in its face, unleashing a furious combination of left and right hooks to its head.
Flashes of lightning and green light exploded against its iron head, and a section of its facial armor was smashed inward. But immediately after, an arm swung over with astonishing speed. Orin Vale raised an arm to block, feeling the immense power behind the blow, and temporarily retreated.
It was Green Lantern energy.
Orin Vale's enhanced vision had already identified it. This Hunter Leader was covered in a defensive field similar to a Green Lantern's protective aura. It neutralized the force of incoming attacks and vastly enhanced its durability.
The same was true for its mobility and arm strength; the Green Lantern energy enhanced its all-around attributes, making it exceptionally powerful.
The armor was forged from an unknown alien alloy, possibly using technology from Oa, making it difficult to see through with X-ray vision. But judging from its energy radiation levels, he'd make a bold guess that its power output was enough to destroy a planet.
Hmm... though, if you put it in the context of the Ultra Series, a description like that doesn't seem like such a big deal.
After all, some Defense Forces can destroy planets with a casually fired missile.
This Hunter Leader was a bit troublesome, but not impossible to deal with. It might just take a little more effort.
"Help..."
Just as he was about to act again, Orin Vale's movements paused, and he froze for a moment.
It felt like an auditory hallucination, but he was sure he had heard something.
He focused, trying to catch the voice again.
"Help... important... must..."
Orin Vale quickly confirmed it: this was telepathy. But it was so faint that a telepath with weaker abilities might have missed it.
`Who are you? Where are you?` he asked back telepathically.
But the other party didn't answer that question.
Instead, it gave him a somewhat baffling reply.
"...Hope."
"What?"
At this moment, Orin Vale was completely baffled, having no idea what this voice was talking about.
But in the next second, it seemed he experienced it firsthand.
A powerful energy source, coming from beneath the planet on which he stood.
A light named "Hope."
(end of chapter)
Author: Rowing Without Oars 233
"What's wrong?"
Receiving another communication, the Manhunter captain turned its head to look at its subordinate.
"Have the invaders been dealt with?"
"No. Manhunter 'Beta' has also been destroyed," the Manhunter replied. "The third line of defense has been breached. The enemy is continuing to advance deeper."
A rare, almost grave expression appeared on the Manhunter captain's face.
"Who are the intruders?"
"There is one Green Lantern," the Manhunter said. "And another unidentifiable being."
The Manhunter captain pondered for a moment. It didn't think a single Green Lantern could pose any threat to their factory. The focus should be on that unknown being.
As the predecessors of the Green Lantern Corps, each individual Manhunter possessed impressive combat capabilities. A single, fully-equipped Manhunter squadron was sufficient to handle most affairs within an interstellar sector. And now, they had been enhanced by the one they called the "Grandmaster," who had not only designed special weapons against Green Lanterns but had also strengthened their individual combat capabilities.
This was why they hadn't taken the intruders too seriously at first.
But now, it seemed the "unknown being" among the intruders was becoming the primary threat.
"I am connecting to the Grandmaster," the Manhunter captain said.
Connecting once more with their superior, the so-called "Grandmaster," a red glow flickered in its eyes as it listened for a moment. The other Manhunters waited nearby, while Desaad watched with a chuckle.
"...The Grandmaster says it's not a big problem." The Manhunter captain turned its head and said in a deep voice, "We are activating the Hunter Leader."
"Received."
The command was given, and the communication was cut again. Desaad looked at the squad of Manhunters and said with a light laugh, "It seems the situation isn't looking good. Shouldn't you all head back and take a look?"
"Thank you, but we can handle it," the Manhunter captain said calmly. "The Hunter Leader is a prototype Manhunter, a walking planetary destroyer. It is equipped with star-destroying weapons. No matter who the intruders are... they are dead for sure."
"This thing is... also a Manhunter?"
When the massive, several-dozen-meter-tall machine burst through the crust, revealing its enormous body, Hal couldn't help but curse.
"Those @#&% Guardians! Just how much have they not told us?"
His Power Ring roaring at full power, his condensed willpower materialized into a piercing spear. The spear, glowing with brilliant green light, struck the giant Manhunter's outer shell like a meteor... and snapped in two.
"What?" Hal was stunned. "How?"
"Energy signature similar to willpower detected," the Power Ring said.
"What does that mean?"
"The enemy's power source has an energy signature similar to this ring's."
"Similar to my ring?" Hal was even more astonished. "But that's impossible. Only the Guardians can bestow the rings. No one besides the Green Lantern Corps can..."
Before he could finish, a blast of green energy erupted from the Manhunter's hands. Hal hastily summoned a bubble-like shield to envelop himself. The blast sent him, shield and all, hurtling through countless layers of the factory's metal plating and out of sight.
A red glow flickered in the Hunter Leader's eyes.
"No one can escape..."
BAM!
A silver fist, wreathed in lightning and creating a sonic boom, smashed into the Manhunter's face. The explosive force of the punch sent the Manhunter staggering back two steps, but it quickly regained its footing.
The equally gigantified Orin Vale stood before it, assessing its condition.
That punch was not weak; even Superman would have stumbled from it. But this several-dozen-meter-tall hunk of metal actually withstood it. If nothing else, its hardness was on a completely different level from the other Manhunters.
A heavyweight opponent.
"Biometric Identification... failed. No match found."
The Hunter Leader locked its cold gaze on Orin Vale.
"Executing strategy... Terminate all life."
A green glow flared, and a blast of green energy shot toward Orin Vale. But he dodged it with a slight lean of his upper body, then accelerated into a thrust. His right whip kick struck the opponent's flank, and the immense force blasted sparks and shards of green light from its metal body.
He followed with a spinning turn and a leaping flying kick. His red-and-silver form trailed lightning as the Mach-speed kick unleashed astonishing force. A transparent shockwave, laced with electricity, burst from the kick, sweeping through everything with devastating power.
The Manhunters' factory was no match for this impact. Empty buildings and structures were instantly obliterated, sending black smoke billowing into the sky. The glass-like crystal structures shattered and crumbled, and the shockwave, like a heavy hammer striking tofu, easily demolished the alien alloy structures.
Massive industrial facilities and mechanical structures were torn apart like rags. Gears and chains from the production lines danced in the shockwave, and the unfinished husks of Manhunters were crushed to dust by the impact.
Theoretically, this entire planet was populated only by Manhunters. No matter how hard he fought, there wouldn't be an Aihara Ryuu jumping out from a rooftop to warn him, so naturally, he didn't have to hold back.
After his chain of kicks, Orin Vale charged forward again, only to see his opponent instantly readjust its balance and swing an arm to meet him.
Arcs of electricity appeared all over his body as his figure abruptly accelerated. During his sprint, he ducked under the opponent's sweep and delivered a powerful palm strike to its chest armor. He then sidestepped the Manhunter's downward smash and drove a knee into its abdomen.
The Hunter Leader retreated again under the barrage, but its hands didn't stop. It raised both arms high and brought them crashing down toward Orin Vale's head. Orin Vale pushed off with his feet, his body retreating backward while trailing electricity. Seizing the opening as the attack missed, he flashed forward to get in its face, unleashing a furious combination of left and right hooks to its head.
Flashes of lightning and green light exploded against its iron head, and a section of its facial armor was smashed inward. But immediately after, an arm swung over with astonishing speed. Orin Vale raised an arm to block, feeling the immense power behind the blow, and temporarily retreated.
It was Green Lantern energy.
Orin Vale's enhanced vision had already identified it. This Hunter Leader was covered in a defensive field similar to a Green Lantern's protective aura. It neutralized the force of incoming attacks and vastly enhanced its durability.
The same was true for its mobility and arm strength; the Green Lantern energy enhanced its all-around attributes, making it exceptionally powerful.
The armor was forged from an unknown alien alloy, possibly using technology from Oa, making it difficult to see through with X-ray vision. But judging from its energy radiation levels, he'd make a bold guess that its power output was enough to destroy a planet.
Hmm... though, if you put it in the context of the Ultra Series, a description like that doesn't seem like such a big deal.
After all, some Defense Forces can destroy planets with a casually fired missile.
This Hunter Leader was a bit troublesome, but not impossible to deal with. It might just take a little more effort.
"Help..."
Just as he was about to act again, Orin Vale's movements paused, and he froze for a moment.
It felt like an auditory hallucination, but he was sure he had heard something.
He focused, trying to catch the voice again.
"Help... important... must..."
Orin Vale quickly confirmed it: this was telepathy. But it was so faint that a telepath with weaker abilities might have missed it.
`Who are you? Where are you?` he asked back telepathically.
But the other party didn't answer that question.
Instead, it gave him a somewhat baffling reply.
"...Hope."
"What?"
At this moment, Orin Vale was completely baffled, having no idea what this voice was talking about.
But in the next second, it seemed he experienced it firsthand.
A powerful energy source, coming from beneath the planet on which he stood.
A light named "Hope."
(end of chapter)
