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 would make her sick just to put food on the table for both of us.
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 snatching.
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 ordinary exhaustion, but a week has passed, and she hasn't regained consciousness.
The doctor even said that my mother might have had an incurable coma—a disease that has recently emerged since the world was attacked by monsters.
This 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
Who's the Hunters? Chosen individuals who possess the Talent to become monster exterminators.
I've always tried to become a Hunter because of their substantial income, despite the obvious risk of death.
But I've failed five times as a Hunter.
The reason is because I lack talent.
Yes, I don't have the talent to be a Hunter.
My only talent is snatching, which is frowned upon by many, including my mother.
Right now, I'm completely out of options to help my mother.
My money is running out and I don't have a steady job.
If I get caught snatching again and get arrested by the police, my mother will be alone in this hospital.
It's so depressing to think about all of 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, with long black hair, 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 Trickster."
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 something was surrounding the mysterious man and trying to strangle me.
"Collect 1,000,000,000,000 Red Orbs, and your mother will be saved, Theon."
A trillion, you say?
This man is crazy!
Orbs are a currency that replaces money in this post-apocalyptic world.
Everyone has Orbs within their bodies, even monsters.
People can obtain Orbs by becoming Hunters or Hunter supporters.
But only by becoming a Hunter can they obtain so many Orbs.
"You're crazy! Even if I worked for a thousand years, I wouldn't have collected that many Red Orbs."
The mysterious man smiled and 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 Trickster."
Oh, both choices were hellish to me.
I didn't know what this man meant by chaos, but it seemed far better than living under regret and depression.
"The path already taken. Don't let anyone know your little secret. Go forward, Theon."
The mysterious man smiled as I shook his hand, and then—
THUMP!
I felt something pierce 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.
>Trickster System Activated
>You've acquired the Orb Detection skill
>You've acquired the Snatch Orb skill
>You've acquired the Time Stop skill
W-what is this?
Trickster System?
Skill?
Do I feel like I'm playing a game?
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. But because your mother lost consciousness for no apparent reason, we can't be sure whether she'll recover. I suggest you choose euthanasia rather than wasting your money on caring for your mother who you don't know if she'll recover."
This jerk had so easily told me I should choose euthanasia.
"You bastard doctor! Do you think I don't have the resources to treat my mother?!," I exclaimed quickly, tugging at the doctor's shirt.
"H-hey...! L-Let go! Many people like you and their families decide to euthanize! Why am I the one being blamed?!", the doctor retorted, equally annoyed, "Besides, you don't have an Orb, right?! You're not a Hunter! Don't act like you have an Orb to support your mother! Let me tell you, 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 can only get that many Orbs if I work part-time for ten years without stopping.
But this damn hospital needs it now!
Damn!
It's the damn Orb again!
If only I had Orbs, I-
>Doctor
>Orbs: 25,000 Red Orbs
Suddenly, I saw a special notification on the doctor's body, indicating that he had 25,000 Red Orbs.
What was this display?
Why could I see someone's Red Orbs?
If I looked closely, I saw a Red Orb inside his chest.
Is this the Orb Detection skill?
I can see someone's Orbs?
>Nurse
>Orbs: 1500 Red Orbs
Oh, I can even see the nurse's Orbs!
My instincts tingled when I remembered that I had the Snatch the Orb skill, which probably meant I could snatch Orbs from someone.
This kind of skill reminded me of my ability to snatch.
When snatching, there are three main factors I usually have to pay attention to.
The first is the item I want to snatch.
Before the execution, I have to successfully identify the exact location of the item, whether it's a pocket, bag, or suitcase.
The second is distance.
I have to ensure that my hand is at a distance that allows me to perform a quick and precise snatch.
The third is momentum.
Once I know the item's location and the distance between my hand and the item is appropriate, I have to find the right moment to execute.
This momentum doesn't have to be minutes; ideally, it should be seconds, five seconds to be exact.
My heart was beating fast when I saw the doctor and nurse's Orbs clearly visible in my vision.
One final skill, Time-Stop, made me want to use it.
I noticed the doctor was still lecturing me about euthanasia, but I wasn't really listening because I was already preparing to snatch his Orb.
>Time Stop Activated
>Time Remaining: 5 seconds
Suddenly, the doctor stopped lecturing me.
The nurse stopped writing in her notes.
I looked around; everything stopped, even a leaf falling from the potted flower.
I had truly stopped time.
>Time Remaining: 3 seconds.
Oh shit!
I'd been so mesmerized that I forgot I only had 3 seconds left.
Without hesitation, I shot forward, my hand aimed at the doctor's chest.
Oh, my hand went 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 continued babbling.
The nurse resumed writing in her notes.
And the leaf from the potted flower fell again.
The difference was, I now had 8,000 Red Orbs.
"You need 5,000 Red Orbs? I've already transferred it to the hospital," I said, making the doctor stop lecturing me.
"Don't joke around, kid. A poor and weak person like you can't possibly have—"
"Doctor, what he said is true. I've checked the hospital system, and there's a Red Orb coming in totaling 5,000 from Theon for his 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 obvious. 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 could tell he was upset because he felt humiliated by me.
After the doctor and nurse left, I breathed a sigh of relief.
To 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 mostly gray hair.
Mom, I know you're tired, but this time I have a chance.
I won't repeat the same mistake.
Even though it seems impossible, for you and your happiness, I will definitely get 1,000,000,000,000 Red Orbs!