Chapter 87

"Six of them, but what about the seventh?" Doctor Strange interjected.

He didn't express any opinion regarding Mark's seemingly provocative words, suggesting Spider-Tom to commit murder. In reality, he was only concerned with maintaining the stability of the timeline.

"The last one is an alien, from a parallel universe, named Venom, belonging to the symbiote species. It's a rather dangerous creature," Mark said.

"Dangerous? How dangerous?" Spider-Tom inquired. He had witnessed Mark's formidable abilities on the bridge and knew that this Spider-Man's strength surpassed his own. To have someone like him considered dangerous spoke volumes about the threat level.

"The symbiotes originate from the Lord of the Abyss. They can attach themselves to any life form and possess a 'hive consciousness' similar to Zerg or some similar stuff," Mark explained.

Although he hadn't encountered Venom personally, his connection to Spider-Man had led him to study this entity thoroughly. Thus, he had some basic knowledge.

"Zerg? Are you saying the ones from 'StarCraft'?" Spider-Tom asked.

Mark nodded, "Yes, the Lord of the Abyss is their 'queen,' and each symbiote is a 'drone.' They once ravaged countless planets until they attempted to invade Earth, only to be stopped by Thor, who severed the connection between the 'hive' and the 'queen.'"

"Subsequently, the symbiote species turned the tables and took control and trapped that Elder God, achieving their liberation and wandering aimlessly throughout the universe. They actively seek out living organisms as hosts and, upon bonding with a host, record the host's genes and genetic material in their own genetic code, constantly enhancing themselves. Venom is one of those symbiotes that fell to Earth in a parallel universe."

"Isn't there any way to prevent them from parasitizing?" Spider-Tom shuddered at the thought of something worm-like crawling into his body, taking control, and even recording his DNA, among other things. It was chilling.

"Preventing parasitization is challenging because it can be subtle. Unless you notice it in time and detach it before it leaves a mark on your spine, it will stay attached to you. Moreover, some individuals actively seek out symbiotes," Mark explained.

"Actively seek them out? Why? Don't they find it strange to have something inside them? In any case, it doesn't sound like a pleasant experience," Spider-Tom exclaimed.

"Because symbiotes, once bonded with a host, provide incredible powers! In every aspect! Enough to turn an ordinary person into a superhuman! You understand, power," Mark stated.

Doctor Strange took over the conversation with a grave expression. "So, it seems this is the most significant threat."

"Yes, if left unchecked, we'll soon have a new supervillain on our hands, and a reckless one at that," Mark confirmed, supporting Doctor Strange's suspicion.

"Wait, what if we use magic to send them back quickly?" Spider-Tom suggested.

"Unfortunately, the feasibility of that is quite low," Mark shattered his illusions without mercy.

"Why?"

"Because symbiotes are fundamentally amorphous four-dimensional beings, time and space don't really have much meaning for them. This is also why they typically seek hosts to survive because they need hosts to anchor themselves in space and time!" Mark explained.

"So, they can disregard the rules between different parallel universes?" Doctor Strange said with seriousness in his voice.

"Yes."

"This is troublesome," Doctor Strange muttered.

He quickly walked over to a table in the room, saying rapidly, "So, Peter, wait.. what's your name, by the way?"

He had just realized that he still didn't know Mark's name.

Mark replied, "I'm Mark."

"Alright, Mark. Since you're familiar with these guys, can I ask you and Peter, to bring them all back before they cause more trouble in this world?" Doctor Strange earnestly requested.

"Of course, I can do that," Mark agreed readily.

There were quite a few things in this world that he had his eyes on. He would undoubtedly have to visit this world frequently and build a good relationship with Doctor Strange, which could save him a lot of trouble. Moreover, if their relationship was good enough, perhaps he could ask for his help when dealing with the Inheritors' family.

Although many people criticized Doctor Strange for being less powerful than the Ancient One, who was hailed as the "Supreme Sorcerer," what if he simply didn't want to borrow too much power? When things really hit the fan, he should still be formidable.

In the event of a crisis, he would be a powerful ally.

"Mr. Stephen, are you planning to go out and capture that Venom?" Mark asked.

"Yes, its danger surpasses that of the other five combined; we must capture it!" Doctor Strange asserted firmly.

As he said this, Mark could even sense a massive surge of magical energy. Clearly, he was about to take serious action.

"When the Abyssal Lord Knull forged the original symbiote, the All-Black Necrosword, he used high temperatures and sound to torture it repeatedly, leaving the symbiote with a fear of sound and high temperatures. You can use this to capture it," Mark quickly explained.

Doctor Strange expressed his gratitude, saying, "This is very helpful. Thank you for your guidance."

With that, he tossed another armband over to Mark.

"This is a simple magical device that can cast a teleportation spell. It can transport the target to this magical prison no matter where they are. Unfortunately, the situation is urgent, so I only made one."

Mark accepted the magical device, which was essentially a wristband with temporary magical runes engraved on it. After examining it briefly, he handed it to Spider-Tom.

"Here, I'll leave this to you. I'll be the primary attacker, and you'll be support. Look for opportunities to capture them."

"Alright!" Spider-Tom eagerly received the magical wristband, putting it on his wrist and examining it excitedly.

Young people always had a high interest in magic.

After briefly discussing their plan, Doctor Strange drew a circle in front of him and teleported away.

Seeing Doctor Strange leave, Mark breathed a sigh of relief.

Even though Venom only existed as an Easter egg in the original work and didn't play a significant role, having experienced several worlds with various alterations, he couldn't be entirely sure this world wouldn't be different.

Symbiotes were so dangerous, and he didn't want to inadvertently come into contact with one without any preparation!

°°°

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