The Villain Who Stole Magic

Jecob wakes up in a fantasy world he recognizes from a novel. There's only one problem. He isn't the hero. He's Jecob Veyr—a minor villain destined to die at the hero's hands. The good news? The hero won't be summoned for another three years. The better news? Jecob has awakened Arcane Theft, a mysterious ability that allows him to steal fragments of magic, traits, and supernatural powers from others. But stolen power isn't free. Every ability has conditions. Every extraction carries risks. And taking power he doesn't understand may change him in ways he cannot reverse. Jecob has no intention of waiting for his original ending. Starting as a weak Level 1 noble with little money and almost no combat ability, he decides to build himself piece by piece. Magic. Swordsmanship. Wealth. Connections. Influence. Power. He'll trade with merchants, bargain with monsters, build businesses, enter the Royal Academy, fight increasingly dangerous enemies, and steal the abilities he needs to survive. Humans, elves, dark elves, dwarves, goblins, vampires, summoners, mages, Magic Knights and creatures forgotten by history all inhabit this world. And Jecob intends to learn how to profit from all of them. But the more powerful Arcane Theft becomes, the stranger the world around him appears. Ancient ruins recognize him. Creatures call him Thief. And something buried beneath the world's magic seems to have been waiting for someone with his power. Jecob knows how the original story begins. He knows how his character dies. What he doesn't know... is whether his reincarnation has already changed the story beyond recognition. A weak villain has three years before the hero arrives. Three years to become rich. Three years to become powerful. Three years to make himself impossible to kill.