Chapter 1619: A Complex Theft (2) |
Ace’s expression stiffened when Pixy confirmed what he had been fearing the most.
He thought gravely, ’It seemed I can’t go with the initial plan after all. Even if I overlooked the importance of the Transcendent Void Obsidian and still let Pixy devour this Half-Independent World, if I failed to exit in time, I would be thrown into the chaotic space.
’Moreover, once those terminals connected to the Undead Boundary collapse, it’ll cause a massive turmoil and upheaval within the Corpse Clan, especially that terminal that is connected to the location of somewhere closer to the Undead Boundary’s core formation.
’At that moment, it’ll be even more difficult to infiltrate that part, and all the Corpse Clan members inside the Lower Grave Strata would be under scrutiny. Lastly, it’ll definitely draw out the elusive Corpse Governor and all the Corpse Commanders...’
No matter how hard Ace thought about his options and different possibilities, everything led to the worst-case scenario. This leaves him with only one possible option.
Ace, already adjusting his plans, asked Pixy something else in an impassive tone, "I have one last question for you, what is that massive hexagon in the center of that gigantic honeycomb exactly, or should I call that the ’vaults’?"
"Hehe~," Pixy giggled playfully as she meaningfully said, "Oh come on, didn’t you guess already? You’re not that dumb after all. Well, I guess you lack confidence, which isn’t surprising, since you always put yourself in the worst possible situation in your mind.
"I’m telling you, change this nature of yours and have more confidence. I know for you, caution is necessary, but do not blur the boundary between caution and cowardness.
"Even if you ended up being wrong, what could possibly happen to you with all those sneaky trump cards of yours? In the end, you are just restraining your growth as a practitioner of wealth!
"Practitioner of Wealth, huh?" Ace’s eyes subtly flickered, "I guess you are not wrong."
"Oh, you get it, don’t you?" Pixy seemed to feign astonishment, but behind her faade seemed to be hidden approval.
Ace smiled faintly as his taut demeanor relaxed slightly, and he looked at the central hexagon profoundly, "So, that’s the core of this realm, I presumed? But considering how meticulous the creator of this place had been, it’s too obvious, and if I’m not wrong, it’s probably a trap."
"Hehe~, see? You just lack confidence." Pixy replied with a hint of mischievousness, "However, you are slightly off, as you just said, that thing is indeed an obvious trap, but because of it being so obvious, no one would dare to look inside."
Ace’s eyes shimmered with a hint of realization and couldn’t help but lampoon, "Hiding under plain sight? I must admit, whoever created this place is a genius as well as a wayward. Alright, I know what I need to do now."
Under Pixy’s fading giggles, Ace opened the Live Fate Map, and as he expected, the entire map was now dyed in glittering golden color. He wasn’t surprised since this entire place is important to him because it can upgrade his Thief’s Space to its current limits.
Ace looked at the terminals through the fate map and asked Moira, "Moira, point me to the terminal that is closest to the Transcendent Void Obsidian?"
Moira also realized what Ace was about to do, but didn’t question his decision because of the absolute trust in him.
Under Ace’s expectant gaze, one of the terminals in the live fate map flickered erotically, and after measuring the terminal where he was standing, his eyes landed on the terminal on the opposite side of where he was!
’So, that’s where I need to go!’
Ace’s gaze locked onto the distant terminal Moira had marked, standing on the opposite arc of the colossal dome, embedded high above like a silent gate carved into the heavens of this sealed world.
Moreover, from where he stood at Terminal No. 23, the distance wasn’t just far; it was absurd, as a direct path across the honeycomb vault would’ve been the fastest route.
But Ace didn’t even consider it, and his eyes briefly swept over the massive hexagonal lattice floating at the center, each cell sealed with layers of condensed Qi, all revolving around that ominous hexagram core.
A single wrong move there and everything could collapse into chaos.
’No need to invite trouble,’ Ace thought beneath his hood.
The decision was simple. He would move along the outer ring, terminal to terminal, avoiding the core, the vaults, and anything that could react. Meaning, the safest path was the longest one.
Without hesitation, Ace moved, and his figure blurred instantly as Dark Tempest activated, his form turning into a streak of black motion as he launched himself toward the nearest adjacent terminal along the inner curve of the dome.
At the same time, lawless Darkness remained fully active, and his existence stayed erased, and his presence was ignored.
But the cost of keeping the Lawless Darkness active was clear to Ace as his Primordial Spirit Qi drained at a terrifying rate.
Even with his deeper comprehension of the Order of Darkness, even with improved efficiency, this authority was simply too profound!
’At this rate... I won’t make it,’ Ace calculated coldly.
The next moment, without hesitation, he accessed the system shop mid-flight, and the next moment, ten vials of Heavenly Spirit Recovery Elixir appeared within his Thief’s Space instantly.
Ace has made preparations in advance because running out of Primordial Spirit Qi probably meant death.
At this moment, Ace landed lightly on the next terminal platform without any sound or Qi ripple as the structure beneath him remained silent, as if nothing had ever touched it.
But he didn’t stop or even spare a glance; as soon as his feet touched the surface, he pushed off again, leaving behind another streak of invisible darkness, shot forward towards the second terminal, and then... third.
The distance between each node was massive, but under Dark Tempest, Ace crossed them like flashes of shadow.
Yet, by the time he reached the third terminal, something changed for his cloak made with the Lawless Darkness flickered.
Even though it was just once, it was enough to make Ace’s eyes sharpen instantly as he could feel the Lawless Darkness tremble slightly, its seamless concealment destabilizing for a split second!