No Holds Barred

In theory, the Venom puppetry technique was entirely feasible. However, Russell couldn't be sure of its practical limitations at the moment.

Among those who had experienced symbiote bonding, only Sloan and the Punisher Frank had undergone the process so far.

Although Russell had conducted minor tests on them, he hadn't yet tried out this technique in actual combat.

To illustrate with a simple example, Russell was currently unaware of the maximum control range for the Venom puppetry technique.

Even though the symbiote could morph into various forms, this transformation had its limits. Through the black tendrils emerging from the back of their necks, to be precise, black threads, Russell directed the three Ten Rings members to pick up weapons from the ground.

Subsequently, he controlled them to move forward.

As for himself, he stayed in place.

He wanted to test the farthest distance he could control using these black threads, as it would determine the practical value of the Venom puppetry technique.

Before crossing over, as an enthusiast of anime and online literature, Russell had come across numerous abilities similar to this one.

Examples included the ethereal threads of a sorcerer, the parasitic threads of a certain Devil Fruit user, and the chakra threads of a puppeteer.

While the sources of power and principles varied, these methods achieved a form of puppet manipulation.

Russell's current method was quite similar. Through symbiote bonding, he could ignore the target's will and forcibly control their body.

As long as the symbiote's threads remained connected to the target, he could control their body much like his own.

For dealing with formidable opponents, this technique might not prove very useful as there was no guarantee that the symbiote could bond to them.

However, against weaker opponents, the Venom puppetry technique could be quite effective.

Leaving aside manipulating the enemy's mindset, using them as living shields alone was a decent choice.

Not to mention, Venom puppets that had been taken over by the symbiote could be used for baiting, infiltration, and attack. If the Venom puppet had a good relationship with the enemy, it might even play a role in undermining the enemy's psychological state.

After all, not everyone could bring themselves to harm their family, loved ones, or friends.

The Venom puppetry technique certainly lacked a sense of fair play, but in combat, scruples were not the key to survival.

And let's not mention just playing with the enemy's mentality; if the conditions allowed for it, even using weapons of mass destruction like nuclear bombs wouldn't be an issue.

In this regard, Russell particularly endorsed the philosophy of a certain master combat.

"If you can get a nuclear bomb, absolutely don't use a cloud-burst bomb; if you can use a gun, absolutely don't use a knife!"

"If the opponent has agreed to a time and place for a decisive battle, then be prepared to drive a bulldozer to run them over!"

If it weren't for his limited knowledge of criminal law, Russell might have considered apprenticing under that Master to learn a few things before his travel to this world.

Not for anything else, but simply to acquire a modicum of self-defense skills.

As Russell recollected that Master "profound sayings" in his mind, he manipulated the three Ten Rings members to move forward.

50 meters, 100 meters, 120 meters, 150 meters!

When the distance reached 150 meters, regardless of how he manipulated them, the three Ten Rings members didn't take another step forward.

150 meters!

It seemed this was the current limit of his control range.

Although this distance didn't appear very long, Russell wasn't overly concerned about it. Having 150 meters was already good enough. It had only been a few days since he had gained the Venom symbiote's abilities, and achieving this level was already quite impressive.

Furthermore, the symbiote could evolve gradually.

Considering human lifespans, it would take a considerable amount of time for the symbiote to evolve naturally.

However, other methods could drastically shorten this evolution process. Among them, the most effective and commonly used method among the symbiote species was reproduction.

The offspring of symbiotes would be stronger than their parents. Toxin was stronger than Venom, and Carnage's offspring, Toxin, was even more potent than both.

Although offspring were separate individuals, they still represented a form of evolution.

In addition to the traditional method of reproduction, there were other means as well. For example, fusing with other powers to trigger mutations, or continuously bonding with hosts to replicate their abilities and enhance one's limits.

Anti-Venom was an example of mutation through the fusion of other powers. Copying a host's abilities to the point of evolution, such as bonding with Deadpool for enhanced regeneration or with Spider-Man for spider-sense, was another method.

Both of these methods could enhance the symbiote's abilities. The only issue was that both required a certain degree of luck.

Reproduction was different.

As long as the symbiote was willing, they could reproduce asexually, giving birth to offspring whenever they wished.

However, in most cases, symbiotes didn't actively reproduce. The reason was simple: symbiotes all had a "patricide" complex. Killing one's parents was essentially an instinct among symbiotes.

Toxin wanted to kill Venom, and Carnage aimed to kill both Toxin and Venom. Setting aside whether success could be achieved, it was difficult to greet other symbiotes after multiple patricides.

After testing the maximum distance that the Venom puppetry technique could achieve, Russell proceeded to assess the current physical condition of the three Ten Rings members. Apart from their inability to move beyond 150 meters, everything else seemed fine.

Strength, speed, endurance, and other attributes had all received noticeable enhancements. Although the symbiote's enhancements couldn't match Russell's own level, they were still quite impressive. In a direct clash of strength, they would likely not be far behind Captain America, Steve Rogers.

In terms of physical attributes alone, they could probably outmatch Rogers.

However, if one added various factors like the Vibranium shield, the Super Soldier serum, combat skills, and so on, the odds of them losing to Rogers increased.

Combat wasn't merely about comparing raw data. People who appeared to hold the advantage on the surface often encountered unexpected setbacks.

Not to mention, battles could be riddled with unforeseen circumstances.

Nevertheless, regardless of the situation, these three Ten Rings members were currently at the peak of their strength. Coupled with the weapons in their hands, they shouldn't have much trouble eliminating the remaining individuals in the stronghold.

The three Ten Rings members took the lead, while Russell followed at a distance of around 100 meters behind them.

Before long, they arrived at the stronghold located in a valley.

The Ten Rings members who had attacked Russell earlier constituted only a portion of the stronghold's personnel. The rest were now scattered across the corners of the stronghold, either sitting or standing, engaged in casual conversations.

There was only one target vehicle, and even if it were fully occupied, it wouldn't amount to much.

The gunfire had ceased shortly after it began. Naturally, the Ten Rings members at the stronghold believed that the mysterious intruder had already been dealt with.

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