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

"What nonsense is this? Can terrorists fly?"

Hongxia was still pondering these questions in her heart, but her older sister Xingge, sitting next to her, had already become agitated, gritting her teeth and trying to stand up and leave. Unlike the two girls who had already met Kita and knew some of the truth, Xingge herself knew nothing from beginning to end. It wasn't until a few minutes ago, when she witnessed Ichiri rush up and overturn the thing coming down the stairs, that she finally realized there was something in this world beyond her comprehension.

"Don't go, sister, let's finish reading this first. Since Pochi told us we had to finish reading this before she disappeared, she must have had her reasons. Let's finish reading it first."

Reaching out, Hongxia grabbed Xingge, who wanted to leave, and patiently persuaded her.

"...I think I understand what's going on. Kita mentioned this before, remember Nijika? She told us that some things can pose a life-threatening threat to us in extremely bizarre ways. When we encounter such things, we must avoid getting to know them, thinking about anything related to them, and even denying their existence in our hearts. Otherwise, the more we think about those things, the more profound the impressions we form in our hearts, the greater the threat those things will pose to us."

Yamada Ryo, who had been sitting quietly, spoke softly at this moment. She rarely spoke so much in one breath, and was even a little out of breath after she finished. Nijika, who had also never heard her friend speak like this before, was slightly taken aback, and quickly recalled what Kita had told them earlier.

I never imagined that the knowledge I gained back then would come in handy so quickly.

While the girls hesitated and pondered, the text on the computer screen started scrolling again, displaying new content.

[1. All citizens are urged to immediately cease all outdoor activities and remain at home or in a familiar, enclosed indoor environment.]

This time, the announcement contained the specific details, and the very first point immediately made Hongxia tense.

Although the livehouse, Fanxing, is located right downstairs from my apartment, it doesn't really feel like "home." However, it is a "familiar indoor environment," and there is only one main entrance, which has been damaged from the outside and cannot be opened at all.

2. Please ensure that you have sealed all interior doors and windows. Make sure to block all passageways connecting your indoor space to the outside environment. This includes, but is not limited to, doors, windows, small sliding doors for cats and dogs, skylights, and any other passageways that a creature of a certain size could pass through. The sealing doesn't need to be extremely tight; just ensure it is actually locked or appears to be completely blocked.

"Inside the starry sky, um, I remember there shouldn't be any windows here, right? After all, it's a basement."

As the second announcement appeared, Hongxia looked around nervously, but then she remembered the situation at her own livehouse and quickly breathed a sigh of relief.

"...There are windows in the toilet, which are for ventilation. They are very small, only big enough for a five or six-year-old child to pass through, and the windows are at ceiling height. However, I don't remember if the windows were closed or not. Sometimes they were opened for ventilation."

Xingge, who was standing next to Hongxia because she was being held back, shook her head slightly and turned her head with a serious expression to look at the dark corner on one side of the livehouse, at the toilet door that was currently closed.

“It’s locked up. Poch said that before he left.”

Liang spoke again. A few minutes ago, Yili left in a great hurry, but she remembered that he had abruptly mentioned before leaving that "the windows have been closed for you." So she immediately made the connection.

It seems that Yili is quite familiar with the store, even knowing exactly where the windows are and being able to handle problems in advance.

However, something still felt off. Whether it was Ichiri's seemingly precognitive charge towards the terrifying thing attacking the stars and her swift defeat and removal of it, or the seemingly random words she uttered before leaving, it all gave Ryo a strange feeling. It was as if all of this had been rehearsed several times, which was why Ichiri could so easily defeat the enemy and eliminate the threat like a skilled actor, while she and Hongxia Xingka were just clueless extras pulled in at the last minute, forced to watch others perform with envy.

3. If you are not currently indoors and cannot return to your home or a familiar indoor environment quickly, please find an indoor environment that is isolated from the outside world, cannot be easily penetrated by external forces, and can be sealed off. Under the current circumstances, only such an environment can temporarily guarantee your personal safety.

Amid the three individuals' varying reactions, the new announcement has already surfaced.

However, this point had nothing to do with the girls present. Only Hongxia realized that there were probably many poor people outside who had encountered those things without even going home, and she became somewhat worried.

4. Once you are indoors and have taken necessary safety precautions, please remember this key point. Only by truly remembering this point can you completely guarantee your safety.

[You... *sizzle*... You...]

When the announcement reached its fourth point, everyone could clearly sense a change in the announcer's tone, which became more solemn and extremely serious.

A strong interference suddenly appeared at that moment. The blood-red computer screen twisted into countless chaotic colors in the blink of an eye, the subtitles became completely unreadable, and the girl's broadcast voice was mixed with countless screams and howls, releasing a strong noise and a chilling sensation in an instant.

You are not sick.

But then, the images and sounds on the computer screen stabilized again.

It seems that some force stabilized the announcement.

The three people present did not know whether this power came from the broadcaster or something else.

[Please remember, if you are listening to or watching this content, that you are not sick.]

Regardless of whether you have any symptoms or suffer from any temporary or long-term health defects, you are not sick at this moment.

You must remember that you are not sick. You are not sick, you do not need medical care, you are healthy, you do not need a doctor, and you do not need to see a doctor right now.

Under no circumstances should you admit to anyone or express to yourself that your body or mind is unhealthy, nor should you constantly allow yourself to fall into an unhealthy mental state. You must firmly believe that you are not sick, you must firmly believe that you are healthy; only by firmly believing this can you truly be saved.

Compared to the previous announcements, Hongxia felt that this one was the strangest and most bizarre.

This repeatedly emphasized announcement was quite baffling. If one had to find a key point, Hongxia felt the problem lay with the "doctor." The next announcement, which followed, undoubtedly emphasized this crucial point even more clearly.

5. You do not need to see a doctor.

The large, jet-black characters trembled as they appeared against the blood-red background.

5. You do not need to see a doctor.

The girl's cold and indifferent voice seemed to contain a hint of extreme amusement, as if she was suppressing something very funny.

5. You do not need to see a doctor.

After the third repetition, the three identical announcements almost filled the entire television screen, to the point that the blood-red background was nearly overtaken by the pitch-black text, and the television screen looked like it was filled with wriggling worms.

No, the fifth announcement doesn't mean that you don't need to see a doctor.

The correct message should be that we shouldn't see a doctor. So, what if a really scary "doctor" appears next and could very well kill us?

Hongxia, growing increasingly uneasy, pursed her lips, trying hard to suppress the trembling in her body.

Tick-tock—tick-tock—

As more and more water rushed in from outside the door, the water inside the house gradually rose up to Hongxia's calves.

However, no one has noticed this change; everyone's attention is focused on the text displayed on the computer screen.

6. Leaks of hallucinogenic gases can cause incredible hallucinations, which typically manifest in the following ways:

[(1) A young woman dressed as a nurse, who calls herself Xiao Chuanling, tries to communicate with citizens in a gentle tone and shows them her cut flesh and limbs.]

[(2) An elderly man dressed in a hospital gown, who calls himself Funato Yasuo, will try to persuade or reprimand citizens as an elder, and show them his internal organs and eyeballs that have lost their surface structure.]

[Further details regarding the specific manifestations of these hallucinations have not yet been determined. What is certain is that while these hallucinations may be accompanied by various bizarre phenomena that defy common sense, they will not truly affect citizens as long as they refuse to communicate with them and do not follow the hallucinations' instructions. Citizens are urged not to believe any unusual phenomena occurring indoors, not to attempt to confirm or dispel such phenomena, and not to show any inclination to believe they can see or feel these phenomena.]

The sixth announcement differed significantly from the previous five in that it did not fully account for the so-called "hallucination phenomenon." Both Hongxia and Liang realized that if any strange hallucinations were to occur, it might happen in a way not mentioned in the announcement. As for the specifics, they would only know when those things actually appeared.

"What are these..."

Xingge muttered something and wanted to move again, but Hongxia was still holding her hand, so after hesitating for a moment, Xingge herself continued to stand still and look at the text displayed on the thing.

Having never learned about ghost stories from either Takami or Kita, Hoshika was completely bewildered by the sixth announcement, utterly unable to understand its meaning. However, having witnessed Goto Ichiri driving away some ghostly entity earlier, and possessing a certain degree of belief in and fear of the supernatural, Hoshika was somewhat inclined to believe in the announcement, which only intensified her fear as she read on.

[Sizzle…]

The obvious interference phenomenon has reappeared.

The air seemed to grow even colder, and even without seeing anything unusual, Hongxia and Liang could vaguely sense the aura of extreme danger. It seemed the text of the sixth announcement itself had attracted the attention of something, causing some kind of force to spread.

7. Do not believe ■■

Then, the seventh announcement was immediately reduced to gibberish amidst the intense interference and noise.

[Buzz—Buzz...Buzz...Buzz...]

The piercing noise exploded sharply, completely drowning out the girl's voice as she read the announcement.

[Buzzing... Buzzing...]

It's as if many people are crying out in pain at the same time, enduring almost insane torment, being twisted into inhuman shapes, yet unable to find peace or die.

Their voices drowned out all other sounds at that moment, leaving only desperate howls.

[Sizzle…]

But the next moment, with a faint electronic buzzing sound, the hellish noise vanished without a trace, and everything returned to normal.

“Wu…Wu…”

Hongxia, who had been gripped by intense fear for a moment and whose breath had stopped, finally came to her senses and gasped for air, tears welling up in her eyes. Her older sister, Xingge, nearly collapsed and had to support her sister to keep from falling; even then, her legs were trembling and she could barely stand.

But Liang, sitting to the side, didn't change much. Or rather, the girl gritted her teeth and endured the agonizing emotions, forcing herself to keep her eyes on the computer screen.

The sudden screams and the corrosive power emanating from them were truly unsettling. Yamada Ryo knew she wasn't afraid of the strange creatures in stories, but when faced with a real threat to her life, realizing she could die at any moment, she had to admit she couldn't calm down. She couldn't maintain her usual composure and desperately wanted to escape and find a safe place to hide.

No, we can't have such escapist thoughts. We must read it through; this announcement is something Poch wants us to read. No matter how the situation outside changes, at least Poch won't harm us. So let's read this announcement carefully and memorize every word. Only then will we have a chance to truly find a way to survive safely!

The girl with short blue hair was completely focused on her work at that moment.

Although she herself was completely unaware of the changes in herself, if any player at the Dark Night level or above were here, they would definitely say that Yamada Ryo was very suitable to be a player, and might even say that she was simply a born player. Although Ryo herself would never agree with such praise, and even if she were truly a born player, the crisis the city was currently experiencing was completely beyond her current level to handle.

8. Rescue personnel have been dispatched and will be equipped with all necessary detection equipment. They will act immediately upon locating residents in need of assistance. Residents who remain at home should simply wait quietly for rescue to arrive and are urged not to attempt to leave their homes.

The final announcement brought a sigh of relief to all three present, who subconsciously began to anticipate the arrival of "rescue."

Please remember, rescuers will not ask you to open doors or windows. Rescuers will carry professional tools and will not ask you to leave the building. Never obey anyone who asks you to open doors or windows, even if they resemble rescuers. Ignore them completely. Stay in the closed indoor environment until real rescuers take you out. Until then, the only thing you can trust is your enclosed space.

However, even such expectations were dampened by the supplementary explanation that followed the announcement.

[This is the 6th edition of the Citizen Announcement. Please remember it, as we will be broadcasting this announcement repeatedly. Please be sure to follow the contents of this announcement.]

After the last message ended, the computer screen quickly went dark, and both the red glow and the black text disappeared as if they had never existed.

I wonder if this thing will actually start playing again after a while.

However, right now, how to store this thing is not the main point of consideration. The most crucial issue is how to ensure one's own safety under the current circumstances.

"Could this announcement have been made by that 'Mr. Gao'?"

Hongxia waited a while before hesitatingly speaking.

"It should be right."

Liang nodded gently, then stood up from her seat and turned to look at the pitch-black Star Livehouse, where she could barely see anything with the help of her phone's light.

This underground concert hall, though previously dimly lit, still had various ambient lights, giving it a generally pleasant feel. Now, however, with all light sources gone and constant leaks, the place has lost all its rock 'n' roll atmosphere, leaving only a ghostly ambiance.

"We need to seal the gaps in the door."

Liang made a decision in the shortest amount of time and said seriously to Hongxia beside him.

"Hey?"

Hongxia, still reeling from the eerie atmosphere of the announcement, paused for a moment. Xingge, on the other hand, was practically incapacitated, simply staring blankly at Liang alongside Hongxia. It must be said that the two sisters were remarkably alike at that moment; even their terrified, goofy expressions seemed identical.

Unfortunately, now is not the best time to tease your friends.

After all, if they didn't do something soon, the three of them might drown before those terrifying monsters even scared them to death.

"We must seal the gaps in the door to slow down the rate at which water enters as much as possible."

After a few thoughts ran through his mind, Liang looked at Hongxia seriously with a calm expression and said something. The latter quickly reacted, took a deep breath and stood up.

"Sister, let's get moving too. We have to stay inside the Starry Sky and wait for rescue. But if we don't seal all the gaps in the door, the water will keep rising. If it floods this place, we're doomed. So we have to slow down the water flow as much as possible before the rescuers arrive."

Hongxia wasn't stupid; she was just much less timid than Liang. When it came to a life-or-death situation, she naturally wouldn't just stand there dumbfounded.

"Hongxia, Liang, you...you really do know something, don't you? What exactly is going on? Is it going to be the end of the world? Why are those terrifying things appearing, and why are we receiving such a strange thing?"