Boom!
The blazing flames lit up the night sky!
Russell stood atop a tree branch, watching the explosion below.
Both arc reactors had been detonated simultaneously, creating a blast far greater than the sum of their parts. A massive fireball rose, followed by a shockwave that swept through the forest, shaking the trees violently!
Russell stared at the flames, waiting for the result.
One second...
Two seconds...
...
Ten seconds!
As the fireball faded, a pleasant, melodic voice rang out—like the sound of heaven.
[Plunder complete!]
[Living Venom Fragment acquired!]
Chaotic will detected.
Erasing...
Erasure complete!
[Venom Battle Suit (Mutated Version)]
— Can stretch and shapeshift. Increases the wearer's strength and speed.
— No longer vulnerable to fire or sound waves.
Hearing this, Russell's eyes widened with surprise.
Venom's weaknesses... were gone?
It seemed those flaws weren't due to the symbiote's material composition, but its chaotic will.
This was a massive bonus.
Even ignoring the stat boosts, at least he wouldn't have to worry about his clothes getting destroyed every time he used Extremis abilities.
[Armor Master (Purple)]
— Tony Stark's armor-forging ability, including related scientific and technological knowledge.
[All loot collected. Load now?]
Was that it?
Russell was slightly surprised. No [Curse of Knowledge], no [Heart of the Furnace], but a new one—[Armor Master]?
Could it be that identical entries can't be acquired repeatedly? Or were variant entries considered unique?
Or perhaps... both?
Russell didn't dwell on it. He silently responded in his mind:
"Load."
Power surged through him.
In the next moment, he leaped from the tree branch, landing with precision. As he touched the ground, a dark liquid spread across his body, forming a sleek battle suit marked with red and gold patterns.
He sprinted toward the river.
Venom was dead.
Iron Man was dead.
Only Spider-Man was still alive.
But Russell was confident—even if Venom absorbed the brunt of the blast, Peter Parker would still be critically wounded.
"Agh...!"
Peter Parker crawled out from the edge of the crater, gasping for cool air.
After a moment, he turned to glance into the pit.
Iron Man's suit-clad body lay motionless. The armor was nearly intact on the surface but glowing red-hot, a faint smell of charred meat rising from within.
The armor may have been shockproof, but it wasn't heatproof.
Tony Stark had roasted alive inside his own suit—like a chicken in a pot.
Peter's eyes filled with fear.
If he hadn't expanded Venom to completely wrap his body before the explosion, he'd be ashes right now—no better than Tony.
Even with his enhanced physiology, Spider-Man couldn't survive a blast at tens of thousands of degrees.
And even now, he could feel the damage—his organs had shifted, hairline fractures spiderwebbed through his bones.
Thankfully, his body could self-heal.
Unfortunately, the Venom suit was gone—and he missed the overwhelming sensation of that full-body power.
A chill breeze swept through.
Peter shivered.
"Without Venom, am I this sensitive?"
But the thought didn't even last half a second—his face suddenly changed.
No. This wasn't a breeze.
Spider-Sense!
Without hesitation, he dove to the side!
The night sky flashed.
A five-meter-long, half-meter-wide flaming sword came crashing down from above!
Boom!
The earth trembled. Soil and stone exploded outward, forming yet another massive crater!
Peter stood up, both stunned and enraged.
He looked up—
A black battle suit with red-gold trim stood across the riverbank.
The man looked down on him coldly, openly oozing murderous intent.
"You killed Mordo... and modified the reactor bomb," Peter growled, his face twisted in fury.
Russell tilted his head slightly. "Wrong guess?"
Peter blinked, confused.
But then Russell grinned, flashing two rows of sharp, white teeth.
"You didn't mention Steve Rogers."
"Captain HYDRA was the first to die."
Peter's rage instantly froze—like a bucket of ice water dumped over his head.
This man had taken them down one by one—carefully, easily. And now, he stood there like a predator ready to finish his hunt.
It was like they were flies trapped in a spider's web, and this guy... was the Spider.
Then, a voice came from behind:
"Can I ask why you were thrown into the Void?"
Peter's face turned gloomy.
"MJ, that bch, was my girlfriend—and she was flirting with Harry."**
"So I killed her in front of my 'best friend' and sent him to hell to see his father."
Russell clicked his tongue.
He knew the Venom influence had twisted Peter's personality, but damn—even the Bully Maguire meme version of Spider-Man was nothing compared to this guy.
From afar, Peter's enhanced night vision caught a flash of distraction on Russell's face.
His eyes lit up.
A chance!
In a flash, he flung his wrist sideways.
A web shot out, yanked a boulder from the ground, and flung it like a cannonball toward Russell!
If this was the old Russell, he might not have reacted in time.
But now?
"Perfect timing."
Russell didn't flinch. He sketched glowing golden lines in the air—
A magic circle formed instantly, expanding outward.
The web-flung stone slammed into it.
No damage.
Instead, the rock shattered on impact.
The shield was sturdy—and Russell hadn't even gone full power.
He smiled to himself.
Yeah... disarming Mordo first was the right call. Otherwise, he might've been the one blown to bits.
Russell called out:
"Mr. Spider-Man, leaving so soon? Not even a goodbye?"
Peter wasn't stupid.
He wanted revenge—but he was hurt, didn't know the enemy's full strength, and this terrain wasn't in his favor.
If he didn't run now, he was dead meat.
He wasn't Tony Stark—he wasn't that arrogant.
But Russell wasn't going to let him go.
He crossed his arms and twisted the magic circle, then swung his right hand forward.
Whip!
A glowing magical energy whip lashed through the air, aiming straight for Spider-Man's neck.
But Peter's Spider-Sense kicked in again!
He dodged—and caught the whip with one hand!
The force behind it was immense—stronger than anything he'd felt from the Snake Team!
He was shocked, but... he grinned.
He'd never feared brute strength.
This was exactly what he wanted.
He yanked hard on the whip.
Russell—at the other end—was flung through the air like a hooked fish.
Peter took a step back, crouched low, and pulled back his right fist.
He was going to punch straight through this magician's body!
Distance closing—
40 meters...
30...
10!
But then, he saw Russell's face—calm, no longer panicked.
His stomach dropped.
Russell reached into the air—and summoned a blazing flaming sword into his hand.
Peter's Spider-Sense went wild.
Too late!
He raised his arm to block, using his legs to dodge—but it wasn't enough.
Swish!
The holy sword drew a golden arc through the night.
Bang.
Russell landed softly, turned around, and stepped forward.
Then he looked ahead—
Peter Parker knelt in the mud, his whole body trembling.
His right arm had been severed at the shoulder, lying discarded in the dirt like a broken toy.
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