In the spectator stands of the Arena, hundreds of thousands of extraterrestrial viewers, including Grandmaster, collectively raised their heads, their faces filled with shock and anxiety as they watched the night sky where Kyle and Kratos had completely disappeared.
Everyone held their breath, unwilling to miss even the slightest detail of this epic battle. The entire colossal arena fell into an eerie silence.
Then, a tiny dot grew larger and larger, descending rapidly in a straight line toward the dueling arena, showing no signs of slowing down.
"They are coming! They are coming!"
As the audience erupted into a frenzy of exclamations, their eyes widened in astonishment as they watched. The combined figure of Kyle and Kratos blurred like a streak of light and suddenly collided with the center of the dueling arena.
**Boom!**
Like a falling star, the cement-like ground crumbled beneath them. The shockwave from the powerful impact sent rocks and dirt flying in a radius of ten meters.
The Arena fell into stunned silence.
When the dust settled, a massive crater, five meters in diameter and seemingly bottomless, appeared in the center of the dueling arena.
This visually stunning scene left countless lifeforms' scalps tingling, and their bodies trembling with shock and awe.
"My goodness, is there anyone left alive?"
"Probably… probably not… both of them must be dead."
"So, is this a draw?"
The audience's faces turned red as they couldn't help but engage in whispered discussions. Regardless, this battle would be recorded in the annals of the Planet Sakaar's dueling arena history.
**Rustle, Rustle, Rustle!**
Just then, a faint sound emanated from the depths of the crater. In the uncertain gaze of the audience, a massive hand slowly emerged, grasping the edge of the pit and pulling upward with great effort.
It was 'Demon King' Kratos! However, at this moment, he could only be described with one word— wretched!
His bald head was adorned with vibrant splatters of blood, which flowed down, seeping into his sunken eye sockets. His rugged face, marred by dirt and gravel, looked grotesque and horrifying. His clothes were tattered, and his entire body was covered in debris. He appeared nothing like the majestic God of War he was before.
"What a crazy guy."
Kratos struggled to climb out of the crater, standing unsteadily at the edge. He peered down into the abyss, seriously evaluating the situation. "Among the human race, a lower lifeform, I'd call you the strongest."
"But clearly, our battle ends here." Kratos shook his head gently as he spoke. Falling from an altitude of nearly ten thousand meters, not to mention a being like him with an exceptional physique and divine protection, this height would have even turned a higher-tier lifeform into a pile of pulp.
This move was too insane; it couldn't simply be called a technique. It was more of an awakening, a willingness to risk everything, including his life, to execute.
Kratos turned around, extending his arms toward the spectator stands, and the enthusiastic cheers erupted in response to his triumphant cry.
"Mr. Kyle, did he really die?" Calvin opened his mouth wide, finding it hard to believe.
"It seems… yes…" Enri's face was filled with sorrow. She was about to offer some words of consolation when she suddenly saw something astonishing. Her eyes widened with surprise. "Calvin, look quickly! What is that?"
Similarly, the cheers of most of the spectators abruptly ceased as they stared in astonishment at the crater behind Kratos.
Sensing their abnormal reactions, Kratos turned around. In the next moment, even his pupils contracted.
From the depths of the crater, a hand slowly emerged. Black fluid oozed continuously along the arm, forming a smooth and tough membranous layer.
With its hand on the ground, the figure effortlessly leveraged itself, agilely springing to the other side of the crater and landing gracefully on the ground.
The figure had a towering humanoid body, completely black in color. Its muscular contours exuded a wild and sinuous beauty. Its elongated crimson eyes gleamed with malevolence, and its sinister grin revealed a fiendish presence. It resembled a black demon emerging from hell.
"What are you?" Kratos frowned as he looked at the unknown lifeform before him. His body instinctively tensed, and for the first time, he felt a sense of danger.
"I just punted you on your bald head, and now you're asking who I am?" The dark lifeform grinned and shrugged. "But I guess it's understandable. This form changes everything, even my aura."
"Let me formally introduce myself. I'm 'Tyrant' Kyle!"
In a room on the rooftop of the dueling arena,
The Grandmaster stood up and glanced at Kyle's drastically changed appearance below, then at the colorless Slaughter beside him. He asked in a deep voice, "What exactly happened? Did something burst out of you just now?"
Slaughter's face turned extremely ugly when he heard those words. He remained silent, with remnants of shattered glass in his coat pocket. Inside, his heart roared in discontent. "Venom, you chose to return to him in the end, betraying our shared existence…"
In the dueling arena,
Kyle stretched his limbs, relishing the long-lost sensation of being in Venom's full symbiotic state. He couldn't help but think back to the moment he thought he was about to die as he plummeted from the sky towards the ground.
It was when he passed by the Arena's rooftop that a sudden burst of black liquid had leaped out to envelop and protect him.
He had never expected that it was Venom who had ultimately saved him. The one who had betrayed him earlier was another derivative symbiote.
Kyle sighed inwardly. After the fusion with Venom, their consciousness and thoughts intertwined. In an instant, he understood the separation of Venom.
Venom had long harbored these negative emotions— rage, brutality, and ruthlessness— during their time on Earth. These emotions had been hidden deep within him. Later, under the influence of the Space Stone, these chaotic and restless emotions split off into a second symbiote.
That was the origin of Slaughter.
Slaughter could be said to be the product of the negative thoughts of both Kyle and Venom. Consequently, Slaughter was more powerful and had a stronger sense of self-awareness.
Six months ago, when they arrived on this planet, Slaughter and Venom had managed to survive by continuously bonding with extraterrestrial residents. However, they eventually diverged in a significant way.
Venom had wanted to find and wait for Kyle, while Slaughter had sought independence, aspiring to become a completely new and powerful lifeform. In the midst of these differing ideologies, the two had finally broken apart.
Slaughter, with the ability to fully control the host's body, was incredibly formidable. He had captured and constrained Venom, taking on the ambitious role of the Chief Guardian of the forces of Sakaar, intending to one day replace Grandmaster.
"I misjudged you." Kyle smiled in understanding. He could sense that Venom had been even more innocent and pure before. Venom constantly conveyed his joy, much like the night they had first bonded.
Speaking of cards, the Venom Symbiote Lifeform Card was quite different from before.
**[Adult Venom Symbiote]:** A symbiote that has reached maturity. Purple Lifeform Card.
Venom can survive independently without the need to bond with a host. Symbiosis greatly enhances the host's strength and abilities. Weaknesses include Sonic attacks and high temperatures.
Now in the adult stage, Venom's growth potential has greatly decreased.
Current abilities: Rapid Learning, Shape-Shifting into any clothing, Bulletproof Defense, Liquid Self-Healing, Memory Probing and Interception, Gliding Flight, Dark Lethal Claws, Wall-Climbing, Long Whip Strikes, Blade-Like Edges, Countless Tendrils.
Current number of hosts Venom has bonded with: 108 (the higher the number, the more powerful Venom becomes).
(End of this chapter)
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