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

Conclusion of Volume 3, Part 2

The second part of Volume 3 officially ends here.

This long, complex story, which I created on a whim in the past and which consists of eight core elements and four major regions, has finally come to a complete end. This third volume, which is much longer than I expected, has finally reached its conclusion.

The entire third volume, from beginning to end, comprises 152 chapters and over 61 words. Combined with the first volume's 91 chapters and over 35 words, and the second volume's 70 chapters and over 27 words, the final result is 313 chapters, totaling 125 million words… To be honest, the entire third volume could easily be written as a standalone book. And my initial estimate of 300 chapters wasn't far off. If I hadn't chosen to divide it into volumes and had written it all at once, I don't know what it would have been like.

In short, it's finally over.

My God, it's finally over!

To be honest, this is truly the most stressful dungeon I've ever written. There are a large number of participants, and the setting involves highly skilled individuals who can't be easily replaced. The dungeon itself is a top-tier, high-difficulty dungeon, and it's also a nested dungeon with two interconnected areas. Even with the "writer" element, which somewhat reduces the rigor and difficulty of the dungeon design, it's still the most difficult and troublesome dungeon I've ever encountered in terms of writing difficulty, and it's also the longest single-volume dungeon I've ever written.

Moreover, starting from around chapters 70 or 80 of this volume, the number of readers urging me to update and asking about the progress began to increase dramatically. Compared to the number of people urging me to update for the second volume, it was at least three times more. This was the first time I had ever felt such intense pressure from readers, especially since my thinking wasn't very good at that time, and I could only update once a day. As a result, the pressure kept mounting and my mind became increasingly chaotic. Fortunately, I persevered and managed to finish this volume. I can only say it was truly exhausting. In all my years of writing, this was the first time I'd felt this tired. To be honest, it was quite a novel experience. During this period, in order to finish this volume as quickly as possible, I didn't even touch the game for almost two months. I'd almost forgotten when I last pushed myself this hard (laughs~).

Looking back now, the me who dug that hole for myself... well, I still really want to punch him, but unfortunately, there's no way to go back to the past in reality.

So, this truly marks the end of Volume 3. The slice-of-life portion is expected to be around chapter 30. I've been studying Azur Lane for quite some time to get a feel for slice-of-life content, and I hope I can create something slightly different this time.

On another note, from October 23rd of last year to the final chapter on February 6th, it's been almost four months. If you include the entire third volume, which started on June 18th, that's over seven months. In other words, the third volume took more than half a year to write—that's terrifying! Honestly, I'm a little curious: how many readers consistently followed the updates? How many followed it volume by volume? And how many readers actually waited more than half a year to start reading, only starting after the entire volume was finished?

1. A book-following fan, occasionally supporting some readers but mostly following along.

2. Follow the book in installments, starting after each of the first, middle, and third volumes is completed.

3. I had been sealed away for more than half a year, and only returned after the entire third volume was completed.

Looking back at this long and complex work, which has undergone numerous changes, such as the separation of the first and second volumes of the third volume, the rewriting of the second volume, and the deletion and revision of the third volume due to certain reasons, it is truly a remarkable achievement.

If I were to describe my initial thoughts when designing this volume, it would be to express the characteristics of "anomaly" and "high difficulty." This was mainly used in the first volume, which led to the creation of Alice, a villainous character who remains incredibly popular even now. The oppressive presence Alice, seemingly an anomaly in the ghost story, exerts on Takami, and Takami's desperate struggle against this being, judging from reader feedback, is a very successful design. Of course, the fact that Alice's popularity remains incredibly high still surprises me somewhat; it seems my understanding of the "female ghost" culture is still somewhat lacking.

There's not much to say about the middle volume. The disconnect between the early and later parts of this volume is indeed a black mark on its design, and the biggest problem left over from the initial dungeon design. The cognitive blocking mechanism was removed too quickly; I should have put more effort into it, but there are no "what ifs" in life. As for the "writers," I initially considered having the showdown with them in the next volume. However, after careful consideration, I felt it was necessary to resolve this issue earlier. As a result, beating up the "writers" seems to have become the highlight of the middle volume, which is somewhat ironic.

As for the second volume, this incredibly complex dungeon initially made me quite apprehensive. It's the most well-equipped dungeon Gao Hai has encountered so far, with teammates ranging from devoted wives to powerful allies – none of them are truly a liability. Even the less skilled teammates have at least good awareness and can't just randomly sacrifice themselves; they even have their moments of glory. On top of this, the dungeon's inherent difficulty and danger must be conveyed, making the reader feel that the protagonist is struggling to overcome extremely challenging obstacles. Honestly, it's enough to make your hair stand on end.

Fortunately, the protagonist in the time-lapse system can have different roles across different playthroughs, ensuring everyone has a role and can utilize their abilities. However, this also means some characters who were prominent in one playthrough disappear in the next, which is another issue worth noting. I wonder how everyone felt after finishing this chapter, and whether they were satisfied with this volume. If I can get a 70 out of 100 for the reading experience, then I can rest assured.

On another note, many readers have mentioned that the horror of the dungeons gradually decreases as the protagonist's strength increases. Well, frankly, there's no solution to this problem. Supernatural horror and leveling up are inherently contradictory; one requires the protagonist to be powerless against threats, the other requires them to be able to overcome difficulties. The reason I only set up seven dungeons throughout the book was to avoid a scenario like a war of gods obliterating the Great Dao, but even so, as Gao Hai gradually becomes stronger, a decrease in the sense of horror is inevitable.

After all, for protagonists who can become stronger, readers usually think about how the protagonist will overcome difficulties when they encounter them, rather than feeling how terrifying it is. Of course, supernatural horror novels without power-up elements can avoid this problem to some extent, but it's difficult for that type of novel to achieve a reasonable happy ending of "everyone survives or even saves the dead." The possibility of death and injury is much greater, potentially putting pressure on the reader. And since everyone already faces a lot of pressure in life, we can't go in that direction, so we can only try to make compromises and adjustments.

Oh right, I was so focused on finishing this volume that I forgot to mention the previous poll. Some readers might have forgotten too, but it was about the catgirl encyclopedia on the site—we were planning to try it out. Since that featured spot requires a background illustration and at least four character illustrations, I held a poll at the end of chapter 106. Here are the results:

(1) Gao Hai: 63 votes

(2) Lin Xusheng: 93 votes

(3) Li Zhaodi: 8 votes

(4) Howard: 14 votes

(5) Alice the Mystery: 103 votes

(6) Alice prototype: 36 votes

(7) Hirano Sousuke: 133 votes

(8) Chiyo Hachiya: 39 votes

(9) Xiong Mi: 42 votes

The current top four are Hirano Sosuke, Alice the Mysterious, Lin Xusheng, and Gao Hai. Xiong Mi missed this option in the initial vote and added it later, bringing it to fifth place. Considering that the original Alice can appear as twins with Alice the Mysterious, perhaps we can bring these two characters together once we start commissioning. As for the remaining characters with too few votes, there's nothing we can do about it.

Finally, regarding the announcement of the new volume, which is the upcoming fourth volume.

Readers who have read the storyline I outlined in the pre-release announcement probably already know that the fourth volume's plot takes place in a village. We currently anticipate this volume to be around 180-200 chapters. Yes, this time it won't be split into volumes; it will be written as a single, continuous volume. We won't repeat the approach taken with the third volume. At most, we might split it into two parts around the seventh volume, but volumes four, five, and six will definitely be a single, continuous volume, and we won't be using regional divisions again.

So, finally, here's the preview for Volume 4. Unfortunately, I can't write folk songs, so please bear with me.

Why is my 2D travel a strange story?

Volume 4: The Village of Infants' Cries

Let us sing together, let us make offerings together.

Sing of the good mountain god, for he sent us sons and daughters, and protected our family's prosperity and longevity.

Don't look back when walking at night, and don't look at the faces of people asking for directions. Shh, shh, don't look around, and don't talk nonsense!

Fox Goddess, please bless me, bless me with good weather and abundant harvests this year, and bless my grandson with delicious food.

Don't wander aimlessly along the mountain paths. If it gets foggy, kneel down and kowtow respectfully. Listen carefully, living people shouldn't even think of using the Black Immortal's path!

Everyone knows our Yingti Village is good, everyone knows our Yingti Village is beautiful. How could we not live a life blessed by the gods? We can laugh as we watch the flames burn beyond the mountains!

You

Do you also want to be a member of our Yingti Village?

Volume 3: Interlude 3

(Volume 3 is complete) New Year's unlimited bounty!

First of all, I should mention that Volume 3 Part 2 has ended, and the entire Volume 3 is now complete.

Then, I've also paid off the 40-word bounty I owed from the second unlimited bounty.

Therefore, the third round of unlimited bounties has begun.

This is the third unlimited bounty for this book. Whether it was the first or the second time, readers said I was asking for trouble, and some even tagged me with a "little devil" label. Heh, that's the lament of a loser who couldn't do it. I've already won twice. Get this straight, you're the challengers! (Head held high)

In short, I chose to open this bounty during the New Year's lucky bag event. That's right, there's no limit; all donations made throughout February, including those made before this bounty was posted, are eligible. I'll accept whatever amount you contribute.

You small fry, let's see how you manage this time (laughs~)

The reward rules are as follows:

A 1000-word bonus chapter will be added for every 5000 yuan donation.

50 blades, plus 1000 words.

200 monthly votes will earn an extra 1000 words

20000 recommendation votes will result in an extra 1000 words.

One Golden Treasure Chest, 48000 words bonus chapter

One silver treasure chest will result in an extra 15000 words.

Note: Bonus chapters for treasure chests are only considered for a happy ending, not for a universal celebration.

Interlude 3-39: Back to reality, the settlement of the Red Moon-level dungeon begins.

Congratulations on successfully clearing the Dark Night level dungeon: Campus Ghost Stories!

[Congratulations on successfully completing the Dark Night-level dungeon: Campus Ghost Stories. You have now earned the right to step onto the path of truth. We wish you the best of luck in reaching that path.]

[Player: Gao Hai]

[Now summarizing and evaluating individual player performance]

Your rating for this review is: S

[Congratulations on achieving the highest rating in the Dark Night dungeon! Your prize has been awarded.]

Wishing you a safe and successful game next time!

[Player Gao Hai]

Your next task will begin in 30 days.

[Expected Mission Level: Dark Night]

You can choose to trade dungeon entry tickets from other players to replace this quest, or participate on time.

Back to the real world.

Slightly different from before, I felt a return of some lag. It's probably because I spent too long in the dungeon this time, which is why I experienced this strange delay when returning.

The notification sound of the "Sacrifice Game" played in my mind, and surprisingly, this time it wasn't interrupted. However, considering that the "Clown" had already chatted with me for quite a while before this, it was probably because the necessary information had already been conveyed, so there was no need to convey any more information at the end, right?

Gao Hai shook his head and sat there for a while before his consciousness gradually returned.

"...Are you feeling alright?"

Xiong Mi's voice rang out from not far away at that moment.

One by one, the players around them stood up. Apart from the girls on Gao Hai's side, the other players all seemed a bit bewildered and stunned.

The reason is simple: it's too fast.

The level was cleared incredibly quickly this time.

The entire fourth playthrough was only an hour in the eyes of Hayashi Kenta and the others. As soon as they entered the dungeon, Takahashi was like a cheat code, releasing all kinds of information and items. Then they followed along in a daze, and before they knew it, the dungeon had crashed.

This is really scary.

If Gao Hai was previously perceived as both powerful and mysterious, then the impression he now gives to these Red Moon-level players has become one of terror.

Is this man really human?

How did he manage to do this? What kind of power does he possess?

Is he a prophet? A spokesperson for God? Or a demon? Or something else entirely?

"You all remember what we said before, right? We signed a blood pact, and we absolutely cannot reveal what happened in the dungeon. Since we benefited from it, we should give back, understand?"

Xiong Mi's voice rang out coldly. She first looked at Hayashibe Kenta and Nanakawa Ren, the two players from the [Red Society], then at Aoyama Nanami, and Goto Ichiri... Ah, no need to look at them. Judging from the expressions between them, Xiong Mi definitely wouldn't believe that the two of them weren't having an affair. And as it stands, this kid Gao Hai does have some tricks up his sleeve when it comes to dealing with women, so she'll leave this matter to him to handle.

"There's no need to be so serious. I still trust everyone. But thank you, Sister Xiong Mi, for considering things for me like this."

Having calmed down a bit, Gao Hai smiled when he heard Xiong Mi's serious words, then waved his hand casually and said...

He wanted to say something more, but suddenly, an indescribable discomfort, as if something had invaded his body, came over him, silencing Gao Hai and even causing him to sit down on the ground uncontrollably.