Beneath the pitch-black sky of Falano, on a wide expanse of barren plain, the evening wind whistled as the low brush swayed gently. In the dark heavens, black clouds surged forth, veiling the moon that was gradually sinking westward. Under the dim moonlight, a solitary, towering, ancient castle stood on the wilderness, with no other settlements nearby. Complete with battlements and towers, the castle was a quintessential example of late Bourbon-style Falano architecture—preserved in perfect condition, it resembled a massive historical relic, solemnly displayed in isolation. At this late hour, the interior of the castle blazed with light, flames from various sources illuminating the structure as though its occupants had not slept through the night. On the rooftops of the main building and its towers, numerous sculptures adorned the edges—not heroic warriors or voluptuous women typical of architectural decoration, but grotesque monsters with wings sprouting from their backs, claws bared and faces twisted in terror. Within the massive main building of the castle was a grand and opulently decorated audience hall. Silken drapes adorned the edges, three large crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, and elegant, antiquated furnishings decorated the corners. Lifelike portraits graced the walls, and suits of ceremonial armor stood by the sides, silently guarding the space, weapons in hand. Much like the grotesque statues outside, monster effigies also perched atop the pillars of the hall, silently gazing down at the scene below. At the far end of the hall sat a raised throne atop a dais. Upon the high-backed chair sat a slightly aged figure. He appeared to be a man in his fifties, dressed in a gray-brown robe styled after ancient Falano nobility. The robe was embroidered with intricate golden thread typical of late Bourbon design. A white cravat adorned his neck, and on his head rested a flat noble’s cap. Though his hair and beard were snow-white, they were meticulously styled into rolls, resembling a judge’s wig. His face, not yet deeply wrinkled, held a pair of slightly narrowed eyes that stared forward. Where his gaze landed, three figures knelt on the floor. They were the three White Ash cadre of the Dark Gold Society in Falano—Angley, Roke, and Craven. Their mission complete, they knelt reverently before their master, reporting the outcome. “Mr. Frederico, we have acquired the item. Though it’s unfortunate that we didn’t capture the thief, we did manage to secure the target.” Kneeling, Angley respectfully addressed the elder named Frederico, and as he spoke, he pulled an item from within his robe—a golden irregular object—which he held out with both hands. From his throne, Frederico stared silently at the golden item, then shifted his gaze to the three kneeling before him. He finally spoke, his tone slightly stern. “The three of you together... still failed to catch just one of them?” “We’re very sorry, sir. Thief K’s abilities are exceedingly strange and slippery—like nothing we’ve ever seen. We exerted ourselves to the utmost trying to pin them down, but it was all in vain. In the end, we were forced to use extreme measures and buried them directly.” Next to Angley, Roke followed up with an explanation. Frederico, upon hearing this, paused in thought before speaking again. “Strange powers... It’s just as I suspected—Thief K harbors many secrets. You’ll give me a full report on their capabilities later. For now, hand over the item.” “Yes, sir.” Responding promptly, Angley rose, stepped forward, and respectfully handed the irregular golden object to Frederico. After receiving the object, Frederico watched Angley retreat and resume his kneeling posture. Then, he turned his focus fully to examining the golden pedestal. “An exquisite piece of craftsmanship… Cast using a stamping mold—clearly the work of a top artisan from the First Dynasty. Just like the crystals of Maria’s Light, this item appears to be gold, but is in fact a special metal almost identical to gold… That the First Dynasty could create such a thing might have been due to the Stone power of that era.” As he examined the golden pedestal, Frederico murmured to himself. Being a Crimson-rank Stone Beyonder and a high-ranking figure in the Dark Gold Society, he clearly possessed potent appraisal skills. He was now using all his knowledge to assess the authenticity of the golden pedestal. After scrutinizing it for five or six minutes without spotting any flaws, he came to a conclusion. This golden pedestal was genuine. Angley and the others had truly found Thief K’s hideout, eliminated them, and brought back the target artifact successfully. Satisfied, Frederico gave a slight nod. Then, he raised his head again to look at the three still kneeling before him. “Step aside.” Upon hearing Frederico’s command, the trio rose and moved to either side of the hall. Frederico then waved his hand. With a pulse of strange energy, the hall began to tremble ever so slightly. A low rumble echoed throughout the space. The floor of the hall began to part laterally under the mechanism’s influence, revealing a hidden chamber beneath. From within, radiant beams of light burst forth, illuminating all corners of the room. The light came from heaps of gold and silver coins, all manner of jeweled ornaments and fine vessels—enough precious metals and gems to fill an entire room. The reflected brilliance sparkled like starlight, adding an overwhelming sense of opulence. This was a treasure vault—a vault brimming with riches. After revealing his underground vault, Frederico waved his hand again. From within the treasure hoard, a small bronze box inlaid with a massive gem floated into the air and flew toward him. He caught it and opened it immediately. Inside were four large, crystalline rhomboid crystals. Frederico removed the crystals and began trying to fit them into the golden pedestal. Not long after, he finished the assembly and began studying the fully gem-set pedestal. But within mere moments of this inspection, his expression suddenly shifted. “No... this is—” Just as Frederico spoke those words, the scene was thrown into sudden chaos. For reasons unknown, every window in the hall shattered simultaneously with a resounding crash. Then, from some unseen location outside, two small rod-like objects were thrown through the shattered panes. These objects suddenly exploded, releasing an incredibly blinding flash. The brilliant light flooded the entire hall, temporarily blinding everyone inside. Amid this dazzling radiance, a shadowy figure darted through the broken window—its feet never touching the ground—as it flew straight toward Frederico at high speed. Though his vision was overwhelmed by the flash and he hadn’t sensed any vibrations, Frederico immediately became aware that a dangerous action was being directed at him. At that crucial moment, he swiftly activated the elemental power within his body, unleashing a powerful radial gust from himself as the center. The burst of wind surged outward, and as it swept through the hall, the intense flash dimmed and gradually faded. Once vision returned, Angley and the others saw a figure being blown back, tumbling twice midair before regaining control and landing gracefully on the ground. Top hat, mask, cloak, and formal attire—this was a figure well-known to the trio. Upon seeing it, they all stood up in shock and blurted out. “Thief K?!” “How is that possible? You’re supposed to be dead!” “You… how did you even find this place?!” Amid the astonishment of the Dark Gold Society trio, the thief who had just landed steadily straightened up. Facing the three and Frederico still seated on the throne, they pressed down the brim of their hat and smiled as they spoke. “Disappointing the audience was my fault as a performer, but I truly had no choice. As a magician, I still have more performances to deliver to a wider audience. I can’t just die in some random place, now can I?” Polite and composed, the thief delivered their line. Hearing their words, Frederico narrowed his eyes slightly and replied in a calm, unreadable tone. “So you are… the so-called Thief K?” “Indeed, Mr. Frederico. As a junior, allow me to offer you my sincere greetings.” The thief gave a slight bow as they said this. Frederico let out a cold laugh and replied. “Hmph, a junior? Since when were you my junior?” “In the trade of thievery, of course. In a certain sense, aren’t we both in the same line of work? I usually steal from museums and collectors, while you steal from entire nations. You operate on a much higher level than I do—wouldn’t you agree, Last Chancellor of the Bourbons?” The thief continued to smile as they spoke. At the mention of that title, a flicker of seriousness crossed Frederico’s face. He coldly gave an order. “Enough of your glib talk… capture them.” Even before his words fully fell, the Dark Gold Society trio had already lost their patience. They immediately donned their dark gray exoskeletons, spread their wings, drew their weapons, and charged at Thief K. Thus, after a brief ceasefire, the four of them were once again locked in chaotic battle. This clash was nearly identical to the last. The trio launched a flurry of attacks, but all were easily dodged or deflected by the thief. They weaved effortlessly through deadly strikes, untouched and unscathed. Realizing that brute force wouldn’t work, the Dark Gold trio soon shifted to coordinated tactics. Seizing the moment Thief K leapt to evade an attack, Craven slapped a sigil onto the ground, instantly transforming the terrain into a swamp-like mire. When the thief landed, they immediately sank—half their body submerged in the viscous terrain. Seeing the opportunity, the two airborne gargoyles attacked without hesitation, spewing flames toward the immobilized thief. The blazing serpents of fire engulfed their figure entirely. Watching the scene, Frederico momentarily believed victory was assured. Just as he was beginning to dismiss Thief K as nothing more than a quick-footed pickpocket, he suddenly sensed something behind him. A blur—a nearly invisible shadow streaked from behind Frederico, aiming straight for the item in his hand. His pupils widened slightly as he immediately unleashed another blast of turbulent wind, more forceful than the last. The violent gale shredded everything around him, including the throne he sat upon. Within that shockwave, a figure was thrown from behind Frederico. Twisting through the air with practiced ease, the thief once again landed lightly on the ground. Frederico, now standing after losing his seat, instantly hurled a fireball at the landing point. But Thief K flourished their cloak—and the fireball burst into a spray of flowers. Countless flame-colored petals gently floated down, raining across the hall. Amid this floral downpour stood the thief magician, and as Frederico stared solemnly at them, he finally understood why his subordinates had said the thief’s powers were so strange. They had managed to get behind him without his slightest notice—an incredible feat by any standard. Still, despite their strange abilities and agility, they had not managed to steal anything from him—at least, not yet. That meant their strength was still limited. As long as he stayed alert, dealing with them shouldn’t be too difficult… or so Frederico thought—until they spoke again. “My, my… such a quick response. Truly worthy of a senior. Your adaptability is impressive. If it had been anyone else, I’d probably have succeeded just now.” Within the petal rain, the magician-thief softly muttered while slowly opening one gloved hand—revealing a large, crystalline gem resting quietly upon their palm. Frederico’s eyes widened slightly. He looked at his own hand—and sure enough, the imitation golden pedestal he held now bore only three crystals. One was missing. They had still succeeded! Seeing this, Frederico’s heart grew heavy. Though they hadn’t taken the entire artifact, it proved that if he remained in this passive state, not only would he fail to capture them—he might not even protect what was already in his hands. Thief K’s display just now made one thing clear: he couldn’t rely solely on his subordinates to deal with them. “Wretched little thief… you won’t steal a single thing more from me…” Frederico muttered darkly. At the same time, he removed the remaining three crystals from the imitation golden pedestal and began transforming—his skin darkening to a shade of black-gray. With this transformation came rapid physical change. His body swelled, his features twisted into something monstrous. Talons, horns, and wings burst through his thickened hide, growing outward in grotesque splendor. “In this place… everything belongs to me! Look at it all—my treasure! You won’t take even a speck from here tonight!” As Frederico roared his proclamation, the treasure vault beneath the hall stirred. Gold and silver coins, jewels, and precious artifacts floated upward, pulled by some invisible force. With a sweeping rustle, they surged toward the swelling Frederico, pouring into his wide-open mouth. The remaining three crystals among them also flew into his gaping maw. As more and more treasures were devoured, Frederico’s body began to change further. His gray-black stone-like skin began to shimmer with golden and silver metallic hues. On his wings and other exposed areas, brilliant gems began to "grow" from the solid rock-like flesh.