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

"What's wrong?" He couldn't understand what she was trying to say.

“I want to thank you again,” the goddess said, then changed the subject, “but at the same time I have some bad news for you.”

"Huh?" Li was even more confused. "What do you mean?"

"Simply put, this world is on the verge of collapse," the goddess said, pointing to the black and white world. "Do you see these black and white fragments?"

"I saw it... So what?"

“I think you’ve already been to that place,” the goddess said. “That world that’s like a negative.”

"----Um."

Thinking back to that terrifying experience, she absolutely never wanted to go through it again. It felt like she was no longer herself, like the whole world was collapsing. She herself had almost been caught up in it back then.

“The situation is roughly like this,” the goddess said. “You successfully prevented the world from collapsing directly that day, but the impact of the collision between those two forces still penetrated into the root of this world. The origin of this world is damaged and can no longer maintain its original ecological state. It is an existence that relies on stored magic to operate.”

"Ah, so that's how it is!!" Li immediately understood. "No wonder the whole world suddenly turned into a demonic realm. That means that core-like thing broke down, right? The large amount of magic power stored inside couldn't be properly preserved because it broke down, and it overflowed, right? This overflowing magic power caused the world to turn into a demonic realm, and at the same time, because of the lack of magic power, it couldn't function properly, right?"

"...Absolutely correct..."

The goddess was dumbfounded; she hadn't expected Rin to be so quick, and without a single mistake. Rin was able to understand so quickly because she had accumulated a lot of knowledge about this kind of situation, allowing her to deduce the circumstances so quickly.

Yes, the entity that is considered the core of the world requires magic to maintain its operation, but that core was damaged because of what Seric did that day. If it weren't for the intervention of Reason, it might have been destroyed directly. Because of the damage to this core, a large amount of magic has overflowed, causing various places around the world to become magical realms. At the same time, due to the lack of magic to maintain its operation, the ecosystem of this world is slowly heading towards extinction.

“I’m asking you,” Li said, as if remembering something, “is the damage to this core also related to that negative-colored world?”

"Yes." The goddess nodded. "Because of insufficient fuel, it cannot maintain too many functions at the same time. So it gradually stopped, and you have seen the result of it stopping."

"That's troublesome..."

Li could already picture the world gradually collapsing due to insufficient core fuel supplies. The problem had become so severe that it couldn't be ignored; if left unchecked, the world would truly be finished. Thankfully, Li at least knew what was happening, and she needed to hurry back to discuss countermeasures.

“Since there’s such a big problem,” Li asked, “why are you, as a goddess, doing nothing?”

“This is not a problem I can interfere with,” the goddess shrugged, “because I cannot.”

"Can't we interfere?" Li frowned. "What's going on?"

"Because this is crucial, let me explain in detail," the goddess said solemnly. "Actually, I am, as you might think, a deity who doesn't actually have much of a role. My duty to this world is merely to maintain its operation. This world is like a part of my body; what happens there is reflected in me, which is why I meet you in this form. My physical condition is also reflected in that world in various forms, which is basically the greatest interference I can exert. Interfering with details is more difficult; doing such things usually has a significant impact on that world, and I'm not sure what kind of impact it will have. It's a very vague system; even I haven't yet gained control over that world. All I can do is try my best to prevent my abnormalities from being reflected in it."

"Oh...oh, I think...I understand..."

Because the goddess spoke at length, Li didn't have time to process what she said and simply replied perfunctorily. The gist of it was that the world and the goddess were connected and mutually influential; while the goddess could intervene to some extent, she couldn't guarantee what kind of abnormal situations might arise, so it was best not to use this method.

“So,” Li sighed, “we can’t count on you, right?”

“Yes,” the goddess nodded. “All I can do is convey this message and do what I can. That’s all.”

"Hmm...I understand..."

Li sighed again. She knew that the goddess could only do so much, and hoped that would be the case to avoid further trouble. However, Li had no clue how to resolve this matter. She could only ask the goddess…

"So," Li said, now with a headache, "what do you need me to do?"

"It's very simple." The goddess smiled. "Just don't do anything reckless, and repair the damage to the core. As for the method, you can ask the elves. They're probably already taking action."

"Huh?!" Li seemed to have heard something crucial. "Wait!? You mean elves?!"

“Yes, that’s right,” the goddess explained. “A long time ago, I asked the elves to help me maintain the core.”

"Waaaah... then wouldn't that mean..."

Li now realized that they seemed to have gotten themselves into quite a bit of trouble. This tea time with the goddess hadn't been entirely without its benefits; many things she hadn't understood before suddenly became clear. However, it seemed they had already done something irreversible. These problems could only be addressed when they got back. Right now, what was more important were the questions Li wanted to ask herself.

"Let's leave those aside for now..." Li asked, "I want to know some things, can you tell me?"

"Let me see..." The goddess reached out to stroke Li's head, "Hmm...hmm, so that's what you wanted to ask...but the limit for intervention is almost up..."

"Huh? Wait a minute?!"

Just as Li was about to criticize her for breaking her promise, the black and white fragments beneath her feet suddenly parted. A meaningful smile appeared on the goddess's face.

"you--!!"

That's all for today. We'll have a chance to meet again in the future. Please remember one thing: you are the goddess's representative. Goodbye~

"Useless Goddess——————!!!"

Chapter 14 Arrival in the Duchy

——————! ! !

Li was startled awake from her sleep. After a moment of confusion, she recalled the events that had occurred in the space filled with black and white fragments. She anxiously looked around to confirm if she was still in that world, and then she saw Ning, half-naked, holding clothes in her hand, facing the sunlight. Ning, of course, also noticed the awakened Li, and a slight blush appeared on her face.

"Don't look..." Ning quickly put her clothes on.

"Ah... did I just see a perverted woman?" Li rubbed her eyes.

"No, no," Ning corrected her. "That was just changing clothes. Do you want to change?"

"Woo..."

Riri stretched, her semi-transparent nightgown revealing a hint of alluring curves in the light. Honestly, although it felt like a dream, Riri felt incredibly tired. She'd had a good night's sleep, but then this dream turned into a nightmare with some useless goddess causing trouble. Remembering dreams is incredibly difficult, and Riri had been desperately trying to recall them, so she felt utterly exhausted after waking up.

“Ning,” Li stood up, “I have good news and bad news.”

"...? What did Treasure Chest Rin do this time?" Ning could only think of this one possibility.

“Uh… it wasn’t something that happened on my other side,” Li said with a wry smile. “You probably won’t believe it… but I met that goddess in my dream.”

"Goddess?" Ning's expression clearly became much more serious.

“Yes,” Li nodded. “Last night I dreamt that she dragged me to her house, and we talked about the current state of the world… well, anyway, she didn’t brag much, she was just talking about serious matters… except for the last part where she still tried to be mysterious.”

“Ha…” Ning sighed, “These guys always talk without understanding the situation… Let’s pack up and get ready to leave. Tell me what you and the goddess talked about on the way…”

From Ning's tone and words, it was clear that she wasn't taking Li's words as a joke or a dream, but rather taking them seriously. Moreover, since even a goddess had begun to get involved, these gods weren't the kind of beings who would suddenly do something idiotic out of loneliness or boredom; therefore, this matter must be extremely important.

After packing their things and putting out the fire, the two left the earthen house and embarked on the final leg of their journey to the duchy. Their destination was the original location of the duchy, and they could only hope that the country of Seville had not been moved too far due to geological changes, otherwise it would take some time to find it.

"Alright," Ning said as they walked, "now tell me what you and your goddess talked about last night."

“Hmm~~~” Li thought about where to start, “After the goddess called me over last night, I actually only talked about one thing, which is that the problem caused by Seric is not over yet.”

"Yes, of course I know that," Ning said with some disappointment. "Is that all?"

The problems caused by Seric are not limited to what they are currently facing; there are many more, more troublesome, legacy issues. The new kingdom of Alyas is one of them, followed by the ghosts he personally cultivated and trained. In addition to these two relatively dangerous problems, there are a series of other issues that they need to resolve.

These issues alone were enough to give them a headache, but then elves appeared, making things even more complicated and troublesome. However, no matter how busy they were, it was still within Ning's acceptable range, because she and Li weren't the only ones trying to find solutions. They were no longer as isolated and helpless as they were when Rielfa was still around.

"Uh...that's not the problem~" Li said somewhat awkwardly, "It's a bigger problem. Remember what I told you about yesterday, that broken world?"

"...Does the goddess know about this too?"

"Not only do they know, they know it perfectly well."

“…Okay,” Ning suddenly became serious, “Tell me again what you talked about with the goddess. Just say as much as you remember, and don’t mix in anything else, okay?”

"Uh... well, I'll try my best..."

Since Ning had spoken so earnestly, Li didn't dare say anything extra and simply recounted everything she remembered from their conversation. They walked and talked, with Ning occasionally asking more detailed questions, but Li could only answer within the scope of her knowledge, not daring to say much more. After they finished speaking, Ning stroked her chin thoughtfully, while Li took her hand and led the way, so she wouldn't have to be distracted by finding her way.

Less than two kilometers from the original location of the duchy, Li chose a slightly higher path to walk, so that she could easily look out over the duchy from above. At the same time, she used her magic eye to confirm that the duchy was no longer in its original location.

"Isn't it here..." Li pulled up the holographic map of the Magic Eye, "Let me see..."

The multiple functions of the Magic Eye were superimposed on the holographic map, utilizing a whole host of abilities such as magic reaction detection, biological reaction detection, and enemy acquisition, hoping to see some kind of life reaction. However, there was no reaction from anyone within a five-kilometer radius except for the two of them. They had probably been moved to a very far place, which was enough to give them a headache.

"Hmm... what's wrong?" Ning, who had just finished thinking, noticed that the two of them had stopped.

“We’ve arrived,” Li said with a wry smile, “but the duchy seems to be no longer around here.”

"I think so too." Ning looked around. "They should be moving in that direction."

"Huh? How did you know?" Li found it incredible.

“There are signs of human activity there,” Ning pointed out to her. “If you look closely, you can see them. They’re easy to find. Most of them came from that direction. I’ve also roughly observed the changes around here, but you probably wouldn’t understand if I explained it to you, so just pay attention to those traces.”

"Oh...oh..." Li was a little angry, but Ning was right. Even if she had explained those professional terms, she probably wouldn't have understood them anyway.

After changing the search criteria of her magic eye, she saw some traces highlighted. These footsteps all came from the same direction, and after reaching this point, they turned back. Although she didn't know whose activity it was, seeing these traces was still very gratifying. After all, if she knew there were people nearby, then the duchy was probably in this area as well.

“Let’s go,” Ning said, jumping down from the height first. “Let’s follow these marks and see what happens. If they are robbers or bandits, we can just take them out.”

"Hey! Wait for me!"

Li quickly jumped down, transformed into a dragon, spread her dragon wings, grabbed Ning's hand, and quickly descended to the ground. Maintaining her altitude, she flew along the trail marked by the Demon Eye.

"So, what came to mind?" Li asked.

"Let me give you an example," Ning explained. "The Earth can function properly because of its core, you know?"

"Yeah, I know...isn't this common sense?" Li tilted his head.

“This world is like Earth, and its core is like the Earth’s core,” Ning said. “The core of this world is what sustains its normal operation, and it requires a lot of magic power to run. We have only managed to prevent this world from being destroyed immediately, but the trouble that Seric has brought us is far more than that. The remaining power of that force can even damage the core. Because of some damage to the core, the magic power used to maintain certain functions has overflowed from the damaged area, affecting this world. At the same time, due to the lack of magic power to operate, it has also begun to gradually collapse. This is the situation that this world is facing now.”

Although it's just a scientist's speculation, the sheer horror of Earth losing its gravity, atmosphere, and rotation due to a weakened core is undeniable... it would be terrifying. And the world is currently facing this serious problem; the effects of core damage are gradually becoming apparent.

"So... the shattered world only appeared because its core was damaged..." Rin could already imagine what this world would become.

“Yes, that’s it.” Ning nodded. “If everything the goddess said is true, the situation is probably very dangerous now, especially since even you have encountered that thing…”

The shattered world that Li encountered was probably one that couldn't maintain its normal state due to core damage. If things continued like this, the entire world might end up like that. In that world, magic couldn't be used normally; it was as if all the rules of that world had lost their effect.

"Ugh... my head is killing me." Li sighed.

“I understand how you feel,” Ning said calmly. “Now, besides this, we also know that the elves actually came to repair the core.”

“That would be really awkward…” Li’s gaze drifted into the distance. “If we encounter them again, it would be really awkward. Speaking of which… why did they suddenly attack the New Kingdom of Alyas?”

“I’m not too sure about that,” Ning said calmly. “That’s also a question that concerns me. After all, we don’t know how they will repair the core, and I’m not sure if this is actually one of the methods for repairing the core, so I can only reserve my opinion for now. However, we’ll probably have to find a way to make contact with them later.”

"Wow..."

Li really didn't want to have any contact with them, because they had accidentally become enemies before, and it would definitely be awkward to have any contact with them again... Besides, they were fighting so seriously back then...

“Let’s think about those things later,” Ning pointed, “You can see the duchy now.”

"Ah! I see it!"

After a day and a night, they finally found the location of the duchy, the familiar city where they had lived for nearly half a year. Although Li had heard about the duchy from the adventurers, she was still worried about Sevi. However, seeing the city, which seemed unchanged from before, finally put her at ease.

"Let's just land here," Ning suggested. "That should be enough, so as not to frighten the people in the city."

"Oh, then hold on tight."

Li swooped down to the ground, then spread her wings to slow them down until they landed smoothly and put them away. Now, the Duchy was almost in sight. Li felt a little conflicted. If nothing unexpected happened, they should meet with Sevi today. To be honest, Li wanted to avoid him, but if she wanted to properly convey these things, she had no choice but to meet him.

"call……"

Li exhaled a breath of stale air.

It's okay, Ning is here too.

Using this reason to calm himself down, he then followed Ning toward the city gate of the duchy.

Several guards were stationed on the city wall. When they noticed that Li Ning and his companion were approaching step by step, the mages raised their staffs and chanted spells, while the ordinary guards drew their bows and aimed at the two.

"Halt!" the guard shouted, stopping the two men. "That's enough! If they come any closer, we'll attack!"

Upon hearing the guard's shout, the two men obediently stopped to avoid causing any unnecessary trouble. Seeing that they had stopped cooperatively, the guard gestured with his eyes to those around him, signaling them to remain vigilant.

"Who are you?!" the guard shouted. "Do you have anything to prove your identity?!"

“Yes, guard brother.” Li and Ning both took out their adventure certificates. “This is an adventure certificate from the Adventurers’ Guild. We are adventurers from the Kingdom of Alyas. We have important information to convey to your king. May we enter the city?”

"The New Kingdom?"

The guards frowned. They did know about the new kingdom, but the two men claimed they had important information to convey to the prince and therefore wanted to enter the city. This was no longer something that they, as insignificant figures, could decide. After much deliberation, the guards decided to consult their superiors.

The two watched as the person in charge left the city wall, handing over the guard duties to others. It seemed he couldn't make the decision himself and was looking for someone capable of handling such matters. Facing the stern-faced city guards, the two showed no sign of tension, even chatting and laughing.

"It seems we've been away from the duchy for too long, and nobody remembers us anymore," Ning chuckled.

“Ha…” Li sighed instead, “So you’re saying we didn’t actually leave a deep impression on the Duchy… Sigh… even though we did so many amazing things.”

The two women were quite surprised to be stopped here, but it was also understandable. Who could guarantee that the outsiders in this environment weren't dangerous people? So the two of them waited patiently at the city gate.

Soon after, Li noticed that the people on the city wall had put away their weapons and were on guard, and the small door under the city gate opened, and out of the city gate came their comrade-in-arms—Edman.

"Hi! Long time no see, you two!"

Edman ran over in his armor, the armor clashing together with a loud crackling sound.

“Edman!” Li exclaimed in surprise. “What are you doing here? I heard you left the duchy with your people and the princess to rebuild your own country…”

"Haaah... It's a long story."