I Became A Thief Who Steals Overpowered Skills

Within the forest of the midterm evaluation grounds, a figure darted swiftly through the trees.

The one running, his blue hair streaming behind him, was none other than Kraush Valheim.

“Squeak, squeak, Squeeeeak!”

The corpse rat barely tucked into his pocket let out frantic squeals.

Roughly translated, it was yelling, “I’m going to die!”

Even though it was already dead, the creature was annoyingly noisy.

Ping!

Suddenly, the corpse rat shot out of Kraush’s pocket, flying through the air.

Without missing a beat, Kraush snatched it mid-flight and shoved it back into his pocket.

“You know, you could’ve just stayed out of this.”

He scolded the rat while simultaneously changing direction and drawing Thunderstorm, his sword.

Something had triggered his sixth sense.

“Kieeeeeek!”

Ahead of him, a monstrous shriek tore through the air.

A single Erosion Entity burst into view, crashing through the forest.

Its grotesque form was horrifying—a spherical body bristling with hundreds of arms, and amidst them, a near-bald head protruding grotesquely.

The abomination extended its arms toward Kraush, splintering trees in its path.

The light emanating from the bracelet on Kraush’s wrist shone crimson, signifying that this was a 5-star Erosion Entity, a level generally considered the limit for most students.

As the creature lunged, Kraush’s Thunderstorm began to glow a brilliant gold.

Simultaneously, black flames erupted from the sword, crackling like an inferno.

Kraush inhaled sharply, bracing himself.

Boom!

With a powerful step, Kraush launched forward, his sword slicing straight through the monster’s many arms.

The black flames radiating from Thunderstorm were far beyond what the 5-star Erosion Entity could withstand.

Crash! Crackle!

Amidst the shredded arms, Kraush’s blade struck, plunging directly into the Erosion Entity’s face.

“Giiik… kiiik…”

The monster didn’t even have a chance to resist. Its blood evaporated instantly in the intense heat of the black flames.

But Kraush wasn’t finished yet.

Shrrrrrk!

With a powerful upward swing, his blade cleaved through the monster, splitting its head and body cleanly in two.

The blade, imbued with overwhelming heat, was far beyond what the fragile body of the Erosion Entity could withstand.

All it took was 2 seconds.

In just 2 seconds, Kraush had obliterated the 5-star Erosion Entity. Without even pausing, he continued sprinting, the counter on his bracelet ticking upward.

Had it been another student, the encounter might have consumed their entire exam time.

But to Kraush, a 5-star Erosion Entity was no longer even a challenge.

If he struggled at this level while in peak condition, it would render all his training meaningless.

Ding!

At that moment, a chime echoed, and the color of the bracelet on Kraush’s wrist changed to orange—the Orange Line.

‘The goal is just ahead.’

Kraush’s destination was the Red Line.

Even now, having reached the Orange Line, there wasn’t a trace of tension on his face.

Boom!

Suddenly, a tremor reverberated through the ground.

The vibrations extended beneath Kraush’s feet, prompting him to leap into the air without hesitation.

Crack!

As he jumped, the ground beneath him shattered, and massive tree roots began surging upward.

The roots tore through the earth, creating devastation wherever they emerged.

Amidst the chaos of splintering wood and upheaved soil, a black, spiky creature resembling a giant chestnut revealed itself. Its glowing red eyes pierced the gloom.

It was a 6-star Erosion Entity—a plant-type entity called Bottler.

The massive creature had spread its roots over a full kilometer, devouring anything that passed over its domain.

Seeing it, Kraush let out a dry laugh.

Though it was a magical construct created for the exam, he couldn’t help but think this was a bit much.

“So, they’re not letting me reach the Red Line that easily. Got it.”

Dark energy began to pour out from Kraush’s Thunderstorm, surrounding him in a black aura.

A Bottler covering an entire kilometer couldn’t simply be bypassed.

If he wanted to move forward, he would have to eliminate it.

But just as Kraush prepared to take down the Bottler, his sixth sense stirred again.

[It’s here.]

Crimson Garden spoke up at the same moment, causing Kraush to turn his head to the side.

A beam of light streaked past his face in an instant, narrowly missing him.

The beam disappeared into the ground below.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

An ear-splitting explosion followed as the ground erupted where the light had struck, sending debris flying in all directions.

The Bottler’s roots were torn apart, flying through the air, as Kraush was caught in the ensuing explosion.

His hair and clothing billowed in the sudden gust.

Through the haze of smoke, Kraush’s eyes scanned the surroundings. The once towering roots of the Bottler now lay scattered and limp, falling one by one with heavy thuds like collapsing buildings.

But Kraush’s focus was entirely elsewhere—behind him.

Through the smoke, a single spear shot upward, cutting through the sky.

The spear, as though possessing a will of its own, streaked through the air and disappeared behind Kraush.

Step.

A heavy footstep echoed.

The sound was meant to announce its owner’s presence, and through the dissipating smoke, a figure emerged.

Kraush slowly turned his head toward the source.

Long, jet-black hair cascaded down to her waist, swaying with each step she took.

Beneath the flowing hair was a figure with graceful curves that could captivate anyone’s gaze.

But no one could focus on her natural beauty.

The energy radiating from the spear in her hand was overwhelming, sending chills down Kraush’s spine and raising the hairs on his skin.

Her piercing black eyes glimmered ominously between strands of her dark hair.

She no longer carried the leonine, domineering aura of the past. Instead, the sharp intent emanating from her spear was so potent that it seemed to distort the very air around her.

“Mary Diana.”

The moment Kraush spoke her full name, Mary moved.

She swept her spear to the side in a single, fluid motion.

Whoosh!

The energy released from the spear instantly dissipated the smoke clouding the area.

Standing alone amidst the wreckage of the forest destroyed by the Bottler, she turned to Kraush and spoke.

“Kraush.”

The name she had called countless times before.

However, the weight of her voice as she called his name today was entirely different.

A foe she had to defeat no matter what.

To Mary, Kraush was now her greatest adversary.

The killing intent radiating from her washed over Kraush, sharp and oppressive.

Flash!

That alone was enough to provoke a reaction from Heavenly Slaying Star. It erupted with a surge of lethal energy that momentarily surpassed its usual limits.

This one is dangerous.

Heavenly Slaying Star, sensitive to murderous intent, immediately recognized Mary as the most formidable opponent it had ever encountered.

Calm yourself, Kraush mentally commanded, suppressing the star’s reaction by force as he met Mary’s gaze.

In her prime, Mary had harnessed Heavenly Martial Body, elevating her natural martial prowess to the pinnacle.

Recently, she had fallen far short of mastering even half of her potential.

But now, after only a few weeks of seclusion, she was no longer the same person who had stood at the academy’s opening ceremony.

‘Her killing intent alone is enough to make my skin sting.’

Divine Spear

A title that stood on an entirely different level from others.

Even the Four Above the Heavens, despite their renown, only bore titles ending with “Emperor” or “King.”

Mary Diana, however, was different.

She alone was deemed worthy of carrying the epithet “Divine.”

And now, that woman stood before Kraush, not as an ally, but as an enemy.

For some reason, the thought made Kraush laugh softly.

Never in his life had he imagined that Mary would become his rival.

Let alone the fact that he was the wall she now sought to surmount.

“If you really wanted to take me down, why didn’t you aim for my head from the start?”

Kraush, his sword Thunderstorm loose in his grip, spoke with his usual casual tone.

But Mary didn’t respond. She didn’t even flinch.

Instead, the sharpness of her aura intensified further, growing more suffocating by the second.

“Because defeating you only matters if you’re at your peak.”

Her words carried absolute conviction.

She’s right.

Kraush had waited for this moment too.

Waited for her to reach her full strength, to believe she could overcome him, to push herself to the brink of her limits.

The point where, if she failed, she would never rise again.

He had waited, holding back for this.

“Is that so?”

But does she know?

Does she know that the man standing before her now, Kraush Valheim, retains the memories of a past cycle?

「Do you even understand the hearts of those who fight on the battlefield every day? What could someone like you, who does nothing but carry curses from the rear, possibly know about those who give everything they have!」

Kraush vividly remembered those words she had screamed at him.

That day, when their country had been obliterated by the Dire Sovereign, and a nation was erased from existence.

That day, when the Dire Sovereign had utterly destroyed them, erasing an entire nation from existence, she had screamed relentlessly.

Sure, as she said, he had never fought on the frontlines herself.

The only role Kraush had was to use the sacred power granted by the Saintess to steal curses.

But that is exactly why she spoke.

He would bear all the burdens so that the rest of them would neither falter nor collapse.

The Skyborne Generation.

True to their name, they were to soar higher than anyone else and save this wretched world.

However, Arthur and the others failed.

Even the spear of the divine spearhead standing before them was shattered pathetically in the face of annihilation.

Kraush had no intention of reminiscing about that day again.

He had no desire to ever look up at the sky again, as if waiting for death, in a place where everything had been lost.

That is why, as she declared:

‘I stood on the very frontlines of the battlefield.’

To ensure he would never collapse.

To ensure he would never be defeated.

Thus, Kraush turned his gaze to Mary.

Could Mary’s broken spear ever reach the sky again?

Regrettably, Kraush no longer placed his expectations on Mary.

Her spear had already been broken once before.

“Then…”

The black flames spilling from Kraush’s body distorted the atmosphere.

The intense heat, enough to make mirages rise, caused even Mary to furrow her brow.

“Let’s see what you’ve got.”

At the moment when a provocative smile spread across Kraush’s face, Mary’s foot stepped forward.

In that very brief moment, Mary’s figure blurred.

For a split second, all sound in the world ceased.

In the space beyond the speed of sound,

Mary’s spear pierced through the barrier of sound, aiming to reach Kraush.

Chaaaeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeng!

However, the sound that should have come from her spear was not the noise of flesh being torn but the clash of metal against metal.

As the delayed noise followed, Mary’s eyes gleamed sharply.

It was as if she had never expected to succeed with just a single attack.

The aura surrounding her spear left traces of light as it repeatedly thrust forward.

Within that seamless flow lay the culmination of countless martial techniques she had honed throughout her life.

Each time her spear carved its trajectory, delayed explosive sounds filled the battlefield.

Crack!

Simultaneously, the impact of the clashing spear shattered the surrounding area into ruins.

Fragments of the shattered ground soared into the sky, and the space, unable to keep up with her speed, warped belatedly, creating a tempest.

The Heavenly Martial Body and the unparalleled mastery of the divine spear.

The sight of these two powers intertwining left all who witnessed it utterly speechless.

Her spear technique had reached its pinnacle, so overwhelming that it could dominate anyone.

Yet, in the midst of the devastating barrage from her spear,

Mary’s eyes widened like never before at the scene unfolding beyond the onslaught.

At the precise point where her spear was thrust.

At that exact location, with not even the slightest margin of error, the blade of Thunderstorm, Kraush’s sword, pierced entirely through her spear.

Seeing this, Mary’s eyes remained wide open, unable to blink.

She had known that Kraush wielded a blunt sword.

The blunt sword is a technique of overwhelming control, capable of piercing through every move and dominating the space itself with deliberate precision.

To face a blunt sword is to gradually lose control, even while attacking, until one is rendered completely helpless.

But the blunt sword is not invincible.

It is a swordsmanship that only works under the assumption that the user can discern every counter of their opponent.

Mary had faced blunt-sword users before.

Though tricky, Mary knew how to counter the blunt sword.

In fact, the blunt sword was most vulnerable to her spear.

Mary had Accel.

Her skill that amplified her momentary acceleration.

Her already overwhelming power and speed made her spear incomparable to ordinary techniques.

With Accel, not only did the speed of her spear surpass reason, but its trajectory became entirely unpredictable.

A thrust launched in a straight line could suddenly transform into an upward strike, catching the opponent off-guard.

The critical issue?

Her spear’s trajectory changed so rapidly that it exceeded even its original thrusting speed.

Even a natural blunt-sword master could not react to her Accel.

This had been proven when she overcame the blunt sword of the World Eroder Sword Sovereign, a figure who had reached the peak of swordsmanship.

Her spear could penetrate the blunt sword.

The blunt sword could never block her spear.

And yet.

And yet, right now.

Her spear was being stopped by the user of the blunt sword.

Even her spear, which was unmatched in combat experience despite falling short of its former glory.

Chaeng! Chaeng! Chaeng! Chaeng! Chaeeeeng!

Each time her spear carved out a trajectory, the place it reached was already occupied by Kraush’s Thunderstorm.

Each time her spear was stopped, her eyes shook more violently.

How, how could this be?

No matter how much Kraush seemed like a completely different person this round, it was a reality she simply could not accept.

This level of precision was impossible unless he knew every detail.

Her subtle habits, her combat style, and even her techniques.

“How!”

She shouted, thrusting her spear again, only for it to be blocked once more by Kraush’s Thunderstorm.

In that instant, his tilted blade slid along her spear shaft, aiming straight for her.

Gnash!

Seeing the sword coming directly for her head, Mary clenched her teeth and infused Accel into her spear.

Her spear, now veering left, struck Kraush’s blade aside.

But then, she saw something.

By the time she realized what it was, it was already too late.

Smack!

The sound echoed loudly, shaking her senses for a moment.

Pain exploded in her head, radiating from her jaw.

It was his fist.

Kraush’s fist had struck her.

Her Heavenly Martial Body, a physique blessed to withstand nearly anything, had allowed an attack to land.

Amid the unbelievable scene, she hastily raised her spear shaft to block the incoming blade of Thunderstorm.

Chaeng!

The clash of the spear shaft and the blade reverberated loudly.

Whoosh!

Simultaneously, the heat emanating from his blade made her swallow a scream.

Boom!

Kraush’s sword began pressing down on her, the force so overwhelming that her knees almost gave out.

Through the black flames, she saw Kraush’s eyes, now glowing a fiery crimson, fixed directly on her.

Feeling a chill run down her spine, Mary inhaled sharply.

“What… are you?”

Her voice trembled with incomprehension.

Hearing her question, Kraush exhaled smoke from his mouth, his expression eerily calm.

“What do you think?”

Crunch!

With those words, Kraush bit down on something inside his mouth and crushed it.

Mary didn’t need to wonder what it was.

Her knees buckled as the heat emanating from Kraush’s body grew as scorching as the sun.

“Kraush Valheim, as you know well.”

A name she would never forget for the rest of her life.

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