Divine Mask: I Have Numerous God Clones

"What is going on?" muttered Elder Feris, his usual calm demeanor giving way to visible tension. His eyes narrowed, scanning the gate as the oppressive energy grew more suffocating by the second.

Disciples who had been cultivating or standing guard near the Abyss Hole's edge came sprinting out, their faces pale, eyes wide with terror. Some of them could barely form words, gasping for breath as they stumbled toward the elders.

"They're coming! The beasts—!" one disciple cried out, collapsing to his knees in panic, his breath ragged. Others followed suit, collapsing as if the sheer terror of whatever they had witnessed had broken their spirits.

"What's happening?!" barked Elder Kaelor, his voice sharp, slicing through the chaos as he took a step forward, his hand instinctively moving toward his sword.

Before anyone could answer, the ground trembled. The atmosphere thickened with an even stronger surge of Abyss Mana, its dark tendrils coiling in the air like living shadows.

The low growls and monstrous roars of Abyss Beasts echoed from within the hole, growing louder and more ferocious.

"They're coming," whispered Elder Sylra, her usually composed voice betraying a hint of unease as she took a defensive stance. Her eyes flicked toward the other elders, who stood ready, their own expressions tense.

Suddenly, from the darkness of the Abyss Hole, the Abyss Beasts emerged, far stronger, far more twisted than before.

Their grotesque forms, swollen and mutated by the surge of Abyss Mana, looked like monstrous versions of their former selves. Dark, thick veins pulsed across their bodies as they snarled and charged, their glowing eyes filled with an unnatural hunger.

"Those beasts..." Elder Mirra muttered, her eyes widening. "They've been corrupted."

But it wasn't just the beasts. Following them were humanoid monsters, once recognizable as disciples, now warped and grotesque.

Their limbs twisted, their faces unrecognizable, contorted by the Abyss Mana. Hollow eyes stared back at the elders as they advanced, driven by nothing but a primal instinct to destroy.

"By the gods," Elder Feris whispered, his eyes filled with disgust. "What have they turned into?"

The tension in the air snapped as Elder Feris clenched his fist. "Kill them!" he commanded, his voice filled with uncharacteristic fury. "Show no mercy!"

The top elders sprang into action. Elder Kaelor was the first to move, his blade igniting with black flames as he cut through the first wave of beasts, each swing precise and deadly.

Elder Mirra, her hands crackling with dark lightning, unleashed bolts of energy, striking down the twisted monsters with pinpoint accuracy.

Elder Sylra summoned her shadow energy, enveloping the creatures in a suffocating darkness, squeezing the life out of them with merciless efficiency.

"These beasts… they're stronger than before," Elder Mirra growled, her voice tight with effort as she continued her assault.

"Not just stronger," Elder Sylra added, her eyes darting between the waves of monsters. "They're feeding off the Abyss Mana. Something has triggered this spike."

Elder Feris, fighting off another wave of creatures with ease, glanced back at the gate of the Abyss Hole, his brow furrowed in deep thought.

"What the hell happened inside that hole? The Abyss Mana was never supposed to spike like this!" His voice was filled with frustration, though it remained controlled. He could feel the unease creeping into his chest.

As the top elders fought off the incoming waves, they exchanged quick glances, their concern growing with every attack they deflected. Something had gone terribly wrong, and the unknown threat gnawed at their minds.

Meanwhile, Velkar Malachor stood apart from the other elders, his face a mask of growing horror as he watched the grotesque creatures emerging from the Abyss Hole.

The top elders were engaged in battle, but Velkar's focus drifted elsewhere, his gaze fixed on the monstrous forms of disciples twisted by the sudden surge of Abyss Mana. His hands trembled, though he made no move to hide it.

A wave of cold dread washed over him, the kind that seeped into his bones. His breath became shallow, and his heart pounded painfully in his chest as a dark thought crept into his mind—a realization that sent a chill down his spine.

"My son..." Velkar whispered under his breath, the words barely audible, but laced with fear. His eyes, wide and filled with shock, scanned the grotesque battlefield. His face paled as his lips trembled, struggling to form the words. "Vesperin… he entered the Abyss Hole earlier."

His voice was shaky, a mixture of disbelief and terror. His mind raced as he recalled Vesperin's confident stride as he entered the Abyss Hole, thinking he could conquer whatever lay within. He had let him go. The implications of the surge in Abyss Mana weighed heavily on him now. Velkar swallowed hard, his throat dry.

Elder Mirra noticed the distant look on Velkar's face and the slight tremble in his hands. "Velkar?" she called out, her voice edged with concern as she deflected a blow from a charging beast. "What's wrong?"

Velkar didn't respond immediately, his thoughts spiraling. His son was inside. If the mana had twisted the beasts and disciples into monsters… what had become of his son? The thought clawed at him, tightening his chest.

"Velkar!" Elder Mirra shouted again, this time more urgently, as she dodged another attack. "Did something happen?"

Velkar finally spoke, but his voice was distant, hollow. "Vesperin... he was inside when this happened."

Elder Mirra's eyes widened as she absorbed the weight of his words. "You mean…?" she trailed off, her expression shifting from confusion to realization.

Velkar's mind raced, his face ashen. He could feel the truth gnawing at him, the dreadful reality he didn't want to accept. If these creatures—these twisted, monstrous things—were once disciples…

His voice dropped to a haunted whisper, barely audible but thick with fear. "If this surge of mana twisted them... what has it done to him?"

Another elder, Elder Kaelor, overheard and frowned deeply, his face grim as he slashed through a beast with one swift motion. "Velkar… if Vesperin was caught in that surge…"

The weight of the words hung in the air. Kaelor didn't finish his sentence, but the meaning was clear.

Velkar's knees nearly buckled as the full force of the realization hit him. His son, the pride of the Malachor clan, could have been transformed into one of those monstrous, hollow-eyed beasts.

"Vesperin..." Velkar murmured again, his voice now trembling with desperation. His mind refused to accept the worst, but the evidence was before him. The Abyss Mana had twisted everything, and there was no way to know if his son had escaped it—or become part of it.

Another wave of creatures poured from the hole, but all Velkar could see were the horrors that might now include his own blood.