Eternal Thief

"They all give their regards." Alvin faintly said before he conjured a golden emblem from his storage ring and give it to Finn. 

"From your mother." Alvin gravely said as he gave that emblem to Finn. A hint of melancholy flashed past Alvin's eyes.

Ace take a deep breath and received the golden emblem.

This emblem was like a palm-size coin and there were two words engraved on both sides. "Preserve" and "Success".

"Oh, a lucky charm and it seemed to be made by some precious material. You quite lucky to have a loving mother." Old Luke smiled warmly.

Ace felt this emblem was heavy than a mountain and quickly store it in his thief's space. For some reason, this emblem stir the very core of his heart and he didn't like this feeling in the least bit since he didn't know why he was feeling this way.

'Next time, I should consider choosing a face with no family or some family-like Javier's.' Ace made a mental note with a heavy heart and suppress that foreign sensation.

"Let's go." Alvin nodded toward Old Luke. 

Luke chuckles and with a wave of his sleeve, a grey light barrier enveloped the four of them. 

Ace saw the barrier with great interest, but he didn't dare to use his runic eyes in the presence of a Qi river core expert. This was a gamble he didn't want to take. 

"Hihi, leaving without saying goodbye how cold of you brother Alvin!" 

A jeering voice drifted at this moment and with this voice descend a humongous force!

Old Luke and Sofia's faces turn pale when they felt the aura and the Ghost Crane also cries in alarm before its legs shiver and with a thud, it landed straight to the ground. 

Ace's heart sank, 'Another Qi River Core expert!'

"Hmph!" Alvin coldly snort and the pressure instantly vanished from everyone. 

"Hihi, just like I remember always so cold to friends." That laughing voice sounded again. 

"Stop this nonsense Black Reaper and show your ugly face." Alvin coldly said while increasing his aura. 

"Hihi, it seemed that Lass indeed told you about me." The next moment a tall figure appeared out of thin air. He was completely covered in a black cloak.

"Do you think she could've left without paying the price if she didn't reveal your presence?" Alvin darkly said.   

"Indeed, but admit it brother Alvin, you didn't have the guts to kill her even if she were alone." Black Reaper scoffed. 

Alvin's face darkened because Black Reaper's words were true. He really can't kill Natalia that day since it would put a hit on himself. 

Black Reaper's, and he had some history between them. And his presence just give Alvin's the reason to forbear Natalia, but it also showed just how much Nightmare Ghosts wanted that thief as well. 

That's why Alvin was on edge all this time because he can't fight someone like Black Reaper who never fights head-on. Moreover, Black Reaper was famous for killing a person in the Qi river core realm with one strike!

Alvin just wanted to leave as quickly as possible or he wanted to be at least in the air where Black Reaper can't use his sneaky attacks. Alvin was confident in beating this guy if he fights head-on.

But alas, Black Reaper didn't let him have his way and intercept him before the Ghost Crane could fly.

Now the situation was grave!

Ace on the other side was terrified because he doesn't sense this Black Reaper soul signature nor his Qi or Soul waves. It was as if he wasn't here at all!

'That cloak!' Ace's eyes narrowed when he saw the pitch-black cloak on Black Reaper.

It was indeed the treasure that was hiding Black Reaper's existence itself and it was more powerful than Alvin's or Old Luke's treasures combine!

"Cut to the chase what do you want?!" Alvin stiffly demanded.

Black Reaper's face was hidden underneath that black cloak but Ace felt a chill run down his spine when a powerful martial sense lock on him. 

'He's also here for me!' Ace grimly thought as he does his best to act ignorant as if he didn't know Black Reaper was using his martial sense to scan him.

Alvin also sensed Black Reaper martial sense scanning Finn, but he didn't stop him and let him examine Finn. 

Alvin knew Black Reaper was suspecting Finn to be Sky Stealer, and that's why he intercepted him. As long as Black Reaper confirms Finn wasn't a fake he'll probably leave. 

As for Black Reaper founding out about anything special about Finn that was night impossible since the records of element physics only exist in Pill Flame Organization! 

Just as Alvin thought after finding nothing amiss with Finn, Black Reaper retract his martial sense and spoke with a hint of meddling in his voice. 

"He's indeed a real person. But I'm quite curious why are you taking this ordinary brat with you?" 

"Since you asking so politely, I'll tell you." Alvin coolly said, "He has the talent to become a Black Rank Alchemist." 

Old Luke and Sophia on the side were astonished hearing this because Black Alchemists were very rare and if this brat has such potential, then he can become a person with a prominent position in the organization one day.

"Is that so?" Black Reaper's facial expression was hidden underneath that black clock so no one knows what he was thinking. 

'It's a lie. There is something else.' Ace on the side instantly see through Alvin's lie since his soul sense was always active. 

Ace recently found out that his soul sense was invisible even in the martial sense presence so he was not afraid of using it to the fullest anymore. 

Alvin has indeed made up this excuse so Black Reaper would leave without causing any trouble because if this guy attacked even he has to be careful much less protect the others beside him.

"Fine. I'll leave you alone… but on one condition!" Black Reaper's playful voice sounded. 

"Speak." Alvin grimaced. 

"Hihi, I want a night with that beauty." Black Reaper's lustful voice sounded as he pointed toward Sofia!

"Bastard!" Sofia was enraged. No one has dared to treat her like some whore. 

"If you want a fight so be it." Alvin shows intense killing intent at this moment.

Although Finn was indeed very important, it was not confirmed yet and Sofia was his blood sister so how could he sell her to this bastard.

A hint of disdain also surfaces in Ace's eyes. He never expected these Nightmare Ghosts to be so wanton, and they didn't seem to have a good relationship with other organizations as well.

"Hihi, I was just joking and teasing Lady Sophia. I'll take my leave now." Black Reaper laugh mildly and vanished from the spot just like he appeared before. 

Although, Black Reaper wasn't afraid of fighting Alvin it wasn't worth it since there was no reward. Moreover, if Alvin went all out, then they would cause a tremendous commotion and Black Reaper superiors would not like it.

So, Black Reaper backed off after pushing Alvin's buttons and focus on finding that thief since only one day was left in the kingdom level test to finish. 

Alvin's tense nerves finally settle after he saw Black Reaper finally disappear, leaving them alone. He knew he just dodged a bullet. 

"Let's go before that lunatic changed his mind." Alvin gravely command Old Luke who was also seemed quite relieved. 

"Yes!" Old Luke also knew they just escaped a clammily and didn't want to stay here any longer, especially not after finding out the famous Black Reaper was here. 

The Ghost Crane spread its monstrous silver-grey wings and gracefully wave them and take flight. 

This was Ace's second time experiencing flight but this time he was going to travel on a Qi river level demonic beast and this make him somewhat nervous! 

Just in a few seconds, the Ghost Crane was fifty meters in the cloudy sky and with a cry of joy, it flips its wind and shot in the east direction like a loose arrow. 

In a minute, the Ghost Crane has reached its full speed and covered a hundred meters in an instant! 

Ace was astonished by this speed, 'This Ghost Crane can easily catch me if I run in the open fields.' He mused. 

"The journey to the Damien Kingdom is going to take us a month on this Ghost Crane. Trust me, if it were any other demonic beast we have to travel on foot between the Natural Earthen Boundary of 2nd Grade and 1st Grade lands." Old Luke saw Finn's curious expression and couldn't help but preach his knowledge to this youngster. 

"Why is that?" Ace read about this before but he didn't know the reason behind this. 

That's why he wanted to pass those tests so he could cross this boundary with no inconvenience because he read that almost 90% of people die just to cross this Natural Earthen Boundary!