Under the dazzling lights of the Spaceships and the Interstellar Arena, above the brutal dueling ground.
Including the previously impressive performers like the giant two-headed snake, scythe-wielding man, stone-hewn warrior, and tentacle child, eight challenger lifeforms confronted each other.
For a moment, the dueling arena fell into a brief silence, a stark contrast to the uproar of the audience stands. The cheers of hundreds of thousands of extraterrestrial spectators were so intense that it felt like the entire arena might be flipped over by the sound waves.
"Kyle, what do you think? Who do you believe will be the last four standing?" Calvin rubbed its paws together, restraining its excitement.
Shaking his head slightly, Kyle narrowed his eyes and said, "It's hard to say. Up to this point, some of them have likely yet to reveal their true strength."
"If I had to bet on someone more certain, the odds of the tentacle-bearing extraterrestrial child and the guy with the blade-like hands making it to the top four are quite high. They're probably the ones who will advance," Kyle judged based on his experience.
"Is that so? Well then, I'm placing my bet," Calvin said, quickly taking out an electronic device resembling a touchscreen phone.
Kyle shrugged, his attention fixed on the dueling ground.
The alien with blade-like hands, his sharp hand blades capable of easily slicing through any armor, possessed a burst of sub-sonic speed. He possessed a terrifying combination of physical offense and movement speed.
Even if he didn't initiate an attack and chose evasion, moving around the field at high speeds, no one would be able to touch him.
As for the tentacle child, based on the chaotic skirmishes so far, his strength, speed, combat skills, and resistance to attacks were all on an advanced level, comparable to a stripped-down Captain America.
Coupled with his skillful flesh-colored tentacles that could be used for both offense and defense, not to mention his ability to absorb others' blood as sustenance for rapid self-healing…
Wait a moment!
Kyle suddenly stood up from his spectator seat, his gaze fixed intently on the child whose tentacles swayed incessantly.
Sensing his gaze, the tentacle child casually raised its head. Its emotionless blood-colored eyes briefly glanced in the direction of Kyle's seating area before quickly looking away, focusing on the other challengers.
Despite the nearly hundred-meter distance, Kyle still sensed a feeling that was both very familiar and very alien from the tentacle child.
"Is it an illusion?" Kyle murmured to himself.
"Hey, why are you standing up? Are you going to block our view of the match?" The extraterrestrial spectators behind him protested his sudden rise, seemingly eager for an argument.
Kyle turned around, his cold gaze sweeping over the crowd behind him and an almost imperceptible aura of intimidation radiated from him.
Facing what felt like a fierce and powerful monster, the previously confident extraterrestrial spectators suddenly faltered, avoiding his gaze.
"I'm sorry, everyone," Calvin quickly intervened, tugging at the hem of Kyle's pants. Kyle followed its lead and sat back down in silence.
"Kyle, what happened to you?" Calvin asked, perplexed.
"It's nothing. Let's continue watching the match," Kyle calmly replied, his restless gaze now firmly fixed on the dueling ground. This time, his focus remained on the tentacle child, unwavering.
Inside, his heart was far from as calm as it appeared.
On the dueling ground, the remaining eight challengers finally sprung into action. They chose their opponents, splitting into four smaller zones on the field.
The tentacle child selected the stone-hewn warrior, wielding a wolf-toothed club, as his opponent.
Charging forward with acceleration, the child's small body resembled a heavy projectile hurtling toward the stone warrior. The dozen or so tentacles on its body swayed rhythmically, resembling hair blowing in the wind.
"Kid! How dare you choose me as your opponent! I'll smash you into pulp!!" Seeing this scene, the stone warrior's face contorted with anger. Clutching the massive wolf-toothed club, he assumed a batting stance reminiscent of playing baseball. He gathered his strength and swung the club forward with a mighty force.
Under the infusion of his superhuman wrist strength, the enormous and weighty club generated a whistling gust of wind, effectively blocking the path that the tentacle child was charging along.
The audience gasped, and it was as if they had already witnessed the petite child colliding with the club and bursting into a gruesome scene of bloodshed.
"It's time to show your true abilities," Kyle whispered as he watched this unfold.
As if to validate his words, to the shocked gazes of countless extraterrestrial spectators, a pair of crimson wings abruptly extended from the back of the tentacle child. The wings tore through his shirt and fluttered forward with a trembling motion, abruptly halting his airborne trajectory.
The stone warrior's expression changed drastically, and the swing of his wolf-toothed club barely missed the child's nose. The club's excessive force caused it to crash into the floor, emitting a deep and resounding sound that resulted in a crater forming on the concrete.
Seizing this opportunity, several tentacles shot forward, forming long whips that tightly coiled around the stone warrior's neck.
"Damn it!" The stone warrior roared, releasing the overly heavy wolf-toothed club. He used one hand to grasp the tentacles around his neck and reached out with the other to catch the tentacle child.
The tentacle child's expression remained emotionless as its wings flapped. Utilizing gliding, it deftly evaded the stone-like arm.
It descended onto the back of the stone warrior's head. With both hands extending into dark claws, it accurately and precisely impaled the opponent's eyes. A third of the claws penetrated the stone-like eye sockets, puncturing the eyeballs.
Getting injured in his vulnerable spot, the stone warrior couldn't help but emit a miserable scream. In pain, he managed to grab the tentacle child's wrists, the ones with the claws, and with a single hand, he clamped down on them.
The tentacle child struggled fiercely but it looked like its efforts were in vain. Purely in terms of brute strength, the stone warrior was unbeatable.
"Got you! You won't escape now!" The stone warrior closed his eyes, blood oozing out of them as he gripped the tentacle child's wrists with all his might, lifting it high and breaking a few of the tough tentacles wrapped around his neck.
"Die!" The stone warrior roared, using force to slam the tentacle child onto the ground. Stones flew in all directions as the already-cracked floor collapsed further.
As if not entirely convinced, the stone warrior repeated the process twice more before finally releasing his grip.
The tentacle child collapsed onto the ground, becoming unconscious and motionless. Its wings were broken, and its arms were nearly dislocated and fractured. Bloodstains and injuries covered its entire body.
"The victor is me!" The stone warrior raised both hands, his empty eye sockets continuously bleeding as he let out a ghastly laugh.
The audience erupted into cheers for a moment, but soon those cheers turned to gasps.
With shock, they witnessed the tentacle child, who was heavily wounded on the ground rise up and two blackened tentacles slowly rose from its body. While the stone warrior was defenseless, the tentacles shot forth and plunged into his eye sockets.
The tentacles churned within, enough to turn his brain into mush.
The stone warrior's body stiffened, his laughter stopped, and he collapsed lifelessly onto the ground.
This sudden reversal transformed the audience's cheers into resounding applause.
In the spectator stands, only Kyle furrowed his brow deeply, his inner thoughts a mixture of astonishment and uncertainty.
There could be no mistake— attached to that tentacle child was none other than Venom!
**(End of this chapter)**
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