"..."
Each of them had a strong personality.
That was his first impression as he watched the conversation unfold. Just a few lines in the chat, and it already felt like he was going to deal with a rambunctious bunch.
"It can't be helped," Jabami commented as he narrowed his eyes. "But is it just me though or do these names seem familiar—"
[Report. The following names correspond with known titles from various entertainment medias in your previous universe. There is a high likelihood that these are the same characters or alternate versions thereof.]
Before he could even finish the thought, the skill cut him off.
"Right, thanks."
He contemplated for a moment and looked back on the title of the system interface—Group Chat.
As someone who had read a ton of novels and occasionally watched anime in his downtime, the concept itself wasn't new to him.
Multiversal chat groups, systems that connected different universes or dimensions, were a common trope. He had seen it played out in different ways more than he could count—whether it was gods, heroes, or even regular humans who got tossed into one group to solve problems across the multiverse.
It was the kind of setup which screamed of something big was coming.
Thinking about it, Jabami leaned back and rubbed his temples. "Alright, let's take this one step at a time."
...Not to forget that he was currently situated in an abandoned square, who knows what kind of danger was lurking out there.
He had a guess. If the system had deliberately given him resistance to ether corruption, then there was one thing that came to mind. In the game Zenless Zone Zero, Hollows were disordered dimensions that appeared out of nowhere, swallowing up large portions of the physical world and replacing them with chaotic, often unpredictable terrain. People and objects left inside the Hollows were also subject to deadly Ether corruption.
Moreover, the distortions weren't physically obvious, which means there was no way to verify his conjecture unless he tries to explore the hollow in search for landmarks, ether crystals or get hunted by monsters called Ethereals.
Exploring blindly can backfire in ways that could get him into deeper trouble.
Besides, considering his newfound resistance, he shouldn't be worrying about the corruption for the time being even if his guess turned out to be accurate.
[Report. Using the skill Elemental Sight...]
Ignoring the sudden skill prompt, Jabami cracked his neck. "Looks like I have to deal with the chat group first."
And with that, his eyes flicked back to the floating window before him and began typing.
[Admin] [Jabami Salami: Hello, everyone! On the behalf of the chat group, I would like to formally welcome you all! Allow me to introduce myself...]
[Admin] [Jabami Salami: My name is Jabami Salami. I'm 19 years old. My house is somewhere, I don't know where I'm currently at, and I am not married. I worked as a nuisance streamer in a website known as Punch, and I wrap up every day by 8 PM at the latest. I don't smoke, but I occasionally drink. I'm in bed by 11 PM, and make sure I get eight hours of sleep, no matter what...]
[Shiroyasha: Oi, are you seriously trying to make an impression of Yoshikage Kira right now!? And what do you mean by a "nuisance streamer"??? Is that a job or a cry for mental help?]
[Admin] [Jabami Salami: Uh, didn't you leave the group? Actually, nevermind. Everyone, if you have doubts, feel free to ask and I'll try to answer. Although as far as everything goes, I'm just as clueless as you all are.]
[Miss Pink Elf: Wow, wow, somehow this introduction is giving a lot of villainous vibes~]
[Admin] [Jabami Salami: Well, just trying to make an impact.]
[Miss Pink Elf: Oh? Well then, I suppose I should introduce myself too~]
[Miss Pink Elf: I'm Elysia, but most people know me as Miss Pink Elf. I'm a mysterious and enigmatic beauty, with a love for all things cute, sweet, and did I say cute?]
[Admin] [Jabami Salami: I see. How about everyone else?]
[The King of Magecraft: ...To be honest, I still have my doubts. But at this level of mystery in this day and age, it's almost as if I've gone back to the Age of Gods.]
[The King of Magecraft: Oh, ah, sorry for rambling on. It's a bit of an occupational habit. My name is Romani Archaman and I work as the head of a medical department. Nice to meet you all.]
[The Father of Humanity: ...The name's Adam.]
[The King of Magecraft: Pleased to meet you, Adam. Funny, your name kinda reminds me...]
[The King of Magecraft: Don't tell me. You're... that Adam!?]
"Aha!" Jabami slapped his thigh. It was just as he expected, they were characters from mangas and games he's played!
Sure, maybe the names could've been a mere coincidence. After all, it wasn't like names like "Adam" or "Romani" were impossible to come across. But their introduction just now had been way too specific to mistake for someone else.
Recalling how Romani fumble through philosophical tangents in Fate/Grand Order, Elysia casually flirting with every breathing being she came across, and if that "Shiroyasha" was who he thought he was, then there was no need to guess further his identity. Adam, especially, who made him feel the presence of a father that he never had.
Taking a deep breath, Jabami grinned after fully realizing his new reality. "I've really transmigrated, huh?"
[Admin] [Jabami Salami: Let's not get ahead of ourselves. I'm sure all of you have questions, and as do I. But I believe there's a very simple way to answer all of them.]
[The King of Magecraft: Care to elaborate?]
[Admin] [Jabami Salami: Simple. Romani, you're not just a doctor, but a director from a secretive organization known as Chaldea that has taken upon itself to safeguard humanity from the Human Order Incineration Incident. And you, Elysia—]
[Miss Pink Elf: Me? What about me?]
[Admin] [Jabami Salami: Depending on which era it is now, I'm either talking to the real you or the simulation crafted from the Flame-Chaser's memories. As for Adam, you're the first of humanity, at least in your own universe. And while people mistake you for harboring a grudge against the gods, seeing as you are still here, that means you haven't fought Zeus yet.]
[Admin] [Jabami Salami: Then there's Gintoki, who does odd-jobs for a living.]
[Shiroyasha: Wait! Hold up—don't reveal my identity so casually like that! Why does everyone else get an edgy anime background but me!? At least try to highlight my cool points!]
[The Father of Humanity: It's true... But how did you know?]
[Miss Pink Elf: Ditto~]
[The King of Magecraft: I'll have to share the same sentiment as well. How do you know so much about us... admin?]
Jabami didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he pulled out the phone in his pocket and began to browse his gallery, scrolling past a mess of screenshots and downloaded images until he found what he was looking for, ranging from character art, wallpapers, clips from games and shows.
With a dry chuckle, he selected the images and was about to upload them into the group chat when he realized something.
Staring at the floating interface, he tilted his head quizzically. There was no upload button, no file attachment symbol, not even a voice note icon. Simply put, there was no obvious way to upload the files from his mobile phone.
[Solution. Transmit media via intent. Simply imagine the image and direct it toward the designated window.]
Good 'ol Great Sage, always one step ahead.
[Admin] [Jabami Salami: Here. I think seeing would be better than me trying to explain.]
[Admin] [Jabami Salami: The files I've uploaded are clips and screenshots from various entertainment media in my world. Initially, I thought it could just be a coincidence, but seeing as none of you found anything wrong with my information, it seems to be more than just a random occurrence at this point.]
As soon as the files were uploaded, the chat group went silent.
Jabami waited for a while but seeing that there was still no sign of them coming back for some time, he decided to begin identifying his whereabouts.
He lowered his phone, got up and stretched. "Okay then, I suppose I should start worrying about myself."
Just as he turned—
"Proxy, I've encountered a suspicious individual in the Hollow. Requesting permission to engage in mortal combat."
He froze.
He knew that voice.