The black sun hangs high

Chapter 203 Reappearance
As Hugh looked at the images that kept surfacing from the depths of his mind, he couldn't help but sigh.

They are not simply a single face. Driven by the instincts of the Dark Abyss Offspring, the images, memories, instincts, and everything else they possess are forcibly "integrated" together. This means that Hugh can not only use this mask to change his own appearance, but also to use it to thoroughly "imitate" another person.

Hughes even felt that describing this ability as "imitation" was no longer quite accurate.

Perhaps it should be called a "reproduction" or a "re-creation".

As he looked at the faces that kept flashing through his mind, Hugh inexplicably thought of a title that Theseus had: "The God of a Thousand Faces".

In fact, Theseus had demonstrated these abilities in the Dream Sanctuary more than once in a joking manner. Although Hugh still could not judge Theseus’s true strength in this area from those actions, he knew that what he was doing now with this “Abyss Mask” was probably only the tip of the iceberg of that “transformation ability”.

He thought for a moment, and then picked one from the faces that kept flashing by.

Judging from his appearance, he seemed to be an ordinary male resident of Seren City. He had a simple and honest appearance, strong arms, and looked like a worker in the nearby crystal mine.

As Hugh "selected" his target, the dense magical mist immediately trembled in the darkness of the room. At that moment, Hugh felt as if he was being forcibly drawn into the misty state of the Mirror Messenger, and his body and flesh were being stretched and deformed in the process, like clay in an invisible hand.

In just a short moment, the changes brought about by the Dark Abyss Mask were completed.

At that moment, a large amount of information that did not belong to Hugh took effect in his mind. Then, the originally nonexistent memories, knowledge, habits and perceptions all descended upon this temporary body.

Two seconds later, a plain-looking miner from Seren City tiptoed away from his seat.

His palms were covered in calluses, a mark left from long hours of working in the crystal mine, while a long, narrow old scar ran down his arm from being hit by a falling lamp while working.

Following the habits of this body, Hugh slowly walked around twice in the darkness.

But as he sat back down in his chair, tears streamed down his face silently, dripping onto the dining table and onto his body.

The "reproduction" brought about by the Dark Abyss Mask is far too concrete and realistic.

Hugh not only inherited the habits and instincts of the original owner of this body, but also all of his memories.

So Hughes learned that the crystal miner he was now playing, named "Henry," had lived in Seren for over twenty years. He had a wife, but she had died a few years ago from a serious illness.

His daughter possessed exceptional alchemical talent, and he adored her. It was for this reason that he worked tirelessly day and night in the crystal mine and sent his daughter to the best alchemical medical academy on the plateau...

Henry loved the sour beer in Serenity, especially the pub with the lively young waitress who always reminded him of his own daughter.

Before the armistice celebrations, he asked a clerk at the Peace Newspaper to write a letter for him.

In the letter, Henry warned his daughter to stay away from the male students at the academy, especially the young nobles, who were too fond of flirting with women and never wanted to take responsibility...

He added that he planned to go to the clock tower in Serenheim on the day of the armistice celebrations to collect souvenirs distributed by the royal families of both countries, which he would then send to them.

then……

And that was the end of it.

In Henry's memory, Hughes saw the clock tower collapsing amidst the roar, saw bricks and stones flying everywhere, and saw the terrifying shadow surging out of the crater in the ground... Henry was injured in the explosion, and even as he was swallowed by the surging black mud, he still clutched in his hand the armistice souvenir distributed by the Deland royal family to the people—an exceptionally exquisite iris hair ornament...

Through rounds of torment, Hugh's spirit and temperament had become extremely resilient. However, now that he had become a completely ordinary person, he had to bear the many emotions, memories, and despair that came with this identity.

When Hughes, as an ordinary father, directly confronted those intense emotions and memories, he almost succumbed to them on the spot.

They are so specific and real.

He wants beer now, with lots of ice, but no syrup, and if possible, a squeeze of lemon juice...

He wanted to find some acquaintances to play Dragon Tooth cards, so he could pass the time during the boring nights when he didn't have to work at the mine...

His wife's tombstone needed to be cleaned regularly, but the gravedigger there was untrustworthy; he always liked to slack off.

He also wanted to visit the Alchemist's College in Borden...

In the darkness, the burly man who had emerged from the mists of the abyss raised his hands and pressed them against his face, tears still streaming uncontrollably down his cheeks.

What he used was the "instinct" left behind by the deceased, while his brain was filled with his own memories. The two completely different experiences were mixed together, and the conclusions drawn from them made Hugh feel an unprecedented sadness.

He knew that there would probably be no more sour beer in Seren, and Henry's friends were probably few and far between. The grave where Henry's wife was buried was destined not to receive the care and cleaning it deserved, since the remaining living people couldn't even take care of their own well-being...

The Alchemy and Physician Academy in Borden was recently bombarded, and many young students died as a result. Even those who survived would have to join the army and go to the perilous front lines because of the war.

"What the hell..."

Finally, Hugh managed to suppress his emotional turmoil with great difficulty.

If it were merely about letting Hugh experience the past of a deceased person and the despair he felt before his death, it wouldn't have been enough to create such a strong emotional impact. What truly saddened Hugh was everything that this ordinary deceased person cherished and pursued... These thoughts were so simple and unpretentious, yet Hugh knew that they could no longer be realized.

Even from the very beginning, all of this was far from what he had hoped for.

Hugh lowered his hand, and the face he had created using the Dark Abyss Mask trembled slightly in the darkness. Only after successfully controlling his intense emotions did Hugh finally have the opportunity to verify the true nature of this ability.

He focused his attention on the knowledge and instincts that had emerged with the "change," and at that moment, Hugh discovered that he was surprisingly adept at handling many matters within the crystal mine and its tunnels. He not only knew how to mine ore safely, but also how to fool those harsh mine foremen...

As these memories and instincts continue to resurface, Hugh discovers that he even knows how to make several different local dishes from Serenity, as well as several folk ways of playing Dragon Tooth cards...

This feeling is truly amazing.

It was completely different from the process that Hugh had previously slowly read and learned from the corresponding memories. Just as Hugh had initially envisioned, these memories, knowledge, and instincts were essentially "bound" to these faces and bodies.

"So... when I directly transform into these dead, I can directly control everything they once controlled?"

Hugh immediately realized the immense potential behind the Dark Abyss Mask.

If it were merely a change of body shape and appearance, the effectiveness of such an ability would be relatively limited. However, in the current situation, the Dark Abyss Mask would not only be a powerful disguise for Hugh, but could also become a combat tactic for him in various situations.

The shift in mindset resulting from using masks for simulation can even be applied to specific fields, such as magical or academic research...

Realizing this, Hugh immediately deactivated his current transformed state. He casually used magic to create a water ball and gave himself a thorough wash. Then, he once again focused his attention on the faces closely associated with the Dark Abyss Mask.

He now desperately needs to find individual cases among those victims hunted by the Dark Abyss Spawn who can provide him with combat advantages.

Before long, Hugh found some figures that met his requirements.

He first spotted some members of the Brotherhood of Three Colors. These stalkers, who used to make a living through theft and assassination, mostly possessed unique skills and knowledge. After Hugh selected one of them to transform, he immediately discovered that he had a completely new understanding of setting traps, breaking locks, and concealing traces. Moreover, after picking up a Demonbane Silver Dagger, he was even able to skillfully make it "dance" on his fingertips.

Of course, this level of ability is not enough to satisfy Hugh.

As he continued his investigation, he encountered soldiers, merchants, clerks, scholars...

More and more identities were uncovered by Hugh, and before long, he successfully found the figures of some of the Law Committee mages who had been devoured by the Dark Abyss Spawns in past battles.

A moment later, a mage who had been devoured on the day of the disaster reappeared in the room, and as the changes occurred, a large number of memories related to the Legal Committee and magical scholarship emerged.

Although this mage was just an ordinary Stream-level Executor in the Law Council, Hugh still sensed a magical mindset completely different from his own—a deep-seated habit cultivated and trained by the Law Council.

Even the techniques for performing some simple magic tricks are noticeably different from those that Hugh had figured out on his own.

Hugh rubbed his fingers together lightly, and a somewhat dazzling blue bolt of lightning immediately shot from his fingertips. This was the magic inscribed by the Stream-level mage, and now it had indirectly become one of Hugh's abilities. As long as he maintained this change, Hugh could unleash this Stream-level destructive magic anytime, anywhere.

"In this light, I can completely simulate a spellcaster's true state through the Dark Abyss Mask, including their magical skills, spellcasting instincts, knowledge and rituals, and even the magic they have inscribed..."

As Hugh pondered, he sensed the magic power within his body: "However, this change will not affect the amount of magic power I have. In other words, if I had the opportunity to directly transform into a true lake-level or even deep-sea-level mage, my magic power would still be insufficient to support the casting of such high-difficulty spells."

Despite some slight disappointment, this discovery still filled Hugh with immense joy.

This is because he can not only master the magic he was unable to learn before due to time and energy constraints, but also use the simulation of the members of the Law Committee to discover a great deal of important information related to the Seren City Law Committee branch.

"So, after General Boots officially takes control of Iris Street, there must be some casualties among them, right?"

Hughes let out a long sigh of relief: "Alright, then let me see what your true attitude is towards Seren City..."

Then, Hugh took out a magic crystal. While replenishing his magic power, he continued to search among the "mountain" of faces and figures.

That night, Felix didn't sleep well. He felt that something was frequently changing around him, and several times he even vaguely felt that strangers had come into the room.

But the door was intact, and Shug was still there. With a mage like him around, it was impossible for robbers or thieves to sneak in.

Felix thought he was probably overthinking it.

"Good morning."

Felix got up and greeted Hugh, but then he was startled.

Hughes looked unwell. Although he appeared calm and had a smile on his face, the dark circles around his eyes were extremely noticeable.

"Uh...didn't you get any rest last night?"

"Rest? Oh, I don't need to rest. After all, there are many important things to do."

Hugh answered casually, tossing aside a magic crystal that had been completely "drained" from his hand. He then picked up his water glass and gulped down two mouthfuls of the somewhat pungent magical water. The strong "mouthwash" smell immediately invigorated Hugh.

"After breakfast, I will head to Iris Street... This time, I don't need you to lead the way; I can handle things there myself."

As he spoke, Hughes grinned at Felix, revealing a strange yet confident smile.

(End of this chapter)