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

Despite being quite frightened, Jianzi quickly recovered and carefully explained her situation via mental communication.

[Was it something you could see before, or something you only saw recently? The establishment of a mental link can indeed lead to enhanced perception in some people; perhaps you've encountered a similar situation?]

Xiong Mi's voice rang out at this moment, asking. After all, she was an experienced player and immediately realized the possible situation.

I've seen similar things before, but I could only see them with the help of a mirror or windowpane. I could only see them directly just now; I couldn't do that before.

Seeing that she was answering honestly and trying to ignore the thing in front of her, she didn't expect that the other party would walk directly towards her.

The monster's head, now only having one eye, fell off with a snap and was held in its hand, which was now mostly just a palm, and offered to her.

At the same time, another voice rang out from the thing, transmitted through the umbilical cord-like structure, carrying a hint of doubt.

That's a bit strange. Could they really see it?

The sound wasn't made by that strange creature.

She was certain that this strange creature no longer possessed any so-called "self"; it was merely a monster driven by instinct. Moreover, she recognized the voice from before; one of the three figures who had been watching her in the previous ward had the exact same voice she was hearing now.

The creature's actions didn't seem to be of its own volition. Was it being controlled by the things it had seen in the hospital room earlier?

While she was thinking, Jianzi's expression had completely returned to normal. She continued to communicate with Gao Haixiongmi and the others in her mind, and even had time to yawn in her calm demeanor.

[Takami: So, you noticed something was off in the mirror when you were in the hospital room, tsk... "Takamagahara"? It seems the masterminds behind these man-made anomalies are still alive, and hiding in some hidden area of ​​this instance. But they're probably not completely alive now, but rather they've exploited certain flaws in the formation of their obsessions to transform themselves into a state that's neither human nor an anomaly.]

[Xiong Mi: This scenario is indeed more likely, but it seems these people still retain some means of interfering with the instance. I think they're probably in a space overlapping with the instance itself, so we can't see them, but they can observe us at any time and use their methods when necessary... Tsk, in that case, those core obsessions that were successfully taken out of the instance will need to be re-examined; there might be a trap.]

[Gao Hai: Let's leave this to the outsiders. Miss Qingshan should have the communication methods for those Red Moon level players. Let's first determine the current situation. Jianzi, are you sure that thing is just a guess about whether you can see it or not? Try standing up and walking through it.]

[Yotsuya Miko: ...Do...do we have to do this? I understand...]

[Gao Hai: The other party shouldn't be able to make physical contact with you, since you two aren't actually in the same space. So, to dispel any doubts, the best approach is to simply pass through them. Don't worry, if you can't pass through and physical contact occurs, we'll intervene immediately to ensure you're not in danger.]

[Yotsuya Miko: Okay, okay, I believe Mr. Gao...]

After a brief mental communication, Jianzi stood up, stretched, and then walked forward.

Her steps were steady, and her expression was calm.

While Gao Hai and Xiong Mi continued their conversation on the surface, pretending to analyze intelligence, their attention was actually completely focused on Jian Zi.

The terrifying-looking thing in the school uniform, who seemed to have been a female student in life, continued to stand motionless in front of her, simply raising its head and staring at the girl, remaining rooted to the spot.

The girl took a step.

Step by step, I moved forward, and just like that, I passed right through that thing.

Feel nothing.

That thing did indeed seem to be in a different space from her, so physical contact was impossible.

However, this might not be absolute. If these things actually discover that one can see them, then things would probably be a completely different story.

[Can't you see it? That's strange. Or does it have some kind of sensor and have vaguely detected it?]

The manipulator muttered under his breath, trying to make the student approach again, but the thing suddenly fell apart behind Jianzi, turning into a pile of rotten flesh. No matter how much the umbilical cord connected to the rotten flesh wriggled, it couldn't make the thing get back up.

[Damn it, it's failing again. These bodies are absolutely terrible!]

The vicious curses faded into the distance as the umbilical cord atrophied.

But Zi still didn't show any abnormality on her face. She just stood between Gao Hai and Xiong Mi, behaving no differently than before.

Well… it’s not entirely without difference. At least she’s very unhappy and uncomfortable right now, and her inner emotions are completely reflected in her pupils, in Gao Hai’s view. However, the reason Gao Hai can see Miko’s emotional changes is mainly because after merging with Miko’s flesh and spirit in the previous playthrough, he has essentially experienced Miko’s entire life, and his understanding of this girl is so deep that it’s ingrained in his bones.

"Alright, we've rested enough, we need to get moving."

At this moment, Xiong Mi spoke up, and "Goto No. 1," who had been sitting in the corner of the room as if in standby mode, also sprang up, snapped his fingers, and said in a deep voice, "I am destiny."

"Is there a situation?"

Gao Hai realized something was wrong from Xiong Mi's expression.

“That Akira Toyama is in trouble. He seems to have been assimilated by the hospital, and so are Yotsuya’s classmates. We can’t stay here any longer. We have to act now, or we might not be able to leave.”

As she spoke, Xiong Mi looked out the window at the buildings in the hospital area.

At this moment, she could see the figures in hospital gowns gathering together, all looking up in the direction of the hiding room.

Xiong Mi could sense some kind of force locking onto this place. She realized that those who knew her and the other two's true identities, after being assimilated by the hospital, would probably do unpredictable things based on their memories as living people.

"Then let's go."

Gao Hai did not hesitate. After exchanging a glance with Jianzi, he nodded and opened the door.

Xiong Mi went out first to check if there were any lurking monsters outside.

The second one to walk out was the body created by the object of obsession, which had been readjusted by Goto Ichiri to "manual control mode" and thus returned to its hunched and stooped state.

Seeing that Zi was the third to walk out, Gao Hai was behind her to ensure her safety.

As she stepped out of the corridor and saw what was inside, things she hadn't seen before, the girl paused for a moment.

Chapter 73: The Players' Stealth Operation is Underway

He jumped from a window on the third floor of the outpatient building and landed in the green area below.

Xiong Mi, who jumped down first, landed silently and got up as lightly as a cat. Then she carefully looked around before signaling the people behind her to follow.

The second person to jump was Gao Hai. Thanks to the powerful control over his body granted by Hedar's blessing, he also landed silently on the ground. Immediately afterward, he turned around, opened his arms, and the next moment, a tense-looking Jianzi jumped from the building with her eyes closed. Gao Hai caught her steadily and placed her on the ground.

"call……"

He could feel the girl's slightly tense body; jumping from the third floor seemed too much of a shock for her. Of course, it was also possible that her sensory abilities had been further enhanced, allowing her to see things she shouldn't have. However, even if Gao Hai knew about those things, there was nothing he could do to help her, since he himself couldn't see those things.

Finally, there's Goto Ichiri... or rather, Goto Number One. Ah, she chose the S-rank rating of Devil May Cry 5V: Aerial Taunt, which is to spin three and a half times in the air, land on one knee, and spread her arms out to praise the sun.

It has to be said that the character Pochi-chan created, based on herself, is indeed very interesting. However, Takahashi thinks that if this continues, Pochi-chan herself is probably not far from completely losing her mind. You see, this controllable character she created is actually operated simultaneously by her, Maki, and Chika. In other words, every crazy action performed by this "Goto No. 1" with her face will always have two bystanders. For a sensitive girl like Pochi-chan, this is already an extremely terrifying situation.

[This hospital... if I didn't know this was a dungeon world, I'd probably think it was a perfectly normal place, right?]

Maki's voice entered Gao Hai's mind. He looked around. The thick clouds in the sky had dispersed a bit, and sunlight was shining on the hospital's high-rise buildings. The green areas planted with various flowers, grasses, shrubs, and small trees looked quite pleasing to the eye, and there was no litter to be seen on the roads along the way. Well, how should I put it? If I didn't know what kind of place this was, it would be a little confusing at first glance.

Of course, this only applies to people who haven't personally experienced it and aren't actually there.

As long as one is actually in this place, such thoughts will never arise. After all, even if Gao Hai cannot perceive those terrifying things like Miko, he can strongly sense the danger inherent in this hospital itself. The "abnormality" hidden beneath the surface of normalcy, even if it has not yet manifested, is enough to arouse a person's instinctive discomfort and fear. And as long as this feeling remains, Gao Hai will never misjudge the true nature of this place.

I'll clear the way. Please be careful not to step on the greenery, as this might trigger the caregiver rules.

After making a casual remark in the mental link, Xiong Mi took the lead and walked forward.

It was already past 4:30 PM, and all the patients had been taken to the outdoor exercise area. Therefore, the hospital area was empty, and there was nothing left to spy on their actions from the windows.

Even so, the group had to be as careful as possible, because they had seen many people dressed as caregivers and doctors hurrying by. In order to avoid being discovered, they often had to stop and hide, and even had to retreat back the way they came to avoid running into them.

This process was even more dangerous than Gao Hai had imagined. The seemingly normal caregivers and doctors appeared to be able to sense their presence to some extent, and seemed to realize that something was wrong. Often, while talking or walking forward, they would suddenly veer off course and head directly towards them. Sometimes, these caregivers and doctors would even exhibit bizarre movements, seemingly taking steps forward but their bodies would smoothly slide backward or to the side. If it weren't for Xiong Mi's artifact used to immobilize the strange creatures, Gao Hai was certain that no matter how well he hid, he would be discovered by those things within three minutes at most.

Is this because of that "job assignment" rule? These guys are really outrageous.

After spending more than half an hour leading Miko through the green area surrounding the hospital's men's cafeteria, Gao Hai couldn't help but sigh in his mental link.

It seems that their perception has a distance limit; as long as they're not too close, they can only vaguely sense someone's presence. Thankfully, I can only say it's manageable at this level; at least with proper handling, there's a way, it's not some kind of deadly game of hide-and-seek.

Xiong Mi seemed to be recalling some past experiences, and her voice in the mental link carried a hint of reminiscence.

[Oh? What's this about a deadly game of hide-and-seek? Tell me about it if you have time.]

While peeking out from a small clearing behind the bushes, Gao Hai casually asked a question through the mental link. Yotsuya Miko, who was carefully hiding beside Gao Hai like a little shadow, also became curious after hearing Gao Hai's words through the mental link.

[This situation occurred in a Dark Night-level dungeon. The dungeon took place in a mansion, the floor of which was filled with artworks made from skinned and resembling "dolls." We woke up in the mansion according to the rules and were forced to play a game of hide-and-seek with the monsters. But in reality, every room in the dungeon had hidden cameras in the lights, and we were secretly given something like a signal transmitter after waking up, so our actions were known from the start.]

[The creature seemed to be a madman who enjoyed torturing his victims. Because the victims almost never found the hidden cameras and signal transmitters, players, unless they possessed exceptional sensory abilities or some kind of protective amulet, would subconsciously ignore them even if they saw them. As a result, before we even understood what was happening, more than half of our players had already been wiped out during a game of hide-and-seek.]

Of course, those who were eliminated were mostly players who spent all their time in Twilight-level dungeons and were forced into Dark Night-level dungeons as a last resort. These players lacked strength and had been complacent for too long due to the low difficulty of Twilight-level dungeons. I actually wanted to save a few, but these guys were even less obedient than complete newbies…

Bear Mi, lying on his stomach, carefully crawled forward, making casual remarks in the mental link.

Although it was just a few words, Gao Hai was certain that the old man's experience was probably quite dangerous. The ability to forcibly ignore the perception of most players' monsters was already incredibly outrageous, although it wasn't quite as powerful as Alice's ability to directly manipulate illusions to deceive people and monsters' perceptions.

So, Mr. Gao and Ms. Xiong Mi experience something like this every month?

Miko silently sighed to herself. Because she didn't know what constituted stealth and infiltration, she could only imitate Takami's actions. However, due to certain experiences Takami had had in his youth, he was quite experienced in infiltration and investigation, so there weren't any problems with Miko, the obedient newbie.

[So how did Sister Xiongmi finally crack that dungeon?]

Gao Hai peered around again to make sure there were no caregivers or doctors nearby before cautiously continuing forward while chatting with Xiong Mi in their mental link.

[My team encountered two attacks, which we managed to avert using the artifact. Then, two of the randomly joined random players were killed. We thought for a while but couldn't come up with a reasonable reason for being discovered, so we assumed that the monster could see our movements and decided to go all in and rush its base. In the end, we broke a monitor while trying to suppress the monster and only after seeing the fragments of the thing were we able to break the cognitive shield.]

Xiong Mi answered in a leisurely tone, seemingly with the air of a hero who doesn't dwell on past glories.

It was at this moment that the voice of Goto Ichiri himself, who was in charge of bringing up the rear in the team, timidly rang out in the mental link.

Hey everyone...it looks like something's coming from behind.

Not a patient, not a caregiver, and not a doctor.

On the path in this green area, a strange creature dressed in a white uniform appeared. Judging from the rules that Jianzi had obtained earlier and found in the patient's record sheet, it should be a hospital administrator. It was approaching the group of people at an extremely fast speed.

The thing had clearly locked onto Gao Hai and the others' location, advancing in a straight line without turning a corner. No… it was drifting towards them, Goto Ichiri was absolutely certain of this, because its legs hadn't even moved. Moreover, it had passed directly through the bushes and trees, as if it were merely a phantom without any physical form, moving straight towards the group.

In a moment of icy chill, Goto Ichiri was slightly startled and noticed that blood-red marks had appeared on the walls of his room. He then realized that the power of the strange creature had begun to affect the real world.

Aoyama Nanami, who was guarding Goto Ichiri, gently tapped the table, forcibly stopping the power of the monster in the dungeon extending into the real world, and the bloodstains on the wall also disappeared.

However, within the instance, that thing had already closed a considerable distance in the blink of an eye, almost to the point of face-to-face contact with Gao Hai and the others.

Run!

Xiong Mi shouted in the mental link.

Gao Hai quickened his pace and ran forward with Jianzi in tow.

Following behind, Xiong Mi activated the power of blessing, and soon after, a caregiver in the hospital smashed a window and fell from the upper floor, landing in the grass in the green area. He then stood up and began to trample on the greenery, destroying it.

The thing that had been chasing straight ahead paused briefly at that moment, and suddenly more than a dozen caregivers and doctors appeared around the previously empty green area, all converging on the caregiver who had damaged the greenery.

After using up one of the personality fragments that had been planted beforehand, Xiong Mi did not let her guard down. She led Gao Hai and the others for quite a distance, and only slowed down slightly after confirming that they were far away from those things.

Behind them, as the caregiver was torn apart by other monsters, a figure dressed as a caregiver did not participate in this meaningless carnival. Instead, he silently passed by them, his gaze always fixed on the direction in which the players were fleeing.

Chapter 74: Caregiver Management Regulations and the World Seen by the Girl

Under the warm sunlight, the bushes and grasses swayed gently in the breeze.