Eternal Thief

Chapter 1566: Start of Evernight Trial! (1)

At that moment, when the Dread Duchess was indulging in nostalgia while basking in the gloomy yet profound aura of the Evernight Sanctuary’s gate, a powerful ripple suddenly spread around the space.

Ace and Eva, who were having a secret conversation about their mission and preparing for their next move, also noticed the vague yet alarming changes in the air.

At that moment, Ace and Eva glance at each other meaningfully because they both knew that someone on the same level as the Dread Duchess had arrived!

“It has to be her…” Dread Duchess suddenly muttered under her breath with a hint of annoyance in her tone.

At that moment, on the Dread Duchess’s veiled face, a mysterious mist started to crawl out under Ace and Eva’s scrutiny, and before they knew it, a corporeal mask materialized on her face.

The mask was pitch-black, and at its center was a cryptic motif of a crimson devil, which seemed alive and exuding a dreadful aura of murder.

Ace’s eyes flickered with astonishment when he suddenly remembered the resemblance to the other Evernight Dukes’ peculiar masks he had seen when the Dread Duchess took him to the secret realm to deal with the Ghost King.

At that time, he indeed found it slightly strange, but put this back on his mind. Now that Dread Duchess had donned this peculiar motif mask, he felt that these masks held some special meaning within the Evernight Council or among the King Circle.

At that moment, a voice arrived before its owner, “Big sister Dread Duchess, how have you been?”

The voice drifted into the Dread Duchess’s flagship like summer spilling into an endless winter; warm, lazy, melodious, carrying laughter and temptation in equal measure.

It did not force itself upon the ears, nor did it invade the soul violently; instead, it settled, wrapping around the senses with deceptive gentleness.

Ace felt his heart skip a beat when he heard that familiar voice. Moreover, he noticed the uncanny way that a single sentence softened the oppressive pressure of the Evernight Gate, as if the laws themselves had momentarily relaxed.

On the other hand, Eva’s eyes sharpened instantly with vigilance as she felt Ace’s reaction to that charming voice, and a vague killing intent flashed in her eyes, almost identical to the Dread Duchess’s.

Furthermore, Eva was curious about who could’ve dared to address the Dread Duchess in such a manner and call her ’big sister’ so badly. This could only mean that whoever the owner of this voice was, she held authority and power no less than the Dread Duchess.

In front of them, the Dread Duchess’s fingers tightened ever so slightly beneath her sleeve, and before she could respond, the space to their ship’s side rippled as silk disturbed by a lover’s breath.

From that distortion emerged a beautiful vessel. It was a floating palace shaped like a crescent bloom, its hull formed from translucent crystal that shimmered in shades of violet, rose, and midnight blue. Silken sails made of condensed charm-energy unfurled behind it, trailing mist that glowed softly like moonlit perfume.

The ship’s edges were curved and elegant rather than sharp, adorned with living engravings of breathtaking forms of charming women dancing, reclining, and whispering as each figure subtly shifting, never quite the same twice.

Golden chains of ethereal silver draped loosely along the vessel’s sides, not as restraints, but as jewelry.

At its prow stood a figure clad in flowing black-and-crimson robes, her form tall and voluptuous, her presence irresistibly commanding.

Furthermore, on her perfectly shaped face was a serene demon motif mask, smooth obsidian traced with gentle, almost holy curves, yet from the eye slits seeped a pinkish glow that made even hardened abyssal cultivators feel their breath grow shallow.

Ace instantly recognized that mask, not to mention he also had a deep impression of the owner of this mask, as he sternly communicated with Eva, “That is Enchantress Demon Duchess!”

The moment the Enchantress Demon Duchess’s ship stabilized, and as if she had noticed the Dread Duchess’s lack of enthusiasm, her soft, amused yet intimate laughter sounded.

“Did you miss me so much that my presence stumps you?” She teased, tilting her head as her alluring eyes suddenly shifted to Ace, “Oh, you are also here, little brother!”

The very next moment, Ace’s mind suddenly went blank, and for just a fraction of a heartbeat, his thoughts slowed, his instincts dulled, and warmth flooded his consciousness like honey poured over ice.

However, the very next moment, the law of Lust surged on its own, snapping his awareness back into place without even needing his Primordial Qi to interfere at all.

Ace’s body jolted slightly as his eyes cleared, but a chill broke across his spine. That chill came from Eva, standing beside him, wearing a neutral expression as she impassively looked at the overly enthusiastic Enchantress Demon Duchess.

Dread Duchess’ gaze sharpened further as if someone had just cast a greedy look on her possession.

On the other hand, the Enchantress Demon Duchess froze, but just for an instant, when Ace didn’t react at all to her charm this time.

Though she had used nothing more than a casual probing tone, barely a whisper of her true power, Ace had broken free immediately, unlike last time, which made her interest spike even further.

But before the tension could settle…

BOOOOM!

A second ripple tore through space, violent and corpse-cold as the temperature plummeted, and the charm-heavy air was extinguished as a candle drowned in blood.

From the rift emerged another vessel, utterly devoid of beauty, because this ship was a mausoleum.

A massive coffin-shaped dread craft forged from rusted dark iron and fossilized bone, its surface etched with necromantic runes that leaked gray mist. Chains wrapped its hull like veins, dragging behind its hundreds of suspended coffins, some cracked, some sealed, some faintly moving from within.

No light reflected off it, and no aura of life surrounded it.

At its bow stood a tall, thin figure wrapped in burial robes, his face hidden behind a snarling fiend motif mask belonging to none other than the Corpse Duke!

Unlike the Enchantress Demon Duchess, he did not joke, flirt, or intrude as he inclined his head respectfully toward the Dread Duchess and Enchantress Demon Duchess.

“Lord Dread Duchess, Lord Enchantress Demon Duchess…” He said in a hoarse, restrained tone. “It has been a while.”

After speaking a few formal words, there was nothing more as the Corpse Duke’s gaze once lingered on Ace, nor did he show the slightest curiosity. If anything, he seemed eager to leave both women’s presence.

Right now, three Evernight Dukes have already arrived in front of the ominously open gate, and this was just the start of the mayhem!