Eternal Thief

High above the First Battlefront, silence lingered only briefly while the Dread Duchess remained seated upon her crimson throne, her beautiful, devilish eyes never leaving the solitary figure standing beside Eva.

Kharon Veyth, who had taken down four Abyssal Lords. Not only had he erased a Corpse General before everyone’s eyes, but moments later, he had effortlessly exterminated three more without taking a single step.

Even to her, it appeared almost effortless as her eyes narrowed ever so slightly.

’Interesting...’

It was as if she replayed every exchange countless times within her mind. Every sword drawn, every fluctuation, and every ripple. Yet no matter how carefully she observed, the result never changed.

She could clearly perceive the terrifying Sword Intent. She could unmistakably recognize the existence of an Advanced Sword Heart. Yet, the mysterious power fused into his swordsmanship completely escaped her perception.

But she was completely certain that it wasn’t Abyssal Qi, nor was it a traditional method of incurring Sword Law, for it was a power she had never encountered before.

Every time she believed she had grasped a trace of it, it vanished like smoke as even her perception failed to identify it.

’What exactly are you...?’

For the first time in many years, after Eva and Nomad, another beneath the Abyssal Grand Lord Realm had managed to puzzle her. She even contemplated summoning him immediately and questioning him thoroughly.

However, when her gaze drifted toward Eva, she remembered the instant the hidden Corpse Generals had launched their sneak attack, and Kharon hadn’t hesitated. He had immediately protected Eva’s surroundings before eliminating every hidden threat.

Regardless of his secrets, he had fulfilled his duty perfectly. So, the Dread Duchess slowly dismissed the thought.

’This is a battlefield. Not an interrogation chamber.’

She thought that she could investigate him after the war; there was no urgency. Besides, a faint smile appeared beneath her mask.

’It seems the Weaponized Mystic Haven has unknowingly hidden quite an amusing little monster, which even they didn’t know existed. He would undoubtedly become the greatest dark horse of the Evernight Trial.

’When that truth was finally revealed, the expressions of those arrogant Mystic Weapons would certainly be entertaining...’ She thought amusingly as she almost looked forward to witnessing that scene.

While the Dread Duchess’s attention briefly lingered upon Kharon, the other battlefronts had already reached their decisive moments.

The terrifying Corpse Puppets that had initially shaken the entire battlefield were now being utterly suppressed by the Evernight Dukes. Their reputation as the supreme nobles beneath the Evernight Kings was no empty title.

---

Upon the Eastern Battlefront, an endless glacier had swallowed heaven and earth. Everything within hundreds of miles had become a frozen world.

Towering mountains of corpse soldiers had long since become ice sculptures, while rivers of Corpse Qi had frozen solid in midair before shattering into glittering fragments.

At the center of that frozen kingdom stood the Yin Duchess, her robes fluttering gently. She hadn’t taken a single step, nor had she drawn a weapon.

Her beautiful icy eyes merely watched the gigantic Corpse Puppet of the Seventh Corpse Commander struggling desperately within countless layers of absolute abyssal frost.

The enormous puppet roared continuously as emerald corpse flames erupted from every pore, attempting to melt the endless ice that imprisoned it.

Unfortunately for him, nothing changed: every burst of Corpse Qi froze again, and every movement merely caused another layer of abyssal frost to spread across its colossal body.

The Yin Duchess slowly lifted one elegant finger and disdainfully snorted, ”Enough!”

A single snowflake drifted down, and the moment it landed on the Corpse Puppet’s forehead...

’CRACK!!’

An enormous fracture instantly spread across the puppet’s entire body, and then another. Within a single breath, countless cracks covered the ancient corpse vessel.

The Seventh Corpse Commander’s split soul instantly sensed overwhelming danger. Without the slightest hesitation, the emerald corpse flames inside the puppet’s skull abruptly abandoned the vessel, transforming into a streak of green light that fled into the distance.

The gigantic corpse puppet remained standing for only another heartbeat, and then...

’BOOOOOOM!!’

It exploded into countless frozen fragments that scattered across the glacier like shattered crystal.

The Yin Duchess merely watched the escaping split soul without bothering to pursue. Her attention had already shifted toward another battlefield.

---

The Western Battlefront resembled an entirely different world as flowers bloomed throughout heaven, fragrant petals drifted endlessly through the battlefield, and the atmosphere appeared peaceful, beautiful, and dreamlike.

Yet every Corpse Clan expert trapped within that paradise wore expressions of absolute terror.

The Enchantress Demon Duchess lazily reclined atop her colossal, floating blossom, gently supporting her chin.

”My...” She sighed softly, ”You’ve become even uglier despite my efforts.”

Before her, the Eighth and Ninth Corpse Commanders had stopped attacking the Evernight Council.

Instead, their gigantic Corpse Puppets were desperately attacking each other while endless corpse beasts tore apart their own allies, and Vice Commanders slaughtered Corpse Elders.

Entire corpse formations collapsed beneath friendly fire while illusion flowers bloomed within every pair of corpse flames, and the deeper they struggled, the deeper they sank.

The Ninth Corpse Commander suddenly let out a furious roar, ”My consciousness...”

Before he could finish, his own puppet’s massive fist smashed directly into his chest.

’BOOOOM!!’

The Eighth Corpse Commander wasn’t any better, as his puppet suddenly tore off one of its own arms before using it as a club against itself.

The Enchantress Demon Duchess covered her mouth while laughing elegantly.

”Oh dear, you’ve already started destroying yourselves. What obedient little corpses.”

The two Corpse Commanders finally realized continuing the battle was meaningless. Almost simultaneously, both split souls abandoned their priceless Corpse Puppets before fleeing without even looking back.

Behind them, their treasured corpse vessels completely collapsed beneath the endless illusion world.

---

The Southern Battlefront was eerily silent as there were no spectacular explosions or dazzling phenomena, but only endless darkness.

The Corpse Duke remained standing before his gigantic black coffin.

Opposite him, the Sixth Corpse Commander’s puppet had already lost both arms, and its once overwhelming Corpse Qi had become chaotic.

The Corpse Commander stared resentfully toward the Corpse Duke, ”You abandoned your own kind...you serve the Evernight Council like a dog!”

The Corpse Duke’s expression never changed as he slowly rested one hand upon the enormous coffin.

”You still don’t understand, and still linger on your delusions!” His calm voice echoed throughout the silent battlefield, ”I’ll repeat again. You imitate death. I... embody it.”

The coffin lid slowly opened, boundless Death Qi erupted, and the surrounding Corpse Qi instantly collapsed as though acknowledging a higher authority.

The gigantic Corpse Puppet violently trembled, its corpse veins ruptured one after another, and its enormous body began decaying at a visible speed.

Even the split undead soul hidden within started screaming in agony as fear finally overwhelmed resentment.

The Sixth Corpse Commander immediately abandoned his Corpse Puppet. His split soul escaped into the horizon without daring to remain another moment.

The Corpse Duke simply closed the coffin once more, and silence returned.

---

Within only a short time, the Seventh, Eighth, Ninth, and Sixth Corpse Commanders had all abandoned their Corpse Puppets. The ancient corpse vessels they had painstakingly refined for countless years had been destroyed beyond recovery.

The Corpse Clan’s final defensive line had already begun collapsing. Yet no Evernight Duke showed the slightest satisfaction, because everyone understood that these six puppets had never been the true threat.

The strongest among them had yet to move.

---

Suddenly...

’BOOOOOOOOOOM!!’

Three terrifying spiritual pressures descended simultaneously from the distant horizon, making the heavens shake and the earth tremble.

Even the victorious Evernight Dukes slowly raised their heads, and their expressions grew solemn because, at that moment, someone powerful had finally arrived!