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

Then, considering that the "Moyu Gang" was a veteran player team and should be quite knowledgeable, Gao Hai inquired about Chen Qiucai. Gao Hai always felt something was off about this guy who had proactively sought out him for cooperation, so he wondered if the Moyu Gang could verify his identity.

"Chen Qiucai? I've never heard of that name. The Moyu Gang has indeed made contact with almost all the Red Moon-level player teams around the world. I also met an acquaintance from another Red Moon-level team when I entered this village. But I'm sure I've never heard of the name Chen Qiucai. Hmm... Either this name is a pseudonym used for disguise, or this name is cursed so that players won't remember who it corresponds to, or this guy is very good at hiding himself, so even though he has become a Red Moon-level player, no one knows him or has survived after knowing him."

"However, the Taoist priests here know some methods of prophecy and divination. If you, Mr. Gao, can get your hands on any of Chen Qiucai's personal belongings, such as fragments of clothing or strands of hair, they can try to calculate his specific situation. Although it won't be very accurate, at least we can know whether he is a normal person or a madman, and whether he will take any actions that are detrimental to us."

After listening to what Gao Hai conveyed through the "teacher," Cat Brother pointed to the pale-faced "Taoist" Li Nianyou not far away.

This man, whose real name is Li Nianyou and whose nickname is Taoist, is acting strangely. Even though Gao Hai has been chatting with Cat Brother for a while through the "teacher," he keeps moving his fingers and muttering incantations, making all sorts of weird movements, giving the impression that he's taken the wrong medicine and is acting erratically.

"Brother Cat, I've calculated it several times, but I can only predict that we'll all die in the dungeon, and each death will be more gruesome than the last. Brother Cat, you'll be the most miserable, the kind of gruesome death where your bones are pulled out and you feel like you're living a life worse than death..."

Then, when the man's expression suddenly changed drastically, and he looked at Cat Brother and [Teacher] with a serious expression before speaking, Gao Hai was certain that this Taoist priest was probably seriously ill. Come to think of it, it seemed like he'd heard this man say something similar in the previous two playthroughs? And in the previous two playthroughs, those three players from the "Slacking Off Gang" did indeed send... uh, could he really have the ability of a prophet?

"Can you please stop talking about your calculations? We're already in the dungeon, can't you say something positive?"

Guo Hang, the last of the three players in the "Slacking Off Gang," a junior in college this year, wore a bitter expression. Since joining Cat Brother's action team, he had almost never heard this Taoist say anything nice. Things like "Your pants are definitely going to get splattered with mud today," or "The restaurant you ate at tonight will have a fly in the food they serve you," were considered relatively mild. More common scenarios included "The new female player you met yesterday is definitely going to die in the next dungeon, and she'll be torn apart before she dies," and "That veteran Dark Knight player you chatted with the day before yesterday will commit suicide within three months at most. He thinks you're a good person, so he'll probably call you to encourage you before he dies."

If it were just a habit of talking bad things, that would be one thing; most players have some degree of mental health issues, and this minor quirk of not constantly seeking out someone to kill is already quite good. The problem is that almost every word this guy says comes true, and they're all (damn) bad things. After spending some time with him and witnessing countless bad things come true, Xiao Guo is genuinely getting a bit numb.

"I'm just stating the information I interpreted: death, death, death, all of them must die. I've never seen a divination so utterly irreversible. Sigh, writing my will before entering the instance was definitely the right choice. Although the old Taoist priest will probably have forgotten who I am and won't understand where this money came from, he'll still use it wisely..."

The Taoist priest paid little attention to Xiao Guo's words, only sighing to himself and muttering to himself.

"Cat Brother, look at him again..."

Clearly, this wasn't the first time Xiao Guo had been ignored, and he was feeling bitter. He could only look to his team leader for help.

"Well, that's just his problem. Just bear with it and don't take his words to heart."

Cat Brother coughed awkwardly, glanced at Gao Hai who was watching the show from the "teacher's" perspective, and then comforted Xiao Guo.

Gao Hai didn't say much about the relatively harmonious interaction between the player team. He only asked about the Red Moon-level player team that Cat Brother knew. After roughly confirming the characteristics and members of that team, he withdrew his thoughts from [Teacher].

Another Red Moon-level player team that Cat Brother from the "Slacking Off Gang" knew who entered [Infant Cry Village] was called [Historians]. They were a very rare player organization that did not take it upon themselves to clear the A-level Red Moon-level dungeon or try to find the legendary final dungeon. Instead, they focused on exploring the hidden characteristics of the Red Moon-level dungeon.

The original founders of this player group believed that those who reached the Red Moon level likely possessed more than just the ability to interfere with the real world. They believed that behind these incredibly difficult dungeons lay something crucial, possibly even related to the origins of the [Sacrifice Game]. Therefore, the players who formed the [Historians] group decided to investigate the various Red Moon-level dungeons more thoroughly, attempting to uncover fragments of past history hidden within them, thereby revealing the source of the eeriness and reconstructing the mystery of the [Sacrifice Game's] origins.

To be honest, after finding out what these players were up to, Gao Hai's first reaction was to give up contact with them and stay as far away from these lunatics as possible in the future.

The original group of players who founded the [Historians] are all dead, and the organization's initial founder even perished in the third instance after its formation. Now, this Red Moon-level player team, established for nearly a year and a half, has a member turnover rate of 270%. Yes, two batches of the organization's original players have died out, and the third batch of players inheriting their predecessors' legacy has already replaced over 70% of them. Within Red Moon-level player teams, this attrition rate and turnover speed are undoubtedly top-tier; even player groups like the Red Guild, which suffered a major setback, cannot compare to the Historians.

On the other hand, the fact that so many people have died yet players are still willing to continue exploring this path, allowing the organization to survive without being completely destroyed, speaks volumes. It just goes to show that human will and the ability to pass on knowledge are indeed formidable. Even so, Gao Hai still doesn't really want to make contact with this group.

"Currently, there are three players in the Historians' organization in [Infant Cry Village]. I know two of them: one is named Chatchai, who is Tyrande, and the other is named Tangyuan, who is Chinese. They are both quite good. Although they may be more focused on exploring the secrets inside the dungeon, they wouldn't act recklessly in a dungeon where the source of danger is still unclear. As long as we communicate well, we should be able to cooperate normally. I don't know the third one. He seems to be a newbie. Perhaps because someone in their team died, they can only cooperate with newbies who have just entered the Red Moon level? If you want to communicate with them, I suggest you be careful with that newbie. Newbies who are willing to join the Historians' organization are mostly mentally unstable. They might be the kind of idiot who seems normal most of the time but would do anything in a critical moment."

As a collaborator, Cat Brother treated Gao Hai very well. He would give Gao Hai a detailed and effective answer whenever he asked a question, and would also proactively provide information and suggestions that might be helpful.

Gao Hai decided to contact the three players of the [Historian] after a while; he should try his best to win over any teammates he could.

As for why they had to wait a while before going, instead of going to find the three players now, the reason is quite simple.

it's dark.

Within an hour or two of entering the instance, the sky rapidly darkened. As the sky grew darker, Gao Hai clearly sensed an indescribable eerie aura that began to spread throughout the entire village and the entire instance space.

The world at night is dangerous. You cannot leave the village, you cannot stay away from buildings for too long, you cannot stay in open spaces for too long, and you must not look up at the sky at this time.

Having thoroughly memorized the rules passed down in Li Family Village, Gao Hai wouldn't risk his life at a time like this. Therefore, despite some confusion about why night had fallen so quickly, Gao Hai, sensing that certain implicit rules within the instance were changing, acted swiftly. He led Zhen Fei and the other girls into the three-story main building of the Li Family Compound, using multiple artifacts to block out sound from inside, isolate the air between inside and outside, and reinforce the doors and windows connecting the two sides to prevent anything from easily entering from the outside.

For safety reasons, Gao Hai even instructed the police officers and firefighters operating outside to find houses to hide in, in order to avoid unnecessary losses.

As for Lao Guo, the rescue team member who had been refreshed and resurrected, Gao Hai placed him in an open area outside the gate of the Li Family Compound, instructing him to stand still with his head tilted back, looking up at the sky. Gao Hai himself had severed the sensory link with Lao Guo, relying solely on the power of the rescue team badge to assess Lao Guo's general condition. This way, Gao Hai could safely test certain things. Lao Guo himself had no objections.

{During my first playthrough, the sky didn't change this quickly; there must be some underlying condition, right?}

Through a temporary mental link, Kaguya sat on one side of the room, pondering as she spoke.

{Hmm, I think this is related to the mountain god's ritual. In the first playthrough, shortly after Haijun disrupted the welcoming ceremony with aerial bombs, a sudden day-night cycle occurred, with the day and night states of [Li Family Village] and [Liu Family Village] switching, making both areas extremely dangerous. And in this third playthrough… I'm wondering if it's because after we drove the villagers away, the welcoming ceremony that was supposed to take place was canceled, leading to a more severe reaction? Otherwise, it doesn't seem right that it got dark so quickly.}

Zhenfei was also deep in thought and quickly offered her opinion. To be honest, Gao Hai hadn't initially considered this matter. It wasn't until Zhenfei brought it up that he realized he had directly ruined the welcoming ceremony for the Little Black Mountain God. Right now, those villagers from Lijia Village who were supposed to be hosting the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics are probably either already meeting the mountain god or lying dead in that desolate village.

Tsk, does this mean we absolutely have to find a way to hold the Welcoming the Gods Festival ceremony? Otherwise, the mountain god of Little Black Mountain will react in some way if he doesn't see the ceremony, causing the day-night cycle here to become even more chaotic? If that's the case, then that's no small problem. There's no way these forty-odd players can complete the large-scale ceremony that requires hundreds of people to perform for the Welcoming the Gods Festival. Putting aside everything else, they don't have any devout faith in that broken stone, and they know absolutely nothing about the required performance content. Because Gao Hai from the first playthrough was bombed down before the ceremony was even completed, they don't even know what the basic procedures are for the first day of the Welcoming the Gods Festival.

This is quite a troublesome situation. I tried my best to avoid the mountain god and not confront it head-on, but in the end, I still can't get around it.

Gao Hai frowned and thought for a long time. Suddenly, his attention shifted, and he subconsciously looked in the direction of the mansion gate.

He could sense that just a moment had passed.

Old Guo, whom he had left in the open space outside, died.

Chapter 49: Leisure Time and the Changes in Dreams Under the Dead Silence of the Night

it's getting dark.

In just a few minutes, the once bright sky darkened, losing all light and turning completely black.

To be honest, the speed of this day-night cycle far exceeded Gao Hai's expectations. He couldn't help but wonder if the chain reaction caused by clearing out all the villagers and interrupting the welcoming ceremony for the gods would be more intense than he anticipated.

Hopefully, the Blood Flower won't be released; if that thing comes out, we're really doomed.

Thinking this, Gao Hai raised his head and looked at the paper window on one side of the living room. At this moment, he could no longer see any light coming through the window.

The temperature is dropping rapidly, falling below zero in just half an hour, and is still dropping further.

A distinct pain shot through his lungs with every breath. Unbeknownst to him, the temperature had plummeted to an extreme low that was unbearable for most people. If those present weren't players, but ordinary people, Gao Hai estimated they would have all frozen to death before they could even get a fire going.

However, this anomaly seems to be only the beginning.

【■■■■■■■■■……】

I sensed something.

The air seemed to be getting heavier.

In the darkness, something unusual seemed to be spreading through the village.

A dead silence.

Gao Hai clearly sensed something, yet he also felt that the surroundings were completely silent, and he couldn't detect even the slightest sign of life.

Those things seemed to be moving, but no matter how hard you listened, you couldn't hear any footsteps.

Those things seemed to be nothing more than a wisp of wind, carrying some kind of hidden signal that was inaudible to the human ear. But if you concentrated, you would find that the signal never actually appeared from beginning to end. It was all just your own paranoia.

When I realized it, I was somewhat horrified to discover that I had somehow started imagining that there was something outside, and I couldn't help but think about what kind of noise that thing was making outside the door, what kind of information it was trying to convey, to the point that I felt like I could actually sense something.

Ha, just a little trick.

Gao Hai remained unmoved, and none of the girls beside him, who had also experienced more than one adventure, fell for it.

The players who arrived after Gao Hai exiled the most troublesome villagers and received intelligence deliberately spread by him, all remained obediently in their chosen houses, based on Gao Hai's perception of the land deeds. Not a single one of them foolishly ventured out to see the night view. Under these circumstances, some might still sense things they shouldn't, but as long as no one left their houses, there shouldn't be a major problem.

This is good news. Players who can enter and exit Dark Night-level dungeons still need to be somewhat aware of the rules. They can't be like typical newbies who don't listen to advice and insist on doing something reckless.

Gao Hai was relieved that the situation from his third playthrough at Fujika Middle School hadn't occurred, where he'd thrown the group of high school girls into a safe area free of monsters, only for them to suddenly transform into monsters and attack him. So, he tried using the power of the land deed to further strengthen the houses within Li Family Village. This way, even if a player went into a frenzy and tried to open doors or windows, his companions would have more time to stop them.

Crackling—sizzling—

The bonfire in the center of the living room was burning with sparks.

Since the rules did not specify whether or not fires could be lit at night, Hayasaka lit a fire in the living room. The firewood came from some wooden furniture and calligraphy in a small room on one side of the living room.

As the flames soared, smoke rose slowly along the chimney, without spreading inside the house.

Before this, Gao Hai had specifically inspected the chimney in the house and found that it had not only been deliberately made smaller, but also contained various fine meshes and frame structures. Hmm... it seems to be to prevent anything from getting into the chimney. Is this to prevent something from bypassing the rules and restrictions to enter the room? If so, does this mean that the general structure and size of that thing are not suitable for drilling?

As he pondered, Gao Hai's eyelids seemed to grow somewhat heavy.

"what……"

He yawned softly, stretched, and then changed his position to continue lying on the blanket spread on the floor.

Inside the main living room of the Li Family Compound, there was actually quite a lot of furniture, including screens, a large table with a radius of nearly two meters, and various decorative items. Leaving aside whether it was unusual for such things to appear in a closed-off mountain village with almost no external communication, based solely on Gao Hai's current impression of the people in Li Family Village, he would never use the furniture in the house. Zhenfei and the others shared the same opinion, so everyone took out blankets, quilts, and pillows from their spatial artifacts and spread them along the fireplace in the open space in the middle of the living room. As for the Li family's decorations and furniture, they were all thrown into the corners of the room; no one cared about them.

Maki and Chika were sitting on one side, both looking visibly sleepy. Kaguya stood guard on the other side, monitoring the situation, and seemed to be in good spirits. Ichiri was asleep next to Takami, her breathing even and steady. Hayasaka stood by the fire, occasionally poking at the fuel with a small stick.

"call……"

Gao Hai couldn't help but yawn again.

After repeatedly using the power of the land deed, which significantly depleted his mental energy, Gao Hai felt tired faster than he had expected. However, this was his first time experiencing the night in [Li Family Village], and even though everyone else was asleep, Gao Hai couldn't fall asleep easily. Therefore, he continued to force himself to stay awake, aimlessly scanning his surroundings.

"Uh...uuuu..."

Iri, who had fallen asleep, turned over and moved to Gao Hai's side. She reached out and hugged his leg, rested her head on his lap, and continued to sleep with a silly grin on her face.

This is the sixth girl I've hooked up with.

The slightly drowsy Zhenfei rubbed her eyes and, upon seeing this scene, spoke through the mental link.

{No, no, no, we haven't even started flirting yet. Don't talk nonsense. I haven't even kissed Ichiriki yet.}

Gao Hai perked up and quickly retorted.

But it was bound to happen sooner or later, after all, Ah Hai is really horny, and not only horny, he's also incredibly capable, with terrifyingly strong initiative.

Upon hearing this, Chika, who was about to fall asleep, immediately woke up and began to comment in the mental link.

{Uh, well…}

This statement was a bit difficult to refute, so Gao Hai could only try his best to put on an awkward smile that was at least polite.

'Alright, alright, don't think about it too much now. Get some rest, Kai-kun. Since we've been sitting here for several hours without any problems, it proves we're safe inside. There's no need to be too nervous. Once you've rested and are in good spirits, we can slowly think about how to rescue Miko.'"

Zhenfei smiled at Gao Hai and spoke, then she hesitated for a moment before sitting up, wanting to move closer but also being a little awkward.

Chika moved swiftly. After noticing that Maki was about to make a move, she got up, dragged the blanket to Takahashi's side, and lay down on either side of Ichiri. She gave Takahashi a silly "hehe" laugh.

This preemptive action clearly angered Maki. She had been hesitant at first, but immediately stepped forward and, after a moment's hesitation, sat directly in Takahashi's lap, lying on his chest.

"..."

Kaguya, who was standing guard not far away, looked at Takami with a slightly dark expression.

Hayasaka, who was sitting in front of the fire, didn't do anything. He just stared at Takami for a while with a look of amusement, and then turned his gaze back to the burning flames with some regret.

Now is not a good time to disturb the master. The three girls gathered around him are already a bit crowded. If I were to go and cause trouble, given the young lady's possessiveness, it would be difficult for her to concentrate on guarding the post.

But it's still a bit of a shame. I'll have to figure out how to get some benefits back later.

Hayasaka, a few unsettling thoughts creeping into her mind, glanced at Takami again. Takami had already lain down on the blanket with the three girls. They hadn't done anything wrong; the four of them were simply cuddling and sleeping.

Ok……