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

[5. Regarding the specific action plan for the next step, the great Mr. Gao Hai has already made arrangements and instructions. Next, all members of the "Slacking Off Gang" are requested to proceed to the following coordinates. There are many monster activities at these coordinates, and there is a signal of Red Moon-level monster activity. Everyone should move out and, after dealing with the monsters in this area, try to find the spatial passage to enter the dungeon world.]

[A word of caution: since the passage is designed for the monsters, even if Mr. Gao Hai manages to widen and reinforce it to allow players to enter smoothly, it certainly won't be a comfortable experience. Therefore, all players who decide to participate should prepare accordingly to avoid any unexpected situations. Of course, Alice won't secretly laugh at you; she'll laugh openly to your faces, hehehehehehe~]

Then, almost the instant Xiong Mi finished speaking, Alice's voice rang out again, plunging everyone into a moment of silence. Only after Alice's voice had faded for a short while, and everyone had cautiously waited a little longer, did they finally speak again.

"There shouldn't be any more information for now. Let's go, let's set off. I have a general idea about the participants."

As she spoke, Xiong Mi sighed, then tapped her phone screen to look at the map coordinates displayed on it before gesturing for everyone to follow her.

Then, as they headed to their destination, Xiong Mi and Mao Ge had a brief discussion and decided on the division of personnel.

"Why... Captain, I can help you!"

Jianbing, who was the first to be optimized, looked at Xiong Mi in shock, not understanding why she would exclude her from the elite squad.

"Your abilities are more useful for rescuing survivors. With you here, the [Slacker Gang]'s rescue speed won't drop too much, and it will be less likely to arouse suspicion. This time, aside from the others, you must stay. Sorry, Jianbing, only your abilities are suitable."

After Xiong Mi patiently explained, Jian Bing sighed helplessly and finally chose to accept it.

"Then I'll be the one who stays behind. We still need someone to be out there to provide support. I'll also handle all the negotiations. If we need to pretend that there are multiple people present, I can figure that out."

The second person responsible for staying behind was Cat Brother. As one of the two vice-captains of the "Slacking Off Gang", he chose to be the one to stay behind when Xiong Mi decided to venture deeper into the dungeon.

Thus, Xiong Mi, the lawyer, and Shao Ye became the vanguard members of the [Slacking Off Gang] responsible for venturing into the Red Moon-level dungeon, while Cat Brother and Jianbing stayed behind to continue their activities in the Tokyo area to attract attention and maintain their disguise.

After finalizing the general plan, the group quickened their pace and headed towards the location indicated by the fragment of the crimson domain.

It's worth mentioning that during their journey, Xiong Mi and his group encountered a passing Red Society team. Neither the Fishing Gang nor the Red Society stopped to communicate with each other. Xiong Mi and Cat Brother simply greeted Yuan Shanming, the leader of the Red Society team, and their squad leader, exchanging nods before parting ways to continue towards their respective destinations.

Even if everyone is confirmed to be teammates participating in the operation, they won't gather together to use the same entrance, as that would be too obvious. Therefore, different teams will use different entrances to go to different instances, and there will be a certain difference in the time they enter the instance. This way, even if the enemy has set up some traps, they won't be wiped out in one fell swoop, and there's no need to worry about the terrible possibility of the entire Red Moon-level player team being wiped out.

"We've arrived, prepare for action!"

A short while later, the [Slacking Off Gang] team, having arrived at the designated location, unsurprisingly encountered an attack by a large number of bizarre creatures. The place they arrived at was originally a school, but it had now become a hiding place for all sorts of twisted and terrifying things. Moreover, these creatures were extremely powerful, and there were quite a few Red Moon-level creatures mixed in with them, so the [Slacking Off Gang] had to spend a lot of effort to successfully purify and clear the place.

On another note, why does it have to be a school? Is Alice deliberately targeting me?

As the purification operation progressed, Xiong Mi quickly found the hidden entrance, but at the same time, the school area around him gave him a strange sense of déjà vu, which made him subconsciously start to suspect Alice again.

"There should have been a teacher here working late into the night grading students' homework, right? Unfortunately, she chose to hide in her office at that time. Although she triggered the [Rules of the House], she later opened the door for some reason, allowing the monster to enter. As a result, she was killed, and this office became a passage connecting the real world and the dungeon world."

Not long after, the group that found the dungeon passage also discovered the tragically deceased victim beside it. Cat Brother quickly deduced what had happened, but he didn't mourn; no one had time to mourn the fallen teacher. According to the quest schedule displayed by the Crimson Domain Fragment, the [Slacking Off Gang] would be the first team responsible for venturing into the Red Moon-level dungeon, and they had to set off immediately.

"I'll leave the outside to you two."

As Xiong Mi spoke, she was the first to enter the passageway, into a half-open student locker stained with blood.

Step into the closet, step into boundless darkness.

A chilling, fragmented sound whispered in my ear, like someone's breath brushing against my neck.

At this moment, Xiong Mi could not hear the sound of her own footsteps.

But she could feel herself drifting further and further away from the real world, while that irrational, resentful, and painful alternate dimension was getting closer and closer to her.

hum-

I heard the hum of a subway train.

Opening her eyes, Xiong Mi found herself on a subway platform, standing under the cold lights, her long shadow stretching out and covering the darkness below.

Have they already come in?

Thinking this, Xiong Mi looked around first. After confirming that Shao Ye and the lawyer were not far away, she immediately took her phone out of her pocket when she felt it vibrate and looked at the new text displayed on it.

We have now entered the dungeon world.

The copy has been confirmed...

[This copy has been confirmed as G%&B? ? ? ? ? ? ]

[Number of confirmed copies: 7]

[Number of confirmed core obsessions: 30]

[Confirmed number of core obsessions in this instance area: 4]

【Please be careful with it】

What's happening here?

Even though Xiong Mi was a seasoned veteran, he couldn't help but be stunned when he saw the text displayed on his phone screen.

What does it mean to have 30 confirmed core obsessions?

Is there really such a powerful instance that can accommodate so many core obsessions?

Is this some kind of lame joke?!

Xiong Mi, who really wanted to complain, opened her mouth but held back.

She's not exactly a critic, so even if her mind is churning, she still can't muster enough sharp words to offer a critique.

However, she quickly put these chaotic thoughts aside and focused her attention elsewhere.

The familiar, bone-chilling cold is spreading.

The lawyer and Shao Ye beside him remained motionless, making no move whatsoever, even though Xiong Mi had already subtly given them a signal.

Looking down at the ground in front of her, Xiong Mi could see a long shadow, a shadow that covered her up as if it wanted to swallow her whole.

The light was right above my head; if it were my own shadow, it shouldn't be this long.

Therefore, this shadow does not belong to me, but to something standing motionless behind me.

【call……】

The next second after realizing there was something behind him, Xiong Mi felt a cold breath land on the back of his neck.

Indeed, it's a very familiar tactic.

Chapter Six: The Super-Fusion Red Moon-Level Dungeon and the Chaotic Rule Table.

Three seconds later, after knocking the monster that tried to ambush her from behind to her knees and ignoring the fake companion that the copy had materialized beside her, Xiong Mi quickly reunited with the lawyer and Shao Ye.

"Is everyone okay?"

Wiping the blood from the strange creature off his hands, Xiong Mi looked at his companions and asked.

"I'm OK."

The lawyer, holding the heavy book, shook his head.

"..."

Completely shrouded in her cloak, Shao Ye remained silent, only nodding slightly in response. A few drops of blood dripped from the edge of her cloak, suggesting she, like Xiong Mi, had also been attacked by a strange creature. The outcome of the attack was evident from the fact that Shao Ye herself was standing there unharmed.

Sizzling——sizzling——

The pale Japanese lights flickered faintly, and only three players were active on the empty platform. In the silence, an occasional cold wind from an unknown source blew by, but it couldn't stir the clothes or hair of the three players present.

"What should we do now? Should we explore the surrounding area first?"

Xiong Mi casually wiped the last bit of blood on his hand onto the pillar beside him, speaking in a nonchalant tone.

"Let's discuss the current situation first. I think everyone has a lot of thoughts after seeing that information."

As the lawyer spoke, he flicked the bits of meat off the thick book in his hand, his expression carrying a hint of helplessness.

Red Moon level dungeon.

A Red Moon-level dungeon with 30 core obsessions.

To be honest, when he saw this message, even though the lawyer himself was known for his calm and rationality in the "Slacking Off Gang," he was shocked and didn't know how to react.

What kind of Red Moon-level dungeon could possibly accommodate so many core fantasies? Is this number even accurate?

This is truly a Red Moon-level dungeon! Do you have any Red Moon-level dungeons like this?

"Indeed, this number is completely abnormal. Among the Red Moon-level dungeons that have been confirmed so far, the most core obsessions are only around eight. And what we're seeing now, huh, this is the first time I've ever seen such a number. 30 core obsessions... Is there really any dungeon that can support this scale?"

Xiong Mi ran a hand through her hair in frustration. She had been deeply shocked when she saw the information on her phone, even starting to wonder if she had come to the wrong place. Of course, even knowing the gravity of the situation, Xiong Mi had no intention of backing down. In fact, the worse the situation, the more it proved the significance of their visit; if there were no problems at all, that would raise suspicion.

"...not a copy."

A hoarse voice suddenly rang out from the side. Xiong Mi turned her head and saw Shao Ye's mouth trembling slightly as it peeked out from under his cloak.

"Are you referring to the 'Confirmed Number of Instances' information? Indeed, according to this information, there are currently seven instances detected. However, I can still sense some instance-related information. I can confirm that we are currently in only '1' instance, and those 30 core obsessions are indeed all in this 1 instance."

The lawyer was not surprised by Shao Ye's sudden outburst; he simply shook his head and spoke with great certainty.

"...I think I know what's going on now. I never expected there would be such a trick."

After a brief moment of thought, Xiong Mi realized what Shao Ye was trying to say.

Regarding Gao Hai's dispatch of elite troops to infiltrate the instance and resolve the obsession, the [Hospital] did indeed take precautions.

Unable to determine when, where, or on what scale players would enter the instance, and with its own high-end combat power limited and needing to be used elsewhere, [Hospital] adopted a simple and brutal method for self-protection: directly merging all Red Moon-level instances into one, turning the seven Red Moon-level instances belonging to [Hospital] into a single, massive, composite instance. This allowed the 30 core members to engage in an unrestricted free-for-all within this vast area, thus dealing with potential player intrusions.

It's hard to imagine what would happen if 30 Red Moon-level core obsessions, acting only according to their own rules and instincts, were placed in one scene. Xiong Mi tried to imagine it for a while, and the various scenes in his mind could be summed up in one sentence: "Rivers of blood."

In this situation, the rules of those dungeons' supernatural tales are likely already conflicting. Adhering to one rule might mean immediately violating another, or even doing nothing at all, simply entering a certain area could instantly place them in a situation of violating multiple rules. Even with the protection of the Crimson Domain and the power of the mental fragments, Xiong Mi frankly didn't think their operation could proceed smoothly. Thirty core obsessions—that's all there is to them! She dared not even think about how many strange creatures existed within this seven-layered composite dungeon.

Moreover, putting everything else aside, their goal wasn't just to survive here. Their objective was to find the object of all the core obsessions, and not just seal it on-site, but to bury fragments of Gao Hai's Crimson Domain around the object, ensuring that all fragments could detonate simultaneously at a crucial moment to absorb the entire object of obsession. Just thinking about the complex situation and the mission his team needed to complete made Xiong Mi feel suffocated.

But, well, as the old saying goes, since we're already here, even if there are big problems, what can we do about it?

"...Let's get ready to act; there's no more time to waste."

After giving a brief explanation of her conjecture, and successfully making the lawyer's expression uncomfortable, Xiong Mi finished her last sentence and took the lead in taking action.

"Indeed, no matter how bad the situation is, we can only take action now."

The lawyer sighed and followed behind Xiong Mi. Shao Ye, who had fallen silent again after saying that, also caught up. The three of them quickly crossed the empty subway platform and stepped onto the stairs next to the platform in the dim, cold white light.

On the surface, this place looks like just a subway station.

But as soon as they stepped into the passageway next to the subway station and left the platform, the three immediately noticed the spatial disorientation. The corridor stretched forward almost infinitely in an illogical structure, with intersecting floor patterns that seemed to have been forcibly merged together. Strange rooms and paths extended out from around the passageway, and as they walked, barren mountains and burial mounds appeared around them. After walking for a while, the structure of a church even appeared in the distance.

I can sense the presence of a strange creature.

The strange aura emanating from these creatures was numerous and varied, unlike anything seen before, and there were many contradictions between them.

However, none of them appeared. For some reason, those things seemed unable to reveal themselves to the players for the time being, so much so that Xiong Mi and the others, despite being on guard for quite some time, did not encounter any attacks.

However, compared to the threat of the unseen creatures that has not yet been revealed, there is a bigger problem that obviously needs to be solved first.