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

Why is the actual effect so strange?

Looking at the pink-haired girl behind him who started doing the moonwalk as she walked, Gao Hai couldn't help but feel a little puzzled.

[Gao Hai: That's indeed a very impressive ability, and it's also quite unique.]

"Shijo Maki, well, Ms. Goto said she created this individual personality based on her understanding of a social butterfly... Anyway, that's not a problem. Ms. Goto can control this individual through her obsession object, and Fujiwara and I can also communicate with you, Kai-kun, through this created individual. This created individual itself isn't actually a real human, nor does it have a complete personality; it's more like a machine that acts according to logical instructions, although Ms. Goto's design for this individual is indeed quite unique..."

It's clear that Consort Zhen is trying her best to use euphemisms to describe it.

However, when Gao Hai turned around, he noticed that the pink-haired girl in his line of sight had put on her glasses again. Although she wasn't dancing the samba anymore, she had switched to tap dancing. Of course, it was just tap dancing in terms of movements; she wasn't actually making any noise to attract anything she shouldn't. But even so, this was still a bit too strange.

[Takami: Ms. Goto certainly has a talent for shocking people. Speaking of which, she probably can't hear our conversation, right?]

[Shijo Maki: Uh, well, Ms. Goto has a mental artifact that establishes a temporary mental link, mainly to protect my and Fujiwara's minds from being corrupted. So, if we don't deliberately increase the intensity of our mental communication, she can indeed hear us.]

[Gao Hai: ...Did she hear what I just said?]

[Shijou Maki: I heard you.]

[Gao Hai: Oh, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean any harm. I was just a little shocked...]

[Shijo Maki: You don't need to explain anymore, Goto-san has already shrunk into a cardboard box]

In any case, this unexpected participant made the atmosphere of the small player team more relaxed.

After hearing Maki mention the mental link, Gao Hai couldn't help but turn his gaze to Miko, the girl who hadn't yet revealed her feelings.

If it is indeed due to some reason that information cannot be exchanged...

[Takami: Maki, could you apply Goto-san's mental link artifact to the people here as well, and bring Kuma-chan and Yotsuya in as well?]

Chapter 71: A Moment Between the Watchers and the Watched

At this very moment, in the Goto family home in the real world.

With her slightly messy pink hair and pale face, Goto Ichiri felt that she was not far from dying on the spot.

At this moment, there were four girls in her room: Shijou Maki, Fujiwara Chika, Shinomiya Kaguya, and Aoyama Nanami. With herself in the room, there were a total of five girls crammed together, which made the room feel somewhat cramped.

Among them, Shijou Maki and Fujiwara Chika had to squeeze together with her because they had to share control of the remote body. Aoyama Nanami, who was summoned by Kogawa Itsuki, sat to the side with great concern, responsible for ensuring their safety in case of any problems.

Although Kaguya Shinomiya, sitting in the corner, was very worried about her maid who had disappeared, she still chose to come along. However, she remained restless, and her expression was gloomy, the kind of person who could instill pressure just by looking at her. And clearly, Ichiri Goto was the type who easily noticed abnormal behavior from those around her, so at this moment she had already imagined several versions of bullying scenarios for Kaguya's reaction.

Ah... so many people... so many people in the house, and most of them are people I've never met before. My safe house... the only place that could bring me peace of mind, the only place that didn't make me feel scared, has now been completely taken over...

Goto Ichiri looked around.

She wanted to crawl back into the cardboard box on the side of the house, but her crawling in had caused a poor signal to the remote control, almost resulting in a loss of contact with Gao Hai. So she could only helplessly cry and give up the place that made her feel safe.

This time, she looked at the trash can.

If I crawled inside, I probably wouldn't feel this prickly feeling anymore, and then...

"Ichiri-chan, how's the situation over there?"

Aoyama Nanami's voice pulled the girl out of her delusional reverie. Looking at the girl who had taken care of her many times in the past few months and had also disciplined her like a mother hen, she couldn't help but put on a mournful face again.

Almost forgot, with Sister Aoyama here, she'll definitely pull her out. Unlike Nijika, who usually just tries to persuade her from the sidelines, Sister Aoyama will actually take action and forcibly drag her out of all sorts of dark corners, and her movements are skillful and experienced, as if she has already dealt with many troubled girls.

So even though she was unwilling, she had no choice but to sit there obediently and not move.

"The situation is alright. Haijun managed to rescue an old player named Xiongmi from the dungeon. Now that old player is with him, along with a girl named Yotsuya Miko who has a naturally strong sense of perception. The three of them are planning to investigate a place, and we are discussing with them to see if there are any good ways to support them and reduce the danger."

Before Goto Ichiri could successfully organize his thoughts (word 45) and give his reply, Maki answered first.

"Xiong Mi? Ah, it's Miss Xiong Mi. She's still alive..."

Aoyama Nanami spoke with some surprise, her tone tinged with emotion.

"Is that Miss Xiong Mi a very impressive person? I can clearly feel that Ah Hai admires her a lot, and she also gives off the vibe of a squad leader."

Sitting on the other side of Goto Ichiri, Fujiwara Chika also opened her eyes and asked. The two pink-haired beauties sitting together really did give off a sisterly vibe, even though their personalities were completely different, practically opposite types.

"She's incredibly talented. Miss Xiong Mi has always been a well-known and powerful figure among Red Moon-level players. She was the vice-captain of the [Moyu Gang] in China, possessing a variety of powerful artifacts and very practical Dark Night-level blessings. Moreover, she is resilient and friendly, often taking the initiative to help newcomers and shoulder risks. Many people have benefited from her kindness. I have also cooperated with her and been helped by her several times."

Aoyama Nanami adjusted her glasses and answered Fujiwara Chika very seriously.

Furthermore, she's a terrifyingly intoxicated individual, having drunk countless people to the point of intoxication at several player-organized parties. Even among Red Moon-level players, few could rival her. Her record is said to be downing a ton of 100% pure industrial alcohol; it's baffling what's wrong with these players with superhuman physiques that compels them to drink that stuff.

And because he fused the powerful artifact [Bronze Eye], capable of immobilizing monsters, into his body, Xiongmi has the peculiar nickname [Blue-Eyed Xiongmi]. Incidentally, Aoyama Nanami knows a few card game players, and for some reason, they always show very complicated expressions when they hear Xiongmi's nickname, as if they've heard some kind of joke they really want to make fun of but find difficult to share with others outside their circle.

However, there's no need to share these kinds of anecdotes between players here. Let's wait until Gao Hai and the others return safely before discussing them.

But... is it really possible to come back safely?

Having witnessed countless partings and deaths over the years, Aoyama Nanami couldn't help but think to herself.

Campus Ghost Stories

It has four known zones and one unconfirmed zone, and is believed to contain eight core obsessions. It is also the most complex, difficult and dangerous place in the Red Moon-level dungeons.

To be trapped in such a dangerous situation, especially when the instance is not yet open and you cannot enter or exit it normally.

If they can actually come out alive, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it a miracle.

Aoyama Nanami felt that miracles were probably impossible. However, having learned a bit about the experiences of Takami's team, she dared not draw that conclusion. After all, defeating two veteran players at [Shirakawa Apartment] and directly defeating [Red Nut Gray Hole] in its fixed phase upon first encounter were already equivalent to miracles.

Therefore, she simply told Maki and Chika about Xiongmi's impressive performance in the dungeon to put their minds at ease. Nanami kept the rest to herself and didn't show it at all.

Perhaps a miracle really will happen.

However, perhaps Gao Hai was just special. After all, according to Mr. Xiao He Shu's investigation, the dungeons he participated in along the way were all abnormal. Now, the third dungeon has been directly drawn into the Red Moon level difficulty, as if... as if he was being deliberately taken care of by something.

It was at this moment that Maki suddenly frowned, as if she had made some kind of conversation with Takami, and then turned her gaze to Goto Ichiri beside her.

"Ms. Goto, is that alright?"

In the instance, Takami had just asked if it was possible to bring Kumami and Yotsuya Miko into a mental link. Goto Ichiri was also in the link, so she knew what Maki meant by asking her that question. The girl nodded slightly and took out a music box with some stains and bloodstains.

As the key was turned, a small figure in a dancing dress popped out of the music box, but no music played.

However, Maki, Chika, and the three people currently in the instance—Takami, Kumami, and Yotsuya Miko—all heard a pleasant melody playing. Moreover, the music wasn't coming from any direction around them; it was playing directly in their minds.

Kumami, who was familiar with this obsession, knew it was Goto Ichiri who was behind it, so she didn't react. Yotsuya Miko was startled because, in addition to the music, she heard a girl crying, which sent chills down her spine and left her at a loss.

【Good, now you can say what you were afraid to say before, right?】

Having gained access to the team's telepathic communication, Gao Hai immediately turned his attention to Yotsuya Miko.

It was at this moment that Xiong Mi, sensing something, frowned, walked to the window of the dilapidated room, and looked in the direction of the hospital.

She saw Akira Toyama, who was already wearing a hospital gown, standing behind a window, looking up in her direction.

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Chapter 72: The Beginning of Further Enhanced Perception and Action

Linking our spirits and establishing a connection that allows us to communicate and converse in our minds.

No need to speak or react; a mental dialogue is sufficient.

For players, this is a highly secure method that can prevent information from being exposed, avoid interaction with monsters, and increase communication speed.

However, this also carries risks. If any player with the mental link ability encounters a problem, all players on that link could be affected by the corruption. For example, if a player obtains information related to a core obsession and becomes mentally corrupted as a result, and then shares this information within the mental link, causing all players to be corrupted, this is a classic example of a team wipe that has occurred many times.

Of course, there are corresponding preventative measures. For example, Xiong Mi can use personality overwriting to directly erase the fact that she is aware of contaminated information. Therefore, she is never afraid of mental communication; at worst, she can simply wash her personality. As for whether overwriting one's personality constitutes suicide, Xiong Mi has never cared about that question. In her view, as long as she believes she is still herself and can continue to fight as a player, that is enough.

As for Gao Hai, it goes without saying that his mental link is the highest-level link provided by the black watch. Other players' mental links easily lead to mind-reading, making it impossible to distinguish between information intended for exchange and unspoken thoughts. Gao Hai's link, however, is completely free of this flaw; the user can freely choose what they want to convey. Furthermore, after using this mental link for quite some time, Gao Hai himself has become highly proficient in it. Therefore, after the link was established, he quickly adapted to the situation and used it with great ease.

As for Yotsuya Miko, the feelings she experienced at this moment cannot be explained in just a few words.

What exactly is going on?

After a brief moment of music and crying, the girl felt as if her spirit had undergone some kind of change in an instant.

Her senses seemed to be heightened at that moment.

Within the spiritual link established through the object of her obsession, it seemed that with the transmission of the spirits of Gao Hai, Xiong Mi, and the five people outside the arena—Maki, Chika, and Goto Ichiri—her own spirit and perception were amplified, becoming clearer at this moment.

There's no mistake, this feeling...

Because the mental link connects their minds, it also creates a kind of mental energy sharing. However, for most players, this level of sharing doesn't bring any changes, but Yotsuya Miko is certain that her perception has indeed been amplified, and she has indeed become stronger under the blessing of this mental energy pathway. After simultaneously touching the minds of two Red Moon level players, Kumami and Goto Ichiri, and further touching the mind of Takami himself, she seemed to have broken through some kind of barrier and entered a higher level.

So she saw directly what was in the room.

There is not a trace of illusion.

It's incredibly real.

It directly obscures other things.

It's like something real and tangible, so real it's chilling, so clear you can see every single detail of it.

Was that... a student?

His clothes were disheveled, torn in many places, and stained with blood.

The exposed arm skin was completely ulcerated, one eye was missing, and the other eye had lost its eyelid, with the eyeball directly exposed.

It had no hair, its skull had been ripped open, sharp steel needles pierced the pinkish brain structure, and steel nails were driven directly into the flesh for fixation and support.

All the teeth had been pulled out, and rotten flesh spread across the lips and inside the mouth. The tongue drooped out, and saliva dripped down.

The thing was standing right in the middle of the room.

This deformed and twisted thing was invisible to both Gao Hai and Xiong Mi; only the girl's own eyes could observe it.

"..."

Seeing that Zi had already looked away.

Her brief glance had caught the other's attention, causing the creature to turn its head.

As the girl turned her head, she noticed that something like an umbilical cord was attached to the thing, extending from its body all the way out of the room, through the door, and heading somewhere unknown.

What did you see?

Gao Hai's voice rang directly in the girl's mind.

There was something standing in front of me... a terrifying thing, something that looked like those tormented bad students at Fujika Middle School...