Divine Mask: I Have Numerous God Clones

Thalnor—or rather, the person who appeared to be Thalnor—strode confidently through the village, the nervous villagers glancing at him uneasily as they led him toward Vesperin. Every step exuded the cold, haughty air that Thalnor was known for, but beneath the flawless disguise, Lucas, disguised using the Divine Mask of Thalnor, was suppressing a flicker of annoyance.

Inside his mind, Lucas's thoughts churned. "I had to burn through a decent chunk of mana from the Mana Storage just to make this mask a 6-star," he muttered internally, frowning as he walked. He wasn't pleased about using so much power on what felt like a temporary façade.

[Oh, come on, relax, Host. This was all necessary for your grand plan, wasn't it?] the system's voice echoed, dripping with its usual arrogance. [You wouldn't want to slip up just because Thalnor didn't feel quite as powerful as he should, right?]

"Yeah, yeah, I know." Lucas sighed, rolling his eyes in his mind. Despite knowing the logic, it still irked him to spend mana unnecessarily. "At least it didn't drain too much."

The system chuckled, its voice dripping with smugness and mockery. ['Didn't drain too much,' he says. Oh please, of course it didn't! You're working with a basic cultivation manual, not one of your precious Divine Scriptures, Host.]

It paused, then let out a derisive snort. [A technique as lowly as this? Pfft. It's nothing but a drop of mana compared to what you normally handle.]

Lucas couldn't help but smirk, the contrast in power between the Nether Puppet manual and his Divine Scriptures becoming all the more obvious. "Makes sense. As a user of Divine Scriptures, I'm leagues beyond this kind of technique," he said, a hint of pride creeping into his voice.

[Leagues? Try universes apart,] the system corrected, its voice arrogant and shameless. [You should be glad I let you play around with something so beneath you. Honestly, this Nether Puppet manual is laughable compared to what you're used to.]

Lucas chuckled, still enjoying the feeling of superiority. "True enough. The difference in quality is obvious. I barely felt anything when cultivating with it."

[Exactly! That's the problem with weak manuals like this,] the system interjected, with a tone that implied Lucas should have realized this earlier. [When you were cultivating with that sorry excuse for a technique, did you feel any pain at all? Be honest, now.]

Lucas raised an eyebrow, though the sarcasm in his voice was clear. "No, not at all. It's been a long time since I've cultivated without any pain. Honestly, it felt almost... unnatural."

The system's laugh was loud and condescending. [Unnatural? Try ineffective! A cultivation manual without pain? Please, Host. It's practically a joke.

If you're not suffering through it, what's the point? No pain, no gain. Or in your case, no divine power, no real progress.]

Lucas sighed, though a faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips. "So, you're telling me if it doesn't hurt, it's worthless?"

The system's voice, dripping with sarcasm, immediately responded. [Ah, finally catching up, are we? Took you long enough. Yes, Host, that's exactly it.] The system sounded almost amused, as if Lucas should have figured this out ages ago.

[Real power doesn't come without pushing yourself to the absolute limit. And trust me, this 'Nether Puppet' nonsense you've been toying with? It's child's play compared to what you've endured. Honestly, no wonder you felt nothing.]

Lucas shook his head, letting out a small chuckle. "You really know how to make things sound worse than they are. But what about Lucy? She doesn't experience any pain cultivating her Divine Scripture."

The system huffed, its tone almost dismissive. [Lucy? She's a special case, obviously. She has the perfect physique for that specific Divine Scripture. It's like the universe handed her the keys to painless cultivation. But you?

Ha! You're not that lucky.]

Lucas rolled his eyes. "Of course, there's always an exception when it comes to her. She gets a free pass while I get stuck with the agonizing route."

[Oh, boo-hoo, Host. You'll be stronger for it,] the system mocked, its voice laced with playful cruelty. [Don't you love the pain? Come on, admit it—it's made you who you are.]

"Yeah, yeah," Lucas grumbled, though the system's arrogance only made him smirk more. "This mask is temporary anyway, so let's just forget about the whole 'Nether Puppet' thing. We've got bigger things to focus on. Like Vesperin."

The system responded with a light chuckle, its mockery fading as it shifted its tone. [Ah, yes. Vesperin. Finally, we get to some real fun. It's about time you started playing the game properly, Host.]

"Always with the dramatics, huh?" Lucas muttered, but his mind was already focusing on the next step. As they approached Vesperin's location, Lucas, still wearing the flawless disguise of Thalnor, began mentally preparing himself for what was to come.

Lucas's thoughts sharpened, the usual light banter with the system fading as the weight of the situation settled in. He knew the upcoming interaction with Vesperin required precision and focus.

The system, of course, couldn't resist one last jab. [Oh, Host, just remember—no pain, no gain. And Vesperin? He's going to learn exactly what that means in a very personal way.] Its voice was dripping with amusement, as though savoring the chaos that was about to unfold.

Lucas grinned, his mind already calculating the next move. "Oh, I'm counting on it." His tone was calm but full of dark anticipation. The real game was about to begin.

With a swift movement, Lucas opened the door and stepped inside. The first thing he noticed was Vesperin, seated with his usual arrogant posture, legs crossed, an impatient frown etched on his face.

His eyes barely acknowledged Lucas as he entered, as if he were too important to care about anyone else. The air around him reeked of self-importance.

"Same arrogant, stupid face as always," Lucas thought to himself, hiding his smirk beneath the mask of Thalnor. The system snickered in the background, clearly enjoying the internal commentary.