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

Gao Hai sat up from the tattered bed, next to Kaguya, who had also opened her eyes and immediately adopted a defensive posture.

This moment marks the very beginning of the game at Shirakawa Apartment, the very first moment after everyone has heard the prompt from that eerie voice.

No one has ever used a wall clock before.

No one has died, turned into a monster, or been frozen or anything like that yet.

"Yo."

Getting out of bed, Takahashi struck a slightly embarrassing pose, mimicking the JoJo family. He turned his back to Kaguya, tilted his head back, held his nose with one hand at a slightly distorted angle, and pointed at Kaguya with the other hand between the two, while simultaneously raising one foot.

"Good job. You're the best among the new recruits this time. Hmm, I knew I'd wanted to say that for a while."

Gao Hai, having satisfied his desire to show off, looked completely content.

Kaguya, who had just been on guard, was stunned and couldn't understand what was going on.

Could it be that I've been kidnapped by a lunatic?

Chapter Twenty-Three: Some things are simply hard to hide.

"Don't worry, the Twilight-level mission is the easiest one. As long as we work together, we can get through it smoothly."

Old Guo smiled and spoke earnestly, but Green beside him frowned.

Unlike that black guy who'd read too many Chinese web novels and thought it was some kind of endless adventure, eagerly wanting to join Lao Guo, the "veteran player," he wasn't stupid.

As someone who was extremely lucky, having been chosen by the Sacrifice Game for the first time and encountered three top players who used special items to team up and investigate in the beginner's game, he ended up unknowingly completing the entire game. While Green might not know much else, he could distinguish between truly capable and helpful veteran players, and those with ulterior motives. Although not highly educated, his upbringing in the lower rungs of society gave him a keen eye for a person's strengths and weaknesses, and whether they were good or bad.

As for Lao Guo, who seemed very friendly but had virtually no micro-expressions or reactions, making it impossible to read his true emotions, Green would absolutely not approach him or team up with him. In his view, this kind of guy was most likely a cunning old fox hiding his tail, and he might become the victim at any time.

Even if you want to befriend a powerful player, you have to consider what kind of powerful player they are. Only veteran players who won't risk newbies' lives to explore are worth befriending. Even if such a veteran might look down on newbies and have no intention of helping, at least you don't have to worry about danger from the human faction. At worst, you can just act more like a sycophant.

So, let's observe for a while and see if any other skilled players emerge.

Thinking this, Green leaned against the door of room 209 behind him, the room where he had woken up, and scanned his surroundings, observing the situation.

The first to emerge was a middle-aged man from room 206. It was impossible to tell whether he was Chinese, Japanese, or from somewhere else, but as long as he wasn't from outer space, it didn't matter. However, he looked like a complete novice, and people his age often struggle to adapt to the urgent and dangerous situations of rule-breaking tales; he probably wouldn't survive.

Without saying a word, Green continued to observe the other rooms.

squeak-

With the sound of pushing open a door, another door opened at that moment.

"The lock on this door is broken."

With a sigh, a tall, young man who looked like he was still a student but was already quite strong walked out of the door of room 204.

His gaze swept across the corridor, glancing only at the three people already there before turning to the door of 208, which was diagonally opposite 204 and had also been opened, and Shijou Maki, who had just emerged from it with a very wary expression.

"Another newcomer?"

The man whispered something that made Green start paying attention to him.

"You are……"

Shijo Maki was somewhat puzzled. Although the man in front of her seemed to have nothing special about him, she noticed a subtle change in his expression when she first saw him. It seemed that he was about to reveal a certain expression, but then forcibly suppressed it beforehand.

This man definitely knows me, and it's not just a casual acquaintance. He knows exactly who I am, yet he's trying to pretend in front of me!

With her keen senses, Shijou Maki immediately realized this and her vigilance towards the man in front of her quickly increased.

The same thing happened to Kaguya Shinomiya, who was following behind the man. Although she was initially stunned by his overly childish posture and words, as the daughter of the Shinomiya family, Kaguya, with her keen observation skills, quickly realized that he was using exaggerated actions and words to cover up changes in his emotions. She also realized that the man in front of her not only knew her, but that they were definitely not strangers. Therefore, she was on high alert and even considered whether to subdue him on the spot.

However, Takahashi himself was also quite helpless about this. He certainly knew that the most important thing to do was for both sides to quickly reach an agreement, exchange information, and then rush out to subdue Maeda Miwa, who was attracting the monster, before starting to explore. But unlike the clock's rewind ability, this still mysterious rewind ability was a real rewind. Now, apart from Takahashi himself, no one remembered what had happened. You have to know that it took a lot of time to gain the trust of Kaguya and Maki, and it was only after Maki decided to believe him first that Kaguya reluctantly accepted his position as a comrade.

Now, with the need to regain trust, the subtle changes in demeanor, emotions, and actions caused by the rollback have brought about unexpected trouble. Gao Hai couldn't help but think that when he was a struggling writer, he learned so much about reconnaissance, intelligence gathering, wilderness climbing, and other things, but he should have also learned acting skills, otherwise he wouldn't have ended up in such a mess.

But it's so good to see you healthy and well...

After handing the rulebook to Kaguya, searching under the bed for the supply box and taking the earplugs, then taking the wall clock from the hallway and leaving through the door, Takami saw Maki appear before him. Although he tried his best to hide his emotions, he still showed a hint of emotion.

Of course, it's only natural that Princess Zhenfei would find out.

Fine, if they figured it out, they figured it out.

Some things become harder to hide the more you try to conceal them, and there's nothing you can do about it.

Although she no longer remembers the hardships we went through together, seeing that she is safe and sound makes me feel a little better.

So even if I can't beat the game this time, I won't let you die before me.

Gao Hai thought this with unwavering determination at that moment.

He never considered himself a good person. In his previous life, he genuinely harbored murderous intent towards Sun Dajun and Maeda Miwa, those two pure burdens, wanting to eliminate these two useless individuals who would only cause trouble. In a critical moment, he didn't feel he should treat Kaguya or Maki any better; instead, he was more focused on his own survival.

Even so, Gao Hai knew that he shouldn't treat those who were truly good to him with this attitude.

Shijo Maki is undoubtedly an idiot. To shield someone she's only known for a few hours from a bullet is such a pointless act of kindness.

But she took a bullet for me, so I can't pretend this never happened.

"you……"

Princess Zhenfei subconsciously took a step back.

Although Gao Hai had concealed his emotions well throughout the brainstorming session, the perceptive girl still sensed something unusual.

Gao Hai, however, was completely unconcerned and had already shifted his attention to the corridor lined with tall cabinets.

Entering room 205 now should be enough to stop Maeda Miwa in time, preventing her from attracting monsters. However, she can't unlock doors, and Green hasn't mistaken her for an experienced player yet, so getting her help won't be easy. More importantly, without anything happening yet, why should I convince everyone that we need to quickly open room 205 and stop the party-wipe engine inside?

Kaguya and Maki, who walked out of the house together behind him, weren't fools. Green, who was good at currying favor, was also a shrewd person. Leaving aside Sun Dajun, the black guy seemed to have already sided with Lao Guo. As for Lao Guo, although Gao Hai really wanted to kill him, considering that the guy carried supernatural gadgets, had a pistol and explosives, and was so tough that he could withstand being beaten by physical ghost stories for a long time without dying, he felt it was best not to have a direct confrontation with him.

So what should we do now?

After a brief moment of thought, Gao Hai quickly made a decision.

"You're Chinese too, right?"

Before Lao Guo could say anything, Gao Hai went straight to Sun Dajun.

He knew this middle-aged man was stubborn; even knowing there was something wrong with Shirakawa Apartments, he refused to believe it was some kind of ghost story. Unless he actually saw something real, he was basically a burden on the team. If he could, he definitely wouldn't associate with this guy.

However, he was a resident of room 206.

Entering the room without the original occupant present could be dangerous, so Gao Hai had to get this guy to come with him.

"You, you too? Um, so this is some kind of reality show? Which production team did this? It's a bit too much..."

Upon hearing Gao Hai's accent and recognizing him as one of their own, Sun Dajun was pleasantly surprised and then nervously asked.

"Who knows? But I just found some strange things in my own room. Do you have any in yours too?"

Gao Hai spoke in a serious tone, trying to fool Sun Dajun in front of him while ignoring the suspicious looks from Kaguya and Maki behind him.

Old Guo, who was not far away, frowned. He had originally wanted to exchange a few words with the person who had just come out, but the other party completely ignored him. This made him a little wary, and he suspected that the other party was also an experienced player. Therefore, he did not dare to make any rash moves and did not come over like last time.

As for Green, although he didn't mutter anything this time, he still chose to return to his room and lock himself inside, just like last time, since he couldn't understand what Takahashi was trying to do and also disliked Kaguya and Maki, the two students.

"You mean, there might be a camera installed in my house?"

At this moment, Sun Dajun had been swayed by Gao Hai's words and was filled with righteous indignation. He planned to smash up room 206 right away.

"Possibly, but these cameras are usually very well hidden. We can look for them together."

Gao Hai said very seriously, his attitude as sincere as if he hadn't lied to Sun Dajun.

This guy is so weird...

Kaguya, who had been observing the corridor, frowned deeply, unable to understand what Takami was doing. Meanwhile, Maki, equally unable to reach a conclusion, stepped forward, ready to confront Takami and demand an explanation.

The screams rang out as expected.

From room 205, Maeda Miwa, who had somehow woken up and discovered the body under the bed, was screaming loudly. Her screams were so loud that everyone on the second floor could hear her clearly. And a little while later, when she rushed out and continued screaming, her voice would echo throughout the entire building.

Then, that formless thing appeared.

"what happened?"

Startled, Sun Dajun instinctively decided to go and check what was going on.

"Are you planning to follow the script of the film crew that kidnapped you?"

Then, following Gao Hai's words, Sun Dajun gritted his teeth, stopped, turned around, and opened the door to room 206.

By this time, Sun Dajun had been completely persuaded by Gao Hai and decided to search the room with him for the so-called "cameras hidden by the production team".

"Miss Shinomiya, Miss Shijou."

After Sun Dajun opened the door and went inside, Gao Hai walked to the door himself, grabbed the door frame of 206, and then turned around to look at the two girls who were still observing the situation.

“I know I look suspicious. Yes, I know both of you and I have some understanding of the current situation.”

"You can choose not to believe me and follow these people, or we can cooperate a little. It all depends on you."

"I don't have much time here. You've been observing for so long, have you made a decision yet? The two daughters of the Shinomiya and Shijo families."

The words, tinged with a hint of provocation, made Kaguya narrow her eyes.

"Huh? You're really straightforward. So why were you hiding your emotions earlier? And now you're saying things like this. You just want us to come inside with you, right?"

Zhenfei bluntly revealed Gao Hai's purpose, and her expression towards him became increasingly wary.

It was bound to be discovered in the first place.

However, even if it is discovered, it does not mean that failure is inevitable.

"You've got guts. Do you think you can handle the two of us? State your names."

Kaguya stared coldly at Takahashi, her voice as chilling as ice.

"Takami, the 'tall' in 'high mountains and flowing water,' and the 'sea' in 'the sea embraces all rivers.' It seems you've made up your mind, Miss Shinomiya."

Standing by the door, Gao Hai chuckled as he spoke, though inwardly he was trembling and begging for Maeda Miwa from room 205 to come out a little later, for that unseen ghost to come down a little later, just to give him a little more time to lure these two young ladies in.

"Hmph, although there are many suspicious points, you don't seem to be the one who organized all this. Well then, I'll see what you're up to."

Ultimately, despite being more suspicious, Kaguya, who valued her pride even more than Maki, decided to go with Takami. However, compared to their previous temporary alliance, she was much more vigilant this time, essentially treating Takami as a potential enemy.

"So she really went with him, Grandma... Oh well, let's see what this guy does."

As Kaguya took action, Maki, though still wanting to observe, decided to act alongside her, and the two entered 206.

Finally...