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

Gao Hai simply nodded slightly. He didn't want to recall the situation at the time, so he casually said a few words and then brushed the topic aside.

Based on the last sounds Gao Jun heard, the villagers seemed very worried that he would go looking for the "Fox Spirit Statue," which might be the statue inside the dangerous house in the fake "Liu Family Village." If we want to break this deadlock, I think this might be a suitable starting point.

Kaguya, who had joined the conversation through a mentally linked object, thought for a moment and quickly gave her opinion.

The land deed that the master obtained should also be a breakthrough point. Since the master obtained this deed as an object of obsession, and it's conveniently hidden in the mountain god's shrine—a place crucial to the villagers—it proves it must have extraordinary significance. If handled properly, perhaps we can use that deed to seize control of the definition and ownership of [Li Family Village], thereby modifying or destroying the supernatural powers used by the villagers.

Hayasaka also spoke in a deep voice, focusing his attention on the new obsession that Takami had obtained through the black watch.

{That land deed...hmm...let's not take it out just yet. I suspect the Mountain God will react immediately if we show it out directly. Our current power is still insufficient against the Mountain God. We need to ensure we reach a special place where the Mountain God cannot interfere or detect us before examining it. Hmm, Alice's cottage might be a good option. Miko, what do you think?}

Takami added some details based on Hayasaka's words, and then he noticed that Yotsuya Miko had not spoken, so he asked her through the mental link.

{...Um, me? Well, I'm not very good at analyzing clues or anything like that. Anyway, if you need me to observe or look at something, I'll do it. I'll use my abilities to help you all.}

Miko was slightly flustered when Takahashi suddenly called on her, just like a student who was called on while daydreaming in class.

Judging from her expression, she was probably genuinely bewildered. After all, this instance had been switching between [Li Family Village], [Liu Family Village], and [Abandoned Village] all at once, with a huge amount of discovered clues and documents, not to mention various unexplained mysteries. For Jianzi, who had always followed others' commands and rarely had the opportunity to act independently, figuring out something on her own was indeed quite difficult.

{…}

Goto Ichiri did not say anything either.

While Gao Hai and his group were analyzing and discussing, she silently held her guitar and followed closely behind Gao Hai, like a little follower.

However, Gao Hai didn't say anything about it. He knew that Yi Li wasn't the type to talk freely and express her opinions during team operations. Therefore, unless something unusual happened, it was better to let her remain quiet when she didn't want to talk. Otherwise, if she was forced to speak, she might get nervous and excited and wouldn't be able to calm down for a long time. If she couldn't recover her composure when something really happened, that would be a serious problem.

Kita Ikuyo, who was floating behind Takahashi, did not participate in the discussion. Firstly, she had already had a discussion with Takahashi back in the Crimson City, and she didn't know what else to say. Secondly, she was not very familiar with Takahashi's team, and their previous interactions had been a bit too intense. Therefore, she kept quiet and only occasionally glanced at Ichiri beside her.

Hmm, judging from the reaction, there was absolutely no surprise. So, did Boqi already know that Mr. Gao was able to reverse time and restart the game?

Even though she knew about this all along, she never mentioned it when we met, and she's been very careful to keep it a secret from Mr. Gao. I feel like I'm being treated like an outsider, or maybe Mr. Gao's importance in Boqi's heart has become beyond imagination? Ugh, this feels so complicated, like Boqi has suddenly grown up and become an adult...

{Chika? Why didn't you say anything either?}

At this moment, Gao Hai noticed the fourth member of the team who remained silent: Fujiwara Chika. This quick-witted and intelligent girl had remained silent for some reason, completely refusing to participate in the discussion.

I'm thinking about a question.

Faced with Gao Hai's question, the pink-haired girl, whose beautiful figure was still faintly visible even though she was wearing a combat uniform that allowed for easy movement, raised her head with a serious expression.

What's the problem?

Seeing her so serious, Gao Hai couldn't help but become serious as well.

{Ahai hasn't eaten me and Hayasaka yet, so only the two of us can't enter that Blood City. This is a serious problem. I guess we really need to find a chance to do a proper super fusion, right?}

Fujiwara Chika raised her index finger and gently shook it, her words containing no hint of joking.

{Eat, eat it...eat it...}

This was Goto Ichiri, who had misunderstood the situation. Upon suddenly hearing this weighty statement, she blushed immediately.

{Wasn't it already eaten a long time ago...and in all sorts of positions...}

Kita Ikuyo also had the same dirty mind, but although she blushed, she didn't seem particularly shy, probably because she had already desensitized.

{Huh? Eat it? Hmm, while that is indeed a problem, it shouldn't be brought up now...}

Maki initially had some misunderstandings, but quickly realized what Chika meant and turned her head away awkwardly.

{To do that, a mere physical union isn't enough; it requires a union of flesh and soul. This is no easy feat and will almost certainly bring immense pain, both for us and for Gao Jun. Hmm… but speaking of which, why didn't Gao Jun try using the power of the black watch to wish for someone to enter the Crimson City? Doing so would have saved a lot of trouble, wouldn't it?}

Kaguya didn't misunderstand at all; she interpreted Chika's words literally and, after a moment's thought, immediately noticed a detail.

{No, I've tried it. The wish granted by the black watch doesn't directly affect Blood City.}

Gao Hai, who had clearly considered this issue long ago, simply shook his head and gave an explanation in a calm tone.

The ability to make a wish can either directly grant me a benefit, or it can create a special function that can be activated at any time or under certain conditions. These abilities can be designed according to my will and will incur varying degrees of cost. However, this ability cannot be directed at Blood City; I cannot specify anything within Blood City, nor can I actively request to bring anything in.

{In fact, the reason why I was able to bring Maki, Kaguya, and others into Blood City is more like exploiting a loophole in the operating rules between the Black Watch and Blood City. After all, I can only bring people in after they die following a complete fusion of spirit and flesh.}

{Because of this, I've also tried wishing for the ability to fuse the flesh and soul of others. However… according to the watch's feedback, if I were to actually gain this ability, the cost of just one use would exceed four rollback units, and it would definitely be consumed every time I use it. That's too much of a drain, and I have a feeling that not everyone whose flesh and soul I fuse with will necessarily be able to enter the Blood City space. This operation has certain prerequisites; currently… it seems only girls with whom I have a close relationship can do it?}

As he explained, Gao Hai slowly moved forward.

A girl you're close to?

Kita paused for a moment upon hearing this, and began to seriously consider whether his relationship with Takami could be considered close.

Chika pondered what to say next, but since they had already reached the place where they had found the notice board and met the two villagers during their first playthrough, they quieted down and focused their attention on observing their surroundings.

If nothing unexpected happens, the next thing they should do is walk up to the notice board, then Li Eryang and Li Xiaoju will appear. After they walk a little further, Gao Hai will kick a paper figure that is buried in the ground with only its head sticking out.

tread--

As Gao Hai was thinking this, Kaguya, who was not far away, suddenly stumbled, clearly having kicked something.

The unexpected situation made Gao Hai turn his head to look, and then, through the corner of his eye, he realized that it was the paper doll's head that he had kicked in the first playthrough.

What happened? Why did the order change?

Furthermore, given the players' observational skills and balance, it's really unusual for them to stumble over something hard. This is their second playthrough; even if they accidentally stepped into a hole on their first playthrough, there's no reason for them to have the same problem again. Is it possible that someone will inevitably kick the paper figure just by walking on this dirt road? Is this some kind of rule or power? But this time, it wasn't Takayuki who kicked the paper figure, but Kaguya. Is it because their formation has subtly changed this time?

Gao Hai realized that the situation might not be as simple as he had initially thought. So, after a moment's thought, he decided to abandon his original plan of ignoring the paper figures and continuing forward, and head directly towards Kaguya.

His actions were naturally observed by everyone, and they immediately realized that Gao Hai had decided to change his plans.

{Gao Jun, what are you doing—}

{Since the player's physical abilities are unlikely to malfunction again after prior precautions have been taken, and since we're going to step on this paper doll anyway, we might as well step on it a few more times.}

Before the explanation in the mental link was finished, Gao Hai had already lifted his foot.

The wind suddenly intensified.

boom! ! !

With a relentless and brutal kick from Gao Hai, a loud bang followed, and the paper figure, whose entire body was buried in the ground except for its head, was sent flying. Amidst the flying dirt, the paper figure disintegrated in mid-air before it even hit the ground, its head and body separating and landing in the bushes.

Chapter 30: Kicking doors might be addictive.

boom!

The paper figure, which was originally buried in the ground, was kicked out by Gao Hai with superhuman force, and its head was separated from its body in mid-air.

A chilling aura had quickly spread.

Gao Hai looked up and could clearly see that the paper doll's head, which was flying in mid-air, had turned towards him and was staring intently at him.

{Wow, so direct?!}

Chika's exclamation rang out in the mental link. Everyone was a little taken aback by Gao Hai's decisive action. They hadn't expected him to act so swiftly and decisively.

{Everyone be prepared! The order in which we encountered the notice board and kicked the paper dolls has changed. The information we already know must have affected this instance! Be prepared to fight the monsters right now. Be alert to your surroundings; we could be teleported to [Liu Family Village] at any time, and our companions could be replaced by paper dolls at any moment!}

Gao Hai spoke in a deep voice through the mental link, took out his pistol, adjusted his body into a state of nothingness, and prepared to summon the rescue team.

I seem to have become somewhat complacent.

I should be well aware that the different information I and my teammates possess in different playthroughs will cause changes in the dungeon. After all, this has happened more than once since the Shirakawa Apartment incident. But this time, perhaps because there weren't any particularly noticeable changes at the beginning, I subconsciously felt that I could apply my experience from the first playthrough to the arrangements. Such a mistake is really inexcusable.

However, after realizing this oversight, Gao Hai didn't hesitate. Since a change had occurred whose cause and effect were not yet certain, he would react most drastically. This way, even if there were any unclear issues, they could be brought to light and dealt with in the most direct way.

A strong chill had already spread.

After kicking the paper figure away and confirming its existence through action, the surrounding temperature began to drop rapidly almost instantly, and the originally sunny sky quickly turned into night.

This confirms that the reason Kaguya and the others, who were at the rear, were teleported to another village was indeed because they chose to avoid the paper figures. While avoiding the paper figures didn't directly confirm their existence, the act of "avoiding" them essentially meant they acknowledged their existence, which explains their initial teleportation to another village. However, that's irrelevant now. Gao Hai's primary task in the second playthrough is to prevent his team from entering Li Family Village and avoid the villagers who can exploit the rules of ghost stories.

So from the very beginning, Gao Hai deliberately entered Liu Family Village under the cover of night, went to the building marked as a high-risk area, and tried to touch the fox statue that was theoretically extremely dangerous and would surely kill him if touched. This was the action Gao Hai had decided on from the very beginning.

Of course, the original plan was to try to contact the two villagers, Li Eryang and Li Xiaoju, again, but unexpectedly the paper figure appeared ahead of schedule. Plans can't keep up with changes, so Gao Hai simply changed his course of action.

"Isn't that a bit too risky?"

Kaguya's voice rang out from beside Takami.

"You idiot, you should have at least told me beforehand if you were planning to change the operation..."

Empress Zhenfei also joined in the complaints.

Of course, the sound of Zhenfei's complaint rang out simultaneously in the mental link and beside her.

Just as the group discovered during their first playthrough, the paper-human monsters in this instance possess a very special power that allows them to directly perceive the player's inner thoughts. Even Gao Hai, who possesses the Red Moon-level spiritual power blessing, cannot shield himself from this power. They can detect his mental fluctuations and thus reveal the conversations they have with each other in the mental link.

Turning his head, Gao Hai could clearly see that all his companions around him had turned into paper figures.

They smiled at him simultaneously, as if they weren't paper figures, but Gao Hai's close friends and family, people he could trust and rely on. Being by their side seemed to eliminate all worries and troubles, offering him a lifetime of happiness and fulfillment.

Of course, Gao Hai knew very well that this was not true.

These paper figures are derived from the power of some unknown, currently unidentified entity. They don't seem to be created out of some kind of resentment, but rather like specially designed tools, specifically designed to hinder the actions of some kind of entity. Well, while it's not entirely certain yet, based on his interactions with these entities, Gao Hai believes that these paper figures seem to be playing the role of "family and friends of a child." In other words, their initial purpose was to stop some kind of child-type entity.

Speaking of which, how many times have we confirmed child-type monsters in dungeons?

As Gao Hai pondered, he summoned an aerial bomb.

"Wow, so many! Are we going to use aerial bombs?"

Standing to the side, the paper doll that looked exactly like Chika smiled and spoke, its expression full of eager anticipation.

First bomb, activated.

Target confirmed: Gao Hai.

Causal immunity targets confirmed: Gao Hai and his team, as well as all players confirmed during the first playthrough.

The intense flames erupted as the aerial bombs summoned by Gao Hai exploded violently.

Takayuki had to admit one thing: Morihara Koji's blessing was, in a sense, an even more mindlessly powerful force than Hirano Sosuke's. Ever since acquiring this aerial bomb, no matter what he was doing, Takayuki would subconsciously consider whether he could use it to blast something, and once he confirmed that using an aerial bomb was a good option, he would decisively take action. Even his companions had this idea to varying degrees, especially Chika, who most wanted to experience a close-range aerial bomb explosion.

boom! ! !

The intense heat and blazing flames quickly spread outwards.

The dazzling white light covered everything in an instant, making Gao Hai truly experience what it means to be blinded by light. As for the explosion that pierced his eardrums and caused him to lose his hearing, he didn't feel it much because the hearing loss happened so quickly.

It took about a minute for Gao Hai to regain his hearing and vision. At this time, there was no intact tree in the vicinity of a hundred meters, and the forest further away was covered by a burning sea of ​​fire, looking as if a natural disaster had just struck.

A little further away, Takahashi saw Hayasaka covered in dust, and not far behind him was Goto Ichiri holding a guitar. Then, through the link of blessings, Takahashi quickly confirmed the locations of Maki, Chika, and Miko; none were too far away, and he guessed Kaguya's location wouldn't be too far either.

This time, the team wasn't split into different spaces; they were simply teleported a short distance apart after the paper dolls appeared and replaced the people next to them. This was roughly in line with Gao Hai's expectations. After all, the three who entered [Liu Family Village] first in the first playthrough, although separated, eventually managed to reunite within the village. This proved that the paper doll mechanism couldn't teleport players to another dimension; it could only physically separate players and then impersonate them.