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

[Whatever, I'm not going to join the fun. Let others talk all they want, I just want money. You need money to live a good life!]

The diary wasn't very long, and Akira Toyama read it through in a very short time.

How should I put it? These are really typical clue notes. There are always all sorts of clue notes left in the dungeon, whether they are diaries or essays. These written records left by the living people who once lived here will always appear in various places in the dungeon, allowing players to find them and search for clues.

Sometimes Akira Toyama couldn't help but wonder if these notes and documents were not originally in their corresponding locations within the instance, or perhaps they were never even written down. It was only under the manipulation of some unknown entity that this information was generated and deliberately placed in the corresponding locations so that players could discover and study them.

Of course, Akira Toyama only had such thoughts occasionally. He also knew that thinking about such things was meaningless, so he just thought about them and didn't actually get caught up in them.

"The problems in the underground levels are becoming increasingly apparent, but unfortunately, we can't find a way to get there. Oh well, let's just take it one step at a time."

Yuanshan Ming muttered to himself, took the note, and then gestured to the rescue team members beside him to leave with him.

I walked out of the cleaning room.

Close the door.

The footsteps of the man and the ghost gradually faded into the distance.

In the quiet, empty cleaning room, the stark white light seemed to flicker slightly, and the previously closed trash can slowly opened, as if something was about to crawl out.

squeak-

Akira Toyama quickly pushed open the door and looked at the closed garbage disposal opening.

A flying insect quietly landed back on Yuanshan Ming's body, while he himself strode to the release hole and immediately sensed the dissipated traces of the strange creature's aura.

Occasionally launching a surprise attack seems to make sense.

Thinking this, Akira Toyama glanced at the dispensing port, pondered for a moment, then took out a spray can and sprayed it into the port. A pale white, viscous substance quickly seeped into the metal door of the dispensing port and solidified, sealing it off. Akira then tested the strength of the solidifying substance, and only after confirming there were no problems did he turn and leave.

While they could test the strength of the thing that had climbed up, the investigation of the first and second floors wasn't yet complete. Before gathering all the available clues, Akira Toyama preferred to proceed cautiously. He wanted to wait until the other two players had completed their investigations, then the three of them could combine their information and determine their next course of action. After all, relying solely on clues he found would inevitably leave some gaps. And in Akira Toyama's view, gaps meant inherent risks.

Even though being a player inevitably means surviving in danger, Akira Toyama wants to hold onto all the clues he can, hoping to minimize the risk before taking any action. Although this idea often turns into wishful thinking, Akira Toyama still tries his best to ensure this stability.

Close the door.

The footsteps faded into the distance once more.

In the empty and silent cleaning room, the garbage disposal hole, which was sealed with a white gel-like substance, trembled slightly once again.

【■■■■■……】

A muffled sound came from below the sealed movable door.

The sounds, like weeping, struggling, or pleading, accompanied by the heavy, persistent pounding on the metal door, echoed one after another.

thump -- thump -- thump --

The sound lasted for about ten seconds before quieting down. The cleaning room returned to its original silence.

Then, Akira Toyama, who had been silently standing in the cleaning room, lifted the white cloak that concealed his figure and allowed him to hide in the light, opened the door again, retrieved the building block doll that had disguised itself as him leaving, and turned and left the place once more.

Despite saying that, Akira Toyama actually lingered outside the cleaning room for five minutes before turning around and leaving, only after confirming that there were no problems.

There seems to be a strange feeling in my head.

As Akira Toyama walked down the second-floor corridor, he suddenly frowned. Just a moment ago, a strange feeling seemed to have arisen in his mind, only to vanish in an instant. Akira himself could only barely grasp a vague sense of it, unable to understand what it was.

Did I trigger something?

Unsure of what was going on, Akira Toyama frowned and stopped to examine himself carefully.

【Om—】

Just then, static suddenly started playing on the radio. Upon hearing this, Akira Toyama immediately looked up, wondering why the radio, which had been quiet for so long, was playing again.

Please do not enter the kitchen.

The next second, Akira Toyama heard the babyish voice of a little girl making a broadcast.

[The kitchen is a restricted area for customers; please do not enter.]

The chefs will provide delicious food for our customers, but they need an undisturbed environment to cook.

We kindly request that all customers cooperate with our resort's arrangements and refrain from entering the kitchen. This is for the health and safety of all our customers.

Is the broadcast pointing to the kitchen? If so, is it the kitchen on the first floor or the second floor?

As Akira Toyama pondered, he took a step forward. He had already confirmed, through the tiny flying insects clinging to his body, that the person who triggered this broadcast was Hobo Xiong. This player, who was still suffering from the dog-transformation mechanic and had not yet fully recovered, was now in the dining area, standing on the inner side of the passageway leading to the first-floor kitchen.

I didn't expect the broadcast to elicit such a strong reaction.

Hu Baoxiong reached out and touched his chin, staring at the open first-floor kitchen in front of him, but for some reason he couldn't see the interior clearly, his eyes filled with a hint of inquiry.

He can smell the odor.

After enduring the agony of being turned into a dog at Zaoli Elementary School, even though he has regained his human senses, some things have been permanently changed. One such change is his sense of smell, which far surpasses that of other players of the same level. It's difficult to pinpoint the exact cause of this miraculous change; if one had to explain it, it could be said that the mental state of a sufficiently powerful player can indeed influence their physical structure. In Hu Baoxiong's case, in addition to his incurable dog addiction, he has truly gained an extremely powerful sense of smell and physical abilities, to the point that even players of the same level are astonished by his speed and strength when he moves.

Therefore, I would never mistake this taste.

The strong smell of blood... does this mean the meat in the dining area is actually this kind of thing? It's strange, why isn't this written in the rules?

In any case, since the broadcast has issued a warning, it's best not to try entering the kitchen for the time being.

Although there will inevitably be a moment when the broadcast requirements are violated, we are still in the early stages of exploration, and there is no need to immediately break off relations.

Thinking this, Hu Baoxiong moved away from the kitchen entrance, intending to conduct further investigations elsewhere. However, before he could actually leave, a refreshing aroma wafted into his nose.

This taste...

Saliva began to be secreted rapidly.

Driven by the instinctive effects of being turned into a dog, its tongue involuntarily stuck out, accompanied by heavy breathing sounds of "ha, ha."

Unlike before, this time Hu Baoxiong took a deep breath with great difficulty, barely managing to control his addiction. He wasn't stupid; he was well aware of the situation in the dining area, so he would do everything in his power to restrain himself and not let the addiction overwhelm his reason.

It's really tough, yet it's so attractive. Sure enough, there's something wrong with this meat.

Thinking this, Hu Baoxiong didn't look at the rows of food displayed at the edge of the dining area at all. Instead, he looked up at the electronic clock placed in the dining area.

Unsurprisingly, Hu Baoxiong saw the time "12:03," which was the "meal time" listed on the rest area rules.

It's lunchtime, everyone please come down and gather in the dining area.

Through the temporary mental link established by Gao Hai, Hu Baoxiong spoke to Shi Tang Zhengzhao and Yuanshan Ming.

"No problem, I'll be right down. What kind of food is available in the dining area? Since the survivors can eat, it shouldn't be a problem. I'm a little hungry anyway."

Masaaki Ishido was the first to respond. Judging from the voice, the captain probably hadn't encountered any major crisis, but he also didn't get many valuable clues.

"I'm on my way, but the space here has changed again, so it might take me a while to find the stairs down. Oh, by the way, I heard the announcement earlier; you tried to get into the kitchen, right? Is there a problem there?"

Yuanshan Ming responded a beat late and immediately began to inquire about Hu Baoxiong's exploration progress.

【We can talk about it when you two come down. Anyway, I didn't go into the kitchen, so I'm not sure what kind of food they have here. I didn't check, and I wouldn't really recommend you eat there. At least, you definitely can't eat meat, unless you want to experience the thrill of Hannibal Lecter.】

Hu Baoxiong's reply carried a hint of mischievousness, and Ishido Masaaki, who was originally a little hungry, immediately lost his appetite upon hearing this guy's words. He could only sigh a few times in the mental link and continue walking towards the dining area.

Hannibal's fun?

Akira Toyama, who doesn't watch dramas or movies much, was stunned when he heard this. He didn't immediately realize what Kobo was talking about. After a moment of hesitation, he recalled some discussions he had heard before and realized what the meat in the dining area was.

Why would a resort have something like that in its dining area?

Yuanshan Ming was very puzzled.

While things like Mads Mikkelsen's carefully selected items aren't common in the "Sacrifice Game" dungeons, players have still encountered similar situations to some extent. After all, dungeons often represent the boundless malice and horror of humanity, and cannibalism is always an indispensable part of such events.

But shouldn't it be here?

A relatively upscale, but not extremely upscale, resort that's at least affordable for the middle class shouldn't have this kind of thing. This kind of thing is more likely to be found in extremely high-end aristocratic gatherings, cult venues, or extremely remote villages. At a lower level, it might be the residence of a deranged serial killer. Could it be those bandits? But based on the existing clues, those bandits were just randomly shooting and killing; they didn't seem to have taken any further action.

Perhaps the game area and massage area in the afternoon will answer your questions.

As for now, the most important thing is to reunite with my teammates first.

Putting aside distractions, Akira Toyama led the chattering rescue team member forward, taking a while to find the stairs to the first floor before quickly locating the dining area. At this point, Hoshino and Masaaki Ishido were already seated near the door. Hoshino had deliberately chosen a seat facing the entrance to avoid seeing the food on the plates, while Ishido was observing the dishes with great interest, as well as the smiling staff standing motionless behind the counter.

"We've finally arrived, and you're the only one missing."

When Masaaki Ishido turned around and saw Akira Toyama coming over, he smiled at him and said something.

Are you sure it's that kind of thing?

Yuanshan Ming entered the dining area, glanced at the time to confirm it was 12:55, sat down, and then asked.

"Yes, that's true. I checked specifically, and all the meat products are."

When this topic came up, Masaaki Ishido's expression became much more serious. He nodded first, then took out a small necklace, opened it to reveal a mirror about the size of a finger, and showed the reflection to Akira Toyama.

In that small mirror, Akira saw a boy with a bewildered expression, covered in dirt, who looked like a poor person.

"..."

Yuanshan Ming fell silent.

The mirror in Ishido Masaaki's hand is one of the very few Crimson Moon-level artifacts possessed by the Crimson Society. Named the "Restoration Mirror," it's a peculiar necklace with multiple built-in mechanisms. When activated in a specific way, it reflects the state of things before they were altered, and the specific time of the reflection can be freely controlled by adjusting the mechanisms. In other words, with this item, players can restore documents burned to ashes to their state before they were burned, or trace back to the stage when the ashes were a tree, a seed, a fruit, or even a flower.

Now, this thing has truly taken on a human form, and the implications of that are self-evident.

This kind of thing... if it were truly widespread, then the rulebook shouldn't just be hinted at at construction sites. But that's not the case. Is it because it can't be written down for some reason? Or did the survivors simply not care about it?

Having confirmed the matter, Ishido Masaaki had no appetite whatsoever. As for Toyama Akira, he hadn't planned to eat anything there anyway, so it didn't matter to him. It was only Hu Baoxiong who was finding it extremely difficult to resist. The aroma of the meat and vegetables was incredibly tempting to him, far more appealing than the dog food he usually ate. He could only swallow hard to suppress his thoughts and desires.

"Let's go. We've already been here once. According to the rules, no one will bother us if we leave now."

Akira Toyama, noticing Hobo's unusual state, suggested.

"Well said. How about the three of us just wait over in the game area and see what happens when the time comes?"

Having long wanted to leave, Masaaki Ishido immediately prepared to sit up.

"Something's coming, don't move."

Then, Hu Baoxiong suddenly stretched out his hands, speaking in a serious tone, and placed them on the shoulders of the captain and vice-captain, pressing Ishido Masaaki and Toyama Akira back into their seats.

There wasn't enough time for further communication.

Because the slow, intermittent footsteps were already echoing at the entrance to the dining area.

A strong chill is spreading.

Unlike what we've encountered before, this one is incredibly powerful. The strength of a single individual is terrifying, the kind that even going all out might not be enough to defeat. And there's more than one of them; just from their aura, there must be at least seven or eight.

Toyama Akira and Ishido Masaaki both quieted down and remained seated without moving.

【…? 】