Amidst the sound of rushing water, Maki washed her blood-stained hands clean, then turned to look behind her, outside the kitchen door, at Gao Hai lying on the floor.
The burns had mostly healed. The method was simple: repeatedly putting on and taking off the Rescue Team badge. He was using the badge's effect—which heals wounds and alters one's constitution during the transformation into a Rescue Team member—to gradually recover from his injuries.
In a sense, this could be considered a unique way of using an Obsession Item that only Gao Hai could manage. A normal person repeatedly using an Obsession Item with an assimilating effect like this would have long since suffered a mental collapse, lost their sense of self, and become part of the horror story, or their body would have entered an irreversible stage of transformation. But as long as Gao Hai could mentally endure, he could remove it just before his body reached the point of irreversible assimilation, wait until he had mostly recovered, and then do it all over again.
Of course, even Gao Hai had his limits. He had to stop after repeating the process three times within an hour. After that, he would have to wait at least a full day before he could use the Rescue Team's Obsession Item again, or else he would be instantly assimilated upon putting it on. After all, compared to his indestructible willpower, his body still had mortal limitations.
Maki, for her part, was helping Gao Hai remove the rescue suit that materialized from wearing the Obsession Item. These things, created by the item's effect, formed a degree of connection with Gao Hai's body, so taking them off would inevitably tear off some of his skin and flesh. Although being slightly flayed was much better than the full-body burns he started with, Gao Hai's upper body was still wrapped in numerous bandages, and Maki, who had dressed his wounds, had gotten her hands covered in blood.
"To run into a situation like this on just the first preliminary exploration... the danger level on the 3rd floor is way too high, isn't it?"
After cleaning herself up, Maki returned to the living room. Looking at Gao Hai on the floor and Kaguya sitting on the sofa nearby, she couldn't help but speak up.
"The crux of the problem should be Mr. Gao Hai himself. According to his own speculation, he has become more susceptible to attacks and harm because he knows a taboo that should not be known. Considering this, Mr. Gao Hai is actually not suited for exploring the 3rd floor. That place is the closest to the core of the danger, and he is in more danger there than anyone else."
Kaguya glanced at Gao Hai, paused in thought for a moment, then spoke slowly.
In truth, she still hadn't quite recovered from the shock. A perfectly fine basin of boiling water suddenly being poured on someone right next to her—it was all a bit too much.
However, seeing that Gao Hai showed little reaction despite enduring such pain, and witnessing the methodical series of actions he took to save himself with the Obsession Item, Kaguya felt that she would be looked down upon if she had a stronger emotional reaction. This made her uncomfortable, so she forced herself to stabilize her expression and maintain her usual cold demeanor.
"Who knew this thing would be so unreasonable, attacking you just for[knowing]. What a pain. But, it's not all bad news. Since Miss Shinomiya isn't attacked when entering 304, it proves she should have a chance to explore that place normally. If we're careful, we might be able to use this to break the stalemate."
Lying there like someone who had given up, Gao Hai sighed and spoke while chewing on a chocolate bar, using its faint sweetness to fight against the pain.
He could now faintly sense that something was watching him.
He hadn't actually browsed the corresponding information or directly observed the contents of the taboo, yet he clearly possessed memories related to it. This caused the attention on Gao Hai himself to intensify continuously, but not to the point of immediately entering the most dangerous stage. It was very much like the feeling of a frog being boiled in lukewarm water. Yes, he meant the kind of boiling where the frog is tied up in the lukewarm water.
"You're injured, so just rest and don't talk so much. In any case, for the next exploration, it'll have to be just me and my great-aunt. I never thought the new generation of the Shijo and Shinomiya families would have to entrust their backs to each other in a place like this."
Saying this, Maki sat down on a small wooden stool next to Gao Hai. She first observed his condition, and only after confirming he was alright did she turn her head to Kaguya to discuss their next move.
In the hallway, Sun Dajun was still repairing the broken lock on Room 204's door. He had already finished the job once, but due to the wall clock's rewind, he now had to do it all over again. As a result, Green, who had to take on guard duty once more, was yawning out of boredom. Mameier, in contrast, was quite excited. For him, this was the first time he had truly experienced supernatural power, so he was secretly thrilled. If it weren't for the need to avoid making too much noise and attracting something unpleasant, he probably would have broken into an impromptu rap by now.
The ever-cautious Miwa Maeda used some tea leaves she found in Green's room to brew three cups of tea. She brought them to the living room, placed them on the table, and then obediently retreated to the side. Although she was a fool who wasn't very bright, the woman at least understood the principle of not causing trouble if you can't help, so she remained quiet.
Kaguya began telling Maki about her specific experiences on the third floor (omitting the part where she was close with Gao Hai), explaining all the necessary precautions beforehand. During the process, Gao Hai would occasionally add some of his own thoughts. In a way, the three of them were step-by-step summarizing the basic rules for survival in the strange zone that was the present-day Shirakawa Apartments. However, unlike in Xusheng's time, when the survivors would write down the summarized rules to ensure they could help everyone, the three of them now were merely analyzing and summarizing for each other. Of course, this was also related to the fact that even if they recorded the rules, there would be no successors who would need to use them.
"If only we could find Room 309 directly. I still think we should try to get into 309; the situation with 304 just feels too dangerous..."
After they finished their discussion, Maki muttered with a hint of resignation.
"That's impossible. The complex environment on the 3rd floor no longer allows us to search for rooms other than 304; only 304 is easy to find because we can use the direction of the footsteps. Besides, 309 might indeed be a key point, but that man named Xusheng almost certainly died inside. What if we actually find 309, open the door, and he comes out to attack us, guarding the entrance like that corpse from 201? Right now, we only have the key to 304 and related intelligence. Taking it one step at a time is crucial."
Kaguya held an opposing view. She flatly rejected Maki's idea, stood up, and stretched her body, already prepared to set out again.
"You have a point... Forget it. Anyway, let's leave in half an hour. I hope we don't come back empty-handed again this time."
Maki pursed her lips and turned her head away, saying no more.
The Rescue Team badges, the Blood Puppet, the scalpels, the blood-colored key.
They each took a scalpel and a badge. Maki was in charge of the key, while Kaguya was responsible for the Blood Puppet. Because Gao Hai was injured and couldn't go with them, the two of them couldn't use the watch that could store Obsession Items, so they had to carry these items on their person.
"By the way, Hai-kun, do you really know nothing about this watch?"
After storing the Obsession Items in the backpack they had taken from Lao Guo, Maki looked at Gao Hai, who was lying on a blanket on the floor (using the cleaner, reverse side of a blanket from a bed). She thought for a moment and then asked, still feeling a bit uneasy.
"I wish I knew what this thing was all about..."
Gao Hai shook his head helplessly; he truly had no idea about its origins. Personally, he wished the watch was like some heaven-sent cheat item from a mindless, wish-fulfillment webnovel—a feel-good prop whose source didn't need to be questioned. But after two resets, he knew very well that this thing definitely had a significant backstory, not that he could do much about it even if he knew.
"It's probably best not to let other people know about this item so easily."
Just then, Kaguya drew a little closer, bent down, and sat beside Gao Hai in the standard Japanese seiza posture. She then looked at him and spoke slowly.
"We've only had preliminary contact, but it's obvious that merely holding an Obsession Item places a burden on a person's mind. Yet, your watch can store these dangerous items without any cost. If we run into veteran players like those two from before, they might cut off your hand to try and take it."
Kaguya was being remarkably direct.
Knowing full well that she was speaking the truth, Gao Hai could only nod lightly and say, "Thanks for the advice."
Coveting his watch, then robbing and murdering him for it... He always thought that was the kind of plot you'd only find in novels. To think that one day he'd have to worry about such a thing himself...
Gao Hai lamented helplessly in his heart. However, he was already aware of this possibility. He understood the principle that for some things, you just have to be mentally prepared and take precautions early on.
In the time that followed, Maki and Kaguya began their final preparations for the upcoming operation. Meanwhile, a bored Gao Hai, annoyed that he couldn't participate, took out the blood-red ragdoll from his watch—the one whose purpose he still hadn't figured out—and began fiddling with it again to pass the time.
This was the Obsession Item that belonged to the veteran player who had disguised herself as Miwa Maeda.
He recalled how, in the last loop, that person had stayed in Room 205 all day but was clearly aware of the clues they had obtained and struck at a critical moment. She must have had a way to know what was going on outside. Thinking about it, she most likely used this very Obsession Item. But after getting it, Gao Hai had never figured out its purpose. It didn't seem like its function could be tested as easily as the other Obsession Items.
Perhaps, like the Rescue Team badge which activates upon being worn, it also required a special method to start it.
With this in mind, Gao Hai turned the ragdoll over, found a zipper on the back, and pulled it open. Inside, he saw cotton stuffing soaked through with blood.
After a moment of thought, he tore off a piece of his own bloody bandage, stuffed it into the doll, and zipped it back up.
The icy sensation in the next moment sent a jolt through Gao Hai's entire body.
This feeling... it was as if he were being held in the hand of someone enormous. And his vision felt strange, like he had two different perspectives... Wait, this sensation—I can control the doll's movements and sense my surroundings through it?!
Finally understanding the item's purpose, Gao Hai couldn't help but reveal a pleasantly surprised expression. He let go of the doll. The ragdoll that fell to the floor briefly vanished, becoming invisible, then reappeared. Then, Gao Hai raised his hand, and the ragdoll beside him also raised its hand, waving its arm along with him and attracting the attention of Maki and Kaguya, who were preparing to leave.
"Hey, you two beauties over there! Wait, wait, wait, can I still hitch a ride?"
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