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

Because of the mimic's racial traits, the mimics I killed had a lot of items on them. I'm not sure if they're treasures, but I'll just dump them all out and see first.

How should I put these things? They all seem like trivial items. An iron rod, a wooden box, eight oddly shaped pebbles, a blade of grass, but there is a rather nice-looking sword and a paper folding fan.

Let's look at them one by one with the "Magic Eye".

I first looked at the iron rod. The subtitles first showed "an iron rod," then "a sturdy iron rod," and finally "a sturdy black iron rod"...

Emmmmm......

I silently grabbed the black iron rod and broke it in two with pliers. What's with this supposed sturdiness? So this is just an ordinary iron rod? Please, my fellow countrymen, stop eating people and gold coins all the time, okay? I'd be proud of you for producing this kind of thing... what a load of rubbish.

The wooden box was just a wooden box, as I saw it, but it looked like there was something inside. Without thinking much of it, I used pliers to smash the box. As I cleared away the haphazardly piled-up pieces, I saw what was inside.

It was a very exquisite cross, with excellent craftsmanship and a lovely design. The Demon Eye revealed the true information about this cross—'Exorcising Silver'.

It has a very strong suppressive effect on necromancy-type monsters; as long as you wear it, it will take effect. To be honest... I'm actually very afraid of ghosts and monsters, even now that I've turned into a mimic, I still feel like I can't beat enemies I can't even touch.

This cross has exorcising properties. I'm not sure how this world views this ability, but it's very useful to me. I like it.

But I'm a mimic right now... I can't wear this kind of thing... Anyway, I'll just eat it and preserve it for now.

I used pliers to hold the cross, being careful not to crush it, and then put it in my mouth.

Then I turned my attention to the remaining items. The eight scattered strange stones were 'rune stones,' which, according to the description, should be able to store magic for later use.

This is really a good thing for me. It allows me to replenish my 'Twisted' magic once a day. Since it's a very important attack method, I usually don't use it because once I use it, I can't use it again for the rest of the day.

This has resulted in a significant waste of my magic power. In fact, I haven't used it since the last Dragon Ant Nest incident, until today when I used it to kill the Mimic.

I wasted three uses of the 'Twisted' magic... It hurts so much.

But with runestones, it's different! I can use the extra magic to store 'Twisted' in runestones, and then I can take it out and use it whenever I need it!

The problem is, I don't know how to use it... Why are you looking at me like that? I'm telling the truth, I really don't know how to use it, what can I do? I'm desperate too.

And then that blade of grass... yeah, that blade of grass, that blue, glowing grass, that shimmering, sparkling grass.

Yeah, it's not very useful... So what's the point of having such a gorgeous appearance?

The information the Demon Eye gave me about this plant is as follows.

"Soul Grass, a legendary herb that contains a soul, is generally used as a light source."

It doesn't matter whether this thing is there or not, right?!

It would look nice as a decoration in my room... but I don't need one right now. I'll keep it for now.

Chapter 19 The Sword of the Sanko Workshop

Finally, I turned my attention to the last two items, as they concerned my future decisions and even my survival. I could probably use the sword; with a little practice, I could grip the hilt properly and avoid breaking it. Although I didn't know if the mimic could actually use such a thing properly.

My pincers aren't as flexible as a human's. For example, I can't extend them behind my back, and the range of motion is very small. As a result, I probably can't deliver a strong slash because there isn't enough time for me to exert force.

At this point, the subtitles appeared.

"Sacrifice - Chess". The name of this seemingly ancient sword is somewhat like those swords in martial arts dramas, but it is much simpler in comparison. Runes are engraved on the sword, and I cannot understand those ancient and obscure runes, but I can vaguely sense that they are proof of some achievement it once made.

"Sacrificial Game - A game of chess. Sacrificial items passed down from ancient times."

Does that mean I was disappointed...?

『Sacrificial Ritual - Chess (Damaged). A sacrificial item passed down from ancient times. A weapon from the Sanko Workshop, imbued with runes, it is certainly not a mere sacrificial item.』

Sangu Gongfang?

The subtitles contained words I didn't recognize, but I could understand from their meaning that it was a workshop that made something. The ability to imbue something with runes seemed impressive, but what really caught my attention were those two words—"damaged."

The sword I currently possess, "Sacrifice: Chess," is an incomplete sword, and according to the subtitles, it will absolutely not betray my expectations.

The only problem is its defect. I don't know what effect the defect has on the sword. I'd like to try to get information about it using my magic eye, but it doesn't seem to work.

In short, this sword is very precious, and I will try my best not to use it as a disposable item.

With reverence, I swallowed the "Sacrifice: Chess". Someday I will carry it with me.

The last folding fan... just as disappointing as the first iron rod. A 'folding fan,' a 'paper folding fan,' a 'paper folding fan reinforced with craftsmanship.' In conclusion, it's a pretty useless item.

I tossed aside my folding fan and ventured deeper into the makeshift shelter I had dug, then leaned against the stone wall to sleep. To call it sleeping was an understatement; it was more of a short nap. This wasn't a place where I could live a leisurely life.

Leaning against the stone wall, I felt a sense of security, but not a complete sense of security, because the rest of my body was exposed.

It's like how you have to cover your whole body with a blanket when you're sleeping, and your hands and feet can't stick out of the bed. Because you always feel like you're going to be attacked by something.

Ha... I vaguely remembered some things from my time on Earth. What if I hadn't died of AIDS? But there aren't so many "what ifs." I'm a mimic, and I'm right here in this unknown other world.

All I have to do is struggle to survive, that's all.

I made a wish to see slime-chan in the future, and then I went to sleep.

The Kingdom of Alyas.

"Father? You mean you're going to send me to the maze? You must be joking."

The second prince, Pere Aryas, is known throughout the kingdom for his tyranny. He is arrogant and cannot tolerate any disobedience, but his martial skills are undeniable. Aside from his flaws, he is a decent man.

Pelle was summoned today by his father, King Serik Aryas of Aryas, but Serik immediately ordered Pelle to go to the labyrinth, which puzzled him greatly.

“Isn’t a maze just a place where people scavenge for garbage in the slums?” Peller bluntly expressed his resistance. “I’m not going to go to a place like that.”

“No, you must go,” Serik said calmly, “not only for you, but also for the kingdom.”

Serik rose from his throne; his imposing physique revealed him to be a man who had trained for many years. This was Peller's goal, but he wanted to surpass his father.

“Pelle, haven’t you always wanted to surpass me?” Serik said. “I’m sending you to the labyrinth this time for two reasons: first, to train you, and second, to consolidate your position. You know about your unworthy older sister.”

In the kingdom, the succession to the throne is based on age, regardless of gender, with priority decreasing downwards. Pelle is second in line, while his elder sister, the First Princess Alice Aryas, is first in line.

Peller believed that his sister was a beauty, a woman worthy of his conquest, and he had always thought about how to get Alice into his hands, but her defenses were impenetrable.

But little did he know how highly the people regarded Alice. The kingdom's beautiful and talented princess was kind, compassionate, and caring towards her people. She had also established the world-renowned workshop "Sanko".

Despite her remarkable achievements, Alice had no interest in the throne whatsoever, as if to her it was nothing more than a crown, and all she needed was the power that the crown granted her.

Seric was unhappy with this development. He had a high opinion of his daughter, but he also loathed her because Alice's ideals clashed with the kingdom's, and her vision was set on something much more distant.

Seric considered Alice's ideals to be rubbish, utterly useless rubbish, mere idealism focused on the distant future. So a year ago he began grooming Pelle, hoping he would inherit the throne, but it seemed to have no effect.

He summoned Peller now to help him achieve tangible results, thereby consolidating his position.

"Sister? To be honest, I think she would look beautiful if she spread her legs in bed." Peller laughed disgustingly.

"Once you get the throne, you can do whatever you want." What Seric is currently having a major headache is that Peller has a lot of bad reputation. If he were to bypass Alice and give him the throne directly, it would definitely cause a backlash from the people.

"As long as you can achieve the corresponding merits in the labyrinth, I will find you a beauty comparable to Alice. Or even your beloved hero." Seric used women as bait; this was the most effective method.

"Oh, oh, oh, Father...!" Peller was overjoyed. "I'm going to head to the labyrinth right now!"

Peller took the bait so quickly. Does he really like that newly summoned hero that much? Hmph... I'll just have to tell the church about it later.

Serik summoned his civil officials to prepare the prizes for Peller's triumphant return. That brave warrior—Xia Que.

Chapter 20 The Mimic's Thoughts

I've lost count of how many days I've been in this strange world. I've built a real shelter. Of course, it's still very rudimentary, mainly because I don't have the dexterity of a human.

I lingered around a certain place until I confirmed it was relatively safe, then I dug a hole in a slightly higher spot and lived there.

All the spoils I've acquired during this period are stored here. There's all sorts of stuff, including a lot of junk, but the things that are truly useful to me are all inside my body.

The reason for building this shelter is simply because I wanted a home, yes, I wanted a home.

I used to find it hard to imagine what it felt like to be a lonely wanderer, with no one around and no one waiting for you to come back; all you had to do was be accompanied by endless loneliness.

That feeling was really painful. I felt like I was going to break down, mentally, ever since I lost Slime-chan.

So I built a home, a very simple cave, and made it my and Slime's home. When I leave the cave and come back, someone will greet me.

But that was just wishful thinking on my part. I still haven't found Slime-chan. It probably really died in that battle.

I want a home, I want the strong emotions of family to influence my actions. I keep trying to enrich this home, but all I get in return is endless emptiness and cold echoes.

For a few days, I stayed at home doing nothing but staring blankly at the ceiling, hoping for something. When I got hungry, I would take out my stored food to eat.

Of course, nothing has changed as usual. Even I haven't done anything, so how could anything have changed at home...?

My food supplies eventually ran out, and I had to leave my home and venture into that unfriendly maze to hunt for prey and steal my food.

By the way, I've reached level 21, and my magic power has improved slightly, allowing me to use 'Twisting' twice a day. However, there are still aspects of myself that I don't understand.

For example, what exactly is my divinity? But that thing is too mysterious for me to understand at all. I always feel like I'd go crazy if I figured it out.

That unsettling gaze is still there. I don't know who's watching me, but it's never interfered. And naturally, I won't interfere either; less trouble is better, because I'm lazy.

Regarding food, it seems that eating some gold coins has a restorative effect, but it doesn't work on my shell.

I left my cave to find my prey. There are usually only monsters below level 15 in this area, which is a piece of cake for me at level 21.

I haven't left this area for a long time. I've defeated all the monsters here once, lost a few times, but managed to escape each time. After that, I analyzed their weaknesses and went back to take revenge.

This monotonous and boring life is numbing me. I think I should take a risk. If this continues, I probably will never become human again.

I decided to leave this area and go on an adventure the day after tomorrow. While thinking about my own safety, I bumped into something huge. I looked up and saw it was a foot.

“——.”

The thing made a sound like an elephant, and in fact it was an elephant, an elephant wrapped in flames. Their name was "Flame Mountain Elephant".

They look a bit like camels, with a bulge on their backs that resembles a volcano. Although their name sounds fierce, they are actually very gentle and honest.

I obediently made way for it, and it brushed its long nose against the lid of my box before thumping away with heavy footsteps.

Actually, I'm quite familiar with it. Several times when I was leveling up by fighting monsters in this area, it would suddenly appear and then crush my prey to death with astonishing force.

Yes, it stole my EXP. But it also saved me a few times, so I didn't pay much attention to it.

It was probably the overlord of this area, I thought as I walked deeper into the region, and then I found my prey.

Alright, let the hunt begin!

Chapter 21 Watch out for grenades!

My prey spotted me and shot a bolt of lightning at me. The lightning had a magical quality; it was magic.

My magic eye is working.

"Burning Thunder Wolf, LV19."

Its name is displayed above its head, along with its health and mana points. HP/MP: 337/568

Wait, shouldn't it be a melee type? How come its MP is so high?

To be honest, I've never seen a wolf that uses magic, so it's best to be cautious.

The Demon Eye sent me more information.

"These lightning-loving dire wolves can wield lightning magic and are immune to it. They are also agile and highly intelligent, making them monsters adventurers generally dislike encountering. Their hearts store vast amounts of lightning, which can be used as bombs."

Not only can they use magic, but they're also very intelligent? To be honest, I'm traumatized by these monsters... I'm reminded of that fierce battle in the dragon ant nest that day.

Back then, the battles were so difficult to advance even a little bit. We were completely overwhelmed by the enemy, who used both magic and AI, making it impossible to find a way to win.

I have no desire to fight this troublesome monster, but there is something about it that I care about very much.

Its heart.

Ah, don't get me wrong, I don't have that kind of strange fetish, it's just that being able to use it as a bomb is a very effective attack method for me.

I can just use 'Twist' to throw the heart near the enemy and detonate it, which will deal maximum damage and kill a whole bunch of enemies at once. Why refuse such a good thing that's delivered to my door?

We must take it down.

I didn't back down at all and charged straight ahead. I personally thought that it would be troublesome to keep my distance from an opponent who was good at magic, so I wanted to get close to the Blazing Thunder Wolf directly.

Seeing me charging straight at him, the Thunder Wolf actually started running after me too, gathering lightning in its mouth. Something felt off, so I immediately veered aside, letting it whiz past me.

Its attack missed; it was actually a headbutt—no, it was a bite. At first glance, it seemed simple, but then lightning suddenly exploded around it.

I almost got caught in that lightning bolt. Wow, getting hit by it is no joke; I would have been paralyzed.

Upon realizing its attack had missed, the Blazing Thunder Wolf immediately moved away and fired another spell at me. How could I let it succeed? I spat out what I needed and then activated it.

'Runestone - Twisted'.

A small section of space in front of me distorted, and the lightning disappeared after passing through the magic circle in front of me, then struck out from behind the scorching thunder wolf.

The Thunder Wolf was startled but not injured. After all, it was lightning, and this guy was immune to lightning. But at least there was an opening.

Without hesitation, I approached it, and by the time it realized what was happening, I was already in front of it, extending my pincers to finish it off.