I Became A Thief Who Steals Overpowered Skills

Chapter 13 The Reality of Anxiety

Yes, thats, uh, correct.

The knight replied dumbly with a goofy expression on his face.

Without a doubt, thirteen is an age for protection.

The idea that Kraush had any experience with world erosion prior to that age was nonsensical.

Another knight nudged the speaking knights arm.

Mid-level knights from Balheim were essentially low-ranking within Balheim itself.

This was a power struggle amongst the direct lineage.

They knew meddling would most likely lead them to see blood.

Ah, ahaha! It was a joke!

So, the knight quickly laughed it off and left Kraushs side.

Meanwhile, Belorkin was glaring at Kraush with furrowed brows.

He simply couldnt grasp the current situation.

How can he be so at ease?

The Kraush he saw now was so different from what he remembered on his first encounter with world erosion.

Kraush should be panicking, making mistakes one after another.

Yet here he was, dispensing advice to the knights.

How could that half-penny Kraush

This change in Kraush, different from what he knew, increasingly agitated Belorkin.

Suddenly, their eyes met for a brief moment.

Kraush looked at Belorkin and smiled.

It was as if to say, Are you and I even comparable?

Belorkin clenched his teeth and turned his head away.

For some reason, he couldnt look at Kraush squarely anymore.

He had thought Kraush would live forever beneath him as a half-penny.

But overnight, the boy had changed.

A question began to nag at the dark depths of Belorkins heart.

Perish the thought, but

could it be that the true half-penny of Balheim wasnt him?

If Kraush, like Charlotte, grows and ascends beyond

Then the one left at the absolute bottom would be

Belorkins teeth gnashed together as a stream of questions kept bursting forth.

No, no, it cant be!

Belorkin strode hastily through the swamp.

His anxiousness was evident in each step.

He had been a nervous wreck ever since he realized he didnt measure up to Charlotte.

Ironically, Kraush had been Belorkins only psychological safety valve.

The knowledge that someone was beneath him.

Each time he pressed down on those below, Belorkin gained a sense of psychological stability.

But now, his foundation threatened to surge above him.

As if to burst through him and climb higher still.

Belorkin had brought Kraush along today to reaffirm his place beneath him.

Yet, more than confirming that fact, a dreadful reality was tightening around his neck.

If Kraush climbed above him, there would be only one at the bottom of Balheim.

Belorkins mind was spiraling.

The possibility tormented him constantly.

Brother, Belorkin Brother.

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Uh, what?

Startled by the voice, Belorkin looked up.

Kraush pointed ahead with an indicating gesture.

It seems weve nearly reached where the host is.

Hearing that, Belorkin belatedly turned his gaze.

Just as Kraush had said, the color of the swamp was gradually darkening into black.

There was no mistaking the change; the air emitted ominous vibes signaling the presence of the host.

Psh, this was easier than I thought. It seems youre the lucky one, Kraush. My first time was much harder than this.

Belorkin suppressed his stray thoughts and spoke smugly.

As if Kraushs initial encounter with world erosion was trivial.

And indeed, not only Belorkin but also the knights seemed to share the sentiment.

It appears there are no other Erosion Creatures besides the host.

With that, the knights spoke with a bit of relief.

Given that fighting in the swampland could be quite troublesome.

Seemingly grateful there had been no significant conflict apart from a few bugs to worry about.

Thats why you should be more careful.

But against the relaxed attitudes of both Belorkin and the knights, Kraush retorted sharply.

Belorkin frowned and the knights looked back at him in confusion, but Kraush spoke, teaching them as if it were obvious.

If the host alone can warrant a three-star rating, it means its a dangerous critter even without Erosion Creatures.

Upon hearing this, everyone stiffened.

If what Kraush said was correct, then the host they were about to face was an Erosion Creature capable of maintaining world erosion all on its own.

There definitely was a need to be vigilant.

But Belorkin was displeased that Kraush had contradicted his own thoughts.

Anyway, you sound like a scared kid. Its just three stars. Why would you all be so easily swayed by a mere childs words?

Despite being the most swayed himself, Belorkin chided the knights.

Then, with a hand resting on the hilt of his sword at his waist, he began striding into the depths.

The knights, seeing their leader move forward, hastened to follow, as Belorkin was central to the mission.

And as Kraush followed behind Belorkin and the knights, he sensed something far worse than the swamp gas entering his nostrils.

This scent, akin to poking sharply inside the nose, was the distinct stench of a heavy curse.

I kind of expected this.

Indeed, it seemed this host was a pretty strong one.

If anyone gets cursed by it, theyre in for a tough time.

Or they might die before even getting cursed.

But since Kraush had already warned everyone earlier, he wasnt too concerned.

Balheim wasnt just any random households name, and both Belorkin and the knights were from Balheim.

To Kraushs eye, as long as they didnt let their guard down too much, the situation was manageable.

Thus, Kraush began to pay attention elsewhere.

He focused on the very force of the world erosion itself.

The source of the power that constituted world erosion.

While it wouldnt be visible to ordinary human eyes, to Kraush, who had his body overlaid with curses multiple times and even mastered the Extreme Blood Poison, it was clearly perceptible.

It was as if standing amidst grey smoke drifting like dense fog.

Just breathing a little through his nose and mouth, it seemed like the power of world erosion would immediately flow into Kraush.

Can it be done?

Kraush, who had been continuously mastering the Extreme Blood Poison, knew how to absorb and manipulate this power. However, theory and practice were different matters.

Even for someone like Kraush, the power of world erosion was nerve-wracking to handle.

No, it has to be done.

As thoughts of the imminent challenging events flickered through his mind, Kraush clenched his fists tight.

If he couldnt prevent destruction, there would be no future anyway.

He had already rolled around naked in curses; how could he not handle this?

Inhale.

At that moment, Kraush drew in the power of world erosion with his breath. The gray smoke rapidly entered through his nose, quickly beginning to diffuse throughout his body.

Cough!

Suddenly, Kraush let out an involuntary cry due to the intense pain that struck his entire body.

Sir Kraush?

The startled knights turned to look. Kraush, covering his mouth with his hand, waved them off as though nothing was amiss.

Sorry, just slipped a little.

Kraush struggled to speak while still covering his mouth.

In response, Belorkin showed a look of what appeared to be satisfaction mixed with a dose of sympathy.

Tch, you see? Overdo it at the onset of world erosion and this happens. If its tough, just say so. Ill have one of the knights carry you if necessary.

Apparently, Belorkin mistook the situation, thinking that finally, Kraush had indeed reached a limit.

Looking at Belorkin, who suddenly seemed energized, Kraush slowly removed the hand that had been covering his mouth.

What was revealed was blood, a dark crimson.

Blood had erupted from his body the moment he absorbed the power of the world erosion.

Well, of course.

World erosion has a powerful influence, strong enough to reverse the surrounding environment. Its akin to an extremely potent poison, worse than a curse.

His body naturally could not absorb it raw. However, he had no choice but to accept it.

Extreme Blood Poison.

For this, he had trained in the Extreme Blood Poison.

Focusing on the rhythm of his heartbeat, Kraush began to blend the world erosions power with the flow of aura in his body.

Aura is like a mighty river stream, continuously circulating. As the power of world erosion mixed in, it slowly started to dilute.

It joined the vast river of aura.

Demaris Balheim was incredibly precise in manipulating such currents of aura, which had meticulously been documented in his secret manual.

That process was vital for wielding the Extreme Blood Poison.

Kraush had read that manual hundreds of times. He could recall every detail even with his eyes closed.

So, Kraush concentrated.

To bring forth the true value of the extraordinary technique known as the Extreme Blood Poison.

Over time, his body could no longer distinguish between aura and the world erosions power.

Some of the auras color turned muddy, but that process also created another clear tone.

The purest black. A color that could not be tainted by any other.

Slowly, Kraush exhaled and opened his eyes. For a split second, a shadow passed across his pupils and then vanished.

Ugh.

At that moment, Kraushs body staggered.

Because the entire world seemed to twist into a vivid red shade before him.

It was an effect of the madness stemming from the Extreme Blood Poison.

Demaris Balheim probably went insane after seeing such a world.

Knowing this all too well, Kraush felt around his eyes.

It was time to use the temporary technique he had honed for such an eventuality.

Following Demariss caliber, Green Pine Hall was virtually closed.

However, not everyone failed to find the secret library afterward.

Just one person. Someone who saw the world in a wholly different way stumbled upon the secret library.

A blind person who had been pushed to the back among Balheims direct lineage.

Even after discovering the secret library, he could not read the manual within it.

He had to close the door again, but with the hope that no one like him would appear in the distant future, he left behind one manual.

A sense to replace the eyes.

A sixth sense that could perceive everything by dispersing aura like threads in every direction.

Sensory perception that went beyond the physical, feeling everything through aura alone.

Its small.

Unlike his blind ancestor who had spent a lifetime mastering the sixth sense, Kraush could only extend his aura to the thickness of a finger joint.

Still, he could sense the presence around him and understand where he was.

The place he was in was not the world twisted by madness resulting from world erosion.

His mind recognized it as the world he had always lived in.

Realizing this, Kraush slowly opened his eyes.

As he did, the twisted world before him began to fade.

The emerging madness was starting to dissipate.

Of course, it hadnt vanished completely.

As long as the power of world erosion was being absorbed, madness could strike at any time.

Thats why the curse within Bianca was even more necessary for Kraush.

The sixth sense was just a temporary measure.

But for now, it was crucial that the sixth sense could suppress the madness.

A temporary solution was nonetheless a solution.

At that moment, Kraush felt himself move another step forward.

He was gradually awakening to the joy of growth he had never felt in his lifetime, now that he had returned.

It was then that Kraush suddenly shivered, his head whipping around.

Something odd had brushed past the remaining sense of sixth sense after suppressing the madness.

Could it be

The host!

Just as Kraush realized it, Belorkins voice echoed from ahead.

As Kraush turned to look, a face entirely devoid of hair emerged from the pitch-black darkness.

The eyes of that face, which had been closed, slowly began to open, and as soon as it laid eyes on Kraush, it rolled its pupils in recognition.

Immediately thereafter, more faces began to pop out of the darkness one after another.

There were faces of not only people but also animals and insects.

Every conceivable kind of face was present.

As the initial faces mouth slowly began to open amidst this monstrous scene, a sense of disgust involuntarily surged within him.

KEEEEEK!

Along with a shriek that seemed to tear the ears, eight arms burst forth from the darkness.

Thousand-faced Demon

The three-star world erosion host had detected the intruders and started its assault.

Prepare for battle!

As Belorkin shouted, a blue aura surged from his sword.

This aura gradually turned into flames, which was related to his skill.

Ignis.

The power to ignite anything at will.

Belorkins aura blazed with fire.

The knights morale lifted at the sight of Belorkins fiery display.

Belorkins Ignis had the power to boost the spirits of those who witnessed it.

On the other hand, Kraush felt notably unsettled.

Having once been desperately tormented by that flame when he was powerless.

This is the difference between you and me! Got that? You cant dare to compare yourself to me! You filthy bastard!

Wherever it came from, whatever he heard.

The face of Belorkin, who had defeated him and used Ignis to burn one of his arms, was still vividly etched in Kraushs memory.

He and Belorkin were both broken back then.

And Kraush knew it.

That he, here and now, was still broken.

No matter the regression, memories of those times remained indelibly in Kraushs mind.

How about you now, Belorkin.

Can you say youre not broken, after you, at the mere age of seventeen, tried to poison your thirteen-year-old brother?

A grim smile edged onto Kraushs lips.

It seemed he would have the opportunity to find out.

Today, on their return, someone would cry while others would laugh.