Divine Mask: I Have Numerous God Clones

Zeus took a deep breath, feeling the intense concentration of thunder mana all around him. A slight grin tugged at the corners of his lips. "This place is absolutely teeming with thunder mana," he murmured, his voice tinged with satisfaction.

[Obviously, genius,] the system interjected, its voice dripping with its usual arrogance. [Do you think I'd let you waste time in some mediocre spot? With me here converting all this juicy thunder mana directly into your own power, even an idiot could cultivate faster. Though, I suppose in your case, it's just the right boost to keep you from being utterly mediocre.]

Zeus couldn't help but chuckle at the system's shameless mockery, his expression shifting into one of amused exasperation.

"You're shameless as always, aren't you?" he replied, his tone light but laced with a hint of sarcasm. The banter between them was familiar, almost comforting, even if the system never missed a chance to mock him.

[Shameless? No, just brutally honest,] the system shot back, feigning innocence with a haughty tone. [But don't worry, with my help, even someone as 'gifted' as you will manage to scrape through this little mission. Just don't get too cocky—there's still a lot of work to do.]

Zeus shook his head, a full smile now playing on his lips. Despite the system's relentless jabs, he felt a surge of confidence. "Let's just focus on finishing the mission first," he said, his voice steady and resolute, though his eyes gleamed with anticipation.

Without wasting time, Zeus ventured deeper into the storm's heart, where the thunder mana was at its strongest. Soon, he came across a patch of Thunder Grass. The vibrant blue blades of the grass sparked with electrical energy, swaying in the wind.

Thunder Grass was a common thunder-element plant, thriving only in areas like this, where thunderstorms were frequent. Despite its common nature, it was highly valued by thunder cultivators for its mana-conducting properties.

Zeus meticulously harvested the Thunder Grass, carefully placing it into his spatial pouch. As he moved through the area, he also gathered other thunder-element plants, each one serving a specific purpose for his future plans.

After securing the plants, Zeus ventured further into the stormy terrain. It wasn't long before he encountered a herd of Thunder Boars. These three-star beasts were formidable, with their bodies crackling with thunder energy.

They had two main abilities: Thunder Charge, which allowed them to rush at their enemies with bodies strengthened by thunder, and Thunder Body, where they released destructive thunder energy from their skin.

However, these thunder-based attacks were of little concern to Zeus. As a divine mask focused on thunder, such attacks had minimal effect on him. Moreover, his main body possessed the Void Physique, a top-tier defensive ability that made him nearly impervious to physical and elemental attacks.

As the first Thunder Boar charged at him, Zeus calmly stood his ground. The moment the boar's tusks were within reach, he swiftly caught them with his hands, effortlessly flipping the massive beast onto its back.

With a fluid motion, his hand transformed into a sharp spear, piercing through the boar's hide and extracting its core in one decisive strike. The boar let out a final, pitiful squeal before collapsing, lifeless.

Zeus methodically dealt with the rest of the Thunder Boar herd, each encounter a seamless blend of power and precision. With every charge, he met their momentum head-on, catching tusks with practiced ease and flipping the beasts with a fluid, almost effortless grace.

As he dispatched the last boar, a sharp, unexpected pain shot through his hand. His brow furrowed in surprise as he glanced down to find a small, young Thunder Python coiled around his wrist, its fangs deeply embedded in his flesh.

Thunder Pythons were notorious in these parts—sly, stealthy predators that relied on their agility and potent thunder poison. Unlike the brute strength of the Thunder Boars, these creatures were more about cunning and speed, their venom capable of paralyzing even the mightiest of four-star warriors.

But Zeus was far from ordinary. The initial shock gave way to a calm, almost amused expression as he studied the creature. "You've got some nerve," he muttered, his voice low, laced with a dark amusement. The pain from its bite was little more than a nuisance, the thunder poison nothing more than a fleeting sting against his formidable physique.

With a deliberate slowness, he pried the python from his hand, the creature thrashing in a futile attempt to escape his iron grip. Zeus's eyes narrowed, a cold smirk curling his lips. "Nice try," he said, his tone icy. With a swift, merciless motion, he crushed the serpent's skull in his palm, feeling the life drain from its writhing body.

The python's limp form dropped to the ground, and without hesitation, Zeus knelt down, carefully extracting its core. The glow of the core reflected in his eyes as he held it up to the stormy sky, the energy within it still pulsing with the faint remnants of thunder mana.

Zeus then smirked, a sense of satisfaction settling over him as he surveyed the aftermath. The ease with which he had handled the encounter left him feeling confident, almost invincible.

"Only five hours to finish this mission," he mused aloud, his voice tinged with pride. The corners of his lips curled into a satisfied grin, the thrill of success lighting up his eyes.

With the mission now complete, his thoughts turned to the next phase—cultivating and absorbing the abundant thunder mana that crackled in the air around him. He could almost feel the power waiting to be drawn in, like a feast laid out just for him.

Zeus found a spot amidst the chaos of the storm, the ground beneath him vibrating with energy. He was just about to sit down and begin his cultivation when a sudden, sharp prick of awareness shot through him. His instincts flared, a familiar tension coiling in his muscles.

His expression darkened, the grin fading into a focused, almost predatory look. Without a moment's hesitation, he whipped his head around, eyes narrowing as they scanned the area behind him.