Mike nodded, stored the remaining empty books in his inventory, and leaned back slightly.

"Now… time for the dragon egg and the mask," Mike said.

Lily's eyes lit up with curiosity. "I want to see what a Mythical dragon looks like."

Mike took a slow breath and pulled out the Graveborn Dragon Egg. The egg was cold to the touch, its surface etched with faint bone-like patterns and veins of dark mana pulsing within.

He activated Midas Touch.

Golden light spread from his hand, flowing over the egg like liquid metal. For a brief moment, the deathly aura clashed violently with the radiant transformation power.

Cracks appeared.

Then—

Boom.

The mana pressure in the room spiked.

Skeletal patterns slowly spread across the surface of the egg, and the faint blue flames surrounding it transformed into ghastly white fire. The flames flickered in and out of existence, as if phasing between realms.

"Here, done," Mike said, handing the egg back to Lily.

Lily didn't hesitate. She cut her palm and let a drop of blood fall onto the egg.

The moment it touched the surface, the egg absorbed it instantly.

Then it began drawing mana from her—an enormous amount. The air trembled under the pressure, but Lily showed no concern at all. Compared to her vast mana pool, it was nothing more than a drop of water.

Crack.

After absorbing enough mana, thin fractures appeared across the egg.

The cracks spread rapidly, breaking layer by layer as fragments of shell fell away, dissolving into mist before they touched the ground.

The white flames flared violently.

Then—

CRACK!

The egg split open.

A claw emerged first—bone-white, sharp, and etched with ancient runes. It pierced through the shell effortlessly. Another followed, then a skull-like head pushed its way out, empty eye sockets glowing with pale ghostly fire.

A low, echoing roar filled the room, vibrating through their bones.

The creature pulled itself free.

A Graveborn Dragon—small for now, but unmistakably terrifying.

Its body was a fusion of death and majesty: skeletal wings wrapped in spectral membrane, faintly translucent scales forming along its spine, and white hellfire flowing through the gaps of its bones like living veins.

The flames in its eyes locked onto Lily.

For a brief moment, the pressure surged again—

Then the dragon lowered its head.

A bond formed.

A system notification rang out in Lily's mind:

[Mythical Summon Acquired: Graveborn Dragon — Wraith of Eternal Ash]

[Blood Contract Established]

[Rank: Mythical]

The dragon released a soft rumble—almost affectionate—and curled slightly toward her, its flames dimming into a calm, steady glow.

Lily smiled, eyes shining.

"…So this is what a Mythical dragon looks like," she murmured.

"It looks like a little cartoonish skeletal dragon, to be honest," Mike said, looking at the tiny skeletal dragon as he patted its head.

The small dragon tilted its skull slightly, white flames flickering in what almost looked like annoyance.

Lily nodded and said gently, "It's okay. I'll make you grow stronger and faster."

The dragon let out a soft, raspy chirp.

Mike then took out his reward item and activated Midas Touch on it.

It was the mask he had received earlier.

Golden light flowed over its surface, runes reshaping themselves as reality itself seemed to bend around it.

Soon, the upgrade ascended to a higher tier—but its name changed completely.

"False Reality," Mike read aloud.

Lily clapped enthusiastically. "That name is perfect."

A translucent system window appeared before him.

[False Reality]

[Rank: Mythical]

[Type: Mask / Reality-Interference Artifact]

Description:

A mask born from distorted truth and rewritten perception. What others see, hear, and believe can be altered at the wearer's whim. Reality itself hesitates to contradict its lies.

Passive Skills

[Veil of Truthlessness] (Passive)

All attempts to identify the wearer's true identity, level, rank, or stats are falsified.

Even divine-grade appraisal returns fabricated results.

Higher-ranked beings feel an instinctive "wrongness" but cannot pinpoint the cause.

[Unstable Perception] (Passive)

Observers subconsciously reinterpret the wearer's appearance to match their expectations.

Enemies remember different faces, voices, and even genders after encounters.

Active Skills

[Perfect Disguise] (Toggle | No Mana Cost)

Instantly alter appearance, voice, aura, race, and presence.

Disguises persist even under physical contact and magical inspection.

Cannot be dispelled by illusion-breaking skills below Mythical rank.

[False World Overlay] (Active | High Mana Cost | 10 min cooldown)

Projects a localized illusionary reality within a 30-meter radius.

Enemies experience a completely fabricated environment: terrain, allies, threats, and sounds.

Damage dealt inside the illusion translates at 40% effectiveness to the real world.

[Mirror of Lies] (Active | Medium Mana Cost)

Reflects illusions, curses, or perception-based attacks back at the caster in an altered form.

Reflected effects are enhanced by confusion and fear. ]

"Now this is the perfect illusion mask for me," Mike said with satisfaction as he placed it over his face.

The mask felt like carved wood at first—but the moment it touched his skin, it dissolved into shimmering mist.

In the next second, Mike's body blurred.

His height shrank rapidly, his frame lightened, and pale mist swirled around him. When it cleared, a small child stood where he had been.

"Hahaha! This is perfect" Mike laughed.

Even his voice had changed—high, playful, and unmistakably identical to Misty's.

Lily froze for half a second… then smiled.

Without warning, she bent down and picked him up.

"Hey!" Mike protested instinctively.

She lifted him easily, like a doll, and gave him a playful squeeze. Right now, he really was a little kid.

"Fufu~ to think that one day I'd get to pick you up like this," Lily teased, clearly enjoying herself. "This has been a long-standing dream."

Mike groaned. "Put me down…"

Still smiling, Lily finally did so.

With a thought, Mike deactivated the mask.

The mist dispersed, his body stretching and reshaping until he returned to his original form.

He exhaled. "Okay… now, be honest. Did you feel any difference?"

Lily shook her head calmly. "None. I thought it was Misty the whole time—not you."

Mike nodded, clearly satisfied.

"Good."

"But why did you ask for such an item?" Lily asked curiously.

"Hm… to disguise my shadow as someone different and let him do party raids in my place," Mike replied.

As he spoke, his shadow peeled itself off the floor, rising and solidifying beside him. With a casual motion, Mike handed the mask over.

The shadow accepted it silently, its form already beginning to blur as the illusion took hold.

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