Divine Mask: I Have Numerous God Clones

Vorn stared at the scene in disbelief, his mind racing to comprehend what had just happened. This boy—no, this monster—had crushed one of his Nether Puppets with his bare hands. He couldn't believe it. How could a mere child possess such strength?

His eyes twitched, his jaw tightening as he processed the impossible sight before him. "I... refuse to believe this!" he snarled, his teeth gritting together in rage. "Soulchain Bind!"

The command rang out, and the remaining Nether Puppet sprang into action, summoning chains made of ethereal energy. The glowing links shot toward Lucas, wrapping around his limbs, tightening with the unyielding force of nether energy.

[Oh, look at this, Lucas. They're really pulling out all the stops now! Chains and claws? What next? Are they going to throw rocks at you too?] the system mocked, its tone dripping with arrogant amusement.

Vorn's eyes burned with fury as he advanced. There was no hesitation. He activated Puppet Rend, summoning nether claws to his hands—sharp, deadly, glowing with malevolent energy. His face twisted in determination, he lunged at Lucas.

"You think you can mock me, boy? I'll tear you apart!" Vorn roared, his claws cutting through the air, aimed at Lucas's body.

The sharp blades slashed across Lucas's chest, making contact with what should have been flesh, but something was terribly wrong. Vorn could feel his claws slicing into something—but there was no blood, no tearing of skin. Lucas's body remained untouched, completely unharmed by the attack.

Vorn's breath caught in his throat, his eyes widening. "What... what kind of trick is this?" he whispered, panic starting to seep into his voice. He could feel his claws making contact, but the boy stood there, entirely unaffected.

[What's that, Vorn? Did you misplace your strength? Perhaps it's still hiding behind that little ego of yours.] the system chimed in, its voice filled with shameless glee. [I think you cut something alright—your own pride!]

The only sign that the attack had even registered at all was a slight twitch from Lucas, his face briefly tightening as though acknowledging some pain. And then he smirked—a cold, detached grin that sent a shiver through Vorn.

"Is that all you've got?" Lucas asked, his voice dripping with amusement, his eyes gleaming with an almost predatory light. His tone was light, casual, but there was an edge there that made Vorn's heart skip a beat.

Vorn's rage ignited, his face twisting in fury. His pride wouldn't allow him to back down—not now, not to this child. "You little—!" he spat, his voice trembling with anger. In a fit of blind rage, he activated Puppet Frenzy, sending himself and his puppet into a berserk state.

The attacks became wild, furious. Vorn slashed at Lucas with lightning speed, each clawed strike blurring through the air in rapid succession, intending to rip the boy limb from limb. His movements were unrestrained, like a cornered animal, and his face contorted with a mixture of anger and desperation.

"Die! Why won't you just die!" Vorn bellowed, his voice raw with frustration.

But no matter how hard Vorn hit, no matter how frenzied the strikes, Lucas's body absorbed the attacks with ease. There was pain, yes—Lucas felt the sting of each strike—but it was inconsequential. There was no true damage, only discomfort.

Lucas watched Vorn's desperate, almost animalistic onslaught with a calm, detached expression. His body moved slowly, lazily, his eyes studying Vorn with mild curiosity, as if he was an annoying insect buzzing too close to his face.

[Is this all they have to offer, Lucas? Honestly, I expected more.] The system's tone was both arrogant and mocking, as if speaking to a child trying—and failing—to impress a teacher. [Perhaps you should show him what real power looks like.]

Lucas's lips curled into a smirk, his eyes narrowing. He waited for just the right moment, and then, in one swift, effortless motion, his hand shot out. He grabbed Vorn by the throat with an iron grip, his small fingers tightening around the elder's neck.

Vorn's eyes widened in sheer panic as Lucas's grip tightened around his neck. The wild frenzy of his attacks came to an abrupt halt, the ferocity vanishing in an instant as he struggled to breathe, his body trembling in Lucas's unyielding grasp. His once confident gaze was now filled with fear.

He clawed at Lucas's hand, desperate to break free, but the boy's strength was terrifying. He was trapped—helpless in the grip of someone who appeared to be nothing more than a child.

[Look at him squirm,] the system sneered, its voice thick with mocking amusement. [Isn't it pitiful? All that noise, all those threats... and now look at him. A poor, frightened little puppet master.]

Lucas's eyes were cold, devoid of any sympathy or hesitation. He looked down at Vorn with quiet indifference, as if watching a nuisance that had finally been subdued.

"It's over," Lucas said softly, his tone flat, cold, and final. There was no anger, no rage—just a simple statement of fact. It wasn't a threat. It was an inevitability.

Vorn's mouth opened, a desperate gasp escaping his lips, but no words came. The elder's mind raced, searching for a way out, but there was none. His strength was failing, his vision blurring, and Lucas... Lucas was completely calm.

[Over? That's too kind, don't you think, Lucas?] the system chimed in, its voice thick with shameless glee. [Let him beg a little. Oh, I'd love to hear him try. Maybe he'll promise you the world if you let him go. Won't that be entertaining?] Enjoy new stories from m-v l'e|m,p| y- r

But Lucas was already done. His right hand began to glow with dark energy, the air around them distorting as he summoned the deadly power of Void Rend. The energy gathered in his hand, humming with lethal force, sharp as the void itself.

Vorn's eyes widened even further, the shock and horror freezing him in place. His mouth moved, trembling as if to form words, but Lucas didn't give him the chance.

With a swift, effortless motion, Lucas swung his hand. The rift-like strike cut through the air, its deadly edge clean and merciless. It sliced through Vorn's neck with ease.

For a brief moment, Vorn's expression remained unchanged—shock frozen on his face, his eyes still wide, not quite registering the fatal blow. And then his head fell. It tumbled to the ground with a dull thud, rolling lifelessly to a stop, eyes still open in disbelief.

His body crumpled shortly after, collapsing to the ground like a puppet whose strings had been cut.

The battlefield fell into an eerie silence, the weight of what had just happened settling over everyone who had witnessed it. The once-feared Elder Vorn was gone, slain in an instant by the hands of a boy who now stood quietly, almost indifferent to the carnage.

[Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful,] the system purred, its voice filled with satisfaction. [Did you see his face, Lucas? Did you see the moment he realized he was nothing? Oh, that was priceless.]

Lucas glanced at Vorn's lifeless form, a small, almost bored smile curling at the edge of his lips. "Is that all?" he muttered quietly, more to himself than to anyone else.

[It's never enough, Lucas.] The system's voice was laced with its usual arrogance, a dark, mocking tone as it reveled in the aftermath. [But don't worry. There are still plenty more fools left to entertain us.]

Lucas looked up, his gaze now sweeping across the battlefield, locking onto the shocked faces of Feris, Velkar, and Mirra. His smile widened ever so slightly as he noticed their frozen stares, their disbelief mirroring what had once been Vorn's final expression.

They were next.