Eternal Thief

Chapter 218 - The Mysterious Circle

When Ace entered the cloudy mist, he used a thick Soul Qi barrier just to protect himself from the emerald mist. He only moved ten meters before stopping because he was waiting for the group outside, and he didn't have to wait for long.

Just in five minutes, ten people enter the mysterious circle. 

The seven Qi river core cultivators were still looking fine as they were using element Qi to protect themselves, while Marc and his two sword-maids were also using some kind of treasure barrier with element Qi. 

"Now what?" the woman in Nightmare Ghosts questioned, her name was Margaret, a black assassin. 

"Follow my Qi closely and don't come closer than ten meters, or I'll leave you guys in this mist. Only I can pave the way for you from here." Ace's nonchalant voice sounded at this moment. 

He was using the map to control this group even though he didn't know the way at all, but he can easily detect danger, which was much better than them. He needed these guys if he found the elemental orb, or he can always escape from them. 

In this mist even, his soul senses were affected much less martial sense without heavenly Qi's support. He was sure they won't backstab him until he served his purpose. 

"What are you saying we're comrades now aren't we?" Black Reaper's friendly voice sounded. 

Ace sneered, "Just do as I say, or this comrade will leave you here." He would believe a devil than these guys. 

Ace started to move while spreading his heavenly sense, so these people with martial sense could easily follow behind. 

All of them do as he said, and they keep a ten-meter distance between Ace and them, they could tell this thick emerald mist was dangerous. Because after they walk for half an hour, they no longer could tell where they were going and which way was back. 

Ace was their only beacon in this sea of mist, if he left them now they would surely die because after their Qi exhausted and they left with no Qi stones to supply themselves with Qi.

Everyone's vision was only narrowed down to ten meters, including Ace, without heavenly sense even he would lose in this sea of mist. But he can't maintain this kind of soul Qi usage for long before he predicted six hours but now that he doing it he found out he might not even last five hours!

He was on high alert because those golems were like fish in the water here, they can be anywhere and launched an attack. The most problematic was naturally speed golems. 

"Boy, we heard you're from low-level lands, is that true?" Lan spoke at this moment since they were now traveling together, he was trying to probe some information out of Ace. 

After all, Ace's history was a vast mystery and his path to fame was just as astonishing. 

Everyone's ears perked when they heard this question, they all wanted to know this as well. After all, how could someone from that shitty place have this kind of skills? 

"Yes, I'm from lands of cities." Ace replied. It wasn't a secret. 

"Is that also true, you escaped from the sky-changing border's formation?" The old man, Black, asked which he was interested in the most. 

"I was just lucky." Ace said no more about this. 

Those who know the actual terror of sky-changing border formation snorted after hearing Ace's answer. They knew just how powerful that formation was, and no one can escape it. 

But they didn't probe further since they might piss him off, now wasn't the time to fall out with him, yet.

"For a petty thief, you sure have a lot of attitudes." Leana's unhappy voice sounded, Ace's way of treating everyone, especially Marc, annoyed her. 

Everyone's heart sank, hearing Lean's disrespectful words. Even if they were also unhappy with Ace's attitude, they didn't dare to point it out because right now he was the only one who 'know' the way. 

"Shut up!" Marc sternly reprimanded Leana. He also wanted to inquire about the treasury but held himself back because there were too many people, and he also didn't want to expose his real identity. 

"Old man Black, don't you teach manners to your slaves?" Lan stiffly berated them. He didn't want to risk their lives. 

Marc's eyes turn icy with killing intent when he heard Lan's malicious words. But he endured for the sake of greater good and also tightly held two-swords maids' hands which were trembling with rage. 

"We apologized, she didn't mean what she said." Old man Black's heart turns cold, he didn't dare to offend this young prince, but since Marc didn't take any action he also won't say anything. 

"Heh, don't worry, I don't mind." Ace chuckles softly, "After all, just as she said, I'm only a petty thief." 

Everyone sighed in relief hearing Ace's words.

But Lan was also astonishing because he never thought old man Black would apologize so quickly on behalf of a peak Qi river realm girl. 

'Just who are these three?' Lan finally noted three Qi river realm juniors. He knew old man Black for years, and he understood old man Black would never apologize just for anyone. 

But this wasn't his business and keep his curiosity in check. 

After this little talk, no one spoke anymore and silently followed Ace. Even if they were curious, they didn't want a falling out with Ace for some idiotic reason. 

After moving for four hours, no one know just how much deep they were in the mysterious circle, but they could not tell right from left anymore. 

"I need to rest, you guys can also replenish your Qi." Ace finally stopped as his face was a little pale. He didn't find any danger, but he also didn't find any clue on the elemental orb, he was just moving aimlessly. 

Everyone didn't object to this since they were also using a substantial amount of Qi all this time, it wasn't good to completely exhaust it in this kind of place. 

But they were all hesitating for some reason. 

Ace turn around when he felt their soul Qi waves and was confused, "Why aren't you guys recovering?" 

No one answered as if they were embarrassed and finally Damien King spoke on behalf of these big figures, "Umm…it-it's like… this our storage rings…and y-you won't steal them, do you?" He was ashamed of himself. 

Ace finally understand, as his lip spasmed, he wanted to laugh out loud. 

"So, you guys are afraid of wearing your storage rings because of me?" Ace said in a playful tone, "Don't worry, I won't steal them since you guys going to need them. We're comrades, aren't we, where's the mutual trust between companions?" 

Everyone's faces were covered with capes and other treasures, but everyone's eyes twitch, hearing Ace's shameless words. They hide their storage rings because they knew just how thievish he was, but now they required them. 

Now they could only trust his words since both parties required one another.

One after another, they took their storage rings from different places of their bodies. But none of them were as creative as Shadow Leader, though. 

Lan was hiding his storage ring in a secret pocket in his sleeve, while Damien King took it out from underneath his belt. 

Ace saw all their hidden places and couldn't help but chuckles in amusement. He now knows more 'hidden' places where one could hide their storage rings. 

Just as Ace promised, he didn't steal anyone's storage ring and focused on his recovery. They all sigh in relief, but they still didn't let their guard down and quickly hide their storage rings after taking what they needed from storage rings. 

However, Ace didn't stay too close to them, though he vanished in mist fifty meters away from them, so they could not attack him while he was recovering.

Everyone gives a start, and they thought Ace has escaped, but Ace merely told them his reason for not trusting them and wanted to recover alone, and he'll be back in two hours. They all had no choice since Ace has already vanished, he wasn't asking for their permission, to begin with.

In uneasiness, they all recover while waiting for his return, they finally understood just how helpless they were without the 'guide'. 

But Ace kept his promise and came back after recovering his soul Qi, and everyone's clenched hearts were finally at ease. 

They all continued their journey, with Ace leading them to who knows where. But they didn't dare offend him and silently followed since it was too late to turn around now.

In Ace's 'guidance' they all travel for who knows how long because they weren't any concept of day and night, but Ace was closely calculating the time because of every four hours' rest. 

'Five days pass, but we still didn't encounter a single golem or another living being, are we lost?!' Ace's heart sank to rock bottom!