Start as a Spiritual Planter: I Have a Game Panel-Chapter 215: Heretic Mask: Faceless

The mask itself was unsettling to look at, even without knowing its true nature.

It was carved from a dark, smooth wood, the grain swirling like trapped smoke.

The features were androgynous, unsettlingly serene, with empty eyeholes that seemed to drink in the dim light of the room.

There were no garish decorations, no overt symbols of power, it looked ancient, yet somehow untouched by time.

As his [Spiritual Eye] focused, the familiar translucent panel of information shimmered into his vision, overlaying the mask:

[ Name: Heretic Mask - Faceless ] frёewebηovel.cѳm

[ Type: Unique Cursed Artifact ]

[ Origin: God of Thousand Faces ]

[ Description: A beautifully crafted wooden mask, smooth and dark, filled with the insidious power of an Alien God. It is designed to corrupt users by granting their deepest desires, ensnaring them in a web of their own making. ]

[ Attributes: Wish Manifestation, Soulbind, Curse Empowerment, Deceptive Aura, Whispers of Desire]

[Wish Manifestation]: Grants a user one single wish within the limits of the mask's considerable capabilities. The fulfillment of this wish places a permanent, corrosive curse mark upon the user's soul. (General wishes can include granting special skills, unique talents, accelerating evolutionary development progress to the next tier, and other profound alterations to reality or self.)

[Soulbind]: The mask forms a link with the soul of the wisher upon the granting of a wish, slowly corrupting the wisher by making them cruel and forgetful of themselves, turning them into mad followers.

[Curse Empowerment]: The mask draws its power from the spiritual corrosion it inflicts. The greater the wish, the deeper and more debilitating the curse mark on the soul.

[Deceptive Aura]: The mask projects an aura of benign mystery, concealing its truly malevolent nature from ordinary senses and even most forms of magical detection.

[Whispers of Desire]: The mask subtly amplifies the deepest desires of those nearby, particularly those who gaze upon it, tempting them to utilize its power.

[ Remark: The greater the perceived value of the wish granted, the higher the degree of spiritual corrosion inflicted upon the user's soul. This artifact is a gift, or perhaps a trap, from an Alien God known as the "God of Thousand Faces".]

Seeing this, understanding the insidious nature of the mask, a cold dread had settled deep in Ram's bones.

"How did you get this?" Ram turned his head and asked Mai, his voice low and serious, he was curious to understand how such a dangerous artifact had fallen into their hands.

Mai let out a slow breath, her gaze dropping to the wooden box on the table before she began to explain.

"It's… a bit of a long story, and not a pleasant one." She paused, gathering her thoughts.

"You remember that bald-headed guy? The one who was leading the Blood Hawks when they ambushed us outside the Void Gate?"

Ram nodded, his eyes still fixed on her.

"Well," Mai continued, a flicker of anger in her eyes, "that bastard wasn't always with them."

"A few years ago, that asshole, Krunk, used to be working with Sid and me."

"We were just scraping by at that time, taking on whatever small-time missions we could find to survive in this city." Her voice was tight, and Ram could hear the lingering bitterness.

"We weren't strong back then, mostly Tier 2, with Krunk being the strongest, Tier 3. We relied on each other… or so I thought." Mai's fingers clenched slightly.

"About six months ago, we managed to clear a Class 'D' Monster Den."

"It was a tough fight, cost us a lot, but the payout was supposed to be good."

"We found a Source Item, a decent one, that was very much in compatible with Sid."

She looked away for a moment, the memory clearly still raw. "Krunk… he wanted it all for himself. Said he was the strongest, deserved it more."

"There was an argument. He was stronger, more ruthless than we realized. He took the Source Item, beat Sid pretty badly, and left us for dead before disappearing."

"Not long after, we heard he'd joined the Blood Hawk gang," Mai's voice was flat now, devoid of emotion. "Used that Source Item to climb their ranks quickly. Sid and I… we were furious."

Ram listened silently, understanding the depth of their anger.

"So," Mai said, her gaze returning to the mask, "a few weeks ago, we got word that Krunk was personally overseeing a high-value shipment for Shane, some rare tech, some artifacts, the usual Blood Hawk crap."

"We saw our chance and managed to intercept it, taking everything we could carry." She gestured towards the wooden box.

"It seems this mask… it was part of that. At the time, we didn't think much of it. It looked old, maybe valuable to a collector, but nothing more. We were more interested in the tech and the other equipment we found to sell for quick Life Energy points."

She paused, a troubled expression crossing her face. "It wasn't until a few days ago that we learned what it really was."

"Thanks to one of Nyra's Shadow Half-Drows, who was scouting near a Blood Hawk outpost and overheard some of their higher-ups talking."

"According to her, Shane seemed furious about a 'Heretic Mask' being stolen. That's when we realized this wasn't just some old relic."

Ram leaned back, the pieces clicking into place. "So, Krunk's betrayal led you to steal this, and you had no idea what you stole… Thankfully you didn't sell this one too…" he paused slightly, the next words he spoke were very low like muttering to himself, "or else someone might have used it by now."

Mai nodded, "Exactly. We were just trying to hit Krunk and the Blood Hawks where it hurt. We never imagined we'd end up making things more complicated…"

Ram slowly closed the lid of the wooden box, the faint click of the latch sounding unnaturally loud in the quiet room.

The idea that Shane might have used such an artifact, or worse, might have access to more like it, was terrifying.

'What wish could Shane have made? What price was he willing to pay, or have others pay, in souls?' That explained so much.

Shane's rapid rise, his unnatural strength, the ruthlessness he displayed – it could all be traced back to some wish granted by this terrible artifact.

"He is already a Tier 5, what can he wish for?" The potential for catastrophic power brought by this evil power, was a threat Ram couldn't ignore.

"Unless…" Ram's eyes narrowed, "…unless the price wasn't paid by him alone. The mask draws power from spiritual corrosion. What if the 'wishes' he made involved sacrificing the souls of others, or cursing them to fuel his own ambitions?"

The thought sent a shiver down his spine.

If Shane was willing to use an artifact that deals in curses and soul corrosion, and had potentially been doing so for a while, then the man was far more dangerous and depraved than Ram had initially imagined.

"He must want this mask back badly," Ram mused, his voice barely above a whisper. "Not just because it's valuable, but because it's likely a source of his power, or a tool he uses to maintain it."

"Moreover, the 'God of Thousand Faces'… Alien Gods are not known for their benevolence."

The weight of their discovery about the Heretic Mask settled heavily in the room.

The flickering light from the holographic console seemed to cast longer, more ominous shadows, mirroring the unease that had crept into their minds.

Ram ran a hand through his hair, the casual gesture belying the seriousness of his thoughts. "This definitely complicates our plan for the Harvest Festival."

Liam, who had been uncharacteristically quiet, finally spoke up, "So, what's the new plan, bro?"

Ram looked at them, his expression firm.

"The festival is still our best bet for cover, but our objective needs to be clearer now."

"It's not just about disrupting Shane's drug operations or hitting his warehouses anymore. This mask…" he gestured to the box, "…this is what he truly values. And it's too dangerous to leave in anyone's hands, especially his."

He paused, then continued, "We need to figure out what to do with it."

"Destroy it, hide it, use it against him… I don't know yet. But for tonight, we need to rethink our strategy. I need some time to think, to process all of this."

He met Mai's gaze. "Keep the mask somewhere safe, somewhere only you know. And if Shane's people are already jumpy, they might get bolder as the festival approaches."

Mai nodded. "Understood. Sid and I will take care of it. You look like you could use some rest too."

Ram managed a tired smile. "Yeah, I think we all could." He looked around at the team, "Get some sleep, everyone. We'll talk more in the morning, figure out our next move."

He said good night to them, the words feeling a bit heavier than usual.

Sid clapped him on the shoulder as he passed, a silent gesture of support.

Liam gave him a thumbs-up, Xiao Mu too offered a small, worried wave.