Chapter 203: Ace’s Progress & Plan!

The Moon Leap City was at the edge of Leap's Kingdom and closest to the Earthen Mist Forest of Earthen Nature Boundary between first and second-grade lands. 

Although this city was very close to the earthen mist forest it was still tens of miles away, so there wasn't any danger. Besides, the demonic beasts inside the earthen mist forest never left the Emerald Mist for some mysterious reason. 

At this moment, inside an Inn's room. 

A young man with plain features was sitting cross-legged. This was Ace in Ryan's disguise.

Before him, floating four runic symbols, illuminating in different shades. 

The bright green was the Earth Rune, the gentle blue was, Water Rune, the scarlet one was Fire Rune, and last in Azure color was the Wind Rune! 

Ace's eyes were shimmering with elation because he finally completed the Basic Myriad Rune Symbols Encyclopedia, and it only took him two days before he completed the Fire Rune and Wind Rune. 

Now that he comprehended four basic element symbols, he was only two steps away from being a tier-1 rune crafter!

After this third part was the fourth part, Basic Myriad Runic Structural Encyclopedia! 

In this encyclopedia, there was complete instruction on how to combine different basic rune symbols into arrays and formations, the materials needed, and information on soul Qi control one needed to crafter a corporeal rune symbol perfectly.

This encyclopedia was filled with ancient knowledge about four rune symbols Ace's just comprehended. Like, rune crafter's tool, materials, combination structures…, everything one needed to start the 1st-level of the final and fifth part the Heavenly Rune Crafting Technique!

Ace got the huge information of both the Basic Myriad Runic Structural Encyclopedia and Heavenly Rune Crafting Technique, first levels. 

He wanted to start right away, but the time of his Light Element Qi was about to end, so he had no choice but to end rune crafting practice. 

It already has been twenty days since Ace theft the Leap Palace and Leap King. 

The first ten days Ace spent on reaching Moon Leap City because it was the furthest away from the 'crime scene' and it was also close to the mysterious Earthen Mist Forest. 

This was Ace's backup plan because he knew this was the most dangerous area of the middle-lands and no one dare to enter this forest so easily if he escaped there. 

Ace also heard about what the Leap King did to the Queen and his brother after reading his 'kind' message. He also heard about the Union Meeting between ten kingdoms and the sudden entry of Flame Pill and Beast Calling. 

He has predicted this much because he had robbed a 1st-grade kingdom and its king. Other rulers would naturally feel threatened because of him and even unite their power just to deal with him. 

As for those three giants, they were his real enemy, and they will indefinitely come after him. 

But what he never expected was no one took any action after that big meeting, and they announced nothing. Ace understands that they would be idiots if they released their plans in public since he would also know about them.

What Ace didn't know was, he dodged a bullet a few days ago, because if Leap King didn't destroy that throne in madness where he wrote those words himself and John tried that tracking skill on it. He would've already succeeded in locating him.

But these ignorant fellows go after something created by the System, a thing that the likes of them or anyone can never comprehend. 

John even dares to use a tracking spell on it, which simply means he was courting death, and he already paid a horrible price for it!

Furthermore, one thing that the Leap King still didn't tell any was he also tried to destroy the owl mural out of shame and anger, but no matter how much he attack he can't even scratch it. 

In the end, he kept it a secret because he thought everyone would laugh at him and the little face he has left, will be lost as well. 

If he had told them, they would've been more careful before messing with the dark owl symbol, but in the end, he even helped his enemy!

Now no one in the entire middle-land can cast this secret skill because only Grand Beastmaster level existences can learn it!

However, Ace had his plans and even if those guys locate him, it won't be easy to capture him because he can easily enter the earthen mist forest after using the invisible bead. 

It was just that he had to go there unprepared and with no backup plan; it was still a small price to pay, though. 

Now, he was progressing very quickly, and he was only a step away to create a powerful skill. But this last step was like a cliffhanger because he just can't seem to complete it no matter what he does. 

In the end, Ace only sighed and focus on the rune crafting and made tremendous progress. As for his other skills, he never overlooked them. 

"Status!" Ace opened the status panel.

=====

[Status Panel]

[Host: Ace White]

[Race: Human {No Bloodline}]

[Heaven: 1st Mortal Sky Heaven]

[Martial Cultivation: Heavenly Foundation Building {Peak-Stage}]

[EXP: 10.95 Million/100 Million]

{Elemental Orb:0/1}

[Soul Cultivation: Orange Wind Soul Core]

{SP: 51,030/100,000}

---

[Skills: 7]

Heartless Stealth (Art): 

{Breathless Stealth: Perfection 

Pulseless Stealth: NONE

Heartless Stealth: NONE} 

Misperception Sky Steps (Art): 

[Camouflage Steps: Low

Lightning Steps: Low 

Misperception Steps: Low

Sky Steps: NONE}

Soul Shattering Eyes: {Low}

Soul Piercing Bullets: {Low}

Soul Guardian Barrier (Art): 

{Soul Barrier: Low

Soul Guardian: NONE}

Pick Pocket: {Perfection}

Treasure Opening Hands [Art]: {5th Form}

[Cultivation Technique: 3]

{Heaven Stealer Technique: Volume 1

Dual Shadow Swords: 1st Realm (Sword as Limb)

Heavenly Rune Crafter: 0-Tier}

---

[Thief Point(s): 152.900TP]

[Mission(s): 1]

[Opportunity Makes a Thief: These self-proclaimed three Giants currently plaguing Host. Because of this, they're hindering Host's progress in the path of Thievery, and this is unacceptable. Please take this opportunity as a challenge and also teach Three Giants an unforgettable lesson!] 

[Mission: Steal everything from Three Giants' ten main branches in Top Ten Kingdoms of Middle-Level Lands.]

{Progress:0/30}

[Rewards based on Host Performance]

{Three Hidden Rewards}

{Time Left: 9 Years & 5 Months}

{Mission Failure Punishment: System shop closing for 200 Years!}

======

Ace's lips rose after seeing his skills, he had already reached the limit of skill proficiency in the Heavenly foundation realm and if he wanted to further progress; he had to reach the Heavenly River Realm! 

His soul skills were also limited because of his martial cultivation, or their proficiency might not be just 'low'. But this did not dishearten him, and he kept improving in other aspects which he can, like rune crafting and dual shadow swords.

But he had already reached a bottleneck in dual shadow swords, and he had a strange feeling that he won't be a tier-1 Heavenly Rune Crafter with just worldly soul Qi, and he might need Heavenly Element Soul Qi. He only felt this way after he got the final two parts of the technique. 

As for buying something new from the system's shop, everything was too expensive and by the price tag, he could guess these techniques weren't something he could learn so quickly. 

At least not now, since the time to act was approaching!

'Sigh…' Ace sighed, "I need to find that damn elemental orb as soon as I can. But I won't be a walk in the park, like last time. Ten more days before the last competition between the hundred kingdoms of Damien Royal Institute would start."

Ace smiled with ambiguity when he thought about the finale of the Damien Royal Institute recruitment test. He was also a part of the first test but was taken away by Alvin and missed the second one, but the last one was approaching, and he wanted to complete what he started. 

Before, Ace planned to get inside the institute and broaden his horizons and theft those participants while becoming famous in the process. But things didn't go as planned when three giants interfere and the system issued an almost impossible mission. 

Now, however, he won't be going to take part to join the institute, though. 

Ace was going to the last competition because there would be lots of 'fat sheep' and he can harvest a vast amount of TP while also getting some fame. 

Furthermore, this was just something extra he's going to do while luring those big wings of middle-level lands at the venue of the last test!

Because the venue for the last test was non-other than the outskirts of Earthen Mist forest, and Ace was 90% sure that an elemental orb was somewhere inside that mysterious forest.

All those who were after his secrets and those hidden enemies, they were his 'helper' in dealing with the Orb Guardian!

"The more, the merrier." Ace's lips rose in an icy smile, he can't wait to begin the game!