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Chapter 393 The Moment War Begins
"Ah!"
The Four-Eyed New God let out a strange cry, retracting his gaze as if he'd been electrocuted. He shrank into a dark corner, trembling.
That guy... he saw me through my Mental Projection?
No, that's impossible. No one can sense the gaze of my Mental Projection, not even other New Gods.
But on second thought, the being he was facing was completely unknown. From its first appearance in Gotham to the way it just stormed the Fire Pit, it was overpowered to a degree that defied imagination. For such an entity, it wouldn't seem strange to say that anything was possible...
No, regardless, none of this had anything to do with him anymore. Such a minor detail was irrelevant; saving his own skin was more important now. As for the rest, he would just report to his superiors and leave it for that Black Superman to worry about.
With this in mind, the Four-Eyed New God turned his head to flee, but as soon as he did, he froze.
The overpowered figure from the Mental Projection—that red-and-silver being covered in a phantom-like glow—had appeared in the room at some unknown time. It was right behind him, its oval eyes seemingly devoid of emotion, holding only a terrifying light.
The Four-Eyed New God was silent for less than a second.
Then, with a thud, he smoothly prostrated himself.
"I'm just a scout!" His head made a crisp sound as it hit the floor.
Orin Vale: "..."
At this moment, the Green Lantern also floated in from behind, looking speechless at the creature at his feet.
"This is the leader of this place?" Alan seemed underwhelmed.
The Four-Eyed New God lay prostrate on the ground, not daring to breathe loudly. He seemed to be clinging to the unwritten rule that observers aren't killed in a standoff, believing he could still be saved.
Although the previous batch of New Gods had died for nothing, they had at least fought until the very end. There hadn't been one who immediately prostrated himself upon meeting an enemy. This was probably the shame of the New Gods.
But this was good, too. Now there was someone to answer questions.
"The Fire Pits that are continuously appearing on Earth," Orin Vale said, "what are they? What is this place for? Is what you call 'the gift of Apokolips' related to these Fire Pits?"
The Four-Eyed New God was taken aback. He secretly sized up the two of them. After meeting their eyes, he seemed convinced that they were beings he couldn't afford to provoke, so he timidly averted all four of his own.
"Y-yes, that was instructed by Slaughter. It's the primary mission for our advance troops invading Earth," the Four-Eyed New God said weakly. "Dismantling the World Army, defeating and capturing Earth's superheroes, and even capturing cities to establish strongholds are all secondary missions."
"But our advance force's first and primary mission is actually... is..."
He hesitated again, as if waging a fierce internal struggle. It wasn't until Alan pressed his power ring to the New God's forehead, making him feel the scorching green light pulsing at his temples, that the New God finally gave up his struggle with a shiver.
"...We are to transform Earth into the next Apokolips."
Alan was shocked. "What did you say?"
"I don't know the specifics, I only heard it was personally ordered by That Lord." The Four-Eyed New God hung his head. "He is very interested in Earth. The New Gods in command said it's a planet whose potential has been severely underestimated."
"If it can be transformed into a new Apokolips, the center of gravity of the universe might shift..."
Alan gritted his teeth. "What will happen if the transformation succeeds?"
As he spoke, he unconsciously applied more force, and his ring-clad fist pushed the New God's head to one side.
"I-I-I'm not sure either!" the Four-Eyed New God yelped. "But humans won't be able to adapt to the environment of Apokolips, and during the transformation process, the surface will inevitably be purged. Most creatures will die, and a new environment and order will be established..."
"Alright, that's all I need to know," Alan frowned, seemingly about to act.
"Wait," Orin Vale stopped the hothead and asked, "Can the transformation process be stopped from this base?"
The Four-Eyed New God hesitated for a moment, then said, "From here, we can only stop the operation of the Geneva Fire Pit. But the other Fire Pits are still operational, and new ones are about to be activated..."
"Shut this one down for me first," Orin Vale ordered.
"Right away!"
The Four-Eyed New God scurried off to do it.
"We have to shut down the remaining Fire Pits," Orin Vale said to Alan.
With every passing second, Earth's corruption was deepening, and its core was undergoing a drastic change. Once the transformation was complete, it would be an extinction-level disaster.
"I know... wait." Alan's expression changed. "The Green is telling me something... They've started moving again, the armies of Apokolips, and not just in Gotham..."
"Where else this time?"
"This time..."
Alan's face looked grim.
"...Everywhere."
In Rio, in Rome, in Karachi.
Swarms of Parademons filled the sky. Massive Apokoliptian warships rose into the air, unleashing a furious bombardment of energy beams and cannon shells on cities across the globe.
The entire Earth was once again shrouded in darkness.
"We have to move," Alan said, hovering in the air. "Earth needs us to fight back."
Orin Vale shook his head. "There are too many of them, and the Parademons are endless. Wasting our energy fighting them on the front lines is pointless."
Alan frowned. "So you're saying we should just stand by and watch?"
"I'm saying that a battle requires tactics and strategy, not just charging in blindly," Orin Vale said. "You go and shut down the other Fire Pits first. That's the priority. Once Earth's transformation is complete, any fighting we do on the front lines will be meaningless."
Alan pondered for a moment. "I can try. But I'm not sure if I can fight my way in alone..."
The Fire Pits couldn't be approached easily. He knew that the only reason they had breached this Geneva Fire Pit so easily was mainly due to Orin Vale's help.
"Don't worry, you can do it."
Orin Vale snapped his fingers. Alan immediately felt a warm current surge through his body. The green light converged on his power ring like a vortex, swirling around him and burning like a dazzling flame.
Alan was stunned. "You... how can you use the power of The Green?"
"I also know a little about the energy of Green Lanterns; it's just not from The Green," Orin Vale said. "This way, your power ring's output will be amplified for a short period, which should be enough to support you in finishing your work."
Alan grinned. "Are you kidding me? I'll slaughter them until not a single one is left standing."
He paused, then asked before flying off, "What about you? What's your plan?"
"Me?" Orin Vale said calmly. "To catch bandits, you must first catch their king. I'll go and meet their commander. Since it's an all-out war, he can't possibly keep hiding like a coward, as he has for the past two days... I'm going to find the Superman of Earth-2 and see if I can talk some sense into him."
(end of chapter)
"Ah!"
The Four-Eyed New God let out a strange cry, retracting his gaze as if he'd been electrocuted. He shrank into a dark corner, trembling.
That guy... he saw me through my Mental Projection?
No, that's impossible. No one can sense the gaze of my Mental Projection, not even other New Gods.
But on second thought, the being he was facing was completely unknown. From its first appearance in Gotham to the way it just stormed the Fire Pit, it was overpowered to a degree that defied imagination. For such an entity, it wouldn't seem strange to say that anything was possible...
No, regardless, none of this had anything to do with him anymore. Such a minor detail was irrelevant; saving his own skin was more important now. As for the rest, he would just report to his superiors and leave it for that Black Superman to worry about.
With this in mind, the Four-Eyed New God turned his head to flee, but as soon as he did, he froze.
The overpowered figure from the Mental Projection—that red-and-silver being covered in a phantom-like glow—had appeared in the room at some unknown time. It was right behind him, its oval eyes seemingly devoid of emotion, holding only a terrifying light.
The Four-Eyed New God was silent for less than a second.
Then, with a thud, he smoothly prostrated himself.
"I'm just a scout!" His head made a crisp sound as it hit the floor.
Orin Vale: "..."
At this moment, the Green Lantern also floated in from behind, looking speechless at the creature at his feet.
"This is the leader of this place?" Alan seemed underwhelmed.
The Four-Eyed New God lay prostrate on the ground, not daring to breathe loudly. He seemed to be clinging to the unwritten rule that observers aren't killed in a standoff, believing he could still be saved.
Although the previous batch of New Gods had died for nothing, they had at least fought until the very end. There hadn't been one who immediately prostrated himself upon meeting an enemy. This was probably the shame of the New Gods.
But this was good, too. Now there was someone to answer questions.
"The Fire Pits that are continuously appearing on Earth," Orin Vale said, "what are they? What is this place for? Is what you call 'the gift of Apokolips' related to these Fire Pits?"
The Four-Eyed New God was taken aback. He secretly sized up the two of them. After meeting their eyes, he seemed convinced that they were beings he couldn't afford to provoke, so he timidly averted all four of his own.
"Y-yes, that was instructed by Slaughter. It's the primary mission for our advance troops invading Earth," the Four-Eyed New God said weakly. "Dismantling the World Army, defeating and capturing Earth's superheroes, and even capturing cities to establish strongholds are all secondary missions."
"But our advance force's first and primary mission is actually... is..."
He hesitated again, as if waging a fierce internal struggle. It wasn't until Alan pressed his power ring to the New God's forehead, making him feel the scorching green light pulsing at his temples, that the New God finally gave up his struggle with a shiver.
"...We are to transform Earth into the next Apokolips."
Alan was shocked. "What did you say?"
"I don't know the specifics, I only heard it was personally ordered by That Lord." The Four-Eyed New God hung his head. "He is very interested in Earth. The New Gods in command said it's a planet whose potential has been severely underestimated."
"If it can be transformed into a new Apokolips, the center of gravity of the universe might shift..."
Alan gritted his teeth. "What will happen if the transformation succeeds?"
As he spoke, he unconsciously applied more force, and his ring-clad fist pushed the New God's head to one side.
"I-I-I'm not sure either!" the Four-Eyed New God yelped. "But humans won't be able to adapt to the environment of Apokolips, and during the transformation process, the surface will inevitably be purged. Most creatures will die, and a new environment and order will be established..."
"Alright, that's all I need to know," Alan frowned, seemingly about to act.
"Wait," Orin Vale stopped the hothead and asked, "Can the transformation process be stopped from this base?"
The Four-Eyed New God hesitated for a moment, then said, "From here, we can only stop the operation of the Geneva Fire Pit. But the other Fire Pits are still operational, and new ones are about to be activated..."
"Shut this one down for me first," Orin Vale ordered.
"Right away!"
The Four-Eyed New God scurried off to do it.
"We have to shut down the remaining Fire Pits," Orin Vale said to Alan.
With every passing second, Earth's corruption was deepening, and its core was undergoing a drastic change. Once the transformation was complete, it would be an extinction-level disaster.
"I know... wait." Alan's expression changed. "The Green is telling me something... They've started moving again, the armies of Apokolips, and not just in Gotham..."
"Where else this time?"
"This time..."
Alan's face looked grim.
"...Everywhere."
In Rio, in Rome, in Karachi.
Swarms of Parademons filled the sky. Massive Apokoliptian warships rose into the air, unleashing a furious bombardment of energy beams and cannon shells on cities across the globe.
The entire Earth was once again shrouded in darkness.
"We have to move," Alan said, hovering in the air. "Earth needs us to fight back."
Orin Vale shook his head. "There are too many of them, and the Parademons are endless. Wasting our energy fighting them on the front lines is pointless."
Alan frowned. "So you're saying we should just stand by and watch?"
"I'm saying that a battle requires tactics and strategy, not just charging in blindly," Orin Vale said. "You go and shut down the other Fire Pits first. That's the priority. Once Earth's transformation is complete, any fighting we do on the front lines will be meaningless."
Alan pondered for a moment. "I can try. But I'm not sure if I can fight my way in alone..."
The Fire Pits couldn't be approached easily. He knew that the only reason they had breached this Geneva Fire Pit so easily was mainly due to Orin Vale's help.
"Don't worry, you can do it."
Orin Vale snapped his fingers. Alan immediately felt a warm current surge through his body. The green light converged on his power ring like a vortex, swirling around him and burning like a dazzling flame.
Alan was stunned. "You... how can you use the power of The Green?"
"I also know a little about the energy of Green Lanterns; it's just not from The Green," Orin Vale said. "This way, your power ring's output will be amplified for a short period, which should be enough to support you in finishing your work."
Alan grinned. "Are you kidding me? I'll slaughter them until not a single one is left standing."
He paused, then asked before flying off, "What about you? What's your plan?"
"Me?" Orin Vale said calmly. "To catch bandits, you must first catch their king. I'll go and meet their commander. Since it's an all-out war, he can't possibly keep hiding like a coward, as he has for the past two days... I'm going to find the Superman of Earth-2 and see if I can talk some sense into him."
(end of chapter)
