Girl in the Box: Please tell me why I was reincarnated as a mimic monster!

Kuroba was furious but dared not speak out, so she had to swallow her anger. Reasoning with the Demon King was completely unrealistic, and she had long since given up on it.

"Get up quickly." Xuanze reached out his hand to her. "Get up quickly, the road ahead is still long, I don't want to waste time in this maze."

"I don't need you to help me up!"

Hei Yu slapped Xuan Ze's hand away and stood up angrily. She had initially intended to reach out and hold his hand because Xuan Ze's attitude seemed relatively good, but when she looked up, Xuan Ze wasn't looking at her at all; he was staring at the map of the maze. She didn't know why, but she just grew increasingly furious.

"Xiao, how do we get here?" Xuanze noticed a rather peculiar area, not quite understanding it. "Why does it go down at an angle like this?"

"Hmm?" Xiao leaned closer to take a look. "Hmm, oh, I remember now, it's this area. That place... it's a trap, a kind of pitfall trap, but this is a shortcut to the lower level."

"I'm afraid you're not the only ones in Akihabara who would use pitfall traps as shortcuts." Genze revealed a very subtle expression at this moment.

Traps, a key element of the otherworldly dungeons, are a headache for all kinds of players. One reason, of course, is danger. In their design, these traps have a variety of effects, and their main purpose is to annoy players. Some can cause a lot of damage, deplete the player's combat power, or even kill them directly. Others can apply various negative buffs to the player. It's especially difficult if you have all sorts of negative buffs on you before encountering the final boss and have also lost a lot of health from the battles along the way.

Another reason, of course, is the hassle. Traps are a nightmare for efficiency-obsessed players. The cost of disarming a trap is completely disproportionate to the reward, wasting time is pointless, and efficiency is greatly reduced by these traps. Xuanze is the kind of person who values ​​efficiency the most, but unlike ordinary players, he is a Demon King/Hero, and he always has only two ways to deal with traps.

To bypass or to destroy.

This is too troublesome. Spending time solving it would be a waste of time. Xuanze always avoids things if he can, and if he can't, he just smashes them. However, this is the first time he has encountered a trap used as a means of passage. He has encountered many traps in this world, but this is the first time he has encountered such a special trap. Moreover, judging from the 3D projection of the map crystal, it seems to be a very simple slope.

"That's not a bad way to use it," Xuanze said, carefully considering something.

"Compared to that, we're almost at the outer perimeter," Xiao reminded her.

"Ha, if this idiot hadn't rushed out of his house without thinking, we wouldn't have had to spend so much time figuring out our location."

Kuroba sighed and complained.

Here's what happened: After Xuanze finished speaking, he took Heiyu to Xiao's room, dressed her, and then, using his true form to threaten her, ran away from home. Because he hadn't considered the maze's layout, Xuanze accidentally led the two of them to a very strange place.

Even for Akatsuki, who was familiar with the maze, it took her quite a while to reconfirm their location. Afterward, they found a guard stationed at one of the maze's entrances and borrowed a map crystal to avoid getting lost again.

“Well,” Xuanze closed the map crystal, “it’s given me a feel for the maze’s structure. Let’s hurry up and get out.”

"This way, please."

Xiao pointed the way and walked ahead, Xuanze followed silently behind her, and Heiyu watched them walk for a while with a sullen expression, then dusted off her skirt and followed. Although the process was quite tortuous, after some time, the three of them finally left the maze and saw the Twin Moons outside.

"Oh, finally out." Xuanze looked around, then gasped. "Wow... that's really impressive..."

The land outside the labyrinth looked completely different from what one would expect. It was covered in trees, though most of them seemed to be fruit trees. There were more fields here than in the main town of Akihabara inside the labyrinth. It was astonishing to see such a scene outside the Demon World. I never imagined that Akihabara could move so fast.

Moreover, people are gradually starting to enter and exit the maze in this area. There are also many newly built houses outside the maze, which are for people who have doubts about the safety of the maze. In addition, there are many buildings under construction in the vicinity of Xuanze's sight. It is truly amazing efficiency.

It's worth noting that it took Xuanze over half a year to rebuild the Demon Realm from scratch, while Akihabara, starting from nothing, has achieved similar results in less than a month—a truly enviable feat. The current concern is whether Akihabara's actions will provoke a strong backlash.

At least when it comes to monsters, there's nothing to worry about.

Boom! Look!

"Oh, what a loud explosion!" Xuanze praised with a smile.

"Screw you, loud my ass!!" Kuroba angrily pulled out his main body and smacked him on the head with the corner of the book. "This is no good! That explosion probably means we encountered some kind of monster! Let's go check it out!!"

"Alright, alright," Xuanze agreed nonchalantly. "So, Xiao, what do you think?"

"Huh? What do you mean, how do you see it?" Xiao tilted her head, seemingly unaware of what had just happened.

"That's it." Xuanze pointed to the spot where the black smoke was rising.

"Oh, that?" Xiao smiled and said indifferently, "It's nothing. That kind of thing is commonplace in Akihabara. Besides, Xiao Sa is already over it."

Whoosh!

A colossal crimson shadow flashed across the sky, whipping up a gust of wind that tousled the hair of the three and bent the surrounding trees. That crimson shadow was none other than the Flame Dragon King, Salid, currently active as a member of the Akihabara Police Department, his job being to ward off any monsters that dared to cause trouble in the area. [In fact, due to the aura of the five Dragon Kings, virtually no monsters dared to venture into this vicinity.]

“Look,” Xuanze patted Heiyu’s head, “you saw it too, that’s not something we need to worry about at all. Time to go.”

Xuanze nudged the dumbfounded Heiyu from behind, and Heiyu subconsciously got up. What exactly happened in Akihabara while she was holed up at home? She cast a questioning look at Xiao, but Xiao just tilted her head and gave her a matter-of-fact look... So, what's so matter-of-fact about this? Is this really the speed of development of a normal civilization?

“Oh right,” Xuanze remembered something as he walked into the dense forest, “I almost forgot about this. Tell me, Hei Yu, what’s your deduction?”

"Isn't this a bit too sudden?!"

Because the topic was too far off, Kuroba couldn't help but shout out her complaints. She felt that her character was gradually collapsing, and a label that read "吐槽女" (a term for someone who makes sarcastic or sarcastic remarks) was slowly being incorporated into her crumbling character. This feeling was extremely unpleasant.

“Not at all surprising.” Xuanze glanced at her. “Who was it that kept launching personal attacks at me while we were navigating the maze?”

"Ugh!?"

Thinking about it that way, it does seem to make sense...

Xuanze had already told Heiyu to talk about it on the way before leaving home, but Heiyu got so annoyed that it turned into a series of personal attacks on the Demon King. Thinking about it, it was probably Heiyu's fault. Heiyu was very unhappy that Xuanze had caught him like this, but he couldn't really get angry, so he had no choice but to compromise here.

"Ha, well, there's nothing I can do about it." Kuroba sighed and said helplessly, "Since you've all asked, I guess I'll just have to tell you."

"So, what's going on?" Xiao wagged her tail and ears, surprisingly curious about the matter.

Seeing Xiao so cooperatively helping Hei Yu step down from the stage, Hei Yu was just about to cooperate with her when Xuan Ze interrupted her again.

"Oh, excuse me for interrupting." Xuanze snatched the black feather's true form.

"Hey!? You again—!"

"The situation is urgent, I'm too lazy to explain, just follow."

"Oh."

Xuanze didn't offer any explanation, but silently circulated the magic power within his body, preparing for the attack. Then, the Demon King took a step forward, transforming into a storm and charging away. His target was a black-haired girl working in the field.

"Hey!!! You damn demon king, have you finally shown your true colors!?"

Seeing this textbook-perfect scene, Kuroba immediately suspected that Xuanze's demonic nature had awakened. Xuanze, who usually had no interest in any women, would actually do such a thing for a black-haired girl today, which was truly astonishing.

No! Me too!?!

Kuroba suddenly realized that she was also one of the black-haired girls. Could it be that—

Has the Demon King awakened his fetish for black hair!?

"You pervert—!!"

"Whoa?! What's all the noise about?! Who the hell is a pervert?!"

Because of Hei Yu's scream, everyone's attention was drawn to this side, including the black-haired girl. Xuan Ze clicked his tongue, accelerated in one breath, and scooped the girl up as well.

"Oh my god!?"

"Priest! Can I borrow your apprentice for a moment?"

The girl who was kidnapped was Xia Que.

Chapter 8: The Subtle Team Composition

"Ugh... my head is killing me..." Xuanze looked at the people he had brought with him, his head throbbing. "I did invite Xia Que along... but..."

"May I ask what problem I have for you here, Lord Demon King?"

According to Xuanze's plan, he should have brought four people with him. Including Heiyu and Xiao, who were originally intended to be taken, and Xia Que, whom he impulsively abducted midway, there should have been four people by any count, but…

"Why did you come along too?" Xuanze's tone was tinged with hostility.

"Because I'm Xia Que's guardian. Seeing her being unreasonably abducted by the Demon King, of course I had to come and check it out." Hao'er glared at him to express his dissatisfaction.

Three days ago, thanks to the meticulous care of the Dragon King, he was finally able to get out of bed and move around a bit. Having been bedridden for a long time, he was still in the recovery phase. To help him recover more efficiently, Chu Chu arranged for him to work in the fields outside the maze every day to restore his health. As his apprentice, Xia Que naturally had to take close care of Hao Er's needs, so she also went out to work with him.

Normally, according to their routine, they should have been heading back by now, but instead they've ended up in this desolate wilderness. The reason, of course, is the willful Demon King Xuanze. Without offering any explanation, the Demon King rushed over and abducted Xia Que. Anyone who witnessed this would consider it a crime, wouldn't they?

Hao'er, Xia Que's guardian, was even more anxious about this. He also heard Hei Yu's scream, but when he turned around, Xia Que had already been taken away by a black shadow. He was stunned for a moment, and then saw Xiao leave with that figure. No matter what, he had to go and find out what was going on.

So, despite his unhealed injuries, he dropped his farm tools and chased after them with all his might. It wasn't until everyone collapsed from exhaustion and huddled together that they understood what had happened. Xia Que smiled wryly as she helped the disheveled Hao Er to his feet. The poor Demon King, probably because he had treated Hei Yu roughly, was now being kept at a distance by Hei Yu, who simply left him lying on the ground unattended.

Xiao... this amount of activity was a piece of cake for her. At this moment, she was squatting next to the Demon King with a puzzled expression.

For some unknown reason, the two have been competing all the way here, neither willing to give in. They are currently exhausted, so they appear quite calm. Once they recover, they will probably have the energy to argue again.

"Tsk." Hao'er accidentally aggravated his internal injury and cried out in pain, "It's okay, it's nothing serious."

He knew Xia Que would be worried about him, so he told her in advance. Xia Que frowned.

"What do you mean it's okay?" Xia Que helped him sit down, shifting to a more comfortable position. "Master's injuries haven't fully healed yet, right?"

"Um..." Hao'er awkwardly looked away.

"I don't know what you two are arguing about," Kuroba interjected, "but please don't drag unrelated people into this, okay?"

Because of the exciting chase scene that just happened, Kuroba, who was being treated like cargo, was now very angry. The strong wind blowing in her face forced her to tidy up her appearance. You know, these things take a lot of time for a girl, and Xuanze also required her to look like a human since she was using a human form, so she had to pay attention to these things.

Because you have absolutely no idea what this bastard will do next. One second he says that as long as you cooperate, the problem can be solved quickly, and the next second there are several more things to do. He's a demon!

Rather, why should I obediently do what this bastard says?! Am I a child?!

Only then did Kuroba realize that all of this was her own fault, and she was filled with regret. Following the Demon King's lead was truly a terrifying thing, because you never knew when you would be drawn into his rhythm and unintentionally act according to his will. Ah, Akatsuki was an exception, because she didn't understand any of this; she simply followed along.

Besides, even the Demon King couldn't do anything to her, nor could he do anything to her family. The Dragon King's family was not a force to be trifled with. Even if he was the Demon King or a hero, he couldn't possibly win under these circumstances.

“So,” Hale asked, “what do you intend to do by bringing Xia Que out?”

"Do you even have the right to ask?" Xuanze glared at him, clearly annoyed.

Even though the two had acted for the same purpose, Xuanze still couldn't forgive Hao'er for what he had done back then, and a grudge remained between them. Hao'er, on the other hand, felt disgusted by Xuanze's behavior and character, making it impossible for him to interact with him normally.

"Uh, sorry, um, Xuan-kun?"

Xia Que didn't know how to address Xuan Ze in front of her. Although they were both from Earth, this was the first time Xia Que had spoken to him normally. Coupled with his arrogant attitude, Xia Que didn't know how to get along with him. However, in order to ease the awkwardness, she volunteered to step forward and defuse the situation.

Calm down, it's okay...

Xia Que took a deep breath and then said, "I've been wondering about this too. Why did you bring me out?"

"Xiao wants to know too." Xiao raised her hand to emphasize that she was also wondering about this.

Even if Xuanze didn't want to explain, Xiao's intervention forced him to. Her question was, in a sense, equivalent to Li and Ning's question, and this matter would inevitably reach their ears. Judging solely from first impressions, everyone would immediately think that the Demon King's true nature had awakened, which would be terrible.

This would make his and the demons' situation extremely delicate, and there was no other way.

“Ha, before you hear my explanation, listen to what Hei Yu has to say first.” Xuan Ze suddenly sat up. “After you hear it, you’ll understand why I brought Xia Que here.”

"Ha...haa!?"

The conversation suddenly turned to Kuroba, and she was a beat slow to react before realizing what was going on.

"So that's why!!! Every time I try to speak, you interrupt me in some way!!" Kuroba roared in exasperation. "You're driving me crazy, you bastard!! You've tried everything to interrupt me again this time, haven't you, you jerk!? I'm going back!!!"

Kuroba felt like she was being targeted. She suspected that Xuanze was deliberately causing trouble for her. Being interrupted so abruptly time and time again had made her lose patience with him. He was the one who asked her for help, and she only reluctantly agreed. And what was this? What kind of attitude was this? It was infuriating!

As soon as she finished speaking, Kuroba began to cast a spell to leave, but then she was pulled back by a hand.

"Eh?"

She looked up and saw Xuanze's face.

"What are you doing?" Xuanze frowned. "Where are we going?"

"Let go!" Kuroba was so angry he wanted to bite him, but he dodged him.

"Still throwing a tantrum?" Xuanze didn't care about anything else and just hugged her. "Anyway, you're not leaving until you finish what you have to say today. Besides, do you think anyone would bother you now?"

"Ugh~~~ You scoundrel!!"

She was clearly angry, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. The spell was already set up; all she had to do was activate it. Suddenly, she realized that the hands binding her had lost their strength; Xuanze seemed genuinely exhausted. She looked around again. Xiao and Xia Que were waiting for her to explain, while Xuanze and Hao'er sat weakly on the ground. It seemed that no one had the strength to interrupt her.

"Since you've put it that way..." Kuroba said shamelessly, "then I'll explain it to you properly this time. I'll only say it once. You can ask me any questions, understand?"

"Yes." "Understood."

The two girls responded energetically, while Xuanze and Hao'er rudely uttered an "oh." As long as Xuanze didn't have the energy to cause trouble, the previous situation probably wouldn't have occurred... probably...

"First of all, the matter the Demon King asked me about is related to the elves, which you all know about recently," Kuroba began to explain.

Kuroba could only speculate a little about this matter.

The Book Spirits are actually quite similar to elves, but elves exist on a higher dimension. Book Spirits use books as their medium and magic to sustain their existence. Elves, on the other hand, are directly powered by magic; wherever magic exists, they will be there.

Simply put, elves possess the magic of consciousness. Even if scattered, as long as their consciousness remains clear and they have sufficient magic power, they can be resurrected. This is the reason for their immortality. Elves disappeared from this world a very, very long time ago; where they went, no one knows.

However, after a tremendous upheaval in the world, perhaps due to the intense magical power that filled the world, the elves reappeared, their purpose unknown to Kuroba. While searching for information, she came across a legend, but its contents were fragmented; Kuroba only grasped the general outline at the time.

That was the story of the first hero and the goddess. The first hero fought against the elves in order to create magic and gain the power to control magic from them. She didn't know the outcome, because that part of the record had been completely lost. She wanted to know the result, but since things had come to this, that was all she could do.

The later part of the text describes the goddess entrusting the elves with something to protect, but the record doesn't specify what that thing is. However, this thing is likely the key to this incident, and they must know what it is.

She learned from Xuanze and Xiao that the elves had their own base and had been attacking the new kingdom of Alyas and the Demon Realm with a specific purpose. Recently, the elves could still be seen heading towards the labyrinth. So, that's the key.

“You mean,” Xuanze interjected, “that the places the elves went to have some similarities, right?”

"Heh, looks like you're still got your brain working," Kuroba scoffed. "But you still have to rely on me, don't you?"