Eternal Thief

Noa said fervently, "Leader, I'm going to start!" 

Ace merely nodded with some expectation in his eyes. He also wanted to see just how will an impossible to reset foundation will reset!

Noa quickly relaxed and calmed her mind, and finally, she took off her mask!

Ace's eyes were instantly lit up when he saw Noa was going to remove her mask. Although he never cared about her appearance, the human was inherently curious and Noa never took off her mask before, even when she completely trusted Ace. 

That's why this aroused Ace's interest, not in the wrong way, though. 

However, when Noa's mask finally left her face, Ace's eyes instantly contrasted with a hint of shock before they turned icy.

He could clearly see Noa's face was completely… disfigured as if someone had beaten it with iron knuckles. It wasn't natural! 

Noa suddenly felt killing intent from Ace and finally snapped out of the excitement of getting the Foundation Reset Pill. When her eyes landed on Ace, who was coldly looking at her with a hint of killing intent and anger, and then on the dark mask in hand. 

She finally understood. In her hysteria, she had forgotten about her face and took off the mask, so she could take the Foundation Reset Pill.

With panic-stricken eyes, she put the mask back on and lower her head in shame and clinch a corner of her robe tightly. The excitement of getting the Foundation Reset Pill was now completely replaced with trepidation, shame, bitterness, and loss… 

'Now, he'll think I'm a monster and disgust me…' Gloomy thoughts enter her head as her heart turned colder and colder. 

Ace's voice rang at this moment, filled with fury. "Who did this?" 

Noa was astonished by Ace's unnatural reaction because she would think he would say, 'you're ugly or disgusting' or 'don't take off your mask again' or 'carry on I'm going to do my thing', she thought Ace would avoid her from now on. 

However, his words were the least she expected, and he even seemed furious about it, not disgusted or afraid. 

"I-I… I… I did it myself!" Noa finally collected her courage and uttered. 

Ace was shocked hearing this and couldn't help but asked, "But why?" 

"To protect me from Livy because of his habit of making beautiful women his playthings… after finding out he was the actual murderer of my tribe, I-I use poison on my face and completely destroyed it. So, he would not take an interest in me!" Noa's voice was icy cold, filled with deep resentment and killing intent when she told her darkest secret. 

Ace closed his eyes, hearing this, and felt aggravated by her words and darning action. He knew every woman loved her appearance the most, whether it was human or demon, and to destroy it with their own hands it'll take mountainous courage and decisiveness and the heart of stone. 

'Sigh…' Ace sighed with a hint of sorrow. He again underestimated Noa's resolve, and the length she was willing to go for revenge. 

Noa slightly trembled, hearing Ace's sigh. She didn't dare to look at him anymore, afraid she'll see abhorrence in his eyes. She never thought this day would come when he felt regretted her own decision so much that she wanted to die. 

Before she never thought about finding someone and opening up to that person, she thought of herself as a heartless person exempt from any emotion. But after meeting Ace, she felt she was wrong all along and was afraid of showing him her own appearance. 

She even wanted to heal her face, but she knows better than anyone the poison she used had no cure. She did it so if one day Livy showed his fangs he'll be helpless and can do nothing. 

But alas, now she was deeply regretting her own action. Alas, there was no pill for regret in this world!     

Ace definitively said. "Don't worry about we'll get revenge for you soon and cure your face, I promise." 

He wasn't someone who dwells on these things much. Besides, he knew many herbs can heal this kind of thing. 

Although he had heavenly healing pills from the system, he didn't give them to Noa because he wasn't sure if any other being other than him can take those pills. After all, they were filled with heavenly Qi.

Noa was a little moved, hearing Ace's words. There wasn't any hint of malice in them. With some courage, she finally looked at Ace and find his expression was the same, with not a sliver of aversion to her. 

She was moved and said, "Thank you." From the bottom of her heart. 

Even though she knew Ace was probably comforting her since he didn't know how powerful the poison was, she still felt moved and warm in her heart. 

"You can take the pill without worry." Ace quickly changed the topic since he didn't want her to wallow in her misery anymore. 

"Yes!" Noa nodded slightly. 

But she turned around this time. Although she could tell Ace wasn't disgusted by her disfigured appearance, though she was!

Ace didn't stop her and silently observed. 

Noa again took off her mask with resolute eyes and took the dark pill without stopping! 

The foundation reset pill instantly turned into a dark mist and spread into Noa's body thereafter.

She yelped in surprise before her eyes opened wide with horror because she could feel her martial space trembling as the dark mist began to envelop it.

Even though she wanted to scream, she didn't, she was a strong will woman and this much pain was nothing to her. She had endured far worse. 

Ace also notice the changes in Noa's soul fluctuations and her Qi also turned extremely chaotic

'It's already started.' Ace knew the pill has taken effect. 

He didn't know how much longer it will take to reset someone's foundation from the Qi river core realm to null, but it seemed extremely painful. He felt quite lucky to have both soul and martial foundations and cultivate both at the same time. 

After observing for a while, Ace finally notice the change in Noa's aura, which was slowly starting to decrease little by little as if her Qi was leaking out of her body. 

Ace solemnly looked at Noa. He could hear her teeth clenching together and slightly trembling back. He knew he could do nothing or interfere in this process. She had to endure it on her own to the end. 

Seeing Noa was doing fine for now and this process will take some time, he decided to practice rune crafting in the meantime. It was the only thing he didn't practice after coming to the mighty demon continent, and he was thoroughly lacking in his aspect at this moment. 

Furthermore, now that the system was upgraded, he can easily make a worldly talisman with TP. But those talismans were not enough here, and he had to increase his rank of rune crafting as soon as possible. 

Soon, Ace was engrossed in the mysteries of Runic Manifest Eyes Stage of Runic Eyes, which was the first part of the Heavenly Rune Crafter Foundational Manual. 

This stage was only low-level mastery, and he had this feeling that he'll be soon reached the intermediate mastery of it. 

---

Just like this, three-day passed. On this day, Ace's eyes snapped open and shimmered with a golden hue. 

'I finally enter the Intermediate Level in Runic Manifest Eyes stage. It goes far smoother than I predicted. But I still can't see through this room!' Ace looked around and saw nothing with his newly advanced runic eyes technique. 

'Maybe I'm really thinking too much.' Ace shook her head and stop using the runic eye technique. 

He again observed Noa with his soul-shattering eyes and was astonished because her aura was now of someone in the flowing Qi river realm! She also looked much better and in control. 

'It seemed she endured the worst of it.' Ace nodded in satisfaction and relief. 

He again engrossed himself in the second part of the rune crafter foundation manual with no more worry. 

---

Seven more days flash by, 

On this day, Noa's martial space finally shrinks into nothingness, which was the clear sign of her realm entering the Qi Gates Realm! 

Shockingly, Noa had eight foundation slates, which quickly turned into eight Qi gates. However, this time the process of resting her cultivation path intensified greatly as one after another Qi gate started to shatter! 

Noa felt blood-curdling pain from every part of her body and when the final Qi gate turned to nothingness, her eyes snapped open, and she vomited a huge amount of dark blood. 

Ace's eyes snapped open at this time as he frowned, seeing the small puddle of dark blood in front of Noa, and asked, "What happened?" 

Noa quickly calm herself and listlessly said with a hint of excitement in her voice, "The process was successful!"