"Ding! Norman has successfully completed the trial. Reward: Ratso Mask."
The system notification suddenly rang out in Tony's mind, jolting him out of his studies.
A flicker of surprise crossed Tony's eyes as he read the information on the system panel. He had expected Loki to finish the mission first, not Norman. What exactly had the guy done?
Though curious, Tony did not dwell on it. Instead, he closed his eyes and carefully extended his senses.
He wanted to know how the general's arrival would affect his control over the Shadowkhan.
Meanwhile, just as Tony received the notification, Norman was staring thoughtfully at the mask in his hands back in Queens.
The Ratso Mask had suddenly appeared in his hands moments ago. Under the system's immense power, all he remembered was that Tony had given him the mask and told him to put it on now.
But as Norman looked at the mask's demonic face, a faint sense of dread stirred within him, as though the mask might come alive at any moment and swallow him whole.
So he hesitated, unsure whether to put it on.
Time ticked by. A full half hour passed before Norman finally made up his mind and pressed the mask to his face.
The moment it touched his cheek, a powerful suction took hold. It was as if a magnet had been embedded in his face, drawing the mask in.
Before Norman could react, the mask had clamped firmly onto his face.
"Mmph!"
The sudden turn of events sent Norman into a frantic struggle. He gripped the mask with both hands, trying to tear it off as muffled cries escaped his mouth.
Just then, an eerie glow spilled from the edges where the mask adhered to his skin. The gap between mask and