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

However, she didn't choose to run away. After calculations, Wen Gu Yin Yu was certain that even if she unleashed her full power, she had absolutely no chance of saving Xiao Hua from the strange, seemingly supernatural, boat bell. Furthermore, she was inherently self-preserving and couldn't bring herself to risk her life for someone else. So, she immediately left the building to find other players to help her. She happened to run into the Sunflower Squad, who were passing by, and called them over.

"Looks like I made the right choice. If I had come by myself, there would definitely be two people lying here."

After confirming that Xiao Hua was safe and sound, at most just a little weak, Wen Gu Yin Yu sighed softly for a moment, and then cautiously looked around to make sure no one had overheard her.

"Is that the [small boat bell] mentioned in the initial announcement? Its aura is indeed strange; it doesn't seem like a ghost, but it doesn't seem like a living person either. What exactly is it? Could this also be one of the [hospital's] achievements?"

Sitting in the passenger seat, Angel frowned, flipping through the book in his hand while staring at Xiao Chuanling, who had gotten up again and was almost black from burns all over her body, her eyes full of doubt.

"Whatever it is, it doesn't change the fact that it's here to kill us. So, we can think about any problems after we've defeated or killed it. Don't forget that there should have been about a hundred survivors here, but we haven't found a single one. They might already be in this thing's belly."

Kazama Ren, who was driving the vehicle, yawned and spoke with a sleepy look on her face, seemingly somewhat reluctant to work.

Well, in fact, she really didn't want to come out. After all, she had been fighting for almost thirty hours straight. Even though as a player she had mental and physical strength far exceeding that of ordinary people, such a long period of highly intense activity still left her exhausted.

However, not long ago, the Sunflower Squad made a mistake while dealing with a ghost story targeting men, resulting in all the male members of the squad, including Captain Yu Qingshan, being seriously injured and unable to recover for a while. Now, at a critical moment in the fight against the [Hospital], the female members of the squad, after settling the male members, drove out to continue their mission and have been fighting until now without much rest.

"I think I can see those survivors."

The last remaining member of the Sunflower Squad, Sai Emi, peeked out, but her attention wasn't on the now-vanished Little Boat Bell. Instead, she pointed towards the television section in the mall's electronics area. It was brightly lit there, and many of the televisions displayed people wandering around with expressions of intense pain.

"That's true. Luckily we didn't crash into it from that side, otherwise the mission would have ended before we even rescued the person. Alright, alright, Vice Captain, hurry up and take the rest of them down. We haven't taken down the BOSS here yet. Who knows when it might come over? We need to finish this quickly."

Kazama Ren stared at the scene for a while, and after confirming that the people on the TV were indeed the trapped survivors, she muttered a complaint under her breath. Then she signaled to Li Ling to quickly lead the people out of the car.

"Don't worry, these people are probably just trapped in another dimension. Try to get those TVs to Mr. Gao's domain; there's a way to rescue them there. Alright, Angel and Sai, let's get started. We don't have time to waste now."

Li Ling nodded, opened the car door and jumped out first, followed by Angel and Sai Saki.

As soon as Fumiya Otoha got off the bus, she helped Yurikawa Hana up. Before she could say anything, Li Ling, who was passing by, tossed her a compressed biscuit, gesturing for Fumiya Otoha to feed it to Hana. After Fumiya Otoha gave Hana a few bites, the girl, who had been incredibly weak just moments before, miraculously recovered. She quickly regained her strength and devoured the compressed biscuit—theoretically enough to feed an adult man for at least three days—in one go, even seeming a little unsatisfied afterward.

"Won't my stomach burst from eating so much?!"

When Wen Gu Yinyu stared wide-eyed at Xiaohua's stomach and found that it showed no signs of swelling, her expression became even more horrified.

"No problem, I can eat three times the amount without any problem. I'm the type of person who won't gain weight no matter how much I eat!"

Xiao Hua proudly raised her head, her tone tinged with smugness.

"Wow, I can't believe I have such a constitution? Is this also a manifestation of extraordinary power? Damn it, how can someone have such a convenient ability..."

Admittedly, Otoha Fumiya was somewhat jealous.

In fact, not only her, but also Kazama Ren and Sai Emi, who were listening to these words, showed a somewhat sour expression.

There's absolutely no need to worry about gaining weight from overeating; there's no need to control weight at all—this extraordinary power is incredibly convenient. You see, because these players have physical strength exceeding that of ordinary people, their food intake needs are much greater, making it more difficult to gauge how much to eat. This results in female players finding it harder to control their weight and being more prone to gaining weight unintentionally. Therefore, maintaining a good figure has always been a hot topic among female players at the Dark Night level and below. As for those at the Red Moon level and above, players at that level have already entered a superhuman realm to a certain extent, and weight is no longer a concern for them; therefore, they are not within the scope of this discussion.

"That monster called Little Boat Bell, well, she's not entirely a monster. I can't quite explain it, but she should be considered a living person to some extent, right? In short, she does possess some monster power, but she also retains a small amount of human thinking ability. To truly harm her, it's best to make direct physical contact, otherwise she can use the mirror to negate the damage."

However, weight is a secondary issue. With the enemy still alive, the most crucial problem remains how to deal with their rescue of survivors. Therefore, after regaining her strength, Xiaohua quickly spoke to the Sunflower Squad members who had come to provide support. Incidentally, this information wasn't deciphered by Xiaohua herself; rather, Gao Hai had left her with an automatic analysis device. This device obtained information after directly contacting Xiaochuanling's body and displayed it to Xiaohua, which is why she was able to share this information with the players present.

"I see, so it's another living person modified. But failing to become a 'doctor' and only retaining a portion of its intelligence proves that it's ultimately a failure. Hey, you yourself are a failed piece of trash, how dare you talk about leading people to happiness? Aren't you just leading others to the same failure as you?"

Upon hearing Xiao Hua's words, Li Ling, who was leading the team, understood the cause and effect after a moment's thought. She then grinned and began to mock her. Unsurprisingly, before she could finish speaking, the nearest billboard turned red.

[I'll kill you... I'll kill you, I'll kill you, I'll kill you, I'll kill you, I'll kill you, I'll kill you...]

A huge, blood-red eyeball with bloodshot whites appeared on the screen, followed by a low, wailing sound from the television.

"Oh, getting impatient?"

However, Li Ling merely tilted her head back tactically, and under the guidance of the silently activated blessing power, the expression on her face became even more exaggerated.

"With such a steadfast belief in happiness and the right path, one might not have achieved anything in life, right?"

"It is precisely because my life is full of failures that I want to believe in those abnormal things and use this method to cover up my failures."

"In the end, even if you really followed a non-human being, you'd still be a loser. You wouldn't achieve anything, and you'd end up as a nurse doing sales. You couldn't even get into the inner circle. In the end, you're just a nobody, a nobody like a grunt. I think you're really pathetic. Do you need me to say a few words of comfort to you?"

Li Ling's expression kept changing as she spoke sarcastic and sarcastic words. Kazama Ren and Sai Emi behind her were so shocked to see their usually stern vice-captain like this that they didn't know what to do.

"The vice-captain's blessing can be used to provoke the enemy by portraying a specific image. According to what Ms. Yurikawa just said, this little boat bell is probably very concerned about things like 'failed products,' so the vice-captain is using the blessing simulation to taunt the other party, and it seems to be working well. Of course, such a vice-captain is indeed rare."

Angel, who was also standing to the side, temporarily took on the role of commentator, while quietly taking out his phone and recording Li Ling's performance.

Meanwhile, not far away, the television screen turned completely blood red, and Xiao Chuanling's severely burned body emerged from it. At this moment, her flesh and blood began to melt, as if Li Ling's words had stimulated her, forcing this inhuman and bizarre thing to revert to a certain state, becoming extremely ugly and terrifying.

[Kill, kill, kill, that's it, you you you you you you ahh ...

Amidst the completely off-key roar, distorted white light and blood-red light intertwined and covered Li Ling's direction.

As soon as Xiao Chuanling made her move, Li Ling, Angel, Kazama Ren, and Sai Emi acted simultaneously. The power of their obsession objects and blessings created various light and shadow effects, which, along with various noises, covered most of the third floor of the mall, making it feel like the Chinese New Year.

Xiao Hua, who was originally eager to join the fight, was pulled aside by Wen Gu Yin Yu. While the fighting was in full swing, they slipped away to the television sales area and took down the televisions containing the trapped survivors, putting them in their car. Because of their supernatural powers, even after the power was turned off, these televisions remained on, and the survivors inside would not be harmed during the transfer.

By the time Xiaohua and Wen Gu Yinyu had almost finished moving all the television sets, the Sunflower Squad had also nearly decided the outcome of their battle with the enemy. The four veteran players, whose physical abilities had been enhanced by Gao Hai to the Red Moon level, achieved an overwhelming victory. The inhuman, monster-like boat bell had its head smashed, half its body severed, and a leg blown off. It managed to escape with only its torso and a limb, disappearing into a mirror. Thanks to its undead nature, it managed to escape. However, despite its successful escape, its wounds wouldn't heal quickly, meaning it would be unable to cause trouble for at least the next dozen or so hours.

"All survivors have been confirmed to have been collected. This thing didn't choose to kill, it just imprisoned people. It seems that the [hospital] still has the idea of ​​taking people away. That's a good thing."

The Sunflower Squad, having successfully concluded their operation, left the dilapidated mall with two temporary members and headed towards the now expanded golden area.

Meanwhile, as the operation was being completed on this side, in another urban area a little further away, Kaguya Shinomiya looked solemnly at the destroyed and collapsed buildings in front of her, unconsciously sinking into a heavy mood.

A few minutes ago, Gao Hai confirmed that the [Surgeon] had broken free of the spatial blockade and was nowhere to be found.

Half a minute earlier, Kaguya sensed the unusual signal emanating from the shelter and discovered the remnants of the Surgeon's presence there. She also confirmed that all of the more than one thousand survivors inside the shelter were dead, with not a single one alive.

"...It has been confirmed that the Surgeon has begun to directly kill ordinary people. The worst has happened. I will now track the Surgeon's presence and try to find it and restrict its movements. All units should avoid the areas I have marked, as those areas are places the Surgeon may go."

After leaving this message, Kaguya exhaled, stretched her body, and then followed the lingering aura.

Under the cover of darkness, the torrential rain continued to pour down, and it remained unclear how far dawn was from breaking.

Chapter 80: Kaguya Shinomiya's dealings with the "Surgeon" and the girls she's been targeted.

The Surgeon is the last of the three strongest members of the Hospital to remain intact. Unlike the Internist, who was killed by Takahiro, and the Psychiatrist, who was severely injured, the Surgeon, due to the inclusion of a KP element in his structure and his unique rule-based power, is able to hold his own against Takahiro in a direct confrontation and cannot be easily found to have a weakness. Therefore, Takahiro temporarily sealed the Surgeon and then had Yotsuya Miko analyze him, attempting to break the seal in this way.

Obviously, the hospital, with only one general left, would never accept such a situation. Therefore, while Gao Hai was trying to find a solution, the hospital was doing everything it could to rescue the surgeon. As it stands, this confrontation has ultimately ended with the hospital's victory, and Gao Hai's side has failed to achieve its strategic goal of eliminating the surgeon in one fell swoop.

Kaguya wasn't surprised by this outcome. After all, Takami hadn't been able to defeat the "Surgeon" in a direct confrontation from the start, which showed that this "Doctor" was completely different from the other two individuals. It wouldn't be easy to eliminate this target. But it was one thing for him to escape, but now he was going around indiscriminately slaughtering survivors. This utterly unscrupulous behavior was truly a headache.

We must catch up with them quickly and intercept that thing.

Kaguya quickened her pace, secretly thinking to herself.

The girl was quite confident in her ability to defeat the "Surgeon." After all, he was an enemy capable of directly confronting Takahashi in his ascended state. If the two were to truly rely on brute force, Kaguya was certain that her only possible outcome would be a crushing defeat.

Even so, as the closest and strongest individual at the moment, if she didn't step up, there would be no one else around to do so. Therefore, she had to take the lead now, and she also had to find a way to ensure that she could draw the enemy's attention without being killed herself, thus holding that thing off.

[Act within your capabilities. Ichiri and Kita are already on their way, and I will provide support as needed. We have the advantage now, so don't act recklessly. If you realize you can't hold out, retreat immediately, understand?]

Within the mental link, Gao Hai's voice rang out with a hint of solemnity.

[Don't worry, Gao Jun, I know my own strength very well, and I will treat that being with caution.]

Knowing that the other person was worried about her, Kaguya replied gently, while speeding up and continuing forward, tracking the traces left by the "surgeon" that could be described as completely undisguised.

The other party should be nearby.

Although it hasn't been found yet, the intense, chilling aura suggests that the other party is nearby.

"call……"

Kaguya's heart began to race, and she clenched her fists, unable to suppress the surge of tension that was rising within her.

To confront an enemy who could easily kill you, someone you have absolutely no chance of winning in a one-on-one fight. If it were the old you who valued gains and losses, you would never have dared to provoke such a thing.

Now that she has chosen to share this responsibility with Gao Jun, there is no reason for her to back down; she must move forward despite the difficulties.

The other party's aura was becoming increasingly intense.

It is anticipated that we may encounter the enemy from any direction at any time within five minutes, so we must be prepared for battle.

I hope I can hold this off and allow others to relocate in time.

boom--

A loud roar was heard coming from ahead.

The distance is within three kilometers. With Kaguya Shinomiya's physical abilities having been enhanced multiple times, this distance can be considered quite close. She can arrive in less than a minute.

One of the shelters has been breached, and that thing is slaughtering the living people inside.

"Teleport."

The power of blessing was mobilized with the girl's words.

In an instant, Kaguya traversed several kilometers and appeared directly above the shelter. Then, she plummeted to the ground, leaving two shallow craters in the concrete road.

They could sense the unprecedentedly powerful aura emanating from the other party.

So this is what the "doctor" that Yotsuya and Goto are facing is like? This kind of being, who can make people feel invincible just by releasing his aura, is unimaginable. No wonder Taka-kun is so nervous.

However, there's no time to dwell on whether it's feasible or not; even if it's not feasible, we have to go for it now.

"Doctor, I need help."

The moment she landed, Kaguya, clearly realizing she had entered the [Surgeon's] perception range, shouted without hesitation, while simultaneously mobilizing her mental energy to intently observe the changes around her.

【…】

In the first second after Kaguya finished speaking, no change was observed.

"call……"

But in the very next second, an unprecedented, intense chill completely enveloped Kaguya's body.

She knew that the monster had seen her, heard her, and was moving toward her location.

[—I'll save you!]

The next breath, a raging blood mist suddenly rose from the ground, and a sharp knife, moving at a speed invisible to the naked eye, stabbed straight toward Kaguya's chest.

boom! ! !

Next, the concrete ground was cut open, and a tall building behind Kaguya was vertically split in two and collapsed amidst a violent explosion.

They were just a hair's breadth away from being taken down right at the start.

Having made prior arrangements using the power of the [Disturbing Words], Kaguya, who could continuously teleport within a certain range, appeared on the roof of another house several hundred meters away. Looking at the figure emerging from the blood mist not far away, she subconsciously clenched her fists due to tension.

[I'll kill you! I'll save you!]

Then, it appeared beside Kaguya.

Its movement was completely undetectable, and by the time I realized it, it was already upon me. Did this thing use some kind of spatial teleportation ability, or did it really just rush straight to me? Tsk, no, this isn't the time to think about such questions; I must evade it immediately!