Chap 0:The Day the Stars Fell

{5:30}

♫♪~ Oh, my God, you've got to get up. WAKE UP.

- "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA. Seriously, what was I thinking when I set the alarm like that? It's so loud and it's not very pleasant to hear your voice in the morning. I hope the neighbours didn't hear it, although what neighbours are there ha-ha..... But I must admit that this method of waking up is pretty damn effective....I think we can lie down for another 30 minutes and start packing."

It was the usual wake-up call for a shiro, a 17-year-old student who'd had a hell of a morning.

{6:30}

- "nyaahrfs."

Ugh (The sound of a cat falling on your face). ≽^-⩊-^≼

"Good morning Kafi, thanks for waking me up, I guess I'll definitely have to get up now..."

With that, Shiro got up and fed her cat. She packed her backpack and headed to the nearest station to get to her decrepit college, where she often spent a huge amount of time solely because she had nowhere else to go.And her only two friends besides her cute cat were busy at the moment.

Classes didn't make her happy, but she endured it all for the sake of a diploma that could give her a chance at a better life.

[Slight time skip]

{17:10}

Class had just ended and Shiro ran out of the classroom with only one thought, "Damn, I forgot to buy food for Kafi yesterday!!!" Quickly going over in her head where she could shop, she headed towards the nearest shop. Once inside, she grabbed a packet of cat food and some groceries for herself.

(Sound of the shop door closing) "Whew, I kind of managed to buy some cat food, and some groceries to make dinner. Man, with today's purchases, my money won't be enough to live on for another two weeks (╥﹏╥). Okay, I'll just find another part-time job, I'll think about it tomorrow..."

As Shiro was walking along her usual path along the alley that overlooked the vacant lot that was near the warehouse she lived in, something very unusual began to happen, namely: Starfall!

"Wow, it's beautiful ( ˶°ㅁ°) !!!" - she whispered, stopping and gazing mesmerised at the falling stars illuminating the night sky.

Shiro couldn't take her eyes off the sight. The starfall seemed magical, as if someone had painted the sky with glowing sparks. For a moment, all her problems receded into the background. But then she remembered her worries and, with a sigh, continued on her way home.

Shiro walked through the narrow streets of her neighbourhood, where many of the houses had long been in need of repair. The streetlights here often didn't work, and only the moon lit her path. She noticed how the shadows of the houses created fanciful patterns on the pavements, and the light wind moved the leaves on the trees, making them whisper to each other.

"I wonder if all the other people have the same boring days as me?" - Shiro thought, remembering her many part-time jobs and endless study assignments, and only a few positive encounters with her friends.

Walking past an abandoned park, she stopped for a moment to listen to the sounds of the city at night. In the distance, the honking of cars and the muffled conversations of passersby could be heard. But here, in the shade of the trees, it was quiet and peaceful.

"I guess everyone has their problems, just not everyone shows them, after all, even the "purple bun" during our last meeting in the café complained at great length about the difficulties of life." - She pondered, moving forward again.

Shiro turned onto a narrow lane leading to the old warehouse where she lived. There were rusty metal fences along the road, hiding abandoned buildings and vacant lots of tall grass. The wind picked up again and she wrapped herself in her jacket, trying to keep warm.

{19:20}

Shiro sat on the roof of the ship repair warehouse where she worked after her studies in exchange for being able to sleep in a storeroom near the roof. Shiro often went to the roof to feed her only friend, a black cat named Kafi. Shiro was an orphan and from an early age had to find ways to take care of herself on her own. The only way to somehow distract herself from her work and study load was drawing, and her cute black cat, who always woke her up in the mornings and cheered her up in difficult moments.

She squatted down and opened her dinner box, savouring the rare moments of silence. The lights of the city could be seen in the distance, and Shiro thought for a moment about what it would be like to have a normal life full of friends and fun.

"Kafi, you know, sometimes I feel like I'm stuck in an endless cycle. Morning, study, work, and so on every day. There's hardly any time for anything of my own, and my friends have been so busy lately that we don't see each other at all"— she said, stroking the cat that was nestled in her lap.

"But there has to be some point to all this, right?"

She sighed and reached for her sketch book, deciding to spend some time drawing. Her pencil glided across the paper, creating images from her imagination, and for a moment she forgot about everything around her.

And then, before her eyes appeared this....

[Do you want to become the chat group administrator of user "hedgehog's nostril"?]1

Shiro looked at the screen that suddenly appeared in front of her in surprise. An electronic voice offered to become the administrator of some mysterious chat group.

"What the hell is this?" - she muttered to herself, gingerly reaching for the virtual display.

"Accept or reject?"-Her finger hovered over the screen for a moment, and she looked up at Kafi, who was studying her actions with interest.

"What would you do if you were me?" - Shiro asked her furry friend. The cat didn't answer, of course, but his calm gaze reassured her.

She sighed and pressed the button. Suddenly the screen began to glow brighter, and Shiro felt her consciousness seem to sink into another world. The sounds of the city disappeared and instead she heard many voices speaking simultaneously, but clearly and distinctly.

A new reality was unfolding before her eyes - it was a virtual room.

{Please create your character}

Shiro stared in amazement at the display that appeared in front of her. It looked like a standard character creation window in games, but it felt more real and interactive.

"Okay, let's see what we have here..." - she muttered, starting to actively scroll through the list of available interactions. Suddenly her gaze froze on the screen.

"Yeah, I don't understand a damn thing ._. Isn't there some sort of beginner's guide?" - Shiro muttered unhappily.

In response, the system interface flashed up, and a text appeared, explaining:

[Nickname] - What will be displayed in the global ranking of Interworld Chat Groups, and will be visible to all users of the Interworld Chat Group programme. Your achievements and titles will also be displayed next to your nickname.

"Yeah, so in that respect the system works the same way as Discord, only more globally?" - Shiro asked, tilting her head slightly to the side.

[System]: You could say that — replied the cold robotic voice.

She continued to study the parameters, and the following explanation appeared in front of her:

[Race] - Your choice of race determines your basic abilities and traits. Each race has unique skills and characteristics that can affect your role in the chat group. The demigods, for example, are known for their power and abilities in magic and combat.

"The demigods are the strongest race available,strong people have an easier time making friends. Maybe if I'm stronger, I'll have more opportunities to form relationships with others." thought Shiro.

She chose "Half-God" and continued on.

[Description] - In this section, you can write a short description of your character. The description will only be visible to the chat group members and will help them to better understand your role and personality. Please note that the description will not be displayed in the world rankings.

Shiro thought of a description that would help her make more friends.

"Dexterous and powerful, a demigod seeking her place in this strange and incomprehensible world. Her travels are full of adventure, but the true meaning of her life remains a mystery." - That doesn't sound like chunibyo, does it? I didn't go overboard with that (ᵕ-ᴗ-).

She then moved on to the next item:

[Familiars] - Familiars are your loyal companions who can assist you in your adventures. They have unique skills and can provide additional support.Note that a familiar is chosen randomly,however you can choose a scroll difficulty when you summon one,this will replace scrolling to find the perfect familiar for you,but note that this will entail its own complications,and perfect doesn't mean it will be useful to you.

"So, wait, you mean the fucking gacha got here too?" - Shiro was indignant, barely holding back a nervous laugh.

[System]: ...

"Alright, let's continue. What about the skills? Can you explain it to me, oh great 'Capitalist' system?" - Shiro asked sarcastically, rolling her eyes.

[System]:

[Skills] - In this section, you can select skills that will determine your abilities in the chat group. Skills can include magic, combat skills, healing, and more. Choose the ones that best suit you.

Shiro thought for a moment, but at that moment, the system suggested the options that best suited her:

[System]: Recommended skills for the Half-God race: 'Divine Power' and 'Light Magic'.

"Oh, it seems the system has decided for me," Shiro grinned. "Divine Power and Light Magic? Looks like I'm going to be a walking torch."

Finally, she got to the appearance customisation. Here she had more freedom. Shiro decided to keep her appearance almost the same as in real life, only adding a few fantasy elements.

[Appearance Customisation] - This is where you can change your character's appearance, adding unique traits that will set you apart from the other members. You can customise hair colour, eye colour, clothing and other details. Keep in mind that what you create here will be displayed both to your chat members in meetings and to the public in the inter-world.

"So wait, you just said something about chat meetings and inter-world space, what is that?"

[System]:You'll find out later.

".... Okay"- Shiro muttered incredulously.

Shiro selected the following settings:

•Hair:Black, like the night itself, short, slightly glowing

•Eyes: Deep red colour with a golden glow.

•outfit:Formal black suit with tie, bowler hat, red cape

When Shiro tried to change the racial features, the system gave a warning:

[System]: You are unable to change this aspect of appearance due to the features of your chosen race.

"SO WAIT, I WASN'T TOLD ANYTHING ABOUT THIS! SYSTEM, WTF?" - Shiro was indignant.

[System]: This restriction is due to the unique abilities and appearance of the "Half-God" race. These changes are necessary for your skills to be displayed and used correctly.

Shiro sighed, resigning herself to the inevitable. "Okay, looks like I'll have to get used to surprises like this" she muttered as she finished customising her appearance and clicked the 'Confirm' button.

[System]:Please enter your nickname.

"It's..."