Chapter 297: The Spartacus Empire
Sector 0, the star system of planet Oa.
The Guardians constantly monitored the state of the universe.
The war was escalating rapidly, with its reach expanding far and wide. Even deploying the Green Lantern Corps wasn't enough—their forces were spread too thin.
With only one or two Green Lanterns stationed per sector, their presence on the battlefield often couldn't turn the tide.
Worse yet, it increased the risk of casualties.
After all, choosing a Green Lantern was a rigorous and complex process—not just anyone could bear the ring.
As for the earlier anonymous whistleblowing video, they were never able to trace its origin. In the end, it was left unresolved.
"Warning: multiple Yellow Lantern energy signatures detected!"
Suddenly, the alert tower blared a warning.
An invasion by the Yellow Lantern Corps!?
The Guardians and Green Lanterns immediately suspected a malfunction in the alert system.
After all, this was planet Oa—the Green Lantern Corps' home base. They had the home-field advantage. Most key Lanterns were stationed near the Central Power Battery and could maintain peak condition at all times.
In an instant, the Green Lanterns sprang into a full space defense posture, and the Guardians themselves appeared, gazing out into the distance at the rapidly approaching Yellow Lantern Corps.
They streaked across the void like golden meteors.
At the forefront of the charge was a streak of multicolored light.
Multicolored?
In that moment, the Green Lanterns instinctively clenched.
In the entire universe, only one person bore such a rainbow signature—and that person had no regard for rules or decorum.
"Hello there, no need to welcome me."
The ghostly flames halted mid-space. Allen waved enthusiastically.
Like hell anyone's welcoming you—get lost!
Of course, the Green Lanterns only cursed him silently. Saying anything out loud would likely earn them another batch of humiliating, unforgettable memories.
"Lord Allen, to what do we owe the pleasure?"
The Guardians had seen the battle footage and were well aware of just how shameless he could be.
A deranged lunatic who exclusively targeted his enemies' nether regions—it was best not to provoke him.
Last time, Allen went up against all seven Lantern Corps at once, yet chose not to kill. That alone proved he wasn't truly evil. The Guardians saw no benefit in pushing him too far.
Allen got straight to the point: "The universe is in crisis. I'm calling upon all Lantern Corps to save the masses. I'm here to formally invite the Green Lantern Corps—interested in joining a big job?"
"Uhm…"
The lead Guardian hesitated. "Would you allow us to hold a meeting to discuss it?"
"Meeting? At a time like this?"
Allen sneered. "Hopeless companies are the ones that sit around in meetings all day. If you want a future, doing the actual work is what matters."
Although they didn't fully understand Allen's phrasing, the Guardians were reluctant to let the Green Lantern Corps be commanded by someone else.
"This matter needs—"
"Rin, Pyo, Tō, Sha…"
Just as one Guardian tried to brush Allen off, he pressed his palms together and began chanting a spell.
"I agree! The Green Lantern Corps is willing to join the fight."
Abin Sur interrupted and took the liberty of accepting.
He understood the chant all too well—and it sent shivers down his spine.
He had personally experienced Allen's "Monkey Steals the Peach" technique. It was soul-shatteringly humiliating, physically excruciating, and emotionally overwhelming. He wanted to die, cry, scream, and blush—all at once.
The Green Lanterns unanimously backed the decision.
With justice in their hearts, they had long grown tired of standing by while war ravaged the universe. But they were bound by the Guardians' orders and could only remain on Oa, watching helplessly.
Ironically, it was the Lanterns' virtuous nature that made them less cunning than the Guardians.
"Any objections, blue midgets?"
Allen showed no kindness toward the Guardians' constant stalling.
Back when Krypton was destroyed, they turned a blind eye. They claimed neutrality, but in truth, their decisions were riddled with hypocrisy.
"…None, my lord."
Seeing the Green Lanterns had silently agreed, the Guardians no longer objected.
The next target was the Blue Lantern Corps.
Their ability to teleport across vast distances would be critical for rescuing forces from different battlefronts.
Unfortunately, Allen didn't yet have the magical power to teleport across star systems. He needed to borrow Oa's teleportation devices for now.
One day, if he ascended to the rank of a true Supreme Sorcerer, he'd be able to freely traverse not just interstellar distances, but also multiversal and multidimensional realms.
The Blue Lantern Corps, driven by compassion, accepted Allen's invitation without hesitation.
They had likely seen the fate of the Yellow and Green Lanterns and knew that resistance was futile. Best to comply willingly.
With the Blue Lanterns now on board, recruiting other corps became far more efficient.
Using a group teleportation, they headed straight for the Violet Lantern Corps' home base.
"Hey, you!"
Allen shouted toward the Violet Lantern leader, Gillian: "The Yellow, Green, and Blue Lanterns have all joined my Rainbow Corps. You're not going to make things awkward, are you?"
"Well, when you put it that way, I suppose I can't say no."
Gillian forced a smile and greeted them. But the smile was obviously strained.
The moment she saw Allen appear at her base, she wisely chose to cooperate.
While Allen was busy gathering the Lantern Corps…
Far beyond the borders of the three great interstellar empires, within a star system known as the Beast Star Ring, there existed an older empire—one with technological prowess that surpassed all three.
The Spartacus Empire.
Also known as the Empire of Sparta.
Their cities were magnificent and technologically advanced, and every citizen walking the streets was a strikingly beautiful young man or woman.
The Empire of Sparta not only provided universal welfare to all its citizens, but also mastered biotechnology that extended lifespans by more than tenfold, creating a near-utopian society.
However, longer lifespans led to a population explosion.
Currently, there were too few ecological planets within the empire's territory, far fewer than those under the control of the three major interstellar empires.
Once before, they had attempted an invasion.
Unfortunately, they failed.
The three empires had temporarily united, and with the Lantern Corps aiding them, Sparta was forced to retreat back to the Beast Star Ring.
They had once considered constructing artificial ecological planets.
But they ran into a fatal flaw: these projects required a continuous and massive input of resources and energy just to sustain the environment. It was an incredibly inefficient endeavor.
It's important to note that these ecological planets weren't the cheap knock-offs built by High Evolutionary. They were fully functional worlds—genuine cradles for life with complete ecosystems.
"Your Majesty, after thorough analysis, the military believes now is the perfect time to launch another invasion."
Seated on the throne, the young king's eyes were sharp as he gazed toward the territory of the three great empires. He didn't immediately respond to his subordinate.
As a newly crowned monarch with no military achievements to his name, his authority was lacking.
He needed a war to cement his reputation—to intimidate the ministers and fully seize control of the empire.
After the first failed invasion, the ministers had seized the opportunity to usurp royal power, weakening the monarchy's control over multiple sectors.
When the old king returned home gravely wounded, he had to focus on stabilizing the empire and shielding the new king, Bier. Eventually, the burden became too great, and he succumbed to illness.
"I authorize the military to deploy. I'll personally command the flagship."
"As you command!"
At Bier's order, dispatches were sent to every military division.
Currently, as King of Sparta, his only supreme executive power was to declare war.
If not for the military's support, the ministers likely would've voted to strip him of that authority altogether.
Military leaders didn't trust politicians—they'd rather serve a monarch and enjoy greater autonomy.
Notably, the Spartacus Empire was a true monarchy, unlike the three empires which chose leaders via elections or nominations.
In the three major empires, although different ideological factions existed, any winning faction could take control of national affairs without worrying about power being diluted.
But once the Spartacus Empire began to decline, it often devolved into open conflict between king and ministers over control.
To King Bier, this war could only end in victory. If it failed, the monarchy would be further weakened, and he'd eventually become nothing more than a decorative figurehead.