Chapter 487: Code Name Emerald (1)

Chapter 487: Code Name Emerald (1)

Early the next morning, within the headquarters of the Green Lantern Corps, Hal had just stepped out of his bedroom when he was greeted by a rather beautiful female Green Lantern.

Despite her purple skin and six hands behind her, she was quite a stunning beauty. Hal blushed slightly and turned his head away. The female Green Lantern chuckled and then spoke to him:

"I never thought Ion would be such a shy little boy... Alright, enough joking. The Corps Leader is looking for you. Head to his office after breakfast."

"Alright... thank you."

After bidding farewell to the female Green Lantern, Hal took the elevator and arrived at the cafeteria.

There was an incredible array of beings here, from the Ancient One floating mid-air to spherical creatures bouncing around on the ground, and even a long-necked dinosaur with only its head stretching through a window. Hal walked while marveling at the sights.

Wherever he went, people praised him endlessly. Even Green Lanterns who hadn't been part of the action and those who had just returned from guarding sectors couldn't help but express their admiration after hearing about Hal's exploits.

Though the events in Gotham might not have been as grand as some interstellar wars, they carried an eerie and terrifying quality. All Green Lanterns who had been there could deeply feel the chaos and madness. Their descriptions inevitably became exaggerated as they spread, growing more and more extravagant.

Hal was praised to the skies by the Green Lanterns, and even his injured adjutant Carol joined in.

The one who attacked him was Constantine. Hal hadn't even exchanged a blow with the magician before unfortunately being defeated. To cover up his own failure, he exaggerated Constantine's power, claiming that Constantine had summoned five or six terrifying hellish demons from who-knows-where, along with summoning magma and hail. He also stated that Constantine used hundreds of arcane spheres, and they battled for hundreds of rounds before he barely lost.

Other Green Lanterns held similar attitudes, more or less. After all, launching a massive attack on a city only to be defeated made them lose face. By blowing up their opponents' strength sufficiently, they wouldn't seem as weak. As a result, every battle report submitted claimed that the residents of Gotham were not ordinary Earth people.

They were chaotic, crazy, elusive, equipped with dozens of large bombs each, capable of various magical feats, and seemingly possessed x-ray vision. Not only were they fearless of death, but they were also highly intelligent.

Likewise, Hal was described as a god descending among them. With the continuous exaggeration, some even began to call Hal the "greatest Green Lantern in history," stating that his unprecedented achievements in saving people should be recorded in history.

Amidst this chorus of praise, Hal felt somewhat lost. He was acutely aware that the events were far from being as terrifying as they described.

Perhaps the Green Lanterns had lost with a bit of a lack of dignity, but in reality, the losses weren't significant. The vast majority sustained minor injuries, and the unlucky one with major injuries was Carol, who encountered Constantine. Most had merely depleted their Green Lantern rings' energy and had experienced significant mental exhaustion. After a night's rest, they had all returned to duty.

Still, Hal received an unprecedented welcome and gratitude. In the midst of this applause, he began to feel uncomfortable. Not only because he had gained recognition without merit, but also because he found the organization's style somewhat frivolous, lacking a serious attitude toward failure.

There was no reflection on strategic decisions, no tactical analysis and improvement, not even a summarizing meeting. It was as if they just needed to paint the enemies as terrifying calamities and blow up the savior into an unparalleled hero, and the matter would be settled.

Anyone with a military background would find such an organizational approach rather amateurish.

With this sentiment in mind, Hal arrived at Thaal's office. It was a room situated along the corridor next to the core of the central area, just like Hal's own office.

"And those remaining, no matter where they were born, no matter how splendid they might have been, in the end, they will perish within the cradle of civilization."

"The development of civilizations depends on various factors. Only a very small fraction of star systems with exceptionally favorable conditions have the potential to give rise to a civilization that can join the interstellar society. And those star systems are the ones we must focus on safeguarding."

"But obviously..." Thaal shook his head and said, "Earth is not included in that."

"I know you're feeling disappointed. I used to feel the same way," Thaal stood up from the front of the desk and walked up to Hal. He said, "But someday, you will understand that everything is for a greater justice."

Looking into Thaal's eyes, Hal fell silent for a moment. Then, he shook his head slowly. His tone had calmed down, but it carried a chilling strength as he said, "Justice delayed is not justice."

"On the path to greatness, those civilizations you're leaving behind, the populations treated as sacrifices, they are vibrant lives, just like my fellow beings on Earth."

"But if we don't do this, if we waste our power in places with no hope, it will only lead to the collapse of the Corps. Without the Green Lantern Corps, more civilizations will be engulfed in conflicts."

Looking into Thaal's eyes, Hal knew he probably couldn't persuade him. He said, "I'm sorry, but I can't accept this reasoning."

He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, raised his right hand, and then used his other hand to forcefully remove the Green Lantern ring from his finger.

"I renounce my identity as a Green Lantern. I'll return to Earth and fight for my civilization as an ordinary human."

Thaal's eyes widened slightly. He had never thought that someone could give up the Green Lantern energy. This easily obtainable and immensely powerful force was like a pie falling from the sky. No one had ever voluntarily relinquished it.

However, he saw a different kind of power in Hal's eyes, a power that made his eyes shine like the sun in space.

"I've always believed that my fellow beings and I will create the greatest civilization in this space."

"Perhaps today I'm leaving, but someday, when humanity ventures deep into space, we will meet again."

With that, Hal turned and left. Thaal watched his departing figure, and within Hal's silhouette, he saw the shadows of many individuals who had been hailed as the greatest Green Lanterns in history.

Yet, Hal was entirely different from these shadows. He didn't possess the intense green light symbolizing formidable power, nor did he carry the aura of strength. Like all small surface-dwelling creatures, he couldn't fly, couldn't teleport, could only tread on the ground step by step.

But the less capable a species is of flying, the more it yearns to soar. Hal, as an ordinary human, could have chosen to become a Green Lantern and freely soar through space, but he gave that up.

Thaal thought, perhaps he truly will become the greatest Green Lantern in history... a genuine Green Lantern.

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