If I hadn't been born, perhaps my mother's life would have been happier.
If I hadn't been born, my mother might have been able to pursue her dream of pursuing higher education as a well-paid researcher.
If I hadn't been born, my mother might have been able to enjoy her old age with a decent pension without having to work a seemingly endless part-time job that made her sick.
If I hadn't been born, perhaps my mother wouldn't have been abandoned by my missing father.
If I hadn't been born, perhaps my mother wouldn't have had to go to the police station to pick me up after I was caught stealing.
Ah, seeing my mother lying unconscious in the hospital makes me depressed and heartbroken.
It's been a week since my mother was found in a coma while working part-time at night.
Initially, the doctor thought it was just normal exhaustion, but a week has passed, and she hasn't regained consciousness.
The doctor even said that my mother might have contracted an incurable coma—a disease that has recently emerged since the world was attacked by monsters.
The world has truly changed since monsters from another dimension arrived and changed the world order.
People in this post-apocalyptic era can only survive by becoming Hunters or supporting Hunters—chosen individuals who possess the Talent to slay monsters.
I've always tried to become a Hunter because of the high income, even though the risk is, of course, death.
But I've failed five times as a Hunter.
The reason is because I don't have the talent.
Yes, I don't have the talent to be a Hunter.
My only talent is stealing, which is frowned upon by many people, including my mother.
Right now, I'm completely out of options to help my mother.
My money is almost gone and I don't have a steady job.
If I get caught stealing again and get arrested by the police, my mother will be alone in this hospital.
It's so suffocating to think about all this.
'You still have a way!'
I widened my eyes in shock.
A mature male voice suddenly appeared in front of me.
It was a man in a long black coat.
His glowing yellow eyes were fixed on me.
His sly smile seemed to be taking pleasure in my misery.
"W-Who are you?" I asked, my heart pounding with fear.
"You'll know who I am if you take this path. The path of a Soul Snatcher."
The man slowly walked toward me.
The sound of his boots grew softer and clearer.
The closer he got, the more my breath hitched.
It was as if someone was surrounding the mysterious man and trying to strangle me.
"Collect 1,000,000,000 Red Orbs, and your mother will be saved, Alstair."
A trillion, you say?
Insane!
Orbs are a currency that replaces money in this post-apocalyptic world.
Everyone has an Orb within them, even monsters.
People can obtain Orbs by becoming Hunter supporters, but it's far more better to get a significant amount of Orbs by becoming a Hunter.
"You're crazy! Even if I worked for a thousand years, I wouldn't have accumulated that many Red Orbs!"
The mysterious man smiled and then extended his hand.
"The path is open. You have only two choices: watch your mother die and spend your life in regret, or live a new life of chaos as a Soul Snatcher."
Oh, both choices were hellish for me.
I didn't know what this man meant by chaos, but it seemed far better than living under regret and depression.
The mysterious man smiled as I shook his hand, then—
THUMP!
I felt something enter my heart.
My muscles felt like they were tearing.
I knelt down, nearly falling, holding onto my mother's bed.
My breath was ragged, and sweat was pouring down my face.
My previously blurry vision immediately displayed a monitor screen.
>Soul Snatcher Skill Installed
>You've gained the Orb Detection skill
>You've gained the Snatch Orb skill
>You've gained the Time Stop skill
W-what is this?
Soul Snatcher System?
Skill?
Is this some kind of Skill that only Hunter possess?
But there's no way a Hunter have snatching skill!
Several minutes passed, until finally my breathing stabilized and my vision returned to normal.
I got up, still confused about what was happening.
CREAK...!
The door to the inpatient room opened, and a doctor, accompanied by a stern-faced nurse, approached.
"Are you the patient's child?" the doctor asked hurriedly, looking at the notes the nurse had prepared.
"Y-yes…" I replied.
"...According to my diagnosis, there's actually nothing wrong with your mother's body. However, since your mother lost consciousness for no apparent reason, we can't be sure whether she'll recover. My suggestion is that you choose euthanasia rather than wasting your money on caring for a mother who you don't know will recover."
This jerk casually told me I should choose euthanasia.
"You bastard doctor! Do you think I don't have an orb to take care of my mother?!' I exclaimed quickly, tugging at the doctor's shirt.
"H-hey…! Let go! Many people like you and their families decide to have euthanasia! Why am I the one being blamed?!" the doctor snapped, equally annoyed.
"Besides, you don't have any Orbs, do you?! You're not a Hunter! Don't act like you have Orbs to support your mother! Here, let me tell you a hard truth you should understand. You have to pay 5,000 Red Orbs now, or your mother will have to leave the hospital!"
5,000 Red Orbs, you say?
I could only get that many Orbs if I worked part-time for ten years without stopping.
Damn it!
This fucking Orb problem again!
If only I had Orbs, I—
> Doctor
> Orb: 25,000 Red Orbs
Suddenly, I saw a special notification on the doctor's body, indicating that he had 25,000 Red Orbs.
What is this display?
Why can I see someone's Red Orb?
If I look closely, I see a Red Orb inside their chest.
Is this what the Orb Detection skill means?
I can see someone's Orb?
>Nurse
>Orb 1500 Red Orb
Oh, I can even see the nurse's Orb!
My instincts tingled when I remembered that I had the Snatch the Orb skill, which likely meant I could snatch an Orb from someone.
This skill reminded me of my stealing abilities.
When stealing, there are three main factors I usually have to pay attention to.
The first is the item I want to steal.
I have to determine the exact location of the item, whether it's a pocket, bag, or suitcase.
The second is distance.
As much as possible, I have to ensure that my hand is at a distance that makes it feasible to snatch it quickly and accurately.
The third is momentum.
Once I know the location of the item and the distance between my hand and the object is right, I have to find the right moment to execute.
That moment doesn't have to be minutes, ideally seconds, five seconds to be exact.
My heart beat faster as I saw the doctor and nurse's Orbs clearly visible in my vision.
I see in the system menu-alike in glance, a 'Time-Stop skill' that made me want to use it.
I noticed the doctor was still lecturing me about euthanasia, but I didn't really listen because I was already preparing to snatch his Orb.
>Time Stop Activated
>Time Remaining: 5 seconds
Suddenly, the doctor stopped lecturing me.
The nurse also stopped writing in her notes.
I looked around; everything had stopped, even a leaf falling from the flower pot.
I had truly stopped time.
>Time Remaining: 3 seconds.
Oh crap!
I was so mesmerized that I forgot I only had three seconds left.
Without hesitation, I shot forward, my hand aimed at the doctor's chest.
What the heck...?!
It works!
My hand magically went right through his chest!
I even managed to grab his Red Orb!
>Doctor's Red Orb Snatched: 8,000 Red Orbs!
I didn't grab them all because I was running out of time.
I regained my distance, and time returned to normal.
The doctor chattered again.
The nurse resumed writing in her notes.
And the leaves from the potted flower fell again.
The difference was, I now had 8,000 Red Orbs.
"You need 5,000 Red Orbs? I've transferred them to the hospital," I said, making the doctor stop lecturing me.
"Don't play around, kid. A poor and weak person like you can't possibly have—"
"Doctor, what she said is true. I've checked the hospital system, and there are 5,000 Red Orbs coming in from Alstair for her mother's medical expenses," the nurse interrupted, leaving the doctor speechless in shock.
"A-are you serious?" the doctor asked, confirming.
"What's wrong, doc? I've already paid, and it seems clear that I don't want to follow your stupid suggestion of euthanizing my mother," I said firmly.
The doctor fell silent, annoyed and embarrassed.
Although he bowed his head in apology, I knew he was upset because he felt humiliated by me.
After the doctor and nurse left, I breathed a sigh of relief.
For me, a theft is successful when the person being stolen from doesn't realize they've been stolen.
I looked at my mother's face as she lay still, stroking her hair, most of which had turned gray.
Mom, I know you're tired, but this time I have a chance.
I won't make the same mistake again.
Even if it seems impossible, for your safety and happiness, I will definitely obtain 1,000,000,000,000 Red Orbs!