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

However, regardless of the circumstances, this time the KP had already come to him, and it happened so early in the vacation after the dungeon ended. This had never happened before, which made Gao Hai recall the warning from the [Doll] and sigh inwardly at his bleak future.

Oh well, things will work themselves out. We'll just have to take it one step at a time.

"Did you come here to tell me something?"

Having quickly calmed down, Gao Hai looked calmly at the TV head KP and asked it a question.

zizi——

The next moment, with a piercing crackling sound, one of the screens on the TV head lit up.

[A brave warrior, a knight charging against destiny]

Amidst the rousing and passionate singing, a stage appeared on the screen, where a richly dressed man sang hymns.

[A prisoner, a madman destined to be drowned in blood]

The second sound accompanied the lighting of a second screen, this time revealing a garden where a simply dressed woman was softly sighing.

He already knew the misfortune that was to come, he was prepared to face yet another challenge. He couldn't escape, nor did he intend to. Was he a hero or a prisoner? Did that question really matter? No, no, no, what mattered was never these things. No matter how we chose our identities, no matter how we defined the identities of others, fate itself simply continued to play its drama as scheduled, and all the actors could do was complete it.

Another screen appears, this time showing an elderly man sitting upright in a chair, smoking a cigarette and shaking his head with a sigh.

[Let me out! Let me out now! I'm going to kill you all! I'm going to kill you all! Ughh ...

The last screen, the largest one on the TV head, lit up. However, unlike the images on the other three screens, this time it showed a cage covered in mottled bloodstains. A mangled figure was locked inside the cage, constantly emitting terrifying roars. Its eyes, which were almost popping out of their sockets, were fixed on Gao Hai, and it was desperately pounding on the cage, even as its own bones shattered and its flesh flew everywhere.

What the hell is this?

Although Gao Hai knew that the KP group had some strange artistic pursuits, this TV-headed KP who suddenly appeared still left Gao Hai somewhat puzzled.

Is this schizophrenia? Or is it some kind of role-playing trick?

Regardless of the truth, the fact that this thing looked so seriously ill made Gao Hai immediately raise his guard to the highest level.

Please don't mind, we rarely have the opportunity to interact with players face-to-face, especially someone like you who is destined to become a god. Some of us might be a little overly excited about this, but please believe that we have no ill intentions towards you.

Before Gao Hai could make any move, the figure on the television screen abruptly disappeared, then instantly reappeared in front of him. At the same time, the elegantly dressed man on the screen also moved closer to the screen, looking at Gao Hai with his monocle-wearing eyes.

"If you have no malicious intent, what is your reason for being here?"

Gao Hai remained calm and continued to ask the question without changing his expression.

The End Is Coming

The elegantly dressed man sighed in admiration.

Yes, the end is near.

The woman in the garden also sighed.

The first test is imminent; whether humanity is prepared or not, they must face the challenge before them.

The old man in the rocking chair nodded gently in agreement.

The first test?

KP's words made Gao Hai frown.

Does the so-called end times actually consist of different stages?

If that's the case, does it mean that the end itself is actually being manipulated and controlled, just like the "Sacrifice Game" where there is a clear mastermind behind it all?

I've already had varying degrees of contact with the three pillars of existence. The bubble represented by the watch, and the Black Goat Mother represented by the blood flower, don't seem like the masterminds behind it all. While Naya, represented by the hotel, seems likely to be involved in the world's anomalies, based on his interactions with Chika, he seems more like a neutral party who joined in for fun, making him even less likely to be the mastermind than the previous two.

But both the black watch and the presence of the bloodstain served as warnings to Gao Hai in different ways, urging him to conceal his identity.

So, does this mean that whoever the mastermind is, at least on the same level as the Three Pillar Gods, or even a level higher?

Damn, could it be that the fish-eating god is about to wake up?

The more Gao Hai thought about it, the more absolutely terrible things seemed, and a bead of cold sweat appeared on his forehead.

However, no matter what, now is not the time to dwell on such things. Since this KP has contacted me and is willing to reveal information, then obtaining as much information as possible is what I should be doing now.

What is the first test?

Gao Hai asked again.

So calm, he has been tested long ago, his heart is unbreakable, and he will lead this world toward tomorrow.

The man in the fine clothes sighed again.

So what? Hope will not come to this world; its fate of destruction has already been sealed. He can only watch helplessly as despair devours the world.

The woman in the garden, however, continued to lament.

[Kill! Kill them all! Kill all the people in the way! Just kill them all! Kill kill kill kill kill! Kill, ahh ...

The prisoner on the largest screen let out a heart-wrenching scream as it slammed against its cage. Amidst splattering blood, one of its eyes flew off its head, and its brains splattered across its bloodied face.

"..."

Gao Hai didn't speak, but his fists were already hard.

He now had to admit from the bottom of his heart that it was indeed better to kill all the Riddlers.

This bizarre Kingpin, who seemed to have a split personality, had been communicating with him since they first met... To be honest, Gao Hai didn't even know if this thing was actually communicating with him. Unlike the Kingpins he had encountered before, Gao Hai couldn't even be sure if this thing had a unified consciousness, and couldn't help but suspect that it was deliberately toying with him.

Fortunately, it finally started to reveal information.

I apologize for our immaturity. We were actually excited, happy, disappointed, and angry. After all, we have become witnesses to the first test. We have earned this honor of witnessing the first disaster that you and the world must face. Regardless of the final outcome, it has caused a huge emotional fluctuation in us, making it impossible for us to remain calm.

The old man in the rocking chair chuckled softly as he spoke to Gao Hai with a compassionate expression.

I can't wait to witness the birth of a new god and the new world that will flourish with him; he will win the victory he desires.

The man in the fancy clothes shook his head, as if the words "opening champagne" were written all over his face.

You cannot save this world; you are destined to fail. Even if your existence is protected, all you can ultimately take with you are those individuals with whom you have formed profound connections. Human civilization in this world is doomed to perish.

The woman in the garden held withered flowers in her hands, yet her words were incredibly cold.

Don't listen to their nonsense, go kill! Go kill! Kill more! Kill everyone! Kill them all, hehehehe—

The creature in the cage had completely ripped its head open, slamming its mangled jaw against the cage so hard that several teeth flew out. Even so, its voice was incredibly clear, so clear that it seemed to be speaking right next to Gao Hai's ear.

"So, the next instance world I need to face will be guided by you, is that right?"

Gao Hai remained unmoved and continued to inquire.

He's very smart. See? Just like I said, he understood as soon as he saw us. He only needed a little information to comprehend many things.

The man in the fancy clothes couldn't help but laugh out loud, and leaned closer to the screen, revealing a somewhat infatuated expression towards Gao Hai.

[It's merely a pattern deduced from past occurrences; such cleverness is meaningless. He can't change anything; this world is destined for destruction. No matter how hard he struggles, it will only increase his suffering in the end.]

The garden woman couldn't help but get up and leave. She shook her head and sighed as she strolled through the garden, picking up a sickle and starting to weed.

But regardless of the final outcome, he struggled, and so did the world. He even chose to persevere when he could have let go and left; he is already a great hero. And all we need to do is witness this hero's rise, or his fall, nothing more.

The old man rose from his rocking chair and slowly walked to the screen. His aged face met Gao Hai's directly; he appeared to be nothing more than a kind and ordinary old man, like the neighbor's grandfather. But after meeting his gaze, Gao Hai gradually sensed something strange in the old man's pupils—an indescribable, unsettling feeling. He found it difficult to describe; if he had to, he vaguely sensed that this old man was essentially something in human form, and everything he saw and felt was merely its acting.

Acting?

The words that flashed through Gao Hai's mind in that instant brought him back to his senses.

Bang!

The blurry world crumbled in an instant.

The moment Gao Hai unleashed his mental power, his facade was torn away.

Gao Hai grabbed "KP" by the neck and lifted it into the air. Its limbs began to twitch and struggle, but it was firmly locked in place by Gao Hai's mental power and could not truly break free from his control.

Sizzle—sizzle sizzle—

Every television screen on "KP's" head was constantly flickering with static, and the figure within it kept changing from blurry to clear and then back to blurry.

What are you doing? Why are you treating me like this? Don't you want victory?

The elegantly dressed man was stretched and shortened in the distorted screen, like a rubber man, and his voice became as shrill as a vengeful ghost.

[Haha, they resorted to violence just because of some displeasing words. Such a barbaric civilization deserves to be destroyed.]

The woman in the garden said with a disdainful expression, while new vines kept growing in the garden, only to wither in an instant, and a faint crimson color seemed to appear in the sky behind the garden.

Please stop what you're doing. We are not your enemies, and harming us will not help you in any way.

The old man had already slumped to the ground, leaving only the rocking chair gently swaying.

Gao Hai ignored their sounds.

The invisible forces that came from those voices, attempting to establish a connection with his soul, were firmly resisted by his powerful mental strength.

The man in the fine clothes claimed that Gao Hai would win, but he was actually distorting the definition of "victory," trying to mislead people into thinking that "Gao Hai will win the victory he (the man in the fine clothes) desires." Similarly, the woman in the garden and the old man in the rocking chair were also infusing their language with some kind of twisted power, distorting the meaning of their words. If Gao Hai didn't notice this anomaly and continued to communicate with them, he might accidentally utter a wrong word that would cause his consciousness to connect with these distorted words, resulting in irreversible consequences.

“You are not KPs, not entirely KPs.”

As Gao Hai spoke, he looked at the largest screen in the middle, and at the bloodied and mangled figure on the screen who had stopped self-harming at some point.

The figure had a roughly human shape, but it was covered in blood, as if it had suffered terrible torture, or as if something that was originally on its body had been ripped out.

From its last remaining eye, Gao Hai could sense intense pain and a frenzied, murderous rage. It seemed to have completely collapsed, unable to maintain even the most basic sense of self. But upon closer inspection, Gao Hai could see, hidden beneath this surface of distorted emotions, an unwavering clarity that had remained steadfast throughout.

"You're the real KP, aren't you?"

So Gao Hai asked it a question.

The previously somewhat deranged flesh and blood shadow then let out a chuckle.

Interlude 4-12: The Unusual and the Changed

To be honest, Gao Hai never expected that he would encounter such a KP.

Amidst heavy breathing, on the blurry television screen, the twisted creature in the cage convulsed and writhed, seemingly suffering some kind of torture at all times.

Its essence has been taken away.

Even in a dream, Gao Hai could clearly understand this.

Like a writer and a puppet, this KP has lost its original essence and is now just an empty shell. Logically, it should have died long ago, but some external force seems to be sustaining its life, like the writer in Blood City who was kept alive and unable to die, which is why it was able to live and meet Gao Hai. Even so, it has essentially lost its autonomy; its body, and most of its will and thought processes, have been taken over and assimilated by something else, leaving almost nothing of its own.

Gao Hai estimated that the thing that had taken away its essence was the enemy he would have to face next.