Eternal Thief

The Corpse Governor’s gobsmacked eyes filled with utter disbelief were fixed on the pitch-black mural within the hollowed-out space.

An enormous owl, wings spread wide, its form both elegant and oppressive. Upon its head, two devilish horns curved upward, giving it a sinister, almost mocking presence!

Moreover, the Corpse Governor knew that this ’owl’ was not carved here before, nor was it painted, because it had appeared on an area which was previously visible even with the Undead Heart Seal, which means, it was just made and left behind intentionally!

But this notion was even more ridiculous because, given how it was made and the peculiar oppression it gave off, it couldn’t have been made in under a minute of his arrival, and at the same time, the seal also went missing.

This could only mean that whoever left this behind had been preparing for it for a long time, since only this would make sense in this situation.

Right at that moment, the Corpse Governor noticed another startling thing as his corpse flames narrowed into thin beams while he stared at that owl, or more accurately, on its wings.

On one wing of the owl, there were hollowed-out spaces making words that he easily understands. His lips moved unconsciously, reading them aloud, each syllable heavier than the last.

”S... K... Y...S... T... E... A... L... E... R...Sky... Stealer...?”

His voice cracked, and then his gaze shifted to the other wing because there were even more words...no, it was a message!

”Since you hate this thing so much, I’ll be taking it off your hands. Oh, and no need to thank me!”

The flabbergasted Corpse Governor’s eyes flickered with disbelief when he read those mocking words filled with derision and provocation, and then deep and absolute silence followed.

For a single heartbeat, the Corpse Governor stood completely still before everything exploded.

”WHO IN THE NAME OF THE UNDEAD IS THIS SKY STEALER!?!”

The roar tore through the forbidden region, shaking every layer of the Corpse Clan’s domain.

Madness, fury, and humiliation surged together, forming something monstrous, and for the first time, the hidden world trembled under the real fury of the Corpse Governor, not his madness!

---

Over a minute ago...

Cloaked in the Lawless Darkness, Ace’s figure tore through the twisted pathways like a shadow slipping between breaths.

The vein-lined tunnels blurred past him, their faint pulses and heavy Corpse Qi no longer something he studied, but something he ignored completely without any intention of stopping.

At this moment, Ace’s heart pounded wildly, not from fear alone, but from something sharper and hotter that he hadn’t felt in a while...thrill!

Just moments ago, what stood before him had been an impossible wall; a Transcendent grade seal guarded by a Half-Abyssal King Realm Corpse Governor, with a trapped, unknown entity.

The kind of situation where even a single misstep meant absolute exposure and deadly danger, yet he still succeeded flawlessly.

’...That actually worked.’ Ace thought with eyes filled with disbelief and ecstasy as even now, it felt unreal.

After all, all happened in the span of a few breaths as everything had fallen into place with terrifying precision.

First, the corpse puppet, as Ace’s eyes flickered, recalled the moment. The instant the Corpse Governor withdrew his consciousness and Ace confirmed his plan, the latter didn’t hesitate.

With Pixy’s help, he spent an additional five hundred million Thief Points to forcefully downgrade and seize the puppet quite easily as the connection severed instantly once its grade dropped to Abyssal Guardian Realm or Abyssal Grade-6 from Upper Abyssal Grade-8!

Before the Corpse Governor could even react, the puppet had already been dragged into the Thief’s Space.

But then came the real gamble. Ten billion Thief Points, and even now Ace felt a dull ache in his chest just thinking about it.

’More than half of my Thief Points... gone in a blink! But the result...’ Ace’s eyes shimmered with elation as he looked at the notification panel in front of him.

=====

[Absolute Pickpocket (Sleight of Hand) has been successfully activated! (x2)]

{Host Steals}

-Upper Abyssal Grade-8 Undead Vessel: 1

-Upper Abyssal Grade-6 Storage Space Treasure: 1

...

---

-Transcendent ???: 1

-Transcendent ???: 1

-Transcendent ???: 1

---

[Reward(s): 5,563,555,290 Thief Points]

[Thievery Rank(s): High-Level Thievery(s): 43/10,000]

---

[Thievery Rank/Count Section]

-Low-level Thievery(s): 101/25,000

-Middle-level Thievery(s): 41/15,000

-High-level Thievery(s): 43/5,000

---

[Thief Point(s): 11,928,133,890]

=====

’Although I still hadn’t recovered half of what I’ve already spent, it’s still quite a surprise that I got a storage ring with the corpse puppet, which the system judged as an ’Undead Vessel’ and a treasure just as Pixy had explained.

’But the most surprising is still the three transcendent grade treasures, except for just two. This could only mean that, including the sealed barrier and the core formation of the Undead Boundary, there is still another unknown transcendent-grade treasure.

’Even if the system refused to reveal their grades or names because of the damn authority, it’s enough as long as I have Pixy. All that is left is to open this seal and see what’s inside...’ Ace thought with ecstasy as his lips curled faintly despite the situation.

Within the depths of the Thief’s Space, in a sealed corner that Pixy had isolated from everything else, the Undead Heart Seal now sat quietly, intact, untouched, exactly as it had been, along with whatever terrifying existence was sealed inside it.

Suppressing his curiosity about the seal, as now wasn’t the time to celebrate, for a theft wasn’t complete until you escaped.

Just thinking about escape hardened Ace’s expression as his speed increased even further. He was heading towards the ruined hall, and it wasn’t far...just a little more, and he’ll be outside the Corpse Governor’s domain.

But suddenly, ’BOOM!’, a terrifying shockwave swept through the entire region.

Ace’s body stiffened mid-step; it wasn’t aimed at him, for it didn’t even touch him through the Lawless Darkness, and yet, a chill ran straight down his spine when he felt that pressure and killing intent contained within that shockwave.

It was overwhelmingly furious beyond reason, and even from this distance, it felt like the entire domain was trembling under it.

’Did he notice?’

Ace’s expression turned grim, and he didn’t need confirmation because the next moment...

”WHO IN THE NAME OF THE UNDEAD IS THIS SKY STEALER!?!”

The roar echoed through the depths like a collapsing world.

Ace blinked once, and then a wry smile tugged at his lips, ’...Well, I guess he caught on quite quickly!’