Chapter 87 Mud and Rotten People (Part 2)_1

What kind of person is Stark, really?

You'd know from his introduction in comics, where he is described as the "Super Genius cursed by knowledge." Inside his mind, he holds the 8th cosmic infinity gemstone, "The Curse of Knowledge", which allows him to master all knowledge about black holes within a day. It's safe to say that Einstein would be heartbroken and Mendeleev would shed tears upon meeting him.

This explains why the upcoming events will completely surpass Venom's expectation.

Firstly, Stark is extremely inquisitive, spending six whole days investigating Venom's background.

Upon learning that Venom is an alien lifeform, Stark's sudden excitement causes Venom to stumble over.

From the birthplace of Venom, the symbiote's homeworld, to how he drifted to Earth, and how he took over one host after another, Stark meticulously interrogates Venom.

Out of respect for his long-term meal ticket, Venom tries his best to answer Stark's questions, but the Super Genius can stretch out countless questions from a single one, just like a curious child asking "why" for everything.

Where is the symbiote's homeworld? Who is your creator? What kind of alien is he? In what form do they exist there? How far away is it from Earth? Can humans reach it within their lifetime? Will you invade Earth? Is your creator an intelligent being with separate individuality or is it a planetary collective consciousness? Why didn't your siblings leave your mother? Why did you run away alone? Did you anger your creator? What's the difference between him and the God in human religious stories?

For every question, Stark would probe and dig deeper from various angles. Some questions Venom can answer well, but some are too abstract and creative to comprehend.

Going by symbiote age, Venom is still a child. Even as a child prodigy among symbiotes, he struggles to understand the eccentric and imaginative questions from this super genius.

Finally, Stark's curiosity about Venom's origins abated slightly, and then for the first time, Venom discovered how complex human emotions could be.

Stark's sensitive heart and overflowing emotions make Venom feel as if he is living in a huge maze every day. Every time Stark's mood changes, the entire maze is reset, hurling Venom back to the starting point just as he is about to find the way out.

Also, there's no denying that Stark is cursed by knowledge, as Venom, a symbiote, can't keep up with the speed of Stark's mind.

Whenever Stark starts to think, Venom can only crouch in a corner and get hit by countless symbols he cannot comprehend, simply put, he's drowned in an ocean of knowledge.

What's terrifying is while Stark is busy resetting the maze, he also floods the sea of knowledge like a dam burst. The constant swift switch between these two states overwhelms Venom, one moment he's kicked by the maze and the next, he's somersaulting in the sea.

All sentient creatures have requirements for their living environment, and symbiotes are no exception.

If living in a regular human body is like staying in a matchbox—though slightly cramped and stuffy, it remains rather peaceful—then living in Stark's body feels like residing in a dangerous planet filled with numerous storms and lightning strikes. It may be spacious but life here is far too exciting, Venom hardly gets a moment to rest.

Originally, the symbiotic relationship with the host allows the symbiote to constantly feel their physical and emotional changes. It is a unique natural gift of their race and the foundation of their survival. But now, this gift has brought Venom great trouble. Living symbiotically with someone like Stark, Venom has no choice but to endure a life filled with as many dangers as an expedition in the primal jungle.

Stark is like an unsolvable mystery. His outward expression is just one in ten thousand parts of him. His inner self, overflowing with endless philosophical thoughts and wisdom, could engulf any outsider attempting to peek into his heart, including this symbiote.

The first emotion that Venom learned from Stark was exhaustion. It wasn't Stark who was tired, but being Stark's symbiote was indeed very tiring.

What's worse, Stark was under enormous stress at the time; he needed to divert his attention by finding something to do. An intelligent alien life form, especially one with special abilities dwelling within him, couldn't be a better test subject.

Stark treated Venom as his second personality, capable of sharing his brain and understanding him completely.

This was simply phenomenal!

Previously, whenever Stark wanted to share his brilliant thoughts, he couldn't find any suitable candidates. Peter was too young, didn't want to burden him with too much. Shiller, despite being quite shocked, could only change a light bulb. He used to share his inventions with Obadiah, but now that he's gone, Stark poured all his overflowing enthusiasm for sharing onto Venom.

When Stark stayed awake for three whole days lecturing Venom about high-energy physics in his head, Venom learned his second emotion, fear.