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

At this moment, Gao Hai noticed that Hong Xia's emotions were on the verge of collapse, and she was about to break down under the continuous stimulation.

Is it really that painful to see a few corpses, to see people who helped you die? That's too fragile... Sigh, but for someone who has never experienced such cruelty, perhaps that's true. I wonder when I became so insensitive to these kinds of things?

Calm down, I'm still here.

He reached out and gently stroked the girl's head.

Although the will was projected through the power of a doll's obsession, Gao Hai could still project his own mental energy to temporarily touch the other party if he wanted to.

"I……"

It's okay to cry a little, I understand. It's really upsetting to encounter something like this. It's alright, I'm here to protect you. You don't have to carry this all by yourself.

He used his spiritual power to create an invisible entity and gently embraced the somewhat flustered girl.

The girl opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but in the end she didn't say a word. She just lowered her head, closed her eyes, and leaned her head against this invisible warm embrace, suppressing her voice, and cried a few more times.

Yes, that's it. Go and have a good cry.

Gao Hai's gentle voice rang out from the doll, from the mental energy he projected, and from the blood-soaked chair in that dark space.

He frowned, enduring the torment of being pierced by a thousand arrows and the constant squeezing and plundering of his will. He reached out his hand and saw one person after another, people in different parts of the city at this moment.

Yes, that's right. Crying it out will make you feel much better.

Yes, I will always be watching you. I believe in you, and I know you can succeed.

I will remember this well. Goodbye, Mr. Yu Qingshan.

Don't be afraid, I'm here. Take a brave step forward, and you will reach the rescuers.

I've already called for backup. Hang in there, I'll be with you through this.

Don't give up, no matter what. Wake up! Your life isn't over yet. Keep fighting with all your might!

Those figures were either in great pain, on the verge of despair, timid and fearful, or only needed a slight push from him, or... he could only hear their last words at the end.

Without realizing it, I seem to have become more and more patient and more and more accustomed to this feeling.

Gao Hai silently sighed in his heart, and continued to gaze at the blonde girl who was embracing his spiritual entity. She had calmed down a little, but was still very sad.

The so-called "dungeon world" is formed by extreme distortion and cannot be viewed using normal logic.

Sensing the somber mood emanating from Hongxia, Gao Hai slowly spoke, beginning to intensify the mental power he was using.

Here you will see many heinous acts that far exceed the limits of humanity, and all kinds of sins and evil deeds that are unimaginable to ordinary people. This is inevitable, there is no way around it.

However, there's no need to be so pessimistic. Extremes naturally contain both good and evil, both horrific atrocities and awe-inspiring sublimity. Humanity is like that; even in the most filthy mire, light can still shine.

So look, look at those who gave their all, steadfastly upholding their principles until the very end. Look at those who unhesitatingly threw themselves into the fight, willingly sacrificing themselves for salvation. The world remains beautiful because of them, and even now, many are standing up against this darkness. Do not grieve or despair at the cruelty of darkness, for we will ultimately overcome it, for we are already conquering it, little by little.

As Gao Hai spoke, he used his spiritual power to show the girl the experiences of many people.

He showcased the experiences of past figures such as Lin Xusheng and Hirano Kousuke, as well as the experiences of players like Xiong Mi who are fighting on the front lines.

The girl who witnessed all of this stared wide-eyed, momentarily stunned and at a loss for words, her initial sadness completely dissipated.

"There are heinous criminals, but also kind and courageous ones... So, can we really end all of this...?"

Finally, Hongxia lowered her head once again and asked softly, her voice no longer filled with confusion.

That's right, that's exactly it.

Gao Hai's voice remained as firm as ever, just as Hong Xia had heard at the beginning. From beginning to end, this god-like being had never wavered. And the heroes he showed him, those who acted to save the world, none of them chose to surrender or give up; they were all fighting with all their might.

"I understand."

The girl finally took a deep breath, her voice becoming firm and powerful.

"I will try my best not to hold Mr. Gao Hai back or cause him any trouble. Whatever happens next, I will do my best to adapt. So please feel free to ask me for anything you need and give me instructions!"

No longer lost and depressed, Hongxia even had her ahoge (cowlick) standing up straight, making her so cute that Gao Hai couldn't help but want to pick her up and shake her a couple of times.

Ah, of course, he wouldn't actually do that. If he were to do something so inexplicable and silly to Hongxia at a time like this, it might shatter the confidence and will she had painstakingly built up. Gao Hai wasn't that stupid.

Use this doll to stick to those corpses, so that the doll can touch the bodies of the dead, preferably directly to the skin or body tissue without clothing in between.

With an expressionless face (the projection had no face), Gao Hai calmly gave the order, and Hong Xia didn't ask any questions. She carefully picked up the doll and walked step by step toward the pile of corpses.

You could sense that although Hongxia's gloomy mood had subsided considerably, she was still quite afraid of these gruesome corpses. It was only because she could still hear Gao Hai's voice and knew he was giving orders that she dared to approach the bodies.

"Hey-"

Making a somewhat cute sound, the girl squatted down and stretched out her hand, which was holding a doll, to touch a corpse.

hum-

Because of the large amount of his own mental energy invested, under Gao Hai's active control, his mental power quickly developed a function similar to the Crimson Domain, containing, decomposing, absorbing, and returning Ogiyama Shizuko's own corpse from the pile of corpses to himself.

"Mr. Gao Hai, what's the point of doing this?"

Hongxia blinked, watching the corpses turn into golden particles and disappear. After a while, she couldn't help but ask.

[I'm collecting supernatural substances from corpses to prevent the "hospital" from gaining too much power. Also, by absorbing the bodies of those who died recently, I gain various information about them, increasing the chances of bringing them back to life.]

Gao Hai answered Hong Xia casually, while carefully feeling the power he was absorbing.

"Resurrection?! Mr. Gao Hai can resurrect the dead? Then can Miss Ogiyama—"

Nijika, who was still feeling sad about Ogiyama Shizuko's death, suddenly jolted and looked up with a face full of surprise.

[Yes, but not now. The limited forces we have deployed right now are definitely not enough. Our priority is to protect the survivors, so we have to wait for now.]

Gao Hai had anticipated Hong Xia's reaction. He remained calm as he casually answered while continuing to gather his power.

Because the number of victims who had just died was relatively small, and most were merely projections of corpses from countless years ago manifested by the power of the instance, Gao Hai calculated after absorbing the power that he had gained and found that he hadn't obtained a significant amount. However, this level of power was at least enough to slightly expand his influence in this place, and overall, it would at least be able to better help Hong Xia and the other two. Hmm… at least I could find a way to recreate someone's body. My current soul power is too strong; I can't keep her here for long, or something bad might happen. I still need to bring her back to life.

hum-

As he pondered, the corpses vanished silently, transforming into fragments of power and memory that merged into Gao Hai's being.

"Mr. Gao Hai, there seems to be something here!"

Just then, Hongxia, who seemed to have discovered something, suddenly shouted. Gao Hai, who was slightly distracted, noticed that after the surface layer of corpses in the pit gradually disappeared, the lower layer revealed a group of snow-white skeletons, with no flesh visible, lying among them, surrounding a small object about the size of a palm, which looked like some kind of miniature architectural model.

What is this?

Gao Hai used his mental power to pick up the object and immediately discovered that it was an object of obsession, only at the Twilight level, but it didn't seem to have any particularly clear function; it seemed to merely carry a certain amount of obsessive power.

"Is this... a shrine?"

Hongxia tilted her head, looking at the small model, which was no bigger than the palm of her hand and seemed to be woven from thatch and branches, with a puzzled expression.

Is this design based on a shrine?

Gao Hai listened thoughtfully, picked up the object, and examined it closely. Only then did he notice that inside the small building, which resembled a shrine model, there was an offering plaque, and the name written on the plaque was…

【Takamatsu Masahiko】

Gao Hai silently read the name on the sign in his mind.

I'd never heard of this name before, but this eerie feeling... could it be related to this name...?

"Does Mr. Gao Hai know what's going on here?"

Confused, Hongxia asked again, vaguely sensing that Gao Hai's emotions seemed to have subtly changed after seeing the sign.

[We're still clueless. I'll keep this for now; it might come in handy sometime. Alright, we can go now. There's probably nothing worth exploring down there. We can go back up and try to reunite with your sister.]

Gao Hai paused slightly, then changed the subject instead of answering the question.

"Ah, okay, I understand. But how do I open this gate? I don't have the key."

Hongxia had no questions about this. She didn't ask any more questions until Gao Hai told her. She obediently walked towards the iron gate on one side. When she got there, she realized that she didn't have the key. She had no choice but to look down at the squirrel doll that Gao Hai was possessing.

【I'll open it. Step back a little, and also take this with you; it might come in handy.】

The doll floated in mid-air once more, releasing invisible spiritual power that gradually forced open the previously locked iron gate. Although Hongxia had witnessed Gao Hai's power before, she still couldn't help but marvel. Before she could finish her exclamation, a key was suddenly thrown in front of her. Looking down, she discovered it was the key to room 109.

Did they take it when they were purifying and exorcising the corpses just now?

[Let's go, the rescue team is on their way. Once they arrive, you, your sister, and your friends should be able to escape this instance.]

Gao Hai's voice rang out once again.

Hongxia, however, has already begun to move forward cautiously.

Ok?

This feeling……

Gao Hai, who vaguely sensed a certain tremor, temporarily shifted his gaze and discovered that the little guy who had just experienced death was now gradually awakening from his dazed state and was about to regain consciousness. His soul, which had voluntarily separated from his body out of its survival instinct, was now recovering.

This development is really reminiscent of something I've seen before. Wasn't the last one similar to Kita Ikuyo's? This time it's a similar situation.

Feeling enveloped by his spiritual power, the figure, being in a soul state and completely naked, Gao Hai couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

As for the rescuers Gao Hai mentioned, this is not just empty talk; the rescuers are indeed arriving soon.

……

About half an hour earlier, Goto Ichiri, who had just assisted rescue workers and local firefighters, stopped and rested on the roof of a partially collapsed high-rise building.

[Thank you for your hard work, Yili]

Gao Hai, who was also assisting in the command, spoke through the mental link. Then he noticed that the girl looked very worried and kept looking in a certain direction.

Judging from the direction of her gaze, yes, she was looking in the direction of the stars. That makes sense, since Ichiri, Kita, and Ryo's families had already successfully evacuated to the safe zone. Now, only the three people inside the Starry Sky shop remained trapped from the start because the situation was urgent and they didn't have time to react.

But this reaction?

She probably already has a vague idea of ​​what happened, right? After all, Ichiri's intuition is quite sharp. With something so big happening, it would be difficult to keep it from her for long, especially since such things shouldn't be hidden in the first place.

[You've already sensed it, haven't you, Ichiri?]

Gao Hai whispered in the mental link, and the girl, who already looked worried, immediately became terrified after hearing this.

"Hongxia and Liang, could it be that...could it be that..."

They've been caught up in a Dark Night-level dungeon, but Miss Liang has some peculiar talents. I managed to channel my mental energy into her, so for now, I'm essentially leading them. We should be able to survive for a while, but it's hard to say what will happen if it drags on any longer.

Gao Hai spoke the truth without any intention of hiding anything.

The pink-haired girl, whose expression had shifted from terror to despair, let out a long sigh of relief after confirming what Gao Hai had said, and then her expression relaxed considerably.

"Thank goodness, thank goodness, I thought they were all dead. It's good that they're still alive."