Chapter 551: Parallax Demon Sinestro
Hal Returns to Oa
The Green Lantern Corps headquarters, Oa.
It was an impossibly magnificent green planet. Looking across the landscape, scattered buildings in all shapes and sizes dotted the verdant ground, no two alike. There were styles never before seen—some floating in the sky like bird nests, some buried deep underground, some towering like crystalline tubes, and others interconnected in complex rings.
The Green Lantern Corps soldiers come from all over the universe, representing countless races, which has led to Oa's highly diverse culture. Here, you could encounter the cultural styles of thousands of different civilizations.
After his encounter with Luke, Hal felt increasingly uneasy. A subtle sense of crisis lingered in his heart. After careful consideration, he decided to return to Oa and visit the Central Power Battery facility where Sinestro was being held.
A sentry robot initiated its scanning device:
"Identity confirmed. Hal Jordan. Clearance granted."
"Please surrender all weapons and equipment."
Hal complied, surrendering his ring. He walked down the corridor, passing through more than a dozen security doors and over twenty monitoring devices, arriving at the deepest part: a cell encased in green energy.
Inside the cell was one man, dressed in a black prison uniform—Thaal Sinestro, widely known as the greatest Green Lantern warrior.
"What are you doing here?"
"I came to see you."
Hal sat down in front of the cell door, shrugging. "As a friend."
A friend?
Sinestro twitched his mouth, a flash of malice in his eyes.
"I only have one friend, Abin Sur. Have you recovered his ring yet?"
Hal shook his head. "I've given up on that matter."
"It doesn't matter. It will come back."
Hal was confused. What does he mean, 'it will come back?'
"You should go. I need to rest."
After that cryptic sentence, Sinestro directly dismissed him. Hal frowned, feeling that something was wrong. He looked around the environment. The walls, forged from green light energy, were solid, with no cracks or damage.
Everything seemed normal. Hal couldn't spot the problem and left, full of doubt.
The Birth of Parallax Sinestro
Not long after Hal's departure, a yellow patch appeared on the green light wall. The patch quickly spread. A tsunami of yellow energy seeped out of the wall and surged into Sinestro's body.
The black prison uniform transformed into golden battle armor. His eyes changed from reddish-brown to orange-yellow, with peculiar light rings flashing deep in his pupils.
The yellow energy continued to evolve, morphing into a multi-limbed, multi-jointed, insect-like creature. An unimaginable wave of fear radiated from its body, constantly attacking Sinestro's psychological defenses, trying to force him to bow, surrender, and kneel in submission. Sinestro was unmoved. Instead, he curled his lip.
"Are you afraid?"
Boom!
The wave of fear intensified many times over. Sinestro groaned, stumbling backward. A tide of terror surged in his mind, making his body tremble uncontrollably. He grit his teeth, and relying on his fierce will, he walked back up to the insect.
"You really are afraid! Huff! Huff!" He took two deep breaths and shouted, word by word, "Afraid of the Guardians! Afraid of the Green Lantern Corps!"
Screeech!!!!
The insect was enraged, emitting a high-pitched cry. The mental attack turned into steel needles piercing deep into Sinestro's soul. Sinestro spat blood, flying backward. Even so, he refused to yield, resisting the psychic assault of the creature—Parallax—with sheer willpower.
This was a contest for the future. To retreat was to lose. The insect refused to back down, and Sinestro was equally resolute.
Time passed moment by moment. After an unknown duration, footsteps sounded outside. The insect flashed and burrowed into the wall. Sinestro wiped the blood from his mouth and returned to his calm, stoic demeanor.
Three guards arrived at the cell. One used an instrument to check Sinestro's body for foreign energy. The other two searched along the walls, seemingly looking for something.
The search yielded no useful information, and the guards had to leave.
Hoo!
Sinestro let out a long breath, slowly unclinching his fist. A moment later, the insect reappeared. This time, it didn't attack, but watched coldly with its multi-faceted, sinister eyes.
"They've already noticed. This is your last chance."
Sinestro stood up, looking down at his opponent.
"Submit to me. I will take you away and find the other half of your body. Otherwise, you will be trapped here forever."
The insect was enraged, furiously waving its claws. The overflowing energy struck the green light wall, causing numerous cracks to burst open. Sinestro kept a straight face. No matter what the creature did, he remained utterly unshaken.
He was Thaal Sinestro, the warrior with the strongest will in the universe. He would never submit to an insect, even if that insect was the legendary embodiment of fear.
After a few minutes of stalemate, the insect calmed down. Despite its unwillingness, it chose to compromise, transforming into a stream of light and merging into Sinestro's body.
The Lantern Beast and the host became one. The Parallax Demon was born.
Sinestro clenched his fist. A constant surge of power erupted from within him—so vast, so immense, that it made him want to roar up at the sky.
Ah!!!!!!!!!!
The sonic boom exploded like a nuclear blast.
Boom!
The prison was utterly destroyed. A yellow pillar of light shot straight into the sky. Instantly, all the planet's inhabitants turned, looking toward the spectacle in horror.
The Planet Under Siege
On the tallest structure of Oa, the seven dormant Guardians opened their eyes simultaneously.
"It's him!"
"Parallax! The source of fear! He has escaped."
"Who did this?"
"Thaal Sinestro."
The oldest Guardian sighed. "Fate is unpredictable. Who can truly foresee it?"
"Activate the highest level of defense. Notify all residents to capture Sinestro immediately. We must not allow him to leave Oa."
As the command was issued, the entire planet seemed to come alive. Countless green light beams erupted from within, forming an eggshell-like shield around the planet's surface.
This shield was no ordinary defense. Its strength was on a star-destroying level. Across the universe, no civilization's weapon could destroy it, including the New Gods of Apokolips.
Concurrently, Green Lantern soldiers scattered across the sector rapidly converged on the prison. Hal was among them, being the closest. He rushed toward the site the moment the yellow light appeared.
The prison was now a ruin. Thaal Sinestro, clad in yellow armor, hovered in the air. The energy around him boiled, turning into a spiderweb-like network of yellow patterns covering an area of several hundred meters.
At this moment, he was a god, radiating a suffocating wave of terror.
"Thaal!"
Hal Jordan shouted, fighting the fear in his heart. "What are you doing? Stop now!"
Sinestro looked down at Hal, who seemed as insignificant as an ant. Then, he spread his arms. Yellow light waves radiated from his body, expanding rapidly outward. In its wake, every living being experienced fear. Even insects invisible to the naked eye trembled.
Fear took root in their minds, instantly growing into towering trees.
All residents of Oa, except the Guardians and the Lantern Corps soldiers with active rings, fell to their knees. Their bodies shook, and their eyes showed endless terror.
Yellow particles began to leach out of their bodies, flying toward the sky.
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