Crimson Eternal - Book 6 - Chapter 15 (Patreon)

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Don't mind this fluff. It's so that free readers can't click on the link.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------For those of you who are reading this on a website that is not Patreon, please stop. You're reading a pirated version. Instead, if you would be so kind, please click on the table of contents link below and go to my Patreon instead. Or even read it off of Royal Road, which is free.Discord InviteTable of Contents and Weekly Schedule----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

Click on the following link for the 1445 word chapter 15:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/17PrTsq_aysP8oLTzcwwkCX_GcNjuiR2O-Ok-QC2TRo8/edit?usp=sharing

Or you can read the unformatted version below:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Aria

Months begin to pass as I spend time hunting Molten Dynasty armies on different Aquatic Federation planets. Just enjoying my time swimming as I do so, simply because I enjoy swimming. It’s fun.

As for the lava planets under the Molten Dynasty? Those aren’t all that pleasant to be in.

My outfit is completely immune to the lava, sure, but it still stings a tiny bit to be in the lava ocean. Like a tingling sensation that barely hurts and is mostly just uncomfortable.

Overall, it’s unpleasant. So I spend my entire time in this war on the ocean planets instead.

Although I do find it mildly irritating that video of me casually swimming in the middle of a battlefield has spread across the internet at a rapid pace over these months. But that’s fine at the end of the day, since all they are is of me swimming. Nothing else.

The video is also taken from far away because no one wants to approach and bother me.

Still, I saw some people making music videos of some of my songs while playing the video of me just casually floating through the ocean. And it’s weird.

Little Blue actually mentioned something about how ridiculous it is that I’ve practically become a universal idol in terms of popularity despite being a Horseman of the Apocalypse.

A Horseman of the Apocalypse universal celebrity.

It’s kinda funny.

Although people who end up being pitted as my enemies don’t feel that way. But that’s their problem.

Anyway, mere days before the year period for both War and Pestilence’s peace periods from our agreements end, I find myself receiving a surprise call from one of those very Horsemen.

“Will you participate in another experiment?” Pestilence asks the moment I answer the call.

He doesn’t say anything else. Just straight up asks for another experiment.

What am I to him anyway? Some sort of perfect guinea pig lab rat for experiments?

I blink at that thought.

Then again, knowing him, he may just think something along those lines. Not exactly that since he’s asking for deals like this, but something like it.

“Is it another experiment that’ll leave me looking like a kid again?” I ask, feeling slightly exasperated by the number of times this guy has done this.

To my surprise, though, he actually answers in the negative as he says, “No. This is a different poison.”

Huh. I wasn’t expecting that.

“What does this one do?” I ask out of curiosity.

He answers without any hesitation, “This poison is meant to turn forward time on a subject until they’re nothing but dust.”

Okay, that’s just the opposite of his usual experiment. But there’s no issue with me doing it.

“Would you be willing to do a second experiment to test the latest version of the age reversal poison?” Pestilence suddenly asks after a few seconds, interrupting my thoughts and making me roll my eyes.

Right. Because he’d never miss a chance to turn me into a child.

I let out a sigh at that before asking, “Before we get to that, what will you give me for the first experiment? And aren’t you a little busy for this?”

Honestly, his current actions are more than a little surprising. Because everyone in the universe knows by now that the Grands are all working on a united alliance to attack Pestilence.

It’s not quite a crusade like what happened with Famine, but they are all still teaming up to fight him. All in the hopes of continuing their past success of defeating Famine by attacking Pestilence.

As for what I think about that?

It is rather iffy on whether it’ll succeed or not.

Pestilence is less difficult to kill than Famine since Pestilence can’t absorb the energy of others and act like a cockroach like Famine did. But, at the same time, Pestilence doesn’t have as big of an ego, nor does he really care about these people.

Case in point his answer to my question.

“Those pests? If they bother us, we can just go into the Plane of Pestilence or the Plane of Death if you prefer,” Pestilence answers in an indifferent tone of voice.

Yep. He really doesn’t care.

To the point that it doesn’t sound like he even considers them a threat considering how he said ‘if they bother us’ instead of something like ‘if they cause me problems’. Almost like the only problem they might cause to him is interfering with the experiments.

Which confirms in my mind that Pestilence is the type to completely ignore people chasing after him just to focus on whatever experiment is on his mind.

So the issue of the alliance managing to kill him or not is mostly a matter of if they can drive him out of seclusion for long enough to actually kill. Which might be difficult for them.

All he has to do is enter the Plane of Pestilence to hide. And that’s assuming they’re even strong enough to face him.

Because, while Famine was the most difficult to kill out of War, Pestilence, and Famine, he was also the weakest of the three in direct combat power. Since Famine specialized in draining his opponents while keeping a lot of them alive to use as battery packs. But his famine energy is not a directly combat focused type of energy.

On the other hand, Pestilence specializes in spreading plagues, viruses, diseases, poisons, and anything of the sort. And those can severely cripple or even easily destroy an entire army with just a single plague.

Rumors have it that Pestilence can even fight personally as well. It’s just that no one has ever seen him fight personally since he’s never needed to. Everything dies to his pestilences.

So if Pestilence actually got serious, he would cause far more damage than Famine.

And he’s not even the strongest of the three.

War, otherwise known by his name as Lucius Octavio, is the most powerful known sentient being in the universe other than the spirits. For the most part.

There are some mana creatures that can give him a run for his money, but those are all completely unintelligent.

But War is the most powerful sentient creature that isn’t a spirit. To the point of being quite a bit stronger than Famine was in combat.

Anyway, Pestilence is taking a while to respond.

I frown slightly at that before he finally answers, “If you assist me in the experiment, I will aide you in hunting for one month’s time at a disaster system. If you assist me with both experiments, we can extend that time to two months, each at different disaster systems.”

My eyes widen as I instantly answer, “Put that in clearer terms for how you will assist and I will agree!”

He’ll help me at disaster systems?

That… I can definitely get behind that.

Disaster systems are entire solar systems recognized as disaster sites by the Grands and the rest of the universe as a whole. They are solar systems taken over by an overwhelmingly powerful Hunter’s Spot ruled by a mana creature with the power of a Grand or greater.

There are some mana creatures ruling over disaster systems that are even stronger than War. So I’ve never been able to go to them since I may not be able to get out for a long time. Especially if the ruler of the disaster system ends up eating me or something.

Even the most powerful of nukes wouldn’t get out of that stomach. Nor would the help of most Grands besides the Horsemen.

Without Pestilence, if I ended up in the stomach of one of those, I may be stuck for hundreds if not thousands of years.

Until I manage to dig my way out with Death’s Judgment or another skill.

Eventually.

“I will spread as many types of pestilence as you wish through a disaster system of your choice after you set up your court,” Pestilence states, making me grin uncontrollably at the thought of all the levels that will give me. “I will do it again at another disaster system should you accept the second experiment.”

“We have a deal,” I declare without any hesitation.

This is gonna be good.

And more importantly?

I glance at War and Asher, who are still fighting with Asher hissing at him as War rests his head on his arms and stares at the cat sitting on the table.

War will be leaving soon. So I won’t have to listen to them fighting all the time anymore.

This’ll be a nice next couple of months.