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

The man addressed as "General" tapped the table again, his words tinged with a hint of helplessness.

[How can we replicate the bizarre phenomena in this cave and deploy them to other countries, ideally in a way that allows for a large-scale outbreak? Or, how can we make the strange killing patterns of this place more widespread and effective, eliminating anyone we want to kill from thousands of kilometers away? This is an idea proposed by the higher-ups. Are you confident in your ability to do this?]

"How is this possible... We've never succeeded in directly utilizing these strange powers. Finding a way to use the Black Bloodstone derivative has already taken a huge toll on us... However, I do have a new idea that might come in handy. Please follow me, General."

The hallucination ended with the entrance to the cryogenic chamber at the end of the research area.

Behind the slowly opening door was a cold and damp research facility, and rows of frozen culture chambers.

What are those things in the incubation chambers...people?

The biggest difference between these strange creatures and humans is that they don't change. Even after more than a decade, the strange creatures our explorers have encountered haven't changed in appearance, behavior patterns, or types of abilities.

Further investigation revealed that the cave's unusual phenomena had remained unchanged for thousands of years. Of course, after the man's death, and as we gradually advanced our research, some changes did occur, but those were due to external factors.

So I'm thinking, maybe I can use these strange objects in a different way, through other means. For example, combining them with the human body to create immortal beings, beings capable of wielding strange powers, beings... great beings who can steal divine power, even becoming gods among men!

A proud man stood in front of the incubation chambers, outstretched his hands, and spoke with pride.

Gao Hai, on the other hand, heard a whisper from the depths of the other person's heart as they uttered those words.

I am the one who can become a god!

The phantom-like scene had already vanished from sight.

Lixer's body completely shattered, turning into a pool of rotten flesh that slowly dissolved in the water.

"Is that so?"

Gao Hai lowered his head and looked at the small black stones emerging from the flesh and blood, finally understanding what was going on with the person in front of him.

Is it really possible for a strange power and technology to combine to create life, and even fabricate the personality and experiences of the other party?

This Lixer knows the concept of a "player." Was he lost after being absorbed into the ghost story instance at the research base? Chika and the others have researched Lixer's information; he's a real person with his own life story. Although there are indeed some uncertain traces of his past, he definitely lived in real life. However, based on the hallucinations they're experiencing right now, this person was created from the very beginning, created with a bizarre power…

So is that right?

Foln had discovered an anomaly within the Red Nut Grotto long ago and had been studying it. Andres' death caused the situation inside the Red Nut Grotto to spiral out of control, and with the first crisis erupting within the cave, Foln and his associates mobilized to completely isolate the area and transform it into a research base.

By studying the black stones in the cave that possessed eerie powers, he successfully created black blood bullets that could temporarily repel the eerie creatures. However, it seems that these bullets are actually more powerful against humans than against the eerie creatures.

Then, as his research expanded further, did he create clones using those stones and flesh structures? No, this world doesn't have that level of technology, and those people aren't like that. This Folneng likely used humans as research material, combining living people with substances imbued with strange powers. And his goal was probably to become like Xu Sheng… no, he wanted to become a living person even more powerful than Xu Sheng, capable of manipulating strange powers.

However, Maki and Chika encountered Folneng in a bizarre form, and that Folneng was absolutely bizarre, without a doubt.

Having become a monster, how can one reclaim their human self? No, that's impossible.

The fact that he could see Foln's illusions proves that he really died in the Red Nut Gray Hole instance.

So what exactly did he do?

Folneng is a mysterious being whose actions are often unusual.

Lixer, unaware of his own actions, was actually being controlled by external forces.

Susan, who knew nothing, appeared in this cave at an age that was not her own, and whose whereabouts were now unknown.

Andres and his wife Hedar, who are now obsessed with the core of the dungeon, are locked in a complex relationship. The former longs to return to his wife's side, while the latter harbors an inextinguishable rage against the research base.

Something is still missing.

To connect everything within the entire instance, something is still missing.

Why is the "Gentle Slope" so highly valued? Currently, the core obsession surrounding the "Gentle Slope" is Andres's wife, Hedar, but what about before that? According to available information, the "Gentle Slope" has always possessed a strange power, seemingly luring living people to fall into its crevice. However, for many years, before Fornen caused trouble and trapped people inside, no one had ever died in the great fissure of the Gentle Slope; every time something happened, they were rescued in time. Given this, what is the real reason this place is so highly valued?

Furthermore, why did Fornen, who already possessed the power to manipulate the supernatural, fail to cause any disturbance in the real world? A person who aspires to become a god would never willingly submit to others after achieving success. Even if the supernatural tales had not yet developed an anti-meme effect on ordinary people, Fornen, who wielded supernatural powers, was not someone that ordinary people could control. Moreover, judging from his actions in the instance, his goal was not to escape but to maintain the stability of the research base, which made things even more suspicious.

And there's another question: where is General Xiegela? If he's been killed and turned into a ghost, then he couldn't possibly be nowhere to be found in the research base, leaving no trace. If he's still alive, a general like Fujiwara Chika couldn't possibly have missed something. Furthermore, even if Xiegela wasn't dragged into this instance but is still alive somewhere in the real world, there should still be traces of him in the research base. Ultimately, the identity of "General Xiegela," commanding all the soldiers, must be played by someone, whether human or ghost, and shouldn't be overlooked.

Playing the role of...

Gao Hai was slightly taken aback, and suddenly realized a certain possibility.

Is this possible?

Gao Hai frowned.

The only time I entered the research base, I was playing the role of an explorer, and there was a time when I took off my clothes to shower. No, that was a special procedure for identifying myself; even if I wasn't wearing clothes during that procedure, I would still be considered an explorer, so that doesn't apply.

Even so… while in the Shirakawa Apartment, I acquired the identity of the [Corpse in Room 204], but that didn't change anything. It seemed that this identity only received some recognition within the [Instance Rules]; the supernatural beings still treated me as a living person when they saw me. Except for the second playthrough in the Shirakawa Apartment, when I was almost completely transformed into a supernatural being at the end of that playthrough, the presence of the Refrigerator Guy actually activated my [Corpse] identity to some extent, helping me regain my humanity.

Therefore, it's normal that the soldiers don't recognize my "identity." After all, for the supernatural, a mere "identity" doesn't mean much. But if I had actually stolen this identity and replaced it, perhaps things would have been different if I had entered that place.

"If that's really the case, then that would be amazing."

Gao Hai raised his head and turned to look at the open door leading to the research base.

It may seem like it took a long time to figure all this out, but for Gao Hai it was actually less than a minute of thinking.

He had to verify this possibility.

To verify the possibility that the hidden identity I obtained in the Red Nut Gray Hole is [General Shegela].

This was the most reasonable explanation Gao Hai came up with after thinking it over. It was that, just like when he acquired the [Corpse] identity at the Shirakawa Apartment, he inexplicably replaced [General Xiegela]'s identity in this instance, making the original General Xiegela unable to appear in this instance, turning him into a non-existent, invisible person.

If you enter the research base yourself, then you will only have one day left to clear this instance.

Finish everything within a day, or you'll have to start the next cycle.

The game gives a 15-day time limit to complete the game, so why do I keep getting stuck on the time limit early for various reasons?

This made Gao Hai think of the seven-day completion time given by Shirakawa Apartment, and the time difference that only the first three days could achieve a perfect completion.

He strode forward and charged toward the open door.

Gao Hai burst into the corridor of the observation area the next moment, passing by the researchers and soldiers who seemed to have lost their command and were in a state of confusion.

"Can I borrow this?"

"Thank you."

"I'll pay you back when I remember."

After a few more words, Gao Hai had already stripped off the clothes of several soldiers and put them directly on himself.

It seems that these things were originally under Foln's command, but Lixer's death seems to have slightly impaired Foln's command ability, causing these things to just walk around randomly, or simply be washed to the ground by the water, as if their behavioral logic had been disrupted, completely ignoring Gao Hai's own existence.

Donning a soldier's uniform, Takami rushed out of the corridor, bursting through the door cut open by Fujiwara Chika into the research area, and then proceeded upwards.

Of course, he did not forget to send a message to Princess Zhenfei during this process, summarizing his thoughts and ideas and telling her about them.

At that moment, Princess Zhenfei opened the cell door and saw what was inside.

"Ah, you are..."

Upon seeing the people in the cell, Zhenfei paused for a moment before speaking.

Chapter 71: The Memories of the Lost and the Madness of the Desperate

Susan raised her head, looking listlessly at Maki and Kaguya as they entered.

She looked terrible; her clothes were tattered and covered in bruises, as if she had just escaped from a refugee camp.

Not only that, if when Gao Hai first saw her this woman she could at least run, jump and think, now her eyes are almost completely vacant, as if her inner soul has almost dissipated, and she is completely stiff and motionless in place.

However, neither Maki nor Kaguya had ever met Susan, so they could only guess her identity by comparing her appearance with Takahashi's description of her.

"Excuse me, are you Miss Susan?"

Maki stepped forward, squatted down in front of Susan, and asked a question. Kaguya, meanwhile, swung her scalpel twice and cut the chains binding Susan's hands.

Because they are supernatural beings and cannot be destroyed by conventional attacks, the rescue team members, after enduring the explosion with their own bodies, are now standing at the door to guard against something suddenly appearing and attacking Kaguya and Maki.

【…】

Susan didn't move.

She just sat on the ground, motionless, as if she were dead.

How is this going?

Under the influence of the blessing, one can sense that she is a living, breathing person. Who could have tormented her to this state?

Maki was pondering what was going on with the other party when, at that moment, Takami suddenly sent a message, informing her of her confrontation with Lixer and the truth she had finally discovered.

"Grandma, cut her wrist, be careful, her condition might be serious."

Having understood something from Gao Hai's intelligence, Maki stepped back and said, while Kaguya naturally stepped forward without hesitation, cutting directly into Susan's arm with a scalpel, cutting deeply inside, and then prying open the bleeding wound to look inside.

Small black pebbles were faintly visible among the flesh and blood.

The same situation as Lixer.

This person had also undergone modifications, but unlike Lixer, Susan's modifications seemed less successful. The black stones were almost embedded in her flesh; what Kaguya and Maki initially mistook for bruises from some kind of wound were actually the effects of these small stones inside her body.

Princess Zhenfei reached out and touched the pebbles.

The next moment, she saw a fragmented illusion.

These are the remaining traces of time within this body that has almost become an empty shell.

Is this person an insider?

Someone asked in a low voice outside the cell.

[Like the man next door, he was also in the know; basically, the message from above is that they should be treated as guinea pigs.]

"Alright then, if that's the case. Hmm, being a little rough shouldn't be a problem."

The lights went out, and everything returned to darkness.

In a daze, I lost track of how much time had passed.

Pain and fear erode willpower, leaving only emptiness in the end.

[An intriguing phenomenon: a bizarre force splits the individual into two distinct entities, one retaining normal memories and personality, and the other almost completely losing its personality, becoming nothing more than a mass of flesh with neurological responses. How is this possible?]

【Okay, let the other one out. No problem, just maintain a certain level of surveillance. That individual doesn't remember anything anymore. Perfect, I also need to test how "normal" she can be after returning to normal life, after all, she has lost a considerable amount of her memories.】

[By the way, that "important individual" has arrived, right? Let's go, let's take a good look at what makes this individual so special, and what new breakthroughs she can bring to our experiment.]

The woman's screams and cries of pain mingled with the man's low laughter.

Don't be angry, Ms. Hedar, your child is sacrificing himself for the future of humanity.

Selfishness is a terrible quality; you should learn to correct it and stop thinking only about your family's happiness. Soon, you too will become the next one, and human civilization will advance to a greater era because of sacrifices like yours.