Star Rail, the Researcher Me Joins the Chat Group

Star Rail World.

As Chen Mu claimed the Red Envelope, he looked at the Nichirin Blade that had suddenly appeared before him, clicking his tongue in amazement.

This Chat Group really was interesting.

It looked simple, but what it contained was anything but.

Chen Mu: "I have something to do next, so I'll log off for now. I'll contact you once I'm done, @Kochou Kanae."

Kochou Kanae: "Alright."

Chen Mu: "Oh, right."

Just as Chen Mu was about to log off, he suddenly remembered something.

A mischievous smile appeared on his face as he said in the group.

Chen Mu: "@Gotoh Hitori, Miss Gotoh, if you want to find a band, I suggest bringing your guitar to school and giving it a try."

Chen Mu: "@Hoshino Ai, as for you, Miss Hoshino Ai, just as you said, I believe you'll definitely become famous as an idol. But I've calculated it with my fingers—you're not suited for romance before you become famous. Take note."

Gotoh Hitori: "???"

Hoshino Ai: "???"

Gotoh Hitori and Hoshino Ai were both stunned by his words, utterly unable to make sense of them.

But Chen Mu had no intention of explaining. Entirely irresponsibly, he simply logged off.

He just found it very amusing.

As for the fact that he knew and understood everyone in the Chat Group—

Chen Mu had no intention of deliberately showing off, but neither did he intend to deliberately hide it.

Come to think of it.

Through the girls' introductions and their conversations, Chen Mu had also roughly grasped their respective timelines.

Whether it was Kochou Kanae or Hoshino Ai—

The tragedies that would befall them had yet to occur, which was something worth being thankful for.

Otherwise, it really would have been quite regrettable.

As for now...

Chen Mu set the Nichirin Blade aside, feeling his eyelids grow heavy.

For now, he should get some proper rest.

He had originally left the laboratory and returned to his room to rest, only to be interrupted by the Chat Group.

With that thought—

Chen Mu slowly drifted into a deep sleep.

Demon Slayer World.

After receiving Chen Mu's assurance, Kochou Kanae was naturally filled with excitement.

To her—

Receiving the help of someone like Chen Mu was naturally thrilling.

Perhaps she really might be able to destroy Muzan Kibutsuji.

For some reason, though—

Kochou Kanae always felt that Chen Mu was extremely familiar with both her and her world... It felt very strange to Kochou Kanae.

No, not just her.

It should be said that Chen Mu seemed very familiar with Hoshino Ai and Gotoh Hitori as well.

This left Kochou Kanae deeply puzzled.

"Mm... Forget it. I'm sure I'll learn the reason someday. More importantly, once Mr. Chen Mu comes to help me—and perhaps even helps the entire world—how should I repay him?"

As she thought, Kochou Kanae murmured to herself.

"Repay? Big sis, who are you planning to repay?"

At that moment, a curious voice suddenly rang out, and a little head popped up in front of Kochou Kanae.

Kochou Kanae jumped in fright.

"Wah, Shinobu... W-when did you get here?!!"

Bocchi the Rock World.

Gotoh Hitori saw the message Mr. Chen Mu had left for her before going offline.

Her mind was a complete mess, and she had no idea what to make of it.

But then again...

Their Chat Group had really gained someone incredibly, incredibly amazing this time!

Even now, Gotoh Hitori's heart had yet to completely calm down from the scene Chen Mu had described.

Before this, Gotoh Hitori had thought that Kanae's world was already anything but ordinary. There was the Demon Slayer Corps, man-eating demons, and all that.

But compared to Chen Mu's world, it suddenly felt... ordinary.

With planet-destroying weapons, space stations, space travel, and all that, how could Kanae's world not seem ordinary?

Although Mr. Chen Mu kept saying he was an ordinary person, from Gotoh Hitori's perspective, that was anything but ordinary.

It was like ancient people in her world looking at modern times.

How could it possibly seem ordinary?

It would already be impressive if ancient people did not think modern times were heaven.

Staring at the guitar in her room, Gotoh Hitori's heart was filled with melancholy.

Just then, an energetic voice accompanied by hurried footsteps came from outside her door.

"Big sis! Big sis! Are you done talking to your imaginary friends? Mom said it's time to eat!"

Gotoh Nitori poked her head in front of Gotoh Hitori and said happily.

Gotoh Hitori was startled at first. Once she came back to her senses, she felt as though an arrow had pierced her chest. Clutching her chest, she looked at Nitori and said with difficulty, "I already told you, they're not imaginary friends. They're Big Sis's real friends. Nitori, although Big Sis really does have imaginary friends too, they aren't imaginary friends."

"Liaaaar~"

Gotoh Nitori did not believe her at all. Deliberately dragging out her words with an adorable expression, she bluntly said with childish innocence, "Then why have I never seen any of these friends you keep talking about?"

"Cough, cough, cough, cough..."

Gotoh Hitori coughed violently, feeling as though several more arrows had struck her chest in succession. Still, she refused to give up and explained with difficulty, "That's because we're not from the same world. We're all in different worlds."

Though it sounded rather absurd, Gotoh Hitori swore that there was not the slightest lie in her words.

"Oh~ So that's how it is."

Gotoh Nitori seemed to understand, but then she innocently added, "Then aren't they still imaginary friends?"

"Like, they're not in the same world, only I can see them, and no one else can. That's what imaginary friends are."

Gotoh Hitori: "..."

Why were children's words so hurtful?

Gotoh Hitori felt tears streaming down her face, unable to refute her.

But she could not ask everyone in the group to prove it, either. Traveling between worlds required far too many Points. Even though newcomers had one free chance to travel, she could not ask everyone to spend their precious Points on something like this.

"Alright, alright, Big Sis, let's go eat. Otherwise Mom will get mad in a bit."

Gotoh Nitori blinked. Seeing Gotoh Hitori so dejected, she still said energetically.

She took her sister by the hand and led her outside.

Gotoh Hitori stared blankly ahead without putting up any resistance. Just as she was about to leave, she glanced back at her guitar.

Mr. Chen Mu had said that if she wanted to start a band, she should take her guitar to school and give it a try, right?

Should she try it?

Gotoh Hitori felt an inexplicable stir in her heart.

After all, it did seem like a good idea.

But even as her heart stirred, Gotoh Hitori could not help feeling a little confused.

Had she mentioned in the group earlier that she played guitar?

How did Mr. Chen Mu know?

Elsewhere.

Oshi no Ko World.

Hoshino Ai looked at Chen Mu's final message to her in the Chat Group, equally full of confusion.

"What do you mean, 'I calculated it on my fingers, and it's not advisable for me to date anytime soon'? Isn't the newcomer a researcher? Why is he moonlighting as a fortune-teller too? This isn't scientific at all."

Hoshino Ai couldn't help complaining.

Why did he suddenly bring up dating with her?

She had no intention of dating.

For some reason.

Hoshino Ai always felt as though Chen Mu understood her very well.

No, it wasn't just her—he seemed to understand everyone extremely well.

It really was baffling.

Still, Chen Mu had said that she would definitely become popular as an idol, and that made Hoshino Ai very happy!

After all, right now.

She was merely a member who had just joined the idol group B Komachi.

Though through hard work.

She had gained a little bit of fame.