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

Sun Dajun stood against the wall, his face showing great fear as he cautiously looked around. When he saw Gao Hai and the other two come out, his expression clearly showed disappointment.

It seems that the person who disappeared in the corridor and turned into a monster is still perfectly normal.

Gao Hai noticed Lao Guo's gaze. Although it was just a seemingly casual glance, Gao Hai couldn't miss the difference in that gaze. He was now certain that this man who called himself Lao Guo had retained his memories and knew what had happened.

In other words, when using the wall clock to rewind, all those who are still alive and not dead can retain their memories and know what happened?

Sun Dajun was about to take a step towards Gao Hai.

It seems he intends to ask the same question as last time, trying to deceive himself with the "reality show" analogy.

However, before he could even speak, the burly white man who had previously refused to interact with anyone suddenly bumped into Sun Dajun and then walked up to Gao Hai with an anxious expression.

"You guys are veteran players, right?"

The man's voice trembled slightly, and his gaze toward the three people in Gao Hai's group was filled with intense anticipation.

"Just now, did you use a mental artifact? There's even a mental artifact that can reverse time? This is unbelievable! My name is Green, I can do a lot of things, can you take me with you? Please, I won't have any ulterior motives."

格林。

The man said his name.

Well, it's a very common and ordinary name, but it's still better than names like Tom and Jack, which are everywhere.

But he said "old player"?

The existence of experienced players who had completed the so-called "Sacrifice Game" didn't surprise Gao Hai; he had always suspected that the man named Lao Guo was one of them. Now, the words of this man named Green made him realize that Green was also likely an experienced player, albeit one who had been lucky enough to survive the mission once. Of course, this guess was based on the premise that Green wasn't faking it, or deliberately putting on an act.

"What veteran player..."

Sun Dajun, who had originally wanted to ask about the situation, became reluctant to come over after hearing what Green said.

"Can you pick locks?"

Before Gao Hai could think of a reply, Shinomiya Kaguya stepped forward, looked up at the tall, muscular white man, and spoke in a cold tone.

Princess Kaguya's aura was honed in a truly powerful family and conglomerate, completely different from that of Gao Hai, a lowly, struggling author. Even though she looked like just a teenage girl, the imposing presence Kaguya displayed at this moment instilled fear in Grimm, who already had preconceived notions about her.

This kind of spirit is what veteran players should have.

That's right, just like his last mission, where those veteran players at the forefront easily found an escape route and suffered no casualties from beginning to end. It was because he chose to follow behind them that Green was able to survive that terrifying ghost story game without knowing anything about it.

Therefore, the best way to survive, as he concluded, was to curry favor with powerful figures.

Find a skilled veteran player to team up with and follow their lead. Even if they refuse to protect you, it doesn't matter; as long as they're willing to help when you're in danger, your chances of survival will greatly increase.

"No problem, I can pick locks, I can open them!"

Green, a former thief from America, nodded hurriedly as he spoke, pulling a wire from his pocket and approaching the door of room 205.

"Are you trying to lure that thing down again with your loud voice?"

Shijo Maki also spoke coldly, her tone no less chilling than that of Shinomiya Kaguya.

"Yes, I... I understand."

Green, who had already completely regarded the three of them as high-level players, hurriedly answered, his forehead beaded with cold sweat.

As for Gao Hai, who had just come to his senses, he looked at Kaguya's indifferent expression with her arms crossed to his left and Maki's disdainful look with one hand on her chin to his right. He couldn't help but marvel at how the two 17-year-old girls' reaction speed and acting skills were far superior to his in this kind of interpersonal interaction. Then he turned his attention to the door of room 205, the room where the loud-voiced blond girl who was the source of the massacre was.

Click——

After a crisp sound, the door to room 205 slowly opened.

In just over ten seconds, Green successfully opened the old-fashioned security door, exposing the darkness behind it to the pale white light of the corridor.

Chapter Twelve: Shh, don't let him know you saw it.

Clearly, Green, a locksmith with considerable expertise, easily opened the door to 205.

Knowing exactly where the first problem lay, Gao Hai and the others didn't hesitate and immediately decided to step inside. Kaguya walked in front, followed by Maki and Gao Hai. Gao Hai then thought for a moment and directly signaled Green to drag Sun Dajun along, bringing the man inside with them.

The door to room 205 appears to be intact and can be used as a temporary refuge. Old Guo, who is acting mysteriously, probably has some self-defense skills. However, if Sun Dajun sends a monster from outside to knock on the door, it might lead to the same situation as before. He doesn't want to experience the feeling of his whole body disintegrating and dissipating again.

"Hey, what are you doing?"

"Stop talking nonsense. If you don't want to suffer, get over here."

Sun Dajun, all bluster and no substance, tried to resist, but in front of the 1.9-meter-tall, muscular Green, he could only mutter a few words before reluctantly following Green into room 205.

"Will you come along?"

Gao Hai himself walked at the back, looking at Lao Guo alone and asking a question. The black guy scratched his head, hesitated, and then followed Lao Guo. It seemed that he trusted Lao Guo more than Gao Hai and his group, who were led by high school students.

"I'm going to investigate the stairs on the left. You guys are quite capable, so be careful. This game is unusually difficult. Try to collect as much information as possible from the survivors. Also, watch out for the corpses, and don't go into room 210. That's a word of advice. I hope you survive."

Unlike last time, this time Guo clearly knew that Gao Hai suspected his identity, so he simply stopped trying to hide it.

The words, whether sincere or insincere, were spoken. Old Guo gestured for the black guy to follow, and the two walked straight to the other side of the corridor, avoiding the right-hand staircase where some strange thing had come down earlier, and headed towards the left-hand staircase.

It's safe to say that this man is definitely a veteran player, and unlike Green, who seems to be just there to get points, this guy is a genuine veteran player with considerable experience. He might even have something like the "obsession item" that Green mentioned.

Speaking of which, although we still don't know exactly what that "obsession object" is, recalling that moment when Lao Guo paused at the entrance of 210, he might have used that object to confirm some kind of threat. After all, the name "obsession object" sounds like a tool with extraordinary power. Maybe after obtaining some super-powerful obsession object, one could kill anyone in their way, crushing so-called ghost stories like a chicken.

However, this was merely Gao Hai's wild speculation and daydreaming. Furthermore, considering the man's initial attempt to gather survivors and his subsequent departure without hesitation after convincing Mud Bro to stay with him, Gao Hai felt that this man was probably not the type to cooperate effectively and achieve a mutually beneficial outcome. Perhaps separating and going their separate ways was actually a better choice.

But the black guy who chose Lao Guo as his companion… Gao Hai instinctively felt that the other man's fate might not be too good. However, he didn't know Lao Guo's background, and he couldn't force him to stay based on some vague speculation.

Click——

Although doing so might seem like cutting off one's own escape route, the knocking things in the hallway were so terrifying that even if it meant facing the potential threats inside room 205, Gao Hai had to close the door. Moreover, no one could stay in the hallway this time; everyone had to stay in the living room or kitchen.

When he knocked on the door before, he could only hear the sound, and those things established a dialogue based on his inner thoughts. But through the living room wall, he could barely hear any sounds from outside. So, was the extremely eerie layout of this apartment specifically designed to guard against this knocking ghost story?

The toilet is to the right of the main entrance, and the corridor is to the left.

The basic structure is no different from the previous 204 and 208. At the end of the corridor is a right angle turn. Walk to the end of this corridor and you will be facing a wall clock... Ah, the wall clock in this room is gone. It seems that Kaguya or Maki took it. Anyway, turn right after you get here and you will find the door leading to the living room. Well, calling it a living room is not quite accurate, since this room actually serves as both a living room and a bedroom.

"Ah ...

A scream suddenly rang out. To be precise, it had barely begun to sound before it was ruthlessly suppressed.

Gao Hai walked down the dimly lit corridor and then stepped into the equally dimly lit living room. Noticing that room 205 was very dark, with both windows almost completely blocked off, he first glanced at the general layout of the living room. There was no coffee table or round table in the living room of room 205; instead, there was a small desk and a bookcase on the wall near the door.

The kitchen door was completely nailed shut with wooden strips of various sizes, and a faint, unpleasant odor could be smelled from inside, as if something was rotting behind the door.

Scattered on the ground were some torn pieces of paper, which appeared to be blank or just some messy lines. Gao Hai initially thought there might be some clues on them, but after picking up two, he found they were just meaningless scribbles and had to throw them away in disappointment.

Sun Dajun, trembling slightly, cowered to one side of the room, too intimidated by Green's muscular physique to move. Green stood cautiously to the side, offering a fawning smile as Gao Hai entered. To be honest, Gao Hai found it disgusting to see a grown man making such an expression, but since the other man was willing to obey, he decided to ignore him.

Shijo Maki found a somewhat tattered little backpack somewhere and stuffed it with the wall clock she had brought from room 208, as well as the one from room 205. Standing by the door, she quietly breathed a sigh of relief when Gao Hai entered. It seemed she had been keeping an eye on Green and Sun Dajun, watching them to prevent any unforeseen circumstances.

As for Kaguya, she was currently holding the blonde woman's mouth shut with one hand, as if she were a merciless iron hand clamping down on the woman's mouth as she pulled her off the bed, remaining unmoved despite the woman's struggles.

"Quiet, I don't want to say it a second time."

Kaguya Shinomiya's voice was as cold as ice, causing the struggling woman to tremble and raise her hands with tears streaming down her face, indicating that she was giving up.

Why do I suddenly feel like I've joined the villainous forces?

Thinking this, Gao Hai walked to the bedside, squatted down, and lifted the dirty bed sheet that was hanging to the floor.

A stiff female corpse appeared in Gao Hai's sight.

"What the hell..."

Sun Dajun almost screamed immediately, but Kaguya turned her head and gave a chilling "Quiet," which, combined with Green's glare, forced the man to behave and squat down on the ground with a mournful face.

Although Green was still trying his best to be a good lackey, he couldn't help but tremble at the sight of the corpse. However, he quickly noticed that Kaguya was completely unmoved by the body under the bed, and Takami, expressionless, lifted the sheet, crouched down, and fearlessly examined the corpse. Even Maki, standing a little further away, showed no reaction. Despite all three looking to be under 20, they were the calmest three people present.

Sure enough, all three of them had played the ghost story game at least once and were very experienced veteran players.

As long as he follows them, makes the most of his abilities, and keeps these big shots happy, he will surely survive this game.

That's right. As long as he can survive this damn game, he wouldn't mind licking a toilet bowl right now. Not to mention, these three big shots seem quite easy to talk to. As long as he doesn't bother them and can help them out, I, Green, will definitely get through this difficult time!

Leaving aside the smug guy on one side, Gao Hai on the other side had his attention completely focused on the corpse in front of him.

The woman's frantic screaming that attracted the plot-driven big boss was probably because she saw this corpse.

Unlike the frozen corpse in room 208, this female corpse appeared to have only been dead for a short time. Her eyes were closed, her lips were slightly bluish, and her face seemed slightly swollen. She was wearing a gray nightgown with a wide collar that covered her neck, and her fingers protruding from the sleeves were also bluish-black. A dark yellow stain was clearly visible on her pajama bottoms, along with a faint, almost completely dissipated, foul odor.

Gao Hai had a vague idea of ​​the possible way the body died, but some details still needed to be investigated, such as whether there were strangulation marks on the neck, whether there was any skin peeling off, or scratches.

Beware of corpses.

However, he couldn't help but recall the advice Lao Guo had given him before he left.

Did this person die in this room?

What killed her? And where is that thing that killed her?

Gao Hai turned his head and scanned the room's general structure. In the dim light, the interior was slightly blurry, but that didn't prevent him from seeing the layout clearly and confirming that there was no space for anything to hide, provided that the thing actually had a physical form.

Then, he turned back and looked at the double bed placed against the wall, and checked its width.

Finally, he lowered his head again and stared intently at the female corpse lying quietly under the bed.

And behind the female corpse, lying motionless and staring at him, was the face of a bespectacled man, half of whose face was a jumbled mess of broken building blocks, covered in black and red filthy blood.

Chapter Thirteen: It Seems More Comfortable to Be a Bad Guy

If his life were a novel, Gao Hai vowed that he would find the author and slap that thing to the ground a few times.

Damn it, first a ghostly thing that I didn't even recognize came down the corridor and instantly killed three extras, then the three-person sanity-draining group that knocked on the door launched a deadly attack, and now that I'm temporarily safe thanks to the scene rules, you give me a corpse stare. Can't you be a little kinder to my heart?

What if you scare me to death? What are the readers supposed to do? Are you expecting them to switch the main character? Let me tell you, switching the main character is a huge mistake, you absolutely can't do that. This is my experience as someone who's been through a box office flop, you know?

The complaints in my heart flashed by at lightning speed.

Gao Hai's face remained expressionless, without the slightest ripple.

He knew the man behind the woman's corpse was dead, that he was also a corpse. Or rather, that this thing at least possessed some characteristics of a corpse, such as not breathing, or having wounds on its body that would be fatal to a human.

But he also knew that this piece of junk was now staring at him.

The man's only remaining intact eye was wide open, staring intently at Gao Hai's face.

He shifted his body slightly.

Behind the female corpse, the male corpse's head silently turned, keeping its gaze fixed on him.

The location where the other party was hiding was almost completely shrouded in darkness.