71. Chat Group Mission Initiated!
In a small room, or rather, a database room, Dan Heng put his luggage away. He surveyed the confined space without dissatisfaction, for it was precisely his chosen room.
He had just joined the train today. The navigator Himeko had offered him a choice of other rooms, but he had chosen this place. This small think tank would be his future workspace.
"Hope everything goes well," Dan Heng thought silently, then unpacked his luggage and spread out his bedding on the floor in a corner.
Just as Dan Heng was busy, a pop-up window suddenly appeared before him.
"...What is this?"
...
Then please answer.
Wandering in the rocky mountains, a witch with a beauty so stunning that she could captivate fish and geese.
Who is she?
Yes!
It's me, eighteen years old.
She wore this brooch that marked her identity as a witch, her gray hair cascading down.
Her beauty and talent radiated.
A beauty that would make even the sun squint. Who is it?
Yes, it's me.
Elaina!
The gray-haired witch on her broom sped through the air.
But Elaina's expression was a little grim. She shook her purse, but no pleasant sound emanated from it.
"No money left," Elaina thought wistfully.
At her last destination, she'd found something she liked, and her sparsely used gold coins had vanished from her pocket.
At her next destination, she'd have to cheat... again.
Just as Elaina was wondering how she was going to get people to contribute their gold coins, a pop-up window appeared in front of her.
Huh?
...
Someone was explaining something.
This and this, that and that.
[I Don't Want to Be a Hero Anymore]: That's about it. I think you all understand my explanation.
[I'm Not Him]: I understand, but... It's a little weird.
[I'm a Witch]: I think different worlds are a bit too bizarre, too.
[I'm the Savior]: No! This is the correct way!
[I'm the Savior]: Different worlds, different scenery, different adventures!
[I'm the Savior]: Just thinking about it is amazing!
[I'm the Witch]: Different scenery and adventures are truly amazing!
[Fire Moth Warrior]: It's normal not to understand at first. Slowly, you'll be influenced by it and get used to this chat group.
[Great Magician Tarnished]: He seems so serious, but I always feel like there's something a little strange about him.
[I'm Not a Foodie]: Anyway, welcome to two new friends.
[Wheelchair Sniper]: If you don't mind, let's have another group activity when we have time.
[I'm the Savior]: I agree!
[I'm Not a Foodie]: Add 1.
[Fire Moth Warrior]: Add 1.
[Great Magician Tarnished]: Add 1.
[I Don't Want to Be a Hero Anymore]: Add 666.
[I Don't Want to Be a Hero Anymore]: Anyway, that's how it is.
[I Don't Want to Be a Hero Anymore]: You guys take your time to think about it.
[I Don't Want to Be a Hero Anymore]: By the way, what new features have been added to our chat group?
[I'm the Savior]: I think it's check-in?
[I'm Not a Foodie]: And a mall?
Xiling's eyes suddenly sharpened. Check-in, that legendary check-in!
A must-have check-in feature for every chat group!
A must-have check-in tool for even the most European-savvy!
After signing in every day, he casually revealed his 99 points, sparking envy and resentment from his groupmates!
People on the street, looking at the handsome, white-haired man, gradually became excited, even ecstatic.
Some people quietly moved away, and the young woman who had originally wanted to approach him also quietly walked away.
And he felt lucky.
Luckily, he was a step slower; if he had been pestered, it would have been terrible.
Xiling didn't check the so-called mall system, but immediately found what he wanted.
Sign-in system!
"You two idiots who laughed at me, I'll show you what a lucky guy is!"
"Sign in!"
Ding! Sign-in successful.
You earned 99 points.
Hehe
Hehehe
Hahahahahahahahahahaha!
Xiling smiled and shook his head.
As a result, he accidentally posted the 99 points he earned from signing in to the group.
Almost instantly.
Three pictures were posted to the group. They were Kevin, Tarnished, and Xiling.
Xiling, who had been trying to stifle a smile, froze when he saw what was happening on the chat panel.
There were three pictures on the panel, almost identical.
99 points.
"Impossible!" Xiling was horrified.
Those two idiots were on his level.
[Fire Moth Warrior]: You must have been very confident just now, Xiling.
[Great Magician Tarnished]: You were even trying to suppress your own ugliness.
Seeing these two messages, Xiling couldn't stand it.
[I Don't Want to Be a Hero Anymore]: How dare you say you're not like that?
In their own worlds, Kevin and Tarnished both felt guilty.
Because they had indeed been thinking that.
Just then, the others also posted their screenshots.
All 99 points.
Seeing this, Xiling probably understood.
First guaranteed win, right?
[I Don't Want to Be a Hero Anymore]: Whoever comes last tomorrow will treat me.
[Fire Moth Warrior]: You clearly said you wanted to treat.
[Great Magician Tarnished]: Xiling, I want hot pot.
[I Am the Savior]: I'm joining in, too!
[I'm Not a Foodie]: I'm coming too!
[Wheelchair Sniper]: You can't leave me out, can you?
Elaina looked at the messages in the group chat without joining in. Instead, she looked at another system within the group chat: the mall.
Irena saw something familiar, thought for a moment, and clicked to buy.
A glittering golden coin appeared in her hand.
"It's actually... real!" Elaina muttered, looking at the coin in her hand.
No matter how much someone says something, without concrete proof, it's hard to convince them.
But even with a little concrete proof, it's still hard to be happy.
"That's it... for now."
Elaina pressed her magic hat slightly, speeding up her journey.
Inside the think tank.
Dan Heng looked at the extra credits on his phone, pondered for a moment, and then bought another item in the mall.
A Strale.
Dan Heng looked at the Strale in his hand, then glanced at the chat group and sighed silently.
"It seems... I've gotten into some trouble again."
He closed the chat group interface.
Dan Heng slid into his bed.
At this point, sleep is the first thing.
...
Time began to flow.
A month later.
Kevin's recruit training was almost complete.
The Tarnished had made considerable progress in his research on the magic of the stars.
Lemuen hadn't had much to do, aside from being pestered by her two friends. She had been working weekdays, but with the upcoming holiday, she planned to visit her sister.
For Houraiji Kyuushou, the new year had also begun.
2014.
During this month, Xiling found her a teacher, Radahn, and lived a perfectly fulfilling life.
Luo Tianyi, on the other hand, ate and drank daily, but Xiling once visited the other person's world and discovered that it was quite extraordinary.
A certain witch, initially wary, gradually relaxed, eventually even embarking on adventures in other group members' worlds.
Finally, there was Dan Heng. A certain camera lady had joined the train group, and the two began a journey of exploration.
It wasn't going smoothly, though.
As for Xiling, the last one.
It can only be said that he lived a fulfilling life. For a hero, sleep is an option, not a necessity, if he so chooses.
So, he was currently infiltrating.
At least, that's how he defined it.
A place similar to the Otherworld Adventurer's Guild
A branch of the Magic Society.
Behind the bar stood a sweet-smiling receptionist named Vera. Vera glanced down at her wristwatch. Almost instantly, the other members of the guild hall, previously busy with their own tasks, all turned their gazes toward the door, as if receiving a silent signal.
Everyone began to count down in unison: 3… 2… 1… 0!
As the countdown reached zero, a dusty figure entered and grumbled, "I'm truly impressed by your Magic Society! You dare even take on such a ridiculous commission?! Are you deliberately trying to trick me?"
Behind the front desk, Vera's face lit up with a truly dazzling smile.
"Oh, Mr. Xiling, how could you say that?"
Vera's voice was sweet as honey. With a deft tap on the side of the bar, a translucent magic panel instantly popped up, hovering before Xiling.
"This is a special mission we've prepared for you to quickly advance! Look—" Vera's finger gracefully slid across the panel.
The panel displayed Xiling's personal information, past mission records, and so on. But that wasn't what Xiling cared about.
After all, he had filled it in himself. The most crucial thing for him was the number in the upper left corner: 364,000.
Vera's smile grew even brighter.
"A full 40,000 points! This is the highest bounty reward our branch can issue! So, isn't it worth it?"
Xiling stared at the number, then glanced at Vera's face, which read, "Come and praise me!"
"Oh... okay, okay. Next time there's a 'special' mission like this, remember to let me know."
"Don't worry, I'll take care of it!"
Vera assured him immediately, patting her chest. With a smooth movement, she folded the panel and seamlessly switched back to the front desk.
"So, Mr. Xiling, what can I do for you?"
Xiling sat down on the stool, glaring at the girl with a death stare.
"You don't have anything here, and you still want me to be your guinea pig, Vera?"
Vera immediately clasped her hands together, blinking her eyes innocently.
"How could that be? Mr. Xiling, I can improve too! The current formula has been rigorously refined!"
Hehe. Xiling glanced at the other people present.
The few people caught in Xiling's gaze paled instantly, and in the blink of an eye, they ran out the door and disappeared without a trace, leaving only a few wisps of dust.
The once bustling hall was suddenly left with only Xiling and Vera, becoming eerily empty and silent.
Xiling then slowly withdrew his gaze and returned to Vera, whose smile was slightly stiff behind the bar. Xiling's gaze seemed to say, "Look."
Vera tried to maintain a composed smile, but Xilin noticed that her hands were clenched tightly. Vera took a deep breath and put on a kind smile again.
"Hmph, in that case, next time there's a high-score mission, I won't notify that picky 'friend.' Just slowly and steadily complete those basic commissions and enjoy the 'long' journey of repaying your debt."
Xiling's face instantly shifted to a pained expression.
"No! Aren't we friends?"
"Are we 'friends'?"
Vera's smile deepened, a hint of gritted teeth. She bent down and pulled out an exquisitely packaged, multi-layered lunch box from under the counter. With a thud, she placed it in front of Xiling and pushed it forward.
"If you're a friend, then eat it! Every last bit! Not a drop left!"
It was an exquisite lunch box, but Xiling looked at it as if he had seen some monstrous beast. But he had to pay for his faults.
Xiling reached out to take the lunch box and opened the lid. It smelled quite good, but one should never be fooled by appearances. Xiling had learned his lesson. Xiling put a mouthful of food into his mouth and chewed it briefly, his expression beginning to contort.
"Next time, put less salt, and even less oil, and why did you put sugar in it?"
Vera watched Xiling devour her meal and touched her nose guiltily.
"Uh... I know, I know. Next time... I'll pay more attention to the proportions..." Her voice trailed off noticeably.
Vera saw that the hall was deserted. Then she leaned closer to Xiling, lowering her voice and smiling.
"But seriously, Master Sword Bearer, your efficiency is astonishing. It's only been a month! Over 300,000 points! At this rate, the 500,000 points owed to the association might be paid off by next month!"
Vera blinked curiously.
"By the way, what earth-shattering deed did you do to owe so much money?"
"It's a long story."
What if there's no information? Of course, I'll go find it! Xiling learned from that thick volume of modern world history that the most densely populated and central location in this world is undoubtedly—
The Magic Society!
The ultimate superiors of all factions, arguably the supreme rulers besides the Lord.
They maintain order in this world.
Observe the direction of the world.
They are truly superpowers.
So Xiling wanted to come here to get some information.
Although the hero's premonition told him that this world wasn't at its end, at least Xiling hadn't felt that sense of urgency yet.
The closer the world gets to destruction, the stronger the hero's perception becomes.
But action still had to be taken.
So he tried to obtain information about the Magic Society.
Then he was caught.
That's when he started working to pay off his debts.
Now Xiling has a new identity: Sword Bearer
A legitimate member of the Magic Society.
He was recruited. After pouring the last bite of food into his mouth, Xiling handed the lunch box directly to Vera, which was already covered in dust.
The hero's magic works well!
Vera smiled and accepted the food Xiling offered her.
"Thank you for your hard work~"
"You know how hard it is for me?" Xiling rolled his eyes.
"Hey, I'll treat you to another bottle of water. Don't be angry."
Vera handed Xiling a bottle of water.
Xiling took the water and was about to unscrew the bottle and take a sip when,
[Ding]
A message popped up on all chat group members' panels.
[The first mission has begun.]
[The Last Glory of Uruk]
____
T/N [Translator Note]:
Fate GO Seventh Singularity Arc will begin in the next chapter!