Eternal Thief

Adolph and Douglas could be seen walking in a thick forest behind the group of eight others. Furthermore, the leader of this squad was non-other than the same demon who appointed them in Squad #2.

There were five demons, two devils, one hunter, and two humans in this squad, and except for the two humans, Douglas and Adolph, the others could be said to be a league above them.

Especially the red hair hunter scout who was quite proficient in pathfinding and he was using a bow and arrows.

As for the demons, they were all holding long spears while the purple-wing devils were carrying dual long swords. This left Adolph and Douglas, who were too fragile in comparison.

“Brother Adolph, it seemed your decision to join them was right. With these guys around, we’ll be safe in this beast forest.” Douglas happily whispered to Adolph.

“It seemed to be the case.” Adolph nodded in agreement.

But inwardly, Ace was not as optimistic as Douglas because he could sense far more than a mortal. Looking at the demons and devil following the hunter’s lead, his lips curled up into a cold smile.

Just like that, the night arrived, and the group didn’t encounter any danger or prey the entire noon. So, the demon leader named Johnnie ordered to set the camp in the open while the devils started to get busy setting up the perimeters. At the same time, the humans were ordered to collect firewood.

“I never thought this place was so peaceful. All those rumors about this place being filled with demonic beasts were completely baseless. I even suspect those demons and devils deliberately spread them to hoard all the benefits.” Douglas articulated with Adolph while collecting the firewood.

“Maybe,” Ace commented dismissively.

The hunting squads were filled with mostly demons and devils because of their superior physical trials, and that’s why the food was controlled by them as well. They sold their hunt to the market for others commodities.

‘Rustle…’

At this moment, rustling sounds were suddenly heard from the woods, drawing Douglas’s attention while Ace merely glanced there without any hint of surprise.

“Who’s there?” yelled Douglas as he threw the woods on the ground and pointed the spear in the sound’s direction with vigilance.

‘Rustle… rustle…’

More sounds started to ring from all directions.

“We are surrounded.” Ace coolly stated.

Douglas’s face turned ashen when he heard it and blurted, “Let’s yell for help tighter. We are not far from the campsite. They will be able to hear us!”

Ace shook his head and nonchalantly uttered, “I don’t think it’s possible, Brother Douglas, because we are surrounded by none other than our squad members.”

“What?!” Douglas exclaimed as he looked toward Adolph in disbelief.

Ace ignored him and looked at the rustling sound direction and said with a cold smile, “Why don’t you come out and explain it to my companion here, Leader Johnnie?”

Just as Adolph’s voice trailed off, Johnnie’s guffawed voice rang as all the rustling sounds suddenly vanished, and only his strange heavy voice was left in the silent vicinity.

Douglas was flabbergasted since it confirmed Adolph’s previous words. But he soon laughed dryly as he said, “Leader Johnnie, please don’t scare us like this.” He was relieved that they were not surrounded by demonic beasts.

“Good, very good. You are indeed somewhat special.” Johnnie walked out from the woods while the other seven members of the group followed behind.

Ace looked at all of them and asked with a smile, “So, you lure us here in this barren vicinity just to scare us?”

Johnnie looked at Adolph’s smiling face and couldn’t help but feel something was not right, but it was just a feeling, so he ignored it as he had done this too many times, and this time won’t be any different.

He replied mockingly, “When did you find out? If you knew I was luring you here, why didn’t you do anything?”

“What are you guys talking about?” Douglas was bewildered as he started to have a very bad proposition.

Ace answered nonchalantly, “I found from the moment you have us instated in your squad as to why you lure us here. I got the answer a long time ago. I just want to make sure you won’t commit such a heinous act again.”

“What did you say? Ahahaha, are you an idiot…” the other demon suddenly laughed as he mocked, but his voice cut off, and the very next moment.

‘Boommm.’

His entire body suddenly exploded, and all the other reaming seven were too shocked to care about the bloody gore on them. Douglas’s eyes almost popped out of his eye sockets as if he was in a dream.

“Ambush!” Johnnie’s face was ashen as he roared.

Everyone snapped out of their stupor, and they quickly took stances with horrid expressions on their faces. This was their first time encountering such a situation. From start to finish, they never even suspect that it was the doing of those two humans.

At this time, Ace spoke again as he looked at them with an icy gaze, “Leader Johnnie, didn’t you enjoy hunting humans and feel thrilled when they begged you to spare them? Not to mention you enjoy the taste of human flesh above anything else.

“That’s why you only gather your squad whenever a human comes to register in the hunting squads. I could’ve ignored you killing them, but I don’t like anything else you do, especially the part about tormenting them and then eating them. Tell me, why only humans?”

Johnnie’s heart trembled as he abruptly turned toward Adolph’s direction, and so did everyone else involved with him.

“H-how do…” But before Johnnie could finish.

“Bang… bang… bang…”

Six more continuous explosions rang in the vicinity, and only Johnnie was left on this spot, standing there like a statue as he was now covered in his companions’ flesh and gore.

But his eyes were now filled with terror as he looked at the human who was still smiling, and he felt he was too familiar with this smile because he used to smile this way whenever he was on a hunt for humans.

He never thought he would dread this smile so much that he wanted to wet himself right there and then. He always thought humans were inferior and only good for their food, but now he felt he was meeting a human first time.

“Since killing helpless humans have no consequences, then I’m sure killing you guys won’t be any different.” Ace nonchalantly said before Johnnie exploded right then and there, just like his companions.

Ace had long seen their memories, and he could’ve just escaped after confirming his conjecture, but when he saw their conduct against humans, he wanted to kill them in the same way they did with all those helpless humans.

Although he had killed many before, and many might fall in his hands in the future, he never enjoyed it, nor was he proud of it. He only enjoys theft and the process of it.

“Y-y…” Douglas was about to go mad when his eyes went blank.

‘Art of Mind Stealing: Bronze Thievish Hand! Ace’s pupils suddenly lit in bronze color before they returned to normal within a moment.

Thereby, Douglas, who was standing blankly, suddenly fell face-first on the ground.

Ace coldly thought while looking at Douglas, ‘I guess this will do for now. He won’t remember a thing from the point we stopped for rest.’

Stealing the memory of a mortal was child’s play for Ace after he got the hang of the Art of Mind Stealing the first realm, Bronze Thievish Hand. Now Douglas will fill that small missing gap in his memories himself after he wakes up and finds himself alone.

After Ace was done, he started to fade like an illusion, leaving nothing but a bloody mess behind!