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

Next, it's time to go to the safe house.

The thought of this matter made Chika's expression turn serious.

After rescuing Yamada Ryo and returning to the Jin'yō Apartment, and after Ryo regained consciousness, Chika checked on her family's situation. She immediately wanted to reach the safe house as quickly as possible to confirm their safety. However, Chika knew her mission: to thwart the enemy's plans, Goto Ichiri had already joined forces with Kita Ikuyo to deal with the "Internal Medicine Doctor," and the "Psychiatrist," whom she had temporarily sealed, was now unpredictable as to when it would break free. Not to mention a teammate who had vanished without a trace after entering the area, voluntarily venturing into dangerous territory to find a way to break the seal. For the sake of everyone who had shared this peril, Chika desperately suppressed her urge to immediately find her family, instead prioritizing finding and protecting all the survivors before finally turning her relieved attention to the safe house.

“Let me lead the way. Although I don’t actually know the location, I have a strong memory of the wardrobe at the entrance of the safe house.”

Xingge quickly stepped forward to act as Qianhua's guide. This didn't mean that she would actually lead the way, but rather that Qianhua would use her own blessed power and the image of the safe house entrance in Xingge's memory to create a connection, thereby activating the blessed power of [Guide to the Lost] to construct a path.

Because most of the strange creatures they encountered along the way had been defeated and sent flying, the group didn't encounter any further attacks during the subsequent mission. This gave Hongxia time to process and reflect on her experiences, and she quickly recalled the thing that Qianhua had knocked away, whose arm seemed to be covered in paint.

Come to think of it, I didn't notice it before because I was too nervous, but now that I think back on it, that strange thing... seems to have a strange sense of familiarity.

Hongxia found it hard to describe the feeling. She was certain she had never seen the monster before. But upon seeing its outstretched arm and smelling the pungent odor of ink, she did experience a strange sense of familiarity, as if she had actually seen it before.

No, I haven't seen it before.

I have sensed a similar aura before.

In that underground passage, in those art exhibition halls.

Hongxia's eyes widened as she finally determined the source of that hazy feeling and the identity of the mysterious creature.

There's no mistake, that monster is the painter, that Isidore... Isidore what was it again? Ah, foreign names are so hard to remember, I can't even recall his full name.

Hongxia was somewhat distressed that she couldn't recall her name, but she maintained her composure on the surface.

She wasn't sure if the information was valuable. After all, according to Liang, the information she found was suspected to be related to the core obsession. In comparison, a strange painter who had become a monster didn't seem worth paying attention to. In addition, Hongxia also realized that Qianhua was in a hurry to go to the safe house, so she didn't immediately speak up and express her thoughts.

It didn't take long for Chika to successfully reach the key coordinates through Hoshigo's memories, find the wardrobe that contained the entrance to the safe house, and enter it first. She opened the wardrobe door and almost got her head chopped off by her younger sister, Moeyo's, kitchen knife.

"Moeha, it's me, Chika!"

Having to perform a feat of catching a blade barehanded, Chika looked at her sister helplessly and shouted, finally stopping the other party from taking any further action.

What followed was a very cliché, but incredibly important, family reunion. Fujiwara Maho burst into tears upon seeing Chika, and Fujiwara Toyomi quickly rushed over to hug his sister. The family embraced each other, and it took them quite a while to calm down.

Well, except for Chika's father, Fujiwara Daichi, who hasn't woken up yet.

“The entire instance space outside is now severely distorted. Only places like this, which have the characteristics of a ‘safe house,’ can still maintain a certain degree of normalcy. So, I’m going to organize the intelligence I obtained in the upper area of ​​Dansu Company here. Everyone, please go and hide in the small bedroom for a while. If we discover any dangerous information, it could easily hurt you. But Liang and I will be fine here.”

After the joy of reunion, the mission was not yet over, and the struggle for the survival of civilization was not yet finished. Chika quickly returned to work. This time, including Nijika and Hoshika, they were temporarily evicted from the living room area of ​​the safe house and moved to the small bedroom with the door closed. Only Chika and Ryo remained in the living room.

"Now, it's finally time to examine the documents from the boss's office that we brought back earlier. Whew, it really feels like playing a game. Hopefully, this time we can find the key clues to the Happy End."

As she spoke, Chika took out the first document, and her next glance revealed the signature on it:

【Kannahara Micro Hero】

Chapter 75 Kambara Myo's Secret Report and Speculations on the Hatching Ground.

[Secret Report 0-113-6]

The construction of the testing site is basically complete, and all personnel involved in the project have been assured that there is no possibility of leaking secrets.

This project is of paramount importance, as I believe everyone here is well aware of. What we seek is true transcendence, the highest point that we, trapped in the shell of the real world, can never reach in our lifetime. For this, we must be prepared to pay any price.

Of course, I believe that everyone sitting here has already made the necessary preparations. It is because we share the same desires that we make the same choices, whether it's seeking immortality, power, or even the thirst for power itself. Undoubtedly, we are all people who yearn for transcendence. And beyond this yearning for transcendence, we share another commonality: we have all reached the pinnacle of mortal existence, we have all attained heights that others could never reach in a lifetime, or even several lifetimes combined. We already possess worldly wealth and power.

This means we are the elite, the pinnacle of human civilization, truly transcending the mediocre, lowly class who are only fit to work for us for eternity, becoming noble beings entitled to pursue a higher happiness. But precisely because of this, we must keep our secret; we must ensure our actions remain undetected. Those of inferior bloodlines cannot comprehend our nobility, nor will they willingly sacrifice everything for us. Once they understand the truth, our cause will inevitably be impacted.

Ultimately, they are nothing more than a bunch of mediocre people. With a little manipulation, they cannot truly unite. Whether it's inciting gender antagonism, regional discrimination, or discrimination based on race, bloodline, skin color, or religion, or even just sharing favorite music, movies, or novels, we can easily divide these fools. They would never know this, and even if they did, they would still be unable to stop their hostility and confrontation.

However, I must still advise everyone that even so, even with such a significant advantage, we cannot underestimate those of lower social standing. After all, no matter how disunited they may be, they could still launch an attack on us due to some unrealistic fanaticism. And if that happens, if our plans are thwarted, perhaps at some crucial moment a mistake occurs, and our aspirations risk becoming unattainable.

Remember, and I urge you all to remember, what we are pursuing is extremely dangerous. Many have tried to explore these incredible things before us, and almost none of them met a good end. Even a single misstep could lead to a fate worse than death, and ultimately, very few succeed. Therefore, until that day truly arrives, we must remain vigilant and never become complacent. Please remember, our cause concerns the future of all human civilization.

So, that's what I wanted to say in this report. I hope you'll take my words to heart and not think this is just a joke.

The live human testing project will be arranged soon. Dansu Company has now basically controlled the surrounding area, and the employees currently in use are all verified and trustworthy. We have been planning for so long; whether this first step will be successful depends on the next few days.

May our efforts and dedication truly open the door to the realm of the divine.

【——Kanahara Microo】

The first report was discovered by Chika Fujiwara, who found it inside a locked safe. Although Chika herself didn't know the safe's combination, she was strong enough to tear the safe apart and successfully retrieve the report.

It was a report that looked quite old; the paper was even yellowed. Unsurprisingly, Chika saw the name "Kamihara Myo" in the signature section of this report.

As she continued to peruse the documents, more and more reports that connected the various areas within the copy began to be discovered.

[Test Report 052]

[Number of lambs confirmed to have been sacrificed: 3]

[Test Process: A personality transformation test was conducted on three individuals who were not serious enough about their work and not proactive enough in working overtime. Through physical torture and subconscious manipulation, the aim was to transform them into individuals who were willing to work overtime without pay, had extremely high enthusiasm for it, and were capable of loyally keeping company secrets.]

[Test Result: Excellent]

From today onwards, employee loyalty will no longer be an issue.

Ah, what a chilling report!

Yamada Ryo, who was helping to review the report, felt uneasy after only glancing at the records in the report, wondering "how could these words possibly convey this meaning?"

Have you found any key clues?

Chika, who was flipping through a stack of documents, noticed that Ryo had stopped moving. Thinking that there was some important clue, she stopped as well and asked.

"No, that's not it. It's just that... I saw some indescribable, outrageous things that were simply unbelievable."

Liang shook his head, thought for a moment, and then gave an answer.

"Ah, I understand, I know exactly what that means. But I guess because I've seen so many of these things, I'm no longer able to be surprised by them. At most, I just feel, 'Ah, I knew it.'"

Without Ryo needing to describe the report in detail, Chika understood the other party's meaning with a complex expression and continued to examine the information she had found. It didn't take long before she saw yet another intriguing report.

[Test Report 104]

[Number of lambs confirmed to have been sacrificed: 28]

[Test Procedure: A specific lamb was selected and used to attack the area intended as the sacrifice site, releasing enough blood to test whether the desired effect could be achieved.]

Test Result: Poor

The final number of sacrificial lambs exceeded the initial estimate; there are simply too many uncontrollable factors in conducting experiments outside the project. However, the entertainment value of this project was recognized, and it can be developed as a source of revenue.

Is this report... about the incident at the kindergarten?

Chika stared at the report silently for a while before turning to the next one.

[Test Report 178]

[Number of lambs confirmed to have been sacrificed: 16]

[Test Procedure: The experiment involved recycling and reusing lambs diagnosed with mid-to-late stage diseases in the sheep apartment. The aim was to activate their consciousness through physical stimulation and direct stimulation of their nerves by supernatural forces, followed by their death, to test the controllability of artificially created supernatural beings.]

Test Result: Poor

[For those who have already gone insane, continuing to torment their consciousness will only make things worse. These patients in the apartments are worthless waste; stop using them for experiments. Increase the dosage of the poison and kill them as soon as possible.]

[Additionally, it's worth noting that the families of these patients, and some patients in the early stages of the illness—individuals who still retain more consciousness—seem to have a stronger overall will. This is presumably because the stress and torment of caring for patients in the middle and later stages tempers their willpower. This could mean a new source of test subjects; I think these individuals would be good candidates.]

Did they even try to reuse patients whose nerve function had been damaged by heavy metal sewage and who were almost driven insane through human experiments?

Having witnessed countless horrific events, Fujiwara Chika showed no surprise, only a slight frown. She still felt somewhat uncomfortable about such things and increasingly wanted to find those guys as soon as possible and beat them all up.

[Test Report 269]

[Number of lambs confirmed to have been sacrificed: 6]

[Test Procedure: Parasite eggs were implanted into lambs while they were conscious, and their cognition was continuously induced through brainwashing. Under the influence of divine power, mutations occurred within their bodies, transforming them into a parasite nest and forming a controllable small-scale supernatural biological source.]

Test Result: Poor

The parasites created, while possessing undeniable supernatural powers, are uncontrollable. It's speculated that they are imbued with the will of the deceased; such alterations are likely unavoidable, and we'd better abandon this unorthodox method of exploitation.

Meanwhile, Ryo also saw a report that left a deep impression on her. Yes, the impression on her was really profound, after all, she had been eaten alive by insects once. Now that she knew the origin of these insects, Ryo couldn't help but recall the experience of being torn to pieces into a pile of rotten flesh.

It's really annoying. But if this is the origin of the insects, then could the other strange creatures also be... Never mind, let's not dwell on this anymore. There's no point in thinking about it now. Let's see if there's any other information.

I took a deep breath, calmed myself down, and continued reading the reports.

Meanwhile, Chika slowed down her reading of the reports and focused her attention on the only commonality among them.

Sure enough, he was the person in charge of the entire project.

【Kannahara Micro Hero】

Chika's gaze lingered on the signatures of these test reports for several seconds.

The inhumane and horrific experiments conducted by the Dansu Company's top management, from its initial establishment to its subsequent development, were all inseparable from this man, Kambara Kou. He was the beginning of it all, and also the person in charge throughout the process. As for the final outcome, Chika leans towards a failed attempt at death and becoming a monster. However… considering the hospital's current power, she can't help but wonder if other possibilities exist.

Forget it, just guessing isn't very helpful. Let's look for more clues.

With that thought in mind, Chika took a deep breath and continued to peruse the documents piled up in the small room.

[Pre-scheduled test plan 305]

Number of lambs sacrificed in this test: 1

[Pre-planned testing method: Select a lamb that has undergone multiple tests and attempt to endow it with a specific power]

If this test is successful, it will mean that we have finally overcome all the obstacles ahead, the gate to another world will open, and the supreme path to the realm of gods will be paved for us.

[Test Manager: Shinbara Myo]

[Test Results:——]

The last document was a little strange.

Chika picked up the document that was at the end of the test report and was different from the other reports.

All the test reports in the safe were clearly written after the event was over, but only this one report was clearly written before the experiment began. Does this mean that the person responsible for compiling the report was unable to return after the experiment was over?

"check it out."

While he was thinking, Liang handed him another document.

"This is……"

Chika took the document; this one was hidden even more discreetly, in a compartment inside the safe. If Chika hadn't torn the safe open from the side and instead tried to unlock it, neither she nor Ryo might have discovered the compartment, let alone the secret document hidden within.

The document is brief and appears to be a record left by someone like a private investigator.

[Respondent: Shinbara Hisao]