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

"Ah...ah...this...this..."

As a low-level player, I had never seen anything like this before. At this moment, all I could do was stare in disbelief and couldn't come up with any other response.

"I've contacted the shelter manager, and the gate will open soon. Oh, it's open, go in. Thank you for your hard work. Everyone nearby has gathered. Your duties are complete, and you can rest in the shelter and wait for victory."

Jianbing simply smiled and spoke to the player driving the car. After checking the situation inside the shelter and scouting to make sure there were no threats around, he fiddled with the computer for a few moments before disappearing back to Xiongmi's companions.

Splash—splash—

In the pouring rain, the survivors and players were as if they were sleepwalking, until the shelter manager knocked on the glass and they realized what was happening and entered the shelter.

On the shattered streets, the members of the "Fishing Gang," who had regrouped, continued their journey after purifying the remains of the flesh-and-blood monsters with flames. They hurried toward their new objective and advanced toward a new battle.

There was still no sign of the end of this long night.

For the players already in the midst of this war, all they have to do is keep moving forward and keep fighting.

Chapter Three: The Closely Connected Person and Shijo Maki's Proposal.

Splash—splash—

In the pouring rain, a car is driving through the rain and weaving through the dark streets.

Shijo Maki looked around again, her two small hands resting on her knees clenching and unclenching into fists from time to time, then slowly opening them.

very nervous.

Knowing what might happen, I couldn't suppress my nervousness.

When will the enemy attack occur this time?

The girl felt very depressed.

In the previous playthroughs, the enemies specifically targeted her parents, and each attack was carried out in a completely different manner. In the first playthrough, due to time constraints, Maki couldn't reach home in time to understand the enemy's plan. In the second playthrough, the attack at the hospital was launched by the lowest-level flesh monsters. That was the easiest attack to defuse. However, in the third playthrough, the enemy's attack method changed to three Abyss-level monsters, nearly killing Maki and Kaguya, who came to her aid in the previous playthrough. Although they ultimately won, Maki's parents were also killed in the aftermath of the battle.

The fourth playthrough was rather unusual; it was extremely short, lasting less than three hours. Therefore, although Maki found her parents in this playthrough, before she could escort them to the safe zone, time rewound once more.

As for why the rewind was so rapid, Maki herself couldn't be sure. She only guessed that Kai-kun and Hayasaka had teamed up to do something, and after making some attempt, they chose to deliberately rewind. Whether the fifth cycle they'd arrived at now could truly turn the tide was something Maki couldn't be certain of. She only knew that her family had been exposed to the [hospital] from the very beginning, and the attackers would definitely not give up their plan to attack; they wouldn't let them go so easily.

Don't worry too much, I'm here for you.

Gao Hai's voice rang out from the girl's heart, speaking to her very solemnly.

"Yes, I know. It seems the enemy doesn't intend to attack yet; perhaps they're waiting for an opportunity?"

Princess Zhenfei's expression remained unchanged, but she naturally continued the conversation in her mind.

At this moment, Maki is in a sealed-off area. Under the influence of the spatial power emanating from the [Hospital], this area, like other city areas, is completely closed off. Under normal circumstances, Gao Hai's power would find it difficult to enter this area; at most, he could only infiltrate with his own rule-based power. However, the situation is different with Maki. Only when communicating with Maki does Gao Hai not need to worry about this problem at all.

The reason is simple: Maki's blessings and bestowals have amplified her abilities in a specialized way. Specifically, the blessing from the Void Master created a resonance between her and Takami, strengthening their mystical connection. The Blood Flower's blessing, [Mystical Resonance], is an ability to sense supernatural powers and trace their sources. This ability can be used for reconnaissance, but it also amplifies certain characteristics of Maki herself. Therefore, she used this blessing to strengthen her connection with Takami, so that now, no matter where she goes, she can maintain constant contact with him.

Since the enemy is constantly changing their tactics, they must understand how important our objective is this time.

Changing the modus operandi is indeed an idea; constantly altering the methods of attack and continuously strengthening the attackers' forces are all possible tactics. However, our enemy is unlikely to commit too much fighting power to a single corner of the battlefield; they cannot sustain an endless chain of attacks, so choosing to abandon the offensive is entirely possible.

[Perhaps they're deliberately feigning an attack to keep you, a crucial fighting force, tied down. After all, their initial choice to attack your parents was ultimately aimed at finding you. And now, whether they appear or not, it doesn't change the fact that you're already held back. In this situation, it's perfectly reasonable for the enemy to choose to remain inactive or change their target entirely. To put it bluntly, whether they're here or not, you, Maki, must get your family into a safe zone before you can leave, which already plays into their hands. Don't overthink it.]

Noticing that Maki's emotional state had not improved, Takahashi said a few more words. But Maki simply shook her head slightly, indicating that Takahashi didn't need to say anything more, and then continued to look out the window.

She could sense that Gao Hai's will was now being projected onto the entire city of Tokyo.

She could also sense that something was lurking in a place she couldn't pinpoint, silently watching over this place.

Unlike the others, all of the blessings Maki received were supportive, none of them enhancing her direct combat abilities. Among them, [Omen of the Unseen] granted Maki an uncontrollable sense of time, [Depth Perception] greatly enhanced her perception, making it comparable to that of Yotsuya Miko. [Mystic Resonance] further granted Maki a tracking ability far surpassing Chika's [Detective Vision], but this tracking ability was limited to the premise of extraordinary power.

These abilities make Maki more suitable as a support character in combat and investigation than as a main force. However, due to the unreasonable actions of the hospital in sending people to kill Maki's parents, coupled with a series of problems caused by spatial division, Maki was unable to reunite with the others in the fourth and fifth playthroughs, except for the third playthrough when Kaguya was not transferred to another place while passing through the spatial rift, allowing the two to cooperate successfully once.

How are the others doing now?

Seeing that the attack had not yet arrived, Maki first calmed her parents who were sitting next to her, then observed the condition of the survivors in the car, and once again surveyed the external environment. Finally, she asked Gao Hai in her mind through the mental link.

[The situation with Miko is currently unclear. Kita has entered the residential area but is still out of contact. However, the fragments of the Crimson Domain are reacting strongly there; a considerable number of corpses have been sacrificed to me. I don't know if someone is acting recklessly or what. Ichiri and Chika are currently operating in their respective areas, while Kaguya is operating in the outskirts of Tokyo. As for the rescue team members, they are also operating in their respective areas. Overall, there are no major problems for the time being.]

In the dark underground space, Takami, sitting on the Throne of Mind, responded to Maki while glancing down at Hayasaka sitting beside him.

So, the doctor still hasn't shown up?

Princess Maki's voice rang out again soon. She was not happy about everyone's smooth progress. On the contrary, her voice showed more worry.

Yes, no Medics have appeared yet, although several teams have been confirmed to have been attacked by Medics. But as you know, there are no survivors, no clues, and we know nothing about those three strongest enemies.

Gao Hai's voice was equally serious. He knew very well who the biggest threat from the hospital was. Clearly, the hospital intended to hide its trump card, just like the attack on Gao Hai in the second playthrough. The moment the doctor revealed his true form would likely be a fatal one for everyone.

[...I have an idea. We can't continue to be passive like this; we must try to take the initiative.]

Then, after a brief moment of thought, Maki suddenly made a suggestion in the mental link.

[Taking the initiative? You want to venture into the instance space or the edge space? No, we know nothing about what's inside, it's too dangerous, we can't do that.]

Gao Hai understood Zhenfei's thoughts almost immediately and refused without hesitation.

"I know I won't go; if I did, I'd become a target. But I don't think anyone else would attract the hospital's attention. After all, from our interactions over the past few playthroughs, you must have sensed it, right? The hospital treats ordinary people, even Red Moon level players, with extreme arrogance. These lunatics keep talking about saving humanity and civilization, but they don't care what ordinary people think or do. So I think... maybe we can use that..."

At this point, Gao Hai vaguely sensed a slight tremor in Zhenfei's voice.

After a moment's thought, he immediately understood what she was thinking and why she was hesitant.

[You want to select a team of players, a sufficiently powerful and skilled Red Moon-level team, and have them infiltrate the various dungeons controlled by the [Hospital] to break its core obsession and thus sever the link between the [Hospital] and the real world? No, this wouldn't be very meaningful. There are too many low-level dungeons to destroy them quickly, and even destroying just one high-level dungeon would attract the enemy's attention. This approach won't work.]

Gao Hai quickly analyzed and considered Zhenfei's plan, but after only a few deductions, he realized that the girl's idea could not be realized.

[...If they are destroyed one by one, that would indeed produce such a result, but what if they erupt simultaneously in an instant?]

After a brief hesitation, Princess Zhenfei took a deep breath and finally revealed her true thoughts.

The power of the fragments of the Crimson Domain has undergone a significant change as Hai Jun gradually ascends to godhood, granting him the ability to forcibly dismantle obsessions.

Meanwhile, once a unified detonation time is confirmed beforehand, the suicide squad will bury the fragments near the core artifact of the instance. Then, when the time is right, we will detonate all the fragments at once, causing a large-scale collapse of the instance, thus severing the tentacles between the [Hospital] and the real world in one fell swoop.

In other words, the task of this vanguard that infiltrated the instance world is not to destroy the instance, but to find the core obsession objects and manipulate them, ensuring that you, Haijun, can detonate and absorb all of those obsession objects later. That is the key.

As she finished speaking, Maki's voice was filled with complex emotions that she could not hide.

The girl's proposed tactic was extremely risky. Top-tier Red Moon-level player teams were practically nonexistent in all of Tokyo; you could count them on one hand. If even one of these teams were to disappear, the survival pressure on the others would undoubtedly increase dramatically. Furthermore, the chain reaction from losing a player of this level would be incredibly severe. It wasn't just one player turning into a monster; it was the instantaneous explosion of one player along with countless obsession objects, causing unimaginable trouble.

Even back in Nightfall Mountain Middle School, killing an enemy player required thorough preparation. It was crucial to ensure the opponent could loot their gear immediately after death and prevent them from reviving. Otherwise, an enemy might lie down for a short while and then re-enter the second phase and stand up again. As for Infant Cry Village, the existence of an exceptionally high-level Blood Flower made player-versus-player combat less important. But the situation is completely different here. Every area is under immense pressure, and if even a Red Moon-level player falls, the consequences could be dire.

[...It's worth a try, but only if a player group is willing to accept this kind of mission.]

However, even so, after thinking about it carefully for a while, Gao Hai decided to accept the suggestion made by Zhen Fei.

"Is that so? Then, Haijun, what's next—"

Before she could say anything more, Zhenfei sensed that Gao Hai had taken action, sending messages to various Red Moon-level player teams through the network of the Crimson Domain Fragment.

Maki was able to see the information, so she immediately realized that Gao Hai had summarized Maki's ideas into an action plan and then released it in his own name, not Maki's. Clearly, he was prepared to take responsibility if the mission went wrong.

【Sea King…】

I won't say much more. With me here, even if we fail, we won't be driven to despair. We will definitely be the victors in this battle.

Interrupted once again, and hearing Gao Hai's resolute tone in the mental link, Zhenfei could only sigh and didn't know what else she could say.

In that case, all I can do next is contact my aunt and see if we can reunite. Then, the two of us can work together to draw the enemy's attention and prevent the action team from attracting the attention of the hospital.

Princess Zhenfei pondered inwardly. As the one who proposed this extremely dangerous plan, she did not intend to hide in a safe place. She also wanted to find a way to participate in the operation and make her due contribution.

As the girl was thinking this, she suddenly noticed that the car was starting to slow down. She looked ahead and saw the entrance to the refuge area gradually emerging from the darkness not far away, gradually being illuminated by the car headlights. The entrance was open, and the refuge area inside was pitch black, with nothing visible.

Why is the door here open?

The unexpected situation immediately put Princess Maki on high alert, and she prepared for battle.

Chapter 4: Hayasaka Ai's Worries and the Proposal to Form the Vanguard Squad.

When Hayasaka Ai awoke from her coma once again, the first thing she felt was intense pain emanating from every cell in her body.

"Woo..."

Despite trying to suppress her voice the moment she woke up, her body's instincts still caused the girl to cry out in pain, and she trembled involuntarily.

"You're awake again? It's okay, everything's alright."

Gao Hai's voice rang in my ears.

If you look up, you can see the other person looking at you with a smile.

Before today, before things had progressed to this point, for Hayasaka, Takami's voice and words were undoubtedly reassuring. But now she can't maintain an optimistic attitude; when she hears Takami's voice, when she is touched by Takami, she can no longer remain calm as before.

Because she could sense that Gao Hai's very existence was being constantly eroded, enduring repeated harm.

Don't worry, I'm still me, you can feel that, can't you?

Go back to sleep, let me bear the pain.

We will definitely win, you have nothing to worry about.

You can still hear familiar things in his voice, and you can feel that he is still himself.

This time, upon awakening, his beloved master, the one he had decided to dedicate his life to, remained unchanged; he was still himself.

But the dark color mixed with the blood continued to flow.

She could sense the malicious intent emanating from them.

Even though her perception wasn't exceptional, these things had already found their way to Takahashi, something entrenched within him that he could never completely eradicate—something even Hayasaka could clearly understand. Undoubtedly, it was the hospital's doing; they were constantly pressuring Takahashi, forcing him to transcend his life form and reach a true divine state. And if that were to happen, the part of this body belonging to Takahashi himself would inevitably be annihilated.

Of course, the enemy did not succeed.

Neither the temptation of desire nor the pain of the senses could shake Gao Hai's will. And as someone whose will had ascended to godhood, as long as he didn't falter in this respect, then the hospital's petty tricks wouldn't be able to harm him.

But that's not all.

Hayasaka could still hear prayers, the prayers of men, women, young and old.

Those people were praying for Gao Hai's protection, praying to be saved by him, and praying that he could become the god they longed for.

For Gao Hai, who has not yet truly reached the realm of the gods and whose ascension to godhood is forced to be halted halfway, these sincere blessings are undoubtedly poison.

Perhaps those who prayed harbored no ill intentions; after all, they prayed to Gao Hai precisely because his power had truly saved them. Whether that salvation came from the fragments and notifications Gao Hai released, or from the various player units under his command and control, they had genuinely received his help and been protected by him. And it was precisely because of this that they sincerely believed Gao Hai was indeed a god, prayed to him, and developed faith in him in their hearts.

"Great God, thank you for saving me and my child."

"O god radiating golden light, please save more innocent people."