Eternal Thief

Noa's dark eyes turned sharp when she read the mission details, rewards, and punishment. Especially punishment. It was quite harsh, but the rewards were just as tempting. 

She looked at Ace with complicated emotions. She was just thinking of how she should mend her relationship with him, but it seemed she didn't need to do anything. 

Ace noticed Noa's complicated emotions and couldn't help but sigh slightly before saying, "Don't mind our previous interaction. I don't hold it against you, and we're associates now. Besides, don't you see the rules of thief house? They're also applied to me." 

Ace was telling an absolutely… lie! 

He was like an unshakable mountain in Thief House, and no one can go against him if they don't want to die. He also understood now why the system had reviled, he could give a mission and not keep it hidden. 

It was probably because this will intimidate everyone and keep a tight leash on them, so they would never think about betraying him. This will also give him their absolute loyalty and recognition. 

If anyone wanted to raise in member ranks, they had to rely on his missions and pray, he won't punish them to death in an impossible mission. 

But Ace also considered it a disadvantage because he can't earn House Points like them, and he had to convert his TP or treasures for them, which was quite unfair in his view. 

That's why he told Noa; these rules apply to him as well. He didn't want to put fear in his member's hearts and form a master-servant relationship. He wasn't this kind of person. Furthermore, he hated slavery, and he won't be a dictator just because he could.

He wasn't narrow-minded and as long as his members show results, he'll be generous to them. That's why he put such a harsh punishment on excellent rewards.

Furthermore, the system had calculated the time he could put into this mission and thirty days was the maximum he could give, or he didn't mind making this time sixty or ninety days.

Nevertheless, he wanted to see Noa's capabilities, and he knew she was quite strong and motivated to be in his Thief House, so she won't risk failing this mission. 

Besides, it's not like he would just sit there and let her carry her. He will help, and he was still going to prepare for the worse and rely on his strength!

"Thank you, Leader. Since you put your trust in me, I'll not disappoint you." Noa promised solemnly, with grateful eyes. 

Noa was now feeling warm in her icy heart after all these years of impassiveness. Before Ace had promised her, he would get her a body refinement technique, and she never believed him. 

But now he had already completed his promise and even given her far more than just a mere body technique. She knew, even with her life, she won't be able to pay Ace back for this great kindness. 

Noa suddenly got on her knees and bend her hand as it touched the ground.

If any demon was here, they would be shocked silly because this was kneeling posture only allowed for Demon Emperor! 

Noa has just put Ace at the same level as the ruler of demons, and this was probably the first time in the demon's race history that a demon submitted to another race completely and voluntarily, much less a race like humans! 

If those proud demons found out about Noa's blasphemous action right now, she would probably be hunted by the entire demon race to the end of this world! 

Ace, on the other hand, did not know what Noa had done, and he blurted, "What are you doing? Get up! Please don't do this in the future. I don't need your devotion or kneeling. Just help me with your best abilities, that's it." 

He felt quite embarrassed right now since he never felt these kinds of emotions from anyone. 

Noa got back on her two knees and deeply looked at Ace's slightly red face. She nodded and said solemnly yet tender voice, "Don't worry, I'll do my best!" 

Ace nodded in satisfaction, seeing Noa has returned to her normal self, and said, "Now, we have to leave this place and our best shot is only that door behind you." 

Ace pointed at the old metallic door with a hint of uncertainty in his eyes. He wasn't confident, but he could tell this door was a pathway that lead to somewhere, he just had to open it.   

Before, he will never even considered this option, but after getting the Lock Eraser King Technique, he was confident about opening that lock array, which was probably a grade-1 lock array.

He just had to cultivate the lock eraser king technique to the first layer of the Lock Eraser Master level. He also found out this technique will only work on lock type array and formation, not on barriers like the one outside. 

It was completely different from treasure opening hands. It can't take advantage of flaws in arrays and formations, but this technique can erase any lock without requiring finding flaws in it! 

However, Noa didn't understand Ace's real meaning and said, "Yes, this door leads to a passage right outside in Ocean Demon City. It was specially made for my ancestors because our tribe was quite good at assassination and my ancestors work directly under the first Ocean Demon Duke and do their dirty work. 

"That's why this path was made, so they could easily come and go inside the ocean demon city and directly report it to the Demon Duke. However, after the first Ocean Demon Duke's death, our tribe was expelled by his son and this passage also lose its meaning. 

"But the Duke's son didn't know about it, and my ancestors keep it that way since he banished them. However, they never use it against the Ocean Demon Duke Family either and so as time pass this pathway was lost in history, and only our tribe's every generation chief had knowledge about it.

"However, we lose the key to this door two generations ago in a fight with another tribe. Now this pathway can only be our hiding place until the demon duke deactivated the array."   

Ace listen to Noa's story attentively, since it was his time hearing about demon tribes and Noa's subspecies. 

But Ace could feel deep hatred from Noa's voice and soul fluctuation when she talked about her tribe and ocean demon duke. He knew there was probably deep hatred between her and the ocean demon duke. 

After all, she just said herself; this passage was only known by her tribe chief and which means she had a relation to the tribe chief and a close one at that.

He couldn't help but ask, "Then why were you working for that, Warden? Did your tribe approve of it?"

Noa's eyes turned cold as she answered with extreme hatred in her voice, "My tribe was annihilated by another tribe fifty years ago. Everyone died, my parents, family, and tribesmen. 

"Warden Cane rescued me at that time, and I served him from then on, so I could take revenge for my tribe. But after a few years, another tribe also uprooted that same tribe that destroyed our Night Demon Tribe. 

"I was quite disappointed and felt my meaning of existence had been stripped off after hearing that news. But Warden Cane was like a second father to me, so I decided to repay him for all he had done for me throughout my entire life. 

"However, soon I found a hidden journal written by Warden Cane himself, and after reading it, I discovered the truth behind all those destroyed tribes. It was all done by the order of Ocean Demon Duke Mansion! 

"They had been doing it for many years after Livy inherited the Dark Ocean Demon Tribe Chief Position and Demon Duke title. Livy would uproot any demon tribe which he deemed useless or unworthy of existing in his dukedom. 

"He used other tribes to do this dirty work, and Warden Cane was his spokesperson in all these slaughterers. Another tribe also targeted our tribe on Livy's order, and Warden Cane was also present that day. 

"Cane just put a front, so he could make me his loyal servant, and he succeeded in his scheme. If that bastard didn't have a habit of writing all those deeds he had done, like some glorious adventures, I would still be a loyal bitch to my tribe executioner!

"However, I keep the front of loyalty even after finding out the truth and bid my time, so I could destroy both Livy and Cane in one fell swoop. But I was too naïve and greatly underestimated those two, especially Livy. 

"That person was a monstrous genius, just like his father! Revenge was just a pipe dream for me in front of him because my Night Demon tribe can only advance to Golden River Core Stage, while the Dark Ocean Demon tribe can go as far as the Peak of Qi Soul Realm!"