Vol. 2 Chapter 22: Masks and Departure

Chapter 22: Masks and Departure

Lu Li chose a string of connected masks. These masks were plain, white, circular faces without any distinguishing features, threaded together through the eye holes and hung on the wall. He counted nine masks in total.

"If you want them, just take them!" The mermaid glanced at the masks and said, "These masks have no special functions. They can only store a small amount of energy, and even that is minimal."

Lu Li took one mask, examined it, and put it on. He slowly channeled his shadow magic, and when the magic reached his face, it suddenly became more agile. With a thought, he infused the magic into the mask. Unfortunately, each mask could only hold about one unit of magic.

As he removed the mask, Lu Li felt a slight pull, but it wasn't strong. With a little effort, he took the mask off. By then, it had changed.

The once plain white mask was now covered with black lines, and two small horns had sprouted from the forehead. The previously ordinary mouth hole was now filled with ferocious teeth, and the once empty eye holes seemed to be constantly watching. The mask had transformed into a fearsome demon face, and Lu Li could faintly feel a connection to it.

Putting the mask on again, Lu Li sensed the shadow magic inside. Despite some loss, most of the magic remained. He carefully drew the magic back, noting that out of the one unit he had infused, about 0.6 units returned. He figured some magic was used to alter the mask.

Lu Li set the mask aside, and it retained its terrifying demon appearance. The connection persisted, as if he had bound it.

Thinking this over, Lu Li decided to take all nine masks. They could significantly enhance his endurance and might realize some of his plans. Returning to the ice palace beneath the lake, Lu Li found the mermaid princess and the witch entering the inner chamber for the ritual to change the princess's species. Xu Haoran paced anxiously, looking like a father waiting outside a delivery room.

Lu Li took another blank mask and started infusing it with shadow magic. By the time he reached the seventh mask, his magic was exhausted. He waited about an hour to fill the remaining two masks. Yet, as he looked at them, his expression grew peculiar.

Though all infused with shadow magic, the nine masks had transformed differently. Some had horns, some had only one horn, some had teeth, and some were half-masks. Each was unique and all maintained a subtle connection to Lu Li.

Stacking the nine masks, Lu Li used the string that had come with them to tie them together and hung them at his waist. Although inconvenient, it wasn't too bothersome.

Suddenly, there was a commotion inside. The witch emerged first, followed by the maid, and then the mermaid princess, who walked out slowly, looking fragile enough to be blown over by a breeze.

The mermaid princess kept her mouth shut, her expression a mix of discomfort from walking for the first time and the guilt and joy of changing species. This signified another barrier removed between her and Prince William.

"Please accompany me to the land to expose the imposter's conspiracy!" Next, Lu Li heard the mermaid princess's voice directly in his mind. It felt strange and could cause dizziness or nausea if one wasn't accustomed.

The mermaid princess moved awkwardly, trying to stop and feel the sensation of standing still. The faint lines on her face smoothed out as she smiled, revealing sharp canines.

Outside, the mermaid had prepared the boat. This was their third boat trip, and Lu Li, tired of boat rides, hoped it would be the last. As he looked at the ever-changing yet constant sea, he thought.

On the other boat, the witch and her maid sailed in another direction. Notably, Xu Haoran had abandoned his task to stay with the witch. He stood on her boat, looking content, awaiting his fate, which likely wouldn't end well.

The two boats faced each other. The witch seemed calm, accepting her fate. She touched the small box inside her robe. All the factors were in place: the gender provided by the Deep One, the voice from the mermaid princess, the mental transformation from the ghouls, and the inner part provided by that woman, along with some items collected earlier.

All that remained was the final ritual to absorb everything into herself and find a vessel for the excess. The witch glanced at Xu Haoran, smiling. Struck by her smile, Xu Haoran blushed and lowered his head.

On Lu Li's boat, he asked, "Shouldn't the mission difficulty scale with our numbers? Isn't losing a member problematic?"

"I only regret losing his items…" Gao Xiaowen sneered, "You seem capable, but you lack experience. You should know, modules come from instance rewards, shop purchases, or killing powerful monsters. There's another easier way to get modules."

"By killing other players. Their skill slots collapse upon death, and the modules scatter. With a bit of intervention, you can capture those modules..." Gao Xiaowen revealed, "This game favors the strong. The weak become fodder. Everyone tests each other to see who can harvest in the end."

"So why reveal everything now?" Lu Li asked, intrigued by the game's complexities. Was the multiplayer instance a competition of survival?

[End of the Chapter]