'Am I seeing things? Is this for real? Did I get tricked or something? What is that? Isn't this game stuff exactly what my friend, Zach, told me about? Why can I see it in the real world'
He thought as he looked at the glowing blue panel floating mid-air, its light casting a faint shimmer against the trees around him. It hovered silently, as if plucked straight out of a fantasy game—one he used to laugh at with Zach, never expecting to live it.
'Master, don't worry. I will guide you, and soon you will recover your memories,' replied the Crystal patiently, its voice echoing gently in his mind.
'I am your Master?! I never rem—'
'Don't think too much.'
Leon didn't even understand what was going on. The sudden and unnatural shift in reality had him stunned. The Crystal's calm words only twisted the confusion deeper.
┏━━━━━━༻❁༺━━━━━━┓
[Supreme Thief System]
─────⋅☾ Host's Details ☽⋅─────•
[Name: Leon Grimveil]
[Title: Super Thief]
[Fame: 56 (in this world)]
[Physique: Super Thief physique]
[Level: 1]
[Hp: 100]
[Mp: 10]
•─────⋅☾ Stats ☽⋅─────•
[Strength: 10]
[Stamina: 10]
[Agility: 10]
[Defense: 5]
[Intelligence: 10]
[Perception (Hunter's Instinct): 10]
[Luck: 5]
(Available points to distribute: 0)
•─────⋅☾ Skills ☽⋅─────•
[Skills: None]
•─────⋅☾ Dungeon ☽⋅─────•
Dungeon (Steal lives to level up)]
Tap, say or will it in order to enter.]
•─────⋅☾ Shop ☽⋅─────•
Shop (locked: reach level 15 to unlock)
•─────⋅☾ Mission Hall ☽⋅─────•
[Daily Mission: Get the Alchemy pill from the store for your mother this night.]
(Reward: Super Thief skill + 10 stat points)
┗━━━━━━༻❁༺━━━━━━┛
He remembered a web novel he had happened to read with Zach on his phone. In it, people were gifted with systems—powerful, reality-bending systems that allowed them to rise above everyone else.
"So... I have been gifted with a system? Was it that diamond crystal?" Leon muttered, eyes narrowing as the memory of the glowing gem came back to him.
'Yes, it was me. This is your talent, and it's greater than anything this world has ever seen. You're unique. Others have talent, while you steal talent. With this System, you can have SSS Rank Talents, affinities, and even steal cultivation. Everything you set your eyes on will be yours as long as you make a move. But your strength is a little bit pathetic, so get ready to get stronger! There are many things hidden from this world, and talent higher than SSS is just the beginning. Once you're strong enough, you will know more.'
'So that's why it's called the thief system, huh? It's like you know my desires…' Leon thought back to the Crystal, a devilish grin slowly curling across his face.
"Just you wait... I will avenge my father's death and steal everything you hold dear. Your wife, your wealth, your authority, your cultivation—even your life will be at my mercy. I'll make you regret ever knowing or having contact with me and my father! Just you wait!" he growled, clenching his fists so tightly his knuckles whitened.
If anyone had heard him, they'd call him insane—claim he was courting death.
'Woah! It seems like you have a deep grudge… like last time. Take his strength as a goal and don't let it affect you!'
"..."
'Which last time is this thing talking about?'
Right now, he didn't have time to unravel the mysteries of his so-called 'past life.' Tonight, he had a mission—his first mission. He had to steal that pill. The Alchemy pill… the one that could cure any illness in a mortal body. No matter how severe, no matter how long the person had been sick, five minutes after consuming the pill, they'd be as good as new.
His mind shifted to planning. It was simple, yet clever. Sneak into the store wearing shoes that could easily be tracked, break in quietly, steal the pill, and escape. He'd lead any pursuers to a confusing location, a place littered with shoe tracks. Then, after several misleading turns and bends, he'd circle back and head home.
He'd wear a mask—one he would craft himself using cloth, not wood. And before putting it on, he'd smear powder across his face. That way, even if the store's camera saw him, the image would be distorted. It wouldn't be able to 'see through the mask.'
Then he remembered: his mother. What would he tell her?
"I'll just say that Zach gave it to me. Right! I need to make that mask quickly," he said out loud, snapping himself out of his thoughts as he began walking out of the forest.
The forest was scattered with thick, tall trees. Some leaned crookedly while others stood proud and straight. Surprisingly, there weren't any large carnivorous beasts—just rabbits and other small herbivores darting through the underbrush. The sun was almost gone, dipping beneath the tree line, casting golden hues across the leaves. Crickets began to chirp—a subtle signal that night had arrived.
Despite the surroundings, Leon's focus didn't waver.
He thought of Zach—a rich fellow from a nearby city. They were friends from the days when Leon's family still had wealth, and unlike others, Zach stayed his friend even after they lost everything.
Leon had been thinking of multiple ways to earn money. One of them involved a VR game Zach mentioned. Leo didn't know much about it yet, but if he asked, Zach would definitely share everything he knew.
As for this system… he still had no clue about its full potential. So far, it seemed to reward him for stealing things, but that couldn't be all there was to it.
Asking the system directly was probably the smartest move for now...