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

Strangely, after opening the door, the group found that the lights in the control room were off. Although there was a large control console inside, it was powered off and appeared to be damaged, making it impossible to start.

Then, as the group passed through the control room and entered the first-floor cargo area through another door, a strong stench of chemical raw materials hit them, making everyone present feel uncomfortable.

The room, like the lounge, was brightly lit and showed no signs of any strange activity, giving it a surprisingly safe feel.

But Yan Hui and the others clearly saw the changes in the head lamp. The smile on the strange, distorted head of the lamp was becoming more and more unrestrained, which meant that the distance between them and some unknown threat was indeed shrinking.

"There seems to be nothing left on the ground."

Finally, the group stopped at the edge of the freight area, in front of a massive freight elevator, large enough for two trucks to drive side by side. Next to the elevator was a downward staircase. Both led only to the basement level, seemingly dedicated to the industrial area itself.

"Let's go."

Instead of choosing the freight elevator, Yan Hui took the lead and stepped down the stairs, gradually venturing into the darkness ahead.

Step by step, the team moved up the long staircase. The lights went out, and everything fell into a deathly silence. But then the lights came back on quickly, only now they were much dimmer, and the walls on both sides of the staircase showed signs of decay.

The chill is getting stronger and stronger.

Without any explanation, the group could confirm that the number of strange creatures concentrated in the underground area must be extremely astonishing.

squeak-

Finally, after walking up the stairs for about a minute, the players of the Bright and Dark Squad reached the top. Opening the door, they found themselves in a dimly lit corridor filled with the pungent smell of chemicals.

"Let's head towards the nearest exit and check out Industrial Zone 2."

As Yan Hui spoke, she led her team along one side of the corridor and soon arrived at a very heavy fire door at the end of the corridor.

The door wasn't locked, but the hinges seemed somewhat damaged, making it difficult even for Yan Hui, a Dark Night-level player, to push it open. However, compared to the door, another, more important problem caused the team to freeze in place, hesitant to proceed immediately.

What appears behind this door is not the [Industrial Zone 2] shown on the map, but another, darker corridor that branches off into several more paths.

"Is there a spatial anomaly? And why is it happening in this place..."

Yan Hui frowned. It wasn't that she hadn't seen such anomalies before; in the dungeons she'd encountered in the past, even with various anomalies, at least there were rules and guidelines to refer to at the beginning. However, this time, since joining the company, even though she had obtained some clues, it was difficult to summarize them into rules, and she couldn't find much related to the strange creatures. New anomalies kept appearing, which made Yan Hui feel somewhat troubled.

[Sizzle... sizzle sizzle...]

A piercing crackling sound of electricity suddenly rang out in the dark corridor.

The team immediately changed formation and cautiously responded. They quickly located the source of the sound, looking at an old-fashioned loudspeaker hanging in the corridor.

Is someone using this to broadcast?

[The following information is for the Minghuijian Squad to receive.]

While I was thinking, the broadcast started playing a voice that I could make out. The voice seemed to be that of a woman who was as cold and aloof as an iceberg.

[Attention, Light and Darkness Team! The underground area you have entered has become severely chaotic. I will now guide you forward and help you get back on the right path. Do not stray too far from the path, as this could lead to a dangerous situation.]

Now, please choose the middle path; it will lead to your desired destination.

Without giving the players more time to consider, the broadcast quickly fell silent after giving the information.

Upon hearing these words, Yan Hui turned her head thoughtfully and looked at the forks in the road ahead. Unbeknownst to her, the chill around her had spread even further.

Chapter Thirty-Eight: The Squad's Deeper Penetration of the Corridor Between Light and Darkness, and the Phantom of the Strange Object

Others besides the squad members entered the building.

I don't know the other party's exact location, but judging from the fact that they are using surveillance to observe me and can use the surveillance to guide their way, I can tell that the other party should be in a place similar to a monitoring room.

Is it a player from another squad?

I didn't receive any reports before we came, so there shouldn't be another group of people here, right?

Could they be survivors who stumbled upon this place? Or ordinary people guided here by Mr. Gao Hai? Are there really people that powerful? Even if someone can awaken their extraordinary power, it's impossible for them to be able to handle a Dark Night-level dungeon immediately after awakening, right? Especially since the [Dansu Company] area seems to be the core area of ​​the entire dungeon, arguably the most dangerous place in the whole dungeon. If it were a relatively peripheral area of ​​the dungeon, like the Sheep Apartment, ordinary people might have a chance to survive, but can ordinary people really survive in the company area?

I'm afraid even dying two or three times wouldn't be enough, would it?

Despite harboring considerable doubts, Yan Hui was certain that the other party was a trustworthy ally. After all, the smart devices carrying the fragments of the Crimson Domain had all transmitted messages, each officially certified by Gao Hai himself. Therefore, after confirming the information, Yan Hui immediately ordered the team to proceed according to the other party's instructions, taking the central fork in the road.

Soon, she noticed that the chill around her had lessened, confirming that they were on the right track, and she felt completely relieved.

The surrounding light was gradually dimming.

The dilapidated corridor stretched out of an abnormal length, with the lights becoming dimmer at intervals, and darkness beginning to occupy more and more of the area.

Even the brightness of the lighting equipment carried by everyone was decreasing for no apparent reason, as if something in the air was obstructing the spread of light, making everything around seem as if it were covered by a thick veil.

"Captain, be careful, something might be approaching us."

Lin Sen, carrying the human-headed lamp, warned in a low voice. The smile on the lamp in his hand had grown even brighter. And faintly, the lamp began to struggle and resist Lin Sen. This reaction undoubtedly meant the approach of the strange creature, so everyone became vigilant and prepared to fight at any moment.

tread--

The clear sound of footsteps continued to echo in the darkness.

A faint scent gradually became clearer, emanating from the shadows ahead of the dark corridor, unknown to the five people.

It's the smell of blood.

Yan Hui's brows furrowed deeply, and every muscle in her body tensed up.

Qin Shou behind them had already taken out his rather exaggeratedly shaped hammer, Lake raised his gun, Lin Sen put a small whistle in his mouth, and Cui Qiushui took out a small jar. Everyone was ready, and everyone continued to move forward silently, step by step, through this dark corridor whose length was unknown.

From which direction will it come?

Qin Shou stopped saying anything discouraging and instead carefully observed the situation on his side with a tense expression.

The footsteps of their companions rose and fell around them, seemingly chaotic to an unfamiliar observer. However, it was clear that the team had coordinated their footsteps in a specific way, each person's gait following a certain pattern. This meant that if the footsteps sounded out of place, everyone would quickly realize something was amiss.

For example, right now... Qin Shou heard the noise of footsteps.

Another set of footsteps was heard.

Something had mingled with the group and was moving forward with them.

Subtly, Qin Shou took an extra step forward, deliberately changing the rhythm of his steps.

Yan Hui, who was at the very front, immediately noticed the problem and adjusted her pace accordingly.

Lin Sen looked down at the human head lamp in his hand without saying a word, and found that the thing's smile had become extremely ferocious. So he adjusted his steps accordingly.

Walking further back, Cui Qiushui slowed her pace slightly, causing her back to bump into Lake, who was bringing up the rear. During this exchange, the two subtly swapped perspectives and took a look around.

The extra footsteps were between Cui Qiushui and Lin Sen; the thing was walking in the middle of the group, but they couldn't see it.

Should we try to handle it?

Lin Sen and Qin Shou exchanged glances; they didn't feel a strong chill at the moment. This invisible, strange creature that had somehow infiltrated the group hadn't shown any aggression, and without knowing its specific rules, whether to provoke it into attacking was a very troublesome question.

Leave it alone for now.

Yan Hui, who was walking at the front, made a gesture, which can be considered as a conclusion to the problem. However, although she said that it didn't matter, Yan Hui still signaled Lin Sen to activate the protective amulet-type obsession object to prevent any situation of "being replaced" or "being corrupted".

Ahead, a new fork in the road has appeared.

The wallpaper peeling problem is getting worse, and in some places even the internal brick structure is being exposed.

The light had gradually shifted from a stark white to a dim yellow, and on the wall, the team saw writing that appeared to be done in blood.

We have no way out.

Everyone who comes here wanders aimlessly.

They won't let us leave.

Company employees are not permitted to leave the company premises or their posts.

The distorted blood-red characters seemed to possess some kind of power, causing the players who gazed at them to become somewhat dazed.

The smell of blood became even stronger.

Such a strong odor could only be achieved if a corpse had been bled out nearby.

But there was nothing around.

Even with a deliberate search, there was no way to find anything.

Can't you see it?

Yan Hui remained silent, but the light shining on her seemed to show signs of slight distortion.

[Sizzle…]

[The following information is for the Minghuijian Squad to receive.]

Suddenly, the loudspeaker blared again, and that cold voice came from the ceiling. The players looked up and saw a surveillance camera hidden in the darkness. It seemed that this thing was present wherever they reached a fork in the road.

[After finding signs of decay in either the rightmost or leftmost passage, backtrack and proceed through the corridor without signs of decay. You will then arrive at a completely new area.]

Don't try to wake up those who are on the same path; only those who are unaware of what has happened will remain asleep.

[Sizzle... sizzle...]

The broadcast message was short, but its content already illustrated a great deal.

Those unseen figures moving with the group were likely either company employees or survivors who had been trapped here. Those who died here were unable to escape the area, lost within it and becoming some kind of invisible entity. Even if one smelled blood and confirmed the presence of corpses, one could not actually find them, perhaps because these dead had forgotten the fact that they were dead, and therefore could not be truly seen.

If we see them, does that mean we've confirmed their death?

While thinking, Yan Hui took action again, and together with her team members, they first chose the rightmost passage to try to proceed from there.

Under the dim yellow light, the group slowly walked into the depths of darkness. The dilapidated state of the walls on both sides became increasingly severe, and various distorted characters began to appear. The written information was usually blurry, or just incomplete short sentences or even words. Yan Hui saw phrases such as "cut open your intestines," "sleepwalking," and "I can't remember my face," unsure whether these were left by survivors from that time or directly manifested by some kind of supernatural force.

It smells very bad.

Yan Hui stopped in her tracks.

Under the dim, orange-yellow light, the wall further ahead appeared an abnormal color, seemingly showing signs of writhing.

No, it wasn't just the walls; the walls, ceiling, and floor all exhibited this abnormal state. They seemed to have come alive, constantly secreting various kinds of mucus, while the long passage resembled the internal structure of some kind of fleshy body, writhing joyfully and waiting for the players to delve deeper.

"..."

Yan Hui hesitated slightly in place, but quickly continued walking forward.

A foul, stench was spreading.

Everything around me was a distorted, fleshy structure, and looking at it for too long was nauseating.

But Yan Hui did not retreat, so her teammates behind her did not retreat either. The group continued to move forward through the grotesque flesh and blood, deeper into the writhing corridor, without anyone raising any objections during the operation.

Step by step, the light gradually dimmed until nothing could be seen, and darkness began to completely engulf everything.