Top Ranker's Second Chance: I Am the Lord of Passive Skills
Chapter 16: Money’s flowing in

Chapter 16: Money’s flowing in

Tomorrow came faster than anyone expected.

Ace and his team followed their usual routine. They worked out in the morning, took breaks to watch anime or play games, then honed their skills at the dojo.

Chaewon insisted her father keep the dojo open and gently pushed him away from the hospital.

"We’re hitting up some vandal crews today," Ace said.

The old man grinned. "Hell, I can almost taste the blood! I’d jump in if I could, but I’ve got to keep my daughter off my back."

You’re exactly how Chaewon said you were back then.

Ace hadn’t known Emil well in his first life. Emil died early in the Gate, sacrificing himself for Chaewon. That sacrifice weighed heavily on her. Love and loyalty ran deep in their blood.

Emil hid his kindness behind rough words. He had been a thug once, though Chaewon didn’t know that now.

"Let’s see how far these guys can push. They ain’t just about beating up thugs—they neutralize ’em," Ace said.

"So you’re screwing all the fun out of it, huh? Damn..." Emil shook his head.

Ace rolled his eyes.

"You actually gonna run Don Capo’s bodyguard business and all that?" Emil asked.

Ace chuckled. "World’s about to flip. It’s gonna get ugly, but anyone smart can cash in. I’m prepping them."

"Blood-soaked ’portunities, right?" Emil laughed.

Ace watched Emil’s reaction closely.

"So when exactly is this shit going down?" Emil pressed.

Ace gave him the date and hour.

Satisfied, Emil walked away with a grin.

Ace wondered what was on that old man’s mind.

Little did he know he had changed the timeline again.

—

"Call your boss and his dogs to the parking lot!" Alex shouted. His friends flanked him like movie thugs.

No sooner had Alex’s voice echoed than the enemy boss and his men arrived. Lanterns flickered in the dark, reflecting off metal bats.

"Ain’t seen scum like you in a minute! Boys, tear ’em apart!" the enemy boss snarled.

Ace stood at the edge of the lot like a final boss. Arms crossed, head tilted, he watched the scene with bored eyes. He scanned the thugs, noting their builds. Then he matched them to his fighters.

Don Capo’s gang charged in. They felt the rush of real combat. They weren’t the brightest, but they fought on instinct. Martial arts ran in their bones now.

Pairs broke off. One grabbed a bat, the other locked a joint and pinned the thug. But the enemy outnumbered them by five.

"Grab their bats and hurl ’em!" Ace shouted.

Like a jolt of electricity, the gang obeyed. They yanked bats away and hurled them at the other thugs. With space gained, they overwhelmed their foes.

By the end, all the enemy lay on the ground, sore and numb.

Ace walked forward and kicked the leader’s stomach. He flipped him over. "Don’t vandalize shit again. We’ll be back—and we won’t be so nice."

"W-Who the hell are you?" the man gasped.

"Don Capo," Ace said. "Search them for cash."

He watched his gang collect the spoils. They’d executed his plan perfectly.

He turned to Alex, who was rifling through pockets. "Alex, how it feltl?"

"Fucking awesome!" Alex said, then bit his tongue. "Great, Don Capo!"

"Notice a difference?" Ace pressed.

"Yeah!" Alex said. "Fighting on instinct like we always did, but with martial arts in our bones. And I knew who to hit first."

Ace nodded. At some point, they’d need to think for themselves. For now, his commands were enough.

"All the cash?" Ace asked.

"Yeah!"

"Good. Let’s move. Alex, lead the way."

Ace felt a twinge of nostalgia. Fighting humans was easier than monsters or zones. Those were good times. He beat a lot of lousy humans and made them pay for abusing their power and speeding up the apocalypse.

He rode that thrill for a week until Chaewon left the hospital.

"Alright, listen up. Nobody’s breathing a word of this to her, got it?" Ace said.

"Got it," Alex and the others said, grinning.

Marko gulped. "I think little bro Mercer already told her."

"Mercer? You serious, kid?" Ace asked.

Mercer pressed his lips together and looked away. He couldn’t hide secrets.

Ace sighed. I’ve stormed Heaven’s Gate, but a pissed-off woman? Still no clue how to handle that. Just let her scream.

The dojo door slammed open.

"ACE!"