Chapter 149: The Unmasking

“No way, Marcus. Seriously? This is your place in the game?”

Even though Marcus had warned his younger sister, Amber, that his in-game house was a mansion, seeing the large estate with her own eyes still left both her and Lily completely stunned.

The grounds stretched out in refined layers of stone pathways and manicured greenery, and the interior was no less extravagant. The grand foyer alone looked like something torn straight out of a luxury magazine, making Amber pause just inside the entrance as she slowly took it all in.

“Yeah,” Marcus replied, unable to fully suppress the pride in his voice. “The system rewarded me with it after I got the Guild Creation Token.”

“It’s so fancy,” Amber murmured, her eyes sweeping across the grand entrance hall.

Dominion had accomplished something no other game had ever managed. It blurred the boundary between reality and simulation so thoroughly that players did not merely log in to play. They lived inside it. With the latest update allowing continuous play without forced logouts for rest, homes were no longer just respawn points or stat recovery zones. They were extensions of identity, and owning a place like this was the clearest possible proof of status.

Amber suddenly turned back toward Marcus, her nose scrunching in displeasure as she pointed at his face. “Hey, Marcus, that rabbit mask is seriously creepy. You’re with Lily and me right now, not strangers. Why are you still wearing that ugly thing? Take it off.”

Before he could properly react, she lunged forward, hands already reaching for the Fluffy Rabbit’s Mask.

“Amber, wait—”

He tried to pull back, but he was too slow. When he had first entered Dominion, Marcus had deliberately reduced his appearance by twenty percent to avoid being recognized by people from his past. He had never expected the game to feel this real, nor had he imagined playing alongside Lily and his sister. Ever since the reunion, he had been quietly dreading this exact moment, wondering how he would explain the difference once they saw his altered face.

The mask came free.

As Amber tugged it away, Marcus’s true features were revealed in full.

“There we go. Much better,” Amber said cheerfully, immediately reaching up to pinch his cheek with familiar affection. She turned toward Lily with a victorious grin. “Doesn’t he look way more like himself now? That mask was just… weird.”

Lily studied his face for a brief moment before nodding, a soft smile forming. “It’s definitely better.”

“Then it’s settled,” Amber announced, clearly pleased with herself. “New rule. Whenever Marcus is with just us, the mask stays off. No excuses!”

Marcus froze.

He waited for the confusion, the hesitation, the awkward questions. He had reduced his looks by a full twenty percent. Surely they should notice something was wrong. His heart pounded as anxiety crept up his spine, his thoughts spiraling as he struggled to understand why neither of them looked surprised.

“Marcus? What’s with that expression?” Amber asked, tilting her head.

“Are you feeling alright?” Lily added, concern creasing her brow.

“I… I adjusted my appearance down by twenty percent when I made my character,” Marcus said slowly, his voice thick with disbelief. “How can you still recognize me?”

Amber stared at him for half a second before bursting into laughter. She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him, “Of course I recognize you. You’re my big bro. I don’t care how many sliders you mess with. I’d know you anywhere.”

Marcus was left completely speechless.

“The system update,” Lily explained gently as she stepped closer, her voice calm and reassuring. “Since the game is moving toward total realism, the appearance modification feature was removed. Everyone was reverted to their real-world appearance.”

“So… this is actually my real face again?” Marcus lifted a hand, tracing the familiar line of his jaw and the bridge of his nose. He had hated both the mask and the altered face, but he had worn them out of necessity. Realizing he no longer needed either sent a sudden, sharp wave of relief through his chest.

“Amber and I did the same thing back then,” Lily continued. “We lowered our looks by twenty percent too. When we logged in after the update, we realized the system had already reverted us. That’s why we weren’t surprised.”

“Hang on,” Marcus said, a new thought hitting him. “If that’s true, then what about all the ’catfish’ players; the ones who maxed out their looks to become supermodels or whatever? Isn’t the game going to explode?”

“Oh, the forums are already a complete mess,” Lily said with a light laugh. “Total chaos. But Dragonfly Corp says there’s nothing they can do. The Skynet AI handled this whole update. The company just sets the big-picture goals. As long as the system is evolving the way they want, they can’t step in and change the details. They’re finding out about most of this stuff at the same time we are.”

“Well,” Marcus said, a slow, sly grin spreading across his face. “I guess that checks out.”

“Marcus? What’s that look for?” Amber asked, eyeing him with suspicion.

“What’s that look for? You just spent the last few minutes giving your big bro a hard time. I think it’s time for a little payback.”

With the weight of his anxiety finally gone, Marcus let himself relax. The tension melted away as he leaned into the familiar rhythm of banter. He gave Amber’s shoulder a playful shove and tapped the tip of her nose. “One more word about my mask, and the payback doubles”

Amber laughed, her bright energy filling the spacious room. “I wasn’t teasing! I’m your favorite person, remember? I’m the best, most obedient sister ever.”

She looked up at him, eyes shining with warmth. For a brief moment, Marcus felt something deep and unguarded swell in his chest. A protective affection, steady and unwavering. Blood or not, she was his sister in every way that mattered, and the years they had spent together were something no system could ever rewrite.

“Right. Obedient,” Marcus said dryly, pushing the thought aside before it grew too heavy. “I actually have something for you.”

He stepped back, deliberately shifting the mood. His original plan had been to playfully ’make her pay’ with a kiss on the cheek for the gift, but after the emotional whiplash of the last few minutes, he figured he’d just let the present do the talking.

“A gift?” Amber’s eyes lit up immediately. “What is it?”

“Take a guess.”

“Do I even need to?” she said confidently. “It’s obviously some high-tier gear.”

“Wrong,” Marcus replied, drawing out the word. He glanced toward Lily. “I’ve got one for you too. Any guesses?”

“If it’s not gear, then it has to be a pet,” Lily said after a moment’s thought. “What else could it be?”

“Marcus,” Amber pressed, excitement building, “don’t tell me you found something other than the Shadow-Stained Gryphon King or the Darkfire Phoenix.”

Marcus only answered with a knowing smirk.

“Stop that and tell us already,” Amber demanded.

Chuckling, Marcus finally decided he had teased them long enough. “Alright. Take a look.”

In the center of the living room, a magnificent stallion materialized out of thin air. Its body was massive and powerful, muscles rippling beneath a coat of deep violet that shimmered faintly with energy. Sturdy hooves struck the floor with a low, resonant hum, and from its back unfurled a pair of enormous violet-red wings, lightning crackling softly along their edges. A brilliant white lightning bolt glowed on its forehead, marking it as something far beyond ordinary.

“Marcus… is that…?” Amber’s mouth fell open.

“Oh my god,” Lily whispered, unable to tear her eyes away. “It’s beautiful.”

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