Eternal Thief

Chapter 279 - Path To Greatness!

”Ahem… as Sister can see, this is an oath contract made in my human continent. I only have this one since theyʼre too rare.” Ace ʼintroducedʼ the Thief House Recruitment Token impassively. 

Shadow had guessed this much since he took out this strange token, and she wasnʼt fazed by its shape or color, since contracts come in many shapes and sizes. But what she was astonished about the strange owl engraving on it. 

”Let me see.” 

She didnʼt wait for Aceʼs agreement and snatched the ʼoath contractʼ and started to examine it with intriguing eyes. 

Ace didnʼt stop her and merely observed Shadow. He wasnʼt fretting over this in the least bit because he knew this token has come straight from the system and if a silver river core demon with no experience in rune crafting seen thought it, he better commits suicide here and now. 

Shadow also found nothing amiss with this ʼoath contractʼ nor did she find those ʼrune symbolsʼ much complex, she has seen many complex runes since she lived in the duke mansion and there were many rune crafters there and there was even a legendary rune crafter under Livyʼs command. 

She simply thought this was a low-level oath contract from the human continent, and it would be a piece of cake to overcome it whenever she wanted it. She was just curious about the owl symbol since she heard about one particular race that worshiped owls. 

”Letʼs start.” Shadow finally nodded after completely making sure this was indeed a normal ʼoath contractʼ and probably a very low rank one at that. 

Alas, if she just tried to break or damage it, she wouldʼve been astonished since she wonʼt be able to leave a scratch on it even with her full power. But she didnʼt because it was a piece of common knowledge to never scratch a contract or use force, or it will be completely ruined. 

Besides, Shadow thought Ace probably only had this contract since he said it himself, and she didnʼt want to miss this chance of making an oath with a low-level oath contract or things would get tricky if Ace resisted later. 

Ace wanted to laugh out loud when he saw Shadow agree, but controlled himself. 

He impassively said as he sighed in relief, ”Thank you, sister, you are really a gentle demon to agree with my impertinent request.” 

Shadow nodded and said, ”As long as you know your place. Now tell me how to use this contract.” 

”Itʼs very simple, Sister, just has to drip your blood on it, and afterward all you have to do is say your promise while using your Qi on this oath contract.” Ace recited respectfully with a gratifying expression.

A hint of disdain appeared in Shadowʼs dark eyes as she thought gleefully, ʼIt really is a lowly oath contract, since it only needed a merger blood drop and simple Qi. It wonʼt even need my ʼLife Qi Markʼ or ʼSoul Markʼ. Even if I break it, I wonʼt suffer that big of a backlash at all.ʼ 

Ace noticed Shadowʼs change of emotions and only derided inside, ʼHah, letʼs see who holds the last laugh in the end!ʼ

Shadow quickly cut her slender brown finger and a drop of black blood dripped onto the Thief House Recruitment Token and instantly absorbed into it. Shadow didnʼt find this out of the usual and the moment dark Qi appeared from her hand and was about to engulf the token. 

However, what happened next made Shadow flabbergasted! The moment her shadow element Qi touched the token, it instantly turned into a beam of pitch-black light and bolted toward her glabella!

Shadow didnʼt even have time to react as the beam of dark light has already penetrated all of her defensive and directly entered her head! 

Ace also looked at this scene with astonishment, since it was also his first time seeing the Thief House Recruitment Token at work. It was truly marveled though since it didnʼt even give Shadow a chance to react! 

Ace suddenly heard a notification. 

=====

[Thief House Recruitment Token has been used!]

[New member entry has been successful.]

[Please open the Thief House interface to see further information.]

=====

Aceʼs lips curled upward, seeing this notification. However, before he could open the thief house panel, Shadowʼs deafening voice filled with killing intent and horror. 

”Bastard! What did you put in my head? What is this voice!?” Shadow didnʼt care anymore about anything and attacked Ace. 

However, something unexpended happened that sent Shadow into a pit of despairs! 

The moment she thought of harming Ace, an unmanageable pain hit her head and a bolt of deadly lightning ran amok in her body! 

”Ahhhhhhh….” She started screaming while struggling on the ground as one could see her skin start to burn. 

Ace was horrified when he saw this, and he heard the systemʼs cold voice again. 

====

[Malicious and Murderous intention detected from a Thief House Member toward House Leader.]

[Punishment: Death]

====

Aceʼs heart trembled and blurted, ”Stop it for now!”

====

[House Leader has stopped the Punishment]

====

Shadow, who was on the verge of death by that insane, soul-shattering pain and deadly lightning, felt those two powers vanish, and her Qi started to quickly recover her injuries. 

But she didnʼt feel relief in the least bit, as she looked at Ace with fear and hate, but the former was far greater than the latter. 

”What did you do to me?” Shadowʼs voice was hoarse as she questioned Ace. 

Ace was also shocked by this and finally remembered the rules of thief houses. But he did not know it would be so deadly. Furthermore, he never knows the system had that kind of power since it never used it on him. 

He suddenly remembered all those curses and how disrespectful he has been all these years to the system and this heart palpitated as cold sweat broke out on his forehead and he vowed to be gentler with the system in the future or if he really annoyed it, no one could save him. 

”Ahem… sister demon, can you tell me what happened the token enter your head from start?” Ace cough to hide his own fear and question Shadow because she just said she heard a voice and this greatly alarm him. 

Shadow didnʼt want to answer but after thinking about that, the voice just said she answered while healing her internal injuries, ”I heard a static voice saying, [Welcome to Thief House] and then a transparent dark shade appeared in front of my eyes. 

”But I didnʼt see it completely since I attack you. But then I heard that voice again saying, [Violation of Thief House Rule] [Punishment: Death] and then… and then you just see.   

”Now, I heard this again saying, [House Leader has forgiven the House Member]. Tell me what just you did to me!” 

Shadow was terrified, not by Ace, but that voice, since she canʼt seem to find anything amiss with herself no matter how much she searched with her martial sense. This made it even more horrifying and dreadful.

She knew Ace had played her and made her sign a slave contract, but she was perplexed since she knew a slave contract canʼt have its own voice nor would it just vanish inside a personʼs body. 

It was something more terrible than the slave contract, and the most laughable thing was she didnʼt see it at all!

Ace, on the other hand, was shocked and quickly asked the system, ”System, did you just make her your host as well?” He didnʼt have any other explanation than this about that voice and transparent shade. 

”[No, there can only be one host of the System. However, now that demon is the member of thief house she can assess to Thief Hose interface and hear notifications related to thief house nothing else.]”

Ace couldnʼt help but sigh in relief since it would be too good to be true if that were the case. 

He finally looked at Shadow with a cold smile and said, ”Hehe… donʼt be anxious, I know youʼre probably thinking I trick you signing a slave contract, but it wasnʼt a slave contract, it was something far better than anything you can achieve or get your hands on, in your entire lifetime. No one can offer it but me, not even your so-called deity! 

”But if I told you the truth before, you wouldʼve never believed me and even tried to kill me. Thatʼs why I didnʼt tell you and used an underhanded method. But I want you to look at it now and then tell me if this is a curse or blessing. Just say ʼThief Houseʼ and youʼll see the path to greatness!” 

Ace deeply looked at Shadowʼs dark eyes without even blinking as he finished his grand speech. He wasnʼt joking, though.

Shadow suddenly felt this guy wasnʼt bantering and even felt he was like a grand existence. She decided to believe him for once and suppressed her injuries and said, 

”Thief House!”