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Chapter 337: Never Give Up
The Manhunters, predecessors to the Green Lantern Corps. Created by the Guardians for the purpose of maintaining order in the universe, they were later abandoned by the Guardians after their AI went berserk and out of control.
As a saint personally trained by Ganthet, Saint Walker naturally knew the origins of the Manhunters. He also knew of their most recent appearance and the conflict they had with the Green Lantern Corps and the Ultraman whom his Blue Lanterns called the “Supreme Being.”
It was just that the last time these things appeared, they were seemingly subordinates of Cyborg Superman, Hank Henshaw. But the last time Cyborg Superman showed up, he was blasted into nothing but residue. The Machine Hunter Legion should have disappeared along with him.
“You’re actually taking orders from Sinestro?”
Saint Walker blocked the Manhunter's heavy staff strike with his bent arm, asking with difficulty.
"Incorrect. The Manhunters refuse to obey Sinestro's commands."
The Manhunter spoke coldly, while the staff-like weapon in its hand, crackling with some kind of electrical energy, struck at Saint Walker.
"The Manhunters have merely formed a temporary alliance with the Sinestro Corps."
Its strength was immense. Saint Walker parried with his palm. Although he barely managed to block it, the heavy force traveled up from his palm, making his arm go numb.
The Blue Lantern energy field covering his arm visibly dissipated, and his Power Ring issued a continuous warning: “Warning. Energy level below 40%.”
Saint Walker gritted his teeth. This was a new modification on the recently appeared Manhunters, an ability the original versions created by the Guardians years ago didn't possess. The new model Manhunters could be called spectrum-killers, possessing the power to absorb the energy of the various emotional spectrums.
This made the situation even worse for the Blue Lanterns, who were already not adept at combat.
More Manhunters were emerging from amongst the Yellow Lanterns, launching an attack on the corps. The once-serene forest was engulfed in fire, blazing flames dancing in the night sky like a carnival of doomsday.
Saint Walker could see his comrades fighting back with all their might, but the situation was only growing more dire. He saw an entire mountain range collapse under the aftershocks of the battle. The powerful impact caused rocks to slide down like sand. The enormous mountain trembled in the shockwaves, and peaks that once soared into the clouds gradually toppled under the devastation of the artillery fire.
"No!"
Saint Walker slammed his head into the Manhunter, carrying it along in a full-speed dive. A gale swept past them, and Saint Walker could feel his protective layer weakening with the descent.
"Warning. Energy level below 30%."
The Manhunter, held by him as they fell, had a red glow flicker in its eyes.
"No one escapes the Manhunters."
The staff-like weapon struck the side of Saint Walker's face. He could feel his protective shield rupture, and blood flew from his mouth. His body tumbled as he fell, crashing into a lake with a tremendous splash.
The Manhunter fell into the water with him. The jungle along the shore was already burning, and the rippling surface of the water reflected a sea of fire, the smell of burning spreading across its surface.
Saint Walker rose from the lake, gasping for breath. He felt exhausted, and so did his Power Ring. But he was the leader. He had to get back to the fight immediately; the corps needed him.
The Manhunter also rose with him in the lake, raising its arm to lock onto him again.
"No one esca-zzzt-no one can... bzzt..."
The Manhunter's eyes flickered twice, then its body suddenly tilted, and it began to sway, like a drunken strong man.
"What-zzzt-did you do?"
"It wasn't me," Saint Walker said. "Master Ganthet taught us more than just how to use the Power Ring; he taught us how to use Hope to coexist in harmony with all things and with the nature of the universe. All the animals and plants on Odym are our friends. We fight together against invaders—including the Ahaim water bug, a species of aquatic insect unique to Odym."
"It was no accident that we fell into this lake. The moment we landed, I did my best to create a rift in your outer shell. Now, tens of thousands of Ahaim water bugs have probably swum in through that rift and eaten your circuits."
The Manhunter's body swayed as it struggled to raise its arm. But it fired its cannon three times, and every shot missed by a mile.
"Cannot... lock on. System error..."
Saint Walker had already flown forward.
"Just as I said—everything will be alright!"
A fist wrapped in blue light, launched forward with a mid-air dash like a cannon shell. The Manhunter's entire head was blasted clean off by the punch, sent spinning far away before splashing into the water.
Saint Walker panted.
"Energy level at 23%. Power-saving mode recommended."
"Not now, Power Ring." Saint Walker took to the sky again.
He had destroyed one Manhunter, but it was far from enough. There were more above, a swarm of Yellow Lanterns like locusts, mixed in with Manhunters.
This was no time to conserve stamina and energy. He had an entire corps to lead.
A newly recruited Blue Lantern rookie was already crying out, "There are too many of them, and they're too strong. It's impossible... We don't stand a chance..."
"Don't talk like that, Shun!"
The Blue Lantern Arus sent a Yellow Lantern flying with a brilliant hook-swing combo, shouting.
"Remember how I trained you! For those with faith, nothing is impossible!"
At that moment, Saint Walker flew back up. "Arus is right! To never give up Hope until the very end, that is our way."
"Follow me, brothers! Even if all of you lose Hope, it doesn't matter. I still have enough Hope to share with you all!"
Hearing this, the hearts of all the Blue Lanterns were lifted. Saint Walker's presence was the corps' guiding star; his words were like a shot of adrenaline. As long as he was there, the Light of Hope would never be extinguished.
Evidently, the enemy discovered this quickly.
"Their field commander!" a Yellow Lantern shouted.
"That Blue Lantern, he's their backbone! Take him down, and we'll take away their Hope!"
All firepower focused on Saint Walker. Countless Yellow Lanterns simultaneously released terrifying constructs from their Power Rings.
The Blue Lanterns fought back desperately, neutralizing most of the attacks, but the sheer number of enemies was astounding. Saint Walker let out a great shout, his Power Ring erupting with astonishing energy, disintegrating several yellow constructs with its radiance. However, after holding on for only a few seconds, the blue light he projected also vanished.
It was the Manhunters.
Two Manhunters had circled above the defensive line and siphoned away his energy.
The Yellow Lanterns' constructs finally broke through the defensive line. A tentacle wrapped around Saint Walker's arm, and a yellow dragon seized his body from behind. Two yellow beasts with gaping maws grabbed his legs, and more were rushing forward one after another.
He could barely move a single finger.
"Final warning. Power Ring energy level below 3%. Ring shutdown imminent..."
But the light in Saint Walker's eyes had not yet been extinguished.
"It's not... over..."
"Hope... never gives up..."
As if in response to his conviction.
And at that final moment, all the Blue Lanterns saw it... Hope.
It came in the form of a searing radiance, piercing the atmosphere and descending directly. Like the endless light shed during God's creation, it enveloped a massive number of Manhunters and Yellow Lanterns as it passed. The robots disintegrated into dust on the spot. The Yellow Lanterns' barriers melted as easily as butter, and the Yellow Lanterns inside were melted down to their very bones, becoming nothing but slag.
For a moment, ownerless Yellow Lantern rings flew about chaotically in the sky.
"Yellow Lantern 367, connection severed."
"Yellow Lantern 1742, connection severed."
"Yellow Lantern..."
The remaining Yellow Lanterns were stunned.
In less than a second, a huge portion of the Yellow Lanterns present had been instantly killed!
Those were the Fear Power Rings, which could rival the most powerful weapon in the universe, the Green Lantern Ring! What level of expert could slaughter them so easily, as if they were just chopping vegetables?
And the Manhunters. Also created by the Guardians, once entrusted with the great responsibility of protecting the universe, now even a deluxe 2.0 upgraded version, yet before this unknown visitor, they were like firecrackers, a huge swath of them exploding in less than a second!
Of course, they would soon know the answer.
With the pillar of light descending from the heavens and a cloud of dust exploding from the jungle, a red-and-silver cosmic giant stood firm upon the land of Odym.
(end of chapter)
The Manhunters, predecessors to the Green Lantern Corps. Created by the Guardians for the purpose of maintaining order in the universe, they were later abandoned by the Guardians after their AI went berserk and out of control.
As a saint personally trained by Ganthet, Saint Walker naturally knew the origins of the Manhunters. He also knew of their most recent appearance and the conflict they had with the Green Lantern Corps and the Ultraman whom his Blue Lanterns called the “Supreme Being.”
It was just that the last time these things appeared, they were seemingly subordinates of Cyborg Superman, Hank Henshaw. But the last time Cyborg Superman showed up, he was blasted into nothing but residue. The Machine Hunter Legion should have disappeared along with him.
“You’re actually taking orders from Sinestro?”
Saint Walker blocked the Manhunter's heavy staff strike with his bent arm, asking with difficulty.
"Incorrect. The Manhunters refuse to obey Sinestro's commands."
The Manhunter spoke coldly, while the staff-like weapon in its hand, crackling with some kind of electrical energy, struck at Saint Walker.
"The Manhunters have merely formed a temporary alliance with the Sinestro Corps."
Its strength was immense. Saint Walker parried with his palm. Although he barely managed to block it, the heavy force traveled up from his palm, making his arm go numb.
The Blue Lantern energy field covering his arm visibly dissipated, and his Power Ring issued a continuous warning: “Warning. Energy level below 40%.”
Saint Walker gritted his teeth. This was a new modification on the recently appeared Manhunters, an ability the original versions created by the Guardians years ago didn't possess. The new model Manhunters could be called spectrum-killers, possessing the power to absorb the energy of the various emotional spectrums.
This made the situation even worse for the Blue Lanterns, who were already not adept at combat.
More Manhunters were emerging from amongst the Yellow Lanterns, launching an attack on the corps. The once-serene forest was engulfed in fire, blazing flames dancing in the night sky like a carnival of doomsday.
Saint Walker could see his comrades fighting back with all their might, but the situation was only growing more dire. He saw an entire mountain range collapse under the aftershocks of the battle. The powerful impact caused rocks to slide down like sand. The enormous mountain trembled in the shockwaves, and peaks that once soared into the clouds gradually toppled under the devastation of the artillery fire.
"No!"
Saint Walker slammed his head into the Manhunter, carrying it along in a full-speed dive. A gale swept past them, and Saint Walker could feel his protective layer weakening with the descent.
"Warning. Energy level below 30%."
The Manhunter, held by him as they fell, had a red glow flicker in its eyes.
"No one escapes the Manhunters."
The staff-like weapon struck the side of Saint Walker's face. He could feel his protective shield rupture, and blood flew from his mouth. His body tumbled as he fell, crashing into a lake with a tremendous splash.
The Manhunter fell into the water with him. The jungle along the shore was already burning, and the rippling surface of the water reflected a sea of fire, the smell of burning spreading across its surface.
Saint Walker rose from the lake, gasping for breath. He felt exhausted, and so did his Power Ring. But he was the leader. He had to get back to the fight immediately; the corps needed him.
The Manhunter also rose with him in the lake, raising its arm to lock onto him again.
"No one esca-zzzt-no one can... bzzt..."
The Manhunter's eyes flickered twice, then its body suddenly tilted, and it began to sway, like a drunken strong man.
"What-zzzt-did you do?"
"It wasn't me," Saint Walker said. "Master Ganthet taught us more than just how to use the Power Ring; he taught us how to use Hope to coexist in harmony with all things and with the nature of the universe. All the animals and plants on Odym are our friends. We fight together against invaders—including the Ahaim water bug, a species of aquatic insect unique to Odym."
"It was no accident that we fell into this lake. The moment we landed, I did my best to create a rift in your outer shell. Now, tens of thousands of Ahaim water bugs have probably swum in through that rift and eaten your circuits."
The Manhunter's body swayed as it struggled to raise its arm. But it fired its cannon three times, and every shot missed by a mile.
"Cannot... lock on. System error..."
Saint Walker had already flown forward.
"Just as I said—everything will be alright!"
A fist wrapped in blue light, launched forward with a mid-air dash like a cannon shell. The Manhunter's entire head was blasted clean off by the punch, sent spinning far away before splashing into the water.
Saint Walker panted.
"Energy level at 23%. Power-saving mode recommended."
"Not now, Power Ring." Saint Walker took to the sky again.
He had destroyed one Manhunter, but it was far from enough. There were more above, a swarm of Yellow Lanterns like locusts, mixed in with Manhunters.
This was no time to conserve stamina and energy. He had an entire corps to lead.
A newly recruited Blue Lantern rookie was already crying out, "There are too many of them, and they're too strong. It's impossible... We don't stand a chance..."
"Don't talk like that, Shun!"
The Blue Lantern Arus sent a Yellow Lantern flying with a brilliant hook-swing combo, shouting.
"Remember how I trained you! For those with faith, nothing is impossible!"
At that moment, Saint Walker flew back up. "Arus is right! To never give up Hope until the very end, that is our way."
"Follow me, brothers! Even if all of you lose Hope, it doesn't matter. I still have enough Hope to share with you all!"
Hearing this, the hearts of all the Blue Lanterns were lifted. Saint Walker's presence was the corps' guiding star; his words were like a shot of adrenaline. As long as he was there, the Light of Hope would never be extinguished.
Evidently, the enemy discovered this quickly.
"Their field commander!" a Yellow Lantern shouted.
"That Blue Lantern, he's their backbone! Take him down, and we'll take away their Hope!"
All firepower focused on Saint Walker. Countless Yellow Lanterns simultaneously released terrifying constructs from their Power Rings.
The Blue Lanterns fought back desperately, neutralizing most of the attacks, but the sheer number of enemies was astounding. Saint Walker let out a great shout, his Power Ring erupting with astonishing energy, disintegrating several yellow constructs with its radiance. However, after holding on for only a few seconds, the blue light he projected also vanished.
It was the Manhunters.
Two Manhunters had circled above the defensive line and siphoned away his energy.
The Yellow Lanterns' constructs finally broke through the defensive line. A tentacle wrapped around Saint Walker's arm, and a yellow dragon seized his body from behind. Two yellow beasts with gaping maws grabbed his legs, and more were rushing forward one after another.
He could barely move a single finger.
"Final warning. Power Ring energy level below 3%. Ring shutdown imminent..."
But the light in Saint Walker's eyes had not yet been extinguished.
"It's not... over..."
"Hope... never gives up..."
As if in response to his conviction.
And at that final moment, all the Blue Lanterns saw it... Hope.
It came in the form of a searing radiance, piercing the atmosphere and descending directly. Like the endless light shed during God's creation, it enveloped a massive number of Manhunters and Yellow Lanterns as it passed. The robots disintegrated into dust on the spot. The Yellow Lanterns' barriers melted as easily as butter, and the Yellow Lanterns inside were melted down to their very bones, becoming nothing but slag.
For a moment, ownerless Yellow Lantern rings flew about chaotically in the sky.
"Yellow Lantern 367, connection severed."
"Yellow Lantern 1742, connection severed."
"Yellow Lantern..."
The remaining Yellow Lanterns were stunned.
In less than a second, a huge portion of the Yellow Lanterns present had been instantly killed!
Those were the Fear Power Rings, which could rival the most powerful weapon in the universe, the Green Lantern Ring! What level of expert could slaughter them so easily, as if they were just chopping vegetables?
And the Manhunters. Also created by the Guardians, once entrusted with the great responsibility of protecting the universe, now even a deluxe 2.0 upgraded version, yet before this unknown visitor, they were like firecrackers, a huge swath of them exploding in less than a second!
Of course, they would soon know the answer.
With the pillar of light descending from the heavens and a cloud of dust exploding from the jungle, a red-and-silver cosmic giant stood firm upon the land of Odym.
(end of chapter)
