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

"The problem is that the well's outlet must be Li Family Village, which is the initial space where Ahai discovered the problem. As long as we pass through there, we have to consider the possibility of encountering 'that thing.' Kaguya, your idea is still too risky."

Chika hesitated for a moment before speaking, but at the same time she was quietly explaining the current situation through the mental link.

"I can't deny that doing this is risky, but if we use the power of the land deed, we might be able to bypass it. Just like Miss Goto, didn't she use the land deed left by Gao Jun to bypass Li Family Village and complete the deployment?"

Kaguya was not easily persuaded; instead, she emphasized her ideas even more earnestly.

"That's because clones are summoned objects. Ichiri-kun summoned his clone directly to another dimension, but we are players, not summoned objects. This kind of method is unusable for us, Kaguya-kun. Did you think of that?"

Chika, however, refused to accept Kaguya's suggestion and even tapped the table to express her dissatisfaction.

“We don’t have much time left, Gao Jun has said this many times. As each cycle progresses, ‘that thing’s’ actions are constantly changing, and we can’t delay any longer.”

Kaguya frowned, her expression becoming increasingly serious.

"That's no reason to take risks alone. If even someone as strong as Ahai is prone to accidents, then we can't act rashly. Especially in situations like this, we mustn't rush things. You understand this principle, Kaguya, right?"

Chika, of course, did not back down an inch. At this moment, she completely suppressed her usual carefree and playful demeanor and became serious and solemn.

"..."

Goto Ichiri did not speak.

As a participant in Gao Hai's team's internal meeting, she didn't utter a single word throughout. But just watching her two companions argue fiercely, using gentle tones and words to express sharp opinions, their momentum constantly pressing against each other, she already felt like she was about to die there.

Why did they suddenly start arguing?

I have absolutely no idea how to start a conversation to offer advice at this point. Should I even speak up? I'm a new member who joined the team recently. If I interrupt my seniors at this moment, won't something bad happen?

The girl blinked, and in that instant, she conjured up an image of Chika, a domineering and arrogant young woman, wearing sunglasses, pointing a finger at her with a smirk, and speaking in an arrogant tone:

[She's just a new maid who's joined Ahai's harem. Who does she think she is, daring to lecture us?]

[This is utterly audacious! In Ah Hai's harem, you can only say "yes" if the older wives say so, understand?]

[You even have pink hair like me, but the difference is so huge, it's really disappointing!]

In her fantasy, she trembles in fear after being scolded by Chika, her face contorted with tears as she bows her head and apologizes repeatedly, saying "I'm sorry" over and over again. Yet, she is gradually neglected, and even after becoming pregnant and giving birth to a baby, she is only reprimanded by Takashi Takahashi once a month, thus being banished to the cold palace.

After the fantasy ended, Ichiri fell into an even deeper state of withdrawal, shrinking down from her seat and under the table.

Why did we end up hurting her the more we argued? Did we say something that accidentally offended her? Um, at least don't crawl under the table!

Of course, the real Chika would never do anything like the strange things in Pochi-chan's fantasy world. She quickly noticed Ichiri, who was gradually becoming withdrawn and even in her withdrawn state, was still playing the guitar and remotely controlling her clone. She quickly pulled her up.

Regardless, we can't jump to conclusions about this. I understand Kaguya's desire to resolve the issue quickly, but as players, we can't act so hastily.

Following Gao Hai's plan, Chika comforted and praised the girl for a while, confirming that she was once again filled with sunshine and rainbows. She then felt a little strange, as if she were taking care of a child, before speaking to Kaguya.

Meanwhile, a message came from Gao Hai, who was still exploring, indicating that they could not leave the base so easily. In particular, going to the surface space at will was absolutely forbidden, as the danger was far too high.

Sure enough?

Kaguya naturally heard the message from Takami through the mental link. Although she wasn't surprised by the situation, she still felt a little regretful.

There's no point in just sitting here and staying safely in the village.

Is there really no way, no way to do anything?

crunch--

Before Kaguya could come up with any other ideas, the door to the cabin was suddenly pushed open, and then Li Xiaoxiao, the new player who played the historian, walked in.

"You just mentioned Zhangjia Village, which turned into a phantom, right?"

With a cool and aloof expression, Li Xiaoxiao looked at Kaguya and asked in a serious tone.

"Were you eavesdropping outside?"

Kaguya immediately became alert, stood up from her seat, and took a step back.

“I overheard you while I was passing by, so I waited outside until you stopped talking before coming in. I hope I didn’t disturb you. I’m very interested in Zhangjia Village, which has become an inaccessible phantom. If you don’t mind, I can temporarily team up with you and go there together. As for the initial space that seems to be in danger, I have a way to bypass it and reach other areas of the surface space without entering that space.”

Li Xiaoxiao pulled out a chair, sat down, and calmly offered her opinion.

The words spoken by this player, who had been completely invisible in previous playthroughs and inexplicably disappeared even after communication and cooperation, made everyone present take notice.

"You can bypass the surface space? Why? What is your relationship with this copy?"

Qianhua also became wary. She had previously heard some speculations about the player Li Xiaoxiao from Gao Hai. Now that this person had actually revealed herself, she couldn't help but have various guesses. And because this woman's surname was Li, the guesses that Qianhua could think of were basically all bad.

If he were truly an enemy, Gao Hai could return here instantly thanks to Andres's blessing. Furthermore, with the powerful Red Moon-level player, Ichiri, present, there's not much to worry about him doing anything dangerous. However, until the other party's purpose and identity are truly confirmed, one must be extremely vigilant.

While Qianhua was thinking this, Li Xiaoxiao remained silent for a moment, a slightly gloomy expression appearing on her face, which lasted for several seconds before returning to normal.

“I have no connection with the Li family, and those inhuman beasts have absolutely nothing to do with me.”

Li Xiaoxiao gave a serious answer.

"If you don't believe me, you can have any kind of blessing or obsession you want. Just give me a mental test, and I'll accept it."

"I'm looking for the Zhang family, only the Zhang family."

“My family… has owed the Zhang family something a long time ago. So I want to find them and return what I owe them, that’s all.”

At the end of her sentence, Li Xiaoxiao's face showed a rare, lively expression.

She seemed to be reminiscing, yet also somewhat wistful, unable to discern whether it was joy or sorrow. Only the genuine emotion conveyed in her words made it clear that she was not lying.

However, such an answer does not reassure people; it only makes them more confused.

What do we owe the Zhang family? What are we still owed?

What does that mean?

Could this player really be a descendant of the villagers from this dungeon?!

At that moment, Qianhua realized that what this player was involved with might be even deeper than she and Gao Hai had originally thought.

Chapter 119: That Unwilling Yet Helpless and Inevitable Choice

{...So, you're planning to go back to the surface area with that player named Li Xiaoxiao to see if you can access the second and fourth cores?}

Within the hidden space of Liu Family Village, Gao Hai had already learned the cause and effect of the other side from Qian Hua.

{That's right, it'll be me, Kaguya, and this historian member together. Ichiri will also send a clone along, and there's also the [Teacher] you use to monitor the situation here, Umi. With all these forces combined, I think it's worth a try. Of course, the premise is that the historian member can really evade the currently unknown initial space.}

Chika's voice, coming through the mental link, was very serious. Clearly, the girl had been somewhat persuaded by Kaguya and Li Xiaoxiao and was also planning to participate.

I don't think this is a good idea.

Gao Hai gave a negative answer almost without hesitation.

In fact, after hearing these words, he even had the idea of ​​using his blessing power to teleport back and stop them, making sure they would stay in the village obediently.

As for the reason, although one could certainly use various excuses to gloss over the matter, in the final analysis, it was simply that he was afraid they would be targeted by the Blood Flower, and that even if he were to rewind time again, he would not be able to find them. That was all.

Gao Hai cannot accept the possibility of losing any more of his teammates, so he will definitely oppose this action that may involve facing bloodshed.

{Hmm, I knew this would be the answer... The reason I initially objected to Kaguya was because I knew you, Umi, would never agree, so I hoped she would give up and not embarrass you. Although now I'm the one bringing this up, I'm truly sorry, Umi. But I think you can understand my reasons, right?}

Chika's voice didn't sound surprising.

She was prepared for Gao Hai's answer, and of course, Gao Hai could also understand why Qian Hua had changed her mind.

Ultimately, Kaguya's initial plan couldn't guarantee avoiding the initial space, which meant players had a very high chance of encountering that indescribable entity that could easily kill them and completely bind their existence, ignoring changes throughout the playthrough. This terrifying source of danger and the uncertain direction of exploration made Chika uneasy, so she sided with Takami and rejected Kaguya's plan.

However, this newcomer to the history department, the mysterious player named Li Xiaoxiao, promised to lead people around the initial space and claimed a special connection to the only place they hadn't yet encountered: Zhangjia Village. This guaranteed safety and the reliability of the exploration. Therefore, as long as the player's methods could be verified, Qianhua believed the operation was necessary and she would change her stance.

After all, she could tell that Gao Hai's time was running out.

Regardless of its appearance or abilities, whatever that unknown entity may be, its threat to Gao Hai is undeniably escalating. This entity, unaffected by the black watch's rollback, is increasing its threat level with time, so they must seize every opportunity to break through the dungeon as quickly as possible. From this perspective, while Kaguya's plan is somewhat reckless, compared to Gao Hai's approach of conserving strength for fear of everyone's demise, Chika prefers a multi-pronged attack to accelerate the pace of the operation, aligning more with Kaguya's intentions. However, she prefers to act only when she is truly confident, rather than rushing out to be easy prey.

{...I know, I'm very clear about this.}

Gao Hai's answer paused for a moment before slowly resounding in the mental link.

Even if Li Xiaoxiao truly possesses such abilities and is a trustworthy teammate, I still don't want you to go.

{I admit this is a waste of our personnel's combat power. After all, as long as we're not facing "that thing," even if it really is a Red Moon-level core-grade monster, you can fight it off, and you can manipulate it through various artifacts. I also have remote support methods to help you. As long as "that thing" isn't involved, the danger you face is actually very small.}

{However, all of this hinges on not encountering "that thing," so I can't relax. No matter what, I still can't trust you. After all, faced with such a disparity in strength, I don't see any real way to avoid it. Therefore, I don't want you to do this.}

If we're talking about the rationality a player should have, Gao Hai knows he's definitely not up to par right now.

However, he truly had no way to hide the fear in his heart.

Even possessing the willpower to withstand all pain doesn't mean the heart is truly immune to trauma. Ultimately, Gao Hai believes that his ability to maintain a resilient mindset, aside from the abilities and improvements he's gained step by step, is primarily due to the fact that the girls who serve as his inner haven are always in his safe zone. No matter what harm they suffer, it will vanish with the start of the next cycle, so he never needs to worry about anything truly terrible happening.

But this thing has now been shattered by the crimson flower. It really can steal away the people Gao Hai values, and it really can destroy his self-righteous safe zone.

Therefore, Gao Hai couldn't remain calm and rational on this issue. Even though he knew that every second counted, that so many Red Moon-level players shouldn't be left in the safe zone, and that Kaguya Chika and the others could likely achieve something by taking action, he still couldn't accept it. Because he was unwilling to accept the possibility of failure.

{Those two players from the "Slacking Off" gang, and that historian guy, let them go with Li Xiaoxiao. In any case, this hidden village you're in is relatively safe now; I feel more at ease if you stay here.}

Therefore, Gao Hai still expressed his opposition, and his attitude was much stronger than when Ping did.

However, Chika was already aware of this development.

Indeed, compared to me and Kaguya, those three are far superior in strength and experience. But Akai, it's us who have established a connection with you. Whether it's a spiritual and mental connection, or a deep connection that transmits blessings and obsessions, only when linkers like me and Kaguya step in can we guarantee that we can capture the core at the fastest speed when we truly come into contact with it, and deliver it directly to you through the power of the connection. And only with us involved can you stay informed of the situation, instead of being completely unaware of what happened after something goes wrong.

{Furthermore, for this hidden village whose situation is unclear, necessary reconnaissance and exploration are also crucial, and the three players have been in charge of this aspect, while also organizing that large group of Dark Night level players. This matter is equally challenging for both me and Kaguya, as we lack relevant experience, and any mistakes could have serious consequences. If we stay and let the three go out, the exploration speed might be faster, but our defenses against bad situations will be further weakened.}

{Furthermore, Yili is currently controlling multiple clones simultaneously to explore the mass grave village space where a second core might exist. Adding to this the clones she'll send to accompany us later, she can't leave the village under these circumstances; she must remain in one place to concentrate fully on controlling it. Therefore, sufficient fighting force must remain in the village, and... we also need to prevent the possibility of being wiped out in one fell swoop. Do you understand what I mean?}

The girl's voice remained flat and even, without any inflection.

But Gao Hai truly understood everything she wanted to tell him.

To be honest, Gao Hai didn't quite agree with the first two reasons. While Chika Kaguya could indeed use the link in the black watch to ensure the fastest and most certain capture and suppression of the core object of obsession after contact, and the three friendly players remaining were indeed indispensable and difficult to actually move out of the village, potentially causing chaos, these weren't absolute reasons. These difficulties could all be overcome, and methods could be found to achieve alternative or temporary replacements; they were not absolute issues.

But her last reason left Gao Hai speechless.

To prevent being caught in one fell swoop...

Gao Hai was well aware that the crimson flower was changing with each cycle of the game, and that its danger was increasing.

Now that He has taken away Gao Hai's two teammates, it is certain that He will only capture more people in this loop, and seal more players into His body, escaping the rollback range that the Black Watch can affect.

Therefore, if things really get to the worst, Gao Hai must consider dispersing the personnel to prevent the possibility of being wiped out and taken away by Xuehua.

From this perspective, it was indeed a better choice for Chika and Kaguya to go and investigate. If Li Xiaoxiao could truly avoid the initial space where the Blood Flower might exist, then the girls who had established contact with Gao Hai could be divided into three groups. This way, even if one group encountered trouble and was found by the Blood Flower, at least the other two groups could act quickly. Whether it was rewinding time or avoiding danger, they would at least have enough reaction time.

While doing so would essentially be acknowledging Gao Hai's helplessness in the face of the Blood Flower, it was irrelevant to him now. His primary concern was ensuring the survival of as many of his comrades as possible.