Chapter 110: Wele to...

  The bus drove off into the distance as Alex set down his travel bag and looked around. The se before him revealed a small, rural Japaown. The bus stop was old and worn, just a simple woodeer. The nearby signpost had faded due to years of exposure, to the point that even the name was illegible.

  "Ah, you finally made it, Alex."

  A voice called out from behind him. Turning, Alex saw a woman with short blue hair smiling and waving at him.

  "Chie-senpai, long time no see."

  The moment he saw her, memories flooded his mind, much like in the world of souls. This woman was named Chie Rumiko, someone he'd goo school with. After graduation, she came here to work as a teacher and was struggling due to a ck of staff. Thinking of her close friend from school, she wrote to Alex, inviting him to e and help as a "rural teacher."

  "It's truly been a while. This pce is so remote; it must have been tough for you to get here."

  "It's no trouble."

  Hearing Chie's words, Alex shook his head with a smile.

  "I'm just gd I could help you, Senpai."

  "Ah, you've always been like this…"

  Chie looked at him with a plicated expression, quietly watg him before extending her hand with a smile.

  "Anyway, Alex, wele to Hinamizawa."

  Hinamizawa.

  Alex had a feeling, but hearing the name from Chie's lips sent a shiver down his spine. He finally uood which world he had arrived in—Higurashi: When They Cry.

  Alex was very familiar with this work. It told the story of young boys and girls living in a vilge called Hinamizawa. If it had been made ten years ter, it might have been just another cute slice-of-life anime. But When They bsp;was different because of a horrifying disease present in Hinamizawa—Hinamizawa Syndrome.

  This was an unusual pathogen transmitted through human tact, meaning that almost anyone exposed would be ied. The pathogen had five stages, designated in the games and anime as L1 through L5.

  L1 was the tent stage, where the person showed no symptoms and had no idea they were ied; they were indistinguishable from ordinary people. In fact, most people never showed symptoms until death.

  If someo Hinamizawa, however, they'd progress to L2, the warning stage. During this phase, they wouldn't experience symptoms, but the pathogen could be detected in their blood. If they returo Hinamizawa, the symptoms would stabilize. But if they stayed away, they would progress to L3.

  At L3, symptoms like auditory halluations and throat irritation would appear, along with mental ay. This meant the individual was beginning to succumb to the syndrome.

  By L4, the symptoms became even more severe. The individual would develop hostility and suspi toward those around them, eventually experieng intense agitation and paranoia.

  At the peak, L5, they would suffer from halluations, pulsive behavior, areme ay, with violent tendencies. Uo bear the persistent throat irritation, many would end their lives by g their throats, tearing open their carotid artery and dying from blood loss.

  In modern terms, "Hinamizawa Syndrome" was essentially a virus that drove people into madness. Ihey Cry, nearly every main character succumbed to this syndrome, turning them into bloodthirsty killers.

  This anime shocked many viewers at the time. While death in anime was not unon, cute characters turning into killers was something that only a few niche shows, like Elfen Lied, had explored. But When They bsp;took it further, making every main character go mad and murder others in gruesome ways, terrifying audiences.

  Yet, to be ho, Alex had always beeical of this interpretation.

  Although the main characters, Keiichi Maebara, Rena Ryuuguu, Shion Sonozaki, and Satoko Houjou, each experienced symptoms of the syndrome, Alex had always questioned whether it was truly due to Hinamizawa Syndrome. The reason was simple: a closer look showed that each afflicted character had been under signifit mental stress before their symptoms appeared.

  Keiichi Maebara, the story's main character, had a history of violence against children. Rena Ryuuguu lost her family's entire fortune and even their home after her father fell victim to a scam. Shion Sonozaki's beloved Satoshi disappeared, his fate unknown, and as for Satoko Houjou—if she hadn't developed psychological issues given her abusive family enviro, that would have been the bigger psychological anomaly.

  Even Satoshi's case was suspect, as his family was ostracized by the vilge for supp the stru of the dam. After his parents' deaths, he was left to fend for himself alongside Satoko. With no parental guidand staion by the vilgers, the two young children were naturally under extreme psychological strain. Satoshi, being a teenager in a rebellious phase, could hardly be bmed for ag out under such circumstances.

  Alex had majored in psychology during college, so out of curiosity, he'd analyzed the behavior of these main characters. Even without the so-called "virus" influeng them, human beings under immense mental pressure could resort to extreme as. Let's not fet, these main characters were just high school and middle school students, whose emotional maturity was still in development. Without pruidahey were naturally proo breakdowns.

  A closer look revealed a on thread among the characters who went on murderous rampages—they all bore immense psychological pressure with no outlet for resolution, leading them to drastic measures. There were numerous ical cases like this in psychology. To Alex, Hinamizawa was simply a setting that trated such extreme cases of psychological distress.

  Of course, this was just Alex's theory. But now, he had the ce to test it firsthand. Why? Because this time, Alex had arrived in Hinamizawa not only at Chie Rumiko's invitation but with an additional role…

  "So, you're Alex? Wele to Hinamizawa!"

  A bald-headed principal, dressed in a bck suit and looking every bit like a mob boss, strode over aended his hand to Alex.

  "Gd to have you here. Chie-sensei has already told me about you and your idea of 'addressing the psychological health of rural children.' I didn't expeeoo be thinking along those lines, but it's true—as educators, we must care not only for students' physical well-being but also their mental health. Truthfully, between me and Chie-sensei, it's been hard to keep up, hahaha…"

  "That's precisely why I'm here."

  Shaking the principal's hand, Alex replied with a slight smile. Indeed, withiup of the Map of Myriad Dimensions, Alex's visit to Hinamizawa was arra Chie Rumiko's invitation to work as a teacher at the Hinamizawa branch school, while als as a school nurse and psychological selor. Acc to Chie, she was inspired to invite him after reading his paper on the psychological health of rural children.

  But could this world really provide him the answers he sought?

  The Free World didn't assign tasks like the quest worlds did, leaving Alex to find his own way. However, based on the role given to him by the Map of Myriad Dimensions, Alex had a good idea of what his purpose in this world might be.

  Tthen his own will while proteg these young individuals fated fedy, helping them break free from an otherwise fatal destiny.

  In short, he was here to turhing upside down!

  ? Unlock the World of Stories with Early Access on Patreon! ?

  Hello, beloved readers and supporters!

  I am thrilled to offer you an exclusive opportunity to dive deeper into our captivating stories before anyone else. By joining the Patreon unity, you'll unlock a treasure trove of bes, including:

  ? Early Access to 20 Chapters: Be the first to explore neters, experieng the twists and turns of our tales well ahead ur readers. Your jourhrough our stories doesn't have to wait!

  ? ect with the unity: Join a vibrant, like-minded group of readers who share your passion. Engage iing discussions, share theories, and make new friends who love the stories as much as you do.

  ? Support the Creator: Your patronage directly tributes to the ongoing creation and improvement of the tent you love. Be a vital part of the creative journey!

  Patreon./anish_44