Divine Mask: I Have Numerous God Clones

"Thank you!" Khalon exclaimed, his voice still shaky from the close encounter. His large frame, usually so confident, now seemed smaller in the wake of his fear.

"If you hadn\'t stepped in…" Lyros began, his voice trailing off as he shook his head in disbelief. "We would\'ve been slaughtered."

Sarela, still trembling, managed to offer her gratitude. "We owe you our lives," she said softly, her tone laden with sincerity. Her hand instinctively moved to her chest, as if trying to calm her racing heart. "That bear was beyond anything we could handle."

But while the others expressed their gratitude, Vesperin stood off to the side, his face twisting with barely concealed anger. He glared at Hades, eyes narrowing, as if the man\'s mere presence was an affront to his pride. His lips curled into a sneer, and his voice cut through the air like a knife.

"How dare you kill our target?" Vesperin spat, his tone dripping with contempt.

Khalon, Lyros, and Sarela froze in disbelief, exchanging stunned glances. They couldn\'t understand how Vesperin, who had nearly gotten them all killed, could have the audacity to complain about the death of the beast that had nearly torn them apart. It was as if his arrogance blinded him to the danger they had just escaped.

Khalon clenched his fists, fighting the urge to say something, while Lyros and Sarela stood silently, their faces tense with frustration. It was clear they couldn\'t refute Vesperin openly, even though his words grated on their nerves.

Hades, on the other hand, merely smiled. His cold eyes glittered with amusement as he looked Vesperin up and down, seeing through his bluster and wounded pride.

"I see," Hades drawled, his voice low and mocking. "So, it seems you didn\'t need my help after all."

Vesperin\'s frown deepened, and confusion flickered across his face. "What are you talking about?" he snapped, his tone defensive, though the uncertainty in his eyes betrayed him.

Hades didn\'t answer right away. Instead, he gestured lazily over Vesperin\'s shoulder, his smirk widening as his gaze darkened with malicious satisfaction.

"In that case," he said, his voice soft but dripping with menace, "you should have no trouble handling the other bears coming up behind you."

Vesperin\'s eyes went wide with shock, and he instinctively whipped around. His group followed his gaze, and their faces paled as they spotted two more hulking Abyss Bears emerging from the shadows.

The bears growled, their bloodshot eyes locked onto the group, their dark fur bristling with the oppressive power of the Abyss Mana surrounding them.

The sheer size of the beasts and the dark energy radiating from them made it clear to everyone—these bears were even stronger than the one they had just barely survived.

Panic set in almost immediately.

"W-what do we do?" Sarela whispered, her voice trembling as her eyes darted between the bears and the group.

Khalon\'s bravado from earlier evaporated, his face pale as he stammered, "We… we need help! We can\'t handle this alone!"

Lyros looked equally horrified, the curses he\'d prepared dying on his lips as he stared helplessly at the advancing beasts.

Vesperin, who moments ago had been so full of arrogance, now stood frozen, his face drained of color.

His legs trembled slightly as he struggled to maintain control, but the terror in his eyes gave him away. His lips moved, but no sound came out. For the first time, he seemed completely at a loss.

Hades watched the scene unfold, a deep amusement playing on his face. He was enjoying the irony of it all—the same people who had been moments from berating him were now scrambling for their lives. He let the moment linger, watching as the group fell apart under the weight of their fear.

Finally, he spoke, his voice calm and commanding. "Run."

The single word cut through the panic like a blade. Khalon, Lyros, and Sarela immediately latched onto the command, nodding furiously as they bolted in the opposite direction, their survival instincts taking over. They didn\'t question it—they just ran, leaving Vesperin behind, still frozen in disbelief.

Hades shifted his gaze toward the two Abyss Bears, their hulking forms advancing with growls of pure malice. His expression remained calm, even as the beasts charged forward, their massive claws raised, ready to tear him apart.

With a casual flick of his wrist, Hades summoned his dark power once again. The shadows around him seemed to thicken and come alive, forming dark tendrils that shot out toward the approaching beasts.

The tendrils coiled around the bears like serpents, wrapping tightly around their limbs and necks. The creatures roared in fury, thrashing and trying to free themselves, but it was futile.

Hades\' tendrils tightened with every moment, constricting their massive bodies and choking the life out of them. The once overwhelming Abyss Bears could do nothing but struggle helplessly as their strength was drained away.

"Stronger than most," Hades mused, his voice a calm contrast to the chaos unfolding before him. "But still… not enough."

The bears\' roars weakened, their thrashing growing slower until, finally, their bodies went limp. In a matter of moments, both Abyss Bears lay dead at his feet, their once imposing forms reduced to lifeless husks.

Hades exhaled softly, brushing his hands off as if the battle had been nothing more than an inconvenience. He glanced over to where Vesperin had been standing moments ago—only to find him lying on the ground, unconscious.

The young man had collapsed, his body unable to handle the sheer terror of the situation. His once-arrogant expression had vanished, replaced by a blank, unconscious stare. Hades walked over slowly, peering down at Vesperin with a mixture of amusement and disdain.

"To think he\'s this weak… passing out from fear," Hades muttered, shaking his head. His smirk returned, tugging at the corners of his lips.

There was something almost comical about how the situation had played out—Vesperin, who had been so overconfident, now lay motionless, defeated not by a physical blow, but by his own fear and shock.

Kneeling beside the unconscious body, Hades examined Vesperin with cold calculation in his eyes. "But," he said softly, a plan already beginning to form in his mind, "this works in my favor."

His voice was barely more than a whisper, his tone cold and deliberate. The wheels in his mind were turning quickly now, each possibility falling into place. Vesperin, in his current state, was no longer a threat—he was a tool, one that Hades could manipulate to his advantage.

Standing up, Hades bent down and, with a swift motion, lifted Vesperin effortlessly over his shoulder. The weight of the unconscious man was nothing compared to the power Hades wielded.

"You\'ve led me deeper into the Abyss Hole than I\'d expected," Hades said quietly, more to himself than to Vesperin. His gaze shifted to the dark path ahead, where the Abyss Mana grew thicker, almost suffocating. "But since we\'re here…"

He turned and began walking further into the abyss, Vesperin\'s limp form draped over his shoulder. His pace was unhurried, his steps measured, as though he had all the time in the world.

Every movement was deliberate, the darkness of the Abyss Hole welcoming him as he ventured further into its depths.

As he walked, a dark smile played on his lips. Vesperin had been nothing more than a pawn in his scheme, and now, in this weakened state, he would be easier to control. The deeper they went, the more leverage Hades would have over him and his group.

"Yes," Hades whispered, his voice filled with quiet satisfaction. "This will do nicely."

With every step, his plan solidified, and the shadows of the Abyss Hole seemed to close in around him, pulling him deeper into the darkness where his true goals awaited.