Star Rail, I, a Researcher, Joined the Chat Group

Hoshino Ai: "Great! Kurumi-chan only got 33 Points from checking in too! Looks like we're not the problem—it's the other newcomer!"

Tokisaki Kurumi: "..."

Tokisaki Kurumi's expression turned somewhat subtle at those words.

Kurumi...-chan?

Was this person being a little too familiar?

However, Tokisaki Kurumi had far too many doubts right now, so she did not say anything.

Gotoh Hitori: "Y-yeah, a-and her ability to accept things is way too strong too... She accepted the Chat Group's setting right away... Th-that's really, really amazing."

Bocchi the Rock! World.

Gotoh Hitori recalled how she had acted when she first joined the group... and immediately felt so embarrassed that she could barely look at herself.

Seeing how calm Chen Mu was now...

The shame in her heart surged forth by comparison.

Kochou Kanae: "My, my. It seems this newcomer named Chen Mu might not be so simple."

Kochou Kanae spoke up at this moment as well.

After all, how could someone who accepted such a fantastical setting as a Chat Group so quickly be ordinary?

Chen Mu: "No, no. I've merely seen a bit more of the world, that's all. I'm not as impressive as you think."

In the Star Rail world, he had no abilities whatsoever.

He had not received the favor of any Aeon either; calling him an ordinary person would not be an exaggeration.

"..." x3

Kochou Kanae, Gotoh Hitori, and Hoshino Ai were instantly speechless.

Seen more of the world?

What kind of worldly experience would let someone so calmly accept settings like other worlds and higher dimensions?

The three of them simply ignored it.

Hoshino Ai spoke in the group instead.

Hoshino Ai: "Forget that for now, hehehe.

"A friendly reminder: if you don't believe the Chat Group is real, you can use your Points. We still don't know most of their uses, but the simplest one is strengthening yourself. Just try it, and you'll know whether what we said is true. @Tokisaki Kurumi."

Kochou Kanae: "That's true. Miss Kurumi will know once she tries it. Luckily, Miss Kurumi had such a normal reaction—otherwise, I would have started wondering whether we were the abnormal ones."

Hoshino Ai: "Yes, yes. Also, if you still don't believe it, every newcomer gets one free chance to travel to a group member's world. You can go as long as the other party agrees."

Hoshino Ai: "But speaking as someone who's been through it, I have to tell you to use that chance carefully. Every trip after that costs a massive one thousand Points, sob sob sob."

Tokisaki Kurumi: "..."

Gotoh Hitori: "Um... @Chen Mu, if Mr. Chen Mu wants to, you can try using Points too. It's really amazing, although it seems like you already believe the Chat Group exists..."

Chen Mu merely chuckled and shook his head.

He did not need to.

Whether his strength improved or not did not mean much to him right now.

Of course.

More importantly, Chen Mu wondered just how much these 100 Points could actually improve him.

He might as well save them. If he accumulated more later, perhaps they would have other uses.

Date A Live World.

Tokisaki Kurumi was somewhat dazed upon hearing this.

Strengthening herself, traveling between worlds?

She set aside the matter of traveling between worlds for the moment.

Following Hoshino Ai's guidance, she cautiously used her Points to test it out...

Then.

Tokisaki Kurumi was shocked!

Because she discovered that, without any warning, she had gained an extra day of time.

As the Spirit of Time.

Tokisaki Kurumi was naturally extremely sensitive to time!

Although one day was not much.

But she had only casually tapped the check-in button to obtain that day of time!

Most crucially, this completely unprompted increase... Could everything the Chat Group said be true?

At this moment.

Tokisaki Kurumi was deeply shaken, and she could not help but start to believe in the reality of the Chat Group!

Tokisaki Kurumi: "A-Amazing... it really did increase my strength."

Hoshino Ai: "Haha, looks like the newcomer already used her Points. Now you know everything we said was true, right?"

Hoshino Ai: "Alright, back to the main topic! Let's all introduce ourselves and get to know each other better. We'll be in the same group from now on, so... I'll start."

Chen Mu smiled again when he heard that.

Introductions were perfectly normal when everyone was still unfamiliar with one another.

It was just that he already knew who they were without needing them to introduce themselves.

Still, knowing was one thing. There was no need for him to steal the spotlight.

Hoshino Ai: "Mm~ My name is Hoshino Ai! I'm just an ordinary person, I guess. I'm sixteen this year, and I'm currently working hard to become an idol!"

Gotoh Hitori: "I-I'm Gotoh Hitori. I'm sixteen too, and I'm also an ordinary person. Um... I'm hoping to form my own band and debut someday... Ugh, I already said that earlier, didn't I?"

Kochou Kanae: "My name is Kochou Kanae, and I'm a member of the Demon Slayer Corps. Um... I suppose you could call me a Demon Slayer? It's rather troublesome to explain, so if you're curious, I can tell you more later."

Tokisaki Kurumi: "...Mm, hello. My name is Tokisaki Kurumi. I suppose I'm an ordinary student?"

"?"

Hoshino Ai, Gotoh Hitori, and Kochou Kanae were one thing.

But when it came to Tokisaki Kurumi, Chen Mu froze upon hearing her introduction.

An ordinary person? A student?

Was the timeline of Date A Live World this early?

But soon enough, Chen Mu understood.

No, not necessarily.

Perhaps Tokisaki Kurumi was simply concealing things on purpose.

After all, not everyone was like him.

He had effortlessly understood the Chat Group and knew all the information about its members.

For an ordinary person, this was their first exposure to such things. Everything was unknown, and they had no idea whether the others were good or bad.

It was only natural to remain wary and hide certain things.

It was just that Tokisaki Kurumi probably never would have imagined that, despite this being another world, someone in the group actually knew of her existence.

Thinking that, Chen Mu introduced himself with a helpless smile.

Chen Mu: "My name is Chen Mu. In my world, I'm a researcher. I suppose I count as an ordinary person too."

Hoshino Ai: "Eh? Both newcomers are ordinary people? What a shame. I thought the problems in Kanae's world could finally be solved."

Hoshino Ai: "@Chen Mu, especially you. I'm very disappointed in you.jpg."

Chen Mu: "..."

You're disappointed in me? Are you Yui Hirasawa or something?

Besides, who said a researcher could not solve the problems in Demon Slayer World?

You know nothing about researchers.

Giving the Group Members a Taste of Technological Shock

Gotoh Hitori: "..."

Gotoh Hitori: "@Hoshino Ai, d-don't say that, Ai-chan. He's a researcher—that's already really impressive..."

Hearing Hoshino Ai's words, Gotoh Hitori gave a dry laugh. Feeling all too relatable, she spoke with hopeless resignation.

That was a researcher.

For ordinary people, that was an incredibly prestigious profession.

Unlike her.

She did not even know what she would be able to do in the future.

Considering that she could not even find people to form a band with, and that aside from everyone in the Chat Group, she did not dare speak to anyone else in real life, once she grew up, she would probably become the sort of freeloader who could only stay home, hide away in a dark corner, and live off her parents... She might even have to shamefully rely on her younger sister...

Hehe... hehe...

Something like being a researcher was still far too dazzling for someone like her.

Hoshino Ai: "Of course I know that. It's just a bit of a shame, that's all. Ever since Chen Mu joined the group, he's always seemed so full of anticipation, hehe~"

Kochou Kanae: "It is indeed a little regrettable, but it's nothing. With the Chat Group and Points, I'll eventually grow strong enough to deal with the demons."

Kochou Kanae herself merely chuckled, not particularly bothered by it.

Tokisaki Kurumi: "The problem in Miss Butterfly's world? Demons?"

Tokisaki Kurumi appropriately raised a question at that moment.

After all, she had no idea what Hoshino Ai and the others were talking about.

Though she did remember Kochou Kanae mentioning the Demon Slayer Corps and Demon Slayers during her introduction...

Hoshino Ai: "Ah, the newcomer doesn't know yet, right? In Kanae's world, there are terrifying demons that eat people. Kanae is someone who specializes in exterminating those demons."

Hoshino Ai: "Ugh, honestly, if it weren't for Kanae, I never would've imagined that other worlds could have something so terrifying. But precisely because demons exist, I feel like there might be all sorts of strange things in other worlds too—spirits, angels, goddesses, and so on..."

Hoshino Ai: "But looking at things now, ordinary people still seem to be the majority~ Aside from Kanae, everyone in the group is just an ordinary person."

Tokisaki Kurumi: "..."

Chen Mu: "..."

Tokisaki Kurumi knew that she was not an ordinary person, so she did not know how to respond for the moment.

As for Chen Mu...

He knew that he was an ordinary person.

But the problem was...

The strange things Hoshino Ai had mentioned might exist in his world too—and there were quite a lot of them...

Hoshino Ai: "Oh, right! If you want to learn Kanae's Breathing Techniques, they're in the group files. This is Kanae's main source of strength against demons, and she shared them for free! Hehehe~"

Gotoh Hitori: "Mm, mm... Ai-chan and I are both learning the Breathing Techniques, but Kanae's Breathing Techniques are really, really difficult..."