But Hilga and the maids were faster, far faster, thanks to their soul evolved bodies. They sprinted ahead, using their powerful limbs and instincts, leaving Egon far behind, panting and struggling to keep up.
The trio dashed through the corridors, heading straight for the Treasure Vault.
Just as the slave had reported, the sturdy iron lock of the vault hung broken, and two female guards lay unconscious at the entrance.
"That damned cunt... so audacious?" Hilga cursed under her breath, her eyes narrowing in fury.
She was just about to charge into the vault when the cloaked thief emerged silently, moving like a shadow.
But the moment he saw them, the thief didn’t hesitate as he turned and bolted, his figure vanishing like a phantom.
"Madam Hilga! He’s running!" one of the maids shouted.
"You think I’m blind?" Hilga snapped, already lunging after him.
She and the two maids chased at full speed. Her steps were wide and powerful, thunderous on the marble floor.
But it became clear almost immediately that the thief wasn’t running on two legs. His silhouette flickered, and his movements suggested four limbs. His speed was unnatural, his path unpredictable.
"Damn it! That runt’s getting away!" Hilga shouted, frustration burning through her. If even she, a D-Rank Soul Forger, couldn’t catch up, who could?
She poured more strength into her legs, pushing her body to the limit, but the thief only grew more distant. Each second passed, and he became a blur, slipping further and further away.
And then—she saw it.
An obstruction ahead. Someone standing at the corner where the corridor narrowed.
Her eyes lit up with a flash of hope.
"Finally! We’ve got him!"
Her heart dropped like a stone.
"You weakling... I didn’t need you here," she muttered.
It was Egon.
Of all people, he was the one who had stepped into the thief’s path.
Hilga’s stomach clenched. The thief wasn’t just some common burglar. He was a Soul Forger.
A dangerous, special-class being like her. Even she had trouble keeping up with him.
And now, Egon, an ordinary human with no real power, stood directly in his way.
It was nothing but suicide.
If the thief didn’t stop, Egon would be crushed in an instant.
"No... get out of the way, you idiot!" she screamed internally, her legs pounding the floor harder.
"Shit, this can’t be happening!"
Egon’s breath caught in his throat as the cloaked figure hurtled toward him, cloak flapping like a phantom’s wings.
His knees locked in place. The thief was fast. Inhumanly fast. And worse, a gleaming knife caught the corridor’s light as it flashed toward him.
He’s going to kill me...
Egon hadn’t meant to be a hero. He had only rounded the corner, chasing after Hilga, hoping to get some credit, but now, he was about to become a corpse.
The sheer force of wind from the thief’s sprint hit first, slamming into him like a wave.
What do I do? I can’t dodge that! I can’t even move!
Panic consumed him. His thoughts were a blur. He imagined blood spraying, his body slumping, lifeless.
"No... I don’t want to die!" he screamed in his mind out loud. His voice cracked like glass.
And then—
Ding!
[Trait: The Omniscient Viewpoint, Activated.]
Instantly, his vision went into god mode. He activated Omniscient Viewpoint once again.
So he didn’t waste a moment.
There! The omniscient viewpoint burned into his mind.
Egon’s eyes locked onto the pattern. He didn’t need to outrun the thief. He just needed to stop him.
Even half a second would be enough for Hilga to catch up.
His muscles moved, not from instinct, but from foresight. Precise foresight. He dropped to one knee, just as the thief veered to the right in his zigzag.
At the predicted third stride, Egon shot out his elbow like a lever, driving it into the exposed ankle.
Crack!
The thief staggered, just for a split-second. But that was all that was needed.
"Now!" Egon shouted hoarsely.
A split-second later—
"Bang!"
Hilga crashed in like a hurricane. Her fist, reinforced by energy, collided with the thief’s side.
"Guah!"
The thief was flung sideways, tumbling across the corridor and smashing into the far wall.
"Bang!"
Dust and stone exploded on impact.
The chase was over.
Egon collapsed onto the floor, gasping, heart thundering.
He was still in God eyed state, reacalling the feeling of activating it. Each time he activated he was in the state of fear.
Maybe Fear is the Key. The Key that unleased something dormant that had activated his trait.
Hilga stared at him for a long second, chest rising and falling. She looked... stunned.
"You actually stopped him..." she muttered.
Behind her, the two maids arrived, wide-eyed.
"Is the ugly human... okay?" one asked.
Egon only managed a faint, shaky smile.
"I think... I’m alive."
The two maids skidded to a stop, their eyes wide with surprise.
"Wow! I never thought you had it in you," one of them said with a smirk, arms crossed.
Egon panted, still catching his breath. "Well... I figured I owed Madam Castros for feeding me. Just doing what I could."
"Hmph, not bad for an ugly human," the cat-eared maid sniffed, flicking her silver tail proudly. "Very well. From now on, you may refer to me as your friend. You’ve earned my respect. My name is Neko."
"And mine’s Tiara!" said the second maid, with bright eyes and a hesitant smile. "I-I guess I can be friends too... just this once, with an ugly human like you."
Egon scratched the back of his head sheepishly, cheeks reddening. "Thanks... I guess."
Inwardly, however, a sly grin tugged at his thoughts.
Because he could now see what ordinary vision couldn’t. Under their skirt.
"Pink... White..."
He coughed hard, forcing the Viewpoint to shut off before his nose bled.
Okay, note to self... Don’t use god-mode vision so casually. Especially not around catgirls in short uniforms.