I Became A Thief Who Steals Overpowered Skills

Chapter 11 The Third Brother

Having shattered the Wooden Sky Giant with a single strike, Kraush stood motionless in place.

Precisely speaking, that was all he could do at the moment.

A single strike is a sword technique delivered with the state of unity between sword and body, Shin Gum Hap Il.

And that one strike had to be performed with his entire heart and effort concentrated into it.

Thus, Kraush had poured not only his intrinsic aura but also his mental and physical strengths into that single strike.

Without doing so, the single strike couldnt be executed.

As a result, Kraush felt as though even just closing his eyes for a moment might make his consciousness slip away.

Anicks, unable to move due to his glare at Kraush, was in fact facing a reality where Kraush himself couldnt even blink.

I made a mistake.

His intention had been to start laying the groundwork to steal the skill.

But with his lips sealed shut, he was at a loss for what to do.

Kraush.

Biancas voice suddenly interrupted the moment.

She peeked curiously behind Kraush.

Then she scanned Kraush from head to toe.

Cant you move?

Kraush didnt have the leisure to respond.

Just by looking at the sweat trickling down his forehead, Bianca made her own assessment.

Then suddenly, Bianca wrapped her arms around Kraushs waist and lifted him up.

Cough!

This action caused Kraush such an excruciating pain that his consciousness finally escaped him.

Effectively, it was Bianca who had knocked Kraush down.

She struggled to carry the sagging Kraush.

But Bianca, smaller in stature than Kraush, was finding the task too challenging.

Kid, Ill help you.

At that moment, Darling, who had appeared from nowhere, approached.

As she promptly tried to support Kraush, Bianca, seemingly relieved, quickly handed him over to Darling.

Watching this, Darling blinked.

Wasnt this child engaged to Kraush?

Despite her youth, she quickly passed Kraush over to Darling without a hint of jealousy.

After a brief chuckle at the absurdity, Darling walked away, carrying him.

At that, the gaze of the nobles who had been crowding around the terrace suddenly focused on them.

This kid, once he wakes up, hes going to be quite famous.

Was it boldness, or had she acted without thinking?

I wonder if the half-penny rumors will win, or if the latest rumors of him breaking out will prevail.

Either way, it promised to be an interesting outcome, thought Darling with a smile. Then she caught a glimpse of Anicks out of the corner of her eye.

Anicks, staring blankly at Kraush being carried away, looked exactly the type to cause problems later on.

You cant die before helping me with my research, kid.

Murmuring words Kraush couldnt hear, Darling simply continued to walk away.

After the incident at the Sanctuary of Stars,

Kraush awoke the next day inside a carriage.

Having been knocked out for a full day, Kraush found it difficult to even open his eyes due to the pain felt throughout his body.

A single strike was a lethal sword technique.

He was aware of its potency but hadnt anticipated the aftermath to be this severe.

If used consecutively, it might actually kill me.

Nonetheless, the last glimpse of Anickss face was deeply satisfying.

Was it regrettable that he hadnt managed to diminish the value of Anickss skill right there and then?

Kraush had two plans in mind to steal a skill.

One was the standard route of solving dials when using the Black Hood.

The other involved inducing the opponent to undervalue their skill.

If the opponent sees their skill as of low worth, it becomes easier to steal, as was the case with Arthur.

And that value would be at its lowest right after a defeat, rendered powerless.

Its a shame, but it cant be helped.

The time just wasnt right, it seemed.

Yet, at least within Anicks, he must have become imprinted as a dangerous entity.

That alone was enough to cause ripples within Anicks.

Now all that remained was to gradually devalue the skill Anicks wielded until it fell into his own hands.

And at the end, Recovery will come into my possession.

As Kraush was organizing his thoughts, he tried to open his eyes.

At that moment, feeling an odd mix of soft and hard behind his head, as he opened his eyes,

Kraush saw platinum blonde hair and a cute-looking face right before his nose.

One peculiar detail was that the eyes were softly closed.

Staring blankly at that face for a moment, Kraush belatedly realized that it belonged to Bianca.

Bianca?

Startled!

Upon being called by Kraush, Bianca reacted a beat too late.

She scraped her mouth as if she had been drooling, then turned to Kraush and greeted him.

Did you sleep well?

What are you doing?

Im taking care of you.

Pillow care, was it?

Despite having almost butted heads in her sleep, being called care

We are on our way back to Balheim now.

I can see that from the carriage window. What happened to Sanctuary of Stars?

It annoyed him to be in a position of pillow care from Bianca, but his body hadnt yet recovered.

Since Kraush didnt get up but still asked, Bianca fiddled with Kraushs hair as if testing its softness and answered.

I dont know. I didnt pay attention to it.

Thats what was expected.

Bianca, who generally lacked interest in people, would not have cared much if she hadnt been his fiance.

Even without Biancas explanation, Kraush could tell that the Sanctuary of Stars must have been turned upside down.

The aftermath is beyond my knowledge.

He could only hope that things would turn out well.

Got it. Wake me when we get back. I need to sleep more.

At that moment, Bianca flinched.

Kraush sluggishly opened his eyes.

Your legs must be getting numb.

They are not numb.

Then why did you make me lie on your knees? Theres a cushion right here.

Because you did the same for me last time.

Having no response to that, Kraush shifted his body as much as he could.

Pass me the cushion.

Promptly, Bianca fetched a cushion and had Kraush lie down on it instead of her legs.

Her swift action presumably confirmed that her legs indeed were numb.

Feeling comfortable at last, Kraush closed his eyes and quickly fell asleep.

In his sleep, Kraush bizarrely dreamt he was a crow, and Bianca was a little white chick.

The dream, funnily enough, left him with not too unpleasant a feeling.

One week had flown by since the incident at the Sanctuary of Stars.

Now almost fourteen, Kraush had at last resumed his intense training thanks to the aftereffects of the single strike subsiding.

He had one year left before heading to Rahelrn Academy.

During this time, he had to become strong enough to surpass the geniuses there.

Thats why Id rather spend the days solely training.

Kraush wiped off the sweat.

Then he looked at Aliod.

The news Aliod brought was about his third brother.

The subject of the news was right at the doorstep of Green Pine Hall, seething with anger.

Aliod, how many times have we returned the third brothers messages?

Twenty-second time, sir.

It was about time even he lost his patience.

The third brother must have held back as much as possible, since visiting in person would have seemed ridiculous.

But now it seems hes reached his limit.

Understanding this, Kraush cleaned the sweat in his hair and looked back at Aliod.

Let him in.

Are you sure about this?

Although Kraush knew what Aliod was concerned about, he nodded.

Aliod followed Kraushs order and returned to the entrance of Green Pine Hall.

While Kraush walked towards the bench, a water bottle was suddenly offered to him.

He received the bottle and unscrewed the cap.

While Kraush was gulping down the water, Bianca, who gave him the bottle, sat a little further away.

You smell of sweat.

That would be a hurtful thing to say to others so thoughtlessly.

I thought you wouldnt care much, Kraush.

A sweat scent was nothing compared to the worse stench of world erosion he had experienced.

Therefore, he was quite insensitive to smells.

How bad is it, though?

Upon lifting his shirt to sniff, he did indeed smell a faint but unpleasant odor.

It was unavoidable, after all, since he was exerting himself with aura every day, constantly expelling toxins from his body.

Going to wash up?

Seeing Kraush as if he were about to move, Bianca closed her book, and Kraush hesitated for a moment before shaking his head.

No, I might end up moving again anyway.

Then please dont come too close to me.

As soon as he heard that, Kraush stood up from the bench.

As he took a step towards Bianca, she sprang up like a cat whose fur had stood on end.

I warned you.

Look at you, giving warnings to your fianc? You think someone who does nothing but read can escape from me?

Books hurt if you get hit with them, Kraush.

Seeing Bianca brandishing the book like a weapon, Kraush acknowledged that fact and immediately lunged forward.

Bianca turned around on the spot and began to run away.

Watching her flee, Kraush took a few steps, then stopped and snickered.

Was it because she was like a younger sister? Kraush often displayed a playful side when with Bianca, quite different from his known solitary nature.

Those who knew his stubborn side up to now would have thought him mad for acting so differently.

His laughter suddenly solidified into a grim countenance.

Have I become too used to peace in the meantime?

The world was still at a level where it could fend off world erosion on its own.

Perhaps because of that, Kraush had been affected by that exposure to peace.

Arthur, did you feel this way, too?

Arthur Gramate, always on constant alert and even at the academy kept a sharp demeanor, though he faltered in the last moment, was always tense.

Being a returnee himself, he couldnt relax within this hollow peace.

Kraush disliked Arthur, but at least he acknowledged Arthurs path didnt stray.

Indeed, Arthur led until the end of the world, more than anyone else.

What could that guy be doing now? Kraush mused, though the Arthur he knew no longer belonged to this world.

Flirting with your fiance, you seem quite at ease.

At that, Kraush turned his head towards the disparaging voice.

There stood a teen boy, with the same hair color as his own and about two heads taller than him, who had just passed puberty.

One difference was that unlike Kraushs fierce eyes, when the boy wasnt frowning, his eyes looked normal.

This could be attributed to them both being half-siblings.

His name was Belorkin Balheim.

He was the youngest boy in the direct line of the Balheim family.

People cant always live seriously.

Kraush replied smoothly, which caused Belorkins eyebrows to twitch.

Just from the short conversation, Belorkin sensed something different about Kraush from before.

Kraush seemed at ease.

The same Kraush, who always hurried to avoid his gaze out of fear, today was looking straight at Belorkin.

Could the rumors be true?

This thought furrowed Belorkins brows even more deeply.