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From the shadows of the forest, Venom stepped out and took in the sight of the shabby little town ahead. Without hesitation, he shifted into the form of a teenage boy and headed straight toward it.
The streets were filled with commoners in plain clothes, and a few beggars sat in corners, hands outstretched. Venom didn't pay them much attention. He kept walking until he found a small, rundown inn and booked a room.
The room was barebones—just the essentials, nothing more. After making sure no one was nearby, Venom let his body melt back into liquid form. From within himself, he drew out Saeko Busujima and laid her gently on the bed.
Next, he pulled a humanoid-looking creature from his shadow-space, merged with it, and crafted a convincing disguise.
A few minutes later, Saeko stirred awake. Blinking in confusion, she glanced around the unfamiliar room.
"You're awake?"
The voice startled her. She immediately sat up and turned toward the window, where a young boy with a delicate face stood smiling at her.
"Who are you?" she asked, frowning. The last thing she remembered was being dragged through a swirling vortex of time and space with Venom.
"I'm Venom, of course," he replied with an easy smile. To prove it, his arm morphed into black liquid before snapping back to human shape.
Relief washed over Saeko's face. She looked around again, still unsure. "Where are we?"
"This is the other world I told you about," Venom said, glancing out the window. "You'll understand better once you're dressed—I'll show you around."
Only then did Saeko notice she wasn't wearing a stitch of clothing. Her cheeks flushed red. Venom handed her an outfit he'd pulled from his storage space.
Saeko dressed quickly, her cold, elegant aura returning as if nothing had happened.
"Eat this," Venom said, pointing to the food on the table. "I've been feeding you nutrients while you were asleep, but real meals are still important."
While Saeko had been dormant inside him, he had kept her alive with nutrient transfers. It prevented hunger, but it wasn't healthy in the long run—and it wasn't the only issue.
Saeko was still human. Her lifespan was human. Unlike Venom, who could live for thousands of years as an alien lifeform, she was bound by time. By keeping her in stasis inside his body, Venom had essentially frozen her aging—but it wasn't a permanent solution.
Saeko nodded and sat down to eat. Venom used the quiet moment to fill her in on what he'd learned so far.
"Super-dangerous species?" she repeated, frowning. She didn't understand why he was so fixated on finding such things.
"Your strength is impressive," Venom explained, "but compared to those who wield Imperial Arms, you're still outmatched. If you drink the blood of a super-dangerous species, you'll gain power on their level—or beyond."
Saeko thought about that for a moment, then nodded silently. If he said it was necessary, she would follow his lead.
"For now, though, we don't know enough. We'll need to ask around." Venom's tone was thoughtful.
After Saeko finished her meal, the two set out to gather information. But the poor little town didn't have much to offer. So they made their way to the largest nearby city, hoping for better luck.
Eventually, they tracked down a man rumored to be an information broker—a middle-aged fellow who looked as shabby as his patched-up clothes.
"You're the broker people talk about?" Venom asked, studying him.
The man eyed them wearily. "Depends. I can get you whatever information you want—if you've got the coin."
Without a word, Venom pulled a gold ingot from his system space and set it on the table.
The man's eyes lit up. He snatched the bar, tested its weight, then grinned. "Ah, my good sir, ask anything you like. I'll tell you everything I know."
"We want information on super-dangerous species," Venom said evenly.
The man's smile faltered. "Super-dangerous species?" He hesitated, staring at them. "What could you possibly want with them? That's suicide."
"Do you know or not?" Venom's tone sharpened. "If not, give the gold back."
"I know, I know!" the man said quickly, tucking the gold into his coat. "There's a place up north—Thunder Valley. A super-dangerous beast lives there. The thing can control lightning itself. Even the empire once sent five thousand elite soldiers, including a dozen Imperial Arms users, and they all came back in pieces."
Venom and Saeko exchanged a glance, then turned to leave without another word.
The broker watched them go, shaking his head. If they really intended to hunt that creature, they were dreamers. Still, that wasn't his problem. With a smug grin, he strolled off toward the nearest brothel, ready to spend his freshly earned gold bar on another night of indulgence.
"....."