Chapter 1: Identity Verification is Way Too Tedious
Somewhere at a university, inside a classroom, during break time.
Kyū Bunken's roommate was getting ready to go to the bathroom.
"Hey, can I use your laptop to log into Line for a second?"
"Sure, go ahead."
"Thanks, man."
Taking the roommate's laptop, Kyū Bunken opened the login interface for the chat app.
However, what popped up wasn't the login screen, but an archaic-looking dialogue box.
"Do you want to understand the meaning of life? Do you want to... truly live?"
That is what the dialogue box asked.
"Hell no. That looks like a virus at first glance. If I click 'Yes', something bad is definitely going to happen."
But there was only one option below the text. It only allowed him to choose YES. What was the point of even asking the question then?
Kyū Bunken simply left the dialogue box alone. He just wanted to check his messages; as long as he ignored the virus, it probably wouldn't matter.
He double-clicked the Line icon again. This time, the normal dialogue box popped up. purely out of safety concerns, Kyū Bunken chose to log in by scanning the QR code with his phone.
The moment he logged in, he heard a rapid string of notification sounds.
Beep-beep-beep-beep.
[The Reincarnator Scrubs' Chat Group has invited you to join.]
Kyū Bunken froze. He had just ignored an invitation to the "Main God Space," and now here came a chat group for Reincarnators? Was his account actually infected with a virus? Kyū Bunken thought about it for a moment and decided to enter the group to see what exactly was going on.
After clicking [YES], Kyū Bunken abruptly realized that everything before his eyes seemed to have come to a halt. He didn't mean the computer screen had frozen; he meant everything around him. Whether it was the students walking back and forth during the break or the professor wiping the blackboard...
Everything was frozen in this exact moment.
Suddenly, several men in black wearing masks rushed in from the doorway. They held strange objects—most likely weapons—and aimed them directly at Kyū Bunken.
"We are from the Security Center!" the leader, a man holding a weapon resembling a firearm, shouted his inquiry.
"Are you HandsomeGuy_Accidentally?!"
HandsomeGuy_Accidentally was Kyū Bunken's online handle. Hearing this, he replied subconsciously. "Uh, yes."
"Were you just applying to join a chat group?!"
"The chat group popped up on its own!"
"Answer my question directly!"
The muzzle of the gun moved closer, making Kyū Bunken tense up. The time of everyone else around him seemed to have stagnated; only he could still move. This bizarre phenomenon left him feeling a bit chaotic. For the sake of caution, it was better to answer these strange people's questions first. Maybe they were the ones behind all of this... He needed to see what they actually wanted.
"I did apply to join the group."
"Verify your identity!"
"How am I supposed to verify that?" Kyū Bunken was dumbfounded. He was himself!
"Did you just see a pop-up window regarding the meaning of life?!"
It seemed these people really were connected to that dialogue box. Kyū Bunken replied hurriedly.
"Yes."
"Did you refrain from making a choice?!"
"Yes."
"Did an invitation to join the group pop up afterward?!"
"Yes! I told you, it popped up on its own."
"What is the name of the group?!"
"How am I supposed to remember that right now?!"
The leading man in black pulled the bolt of his gun. Click-clack.
"Answer my question!"
The sound of a bullet being chambered made Kyū Bunken frown.
Whatever purpose these people had, he had to play along for now. As for safety... he would just have to take it one step at a time.
"I think it was something like... Scrubs Pecking Each Other? The Reincarnator Scrubs' Chat Group?"
"Good! Identity verification tentatively passed. You may potentially become a member of our chat group, but we still suspect that you might be a spy sent by the Main God. We need further confirmation."
Pointing at the computer, the leader asked, "Do you recognize this device?"
"I do. It's my friend's laptop."
"Are you accessing the internet through this computer?"
"That's right, I was just logging into Line."
"Do you know what the Main God Space is?"
"No idea."
They asked three questions in a row, and Kyū Bunken answered them all honestly.
"Final question: Are you a spy sent by the Main God?!"
"What the hell?!"
"Are you a spy sent by the Main God?!"
Kyū Bunken felt like these guys had brain damage. If he really were a spy, would he just admit it like that?
"No!"
"Then, please point out which of the following images depicts normal behavior."
There were four images in total.
The first image was from a tower-pushing game, League of Legends. Several players had already pushed into the enemy base, yet every single one of them was diving into the fountain laser.
The second image was from an anime Kyū Bunken recognized. It showed Sasuke attempting to assassinate the Five Kage.
The third image he also recognized. It was Gilgamesh being dragged into Unlimited Blade Works by Shirou Emiya.
The fourth image was from a series he had watched recently, Cautious Hero: The Hero Is Overpowered but Overly Cautious. The male protagonist was frantically using his skills to whip the corpse of a Slime.
Normal? Kyū Bunken felt that the person asking the question was the one whose brain wasn't normal... What kind of nonsense was this?
The only connection... was that the first three were all being too reckless? The protagonist in the fourth image was relatively cautious. If Kyū Bunken had to choose, he naturally felt that being steady and safe was better. Being too reckless would definitely lead to a wipe.
So, with the mindset of taking a guess, Kyū Bunken chose the fourth image.
"OK. Authentication successful. Congratulations, HandsomeGuy_Accidentally, you have officially become a member of our Reincarnator Scrubs' Chat Group."
The man tapped Kyū Bunken on the forehead.
"The invitation from the Main God Space cannot be refused. Only someone sufficiently cautious would avoid clicking it instantly. You have proven with your actions that you are qualified to join us. Furthermore, we have tested you, and you were not lying. Now, you can connect to our chat group through your consciousness."
Pausing for a moment, the man continued speaking.
"Now, before officially welcoming your arrival, I must tell you our group rules."
Although the man was wearing a mask, Kyū Bunken could still feel the incredibly serious atmosphere.
"Act with caution. There are no major errors in being careful. The steady Chat Group connects our wills."