At twilight, on the slightly bustling street, two figures were moving forward side by side.
Gao Hai held Maki's hand, walking down the street with a calm expression, while Maki herself, her small face slightly flushed, followed closely at his heels. The two walked all the way in silence until Gao Hai's footsteps halted. Maki, however, subconsciously took another step forward before reacting with a delay and hurriedly stopping as well.
"What are you thinking about, to be flustered like this?"
Gao Hai looked at Maki's startled reaction and asked with a smile.
"...N-Nothing. I was just thinking about that [Alice's Game] you mentioned before, Hai-kun."
First came a subconscious, instinctive denial, but then, after a moment of hesitation, Maki spoke up in a low voice.
"Oh, that. I actually just mentioned it casually; you really went and looked it up, huh."
Gao Hai was somewhat surprised. Since suspecting that he might be pulled into a Red Moon-level instance by the power of the Watch, he had indeed paid close attention to the instance [Campus Horror Stories]. Consequently, he had searched for related materials many times on the player forum during this period. Among them, the rules and intelligence regarding Fujihana Middle School were quite abundant, so that was where he focused his attention.
This behavior naturally attracted the girls' attention, and Gao Hai had no intention of hiding it, so he directly voiced his conjectures. As a result, after that, Kaguya, Maki, and Chika all began to pay attention to the [Campus Horror Stories] instance, helping him investigate intelligence in this area together. These three young girls were even trying to understand and collect some intelligence on other Red Moon-level instances, just in case.
Come to think of it, even knowing that I might be pulled into a Red Moon-level instance by the Watch's power, these girls didn't have any thoughts of backing down. They seemed to trust me very much, feeling that even in this kind of super-high difficulty instance, I would still have a way to clear it. Such trust was truly gratifying, but it also put a mountain of pressure on him.
Thinking of this, Gao Hai couldn't help but sigh with emotion in his heart.
"So, any thoughts? It just so happens we can talk as we walk."
Gao Hai, holding Maki's small hand, continued to stride forward, speaking as they walked.
"Regarding thoughts, I do have quite a few. By the way, Hai-kun, how much of the intelligence on the 'Fujihana Middle School' section have you read?"
With this topic as an opener, Maki's nervousness clearly alleviated, and her voice gradually became fluent as she spoke with Gao Hai.
"I've already read both sets of game rules, namely the Teaching Building's [Alice's Big Adventure Game] and the Dormitory Department's [Alice's Puzzle Solving Mini-game]. Additionally, I've also seen the 12 game hints heard by players starting in Fujihana Middle School that were statistically compiled."
Gao Hai nodded in response, involuntarily recalling the intelligence he had seen earlier in his mind.
In that junior high school named [Fujihana Middle School], there existed a total of four [Alice's Games]. These four games were located in four areas: the Teaching Building, the Dormitory Department, the Playground, and the Swimming Pool. However, currently, the rules for only the Teaching Building and Dormitory Department areas could be viewed. The Playground and Swimming Pool were in a semi-closed state; even if players entered these areas, they could not find the rule sheets. And the related rules that were originally recorded by players in the real world had also mysteriously vanished without a trace.
As for the reason, although there was currently no definitive conclusion, many players speculated that the Obsession Items existing in these two areas had been taken away, causing the associated games to be closed along with them. But many people did not accept this speculation, because the situation where an area closes due to the disappearance of an Obsession Item usually only happens when the core Obsession Item is taken away; the disappearance of ordinary Obsession Items would not affect the instance.
Aside from this speculation, there was another theory: that the games in the "Playground" and "Swimming Pool" areas had already determined a "winner," so there was no need to hold the game anymore. Furthermore, once the games in the "Teaching Building" and "Dormitory Department" also determined their winners, the Fujihana Middle School area might undergo further mutation. Of course, this speculation was considered even less reliable. The reason for this couldn't be directly stated by the players on the forum, but Gao Hai could already guess the cause.
The winners of [Alice's Game] would all be killed by the anomalies within Fujihana Middle School.
Players who truly won according to the game rules could absolutely not survive. The players on the forum didn't say this out loud, but for Gao Hai, who had seriously read the rules, understanding this point wasn't difficult.
"In the end, these two sets of regulations are completely different from the regulations we encountered in Shirakawa Apartments and within the Red Nut Gray Hole."
"The regulations of Shirakawa Apartments were written by Mr. Lin Xusheng. Although the content of those rules had various issues due to being outdated, there is no doubt that they were survival rules written to guarantee the survival of survivors."
"The rules in Red Nut Gray Hole were divided into the Research Base part and the cavern part. The former was written by internal base personnel to maintain the order of the base itself, while the latter was written by Mr. Werbo, who went deep into danger to redeem a tragedy, striving to leave them for those who came after."
"The common point of these rules is that those who wrote them stood on the side of 'humans.' Whether their purpose was 'maintenance' or 'escape,' in the final analysis, it was actually for the good of more people. So these rules can be utilized by players, and we can basically believe all their clauses."
"But these two games... from the very beginning, the feeling these things give me is that they weren't left by normal people. To be honest, I can only sense a thick malice from these rules. If we really believe these rules and act according to them, I think it's impossible for us to survive."
While Gao Hai was thinking, Maki was also voicing her own analysis. Clearly, her thoughts coincided with Gao Hai's.
The biggest difference between the Fujihana Middle School instance and the previous two instances lay in the stance of the rule writer. And for players, this difference was extremely fatal.
"In that case, Maki, where do you think the path to life in the Fujihana Middle School instance actually lies? You have to know that although this instance is extremely dangerous, there are still quite a few players who have escaped from it alive. Since people can leave alive, it proves this place isn't a land of absolute death; there must be a path to life hidden within it."
Gao Hai thought for a moment and asked.
"As for the path to life... I think it is very likely on the [bad children] mentioned in the rules."
Maki lowered her head and pondered seriously for a while before giving this answer.
"Judging from the current two sets of rules, completing the game and becoming Alice's friend is very likely a dead end. Then, correspondingly, the [bad children] who won't become Alice's friends are where the corresponding path to life lies. In other words, if a player can acquire the identity of a [bad child], there is a possibility of survival."
"Of course, considering existences like the [Big Bad Wolf] mentioned in the rules, even if one acquires the identity of a [bad child], the player must still face all sorts of dangerous cryptids. This identity merely gives the player a possibility to live on."
"As for the question of how to acquire the identity of a [bad child]—for example, according to the Teaching Building's regulations, perhaps we need to blow out the candles of other players or our own? And the Dormitory regulations are much simpler; presumably, one just needs to not go to bed on time after dark to become a [bad child]?"
The young girl stated her analysis and thoughts very seriously.
Gao Hai nodded gently at her side, listening earnestly to Maki's thoughts. At the same time, he was also thinking seriously himself, recalling the content of the second set of [Alice's Game] regulations he had seen before, speculating and deducing the hidden information within.
[Alice's Puzzle Solving Mini-game!]
[Welcome to Alice's Dormitory Department! This is where Alice rests. We are going to play a game here, and we are going to become good friends here, okay!]
[Alice loves making friends the most. Alice wants to become friends with everyone, to become bestest, bestest friends with everyone, so let's play a game! As long as we've played the game together, everyone will become Alice's friends!]
[The goal of the game is very simple, okay? Alice will give you a riddle, and then you just have to find the item corresponding to this riddle in the dormitory building and take it to the correct place. Isn't it very simple? It's very easy, very easy to pass, okay? So everyone, let's come and play with Alice!]
[However, if you play the game, you must definitely follow the rules, okay? Only children who follow the rules are good children. So next, everyone must memorize the rules Alice says very well, okay!]
[Rule 1: Everyone's riddle is unique. Everyone can only search for the answer to their own riddle. You cannot tell your riddle to others to let others help find the answer, and you cannot tell the answer to your riddle to others to let others help you find the corresponding thing, okay? Otherwise, a very bad, very bad Big Bad Wolf will come to find you and eat you, this bad child, in one bite, okay!]
[Rule 2: Cleanliness and hygiene are very important. The bedding and sheets in the dormitory must, must be folded neatly, and there cannot be any trash on the floor, okay? Otherwise, Teacher Broom will find you very angrily, okay? He will urge you to clean up, okay!]
[Rule 3: After dark, good children must lie on their beds properly and sleep. You cannot make noise and you cannot run around everywhere, okay? Auntie Owl will check everyone seriously, so you must definitely sleep properly, okay!]
[Rule 4: The dormitory building has no underground floors. If you see the entrance to an underground floor, you must definitely pretend not to see it, okay? That is a trap used by bad children for pranks!]
[Rule 5: Grandpa Ox patrols the stairwell every day. When you see Grandpa Ox, you must definitely greet him properly and say 'Thank you for your hard work' to him, okay!]
[Rule 6: You cannot go to the rooftop of the dormitory building. The rooftop is a prohibited area, okay? Uncle Cat hates people who violate regulations; if you make him angry, it will be very bad. However, you can also try bribing him with dried small fish!]
[Rule 7: No one can be in the dormitory building during the day. Inspector Giraffe will come to inspect periodically, so during the day, you must definitely not stay inside the dormitory building, okay!]
[Rule 8: Saving water is a good habit, okay? You must definitely not waste water resources. This is a virtue Brother Faucet has taught every one of us. We must keep it firmly in our heads; perhaps Brother Faucet will turn it on to check!]
[Rule 9: Because Brother Pencil loves studying so much, he is always very sleepy, so he often sleeps in the corridor. Everyone should be more considerate of him; do not run or make noise in the corridor, okay!]
[Rule 10: The lights in the toilets are broken, and you can't tell if it's the men's room or the women's room. So before entering, you must definitely ask loudly if there is anyone inside. You can only enter after asking clearly whether it is the men's room or the women's room, okay!]
[Rule 11: Only after the Morning Bell rings can the lights be turned on in the dormitory building. If the Evening Bell rings, you must turn off the lights. You cannot turn on the lights at night, okay? This will disturb others. Everyone must be a good child; good children must be considerate of others, okay!]
[Rule 12: You must solve Alice's riddle and take the item to the correct place before you can leave the dormitory building, okay? The game must be played properly to the end; you absolutely cannot leave early, okay~]
[Rule 13: Cheating is absolutely not allowed. Everyone's riddle is unique, and everyone can only rely on themselves to complete their own game. Whether helping others or being helped by others, both are absolutely forbidden things, okay? Alice hates people who cheat the most. Alice won't become friends with bad children who cheat, so you absolutely, absolutely must not cheat, okay!]
[That's all the rules! Everyone, do your best, do your best, and come play with Alice!]
[As long as you've played the game, everyone will be good friends!]
...
To be honest, Gao Hai always felt that the biggest difference between the writer of this rule set and the writers of the rules in the previous two instances was actually a problem of tone and phrasing. After all, neither Xusheng, nor Werbo, nor the staff of the Research Base would write rules so coyly in such a disgusting tone, nor would they play this kind of malicious act of acting cute.
"In any case, what is certain is that the [Fujihana Middle School] instance still possesses extremely high danger for the current us. If we are to think based on the premise of being swept into this place, I'm afraid we still need to find ways to enhance our own abilities. Hmm, for example, try to trade for some Obsession Items that are more suitable for us or something?"
Maki pondered, finally offering this thought.
Gao Hai, who had been listening seriously to the young girl's suggestion, nodded earnestly. Then, he suddenly snapped back to reality, realizing something was wrong.
Am I not walking down the street with Maki? Am I not in the middle of resting and relaxing? How did we walk and talk, only to start discussing serious matters again? Where did the ambiguous atmosphere that was so hard to build up just now fly off to!?
"What's wrong? Why is your expression suddenly so ugly? Are you a bit nervous?"
Maki, at his side, noticed the change in Gao Hai's expression and asked somewhat puzzedly as she looked at him.
"...No, it's nothing. It's just that I've only now discovered that you girl are really quite serious."
Serious like those corporate overachievers who voluntarily work overtime during holidays—although we players have to risk our lives every month, we can't exactly be equated with those overachievers.
"What is that? Why do those words sound like you're mocking me? I was clearly analyzing the rules for you very seriously, okay?"
Maki, unaware of Gao Hai's mental activity, frowned and revealed an unhappy expression.
"How could I be mocking you? I was just feeling a bit emotional. Alright, alright, let's keep walking. For now, let's not think about these headache-inducing matters. It wasn't easy coming out to play for once; I still want to cherish the time spent alone with you a bit more."
Gao Hai, sighing softly with emotion, once again grasped Maki's small hand. While speaking in a solemn tone, he continued to pull her forward just like that.
"Eh, wh... Ugh... You guy... Forget it... Whatever you say..."
And Maki was provoked into a deep blush again by these words of Gao Hai. She shivered for a good while without being able to speak a fluent sentence. In the end, she could only lower her head and let herself be pulled forward by Gao Hai just like that.
The twilight sun elongated the shadows of the two at this moment. And as their footsteps gradually drew closer to each other, those two long shadows also began to slowly draw close, gradually merging together to become a single shadow.
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