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

"You don't need to go into too much detail about this kind of thing."

A deep voice suddenly sounded from behind, startling Xia Que so much that she almost tumbled off the roof, but luckily someone grabbed her.

"I'm telling you, you're so scared, and your first reaction wasn't to draw your sword?"

The person who pulled Xia Que back was a priest from the church, the hero's mentor and guardian—Hao Er. That master with long, platinum-gold hair was still the same familiar tsundere, wearing his signature black coat.

“Master…!” Xia Que started to complain, “Isn’t it your fault after all? Talking behind someone’s back without saying hello is bound to scare them.”

"Then do you think Her Highness the Princess was frightened?" Hao'er retorted calmly.

Alice sat nearby, stroking the carrier pigeons, unmoved. The pigeons, unperturbed, continued to coo, and Xia Que couldn't find an excuse to refute Hao Er.

"I feel truly threatened entrusting the future of the world to you," said Hale, looking troubled.

"You think I want to?!" Xia Que seized the opportunity to retort.

"..." Hao Er didn't reply, but silently pulled her up.

"Huh? Master?" Xia Que felt a little scared; she had never seen Hao Er with that expression before.

Hao'er's expression was extremely complicated, and he was surrounded by an aura of silence, as if he were mourning someone or mocking someone, a complexity that was hard to understand.

“Don’t blame yourself, Xia,” Alice said coldly. “The responsibility lies entirely with our kingdom. This behavior should have stopped when the eleventh hero died.”

What Alice said is true. These are all problems on the part of the kingdom. It is irresponsible to make people from other worlds bear the mission of this world and then leave it unattended.

But there was one thing that Xia Que was very concerned about: the eleven dead heroes.

"Eleven?" Xia Que asked incredulously. "They're all dead?"

“Yes, they’re said to have died in battle.” Alice released a carrier pigeon and continued, “They died before they even saw the Demon King. I’m starting to doubt the Demon King’s existence.”

That's right, the kingdom has already conducted twelve hero summons, and Xia Que is the twelfth. All of the previous eleven have perished in battle. This is precisely what puzzles Ellis. Are heroes really that weak? It's highly unusual that they didn't die directly at the hands of the Demon King, and that eleven of them did.

Xia Que didn't know where the eleven people came from, but she still followed the example of those who came to church to pray every day and prayed for them.

"Is the Demon King... really that powerful?" Xia Que asked to herself.

Xia Que's understanding of the Demon Kings was limited to the fact that they were a group of vicious individuals who invaded human nations and sought to dominate the world. She didn't know much about their specifics. However, she had fought one of the Demon Kings' monsters, and frankly, it was incredibly strong; perhaps Xia Que was simply too weak. After all, Hao Er had once told her that she was the weakest hero in history.

Xia Que possesses only the holy sword that symbolizes a hero, but she lacks the magic that belongs to this world. Xia Que cannot use magic to fight like other heroes; all she can rely on is her holy sword, "Great Xia Dragon Sparrow."

"Who knows? I only heard it from my subordinates. During the time they were summoning the hero, I was sent abroad by that old geezer, so I only know the gist of what happened back home. Almost everyone who traveled with the hero died, so there was no way to get any information from them."

For some reason, Alice's tone was very cold, and she wasn't referring to the king in the royal city, but to Hoel standing next to her.

"Alright, break time is over. Xia Que, come with me." Hao Er interrupted the conversation casually.

"Hmm... I understand." Xia Que was also a little surprised, as Hao'er usually wouldn't act like this.

After the two people left, Alice stood up and dusted off her skirt. It wasn't that she lacked aristocratic reserve; she simply didn't want to do troublesome things and preferred a more natural feel.

"The maze isn't easy to solve either..."

Alice gazed into the distance toward the labyrinth; her brother Peller should be inside now. But Alice wasn't concerned with that; she was more interested in the recent strange occurrences within the labyrinth.

That labyrinth was known as the Time Corridor. Time flowed more slowly inside than outside, making it a popular spot for adventurers to complete quests and level up. But now, the labyrinth has awakened—or rather, its master has awakened.

The Dragon King of Time—Elijer Rielfa—is the master of that labyrinth. It is said that the labyrinth's unique characteristics are thanks to him. However, no one has ever seen him within the labyrinth; adventurers only regard him as a legend.

But recently, the labyrinth has been undergoing very active changes, almost as if it were man-made, using all sorts of cruel methods to torment visitors. There are also rumors about a monster, rumors about a slime.

In the Time Corridor dwells a water-colored slime that can use all sorts of magic and change color, while riding a giant fiery elephant to attack adventurers. Many have already fallen victim to the slime. At first, Alice didn't quite believe this absurd story, until her subordinates returned covered in wounds, at which point she began to have some doubts.

The labyrinth has become as restless as the kingdom itself... I'll have to trouble you to take care of Pelle...

Alice pulled herself together, left the rooftop, and headed to her workplace, the Sanko Workshop.

Chapter 51 The Saintess Eagerly Awaits

"Ah, Your Highness."

In the workshop's reception hall, Alice encountered Senno, the lady in charge of greeting guests. She seemed very anxious, and it was unclear what had happened.

“No need for formalities, Senno. What happened?” Alice gestured to stop her from bowing and went straight to the point.

“Yes.” Senno looked up and asked, “Do you still remember the Saintess?”

“Of course I remember…” Alice’s expression was complicated.

She was a close friend of the church's saint, but a year ago, she died unexpectedly while reinforcing the seal on a monster in the Time Corridor.

"What's wrong?" Alice asked, trying to steer the conversation.

“The seal on that monster is starting to crack.” Senno’s expression turned serious. “It’s probably because the Holy Maiden failed to reinforce the seal a year ago.”

"Is this even possible?" Alice was starting to get a headache. Peller was really lucky. "But what does this have to do with our workshop?"

“Have you forgotten?” Senno said with a wry smile, “The ritual implements were made in our workshop. Especially the most crucial ritual sword.”

“Uh… I remember now…” Alice felt a little nauseous. “It was that thing? Damn it, when I made this thing before, it was really…”

The ceremonial sword "Sacrifice Yi" was forged after many complex processes. Because it was so complicated, it was personally crafted by Alice, and she still finds it very difficult to use.

“All the ritual equipment from that time was lost, so the church commissioned us to make a new set,” Senno told her about the job.

Although Senno was in charge of receiving customers, as a member of the Sanko Workshop, she naturally possessed a skill she was proficient in. She had also participated in the work and almost collapsed due to the difficult and complex project.

"We have to do it again?" Alice was dumbfounded.

“Your Highness, this concerns the very survival of the kingdom,” Senno reminded her.

"Of course I know that..." Alice could only manage a wry smile.

This ritual was of great importance; it sealed away a mythical monster.

In the kingdom's history, the king who summoned it and made a pact with it to protect the kingdom made it a former guardian beast.

However, the king broke his promise, violated the contract, and even attempted to harm the divine beast, causing it to go berserk.

The rampaging mythical beast was determined to destroy the kingdom, leaving the kingdom with no choice but to summon a hero to defeat it.

However, this is not a long-term solution. The divine beast possesses the "blood of the dragon vein." With the blood of the dragon vein, it has endless power, and it can easily regroup and start anew.

Eventually, it evolved into a seal, which was placed in a place isolated from the dragon vein, namely the labyrinth.

The labyrinth is a natural product of a powerful being residing in a certain place for a long time; it is another space independent of the world. However, every once in a while, someone needs to go into the labyrinth to reinforce the seal, and this task is usually assigned by the church to a saint.

Using the maze to seal the divine beast was very effective, but now the sealing has gone wrong. The current saintess also died unexpectedly when she went to the maze last year, and all the ritual equipment was lost. Only a few guards returned, and each of them had a face full of grief and regret.

It's possible that the divine beast will break the seal soon. Although Xia Que can be sent to fight and restrain it, this is not what Alice wants, and it is not the responsibility of a hero.

She now desperately wants to find and execute the guy who was in charge of arranging the guards. It's one thing that all the ritual equipment was lost, but what use is someone who can't even protect the saintess, the symbol of the church? She also feels a bit uneasy about this matter and will find an opportunity to investigate it thoroughly later.

“But…” Alice changed the subject, “I can’t do that anymore.”

"……what?"

This time, it was Senno's turn to be dumbfounded.

“It means exactly what it says, I can’t do it.” That was all I could tell her. “I can’t make a second ceremonial sword. Because the most crucial element is missing.”

"Huh? What is it?" Senno had never heard of this crucial thing.

“A sense of responsibility,” Alice said coldly. “I have no reason to dedicate my loyalty to this broken country. In a critical moment, we might just move to the Republic.”

Alice casually announced something terrifying: her heart and soul no longer belonged to this country, and she longed for its demise. But she couldn't; she still had people to care for, and her friend, Summer Sparrow.

"Your Highness Nao, what's wrong?"

The calm and collected swordsman Zhou Dong noticed Nao's anxiety and asked her a question. Although he usually just sat under the Perseus Tree doing nothing, he was observing the world, even the flow of energy, which he was fully aware of.

Nao's wavering and anxiety were obvious, and she had been like this for the past few days. Her temperament was also quite unstable. How could Zhou Dong not have noticed this?

"Have we been found out...?" Nao gave a wry smile.

"It would be strange if we hadn't noticed."

Zhou Dong stood up and walked to Nao's side. For the past few days, Nao had been standing on the edge of the island in the middle of the lake, looking towards the entrance, as if waiting for someone to arrive. But usually, only Rielfa would come from there. He hadn't seen that box since the last time he came.

"What happened?" Zhou Dong asked.

"Um...it's something very important..." Nao didn't look at Zhou Dong, which was unusual for her, and it showed how anxious she was.

"That's... something only I can do."

Because I am a saint. She didn't say this aloud, because she knew she was no longer a saint. And there was no need to say it anymore.

"But now, there's still someone who can help me do it."

Nao has been waiting for that person, who may not be human, but it will definitely not be Rielfa.

Chapter 52 What's beneath the magma?

Ah, how long have I been wandering in this maze?

Whatever, I don't want to go home, the home where I and the slime once lived. Who knows what will become of it? I don't care... whatever.

Maybe it's become a slime stronghold. Should I consider how to fight my way back? Did I leave anything crucial there?

Hmm, no, then there's no need to go back.

In short, I've been wandering around the maze like a lost soul for a long time, there's no need to go back, I might just get sniped by a slime.

The most important items on my person are: Exorcising Silver, several grenades, Scorching Thunder Heart, "Priest Yi", four Rune Stones, and a bunch of gold coins, though some silver and copper coins are mixed in as well.

However, I encountered a few monsters on the way and killed them. It seems that I used up some items, but I don't know what they were. However, my magic power was depleted.

How can I possibly kill a few monsters in this dazed and confused state? What's the point of me keeping my mind sharp all the time...?

I think I leveled up twice during this period. I don't know what I did, but I leveled up so quickly. According to my estimate, it will take at least another week.

Only by keeping my mind clear can I properly understand the situation.

I've already left the area I'm familiar with because it's been taken over by slimes, and I don't want to stay there. (There's a traitor here, huh? _?)

I can't understand what that slime was thinking anymore. Maybe I was just being presumptuous, thinking that slimes were very friendly creatures, but it turns out that they weren't.

The reason it didn't completely wipe me out back then is still unclear, but no one can guarantee that it won't suddenly come after me and kill me. Of course, I was also mentally prepared to fight it.

It's not safe to stay there, so I'm going to go out and start my own business... It feels terrible to give away my home for free, so please don't follow my example, and remember to protect your rights.

How to describe this area... it's all lava, the ground is cracked, and you can see magma in the cracks. Hmm, could this be the legendary fire-type dungeon?

What's a fire-elemental dungeon? I don't really understand either. The guy just told me it's a place with a lot of fire-elemental monsters. Hmm, fire-elemental...

So far, the only fire-type monsters I've encountered that I can recall are a handful, most of whom use fire magic. Aside from me, there are those who explicitly state they're fire-type but only know spatial magic—weak as chickens.

Sorry it's a fire-type mimic.

That's what they say, but it's just that I'm weak. The fire monsters I've encountered are inexplicably strong. Are they deliberately mocking me?

In short, I don't like this place, and it doesn't look like a place where you can dig a hole. You might dig into lava and that would be troublesome.

Even though I'm a mimic with a hard shell, that doesn't mean I'm immune to lava. I can't imagine what would happen if a mimic went into lava, but I would never set an example for myself.

I never imagined I'd end up here. It's so hot here! I really don't know how those adventurers manage to fight in a place like this. They must get dehydrated so easily.

As I continued my ascent into the depths while thinking about these nonsensical things, the outer shell, being made of metal with excellent thermal conductivity, made me feel incredibly hot and uncomfortable.

Because I don't need to replenish any water, I don't sweat, but that doesn't mean I won't react to heat. I'm starting to miss the tools of Earth's civilization.

We need to think about how to get an air conditioner...

The mimic, with its grand dreams, ventured into the steaming lava region under the tree, only to run into a wall—a sheer cliff that a mimic could not cross.

A sea of ​​lava, an endless sea of ​​lava, a sea of ​​lava filled with the malice of another world.

The most amazing thing is that this sea of ​​lava is almost like a normal ocean, and it even has waves.

Hmm... I think you're deliberately making things difficult for me...

I definitely can't get through here, absolutely not.

The treasure chest monster immediately gave up on its dream and became a couch potato.

That's impossible, I won't stop here!

But the biggest problem now is that I don't know how to get across this place. This endless sea of ​​lava is really daunting. Going into the sea is out of the question; I'll never go into the sea in my life, even if I were in another world, I'd still be a landlubber. Besides, how would a mimic swim? This scene is too surreal.

Wait, are you guys thinking of something weird?! We're not going to go into the sea, you bastards! What are you all thinking?!

I leaned closer to take a look, and the heat hit me in the face, so I quickly stepped back. Was it really that hot? I even had the illusion that I was being roasted. This was terrifying!

Come to think of it, was there ever a place like this in this maze?

I felt a sense of unease. It was a volcanic layer, yet I found no trace of monsters. It was as if I were the only one left in the entire world—this was very strange. And what was this endless sea of ​​lava? Shouldn't things like this not appear in games? Unsolvable traps or obstacles that hinder the player's progress? What kind of game is this? Even if it existed, it should be in the demo version.