SSS Awakening: I Can Steal Attributes-Chapter 38: Cornered?

When John felt the change of temperature beside him, it was already too late.

"KEVIN, NO!"

However, it was already too late.

The ball of flame was released and was shot toward Desther at extreme speed.

John and the others widened their eyes in disbelief.

Even Lexie, with a speedster talent, could not react in time.

Their eyes could only follow the bright flash of fire.

As swift as a swallow, it arrived right in front of Desther.

SWOOSH!

However, it may seem like Desther was completely clueless and defenseless, but having lived in the outside world for a few years, how could he afford to be careless?

Carelessness has been erased from his vocabulary since a few years ago.

As quick as the fire was, fired by a mere mortal, it still could not compare to the senses of a human with attributes almost comparable to a Tier 1 Awakened Professionals.

Not to mention the fact that Desther has always been alert, especially in an unfamiliar environment and situation like this.

The moment he sensed the subtle change in expression and action of the other party, Desther’s eyes had already shifted toward John and Kevin.

When the small ball of flame was released from his palm, Desther had already begun to move his body to the side to evade the incoming attack.

Not knowing the skill and its effects, he even considered if it would explode upon impact. Not only did he plan to dodge, he also made sure to distance himself from the previous spot.

And he was not wrong for considering that.

The ball of flame swept right past him, hitting the tree right behind.

Boom!

A few meters away, Desther stared at the flame and estimated its damage threshold.

Not exactly lethal to him, but not to the point that it could be ignored either. With his current Vitality, it would surely cause some sting and incur some minor burns that would heal in an hour or two.

Fortunately, the ball of flame does not explode upon impact like a bomb. It disappeared right after causing some smoke to appear on the tree trunk.

Lexie and the other two stood up from the ground in shock.

Whether they were shocked by the attack or from Desther’s movement, nobody knows.

What most of them knew, though, was that at this point, the situation had gone out of control.

Kevin did not seem to realize this point. But John already felt some fear rising from his heart.

Coming from a military family, Victor knew some information the general public did not.

Having specially warned him regarding Desther, although it was just some speculation and not a confirmed fact, John still believed that there was no smoke if there was no fire.

Any speculation, no matter how absurd, might have some underlying truths to them.

Antagonizing Desther would not be in their best interest.

Those were Victor’s words the moment Desther rejected their invitation to team up.

SLAP!

A resounding slap echoed in the area.

Kevin stared at John in disbelief as he touched his burning face after receiving the hard slap.

"APOLOGIZE, NOW!" John’s tone of voice was stern and strict, offering no room for debate.

"I-...I..." Stuttering, Kevin still had not registered in his brain how could John slap him that hard.

On the other hand, Desther slowly turned his head toward John and the others.

His face remained calm and steady, yet deep inside, anger still rose to some levels.

Although he disliked trouble, that doesn’t mean he was afraid of one.

Even a rabbit would fight back once cornered. How much more he, who does not consider himself a rabbit.

Oh, he heard the resounding slap and John’s stern voice.

However, would he care about that?

Revenge is only best served if you do it with your own hands.

He killed the monsters that tried to kill him and harmed those humans that tried to harm him.

Even if he were a law-abiding citizen, there was no chance that he would ignore such a blatant provocation and intent to harm.

He slowly walked toward Lexie and the others.

Out of the three of them, Lexie seemed concerned and was ready to fight at any moment. Her brows were stern as she looked at John and his friends with an unfriendly gaze. Her sword was already drawn, pointed toward them threateningly.

Desther came in front of Noah and said as he took the shield from him, "Let me borrow this for a bit."

After doing that, he then told Elena to hand him the wooden staff as well.

His actions were slow and unhurried. Seemingly out of any intense confrontation. It was as if the situation earlier was out of his concern.

Gripping the shield, Desther turned his body toward John and Kevin. His actions were deliberate and provocative. It was as if he were telling the group that he would attack and that they should fight back or evade. Their choice!

Swoosh!

Like a frisbee, Desther casually threw the shield toward the group.

With his strength, it flew and spun like crazy, as if intending to take a life.

It just so happened the edge of the shield looked sharp. To the eyes of Kevin and John, it felt like a rotating blade that was sent to take their heads.

Their eyes widened in surprise and horror. Not one of them ever imagined the silent Desther retaliating without warning.

John stomped the ground all of a sudden.

VANGUARD!

He shouted at the top of his lungs as his arms suddenly took an earthly look. His forearm became like hardened and reinforced soil, looking hard and tough.

Crossing it in front of his chest, John met the rotating shield head on.

The next moment, his eyes widened in surprise once more as he felt the force behind the shield.

’What!? How could it be this strong?’

His foot was immediately dragged a meter or so away. Dragging marks were seen in the ground as the shield finally lost its momentum.

Marks could be seen on his forearm, and even his forehead was full of sweat as he felt the pain that pierce through his hardened skin after using a skill that came with his talent.

However, his surprise and disbelief did not end there.

The moment the shield’s momentum stopped and dropped to the ground, John realized that the moment he looked up, Desther, holding the wooden staff, was already in front of Kevin.

With impassive eyes and a cold face, the wooden staff was already descending toward Kevin without warning.

BOOM!