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

Chapter Two: Exploration Amidst the Dark Waters and Alice's Guidance

Something is moving in the darkness.

Beyond the dim red light source, amidst the rippling water, something was subtly wriggling, silently moving through it, peering at the three people under the light.

Splash—splash—

The water that covered the floor of the underground livehouse, Fanxing, was still rippling slowly.

Neither the red light emanating from the laptop nor the flashlight from the Star Singer could penetrate the slightly murky water to illuminate what was underwater. However, if the rules displayed on the computer were correct, theoretically there shouldn't be anything moving in the room other than the three of them, including anything "alive" in the ripples of the water in front of them.

That should be...right?

Despite trying to convince themselves with these words, neither Hongxia, Xingge, nor even Liang, who was most concerned about the rules, could truly believe it from the bottom of their hearts. After all, they had indeed witnessed bizarre and illogical phenomena. First, there were two Xingges, one real and one fake; then, there was the sound of something swimming and approaching in the water; and after a while, there was a continuous knocking sound. Although these waves of anomalies did not actually harm the three of them, they brought them immense mental stress. To the point that Hongxia had become easily startled, and even the slightest movement from Liang and Xingge could frighten her.

slam-la-

The water flowed again, as if it were not waterlogged indoors, but rather the tide at the seaside, flowing back and forth without ever calming down.

Ryo sat silently on one side of the stage, her gaze sweeping over the water on the ground, then over the drum set with the computer on the stage, and her own bass that had been picked up and placed at the back of the stage. Then she looked at the pale-faced and terrified Ijichi sisters beside her, and finally returned to the water below the stage.

So far, no new anomalies have appeared. It's unclear whether the monsters have given up using illusions to frighten them, or if there's some more terrifying plan yet to be revealed. Of course, on the bright side, perhaps they've discovered the door is truly broken and can't be opened, so they've decided to abandon this place. From Ryo's personal perspective, she hopes for the latter, but rationally, she can't believe such a delusion.

wow-

A wave crashed below the stage, splashing water onto the edge of the stage.

These splashes of water were undoubtedly quite unusual. Even if water was indeed seeping into the house from the front door, there was no reason for the water to fluctuate so violently.

Unless, in addition to the main gate, there is another water inlet.

The idea popped into Liang's mind.

If there were a more concealed inlet with a larger water flow, it might explain these strange waves.

Where would that water inlet be located?

Liang raised her head and quickly scanned her surroundings.

At this moment, the three of them were gathered on the east side of the stage, where some salvaged musical instruments and sound equipment were placed. Going to the right and back would lead to the stage preparation room. There were some miscellaneous items there, mostly band-related things. Incidentally, behind the preparation room was a well-soundproofed practice room, which was usually used by Hongxia and Liang to practice, or by other bands who would rent it for practice.

The preparation room and practice room are located on higher ground than the stage. If these two rooms were flooded, the stage would definitely be flooded as well. However, the stage is currently dry, so we can rule out the possibility that these two rooms are the problem.

Looking forward from the stage, you can see several sets of tables and chairs for guests, as well as the restrooms located to the right of the starry sky. Not long ago, when Ichiri left, she specifically mentioned that the skylight in the restrooms was closed, so Ryo thought there shouldn't be any major problems with the restrooms; the possible secondary water inlet should be somewhere else.

Behind those tables and chairs, in areas corresponding to the stage on the north and south sides, was the stage control area, separated by wire mesh and iron frames. It controlled the sound, lighting, and other equipment on stage, a crucial part of the performance. Further back from this control area was a small electrical room that managed Starry Sky's power supply. That room was usually locked, so few people went in or out. Rumor had it that some rock musicians used it as a private dating spot, almost resulting in someone getting electrocuted, which prompted Starry Sky to take action.

Ryo wasn't particularly interested in investigating the strange things that had happened to this little shop in the past. What concerned her was whether the electrical substation might have a second water inlet. After thinking about it for a while, Ryo vaguely felt that the possibility was unlikely. The reason was simple: as a place like an electrical substation, which has specific requirements for humidity levels, it should have been adequately waterproofed during construction. The possibility of cutting corners in this area was unlikely; she should check other places first.

While thinking, Liang's gaze began to look towards the stairs and bar on the left side of the shop, and then quickly focused on the warehouse door near the bar.

Although small in size, Fanxing Livehouse is fully equipped. While its entrance is narrow and the interior space isn't large, giving it a somewhat cheap feel, it does have a good range of facilities. As for its operation, as a classic Japanese-style livehouse, Fanxing's main business is actually selling drinks. Customers must purchase a drink to stay and enjoy the music. Therefore, to manage its operations effectively, Fanxing has stored a large quantity of drinks, as well as various other items that even it may not remember, in its warehouse.

The warehouse itself has two entrances. One is inside the bar, allowing staff to quickly replenish stock when needed. The other, larger door is outside the bar, used by Xingge to transport various items. As for the condition inside the warehouse, Liang wasn't really sure. The room was always dimly lit and cold, and with all sorts of clutter piled up, it was quite uncomfortable to stay there for too long. That's why Yili would deliberately curl up in the warehouse after finishing her part-time job at Fanxing, calling it "guarding Hongxia's treasure like a statue."

I wonder how Pochi-chan is doing. Being stuck indoors is frustrating, but at least for now, it seems I'm not in any immediate danger. But Pochi-chan has been out on the streets, constantly in close proximity to those monsters without any protection. Is she really okay?

While thinking, she suddenly thought of Goto Ichiri's Ryo. Her thoughts slowed down slightly, but she quickly put aside her chaotic thoughts and turned her attention back to the present moment.

I've already reviewed the internal structure of the Starry Sky once. The warehouse, the power distribution room, and the toilets—all three could potentially have a second water inlet, so it's necessary to check them. After all, no matter what, the things that appeared in the hallucinations couldn't actually harm them, but if the water problem isn't addressed, the three of them might really be submerged in water soon, and might even drown before rescue arrives.

wow-

Liang bent down, approached the edge of the stage, and scooped up a handful of water from under the stage.

"Liang? What are you doing?"

Hongxia didn't quite understand her friend's strange behavior and subconsciously suspected that something was wrong, so she quickly asked.

"...The water rose very quickly."

Yamada Ryo turned to look at Nijika, his yellow-green eyes showing a serious expression.

"Hmm? The water... is indeed rising very fast. It had calmed down for a while before, so why has it started rising again?"

Upon hearing this, Xingge immediately walked to the edge of the stage and looked down, quickly assessing the change in the water depth. His expression turned grim.

Those terrifying hallucinations that appear from time to time are already scary enough, but now the problem of rising water is getting worse. What should we do if this continues?

Despite being an adult, Ijichi Hoshika had little experience dealing with such life-threatening supernatural phenomena, so even though she tried to remain calm, she was actually quite flustered inside.

After a moment of silence, Liang let out a long breath, stood up, walked over to Hongxia and Xingge, grabbed their arms, and squeezed them hard twice until Hongxia protested, "Liang, why do you make it hurt?" before he stopped.

"The reason why hallucinations are hallucinations is that they cannot be touched."

Liang spoke softly to Hongxia and Xingge.

“You could already tell when the real and fake Xingge came over. The real Xingge reached out for Hongxia to help her up, but the fake Xingge climbed up on her own and refused to be helped. This is because the illusion is fake. If Hongxia actually reached out and touched it, the non-existent fact would be revealed.”

As she recalled the details of her previous hallucinations, she continued speaking with a firm tone, as if stating a fact that had already been established, rather than making a deduction.

"With the main gate locked, those things can't get into Starry Sky no matter what. Even if they can scare us with illusions, it's just a scare tactic; they can't really harm us. On the contrary, if the flooding problem isn't solved in time, we might actually be in danger. So we can't just sit here and wait to die. We need to act quickly and confirm if there's a second water inlet. If there is, we need to find a way to seal it off. If not, and if the first water inlet on the main gate isn't sealed properly, then we need to find a way to reinforce it. In short, we must slow down the rate at which the water rises as much as possible, otherwise we definitely won't make it to rescue."

It was extremely rare for Yamada Ryo to express her opinions and suggestions at such a lengthy pace. She was used to observing her surroundings in silence and preferring to remain quietly detached. Therefore, after speaking so much in one breath, she was even slightly out of breath due to her rapid speech.

However, the intense fear that had been lingering in my heart seemed to have been somewhat relieved.

Ryo suddenly thought of Gao Hai, and that mysterious Chinese man who called himself "Goto Ichiri's boyfriend." That godlike figure, who could tear the earth apart with a wave of his hand, had left an incredibly deep impression on Ryo. The reason she suddenly remembered him now was because she recalled what he had said to her after the player attack that day.

You might have a real talent for being a gamer, Ms. Yamada.

Gao Hai, who had just killed many players, walked up to Yamada Ryo, stared at her for a while, and gave this evaluation.

How did I reply back then? I don't remember very clearly, but I think I asked her what a "player" was, and after she was given some basic information about "sacrifice games," she probably said that she couldn't be a player and that she was afraid of dying, so she would stay away from such things?

That's why I said you have a real talent for being a gamer.

However, upon hearing this, Gao Hai smiled and gave an even more affirmative answer.

How many people in this world truly want to be gamers? Aren't they all forced to grow and learn to adapt by facing life-or-death situations?

Driven by your "essence," your talent is growing rapidly. Although it hasn't fully awakened yet, you already possess excellent intuition and a certain degree of ability to regulate your own aura, right? This is a talent in terms of ability, and just based on this, you can leave a large group of low-level players without talent behind.

[And then, in addition to your innate talent, you're also terrified of death, right? You avoid anything that could endanger your life; you have an ingrained fear of pain and death, and this fear doesn't cloud your judgment, but rather allows you to make the right choices in crucial moments. In my opinion, this is actually your most important talent. With this kind of personality, you're truly the most suitable player for "sacrifice games."]

Of course, you wouldn't want to be a player; very few people in this world would willingly choose this path. After all, the torment of dungeons is terrifying. Far too many people succumb to darkness, either succumbing to the allure of power or abandoning their dignity to become prisoners of the supernatural. I will not hesitate to kill those who choose to oppose me and harm this world. However, unless the situation is exceptionally clownish or beastly, I generally won't care too much about those people's choices, as I can understand that some people genuinely have no other choice.

As for you, you don't really need to worry about that. I can see that what happened tonight frightened you, but I want to tell you that you don't need to be afraid because you are already under my protection. My power is already protecting you; you may not see it now, but you'll understand when something really happens to you. In short, don't worry. You're different from others; you have support. After all, you're a friend of Ichiri's, and I won't stand by and watch you and those two Ichirikos get hurt.

After rambling on like that, Takami left with Goto Ichiri. Ryo had a vague idea of ​​what they were going to do, but at that moment she had no mind to pay attention to such things, nor any room for surprise at Ichiri stepping onto the adult ladder.

Now, all Liang can recall about this incident is Gao Hai's disdainful expression when facing those players and the overwhelming power he displayed in his actions. For someone as powerful as a demon to choose Boqi-chan, is it just good luck? I feel like such a thought might be disrespectful to Boqi-chan, but at times like this, I really wish someone like that could be by my side.

Realizing that she wanted to rely on Gao Hai because of her uncontrollable fear, Liang took a deep breath and, thanks to her years of cultivating a stoic demeanor, did not show any abnormal expression.

After hearing her previous analysis, Hongxia and Xingge decided to believe Liang after a brief moment of thought.

"I'll go. You two kids can stay here. This kind of thing is fine with me, the adult."

Xingge spoke first, as always intending to handle things alone.

"No, the three of us will go together. If we split up, the illusion might try to take us down one by one, so we have to be careful."

But Liang almost immediately objected, and she went straight to the drum set, picked up the laptop, and said that she had to come along regardless of whether Xingge accepted it or not.

"Yes, that's right. Just like in horror movies, things are more likely to go wrong when you split up. Let's go check it out together, sister."

Seeing her friend react this way, Hongxia quickly spoke up, even clenching her little fist and waving it twice, as if trying to use this gesture to strengthen her persuasiveness.

"...Alright then, stick close to me, each of you on one side, grab my clothes and go together. That way, even if we encounter any problems, we can use this to determine what's real and what's fake."

Xingge didn't act arrogantly at this moment. She quickly realized that Liang's words were correct, so she nodded gently and then took the lead in walking off the stage.

Ryo and Nijika walked on either side of Hoshigo, each holding onto Hoshigo's clothes with one hand. Nijika carried a flashlight for illumination, while Ryo held a laptop in one hand, adjusting the screen to ensure the red light always reached the three of them.

slam-la-

As the three stepped into the water again, an even more pronounced chill spread through them.

"Hiss... It's so cold..."

Because she had already taken off her shoes and socks, Hongxia shivered as she went barefoot into the puddles, her expression showing great distress.

"Let's bear with it for now; there really isn't a good solution right now."

Holding a flashlight in one hand, Xingge noticed her sister's reaction and whispered something before heading towards the warehouse.

Splash—splash—

The water in the room continued to ripple as the three of them moved, constantly splashing up water droplets of all sizes.

Compared to when the water only reached her calves, this time the water had already submerged Hongxia's thighs, completely engulfing her knees, and was still rising.

slam-la-

The sound of splashing water came from all around, and it was hard to tell whether it was the water splashing up when I walked or the sound coming from some direction.

Xingge gritted her teeth, trying hard to suppress the instinctive trembling in her hands and feet, and continued to walk at the front.

The timid Hongxia was almost touching her sister's arm. The trembling of the other sister was transmitted to Xingge, making Xingge sure that she had to act as bravely as possible in order to bring more sense of security to her younger sister.

As for Liang on the other side, she was now forcing herself to turn her attention forward, towards the direction of the warehouse door, and trying to get rid of any distracting thoughts.

If I don't do this, I'm afraid I'll find it really hard to ignore the sounds around me, to ignore my strong intuition, this chilling intuition that makes me feel like I'm under the gaze of some foreign entity.

Regardless of what it is, the other party has already set their sights on the three of them.

And just like the previous hallucinations, the thing that was already watching them was probably ready to take new action, or even had already done something in secret, just waiting for them to trigger it.

Don't panic, don't lose your composure. The door is still locked; no monster can get in.

Liang said to himself again, ignoring the fleeting shadow in the water under the flashlight beam, and refocused his gaze on what was ahead.

The distance from the stage to the warehouse door is usually only about twenty steps.

But today, all three of them felt as if they had walked for several minutes to get there, as if the once familiar shop had been silently stretched out in the darkness, making many things gradually feel unfamiliar.

However, whether this was true or an illusion, they still managed to reach the location of the warehouse door without incident.

"The door is locked, I'll open it."

Xingge reached out and pulled the doorknob, but couldn't open the door, so she went to get her keys.

When the rainstorm came, Fanxing was cleaning up and preparing to close the warehouse. Xingge had already locked the door after checking it, and now she subconsciously intended to take the key to reopen it.