Lewd Skill Stealing System-Chapter 3: A warrior baker girl?

Karl strolled through the village streets, hands in his pockets, looking every bit like a guy who had absolutely zero intention of working in the fields.

His father had told him to come help, but did he look like a manual labor kind of guy?

Absolutely not.

Me? Work? In the sun? With my delicate hands? He scoffed.

Perish the thought.

Instead, he wandered aimlessly through the village, plotting his grand rise to power—or at least, trying to figure out where to start.

The streets were bustling with life. Vendors shouted out deals for fresh produce and dried meats, their voices blending into a chaotic market symphony. The scent of freshly baked bread drifted through the air, tempting Karl's stomach despite having just eaten. A group of kids ran past, laughing as they kicked around a ball made of tied-up rags. Old men sat under the shade of a large tree, arguing about whose grandson was the strongest.

It was the kind of place where everyone knew everyone—cozy, simple, completely unprepared for someone like him.

He grinned. Perfect.

But there was a problem. Despite having a system, he had no clue how to actually start stealing power. Did he just find a girl and go, "Hey babe, wanna be my walking mana battery?" That sounded like a quick way to get slapped.

No, no, I gotta be smart about this. Start small. Get a feel for the place. Figure out who's who.

He glanced around, trying to spot potential victims—ahem, targets—when his eyes landed on a girl standing by a well. She had long brown hair, tied into a neat braid, and wore a simple dress with a small apron over it. She looked around Karl's age, maybe a bit younger, and was busy struggling to pull up a bucket of water.

Bingo.

Karl straightened his posture and sauntered over, putting on his most charming smile.

"Need a hand with that?" he asked smoothly.

The girl looked up, eyed him for a second, then narrowed her eyes. "Aren't you supposed to be working in the fields?"

Karl blinked. Excuse me?

"Uh, how do you know that?"

She huffed, finally pulling the bucket to the top. "Everyone knows. Your dad was complaining about you being a lazy good-for-nothing again."

Karl's eye twitched.

AGAIN?!

So apparently, his previous self had already set the bar at rock bottom. Fantastic.

"Riiiight." He rubbed his neck, quickly trying to salvage his dignity. "Well, I just thought I'd be helpful instead, you know? Being a gentleman and all."

The girl just snorted, grabbed her bucket, and walked away without another word.

Karl stood there, stunned.

...Did I just get ignored?

Even his system remained silent, as if it, too, was disappointed in him.

Karl frowned, calling out in his mind, "Oi, System, quick question—what if I don't go after some big-shot warrior or noble first? What if I just... y'know, make a normal person fall for me?"

[Oh? Playing it safe?]

"I prefer 'testing the waters.'"

The source of this c𝓸ntent is freewebnøvel.coɱ.

[Fair. If you make a normal person fall for you, you can steal their base stats.]

"Base stats?"

[Yeah, the fundamentals. Strength, Wit, Intelligence, Speed, Defense, Agility, Mana Pool, Mana Regeneration—you know, the usual. Plus, there are their expansions, which depend on the person's training.]

Karl raised an eyebrow. "And I have...?"

[All tens. Flat across the board. Congrats, you're a perfectly average dude.]

Karl groaned. "Seriously? Not even a single thing above average? Maybe a hidden talent? A special trait?"

[Nope. If mediocrity had a face, it'd be yours.]

He clenched his fists. "Goddammit. So, if I steal from some weakling, what—my Speed goes from 10 to, what, 11? That's it?"

[Basically.]

Karl exhaled sharply. "Wow. Amazing. I'd be so much faster. Women would weep, men would tremble."

[Oh, absolutely. You'd be able to walk like... 2% faster.]

His eye twitched. "I hate you."

[I know. But you should really be thanking me, considering I gave you a skill that lets you infinitely power-scale through morally questionable means.]

Karl rubbed his chin. "Alright, fine. So, all I have to do is make someone fall for me and I steal their stats?"

[Yup. And if they have a partner, you can steal from them too.]

His eyes gleamed.

"That's where the real gains are, huh? I don't just steal from one person—I steal from multiple people connected to them."

[Exactly. Now you're thinking like a proper villain.]

Karl smirked. "I like the sound of that."

Karl was busy planning his grand scheme of morally questionable self-improvement when a voice suddenly called out to him.

"Karl! What are you doing here?"

He turned his head, blinking as a woman ran up to him. She had a bright smile, a familiar face, and—most importantly—absolutely no recollection that she was about to be his first victim.

"Nothing, just wandering around," Karl said smoothly. "What about you?"

She giggled. "I was just about to go to the bakery to continue work when I started to miss you."

Karl smirked internally. Heh. System, when?

[Alright, first victim.]

"Come on, let's walk there together," Karl offered, already plotting.

"Oh no, it's fine, don't mind me," she said, waving a hand.

Karl barely heard her. His brain was too busy short-circuiting as one very crucial realization hit him.

What even is her name...?

[Lara.]

Karl let out a silent sigh of relief. Whew. Close call.

[Oh, by the way, here are her stats.]

A list popped up in his vision, and Karl's smirk immediately dropped.

Lara's Stats:

Strength: 12

Wit: 11

Intelligence: 12

Speed: 11

Defense: 12

Agility: 11

Mana Pool: 12

Mana Regeneration: 11

Karl's eye twitched. You mean to tell me this random bakery girl is objectively superior to me in every single way?!

[HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!]

Shut up, System.

[Oh, this is hilarious! Not only are you the most average guy possible, but even a baker girl is physically and mentally better than you!]

Karl clenched his fists. How the hell is she this strong?!

[Hey, kneading dough takes arm strength, man. And she's running around delivering bread. She's practically a warrior compared to you.]

Karl gritted his teeth, staring at Lara with newfound determination.

Oh, you are SO getting robbed.

Karl forced a charming smile. "No, it's not a problem. Let's walk together."

Lara beamed. "Alright!"

As they started walking toward the bakery, Karl's mind was already spinning with plans.

Alright, first step: gain her trust. Second step: make her fall for me. Third step: steal her stats and finally stop being a damn NPC.

[Big words for a guy who just found out a bakery girl could snap him in half.]

Karl ignored the system's taunts, though his eye twitched slightly. I'll show you. By the end of this, I'll be the one laughing.

[Uh-huh. Sure, buddy. Just don't trip and break your nose before you even get to step one.]