Divine Mask: I Have Numerous God Clones

"Watch and learn," Lucas muttered under his breath as he moved with deliberate precision, tying each end of the ropes to the surrounding trees. The sturdy branches creaked under the tension as the ropes were pulled taut, creating a perfect frame for what was to come.

[Oh, a rope trick? How... primitive. But I\'ll give you credit for the theatrics.]

Ignoring the system\'s mocking tone, Lucas finished his work, then turned toward Vesperin, who was still unconscious on the ground. Without hesitation, Lucas bent down, binding Vesperin\'s wrists and ankles to the ropes, pulling his limbs apart and stretching his body wide open.

Once everything was in place, Lucas stepped back, admiring his handiwork. Vesperin\'s body was now completely exposed, vulnerable, and immobilized. The sight brought a dark satisfaction to Lucas, who let out a low chuckle under his breath, his eyes gleaming with malice.

"Time to wake you up," he murmured, stepping closer, his voice a soft taunt.

With a swift motion, Lucas delivered a sharp slap across Vesperin\'s face. The sound echoed through the air, crisp and unforgiving.

Vesperin jolted awake, his eyes fluttering open in confusion. At first, there was a brief moment of disorientation, but then horror dawned on his face as he realized the predicament he was in.

"What—what is this?!" Vesperin\'s voice cracked, his body instinctively struggling against the ropes. He thrashed uselessly, panic creeping into his voice as he looked around.

His gaze finally landed on Lucas, standing calmly before him. His face twisted in anger, desperate to regain control. "Do you know who I am?! I am the son of—"

Lucas cut him off with a cold, dismissive tone, his smirk unwavering. "I know exactly who you are."

Vesperin blinked, startled by the sheer indifference in Lucas\'s voice.

"You\'re the son of Velkar Malachor," Lucas continued, his voice dripping with mockery, "the eight-star cultivator of the Malachor Clan. Do you really think I don\'t know that?" He paused, his eyes narrowing as they bored into Vesperin\'s panicked gaze. "But let me tell you something—I don\'t care about any of that."

Vesperin\'s defiance began to crack, his anger flickering into fear. His voice wavered as he tried to bargain, desperation creeping into his tone. "W-what do you want? I\'ll pay you anything. Just release me, and I\'ll give you whatever you want!"

The system chimed in, its tone laced with amusement. [Oh, how adorable. Look at him begging for his life like a cornered animal. This is entertaining, isn\'t it?]

Lucas tilted his head, his smirk never fading, but his gaze sharpened, cutting through Vesperin like a blade. "If money and apologies could solve everything, the world wouldn\'t be such a mess, now would it?" His voice was low, carrying the weight of years of unspoken bitterness.

He stepped closer, the shadows from the trees playing across his face. "And don\'t forget—you and I have bad blood between us."

Vesperin\'s eyes widened, and his mind raced to figure out what Lucas meant. "I-I don\'t understand! What are you talking about?" His voice trembled, and he tried to pull against the ropes again, but it was useless.

Lucas leaned in closer, his eyes gleaming with amusement as he felt Vesperin\'s terror intensify. He could practically hear the pounding of Vesperin\'s heart, the panic rising with each passing second. Lucas\'s smile widened, the corners of his lips curling into a smirk. His voice was low, dripping with malice.

"Oh, you understand perfectly, Vesperin," Lucas said softly, his words like a slow, twisting knife. "Don\'t play dumb with me. You know exactly why you\'re in this position."

Vesperin\'s eyes darted around, desperately searching for a way out. His breathing became shallow, but Lucas\'s calm, mocking demeanor kept him rooted in fear.

[Look at him squirm,] the system\'s voice chimed in, oozing with smug satisfaction. [He\'s finally realizing how deep he\'s in. Go on, show him who you really are. I can\'t wait to see that look on his face when he realizes he\'s made the worst mistake of his life.]

Lucas gave a short, dark chuckle. "You\'re going to love this," he murmured under his breath.

With a slow, deliberate motion, Lucas reached into the air, summoning the Zeus Divine Mask through the system. As the mask materialized in his hand, the Abyss Mana around it cast eerie, shifting shadows over its surface, making it seem alive with power.

Vesperin\'s eyes locked onto the mask, a mixture of confusion and fear clouding his face. His voice wavered as he spoke. "W-what\'s that? What are you doing?"

Lucas didn\'t respond immediately. Instead, he held the mask up for a moment, savoring the moment of confusion and dread on Vesperin\'s face. The mask seemed to pulse with energy, glowing faintly in the dim light.

Lucas\'s smile grew even darker, the corners of his mouth curling into something more sinister. With a swift flick of his wrist, he placed the mask over his face.

In an instant, his entire form shifted, his appearance transforming into the powerful figure of Zeus—the very same Zeus that Vesperin had feared and hated.

The color drained from Vesperin\'s face, his eyes going wide with shock and terror. His mouth opened, but at first, no words came out. His entire body tensed, as though paralyzed by the realization of what he was seeing.

"Y-you… you\'re Zeus?!" Vesperin stammered, his voice breaking under the weight of his disbelief. He stared at Lucas—now Zeus—with wide, horrified eyes, unable to comprehend what was happening.

Lucas, now fully Zeus, smiled darkly, his voice carrying a cold, mocking edge. "Surprised?" he asked, taking a step closer to Vesperin, his presence looming over him like a shadow. "You should be. You didn\'t think you\'d ever see me again, did you?"