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

The expression on his face changed from distress and despair to a silly smile in just a few seconds.

At this moment, Goto Ichiri's face was beaming with sunshine. She unconsciously scratched her head while giving off an expression that seemed to say, "Keep praising me."

They seem easier to understand and more easily coaxed than expected.

At this moment, Gao Hai gained a deeper understanding of the girl's characteristics.

With such a personality... one can only say that she was incredibly lucky to meet a mentor who took care of newbies during the beginner quests, and then to meet Aoyama Nanami, a motherly character who was good at taking care of people. No wonder that even after being a player for so long and having advanced to the Red Moon level, she was still able to retain the personality she had when she was an ordinary person.

However, considering the Dark Night-level blessing that the girl possesses to sense malice, she shouldn't continue to act foolishly when encountering someone with malicious intent.

In short, let's continue to appease them for now.

"Without a doubt, Goto Ichiri is a trustworthy and powerful player."

Gao Hai's expression was serious, and his voice was full of emotion.

"Hehe, really? Really?"

Goto Ichiri squinted his eyes, looking as blissful as a kitten enjoying being petted.

"Having a player like Ms. Goto as a teammate is truly a wonderful thing!"

Gao Hai continued to praise, his voice becoming increasingly melodious and rhythmic.

"Hehehe, it's nothing special~"

Goto Ichiri swayed slightly, as radiant as a flower bathed in sunlight.

"Ms. Goto is the best!"

"Hehehe hehehe (￣▽￣)～"

"Ms. Goto is the best in the world!!"

"Hehehehe (￣︶￣)～"

"Ms. Goto is the best!!!"

"Hehehehehehehehehe ︿(￣︶￣)︿"

After a few words of praise, Gao Hai felt as if the girl in front of him was about to float up and fly into the sky.

Honestly, it was so much fun that he couldn't resist adding some slightly inappropriate content to the conversation to see if he could fool the girl.

However, in the end, perhaps because the other party was too naive, Gao Hai suppressed the slightly unsettling thoughts in his heart. Taking advantage of Xiao Boqi's blissful state, he asked for her phone number and home address, and then said goodbye to her directly.

"Goodbye, Takasaka! I'll take care of you from now on!"

As they parted, Goto Ichiri, now completely inflated with arrogance, said something with a haughty expression.

As for what happened a few minutes later, after Goto Ichiri calmed down for a moment after Takami left, she realized what she was saying and fell into a "shouting" state. In her nervousness, she took a sip of juice and ended up drinking the glass that Takami had finished. After taking a sip of air, she realized what she had done and her face turned red, and she was almost completely mentally broken. It can only be said that Takami still gave her some face and did not let her embarrass herself in the whole scene.

Interlude 3-38: The Dream of the Seeker and the Final Challenge to Confront the School Ghost Stories

Gao Hai had a dream.

In his dream, he returned to his high school days, becoming a student and continuing his uneventful academic life.

However, the school I attended in my dream seemed different from the one I remembered.

The school bell rang.

The teacher opened the textbook and began to read the text with intonation and rhythm.

The students sat in their seats, drowsy, or writing secrets on small pieces of paper and passing them to others.

So familiar.

It has been several years since I left the classroom.

I thought I had completely forgotten that period of time.

But now, when I step into this place again, all the scenes begin to feel familiar, and everything returns to how it should be in my memory.

That's right.

I belong to this place.

Am I a member of this school... a member?

It seemed as if something was tightly gripping his consciousness, preventing him from falling deeper.

The anomalies that were previously unnoticed or undetected gradually began to become obvious.

No, I don't belong here.

Even though everything is becoming more and more familiar, and more and more déjà vu, this is still not the school where I used to live.

This place... is made up of something else.

Different.

It's different from where I live.

So, what's the difference?

It felt as if someone was asking me a question.

It felt as if someone's gaze was directed at him at that moment.

Everything around us was shrouded in a blurry color.

Things that were once familiar have become strange again.

The students in the classroom were still laughing and joking with each other. They walked past them without making a sound.

No, it wasn't just footsteps.

When I came to my senses, I realized that there wasn't a single sound coming from the classroom, which was bathed in warm sunlight.

A quiet, dim light illuminated the dark classroom.

All the figures have vanished without a trace, their whereabouts unknown.

Only a few blurry figures remained seated, seemingly waiting for something to happen.

Those figures, those people are...

I stared intently, straining my eyes to see those figures.

The originally blurry outline gradually took on a distinct shape at this moment.

Sitting next to her were Shijou Maki, Fujiwara Chika, and several other girls she recognized.

A little further away, you can also see Xiong Mi and Jianbing from the "Slacking Off Gang", as well as Linbu Kenta and Nanakawa Ren from the "Red Knot Society".

Goto Ichiri and Aoyama Nanami were sitting the furthest away, closest to the classroom door, as if they couldn't wait to get up and leave the classroom.

Where is this place?

Consciousness is gradually returning.

Why am I in this place now?

Gradually, I began to feel my hands and feet, my body, and my own existence.

A chilling aura filled my body.

I could feel the pervasive coolness emanating from every pore.

Then, I saw the clown sitting on the stage, holding flowers in his hands.

Whether the final outcome leads to tragedy or comedy, the overflowing emotions of those who persevere in the face of difficulties are something I always yearn for, yet can never attain.

I put on this costume and perform tragedy and comedy for people, giving them experiences they can't get in life and reaping the emotions they hide beneath their rationality.

But this is ultimately not enough. I was born non-human, yet I yearn for humanity. Therefore, my thirst will never be satisfied. My constant search will only lead me into this vortex of death and sacrifice.

But it doesn't matter. It is precisely in this hell that I can experience more of the emotions I could never have before, and that I can touch you humans more closely and deeply.

Show me more, my darling of fate! Grant me more!

The clown, sighing, lowered his head at the last moment as if to shed tears, even though his face, which looked like it had been painted on, showed no change in expression whatsoever.

Everything became blurry again.

Like surfacing from deep water, the chaotic consciousness cleared once more.

Gao Hai opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling, which he had been looking at for more than a week. He showed no reaction except for silence.

"Hoo... Waaah... Tonkotsu ramen, hey..."

Lying in his arms, Chika mumbled the name of the food, subconsciously licked Gao Hai's shoulder, and then continued to sleep soundly.

The sky outside the window was already showing some white light and shadow.

Gao Hai knew that the time had come.

After a short rest of about two weeks, and after a brief period of peaceful daily life, the dark dungeon of the Sacrifice Game is about to begin once again. As slaves trapped in this twisted rule, unable to escape, they must once again risk their lives to step into a terrifying world of supernatural tales.

That sounds really exciting.

A smile appeared on Gao Hai's lips.

I woke up Chika, who had come over to play games last night but stayed to sleep because she played too late.

I took a shower, changed my clothes, and went downstairs for breakfast.

When they arrived at the [Market], all the players from the [Slacking Off Gang] and [Red Knot Society] had already arrived, and Maki, Kaguya, and Hayasaka had also been there for a while.

There was no small talk, no greetings, no chatting or laughing.

Everyone wore extremely serious expressions.

Everyone was ready for the next move and was waiting for the game to begin.

After a short wait, Yotsuya Miko arrived at the meeting point. The girl called out "Senpai" to Takami, then rubbed her eyes and stood beside him.

Judging from the barely noticeable dark circles under the girl's eyes, it's clear that Jianzi probably didn't get enough rest last night.

After waiting a while longer, Aoyama Nanami and Goto Ichiri finally arrived. Goto Ichiri also looked like she hadn't slept well, and considering her constitution, Takami suspected she had been pulling many sleepless nights to get to this state. As for Aoyama Nanami herself, she looked to be in great shape, seemingly having conserved her energy and made thorough preparations.

Gao Hai's gaze lingered on Aoyama Nanami for a moment longer. He didn't ask why she had given him an almost completely blank personal profile, but deep down, Gao Hai still had a lot of questions about it.