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

[A game tip is now being sent to you. Please make good use of it.]

[Tip 1: Not every kind of madness is worth understanding]

[Tip 2: Not every act of kindness will be rewarded]

[Tip 3: Desire is the root of the continuation of life]

[Tip 4: Making promises only brings pain and despair]

[This concludes the tutorial. We wish you success in this game and hope you can approach the throne that will witness the end.]

The strange, indistinguishable male and female voice quickly disappeared, and Gao Hai clearly felt a certain power fading away from his body.

The sensation was so vivid, as if something had grabbed him just moments before and only released him after the voice in his ear finished speaking.

Gao Hai turned to look at the girls beside him, but didn't see any unusual reactions. It seemed that only he could have this feeling, while the others had no similar experience.

Could it be because I absorbed a [Form of Origin] that my senses have changed in some way?

"Hmm... Sever the lines that control destiny? The conditions for clearing this game feel rather strange."

Zhenfei frowned, stretched her body uncomfortably, and then muttered a complaint about the game prompts.

"It's clearly a Red Moon-level dungeon, but this [Sacrifice Game] insists on calling it Dark Night-level. That's what's really ridiculous, isn't it? We haven't experienced a dungeon of normal difficulty yet, have we?"

Chika was more concerned about the inappropriate difficulty of the [Sacrifice Game], but no matter how much players objected or disagreed, it wouldn't change anything. This lousy game, which seemed to have come from nowhere, had already screwed over a lot of players before. For example, the downgrading of [Campus Ghost Stories] to Dark Night had already affected countless players.

"It's been confirmed that the surrounding environment doesn't match the intelligence from the [Red Alliance]. Based on the [Infant Cry Village] instance they experienced, they only saw one village throughout the entire process, but we're seeing two different villages. Although one of them is abandoned, that's enough to tell us a lot, not to mention that many other details are also clearly wrong. Master, what should we do next? Should we proceed according to the original plan?"

After surveying the surrounding area, Hayasaka returned to Takami and reported the situation.

After a brief moment of thought, Gao Hai quickly decided on his next course of action.

“Me, Maki, Chika, and Ichiri, the four of us will head down. Let’s not get too close to that abandoned area for now. Most of the extra things in this area that are outside our intelligence range are probably problematic. Let’s try to contact the villagers in the fields first to see if we can communicate with them and get information.”

"Kaguya, Ai, and Miko, the three of you stay behind. Ichiri will also leave a clone here to assist with the operation. The situation inside the village is unclear, so we need to be prepared to camp in the wild. You guys conduct further reconnaissance of the surrounding environment. If there are no major problems, find a suitable campsite. If you think it's unreliable, then follow us, but don't get too close."

"The situation of this instance is still unclear, so please be careful. All actions must be based on the premise of preserving your lives. Does everyone understand?"

After a brief exchange, the group split into two teams: one went down the mountain directly, while the other maintained a certain distance and continued to scout the forest.

The main reason for not bringing Miko along was that the girl's perception was too outrageous, and if something serious happened at the start, it would be difficult to handle. Therefore, Takami specifically had Kaguya, who possessed the Crimson Domain, and Hayasaka, whose perception abilities were somewhat flawed, stay by her side. This way, if problems arose, the two of them could help.

Gao Hai walked at the front along the dirt road through the woods, quickly heading downhill.

The dirt road deep in the mountains was quite steep, and it was unclear why the village had a road that extended to another mountainside and into the dense forest. For safety reasons, Hayasaka and his group did not venture too far into the mountain road to check what was on the other side of the forest. Instead, they followed the path that Takami had taken and conducted a further investigation of the surrounding forest from behind them.

However, what the girls didn't expect was that, compared to the problem of the strange creature, other troubles came knocking on their door first.

"Ugh, there are so many mosquitoes..."

In just a few hundred meters, Jianzi was bitten by seven or eight mosquitoes.

This was even though she wasn't wearing much revealing clothing and was constantly moving when she was bitten. Hayasaka, who was standing nearby, had stopped to observe from time to time, and by now, she had nearly twenty bumps of various sizes on her arms and legs.

Numerous mosquitoes scurried back and forth through the dense forest; you didn't even need to aim—just a few slaps of your hand were enough to kill three or five mosquitoes.

In addition, Kaguya saw colorful venomous snakes slithering swiftly through the woods, and occasionally animals resembling wild boars and deer would appear, only to be quickly startled away by the group of people in the woods. For a moment, Kaguya even thought she saw what looked like tiger stripes flash by in the distance of the forest.

The calls of birds were almost constant, including the cawing of crows and the calls of other birds whose species were difficult to identify. As if due to the intrusion of strangers, many birds began to warn the intruders, and all three could see various birds fluttering their wings and flying overhead from time to time.

The ecology here is...very rich.

After walking for less than an hour, Hayasaka was certain that he had seen more than 30 different kinds of plants and animals. These creatures were active in the woodland, and most of them would not bring any changes to the players' exploration, but some of them would cause minor troubles, such as the rough vines that tore the hem of Miko's clothes and the deer droppings that Kaguya accidentally stepped in.

Isn't the ecology of this place a little too rich?

Hayasaka frowned. She could understand the rich ecosystem in this near-primeval forest environment, but the sheer number and density of things they'd encountered since then was astounding. These creatures, completely devoid of any eerie aura and clearly resembling living animals and plants, were proliferating in such large numbers within this instance world, forming such a dense ecosystem. Were these eerie creatures some kind of environmental ambassadors?

{Tsk, another bite. There are so many mosquitoes here...}

Maki's complaining voice rang out in the mental link provided by the black watch. She had already been bitten five or six times while quickly descending the mountain with Gao Hai. The intense itching made her very uncomfortable, but she couldn't bring herself to scratch it, so she could only endure it with a disgruntled expression.

{I don't have any here.}

Gao Hai replied in the mental link while looking at his arm.

Well, there were about three or four mosquitoes swarming around him right now, and not a single one had managed to pierce his skin and suck his blood. Goto Ichiri, who was not far away, was in a similar situation. As the two people present with the highest physical enhancement, having already reached the pinnacle of their physiques, ordinary mosquitoes could no longer bother them.

"There's something up ahead, looks like a sign?"

At this moment, Qianhua spoke up to remind them, and the group's attention immediately turned to the front. They could clearly see a half-collapsed pavilion located in the basin below, and a wooden sign standing next to the pavilion.

Upon closer inspection, a notice was posted on it, with a considerable amount of text written in very neat and formal handwriting.

Chapter Two: The Proclamation for the Festival of Welcoming the Gods and the Anomalies Revealed at the Beginning

[Notice Regarding the Welcoming the Gods Festival in Lijia Village]

With the festival approaching, Lijia Village will be open to the public around the clock. Visitors can stay at any designated villager's home. The village warmly welcomes and looks forward to your visit.

The Welcoming the Gods Festival is the most important festival in Lijia Village. Visitors from afar may not be aware of the village's taboos. Therefore, this notice will provide detailed information about the Welcoming the Gods Festival and the local customs that require your cooperation.

The so-called Welcoming the God Festival is a complete process of welcoming the Mountain God of Little Black Mountain to our Li Family Village, entertaining the Mountain God, and finally sending the Mountain God back to the mountain. This festival lasts for a full thirty days, from the first to the third day of the lunar month, and has been held for over three hundred years without interruption, regardless of wind or rain. As this festival has been passed down to the present day, many rules have naturally developed. However, as outsiders, guests only need to abide by the most basic taboos of the Welcoming the God Festival.

The main taboos of the Welcoming the Gods Festival are seven things to avoid, seven things to welcome, and eight things to ignore.

The seven things to avoid are: avoiding forests, fires, stagnant water, asking for directions at midnight, sleeping without a roof over one's head, avoiding the white light, and avoiding fog.

[This "avoiding the forest" means to stay away from the mountain woodlands and not to wander into them. If you get lost in these dense forests, even a god cannot save you.]

[Avoiding fire means staying away from the flames of worship. During festivals to welcome the gods, there are many rituals involving the burning of incense and paper money. If you touch them carelessly, you may get injured.]

Avoiding stagnant water is one of the key points during the festival. Stagnant water is water that does not flow, so please do not come into contact with it.

[Avoid asking for directions in the middle of the night, and avoid sleeping in a roofed house. This means not to wander around outside in the middle of the night, and to sleep in a house with a roof; these are local customs. During the festival, there are sometimes more private sacrificial activities at night, which are not convenient for our guests to participate in.]

[Avoiding funerals means avoiding mourning ceremonies. Li Family Village often holds funerals during the God-Welcoming Festival to send blessings from the Mountain God to the deceased. This is a solemn and serious matter, not suitable for outsiders to participate in. Please, all guests, refrain from unauthorized entry.]

[The reason for avoiding the fog is that Xiaoheishan is often shrouded in fog. Once you enter the fog in the wilderness and forests, it is difficult to get out. Even the local villagers dare not venture out when they see the fog. Guests, please do not try it.]

Having discussed the seven things to avoid, we must now talk about the seven things to welcome: welcoming rice, welcoming wine, welcoming fresh water, welcoming festivals, welcoming operas, welcoming weddings, and welcoming mountain god statues.

These seven welcoming events differ from the seven avoiding events; they are auspicious omens of unexpected wealth and prosperity. When encountering one of these seven welcoming events, one must step forward to embrace the joy and keep it close. By welcoming this joy, guests will also welcome good fortune, ensuring that whether it's promotion, wealth, or family happiness, everything will proceed smoothly.

[Welcoming rice and wine is to show that guests should not be shy. Every villager in Lijia Village will provide lodging and food for the guests. Therefore, we should welcome the host's rice and wine and take the host's joy upon ourselves.]

[Welcoming flowing water and festivals means getting your body wet with running water. When there is a public celebration, you should join in and celebrate with everyone. This will also bring a lot of joy to your guests.]

[The welcoming performance is by the opera troupe invited by the Li family clan. They only perform this month of the year, so all our guests should definitely not miss it.]

[Welcoming the Double Happiness Festival signifies welcoming joyous occasions. During this festival, many villagers get married and start families. Guests who encounter such a joyous event should certainly share in the happiness!]

[The "Welcoming the Mountain God" statue refers to the statue of the mountain god of Little Black Mountain. During the festival, many statues of gods will be placed in various locations throughout the village. If you see any of them while walking, it's best to stop and pay your respects. The mountain god, seeing your sincerity, will surely bestow good fortune upon you.]

Finally, let's talk about the eight things to ignore: ignoring crying, howling, fish, graves, knocking at the door at night, paper figures, foxes, and the night watchman.

[Ignoring the crying and howling is a way of telling the guests not to pay attention to the unexplained cries and shouts.]

[Do not look at the fish or the graves; guests should not look around randomly when crossing the water or passing by the graves.]

[Paper figures are commonly used in the midnight rituals in Lijia Village and are not suitable for outsiders to touch. Therefore, guests should ignore any knocks or paper figures at midnight.]

[The reason for ignoring the fox is to advise guests that if they encounter someone who believes in fox spirits or engages in lewd worship, that such evil things have long been destroyed by the authorities. If you encounter someone who believes in such things, be sure not to fall into their trap.]

There have never been any bandits in Li Family Village, nor has anyone ever needed to announce the time. Therefore, there are no watchmen. If you encounter someone impersonating a watchman traveling at night, please do not believe them. It may just be a villager playing a trick on you.

This small village has many rules, and I'm truly sorry to have embarrassed you all. These seven rules of avoidance, seven rules of welcome, and eight rules of ignoring are simply traditions passed down for thousands of years in our Li Family Village.

As the saying goes, the words of our ancestors cannot be changed, and we hope you will all understand. We also wish all our guests a happy and joyful festival in our Li Family Village.

—Li Ziyong, Clan Chief

After reading through the notice, which was over a thousand words long, it was revealed that this time, the rules available at the beginning included a total of 22 rules (7+7+8), which was 3 more than the 19 rules in the first rule record obtained in the Red Nut Gray Hole. Of course, compared to those rules that were listed out in a formal manner, the "seven avoid, seven welcome, and eight ignore" summary in this notice was much more concise, and for a veteran player like Gao Hai, it was easy to remember.

However, the information contained here is enough to make one think twice.

The Festival for Welcoming the Gods... what is that?

Although Gao Hai didn't do much prior investigation this time, at most he just asked the Red Society for some information, but he was certain that the Red Society members had never seen this before during the Welcoming the Gods Festival.

Furthermore, according to that fat guy, Linbu Kenta, weren't the Li family, who worshipped the "Little Black Mountain God," and the Liu family, who worshipped the "Fox Goddess," living together peacefully in the same village? How come this notice seems to indicate that the Liu family's side has been labeled a cult? And what's with the government? Does this mean that during the creation of this instance, government officials really crossed the desolate mountains and dense forests to manage this place?

There's also the third Zhang family, which seems to have been completely unmentioned. According to the investigation by the Red Society, this family, which appears to be incredibly powerful and worships three gods simultaneously, seems to have vanished without a trace as well.

Although everything has just begun, the familiar plot of the dungeon's situation not matching the collected information has already appeared once again, which is honestly quite difficult for Gao Hai to bear.

{Senior, how's the situation down there?}

Jianzi's voice rang in Gao Hai's mind through the mental link.

{I found a sign, and I'll tell you what's written on it now: you should walk down a short distance from the woodland, but don't go too deep into it, and make sure we don't get too far apart. The accuracy of these rules is currently uncertain; perhaps staying on the mountain for too long could lead to something very bad.}

Gao Hai quickly explained the situation through a mental link.

We're currently about 500 meters behind you, senpai. Hmm, so far we haven't found anything wrong. Aside from the sheer number of mosquitoes, everything else is fine for now. Shinomiya-san and Hayasaka-san haven't detected anything unusual, and I haven't seen anything problematic either. By the way, Hayasaka-san wanted to tell you, senpai, that she thinks there might be a problem with the ecosystem here. The animal density is too high; it's beyond what a normal primeval forest could support.

While Gao Hai was relaying the message, Jianzi was also explaining the intelligence she had gathered.

Okay, we'll stop here and wait for you. Be as careful as possible when you move. Although your physical enhancements have surpassed human limits, a bite from a venomous snake can still have an effect.

After a moment's thought, Gao Hai decided to wait for the rendezvous where he was. It was at this moment that Ichiri, who was keeping watch over the surroundings, suddenly turned his head to look in a certain direction. Then, Maki and Chika also noticed something was wrong.

Footsteps are approaching.

Eriko Asamoto's blessing was always on from the beginning. At this moment, Takami was slightly distracted by communicating through the mental link, but he was only a moment late when he heard the voice not far away. The footsteps that hadn't existed at first suddenly sounded nearby.

With multiple blessings activated simultaneously, it's highly unlikely that the other party could conceal their presence to a certain distance before being discovered. This is especially true considering that the sudden footsteps made no attempt to conceal themselves.

Problems are starting to appear so quickly?

Gao Hai reminded the three people behind him again through the mental link, then looked warily toward the source of the footsteps.

slam-la-

With a rustling of the bushes, a gaunt figure emerged from within.

"Oh dear, our guests have arrived so early this year."

It was a middle-aged man who was as thin as a monkey, wearing a tattered shirt and rolled-up trouser legs, followed by a sallow-faced woman carrying a bamboo basket.

The two men emerged from behind the bushes, smiling broadly. They flashed their yellowish teeth at Gao Hai and his group, their smiles so wide that their facial features almost scrunched up together.

"Come, come, guests, come with us, come with us to Li Family Village."