[H.B] Ch 2: Chat Group

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Of course, Renji wasn't unfamiliar with something like a "Dimensional Chat Group."

In his previous life, he had devoured webnovels, and this was the exact sort of thing he had been dreaming of.

A chat group that connected countless worlds—what better chance could there be?

Sure, unlike other cheats, the chat group wasn't some nanny-like system that handed out instant power-ups. But Renji didn't care. For him, simply making contact with supernatural forces was more than enough.

"As long as I can touch it, I can influence it. If I can influence it, I can master it."

His expression stayed calm.

With his talent, if not for the fact that the laws of this world outright forbade the supernatural, he would've already carved out his own path to transcendence.

All he needed was a chance. A single crack in the wall. And now, that chance had arrived.

Messages flickered across the chat window in a blur.

『Madoka Kaname』: "Renji? Judging by the name, you're a guy, right? Big bro, why so quiet?"

『Kanae Kocho』: "Probably just shocked. I was the same my first time—I thought it was some kind of Blood Demon Art trap!"

『Rin Tohsaka』: "Hmph. I assumed it was a special magecraft at first. But of course, I didn't panic."

『Madoka Kaname』: "Eh? You really didn't?"

『Erica Blandelli』: "Yeah? Not even a little?"

『Erica Blandelli』: (fox grin.jpg)

『Erica Blandelli』: "Which lady was it who shouted, 'Mommy, Daddy, save me' that one time again?"

『Rin Tohsaka』: "Shut up, you noisy fox! Don't you dare bring that up again!"

『Erica Blandelli』: "???"

『Erica Blandelli』: "One more chance to rephrase. What did you just call me?"

---

"Damn it, she's bullying me again!"

In the Tohsaka residence of Fuyuki City, a black-haired little girl with twin tails clenched her fists. She was only six or seven, but right now she wanted nothing more than to sock that annoying Erica right in the face.

"I called you a fox, so what? Come bite me!"

Her lips said one thing, but her fingers typed another:

『Rin Tohsaka』: "Of course I meant Erica-onee-sama! The kind and beautiful Erica-onee-sama! Did something happen just now?"

『Rin Tohsaka』: (cute face.jpg)

She really had no choice. Erica was too strong to defy, and she still needed favors from this fox.

『Erica Blandelli』: "Mm, that's better."

『Erica Blandelli』: "I love the way you act tough, then fold like a puppy. Adorable."

Erica was really satisfied.

However, Rin was silently seething. "This damned fox. Her personality is rotten to the core!"

After growling under her breath, Rin suddenly remembered there was a newcomer in the group.

"Wait. If the newbie turns out to be a big shot, maybe I won't have to rely on Erica anymore. I could just ask him instead."

Her eyes lit up and she immediately opened the profile of [Renji Amatsuki]

Member profiles didn't reveal much—just the username and their classification. 

Full of hope, Rin checked. Moments later, her shoulders slumped.

『Rin Tohsaka』: "Just an ordinary person from an ordinary world? What a waste…"

She froze. She'd accidentally typed her thoughts into the chat.

It was true, but saying it so bluntly to a stranger was far too rude.

Hurriedly, she scrambled to explain herself.

『Rin Tohsaka』: "Sorry! I didn't mean to insult you. I just meant it's a pity—you seemed like someone I could lean on."

『Rin Tohsaka』: "Honestly, aside from Erica, all of us are the same, so please don't take offense at my wording."

Unlike some magi, Rin wasn't snobbish toward ordinary humans. She simply slipped.

Luckily, she had good rapport with the group, and the others stepped in to help.

『Madoka Kaname』: "Rin-onee-san didn't mean anything bad. I'm just a normal person too, so I hope you won't mind."

『Erica Blandelli』: "That's right. By group standards, even in my world most people are zero-tier. Nothing to get hung up on."

Renji, of course, wasn't offended. His state of mind was far beyond that. If anything, something else had caught his attention.

『Renji Amatsuki』: "No problem. You just spoke honestly. I don't mind."

『Renji Amatsuki』: "But… what exactly does 'tier' mean? Could it be a ranking system?"

The others quickly explained.

Tiers were the group's way of classifying combat strength.

First tier meant you could handle an army alone.

Second tier could topple a city.

Third could destroy a nation.

Fourth could sink continents.

Fifth could shatter planets.

Sixth, star systems.

Seventh… beyond imagination.

For now, though, the scale was mostly irrelevant. With the exception of Erica, every member was still zero-tier.

That made Erica the undisputed strongest, and she reveled in teasing Rin like some twisted older sister.

Once the basics were covered, the gentle Kanae explained the group's two most important functions: daily sign-ins and the marketplace.

Both revolved around points.

『Kanae Kocho』: "Everyone starts with some points based on their world and strength. Daily sign-ins give more, and you can also sell goods in the group market to earn them."

『Kanae Kocho』: "Prices are set by the system, otherwise I'd sell my Breathing Styles cheap to help everyone. Still, nothing is overpriced. Even normal people can save up through sign-ins and eventually afford something."

『Kanae Kocho』: "So don't give up. One day, we'll all leave behind being 'zero' and step into the tiers."

Her words weren't just for Renji—they were encouragement for everyone, even herself.

『Renji Amatsuki』: "Thanks."

Following her directions, Renji opened the marketplace.

And there it was: the very door to the extraordinary he'd been chasing.

[Thunder Breathing. Water Breathing. Flame Breathing. Flower Breathing…]

Kanae had listed every Breathing Style from her world. Each cost only 100 points.

"Breathing Styles rely on the body. They have limits. Still, they're worth experimenting with. But what I need isn't just power—I need a seed that leads to transcendence."

His gaze swept past the flashy skills until it landed on something more fundamental.

[Hermetic Magic (Basic Edition) — 100 points.]

A foundational method from the Campione world. Cheap, but to him, priceless.

He checked his balance. Exactly 100 points.

Without hesitation, he purchased it.

Instantly, knowledge surged into his mind. Meditation, methods for controlling magic, step-by-step training. His body began following the patterns on its own.

Renji bit his tongue, sharpening his awareness, observing every shift in his body from the outside.

And then—realization struck.

"This… it's the same as the secret practices I studied from the Rosicrucian orders. Not pure monism, but a dualistic system—it's straight out of Neo-Kabbalistic meditation! The resemblance to Rosicrucian rites is uncanny. This has to be rooted in the Templar tradition."

"Right. Erica's Copper-Black Cross is descended from the Templars…"

"In other words, while magic doesn't actually exist in my world, the theory itself is real! The knowledge is genuine!"

Shaken by the discovery, he quickly parsed the technique with his years of study. And as his knowledge fused with his gift for insight, he saw even more.

"Of course. Historically, the Templars abandoned their Judaic influences after being branded heretics by Philip IV. Their system was incomplete. If I patch in the missing pieces, this method could be… optimized."

Eyes closed, he dove into experimentation.

At once, his "magic" shifted, moving faster, smoother.

"It works! But the life-force conversion still wastes too much energy. If I apply Golden Dawn methods and tweak it with astrological correspondences…"

Once he tasted success, he couldn't stop. He refined and iterated, adjusting detail after detail, combining centuries of mystic theory.

With every cycle, the Hermetic Magic method grew sharper, cleaner, more efficient.

His aura deepened, growing more subtle, more serene.

Even if Erica herself walked in, she would never guess the technique he was practicing had started from the crude "Basic Hermetic Magic" she had supplied.

.

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