Chapter 98: UPGRADED PHANTOM MASK
"This upgrade card... wouldn’t it be better if I used it on my hybrid bloodline instead?" Aaron asked, twirling the shimmering card between his fingers, a little hopeful as he consulted the ever-sarcastic system.
[Dumbass. You haven’t even tapped into half the power of your hybrid bloodline at its current stage, and now you’re already thinking of upgrading it to the next stage? You must be dumb.]
Aaron’s lips twitched. "Yeah, yeah, I was only joking," he said quickly, raising his hands in surrender. "By the way, thanks for tailoring the rewards to my taste." He flashed a grin, trying to soften the system’s constant barbs.
[Me? Don’t give me credit I don’t deserve. You should be thanking your luck talent. It’s all his doing.]
That made Aaron pause. His eyes narrowed as the dots began connecting in his head. "Hold up..." he muttered, suspicion creeping into his tone. "You didn’t even know if I would get the benefits you promised me, did you?"
A spark of irritation welled up inside him. Was his own system really scamming him this badly?
[Of course not. I don’t know what you’d get. The upgrade card could have been specifically for only skills, or only talents. But hey, I trust your luck talent to do the rest.]
Aaron’s forehead pulsed. He ground his teeth. "System my foot... you’re more like the devil himself," he muttered darkly, though his irritation couldn’t stop him from collecting his reward.
In his hand rested the upgrade card—a strange, colorless object, its surface illusory yet firm, sturdy yet light, as though woven from the essence of reality itself.
Without hesitation, Aaron directed the card toward his god-rank skill, Phantom Mask.
The card dissolved in a flash of brilliance.
[Congratulations! You have upgraded the god-rank skill, Phantom Mask, to sovereign rank.]
---
Sovereign Rank – Phantom Mask
• You are able to mask every detail about yourself in falsehood. You control what others see about you, deceiving even the universe with your lies.
• Those qualified to be your allies can also be affected by the Phantom Mask.
---
"Perfect," Aaron whispered, a grin slowly spreading across his face. "Now I’m confident in my next steps." His gaze shifted from the dissolving remnants of the card back to his companions—his loyal Flameborn and the newly awakened Ice Queen.
"How do you feel?" he asked softly, eyes lingering on the Ice Queen as he checked for any sign of instability.
Her expression bloomed into a smile. "I feel
Aaron nodded, satisfied. "Good. I have big plans for you. Don’t disappoint me."
His attention then turned toward his fiery companion. "Your turn now, buddy," he said warmly to the Flameborn, reaching out with the same trust he had always given his loyal pet.
Once reassured, Aaron wove Phantom Mask over the Ice Queen. In an instant, her regal, frosted aura bent and twisted, her race hidden beneath a seamless human façade.
---
Later, seated in quiet contemplation, Aaron laid out the false information of the avatars he had painstakingly crafted. A smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
"Alright, other me’s that don’t look like me... let’s get this over with."
---
[Ego]
Strength: SSS+
Agility: SSS+
Vitality: SSS+
Stamina: SSS+
Mana: SS+
Talent: SSS Rank – Beast Transformation
Able to transform into a beast form at will, or a half-beast form, drastically increasing the user’s abilities to greater heights.
---
[Void]
Strength: SS
Agility: SS+
Vitality: SSS+
Stamina: SSS+
Mana: SSS+
Talent: SSS Rank – Lightning God
Able to summon and command lightning at will. Thunder itself bends to the user’s whims.
---
[Edge]
Strength: SSS
Agility: SSS+
Vitality: SSS+
Stamina: SSS+
Mana: SS
Talent: Unity of the Sword – You are one with the blade. Learn any sword technique at remarkable speed, endlessly refining it.
• Ego – Awaken the will of any sword you wield, giving it life and power.
• Infinite Cut – Anything you choose to cut will be cut—without resistance. Nothing stands uncut before you and your sword.
---
[Weaver]
Strength: SS
Agility: SSS+
Vitality: SS+
Stamina: S+
Mana: SSS+
Talent: SSS Rank – Mind Compulsion
Weave illusions to deceive your enemies, while also compelling their actions to your will.
---
[Space]
Strength: SS+
Agility: S+
Vitality: SS+
Stamina: S+
Mana: SSS+
Talent: SS Rank – Space Manipulation
Open rifts into unknown dimensions. Appear instantly in places already visited and marked.
---
[Retribution]
Strength: SSS+
Agility: SSS+
Vitality: SSS+
Stamina: SSS+
Mana: SSS+
Talent: SSS Rank – Talent Share
Share the talents of trusted vassals, wielding their abilities as if they were your own.
---
Aaron’s smirk grew wider as he scanned the profiles. "System, I think I need more
[No can do, host. And what exactly do you plan to do with all these doppelgangers?]
"A secret," Aaron replied smoothly, mischief flickering in his eyes.
[Idiot. I can read your mind.]
Aaron clicked his tongue. "Whatever. It’s time I made my actual appearance."
Taking on the form of Retribution, Aaron cloaked his Doppelgangers in the appearances he had designed, every one of them hidden perfectly beneath the upgraded Phantom Mask. The cost had been steep—but the payoff was already proving priceless.
"Caroline," he said calmly, "tell the others to wait patiently for my return when they arrive." With that, he opened a rift shimmering with spatial distortion, stepping toward the familiar resonance of the Sanctuary.
---
Within the Sanctuary, the demigods of the Skyhold Federation were already deep in their council.
Dream, Geralt, the Vine Master, clan masters, the president, governors, and countless dignitaries sat around the grand table, the air thick with tension.
"For the last time," Geralt growled, slamming his palm against the table, his tone dripping with irritation, "can we just get this over with and kill that damn girl in the city?" It was the fifth time he had raised the demand, his words sharper each time. Yet Dream, as always, blocked him with cold refusal.
Geralt’s pride still burned from the bitter defeat handed to him by that little Highborn brat—Isobel.
"And I’ve told you over and over again, Geralt," Dream said firmly, his voice carrying the authority of steel, "the answer remains the same. No. We are not killing her."
"What’s your reason this time?!" Geralt snapped. "She’s dangerous! She needs to be contained immediately!"
"Which is why," Dream replied coolly, "I made sure she could never leave the city."
Geralt clenched his fists. "Come on, Dream! Why are you being so stubborn? I say we kill the girl immediately!"
"You must hold yourself, Geralt," the Vine Master interjected, his tone heavy with disapproval. "You cannot let anger and revenge cloud your judgment. Besides... she is Liam’s child. Or do you need a reminder?"
The name struck like thunder.
Geralt sneered. "So what if she’s Liam’s child? That only makes her more dangerous. Should I remind everyone about the emergency call I answered from the association’s office regarding her actions before I stepped in?" His sharp gaze swept the room, daring anyone to refute him.
"And yet," the Vine Master countered calmly, "the association survived with no deaths. And if you care nothing for loyalty, the rest of us do. Liam and his kin sacrificed their lives for Blue Star. We will not be so petty."
"I agree," the Frost Clan Master said, voice firm. "Like everyone here, I owe the Highborn greatly—a debt I’ve yet to repay."
Geralt scoffed, snorting with disdain. "You don’t count, you simp. You even named your own son after Liam Highborn. Pathetic."
The tension in the hall grew heavy—until a voice, old and steady, cut across the chamber.
"Well then," the newcomer said as he strode into the council room without invitation, "does my word count?"
The entire assembly turned, eyes narrowing.
"And who the hell are you?" Geralt demanded, his brows furrowing in confusion at the audacious, uninvited guest.