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

hum-

It sounds like I heard something again.

The sound came from outside the car, but seemed to be coming from inside. I couldn't make out what it was, but I had a vague feeling that it represented some kind of threat, a serious threat that "only I can solve."

"We've found a spatial distortion zone. Hopefully, this is a way out."

At this moment, Yu Qingshan spoke up, turned the car around, and drove it toward an area that was clearly not right in the distance.

Buzz-buzz-buzz-buzz

With a series of soft sounds, the car rolled over the rubble on the ruins and drove further and further away into the darkness.

Shortly after the bus drove away, amidst the ruins of buildings and roads, a manhole cover was slowly removed, and Yamada Ryo's expressionless face emerged from it.

"It seems there shouldn't be any problems here for now."

As he spoke, Yamada Ryo climbed out of the well, revealing his dirty clothes, and his hands, feet, and face covered in dust and small cuts.

Looking around, I confirmed that there were no obvious major threats.

Then, Liang turned around, looked at the manhole cover she had climbed out of, squatted down, reached out and grabbed Xingge's hand, who was still struggling to climb out, and pulled the woman, who was already exhausted and out of breath, out of the manhole cover.

"How much longer... phew... I need to rest..."

Xingge looked really bad right now. She had been running with Liang for a long time, so long that she was starting to wonder if she would die of exhaustion halfway through.

"It's still a long way off. We haven't found any obvious areas of spatial distortion yet. If this continues, the erosion and pollution we suffer from will become more and more serious. If we drag this out any longer, we'll be doomed. So right now, I think we need to step up our efforts."

Liang shook her head. Her mental state seemed quite good, as if she had just finished warming up. However, the reason she could maintain this state was not due to physical enhancement, but because she had recently "rebooted" herself, so she was still in the refreshed state.

To be honest, I never expected to have another chance. Was I tricked by Mr. Gao?

A few contradictions and doubts swirled in my mind.

Until a dark gray shadow gradually appeared in front of them and slowly approached.

-

Unexpectedly, a reader commissioned a piece about the enemy's appearance in Volume 5.

I found this interesting, so I'll share it in the chapter. I think it's a free commission? I've never really understood this aspect, but I personally think it's pretty good.

This reader posted a commissioned article for "[Surgeon]". Well, let me first explain. This is a commissioned article from a reader, and I found it very interesting, so I'm showing it to everyone. It doesn't represent the author's own thoughts; just enjoy it for fun.

Chapter Ninety-Seven: Escort and Demolition Operation from the "Teacher"

What is this?

Yamada Ryo stared intently ahead at the figure emerging from the ruins.

I can sense the presence of a strange creature.

It was a cold, eerie atmosphere that no living person could possibly possess.

However, it seems to differ from the strange objects in normal circumstances, a difference that cannot be ignored.

It's hard to describe this feeling. If I had to explain it, it's probably not the kind of cold-blooded cruelty that makes people want to kill you at the drop of a hat, or the kind of terror that makes you feel like you've encountered an extremely dangerous predator just by looking at it. That's roughly the idea.

In other words, this strange creature gives off a gentle feeling, like a friendly being that you can communicate with.

"..."

To be honest, after confirming what she was feeling, Liang began to wonder if there was something wrong with her brain.

She had already died at the hands of these strange creatures more than once; she should have suffered enough from such inhuman and irrational monsters. Yet, upon seeing this thing, she felt an intuition that she could trust it and wasn't afraid of being harmed. This was something Liang found hard to believe. She even began to wonder if her perception was distorted, if she had encountered a peerless master that even the mental barriers Gao Hai had erected for her couldn't withstand.

"Is this... also a strange object?"

Xingge didn't possess Liang's same level of perception, but she vaguely sensed that the thing before her wasn't dangerous and that she could trust it. This strange feeling made Xingge somewhat uneasy, and she worried that she might have encountered some kind of hypnotic monster. However, seeing that Liang hadn't chosen to run away, she couldn't make a direct judgment. Instead, she cautiously stood beside Liang, prepared to pull her away immediately if anything went wrong.

There were no footsteps.

From the dark ruins, the blurry figure slowly drifted toward the two who had just escaped death, gradually revealing a relatively clearer shape.

No, even after entering the light's range and being directly illuminated by Ryo and Hoshigo's flashlights, the thing remained in a blurry, illusory state. It seemed to be something like a ghost or spirit, making it impossible to discern any details. However, based on the general appearance of the blurry humanoid figure, Ryo and Hoshigo could still make out a figure dressed in a suit.

It's a bit strange. It's hard to tell if it's male or female. It seems that the gender-related aspects have been deliberately blurred? Or is it that the other party is not an ordinary person who died and became a strange creature, so it didn't have the physiological sex of a normal human from the beginning?

However, regardless of what Liang and Xingge thought, the strange thing had already arrived in front of them, stopping about three or four meters away and not moving any closer for the time being.

There was no aggressive behavior whatsoever, and I couldn't even sense the slightest hostility.

It simply floated in mid-air, remained stationary, and silently watched Liang and Xingge, who were still somewhat nervous.

Then, as the distance closed, Ryo finally sensed the aura emanating from this strange creature, noticing a very familiar aura mixed within it, which immediately made Ryo realize whose aura this thing might belong to.

What is your relationship with Mr. Gao?

Liang stared at the blurry object before him, which didn't even have a face, and after thinking and hesitating for a while, he finally asked a question.

"Mr. Gao?!"

Before the strange creature could react, Xingge stared wide-eyed and turned her head to look at Liang, whose expression already showed a hint of certainty. Then, with an incredulous look, she turned her head again to take a closer look at the blurry figure of the strange creature, and then her expression became even more shocked.

Although he didn't speak, Liang could tell what Xingge wanted to express. Obviously, in the shopkeeper's opinion, such a vague and strange creature should not be associated with Gao Hai, who had saved him like a god.

Well, if I hadn't been able to sense the abnormality in the aura, I probably wouldn't have believed this possibility either.

【I am a teacher……】

For the first time, the blurry figure spoke, uttering a hoarse voice.

Although an even stronger chilling atmosphere spread from the moment it opened its mouth, just like before, it still couldn't feel the crazy, twisted atmosphere that a normal monster should have. From beginning to end, the aura emanating from this blurry figure was peaceful, as if it had already found peace and no longer had any pain left.

I am a teacher... I will take responsibility for helping children who need help...

Please follow me... I will take care of getting you out of here safely... I can protect you...

The creature's voice was very monotonous. It seemed to possess a certain degree of thinking ability, but not much of it, so that its speech was intermittent and its words could not form coherent sentences.

However, Ryo and Hoshigo were able to understand what it was trying to convey. Furthermore, given the aura emanating from it, which clearly belonged to Gao Hai, Ryo quickly decided to trust it and follow the strange creature.

"We will follow you, please lead the way."

Ryo nodded slightly as she spoke, and the "teacher" turned around and headed towards the ruins behind them. Seeing that the other party was a person of action, Ryo did not hesitate. She reached out and patted Xingge, who was still somewhat wary, to signal her to follow her. Then she started to follow the strange creature.

Liang had considered the possibility that she might be deceived, or that the strange creature might lead her into some kind of trap. But after the previous arduous journey, she now felt there was no need to doubt such things, especially after that incident.

That was about half an hour ago, when she handed the information to Hongxia and then deliberately lured away the monsters to create an opportunity for the two of them. Although Liang managed to survive for a long time at first thanks to her experience and courage, she soon found herself in a situation with no way out as the monsters surrounded and intercepted her, and was forced into a life-or-death predicament.

At that moment, although she kept telling herself not to worry and that Mr. Gao would definitely rescue her, when the moment of death actually arrived, Liang still couldn't remain calm and struggled with despair before death arrived. However, overall, the situation was relatively good this time, since she was run over by a tram on the spot, and the pain lasted for a relatively short period of time.

However, when Liang opened her eyes again and found herself resurrected once more, she was not at peace.

After all, she had been calculating her resurrection chances. When she decided to let Hongxia and Xingge go first, leaving herself behind, she already knew she couldn't resurrect any more. The fact that she died and then resurrected on the spot made her realize that either Gao Hai hadn't told the truth from the beginning and deliberately underestimated her resurrection chances, or he could still project his power onto her in the current situation. Considering that the information she hadn't reached Gao Hai, it was more likely the former. This made Ryo somewhat anxious and uncertain, wondering if she could still resurrect.

However, in the end, Liang came to the conclusion that instead of getting caught up in it, it was better to give up thinking and just treat it as a miracle bestowed upon him by Gao Hai.

Yes, this must be Mr. Gao's great power. Isn't it enough to just think about it that way?

And so, without a sound, the girl's mindset underwent another subtle change, which is why, after encountering this strange creature with a high-level aura that didn't seem aggressive, Ryo simply chose to trust it.

Well, don't overthink it. There's no point in thinking too much. Just treat it as Mr. Gao's great power and that's it.

With this thought in mind, Liang felt her mind relax and her body feel at ease. As for Xingge, who was worried and scared beside her, that was none of her business.

In the darkness of the ruins, which had been unknowingly distorted into something else, two figures followed the indistinct, eerie creature ahead.

Unseen by them, several figures were watching them leave from a dilapidated building not far away.

"It's been confirmed that the teacher has started the escort operation. That should at least ensure the safety of those two. Now let's focus on our own business."

As he spoke calmly, Cat Brother reached out and patted the dust off his head, his gaze sweeping over the people beside him.

"Is this really okay? Sending out a limited number of powerful rescue team members to escort two people who are unable to fight. If we can involve them in our operation, this disaster might end sooner."

A hesitant voice interrupted at this moment. Cat Brother looked in the direction of the voice and saw Yuanshan Ming, whose face was still a little pale.

"There's no way around it. The 'Teacher's' instincts and lingering obsessions determine its behavior pattern. Without Mr. Gao's direct command, it will definitely prioritize protecting the weak, especially students. Forcing it to stay by our side will only cause its behavioral logic to become chaotic, and it might even cause bigger trouble. Besides, compared to the 'Teacher,' our 'Police Officer' is a more suitable teammate. Having it is actually enough."

Cat Brother gently shook his head. As one of the first players to explore this enclosed space, he had been successfully rescued by [Teacher], dispatched by Gao Hai, after he lost consciousness from releasing the bomb. After waking up and assessing the situation, he acted for a considerable time, during which [Teacher] remained by his side. Therefore, Cat Brother was quite familiar with the rescue team member's behavior. This is why, after the Red Society successfully reunited with him in the spatial anomaly area and confirmed the [Police Officer] accompanying the Red Society, Cat Brother unhesitatingly dismissed [Teacher], allowing it to act on its instincts to rescue people.

Masaaki Ishido and Koyo didn't participate in the exchange between Neko-san and Akira Toyama. They were still trying to locate Kenta Hayashibe and Ren Nanakawa, who hadn't been able to join them. Originally, the five members of the Red Knot Society had entered the anomalous spatial area together, but perhaps due to the extreme disorder of the space itself, Kenta Hayashibe and Ren Nanakawa, who had been traveling with the group, vanished immediately after entering. While their teammates could confirm that the two were still in the space, their exact location, what they were doing, and whether they were in danger were completely unknown.

"It has to be at this time, it's really troublesome. I hope nothing bad happens to those two."

After trying for a long time without being able to find his two teammates, Masaaki Ishido could only sigh and give up on further searching.

"We shouldn't be too worried about safety. After all, they're Red Moon level, and this space isn't particularly dangerous. Since we can't pinpoint their location right now, let them go. In a way, it's lucky; at least they don't have to actively seek death like we did."

Akira Toyama was not surprised by this outcome at all. Traversing the chaotic spatial region was inherently dangerous, and the fact that only two people were swept away instead of dying on the spot was already considered very lucky. As for the so-called "deliberately seeking death," the reason for saying that was related to the third aerial bomb in Akira Toyama's personal small space.

Yes, aside from the fourth aerial bomb, which has the greatest power and highest energy consumption and is difficult to control once used, requiring immediate detonation, the last conventional aerial bomb has now been brought into this distorted space by the Red Knot Society. Their reason for bringing it here is simple: to cooperate with Cat Brother, who has been investigating this area for a long time, to find the central node of this distorted space, detonate the bomb, temporarily disrupt the stability of this distorted space, and allow Gao Hai to infiltrate it on a large scale.

At this moment, apart from the battlefield where the [Surgeon] and the large-scale [Hospital] monsters are active, the area has been basically covered by Gao Hai's domain.

As more and more survivors gathered in the domain, Gao Hai's domain expanded at an accelerated pace, now occupying approximately 75% of the Tokyo City area. However, the remaining portion was proving difficult due to the actions of the [Hospital] and [Surgeon]. To address this issue, Gao Hai entrusted a third aerial bomb to the Red Knot Society, instructing them to attempt to break the spatial blockade in this area to create an opportunity for himself.

Now, they have arrived here, completed the first step of their mission to reunite with Cat Brother, and successfully reached the entrance to the deeper space.

"Are you really going to jump from here?"

Ishido Masaaki glanced at the bottomless pit hidden in the ruins and couldn't help but mutter to himself.

"It took a lot of effort to climb out of here before, and to be honest, I really didn't want to go back."

Cat Brother chuckled, not directly answering Ishido Masaaki's question, but instead offering a somewhat helpless comment.

"Enough with the unnecessary words. Now that we've reached such a crucial moment, all we can and should do is not to dishonor our mission. Everyone, get ready and let's get started."

As he spoke, Akira Toyama calmly stepped out of the group and walked to the front of the deep pit.

The remaining three followed suit, with Cat Brother deliberately standing at the very front of the group. He casually gestured to the three members of the Red Knot Society behind him, signaling them to follow him.

"Well then, it's time to get going. Let's set off."

Cat Bro took the first step after uttering those words, and then jumped into the dark pit.

Chapter Ninety-Eight: The Actions of the Red Moon-Level Players and Yotsuya Miko's Decision.

For players at the Red Moon level, the meaning of life, the meaning of surviving, and the meaning of struggling and refusing to admit defeat are often questions that are repeatedly questioned.

Ultimately, if the only goal is survival, not progress, there's no need for players to challenge the Red Moon difficulty dungeons. Simply completing five Twilight difficulty dungeons, then one Night difficulty dungeon, and repeating this cycle perfectly avoids the [Sacrifice Game] punishment, allowing them to survive indefinitely. Therefore, choosing to challenge the Red Moon difficulty dungeons, and continuing to challenge them after surviving, is ultimately a proactive and voluntary choice.