"Alright. I understand."
Blood Butcher truly had bitterness he could not express. But when the other side's fists were bigger, what choice did he have?
For now, he could only agree and swallow the humiliation. As for the future—he would look for a chance to escape later.
Lucas glanced sideways at Blood Butcher . He did not find it difficult to guess what the creature was thinking.
His gaze then shifted to the Red Lantern Ring lying quietly in his palm, and a trace of curiosity appeared in his eyes.
At this moment, the ring flickered faintly with red light, not daring to move in the slightest.
Normally, once a Lantern Ring lost its host, it would immediately fly off to search for a new one.
But this ring did not dare.
After all, even Blood Butcher—the Lantern Beast—was kneeling nearby, trembling and too afraid to speak.
"Blood Butcher," Lucas suddenly said.
"Yes!" Blood Butcher responded at once.
"If I want to obtain the power of the Red Lantern," Lucas asked calmly,
"but do not want it to transform my heart and blood—can that be done?"
Blood Butcher fell silent.
"Um…" He hesitated, then carefully replied,
"Under normal circumstances, if you refuse to let the ring alter your body, then you cannot use its power."
"And if I forcibly use it?" Lucas asked indifferently.
"Then the ring may self-destruct," Blood Butcher said honestly.
"Because that would violate the original purpose for which it was created."
The Red Lantern Ring flickered faintly, as if confirming Blood Butcher's words.
It had no choice—it was genuinely afraid that Lucas might forcefully exploit its power. That would truly spell disaster for it.
Lucas raised an eyebrow and looked at Blood Butcher.
"What if you act as the energy core of the ring?"
"You are the embodiment of the Red Lantern's primordial power," Lucas continued.
"You can freely merge with the ring's bearer, can't you?"
If Blood Butcher could still breathe, he would have sucked in a sharp breath at that moment.
"I… I've never tried that," Blood Butcher answered weakly.
"I don't know if it would work, and I really don't recommend it."
"I can merge with the ring's user," he added hurriedly,
"but if you do not truly fuse with the ring itself, I have no idea what might happen."
"For your safety, I strongly suggest—"
Before he could finish, Lucas calmly slipped the Red Lantern Ring onto his finger.
Buzz—
The ring immediately erupted with raging crimson energy, flooding into Lucas's body. Its first target was his heart.
But the instant the energy surged forward, it was blocked—then tightly wrapped—by Lucas's own power.
Sensing restraint, the ring flared with even stronger red light, attempting to resist.
At the same time, Lucas's inner energy ignited into roaring flames, while his left hand shimmered with pale-blue spatial ripples.
The violent red energy was instantly suppressed.
"Stop resisting," Lucas said coldly.
"Or be destroyed."
The ring trembled—and immediately ceased all resistance, allowing Lucas full control over its power.
Lucas's method was simple.
He guided the Red Lantern's rage energy toward his heart—not to replace it, but to form a thin membrane around it. From there, the energy spread along his blood vessels and Nerve system, constructing a second circulation system, one that coexisted with his original physiology.
Buzz—
A crimson bodysuit formed over Lucas's powerful frame, covering his perfectly proportioned physique.
Lucas then raised the ring toward Blood Butcher, who stood frozen in shock.
"Come in."
Blood Butcher had no choice.
He dissolved into red light and merged directly into the ring.
In that instant, the emblem on Lucas's chest shifted.
The jagged Red Lantern sigil twisted and reforged itself under intense crimson light, collapsing inward before stabilizing into a new design—
A circular core symbol, split by a vertical line of molten gold, surrounded by a restrained crimson halo.
A red cloak trimmed in gold unfurled behind Lucas, while the tight suit solidified into a full set of crimson armor.
Lucas examined the two energy systems within his body, then raised both hands.
In his left palm hovered a bean-sized sphere of pale-blue energy.
In his right palm burned a bean-sized orb of flame-red power.
Once both stabilized, Lucas slowly brought his hands together.
Blood Butcher panicked, releasing a mental shout:
"Stop—no, Lucas—please stop!"
As the ring's new energy core, Blood Butcher knew full well that if those powers collided violently, he would be the first to suffer.
"Be quiet," Lucas said flatly.
He brought the two energy spheres together.
At the moment of contact, violent incompatibility surged—but Lucas's eyes flared with flame, and the Eternal Fire ignited.
Under its refinement, the conflicting energies rapidly stabilized and merged.
A new energy sphere appeared in Lucas's palm—golden, translucent, and threaded with shimmering light.
Lucas lifted his gaze and locked onto Phobos, Mars's moon.
With a flick of his wrist, the tiny golden sphere shot forward as a streak of light.
In less than two breaths, it crossed thousands of kilometers and struck Phobos.
There was no explosion.
No shockwave.
The moon simply… vanished—like chalk erased from a blackboard.
"Lantern energy as the framework," Lucas murmured,
"Eternal Fire as the ignition… and space as the core."
He nodded slightly, gaining new insight.
A moment later, crimson light enveloped the unconscious Clark and lifted him into the air.
When Lucas reached an altitude of over a thousand meters above Mars's surface, he paused and glanced back at the planet.
Mars—once the most Earth-like world.
In many universes, it had once harbored civilization.
Lucas had chosen this battlefield not only to protect Earth—but also as a warning.
Earth is not a place you may covet.
Space rippled.
With a single spatial jump, Lucas vanished.
Minutes later, he returned to Earth.
_____
T/N:
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