That lizard drops its food on the ground, eyes locked on me.
Without thinking, I bolt.
"Shit, shit, shit—!"
I still think I made the right call, smashing the eggs instead of fighting the adult—
But I seriously doubt the mom's just gonna let me walk away.
She's probably aiming to rip my damn arm off.
Yeah... she's pissed
I duck behind a big tree and finally slam the system window open.
[ SPINNING: Loading ◕ ◔ ]
I glance back.
Yep.
She saw me.
And now she's charging—again.
"SO DAMN SLOW, SYSTEM!!"
[ CONGRATS: You've obtained an Epic Skill ✶ ]
[ Skill: Smoke Out – You can produce a heavy smoke from your body ]
...
I stare
Blink
And then yell
"WHAT KIND OF EPIC SKILL IS THAT?!"
"Is this some kind of joke?!"
"Fuck!" I shout while running, heart pounding like a war drum.
I can't keep this up—my stamina's tanking fast.
Lucky for me, the lizard's not that damn fast either... but I doubt it's giving up.
"Maybe I can use it."
I skid to a stop and take a deep breath, forcing myself to stay calm.
Then, with a sharp exhale, I activate the skill
A thick, heavy smoke explodes out of me, flooding the forest like a creeping fog
I can still see through it—barely. But hopefully the lizard can't.
I crouch low and start slipping away, step by quiet step.
As soon as I reach a clearing, the smoke thinning behind me, I break into a sprint.
That's when I see it.
A road.
Dusty, cracked, and lonely… but a road.
I stumble toward it, drop to my knees, and gasp for breath.
"Haaah… haaa… damn…"
And just as I try to catch my breath—
> [ Congratulations! You've obtained your first skill ]
I look at the screen, confused. Slowly, I stand up and squint at the message.
"First skill? I thought my skill was stealing skills?"
Suspicious, I tap the glowing option:
> [ Skills ]
The system window pops open:
[ Skills ]
〉[ Heavy Smoke ] ◍
〉[ ––– ]
〉[ ––– ]
〉[ ––– ]
〉[ ––– ]
I tilt my head.
"So... I can have five skills?"
I tap the little circle next to Heavy Smoke. A detailed window opens:
Skill: Heavy Smoke
Level: 1
Effect Level: 1
Damage: 0.6%
"Huh?" I gasp.
I stand up and look around. I guess I just follow the road—it's going to get dark soon, and I need to find some village to stay.
"I don't know about this world, but right now I guess I need to have better clothes and..." I glance down at my arm, "...medicals," I mutter
Just when I'm about to take a step—
[ SYSTEM TUTORIAL ACTIVATED ]
> Welcome, Rin. This is your Skill Interface.
As a Skill Stealer, you are allowed to store up to 5 skills at once.
Skills are gained through victory, system spins, or rare events.
When all slots are full, you must permanently delete one to gain another
> Obtained via Random Ticket.
Type: Utility
Effect: Emits a thick smoke from your body, obscuring vision in a small radius.
Damage: 0.6%
[Note: Your unique skill – "Skill Steal" – is permanent and does not count toward your five slots ]
I stare at the screen and sigh. "I don't really understand this system... but that's not a problem right now."
I glance down the road, tightening my grip on my arm.
"I have to move—before I encounter a real threat"
After a few minutes of walking, I finally spotted a village up ahead. The sun was nearly down, casting long shadows across the dusty road. The village looked big enough—maybe I could find shelter there.
I was only a few feet away when a group of people on horseback came racing toward the gate. I stepped aside, shielding my face from the dust their hooves kicked up.
Then a deep voice cut through the fading light.
"Pft... Look who we have here."
I looked up.
A man on a horse towered over me, grinning down with a mocking smirk. His hair was slicked back, and he wore leather armor that had clearly seen some fights.
"You don't look like someone who wants to die just yet," he said.
The others chuckled behind him. I stayed silent, just staring, unsure of what to do—or if I should do anything.
Then the man—Doron, someone called him—locked eyes with me and sneered.
"Let's just go. If we don't know him, he might try to steal our skills or something."
"Good one, Doron!" one of them laughed, spurring his horse forward
I grabbed my fist and looked straight at Doron.
"Who are you?" I said.
The man stared at me and laughed.
"Ohh, I get it. Trying to act like you don't know us?"
He jumped down from his horse, and without saying another word, punched me in the stomach.
"Khaa—!" I choked, grabbing his leg, but that punch was so hard and fast I dropped to my knees. The others chuckled behind him.
He kicked me, and I let go, clutching my stomach.
"Doron, let's go! We're gonna be late. If that guard doesn't let us in, I swear—" one of them shouted.
I was lying on the ground when that damn Doron leaned over—and spat right in my face
He grabbed my hair and leaned down.
"If you dare act like that again, I won't go easy next time. Be a good boy and stay put."
Then he hopped back onto his horse and rode off.
I turned my head to the sky.
"That fucker..." I muttered, and without thinking, raised my left hand to wipe the spit off my face.
"Ouch!" I winced