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

"Suggestions? If you really have any suggestions, I'd like to hear them, Gao Jun."

Somewhat unexpectedly, this remark piqued Kaguya's interest, and she continued the conversation, even though she seemed to have already decided to end the topic.

"Oh, are you sure you want to hear this? My suggestion is the kind of vulgar, low-class advice you'd expect."

This surprised Gao Hai somewhat.

"Of course I should listen. Different people have different perspectives, and maybe my thinking is just limited."

This guy is serious.

Gao Hai couldn't help but stop and think about it seriously for a moment.

"Oh, I see. Let me think... The tone you used when talking about your family doesn't sound like you have a good relationship with them. In that case, why don't you just take out the management of your brothers' companies? First, give them a heads-up about who you're going to kill, then do it. Repeat this a few times, and they'll know you're not someone to mess with."

Although he originally wanted to suggest that Kaguya directly eliminate her utterly idiotic older brother, Shinomiya Hikari, since he was Kaguya's greatest enemy, he hesitated. Firstly, he hadn't had much actual contact with Kaguya in this world, making it difficult to explain the revelation of plot information known only to manga readers. Secondly, it was uncertain whether Kaguya could actually bring herself to directly harm her own blood relatives. Therefore, he opted for a less idealistic suggestion: that the girl target the very thing that held most power and influence for her.

"...Such a suggestion is indeed simple and crude, but the problem is, what if they choose to retaliate against the people around me?"

This suggestion caused Kaguya to fall silent for a moment again, before she began asking questions again.

"Are your weaknesses greater, or theirs? Send them a list of their subordinates and associates, and let them know that if they dare to make a move, you will eliminate them without hesitation. These guys will then know what to do. To put it bluntly, from the moment we become players, we've been a bunch of desperados. The order of civilized society has become somewhat disconnected from us. Gambling with our lives and risking our lives is our specialty. I don't think those who control you have the confidence to fight you to the end in this kind of thing."

With that, Gao Hai walked out of the bedroom, washed up, lingered at home for a while to kill some time, then dressed and went out. He bought some bread at a nearby bakery for a quick breakfast before heading towards his destination.

Kaguya Shinomiya didn't say anything more after that, and the conversation ended abruptly. Whether she'll choose the "always talking about filial piety" route or not, to be honest, Takami couldn't predict, since Kaguya's current trajectory clearly deviates completely from the original story.

The morning sun was as bright as ever.

Unaware of the two deadly battles that took place in the city last night, commuters and students continued their daily lives.

Gao Hai had already arrived at the small shop, which looked like a teahouse, with many small rooms inside.

"Yes, I am a guest who booked the [Flying Dragon in the Sky] room."

After exchanging a few words with the staff, I was led to the door of the corresponding room.

Takami pushed open the door and entered. Kaguya and Maki were already seated at one side of the large table in the room. In the corner on the other side of the table was Goto Ichiri, who looked very nervous, and indeed was. At the same time, a girl with glasses, long brown hair and golden eyes was sitting in a seat, giving Takami a polite smile.

"Hello, are you Mr. Gao Hai? I am Nanami Aoyama, the player who organized this transaction. Ms. Goto is my friend, and I hope we can get along well."

As she spoke, the young girl, who looked no more than 20 years old, stood up and bowed slightly to Gao Hai.

"Yes, hello, Ms. Aoyama."

Gao Hai greeted her in a serious manner, but in his mind he was already quickly recalling information related to the character.

Aoyama Nanami, standing at 158cm, is from the anime/manga series *Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo*. She is a very self-reliant girl who works hard to pursue her dream of becoming a voice actress. Compared to the quirky female characters in other anime/manga works, this girl is actually more realistic in a certain sense. She is approachable, humble, cautious, understanding, and methodical in her work—the kind of virtuous wife who would be a perfect wife.

Wait a minute, speaking of which, the cat tag on the door of the house that Pochi took him and Maki to earlier was an orange cat tag. Could it be that it wasn't actually a cat, but a tag representing the image of [Torajiro] that Aoyama Nanami is so fond of?

Tsk, I didn't remember at all back then. The main reason is that the anime adaptation of her work was 12 years ago, and these details are really hard to remember unless you're a die-hard fan. It's already quite impressive that he could recall all the relevant settings after recognizing the character.

That said, judging from her capable and confident demeanor, could it be that she's the one leading Goto Ichiri through the dungeon? In the original work, she took care of Mashiro, who had no common sense, and now she's taking care of Pochi, who has severe social anxiety. What kind of strange mother character is this?

"Hey, why are you staring at other people?"

With a slightly displeased expression, Maki gently kicked Gao Hai under the table, making sure to use the back of her foot to avoid leaving dust on Gao Hai's pants.

"Ahem, it's nothing. Anyway, we're here to trade entry tickets, right? But to be honest, I'm still wondering why they'd target new players like us with such important items as three Twilight-level entry tickets for the same scene?"

After clearing his throat, Gao Hai's expression returned to seriousness, and he earnestly asked Aoyama Nanami in front of him.

"This question should be asked of Mr. Xiaohe, since he is the one who makes the decision, while I am merely responsible for organizing this transaction and serving as a witness. Hmm, it seems he has arrived, and this transaction should be able to officially begin."

Aoyama Nanami spoke with a smile, and before Takahashi and the others could even notice, she had already turned to look at the door. Then, Takahashi and the others heard footsteps approaching, followed by the door being slowly pushed open, and a figure stepping into the room.

He was an old man, bald, hunched over, looking like a skeleton, and leaning on a cane.

The moment Gao Hai and the old man made eye contact, the old man grinned and chuckled. Then Gao Hai saw a small black worm crawl quickly across his teeth and disappear into his lips.

Holy crap, it's Matou Zouken!

"Although I don't know what you're thinking, let me state in advance that my name is Xiaoheshu, and I just turned 28 this year. I have to maintain this old man-like appearance because I need to use parasitic insect-like obsession objects. Please don't mistake me for some kind of villain just because I look a bit strange."

Gao Hai had just mentally complained when the old man shook his head and said something, as if this kind of misunderstanding had happened many times before.

“Mr. Xiaohe, why do you want to come to us and sell us admission tickets? You should know that as newcomers, we can't possibly have any high-value items we're attached to. I'd like to know your reasons for making this choice.”

Kaguya, who didn't care about the other person's appearance, directly asked the question.

"How could that be? Just getting those coveted items from the [Female Face Gang] is enough to pay the reward, especially that [Substitute Flesh and Blood]. You got one, didn't you? You even managed to get 'Old Ghost Guo's' faceless head. I can't even imagine how you did it in the Baichuan Apartment dungeon. Defeating a high-difficulty dungeon that's likely to be fixed at Dark Night level, obtaining its blessing, and killing six veteran players, one of whom is the infamous Old Ghost Guo, is enough for me, enough for [Market] to recruit you. Your potential is truly terrifying. At least we need to ensure that we can be friends, not enemies."

With slow, deliberate speech, the old man pulled out a chair and then slowly sat down.

Was he monitoring yesterday's battle from the sidelines? Or did he use some other means to monitor it?

To know that Shijou Maki used the Faceless Head in the battle, she must have witnessed the entire process. This Kogawa Tree is connected to the organizers of the [Market], meaning the [Market] wants to sit back and watch the fight, confirming which side will ultimately win before intervening to win them over.

This choice is understandable.

But to be honest, it's more or less unpleasant.

"So you mean an investment, right? Then where are you going to give us our admission tickets?"

Gao Hai's tone remained unchanged; he simply looked at the other person and asked.

"Amelia Country, Red Nut Gray Hole, is a low-difficulty Twilight-level dungeon that is not yet fixed, exactly three of them."

The old man let out a somewhat hoarse laugh, then stretched out his hand, and three crumpled tourist tickets appeared in his palm.

Interlude 1-18: Claustrophobia - Twilight-level Dungeon Entry Ticket

Dungeon entry ticket.

This was the first time Gao Hai had ever seen this thing, something that could be considered a necessity and a form of hard currency for players.

When you reach out and touch it gently, you feel a texture similar to sandpaper, with a slight coolness.

It was something real and tangible, but the old man (28 years old) simply reached out, and the old ticket with the words "Red Nut Gray Hole Sightseeing Ticket" disappeared into thin air and appeared in the other person's hand.

As Gao Hai touched the words on the ticket, he could faintly hear someone reciting something like "Twilight-level Dungeon Admission Ticket - Claustrophobia".

“There are three tickets in total, all for the same location, and they are all twilight level tickets. If I were to trade with someone else, I could make a huge profit from these three tickets. But now, I am willing to lower the price and trade with you.”

Little River Tree, holding three admission tickets, said in a low voice.

"You said there's no fixed copy?"

Gao Hai did not immediately discuss the price with the other party, but instead frowned and asked first.

"That's right, there's no fixed one. Therefore, the core object of obsession hasn't manifested, making this stage of the dungeon the easiest to pass. It doesn't even require any deaths, and everyone can escape."

Xiaoheshu chuckled again, then noticed Gao Hai's furrowed brows and quickly realized what the other was worried about.

"If you're worried about encountering fixed instances after entering, you don't need to be so pessimistic."

"The 'fixed' nature of dungeons doesn't start suddenly; rather, it's a gradual process that players can detect in advance."

"According to feedback from players who participated in this instance last month, there are no signs that this instance has become 'fixed' so far, so you can rest assured. Of course, I admit that there are instances that suddenly become fixed, but such cases are extremely rare, with only three cases discovered on the player network so far. I believe that you are unlikely to be that lucky."

As she spoke, Xiaoheshu laughed and placed the three admission tickets on the table, then made a shrugging gesture towards the three of them.

"Is this so..."

Gao Hai really wanted to complain about the old man. If that last sentence hadn't been added, he might have actually thought there was no problem. But after the guy added that last sentence, Gao Hai suddenly felt like he had been given a flag like "After this battle, I'm going home to marry Zhenfei," and that the next mission was going to have big problems.

"What do you want?"

Seeing that Takami had no intention of saying anything more, Kaguya took over the conversation and asked him.

"We want the [Female Face Gang's] [Substitute Flesh and Blood]. In addition, you can trade two more Obsession Items. One Obsession Item corresponds to one ticket, and three Obsession Items can be exchanged for three tickets. The trade is that simple. Of course, we won't just give you tickets. We will also provide you with information about this dungeon. I can assure you that this information is all first-hand and brand new, and it will definitely help you pass the dungeon."

Little River Tree chuckled. If it weren't for the occasional insects crawling out of his face, one would have to admit that the old man's face actually had a slightly kind and benevolent look.

Are the three objects of obsession included, including the [Substitute Flesh and Blood]?

Gao Hai fell into deep thought.

The trading partner was clearly predetermined from the start, and the three objects of obsession that would be traded were also decided in advance.

The battle between Shijou Maki and the two veteran players was extremely dangerous. The bloody fight brought the two obsession items that Maki had retrieved from the two women to the brink of collapse, which was one of the main reasons why Takami had to take possession of the obsession items that Maki had obtained. Adding to this the extremely bizarre [Stand Flesh and Blood] obsession item that none of the three of them intended to keep, it's safe to say that Kogawa Itsuki's goal was very clear.

In that case, the only things you'll get after defeating the "Female Face Gang" are the Blood Scissors, the Black Umbrella, and the Rotten Hand. But considering you didn't pay any price, it's not a bad deal.

Gao Hai remained silent, while Maki and Kaguya frowned in thought, unable to make a decision easily.

"I know you have many questions. Whether it's that piece of flesh or those out-of-control obsessions, they are all of great significance to us. Let me be blunt: the source of these obsessions in the hands of the [Female Face Gang] is highly questionable. Although we haven't found out the exact items yet, it's certain that their acquisition methods were illegitimate. Therefore, handing these troublesome items over to us would be a win-win situation. Of course, if you insist on keeping these items, that's fine too. However, in that case, I can't give you these three tickets. Transactions in the [Market] don't involve bargaining. My willingness to meet you is primarily based on the potential of the three of you."

Seeing that the three of them were somewhat hesitant, Xiaoheshu spoke directly.

His stance was very clear: he did have designs on those three coveted items, but frankly, they weren't worth three Twilight-level entry tickets to the same scene, not even at three times the price. Therefore, if these three young people insisted on dragging their feet and haggling, there was no need for him to continue the transaction. After all, the ones with the real need were actually Gao Hai's side; they were the ones with the more urgent need.

Kaguya and Maki couldn't make a decision immediately; they hesitated, still somewhat wanting to try talking further.

After a brief silence, Gao Hai turned his gaze to Aoyama Nanami, who had been observing from the sidelines.

"Ms. Aoyama, as a witness to this transaction, can you ensure its fairness?"

He slowly opened his mouth and asked, his attitude very serious.

"Of course, Mr. Koga has been very fair in the six months he has been running the Tokyo trading area. I have already checked the trading items he provided today, and they are all in good condition."

In response to Gao Hai's question, Aoyama Nanami answered seriously and earnestly.

Upon receiving this answer, Gao Hai nodded directly to Xiao He Shu without hesitation, and then took out the object of his obsession from his watch.

From the unsurprised expression on Kogawa's face, Gao Hai knew that his watch, capable of storing objects of obsession, had already been exposed before. However, he still didn't know when the other person had started paying attention to him, or what methods they used to monitor him and ensure they wouldn't be discovered.

Could it be an insect?

"Sea Lord..."

Zhenfei hadn't expected Gao Hai to be so decisive, and subconsciously called out in a low voice.

"It's alright. Their attitude has been clear enough, so we can't be too stingy. But I'd still like to ask first, what specific information about the instance can you provide?"

After taking out the substitute's flesh and blood and the two obsessive objects that were about to go out of control and placing them on the table, Gao Hai turned back to Maki and said a comforting word, then turned to Xiao Heshu and asked.

"Map, information within the instance, and methods to complete the game."

As the old man spoke, he conjured up the three admission tickets in his hand again.

A strange sense of connection linked Gao Hai and the other person at that moment. He vaguely heard the other person say something about "agreeing to transfer," and then he found that the admission ticket was in his hand. Moreover, this time, in his perception, this admission ticket seemed to be connected to him, able to appear and disappear at his will, and could be instantly retrieved no matter how far away it was.

If there were banknote-shaped admission tickets... no, no, no, it's better not to have such strange thoughts.