The Gods’ Gacha Game: Return of the God-King

Mask of a Thousand Faces

Grade: Rare

Type: Magic Mask

A mystical mask crafted by an ancient illusionist. The mask is imbued with powerful enchantments that allow the wearer to alter their facial appearance at will, but it cannot change voice, body, or aura.

• Durability: 40/40
• Can only be used to change the wearer’s face and can only copy or create up to one thousand distinct faces.

Although it didn’t provide any stat boost, the mask was incredibly useful in many situations. I was certain that, at some point in the future, I’d need to create and maintain several identities to accomplish different objectives. Whether it was to infiltrate an organization, meet someone without revealing my true identity, or even spread faith to the masses to gather plausibility, this mask would be a valuable tool.

Unfortunately, its functions were limited, as it could only change my facial appearance and nothing more. When it came to it, some people might be able to tell my disguise, especially those who knew me beforehand. Compared to other magic masks like the “Mask of Impersonation” and “Mask of Transformation,” which could change the entire persona or even entire physical appearance, this one fell short in versatility.

Still, for a rare-grade item, it was pretty good. Thus, I confirmed the selection.

You have selected the Mask of a Thousand Faces for the voucher.

With that done, I decided to head down to the district’s market midway and temporarily separate from Boris and Michelle. The reason being, I wanted to purchase ingredients for brewing more Elixirs of Harmonic Balance. This time, I wanted to make at least ten of them. After purchasing the required amount of crimson thornleaf, azure mistflower, as well as ten empty glass vials, the total cost was about 820 soul coins after some negotiation.

Soul Coins: 1,510

They weren’t cheap, but after receiving two thousand soul coins from the scenario reward, I could afford to splurge a little. I planned to brew them once I returned to the inn. While having professional alchemy equipment would’ve made the process more efficient, I never planned to go all-in on alchemy in the first place. Eventually, I might hire someone else to handle large batches.

By the time I returned to the inn, dusk had begun to settle. The warm lantern light spilled out from the windows and door, welcoming me as I stepped into the dining area of the inn, where Boris and Michelle were already seated. The familiar scent of roasted meat and spices filled the air as I took a seat. The meal was already on the table, and they were waiting for me to partake together.

Laid out before us were a steaming platter of roast venison glazed with a dark berry sauce, a bowl of thick vegetable stew filled with carrots, turnips, and potatoes, and a loaf of freshly baked bread still warm to the touch. A side dish of spiced beans and a shared plate of grilled mushrooms rounded out the meal.

Michelle offered me a smile as she passed me a slice of bread. “You’re just in time.”

Boris didn’t wait any longer and tore into the venison with a satisfied grunt. “A few minutes late, and we might’ve finished your share. Haha!”

We then ate in relative silence, the comforting warmth of good food and good company easing the exhaustion from the scenario. It was moments like this that I felt like the dangers we had just faced were a distant memory—something that existed in another world entirely…

Once we had finished our meal and exchanged a few light comments about the scenario, we stood from the table and quietly returned to our respective rooms. I opened the door of my room and took a seat on the bed while inhaling a lungful of air.

Just as my butt sank onto the mattress, I called out, “Raphael, I know you’re here. Show yourself.”

“Quite a perceptive mortal, aren’t you?” a familiar voice replied, laced with amusement.

A flash of golden light shimmered in the air, and from it appeared a small white figure, no larger than a teddy bear. Hovering two meters above the floor was none other than Raphael—the angel administrator, still in her signature chibi form with radiant wings and an annoyingly smug expression.

She twirled once midair and crossed her arms. “How did you know I was here? I barely released even a flicker of my presence.”

I raised an eyebrow. “You were watching the scenario, weren’t you?”

To begin with, I had expected this to happen ever since I’d proposed the suggestion to make challenging a new scenario mandatory at least once a week. Still, it was a calculated risk—one I had fully prepared to face, knowing that the consequences would catch up to me sooner rather than later.

“Of course,” she replied, as if it were obvious. “How could I not monitor Lady Istellia’s most promising divine warrior? Particularly with your… unique power. It piqued my curiosity.”

“Are you here to pry that power’s secret out of me?” I asked, half-expecting her usual heavy-handed approach.

“Hmph.” She puffed out her cheeks, clearly offended by the accusation. “I will not stoop to such means. Not when you’ve done a great service for Lady Istellia already.”

Then she floated down to my eye level and muttered, “Well… don’t tell me if you don’t want to. But more importantly, I’m here to tell you that your suggestion last time has proven effective. The number of divine warriors trying harder scenarios has nearly quadrupled.”

Well, that was a matter of course. Who did you think I was?

Even though a part of me wanted to smirk and brag, I kept a straight face. “You mean the proposal about making it mandatory to challenge a new scenario each week? I’ve noticed that divine warriors in Fantasia were beginning to stagnate. If they don’t continue growing, we’ll all be wiped out in the Battle of Divine Will. So really, I suggested it for my own sake.”

“Regardless of your motivations,” she said with a huff, “it aligns with my best interests to help you ascend further through the scenarios. In fact, I came here to do you a favor from before and provide some information about the subsequent sce—”

“Don’t need it,” I cut in flatly. “I’d rather save your favor for when I truly need it.”

“Wha—?! You, a mortal, dare refuse my divine assistance? The audacity!” she exclaimed, raising her small hands dramatically as her tiny wings flared wide. “Ugh, you’re so irritating! Fine! But don’t come begging me for help later—I won’t tell you anything about the scenario, no matter what!”

“That so?”

She harrumphed and turned her face away like a sulking child. “Just remember, the upcoming scenarios won’t be as easy, especially for someone like you.”

I shrugged. “I already know the difficulties have been ramping up with each one. If that’s all you came to say, then you’re just wasting your time.”

“You…” Raphael’s expression darkened, and she looked visibly annoyed, her cheeks puffing slightly. But she didn’t snap back. Instead, she hovered in thoughtful silence for a moment before speaking again. “Lady Istellia said she might want to speak with you directly next time. So rejoice and prepare yourself.”

Meeting me directly, huh? When was the last time a minor, newborn god dared to ask to meet me in person? Such a change.

At that, I smiled with quiet confidence. “Very well. When the time comes, I’ll be ready.”

“Good. At least you know your place,” Raphael said, nodding approvingly. A moment later, with a glimmer of light, she vanished into thin air as swiftly as she’d arrived.

“Guess that takes care of it,” I mused quietly to myself.

Seeing no better time, I set about brewing the ten Elixirs of Harmonic Balance, following the same method I’d used in previous attempts. The process had become almost second nature by now, and my success rate was practically 100 percent.

Basic Alchemy has leveled up.

Once I’d finished storing the completed elixirs in my inventory, I finally allowed myself to collapse onto the bed. Fatigue washed over me like a wave, and within moments, I drifted into a deep, undisturbed sleep, resting just as hard as I had fought earlier.

As a tribute to the Goddess of Imagination, Istellia, 100 Soul Coins have been deducted from your balance.

***

The next morning, the three of us decided to go our separate ways for a while to take care of personal errands, such as stocking up on supplies and handling individual matters. Boris mentioned wanting to check out a few notable locations around the main plaza, including the Great Colosseum. Michelle, on the other hand, wanted to stock up on specialized arrows and check if any rare bow techniques were available from the Ranger’s Guild.

Actually, aside from the Hall of Classes, skill bookstores, and the training center, there were also guilds in Fantasia where divine warriors could learn class-related skills and techniques for a fee. These included the Warrior’s Guild, the Ranger’s Guild, the Mage’s Guild, the Adventurer’s Guild, and several others—each tailored to a specific combat archetype. There were also non-combat guilds, but that was irrelevant for now.

I’d never visited one before, mostly due to a lack of time… and the fact that my class didn’t quite align with any of the traditional guilds. If I were to check one eventually, it would probably be the Mage’s Guild. With enough soul coins, I could hire someone to teach me the fundamentals of spellcasting. Still, after possessing Merlin the Grand Magus, I had some lingering knowledge of magic—enough to make formal instruction less urgent.

Instead, I had something else in mind today.

I made my way through the streets of Fantasia’s District E and arrived at the district’s bookstore—the same one I had visited once before. Upon entering, a soft chime rang out from the bell overhead. Immediately, I was greeted by the storekeeper—a familiar face. It was the same bespectacled young woman, likely in her early twenties, who had helped me during my last visit.

“Welcome back, customer. Are you here to purchase another skill book?” she asked politely, clearly recognizing me.

“Correct. Do you have the skill book for Basic Pyro Magic?”

“We certainly do.” She nodded and reached behind the counter, pulling out a red-colored book and placing it gently on the surface in front of me.

“What about Intermediate or Advanced Pyro Magic?” I followed up.

“Unfortunately, we only carry Basic Pyro Magic and other elemental magic here,” she explained with an apologetic smile. “For anything intermediate or above, you’ll need to visit the Mage’s Guild, dear customer.”

“I see.” I gave a small nod. “And the price for this one?”

“Two thousand soul coins.”

That’s steep! Just for a simple fire magic…

In comparison, most magic-related classes would’ve gained access to basic magic like this early on since it was a class-related skill. In fact, they might even get access straight to Basic Elemental Magic which was more versatile. And while other classes could technically learn it through a skill book, they wouldn’t be able to use it effectively due to various limitations, such as poor attribute point distribution and lack of elemental affinity. For most close-combat classes, trying to wield magic would be a waste of resources.

But there was a secret—something that most, if not all, divine warriors didn’t know.

Numerous hidden classes could only be unlocked by acquiring and using magic. There were many instances in the scenarios where even weak elemental spells could play a crucial role in triggering special conditions. In short, magic—despite its initial inefficiency for some—could be incredibly important.

Even so, I didn’t have the required soul coins, so I refrained from buying the skill book. And even if I did have it, I would use it for something else. Therefore, I turned to the shopkeeper and asked about another skill I had in mind.

“Do you have the skill book for ‘Inspect Eye’?”