Eternal Thief

Deep beneath the layers of the Lower Grave Strata, far beyond the reach of any Corpse Cultivators, lay the forbidden core of the Undead Boundary like an abyssal void carved into the very foundation of death itself.

It was a place where even the Corpse Commanders required permission to set foot.

In here, massive rings of ancient black stone floated in absolute stillness, each one engraved with archaic corpse-runes that pulsed like the slow, rhythmic heartbeat of a slumbering entity.

Rivers of concentrated Corpse Qi descended from unseen fissures above, spiraling downward in vast torrents before converging toward the very center where a colossal formation array stood.

Layer upon layer of interlocking circles, spatial anchors, and towering law-binding pillars intertwined into a structure that radiated both absolute concealment and supreme authority.

Faint streaks of pitch-black crystal were embedded deep within its inner rings, subtly distorting space itself.

Above it all, seated upon a throne of pale bone fused with dark metal was the supreme ruler of the Corpse Clan, the Corpse Governor!

At this moment, he sat utterly motionless like a corpse statue carved from death itself. The massive black mirror floated before him, its surface rippling faintly as scenes of the Upper Ancient Battlefield shifted endlessly within it. Yet, his focus was no longer on the battlefield.

Silence reigned until a subtle fluctuation spread through the corpse-veins connected to his throne.

It was so faint that even a Corpse Commander might have missed it, but not him as the Corpse Governor’s corpse flames ignited and surged violently within his hollow sockets, burning brighter than before as his head tilted ever so slightly.

“…Mm?”

At that moment, his stillness broke, and the next moment, he tapped lightly on the armrest of his throne, and the sound echoed like a death knell.

The next moment, the mirror before him rippled violently, and the battlefield scenes vanished, replaced instantly by a new projection.

It was none other than the exchange platform located within the forbidden location of the Lower Grave Strata, the one and only exchange platform hidden deep within this sacred region.

The Corpse Governor’s gaze sharpened the moment the image stabilized, and then his pupils constricted as the space above the platform suddenly began to twist, then a tear formed, and a passage opened.

“This is…?!”

For the first time in countless years, absolute shock appeared on his wilted skeletal face with genuine astonishment, and his bony fingers tightened slightly on the throne.

“How is this possible…?” His voice turned low, and gravely incredulous, “This has… never happened…”

The corpse flames within his eyes flickered violently as ancient memories of the ancestral records, the forbidden knowledge passed down through generations of Corpse Governors, surfaced in his mind.

“The Central Repository…” he muttered hoarsely, “should be untouchable…”

His gaze locked onto the projection as he continued in his ghostly voice, “That place… cannot be opened… not by force… not by law… not even by a King…”

A chilling silence followed as his gaze fixed on the spatial passage right before him, and he filled with disbelief, “What is going on?!”

For the first time, a crack appeared in his absolute composure.

“The records clearly state… any attempt to interfere with the core… invites misfortune…” His voice grew colder, “…calamity.”

His mind raced as he clearly remembered and fully believed that the Undead Boundary and the Central Repository were invincible, untouchable, and unbreakable.

He had verified it himself, just like every Corpse Governor before him, and even the Evernight Council’s invasion had proven it!

“…Then why?” He whispered gloomily as the question lingered in the abyss and remained unanswered.

A flicker of shock and dangerous suspicion surfaced within his corpse flames, and beneath it a trace of abrupt excitement when he thought about the ’unbreakable’ Central Repository suddenly opened a passage. But it was buried, instantly replaced by absolute caution.

’Tap…’

He struck the armrest again, and this time the response was immediate as a ghastly, oppressive aura erupted from his body, spreading outward like a tide of death.

His voice rang out, cold and commanding, “Rise… Skeleton Gatekeeper.”

At that moment, the projection shifted, and the ground beneath the platform cracked open before a towering skeletal giant began to emerge.

The Corpse Governor’s consciousness merged instantly with the Skeleton Gatekeeper’s vision and senses, becoming one with the Gatekeeper.

Through its eyes, he stared at the portal, carefully and cautiously, and the next moment, a strand of his law sense extended forward as he intended to probe it.

But the moment it touched the passage, it rebounded violently, making the Corpse Governor’s corpse flames tremble.

“As expected…” A low murmur escaped him. “I cannot enter…”

Yet his confusion only deepened because of this exact reason.

’Then why is it open?’ His thoughts sharpened rapidly, and suddenly, a dangerous realization began to form in his mind as his gaze darkened, ’And why now of all the time, especially when the Evernight Trial is about to begin. Moreover, the Midnight Duke’s strange conversation with that subtle provocation filled with unnatural curiosity…’

“…No.” His tone hardened instantly as he abruptly stated, “Impossible! The Evernight Council could not interfere with the Central Repository since they knew nothing about it. That much is certain. And yet…”

A faint sense of unease crept into his cold, lifeless heart as he really felt something was very wrong.

’Should I try force entry…?’ The tempting thought surfaced and lingered for a while.

But the next moment, his expression changed as a hateful memory surfaced in his mind about the previous Corpse Governor, who was filled with madness and obsession with breaking the Repository!

However, not only did the previous Corpse Governor fail terribly, but after that, he mysteriously acquired the ’ritual’ that was supposed to free them from the shackles of the Undead Cradle.

At that moment, the Corpse Governor and he, as the former’s successor, thought that the part about encountering misfortune and calamity from disrupting the Central Repository might be an exaggeration.

Especially the previous Corpse Governor, who lampooned the ancestral records in his madness and hurled all kinds of insults.

But soon after, he realized how ignorant he had been because the terrible price for his madness was then paid by all the Corpse Clan when the Evernight Council invasion occurred!

Just recalling it made the Corpse Governor’s aura fluctuate violently, and his hand clenched as a surge of chaotic killing intent erupted from his body, distorting the surrounding space.

The corpse flames within his eyes burned wildly as if on the verge of losing control with madness, but then the corpse-veins connected to his throne pulsed brightly, and a stabilizing force surged into him, steadying his flames.

The Corpse Governor’s mind cleared, “…I almost lost control to the madness!”