Listening to Ace's words, Gracie deeply looked into his eyes and asked meaningfully, "Do you even know what slave mark is?"
Ace ponder for a while before answering considerately, "Yes. I heard little about it in the wastelands. I only know; branding with a slave mark means surrendering your free will and forever stay loyal to the person who holds the slave contract. I also personally saw a mysterious red color mark on the people's forehead on the first floor. I should be the slave mark, right?"
Ace actually didn't know all this; it was all the information Eva gave him before coming here.
Branded with the slave mark was also a part of their plan and this kind of trashy slave marks will not work on him because of his soul cultivation. That's why he said without any hesitation and it was the easiest way to win Gracie's trust.
Gracie didn't surprise by the fact that Ace already knows about the slave mark but what was she really surprise about was Ace's will to live. In her eyes, this guy was actually showed her his secret skill and even wanted to branded by slave mark, just so he could live. This really fascinates her and made her look at this 'barbarian' in a new light.
"Fine, I'll allow you to be my personal servant and let you live better than any one of those in that shitty building. But you have to prove yourself first." Gracie mysteriously smiled and continued, "I'll be attending a family meeting in a month if you can steal all those participants' money pouches without anyone finding out. Then you can be my personal servant and I will even reward you. What do you think?"
Gracie smiled sweetly at Ace as if she was looking at a sheep who was about to get slaughter. She concealed the most important part of the information from him, that was this wasn't just any random meeting. It was the Meeting of Grant Family's Younger Generation and it was quite a big event.
To test Ace's' special' skill limit and see if he really can steal from all those contestants without alerting them, Gracie didn't tell him the whole truth. Furthermore, if he failed, she'll kill him swiftly so no one can investigate this matter, but if he succeeds, she will make a huge profit without even lifting a finger.
Besides, if everything goes smoothly then she'll just pretend to be a victim like everyone else, and no one will ever know that she was the mastermind behind the thievery. Most importantly, she'd gain a 'Master Thief' as a slave.
"I'll act according to Young Miss arrangements. But this humble servant has a personal request." Ace requests politely, he wasn't surprised by this 'test' at all. He knew from the start; winning the trust of this arrogant Third Miss of the Grant Family would not be a walk in the park.
"Hmm?" Gracie knitted her brows tightly after hearing Ace. But she didn't rebuke and asked coldly, "Tell me if this request is reasonable, I think about it."
"I just need a space for training my skill because I never used it on multiple people before and most importantly I'm not a cultivator." Ace's tone becomes even more respectful, "I also don't want to fail Young Miss mission, that's why I need to train hard so I can serve with my full potential in a month!"
Gracie mull over it for a while before speaking, "It seems you don't want to go back to that shitty building, So be it, you can live here in the open and practice all you want." She smiles darkly, "However, you're not allowed in my house or if you even take even half a step outside my training ground, you're dead!"
After warning Ace, she turns around walks back to her house leaving him behind.
Since Gracie makes a 'great deal' with Ace she was in no mood of training anymore and decided to play outside because she was in a very good mood.
As Ace watched Gracie leave him alone, 'The second phase of the plan is complete this easily and it is sooner than we anticipated.' He thought joyously.
In Ace and Eva's scheme, Gracie was very important. Their plan was, Ace would be a 'punching bag' for quite some time and after showing his unnatural abilities to endure the 'beating' he will be given to a stronger young miss or master to be their 'sparring partner'.
Eventually, Ace would meet his main goal and that was Gracie Grant!
Eva selected her because she was extremely willful and never listen to others except for her father and even her mother can't control her. Moreover, she was extremely greedy and would take whatever she likes from others. She bullies others no matter who they were,
If Gracie encountered someone strong she would use her status or father status. But even with all these powers backing her, she can't take or act wantonly in front of two persons and they were both 1st and 2nd Young Masters of Grant's family.
Ace and Eva decided to use her greed to manipulate her actions. Ace would show her his unnatural pick-pocket skill and she would not be able to resist the temptation of stealing the precious things from others. Especially from the second rank young master who she hated the most but can't deal with.
However, this plan was supposed to take some time to set in motion, but who would've thought, on the very first day Ace meets his target! Therefore, he strikes immediately and baits Gracie with the pick-pocket skill.
Except for that one-month test part, Ace's plan succeeds in the end and that's what matters the most.
Now, he just has to train the pick-pocket to a higher level to pass Gracie's test. Furthermore, after discovering; the pick-pocket would give him thief points, Ace was really going to practice it seriously.
Unknowingly this skill has become his main priority because to get things from the system he needed TP and only knows this one method to earn TP excluding missions.
Actually, it was very easy to earn TP, he just has to steal things and can earn Thief points. But he never does that before and when he used pick-pocket to steal Gracie's money pouch, Ace finally realized what he has to do to earn TP.
Furthermore, this skill was unexpectedly a Soul skill. Soul Techniques and Soul Skills were rarest in Golden Sky World. Even Devil Race that possessed the most complete heritage of cultivation in this world didn't have many soul cultivators.
Ace used heavenly sense and saw Gracie leaving the house, but didn't go inside. Because she might've left some trap or order, someone, to watch him. Since his soul senses were not strong enough he can't scan the whole house.
Ace didn't care about Gracie anymore and placed those weapons 10 meters away from him and starts using Pick Pocket. Just like what happened to Gracie the moment his Soul Qi thread touched a weapon, it vanished and reappeared in his hand. It was as if space is being manipulated by this skill but Ace didn't understand it too well yet so he keeps practicing it like a madman.
____________
Gracie comes back at night.
She enters the house and snugly sits in a chair before saying carelessly. "How was he?"
There was no one around but suddenly a man appears from the training ground, he didn't open the door and directly passes through it as if he was incorporeal.
He gets on his knee and answers respectfully, "Young lady that brat only practice, all this afternoon and evening. After some rest, he starts practicing again and was still practicing like a madman just an hour ago. I think he used all his qi."
"Hmm, not bad, not bad. It seems he is serious about what he said and didn't lie to me. Go and give him beast meat and a blanket as a reward. Keep an eye on him, he'll be living in the training ground for a month and if he succeeds in his task, you will get a new subordinate to play with Yahir." Gracie said coolly.
Yahir was Gracie's personal bodyguard that was personally assigned by her father. He is at the 4th Gate of Qi Gates realm. If Ace were to move around carelessly, he would have been attacked by Yahir instantly. But Ace just does his training diligently and was seen by Yahir as a hard worker. That is why Yahir has a good impression of Ace now.
Yahir emotionlessly said, "Yes Young Lady I will follow your will."
Ace was laying on the ground panting like crazy. He gave his all today and still didn't understand pick-pocket enough to raise its level. But he feels that he can do it within a month.
Nonetheless, he was feeling hungry but wasn't worry about it too much. After all, if Gracie was as greedy as Eva describe her to be, she would not let anything happen to Ace until she finds out if he was useable or not.
Just as he was thinking about food, a fragrant smell enter his nostrils. He quickly looked around and saw a man wearing blue clothes was coming towards him with a tray in his hand.
It was an old man in his fifties with grey long hair and a wrinkled face. He was Yahir. Grace personal bodyguard.
When Yahir saw Ace was looking at him, he smiles kindly like a senior who was going to meets his junior for the first time.
Yahir placed the tray on the ground and said while smiling warmly, "You worked hard today for my lady, and here is your reward. If you keep working like this, she will no mistreat you. But if you betray her trust or make a mistake then I'll be the first one to come after your head." When Yahir said that his eyes turn icy cold as he emits a thick killing intent.
Ace shivers when he feels Yahir killing intent, 'Just how many people did this old man has killed?!' He was shocked and afraid by this old man. Still, he nodded his head stiffly, and that killing intent vanished like it never exists before and Ace finally could breathe.
Yahir smiled again after seeing Ace nodded and leaves the tray there before leaving.. Clearly, he was only here to give Ace a warning nothing else.