Eternal Thief

After remembering about beast space and Pixy’s unexpected revelation, Ace quickly shifted his focus, and his perception changed into the second layer of the World Space Ring!

Ace was astounded when he saw the murky sky, like roiling, corpse-laden fog pressed flat against a horizon of endless dusk.

The ground was a barren, cracked plain of dark soil, stained in faint, ghostly hues, where even the air felt sluggish and oppressive—as if it were weighed down by centuries of silent resentment.

At the very center rose a single towering ghostly tree. Its bark looked like fossilized bones fused into blackened plates, slick and coldly reflective in places.

Long, twisted branches reached skyward like gnarled, skeletal hands, some ending in tattered, translucent leaves that emitted a pale, silvery mist. From its hollow trunk, strands of ethereal mist leaked out in slow spirals, giving the entire tree an unearthly, haunted aura.

Strangely, where bark cracked apart, faint gray runes pulsed gently.

But Ace’s eyes widened when he spotted a grotesque sack of ghostly material at the very top of the tree. It was partly embedded into the thickest, highest branch, and hung there like a large wasp nest—its surface like ashen chitin streaked with black veins that glowed faintly.

However, Ace soon realized that this grotesque sac wasn’t just looking like a wasp nest because swarming around the nest were dozens—perhaps hundreds—of eerily wasp-like creatures.

Their forms were semi-transparent, shimmering faintly between corporeal and ethereal. Each was about half an inch long, with segmented black bodies marked by spectral runes along the abdomen, creating a ghostly image.

Their stingers were unnaturally long, shimmering with a sickly, soul-corroding light. Most disturbing of all, instead of normal compound eyes, each wasp had two hollow, purple flame-like orbs, which radiated dreadful soul pressure.

The moment Ace’s perception swept over them, he felt as if dozens of invisible hooks had latched onto his soul, and he felt a sting in his mind.

“Ugh—!”

His mind recoiled instinctively. Although this kind of attack wasn’t enough to wound Ace’s soul, he quickly recovered; they still managed to hurt him through his perception only!

’Damn it… what are these things?!’

Ace was shocked by those wasps, and since this World Space Ring belonged to the Ghost King, those wasps naturally belonged to the Ghost King as well.

He suddenly realized that the Heavenly Ghost Formation might not be the only trump card of the Ghost King, and he instantly became excited since these wasps might be another hidden trump card the Ghost King was hiding.

“System apprise them!” Without hesitation, Ace ordered the system as he wanted to know everything about those wasps and that tree.

The system didn’t disappoint, and the result appeared before him.

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[Appraisal Result] The latest_epɪ_sodes are on_the novel·fıre·net

-Name: Soulshade Nether Tree (In Slumber)

-Race: Nether Ghost Tree Race

-Realm: Ghost Grand Lord (Damaged Foundation)

-Description: A Rare Nether Ghost Tree born with Nether Soulbane Wasp Queen under unique conditions and environment with intense Yin Ghost Qi and resentment. It possesses a symbiotic relationship with the Nether Soulbane Wasps. If separated, both species would quickly weaken and perish.

-Ability: Nether Mist

-Description: The wood of Soulshade Nether Tree emits Nether Mist that sustains the Nether Soulbane Wasps and helps them grow and evolve.

-NOTE: The Nether Soulbane Wasps can’t surpass the Soulshade Wraith Tree’s realm!

-Divine Trait: Symbiont

-Description: This Divine Trait allows its owner to evolve through its host constantly while also increasing the potential and talent of the host with each evolution.

-Soulshade Nether Tree’s Host: Nether Soulbane Wasp Queen

—

-Name: Nether Soulbane Wasps (843)

-Race: Nether Ghost Insect Race

-Grade: Ghost Lord

-Description: Birth by the Nether Soulbane Wasp Queen within the Soulshade Nether Tree. These wasps feed on the Nether Mist. In return, the wasps defend the tree, and their presence strengthens its soul mist production.

-Ability (1): Soulbane Venom

-Description: Their stingers contain Soulbane Venom that can corrode souls and bypass normal spiritual defenses.

-Ability (2): Soulbane Vision

-Description: Born with Soulbane Eyes that allow them to weaken and tear at the very fabric of a target’s soul.

-Divine Trait: Absolute Loyalty

-Description: This Divine Trait makes the owner absolutely loyal to their creator and those deemed close to the creator. They can never betray the creator and will die if the creator dies!

-Creator: Nether Soulbane Wasp Queen

—

-Name: Nether Soulbane Wasp Queen (In Slumber)

-Race: Nether Ghost Insect Race

-Bloodline: Nether Ghost (Transcendent)

-Grade: Ghost Grand Lord

-Description: A rare and unique existence born symbiotically with the Soulshade Nether Tree under extreme Yin Ghost Qi, dense resentment, and remnants of ancient soul force. Possesses unmatched control over the Nether Soulbane Wasps and is the core of the symbiotic cycle sustaining both her and the tree.

-Ability (1): Nether Hive Mother

-Description: The Wasp Queen can continuously produce Nether Soulbane Wasps within the Soulshade Nether Tree. The number of Wasps depends on the Queen and the Tree’s cultivation realm.

-NOTE (1): The wasps’ strength is limited by the Wasp Queen’s own cultivation and the Soulshade Nether Tree’s realm.

-NOTE (2): The wasps can also evolve with every evolution of the Wasp Queen!

-Ability (2): Royal Command

-Description: Absolute, instantaneous command over all Nether Soulbane Wasps born from her. Even if sealed or controlled by others, the wasps cannot disobey or betray her will. Can order them to self-detonate, enter deep dormancy, or merge into formations.

-Ability (3): Greater Soulbane Venom

-Description: Far stronger and purer than her offspring’s venom. Her sting or condensed venom can corrode even high-level soul defenses, directly attacking the soul core and causing permanent, near-irreversible soul damage.

-Ability (4): Greater Soulbane Vision

-Description: Her Greater Soulbane Eyes can project a soul bane field, weakening, severing, or devouring the soul force of any being caught in her gaze. Can even damage or tear at soul formations and defensive soul treasures.

-Divine Trait (1): Symbiotic Royalty

-Description (1): Upon birth, the owner of this trait can summon a suitable symbiotic entity that will complement them, and allows the owner to evolve alongside their host entity. Every evolution of the symbiotic entity could directly boost talent, lifespan, and realm potential, and vice versa.

-Description (2): Grants a unique shared destiny; if either one survives, the other cannot wholly perish.

-Divine Trait (2): Spectral Warrior

-Description: A unique divine talent born through the Nether Ghost Bloodline. Greatly enhances the owner’s cultivation speed and affinity for Ghostly Yin Qi and Ghostly Laws—increases the effectiveness of the owner’s soul attacks against living or soul-based beings.

-Divine Talent (Bloodline Related): Nether Entity

-1. Nether Phantom Veil

-Description: Allows the Wasp Queen to partially phase into the ghostly Nether dimension, becoming intangible to physical and most spiritual attacks for a short time. While phased, she can still use venom and command wasps.

-2. Insect Resentment Bloom

-Description: Absorbs intense ghost resentment and Yin Qi to temporarily amplify her soul venom and soul bane gaze to terrifying levels. Also, it empowers her offspring wasps for a brief period, turning them nearly berserk.

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Reading the appraisal, Ace’s heart pounded as he was thoroughly shocked because, not only did the tree and the wasps possess divine traits, but above all, the Nether Soulbane Wasp Queen had both divine traits and a divine talent with a transcendent-grade bloodline.

This was Ace’s first time seeing entities other than his own people who possessed divine traits and a Divine talent. Furthermore, these divine traits were incredibly unique, especially the Soulshade Nether Tree and Soulbane Wasp Queen’s Symbiont and Symbiotic Royalty.

Those two traits seemed to be made for each other, especially the Symbiotic Royalty, which allows its owner to summon a suitable symbiotic entity upon their birth.

’So, that’s how the Wasp Queen was able to birth the Soulshade Nether Tree upon her birth. Didn’t this mean if someone else has the symbiotic royalty divine trait, they can also summon different symbiotic entities that allow them to evolve constantly?

’In comparison, the Divine Talent Nether Entity appeared extremely ordinary…I wonder if I can get that symbiotic royalty divine trait with bloodline shop if I get my hands on the Wasp Queen’s bloodline…’

Ace’s eyes shimmered with excitement when he thought about summoning an entity that could further evaluate his talent and help him cultivate. Nonetheless, Ace didn’t have high hopes since that wasn’t the Wasp Queen’s bloodline talent.

However, without a doubt, Ace knew he had gotten something scarce, and this was definitely the Ghost King’s trump card.

Furthermore, with both the Soulshade Nether Tree and Soulbane Nether Wasp Queen’s slumbered status, it was quite clear that they might’ve been in some huge battle, which might be related to the Ghost King’s previous condition.

At this moment, Ace frowned, ’The tree is in slumber, and on top of it, its foundation is damaged. If I can recover the tree, the queen should be awake as well. But the main problem is, even if I repair the tree and awake the queen, how should I control them?

’The Ghost King should’ve had the method, but I can’t ask him now. Moreover, with how those wasps reacted to my perception earlier, if I sent another lifeform into the beast space, they’ll attack without hesitation since they’ll feel threatened…’

Ace fell deep into thought as he thought about how to utilize those insects to his own advantage!