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

So much so that the guy with the hole in the back of his head, who comes every week, didn't even go up to talk to them this time. He just glanced at Takami and Fujiwara Chika from afar, muttered "A couple, huh? I won't be a third wheel," and then left the room.

This kind of "playing human" thing is really bizarre. And that security guard, facing a group of players in security uniforms who claimed they'd accidentally misremembered their shift change time and were early, even spoke with a barely perceptible hint of grievance in Gao Hai's voice. He wondered if Maki and Kaguya in the research base could use this to their advantage, establishing a greater advantage from the start, so they wouldn't always be so constrained in their actions.

In short, no matter what, it's time to come to an end.

Gao Hai has died twice because of this shabby cave. The first time, he was squeezed like toothpaste by the young lady, which was barely bearable, at least he died quickly. The second time was too torturous. It was the ultimate torment that made Gao Hai feel like he had claustrophobia. He never wanted to go through it again.

And before that.

"Can I just call you Ahai? You can also call me Qianhua, Hai-kun."

The girl with rosy cheeks didn't dare to look up and meet Gao Hai's gaze, but she clung tightly to Gao Hai's collar, leaning almost entirely into his arms.

Clearly, after leaving the instance, Fujiwara Chika learned about the full function of Takami's watch from Kaguya and Maki. Therefore, she understands why she can retain her memories and knows that it's not just because she has feelings for Takami.

At first, in the joy of the reunion, Chika didn't pay much attention to these details, but now that she had calmed down, she blushed almost immediately, her face turning as red as an apple, looking so cute and rosy that one couldn't help but want to take a bite.

"Ah Hai? No problem, then I'll start calling you Qianhua from now on?"

Gao Hai nodded quite naturally. He felt that this nickname was perfectly fine, or rather, as long as it wasn't something like calling him Gao Nuts, he felt it was fine.

"Hehehe, Ahai, Ahai dongda yo~, it sounds pretty good. So, next we're still heading to the [Heart], right? After all, this is something that every [Explorer] has to do."

After a brief moment of playful banter, Fujiwara Chika took a deep breath, her expression quickly turning serious.

At this moment, the girl may look like a newbie who has just joined the game, but in reality, she has been a new player for a whole month learning about the Sacrifice game through various channels and has a deep memory of the Red Nut Gray Hole dungeon.

Now that everything is starting from scratch, she naturally wants to do her best and leave no regrets—a point Fujiwara Chika is absolutely determined about. Staking her pride as a gamer, she will not let Takami disappear from her sight again this time.

"Yes, that's definitely the first thing we need to do. But before that, I need to confirm something. Chika, you must have investigated quite a bit. Is there any information I don't know? I really need it right now."

"Of course! During that month, I went with Kaguya and Shijo to find a lot of players and asked a lot of people for help. Fortunately, it was a Dark Night level dungeon with the highest difficulty, and everyone avoided it like the plague, which made it much easier to gather information."

With that, Gao Hai took the lead and walked towards one side of the cave, while Fujiwara Chika followed beside him and quickly began to explain the situation.

Of course, while exchanging information, Gao Hai didn't forget to communicate with Maki through their connection, sharing all the information he had gathered during the second playthrough. And, well, Gao Hai didn't mention that Fujiwara Chika had saved him. Although he was prepared to take everything, frankly, he hadn't found the right opportunity yet, and it was better to keep it a secret for now.

This is probably what they call feeling guilty, although Gao Hai doesn't regret it.

The first thing Fujiwara Chika told Takami was to confirm that the "Red Nut Grotto" existed in the real world. Although the three girls found that the cave had disappeared after flying there, they found records of the Red Nut Grotto after searching through various documents from the last century, confirming that the place had indeed existed. Kaguya also checked a place called Shirakawa Apartments, and found that it also existed.

During her investigation, Kaguya discovered that the Shinomiya Group had actually invested in the scenic area, donating a batch of equipment and investing a large sum of money. As for why this donation is completely invisible in the story, well, that's probably a question for Anthony Towan Bush and his ilk.

Howard Smith, Susan, Pete, Wilbur… the records of these people were all found by the three girls, confirming their existence. Although many records could not be found, it is certain that Pete himself disappeared during the flooding of the Red Nut Gray Hole, and that Anthony Towan, the mayor he promoted, and many reporters also disappeared at this time, most likely during the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Records of Wilbur's life could be found for at least two years after the flood. Initially, he fled to Europe, then to the Russians, but after nearly two years in hiding, he returned to the Red Nut Grotto and disappeared without a trace. Howard, on the other hand, was issued a death certificate during the flood. Although there was nothing in his grave, Gao Hai was certain that Howard was detained by the research base afterward, and his final fate was probably not good.

As for Susan, this player was unable to exit the dungeon. Kaguya and the others spent a lot of time searching for her, but ultimately only found some traces of her existence. It's worth mentioning that, according to Kaguya and the others' investigation, Susan herself is actually an elderly woman in her sixties or seventies, yet Takahashi and Chika encountered a nimble young woman in the dungeon. This is quite incongruous, making Takahashi wonder if she might be the "actor who took her final bow."

Finally, the investigation into the names of Professor Folneng and General Segira yielded no results.

Kaguya received a warning from her family as soon as she began investigating the two individuals. Maki, similarly, made little progress, but Fujiwara Chika, leveraging her family's political connections, managed to uncover some information. These two seemed to be involved in some top-secret projects of the Kingdom of America from years ago, and information about them remains highly classified. Professor Folneng's case even reached the highest level of secrecy, which, according to Chika's speculation, might mean that the professor is still alive. Because matters concerning the dead don't require such a high level of secrecy.

Further investigation into the Red Nut Gray Hole proved much more difficult. Since becoming an instance, the Red Nut Gray Hole seemed to have detached itself from the real world, and everything related to it acquired an anisometic effect. Unless players actively investigated, others would forget what they were doing after a few hours, and even previous investigation records would leave them bewildered. Aside from a few names, other information was often extremely scattered, greatly increasing the difficulty of the investigation, especially during the research base phase.

However, when the normal route was blocked, there was another way: to ask other surviving players. As a result, the three girls still managed to obtain a lot of information.

“We have many speculations, but there are still many things that need to be verified. Ahai, Kaguya, and Shijou might need the help of some obsession objects to act better. Have you figured out how to distribute them?”

After explaining the situation briefly, Chika looked at Gao Hai and asked him very seriously.

"Hmm, let me think. We need to determine Maki and the others' needs first, but for now, let's wait a bit. Other explorers are coming."

Gao Hai opened his mouth as if to say something, then frowned and looked ahead, then habitually stood in front of Qianhua.

Ahead of the dark cave, two people appeared in front of Gao Hai as his headlamp flickered. They were a man and a woman, the two players whose minds had been affected by Kawano's obsession in the previous two playthroughs, which was why they had not been able to have normal communication with Gao Hai.

"Hello, it seems there are other unlucky guys besides us trapped in this godforsaken place that's currently 'fixed'. Maybe this is what they call luck, right?"

The woman, speaking with great vigilance, walked up to Gao Hai and Qian Hua, about ten meters apart. Both Gao Hai and the woman had their hands on the guns at their waists.

"Whether we return with a full load or a disappointed heart depends on our luck."

Faced with the woman's somewhat teasing words, Gao Hai replied calmly, his voice completely undisturbed.

“Ha, really? I am the explorer, Zero Shelby.”

The woman nodded and spoke in a calm tone.

“Ed Young, explorer, um, part-time doctor, hello.”

The male player following behind the woman smiled shyly and spoke to Gao Hai and Qian Hua.

It's clear that these two are much more normal after leaving Kawano behind.

In the first game, there was a situation where the black guy was tricked by Lao Guo, and it happened again in this game. Is this kind of guy who likes to trick players a fixed plot in every dungeon?

"Explorer Gao Hai, and this is Explorer Qian Hua, as you can see, a couple of explorers, and of course, a player duo."

He reached out and patted Qianhua's soft little head. Then, under the other's displeased gaze, Gao Hai remained calm and spoke to the two people in front of him in a crisp and clear tone, his manner even showing a hint of familiarity.

Meanwhile, on the other side, Kawano.

"W-Why?! Where did my object of obsession go? Damn it! How am I supposed to find cannon fodder now?!"

Kawano, gritting his teeth, paced back and forth, while Dennis, who was taking selfies non-stop with his phone, had already walked into his area, whistling.

Seeing Kawano's indignant expression, Dennis immediately turned on the recording and pointed it at Kawano before speaking.

"Hey buddy, what's wrong with you? Don't forget that rationality is our most precious asset as humans. By the way, what's going on here? Is this some kind of reality prank show?"

Chapter 57: Shijou Maki senses something is wrong and who should be wary.

Shijo Maki felt that something was amiss.

Although she gained a wealth of information from Gao Hai through their mental link at the start, which gave her a significant advantage, the girl instinctively felt that Gao Hai was being evasive and secretive when speaking to her, as if he were trying to hide something.

Hmm... Although this is just a feeling and there is no basis or evidence, after having this thought, Maki's doubts began to intensify.

That idiot, is he just putting on a brave face?

Consort Zhen couldn't help but feel a little worried.

According to Gao Hai, this was already the second time the game had been reloaded, meaning this was the third time they were running this instance. What kind of torment Gao Hai had endured before, and how he had died twice, was completely unknown to Zhen Fei. Although she had inquired about this, Gao Hai had evaded the question. Zhen Fei knew this was a heavy burden for Gao Hai, so she didn't ask further, focusing instead on her own tasks and deciding to do her best.

And then there's... Fujiwara Chika? Maki doesn't remember her very well, only that she comes from a political family. Maki and Chika barely interact at school. However, she's heard that Chika is very close to Kaguya-sama; they've been friends since middle school.

With Haijun protecting him, as long as that guy doesn't do anything reckless, his safety is basically guaranteed. It's just... well, having a girl I don't know at all hanging around Gao Hai makes me feel a little uneasy. I don't even know what kind of person she is.

At this moment, Shijou Maki felt a subtle sense of crisis.

In conclusion, we need more decisive action now. Our investigations at the research base have been too reactive so far; we must find a breakthrough.

{Next, I will head to the area of ​​[Land of Regret]. With the power of the blessing, I should be able to gather various information there. Ms. Fujiwara will come to your side, bringing with her the few items of obsession I gave you.}

In short, let's cause a ruckus while ensuring our own safety.

Shortly after the communication with Takami ended, just as Kaguya Shinomiya, who was playing the role of an explorer, set off, Chika Fujiwara replaced the explorer played by a mysterious figure out of nowhere.

Maki could tell that Kaguya and Chika had a very good relationship; the two cooperated very well after meeting. However, even though Fujiwara Chika should have been a newcomer, Maki felt that she seemed to know the place better than she and Kaguya, with a natural ease that was quite puzzling.

Meanwhile, on the other side, Gao Hai had successfully traversed the [Artery] and smoothly completed the process of reaching the [Heart], then heading to the [Large Space] and finally to the [Stone Pillar Plaza]. Incidentally, compared to the time it took to complete this process on the second playthrough, Gao Hai's completion speed this time was improved by about 3 minutes, which can be said to have added a brand new achievement to the speedrun of Red Nut Gray Hole.

"You really are a very capable veteran."

As Gao Hai led them along, Shelby remarked with a touch of感慨 (gan3kai3, a complex emotion encompassing admiration, reflection, and awe). She and Ed had actually participated in several missions before, but because they had lingered on Twilight-level missions for so long and lacked the ability to complete Night-level missions, they had been under considerable psychological pressure. However, Gao Hai effortlessly led them around the battered and bruised "Explorers," even chatting with these terrifying creatures without batting an eye, and instructing them to constantly check their adventure gear—he displayed the demeanor of a seasoned veteran.

Even when they saw the Land of Regret, which was the strangely underground entrance to the fire station, Gao Hai was still able to continue explaining to the players, telling them that this place was a gathering place for the consciousness of the dead in the cave, and then he also mentioned the existence of the guard post, a safe house in the area where the rescue team was located.

At first, Shelby had some doubts about whether Gao Hai's confident demeanor was just an act, but after experiencing real danger and witnessing his effortless handling of the situation, she had to admit that he was genuinely strong. Ed, standing beside her, shared the same thought and even began to admire Gao Hai to some extent.

"You... seem to know this place very well?"

This time, Gao Hai even arrived at the Stone Pillar Square earlier than Lixer and Susan, bringing two other players with him. They waited and rested for a while before Gao Hai saw the two approaching. Upon learning that Gao Hai had successfully led the two players there, the older player named Lixer immediately looked at Gao Hai with surprise and walked over, asking curiously.

"I wouldn't say I understand it, but I have experience with other Dark Night level dungeons (Shirakawa Apartment is actually close to the top of Dark Night level), so I have some experience with these things. You're quite impressive, though, for being able to bring a newbie this far."

Gao Hai smiled at Lixer, his tone full of admiration.

"No, that's not true. Miss Susan is a very capable person, and we were actually lucky to get here."

Lixer smiled too, though her smile carried a hint of embarrassment.

And so Gao Hai and Lixer smiled at each other, facing each other.

The smiles on their faces looked so natural and ordinary, like the smiles exchanged between elderly neighbors going out to buy groceries.

However, in reality, Gao Hai had already raised his guard against Lixer to the maximum.

More than ten minutes earlier, before Fujiwara Chika left wearing the yellow and white striped uniform of an explorer, one of the many pieces of information she gave him was about Lixer.

"Lixer is not among the returning players."

Fujiwara Chika was absolutely certain of this information.

In addition to Susan's disappearance, Rickser's unbelievable trust in Susan in the second playthrough, and his decisive act of giving up the guard post to Takahashi and Fujiwara Chika, Takahashi couldn't help but wonder if there was something hidden behind all of this.

Perhaps, both of them died in the instance world.

But it's also possible... there's something wrong between these two people.

Especially when Fujiwara Chika was investigating another matter, namely the [Black Blood Bullet], she discovered that this strange, man-made item was unlike the [Ashes] and [Purple Talisman] in Japan, which had a production process that was more or less known to players but was too complicated for ordinary players to handle. Instead, it was highly secretive and its source was completely unknown. Only a few players from America knew the source of the goods, and they distributed these products to the player market.

"The origin of the Black Blood Bullets seems to be related to the upper echelons of America. Although the investigation has encountered great resistance, my father still revealed some information to me. It seems that the original source of these special bullets is related to the Bush family. I can't find out more."

As the descendant of politicians, Fujiwara Chika's biggest advantage over Maki and Kaguya is her ability to gain a significant edge when investigating intelligence from various foreign countries. After all, she can directly ask her father, mother, grandparents, and other relatives, something that Kaguya and Maki might not be able to answer even if they wanted to.

Incidentally, the reason Chika was able to appear in the area where Takami was in the second playthrough, kill him, and help him break the deadlock was because she used her father's connections to contact some veteran players who were not easily accessible. From one of these players, she obtained a special artifact. Through that artifact, Fujiwara Chika could use items connected to Takami, such as the breast wrap, to eliminate the spatial gap between herself and Takami. It was because of this that Chika was able to meet Takami after entering the fork in the [Vessel]; otherwise, she would have been isolated in another similar space, as Takami had previously predicted.

This object of obsession is essentially a one-time use item. Therefore, after one use, it will summon a monster in the instance that will hunt down the user. For this reason, the object of obsession is not very versatile. Even so, Fujiwara Chika still went to great lengths to obtain it.

"According to the person who possessed the artifact, it was obtained from a Dark Night-level dungeon that wasn't yet fixed. It was a very strange Dark Night-level dungeon; the dungeon itself was an abandoned village, and artifacts could be found in almost every room. However, these artifacts often had many flaws, just like this one with teleportation capabilities. That person was probably hesitant about whether to bring a few more people into the dungeon to check things out, so he was thinking of using this artifact as proof to persuade others. But in the end, I still managed to convince him. Hehehe, isn't that amazing?"

Fujiwara Chika, who was telling Takahashi about this, was extremely arrogant, her nose practically pointing to the sky.

"So how did you convince them?"

Gao Hai, surprised by this, asked curiously.

"Kaguya offered that person 3000 billion yen and promised some other conditions, and then I persuaded him."

Fujiwara Chika continued to answer confidently.

"So, did you persuade the other party or did Shinomiya persuade them...?"

Gao Hai immediately started complaining, and then, remembering that Kaguya Shinomiya's life was actually strictly controlled, he realized that in that future that had been rewinded and disappeared, Kaguya had probably already broken ties with her family and taken over the entire family group.