Crimson Eternal - Book 6 - Chapter 12 (Patreon)

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Click on the following link for the 1472 word chapter 12:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1nJW_yHjnfCPuGB7nAhdsBgFNcrRezSAsYz18ZXF5mAs/edit?usp=sharing

Or you can read the unformatted version below:

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Deep in the Ant Nest on the Capital Planet of the Rein EmpireSeveral weeks later

Crown Prince Crow Traul Va Rein of the Rein Empire feels himself growing more and more panicked as he and his highest ranked officers scour the depths of the Ant Nest spread across their entire planet. Dearly hoping to finally find their goal.

The goal they’ve been searching for weeks to find without any luck.

To find the Horseman of Death who has disappeared in the depths of the Ant Hill.

At this point, their search has grown desperate. All because the Horseman of War has been charging all across the planet’s cities chasing after a little immortal cat for weeks. With the two of them spreading death and war energy all over the place and severely affecting the daily affairs of the empire.

And the only person who can stop them is the Horseman of Death.

He’s been following her death energy trails without rest ever since they began their little game of chase. But all he’s found are strange loops going nowhere. With little to no direction for her path. And precious few deaths along the path.

That isn’t to say there aren’t any dead ants in the Ant Nest. It’s just that most of the deaths are spread across the upper layers of the nest, where her Death Spirits are still rampaging to this day.

Just where is she going…

Crow continues his search for several more days before finally finding a fresher trail of death energy. One leading directly to one of the major breeding grounds of the ant mana creatures.

“Be careful and activate the stealth devices,” Crow says to his subordinates, all of whom silently nod their heads and activate their devices one after another. Making all of them disappear in the Ant Nest.

Because the major breeding grounds of the Tier 10 layer of the Ant Nest is far too dangerous for anyone from their empire to survive out in the open.

Crow and his two dozen high guards sneak into the breeding grounds, only to find something rather… unusual… inside of it.

The crown prince frowns in confusion when he sees one of the ant high queens, a mana creature spanning several dozen meters with a massive third segment that’s over three times the size of its second and front segments, looking strange. Specifically with its third segment repeatedly growing larger before shrinking again.

On top of that, the ant high queen looks like it’s in incredible pain and is screeching as the other ants around it are rushing around in a panic.

But the crown prince and his high guards don’t see much difference in the ant high queen after each expansion and shrinkage.

It’s almost like…

The crown prince narrows his eyes at the ant high queen when he senses death energy escaping in incredible quantities through the ant high queen’s mouth.

She couldn’t be…

He’s heard about the rumors that the Horseman of Death often ends up eaten by high Tier mana creatures in Hunter’s Spots, but he thought those were just rumors. Until now as he sees what may very well be proof.

But as he’s thinking this, he can’t help but notice the intensity of the high ant queen’s expansions and compressions growing more and more intense.

Crow’s eyes widen in fear before he hurriedly signals for his high guards to retreat as quickly as possible. And only after barely managing to make it over a kilometer away from the breeding ground does the entire Ant Nest around them begin to shake. Almost as if an earthquake was happening around them despite that not happening on their planet in its entire history thanks to the Ant Nest.

The crown prince knows it’s not an earthquake though. And that is made obvious as he and the high guards all feel an immense wave of heat rushing from the direction they just came from.

So they all quickly activate their defensive abilities and items one after another. Setting up numerous barriers on top of each other.

Then the wave of heat envelops their barriers as everything turns black and red. Only for things to clear up not long later as he finally gets a glimpse of what used to be this area of the tenth layer. Which now looks like a massive cavern with tunnels entering it.

And more burnt ant corpses than he can count, including a large splatter that looks like it used to be the ant high queen of this region at the very center of it all.

With the Horseman of Death casually standing up and stretching at the center of the blast and the ant high queen’s parts.

After staring for several seconds, the crown prince begins to wonder if he should be thankful that she just wiped out an ant high queen for them, or upset that he was almost blown up in the process.

Or if he should just wonder why and how long she’s been in that ant high queen’s stomach trying to blow it up with repeated explosions.

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Aria

Alright. I’m finally out.

That took longer than I expected it would.

This ant high queen just had way too tough a carapace. Far tougher than the other ants.

Unlike the regular ants, the ant high queen had an extremely durable carapace on top of its chemical resistance.

What’s more is that the chemical resistance actually boosted its resistance to explosives. Making it rather difficult to explode my way out.

But it’s all fine now. I’m finally out of its stomach.

It just took me a few weeks.

More importantly, that last explosion killed tens of millions of ants. Pushing me through to another level-up.

User has leveled-up to level 600.

Assessing user’s accomplishments and actions… assessment complete.

User will now be given the following skill:

The Hand of Death

To touch the Hand of Death is to wish to abandon Life.

All that belongs to Life is lost upon the touch of Death.

Damage dealt by Death in any way is incurable lest healed by the Spirits of Life.

So fear Death.

For there is no mortal cure for her Hand.

And I get a really good new skill. Much sooner than I was expecting at that.

This skill pretty much makes all of my attacks just like Death’s Judgment. Making any wounds I deal out incapable of being healed.

It’s just that there technically is a method to heal them. Unlike Death’s Judgment that can’t be healed at all.

But who is going to be able to call upon the Spirits of Life just to heal some wounds?

The Spirits of Life are rather seclusive and don’t like interacting with mortals.

Of course, there is a planet that they do interact with. That being the planet known as Yggdrasill, where the largest tree in the universe is located.

But that’s a very peaceful place where bloodshed is absolutely not allowed.

They’re all pacifists after all.

And so are the Spirits of Life.

Bloodshed amongst mortals is blasphemy to them.

Horsemen and other Spirits are fine though. So they won’t have any problems with me.

Actually, maybe I should pay them a visit next after this place?

It wouldn’t be a bad idea. And Yggdrasill is known as one of the greatest tourist attraction planets in the entire universe.

They also are one of the only places in the universe where Spirits sometimes actually live amongst mortals. Making it one of the most powerful places in the universe as well thanks to that.

No one really counts it as a Grand or a powerhouse though since it’s just one planet and they hate bloodshed.

It’ll be interesting to go there and see it regardless of their status.

And I should be able to get a free pass to go there just from asking Zero. Since she’s a Grand Death Spirit and all.

The Death and Life Spirits actually don’t have anything against each other despite being opposites. Something about death and life being part of nature.

Life Spirits just dislike bloodshed. They don’t dislike death.

With that plan in mind, I open a gate near me to enter the Plane of Death. Only to pause when I see that crown prince guy from before rushing towards me through the air using some sort of levitation device. And he looks like he’s panicking.

Especially after seeing me open a gate.

Does he want to talk to me or something?

Not even five minutes later, I get a full rundown of what’s happening outside on the planet’s surface.

Yet, the only thing that comes to mind is a single question.

Where do those two get their energy from to play chase for over an entire month?