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

The only one who wasn't affected much stood up at this moment and asked Green a question in a cold tone.

"It's okay, everything's fine, just behave yourselves."

Green hurriedly spoke, shaking the hand holding the knife with a grin to indicate that everything was fine.

Gao Hai frowned, then looked at Kaguya beside him. After seeing that Kaguya had recovered a little, he stood up and walked towards the kitchen door, passing by Green, who was a head taller than him, and looked at the two people sitting by the refrigerator in the kitchen.

"What...what are you doing out there?"

Maeda Miwa didn't dare to speak, but Sun Dajun had some courage and dared to ask Gao Hai a question.

Gao Hai didn't speak, but stared intently at Sun Dajun, whose face was full of resentment, and Maeda Miwa, who was cowering beside him, as well as the refrigerator behind them that hadn't moved at all from beginning to end. He watched for a long time, but didn't dare to go forward to check if there was really no problem.

"In this godforsaken place, we only know a little more than you two idiots. I don't want to make things difficult for anyone; I just want to leave this place alive. So as long as you don't cause me any trouble, I won't do anything to you. Do you understand?"

As Gao Hai said this, he casually tossed two chocolate bars to Sun Dajun, who subconsciously reached out and took them before turning to look at Green beside him.

"Keep an eye on them both. If you notice any strange changes in them, let us know immediately."

Although he had considered taking this opportunity to explain properly, Kaguya and Maki weren't in good condition at the moment, and their initial attitude had already created a fixed impression. Furthermore, the two of them might have died in the corridor before the clock rewinded, and they might just disappear like Bites the Dust after the rewind. Therefore, Takami ultimately decided to maintain the status quo for now. He would wait at least an hour, and if the two of them were still okay, he would try to communicate with them.

"Brother, could it be that they..."

Green swallowed hard. He had initially thought he was just looking after two ordinary people, but now he was increasingly realizing that this was not a simple matter. He was starting to get scared and was less willing to continue.

"If you feel this is inappropriate, we can switch places. You can investigate the situation for me, do you want?"

So Gao Hai just stared at the guy's deliberately feigned troubled look and calmly asked, which immediately made Green's face turn pale, almost as pale as the old corpse in the mountain village.

"I'm sorry, no, please don't say that, I'll keep a close eye on them..."

Green behind him apologized timidly, but Gao Hai had already turned around and didn't see the resentment and helplessness in his eyes.

In the living room, Maki had already handed the letters containing important information to Kaguya, and then slowly sat down on a stool to the side.

Something seems a bit strange.

Although everything seemed normal, Gao Hai, back in the living room, vaguely felt something was off.

“Sanchez…109…So, the reason why Shirakawa Apartments has become what it is today is due to a chain reaction caused by the extreme actions of a survivor?”

Kaguya frowned as she looked through these things and muttered to herself.

"Pay attention while you're looking at them. These letters seem a bit strange. I saw some sentences just now, but they seem to have disappeared..."

Princess Zhenfei seemed to be in a bad mood. She rubbed her temples and then yawned, but her eyelids still drooped down.

Strange, I feel like... my body is getting heavier...

It seems like I've forgotten something... It feels like something important that I should say immediately, but I just can't quite remember it...

It wasn't like this just now. Strange, um, what's going on...?

"Is everything okay?"

A hand patted Maki's shoulder, bringing the girl back to her senses.

"Ha, what could possibly be wrong with me? Are you worried about me? You should be more concerned about yourself. We've only just learned some basic information. Don't think you can relax now. You need to work hard. By the way, were you hurt? The alcohol and disinfectant bandages in the supply box are in good condition and should be fine to use. If you are injured, don't suffer in silence."

The girl, frowning, retorted without hesitation, but her haughty words turned into concern halfway through.

Gao Hai didn't reply, but just frowned and stared at the girl who looked somewhat listless.

Something's not right about her.

I couldn't explain the specific reason, but I just instinctively felt that something was wrong with her.

It seems that... after he touched the wall clock, and now that he can feel the gaze of those two, no, three head clocks at any time, Gao Hai noticed that his senses seemed to have undergone a slight change, to the point that when he looked at Maki and Kaguya, he could vaguely sense the former's abnormality.

Are you really okay? You seem a little unwell.

Gao Hai opened his mouth, wanting to ask this question.

But before he could speak, another voice rang out first.

Click——

It sounded like some kind of mechanism being activated, like a mechanical structure starting to operate.

The sound came from the backpack on Princess Zhenfei's back, from the head clock in her hand, and from the clear ticking of its hands.

The three of them almost simultaneously fixed their gazes on the wall clock next to Princess Maki, which they could directly observe.

And right before their eyes, the hands of the clock suddenly began to accelerate, speeding up towards the future, towards the very past.

Chapter Sixteen: Echoes Between the Present and the Past

Time is accelerating.

Outside the window, which was mostly nailed shut and only allowed a little light to pass through, the light was changing rapidly.

The room, which was originally quite bright, is gradually becoming darker.

A damp, foul odor, like the stench of rotting wood, spread outwards.

The clock that had been taken down from the corridor kept moving forward, gradually approaching six o'clock, passing seven o'clock, reaching eight o'clock, and slowly moving closer to nine o'clock.

Gao Hai fell to the ground.

hum-

His head rang out with a piercing sound, and everything around him blurred as if in a daze.

It seems like I can see something.

Seeing that black guy, the guy who seemed perfectly normal when we parted, now lying on the ground, his eyes glazed over, his face covered in blood, like a puppet reaching out to grab the hour hand of the clock and slowly moving it forward.

Beside this person, Lao Guo stood expressionless, holding what appeared to be a necklace in his hand, watching everything unfold.

Click——

Click—click-click—

The wall clock in the black man's hand gradually developed cracks of varying sizes.

His own body began to crack, and more blood seeped out.

Finally, the pointer could no longer be moved even a fraction of an inch.

The black man lying on the ground was nothing but a pool of festering, rotten flesh, completely unrecognizable from his original form.

"Will I be cursed if I turn the pointer? It seems that turning it clockwise will cause more damage than turning it counterclockwise."

"And even if we force it, we can only dial it up to around 9 o'clock at most. It seems we can't go beyond that time."

"Okay, now we have a general understanding of the limitations and effects of this thing. The next question is how to find 109."

Old Guo was talking to himself.

His voice was very soft and low, as if he was deliberately trying to avoid being discovered by someone.

But even at this moment, Gao Hai could still clearly hear what he was saying.

109?

Why does he want to find 109?

Is there anything special about that room?

hum-

The dizzying, ear-piercing sound was amplified.

The scene before my eyes distorted at that moment, gradually becoming a blur.

Gao Hai thought he would either regain consciousness, die, or face an even more tragic fate.

But at that moment, his left hand was in excruciating pain, so intense that it felt as if someone was sawing his hand with a dull saw, and that about half of it had already been cut off, the pain of the skin and flesh gradually separating.

He wanted to scream.

But he found that he could not feel anything except his left hand.

It felt as if my own body had disappeared.

Only the left hand, which was still there for some unknown reason, was throbbing with intense pain.

hum-

The piercing sound rang out again, but then abruptly subsided.

Then, he heard the sound again.

I am a virtual being...

The human voice was distorted, like a faulty cassette tape played on an old-fashioned projector, with obvious static.

Things have ultimately come to this...

I know that there will always be people who are unwilling to accept the status quo and try to change it, even to the point of irrational behavior...

I did everything I could. I organized 18 survivors, and I led them to explore every room except 304, leaving behind supplies and rule sheets, doing everything I could to help those trapped here who couldn't escape.

At its peak, we had 26 people, almost filling every room.

But ultimately, destruction is always easier than construction. Just one person's action, just a few people's response, and all efforts crumble, returning to square one. No, it's beyond repair; the situation here will only worsen, it can't get any better.

I have a clear conscience. I did my best. Perhaps I wasn't ruthless enough, or decisive enough, but I never harmed a single person. From the time I was trapped here until now, everything I've done has been about saving and helping. I chose this path, and I've come to the end, so even in death, I can rest in peace.

Is he recounting his last words?

The voice was so calm, as if it were the casual greeting of two acquaintances who bumped into each other while taking a walk in the afternoon sun.

But for those who may come after me, I must leave something behind.

In the end, I saw part of the truth and came into contact with things I shouldn't have. Before my existence disappeared, I changed the layout of every room.

Lock the front door, close the living room door, put on earplugs, and if necessary, a mask to prevent the spread of snoring. This will allow you to get through the night safely, provided you stay in the same room where you first woke up. Otherwise, it's a matter of luck.

The fact that you can hear these words proves that you touched the clock, and that you possess a strong enough spirit to do something, even if it's just to save your own life.

Go to 206 and go down through the crack in the floor of 206. That's the only normal way to get to the 1st floor. Don't take the stairs; they all lead to the 3rd floor.

[109 contains all the information. Find 109 and you'll understand what happened here.]

After that, the choice you make is entirely up to you.