Eternal Thief

Before either the Dread Duchess or the Midnight Duke could speak further, another spatial fluctuation appeared, and the second figure emerged.

The moment she appeared, the temperature in the chamber dropped as if invisible ice spread through it.

It was the Yin Duchess, her face hidden behind a mask with an eerie arrowhead motif, but her eyes were icy-cold and bore their usual expressionless indifference.

But the moment she glanced at Dread Duchess in her crimson devil motif mask, and the latter glanced back, the temperature somehow dropped even further.

The Midnight Duke wisely remained silent, his expression unknown behind his mask bearing a demonic visage.

However, it wasn’t over as the realm gateway flickered again and the third arrival stepped through moments later.

”Heh, my, my...” A lazy chuckle echoed before a tall and voluptuous Enchantress Demon Duchess, clad in flowing black-and-crimson robes and a serene demon-motif mask, gracefully emerged from the portal.

Her powerful, enchanting aura instantly filled the chamber as she looked around curiously and commented, ”It seems things have become quite lively.”

The Midnight Duke politely nodded, remaining silent as if he didn’t want to engage in a dialogue with the Enchantress Demon Duchess.

Before long, a fourth figure, wrapped in burial robes with his face hidden behind a snarling fiend-motif mask, arrived, and his presence brought an aura of death.

”Lord Midnight Duke!” The moment the Corpse Duke appeared, he quickly greeted the Midnight Duke like a junior before a senior.

The Midnight Duke’s eyes flickered with approval, and he felt slightly closer to the Corpse Duke as he greeted back in a mild tone, ”Corpse Duke, welcome.”

At this moment, five Evernight Dukes had gathered within the Realmbreaker Conquest Ark, and they were enough to wreak havoc across the Abyssal Plains unless an Abyssal King personally intervened.

Yet the arrivals were not over, as the next figures held special status. The next moment, the gateway trembled once more, and the atmosphere became solemn.

Even the arrogant Midnight Duke straightened slightly, knowing who was coming.

Thereafter, three figures slowly emerged from the portal. They were none other than the lantern-bearing envoy, the chain-bearing envoy, and the faceless envoy. The Three Protector Envoys, the true representatives of the Evernight Sanctuary!

The moment they appeared, silence descended throughout the entire chamber.

The Midnight Duke immediately stepped forward and spoke in neither a servile nor an overbearing manner, ”Esteemed Protector Envoys.”

The eye within the lantern slowly opened, and crimson light illuminated the chamber.

The First Protector Envoy looked toward the Midnight Duke emotionlessly before speaking, ”Lord Midnight Duke, we’ve received direct orders from the regal majesty Evernight Devil King!

”We’ll be deployed if the respected Evernight Dukes fail to complete the tasks, or interfere in any anomaly we deem as a threat!”

The moment the First Protector Envoy finished speaking, an almost imperceptible change occurred within the chamber.

The Evernight Dukes remained silent, their expressions composed yet unknown; beneath that calm exterior, not one of them felt pleased.

Because despite the Protector Envoy’s emotionless and seemingly polite words, the implication behind them could not have been more obvious.

The Protector Envoys were backup, like insurance and a contingency. The Evernight Devil King had deployed and personally given them commands, which meant only one thing.

The Evernight Devil King believed the Evernight Dukes might fail or be incapable of handling a cornered Corpse Clan, and neither interpretation was pleasant.

After all, Evernight Dukes were among the highest authorities beneath the Abyssal Kings themselves, as each one commanded vast territories and countless experts, and each one was a symbol of the Evernight Council’s might.

Yet now three Protector Envoys had been dispatched as a backup to the battlefield, as if to ensure things wouldn’t go wrong, or perhaps as if the Evernight Devil King trusted those ’slaves’ more than the Evernight Dukes.

The atmosphere became slightly colder.

Dread Duchess narrowed her devilish eyes. Yin Duchess’s expression remained indifferent, though frost visibly gathered around her sleeves. Enchantress Demon Duchess merely smiled, but the smile no longer reached her eyes. Even Corpse Duke’s aura darkened slightly.

But among them all, the Midnight Duke felt the greatest indignation as this conquest was under his command. The Undead Cradle had been his responsibility since the Evernight Trial was announced.

Moreover, right now, the Realmbreaker Conquest Ark answered to him; not to mention that the battlefield preparations, the strongholds’ arrangements, and the deployment were all his.

Yet despite all of that, the Evernight Devil King still felt the need to send the Protector Envoys as a backup, but not as high-level strategic personnel like the Evernight Dukes.

It was difficult not to interpret that as distrust.

Of course, no matter what thoughts crossed his mind, the Midnight Duke would never dare question an Abyssal King’s decision, even if he currently had the Evernight Fiend King’s support, unless he wished to suffer.

In the end, he reached a conclusion. They only needed to ensure the Protector Envoys never had a chance to intervene; then everything would prove itself.

The Evernight Devil King’s concerns would become unnecessary, and their authority would remain intact.

Meanwhile, the Protector Envoys showed no interest in further discussion as they had already delivered the Evernight King’s will; that alone was their purpose, nothing more, and nothing less.

Without waiting for replies or acknowledging anyone further, the three figures simply vanished, space distorted, and then silence returned.

The Protector Envoys were gone, leaving behind only the five highest-ranking figures of the Evernight Council within the Undead Cradle!

The Midnight Duke and the four Evernight Dukes, for several moments, nobody spoke before the former stepped forward.

Since this battlefield fell under his jurisdiction, he naturally assumed command.

A massive projection appeared before everyone, and the entire Undead Cradle battlefield materialized. The now visible Undead Boundary, the advancing Realmbreaker Conquest Ark, the newly established fortresses, and various battlefronts.

Everything appeared before the Evernight Dukes, especially the Dread Duchess, her eyes shimmering with a hint of cruelty as she saw the visible Undead Boundary, as if she could finally sever an ill-fated connection!