Just like on Gravehaven Isle's first day, the Black Umi rose from the Crimson Ocean again. Their undead, ink‑soaked bodies were no longer as frightening as before. Everyone present had already tasted battle and stood ready to meet them again.
The rankers had leveled up their skills and picked up new weapons, so the Crimson Shore felt more like an action film than a horror flick. Ace and his core team stood among them, loose‑shouldered and confident.
Beside him, a ranker about his age gripped his sword and muttered, "I gotta kill at least one… need food and a bed tonight."
So they're already forcing folks to hand over the Starter Kit rewards from the Black Umi wave quests just for food and a safe place.
Heaven Village was the makeshift safe zone Ace knew best. In his first life he'd been that ranker, clawing his way up from the bottom while stronger rankers shielded newcomers from monsters and rented out gear in exchange for items, potions, or quest rewards.
