The Third Return of the Necrotic Magic Swordsman

[14th Everdusk 2103]

What I saw was so astonishing that my eyes nearly popped out of their sockets; it was overwhelming to realize that the tool I had used before had such immense power, and to think that all this time I had only scratched the surface of its capabilities is just mind-blowing.

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[Name: Mask of concealment

Grade: Ephemeral Rank (Upgradable)

Type: Legendary Artifact (Growth-Type)

Bond System: Soul-Bound

Stage: 1 (Veil of Shadows)

Description: Forged from the essence of shadows and ancient arcane secrets, the Mask of Concealment is a legendary artifact that adapts and evolves with its bonded wearer. It is said to be the ultimate tool for deception, infiltration, and survival. Its surface is smooth, dark as the void, and ever-shifting, subtly changing as it grows in power. Only those who form a soul-bond with the mask can wield its full potential, allowing it to transform in both ability and appearance.

The mask feeds on the experiences and growth of its wearer, unlocking greater powers over time. Its full potential is said to rival the most powerful relics in existence.

Abilities: 

{Stage 1: Veil of Shadows}

Status Concealment 

Effect: Completely hides the wearer’s true stats, skills, and abilities from any detection or appraisal skills.

Status Mold

Effect: Allows the user to alter displayed stats, creating the illusion of different classes, power levels, or weaknesses to deceive enemies or allies.

Memory Devour (Proficiency: 0%)

Effect: Consumes fragments of memories from those the wearer touches, allowing the user to extract knowledge, memory, or secrets. Limit: Can only store up to three memories. (Upgradable)

{Stage 2: Phantom’s Guise} [Locked]

Face Change (Proficiency: 0%)

Effect: Instantly changes the wearer’s facial features to mimic anyone they have seen.

Advanced Feature: Can store up to five faces for instant reuse.

Face Store

Effect: Stores up to ten unique faces, each accessible at will. Faces can be altered or discarded as desired.

{Stage 3: Eclipse of Identities} [Locked]

Transformation (Proficiency: 0%)

Effect: Grants full-body transformation, altering height, build, gender, and even aura to perfectly match the target.

Limit: Duration of transformation scales with user level but can last indefinitely when fully mastered.

Voice Modification (Proficiency: 0%)

Effect: Perfectly mimics any voice the user has heard, including tone, pitch, and cadence.

Advanced Feature: Allows the creation of entirely new, customized voices.

{Stage 4: Mask of the Eternal Void} [Locked]

Aura Cloak (Proficiency: 0%)

Effect: Completely suppresses or alters the user’s aura, allowing them to appear as weak, powerful, or even undetectable.

Illusion Weave (Proficiency: 0%)

Effect: Creates realistic illusions around the wearer, projecting false surroundings or multiple false images of themselves.

True Veil (Proficiency: 0%)

Effect: Allows the user to erase their presence from sight, sound, and even memory for a limited duration.

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Passive Effects:

Adaptive Evolution

The mask adapts to the wearer’s environment with stealth to hide the mask on the face to use it however host want, while granting resistance to mind-control, charm, and fear-based effects of user rank.

Soul Synchronization

The mask’s power is directly linked to the soul-bond. The deeper the bond, the stronger the abilities.

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It possesses twelve abilities, of which ten are primary and two are secondary. I was shocked because, in my past life, I only utilized two abilities from stage one and was never informed about the third one.

”Hi system, can you tell me why I was only able to use two abilities all this time?” I inquired of the system, hoping it would have an AI to provide the answers that Nexus Prime did not.

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{Host, if you are saying that why you wasn’t able to use the third ability of mask in stage 1 because it requires the host to form the complete soul bond with the item to fully integrate with the host but as per the scans, I have detected that the bond that host has made was quite a non-existing partial bond made so the mask wasn’t able to complete send the full information of abilities and upgrade procedure that’s why it happened.}

{Would you want me to start the process of the real bond ritual.}

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”Huh, can you do this like real. As I thought that system can’t do something like this without any things in return like what you need it for.” I asked as I remember that in my past life to bond with a simple growth type weapon, I have to give system my fifty levels to make it complete it.

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{It’s not required host to give system something for the ritual to be completed what in ritual is needed is some of the host blood and a piece of soul to connect with the item.}

{Do you wish to start the process. [Yes/No]}

{[Yes]}

{The ritual starts in ten seconds, please refrain from any movement and kindly wear the mask for the ritual to start.}

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The system didn’t say anything as I just didn’t say anything and wear the mask to start it.

As just I wear the mask. The countdown appeared in system screen.

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{The process is being initiated.}

{1....2.....3.....4.....5....6....7....8....9...10.}

{The blood is being ejected to start the process.}

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I feel a sting on my forehead like some sharp pointed needle pierced it and take some blood from it.

I wanted to see what happened by the mask but stopped as system told me not to do it.

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{Blood bond is completed host.}

{The soul bound is initiated.}

{Please refrain, as a sharp pain is incoming.}

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”Ouch~~~~~~~.”Just as the system said like a pain like something cut my inside with magma blade like stuff, which was cause stinging into me.

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The system has taken the required soul piece to initiate the process. The system has detected immense pain raging in the host body, the body numb process is being started.}

{Host is recommended to not stand while it happened.}

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After receiving the notification, my body began to feel different, as if it had become completely paralyzed.

I was unable to lift or move at all. Panic set in, and I was shocked. I tried to move, but to no avail.

Then, something changed. The mask on my face began to wiggle wildly, transforming from solid to liquid.

I was alarmed because it was on my face and could potentially stop my breathing.

But to my astonishment, instead of covering my face with the liquid substance, it dissolved as if it had never been there, which was quite unusual.

I attempted to touch the mask, but it was as if it didn’t exist.

A few minutes later, I began to regain sensation in my limbs and they started to function again.

I sat up straight instantly and reached for the mask on my face, but it was gone, as if it had never been there.

”Hey system, where is my mask? Did something go wrong with the system that caused it to dissolve?” I inquired of the system, which had been silent since the soul bond commenced.

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{No host, the process has been confirmedly successful, and the bond is fully set so the mask got integrated into you like your body parts and won’t came off until you got destroyed as it can’t be separated now.}

{And kindly noted host that the system is now going offline due to rehiblation purposes so don’t try to call the system up.}

{Hope you survive until then host.}

(System reboot process initiated.)

(Remaining time until process completed: 13 Weeks: 5 Days: 12 hours: 5 minutes: 51 seconds left.)

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Nothing appeared next, which was unexpected. 

I was initially shocked, but then I realized I had the complete information in my hands. Now, I was confident that I could use this mask on my own.

As soon as I thought about it, the mask reappeared on my face by itself. It started off transparent, then transformed into a black surface with red tendrils emerging on its own, as if adapting to me.

It looked quite imposing when I took it off to examine it.

Thinking about it again, the mask dissolved into my hands and reappeared on my face like some cool piece of equipment.

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