My Technique Is Snatch: Stealing My Way To Godhood

---

The woods were quiet—too quiet.

No birds, no rustling, no echoes of wind—just the faint crackle of firelight behind me and the whisper of blood drying on my clothes. I'd spent the entire night running, limbs burning and eyes peeled, and still I found myself returning to the very place I wanted to escape: the border of Redroot Village.

My breathing had slowed to a steady rhythm now. My heart, not so much.

The name echoed in my skull like a war drum.

Len.

He sent them.

The thieves. The bastard who gave me stale bread and a fake smile. I should've seen it. His fake kindness, the way he watched me eat like I was entertainment.

He thought I was weak. And he wasn't entirely wrong.

But he didn't know what I'd become.

I stared at my palms—scarred now, one knuckle still dislocated—and whispered, "Sajikai."

Nothing happened.

I didn't expect it to. I wasn't snatching anything yet.

But the word steadied me. Anchored me. It wasn't just a phrase anymore; it was a signal. A promise. That I was no longer prey.

---

Earlier That Morning

I had one goal: find Len. And to do that, I needed information, rest, and a new shirt. Preferably one without holes and blood stains. Unfortunately, my current stats were:

Hunger: Moderate-to-very annoying.

Stamina: 47% (System kindly reminded me).

Shirt Integrity: -17%.

I crept into an abandoned fruit stand near the village outskirts, found a half-rotten apple, and thanked whatever glitch in the universe decided to reincarnate me with a stomach that still appreciated Earth apples.

As I chewed, I pulled up the system panel with a thought:

> [Snatch Log]

Strength: +5 (Temporary - 30 mins left)

Perception: +2 (Expired)

Reflex Boost: +1 (Permanent - 63% Compatibility)

A shiver ran down my spine.

63%. Barely enough to keep something permanently. But I felt it now—every sound a little sharper, every breath of wind tickling my skin a bit earlier than before.

I wasn't strong. Not yet. But I was aware.

And Len?

Len was about to find out what that meant.

---

Redroot Village: Inner Quarter

The village was a small, crude cluster of huts and stone lanes, guarded by overgrown hedges and wooden spikes. Len had always played his part here: humble, harmless, one of the "good ones."

But it was all a mask. I saw it now.

I crouched behind a stone fence, watching him haggle with a traveling merchant. I didn't move right away. I needed to see him. Study his movements. His gestures. His rhythm.

Then, the system beeped softly in my head.

> [Potential Snatch Detected]

Target: Len

Trait: Predatory Instincts

Compatibility: 61%

Warning: Subject has above-average resistance. Success rate: 68%.

Note: Subject can survive Snatch. Termination may still be required.

I smirked. "Perfect."

---

Confrontation

I approached him casually, almost lazily, arms swinging like I was just another idiot in town.

"Len," I called.

He turned. And immediately, his shoulders stiffened.

"Well, well… thought you ran off last night." His smile was a little too wide. "Didn't expect to see you so soon."

"Yeah. I changed my mind."

"You look like shit."

"Thanks. You look like betrayal." I gave a lopsided grin. "Let's talk."

"I don't talk with freaks who steal things with their hands."

That made me blink.

So he knew.

"You figured it out, huh?" I said.

"Course I did. I've seen your kind before."

"My kind?" I tilted my head. "You mean… handsome, witty, reborn from Earth with a gift from a sarcastic, power-hungry system?"

He didn't answer. Instead, he reached for something beneath his cloak.

I was already moving.

His dagger sliced air where I used to be. I ducked, pivoted, and brought my fist crashing into his side.

Len was faster than he looked. He took the hit and spun, raking his elbow across my jaw. Pain flared, but I rolled with it and grinned as blood filled my mouth.

"Sajikai!" I shouted, grabbing his wrist.

A sudden jolt hit my arm like ice water, crawling up my nerves.

> [Snatch Initiated...]

Target Trait: Predatory Instincts

Compatibility Check: Passed (61%)

Resistance: High

...Status: Temporary Override Successful (Duration: 10 Minutes)

The rush hit instantly.

Len staggered, eyes wide.

"You—what did you—?!"

I was already laughing.

The world slowed. My vision sharpened. The dagger in his other hand flashed before he even raised it. I saw the tension in his neck before he charged. I sidestepped smoothly, caught his ankle mid-kick, and yanked.

He hit the ground with a thud that sounded like justice.

"You sent them to kill me," I said, pinning him under my boot.

"You were disposable," he hissed.

"And you're compost."

I raised my fist, but paused.

He was still breathing hard, still struggling.

> [Snatch Attempt 2 Available]

Trait Reattempt: Enhanced Reflex Memory

Compatibility: 54%

Status: Temporary (Failed)

He tried to stab me from below—again. That alone earned him a knuckle sandwich to the face.

Blood splattered the stone beneath him.

"Try that again and I'll Snatch your nose next."

I pressed my hand against his chest. One more.

> [Snatch Attempt 3 Initiated]

Trait: Sharp Instincts (Tier 2)

Compatibility: 72%

Status: Permanent Acquisition Successful.

My breath caught. That was new.

The rush was deeper this time. Like a blueprint unfurling behind my eyes. My spine straightened. I knew things now—how to read tension, predict steps, sense breath patterns.

Len's eyes widened in horror.

"You… took it," he whispered. "You… freak."

"I did," I said. "And it's mine now."

"You'll die for this."

"Maybe," I said. "But not today."

---

Len's Final Moment

He pulled himself up on shaky arms. Bleeding, broken. Still fighting.

That was the thing about instincts. They didn't just tell you how to survive—they told you when you'd already lost.

I cracked my neck, adjusted my stance, and waited.

Len lunged again, wild, desperate.

I stepped once, let him pass, turned—and drove my palm into the back of his neck.

He dropped.

Alive.

Barely.

But that didn't last.

I looked at my hand, still warm from the strike.

"No retry needed," I muttered. "Thanks for the gift, buddy."

---

Later That Night

The system buzzed in my head:

> [New Trait Acquired]

Sharp Instincts (Tier 2)

Effect: Increased Perception, Danger Anticipation, Reflex Boost

Compatibility: 72%

Status: Permanent

> [Level Up: +1]

New Stat Unlocked: Precision

I sat by a shallow stream, washing the blood off my hands.

"You know," I muttered, "this world isn't so different from Earth after all."

Predators. Opportunists. Backstabbers.

Only here—I had power.

And I was going to Snatch my way to the top.

One trait at a time.

I leaned back, looked at the stars, and whispered to the sky, "Sajikai."

---