Marvel: My Symbiote System

The next morning, the family of three had breakfast together, just like every other day. After sending his parents out the door, Ethan quickly made his way back to his room and sat down at his computer.

He began searching for famous boxers or wrestlers in the Queens area. These athletes, with their exceptional physical abilities, should be stronger than the average person. The more Symbiote-possessed individuals he encountered, the more feedback he would get, which would, in turn, make Ethan stronger.

His goal was to find these athletes with impressive physical traits to improve himself. The reason he wasn't targeting extraordinary humans was twofold. First, they were incredibly difficult to find. Before Iron Man appeared, nobody had a clear idea of where such individuals could be located.

The second reason was more cautious: Ethan worried that if their physical abilities were too far above his own, it could lead to unpredictable consequences.

So, to play it safe, he decided to start with strong, regular people. After all, even a small drop of water is enough to fill the spoon for someone just beginning.

After hours of searching, Ethan finally identified three athletes in the Queens area—two boxers and one NBA star. These three would become his initial targets.

Later that evening, Ethan returned to his bedroom, laid back on his bed, and closed his eyes to rest while a blob of black liquid detached itself from his body.

The Symbiote, now under the system's control, had lost its invasive nature. It had reverted to its original, more passive state.

Although this initial version of the Symbiote didn't offer the same boost to physical strength and combat abilities as the more mature form, it was fully under Ethan's control. It was far less rebellious and dangerous than before. Additionally, this early version had the potential to grow stronger as Ethan grew. Over time, it would undoubtedly surpass the mature version in power.

Ethan allowed part of his consciousness to link with the Symbiote and moved with it. He guided the creature toward the locations he'd researched earlier in the day.

Half an hour later, the Symbiote stopped in front of a building. The first target, a boxer named Brian, was located here.

The Symbiote slithered up the building's wall and reached the 26th floor with ease. Once there, it squeezed through a gap in the wall and entered the hallway of the 26th floor.

Room 2603. The Symbiote slinked through the gap in the door and slipped into the room.

The spacious room was empty, the faint glow from the city's neon lights shining through the floor-to-ceiling windows and casting a flickering glow on the floor.

In the living room's display case were the many honors Brian had earned throughout his career—several trophies and a gleaming gold championship belt.

Ethan and the Symbiote roamed around the house, quietly waiting for Brian's return. It didn't take long. Soon, the sound of a door lock turning filled the air, followed by the door creaking open.

Ethan, tucked away in the corner, couldn't contain his excitement. "Finally! I've been waiting forever!" he thought, watching intently as the door swung open.

A man and a woman walked in, embracing as they kissed each other passionately before collapsing onto the sofa.

Ethan, still hiding in the corner, facepalmed at the sight. He silently observed the couple on the couch.

The Symbiote, on the other hand, had never encountered such a scene and was watching it intently.

Ethan could feel its curiosity building with every movement the couple made. It seemed like the Symbiote was glued to the scene, unable to look away.

Sighing, Ethan glanced over at the couple, then back at the Symbiote. Using his consciousness, he blocked its view and said, "Be good. Little ones shouldn't watch stuff like this. It's not good for growth."

A small groan escaped from the Symbiote.

Still in its early form, the Symbiote was naturally curious about everything. Ethan felt it wonder why he could watch but not it.

Sensing the confusion, Ethan coughed lightly, attempting to explain. "Well, I'm about to be an adult, so it's fine for me. Totally reasonable. When you grow up, I'll let you watch."

The Symbiote was utterly speechless.

After a long wait, Brian and his companion finally finished their... activities and lay down on the bed to rest. Ethan and the Symbiote, still hidden in the corner, prepared for their next move.

The Symbiote moved swiftly to the bedside and, with ease, entered Brian's body.

The couple lay fast asleep, oblivious to the presence of the Symbiote. Not a single unusual sensation stirred in them. Ethan took a quick glance at Brian's companion, noticing the slim sheet barely concealing her sultry figure.

"So that's... a vagina. So wide... I mean... ug! Focus, focus!" Ethan scolded himself. It was hard not to glance, but he quickly reminded himself he was here for serious business. He'd already seen enough.

Clearing his mind, he focused on the task at hand: possessing Brian through the Symbiote. It would only take a few seconds.

After the brief but necessary possession, the Symbiote, guided by Ethan's consciousness, retraced its path back out of the building. They quickly returned home.

Lying on his bed, Ethan sat up and allowed the Symbiote, which had just returned through the window, to fall into his hand and re-enter his body.

The moment the Symbiote entered him, Ethan felt a rush of power surge through his body.

As the energy integrated, Ethan clenched his fist, feeling the changes within himself. "It's not a huge difference, but I can tell. My strength... my physical condition—it's definitely better," he thought, his senses sharper.

He opened his data panel:

===

Host: Ethan

Age: 17

Height: 180 cm

Intelligence: 30 (average for a smart young adult)

Strength: 120-150 kg (a very strong young adult)

Speed: 15 (a very agile young adult)

Current Ability: None

===

His strength had increased from 80-110 kg to 120-150 kg, upgrading the evaluation from "quite strong" to "very strong." Speed had also improved, rising from 10 to 15, pushing it from "quite agile" to "very agile."

Intelligence, however, hadn't changed much, likely because a boxer's physical attributes didn't impact cognitive abilities.

Ethan reviewed his data panel, taking in the changes with a quiet sense of satisfaction. He then activated his battle suit.

"This sudden surge of power feels amazing," Ethan muttered to himself, feeling the strength coursing through his body. "But, after the increase in strength, I still need to adjust. It's not a huge change just yet, but when a bigger boost comes later, adapting to it will be a real challenge."

Both Ethan and the Symbiote had grown following this possession. As the Symbiote continued to evolve, its enhancement of Ethan's overall combat power would only increase.

From the feedback of this first possession, Ethan had learned an important lesson: each time he used the Symbiote for possession, there was a cooldown period required before the next one could happen—almost like a skill's recovery time. But as the Symbiote's abilities improved, this recovery time would become shorter and shorter.

After grasping this, Ethan muttered to himself, "Looks like I'll have to wait before going after the other two. I can use this time to get accustomed to my current strength. Maybe I should test myself. I heard there have been robberies happening around here lately…"

After gaining extraordinary strength, the urge to test it was natural. Ethan wasn't any different.

He waited until his parents were asleep before slipping out of the window, blending into the shadows of the night.

New York, one of the world's most developed cities, still concealed deep-rooted crime beneath its glittering surface. In areas untouched by the city's lights, darkness thrived unchecked.

Under the dim glow of a streetlight, Rachel was walking quickly, muttering to herself.

"Damn it! All because of that asshole boss of mine! Why did he dump all his work on me? Now I missed the last train."

As she vented her frustration, she quickened her pace toward home. The more Rachel thought about it, the angrier she became. But there was also a hint of fear creeping in. After all, New York at night wasn't always safe. Recently, there had been multiple reports of people getting robbed in this very area.

The thought of this made Rachel quicken her pace. She really didn't want to run into any trouble. But reality often has a way of being unreasonable—sometimes, the more you fear something, the more likely it is to happen.

Up ahead, a few men with faces that screamed "thug" were talking to each other, their strange laughs cutting through the quiet night.

As soon as Rachel noticed them, they noticed her, too.

"Ah, crap!"

Feeling their eyes on her, Rachel cursed inwardly and quickly turned down another street. She jogged, constantly glancing over her shoulder, trying to see if she had shaken them off.

Meanwhile, she silently prayed, "God, please don't let them follow me! Please, don't let them follow me!"

But maybe God had already clocked out for the night, because her prayers went unanswered. Just as she was about to leave the street, the thugs had already blocked her way from both sides.

As the men drew closer, Rachel began to back up, panic rising in her chest.

Eventually, she was cornered. Powerless, she slumped against the wall, her voice trembling as she pleaded, "My money is in my bag. You can take everything, but please don't hurt me!"

A helpless lamb had no bargaining power. The thugs ignored her pleas completely and began discussing how to proceed.

"Dym! This girl's not bad looking."

"Yeah, her figure's just like those model sluts. She's practically begging to get banged."

"Look at her, she's even crying with fear, hahaha! Don't worry, we'll be 'gentle' with you. We'll make you feel so good you'll never forget us. Hahaha! By the way, I hope you're 'clean,' 'cause we'll be using the 'backdoor,' too!"

Rachel's body shook uncontrollably from fear, tears streaming down her face as she looked at the approaching thugs. She regretted everything—enduring that awful boss, staying late, which led her right to this nightmare.

Cough, cough.

Just as things were about to become a blur, a cough interrupted the tense silence.

"Sorry to interrupt, but treating a lady like this is quite rude. If you apologize sincerely, I might consider letting you go. Ah, shit. Now I sound like a cliché hero from some third-rate Chinese novel."

A hoarse voice rang out from behind them. It was none other than Ethan, disguised as the hero, his voice intentionally altered.

The thugs turned around, startled by the unexpected sound. In the darkness, they couldn't make out a figure, only a pair of narrow, pale eyes that reflected an eerie glow.

As they stood frozen in place, unnerved by the unsettling eyes, the eyes suddenly disappeared.

And then, the hoarse voice came again, this time from right behind them.

"Looking for me? I'm right here."

The thugs spun around quickly, only to find a dark figure standing in front of them.

The black combat suit blended seamlessly with the night, and beneath the hood, a pair of chilling eyes stared back at them coldly.

Rachel, tear-streaked and still trembling, stared at the figure that had suddenly appeared before her. She wasn't sure if she was about to be saved or if things were about to take a darker turn.

One of the thugs, a little hesitant, nervously swallowed and asked with a shaky voice, "Who are you?"

Another thug, a man with a scarred face, was furious when he heard the fearful question. He slapped the timid thug hard across the face.

"Are you an idiot? What's there to be scared of? This is just some fool in a costume trying to play hero and save the damsel!" Gravol shouted at the timid thug.

The other thugs, hearing Gravol's words, steeled themselves, focusing their attention on Ethan. The timid thug, embarrassed, regretted showing fear.

"Who the hell is wearing a costume? This is combat gear, you idiot!" Ethan cursed inwardly at the insult, but didn't let it distract him.

At that moment, the thugs, unable to hold back any longer, drew their weapons.

Seeing the batons and knives in front of him, Ethan's expression became serious. He didn't have any formal combat training yet—just raw strength. The boxer's possession had enhanced his physical abilities, but he still lacked actual fighting skills.

As one of the thugs with a knife rushed at him, Ethan reacted swiftly. He sidestepped the attack and quickly moved forward, landing a powerful punch that sent one thug flying. Without missing a beat, he lifted his leg and kicked another thug, sending him into a teammate, pinning them both to the ground.

Ethan's quick reflexes gave him the upper hand. In just two seconds, several thugs were already down, unable to continue fighting.

The remaining thugs quickly regrouped and charged at him in a coordinated rush. Facing them head-on, Ethan relied purely on his instincts, throwing a series of wild punches.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Though it wasn't the most graceful fight, Ethan's overwhelming physical strength, coupled with a bit of experience from his youth, allowed him to overpower the thugs. Within less than a minute, all of them were on the ground—some groaning, others knocked unconscious.

Despite his attempts to control his strength, Ethan knew that he hadn't held back completely. Several of the thugs likely had broken bones.

He looked coldly at the unconscious men, his voice steady. "I hope you remember this lesson. If I encounter you again, it won't just be broken bones."

After delivering his warning, Ethan turned to Rachel, who was still sitting on the ground in shock. "The trouble is over, my dear lady. You can safely go home now."

Hearing his voice, Rachel quickly pushed herself off the ground, standing with a trembling voice. "Thank you for saving me. Thank you so much!"

Having just gone through such an emotional rollercoaster, she was still a little unstable. Seeing her distress, Ethan offered a few calming words before gently urging her to hurry home.

As Rachel's nervousness lingered, Ethan understood that she was worried about the possibility of facing danger again in the future. Thinking of that, he spoke softly, "Don't worry. I'll follow behind you. You won't be in any danger."

Hearing his words, Rachel gradually relaxed, nodding as she hurried toward home. When she finally reached her doorstep, the weight of her anxiety seemed to lift.

After what had happened, Rachel glanced back at the dark street, offering a quiet, heartfelt thanks to the shadows, "Thank you for bringing me home."

After a brief moment of thought, she gathered the courage to ask, "Can you tell me your name?"

The night was silent, with only the faint sound of the wind echoing down the street. No answer came.

Then, after a brief pause, a hoarse voice drifted from the shadows. "Venom. We are Venom."

Rachel's heart sank a little in disappointment, but then, as she raised her head, a small smile tugged at her lips. She looked into the night once more and said gratefully, "Thank you! Mr. Venom! I'll always remember your kindness!"

This time, there was no reply. Just the stillness of the darkened street.