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

The room remained silent.

Even as the headless, out-of-control figure struggled desperately, and even as more and more fingers reached out to hold it down firmly, Liang couldn't hear a sound coming from the room.

It's as if this place doesn't allow any sound at all, only absolute silence itself.

【Shh...】

Then, Liang suddenly heard a sound.

It was unclear whether the sound came from right next to my ear or from far behind.

It's not that strange creature with densely packed eyeballs.

It wasn't the strange creature that was still struggling but was almost unable to move.

Even without seeing what it looked like, Liang could clearly sense that the thing making the sound behind him was a completely different kind of strange entity. It was something new that he had never encountered before, and whose form and nature were entirely unknown.

So she turned around and looked at what the thing looked like.

Then she saw it, saw a pale, almost transparent face almost touching her own, and countless writhing eyeballs crowded in their sockets.

It stretched out its hand and gently placed it in front of its mouth, making a shushing gesture.

【Shh...】

Even behind it, as the tree-branch-like thing tore off the headless man's arm, almost ripping him in two from the chair with dark red blood spurting everywhere, no sound reached Liang's ears.

Yes, that's how it is here, that's how it's always been.

Unexpected noises should not exist, and anything outside the plan should not be retained. Everything must be done according to the planned scheme. All employees are just parts on the assembly line and must be controlled and tailored according to standard specifications.

Now, it has found the noise, the source of the noise, and Yamada Ryo, who has now arrived at the door.

【Shh...】

Something unseen was spreading through her gentle voice.

Bang! ! !

Even more distinct than the sound was Liang's sudden kick, which slammed into the thing's face, almost denting its entire face.

A crimson light burst forth from the doll in an instant, blasting the monster away and overturning several tables and chairs, causing the headless and legless creatures to fall to the ground as well.

Liang seized the opportunity to rush up, open the door, and exit the chaotic room, returning to the corridor outside.

Chapter Thirty-Six: The Challenge of No Skipping Levels and the Re-experience of Death

【…】

The office area behind us was completely silent; not a sound could be heard.

Even though there were clearly more than one strange creature active inside, and Gao Hai had just used his power to knock away one of the creatures that had attacked Liang, there was still no sound coming from the house. Everything was submerged in absolute silence, with only an intense chill spreading rapidly.

That thing has caught up.

The strange creature that had appeared in the office area at some point, the one that had been shushing him, had followed him here.

Death is approaching.

Having already experienced death firsthand, Yamada Ryo would never mistake such a feeling for something else.

If you slow down even a fraction of a second, that thing will catch up with you immediately.

If one's actions deviate even slightly, that thing will tear one apart, forcing one to experience the pain and despair of death once more.

In an instant, Liang felt as if time had slowed down considerably.

She felt an unprecedentedly clear heartbeat and the flow of blood in her body. She realized that her thinking speed was matching the strength her body should have, and immediately came to the conclusion that trying to chase that thing in the corridor would inevitably lead to death. Such an enemy, which she could not even detect when it appeared, probably possessed some kind of incredible speed ability. Competing in speed was absolutely not a good idea.

Then the only option is to try entering the nearest room and see if that can stop its movement.

Liang's gaze shifted to the nearest room door, which was where the conference room was located.

tread!

The heavy footsteps pounded cracks in the paving stones.

The girl moved with superhuman speed, arriving at the door in an instant. Gao Hai's power followed, opening the door to ensure Ryo's movements were unimpeded. Ryo then rushed into the room, not even having time to assess the situation, before abruptly turning around and grabbing the doorknob to slam it shut.

【…】

The enormous human face was right outside the door.

In that instant when he turned around, Ryo saw the face that was almost pressed against the door.

There was absolutely no sound of that thing approaching.

In the silence, only those wriggling, crowded eyeballs were watching the girl inside the door.

The pale, distorted face opened its mouth as if to say something, but no sound came out; it merely opened its mouth in vain, revealing a tongueless mouth.

More eyes peeked out from behind it.

One after another, like grapes hanging up, eyes swaying slightly.

Gaze.

All eyes are on it.

They make no sound, make no comment, and indicate no intention; they simply watch, silently watching in deathly silence.

Bang!

The next moment, the door slammed shut, and Gao Hai's power immediately activated, reinforcing the door.

There was no knocking or banging on the door.

There was a deathly silence outside the door, as if the monster didn't exist at all. But the biting cold said it all. Liang knew very well that at this moment, the thing was right outside the door, watching her through the door, keeping a close eye on her every word and action.

However, at least for now, this thing won't enter the room. At least for the moment, she can still get a short rest.

"call……"

It was only then that Liang realized his breathing had become heavy and his body was covered in cold sweat.

Don't relax, it's not time to relax yet, it's still a long way off.

But then, upon hearing Gao Hai's voice, Liang quickly took a few deep breaths, adjusted her state, and turned to look inside the house.

Fortunately, there were no strange creatures in the meeting room, so the scenario of escaping from the wolves only to fall into the tiger's den has not yet begun.

However, the absence of any obvious signs of strange creatures did not mean the conference room itself was entirely normal. In fact, Liang found quite a few anomalies to be found. For one thing, the rows of oddly spaced seats, some even with partitions, the small television screens facing each seat, and the rather high lectern at the very front of the room all presented a very strange situation.

Liang tried to imagine what this meeting room would look like in use. Everyone was unable to see their colleagues sitting around them; employees, their views blocked by partitions, could only see the speaker above and the television screen in front of them—nothing else. What was the point of such a bizarre meeting? Was it to prevent communication between employees? Was it to create artificial barriers? Or was it for observation?

Forget it, I can't figure it out. Let's think of a way to get to the upper floors first.

Time is running out, we need to hurry. My avatar has limited power, and I can't always be there to help you in time.

Gao Hai's warning rang out again, and Liang immediately felt a chill creeping down her spine. Turning around, she saw that the tightly closed door had somehow been ajar. Eyes were peering at her from behind the crack, as if they might slip through at any moment.

The enemy broke through the defenses even faster than expected.

Feeling a sense of urgency, Liang quickly moved through the conference room to its innermost part, arriving at the door leading directly to the elevator to the boss's office.

Unlike the other doors in the building, this one was locked with an electronic lock and required a password to open. Naturally, Ryo, who had no idea what the password was, had no intention of trying and immediately turned her attention to the doll she was carrying.

Can you open this?

Liang asked urgently in the mental link.

"...It's a bit difficult; this clone's power isn't enough."

Gao Hai's answer was somewhat unexpected for the girl. Although Gao Hai had reminded her from the beginning that he was not omnipotent and could not solve all problems, Liang was still somewhat unaccustomed to the situation where Gao Hai was unable to help.

Never mind, kicking the door open shouldn't be a problem, right?

With that thought in mind, Ryo kicked out with all his might, slamming the door with a loud "bang." The force of the kick was enormous, enough to send a car flying on the spot, and Ryo used that force without reservation on the door.

However, the expected moment of scoring did not come.

On the contrary, Ryo felt a strong recoil. The door, which didn't look very sturdy, wasn't shaken at all by the girl's actions, and didn't even leave a mark. But the solid recoil made her legs go numb, and she couldn't muster any strength and could only stand there with a limp.

How is that possible? My physical abilities have been enhanced so much, yet I can't even kick open a door?

Liang gritted her teeth; she didn't understand why things had turned out this way.

This door is probably impossible to force open, as are the surrounding walls. It seems to possess some kind of conceptual sealing property; unless the key to open it is found, even bombs won't be able to blow it open. It's quite rare to encounter such a situation here; it's unusual to see such a strong conceptual phenomenon in a Dark Night-level dungeon.

Gao Hai's explanation came a step too late, and Liang, who knew that this path was also blocked, was silent for a moment before looking at the wall next to the door.

bang——

A fierce punch landed, followed by a shattering sound. The cold blow struck the wall beside the door, creating several cracks.

bang bang bang-

But then, when she punched the wall several more times, she was surprised to find that the wall itself had become much stronger. Her attacks encountered a strong resistance. Even though she could create cracks on the surface of the wall, she could not apply the damage to the inside of the wall and could not really destroy it.

In other words, this door does not allow any truancy. Whether you try to force your way through or try to dig through the wall, it will not work. The only way to get through this door is to obtain the correct entry password. This is the only method allowed by the door.

Why did we have to encounter this situation here?

Liang took a deep breath, a sense of anxiety rising within her.

It's time to go; those things will be coming in soon.

Gao Hai's voice reminded him once again, and Liang, realizing that the situation was not good, turned around and saw that the door, which was originally half-closed, was now almost completely open, and he could clearly see the hideous and terrifying things outside the door.

They did not enter the conference room.

Even though the entrance was fully open, and even though they could clearly see Yamada Ryo deep inside the conference room, these things still had no intention of breaking in; they simply stood silently outside the door watching her.

This was certainly not because they didn't want to come in, but because the power released by Gao Hai was still in effect, and there was an invisible restraint in front of the conference room door, firmly blocking those monsters that were eager to rush in.

However, this obstacle wouldn't last long. The power Gao Hai transmitted here was limited and couldn't be continuously depleted. Therefore, Liang had to move immediately, otherwise it would be too late once those things actually entered.

But... there's simply no third way out of the meeting room, no third door to open...

Liang had to admit she was getting nervous again, but this time she quickly came up with a solution. A moment later, she started running, moving from the smart lock door to a seemingly ordinary wall.

If my memory of the map is correct, the duty room should be on the other side of this wall. Opening the door to the duty room will take me back to where I first entered this place, at one end of the corridor.

Reach out.

I gently patted the wall.