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Chapter 199: The Emotional Spectrum Prophecy
After a cathartic beatdown, Hal looked at the large swath of Manhunters that had been blasted into scrap metal before him, nodded with satisfaction, and flew back to the other two.
Ganthet remained silent, but he thought to himself, *Are all the new Lanterns this violent nowadays? Anyone who knew him would know he was a Green Lantern, but those who didn't would think he was some hothead from the Red Lanterns.*
Orin Vale, on the other hand, was reflecting. *Did I really steal too many kills? Look how pent-up it made the kid...*
"What?" Hal glanced at their meaningful expressions and placed his hands on his hips defiantly. "Manhunters. Bad guys. Am I wrong?"
"Yes, that's indeed the case."
Ganthet nodded, not dwelling on the issue.
"I sensed some other kind of energy just now," Orin Vale interjected, asking about the matter that concerned him most. "Energy similar to a Green Lantern's, but completely different in nature. I felt that immense power..."
Ganthet turned to him as well. "In fact, that's what I was just about to say. I also find it incredible. I'm still researching the power of the Blue Light, and this is the first time I've ever seen such a reaction."
"There's a Blue Light, too?" the rookie Green Lantern Hal asked, his interest piqued.
"The Green Light is only a part of the Emotional Spectrum, and it's the easiest to control. In fact, there are a total of seven colors of light within the universe's Emotional Spectrum."
Ganthet glanced at him and explained.
"Sayd—another Guardian who shares my ideals—and I were expelled from the ranks of the Guardians for the same criminal charge. We are now researching the other parts of the Emotional Spectrum together. We believe that the blue Light of Hope will be the key to the War of Light."
Sayd was the second reasonably sane Guardian after Ganthet, and also Ganthet's partner.
"Sayd... okay, so there's a second Guardian with a name." Hal remained bewildered. "And now there's a War of Light?"
Ganthet sighed softly. "We have indeed hidden too much from the Lantern Corps... Lantern Jordan, you know of the 'Book of Oa,' correct?"
Hal nodded. "I know that one. The big book in the fortress at Corps' Headquarters. It records the history of the Guardians of the Universe and the Green Lantern Corps, and contains infinite knowledge and the history of the universe."
"Yes. But the Book of Oa was once altered, and some parts were hidden by my brethren. We founded the Green Lantern Corps, but that was never meant to be the end point for the development of the Emotional Spectrum."
"Sooner or later, the remaining six Lantern Corps are destined to be born. The universe will erupt into an interstellar war between the different agents of emotion, and this war will ultimately lead to the forbidden chapter prophesied in the Book of Oa, the 'Blackest Night'."
"'Blackest Night'," Hal repeated in a murmur. "I feel like I've heard that name somewhere before."
Ganthet said flatly, "The previous owner of your Power Ring, the most outstanding member of the Corps, Abin Sur, defied the Guardians' orders at the time to investigate the secret of the Blackest Night, and that is how he lost his life."
Orin Vale remembered this part. The Blackest Night was one of the major events in DC Comics history. It told the story of the awakening of Nekron—the personification of death within the Emotional Spectrum—who resurrected all the dead and planned to extinguish all life.
The event spanned the publications of countless hero organizations, and with its story built from different perspectives and branching plotlines, the battlefield stretched across the entire universe. It was a true, universe-level cataclysm.
"So, the Light of Hope just now... did you release it?" Orin Vale asked.
"To be precise, it was this."
Ganthet waved his hand, and a pale blue spatial vortex opened before him. The Guardian reached in and pulled out a Power Battery.
It was identical in design to a Green Lantern's Power Battery, only this one was blue. The glow in its core was also quite dim, nowhere near as dazzling as Hal's Green Lantern.
"After Sayd and I were expelled from the ranks of the Guardians, we knew that the eruption of the Emotional Spectrum was inevitable and that war was coming," Ganthet said. "Therefore, we have been focusing on studying the principles of the Blue Lantern of Hope. According to our research, the Blue Light should be the one with the greatest potential among the seven colored lights, and may possess the power to influence the course of this war."
"But we are still in the research phase. We haven't been able to make the Blue Light operate as stably as the Green Light. Although 'Hope' is powerful, it is an even more ethereal, illusory, and elusive thing than Willpower..."
At this point, he turned to Orin Vale and said gravely.
"This is just a prototype Blue Lantern, for research purposes only. But before today, I had never seen it exhibit such a reaction. In fact, Sayd and I have already found many Blue Lantern candidates to train, but so far, the Blue Light's reaction in their hands has not been strong."
"But just now, this prototype lantern had a sudden surge we've never seen in the testing phase, as if it went out of control and suddenly drew a massive amount of the Light of Hope from the Emotional Spectrum."
"I still don't understand how it was done, but I am certain that it definitely has something to do with you."
Orin Vale fell into contemplation.
Even Ganthet couldn't explain what had just happened. But Orin Vale guessed that it was probably due to the intrinsic attributes of his own light as an Ultraman.
Perhaps even if they came from different universes, the light between messengers of hope would be drawn to each other. The Emotional Spectrum has existed since the birth of the universe, and for hundreds of millions of years, the Light of Hope had almost never been discovered. Now, through the battery Ganthet had built, it had finally come into contact with a candidate who was a perfect match for the spectrum, so naturally, its eruption was exceptionally vigorous.
"Normally, we rarely allow outsiders to participate in the affairs of the Guardians, but the situation is special now. If we cannot master the use of the Lantern of Hope soon, when the prophecy of the War of Light comes true, the universe could face utter devastation."
Ganthet pondered for a moment, then looked at Orin Vale.
"I don't know where you come from, or even if you belong to this universe. But you saved my life, you are a friend of Lantern Jordan, and more importantly, you possess the quality to light the Lantern of Hope. I believe Destiny has its reasons for letting us meet here."
"So, Warrior of Light, are you willing to accept my invitation, as a founder of the Lantern Corps... to become the leader of the nascent Blue Lantern Corps?"
Orin Vale lowered his head, meeting the gaze of the little blue man whose height only reached his chest.
"So there's going to be a Blue Lantern Corps soon," Hal said from the side, folding his arms. "I don't know. Before, I would have definitely said this was a good idea, but now I'm not so sure."
"Honestly, the Guardians' approval rating has been dropping pretty fast with me lately. I'm not even sure if this existing Green Lantern Corps is a good thing..."
"My brethren have indeed made many mistakes, but I promise that this time we are trying to make amends, and more importantly, to help the universe overcome the crisis that is destined to come."
The little blue man looked at Orin Vale, full of expectation.
"So, what do you think?"
Orin Vale considered it for a moment.
He was very interested in the Blue Light of the Emotional Spectrum itself, but the matter of leading a Corps required more thought.
"I need to understand more first."
He thought for a moment before replying.
"Knowing nothing about the Blue Light you mentioned, or about the Corps, I can't make a decision."
"Very reasonable."
Ganthet nodded.
"I'm about to head to the headquarters that Sayd and I have chosen for the Corps. You can come and take a look first."
"Alright." Orin Vale smiled. "Also, you mentioned there were some technical difficulties in developing the Blue Light? Perhaps I can help come up with a solution."
Ganthet was surprised. "You understand Emotional Spectrum technology?"
"Not very well at the moment. But I am a scientist," Orin Vale said with a straight face. "And I'm a fast learner."
(end of chapter)
After a cathartic beatdown, Hal looked at the large swath of Manhunters that had been blasted into scrap metal before him, nodded with satisfaction, and flew back to the other two.
Ganthet remained silent, but he thought to himself, *Are all the new Lanterns this violent nowadays? Anyone who knew him would know he was a Green Lantern, but those who didn't would think he was some hothead from the Red Lanterns.*
Orin Vale, on the other hand, was reflecting. *Did I really steal too many kills? Look how pent-up it made the kid...*
"What?" Hal glanced at their meaningful expressions and placed his hands on his hips defiantly. "Manhunters. Bad guys. Am I wrong?"
"Yes, that's indeed the case."
Ganthet nodded, not dwelling on the issue.
"I sensed some other kind of energy just now," Orin Vale interjected, asking about the matter that concerned him most. "Energy similar to a Green Lantern's, but completely different in nature. I felt that immense power..."
Ganthet turned to him as well. "In fact, that's what I was just about to say. I also find it incredible. I'm still researching the power of the Blue Light, and this is the first time I've ever seen such a reaction."
"There's a Blue Light, too?" the rookie Green Lantern Hal asked, his interest piqued.
"The Green Light is only a part of the Emotional Spectrum, and it's the easiest to control. In fact, there are a total of seven colors of light within the universe's Emotional Spectrum."
Ganthet glanced at him and explained.
"Sayd—another Guardian who shares my ideals—and I were expelled from the ranks of the Guardians for the same criminal charge. We are now researching the other parts of the Emotional Spectrum together. We believe that the blue Light of Hope will be the key to the War of Light."
Sayd was the second reasonably sane Guardian after Ganthet, and also Ganthet's partner.
"Sayd... okay, so there's a second Guardian with a name." Hal remained bewildered. "And now there's a War of Light?"
Ganthet sighed softly. "We have indeed hidden too much from the Lantern Corps... Lantern Jordan, you know of the 'Book of Oa,' correct?"
Hal nodded. "I know that one. The big book in the fortress at Corps' Headquarters. It records the history of the Guardians of the Universe and the Green Lantern Corps, and contains infinite knowledge and the history of the universe."
"Yes. But the Book of Oa was once altered, and some parts were hidden by my brethren. We founded the Green Lantern Corps, but that was never meant to be the end point for the development of the Emotional Spectrum."
"Sooner or later, the remaining six Lantern Corps are destined to be born. The universe will erupt into an interstellar war between the different agents of emotion, and this war will ultimately lead to the forbidden chapter prophesied in the Book of Oa, the 'Blackest Night'."
"'Blackest Night'," Hal repeated in a murmur. "I feel like I've heard that name somewhere before."
Ganthet said flatly, "The previous owner of your Power Ring, the most outstanding member of the Corps, Abin Sur, defied the Guardians' orders at the time to investigate the secret of the Blackest Night, and that is how he lost his life."
Orin Vale remembered this part. The Blackest Night was one of the major events in DC Comics history. It told the story of the awakening of Nekron—the personification of death within the Emotional Spectrum—who resurrected all the dead and planned to extinguish all life.
The event spanned the publications of countless hero organizations, and with its story built from different perspectives and branching plotlines, the battlefield stretched across the entire universe. It was a true, universe-level cataclysm.
"So, the Light of Hope just now... did you release it?" Orin Vale asked.
"To be precise, it was this."
Ganthet waved his hand, and a pale blue spatial vortex opened before him. The Guardian reached in and pulled out a Power Battery.
It was identical in design to a Green Lantern's Power Battery, only this one was blue. The glow in its core was also quite dim, nowhere near as dazzling as Hal's Green Lantern.
"After Sayd and I were expelled from the ranks of the Guardians, we knew that the eruption of the Emotional Spectrum was inevitable and that war was coming," Ganthet said. "Therefore, we have been focusing on studying the principles of the Blue Lantern of Hope. According to our research, the Blue Light should be the one with the greatest potential among the seven colored lights, and may possess the power to influence the course of this war."
"But we are still in the research phase. We haven't been able to make the Blue Light operate as stably as the Green Light. Although 'Hope' is powerful, it is an even more ethereal, illusory, and elusive thing than Willpower..."
At this point, he turned to Orin Vale and said gravely.
"This is just a prototype Blue Lantern, for research purposes only. But before today, I had never seen it exhibit such a reaction. In fact, Sayd and I have already found many Blue Lantern candidates to train, but so far, the Blue Light's reaction in their hands has not been strong."
"But just now, this prototype lantern had a sudden surge we've never seen in the testing phase, as if it went out of control and suddenly drew a massive amount of the Light of Hope from the Emotional Spectrum."
"I still don't understand how it was done, but I am certain that it definitely has something to do with you."
Orin Vale fell into contemplation.
Even Ganthet couldn't explain what had just happened. But Orin Vale guessed that it was probably due to the intrinsic attributes of his own light as an Ultraman.
Perhaps even if they came from different universes, the light between messengers of hope would be drawn to each other. The Emotional Spectrum has existed since the birth of the universe, and for hundreds of millions of years, the Light of Hope had almost never been discovered. Now, through the battery Ganthet had built, it had finally come into contact with a candidate who was a perfect match for the spectrum, so naturally, its eruption was exceptionally vigorous.
"Normally, we rarely allow outsiders to participate in the affairs of the Guardians, but the situation is special now. If we cannot master the use of the Lantern of Hope soon, when the prophecy of the War of Light comes true, the universe could face utter devastation."
Ganthet pondered for a moment, then looked at Orin Vale.
"I don't know where you come from, or even if you belong to this universe. But you saved my life, you are a friend of Lantern Jordan, and more importantly, you possess the quality to light the Lantern of Hope. I believe Destiny has its reasons for letting us meet here."
"So, Warrior of Light, are you willing to accept my invitation, as a founder of the Lantern Corps... to become the leader of the nascent Blue Lantern Corps?"
Orin Vale lowered his head, meeting the gaze of the little blue man whose height only reached his chest.
"So there's going to be a Blue Lantern Corps soon," Hal said from the side, folding his arms. "I don't know. Before, I would have definitely said this was a good idea, but now I'm not so sure."
"Honestly, the Guardians' approval rating has been dropping pretty fast with me lately. I'm not even sure if this existing Green Lantern Corps is a good thing..."
"My brethren have indeed made many mistakes, but I promise that this time we are trying to make amends, and more importantly, to help the universe overcome the crisis that is destined to come."
The little blue man looked at Orin Vale, full of expectation.
"So, what do you think?"
Orin Vale considered it for a moment.
He was very interested in the Blue Light of the Emotional Spectrum itself, but the matter of leading a Corps required more thought.
"I need to understand more first."
He thought for a moment before replying.
"Knowing nothing about the Blue Light you mentioned, or about the Corps, I can't make a decision."
"Very reasonable."
Ganthet nodded.
"I'm about to head to the headquarters that Sayd and I have chosen for the Corps. You can come and take a look first."
"Alright." Orin Vale smiled. "Also, you mentioned there were some technical difficulties in developing the Blue Light? Perhaps I can help come up with a solution."
Ganthet was surprised. "You understand Emotional Spectrum technology?"
"Not very well at the moment. But I am a scientist," Orin Vale said with a straight face. "And I'm a fast learner."
(end of chapter)
