Chapter 54: Bonding

Kyle looked at the two blinking words on the screen, after carefully reading all the notifications that had appeared.

He took a deep breath and read through everything once again to ensure he didn't miss anything crucial.

'Why am I advised to reject it?' Kyle thought, growing more curious with each glance. He decided to try asking the system, hoping for a proper response this time.

From what he had read so far, there didn't seem to be anything wrong with accepting the mask as a soul weapon. So why was the system pushing him to decline?

Maybe, just maybe, something was off about the mask.

[WARNING!!]

[Balance must be maintained!]

[Host is advised to reject!]

'Balance? The hell is that?' Kyle thought, controlling the urge to laugh at the absurdity of it all.

'What do you mean by balance?'

[WARNING!!]

[Balance must be maintained!]

[Host is advised to reject!]

Kyle rolled his eyes when the system repeated the same message. 'And here I thought it was for an important reason.'

The system was not going to elaborate, which made Kyle even more doubtful of the advice.

If there was a genuine reason to reject the mask, the system would explain it—or so he reasoned. This so-called "balance" nonsense wasn't going to make him reject it.

'I accept,' Kyle said, a mischievous smirk formed on his lips as he chose without giving it any more thought.

[Do you accept to confirm Divine Mask: 'Veil of Silence' as a Soul Equipment?]

[Yes] or [No]

[Host is advised to rethink choices!]

[Balance must be maintained!]

The system's repeated warnings were beginning to get on Kyle's nerves.

'Yes,' he said, nodding calmly and ignoring the final warning.

.

.

.

[Suit yourself.]

The two words appeared on the screen a few moments later, confirming that his decision had been processed.

Kyle had been half-expecting some last-ditch effort from the system to reverse his choice, but it seemed that it, too, had given up on convincing him.

'At least, it can't overwrite my command,' Kyle thought with mild satisfaction. But before he could be absorbed in his thoughts, another notification appeared.

[You have chosen to accept Divine Mask: 'Veil of Silence' as Soul Equipment!]

[Binding process may now begin!]

Before Kyle could react, an intense, sharp pain exploded through his body. It started from his chest and quickly spread like wildfire, burning through every nerve.

The agony hit his mana core first, feeling as though it were being torn apart, rearranged forcefully, and then set ablaze.

Kyle gasped and stumbled, his legs finally giving out when he collapsed to the cold, hard floor beneath him.

Every inch of his body felt like it was under attack like it was being twisted and reshaped from the inside out.

His lungs screamed with every breath, as though shards of glass were shredding them from within.

His vision dimmed, flickering in and out as waves of relentless pain surged through him. The sensation was unlike anything he had ever experienced before—not just physical, but something far deeper.

After what felt like an eternity of torment, his strength finally left him, and he lay there, heaving his chest, his face soaked in sweat.

The minutes dragged on like hours as the burning pain continued, but slowly, mercifully, it began to fade.

Ten excruciating minutes later, it was over.

[The Divine Mask: 'Veil of Silence' has successfully bonded with your soul.]

Kyle, still panting heavily, wiped the sweat from his brow. His body felt drained, but at least the process was finished.

Slowly, he forced himself to stand on his weakened legs.

'Finally,' Kyle thought with a low voice as he checked his screen once more.

[Veil of Silence]

[Grade: Divine (Lv0)]

[Enchantments: Unknown, Soul Reaper]

[Flaw: Silenced]

[Unknown: A name erased from memory. No eyes can track, no minds can know. A whisper lost in eternity.] Your next adventure is on m_v_l_e_mpyr

[Soul Reaper: Your power grows with every soul you claim.] — affects equipment's level.

[Vanquished Souls: 0/1000] Sёarᴄh the NôᴠeFire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

[Silenced: The master must remain silent while donning this mask.]

Kyle's jaw dropped slightly as he read through the attributes of the [Veil of Silence].

The [Unknown] enchantment was especially confusing.

From what Kyle could guess, it would make him completely undetectable, erasing his presence.

No one would be able to recognize him or know where he was, at least while the mask was active.

But how far did that go? Did it work against magic detection? Does it make people around me not be remembered among friends?

The enchantment hinted at an incredible power, but Kyle couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to it than what was written.

Then there was [Soul Reaper], which was much more straightforward—his power would grow with every soul he claimed.

And by 'his power', they meant the level of the mask itself would increase, though he had no idea what benefits that would bring.

Kyle frowned as he read the 0/1000 requirement. A thousand souls. That wasn't something he would be able to achieve within the academy.

The potential was there, but fulfilling that condition would be a challenge in itself.

Lastly, there was the [Silenced] flaw. Kyle narrowed his eyes as he re-read the description.

He wouldn't be able to speak while wearing the mask. As if to test it, he tried to speak with the mask still on his face.

Nothing, as expected. Not a single sound came out from his lips.

Kyle removed the mask and let out a frustrated sigh.

'Is it even worth it?' he thought bitterly.

The [Silenced] flaw was a major inconvenience, especially with the way he liked calling out attacks while fighting.

He could fight without all that, but that might not do him much good.

Still, the power the mask offered was tempting. He just needed to find out how valuable it is... Hopefully it won't disappoint.

'Welp... Only one way to find out,' Kyle thought, slipping the mask back on. He cracked his neck to release tension, before completing his thought.

'...In the arena.'