CHAPTER 97: SOON

But Leon wasn’t willing to die crushed against a tree. His instincts roared. At the very last instant, he activated Mana Jet, blasting energy under his feet to levitate and slow his fall. His body steadied midair just before he would have slammed into the thick trunk of a baobab tree.

If he had hit it directly, his body would have been nothing but a bag of shattered bones.

Yet, before his boots even touched the ground, the Orc King had already closed the distance. His silhouette blurred, and with frightening agility for such a massive creature, he twisted and drove a spinning kick straight into Leon’s stomach.

The impact was catastrophic.

BOOOOM!

Leon’s body bent like a bow, the kick sending shockwaves through his organs. Blood spewed out of his mouth violently as he was hurled backwards once again.

"So... you have the ability to fly." The Orc King sneered, lowering his leg, eyes narrowing as his blood-red pupils glowed even fiercer. "Interesting. Just how many secrets are you hiding from me, human!?"

Leon groaned, his vision shaking as he barely steadied himself with Mana Jet a second time, avoiding being smashed into the shrubs scattered across the savannah. His chest heaved. His lips dripped with blood. His body screamed at him to stop, yet he stood.

This battle was unlike anything he had ever faced. Never in his life had he fought at such intensity—never had he been pushed this close to death.

The King’s kick had left his stomach churning painfully, his chest throbbing with agony. He coughed more blood, clutching his rib cage. He could feel it—the telltale snapping sensation of broken bones. His ribs were fractured.

His knees shook, his head spun. Everything became blurry. His body wanted to give out.

But Leon clenched his teeth and roared in his heart. No! Not here. Not now!

He shook his head violently to dispel the dizziness, but the world refused to steady. And in that fragile moment, when he was still reeling, the cold iron shaft of the spear slammed mercilessly into his stomach.

CRACK!

The blow sent him flying once again, his daggers barely staying in his grip as his body whistled through the air like a broken arrow.

This time, there was no saving himself. His mana reserves were already faltering. He couldn’t activate Mana Jet fast enough. He slammed against a massive baobab tree with a bone-crunching impact, the shock rattling his entire skeleton. The thick trunk trembled under the blow.

Leon collapsed to the ground, his limbs heavy, blood running freely from his mouth. He went limp, gasping raggedly. His vision dimmed. His body refused to rise.

Is this how I die...?

A wave of emotions surged through him, crashing harder than the Orc King’s blows. No... no! I can’t die here! Not now! Not when that bastard Emperor is still alive, still enjoying his throne after killing my father. Not when my mother lies bedridden, waiting for me to heal her. Not when so many secrets are left in the dark. Not when I haven’t uncovered the truth of who I am...

Tears of frustration stung his eyes as he lay broken on the ground. It’s not my time to die yet. Not here. Not in this dungeon!

But the Orc King showed no mercy. His heavy footsteps thundered closer. His aura thickened like a storm about to break. His spear hummed with power as he poured mana into it, the weapon glowing with a deadly, pale-blue light.

"You’re not dead yet? Hmph." His voice was cold, his expression now void of the earlier arrogance. He was serious. Deadly serious. "Then I’ll make sure this next strike ends it. You should be proud, human, to die under my strongest attack."

The Orc King raised his spear high. Energy condensed violently, the air shaking with the oppressive force of his ultimate technique. The glow expanded into a blinding arc of light.

Leon’s heart pounded. He could only weakly watch the arc of death forming. His daggers trembled in his grip, his body refusing to obey him. His vision darkened.

The spear came down, splitting the air with a roar.

This is it...

NO!

In the deepest corner of his heart, Leon roared. No, I refuse! I refuse to die here! I will live—I WILL LIVE!

The instant he screamed that word inside his soul, something clicked.

A surge of mana, vast and violent, erupted within him. His entire being shook as if chains had snapped. His eyes burst open, glowing pure white. His body lifted off the ground, levitating against his will. His silver hair fluttered mysteriously despite the still air, shimmering faintly as if touched by a divine wind.

For the first time, Leon felt it—an overwhelming essence, not his own, but channeled through the Divine Thief Dagger Sutra.

The deadly blue arc struck him—yet passed through harmlessly, dispersing into particles as though it had struck an illusion.

The Orc King froze. His eyes widened in disbelief. "Impossible...! You... you’re a God...! But how!? How can a God be so weak?!"

Leon’s expression was calm, almost divine, yet his glowing eyes narrowed in disdain.

The dagger sutra whispered to his soul. His voice resounded coldly, laced with power not entirely his own.

"I am the Supreme Thief. A thief’s desire must be insatiable. And he must stop at nothing to achieve his goal."

His aura flared, swallowing the battlefield. "If gods stop me, I slay gods. If immortals stop me, I slay immortals!"

The Orc King stumbled backward, overwhelmed by the pressure. His knees shook as an unfamiliar fear gripped him.

Leon’s glowing gaze fell upon him like judgment itself. The King’s breath caught, his body betraying him as he dropped to his knees involuntarily, as though kneeling before a higher being.

"That..." Leon’s voice thundered coldly across the savannah, every word vibrating with killing intent. "That is the difference between a God and a mortal... Fool."

Leon’s daggers hummed with divine energy. The word came unbidden, as if willed by something greater through him.

"Obliterate."

The Orc King’s eyes widened in raw terror. For the first time in his million years, true fear consumed him. His instincts screamed to run, but before he could even twitch—his body disintegrated. His soul was snuffed out. His existence was erased.

Gone.

Not even dust remained.

The King of Orcs vanished as though he had never existed at all.

Leon hovered for a moment, suspended in divine brilliance—then his eyes dimmed, the white glow fading. His body crashed back to the ground limply, drained. His mana was completely gone. His chest heaved raggedly, every breath a struggle.

What... was that power?

The memory of the words he had spoken burned in his mind. Most of them hadn’t been his. They had poured out of him, forced by something deep inside the sutra. And with that power had come uncontrollable rage, emotions not entirely his own. Yet... he understood now. A piece of the third level’s essence.

His system chimed.

But Leon ignored it, staring at the vast savannah sky above him, sweat and blood streaking his face. A smile tugged at his lips. Finally... I can leave this dungeon.

He summoned the jade elixir and swallowed a drop. Warmth surged through his body, mending torn flesh, knitting shattered ribs, restoring his broken form. Within minutes, he was whole again.

Leon exhaled deeply, standing tall once more. He brushed dirt off his bloodied clothes, grimacing. "Tch. If I’d known it would get this messy, I’d have brought spare clothes."

This Leon was not the same boy who had entered the dungeon. His aura was sharper, heavier. His eyes carried weight. His heart beat with new resolve.

Level 30. Supreme Thief System. His growth had only just begun.

His gaze turned to the Orc’s mutant horse—the last living being in the dungeon. Summoning his dagger, he slashed cleanly, the blade humming with void energy. The horse neighed in pain before collapsing, dispersing into glowing pixels.

Ding!

┏━━━━━━━━━༻❁༺━━━━━━━━━┓

You have 30 seconds to get out of this dungeon!

TIME: 30 sec

┗━━━━━━━━━༻❁༺━━━━━━━━━┛

Leon smirked wickedly, his silver hair glinting under the fading light. "Finally... I can go out and play with those useless cultivators. Hahaha..."

His villainous grin stretched wider. As much as he enjoyed tearing beasts apart, his true prey awaited. The Emperor. That bastard who thought himself untouchable.

With his Supreme Thief Physique and the Supreme Thief System, Leon’s path was limitless. His growth had no ceiling. He would be the Jack of all trades—and the master of all. A

Suppressing the excitement boiling within him, Leon turned toward the swirling vortex that shimmered in the distance. His steps were steady, his resolve unshakable.

A

And with that, he walked calmly into the light.

A/N:

Epic battle, huh? Finally, the first arc is over.

End of Volume 1: Rise of the Supreme Thief. A a

Next—

Volume 2: Odyssey of the Supreme Thief.

This will be one of the most interesting volumes of them all.