Chapter 1390: The Return of the Old Days (Part 6)

New York Brooklyn, S. H. I. E. L. D. Agent Training Base, 1:00 pm.

At the very front of the empty lecture hall, a man wearing glasses put down his coffee cup, stretched out a hand to make a gesture, and the classroom quieted down.

"Alright, through these few lessons, you should understand that these sticky little guys aren't the kind of disgusting mucus you imagine. They are mainly composed of symbiote factors."

"You can treat them as a kind of flour ball. Fine, I admit it still sounds a bit disgusting, like a lump of rotten mud."

"You're the rotten mud! Apologize quickly!!!"

Seeing their teacher's stunned look, the students started to giggle again, because they knew that the rotten mud belonging to their teacher must be complaining in his heart again.

They had seen him once last time. How should they evaluate it? Even the most gossiping student couldn't find a good adjective to describe the relationship between the two of them. If they had to say it, it was probably "resentful couple."

Eddie cleared his throat, ignoring Venom's roar in his heart, and started to tidy up the books on the table. But unexpectedly, the teacher for the next class came early. Eddie turned his head and watched Schiller walk into the classroom holding the "Interstellar Sociology" textbook.

A cheer erupted from the students. Obviously, Schiller was very popular. And what made them feel more secure was that this Dr. Schiller was also a partner of a symbiote, which made them less resistant to the fact that they would be symbiotes with these sticky alien creatures in the future.

Although no student had ever seen Schiller's symbiote, let alone seen Schiller and his symbiote arguing every day like Eddie and Venom, they believed that this doctor must also have a thrilling story with his symbiote, just like the stories Eddie had told many times in class but never finished.

"Good afternoon, Eddie. How was your lunch break?"

"Not bad. How about you? Doctor?"

"I'm doing okay too. Do you have any more classes this afternoon?"

"One more in the next class. Why?"

"Are you going to the nursing home to chat tonight? I'm very happy that Venom and you have made up. If you don't mind, I'd like to update the relationship status of you two."

Eddie asked with a smile: "A loser and his rotten mud, what's there to update?"

"I think your current state is more like 'a short separation is better than a newlywed'," Schiller said, hugging his arms and looking at Eddie: "I'm very serious about this. Especially since I heard the cleaner complaining outside the door just now about who finished seven buckets of chocolate balls during lunch... It's settled then."

Eddie fled in a panic.

But in the evening, he still came to Arkham Nursing Home and sat down again in the high-ceilinged reception area on the second floor, which was the same position where he had received psychological counseling last time.

Schiller was writing with a medical record on his lap, not raising his head, and said: "I can see you like my wording during the day, but I can't write it so bluntly in the report to Nick."

"Oh, of course, don't ever write that!" Eddie covered his forehead and complained: "He's already been excited for an afternoon. Please, Doctor, I have to go feed the dog today. I can't let him eat my dog!"

"You have a dog?" Schiller asked, raising his eyes.

"Is that important?" Eddie answered a bit dazed, obviously Venom must be roaring in his brain again.

"Keeping pets is good for a stable state of mind, considering you carry a pet with you... Alright, alright, Venom, I didn't say you were a pet, don't torment him."

Schiller appeased Venom, who was controlling Eddie to sway left and right, and said: "Considering you carry a sentient life with you, I think this is his greatest concession. After all, you can't expect an alien newborn to understand why humans still need another sharp-toothed animal for company."

Venom suddenly quieted down. Eddie muttered to himself: "Alright, I know how tolerant you are, but that's not my dog, and I didn't pick up that girl. We are neighbors, I didn't want to sleep with her..."

After Eddie regained his sanity, Schiller handed the report he had in his hand to him and said: "You can take a look to see if there's any problem with writing it this way."

"No, isn't it said that patients can't look at their own mental assessment reports?"

"You aren't a patient. Compared to letting you live in a mental hospital, Nick would definitely prefer you to roll off to work immediately. You know him."

Eddie laughed deeply and nodded, saying: "Alright, Doctor, I trust you. Just write it like this, as long as you don't use those 'short separation is better than newlywed' words again. Don't let him get smug again."

"Then, official business is done," Schiller put the report aside and said: "I asked you to come here mainly to update your mental status assessment report so I can report to Nick, but there's also a private matter."

Schiller poured a glass of sparkling water for Eddie. Actually, Venom liked sparkling water, while Eddie was addicted to American coffee like any American reporter. Schiller felt Venom had better taste in this regard.

Eddie picked up the glass, looked at Schiller and asked: "Is there anything I can help with?"

"Mainly Venom. Do you remember he has a great dream?"

"What?"

"To eat his creator."

Eddie widened his eyes. He looked at Schiller and said: "You don't mean that, right?"

"I'm sorry, I do."

Schiller's tone turned slightly colder, which made Eddie feel a chill. He carefully probed and asked: "Did Gray Mist have an accident?"

Schiller sighed and said: "Some time ago, a certain aspect of my spirit was sublimated, and the aftermath of the sublimation caused Gray Mist to enter a new life state."

Schiller was referring to Iron Man and Batman having him stack bricks for the tower. Gray Mist also benefited at that time, and in the days that followed, Schiller discovered some changes in Gray Mist.

"Simply put, the symbiote Gray Mist that existed in my body before was still in the growth stage, but now he has ended his development period and become a mature body..." Schiller explained to Eddie in the simplest language.

Eddie opened his mouth in surprise and said: "Still in the growth stage before?! Good heavens, isn't he strong enough? There's nothing in this world that can hurt you anymore. How much stronger does he want to be?"

"Yes, just like you said, Gray Mist almost possesses the perfect defensive power in this world, but don't you think this comes from his own characteristics, rather than his power?"

Eddie frowned, thought about it, nodded and judged objectively: "That's right, he makes you almost never get hurt because he is a mist-like existence himself. Who can hurt a cloud of mist?"

"But I've never seen him display any attack methods. You know, Venom absorbed a wave of energy before. I don't know if that was a sign of him entering the mature stage, but since then he has had many attack methods, not just tearing with claws and fangs."

"He possesses many tentacles that can almost be extended infinitely, and they are very powerful. The tentacles can turn into wings, giving us flight ability, so we don't have to jump around on the ground anymore. He can also make a part of the symbiote factors leave us for a short time to control others, giving me a clone."

"And the most obvious one is that because he swallowed faith power to evolve, he can use some magic that I don't know how to describe. Actually, Blue Spirit can too, it's just that Venom has more abundant energy, so the magic is stronger."

As he spoke, Eddie stretched out his hand, and black mucus spread from his upper arm to his lower arm, and then danced at his fingertips. The radiance of energy jumped during the period, and soon a ball of light condensed into shape. Eddie smiled again and joked: "I rely entirely on it when walking at night."

Subsequently, he looked at Schiller with some curiosity and said: "Gray Mist should have swallowed quite a bit of energy, but I've never seen you use large-scale magic. Is it because Gray Mist hasn't reached adulthood yet?"

"Actually, I'm not willing to call this process growth, more like 'awakening'," Schiller frowned and said: "External forces improved Gray Mist's wisdom, letting him see through his own essence and recall some things about his origin."

Eddie's face became serious. He looked at Schiller and said: "Origin? Don't symbiotes all have the same origin?"

"Are you referring to Knull, the God of Symbiotes?" Schiller raised his eyebrows coldly, nodded, and shook his head again, saying: "For a long time before, both Gray Mist and I thought he was also a creation of Knull, the God of Symbiotes, but don't you think there are many doubts in this?"

"Knull created so many symbiotes, they all look the same, including Venom. Do you think this ancient and chaotic creature would suddenly change to another aesthetic?"

"To be honest, I've wanted to say it for a long time," Eddie drank a mouthful of sparkling water, swallowed the spicy drink with some difficulty, and said: "Gray Mist and all symbiotes aren't in the same style. Both I and the Space Agent think that if you didn't insist on emphasizing that he was created by Knull, we would definitely think he was stolen by Knull from somewhere."

"You also know that the Space Agent is very ancient, and Blue Spirit is even one of the earliest generations of symbiotes. He knows Knull better than any of us. They all feel he wouldn't do this, wouldn't suddenly pin his hopes on a special symbiote to let him escape. To put it bluntly, he hates every god, because they are the culprits of his imprisonment."

Schiller sighed softly and told the truth: "Just after Gray Mist awakened due to improved wisdom, he said to me that in his only very vague origin memory, Knull didn't create him, but 'condensed' him."

As a reporter, Eddie carefully read the difference between these two words and tried to analyze: "You mean, Gray Mist already existed, and Knull used his power to condense him together, becoming a creature that looks like a symbiote but actually isn't?"

"Gray Mist is a symbiote," Schiller's firm tone made Eddie a bit confused again. Soon Schiller explained further: "Or rather, it was Knull who reshaped Gray Mist, using the way he makes symbiotes. He doesn't know any other way, so Gray Mist appeared to need a host."

"You mean he didn't need one originally?"

Schiller nodded and said: "Gray Mist had a predecessor, because of some reasons it scattered, and Knull used his power to condense and reshape him, making him think he was a symbiote, at least in his childhood."

"And now he has awakened, and glimpsed a part of the truth from his own memory, but we still can't be sure where he came from, so I plan to go find Knull and ask him first."

"'Ask' shouldn't be a very accurate word, right?" Eddie narrowed his eyes. He felt the intense hunger transmitted from Venom in his body.

"Yes, just ask. Eat first, then ask."

Not long after, a black and a gray figure appeared in a vast and dark space in the universe. The black monster floated in the universe, as if hiding into the boundless darkness, while the gray mist was particularly conspicuous.

Schiller didn't say much at all, and Venom couldn't wait to pounce directly onto the only star in the dark space. The infinite violent factors in his body and the instinct from devouring made him impatient to kill his creator and completely merge with him.

Knull was already very weak, Schiller was sure. Stark and Batman couldn't have just put him here without doing anything. There was no need to mention what would happen if he fell into the hands of two genius mad scientists.

Knull's scream only lasted for a short moment, and Schiller didn't need his power. Venom ate the part he could eat, but more than half was still left. When Gray Mist floated over, Schiller asked him: "Will you feel sad about eating your creator?"

"He isn't my creator, you are."

Soon, the gray mist covered the planet. Schiller didn't know what Stark and Batman had done to Knull, but he was completely unable to resist. After the last bit of power and memory were swallowed, he completely returned to the chaotic rules of the universe.

Knull didn't die. This kind of existence representing a part of the rules wouldn't completely die. There was no place for him to stay in the death kingdom. He would only sleep. Perhaps when the universe was destroyed and reborn, he would still exist as the most ancient creature.

When Gray Mist swallowed the last memory fragment, he stood with Schiller at the top of the tower, staring at the memory of Knull projected above his head.

They saw the black figure imprisoned in Klyntar, looking at the starry sky in endless loneliness and dead silence, hearing the call of the stars.

He instinctively probed the secrets deep in the stars, so he responded to the call of the stars, stretched out his arms to them, and embraced the endless starry sky.

But the Old Days didn't descend upon him. He only felt a wisp of ethereal mist drifting at his fingertips. He grabbed this wisp of mist and condensed more mist.

At the same time, in the real world, infinite gray mist surged from Schiller's body. Venom had to retreat, because he could feel that some terrifying and grand magnificence was descending.

The mist drifting out from Schiller's body was much more and much thicker than before. They constituted a group of infinite gray mist.

When the mist gradually dissipated, a bright starry sky appeared before Schiller's eyes—he heard the call of the stars.

It sounded like a baby's cry, loud and full of vitality, as if it were curious and joyful about this world that it could clearly understand after walking out of the cradle.

Schiller stared at the starry sky intently and fascinatedly, staring at a part of the stars, the most magnificent and mysterious part. He didn't fall into darkness, nor did he go crazy. Those terrifying whispers didn't shake him at all.

Schiller slowly stretched out his hand. He responded to the call of the stars, and even wanted to touch them actively, but the stars didn't respond.

Only the thick gray mist reached out a tentacle and touched the gray ring on Schiller's finger.

Schiller and Gray Mist were in the concluded contract. He, they faced the truth of all this together, stared at the endless starry sky, and Schiller called out His true name—

"Mist of the Nameless..."

Another one filled in.

(Cursing) ===== CHAPTER 1391 =====