Persona Card: Moonlit Night

[Host, your acting wasn't all that convincing. Qin Rang and the others are smart. Seeing through your plan was too easy for them.]

After An Ying left, the system kept chattering.

Resting his chin on one hand, Lin Nieran drew a big circle around the spot marked "swimming pool" on the map, bored out of his mind. The corners of his mouth curled lazily. "Oh? Tell me, what could they see through?"

[That you did it on purpose. You deliberately killed the water ghost uncanny in front of them.]

"I did do it on purpose. It doesn't matter whether they figured it out or not."

[I don't quite understand.]

"Of course you don't." Lin Nieran tapped the system's little ball with his pen. "This is just the beginning. Once I've left a deep impression on them, what comes next will be easier."

"You said it yourself: they're the protagonist group. They've encountered all sorts of strange uncannies and met all kinds of people. Only by making sure they can't see through me, making them wary and concerned, can we get what we want."

[But if you do that, won't they distrust you the next time you appear? How will you work with them then? Besides, you didn't even tell them your name.]

Trust? What did he need their trust for?

Lin Nieran chuckled and said to himself, "Moonlit Night won't appear in the plans from now on. We'll keep him mysterious."

[He won't come out anymore?] 007 was puzzled. [But you've only drawn this one rare card.]

"It's not my only rare card."

Lin Nieran opened the system interface.

[Character status:

Name: Lin Nieran

Age: 22

Gender: male

Race: human

System: 007 [Persona System bound]

Mental state: deranged, highly dangerous! (Current diagnoses: schizophrenia, psychotic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, antisocial personality disorder, bipolar disorder.)

Evaluation: madman, madman!]

He opened the Persona System, bringing up a brand-new system interface.

[Host: Lin Nieran

Fame: 2209

Task 2: Earn 10,000 fame]

Though not many people had seen him during this appearance, An Ying was a member of the protagonist group. He alone had added 1,000 fame for him in increments, and the successful completion of task one had rewarded him with another 1,000 points.

His fame was still climbing. In the few seconds he'd been watching, it had already risen to 2,213. He figured the footage he'd left behind had been taken back to the authorities, and someone was analyzing it and paying attention to him.

But the next task required 10,000 points. That was too big a jump. If he followed the system's instructions to the letter, deliberately helping the protagonist group and trying to win their favor, who knew how long it would take?

Granted, befriending and helping them could quickly earn him favor and fame, but kindness that came too easily wouldn't be cherished.

As he was thinking, a figure suddenly flashed in from outside. The pleasant chime of silver bells swept toward him along with a cool rush of moisture.

Lin Nieran looked up. A young man whose trouser cuffs were damp burst into the shop, bringing the wind from outside with him.

He closed his eyes briefly, waiting until the coolness gradually faded before meeting the gaze of the face so different from his own. His black eyes held a smile. "Thanks for the effort, Moonlit Night."

When he'd drawn cards a few days ago, this rare card had been the first to pop up.

It had a plain gold border and a face with no features. The only information on the card was a name, Moonlit Night, and a rank, S.

007 had told him that the card itself was alive, but had no soul. He needed to give it one.

Once he bestowed a soul upon it, the system would reshape the card's identity, abilities, and personality according to the soul's own wishes.

Looking at the card, Lin Nieran had instantly thought of which people should "activate" it.

So he separated his own personality and merged it into the card, creating the S Card Moonlit Night.

[Moonlit Night/??

Rank: S

Identity: human/??

Background: locked

Introduction: A young man from an ancient mountain village. He seems to possess extraordinary skill with a long saber and likes reading and playing tricks on people.]

"I'm glad I didn't hold you back." Moonlit Night's emerald eyes tilted slightly upward. Though he had only just returned from that soaking-wet place, there wasn't a trace of moisture on him. He looked as relaxed as if he'd just come back from a walk.

Lin Nieran said, "Did you shake off the people following you?"

"Easily." Moonlit Night smiled and handed him a card, his emerald eyes fixed on him without blinking, gentle as a lake of green jade. "This card can be used one more time."

Lin Nieran took the blue card and examined it. It was a weather card, also obtained from his ten draws. Fine, dense raindrops were painted on it, and its function was simple.

[Item card: weather card

Weather: localized moderate rain

Duration: 1H

Uses: 1/3

After use, generates moderate rain within a certain area for a certain amount of time.]

The card had been used twice: once just now with An Ying and the others, and once earlier to attract their attention.

"Do I have any other tasks?" Moonlit Night asked.

"Your tasks are over for now. There's no rush to work."

"Original body, is it appropriate for me to stay here now?" Moonlit Night looked down at Lin Nieran on the recliner. "Won't I cause you trouble?"

Lin Nieran remembered that the protagonists were also regular customers at his shop, so he said, "You're right. For the next few days, rest in my room when you're not on a task. I'll use another identity card after this."

"Another one?" Moonlit Night raised an eyebrow, looking down on everyone else with equal gentleness. "He doesn't have much fighting power. Will he be all right?"

"I'll control him personally. There won't be a problem."

"Then my task is complete? That was too easy."

"It wasn't easy. You even managed to kill an uncanny. How was that easy?"

Moonlit Night was very pleased by the praise, a hint of a smile in his eyes. Sure enough, he understood himself best.

Lin Nieran said, "Give me that Weird Object."

Moonlit Night placed a puddle of transparent slime in front of Lin Nieran. The slime had been struggling nonstop in Moonlit Night's hand, but in front of Lin Nieran, it obediently lay still and played dead.

Uncannies dropped Weird Objects whenever they were temporarily suppressed. Weird Objects had many uses and could be wielded by humans against other uncannies. But they absorbed a small amount of energy when used, and after absorbing too much, they would revive as uncannies. In that sense, uncannies could never truly be killed.

007 watched in surprise. Why did he get the feeling that the puddle of slime seemed to be... afraid of the host?

Lin Nieran reached out and played with it a little, then smiled in satisfaction. "It's a pretty good material. Well suited for forging."

[Host, once the shop opens, this kind of Weird Object can be exchanged for shop points. You can buy quite a few good things with them.]

"The shop? The system has a function like that?" Lin Nieran was clearly somewhat interested, but when he thought of his plans, he regretfully declined. "Never mind. I have a use for this."

Seeing that his host had his own ideas, 007 said no more.

[Host, I'm going to visit some other worlds first. The system I leave behind won't be as intelligent as me, but all its functions will still work.]

Lin Nieran waved him off without the slightest reluctance.

007 left, feeling a little depressed. Although it liked a host who was this easy to deal with, this host was a little too easy to deal with. It was as if he didn't need it at all.