Eternal Thief

It would've been another story if someone tried to touch it when the lock was intact!

Ace slowly open the small treasury and inside Ace only saw two feet long rectangular box made with a plank of beautiful white wood and there wasn't anything else besides this wooden box in this secret treasury! 

'This should be it, right?' 

Ace found nothing special about this box no matter how much he looked at it, but he knew now wasn't the time to judge and quickly took the box inside his thief's space. 

However, at this moment, when the box was removed from its place, Ace's heart instantly sank because there was a dot size rune right beneath it and by the look of it, this was another tiny trap alarm!

Ace never thought, even after being this careful, he was still outdone when he was so close to completing the thievery. 

It wasn't Ace's fault this time because he never encountered this kind of situation where someone put dot size alarm symbol inside a treasury and cover it with an item. He didn't even know it was possible because his mind was still of the same person who had antagonized the lower lands for years. 

Ace threw caution to the wind and hurry when he saw the small symbol was starting to shine. 

The demon with golden Qi river core finally felt something was amiss as he glanced toward the treasury room's direction and released his martial sense to the fullest! 

Right at this moment, the shop owner also emerged, nearly destroying the door. His face was ashen and full of panic as he roared savagely, "T-thief… someone just stole the important treasure!"

There was a small blue crystal in his hand, which was blinking nonstop! 

"What?!" the bronze Qi river core demon also exclaimed in alarm. 

However, he didn't have a chance to curse or react when he saw his brother was already turned into the wind and left toward the back of the shop! 

Without waiting for a moment, he also chased after his brother while leaving a threat behind, "If that thief got away, you can forget about your life!" 

The shop owner naturally knew if the treasure went missing, then no one could save him since that treasure was something the demon king wanted! 

"But how is it possible that the person only triggered the hidden alarm, not the main one?!" He was in disbelief, but he didn't have time to mull over it since the deed was already done. 

He wasn't someone who was going to wait for his death or take a chance. From the main door, he escaped, saving his own life. He knew whether those two caught the person, he won't escape punishment and escape was the only option! 

---

Ace, at this moment, was like a phantom while escaping. He could clearly sense the golden Qi river core cultivator two hundred meters away from him. 

'This guy reacted too fast. If not for my lightning step, I'll be doomed this time. Well, at least I know this treasure was the thing they're here for.' Ace's mood instantly lifted when he thought he had stolen something that even a demon king wanted. 

He wasn't afraid of the other party chasing after him. His middle-level lightning steps weren't just for show, and his speed was clearly much faster than the other individual. His training for two years wasn't gone in vain, and he was confident in protecting himself even if things go awry, just like what happened a few moments ago! 

Ace quickly put a three-hundred-meter distance between him and his pursuer. However, at this moment, Ace felt something was amiss and quickly used his heavenly sense and saw the other person was shockingly following his every step without missing even one! He also noticed a snake-like tongue flickering every second from the cape! 

The other person clearly felt the heavenly sense and couldn't help but exclaimed, "So, you're a soul cultivator!" 

However, the next moment his calm voice sounded, "Give me the thing you just took, and I'll consider this a misunderstanding and be on my way. I can tell you're at least a silver soul river core cultivator with your strong soul sense, but you're no match for me, and you can never escape, so just give me my thing back, and I won't pursue this matter!" 

'This person is too strange; how can he be so fast even outrunning a golden Qi river core cultivator and I can't sense him with martial sense? If not for my race's innate ability, I'm afraid he'll be able to slip away!' He thought grimly while pursuing Ace's footsteps. 

He was determined to get the treasure back, or he knew he'll die a tragic death with his brother, and he can't hide because no one can hide from a Demon King! 

Ace, on the other hand, finally understood the gravity of the situation, and he knew the other party wasn't bluffing when he sensed he was coming right where he was and taking the same route as him. 

'Just who the hell is this person and how can he track my movement even when I'm in stealth! This is really the first!' Ace found this situation absurd, as his expression turned ugly. 

He never thought, on his first thievery, he'll encounter something like this, and he had to admit stealing from big wigs won't be as easy as he thought anymore. There were many strange things here, and he wasn't dealing with just humans anymore. 

These races had various abilities and if he met some race that can render even one of his skills useless, he'll be in peril just like now. 

Ace ran while planning to get rid of this leach.

'Just how exactly is he following me? Pulseless Stealth can block my pulse and even martial sense can't find my traces, so he wasn't tracking me with this. It had something to do with that snake-like tongue I saw.' 

Ace wasn't any animal expert, nor knew the various abilities of beasts. He only had superficial knowledge from lower lands, and the memories he stole from Pablo and Buck also weren't helpful. 

Ace suddenly snapped out his thoughts because he suddenly felt the other party has speed up somehow and the distance was quickly shortening! 

'This is bad, I had to think of something and fast!' Ace's heart raced as he saw his surroundings. He was running through alleyways as he could through his chaser off somehow, but it seemed meaningless. 

'If I can just cause…' Suddenly an idea flashed in Ace's head. 

Without even further hesitation, he took out a bomb, his favorite distraction tool! He was now only left with five of them, including this one in his hand.

Although they didn't deal actual damage, they were excellent at causing commotion and drawing attention! 

Ace quickly lit the bomb pin with his lightning and throw it into an alleyway and used his lightning steps to the maximum! 

After a few seconds, a huge booming sound rang, startling a quarter of the Iron Demon City! 

Everyone thought that someone has attacked the city, and the city guard crazily flooded toward the attacked area. 

The person chasing Ace also heard the loud boom since he was very close to the explosion, and his heart nearly jumped from his chest and thought someone was attacking him. 

However, he didn't feel any fluctuations and didn't change his route, or he'll lose Ace's tracks. He was ready for a big fight since he was dead either way. 

But no one was there except for dark smoke, and he also noticed many people coming this way. 

'So, that was a trick to draw others' attention and scared me to back down. Heh, naïve!' He belittled coldly.

Abruptly, a blood mist suddenly appeared before covering the cloaked figure entirely. The very next moment, his speed became even faster, but his zealous aura become chaotic! 

'Even if I had to burn all my blood essential, I'll capture you and make you pay for it!' Beneath the cloak, a pair of beastly snake eyes glow in a crimson color that was filled with bloodlust!

Ace also notice his plan of scarring the other party didn't work and the other person's speed become even faster and his heart palpitated. 

He finally had another idea, but he didn't want to use it since it was too costly, but he didn't have another choice right now, or he'll have to face a lunatic golden river core cultivator. 

'If this thing wasn't worth it, I'll fucking theft the entire city to cover my losses!' Ace clench his teeth and transmitted, "System open the Heavenly Rune Crafter Panel for me!"

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[Heavenly Rune Crafter Panel]

-Rune Crafter Rank: Tier-3

-Rune Crafter Trademark: Coin 

-Rune Crafter Colophon: Thief Symbol

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[Talisman Section] (UNLOCK)

[Array Section] (LOCK)

[Formation Section] (LOCK)

[UNKNOWN Section] (LOCK)

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Ace again transmitted as his eyes turned cold. "Open the Talisman Section, Worldly Talismans!"