CHAPTER 76: THE FOOL

The laugh served as a reminder for Harry—they weren’t old men. All of them were in their twenties.

Squirming from pain, the man cursed.

Jessie ignored the man and sat on one of the chairs, Confidence leaking from her personality.

"Welcome to our group," Ray greeted.

"Now, you... why are you here?" Ray asked Harry.

Harry was now relaxed—Jessie was one of the leaders. He hadn’t expected anything extraordinary, but at least his minor problems would be solved.

"He is with me," Jessie said.

"No... no... I’m good. I’ll just see if I can find my friends and will pay on time," Harry said and left. He didn’t bother to take permission from Ray.

He needed to speed up his progress—how powerless he was against someone like Ray. And he was sure Ray wasn’t even the most powerful on the planet.

Harry decided—he had no time. He hadn’t taken enough risks; playing it safe would eventually kill him.

He could keep hiding but luck would run out eventually.

This time he was resolute, leaving the protective walls of settlement Harry returned to the mountains after acquiring some information.

Other students were hesitant to go there. Some had spread rumors that there were Spiritual Sage-level beasts.

He could guess who was behind it—those three chimpanzee were up to their usual tricks.

As Harry entered the jungle, he pulled out a mask.

Mask of the Unknown

[Tier: Gold]

An enigmatic artifact crafted from the essence of the Shadow Mist Serpent, this mask is revered by spies, assassins, and those who walk unseen. It is said that wearing the mask not only conceals one’s identity but also blurs one’s presence within the elemental flow of the world.

Abilities:

Passive Skill - Shifting Visage:

The mask allows the wearer to assume a different face at will, mimicking any person they have seen before. This illusion is near-perfect, fooling both sight and spiritual senses. However, those with significantly higher cultivation may detect faint discrepancies.

Passive Skill - Elemental Dissolution:

The wearer’s elemental signature becomes unstable, making it difficult to track them via elemental detection techniques. Their presence feels like shifting mist, preventing most conventional tracking methods. However, those with strong spiritual perception may notice occasional distortions.

Active Skill - Cloak of the Unseen:

For a brief period (up to 10 minutes), the mask shrouds the wearer in an elemental void, rendering them completely undetectable by spiritual senses and elemental sight. During this time, their aura is erased, and their movements become whisper-quiet. However, this does not grant true invisibility to the naked eye.

Cooldown: Every minute of use increases the cooldown by 1 hour (Max: 10 hours).

Drawbacks:

Echo of the Mask:

With prolonged use, the mask begins imprinting traces of past disguises onto the wearer. If overused, the user may experience sudden, uncontrollable shifts in appearance, even without activating the skill. In extreme cases, their original face may become permanently lost.

Promise of Truth:

The user cannot tell the truth while wearing the mask. If they do, the mask will revert and reveal their real face. Telling the truth three times will result in the destruction of the mask.

Limit: (2/5)

Harry put the mask to his face. His features began shifting, transforming into the most common face he knew—John, one of his former contracts.

John had already left the academy when he saw some students leaving. Harry hadn’t stopped him—he was useless to Harry.

Harry was worried about the Echo of the Mask drawback.

He didn’t know the exact limits—how long would he have to wear it before the effect triggered?

He was sure a few days wouldn’t be an issue, but the exact threshold was hard to determine.

"So, I can’t tell the truth now," Harry said, then laughed.

The mask didn’t just change his facial features—it altered his body shape as well. He could feel extra fat on his body.

Enjoying the shroud of mask he crossed the jungle, killing some Foundation Building-level beasts to feed Wolfie.

They wouldn’t help him level up, but at least they satisfied his hunger.

Eventually, he found himself stood in a rift valley between two tall mountains.

They had checked what lay beyond the mountains before, but it was just an endless mountain range.

After walking for a day, he reached one of the caves where they had taken shelter last time. He entered.

But unlike before, there was a beast inside.

[Ironclad Raptor: Elemental Master Level 5]

"Screech!" The beast let out a strange cry.

Its wings flapped, its four limbs giving it flight momentum.

Harry dodged to the side. The raptor flew out of the cave—it was well aware of its limitations.

Harry unleashed Soul Judgment Sword. He had nothing to hide now.

He melted into the shadows and emerged from the cave. The beast was waiting for him.

As soon as Harry appeared, the raptor charged toward him at an astounding speed. Harry raised a Soul Barrier before him.

Sensing soul energy, the beast tried to stop—but its momentum was too great.

It crashed through the barrier, causing searing pain in its soul.

Harry used Serpent’s Stride, bending at an unnatural angle to dodge.

A mix of dark and blue energy encased his sword. The beast stumbled to the ground, unable to take flight again in the short term.

The raptor locked eyes with Harry.

Harry used Shadow Step to close the distance.

But the beast slammed its limb down, crushing the shadow. Harry felt his legs snap under the pressure.

He fell backward, emerging from the shadows.

"Fck..." Harry wanted to curse but hesitated—he was afraid he’d accidentally say the truth.

After using Shadow Step so many times without injury, he had forgotten—he wasn’t invincible in shadow form.

A bone in his leg was shattered.

Gritting his teeth, Harry summoned multiple Space Barriers, then stood on one leg.

’Why... am I such a fool?’ Harry cursed inwardly.

The beast lunged, breaking through each barrier.

But Harry was ready. Bow in hand, he aimed as the beast shattered the final barrier.

Harry released a shrinking arrow that traveled at insane speed...