A Change in the Game
Luke couldn't make any promises. He truly didn't know how frantic his subordinates could become when driven by rage.
In a sense, Luke was the one who most wanted Hal Jordan to survive. Only with Hal alive could Luke keep the Green Lantern Ring under his control. If Hal died, the ring would follow its programming and automatically seek out a new owner.
That would introduce too many uncontrollable variables.
For Luke, who preferred to have all matters firmly under control, nothing was more frustrating than an unexpected development—yet unexpected things always happened.
After breakfast, the villa welcomed a peculiar visitor.
To be precise, she couldn't be called human: she had purplish-blue skin and a human-like face—two eyes, two ears, a nose, and a mouth—but no hair. Her eyes were pure blue. As for her physique...
Luke stroked his chin, giving her a careful look before reluctantly turning his gaze away.
"My alien lady, walking into someone's house on Earth without permission is very impolite. Furthermore, you're dressed so provocatively."
Villian said indifferently, "You desire me!"
Luke was stunned, taking a moment to process the statement. After a few seconds, he replied with a look of amusement.
"My Lady, please don't overestimate yourself, alright?"
Villian smiled faintly. Her pure blue eyes seemed to possess the power to read emotions.
"I can sense a fleeting desire in your heart. You want to violate me, to possess my body."
Luke: ...
"This is the power of a Violet Lantern wielder—the Insight of Emotion. Her Majesty will also possess it. Under her gaze, none of your loves or hates will be able to hide."
Luke frowned slightly. "What exactly do you want?"
Villian extended her left hand forward, swept her right hand back, bent her legs slightly, and bowed to Carol, who had appeared on the stairs.
"Your Majesty the Queen, Villian, an elite Zamaron warrior, salutes you."
Carol was startled. She quickly gripped the ring in her pocket. Seeing that the woman had no intention of fighting, she relaxed slightly.
"You are... her?"
"Yes."
"Why? Why are you so persistent about me? I've already told you I won't leave Earth, and I won't be your Queen."
"I have come today for that very reason."
Villian took a step forward and bowed again. "After careful deliberation, we have decided to respect your choice and will no longer pressure you. I ask for one last time: Are you truly unwilling to assume the throne of Queen?"
Carol did not hesitate, nodding directly.
"Yes, I am unwilling."
"I understand." Villian sighed softly, as if lamenting something. "Since you are unwilling to accept the Queen's authority, please return the Star Sapphire to us."
Carol scrambled to take out the ring, but paused. The Star Sapphire had been transformed into a ring by Luke. What now? If she handed over the ring, would Villian believe her?
Villian pressed. "Your Majesty, is something wrong?"
"N-Nothing!"
Carol shook her head in a panic, looking to Luke for help. Luke frowned, sensing that something was wrong. This well-endowed alien warrior had changed her tune too quickly. She had been desperate to install Carol as Queen, but after only two days, she was suddenly indifferent.
What happened in between? Or was this merely a test?
With insufficient information, Luke couldn't guess her intention, so he played along.
"My Lady, I regret to inform you that the stone you're looking for is not in our hands."
Villian narrowed her eyes, turning her gaze to Carol. "Your Majesty, is this true?"
The girl forced a smile and replied,
"Yes. It suddenly flew away, and I don't know where it went."
With the words spoken, the air fell into an uncanny silence.
Villian looked up, staring directly into Carol's eyes. Carol awkwardly looked away, unwilling to meet her gaze. After a short silence, Villian bowed again, saying earnestly,
"Your Majesty, you are the Queen of the Zamarons. As Queen, you must not lie to your loyal subordinates; it will cause them to lose faith."
"She is not lying!"
Luke walked over, standing in front of Carol. He said with a faint smile, "The thing is gone, it's just gone. If you don't believe us, go search for it yourself. You said before that the Star Sapphire is the symbol of the Queen. If you get it, you can become Queen, isn't that right?"
The smile vanished from Villian's face. Her pure blue eyes were like frozen water, radiating a terrifying coldness.
Luke took a step forward. His clothes melted away, replaced by black battle armor. Seeing the danger, Carol quickly grabbed the ring. Seeing Luke shake his head, she suppressed her anxiety and put the ring back into her pocket.
The pair's small movements did not escape Villian's notice. Her eyes were fixed on Carol's pocket.
That grand love! That almost infinite emotion!
There's no mistake. It is it!
The Star Sapphire? No, it must be the Original Lantern Ring. The first ring crafted by the ancient people using the will of the violet light. Unlike the other rings, the Original Ring didn't need recharging, possessed infinite energy, and was also the host for the Predator—the emotional entity. By mastering it, she could summon the Predator, a being more terrifying than a god, and become the most powerful being in the universe.
Villian didn't know why the Star Sapphire had become the Original Ring, but that didn't stop her from forming new intentions.
The Zamarons needed a Queen to lead them, and the Queen had to maintain absolute rationality. Only then could the Violet Lantern Corps survive in the complex cosmic environment.
Carol Ferris was not the right candidate. Her love was too pure and too singular, focused only on one person. Such a person could not be Queen, unless the person she loved was killed. But if that were done, who could guarantee that pure love wouldn't twist into pure hatred?
Love and hate are often separated by a thin line; this is the nature of the violet light's will.
Among the seven emotional spectrums, the violet light is the most volatile and unstable energy. Both love and hate, when pushed to the extreme, distort and evolve into an all-consuming desire.
Villian, who was internally debating Carol's fitness for Queen, failed to notice that her own love was subtly changing as well.
The atmosphere grew heavy, like the foreboding calm before a storm.
Luke clenched his fist and whispered, "Ava!"
Boom!
A black mecha burst out of the ground. Its gun barrel aimed forward.
Bang!
Eight blue energy blasts fired simultaneously, merging mid-air into a massive energy cannon that slammed heavily into Villian.
A tremendous crash!
The blue shockwave rushed out like a hurricane. Luke picked up Carol and leaped out of the villa through the stairwell window. Just as they landed, another explosion sounded behind them. The blue torrent broke through the wall, creating a widespread mist of water on the distant lake.
"Are you okay?"
The girl shook her head. She pulled out the ring and slipped it onto her finger. A battlesuit covered her body. The beautiful and intellectual Carol disappeared, replaced by the sensual and fierce Star Sapphire Queen.
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