My Avatar Is Becoming the Final Boss-Chapter 6: Mask

【Main Quest 1: Investigate what your “brother” Gu Qiye is hiding.】
【Quest Reward: 1 Split Point, 1 Skill Point, 1 Attribute Point】
The sky was nearly dark. The quest log hovered against the twilight, glowing faintly with flickering light, casting alternating brightness and shadow in Ji Minghuan’s pupils.
He drank his cola calmly, gaze slipping past the quest window to land on Gu Qiye’s face.
At the moment, Gu Qiye showed no particular reaction—it seemed he couldn’t see the floating quest panel.
Looks like this was a privilege exclusive to Ji Minghuan.
He secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Even with nerves of steel, the sudden appearance of the panel would make anyone flinch.
But unintentionally, this did confirm something: other people couldn’t see the game elements derived from his esper ability. That meant in the future, he could safely use the panel’s features even in public, without drawing any suspicious attention.
He took another sip of cola, Adam’s apple shifting slightly, thinking to himself: “Let’s not focus on what the brother’s hiding just yet. The quest reward is a Split Point, and Split Points can be used to create new characters. So that means I can control multiple game characters at once?”
"I remember back in high school, I hated teachers who dragged class overtime too," Gu Qiye’s voice interrupted his thoughts, "Had to rush to the supermarket to buy groceries and cook dinner for you two after school."
“What about college? Still have those kinds of teachers?” Ji Minghuan asked as he walked inside, brushing past Gu Qiye with his cola.
He put his backpack and jacket on the shoe cabinet, then took off his sneakers and changed into a pair of gray indoor slippers.
“College is different. If there’s a class you don’t like, just skip it. Who cares if the prof drags it out.”
“Sounds nice. I can’t wait for college.”
Wearing the slippers now, Ji Minghuan slung his bag over one shoulder and casually walked through the entryway, leaving Gu Qiye at the door.
“What about our sister? Didn’t she come back with you?” Gu Qiye asked as he shut the door behind them.
“She told me at lunch that she’s staying at a classmate’s place tonight. Told us not to worry and just buy food for two.”
After entering the living room, Ji Minghuan tossed his bag onto the couch, reached out to adjust the standing fan toward himself, then plopped down and turned on the TV with the remote.
The fan blades began spinning with a hum, sending gusts of air across his face. The television was airing a news story from the night before.
“A reality-altering Esper known as ‘Blue Arc’ stopped a superhuman crime in Haiyinwei Tower downtown last night. The perpetrator, the police-wanted ‘Giant Proof’, has now been turned over to the Esper Association…”
As the anchor spoke, the camera zoomed in on a photo—a man clad in a blue-and-silver metallic suit, wearing a helmet, his body crackling with deep blue arcs of electricity. He stood motionless in the center of the plaza, feet firmly on the back of a collapsed giant.
The giant was four or five meters tall, sprawled across a shattered fountain. The man stood atop its back like he was at the summit of a gently sloping hill. All the surrounding LED screens were displaying his image. Pedestrians gathered under neon lights, cheering for him.
“Esper”—a common term for officially recognized superhumans.
They typically worked for local Esper Associations, and this man on the screen, “Blue Arc,” was no exception. He was one of the elite among Lijing’s Espers, with an impressive record over the past few years. Most people in the city likely knew his name—his popularity even surpassed that of major celebrities.
“So the organization that’s experimenting on my real body… could it be the Esper Association?” Ji Minghuan wondered, staring at the electric-clad figure on the screen.
“Make sure our sister texts me back. I’ve got stuff to do tonight and might be back late. I sent you money for dinner on WeChat—just order something in. Get whatever you feel like eating,” Gu Qiye said, stepping into the living room and stopping behind the couch. He ruffled Ji Minghuan’s shoulder as he spoke.
“Got it. Take care,” Ji Minghuan replied.
He glanced at his phone—WeChat showed 100 yuan transferred from Gu Qiye. Even if only half that had been sent, it would’ve been more than enough for dinner. This big brother was just too good.
“Don’t forget to eat.”
Gu Qiye chuckled and ruffled his hair, then changed shoes and headed out.
The sound of the door closing echoed softly. The house fell quiet, save for the cicadas buzzing outside the window. On TV, the anchor was still discussing the latest regulations on superhuman oversight.
“Having a family… it’s such a strange feeling,” Ji Minghuan murmured without much thought.
The fan blew directly against his face, driving away the summer heat. After a moment, he leaned back against the couch and glanced at the quest reminder still hovering in the corner of his vision.
【Main Quest 1: Investigate what your “brother” Gu Qiye is hiding.】
“So what am I supposed to do now,” he muttered, eyes shifting toward the window. Gu Qiye’s silhouette hadn’t completely vanished yet. “Am I actually supposed to follow him? This body’s ability is well-suited for tracking, sure… but I still don’t know if Gu Qiye is an Esper or some kind of other supernatural type. If I tail him without preparation and get caught halfway, it won’t be worth the risk.”
As he thought this, he tapped the gear icon at the bottom-right of his vision, opening the system panel.
Ji Minghuan selected the [Quest Log] and tapped it. The next moment, a list of messages popped up in front of him.
【Main Quest 1: Investigate what your “brother” Gu Qiye is hiding.】
【Main Quest 2: Investigate what your “father” Gu Zhuo’an is hiding.】
【Main Quest 3: Investigate what your “sister” Su Zimai is hiding.】
【Main Quest 4: Investigate what your “best friend” Li Qingping is hiding.】
Faced with this lineup of quests, Ji Minghuan fell silent.
After a while, he couldn’t help but mentally snark: “Classmate Gu Wenyu… why are the people around you all such damn dark horses? If my ability really does have a will of its own, then it was being straight-up petty when it designed your backstory.”
He shrugged and thought again: “Still, since they’re all people around me, it shouldn’t be hard to find a chance to figure them out. Living under the same roof, someone’s bound to slip up eventually. The real problem is how to hide my own ability from them.”
“And then… once I rescue my real body from the lab, I won’t even need this ‘game character’ anymore. What then, do I tell them, ‘Hey, that family member you cared about all these years? Just a fake puppet made from my powers.’ Wouldn’t they come chasing me for emotional damages?”
Setting aside that unsolvable problem for now, Ji Minghuan closed the quest log and tapped [Skill Tree].
【Character Skill Tree System Loaded. Below is the current progress of each skill branch.】
【Branch 1 (Stealth): Binding Restraint Sensory (Pending) → Unknown (Details available after unlocking the previous skill) → Unknown → Unknown…】
【Branch 2 (Frenzy): Binding Restraint Extension (Pending) → Unknown (Details available after unlocking the previous skill) → Unknown → Unknown…】
【Branch 3 (Savage): Binding Restraint Detection (Pending) → Unknown (Details available after unlocking the previous skill) → Unknown → Unknown…】
【Note 1: Tap on a skill to view its full description.】
【Note 2: You currently have 1 Skill Point. You may choose one skill in any branch to activate. Unlocking a skill will also reveal the next one in that branch.】