Jayden Cole slumped against the rickety chair in his dorm room, staring at the cracked ceiling.
Life wasn't going well. Tuition was overdue, his landlord had warned him about rent, and he hadn't eaten a proper meal in two days. The only thing keeping him alive was instant noodles and free Wi-Fi.
Just as he was debating whether to sell his old laptop, his phone buzzed.
[Ding! You have been added to "All-Eras Chat Group."]
Jayden frowned.
"All-Eras…? Must be another scam group. If someone asks me to invest in crypto again, I'll block them."
He opened the chat out of boredom.
---
[Sun Tzu]: Strategy is the path to survival. Who is this newcomer?
[Alexander the Great]: Another recruit? Hmph. He better be worth my time.
[Joan of Arc]: Do not be harsh, Alexander. Every warrior deserves a chance.
[Loki]: Ohhh, fresh meat! Welcome, little lamb. Hope you taste better than the last one.
[Einstein]: Wait, wait! A new variable has entered the equation! Fascinating, fascinating!
---
Jayden blinked at his phone.
"Am I… in a roleplay group?"
Before he could type, another message popped up.
[System Notification]: Member Jayden Cole has joined. Initial mission generated.
---
Jayden's hands trembled. "System…?"
The message unfolded like a game interface:
[Mission: Survive the landlord's visit tonight. Reward: +5 Strength, $100 cash card.]
"What the—?!" Jayden shot up from his chair.
Did his phone just… read his life? His landlord was coming tonight to demand rent.
---
The chat exploded again.
[Alexander the Great]: A test of survival already! Good. Boy, stand tall and conquer your enemy!
[Sun Tzu]: Fool. Strategy first. Jayden, prepare a plan before confrontation.
[Joan of Arc]: Courage, Jayden. Even the weakest can rise if their heart is strong.
[Loki]: Or, you know, trick the old man, pretend to faint, or cry until he leaves. That's fun too.
[Einstein]: Perhaps… calculate the landlord's patience tolerance based on his footsteps? Hm, hm…
Jayden rubbed his eyes.
"Either I'm hallucinating from hunger… or Einstein just gave me life advice."
---
Still, the mission reward burned in his mind.
"$100 cash card… that's enough food for a week. And strength? Is this some kind of RPG cheat?"
Another ding—
[Cleopatra]: My, my… so young and uncertain. Do not worry, Jayden. With charm and a silver tongue, you can bend even kings. Try smiling sweetly at your landlord. Men are weak to it.
Jayden almost dropped his phone.
"What the hell kind of group is this?!"
---
He paced the room, sweating. Outside, footsteps echoed in the hallway. The landlord was coming.
The chat group buzzed non-stop:
[Alexander]: Face him head-on! Punch if necessary!
[Sun Tzu]: No. Delay. Stall. Negotiate. Use your words like weapons.
[Joan]: Stand with honor, Jayden! Tell him the truth but do not bow!
[Loki]: Or fake a seizure. Works every time.
[Einstein]: The probability of success increases if you combine deception with negotiation.
Jayden swallowed hard. For the first time in his miserable life, he wasn't alone in his struggles. Somehow… history's greatest minds, warriors, and even gods were screaming advice at him through his cracked phone.
The doorknob turned.
The landlord's voice thundered:
"Jayden! Rent! Open up!"
Jayden clenched his fists.
"Alright… let's test this system."
[Mission in progress...]