CHAPTER 41: CHERRY

Stripping down to his briefs, Ace flexed his muscles, turned into the Drowned, and jumped straight into the Crimson Lake. He had better control now, so he inked only his legs and arms; the rest of his body stayed normal.

He couldn’t turn his eyes back to hazel, so they stayed crimson whenever he used his new powers. That wasn’t a problem.

If she has a child, I gotta say congratulations. That’s the least I can do before she turns it into some kind of monster.

Tava’Az was the Priestess of the Crimson Shrine, the first Shrine that fell in Ace’s first life.

That’s why he aimed for it as soon as he reached Gravehaven Isle. Most Rankers who survived this Gate knew Tava’Az: a scarred noblewoman whose beauty no longer drew men, cast off by her house.

She wept until her tears turned scarlet and drew Yvandra’Annah, the lesser divinity who told her to drown her pain in the Ocean. As she drowned, her tears turned the entire Ocean crimson, and in its depths the Crimson Shrine formed from tainted corals.

Yet Tava’Az’s grief wasn’t strong enough to draw most of Yvandra’Annah’s blessings, and she couldn’t compete with the lumbering ruler of the Crimson Ocean—Kraken.

She’s hoarding a lot of power from defeated Rankers deep in her shrine. I heard it’s a chore to fight through armies of Armament Drowned.

At last, Ace reached the Crimson Lake’s depths and dropped into the cavernous space where Sean had died. Instantly, a little crimson creature caught his attention.

A slime?

It was a round, pudding-like blob with devil ears and tiny wings. Its eyes went wide when it spotted Ace.

Flapping those wings, the slime tried to lift off the floor, but it was either stuck or the wings were just for show. Even so, it kept trying, which was almost funny.

Funny little guy. Trying hard.

Finally, the slime gave up on its wings and simply jumped. It shot off faster than a bullet, and Ace twisted aside to avoid it. He looked back and saw the slime skim across the lake’s surface and vanish into the crimson. A moment later, the crimson blob dropped and slid back to Ace’s side.

It squeezed its eyes shut, laughing.

"Well, buddy, you okay?" Ace asked aloud.

A small voice chimed in his head.

Yesh!

"Smart little guy," Ace laughed. "How did you get here? Did you meet anyone on the way?"

I jusht appeared here! You’re the first person I see! Hooray!

The slime jiggled with happiness.

It was curious and playful; it didn’t look like a creature that should be at the bottom of the Crimson Lake.

Its early intelligence suggested it was strong. It could be nurtured into a companion.

Ace couldn’t recall anything like this in his first life. Since he hadn’t attended the raid on the Crimson Shrine of the Drowned, its story might have been buried. Or perhaps this slime never existed in his first life.

If I leave him behind, Tava’Az will steal him. I can only make one choice.

Take me with you!

"Oh, right, you can hear me," Ace chuckled. "Yeah, come with me."

The little slime shot up from the ground again, but this time it used its wings to brake, then landed with a soft plop on Ace’s head.

So the wings are just brakes?!

Yesh!

Haha. I see. Let’s head out before the dangerous woman comes.

Ace tilted his head back and looked up at the ceiling. It was a long way up.

Back then, the waterfall had helped him swim back; now he was on his own. The little one didn’t seem to know how to help and only hummed happily atop his head.

Ace extended his hand and willed his Armament to unroll toward the surface above. It obeyed and pierced the water, then hardened into a sturdy rope.

Ace used it to climb and break the surface of the Crimson Lake. With the little slime perched on him as if glued, Ace swam hard and rolled onto the shore.

Yesh! Yesh! Good job!

"Thanks, lil’ one," Ace chuckled.

Others at the scene were surprised to see Ace talking to no one. When they noticed the little blob on his head, they smiled and approached. The little one looked far from dangerous, and it even made Ace look approachable after recent events.

"Did you tame a pet, Don Capo?"

"What’s his name?"

"It must be the Drowned Slime! Sounds strong now that I think about it."

Ace was surprised. After Elias and Sean’s deaths, a chasm had opened between him and the gang’s weaker members. Maybe they thought he saw them as mere workers now and defaulted to a boss-and-employee relationship. That said, the chasm closed when the little slime appeared on his head.

"No name yet... but I think I’ll name it Cherry," Ace said.

"That suits this slime so well!"

"Yeah! I didn’t know Don Capo was so good at naming!"

Cherry... yesh!

"Oh, he likes the name," Ace smiled.

Afterward, Ace introduced Cherry to everyone. Though still a slime without any Contract, he was so happy to be around and clearly loved his nest atop Ace’s head that no one saw him as dangerous. He became part of the gang fast.

Yesh!

"He agreed with you, Chaewon," Ace said.

Chaewon blinked. "You can hear Cherry outside the Crimson Lake?"

"...you guys don’t?"

Only Aish can hear me!

’Aish’ was a nickname Ace had never heard before. He rolled his eyes and looked for Alex. When Chaewon noticed him looking for his tank, she patted his shoulder and shook her head.

Ace tilted his head. "What happened?"

"He’s holding himself back... you know why. Just leave him be."

"Nah. Let him fight. It’s time to scout the forest for monsters we can eat. Call Alex and tell him it’s the kind of fun he loves most." Ace smirked.

When Chaewon left his side, Ace went to his bunk bed. Beside it, he kept a small storage chest with his items.

After the last hunt, he picked up a brown vest that enhanced his defenses and let him blend with any tree’s bark, whatever the color. He liked the drop and planned to put it to the test.

A moment later, Alex came back with a roar. "Time to bang some monsters!" He hammered his shield a few times to make his meaning clear as Ace and the others stared, deadpan.