Sleepless Night

What entered his mind was not fragmented, chaotic snippets of memory, but carefully selected extracts of essential information from another being’s sea of memories.

"Memory search?" Kyle was deeply shocked. He had not expected Venom’s auxiliary talent to make another breakthrough.

Like a child, Venom conveyed its excitement as it told him that this merely made use of its species’ symbiotic nature. By temporarily attaching part of its body to the skull of a weak creature, it could forcibly "share" and extract that creature’s memory data.

"This can no longer be considered simple symbiosis…" Kyle frowned.

The original concept of Venom’s "symbiosis" was primarily mutual benefit and assistance. While it attached itself to a host, learning the host’s talents and growing stronger in order to survive, it would also repay the host by providing enhanced armament and even actively protecting the host out of emotion—

That was the current state of the symbiotic relationship between him and Venom.

Because he was the dominant host, Venom could not even influence his consciousness or actively read his thoughts, much less extract memories from his brain.

All along, Kyle had regarded Venom as a living battle suit with the ability to learn, until tonight…

This trait Venom had developed—attaching itself to weak "hosts" and endangering their lives to search their memories—was simple and domineering. It had moved beyond the mutual benefit of ordinary symbiotes, carrying the concept of using symbiosis to become the master of other creatures.

"Your evolution has nearly caught up with mine, even with my card-drawing ability. I wonder what you’ll grow into in the future." Kyle spoke softly to Venom, which had transformed into his battle suit.

"?" Venom sent back a puzzled thought. Its intelligence was still at the developmental stage of an ordinary six-year-old child, so it clearly could not understand Kyle’s words.

"One day, you’ll understand." Kyle smiled.

As the card master, he did not fear that Venom, once it grew stronger in the future, would betray or harm him.

Moreover, as long as he could maintain an overwhelming lead in strength, he would remain the dominant party in their symbiotic state forever. Venom would be unable to force him to yield.

Venom’s increased growth potential brought him more benefits than drawbacks.

"Alright, let’s head for the Tokyo air force base in Jisang." Kyle cast aside his scattered thoughts, patted Blue Eagle’s head, and pointed to the left, directing it toward the location of the main air force base known to the Japanese Army pilots.

His intent was clear: he had come as an invader, to exert pressure on Jisang.

Simply assassinating Jisang’s high-ranking officials? That meant little. Kill one, and they would soon elect another.

Thus, assassinating the Emperor was only a small step toward world peace. If he wanted a nation to fear, dread, and panic, eventually forcing it onto the road to surrender, then he had to be more rampant! More tyrannical! More ruthless!

So this first night after arriving was extremely important. He had to make a big move, one that would let everyone in this country know—

Kyle of the American Empire had arrived!

"Screech—"

Blue Eagle let out a piercing cry and fiercely beat its wings backward. A small howling gale swept out behind it, scattering the clouds and mist within thirty meters. Carrying Kyle through the ink-black night, it shot into the distance at supersonic speed.

Jisang, Tokyo, the command center of the main air force base.

"R-Report! Commander Okamura, something terrible has happened!" A Jisang officer in a khaki uniform and white gloves hurried into the commander’s office of the air force command center.

"Bastard!" The short-bearded commander had been dozing in his office chair. Startled by the officer’s sudden entrance, he glared ahead in fury and cursed, "Do you know military discipline? How can you be so flustered when entering the commander’s office? What kind of conduct is this?!"

"Yes, Commander." The officer stood properly in the room, somewhat aggrieved, and snapped into a formal salute.

"Speak. What is it? Have the Raiden fighters we dispatched completed their mission and returned?" Commander Okamura asked.

In his view, sending out the elite Raiden fighter squad with the highest record of confirmed kills to deal with a transport aircraft with little combat capability was a sure thing.

The seven ace pilots had even signed a military pledge before departure, swearing to commit seppuku if they failed.

"N-No." The officer took a deep breath and replied in a trembling voice, "Just a moment ago, the signals of all seven Raiden fighters disappeared."

"What did you say?!" This time, Commander Okamura lost his composure. He sprang from his chair, slammed his palm onto the desk, and demanded, "What happened? Could the intelligence sent from the American Empire be false? Was the target not a transport aircraft?"

"I-I don’t know." The officer stammered. "Before the seven Raiden fighters lost contact with command, someone sent back an emergency distress signal. But the location disappeared near the Jisang border shortly afterward. It is very likely that… they all crashed."

"Even the most advanced new fighter could not wipe out seven Raiden fighters in such a short time." Commander Okamura had immense confidence in the aircraft developed by his country. After considering it, he said, "Immediately contact all ace pilots at the main base. Authorize them to depart and investigate the airspace along the border where the signals vanished. If they encounter enemy aircraft, destroy them on sight!"

"I’ll arrange it immediately!" The officer saluted and accepted the order, quickly turning to leave the commander’s office. Just then, a communications soldier rushed in with a panicked expression.

The two collided head-on and both fell to the floor in an embarrassing heap.

"What is going on?!" Seeing this, Commander Okamura’s rage, which he had barely managed to suppress, flared up uncontrollably once more.

But before he could question them, the communications soldier’s urgent report plunged the commander’s office into utter silence: "Commander, enemy attack! The enemy has broken into our air force base!"

"W-What?" Commander Okamura and the officer stared wide-eyed in shock.

One moment ago, the seven fighters dispatched earlier had likely crashed near the Tokyo border of Jisang. The next, the main air force base in Tokyo was under enemy attack?

Commander Okamura had seen every kind of battlefield scene. He quickly regained his calm and asked in a low voice, "Explain clearly! What kind of enemy attack? Where did the enemy come from, and how many are there?"

"From the main gate of the base. The enemy, the enemy…" The communications soldier clenched his chattering teeth. Still sprawled at the doorway without rising, he shouted as his mind neared its breaking point, "The enemy… there’s only one person! Our soldiers are all dead, all dead…"

"He’s here. He’s coming this way!"

The communications soldier’s voice abruptly stopped. As if he had heard something, his eyes widened into round circles. His face turned deathly pale, and he curled up on the floor by the doorway, trembling violently.

"Tap, tap, tap…"

With the commander’s office steeped in silence, the light sound of boots pacing slowly came faintly from the corridor outside.

The communications soldier crawled forward in terror, moving aside from the doorway. He continued muttering in a nearly inaudible voice.

"He’s here… he’s here."

It was a new week, so readers who enjoyed this book, please vote with recommendation tickets, QAQ.