Eternal Thief

The hatchling opened its beak and all of a sudden spit sky-blue fire, which gave Ace the feeling of immense danger even though it was just a flicker.

The next moment, the small flicker of sky-blue fire fell on the eggshell before it spread onto the broken eggshells around, and thereafter, every eggshell was ignited with sky-blue fire!

Ace was baffled by this since the little hatchling was in the middle of this fire, but he didn’t stop or help it because his connection with the hatchling was telling him it wasn’t in any danger.

On the contrary, the hatchling was excited!

At this moment, the small hatchling while its eyes still closed, opened its small beak again and, ‘chirp…’ let loose a short, high-pitched, eerily sound.

The sky-blue fire suddenly stirred after hearing this sound, and the next moment the eggshell suddenly started turning into liquid, and with the fire, it started to retract back to the hatchling’s small mouth as if there was a suction force in that tiny mouth.

Ace was astonished when he saw this scene, and he noticed the hatchling’s aura, which didn’t have any kind of cultivation, suddenly started to claim as it devoured the flame and liquid back.

Furthermore, Ace also noticed it was a soul-type Magic Beast!

It soon crossed the soul gates realm and also formed a peerless soul foundation, and within a few moments, it was already at the peak of the soul foundation building realm and entered the Soul River Realm.

However, right at this moment, Ace saw a dark blue symbol appear on the little hatchling’s small forehead, and he was shocked when he saw the symbol look like a hood.

Thereupon, the hood symbol shimmered in the dark light before the hatchling’s cultivation suddenly stopped at the peak of the soul river realm. That symbol was suppressing its cultivation rise!

Ace could feel the little hatchling’s confusion, but it didn’t resist that symbol’s restriction. It was completely helpless against it.

‘So, that’s why the system said I won’t be able to kill it even as an infant. If this pack wasn’t in place, might it be it could reach the eighth or even cross that realm?!’ Ace’s heart turned cold just thinking about it.

He had no idea what kind of cultivation a Nether Paradise Bird had at its peak, but just this small hatchling was enough to wreak havoc in mortal sky heaven.

He finally understood why it would draw heavenly punishment the moment it appeared outside Heaven will try to destroy it before it disrupted the natural order. Just like Ace himself!

After the hatchling’s cultivation was suppressed, the ghastly aura also vanished, or Ace no longer felt a threat from it.

However, the hatchling started to change as fine black plumage suddenly grew on its small body until it was no longer bald. On its head was a small patch of dark blue hair that looked like a crown.

Now it looked like a tiny bird chick.

At this moment, its eyes suddenly opened, revealing two gleaming sky-blue bird eyes. They were filled with confusion and curiosity.

It suddenly opened its beaks, “M… Ma… Mast…er?” and uttered one word in its crisp voice. Which rang in both thief’s space and inside Ace’s head!

‘It was an effect of the pack!’ Ace marveled.

However, Ace was more astonished by this little guy who wasn’t even born for five minutes and already can grow this much and even speak. Although it had spoken in an unknown language, but Ace can understand it with the help of the pack. Even without it, he would still understand it for obvious reasons.

“You know I’m your master?” Ace tried to communicate with it through his mind as well.

‘Chirp… chirp…’ The little chick suddenly chirps with happiness as starts looking around. It was searching for its master.

“I’m not here. You’re inside a treasure, and I can’t take you out at now.” Ace told without hiding.

“Chirp?” Its tinny eyes shimmered in understanding, “Oh… Oh… are… we… facing enemies? Can I burn them for… fun?”

Although its voice sounded innocent and sweet, the intent behind it wasn’t.

“Why do you think I was facing an enemy, and burning is fun?” Ace felt this little chick was more intelligent, and its thought was quite dangerous. He was curious to know more, nevertheless.

It was his first time coming in contact with such a creature, and he could tell it wasn’t a simple mindless bird at all. According to Winter, the Magic Beasts have the memories of their hierarchy in their bloodline. The purer the bloodline, the more memories they awake.

This Nether Paradise Bird was a descendant of some mythical creature, so having some memories wasn’t a surprise.

“Oh… according to my understanding, everything which can move is… an enemy, of course, Master, won’t count. So, burning an enemy is naturally a fun thing to do, and it also makes my fire fiercer as I burn more and more and more and more!” It innocently replied with ecstasy, as if it was its grand dream to burn everything.

Ace smiled wryly and finally understood why the system called the Nether Paradise Bird, violently arrogant beings.

“Can I burn this place? There are so many useless things?” The small chick suddenly purposed as it looked toward all those storage rings with contemptuous eyes.

Ace blurted darkly, “No, you can’t burn anything here, or I’ll punish you!”

“Oh… it is this Master’s nest. That’s why I can’t burn it?” It curiously asked.

Ace frowned slightly but still replied, “Yes, it’s my home, and we can’t burn our home no matter what.” He felt he might need to educate this chick, even brainwash it.

“I see. Then this is also my home, right since it’s master’s home?” It asked with anticipation.

Ace didn’t reject its thought, “Yes, this is also your home from now on.”

“Chirps…” It chirps excitedly and even twiddles its small, underdeveloped wings in happiness.

Ace couldn’t help but smile amusingly, ‘Who couldn’t think this innocent, tiny bird is the most dangerous creature in this heaven?’

“Alright, do you have a name?” Ace asked the small chick who was looking around to explore its home.

“Oh, I know, I’m Nether Paradise Bird!” It replied.

pan,d a-n0vel,c-o-m “Well, I guess it’s a name, but it’s too long.” Ace stated, “I’ll call you Cyrus.”

“Cyrus?” The tiny chick muffled softly, “Alright Master can call me Cyrus from now on!”

Ace was also content with it. “So, Cyrus, what can you do except burning?”

“Oh, for some reason, I can only use 1% of my nether fire, which can only burn weak men and ghosts. Other than that, my other abilities are restricted because of cultivation, and I can’t fly either.” Cyrus sounded sad.

Ace was about to mollify Cyrus since he knew it was because of him. Cyrus was restricted, but when he heard its next words, the corner of his eye spasmed.

Cyrus said in a soothing tone, “But don’t worry Master, since you’re weak as a twig, Cyrus will protect you by burning your enemy.”

Ace didn’t have any words to refute the innocent bird, which clearly had no idea how to respect others. It was unintendedly speaking the truth, and Ace knew it had no malice behind those words.

“Alright, I’ll call for you once I need to burn someone.” Ace wryly said, “You can roam freely here, but don’t go close to that wall in the center, or you’ll be punished.”

Cyrus’s eyes suddenly shone with unwillingness as it said, “B-but I want to live there!”

“Why?” Ace was confused. The entire thief’s space was the same, so Cyrus shouldn’t have any problem living anywhere.

The only difference was Eva’s cocoon there and some unhatched eggs he had accumulated in these years.

‘Did he want to eat those eggs?’ Ace thought. He felt it might be the case since it was just born, and it might be hungry.

But Cyrus’s reply didn’t match Ace’s thoughts. “Oh, there’s something in there that made me want to live there. But if it’s Master’s nest, then I won’t go there.”

It was clearly unwilling, but it won’t go against Ace’s wishes; they were absolute!

‘What is there that appealed to a creature like nether paradise bird and unwilling like this?’ Ace was also curious.

After thinking for a moment, he said, “I’ll let you in, and then you’ll tell me what makes you want to go there, but you won’t touch anything or burn anything without my permission, alright?”

Ace wasn’t worried that Cyrus would go against his will, so he gave him a chance to see what interested him.

Cyrus tweets happily and quickly agree, and with a thought, Ace transfer it inside the storage rings’ wall and scrutinizes it.

Ace was relieved when Cyrus didn’t go toward the cocoon, which made him even more curious about what he was after.

But when Cyrus approached ‘Page 09’ with ecstasy, realization dawned on Ace!