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

To Yamada Ryo, the idea that one could acquire extraordinary power simply by listening to a few words from others was an utterly incomprehensible development.

But it's pretty rock and roll, isn't it?

[Then the second message comes in. Since everyone who can hear Alice's voice is probably about to die, the second most important thing is how to survive.]

So, isn't this broadcaster being a bit too malicious towards her listeners? Couldn't it be that a highly talented person was safely at home and happened to hear her broadcast?

Regardless, encountering a strange creature, especially one that caused your soul to separate from your body, either partially or completely, is enough to indicate that it wasn't just any ordinary creature; it was at least a high-level Dark Night-class monster. In other words, you've hit the jackpot! It's very rare for an ordinary person to encounter a creature of this level directly; I think the probability is below 5%. How about that? Feeling like a lucky one?

Yamada Ryo: “…”

In short, the first thing you need to do now is return to your body. Alice can't teach you this instinctive action; just follow your own will. If you don't even have this instinctive urge, it means your body is already dead, you can't go back, and you're about to die completely. Waaah, so pitiful~

"Cough cough cough—"

Following that instantaneous instinct, Liang suddenly widened his eyes, floated up from the water, and coughed up all the water from his lungs.

The second thing to do is to escape. An ordinary human, without any blessings or obsessions, and without the "Sacrifice Game" enhancement, has no chance of winning against a Dark Night-level monster. Having been targeted by such a thing, you have no choice but to run for your life, and even that is extremely difficult, as the pursuit ability of monsters at this level cannot be escaped by mere footwork.

Time seemed to slow down considerably, so slow that even the way the water droplets splashed up after the water cooled down looked like they were falling in slow motion, so slow that the terrified expressions on Hongxia and Xingge's faces froze.

Therefore, Alice's advice is to go in the direction where the other party came from. In other words, head directly in the direction that forms the dungeon passage, leading to the other party's origin.

[You probably don't understand what Alice is saying, after all, she's just an ordinary person who doesn't know anything, yet she's getting caught up in this kind of thing. Her bewildered and clueless escape is actually quite pitiful and adorable, hehehehe. Anyway, you should run to places that look abnormal. For example, a door that inexplicably appeared in your house, or a wall or balcony that turned into an endless corridor—just run to those kinds of places.]

You will enter the birthplace of the monster that hunts you, where it will become even stronger and more terrifying. You will be easier to kill by it, or tortured to the point of wishing you were dead. Tick-tock, tick-tock, Alice understands this very well.

However, even monsters have to follow the rules there, so you might actually have a chance to survive.

Even if you can't escape the last one, it's still much better than dying right now. Or have you already prepared to experience death and given up on living? If that's the case, then Alice can only sigh helplessly and turn her attention to others who want to live. After all, whether you live or die has nothing to do with Alice.

Ryo found it incredibly difficult to judge whether this person who called herself Alice was good or bad. Her voice was brimming with a wicked sense of humor, and no matter how you looked at it, she seemed like the kind of person with a wicked personality. Yet, the things she said and the abilities she taught her had genuinely helped Ryo and very directly shown her the path forward.

slam-la-

There were black things wriggling and gathering in the water.

Liang knew that it was the pale woman from before, the one who had turned into tiny pieces of flesh that had flowed into the house through the cracked walls and floor, then coalesced into a monster. It was strong, it was terrifying. This kind of pure monster, which could not be communicated with or understood, meant that if they stayed in this house, there would be no other possibility but to be killed.

So, this is the only thing we can do next.

"Hongxia, Xingge, follow me!"

Liang made a decision in an instant, picked up the laptop that was still emitting a red glow even when it was submerged in water, and rushed straight into the warehouse.

The eerie atmosphere grew even stronger, so strong that it almost made people want to vomit.

It was at this moment that Liang clearly saw that in the place where the cracked wall should have been constantly seeping water, a dark crack had appeared at some point, a crack that led to an unknown place and was large enough for a tall adult to pass through.

Chapter 3: Guiding Words from the High Sea and the Awakening of the Dark Street

What sound did I hear?

The sound of someone struggling to breathe, enduring pain, and being tormented without stopping.

The voice, steady in its breathing, showed no sign of yielding despite being severely injured, and continued to coldly observe something.

No, it's not just a sound.

Little by little, she seemed to be able to see some things and feel some things more deeply. It seemed that because her consciousness and soul had been struck by that pale, eerie thing, causing a certain degree of separation, her perspective became much clearer and deeper than others, to the point that things that were originally impossible for her to perceive could now leave a real trace in her consciousness.

what is that……

The more you want to get closer, the farther away it seems.

No, it's that the closer you get to the other person, the more you feel their vastness and your own insignificance.

It's like a speck of dust falling on a mountain; no matter how hard you try to look up, you can't see its true face; no matter how hard you try to imagine, you can't fathom its grandeur.

But... at the same time, I can also feel a warm sensation.

Even though there is an unimaginable chasm between the two sides, as one gets closer and the distance gradually shortens, one seems to be able to vaguely sense that the other side is able to accept one and accommodate one.

Even if you add up all the people in the world, there would be no problem, because this great being is able to accept everyone and is willing to accept everyone.

So, all you need to do is get closer to the past.

As long as you integrate into it, as long as you become a part of it, that's enough.

Just as a grain of sand falls into the desert, even if it becomes indistinguishable from the others, merging with countless others, what's wrong with that? As long as it's embraced, as long as it becomes a part of Him, isn't that enough? Is there anything wrong with that?

Ah...ah...such a warm feeling...

I can't take it anymore...

Let me... completely merge...

[Such a weak consciousness is approaching? Has its soul been affected by some kind of supernatural power? That's strange. But if you were to get this close, you'd be dead for sure. Let's keep our distance for now.]

Then, I heard someone's voice, whose tone seemed somewhat frivolous.

The warmth that had been gradually approaching suddenly became distant and cold.

At the same time, another feeling of being watched intensified. In an instant, it felt as if countless eyes had sprouted from that once warm presence, watching and observing it from all angles and directions.

[So it was you! You have such talent, you're truly not to be underestimated.]

Then, she clearly heard the voice, heard the other person speaking to her.

Wake up, don't let your instincts control you.

You shouldn't just disappear like this, merging from individuality into the crowd, becoming just another face in the crowd. Isn't that what you hate most?

Ryo Yamada

As the last sound faded, the girl's consciousness was jolted awake.

That's not some warm, inspiring, and irresistible being.

He was a man whose entire body was pierced by various sharp devices, bound and imprisoned by a cold throne, constantly enduring endless torment, yet he could still sit there calmly.

Blood dripped from his skin, from the dissected flesh, from his nerves, from his internal organs, from the unhealable wounds forcibly exposed by these instruments.

She watched as the blood flowed from his body, staining the black throne and pooling into streams beneath him.

Listening to the buzzing of those instruments, even just observing, she couldn't help but imagine the damage these machines would inflict on his body, the plundering of his strength, and the repeated terrifying tortures they would cause him.

She felt the aura emanating from him, a filtered, blurred, yet still suffocating, thick, bloody scent that made her feel disoriented. She felt as if her body was frozen in discomfort.

This is incomprehensible.

No one can endure such torment for long, and no one can suffer such pain without losing their mind.

But he was definitely sitting there.

Even now, even as she witnesses this scene with her own eyes, he remains unwavering, continuing to sit within that terrifying instrument of torture.

Even though the torment he endured surpassed all punishments in the world and reached a level of suffering beyond human comprehension, he remained unshaken, sitting steadily within it, and even able to radiate his power to influence and help others.

No, does this mean he chose to sit on this thing for this very purpose from the very beginning?

He made this choice after clearly knowing the price he would have to pay and the effects it would achieve. Did he voluntarily become like this and persist until now without any change?

This is something that humans can no longer do.

At this point, it is no longer possible to acknowledge that such behavior still belongs to humanity, and it is no longer possible to continue to call such a great being a member of humanity.

In fact, it doesn't need to be so complicated. Even just feeling that sun-like warmth would surely make one not so superficial as to think he's just a human being. Since ancient times, the only words that can describe, define, and characterize such an existence are gods. That's all there is to it.

So, is he a god?

It turns out that Mr. Gao Hai was actually a deity.

Pochi-chan is truly unbelievable; did she actually win the favor of God? And now I've seen God too, could it be that I've already...?

I am not a god.

Liang's thoughts were interrupted by a calm voice.

Perhaps in your eyes, what I am doing now can be called a "miracle," but I have certainly not reached the level of a god, nor am I worthy of such a title.

Therefore, please do not describe me as a "god," and do not use such terms to address me. This will not bring me any honor; it will only bring me constraints and troubles. At least for now, please believe that I am still a human being.

The voice didn't reveal much emotion, but Yamada Ryo inexplicably felt that it carried a hint of weariness.

Beneath that great and warm sunlight, there seemed to be a hint of weakness that was not clearly visible, and a weariness that could not be easily seen by others.

These words also imbued the flawless divinity that Liang had previously sensed with a touch of humanity that made it understandable and approachable.

So, this must be Mr. Gao Hai.

What the hell? The so-called human becoming a god, the so-called intertwining of human form and divinity, this stuff is like eating hallucinogenic mushrooms. It makes me wonder if something really big has happened or if I've just gone mad.

Come to think of it, this kind of thing is actually quite rock and roll, isn't it?

It seems you're about to come to your senses; these temporary contacts should be coming to an end soon.

Before Yamada Ryo could make any further moves, Takami's voice rang out again, and Ryo truly felt the intense weightlessness of falling from his dream and landing in the real world.

I can sense that you are about to enter a dungeon world, likely a Dark Night-level dungeon, which is extremely dangerous for you.

Although I don't know how the previously stable shelter was breached, forcing you to make this choice, all I can do now is offer you some guidance.

In this increasingly hazy and gradually darkening fragment of a dream, Gao Hai's last voice still echoes clearly in Liang's mind.

Gather information, gather all information... but learn to judge. Information can be true or false, information can be biased, and clues and answers need to be deciphered by you and your companions...

Surveillance cameras are everywhere; they can find you, and they can pose a danger... Stay away from surveillance cameras, but don't stay too far away either. In necessary situations, surveillance cameras can actually provide security...

Non-human monsters may look terrifying, but contact with them doesn't necessarily bring danger... You need to learn to distinguish who the perpetrator is and who the victim is, and then find the right side...

Don't let fear trip you up. The more you fear, the stronger your enemy becomes... But excessive fearlessness can also lead you to your death. Learn to make choices and analyze situations; only then can you survive.

The so-called "dungeon world" is a tragedy rarely seen in reality, a product of the twisted fusion of pain and despair... You can try to understand and believe, but don't let your emotions get too involved... Don't give your self-pity to those who are utterly inhuman; not everyone deserves your sympathy...

[One last reminder... Your ability allows you to see many things, but it also carries immense danger. Seeing them often means they see you too... Be extremely careful. There are currently no other player teams in the instance you've fallen into. I will send someone to rescue you as soon as possible... Until then, your ultimate goal is survival. Don't take risks; you only have one life, and there are no second chances...]

Words that carried a deep sense of warning, seemingly effective through some power that Ryo couldn't comprehend, were almost prophetic and engraved in Ryo's consciousness.

Her consciousness once again plunged into darkness, into a void of chaos.

pat-

However, in the chaos, she could vaguely hear some sounds, a kind of indistinct sound, like someone gently throbbing.

pat-