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Chapter 344: Spectrum Master
The Guardian lowered his altitude, flying at high speed along a mountain range on the planet. The mountain range was like the spine of a giant dragon, winding and twisting as it extended forward.
He had already suppressed the yellow energy fluctuations radiating from his body to an absolute minimum, matching the intensity of the power he had dispersed. Just as he broke through the atmosphere, the Guardian had instantly applied his knowledge of the Emotional Spectrum to create a large number of temporary Power Rings. Each ring stored a certain amount of yellow light energy, but these temporary rings had limited power; the moment their energy was depleted, the ring itself would dissolve and dissipate.
But in that brief moment, the dispersed "Yellow Power Rings" had each locked onto the sentient creatures living on this planet according to their built-in scanning program. They weren't picky, simply following a principle of proximity to randomly grab nearby inhabitants, turning them into new Yellow Lanterns. Then, following their programmed instructions, they each fled in different directions.
"No signs of enemy pursuit detected for the moment," the Guardian's Power Ring reported.
"Hmph, impressive strength, but far too naive when it comes to strategy," the Guardian snorted coldly.
With so many Yellow Power Rings released simultaneously, that guy must be completely disoriented by the dense cluster of signals on his radar. This was his chance to make a clean getaway.
As he was flying along smugly, the Power Ring on his hand suddenly flickered.
Someone had connected to his communication channel.
The Guardian frowned slightly. "Is that you, Sinestro? I'm a bit busy over here, but I'll be back soon. Stop rushing me..."
As he spoke, he realized something was wrong.
Wait, the person on this channel wasn't Sinestro.
The Power Ring's security verification passed, confirming the communication link was from the same yellow light spectrum, but the ring couldn't identify the other party. This was an unregistered, unknown Yellow Lantern...
In an instant, the Guardian felt an inexplicable sense of dread in every cell of his body. He immediately tried to cut the communication, but it was already too late.
The other end of the communication channel was dead silent. Not a single word was exchanged. Transmitted along that intangible signal... was only a luminous fist, rapidly expanding from a light-particle to an immense size.
A flashing uppercut, carrying supersonic speed and the impact of rapid enlargement, landed squarely on the Guardian's chin with an explosive boom.
Intense pain spread from his jaw, the impact reverberated through his brain, followed by a wave of dizziness. But even so, it couldn't erase the unparalleled shock in the Guardian's heart.
"Wh-wh-what!?"
As his body was launched into the air, spinning, the little blue man's eyes remained wide, as if his worldview, forged over billions of years of scientific doctrine, had been shattered to pieces by that single fist.
From inside his own Power Ring!?
What the hell kind of new-fangled move was this???
He was completely unprepared... it was impossible to be prepared.
No normal person, no matter how hard they wracked their brain, could ever imagine such an absurd maneuver as slipping into a Power Ring through a communication channel.
However, although this was Orin Vale's first time testing it in practice, the theoretical basis he had researched had long proven it was entirely feasible.
Firstly, a Power Ring is a product of technology, and its operating system is essentially a cutting-edge computer. While rare in the comics, it was true that highly skilled hackers had broken into a Green Lantern's Power Ring before.
When transmitting communications, a Power Ring is essentially a signal-receiving device. Therefore, a photonized body could blend into the transmission signal, making it entirely possible to lock onto the Power Ring and teleport remotely.
The Guardian was indeed a knowledgeable old immortal, figuring out the ability his opponent had used in a mere instant.
But after flipping twice and getting back on his feet, he still stared daggers at Orin Vale, his face filled with indignation and confusion.
"Photonized transmission is indeed a rare ability. But even so, how did you lock onto me among so many temporary rings, and how did you pass the Yellow Light's identification protocol?"
"It's simple. In our first exchange, the moment I struck you, I planted a light particle mark in your Power Ring. So no matter how many fakes you created, you couldn't escape me," Orin Vale said coolly. "As for why I could pass the Yellow Light identification..."
He flipped his hand, and a ball of blue light first condensed in his palm. Then, with a thought, hope transformed into fear, and the azure radiance instantly turned into a golden flame.
The Guardian's jaw nearly hit the ground.
"The F-Fear Spectrum? You've mastered both the Hope and Fear spectrums at the same time?"
The Guardian began to stammer.
At this moment, he truly felt that all his life's research on the Emotional Spectrum had been a complete waste.
How was this possible? To wield more than one type of colored light simultaneously... the conflict of different emotions within a single individual was enough to drive any rational being insane. In billions of years, only a handful of people had ever achieved this.
Let alone the two most conflicting spectrums in the entire Emotional Spectrum.
Orin Vale actually understood how he felt.
Because even in the long history of the original comics, the number of people who had controlled multiple spectrums could be counted on one's fingers. The most famous among them was probably Green Lantern Kyle Rayner, who wielded the power of all seven colors of the Emotional Spectrum and merged them into one, becoming the first "White Lantern" in history.
However, in Orin Vale's current state, he only had a rudimentary understanding of the yellow light, and it was all thanks to the results of his research with the voluntary cooperation of the emotional entity volunteer, Parallax. Of course, his mastery was nowhere near his grasp of the blue light.
But it was more than enough to execute this strategy.
He switched his own spectrum energy to the yellow light's frequency, deceiving the authentication of the Power Ring on the Guardian's hand to establish a communication link, and then photonized his body to slip right through that connection.
He gave the corrupted Guardian a little Ultraman-style shock and awe.
However, the two blows he had just landed were infused with blue light, yet they only managed to partially counteract the Guardian's yellow light energy without dissipating it completely. Orin Vale estimated it was because the Guardian himself was very powerful, and his power level after merging with the yellow light was far beyond that of an ordinary Yellow Lantern. He even had a certain degree of resistance against the blue light.
But that wasn't a big problem. He just needed to hit him faster and harder, a few more times.
"Multiple life reactions detected," Pal reminded him.
A radar interface appeared in the corner of the screen in front of Orin Vale, and the radar scan began to mark points of light in the vicinity.
Each one had a distinct Yellow Light signal reaction.
People were appearing nearby. They were the native inhabitants of this planet, and it seemed they had been lying in wait here all along. The Guardian's escape to this place was apparently no coincidence.
An ambush?
But this kind of ambush was meaningless against Orin Vale, a fact the Guardian should have been well aware of.
"It seems you've noticed... I didn't just flee in a panic to some random planet," the Guardian said smugly as he stood up. "This planet was specially prepared by us long ago to prevent just this kind of situation."
"The residents here have long been under our control. An energy bomb with a six-mile blast radius is implanted inside each of them. Now, if you make a single reckless move, even if you kill me in an instant, they will activate their self-detonation."
"And while I imagine it would be easy for you to defeat me, I doubt you can finish me in a single instant..."
"I see," Orin Vale nodded slightly. "You brainwashed them beforehand? Or was it mental manipulation? You plan to use them as hostages to threaten me?"
It was nothing new. The instructors at the Land of Light had mentioned more than once that as an Ultraman, when you choose to stand on the side of the weak and represent the light, you must be mentally prepared to face the most despicable darkness. Your enemies will stop at nothing to defeat you, using any and all means.
You have principles; they do not. This is one of their greatest advantages.
However, when the disparity in strength is great enough, advantages can be nullified.
Compassion, after all, is a privilege reserved for the strong.
"Of course, we both know that even if all the bombs detonate at once, they can't harm you," the Guardian, now shielded behind those people, said coldly. "But since you wield the light of hope, you are fated to have such a weakness—weakness!
"The blue light is the light of weakness, rendering you forever incapable of making the hard choices! If you dare to attack me again, even with the slightest hint of it, these people will press the detonation switch without hesitation, and everything will be turned to ash."
The corners of the Guardian's mouth turned up in a smug grin.
"You, who wield such a weak spectrum, can you make a decision that comes at any cost?"
As if he hadn't heard, Orin Vale took a step forward nonchalantly.
It was completely different from what the Guardian had imagined. He had expected his opponent to either surrender or perhaps erupt with ultimate power and speed to take a gamble, but neither happened.
Orin Vale didn't use super speed. He even seemed somewhat unhurried, exuding an air of composed confidence.
Yet, it was this slow pace that exerted an even more suffocating pressure.
As if everything was under his control.
The Guardian's expression, which had been so sure he had found his opponent's soft spot, changed in an instant.
"D-did you not hear me?" he retreated two steps in terror. "You're a Blue Lantern! How can you... how can you not care about the lives of others? Aren't you afraid they'll self-detonate?"
"Self-detonate? Who?"
Orin Vale continued to walk forward at a leisurely pace, asking casually.
"Are you talking about them?"
The Guardian looked around again and instantly froze.
Those death-sworn soldiers he considered his trump card, his final shield... had all stopped.
Literally. As if a pause button had been pressed, every single one of them, maintaining their resolute expressions and their hands raised with the detonators, had been sealed within translucent purple crystal, like exquisite statues.
Their muscles, their heartbeats, the blood in their veins—all were frozen within the violet crystal, as if the time of their lives had been suspended.
"The Star Sapphire!??"
The Guardian's worldview, which he had just barely pieced back together, was once again smashed into smithereens.
The Blue Lantern of Hope, the Yellow Lantern of Fear, and now the Star Sapphire?
There has to be a limit to this absurdity, right???
(end of chapter)
The Guardian lowered his altitude, flying at high speed along a mountain range on the planet. The mountain range was like the spine of a giant dragon, winding and twisting as it extended forward.
He had already suppressed the yellow energy fluctuations radiating from his body to an absolute minimum, matching the intensity of the power he had dispersed. Just as he broke through the atmosphere, the Guardian had instantly applied his knowledge of the Emotional Spectrum to create a large number of temporary Power Rings. Each ring stored a certain amount of yellow light energy, but these temporary rings had limited power; the moment their energy was depleted, the ring itself would dissolve and dissipate.
But in that brief moment, the dispersed "Yellow Power Rings" had each locked onto the sentient creatures living on this planet according to their built-in scanning program. They weren't picky, simply following a principle of proximity to randomly grab nearby inhabitants, turning them into new Yellow Lanterns. Then, following their programmed instructions, they each fled in different directions.
"No signs of enemy pursuit detected for the moment," the Guardian's Power Ring reported.
"Hmph, impressive strength, but far too naive when it comes to strategy," the Guardian snorted coldly.
With so many Yellow Power Rings released simultaneously, that guy must be completely disoriented by the dense cluster of signals on his radar. This was his chance to make a clean getaway.
As he was flying along smugly, the Power Ring on his hand suddenly flickered.
Someone had connected to his communication channel.
The Guardian frowned slightly. "Is that you, Sinestro? I'm a bit busy over here, but I'll be back soon. Stop rushing me..."
As he spoke, he realized something was wrong.
Wait, the person on this channel wasn't Sinestro.
The Power Ring's security verification passed, confirming the communication link was from the same yellow light spectrum, but the ring couldn't identify the other party. This was an unregistered, unknown Yellow Lantern...
In an instant, the Guardian felt an inexplicable sense of dread in every cell of his body. He immediately tried to cut the communication, but it was already too late.
The other end of the communication channel was dead silent. Not a single word was exchanged. Transmitted along that intangible signal... was only a luminous fist, rapidly expanding from a light-particle to an immense size.
A flashing uppercut, carrying supersonic speed and the impact of rapid enlargement, landed squarely on the Guardian's chin with an explosive boom.
Intense pain spread from his jaw, the impact reverberated through his brain, followed by a wave of dizziness. But even so, it couldn't erase the unparalleled shock in the Guardian's heart.
"Wh-wh-what!?"
As his body was launched into the air, spinning, the little blue man's eyes remained wide, as if his worldview, forged over billions of years of scientific doctrine, had been shattered to pieces by that single fist.
From inside his own Power Ring!?
What the hell kind of new-fangled move was this???
He was completely unprepared... it was impossible to be prepared.
No normal person, no matter how hard they wracked their brain, could ever imagine such an absurd maneuver as slipping into a Power Ring through a communication channel.
However, although this was Orin Vale's first time testing it in practice, the theoretical basis he had researched had long proven it was entirely feasible.
Firstly, a Power Ring is a product of technology, and its operating system is essentially a cutting-edge computer. While rare in the comics, it was true that highly skilled hackers had broken into a Green Lantern's Power Ring before.
When transmitting communications, a Power Ring is essentially a signal-receiving device. Therefore, a photonized body could blend into the transmission signal, making it entirely possible to lock onto the Power Ring and teleport remotely.
The Guardian was indeed a knowledgeable old immortal, figuring out the ability his opponent had used in a mere instant.
But after flipping twice and getting back on his feet, he still stared daggers at Orin Vale, his face filled with indignation and confusion.
"Photonized transmission is indeed a rare ability. But even so, how did you lock onto me among so many temporary rings, and how did you pass the Yellow Light's identification protocol?"
"It's simple. In our first exchange, the moment I struck you, I planted a light particle mark in your Power Ring. So no matter how many fakes you created, you couldn't escape me," Orin Vale said coolly. "As for why I could pass the Yellow Light identification..."
He flipped his hand, and a ball of blue light first condensed in his palm. Then, with a thought, hope transformed into fear, and the azure radiance instantly turned into a golden flame.
The Guardian's jaw nearly hit the ground.
"The F-Fear Spectrum? You've mastered both the Hope and Fear spectrums at the same time?"
The Guardian began to stammer.
At this moment, he truly felt that all his life's research on the Emotional Spectrum had been a complete waste.
How was this possible? To wield more than one type of colored light simultaneously... the conflict of different emotions within a single individual was enough to drive any rational being insane. In billions of years, only a handful of people had ever achieved this.
Let alone the two most conflicting spectrums in the entire Emotional Spectrum.
Orin Vale actually understood how he felt.
Because even in the long history of the original comics, the number of people who had controlled multiple spectrums could be counted on one's fingers. The most famous among them was probably Green Lantern Kyle Rayner, who wielded the power of all seven colors of the Emotional Spectrum and merged them into one, becoming the first "White Lantern" in history.
However, in Orin Vale's current state, he only had a rudimentary understanding of the yellow light, and it was all thanks to the results of his research with the voluntary cooperation of the emotional entity volunteer, Parallax. Of course, his mastery was nowhere near his grasp of the blue light.
But it was more than enough to execute this strategy.
He switched his own spectrum energy to the yellow light's frequency, deceiving the authentication of the Power Ring on the Guardian's hand to establish a communication link, and then photonized his body to slip right through that connection.
He gave the corrupted Guardian a little Ultraman-style shock and awe.
However, the two blows he had just landed were infused with blue light, yet they only managed to partially counteract the Guardian's yellow light energy without dissipating it completely. Orin Vale estimated it was because the Guardian himself was very powerful, and his power level after merging with the yellow light was far beyond that of an ordinary Yellow Lantern. He even had a certain degree of resistance against the blue light.
But that wasn't a big problem. He just needed to hit him faster and harder, a few more times.
"Multiple life reactions detected," Pal reminded him.
A radar interface appeared in the corner of the screen in front of Orin Vale, and the radar scan began to mark points of light in the vicinity.
Each one had a distinct Yellow Light signal reaction.
People were appearing nearby. They were the native inhabitants of this planet, and it seemed they had been lying in wait here all along. The Guardian's escape to this place was apparently no coincidence.
An ambush?
But this kind of ambush was meaningless against Orin Vale, a fact the Guardian should have been well aware of.
"It seems you've noticed... I didn't just flee in a panic to some random planet," the Guardian said smugly as he stood up. "This planet was specially prepared by us long ago to prevent just this kind of situation."
"The residents here have long been under our control. An energy bomb with a six-mile blast radius is implanted inside each of them. Now, if you make a single reckless move, even if you kill me in an instant, they will activate their self-detonation."
"And while I imagine it would be easy for you to defeat me, I doubt you can finish me in a single instant..."
"I see," Orin Vale nodded slightly. "You brainwashed them beforehand? Or was it mental manipulation? You plan to use them as hostages to threaten me?"
It was nothing new. The instructors at the Land of Light had mentioned more than once that as an Ultraman, when you choose to stand on the side of the weak and represent the light, you must be mentally prepared to face the most despicable darkness. Your enemies will stop at nothing to defeat you, using any and all means.
You have principles; they do not. This is one of their greatest advantages.
However, when the disparity in strength is great enough, advantages can be nullified.
Compassion, after all, is a privilege reserved for the strong.
"Of course, we both know that even if all the bombs detonate at once, they can't harm you," the Guardian, now shielded behind those people, said coldly. "But since you wield the light of hope, you are fated to have such a weakness—weakness!
"The blue light is the light of weakness, rendering you forever incapable of making the hard choices! If you dare to attack me again, even with the slightest hint of it, these people will press the detonation switch without hesitation, and everything will be turned to ash."
The corners of the Guardian's mouth turned up in a smug grin.
"You, who wield such a weak spectrum, can you make a decision that comes at any cost?"
As if he hadn't heard, Orin Vale took a step forward nonchalantly.
It was completely different from what the Guardian had imagined. He had expected his opponent to either surrender or perhaps erupt with ultimate power and speed to take a gamble, but neither happened.
Orin Vale didn't use super speed. He even seemed somewhat unhurried, exuding an air of composed confidence.
Yet, it was this slow pace that exerted an even more suffocating pressure.
As if everything was under his control.
The Guardian's expression, which had been so sure he had found his opponent's soft spot, changed in an instant.
"D-did you not hear me?" he retreated two steps in terror. "You're a Blue Lantern! How can you... how can you not care about the lives of others? Aren't you afraid they'll self-detonate?"
"Self-detonate? Who?"
Orin Vale continued to walk forward at a leisurely pace, asking casually.
"Are you talking about them?"
The Guardian looked around again and instantly froze.
Those death-sworn soldiers he considered his trump card, his final shield... had all stopped.
Literally. As if a pause button had been pressed, every single one of them, maintaining their resolute expressions and their hands raised with the detonators, had been sealed within translucent purple crystal, like exquisite statues.
Their muscles, their heartbeats, the blood in their veins—all were frozen within the violet crystal, as if the time of their lives had been suspended.
"The Star Sapphire!??"
The Guardian's worldview, which he had just barely pieced back together, was once again smashed into smithereens.
The Blue Lantern of Hope, the Yellow Lantern of Fear, and now the Star Sapphire?
There has to be a limit to this absurdity, right???
(end of chapter)
