Vast amounts of energy continued to pour in, compressing and condensing without pause.
Although it sounded simple, this step required extreme control and intense mental focus.
This single move alone consumed nearly half of the energy within Lucas's body.
If this were on Earth, Lucas would never dare use such an attack—one mistake and an entire continent could be wiped out, possibly even plunging the planet into catastrophic climate change.
But in the vacuum of space, none of that mattered.
Once Lucas sensed that the energy sphere between his palms had reached its limit, he immediately locked onto Clark's position.
With a forceful push of both hands, the energy sphere shot forward at an eerie speed, streaking toward the Kryptonian mothership.
It looked strange because, to the naked eye, the energy sphere did not appear to move in a straight line.
At times it seemed to blink forward, at others to jump backward.
In reality, it was traveling in a perfectly straight path—this visual distortion occurred because Lucas's energy carried spatial attributes.
At that very moment, Clark burst out of the ship.
His bodysuit was torn in several places, and his muscular body was covered in wounds.
Clearly, the previous explosion had injured him badly.
Yet under the surging power of the Lantern Ring, both his injuries and his suit were healing at a visible rate.
But the instant Clark emerged, he saw a grape-sized energy sphere, glowing like a miniature star, directly in front of him.
Before he could react—
The energy sphere detonated.
Blinding light and scorching heat erupted as the sphere instantly expanded into a massive fireball dozens of meters in diameter.
The explosion tore through space itself.
The intense light was visible even from Earth, like a second sun igniting in the sky.
When the light finally faded, the enormous Kryptonian mothership—once spanning kilometers—had vanished completely.
Clark's body floated silently in space, his energy fluctuations reduced to almost nothing.
"That should be enough to drain the Red Lantern Ring's power," Lucas muttered, letting out a breath.
The key to subduing Clark was exhausting the Ring's energy.
By all logic, that goal should now be achieved.
Lucas quickly flew forward, preparing to remove the Red Lantern Ring directly.
But then—
Clark's body suddenly erupted with violent rage energy, which instantly wrapped around him.
A vivid red bodysuit re-formed over his body.
This time, it was pure crimson, with no color variation—and even the emblem on his chest had transformed into the Red Lantern symbol.
Lucas went silent.
He knew exactly what this meant.
Clark was now fully controlled by the Lantern Ring.
Lantern Rings possess rudimentary consciousness from the moment they are created.
Otherwise, they would not be able to seek out hosts on their own.
And the more hosts a ring passes through, the more mature and complex its consciousness becomes—much like the difference between a child and an adult.
Some Lanterns wield their rings as mere tools.
Figures like Atrocitus, Sinestro, or the Guardians themselves dominate their rings through sheer will.
For them, the ring is simply a weapon.
But Clark was unlucky.
This Red Lantern Ring was clearly not a simple one.
"I should thank you," "Clark" said, looking at Lucas with a twisted smile.
"Seriously?" Lucas's expression twitched.
"That body's original consciousness kept interfering with me," the Red Lantern continued smugly.
"I couldn't fully unleash my power."
"I was already prepared to abandon this host," he went on, clenching his fist.
"But your two attacks forced his consciousness into deep sleep."
"This body… now belongs to me."
He flexed his hand again.
"What an incredible vessel. Far stronger than any host I've had before."
"As long as there's sunlight, this body—and my power—are invincible."
"So, to show my sincere gratitude…"
"I'll kill you."
"Then I'll wipe out everyone on the planet behind you."
"And finally, I'll use Kryptonian technology to build an empire that belongs to me alone."
Lucas raised an eyebrow, listening calmly.
Red Lantern Superman grinned wider.
"I know what you're thinking. You're strong—stronger than all my previous hosts."
"I can even sense that you rival Atrocitus."
Lucas didn't respond.
Instead, he was quietly using his energy perception, searching for weaknesses.
"But it doesn't matter," Red Lantern Superman continued confidently.
"This body is superior. Perfect."
"And the Kryptonite this boy once feared?"
"In front of Red Lantern rage, it's meaningless."
"He simply lacked combat experience," the Lantern sneered.
"I, however, carry the battle memories of over a hundred hosts."
"You're not my opponent."
Lucas shook his head lightly.
"I'm just curious," he said.
"If you're really that strong, why did you need over a hundred hosts?"
"Or is it because you weren't strong enough—and that's why they all died?"
Red Lantern Superman's eyes narrowed.
"Hmph. Talking won't save you."
"I'll show you the difference in power—right now!"
In the next instant, countless Red Lantern constructs appeared around him.
Weapon barrels locked onto Lucas and unleashed a barrage of crimson energy blasts.
Lucas remained expressionless.
With a casual wave of his hand, a shimmering energy barrier formed, blocking every single attack.
Suddenly, Red Lantern Superman flashed in front of him.
A torrent of rage energy surged from his palm, instantly wrapping around Lucas's body.
"After those attacks earlier," the Lantern laughed loudly,
"your energy must be nearly depleted!"
"Now you're completely under my control!"
"Just wait for death!"
Lucas sighed.
"I genuinely feel sorry for your previous hosts."
Before Red Lantern Superman could react, Lucas's energy surged violently outward, shattering the rage bindings instantly.
In the blink of an eye, Lucas appeared right in front of him.
A brutally powerful punch slammed straight into Red Lantern Superman's face.
Lucas grabbed his opponent's arm mid-flight, yanked him back, and drove another crushing punch into him.
Each strike carried overwhelming energy, allowing no time to react.
As Lucas continued his relentless assault, his voice rang out coldly:
"Who told you…"
"…that close combat is my weakness?"
_____
T/N:
For readers who would like early access, my Patreon is available for just $4 per month. You'll unlock 90+ advance chapters and help support ongoing works.
🔗 patreon.com/user?u=79514336
You may also search Translator-Sama directly on Patreon.
Your support is sincerely appreciated