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

boom--

So it was directly struck by the giant axe, heavily compressed, and smashed all the way down into the twisted and chaotic city ruins below.

Then, an even more intense burst of golden light erupted, and the entire dungeon world, this dungeon space the size of a city, was forcibly split in two by the axe, breaking apart and shattering in the middle.

[God, you? I've already said I'm not a god, you idiot.]

Then, the girls inside the instance, everyone still alive and with hearing, and even the monster struggling under the axe could clearly hear Gao Hai's powerful and furious curse.

Chapter Eighty: A trap is looming, but the way out lies hidden within.

"If we recklessly try to dismantle that fake core, I think we'll fall into the enemy's trap."

Not long ago, after leaving the safe house where Ryo and Nijika were, Fujiwara Chika did not immediately use the Blood Key to go to the underground area of ​​Dansu Company. Instead, she stayed at the Jin Yang Apartment for a while to think and analyze, and quickly came to this conclusion.

After reviewing so much relevant information, Chika conducted an in-depth analysis of Kambara Myo, the enemy who was very likely the predecessor of the "Internal Medicine Doctor." Especially considering the existence of a false core in the instance and the absorption of the instance's power, the girl strongly suspected that the "Internal Medicine Doctor" monster still retained a certain degree of scheming ability, rather than being a more instinctive and pure monster like the "Psychotherapist."

If the opponent is truly a rational adversary, then the core obsession that replaced the [Internal Physician] must be problematic. Although the location of that fake core was found at the cost of the entire Minghuijian squad's sacrifice, they were ultimately just a group of Dark Night-level players. This shows that the defenses of the lower areas of Dansu Company are not actually very strong. Therefore, it can be deduced that the fake core is either truly unimportant or part of a plan deliberately released by the opponent. Taking a bite out of it would only lead to falling into a trap.

But if we don't take this bait, where can we find the right way to break the deadlock?

The enemy has completely sealed off this space, turning it into a prison from which there is no escape. The only possible way to break free now seems likely to be a trap. In this situation, how can we find a real solution? No, rather, is true liberation even possible? Would the enemy really leave a flaw in such a crucial operation, a way to break free that can be found quickly?

It seems the more you think about it, the less likely you are to find a solution.

However, Chika didn't think there was truly no way to solve this problem. If something seems to have no way to be solved, it might not be that the enemy has truly blocked all paths, but rather that the person trying to break the trap is using the wrong approach, following the path the opponent has set up, which is why they are failing.

Given this, how can we break free from our existing way of thinking and find new methods?

The barrier created by the hospital is designed to completely isolate Ah Hai's mental power, making it difficult for his extraordinary abilities to break through the boundaries and enter this cage.

Ah Hai initially thought it would take about half an hour to break the barrier, but it hasn't actually been broken yet. It seems that trying to stall for time to decide the outcome is unlikely to succeed. Therefore, the key is to find a way to break the barrier and prevent it from continuing to exist.

It's now certain that within the instance, and focusing solely on this instance, she likely has no chance of breaking through the barrier. After all, all known clues could be traps, pre-designed by the enemy. To put it bluntly, things might only go wrong if she actually resolves that obsession.

In other words, we need to find a way to crack it from outside the copy.

The girl closed her eyes, silently pondering the correct solution, considering what way she could break free from the mold and truly turn the tables.

[Chika, how are things going on your end?]

An unexpected message suddenly came from the mental link.

This isn't entirely due to the Black Watch's linking power. The Black Watch that Takami currently possesses has been significantly weakened due to spatial disturbances within Tokyo and certain other special circumstances. However, combined with the power of certain artifacts, Chika can still communicate remotely with other connected individuals within the same instance. In other words, although the Black Watch's link has become unstable, through some clever techniques, the group can still use this power as a signal amplifier—of course, only those with the link can do this.

At this very moment, on the other end of the communication line was Yotsuya Miko, who had been hiding after entering the instance space.

Xiaojianzi contacted me at this time. Did she confirm something on her end?

Chika wandered aimlessly, lost in thought, while remaining vigilant about whether the communication was being hacked or interfered with. Thanks to the power of her black watch, the possibility of being overheard by the enemy was slim, but for safety's sake, Chika remained alert, as was Yotsuya Miko, who was on the other end of the line.

[Fujiwara Chika: I'm ready to take action. How's it going with Omiko?]

[Yotsuya Miko: I have successfully arrived at the company's external area in the dark environment that Ryo mentioned. Just as he said, something was once conceived here, and it was the gestation of that thing that caused the downgrade of the instance. That unknown entity almost drained the original power of this instance.]

[Fujiwara Chika: Oh, so the basic chain of events is complete. The only thing we're still unsure about is how much of Kambara Io's personality remains in the [Internal Medicine Doctor], and what kind of schemes and traps he can still devise. Hmm, personally, I think all the clues we've collected so far pointing to solving the dungeon are probably flawed. Hehehe, that might sound like I'm deliberately trying to think the worst, but I do lean towards the worst possibility.]

[Yotsuya Miko: I actually think so too. This place... is very empty. There should have been some kind of trace here originally, but my spiritual vision didn't react much. I think those traces must have been actively cleaned up after the gestating entity finished hatching. The fact that it could be cleaned up to the point that there are almost no traces under spiritual vision is enough to prove that after the transformation was completed, the other party still possessed a certain degree of intelligence and planning ability, just like before the transformation. It cannot be regarded as a simple monster.]

[Fujiwara Chika: Okay, so we've reached an agreement. Have you found any clues to crack the code?]

[Yotsuya Miko: No, I'm sorry, there's nothing of value left here, just ruins. It won't help break the barrier at all.]

[Fujiwara Chika: This was somewhat expected. In that case, I'll leave the apartment to Omiko. I should probably head over to the company soon.]

[Yotsuya Miko: Hey, didn't we already say that place was likely a trap too? The fact that a Night-level raid team could find it and leave behind information about it is enough to cause the raid to collapse. This clue itself is already very suspicious, isn't it? Do we really still want to go in?]

[Fujiwara Chika: If we don't go in, how can we convince the enemy that we've been tricked? Leaving one person to do the most crucial thing is enough. Besides, if I'm not mistaken, the [Psychiatrist] should appear the moment I crack the core. I don't think a single Red Moon-level blessing can seal it for long. Rather than constantly guarding against its sneak attacks, it's better to let it appear in its own cleverly crafted script. That way, it'll be more satisfying.]

[Fujiwara Chika: But that's also why I have to trouble you with the most important thing, Komiko!]

[Yotsuya Miko: I understand, Chika-kun. I will do my best.]

Outside the pitch-black office building, amidst the collapsed and shattered remains of flesh and blood, Yotsuya Miko stood silently gazing at her surroundings.

What was a nightmarish experience for Yamada Ryo—the nighttime encounter in the company's upper floors—was practically a vacation for Yotsuya Miko now. No matter the number of the attacking monsters, whether they used physical attacks, curses, or other methods, she could easily overcome and defeat them. Furthermore, she could effortlessly reach areas outside the building that Ryo herself couldn't possibly access, without any worries about encountering any difficulties.

However, as expected, no clues were found here.

Although the area covered by these wreckage fragments was enough to confirm that the [Internal Medicine Doctor]'s origins lay within this instance, confirming that it was born from these fragmented pieces of flesh, the traces of its former existence had been almost entirely wiped away, leaving nothing behind. Even with Miko's exceptionally powerful senses, she couldn't detect any useful information, so this path held no further clues.

In the end, only the "core obsession" located underground in the company might be useful, but according to Qianhua's side, leaving this seemingly only solution behind is more like a trap in a sense.

So, what should we do?

This barrier is completely different from the previous ones; there are no key areas that can be destroyed, and the blockade cannot be broken by attacking key points. Even though Jian Ziyin vaguely knows that her abilities should be able to affect this barrier, otherwise the enemy wouldn't have specifically tried to eliminate her in advance, she really has no idea how to break through this invisible barrier.

[Fujiwara Chika: Well then, since there are no clues over there, I'll ask Omiko to come over to the apartment.]

[Fujiwara Chika: Should I say it's fortunate we didn't leave? It turns out that the strange creature I thought was attacking was actually an ally on our side. What an unexpected situation!]

[Fujiwara Chika: To be honest, it's really suspicious. Despite being trapped in a dungeon, she can still utter the word "KP." Are they truly allies sent to help us, a deus ex machina pre-arranged by a higher power, or just another trap?]

[Fujiwara Chika: But that's not important. What's important is that, thanks to this gentleman, I've finally come up with a new idea. I've thought of a little idea that I'm not entirely sure will work, but it's definitely worth trying.]

[Fujiwara Chika: Well then, I'll leave this to you. Please take good care of these guys who are so easily fooled by any clues they hear, believing everything they hear, though they don't really have much of a choice, Miko-kun!]

As Fujiwara Chika finished speaking, some hidden information was immediately transmitted into Miko's mind.

This……

The girl, who hadn't expected the other party to give such an opinion, widened her eyes and didn't know how to react for a moment.

Chika, did she actually come up with this idea?

Is doing this really any different from suicide?

But... it might actually work.

No matter how powerful a barrier may be, it ultimately has its limits. Born from the [Sacrifice Game], and unable to truly transcend it, it cannot extend its strength to infinity. Moreover, its power is currently being used to erode the entire city of Tokyo, deploy resources to other countries and regions, and confront its demigod predecessors. The power truly available for this barrier is extremely limited.

Then let's do it this way.

Even if this is indeed a very dangerous and extremely uncontrollable behavior, it might actually be useful.

And isn't my ability perfectly suited for this kind of situation?

Without hesitation, the girl with long black hair quickly returned to the office building area and entered the apartment area using Chika's blood key.

At the same time, in the already distorted and chaotic corner of the apartment, a wardrobe slowly opened, and Nijika and Ryo once again walked out of the safe house, accompanied by Hoshika, Fujiwara Toyomi, the eldest sister of the Fujiwara family who had taken the initiative to participate in this operation despite her mother's objections, and the distorted monster that was swimming in the darkness.

"Then, please lead the way, Mr. Isidore, and take us to that painting."

Hongxia bowed slightly to the monster in the darkness.

【…】

The monster lurking in the darkness made a few strange, indescribable sounds before slowly moving forward, like a black spot crawling across the wall and the ground. It seemed slow, but in reality, it was incredibly fast and difficult to catch up with. The people behind it had to speed up to catch up.

Inside the now-closed safe house, Fujiwara Maho, unable to persuade her eldest daughter to stay calm, silently wiped away her tears, while Fujiwara Moeha, squatting on the ground, also looked desolate.

Not long ago, after Nijika made her decision to take action, Fujiwara Toyomi stepped forward and said, "The Fujiwara family can't continue to sit idly by at this point. Let me join the operation; the more people there are, the more strength we'll have." He decisively rejected his mother's suggestion and, using the excuse that "Moeha is still young, let's talk about this after I fail," refused his third sister Fujiwara Moeha's idea of ​​joining the operation. Then, he left with the others.

Nijika was initially reluctant to have a new member join the team, as the outside world was truly dangerous, and even with the help of this strange being who seemed to be a painter, they weren't guaranteed to avoid all dangers. However, Fujiwara Toyomi was very determined, and Ryo suddenly said that having more people would be good, so she was able to join the team's operations smoothly.

As for why Chika's older sister chose to join the operation, the reason was actually quite simple. She deduced from Hongxia, Liang, and the others' reactions, as well as Chika's own evasive attitude, that if their operation failed in the coming days, they would likely face certain death. Therefore, it was no longer appropriate for her family to remain hidden. Even if she was just cannon fodder, she wanted to find a way to play a role, rather than ending up just sitting in the house waiting to be rescued or to die.

The reasons why Ryo agreed and Hoshika didn't object were much simpler. After experiencing a series of events, both of them had changed their mindset. In their view, having another person in the team to test various dangers was perfectly acceptable. In other words, whether they wanted to admit it or not, they both saw Fujiwara Toyomi as cannon fodder added to increase the survival rate of the others.

Without a sound, Jianzi had already followed behind these people.

She could sense the eerie presence of the man who seemed to be the painter, his extremely chaotic mental fluctuations, and a deeply hidden malice that likely did not belong to his own consciousness.

I'm afraid this road is also a trap.

After all, the senior had already personally confirmed that KP had been captured by the hospital. So even if KP did leave behind some kind of backup plan, it was entirely possible that the hospital could decipher it and use it to kill the survivors at a critical moment, thereby controlling the remaining variables and preventing any unexpected situations from occurring.

From this perspective, that "internal medicine doctor," that Shinbara Mio, really did take everything into consideration.

However, there is no perfect plan in this world. The more meticulous the plan, the easier it is to go wrong.

The flaws in this plan are now beginning to surface.

Tread - Tread -

The figures disappeared into the depths of the twisted and chaotic apartment building.

Fujiwara Chika had also arrived in that underground space, in the area where the entire Memoir Squad had been killed and sacrificed.

A vast amount of rotting flesh and blood had engulfed the entire venue. The twisted and terrifying core obsession, driven mad once again by Qianhua's arrival, began to try to destroy her and merge her into the fragments of flesh and blood.

Then, the girl suppressed it and completely controlled the monster.

"Another player squad sacrificed..."

Chika had nothing to say but sigh for the departed members of the Meikihama squad.

This is not the first team to sacrifice their lives. Whether it is the supporting players from all over the world, the local player organizations in Japan, or the ordinary people who actively participated in the operation, they have all made huge sacrifices in this seemingly endless darkness.

Although this sacrifice may have been a trap, it does not mean that their sacrifice was meaningless, because even a trap has its own significance.

After all, traps are created to lure people into them. And it is precisely because someone has already stepped into the trap that the person who created it will believe that they have victory in their grasp, right?

Head up.

Chika looked at the stitched-up heart, at the aura flowing within it that belonged to the core of her obsession.

After confirming the situation with Miko one last time, the power of the crimson domain was quickly released from the girl, spreading towards the source of obsession confirmed by the Meiki-ma squad, and swiftly engulfing it.

Even though Gao Hai himself wasn't here, the crimson domain based on his power still forcibly broke through the obsession, allowing these restless souls to be freed, thus severing the source of this instance and causing it to enter a stage of collapse and shattering.

However, this process did not continue.

In that instant, Chika clearly sensed that the impending destruction of the instance was forcibly terminated. Moreover, the instance itself entered a more chaotic and distorted phase, as if some extremely dangerous change was beginning to occur.

"This is……"

She could sense the changes on Ichiri's and Kita's side, and knew that they were already engaged in a fierce battle.

She could also sense that the core obsession that had previously disappeared had reappeared, stabilized the instance once again, and actively pushed it in a more uncontrollable direction, deliberately creating more serious problems.

It turned out to be the case.

Chika understood.

The core of this instance should have been the [Internal Medicine Doctor].