Eternal Thief

Chapter 1551: The ’Lucky’ Unlucky Boss (5)

At this moment, since the Dread Duchess still hadn’t returned from the hidden underground prison of the castle, and Khazar was incapacitated, Mirage Shadow was in command.

She stood quietly in the castle’s shadowed corridor, guarding the unconscious Khazar, and beside that room was an alchemical stasis, where ’Nomad’ was getting healed so that she wouldn’t leave this place alone.

Mirage Shadow’s demeanor was cold and disciplined as she stood there like a statue, giving off a dangerous aura that wouldn’t allow anyone to approach her.

If she wanted, she could’ve just remained hidden within the shadows without getting exposed. Still, she decided against it, so anyone who has any dangerous thoughts against Nomad or Khazar would think twice before making a move.

She was still thinking about the series of events that had taken place in the Black Hermit City ever since she and Nomad arrived here, until a guard sprinted toward her, pale and trembling, sweat pouring down his armored face.

Mirage Shadow’s eyes turned cold and filled with warning, sending chills down the guard’s spine, and his knees went soft, and he fell on the floor.

The guard wasn’t at fault, since Mirage Shadow had personally announced that any anomaly that the Black Hermit forces couldn’t handle should be reported to her directly.

But she wasn’t expecting the time to come so soon, and she thought these guys were rather incompetent.

”What is it?” Mirage Shadow’s icy voice sounded, making the guard feel as if he was stared by a Grim Ripper, nearly forgetting about the actual matter.

”M...my l-lord!” He panted, voice cracking with fear and disbelief as he gathered his courage and reported, ”Something... something terrible has happened in the market!”

’Did someone dare to attack despite her highness’s presence?!’ Mirage Shadow’s brows knit behind her abyssal hood as her aura sharpened, ”...Define ’terrible.’”

The guard swallowed hard as he really wanted to run away, but he couldn’t, so he could only tell her everything.

”All... all the major shops’ vaults... they...” His voice cracked again.

Mirage Shadow’s aura sharpened, ”Speak.”

”They were emptied!” He finally cried, ”Treasures, herbs, artifacts, beast eggs—everything! And...and all of them found a coin with the same cursed name...”

At this moment, he took out that pentagon coin and held it out in shaking hands.

Mirage Shadow was astounded and slightly confused when she heard the guard talking about some thieveries in the market, and she felt a trace of anger rising in her heart because this matter wasn’t even worth handling herself.

After all, these guards and the marketplace’s personal security should be more than enough to handle any petty thieves causing trouble.

Not only have they seemed to fail, but they have even been robbed, and now they dare to seek help from the lord castle; she really wanted to whip them all.

However, when she dismissively looked at the coin in the guard’s hand, her eyes narrowed slightly because that coin was made from a Grade-7 Abyss Gem!

She curiously took it and saw the exquisite cat symbol, and on the coin’s back...

”Unlucky Boss?” She muttered.

The moment that name left her mouth, a shadow twitched behind her, and Mirage Shadow finally noticed the change as a chill ran down her spine because someone had snuck into her shadow, and in this whole city, there was only a single person who was capable of it.

Without hesitation, she kneeled and greeted, ”Welcome back, your highness! Please forgive this subordinate’s lack of awareness!”

When the guard saw that fearsome woman kneeling in front of her own shadow, and then he heard that respectful title, he nearly fainted.

At that moment, from Mirage Shadow’s shadow, Dread Duchess emerged like a phantom, but she didn’t reply to the former’s greeting; instead, she now held the same pentagon coin that had at some point vanished from Mirage Shadow’s hand without her even realizing it.

Mirage Shadow finally noticed it, and she was astounded when she felt the Dread Duchess focus on the coin and found it unbelievable because she knew there weren’t many things that could interest the Dread Duchess.

”So that was your true purpose, huh?” Dread Duchess suddenly muttered with a hint of amusement as if she had solved something exciting.

”Purpose?” Mirage Shadow hesitantly inquired.

”Hehe~.” Dread Duchess chuckled, but there was a hint of malice as her eyes shifted to the trembling guard, and she stated, ”Let’s go for a stroll in the market!”

Mirage Shadow finally looked at the Dread Duchess with disbelief because she knew that Dread Duchesses weren’t going there to stroll; instead, she was going to visit those victims and investigate this Unlucky Boss personally.

’Who is this Unlucky Boss?’ Mirage Shadow was now burning with curiosity...

---

The wind howled across the cliffside, carrying the metallic scent of abyssal storms and the distant uproar of a city losing its mind.

Ace’s avatar stood at the edge of the precipice, cloak snapping behind him, staring up at the Black Hermit City carved into the mountain like a nest of fangs.

Zaria stood beside him, arms wrapped around herself, and a faint smirk tugged on her lips as she chortled, ”I guess they found out.”

”Heh, the Duchess was there, and I think she also saw the ’message’.” He looked at Zaria with pride, ”Now, even if the Duchess wants to keep the ’Unlucky Boss’ a secret, she couldn’t, and with how many shops we robbed, I don’t think those people would give her face and not report this to their backers.”

He hesitated for a moment before he continued with a wry smile, ”So, now you are going to be famous, I hope you are ready because there’s no going back...especially changing your name.”

Zaria snickered with a hint of displeasure, clearly not happy with Ace’s last comment, ”I’m not planning on changing it since it suits me quite well. On the other hand,”

Her eyes glowed with ecstasy as she looked at her house status, ”I have to admit, just by stealing this much, I’ve gained enough house points, and it’s quite easy to gather resources. Even easier than extortion...ahem, I mean collecting protection fee.”

Ace couldn’t help but shake his head since he knew Zaria was talking about what she used to do in the Runic Forge City.

After glancing at the city one last time, Ace drew a slow breath and stepped forward.

”Let’s go,” He said, ”The Duchess is already moving.”

Zaria didn’t say anything and followed Ace, and they vanished into the eternal night of the abyss; their destination was unknown!