CHAPTER 34: CRYSTALS

"I joined the Crimson Shrine of the Drowned," Ace said. "I’m still human, so don’t sweat it. But the link is powerful and dangerous. It affects me and my Sixteen more than you can imagine. You’ll choose your own path later. For now, let’s head out and meet the others. I’ve got to tell them about Sean."

They nodded and filed out. Thoughts weren’t private in that cave, and Chaewon’s worry had spilled more than Sean’s blood. Her cheeks were scarlet, as if the shrine had claimed her too.

In the safe zone, Ace gathered everyone and laid out the truth.

"He killed himself," he said. "To be exact, I told him to. The Priestess wrote him off, and there was no road back."

The words hit the gang hard. They respected Ace, so they could guess how it tore at Sean to obey that order. Some members stepped back, already thinking of settling in the safe zone.

"Are you a puppet now, Don Capo?" Alex asked.

Ace grinned. "No. I did everything I could to dodge that fate. I was inches from becoming one, but luck had my back."

"Oh?" Alex smirked. "Luck favors the bold!"

Ace chuckled.

[Flawless Exploiter (???): When Ace Avalanche’s flaws stop him, this title twists them in his favor.]

The seat of God stood empty. Lesser divinities arose wherever people like Sean and Tava’Az called on a higher power. Ace hadn’t expected Flawless Exploiter to bend Yvandra’Annah herself. Looks like I’ve caught the eye of a crazy bitch.

If he’d thought that back in the lake, Tava’Az would have fought him. He’d held it in as long as he could.

Soon only the rankers who’d faced Sean remained. Other than Ace’s core team, some still fought alongside him. Others, however, had already asked for lighter work.

"It’s too much for us. If you find easier jobs, we’ll give everything," one said.

"Fine," Ace nodded.

When only Chaewon, Alex, Mercer, and Marko were left, Ace cracked his neck and tackled Sean’s accusations. He admitted he knew more than he’d said and explained why he’d kept quiet about the Chessboard Apocalypse.

"Why’s it called the Chessboard Apocalypse?" Alex asked.

"Because of the classes and the Sixteen," Ace said. "The Crimson Shrine of the Drowned is a good example. It needs sixteen rankers to open. The rules inside mirror chess. Chaewon’s Queen class hits harder there, but she’s also easier to kill. Monsters and rankers follow the same pattern."

"Hmm... I see," Alex muttered. I don’t, but I’ll back Don Capo and watch his six.

"So we need a strong Sixteen, or at least solid reps for each class?" Chaewon asked.

Ace nodded. "Right. We need a capable King and a pair of solid Knights. We have to grow."

"We heading to Heaven Village?" Marko asked.

Heaven Village was a ranker‑made safe zone. They’d found an empty village, cleared the monsters, and built a tight community. Hierarchy was strict; everyone had to contribute. Ace knew it would rise sooner or later, and getting confirmation felt good.

He nodded.

"Yeah. Not today, though. Rest up," he said.

He was tired too, yet the Crimson Lake cave tugged at him. He believed it held more than a link to Tava’Az. He suspected she had slipped in through an underwater tunnel.

What secrets waited in that cave?

Ace wanted to find out—right now.

--

"You don’t gotta follow if you’re scared," Ace said, glancing back at his closest friends.

Chaewon’s face tightened with focus, her worry obvious. Alex shrugged, unfazed by monsters. Marko and Mercer looked nervous but straightened when their boss addressed them.

"We’re fine," they said together.

A burst of clean light washed over them. This place felt nothing like the old Crimson Lake. Clear water mirrored glowing stalactites, and the cavern rested in quiet peace.

Even Chaewon blinked in surprise before lifting her guard. She stayed so focused that no stray thought escaped.

Alex, on the other hand, let his thoughts spill like spoken words.

Looked cooler when it was crimson. Sure, there’s a few red shards down there, but that ain’t it, man.

"Guess our thoughts still aren’t private," Ace chuckled.

Marko and Mercer nodded and laughed with him.

At the shore Ace eyed the crimson crystals—leftovers from Sean’s drama, no doubt. He wondered what they could do and decided to grab one to check the system. Touching the crystal lake felt like a sin, but he went ahead.

He stripped to his briefs and dived in.

Before he even thought about it, his body shifted into the Drowned Form, the lone oddity in the clear water.

The lake stayed clean.

He swam to a scarlet crystal and yanked it free after several heavy pulls.

The moment he clutched it, a description floated before his eyes.

[Purified Blood Crystal — core ingredient for a medium health potion]

Oh! So that’s why they cornered the potion market!

He remembered how the Bank Grotto’s owners in his first life always had potions to spare. They must’ve fought Tava’Az—or cut a deal—and mass‑produced these crystals. He turned to the blue crystals native to the lake.

Mana crystals?

He swam over and picked one.

[Purified Mana Crystal — core ingredient for a medium mana potion]

This is a gold mine!

He quickly surfaced to share the news. His form slid away as he climbed out, a wide grin plastered on his face. He handed the crystals to his team; they all grinned.

"Any idea how to turn these into potions?" Chaewon asked.

"Nope," Ace said. "But we’ve got the key part. Let’s melt it down and see what happens."

Alex nodded. "Makes sense."

Minutes later, the team sat around a bonfire, a kettle hanging above the flames with a crystal inside. When it whistled, Mercer joked it sounded like Ace brewing coffee, and everyone laughed.

Ace poured the melted liquid into a glass. "No system ping," he noted.

"That means we’re missing something," Mercer said. "Maybe density, maybe quantity—color’s off from the monster drops."

"Sharp eye," Ace said, ruffling his little brother’s hair.

Mercer chuckled.