Divine Mask: I Have Numerous God Clones

Zeus clenched his teeth, every muscle in his body straining as he continued to draw the immense power from the massive Thunder Mana Stone. The process was excruciating, the wild, untamed thunder mana rampaging through his veins like a violent storm.

It tore at his insides, threatening to break him apart with its sheer ferocity. But Zeus, a man who had faced countless trials, refused to yield. The pain was unbearable, but his determination to harness every bit of the thunder mana outweighed his agony.

As the mana surged through him, he could feel the presence of the Thunder Spirit, the entity that had long resided within the stone, growing desperate.

Sensing the threat to its very existence, the spirit abandoned its control over the thunder zombies. Instead, it focused all its efforts on making the mana even more chaotic, more uncontrollable, in a last-ditch attempt to shatter Zeus's resolve.

Zeus's body shook under the onslaught, the once stable mana now spiraling into a frenzied torrent. His breathing became ragged, his heart pounding as if it might burst from his chest.

The chaos within him was nearly overwhelming, and for a moment, he wavered, his mind screaming for release. But then, something within him snapped.

"No... you don't!" Zeus growled through clenched teeth, his voice a low, dangerous rumble. His eyes snapped open, blazing with a fierce, unyielding light as he glared at the Thunder Spirit within the stone. "Damn you, Thunder Spirit!"

His shout was filled with fury, a raw and primal anger that surged through him, pushing back against the madness threatening to consume him.

Zeus's gaze was wild, almost feral, as he locked eyes with the spirit, his resolve hardening into something unbreakable. His body trembled not from fear, but from the overwhelming power he was trying to bring under control.

The Thunder Spirit hesitated, its ethereal form flickering with uncertainty. It had never encountered a being like this—someone who could absorb all of its thunder mana, a feat that should have been impossible. The spirit's anger turned to something like fear, as it realized it was losing.

"How... how is this possible?" The Thunder Spirit's voice echoed in Zeus's mind, filled with disbelief and desperation.

Zeus gritted his teeth, forcing himself to focus. The chaos within him was unbearable, but he couldn't afford to lose control. "You think... you can break me?" he snarled, his voice hoarse from the strain. "Damn you, but I'm not going to give up!"

His shout echoed through the cavernous space, a declaration of defiance and sheer willpower. With a final, desperate surge of energy, Zeus pulled at the remaining thunder mana, drawing every last bit of it from the stone. His body convulsed violently, the raw power tearing through him with an intensity that nearly drove him to his knees.

The Thunder Spirit, sensing its impending doom, let out a silent scream of rage and terror. Its form flickered wildly as it struggled to hold on, but it was too late.

The last remnants of its power were sucked dry, leaving it nothing more than a fading memory. Its essence dissipated into nothingness, leaving the once mighty guardian of the Thunder Mana Stone utterly destroyed.

As the last of the thunder mana surged into Zeus's body, his strength finally gave out. The intense combination of exhaustion and pain overwhelmed him, and he collapsed to the ground with a heavy thud.

Unconsciousness took him before he could even feel the cold earth beneath him. His breathing was ragged, and his body twitched slightly, still crackling with the residual energy of the massive thunder mana he had absorbed.

The system, which had been observing the entire ordeal, let out a shameless chuckle. [Well, well, well, looks like my little host actually pulled it off. Absorbing all that thunder mana and snuffing out the Thunder Spirit. Who would've thought?]

Its tone was smug, dripping with satisfaction. [I must say, I'm impressed... with myself, of course. Without my help, you'd still be crying about the first bolt of lightning.]

But then, just as the system was ready to bask in the glory of Zeus's victory, its attention shifted. A sudden jolt of realization hit. The system's arrogance vanished, replaced by a sense of urgency.

[Wait, wait, wait… what is this?] the system muttered, its voice dropping to a concerned whisper. [Damn it, to think there's someone else with this kind of power here!]

The system's tone was no longer mocking—it was serious now, bordering on anxious. It quickly scanned the area and sensed the incoming presence with growing alarm.

Zeus lay motionless on the ground, completely vulnerable. The system let out a frustrated sigh. [Of course, you choose now to collapse like a weakling. Typical. After all the hard work I put in, now I've got to save your sorry hide? Unbelievable.]

Despite its arrogant grumbling, the system knew it couldn't leave Zeus defenseless. The danger approaching was no joke, and Zeus, in his current state, was a sitting duck.

[Well, looks like I'll have to handle this myself. As usual, cleaning up your mess.] The system's tone was laced with self-importance as it quickly took control of Zeus's Divine Mask. [You're lucky to have me, you know that?] it added, as if Zeus could hear it in his unconscious state.

The system worked swiftly, draining the energy from the thunder puppet that Zeus had created earlier. [Time to use what you've built. You won't be needing this for now.]

The system sucked the puppet dry, the energy flowing into the Zeus Divine Mask with alarming speed. As the last of the puppet's energy was absorbed, the mask shimmered for a brief moment before it vanished entirely from the scene, disappearing into thin air.

Just as the mask disappeared, a figure appeared at the edge of the clearing. The system's internal alarms blared as it sensed the powerful aura emanating from the newcomer. see-more-MVLeMpYr

The figure moved with speed and precision, stopping abruptly in front of the now-drained Thunder Mana Stone. His eyes were wide with shock as he took in the scene before him—the once-great stone, now a lifeless husk, completely depleted of its power.

The old man's face twisted with rage, his voice booming through the air like thunder itself. "WHO DARES TO DRAIN MY PURE THUNDER MANA STONE?!"