2202 2202. Secret door

"What can you even do?" Albatia sneered before coughing a few times.

It was clear that King Elbas' performance had hurt Albatia deeply. The final workshop was only an expression of her world, but she had suffered anyway when King Elbas shattered her belief.

His achievements in the inscription field were so massive that they had undermined Albatia's very foundation. She had acknowledged only a few experts throughout her long life, but she had to add a new name now.

Moreover, King Elbas didn't only force her to accept his power. He had also shown how he could achieve incredible results. His knowledge and shrewdness were scary. No one had said anything about it, but everyone knew that he had just become the rank 9 expert with the strongest technique in the entire higher plane.

"I'll do what I always do," Supreme Thief announced as he flew toward Albatia. "I'll just enjoy it a bit more now."

"You misunderstood me," Albatia corrected. "Heaven and Earth have already defeated you. Everyone in the world is aware of your character, life, and power. We even have a list of all the abilities you have stolen during your life."

"So?" Supreme Thief asked without halting his advance.

"So, we know how to handle you," Albatia replied. "We don't even need to develop counters against your power. Experts like me are more than enough to lock your abilities."

"Everyone thinks that until they see their power stolen," Supreme Thief mocked.

Albatia didn't retreat or perform any evasive maneuver. She didn't even try to fix the broken final workshop. She limited herself to staring at the incoming expert, and the two soon stood before each other in the vastness of the void.

"Your lack of fear is commendable," Supreme Thief admitted while reaching for Albatia's head. "It's a pity that it won't help you."

Albatia let Supreme Thief place his hand on her forehead. She could launch countless attacks from that position, but she decided to hold back. She knew she could break her opponent without moving a single finger.

Azure light came out of Supreme Thief's figure, and the patch over his left eye went up on its own to reveal his shining gaze. A dense and violent pulling force fell on Albatia, but she remained confident in her decision.

"What is it?" Albatia mocked after remaining a few seconds under the effects of the pulling force. "Are you starting to understand the reality of the situation?"

Supreme Thief didn't reply. He appeared utterly absorbed in the process, and a wide smile even broadened on his face. He seemed to experience pure bliss, but everyone on the battlefield could notice how his ability wasn't hurting Albatia in the slightest.

"You are too self-absorbed in your own talent to understand why you will fail," Albatia stated. "Don't worry. I will clear it for you. The answer is pretty simple: Your talent doesn't surpass mine."

Supreme Thief's world had much more than that. He could steal anything he could have pushed toward higher heights if he had chosen a different path.

<br/>However, Albatia had already proven herself against King Elbas. She was one of the privileged cultivators who had never stopped training, even after she entered the safety of the sky.

Albatia's confidence came from her efforts. She knew that she had done everything she could to improve her world. In her current state, she was the best version of herself.

"Steven?" Noah called while inspecting the scene.

"I could tamper with her power," Steven revealed, "But I'm not sure it will help Supreme Thief. His ability goes deeply in different fields."

"I thought as much," Noah sighed.

"I can do something about it," Divine Demon declared, "But I won't. Is that fine with you?"

"Of course," Noah agreed. "Every decision from now on must have the final battle in mind. If he dies, he dies."

The general understanding was that each expert in Noah's organization had to prove their worth. Almost everyone in the recent fights had done something spectacular, and Supreme Thief had to achieve something similar. His breakthrough or even survival during the final battle would be impossible otherwise.

Fighting an expert who had received Heaven and Earth's help put Steven in a favorable position, but Supreme Thief found himself in the opposite situation. The issue came from the type of support that the rulers had given to Albatia. Peace and resources alone weren't enough to undermine her achievements.

That prevented Supreme Thief from proving himself better than Albatia and stopped his ability. He couldn't find any grip on her world because she had done everything in her power to fulfill its potential. She was truly amazing, and Supreme Thief realized that.

The light around Supreme Thief slowly dimmed, and his smile vanished as his gaze focused on Albatia. He appeared slightly annoyed, and Albatia couldn't help but feel that her victory was coming.

"Safety is an illusion," Supreme Thief declared. "Nothing is perfect in this world. There are always loopholes, secret paths, and flaws. Everything in existence has that, even the sky."

"Should I remind you that you would still be busy digging the sky if Heaven and Earth didn't let you in?" Albatia joked.

"Heaven and Earth did that to contain the damage that we would have caused," Supreme Thief explained while pointing at Noah and the others. "Look at them. Do you think they would have been gentle or precise? They would have turned the whole area into a mess just to open a small opening."

Supreme Thief was mocking Noah and the others, but they took pride in those words. Their approaches were flashy, and they felt no shame in that.

"The final battle would have started right away in that case," Albatia responded. "Both sides want to avoid that."

"That's not the point," Supreme Thief announced. "Who cares about the final battle? We were talking about me. Focus on me."

That arrogant claim pissed Albatia, but she remained confident. According to her, those words were a last desperate attempt to justify a failure.

"I am a thief," Supreme Thief stated. "I've always been a thief, even before developing an individuality. Do you know what that means?"

"I know that you have lived as a rat stealing crumbs from higher powers," Albatia reminded. "I am aware of the entirety of your life."

"So, why are you so confident?" Supreme Thief asked. "I might steal only when I find myself superior in talent and power, but I remain an unparalleled master in the field."

Albatia smiled, but her expression froze when she understood something. She instinctively tried to get away, but Supreme Thief's grasp was as firm as steel and didn't let her go.

Albatia tried to sever her face to escape, but Supreme Thief's grasp reached far deeper than the mere skin. He had closed his hand on her world, locking her in that position and preventing her from leaving.

"I might be a bit rusty at this," Supreme Thief admitted. "I haven't used these techniques since my days as a heroic cultivator. I'm sorry if I'm too rough. It's really not my style."

"What are you trying to do?!" Albatia shouted, finally dropping every trace of confidence.

"I told you that everything has flaws and secret doors," Supreme Thief repeated. "I will simply enter one of them, take what I want, and leave."