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

"Don't talk about theory... You wouldn't normally say something like that, would you?"

"Anyway, give it to me."

Without a word, Ning snatched the bottle of Hundred Leaf Drying from Li's hand, shook it, and then threw it towards the treants without hesitation. The treants didn't dodge; what could such a small thing do to them? But they were completely unaware that the liquid in the bottle was deadly to them. The bottle didn't hit them directly; instead, it flew directly above them.

When the bottle containing the baiyedu stopped right in the middle of the tree people, Ning aimed at the bottle in mid-air and cast a spell, precisely shattering the bottle and allowing the liquid inside to be evenly sprinkled on the laurel tree people. Three seconds later, the effects of the baiyedu were immediately apparent.

"%@#……￥@@&￥!?!?!?!?!?!"

Smoke began to rise from the bodies of the laurel tree people, and the smoking areas were where the bark of the Hundred Leaf Dead had come into contact. Listening to their heart-wrenching screams, Li felt a strange urge to laugh. The HP value displayed in the Demon Eye was also dropping rapidly. The only thing left to do was to see if this thing could truly eradicate this vicious monster.

If this thing were to get onto the ground, it would be a real disaster...

The vampires surrounding the laurel tree noticed the strange thing happening to it. It looked like it was in a lot of pain. Could these fearless laurel trees really be like this? This was a rather novel experience for the demons. Since the tree had lost its ability to fight and was just struggling in place, the vampires simply remained in a state of observation for the time being.

"What did you do?" Xuanze asked as he returned to the two of them, realizing something was wrong.

"It's nothing," Ning said calmly. "I just used some herbicide on those laurel tree people."

"Herbic acid?" Xuanze looked at Li. "You even have something like that?"

"Uh... I don't really know what's in that treasure chest space myself..." Li said with a wry smile. "I emptied and organized it not long ago, and I don't seem to have found this thing. I guess I just acquired it recently?"

"Come to think of it, this thing actually seems to work on these guys..." Xuanze looked at the wailing laurel tree people, lost in thought.

"What kind of props did you two use?" The leading vampire gentleman landed beside the three. "Please tell us if there are any left. We can buy them with gold coins. Hmm...? You two are... Miss Li and Miss Ning, right?"

"Oh. Hello."

Li also greeted the other party in a friendly manner.

"Hello. Miss Riko, the Time-Space Dragon King of the Small Garden." The vampire gentleman gave a grand bow. "I am the current head of the vampire clan, Dracula."

"--Wow? What a powerful name!" Li originally wanted to blurt out something like "the progenitor of vampires," but this world wasn't Earth, so she blurted out this instead.

"You flatter me." Dracula straightened up and said, "I am not as domineering as the Dragon King said. I am far from being as powerful as the previous clan leader."

Boom————!

The conversation between the four was interrupted by the loud noise, and everyone's attention shifted to the source of the sound—the place where a large number of laurel tree people had collapsed. Everyone tensed up, their eyes fixed on the fallen laurel tree people, awaiting the outcome. After a long while, there was no sign of the laurel tree people resuming their activity, nor any sign of new laurel tree people appearing.

“It works…” Li said, staring in disbelief.

"It was an unexpected situation," Ning shrugged.

When the vampires saw that the laurel tree man no longer rose and no new tree men were being created, they all laughed in unison, each one beaming with joy. Their conflict with this monster called the laurel tree man could finally end today; the Demon King Xuanze had brought them grace!

“Wow,” Xuanze nodded, “It actually managed to kill the Laurel Tree Man… Just one bottle has this kind of effect… We have to take this seriously… Oh, right, Dracula, let’s go back first, this isn’t the place to talk business.”

"Yes. I understand."

Under Xuanze's command, the vampires instantly assembled, then prepared to leave at any moment. The vampire clan seemed to have a good relationship with Demon King Xuanze. Li and Ning followed in Xuanze's footsteps, guided by the vampires, and arrived at Crimson Castle.

This so-called Crimson Castle refers to an extremely large castle located in the Demon Realm, more than three times the size of the Duchy's royal capital. When Li and Ning saw it, they both instinctively widened their eyes.

"What a huge scale..." Ning estimated for a while, "This scale is at least the size of a small maze or an underground city, right?"

“Don’t you know?” Xuanze said, “All the relatively safe places in the Demon Realm are labyrinths or dungeons.”

"Huh?!" Li exclaimed in surprise.

"Isn't this normal?" Xuanze said calmly. "Since the Demon Realm is full of dangerous traps, the only safe places are the labyrinths or dungeons."

"What kind of ridiculous settings are these... "

Li is no longer as excited as she was when she first arrived. The Demon Realm is now like hell to her. What seemed like a relatively safe place to live is actually dungeons and labyrinths. The situation here couldn't be worse. Monsters spawn everywhere and there are traps everywhere. No wonder the surviving demons are all over level 100.

Then, Xuanze's matter-of-fact attitude was really infuriating. It's not like everyone knows the situation in the Demon Realm.

“We’re about to enter the castle,” Dracula warned. “Stay close to us, it’s easy to get lost once we’re inside.”

"Okay, just lead the way." Xuanze nodded, not taking it seriously.

For him, if he couldn't find the way, he would simply break through and destroy everything in his path towards his destination; if that didn't work, he would simply take a detour. Having someone to guide him saved him all that trouble. After entering the maze surrounding the castle, the group headed towards a relatively safe place.

This castle is a dungeon or maze where monsters spawn everywhere. Even though Xuanze said so, Li could still see vampires everywhere. They seemed to be attacking the monsters that spawned and sucking their blood.

“Is that strange?” Dracula asked.

"Huh? No," Li hurriedly explained, "I wasn't thinking about that kind of thing. I just wanted to know why you guys were still moving around everywhere even though this is a maze..."

“Oh…” Dracula smiled and said, “Miss Dragon King, you don’t need to worry about so much. The reason we are still moving around in this maze is to ensure our living space and food. We are a demon race that survives by growing stronger with blood, so we need to hunt demons to obtain blood. Of course, we don’t hunt all demons.”

"That's right..."

The vampires in this world seem quite different from those on Earth. They appear much more rational, calm, and thoughtful. Hunting monsters for blood ensures both a food source and safety in their surroundings. It's a good method, at least they don't drink human blood like the vampires on Earth.

"Alright, that's enough for now." Dracula suddenly stopped. "My Lord, I suspect you came here for more than just to bring the Laurel Tree People. Is there something else you need?"

"Yes, of course." Xuanze nodded. "Let's talk somewhere else... Where is she?"

"As for that person..."

Dracula said nothing more, but fell silent and walked towards the deepest part of the Crimson Castle. The usually restless Xuanze also remained still, obediently following behind Dracula. At this point, no further conversation was needed, and Li and Ning also quietly followed. The other vampires bowed to the group and then departed.

The four followed the correct path into the depths of the labyrinth, where they found an old church. In the very center of the church sat an exquisite ice coffin. The ice crystals that made up the coffin emitted a purple glow, illuminating the church with their faint light. Dracula said nothing, but made way for the three, gesturing for them to pass.

Xuanze went over first. There was no one inside the ice coffin, which was to be expected. He knelt before it expressionlessly, remaining silent. Li and Ning followed him, kneeling before the coffin as well. They both knew perfectly well who was inside. Xuanze had come not only to complete his mission but also to sweep the grave of his somewhat malicious subordinate.

“This is really messed up,” Xuanze suddenly said. “What are you doing? Are you some kind of old maid? Using such an old-fashioned method to kill enemies is really boring. Thanks to you, I’m almost going crazy with work now. — Never mind, I’m not the kind of petty person. You just stay in the other world. Thanks for your hard work. I don’t need your help anymore.”

Despite his still sharp tongue, Li did notice a hint of gentleness in Xuanze's face.

Chapter 28 All Four Gates Open

After a brief greeting to Aye, the four left, giving her a quiet environment. Business couldn't be discussed there, so they went into the castle's meeting room to explain the situation.

“I see,” Dracula stroked his chin. “The Demon King is planning to join forces with humanity to rebuild this world, right? That’s why you need to set up a portal here that connects to the human world, right?”

“That’s exactly what I mean,” Xuanze smiled. “Humans as they are now certainly not going to survive. Moreover, I’ve learned some deeper details. If we don’t help, even our demon race might be doomed. There’s nothing to worry about. Apart from Akihabara, who else among humans has the power to fight us?”

"Hey?"

If Xuanze had said these words in front of others, it would have definitely caused trouble. It would have been fine if it were Alice and the others, but if politicians and officials heard it, it would have been a real problem. So Li reminded him to be more careful with his words, and Ning also coughed twice as a warning. Xuanze shrugged and didn't say anything more outrageous.

“It’s not that we’re worried about that,” Dracula smiled. “Your Majesty, do as you please. At least from a strategic perspective, we have a need to do this. However, I hope that humanity can come up with a corresponding price. We don’t ask for much; we just hope that you can return all the lands you’ve taken in the past.”

This is actually a legitimate demand from the demons. The reason they came to live in this place is because they were once persecuted by humans. Now is the time for them to take advantage of this opportunity to reclaim their rightful rights, so it is only natural for them to make such a request. Xuanze and Ning had anticipated this development, and it suited their wishes perfectly.

Xuanze's goal is to create a more habitable environment, which will make the demons stronger and at least less miserable than they are now. The objective here is to unite the demons and humans. The unused land is currently unsure what to do with; if the demons are willing to help manage it, that would be ideal, and there's nothing wrong with that.

“Let’s leave it at that for now,” Ning interjected. “This isn’t something we can decide on our own, but we can assure the Demon Clan that we will do our best to secure the corresponding benefits for them.”

“Speaking of which…” Dracula noticed something, “I don’t quite understand. I’ve read all the relevant terms and laws, but in my personal opinion, Akihabara is just blindly giving money away to others. Is that really meaningful? Do you really get any benefit from it? I’m starting to suspect that you have ulterior motives.”

Akihabara was single-mindedly pushing this together, even at the cost of his own profits, which naturally raised questions. No matter how you looked at it, Akihabara's actions seemed to be sacrificing everything he had. Dracula thought about it extensively but couldn't find any way for Akihabara to profit. That's why he asked.

“Interests…” Li smiled weakly. “For various reasons, I’ve long been numb to those things… First of all, once these four countries unite, they will have connections. Once there’s a portal, there will be movement of people, which will drive our economic development. Economic development will in turn drive social development. I hope our country can make even greater progress through this.”

These were all contents from the political textbook, of course. Li just couldn't think of any other way to put it, so she just copied it down. She wasn't sure if she had explained all the knowledge points, but she just went with her gut feeling and told Dracula the idea to get by for now. Dracula was completely confused, while Xuanze was laughing so hard he couldn't stop, and Ning covered her face with complicated feelings.

What grade level was this content from? Middle school or high school...? Rin couldn't quite remember, but judging from Dracula's expression, he'd probably gotten away with it. Of the remaining countries, Akihabara had the most surplus resources, so it was normal for the organizers to provide decent support. This little thing was nothing to Rin and his group.

What Li truly wants to do is realize the future those two people envisioned; what they couldn't achieve before, she will do herself. Now that they've accumulated a certain amount of experience, it's not a bad idea to expend a little time here to build a strong relationship.

Dracula has been fooled by Li. He has never heard of some of the terms Li uses, but they sound very professional and reasonable, so he can only assume that they are correct for the time being.

“Alright, alright,” Dracula nodded. “I understand what you mean. I remember the former chieftain also talked about economics and society. He probably learned this from the Demon King, right? Since the Demon King understands it, I think there’s nothing we need to do. Even if other demons are present, they certainly won’t object.”

"Ha, anyone who dares to object, I'll smash their dog head in." Xuanze said arrogantly. Since he said that, he would definitely do it.

Seeing Dracula's submissive demeanor, it's possible that what he said is true. Given the demon race's strong sense of unity, even if all the demon representatives were present, no one would object... It seems that Li now understands one of the reasons why the demon race possesses such high combat power in various stories. One reason is their unity. Without the Demon King, they might be a disorganized mess, but when the Demon King appears, the situation quickly reverses, and the entire demon race becomes incredibly united.

Thinking about it this way is really a bit terrifying... The cohesion of the demon race...

"Speaking of which, you all plan to set up a portal, right?" Dracula thought for a moment and said, "We vampires don't know much about things like dragon veins, so please feel free to use them wherever you like. We vampires don't have fixed dwellings; a coffin is enough for us. I will pass this information on to the other vampires."

"Uh... then I'll leave it to you... thank you."

Having obtained permission from the vampire clan to develop the area, Li Xiang felt a chill run down her spine after recalling the scene Dracula described. Since the vampires mostly operate within this Crimson Castle, their coffins should also be located here. Thinking about it that way, this labyrinth should be filled with their coffins.

That scene felt like watching a horror movie; it was very creepy.

"What are you standing there for?" Xuanze gave her a push from behind. "Hurry up and find a suitable place to set up the portal. Once we're done, we'll go back over there. The ghosts won't wait for you."

"I know! Don't rush me!"

Li sighed helplessly, shook his head, and shook off the chilling image from his mind.

“I already have a few places in mind,” Li said. “Xuanze, you should come with us too. It will be much more convenient if you’re here.”

"Okay, okay, let's finish this quickly."

Xuanze, unusually cooperative, followed them. Thanks to him, Li and Ning quickly found a suitable place to set up the portal. The steps were the same as before: prepare the site and materials, inscribe magic into the materials, and then set the connection points. A portal capable of connecting to four places simultaneously was thus created. However, just like before, it didn't look like a proper portal.

It took more than an hour to set up the portal. During this time, quite a few vampires came to watch out of curiosity. Thanks to them, any monsters that came to interfere were quickly driven away.

The three stood on the circular platform at the core of the teleportation portal, everything was ready, and Li felt a sense of exhilaration, as if he had accomplished something great. Ning checked for any oversights, while Xuanze simply sat down in the center of the platform.

This portal didn't look like a door at all, a far cry from the portals used during the guerrilla warfare. He had no idea what Li Hening was up to, so he just waited to see the final outcome. However, to him, this portal seemed somewhat familiar.

“Alright,” the flames flowing in the Eye of Reason disappeared, “I’ve checked everything with my Mystic Eyes, and there’s nothing seriously wrong. The next thing to do is open the portal.”

“Me too.” Ning returned to her side. “Did you slack off this time? The magic on some of the magic iron isn’t very strong.”

"Hey~~~ no way," Li said, feeling wronged. "I was just eager to finish the mission as soon as possible!"

"Well, it's nothing serious." Ning gently pinched her nose. "I've reinforced the magic again, so don't worry."

"So it's over?" Xuanze asked impatiently.

"Yes, it's all taken care of." Li nodded.

"That's fine then..."

Yodo.

Xuanze nimbly flipped himself up from the ground, stood in the center of the round platform facing all the vampires, and cleared his throat.

"I assume you all know this from Dracula, right?" Xuanze released an invisible pressure. "This is the portal that directly connects our Demon Realm and the Human Realm. You've used portals before, so I won't go into detail. I also don't want to explain much about our alliance. I'll have someone post the entire contract later, and you can go and confirm it then. But..."

boom----!

This pressure suddenly transformed into a murderous magical force that was released outwards, and a cold light flashed in Xuanze's black eyes.

"I need to make one thing clear to you first... Although I am both human and demon lord, I will not favor either side, and everything will be done according to the rules. If any of you dare to cross that line, I will personally deal with you. Understand?"

The magic instantly transformed into flames, showcasing Xuanze's exceptional control over magical power. It was true that the Demon King was an eccentric, but he was also a man of principle. If he said something, it meant he truly meant it; he wasn't joking. The vampires here all understood this, and they knew exactly where that line was. That was precisely why they dared not cross it.

Xuanze's behavior, in a logical sense, resembled a mafia boss instructing his underlings on some rules. To be honest, the scene was a bit comical. Xuanze looked like just a gloomy young man, while the vampires, who looked much more terrifying, were completely obedient to him.

“Oh, right,” Xuanze suddenly changed his tone, “this door will open in a moment. You can use this door to go to the human world. If you want to go and play around later, that’s fine. I won’t stop you. Just remember what I said and don’t do anything unnecessary. That’s all I have to say. Dragon King, open the door.”

"Um... thanks."

"I do not know what you're talking about."

Xuanze waved his hand and stepped down from the platform. What an arrogant fellow! If you understood the purpose of his actions, he was taking preventative measures for the safety of both sides, at least to prevent the demons from being so arrogant. The demons were numerous, and each demon had different ideas, but if the Demon King made such a declaration, the demons wouldn't dare to cause trouble.

Li took a deep breath. Since the Demon King had finished his duty, she should also do hers. Next, she needed to connect the four teleportation gates together, which required activating all four gates at the same time. To be honest, she was still very nervous. She was standing in the very center of everyone's attention, constantly repeating to herself that she couldn't make a mistake.

The other three portals should have replenished their mana during their journey, but this one hadn't. However, there wasn't enough time to wait for it to slowly absorb the surrounding mana. Li crouched down, placed his hand on the circular platform, and connected his mana to the platform's mana circuit, using his own mana to replenish the portal's mana needs.

Strange patterns lit up on the scattered pieces of magic iron, and then one by one they defied gravity and floated into the air. The vampires watched this scene in astonishment. These pieces of magic iron gradually gathered on the round platform and combined with each other, gradually forming the shape of a door. Only then did Xuanze remember that he had seen such a portal in a game.

The portal is one such device that restores its normal function by recombining it with some mysterious power. It is amazing that the two of them made this seemingly very complicated design so easily.

Once all the magic iron blocks were reassembled, the patterns connected, activating the complete spell. A silver light shimmered, and a silver vortex appeared within the circular archway.

The portal has been successfully opened.

Chapter 29 The World After the Portal Was Activated

Three days have passed since the day the four portals opened, and most of the finishing work has been completed. Akihabara officially announced that it would incorporate the Time Corridor Labyrinth area into its territory and establish the Labyrinth Country, Little Garden, joining the alliance in the name of Little Garden.

One day after officially announcing their independence, the four nations held an alliance meeting and briefing to reassure unsuspecting citizens that the alliance did not pose a danger and that they had nothing to worry about. Some time was spent afterwards...

The New Kingdom is preparing for the upcoming battles and is also investigating matters related to the elves, such as the Dragon Vein. During this time, Ning has contacted Yan several times. The elves are still traveling to various parts of the world to repair the core, and the collapse of the world continues. Regarding the collapse of the world, those who knew about it did not reveal this matter at the Alliance Conference.

If this kind of thing gets out, it will only cause unnecessary panic. Besides, there is no need to explain so many things to the outside world at this stage. What should be kept hidden should still be kept hidden.

The demons' settlements began to gradually migrate towards the surface. Xuanze used the Heavenly Lock to forcibly pull the red moon down and bind it there, preventing it from returning to its normal orbit. Sudden relocation requires a buffer period, and some demons were unwilling to return to the surface. Therefore, Xuanze selected a group of demons, like an advance team, to return to the surface and reclaim their territory.

Most of these people were demons who had participated in that war, including Uncle Sin Flame Lion, the demon who manipulated the azure lightning, and many other demons who were active in that war. Some might think this was a punishment, but in fact it was a reward. These demons would be at the forefront of history and witness the birth of a new world.

The Principality is currently assisting Edman and his people in rebuilding the country. Because there is still a lot of empty land left in the old Akihabara site besides the space occupied by the teleportation gate, it would be a waste to leave it like this. So, Savi bought some crop seeds that were planted in the Little Garden and tried to grow them here. If they can be successfully grown, it will alleviate some of the food pressure.

Meanwhile, in Akihabara, they were working hard to transform the labyrinth. Sometime during the day, this group started planning to turn the Corridor of Time into a city with labyrinth features. Personally, I would prefer the Corridor of Time to remain as it is, but looking at it this way, it doesn't seem so bad, so I didn't say much.