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

[Question 4...]

The man, dressed in a black suit and holding a bed leg that had just been removed, used the wall on one side of the room as a blackboard and began to ask questions to the three players from the "Slacking Off Gang" in a serious and methodical manner.

This is a very formal on-site test. The three players not only have to answer the "teacher's" questions, otherwise the conversation will get stuck and cannot continue, but after the conversation ends, the "teacher" will also actually score the three students, and will score and rank them according to the standards when the "teacher" could still retain clear self-awareness.

Although this might seem a bit strange, Gao Hai had no choice but to use the "teacher's" mechanism in this way if he wanted to quickly transmit information and intelligence.

Upon the teacher's appearance, Cat Brother was initially stunned and seemed about to launch an attack. However, as the questions, each containing valuable information, appeared, he quickly understood and answered all of the teacher's questions with a look of surprise, adding some information he had gathered himself. Thus, their first formal meeting was completed. Hmm, Gao Hai thought it was quite formal; at least this time everyone had a proper conversation, unlike last time when they were all turned into mincemeat before they even had a chance for a pleasantry.

Gao Hai thus learned the names and nicknames of the three players. Cat Brother's real name was Cat Bu Si, and he was always one of the core figures of the "Slacking Off Gang." The young man was Xiao Guo, whose real name was Guo Hang. To be honest, this nickname immediately reminded Gao Hai of Old Guo, whom he had encountered in the first level. Of course, Xiao Guo was a member of a top-tier Red Moon level player team, definitely not on the same level as those "fish-swapping" cancerous players. As for the last one, this person was nicknamed "Taoist," and his real name was Li Nianyou. He was a fake Taoist priest who grew up in a Taoist temple and then wandered around aimlessly. In terms of the richness of his experiences, he far surpassed the others, and he even had a prophetic blessing that was sometimes accurate and sometimes not, making him somewhat eccentric in his daily life.

The conversation between Gao Hai's side and Cat Brother's side didn't last long. Firstly, Gao Hai wasn't showing himself, so the Fishing Gang was still somewhat wary. Secondly, the restrictions imposed by the "Teacher" interfered with the speed of communication, so much so that Gao Hai wasn't able to clearly explain his side's information and speculations even when the villagers came to call them for dinner.

Then, he saw what the three players on this side were doing.

None of the three players intended to try the fragrant food laid out on the table. However, refusing might lead to unforeseen consequences. Based on the information relayed by Gao Hai, Cat Brother briefly considered the situation and immediately took out a small gold bar from his backpack, ostensibly as a "red envelope" to give to the villager. Initially, the villager kept refusing, so Xiao Guo joined in, and together they forcefully stuffed the gold bar into the villager's pocket.

Judging from the villager's reaction at the time, the player's act of giving a gift seemed to have angered him. But after accepting the gold bars, the man's expression completely changed to one of happiness, or to be more precise, the villager's face seemed to be forced into a smile by some force, his entire face completely tense.

In other words, can giving things to villagers have a special effect?

While investigating the village filled with crimson flowers, Gao Hai observed the changes in the villager from the perspective of the "teacher." He speculated that the key to these changes lay in the "action" or the "item" given as a gift, and planned to test this in the next playthrough.

Speaking of which, who exactly is this Cat Bro? How can he casually pull out a gold bar?

Then, as Gao Hai's exploration of the Crimson Village yielded no results, the welcoming ceremony for the gods in Li Family Village began. The villager who had accepted the gold bars led three players from the Fishing Gang toward the square. At this point, the villager's reaction returned to normal, seemingly no longer affected by any force. Through the perspective of the "Teacher" who had been following them, Gao Hai could see that the welcoming ceremony for the gods was no different from the first playthrough—still just as bizarre and grotesque, reminiscent of the opening ceremony of the Japanese Olympics.

So, how about a bomb?

Standing in the empty square, which was covered with blood-red flowers and resembled a sea of ​​flowers, Gao Hai looked at the bustling Li Family Village from the teacher's perspective and couldn't help but have this thought.

If this ritual continues, he probably won't live to see it end, since his infection has already progressed to a very serious stage, and he expects to have no more than 10 minutes of lucidity left.

Since that's the case, there's nothing to hesitate about.

Second bomb, launch!

Specify the immune target: all players.

After a brief moment of thought, Gao Hai chose to summon an aerial bomb and pinpoint the location of the explosion to the square where he was standing.

Then, he notified the three players of the "Slacking Off Gang" through the "Teacher," and then quickly detonated the explosives.

{Ugh...what is it...}

Before the explosion, a vague voice rang out from the depths of Gao Hai's mind, as if a girl who had been temporarily offline due to the impact of the corrupting power had successfully regained her mental abilities and was struggling to wake up.

But the intense light engulfed everything in the next moment.

Chapter Thirty-Seven: Reflections on the Structure of the Dungeon Space and the Past Illusions of the Ghost Slayer

A blindingly bright light, accompanied by an explosive roar far exceeding the limits of eardrums, completely enveloped Gao Hai at that moment.

However, because he had been instructed to remain unharmed beforehand, even though he was standing at the epicenter of the explosion, the bomb could not harm Gao Hai at all; it would only temporarily deafen and blind him for a while.

However, because someone hadn't appeared before, Gao Hai had assumed she was gone and hadn't thought of her. But now she had just woken up and was immediately hit by a super-sized flashbang and stun grenade.

{Waaah——}

A mournful cry echoed in Takami's mind. Although, theoretically, as the consciousness now residing within Takami's body, Kita Ikuyo would also be safe if Takami herself was unharmed, unlike Takami, who was protected by the power of blessing, Kita felt the explosion without any obstruction—a truly intimate and personal experience. Of course, without a physical body, she could only hear the sound and see the flashes of light from the explosion.

However, judging from the girl's reaction, it seems that the stimulation was a bit too much.

The scorching heatwave swept through, tearing the blood-red flowers to shreds and uprooting the scattered vines.

At the same time, through the teacher's perspective, Gao Hai could clearly see that a violent airflow also suddenly rose up in the square of Li Family Village, just like in the first playthrough, instantly blowing a bunch of people into the air and leaving the entire square in a mess.

Hmm, the power seems to be a bit weaker than in the first playthrough.

Gao Hai carefully observed the situation for a while through the concealed "Teacher" and quickly noticed that although the power of this aerial bombing was also demonstrated in Li Family Village, its destructive force was significantly weaker than in the first playthrough. The most obvious manifestation of this was the number of villagers killed or wounded. In the first playthrough, very few villagers remained in the square; the vast majority were killed. This time, although the villagers were also blown about by the blast wave, most were still able to continue groaning and struggling on the ground. Gao Hai estimated that this wave of bombing might have reduced the villager population by at most about 40%.

The shockwave power of the aerial bomb has decreased so much. Is this because the space I am in now is farther away from the space where [Li Family Village] is located, and the connection between them is weaker?

Considering the possible reasons, Gao Hai's attention returned to his current location. The crimson vines and flowers that had covered the square had vanished, and the distant village ruins were ablaze. It seemed the flames from the bomb's explosion had some restraining effect on the crimson blossoms, capable of destroying them to some extent. He wondered whether the flames themselves were enough to destroy them, or if only an explosion and combustion with supernatural properties, like the blessed bomb, could destroy them.

In summary, based on current observations, it can be confirmed that villages, regardless of their state, maintain some kind of special spatial connection with other villages. While Gao Hai can currently only think of utilizing this connection through bomb explosions, he might find a more in-depth way to leverage it in future operations, so he will carefully note this. Furthermore, although all villages in different forms are likely interconnected, this connection seems to have a certain degree of "distance," so it cannot be simply assumed to be a situation of multiple spatial overlaps; the actual situation is probably more complex.

Regardless, new intelligence has been successfully obtained.

So, we can't waste any more time. First, let's see if we can ask the [Teacher] to help the three from the "Slacking Off Gang" retreat, trying to save them as long as possible. If that's not possible, we'll take them to another dimension. As for ourselves, we'll continue up the mountain along this path...

……what?

Gao Hai's thoughts suddenly stopped.

He seemed to see something.

In that brief moment, within the burning flames, I seemed to see something.

No, that's not right.

What he saw was not something within the flames.

Rather, it was within him, within the vines and flowers whose growth had slowed considerably due to the intense heat, that something was revealed.

That thing comes from a very distant past, so distant that no trace of it can be found now. But among these blood-red flowers and vines, there are still remnants, and these fragments can still be awakened by triggering similar scenes.

"Sir, are you alright?"

Someone bowed and asked respectfully.

"...I'm fine. I can continue to fulfill my duties as the 'Suppressor of Ghosts' for at least thirty days. If I show any signs of losing control prematurely, just take action. However, from now on, all my attendants must be replaced with people injected with 'tainted blood,' and ordinary members are no longer allowed near me. Also, the investigation into the 'Night Watchman' can be stopped. He's a senior who has already completed self-containment. Unless it's confirmed that there's anything in the subsequent investigation that requires his intervention, don't disturb him anymore..."

The other figure spoke in a calm tone, and it was clear that this person's voice was weak, and he didn't seem to be in good condition.

What's happening here?

Gao Hai didn't quite understand what he was seeing.

The only thing he was certain of was that the scene he was seeing must have come from a very, very long time ago, perhaps decades or even centuries ago.

Under the dim light of an oil lamp, one could see two people talking: one sitting on a bed, and the other standing in the middle of the room, seemingly in a rural mud house. The standing person was dressed in what looked like a constable's uniform from a movie or TV series, with a knife slung over his back; the sitting person was only wearing an overcoat, and his entire body, including his face, was wrapped in thick bandages, with faint traces of blood seeping through them.

From the person wrapped in bandages, Gao Hai felt a familiar sensation, like the blood-red flowers on his own body.

While I was thinking, the conversation inside the house continued.

【I understand, sir. I will relay your situation to the other personnel. The next batch of reinforcements will arrive within three days. Should we then reduce the scope of our operations? The current casualty situation is not optimistic.】

The man standing there, who appeared to be a subordinate, seemed unsurprised by his superior's miserable state, and simply asked in a calm tone.

"Hmm, let's shrink back. The balance in this village has been maintained for at least decades. Rushing things will only lead to chaos and harm innocent people. However... the paper figures that move around the village at night, the night watchman, and the strange mountain god statue of Little Black Mountain—three different kinds of strange creatures have been identified in this village. Moreover, based on observations, there are probably more strange creatures hiding in the village and the surrounding woodlands. How did this place become like this, and how can the villagers still survive? It's simply unbelievable..."

The person, whose body was wrapped in bandages, sighed as he groped around and pulled out a small, sealed cylinder. When he opened the lid, a pungent smell of blood wafted out.

Even though it was just a fragmented scene separated by a long history, Gao Hai found that he could still smell a strong stench of blood.

That is divine blood.

Or rather, it is something akin to divine blood, a special entity closer to the origin than any other strange creature. Therefore, even a single image, even just a distant glimpse, is enough to make the viewer strongly feel its presence.

[Gurgle... gurgle...]

The next moment, Gao Hai saw the bandaged man drink the blood directly, gulping it down in one go.

[Uh…uh…ha…password…the Blood Moon hasn’t risen yet, the Demon Slayers never stop…I’m alright…phew…If I consume one “Filthy Blood” a day, I think I can maintain normal operations for the next twenty days. I just need to avoid ordinary members getting too close to me; I can’t let them see what’s growing on my body, otherwise it’ll be troublesome. Phew…okay, I should rest now. Any other updates?]

After drinking it, the bandaged man seemed to be in intense pain. He curled up slightly, trembled for a moment, and then let out a long breath to recover. Throughout this process, the standing figure remained unmoved, only pressing his hand on the hilt of his knife. It seemed that if the bandaged man made any unusual reaction, he would immediately behead his superior.

Only after the bandaged man gave a command did the man with the knife breathe a sigh of relief and relax his stance considerably.

No problem, sir. Please get some rest. It's an honor to work with you.

After bowing once more, the standing person turned and left, walking to the door on the side of the house. He knocked lightly twice, and after receiving three knocks in response from outside, followed by a deliberately low whistle, he gently opened the door and prepared to leave.

It's an honor to work with you all, cough cough... Anyway, stay alert, the nights here are quite lively.

The bandaged man waved his hand gently, and as he spoke, he moved his body on the bed to the table placed on the side of the bed. Under the oil lamp, he took out a brush and a piece of paper with some writing on it, and slowly began to write on the blank spaces of the paper with the ink that was not completely dry.

Gao Hai saw a row of vertical titles he had written on the paper. The font was different from modern simplified Chinese characters, but it was still easy to recognize.

Records of an Investigation into a Strange Village, Part Three: The Night Watchman

Isn't this one of the clue files I found during my first playthrough?

Gao Hai was slightly startled upon seeing this, then noticed the papers placed on the side of the table. Several pages already containing written content were laid out on them. He could vaguely make out the titles of two pages: "Exploration Record One: Night Wandering Paper Figure" and "Exploration Record Two: Little Black Mountain God Statue." There was also a page buried underneath, its contents illegible, with the words "Initial Exploration" faintly visible at the edge. This reminded Gao Hai of a fragmented record he had found during his first playthrough.

Cough cough...tsk, even after drinking so much, I still can't quite control myself...what the hell is this stuff...?

The bandaged man coughed a few more times, his words tinged with suppressed pain.

The bandages on his body showed faint signs of wriggling, as if something was wriggling under the bandages, something like vines.

slam-la-

With a gust of hot wind, the scene in Gao Hai's eyes vanished without a trace.

Although he saw quite a lot, because it all happened only in the mental world, it actually took less than a second. At this moment, the surrounding ruins and plants were still scorching under the high temperature, and the blood-red flowers and vines were also decaying and breaking under the flames, constantly retreating.

"call……"

Gao Hai took a deep breath, and the scalding hot air he inhaled brought a slight burning sensation to his lungs.

It can be confirmed that the bandaged person in the scene I just saw is the "Ghost Suppressor Jiang Shi," the mysterious person who led people into this village hundreds of years ago to investigate the ghosts and became the object of worship for many villagers.

So that's how it is. He survived after meeting the night watchman because he drank something like divine blood, creating a clash of powers? That's certainly a method, but constantly consuming such things will likely shorten his lifespan, and even in death, he won't find peace, inevitably being transformed into a ghost. However, the Ghost Suppressor organization he belongs to seems to have been prepared for this. Those who join this organization and reach the Ghost Suppressor level are probably prepared to sacrifice themselves at any time. It can be said that this is a group of strong individuals with unwavering faith and tenacious fighting spirit.

So where did they go, and why is there no trace of them in modern society?

Moreover, that slogan...

[The blood moon has not yet risen, but the demon hunters will never stop their work.]

Gao Hai silently recited the slogan in his mind.

He had a feeling that if he recited this slogan at a specific time and place, it would definitely have a special effect.

{Whoa...who threw that flashbang?! My head is spinning from the light. What just happened? How did this happen so suddenly...?}

Kita Ikuyo's voice rang out once again at this moment.

Despite experiencing the double impact of the blessing bomb's flash and blast at close range, and unlike Takami, who had designated protection, Kita stubbornly recovered. Judging from her voice, the girl seemed still confused about the situation. It's likely that Kita's consciousness was immediately deactivated after Miko's incredibly successful spiritual vision. That's actually a good thing; it's better than watching Ichiri turn into a flowerpot on the spot.

As Gao Hai was thinking this, he suddenly felt a strong gaze upon him.