Eternal Thief

Chapter 1631: A Complex Theft (14)

"ARE YOU UP TO YOUR OLD TRICKS AGAIN?!" The enraged voice exploded through the passage like thunder.

Ace’s eyes widened slightly when he heard that unexpected remark from the presumable Corpse Governor of all people.

’What is going on? Shouldn’t this place be some kind of sacred site for the Corpse Clan? But then what is this? And more importantly, is there someone alive behind that seal?’

Ace’s expression turned grim because if there was really something behind that sealing barrier, he couldn’t just casually open it, especially since how powerful that barrier was that could even resist his Lawless Darkness. So, whatever was being sealed behind such a barrier had to be equally terrifying.

He held his breath while waiting for any response, but as the Corpse Governor’s voice echoed, no response came; only heavy and oppressive silence remained.

Ace watched everything unfold, a trace of astonishment surfacing within his otherwise calm expression, ’So there is nothing? Well, I also can’t see behind the barrier, even with the live fate map, except for this place being a fortuitous encounter...’

This wasn’t what he expected; nonetheless, it was still good news for him. Before he could think further, the puppet moved again, this time erratically.

"I know you are up to something again!" it growled, its voice turning harsh, unstable, "But I will never allow the tragedy to repeat itself—!"

Its aura surged violently as it roared with pure hatred, "Even if it means sealing myself here for eternity, I will never allow it!"

Ace’s pupils contracted ever so slightly as he had no idea what Corpse Governor was so angry about, and what kind of tragedy he just mentioned, but the Corpse Governor seemed to be losing his mind just by staring at that seal.

But the next moment, something even more shocking happened as, without warning, the puppet attacked the sealing barrier. Thus, a massive surge of Corpse Qi erupted from its body, condensing into a devastating strike that slammed directly into the sealing barrier.

’BOOM!’

The entire passage trembled, yet the barrier didn’t budge even slightly except that the runes pulsed once, and thereafter everything was absorbed, including the shockwaves and destructive Qi, as if nothing had ever happened.

But the puppet paid this peculiarity no heed and kept attacking again and again.

Each strike was filled with terrifying power, as each one was capable of destroying entire regions, yet all of them were rendered meaningless in front of that barrier, while it also seemed that the barrier was protecting this place from crumbling down as well.

Ace watched silently as his eyes flickered with a peculiar light. He was completely safe because of the barrier, and those terrifying shockwaves caused by a Half-Abyssal King, who was only a step away from becoming an Abyssal King, could’ve easily affected the space he was hiding in.

Gradually, the puppet’s attacks stopped, and before long, it stood still once more as if it had expected this outcome all along, and its aura slowly receded.

Thereafter, in a low, trembling voice, it muttered, "...I won’t let anything happen..."

Its voice cracked slightly, "...Nothing will happen like that again...Never...Never..."

The words repeated, over and over like a broken echo, like a man who had already lost everything once and refused to lose it again.

Ace’s expression slowly turned solemn because this was completely unexpected, and from the latter’s current erratic behavior, the former realized something terrifying.

The Corpse Governor, the supreme authority of the Undead Boundary, wasn’t just powerful; he was broken!

"Despair is a fascinating thing, isn’t it?" Pixy suddenly commented with a hint of melancholy.

Ace didn’t comment as he could guess the reason behind Pixy’s comment, and since Despair was also one of the rules of the Order of Darkness, he understood despair to some extent.

"If it means anything, I want you to know that your time of despair and suffering is gone." Ace tried to cheer up Pixy because he couldn’t have her distracted now.

"Hehe, I don’t know what you’re even talking about!" Pixy retorted, her voice no longer gloomy, probably not wanting to show such a side in front of Ace.

Ace didn’t inquire further either since he could tell Pixy wasn’t comfortable enough to discuss these sorts of things with him.

"Is there really something behind that seal?" Ace gravely asked for clarity.

"Of course, there is the core formation you need sealed behind that Transcendent Grade Seal," Pixy said matter-of-factly.

Ace grimaced as he retorted, "That’s not what I’m asking. It’s about what that corpse puppet said! Or it was just its madness speaking?"

"Oh, you are talking about that, hmm..." Pixy pretended to understand, "Well, he wasn’t practically wrong, but he’s mostly wrong anyway. If I had to make a guess, then I think he was talking about the Treasure Spirit of the core formation."

Ace’s eyes widened slightly as realization dawned on him, and he gravely said, "Isn’t that even more dangerous? I might be able to handle a Quasi-Transcendent Grade Treasure, but a true Transcendent Grade Treasure, as you might’ve seen just now, can resist even my strongest trump cards.

"Furthermore, how am I supposed to ’kidnap’ a Transcendent Grade Treasure with a Treasure Spirit? If it were a guard, then there might be something I could figure out, but things have changed completely now that I need to steal a sentient being who is most likely filled with murderous intent after being sealed under unknown circumstances here for who knows how long!"

He was filled with frustration in the end because only now that he had realized just how difficult this seemingly ’easy’ task had become, especially if he added that ’lunatic’ Corpse Governor in the mix.

"Hehe, you indeed have a point, but are you willing to give up?" Pixy meaningfully inquired.

Ace winced his brows as he looked at the sealing barrier and the corpse puppet vessel of the Corpse Governor, who wasn’t showing any signs of retreating for now, and his heart sank further.

"Since you seemed to be in high spirits still, I presume you have a plan?"

Pixy mischievously replied, "Hah, and here I thought you would never ask!"