The surge of magical energy circulating through Maximus Sagaza's body made him feel something he hadn't felt in a long time.
Anticipation.
For months, he'd been stuck.
His strength had plateaued.
His organization had plateaued.
The Vonden District—his territory—sat under the thumb of one of Orange River's biggest criminal organizations: WM, the White Mafia.
Its boss, Victor Vonden, was one of the most powerful espers in the underworld.
Every district leader in Vonden paid tribute.
They paid faithfully.
Maximus was one of them.
He feared Victor—not just because the man possessed a level 7 skill, but because he also held a magic control manual. Low-level or not, that alone put him above the crowd. It was leverage. Proof of access.
But now…
things were different.
"Sir, the White Mafia's collection day is coming up. What are we going to do?"
Sullivan stood beside the treadmill with a towel in his hands, frowning like he already knew the answer and hated it.
Maximus's feet hammered the belt at a frightening speed, faster with every second, as if he could outrun the weight on his spine.
At Sullivan's words, Maximus slowed the machine and stepped off, breathing hard but steady.
"There are still four days left," he said, taking the towel and wiping sweat from his face. "Ignore them for now."
He tossed the towel aside.
"Tell the Shadows they have four days to completely fill their cores. Anyone who fails loses the right to be a Shadow—permanently."
Sullivan stiffened.
"…Yes, sir."
He bowed and rushed out.
Maximus exhaled. On the surface, he looked calm.
Inside, a crushing pressure sat across his shoulders.
From the two masked figures—and the manual they'd handed him—he knew Black Heavens was real. Not because of their theatrics, but because of what they'd said.
They'd dug into his past.
If he refused them, they could contact the Sagaza family.
His own bloodline would be the one to end him.
A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
And a death sentence if mishandled.
Even if the White Mafia looked like the peak of Orange River's underworld, Maximus knew there were monsters above it. He'd heard the same rumors everyone heard.
Men with no identities.
Men in black suits.
Eyebrows shaved.
Heads bald.
Faces eerily similar.
He still remembered the last annual underworld summit—when those "men with no IDs" annihilated Daniel Smith, once the strongest esper in Orange River, as if he'd never existed.
Since receiving Black Heavens' proposal, Maximus had trained like a man possessed.
It hadn't even been a full day since he'd met Dragon and Rose, but his stats were already climbing.
"Status," he muttered.
A translucent screen appeared.
STATUS
[Name]: Maximus Sagaza
[Race]: Human
[Strength]: 51
[Toughness]: 55
[Agility]: 56
[Intelligence]: 20
[Perception]: 16
[Magic Energy]: 223
Skills
[Nothing Manipulation: Imperceptibility {10}]
A branch of the Original "Nothing" ability. Imperceptibility allows the user to become completely undetectable. While active, the user cannot be perceived by physical, mental, spiritual, or technological means. They emit no heat, aura, or energy, leaving no trace.
As one of the more distinct variations of the Original skill, it can still be pierced by certain powerful individuals or abilities.
[Discipline {Sub Skill}]
Born from countless resistance and endurance trainings, this sub skill allows the user to self-discipline under danger and stress. It keeps the user calm and rational, especially while acting stealthily.
Side effects include heightened control over bodily functions during stealth operations: breathing, heart rate, perspiration, and mental stability in cramped, dangerous, or high-pressure environments.
Maximus had always known his own abilities.
Something not even the Sagaza family knew was that during their "training," he'd awakened a second skill from the Original book.
But that wasn't what shocked him now.
It was the numbers.
For years he'd been stuck under fifty in his physical stats. No matter how hard he trained, nothing moved. Eventually, he'd accepted that ceiling like a verdict.
But now—
he clenched his fist and felt raw satisfaction surge through him.
"…I missed this feeling," he murmured as a shiver ran down his spine and a grin spread across his face.
The feeling of becoming stronger.
The feeling of progress.
The feeling of being alive.
[06:30]
I stood in front of the Technology Division door.
Some skills weren't meant for combat. Some belonged to people whose brains worked in ways that could fuse human engineering with magical energy.
Those people took a different entrance exam.
If they passed, they ended up here.
The Tech Division.
Since the Triangle was a military academy, it spared no expense—equipment, labs, experimental tools. Every invention created here?
Triangle property.
I peered through the small window and watched students work.
Then sighed.
"Alright. Time to deal with this."
I'd skipped breakfast to come here. The monthly test was approaching, and Maya would soon be able to use her skill properly.
Which meant it was time for me to get my last key skill.
An essential one.
"Now that I'm the 'leader' of an organization," I muttered, "I need to be smarter."
The situation with Maximus and the League of Shadows wasn't about out-thinking the world.
It was about out-thinking them.
But Black Heavens' long-term plans?
That would require more.
Enemies would get stronger.
Plots would get more complicated.
Mistakes would get more expensive.
I pushed the door open.
Noise hit me immediately—clanks, whirs, low conversations. None of it leaked into the hallway outside. The room ate sound and kept it.
Only nine students were in the lab, each absorbed in their work.
A man near the entrance raised a hand to stop me.
"Who are you, and what do you want?" he asked flatly. "Regular students aren't allowed in here."
He wore standard Triangle staff uniform.
"I want to talk to Alice Star," I said.
He stared at me, unimpressed.
"I want to talk to her too, but wanting things doesn't make them happen. Now get out."
He put his hands on my shoulders and started pushing me back toward the hallway.
A few students glanced up for a second, then returned to their screens like interruptions were beneath them.
"I KNOW WHY YOUR CONTAINER CAN'T HANDLE MAGIC ENERGY!" I shouted before the door could close.
Beat.
My back hit the opposite wall. My head throbbed.
"What's with all the violence…" I muttered, rubbing the back of my skull.
The door slammed shut.
I dusted off my clothes and leaned against the wall.
"She'll come anyway," I said quietly.
The Tech Division was basically the S-Class for engineering.
And Alice Star was its ace—the most talented engineer in the entire Triangle.
Even she had problems she couldn't solve.
I waited.
Sure enough, about twenty minutes later, the door swung open.
"You're still here," a student said. He wore a Tech Division uniform and had a surprisingly deep voice for his slim build. "Come in. She's waiting for you."
He stepped aside. I walked past him with a nod.
The guard by the door stared straight ahead, pretending I didn't exist.
"Wow…"
The word slipped out the moment I stepped fully inside.
Even though the novel described this place as impressive, seeing it in person was another level.
Machines hummed quietly.
Transparent containers glowed with soft blue radiance.
Tables were covered in tools, wiring, metal frames, unfinished devices, and screens dense with schematics.
Some gadgets I recognized.
Some I didn't.
Many weren't even mentioned in the original story.
I passed the students. None of them gave me a second look.
It felt strange.
Maybe I'd gotten too used to being stared at.
But it wasn't a bad feeling.
"How do you know about the progress of our equipment?" a voice called out. "And how do you know what's wrong with it?"
I heard her before I saw her.
When I entered the side room labeled [ALICE], she was hunched over some kind of tech glove.
Short blonde hair.
Blue eyes behind work goggles.
Lab coat over her uniform—barely hiding the fact she didn't care how distracting she was.
Alice Star.
"The details aren't important," I said. "What matters is that I can help you finish it."
"I can finish it myself," she snapped without looking up. Sparks flickered as she clicked something into place. "What makes you think I need you?"
Then, sharper: "And I don't know you. The fact you know about our project is already suspicious."
"Alright then," I said. "I'll leave."
I smiled and turned to go.
That made her finally look up.
Alice Star had expected an argument. A push. A negotiation she could dissect.
Instead, I walked away like her approval didn't matter.
That irritated her more than any insult.
"Well… I tried," I muttered once I was outside the room.
Could I have pushed harder?
Sure.
But with someone like Alice, pushing meant friction—and friction made her defensive. She struggled to connect with people who couldn't keep up mentally. Her arrogance wasn't baseless either, which made her even harder to approach.
Most of the people she trusted were family.
After all, they shared the same ability.
"At least coming here wasn't a waste."
I smiled as the familiar interface flickered across my vision.
[Congratulations! You have acquired the Skill Book: "Super Intelligence {9}"]
Exactly as planned.
Satisfaction bubbled in my chest—then settled into something more careful.
From now on, I'd need to treat this skill like a live wire. Messing with my brain's capabilities was risky in any world.
In this one?
It was a risk I was willing to take.