I Became A Thief Who Steals Overpowered Skills

The world’s greatest Curse Master, Veltua Lacroix.

The first time Kraush met him was in a tavern.

「The stench of curses is so strong it’s practically choking me. Isn’t that right?」

Draped in a heavy robe, his face covered in a wild beard, Veltua pinched his nose and chuckled.

「What’s this senile old fuck babbling about now?」

At the time, Kraush was in a particularly foul phase of his life, and harsh words naturally spilled from his mouth.

He was barely surviving each day, reduced to nothing more than a vessel for absorbing curses.

「You’re the infamous curse absorber among the young ones, aren’t you? How about striking a deal with this old man?」

To Kraush, Veltua had casually made a proposal.

「And who are you supposed to be, old man?」

Kraush glared at him with narrowed eyes, and Veltua responded with a crooked grin.

「Veltua Lacroix, the Curse Master. This old man will teach you how to use those curses of yours to perfection.」

That was their first encounter.

And now.

Kraush was meeting Veltua Lacroix for the second time.

Back then, it had been in a tavern.

Now, it was within the forbidden zone of Unending Night.

Squirm—

The cursed centipede beneath Kraush’s feet wriggled uncontrollably.

Adorned with talismans that forcibly maintained its form, the creature was unnerving to behold.

Within its body, countless curses capable of obliterating a human in an instant were undoubtedly stored.

Even Kraush couldn’t help but feel uneasy about the cursed centipede, but Veltua rode it as though it were a mundane steed.

It wasn’t for nothing that Kraush had dubbed him a lunatic consumed by curses.

“So, a conversation, huh?”

Veltua tapped the long pole he carried, adorned with a glowing lantern, against his shoulder.

Loosening his robe slightly, he flicked his hat brim upward with his index finger.

“This old man’s just a humble Curse Master. Nothing special about me.”

Nothing special, huh? A humble Curse Master casually wandering a forbidden zone?

Kraush knew better. He recognized the lantern in Veltua’s possession as one that repelled Black Wraths.

This was because Kraush had previously entered Unending Night with Veltua.

Naturally, he had expected Veltua to carry the lantern this time as well, and, as expected, he was right.

“And especially with someone dragging along a bunch of World Eroders.”

Veltua added, grinning as he pointed toward the approaching carriage in the distance.

His demeanor suggested that unless introductions were made quickly, he wouldn’t hesitate to drive them off.

Even with two World Eroders and the enigmatic Kraush present, Veltua remained completely at ease.

As expected of Veltua.

Kraush was well aware that if Veltua decided to drive them away, pursuing him would be nearly impossible.

“I’m Kraush Valheim, a junior to Dorma Lacroix.”

Kraush introduced himself.

“Dorma? That little brat of mine has juniors now?”

“Yes, Dorma is currently studying at Rahern Academy.”

“Rahern Academy? Hm, oh right, that’s the one that the Fighting Emperor fellow was planning to establish. He actually went through with it, huh?”

It was evident that Veltua was out of touch with worldly affairs, as he seemed completely unaware of Dorma’s current situation or anything about Rahern Academy.

It was no surprise, given his obsession with curse research, which had made him indifferent to the outside world.

“Still, Valheim, huh?”

Veltua stroked his beard, scrutinizing Kraush closely.

“How did a child born to the most blessed family in the world end up like this?”

A deep curiosity glimmered in his eyes.

As the world’s foremost expert in curses, Veltua was naturally intrigued by Kraush’s peculiar condition.

“Your body would explode if its balance shifted even slightly. That’s something not even I could fix.”

Veltua had already deduced why Kraush had sought him out.

“Are you hoping I’ll remove the World Erosion and curses inside your body?”

“I have no such intention.”

Kraush replied firmly, immediately rejecting the idea.

He had painstakingly acquired his curses and World Erosion and had no intention of losing them all.

“Besides, if you were to remove them in my current state, my body would likely collapse entirely.”

World Erosion and curses were inherently attuned to yin energy.

World’s Aura and aura were aligned with yang energy.

The yin and yang energies always maintained balance within his body.

If one were to disappear, the harmony of yin and yang would collapse, and the body and mind would inevitably be destroyed as a consequence.

Kraush had learned this truth from Veltua.

After all, the most fundamental principle of neutralizing curses was aligning the harmony between yin and yang.

As Veltua realized how deeply Kraush understood these principles, his interest in Kraush grew stronger.

“You’ve done quite a bit of studying, haven’t you?”

Using the pole with the lantern as a support, Veltua stood atop the cursed centipede.

“So, tell me, what do you seek by coming to me?”

He grinned wickedly, revealing his yellowed teeth—a picture of a cantankerous old man.

But Kraush needed this old man’s help.

The highest-grade curses could not be obtained without Veltua’s assistance.

“The highest-grade curse, Four Seasons.”

The hand stroking Veltua’s beard froze mid-motion.

“I’d like your help in acquiring it.”

A mix of surprise and disbelief flashed in Veltua’s eyes.

“…Are you out of your mind?”

When Veltua finally spoke, his words questioned Kraush’s sanity.

And it wasn’t an unreasonable reaction.

The highest-grade curses were called such because they were fundamentally different from all other curses.

Each of these curses carried devastating characteristics capable of ruining a person’s life in an instant.

Naturally, even Veltua treated them with extreme caution.

They were all fraught with danger, akin to volatile explosives that could detonate at any moment, even in the hands of the world’s greatest Curse Master.

Yet here and now, a boy from the Valheim family, someone Veltua had never met before, had appeared out of nowhere to ask for assistance in obtaining such a curse.

It wasn’t the sort of request that a sane person would make.

But unfortunately for Veltua, Kraush was entirely serious.

“Right now, there is no curse that suits me better than Four Seasons.”

Upon hearing this, Veltua’s eyes narrowed with suspicion.

Recalling the properties of Four Seasons, he grew even more puzzled.

“It seems there’s something you don’t understand.”

Veltua said, fixing Kraush with a disapproving glare, as if watching a reckless youth throwing his life away.

“The highest-grade curses may bear the name of curses, but…”

“They are, in essence, erosion species with their own will. That’s why they’re classified separately as cursed species, correct?”

Kraush interrupted Veltua, finishing his explanation for him.

At this, Veltua let out a small gasp, momentarily speechless.

As I mentioned earlier, Kraush had an incredibly detailed knowledge of curses.

Even things that even professional Curse Masters don’t know well.

“Did my youngest disciple tell you about this?”

Kraush shrugged his shoulders.

No matter how he answered, Veltua wouldn’t be convinced.

“Well, it’s true. It seems my youngest disciple wouldn’t studied up to that point yet.”

He let out a chuckle and gazed at Kraush.

The highest-rank curse, Four Seasons.

That curse is an exceptionally peculiar one.

As mentioned earlier, highest-rank curses are so unique that they should be classified separately as cursed entities with their own will.

In particular, the Four Seasons was far more bizarre than other curses.

Once someone is afflicted by the Four Seasons, it randomly devours specific things within the body.

Then, it takes their place, allowing the curse to manipulate its victim at will.

As for the “specific things,” it could be physical elements like the stomach, liver, or brain.

However, that is mild in comparison.

According to the limited research on the Four Seasons, it can also consume Aura.

It even devours curses within the body and can swallow the soul itself, replacing it completely.

Thus, someone afflicted by the Four Seasons ceases to be themselves.

They must live eternally as a servant of the curse, with their soul unable to return to the cycle of life.

Hearing Kraush’s plan to utilize the Four Seasons, Veltua naturally frowned.

The Four Seasons was a curse even Veltua couldn’t handle easily.

Handling a curse that moves around freely at its own will was naturally a daunting task.

“Are you thinking of using the Four Seasons to devour the curses inside your body? If so, that’s a misunderstanding.”

As mentioned earlier, the Four Seasons replaces the curses it consumes.

But it’s literally just a replacement.

The Four Seasons devours the curse and leaves an identical curse behind within the body.

Thus, the Four Seasons cannot dispel curses.

“No. As I said earlier, I have no intention of erasing curses or the power of the World Erosion.”

Hearing this, Veltua furrowed his brow further, as if to say, “Then what on earth are you trying to achieve by obtaining the Four Seasons?”

Seeing Veltua’s reaction, Kraush decided to share something he didn’t know.

“The Four Seasons, as commonly known, can replace anything it consumes inside the body. However, the Four Seasons possesses one more undisclosed characteristic.”

The Four Seasons indeed replaces what it devours within the body.

“The Four Seasons doesn’t merely replace what it consumes with an identical version. It can substitute what it consumes with something else, as long as the alternative has the same energy capacity.”

For example, if it consumes the brain and the stomach, the Four Seasons could create two stomachs instead of replacing the brain, all without affecting the body’s ability to survive.

In fact, Kraush had encountered someone afflicted by the Four Seasons who was left with only twenty lungs in their body, and even in that state, the individual’s life was sustained.

A look of confusion appeared in Veltua’s eyes.

“And what do you intend to do with that?”

Kraush raised his left hand to show him.

Fwoosh!

Black flames flared from his left hand—the power of the World Erosion burned with Ignis.

Then, Kraush raised his right hand.

Fwoosh!

White flames rose from his right hand, the power of Aura burned with Ignis.

“I plan to have the Four Seasons devour both the power of the World Erosion and Aura.”

Veltua’s eyes slowly widened in shock.

He was well aware of the precarious state of Kraush’s body.

The power of Aura and the World Erosion were constantly at odds, relentlessly seeking to consume one another.

If even slightly misaligned, Kraush’s body could be split in two, a dire and fatal situation.

Yet, despite this perilous condition, Kraush proposed an audacious idea.

“And then, I’ll have the Four Seasons substitute one power with the other.”

If successful, only one power would remain within Kraush’s body—either Aura or the World Erosion.

Aura and World Erosion have fundamentally separate vessels.

Distinct containers meant to be filled individually.

However, Kraush was now speaking of using the Four Seasons to break down the boundaries of these vessels and merge them into one.

Aura replaced to gain World Erosion.

Or the World Erosion replaced to gain Aura.

This would undoubtedly make him several times stronger than he currently was.

“…You’re out of your mind.”

And the price for this would be borne entirely by Kraush.

Leaving aside the inherent danger of the Four Seasons, which could rampage uncontrollably at any moment.

The very act of substituting two powers into one would place an immense burden on his body.

“Still, I won’t die.”

The Four Seasons never permits death.

Even if it creates twenty lungs within the body, it somehow maintains the body’s functionality.

And it would be no different with Aura and World Erosion.

Even if the powers were substituted into one, Kraush would not die from the shock.

The Four Seasons wouldn’t allow it.

Kraush’s eyes glowed blue and within them was a madness that could unsettle even Veltua, who was no stranger to curses.

“Haha, fine.”

Veltua let out a laugh.

“Living in this world, it’s better to lose your mind properly once than not at all.”

A wide, glistening grin stretched across his face.

“Good. Well, I’ve never handled a highest-rank curse in someone else’s body before. This should be an interesting experience.”

Thud!

As Veltua struck the ground with his staff, the cursed centipede came to a halt.

The lanterns around them swayed ominously. 

Beneath their flickering light, a grotesque crescent-shaped grin appeared on Veltua’s face.

“Even if you die, don’t cry about it.”

For curses always find those who laugh.

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