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

The moment Xiaohua locked the window, she noticed obvious footprints on it, which looked very small, like those of a five or six-year-old child.

Perhaps the reason this resident turned into a monster was not because the door was not locked, but because the window was open, allowing something to slip into the house.

Is that thing still here?

Xiao Hua felt a chill run down her spine when she thought about this question.

But she couldn't worry about that now. Even if there were still more monsters roaming the house, she had to make sure every window was closed first. If she couldn't finish this quickly and the house wasn't in a "sealed" state before the red light disappeared, Xiaohua didn't dare to think about what would happen next.

[Sizzle... sizzle sizzle...]

The phone in my hand, which was emitting a red glow, suddenly emitted a piercing noise again.

Realizing that this thing might be sending some kind of message, Xiao Hua immediately picked up the phone. This time, the text displayed on the phone was still messy and illegible, but for some reason, Xiao Hua noticed that the broadcast voice on the phone had become clearer, and she could barely make out that it was a young girl's voice saying something.

[Urgent Notice...Urgent Notification...]

[Currently outdoors... *sound*... If unable to return home immediately... please find the nearest... enclosed indoor environment...]

[Upon entering the indoor environment...please ensure that all doors, windows, and other structures that interact with the outside are sealed off... *sizzle*...]

[Please...please note...as long as your communication device...such as a mobile phone...computer...still emits a red glow...you will not be attacked...]

[Search...search for other modern technological artifacts emitting a red glow...it can be replenished...make sure the light is bright...make sure they can't really get close to you...]

It was more difficult to discern the sound than expected. Xiaohua held the phone to her ear, closed her eyes, and listened carefully for a long time before she could barely confirm the meaning of the broadcast and realize that her previous guess was correct. The red light could indeed protect her, and by physically contacting other modern technological devices emitting red light, she could indeed replenish the power of the red light, thus ensuring her survival.

In the end, isn't this just something I figured out myself? Ugh, I thought I'd hear some information I didn't know, but just knowing this won't change anything. What I need most right now is a way to overcome my ankle fracture and a way to deal with or control the monsters wandering around the house.

[Entering the indoor environment... *sizzle*... After entering the indoor environment... *sizzle*... *sizzle*...]

Xiaohua grumbled a little to herself, but then she noticed that the broadcast hadn't stopped and there was more information, so she listened attentively, looking forward to it.

[The following... *sizzle*... monster types are listed below... *sizzle*...]

[The solution to this type of monster is... sizzle... sizzle... sizzle...]

[Buzzing...buzzing...humming...]

Then there is no more.

After making a few loud noises, the thing fell silent.

Xiaohua could only listen blankly as this thing seemed to be talking about monster types and how to deal with them. Then, she was disconnected right after she started writing a title. For a moment, she didn't know whether she should be angry or sad. She stood there stunned for a while before realizing that she probably had to rely on herself now.

What is this? This is so unreliable!

The girl, who was complaining to herself, limped forward two steps with gritted teeth, but finally could not bear the injury in her foot and had to sit on the bed on one side of the bedroom to rest for the time being.

[Sizzle... sizzle...]

My phone screen has started flickering again?

The girl, who had thought there was really no more information, was pleasantly surprised and quickly looked at her phone screen again. This time, she noticed that the red light on the screen had begun to subtly change, gradually revealing a blurry image, seemingly transforming from the original black and red distorted text interface into some kind of video interface.

[Buzz... Can... can you see it... can you hear it...?]

A very mature female voice came from the phone, the video became clearer, and the background noise gradually decreased. Xiaohua sat on the bed, carefully watching the phone screen. After waiting for about ten seconds, the screen finally became clear.

She was a very mature-looking woman, whose expression and demeanor didn't resemble that of a Japanese person, but rather that of a Chinese person.

At this moment, she was staring intently at her phone screen, as if she were looking directly at Xiaohua through the phone. She noticed that the person was panting heavily, covered in blood, with half of their face smeared with blood. What caught Xiaohua's attention the most was that one of the person's eyes was a bronze prosthetic eye, looking like the Millennium Eye from Yu-Gi-Oh! painted with patina, giving it a strangely surreal feel.

I am Xiong Mi.

The woman looked at the screen and spoke, her voice resolute.

[I am now one of the commanders of the Tokyo joint rescue team. We have successfully captured a cell tower, but we are unsure how long we can maintain the signal, so I will keep it brief. To those of you still alive and able to hear and see me, please listen carefully to what I am about to say.]

No monsters will spawn inside any house that has its doors and windows closed and sealed off before 11 PM. Any unusual sights you see are illusions, designed to drive you out. Don't do this; don't succumb to fear. As long as you are not afraid of them, you will not be affected by them.

[Theoretically, if you don't find any obvious signs of abnormality inside any house that has been sealed off by closing doors and windows after 11 PM, you are safe. However, it's possible that something has already infiltrated your house. Due to the existence of hallucinations, these things are difficult to distinguish in terms of their appearance. To verify whether these things exist, you need to take out a modern technological item that emits a red aura and try to actively approach the source of the anomaly you've discovered. If the object is effectively blocked by the red aura, then it's real, and your house is no longer safe.]

Is it blocked by the red halo?

The words of this woman named Xiong Mi, who possessed a soldier-like resolve, made Xiao Hua pause slightly.

That head-like thing, resembling a porcelain doll, had its forehead almost pressed against me. If it were a physical monster, shouldn't it have been blocked by the red light? But it only left after I moved away from it, after it touched me. So, it was just an illusion, not real, right?

Xiao Hua had a vague feeling that something was wrong.

The icy touch she felt that instant still makes Xiaohua tremble. It couldn't be fake; in that split second, the other person must have really touched her. But according to the person in the video, something that wouldn't be blocked by the red light should be an illusion, so she shouldn't have felt anything, right?

This also applies to those who couldn't return home before 11 PM and had to seek shelter in the nearest house. Especially for the latter, since you're not actually hiding in your "home," particularly survivors hiding in strangers' houses, the level of protection you receive is minimal. To ensure your safety, you must drive out the monsters already inside. As long as they remain with you, the red light protecting you will continuously deplete, and sooner or later you will lose protection and be captured.

The girl had not yet reached a conclusion, while Xiong Mi in the video continued to explain the situation at a very fast pace.

There are two different types of physical monsters: "creators" and "products." The former are those things that sneak into houses; they are extremely dangerous, and ordinary people have no chance of defeating them head-on. Once the red light protection is lost, you will be instantly killed. The latter are new monsters created by these creators using living people as raw materials. These are much weaker, and even ordinary people with weapons may be able to temporarily suppress them. However, remember that even seemingly weak monsters are not truly deadly. Furthermore, these things seem to change over time, so don't think that temporarily defeating them means you're all set.

To drive these things away, you must use any electronic device you have that emits a red glow and has a display interface, whether it's a mobile phone, computer, or television. You must use this to find the "origin" of those monsters, and then banish them with the red light.

Those "creators" have to pay a price to remain in enclosed indoor environments; they must bring their obsession object—you wouldn't understand what an obsession object is… well, it's something special—into the room. So, for the former, you must find that object that doesn't belong in your house. They can't hide it too deep, as that would hinder their movement. Find it, and then place the screen of your red-glowing device directly against it to absorb it, thus driving away the uninvited guest.

Regarding the "products," you need to find their corpses. After being created into monsters, these "products," as human corpses, don't disappear but remain. The "creator" might try to hide the corpses, but these things are quite large and difficult to conceal. Finding the corpses means finding the "origin" of these poor souls. Similar to the key item mentioned earlier, pressing the screen of your red-glowing electronic device against the corpse will also banish these created monsters.

[Hurry! If you survive to hear this, act now! Our rescue workers are doing everything they can, but the city is changing almost every moment. Please hold on as long as possible until our rescue workers arrive!]

Xiong Mi's tone was extremely serious, almost pleading.

To be honest, Xiaohua felt dizzy from her rapid-fire speech. She didn't remember much, only vaguely recalling that she was supposed to stick her phone screen on the corpse and other things to drive away the monster in the house.

Was there really such a method?

Although she didn't understand why, Xiaohua's emotions recovered somewhat after realizing that she wasn't completely helpless.

However, we need to find a corpse, and... and something else again? Something like some special item? What kind of item qualifies as special? I have absolutely no idea...

"Ugh, never mind, I have to act quickly, at least to ensure my own safety before I can think about Xiaojianzi and her family."

The girl took a deep breath and prepared to get up from the bed.

crunch--

But before she could actually take any action, a deformed woman's head peeked in from outside the door. Its bulging, dead-fish-like eyes turned toward Xiao Hua, instantly making the girl, who had just been filled with ambition, obedient and sitting still.

Chapter Six: The Girl's Crisis and the Search for Illusion and Reality

"call……"

At that moment, Xiaohua almost stopped breathing, her whole body tense as she sat there, not daring to move an inch.

Splash—splash—

The heavy rain was still pounding against the windowpane, making a series of loud noises.

The deformed woman's head slowly crawled into the bedroom, its protruding eyeballs twitching wildly as if in spasm, looking as if they were about to fall out of their sockets.

Are there...guests...?

A voice, like singing, rang out from beneath that ugly face.

A long, pale, curved neck, like a snake, peeked in from the pitch-black doorway, while the head seemed to be just swaying erratically, looking around as if it were just wandering around.

Calm down... calm down...

Xiao Hua took a deep breath, enduring the stench and intense chill emanating from the thing so close at hand, and tried her best to regulate her breathing and muscles.

It can't see me.

The girl said to herself.

The red light from this phone can protect me, so this monster can't see me or hear me.

As long as I move carefully and don't touch that thing, it won't be aware of my presence. And even if it does spot me, even if we collide, this red light can protect my life in a critical moment. So don't be afraid, don't be afraid! To survive, I must act calmly now!

I...have come...to...cook...for...the...guests...

While Xiaohua was trying to mentally prepare herself, the creature's head had already reached the bedroom window.

The distorted eyes lingered on the closed window and the raindrops on the floor and walls around it, then continued to make intermittent sounds before turning its head to survey the empty, dark bedroom.

The girl was ready.

She braced her small hands on the bed and tried to get up.

【Are you here, guest?!】

The next second, that distorted, large face suddenly appeared in front of Xiaohua.

A piercing wail erupted from the monster's gaping maw. In an instant, Xiao Hua only had time to stumble forward before she heard a deafening crash. The bed she had been sitting on had been smashed to pieces by the monster's head, sending splinters of wood flying everywhere.

[Mommy...Mommy, I'll be good...I'll be good...]

A twisted little hand emerged from the mouth of a human face, accompanied by a child's suppressed sobs.

[Where are you, guest? Come out quickly! I've made you a meal! I've made you a meal! I've made you a meal!!!]

The distorted face had turned back around, its mouth agape as it laughed and howled incessantly like a madman.

"Ah... ah ah..."

Xiaohua didn't cry out loud because the intense fear and sense of crisis left her with no energy left to even cry.

The threat of death so intensely overwhelmed his consciousness that he could no longer even bear the pain from the scratches caused by splinters of wood.

In that instant, Xiao Hua, who clearly understood that he had been discovered and was being chased by that thing, experienced a surge of adrenaline. He couldn't even feel the pain in his fractured foot. All his energy was focused on "escaping for his life." He grabbed his phone and scrambled out the door.

Why was I discovered by it?

Didn't they say this thing can't sense me?

[Sizzle... sizzle sizzle...]

A sharp electromagnetic noise rang out from the phone.

However, Xiao Hua, who had no time to think about anything else, just ran into the corridor and then fled towards the stairwell, trying to get to the first floor.

whoosh-

A whoosh of wind caught up from behind.

Before Xiao Hua could react, she felt something soft hit her back, but it barely caused any impact.

boom! ! !