Tonight, Alice joins the hunt.

Now it's finally time to reveal all our cards.

“Do you remember the floating Hamunaptra from The Mummy? I was planning to set up a Sphinx production line before that final battle, but unfortunately, there wasn’t enough time.” Alice blinked.

"But this time is different. Patchouli carries the prototype of the floating fortress, and... what she is doing now is to unfold the Great Library, which serves as the prototype. At the same time, she is activating the mechanical production line she created in the Ju-on world."

"I think you'll be able to see it tomorrow morning."

Alice said, her hands behind her back, looking out at the vast city streets in the rain. Her eyes revealed utter indifference—she didn't enjoy killing people, but if someone willingly came to their death, she wouldn't show them any pity.

"War is coming soon...and how many people will die this time?"

She didn't realize that she hadn't looked at the monitor screen for five minutes.

Neither she nor Zheng Zha noticed.

Author's Note:

................................................

P.S.: Two chapters of 2500 words each... Hmm, it feels like the length is a bit insufficient. Perhaps I should evolve again.

PS2: I'll open a bounty tomorrow. If the goal is reached, then starting in May, all chapters will be at least 3,000 words... I wonder if this bounty will sell _(:з」∠)_

Section 12. Turn on the lights when entering a room.

Wang Xiaoxiao was a homebody... or more accurately, one of the types of people known as otaku in his time. He spent his days at home watching TV and playing computer games, never going out to work, so finding a girlfriend was naturally out of the question—in fact, people like him who didn't want to go out often had some social anxiety, which was actually quite easy to overcome, but it wasn't something that could be done overnight.

However, he has one advantage that isn't exactly a strength: he's very interested in information and related merchandise about various games, and has a deep understanding of this area. Perhaps this wouldn't be considered an advantage in the real world, but in the world of reincarnation, it's definitely a valuable skill.

The veterans didn't deliberately hide their plans and strategies from the newcomers. After all, they might become comrades in the future, and keeping such small details a secret wasn't a good idea. And it was precisely for this reason that when Zheng Zha uttered the phrase 'Margot Lloyd,' a sudden realization struck him like a thunderbolt!

[Margot Royd…yes, that blonde foreign beauty. That surname, that appearance…isn't she a character from that recently released game called *Touhou Youyoumu*?!]

[Alice Margotrovid... So the purple-haired one must be Patchouli Knowledge from *Touhou Koumakyou*. Strange, they don't seem to be related in the official lore. Or did the official release of a new artbook after *Youyoumu*?]

He almost shouted out unconsciously, though he managed to restrain himself, but his change in expression still caught the attention of the others. Leaving aside the veterans, another newcomer named Zheng Xue, who was sitting in the chair next to him and was also responsible for supervising the main characters of the story, spoke up first and asked him a question.

"What's wrong? Your face is pale and bluish. Are you feeling unwell?" Zheng Xue is a lawyer, and his greatest skill is reading people's expressions.

"No, it's nothing." Wang Xiaoxiao waved his hand, trying hard to hide the excitement on his face.

This is a secret I discovered! I only need to know it!

"It's just... uh... a bit cold, I might actually be feeling a little uncomfortable." He glanced at the heavy rain outside the window and casually made up an excuse for himself. "Maybe I caught a chill from the cold wind. I'm not very healthy and I catch colds easily."

He gave a few perfunctory replies, then feigned exhaustion and stopped talking to Zheng Xue. He clenched one fist and supported his upper lip while simultaneously racking his brains.

[The veterans are all from East Asia, except for those two. And everyone else is downstairs, only those two women are on the top floor, and they're not even the team leaders… This suggests they might be ostracized within the group. After all, their art styles are completely different… Tsk, how come two-dimensional girls look so different in real life? It's just a change of clothes, and I didn't even recognize them at first.]

"...But it doesn't matter, this is my chance. I've heard from those veterans that they're all ordinary people from Earth who were strengthened by something called 'God' and gained various powerful abilities...so they probably don't know that those two girls came from the world of anime. If they did, they would definitely mention it."

[This way, the information in my head will come in handy. Movies and novels say that the thing these transmigrators fear most is having their identities exposed. So I can use that as leverage to get them to protect me in this cycle of reincarnation. And even later… hehe.]

Countless thoughts raced through his mind in an instant, including many unspeakable ideas. But he wasn't entirely stupid; he managed to calm himself down and take a few deep breaths.

[Anyway, I have to test the waters... just in case I'm wrong. Hmm... I've got it! Both of them live in Gensokyo in that game series. I'll tell them I know Gensokyo is the gateway to reality. If they're not from another world, they'll naturally think I'm talking nonsense. If they are, then I only need to reveal a little information from the setting book, and they'll have no choice but to believe me!]

Okay, that's settled then. I need to figure out a way to meet them alone...tsk, why are these veterans watching us so closely? It's not like we're prisoners.

He frowned, then suddenly clutched his stomach and bent over slightly.

"Um... I'm feeling a bit unwell, I need to go to the restroom." He pinched his fingers hard, trying to make his voice sound as distressed as possible.

"Do you want me to come with you? The senior members told us that we should act together if something happens." The lawyer next to him glanced at him with concern, then turned to call out in the direction of Xiao Honglu and the others.

"No, no need." Wang Xiaoxiao quickly stopped him. "It's just a slight chill, and more importantly, I need to pee. Don't worry, I'll be back soon, the restroom isn't far from here anyway."

He pressed Zheng Xue back down, and just then, a dazzling flash of lightning streaked across the sky, followed by a series of muffled claps of thunder. He quickly shrank back and took the opportunity to walk away from the side of the hall, heading towards the restroom.

His pace was quick, but his footsteps were light. The veterans seemed to be drawn to the thunder, so they didn't notice him immediately... However, a short but well-developed girl seemed to sense something and glanced in his direction. But by then, he had already crossed the corridor and entered the veterans' blind spot.

[Phew, that was close... Even though she's a loli, the real world isn't my type.]

This thunder came at just the right time... even the heavens are on my side.

He stood cautiously at the entrance of the corridor for a few seconds, waiting for the next clap of thunder before heading up the stairs at the end of the corridor—no small feat for a homebody who rarely leaves the house. However, fate seemed to be a little unkind to him; as he reached the second floor and was about to ascend to the third, he heard a commotion coming from the third floor.

There's an argument going on... The person speaking must be that guy named 'Zhang Heng'.

[Oh no, that guy's an elf... Judging from the sound, he seems to be very close to the stairwell. If I go up now, I'll definitely be discovered.]

There's nothing I can do but wait on the second floor for a while.

He bit his lower lip and walked into the dimly lit second floor—he dared not turn on the lights, for that would easily attract the attention of the more experienced members. But he also dared not just stand at the top of the stairs, for that would also easily draw attention.

I can only hide inside the room for now.

He cautiously entered the hall on the second floor.

The torrential rain and thunder seemed to lurk a terrifying beast in the empty, dark hall. His heart pounded uncontrollably, and a chill ran down his spine.

"It's just for a short while, be careful and everything will be fine. If things get really bad, I can always call for help..."

He tried to encourage himself and carefully walked along the wall towards the seemingly most spacious hall... He knew this was the world of Final Destination, and he also knew that those who court death will die.

"I'm not courting death, I'm only staying here for a little while. I've seen the movie Final Destination; the less clutter around, the safer I am. I'll walk over to the sofa and sit down. As long as there's no chandelier overhead, I don't believe I can be crushed to death by the sofa!"

Outside the window, the rain poured down even harder. A cool breeze seemed to brush past his feet, making his scalp tingle and his hands and feet go numb.

Suddenly, a huge bolt of lightning struck down outside the window!

'——!'

He instinctively swung his hands to the side, not knowing what he bumped into. A sharp crack rang out beside his ear!

Who put this cup here?!

[Oh no, the veterans must have heard that!]

In a moment of panic, he turned around, intending to run back first. However, perhaps because he turned too hastily, and because he had been staying at home for many years and lacked exercise, he slipped and was about to fall!

What did I just break?

A fleeting thought flashed through his mind, and for a split second he could almost feel a sharp pain in the back of his head. Then—it stopped abruptly.

"What are you doing here all alone? Are you looking to die?"

A hand grabbed his neck, forcefully choking him just before his head hit the shards of the porcelain cup. The lights came on, revealing Zhao Yingkong's cold face. Then, he was roughly thrown onto the sofa.

Zhao Yingkong glanced at the ceramic shards scattered on the ground; their sharp edges could definitely kill an ordinary person.

"This is the first and the last time." Zhao Yingkong glanced at him coldly. If it weren't for her enhanced perception after strengthening the embers of the firewood, she might have actually been deceived this time. However, one thing is one thing, and this reckless behavior still made her extremely angry.

"If there's a next time, no one will come to save you," she said calmly, turning and leaving.

Wang Xiaoxiao was left alone, panting heavily, trembling with fear after his brush with death.

[...Mom, damn it.]

I guess I'm just unlucky. Sooner or later I'll get my comeuppance...

He let out two deep breaths, wanting to stare at Zhao Yingkong's retreating figure but not daring to. In the end, he could only clench his fists slightly and wait for his chest to calm down before returning to the first floor.

a long time……

Saito Hajime appeared where the teacup had shattered. Looking at the sharp shards scattered on the ground, he raised his hand to sweep them away but hesitated and stopped.

"It failed. Was it useless?" He shook his head slightly and sighed.

"This is not a hopeless situation."

"Damn it... they're still going to die anyway."

Author's Note:

........................

No bounty offered _(:з」∠)_

I still ended up writing 3000 words _(:з」∠)_

Section Thirteen: Before the Second Day

The newcomers' foolish actions quickly became known to others. Leaving aside how Zheng Zha flew into a rage and reinstated them, the mere fact that the newcomers were attacked by Death itself is enough to prove many things.

—Death has noticed this place and is preparing to take action.

—The main character was not harmed or attacked in any way; the newcomer's attack was entirely his own doing.

However, this is not enough; isolated samples cannot prove a hypothesis. To further confirm these speculations, more evidence is needed.

“In several movies, Death kills in an orderly fashion. Either sequentially or in reverse order. Although the possibility of Death killing in a random order cannot be ruled out, that possibility is too low. At least until we prove Xiao Honglu’s theory of ‘Death’s Order’, we have to put it aside for now.” Alice gently tapped her forehead, thinking.

"Based on the order of the vehicles on the highway, the protagonist of the story must have died before us. In other words, if Death kills people in order, the first thing it will do is kill the protagonist before we. But if it intends to kill people in reverse order, the first to be attacked should be the veterans... unless this guy named Wang Xiaoxiao is hiding his true strength."

“So… there are three inferences.” She gently bit her finger.

"First, we are in different death cycles from the main characters. Their order of death is irrelevant to us... but this means that the difficulty of that A-level side quest has been drastically reduced. We can easily get through it by simply hypnotizing these main characters and throwing them into a sanatorium—or by using a similar strategy... This doesn't fit the style of the main god's difficulty settings."

"Secondly, we are not in the cycle of death at all. Death simply wants to kill us, so... the intensity of Death's pursuit will increase rapidly within a few days. Death, which does not need to follow the rules, will soon launch a powerful offensive. In that situation, it is indeed difficult to protect the main characters of the story. This can barely explain the reasoning."

"Third, that guy named Wang Xiaoxiao is suspicious."

Alice murmured to herself, her gaze fixed on the monitor screen. The sound waves emanating from her mouth didn't dissipate naturally but were projected directly into the ears of the senior members on the first floor. She knew Xiao Honglu would soon arrive at the same conclusion, but she felt it unnecessary to waste time.

Because she had other things to think about.

Patchouli will be fine in the Grand Library. If Death wants to destroy the Grand Library before we can react, he'll have to use a 'Tsar Bomba' at close range.

But Patches will need at least a day to start those production lines and acquire resources to build her legion. Before that, I need to make sure nothing unexpected happens.

She gently closed her eyes.

Patchouli didn't tell Alice what she had done in the world of Ju-on, and the Great Library couldn't possibly contain an entire mechanical army. She simply brought back the production line and told Alice that this was the result of her work in the real world of Ju-on.

But this was enough to give her a clue to her suspicions.

Because she understands Patchouli as well as Patchouli understands her. Since Patchouli established a production line in the world of Ju-on, she would never let those working machines stand still—she must have created an army and used them to do something.

And these things are of utmost importance.

Patchouli must have done something significant in the Ju-on world, and the consequences of those actions will become apparent in this horror movie… because I can return to the Ju-on world to check on things after the movie ends. There's no need to hide it from me then. So…

Patchouli...did you test the Supreme God? Or perhaps...?