I Became A Thief Who Steals Overpowered Skills

The second floor, Child’s Play with Fire.

The third floor, Hall of Deception.

The fourth floor, A Hundred Barrages.

The fifth floor, Natural Traps.

The sixth floor, Knights’ Territory.

And about a month had passed.

Now, reaching the sixth floor, Kraush and three companions moved through each level via the shortest possible routes. There had been countless battles, and their time in the Demonic Bastion had left them in tattered clothes. Yet, the wear was merely superficial.

Kraush and Lakradiyon led at the front, facing down a massive army of giant ants with weapons drawn.

“Are those two even human? Their stamina seems bottomless.”

Derrick commented with a hint of disgust as he watched Kraush and Lakradiyon’s relentless combat. They had been fighting almost non-stop since entering the Bastion, as if driven by an unseen force, refusing even the briefest moments of rest.

“It’s good to see, though. I haven’t seen Lakradiyon this motivated in ages.”

Derrick couldn’t deny it. In days past, Lakradiyon had swung her sword daily but with no apparent ambition. Although not usually expressive, Derrick knew she had been caught in a cycle of monotony.

But now was different.

Advancing to the sixth floor alongside Kraush, she had gradually regained her former vigor. The sparring sessions with Kraush during their breaks played a significant role in sparking her enthusiasm.

“Miss Lakradiyon, how about a sparring session with me?”

When they first heard this suggestion from Kraush, Derrick and Penichelri thought he might be out of his mind. They were in the midst of a Demonic Bastion campaign, and it seemed ludicrous to expend energy on sparring during their rest time.

Yet, for some reason, Lakradiyon agreed.

Though both Derrick and Penichelri were bemused, they couldn’t object since Lakradiyon was willing. They silently observed the duel.

“Let’s not use our aura and rely solely on our swords. Is that fine with you?”

“Yes, that sounds good.”

Thankfully, both seemed sensible enough not to use their aura. However, the ensuing battle resulted in Kraush’s complete defeat – a somewhat disheartening but anticipated outcome for Derrick and Penichelri, who had heard of his overwhelming victory over Pendal. They had assumed Kraush would at least be evenly matched, yet here he was, defeated so easily.

While the two onlookers were puzzled, Lakradiyon’s eyes widened. Kraush’s swordsmanship was, to be frank, ordinary. It was almost akin to a novice’s. His recent victory over Pendal was due to mixing a variety of variables, secret techniques, and situational predictions, not because he had dedicated himself to the sword.

Lakradiyon realized this.

Kraush, who lacked even a speck of natural talent compared to her, had clawed and scrambled his way up to her level against all odds.

Day after day, Kraush requested more sparring sessions. Lakradiyon accepted each time, and the outcome was always the same. Kraush was thrown to the ground, defeated. Yet, she began to notice something:

It was as if he was copying her, absorbing her fundamental techniques into his being.

Lakradiyon was renowned for her foundational skills. Although her straightforward swordsmanship sometimes got her outwitted, she had honed it to reach the threshold of mastery.

Kraush had observed many geniuses. All were incredible, remarkable in their own right. But their growth was based on their talent, not on the foundations that Kraush, a commoner, struggled to overcome.

Kraush was no genius.

Ironically, Lakradiyon, who had built her skills from the ground up, was the perfect reference for him. The underlying basis of a genius was entirely different, after all.

That’s why Kraush decided to emulate her swordsmanship. Acknowledging his lack of foundational skills, he intended to grow by copying hers. This resolve was evident in every sparring session, and it brought a smile to Lakradiyon’s face.

He was tenacious. And in a way, he lacked pride.

Copying another’s skills is seen as a shameful act among swordsmen, let alone for one of the acclaimed Balheim lineage. And yet, he chose to steal her basics, despite being surrounded by far more exceptional individuals.

How ludicrous it must have seemed.

But the determination in his eyes was genuine—a relentless drive to acquire everything he could. It was almost frightening in its intensity.

Watching this, Lakradiyon realized how he had managed to defeat Pendal despite the lower realm and how he had become so powerful. And why she felt he would only grow stronger.

‘To realize the meaninglessness of pride in this manner…’

Having seen that look in his eyes, Lakradiyon also set aside her pride. If Kraush was willing to learn from her, she would reciprocate and adopt his unorthodox methods.

Though she was the one teaching him in their sparring, during the campaign in Demonic Bastion, it was Lakradiyon who began learning from Kraush. His style was a mishmash of all sorts, with every odd trick up his sleeve used in battle, impressing even Derrick and Penichelri.

Lakradiyon realized there were many paths to strength, and that a straightforward charge was not always the answer. This was a new realization for her, a step toward breaking her own barriers.

Thus, naturally, Lakradiyon found joy in her progress. Even though she had taken only a single step forward, the pleasure was indescribable—for there is nothing more valuable to a swordsman than such an epiphany.

“Mr. Kraush, may I ask you something?”

Upon entering the threshold of the sixth floor, Lakradiyon posed a question to Kraush.

“What drives you to strive for such strength?”

She wondered if sharing his objective might help her advance further. When she asked, Kraush glanced at her and replied,

“I’m considering trying to prevent the end of the world.”

Lakradiyon blinked.

The idea was so outlandish, yet she felt sincerity from Kraush. The end of the world? Though she questioned how a perfectly stable world could face such a fate, she also wondered if such a grand goal was necessary to achieve that level of strength. Maybe it was the vast imagination of youth that could become a substantial goal for the future, she mused, not realizing the full truth of his words.

Regardless, thanks to that, Kraush and Lakradiyon had continued descending through the Bastion with barely any rest. And now, they had arrived at the sixth floor’s Guardian’s Chamber—the plaza where various statues merged with the walls, and the guardian of the sixth floor awaited atop a stone horse, shield and halberd in tow.

Flurrying—

The appearance of the four triggered the stone horse, which neighed as if alive. If they could defeat this guardian, the seventh floor awaited. Just one more level, and Kraush’s encounter with Nakcheon would be at hand.

“Crimson.”

As Kraush softly called out, Crimson Garden gently fluttered her wings, rising above the plaza. Watching this, Kraush surveyed the surroundings.

Throughout their descent, Kraush and the group had noticed signs of someone else passing through before them. Those traces belonged to none other than Pendalord. As Pendal declared, they had entered the Bastion ahead of Kraush, challenging the depths with remarkable speed. After all, Pendalord was familiar with these floors, having frequented them up until the eighth. For them, it was as simple as eating cold porridge.

‘Maybe I was too quick to suspect an open trap.’

Thinking Pendal would not play fair, Kraush had suspected him of setting traps along the way. To his surprise, their path thus far had been free of Pendal’s machinations. Was he actually intent on a fair challenge against Nakcheon?

‘If that were the case, he would have achieved something in the Bastion by now.’

Unfortunately, Kraush did not hold Pendal in such high regard.

“Mr. Kraush.”

At that moment, Lakradiyon called out, and Kraush turned to her. Ready for battle, she was regaining her brilliance more and more as time passed. It was as if this was the path she had always been meant to walk. Her light was akin to bright radiance.

“Yes, it’s time to head to the seventh floor.”

Kraush spoke and slowly channeled his Annihilation Erosion. The heat coursed through his body, drastically enhancing his physical capabilities.

Clip-clop!

Suddenly, the stone horse charged into motion. It was several times larger than any man, and its gallop seemed to shake the very earth beneath it. Kraush and Lakradiyon, having attuned their breath together over the past month in the sixth floor, leaped into action simultaneously. They reached the front of the galloping statue even before the guardian expected.

Surprised, the guardian attempted an urgent block with his shield and halberd, but Kraush and Lakradiyon dodged fluidly, like water.

Slicing and burning sounds rang out. Kraush’s sword, wrapped in black flames, and Lakradiyon’s blade, surrounded by an aura, sliced through the stone horse’s front legs.

With a thunderous crash, the stone horse and its rider collapsed. The guardian, unlike ordinary humans, could not die from a mere fall. He simply shook off the rubble and rose again, thrusting his halberd in their direction. The stone weapon was a genuine threat, fitting for a fortress’s armament, but the opponents were Kraush and Lakradiyon.

Their swords met in unison, intercepting the halberd. The strength of the stone figure was immeasurable, causing the floor beneath Kraush and Lakradiyon to crack and fissure from the impact. But they did not falter, instead raising their aura even higher.

In a flash, their blades soared into the sky simultaneously, and the guardian’s halberd was sent flying from the force. Lakradiyon moved into the gap, her sword poised against the shield in an honest attack.

“Mr. Kraush!”

Following her call, Kraush reached the guardian’s core in an instant, bypassing the raised halberd and the shield Lakradiyon was engaging.

The guardian had nothing left to defend his body. Kraush’s sword, driven with his full might, cleaved through the stone, severing the guardian’s core. Deprived of its power source, the guardian crumbled, and Kraush and Lakradiyon swiftly distanced themselves from the fallen adversary. Their coordination was nothing short of fantastic.

“I must admit, apart from guiding us, I don’t seem to be much needed.”

Derrick chuckled while patting his belly. Lakradiyon alone was more than capable of conquering the sixth floor. With Kraush added to the equation, there was little to no need for Derrick to intervene.

“I guess I didn’t have much to do either.”

Penichelri admitted, tasting slight disappointment. Though she had used her holy magic to treat occasional injuries, she knew that they wouldn’t be able to fight Nakcheon so leisurely, not much further ahead.

“Child.”

As Kraush extinguished his Annihilation Erosion and stretched his limbs, Crimson Garden landed on his shoulder. She was looking toward the doorway to the seventh floor that had opened with the guardian’s defeat.

“Crim?”

Kraush looked puzzled, and Crimson Garden wore a slightly annoyed expression.

[The scent of traps is thick in the air.]

Kraush’s gaze followed hers to the entrance.

Moving immediately towards it, Kraush felt nothing unusual. But for Crimson Garden, who had lived through countless ages, the signs were unmistakable.

A sinister smile touched Kraush’s lips.

He knew all too well who had prepared those traps.

‘So it begins.’

The machinations of Pendal.

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