Divine Mask: I Have Numerous God Clones

Chapter 133: The Mysterious Collapse

Zeus stood over the fallen bodies of Zarek and his minions, his brow furrowed in disbelief. "Did he really just die from anger?" he muttered to himself, the thought almost absurd. "I've never seen someone kick the bucket just because they got too mad."

[You really are a bastard,] the system chimed in, its voice dripping with arrogant amusement. [Imagine being so infuriating that you can kill someone just by getting under their skin. I've got to say, that's a talent.]

Zeus shrugged nonchalantly, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. "What can I say? His mind was too weak." He dismissed the thought with a wave of his hand, but as his gaze swept over the scene, his confidence began to waver.

The other guild members, those who hadn't been directly killed by his attacks, were also sprawled out on the ground, lifeless. The strange sight made Zeus's smirk fade into a frown. Something wasn't adding up.

"How can all of them suddenly drop dead like that?" Zeus wondered aloud, his voice laced with suspicion. He glanced around, his eyes narrowing as he tried to make sense of the situation. "One dying from anger might be a fluke, but a whole group? No way, this isn't just a coincidence." -exclusive

Sensing that something was seriously off, Zeus knelt down to examine the bodies more closely. As he inspected them, a troubling thought began to take root in his mind. "Wait a minute…" he murmured, his voice tinged with realization.

"System," Zeus called out, a hint of urgency creeping into his tone, "is it even possible for someone to suddenly acquire a special physique?"

[Of course not,] the system replied with its usual arrogance. [Special physiques are rare for a reason, genius. You're either born with one or you have to cultivate a Divine Scripture that grants it. It doesn't just happen out of the blue.]

Zeus's eyes darkened as he studied one of the fallen guild members more intently. "Then explain how one of these guys suddenly has the Lightning Vein Physique," he said, his voice edged with suspicion.

A rare silence followed, the system seemingly caught off guard. When it finally spoke, its tone was unusually serious, almost incredulous. [How… how can this be possible?]

Zeus couldn't help but smirk at the system's uncharacteristic surprise. "So, even you can be shocked," he teased, enjoying the moment.

[Shocked? Please,] the system quickly retorted, its tone dripping with arrogance as it regained its shameless composure. [I don't get 'shocked,' Host. Let's call it… a momentary curiosity. But I'll admit, this situation here? It's… highly unexpected, to say the least.]

Zeus raised an eyebrow, his interest piqued. The system's rare admission of surprise was unusual. "What do you mean by 'unexpected'? What's really going on here?" he pressed, his voice filled with a mixture of curiosity and suspicion.

The system paused for a moment, as if choosing its words carefully, before replying with its trademark condescension.

[Accidents like this can occur due to external factors,] it began, its tone suggesting it was explaining something elementary. [But usually, the physique acquired in such cases is a low-tier one—something basic like a body or organ type, just like what you're seeing here.]

Zeus frowned, mulling over the information. "So, you're saying this happened because of some external influence? Like a powerful item or something?"

The system's voice took on a mocking edge. [Not quite a 'godly' item, don't get ahead of yourself. But it's still a decent item, something with enough power to trigger this kind of reaction in these weaklings.]

Zeus's frown deepened as he glanced around at the collapsed bodies. "And that explains why they all dropped dead? Something went wrong with this item?"

[Exactly,] the system responded, its tone smug. [The sudden collapse is a direct result of whatever happened to that item. It's not every day you see something like this, even in your rather chaotic life.]

Zeus's eyes narrowed as he considered the possibilities. "I see… So, if there's an item powerful enough to cause this, it must be worth checking out, right?"

The system practically purred in satisfaction. [Now you're thinking. Yes, let's check it out. Since I've mentioned it's a pretty good item, it would be a waste to just leave it lying around, wouldn't it?]

A smirk slowly spread across Zeus's face. "Agreed. If it's valuable enough to cause this much trouble, I want it. Let's go find out what's behind all of this."

[Of course,] the system replied, its voice filled with an almost predatory glee. [You've got a knack for getting your hands on interesting things, Host. Let's see what kind of treasure awaits us this time.]

With his resolve set, Zeus knew there was no turning back. Whatever mysterious force had caused the sudden collapse of Zarek and his minions had to be linked to something powerful, and if there was a valuable item at the heart of it, he wasn't leaving without it.

But a thought crossed his mind, prompting him to ask, "System, how am I supposed to find this thing? Where do I even start looking?"

The system's response was instant and dripping with condescension. [How can you be so dense, Host? Just use your senses. The good item must be related to thunder, obviously.]

Zeus frowned slightly, feeling a bit chastised, but the system wasn't done yet. [You're now a four-star cultivator with an affinity for the thunder element,]

It continued, [so your senses are attuned to it. If you focus, you should be able to pick up on the energy signature of something with thunder properties.]

"Of course," Zeus muttered, feeling a bit foolish for not realizing it sooner. "I should have known."

[Yes, you should have,] the system retorted smugly. [Now stop wasting time and sense where it is. You should be able to feel it by now.]

Taking a deep breath, Zeus closed his eyes and focused, reaching out with his enhanced senses. As he extended his awareness, he felt the familiar hum of thunder energy in the air, more intense than before. It was subtle, but unmistakable—an almost magnetic pull guiding him toward a specific direction.

"I see," Zeus said, his eyes snapping open with renewed determination. "So it's there."

He turned in the direction of the energy source, a faint yet distinct sensation that was now clear to him. Without wasting another moment, Zeus began moving toward it, his pace quick and his mind sharp.

[There you go,] the system chimed in, its tone satisfied. [Let's not keep that treasure waiting.]

Zeus smirked, his excitement growing as he got closer to uncovering the mysterious item. Whatever lay ahead, he was ready for it.