Why is my journey to the world of anime a strange tale of rules?

"It is certain that they are already deep among the enemies here, whether they are monsters, derivatives, or something else. The first one is the flesh monsters that we lured in, numbering at least five. We haven't encountered these individuals yet, and we don't know where they've gone, but they are here. We cannot forget about these threats that can easily kill us just because they haven't shown themselves."

"We don't yet fully understand the nature of this anomalous area, but based on my conversation with Mr. Gao, we can confirm that because the [Hospital] was in such a hurry when creating these flesh-and-blood monsters, the monsters and the creatures originally belonging to the [Hospital] have developed a problem with friend-or-foe identification. A large number of the monsters cannot recognize the flesh-and-blood monsters and will attack them as enemies. This is the key reason why we haven't encountered those things yet, and also why the monsters that exist here haven't attacked us much."

"But the hospital won't ignore this loophole. While Mr. Gao is trying his best to fight it, it is also constantly trying to defeat Mr. Gao. Sooner or later it will notice the problem and try to fix it. When that happens, we have to be prepared for the situation to take a sharp turn for the worse."

Such a lengthy analysis would probably have been difficult for Yamada Ryo two days ago.

After all, she was actually a very carefree person by nature, disliked chatting and talking, and always deliberately maintained a cold and aloof demeanor. But now, faced with a threat so close at hand, the girl had put aside all her childishness and focused all her thinking on how to survive.

To be honest, directly using the word "hospital" is actually quite dangerous. After the [Hospital] sealed off Tokyo, all concepts related to "hospital" became contaminated. Casually uttering words involving this concept could easily attract attacks from strange creatures, or even result in inexplicable corruption by some kind of contaminating force. However, according to Mr. Gao, he seems to have spent a considerable amount of time strengthening the power of the domain fragments to ensure that those with protective gear wouldn't be easily affected. Furthermore, with the [Hospital]'s situation becoming increasingly difficult, this conceptual contamination is gradually weakening, and the danger has decreased significantly.

"The second type of monster was the one we encountered in the waterlogged passage. These monsters were highly decomposed and bloated corpses, making it impossible to determine their gender or age from their appearance. Their clothes were also completely soaked and deformed by the corpse fluid, so they could not be used to determine their clothing style or the era they lived in."

Hongxia picked up where Liang left off, offering her analysis. Compared to Liang, Hongxia's voice and demeanor were noticeably weaker, and she seemed less confident. However, this girl had clearly grown considerably since then, and was now able to analyze problems along the same line of thought as Liang.

"These bloated corpses seem to connect to the rule in the graffiti that 'when you see passengers on the other side, please walk with your head down and do not look at them.' We did manage to get through safely by keeping our heads down and not looking at them. Therefore, although we cannot yet determine whether these corpses are monsters or derivatives, we have already mastered the method of dealing with this type of enemy. As long as we are not caught off guard, there shouldn't be too much of a problem."

"However, the appearance of the bloated corpse, on another level, verifies the correctness of the graffiti rules. So we must always be careful, as all the situations explicitly mentioned in the rules are things we might encounter."

"For example, the first rule mentions 'When there are passengers floating in the water, walk close to the wall and do not follow the passengers floating.' Although it's not quite clear what 'follow the passengers floating' means, considering the situation of the bloated corpse, what we should do is take appropriate action when encountering similar monsters. Similarly, this also applies to the rule about 'passengers in the mirror,' and there is also the ambiguous point in this rule about 'do not move the food cart.'"

"The rules regarding 'lost child' and 'security guard' are so severely incomplete that it's impossible to know what the original information should have been. But at least 'child' and 'security guard' can be directly identified as some kind of strange object or derivative, although their specific appearance cannot be determined until they are actually seen. After that, the graffiti rules also mention 'many passengers,' 'Exit 0,' 'no fellow passengers will be encountered,' and 'home,' all of which are missing pieces of information that need to be carefully noted."

"In other words, based on the graffiti rules we initially saw, we need to consider at least eleven different anomalous individuals and more than seven anomalous situations."

As Hongxia finished speaking, her mouth began to feel dry, and the string of information made her head spin a little.

"Then there's Funamoto Yasuo. Based on the information we have, we can confirm that he was originally a mouthpiece for the [Hospital], a tool used by the [Hospital] to lure ordinary people into traps. Now, it's likely that because the [Hospital] has gone completely mad, it's no longer receiving proper instructions and has started acting on its own, targeting us. It certainly won't give up its pursuit of us, after all, the three of us are considered priority targets for the [Hospital]. This individual may possess certain hallucination and mimicry abilities, making him a crucial person we need to be wary of and absolutely cannot underestimate."

Liang didn't seem to care about Hongxia's reaction and continued talking, his expression becoming even more serious.

Ryo was on high alert regarding Funato Yasuo. His hallucination-type abilities alone were undeniably challenging and disgusting, and the addition of suspected thought abilities made it even more troublesome. It's no exaggeration to say that the last person Ryo wanted to face in this distorted underground space was that old man in the hospital gown. If she could, she even considered summoning Mr. Gao's power to completely destroy this path, but due to the limited number of summons and the uncertainty of whether there were even more troublesome opponents, she dared not take that risk.

"We can't ignore the clues from the note either. The note is also written in doodle font, and the 'maze hide-and-seek' game mentioned in it is somewhat similar to our current situation. I think investigating along this line of thought might yield better results."

Hongxia nodded, then continued the conversation to the next step. She stood at the edge of the hall, analyzing the information they had gathered with Liang. Both girls' beautiful faces showed deep resentment, and it seemed they wouldn't be able to finish discussing all the intelligence anytime soon.

"..."

Ijichi Seika did not speak.

While her younger sister, Hongxia, and Liang were talking together, this older sister simply stood quietly in place, occasionally observing her surroundings to avoid encountering any enemies who might launch a sneak attack.

As for why she didn't participate in the discussion, the reason was quite simple. Ever since the incident at the Zhenyang Apartment where the supernatural Shizuko Ogiyama appeared, Xingge realized that her analytical and critical thinking skills regarding supernatural forces were insufficient, at least compared to her sister and her friends. Therefore, rather than interrupting their train of thought, she preferred to quietly act as their protector, helping them observe those easily overlooked corners.

This choice can be seen as a direct admission of her shortcomings. To be honest, for someone like Xingge who cares so much about her reputation, it's quite difficult to do this. However, regardless of whether she feels regret or distress, Xingge knows what is right and what is wrong. Therefore, she will not go back on her decision, nor will she take away the two little ones' right to make their own choices and force them to follow her ideas.

Is this really the right thing to do? Can two children who haven't even grown up yet truly be more knowledgeable and capable than an adult like you? If this is true, doesn't it mean that your 29 years of life experience are easily defeated by a 17-year-old girl? Are you going to admit that you're actually inferior to those younger kids who haven't truly experienced the harsh realities of life, inferior to those parasites who don't even have jobs and can only live off their parents and elders?

I think I heard a sound.

It's hard to tell whether it's someone speaking in your ear or a thought arising deep within your own mind.

Xingge frowned. She felt a sharp, faint yet undeniable pain spreading across her temples. It was like a fine needle piercing through flesh and bone, slowly eroding deeper into her brain, forcibly touching and altering her very thoughts.

The moment I became aware of it, a chill spread through me. The originally subtle pain became incredibly intense in an instant, only to vanish without a trace the next second, as if it had never existed.

“...Hmm, this is.”

There was no way to clearly perceive the situation on my body. When I became aware of it, all that remained were vague feelings. I just instinctively sensed a threat and danger.

It's like having a disturbing nightmare. When you wake up, your whole body is trembling, but you can't remember what you dreamed about. Only the chilling feeling remains in your body, making it impossible to feel at ease.

"Sister? What's wrong with you?"

Hongxia immediately noticed Xingge's unusual reaction and turned around to ask him with concern.

“We may have to move on. I have a bad feeling, like something terrible is about to happen.”

Xingge's face was ashen, and her voice trembled slightly. She wasn't particularly brave, but she seemed quite frightened at this moment, and her overall mental state appeared very poor.

This is the second time.

Liang, who was watching Xingge's reaction from the side, thought to himself.

Before Funato Yasuo appeared, the first person to react was Hoshika, who noticed the abnormality and alerted Ryo and Nijika. This time, although she still didn't know what had happened, Hoshika once again sensed something was wrong ahead of time, perceiving something that Ryo and Nijika hadn't noticed before.

This is not normal.

Perception is not a skill that is easily developed. Both she and Hongxia had already awakened their extraordinary powers to a certain extent, and with Mr. Gao's help, they possessed stronger perception than ordinary people. However, the shop manager did not experience any special adventures. Although she also received help from Mr. Gao, she did not show any extraordinary talent when she was at the Zhenyang Apartment. On the contrary, her performance was significantly worse than the two here.

Why has my perception suddenly become stronger?

When something unusual happens, it's sometimes best to consider the worst-case scenario. Because of their mutual connection, Liang doesn't need to worry about Xingge being replaced or possessed by something. However, this unusual perceptive talent makes him wonder if something is deliberately using Xingge to assert its presence, or if Xingge's special behavior is actually the result of some strange and supernatural rule.

"Let's go, I'll go first."

However, regardless of the specifics, now is not the time to point out the problem. Since the problem hasn't manifested yet, let's hold back for now and see how things develop. In any case, even in the worst-case scenario, Mr. Gao can take the store manager's soul, so there's no need to worry about anything actually happening to her.

With that thought in mind, Ryo took the first step and entered the long, seemingly endless passage ahead.

A strong chill surged forth in an instant.

As if entering an icebox, even if the actual temperature around us didn't reach such an extreme level, our bodies couldn't help but start to experience various adverse reactions. Our joints felt as if they were rusty and difficult to move, and every breath felt like a sharp blade being drawn into our lungs, bringing waves of stinging pain.

Many strange creatures lurk in this place.

The creature that has not yet truly appeared, hidden in the darkness, is perhaps watching you like a spy.

Even Gao Hai himself didn't understand why, at a time when the vast majority of survivors had successfully evacuated or were moving towards the affected area, and the [Hospital] was constantly summoning the deployed monsters and creating flesh-and-blood monsters to launch attacks, so many monsters were still hiding in the subway station, stubbornly refusing to leave this place where there were absolutely no living people. As for why Liang and the others happened to encounter the flesh-and-blood monsters near this problematic subway station, and were forced to enter it to avoid endangering the evacuating survivors, only to run into this group of monsters, that was even more inexplicable.

Of course, for Yamada Ryo, who is already here, this is a question she doesn't need to think about for the time being.

Compared to problems for which there is no answer yet, and even if the answer were known, it would be of little use, the more important thing is to figure out how to unravel the strange rules entrenched within and find a way to escape this place alive.

But how exactly can one leave this subway station, which seems to have become a closed-off area?

Liang recalled once again the message on that note she had seen before.

Only those who played the game can leave through the exit; only those who are allowed to leave can leave.

Playing a game… well, a maze hide-and-seek game. According to the game's description, the rotting corpses called "Passengers" would repeatedly search for them, the living, and try to trigger the rules to kill them. The unknown individual who left this note is the target the three of them need to find. Only by finding this hidden, unnamed individual can they complete the hide-and-seek game in the message and head to the "exit" to leave this place.

But what does the following sentence, "Only those who are eligible to leave can leave," mean? What are the criteria for "eligible to leave"? How do we interpret this information?

Unable to find the answer, Liang could only continue exploring, hoping to find the answer through action.

"The road ahead seems to have changed somewhat."

Hongxia took a few steps closer and whispered to Liang. Before the girl got closer, Liang, who was thinking about the problem as he walked, also noticed the changes and took in all the changes in the surrounding environment.

From the initial slight change to everything becoming completely different, it seemed like only a short time had passed; in the blink of an eye, everything had changed drastically.

The road that stretched endlessly forward was no longer there. In the foreground, one could see thick walls, tightly closed doors, and passageways extending outwards.

A pungent smell of ink had inexplicably filled the air, and upon closer inspection, one could detect a mingled, extremely foul odor. The overhead light flickered, shifting from a stark white to a dim yellow, and the surrounding darkness expanded as the light diminished. In the dim light, everything was shrouded in a strange, hazy atmosphere, creating a sense of unease and making it difficult to determine whether this was reality or a dream.

No, this is neither reality nor a dream; it is simply an alternate dimension where bloodthirsty monsters lurk.

"Do not step into dark areas where no light can reach."

Liang said in a low voice, turning on his flashlight and shining it into the dark areas. However, he found that the flashlight beam could not penetrate the range of the yellow light. The dark areas seemed to possess some kind of extremely strange power, as if no other light was allowed to illuminate the area except for the yellow light that was already there.

"There seems to be something in there..."

Hongxia stared intently at the dark area beyond the light. Although it wasn't as obvious as Liang's, she still felt like she was being watched by something, and she became tense.

"It's not just a possibility, it's a certainty that there's something there, and it's something very unfriendly."

After replying somewhat helplessly, Yamada Ryo looked up at the words on the wall beside him, which were illuminated by the light.

Similar to the previous graffiti and notes, this time the writing appears to be written with blood mixed with something else—hopefully not feces. However, the content is much clearer this time and easier to read, though it's still quite enigmatic.

Beware of people hiding out of the light; you won't see them when they want to harm you.

People always live under the spotlight; everyone lives under the spotlight. Those outside the spotlight are not people.

They want to take you away; they want to take everyone away.

They want to drag everyone into darkness; they call it salvation, but they are actually just killing.

Everyone is against them, everyone is against them, but they still think they are doing good. They always are like that, they can never understand.

But ultimately, they still cannot live under the light; they still cannot stay where we are.

Those who deceive themselves will never learn to be truly human.

Therefore, they will never play games, and therefore they can never be gamers.

Some people find them utterly ridiculous, some hate them to the core, and some just want to tear them to pieces.

【And you?】

Would you forgive them?

...That's quite a strange message.

It feels like they're using "light" to discuss some kind of philosophical question? And it even ends with a question?

In other words, was this notebook created from the very beginning based on the premise that "someone will see it"?

Although the handwriting looked similar, Liang Gang immediately became highly suspicious after reading the record. She was certain that the writer of this message was very likely not the same person as the one she had seen before.

"From the perspective of the text itself, it seems more like a judgment written by a third party who has seen something, but who would leave such a judgment after entering such a place? Something doesn't seem right."

Yamada Ryo stared intently at the message, a growing sense of unease rising within him.

She always felt that the message didn't seem to be left by a human.

A person who has stumbled into a supernatural world and is threatened with death by various terrifying and bizarre creatures should not leave behind a record of this attitude. Even if the other party is not a victim, but a perpetrator or a born psychopathic killer, it is unlikely that they would adopt such a stance, let alone ask a later person whose very existence is uncertain.

Unless the person who left the record knew from the beginning that at least one more person was destined to arrive here, and that unknown being knew that the record he left behind would inevitably be read, which is why he left this dialogue-like ending?

What kind of person could do something like this? Can someone like that even be considered human?

At this moment, Liang's heart was filled with questions, and she couldn't calm down.

Unfortunately, Takahashi, who wasn't monitoring the situation at the time, naturally didn't notice this unusual intelligence message. If Takahashi had seen it, he would probably have immediately associated it with a higher-dimensional being like a Keeper of the Priest (KP) and realized the hidden information behind the message. But there are no "ifs" here; Yamada Ryo, unable to find the answer, couldn't simply conjure one up. He could only keep his questions to himself and focus on dealing with the immediate problem.

The problem that suddenly appeared before the girl in less than the time it takes to breathe was right in front of her.

"careful!"

The instant those things stretched out their limbs from the darkness, Liang immediately shouted and rushed forward, grabbing Hongxia and Xingge's arms and forcefully pulling them away from where those things were touching, preventing them from being touched.

【■■■■……】

Incomprehensible sounds drifted lightly past from all around.