What appeared in my hand was a black mask made out finely carved dark ebony wood.
It was a rather terrifying and fiendish mask to look at actually. Its features were like that of a horned demon writhing in flames or things you'd see right out of your nightmares. But at the same time, I couldn't help be marvel at the level of craftsmanship.
It was a terrifying mask, but was very life like. Disturbingly so. The craftsmanship was particularly splendid with the details. Every curve and denture was perfectly in place. And the surfaces of the mask was lined with slight dark silver details that blended neatly to the demon in flames.
That's what I called it, demon in flames.
"Am I supposed to wear this?" I felt like I'd have nightmares for days. Plus, what exactly am I supposed to do with a mask?
With that question, the description appeared before my eyes once more.
...
[Name: Murmur's Mask
Type: Artifact
Rank: Mythic
Class: King
Tier: 5
Description: There once was a legendary traveler, an adventurer who sought out the wealth, secrets, and the truths of the world, and indeed he succeeded. He heard a whisper...the loudest murmur about the truth of the hidden of the world, but unable to withstand it, he ran mad. The whispers plunged him to insanity, and towards the end of his insane life, he carved a certain mask, and inside of it, are the hidden forbid truths... left within are the whispers and murmurs. Note: the enigmatic mask is said to hold the whispers of a thousand secrets and allure.]
...
"It's another Artifact."
Hey, wasn't I supposed to be unlucky?
To my pleasant surprise, the second reward was another Artifact, with the name Murmur's Mask.
The description was quite a lot more descriptive and detailed when compared to the description of the Solomon's Ring. But it also had its own fair share of disturbing information.
'Are all Artifacts like this?' I said inwardly.
[Artifacts are sort of mementoes or items or charms which have gained certain degrees of individuality, often influenced by the long span of time spent with their original owner's or certain events. Every Artifact tells a story about a period long gone or forgotten. Or one to come.]
'So Artifacts are objects which have developed a sort of individuality after a long period, and due to certain events?'
That was more or less what I understood.
That's kind of disturbing....
I think I had heard about something very similar to this in some folklore back on earth.
'Every Artifact tells a story, about one long gone....or one to come.'
Deep.
Disturbing. But deep.
I dismissed the thoughts, went through the description one more time, then continued on to the Enchantment.
There were just three Enchantments this time,, with one almost similar but theoretically different to an Enchantment of the Ring of Solomon.
...
[>Enchantment<]
[{Unyielding Secrecy}: Whoever dons Murmur's Mask is enveloped in an impenetrable veil of secrecy. All attempts to pierce the silence - be they mundane, through magic, manipulation, or even divine will - shall be met with an unyielding whisper. Note: the mask ensures complete secrecy of the wearer, repelling all attempts to uncover the truth. This is with the exemption that the wearer isn't already recognised as the one behind the mask before donning it.]
[{Faceless Stranger}: You are a traveller with a thousand faces. Note: This enchantment allows the wearer to wear the Faces of strangers, with high level energy consumption, and accompanying risk. As a stranger, you are never to appear more than once.]
[{Whisperer}: The Murmur's Mask weaves a web of truth and lies, and ushers desirable promises. As one who bears the curse of the truth, you possess the wonder of allure in your voice. Note: this is a hypnotic suggestion that compells most others to your bidding, but often be warned, even you might fail do distinguish truth and lies.]
Additional enhancements
Charm: (+5)
Aura: (+5)
Intelligence: (+5)
...
And to top it off, was a totally random seeming skill called Faceless Stranger.
What was that?
And the note at the end was just... Well I guess if a stranger appeared over again a few times, they wouldn't be as much as a stranger as the first time they appeared? Was it something like that, or was there a much deeper meaning?
Regardless of what it is, I'd have to find out.
The Whisperer Enchantment was probably the most easiest to understand, and the most confusing?
[The Enchantment seems to grant you a certain enthrallment to your voice, but also warns you against abusing it.]
I stared at the black fiendish and and mysterious mask.
"So basically anti-divinity, allows me to change faces to a certain degree, and gives me a hypnotic voice.." It seemed like a rather simple Artifact compared to the Ring of Solomon. Somehow...I was slightly disappointed?
But the Enchantments weren't anything to scoff at either. Immediately, I began cooking up scenarios where these could be useful.
Faceless Stranger could come in handy the most, but the mask also warned about a risk that it wasn't clear about.
Heck, it even had a risk about the Whisperer Enchantment as well.
After all this it would be totally unfair if I got a flaw. But life was a bitch.
...
[>FLAW<]
[{The Loudest Murmur}: Peer into the Abyss, and the Abyss peers back into you. While wearing this mask, the wearer shall be constantly beseeched by the corroding whispers and murmurs hidden within. Note: For each time this Mask is worn, the wearer looses a portion of their sanity and humanity, and plunges closer and closer to corruption the longer it is used.
...
"Wh... what's up with these fucked up flaws?" I couldn't stop my eyes from twitching.
I looked at the fiendish black mask with intricate black silver details and grimaced. When I flipped it over, there was this strange and illusionary allure that attracted me to it.
I could almost hear faint and indistinct whispers, pleasurable and yet dreadful. They spoke of promises, truth ..and desires.
All of it... everything can be mine, if I just put on the mask-
...
[External influence has been detected! Initiating defcon protocol sequence two!]
[Ding! Skill {Immersion} level??? Has forcefully offset the mental influence.]
...
My head slightly throbbed as I felt a faint hazy fog lift from my mind.
I blinked my eyes, stared at the mask and uttered in a trembling breath.
"Wh-what just happened?"
This Mask was dangerous!
Even just by staring at it, I was tempted to put it on. Immediately as I realized this, I looked away from the mask.
I somehow managed to survive thanks to the system and that strange skill.
"Sigh...I need to get out of this place quickly to make sense of most of the things that has happened to me." I grumbled and shook my head before turning to the last orb.
Next was the third reward finally.
The third orb of light patiently floated before me, and just like the other times, I outstretched my had for it, and the glowing orb dissolved and dissipated into specs of light.
Then an overflowing presence devoured through the environment and the atmosphere stiffened.
-BOOM!
I felt a transient and intangible pressure bore down on my shoulders and I immediately found it hard to breathe. I couldn't move, but my knees wouldn't stop shivering. Every blood cells inside of my body trembled uncontrollably as the intensity didn't cease.
'Uggh...wh-what is this?'
In my hand was a long, large bronze and silver spear that was emanating a truly oppressive aura throughout the Throne room. The silver and bronze colored spear felt incredibly heavy in my hand that it made me wonder just how come I was still holding it up.
It was an exquisite weapon. One that stood way taller than me. Even for a spear, this one was large and domineering. I barely couldn't find it in me too look up at its tip.
As I held the spear my hands trembled and the oppressive aura forced me to grit my teeth.
"L...like I'd bow to a spear!"
Hoarder release!
Ruler's Authority!
Instantly, like a geyser, my presence and Aura exploded forth from my body in two folds and clashed against the oppressive aura of the large spear.
-WHOOSH!
-BOOM!
It felt like the wind collided against each other down at the Throne chamber and the air reverberated slightly once more. I forcefully released the Aura the Ring of Solomon devoured and hoarded from me, and used the Ruler's Authority enchantment to boost my presence.
I didn't manage to supress the overflowing aura of the large spear, but I was better able to stand my ground against it. At least now, I no longer had the instinctive urge to bow.
And instead, welding my explosive presence magnified by the ring, I forecfully raised my head and looked straight up at the spear with a dark expression.
...
[Name: Goliath
Type: Weapon Artifact
Rank: God-slayer ???
Class: ???
Status: Incomplete
???
Description: The God Slaying Spear Goliath, a devastating weapon used by no other than the King of Entropy himself! Feared by the heavens, dreaded by Demons, this spear has transcendended all realms and has never failed to pierce anything. Alas, this is but a replica. Note: this is an incomplete Replica. All seals, skills, Enchantments and Status will be unlocked once all the fragments of Goliath have been obtained.]
[Ding! You have obtained a Fragment of Goliath]
[Fragments: 1/5]
[>Enchantments<
{Bond}: This spear can only be lifted and used by the one bonded with it.
{Sky Break}: Even the skies shudder at the Goliath. Pierce the skies, and defile the earth, there is no target Goliath can't 'reach'
{Thunder Coating}:You have unlocked the thunder elemental attribute of the spear which allows you to wrap the Goliath indefinitely in thunder and lightning.]
[Note: gather more fragments to unlock more features.]
...
What the fuck?
Rank God Slayer.
This was the first time I was seeing such bullshit!