The first thing Qiu Wenjian saw was a line of text welcoming a newcomer.
The message was sent by someone with the username "Healthy Huangshan," marked with a green label and the word "Admin" beside it.
Healthy Huangshan:
"Here's your welcome gift. Everything you need to know about the chat group is included just open it."
A red envelope.
Just like the ones you'd see in most chat groups. But staring at it flashing on the screen, Qiu Wenjian didn't rush to open it.
It might be some kind of virus. What if opening it allowed them to control him?
No if these people really were Reincarnators who could move freely between different worlds, they wouldn't need such crude methods to control someone. They'd likely have far more sophisticated means at their disposal.
But if this were all some hallucination someone trying to hypnotize or manipulate him then doing the exact opposite of what they wanted might just help him snap out of it.
That's why he hadn't joined the chat group right away. He had wanted to resist, to test it. But the information he could gather outside was far too limited.
Better to watch how they chatted first.
Uchiha Blabbermouth:
"Mission's done for the day. Still feeling full of energy even though that sounds like a flag waiting to be tripped. Anyone want to grab some grilled meat with my team?"
Big Salty Fish:
"No way. Too dangerous."
Red Salty Fish:
"Hey pros, the current world is from Fate. Anything we should be watching out for?"
During the casual chatter, an ordinary member popped up to ask for some strategy tips.
Healthy Huangshan:
"Never been there. Which part of the Nasuverse are you talking about? There are a bunch of different works."
Red Salty Fish:
"Pretty sure it's Fate/Apocrypha. My teammate and I are candidate Masters in the Holy Grail War. Our mission is… I think to disrupt Amakusa's plan? Break the Greater Grail? The details are kinda vague… Wait, damn it says we need to eliminate five Servants in total!"
Multiversal Thinker:
"Start with a sneak attack. The Empress' garden is a pain."
Little Sin:
"Start with a sneak attack. The Empress' garden is a pain."
One group member responded with advice, another immediately parroted it classic copy-paste behavior.
Qiu Wenjian skimmed through the next few replies. They were more detailed strategies, full of technical jargon that made little sense to him.
The more authentic it looked, the more suspicious it felt.
Uchiha Blabbermouth:
"Hmm? Looks like the newbie hasn't claimed the red envelope yet. Maybe he doesn't know how? Just accept it with your mind it's simple."
Qiu Wenjian's suspicion deepened. Why was this guy so eager to help? Unless… there was something wrong with the envelope.
But paranoia wouldn't get him anywhere. After a moment's thought, he responded with a message of his own, using only his thoughts.
Accidentally Super Handsome:
"Sorry, I'm new to all this. Does the red envelope have any conditions? What's inside? Do I need to give up something in return?"
Uchiha Blabbermouth:
"Nice one, newbie. Looks like you really paid attention earlier. Let me reintroduce myself I'm the guy who ran that security check on you today. Sorry if I scared you. We've been fighting a long war of wits with the Lord God, so we have to be extra careful."
So it was the masked man from before. Qiu Wenjian kept his expression neutral and let the guy keep talking.
Uchiha Blabbermouth:
"This group was set up by the group leader he's a real heavyweight. The Lord God's space is full of danger, and to one day overthrow that bastard who treats human lives like toys, the group leader started gathering people with potential. People who are cautious and careful. We've got some serious powerhouses in here now. Not saying I'm one of them though."
After a pause, he continued.
Uchiha Blabbermouth:
"As for the red envelope, it's just a welcome pack. It's meant to help newbies survive their first world not leave them defenseless. No strings attached. Just take it. Inside you'll find one 'Friendship Ten-Pull Ticket,' a basic spatial backpack, a Reincarnator's Beginner Guidebook, and 1,000 Friendship Points. The points are a kind of currency you can check the guidebook for more."
Accidentally Super Handsome:
"Got it. Thanks."
The rest of the group went back to chatting aimlessly. No one else paid him much attention.
Qiu Wenjian knew if he just sat here waiting, nothing would change. He'd wanted to resist, go against everything they suggested, hoping that might break him free. But delaying too long might only make things worse.
In the end, he had no choice. He decided to open the red envelope and find out what was really going on.
After all, things like a spatial backpack could be verified immediately. If he could confirm the physical effects, maybe he wasn't trapped in an illusion after all.
The moment he thought about claiming the newbie package, he felt something click in his consciousness.
A purple card appeared labeled Friendship Ten-Pull. A thin booklet materialized as well: Beginner's Guidebook for Reincarnators.
And then, something else not a physical item, but a faint connection to a small pocket of space, like a hidden corner of his awareness.
Qiu Wenjian's skepticism eased slightly. These reactions felt real. If this were a dream or hallucination, he probably wouldn't be able to recognize it let alone snap out of it.
He opened the guidebook and flipped through it quickly.
The concept of the Lord God's space was familiar very cliché, honestly. Go to various worlds and complete missions. The twist? Each world had two teams competing. Only one team could succeed. If neither completed the mission, they'd both be erased. No second chances. Not even resurrection abilities would work.
If you died in the usual way, you might be revived. But if you failed the mission? That was it. Total erasure.
The chat group system, on the other hand, was more complicated. It had three main components:
Friendship System, Reincarnator Shop System, and Chat System.
Friendship Points were earned by helping others, chatting in the group, daily check-ins, or selling items in the Friendship Shop. They could be used to buy things or roll the gacha.
The gacha was especially interesting. The regular Reincarnator Shop had one too, but he'd save that for later. He wanted to focus on this ten-pull first.
The Reincarnator Shop was similar to the Lord God's shop except it was available any time. No need to wait until after a mission to power up. Items sold by group members were also cheaper than the Lord God's offerings, though far fewer in number.
With only about a hundred members in the group, there were just a few thousand items listed nothing compared to the billions the Lord God had in his arsenal.
But the advantage? Practicality.
The Chat System was a communication tool. Members could share strategy guides, discuss survival tactics for different worlds, and even send red envelopes transferring items directly, like the one Qiu Wenjian had just opened.
No wonder the group was so active, with everyone chatting constantly. That guy Uchiha Blabbermouth seemed overly enthusiastic but he was probably just farming Friendship Points.
Turns out, the Chat System was the best way to earn them.
And it had all been built by the group leader alone.
A true powerhouse, the group leader had found a way to transform the bonds formed through banter, support, and cooperation into tangible energy. That's how Friendship Points came into being generated continuously through interaction.
Now, it was time for the gacha.
There really was no escape from gacha systems, huh?
Qiu Wenjian stared at the ticket, hesitating. He wasn't particularly lucky not cursed, but not blessed either. Many newcomers started their journey relying on what they pulled here.
He clasped his hands in mock prayer.
Please, just this once… let me be lucky.