The jawline would gradually return to its original contour, height would shrink or stretch back to its natural measurement, and skin tone would slowly fade into its true color.
At that moment, the mask would feel cold against the skin, losing the faint vibration that had once pulsed through it like a living thing. Its surface would revert to an inanimate object—silent and hollow.
To use it again, a full one-hour cooldown was required.
Even if the user chose to end the transformation early, the rule still applied. By tapping the forehead of the mask five times in succession, the resonance would be severed and the changes would begin to unravel. However, the cooldown period could not be shortened.
I designed this limitation deliberately.
Without a pause, the energy structure within the mask could become unstable. Forcing resonance continuously carried the risk of creating permanent distortions—both to the tool and to the user's body. More than that, the time restriction prevented abuse. The power to become anyone was not something that should be used recklessly.
I created the Mask of a Thousand Faces on the eighth day after meeting Mei Mei again. From morning until noon, I forged the Cursed Tool within the forest, allowing no room for even the smallest mistake.
And on that very day, the mask was completed.
I had crafted two Cursed Tools during that period, but between them, the Mask of a Thousand Faces was the masterpiece that demanded the greatest focus and precision. Every line of energy had to align. Every layer of resonance had to remain stable.
When the mask finally rested in my hand—its surface smooth, expressionless, empty like a blank canvas waiting to be painted—I felt a rare sense of satisfaction.
Not merely because it functioned.
But because I knew that with this, I was no longer just a shadow difficult to identify.
I could become anyone.
[Name of Cursed Tool: Mask of a Thousand Faces]
[Type: Active]
[Functions: 1. This mask allows the user to alter their appearance entirely by channeling Cursed Energy into it and then wearing it. Once equipped, the user must clearly visualize the desired face and body shape. The transformation occurs gradually—beginning with the face, altering bone structure, skin texture, and expressive details—then spreading throughout the body until height, posture, and overall physical proportions adjust to match the imagined image.]
[2. The transformation is not merely visual but also affects external physical dimensions such as bone length, shoulder width, jaw shape, as well as skin color and texture. However, the mask cannot change the user's biological sex. Alterations may only occur within the same biological parameters to maintain systemic stability.]
[3. The accuracy of the transformation depends heavily on the user's clarity of imagination and concentration. If the envisioned face or body is incomplete or blurred, the result may deviate—causing asymmetry, odd proportions, or a form that appears unstable.]
[4. The mask includes an injury simulation feature. If the transformed face is wounded during use, the outer layer will display the injury realistically, including blood and bruising. However, the user's true face remains fully protected behind the layer of energy.]
[Rules: 1. Maximum usage duration is one hour. Once the time expires, the transformation will automatically fade and the mask will enter a one-hour cooldown before it can be used again.]
[2. The user may terminate the transformation early by tapping the mask's forehead five times. Even if removed before the time limit, the full cooldown still applies without exception.]
[3. After the mask is removed, the body will gradually return to its original form. Changes in height and bone structure may cause brief discomfort for several seconds, but they will not result in permanent side effects or physical damage.]
After the Mask of a Thousand Faces was completed, I did not stop there. For me, perfect disguise was not merely a matter of facial alteration or shifting bone structure.
A face may be the first focal point people notice, but clothing is the silent language that speaks long before a person opens their mouth.
The cut of the fabric, its color, its texture, even the way it rests upon the shoulders—all of it conveys status, profession, habits, and even fragments of personality.
A person can wear another's face flawlessly, imitating the curve of a jaw and the gleam of an eye without the slightest imperfection. Yet if the clothing does not align, the disguise will fracture under the weight of a single misplaced detail.
A wrong button. A cut out of fashion for the era. Fabric far too expensive for the role being played. Small inconsistencies like those are enough to awaken suspicion.
That is why, on the same day I completed the Mask of a Thousand Faces, I created my second Cursed Tool: the Shapeshifting Garments.
I worked on it from noon until late afternoon in the forest, in the same clearing where sunlight filtered through the gaps between leaves and cast shifting patterns of shadow across the ground. The air was damp, thick with the scent of soil and wet wood, mingling with the faint remnants of Cursed Energy that still trembled subtly around me.
Unlike the Mask, which demanded anatomical precision, this garment required an understanding of form, of how fabric falls, and of how humans perceive appearance.
Its base form looked simple—almost disappointingly so at a glance. Just a plain white short-sleeved shirt and a pair of white shorts without any pattern.
There were no engraved symbols, no striking seams, no suspicious aura leaking from its surface. They appeared like cheap clothes one could buy at any store, hanging meaninglessly on a rack.
But that simplicity was only a vessel.
The moment Cursed Energy flowed into the fibers, the transformation began at the subtlest level. The surface of the clothing trembled lightly, like fabric brushed by an invisible wind.
The vibration was nearly inaudible, a faint hiss felt more by the skin than heard by the ears. The white color did not vanish; instead, it was slowly swallowed by the shadow of the form envisioned by its wearer.
If the user visualized a formal black suit with a clean cut, the fabric would lengthen on its own.
Its fibers would tighten at specific points, shaping a sharp collar, long sleeves that fell precisely to the wrists, and buttons so convincing that even the detail of their holes appeared tangible.
Folds at the elbows and shoulders formed naturally, as though the suit had been tailored by a master craftsman who understood bodily proportions to perfection.
If what was imagined was a long military-style coat, the fabric would thicken and extend down to the knees. A high collar would rise firmly, a belt would wrap around the waist with a buckle that seemed solid and weighty, and the shoulders would lift slightly, projecting authority.
Every crease followed the body's movements—not stiff, not delayed—as if the garment possessed an instinct of its own.
The transformation was not merely a visual illusion.
The size of the clothing adjusted to the user's body with exact precision. Sleeve length, shoulder width, chest circumference, even the way the fabric rested at the waist—all felt perfectly fitted without adjustment.
There was no sense of tightness or looseness. The fabric followed the contours of muscle, bone, and posture with an accuracy that felt almost intimate, as though it understood the body better than its own owner.
Even texture and tactile sensation adhered to the imagined concept. If the user envisioned thick wool, the garment would feel warm, slightly heavy, pressing gently against the shoulders.
If light and flexible fabric was imagined, the clothing would feel thin, cool against the skin, and effortless to move in. The friction against skin, the soft rustle of fabric brushing together, even the way wind slipped through its gaps—all shifted according to visualization.
However, its durability remained equivalent to ordinary clothing.
This garment was not specialized defensive equipment. It was not designed to withstand attacks beyond the normal limits of the material imagined. If the user envisioned a thick coat, its resilience would be no greater than that of a regular thick coat—sufficient against cold, but not against the slash of a sword.
------------------------------
[Note: This novel is updated on every even-numbered date]
(Note: Every PS support means a great deal to the continuation and development of the story, and it also serves as a way to unlock Bonus Chapters as a form of appreciation.
For every 100 PS collected, 1 Bonus Chapter will be unlocked. At 300 PS, 1 additional Bonus Chapter will be unlocked. At 500 PS, 1 additional Bonus Chapter will be unlocked. At 1000 PS, 1 additional Bonus Chapter will be unlocked. At 2000 PS, 1 additional Bonus Chapter will be unlocked.
In other words, if 100 PS are collected within this week, 1 Bonus Chapter will be released. If the total reaches 300 PS, then 2 Bonus Chapters will be released. If it reaches 500 PS, then 3 Bonus Chapters will be released. If it reaches 1000 PS, then 4 Bonus Chapters will be released. And if it successfully reaches 2000 PS, a total of 5 Bonus Chapters will be released.
Thank you for your support. Every single PS truly helps push this story forward.)
[Note: 30+ latest chapters have been added! For Just $3.50 You Get Access To Chapters Way Ahead,
Now you can access the chapters before Webnovel, Scribblehub and Wattpad by following,
Just become a patron on Patreon:
Pa*treon.com/Andi_Dri]