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

[Dark Night level... Dark Night level... Hmm, there's a Crimson Moon level one, not many. Oh, and there's even a Twilight level one?]

What's peculiar is that, despite being surrounded by an incredibly large number of bizarre creatures, the man remained calm and composed, showing no sign of tension. He looked as if he could have single-handedly surrounded all these enemies.

Of course, this is indeed the case.

The next moment, the sword in the man's hand was swung.

The first thing to erupt was a golden-red light.

The light shone from the top of the factory, penetrating the flames that ran through the entire massive plant and extended all the way to the incinerator at the bottom.

boom--

The second outburst was a sonic boom, the sound of machinery shattering, the sound of the building itself being pierced and penetrated.

The outstretched hand moved gently, as if casually dragging something along.

Rumble, rumble, rumble——

Then the sword blade, burning with golden-red light, sliced ​​the entire factory in half, splitting it completely in two.

A violent explosion spread throughout the factory.

Countless strange creatures surged wildly, trying to pounce on the man, but he casually waved his hand, and they were cut up and shredded along with the factory, swept into violent explosions amidst the spreading flames.

All the strange creatures existing here were forcibly put to trial.

There was no room for investigation and research on these strange creatures, which were at most at the Red Moon level, as his activity time was still very short.

Therefore, he chose the simplest and most straightforward method: those perpetrators, burdened by the resentment and hatred of others and thus vulnerable to being targeted by Hirano Kurasuke's pistol, were spared; those victims, burdened only by their own obsessions and unable to be blessed to bear the sins of their past lives, were sent away. The flames then spread further, forcibly separating souls and demons; those deserving rest were granted it and returned to the cycle of reincarnation; those burdened with sin were cast into the flames of judgment, enduring an endless torment.

Rumble, rumble——

The factory was completely destroyed in the series of explosions.

The remains of all the deceased were absorbed by the flames and taken to another place.

He had already grabbed the hotel poster, now only a tattered piece, and tore it to shreds without even looking at it. Then, with a single reach, he pulled the players out of the ruins and brought them before him, grabbed by an unseen hand.

[Sunflower Squad? You did a great job. Without your actions, the residential area probably wouldn't have been retaken so quickly.]

Now that I'm here, there's nothing to worry about. You just need to guard this place and protect Baihechuanhua. When the time is right, you can leave here and return to the real world.

The man's voice was remarkably calm, but Li Ling, Kazama Ren, and Wang Gui, who had been dragged over, were anything but. Having finally managed to reunite in the factory, the three, who had been relentlessly fleeing from the pursuing monsters, had no idea what was happening. The factory was instantly cleaved in two by a giant, kilometer-long flaming sword, then shredded into pieces with several more strikes, all while perfectly avoiding them. This unimaginable scene left the three players stunned, unsure how to react. Especially after witnessing the monsters being forcibly and irrationally released from their trances without needing to resolve their obsessions, Li Ling, understanding the implications, wore a look of utter disbelief.

Fortunately, I arrived early enough to salvage the situation on the timeline.

However, Li Ling soon realized that she had been shocked too soon; what happened next was truly astonishing. She only saw the man casually slice off two fingers as he spoke, then throw them forward, and the severed fingers quickly healed themselves.

Then, the two fingers transformed into burning golden-red flames, which quickly changed from the form of flames into flesh, internal organs, bones, and skin, and finally into Yu Qingshan and Seventeen, the two players who sacrificed themselves in the edge space.

"Captain? And Seventeen?!"

Kazama Ren, who witnessed the sacrifice of the two men, stared wide-eyed, her face filled with disbelief.

Li Ling, who remained silent, clearly sensed that the two reborn individuals had been strengthened to the level of top-tier Red Moon-level players, perhaps even surpassing them in terms of physical attributes alone. Furthermore, all the hidden injuries and curses left from past dungeon missions had been removed from them, making them truly perfect. Even their clothing materialized—extremely powerful polymer clothing, providing both comfort and protection against extreme temperatures, impacts, bombings, and radiation.

This this……

Even with power projected through a medium, there are limits to control; it's difficult to maintain precise control. This level of physical strength is already the limit. Unfortunately, your strength is too low for me to create such weak bodies; I can only adapt as quickly as possible. Of course, I won't only remember the victims; your share will be given as well.

Before Li Ling could say anything more, the second beam of golden light swept over them, instantly raising the physical strength of all the surviving players to the level of Red Moon level players. Even Xiao Hua, who was currently in a dormant state and acting as a temporary spatial node, received a significant boost from this power. However, because Xiao Hua still had an ordinary human body, the power increase she received was the lowest, not yet reaching the point of breaking through her limits.

[I've confirmed Miss Angel's location. She'll be brought back soon, so you don't need to wait... Wait for Yotsuya and Kita to come down, and then you can prepare to leave after Miss Angel comes down. You can ask Yurikawa Hana for directions; she knows how to leave.]

[Don't worry about being attacked. I'm here, and the "hospital" won't dare to make another move. As for that "doctor," it probably hasn't noticed me yet. I'll go and meet it next.]

In short, thank you all sincerely for your contributions. Our war has achieved a stage victory, and you've all worked hard. I'll now handle the final cleanup myself.

After a few simple words, the figure flew upwards.

"...Thank you for your contributions, Mr. Gao Hai."

Having just come back to life, Yu Qingshan stood there until Gao Hai left before recovering and realizing what had happened. He then spoke solemnly.

In response, Gao Hai, whose figure was ethereal and resembled flames, simply smiled. He did not reply, but waved to the players on a platform that had been deliberately left open below, and then disappeared from the spot, rushing towards the city ruins above.

【■■■■■■■——！ ！ ！ 】

In the depths of darkness, some terrifying monster seems to be roaring madly, enraged by the enormous losses it has suffered.

However, just as Gao Hai said, now that his power has already taken over this place, no matter how hysterical the other party is, it is impossible for them to invest any more new power.

"Such an existence, even if you say it's not a god, no one would believe it, right?"

Li Ling stared in the direction where Gao Hai disappeared, and after a long while, she sighed and said.

"It is because of people like this standing on our side that this battle can continue. Also, Captain, Seventeen, welcome back. I was already prepared to visit your graves, but I didn't expect that you could be pulled back by a powerful healing spell. That Mr. Gao Hai is really amazing."

Kazama Ren sat down on the ground, breathed a sigh of relief, and smiled as she rubbed her eyes very naturally, without letting anyone around her know that she was wiping away tears.

"Yeah, you're back. It's...unbelievable that you survived like that."

Yu Qingshan sighed, his expression a mixture of complex emotions.

"...Not only have I returned, but the curse is also gone. I can remember my name now."

Seventeen, on the other side, also spoke up, his face filled with disbelief, and even his voice trembled.

"You've taken back your real name?! Really?"

Wang Gui, who had been struggling to join the conversation, quickly asked a question upon hearing this, and the others also turned to look at their companion.

"Yes, I do remember now, finally... finally I remember..."

At this moment, Seventeen's facial muscles were trembling, and it was hard to tell what emotions he was expressing; even his voice had become hoarse.

"That's right, that's right, I'm not seventeen anymore."

He took a deep breath, but tears still welled up in his eyes.

"After being cursed by that camera, I have finally remembered my name."

As he spoke, tears streamed down the man's face. The members of the Sunflower Squad, who knew all too well the pressure their teammate carried, rushed forward and embraced him protectively. Feeling the warmth of his companions, Seventeen's voice finally stabilized and hardened as he spoke the words clearly.

"My name, my real name is—"

...

Alice, analyze the surrounding environment and ensure that the "hospital" cannot invade this area again. Those filthy things have not completely withdrawn from the edge space. We must not give the enemy a chance to make a comeback. We must firmly grasp this victory.

[Hehe, Private Alice received this. Don't work too hard, sir.]

I know my own body best; I can hold on for now. Also, keep an eye on the Sunflower Squad. Before we return to the real world, we can't rule out the possibility that the "hospital" might try to retaliate. We must protect them.

[Okay, okay, teacher, you're so kind! You really are like a guardian angel for all of humanity!]

[I already said I don't... cough cough, why are you saying that too? Stop with the mystical talk. If it weren't for the "hospital" causing trouble, I wouldn't be stuck in the ascension process. Don't make things worse. The next contact with the "psychologist" is crucial. This is our first direct confrontation with the top echelons of the "hospital," we absolutely must keep this bastard here!]

Yes, Alice guarantees to complete the mission and will definitely wipe out the entire "psychologist's" family!

In the brief exchange, Gao Hai's figure had already fallen into the crumbling ruins of the city.

I can already sense Miko and Kita's presence; both of them are incredibly weak, it's unimaginable how much torment and pain they've endured. What have they been through during the time I couldn't protect them?

Moreover, compared to the long-awaited reunion with loved ones, the stench emanating from non-recyclable waste is definitely more memorable.

Gao Hai looked at the monster standing in the ruins.

That monster with a shriveled body resembling a stick figure, deformed multiple arms, and a television head; that self-proclaimed "psychologist" who brings despair to countless people in the name of happiness—just looking at it makes one feel nauseous and disgusted.

These kinds of questions aren't important; as long as you're happy, that's all that matters.

At this very moment, the monster was still laughing and speaking in an almost self-satisfied tone.

I just can't listen to a single word of it anymore.

These anthropomorphic creatures, born of humans yet not human, remain utterly ugly no matter when you see them.

"Since you like happiness so much, then your uncle is going to give you a good dose of warmth~"

Gao Hai then replied to the monster's words with a smile.

So he stepped forward and, before the monster could turn around, reached out and pressed his hand on the thing's TV head.

The psychologist, immediately sensing something was wrong, unleashed her power almost instantly, attempting to attack Gao Hai behind her.

Click!

But even faster was Gao Hai's punch that pierced through the TV screen, sending the thing's head flying right through.

The raging crimson flames spread across the monster's entire body in an instant. Gao Hai was about to fold the creature in half when he noticed something and stopped, frowning. Instead, he flung it away, tearing off one of his own hands in the process.

"senior……"

Seeing Zi's somewhat weak voice coming from behind, Gao Hai's severed hand had already recovered rapidly, and there was no trace of the breakage at all.

"You take Kita and Miss Angel and leave first. Leave this to me. After doing so many trivial things for so long, I can finally have a boss to spar with. I can't let this opportunity slip by."

Gao Hai turned around, smiled slightly at Miko who was supporting Kita, and casually spat out a piece of blood.

The body he appeared in here was not his original body, but a clone created by injecting power into a part of Gao Hai's original body's flesh and blood, and remotely controlled by the original body's consciousness.

Although it was just a clone, under Gao Hai's control, the clone's power was already beyond the imagination of even top-tier Red Moon level players. However, even so, he had just taken a counterattack from [Psychotherapist], and had to lose an arm. Moreover, he still suffered internal injuries after losing the arm and was unable to completely neutralize the attack.

The other party probably can't be considered the original entity either.

Through their initial exchange, Gao Hai was able to determine that the "psychologist" appearing in the residential area was likely just an avatar. However, unlike Gao Hai's easily created avatars, this "psychologist's" avatar was probably very important, the kind that would affect the main body if something went wrong.

"In that case, I won't stand on ceremony."

As Gao Hai spoke, he gazed at the "psychologist" who was surrounded by countless eye-shaped monsters and seemed to be merging with them. Without hesitation, he took a step forward to meet the increasingly surging evil.

Chapter 52: The Shattered Avatar at This Trial and What Happened Before Its Departure

For something that originates from a concept and is not simply a form of life, it is extremely difficult to truly eliminate it.

After all, the vitality of such a thing is not entirely determined by the life force exhibited by its individual members; it also needs to include the thoughts and even the lives of the individuals who provided the concept. In other words, it's very difficult to truly kill an idea. Because ideas can be transmitted among living beings with thoughts, even destroying a very famous disseminator does not mean the idea is extinguished. On the contrary, the elimination of a visible entity may even have terrible consequences, causing the entity to become invisible and more dangerous and harder to stop.

However, this problem does not exist for Gao Hai.

For Gao Hai, who has already officially embarked on the path to godhood and completed most of it, such simple conceptual questions are no longer a challenge.

Just as time was no longer an irreversible river in Gao Hai's eyes, for him who had truly taken that step, the essential structure and source of power of this so-called "psychologist" were now clearly displayed before him. Not to mention the various pieces of information that Yotsuya Miko transmitted to him, which were enough to help him further interpret this monster.

Even if he is forced to stop at a certain stage now and cannot truly reach that point, he is still not as strong as he used to be.