Eternal Thief

Ace had already planned to use Terminal No.47 to escape into the Central Repository once he got the core formation of the Undead Boundary.

Because not only would it be the safest place to escape into, but he still hadn’t achieved the objective of annexing it into the Thief’s Space.

Furthermore, with the Corpse Governor ramping in the forbidden region, escaping through Terminal No.47 would also give Ace many advantages even if the Corpse Governor followed him inside.

But the moment the Terminal No.47, his exit plan, came into view, Ace stopped, and his expression turned grim instantly.

’What...damn it!’

Ace saw that the entire area was surrounded by the massive skeletal giant as it stood at the forefront, its corpse flames blazing with terrifying intensity, and around it, the remaining four corpse puppets from the ruined hall had gathered, their auras overlapping into a storm of killing intent.

Moreover, what made Ace’s heart turn cold was that they weren’t calmly guarding that place anymore; they were, with certainty, trying to destroy the platform!

Their attacks rained down relentlessly, with each strike carrying the power of a Half-Abyssal King distorted space, and each impact sent cracks spreading further across the exchange platform.

It was already on the verge of collapse, making Ace’s heart sink slightly because this was very bad.

’Did he figure it out!?’

Ace’s expression turned gloomier as he never thought that the Corpse Governor would still be sane enough to target the exchange platform of all the places.

Although Ace was certain that the Corpse Governor wouldn’t know about his escape strategy, the anomaly earlier should have made the latter wary of this place.

So, after losing the Undead Boundary’s core formation, he probably felt this could be an escape route or pose some danger enough to target this place.

Now, Ace remained still, hidden in Lawless Darkness as his mind raced.

’The exit is about to be destroyed, and once it’s gone, I’d be trapped in the forbidden region. Inside a domain ruled by that lunatic Corpse Governor who probably had completely lost control.’

His gaze turned cold and decisive. ’...No choice. I need to move now!’

Ace didn’t hesitate as the moment his decision solidified, a thin strand of Primordial Spirit Qi, compressed to an almost invisible thread and completely wrapped in Lawless Darkness, slipped from his fingertip.

The instant it left his control, the difference was clear that the thread didn’t behave like Qi anymore, for it didn’t ripple or emit even a faintest presence, as if it didn’t even exist in a way the world could define; it simply was.

Moreover, the violent storm of attacks raining down on the exchange platform should have shredded anything at Ace’s level into nothingness. Even a stray fluctuation could’ve erased his Qi instantly, and those puppets would’ve noticed it.

But the thread passed through it all unaffected and untouched, completely ignored.

Ace’s eyes flickered under the hood with a hint of ecstasy, ’So this is another application of the Lawless Darkness. If it had been just my Primordial Spirit Qi, it wouldn’t have lasted even a breath under those attacks.

’The gap in the realm alone would’ve crushed it. But now that it was wrapped in Lawless Darkness, the thread bypassed everything like a ghost slipping through reality without any resistance, interaction, or even destruction.’

A faint realization surfaced in his mind, sharp and exhilarating, ’Lawless Darkness isn’t just concealment, it’s exclusion!’

By the time that thought settled, the thread had already reached the terminal, and the moment it made contact...

=====

[Universal Key has detected Lock Terminal No.47!]

[Temporary Access Available!]

...

=====

Ace didn’t even blink and commanded, ’Open it!’

=====

[Universal Key has been used...!]

...

[Temporary Access Granted: 10 Minutes]

[Time Remaining: 09:59]

====

At that exact instant...

’HUMMM—!’

The collapsing platform trembled violently, and then something changed. A deep, ancient resonance surged from within the fractured structure, spreading outward like an invisible command.

The terminal was successfully activated!

The crystalline frame ignited with blinding light as layers of runes spun into motion at terrifying speed. Space folded inward, then expanded, and a dense, stable spatial passage forcefully manifested at the center of destruction.

The next moment, the storm of destructive Corpse Qi stopped completely as all attacks froze mid-motion as if something far above their authority had intervened.

The corpse puppets halted instantly, and their flaming eyes flickered, no longer just with killing intent, but with shock, confusion, and a trace of instinctive fear.

---

Far away, deep within the collapsing domain, the rampaging Corpse Governor stopped instantly, and his expression twisted.

”So, it was really there...!”

His corpse flames surged violently with grave realization struck him as he knew that anomaly; that subtle disturbance he couldn’t explain earlier about this exchange point, and now it became all clear that there was really something wrong with it!

Originally, destroying it should’ve been impossible as every exchange platform was protected by the Undead Boundary itself.

But he still decided to attack it, feeling uneasy about it, and his decision worked, for it started to break.

Now the portal suddenly emerged, also proving that ’Sky Stealer’ should be around that vicinity and planning on using that portal to escape!

However, this also meant another thing as relief and dread collided within him, for if that place was tied to the ’Sky Stealer,’ then destroying it was the right choice, but at the same time, the Undead Cradle is now also exposed as, without the core formation, everything was vulnerable.

His killing intent exploded to its peak.

”I’LL TAKE IT BACK—NO MATTER WHAT!”

The Corpse Governor vanished from his position.

---

Back at the platform, Ace’s eyes gleamed the moment the portal fully formed.

’Success!’

He didn’t wait or think, and not risk even a fraction of a second before his figure blurred and a streak of absolute darkness shot forward.

Ace moved straight through the corpse puppets. So close he could feel their overwhelming power tearing at the surrounding space, yet none of them reacted, for none could perceive him, much less stop him.

The moment he passed them, a terrifying presence descended; the Corpse Governor had arrived!

Through the burning eyes of every puppet, a single will filled with rage and killing intent manifested, locking onto the portal as the flames in his sockets surged violently.

But the Corpse Governor didn’t realize that it was too late for Ace’s figure reached the edge of the spatial passage, and without slowing even a fraction, the latter stepped in and vanished!