CHAPTER 71: NEMESIS

What path?

She has to become The Immolated’s Noah, an existence meant to always oppose them.

Across the multiverse, even Yvandra’Annah knew little about The Immolated or their goal. She knew how divinities like her came to be and that someone always rose to foil their plans: a Chosen One with a single purpose.

It clicked for Ace.

That makes sense. If she becomes their Nemesis, she’ll regain control over her fate. Thanks. Any other clues?

Mmm... murder anyone sniffing around The Immolated’s shrine.

I see.

I very much look forward to your second quest, Ace Avalanche.

When it was time to surface, Yvandra’Annah was the first to bid him farewell. The calm tone didn’t sit well with him. It sounded like she was scheming, but given her affection, it shouldn’t be dangerous.

Ace kept it in mind and bid her farewell.

The lake’s depths cracked and spilled out crimson water. Waterfalls formed like stairs, letting Ace hop and swim back to the Crimson Lake’s Shore. He swam up amid Yvandra’Annah’s peculiar yet mellifluous laughter.

Once he resurfaced, Ace got dressed and returned to the others. He called Olivier to the Crimson Lake’s Cave first. The call surprised the alchemist.

"Oh, dayum!" Olivier said, eyes on the mounds of blue and red crystals.

Potions usually took a lot of materials from monsters and undead. Here, the crystals just needed melting. Brewing would be child’s play for Olivier. He barely thought about the basics. He wanted to use the crystals to upgrade his batches and start making medium potions.

Ace saw his excitement and nodded.

"How many can I burn daily?" Olivier asked.

"I need a daily count. A secretary would help," Ace said, scratching his head.

Things were getting a bit much. He could manage the Camp’s resources and people, but it took too much of his time. That was why he hadn’t been a guild leader in his first life.

Strong Rankers like Chaewon, Alex, or Seraphina couldn’t focus on it either. He needed someone he trusted to handle it, but no one came to mind yet.

Olivier chuckled. "Pain in the ass, yeah. Start by scouting other guilds and their people. I saw a few follow us to the Camp. I can point out the well‑run crews and the folks running the taverns."

"Yeah, thanks. Take a few crystals from each batch and set up in a corner. I’ll open more facilities soon and find you a proper spot." Ace nodded.

"Yeah." Olivier nodded back.

—

Everyone slowly settled into the Camp. The most prominent additions to Ace’s Sixteen got bunk beds in the Bank Grotto. Tyler had already claimed a good spot next to the training grounds to set up a makeshift weapon store for the Camp.

It was night, and most people were asleep except for Ace, Tyler, and Chaewon.

The three sat by a bonfire, away from the others.

"The Immolated’s Nemesis. It won’t be easy to learn more about them. People won’t share their secrets here," Tyler said, staring into the sparks and cinders.

Chaewon nodded. "We have a few clues, right? First, we need to clear a main quest and keep learning Gravehaven Isle’s lore. Rankers received lore pages, so we’ll look for anything on The Immolated or flame‑and‑ash undead. And there’s Gesta’s slip of the tongue..."

Gesta had said her father was... a simp and that he disappointed her. It was an important clue to her real heritage, which could help Seraphina defeat Gesta and claim the Withered Shrine.

"I have a strong feeling Veis is aiming for that shrine," Ace added.

"Why’s that?" Tyler asked.

Ace looked at Chaewon.

She nodded and said, "Veis knew more about the burning undead than others. He even used their name. He was stubborn about killing Seraphina, which makes us think he needed her corpse for the Withered Shrine."

Tyler grew solemn. "It’ll boil down to us versus his Sixteen, won’t it?"

"Sadly, yes. If we get the title first, we might avoid a fight to the death. But if one of them already has it... then..." Chaewon’s voice trailed off.

Ace and Tyler were ready to kill for Seraphina’s sake. Mercer and Alex would fight with Ace too. The question was whether they were ready to pull the trigger. Would they really kill Veis if it came to that?

"First, we learn more about the Immolated’s Nemesis: the title and what it actually grants. We’ll gather all pages from everyone in the Camp," Ace said.

"How will you handle it?" Tyler asked.

"Everyone fights in their own way, but everyone has to contribute to the Camp. Sharing their quest pages counts. I’ll prioritize the ones who help more. I need a list and some tracking since our numbers keep growing. I really need a secretary."

Tyler chuckled. "You’ll find one eventually."

Deep down, Tyler was glad Ace didn’t default to the Heaven Village’s ways.

"Alright, meeting’s over. Take the night to recover and settle in. Then we’ll explore more of the Bank Grotto. Good night," Ace said.

Tyler chuckled. "You need to recover too. And spend time with your girlfriend."

He smiled like an uncle and left them alone. Chaewon and Ace shared a quick hug by the bonfire, then headed for their bunk bed.

For now, Mercer slept in Alex’s bunk bed, while Chaewon and Ace shared one. The bed was small, but Alex had already offered to dismantle the upper bunk and join it with the lower to make a normal, two-person bed. Still, the narrow single bed wasn’t that bad.

Chaewon sprawled across Ace and used him as a pillow.

I genuinely missed this, now that I hold her in my arms.

His eyes closed.

"You don’t need your precious porn stockpile anymore," Chaewon whispered, making Ace’s eyes snap wide open.

She smiled wide and buried her face in his chest.

Ace chuckled, ruffled her hair, and closed his eyes again.

While Ace fell asleep easily, Chaewon’s heart hammered and kept her awake for at least an hour. Eventually, the same thudding wore her out, and she drifted into a comfortable nap.