Chapter 3: Great! It's Storage Space!
The playful banter gradually wound down. Lumine took a breath, letting the residual amusement fade from her golden eyes, and shifted her focus back to the glowing interface hovering in her mind. If this Cross-Dimensional Chat Group was real, she needed to figure out exactly what it could do.
Across the multiverse, Belle chewed on her lower lip, fingers hovering over her own virtual keyboard. She was still trying to draft a perfectly polite way to interrogate this Traveler when a new notification chimed.
[Administrator, Lumine]: "Hey, the member list shows three people. Besides us two, there's someone else in the group."
[Administrator, Belle]: "It really looks like it!"
[Administrator, Lumine]: "[@Administrator, Stelle] Hello, hello, which alternate world are you from?"
Light-years away, aboard the Astral Express, Stelle remained completely dead to the world. Thanks to the chat group's merciful Do Not Disturb mode, no notification chimes pierced the quiet of her cabin. She was currently buried under a mountain of blankets, aggressively catching up on her sleep debt after a chaotic, all-night victory party in Penacony.
Back in the chat, minutes ticked by with only the sound of digital crickets.
[Administrator, Belle]: "Alright, it seems this Stelle is indeed very tired. Their status still shows offline/do not disturb (in deep sleep)."
[Administrator, Lumine]: "Then why don't we explore what other functions this group has? It can't just be a chat box."
[Administrator, Belle]: "Alright! According to traditional sci-fi movie plots, this group must also have a world-traveling function. We might even be able to travel to alternate worlds! Just thinking about it makes me excited!"
Lumine couldn't help but smile at the Proxy's infectious enthusiasm. She began handling the interface, though her mental commands were a bit clumsy. It wasn't quite like the Akasha Terminal she had used in Sumeru; this system felt more intrusive, yet strangely intuitive once you got the hang of it.
Belle, on the other hand, was a digital native. As someone who spent half her life handling encrypted forums and the Knock Knock messenger app, she swiped through the virtual menus with practiced ease. It didn't take long for her to strike gold.
[Administrator, Belle]: "[@Administrator, Lumine] Lumine, I noticed a [Group Announcement] option at the top of the light screen. Perhaps there's an explanation about this chat group there?"
[Administrator, Lumine]: "Hey, there really is! And looking at this [Group Announcement] doesn't even interrupt the chat. This chat group handles the small details quite well."
[Administrator, Belle]: "Indeed. But this group announcement is quite long, and the information is a bit overwhelming. How about we read it all before continuing our discussion?"
[Administrator, Lumine]: "Alright, let's focus on reading it. Maybe we can figure out the new functions of this group."
Both of them opened the document and began to read.
[Group Announcement]
The full name of this group is the Cross-Dimensional Chat Group. Its primary directive is to connect the worlds of its members, promote inter-dimensional exchange and mutual learning, introduce beneficial variables to help world ascension, and unite members to resolve multiversal disasters.
Each world can only have one Administrator. Administrators possess the authority to invite individuals from their native world into the chat group. A Primary Chat Group has a maximum capacity of three Administrators and five Ordinary Members.
The maximum number of Ordinary Members can be expanded upon upgrading the chat group. Upgrades require a significant duration to analyze and input the unique characteristics of the members' respective worlds. Please wait patiently during this process.
The extraction of world characteristic information is strictly an observational method and will cause absolutely no harm to the native worlds. Group members may also purchase alternate world characteristic information from the Points Store to strengthen their own worlds.
The Points Store has currently recorded numerous world characteristics. We hope group members will actively purchase (crossed out), work together, and make the multiverse a better place!
[Group Function Description]
Primary Chat Group Functions: Photography; Group Storage; Sign-in Points; Points Store; Adaptive Cultivation Room; Group Member World Commissions.
Intermediate Chat Group Functions: Temporary World Missions; World Travel; Personal Pocket Dimensions.
Advanced Chat Group Functions: World Repair; World Ascension; New World Exploration.
[Administrator, Belle]: "Wow! So many functions! And we really can travel between worlds later on? It looks even more exciting!"
[Administrator, Belle]: "Let me try this Group Storage function first to see if this announcement is actually real."
Sitting on the couch in the Random Play video store, Belle grabbed a plush throw cushion. She squeezed the soft fabric, staring intently at it. Applying the same mental focus she used to send messages, she visualized the item moving into the system's inventory.
"Put it in the group storage," she mumbled under her breath, her eyes narrowed in concentration. "Put it in the group storage!"
A faint ripple in the air followed. The weight in her hands vanished instantly. Belle blinked, her fingers closing around empty air. The cushion was gone.
"It worked!" Belle shrieked, leaping off the sofa with a triumphant fist pump.
A few feet away, Wise froze. He had been organizing a stack of videotapes, but the sight of a brightly colored cushion evaporating into thin air made him drop a plastic case. His analytical mind immediately kicked into overdrive.
'That has to be one of the functions of this chat group she mentioned,' Wise thought, his gray eyes tracking the empty space where the cushion used to be.
It defied all known physics of New Eridu. He had no idea how she triggered it, what mechanism powered it, or what the hidden cost might be. In their line of work, nothing came for free. He made a mental note to sit his sister down and establish some ground rules. They needed to thoroughly investigate this system before she accidentally traded her soul for a digital inventory slot.
Catching her breath, Belle noticed Wise staring at her with a mixture of bewilderment and deep concern. She slapped her forehead. Right. She hadn't actually updated him since finding the system manual.
She quickly trotted over, gesturing wildly as she dumped a rapid-fire explanation of the [Group Announcement], the Administrator roles, and the tiered functions onto her brother.
"So, look at it this way, Brother," Belle concluded, her eyes sparkling. "We've tested the chat and the storage, and both work perfectly. That means the other functions have to be real too!"
She grabbed his arm, shaking it slightly. "If the Intermediate functions unlock World Travel, we could actually visit alternate dimensions! Think about it! We could learn skills from other universes. Like those old martial arts movies where they run up walls and fly over rooftops! Or actual, literal magic!"
Her voice softened, taking on a more determined edge. "If we get stronger, it will be so much easier to investigate our teacher's whereabouts. We might finally uncover the truth behind the fall of the old capital."
Wise's expression softened. Even amidst all this chaotic, reality-breaking excitement, she hadn't lost sight of their true goal. He offered a gentle smile. "Alright, Belle, take a breath. You said it yourself, it is just a possibility right now."
His tone then shifted, growing solemn. "also, we have absolutely no idea who created this network or what their ultimate endgame is. A digital announcement board is not exactly a binding contract of truth."
He glanced at her empty hands, a crease forming between his brows. "And what about that storage feature? Did it cost you anything to use it? Any physical drain? Mental fatigue?"
Belle blinked. "Huh? A price?" She did a quick internal check. No headaches, no missing energy, no sudden deductions from her bank account. "I don't feel any different. I just thought about it, and the cushion went in. The system didn't prompt me for any payment."
"I really don't think it is a trap, Wise," she reassured him. "Let me try taking it back out."
Closing her eyes, she focused her mind back on the Group Storage interface. A translucent, holographic grid materialized in her vision. There, occupying the first slot, was her plush cushion. But right next to it, resting in the second slot, was a random rock.
'Lumine must have been testing it too,' Belle deduced with a silent giggle. Focusing on her cushion, she willed it to return.
In a flash of faint light, the soft fabric dropped right back into her waiting hands.
Wise watched the cushion reappear, his arms crossing over his chest. 'So the basic functions really are free of charge, at least for now,'he analyzed silently.'The problem is, I cannot see this interface. And with something this unmatched, there is no way Belle is going to keep her hands off it.'
He placed a hand on her shoulder, his gaze dead serious. "Belle, please try to limit your use of these functions. We are completely blind here. If something goes wrong, we have zero countermeasures. I don't want you putting yourself in danger."
Seeing the genuine worry in her brother's eyes, Belle's playful demeanor faded. She nodded firmly. "Alright. I promise, I will be careful."
But a second later, a spark ignited in her eyes. Her mouth formed a perfect O as a crucial detail from the announcement finally clicked in her brain. Administrators could invite people from their own world.
"Wait a minute, Brother!" She grabbed his shoulders, her excitement flaring up all over again. "I completely forgot the best part! I am an Administrator! The rules said I have the authority to invite people from my world into the group!"
She beamed, practically vibrating with energy. "That means I can pull you in! You won't have to observe from the outside anymore. You can analyze the system yourself, and I can go back to figuring out the controls with Lumine!"
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