CHAPTER 33: KEEP YOURSELF SAFE

Submerged in the Crimson Lake, Ace felt everything around him claw at his skin. Countless hands seemed to tear him apart. The pain had just begun, yet it already burned like fire.

No wonder everyone else bowed to the Priestess. With power like this, who wouldn’t? But Ace was different. The pain cleared his head. He moved before his body could burst.

You don’t want me dead, Tava’Az!

The agony vanished, but his lungs screamed for air. He fought to stay awake as darkness pressed in. Just when hope faded, the water’s pressure lifted and he slammed onto solid ground.

Ace gulped air, clutching his chest. He lay at the lake’s bottom. Above him, the water’s surface formed the ceiling. Below, a cavern stretched out, filled with oxygen.

Sean crashed down beside him, his huge body shaking the floor.

You’re here, Don Capo! Confess! You kept all the knowledge and loot, and Elias died because of it. Admit it!

Ace ignored him.

Priestess of the Crimson Shrine of the Drowned, Tava’Az. I know your goal. You want to drag the shrine to the true depths for your god, but the Kraken blocks the way. Other shrines and priestesses stand in your path too.

Don’t ignore me, DON CAPO!

Sean’s legs split open, blood pouring out. His swollen muscles shrank back to their common undead form, and he collapsed, trying to keep his eyes on Ace. The betrayal hurt more than the wounds.

Why, Priestess?

He asked, but Tava’Az stayed silent.

Ace smiled.

I’m Rank One Ranker Ace Avalanche. I’m putting my knowledge and strength on the table for the Crimson Shrine’s prosperity.

This was the only way out. He used a loophole: he offered himself to the shrine, not the Priestess. That gave him room to rise and maybe match her rank. He had skipped this path in his first life, but history had to change. A simple do‑over wasn’t enough for this second chance!

Sean hated every word.

Why would the Priestess need you when she has me?

His stomach burst. Flesh and blood melted away, echoing the Priestess’s mood. She had already thrown him aside.

Ace met the empty sockets that had once been Sean’s eyes.

You’re not a bad man. Even now you tried to save our friends, and you marked Chaewon so Mercer could heal her. You’re just gullible. It’s over, Sean. You can’t return to life, and Tava’Az has better options.

STOP TALKING!

Ace’s smile vanished.

Kill yourself.

Huh?

Sean saw Ace meant it. The Priestess had abandoned him, and Ace refused to finish him off. Honest words, hard truth.

Without thinking, Sean gripped his own head. One jerk of his swollen arms could rip it free. His last scraps of humanity held him back—until he looked into Ace’s eyes. He pulled. His body fell; his head rolled.

I... hate... you... Don... Capo...

Crimson rain poured from the lake above. Each drop hit the cave floor and spread in ripples, yet the water never rose. Ace sat as if on the lake’s surface. The scene was profound, but the meaning weighed heavier than the rain.

Ace Avalanche.

Tava’Az spoke, her voice clear through the storm.

My god, Yvandra’Annah, welcomes you to her grace.

The rain rippled across Ace and seeped inside him. He became part of the Crimson Shrine of the Drowned.

True serenity lies only in the sea’s bosom. Drown forever and become one with our god, Ace Avalanche. Drown your entire existence in her

[You have obtained a new passive skill: Yvandra’Annah’s Servant (I)]

[Yvandra’Annah’s Servant cannot be utilized due to your flaw—Romantically Detached]

[Yvandra’Annah’s Servant (I) — Node — Devotion: As a servant, you wholeheartedly love your god, Yvandra’Annah.]

[Flawless Exploiter (???) has affected the unavailable passive skill and rewritten it.]

[Yvandra’Annah’s Blade — Node — Divine Attraction: Yvandra’Annah favors Ace Avalanche over all.]

Ace’s skin darkened as black ink spread across his body, shaping him into a man carved from shadow. Even his eyeballs blackened, leaving crimson irises glowing in the dark and scarlet streaks through his swept‑back hair. The change rewrote his form but not his humanity.

[Your passive skill, Yvandra’Annah’s Blade, has leveled up. New node acquired: Her Grace’s Favorite Drowned.]

[Her Grace’s Favorite Drowned: You can now shade into The Drowned, gaining their common traits.]

Those traits defined the Black Umi, living embodiments of those qualities. Now Ace could drain water from a body, swim like a fish, and even breathe underwater. He wanted to think it through, but doing so might alert Tava’Az.

You may leave now and keep earning Her Grace’s favor. Your first quest will arrive soon.

Tava’Az’s voice echoed.

A waterfall of crimson water poured from the depths. In his new form, Ace sliced up through it. Breathing underwater had felt odd, but he adapted fast.

He moved as if the water pushed him wherever he wished, weightless and free. Without delay, he rolled onto the rocky shoreline.

"Oh shit! A new monster’s up here, and it’s got Don Capo’s daggers! Don’t tell me the boss turned undead!" someone yelled.

Ace tilted his head. "Boo."

"...Ace?" Chaewon’s voice cracked, tears ready to fall.

She thought he’d ended up like Sean—undead with a sliver of humanity. But when Ace’s hair faded back to black and the ink slid off his skin, his crimson eyes warmed to hazel. Chaewon and the others cried out.

"Ace!"

"Big bro!"

"DON CAPO!"

Chaewon reached him first and squeezed tight. He felt no romance toward her, yet her worry warmed him, so he hugged her back.

I’m so relieved he’s alright! I was so worried!

"Sorry for putting you through that," he whispered.

The rest waited, not daring to break the moment.

"You scared us, but I absolutely believed in you," Chaewon said, ignoring the teasing grins behind her. A cough freed her from his arms, and she stepped aside.

The gang piled onto their boss, drowning him in relief. None of them thought about the risk that Ace might only look normal. They were new rankers and didn’t know better. Ace decided to scold them later.

"What happened in the lake?" Chaewon asked once calm.