Luke had no time to concern himself with matters outside the battlefield; his full attention was on the fight.
Psionic energy and green light continuously clashed, green flames scattered everywhere, incinerating the island into a sea of fire.
Unbeknownst to them, half an hour had already passed.
Luke, enveloped in green flames, leaped out of the fray, staring at Haikot across from him with a strange expression.
Is this guy really the Parallax?
Is Parallax really this weak?
Luke was quite puzzled. In the comics, Hal Jordan, possessed by Parallax, could easily defeat a normal Superman, wipe out the entire Green Lantern Corps single-handedly, and nearly reset the timeline. Even supreme beings like the Spectre could contend with him.
He wasn't like this, lacking vigor.
Luke could clearly feel the intensity of Haikot's power. Aside from the power of fear itself, his psionic ability was, at most, on the level of Wonder Woman.
"Are you really Parallax?"
Haikot, breathing somewhat heavily, said in a cold voice, "You know me?"
"A bug-like creature with a yellow glow all over, multiple limbs and segmented body, wielding the yellow power of the emotional spectrum, capable of creating, spreading, and devouring fear. The only entity with these conditions is the source of the power of fear—Parallax."
Luke shrugged, "I just didn't expect you to be so weak."
"You said I'm weak!"
Haikot's eyes narrowed, and his killing intent surged.
"Otherwise?"
Luke scoffed, "I haven't even used my full strength, and you're already faltering."
"You're asking for death!"
Haikot roared, and countless rocks and earth rose into the air, driven by psionic energy, forming a giant tornado that roared forward.
Luke raised a hand, and the green flames scattered across the island rapidly converged into his palm.
Flame Dragon!
A giant dragon made of green flames roared to the sky, colliding heavily with the earth tornado.
Earth chunks and flames intertwined, turning into a sky full of green light, falling from above.
Luke spread his five fingers, a small flame appearing in his palm. The surrounding flames converged towards it like swallows returning to their nest. The flame burned higher and brighter, its core slowly changing, compressing, refining, flowing like liquid.
An incredibly terrifying aura emanated from the flame, like the Grim Reaper holding a scythe, staring intently at you.
At this moment, even Parallax, who had existed for countless years, felt a prickling sensation on his scalp. It was the feeling of death, absolutely unmistakable. If struck by the green flame, he would surely turn into nothingness.
Damn it, why would such a freak appear in a low-level civilization? Why am I so unlucky?
Parallax was extremely unwilling. If he were at his peak, such a small fry could be turned to dust without even lifting a hand. How could he be openly mocked like this now?
"I see retreat in your eyes."
"You want to run. You, the source of fear, actually want to run."
Luke smiled eerily, squatting down and pressing the flame in his hand into the mud. The green flame seeped underground and disappeared.
Haikot's heart jolted, unsure what trick his opponent was playing.
Luke rose into the air, his right hand raised high, pointing to the sky.
"Flame Emperor!"
Green flames surged out, forming a monstrous tidal wave that erupted and expanded, blotting out the sky and sun, covering the entire island.
Haikot sensed something, his face changing drastically, and he sped towards the outside of the island.
"Trying to run! Too late."
Luke, brimming with killing intent, pointed a finger, and the entire island instantly turned green. Green flames seeped out from the mud, forming pillars of fire that shot into the sky. At the same time, the "tidal wave" from above began to fall.
One from above, one from below, like two giant hands, completely enveloping the island.
The island wasn't large, less than three miles long from east to west, yet this short distance became an insurmountable chasm for Haikot.
The flames closed in, sealing the entire island and everything within it into a blazing world of fire.
"This is my world,
And also your tomb."
Luke, clad in a cloak of flames, floated in mid-air, like a god controlling fire.
"Haikot, no, I should say Parallax, you can't run, and I will absolutely not let you run. Two choices: one, death; two, surrender to me."
Haikot lowered its head, a large amount of yellow energy overflowing from its body. As the energy expanded, its body also grew larger.
One meter... two meters... four meters... eight meters... ten meters... its body grew taller and its physique became stronger. Twelve sharp claws were menacing, its proboscis opened, filled with sharp teeth, and six pairs of compound eyes appeared on its head, emitting an eerie light that instilled endless fear.
Haikot disappeared, replaced by a giant insect over twelve meters tall.
Luke took a deep breath, and with a thought, the flames transformed into swords, spears, halberds, and daggers, shooting out like arrows.
Clang!
The flame sword struck the insect's exoskeleton, then scattered to the ground.
"No protective field!"
Luke was stunned for a moment, then understood. His opponent was going to fight to the death.
"Head-on, I like it."
Flames encircled his body, forming protective armor. The Ghost Armor operated at full power, dense blue currents emanating from his hands and feet. He also activated "Idle Mode," switching from first-person to third-person perspective.
The great battle began anew.
One large, one small; one man, one insect, tangled together in a brutal struggle. Green flames erupted, and each impact caused the insect to wail in agony. Its claws were extremely sharp, capable of cutting through the Ghost Armor's protective field, leaving deep gashes on the armor.
In just a few tens of seconds, the Ghost Armor had over a dozen cuts, and the insect was also left gasping for breath, extremely fatigued.
Luke retreated a few steps, his expression extremely grim after seeing the massive gash on his abdomen.
It was just a hair's breadth away. If Ava hadn't warned him in time, he would have been disemboweled by his opponent.
"What a formidable bug!"
"Fighting this guy in close combat, I can't gain any advantage."
Luke muttered to himself, clenching his five fingers. The world of fire contracted inwards, completely enveloping the insect.
Tragic roars, filled with endless pain, came from the inferno.
Luke narrowed his eyes, staring intently. If the sea of fire's range became smaller, it would give it a chance to escape, which Luke was unwilling to see.
Green flames engulfed Parallax, continuously eroding inwards, infecting its flesh and blood, burning its soul, even dyeing its dark yellow carapace a dark green. It roared in agony, rolling wildly on the ground, its claws tearing at the earth, leaving large gashes.
Gradually, the struggle began to weaken, and its bamboo-like claws lay limply on the ground.
A few more minutes passed, and the giant insect lay motionless on the ground, appearing dead.
Luke was still uneasy. He continued to burn, burning relentlessly, burning with all his might, until the dark yellow carapace turned a sickly green before he stopped.
He dispelled the flames, walked over to the giant insect, and observed it curiously.
Just then,
Bang!
The massive body disappeared, and a yellow light flashed, turning into a stream of light that directly rushed into Luke's body.
"Foolish Earthling, from now on, you are my slave."
An arrogant voice came from within his mind, and Luke's expression immediately became strange.
----------------------------------
I've already uploaded over 40 new chapters on Patreon!
If you're enjoying the story and want to read ahead, feel free to check it out.
Your support truly means a lot to me!
👉 patreon.com/Kazenova223
Thank you so much for being here!
And if you enjoy the story, don't forget to give me a Power Stone. Your support really motivates me to continue translating!