Eternal Thief

The deeper Ace went, the more oppressive the tunnels became. At first, it was only a faint shadow overlaying the abyssal Qi, but the moment he crossed into the golden fate region marked on his Live Fate Map, the change was drastic.

The mines turned utterly black.

The faint glow of the abyssal ore veins, the blue fire torches, even the subtle gleam of his own eyes seemed to be swallowed whole.

Darkness pressed in like an ocean, devouring light itself. The only beacon was the shimmering projection of the Live Fate Map, faintly illuminating safe paths in the endless darkness.

At the same time, the aura of the Law of Sin grew unbearable, its whispers threading into his ears, tugging at his mind. Rage, greed, lust, sloth—voices of countless sins rose and fell like an unseen congregation.

Anyone without the comprehension of the Law of Sin would’ve gone mad here, their soul corroded into nothing but a puppet of sin and turned into mindless beasts who only worshiped sins.

Even Ace felt the weight clawing at him, and a sudden realization dawned on him, ’So this is its true nature… corruption through sin.’

His eyes flickered, cold and vigilant. Only the Law of Sin within him allowed him to resist and remain lucid, and at that moment, it seemed to have become more profound as he got a deeper understanding of Sins!

Suddenly, at this moment, the Live Fate Map pulsed as he froze, for within the pitch-black labyrinth, black fate points glimmered like embers.

They were scattered all over the golden fate location like hunters waiting for their prey to step in.

Ace’s expression darkened as he thought solemnly, ’These fate points seemed to be at least Grand Lord Realm! I need to be extremely careful now, or if I startled even one of them, it’ll be over for me, and I can only flee with everything I have!’

Carefully, he moved like a shadow, his stealth woven tight around his form. He glided through jagged ravines and narrow veins, weaving around the black points with flawless precision. One misstep and he knew he’d invite something beyond ordinary danger.

Time passed in silence until his eyes caught something unexpected. At the heart of this zone, the golden brilliance condensed. It was no longer just a faint shimmer at the map’s edge.

Here, it was blinding, concentrated, as though the entire fate of this place converged into one source.

’…That’s it!’ His pulse quickened, but his steps slowed. He advanced as a thief on the hunt, careful and deliberate.

However, at that moment, he suddenly stopped because the Live Fate Map showed the golden location directly ahead, but blocking his path was something bizarre. It was a crystalline iron wall, its surface shimmering like frozen black glass.

Ace’s brows knitted as even his Law Thief Sense stretched outward instinctively—but stopped. It was as though this strange ore had swallowed his perception whole.

Yet the moment frustration rose, something else stirred, which was completely unexpected, as a ripple of instinct within his Law Thief Sense stirred.

Ace’s eyes widened with astonishment, ’It’s Fortune Law Sense!’

Ace knew very well that Fortune Law Sense only triggered in the presence of precious opportunities and treasures, especially after its evolution. It was the first time the Fortune Law Sense had been triggered!

This made Ace confident that if it was resonating now, then what lay beyond wasn’t just essential, but extremely valuable.

“I must have!” His eyes flickered with resolution.

Without hesitation, his fist clenched, darkness coiling around it as he imbued it with the full Force of Darkness!

With a sharp exhale, he struck.

BOOM!

The impact shook the passage, a wave of abyssal dust billowing out.

However, to his astonishment, the crystalline wall didn’t shatter. Instead, deep fractures spiderwebbed across it, light sparking in the cracks.

Ace’s eyes gleamed as he mumbled, “This ore… it didn’t break under my force. That makes it at least an Abyssal Grade-7 material!”

Finally, with a grinding groan, the wall crumbled inward, revealing a hidden passage.

His shock gave way to satisfaction. Even if it weren’t blocking the path, this crystalline iron was priceless. Without pause, he drew it all into his Thief’s Space, intent on studying it later.

Afterward, Ace stepped through and froze again because the suffocating, natural caverns were gone.

In their place stretched a massive corridor, vast and ancient, hewn not by nature but by craftsmanship.

Its walls bore carvings faintly glowing with unknown abyssal script, its pillars rising like the supports of a lost palace. The air was heavy with age, yet perfectly preserved, as though time itself hadn’t dared erode it.

However, Ace’s eyes instantly locked at the far end, where a ten-meter-tall sealed door loomed, its surface engraved with an eerie, haunting mural.

A cloaked silhouette sat upon a throne of bones, faceless and vast, while legions of skeletal figures prostrated themselves in worship. The artistry was so lifelike that the figures seemed to writhe, caught in endless devotion.

The air here vibrated with power, and the whispers of the Law of Sin thundered, heavier and more distinct than anywhere else in the mines.

Ace’s eyes narrowed, his gaze fixed on the sealed door. ’So, this is it… the true source of the Sin Law in these mines.’

A slow, dangerous smile crept across his lips, “And behind that door… lies my golden fate!”

Ace slowly made his way towards the sealed door before he stood in front of it and felt, with an odd mixture of awe and irritation, how utterly outmatched he was by its sheer presence.

After a moment of hesitation, he reached out, not with fists this time but with perception.

The runes carved into the bone-black surface pulsed faintly, as if with a heartbeat. He ran his gloved fingers along the engravings and let his Primordial Law Sense (Previously Heavenly Sense) crawl around the sigils, probing.

The feel was like pressing his palm against an ancient star — cold, dense, and older than anything he’d met. At this moment, his brow furrowed. The composition was wrong for ordinary abyssal ore.

Even the fractured crystalline iron he’d smashed a moment ago paled in comparison.

At this moment, his eyes widened with awe and astonishment, “This door is an… abyssal Grade-9 treasure!”