Divine Mask: I Have Numerous God Clones

The system responded to Lucas's inquiry without a hint of concern, its tone dripping with casual arrogance. [Just eat it. The core will do the work by itself and fuse with you.]

Lucas blinked in disbelief, staring at the blank core in his hand. "Eat it?" he muttered, frowning. The thought of swallowing something like this felt... off, to say the least. His eyebrow raised skeptically as he studied the smooth, glowing orb.

[Yes, you heard me. You don't need to overthink it,] the system replied, its voice practically rolling its digital eyes. [Just put it in your mouth and swallow. Let the core do the rest. Honestly, you're acting like it's your first time eating something weird.]

Lucas narrowed his eyes at the system's mockery, but after a brief moment of hesitation, he shrugged. "Fine. Let's see how this goes," he muttered under his breath.

Without further thought, he popped the core into his mouth and swallowed. For a second, nothing happened. Lucas felt a fleeting sense of relief, even confidence. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all.

Then, the pain hit.

A sharp, searing agony exploded from deep within his chest, radiating through every nerve in his body like wildfire. Lucas's eyes widened as he doubled over, gasping for breath. His entire body convulsed violently, and he felt like he was being devoured from the inside out.

"What the hell is this?!" Lucas yelled through gritted teeth, his voice cracking under the intense pain.

The system's voice remained disturbingly calm, as if Lucas's suffering was nothing more than a mild inconvenience. [This? Oh, this is just the core consuming you. You know, a little give-and-take kind of situation. It's eating you so it can become you later. Don't act so surprised.]

"What?!" Lucas's voice was strained, almost hysterical, as the pain intensified, his vision blurring from the sheer overwhelming sensation. His muscles spasmed uncontrollably as if his very flesh and soul were being ripped apart.

The system clicked its metaphorical tongue, sounding more amused than concerned. [Oh, calm down. You're still going to be you after this... probably. You're just feeling the natural process of having a core fuse with your essence. It's not a big deal.

Really, you mortals and your low pain tolerance… Pathetic.]

Lucas could hardly focus on the system's words, the agony driving him to his knees. "Damn it..." he groaned, his hands clawing at the ground as if the earth beneath him could somehow anchor him through the torturous process. His body felt like it was being torn apart, rebuilt, and then torn apart again, all in rapid succession.

[Ah, don't be so dramatic,] the system chimed in with a dismissive tone. [This is just temporary discomfort. Pain is all in your mind, anyway.] It paused, then added smugly, [Well, and in your soul, I suppose. But still, don't be such a baby about it.]

Lucas gritted his teeth, struggling to keep his composure. "This… doesn't feel like 'temporary discomfort,'" he hissed, his voice laced with sarcasm. "It feels like I'm being eaten alive!"

[Good observation! That's because you are,] the system replied cheerfully, as though the idea of Lucas being consumed alive was the most mundane thing in the world.

[The core is devouring both your body and your soul, breaking you down bit by bit. Quite the process, really! Fascinating stuff.] It paused for effect, before adding nonchalantly, [Oh, and it's going to need a lot of mana too, just in case you thought this was the worst of it.]

Lucas, struggling to keep his body from collapsing under the sheer intensity of the pain, barely managed to gasp, "Then just—just feed it... with the mana... from the Mana Storage!"

The system, never one to miss an opportunity to sound superior, scoffed. [I've already started doing that, genius, but let me tell you—it's not enough. This thing's hungry, and your little mana stockpile? It's like feeding a dragon with breadcrumbs.]

Lucas's mind swirled in agony, trying to find some way to ease the torment. He could feel every cell in his body screaming as the core's relentless assault continued. His thoughts were fractured, but then, like a spark in the darkness, an idea surfaced—an earlier plan they had devised.

"Don't... forget... our plan from earlier..." he groaned, the pain making it almost impossible to form words.

The system's chuckle was cold and mocking, almost as if it had deliberately let Lucas suffer just to see if he'd remember.

[Oh! Now you remember? How charming.] The system laughed shamelessly, the sound echoing in Lucas's mind. [I almost forgot you had the capacity to think under such pressure.]

Lucas managed a weak nod, his teeth clenched tightly. "Use... that plan. Feed the core with it..."

The system cackled, clearly entertained by Lucas's suffering. [Hehe, I was waiting for you to bring it up. Good thinking, host—this time.] Its voice was laced with a condescending tone. [Alright, let's give the core what it really wants.]

With a sinister glee, the system immediately activated the mysterious plan they had discussed earlier.

A powerful surge of mana poured into the Mana Storage, and the system began to funnel it into the core, which was now fusing itself with Lucas's body. The dark energy flowed like a raging river, feeding the insatiable hunger of the core.

Lucas felt the pressure ease slightly, the agonizing pain retreating just enough to give him a moment of respite, though the core's work was far from complete.

As the energy surged into him, Lucas's body continued to change, the core transforming him from the inside out.

His bones, his muscles, his very essence were being torn apart and rebuilt by the core's power. He could feel every ounce of it, the core reshaping him, strengthening him, but at a cost that seemed almost unbearable.

The system's voice chimed in again, mocking as always. [Oh, this is just the beginning, you know. The core's far from satisfied. But you can take it, right? You've been through worse. Or wait, maybe you haven't?]

It laughed, clearly enjoying Lucas's torment. [I must say, this whole process is a bit too entertaining for me. Watching you writhe, hearing your groans—it's almost worth the effort.]

Lucas glared into the abyss, his body still shaking from the aftershocks of the core's work. "Shut... up," he hissed through clenched teeth.

[Oh, feisty, are we?] the system responded, mock surprise in its tone. [Well, if you survive this—and that's still a big if—you'll come out stronger. So, I'm rooting for you! Sort of.]

Lucas's body, while still under extreme pressure, felt the pain gradually subsiding as the core stabilized, the abyssal energy doing its work.

But the system's words hung in the air, lingering like a dark cloud. There was something more to this transformation—something the system wasn't revealing yet.

Lucas knew the process was far from over, and even though the pain had lessened, the real transformation had only just begun.