The current situation is that Hal's power ring, for reasons unknown, has suddenly gained the ability to intercept the dark energy within a doppelganger after defeating it.
This development greatly unsettled Basa.
As Hal rampaged on the battlefield, Basa received less and less dark energy as a backlash, exacerbating its already low reserves.
One of the few mages in the League, Zatara, had long ago detected the dark energy that was the core of the doppelgangers. However, due to his limited magical prowess, coupled with the fact that his opponent was an primordial demon whose priority far exceeded his own, he was utterly unable to intervene.
Now, upon discovering that Hal's ring possessed the ability to intercept dark energy, he immediately perked up. He actively stepped forward to cooperate with Hal, aiming to bring the war to a swift end.
However, Hal was like a mad dog at this point, completely ignoring Zatara's attempts at cooperation. He simply continued to dispatch the doppelgangers on his own.
But it was alright. If proactive cooperation was not possible, passive cooperation would suffice. Zatara shared his findings with the other members, and they all began to act in concert, deliberately driving more of Basa's doppelgangers towards Hal. Some even went so far as to capture Basa's doppelgangers without killing them, instead tossing them into the mouths of creatures conjured by the ring.
Thus, with the unified efforts of the entire Justice League, Basa's ability to reclaim dark energy dwindled, and its internal reserves plummeted at a visible rate. Consequently, the number of doppelgangers it could create also decreased.
Finally, looking at its own dwindling reserves of dark energy and the ever-increasing number of destroyed doppelgangers, Basa was forced to make a drastic decision, like a gecko shedding its tail. It recalled all its doppelgangers, left some of the Trench-dwellers to cover its retreat, and fled with the remaining forces.
There was no other choice but to flee.
Its body was already weak, and if this continued, it would be completely depleted. Even if it survived, it would be nothing but an empty shell.
Forget revenge, survival itself would be a problem. After all, on this planet, besides itself, there were still three other demons: the Holy Lord, Xiaofeng, and Ximu. Any one of them could easily overwhelm Basa.
Watching Basa flee in disarray, the Justice League members did not pursue. Instead, they turned their attention to the city submerged by seawater, working with S.H.I.E.L.D. to rescue more civilians.
In the chaos, no one noticed Hal, who had earned the greatest merit, displaying a sinister smile in the direction Basa had fled. Spiderweb-like black liquid substances appeared on his neck.
"Hal, are you… alright?"
Just then, a slightly stiff voice reached Hal's ears, causing the expanding black liquid to recede like a startled mouse.
Hal turned to see that the speaker was none other than Red Tornado.
Looking at the slightly weary Hal, Red Tornado offered, "Although I am a robot and cannot fully understand human emotions, I know that you are now worried about Sandra's (Hawkgirl's) safety. However, you need not worry. I have already sent her to the hospital, and I believe she will recover soon."
Listening to Red Tornado's emotionless reassurance, a faint smile appeared on Hal's face. "Don't worry, brother. I'm fine. Really."
"Then, I am relieved," Red Tornado replied before departing. Hal looked down at the ring on his right hand, a complex emotion on his face.
The green ring, originally a symbol of the Green Lantern, now had one-third of it turned black. Although not much, and concealed in inconspicuous areas, it was constantly spreading and would eventually encompass the entire ring.
All of this traced back to the bizarre alien creature they had fought tooth and nail in Metropolis earlier. That creature had indeed been taken away by S.H.I.E.L.D.
During the battle, Gluttony, which had attempted to parasitize Hal without success, had left a small piece of its organic matter on him.
Afterward, Batman stated that the creature was called Starbrand, an alien symbiote, and extremely dangerous.
By the time Hal discovered it, it was too late. That small piece of organic matter had already parasitized the ring. Sultan Novel Network.
Sensing great danger, Hal intended to have the thing removed. On his way, he encountered a high-tech criminal gang robbing a bank. Without thinking, Hal intervened. However, the result was that the criminals not only possessed advanced technological weapons but were also magically empowered. A combination of attacks left Hal disoriented.
At this critical moment, the Starbrand parasitizing the ring activated, actually consuming the magical attacks released by the criminals and, in the process, replenishing the ring's energy.
Lacking an effective defense against magic had always been Hal's weakness. Now, with Starbrand's assistance, this weakness was being addressed.
Without the boost of magic, the criminal gang was quickly subdued.
After this experience, Hal began to re-examine the Starbrand parasitizing him. Perhaps it wasn't as dangerous as Batman had claimed.
Of course, the primary reason was that this little thing had been of immense help to Hal. It not only absorbed magical attacks but also converted the absorbed magic into energy to feed back into the ring.
Magic had always been Hal's weak point, and the need to regularly visit the Green Lantern Corps headquarters to recharge his ring was also a source of great annoyance for Hal. Now, with this little thing, he no longer had to worry about regular energy replenishment.
In the time that followed, Hal increasingly felt the changes Starbrand brought to his body. His speed and strength had increased significantly, and his agility and reaction time were far quicker than before.
However, Hal soon discovered the drawbacks of Starbrand.
Firstly, Hal's appetite became enormous, his food intake increasing by more than four times. He was constantly in a state of hunger, and prolonged periods without eating would result in temporary dizziness.
Secondly, Hal's temper became increasingly volatile.
However, these issues seemed insignificant compared to the power boost he received. Hal, as a retired air commodore, received a substantial monthly pension. Even if his food intake increased tenfold, it would not affect his financial situation. As for his temper, Hal believed that with his military willpower, controlling his emotions was easy, so he didn't pay much attention to it.
What he didn't realize was that with his laissez-faire attitude, Starbrand's influence on his mind and body deepened. While improving his physical attributes, it made his emotions even more difficult to control.
His sudden fainting spell during the battle today was due to prolonged fighting without eating. Fortunately, he woke up in time, and no severe consequences ensued.
However, Hawkgirl's serious injuries did cause Hal some guilt, making him consider separating from the symbiote. But then, recalling Starbrand's impressive performance against the demons, Hal dismissed the idea.