Eternal Thief

Chapter 1462: The Council’s Trap! (1)

Dread Duchess looked at Ace intently as she nodded, ”You are indeed worthy of Moonless Wandering King’s heritage. Since you’ve already known about the Realm Teleportation Formation, it’ll be easier to explain why I brought you here.

”After a lengthy discussion, the Evernight Council decided to confront the Ghost King in one of the secret realms under the Council’s control. This teleportation branch node will transport us directly to the destination.

”But we still don’t know whether the method your master has used can work within a realm and teleport the Ghost King’s hideout there. So, can you reach out to your master and confirm this?”

Ace wasn’t surprised by Dread Duchess and Evernight Council’s misgivings and doubts. After all, the Dread Duchess has taken a huge risk by arranging all of this, and the Evernight Council was worried about the Ghost King.

”There’s no need to worry about this thing. My master has already thought about this problem beforehand. Although I don’t know much, from my understanding of my master, the method he arranged is absolutely foolproof. Please rest assured, my lord.” Ace ensured with confidence.

Dread Duchess was surprised with a hint of doubt still remaining in her heart. However, since Ace had already given her such assurance and because of her unfamiliarity with the Abyssal Kings’ method, she had no choice but to trust him.

She nodded, ”Very well. Then let’s proceed to the secret realm. The council has arranged everything, and as long as you can bring in the Ghost King, you’ll get the promised rewards and even more benefits. The Council won’t mistreat their benefactors.”

’Heh, they won’t dare to mistreat me because they didn’t want to offend the Moonless Wandering King...’ Ace scoffed inwardly, but he didn’t show and quickly thanked the Dread Duchess for her generosity.

At this moment, the Dread Duchess no longer hesitated and started to activate the branch node of the Realm Teleportation Formation. The branch node has already been altered by the Dread Duchess and connected with the secret realm on the other side.

The method of operating the Realm Teleportation Formation and its branch nodes was only taught to the Half-Abyssal Kings like the Dread Duchess because if this method fell into the hands of the enemy of the Evernight Council, they would become vulnerable. For the enemy can then infiltrate anywhere in the council as long as they obtain the Branch Node.

In such a situation, the Evernight Council then had no choice but to alter the entire Realm Teleportation Formation and then its branch nodes, which required massive time and resources.

One could even consider the Realm Teleportation Formation as one of the trump cards of the Evernight Council and a reason for their authority within the Abyssal Plains.

Thereafter, the Dread Duchess took out a black medallion with engraving similar to the pentagram where they were currently standing, and she placed the medallion into a groove on one of the black pillars.

The moment the medallion was connected to the pillar, the Dread Duchess muttered an incomprehensible chant at a frightening speed, and the entire formation lit up brightly.

Ace, who had been keenly watching, was shocked because the moment the formation was active, he felt an extremely profound aura of space law emitting from the entire formation. The density of the space law around suddenly skyrocketed, and Ace even felt he was on the verge of grasping something.

The pillars, shaped like a door, suddenly trembled as mystical runic markings appeared on their surface. A sudden, dark spark ignited within the center of the pillars, and a swirl of mass appeared, growing to form a black portal.

Although it may not look like much, just activating this branch node has exhausted a massive amount of precious resources, and they were all paid by the Dread Duchess herself.

The reason being that the Council didn’t completely trust her words, so to make them willing, the Dread Duchess decided to bear all the costs of arranging this entire endeavor.

But there was also another condition attached to it. If she could really deliver the Ghost King, her investment would be returned to her twofold.

Dread Duchess took a deep breath and retrieved the medallion from the grove, as it was one of the keys to activate the branch node of the Obsidian Myriad King. The portal would remain open for three nights now unless she or someone with similar authority decided to close it.

Unaware of Ace’s strange state, Dread Duchess said, ”Let’s go.”

Dread Duchess’s voice instantly brought Ace back to reality, and the strange feeling vanished immediately. Ace felt regretful and even angry, but he knew he couldn’t do anything about it in his current position.

Nonetheless, Ace’s comprehension of space law had increased, and he had a feeling that he was on the verge of a breakthrough in the field.

Suppressing his unwillingness, Ace nodded at the Dread Duchess and walked towards the portal, and with a hint of apprehension, he stepped inside, followed by the Dread Duchess.

Ace felt like he had stepped through the darkness, and before long, as his vision cleared from the swirl of darkness, he found himself standing atop an enormous obsidian platform, its surface carved with countless runes that flickered faintly with a cold, soul-chilling light.

All around stretched a desolate realm, the sky above was a swirling vault of grim charcoal mist, streaked with veins of dark crimson lightning that occasionally tore it apart, revealing glimpses of a deeper, endless void beyond.

Ragged mountains of broken black crystal jutted like the ribs of a dead beast around the horizon, and the ground below the platform was a sea of pale, lifeless ash, littered with the bleached husks of unknown abyssal creatures.

A sharp, bitter wind blew across the platform, carrying with it the faint scent of ancient decay mixed with something metallic, like old, dried blood.

Ace saw the familiar massive Realm Teleportation Formation’s branch node, hundreds of feet across, inscribed with intricate patterns of living runes. Some glowed steadily, while others writhed and twisted like serpents under the surface, pulsing with eerie life.

Furthermore, standing before the formation in grim silence were five tall figures whose very presence bent the surrounding air:

Ace instantly felt apprehension from them, just like the Dread Duchess, and he knew they were five Half-Abyssal Kings!

Each one was cloaked in abyssal regalia befitting their race and status, yet all radiated an overwhelming aura of ancient power and the oppressive weight of absolute authority.

However, masks partially obscured their faces, each bearing different motifs: a snarling fiend, a serene devil, a demon specter, a demonic visage, and a blank, polished abyssal mirror that reflected nothing.

Behind them, standing in disciplined circles around the formation, were dozens of cloaked figures—members of the Evernight Council. Their forms were hidden under heavy soul-silk cloaks inscribed with runes, and each exuded faint but unmistakable power.

Some hovered silently above the platform, balanced upon streams of abyssal spirit Qi, while others knelt beside floating formation obelisks, their hands pressed to the engraved runes, maintaining the activation and stability of the massive, newly built branch node within this realm.

The moment Ace and the Dread Duchess emerged from the swirling black portal, dozens of abyssal gazes turned toward them, their attention heavy and probing.

Yet despite so many powerful presences gathered, the moment their eyes fell on the Dread Duchess, there was a ripple in the abyssal spirit Qi—acknowledgment and restrained hostility alike.

She had truly gathered powerful figures of the Evernight Council here, each bearing their own authority, suspicion, and ambitions.

Dread Duchess Varathia stepped forward, her eldritch dress whispering around her as she addressed the assembled Half-Abyssal Kings, her voice steady, graceful, yet edged with devilish confidence.

”My lords,” She greeted them as her abyssal aura flowed like coiling shadows behind her, ”Let me introduce you to Abyss Wanderer, Nomad, the one chosen by the Moonless Wandering King. He’s going to be the one who shall summon the Ghost King into our grasp.”

Her words echoed across the desolate plain, reverberating against the twisted cliffs and bone pillars beyond.

A hush fell. Even the restless chains above seemed to still, as dozens of abyssal gazes shifted fully onto Ace.

Ace felt their collective scrutiny; it was like a piercing, cold gaze, as cold as death itself, they wanted to see through him.

Yet he kept his calm, even as the Live Fate Map in his mind showed dozens of black fate points crowding the surroundings.

The five Half-Abyssal Kings were also focusing on Ace as they were all curious about this Abyss Wanderer with meager strength. However, to their and everyone else’s surprise, they couldn’t see through anything except for his cultivation realm with just their precision.

They needed their Abyssal Sense to probe him; however, just like the Dread Duchess, they didn’t dare to because they were apprehensive of the Moonless Wandering King leaving behind some protective measure.

After all, if they offend an Abyssal King, they’ll be held accountable by the Evernight Council, another reason being that the Evernight Devil King was personally watching everything!