Eternal Thief

Standing exposed in the altar's center, Ace felt the full brunt of the unseen forces. An oppressive weight settled on his chest, squeezing the air from his lungs.

When he looked at the crimson eye, the power it emitted was simply unfathomable, and for some reason, he felt disgusted by its presence and deep hate.

'That eye should be the Heavenly Will or its projection?' Ace guessed while his eyes were deadly cold and hostile despite that fear, and he didn't even notice it.

"Heaven's Stealer!!!" The Voice, like a booming thunderclap, resonated through his skull while the crimson eye drilled into him with a silent, suffocating presence. This imposing voice, filled with boundless hate and disbelief, reverberated right in Ace's head, making his soul tremble!

If Ace had just guessed before, now he was sure that after that voice called his name, he could tell that voice belonged to that eye.

"Thief, how dare you put your blasphemous steps into this holy place!?" The furious voice from the white silhouette boomed in the entire temple, and unlike the eye, which seemed to be only talking into others' heads, it wasn't the case for this guy.

'Despite their anger and urge to murder me, they're strangely standing on their spot without doing anything? So, they really can't interfere with me as long as I call the heavenly punishment, huh?' Ace's lips curled up as his fear almost vanished when their actions confirmed the system's information.

A flicker of defiance sparked in his cold eyes, "If you have a problem with it…" Ace suddenly spoke with a sardonic smirk. He spat back, "Bite me!"

The white silhouette crackled with white lightning, its fury a stark contrast to the crimson eye's silent rage as they were both provoked by Ace's words.

At this moment, suddenly, the altar under Ace's feed erupted in a blinding light. Arcane hymns filled the air, a celestial melody that sent shivers down Ace's spine.

The angelic statues blazed with runes, their light piercing the starry ceiling, forming a luminous circle mirroring the one below. The ceiling convulsed, countless runes rearranging in a mesmerizing pattern. Then, with a deafening crack, it ripped open.

Ace's breath hitched. Terror coursed through him, freezing his blood. A jagged tear in reality gaped above him, revealing a swirling vortex of vibrant lightning. Crimson and sapphire tendrils danced within, emitting a crackle that vibrated in his very bones. This wasn't just a spectacle; it was a path, a road leading to somewhere unimaginable and utterly terrifying.

At this moment, the system voice rang,

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[The Eighth Heavenly Punishment [World Calamity Despair Thunder] has been detected!]

[Primordial Ascension Path of Mortal Sky Heaven has been revealed and merged with the Heavenly Punishment!]

[Primordial Ascension Path of Doom has been fully manifested!]

[Host has 9 Seconds to step in the Primordial Ascension Path of Doom before it closes!]

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[Warning (1): If the Primordial Ascension Path closes before the host steps into it, you'll miss your chance to use the Primordial Ascension Altar again forever!]

[Warning (2): If the Primordial Ascension Path is closed and the host is still within the Mortal Sky Ascension Temple, the Ascension sequence two will start, which will be 100X more difficult!]

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[NOTE (1): Upon stepping into the Primordial Ascension Path, there is no turning back! You either ascend by reaching the end or die ascending in the middle of it!]

[NOTE (2): The Primordial Ascension Path of Doom will be riddled with the Eighth Heavenly Punishment [World Calamity Despair Thunder], so the system suggests not holding back or trying to fight the endless attacks of the Heavenly Punishment! Your goal is the end of the Primordial Ascension Path!]

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Ace was flabbergasted when he saw and heard the system's solemn voice. This punishment was completely different from the previous heavenly punishments because it would also decide his fate, whether he would ascend or die trying.

He also understood why this step was called the 'Ascension.' This literally means what he was seeing: He needed to ascend through this path of ascension right above him, and it wasn't just any path—it was a path filled with heavenly punishment of the highest kind!

Furthermore, he needed to hurry, or if he missed this nine-

second window, he'd be in trouble since the system had already warned him about the consequences of ascending without this primordial ascension altar.

But despite knowing all that, Ace felt mountainous pressure from the path above him, and he had never felt anything like that before. It was simply too strong, and he felt like his feet were rooted in place.

"Return that thing you've taken from the secret chamber, and I'll let you die without pain, Heaven's Stealer!" The same voice rang again in his head like a hammer, and there was a tingle of urgency hidden in it.

Ace gritted his teeth as he fought against that pressure. The next moment, darkness started to fall in the luminous scene, and his figure started to turn pitch black. He could finally breathe and move in this suffocating pressure.

Within the darkness, Ace didn't jump right into the path but first looked towards the trembling silhouette, who seemed to be afraid. Then he looked icily towards the eye, which suddenly seemed to be shocked by this darkness. His voice, which sounded eerie at this moment, rang.

"I don't know if you're THE Heaven or just its minion; it's our first meeting like this. Although I wanted to say many things and ask even more of you, I didn't seem to have time. So, I just say something I want you say to you for a very long time…"

The scenes of every suffering he experienced before becoming the Heaven's Stealer and after it flashed past his pitch-black eyes.

Although he wanted to condemn and demand an explanation, he knew it was just a waste of time. In the eye of Heaven, he was insignificant and not worth anything, so only a single line came into his mind that described the entirety of his feelings and determination.

Ace couldn't help but smile in a thievish manner as he uttered, "I Will Steal Everything from You!"