[You have been ranked one.]
[You have received a minimap as a ranking reward.]
A minimap like the overlay in any MMO now hovered in the corner of Ace’s right eye. He could glance at it when he wanted, expand it like a system window, or blink it away so it wouldn’t distract him.
The little screen wasn’t a combat skill, but it changed everything. It grew with him and pulled live data from his stats.
Thanks to his awareness, enemies popped up on the map before they even noticed him. Traps, monsters, and terrain hazards showed up too.
He could plan, lead his crew, and never get lost. By the end of his first life, Ace knew Gravehaven Isle almost by heart, though pockets of it remained untouched.
After all, the island was his first gate. It hurt him the most when he was green and his talents were still waking up.
With the minimap, he could track down every corner he had only half‑remembered or heard about.
[You have obtained a new passive skill—Minimap (I).]
What? It turned into a passive skill?
Ranking comforts only upgraded if you stayed in the top ten. There was no other path.
Yet the system had just turned his reward into a skill. The shock stopped him among the dark trees, eyes locked on the glowing map.
"Ace?" Chaewon and Mercer called.
"Don Capo?" Alex echoed for the others.
Ace shook it off. "I’m good, just stunned by my prize." He grinned at them. "You two crushed it, by the way, ranks Five and Seven. Nice work."
Chaewon was his Queen, the core of his Sixteen. Hitting the top five stunned him; she’d fought monsters while also guiding other survivors with his tips. Healers, tanks, and fighters listened to her advice. Her cheers reassured them because Chaewon was a strong ranker herself.
Guess saving people scores big. Strength still rules, though—I’m number one. Alex surprises me even more.
"I didn’t expect Top Seven! Feels fuckin’ great!" Alex whooped, then cleared his throat. "Freakin’ great..."
"You must’ve held more monsters than you realized," Ace said, chuckling. "Your shield kept the other tanks steady, and the rest of us used your wall to cut down every monster you held back. You earned that spot."
"Thank you, Don Capo! Thank you!" Alex shouted, until Chaewon hissed, "Shhh!"
"Alex, you’ve got a Health Bar now," Ace said.
Alex had an overall Health Bar and smaller bars on each part of his body. They showed no numbers, only green, yellow, or red, each with darker shades warning of worse condition.
"I talked about it with Marko and Mercer," Alex said, flexing. "If my bar goes dark yellow, I sprint to them, no questions."
That’s common sense, Ace thought, rolling his eyes. Chaewon’s ranking reward pairs nicely with my map, too.
Chaewon had gained a "Danger Zone" HUD. Three colors lit her view: green for safe, orange for risk, red for deadly.
Walking shoulder to shoulder with Ace, she guided the team along a winding but monster‑free route toward shelter.
If we merge our perks, we’ll map every prime farming spot.
She’s on track to become my right hand. Because she’s a woman, it probably won’t stop there. I’ve got a romantic detachment flaw, but I feel lust. I’m attracted to her and could fake love to keep her close. Something deep inside warns me not to hurt her, but it won’t stop me if I choose the selfish route. Must be leftovers from my first life. Just like took up Taekwondo because of her and her dad, right now, the sealed emotions try to warn me not to hurt her.
I’m more calculating and selfish now.
Loot thieves proved selfishness came in many shapes. Ace was no saint, yet he shelved the thought for now. The safe zone lay ahead.
A narrow chasm split the forest floor. A massive boulder plugged the cave mouth below.
"How do we move that?" Mercer muttered, deflated.