SSS Awakening: I Can Steal Attributes-Chapter 10: Standoff

"That thing in your hand is dangerous, boy!"

The man holding the giant mace spoke as he looked at the revolver in Desther’s hands.

Although he was already a Tier 1 Awakened Professional with considerable strength and attributes, a gun would still cause him considerable harm.

Although his target was Lexie, he just could not leave Desther behind with such a dangerous weapon around.

Not to mention, since he was already seen attacking Lexie, there was no way he would let this boy leave.

Between Lexie, who relies on her peculiar speed to avoid his attacks, and Desther, holding the revolver, it was obvious who was more dangerous.

His target shifted as he lifted his giant mace while eyeing Desther, or more precisely, the revolver in his hands.

He even ignored Lexie, as he knew that she would not be able to cause him any harm.

That was how confident he was with his strength against normal humans, even if they had already awakened.

There was a clear difference between a Tier 1 Awakened and a Tier 0 Awakened, let alone these two brats that were not even at Tier 0 yet.

His main concern was just the revolver, and he would be aiming for it first.

"Be careful. He’s already a Tier 1 Awakened. One of the teachers was assigned to one of the safe areas. He is a warrior focusing on his Strength and Vitality attributes," Lexie shouted as she realized that the man was coming for Desther.

Desther, on the other hand, could not help but inwardly curse. Lexie’s reminder, although thoughtful, would not be able to help with his current situation.

Getting eyed by a Tier 1 Awakened Professional, to say that he felt fearful was an understatement of what he was feeling right now.

It felt like he was being eyed by a ferocious humanoid beast with a weapon.

Fortunately, rationality still took over him, as he knew that panicking was even more of a sin than feeling fear in a battlefield.

However, he clearly does not want to get involved with the two, yet here he is, caught in the crossfire between the two and having no choice but to participate.

He was also well aware that the man would not just leave him be.

From the looks of it, this was a premeditated assassination plan involving Lexie. He, who had witnessed it firsthand, could not be allowed to be left alive.

Whether he liked it or not, he had already become part of this assassination drama.

And the only way for him to completely get out of it was to kill all the parties involved.

His gaze hardened as he observed the man’s movements.

As a Tier 1 Awakened Professional, his attributes should be significantly higher compared to his.

The only thing he had in hand was the revolver, as well as his SSS-Grade Talent that both Lexie and the man were not aware of.

Recalling the effects of his talent, Desther’s gaze grew resolute as he prepared to cast the Theft Mark.

With five marks available, he could totally steal Lexie and the man’s highest attribute and use it to his own advantage.

His only concern was how it would affect him and the man.

As a strength-oriented awakened, it was a guarantee that he would be able to steal the man’s strength attributes.

However, would he be able to use the strength effectively upon stealing it?

Would there be any discomfort on his end?

Will his body be able to handle such a sudden increase in strength?

Those questions had been inside his mind the moment he read the talent’s effects.

In normal circumstances, he would surely not use the talent carelessly unless he practiced it beforehand.

Unfortunately, the circumstances were not in his favor, and he just hoped that there would be no severe effect upon using the talent’s skill.

Seeing that the man was about to move, Desther hurriedly cast the Theft Mark-Attribute Theft toward him.

The moment he did so, Desther frowned, seeing no particular reaction from the man.

’Did it fail?’

Fortunately, his vision flashed with the familiar transparent screens at the next instant.

[ Target Marked ]

[ Theft Mark: Attribute Theft ]

[ Strength Attribute: +30 (30 Mins) ]

[ If Marked Target is eliminated: Free Attribute: +15 (Permanent) ]

The screen flashed as soon as he cast the skill.

Although there was no notable change in the man’s visage, Desther could feel the sudden change within himself.

The revolver became lighter in his hand, and he felt that he could bench press a sedan car with little effort with his current strength.

He felt invincible and undeniably strong.

Feeling no discomfort made him satisfied and amazed.

Not only that, but even without trying, he felt that he could control his strength just fine even with the sudden increase of it.

His worries were invalidated, and his ’what ifs’ remained just so.

The feeling of invincibility vanished with a thought from him.

Having read a lot of novels, he knew what those thoughts signified, and he was not foolish enough to relish such thoughts. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

In the end, the strength he was feeling right now was merely a borrowed one—for now, of course.

The standstill lasted for a few seconds; not one of them dared to move for the time being.

On one side was the Tier 1 Awakened Professional, who was a few meters away from him. Worried that Desther would suddenly fire, he did not dare to carelessly rush head-on.

On the other was Lexie. Wounded and weak, worry was apparent on her pale face as she felt the tension rise around the area.

And adjacent to them was Desther, holding the dangerous .357 revolver. The angle of the muzzle had somehow shifted, slowly pointing toward the Tier 1 Awakened Professional.

The only reason he did not fire yet was because he was not sure what effect his skill had had on the man.

The skill stated that he would ’steal’ half of the target’s highest attribute. However, when he cast the skill earlier, he did not notice any particular reaction from the man.

If he had truly stolen half of what the skill indicated, the man would have already noticed that his strength attribute had grown weaker, as even Desther himself was able to feel that he had grown stronger from the additional strength attributes he gained.

The man having no particular reaction could mean a lot of things.

However, continuing with the standoff was not ideal for Desther either.

The dungeon was mutating, and he needs to clear it, or else he will surely die.

Time was running out. And he knew it very well.

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A/N: Aight guys, I’ma lock in. 2 Chapters a day, lets go!