Disguise, Gliding, Claws, Long Whips, Tentacles…
These incredibly familiar abilities left no doubt about the identity of the tentacle child on the field.
Kyle was elated.
Venom!
To think that Venom would appear on the Sakaar Dueling Grounds, and even more astonishing, it was symbiotically attached to an extraterrestrial child.
He had believed that they would remain separated for a considerable time, thus he chose to establish his foothold on Planet Sakaar first, planning to gradually trace Venom's whereabouts later.
However, he hadn't expected that Venom had arrived on Planet Sakaar much earlier than him and had even entered the dueling arena!
Amid his surprise, Kyle harbored even more concerns.
"If it's Venom, why doesn't there seem to be that connection feeling like when a lifeform is summoned using the Lifeform Card? Moreover, the original Venom, who should be actively seeking me out, why is it showing up in the dueling arena?"
Kyle pondered this, but he couldn't come up with a reasonable answer at the moment.
Lifeforms summoned by the Lifeform Card maintained a vague connection with the cardholder. Even on Earth, despite being halfway around the world, their presence could still be felt.
However, at this moment, sitting in the audience about a hundred meters away, Kyle had no sense of connection to the Venom in the arena. If it weren't for the tentacle child's abundant abilities and the strong traces of his usual combat style, he wouldn't even be able to detect its presence, even if it walked right past him.
"Venom, how much earlier did you arrive on this planet than me, and what happened?" Kyle furrowed his brow with unease. This situation had gone beyond what he could control.
In the dueling arena, two black tentacles withdrew from the stone warrior's eye sockets. Having absorbed enough nutrients, they transmitted feedback to the alien child, acting as its host.
At a visibly rapid pace, the alien child's body healed from its wounds. Once fully repaired, it opened its eyes and stood up steadily seemingly fine but the child remained expressionless as it stood at the edge of the battlefield.
"This sensation, it's like a puppet…" Kyle clenched his fists quietly, feeling slightly surprised.
It wasn't just mental manipulation; Venom was treating the weak host lifeform like a domineering puppet, fully occupying the body's initiative and acting as it pleased.
Back during the Tokyo operation in Imperial Japan on Earth, Venom had hinted at this extraordinary ability. At the time, Kyle hadn't paid much attention to it, believing in his own strength and not considering the possibility of Venom betraying him.
"Until the situation becomes clear, I shouldn't speculate too much. As long as there's a chance to contact Venom again, all answers will be revealed." Letting out a breath, Kyle relaxed his brow and leaned back against his seat, finishing the battles of the remaining challengers.
He hoped that things weren't as dire as he suspected, otherwise, Venom… It seemed his training had not been sufficient.
In the dueling arena, after the tentacle child had killed the stone warrior, it stood in full glory on the edge of the battlefield, and no one dared to provoke it.
In the other three battle zones, the showdowns were also drawing to a close.
The scythe-wielding alien won decisively, toying with a six-eyed creature using his subsonic speed and sharp scythe. He didn't rush to decapitate his opponent; instead, he seemed to relish the sensation of hunting and fighting like a wild animal. Slowly, he pushed the enemy toward despair, bit by bit, until it met its demise.
The six-eyed creature, known for its dynamic vision and 360-degree defense, didn't even touch the scythe-wielding man. The man circled around him at high speed, leaving behind long, thin wounds all over his body, blood splattering as it flailed in the air. It died in despair, its life extinguished, and its body turned into a corpse.
"So strong! I've made up my mind. In the championship match, I'll support that Scythe Alien! I hope he can make it to the end and challenge the reigning champion!" Calvin exclaimed with admiration.
Kyle nodded. The scythe-wielding man, this extraterrestrial lifeform, was truly a combat species born for slaughter.
Even in his current state, if he were to encounter this creature, he wouldn't stand a chance— he could only escape with his life. With his subsonic movement speed, he would be behind you in an instant, and before you knew it, he'd swing his scythe to decapitate you!
On the other side, the giant two-headed snake was even more brutal. Despite his opponent being half-mechanized, it treated another lifeform as its prey, constricting it with a waist as thick as a water bucket before swallowing it alive into its belly.
After being completely swallowed, the mechanical lifeform could still be seen wriggling violently within the snake's belly. Half a minute later, it finally seemed to have been digested and its struggles coming to an end.
Finally, after a bloody battle, the strong minotaur-like creature with dual sharp horns fought against the werewolf-looking creature and emerged victorious due to his extensive combat experience.
At this point, the dueling arena was strewn with corpses, leaving only four surviving challengers: the child symbiotically bonded with Venom, the scythe-wielding man, the giant two-headed snake, and the minotaur.
With the final four decided, it marked the end of the preliminary selection matches.
As a dozen miniature flying machines entered the scene, a holographic projection of the Grandmaster appeared in the sky above the arena once again.
The Grandmaster rubbed his hands together and smiled. "Ladies and gentlemen, our beloved final four contestants have emerged. I hope you've all thoroughly enjoyed the show. If you have, please give your applause to the victors, and congratulations to them for earning the right to live for another three days."
Instantly, waves of applause and cheers erupted from the audience stands.
"And for those of you who haven't had your fill, don't worry. In three days, our Championship Match will begin! At that time, these unfortunate challengers will face an invincible lifeform— the reigning king of the dueling arena for the past six months! The Demon King!"
Just as the Grandmaster finished speaking, most of the extraterrestrial audience members in the stands turned flush with excitement and cheered enthusiastically, "Champion Demon King! Champion Demon King!"
'The commotion nearly rivaled the reputation I had in New York on Earth.' Kyle inwardly chuckled while pondering, "Who is this 'Champion Demon King'?"
Calvin took a deep breath and spoke solemnly, "It's a man known as the 'Demon King.' He's been in the dueling arena for half a year, and regardless of his opponents, he crushes challengers mercilessly with terrifying strength. He represents power and the epitome of bloodlust, an unbeatable presence that has defeated all kinds of lifeforms across the universe!"
"An unbeatable presence…" Kyle furrowed his brow. This definition seemed rather unstable and unreliable.
However, he knew that the future Hulk had also served as the reigning champion here for a long time and had been virtually unbeatable (within the confines of the lost lifeforms on Planet Sakaar).
Later, the half-awakened God of Thunder, who fell to this place, had barely defeated the Hulk…
"Regardless, lifeforms with the strength on par with Hulk and Thor could indeed be considered universal powerhouses." Kyle sighed, equally looking forward to the championship match in three days.
The "Champion Demon King"—could he be the original owner of the divine tool, the Broken Axe?
"And then there's Venom…"
Thinking about this, Kyle felt a slight headache. How can he make direct contact with Venom was a matter that required careful consideration.
"Now then, I declare that the dueling prelude is hereby concluded. In three days, please return to witness the Championship Match!" The Grandmaster laughed heartily, and the lights dimmed as the holographic projection swiftly dissipated.
**(End of this chapter)**
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