Chapter 52: Seven Councilors

Chapter 52: Seven Councilors

Audrey’s right hand paused slightly, then returned to normal. She picked up the personality mask known as Arrogance.

“A fifty percent probability is not low.” She gave Pauli Delrau a simple response.

She was saying that, when choosing between two options, picking the personality mask Hvin Rambis had once worn was not a coincidence worth being surprised over.

After saying this, Audrey put that cold grayish-white mask on her face.

Almost instantly, she felt an additional virtual personality appear within her mind island.

It did not come from the outside world. Rather, it was a magnification and extremization of one part of her cognition:

“They are very poorly educated. They must be guided by me to make the correct choices.

“Not everyone possesses sufficient wisdom. Quite the contrary—most people are very foolish.

“Those workers act through impulse rather than reason. They are easily lured by small benefits. They are shortsighted. Only if I think, guide, and decide for them can they be saved.

“They deserve pity, but they are not worth communicating with.

“…”

Thought after thought echoed inside Audrey’s mind, making her almost believe that they were truths. After all, this was part of the feedback she had received during her previous observations and experiences, not something fabricated out of nothing.

As her gaze swept across the smooth surface of the long table, Audrey saw her present self reflected there:

On the cold grayish-white mask, the two eyes had moved upward and become fixed at the forehead, as if they only looked at high places and cared about nothing else. It gave one a feeling that was somewhat funny, somewhat grotesque, and concealed an undertone of horror.

Audrey fell silent all at once. After several seconds, she spoke in a low voice.

“So this is Arrogance?”

If she had not long since broken free of cognitive errors through exchanges with Mr. World, Mr. Hanged Man, Madam Hermit, and others, she might have truly been affected by the personality virtualized by the Arrogance mask just now.

As for what result being affected would bring, she could not currently judge.

“You returned to normal more quickly than I imagined. It seems you have not lost yourself in the experience of manipulating others.” Delrau praised her.

Audrey thoughtfully replied,

“Mr. Hvin Rambis always behaved a little arrogantly…”

Delrau clasped together the hands resting between his chest and abdomen.

“You could observe that?”

“Only occasionally, in certain details.” Audrey answered with two short phrases.

Delrau sighed, smiled, and shook his head.

“Hvin Rambis was influenced by this personality mask more severely than I expected. Furthermore, he usually disguised it very well.

“Under that premise, I am not surprised by his disappearance. Arrogance would make him fail to see the path under his feet. It would make him look down upon Beyonders weaker than himself, and that often brings tremendous danger.”

Audrey restrained her impulse to recall Hvin Rambis’s death and, after considering her words, asked,

“These seven personality masks can magnify corresponding cognitions and emotions, helping us realize our own problems so that we can solve them in a targeted way. At the same time, they bring certain negative effects, unconsciously changing the wearer’s personality?”

Delrau nodded slightly.

“In the domain of the mind, it is difficult for external assistance to be pure and harmless. There must be sufficient internal power to avoid the corresponding negative influence.

“The fact that you can recognize this means you are walking the correct path.”

Audrey had just been about to take the opportunity to discuss certain matters of the mind domain when she suddenly saw one personality mask on the table vanish.

She subconsciously turned toward the church entrance and saw a figure pass through the doorway and walk in.

The figure wore a three-piece formal suit and held a half-height silk top hat…