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

Conversely, his senses became incredibly strong and clear, so clear that he could see directly through the walls of the small room to the outside world, to the strange creatures lurking in the darkness, and to the remains of people who had been dead for many years but could not find peace.

He knew that his perception, his very existence, had become further integrated with the core obsession attached to him, with the existence of the "nothingness." He could no longer be seen entirely as human, nor entirely as a monster, but rather as some kind of hybrid intermediate form.

As he spread rumors related to this core obsession while possessed, and as he turned some of the various messages people exerted on this "nothingness" into "reality," he successfully integrated himself deeply with this ghost story, thanks to his powerful perception second only to Miko. As a result, Gao Hai can now represent the third core obsession of Yelu Mountain Middle School to a certain extent.

not enough.

But that's not enough.

To reach a level of fusion sufficient to gain the approval of that perverted Lord Urian, this level of integration is not enough. Currently, his aura is a mixture of human and monster. He must completely eliminate his human aura and, while only exhibiting the aura of a monster, perform actions that only a human could perform. Only in this way can he deceive that madman and break through the core obsession of this thing.

Fortunately, at least the path is now clear.

"I apologize for my earlier offense, and thank you for your help. Now I'm more confident in ending everything."

Gao Hai looked at Kaguya, who was sitting on one side of the room with her face flushed and wearing a scarf tied on her clothes, and bowed her head very seriously to apologize and thank her.

"Ah, no...it's nothing. Um...what should we do next?"

Kaguya's heart pounded as she avoided Takahashi's gaze. Her breathing became erratic. She lowered her head to straighten her disheveled clothes, her legs, which were in a duck-sitting position, rubbed together slightly. After a long while, she managed to choke out a sentence intermittently.

"Next, of course, we'll get everything we can still do done in one go."

With a firm tone, Gao Hai slowly turned around, adjusting to his now much stronger senses, and turned his gaze to the dark depths of this abandoned base, a place that no player has yet successfully reached.

Chapter 124: The Changing Action Strategy and the Hidden Motivation

Now, most of the past of Yelu Mountain Middle School and Baidos Research Institute has been revealed.

As the clues were pieced together step by step, the fog of the unknown gradually dissipated.

At this point, Gao Hai finally felt truly confident about successfully cracking the dungeon. Of course, the immediate tasks still needed to be completed properly. Whether it was collecting the cat corpses to continue investigating Morihara Koji's obsession, or entering the deepest part of the underground base to obtain the mirror fragment, these two prerequisite events that needed to be completed before cracking the obsession still needed to be done well.

Furthermore, it seems there's little point in continuing the investigation with Fujiwara Chika's group. After all that, the entire main campus of Yoruyama Middle School was essentially just a smokescreen. They hadn't seen enough before their deeper integration with [Void], so they kept Chika investigating just to be safe. But now that it's confirmed the strange entities within the campus don't point to the source, it's better for Chika and her group to withdraw.

"Yes, let Chika and the others reunite with Hayasaka's group. That would be safer. After all, Chika's inexplicable nap earlier still makes Takami a little uneasy. He feels it's necessary to interrupt their actions. If this continues, he's worried that Chika's group might be assimilated by the atmosphere of Yoruyama Middle School."

Without hesitation, Gao Hai, thinking this through, immediately began communicating with Fujiwara Chika via mental link.

{Gao Hai: Chika, how's things going on your end?}

{Fujiwara Chika: Second period, class is in session. What's wrong, Akai? Is something wrong with you?}

Listening to the voice coming from the mental link, hmm... no problem, her consciousness is still normal.

{Gao Hai: After class, leave the campus with your teammates and meet up with Hayasaka and Aoyama's group. I've obtained some important clues at the underground base, and we're now basically certain that the strange creatures on the main campus aren't closely related to resolving the core obsession. You can stop exploring there; our focus now should be on the underground base.}

{Shijo Maki: Kai-kun, are things alright with you and Auntie?}

Before Chika could answer, Maki interjected, expressing her concern for Gao Hai's situation.

This is what happens after private chat becomes group chat; everyone can hear what you say. Gao Hai thinks he should find a way to improve this function so that he can have one-on-one private chats, to avoid being overheard by others if he wants to discuss inappropriate topics using the mental link, which could lead to social turmoil.

Before Gao Hai could say anything, Qian Hua's reply stunned him.

{Fujiwara Chika: Hmm... I understand. I can have Goto-san and Nanakawa-san come over, but I'm afraid I won't be able to leave.}

{Chika Fujiwara: During the break after the first period, a school leader approached me—well, it was the vice principal. He said he hoped I would speak as a student representative at the school-wide assembly the next morning, and I didn't refuse. Now, I've discovered a strange connection between myself and this school. Both Goto and Nanakawa have tried to break this connection, but without success. Nanakawa says that in this state, I probably can't leave the school; my existence is now imprisoned here.}

What should I say at the school-wide meeting tomorrow morning?

Student representatives?!

The unexpected answer made Gao Hai realize the problem.

During my first playthrough, it wasn't like we didn't reach the second day. What kind of school-wide meeting was this at Yeluoshan Middle School on the second day?!

Has the future changed?

Why is this happening?

Is it because of some action taken by these players that the future will change? But as of now, nothing they've done seems to affect the main campus's operation. If we absolutely have to point out any potential impact...

Gao Hai realized the problem.

That's right, there is a place where one can be unaffected or only slightly affected by the rules, and influence all areas within the instance using human thought.

[Takamagahara], after being messed with by Takahashi, are those scumbags starting to retaliate?

If it was them who were in action, Fujiwara Chika would definitely be affected in more ways than just. Speaking of which, when Chika mentioned that Goto Ichiri's behavior was a bit strange, I thought that Kobochi instinctively sensed that Kita Ikuyo was in trouble and that's why he didn't say anything. But now it seems that it might also be people from Takamagahara who are secretly up to something.

Tsk, these bastards, they're really good at stabbing people in the back.

{Takami: I think I know where the problem lies. I'll explain it to everyone in a bit. This matter is very likely related to [Takamagahara]. As for now... are you sure you really can't break the connection? What about Goto's guitar? Can't that obsessive object help you turn down that invitation?}

{Fujiwara Chika: No, Goto-san tried to create such scenarios, but none of the entities she created ever succeeded in acting. How should I put it... it's like something is deliberately preventing them. Every time those created entities try to act or do something, they get blocked by various unexpected events. Like being blocked by a student passing by, or tripping over something for no reason. In short, there's just no way to change it.}

{Gao Hai: Okay, then let's not let your teammates leave. There's no way we can leave you alone on campus in this situation. Hmm… I'll ask around and think of another way. You must protect yourself, communicate and cooperate with your teammates. Goto and Nanakawa are both Red Moon level players; their experience and abilities are much greater than yours. Listen to them, and don't do anything reckless.}

{Fujiwara Chika: Yeah, don't worry, Umi. Don't forget I'm a game expert, this little trouble won't defeat me.}

Not knowing what else to say, Gao Hai could only give these detailed instructions in the end.

{Shijo Maki: Is there anything we can do? If it's Takamagahara causing trouble, I don't think they're targeting just one of us. Hmm, speaking of which, those fanatics stopped after their two probing attacks. Could they have made contact with Takamagahara? But something feels strange. Based on your experience dealing with those lunatics at Fujika Middle School and Hayate Elementary School, their influence on the surface of the instance should be very low. We should only encounter them if we venture deeper into the instance, right?}

Maki quickly realized that the situation might be more complicated than expected. While continuing to talk to Takami Chika in the mental link, she began to remind Xiong Mi and the others who were in the lounge.

{Gao Hai: Perhaps they aren't incapable of affecting the surface area of ​​the instance, but rather that doing so would come at a cost to them, and they felt there was no need to do so beforehand. In that case… it seems the domain I released caused them considerable damage… Maki, I'm sending you the Blood Key now. You all need to return to the campus immediately and rejoin Hayasaka and Aoyama's group. There's no need to stay in the forest area any longer.}

{Shijo Maki: What about Kai-kun's side? If we don't draw their fire, these fanatics will definitely enter the underground area.}

Gao Hai: There's no need to worry about my situation. If anyone comes to the underground base looking for me, I'm confident I can take them all down.

{Shijou Maki: Okay, I understand. Be extra careful then, Kai-kun.}

No nonsense.

There were no repeated questions or inquiries.

Having confirmed that Gao Hai's decision was not a spur-of-the-moment idea, Zhenfei immediately began to implement it.

After confirming with Gao Hai the information that he had been pulled into a certain spiritual realm by [Takamagahara], that Goto Ichiri and Fujiwara Chika in the main campus may have been secretly manipulated by [Takamagahara], and that the fanatical group may have had contact with [Takamagahara], Xiong Mi made preparations for a complete transfer in less than a minute.

Subsequently, Gao Hai transmitted the extremely rare Blood Key, a spatial artifact, to Zhen Fei via the deep link of his black watch. Zhen Fei then used this key to open a door that had been removed beforehand and hidden within the Ye Luo Shan Middle School campus. In less than five minutes from the start of the discussion to the operation, the second group of people who had remained in the forest area returned to the school area without exception.

However, this development did not ease Gao Hai's expression.

[Takamagahara] Ah, these bastards hiding behind the scenes, causing trouble and shitting everywhere, I really didn't expect them to be able to affect the surface area of ​​the instance.

Although there is currently no direct evidence, and it is highly likely that Gao Hai is overreacting and overthinking, in this eerie dungeon, especially a Red Moon-level dungeon, Gao Hai always felt that it was better to be alarmed and overreact than to encounter a problem without thinking about how to solve it and how to prevent it from happening again.

It's just so troublesome...

After ending the call, Gao Hai let out a long sigh.

"what happens?"

Kaguya, who had already dressed and covered the hickey on her shoulder, noticed that Takami's expression was a little off after they started communicating mentally, so she leaned over and asked him.

"Someone might be stabbing us in the back, or I might just be overthinking it, but either way it won't affect our next move. Get ready, it's time to start collecting game time."

Grinning at his companion, Gao Hai put away the [Silent Doll], opened the door of the small house, and turned his gaze to the dilapidated corridor under the dim light.

With even stronger senses than before, Gao Hai was now revealing all sorts of things hidden in the darkness. The complex, interwoven passageways were also fully revealed to him.

He wasn't joking when he said he was confident he could keep any fanatics who came. Now, with his deep fusion with the Red Moon-level core obsession [Void], he already possesses more than 1000% combat power and has truly gained home-field advantage... Ugh, this sounds like setting a flag. This doesn't count, it doesn't count, it doesn't count. Anyway, I didn't say it, so it doesn't count.

Composing themselves, Takahashi and Kaguya quickly got to work.

At the same time, in the forest outside the Yelu Mountain Middle School campus, a handsome young man reached out and opened the door to the [Restroom].

"Heh, they've already slipped away?"

The man reached up and rubbed the bullet hole left on his shoulder by one of his pursuers. He grinned, his expression suddenly contorting before quickly returning to normal.

"Then, Your Excellency Pusid and Your Excellency Heathcote, the investigation of the underground military base will be entrusted to the two of you. After all, the [Cursed Cat] was lost in the hands of you 'conservatives,' so it is your responsibility to retrieve it."

"And Lord Maselu, Lord Zoma, please come with me and Miotiad to take the heads of Xiong Mi of the [Slacker Gang] and her comrades, and use them as sacrificial vessels for our next ritual."

"Ah, the divine revelation we have longed for has finally arrived. Let our new era begin here!"

Amidst the calm voices, a large number of mutilated corpses had piled up on the open ground outside the abandoned dormitory building, gradually dissipating in the burning flames.

Those were the Night-level players who entered the dungeon with these fanatical players, preserved as consumables. Now, these mid-level believers, who didn't even have a chance to appear, have all had their life force drained and completely incinerated, leaving them no chance to even transform into monsters.

Then, one by one, these believers, whose thinking had long since transcended that of normal humans, disappeared, concealing themselves in the gradually darkening woodland, and heading in two different directions.

Chapter 125: Aoyama Nanami's Contemplation Time and the Approaching Dark Shadow

Yotsuya Miko... did she really die after all?

Despite her reluctance to see this happen, Aoyama Nanami had to accept the fact that her teammate had died before her eyes after confirming it repeatedly.

The incident happened very suddenly. Aoyama Nanami, who had been watching over Hayasaka and Miko who were sleeping on the ground, was waiting patiently when suddenly Miko stopped breathing. The blessing of immortality then quickly activated, granting Miko a 10-minute immortality state, but even so, she showed no signs of waking up.

This gave Nanami a very bad feeling, so she began trying to wake the two of them. But no matter what she did—shaking them, making loud noises, applying pain by piercing their skin, or using objects to stimulate their minds—nothing worked. Both Hayasaka and Miko remained fast asleep. Then, after the 10-minute invulnerability period ended, Miko stopped breathing and died on the spot, while Hayasaka remained in a deep sleep, unable to wake up.

It must be said that at this moment, Nanami was actually somewhat angry.

She was strongly opposed to adventurous activities from the start, but the man named Takami insisted on the decision to split up, and the others followed him. Among them, sending Hayasaka and Miko, two complete newbies who were nowhere near the Red Moon level, to explore the mysterious and unknown area of ​​the Baidos Research Institute was, in Nanami's view, the most irrational and risky decision. However, everyone still chose to go through with this decision.

What was the result? Two girls, one of them is dead, utterly and completely dead. She was clearly a very promising player, a wonderful girl, yet she died like cannon fodder. What is this? Does this man named Gao Hai really not care about the lives of his teammates? Or does he truly have the power to rewind time at will, so he can remain unmoved and completely indifferent even when his closest loved ones die?

That makes sense, though. With the ability to rewind time, such developments seem acceptable. After all, the dead come back to life, and the torment and suffering they endured vanish. It's just sacrificing a non-existent person; in that case, how many die wouldn't hurt?

Although Nanami didn't know what Takami was really thinking, the decision to send Miko and Hayasaka into danger, resulting in one of their deaths, had already made her start to think that Takami might be a somewhat cold-blooded person. However, since they were still in the teamwork phase, Nanami suppressed all her emotions despite her great displeasure. She first informed Miko of her death through a communication device, and then quickly disposed of her body by burning it to prevent it from being possessed by a strange entity.

During this process, Nanami discovered that Chika and Maki both knew about Miko's death beforehand. It seemed that the special means by which the members of Takami's team could communicate with each other might be of a higher level than she had anticipated. However, neither Maki nor Chika showed much emotional reaction to Miko's death, which was clearly inconsistent with the harmonious atmosphere in Takami's team before. Therefore, this further confirmed Xiongmi's guess about the existence of the time-travel ability.

As for Takami herself, when Nanami tried to contact her, she initially refused to answer (at the same time, Kaguya was comforting Takami). When she finally answered, she only indicated that she already knew about the matter, without showing any emotion in her words. In fact, her tone was somewhat cold and indifferent (Nanami mentioned the issue of dealing with Miko's body), as if Miko's death was truly unimportant. This caused Nanami to have even more complicated emotions.

Does this man truly only see his teammates as tools, or has he lost the ability to feel death due to the rollback? Not only him, but the girls around him are the same way. Am I overreacting?

After thinking for a long time, Nanami calmed down a bit and didn't continue to ask Takami how she viewed the death of her teammate. In fact, she knew that after being drawn into the world of the "Sacrifice Game" and experiencing all kinds of torment and pain, her heart was actually somewhat twisted. Especially after the accident involving her teammate Kita Ikuyo, whom she had taken care of like a younger sister, this twistedness undoubtedly became even greater.

She was more cautious, more careful, and more afraid of taking any radical or risky actions than before, always thinking only about surviving. This mindset made her somewhat unsuitable to stay in a Red Moon-level player's exploration team. In fact, this was one of the reasons why she and Goto Ichiri joined the [Market], which offered better security.

If it weren't for Pochi's insistence on saving Yudai, I probably wouldn't have entered the Red Moon-level dungeon again...

Thinking about this made Nanami's feelings even more complicated.