Among the group, a man who appeared to be the leader stepped forward, approaching Han Yu. Seeing that the newcomers were a white man and an Asian man, he rattled off a string of words in a language that might as well have been gibberish to them.
The language sounded harsh and unfamiliar. Neither Han Yu nor Stark could make sense of more than a word or two—it was impossible to understand the pronunciation, let alone the full sentences.
It was likely an ancient African dialect, which made sense considering Wakanda's long isolation from the outside world.
After the leader finished speaking, he stared sharply at Han Yu and Stark, expecting a response. Han Yu merely frowned slightly, his tone cold as he replied,
"Speak English."
The man's words caught in his throat for a moment, and just as Stark was about to step in to ease the tension, the man switched to flawless West Coast English, leaving Stark utterly stunned.
"Who are you? How did you get in? Where are your accomplices? Speak honestly if you don't want trouble!"
Oh, so you can speak English. What was all that gibberish for? Testing our listening skills?
Stark shot the leader a bewildered look. Did you really think we'd understand some obscure tribal dialect? Wouldn't it have been easier to start with English? It's not like we look fluent in ancient African languages.
Han Yu remained calm and composed, his voice steady:
"We're here to discuss important matters. We need to see your king. Please send word for us."
The leader scoffed. "You're both unidentified intruders. Do you really think I'll just escort you to the king? Men, seize them! Interrogate them thoroughly—find out if they have any accomplices!"
He shouted the order, but there was no response. Puzzled, he turned to bark at his men—only to find them frozen mid-step. It was as if an invisible force had locked their bodies in place, their limbs and torsos suspended unnaturally in mid-motion.
If it were just one or two soldiers, it might've been dismissed as an odd coincidence. But all twenty-plus Wakandan warriors were immobilized in the same way, creating an eerily surreal scene.
Beads of sweat trickled down their faces, and their twitching mouths hinted at the fear gripping their hearts. Yet none of them could move, speak, or even change their expressions.
"What… what did you do?!"
The leader's voice trembled as he stared at Han Yu, gripping his spear tightly.
He had no idea what was happening. His entire squad was frozen in place—something he'd never witnessed before. It was obvious that the two outsiders were responsible. The bizarre, unexplainable phenomenon filled him with dread, but his duty forced him to stand firm, spear in hand.
This was his role. If he fled in fear at the first sign of danger, he'd never have earned his current position.
"Relax, soldier. We mean no harm," Han Yu said gently. "The reason we entered so boldly was simply to avoid unnecessary formalities. Please relay our message to your king—just tell him everything as it is. I'm confident he'll agree to meet us."
Han Yu's calm, soothing tone eased the leader's tension. After a brief pause, the man slowly nodded. He lowered his spear and tapped its butt against the ground. A dull thud echoed, and suddenly the Wakandan warriors regained their mobility. They promptly snapped out of their frozen states, returning to their disciplined stances.
"Alright, come with me. I'll notify the king," the leader said curtly.
Han Yu smiled politely. "Thank you."
Later, aboard one of the Wakandan ships, Han Yu and Stark sat near the rear, deliberately keeping some distance from the warriors. Stark leaned in slightly, whispering,
"This feels way too easy. You don't think they're just playing along to trap us later, do you?"
Just a moment ago, he was filled with fear, but in the next second, he actually agreed. Fortunately, the person standing beside him was Han Yu. Stark knew how strong he was—if it had been someone else, he would've definitely thought it was a trap.
"When I was speaking earlier, I used a bit of Green Lantern energy to subtly influence his brain, making him subconsciously comply with us. It's not a trick on his part, so don't worry," Han Yu whispered, his voice low enough that only Stark could hear.
Stark's expression shifted slightly. He didn't have Han Yu's precise control over his voice, so he had to lean in closer and lower his tone. "Since that's the case, why don't we just control them directly and fight our way out?"
It wasn't an unreasonable suggestion. Given Han Yu's abilities, such a thing was indeed possible—and quite easy at that.
Han Yu narrowed his eyes slightly, glancing at Stark as he replied softly, "We could, but after this battle, you'll still have interactions with Wakanda. If we force them to act like this, once the external war is over, it'll turn into an internal one. That's not an outcome I want to see. Just because they're not aggressive doesn't mean they won't resist."
Hearing this, Stark nodded awkwardly. It made sense. His earlier suggestion had been somewhat arrogant.
Having seen so much lately, Stark had developed a bit of an ego. After all, joining the Green Lantern Corps meant having the backing of a force capable of dominating the universe. On this small planet called Earth, that should make him practically unstoppable, right?
Han Yu's words snapped him out of his arrogance. If even someone as powerful as Han Yu remained grounded, how could Stark let such a fleeting sense of superiority get to his head?
"Strength isn't what's frightening. What's frightening is the disregard for life that often follows it—whether it's the lives of others or your own. That kind of indifference can lead to catastrophic consequences. Look at all those villains; don't they all share that trait? And how many of them met good ends?" Han Yu said calmly.
Though Han Yu was younger than Stark by about ten years, his understanding of power and its implications ran much deeper.
It was precisely because Han Yu never lost his respect for life that he still stood by Stark's side. If he had been indifferent to life, there's no way he'd associate with Stark—that would've been beneath him.
Many ancient and primeval gods shared that same disregard for life. That's why, no matter what major events unfolded among the living beings in the universe, they remained indifferent.
After all, to them, humans—or rather, all living beings—were nothing more than ants.
And no human would spend half their life, let alone their entire life, atoning for stepping on an anthill.
This analogy holds true for cosmic deities and Earth's humans. It's harsh, but it's the reality.
Han Yu's words pulled Stark back from his inflated sense of self. If such thoughts were left unchecked, they might eventually give birth to a villain.
Before long, they arrived at the heart of Wakanda—a building that combined the raw essence of a primitive tribe with cutting-edge technology.
This was where the king usually resided.
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