Divine Mask: I Have Numerous God Clones

Hades raised an eyebrow, his grin widening slightly. "Fascinating, huh? What makes them so special?"

[Well, if you must know,] the system replied, a smug undertone creeping in, [Thalnor was destined for greatness—well, in another world, that is.] It paused for dramatic effect. [If he had been born in your past world, he would've been hailed as a genius. Brilliant, in fact.]

Hades crossed his arms, intrigued but not willing to show too much. "How much of a genius are we talking about here?" His voice held a mixture of curiosity and amusement.

[Oh, only an IQ of 170,] the system said, almost casually, as though it wasn't a big deal.

Hades' eyebrows shot up, and he let out a low whistle. "170? That's impressively high."

The system snorted. [Impressively high? Please, that's practically unheard of for most humans. But Thalnor wasted it all. It's almost laughable. Imagine having all that intelligence and focusing on perfecting one cultivation manual.

Pitiful, really.]

Hades shook his head, suppressing a chuckle. "So, he spent all his genius on refining his manual, huh? What a waste."

[A total waste,] the system agreed with mock pity. [Can you believe that? A man with the brainpower to change the world, and he spends his entire life tweaking a few lines in a dusty old manual. If I had a body, I'd roll my eyes.]

Hades snickered. "That's rich coming from you."

The system's tone turned arrogant. [Oh, I'm leagues beyond him. I don't need to spend years perfecting anything. I'm perfect by design.]

Hades rolled his eyes but didn't bother with a retort. Instead, he sighed. "Alright, what else did you find? There's got to be more than just his obsession with that manual, right?"

The system, as usual, took its time, almost as if savoring the moment. [Oh, you'll love this one,] it began, its tone laced with arrogance. [Thalnor wasn't just tinkering with a single manual. Oh no, this guy was a maniac. He'd read every manual from the Malachor Clan and the Necrovauld Academy.]

Hades' eyes widened in genuine surprise. "What the hell? So, he wasn't just a genius but a total bookworm too?"

[Exactly,] the system chimed in, clearly enjoying Hades' shock. [Not just a genius—an insatiable reader. The guy consumed knowledge like his life depended on it, which, frankly, makes me wonder how he found time to do anything else.]

Hades leaned back, processing the information. "That's... unexpected."

The system wasn't done gloating yet. [And thanks to his obsessive reading, I've gone ahead and immediately upgraded your Abyssal Nether Core Divine Scripture.] The system's tone dripped with self-satisfaction.

Hades leaned forward, curiosity piqued. "Upgraded? To what rank?"

The system paused for effect before delivering its revelation smugly. [It's now a Nine-Star Divine Scripture.] You could practically hear it grinning. [Which means Hades can reach the Nine-Star level, as long as you're willing to endure the delightful agony of cultivation and, of course, absorb enough mana.]

For a moment, Hades was stunned, blinking in disbelief. "Nine-Star…?" He rubbed his chin thoughtfully, impressed. "That's… incredible. Good news indeed."

[Of course it's good news. And you can thank me whenever you're ready. No rush,] the system added with a mockingly casual tone, clearly reveling in its own brilliance.

Hades chuckled, shaking his head. "I'd almost forgotten how much you love patting yourself on the back."

The system responded with a condescending hum. [Well, when you're as exceptional as I am, you get used to it. Now, what else do you want? More praise for me?]

Ignoring the jab, Hades leaned back in his seat, still processing the enormity of the Nine-Star revelation. "Alright, what else have you found in Thalnor's memories? There's got to be more."

The system, always one for drama, took a moment before responding. [Oh, there's more. Much more,] it said with a tone that could only be described as self-satisfied. [Three days from now, Vesperin will be arriving here.]

Hades' eyes narrowed, a dangerous glint flashing in them. "Vesperin? He's coming here?"

[Yes,] the system replied, almost lazily. [He's coming to upgrade his precious little corpse puppet,] it added with a mocking tone, as if Vesperin's ambitions were nothing more than child's play.

Hades' lips curled into a sinister smirk. "So, Thalnor's role in the clan was as their go-to corpse puppet master? He was the one responsible for upgrading the Malachor Clan's puppets?"

The system responded with an exaggerated sigh, as if the answer should've been obvious. [Exactly. But here's the kicker—because of his position, Thalnor always felt like he was being looked down on, treated like a tool. So, what did he do? He hid things from the clan,] the system paused for effect, [including that shiny Nether Puppet Cultivation Manual he was so proud of.]

Hades chuckled darkly, the sound low and menacing. "I see. That's interesting... If he felt overlooked, then this whole situation is a lot more delicate than I thought. It also means I've got an opportunity to exploit."

The system's tone became more condescending, as if Hades' revelation was slow in coming. [Of course you do. Honestly, Host, I was waiting for you to catch on.] The system's voice dripped with arrogance.

[With all this newfound knowledge, you're practically sitting on a treasure trove of secrets. If you can't figure out how to use it, I might have to start questioning your ability to think strategically.]

Hades rolled his eyes, but there was no denying the truth of the system's words. "You're right, as usual. Vesperin coming here means we have a lot of room to maneuver. His reliance on Thalnor for those upgrades... well, let's just say I can put that to good use."

[Oh, I'm sure you will,] the system chimed in, with a smug satisfaction that only made its arrogance more pronounced.

[But try not to get too distracted by all the power plays. You've still got some painful cultivation to deal with, remember? That Nine-Star power isn't going to hand itself over easily.]

Hades chuckled again, darker this time, his mind already turning over the possibilities. "Don't worry. I'll handle both. With Vesperin on his way and all this new knowledge, this is just the beginning."

[Well, I hope you're ready for the fun part, then. Things are about to get very, very interesting,] the system added, its voice full of shameless anticipation.

Hades, with the smirk still lingering on his face, nodded to himself. "Interesting, indeed."