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Chapter 561: As I Thought, the Infinity Stones Suit Me Better
"All Lanterns in Sector 2814, be advised: the use of lethal force against enemies from Apokolips is now authorized."
"I repeat, the use of lethal force against enemies from Apokolips is authorized."
All across Earth, the rings of a thousand Lanterns received the directive authorizing lethal attacks. The entire Green Lantern Corps was in an uproar.
One of the fundamental rules for Green Lantern Corps members using their Lantern Rings is to refrain from using lethal force against any life form. A violator's ring would be locked, and their attacks would be diverted to miss their targets. Following this, the violator would await the judgment of the Guardians.
This was to prevent the Lanterns from abusing their power for slaughter, as well as to solidify the Guardians' position, lest the Lanterns one day discover their sordid, covered-up past and rise up to kill them.
*Bang!*
A massive green firearm materialized, blasting out a powerful wave of energy that sent several Parademons flying. One Parademon that was lucky enough to survive struggled to its feet, raising its gun to fire. But a greatsword slammed down flat, knocking the weapon from its grasp before a horizontal slash finished it off.
Optimus Prime fiercely wielded the greatsword he had drawn from his back, swinging it again in a wide horizontal arc that cut down the fresh wave of approaching Parademons.
"Fear is the natural enemy of willpower, but unfortunately for them, the Green Lantern Corps never fears fear."
The ring on Optimus Prime's right hand flashed, and an even greater surge of willpower emerged. This time, dozens of spears and massive cannons materialized, effectively turning Optimus Prime into a living turret.
The cannons glowed with a blinding white light before thunderously opening fire on the Parademons ahead, clearing out a large area.
The Parademons let out piercing shrieks at Optimus Prime, their cries filled with both rage and apprehension. The wings on their backs beat at an incredible frequency as they darted about in the sky.
"Optimus Prime, your new tricks are quite a sight."
A massive cannon blast roared from nearby, and an instant later, Megatron's figure descended from the sky, cleaving a Parademon to pieces with his sword.
His dark silver body had become even more massive, with bulging arms, sharp armor plating, a more advanced shell, and a more perfected life form. Megatron strode forward, swinging the heavy sword in his hand and slaying several Parademons.
The Parademons watched coolly, observing him before letting out furious cries. But the absolute gap in power was insurmountable, and they were slaughtered one by one.
"You've grown stronger, Megatron." Optimus Prime suddenly stomped down, crushing a Parademon that tried to ambush him from behind. With a deafening crash, the creature was driven deep into the ground.
Optimus Prime raised his right hand, formed a sharp blade, and ran the Parademon through, pinning it dead to the ground.
"I have never ceased to improve my own power. From energy capacity, chassis strength, conduction efficiency, core processing power, physical resilience, and neural reflexes... I have already pushed myself to the absolute limit of my current capabilities. Soon, I will cross the threshold and become a powerful demigod."
Megatron let out a low chuckle, his blood-red optics glinting with a desire to show off. He glanced at the composed Optimus Prime before continuing to cut down more enemies with his one-handed sword swings.
"But you... you're just playing around with a ring..." Megatron seemed to be mocking him.
"The power of willpower has its merits. When it is unleashed, even a weak individual can become powerful. When a Green Lantern Ring is placed in the hands of someone even stronger, its effects are magnified."
Optimus Prime said in a deep voice, raising his hand and unleashing a beam of green light toward the hundreds of swarming Parademons. A wall instantly materialized, which he then propelled forward to crash into them.
The moment the translucent green wall touched the Parademons, countless torture instruments shot out from its surface, viciously seizing the Parademons and imprisoning them on the spot.
Megatron charged over and quickly finished off the captured Parademons.
The remaining Parademons bypassed the wall, shrieking as they veered off in other directions.
"Willpower is fickle, Optimus Prime. You've built your strength on an unreliable foundation. Sooner or later, that ring will betray you when you need its power most," Megatron said, his voice dripping with malice.
"The ring might betray me, but my own willpower never will," Optimus Prime said earnestly, returning the greatsword to its place on his back.
"Are you sure?"
"If I can't even believe in my own willpower, what is left for me to believe in?"
Optimus Prime raised his arm, looking at the ring on his finger. As if in response, it began to pulse with a steady green luminescence.
Megatron snorted, shot an icy glance at the ring, and sneered before looking off into the distance.
Standing next to the ten-meter-tall Megatron, the eight-and-a-half-meter Optimus Prime looked short by comparison. Furthermore, Optimus Prime's gentle temperament, so unlike Megatron's tyrannical ferocity, gave him an added air of approachability.
This approachability, combined with his patience, composure, and reliability, had allowed Optimus Prime to quickly establish his own prestige and connections within the Green Lantern Corps in just one year.
It was Optimus Prime who had taken the initiative to approach the Guardians and request to lead a team, which was how he managed to bring a thousand Green Lanterns with him this time.
At that moment, neither Optimus Prime nor Megatron had any desire to discuss the Lantern Ring further. They both knew perfectly well that the Guardians monitored the every word and action of anyone wearing one.
Someone with Optimus Prime's unique status was undoubtedly a top priority for the Guardians' surveillance.
Optimus Prime silently stroked his ring. Over the past year, he had certainly grown reliant on it. The feeling of always having his own powerful willpower to fall back on, no matter how dire the circumstances, was intoxicating to him.
But it was merely an infatuation. Optimus Prime knew very well that with a single command from the Guardians, the ring on his hand would abandon him without a second thought.
Tony had also constantly warned him about the dangers of the ring and about how fragile a being like a Lantern—who relied completely on an external source for their combat power—was beneath their powerful facade.
A bullet worth mere pennies could take down a great Lantern once they removed their ring.
But... since he had access to it, why would he deliberately not use it?
"I will make this ring as great as its former user—Abin Sur."
After saying this, Optimus Prime raised his right hand. His massive, heavy body lifted into the air, transforming into a streak of green light as he flew toward the distant battlefield to engage the Parademons.
Megatron coldly watched the ball of green light, along with all the other green lights visible on battlefields across Earth. In the end, his expression remained one of pure contempt.
"A power controlled by others, like that of a Green Lantern Ring, is not worth having... But if one could fight their way to Oa and seize the Central Power Battery, then the rings might actually be useful."
Dangerous thoughts swirled in Megatron's mind.
This wasn't his own idea, but Tony's. Given the chance, Tony would have been more than happy to slaughter that bunch of brainless Little Blue Men and seize the Central Power Battery.
They had been dealt a perfect hand and completely fumbled it—that was the story of the Little Blue Men. In any case, if Tony didn't kill them, it was only a matter of time before Sinestro raised his blade to them and began a massacre.
Besides, seizing ultimate control over the different colored Lantern Rings was already a top-secret plan unanimously approved by Cybertron's high command.
Megatron understood this point, as did Optimus Prime. It was simply a tacit understanding between them.
"Compared to an unreliable thing like a Lantern Ring, the Infinity Stones are definitely more my style."
Megatron looked down at his body, projecting various data points onto his retinal display. He mimicked Tony by stroking his chin, the friction of metal on metal creating a loud, grating sound.
(end of chapter)
"All Lanterns in Sector 2814, be advised: the use of lethal force against enemies from Apokolips is now authorized."
"I repeat, the use of lethal force against enemies from Apokolips is authorized."
All across Earth, the rings of a thousand Lanterns received the directive authorizing lethal attacks. The entire Green Lantern Corps was in an uproar.
One of the fundamental rules for Green Lantern Corps members using their Lantern Rings is to refrain from using lethal force against any life form. A violator's ring would be locked, and their attacks would be diverted to miss their targets. Following this, the violator would await the judgment of the Guardians.
This was to prevent the Lanterns from abusing their power for slaughter, as well as to solidify the Guardians' position, lest the Lanterns one day discover their sordid, covered-up past and rise up to kill them.
*Bang!*
A massive green firearm materialized, blasting out a powerful wave of energy that sent several Parademons flying. One Parademon that was lucky enough to survive struggled to its feet, raising its gun to fire. But a greatsword slammed down flat, knocking the weapon from its grasp before a horizontal slash finished it off.
Optimus Prime fiercely wielded the greatsword he had drawn from his back, swinging it again in a wide horizontal arc that cut down the fresh wave of approaching Parademons.
"Fear is the natural enemy of willpower, but unfortunately for them, the Green Lantern Corps never fears fear."
The ring on Optimus Prime's right hand flashed, and an even greater surge of willpower emerged. This time, dozens of spears and massive cannons materialized, effectively turning Optimus Prime into a living turret.
The cannons glowed with a blinding white light before thunderously opening fire on the Parademons ahead, clearing out a large area.
The Parademons let out piercing shrieks at Optimus Prime, their cries filled with both rage and apprehension. The wings on their backs beat at an incredible frequency as they darted about in the sky.
"Optimus Prime, your new tricks are quite a sight."
A massive cannon blast roared from nearby, and an instant later, Megatron's figure descended from the sky, cleaving a Parademon to pieces with his sword.
His dark silver body had become even more massive, with bulging arms, sharp armor plating, a more advanced shell, and a more perfected life form. Megatron strode forward, swinging the heavy sword in his hand and slaying several Parademons.
The Parademons watched coolly, observing him before letting out furious cries. But the absolute gap in power was insurmountable, and they were slaughtered one by one.
"You've grown stronger, Megatron." Optimus Prime suddenly stomped down, crushing a Parademon that tried to ambush him from behind. With a deafening crash, the creature was driven deep into the ground.
Optimus Prime raised his right hand, formed a sharp blade, and ran the Parademon through, pinning it dead to the ground.
"I have never ceased to improve my own power. From energy capacity, chassis strength, conduction efficiency, core processing power, physical resilience, and neural reflexes... I have already pushed myself to the absolute limit of my current capabilities. Soon, I will cross the threshold and become a powerful demigod."
Megatron let out a low chuckle, his blood-red optics glinting with a desire to show off. He glanced at the composed Optimus Prime before continuing to cut down more enemies with his one-handed sword swings.
"But you... you're just playing around with a ring..." Megatron seemed to be mocking him.
"The power of willpower has its merits. When it is unleashed, even a weak individual can become powerful. When a Green Lantern Ring is placed in the hands of someone even stronger, its effects are magnified."
Optimus Prime said in a deep voice, raising his hand and unleashing a beam of green light toward the hundreds of swarming Parademons. A wall instantly materialized, which he then propelled forward to crash into them.
The moment the translucent green wall touched the Parademons, countless torture instruments shot out from its surface, viciously seizing the Parademons and imprisoning them on the spot.
Megatron charged over and quickly finished off the captured Parademons.
The remaining Parademons bypassed the wall, shrieking as they veered off in other directions.
"Willpower is fickle, Optimus Prime. You've built your strength on an unreliable foundation. Sooner or later, that ring will betray you when you need its power most," Megatron said, his voice dripping with malice.
"The ring might betray me, but my own willpower never will," Optimus Prime said earnestly, returning the greatsword to its place on his back.
"Are you sure?"
"If I can't even believe in my own willpower, what is left for me to believe in?"
Optimus Prime raised his arm, looking at the ring on his finger. As if in response, it began to pulse with a steady green luminescence.
Megatron snorted, shot an icy glance at the ring, and sneered before looking off into the distance.
Standing next to the ten-meter-tall Megatron, the eight-and-a-half-meter Optimus Prime looked short by comparison. Furthermore, Optimus Prime's gentle temperament, so unlike Megatron's tyrannical ferocity, gave him an added air of approachability.
This approachability, combined with his patience, composure, and reliability, had allowed Optimus Prime to quickly establish his own prestige and connections within the Green Lantern Corps in just one year.
It was Optimus Prime who had taken the initiative to approach the Guardians and request to lead a team, which was how he managed to bring a thousand Green Lanterns with him this time.
At that moment, neither Optimus Prime nor Megatron had any desire to discuss the Lantern Ring further. They both knew perfectly well that the Guardians monitored the every word and action of anyone wearing one.
Someone with Optimus Prime's unique status was undoubtedly a top priority for the Guardians' surveillance.
Optimus Prime silently stroked his ring. Over the past year, he had certainly grown reliant on it. The feeling of always having his own powerful willpower to fall back on, no matter how dire the circumstances, was intoxicating to him.
But it was merely an infatuation. Optimus Prime knew very well that with a single command from the Guardians, the ring on his hand would abandon him without a second thought.
Tony had also constantly warned him about the dangers of the ring and about how fragile a being like a Lantern—who relied completely on an external source for their combat power—was beneath their powerful facade.
A bullet worth mere pennies could take down a great Lantern once they removed their ring.
But... since he had access to it, why would he deliberately not use it?
"I will make this ring as great as its former user—Abin Sur."
After saying this, Optimus Prime raised his right hand. His massive, heavy body lifted into the air, transforming into a streak of green light as he flew toward the distant battlefield to engage the Parademons.
Megatron coldly watched the ball of green light, along with all the other green lights visible on battlefields across Earth. In the end, his expression remained one of pure contempt.
"A power controlled by others, like that of a Green Lantern Ring, is not worth having... But if one could fight their way to Oa and seize the Central Power Battery, then the rings might actually be useful."
Dangerous thoughts swirled in Megatron's mind.
This wasn't his own idea, but Tony's. Given the chance, Tony would have been more than happy to slaughter that bunch of brainless Little Blue Men and seize the Central Power Battery.
They had been dealt a perfect hand and completely fumbled it—that was the story of the Little Blue Men. In any case, if Tony didn't kill them, it was only a matter of time before Sinestro raised his blade to them and began a massacre.
Besides, seizing ultimate control over the different colored Lantern Rings was already a top-secret plan unanimously approved by Cybertron's high command.
Megatron understood this point, as did Optimus Prime. It was simply a tacit understanding between them.
"Compared to an unreliable thing like a Lantern Ring, the Infinity Stones are definitely more my style."
Megatron looked down at his body, projecting various data points onto his retinal display. He mimicked Tony by stroking his chin, the friction of metal on metal creating a loud, grating sound.
(end of chapter)
