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

During this process, as the [Hospital] employed various methods, many player teams and rescued survivors were captured by a closed space hidden outside the real world, trapped inside with no way to escape. Later, Cat Brother from the "Slacking Off Gang" ventured into that closed space to attempt to decipher its secrets, even using a blessed aerial bomb given to him by Gao Hai. Even so, the closed space was not destroyed, and those trapped within were separated by the space, struggling to survive.

The turning point came after the outcome between Gao Hai and the [Hospital], when the [Hospital] went completely mad and began desperately trying to take Gao Hai down with it. The entire enclosed space was thrown onto the battlefield by the [Hospital] as a disposable weapon, greatly disrupting the space's stability. Players who were previously isolated by the space's rules and forced to fight alone were able to reunite and gradually gained some self-defense capabilities as their numbers increased.

Of course, this ability to protect themselves is actually quite limited. After all, this hellish place is teeming with Red Moon-level monsters, and most of the trapped players present are low-level Twilight-level players; very few have reached the mid-level Dark Night-level. Moreover, with the collapse of the enclosed space, the mental pollution rules that originally existed within it also spread out. If it weren't for Gao Hai's power constantly radiating in from the outside, and the arrival of Shijou Maki and the others further stabilizing Gao Hai's signal, they probably would have lost their minds due to the pollution power and nearly all died in the ensuing chaos before Jianzi even found them.

By now, most of these players are injured and in very poor condition. But considering their circumstances and their own combat strength, it's already quite remarkable that they've survived this long.

“We now have fourteen players from five squads. Initially, there were some survivors who joined us, but ordinary people who haven't experienced the [Sacrifice Game] instance are far too vulnerable. We did our best, but we still couldn't protect them. Now only a few players from our different squads remain…”

Gong Xianwu, a player from the local architecture club, along with several other players from different teams, led the way for Jianzi and the others, sighing as they gave them a general overview of the situation in the temporary shelter and the various events that had occurred before.

Jianzi listened intently to the information provided by these players, who could be considered elites at some point. However, Liang, who was following behind her, noticed the change in the eyes of the players around them and a slightly puzzled expression appeared on his face.

These players seem to be looking at Yotsuya and me with strange expressions.

Yes, the way they looked at the store manager was a little strange, but after carefully observing the store manager and confirming some information, they stopped paying attention to him.

Is there some special quality that only Yotsuya and I possess?

Lost in confusion, Yamada Ryo was unaware that the reason these players were secretly observing Miko and her was actually to confirm their ages in order to answer the question about Takami's personal fetish that had already spread among all the players.

There's no mistake, this young girl who calls herself Yotsuya Miko is one of Mr. Gao's harem members. She possesses divine power far exceeding that of Red Moon-level players, and she's also a legitimate high school girl (JK). So young yet so powerful, it's truly terrifying, leaving one speechless.

And the blue-haired girl behind her... hmm, that aura definitely belongs to Mr. Gao, and she's definitely a high school girl (JK). Looks like she's one of his pre-selected targets. Mr. Gao seems to be in high spirits; his energy is truly admirable.

As for the other blonde... she's probably around thirty years old, right? She's middle-aged, probably just a family member at best, definitely not worth my time or being a target. Hmm, I don't need to pay special attention to this one, no need to try too hard to please her.

The players secretly categorized the importance of Miko, Ryo, and Hoshika into three tiers, but at this point, they were only paying slight attention to the differences out of curiosity and wouldn't do anything about it. Therefore, everyone eventually arrived peacefully at the temporary safe house where the players were hiding. Miko and the others saw even more players there, most of whom were injured and looked quite unwell. Miko, who lacked healing abilities, couldn't do anything about it and could only tell everyone to continue hiding there for a while longer.

"This space is severely distorted right now. My companions and I have done our best to transfer the power of our senior, cough cough, Mr. Gao, to this place, but escaping is still very difficult. At least for now, I don't recommend that you try to escape this place, and I can't focus my energy on it either."

"To truly solve the problem right now, the ultimate solution lies in eliminating the [Surgeon]. Only by eliminating this root of the problem can we completely defeat the [Hospital], and only then will everyone have a chance to leave this place alive. That is why I came here."

"Next, I will head to the inner area. If you have any information, please tell me as much as possible. Feel free to point out anything that seems unusual; perhaps the clues are hidden somewhere that no one has noticed."

In this temporary safe house, which was a dilapidated, empty house where the doors and windows were barely intact and could trigger Gao Hai's [Rules of the House], Jianzi spoke very seriously to the dozen or so male and female players inside.

"As for that place... I'm afraid we can't get in now, right?"

In the corner, Sun Dajun, who looked exhausted with his body wrapped in gauze, raised his hand and spoke with a hint of lingering fear.

"Not long ago, I went out to investigate with other players, and we unintentionally approached the inner area. Well... I don't really understand this part; it was the player leading the group who mentioned it during our advance. We encountered a wall there, so high we couldn't see the end, and incredibly thick and unbreakable. That wall... it seemed alive. We tried for a while, and although we left some marks, they all disappeared as soon as we looked away, and everything went back to how it was before..."

Sun Dajun, who was in this ragtag group of players, did not seem to be in a daze or under control like he had when he was with Cat Brother. However, his expression looked somewhat depressed. This might be related to the failure of the closed space's own rules and power, or it might be related to the fact that the player who led the team, as Sun Dajun mentioned, had died.

Enclosed walls?

Jianzi immediately focused her attention on the issue of the inner area that the other party had mentioned, and didn't have time to pay attention to other aspects for the time being.

Afterwards, when the girl voluntarily left the shelter and moved in the direction indicated by Sun Dajun, it did not take long for her to determine the direction of the inner battlefield where Kaguya and the others were fighting against the [Surgeon] based on the changes in their aura. As she approached, she indeed saw a writhing wall of flesh and blood.

"Is this what it is? Hmm... it seems slightly different, but it is indeed this kind of thing."

Jianzi, who was watching the wall of flesh and blood from afar, did not approach it. Instead, she sighed softly from the very edge of her vision.

I sensed the presence of both a hospital and a surgeon.

Therefore, it is certain that this is a temporary measure devised by the hospital to prevent interference from outsiders.

Jianzi's brows gradually furrowed.

null

Chapter 116 The Mysterious Giant and the Change and Exchange of Nodes.

Sometimes, Kenta Hayashibe can't help but think about how his life gradually became what it is today.

Mingming has never had any lofty ideals since birth. Mingming's life ideal is just to be a lazy, good-for-nothing otaku. Even though he was forced to become a player, he has never had any idea of ​​becoming a leader or a strong player. All he wants to do is survive the "Sacrifice Game" and return to his old life as a lazy, good-for-nothing otaku. That is enough for him. He has no other desires.

So, how did I, with such a simple wish, gradually become a Red Moon level player and a top member of the player community?

Then, how did I, who had become a Red Moon-level player, become one of the main members of the battle to save the world, and gradually delve into this super war that ordinary people had no right to participate in, and even now run into the decisive battle area between Gao Hai's side and the [Hospital] side?

And most importantly, my transformation from an ordinary person to a player struggling to survive in a supernatural dungeon game, to a high-level player wielding extraordinary power to fight against supernatural and twisted beings, and now to fighting against these towering rock giants that seem to belong to a fantasy world—isn't this change in style a bit too absurd?!

Instead of complaining here, you should think about how to survive first. Can't you consider the occasion before you start complaining?

Not far away, Nanakawa Ren, who was struggling to dodge the attacks, couldn't help but curse at Hayashibe Kenta.

"I was just thinking about why we got lost while walking, then met the Moyu Gang, and ended up in this place, when we were originally going to meet up with Yuanshan and the others."

As Hayashi Kenta rolled through the ruins, he replied to his comrades, his words filled with deep doubt.

"So can't you wait until it's safe to think about this kind of problem? Aren't you afraid of getting smashed into a pulp? Ugh, here we go again, why do you always target us?!"

With a helpless expression, Nanakawa Ren spoke to Hayashi Kenta again, but before she could finish speaking, a whistling wind began to approach, forcing her to quickly dodge. Then, a violent explosion rang out between the two of them, almost engulfing them.

Rumble, rumble——

Like thunderclaps exploding on the earth, vast swathes of ruins rose into the air with violent force, only to crash back down in shattered pieces. The ground collapsed, cracking open with spiderweb-like fissures, tearing open deep trenches, or being utterly crushed into dust. The pervasive mist had dissipated, for it was no longer permitted here. In the air currents that scattered in all directions, all attempts to gather mist were completely shattered, leaving only the desolate land covered in ruins, and the players within it constantly dodging attacks.

"These kinds of challenging problems keep coming one after another. Can't they at least consider the needs of us players?"

With multiple injuries all over his body, Xiong Mi wiped the blood flowing from his forehead, looked at the huge body slowly moving forward in front of him, and couldn't help but sigh.

Not long ago, after Cat Brother's arrival, Xiong Mi was able to confirm the outside news and learned that the lawyer had resolved one core obsession and discovered traces of the second. Therefore, after adding the core obsession items that he had already obtained, only one core obsession remained. As long as this final problem was solved, the Red Moon-level instance controlled by the [Hospital] could be completely eradicated by Gao Hai, thereby shattering all the tentacles used by the [Hospital] to connect to the real world.

Yes, now only this one question remains.

However, this question might be a little bit beyond what people expected.

After all, while the players present had indeed encountered countless strange creatures—from the red-clad female ghost to the thousand-year-old zombie to demonic possession—they had plenty of experience dealing with such enemies. But how to defeat a giant over 30 meters tall, capable of obliterating two or three streets with a wave of its hand, and able to launch massive rocks and wrecked train carriages as cannonballs to bombard them—they simply had no experience to draw upon. They had never witnessed anything like it before.

"How is Cat Brother doing now?"

Xiong Mi shouted as he dodged the attacks through the ruins.

"He is recovering and is expected to regain his combat capability within 5 minutes. However, given the level of attention [Kisaragi Station] is paying to him, he will likely be subjected to a full-scale attack as soon as he appears. We need to prepare countermeasures before then."

Jianbing moved through the ruins and quickly replied to Xiongmi. Meanwhile, on the other side, in a temporary hidden space created by the object of obsession, the pale-faced Cat Brother leaned against a wall made of rubble, adjusting his breathing while looking at the chaotic battlefield outside through a mirror.

Not long ago, after encountering Kenta Hayashibe and Ren Nanakawa on the road and taking them to the deepest area, before Cat Brother could release the third bomb, the [Hospital], which had already spotted him, took action. After strengthening [Kisaragi Station], it took the initiative to use the power of this core obsession to attack Cat Brother, crippling him on the spot.

If Shao Ye hadn't reacted quickly and immediately moved Cat Brother away from his original position, and if Xiong Mi and Jian Bing hadn't provided cover for him, and if Lin Bu Jian Tai and Qi Chuan Lian hadn't realized the seriousness of the situation and proactively used a Red Moon-level spatial artifact to hide Cat Brother, he probably would have died several times over from the bombardment of [Kisaragi Station] by now.

"That really hurts. Were those ruins used for hurled attacks tampered with? Normally, being hit by rubble would hurt so much..."

Cat Brother spat out a mouthful of blood and took a deep, difficult breath, recalling the scene from not long ago when Kisaragi Station stood up and transformed into a giant.

There's no mistake, at that time, the spatial structure itself underwent an abnormal change.

Normally, upon arriving at this location, he would have reached the critical spatial node and could have directly detonated the third bomb, thus destroying the distorted space outside. However, it was clear that the [Hospital] had anticipated his plan and made prior arrangements. Therefore, the moment he arrived, that suicidal individual distorted and mutated the [Kisaragi Station], its core obsession, transforming it into a gigantic monster and placing the core of the spatial distortion on it. This forced Cat Brother to climb onto that thing to find the critical node; otherwise, he couldn't successfully detonate it, instantly raising the difficulty of his mission from Hard to Expert.

However, encountering such a situation is not surprising. In fact, after fighting for so long, everyone knows what kind of enemy they are. If the [Hospital] could just admit defeat, they wouldn't be fighting so desperately here. So, this level of difficulty was entirely expected.

So the question now is, how do we climb onto that thing?

"Huh...huh..."

Cat Brother was breathing heavily as he frowned and pondered.

The chances of him escaping the enemy's notice are slim. The hospital's current focus is on him, and they will definitely spot him as soon as he shows his face.

So, transfer the bomb to someone else? No, that probably won't work. The bomb's aura is extremely strong; such a powerful weapon is very conspicuous to the [Hospital], making it virtually impossible to transfer silently. Even if you manage to create a small alternate dimension to pull other players in and then reveal yourself after transferring the bomb, it won't be effective. The aura of such a thing can't be hidden from enemies of that level.

So, let's try controlling the landing point after the small space is released, and see if we can get closer to the enemy, or even land directly on the enemy? This move is more feasible. The problem is that the [Hospital] has set the center of spatial distortion on that thing, which makes it difficult for the small alternate space to remain intact after getting close to the opponent. In that case, I might be released from the alternate space prematurely, which would lead to being discovered and all my efforts being in vain.

Moreover, even if he successfully landed on the rock giant, he would first need to locate the spatial point and ensure the bomb's detonation point was close enough to avoid insufficient power causing a failed spatial explosion. This meant he couldn't detonate instantly; he would need at least a few seconds to determine his bearings and reach the relative position. From the hospital's perspective, there were countless things that could be done in those few seconds, making it difficult to imagine what the situation would be like.

In other words, it takes time, right? That's the most crucial issue right now.

Xiong Mi's voice rang out in the close mental link.

Even with small interdimensional gaps, the players present have managed to establish a usable mental link network, all within the same spatial area.

That's right, we need to gain at least 10 seconds, that's the bare minimum.

Cat Brother quickly responded, without any attempt to hide anything or show off. In everyone's eyes, telling the truth was the most important thing.

"10 seconds... I'm confident that with Shao Ye and me together, we can buy you 10 seconds."

This time, Xiong Mi's reply came a little while later. She took some time to think about the current situation and formulate a strategy. Finally, when she gave her answer, her confident tone was very convincing. Even outsiders like Lin Bujian and Nanakawa Ren felt a sense of relief after hearing Xiong Mi's affirmative answer.

The opponent is someone of this caliber; it's uncertain whether this move will actually work.

However, Xiong Mi herself didn't have much confidence, after all, the enemy she faced now was far stronger than any opponent she had ever encountered before. But giving up the fight simply because of the disparity in strength was something Xiong Mi could never do. Therefore, at this point, all she could do was fight to the death.

boom! ! !

Amidst the deafening explosions, the giant, tens of meters tall, was indiscriminately scattering various fragments of rock and ruins, using them as cannonballs to bombard the surrounding area. Each strike easily tore apart large swathes of land, creating deep trenches.

The players present had tried to get close to this thing several times, but each time they were met with extremely fierce attacks after getting a certain distance away, and no one had succeeded so far.

Faced with this predicament, Xiong Mi simply said "Cover me" in the mental link, and then once again, without the slightest hesitation, charged forward, quickly approaching the direction where the behemoth was located.

whoosh-

A violent wind pressure descended in an instant.

Xiong Mi, however, fearlessly charged forward, braving the fierce winds that could tear an ordinary person apart, and approached the enormous rock giant step by step.

Closer, even closer.

New wounds have been torn open, and more blood is splattering around.

But this distance is not enough. I can feel that I am still a little bit away from the result I want.

[Final sprint, ready—]

After taking another deep breath, amidst the sweeping roar, Xiong Mi's figure disappeared into the depths of the storm, passing by the figure of that enormous creature.

An arm flew into the air at that moment, and was then instantly pulverized by the swirling airflow.

At that very moment, above the colossal creature's head, as the spatial distortion intensified, a small, previously hidden spatial node collapsed on its own. Cat Brother's figure then fell from mid-air, landing on the roof of [Kisaragi Station], looking down at the monster from above.

Similarly, almost the instant Cat appeared, the monster locked onto him and immediately changed its tactics, preparing to tear Cat, who had finally revealed himself, to pieces on the spot.

【…】

However, this action was not carried out immediately and instead got stuck halfway through.

The monster looked up at Cat Brother, then turned back with some confusion to the figure that had already run far away, but would occasionally turn back to provoke him.

"Hey, you idiot, where are you looking? Do you even know what your goal is?"