Divine Mask: I Have Numerous God Clones

Zeus's determination to keep pace with Lucy had driv him harder and faster than ever before. In just a day and a half, he had reached the designated location where the four-star Thunder Eagle was rumored to reside.

His speed, fueled by his resolve, had brought him to the mountain peak ahead of schedule. As he approached, he spotted the massive Thunder Eagle perched atop the mountain, its eyes glowing with fierce ergy.

But something else caught Zeus's atttion. The Thunder Eagle wasn't alone. It was gaged in a fierce battle with another formidable creature—a four-star Thunder Python. The sight brought a smirk to Zeus's lips. This was an unexpected bonus.

"I'll let them wear each other down," Zeus thought, his eyes narrowing as he watched the clash of titans unfold. It was the perfect opportunity to conserve his strgth and strike at the right momt.

The Thunder Eagle, with its powerful wings spread wide, let out a piercing cry as it swooped down at the Thunder Python, its talons crackling with thunder ergy.

It unleashed a deadly attack, Thunder Talons, aimed directly at the python's head. But the Thunder Python, coiled and ready, countered with a move of its own, Thunder Bite, snapping its jaws toward the eagle's talons.

The clash was intse, but the Thunder Eagle was faster, pulling back just in time to avoid the python's bite.

It th flapped its wings with tremdous force, executing Thunder Wing—a powerful wing strike that st a shockwave of thunder ergy crashing into the Thunder Python's head. The impact was brutal, causing the python to recoil in pain, but it was far from defeated.

With a hiss of rage, the Thunder Python used its long, muscular body to coil a the Thunder Eagle, attempting to trap it in a crushing embrace. The eagle struggled, thrashing wildly as it tried to break free, but the python's grip was reltless.

Not to be outdone, the Thunder Eagle let out another screech and unleashed Thunder Burst, a surge of conctrated thunder ergy that exploded outward, forcing the python to loos its grip.

But the Thunder Python was no less determined, and it responded with its own Thunder Burst, the two forces clashing and sding ripples of ergy across the mountain.

Zeus watched with ke interest, his smirk widing as he observed the fierce battle betwe the Thunder Eagle and the Thunder Python.

The two beasts were evly matched, each trading devastating blows, their ergies crackling in the air. The toll of their struggle was evidt—their movemts were slower, more desperate. They were still powerful, but now vulnerable.

"They're wearing each other down nicely," Zeus thought, his eyes narrowing with calculated intt. "Perfect time to strike."

[About time you did something useful,] the system's voice chimed in, dripping with its usual arrogant tone. [Honestly, if you had just jumped in earlier, we wouldn't be wasting all this time watching a couple of overgrown lizards wrestle.]

Zeus's smirk deeped. "Patice, my frid," he replied, his voice calm but with a hint of amusemt. "It's all about timing. Besides, letting them exhaust themselves makes my job easier."

[Excuses, excuses,] the system mocked, its tone shamelessly dismissive. [Just don't mess this up. Ev a child could hit these sitting ducks now.]

Ignoring the jibe, Zeus focused his ergy, conjuring two massive Thunder Lances. Each one crackled with the pott ergy of his Heavly Thunder, the air a him humming with power.

He took careful aim, his gaze locking onto the heads of both creatures as they continued their desperate struggle.

"Let's finish this," Zeus murmured, his voice filled with cold determination.

With a flick of his wrist, Zeus hurled the lances with deadly accuracy. The Thunder Eagle and Thunder Python, both caught off guard by the sudd attack, had no time to react.

The first Thunder Lance pierced the eagle's head, the force of the strike driving it deep into its skull. The second lance struck the python with equal precision, impaling it straight through the brain.

[Nice shot,] the system commted, almost begrudgingly. [But don't get too comfortable—]

Before the system could finish, Zeus's lips curled into a knowing smile. The momt the lances struck, they transformed into Thunder Mines, detonating with a powerful explosion that st shockwaves of thunder ergy ripping through the beasts' bodies.

The blast was so intse that it obliterated any remaining resistance, killing both the Thunder Eagle and Thunder Python instantly. Their lifeless forms crumpled to the g, the mountain now eerily silt.

Zeus watched the aftermath of the explosions, his smirk returning as he approached their fall bodies. He knelt beside them, a sse of satisfaction settling over him.

"You were strong, four-star thunder beasts," he muttered, his voice laced with a calm, icy satisfaction. "But your thunder was no match for my Heavly Thunder."

[Of course not,] the system interjected smugly. [Your thunder is basically divine. And theirs? Pfft, child's play.]

Zeus chuckled softly. "Indeed. Now, let's collect what we came for." He th reached into his spatial pouch and withdrew a gleaming blade, its edge shimmering with faint traces of thunder ergy.

Carefully, he approached the Thunder Eagle first, its massive form sprawled across the rocky g.

With practiced precision, Zeus made a clean incision near the eagle's chest, feeling the resistance of its tough hide.

As he delved deeper, he could sse the powerful core pulsing within the beast, a conctrated source of thunder ergy that had fueled its formidable abilities. After a few more careful cuts, he reached the core, a glowing orb that radiated with intse ergy.

Zeus carefully extracted the four-star Thunder Eagle core and held it up, admiring the raw power contained within. The core throbbed in his hand, filled with the ergy of countless storms, and he could already feel the pottial it held for his cultivation.

Without hesitation, he placed the core inside his spatial pouch, knowing that it was worth a fortune to others—but to him, it was a stepping stone to greater power.

Next, he turned his atttion to the Thunder Python. Its long, serptine body was coiled in death, but the core within still vibrated with life. Zeus repeated the process, making a series of precise cuts to reach the core.

As he removed the four-star Thunder Python core, he felt the same surge of ergy, though this one carried a more ged, steady charge compared to the volatile power of the Thunder Eagle's core.

Both cores now safely stored in his spatial pouch, Zeus surveyed the two massive corpses before him.

While the cores were the most valuable parts of the beasts, their bodies still held a significant amount of thunder mana, which Zeus could use to hance his cultivation. The bodies might not fetch the same price on the market as the cores, but their worth to him was far greater.

Zeus had a clear goal in mind. By absorbing the thunder mana from these bodies, he hoped to push himself to the next level and advance to a four-star warrior. The ergy within these beasts was pott, and with his unique abilities, he could harness it in ways that others couldn't.

"This should be ough," Zeus murmured to himself, his eyes gleaming with determination. "If I can absorb all this thunder mana, I'll have a real shot at reaching the four-star level."