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

Although there were surveillance cameras in the lounge, Gao Hai knew from the doll that Maki was carrying that the two of them were going to the research lab to do some work, and then they would go back to the dormitory area on the second floor to rest, and they could not go back to the monitoring room.

Therefore, I can actually agree to Chika's request now.

"In short, I trust Gao Jun's character. Come on."

Chika has extended an invitation once again.

This time, she even stood up and walked up to Gao Hai, reaching out to grab his arm and trying to pull him up.

"This kind of trust is really heavy..."

With a sigh, Gao Hai finally stood up, then walked over and lay down on the small bed. Facing the wall, he turned to his side, leaving only his back to Chika as he slept on the single bed nailed to the wall.

Gao Hai is already quite tall, and this bed is very small. Even though he tried to make some space by sleeping on his side, Qian Hua still only had a small portion of the bed area left to lie down and sleep.

However, considering the girl's height of only 1.54 meters, this width is sufficient.

"Hey..."

With a soft sound, as if encouraging himself, Gao Hai felt a warm touch gently pressed against his back.

There was a sinking sensation coming from the other side of the bed.

“Hmm…”

The sound of the girl's breathing followed in my ears.

Extremely nervous, Fujiwara Chika lay down on the single bed with her back to Takami.

He seemed to be trembling a little.

Despite demonstrating exceptional qualities far exceeding those of ordinary people in her previous actions, Chika still revealed her shy side as a girl at this moment.

I have to say, I really wanted to turn around and hug her, watch her panicked struggle, and then... calm down, calm down, my friend. Human reason should prevail over desire. You shouldn't waste your energy on this kind of thing before a life-or-death crisis, even if she smells really good, is really soft, is so small yet so big, and is completely unlike the strong and arrogant Zhenfei, soft and cute, even a little naive, and... enough, enough, don't let your Dao heart be disturbed, go to sleep, go to sleep...

Gao Hai tried his best to remain calm, closing his eyes and trying to fall asleep.

At this moment, he couldn't help but wonder why he still couldn't calm down, even though the blessing and empowerment he received after passing through the Shirakawa Apartment had clearly strengthened his willpower. Was the enhancement a little incomplete?

As for Maki, who was in a slightly better mood, she hung the doll on her waist and, together with Kaguya, walked through the heavy door and entered the room, which was about the size of a basketball court and contained various complex instruments and large machines.

[Analysis Workspace]

At the doorway behind the two, a metal tag reflected a cold light.

Chapter 21: Initial Workflow and Report Submission in the Analysis Workshop

He pulled up his white lab coat to cover the rag doll hanging from his waist.

Maki took the lead and stepped into the large research room located on one side of the base, the [Analysis Workroom], and quickly noticed a notice posted next to the entrance.

It appears that what's written above are some of the laboratory's guidelines.

[Analysis of Workplace Considerations]

[1. This laboratory is responsible for analyzing rock samples from caves mined using remote-controlled machinery. All machinery must be used only after sufficient experience has been gained, and all operating procedures must be followed. You will be held accountable for any violations.]

2. Ensure that there are at least two researchers working in the analysis room; no single person should remain in the analysis room.

3. Eating, smoking, or engaging in any other personal activities unrelated to the experiment is prohibited in the laboratory. Unauthorized personnel and unapproved individuals must not be brought into the analytical work area.

4. Keep the laboratory clean and tidy. Clean the laboratory at least once a day. Collect all waste and residue generated in the analytical area and put it into the incinerator specifically designed for this area for centralized disposal. Do not pay attention to any strange noises produced during this process.

5. Specific lab coats must be changed into before entering the analytical work area; these lab coats must not be taken out of the analytical work area.

6. All researchers involved in the analysis lab must undergo a daily psychological check-up. Samples extracted from this site contain specific hallucinogenic substances, and the mental health of the researchers must be ensured.

7. If bloodstains, clothing fragments, or other traces are found during the sample sorting stage, please activate the Level 2 emergency plan and temporarily leave the analysis room. No one should remain in the room at this time. You may return to the room only after the Level 2 emergency plan has automatically ended.

8. If biological signals are detected in the sample during the sample analysis phase, the Level 1 emergency procedure (also known as the emergency procedure) must be activated immediately to transfer the sample to the frozen storage area. Once this procedure is activated, the person must leave the analysis room immediately and must not remain there.

9. If you witness anything that should not be in the work area during your work hours, such as a mangled human anatomy, someone pleading for help, or rescue workers in bloated clothing, you are experiencing deep hallucinations. In this case, you must activate the Level 1 emergency response procedure and remain in the analysis work area.

[10. Your identity is that of a researcher at the cave base. Do not ignore your identity, and do not misjudge your own role.]

The contents of the notice were quite simple, and it seemed to be a detailed supplement to Article 3 of the Researcher's Code of Conduct. Maki carefully read it through, and then Kaguya came up and read it carefully as well. The two girls exchanged a glance before cautiously entering the deeper part of the laboratory.

Buzz-buzz-

The automatic sensor systems in the room lit up as the two arrived, completely illuminating the previously dim laboratory.

At this moment, the laboratory is empty, with only machines operating automatically.

After donning a special analytical lab uniform over her researcher's uniform, Maki entered the laboratory and saw stones arranged in large containers. These stones appeared to have been mined by automated machinery in the isolation zone; they seemed unremarkable, just ordinary rocks. However, considering the eeriness of the place and the instructions she had just received, Maki decided it was best to stay away from the stones.

"Level 1 and Level 2 emergency response procedures?"

Following Kaguya, who had changed her clothes and entered, they looked at the two buttons next to the control panel. One was a light red button, and the other a blood red button; the former was the activation button for the [Level 2 Contingency Plan], and the latter for the [Level 1 Contingency Plan]. The two girls hadn't received any information about the specifics of these plans; it seemed the authors of these rules and precautions didn't want the researchers to know too much.

"Once we complete the basic procedures once, we can leave here. Let's end this as soon as possible."

Maki walked up to Kaguya and whispered something, then pressed a button on the control platform located in the center of the laboratory.

hum-

Amidst the vibrations of the machinery, a platform at the edge of the laboratory rose, revealing rocks of various sizes laid out on it. Then, a huge container descended, loading the rocks, which then began to move on a conveyor belt, quickly entering a large instrument.

Then, Maki walked to another area on the other side of the laboratory, pulled down a lever, and two more instruments started up on their own. A dull sound began to vibrate rhythmically throughout the laboratory, as steady and powerful as a human heartbeat.

Kaguya, who had already seen the standard procedure document in Maki's hand when she entered, did not linger at the main control panel. Instead, she walked to another area of ​​the laboratory, pressed the start button on a large instrument, and then the sound of something shattering echoed through the laboratory.

Pressing buttons and pulling levers—that seems to be all the work researchers do.

Just like how repetitive methods wear down a person's thinking ability, Kaguya guessed that if the researchers who joined this base had done the same thing, constantly pressing buttons day after day, perhaps when they needed to press the so-called first and second level contingency plans, they would also press those two buttons without hesitation.

However, this is just a conjecture without any evidence.

The two, acting cautiously, did not encounter any unusual situations after completing a standard procedure.

It seems that this place is different from Shirakawa Apartments; there doesn't appear to be any kind of overwhelming opening act.

"Let's go."

After receiving an automatically printed report, Maki pressed the button to automatically remove the waste. She glanced at it briefly, and after confirming that there was no "detected biological information" on the report, she breathed a sigh of relief. Then she gestured for Kaguya to leave the laboratory with her.

The stones that had undergone preliminary analysis had been stored on one side of the workshop, where hundreds of different samples, all kinds of stones, were piled up in transparent glass containers.

For a moment, Kaguya seemed to feel the stones tremble slightly.

It was as if those things were alive.

But the girl quickly suppressed such thoughts as soon as they arose. She tried her best not to think about them, maintained her mental calm, took off her coat, and followed Maki out of the laboratory without saying a word.

Just before the door behind me closed, I could faintly hear crying.

However, Kaguya, who had deliberately diverted her attention, only heard a slight noise before the sound was cut off by the door.

"Next, we need to submit this report to the office. After that, we will have three hours of free time, and then we must return to the dormitory area."

Walking ahead of Kaguya, Maki spoke softly, her expression very solemn.

The next step is to make contact with other people in the area, and to communicate with those who are likely being impersonated by the supernatural.

Despite being clearly dead, these beings, under the power of ghost stories, became like living people, able to talk and think. This reminded both Maki and Kaguya of the peculiar existence in the Shirakawa Apartments. However, unlike Maki, who knew his true identity and retained his self-awareness, even offering assistance to the survivors of the Shirakawa Apartments, the other strange beings there seemed to have forgotten what had happened to them under the influence of some force, repeating their past lives in an almost theatrical way.

From this perspective, perhaps they are more like the parents of 304?

While they were thinking, the two of them had already walked up the stairs and headed towards the second floor of the research area.

Although it's called the second floor, it's actually the third floor in terms of height. The analysis workspaces and research areas on the first floor seem to be connected by some kind of passageway, thus occupying the area between the first and second floors and unintentionally increasing the building's height.

As the two girls ascended the stairs to the second floor, a tall man dressed in a researcher's uniform, but whose attire was noticeably more refined, stood in the corridor, seemingly waiting for their arrival.

"Has the new analysis report been released?"

The man's voice was very cold.

"It's out. Please take a look, Professor Folneng."

Maki calmly handed over the report, and in the same calm tone, called out the name on the other person's name tag.

Chapter Twenty-Two: The Girls' Dilemmas and Overlapping Nightmares

I couldn't sense any human emotion in those eyes.

The intense chill emanating from the person upon approaching them further confirmed their identity.

A bizarre creature that has been dead but has been resurrected by the power of ghost stories, maintaining a state of being both alive and dead.

Fear was growing uncontrollably, trying to break through the cold facade the two were putting on.

Even though Maki and Kaguya knew they had to remain calm when facing these things, their bodies still instinctively flinched at the sight of these inhuman creatures, and they couldn't suppress their fear of impending death.

However, having gone through the trials of the Shirakawa Apartment, both Maki and Kaguya can now easily maintain their composure and not reveal any flaws throughout.

"That concludes today's analysis. You may take a break now and come to the research area tomorrow to assist with the work."

As he spoke, Professor Follen slowly turned around and walked directly into his office.

In the instant the door closed and opened, Maki, who was closer, quietly observed the office and saw cabinets filled with various files.

Based on previously known information, Professor Furn seemed to be the absolute leader of the research institute before his death, so perhaps some useful information can be found in this room.

However, how to infiltrate it is probably a question worth considering.

As she was thinking this, Maki suddenly realized something. Looking down, she discovered that the doll that had been hanging on her waist and hidden under her coat had disappeared. Clearly, in that short time, Gao Hai had unhesitatingly manipulated the doll to sneak into Professor Furn's office.

You're pretty good at seizing opportunities, aren't you?

Maki pouted, turned around, and slowly left the second floor with Kaguya.

Although she really wanted to go to the monitoring room to see what the other party was doing, neither she nor Kaguya could go to the monitoring area located in the command preparation room since they were not on a mission at the moment, so they had to put that idea aside for the time being.

However, next time we get into the monitored area, we must review the footage to see what this guy is doing.

That fat woman with the bow... Ugh, how could they be so shameless as to bathe together, and even peek at Haijun several times? Now they have to stay together in a cramped cell for twelve hours...

Zhenfei stopped abruptly, instinctively turning around. She wanted to stomp her foot in anger, but was afraid of attracting something and dared not do so.

I feel terrible, angry, and annoyed.

Why did that idiot have to go through all this trouble? He's already a pervert, and then he had to end up with someone like this...

Looking down at her pitifully heaving chest, Maki's fists clenched again.