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

So far, he has not witnessed anything that can be described as bizarre or unusual.

But at this moment, Gao Hai felt an indescribable sense of oppression, as well as fear of the unknown, unfamiliar footsteps.

Director, what happened to the agreed-upon safety time? Why start with this kind of thing right from the beginning...?

Of course, even so, his habit of internally complaining hasn't changed.

Chapter Six: The Investigator Team Has Been Successfully Formed

The silence in front of the door lasted for more than half an hour.

Kaguya Shinomiya stood leaning against the door for a long time before finally straightening up and no longer pressing her face against the door to listen to the sounds outside.

"The footsteps came downstairs."

She said this in a low voice, then took a step and gestured for Takami and Shijo Maki to walk deeper into the corridor.

The layout of 208 is no different from 204. It still turns at the end, and it's a strange corridor structure with a straight right-angle turn.

There was also a wall clock at the door leading to the living room. Gao Hai recalled the time he had seen on the wall clock in 204, and added it to the time that had already passed. He found that the time on this clock should be the same as the time on the clock in 204.

Are the clocks in every room absolutely accurate?

Gao Hai suddenly remembered this rule.

Assuming the rules are absolutely correct, if I change the time on this clock, will the clock still be accurate?

Although he had some ideas, Gao Hai didn't act on them. The current focus wasn't on testing the rules, and besides, he knew that a strange situation that didn't conform to the rules had just occurred. It was still daytime, but the rules stated that it was unsafe outside the room after 9 PM, yet such a bizarre situation had just happened.

Perhaps the rules weren't wrong; the outside world was safe, and it was just that a non-fatal anomaly had occurred.

Perhaps they got the time wrong. It's actually night now, and the light coming in from the windows is faulty. You can't judge the time by the faint light coming through those sealed windows.

Or perhaps the rules are wrong; these so-called rules of life are not effective and the various rules summarized on them can no longer protect the survivors in this place.

After careful consideration, Gao Hai felt that the third possibility was very likely.

After all, according to the author of this code of conduct, it is essentially a "life code," focusing on "living" rather than "survival." Gao Hai believed that someone capable of summarizing such a code of conduct couldn't be an illiterate person who couldn't use the words. Furthermore, given the person's ability to leave a copy of the code of conduct in every room, it's highly likely that, at some point, the survivors in this abandoned apartment building formed a small circle, living together hand in hand, and that the code of conduct was summarized during that period.

When Gao Hai and his group were pulled in by that idiot's "sacrifice game," the houses here were all very dilapidated, with no trace of recent life left. Even the rules were covered with a layer of dust, though not as bad as the broken furniture.

Therefore, the rules they have may be outdated and no longer accurate or effective.

This conjecture greatly intensified Gao Hai's unease.

No, we cannot draw such a conclusion so arbitrarily.

The strange incident earlier hadn't penetrated the house; at least, they hadn't seen anything unusual inside. Therefore, the rules should be correct that the room was relatively safe. However, since neither Takami nor Kaguya Shinomiya were currently in their original room, Takami felt they still needed to be cautious.

squeak-

While he was thinking, Shijou Maki, who was walking at the front, opened the living room door and went in, followed by Takami, while Shinomiya Kaguya stayed at the back.

The living room in 208 is not much different from 204, except that there is a square coffee table instead of a small round table, and a slightly worn sofa with three or four small stools. The kitchen door has not been removed either; it is still standing there, albeit open.

Gao Hai didn't see the printer paper in this room. Could it be that the group of survivors missed this place?

"Don't worry about the safety of this house. This is the house I was in when I woke up. I've already searched it beforehand."

As she spoke, Shijou Maki leaned against the wall and slowly addressed Takami and Shinomiya Kaguya, casually placing the copy of the rules in her hand on a cabinet on one side of the living room.

Unlike the defeated girl that Takahashi saw in the original work, the aura that Shijou Maki exuded at this moment was somewhat similar to Kaguya's, both carrying a bit of coldness and oppression. However, compared to Shinomiya Kaguya, Shijou Maki's gaze at most made people feel uncomfortable, rather than feeling like they were being stabbed with a knife.

Ah, speaking of which, Shijou Maki is essentially a "loser" version of Kaguya in the original work, or rather, a sunny version of Kaguya. Although her strong "loser" traits make her easily looked down upon, she is undeniably a heiress from a top-tier conglomerate. Her knowledge, perspective, and skills are all top-notch among her peers. You could say that aside from the tsundere/loser aspect, she's basically a Kaguya Shinomiya Lily—a teammate with immense potential for recruitment, someone Takami needs to take seriously, perhaps even more valuable than Kaguya Shinomiya herself. After all, Kaguya Shinomiya's personality is warped due to her upbringing, so even as a teammate, one has to be careful. Shijou Maki, on the other hand, is a pure angel; unless he does something terribly wrong, she would never betray him.

"Mr. Gao Hai, what do you know?"

Kaguya Shinomiya clearly trusted Maki Shijou very much. When Maki said the house was safe, she looked directly at Takami and asked a question.

"When you're in the hallway, at first you're just observing your surroundings."

"Back then, you had already noticed the man who called himself Lao Guo, and your gaze lingered on him many times. This attention was not just because he seemed to have a lot of prestige among the people around him, but for some reason of your own."

"Then, after seeing the other person unusually enter the house and lock the door, you immediately decided to hide in a certain room, almost as if you were using their behavior as a guide. It was the same when you were looking at the rules earlier; you didn't seem to doubt the authenticity of the rules at all, as if you already knew or had seen similar things before, so you could understand them immediately upon seeing them. I hope you can explain these things clearly. If you can be honest, then I think we can temporarily form a cooperative alliance. I believe that with your observational skills, you should understand how much help you will receive with my and Maki's assistance."

Before Gao Hai could answer, and without giving him more time to think, Shinomiya Kaguya spoke a series of words in a cold tone but at a very fast pace.

While Takami was observing the others, it was clear that Kaguya Shinomiya was not idle.

She focused her attention on Gao Hai, and through him, she discovered many unusual things, which she then revealed to him.

Gao Hai could sense that the two girls inside were very vigilant. Kaguya Shinomiya herself had her knees slightly bent, and Gao Hai had no doubt that if he showed anything suspicious, he would be hit hard. On the other side, Maki Shijou took a slight step back with an imperceptible movement, and her left hand was placed behind her back at some point. Gao Hai could vaguely see that she was holding something that looked like a knife or a fork, which looked a bit rusty. He guessed that if she stabbed him, she could immediately apply a tetanus enchantment.

Whether he is an ally or an enemy depends on his next move.

Takahashi raised his hands to make sure that both Kaguya Shinomiya and Maki Shijou could see them. After a moment of contemplation, he prepared to speak.

Actually, I'm a time traveler. In the world I lived in before, I browsed many forums about rules and strange tales. I also really enjoy reading infinite flow works, so I might suspect that someone is a hidden veteran player and pay attention to their actions.

He had considered saying it directly, or slightly concealing his identity as a transmigrator and then talking about the two things: rule-based supernatural tales and the infinite flow.

but……

Don't let anyone know where you came from.

I can't remember where I saw this sentence.

But at this moment, the memory suddenly came to mind, and I felt a strange, unsettling feeling.

Can't say that.

It's not just that they can't reveal their identity as time travelers.

He couldn't mention the concepts of "strange tales of rules" and "infinite flow," because this was the world he had transmigrated to, while these two concepts originated from his previous life. He had researched this online, checking many keywords to confirm that many things familiar from his past life didn't exist in this world. Although his research wasn't comprehensive enough to determine if "strange tales of rules" and "infinite flow" were included, if so, he would be exposed.

Wait, who saw through it?

This idea left Gao Hai somewhat confused.

However, he quickly stopped thinking about such trivial matters. Having already figured out how to introduce himself, Gao Hai gently tugged at his collar and then opened his mouth:

"My name is Gao Hai, and I am 19 years old."

"I live in a detached house in xx street. I dropped out of school and live alone. Every day I play games until 23 pm before washing up and going to bed... cough cough, no, because of playing games, I am a person who likes to imagine a lot. Therefore, I once thought of combining the notices and rules posted in places like hotels and supermarkets with horror stories and writing them into works. I thought that this might be popular and make me famous overnight."

"I just encountered this situation before I could even realize this idea, so when I saw that code of conduct, I felt a strange sense of familiarity. As for that man named Lao Guo, his demeanor and actions were already suspicious, and I had a guess from the moment I came in because the voice told me that this was the 'first game' I was participating in, which means that this kind of thing has happened many times before, and there must be veterans who have experienced it more than once and accumulated a lot of experience. And Lao Guo, I suspect he is one of those people."

"So I decided to observe his behavior. If he did something unusual, then something bad was very likely to have happened. And for my own safety, I thought it best to imitate him in this situation."

Although it almost turned into a classic line from a hand-fetishist, Gao Hai eventually offered an explanation. While it might not be entirely believable, it was at least enough to explain his behavior.

Incidentally, his plan to write a story about strange rules wasn't entirely fabricated. Firstly, Gao Hai had indeed considered this idea in his previous life, and secondly, the notes left behind by the Gao Hai who had disappeared in this world contained similar content. Therefore, Gao Hai wasn't lying, and from any perspective, what he said was correct.

“…Is that so?”

Kaguya Shinomiya nodded slightly, making no comment on Takami's answer, leaving it impossible to tell whether she accepted it or not.

"There's no need for beating around the bush. Grandma, you should be able to tell that this man is a shrewd fellow. Moreover, he clearly knows who we are; the way he looks at us is obviously different from how he looks at others. Your name is Gao Hai, right? You know my name, right?"

At this moment, Shijou Maki slowly spoke.

She took a step closer to Takami, twirled the fork in her hand twice, and spoke the first half of her words to Kaguya, but the latter half was a direct question to Takami.

“I know, Miss Shijou Maki, you are the daughter of the Shinomiya family and the daughter of the Shijou family. During my first year of dropping out of school, I traveled all over Japan and went into Shuchiin once when it held an event. I saw your names on a ranking list.”

Gao Hai simply answered calmly.

Traveling throughout Japan, and visiting Shuchiin Academy during a public event—these are all entries in that diary. As for whether he saw the ranking list, that's fictional, but such a degree of fiction is irrelevant.

"So you know very well who my great-aunt and I are, and you did indeed enter the place where we went to school. And now, we're together in this godforsaken place. Have you ever considered that your words are actually adding another layer of suspicion to yourself?"

Shijo Maki stared into Takami's eyes, her tone gradually turning cold.

“That is indeed the case, but it is a fact, and it would be a mistake for me to deny it. As for the issue of my suspicion, I believe that we who are here today are all very clear that although this matter may seem like a kidnapping, the forces at play are clearly beyond the comprehension of common sense. Whether it is that strange voice or the feeling of being deprived of the ability to move, I don’t think I need to emphasize these things repeatedly.”

Facing the short but imposing girl in front of him, Gao Hai simply continued speaking calmly, his expression and demeanor remaining completely unwavering.

Silence fell over the room for a moment.

Shijo Maki crossed her arms and stared intently at Takami.

Kaguya Shinomiya, standing to the side, did not make any move, but her gaze was also observing Takami, silently making an assessment of him.

"...Alright, Great-Aunt, I think this guy can be trusted. But speaking of which, are you really 19? You seem calmer than most people in their late twenties?"

In the end, Shijou Maki sighed, then waved her hand and said in a much more casual tone.

Gao Hai knew he had gained the basic trust of this young genius, roughly equivalent to unlocking about 10% of her favorability. In contrast, Kaguya Shinomiya remained silent, clearly still wary of Gao Hai.

"Maybe it's because I have a lot of life experience, or maybe I've actually been looking forward to this kind of adventure storyline for a long time, haha..."

Gao Hai rubbed his head and let out a somewhat dry laugh, casually uttering a very insincere remark.

"However, at least for now, I think we need to cooperate properly, at least to figure out our current situation. Although I'm still very confident in my abilities, and I have my great-aunt here, well, you, your name is Takahashi, right? You're quite shrewd. I think you can tell that both I and my aunt (referring to Kaguya) possess extraordinary physical abilities and senses. So, as long as you don't do anything underhanded, we can cooperate, how about it?"

Meanwhile, Shijo Maki had already made her decision. She gave Takami a somewhat arrogant smile and extended her hand to him.

Does this mean that Kaguya's opinion was taken into consideration when making the decision?

Gao Hai could tell that Shinomiya Kaguya was slightly dissatisfied with Maki's decision. She hadn't completely let her guard down yet, and therefore couldn't propose a cooperation plan as decisively as Maki. However, despite this, Kaguya didn't express any objection and chose to acquiesce.

"Although I may not be as good as the two of you, I will do my best to make a difference."

In any case, I have been accepted at least temporarily.

In this mysterious and dilapidated apartment, a time traveler and two beautiful girls temporarily team up to form an investigator team and begin a real-life rule-based supernatural role-playing game.

Overwhelmed with emotion at this moment, Gao Hai couldn't help but think to himself:

Hmm, why do I suddenly feel that having these two cute and capable JK girls as teammates is actually quite appealing to otaku?

Chapter Seven: Two Gods with One Trash: I Am a Useless Person

Even now, as the three people inside have barely reached a preliminary agreement on cooperation, the corridor outside remains quiet.

The voices of the uncle named Sun Dajun, the black guy, and the blonde girl who was so frightened she could barely walk—they disappeared into the corridor and were never heard again after Kaguya closed the door.

What is happening in the corridor outside the main gate now remains unknown.

However, those inside the house don't need to worry about this for now.

"In short, the so-called 'rules of the supernatural' are essentially survival methods summarized from various aspects while avoiding direct description of anything terrifying. However, I suspect that the rules we have are outdated, or at least inadequate for the current situation."

Sitting around the coffee table in the room, Gao Hai looked at the two identical A4 printed papers, one from page 204 and the other from page 208, and slowly began to analyze.