After Shu Cat upgraded the chat group, the membership limit increased from five to ten. Since Ikezawa joined, no new members had been added, leaving the group perpetually at six out of ten.
At this point, everyone had the right to invite new members. However, even if an invitee accepted, their entry still required the approval of Shu Cat, the group owner.
This might have been one of Shu Cat's few privileges. Fortunately, he was very approachable, and Ikezawa had already discussed inviting Lingsha with him. If Lingsha agreed, her entry would be seamless.
There were several reasons why Ikezawa wanted to invite Lingsha now.
From his perspective, Lingsha was an innocent bystander who had inexplicably been transported to this world, just like him. However, there was a crucial difference: upon arriving, Ikezawa had immediately been infected with "Death," while Lingsha, being non-human, had clearly avoided infection.
Yet Lingsha had been tirelessly helping him treat his condition and accompanying him in his search for a cure for "Death." She had been selflessly giving, while he had been passively receiving her assistance. Was this fair? Through no fault of her own, he had needlessly exposed her to countless dangers.
Yesterday's attack had driven home the reality of the dangers that lay ahead. Lingsha had resolved that particular threat, but what about the next one? What if they faced a crisis beyond her ability to handle?
Or worse, what if he suddenly died? Wouldn't Lingsha be trapped in this desolate world forever?
"Don't refuse," Ikezawa urged. "Joining the Chat Group will allow you to leave this world whenever you want. If you encounter any overwhelming danger in the future, you can simply escape through the group chat."
As for Ikezawa himself, leaving wasn't an option. He carried a potentially infectious virus, and he couldn't risk spreading it to the Group Owner's world and causing another global catastrophe. He would never forgive himself.
Lingsha, of course, was unaware of Ikezawa's inner turmoil. Her assistance wasn't entirely altruistic; she had her own motives. She was deeply interested in this world's medicinal herbs, technological advancements, and historical knowledge. Moreover, Ikezawa served as the perfect human test subject, which explained why she had remained by his side all this time.
Moreover, Lingsha possessed the means to pull off a deus ex machina at any moment, rendering the dangers of this world utterly inconsequential to her.
Yet, when faced with the invitation to join this Chat Group, Lingsha was genuinely perplexed. She wondered if she could join the same group twice.
If ordinary chat groups allow multiple accounts, this one should be fine too, right? she reasoned.
Lingsha silently confirmed her choice. After a slight delay (while the Group Owner approved her request), another prompt appeared:
Please choose a nickname for yourself: [___]
Has this Chat Group truly leveled up? Lingsha mused. It even lets you pick your own name! The five founding members never had that privilege.
After a moment's thought, Lingsha named her alt account "Wandering Physician," a name that aligned perfectly with her initial explanation to Ikezawa—that she was still an apprentice, not yet the Cauldron Master of the Alchemy Commission.
A brief test revealed that only she could use the "Wandering Physician" account. In other words, while Robin, Sparkle, Firefly, and Elysia could all post using the "Peace Dove" account, none of them could use the "Wandering Physician" account.
Conversely, Lingsha could only speak through the "Wandering Physician" account and couldn't use the "Peace Dove" account.
But... since all five of them were essentially the same person, this restriction seemed pointless.
Lingsha had no idea how the chat group had ended up in this state. It clearly looked like some kind of bug.
It was like a programmer who didn't understand how their code was running, but didn't care as long as it worked.
The chat group had upgraded, but not completely.
Meanwhile, the arrival of new members instantly livened up the group:
Shu Cat: "Welcome, newbie!"
Today I Want to Eat Soup Dumplings: "Everyone in this group is secretly my alt account! Newbie, show us your face, or you'll regret it!"
Daoist Wuwei: "?"
Today I Want to Eat Soup Dumplings: "Take Daoist Wuwei here—I'm bullying him right now! See for yourself!"
Today I Want to Eat Soup Dumplings: "She's right."
Invincible Bro: "She's right."
Peace Dove: "She's right."
Daoist Wuwei: "She's right."
Shu Cat: "??? I can't believe this."
Who could resist the temptation of a +1?
Admittedly, asking newcomers to post selfies is a common joke in group chats, but no one ever takes it seriously. Yet Lingsha paused, considered, and decided to actually "obey" the group's unspoken rule this time.
Wandering Physician: "Is that so? Please wait a moment while This Lady figures out how to take a picture."
Wandering Physician: "image.jpg"
The photo showed Lingsha's full face. Perhaps due to the desert setting, she looked slightly travel-worn, her hair and collar a bit disheveled, with tiny grains of sand visible upon closer inspection. Yet none of this detracted from her inherent beauty.
Her right hand gently brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, her eyes curving into a soft smile as she gazed directly into the camera. Her ruby-like eyes radiated the timeless charm of an Ancient Style Beauty.
Shu Cat: "!?"
Invincible Bro: "Wait, they were just kidding!"
Today I Want to Eat Soup Dumplings: "Ah?! I... I've fallen in love at first sight! Can I stan you exclusively?!"
Previously, Ikezawa had shared a few candid photos of Lingsha, but this time she intentionally struck a pose for the selfie. Without exaggeration, everyone who saw the picture—except for Peace Dove—was stunned speechless, including Ikezawa himself.
The reason was simple: she was breathtakingly beautiful.
Red Cape Hero: "Holy shit! Unlike that Wasteful Daoist, this is a real Big Boss!"
Red Cape Hero: "Big Boss, help! Do you have any antidotes? We desperately need them!"
Lü Heng hadn't even been online to repeat the message because he was currently on a mission, dealing with scorpion-like monsters that had emerged from a Dimensional Rift. Although he had immediately cleared the area, several civilians had been caught in the crossfire, their faces now turning purple—clear signs of poisoning.