Chapter 157: Human Skin Mask

【The Grand Performance instance True End – “Lonely Playwright” has been recorded】

【MVP Player: ** (This player has not set a display nickname)】

In the Ruins of the Sunset, the system broadcast sounded as usual, but the players’ attention was a little different from usual.

“Asterisks again? Are all the big shots recently going for a low-key anonymous style?”

“I don’t care, I’m counting all asterisks as the same person! Asterisk is too strong, I’m a fan!”

“The betting’s open, I’ll bet a dime that there won’t be a clear video again this time!”

…【Grand Performance evaluation rating S, reward points 5000】

【Grand Performance True End route cleared, reward points 5000】

【Worldview comprehension 100%, reward points 5000】

【Achievement “Big Player” unlocked (won three or more mini-games in the instance), reward points 1000】

【Achievement “The Undying” unlocked (died three times cumulatively in the instance), reward points 1000】

【Total reward points 17000, already deposited into points account】

In the temple, Qi Si leaned back in the high-backed chair, languidly watching lines of silver-white settlement text refresh across the light gray system interface.

Compared to the mishap in Shuangxi Town, the points obtained from this instance were back within an acceptable range.

But only acceptable.

Qi Si watched his account balance change from 【60600】 to 【77600】, and yawned listlessly.

Because most of the time was spent in Charlie’s consciousness space, the total duration of the Grand Performance instance was shorter than the previous instances he had experienced, but it was enough to make him feel exhausted.

One game after another with no absolute winner, rest time was over in a blink of an eye, and the steps of eating meals were completely omitted… Qi Si felt that he had been tormented a bit severely this time, and had to admit that Charlie was even more perverse than the Eerie Game in terms of exploiting players.

Of course, Charlie’s instance design still had its merits. The zero-sum game of strategy laid bare, and the voting process that isolated and considered evil and value, both had considerable aesthetic value.

Since entering the game, most players had worn the false mask of unity and friendship. This was the first time they had openly harmed and colluded with each other for profit, as seen in Grand Performance.

Compared to exchanging pleasantries with a friendly face, Qi Si preferred this blatant crime and malice.

It was as if only this way… he could feel the reality he had long been accustomed to.

The settlement text on the system interface got stuck and did not refresh for a long time.

Qi Si waited for a while, but no new text appeared.

He rubbed the cold mask on his face, and with a feeling, took it off.

In an instant, the colorful mask disintegrated into three-colored light spots, flying and mixing in the void in front of Qi Si.

As golden beams of light joined in, the mask became thinner and its color faded, until it finally became a transparent white gauze.

【Congratulations on perfectly clearing the Grand Performance instance, you have received the reward item: Human Skin Mask】

The prompt for the reward item arrived late. The white gauze slowly settled into a thin, transparent skin mask before his eyes, floating in and out of sight.

【Name: Human Skin Mask】

【Type: Item】

【Effect: After covering it on your face, all beings will see the image of you that they subconsciously believe you to be】

【Note: You are anyone, and no longer anyone. Is the ‘you’ in their eyes truly you?】

This was something written in the transaction between Qi Si and Charlie.

Well, as a playwright, it’s reasonable to be able to create all sorts of strange characters and then upgrade a mask to a Human Skin Mask.

Qi Si was dissatisfied with the Eerie Game’s stinginess in directly counting the Human Skin Mask as a reward item, but he could only be content.

The item 【Human Skin Mask】 combined with him was incredibly powerful, even somewhat overpowered.

Not only could it allow him to freely create various identities for himself in the instance, responding to various situations more flexibly, but it also made it more convenient for him to… run away after tricking others.

Combined with the effect of 【Rose Heart】, he only needed to weave a convincing identity for himself with words, and his appearance in the eyes of others would also transform to match that identity.

Qi Si felt that with this item, even if his combat power remained so useless in the future, he might still be able to run rampant in the Eerie Game.

As long as he was good enough at acting and fast enough to run.

Of course, this was the ideal scenario.

Combat power, however, still needed to be improved, otherwise, if he encountered someone like Cynthia again, he would definitely not survive a single bullet.

Qi Si reached out and picked up the Human Skin Mask, feeling a trace of coolness.

He walked to the full-length mirror and saw his pale face in the glass.

After leaving the instance, all wounds had vanished as if new. He pressed the thin skin mask to his face and, facing the mirror, said word by word: “My name is Lin Chen, a university student. I was beaten to death by thugs for acting heroically and entered the Eerie Game after death.”

As each word was uttered, the features in the mirror slowly shifted, becoming both familiar and strange. The gloomy, bloodthirsty aura dissipated, leaving only sunshine and honesty.

—It was clearly Lin Chen’s image from ‘Rose Manor’.

Qi Si raised his hand to touch his face. The edges of the mask were seamless, showing no flaws.

He stared at the mirror and continued, “My name is Yang Yundong, I am a soldier…”

Different faces switched on the young man’s face, male and female, old and young, each one could be described as remarkably lifelike.

After changing faces many more times and confirming that the 【Human Skin Mask】 was fine, Qi Si put it into his item slot and sat back in the high-backed chair.

To his right, a golden vine phantom hung down from above, swaying without wind, and four brilliant leaves flickered in the dim light.

The vine was long, with sparse leaves occupying four nodes. From a distance, it looked like a bare golden thread, not very aesthetically pleasing.

Qi Si envisioned a future where the Soul Leaf covered the entire vine, and found it quite interesting.

He reached out a finger to touch the newest leaf that had grown, bringing up Dong Xiwen’s system interface.

【Grand Performance evaluation rating A, reward points 3000】

【Grand Performance True End route cleared, reward points 5000】

【Worldview comprehension 100%, reward points 5000】

【Achievement “Last Winner” unlocked (became the last survivor in a single play), reward points 1000】

【Achievement “Audience” unlocked (successfully played the role of “Audience” in the play), reward points 1000】

【Total reward points 15000】

Upon seeing the “Audience” achievement, Qi Si raised an eyebrow.

If he wasn’t mistaken, every role would receive a similar achievement if successfully played.

So why didn’t he get the “Villain” achievement? Wasn’t he villainous enough?

Discovering that his clear wasn’t perfect, Qi Si’s good mood faded considerably in an instant.

With a slight thought, he extracted three thousand points from Dong Xiwen’s reward points into his own account, then glanced at Liu Yuhan’s leaf, confirming that there were no new points to extract, and only then did he give up.

Although the slightly gloomy phantom on Dong Xiwen at the end of the instance made him a little concerned, this was not enough reason for him to show leniency.

He wasn’t afraid of people, so why would he be afraid of ghosts?

It was still early. Qi Si entered the video interface of the mall and searched for the name “Dong Ziwen”, but found no results.

He wondered if he was overthinking, or if the other party was as cautious and suspicious as he was, with no intention of uploading videos.

Qi Si browsed casually for a while, then exited the mall.

Having nothing to do, he simply rested his elbow on the bronze long table, which was displaying the live stream interface, and clicked into a live stream room of a girl who clearly wouldn’t live long.

This was a clichéd school instance. The players sat neatly in the classroom, heads down, doing exam questions.

A long-haired female teacher with half a bleeding corpse in her hand wandered back and forth in the aisle.

The girl who was the streamer seemed very nervous. The entire screen was shaking, and her gaze lingered on the questions for a long time without answering a single one.

She was trembling like a sieve, gritting her teeth, cautiously shifting her gaze, seemingly wanting to peek at the answer of the player next to her.

“A-Ling, over here…” A deliberately lowered male voice came from off-screen, young and somewhat familiar.

The girl, called “A-Ling,” felt as if she had been granted amnesty and immediately discreetly reached her hand in the direction of the voice, taking a slip of paper filled with answers.

In the instant she glanced sideways, Qi Si finally saw the person who passed her the answers.

It was Lin Chen!