I Became A Thief Who Steals Overpowered Skills

The Hero of the Commoners, Felray.

One day, he suddenly felt the weight of the title bestowed upon him. But now, he was feeling a different kind of weight.

“Urgh!”

A suppressed groan escaped from Felray’s lips.

Beneath a yellowish sky, atop a snow-covered mountain range, Felray stood before a cave.

It was one of the many caves crossing the Hadenhartz Mountains, often used as an emergency refuge.

And in front of that cave, a horde of Erosion Beasts was swarming like a pack of wild dogs.

Appearing alongside the world erosion, these creatures looked as though they’d been starving for ages, their bellies clinging to their spines.

They had no fur, just bare, blistered skin, with red and swollen boils covering their bodies.

Their forms resembled wild animals, but their size was monstrous, far exceeding that of humans.

Purulent Cysts. (TL: Purulent – containing or producing pus, a purulent wound/discharge.)

Not individually strong creatures, but their tendency to move in massive packs large enough to cover entire mountains earned them a five-star danger rating as an erosive species.

Currently, they had filled the Hadenhartz Mountains.

Their sole purpose now was clear—to enter the cave.

And it was no wonder why. Inside that cave, countless prey were hiding.

“Yip!”

“Yap-yap!”

Drooling greedily, they could no longer hold back, lunging toward the cave.

In that instant, as Felray saw the charging Purulent Cysts, his sword flashed without hesitation.

Though moments earlier his breath had been ragged, his body moved on instinct.

Slash!

“Yip?!”

A Purulent Cysts was cleaved in two, its body halved.

As it fell, the boils on its body burst, spraying its acidic contents around, melting the snow.

Sizzle!

Some of the pus splattered onto Felray’s skin, burning it.

Even though his Rahern Academy uniform had self-repair capabilities, the prolonged battle had worn it down.

The pile of Purulent Cyst corpses in front of the cave spoke to how fiercely Felray had been fighting.

His uniform, having lost its protective function long ago, could no longer shield him.

As the Purulent Cysts died, the explosions from their bursting boils continued to injure Felray.

The constant injuries drained his stamina and blurred his focus.

“Ugh, Commander, let me—”

“Stay back. Rest.”

At that moment, one of his comrades near the cave entrance, his leg charred black, tried to stand.

But Felray stopped him and took his place at the front of the cave once more.

The previous battles against other five-star Erosive species had already left Felray’s Great Sword Order in shambles.

It was now a situation where five-star Erosive species roamed freely as if it were ordinary.

No matter how exceptional the first-generation students of Rahern Academy were, there were clear limits to how much they could handle.

‘I hope the Lion Order is safe.’

During the fighting, Felray’s group had been separated from Charlotte’s Lion Order.

Though their fate was unknown, Felray silently prayed for their safety.

“Yip!”

Meanwhile, the Purulent Cysts charged toward the cave once again.

Their numbers were increasing compared to the initial wave.

Even they could sense it—Felray’s stamina was nearing its limit.

Felray clenched his teeth tightly.

Deep within his heart, a weak voice whispered that he should run away from this place immediately.

Felray was human, after all.

Though praised as a hero, he too wanted to live and feared death.

Perhaps that was why, whenever such weakness reared its head, he couldn’t help but admit it.

He wasn’t fit to be called a hero.

“Yap-yap!”

Clang! Clang!

Slash!

Crash!

The Hero of the Commoners.

What a grand and lofty title.

A hero, by definition, should face challenges boldly and without fear, standing tall in the face of danger.

A hero is someone who overcomes crises and saves everyone.

‘I’m nothing like such a hero.’

The sword he picked up had been for no grander reason than the tragedy of his vulnerable hometown, left defenseless against the world erosion.

His feeble sense of justice felt far too small and laughable to declare himself a hero.

Clang!

Thwack!

Yet, even so, Felray didn’t retreat from the cave’s entrance.

Though his fear of death made his legs tremble uncontrollably, they still stood firmly before the cave.

His breathing grew rougher and more labored than before.

Clang!

His chest heaved, swelling and contracting in a frantic rhythm.

His heart pounded erratically, and despite the snowy peaks of the Hadenhartz Mountains, sweat poured down his face.

Clang!

It was hot.

From head to toe, Felray was burning with the heat of his labored breaths.

“Yap-yap!”

Neither his sweat nor the surrounding air could cool him down.

Yet, Felray’s mind remained sharp.

Inside this cave were countless residents of the Hadenhartz Mountains, seeking refuge.

The moment he faltered, the Erosive species’ fangs would tear them to shreds.

Even if it was just a meager sense of justice, that was enough.

If he could pour all of it out here, Felray was willing to do anything.

Clang!

“Commander!”

A panicked voice rang out from one of the Great Sword Order members.

Felray had just been clawed in the side by a Purulent Cyst, and blood began to spill from the wound, trailing down his torso.

But Felray paid no mind. He swiftly split the creature’s head and returned to his position at the cave entrance.

The blood loss was making him feel faint.

As a makeshift measure, he channeled aura into his muscles, forcibly compressing the wound to temporarily stem the bleeding. But in his current state, the blood loss was critical.

Even so, his vivid blue eyes shone more intensely than ever.

The members of the Great Sword Order watched Felray’s back.

They, like Felray, were all commoners.

Every one of them had fought tooth and nail to earn their place at Rahern Academy.

Perhaps that was why, when they looked at Felray, a fire ignited in their hearts.

The Hero of the Commoners.

No title suited anyone better than it did Felray.

Even if he denied it over and over again, Felray was their hero.

Felray was never arrogant.

He constantly humbled himself, wrestled with doubt, and agonized over his choices.

And yet, in the midst of that turmoil, he never retreated from his place.

Though his body burned with heat, his mind grew colder and more composed.

“Yap-yap!”

The Purulent Cysts charged once more, their numbers even greater than before.

And yet, strangely enough, their movements had become clearer to Felray.

Geniuses are those who grow even in the face of crisis.

And Felray, already among the ranks of geniuses, was taking yet another step forward in this moment.

However, unfortunately, crises have a way of claiming countless geniuses even as they grow stronger.

Though Felray had grown in that fleeting moment, his body had already reached its limit long ago.

Crunch!

The cost of his growth was his left arm.

The teeth of a charging Purulent Cyst sank deep into the muscles of Felray’s left forearm.

Its cursed fangs dyed his arm crimson in an instant, the price of the creature’s delayed reaction.

“…!”

A raw scream escaped Felray’s lips, but he had no time to fully cry out.

Another Purulent Cyst took advantage of his injury, raking its claws across his shoulder, tearing through flesh.

Blood sprayed into the air, spattering against the walls of the cave.

The scent of blood only further excited the Purulent Cysts, who snorted and growled with increasing aggression.

“Yip!”

The moment Felray faltered, several Purulent Cysts rushed past him, entering the cave.

“No!”

With a desperate shout, Felray swung his sword, slicing one of the creatures in half.

But he only had one sword.

For every one he struck down, others managed to slip past, charging deeper into the cave.

Inside, injured members of the Great Sword Order stood waiting.

Felray’s face turned pale.

The moment he saw the eyes of his comrades, he understood.

They had already resolved themselves to sacrifice their lives.

Weapons in hand, they stood ready to fight the Purulent Cysts to the bitter end.

But their determination couldn’t change the reality.

Their lives were like flickering candles in the wind.

Just as Felray was battered and worn, they too were in no better condition.

“Commander!”

One of the Great Sword Order members shouted, their trembling voice accompanied by a faint smile.

With a final burst of aura, they lit up like a flame about to go out.

“No matter how much you deny it, to us, you’ve always been a hero!”

Even as he witnessed that smile, akin to a last will, Felray screamed and ran toward them.

A hero? How could anyone call this a hero?

How could someone who couldn’t protect even one of his comrades dare to call himself a hero?

“Stoppppppp!”

Felray executed his signature footwork, Thousand-Li Ten Steps.

Even so, it was too far.

Felray’s face twisted in despair.

It felt as though the flame of hope he had carried all his life was being snuffed out.

As the image of his comrade’s final smile overlapped with the charging Purulent Cysts, something moved faster than Felray’s desperate sprint.

Crack!

A sickening sound of a skull being crushed echoed as the charging Purulent Cyst was sent flying through the air.

Crack!

Another impact followed immediately, shaking the creature violently.

Unable to withstand the force, the Purulent Cyst rolled across the ground, twitching uncontrollably.

Felray’s eyes widened at the sound—two distinct impacts from a single punch.

In the same instant, his gaze caught sight of dark, windswept blue hair.

Standing there was someone Felray recognized.

“K-Kraush Valheim?”

Felray murmured the name in a daze.

Kraush, cracking his knuckles casually, exhaled softly.

“Felray.”

Calling his name, Kraush reached into his coat and pulled out a vial.

Walking over, he handed it to Felray, pressing it against his chest.

“I told you last time: become stronger.”

Felray’s wide eyes slowly grew even larger.

Those were the exact words he had replayed countless times in his mind after the martial arts tournament.

「Become stronger.」

The peculiar-looking member of the Night Raven, Kradd had defeated Felray in the tournament and said those very words.

「Even if your hope collapses in the end, leave behind an ember.」

Felray’s head instinctively followed Krash’s movements.

“Grow stronger. So you can stand in your place, no matter what.”

Krash left those brief words behind and was suddenly at the cave’s entrance.

“Kraush, you!”

Before Felray could finish, Kraush drew his sword Thunderstorm.

With a calm breath, he fixed his piercing gaze on the Purulent Cysts ahead.

Geez, they sure gathered annoyingly well.

If Hadenhartz Mountain is like this, the city center must be absolute chaos.

‘I can only trust that the First Sword and the Hadenhartz Knights are handling it well over there.’

No less than Rai and Sena went.

If it’s those two, they’ll surely take care of the master of the world erosion.

[ A guy who can barely manage his own body is putting on all kinds of airs. ]

At that moment, Crimson Garden’s sarcastic remark followed once again.

It was because, as she said, Kraush’s condition was still far from normal.

However, Kraush wasn’t worried.

“That’s why I didn’t come alone, did I?”

Boom, Thud!

As Kraush continued speaking, the mountain began to shake.

Even the Purulent Cysts looked momentarily flustered by the suddenly shaking mountain.

And in the gap created by their confusion, from beneath the snowy mountain ground, multiple somethings began to rise.

Monsters made entirely of white bones held their respective weapons, their eyes glinting menacingly.

They were none other than Ebelasque’s skeletal legion.

Wariness rose in the eyes of the Purulent Cysts.

The numerical advantage had been overturned in an instant.

At the same time, Haring appeared next to Kraush, deactivating her Invisible.

Judging by the poison coating her dagger, she seemed to have taken down a few already.

“Kraush.”

“Yeah.”

Kraush lightly cracked his shoulders.

“Let’s clean up.”

Cleanly, thoroughly, without leaving a single one behind.

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