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In the middle of a secluded valley, Venom froze in place the moment he heard the system's voice.
A glowing white card appeared right in front of him, hovering in the air.
"No way… this can't be real!?"
He stared in disbelief. Anyone who'd ever watched Ultraman knew what that place was—the birthplace of the Ultras themselves.
Slowly, he reached out and grabbed the floating card. The instant it touched his hand, a flood of information poured straight into his mind.
The Land of Light.
Because it encompassed the entire Ultraman homeworld, "Ultraman Planet" and "Land of Light" were basically interchangeable. It was a utopian civilization, dedicated to keeping balance across the universe, located three million light-years from Earth, within Nebula M78.
The beings who lived there had once faced extinction, only to be saved by their scientists. Later, for reasons long forgotten, they evolved into giants—what the rest of the cosmos now called "Ultramen."
When Venom finished absorbing all that knowledge, the corner of his mouth twitched. It really was the Land of Light he'd been thinking of.
He'd actually drawn a card that could send him into the Ultraman world. Was that good luck, or just his worst nightmare?
Because Ultramen and their kaiju enemies were huge. Monstrous. Ridiculously strong. And compared to them, his current size was… let's just say not reassuring.
And fusing with an Ultraman? Probably impossible. They were beings of pure light molecules, practically living energy itself—not anything like a normal host.
The card even specified the exact transfer point: the Land of Light itself. A place where everyone was the size of a skyscraper, where a careless step could flatten him without anyone noticing.
And then there was the Plasma Spark Tower. The tower's radiation sustained the entire world… but would that energy burn him alive? He had no way of knowing.
What if he got caught? What if they decided he was a threat? Too many risks.
"…Forget it. Better think this through first."
After some serious consideration, Venom slipped the card into his system space. Now wasn't the time to gamble with something that dangerous. Later, maybe.
Still, he couldn't deny today's haul had been amazing. He'd eliminated his symbiote weakness, unlocked chakra extraction, and even gained a forging technique.
On top of that, he'd already prepared blood from one of those "super-dangerous species." If Saeko Busujima drank it, she'd gain the power to command lightning itself.
Sure, drinking that blood carried huge risks—but with him by her side, she'd be safe.
And with his new forging skills, he planned to use Zinogre materials to craft her a sleek set of armor and a weapon perfectly suited to her.
With gear like that, Saeko's strength would multiply exponentially. She'd become one of the strongest beings in this world.
Finished with his thoughts, Venom turned and started toward where Saeko was.
Deep in the forest, the air stank of blood. Corpses of dangerous creatures littered the ground, each one cleaved cleanly in half with a single stroke.
At the very center of the carnage stood Saeko, slowly sheathing her katana. A crimson droplet slid down her cheek—but it wasn't her blood. It had splashed onto her face from one of her enemies as they fell.
Her eyes drifted shut as she stood among the corpses, almost as if she were savoring the stillness after the storm.
That was when Venom emerged from the shadows. He approached her silently, then gently wrapped her in his arms.
"Welcome back."
Saeko lifted her head, her gaze softening the moment she saw him.
"A new battle's about to begin."
Venom smiled down at her, then lowered his head and kissed her.
Countless tendrils slid from his body, curling around her and pulling her closer. In an instant, they stripped away her clothes, revealing skin as pale as snow.
Saeko only smiled, raising her arms to loop them around his neck, her eyes warm and tender as she drew him in.
"....."