The Mandarin

"It was supposed to be a simple matter of wiping out the organization misusing my name. I didn't expect to come across something this interesting."

Venom looked over and saw a long-haired man dressed in an ornate golden robe. Ten dazzling gemstone rings adorned both his hands. His expression was cold and arrogant, as if nothing in the world was worthy of his attention.

Mandarin!!

Through Venom's eyes, Kino saw him and his expression instantly turned grave. One of Iron Man's powerful late-game bosses had actually appeared in Novice Village.

"Tony Stark, and a demon?"

Even with Mandarin's century of experience, he couldn't identify what Venom was. As for Yinsen, he didn't take the man seriously at all.

"What? You want to steal my prey?"

Since he had been mistaken for a demon, Venom decided to play along. Its long tongue whipped wildly through the air, revealing a mouthful of blade-sharp fangs that glinted with a chilling light.

"No. I'm not interested in them." Mandarin shook his head, curiosity filling his deep-set eyes.

"Then don't get in the way."

Venom shouted arrogantly, then strode off in another direction with Tony Stark and Yinsen.

Venom suddenly leaped backward. A dazzling white light descended like lightning and exploded at the spot where it had just been, blasting open a bottomless crater.

"What the hell do you mean by that? You want me to eat you?"

Venom roared furiously, its voice echoing across the empty surroundings.

"But I'm very interested in you. I've never had a demon in my collection."

Mandarin raised his fist, aiming a ring at Venom.

White Light Ring: Can emit various forms of energy across the electromagnetic spectrum.

"Fuck, you two get out of here." Venom cursed under its breath. It knew perfectly well that a fight was unavoidable today.

Mandarin ignored the two mortals. His gaze remained fixed on Venom, as if he wanted to see straight through it.

"I'll put your head somewhere everyone can see it."

"Then I'll eat you first!!!"

Venom roared and shot toward Mandarin like a bolt of black lightning, whipping up a fierce gale as sand and stones rose into the air.

Mandarin remained completely calm. With a slight movement of his finger, one of his rings fired a powerful energy beam.

The beam was like a gigantic lightsaber, cleaving straight toward Venom. Venom nimbly twisted aside.

The beam grazed its body, and the searing energy instantly melted the stone wall beside it. Chunks of rock flowed downward like lava.

Venom closed in on Mandarin in an instant and swung its enormous fist at him..

Mandarin blurred aside, effortlessly dodging the blow. At the same time, the ring on his other hand fired a bolt of lightning that swept toward Venom.

Lightning Ring: Can generate powerful electrical energy. The amount and intensity of the electricity are determined mentally by the wearer. Its current maximum voltage is unknown.

The lightning struck Venom's body, sending electricity surging wildly through it. Its body froze for a brief instant, then it charged forward again without hesitation.

"You've got some ability, but it's still not enough."

The corners of Mandarin's mouth lifted slightly as his rings continuously fired attacks of various kinds. In an instant, they formed a dazzling yet deadly web of light.

Venom dodged left and right amid the barrage, its body flickering like a phantom.

It dodged whenever it could and endured the attacks when it couldn't, as if dancing on the edge of death. Yet its eyes remained determined as it searched for a chance to counterattack.

Suddenly, it noticed a brief pause in Mandarin's attacks after the continuous barrage. This was the perfect opportunity.

Venom charged forward without hesitation, opening its bloody maw and biting at Mandarin. Its mouth opened incredibly wide, its fangs glowing with a sinister light as if it meant to swallow Mandarin whole.

"Hmph. You want to bite me? Not so easily."

The second ring lit up. A gigantic fireball appeared in an instant and slammed into Venom, triggering a massive explosion.

Incandescent Ring: Contains the miniature heart of a star. It can emit infrared radiation or heat, with the intensity controlled by the wearer.

Venom crashed heavily to the ground and rolled several times in a miserable heap. Dust billowed wherever it passed, and deep furrows were carved into the ground.

"Venom, stop fighting. Find a chance to escape."

Kino was hidden inside Venom's body. They were at a complete disadvantage in the battle, and Mandarin had only used three rings so far.

Venom was completely bare-bones at the moment. It only had Wolverine's abilities, most of which overlapped with its own and offered little help.

[Okay.]

Venom wasn't foolish enough to stand there and take a beating. It quickly rose, pushed off with both legs, and prepared to flee. With its speed, Mandarin absolutely wouldn't be able to catch it.

"You're my prey." The fourth ring on Mandarin's hand began to glow.

Ice Storm Ring: Can draw energy from the frigid depths of outer space and release waves of cold. It can freeze the air, lower the temperature of objects or people, and even approach absolute zero.

With Mandarin at the center, the temperature plummeted. A bone-chilling wind howled outward, instantly forming a tide of ice and snow. The surrounding air seemed to freeze solid, crackling sharply.

Venom's body grew sluggish as well. Its movements were no longer nimble, and a thick layer of frost rapidly covered its surface. The frost continued spreading, affecting even Kino inside. He felt a piercing cold, as if his blood were about to freeze.

Venom struggled desperately, but its body grew stiffer and stiffer. Every movement became extraordinarily difficult.

Kino was frantic. He knew that if they didn't find a solution soon, they might truly be unable to escape.

I can only go to DC. Hopefully, it isn't the Dark Universe over there.

Just as he was about to use his ability—

"Still not dead after that? Your vitality really is tenacious. Then try this." Mandarin's fourth ring lit up.

Impact Ring: Can project various forms of energy, most commonly the vibrational force of fast neutrons, equivalent to the impact of 350 pounds of TNT. It can also project powerful sonic vibrations and generate electromagnetic waves to attract or repel objects.

A piercing sonic wave swept toward Venom. It was like an invisible tidal wave carrying the power to destroy everything. Venom staggered wildly under the impact, clutching its head in agony.

"AAAAAAAAHHH!!!"

Venom's body split apart, revealing Kino inside, who was suffering just as badly. His entire body felt as if it were being cut by knives, leaving him unable to concentrate.

Black shoots split apart and lashed wildly, trying to wrap around Kino again.

"A human? It seems I was deceived."

Mandarin's expression didn't change at all. His red ring lit up, and a gigantic fireball appeared before hurtling over amid roaring flames.

The fireball's explosion sent Venom and Kino flying like two cannonballs. They slammed heavily into the distant ground, separating for the first time.

Venom turned back into a blob of slime and writhed continuously, trying to return to Kino's body.