I Became A Thief Who Steals Overpowered Skills - Chapter 91

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 91. Breaking the First of the Destruction

An 8-Star Erosion Creature.

To speak simply of the subjugation difficulty: an 8-Star Erosion Creature could be defeated if led by a knight commander reaching Master-rank, with average squad members of Master-rank or above — so the records stated.

But that was merely the minimum condition for a defeat.

The rating attached to an Erosion Creature ignored all their unique traits and inherent abilities, speaking only of raw power level in the simplest terms.

So yes, an Erosion Creature could be felled by the minimum specified force.

But in that case, the specified force would suffer damage approaching an Annihilated State.

So when hunting World Erosion Creatures normally,

it was standard practice to dispatch a knight order one rank higher than the force specified by the creature’s star rating.

And now,

an 8-Star Erosion Creature — Agaress — had appeared.

The First Sword, Jutcheon Knight Order, was built under the command of Lilish Balheim, who had reached Master-rank.

It was indeed an Erosion Creature that could be defeated by the specified conditions.

But if the outcome meant accepting death on this end as well, it could hardly be called a favorable result.

“What do you intend to do? You seem to know this creature’s nature too. Once caught, it’s hard to escape.”

Crimson Garden had sent a warning regarding the current situation just moments ago.

Krash’s mind was equally tangled.

World Erosion was always full of surprises.

There was no explanation for why Agaress had come all the way to the Eastern Region — only that it was an unforeseen circumstance.

The problem was where Agaress had appeared: the Eastern Region.

The Eastern Region was the place closest to the City Walls.

If Agaress now charged in a straight line in its current direction, it would inevitably reach the City Walls.

The City Walls, built to withstand World Erosion, wouldn’t crumble easily.

But the possibility of disaster always exists.

‘More than a few have died because of that possibility.’

So the Balheim Knight Order had to make a decision.

Hold their ground before the City Walls to prevent Agaress from reaching it, accepting casualties while awaiting reinforcements.

Or withdraw quickly, hoping Agaress would turn back before reaching the City Walls.

‘Both choices are equally terrible.’

One side risked total annihilation.

The other risked the destruction of the City Walls.

He felt keenly how a single unforeseen turn could spiral everything toward catastrophe.

“Lilish!”

In that moment, a voice called out from ahead.

It was none other than Darbiane, vice-captain of the Jutcheon Knight Order.

“You’re here. Brief me.”

Other knights were rushing toward them from behind, which meant they too had sensed Agaress’s presence.

He’d decided to join up with Lilish without delay.

Krash slipped quietly around the forest and circled back toward the Cheong Hae Knight Order.

There was no advantage in being seen with Lilish.

“Krash!”
“Where did you go?”

The members of the Cheong Hae Knight Order all gathered and spoke as one.

Krash had vanished in the midst of the skirmish, so they’d naturally grown concerned.

“I had business and sent him ahead to the Black Forest on my orders. Don’t fault him for it.”

It was Reblian who came to his defense.

The man truly did have a gift for quick thinking.

“What? That was the vice-captain’s order?”
“You could have at least told us.”
“There was no time to speak in the thick of battle.”
“Fair enough, I suppose.”

While the members grumbled about their needless worry, Lilish and the commanders converged.

They quickly deliberated on how to proceed.

The discussion reached its conclusion in short order.

“All members of the Cheong Hae Knight Order, assemble! We are withdrawing from the Demonic Realm at once!”

Vega, captain of the Cheong Hae Knight Order, called out loudly.

So that was their decision.

A knight order composed of Expert-rank members had no way to contend with Agaress.

They would only be slaughtered, so they’d decided it was better to retreat and call for reinforcements.

The journey back would be grueling, but it beat facing Agaress.

“The Nok Hae Knight Order will support the Jutcheon Knight Order.”

The Nok Hae Knight Order, meanwhile, had made the decision to stay behind.

Agaress possessed several unique characteristics.

Among them was the ability to drive nearby Erosion Creatures into a frenzy, and that burden would fall to the Nok Hae Knight Order.

“The Jutcheon Knight Order will face the Master-rank Erosion Creature, Agaress. We will not engage in all-out combat. Instead, we will buy time until the First Sword or other reinforcements arrive. Of course, the situation will shift according to circumstances at that moment, so keep yourselves ready for new orders at all times.”

At last, the direction for the Jutcheon Knight Order had been decided.

‘So they’ve chosen to avoid a frontal assault.’

Lilish was the Second Sword, commanding the Jutcheon Knight Order.

If she were alone, perhaps it might be different—but her fellow knights would almost certainly become prey for Agaress.

It seemed she had made this decision with them in mind.

‘If the First Sword does come…’

Agaress could be dealt with without too much difficulty.

The problem was the time required, as mentioned earlier.

‘Even if the Cheong Hae Knight Order force-marches, they’ll need at least a day. And given the Demonic Realm’s nature—its space is twisted so severely that even decent-ranked mages wouldn’t dare attempt Spatial Magic. Scrolls won’t work either.’

Balheim’s knights had taken three days to reach the Eastern Region of the Demonic Realm, managing their stamina carefully.

Even if they pushed through in a forced march, it would take at least another full day.

And then, once word reached the First Sword and they began moving, that would require another day as well.

In that case, they would need to hold out for a minimum of two days.

Factoring in the variables that might arise in the interim, it could stretch even longer.

‘Can the First Sword really hold the line for two full days, no matter how capable she is?’

Even now, Aura was being consumed in real time due to the black rain.

To be frank, it was difficult to muster any optimism.

Krash’s eyes opened slightly wider.

The situation was worse than he had thought.

“Crim.”

Krash called out to Crimson Garden quietly, making sure no one else could hear.

“Can you have word sent to the one outside, through Seyrang, to send me Blavi?”

This card had been reserved for when the next deal came around.

But given how dire the situation had become, it seemed he couldn’t afford to keep it hidden.

-Using Mirvis isn’t impossible… but if I do that, her movements will be constrained within Sephira from now on.

Mirvis, servant of Crimson Garden and the Third-Rank Administrator of Sephira.

If her actions were constrained in Sephira, it meant she couldn’t count on Sephira’s help going forward.

-Tsk. You’re not planning to run, then.
“No.”

If he kept wandering through the World Erosion like this, incidents like this would erupt hundreds, thousands of times in the future.

If he fled each time, he’d ultimately fail to prevent destruction.

-Will Sephira’s princess send Cheonguseong? That man will never leave your side for an instant.
“She’ll send him.”

When Krash followed Arthur to Sephira’s headquarters, he’d once inspected Seyrang’s chambers.

There, he’d found exactly one thing.

Though it had become meaningless after Seyrang’s death.

But now, that card would certainly activate again.

Even if he didn’t know everything about Seyrang herself, he’d known for certain one of her secrets.

“And Blavi is just insurance. One of the backup methods I prepared.”

Between his narrowed eyes, Krash’s pupils gleamed with clarity.

From the moment Krash heard about Agaress, he’d already resolved to strike the creature down.

After devouring countless Erosion Creatures and finally ascending to the tenth rank, Agaress was the very Erosion Creature that had shattered the City Walls and ravaged the empire.

Rather than risk losing Il Geom here, he’d strike the creature down and prevent one more of the Beginnings of Destruction.

‘The problem is, this time I truly have to accept the risk.’

Krash exhaled slowly, then drew in a breath.

“I’ve always lived with danger. Nothing new about that.”
-What’s become of your head?

Unfortunately, his head was fine.

Krash’s resolve hadn’t changed.

Why would he let slip a precious chance to crush one of the Beginnings of Destruction?

Especially when that origin was walking toward him in a comparatively weakened state of its own will.

Once Agaress reached the tenth rank and its restraints were lifted, once it could finally extract its true form from the Demon Castle—

Then there would be no real chance of victory left.

‘Of course, there’s one problem I need to address right now, before all that risk.’

Krash’s gaze turned toward Lilish.

That Lilish was worried about him troubled Krash somewhat.

But through Pendal, Krash had learned that the people he knew before his Regression and those he’d met after weren’t quite the same.

Krash cast aside his memories of Lilish from the past.

From that moment on, he resolved to see only the Lilish before him now.

Lilish had decided to send Krash back along with the Cheong Hae Knight Order.

To defeat Agaress, Krash could not return.

So he passed through the ranks of the Cheong Hae Knight Order, who were preparing to depart, and continued forward.

“Krash?”

A Cheong Hae Knight Order member called out to him belatedly.

“Where are you going? We’re heading this way.”
“Wait, Krash?”

They hurried to stop him, but it was already too late.

This was not the time to hide his identity.

‘Even with all precautions taken, word spreads like water—I’d tried to keep it as secret as possible.’

He’d have to apologize to the First Prince and handle the aftermath later.

Still, since they were members of Balheim’s order, word wouldn’t spread as quickly.

“Huh? That man?”

The moment he passed the Nok Hae Knight Order as well, they too fell into confusion.

Among them was one who had taken a fist to the face from Krash, and his expression twisted viciously.

Regardless, Krash strode on, passing before the Jutcheon Knight Order as well.

In the moment when the Jutcheon members’ gaze belatedly fixed upon him—

Krash locked eyes with Lilish.

“Sister Lilish.”

The instant that word—sister—left Krash’s lips.

All members of the Cheong Hae, Jutcheon, and Nok Hae Knight Orders went rigid.

The problem was that Lilish showed no sign of objection either.

There were only two people in this world who could call Lilish sister.

One was Velokin Balheim, who now faced death.

And the other was Krash Balheim, the youngest of Balheim.

Then who was standing before them now?

The answer was simple.

The face of the Nok Hae Knight Order member who had clashed with Krash drained of all color.

He looked as though he might lose consciousness at any moment.

While the Cheong Hae Knight Order members stood in shock, only Reblian exhaled a long, measured breath.

He thought to himself that it would have been better to tell the Cheong Hae members beforehand, but he kept that observation to himself.

Krash had his reasons for concealing his identity.

That he had chosen to reveal it now meant he considered the situation with Agaress to be that urgent.

‘By revealing himself as a Direct Descendant of Balheim, he’s made it impossible to withdraw from the battle against Agaress.’

And yet Krash had revealed himself nonetheless.

Embedded in that choice was his clear intention to face Agaress.

‘So even at such a young age, he carries the weight of being Balheim.’

Balheim never retreats in the face of World Erosion.

Not even if it costs them their lives.

This is why Balheim commands respect from so many, beyond merely being the strongest house.

There was something undeniably heroic about Balheim, standing firm against the hell of World Erosion, always and without fail.

Lilish’s expressionless eyes turned toward him.

On the surface, perhaps, but beneath that mask, she was trembling.

Now, at last, Krash could read such shifts in her.

Because he had chosen to see only who she was now.

“I will help in facing Agaress as well.”

The moment Krash’s declaration finished, Lilish’s brow furrowed.

“Krash….”
“You know my body is saturated with Curse Power.”

Krash raised his hand as if offering proof, and Black Flame blossomed in his palm.

“It will be useful against Agaress. I understand Curse Power better than anyone—I’ve borne it myself.”

Lilish opened her lips, closed them, and repeated this gesture.

Her emotion warred with her reason—the instinct that her younger brother was needlessly stepping into danger

against the knowledge that Krash was skilled enough to have felled a 6-rank Erosion Creature alone.

Outwardly, Krash was merely Expert-rank at the highest tier.

But he would prove more valuable than a single Jutcheon Knight Order member.

More than that, he too was Balheim.

Even if not yet of age, a Direct Descendant of Balheim held equal voice in such matters.

The Krash who had once been treated as worthless and sent to Cheong Song Manor had possessed no such voice.

It was a fact everyone now clearly understood: things had changed.

Of course, the commander of this expedition was Lilish.

Had she issued orders to Krash too forcefully, she could have sent him back.

But when her gaze met his eyes—those eyes that burned with determination—she found herself unable to entertain the thought of turning him away.

When had she become so sentimental?

Balheim was Balheim, after all.

And now, of all moments, she needed to be true to Balheim.

“Krash, I am the commander of this expedition. You are my knight.”
“Yes, I understand perfectly.”
“Follow me. We stop Agaress.”

With those words spoken, Lilish turned on her heel.

She moved in the direction from which Agaress was coming.

“Jutcheon Knight Order, follow Lady Lilish.”

At her cry, Darbiane, the deputy commander of the Jutcheon Knight Order, immediately rallied his knights.

The Nok Hae Knight Order moved as one in her wake, and Krash turned to look back at Reblian.

“Tell Bianca I’ll be back soon, will you?”
“I believe she will be quite angry.”
“I’ll hear about it when I return.”

Reblian exhaled slowly, nodded, and turned away.

Reblian was worth recruiting—no matter how many times he looked at him.

When he formed his own order, he’d have to bring him along.

“Krash.”

At Lilish’s call, Krash quickened his pace.

As he walked, his hair began to shift—the black gradually giving way to a deep blue hue.

His sealed eyes opened, and his true blue irises gleamed with clarity.

Perhaps because of his rapid growth, his features were sharper and more refined than she’d expected.

Without the need for further medication, he had returned to his original form.

“So that’s how you look.”

It had been far too long since she’d seen her youngest brother’s face like this.

Lilish found herself oddly disconcerted.

“I’m told I resemble you, sister.”

But hearing Krash tease her with those words, Lilish let out a soft, genuine laugh.

He had learned far too late that he possessed such a brother.

“We go back alive.”
“While we’re at it, we’ll bring down Agaress too.”

His brother’s bold words kindled something within him—a surge of strength he hadn’t known he possessed.

Two direct descendants of Balheim walking this earth—there was nothing to fear.

“Let’s go.”

To bring down Agaress.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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