Audrey's right hand paused slightly before she picked up the personality mask known as "Pride."
"A 50% probability isn't low." She gave Pauli Delaraut a brief reply.
What she meant was that selecting the very mask Heward Lambis had once worn, in a choice of two, wasn't some startling coincidence.
Having said that, Audrey placed the cold, ashen mask over her face.
Almost instantly, she felt a "virtual personality" emerge within her mental island.
This didn't originate from the outside world—it was an amplification and extreme of some aspect of her cognition:
"Their level of education is very low; they can only make the right choices under my guidance."
"Not everyone possesses sufficient wisdom. Quite the opposite—the vast majority of people are foolish."
"Those workers act on impulse rather than reason. They are easily tempted by trivial benefits, shortsighted. Only when I think, when I guide, when I decide, can they be saved."
"They deserve pity, but not conversation."
"..."
One thought after another echoed through Audrey's mind, making her almost believe they were the truth. After all, these were partial reflections she had received through previous observations and experiences—not fabrications conjured from thin air.
With a glance, Audrey caught sight of her current self in the smooth surface of the long table:
On that cold, ashen mask, the two eyes had shifted upward, settling at the position of the forehead, as if gazing only at what was above and caring for nothing else. It gave an impression that was simultaneously amusing, grotesque, and subtly terrifying.
Audrey fell silent, and after several seconds, spoke in a low voice:
"So this is 'Pride'?"
If she hadn't long since broken free of cognitive misconceptions through her exchanges with Mr. World, Mr. The Hanged Man, Ms. The Hermit, and others, she might well have been genuinely influenced by the virtual personality the "Pride" mask had projected.
As for what consequences such influence might bring, she couldn't yet say.
"You've recovered much faster than I expected. It seems you haven't become lost in the experience of 'manipulating' others." Delaraut praised approvingly.
Audrey responded thoughtfully:
"Mr. Heward Lambis always did seem a bit proud..."
Delaraut clasped the hands resting against his chest and abdomen:
"You could observe that?"
"Just occasionally. Some details." Audrey gave her answer in two brief phrases.
Delauer sighed and shook his head with a smile:
"Herwin Lambis was affected by that personality mask far more severely than I had anticipated, and he usually kept up his disguise remarkably well.
"Given those circumstances, I'm not surprised by his disappearance. Pride would have made him blind to the path beneath his feet, made him look down on Beyonders weaker than himself — and that often leads to tremendous danger."
Audrey suppressed the urge to recall Herwin Lambis's death and asked carefully:
"These seven personality masks can amplify corresponding perceptions and emotions, helping us recognize our own problems so we can address them deliberately. At the same time, they also carry certain negative effects, subtly altering the wearer's personality without their awareness?"
Delauer nodded slightly:
"In the domain of the mind, it's difficult to find external assistance that is purely beneficial and entirely harmless. One must possess sufficient inner strength to ward off the corresponding negative effects.
"That you can recognize this means you're walking the correct path."
Audrey was just about to take the opportunity to discuss some questions about the mental domain when she suddenly noticed one of the personality masks on the table vanish.
She instinctively turned her head toward the church entrance and saw a figure passing through the doors, stepping inside.
The figure wore a formal three-piece suit, held a half-height silk top hat in one hand, and wore the personality mask that had just disappeared.
The mask's mouth was stretched into a wide grin reaching nearly to the ears, and it remained perpetually open, as though trying to swallow everything its two eyes could see.
"This is one of the committee members of our Psychology Alchemy Society's Council — Mr. Gluttony," Delauer introduced to Audrey.
After that, the remaining council members of the Psychology Alchemy Society arrived one after another: Mr. Lust, Ms. Greed, Miss Sloth, and Mr. Envy.
As a seasoned Spectator, the first thing Audrey noticed was the differences between each personality mask:
The Greed mask was similar to Gluttony's — the mouth stretched to the ears — but it wasn't open, and both eyes were shut;
The Lust mask resembled Pride's, except the eyes were unlike those of an ordinary person — they had sunk to the midpoint of the bridge of the nose, as if gazing upward at people;
The Envy mask had eyes, ears, mouth, and nose all slightly askew, and it carried an inherently gloomy aura;
The Sloth mask had eyes tightly shut and a mouth hanging naturally downward, giving the impression that its wearer was fast asleep.
Seeing that all the original council members had gathered, Delauer said with a smile: