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

Amidst the sounds of struggle, cracks began to appear on that seemingly kind face, gradually breaking apart to reveal its true nature.

It looked so familiar, there was no way I could mistake it.

Hello, Sato.

So Gao Hai grinned casually and greeted that face.

Chapter 108: If I agree to cooperate, will you give me my freedom?

【Takamagahara】

From being discovered by Yotsuya Miko at Fujika Junior High School, to attempting to cause trouble at Hayate Elementary School but being stopped by Takami, and now appearing before Takami. All told, they've probably met quite a few times. Although these scumbags themselves don't retain any such memories. Perhaps in their eyes, Takami has no way of knowing their existence, and thinks they're still well hidden and completely undetected.

However, even though he knew of their existence, the fact that these things could control the strange creature possessing Kita Ikuyo and try to use it to possess Takami in order to find a way to escape the instance still puzzled Takami somewhat.

How can they be so sure that such a trick will work?

Not to mention that Gao Hai possesses a stronger resistance to the corrupting power of supernatural entities than even Red Moon-level players, a trait he has already demonstrated at Fujihana Middle School and Hayate Elementary School. Logically, these scumbags, having witnessed his performance in the dungeon, shouldn't be unaware that the likelihood of such an operation succeeding is extremely low. Furthermore, even if it succeeds, the supernatural entity possessing Kita Ikuyo has indeed transferred to him; that doesn't mean his own consciousness will disappear as a result.

Even Kita Ikuyo, who doesn't possess the willpower of Takami, managed to maintain a degree of mobility despite being completely possessed, forcibly remaining at school and not being completely controlled by these idiots hidden in [Takamagahara] to evade the instance and return to the real world. Are they so certain that someone with stronger willpower like me would obediently follow orders after being possessed? Where does their confidence come from?

crunch - crunch -

The thing whose face Gao Hai was grabbing had now completely changed its appearance.

Its original facade of a friendly, big boy had crumbled and was crumbling away. Beneath this veneer, deformed and twisted rotting flesh was spreading out, writhing and struggling, emitting a nauseating stench.

Why... this is impossible... how could you...?

The thing let out a terrified howl and struggled violently, trying to break free from Gao Hai's control.

The girl who had initially stood next to Gao Hai let out a terrified scream, then turned and tried to run away, clearly the type to sacrifice her friend rather than herself. However, Gao Hai, being human, happened to have two hands, so alerted by the scream, he reached out his other hand and grabbed the head of this girl, whose appearance was probably a 98 out of 100, but was obviously disguised using rendering technology. As she struggled, her head began to crumble.

The stench became even stronger.

Whether it was Sato, who was almost losing her human form, or this woman whose identity was unknown, but who was definitely a beast since she came from Takamagahara, after their outer shells of disguise broke, what was revealed was a completely rotten, corpse-like structure.

Just as Yotsuya Miko once said, these evil people who hid in Takamagahara and escaped judgment are gradually transforming into inhuman beings under the erosion of strange forces, and it won't be long before they completely lose their humanity and become pure monsters.

"How pathetic, Sato. Is this the life of the elite you've always dreamed of?"

Gao Hai stared at the eyeball emerging from the lump of rotten flesh in his hand and spoke in a mocking tone.

[You...know me?! How could you possibly know me...you...do you also possess that ability? Can you "see" too? Damn it...another Number 2...another one...why did we only find Number 2 when we were doing the experiment, but now they're popping up one after another...]

Rotten juices gushed from the writhing flesh.

Intense negative emotions were released from this deformed monster.

It was only at this moment that Gao Hai realized that he was not in a passage of the underground military base where he had been before he lost consciousness, but in a strange, colorful illusionary place that emitted blurry lights, like the kind of place you would enter after eating a Yunnan mushroom.

If you pay close attention, you can tell that this place is a rather luxurious living room. Colorful lights are scattered everywhere, and various wines and foods are laid out on a long table covered with a white tablecloth. There is also a band and dancers adding to the atmosphere of the party.

If these things hadn't all become so blurry and indistinct that it was impossible to discern their exact appearance, Gao Hai might have thought he had stumbled into a high-society gathering hall.

"Hmm, is this scene a reconstruction based on your memories? It seems that during the years you were imprisoned in Takamagahara, your humanity and memories have been severely damaged, to the point that you can no longer accurately recreate scenes from your past lives. If this continues, you will soon truly become monsters, things without self or emotion, only capable of endless cycles."

Gao Hai's tone became much more playful.

No... I... won't become... like that... I won't...

Clearly, Gao Hai's words struck a nerve with Sato. Despite being held tightly by Gao Hai and unable to break free, Sato still howled in anger and retorted, its rotting flesh trembling as if gripped by immense fear.

Please...don't kill me...I'm innocent...I was brought in by others...

The lump of flesh disguised as a girl also began to wail. Strangely enough, although it looked like a pile of rotten flesh, it could still make a beautiful voice like that of a pretty girl, which was quite a contrast to its appearance.

Gao Hai ignored the two lumps of rotten flesh.

He could sense that he was currently in a state almost like a spiritual entity. His body should still be somewhere in the underground base in the Yoruyama Middle School area, but his mind had been transferred to a completely new place by the power of [Takamagahara] through the core obsession that possessed Kita Ikuyo.

These two lumps of rotten flesh that jumped out to deceive themselves are nothing to worry about; they're just pawns pushed out to be the vanguard. The real leader of this group of villains hiding in a cage outside of reality should still be watching from somewhere.

Before the other party appeared, Gao Hai felt that there was no need to be in a hurry.

Thinking this, Gao Hai tightened his grip slightly, causing the two rotting corpses he was holding to ooze yellowish-red fluid. Their wails grew louder, and they struggled even more fiercely. However, within this surreal realm, Gao Hai's incredibly strong willpower easily suppressed their resistance. Ultimately, these cowardly scoundrels lacked any firm will and were further corrupted by the strange power, their human qualities constantly weakening. Therefore, in this world of thought, they were completely crushed by Gao Hai; even with just a single finger, they couldn't possibly resist him.

Looking ahead, Gao Hai took a step into this blurry and distorted world.

Everything around remained unclear, and there was no way to pass through.

The mental link from the black watch remained active, but Gao Hai couldn't hear anyone else. This wasn't because anything was wrong with the others, but rather because the flow of time in Gao Hai's mental state was completely different from the real world. In this peculiar realm, several minutes might pass for every second in the outside world, making it impossible for him to communicate effectively with Chika Maki and the others.

But speaking of which, in this state, am I considered to have entered the interior of [Takamagahara]?

Gao Hai hadn't forgotten the true purpose of this Red Moon-level player team entering the [Campus Ghost Stories] instance. They came here to find and rescue Red Moon-level players who might still be alive. As for breaking free from obsessions and achieving a perfect clear, that was just Gao Hai's main quest. The others were only focusing on this path for now because they couldn't find any clues.

Previously, Gao Hai couldn't find any clues about [Takamagahara] at Yelu Mountain Middle School, so although he really wanted to save people, he was helpless. But now that these fools have delivered themselves to his doorstep, he has no choice but to give it a try.

After a brief moment of thought, Gao Hai charged straight into a blurry section of wall.

hum-

A muffled and piercing sound came to my ears.

Gao Hai didn't touch anything; he simply passed through the wall, which was less than 360p resolution, and entered a completely new place.

This place looks like a swimming pool, with pale blue water visible, and... well, there are some scantily clad women and men of varying heights and development. However, there's nothing to see, as the images are also blurry and pixelated, even worse than those in adult films; there's absolutely no chance of seeing anything suggestive.

"Is this all you so-called superior people remember?"

Gao Hai, still complaining, continued walking forward, passing through the edge of the blurry scene, and soon arrived at another location.

Some of the images are even more appalling, things that are disgusting even if you can't see them clearly.

Some images are filled with a strong sense of materialism, piling up wealth and jewels, but at the same time, they are also images that make people feel bored.

Some scenes are hard to describe in words, but they made Gao Hai understand more clearly what kind of people these people were, and he was certain in his heart that they could only be thrown into the sea of ​​fire in Blood City and burned forever, with no other possible ending.

He could sense that this mental construct was undergoing some kind of change. The spatial structure here was constantly altering as he moved, striving to create various obstacles to prevent him from advancing towards the edge of the area.

But this couldn't stop Gao Hai; his mental strength was simply too powerful. He had already experienced far more potent types of illusion-like traps before. Therefore, he simply continued walking, step by step, moving in the right direction.

Please wait a moment.

Finally, he heard a sound.

A man's voice that sounded very rational and even had a touch of elegance.

Mr. Gao Hai, we are not your enemies. I think we can cooperate. The previous probing was actually the unauthorized action of the two men you've captured, and has nothing to do with us. However, to show our sincerity, I can help you execute those two shameless scoundrels, or you can do it yourself.

Judging from his tone, he was quite calm. It's just that I don't know how this guy could be so shameless as to shift the blame so easily. And his tone... it doesn't sound like an apology. Instead, it sounds like he's giving Gao Hai a strange sense of contempt, as if he thinks that handing these two people over to Gao Hai is a sign of respect for him.

"Cooperation? How do you want to cooperate? Why do you think I need to cooperate with you? A bunch of guys who have been trapped in a dungeon for decades and can barely even maintain their human form, what benefits can you offer me?"

However, Gao Hai wasn't in a hurry to go back yet. In order to learn as much as possible about this place, he felt it was necessary to delay for a while. So he just smiled and then asked.

We can certainly bring you benefits, benefits you would absolutely desire. I believe that after hearing my proposal, you will not refuse us.

The man's voice, though of unknown origin, was full of confidence, and his words carried a hint of urgency.

"Oh, tell me."

As Gao Hai sensed the subtle changes in this spiritual world, he casually replied.

It's very simple, we can help you get rid of your player identity.

We can grant you freedom, allowing you to become a truly free person, unbound by the "sacrifice game," able to live freely in a normal world, no longer needing to be dragged into dangerous death instances every month.

But the next words spoken by the man made Gao Hai frown.

These rotting corpses trapped in cages seem to have a rather profound understanding of the "Sacrifice Game," and they even dare to say something like "giving players freedom"? Is this just a temporary deception tactic, or have these scumbags really figured something out?

"So, if I agree to cooperate with you, you can help me break free from the shackles of this game, grant me freedom, and achieve true freedom while retaining my extraordinary powers?"

Gao Hai closed his eyes and spoke calmly.

Of course, we always keep our word. As long as you are willing to accept our goodwill and cooperate with us, you will definitely gain your freedom. It only takes you a word; just trust us.

The man's voice continued to echo, and Gao Hai felt as if he could actually sense some kindness being directed towards him.

At the same time, his mental power finally captured the gap in this distorted and changing mental space, and in that instant, he truly saw the person he was talking to.

So Gao Hai's lips curled into a slight smile.

Chapter 109: I am a wicked man, and I will make you wish you were dead.

If it were any other player here, this guy's suggestion might actually be quite appealing.

After all, what player could possibly refuse the opportunity to break free from the constraints of the "Sacrifice Game" while retaining their already acquired extraordinary power? Losing the chains that bound their lives while retaining the strength to exert an overwhelming advantage over society was tantamount to going from a life-or-death struggler to an incomparably noble and superior being.

Thinking about it that way, this guy's rhetoric wasn't too bad; at least he did manage to hit the players' weak spot.

So, would you be willing to accept such a deal?

The elegant male voice rang out again, seemingly because it saw Gao Hai standing there silently, and it began to believe that it had Gao Hai under its control. Its tone unconsciously carried a sense of confidence.

"But, I refuse."

But the next moment, Gao Hai's reply was not the answer it expected.

Click!

Blood and rotten flesh flew up as Gao Hai squeezed harder, crushing Sato and another unidentified object he was holding.

Hmm, judging from this feeling, the two lumps of rotten flesh in this mental world aren't the real thing. Crushing them can only cause mental trauma, but it can't destroy them. The real Sato and that woman shouldn't be here. Good, if they died that easily, it would be quite boring. This kind of stuff needs to be tortured properly.

Thinking this, Gao Hai gently shook the bits of meat off his hands, and then the man's voice that followed was filled with deep confusion and bewilderment.

Why? You already possess such immense power. If you escape the sacrifice game, becoming the ruler of the entire planet wouldn't be impossible. With such strength, why would you remain trapped in this death game? Or do you believe that those of us capable of surviving for decades in this incredibly dangerous instance lack the necessary strength?

He's talking quite a lot. Has this guy lost his temper?

"I just really enjoy saying no to those self-righteous people. And no matter how much you pretend, your true nature can't be hidden from me. If you want to fool me, you'd better cover up your stench first."

As Gao Hai said this, he couldn't suppress the smile on his face.

said it.

It feels so good to shout out a famous JOJO line at an enemy whose defenses have been broken!