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

"Leaving aside the rule that daytime is safe—after all, we haven't confirmed the situation in the corridor yet—one thing is already quite telling: the rule confirms that everyone who gets inexplicably brought into the Shirakawa Apartment is over 20 years old, while none of the three of us here are under 20. That alone contradicts the rule, so I suspect that the anomalies in this apartment have undergone a significant change, to the point that the rules used by the survivors who originally lived here are no longer accurate and can no longer help us avoid all the dangers."

"After all, since we arrived here, although we haven't been to many places, we haven't found any recent signs of life, whether in the houses or in the corridors, right? The person who had the ability to leave these rules wouldn't have just left a list and done nothing else. If they were still here, we should be able to find all sorts of clues. But the current situation is completely different. So, I think we should find a way to verify these rules and determine which ones have become invalid and which ones can still protect us."

"Of course, this is just my personal opinion. What do you think?"

As he spoke, Gao Hai sat obediently on the stool, his expression as innocent as a well-behaved student in an elementary school classroom.

Although he appeared humble, Gao Hai still harbored a certain arrogance deep down.

No matter what, I am a transmigrator, and someone who has struggled and suffered in society. My knowledge and thinking are definitely much better than these anime-loving high school girls who don't even know what rules and supernatural tales are.

In that case, let's rely on my wisdom and the assistance of these two to overcome the current difficulties!

“If we’re talking about traces of those people’s lives in the past, I’ve found them. But Gao Hai is right about one thing: those people must have disappeared a long time ago.”

Standing on one side of the room, Shijo Maki listened attentively to Takami's words, then nodded gently in response. She then walked to the bed on one side of the room, lay down, and reached under the bed to pull out a small box.

"Well……"

The suitcase was obviously quite heavy. Shijo Maki struggled a bit when she picked it up, but she still frowned and slowly carried it to the table, placed it on the table, and then unzipped the small suitcase that resembled a travel suitcase.

The next moment, Takami and Kaguya Shinomiya saw the various items scattered haphazardly in the box.

Compressed biscuits, instant noodles in bags, bottled water, toilet paper, alcohol, iodine, fever reducers...

Various items were mixed in, clearly prepared here specifically for the use of the people living in the house.

"The production dates are all around two years ago, with the most recent being two years and three months ago. The items are either expired or close to expiring. The text on these items is all in Chinese, making it seem like we've been transported to some small town in China. Also, there's this in the box."

As Shijo Maki spoke, she opened one side of the box and pulled out a piece of white paper.

Just like the rule sheets we found in the house before, this piece of paper also had some words written on it.

[To the Survivors]

No matter who you are, when you wake up in this room, you are one of us.

As fellow sufferers of the curse, unable to escape this terrifying apartment, we can only survive by cooperating with each other.

This box contains some food and water, as well as disinfectant alcohol, gauze, some basic medicines, and tools. These items are replaced annually, so don't worry about them running out of use. Please take what you need.

[However, if it is at night, please try not to make any noise when using these items. If you have seen the rule sheet we left in the room, I believe you will understand what I mean. If you haven't seen it yet, please do so now. This is not a place where you can retire peacefully. Everyone here is constantly exposed to danger, so if you want to survive, you must know the rules.]

The contents of the supply crate are as follows:

【1.巧克力棒x3条；2.罐装压缩饼干x1盒；3.维生素补剂x1盒；4.袋装泡面x3袋；5.饮用矿泉水x5瓶x600ml；6.打火机x1个；7.卫生纸x1包x180抽；8.消毒酒精x1瓶；9.消毒碘伏x1瓶；10.医用绷带x1卷；11.常规药物x1盒；12.卫生巾x1盒；13.透明胶带x1个；14.耳塞x1对；15.自制消音口罩x1副（如果你有打鼾的问题，晚上睡觉务必戴上这个东西，不论再难受都不能取下）】

[—Xu Sheng]

Unlike the rule table with its dense text of over two thousand words, the content on this form is much simpler and more intuitive.

Just seeing these things gave Gao Hai an indescribable feeling.

Whether it's the living rules in each room, the cabinets specially built in the corridors for refuge, or the living supplies now found inside for the survivors, one can imagine that the group of survivors who once lived in this place must have been doing everything they could to unite and try every possible way to improve everyone's survival rate.

But now, they have vanished, leaving only traces of their existence.

What exactly happened during this process?

The text on this document clearly shows that the survivors were capable of distributing these emergency supplies to every house. This means that the people who lived here back then had thoroughly investigated the rules of the place, were basically able to live normally, and even had considerable resources to help others.

So, what exactly happened that caused these survivors to disappear without a trace?

"If this 'one year change' rule isn't just a random statement, then any organized survivor groups that once existed here have disintegrated at least a year ago."

Kaguya Shinomiya, who maintained a cold expression throughout, slowly spoke, her gaze fixed on the scattered items in the small box, lost in thought.

“That’s right. I asked other people in the hallway before, and they didn’t seem to have noticed any boxes like these in the rooms. I suspect that every room should have one of these supply boxes. If we really have to stay here for a while, then collecting these supply boxes is necessary. Even if it’s food that’s close to its expiration date, at least it can fill our stomachs. Facing this weird apartment while hungry is not a good thing. Right, Great-Aunt?”

Saying this, Shijou Maki sat on the sofa on one side of the room and gently swung her legs.

"The contents of this supply box are enough to last us for about a day. While we can conserve some resources, that would reduce our physical strength, making it difficult for us to react in time when facing danger. In other words, even if we take a conservative approach, we can only stay in this room for a day at most, and we'll have to move out of this room by tomorrow."

Kaguya Shinomiya frowned. She didn't like Shijou Maki calling her "great-aunt." Although they were indeed of the same generation, it was still very annoying that a girl of the same age had to be called "grandmother." Kaguya was so annoyed that she wanted to argue with her right there and then.

No, we can't do that.

As a member of the Shinomiya family, it's one thing to bicker and make a fuss in private, but now that there are outsiders present, it's better to maintain proper etiquette.

Slightly annoyed, Kaguya Shinomiya let out a soft breath, maintaining her calm expression, and continued her analysis:

"Although we must take action, we currently have far too little intelligence, so acting rashly is not a good idea. As Mr. Gao Hai said, the rule list we have may already be outdated. Even if some of the contents are indeed of reference value, other parts that seem to protect us may now have become deadly traps."

"Therefore, it is now very necessary for us to review this rule list in our hands."

Extending her slender white fingers, Kaguya Shinomiya gently pressed them onto a rule sheet placed on the table, her tone growing increasingly serious.

"Let's start with the very first rule, 8:00 AM to 5:50 PM. This rule is clearly problematic right now. There's light coming through the window, so it should be daytime, but there are inexplicable anomalies in the hallway. Either the light from the window is misleading, and we're actually in the dark, or this rule is no longer valid, and the apartment is dangerous even during the day."

Shijo Maki immediately spoke up, clearly indicating that she had already been considering this issue for some time.

"I'm certain of that it's daytime now, there's no mistake. So the only possibility is that the rule is no longer accurate and can no longer protect us."

Kaguya Shinomiya immediately gave her answer, her tone very confident.

"biological clock?"

Shijou Maki was slightly taken aback by the answer, but then immediately understood what Kaguya meant.

“That’s right. The Shinomiya family has very strict schedules. As long as it’s past 11 o’clock, my body will instinctively feel sleepy. The clock on the wall was already showing around 1 o’clock. If it were 1 a.m., I couldn’t possibly be completely unresponsive.”

Kaguya Shinomiya nodded slightly, her words unconsciously carrying a hint of arrogance.

"That's quite a strict approach, almost pitiful, Auntie. But have you considered the time difference? If we're taken to another time zone, your biological clock might not be accurately synchronized with the time. Or, to put it more dramatically, what if we're in another world?"

Shijou Maki snorted and replied without any politeness, hands on her hips.

"I've considered that as well, but the houses, furniture, and writing in this place we're in all have a distinctly Chinese style. Unless the creators of this place are incredibly bored and insist on making a scale replica of a place like America, the time difference shouldn't be too significant. You know, the entire Chinese mainland uses the Shanghai time zone, which has a very small time difference with Japan. As for another world, we don't need to consider that right now, because if we think about it that way, we'll be trapped in this room for the rest of our lives. With that kind of thinking, everything we do will be wrong, and our goal is to leave this place, not to get stuck in this dead end."

Kaguya Shinomiya retorted rapidly, while Maki Shijou on the other side immediately showed a thoughtful expression, then nodded slightly, agreeing with the other's statement.

"I think……"

Having been unable to find a chance to interject, Gao Hai could only watch the two girls' rapid-fire conversation. At this moment, he raised his hand, wanting to say something.

"Okay, so the next rule is that something unusual seems to happen in this apartment after 9 p.m."

However, Kaguya Shinomiya quickly moved on to the next topic. Even though Maki had stopped to listen to what Takami had to say, she couldn't help but be led by Kaguya's pace and could only continue discussing the next issue.

"An absolutely accurate clock... that statement couldn't have been written randomly; it must have some deeper meaning. I'll have to try changing the clock's time in a bit and see what happens."

"According to this rule, after 9 p.m., we must stay in the house, preferably the house where we woke up, and keep the house absolutely quiet, ignoring the child knocking on the door... This 'child' might be a metaphor, referring to some kind of threat in this apartment. How does the other party monitor the entire building, so even if they know something, they can't discuss or explain it freely?"

"I tested the electrical circuits in the room when I woke up. They were broken, and had been broken for a long time. So the third rule, 'Don't turn on the lights,' is completely meaningless. This might also be one of the pieces of evidence that the survivors disappeared. When those survivors were still active, the apartment's electrical circuits should have been maintained or were still intact. No, I can't just think about my own room. The lights in the hallway are fine. What if those lights also fall under the category of 'must be turned off after 9 p.m.'?"

"We'll have to check if anything's left on the tall cabinets in a bit. The rules are very clear: the source of the threat is similar in size to a young child and not very tall, so they can hide behind tall cabinets. But they've disappeared now, so it's hard to say if this method of avoidance will still work. However, there should be some traces left on those cabinets, which might help our further investigation."

"The way the location 304 is specifically mentioned is probably a big problem. On the contrary, the person who made this rule claims to live in 309, which means that the 3rd floor itself is safe, but is there a problem with room 304? In any case, it is absolutely necessary to investigate the 3rd floor. By the way, I asked those people for their room numbers when I was outside. They are all on the same floor, residents of the 2nd floor. So far, no one claiming to be from 304 has appeared."

"According to the rules, there is no problem entering or leaving this apartment, but you must enter and exit through the main door. But our mission is to escape from Shirakawa Apartment within 7 days. If this were really that easy, I don't think there would be any reason for us to be given such a mission. Perhaps the situation on the first floor is very dangerous. If we are to conduct an investigation, we must be as careful as possible."

"Putting everything else aside, there's been no movement in the corridor so far, which is troublesome enough. Even if you heard footsteps and left, is it really safe outside? Just the question of whether we should open the door and go out to explore is already a problem."

……

Gao Hai remained motionless.

Silence fell between the two young women as they exchanged their words.

He tried to speak several times, but ultimately failed to find an opportunity to interject.

Every time he tried to say something, one of Kaguya or Maki would say it, quickly moving on to the next topic. The pace was so fast that Takahashi couldn't keep up and couldn't find anything to add. Soon, he was left sitting there listening intently to their analysis, completely giving up on any idea of ​​participating.

There are indeed many differences between people.

At this moment, Gao Hai felt that the three-person team in front of him was like two god-like figures and a useless person who was just there to make up the numbers. Well, of course, he was that useless person.

"In short, the key issue now is whether or not to open the door to investigate the situation outside. Auntie, you think we should test the waters, but I suggest we observe a little longer, at least wait and see if the other two people who also hid in the house make any further moves. We can't be the ones to stick our necks out. By the way, Gao Hai, what do you think? Do you have any ideas?"

As the discussion drew to a close and they began to talk about their current actions, Shijou Maki suddenly looked at the quiet Takami beside her and asked for his opinion.

"I'll be in charge of shouting '666'."

With a blank expression, Gao Hai raised his right hand and answered very seriously.

"What?"

Princess Zhenfei frowned, not understanding the sentence. Although she could understand Chinese, it was obviously a bit too much to understand the various terms used on the Chinese internet.

"I mean, I'm asking for help from experienced players. I'm a newbie, sob sob."

Gao Hai continued, his face expressionless.

"What kind of inexplicable, malicious attempt to act cute is this? I was seriously asking for your opinion!"

Still completely unable to understand what Gao Hai was saying, Zhenfei stomped her foot angrily, revealing some sharp canine teeth.

Chapter 8: Shijou Maki Remains Motionless

Ultimately, the three decided to remain indoors for the time being, waiting for the other two sides to see if anyone would take the initiative first.

The situation outside was unclear, and taking action now would be a bad idea. Therefore, Kaguya Shinomiya, with her keen hearing, stayed in the corridor near the door, keeping a close eye on the outside. Maki Shijou, on the other hand, conducted a more thorough search of the house, looking for any missing clues. Takami assisted the girl, helping her search and investigate various items in apartment 208.

"Judging from his clothes, he probably looks like a young man living alone."

As she rummaged through the wardrobe in the house and pulled out some simple men's clothing, Maki frowned and wiped her hands several times.

"And he's the kind of single man who's living a very miserable life."

Gao Hai stared at the boxer shorts and socks, covered in yellowish stains and mold, lying by the bed. In the end, he couldn't bring himself to touch them, and instead kicked them against the wall.

"Unfortunately, no diary or similar records were found. It seems that the last person to stay here did not leave anything useful."

After searching for a while without any results, Maki looked disappointed, patted her chest which was not rising and falling much, and let out a long sigh.

"Generally speaking, not many people keep records by writing diaries. In my hometown, only elementary school students write diaries every day as required by their teachers. After middle and high school, not many people write such things anymore."

Gao Hai, who was walking next to the kitchen, opened the kitchen door and casually continued the conversation.

"That only proves you don't understand the diversity of people. Many people have the habit of keeping a diary, especially those who are sensitive and like to think. But are you really a novelist? Generally speaking, don't people like you prefer to write things down whenever they have free time?"

"I really don't want to touch those dirty clothes anymore," said Shijou Maki, kicking the pile of dirty clothes against the wall. The kick landed right next to the pile of boxer shorts and socks, and the two piles of filth ended up mixed together.

"That's why I often say I'm just a writer of online novels. My job is basically to write things that aren't very profound and can help people relax. How could I possibly have the problems of those who do serious literature? The kitchen stove still has gas and water, and it seems to be clean tap water. This place is clearly in a terrible state, but the water, electricity, and gas are still running. What's going on here?"

Gao Hai, after trying out the faucets on the kitchen stove and sink, felt somewhat puzzled. Maki, upon hearing this, followed him into the kitchen and, seeing the blue flames burning on the stove, revealed a somewhat surprised expression.