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

Nanami found it somewhat incomprehensible.

"This is my gut feeling as a commander, trust it. So, next we're going to give those religious bastards who're obsessed with their religion a good thrashing. Do you dare come?"

Xiong Mi casually answered Qi Hai's question, then turned to his companion, the man who had been standing behind him with a serious expression, and said the rest of his sentence to him.

"Why don't you dare."

Although his name was somewhat comical, the man, who was very serious, nodded slightly, without the slightest hesitation in his expression.

"And this one, joining us is fine, right?"

Xiong Mi's gaze then fell upon the honest and unassuming Hayashibe Kenta.

"I have no opinion."

The slightly chubby Lin Bujian nodded quickly. Although he looked harmless, Xiong Mi knew very well that this chubby guy was actually a tough character in the [Red Society]. Otherwise, he wouldn't have survived two major misfortunes in a row for the player guild.

However, judging from Gao Hai's speech just now, he doesn't seem to know much about this Lin Bujian. Maybe they haven't teamed up before? But this also proves that when facing the real danger in Yelu Mountain Middle School, even such a ruthless character is meaningless.

"Then, could I ask you to stay and take charge of the investigation at the school?"

After a few thoughts raced through his mind, Xiong Mi looked at Qi Chuan Lian, another member of the Red Knot Society.

"No problem, it seems everyone has made up their minds, although I actually feel there are some inappropriate aspects."

Qi Chuanlian nodded slightly, seemingly unconcerned about the next steps.

At this point, the first three teams have been decided.

The first team of the Baydos investigation team was centered around Hayasaka Ai and Yotsuya Miko, with Aoyama Nanami responsible for protecting their physical safety.

The second squad, tasked with fighting hostile players in the woodland area behind Nightfall Middle School, consists of Kumami, Kenpachi, and Hayashibe Kenta. Maki accompanies this squad to ensure unimpeded communication with Takami and to suppress the exchange of obsession items.

The third team, which stayed behind at Yoruyama Middle School to conduct further investigations, was led by Fujiwara Chika, who was good at interpersonal communication, with Goto Ichiri, who could help fight against the "atmosphere," as her deputy, and veteran player Nanakawa Ren participating as an assistant and protector.

After dividing the land in this way, only one person remained without a place to go.

That's Kaguya Shinomiya.

"Have her come to the elevator in the affiliated teaching building. The danger here shouldn't be too high. Let her come with me."

This division was, in a sense, within Gao Hai's expectations. Now that Kaguya has left her mark in Blood City, it is natural to have more contact with her to enhance the stimulation of her memories and ensure the ability to preserve her memories after the regression. It would be perfect for the two of them to act together.

Therefore, while conveying his thoughts through Maki, he and Miko took the elevator and moved towards the [1st floor] of Yoruyama Middle School.

Kaguya herself naturally had no objection to this. In fact, she was still somewhat confused as to why she felt inexplicably molested by someone and heard all sorts of lewd and provocative words. She was beginning to vaguely sense that this might be related to Takami.

"..."

Aoyama Nanami remained silent.

Unlike Kenta Hayashibe and Ren Nanakawa, who followed orders, this young player was clearly not very supportive of Kumami and Takahashi's actions, still feeling that such a four-pronged exploration was an extremely risky and irresponsible act.

However, Xiong Mi didn't say much about it, but simply sent a message to Qi Hai through a mental connection.

This is probably not the first round anymore.

what?

The nonsensical and inexplicable words left Nanami somewhat confused.

Not the first round? What do you mean not the first round? Shouldn't the key question now be how that man named Gao Hai inexplicably disappeared at the start of the instance, and yet he still managed to gather all this information? We just... just... just entered?!

Nanami's brown-green pupils tightened slightly in the next moment.

An obsession capable of this level of power... indeed, it does exist, but this is a Red Moon-level dungeon, and no time-related obsessions have been found within the [Campus Ghost Stories] dungeon. Furthermore, even a time-related obsession at the core level of a Red Moon-level obsession wouldn't make everyone forget everything, or even rewind a genuine Red Moon-level dungeon to the point where nothing had happened, right? After all, even time-related obsessions cannot defy the dungeon's own rules.

Unless it's something from a dungeon higher than the Red Moon level.

Realizing a certain possibility, Aoyama Nanami could not calm down no matter what. She looked at Kumami abruptly, only to find that Kumami had already started assigning combat tasks to Kenpachi and Hayashibe Kenta without caring about anything else.

If that's really the case, then there's definitely a need to take the risk.

Nanami let out a deep breath, but the image of that sunny and cheerful red-haired girl involuntarily came to mind again, her bewildered figure as if she had lost her soul after being possessed by the power of the strange creature.

Is risking one's life really feasible? Nanami instinctively wanted to refuse such an action, but when she thought of the possibility that Xiongmi had suggested, she had to admit that the other person was right and that this was what should be done now.

In any case, the 12-player team has already been assigned at this moment.

Whether things succeed or fail from here on out, we can only do our best and leave the rest to fate.

Thinking this, Nanami raised her head and looked at the bright yet deceptive sun in the sky.

It slightly reminds me of when I was a high school student.

Back then, I was still attending the affiliated high school of Suimei University of the Arts and living in the Sakura-sou student dormitory. I was aspiring to become a voice actress and led a busy life that alternated between part-time work and studying, dreaming about my future. Oh, and I also had to take care of my somewhat clumsy roommate who was assigned to me by the dormitory manager.

How did it all end up like this? Every mission was a life-or-death gamble, with the possibility of never returning. She was trying so hard to protect her junior, yet she ended up sacrificing herself, living a life worse than death. The dreams she once pursued were eroded by the suffocating grind of each dungeon mission, forcing her to give up. In the end, it seems she's just living for the sake of living.

While she was thinking, Nanami noticed Hayasaka Ai, who had walked up to her and was looking at her.

Because Aoyama Nanami is only 158cm tall, while Hayasaka Ai is a full 162cm, if Hayasaka gets too close, Nanami would have to look up to make eye contact with her. Therefore, Hayasaka deliberately increased the distance slightly and adjusted her posture to ensure that Nanami wouldn't need to look up when talking to her, and even had to lower her head a little.

Is this how you try to maintain your so-called "senior dignity"? You've got quite a few ulterior motives. I'm not the kind of senior who likes to be particular.

With that thought in mind, Nanami quickly adjusted her mindset and gave Hayasaka a gentle smile.

"Then, I'll take care of your safety from now on. The other one should be arriving soon, right?"

As he spoke, Nanami looked into the distance and quickly noticed Takami and Miko rushing towards them.

Because the cognitive blockade was still in effect, although everyone hadn't completely forgotten the existence of these two people thanks to Maki's relay of information, Nanami still felt that Miko and Takami's faces were somewhat unfamiliar, and she had to recall for a moment to match their faces with their names.

Players have already started taking action.

Despite having many thoughts she wanted to express, Nanami ultimately left quietly with Miko and Hayasaka to find a place where they could ensure their safety for a certain period of time.

"Then let's get started."

Unaware of Nanami's gaze, Takahashi, after reuniting with the others, spoke in a firm voice.

Chapter 97: The Players' Action Time at the Beginning of the Third Playthrough

"Are you ready?"

"Well, I'm ready."

Miko and Hayasaka looked at each other and nodded slightly, then slowly lay down on the spot.

Aoyama Nanami silently stood guard to the side, glancing around from time to time before quickly returning to the two people beside her.

At this moment, the three girls were in a wooded area on the edge of the Nightfall Mountain Middle School campus. Aoyama Nanami cleared a small clearing, then took out some small bells and thin ropes, using the trees as supports to construct an enclosed area.

The sounds of students making a racket could be heard from the distant campus, but upon closer inspection, it became clear that there were actually no students present; the entire campus area was completely deserted. This was because the three of them had now arrived at the [3rd Floor] area, a place where there was no student activity, yet the sounds of students could be heard, and where ghost stories were even more frequent.

For the three people who needed a safe place to move around, choosing to come to this location was clearly not a good idea. However, since Miko had already obtained too much information, forcibly staying on the relatively safe surface would only make the space around her increasingly unstable, and she would inevitably fall into a deeper area. And if that happened, she might fall directly to a depth of [5th level], so [3rd level] was currently the most appropriate depth to choose.

Slashing open his arms, staining the thin ropes and bells with blood.

Aoyama Nanami closed his eyes and stood still for a while. Then, the blood that had stained the rope and bells began to move on its own, and soon the rope and bells were completely blood red.

The power of the strange creatures spread at that moment, causing a change in the small space surrounded by thin lines. Although it was not visible to the naked eye, Yotsuya Miko could sense that Nanami, using blood as a medium, had isolated the small space to some extent, making it less likely for the strange creatures to detect it.

This power... originates from the blessing of blood?

No, the aura was far too malevolent; it was more like a curse than a blessing. Such power was incredibly unsettling.

Speaking of which, Maki and Kaguya witnessed Nanami manipulating blood detached from her body and using it to materialize various names in the previous loop. Now, she's demonstrating the ability to isolate auras and create hidden spaces through this blood. This power… hmm, what kind of power is this? It feels like Nanami is hiding many secrets. I wonder how she discovered the crucial point of "breaking the third core obsession" in the last loop.

Miko's thoughts began to wander slightly. At this moment, the only thing she and Hayasaka needed to do was fall asleep. However, to ensure that they could contact each other at the same time as in the second playthrough, they should ideally fall asleep at the exact same time. This was not easy to achieve, so they needed some external assistance.

Therefore, right between the two people lying on the ground at this moment, there was a small incense burner with a stick of incense burning on it.

This was naturally an item Gao Hai had obtained from those fanatical players. It was a very special auxiliary item, which Gao Hai named "Dream Furnace." As long as incense was burned on it, players who smelled the scent would quickly fall into a dream, and the minds of the players in the dream would connect with each other. It was an item specifically designed for dungeons that required exploration in a "sleep" state, and it came in handy at this moment.

This object of obsession, while capable of inducing sleep quickly as a supplementary means of sedation, requires the person inhaling the incense to not resist. Even then, it still takes about ten minutes for the person to truly fall asleep. Therefore, although Miko and Hayasaka have both lay down, they cannot fall asleep immediately.

Furthermore, as a Dark Night-level artifact, the [Dream Furnace] carries a relatively high risk of going out of control. While it allows dreamers to act within the same dream world and deepen their spiritual connection, injuries sustained in the dream will have amplified physical effects. Moreover, if a dreamer dies, the artifact will immediately go out of control and summon unseen creatures from the deceased player's body into the instance.

To maintain the incense's effect, it cannot be removed after the player enters a dream; it must continue burning until all the incense in the burner has burned out. Gao Hai estimated this while in Blood City: it would burn out in about three hours. Furthermore, if the object of obsession is unused after burning out, the burner will regenerate a new stick of incense. This stick of incense only exists within the burner; it disappears once removed, essentially a byproduct of the object of obsession.

Having finished setting things up, Aoyama Nanami sat down on the spot, silently watching Miko and Hayasaka lying on the ground.

Gradually, both Miko, who was lost in thought, and Hayasaka, who had closed her eyes and was waiting to fall asleep, began to feel a wave of drowsiness wash over them, and their consciousness began to blur.

At the same time, in the forest, Xiong Mi, who was smoking a cigarette, had stopped in his tracks.

"This is about it. Getting any closer would be a little impolite. How's the biscuit coming along?"

As Xiong Mi spoke, she turned to look at Jian Bing next to her, who was holding a laptop in one hand and operating it continuously with the other.

"The opening surprise is ready; now it's up to the client to be satisfied."

Jianbing nodded in response calmly, his voice as calm as ever.

"Oh, we're going to have to fight a life-or-death battle against a Red Moon-level player? Are you sure we're okay? Putting aside the fact that they outnumber us, even if we win, what if we don't have time to retrieve the items and they cause monsters to spread? The result will still be terrible, right? They're Red Moon-level players. If they miss even a few items, Dark Night-level monsters will be running around everywhere. It'll be a real problem."

Kenta Hayashi scratched his head, already showing an expression of wanting to give up before the battle even started, and his whole demeanor was somewhat dejected.

"Yes, that's the problem, so you need to be careful and not miss anything. Hmm, have you made contact yet? Then it's time for us to go. Let's go."

Because she had some contact with the Red Society, Xiong Mi didn't pay much attention to Hayashi Kenta's condition. She knew that although he usually seemed unmotivated, he was actually quite ruthless when he really took action, so she just went for it.

Shijo Maki stood a little further away, watching the three veteran players take out various items they were obsessed with and begin to prepare for the event. She looked in another direction with some concern.

In the mental link, Fujiwara Chika had already created a large club of seven or eight people out of thin air during the break between the first class by cooperating with Goto Ichiri. She also had Nanakawa Ren secretly divide the monster students, creating various different discriminated individuals among the monster students in a class, to ensure that Fujiwara Chika's small team could have an absolute advantage in numbers.

In a sense, this process is quite comical. These students are all treated as "uncooperative" individuals because of some kind of change imposed on them, but because the reasons for their exclusion are different—some have their hair cut, some have strange patterns drawn on their faces, or small notes stuck on their backs—they start to discriminate against and attack each other because of these differences, to the point that the whole class is becoming more and more chaotic.

Maki felt that she probably couldn't truly understand what kind of lunatics those strange students were in life, so that they would become so ridiculous after death.

But since Fujiwara Chika has successfully found a strategy to control these things, it's good news and there's no need to worry too much.

The mental link with Yotsuya has been broken; she has probably fallen asleep.

Miss Xiongmi and her group had begun to slowly approach the location of the fanatics. Due to insufficient combat power, Zhenfei needed to stay in a relatively rear position to avoid being discovered, so she could no longer see the three veteran players. To be honest, she was still a little worried, since according to Haijun's intelligence, the enemy had a significant numerical advantage. But since they were able to successfully weaken these enemies in the second playthrough, the third playthrough, with its even greater advantage, should be even easier, right?

Thinking of this, Maki couldn't help but recall what Takahashi had mentioned in the mental link: that it was now the [third playthrough].

The other party has already paid with their life twice, experienced death twice, while I know nothing about it.

Even if everything could be restored to the beginning after the time travel, the painful memories of the past wouldn't disappear. Maki was very worried about Takami's condition; she desperately wanted to retain her memories along with him, even if it meant enduring more pain. Although Takami mentioned that in the previous timeline, a special mental connection had formed between them for some reason, and therefore they should be able to retain some memories, Maki tried hard to recall for a long time, but could only vaguely sense that she had been sexually assaulted by someone.

Yes, he must have been molested by Hai Jun. No matter how many painful deaths he experienced, no matter what changes his personality and emotions underwent, it seems that he has never changed his lustful nature. No matter what he went through, he could maintain his vigorous energy after recovering.