Mask

Main Quest 1: Investigate what his "older brother"—Gu Qiye—was hiding.

Quest Reward: 1 Split Point, 1 Skill Point, 1 Attribute Point

It was nearly dark. The Task Panel hovered in the twilight sky, its fluorescent glow flickering on and off, making Ji Minghuan's pupils brighten and dim in turn.

He drank his cola without giving anything away, his gaze passing through the panel to rest on Gu Qiye's face.

Gu Qiye showed no unusual reaction at the moment. It seemed he could not see the text panel floating in midair.

It looked like this was a privilege unique to Ji Minghuan.

Ji Minghuan secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Even someone with superhuman mental fortitude would probably have their eyelid twitch when a panel suddenly popped up.

Still, it had inadvertently confirmed something: no one else could see the game elements derived from his ability. That meant he could use the panel's functions even in public from now on, without worrying about drawing attention.

He took a sip of cola, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly as he thought, Putting aside what secrets this older brother has, the Main Quest reward is a "Split Point." Split Points can be used to create new characters. Does that mean I'll be able to control multiple Game Characters at once in the future?

"I remember hating teachers who dragged class out when I was in high school too. After all, I still had to go grocery shopping and head home to cook for you two." Gu Qiye's voice sounded beside Ji Minghuan's ear, interrupting his thoughts.

"What about college? Do teachers drag class out there too?" Ji Minghuan asked as he carried his cola inside, passing Gu Qiye.

He set his backpack and coat on the shoe cabinet, took off his sneakers, and changed into a pair of gray house slippers.

"College is different. If it's a class you don't want to take, you can just skip it. Who cares whether the teacher drags it out?"

"That sounds great. I want to get to college sooner too."

After putting on his slippers, Ji Minghuan slung his backpack over his shoulder and slowly crossed the entryway, leaving Gu Qiye at the door.

"Where's your sister? She didn't come back with you?" Gu Qiye asked from behind as he shut the door.

"She said at noon that she was staying over at a classmate's house tonight. She told us not to bother with her and said we only needed to buy dinner for two."

Once in the living room, Ji Minghuan tossed his backpack from his shoulder onto the sofa, then reached out to turn the standing fan toward himself. He sat down and switched on the television with the remote.

The fan blades spun with a hum, blowing gusts of wind across his face as the television reported on an incident from the previous night.

"Last night, the Esper codenamed 'Blue Arc' stopped an ability-related crime at Haiyin Micro Building in the city center. The perpetrator, the police-wanted Giant Pruff, has now been sent to the Esper Association..."

As the news anchor explained, she enlarged a photograph. In it stood a man wearing a metallic uniform woven from azure and blue, a helmet covering his head. Dark-blue arcs of electricity burst from his body as he stood motionless in the center of a plaza, one foot planted atop a fallen giant.

The giant stood four or five meters tall, its massive body sprawled across a shattered fountain. The man stood on its back as though atop a slightly raised hill. LED screens in every direction magnified his figure, while pedestrians gathered beneath the neon lights and cheered for him.

"Esper" was the title given to ability users affiliated with official organizations.

They generally worked for their local Esper Associations, and the Esper codenamed Blue Arc on television was naturally no exception. He was one of the best Espers in Li Capital and had earned tremendous merit over the past few years. There was probably no ordinary resident of Li Capital who did not know his name. He was even more popular than the hottest idols.

Could the organization that captured my original body for research be the Esper Association? Ji Minghuan thought as he stared at the figure on television, electricity flowing all over his body.

"Remember to have your sister text me back later. I have something to do tonight too, so I might be back very late. I sent you money for dinner on WeChat. Just order takeout at home later. Eat whatever you want." Gu Qiye walked into the living room and stopped behind the sofa, speaking as he lifted a hand and rubbed Ji Minghuan's shoulder.

"Okay. Go do what you need to do."

Ji Minghuan lowered his head and glanced at the Prompt Box on his phone. Gu Qiye had sent him one hundred yuan over WeChat. Even half that amount would have been more than enough for dinner. This older brother was just too nice.

"Remember to eat."

Gu Qiye smiled, reached out to ruffle his hair, then changed his shoes and headed out.

The sound of the door closing rang out, and the house instantly became so quiet that only the cicadas in the trees outside could be heard. On the television, the anchor was still discussing the recently introduced regulations for supervising ability users.

"I have to say, having family really is... novel," Ji Minghuan murmured absentmindedly.

The fan blew directly onto his cheeks, driving away the summer heat it carried in from outside. A moment later, he leaned his head against the back of the sofa and looked again at the quest prompt sitting in the corner of his vision.

Main Quest 1: Investigate what his "older brother"—Gu Qiye—was hiding.

"So what am I supposed to do?" He glanced sideways out the window. Gu Qiye's back had not yet disappeared completely. Don't tell me I really have to follow him. This body's ability is quite suited for tailing someone, but I still don't know whether Gu Qiye is an ability user, or some other bizarre supernatural type... Following him without any preparation would be a terrible deal if I got caught midway.

As he thought, he pressed the gear icon in the lower-right corner of his vision. The System Panel popped up.

Ji Minghuan selected the Task Panel option and tapped it. The next second, lines of text immediately appeared before his eyes.

Main Quest 1: Investigate what his "older brother," Gu Qiye, was hiding.

Main Quest 2: Investigate what his "father," Gu Zhuoan, was hiding.

Main Quest 3: Investigate what his "younger sister," Su Zimai, was hiding.

Main Quest 4: Investigate what his "best friend," Li Qingping, was hiding.

The quests on the panel left Ji Minghuan speechless. After a long while, he silently teased in his mind, Gu Wenyu... why are all the people around you such hidden monsters? If my ability really has self-awareness, then it must have been brimming with malice when it designed this Game Character's backstory.

He shrugged and thought again, Still, since they're all people around me, finding chances to figure out their secrets shouldn't be hard. Living together all the time, they're bound to let something slip. The real question is, how do I hide my own ability from them?

Besides... once I pull my original body out of that laboratory, I probably won't need this "Game Character" anymore. What am I supposed to tell them then? "The family member you know is actually a fake person I molded with my ability"? And what would all those years of memories mean to them? They won't chase after me demanding emotional debts afterward, will they?

Setting aside that unsolvable problem for now, Ji Minghuan closed the Task Panel and tapped the Character Skill Tree option instead.

Character Skill Tree system loaded. Below is the current development progress of each skill branch.

Branch One (Concealment): Restraint Belt Senses (Available to Learn) → Unknown (Learn the "previous skill" in this branch to view this skill's details) → Unknown → Unknown...

Branch Two (Frenzy): Restraint Belt Extension (Available to Learn) → Unknown (Learn the "previous skill" in this branch to view this skill's details) → Unknown → Unknown...

Branch Three (Ferocity): Restraint Belt Detection (Available to Learn) → Unknown (Learn the "previous skill" in this branch to view this skill's details) → Unknown → Unknown...

Prompt 1: Tap a skill to view its detailed description.

Prompt 2: You currently have 1 Skill Point. You may select one skill from the branches to add a point to. After adding a point, you will learn that skill and unlock information on the next skill in that branch.