Eternal Thief

The Dread Duchess stood in the heart of the vault, her presence alone enough to make the flickering runes along the walls bend and tremble in silent submission. The surrounding shadows deepened as her veil fluttered softly, stirred by the rhythm of her power.

Her devilish eyes, twin abysses of restrained destruction, scanned every inch of the vast chamber once more.

Though the chained Khazar remained suspended before her like a grotesque monument of deceit, she was confident that something else lurked beneath this place, a secret buried under obvious distraction.

At that moment, her lips curved into a thin, knowing smile. “You really thought you could fool me, little worm?”

With a graceful motion, she lifted her gloved hand, and abyssal sigils flared to life along her forearm, weaving together into a runic formation that spun like a miniature galaxy.

The moment her power spread outward, the air itself distorted as every stone, every chain, every rune screamed in resonance as her abyssal law dissected the vault layer by layer.

What Ace and Zaria had barely glimpsed, she now saw in its entirety. The vault was a labyrinth of seals within seals, runic matrices built not merely to contain, but to conceal as well!

Then, in the farthest corner, where shadows were thickest, a faint ripple of corrupted Abyssal Qi stirred. The Duchess’s eyes sharpened at that moment!

“There you are…” She muttered, a note of amusement curling her tone before her form flickered and vanished.

In the next instant, she reappeared before a darkened corner, the ground humming beneath her presence. A sneer curved her lips as she extended her palm toward the invisible disturbance.

“Heh. You think you can hide this from this Duchess?”

At her command, abyssal Qi surged outward like a tide, slamming into the unseen veil. The air shimmered, rippling violently as a hidden pattern was exposed.

’An intricate concealment formation of Abyssal Grade-7, and it’s woven with threads of corrupted Qi that emitted from that fool. Even Abyssal Grand Lords would’ve overlooked it…’ Dread Duchess saw through that formation within a few moments.

At that moment, her eyes glinted in approval before she scoffed, “What a clever trick. If anyone tried to force this open, the entire vault would’ve turned to ash.”

She traced her fingers through the air, leaving behind trails of abyssal runes that twisted and folded into one another.

The Duchess was not only a Half-Abyssal King, but she was also a Grade-8 Abyssal Rune Crafter, one of the rarest few in all the Abyss of Wandering Souls!

At that moment, her runes pulsed once… twice… then fused into a black flame.

“Devouring Spiral Unravel!”

The black flame descended, crawling over the concealment array like a living serpent, devouring its anchors without triggering its self-destruction failsafe.

A low hum filled the chamber, followed by a sharp crack as the formation shattered cleanly apart, its runes dissolving into dust.

From within the void left behind, a faint outline appeared of a door, hidden within the very wall of the vault.

The Duchess’s gaze sharpened. The frame pulsed with a subtle glow, marked by an emblem she recognized instantly; it was a Grade-7 Master Lock, its design ancient and unmistakably council-made.

“Another one?” She murmured, the edge of disbelief giving way to amusement. “It seems Khazar’s imposter was far more cautious than I thought.”

But when she extended her senses, her expression shifted faintly. The lock was dormant; simply put, it was ownerless!

The Duchess realized that it was the same result as the one outside the vault.

A soft chuckle escaped her lips. “Your death wasn’t entirely useless, you wretched fool.”

She pressed her hand upon the sigil, abyssal Qi flowing through her fingertips in graceful spirals. The Master Lock responded immediately, its mechanisms surrendering to her overwhelming will.

Within seconds, it recognized her as its new master. The chains of light binding it dissolved, and the hidden door groaned open with a resonant sigh.

Just as the Duchess prepared to step through, her expression froze for a vague moment before her head turned sharply, veil fluttering as her gaze cut across the chamber.

At that moment, the shadows behind her stirred, and from them emerged Mirage Shadow, silent as mist.

The subordinate dropped to one knee instantly, the motion fluid and respectful. Her eyes widened as she took in the sight before her. The bound, mutilated figure suspended in chains, the hollow air thick with corruption, and the newly revealed door still gleaming faintly with abyssal runes.

’What exactly happened here? Who is this figure and why did I feel a strange familiarity with him?’

“Your… Highness…” Mirage whispered, awe and horror mingling in her tone, “This place…”

The Duchess didn’t spare her surprise a glance.

“I’ll explain to you later.” Her voice was calm, almost detached, the weight of command absolute, “I know that you won’t leave your post without a good reason. So, what is it?”

Mirage hesitated for only a heartbeat before collecting herself. “Your Highness, forgive the interruption, but Young Lord Nomad has returned!”

For the first time, the Duchess’s eyes flickered with a hint of surprise and relief before her head tilted ever so slightly, the shadows around her stilling in response.

“What’s his situation?”

The meaning behind the Duchess’s words was apparent as she was asking if ’Nomad’ had been corrupted or if he was beyond saving at that point, since she had personally seen the situation of the Black Hermit Mines.

Although it would be a shame to lose direct contact with an Abyssal King, she knew it couldn’t be helped. The only relief in this situation was that it was the Abyssal King who had sent his disciple to that place, and it wasn’t their responsibility to bear.

But Mirage Shadow’s reply astounded her even more, “Except for grave injuries and Qi exhaustion, the Young Lord is completely fine, and he’ll fully recover soon!”

Mirage Shadow’s voice was steady but laced with faint disbelief, almost mirroring the Dread Duchess’s eyes.

“He emerged from the mines moments ago, bearing your personal talisman. I verified its authenticity myself and retrieved him through the emergency channel you’ve left behind!”

Silence followed as the Duchess’s expression was unreadable, but the abyss around her seemed to pulse once, as if responding to her shifting mood.

“Alive… after that disturbance,” She mused softly, “Interesting.”

She turned her gaze toward the chained Khazar once more, her thoughts briefly unreadable. Then, without another word, she stepped back from the newly opened door and faced Mirage.

“Secure him in the alchemical stasis chamber,” She ordered. “Ensure he’s stabilized but not awakened until I return. No one touches him without my command.”

“Yes, Your Highness!” Mirage Shadow bowed deeply.

As Mirage Shadow’s form blurred and vanished into shadow, the Dread Duchess turned back toward the door she had just unveiled. Her eyes glimmered with cold intrigue.

“Nomad… you truly have impeccable timing!”

Then she stepped through the threshold, and the vault was once more swallowed by silence, save for the faint, lingering hum of abyssal chains and the whisper of unseen forces stirring beyond the darkened passage!