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

“I’m not in good health, so I can’t run around like you young people. But I used to do some technical work, so I know a little about repairs. I can fix broken circuits and some simple mechanical structures. After those two young men come up, I can take a look at door 204 for you. Didn’t you say that the lock on that door is broken and the lock cylinder won’t pop out? I can go over and take a look in a bit, maybe I can fix it.”

After fully realizing his situation and coming to his senses, this man has now undergone a complete transformation.

Kaguya didn't say much about this. She simply handed the rule sheet to Sun Dajun, letting him look at the first half, while she looked at the second half herself. The two of them then discussed the parts they had read to confirm the contents. Finally, Kaguya verbally explained the contents of the rule sheet to Takami and Shijo Maki, who were waiting below.

Sun Dajun completed this process somewhat haltingly. His memory and reading speed weren't as good as a younger person's, and coupled with his nervousness, he looked at that half-page rule table several times before finally finishing it. Even Huiye was a little nervous, worried that his repeated reading might trigger some kind of contamination. Fortunately, nothing happened in the end. Perhaps it was because the documents left by Xusheng didn't trigger contamination, or perhaps it was true that problems only occurred after reading the entire document?

“Thank you for your help, Mr. Sun. Please go back to the living room and rest. We can handle the exploration here. Also, Mr. Green, your focus right now shouldn't be on us. Ascertaining Ms. Maeda's condition is what you should be doing most right now.”

Because the other party was indeed an elder and had demonstrated skills worthy of cooperation, Kaguya's attitude towards Sun Dajun was much more subdued, adopting the polite demeanor of a junior facing an elder typical of Japanese people. However, Green, who was somewhat distracted and hadn't been keeping a close eye on Maeda Miwa, didn't receive the same treatment. She reprimanded him mercilessly, causing him to hurriedly bow his head and apologize, before continuing to keep an eye on Maeda Miwa, who was huddled to one side of the room.

Damn it, are these yellow-skinned monkeys trying to form a racial alliance and discriminate against me, a white person?

Secretly, Green couldn't help but curse under his breath.

As a lowly thug in America, Green had committed numerous thefts, spent many years in jail, and done countless bad things. However, due to his relatively timid and cautious nature, he had never killed anyone, except for severing one person's hamstring.

In the past, Green enjoyed stealing from immigrants from East Asia because these people rarely dared to resist. Even if caught, he could walk away without a care in the world, sometimes even robbing them of valuables right in front of them before fleeing. Of course, the exception was the people from the Cosmic Nation; those guys were very united and crazy, a bunch of oddballs. Because of this, he once looked down on them, mocking them as mere "moths" (a racist term) sent to America to deliver money. However, after entering the Sacrifice Game, a death trap, he had to rely on flattering and fawning over several Chinese players who were investigating the situation in the Twilight-level game. He survived by being a lackey and a dog, and the situation was completely reversed.

Now he has to do the same thing again in the second round of the game, which is frustrating for Green. However, he's the kind of guy who wouldn't hesitate to lick a toilet as long as he can survive, so he wouldn't hide his emotions or thoughts because of this.

Unlike Gao Hai's first operation, this time, thanks to Sun Dajun's cooperation, Green was no longer acting as a henchman responsible for suppression. Instead, he primarily served as a guardian for Maeda Miwa, who seemed to have some mental issues, naturally receiving less attention from Gao Hai and the others. Coupled with his tattoos and thuggish demeanor, he didn't look like a good person, appearing to have little formal education and poor reading and writing skills. Compared to Sun Dajun, he was far inferior. Therefore, Kaguya had Sun Dajun read the rules instead of Green, and Green was able to perceive this difference in treatment.

Of course, even so, as a henchman who could read people's expressions and had a skill (lock picking), as long as Green didn't do anything foolish, neither Takami Maki nor Kaguya would treat him as an enemy or a expendable resource. However, Green felt somewhat uneasy because he felt he wasn't valued. He projected his own feelings onto others, wondering if Takami Kaguya and the others, once united, would discriminate against him in the same way he discriminated against Black people and Asians. This made his unease grow even stronger.

Green carefully concealed all these thoughts in his heart, so that no one noticed them at all.

"I see. So this rule was created after Sanchez's actions..."

Kaguya, who was only 17 years old, was ultimately unable to see through the thoughts of Grimm, a hoodlum who had been hanging around the bottom of society for many years. At this moment, she was still focused on the rule list she had just obtained and began to relay the information she had received to Takami and Maki, who were waiting in the kitchen downstairs.

[Temporary Survival Rules for the First Floor of Shirakawa Apartment]

[All first-floor residents who received this form, please do not panic. Things have not reached the worst point yet.]

[I am Xusheng. Although I am still trapped in room 309 and cannot leave, the third and second floors have now stabilized. Those of you on the first floor who received this form, please follow its instructions, avoid danger as much as possible, and find a way out. The exit on the first floor should not be completely blocked yet; you still have hope. Don't give up.]

[The following is the information I have confirmed regarding the first floor. Due to the urgency, I haven't been able to verify everything repeatedly, but I can at least confirm that the vast majority of the rules are valid. Please act quickly after reading this, as the rules within the Shirakawa Apartment are currently undergoing drastic changes, and none of us can predict when the contents of this rule list will become invalid.]

1. Do not use any lights; please remain in complete darkness.

Based on the changes that have occurred on the first floor, it seems there has been a temporal distortion; the entire first floor of the Shirakawa Apartment has reverted to its state during a flood decades ago. We don't yet know why this happened, but along with the water, some things hidden in the water were also brought in. They are very sensitive to light, so when you decide to leave the room to explore, do not use any lights; proceed in the dark. I know this is difficult, but absolutely no lighting equipment, absolutely not!

2. Ignore anything unusual you see; do not touch, do not talk to, and do not show any inclination to interact.

The changes on the first floor aren't just about being flooded. Some things... I'm not sure if it's an illusion or something else, but you've probably seen them, right? A second person appeared in the room, something floated up from the water, and a voice talking to you beside you. Most of these things are harmless; they're just images and sounds. But this change is very abnormal. I can't predict what will happen next, but I feel that the very occurrence of this situation is dangerous. Don't interact with these things; don't listen, don't look, and don't pay attention.

3. Do not trust any survivors other than yourself. Stay alone. If you encounter someone overly enthusiastic about traveling with you, retreat to your room.

A strange change is spreading among the survivors; some are becoming more enthusiastic and hospitable, almost like they're playing the role of a good neighbor. They're starting to feel like they truly belong in Shirakawa Apartments and don't want to leave, or anyone else leave. Whether this change is consistent with the corpses in room 304 is still unknown, but it seems that as long as you return to your room, these changed survivors won't follow you in.

4. When a loud, chaotic noise is heard in the hallway, such as shouting, women screaming, breaking glass, and people pushing each other, find any room you can enter and get inside. Never stay in the hallway during such a time.

This flooded corridor is repeating events from a certain point in time. Do not touch it; that's when the greatest secret will be revealed. No one alive can survive contact with these things; you must avoid it at all costs. Fortunately, the danger only lies within the corridor during this event. As long as you are outside the corridor, you are safe. However, do not listen, do not look, do not pay attention, and never attempt to contact or collect this information.

5. When a child's crying begins and gets louder, puncture your eardrums as quickly as possible to stop the sound from reaching your ears. If you can't do that, kill yourself; it would be better to die now.

It's better that you're dead. You wouldn't want to know. It's better that you're dead ...

6. Tell everyone who asks you for the address of a man surnamed Li that he lives in room 304.

If they can't find the place, just take them there. At most, they'll just bang on the door; they won't dare do anything too outrageous. Remember to stay far away; the door to room 304 might open, and then there might be... danger inside.

6. Ignore any child who knocks on your door and do not open the door for them.

Nobody will open the door for her. Everyone who lives here knows that. Don't cause trouble. Kindness goes unrewarded. Don't cause trouble.

7. Don't blame Sanchez, don't go to 109, we all knew this day would come sooner or later.

[Perhaps I'm about to die. I don't recognize some of the parts I've written, but I remember how we all united to survive. We found a way to live here; we adapted. We were once full of enthusiasm, believing we would win one day, but gradually more and more people began to become radical. We all understood that in this high-pressure environment where death is always a possibility, or where one can't even die, no one can persevere forever; no one can remain rational forever. Even if Sanchez and his supporters didn't act this time, something similar would happen again next time, and even if it wasn't him, someone else would definitely step forward.]

[Don't blame him anymore, it's pointless. Don't go to 109, there's too much information there, too many words, and the words are starting to become distorted. The words, along with sounds and images, will become a medium for transmission. Escape, you have to escape as soon as possible. The apartment should have lost the power that used to imprison us. As long as you can leave the apartment area, you will never be teleported back. Escape, you must escape, or die. Die in the room, at least that way you can protect the next victims. Who are they?]

10. Don't go out when the front door is open; you won't be able to get out, and I can't see clearly.

[I can't leave 309. It keeps knocking on my door, knocking on my door. Isn't that what matters? My mind, my body, are nearing their limits, but I must fulfill my final responsibility. Do you understand? I hope this guideline can help you. Do you understand? Please, you must survive, you must escape. Do you understand? Do you understand?]

Did you receive it? Did you receive it? Did you receive it? Did you receive it? Did you receive it? Did you receive it? Did you receive it? Did you receive it? Did you receive it? Did you receive it? Did you receive it? Did you receive it? Did you receive it? Did you receive it? Did you receive it? Did you receive it? Did it arrive? Mom, did you receive it? Did you receive it?

The subsequent rules turned into meaningless gibberish.

This rule sheet, which shares the same name as the "Shirakawa Apartment Living Rules" and is signed "Kyosei," contains the following content.

Whether it successfully reached the hands of the survivors who were on the first floor is unknown.

But now, it has seen the light of day again and fallen into the hands of Gao Hai and his group of people who were trapped in the apartment and struggling to survive.

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Who is waiting for you to enter your dreams?

Crunch...crunch...

Click!

After a crisp click, the lock cylinder of room 204 popped out, returning from a stuck state to a usable state.

"It's fixed. It's only barely enough to get by, but it should be fine for a few days."

Wiping the sweat from his forehead, Sun Dajun looked up, smiled at Gao Hai, and said...

"Thank you so much. This should make me feel a little more at ease tonight."

Gao Hai tried pulling the door handle and found that it was indeed only barely enough. There was still a noticeable jamming sensation when pulling the door handle, but compared to the previous situation where it couldn't be pulled at all, it could at least be moved a couple of times now, and it wasn't completely stuck.

Are you really sure that man named Lao Guo might turn the clock on at any moment?

Not far away, Princess Zhenfei observed her surroundings with a slight nervousness, and after thinking for a moment, she asked another question.

"I'm pretty sure that the reason we ended up being wiped out last time was largely due to that bastard who turned the clock."

Gao Hai shook his head, looked at the other people in the corridor, and then at the wall clock that Shinomiya Kaguya was holding. He still felt a little nervous.

The exploration of the crack in kitchen 206 did not last long.

After Kaguya confirmed the contents of the second rulebook, Takahashi attempted to explore one more time, this time without even leaving the living room, and instead closed the living room door. He then decided to retreat, first closing the kitchen door on the first floor, then carefully covering the hole on the second floor, closing the kitchen door again, before letting everyone prepare to return to their respective rooms.

Old Guo could use that black guy to turn the clock at any time, and if he did, the entire apartment would quickly go into darkness.

Therefore, everyone must return to their own houses before that.

After leaving room 206, Sun Dajun used the tools he found in the room to repair the door to room 204, solving the problem of the broken lock for Gao Hai and Kaguya. It is worth mentioning that shortly after Sun Dajun left the room, Green, who was asked by Maki to guard the door of the open room 206, discovered that the charred corpse had appeared in the corridor of room 206 at some point, which scared him so much that he almost collapsed to the ground.

However, immediately after Sun Dajun returned to 206, or more precisely, the moment Sun Dajun stepped into the door of 206, the charred corpse disappeared from the corridor, and then everyone found it in the charred wardrobe where the corpse had originally been lying.

During the day, when residents leave the room, the body inside may or may not react, but as soon as the residents return to the room, the body will quiet down and return to its original state.

After that, Gao Hai went to check Green's room 209 and quickly found a mummified corpse hidden in the broken ceiling. Like the "Refrigerator Guy" in room 208, this corpse didn't react to Green's departure. However, when Green was outside the door of 209 and Gao Hai stepped inside, he immediately heard footsteps coming from inside. He quickly pulled Green in, and the two discovered the mummified corpse that had already entered the living room.

Green's face turned green, especially after he learned that he had to share a room with the corpse that night, or he might be killed by the ghost story. His face turned as green as a frog's, and he almost trembled as he entered the room.

He was terrified of dying.

This man named Green was extremely afraid of death.

Perhaps because of his experience with a ghost story, Green's fear of ghost stories and the bizarre far exceeded that of others. He knew clearly that in this deadly game full of dangers, one wrong step could lead to his sudden death, which is why he was so eager to cling to a powerful figure.

This guy is actually quite troublesome.

Gao Hai couldn't help but have this thought in his heart.

He is now obedient because he believes that this group can bring him safety and that he can gain hope of survival through them.

But if the situation becomes critical, and no one can provide him with a sense of security, and he has to take risks himself, will he still be so obedient?

We need to take precautions.

On the other hand, Maeda Miwa, who was in 205, was basically forced into 205.

Upon learning that she would have to spend the night in that dark, foul-smelling room with a female corpse, the woman screamed and struggled like a madwoman, crying so hard that tears, snot, and saliva streamed down her face. In the end, she simply lost control of her bladder, and nothing Gao Hai and the others said could change her mind.

Finally, Green grabbed Maeda Miwa by the neck with his arm, knocking her unconscious on the spot. He then threw her into the living room of apartment 205 and locked the door from the outside, thus resolving the problem.

Sun Dajun felt somewhat reluctant during this process, but after Gao Hai asked him if he was willing to bear the consequences of the woman howling in his house and attracting all sorts of ghosts, the man remained silent for a long time and finally chose to stand by and watch.

Kindness depends on the occasion and the recipient.

In this terrifying apartment where everyone is on edge, no one has the extra compassion to share with someone who refuses to cooperate and offers absolutely nothing of value. Green even went so far as to steal the supply box from room 205 and then cheerfully presented it to Gao Hai and the others. However, stealing supplies while people are still alive is somewhat unethical, and since Zhenfei and Sun Dajun couldn't accept this behavior, the supply box was eventually returned to room 205.

"This is the first time I've felt that someone can be so useless and only cause trouble for others."

After seeing Green successfully lock the door of room 205 from the outside by fiddling with a small wire, Gao Hai shook his head and sighed.

"People who have lived in peace and comfort for too long will become like this once they return to a harsh environment. In the end, the greatest significance of the progress of modern society is just that more useless people have survived. Normally, these people don't show any problems, but when it comes to critical moments, every single one of them will become a burden."

Kaguya, who comes from a ruthless conglomerate, no longer regards Maeda Miwa as a human being. When she saw Takami returning the supply box because of Maki's reluctance, she snorted and felt very disdainful of the two of them.

"Ahem, at least when you're in the public eye, you have to put on an act. Licking the bag while crying makes it look better on the surface, doesn't it?"

Gao Hai was slightly embarrassed. He had actually intended to accept the supply box from Green, but Maki's reluctance made him hesitate. After all, there wasn't much food in the box, and the ghost stories in Shirakawa Apartment were incredibly fierce. Compared to that, the survival pressure of hunger wasn't that great. Therefore, he ultimately chose to return the supply box, since Maki's opinion was more important to Gao Hai.

As for whether he realized that both Maki and Kaguya had seen through his reasons for his decision, and therefore the former couldn't help but start to overthink things, and the latter started to have a "let's see what happens" mentality, unfortunately, he didn't at all. But such things are not important now; the immediate pressure of survival is the key.

Click—click—

Ultimately, Gao Hai's idea proved to be correct. With a crisp sound, the wall clocks in everyone's rooms began to tick clockwise, and time began to pass rapidly.

However, because Gao Hai didn't turn the clock this time, he didn't see anything unusual. In contrast, Sun Dajun was in agony. He huddled on the bed, his mind flashing with all sorts of images, but he couldn't see or hear anything clearly before he completely lost consciousness and fainted.

Close the living room door and lock it.

Gao Hai turned around and looked at the nailed-together window in the living room.

At this moment, the light outside the window is rapidly dimming, and the time in the entire apartment is quickly turning from day to night.

"The hands will finally stop at 8:50, which means that 10 minutes after the hands stop, we must remain absolutely silent until the next day."

Gao Hai looked at Kaguya, who was standing on one side of the room, and said in a low voice. Then he took off his shoes and socks and sat down on the floor against the wall.

Because of exploring the first floor, Gao Hai's shoes and socks were completely soaked. It might be difficult to dry them overnight, but for now, he could only make do with them like this.

"understood."

Kaguya Shinomiya nodded gently and sat down on the ground without saying a word.

Neither of them chose the dirty bed.

The light outside the window had become very dim.