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

There were words carved in crayon on the wall, recording the time. Gao Hai counted them; a total of 59 days were recorded. In other words, this man named Wilbo survived in the Red Nut Gray Hole for a full 59 days. Or to be more precise, he successfully survived for 59 days using his own human perception.

That's practically equivalent to this instance opening and closing four times. Is this guy really that powerful? Or is it because he can no longer escape and is gradually being transformed into a monster, which is why he can survive in this place more safely than the players?

And, this guy's so-called switch, once pulled, will cut off the power to a certain place.

Gao Hai already knew which place Weierbo was referring to.

{Makoto, has anyone gone to the power zone? Do not destroy the power system, absolutely do not destroy the power system. The research institute you are in has some kind of defensive capability. If the power is shut off, that white-dressed monster will directly storm into the research base.}

Without the slightest hesitation, Takahashi immediately contacted Shijo Maki after leaving the message, informing her of the situation he knew.

{It was Aunt Kaguya who entered the power zone. She won't act recklessly. We agreed beforehand to investigate first before deciding how to proceed. Wait, we have some situation here...}

Maki, who was reviewing experimental data, heard Takami's voice and listened carefully to what he was saying. She then answered him as she walked to the dormitory door. Just then, she heard an unusual noise outside. Sensing something was wrong, she opened the door and realized that the noise was coming from the direction of the power area.

Kaguya Shinomiya has been captured.

Two fully armed soldiers, played by a mysterious figure, grabbed Kaguya's hands and forced her to bend over.

Standing to the side was Professor Follen, who had no expression on his face. He glanced at Kaguya with a lifeless look and then said, "Those who violate the rules will be dealt with according to procedure number 3." He then turned around and walked towards Maki.

The soldiers escorting Kaguya began to walk towards the observation area.

Maki arrived at that moment, but Kaguya immediately gave her a look. Knowing what she meant, the girl had no choice but to stop and watch helplessly as Kaguya was escorted away.

It happened quite suddenly.

Kaguya did not make any rash moves after entering the power zone. She actually only stayed there for a very short time before preparing to leave temporarily to discuss countermeasures with Chika Maki.

When they came in, there was no one outside, but when they came out, there were two soldiers guarding the outside, and Professor Foln, who had shown many suspicious signs, was not far away. As a result, Kaguya was captured, and then one of the soldiers pulled out a pistol and was about to shoot Kaguya on the head.

If that was truly the case, then she was truly doomed. But unexpectedly, Professor Folneng stopped the soldiers and demanded that she undergo Procedure 3. Kaguya herself was unaware of the details of this procedure, but Professor Folneng explained that it meant locking her in a cell within the quarantine zone and using her as a special experimental subject.

Although the situation remained extremely dire, it was at least not a life-or-death crisis. Furthermore, since this was a plan proposed by the highly suspicious Professor Follen, Kaguya Shinomiya signaled to Maki, who had arrived, not to take any action.

Fujiwara Chika arrived a little slower; the girl only came down the stairs when Kaguya was almost being escorted through the research area.

But Maki's eyes immediately lit up. The reason Chika was a little late was that she had gone to the archives area first, releasing the invisible doll Maki had placed there to investigate different reports, and bringing it to the first floor. Without hesitation, Maki manipulated the doll to follow Kaguya, subtly handing it a scalpel. This way, Kaguya would at least have the ability to defend herself no matter what happened later.

This guy is surprisingly clever. I was walking in a bit of a hurry and didn't expect him to take out the doll.

Thinking of this, Maki's impression of Chika improved a lot. However, she then had to raise her head and look at Professor Foln, who had walked up to her and was staring at her and Chika with a blank expression.

Tomorrow, there will be a new experiment in the research area, and you will participate as assistants.

The professor left after saying this, and went up the stairs back to his office on the second floor.

Meanwhile, Kaguya Shinomiya, escorted by two soldiers, had already passed through the observation zone and arrived at the entrance to the quarantine zone, a place that soldiers would not normally go to.

The door opened, revealing a spacious preparation room at the back.

After passing through another door, the two soldiers led Kaguya around a corner and headed in a different direction from the explorers.

At that moment, Kaguya noticed a document titled "Isolation Zone Precautions" posted on the wall. She immediately locked her gaze on it, quickly read the words, and memorized them. Then she began to observe her surroundings.

This place is very close to the examination room.

On the map of the first floor of the research base, it's just an empty corridor with nothing in it.

But when Kaguya was brought here, she saw a downward staircase at the end of the corridor. The staircase descended only slightly and quickly came to an end.

Kaguya saw a circular corridor.

The outer side of the corridor was a ring of completely enclosed cells, making it impossible to see what was inside. The inner ring appeared to be a separate small room, but the details of that room were also unclear. However, Kaguya noticed a label that read "Solitary Confinement Cell".

Each cell door had some information posted on it, but there were no photos or names of the inmates. There were only simple code names like d1 and d2. The cell that Kaguya was thrown into had the code name d6 written on it.

After throwing Kaguya into cell D6, the soldiers closed the door and left.

Kaguya Shinomiya sat silently on the cold cell floor for a while before slowly exhaling and standing up.

Next, I need to figure out the specific situation here and ensure my own safety. Can I do that?

Although the girl's face remained expressionless, the unease in her heart was growing stronger.

Is it really possible to do it all by yourself?

"cough……"

Just then, Kaguya heard a cough coming from the cell next door.

Chapter 65: Those Trapped in a Cage and the Emotion of Dependence

[Cough...cough cough...]

A low cough echoed slowly from behind the wall.

He was male, and judging from his voice, he seemed to be quite old, at least in his forties or fifties, and at most in his fifties or sixties.

Are they other people detained here?

Kaguya got up from the ground and carefully approached the direction from which the sound came.

Who's there?

Kaguya thought she had been careful enough and hadn't made too much noise, but as soon as she moved a little closer, she immediately heard a nervous questioning voice coming from behind the wall. Faintly, Kaguya could even hear the clanging and rattling of chains.

The girl stopped and stood still.

The power of blessing didn't detect anything, perhaps because of the wall separating them; Kaguya couldn't determine what was imprisoned on the other side. After some thought, Kaguya concluded that it was unlikely to be a player; it might just be another strange character playing a role. If that happened, a single wrong word could kill her on the spot, so it was best to remain silent.

Are you... also imprisoned here by those bastards?

Although there was no response, the person behind the wall seemed to have already decided that Kaguya was a "comrade" in some sense, and so soon began to chatter on and on.

My name is Howard, and I... I'm a firefighter. I remember I was supposed to be a firefighter.

The man seemed somewhat lost and dazed as he muttered to himself.

I don't know how long I've been locked up here. Every single day, I'm stuck here, unable to go anywhere.

What time is it outside? Several years have passed? Do you know the situation at the X City Fire Department?

[Also, is the Red Nut Grotto still operational? Are those damn bastards still letting that place remain open?]

The man's voice gradually became more agitated, and Kaguya could even hear him pounding on the wall.

But she just stood there, about a meter away from the wall, motionless, silently listening to the other person's voice.

Please, just answer me...

The man's voice behind the wall was almost completely broken.

I haven't spoken to anyone in a long time...

[No, no, no... Is it a hallucination? Another hallucination? Is anyone actually there...?]

The sounds of muttering to oneself and nervous growls mingled together.

Kaguya heard the person behind the wall banging on it repeatedly, and heard them pacing back and forth, breathing heavily. Then, they quickly fell silent, as if no one had made a sound from beginning to end, and everything fell into silence.

What exactly is happening behind the wall?

In silence, Kaguya Shinomiya quietly retreated to the center of the room and sat down on the floor.

The next moment, her pupils contracted involuntarily.

She felt something touch her leg; it was soft and squishy, ​​like the material of a rag doll.

What is it? !

Kaguya Shinomiya was momentarily startled, but she quickly realized what was happening. The sensation was moving slightly on her leg, clearly writing something. Thanks to her excellent spatial reasoning and memory, Kaguya quickly figured out what the transparent object was writing on her leg.

Maki... I see. It was Maki's invisible doll that she was controlling. I wonder when it caught up with me? I didn't notice its existence because it was concealed.

The tension in my heart suddenly eased.

Kaguya felt a sense of relief upon realizing that she still had companions to rely on, but then she was slightly taken aback by this change in her emotions.

She would never forget the Shinomiya family's precepts: relying on others and depending on others is a sign of inferiority in the Shinomiya family. The Shinomiya family can only use others, and can only treat people other than themselves as objects to be used at will. And her current behavior, by any measure, does not conform to the family precepts, and is extremely unqualified as a member of the Shinomiya family.

It's ridiculous that at a time like this, I'm still thinking about whether I'm a qualified member of the Shinomiya family.

Kaguya couldn't help but feel a touch of self-mockery and helplessness in her heart.

Regardless of what I think or do, the fact that I am trapped alone is already in front of me, so what I can do in this situation is the most important thing right now.

"call……"

Kaguya took a deep breath to calm herself down. She first glanced at the surveillance camera in the room out of the corner of her eye, then turned her body slightly to make sure the angle could block her movements. She then stretched out her finger and made a writing motion on the ground.

For ordinary people, interpreting this kind of content is extremely difficult. However, both Kaguya Shinomiya and Maki Shijou possess strong memory and recognition abilities. Just as Maki was able to communicate with Takami in the dark by writing on the back of her hand during the first playthrough of Shirakawa Apartment, Kaguya and Maki can also exchange information with each other in this way. In a sense, this can be considered an unreasonable communication method that only geniuses like them can achieve.

[I'm now going to recount what I saw in the power zone, including its basic structure and safety notices. Are you watching? If so, pat my leg twice.]

After writing this sentence, Kaguya felt her leg being gently patted twice.

Now, I will recount what I saw. The following is the content of the notice posted at the entrance of the power area.

[This area is the power hub of the cave research base, responsible for maintaining the power supply to the entire power zone. The maintenance of this area is extremely important. Only personnel with Level 4 or higher access can enter this area to participate in maintenance work. Please be sure to comply with the contents of this notice when carrying out maintenance and repair work in this area.]

[1. This area has one main power system and three backup systems. Each backup system can start immediately after the main power system stops operating to ensure the safety of power supply within the base. Please ensure the stability of the backup and main systems, and under no circumstances should the base be at risk of power outage.]

2. Each power system is divided into four distinct power supply systems: an isolation zone, an observation zone, a research zone, and a living zone. Each system can operate independently. The living zone and research zone systems meet Level 2 safety standards, the observation zone meets Level 4 safety standards, and the isolation zone meets Level 5 safety standards. The power supply to the isolation zone must be stable at all times and must not be interrupted.

[3. The offices of Professor Fernand and General Segella are powered by their own electricity, with a safety standard of level 5. They will not lose power even if there is a power outage in the living area. The circuits in this area require separate maintenance, and each maintenance requires prior application documents and permission.]

4. In addition to this area, there are 3 backup power systems distributed in other areas. When it is necessary to completely interrupt the power supply to the power area, a request can be made to the superior to temporarily take over the base circuit system.

5. Unauthorized wiring is prohibited. All repair and maintenance work must be carried out in accordance with the specified standards. Adding new wiring to the existing circuit system is not allowed.

6. Please do not litter in the power area. Our patrol team has repeatedly found empty cans, cigarette butts, and old clothes discarded in the power area. These items are not allowed in the power area. Furthermore, it is forbidden to write or draw on the walls of the power area. Violators will be severely punished if such violations are found again.

7. Anyone who has not obtained the necessary qualifications to enter the power zone will be immediately locked upon entry. If you have entered the area without the required qualifications, please do not touch anything within the area, leave through the gate, and accept the punishment you are entitled to.

After writing the notice, Kaguya's fingers didn't stop. She then began to sketch the scene she saw in the power zone, giving a simple description of the location, size, and structure of various things.

At this moment, it was already time for Maki and Chika to turn off the lights and go to bed, so they had to return to their dorm and lie down on their beds. Maki then communicated with Kaguya remotely by manipulating the wobbly doll.

With one main circuit plus three backup circuits, and three external circuits in existence, tsk... it's practically impossible to cut off the power to this base. Moreover, according to Hai Jun, if the circuit were to be cut off, they could very well find themselves in dire straits.

This is really quite a difficult situation...

As Shijo Maki was pondering her next move with a furrowed brow, she suddenly caught a whiff of blood.

squeak-