I Became A Thief Who Steals Overpowered Skills

Karandis Poseus.

Glen Diana.

Ballak Hogma.

Haring Lagrin.

And Kraush Valheim.

A temporary team of five second-generation students.

Standing in the Red Line, they watched as their bracelets turned crimson.

“It feels stifling, even though there’s nothing here.”

The area was the volcanic zone at the center of the island.

Aside from the pathways leading up the mountain and the scattered rocks and boulders, there was nothing else around.

Perhaps because of that, the heat rising from the ground and the thin air typical of high altitudes weighed heavily on them.

But Kraush knew well that this wasn’t the only reason.

“There’s a 7-star Erosion Species nearby.”

Beings of this level moved using the power of the World Erosion.

They inherently resided within the World Erosion, as their strength required such an environment.

Because of this, encountering a 7-star Erosion Species outside the World Erosion was exceedingly rare.

However, the issue was that some occasionally ventured outside.

It wasn’t that they couldn’t leave—it was just that they were reluctant to do so.

When they did emerge, they would erode their own power to form a World Erosion around them.

This made the Erosion Species outside weaker than those within the World Erosion.

‘And when the Cataclysm strikes…’

A spreading Cataclysmic World Erosion would engulf the entire world.

Within such an environment, the restrictions on 7-star and higher Erosion Species would vanish.

As a result, high-ranking Erosion Species would rampage everywhere, turning into a full-blown catastrophe.

‘Tch, bad memories are surfacing.’

Kraush shook his head, brushing off the unpleasant thoughts, and began ascending the Red Line.

“There’s a 7-star here, right? Right!”

Ballak’s boisterous voice rang out, followed by hearty laughter.

In contrast, Glen remained silent, lost in thought, his expression serious.

‘It’s probably because he knows Mary was completely defeated by me.’

Glen likely had some inkling of the truth.

If Mary failed to secure first place, only the worst possible outcome awaited her.

Her life was already in shambles as the infamous princess assassin.

The only reason she had been allowed to live was due to her exceptional talent, which had been reluctantly recognized.

But now, even that talent had been overshadowed by Kraush.

It was clear that she would soon be left with nowhere to go and no purpose to hold onto.

“Glen.”

The situation was about to escalate into a confrontation with a 7-star Erosion Species.

Kraush couldn’t afford to leave Glen in his current state.

“Mary was strong enough.”

Glen looked at Kraush upon hearing those words.

Mary’s defeat wasn’t due to a lack of talent.

Glen understood that better than anyone.

Hearing Kraush’s remark, Glen slowly nodded.

“Yeah, she’s my noona, after all.”

His expression showed that he had shaken off some of the burden he was carrying.

“Squeak!”

[ It’s moving. ]

At that moment, both Ebelasque’s corpse rat and Crimson Garden reacted simultaneously.

Just as they had said, a low rumble began spreading from the ground.

Kraush’s sixth sense rapidly spread downward, sensing something beneath the surface.

The moment he picked up on it, he shouted at the group.

“Jump up now!”

With his command, Kraush dashed toward the summit.

The others, without hesitation, began to follow him.

They knew there was always a reason behind Kraush’s actions.

As Kraush sprinted up the mountain, he exhaled heavily.

His body was already worn out from earlier exertions, and his stamina was running low.

‘I have to finish this before I use up everything.’

The thought crossed his mind just as it happened.

Boom!

A deafening sound echoed, followed by a massive tremor from below.

The four startled individuals turned their heads downward, only to see the base of the mountain erupting violently.

From the gaping hole burst forth molten lava, spilling out and spreading across the ground below, melting the sparse trees and rocks in its path.

Black smoke rose as flames ignited, engulfing the surroundings.

“What on earth is happening?”

Karandis exclaimed, her face filled with shock.

She hadn’t anticipated the eruption of lava.

Had they been down there, they would’ve been swept away in an instant.

If it weren’t for Kraush’s sixth sense, they would have been eliminated without even getting a chance to fight.

“Kraush…”

Haring, too, seemed to sense the approaching presence and tensed up.

Though it wasn’t a fully developed 7-star Erosion Species, Haring having once faced Decarabia, was particularly sensitive to the aura of such creatures.

Boom!

Another loud noise and tremor erupted from below, shaking the entire mountain.

“Whoa!”

Ballak let out a yell just as—

BOOM!

A deafening explosion burst forth from below, and something shot out.

Alongside a torrent of lava, the creature surged upward, crashing onto the mountainside and halting there with a thud.

The being, roughly three times the size of a human, had a body composed of stone.

Molten lava dripped from the cracks in its rocky form, melting nearby rocks as it fell.

The four, excluding Kraush, froze instinctively.

Much like prey locking eyes with a predator and succumbing to fear, humans were no different when facing a true beast.

And this was a beast they had to hunt themselves.

Whoosh!

“Snap out of it!”

At that moment, Kraush’s black flames erupted, engulfing the area.

Powered by the force that melted the World Erosion, the flames neutralized the oppressive aura of the Erosion Species.

Thanks to the protective barrier of the black flames, the four seemed to regain their composure.

“Kraush.”

Haring, who had approached him at some point, called his name softly.

As before, Haring seemed to consider using Invisible to coordinate a joint attack.

However, Kraush shook his head this time.

That wouldn’t work.

“That thing can’t be held off by just three people.”

A 7-star Eroded Being.

Lavadose.

A golem-like creature composed of molten lava and solid rock.

Its durability was one thing, but the sheer power of its lava expulsions couldn’t be underestimated.

There was no way three people alone could buy enough time against something like that.

“And I can’t take it down in one hit.”

Kraush’s Annihilation Erosion primarily relied on burning flames.

Against Lavadose, made of lava and rock, it was hard to inflict significant damage.

It was simply a bad matchup.

If Kraush could use his full power, it might have worked, but he had already expended significant energy fighting Mary earlier.

And the test wasn’t over yet—there were still more challenges ahead.

Pouring everything into this fight wasn’t an option.

So Kraush decided to change the approach.

“All three of you still have the poison pellets Haring gave us, right?”

Before ascending the Red Line, Haring had distributed poison pellets to Kraush and the others as a contingency.

The three of them nodded simultaneously.

“If things get critical, use them immediately.”

As soon as Kraush issued his warning, Lavadose began to move.

The creature spewed lava from its body and lumbered up the mountain, its massive frame in motion.

The problem was its speed.

Despite its size, it moved with surprising agility, scattering lava as it ran.

Just watching it approach was enough to send chills down their spines.

“Karandis!”

“Y-Yes!?”

Kraush called out to Karandis first.

Startled, she flinched and responded hesitantly, but Kraush grinned slyly.

“You have the best compatibility against it.”

“M-Me?!”

“Yes, you. You’re taking the front.”

Karandis’s face twisted into a look of despair.

It was no surprise—she was the least skilled among the group.

“Then if I hold it off well, will you marry me?!”

Even in her terrified state, Karandis didn’t miss the chance to shout out what she truly wanted.

To think she’d bring up such a condition here.

“No way.”

It wasn’t Kraush who rejected the proposal—it was Haring.

Kraush, who already thought Karandis was something else, merely raised an eyebrow.

Karandis turned her gaze to Haring, her expression a mix of shock and indignation.

At the same time, Glen also glanced at Haring, his face showing disbelief at what he had just heard.

Karandis’s antics toward Kraush were nothing new—she had flirted with him countless times before, so no one had taken it seriously.

But for Haring to step in so directly was unexpected.

Under the two piercing gazes, Haring spoke with a calm and composed demeanor.

“Kraush doesn’t like it.”

“What does that have to do with you, Lady Haring—”

Karandis started to retort but was cut off.

“It’s almost here!”

Ballak shouted at them to snap out of it.

Karandis flinched, then drew her single-edged cutlass and stepped forward.

“Fine, but if I block it, you owe me one wish!”

Without waiting for a response, she dashed forward. Blue aura flared from her blade, and water surged from her other hand, wrapping around her arm to form a shield.

Karandis, a Poseus royal, wielded water-related techniques, as expected of someone from the Oceanic Kingdom.

Thud!

“Ugh!”

Lavadose’s massive fist collided with her water shield, forcing her back several steps.

The sheer difference in size and strength made it impossible for her to hold her ground directly.

However, her balanced offense and defense prevented her from being overwhelmed.

At that moment, Ballak and Glen flanked her, their sword and spear striking Lavadose’s legs simultaneously.

From another angle, a dagger thrown by Haring embedded itself into Lavadose’s torso.

Boom!

The dagger exploded on impact, causing Lavadose to stagger briefly.

Taking advantage of the opening, Karandis backed away, catching her breath and steadying her stance.

“Can you handle the heat?”

“Yes, somehow!”

Karandis had honed herself through relentless training, preparing for moments like this.

Recently, her determination had only grown stronger.

Her single-minded drive, particularly toward becoming Kraush’s wife, had fueled her even further.

Once Karandis set a goal, she pursued it relentlessly, no matter how daunting.

That was who she was.

And in her life, Karandis had never failed to achieve a goal she set her sights on.

Even as she sweated profusely, she managed to wink at Kraush—a clear testament to her tenacity.

In many ways, she was truly remarkable.

“Relax your strength and let it flow naturally; it’ll be easier that way.”

Kraush advised, taking a quiet breath.

This time, the usual heat didn’t emanate from his body.

Instead, an unusual aura began to surround him, and his body temperature dropped sharply.

‘Stopping Ignis.’

Annihilation Erosion, powered by Ignis, constantly burned the World Erosion.

However, as Kraush extinguished the Ignis perpetually burning within him, his body began to reveal its true nature.

Kraush’s physical form bore the Lunar Body, a gift from Aslan.

Naturally, extinguishing Annihilation Erosion meant the effects of the Lunar Body would surface first.

The Lunar Body was a body brimming with yin energy, prone to attracting all manner of misfortune.

Now, this constitution met with Nox, the yin energy within Kraush.

Under the dark cover of night, the traits of the Lunar Body grew even more pronounced.

With Annihilation Erosion deactivated and Kraush’s body filled with Nox, it was the perfect environment for yin energy to thrive.

A chill like the breath of a wintry night swept through Kraush’s body.

The scorching sun that typically defined him had vanished, replaced by the biting cold of a winter night.

The frigid wind steadily sharpened into a blade.

Before long, something else began to mingle with the wind: snow.

Snowflakes cascaded from above, filling the inner recesses of Nox.

In the midst of this icy storm, Kraush exhaled softly.

He knew better than anyone the true nature of this snow.

It was an advanced curse he had recently mastered through the Poison Blood Codex, which he received from Dorma.

Frost Maw.

The moment this curse afflicted its target, they would not only freeze but also spread its frost to everything around them, freezing it all without end.

Frost Maw was a powerful and highly dangerous curse, with a lethality rate approaching absolute certainty.

Its use required extreme caution, as the consequences could spiral out of control.

However, Kraush wielded Frost Maw in a completely different manner.

Using the techniques of the Poison Blood Codex, Kraush repeatedly cast and removed the curse on his own body, using Ignis to cleanse and reapply it in cycles.

Over time, he had locked himself in his room, enduring this relentless cycle until his body reached a state of immunity to Frost Maw.

This process was nothing short of madness.

As described in the Poison Blood Codex, the act of intentionally intoxicating oneself with poison was not recommended even for those with extraordinary perseverance.

Yet Kraush had done just that, crossing into a realm most would deem impossible.

Moreover, Frost Maw wasn’t a straightforward poison with a clear antidote—it was an advanced curse.

Without the burning power of Ignis to purge the curse from his body, Kraush couldn’t have even attempted such a method.

Even with Ignis, there had been moments when Kraush’s hands froze to the point of nearly shattering.

But Kraush was far more tenacious than even the author of the Poison Blood Codex.

Gritting his teeth, he relentlessly froze himself, burned it away with Ignis, froze again, and repeated the process.

The result?

After countless repetitions, enduring through excruciating pain, Kraush achieved immunity to Frost Maw.

As always, his determination was utterly absurd.

Around Kraush, an icy white aura began to flow.

Even Thunderstorm, his weapon, began to freeze slowly under the influence of the cold.

This was possible due to the nature of Thunderstorm, which was constructed with aura and susceptible to such effects.

“Hoo.”

Unlike the familiar heat that usually radiated from his breath, cold vapor escaped his lips.

Kraush was channeling the power of the World Erosion into his body through a forbidden technique: Extreme Blood Poison.

The cursed energy of Frost Maw, contained and amplified through this technique, merged with the World Erosion, further enhancing its potency.

Still, Kraush was not satisfied with his current state.

‘More.’

To face Lavadose, he needed to increase the output of the cold even further.

His crimson eyes glowed brighter within the endless snowfall of the night.

The seven stars of his Heavenly Slaying Star constellation began to shine in unison, intensifying the snowstorm around him.

The Heavenly Slaying Star, a power that amplified curses, synergized with Frost Maw, elevating Kraush’s icy aura to an entirely different level.

Crack! Crack!

Even the molten rock below, flowing with lava, began to freeze over.

The cold consumed the heat entirely, leaving nothing untouched.

Kraush’s red eyes gleamed as he raised the now-frozen Thunderstorm high.

Annihilation Snow Erosion

The antithesis of Annihilation Erosion, created through the power of a curse.

At that moment, the master of the white frost declared his presence upon the Red Line.

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