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

In action, she immediately summoned the Soul-Stealing Bow, and a blood arrow pierced through Chen Qiucai's forehead, sending him flying through his increasingly monstrous body and pinning him to the side wall of the ancestral hall.

"Cough..."

Chen Qiu, who had just coughed up blood, stared wide-eyed in astonishment at Kaguya, who had launched the preemptive attack not far away.

No, little girl, who are you?

I didn't sense any obsessive power that altered appearance, so this must be their true face, right? But I have absolutely no recollection of this face. I've never seen you before, have I? Why didn't you even bother to exchange a word before attacking? This doesn't make sense; we have no grudge against each other. Who's the evil player here, you or me? A player who's on the same side as the [Historian] wouldn't be this ruthless, would they?

Chen Qiu, who couldn't possibly retain the memories of the rewind, was completely bewildered and couldn't understand why Kaguya would attack so ruthlessly right from the start.

Of course, although he didn't understand why he had attracted so much hatred from the start, he knew exactly what he needed to do, having been surrounded and killed by other players more than once. As the blood-red dice fell again, Kaguya and the others immediately sensed an unusual change in the room, as if something was being guided, beginning to shift probabilities towards a worse outcome.

Was the sudden appearance of bloodstains on the ground also caused by the power of this die?

pat!

The golden die was thrown from Kaguya's hand, landing on the ground with a crisp sound and coming to a steady stop at the position of [20].

The next moment, the abnormal changes brought about by the blood dice were instantly stopped. In that instant, even the mental erosion effect that enveloped the shrine began to weaken, making the three people on Kaguya's side feel that their physical and mental burden had improved a lot.

Wow, is it really possible to do this?

Although she had initially wondered if it would work, Kaguya couldn't help but blush slightly when she discovered that the trick actually worked.

The 20-sided golden die, an object of obsession originating from the market, signifies a "great success" when the dice roll a result of 20, indicating that the user's internal judgment perfectly aligns with reality, without the slightest discrepancy. In this state, the die itself produces an unusual effect, granting the user a kind of lucky blessing, causing subsequent events to unfold in their favor.

Normally, Gao Hai uses this object of obsession to assess information and determine whether the current investigative approach and deductions are correct. However, from another perspective, the effect of this object of obsession can actually be used in reverse: by forcing the dice to determine an already certain conclusion, the dice roll can be locked at [20], thereby activating the lucky effect of this object of obsession.

It was precisely because she had thought of this that Kaguya used the golden die the moment Chen Qiucai threw the blood die, and used this die to determine the conclusion that "Gao Jun has inappropriate thoughts about Shinomiya Kaguya", thus locking the dice result on "20".

Although the exact mechanism of action is still uncertain, the blood dice clearly brought some kind of misfortune. As the power of the golden dice took effect, the powers of the two objects of obsession reached a state of mutual cancellation. In fact, the golden dice was even stronger, able to continue to provide Kaguya and the others with a certain degree of protection after canceling out the other's effect.

"This...this is impossible...it's unbelievable..."

Unprepared for this turn of events, Chen Qiu's eyes turned bloodshot, and even while being manipulated, he still roared in defiance.

A candle suddenly appeared in Tangyuan's hand, its flame spreading and burning fiercely, transforming into a flaming skull with a gaping maw that lunged at Chen Qiucai. Seeing that Chen Qiucai hadn't died after being shot in the head with an arrow, Huiye prepared to fire a second arrow, giving him no chance to catch his breath and recover.

However, Chen Qiu didn't sit idly by. In the blink of an eye, several blood-soaked black dogs appeared out of thin air and pounced on Kaguya Tangyuan. But before the dogs could get close, Tangyuan suddenly hummed a tune, and something spread from her throat, causing the dogs to become unstable and unable to move. The arrows Kaguya fired and the flaming skulls Tangyuan created were also diminished by this unknown force.

Player-versus-player combat is often described as a "rock-paper-scissors game." This is especially true for players at the Red Moon level. Because they possess a large number of items and have relatively comprehensive strength, every battle between Red Moon level players becomes a game of rock-paper-scissors. No one can be certain whether the items and blessings they use next will perfectly counter and eliminate the opponent's moves. Players can only keep making moves, constantly deflecting each other's attacks, and searching for weaknesses through continuous probing.

In an instant, various flashes of light, skulls, and twisted, bloody creatures appeared and disappeared within the small shrine. The power of curses and corruption repeatedly surged back and forth, and the shrine, which had become pitch black due to the loss of light, was even temporarily filled with light pollution. Clearly, although he was under control, Chen Qiucai was still able to react to some extent. Therefore, after Tangyuan and Huiye showed signs of wanting to kill him, he began to resist desperately, using every last trick in the book he had.

10 second, 20 seconds, 30 seconds...

This bizarre confrontation on screen quickly lasted for more than a minute. Both sides were quite exhausted after using various obsession objects, but the outcome and life or death were not decided. Neither Tangyuan Kaguya's side nor Chen Qiucai's side suffered fatal damage.

Tsk, even if two people attack together, they can't immediately replace each other?

The opponent's tenacity and the sheer number of their obsessive items exceeded expectations. Kaguya frowned, but instead of stopping, she gritted her teeth and increased the speed of her attack. Meanwhile, the stronger Tangyuan was constantly searching for weaknesses in Chen Qiucai's group, using various items to protect herself and Kaguya.

Fujiwara Chika did not participate in the battle here.

As a girl who had practically never fought before, and who, despite receiving various buffs and enhancements, was still not skilled in combat, she was certain that if she joined this fierce battle, she would be unable to provide any assistance to Tangyuan and Kaguya. On the contrary, due to her slow reaction time and slow thinking, she might disrupt their rhythm and cause them to be counter-killed by the opposing player. Therefore, if she really wanted to help, she should consider other avenues.

So now, the only thing that can be considered, in Qianhua's opinion, is that core obsession.

At this moment, as Tangyuan and Huiye fiercely fought against Chen Qiucai, it was clear that no one had time to care about Mr. Du, who was temporarily sealed by two suppression bullets.

[Teacher] Before Gao Hai could concentrate on giving instructions, the teacher appeared beside Chika according to the rules of the protection operation and accelerated alongside the girl.

Passing by the mountain god's altar and the fox goddess statue altar, which were placed with black stones, Qianhua leaped onto the third altar where Li Xiaoxiao was sitting and rushed directly toward the rotting monster floating motionless behind the altar.

Given that the suppression bomb has temporarily sealed the strange object, taking away the core object of obsession should not be a problem.

whoosh-

The next second, the girl's forward figure suddenly stopped, and a dark red light flashed from her eyes. Then she suddenly dodged and forcefully avoided it, while the figure of the "teacher" rushed out from beside Chika and blocked something.

Why did you dodge it?

A few ripples appeared in the darkness ahead, and Li Ziyong's severely distorted face, which looked as if it were pieced together from scraps of flesh, flickered and emerged within them.

"Unless we are absolutely certain that the enemy is dead, we must not let our guard down. The uncle was able to escape the previous divine sacrifice, so it is not impossible for him to withstand the damage of being torn apart by bullets."

Chika stopped and spoke calmly.

[Sacrifice...sacrifice indeed...you outsiders, what have you done to the Li family? I will skin you alive and then plunder your soul for a thorough interrogation!]

The disappearance of the villagers of Li Family Village seemed to have caused Li Ziyong extremely severe mental trauma. When he heard Qianhua casually mention the word "sacrifice," he became even more furious, and his eyes looked at Qianhua as if he wanted to chop her up on the spot.

However, it was precisely because of the short time this exchange took that Li Ziyong did not launch an attack immediately, giving Qianhua enough buffer time.

The girl's azure eyes didn't linger on the twisted, crazed figure for even a second; her gaze remained fixed on the pendant on the rotting corpse. Through the deep link of the black watch, she synchronized this perspective with Gao Hai, allowing his will to lock onto the target.

A blessing of nothingness, the transmission of the future begins.

In the blink of an eye, the pendant on the corpse disappeared.

What?! You...you bastard...!

Immediately noticing the problem, Li Ziyong turned around, and after confirming that the pendant had disappeared, the man's face turned deathly pale. Then, without doing anything, he vanished and fled.

Isn't that a bit too much of a death wish? After confirming that the core object of his obsession had been taken, he didn't even consider whether to replace the enemy personnel and just ran away. Could it be that Li Ziyong has put all his intuition into how to survive?

Qianhua felt a little regretful. She had originally wanted to work with "Teacher" to see if they could keep him, but Li Ziyong ran away so decisively that she didn't know what to do.

Buzz-buzz-

After a few brief muffled thuds, Chen Qiucai, who had gradually lost ground, and Li Xiaoxiao, who was sitting dazedly on the altar, both vanished without a trace. At this moment, only three players remained in the ancestral hall: Qianhua, Huiye, and Tangyuan.

Taking a few steps forward, Qianhua reached out and ripped off the pendant that had reappeared.

A sharp chill instantly assaulted her skin, but Chika merely frowned and endured it. Then she sensed something emerging from the pendant.

Welcome, welcome, welcome to Wangsheng Hotel!

That seemed to originate from Mr. Du's memories, which were the core obsession. At this moment, Qianhua inexplicably felt that the voice in that memory seemed to have transcended time and was speaking to her in a real way.

This is a chaotic paradise, a place where lost lives are blessed or lose everything.

[And I am the owner of this hotel. Oh, right, according to the common sense of your place, perhaps I should call myself the owner of this inn?]

[Do not panic, do not worry. This is the place in the boundless universe that values ​​rules most. As long as you abide by the rules, no one can harm you here. Of course, this also means you cannot harm others. After all, we are all just passing through. Having been fortunate enough to come here, let us peacefully seek our own opportunities or our own deaths. Don't you think so, lost guest, and the chosen one of the young gods who will one day witness this scene?]

It felt so real, as if I had actually traveled to a magnificent palace through this strange pendant…

This feeling...this is...

Even though it was merely a hazy illusion in her perception, Chika felt as if she had entered an incomparably magnificent hotel, a place of splendor unseen by any human civilization. Brilliant colors flowed through the space, and the travelers coming and going were like specks of dust in a desert, so insignificant that they couldn't even fill a single tile of this vast hotel.

And that distorted figure standing in the hotel lobby, that thing that I could clearly see but couldn't make out, was smiling at me.

You are welcome to stay here, however long you wish. This bewildering and chaotic land will reserve a place for you, a haven for every life in the universe. Of course, there's no charge; you don't need to give anything in return. You can leave whenever you want. This level of kindness is nothing; no repayment is needed, and you are not worthy of it.

Or, if you desire something, then join our game. You can offer your wisdom, your wealth, your flesh and blood, your life, your destiny, your time… everything that belongs to you can be used as chips in this game to try and obtain something of equal value.

Whether you desire to become the master of the world, to gain knowledge beyond reason, to become a god, to be an existence above the universe, or... to sever the connection between the sacrificial game and your world, as long as you win the bet, you will receive the prize you desire and be able to leave this place safely with it.

As the owner of this hotel, I will always remain here, welcoming you back whenever you wish, or helping you fulfill your obligations if you don't want to pay the price.

You can call this version of me the hotel manager. Although I might be more ruthless and crazy in other ways, at least as I am in this hotel, I am genuinely willing to serve all the guests.

【Or you can call me Nai■■■■■ if you prefer, hehe, I won't mind.】

【I can already see the immature god you follow arriving here. I'm really looking forward to that moment】

Both the visuals and the sound vanished without a trace in the next moment.

Fujiwara Chika stood there blankly for a while before looking down at the dim thirty-eight-sided cube in her hand, unsure whether she had sensed something or if something had actually whispered something in her ear.

Chapter 136: Those Who Returned and Those Who Did Not, and the Increasingly Urgent Intuition

Wangsheng Hotel?

Fujiwara Chika's pupils contracted slightly as she quickly realized what the name represented.

The true origin of the top-tier Red Moon dungeon, 【Campus Ghost Stories】, lies in the divine blood obtained from a certain hotel. The divine blood from a certain inn also played a crucial role in the current state of the 【Infant Cry Village】 dungeon. Further investigation reveals that the tragedy at Shirakawa Apartments can be seen as a chain reaction brought about by 【Infant Cry Village】. The American researchers in the Red Nut Gray Hole may have inherited some research data from the three academies in Japan. In short, everything can be connected through the bond of divine blood.

Is the inn that Mr. Du went to really a variant of that mysterious hotel?

So the hotel's real name is Wangsheng Hotel...

Hmm, that's a bit strange. Based on the information I gathered before, this hotel should be a dungeon of Crimson Moon, right? Hayasaka-san saw the hotel's brick walls at the Bydos Research Institute, and she even said that those brick walls could turn into some kind of living thing and were extremely dangerous. Now that I've heard the hotel's name and actually come into contact with information about it, why haven't I encountered any problems?

Could it be that I am actually in some kind of dangerous situation, but I am not aware of it?

Or is it that the risks one faces differ depending on the information channels through which one accesses the hotel?

After a brief moment of thought, Chika didn't rush to communicate with her teammates. Instead, she first tried to use the mental link on her black watch to confirm that she could still communicate normally with Gao Hai and the others through the link, that Kaguya beside her was indeed herself, and that both of them had the same understanding of the different areas within the dark shrine. Only then did she breathe a sigh of relief.

What on earth did they see that they need to be on guard like this?

Kaguya didn't quite understand Chika's reasons for being so cautious, but she more or less realized that the key to the problem was probably not the object of her obsession itself, but something else entirely.

Could it be that they've come across information about other high-level dungeons?

She immediately thought of the battle in the Hayate Elementary School mission where Takami encountered the crazed player, Toyama Akira. After the Crimson Moon-level artifact completely went out of control, the scene around that player changed abruptly from Hayate Elementary School, as if it were something corroding or polluting. Chika's current caution and vigilance towards this 38-sided ornament might be related to this. Although, the idea that core artifacts could be involved in other dungeons was still somewhat difficult for Kaguya to understand.

Regardless of the specifics of this matter, it's no longer our concern; let Ahai handle it.

Through the power of deep linking, Chika prepared to remotely transmit this object of her obsession to the space built into the black watch.

Before that, the girl frowned and glanced at the traces of battle left inside the ancestral hall.

The modified Chen Qiucai appeared after they found this place, trying to prevent the core artifact from being taken away. Li Ziyong was the same; he could have faked his death and hidden away again after Ah Hai shot him, but he still took the initiative to show himself after discovering that the core artifact was at risk of being taken away.

In other words, the remaining enemies still lurking in the dungeon, those who haven't yet perished, value the core artifacts highly. With three of the four core artifacts already obtained, they will undoubtedly do everything in their power to protect the last one. Furthermore, if given the opportunity, Qianhua believes they should try to reclaim the artifact, as having only one left is a significant disadvantage.

I have an idea.

After a brief moment of thought, Chika spoke through the mental link on the black watch.

{...Is that so? Are you sure this will really work? What if they find out it's a trap?}

This conversation, known only to Takami and the girls close to him, lasted only a short time. Everyone reached a consensus quite quickly, except for Kaguya, who, due to her personality, tended to think of things in a negative light, and thus raised a question at the end.

{The process by which Ahai obtained the second core artifact involved direct contact with the Fox Queen. It's impossible for Li Ziyong and Chen Qiucai to have been able to monitor Ahai's actions in that location. No, it should be said that precisely because Li Ziyong is a member of the Li family, he shouldn't have been able to see the hidden space beneath the well.}

Therefore, I think the ability to teleport the object of obsession should be able to maintain secrecy for a certain period of time; at least they shouldn't be certain that we have this ability. Furthermore, whether it will be discovered as a trap is not important; what matters is whether they can detect that I am carrying a core object of obsession with me—that's enough.

{By then, regardless of whether it's a trap or not, they'll have to take action, because they themselves are currently at a huge disadvantage.}