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

"The resettlement site issue isn't urgent. Although things are chaotic right now, it's the result of various factors working together. The bigger problems are yet to come. For example, the American rescue team that came after everything was over is a big problem. We should keep a close eye on them during this period. There might be some people behind the scenes instigating the chaos among the disaster victims."

At this moment, the lawyer stepped forward and whispered something, which made the players present show serious expressions.

Long before the [Hospital] began its operation to seal off Tokyo, Gao Hai had already encountered an attack from players from the country of Amery, a fact that no one would forget.

Although those players didn't reappear in the Tokyo battlefield, it's possible that the [Hospital] looked down on their combat capabilities, or perhaps the [Hospital] had other plans. In any case, their absence means they are still lurking in the shadows, ready to strike at any moment.

It's disgusting. Why do they have to cause trouble at such a critical moment for the survival of humanity? I really want to find these people and skin them alive.

Thinking of those teams that arrived after the battle, ostensibly for disaster relief but acting suspiciously, Xiong Mi narrowed his eyes, a hint of murderous intent flashing in his gaze.

Whether or not to take action was a question Xiong Mi had seriously considered.

After all, she was a player, having reached her current position step by step through bloody and cruel killings and tortures. Although she maintained her original intentions after going through numerous trials and tribulations, and did not become depraved or insane, her style of doing things was no longer quite the same as that of a traditional righteous person. She was not averse to some methods that were not suitable to be used openly.

"Should we give it a try? Anyway, the world's understanding of supernatural powers is still insufficient. If we can just disguise it a little and pretend it's some strange thing that the hospital hasn't completely cleared out, could we solve the problem?"

After much deliberation, Xiong Mi, feeling it was worth a try, asked earnestly, before confirming that all the local Japanese players, including Toyama Akira, had already left and were no longer nearby.

"For now, it's pointless to eliminate those who appear problematic on the surface. The real enemy is bound to be hidden, and taking action prematurely will only alert them. Moreover, while we're targeting those rescue teams, they can also smear us, which could negatively impact the local Japanese player groups who have finally built friendships with us. You see, while most ordinary people may not understand matters related to ghost stories and supernatural beings, those player organizations that fought alongside us through the crisis cannot be unaware that the [Hospital] supernatural being is no longer active. This method won't fool them, and it will inevitably create a rift."

However, the lawyer immediately rejected Xiong Mi's idea and gave a very serious reason for his opposition.

"That's true. No matter what our opponents intend to do, the Chinese rescue team has been operating with integrity so far. Even if those disaster victims might be incited to do something, at least the local player teams can see what we're here for. Since we've chosen the righteous path, we must avoid resorting to underhanded tactics. And don't forget, whether it's a struggle between players or between nations, it's not important right now. What truly matters is only that one person. You understand what I mean, right?"

Cat Brother nodded in agreement, giving a meaningful look to the others present.

"...Mr. Gao, it's been a day, but there's still absolutely no news about him."

Jianbing, who was manipulating the computer-controlled objects to arrange the work at various resettlement sites, paused his actions slightly and spoke calmly.

"That's right, we have absolutely no idea where he went. Everyone's looking for him now. Although there are still problems at the resettlement site, there haven't been any major conflicts, and the enemies haven't really made a move, all because his whereabouts are currently unknown. It's just that... although he's definitely been working the hardest, and it's understandable that he wants to rest and take a break, he should at least show his face. Now he's just disappearing like this and leaving us with this mess, it's really giving us a headache..."

Xiong Mi sighed again, estimating that she had probably sighed more today than she had in the entire past year.

"Don't say that. The other side is now in a higher position than all of us. The reason he hasn't shown himself is probably because he's facing something far more troublesome and dangerous than the problems we're facing now. Besides, as Red Moon level players, we can't always rely on stronger people to do our own thing. No matter how much these disaster victims cause trouble, or how much trouble those guys hiding behind the scenes cause us, can they compare to the torment we experienced in the dungeon?"

Finally, it was Brother Cat who made the final decision, so everyone put aside their unhappiness and fatigue and continued to devote themselves to their current work.

Tokyo, with less than one-fifth of its population remaining, lies silent under the warm sun today. The bustling traffic of the past is gone, and the city lights do not twinkle all night.

Back at the Starry Sky, Hoshiga looked at the shop, now a mess after being flooded, and the storage room damaged by the strange creature. After a brief sigh, she and Nijika began cleaning up together. Yamada Ryo, who had been watching the commotion, was soon grabbed and dragged away by Nijika, and with a helpless expression, he grabbed a mop and rag and joined in the work.

It took Baihe Hua some time to find her parents at a resettlement site, and she was surprised to discover that both her father and mother had become devout followers of Gao Hai. Naturally, because Hua herself also had a deep faith in Gao Hai, she was very happy about her parents' choice. She even took her parents' hands and recounted how Gao Hai had personally guided her in the illusionary space, which eventually turned into a large group of followers surrounding Hua listening to her story of fighting the monsters. Someone even wrote down everything she said.

Xiao Hua has no idea what chain reactions these records will bring. Meanwhile, many others are reuniting with their families, rejoicing over their survival. Of course, some are also grieving for those who couldn't return; some rooms will remain forever empty, their inhabitants never to return.

"Everyone, please come this way, this way!"

Chiyo and Alice, wearing small safety helmets, waved a flag and led a group of survivors.

A little further away, several Night Elf-level players involved in disaster relief and resettlement pushed a truck stuck in the collapsed road out by hand. The elderly man trapped inside (who was still alive) smiled and gave the players a thumbs up, and even got out of the truck to take a photo with them.

Meanwhile, in a secluded space unknown to anyone, a man who was being thought of by many stretched and got up from the soft bed with a comfortable expression.

"I really had a good night's sleep."

Gao Hai said in a relaxed tone, while Ichiri, who was lying on the bed, had rolled herself into a ball of poke sushi with the blanket and was panting heavily inside. It seemed that she would not be able to get up for a while.

Indeed, after a bloody battle, the sweetness of the fight becomes all the more precious.

Reflecting on the harmonious and loving exchange they had just had, Gao Hai's smile deepened. Without bothering with any cleaning or tidying up, he simply stood up, pushed open the door, and stepped out of the bedroom—the house that was theoretically blessed by Little Alice—and saw the figure approaching.

"This is……"

Gao Hai's gaze deepened, and his entire demeanor changed completely, instantly transforming from a relaxed state to a serious and cautious one.

Even when facing a hospital, Gao Hai rarely showed this kind of reaction. So what did he see now that made him react this way?

Wow! ! !

They turned out to be four petite girls, completely naked, with alluring eyes, seductive smiles, and captivating figures; they were clearly the most beautiful of all.

Seeing these four girls walking towards him, Gao Hai felt that it was more terrifying and horrifying than facing a billion doctors!

"Hmph, really, how long are we going to have to wait, Haijun, you idiot."

"Hehehe, since it would take a long time if we came one by one, we decided to come together after discussing it. Ah Hai, are you okay with that?"

"That's the situation, so Master, I'm counting on you from now on."

"Ugh, why do I have to participate in this kind of indecent activity again... Um, anyway, Gao-kun, nice to meet you..."

The girls reacted in different ways; their voices—some shy, some expectant, and some joyful—all reached Gao Hai's ears, like the clear chirping of many birds.

Gao Hai knew that every girl present had extraordinary skills, each with their own unique tricks, and their fighting spirit and endurance amazed him. Some of the girls even had secret weapons to surprise him!

Now that they've all stepped forward together, how is Gao Hai supposed to defeat them? How the hell is he supposed to defeat them?!

"Then come on, all of you come at me together."

So, facing the girls ahead, Gao Hai, knowing that everyone who had survived such a dangerous situation needed to vent, smiled calmly, took a step forward, and walked towards the girls without hesitation.

Thus, war broke out again. Amidst the raging flames, swords, water, fire, and light intertwined, and all the love, hatred, and grudges unfolded.

However, in an unnoticed corner, a blurry figure was quietly hiding, silently watching everything.

[They're really fearless! It's hard to know how to describe a teacher like that.]

However, perhaps facing one's own desires without resistance is the truly correct course of action. After all, the teacher has always been this way, never changing, has he?

So, how should I face myself? Someone like me, born with a self, without a true past, and unsure how to find my own future, merely existing in the same place right now? Hehe, teacher, what kind of answer would you give?

Silently, the being hidden in the shadows vanished without a trace.

No one noticed her departure, just as no one noticed her arrival. As a soul, she was a natural-born master of stealth.

As for what she plans to do next, only Gao Hai will be able to fully understand it soon enough.

Chapter 1 Interlude 5-03: The City in Turmoil and the Vacationers Unrelated to It.

Three days after the end of the Battle of Tokyo, it was another sunny and beautiful day.

However, with the complete disappearance of the [hospital], the chaos around the world did not end there, but instead intensified, gradually generating more twists and turns and anomalies.

After all, while the initial focus of that battle was on Tokyo, where space was sealed off, the [Hospital] actually deployed monsters to all major cities worldwide. Compared to Tokyo, which housed the vast majority of the world's top and mid-tier players, the players in these other deployed cities were often caught completely off guard by the monster attacks. As a result, many areas suffered large-scale casualties despite the relatively small number and intensity of the monster attacks, leading to ongoing chaos.

Even without this incident, the global chaos wouldn't have ended there. In fact, on the night after the Tokyo lockdown was lifted, several American warships arrived near Tokyo, and many suspicious individuals followed the rescue teams into the city, roaming freely within the various lockdown zones. For a time, the city was a scene of utter chaos, with everyone displaying their unique abilities. Many players who had little contact with the outside world witnessed firsthand what they saw.

Among these investigations, Shuchiin Academy, where Kaguya and the others studied, became a key focus. The classes of Kaguya Shinomiya, Chika Fujiwara, and Maki Shijou were repeatedly investigated, and a security post that had collapsed during the previous war was constantly being searched by unidentified individuals. Of course, these people couldn't find what they were looking for, and those who went too far received corresponding warnings.

Gao Hai did not appear.

Throughout the entire battle of Tokyo, the true focus of the conflict—this man who, according to ordinary people and players, had become a god and was no longer human—was never found to leave a trace.

In fact, it wasn't just him; the girls close to him—Kaguya Shinomiya, Maki Shijou, Chika Fujiwara, Ai Hayasaka, Miko Yotsuya, and Ichiri Goto—had all disappeared without a trace. Furthermore, Miko Yotsuya's mother, Touko Yotsuya, and Ichiri Goto's parents and younger sister, Niri, are also missing. Additionally, while Kita Ikuyo was initially seen contacting her parents, who were in the evacuation zone, she and her parents quickly vanished as well, their whereabouts unknown.

Aside from these individuals, there was no news of Maki Shijou's parents; no information could be found. Kaguya Shinomiya's father, Kan'an Shinomiya, the former head of the Shinomiya Group, had passed away from illness before the Tokyo War. While the current group leader, Hiroto Shinomiya, was still alive, he was exceptionally tight-lipped, and investigators, hesitant to use special methods, managed to extract no information from him. Ai Hayasaka's parents, however, had been confirmed to have been seen and were indeed acting normally, so many planned to try and obtain information from them.

However, unlike the investigators from other countries who were able to contact Shinomiya Hikari, those who attempted to approach Hayasaka Ai's parents encountered various strange events during their operations, never managing to truly speak with them face-to-face. Realizing that someone was secretly warning the investigators not to disturb the Hayasaka family, the investigators, though unwilling, had no choice but to temporarily abandon their efforts. The same thing happened to Fujiwara Chika's family, and even Nijika's family, Ryo's family, and Hana received this protection; only the Shinomiya family members were not secretly protected. Many investigators found this very strange and didn't understand why this differential treatment was being treated this way.

However, although the approach of investigating from those close to them failed, the highly efficient investigators, some of whom even had player assistance, did not give up. Over the next three days, they delved deeper into various affairs within Tokyo, and the players and rescue workers, exhausted from managing the disaster victims, clearly could not stop them all. As a result, in the early hours of the third day, Xiong Mi received news that someone of unknown background had infiltrated the underground room where Gao Hai had stayed during the Battle of Tokyo—the one where the [Throne of Mind] had been placed, arranged by [Market] and [Historian]—and was attempting to collect biological information from the floor.

Although the Throne of Mind had long been removed, and the ground soaked in the blood of high-ranking seafood had been completely cleaned up, leaving nothing behind, the fact that outsiders had infiltrated such a place spoke volumes. After a brief discussion, the Fishing Gang and the Red Knot Society reached a consensus to no longer hold back. None of the investigators who entered the room that day left Tokyo alive, and one of the warships anchored on the shore suffered an unexpected malfunction and took on water, forcing it to temporarily return for repairs. The other warships also moved far away from Tokyo, as if fleeing something terrifying.

Naturally, Gao Hai did not appear throughout the entire process, nor did any of the girls around him.

No matter how much the infighting went on behind the scenes, it seemed to have nothing to do with Gao Hai.

Of course, in Gao Hai's own view, there was indeed no reason for him to get involved in these matters. As the one who oversaw everything behind the scenes, successfully led the players to victory against the [Hospital], and won a better tomorrow for human civilization, he was convinced that with his contributions, he should now take a proper vacation, rest for a while, and not be disturbed by anyone during this time.

After all, he wasn't there to be anyone's babysitter. In Gao Hai's own words, "Now that I've solved the major problem that threatens all of humanity, you can handle these minor matters yourselves and don't bother me with them."

Well, that's probably it.

In short, Gao Hai used this reason to convince the girls, and spent the next two days hiding in the newly expanded Alice House, playing all sorts of games together, which was incredibly fun.

Among them, Maki, Chika, Hayasaka, and Kaguya launched multiple attacks on Takami in various combinations, including a five-army battle where all of them attacked simultaneously. Takami, however, was already adept at dealing with these attacks, effortlessly annihilating several armies and leaving him alone to reign supreme. Miko and Ichiri, on the other hand, were still somewhat hesitant, fighting him mostly in one-on-one combat. Because they lacked assistance, they would frequently make pitiful, defeated pronouncements like "I can't go on, I'm about to faint," "Why can you keep going?" and "Please, please, please let me go," attempting to gain Takami's forgiveness. But, naturally, Takami never forgave; he was simply fighting.

As for the issue of time, it's no longer a major problem for Gao Hai. Having completely taken control of [Alice's Cottage], Gao Hai has not only expanded this house in the alternate dimension dozens of times, transforming it into a luxurious villa with a garden, but he can also control the flow of time within this space to a certain extent. In this way, while only two days have passed outside, Gao Hai has actually lived for over ten days, leading a life that can be described as extremely decadent in every sense.

While it was true that he had become somewhat decadent, Gao Hai didn't think it was a problem. Rather, after five rounds of intense gameplay and immense mental pressure during the Tokyo campaign, it was precisely this kind of indulgence that allowed Gao Hai to truly relax, relieve fatigue, and recover.

"Even so, you've gone a bit too far lately. Yesterday I said no so many times but you still wouldn't let me go. When I actually passed out and woke up, I saw that you hadn't stopped. That's too much. It feels like you're not treating me like a person, but like an object."

The girl next to him looked unhappy and spoke in a displeased tone.

"I'm just curious about some of the operations in the book, like treating people as cups or something, it seems quite interesting."

Gao Hai remained expressionless and spoke in a serious tone. If one didn't pay attention to what he was saying, one might mistakenly think he was discussing academic matters.

"So I told you not to say things like that so seriously, senior. Don't you have any shame? Besides, we're on a normal date right now. You can't talk about such lewd topics on a date. Lewdness is forbidden now. Please be a proper person, senior."

Some, unable to bear it any longer, crossed their hands over their chests, then reached out and poked Gao Hai's forehead, muttering complaints.

At this moment, Gao Hai and Jianzi had already left Alice's Cottage and returned to the real world.

Aside from the two of them, the other girls and their families and friends, those who didn't want to show their faces yet remained in the cabin, while those who were willing to come out had already left and started doing their own things. The family members the investigators couldn't find were those who, after discussions between Gao Hai and the girls, decided to temporarily hide in Alice's Cabin to avoid being found by the investigators; that's why they were staying in Gao Hai's alternate dimension.

It's worth mentioning that through the time-space manipulation within Alice's Cottage, Gao Hai and the girls' various absurd activities remained undiscovered throughout. Although he has developed some slightly perverse hobbies to some extent, Gao Hai doesn't intend for anyone to hear or see these things, not even the girls' families... well, that's not quite right. It should be said that the girls' families especially shouldn't know.

For some reason, when thinking about this, Takahashi's mind drifted to Fujiwara Chika's older and younger sisters—two beautiful girls, one tall and one short, both possessing a magnanimity no less than Chika's, yet with slightly different personalities. After learning of Takahashi's existence and being introduced to Alice's Cottage by Chika, both girls expressed curiosity and longing to visit, especially Chika's younger sister, Fujiwara Moeha, who was still in middle school and yearned to meet Takahashi.

I have a feeling that something strange might happen if we meet. After all, she's only a fourteen-year-old middle school student. Thinking about it in that direction is really a bit weird. I'll wait until she's developed for a few more years before making any decisions.

As he pondered, Gao Hai turned his gaze to the dark void beyond the real world, looking at the faint golden specks of light spreading within it.

The exploration of the instance space belonging to the [Hospital] is also ongoing. After two days of exploration and positioning, Gao Hai has vaguely confirmed the location of that instance. As the exploration progresses, he estimates that in seven days, or a week at most, he will be able to pinpoint the instance completely and then force his way in from the outside.

Yes, Gao Hai no longer needs dungeon tickets. He can simply locate a dungeon using his mental power and force his way in from the outside. The so-called dungeon tickets are meaningless to Gao Hai now, and soon... they will be meaningless to all players as well.

"You've been spacing out again, senior."

The girl beside him gently tapped Gao Hai's forehead with her finger, waking him from his reverie.

"You've finally finished the battle and are back to your daily life, but you're still overthinking things here. Is this what you call a vacation, senior?"

Yotsuya Miko puffed out her cheeks and said, drawing a circle on Takahashi's chest with her slender, fair fingers.

"I've been a little distracted. It seems I still can't relax. I'll just take a walk around for now."

Gao Hai smiled, took Jianzi's small hand, and led the girl forward for a stroll.

The passersby chatted and laughed, none of them noticing the two people present. No matter how crowded the crowd was, everyone would subconsciously avoid Gao Hai and Jian Zi. No matter how you looked at them, they didn't even notice their presence.

This was naturally Gao Hai's operation using his mental power. In fact, not only could others not see them and would automatically avoid them, but the surrounding cameras could not capture their appearance, and no footprints were left on the road where they walked. There would be no trace that could be tracked here.