Divine Mask: I Have Numerous God Clones

"Has anyone come to collect the bounty?" Vesperin's voice sliced through the silence, laced with impatience and frustration.

Thalrik and Vortas exchanged uneasy glances, the tension between them palpable. They both knew how much was riding on their answer.

Finally, Thalrik spoke up, his voice trembling slightly. "No one has come forward," he admitted, his words tinged with nervousness. The uncertainty in his tone only added to the growing tension in the room.

Vesperin's eyes narrowed, his expression darkening further. "Zeus is too slippery," he muttered, his voice barely more than a growl. The frustration in his tone was unmistakable, and the anger simmering beneath the surface threatened to boil over.

He had counted on the bounty to flush Zeus out of hiding, to draw him into a trap. But instead, it seemed that his target had evaded him once again.

Vesperin let out a heavy sigh, his frustration palpable as he turned his sharp gaze back to Thalrik and Vortas. Both men stood rigidly before him, the weight of their situation pressing down on them.

They knew all too well that their positions within the Malachor family were precarious, hinging entirely on how useful they could prove themselves to Vesperin.

As members of the side family, Thalrik and Vortas had little choice but to serve Vesperin. If they ever hoped to climb the ranks and secure any real power within the Malachor family, they had to play their cards right, and that meant pleasing him.

"What's our next move?" Vortas asked, his voice carefully controlled, though a trace of frustration seeped through. He kept his tone respectful, knowing that any hint of dissatisfaction could cost him dearly.

Vesperin's eyes flicked to Vortas, his expression a mix of irritation and resignation. "For now, we take a step back," he replied, his voice edged with annoyance.

"Zeus is too slippery, and I have other matters to attend to at the academy." His fingers tapped impatiently on the armrest of his chair, a clear sign of his agitation. "Next time, I'll make sure to kill him myself."

He paused, letting his words hang in the air for a moment, before his gaze sharpened, scrutinizing both men with an intensity that made them shift uncomfortably.

"You still have the entrance cards I gave you, right?" he asked, his tone now colder, more demanding. "Those will get you into the academy without the hassle of taking the entrance test again."

Thalrik quickly nodded, reaching into his robes and pulling out the wooden card. He held it up for Vesperin to see, his movements quick and eager to please.

"I have mine right here," he said, his voice steady, though there was an underlying note of relief that he hadn't misplaced such an important item.

Vortas, however, wasn't so fortunate. As Thalrik displayed his card, Vortas began fumbling through his belongings, a creeping sense of dread washing over him.

His hands shook slightly as he patted down his pockets, searching desperately for the card. When it didn't immediately turn up, his face drained of color. "I—I can't find it," he stammered, his voice faltering as panic edged its way in.

Vesperin's expression darkened, his patience finally snapping under the weight of the evening's frustrations. His eyes narrowed into dangerous slits as he glared at Vortas. "You fool!" he barked, his voice dripping with contempt.

The air in the room seemed to grow colder as his anger filled the space. "Without that card, you'll have to go through the entrance test all over again. How many times did I warn you to keep it safe?"

Vortas's shoulders slumped, and he lowered his head, unable to meet Vesperin's furious gaze. The weight of his mistake settled heavily on him, and all he could manage was a mumbled, barely audible apology. "I'm sorry... I didn't realize..."

Vesperin wasn't interested in hearing excuses. His frustration with Vortas was evident, and his voice turned icy as he cut off any further attempts at explanation. "I don't want to hear it. You've already wasted enough of my time."

With a final glare, Vesperin rose from his seat, his presence towering and intimidating. "Leave," he commanded, the word sharp and final. "Both of you. I have no more time to waste on this nonsense. Next time, don't fail me."

Thalrik and Vortas scrambled to their feet, their movements quick and awkward as they tried to escape Vesperin's wrath. Their faces were a mix of fear and frustration, the sting of Vesperin's harsh words still fresh.

They bowed slightly, a gesture of respect that was more reflexive than sincere, before turning to make their way out of the room.

Vortas's brow remained furrowed, his thoughts consumed by the implications of losing his entrance card. The gravity of his mistake pressed down on him, each step away from Vesperin's oppressive presence making the reality of his situation clearer and more terrifying.

Thalrik, too, was lost in his own thoughts, though his concern was more for how Vesperin's anger might spill over onto him. The two henchmen had only taken a few steps away from Vesperin when something inexplicable began to happen.

A strange, unnatural tension gripped their bodies, causing them to freeze mid-step. A sudden, unbearable heat surged through them, as if their very blood was boiling within their veins.

Their bodies convulsed violently, and in the next instant, they were struck by a flash of blinding light. Lightning, seemingly summoned from nowhere, arced through their bodies with a force so intense it obliterated their internal organs in an instant.

The shock was so powerful that it left their outer bodies untouched, preserving the horror on their faces as they crumpled to the ground.

Their screams, brief and filled with agony, echoed down the halls for just a moment before silence fell. The two henchmen collapsed where they stood, their lifeless forms lying still in the corridor. The air around them crackled faintly, the only sign of the deadly force that had claimed their lives.

Back at the inn, Zeus sat calmly in his room, a satisfied smile playing on his lips. He had been waiting for this moment, and as soon as Thalrik and Vortas were far enough from Vesperin, he had activated the deadly Thunder Mine he had implanted within them.