My name was Takahashi Ren.
Seventeen years old, third-year high school, perpetually single, average grades, zero club activities, zero social media presence.
The kind of guy who gets forgotten the moment he leaves the classroom.
On March 15th, the day after the graduation ceremony of the seniors, I was walking home alone under a sky the color of old bruises. Earphones in, playlist on shuffle, thinking about whether I should buy cup ramen or just starve until tomorrow.
Then the truck came.
Not the classic isekai truck-kun that gently taps you and sends you to another world with a goddess apology.
This one was going 80 km/h down a narrow residential street, horn screaming, brakes already too late.
I didn't even have time to be scared.
Just—
BAM.
Darkness.
Pain for half a second.
Then nothing.
When I opened my eyes again, I wasn't in a white room with a goddess.
I was lying on cold stone, face-down, tasting blood and dirt.
The air smelled wrong. Too clean. Too… alive. Like someone had turned up the saturation on reality.
I pushed myself up on shaking arms.
Stone floor. High ceiling. Torches that burned without smoke. Massive pillars carved with things that looked like dragons and swords and screaming faces.
And right in front of my face, floating in perfect clarity like a game UI only I could see:
[Awakening Confirmed]
[Parallel World Transfer Complete]
[Name: Takahashi Ren]
[Race: Human (Otherworlder)]
[Age: 17]
[Level: 1]
[Unique Talent: Talent Devourer – Rank: EX]
[Current Status: Healthy / Mana: 180/180 / Stamina: 120/120]
I blinked.
Blinked again.
Then whispered, very intelligently:
"…huh?"
The window didn't disappear. Instead a new one appeared below it, smaller, like a tutorial tip.
[Talent Devourer (EX)]
Passive / Unique / Growth-type
You can permanently steal one talent/ability/skill from any being you defeat (kill, knock unconscious for 10+ minutes, or force surrender).
The stolen talent will be absorbed at its original rank or higher depending on the difference in level and soul strength.
Limit: Currently 3 slots (increases with level and milestones)
Warning: Stolen talents cannot be returned. Choose wisely.
I stared at the words until they blurred.
Then I laughed. A short, ugly sound that echoed off the stone.
"Of course," I muttered. "Of course it would be something this broken."
Because if there was one thing I knew about myself in my previous life—
I was jealous.
Not the loud, dramatic kind of jealousy. The quiet, eating-away-at-your-insides kind.
I watched classmates get scouted for soccer, get accepted into art universities, confess and get confessed to, win awards, get praised, get loved.
And every time I smiled and said "congrats," a small, cold part of me thought:
Why not me?
Just once.
Just one thing.
And now the universe, or whatever god was running this simulation, had apparently decided to answer that thought with the most dangerous cheat imaginable.
I could take anything.
Anything.
As long as I could beat the owner.
The sound of footsteps echoed from the darkness ahead.
Heavy. Armored. Multiple people.
I scrambled to my feet, heart suddenly jackhammering.
A voice called out in a language I shouldn't have understood—but I did.
"Intruder detected in the summoning chamber! Formation!"
Three figures emerged into torchlight.
Knights? Soldiers? They wore chainmail under tabards with a roaring bear crest. Swords drawn. One carried a shield that looked big enough to surf on.
Behind them, floating slightly above the ground, was a girl in white robes, long silver hair, staff in hand. She looked maybe fifteen, expression cold and professional.
The girl spoke first, voice calm.
"Otherworlder. State your name and purpose."
I swallowed.
My Japanese was useless here, but somehow the meaning formed in my head perfectly.
I raised both hands slowly.
"Takahashi Ren. I… don't know why I'm here. I just got hit by a truck."
The knights exchanged glances.
The girl tilted her head.
"Truck…?"
Then she frowned, staff glowing faintly.
"Lie detection is negative. He's not concealing intent." She paused. "But his mana fluctuation is abnormal. Far beyond normal summoned hero levels."
One of the knights stepped forward, sword still raised.
"Lady Aria. Orders?"
The silver-haired girl—Aria—looked at me for a long moment.
Then she spoke words that made my stomach drop.
"Subdue him. We'll bring him to the royal court for appraisal. If he resists… kill him."
The knights moved.
I didn't think.
I just reacted.
The first knight lunged, sword in a clean horizontal arc.
I ducked—way faster than I'd ever moved in my life. My body felt light. Too light. Like I'd been carrying weights my whole life and someone just took them off.
I grabbed his wrist on pure instinct.
He was stronger.
But I was faster.
I twisted.
Bone cracked.
He screamed.
The second knight swung from the side.
I let go, dropped, rolled, came up behind him, and drove my knee into the back of his leg.
He dropped to one knee.
I didn't hesitate.
I wrapped my arm around his throat and squeezed.
He thrashed.
I squeezed harder.
Something inside me felt… hungry.
The third knight and Aria both cast at the same time.
A spear of ice shot toward my face.
A shield of light appeared in front of the choking knight.
I let go and jumped sideways.
The ice spear exploded against the wall.
My heart was pounding so hard I thought it would break my ribs.
But under the terror, something else was rising.
Excitement.
Pure, filthy excitement.
I looked at the three of them.
At their skills.
At their talents.
And for the first time in my entire life—
I wanted something.
And I knew I could take it.
I grinned. It probably looked insane.
"Sorry," I said, voice shaking but loud enough to carry.
"But I think I'm going to steal everything you have."
Aria's eyes widened.
"Kill him!" she shouted. "Immediately!"
Too late.
I was already moving.
And the system window that appeared next was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen:
[First Combat Initiated]
[Talent Devourer – Devour Window Opening…]
[Available Targets: 4]
Knight A – [Swordsmanship (B)] [Physical Resistance (C)]
Knight B – [Shield Mastery (A)] [Endurance (B+)]
Knight C – [Command (B)] [Leadership Aura (C)]
Aria Lumen – [Holy Magic (A+)] [Mana Manipulation (S)] [Saint Candidate (Unique)]
I laughed again—this time it sounded almost happy.
"Guess we're starting with the big one."
And I charged straight at the silver-haired girl who could probably one-shot me if she got a clean cast off.
Because why start small?
When you're given the power to devour talents…
You might as well aim for the top from the very first day.