Morax the Geo Archon: Billionaire in the Chat Group

As usual, after finishing his meal without carrying any money, Zhongli returned to his residence.

His home was a simple, almost austere two-story building.

There were no ornate carvings or lavish decorations in the surrounding area. The modest house was covered in weathered climbing ivy, with a few Windwheel Asters from Mondstadt and humble Glaze Lilies dotting the space. It exuded a sense of desolation yet carried an air of quiet comfort.

Upon entering, Zhongli shut the door behind him and prepared to open the chat group to see what the members from other worlds were discussing.

A prominent notification popped up on the group's interface.

Immortal Chiyuan: I've prepared what you needed. Have you accumulated enough points?

Keeper of Contracts: I completed an urgent mission a few days ago and earned about 10,000 points. Is that enough for the trade?

Immortal Chiyuan: More than enough. In my world, these items are worth about 1,000 points.

Keeper of Contracts: Understood. How should we proceed with the transaction?

Immortal Chiyuan: You can list items for sale in the system marketplace. I'll bundle the knowledge and list it for you to purchase directly.

Keeper of Contracts: Thank you.

With that contract resolved, Zhongli didn't immediately dive into the knowledge of "gravity" from another world. Instead, he returned to the chat group's main interface.

The atmosphere in the group remained as lively and relaxed as ever, prompting a faint smile to grace Zhongli's lips. This mood... It reminds me of the lighthearted camaraderie of old acquaintances from long-forgotten memories.

True Artifact: I've compiled a list of light novels, manga, original animations, and games released over the past two weeks. Unfortunately, there's still no mention of any of the worlds belonging to group members—just the usual.

Telepath: Thank you, Miss Artifact, for your help.

Incurable Villain: Has the author of A Certain Magical Index released a new book in the series?

True Artifact: Not yet, but I've found information that the protagonist, Kamijou Touma—whose fate was ambiguous at the last volume's conclusion—has survived. Moreover, a new book titled New Testament: A Certain Magical Index is set to release in about two months.

Incurable Villain: Thanks! If you ever need assistance, feel free to use a task card to summon me. I'll help you free of charge.

Lonely Kobayashi... Kobayashi... So Lonely: Still no story about me? I really want to know how many kids Kobayashi and I will have! Ehehe~! Ehehe~!

Telepath: Hmm... Miss Tohru, setting aside the fact that you're a dragon and Kobayashi is human, aren't you both... female? Is it even possible for you two to have children?

Lonely Kobayashi... Kobayashi... So Lonely: Love conquers all! Gender? Race? Mere obstacles! We'll overcome them!

Shrine Maiden Reimu: What about my story? Is there one for me??

True Artifact: Yes and no. There's no official main story release, but there are plenty of doujin works, comics, novels, and games. To be honest, there's so much—especially the smaller fan-made ones—that I can't collect them all. My apologies.

Shrine Maiden Reimu: Aaaah! Don't remind me of the Hypnosis Gensokyo Project! People from other worlds have such ridiculous expectations of us youkai. Don't they realize if they actually arrived in Gensokyo, Yukari—that old purple hag—would catch them first? Anyone not included in her plans wouldn't survive long enough to reach the Human Village unless they fell directly under the protection of my shrine!

Telepath: Every time I hear Miss Reimu's rants, it's oddly amusing.

Keeper of Contracts: Has something happened? It seems you're discussing matters unfamiliar to me.

Telepath: Oh, Mr. Contracts—your true name is Zhongli, correct?

Keeper of Contracts: Yes, from Teyvat, Liyue.

Telepath: Miss Artifact, you've confirmed there's no mention of Zhongli's name, right?

True Artifact: Correct. I had specialists search Chinese networks for any reference to Zhongli's name—nothing came up. The same goes for Japan.

Telepath: Then let me explain briefly. Zhongli, do you find the idea of appearing in novels or games from another world strange or absurd?

Keeper of Contracts: I believe I understand where this is going. Intriguing.

Telepath: I didn't expect you to grasp it so quickly... Very well, I'll be direct. In the worlds of many group members, those with supernatural abilities or those residing on fantastical continents often have their stories chronicled in novels, manga, or anime.

Meanwhile, those like Miss Artifact and Brother Siscon—who live in entirely mundane, material worlds without supernatural powers or youkai—tend to have novels, games, or anime detailing the lives of other group members.

The first type of world we call a Standard World. The second type is referred to as a Benchmark World.

Do you follow so far?

Zhongli paused to reflect for a few seconds before carefully replying.

Keeper of Contracts: Unexpected yet reasonable. Though I hadn't considered it, the concept is intriguing.

Telepath: I'm glad you understand. To elaborate, the only two members without supernatural elements or phenomena in their worlds are Miss Artifact and Brother Siscon, who hail from Benchmark Worlds.

In Benchmark Worlds, the release timelines for novels, games, and animations are generally consistent. For example, if a novel is released in Miss Artifact's world in late 2010, it would also appear around the same time in Brother Siscon's world. While authors and certain expressions might differ, the content and storyline remain identical.

Miss Artifact's timeline is in March 2011, while Brother Siscon's is in January 2011. As such, we regularly consult them about stories in their worlds. Miss Artifact even spends points to upload novels, games, or anime to the group files for us to download for free.

Keeper of Contracts: …Fascinating.

Telepath: Precisely. If you have time, I suggest downloading the attachments in the group files. They contain stories from some members' worlds—remarkably, many of them are excellent narratives.

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T/N: as you can see the usernames have changed... this is better and I shall try to keep it these ones from now on!