Divine Mask: I Have Numerous God Clones

With a swift motion, his corpse puppet yanked him backward, pulling him out of immediate danger. Vesperin straightened himself, brushing imaginary dust off his shoulder with exaggerated nonchalance.

"Did you really think you could take me down so easily?" Vesperin sneered, his voice dripping with condescension. "I'm not some helpless fool, Zeus. I always come prepared."

He tapped the area where Zeus had struck, the sound of his knuckles against the hidden armor echoing in the tense air. "This is a high-grade protective artifact. Nothing you do can touch me as long as I wear it."

Zeus's eyes narrowed slightly, but then, almost as if on cue, his lips curled into a mocking smile. He crossed his arms over his chest, tilting his head as he regarded Vesperin with a look of casual amusement. "Is that so?" he replied, his tone light, almost teasing. "You're relying on a trinket to save you?"

Vesperin's smug expression faltered as he noticed the lack of concern in Zeus's demeanor. His eyes darted around, searching for any sign of weakness in Zeus's posture, but all he found was an infuriating calmness.

Zeus leaned in slightly, his smirk widening. "You're pretty confident, aren't you? Hiding behind your corpse puppet and your little toy." His voice was smooth, almost taunting, as if he found the entire situation amusing rather than threatening.

Vesperin's hand clenched into a fist at his side, his knuckles turning white. His eyes flashed with anger, but he forced himself to maintain his composure.

"Laugh while you can, Zeus," he hissed, his voice trembling with barely contained rage. "You may have caught me off guard today, but I'll remember this. I'll make sure you pay for it."

Zeus chuckled softly, shaking his head. "You're welcome to try," he said, his voice calm and assured. He leaned back slightly, as if inviting Vesperin to make his move. "But remember this--I don't scare easily."

Vesperin's confidence wavered further, his bravado crumbling under Zeus's unshakable demeanor. He glared at Zeus, but there was a hint of desperation in his eyes now, a realization that his threats were falling on deaf ears.

With a final sneer, Vesperin spat out, "You'll regret this," before turning on his heel, his corpse puppet dragging him away from the battlefield.

But even as he retreated, he couldn't shake the image of Zeus's unflinching gaze and the smirk that had haunted him throughout their confrontation.

[To think that you missed him,] the system's voice cut in, dripping with condescending disappointment. [I expected better from you, host.]

Zeus sighed internally, rolling his eyes at the system's attitude. "Of course, I didn't know he had such a good defense item on him," he replied, his mind already analyzing the encounter, piecing together what had just happened.

[Naturally, he would!] the system exclaimed, as if the answer were obvious. [He's a corpse puppeteer, after all! Those weaklings rely on their disgusting creations to fight, so they compensate for their fragile bodies with defensive artifacts. It's textbook!

Honestly, host, you should've known.] The system's tone was shamelessly superior, as if it had known all along and was merely indulging Zeus's ignorance.

Zeus couldn't help but smirk at the system's arrogance. "I see," he responded, nodding to himself as he connected the dots. "But it seems that even though he could protect his body, he couldn't protect his belongings."

A sly grin spread across Zeus's face as he glanced down at his left hand, where a newly acquired spatial pouch rested, its weight reassuring. The thought of Vesperin's panic upon realizing what he'd lost brought a certain satisfaction.

[Well, well, look at you, host,] the system chimed in, its voice oozing with mock pride. [You're more cunning than I gave you credit for. To think you managed to swipe that pouch right from under his nose. Brilliant, really. It's almost like you're learning from the best--me, of course!]

Zeus chuckled softly, his amusement growing. "Oh, I'm just a quick learner, that's all. But I have to admit, it does feel good to know I got something valuable out of this."

[Valuable?] the system scoffed, its tone now filled with a mix of arrogance and condescension. [Try indispensable! You just took away his precious resources, host. I bet that little noble brat is having a meltdown right about now.]

Zeus's grin widened. "Serves him right. But let's not get too full of ourselves. There's still work to be done."

[Oh, don't worry, host,] the system replied with a smug tone. [I'll keep you on track. After all, it's my job to make sure you're the best. Just don't go getting yourself killed, alright? I'd hate to have to start over with someone else.]

Zeus shook his head, still smiling. "I'll keep that in mind," he thought, as he turned his attention back to the task at hand, the thrill of his small victory fueling him for whatever lay ahead.

Meanwhile, Vesperin, who had retreated a considerable distance, suddenly felt a pang of unease. His hand instinctively patted the side of his belt, where his spatial pouches were fastened.

But as his fingers brushed over the empty space where one of the pouches should have been, his heart skipped a beat.

A wave of panic flashed across his face, his breath catching in his throat as he frantically checked the remaining pouches. His hands trembled slightly as he opened each one, desperately hoping that the missing pouch wasn't the one with anything irreplaceable.

As he sifted through the contents, his mind raced. "Where is it? What did he take?" he muttered under his breath, his voice tinged with anxiety.

Finally, Vesperin found some relief as he realized that the stolen pouch contained nothing more than money and a few cultivation manuals he deemed worthless.

He let out a shaky breath, the initial panic subsiding, but only slightly. "Fortunately, the one he took only had money and those useless manuals," he thought, though the simmering anger in his gut refused to be quelled.

But the fact that Zeus had managed to swipe it right under his nose--it gnawed at him. The sting of humiliation burned hotter with each passing moment, fueling a growing fire of vengeance within him. His teeth clenched, his jaw tight as he cursed aloud, "Zeus!"

The name left his lips like a venomous hiss, dripping with malice. Vesperin's eyes narrowed, dark with the promise of retribution. "You'll pay for this," he vowed quietly, his voice a low growl filled with bitterness.