First Mission [3]

[Analyzed Skill- 4/10] 

[Magician- Understanding 70%] 

[Divinator- Understanding 28%]

[Eye Of The Psychos- Understanding 51%] 

[Dominating Aura- Understanding 49%]

Artis used his [Record] after a long time and began formulating a plan. He has recorded 4 skills that he can use for a limited amount of time with a proper plan he can implement. 

'But my only problem is that I am not that highly familiar with these skills. I can use [Magician]. It has been recorded for years now, [Divinator], I won't need this skill and I will probably remove it but for now, I'll keep it. [Eye Of The Psychos], it's pretty useful but it's not like there would be items on the ground for me to use. And it pressures my brain if I use it constantly. And [Dominating Aura]...I never got to use it properly...' 

"Sigh..." Artis sighed as he slowly mumbled, "Out of my copied skills, only [Magician] is useful. I can't always keep relying on that and the rest of my skills are not that strong to do a lasting damage. I have to gather more data. But first!"

Artis stood up and headed towards the counter to talk to Maya. He had a sly smile on his face as he leaned forward on the counter and just stood there. 

"Um...Do you want something?" asked Maya turning her head, confusion evident in her voice. 

"It's nothing. I just wanted your help once. I hope you don't mind it." 

"Sure." Her face instantly brightened, "What is it that you want my help with?" 

"Just talk to me." 

"Pardon?" 

"Just talk to me." replied Artis simply with a smile. 

"..."

Smack!

"Perhaps you should focus on your mission instead of having some meaningless conversations and thoughts about me. Please don't waste your time and focus on your mission." 

'Bingo!' thought Artis. 

"Huh?" said Maya as she remained confused for a moment. 

"Sorry about that. I really did wanted your help for this mission. It's because of you that I will be able to complete it. Thanks a lot!" said Artis as he turned back and left. 

"But what did I do?" mumbled Maya, still confused. 

"Oh? And before that, let me ask you what I really wanted to ask!" said Artis as he stopped and turned his head, "What is the name of the skill that allows you to read other people's minds? Is it a skill you can learn or a Unique Skill?" 

"Hmm?" Maya looked at Artis, "Well, it is my Unique Skill that allows me to read minds. It's also public knowledge either way so don't worry about me exposing it. I won't say the name. My Unique Skill allows me to read other people's minds anytime I want but it only works for one person at a time so that's a disadvantage for me. Who knows? Maybe if I level up then my Unique Skill will also evolve. Anyway, I do no know if you can learn to read people's minds or expressions. Sure, there are some skills you can learn like [Face Reader] but that's rare." 

"Thank you for your help. I got all the information I wanted," said Artis as he finally left reading the information of the skill he recorded with satisfaction. 

[Telepathist- Understanding 67%] 

[Telepathist- This skill allows the user to read the minds of others within a certain range, understanding their thoughts and intentions. The effectiveness and range of the skill increase with the user's familiarity and proficiency. However, using this skill requires a significant amount of mental energy, and overuse can lead to severe fatigue or even mental strain.]

[Adjusting to your level and understanding of this skill, you can use this Skill for 4 minutes.] 

'Telepathist, huh? This could be a game-changer,' Artis thought. 'Even at 67%, it's a powerful tool. I need to use it sparingly, though, or I am finished! But 4 minutes is more than helpful, but I still need to be careful. I have to get used to it now.' 

He stood outside the building, planning his next move. He knew he needed to use his skills strategically, especially since his understanding of most of them was still limited. [Magician] was his most reliable skill, but now, with [Telepathist], he had an edge in gathering information and anticipating his opponents' moves.

'But first, before gathering more information about my opponent, I need to test this skill somewhere, and then only will I be able to begin my hunt!' 

Satisfied by his thought process, he headed towards the market district where it had was bustling with customers and vendors. 

He activated the skill, and his mind was instantly filled with chaotic jumble of words and sentences he was not able to understand at all. Feeling pressure at his temples, he tried to concentrate his focus on a single person.

Thanks to [Record], even if he had no idea how to initially use the skill, but because of his understanding, he already had an idea inside his head how to use it. 

As he continued to focus, the chaotic voice kept on decreasing as he managed to isolate a single stream of consciousness. 

'...need to buy vegetables for my son...hope the prices haven't increased again...' 

Artis clenched his fists in satisfaction as he managed to understand what wavelength he needs to be at to use the skill. Now he decided to practice it on other people and how he can switch his targets if necessary. 

He scanned the area, isolating different streams until he locked into one he wanted to hear. 

'...need to finish this report before the deadline...'

Artis moved on to another target.

'...can't believe she cheated on me...'

As he continued to practice, he became more adept at filtering out the noise and focusing on specific thoughts. The skill was proving to be incredibly useful, but he could already feel the mental strain setting in. After a few more minutes, he decided to stop and rest.

'This skill is going to be very useful, but I need to manage my usage carefully. Four minutes can be a long time if used correctly.'

...

Artis returned to the lab after an hour of testing where he found Evan sitting in one of the sofas again as he approached her slowly. 

"Evan, can you help me with one of my requests?" 

Evan turned around to see Artis having a satisfied smile as she turned to ask, "What is it you want, Big Brother Artis?" 

'Big Brother?' thought Artis amused, "Well...Actually...if you don't mind, can you tell me the target's name and if I can meet with your brother once to ask him some questions?" 

Evan was confused at first as she asked again, "Why do you want to meet my brother?" 

"Well, to ask him about the person I will fight. Since he has experienced his attacks firsthand, he might be able to tell me what kind of moves he uses...If you know what I mean." explained Artis in simple words. 

"Hmm? If that is it, then I can help you with that too. I don't want to disturb my brother you see..." explained Evan as her voice and head got lower and lower. 

"Oh, is that so?" asked Artis but he was not disappointed by the answer as he understood what Evan meant. 

He asked her with a smile, "Well, you can tell me what the bully uses. I will be under your care for that information."