A New Skill

A/N: Well, I decided to go into more detail about the skills. The few details I wrote left some people confused as to the abilities of some characters, so I decided to detail them better.

And I want to know if the changes in point of view bother you. To be quite honest, I wanted to remake the story in the third person, and give up writing it in the first person, However, I gave up on the idea, it would take work to redo everything.

Therefore, I've decided that some parts will be written in the third person.

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The sensation of magical energy circulating in his body made Maximus full of anticipation.

He had been stagnant for months, both with his organization and with his strength.

The Vonden District was run by one of the largest Orange River's criminal organizations, the WM, Withe Mafia.

Their boss was named Victor Vonden, one of the greatest espers in the underworld.

Neighborhood leaders within the Vonden district had to pay a fee to the white mafia, and they all did, without excess.

Maximus was one of them who feared Victor, after all, he is a level 7 skill user, and on top of that, he has a magic control in his hands.

even if your magic control is low level.

But now, it was different.

"Sir, the white mafia payday is coming, how are we going to use it?"

Watching his boss run furiously across the treadmill, Sullivan, Maximus' subordinate, grabbed the towel in his hands and frowned.

The speed he was displaying was frightening, and he seemed to be getting faster by the second.

Hearing Sullivan's voice, he slowed down the treadmill and stopped.

"There are still four days to go, ignore that for now." He took the towel from Sullivan's hands and dried his sweat. "Tell the shadows they have four days to fill their core with magical energy. Whoever fails to do so will forfeit the right to be a shadow and be killed."

"Yes sir!"

Bowing in response, Sullivan quickly left Maximus' training room.

Despite appearing calm on the surface, Maximus had a heavy weight on his back.

From the exchange he had and the control of magic, he knew Black Heavens was the real deal.

They even went after his past so that if Maximus refused, they would use the Sagaza family to kill him.

He knew it was a great opportunity, a unique opportunity.

But like great opportunities, the risk was too great.

Even though the apex he knows is still a White Mafia, there was someone over them.

In the underworld of Orange River for a long time, there was talk about men without identities.

Men wearing black suits, with their eyebrows shaved, completely bald, and very similar to each other.

it was still very clear to Maximus, at last year's annual gang meeting, the men with no IDs destroying Daniel Smith, Orange River's strongest ex-esper.

he had been training tirelessly since he received the proposal from Black Heavens. It hadn't even been a day since he'd run into Dreyden and Maya, but his statistics had already increased.

"Status!" He muttered, for what was to come.

=====Status=======

[Name: Maximo Sagaza]

[Race: Human]

[Strength: 51]

[Toughness: 55]

[Agility: 56]

[Intelligence: 20]

[Perception: 16]

[Magic Energy: 223]

=====Skills=======

[Nothing Manipulation: Imperceptibility {10}]

An offshoot of the original 'Nothing' skill. Imperceptibility is the ability to be completely undetectable and imperceptible. The user is completely imperceptible and as such cannot in any way be detected or communicated by outside forces, whether physical, mental, spiritual, technological, etc. They cannot be perceived, by smell, touch, sight, or hearing and do not emit heat, auras, or energy, so as not to leave any evidence of their presence.

However, as one of the more distinct variations of the Original skill, the user can be detected by some more powerful people and skills.

[Discipline {Sub Skill}]

After several resistance training, the user became able to "self-discipline" in situations of danger and tension, causing him to act more calmly and rationally. This ability also makes the user quieter when in stealth mode.

Another effect this ability has is to allow the user to "control" their own body when acting stealthily. Controlling breathing, heart rate, perspiration, and mental stability in closed, small, dangerous places or while acting stealthily are some of the "side effects" that this ability has on the user.

=====Status=======

Maximus was already used to his abilities. Something not even the Sagaza family knew about him was that while training under his family's tutelage, he was able to awaken a second ability from the original book.

But his abilities weren't what had shocked him. He felt quite happy and proud facing those numbers over 50.

How much time had passed? Even though he trained tirelessly he couldn't raise his stats beyond 50 points, after a long time he gave up and was content with his strength.

Maximus clenched a fist filled with determination. He finally made it!

"That... I miss that feeling..." A shiver ran through his entire body as a smile spread across his lips.

He missed that feeling.

Self-satisfaction.

******

[06:30h]

I was staring at the door of the tech division.

Some skills aren't made for combat or extremely intelligent people who can use the concepts of human technology and magical energy together.

These students have another type of test to enter the Triangle, and those who succeed, stay in that division.

The technology division.

Being a military academy, the Triangle spared no resources or equipment for the students in that division. Especially when it comes to creating something new.

After all, everything that was created here, was for the Triangle.

As I stared at the room through the small glass in the door, I sighed thinking about what I had to put up with in front of me.

Skipping my meal, I came running to this place, the test day was coming and Maya would be able to use her skill much faster than I anticipated.

So it was time for me to get my last skill, another essential skill.

"Now that I am the leader of an 'organization' I need to be smarter."

The situation with Maximus and the League of Shadows was different. It wasn't about being smarter than I already am, it was about being smarter than they were.

But for the plans I have with Black Heavens, I would need to be smarter because the enemies would be a lot more than they currently are.

As soon as I opened the door to the tech division, I could hear noises that stepping outside the room I couldn't.

There were only nine students in the room. a man by the door turned and held out his hand, opening it when he stopped me.

"Who are you and what do you want? Normal students are not allowed in here."

He wore the peculiar uniform that all the teachers in the Triangle wore, indicating that he was one of the staff here.

"I want to talk to Alice Star."

The guard remained silent, he looked me up and down and raised an eyebrow.

"I want too, but wanting is not power, now get out."

The guard put his hands on my shoulders and started pushing me out.

The gazes of the students inside quickly moved past the commotion before returning to what they were doing.

"I KNOW WHY THE CONTAINER CAN'T HANDLE MAGIC ENERGY!" Before the guard passed and closed the door, I screamed as loud as I could.

BEAT!

I felt a slight pain in my head as my body hit the wall.

"What's all this violence for?"

Just as I finished mumbling, I heard the door slam with a bang. I sighed as I got to my feet and started flapping my clothes.

"This guy...she's gonna come anyway."

If you asked me why this place was so strict, it was simple.

This place is like the S-class of the tech division, and Alice Star is the most talented engineer in the entire Triangle.

But even she had her problems.

I waited patiently, twenty minutes after the door slammed in my face, it opened again.

"You're still here."

One student said as he opened the door, other than his appearance his voice was quite deep, and he wore a Triangle tech class uniform.

"Come in, she's waiting for you."

He stepped aside and made way for me. As soon as I entered, I nodded at him, while staring at the guard who was standing by the door as if I didn't exist.

"Wow!"

I muttered at the view that was in the room. Even though in the novel this room was described as impressive, it was truly amazing.

The machines, electronics, tools, and equipment of the highest technology were present. Gadgets that weren't specified in the novel I had no idea what they were for.

Walking past the few students who were present and not getting stares from any, I felt a little strange.

Maybe I'm used to having different looks on me, and now when I don't it's weird.

Anyway, it's not a bad feeling.

"How do you know about our equipment's progress? And how do you know about it?"

As soon as I stepped into a room named Alice, his voice rang throughout the room. Without looking at me, she was fiddling with some sort of tech glove.

She had short blonde hair, blue eyes, wore goggles and a white lab coat that highlights her oversized pair of melons.

"That's not important, the important thing is that I can help you complete it."

"I can complete it myself. What makes you think I need you?"

Alice responded quickly, barely waiting for me to finish.

"Besides, I don't know you and you knowing about our project is very suspicious."

"Fine, then I'm leaving."

I smiled at the girl who finally looked into my eyes as I turned and started walking out of the room.

Alice Star is a member of Lucas' harem. The only non-combatant heroine.

She takes an interest in him when she sees him use energy she has never seen before.

Alice is also the first in the harem to discover Lucas' secret.

But because of her skill, she is suspicious of everyone. I wanted to help her mainly to try to form a relationship since in the future she will be the greatest engineer in the world.

But before it was a prerequisite, I just wanted to see her using the skill, and that I already got.

My frankness made Alice finally look at me.

She originally hoped that the person in front of her would be angry at the disinterest she displayed and she would be able to extract everything from him out of anger.

But, contrary to her expectations, he just turned and walked away. Also, the smile she caught a glimpse of when he turned around really pissed her off.

"Well... I tried."

I muttered as I left the room. I could have tried harder, it was true.

But Alice Star is not an easy person to lead. Because of her ability, Alice has trouble getting along with other people who don't share her intellectual ability, in addition to being arrogant she has something that supports her arrogance, which makes people easily annoyed with her.

Because of her ability, Alice's closest people are her family, who share the same ability as her.

"At least it was worth coming."

I smiled as I stared at the interface glowing on my retina.

[Congratulations! You acquired the skill book 'Super Intelligence(9)']

I was satisfied with the result. However, from now on I have to be very careful with this skill, messing with my brain's capabilities is a very big risk.

But it's a risk I'm willing to pay.