bioinnovel Chapter 413 The Parallax Demon, Born
Chapter 413 The Parallax Demon, Born
Chapter 413 The Parallax Demon, Born (5000-word long chapter)
Strictly speaking, the "authority of the Yellow Lantern Legion's master" cannot be considered a concrete entity.
In the original comics, Atositas was even rebelled against by his own men in the Red Lanterns, leaving him all alone. His limited control over the other Red Lanterns could only affect his companions who hadn't been cleansed by the Blood Pool and were still insane.
Once he transformed all his companions back into normal beings, Atositas's pitiful leadership skills were no match for them. Even within the Seven Lanterns Legion, his leadership was notoriously poor.
(Note: Yes, it's shameful that some Earth Red Lantern has usurped power.)
But the situation with Seneca's Legion is different.
When Sinestro founded the Yellow Lantern Legion, he didn't consider his gang of murderers and scum as his comrades, but rather as expendable resources. He shared this trait with Chen Tao, which was one of the reasons Chen Tao liked him, even though Sinestro is now…
However, he still retained control over the yellow lantern rings he had forged. Sinestro was not like Atositas, a legionary leader who had only recently entered the profession; his understanding of the rings was almost on par with some of the guardians of the universe.
Therefore, his control over the rings is so precise that it extends to the individual rings, which is why he was able to easily dominate Mongo, who was wearing five or six rings, in the original comics.
Only when Chen Tao synchronized with Seneca could he truly understand what Seneca had done to meticulously control the entire Yellow Lantern Legion. Every Yellow Lantern ring was his eyes and ears, his servant.
Mongo had no idea about any of this, otherwise he wouldn't have made such a stupid move as giving Deathstorm a yellow light ring.
When Mongo thought he had figured out the basic workings of the Yellow Lantern Ring, and could even program it to violate his original command to "find someone skilled at manipulating fear as the Lantern Man," and instead fly to a certain place and select a specific person as the host, he never thought that if he could tamper with the Yellow Lantern Ring to such an extent, why couldn't Sinestro?
No one can control the entire Yellow Lantern Legion without Sinestro. No one but Sinestro himself can control those Yellow Lantern Rings. His authority is higher than anyone else's because he forged these rings using the technology of the Weapon Master.
Only Seneca himself.
But the problem is... Funestor, his body is also Sinestro's.
Although he used makeup to restore his Kruga alien red skin to Earth-like white, and constantly used the Yellow Lantern ring to protect his titanium chin during battle, and even defeated Green Lantern John Stewart in the comics without losing a single trace of makeup, this still cannot change one fact:
Like the Red Death, he is not the complete Batman, but a Sinestro with Batman's memories and emotions, and one that has been twisted and corrupted in the Dark Multiverse.
He is a monster living in a universe born incomplete, a tragedy that is neither Batman nor Sinestro.
"We can't do that, Mongo," Chen Tao said, trying to appear as nonchalant as possible so that Mongo wouldn't think that he was any different from usual after synchronizing with Baneston.
Chen Tao felt as if every bone in his body was groaning under the unbearable weight... He had only synchronized with Baneston for a short while, and he already felt like he was about to collapse.
As an S-class Batman, Batisto is naturally and perfectly suited to the power of yellow light fear, but this also brings him a huge burden.
Sinestro is the only one in the entire Lantern Epic who can be possessed by Parallax but still control the Yellow Lantern Beasts in reverse, and this trait is also displayed in Sinestro.
"You've already felt it, haven't you?" Chen Tao said.
Mongo, standing before him, remained silent.
The battle below continues, with the Kryptonian exterminators putting up a fierce resistance.
"You can't beat me to control of the Yellow Lantern Legion. Give up, Mongo."
"The outcome is already clear... You are incapable of taking the Green Lantern's central energy battery or any of the members of the Death Storm from me. You've already sensed that, haven't you? Do you still think you can take the Yellow Lantern beast from my grasp?"
Mongo's face was ashen, and he didn't say a word.
"Awoooo ...
Not far away, Death Storm, protected by Killer Croc, began to scream again.
Killer Croc hurriedly shielded Sinestro's wife, Arlins, from the screaming storm of death. They had just been hunted by Achiro, controlled by the Black of Decay, in the Red of All Beings. Chen Tao had originally planned to have Arlins awaken her husband, Sinestro, so in the end, they let them take everything and escape back to the material universe.
Killer Croc watched in astonishment as the yellow Parallax Monster was dragged away again by more dark green chains, pulled out of Death Storm once more.
"What?" Killer Croc exclaimed in surprise, "How come Parallax Monster is still on Death Storm? Wasn't he... in Crimson Realm just now?"
"Using a trick once is enough; using it twice is really underestimating other people's intelligence," Chen Tao said.
"You used the same technique that destroyed Planet OA on Death Storm again," Chen Tao said. "I've always been curious. Yes, Carona can indeed use his chains to lasso the Lantern Beasts from a great distance, but that doesn't mean you, Mongo, can do it too."
The expression on Mongo's rotten face grew increasingly ugly.
"But according to Killer Croc's report, you pulled Parallax away from Death Storm in one go. That's absurd. If the Death Storm Matrix's binding force on the Lantern Beasts was so weak and so easily broken, then Parallax would have escaped on its own long ago, and you wouldn't have been needed at all. So the answer is obvious, a very common magic trick. Mongo, you should know you can't pull these tricks on me."
While talking to Mengo, Chen Tao whispered through the Red of All Beings' contact to Killer Croc, "Where did you put the Green Light Central Energy Battery?"
Since Sinestro unearthed the Green Light Central Energy Battery, Chen Tao also collected it into the Crimson of All Beings. Although Killer Croc had taken it with him when he escaped with Arlin Su, it was clear that such a large furnace could not be brought along when he brought Arlin Su here.
"I first deployed it from thousands of kilometers away using a spaceship. Now the spaceship is on a pre-programmed cruise, with the central power battery hidden there with the green light."
As Killer Croc spoke, he gave Chen Tao a coordinate. Chen Tao nodded almost imperceptibly and then gave him the order:
"Contact the Ventriloquist and have him protect you as you retrieve the Green Lantern Central Power Battery. Bring Bane along, capture a Green Lantern, and then demand that he replace Bane and be controlled by Black Mercy."
"A Green Lantern? Are you sure he'll help us?"
"Trust me," Chen Tao said, "You can persuade any Green Lantern to help you."
Although the Guardians of the Universe are a bunch of complete scum, the members of the Green Lantern Corps are not all moral paragons, but they are at least good people in the conventional sense, even Sinestro in the past. Although some "good" can be "bad" from different perspectives, for now, as long as you are on the same side as these Green Lanterns, asking them for help is a very easy thing.
"The death storm remains."
Chen Tao warned Killer Croc: "Don't touch him, and don't appear next to him, otherwise it will attract Mongo's attention."
Meanwhile, Mongo was still putting in a lot of effort, trying to find a way to take over Death Storm.
A large amount of green energy emerged from his body, continuously condensing into dark green iron chains, which then penetrated into the void. Following the death storm, more iron chains extended from nearby, hanging onto the death storm's body. Parallax was partially pulled off his body, but was then pulled back onto the death storm's body by more yellow power.
"Aa ...
Neither Batman nor Mongo spoke; they remained silent, continuously using their chains to try and wrestle with Deathstorm.
Mongo's advantage lies in the methods of the Calona Cult, which allow him to remotely extract the parallax monster from Deathstorm. Batman's advantage lies in the fact that he has patched up Deathstorm's defenses, and with the help of Banestro's control, he can fight Mongo to a standstill.
The two of them used the Death Storm as a tug-of-war rope, having a good time. The Death Storm was in excruciating pain. Although the Death Storm Matrix had given him the power to seal the Parallax monster, with it constantly going in and out like this, had anyone considered how this bag of monsters felt?
Does it really make sense?
Mongo heard Batman's voice: "Look at you, Mongo."
"His whole body was covered in sores, as disgusting as a pile of excrement."
Mongo remained silent. He continued to channel his power, even though he could no longer contend with Batman for control of the Yellow Lantern Corps, as long as he captured Parallax…
He had no choice; to achieve all of this, he had mobilized far too many forces that did not belong to him.
The Black Death Emperor, Carona, the first Lantern Knight, Anton A. Kane, the Lord of Decay...
Mongo owes each of them a debt, or is their enemy.
He had even relinquished control of his body, allowing it to be blasted to pieces.
If he can't get what he wants or the power he desires through this, then everything he's done will be meaningless.
As the saying goes, there is no turning back.
"But you can't go any further now, Mongo."
Mongo heard the voice; he heard the truth.
That's right.
Ahead of him stood Batman. He had defeated Sinestro, but he could never defeat a second one like Sinestro.
he……
He was very tired.
Using the power of the Decaying Black was not without cost. The Decaying Black power used by Mongo did not originate from the Decaying Council, but was directly borrowed by the Black Death Emperor from Anton A. Cain.
This meant that these powers were not pure, but rather mixed with too much of Anton A. Kane's personal will. Mongo knew very well that this thing was even more powerful than pure Corruption Black Power, but its only drawback was that it couldn't be used too often.
These powers, modified by Anton-Kain, have become far too corrosive, exceeding the destructive and aggressive nature of ordinary Rotten Black.
Mongo has controlled himself through sheer willpower and has yet to be corrupted by any of Anton-Akain's influence.
Mongo has paid a heavy price for what he has achieved today.
He has already invested too much sunk cost, which means...
"You still have a choice, Mongo."
He heard Batman's words.
"I see that you have health problems, but I can help you, I'm willing to help you."
"I can have Bane help you cleanse the corrupting black power within your body. You don't need to worry that after Anton A. Kane extracts that corrupting black power, you will suffer severe injuries from your shattered body and die on the spot."
"I can have Bane use his corrupting black power to fill in and replace the corrupting black within you that is mixed with Anton-Kane's will."
"Do you know Bane? He's the spokesperson for the Black Rot, and that Black Rot thing is..."
"...And the relationship between Anton A. Kane and the Corrupt Black Council is..."
"So you understand now?"
He heard Batman's voice sound somewhat sincere: "And I can also use Wolf Cells to help you rebuild your body, so you can continue to live, and your strength won't be affected too much."
Mongo did not speak.
He would never believe Batman's words; they were just lies the other man used to try and make him weak.
Mongo was well aware of these tactics. When facing cornered bandits, "You won't be sentenced to death if you surrender" was always the most common line. However, this statement had no impact on the final outcome. Yet, bandits often uncontrollably fell for it, because deep down…
People are always willing to believe what they want to believe.
But he is Mongo, he is a cosmic tyrant, not one of those third-rate space pirates.
These words could not sway his mind at all; the worse the situation became, the clearer Mongo's thinking became.
he……
Then, like invisible tentacles, they landed on Mongo's forehead.
Mongo saw three pink dots light up on Batman's forehead, and his skin turned green.
What is that?
Mongo was unaware, and a sense of unease crept into his mind. But then Batman's words echoed in his head: "I'm using a Brainiac ability, a telepathic connection speaking in your head. Don't rush to banish my thoughts... Through this telepathic link, you can discern whether I'm lying or not."
"I can also offer you another possibility: you have now offended the Black Death Emperor and three other troublesome figures, but if you are willing to stop, I, and the entire Yellow Lantern Legion, are willing to fight for you and ensure that you are spared the retaliation of the Black Death Emperor and the other three."
"Think about it, they won't let you go. You're practically their best spokesperson."
"But if you're willing to let go..."
He heard Batman say, "I would swear I would truly be willing to save your life, even if I still think you are an incorrigible villain, but I swear to myself that if you are willing to stop and stop creating unnecessary trouble—"
"I'm willing to do anything to protect you, even if it means not taking back the yellow light ring you possess."
"You understand that my negotiations were sincere."
Mongo listened to Batman's terms.
To be fair, the terms were very generous, promising him not only a future position in the Yellow Lantern Legion but also a large number of dangerous individuals he had recruited to help him fight against the Black Death Emperor.
Mongo was almost tempted...
almost.
He could sense Batman's genuine feelings; his sensory abilities were extraordinary. Even though he could disconnect from Batman at any time, he could still perceive a portion of Batman's emotions.
He didn't lie about anything he said, nor did he ever try to circumvent his oath or disregard martial ethics.
It's fair to say that if Mongo agrees, things will indeed turn out exactly as Batman predicted.
In fact, after fighting for so long, Mongo knew very well that his chances of winning were slim. He was like a gambler with few cards to his name, who had scraped together a large amount of money from loan sharks, gambled everything on the table, and ended up with the most chips, only to lose everything.
However, towards the end of the game, another gambler told him that if he was willing to fold and admit defeat, he would take care of him for the rest of his life, help him fight off loan sharks, either beat them to death or help them pay off their debts, in short, he didn't need to worry about anything.
You can confirm that what he said is true; under such circumstances, anyone would hesitate.
Since losing is a foregone conclusion, why not use the little bit of capital you have left to exchange for a better outcome?
Yes, that's right, it certainly looks like the right thing to do.
But...
"I swear to you. I will become the new Mongo, while the current Mongo will await death in some distant land, unprotected by his gods. His soul will be lost forever in nothingness."
Mongo whispered, raising his head slightly, the faint light reflected from the stars illuminating his half-rotted face.
Now only his head is still intact, a head connecting his broken body, but Mongo is still whispering, as if in prayer.
He was reciting some kind of vow.
"When death comes to him, his soul will only merge with the world of war, and be reborn as a worm that feeds on the wounds of the dead."
"When death comes to him, he will not awaken in the Garden of the Dead with those brave warriors of the war zone; he will only become withered grass, maggots, or scavengers, and there will be no piece of metal engraved with his name."
"War zone tribes never protect the weak."
He whispered...
"The deceased...said so."
Then he turned to Batman, a resolute expression on his face: "World War II reigns supreme."
Then, dark green light emanated from his mouth and nose, growing brighter and brighter, like the last sparks of a shooting star streaking across the sky.
Mongo roared in disbelief, and with his roar, the dark green chains emitted a tremendous buzzing sound. Amidst the violent screams of the death storm, one yellow light chain after another snapped, and Parallax was forcibly dragged and pulled into Mongo's body from such a distance!
"Aaaaaaaahh ...
Mongo saw Batman take a half step back; he should have done so, and he should have done so a long time ago.
You know...
That's what the deceased said.
Parallax Magico was born.
(End of this chapter)