CHAPTER 39: ARMAMENT

"Let’s check the loot," Ace said. He set his bow aside and walked to the nearest Hollow Wood corpse.

A gray light flashed over the corpse and a Rare Medium Health Potion appeared on top of it. Lucky drop. Everyone stared.

This potion could save lives, even pull someone back from a grievous wound. Its value was so high that some weak rankers imagined selling it for months of safety and food. No one moved. Ace picked up the slightly bigger vial and held it carefully in his left hand.

He checked it, bagged it, and kept hunting drops. Others were already at it. Thirty minutes later, Chaewon returned. She told Ace their spoils were common items and gear.

"You might find something for yourself. Take a look!" she said.

"Yeah. Got you something," Ace said. He opened his pack and handed her the Rare Medium Health Potion.

Chaewon held it carefully. She knew its value. She felt grateful for Ace’s consideration, even after she voiced her thoughts and feelings about his cruel actions. Chaewon couldn’t know Ace expected most of her pushback. He even appreciated her forcing humanity into him.

He’d picked her on purpose. First, Ace had the Lifesteal passive; the Drowned skills boosted it. He could heal without a healer. Given how important the Sixteen were to the team, this potion would go to Chaewon or Alex.

Ace’s past-life feelings guided that choice.

Once things calmed down, everyone went back to work. Still hard, just easier and safer. One of the weak rankers came up to Ace in the middle of the work.

"It’s getting dark. Any chance we could stay close to you, Mr. Ace?" the man asked, voice respectful. He was a husband and the father of a little daughter, the first one who’d approached Ace.

Ace narrowed his eyes. "Use this spot. Set up camp and work under me."

Chaewon’s eyes widened in surprise.

The man smiled. "We’ll be a burden if all we do is carry corpses."

"Oh, you don’t mind this task?" Ace asked.

"I did it once. I don’t mind doing it again. Better they help you than turn undead. I don’t know what you’ll use the bodies for, but the rankers in Heaven Village handled them the same way."

"What way?" Chaewon asked.

"Ah, well, they cut off limbs and heads, dissect the bodies, and then burn them," the man said.

Was that any different from what Ace wanted to do? He would throw those corpses into the Crimson Lake and offer them to Yvandra’Annah. She’d receive something, and he’d receive potions. If anything, Heaven Village did everything it could to avoid adding to the isle’s threats.

Chaewon kept her lips shut.

Ace, on the other hand, thought about the burning ritual at Heaven Village.

Why dissect if you’re burning? Someone’s already contacted the Withered Shrine of the Immolated. Too early.

He didn’t have time to think about the butterfly effect.

"So, Mr. Ace, as I said, just carrying the corpses here isn’t enough. I need to do more to provide for my family. Is there a chance I could learn archery from you?" the man asked.

It was a solid choice.

Ace himself went for archery because undead monsters often inflicted corrosive effects on contact, so melee was hard against them. It hit weak folks like this man even harder, so a few archery lessons could be a game-changer. In fact, making the weaker folks in Don Capo Gang learn archery would help Ace a lot.

Their supplies from Earth and the Silvervest Bear would run out. Hunting the monsters on Gravehaven Isle was the best choice. There was a catch.

If it lives among the undead, it’s a tough bastard on its own.

—

Everyone who followed them got permission to camp nearby. Countless men and women kept digging holes in the forest floor for their underground camps. Their shovels were makeshift, except for the lucky father of a single daughter, who got a proper shovel from Ace.

He worked happily while his daughter, sitting on her mother’s lap, cheered him on.

"You can do it, Daddy!"

"Yeah!"

On the other side, Don Capo Gang took a different route to their safe zone while carrying corpses to the Crimson Lake. Everyone worked hard, and they still had a pretty good time, despite the cruelty of the task.

"Life’s got meanin’. Deep," Alex said, sounding poetic out of nowhere. "Life’s good. Real good. Look forward to tomorrow, guys."

Marko muttered, "You just banged three regular girls."

"Heh. Jealous?" Alex sneered.

"No," Marko said, looking away.

"Heh, jealous as hell! I got your back, Marko! We’re brothers of the same feather! Just follow Don Capo’s rules and you’ll get to have some fun too!"

"Really?" Marko asked, eyes narrowed.

"Bah, of course! Healers are damn precious in this hell. Plenty of girls wanna get close to ’em, ’specially to a healer. You’re lucky, man!"

"Haha, true!" Marko said.

The two became an annoying duo for the rest of the night.

Everyone ignored them. Don Capo Gang took the usual route and stopped at the Crimson Lake shore. The lake looked bright blue and beautiful, but everyone knew what was coming.

Ace threw the first corpse into the clear water. It dissolved into blood, staining the lake scarlet. Red climbed the stalactites, turning the scene eerie.

In the heavy silence, no one dared to think. Thoughts weren’t private. Ace stared into the Crimson Lake.

Sensing that Yvandra’Annah wanted more, he threw the second corpse into the lake.

Any more and I’ll just waste them. I’ll feed the Crimson Lake steadily so we can get mana and health potions.

Strangely, the thought didn’t echo through the Crimson Lake cavern. A bad feeling hit him.

Did I just speak to Yvandra’Annah?

Fufufufu

The laugh was strange but almost affectionate. Ace didn’t comment.

[You have finished your quest: Bring corpses of the fallen rankers to the Crimson Lake]

[To obtain your reward from Yvandra’Annah, step into the Crimson Lake.]

Ace did as instructed and stepped into the scarlet water. His body instantly transformed into the Drowned. The water turned violent.

A whirlpool opened. The current dragged Ace to its center, and solid torrents wrapped around him, squeezing tight.

Fufufufufu

[You have obtained a new passive skill—Armament (I)]

In her embrace, Ace gained a new skill.