Eternal Thief

Albert was sitting within a swirl of liquefied Qi within the demon mountain, drawing from the Qi fool. 

Since he had lost his scepter and lightning orb, he couldn't use the platform or turn the Qi pool into lightning essence and draw the Qi into his body like Margret and Edward. 

So, he had to do it in the traditional way, absorbing the Qi and then refining it into his lightning Qi, which would take a hundred times more effort and time. Nonetheless, Albert was still determined. He wanted to increase his lifespan or at least die trying. 

However, right at this moment, his focus suddenly broke when a deadly chill ran down his spine, and from deep within, a primordial fear surfaced, and a never-felt pressure enveloped him.

His dark eyes snapped open in horror, and he saw nothing but darkness around him, nothing else. It was like he was sitting in the middle of the dark emptiness, exempt from any light, and he had lost all control over his own body. 

At this moment, an eerie cackle rang, "Haha… once you hunted him and nearly killed me, and now, our positions have been switched. The sheer irony of that, really. I was able to escape you. Let's see if you can…" 

It was like the surrounding darkness was speaking to him, and just as that voice faded, the feeling of death greeted him. He didn't even have the chance to squeak before something cold touched his soul, and thereby, his life faded before his eyes. 

The darkness at this moment began to fade away, and Ace's figure stood at the entrance, and a dark Qi bow was fading away in his left hand. 

Ace's eyes shone with a complicated glint, 'Three mighty rulers of this world perished just like that, and in my hands no less. How far I have come…' 

At this moment, the system voice sounded,

=====

[Thievery succeeded!]

[Host Stole]

[Storage Space Treasure (High-Grade-8): 1]

…

--

[Reward(s)]

-Rewards: 440,219,200 Thief Points

---

[Thievery Rank(s)]

-High-Level Thievery(s): 1

---

[High-level Thievery(s): 7/100]

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[Thief Point(s): 2,361,969,400]

---

[You have killed a Quasi-Soul Law Comprehension Realm Demon.]

[Reward: 10,000,000 EXP]

--

[Martial Cultivation: Heavenly Dark Soul Manifestation [Stage-9]]

[EXP: 2,423,190,000/2,500,000,000]

[Soul Cultivation: Heavenly Black Wind Soul Core [Stage-9]]

[SP: 2,110,731,990/2,500,000,000]

[Elemental Orb: 0/1]

=====

Looking at over 2.4 billion TP, Ace couldn't help but smile ear to ear. He got around the same TP as he got after pick-pocketing Margret's space ring. But they both didn't have any grade-9 storage rings, and Albert seemed to be the only one with one. 

Speaking of the storage ring, now that Ace had collected everything he needed and also dealt with the three ghosts, he decided to meet with Eva. He was so occupied with the mission that he almost forgot that he came in contact with her after years of separation, and now they can be together whenever they want. 

With such thought in mind, Ace collected the Qi pool into a storage bottle before he headed to Edward's storage ring. 

But this time, he scanned the ring and could see everything, even a few hidden treasuries filled with storage rings. Within those treasuries, in the smallest treasury hidden underground, the castle, he spotted four objects that weren't stored in any storage ring, which could only mean they couldn't be stored in an ordinary storage space treasure or were too important to store with other treasures. 

A human-sized silver egg, an ethereal white shard, a gray jade scroll, and strangely, there was a three-foot-tall dark statue of none other than Baphomet, the deity of the demon race. 

Ace felt strange seeing the Baphomet statue in Edward's ring, and he was feeling an extremely sinister Qi undulation from that status, which even gave him the chills despite only looking at it. 

'What the hell is this?' Ace was curious, but before he could further mull over this, he suddenly felt alarming murderous intent spreading throughout the space. 

'Eva?' Ace was startled because of his connection with Eva. He felt her mind was chaotic right now. 

He was instantly worried that something might've happened to her and quickly searched for her. Furthermore, he found her standing in the throne room of the castle, and the eighteen wives of Edward were now lying on the floor, unconscious because of the sheer pressure and crimson murderous aura she was releasing. 

At this moment, Ace's eyes winded when he saw where Eva was looking at this moment. Besides the dark throne was a pristine glass case, and with that glass case was an otherworldly woman dressed in a black queen's gown, and her eyes were closed as if she were sleeping peacefully.

But with a single look, Ace could tell she wasn't alive but dead, and only her body was preserved so well that she looked as if she was sleeping.

However, this wasn't important because that woman in the glass case looked 90% like Eva, and many thoughts surfaced in his mind. 

Still, he knew he needed to calm her down first, and she needed him there, so he quickly appeared right beside her. 

Eva's eyes were bloodshot and teary as she looked at the woman in a glass case with raging emotions swirling in her torn heart. 

"Eva…" Ace gently called her as he walked in front of her while removing his hood and disguise, and he could see the grief and shock written all over her face. 

Eva trembled slightly as her focus turned to Ace, and the killing intent in her eyes vanished, and grief overcame her as tears began to stream down her eyes, and she pounced into Ace's arms, trembling. 

Ace hugged her back as his heartache saw Eva like this and felt her soft, fragile body. He knew she was a strong-willed woman and wouldn't cry for anything, and he was the only one she showed her weak side and expressed her grief. 

He hesitantly asked, "Is she…?" 

Eva sobbingly replied with sorrow, "M-my…m-m-mom!" 

Ace closed his eyes as his fear came true, and he held her tightly and gently said, "If it was the Devil Ancestor behind this, then I killed him too early and painlessly. But this means your mother is avenged, and I hope you won't blame me for it since I didn't know about what that sick bastard had done. 

"Still, he is dead, and I hope you won't blame yourself for what happened in the past. I don't know what happened to your mother, or it's my place to say anything. But I'm always with you and will be, and I vowed this in front of your mother!" 

Eva calmed down a little after hearing Ace's soothing words and feeling his strong embrace. She wept silently for an unknown time…