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

It was through her observation that the girl was able to discover more abnormalities about this strange creature.

empty.

With just a slight sensation, Chika couldn't help but have this feeling.

This strange object is less a strange object and more an empty shell drained of its power. Although it still retains a basic shape and a somewhat intact outer shell, most of its internal power has been extracted, and it has essentially lost its inherent strength.

This is not normal.

Such a change is highly abnormal.

Chika couldn't help but raise her head and examine the object closely.

He looked like an ordinary middle-aged man, holding a hunting rifle, his expression twisted as if he had gone mad.

Yes, on the surface, it looks no different from most other strange creatures.

But ironically, the inside of this thing is hollow.

How could the monster feel so "emptied"? This couldn't have happened naturally; there must be some external force interfering. In other words, is there some kind of extraction device within this instance that can affect the monster? No, that idea might not be accurate. Perhaps some special entity possesses this power? But… a instance with this level of power, would it only be a [Dark Night] level instance?

{Empty... This feeling... Ah Hai, are you there?}

【I am here】

Realizing something was wrong, Chika didn't hesitate to call out to Takami. Takami, of course, was always online 24/7 and immediately turned his attention to Chika.

{There are some new clues, information that seems to be coming from something like a radio. You can record it on the Alice Network. This information mentions some names, which might match the information we gathered earlier. Also, I've discovered something unusual; you'll need to take a closer look. I'm transmitting my sensory results via memory sharing now, Ahai, you can make your judgment.}

Without any preamble, Qianhua quickly spoke a few words in the mental link and then activated her power to transmit the information.

Throughout this process, the strange creature wielding the shotgun remained motionless, offering no struggle whatsoever. Of course, it was actually trying to break free and attack Chika again. However, having been controlled by Chika using [Binding Light], no matter how hard it struggled, the result was the same.

As the last of the three unique abilities among the blessings possessed by Fujiwara Chika herself, [Binding Light] is a rare control ability that compensates for the girl's lack of direct combat power. On the surface, this ability seems to be just a move that freezes the enemy by hitting them with blue light, but in reality, it is an ability that can change the release method according to Chika's own will, directly creating an absolute isolation zone.

For example, this strange creature that attempted to attack Chika, under the power of [Binding Light], although it now appears to be standing in the corridor, is actually isolated by a space exactly the same size as itself. What remains in front of Chika at this moment is merely an afterimage of this thing in its original space.

As a control ability, [Binding Light] is close to Gao Hai's Suppression Bomb in terms of control strength, and may even be more effective in certain situations. However, as a trade-off for its powerful effect, [Binding Light] can only maintain control over a maximum of three targets at a time. Furthermore, its control strength weakens to some extent when controlling targets of the Red Moon level or higher, and it may be broken if controlled for an extended period. Once the control is broken, the maximum number of targets that this ability can affect will be temporarily reduced, and it will take at least several hours to recover.

With this ability, Chika possessed a certain level of combat capability. However, since this ability only works on a single target and can only control a maximum of three, its effectiveness in a city-wide rescue operation was limited. It was also because her blessed power was better suited for solo operations deep into dungeons that Chika decided to venture into the dungeon area. However, she hadn't expected to find such an anomaly in the very first area she investigated.

Indeed, this is quite abnormal.

Gao Hai quickly learned about the situation that Qianhua had discovered.

Moreover, when this abnormality is combined with other abnormalities, the problems become even more numerous.

[The Sheep Apartment Complex, the affiliated kindergarten, the Dansu Company office building... As a Dark Night-level instance, the size of this place is close to that of a Red Moon-level instance, and even exceeds the area of ​​some Red Moon-level instances.]

However, this instance is only at the Dark Night level in terms of strength, and it's not even a top-tier dual-core instance. Judging from the overall intensity of the instance's aura, it's only possible that there's a single core, which is actually abnormal. It was just temporarily overlooked at the beginning because no other related issues could be found.

The more you think about it, the more unusual things become.

Sometimes, the problem isn't discovered at first simply because there aren't enough clues.

Now that more anomalies have emerged, places that were previously overlooked are now becoming more noticeable.

It now seems that there may be far more problems in this instance than we anticipated, and perhaps part of the "hospital's" secrets are hidden here.

Gao Hai solemnly said in the mental link, but in his heart he couldn't help but think about the dismembered female ghost and the artist named Coz again.

If we can find relevant information at the kindergarten, perhaps... no, now is not the time for speculation; everything must be based on the actual information we find through investigation.

We must proceed with even greater caution from now on, Chika. You are the strongest among those currently in this instance. I know rescuing your family is the most important thing right now, but on the way to the Sheep's Den, I hope you can gather as much information as possible, if possible.

After a brief moment of thought, Gao Hai spoke earnestly to Qian Hua through the mental link.

{Okay, don't worry, leave it to me. The monsters here aren't strong enough to threaten me. I'll be careful.}

The girl's answer remained the same as always.

Without lingering any longer, Chika followed the guidance given to her by the [Guide to the Lost] and continued moving forward in the corridor.

With the lights extinguished by Qianhua, the gate that had previously seemed inaccessible was now within reach.

open the door.

Ahead lay that same recurring corridor, without a doubt.

Chika herself had no answer as to how long or how many times this cycle would last. However, she could guess where her chance to escape this area and reach the Sheep Apartment lay. After all, the radio broadcast had already contained relevant clues. All she needed to do next was follow the guidance to find that key point.

tread--

The girl continued forward cautiously.

The stench in the air lessened somewhat, replaced by a more pronounced chill.

This time, the number of strange creatures in the corridor was much higher than before.

Is that the scent of children?

Although the corridor was pitch black and she could only rely on her own flashlight for illumination, Chika was able to determine after a brief observation of her surroundings that the timeline of the corridor she had arrived at was very likely before the attack.

【…】

It seems I heard a sound.

A gentle voice came from inside a door in front.

Chika had never heard this voice before, but she had a feeling that it might be very important.

So she slowly approached the door, trying to eavesdrop on the sounds inside through the power of her blessing.

Then, she heard a gentle, motherly voice.

It's lunch break time now, everyone be good kids and get some sleep!

The voice seemed to belong to a teacher, a female teacher.

I'm a good kid.

[Do the teachers sleep with us too?]

[Mingjia teacher, I want to hear you sing!]

She was met with the children's sweet, childlike voices, a little noisy, but one could feel the children's genuine affection.

[How about we sing a song together, then take a nap together? Everyone come along, okay?]

【Yeah! 】

I love listening to Ms. Mingjia sing!

Teacher, sing it now!

Although she couldn't see inside through the door, Chika felt she could already feel the scene and imagine a group of children surrounding a smiling young teacher, clapping their hands and singing softly together.

They opened their mouths softly together and sang softly together.

Despite the less-than-perfect singing, everyone's faces were filled with happy smiles.

Twinkle, twinkle, little star~

The sky is full of little stars~

As the song played, Qianhua's steps came to a halt.

She turned her head and looked at the open door and the children and teachers inside.

The children's corpses, covered in blood, piled up, and the figure of a teacher gently singing while holding the mutilated children.

Just like I heard earlier, everyone was singing a happy song together.

Chapter 46: The Meaning of Family, A Young Girl's Choice, Deep into Darkness

I am approaching a point of divergence.

Passing through distorted and chaotic illusions, traversing broken or deformed circular corridors.

Things are constantly changing.

What was hidden is gradually emerging.

As she traveled, Chika gradually sensed that she was approaching a key point in this area, as well as a point of divergence where she had to make a choice.

As she delves deeper into this area, she encounters more and more information about the dungeon, while simultaneously venturing further into the region. By now, she has learned a great deal about the [Affiliated Kindergarten] and has encountered the strange creatures active in this area on more than one occasion. However, because she is accumulating more and more information, Chika is now approaching the deeper layers of the kindergarten area. If she accidentally crosses the line, getting out won't be so easy.

In a sense, this is somewhat similar to reaching a crucial branching point in a quest, where the player must choose between the left and right paths. For Chika, the choice she needs to make is simply between 【investigating the kindergarten area in depth to uncover its true secrets】 and 【using the shortcuts within this anomalous space to reach other areas】.

There was actually no suspense in the choice, since the reason why Chika chose to go deep into this area was to find a way to the Sheep Apartment to rescue her parents and sisters.

But as exploration of this area deepens...

As the events that happened here are gradually revealed, and as the secrets that exist here are slowly uncovered, the truth will be revealed.

Qianhua gradually realized that the seemingly inconspicuous kindergarten area within this vast, complex Dark Night-level dungeon might hold extremely crucial intelligence. The information here not only corresponded to information from both the Sheep Nest Apartment and Dansu Company, but might even involve deeper clues related to the [Hospital]. Under these circumstances, deciding which side to choose and what to do next was becoming a serious question she couldn't ignore.

[Chika, you're hesitating. What happened?]

Gao Hai's voice suddenly rang out within the mental link. Clearly, he had been monitoring the girl's actions.

I'm wondering if this affiliated kindergarten area holds some deeper secret.

As Chika answered Gao Hai in the mental link, she opened the door and stepped into another loop of the corridor.

{The people and information from Mr. Taro Funada and Ms. Nagayoshi Yoshimura of Jin Yang Apartments, and Mr. Miyu Kambara, a high-ranking executive of Dansu Company, converged in the kindergarten area. If the company office building can be considered the "source" of this instance, and Jin Yang Apartments the "important area," then why does this kindergarten occupy a separate area? It's worth noting that the Dansu Company area combines office buildings and industrial zones; if the kindergarten weren't important, it should logically be an adjoining area of ​​the company or apartment complex, not a separate area as it is now.}

As she spoke, the girl slowly walked forward, and the distortion in the corridor became increasingly severe.

However, this area does indeed appear as a separate, isolated region, and based on my current exploration progress, while it may not seem large on the surface, it actually possesses considerable depth. This means that this area is extremely important and unique, holding a crucial position within the instance.

If this were merely a kindergarten that had suffered a horrific massacre, and if such an incident had only occurred once, I think it could never have reached this state. There must be a deeper secret here, something more special.

{As of now, there are no players present in the Sheep Nest Apartment. The survivors are confined to the safe house and cannot leave. Because the Dansu Company's office building has separate floors, neither the survivor you're currently commanding nor the player team can leave the office area for the time being. Therefore… only I can explore this place now; only I have the time and ability to investigate this anomalous area. I…}

The blood that filled the corridor and the bizarre scenes floating between the walls and the floor could not shake Fujiwara Chika, whose mental strength was now extraordinary.

But her will was indeed wavering, she was hesitant, and she was suffering from her inability to make a decision.

She wanted to get to the Zhenyang Apartment as soon as possible, to her parents and sisters, and to safely take them away from this place to a safe zone for protection.

But she also knew that as the only powerful player currently capable of exploring this hidden area, if she could use her power to explore the deeper parts of the kindergarten, she might find the key to unlocking this instance and save many people who were trapped and suffering. Perhaps… she might even uncover crucial clues related to the [hospital], laying a vital step in saving the city.

So now she has to make a choice.

Should you prioritize rescuing and protecting your family, or delve deeper into this unusual instance area to uncover its true secrets?