Eternal Thief

Ace was astounded as Ascension or Abyssal Grade-9, in both the Abyss of Wandering Souls and Mortal Ascension Heaven, was the highest threshold of treasures. Treasures of that caliber were peerless, war-ending devices, things that could warp fate.

Looking at the door, Ace’s expression turned solemn as there was no brute-force solution. He could imagine delivering the same punch that cracked the crystalline wall—and the impact would be an insult to the door.

Even if his physical body could be empowered through treasures, he didn’t possess the cultivation level required to force such a thing.

To directly break or blast this seal would require an Ascension Lord stature or an Ascension Grade-7 universal physique.

Furthermore, his Avatar of Holy Twilight upgraded in tandem to use the Twilight Traverse, so the shared resonance could meet the door’s requirement, which also required time he did not have.

Moreover, Ace has another concern as he steps back and coldly lists options in his head, like a thief sorting through tools.

’The presence of this Abyssal Grade-9 sealing door shouldn’t be taken lightly. What if this has been used to seal something? If it’s true, then that existence should be terrifying. However, the live fate map isn’t showing any signs of danger, so it’s probably safe as long as I don’t trigger some hidden mechanism.

’However, I can’t use brutal force, and thief Symbol summoning may enable me to enter and snatch treasure. It’s fast and effective, but risky due to the limited time.

’Well, there is still Pixy’s meddling. She can easily lower the treasure’s apparent rank. But it’s also a transaction, I should keep this option as my last resort.’

Ace fell into a dilemma as he looked at the sealed door before his something drew his attention as his eyes shone with a hint of hope.

’The sins within the Law of Sin are bleeding from it…could it be hinted at some clue to open this door? Probably a ritual architecture or perhaps a key that was not a hammer but a phrase, a sacrifice, or a counter-law…’

Ace couldn’t help but think like that as he wanted to see if his guess was correct, because if it were right, he would save a lot of Thief Points.

At this moment, he crouched and studied the engravings more carefully. Where the bone throne figure was carved, the glyphs clustered like constellations.

’There are seven glyphs, so if I take each glyph as a part of sin-law, together they form a peculiar lattice that bled and amplified transgression.

Furthermore, this mural is likely related to the law of Sin and depicts Sin seducing and corrupting. If the figure on the throne controlled the law of Sin, this figure might turn anyone affected by sin into worshiping husks.

’Taking this logic into account, whoever designed this wanted to keep intruders alive long enough to be consumed by the sin law and corrupt them before turning them into puppets who know nothing but attack anyone who dares to approach this place…

’But what if someone has a unique law with all the Sins as a component?’

Ace’s eyes turned brilliant before an evil aura started to emit from his person. Thereafter, with deliberate slowness, he drew in a thin ribbon of the Law of Sin containing the law of Pride, which was violent.

After a moment of hesitation, Ace’s heart turned resolute. With precise control, he channeled a delicate tendril of Pride Sin, but not enough to assault, only to query, to touch the weft of the runes and observe what would happen.

Suddenly, the moment Ace touched that door with the Law of Pride, the surroundings seemed to press close as the first contact was like dipping a finger into quicksilver.

Ace’s eyes narrowed slightly as the runes showed resist, a contracting pressure that seemed to push on his very soul like cold fingers.

Almost instantly, for a heartbeat, images of all of his desires suddenly flashed into his mind; treasures, power like no others, a life of peace and prosperity without any care…true freedom!

The door’s law was clearly counterattacking as it was clearly more powerful than the Law of Pride.

However, the Law of Sin seemed to be enraged by this action, and for an instant, it flared up violently. After all, Pride Law was part of the Law of Sin; how could it let it control someone who has comprehended it?

At this moment, all the images instantly shattered like glass, and Ace came to his senses with a hint of shock before his heart grew cold since it was his first time getting the taste of Sin Law, or more precisely, the Law of Envy, which seemed to counter the Law of Pride, a component of Sin!

’This law is too evil…it directly affects someone’s inner desire and then takes control of them…I think I’ve been letting a peerless treasure gather dust all this time while focusing on scraps…’

Ace had a newfound understanding of the Law of Sin at that moment as he tightened his grip on his discipline and solemnly tried to sense its intent.

The moment he let the Law of Sin free and didn’t try to control it, almost instantly, mystical knowledge about counter-patterns that named the sin-glyphs seemed to have awakened in his mind!

’Intents…these are intents of all the Laws of Sin, and not just intent but their…Mystic Abilities! All these glyphs are mystic abilities of the Laws of Sin!’

Ace was shocked as he wasn’t expecting to find something like that here, not to mention getting mystic abilities of the entire Laws of Sin were enough to make this whole trip worthwhile!

Furthermore, the Law of Sin seemed to help him understand those Mystic Abilities naturally, without any restraints, as if it were a lost part that was now being called back into place.

At this moment, the mystic concepts of the Sin Law settled down, and then something seemed to shift.

One of the smaller runes—a slim glyph nested near the throne’s knee—flickered from morbid crimson to a dull ash. A thread of dark light flowed along the lattice and stilled.

Ace noticed it and held his breath. It was not a bloom of acceptance; it was recognition!

The door cataloged that touch. It was the difference between a lock hearing a key and hearing a note in tune. It was also a warning.

Furthermore, at that moment, the Live Fate Map pulsed with a new black point which has just entered the map’s range.

Ace’s expression changed as that fate point probably to have been woken somewhere in the outer web.

Although he had not tripped a patrolling fate point and was very careful, something had most likely detected the changes here after he broke that wall, and now it was coming to investigate or drawn to it!