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

Chachai slowly recounted his conversations with the villagers, gradually piecing together the characteristics of these villagers for Gao Hai.

Unfortunately, not long after their exchange, Chatchai sensed an unusual change occurring in the space surrounding the entire village; it seemed the thing that had been watching him was beginning to move. Realizing they couldn't stay any longer, Chatchai and Xiao Guo had no choice but to leave that space. However, as they returned to the well to head back, they were attacked by an unknown force. Chatchai was quick enough to escape, but Xiao Guo, being behind, took the hit. If it weren't for Xiao Guo's relatively strong abilities and Chatchai's intervention, they might have been killed instantly.

As for what the final attack was, Chachai couldn't be sure because he hadn't witnessed it firsthand. However, he was certain that what attacked him and Xiao Guo wasn't a mountain god or a fox spirit, because if it were truly a god-level entity, they would have been instantly killed. He guessed that what attacked was a core-level obsession-level monster, and that it likely had no physical form, but rather was some kind of materialized spiritual energy, such as a vengeful spirit.

After sharing the information he knew, Chatchai, feeling unwell, needed to rest for a while and quickly took his leave.

Gao Hai stayed in the room, sitting alone and thinking for a long time before slowly exhaling.

"Li Family Village... Liu Family Village... Mountain God... Fox Queen... Black Fairy... Bride... and then there are vengeful spirits? How many more things are there...?"

Feeling genuinely troubled, Gao Hai muttered something under his breath before getting up to leave.

In any case, at least for now, we can determine the next action objectives.

First, obtain the key item hinted at by the black watch through [Water Ghost Lake]. Then, find a way to enter the area of ​​[Liu Family Village] through the well to contact the villagers who you couldn't find a way to contact before, thereby further completing the past history of this instance.

Well, we can't forget about the Zhang family, who we haven't heard from in a long time. We need to find out about them too. Since the Liu family was found through the well, maybe the Zhang family can too. It's worth a try.

"Looks like I'll have a lot to do next..."

Gao Hai sighed softly as he left the house. Then he noticed Kaguya Shinomiya standing not far away, secretly peeking in their direction.

Chapter 89: A Young Girl's Thoughts and Solutions to Emotional Problems

dark night.

The dim, dark red moonlight shone on the ground.

However, no player currently knows what the sky above looks like. After all, having been informed of the danger in the sky, none of the Dark Night-level players dare to look up; they all obediently remain indoors. While the Red Moon-level players and the Gao Hai team still need to continue their mission, they have all used the [Historian]'s pre-emptive conceptual camouflage to ensure that even if they see the sky, they won't realize they are looking at anything, thus severing their cognitive chain and guaranteeing their safety.

However, despite this, players still can't help but wonder what exactly exists in the sky and why this dungeon has such a taboo.

Ultimately, this red moonlight isn't unheard of in other Red Moon-level dungeons. So if the Red Moon in other dungeons is fine, why is there a fatal rule specifically for it in [Infant Cry Village]? Or is the real problem not with the Red Moon itself, but with something else that accompanies it in the sky?

Thinking and guessing cannot provide a clear answer.

After all, without knowing what's in the sky, it's impossible to understand the source of the danger. And players are unlikely to actually do something so reckless; those who have made it this far are unlikely to be foolish. So this question remains buried in everyone's hearts, an unanswered question.

Of course, it's hard to say for sure. For example, Gao Hai had considered that if he reached the point where he had to die in this cycle, he might consider removing his cognitive shield before starting the next cycle, and looking up to see what extraordinary thing was in the sky. Anyway, when that time really came, death was death, and there was nothing to worry about.

However, Gao Hai certainly didn't have time to think about such issues right now. He was busy exchanging information with Chatchai, confirming the crucial information the other party had brought out from the [well]. And after Chatchai finished sharing the information and left, he would still need to analyze the underlying implications of this information and formulate a direction for the next action. Although Gao Hai himself might not like this feeling, he was indeed gradually beginning to think from the perspective of a core member of the team.

Aside from Gao Hai and Chachai, and most of the other Red Moon-level players who were resting, the main group still active in the village at this time were the girls from Gao Hai's team.

It was so quiet, eerily quiet.

Shijo Maki stood at the edge of the village, frowning as she looked out at the vast farmland. She couldn't help but whisper something in the mental link.

After all, we still have a ton of problems to face—villagers, gods, and all sorts of other miscellaneous things. This is probably the most complex instance we've encountered so far, spanning over a thousand years, with far too many things evolving and changing along the way.

Fujiwara Chika's voice echoed through the mental link, her tone also carrying a touch of emotion.

{So there's not much we can do right now; we can only wait for Haijun to confirm the information. Hmm... I don't like this feeling. This instance feels far too passive; there's practically nothing we can do. We can't really help with the problems Haijun is facing. Continuing like this is just holding them back...}

There was a clear hint of displeasure in Maki's voice.

She felt that from the moment that blood-red flower appeared in this instance, everything started to spiral out of control.

Even though Gao Hai managed to create a safe zone using the land deeds, providing a place for everyone to rest and discuss strategies, the situation within the instance continued to deteriorate, and in a way that the players couldn't interfere with or even understand.

This was especially evident during the previous chaos, when a large number of people inexplicably starved to death. The loss of control over the obsessive objects and the sudden transformation of the players caught the village off guard. If it weren't for the fact that these women now possessed considerable combat strength and experience, had a relatively diverse range of obsessive objects at their disposal, and that Li Xiaoxiao, the Red Moon-level player who had stayed behind, was still alive, Zhenfei was truly unsure whether they could have successfully defended the village as their stronghold.

Although the outcome was ultimately positive, the reasons for the abnormal acceleration of time and whether similar anomalies would recur remain unanswered. As a result, the girls are forced to repeatedly patrol the entire village, striving to prevent any potential anomalies. Ultimately, however, their efforts are less about hard work and more about frantically doing things they don't even know are useful, keeping themselves busy to avoid wasting their energy on unnecessarily thinking things through.

Really irritating.

This sense of powerlessness made Princess Maki's emotions somewhat unstable.

Especially when thinking about the problem Haijun is facing—that highly polluting thing that requires erasing a portion of their memories to ensure their safety—it's clear that Haijun is now facing that thing alone. No one else can help her, and even Yotsuya Miko has been captured by it, meaning that even if Haijun were to rewind time, she couldn't save her.

Maki knew that Gao Hai must be under immense pressure right now. After the Black Watch encountered its first opponent, an enemy capable of countering the time-lapse to some extent, Gao Hai must be feeling tremendous pressure. And no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't help Gao Hai with this problem, nor could she share this burden with him.

She didn't like this feeling.

Especially when recalling how Kai-kun rejected her classmates when she was in the early days of elementary school, and then thinking about how things are now, Maki felt even more unhappy.

Don't let negative emotions control you, Maki. There's something we can do. Even though Akai is very capable, there are always things he can't handle alone. What we need to do is wait until he truly needs our help and then do our best to help him. That's what we should do.

Because of the mental link, even though Maki didn't speak, Chika could sense her emotions to some extent. So the pink-haired girl earnestly comforted Maki, communicating with her teammates when Takami couldn't attend to her.

{Yeah, I know… Sorry, it seems I still haven't quite mastered controlling my emotions. Anyway… my patrol is over, and everything's normal as before, so that's good news. How about you, Fujiwara-san? What's the situation on your end?}

Maki was clearly not the type to get stuck on things after a lot of advice. So, after Chika said a few words, she immediately realized that she wasn't in a good mood, so she replied a few words apologetically and then turned the topic to business.

{I'm not on patrol right now. Goto is helping me. What I'm doing is much more important than patrolling.}

Then, the reply that came from Qianhua had a hint of pride and smugness in it, for some reason.

{Important news? What are you doing?}

Maki frowned slightly, sensing something ominous in Chika's cheerful words. Since meeting her, she was well aware of Chika's wildly imaginative mind and her penchant for creating mischief in everyday life. Therefore, hearing Chika's attitude immediately triggered a sense of unease; she began to suspect that Chika had encountered something amusing and was planning something big.

{I'm instructing my companions, Kaguya and Hayasaka, they're both receiving my guidance right now~}

Chika's reply was filled with even stronger emotional fluctuations, but the content of her answer only made Maki feel more confused.

What is she talking about?

Instructing Hayasaka and her great-aunt? What could she possibly instruct them on? How could she instruct them on how to play lewd games with Kai-kun, and how to do all sorts of shameful things?

Because of her long-held impression of Chika as unreliable, Maki almost immediately misunderstood.

{Um...we're still in the instance, so let's focus on the important stuff, shall we?}

After much thought, Maki decided to advise Chika not to relax too much.

{What?! Maki-san, what kind of image do you have of me? I'm seriously trying to help Kai, you know. Neither Kaguya-san nor Hayasaka-san can establish a mental link with Kai using the Black Watch yet. This is a serious problem, you know; we have to find a way to solve it.}

Chika, who clearly understood what Maki was saying, immediately showed her dissatisfaction and gave a very serious rebuttal, while also informing Maki of what she was doing.

Maki then realized that Chika was actually giving Kaguya and Hayasaka a love coach, instructing them on how to become closer to Kai-kun. This made the girl feel a little awkward for a moment, but the other party's reason was particularly serious, and Maki, not knowing what to say, finally decided to remain silent. However, not long after, another problem came to her mind.

While there might be some shortcomings in the relationship between Auntie and Hayasaka and Kai-kun, shouldn't Goto also be included if we're talking about members of the group who haven't yet established a deep spiritual connection? Why does Fujiwara seem completely indifferent to him?

Although Takami himself stated that he had never engaged in any behavior beyond friendship with Goto Ichiri, Maki had already considered Ichiri as another member of Takami's harem in her heart ever since she discovered that Ichiri would come to Takami's house and sleep with him.

Hmm… to be honest, I'm still a little annoyed. How many people have they contacted in just over three months? I really don't know when he'll stop… But since things have come to this, there's not much to say for Maki, who has already accepted reality. It's just that since he's already so close to Haijun, shouldn't he have considered this eccentric but powerful Red Moon-level player when considering a mental link? Why does Fujiwara seem so indifferent?

Could it be because they're already confident?

In other words... has the relationship between Kai-kun and this Goto-kun really progressed to this point?!

Princess Zhenfei was somewhat shocked.

Meanwhile, in a secluded hut in the village, three girls were sitting together. The black-haired and blonde girls had different expressions, seemingly moved to some extent, while the pink-haired girl wearing a detective hat and holding a fake pipe had a somewhat sacred expression on her face.

{So, the key is the desire to possess Kai's heart, the impulse to dominate him, isn't it? Both Kaguya and Hayasaka have been saved and helped by Kai more than once, and have had very close interactions with him. I don't need to emphasize their feelings for this man, do I?}

With an expression that seemed to see through everything, Chika pointed to the two girls in front of her.

{If you're saying there's not enough affection, I absolutely don't believe it. We've been through thick and thin together countless times; the bond built under those circumstances is definitely strong.}

So the most crucial issue lies in whether one is honest about their feelings. For example, I would actively pursue Akai and try every means to get closer to him in order to possess him. So, Kaguya-san and Hayasaka-san, since you have shortcomings, you must make up for them with double the effort!

In practical terms, try actively pushing Ah Hai down once, take the initiative and be forceful. It doesn't necessarily have to be done, since the timing isn't ideal, but you definitely need to try and express your feelings. That is, find Ah Hai, forcefully kiss him, push him down, pin him down—try expressing yourself like that once, it might be very effective!

Chika gave her opinion very sincerely.

{Using the most drastic way to express it, trying to break through past limitations...}

Hayasaka, who had originally planned to rest for a while but was called over, lowered her head and muttered to herself after listening to Chika's words. It was hard to tell whether she was touched or what.

{No, no, no, this is completely wrong! Will doing something so shameless really bring us closer? It will only make Gao Jun think I'm a woman with strong desires, and maybe she'll even look down on me because of it!}

As for Kaguya, who didn't understand at all and even misunderstood, she was already confused because of her heart-to-heart talk with Takami. After being dragged over by Chika to say this, it was obvious that her brain had completely short-circuited.

{Then go ahead and give it a try, Miss.}

The blonde maid stood up, having already made up her mind.

{No, no, now is not the time to do that!}

Kaguya's objections grew even stronger, but none of the girls present seemed willing to listen to her.

Chapter 90: The New Blessing Linker and the Unresolved Obstacles

The quiet night continued.

There were no more paper figures coming to harass them, no more coffins or sedan chairs for weddings or funerals, and no trace of the "treasure hunters" or villagers.

While the players were temporarily lying low due to their overall poor condition, the enemies seemed to have followed suit, all silently waiting for the next conflict, for the ensuing confrontation and contest.

Gao Hai spent some time mentally drafting a rough plan of action. Considering the numerous variables within this instance, he didn't devise a detailed plan. After all, if the plan were too specific, and some major obstacle suddenly appeared halfway through, things could get very unpredictable. His encounter with the Fox Queen during his exploration of the Paper Doll Village was a prime example of this.

Therefore, after careful consideration, Gao Hai believes that to ensure the effectiveness of the exploration, a sufficient number of exploration personnel are necessary. This means that even if players encounter unforeseen circumstances forcing them to split up, there must be enough people to execute the initial plan. This implies that once an exploration target is identified, it's best to send a larger number of players in batches. However, this raises concerns about being wiped out by the enemy and being vulnerable to surprise attacks from behind. Therefore, the specific operational arrangements still need careful consideration.

"It's really troublesome..."

Gao Hai couldn't help but mutter a complaint under his breath.

Although the malice shown by this instance has not yet reached the point of being overwhelming, Gao Hai still genuinely feels a headache coming on from these troublesome problems.

Forget it, I'll just take a good rest for now.

After all, both the players from the "Slacker Gang" and the "Historian" side were resting and recovering. While it wouldn't be impossible to rely solely on his own team, considering the Blood Flower issue, Gao Hai was still reluctant to act with only his own people. So for now, all he could do was wait, with nothing else to do.

Close your eyes.

Gao Hai lay back in the chair, leaning slightly backward, with his legs raised and placed on the large table in the room. The front legs of the chair also lifted off the ground, causing it to sway.

tread--

I heard footsteps approaching slowly.

With his greatly enhanced hearing, Gao Hai quickly determined that Kaguya Shinomiya and Ai Hayasaka were approaching him. This puzzled him; why were they suddenly coming to find him together, and why were their steps noticeably hurried, especially Kaguya's, which seemed to be dragged along by Hayasaka?

There was no sound within the mental link. While it was possible they had established a private, temporary mental link using their shared memories, if that were the case, one should be able to sense some fluctuations in their thoughts with their own mental power. So, did this mean they were deliberately remaining silent within the mental link, attempting to sneak in unnoticed?

While pondering, Gao Hai activated his auditory blessing, intending to listen to what the two were doing.