MTLNOVEL Chapter 22 - Professional player
Blonde hair, side ponytail, high school uniform, and white knee-high socks—even the tears on the clothes were identical.
No, even their expressions were indistinguishable. That calm and serious gaze—far too difficult to imitate.
“You’re back? Did you find anything?”
Both of them spoke at the same time, their voices exactly alike, giving off a distinct ‘True and False Monkey King’ vibe.
“I did make a major discovery, but… which one of you is Mai?” Yuuki looked back and forth, finding it increasingly bizarre.
“Obviously me. You even held me before—how could you forget after just a short while?”
“Hey, don’t spout nonsense.”
“When we left the castle, didn’t he carry me?” The Hayasaka Ai on the left smirked, tapping her forehead. “Oh, wait, I forgot. He kicked me. Must’ve hurt, huh? Should we kick him back together?”
Watching two identical people argue was surprisingly entertaining. Yuuki had already figured out who was who—sure enough, the blonde girl on the right wiped her face, taking off a plain white mask to reveal long black hair. She shot a sharp glare at him.
[Ai-chan, could you not pull aggro for me? Do we really have to remind her about the butt-kicking incident?]
He silently glanced at Hayasaka Ai, who had clasped her hands together in a half-apology, then at the deeply wronged Sakurajima Mai, before swiftly changing the subject.
“Ahem. So, this is your Innate Trait?”
“Yeah, The Fool’s Mask. Kinda interesting… and kinda embarrassing.”
Embarrassing indeed. It was basically exposing an aspect of oneself for the world to see. Forget about keeping trump cards hidden—who would willingly reveal this to another player without absolute trust?
But survival trumped dignity. Hayasaka Ai returned to her player form and briefly explained her ability, prompting Yuuki to nod thoughtfully.
She possessed two masks. If she was sufficiently familiar with a target, she could inject a personality into a mask and have someone else wear it, allowing them to take on the target’s appearance and mannerisms.
Imitation? Acting? No, it went beyond that. Not just looks—the mannerisms, the presence itself could be replicated. Unfortunately, there were no memories included, meaning it could still be seen through.
If she wasn’t familiar enough, she could only copy the appearance—essentially a high-level disguise, but enough to fool most people.
Yuuki analyzed in his mind before asking, “What are the limitations?”
“This trial use doesn’t count, but normally, the effect lasts an hour, with a six-hour cooldown. Only two masks exist, and I can’t control whoever wears them,” Hayasaka Ai summarized.
“A specialization for infiltration and disguise.” Yuuki nodded. It was purely a support-type trait—no direct combat ability—but he could already imagine its potential.
Innate Traits could be upgraded with specialization points. No doubt, the deeper it evolved, the more drastic the changes.
What if there were unlimited masks? What if she could inject her own personality into them? And what if she eventually gained the ability to control those who wore them?
“At its peak, this Trait might let you fill the entire dungeon with copies of yourself.” He couldn’t help but think of a certain monocle-wearing figure.
(TL: Amon from Lord of the Mysteries.)
And honestly, this suited Hayasaka Ai perfectly. Aside from Shinomiya Kaguya, who could claim to truly understand this maid’s mind? No, even with just a simple disguise, most people couldn’t even guess her surface identity.
[An entire instance filled with me?]
Hayasaka Ai tilted her head slightly, seeming lost in thought, her expression oddly adorable. Then she blinked, frowning as she scanned the cramped room.
“Wait, where’s Mai-san?”
For a moment, she had completely forgotten about her.
“I’m right here.”
A soft voice, tinged with amusement. Sakurajima Mai reappeared in Hayasaka Ai’s vision, standing exactly where she had been before.
“Invisibility?!”
“More precisely, interfering with your perception—making people forget she exists. It’s not optical camouflage; it operates on a higher level,” Yuuki explained. He, too, had momentarily forgotten about Mai while speaking with Hayasaka Ai.
It was likely tied to familiarity—the less someone knew Mai, the longer they’d forget her.
“How do you know that?” Sakurajima Mai looked at him in surprise—she hadn’t even begun explaining yet.
“Senpai, please don’t underestimate a stalker’s information-gathering skills.”
Yuuki adjusted his imaginary glasses. Seeing Mai’s skeptical expression, he barely suppressed a laugh and instead turned his attention to her explanation.
Unlike the original Adolescence Syndrome, her ability allowed interactions during its duration—so long as she willed it.
[I was right to take this gamble. This Trait isn’t as powerful as the original version, but it’s controllable. Right now, it lasts twenty minutes per use, with a two-hour cooldown. And like Hayasaka Ai’s, this trial use doesn’t count.]
He processed her words, then, much like before, began planning out its future growth like a career advisor.
“If I’m not mistaken, at its peak, this Trait would let Mai completely vanish from the world.”
“Vanish how?”
“When activated, she wouldn’t just become invisible—she’d be erased from memories, history, and records. Because she dosen’t want to be seen, the world itself would forget her. Of course, it would still depend on how well someone knows her.”
“Quantum decoherence theory?”
“Uh… I’m just a medical student. If you start talking about quantum mechanics, I’m lost.”
Hayasaka Ai gave a slight nod. As a strategically ‘underachieving’ student who could precisely control her ranking, words like reduced density matrix diagonalization, off-diagonal elements, and superposition state briefly flashed through her mind. She cast Sakurajima Mai a thoughtful look, then a doubtful frown.
Without a doubt, this Innate Trait was immensely powerful—it even touched upon causality. Its value had skyrocketed. Sakurajima Mai had gone from an average non-combatant to an indispensable teammate.
[Also, if this Trait were mine… it’d be a terrifying assassin’s ability. A true ghost—killing without a trace.]
But could Mai ever become a cold-blooded killer?
Hayasaka Ai studied her carefully, then slowly shook her head.
She’d have to be twisted beyond recognition.
“Why do I get the feeling you’re placing an early bet? Do you have some kind of future-vision ability?” Hayasaka Ai suddenly narrowed her eyes at Yuuki.
“Impossible. Absolutely not.”
“Then why did you value her so much from the start? It doesn’t add up.”
“Mai-senpai’s outfit was exceptionally eye-catching. Go ahead, laugh if you want.” Yuuki placed a hand on his chest, his face utterly serious.
“As a gentleman, it’s only natural for me to take an interest.”
Smack.
Before he could react, a firm slap landed on his back. Sakurajima Mai bit her lip, her face slightly flushed.
[How many times is he going to bring that up?! What was I even thinking, wearing that stupid outfit?]
“Forget it. Never bring it up again!”
“Sorry, but it’s already engraved in my memory.”
“So erase it!”
As the two started chasing each other around, Hayasaka Ai watched with mild amusement, tilting her head slightly.
“Only natural”? Yeah, right. He wasn’t being honest.
This guy was similar to her—like someone with multiple masks. Right now, he was being playful, even inviting trouble, but under the Red Moon…
She recalled countless moments yet struggled to describe them precisely.
Cold? Decisive? A actor?
The words flickered through her mind before she circled back to her very first impression.
A professional player.