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

Finally, Hayasaka stood up, casually tossing away the maid outfit she found too tight and uncomfortable to wear, and walked up to Kaguya, speaking earnestly.

"Hayasaka, you..."

Sensing an inexplicably powerful aura, Kaguya subconsciously took a step back.

"Let me make the arrangements for you, Miss. Tomorrow afternoon, you will have a date with your master at the amusement park."

Hayasaka, who was getting closer and closer to Kaguya, had already begun to make a decision without any further explanation.

"No, no, no, wait a minute, this kind of thing..."

Unexpectedly, the other party made such a forceful decision, and Kaguya completely forgot what she wanted to say, becoming flustered.

"We can't wait any longer. I've already overheard his plans for tomorrow through the bug I placed in the living room. He's going to meet someone named Koga-ki in the morning, and he'll be resting and not going out in the afternoon. This is your best chance to act, Miss. If you don't seize it, Miss Shijou and Miss Fujiwara will definitely invite him out, and then you'll only hesitate even more."

Hayasaka's words drew ever closer, just like her footsteps, until Kaguya was cornered against the wall.

"But...but...what if he refuses? Gao Jun, he might also refuse me, right? If I get rejected...no, no, I can't do that..."

However, just like every time he had tried to persuade his mistress to take the initiative, Kaguya Shinomiya still gave up for the same reason and couldn't take the first step.

Sigh, young lady...

Hayasaka sighed deeply.

She knew Kaguya would react this way, even though she was usually very intelligent and seemed quite capable. However, whenever it came to matters of the heart, she would hesitate like this, afraid of getting an answer, to the point that she would try every possible way to probe from the side, wanting to get the other person's answer first, and even doing all sorts of silly and ridiculous things.

Honestly, this kind of personality is not cute at all.

Before, not knowing the full story, indulging my young lady's whims wasn't a big deal. But now that everyone is facing a monthly death game, continuing to dwell on personal feelings in the face of a life-or-death situation is something I can no longer accept.

So this time, let me force you, young lady.

Hayasaka's face remained expressionless, but his hand behind his back was already rapidly typing on his phone, sending a message to Takami.

[Master, it's me. Kaguya-sama actually likes you a lot, but she's very timid and never dares to reveal her feelings. So, could you please send me a voice message? Just say that you like her too and want to go on a date with her tomorrow afternoon. Of course, this is just a request. If you find it difficult, please pretend you didn't see this message. If it's the latter, please forgive my impertinence; I just want to pull Kaguya-sama out of her current state.]

Hayasaka typed and sent the text message in a very short time.

"Hayasaka, what are you doing?"

However, Kaguya, with her exceptional senses, immediately sensed something was wrong and rushed forward. Using her blessed and enhanced body, she blocked Hayasaka's retreat and snatched the phone she had hidden.

"This...this..."

However, Hayasaka was using a smartphone and had set up a gesture password, so Kaguya, who was extremely bad at electronic products, was immediately dumbfounded.

【ding dong——】

A pleasant voice came from the phone.

"Oh, a reply has arrived. Would you like to hear it, young lady?"

The next second, Hayasaka, with a strange smile on his face, suddenly approached Kaguya and tapped the phone screen with his finger.

"What...what news is it?"

Realizing something was wrong, Kaguya's eyes widened, and her heart began to race.

What message did Hayasaka send? And who replied? Was it Taka-kun? What did Hayasaka send him? Did she send him all the things I yelled and shouted at just now? Is Taka-kun replying to lecture me for being a shrew?!

Kaguya almost instinctively imagined the worst-case scenario.

But Hayasaka didn't give her a chance to use her imagination. She snatched the phone, turned on the screen, and started playing the music at full volume.

"Hmm, Kaguya, how about we go on a date tomorrow afternoon? I think that amusement park in the city is pretty good. It's nice to experience some down-to-earth entertainment once in a while, what do you think? Just the two of us, since we've never had a date alone before. I've wanted to go on a date with the beautiful and cute Kaguya for a long time now!"

Gao Hai's voice came from the phone.

Kaguya, who was still trying to snatch the phone back, froze almost instantly upon hearing the voice coming from inside, as if she had pressed the pause button and lost the ability to move.

Well, that's about right.

That way, the young lady will no longer have the right to accuse me of betrayal, and I can more confidently... well, secretly go to find my master.

Hayasaka put away his phone after completing the operation, his expression unchanged, but his breathing became slightly erratic.

Interlude 3-16: Issues with teammates and mission difficulty, as well as increasing reputation.

The conflict between Kaguya and Hayasaka, the master and servant, is no longer within Takami's concern.

He could tell that although Kaguya was very unhappy about Hayasaka's sneaking away, it was just a negative emotion and wouldn't cause any major problems. Since that was the case, it was better to let them discuss and resolve it themselves; after all, he could have them all in the end.

As for the voice message he sent after Hayasaka's text message asking for help, he didn't have much experience with dating before, but now, thanks to the training he received from Maki and Chika, he wasn't afraid at all. However, if the other person was Kaguya, he still had to be careful to consider her feelings, since she was a shy girl who was even more prone to exploding in anger than Maki. If he remembered correctly, in Akasaka's original work, Kaguya would even faint from a heartbeat when someone she liked touched her cheek or hair, which was quite absurd.

In short, these things are ultimately the kind of things that can be dealt with later, so there's no need to rush them now.

"You won't suddenly run off to some dungeon again this time, will you?"

Consort Zhen, standing beside him, turned her head and looked over, frowning as she asked seriously.

"No, absolutely not. Even if they slapped an invitation in my face, I wouldn't go. Apart from that mandatory quest that comes once a month, I absolutely won't go near any dungeons anymore. I've suffered too much lately, it's about time I got a good rest."

As he walked out of the Shinomiya residence, Gao Hai stretched lazily, looking relaxed and content.

From Gao Hai's perspective, there are only two issues he needs to address. One is explaining to Xiao Heshu that he encountered difficulties in the dungeon and was forced to summon back the item he had sent out for use. The other is how to get Fujiwara Chika, who only has one record of clearing the Twilight-level game but has actually cleared the top-tier Dark Night-level game, to join him in the Dark Night-level game and ensure that she doesn't fall behind her teammates.

As for letting the girls around him act alone and not letting them participate in those games that were destined to be incredibly difficult due to the influence of the Black Watch, Gao Hai never even considered such a thing. Admittedly, this would indeed allow the girls to avoid danger to a large extent, but risk and opportunity go hand in hand, and the Hayate Elementary School dungeon had already exposed the dangers of insufficient teammate strength. Moreover, that "Faceless One" had already made it very clear that he would enter high-difficulty dungeons due to various reasons, whether voluntary or involuntary, which definitively confirmed that it was the "misfortune" brought by the Black Watch.

Since the root cause of entering the pseudo-Red Moon level dungeon this time was the misfortune brought by the black watch, what if this misfortune happens again? Keep in mind that the Hayashi Elementary School dungeon, by connecting him to Hayasaka Ai, already affected her as well. This means that when this thing brings misfortune, its effect extends far beyond just him. In this situation, if he separates the girls around him to perform lower-difficulty dungeons, they will definitely survive. However, with the increasing disparity in difficulty, what will he do if his misfortune then affects them as well?

Therefore, even though doing so would bring greater risks to those around him, Gao Hai insisted on having Zhenfei and the others enter the high-difficulty dungeon with him. Only in this way could they gain greater rewards and achieve greater improvement, and everyone's survival ability could be guaranteed to a greater extent.

On this point, both Maki and Chika shared the same thought. In fact, having missed the two accompanying dungeons, both Maki and Chika were already under considerable pressure. Previously, Takami could find reasons to suppress them in the Hayate Elementary School dungeon, but if he were to pull a similar stunt again, the two girls would definitely unite against him.

"I've already arranged to meet with Mr. Xiaohe tomorrow morning to explain the situation. Hmm, he seems more respectful than before, judging from his tone? Is it because you, Ahai, impressed him by clearing the two dungeon areas of Fujika Middle School and Hayate Elementary School? If that's the case, I think I can be a bit more assertive when we meet tomorrow. I guess Xiaohe might not be planning to take back those coveted items."

After contacting the "market," Qianhua blinked at Gao Hai and calmly revealed her shady tactics.

"After obtaining the goods they needed through a transaction, taking back the money they paid—isn't that already considered robbery?"

Before Gao Hai could even speak, Zhen Fei couldn't help but start complaining.

"That's true, but without those obsession items, Ah Hai would definitely face more trouble to clear the dungeon, right? Although the power of Twilight-level obsession items in the Red Moon dungeon is small, just that potion bottle alone, as long as it successfully suppresses the monster inside, will give Ah Hai a good means of recovery. Also, when encountering monsters with the ability to devour, Twilight-level obsession items can play a good role in hindering them. You can reduce their activity level by feeding them a lot of monsters."

"Furthermore, unlike when he was at Fujika Middle School, he had powerful Red Moon-level players supporting him. This time, Ahai genuinely broke into a Red Moon-level area dungeon without any outside help, and he even solved a dungeon that is widely recognized as extremely difficult. With this level of skill, I think we can be more assertive tomorrow, and maybe we can even secure more benefits for Ahai."

"Ultimately, that's how people in Japan are. You have to be strong, but not too easy to talk to, otherwise others won't take you for granted. This is true for societies made up of ordinary humans, and I think it's even more pronounced for players where strength is the most decisive factor. If it weren't for the fact that, apart from Ahai, the rest of us aren't that strong, I would have already started a new player faction right now."

Chika, who was clearly more ruthless than Maki, didn't see anything wrong with this and naturally brought out her family's experience as politicians.

"You're thinking quite a lot and quite far ahead. Hmm... never mind, I won't say anything about this. It's just that the market has always been quite supportive of us, so there's no need to be too aggressive. By the way, tomorrow we can also ask if there are any items that allow ordinary people to retain their awareness of supernatural powers. If there are, I can get my family to support me more easily. Although Auntie has managed to win over my family now, I still think the Shinomiya family's character is quite worrying. As for my family, as long as my parents understand what I'm doing, I'm confident that I can get the entire Shijou family to fully support me."

While not entirely agreeing with Chika's statement, Maki chose to set aside the controversy and brought up another topic.

Gao Hai nodded and noted it down. Then, Qian Hua suddenly pounced on him, giggling and saying she wanted to go to a newly opened dessert shop to try it out.

Caught off guard by the sudden shift in topic from business to a date, Maki hesitated for a moment, but still awkwardly reached out and grabbed Takahashi's other arm. And so, amidst the shocked, envious, and jealous stares of passersby, Takahashi, with a beautiful girl on one arm, strode forward down the street.

At this moment, the group was unaware that the turmoil caused by Gao Hai's return was already spreading rapidly.

market.

In a meeting room located in an abandoned underground shopping mall, several players gathered. Little River Tree, who was sitting in the lead position, remained silent for a long time before finally speaking up in a relaxed manner.

"It's confirmed. Mr. Gao, Gao Hai, successfully passed through the [Zao Li Elementary School] instance area, cracked the core obsession, and destroyed that place. From now on, only half of the [Campus Ghost Stories] top-tier Red Moon-level instance area will remain."

The next moment, a collective gasp filled the conference room as people gasped for breath, a mixture of cold air, heat, and greenhouse gases.

"To avoid angering the other party, I didn't go close to check the situation inside the Shinomiya mansion. However, by asking the maid who went out to buy supplies, I can confirm that he has achieved his goal and rescued an ordinary human who was caught in the dungeon. The Shinomiya Kaguya who entered the dungeon with him and only had two dungeon clear records has also returned safely. In other words, he conquered a dangerous dungeon with many Red Moon level players killed or injured while carrying two burdens."

Before Xiaoheshu could finish speaking, gasps of surprise filled the conference room again, and players began to mutter under their breath, "How could this be possible?", "Is that player really human?", "Even if it's made up, it can't be this outrageous."

Clearly, the news the players received this time was so explosive that they began to doubt its authenticity.

But Xiaoheshu hadn't finished speaking yet. He even deliberately waited a moment, letting the group shout a few words and the atmosphere build up for a while, before slowly speaking again.

"I know everyone thinks this doesn't sound true, but all the Red Moon-level players who have tickets to the [Campus Ghost Stories] instance have confirmed the disappearance of the Hayatei Elementary School area. And there's only one possibility for the complete disappearance of the instance, which I believe everyone understands."

"Furthermore, we have another witness to this clear: Toyama Akira, a player who has confirmed his return to the [Red Society]. He was confirmed dead in the Fujika Middle School instance, but Xiong Mi, the vice-captain of the [Slacking Off Gang], confirmed that he was still alive, though he also stated that he had been completely out of control due to possession by the obsession. However, Toyama Akira, who has returned to the [Red Society] this time, is in a conscious state. He has broken free from the obsession and has fully recovered. Of course, there are still some aftereffects, and it will probably take a few days to fully recover."

"However, that's not the point. The point is... Mr. Toyama stated that he was defeated and had his possession stolen by Mr. Gao in a one-on-one battle, which is why he was able to escape the possessed state and survive. Although he didn't witness the entire process of Mr. Gao breaking the core possession, he was rescued and brought out of the instance by Mr. Gao unharmed during the instance's collapse. In other words, even before breaking through Hayate Elementary School, Mr. Gao already possessed the power to confront out-of-control Red Moon-level players head-on. Even if he might have relied on some mechanism of the instance itself, this is enough to demonstrate his strength."

This time, no one gasped.

The entire meeting room fell silent.

Sitting in the corner of the conference room, Aoyama Nanami frowned as she wrote the name "Takami" in her notebook. Beside her, Goto Ichiri, who had been forcibly dragged over, stared wide-eyed, her body trembling slightly.

Has Mr. Gao already been able to do such a thing?

If... if even the notoriously terrifying instance at Hayatei Elementary School could be cleared, and a player possessed by an obsessive object could be rescued, then Yoruyama Middle School, and Kita-san... I, I...

Even after becoming a player, Goto Ichiri, who is still very socially awkward and unable to improve her communication skills, suddenly has an extremely strong urge to find Takami and ask him for help.

I don't care about myself, but Kita-kun, if there's still any hope for her...

"The [Slacking Off Gang] and the [Red Society] had an emergency communication last night. As the manager of the [Market], I was fortunate enough to attend the meeting because I have had some contact with Mr. Gao. In the upcoming monthly mission, the [Slacking Off Gang] and the [Red Society] will jointly form a new investigation team for the [Campus Ghost Stories] instance, and the [Market] will support this operation. Furthermore, as the absolute key to carrying out this operation, Mr. Gao is someone we all must win over. I believe you all understand why."

The little river tree's last words fell at that moment.

Aoyama Nanami had already closed her notebook, the small notebook she originally used to record various voice acting learning techniques, but which was now filled with all sorts of random notes. She turned to look at Goto Ichiri, whose mind was clearly drifting away from this world.

"Does such a person really exist in this world? He's like a hero sent down from heaven."

Aoyama Nanami couldn't help but sigh softly.

If only someone like that had appeared sooner, and even closer to her, how wonderful that would have been. Then she wouldn't have had to abandon her dreams to survive, get caught up in the battles between players, and ultimately end up in the [Market].

On the other side, Xiaoheshu was still communicating with the other members, discussing what kind of attitude to adopt when meeting Gao Hai tomorrow, and how to judge the other party's attitude.

Having lost interest in what was to come, Aoyama Nanami stood up and lightly tapped Goto Ichiri on the head with her notebook.

"Woo eh?"

The pink-haired girl, suddenly snapping out of her daze, widened her eyes and saw Nanami smiling in front of her.

"Don't get distracted. The subsequent action meeting has nothing to do with us. Let's go."

The two girls quickly left the conference room.

And the name "Gao Hai" spread quietly, unseen by him, gradually becoming known and noticed by more and more people. Like an undercurrent stirring beneath the surface of a lake, it caused no visible ripples.