Ace wanted to cry but no tears flow. he was regretting now.  He should’ve escaped from here the moment the room door was opened and should’ve run far away from Eva. But alas, there was no medicine of regret in this world.

Now he already promised her so he will help her. His parents and grandparents always teach him to never break his promise or go back on his words.

‘That Kelby family was already difficult to deal with and now I have to rob the Grant family as well. If I robbed even one of them the other will be on high alert. It’s not the outer region after all, and Eva will be in trouble if I robbed Kelby’s family first, that Asher will definitely notice something and maybe become suspicious of Eva.’ Ace thought gravely,  ‘She is irritating but she is a kind-hearted and straightforward girl. She even tells me about her biggest secrets I can’t abandon someone who put their trust in me.’

Ace was in a predicament because if Eva didn’t tell him about her past and secrets, he would’ve already chosen to do the system’s mission. Besides, he didn’t want to admit it but it was his first time making a ‘friend’ in little life. 

“Why are you perspiring like rain? We can rob both families at the same time if you want to rob the Kelby family that much.” Eva said softly after seeing Ace acting so silly, she finds it quite amusing though.

“How can we rob them both?!” Ace demands instantly, If he can he didn’t want to rob anyone of them.

“My mom once told me how she robbed three treasuries at the same time!” Eva told Ace proudly about her mom’s achievements as if it was her own.

“Tell me about it.” Ace ignored Eva’s who was acting haughtily like a peacock and urge her to tell the whole story.

Ace wasn’t an expert thief and was a new bud in this domain. He can rob one of the big families here but two at the same time was a near-impossible task for him with his current skills. Thus, if Eva’s mother was really a great thief then her experience was very precious helpful to him.

“Listen carefully,” Eva earnestly begins to tell Ace.

After two hours,

Ace’s eyes were shining like stars after listening to Eva’s story and were amazed by the way thievery can be done. He was now fully convinced; Eva’s mother was really a Great Thief and he learned a lot from just by this one tale.

‘Which fool says being a thief is easy? Too much planning is needed just for single thievery. In my opinion, being a thief is even harden than ascending heaven.’ Ace mused bitterly but there was a particular thrill in his eyes.

“First we have to select a target, you can do that and I will be going to infiltrate the Grant family. If we do this we have to tend extremely carefully, if we make a mistake even a little we are finished. I can always escape but you will die as a result so remember to be very cautious.” Ace reminds her gravely.

Ace didn’t consider Eva an outsider anymore because she was helping him more than he asks for and unknowingly he really starts to treat her like a teammate.

“Don’t worry about it. The most important task will be done by you and that made you the core of this plan. You have to be careful more than me.” Eva said with a light chuckle.

She has also noticed Ace’s change in attitude and feels genuine concern from his voice. She was very happy about it. After all, she did all this to win Ace’s trust and honestly wanted to form a team with him. Because her mon once said to her, “A great thief needs a great partner.” Therefore, Ace was the perfect partner for her, he was smart, has great skills, loyal, and trustworthy. She also has to admit he was ‘somewhat handsome’ as well.

That’s why she told the truth from the beginning because she knew a person like Ace would never abandon or betray a true friend. Furthermore, she vaguely felt very close to him and put all her trust in him for some unknown reason and that faith comes directly from her blood and soul!

Eva didn’t dwell on this strange inexplicable feeling and think it was just because she meets a thief like her mom. All her attention was on the plan of robbing both families who treated her like slaves for many years, finally, it was time for her sweet revenge.

She was excited and afraid at the same time. Excited because her dream was becoming true and can finally become like her mother, and afraid because she didn’t want her team with Ace to break with any mishaps.

“You should go first and report to Asher. He can be a huge hindrance to our plan so we should get rid of him as soon as possible.” Ace said with an evil smile on his face.

“Okay! I’ll see you tomorrow.” Eva faded like smoke after look at Ace one last time.

“She does have some skills.” Ace smiled lightly.

___________________

In the morning at Kelby shop top floor.

“You can’t find him?!” Asher’s angry voice resounded on the entire top floor.

“Yes! He was remarkably quick to escape the city after getting rid of Caleb’s party. After my investigation, I found that the inner gate guards see a person with the same features leaving the inner region.” A cold yet sweet voice answer. She was Eva or right now Black Fox, she was wearing her usual full-body black armor and her eyes were as cold as ice. She looks nothing like the lively girl who meets Ace last night.

“That fraud run away after he does this to me, damnable! I can’t sleep in peace until I torture him. Go and find where he came from, just find anything!” Asher bark while grinding his teeth in anger.  He determines and will not stop until he finds Ace.

Black Fox emotionlessly said, “I already did and it appears he was from the Red-Mountain City.” 

“What!? Red Mountain City.” Asher’s face turns ashen because he clearly knew where this city was but the actual problem was Red Mountain City was a 1-Star City! Meaning a large size city where he can’t mess around wantonly.

“Are you certain that brat was from Red Mountain City?” Asher asks uncertainly.

“Yes I already checked twice and he is apparently from the red mountain city.” Answer Eva coldly.

Asher didn’t even think about Black Fox can lie to him. Because she was with him for five years and never lies to him or failed her mission even once. She was like a machine that never gets tired or disobeys orders. That’s why he trusted her blindly. It never occurs to him that this was Ace and Eva’s plan to lead him in the wrong direction and make sure he didn’t get in their way.

Asher pulls a long face and becomes extremely frustrated. He was having a hard time believing that someone has escaped his grasps and the person was who makes him smell rat shit! This was his greatest humiliation of life and he can’t even get revenge now it made his anger reached a new level.

But he can’t go to a 1-star city just to get revenge, right? Even if he goes there where can he find him in that big city? He didn’t even know how his mortal nemesis looks like only Caleb knows.

Eva spoke when Asher was about to swallow his disgrace and give up on vengeance, “I also find this note from where he was staying.” She gave a white folded paper to Asher.

This small paper was going to be the last straw that broke the camel’s back!

Asher brows tightly frown and received the paper, “How’s was my GIFT? Hehehe!” Those words were filled with ridicule and scorn. 

“DAMNABLE BASTARD!!!” Asher explodes furiously, his handsome face turns black as charcoal and veins pop out on his forehead as if they going to explode anytime. He knew exactly who wrote this letter just by these disdainful words.

“Black Fox! Go and request help from my grandfather. I want that bastard no matter the cost. Even if I have to go to hell myself.” Asher roar with a face full of hatred. He finally loses his reasons and never even thought that Ace planned to send him out of the city.

“YES!” Eva vanished after receiving Asher’s command, ‘Idiot.’ She mocks Asher in her heart.

___________________

Meanwhile, when Asher was blowing his top, Ace was heading towards the Grant family territory.

Suddenly a gust of wind passed him and a little piece of paper appears in his empty hand. He didn’t surprise by this because he knew this was Black Fox.

Ace read the little note and snicker sinisterly, “That idiot really believed it, just like Eva said he would.” In the letter was a report on Asher’s current actions. After reading he sends a little heavenly qi in the letter and it turns into fragments.

‘It’s my turn I guess.’ Ace activates stealth and vanishes into Grant’s family territory.

Grant family was ranked second in the inner region because they have an expert at the peak of Qi Gates realm, just half step away from reaching Qi Foundation Building Realm. He was Asher Grandfather the current family head of the Grant family Rylan Grant.

Qi Foundation Building Realm was the next realm after Qi Gates ream. Only the City Lord was in this realm and because of it his family the Layton Family were ranked first in the inner region.

Ace was currently standing in front of a rundown building.

It was the servant area of the Grant family. All the servants live in this old building. Grant Family didn’t allow servants to go outside of their territories because in Grant family eyes they were not people they were mere slaves.

Ace hurriedly went inside the building he knows security isn’t tight here, who cares about the security of slaves? So, if one can pass through all the family checkpoints and reach the servants’ area there is no security at all.

Ace enter the old building,

The inside was clean but there was some strange smell inside. Ace saw rows of rooms and all the doors have no locks. One can enter as he wishes. This is the treatment Grant’s family gave to their servants, they treat them like animals.

Ace felt rage, he didn’t think noble families of the inner region were worse than the outer region. At least in the outer region, they didn’t treat humans like animals. Actually, they did it just that he didn’t know about it yet.

He suppressed his seething anger and quickly goes to the upper floor. Here were fewer rooms than on the 1st floor but these rooms were without any doors and inside were young boys. But their condition was worse than death they were wounded all over their bodies some didn’t even have limbs.

These boys were ‘sparing partners’ for young masters of the Grant family. They have only one job and that is to get beaten. They were like living dummies that helps Grant family younger generation to test their skills. If they died during ‘sparing’ no one will care. They will be replaced by new ones. There were insignificant stones to sharpen the younger generation of Grant’s family.

Ace was here to became a ‘Sparing Partner’.