The monstrous Brood parasites and enslaved Sakaaran gladiators roared in fury.
"Ah…."
"Go out and kill these bastards!"
Rocket Raccoon's move was a gamble on a grand scale.
A horde of Brood parasites and battle-hardened gladiators was unleashed, throwing the Grandmaster's coliseum into even greater chaos.
Although the Grandmaster commanded many warriors, his underground base on planet Sa823 held an untold number of imprisoned gladiators and dormant Brood parasites, all now set loose.
The sheer volume of Brood-infected fighters surged forward. These parasitic creatures synchronized with the gladiators, launching a relentless assault. The elite Sakaaran guards stationed on every level were quickly overwhelmed, their energy staffs and plasma weapons barely slowing the horde.
While some gladiators fell to the Grandmaster's subordinates, their laser fire cutting through flesh, the parasitic organisms swiftly adapted. Encased in Brood-enhanced bio-armor, the now-mutated warriors withstood the onslaught, pushing through a barrage of suppressive fire.
In the ensuing close-quarters combat, the Grandmaster's forces—despite their advanced weaponry—were forced into retreat. The sheer numbers of the Brood-gladiator fusion made resistance futile.
For a brief moment, the elite warriors of the Grandmaster hesitated. They had no strategy against this horde. Realizing they could not contain the riot, they rapidly withdrew from the underground base.
Meanwhile, the parasitic warriors, shielding the Guardians of the Galaxy, stormed toward the Grandmaster's arena on Sakaar.
The famed coliseum, once a stage for one-on-one duels, now transformed into a battlefield between the Grandmaster's greatest champions and a nightmarish swarm of Brood-enhanced combatants.
At first, the alien spectators cheered, assuming this was merely a dramatic twist in the spectacle. The sight of the grotesquely mutated Brood-gladiators, their bodies pulsating with parasitic energy, sent waves of excitement through the audience.
Chapter 186: The Battle of the Arena
However, as an elite force of Sakaaran enforcers arrived and launched an all-out attack, the crowd began to sense something was terribly wrong.
Grandmaster's warriors unleashed high-frequency sonic disruptors—advanced weapons designed to neutralize symbiotic threats like Venom's Klyntar race. The deafening waves shook the arena to its core, rattling even the reinforced spectator stands where Rhodes and the others sat.
Yet, the Brood-gladiators didn't even flinch.
Instead, they roared in defiance.
Within Rocket Raccoon's tactical radius, his anti-sonic dampening device neutralized the high-frequency waves. Any attempt to weaken the Brood was futile—Rocket's tech blanketed the battlefield, ensuring the creatures remained unaffected.
The situation escalated.
The Grandmaster's forces fired wave after wave of sonic blasts, but the Brood-gladiators advanced undeterred. They tore through the ranks of their attackers with terrifying speed. One Brood-mutated warrior, its monstrous claws extended to nearly five meters, swiped through a squad of guards, sending them flying like ragdolls.
Both Rhodes and the Grandmaster rose to their feet.
The Grandmaster was giddy with excitement, enthralled by the unpredictability of the battle. Rhodes, however, had a sinking realization.
These Brood-infested creatures weren't merely parasitic symbiotes latching onto a host.
They had fused into something far worse.
Rhodes observed them carefully—there was no host within these fused entities. Unlike Venom, Riot, or Carnage, these Brood mutations were not reliant on a single organism to survive.
Could the Brood have evolved so rapidly? Had they transcended the need for individual hosts, forming a collective hive organism through mutual fusion?
No… that shouldn't be possible.
The Brood, despite their terrifying adaptability, were still bound by universal biological laws. Every species had a fundamental weakness, a natural counterbalance preventing unchecked dominance.
Throughout the cosmos, evolutionary constraints ensured no single species could grow powerful enough to annihilate all others.
If the Brood had indeed transcended these limitations—becoming independent of hosts, immune to sonic disruption, and capable of boundless fusion—then they had become an existential threat unlike anything seen before.
Unchecked, they could consume the universe itself.
Rhodes clenched his fists, uncertainty gnawing at him. How had they suddenly become this powerful?
It defied logic.
Even Hela, the Goddess of Death, sensed the gravity of the situation. She turned to Rhodes, her expression unreadable.
"What is this?" she demanded. "The Brood aren't supposed to be immune to high-frequency disruption."
Rhodes quickly adjusted his thinking and scanned the surrounding area in all directions, searching for any abnormalities.
Soon, he noticed an ultra-low-frequency sound wave permeating the arena. This wave continuously neutralized high-frequency sound waves.
It was precisely these ultra-low-frequency sound waves that made the internal cell structure of the parasites abnormally stable.
As a result, even without a host, these parasites could survive independently, fusing and parasitizing each other.
This created a unique symbiotic and parasitic fusion.
Rhodes quickly grasped the problem.
"Huh, that's interesting. I initially thought these parasites had mutated, evolving genes to compensate for their weaknesses. But it turns out I was overthinking. Their resistance to high-frequency sound waves isn't due to natural evolution—it's someone's handiwork."
"I have to admit, this person is quite clever. They managed to deduce a way to help the parasites overcome their natural weakness. However, even if these parasites can fuse together, it won't be a major issue."
"Their mutual fusion has limits. Developing a device that can continuously emit ultra-low-frequency sound waves to sustain large-scale fused parasites isn't easy."
"Given the current conditions, it's simply not feasible."
Standing nearby, the Grandmaster was enraged.
"Damn it! What the hell is this useless lot doing? These cursed parasites are becoming uncontrollable!"
He turned to Rhodes.
"Master Rhodes, please remain calm. I'll take care of this situation and return shortly."
"I promise it won't take long."
With that, the Grandmaster quickly left the room.
At this time, without the high-frequency sonic guns keeping the parasites in check, some of his subordinates were struggling against them.
The strength and adaptability of the fused parasites made them incredibly difficult to harm.
Lasers fired at them barely made an impact, causing only minor discomfort at best.
While the lasers provided some suppression, it wasn't nearly enough to defeat them.
A mere dozen parasitic fusion entities overwhelmed hundreds of the Grandmaster's subordinates.
Meanwhile, chaos erupted across the underground base as more parasites and gladiator fighters surged from all directions.
The gladiators, wielding stolen cold weapons and laser guns, launched indiscriminate attacks.
They bore equal resentment toward both the alien spectators and the Grandmaster's forces.
Some parasites, recognizing Rocket Raccoon's assistance, fused together, while others parasitized hosts to enhance their combat effectiveness.
A gladiator raised his laser gun and fired indiscriminately.
Many alien spectators were struck, their bodies burning to ash or melting instantly.
Panic spread through the crowd as alien onlookers screamed and fled in all directions.
The arena on Planet Sakaar descended into complete chaos.
Lasers crisscrossed the battlefield, parasites attacked from all sides, and bloodshed was rampant.
Hela turned to Rhodes.
"Honey, should we intervene?"
Rhodes shook his head.
"No need. As troublesome as this battle seems, they're still no match for the Grandmaster."
Rhodes could gauge the Grandmaster's strength. While the Grandmaster was no match for him, dealing with the parasitic fusion entities wouldn't be a challenge for him.
Though the parasites had managed to counter their weakness to high-frequency sound waves, their overall power in the grand scheme of the universe was still lacking.
Without Ronan the Accuser and his forces as a foundation, these parasites were far from reaching the level of a true cosmic threat.
Even if hundreds of thousands—millions—of parasites fused together, they might cause a minor disturbance.
Otherwise, they were merely preying on the Grandmaster's weaker subordinates.
If the Grandmaster were truly weak, the gladiator fighters would have overthrown the arena long ago. The fact that he maintained control spoke volumes about his power.
As a cosmic elder, he was not someone to be trifled with.
Across the massive arena, the battle raged.
The Grandmaster's forces were being tossed around, utterly overwhelmed by the parasitic fusion creatures.
After leaving Rhodes' room, the Grandmaster wasted no time and made his way directly to the battlefield.
He descended into the center of the arena, his landing creating a powerful shockwave—a dramatic entrance befitting his status.
The surrounding parasitic fusion creatures turned their attention to him.
Their eyes burned with hatred.
For so long, the Grandmaster had imprisoned them, torturing them with high-frequency sonic guns, forcing them to fight for the entertainment of alien spectators.
To these parasites, it was the ultimate humiliation.
Though they were parasites, dependent on hosts to survive, they still possessed emotions—especially rage.
Now, with the high-frequency sonic guns no longer a threat, it was time for revenge.
With furious roars, the parasitic fusion entities charged at the Grandmaster.
Dark tendrils twisted into razor-sharp claws, lunging toward him.
Hundreds of thousands of writhing black appendages surged forward, ready to tear the Grandmaster to shreds.
The Grandmaster flicked his robe back, unfazed.
With a disdainful smirk, he muttered, "It's been a long time since I had to get my hands dirty. And to think, it's you filthy parasites forcing my hand."
Then, in an instant, he raised his hand.
Countless blue electromagnetic waves burst from the ring on his finger.
The waves, seemingly guided by an unseen intelligence, shot out in all directions, seeking out the parasitic fusion creatures.
The energy radiating from the Grandmaster's attack was immense.
The dimly lit arena was instantly illuminated by the brilliant blue light of the Grandmaster's power.
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