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

We succeeded. The deaths of those test subjects allowed us to connect to another world.

A sound came from the meeting room.

It was as if those people wearing masks and gorgeous clothes were speaking.

Their voices intertwined, they spoke at the same time, saying the exact same words, as if they had been merged into a single, identical entity.

Yes, yes, another world exists.

That world doesn't follow the rules of our world; it possesses truly extraordinary powers and things we cannot comprehend.

That world is extremely dangerous. Only those who have been cruelly tortured and are on the verge of death can possibly connect to that place and create a stable passage.

[Expanding the scale of the experiment and the scale of the sacrifices is essential; reaching that place is impossible without sufficient sacrifices.]

We will arrive at the true truth; we will stand at the true forefront of this era.

When those extraordinary things truly come to our disposal, when we gain true immortality from them, and obtain the power to truly rule this world...

We are the gods of the new world; we will be the ones who guide everything.

So let's begin.

Let the final ceremony begin, let the final offering come forward.

Let us witness the arrival of the final moment, a moment we have waited far too long for.

The key to shaping the future of human civilization is now in our hands.

They were so confident, so arrogant, that they believed they understood everything and could control everything.

But if they could really have done it, how could they have ended up like that?

Everything was just a favor done for someone else.

Yan Hui had clearly seen what had happened in the past and the fate of those high-ranking executives of Dansu Company.

They conducted experiment after experiment, they performed sacrifice after sacrifice. These self-proclaimed nobles, in their pursuit of a world beyond their comprehension, did not hesitate to exploit the resentment of victims to build connections with alternate worlds, all in the hope of truly reaching that extraordinary path. But in the end, none of them truly reached that path; they gained nothing, becoming the ultimate sacrifices.

"So...that's how it is..."

Consciousness is gradually returning.

As Yan Hui actively projected her consciousness deeper, and as she explored its secrets, her consciousness began to awaken more and more rapidly. And with this awakening, she slowly lost the ability to remain in this chaotic world of thought.

Not yet, I can't wake up right now.

Yan Hui knew that she hadn't seen the most important scene yet.

Some people benefited from these cruel rituals and ultimately achieved some kind of result.

Unlike the Dansu Company executives who were essentially doing all the work for others, there was one special individual who survived, did not become a sacrifice, and left alive with his gains.

She needs to know who that person is; she needs to see that person.

Even though she didn't know what was so special about this information, Yan Hui, being a veteran player, was very certain that it would be a crucial piece of information that could be of great help to everyone.

"Ugh... Ugh..."

The pain is intensifying.

The torment caused by the deep-seated obsessive thoughts was beyond my expectations.

But she was certain she had seen something.

Even though she's currently unable to concentrate due to the intense torment and isn't actually aware of what she's feeling, her eyes, her ears, and her senses have faithfully recorded everything. All she needs to do next is recall this information, simply take these memories out and look at them again.

hum-

Then, Yan Hui opened her eyes.

[Captain, are you alright?]

Qin Shou's voice had already begun to ring out in the makeshift team's mental link network.

"I'm fine, how is everyone else?"

Yan Hui spoke calmly in the mental network, while looking around.

She was now sitting in an elegant chair, surrounded by her teammates. The group sat around a large round table covered with a white cloth, like guests attending a grand banquet.

Beside the players, rows of large round tables were arranged in the darkness, where many masked men and women who looked noble sat. It was impossible to see what expressions were on their faces, but one could hear their relaxed laughter and sense their disdain.

I'm fine, just a bit of a headache. We must have experienced a spatial shift during our descent.

Lin Sen said in the mental network that his face was a little pale, but he still insisted on sitting steadily in his seat and did not show any abnormality.

[I'm fine, Captain. Your mental state has deteriorated a lot. Are you alright?]

Cui Qiushui then spoke in the temporary mental link, saying that she was the first to notice Yan Hui's mental fluctuations.

I'm fine, but where have we ended up? I have a really bad feeling about this.

Qin Shou also started muttering to himself, feeling increasingly uneasy. Although there seemed to be nothing unusual in the large venue for the time being, his player instincts told him that something terrible was about to happen, making it impossible for him to calm down.

[I triggered intelligence involving core obsessions. As for where I am now, it might be... wait, where's Lake?]

Yan Hui opened her mouth, about to explain the situation, when she suddenly realized that she had overlooked the last member of the team. Sometime earlier, Lexismir had faded from her memory, so much so that she hadn't immediately recalled him, only noticing this through a sense of unease.

She looked up, trying to find her teammates, and successfully located Lake, who was bound to a huge iron frame under the spotlight on the stage in the center of the venue.

Oh no, he must have triggered some kind of ultimate attack.

Realizing something was wrong, Yan Hui almost immediately stood up from her seat, even though she knew that such an action could have some unpredictable consequences. At this moment, she couldn't care less about anything else in order to protect her teammates.

[Your judgment has declined, Captain. You're mentally exhausted. Under normal circumstances, you wouldn't fall for a trap like this.]

But the next moment, Lake's voice rang out from the mental link, and then Yan Hui noticed that the other party was actually sitting next to her, and had been there from the beginning.

The metal frame on the stage was empty; there was no one on it.

Yan Hui turned her head and saw Lake gesturing with his eyes to the phone she was carrying. Only then did Yan Hui's somewhat slow-witted mind realize that, under the protection of the Crimson Domain, no matter how powerful a Dark Night-level dungeon was, it was impossible to simply kidnap someone from the player's party and execute them.

Tsk, I actually forgot something so important. It seems my judgment has really declined a lot.

The fact that such hallucinations could occur proves that the monsters here have the ability to influence our team's mental link. This means that the monsters active here are likely close to the core level of Dark Night, or even possibly—

"Slap-slap-slap-slap-slap!"

A series of applause interrupted Yan Hui's thoughts and also put everyone on high alert.

Something is about to appear.

In this dark underground venue, where the only spotlight converges, something is about to appear.

Everyone, get ready immediately!

An unprecedented terror is spreading.

With her eyes wide open, Yan Hui only had time to shout out this sentence in the mental link before the rampant bloody aura swept outwards.

The time has come.

A voice spoke at that moment.

The final ceremony will be completed today, and the final sacrifice will be made after this final bloodshed.

All our efforts will reach their final stage at this moment, and what we have finally nurtured will truly be born today.

On that stage where cold light converged.

On the bound, wounded man.

The voice grew increasingly fervent and joyful, as if it were about to unleash all the suppressed smiles of the past.

Below the stage, the masked nobles continued to applaud, each one so elegant, waiting to enjoy this bloody feast.

Everyone was already used to the procedures here, and they had been looking forward to what was going to happen for a long time. No one believed that anything unexpected could happen now.

[Eiji Kashiwatani, the lone hero who fought us to the very end, his blood will be the starting point of this ritual.]

Then, blood began to flow on the stage.

All the sacrifices made so far will serve as a link between this ritual and the other world.

More and more blood began to spread from the stage.

And you, the audience who are enjoying all of this, your blood and souls, filled with sin, will become the final foundation of the ritual, pushing it to its true perfection.

The surging blood began to rapidly approach the applauding audience.

At first, the audience, unaware of what was happening, were still clapping and chatting with each other.

Then, wondering if they had misheard, they looked toward the stage in confusion. Some people who didn't understand were even still clapping, feeling that this had nothing to do with them.

Then, blood climbed up their bodies.

A series of piercing screams and wails began to echo through this dark place.

Some wept bitterly, some knelt and begged for mercy, some shouted angrily, and some fled frantically. But the outcome would not change. This place was so closed and sealed off that, as a pre-prepared secret chamber, no one could escape before being touched by blood. Everyone became a sacrifice under this irresistible force, torn apart, shattered, and sent to another world in endless agony.

Look, I've helped you complete your revenge.

Then, the voice spoke softly.

Your obsession is no longer there.

[Nothing matters anymore, right?]

Even if your wish were fulfilled now, you wouldn't feel it anymore, you wouldn't experience it anymore, right?

[Because you've already given up hope. After being captured and tortured, you've come to understand that there's no way to salvage the situation, so you've reached despair, right?]

My child, this is true salvation. Even if you cannot understand it, this truly is salvation.

It was as if a hand was gently stroking the wounded man, injecting streams of blood into his body, causing the man, who had been as unresponsive as a corpse, to begin trembling. His body gradually deformed, becoming more and more twisted and terrifying.

I saved you, so now you should repay me.

Ultimately, a dungeon needs a core element. Even a dungeon that has been drained of its resources will need a true core as long as the core spirit within it remains unfulfilled.

Since I am destined to leave this place and become a greater being, the only way is for you to come, for you to replace me and remain here forever.

The man's body was no more. On the blood-soaked stage, a flesh-and-blood monster, stripped of its skin and most of its internal organs, howled, roared, and wailed as it rose to its feet, revealing twisted heads fused into its flesh and blood, and dozens of broken arms growing from its body.

Come, this is my blessing to you.

[The true blessing of happiness that we, as both despairing and saved, deserve.]