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

After letting out a soft sigh, Chika, looking quite troubled, recounted the results of her conversations with Kaguya over the past two days.

Even though Fujiwara Chika is Kaguya Shinomiya's only friend at school, when it comes to her personal matters and she's clearly having trouble, Kaguya still refuses to talk about the specifics and avoids communication. This kind of personality issue is undeniably a headache.

But now that they're all part of a team working together, they can't continue to ignore Kaguya. So, after getting a general idea of ​​the situation from Chika, Takahiro decided to go see Kaguya alone to ask her about it.

"Can't I go with Ahai? Why?"

Chika, who originally wanted to go along, was stopped by Takami, which made her look puzzled.

"The problem with Shinomiya could be big or small. If something unusual happens, like her friend investigating something related to the sacrificial game, I might encounter danger if I go to find her. Right now, my self-defense and combat abilities are at their strongest. If there's any trouble, I can easily get away, but you might not be so lucky. I told Maki beforehand that she wasn't coming today, so you don't need to come with me. Just leave it to me."

Gao Hai's attitude was very firm. After the incident with Jianzi, he was still somewhat terrified. Therefore, now that Kaguya was acting strangely, even if it might seem like he was being overly paranoid, he still had to take full precautions.

"But if that's the case, then Ah Hai will..."

"Consort Zhen has already said these words before, so don't repeat them. You should take on as much responsibility as you are capable of. I have the ability, so naturally I should take the lead."

Before Chika could voice her concerns, Takahashi reached out and pressed his hand to her lips.

Although she was quite dissatisfied, Chika could tell that Gao Hai was taking it very seriously, so she didn't say much in the end, but just puffed out her cheeks and nodded slightly.

Finally, after calling Miko and telling her that if she planned to return to her original class, she should immediately leave if she found any strange graffiti, and then receiving the girl's reply, "If you say that, I've decided not to go back," Takami set off alone for the Shinomiya mansion.

Well, if we really have to enter the Hayate Elementary School instance, I do remember some of the related information I saw before. Although the content is pitifully small, it should still come in handy.

Also, we need to find a way to contact Xiaoheshu and replace the current Twilight-level items in the team. Many things are outdated and need to be replaced with Dark Night-level items, but it probably won't be that easy.

After considering various plans, Gao Hai arrived at the Shinomiya residence in no time. The servants there recognized Gao Hai, so after announcing his arrival at the door, he entered the vast Western-style villa.

"Gao Jun, what brings you here? Hmm... I guess I was found out after all?"

Kaguya, who looked noticeably more haggard than before, quickly realized her recent unusual behavior upon seeing Takami arrive, and a somewhat bitter smile appeared on her face.

"After all, we're all part of a team. It's not a good thing to shut people out and isolate ourselves. You should learn to rely on everyone. Didn't you cooperate quite well last time when dealing with your older brother? Okay, tell me, what happened? Hmm... was it your little maid's fault?"

Upon entering the villa and discovering that Kaguya was the only person he recognized among those who greeted him, Takahashi realized that the blonde maid who had been following and monitoring him many times might be in trouble.

If it's Hayasaka Ai, then it's no wonder Kaguya lost her composure this time. After all, she's the only friend she can truly trust unconditionally and who has been with her for many years.

Although the other party was actually a spy who had betrayed her countless times, and Kaguya had been using her like livestock before Hayasaka quit her maid job. *Ahem*, of course, this is just an exaggeration, but Kaguya really didn't cherish Hayasaka much. In the original work, it wasn't until they both confessed to each other and Hayasaka stopped being Kaguya's maid that Kaguya learned to treat Hayasaka as a friend.

As for now, that little maid is missing. What could have caused her to disappear? Come to think of it, that little girl has tried to follow me a few times recently, and she's quite afraid of me. Maybe it's because the process of dealing with Shinomiya Hikari was a bit too flashy and scared her? Hmm, if we follow the logic that stories are always full of coincidences, maybe Hayasaka disappeared because of me. Ahahaha, if that's the case, where is she now… Holy crap, no way?

Before Kaguya could say anything, Takahashi had already come up with a highly probable possibility through his own imagination, one that made him extremely upset.

“Hayasaka…she really is missing. You couldn’t hide it from Taka-kun after all. Actually, at first I thought I could find out on my own, but I haven’t made any progress…no, I can’t say that. The investigation did yield some clues. I found this thing in Taka-kun’s backyard. I’m sorry, that child didn’t know Taka-kun and took it upon herself to spy on him, and this is what happened…”

Kaguya, who had already planned to ask for help, stopped hiding anything after Takami spoke up and told him everything.

But Gao Hai's focus was not on this.

"You mean you found something that looks like a child's doodle? And then you brought it out with you, is that right?"

With an expression that was already too bland (a sign of giving up), Gao Hai asked in a very indifferent tone.

"Hmm, is that so...wait?"

Kaguya nodded as she took out the strange graffiti, then froze, realizing from Takahashi's reaction that she might have done something stupid.

However, this time, the situation was not as bad as Gao Hai had expected. On the contrary, after Kaguya took out the graffiti, he sensed something else.

This feeling… is this a ticket? It feels similar to a dungeon ticket, but also different. This thing seems to have no restrictions; it's a key that allows entry into the dungeon simply by activating it. Moreover, it seems to be a key whose true purpose only I can perceive?!

At this moment, Gao Hai, who was somewhat bewildered, suddenly recalled the experience of being choked by the GP in that bizarre hallucination before the end of the Fujika Middle School dungeon.

Unlike the KPs of the Shirakawa Apartment and Red Nut Gray Hole instances, this KP seemed to harbor great malice towards destroying the instance. He wanted to kill himself, but in the end he didn't. Instead, he said a few words to himself.

You can join this game anytime, and the rest of the space is up to you. Just give it a try and see what you can do for my work!

That's right.

Gao Hai was completely certain.

The graffiti was imbued with some kind of power that influenced perception. Given Kaguya's level of vigilance, even if she confirmed the graffiti was harmless, she shouldn't have taken it away so easily. However, the GP had already stated that Takami could join any area of ​​the [School Ghost Stories] instance at any time. Therefore, the original power of the graffiti was modified in some way, turning it into a harmless ticket, which Kaguya brought to her.

In that case, I might receive a contact from Little Bochi soon, with a way to enter the Nightfall Mountain Middle School instance at any time. Then, if I don't plan to make a choice for the time being, perhaps the way to enter Bydos Academy, or even the Fifth Academy which only exists in players' speculations, will somehow come into my hands.

Jingle Bell--

Gao Hai's phone rang at that moment. He took it out and saw that it was indeed Goto Ichiri calling.

It really is...

At this moment, Gao Hai couldn't help but wonder if he had finally come into contact with a corner of the power of the KPs hidden in the history of the dungeon.

Interlude 3-06: Advice from a Veteran Player and Takami's Decision

"So, Hayasaka... was taken to Hayate Elementary School?"

After a brief conversation, Kaguya turned pale upon realizing that what she had retrieved was actually an unlimited dungeon ticket, and she could not suppress her worry.

The once top-tier Red Moon dungeon, [Campus Ghost Stories], may seem to have fallen to the Dark Night level now, but its actual difficulty remains unchanged. It is a genuine Red Moon level difficulty, a terrifying world that even powerful Red Moon level players find difficult to conquer.

While her maid, Hayasaka Ai, possessed remarkably strong physical abilities—comparable to a super soldier in the city—her strength was still within the limits of human capability and incomparable to the monsters in the dungeon world.

If someone like her were to actually end up in a dungeon world...

Kaguya couldn't imagine what that scene would be like.

Given Hayasaka's personality... she appears strong on the surface, but she's actually a very emotional girl who cries easily. It's impossible for her to have survived in a place like that. Yet, so many days have passed, and no one has forgotten her existence, meaning she's still alive. How... will she live on? Like Taka-kun at Fujika Junior High, turned into a half-dead doll?

The more Kaguya thought about what the other person might have gone through, the less calm she became.

"Don't panic, it's no use panicking now."

Gao Hai's voice rang out at that moment.

Kaguya, whose expression had become somewhat dazed, subconsciously looked up and saw Takami's calm expression, which remained completely unmoved.

Without hesitation, after confirming that Hayasaka Ai was likely in trouble, Gao Hai contacted Xiong Mi again, the most reliable, powerful, and trustworthy senior he could currently reach.

"What? Your friend might have gotten involved with Hayate Elementary School?! No, I just reminded you about this, and now it's actually happening... Tsk, of all places, it has to be Hayate. You really know how to give me a hard time."

Xiong Mi's voice was still somewhat drunk, but after Gao Hai explained the situation, she sobered up immediately, and her voice became helpless.

"Is there any hope?"

Gao Hai went straight to the point, asking the most important question.

"...Your friend has been involved in the Hayate Elementary School incident for less than a week, right?"

After a moment of silence, Xiong Mi did not answer directly, but instead asked a question in return.

"She and I were involved in Fujika Middle School around the same time, which is now more than two days, almost three days."

Gao Hai quickly gave an answer.

"Then there's still hope, although there might be significant psychological trauma. But, she's just an ordinary person, right? From your description, your friend is just a trained, ordinary human being without any special blessings. Rescuing her from Hayate Elementary School... well... don't take offense, but I think the probability of you dying in there too is much higher. Anyway, I don't have much information to give you, but listen carefully—"

Although Xiong Mi was saying things like she wasn't optimistic, before Gao Hai could say anything more, she changed the subject to the precautions for entering the dungeon.

Clearly, this veteran player already knew that Gao Hai was determined to enter the dungeon again, so she didn't waste time with small talk and focused on the important points.

"First of all, Hayate Elementary School, one of the four areas of the Red Moon-level dungeon [School Ghost Stories], is a place that is 'very rule-abiding'. I can't go into details, but you'll understand once you go in."

"Secondly, the survival rate of players in this area is still quite high, around 30%, of course, this figure includes those players who were forced to participate in the quest. Furthermore, a large portion of those players who were unable to leave the instance did not actually die. The reason your friend has not been forgotten by ordinary people is probably because he encountered this special circumstance."

"Well, if you said that almost three days have passed, then you have more than four days to carry out the rescue. After that time, even if you can still find the other person, your friend will not be able to come back. So you must remember this time; this is the effective rescue time you have."

"And... the information blockade at Hayate Elementary School is even more severe than that at Fujika Junior High School. There are many things that would cause trouble if I explained them to you even slightly. Anyway... be very careful. With that curse on you, to be honest, I don't know what you'll do once you're in that hellish place. But... try to think from a child's perspective. That might help you. That's all I can say."

Xiong Mi spoke a series of words in a solemn tone.

Gao Hai memorized all of this, and only said "thank you" after the other person stopped.

"No need for thanks, you did save my life. But seriously, you're pretty impressive, kid. You just got out of that hellhole of a place like Teng Hua, and now you're heading straight to Zao Li. This is a Red Moon-level dungeon, it's no joke. You should take better care of your life, young man."

Xiong Mi was very carefree, and even teased Gao Hai as she spoke.

"According to the level classification of the sacrifice game, I am actually participating in the Dark Night level, and I haven't reached the level of being able to access the Red Moon level dungeon yet."

Although he felt somewhat heavy-hearted, Gao Hai smiled and joined in the joke when he heard Xiong Mi say that.

"Huh? You'd be better off believing I'm Qin Shi Huang than believing that sacrificial game is some kind of idiot. Alright, that's all I have to say. But I remember you have a lot of Twilight-level Obsession Items, right? Go to the player market and exchange them. Low-level Obsession Items aren't very useful in those kinds of dungeons."

“I know Xiaoheshu. I watched him enter the sacrifice game. Although this kid is ruthless and a bit dirty, he is generally protecting the interests of most players. He will definitely support a player like you who has potential and ability, and is neither abnormal nor antisocial. With my reputation as a guarantee, it is still possible to get you 3 Dark Night-level Obsession Items.”

"As the old saying goes, even last-minute preparations can be better than no preparation at all. However, when changing your obsession item, you need to clearly state your needs. In my opinion, you should prioritize storage, support, and survival obsession items, and don't put attack items first."

After the conversation ended and he hung up the phone, Gao Hai turned around and saw Kaguya, who was already dressed and hurriedly heading to the market.

The loss of Hayasaka was clearly a devastating blow to the girl. She had completely lost her usual calm and rational demeanor and hadn't even considered that the player market had already closed for the time being.

"Don't get excited, sit down, sit properly."

With multiple blessings, Takami's physical abilities had surpassed Kaguya's. He reached out and pressed the reluctant Kaguya back into the chair.

Then, he found Xiaoheshu's phone number and dialed the number.

The phone rang, but the other party didn't answer immediately. So Gao Hai stood in front of Kaguya, watching her fidget and sighing inwardly.

They use outward strength to mask inner vulnerability, appearing cold and aloof, calculating gains and losses with a ruthless heart. But this is merely a facade. Once their weaknesses are exposed, they become helpless and childlike, completely losing their composure.

It can only be said that once there are problems with family education, children are very likely to have serious problems. Even professional psychologists would probably shake their heads if they saw Kaguya Shinomiya's situation.

"Calm down, we will get her out."

Gao Hai lowered his head, leaned close to Kaguya, and looked earnestly into her crimson eyes as he spoke.

"She has four days left. What we need to do is find her within those four days and get her out of that place."

“Wasting time thinking about her current situation or whether we can successfully rescue her is pointless. Use your brain; this is no joke. Even if I lead you in, it's a dangerous dungeon area, and we'll have to do everything in our power to have any chance of getting through.”

Along with these words, Gao Hai slightly activated Hedar's blessing, releasing the mental shock that came with the berserk blessing to help Kaguya calm down.

The girl with long black hair took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and then opened them again.

Her emotions gradually calmed down, and she regained her composure. Although the confusion about the future still lingered in her expression, she was at least no longer in a state of utter disarray.

"Gao Jun, you just graduated from Teng Hua Middle School, and you're already..."

She also realized the decision Gao Hai had made, and her expression towards him showed a hint of worry.

Although Kaguya felt a certain joy upon learning that Takami had decided to participate, she still had her basic conscience. Escaping the perilous Fujika Middle School level was already incredibly difficult, and now, after only a day's rest, she was entering another level of equal difficulty. Even for her own sake, and for the sake of her friend Hayasaka, Kaguya could imagine the immense burden and pressure this would place on Takami.

"Yes, so have you thought about how to make it up to me? I'm willing to do it, but because of you, I wouldn't work this hard for anyone else I don't know well."