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

The 12 outstanding students in Class 1 of Grade 8 fought amongst themselves until none survived.

In the lingering phantom seen on the first floor, the bad students once banded together and killed all the "good students" once.

In the memories of "Turtle Teacher" that Miko saw, there was a class of 11 "excellent students" who fought each other to the point that none survived.

In this art classroom, a class of 10 "outstanding students" emerged, who fought amongst themselves and ultimately had no survivors.

The "Outstanding Student" rank, enjoying the highest level of privilege in the student ranking system, is a status reserved for students who rank in the top ten of their grade or have received three individual awards. Logically, this rank should be the safest. However, based on current information, it seems that every "Outstanding Student" in every grade ultimately faces death.

What exactly does this school want to cultivate?

If the research base of the Red Nut Gray Hole at least showed that it was indeed conducting research, then everything that [Wisteria Middle School] was doing seemed to Gao Hai to be something like a cult ritual, which was something he couldn't understand.

All he could see in this school was extreme madness and death, a complete distortion and destruction of human nature and personality, creating an endless abyss, a living hell.

Can anything really be cultivated in this way?

Is something cultivated in this way truly something that humans can manipulate?

not understand.

Completely confused.

What is the point of doing this? Is the ultimate goal simply to cultivate a madman with bizarre powers? If so, could this "Alice" be her? Is this strange creature the final result of this cultivation?

Gao Hai remembers what he saw in his hallucination: this "Alice" left school and seemed to have become a star, receiving crazy worship from countless people.

Thinking back carefully, in that moment of illusion, the stage felt like it was from the 1980s or 90s, and all the equipment looked quite sophisticated; it couldn't possibly be something from the 1940s or 50s.

So, will Alice be the only living person to graduate from this school?

Gao Hai's gaze swept across the classroom again, landing on these disgusting "exhibits" that had now turned into grotesque creatures. Because of his position as the teacher and his orders to Jianzi and the others, these exhibits, which had maintained a certain "activity" from the beginning, remained obediently in their display cases, only occasionally making some noises or wriggling, which was extremely disgusting.

Looking down again, Gao Hai glanced at Jianzi beside him, only to find that the girl's attention seemed to have shifted, and she was looking towards the classroom door with some confusion.

What did you feel?

Gao Hai patted Jianzi on the shoulder and asked.

"Huh? Oh, no... nothing..."

The girl was startled by his action, then looked a little confused, shook her head and whispered.

"Answer me, what did you feel?"

Immediately realizing that Miko was beginning to be affected by something, Takahashi asked again, while simultaneously activating Hedar's blessing power, using a strong and eerie aura to suddenly stimulate Miko, instantly bringing the somewhat dazed girl back to her senses.

"There's...someone knocking on the door...she says she's looking for her lost friend..."

Despite feeling intense dizziness, Jianzi could barely stay conscious and speak.

Is it Alice?

Upon hearing this, Gao Hai immediately turned to look at the art classroom door, and then saw the doorknob tremble slightly, followed by a very pleasant girl's soft laughter from outside.

A chilling atmosphere was spreading.

At that moment, Gao Hai clearly felt as if he were being watched by something.

Yes, it's her, Alice is here.

This time, the thing's influence on Miko wasn't as subtle as it had been in the first playthrough. It seemed that without taking out the black umbrella and constantly monitoring Miko, I could cut off [Alice's] infection process. However, if I did that, I would immediately divert her attention.

If we consider the process of Alice bewitching others and gradually possessing them as a spider's silk gradually wrapping around them, it might be understood as the severed silk sticking to oneself, thus establishing a connection between oneself and this thing.

Teacher, do you know where Alice's friends went?

It seemed as if the other person was chuckling softly at him.

[And also, teacher, why do you smell like Alice? Are you a thief? That's very bad behavior!]

Along with the soft laughter came a strong feeling that something was interfering with his body.

"You're laughing at my ass!"

The next moment, Gao Hai cursed out loud.

Because they were not players and did not have the ability to understand the language, Gao Hai's curse was completely incomprehensible to Jianzi and the others.

But Alice outside the door clearly understood what he meant. Her laughter stopped for a moment, and then her soft voice resumed.

[How cruel the teacher is! How could she say that? Alice will be very sad.]

Alice never met her mother; she only had her father. Her father said that her mother went on a long journey after giving birth to Alice, but Alice actually knew that her mother had passed away. She only pretended that her mother was still alive so as not to upset her father.

Alice really wants to see her mother. She misses her mother very much. The teacher's words made Alice very, very sad.

As the leisurely voices rang out, the doorknob was slowly pulled down, and the door gradually opened.

Since there's no way to determine whether you're experiencing a hallucination—sight and hearing are the easiest to deceive—you can only rely on your own perception.

Gao Hai closed his eyes.

Then, without hesitation, he summoned two rescue team members from his badge, ordering them to guard the gate, and confirmed the current situation through the mental link between himself and the rescue team members.

Then Gao Hai felt a chilling sensation that instantly intensified, as if he were in the polar regions.

This kind of thing is so annoying...

Alice's voice came from behind.

This was the first time Gao Hai had heard this, and he sensed an incredibly strong emotion in that voice.

Chapter Twenty-Four: A Glimpse into the Secret of Alice's Existence

Disgust, anger, hatred...

Gao Hai sensed the emotions of that "Alice".

Or rather, it was this Alice who, without any pretense, directly and frankly revealed her emotions at this moment.

Its object of aversion... wasn't me, but the two rescue team members. No, it didn't even hate the rescue team member that Lao Guo had transformed into; what this thing hated was the rescue team member that Howard's obsession with being a firefighter had transformed into.

Why does this thing hate Howard so much? It has never felt this way before. Is there something about Howard that Alice absolutely cannot accept?

If that's the case, the only thing Gao Hai can think of is Howard's kind side.

Do you dislike someone because they are a good person?

Or rather, it is because Howard, even in a dark environment that he is powerless to change, does not change his true nature and does his best to save and help others within the scope of his ability. Even if he is persecuted to death by the research base, he does not change his kind heart, which is why he is hated.

Or is there some more fundamental reason behind it?

In any case, at this moment, Gao Hai finally knew how to avoid becoming friends with Alice.

The teacher's role cannot control the other party; even without actively collecting the necessary items, this thing can trigger the mechanism by forcibly stuffing items into your hand. Therefore, the only way to ensure that the player cannot become friends with Alice while completing Alice's game might be to transform themselves into someone like Howard.

But how do we do it?

Alice didn't dislike him for protecting Miko in the previous playthrough, nor did she dislike him for protecting all the students in the classroom at the start of this playthrough. So, it seems that simply protecting others doesn't earn Alice's special attention.

Perhaps the solution to the puzzle requires a deeper dive into this instance, but at least I finally have a direction.

That is, if I can survive here.

bang——

After a loud bang, the door to the art classroom shattered open.

Gao Hai could sense that Howard, summoned by the badge, was being attacked by something, something he couldn't resist at all, a fierce attack that seemed to tear his entire body apart in an instant.

It seems that the source of those injuries can be seen.

A closed classroom.

A figure watching indifferently from outside the window.

And the young, inexperienced students looking at each other in the classroom.

There can only be one true new human being.

Of the twelve of you, only one can survive; only the most outstanding one will make it to the end.

Come on, those who can walk out of this classroom in one day will be the true new generation.

After the words were spoken, the classroom was completely sealed off.

There is no other option left.

Or rather, even if other options existed, these students living at Fujika Middle School would not choose them.

They have been completely changed by this place. Even though they have the same appearance and physique as humans, their inner selves have been completely alienated into something else.

I'm definitely the best person here!

No, I am the one who can become a new human!

None of you are as good as me, I'm the best!

The bloody colors bloomed in the classroom.

The teachers had already placed all sorts of weapons on the desks and chairs.

Blades, axes, daggers, even pistols—students wielded these weapons as they fought each other, giving their all to become that one and only.

At that moment, Gao Hai, through his sensory connection with the rescue team, felt all those injuries fall on his own body.

No, that's not right.

There were no injuries.

The link between myself and the rescue team remained normal. Although the rescue team's movements were restricted by some unknown external force, it was not actually injured. In game terms, the special effects were flashy, but it didn't lose any health and only missed.

It turned out to be the case.

Gao Hai clenched his fist involuntarily.

Oh, I see. So that's how it works.

The strange being named Alice does indeed possess extraordinary power and a special ability to move freely that is hardly something a strange being could have.

But this thing still has its own rules to follow, and even so, this thing is still subject to the power of those rules.

The first rule it must follow is that only those who have passed the "Alice Game" can be truly harmed by Alice, and only then can it inflict real and effective damage on that person.

Even if this condition cannot be met, Alice can still touch the person, create illusions, and kill them through various indirect means such as blowing out candles, but she cannot kill them directly. She cannot directly harm them under any circumstances.