I Became A Thief Who Steals Overpowered Skills

Chapter 204: 9-Star Erosion Species

Dududududu-

On top the moving Cursed Centipede.

Originally, only Veltua occupied the spot, but at some point, three more people and one creature had joined.

Of course, those three people and one creature were Kraush’s companions.

“Ugh, it’s not a bug. It’s not…”

Among them, Ebelasque was fighting against the repulsiveness of the Cursed Centipede.

Every time the centipede’s antennae rose above its head, she tightly held back her screams.

In the process, she subtly hid behind Kraush’s back, burying her head into him.

While Kraush found it uncomfortable having something constantly touch his back, he let it go, as it didn’t seem intentional.

“My head feels better now.”

Meanwhile, Haring spoke with a noticeably brighter expression.

Under the light of Veltua’s lantern, the headache caused by nightmares had disappeared.

“That young lady over there also deals with curses?”

At this, Veltua, intrigued, looked at yet another person handling curses after Kraush.

After all, curses were commonly regarded as diseases that erode the human body.

It was only natural that there were almost no individuals actively dealing with curses apart from the Curse Masters.

“I’m Haring Lagrin.”

“Lagrin. Being from a family associated with poison, it seems you’ve adapted to curses more easily.”

“It’s all thanks to Kraush.”

Indeed, Kraush’s guidance in researching instant enhancement elixirs had been a significant help.

“Tch-tch, quite the reputation you have there.”

Veltua teased Kraush.

“Isn’t the Four Seasons currently in the ‘Unending Night’?”

Kraush quickly shifted the topic.

This old man, mischievous by nature, could tease someone for over an hour once he fixated on it.

“As you said, the Four Seasons do exist within the ‘Unending Night.’”

The reply, however, was somewhat vague.

When Kraush showed curiosity about the uncertainty, Veltua smacked his lips.

“The problem is that the Four Seasons are currently under the influence of a certain Eroder.”

“An Eroder, you say?”

Even Kraush hadn’t heard this story before.

When Kraush saw the Four Seasons, it had already attached itself to a person.

“Yes, and it’s an Eroder beyond my power to handle.”

Veltua, after all, dealt with countless curses.

Even the lantern he currently had lit was a curse designed to repel Black Wraiths, and his combat abilities utilizing curses were second to none.

The fact that even he hesitated to face this opponent indicated that it was no ordinary foe.

“If it’s an Erosion Species of that level within the ‘Unending Night’…”

Kraush frowned, his mind conjuring up images of 10-star Erosion Species.

No matter how skilled Kraush was, those entities were beyond his capabilities.

To deal with a 10-star Erosion Species, at the very least, an order of Knights of master level would need to be deployed. Even then, their forces would only meet the bare minimum requirements.

‘Though I don’t rely solely on Aura. There’s no need to limit myself to Aura-based standards.’

Kraush believed that with his combined powers of World’s Aura and World Erosion, he could approximate the level of an upper-level master.

In truth, he had recently reached the intermediate master level in aura.

‘If I push my body to its limits, exploiting the forbidden technique of unrestricted World Erosion absorption, I could potentially reach the top-tier master level.’

Kraush had Annihilation Heavenly Asura in his arsenal. Though it required him to pour out everything, its sheer explosive power could undoubtedly rival the top-tier levels.

However, even top-tier Masters could only barely handle 9-star Erosion Species.

Against a 10-star or anything beyond, Kraush wouldn’t stand a chance.

“…Is it a 10-star Erosion Species?”

Kraush asked, hoping to confirm whether the opponent was beyond his reach.

Veltua shook his head.

“9-star.”

At least it wasn’t a 10-star Erosion Species, which was a small relief.

“…9-star.”

Beside him, Haring also stiffened, her face hardening.

The strongest Erosion Species she had ever encountered were the Fake Lavados, a 7-star during the midterm evaluation, and the early-stage Decarabia, another 7-star.

The mention of a 9-star, two tiers higher, left her momentarily breathless.

She was now acutely aware of what it truly meant to enter a forbidden zone.

“There’s no need to be scared before even trying.”

Kraush reassured her.

“Ebelasque, I’ll need your help too.”

“Hah, isn’t that why I came in the first place?”

Despite her casual tone, Ebelasque had once been famed as a secret weapon of the empire.

Her necromancy excelled in dealing with large groups, and she also had a trump card.

No doubt she intended to summon her elite corpses from among her undead ranks.

And while not entirely trustworthy, there was also the Mad Sword Emperor.

At the very least, he could serve as a meat shield.

‘It’s worth a shot.’

While he wasn’t confident about escaping unscathed, Kraush was determined to take the enemy down.

Even Veltua wasn’t likely to just sit back and do nothing.

There was a chance of victory.

“So, who exactly is the one holding the Four Seasons?”

When Kraush asked, Veltua lifted his staff as though he had been waiting for the question.

At that moment, the lantern’s light flared and pointed toward the night sky.

“Conveniently, it’s right over there.”

Kraush followed the light of the lantern to the night sky.

There, through the pitch-black clouds, a streak of starlight shone briefly before vanishing.

The moment Kraush saw it, his expression slowly darkened.

He recognized the identity of the Erosion Species.

“Are you telling me that the true Four Seasons are with that thing?”

“Yes, and that’s why this old man hasn’t been able to do anything about it.”

A sigh escaped Kraush’s lips.

Beside him, Ebelasque, who had confidently claimed she would assist, tilted her head in confusion.

She knew very little about the Unending Night.

“What is it? What’s that starlight supposed to mean?”

“…That’s the light scattered by an Eroder toward the sky.”

An Erosion Species that roams the Unending Night, scattering starlight to illuminate the darkness.

Reverse Night Star

Its purpose is to fully illuminate the Unending Night.

Why it held such a purpose was something even Kraush did not know.

The problem lay elsewhere.

The Reverse Night Star, as mentioned, scattered starlight as it roamed.

If this Reverse Night Star were to die, the Unending Night would truly become a place where only night existed.

Under that eternal night, the Erosion Species that parasitized the darkness would become even more rampant.

‘The Reverse Night Star’s starlight suppresses the Unending Night.’

Thus, killing a Reverse Night Star within the Unending Night was considered a kind of taboo.

There were originally only three Reverse Night Stars. After one was killed, the domain of the Unending Night had expanded further.

‘Now I understand why Veltua, that old man, couldn’t handle the Four Seasons.’

Touching the Reverse Night Star risked causing the Unending Night to grow even larger.

So, it was clear that the Four Seasons hadn’t even been considered an option.

[Wouldn’t it be possible for you?]

At that moment, Crimson Garden perched on Kraush’s shoulder and asked.

She implied using the Black Hood to steal the Four Seasons.

“…That’s not so simple either.”

As previously mentioned, the Four Seasons had already consumed part of the host’s body to take its place.

“Unless that thing willingly spits out part of its body, stealing the Four Seasons would result in the Reverse Night Star’s death.”

An Erosion Species that was actually more troublesome not to kill.

What an absurd situation.

“Hmm, judging by your tone, it seems you do have a way to extract the Four Seasons, don’t you?”

At that moment, Veltua, who had been staring at the starlight, turned to face him.

“There’s a way to make the Four Seasons regurgitate the consumed body part.”

“Really?”

“That’s assuming the Reverse Night Star doesn’t resist.”

In the end, subduing the Reverse Night Star would have to be the first priority.

Still, a breakthrough was beginning to appear.

Kraush needed the Four Seasons. There was no time to hesitate over the means or methods.

“Let’s do it.”

Kraush raised his head toward the night sky.

Stealing the Four Seasons from the Reverse Night Star.

The mission began.

＊ ＊ ＊

Reverse Night Star.

True to its name, its identity remains largely unknown, save for one fact: it strives every single night to illuminate the dark sky.

That’s all it does.

However, one thing is certain.

The Reverse Night Star is a 9-star Erosion Species.

Beneath the sky of the Unending Night.

It stood tall on two long, white legs, covered sparsely with soft, black fuzz.

Above those legs, it had four bright yellow, moth-like wings that scattered stardust-like particles as it moved.

Its head, in particular, was bizarre beyond words.

The head was composed of layers upon layers of overlapping wings,

and attached to it were numerous eyes, each moving independently in different directions.

This creature, approximately twice the size of an average human, was the Reverse Night Star.

The Reverse Night Star raised its jet-black arm.

Following its movement, a trail of starlight powder once again scattered across the sky of the Unending Night.

It lived its existence scattering starlight, utterly unaware of the Four Seasons that had already embedded themselves into its body.

Thud—

At that moment, as the Reverse Night Star raised its arm toward the sky, it froze.

It, too, had sensed something.

Though it had no nose, it caught a sweet fragrance tickling its nonexistent sense of smell.

A scent so sweet, it promised unparalleled ecstasy if devoured in a single bite.

The creature turned its head toward the source of the aroma.

Its eyes landed on the edge of the horizon, where the night sky met the earth.

There, shining as brightly as its own starlight was a single lantern.

Beneath that lantern, an old man with a staff was trudging forward, step by step, toward the Reverse Night Star.

“Now, move.”

With those words, the old man slammed his staff into the ground with a thud.

From beneath the staff, dozens of black centipedes surged forth, instantly growing massive and swarming toward the Reverse Night Star.

The creature, watching the scene with a calm and detached gaze, slowly raised its black fingertips.

As soon as light began to coalesce at its fingertips.

Piiing!

The sound of light streaking through the air filled the night.

The centipedes erupted into a shower of flesh and ichor, bursting apart one after the other.

However, these weren’t ordinary centipedes.

The moment the centipedes were shattered into fragments by the light, their numbers multiplied several fold instead.

The increased swarm of centipedes expanded further, inflating their bodies as they charged relentlessly at the Reverse Night Star.

Feeling a slight annoyance, the Reverse Night Star unfolded its wings with a flutter.

At that moment, the light particles it had scattered earlier began to gather around its wings.

Under the sky of the Unending Night, an unprecedented flash of brilliance erupted.

Kwagagagagagagagang!

The light stretched to the horizon, obliterating the centipedes completely, leaving not even a speck of ash behind.

“As expected of a 9-star Erosion Species.”

Watching the spectacle, Veltua clicked his tongue in frustration.

The Reverse Night Star was proving itself to be on an entirely different scale, truly befitting its rank.

“Still, I can knock off a few pieces.”

Even so, Veltua hadn’t wasted the cursed centipedes without reason.

The Reverse Night Star belatedly realized that the sweet scent it had detected earlier was now emanating from directly below it.

One of the eyes attached to the wings of its head swiveled downward, drawn to the source of the scent.

At that moment, the Reverse Night Star felt an intense heat accompanied by the overwhelming fragrance.

Even it, accustomed to the void of the Unending Night, found the heat searing, a sensation akin to imagining a sun it had never seen.

Within that oppressive heat, it saw two figures.

A boy with jet-black hair and a girl with deep violet hair.

When had they arrived?

The Reverse Night Star questioned itself.

It had detected nothing earlier, and yet now the boy stood directly beneath it.

The boy’s eyes glowed a brilliant crimson, as seven stars in the night sky above him simultaneously poured down their red radiance.

A crimson moon hung within his night.

Chill—

Even the Reverse Night Star felt a momentary sense of dread as the boy’s presence grew exponentially more oppressive.

Danger.

The Reverse Night Star quickly extended its hand, intending to tear the boy apart with the light gathered in its grasp.

But the speed of its raised hand was nowhere near enough to reach the boy.

His sword, imbued with the skill Accel, moved faster—an acceleration unmatched by anything else in the world.

Piiiiiing!

In a flash, the boy’s sword cut through the air like a streak of light, mirroring the brilliance of the Reverse Night Star’s own beams.

For the first time in its existence, the Reverse Night Star realized that the space before its eyes was ablaze with fiery radiance.

Annihilation Erosion (멸화침식)

Fifth Form (오식)

Annihilation Moonfire (멸천월화)

The crimson flames of the moon consumed the Reverse Night Star.

Translators note: