Hindsight: 20/20!
Of course the snowflake icon meant a Yin Physique!
Of course Mei would care about that!
Of course sharing this info would earn exchange points!
So what other painfully obvious yet important things did I miss?
Mentioned by Astra "stat metagaming"? Renting out ability cards? Combat utility of a Small Extradimensional Space?
I cut that train of thought short and focused on what really mattered: exchange points!
Spirit stones! Empowerment pills! Defensive and offensive talismans!
For a brief, beautiful moment of metaphorical drooling, I have the best mood since I first saw the words "Multiversal Service System."
Especially when I asked Mei what she had against wolves, and she listed a Qi-infused dagger, a sword, a few talismans, and some kind of "attacking hairpin"!
By now, I should have known better.
Her next comments made my face collapse into metaphorical tears and snot.
Every listed item held by her with consideration for sending to me felt as "wrong target."
Then she tried every single Qi-infused item she owned - and they all gave her the same "wrong target" feeling.
FFFFFuuuuuuuuuCKkkk!!!
Even though she said that without Qi I could only use the dagger's secondary function, it was yet another heavy blow to my hopes and my sanity.
Then I started asking for details. And whether out of gratitude or genuine desire to help, Mei answered every question almost instantly, and without any objections.
At some point, we fell into an intense rhythm of my hypotheses and her testing:
Items clearly crafted with Qi, but no longer containing Qi? Transferable, one "item" at a time.
Items with residual Qi, like paper she had infused by Qi herself? Not transferable.
Composite items, such as a robe with a belt? Transferable together, but only if belt is tucked into the robe.
A piece torn from a bedsheet? Transferable, yet, only as a separate item.
A new bedsheet tied with a ribbon? Can be sent along with the ribbon. An old bedsheet tied with the same ribbon also transferable. Yet, not with a different, more expensive, ribbon.
A store-bought set consisting of a pencil case and three brushes of different sizes? Transferable. But not with added brush from different set! FUCKERS!
The same with a jar filled with food pills. Which is transferable with similar pills, but not with even half a pill of a different type. Not even with any type of ribbon, or anything else.
Medicine with Qi - not transferable. But transferable what was purified and refined with Qi, like super anti-burn ointment and some sort of lungs-oxygenation pills.
Integrated objects, like windows or floorboards, couldn't be sent. However, all of them, as well as her entire house, felt as "wrong target." In contrast, a jar of pills tossed into the air and touched during free fall didn't have any "target" feeling at all.
Which proved that the restrictions for movable objects and integrated objects were not the same. And that sending integrated objects might be possible after a Multiversal Service System upgrade.
No, that's too much optimistic!
Rather... To show to "customers" that they shouldn't consider using such transfer as a form of personal defense? Yes, it's fit much more.
Either way, things turned out to be far more complicated than I'd expected from such transfer mechanics.
For instance, size.
A bed? "Wrong target."
A slightly smaller mattress? Transferable.
Why? Because the maximum transferable volume was capped by the volume of my Small Extradimensional Space? If so, really hop... - perhaps - it's determined by total volume, not by volume of remaining free space.
When my ideas finally ran dry, less than five minutes after we started experimenting, I thanked Mei profusely. And told her that, while I wasn't certain, I vaguely remembered seeing a kind of "bodybuilder jade beauty", which might hint that answers to Yin Physique's flaws might lie in body cultivation. And promised to let her know if I remember anything else.
Because throughout the entire intense exchange not once did she express doubt, complaint, or hesitation, finally giving me something useful out of the Multiversal Service System, in just a five short minutes Mei earned not only my gratitude, but also respect.
Now that I thought about it, I hadn't heard any suggestions or anything beyond concise, factual replies, either. As if I talk with AI. Who know, maybe I indeed was.
Anyway. Not wanting to drag out another round of dealing with Astra, or leave her alone in the chat with Bella, I returned into the group chat. Thankfully, Astra showed enough sense not to deteriorate situation even further.
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🔮Bella🔮 ▪️▪️▪️💬Max: Is this another "translation issue"?
⚜️Max⚜️ Please pay close attention to what I'm about to say.
⚜️Max⚜️Over the past few hours, I've survived multiple events that were groundbreaking for me and at least one life-threatening crisis. And yet, for some absurd reason, all of that pales in comparison to the drama in this chat.
My attempts to appeal to reason and basic civility have clearly failed. So instead, I'll appeal to your greed, and a little to fear.
A few minutes ago, I shared information important to Mei and received two exchange points in return. After that, Mei and I confirmed that she really can send items to me. Alas, only as long as they don't contain the native energy of her world - Qi.
{{{ Isn't Qi a personal version of environmental Ki energy? I'll have to ask Mei later. }}}
This confirms my broader assumptions about how the Multiversal Service System works. More importantly, it confirms the enormous benefits you can gain from it:
Access to knowledge that benefits you. Currently from three universes, but likely dozens in the future.
Most likely, unlimited access to useful items from my universe.
Through me, access to items from the universes of the other clients. Initially probably just a few and without exotic energies, yet, thanks to possibility of system's upgrades, potentially on a much larger scale and with higher quality.
I'm sorry, but only fools, so foolish that their stupidity becomes a danger to themselves and others, would reject opportunities like this just to prove they're more "right" than someone from another universe. Or that the rules of their world should apply to all others.
And because of the risk of negative influence, wasted time, constant distractions, and similar issues, I don't need relationships with such people. Even in great need, and even through a chat like this.
Since I was the one who activated this chat, and as far as I understand, the only one with the authority to ban participants, I'm taking both the rights and responsibilities of an administrator. And introduce the following rules:
First. By default, each of you may send me up to ten items. Accordingly, the base limit of what each of you may receive from me is also ten items. This limit may increase based on my subjective evaluation of each participant's usefulness. And in cases of clear harmful behavior - it may be reduced.
Second. Until the end of today, any mention of something potentially offensive to other participants is prohibited.
Also, not a rule but a request, please don't waste either your time or mine on things you don't consider useful.
Third. Bella, yes, Astra's behavior is, to some extent, a translation issue. I'll explain exactly why when I have time.
For now, I'll say only this: from Astra's cultural perspective, you attacked her first and without sufficient reason. From your cultural perspective, you did have a valid reason.
And when you are partly right, it's still rather wrong. Once again, we all come from different worlds. Just because something looks familiar doesn't mean it's really what you think it is.
If Astra turns out to be who you think she is, I will remove her from the chat.
Also, while I can't say this with absolute certainty, I have almost no doubt whatsoever that Astra is not a fairy or anything of that sort. Because in my first world I saw people who behaved in a very similar way. I'm sure that if you think about it, you'll also remember people with such straightforward behavior as well.
End of the first part.
⚜️Max⚜️ Fourth. While each of you is both right and wrong in your own way, Astra, once again, you overreacted. Reacted too fast, too much, and too confrontational.
Therefore, there will be a very light punishment. Astra, you have a choice. Either you receive a second penalty point, or you complete two simple tasks.
In essence, they will serve as compensation to me for your persisting alienation of two clients who appear to be from worlds more valuable to me than your own.
First: compose a list of facts as you believe would be most useful to Mei and Bella, and send it to me privately. While I can obtain two knives from Mei in case of emergency, the true value of her world lies in its medicine. Therefore, I would prefer to obtain weapons from you or Bella. In return, I will also send to you knowledge that I believe will be useful to you.
Second: take a photo of yourself in a mirror and send it to me privately. I will not share the image with anyone else.
Based on the fact that none of you mentioned anything unusual about the twins' photo, I assume that all of you see only two girls in that image (please confirm or deny this).
However, I see also two large numbers above their heads: 67 on the left and 63 on the right.
This almost certainly represents a Relationships-1 percentile value.
If I don't see any numbers on Astra's photo, it would mean that I'm unable to gain points via relationships with clients.
❄️Mei❄️ I don't see numbers in the picture.
🌟Astra🌟 Numbers? I don't see any.
63? Splendid! Ku-ku-ku. Mona was right, she IS better! If she finds out, Mina will be furious!
And I choose the second option. Not penalty point one.
🔮Bella🔮 I don't see any numbers either.
⚜️Max⚜️ ▪️▪️▪️💬Astra: We'll talk about the difference between the twins later. For now, please don't waste time. Focus on making your list. We'll review and expand it afterward.
Meanwhile, I'll start compiling a list of things that might be useful for you, assuming your world is feudal and non-magical. If that's correct? Roughly what century would you say your world is in?
🌟Astra🌟 Yeah, no magic. Probably. There's a lot of very weird stuff, though.
Weird Inheritance of physical traits, and smell-related nonsense. Weird sex stuff.
A few weird metals. Weirdly large animals, and even weirder legends. But nothing beyond that. What century? No idea.
⚜️Max⚜️ Does your world have watermills? Water-powered machinery? Crossbows? Sewage? A printing press? Mechanical tower clocks (if yes, are they powered by water or wound springs)?
🌟Astra🌟
Watermills? Yeah, for grain and such.
Water-powered machinery? Not sure. I've never seen or read about such things. However, as I said they're not really necessary because of really big domesticated animals. Rams like horses, horses like... Giraffes? Only small part of them in any use, since many are considered sacred by many people, but for horses rather many.
Crossbows? Yes, rare and expensive ones. And officially banned for anyone except soldiers. I've only seen a couple of them, such big, heavy things, rather shitty ones. Is it okay to use "shitty", right?
Sewage? Castles and a few cities near rivers have something like this, covered canals with so-called "bad water." Still, such things are rare.
Printing press? For pictures and patters, there are existing complex stencils. Text, however, handwritten. Also, everything about books and education here are weird. Imagine an Earth where every hair and eye color is treated as a separate race, each with its own mythology, history, culture, traditions, and social rules. And with the belief that, knowledge of who you are and where you come from should be shared only within your own group, or closely related ones. That's how it works here. At least for the majority.
Tower clocks? None. No clocks at all. Time is determined by sundials.
⚜️Max⚜️ You may use the word "shitty" only if the other ladies don't object.
🔮Bella🔮 I'm objecting to the use of such rude language.
⚜️Max⚜️ Can you quickly take photos of your surroundings and some men? It's your choice whether to post photos in the group chat or send them privately.
🌟Astra🌟 A tour? With fucking pleasure!
My personal photo? Private only. Who knows, my beauty might spark envy, and envy is a very offensive waste of time.
⚜️Max⚜️ Astra…
🔮 Bella🔮▪️▪️▪️💬Astra: If you're not allowed to use that bad word, then you are definitely not allowed to use this, even more vulgar, one!
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🌟Astra🌟 If you're standing, take a seat. You're about to see the most beautiful girl in the entire kingdom.
Hmm. If I'm a main character of a visual novel, this would be the great moment for a cliffhanger...
Anyway, here I am.