Anime Multiverse: Building a Pantheon from Scratch

Ding! A series of notifications popped up in front of Luo Shu's eyes.

[Congratulations to the host for obtaining the Elite-tier artifact "Heart of the Demon." Points awarded: 5000. Monthly fixed income increased by 500 points.]

[Congratulations to the host for obtaining the Heroic-tier artifact "Lucky Wallet." Points awarded: 8000. Monthly fixed income increased by 800 points.]

[Current total points: 27,983. Monthly fixed income: 2300 points.]

"Almost 28,000 points in savings, and a monthly income of 2300. I guess I did come out ahead in the end."

Although it was a little frustrating that he couldn't sell the artifacts, when he thought it over, the long-term influence income from possessing Abyssal Artifacts outweighed the one-time benefit of selling them. With that realization, the sense of regret quickly faded.

"Well, since I've gotten this much, it wouldn't hurt to spend a little—but there's no rush."

He opened the "Astronomy Club" internal network via the system. Luo Shu wasn't sure what the system had based the design on, but it looked suspiciously like the messaging app he used back in his old world. Although the system assured him that this internal network was secure, encrypted, and free from eavesdropping, the familiar layout gave him both nostalgic comfort and a bit of financial paranoia.

"Let's see if Eriri and Utaha are online."

Since the network was internal and accessible only to his followers, whether someone was asleep or awake could be seen at a glance. Colored icons meant online, black-and-white for offline. A colored icon with an exclamation mark indicated 'busy,' and skull icons—whether in color or grayscale—signaled 'danger.' It was practically better than surveillance software.

Unfortunately, both of their avatars were black and white.

"What the hell? Eriri, a hardcore doujin artist who burns the midnight oil, and Kasumigaoka Utaha, a tragic author who rewrites into the night—they both went to bed early?"

"You two aren't usually this wholesome."

Just yesterday, Kasumigaoka had chatted with him in bed until 3 a.m., refusing to let him sleep. Now that he was away, she suddenly decided to have an early night? Real classy, Kasumigaoka.

"Well, I originally wanted to talk to them about the SDS matter and inform them that I plan to bring Mira-san into the group. Guess I'll have to proceed first and let them know afterward."

That's right. Luo Shu had wanted to reach out to his two "hidden dragons and crouching tiger" not only to inform them of potential new recruit Tsubakihara Mira, but also to start preparing them for a little background education.

Since he had unintentionally joined an official organization, it made sense to keep his followers informed about the broader world they were now involved in. And given Mira's status—not only a heroine candidate but also someone with deep connections and a positive attitude toward him—Luo Shu naturally wanted to recruit her as well.

Still, to maintain harmony and fairness within the group, Luo Shu wanted to at least notify his current followers. It was only right to appear democratic. Even the shameless U.S. throws around words like freedom and democracy—how could Luo Shu not play along?

Unfortunately, for reasons unknown, both of the night owl girls were asleep.

'Could it be because I told Kasumigaoka yesterday that going to bed early is good for your health? Is she really that obedient?' he muttered inwardly. After a sigh, he opened up the system again.

"System, list the upgrade conditions for 'Intuition' and 'Combat Potential.'"

[Super Intuition: Advanced version of Intuition. Rated Excellent.]

[Upgrade Requirements: Primary material – Brain of the Mystic Squid (10,000 points). No supplementary materials required.]

[Subconscious Control: Advanced version of Combat Potential. Rated Excellent.]

[Upgrade Requirements: Primary material – Spinal Cord of the Mind Dragon (10,000 points). No supplementary materials required.]

Reading through the upgrade paths, Luo Shu sat up straight on the sofa and then walked into the kitchen to fetch two glasses. He set them down on the coffee table, took a deep breath, and said:

"If I didn't have Intuition and Combat Potential working together today, I probably would've gotten taken out by that Demon Hunter's Hound. This just proves how important support skills are. In that case, forget saving up 50,000 points for Wind Element Control. Let's improve what we can right now."

He tried to rationalize the decision aloud—partly to brace himself in case the materials tasted absolutely vile.

After a brief pause, Luo Shu redeemed the Brain of the Mystic Squid and the Spinal Cord of the Mind Dragon. In the next second, a dark brown, brain-like lump and a milky white, sticky substance that looked suspiciously like melted ice cream appeared in the glasses.

So that was what those materials looked like.

He asked the system how to consume them and was assured that drinking them both together was fine.

Staring at the two substances that, while gross-looking, weren't entirely inedible, Luo Shu hesitated only a moment longer before grabbing some hot water and pouring it in.

"Bon appétit…"

He muttered and gulped one glass down in one go, then followed with the second, forcing it down despite the thick, slimy texture.

"Hic!"

Letting out a most unflattering burp, his vision suddenly blurred. He saw a branching tree extending infinitely outward from his mind's eye, stretching deep into the void. A high-pitched ringing filled his ears, and his body temperature spiked past 40°C. His skin turned bright red.

And yet, strangely enough, he didn't feel unwell. Instead, a strange sense of relaxation swept over him.

Once the sensation faded and Luo Shu slowly opened his eyes again, the sunlight streaming through the shattered window caused him to squint instinctively.

"Morning already?"

Looking at the sunlight pouring onto the sofa, he fumbled around for his phone.

7:00 a.m.

Luo Shu stared in silence, then muttered with a complicated expression, "Did my abilities actually get upgraded?"

[Confirmation: Intuition has evolved into 'Super Intuition.' Combat Potential has evolved into 'Subconscious Control.' Host now possesses three Excellent-tier abilities. Influence rating has been upgraded to 'Excellent.']

Letting out a long sigh, Luo Shu muttered, "So you need three Excellent abilities to move up a rank, huh? But aside from feeling more awake than usual, I don't notice much difference…"

Just as he spoke, he had a vague sense—like a glimpse into the near future—that Tsubakihara Mira was standing outside his door, reaching out as if to knock, then withdrawing her hand, repeatedly hesitating.

Snapping back to reality, Luo Shu quietly got up, walked to the entryway, and opened the front door.

"Eh?"

Just arriving at his door, Mira had only raised her hand halfway when the door swung open to reveal Luo Shu's face, making her freeze in place with a dumbfounded expression.

Luo Shu smiled at the stunned woman at his doorstep. "Good morning, Mira-san."

System, I take back what I said earlier. This near-future foresight really does live up to the 'Excellent' rating.