A New Arrival
A streak of yellow light appeared in the solar system, moving so fast that it was at the edge of the system one second and the next, it had pierced a Wayne Corp satellite and plunged onto an island in the Pacific Ocean at an unimaginable speed.
The light was intensely brilliant, illuminating the entire night sky.
An incredible wave of fear radiated outward from the small island. In that moment, the entire West Coast of the United States felt that desolate and terrifying presence.
Luke stiffly turned his head. His mouth slightly opened as he watched a segmented, insect-like creature slowly rise from the mud.
"What the hell!"
Whose bug is that? Have some public decency!
Where's the timeline? Did the dog eat it?
The Source of Fear
Parallax is the source of fear. It creates, spreads, and controls fear, feeding on it. Wherever it appears, a shadow is cast over the hearts of all sentient beings.
At the Shaw Manor, Linda stopped practicing her martial arts and turned to look west.
Lingxu Zi, standing nearby, asked, "What's wrong?"
Linda shook her head. "A very strange feeling. Like a terrifying monster has just been born."
"Terrifying? Monster?" Lingxu Zi's mouth twitched slightly.
Linda put on a jacket.
"I'm going to take a look. I'll be back shortly."
With that, she shot into the sky and vanished in the distance.
Lingxu Zi looked in the direction the girl had gone and muttered under his breath, "Terrifying? Monster? Bah! Is there anything more terrifying than you?"
"Women—whether alien or Earthling—are all unreasonable monsters!"
"The Big Head Bug"
The segmented insect slowly ascended. The flesh and blood buried in the soil were peeled away and merged with it. Soon, a segmented creature with a gigantic humanoid head was born.
Its head was eight parts similar to Hector's but possessed the mouthparts of an insect. Its body was segmented like a bamboo joint, with six arms and six legs. It was covered in spiky carapace, making its appearance exceptionally frightful.
A dark yellow glow emanated from its body. It wasn't blinding, but it radiated a chilling aura, like a high-dimensional being facing a low-dimensional one, carrying an innate sense of oppression.
Luke tightly clenched his fists, his arm trembling slightly. He wasn't afraid of the terrifying, segmented creature, but he couldn't control the fear growing deep within his heart.
Parallax—one of the seven emotional entities of the universe, the source of fear itself.
Its power was almost absolute rule!
"Lu... Luke, what... what... what exactly is it?"
Carol's teeth were chattering violently, her voice trembling so much she couldn't speak a complete sentence.
Luke silently raised his hand, and the two slowly backed away.
The segmented creature suddenly opened its eyes, revealing dark yellow vertical pupils. The eyes were so eerie, possessing the power to see into the human heart. Just one look caused their scalps to prickle.
"I love your fear."
A hoarse voice, like wood sawing against a floor, came from "Hector's" mouth. Carol shivered violently and quickly materialized a purple barrier in front of them.
"A Violet Lantern Ring?"
"The emotional power of Love!"
"Hector" was attracted by the ring on Carol's middle finger and became ecstatic. "I never thought this low-level planet would possess an entity like you."
"I love Lantern Rings! If I devour you, my power will be restored greatly."
With that, a column of yellow light burst from its eyes, engulfing both of them. The fear in their hearts was amplified infinitely, taking over their entire bodies and minds in the blink of an eye.
Carol clenched her right fist. Her ring pulsed with purple light, desperately trying to counteract the power of fear.
Luke tightly shut his eyes. Deep in his pupils, green flames burned.
"Do not resist. Surrender to fear, surrender to me."
"You will join me in devouring the universe and ascending the throne of fear."
In blackest day, in brightest night,
Beware your fears made into light.
Let those who try to stop what's right,
Burn like my power... Sinestro's might!
The grand voice echoed in their minds, constantly drawing out their inner fear, eroding their will, and occupying their souls.
Carol didn't know how to fight this power and was gradually reaching her limit. Luke remained standing, motionless. The two, enveloped in yellow light, looked like lambs waiting to be slaughtered.
Just then, two red, high-temperature beams shot down from the sky, slamming heavily into Hector's protective barrier and knocking him away.
The column of yellow light immediately vanished.
Relieved, Carol gasped for air. She genuinely thought she was going to die a moment ago.
Linda, wearing a tracksuit, descended from the sky. She first scanned Carol with a look of scrutiny, hostility, and scorn. When she saw Carol's ample chest, she subtly curled her lip, muttered "cross-dresser," and then turned her gaze to Luke.
"Hey! Are you fighting again?"
The Phantom Armor's faceplate cracked open, revealing Luke's cold, frost-covered face. A strange green light flickered in his eyes. Seeing him like this, Linda's heart sank. She quickly dropped her flippant attitude and said soberly,
"What's going on?"
Luke said expressionlessly, "The two of you, retreat five miles. No matter what happens, do not come near, and do not let anyone else come near. Remember: anyone."
Both women froze. Linda said angrily,
"Don't look down on me! I'm strong! I could take ten of this glowing bug with one hand."
Luke shook his head coldly. "Your power comes from your body. Your soul and will are your weaknesses. Once you're engulfed by the yellow light, you won't be able to move. How will you fight? If you stay here, you'll only become food for its power."
"Carol, take her and leave."
Carol hesitated for a few seconds, then nodded firmly. She dragged the indignant Linda away. Although she didn't know how Luke was countering the fear power of the bizarre creature, after years of being together, she had grown accustomed to following Luke's orders and had absolute faith in him.
After the two left, only Luke and Hector, possessed by Parallax, remained on the island.
Hector seemed to sense something, his eyes filled with deep incomprehension.
"Your fear—I can feel it, yet I can't control it. Why?"
Luke raised his right hand.
Whoosh!
Green fire surged, burning fiercely in his palm.
"Your power of fear is nothing special."
Hector narrowed his eyes, staring intently at the burning green flame. The green flame seemed to be capable of scorching the soul. Even from dozens of meters away, he could feel a deep-seated fear radiating from it.
Fear!
It—the source of fear itself—was receiving fear from somewhere else.
Hector parted its mouth, seemingly trying to smile, but its eyes were filled with an almost tangible killing intent.
Luke spread his arms. Green fire spilled from his palms, spreading along the arm guards and eventually over his entire body, embedding the Phantom Armor with a bizarre green glow.
"Did you know? Since I awakened the Green Flame, my biggest dream has been to use it without restraint in a satisfying, all-out fight. Perhaps you can help me achieve that."
The armor retracted inward. Its scales rearranged, becoming tighter and denser.
Full Combat Mode Activated!
An invisible force field rippled outward, forming a barrier around the armor.
Luke extended his finger and beckoned twice.
"Come on, Big Head Bug. Let me see what fear truly is."
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