Book 5: Chapter 24: Experimentation


    <strong>Scarlet</strong>


    <strong>Scarlet, </strong>Tar says amidst the silence.


    I hum, indicating that I heard him.


    <strong>I think this might be a bit overkill, </strong>Tar continues.


    I hum again with a light nod of my head as I look out over the wastnd that Ive identally created.


    What was once a beautiful green forest on the coast of whatever continent I am on right now albeit filled with some spider demons of some sort that I didnt even bother to identify due to their low ss has now turned into a wastnd of red ash. Red ash in the air, red ash on the ground, red ash even <em>in </em>the ground in some parts. In fact, I think the ground was turned to red ash itself.


    Whats worse is the writhing Red gue thats just going over the red ash and devouring that further, using it somehow to self-replicate even faster than it normally would.


    The very instant that I let the Red gue out and directed it to infect the first spider demon near us, the gue jumped straight to it, shooting across the air to the point that I could only see a red streak before it struck the demon, sending it flying in the process. Then the usual glowing red cracks began to spread from the point of impact rather quickly until the demons entire body was covered with the cracks. And then it became like the cloth from earlier.


    All either without feeling any pain, or without being able to show that it was feeling pain.


    Probably thetter, considering my experience with the gue. Which wasnt pleasant.


    I raise both my hands, directing them in front of me as I attempt to reign in the Red gue. But the gue doesnt want to be reigned in, instead fighting against me and seemingly moving away from me instead.


    So I grunt and put in some life energy to enhance the skill using Blood Empowerment, which strengthens my control over the Red gue enough to begin dragging all of the Red gue in the area towards me until it all begins to seep in through the pores on my skin and into my body. Then I let out a sigh the moment all of the gue is back inside of me, almost copsing in the process.


    <strong>You </strong>Tar mutters, making me nod my head as I sit down on the now barrennd that doesnt even have much red ash anymore, the Red gue having devoured most of it leaving only the edges remaining with arge crater.


    Yeah. I cant use this skill on the frontlines or near humans. Not until I get more control over it.


    Because if I went to the frontlines right now and used the Red gue Im sure itd go crazy and most likely kill more than a few humans along with the demons.


    <strong>I think youd have a bigger problem than simply killing some humans </strong>Tar mutters, and I cant help but nce at him with a frown due to it.


    What problems would those be?


    Tar appears in the air and looks at me before stating, <strong>You didnt see it at the time, but even the Knights were having to give the Red gue all of their attention to keep it from spreading. And the moment they stopped watching it, the Red gue managed to slip out and began killing people until you withdrew it back out of them, restoring them to normal again.</strong>


    Wait, wait, wait, I restored them to normal again just by withdrawing it?


    I frown.


    How?


    And if I did that, then how do I return my armor back to normal?


    <strong>That </strong>Tar mutters, only to shrug. <strong>No idea.</strong>


    I stare at him for several seconds. He stares back.


    <strong>Sorry, but Im not an expert on any of this, </strong>Tar says with another shrug. <strong>Im only repeating what Ive been told and have bene able to deduce myself. No one alive other than my father has seen the Red gue active before now. So no one but him would know for sure how the Red gue acts.</strong>


    Okay, can you make any guesses at least?


    <strong>Sure, but they might be wrong, </strong>Tar answers while floating around the air. <strong>If I had to guess, the gue most likely wont harm whatever it infects as long as you withdraw the gue quickly enough. And since the Red gue directly infected your armor immediately, you couldnt fix it.</strong>


    Hmm. That makes sense.


    Maybe I should try testing that out a bit too.


    I frown at that before turning into blood again and flying through the air to a new location. Because this ce doesnt exactly have anything living to test it on.


    After flying for a few minutes, I find another batch of spiders. But unlike thest test, I go ahead and use Blood Maniption and some of my own blood to grab the thing and lift it up into the air. Only to realize my mistake when the small amounts of my blood touching it immediately infect it with the Red gue.


    Oh, right. Forgot it infects in every single way possible.


    Oops.


    Almost immediately after the red cracks begin to appear across the spiders body I yank the Red gue back out of it, immediately making the cracks vanish as the spider lets in a coughing screech and falls down to the ground.


    Looks like you were right.


    I watch the spider lying prone on the ground for several seconds before realizing its got a bunch of broken limbs from the fall.


    Oops. Again.


    Didnt happen because of the Red gue though, so theres that at least.


    Im going to have to start using something elses blood to pick things up like that though. Unless I want to infect everything I do that to.


    Shouldnt be much of a problem though.


    Now I just need to figure out how long it takes for the infection to truly settle into ce.


    So more experimentation is required.