Crimson Eternal - Book 6 - Chapter 11 (Patreon)

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Click on the following link for the 1391 word chapter 11:

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Aria

“So… he’s a survivor?” Palla, one of the supreme commanders of the Rein Empire, asks while looking at the guy who is currently tied up in the main command center. “And… why did you bring him out?”

I just shrug as I answer, “No particular reason. I brought him out to shut him up since he found me early on.”

The survivor in question’s eyes widen in both shock and fear at my words, but I ignore him.

“Anyway, so your war is over?” I ask while tilting my head slightly. “In that case, I’ll be heading to your capital’s Hunter’s Spots now.”

“Uh, right,” Palla answers, but I’m already walking through a gate, so I ignore her entirely. Along with the muffled cry of the soldier I leave with her.

From what I remember, their Hunter’s Spots on the capital planet of the Rein Empire are bug-related. Just like the massive hive I got stuck in years back on that sky world.

Except that it’s more of an ant hill. Or just a nest or array of numerous tunnels that run throughout the planet.

And the mana creatures in it are all ants.

The early tiers of it have regular ants, albeit the size of bears, while the latest tiers all dozens of massive ant queens spanning over a dozen meters in length. Each of whom breed other ants made out of the mana in their own bodies. Only for them to absorb more mana from their surroundings to replace it.

So the Hunter’s Spot is like a treasure trove for me. Since it specializes in lower number weaker mana creatures. Just in enormous numbers.

And since the weaker ants bred by the queens are all much smaller than the ants on the outer region tiers, there are even more of them.

Millions upon millions of them in each small section of the later tiers.

The ants are also so small that there’s no way they can swallow me whole and eat me!

I can’t help but grin as I pass through the gate into my ship. Following which I fly the ship through space in the direction of their capital.

All while ignoring War, who is still trying to mess with Asher in the bridge. With the two of them running around the bridge as War chases after Asher.

I don’t really know why those two are always fighting. Some part of me thinks that War genuinely wants to pet Asher, but part of me also thinks he just wants to mess with the cat because he finds it entertaining.

At the end of the day though, I don’t really care much.

And it’s kind of cute to watch. Seeing Asher run around everywhere while smacking at War’s hand with his paws.

Also, Asher probably needed something to reject him anyway. Considering how everyone spoils him.

Not that I’m much better since I just let him do whatever he wants.

I yawn while turning away from the two and focusing on the outside of the ship as we approach the capital planet of the Rein Empire. Which is a massive planet. Possibly one of the largest planets I’ve ever seen in my life.

Actually, it is definitely the largest planet I’ve ever seen.

It’s several times larger than most of the planets I’ve been on. And while there are plenty of cities across the planet large enough to be seen from space, most of the planet is covered in nothing but desert. Just sand with numerous massive anthills spread across it.

There are also far too many ants to count just around the opening, with the ants being enormous. But not all of the ants are enormous as there are a lot of ants that are a fraction of the size of the larger ants.

Wait, are there ant queens in the early tiers of the Hunter’s Spots too?

Hmm.

Well, if there are, then that’s not a bad thing. It means more things to kill.

Assuming those ants count for entire kills for my purpose, that is.

I know there are things in the universe that count for less than a single kill after all. Like most bugs in general for example.

But the bugs in that hive before counted for entire kills, so it should be fine.

Anyway, I continue ignoring the two troublemakers on the bridge as I land the ship down on the planet. Then I immediately head towards one of the hives. And when I arrive, I find several soldiers wearing high tech suits of armor and holding guns mowing down the ants. Seemingly trying to keep the ants from getting too far from their anthills.

I try to remember some of the things the empire told me about them, only to remember that they have to keep the Hunter’s Spots under control by keeping the ants from getting too far from the anthills. Otherwise they spread and become far too big a problem for the planet.

Since the ants bred by the other ant queens don’t stay at their anthills. They go out to hunt for food that they try to bring back to their anthills.

With said food being mana. Anything that has mana in it, to be exact.

I can’t help but grin as I get close to the anthills and the people shooting at the ants. And when I get within a few dozen meters of the soldiers, I open up numerous rifts all around the anthill that I summon thousands of Death Spirits from. All of whom I send to attack the ants.

The soldiers all look surprised as they see the ants and my Death Spirits clash. Then they turn around to find me and show even more surprise.

I ignore them all as I walk forward through the soldiers toward the ants. Then I just walk into the anthill while crushing most of the ants that attack me with ease. With the Death Spirits slaughtering just as many if not more ants in their path.

These are just tier 1 ants after all.

The only reason the soldiers of the empire have to keep soldiers out here to manage them is because of the sheer number that form in the Hunter’s Spots. Since more are constantly forming all throughout the Hunter’s Spots even while hunters are in said spots. And those new ones end up surrounding the hunters and leaving the anthills as well.

So they have to leave soldiers at each anthill to keep the ants from spreading across the planet.

Overall, it’s a very troublesome and dangerous type of Hunter’s Spot.

A real problem for the empire.

But they don’t leave the planet and keep it as their capital because the anthills have a lot of resources in them. Especially a certain material found in the bodies of the ants.

Their carapaces are the most chemically resistant substance in the entire universe. So strong that there isn’t a single chemical, like acid or the like, that can get through them.

Of course, the carapaces are hard as well, but the lower tier ants are just too weak for that to make a difference to me or my Death Spirits.

Thanks to said carapaces, the planet is worth a fortune. Especially for planets with chemical problems.

Like this one planet I visited that has nonstop acid rain all the time.

That planet literally survives through its trade with the Rein Empire. With all of their buildings being at least coated with stuff made by these ants’ carapaces.

Although they did have something on their own planet they used to survive the acid rain before the planet opened up to the universe. But the ant carapaces are far, far better for them.

I think my ship is actually coated in this stuff too.

Anyway, I quickly make my way deeper into the first tier of the place while summoning more and more Death Spirits to slaughter the ants. Not using explosives this time because it’s underground.

If I start using explosives, I should do it deeper in. Then I can blow everything up from the bottom to the top.

I yawn while moving through the tunnels.

This might take a while though.

At least I shouldn’t have to worry about being eaten down here.