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

A pale, thin hand reached out from the corner of the wall and gently pressed against it.

The black shadow stretched across the gray ground, gradually curving towards Xiaohua's direction.

I just encountered it once in the food room, and now I've run into it again? Come to think of it, the survivor's log did mention that this strange creature seems to be able to move without limit, essentially teleporting around this area.

Xiao Hua turned around, squatted down facing the wall, and closed her eyes to avoid looking at the thing.

tread--

She heard the sound of the other person approaching.

His footsteps were slow and heavy, one step at a time, as he approached the direction where the girl was.

The stench was so strong, it felt like a rotting corpse was walking past me.

The girl couldn't help but ponder. According to the rules, she could only avoid the strange creature by crouching down with her eyes closed and facing the wall when it was wearing an oil-stained apron, loungewear, or pajamas. What if the thing standing next to her wasn't dressed according to the rules, but instead wore a heavy raincoat or bloodstained clothes?

I had a strong urge to open my eyes and see what it looked like now.

Although she knew she absolutely couldn't open her eyes right now, Xiaohua had to admit that she did have that urge.

step-step-

The footsteps were slow.

It was impossible to tell whether it had walked right past or was slowly lingering around.

There was even a feeling that the corridor had disappeared, and that he was actually squatting in an open space, with the corridor circling around him.

"..."

The girl made no move.

She simply remained in the same position, waiting motionless.

tread--

The footsteps gradually faded into the distance.

The footsteps disappeared.

Xiao Hua waited for quite a while, but did not hear any more footsteps.

But she didn't open her eyes.

Because that chilling aura still lingered around her, continuing to stimulate her senses.

That thing is still here.

It certainly hasn't truly left yet.

tread--

Thinking this, Xiao Hua squatted there until her legs went numb, when she suddenly heard footsteps in the distance and truly felt the chill recede.

Was that thing actually standing at a distance, staring at me?

Realizing what had just happened, Xiao Hua hesitated for a moment before cautiously opening her eyes and looking around.

The strange creature was not seen.

However, I noticed that the previously empty gray walls were now covered with colorful graffiti, which appeared to be drawn with chalk.

Xiao Hua stood up, and then suddenly felt the phone in her hand vibrate.

When she picked it up, she discovered that someone had called her phone. And the caller's name was none other than her best friend, whom she had been constantly worried about.

"Xiaojianzi's phone call?"

Chapter 15: Communication Time and Interference Noise on Both Internal and External Sides

[Sizzle... sizzle sizzle...]

Xiao Hua stared intently at the cracked phone, which should have been unusable by now, yet was still vibrating and making noise.

At this very moment, in this dark corridor covered with bizarre graffiti, on the screen of the phone held in the girl's hand, a jet-black caller ID icon was flickering faintly amidst a blood-red glow. The phone number and contact name displayed below unmistakably pointed to Yotsuya Miko, Xiaohua's only friend.

Is Xiaojianzi calling herself?

Xiao Hua, who had become somewhat numb from the series of shocks over the past hour, stared at the screen for a while before realizing what was going on.

A phone call came in... This really is Komiko calling, right? Did the God do something? I remember the God said before that Komiko wasn't in danger, so did the God do something to allow Komiko to contact him this time?

The girl hesitated for a moment, remembering what Gao Hai had told her when he was giving her pointers: some strange creatures have the ability to disguise themselves and deceive players. She wondered if she had encountered such a situation.

Hmm, never mind, I'll just ignore it.

If they can even call this phone, and it really is interference from some strange force, then it proves that the power of the red light has completely failed. In that case, whether I answer the call or not, I'm doomed anyway, so I might as well be bolder.

In essence, Xiao Hua had a blind trust in Gao Hai's power deep down. She said this to herself and quickly pressed the answer button, then put the phone to her ear.

"Is that Komiko?"

Xiao Hua asked cautiously.

[Buzz... Xiaohua, it's me. I've entered...buzz...the house...]

The voice coming from the phone was definitely Miko Yotsuya's voice.

The interference was severe, but compared to the previous broadcasts where the content was almost indistinguishable, Xiaohua could still make out what Jianzi was saying this time.

The red light did not change in any way, and there was no cold feeling, so it can be confirmed that there is no problem.

"You came into the house? You came to the building where I'm hiding? Whoa, how did you do that? But I don't even know where I am now, hmm, how are we going to meet up..."

After confirming that the phone call was normal and that the other party had arrived at the mansion where she had been hiding, Xiaohua was initially excited. However, she quickly realized that she was no longer in the same place and could not reunite immediately. As a result, she became somewhat frustrated and began to worry again about how to escape this distorted space.

Don't panic... *sizzle*... I know where you are... *sizzle*... I can help you.

During the communication, Jianzi's indistinct voice carried a certain calmness.

[You now... continue forward... I'll help you solve... *sizzle*... the solution...]

[The power of this strange creature... sizzle... it's far from being strong enough to... make it impossible for an ordinary person to resist...]

[Continue deeper... The red light will provide guidance... I will also help observe... *sizzle*... Be very careful... *sizzle*...]

The jarring noise and Miko's own voice mingled together, and Xiaohua had to concentrate very hard to hear what she was saying in order to roughly understand what she meant.

Xiaojianzi, can you help me observe?

Although she had heard from Mr. Gao Hai that Xiao Jianzi was actually quite powerful, Xiao Hua had no idea what kind of power her friend possessed. The only time she had witnessed her friend use her ability was in the bloody scene she perceived through her gouged eye. Obviously, Xiao Hua herself didn't understand anything from that demonstration of her ability and was instead quite frightened. So much so that even now, after encountering strange and bizarre creatures that are far more "colorful" in every sense, she still doesn't want to recall that incident.

I wonder what Xiaojianzi can help me observe. She shouldn't have entered this strange space with me, right? Could it be that she threw in her gouged-out eyes?

While pondering, the girl took a step forward and continued moving forward without the slightest hesitation.

One step, two steps...

Xiao Hua didn't walk too far before reaching the corner at the front of the corridor.

Go straight through this right-angle bend and enter the passage that theoretically leads to the [Dollhouse]. What comes into the girl's view is a corridor that is completely different from the previous scene.

These things are...

Xiao Hua was stunned for a moment, not expecting to see such a scene.

slam-la-

A chilly wind, its source unknown, blew gently, causing the test papers and workbooks stuck to the wall to dance in the breeze.

All sorts of papers, from schoolwork exercises to sheet music and magazine submissions, covered the walls on both sides of the corridor.

Even the floor was scattered with all sorts of test papers and exercises, stacked one after another, completely covering the ground, so that all you could see were countless sheets of paper.

Xiaohua leaned close to the wall and picked up a workbook to examine it. Most of the writing on these things was blurred, making it difficult to decipher much of the content. However, the red marks left by the teacher after corrections were very clear; every grade and every correct/incorrect mark on a question was so clear that it could be read directly.

This child's grades don't seem to be very good.

After looking at several test papers, Xiaohua quickly came to this conclusion.

To put it more tactfully, a child who achieves such a score should perhaps try to explore other talents. To be blunt, it's like saying this child isn't very bright and isn't suited for studying. In short, just looking at these papers, Xiaohua felt as if she could see a frowning child doing homework and studying, looking like they couldn't understand anything no matter how hard they tried.

[Lingering emotions...Any changes in the surroundings...Can you sense anything unusual...?]

At this moment, Miko's voice rang out, asking a question. Xiaohua then told her what she had seen. After a moment of silence, Miko gestured for Xiaohua to continue forward and go directly into the toy room ahead.

The surroundings fell silent again, with only the noise of cell phones and Xiaohua's footsteps ringing out.

The walls and floors were covered with test papers and exercises, which seemed to sway along with the girl's steps, but the swaying sound at the beginning was gone, as if something had forcibly silenced them, forcing them into silence.

It's starting to feel cold again.

But it wasn't the same bone-chilling coldness I felt when that monster approached me before.

It's something hard to describe in words, more like an intangible atmosphere, as if you can no longer find any warmth and are surrounded by indifference from beginning to end.

"Xiao Jianzi, how are things going on your end? Is Auntie there with you?"

Unable to bear the feeling, Xiaohua slowly moved forward while actively asking Jianzi through her phone, trying to distract herself by chatting.

She's there... We're all alright... Be careful... The aura of the strange creature is approaching... Move a little faster, but don't run...

Jianzi quickly answered Xiaohua, then warned her. Hearing this, Xiaohua quickened her pace, walking briskly towards the corridor ahead. During this time, Jianzi seemed to sense something and began to occasionally mutter to herself.

[Silence...suffocating...the atmosphere in this family is terrible...]

[Not a voluntary union... a choice made out of necessity? Or perhaps... um...]

Unable to fly... so you pin your hopes on your child's growth, only to find they lack the talent, leading to even greater disappointment...?

Xiao Hua could tell that Jianzi was thinking about something, so she didn't interrupt her. She just continued forward, listening attentively to what Jianzi was saying and trying to write it down.

Unable to fly?

I feel like I've seen something like this somewhere before?

Upon hearing what Jianzi was saying, Xiaohua frowned, feeling a sense of familiarity, but couldn't quite place what it was.

Have we arrived...? What does that door look like...?

Seeing that Zi didn't seem to be planning to tell Xiao Hua her guess for the time being, she muttered to herself for a while before taking the initiative to ask Xiao Hua.

"Hmm, we've arrived. This door... well, it's quite strange."