Eternal Thief

Ace nodded, "Yes, I just need insurance that you won't do anything during the ritual. As for my oath, it was to show my sincerity toward beauty like you."

"Heh, I'm inflated by Mr. Sky's praise." She chuckled while thinking, 'In the end, he's just a man. Why I'm thinking so much?'

She altogether jettisoned her uneasiness and cut her slender finger and a drop of blood dripped onto the Thief House Recruitment Token, and it got instantly absorbed. Thereafter, a mercury-like dark Qi appeared from her hand and touched the token.

'You're done!' Ace's wicked smile almost covered his entire face when he saw this, while he held his breath.

What happened next made All-Knowing Parrot learn her gut feeling was true all along!

The moment her Qi touched the token, it turned into a beam of pitch-black light and bolted toward her glabella!

Ace had to admit, she was far quicker than Noa, and she even managed to form a Qi barrier, but alas, the dark streak easily penetrated all of her defense and directly entered her head!

She impatiently probed her body and soul many times and when nothing seemed to be amiss, she indignantly looked at Ace. "You, what's the meaning of this?!"

But she didn't attack Ace because she thought it was the oath being established and if she reacted exceedingly, she might suffer some kind of backlash.

Ace didn't answer and waited for the system's notification.

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[Thief House Recruitment Token has been used!]

[System detected someone is trying to join the Thief House through a soul clone!]

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Ace's heart churned the moment he heard this and nearly fell from his seat. His victorious expression finally changed and almost vomit blood!

How could he forget about those hateful clone techniques?

Just as he was about to spout nonsense when the system's voice sounded again.

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[Searching for the genuine soul!]

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Ace felt like he had heard the words of salvation and quickly relax and looked at All-Knowing Parrot coldly and stated, "I have to admit you almost destroyed my entire plan with your soul clone. But it also means I was right about you!"

All-Knowing Parrot's eyes widen in shock when she heard 'Soul Clone' and an array plate appeared in her hand the next moment. This was her biggest secret, and it was somehow exposed to that dark streak. She finally understood why he wanted to use that token. It was to see if she was real or not. (According to her)

"I did not know; how can that token reveal this to you, since you found out in the end, I'm afraid I can't let you leave here! You can also see you can't hurt me or do anything since I'm just a soul clone.

"While I can easily expose you and destroy your entire plan and let the royal zone take care of you, I'm sure they won't let you go after they found out about the element sword intent.

"Follow me and let me put a hex soul mark into your soul. I promise I won't mistreat you, and you'll get far more than theft around. Or I can use this array and completely restrain you here and the outcome would be the same.

"But if you try to fight, everything will be over for you, so choose!" She looked at Ace with mockery as if she had already won, even if he discovered her secret.

'Hmph, I'll find out how he gets those tokens. They can be extremely useful, and he might have even more treasures. Hehe, it was indeed worth the effort in the end.'

However, her delightful expression clouded when she saw Ace cozy himself on the chair as he put his cross feet on the table. He didn't seem perturbed at all.

Thereafter, he swiped his hand in front of his face and the next moment, his real, human face appeared, and he had a huge devilish grin on his face as he said, "Really?"

Right at this moment, inside a room filled with thick dark Qi clouds.

Two vibrant eyes sprang open in this darkness, which was like humans with gray irises, but instead of one, they were golden tri-pupils.

"That's a hunter!" A euphonious voice cried out thereafter.

However, before she could say anything else, the space in this place throbbed before like glass, it shattered and a dark streak appeared from within and shot toward the voice's position!

"What?!" the voice sounded again filled with consternation and trepidation.

While All-Knowing Parrot was gobsmacked by Ace's actual appearance and was speechless.

Ace finally got the awaited notification.

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[New member entry has been successful.]

[Please open the Thief House interface to see further information.]

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At this moment, she finally snapped out of her trance as if she had sensed something.

Her eyes shone with killing intent as she was about to use the array when Ace's calm yet threatening voice sounded, "Don't show killing intent to me, or you'll regret it very soon."

"What was that token?!" She completely ignored his warning and some mysterious words in her head.

Both bodies were connected by all senses, and she just clearly experienced that dark streak that appeared after shattering the space, which was unheard of, and entering her main body despite her defense.

She finally understood why Ace remain so calm, and that token was the thing from which he got his confidence. She finally felt fear after all these years and didn't dare to underestimate him anymore.

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[Malicious and Murderous intention detected from a Thief House Member toward House Leader.]

[Punishment: Death]

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But something unexpended happened that made her blood run cold at this moment. Because of her extreme killing intent, an unmanageable pain hit her soul and a bolt of deadly lightning ran amok in her both bodies!

"Ahhhhhhh…."

She shrilled while falling onto her knees, and her veil also fell off, revealing a beautiful yet appalled face. The array medium also fell on the ground, vines appeared on her skin, and blood trickled from her orifice.

What made her feel genuine despair was that her actual body was also in the same state, despite being at the peak of the platinum soul realm!

"P-please…" this was the only word that came out as she felt her true soul start to flutter.

"I told you, don't show me your killing intent." Ace sneered, "Stop it."

From the last time, he was extremely calm and didn't pity All-Knowing Parrot at all because she deserved this since she schemed against him.

====

[House Leader has stopped the Punishment]

====

After this mysterious voice rang again, those two powers vanish, and she quickly started to recover from her injuries.

She looked at Ace with horrified eyes. She didn't dare to show killing intent anymore, afraid that the blood-curdling pain would start again. "I-I… I admit my fault. I'll give you anything. Just let me go. You can have my entire syndicate, information, resources, everything, just please spare my life. I won't try to take revenge anymore!"

Ace pursed his lip. "Why do you sound like I'm the villain here? Aren't you the one who wants me to become your slave? Where's your dignity? Do you want to be my slave now?"

Her heart palpitated when she heard this and said in a quavered voice, "I-I know I was wrong, just let me go. I can't be your slave, please, I have a responsibility. But if you kill me, you won't get anything out of it! You can just place this restriction on me and if I ever try to retaliate, you can kill me, but I can't be your or anyone's slave. I rather die!"

She meant what she said right now. She was only begging because she wanted to see if she could talk her way out of it with words and regain her freedom. Furthermore, she was willing to pay the price for her freedom, even her sweat, and blood, the Spica Syndicate!

As long as she lived she could earn everything back, but she was unwilling to become someone else slave, especially becoming a slave of some mediocre race, she had her own pride!

She felt Ace would start torturing her again, but her eyes widened when she saw him smiling.

"At least you have some backbone, or I would be sad to give you such an opportunity, but you still chose to remain stubborn in the end. Remembered, even we thief have their dignity, and that dignity is to have 'no dignity at all, alright?"

"W-what?" She felt something was wrong with Ace.

From the start, he seemed completely composed and mysterious, but now he suddenly said he was giving her an opportunity after using some mysterious restriction on her.

He even called her a thief, which she wasn't.

Ace grin and said in a warm tone, "Welcome to the Thief House!"

"T-thief house?" She was confused.

Ace sighed and bemoaned, "Why you guys always wanted to kill me, didn't you notice the voice in your head?"

She suddenly remembered that mysterious voice in her head, but she was panicking at that time, so she simply goes after the person who planted the voice in her head.

Seeing her recalling something, Ace put on his best swindler's smile!