Eternal Thief

"Then what kind of treasure is it? Or will I be in danger if I try to subdue or destroy it?"

Moira thought for a moment before briskly replying, "From its size, it's probably a storage type treasure or defensive type, and they both won't have many attacking abilities. Subduing its spirit will depend on the spirit's will.

"But if you were able to destroy its spirit, then it would be like a normal treasure you could take control of. Both options are highly dangerous since a treasure with spirit always has special requirements for choosing its master.

"While in the latter case, you are not strong enough to destroy that spirit. Lastly, with this treasure's current state, it would most likely get destroyed the moment the spirit was dead!"

Ace fell into silence after he got the answer as he looked at the tower with contemplation.

'A storage or defensive type treasure, huh? In both cases, I need to get inside this giant treasure. I never thought a treasure could be built into such structures.' Ace felt his horizon broaden and he felt aggravated by higher heaven.

Just the difference between their craftsmanship was a world apart, and he didn't dare to imagine just how vast the power difference would be.

Nevertheless, he knew mulling over such a matter would only make his mind chaotic, so he decided to deal with the problem he was currently facing and worried about the higher heaven stuff when it was the right time.

Ace looked at the top of the tower where the light was coming from and mused, 'Should I go to the top? No, the oppression feeling from that light source is quite terrifying. It might be some attacking mechanism.

'So, I should find an entrance. Since it is a building, there had to be an entrance. Attacking it won't be good either since it is still white, which means it is a neutral entity, and that black color is also warning enough for me not to attack it.

'Despite its rigged appearance, As Moira said, I'm no match for it, so I can only try to subdue it or at least trick it into subjugation!'

"Alright, Cyrus, we must dive into the water to search for an entrance. Are you ready, or will you rather wait in the space?" Ace asked with a smile.

Cyrus answered without hesitation, "I'm not afraid of water!"

Ace's smile widened since he had expected this answer. Furthermore, since Cyrus could sense the presence of the tower's spirit, it would be a good thing to keep him outside since he can't always keep the live fate map active.

"Good. If you find anything dangerous, alert me!" Ace thoughtfully stated before he stood up and wore his hood.

The sailboat stopped a few hundred meters away from the tower and then vanished into one of the storage rings in the thief's space, and Ace directly splashed into the dark water.

Now that he was so close, he could also feel the danger from that tower. But the fate map wasn't showing what was inside or any interior structure, and it was only showing three fate point colors, nothing else.

Ace mused that it was most likely because the treasure surpassed the compass's ability to probe its inner structure, and this building was a treasure, not a landscape, so it was only natural that mapping was not working on it.

So, Ace closed the fate map since Cyrus was here. It would be best to save his Qi if he fell into a passive situation.

As he dived deep into the sea, he was going straight toward the tower's bottom while also getting closer to it.

Cyrus was completely fine as he was like an attached object on his shoulder as he looked at the tower underwater seriously for any danger.

At this moment, Ace squinted his eyes because he saw a glow deep into the water which was coming from the tower wall.

Vigilant, he slowly approached the light as the feeling of compelling from his fortune sense grew stronger.

Ace finally saw the bottom as well as the source of the light.

It was literally a glowing door in the tower wall, and there were exquisite runes engraved on top of this glowing door.

However, Ace was instantly able to read them because those runes were a language that was not any common language from mortal sky heaven, or at least he had yet to see such language or hear it.

'Regal Fiend Tower?' Ace felt grim from those words and looked at the cracked tower walls with a hesitant look.

If he hadn't been able to read the words, then it was fine, but he could read them, and that name was not something to be taken lightly, especially when the 'Fiend' word was involved.

Ace looked at Cyrus and transmitted, "What do you think?"

Cyrus looked curiously at the glowing door and replied, "No danger!"

Sagacious Ace was, but he knew he had to take this unknown risk this time, and he didn't have another choice. Or he could just go try wandering in this dark sea and find something that he wasn't sure he would be able to find.

So, gritting his teeth, Ace then swims toward the glowing door with Cyrus.

When Ace was only a few inches away, he tried to touch the light with a long spear, instantly submerging it into the light, and it got in without any resistance. Then he pulled it back, and it was completely fine.

"Alright, Cyrus, you need to go into the space. We might get separated. I'll call you once I'm inside." Ace gravely declared, and Cyrus didn't resist and obediently went back into the thief's space.

Ace didn't want to take a risk by bringing Cyrus into this glowing door. Taking him into the thief's space was safer. He didn't want to rescue someone else right now, so it was better to be safe than sorry.

Ace then moved forward, submerged into the light, and vanished from the deep sea.

However, the moment Ace entered the light door; it suddenly turned black before it faded away, turning just like the tower wall. Only those words remained!

It was like the tower had explicitly opened the door for Ace, and now that he had entered, the entrance was gone!

---

After Ace entered the light door, he found himself afloat within a blinding light, but that light was soft and warm.

At this moment, a gentle voice rang within his ears, which was in the common language of the golden sky world.

"Contender NO. 10,203, welcome to the Holy Saint Tower's inheritance trial!"

Ace was startled when he heard this voice and context, 'There are 10,000 before me who had come to this place? This voice must belong to this tower spirit, and why did it call this Regal Fiend Tower the Holy Saint Tower instead?

'Could it be this spirit didn't want anyone to know the tower's true name or hide its true nature and trick everyone into thinking it was an orthodox treasure? Something is wrong. I better play along not to draw its hostility or suspicion!'

Ace pretended to be surprised and confused as he exclaimed, "W-what trial?! Where am I? Senior, p-please don't toy with me. I was lost in this godforsaken place and was only drawn here by the light. Please have mercy!"

The gentle voice nonchalantly stated, "Don't be afraid, Contender, you are not being threatened! On the contrary, you have come to the right place where you can get a life-changing opportunity to inherit the Holy Saint Tower and become its owner if you are able to complete the inheritor trial!"

Ace continued to be shocked as he hastily asked with evident greed in his voice, "B-by Holy Saint Tower, you don't mean…."

"Yes. The tower you just entered is a treasure out of your imagination, and if you complete all the trials, you'll be its owner and only inheritor!" The gentle voice was laced with temptation.

'First, it said trial. Now it is trials? There is really something wrong with this trial thing.' Ace's heart turned cold, but he still maintained his appearance as a greedy junior.

"Senior, please tell me what I have to do?!" He hastily asked as if he was completely ready to follow the instruction.

"You just have to complete the Inheritor Crest, and you'll be the owner of this Holy Saint Tower!" The voice grandly revealed, "Now, are you ready to receive your inheritor crest?"

Ace nodded without hesitation and thumped his chest, "Please grant me this opportunity. I will complete this trial!"

"Don't resist the Contender NO. 10,203. This is also your first trial to receive the Inheritor Crest without losing consciousness, or you'll be expelled from the tower!" The gentle voice sternly warned.

Ace didn't have time to say anything when a black streak appeared out of nowhere and entered his glabella!