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

"Ahai?"

The thought process may seem lengthy, but for Gao Hai, who has now received comprehensive enhancements, this series of analyses and reflections only took him a few seconds.

Therefore, when Qianhua called him softly, the water in the cup Gao Hai was holding was still scalding hot.

"what happened?"

Gao Hai turned to look at Qian Hua, watching the lively girl move over and sit a little closer.

"It's about time we rested for a while. Whatever our thoughts may be, we should wait until a few hours later, when this house is about to disappear, before we talk about them."

As Chika spoke, she chuckled and poked Takahashi's cheek before moving closer.

"Yes, I know. Don't worry, I won't tire myself out."

Gao Hai didn't pay much attention to Qian Hua's affectionate behavior, just casually replied and then took another sip of water from his cup.

"Even so, Ah Hai, you've never taken good care of yourself, and everyone's worried about that."

Qianhua's shoulders were already touching Gaohai's. She sat leaning against Gaohai, her head turned to rest on his shoulder, her voice growing softer and softer, as if she were whispering to him alone.

"Really? Maybe. I understand. I'll get some rest."

Seeing that the other party was so insistent, Gao Hai smiled helplessly and put down his cup.

The nightlight in the bedroom cast a soft glow, projecting the slightly trembling shadows of Gao Hai and Qian Hua leaning together on the wall.

Chika herself had already slightly raised her head and pressed her lips against Gao Hai's ear.

Then, she spoke softly to Gao Hai:

meow~

Chapter 41: The Curse Rooted Within, and the Double Death

I was completely unprepared.

It's just a fleeting moment, like the blink of an eye.

The tranquility of the previous second turned into a chilling suffocation in the next.

meow~

A sharp cat's meow rang out from afar.

A sharp chill instantly enveloped my entire body.

Something was spreading and growing inside this small room, yet no trace of it could be found.

There was no way to see that thing clearly.

However, he could sense the other party's presence, he could sense that something full of malice looking at him, and he could feel the chill and terror that went deep into his bones, as if it wanted to freeze everything.

meow~

Another delicate meow rang out.

Gao Hai looked up and saw the small, lame, dirty black kitten sitting on the bed.

Is that the cat?

Why... This is Alice's cottage, a sanctuary formed by the power of blessing. External forces shouldn't be able to affect this place.

The room had become quiet.

The light grew increasingly dark.

Gao Hai could no longer see his companions sitting in the room. They were supposed to be in the same room with him, but now he couldn't see where they were.

He only felt cold, a strong chill that spread throughout his entire body.

meow~

The little black cat had somehow appeared beside him, raised its head, and stared coldly at Gao Hai with its pair of sharp, vertical yellow pupils.

Why is it here?

In a daze, Gao Hai reached out and touched the black kitten.

But his hand didn't touch anything.

The black cat was pierced through Gao Hai's fingers, but he only felt as if he had touched air.

Why can't I touch it?

It's right here...

No, that's not right...

So that's how it is? It's not here, it didn't enter this place, it's just... in my consciousness, in my mind?

Gao Hai finally understood.

The second core obsession of [Yoruyama Middle School] is the ability of the lame black cat that was once raised by Morihara Koji, which is a curse activated through sound.

Like a disease caused by a virus, once the power of this object is activated, it no longer requires the object itself to continue existing. Victims affected by the object will be continuously eroded by the cursed power generated within their bodies until death arrives.

No wonder those fanatical players made no attempt to stop him from escaping; it turns out they had already fallen for the trap the moment they heard the cat's meow.

Even if he were moved to a place where players could neither find nor enter, the outcome would remain unchanged. This is because the source of the curse lies within himself, and nothing external is needed to activate it.

meow~

A sharp, piercing meow, like a baby crying, rang out.

The entire room was plunged into complete darkness, and everything around had vanished without a trace, swallowed up by nothingness.

Gao Hai could no longer see or hear anything except for cat meows.

He began to feel his consciousness becoming increasingly blurred, as if his soul was gradually detaching from his body and falling somewhere.

The Blessing of Immortality is still on cooldown, and in this state, being cursed by a Crimson Moon-level core artifact, especially with a delayed onset—by the time I realized it, it was too late. It seems this is probably the end for me this time…

It forced me to concentrate once again.

Enduring the increasingly intense mental chaos that could instantly shatter the will of an ordinary person, Gao Hai began to try to feel the curse power that had penetrated his soul more deeply, trying to find the parts of emotion and obsession that might belong to the core obsession of [Morihara Koji].

That cultist possesses the ability to be completely protected, making him unselectable by my domain and Goto Ichiri's obsession. This implies that one of the obsession's abilities is "protection." Perhaps this reflects the obsession itself's yearning to protect something.

Conversely, what kind of will embodies this curse's ability to kill, to bring people to their deaths invisibly?

come on.

As his thoughts became increasingly chaotic and his mind became more and more disordered, Gao Hai gritted his teeth and tried his best to stay clear-headed.

Come on, try killing me.

How will you torture me?

What kind of painful death will you make me experience?

What will you tell me as you kill me?

Is it anger? Is it madness? Is it twisted hatred? Is it the pleasure of unrestrained venting? Or is it sorrow? Is it despair?

Regardless of the method used, it's impossible to avoid leaving behind the subjective thought patterns of the person fixated on the idea.

Just as death by scalding water represents Li Zhaodi's nightmare, the tactile sensation of a massive crack crushing a human body represents Hedar's anger and madness, and the living doll represents Alice's distorted values, the way a core obsession kills must be connected to the experiences and emotions associated with that obsession.

Therefore, no matter what kind of torment one encounters, it will always reflect some characteristic of this obsession.

Endure it.

Explore it.

Analyze and understand it.

Pain could no longer break Gao Hai's will. He even began to calmly calculate what value he could gain and what information he could obtain in the last moments of his death, and decided to focus all his attention on the process of his death.

After all, is death really something to worry about?

Unbeknownst to him, his perceptions and beliefs seemed to have become increasingly skewed compared to those of a normal person, but Gao Hai was no longer so concerned about it. As long as he could successfully conquer the dungeon and survive with the people he cared about, that would be enough. As for other things, those were no longer his concern.

"Hoo... Uh..."

It seemed as if I could hear myself breathing heavily in pain.

The intense pain is becoming clearer.

The already disordered senses suffered even more severe trauma at this moment, as if something had cut open the skull, scooped out the brain spoonful by spoonful, and was slowly eating it.

Gao Hai was starting to lose track of whether he was awake or dreaming.

But he was still trying his best to concentrate.

Even in the boundless darkness, when the eerie curse power erupting from within his body nearly tore apart all his senses, it still couldn't stop Gao Hai from continuing to experience it.

It seems... I can sense something.

A boy kneeling on the ground, kneeling in the rain, holding a dead kitten in his hands.

And the hateful gaze cast from the other person's eyes.

I curse you all to die a horrible death!

crunch - crunch -

His body burst forth with plumes of blood mist at that moment, and began to collapse.

I curse every one of you to die a horrible death!

tear-

Flesh was torn apart, bones were twisted, and nerves were ripped apart one by one.

I will kill you all... I will kill you all... I will kill every single one of you...

The body was finally and completely shattered.

Amidst the boy's gritted teeth and curses, and the other person's seemingly bewitched and incessantly repeating voice.

Gao Hai's eyes remained open, still wide open, as if trying to see something clearly in the darkness.

Rain... a dead cat... a wounded boy...