The moment I decided to charge straight at Aria, everything slowed down.
Not in that dramatic, movie-like bullet-time way.
It was more like my brain suddenly had extra processing power. Every twitch of muscle, every shift in weight, every flicker of mana around her staff — I could see it all at once, like reading multiple lines of code simultaneously.
The knights were still recovering from my initial scramble. Knight A was clutching his broken wrist, cursing under his breath. Knight B was on one knee, gasping after the choke. Knight C had drawn his sword again, but he was hesitating — probably because a level 1 otherworlder just ragdolled two trained soldiers in under ten seconds.
Aria, though…
She was the real threat.
Her staff was already raised, tip glowing with that pure, holy white light. Mana was coiling around her like invisible silk threads. I could almost taste the spell forming — something wide-area, something meant to pin me down or fry me from the inside.
If that spell went off clean, I was dead.
So I did the only logical thing.
I screamed like a maniac and threw myself forward in the most reckless sprint of my life.
"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!"
It wasn't a battle cry.
It was pure, animal panic mixed with the sudden, feral realization that I might actually be able to do this.
Aria's eyes widened a fraction.
"Foolish—"
Her staff flared.
A circle of light bloomed under my feet — a classic restraint circle, the kind you see in every fantasy anime where the protagonist gets trapped in glowing runes.
But I was already airborne.
I jumped.
Not a normal jump.
My legs — which had been scrawny from years of sitting in front of screens — suddenly had power that didn't belong to me. The system bonus. The +10 to Strength and Agility. It felt like someone had swapped my legs with hydraulic pistons.
I cleared the circle by maybe three centimeters.
The runes exploded behind me in a harmless shower of sparks.
I landed awkwardly, rolled once, and came up right in front of her.
Our faces were less than a meter apart.
For one heartbeat, I saw genuine surprise in those silver eyes.
Then I grabbed her staff with both hands.
She yanked back instinctively.
I didn't let go.
Instead I pulled myself forward using her own momentum, headbutted her square in the nose, and felt the satisfying crunch.
Blood sprayed.
She staggered back with a choked gasp.
I didn't stop.
I twisted the staff out of her grip — she was surprisingly light — and swung it like a baseball bat at the nearest knight who was rushing in to help her.
Crack.
The metal-reinforced staff connected with the side of his helmet.
He dropped like a sack of potatoes.
The system pinged immediately.
[Enemy defeated: Knight B (Unconscious – 12 minutes remaining)]
[Talent Devourer – Devour Window Available]
[Targets: Swordsmanship (B), Endurance (B+), Shield Mastery (A)]
My hands were shaking.
Not from fear anymore.
From hunger.
I wanted it.
I wanted all of it.
But I forced myself to focus.
Aria was recovering fast. Blood streamed from her nose, but she was already chanting under her breath, hands glowing again.
I threw the staff at her face.
She dodged — barely — but it bought me a second.
I lunged.
This time I tackled her properly.
We hit the ground hard. Stone floor. Cold. Unforgiving.
She tried to knee me in the stomach.
I took it.
The pain was sharp, but the system had already numbed something. Or maybe it was adrenaline. Or maybe it was the Steel Resolve trait I didn't even know I had yet.
I pinned her wrists above her head with one hand.
She was stronger than she looked — mage body or not, there was real power there.
But I was heavier. And angrier.
And I had nothing left to lose.
"Get… off… me!" she snarled, voice muffled by blood.
I leaned in close.
"Sorry," I whispered. "But I really need what you've got."
Then I slammed my forehead into hers again — not as hard this time, just enough to daze her.
Her eyes rolled.
She went limp.
Not dead.
Just unconscious.
The system chimed like a slot machine hitting jackpot.
[Enemy defeated: Aria Lumen (Unconscious – Estimated 18 minutes)]
[Talent Devourer – Devour Window Opening…]
[Available Targets (Ranked by Soul Strength):]
[Holy Magic (A+)]
[Mana Manipulation (S)]
[Saint Candidate (Unique)]
[Enhanced Mana Recovery (B)]
[Chant Shortening (A)]
…(additional minor talents hidden)
My breathing was ragged.
I stared at the floating window.
Holy Magic (A+).
Mana Manipulation (S).
Saint Candidate (Unique).
Any one of these would make me untouchable in this world.
All three?
I would be a walking catastrophe.
My hand trembled as I reached toward the window.
The moment my finger touched the first option, a new prompt appeared.
[Warning: Devouring high-rank talents from a living being may cause permanent soul damage to the target.]
[Proceed? Y/N]
I froze.
Soul damage.
Permanent.
She was just doing her job.
Probably summoned here to protect the kingdom or whatever.
She looked younger than me.
And I was about to rip something fundamental out of her soul.
I swallowed.
The knights were starting to stir. The one I'd choked was groaning. The one with the broken wrist was trying to stand.
Time was running out.
I looked back at Aria's face — pale, bloodied, peaceful in unconsciousness.
Then I looked at the window again.
And I made my choice.
[Y]
[Talent Acquired: Mana Manipulation (S)]
[Rank Upgraded due to compatibility + Otherworlder Soul: Mana Manipulation (EX)]
[Description: Absolute control over mana flow. Shape, compress, accelerate, disperse, convert mana with perfect efficiency. Mana cost of all abilities reduced by 70%. Mana regeneration increased by 300%.]
Power flooded into me.
It wasn't painful.
It was euphoric.
Like every cell in my body suddenly learned how to breathe for the first time.
I could feel it — the ambient mana in the air, thick and rich like honey. I could see the currents, the eddies, the way it naturally gathered around Aria's unconscious form.
I reached out with my mind — no chant, no gesture — and pulled.
A thin thread of pure mana lifted from the stone floor and coiled around my finger like living silk.
I laughed.
A real, shaky, disbelieving laugh.
Then I stood up.
The remaining knights were on their feet now.
Knight A — broken wrist — was cradling his arm, sword in the other hand.
Knight C — the commander-looking one — had his blade raised, eyes wide with something between rage and terror.
"You… what did you do to Lady Aria?!"
I looked at them.
Really looked.
With the new senses Mana Manipulation gave me, I could see their mana circuits — dim, rigid, trained but limited.
They were strong.
But they were human.
And I wasn't anymore.
Not really.
I raised my hand.
No weapon. No skill. Just intent.
The air around my palm shimmered.
Then compressed.
A sphere of pure, invisible force the size of a basketball formed.
I flicked my wrist.
The sphere shot forward like a cannonball.
It hit Knight C square in the chest.
He didn't even have time to scream.
He flew backward, slammed into a pillar, and crumpled.
Unconscious.
[Enemy defeated: Knight C (Unconscious – 15 minutes)]
[Talent Devourer – Minor talents available: Command (B), Leadership Aura (C)]
I ignored them.
I turned to the last one — Knight A.
He was backing away, sword trembling.
"Don't… don't come closer, monster!"
Monster.
The word stung.
But not as much as I thought it would.
I walked toward him slowly.
"I'm not going to kill you," I said. My voice sounded different. Deeper. Calmer. "But I am going to take something."
He swung wildly.
I sidestepped — the movement felt effortless now.
I grabbed his sword arm.
Twisted.
He dropped the weapon with a yelp.
Then I pressed my palm against his chest.
Not to hurt.
Just to connect.
[Devour Window]
[Swordsmanship (B)]
[Steal? Y/N]
[Y]
[Talent Acquired: Swordsmanship (B) → Swordsmanship (A) due to Mana Manipulation synergy]
Knowledge flooded my head.
Not memories.
Understanding.
The weight distribution of a longsword. The perfect angle for a rising cut. How to read an opponent's shoulder before they even move. Footwork patterns I'd never practiced.
I picked up the fallen sword.
It felt like an extension of my arm.
I looked at Knight A.
He was crying now.
Actual tears.
"Please… I have a family…"
I hesitated.
Then I lowered the blade.
"I know," I said quietly. "Go. Take your friends and leave. Tell whoever sent you that Takahashi Ren is coming."
He stared at me like I was insane.
Then he scrambled to his feet, grabbed the unconscious Aria, slung her over his shoulder, and dragged the other two knights away as fast as he could.
I watched them disappear into the shadows of the corridor.
Only when their footsteps faded did I finally let my shoulders drop.
I sank to my knees.
The sword clattered beside me.
My hands were shaking again.
Not from fear.
From the sheer weight of what I'd just done.
I'd stolen from people.
Real people.
Not monsters. Not villains in some game.
Just… soldiers.
Doing their job.
I looked at my status window.
[Name: Takahashi Ren]
[Level: 3] (Combat experience gained)
[Unique Talent: Talent Devourer – Rank: EX]
[Current Slots Filled: 1/3]
• Mana Manipulation (EX)
[Additional Acquired: Swordsmanship (A)] (Passive bonus, does not occupy slot)
I laughed again.
This time it sounded broken.
"So this is what it feels like," I whispered to the empty chamber. "To finally be special."
I stayed there for a long time.
Until the torches started to dim.
Then I stood up.
Picked up the sword.
Tied it to my belt with a strip of cloth torn from one of the fallen tabards.
And walked toward the exit tunnel.
Because the world outside was waiting.
And I had a lot more talents to collect.
A lot more people to disappoint.
A lot more monsters to become.