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

Pshaw, what am I saying... This is clearly reality.

In other words, I might have to abandon my strategy here, because I don't think I can get through this place at all. Besides, there are no monsters here at all. If there were, they would have come out and attacked that mimic that keeps sitting there talking to itself not long ago.

Currently, I don't know much about this place. There might indeed be a way to get through here, but I just haven't found it yet. I'll come back and check again after exploring to a certain extent; maybe I'll find a solution then.

The traces here look so new, they don't seem like they've always been there. I think these changes are recent. What on earth is in this maze? Why are there so many unexpected things happening?

However, we can think of it this way: what usually follows such a difficult hurdle?

Oh, right~ it's an incredibly powerful item!

The treasure chest is filled with amazing riches and incredibly powerful items! Maybe even a holy sword!

Okay! Let's rush in right now! Just kidding! I'd get a headache if we went in!

That's what I thought, but one of my legs had already stepped into the lava...

………………Wa ...

Wait... it's not hot... what kind of operation is this...?

I had a feeling that someone was laughing at me, so I glared in the direction I thought someone was, but of course it didn't do any good.

This lava is solid, but it's not what I expected; it's not hot at all... Wait, wait, wait! What if I lose my legs!?

I immediately pulled my leg out of the lava to confirm its existence. Fortunately, it was still firmly attached to my body. What on earth is this lava?

To confirm, I first tried picking up a small stone from nearby and throwing it in. The lava splashed up like normal water, but it felt much heavier. Is it a quality issue? It feels like I'm playing a dishonest game.

To further confirm the situation of this lava sea, I mustered up my courage and walked into the lava. It felt like walking in a very viscous liquid, which was very uncomfortable and much more difficult than walking in water. Every now and then, some pebbles would bump into me.

If I had to describe it, it would be like a semi-dry mud pit, the kind with lots of mud. I don't like that feeling, but it's strange; the lava isn't very hot, it's actually a bit cool. What's going on?

Hmm, I suddenly have a bold idea!

Let's dive down and take a look!

No, no, no, that's not it. This isn't the end of the story. I didn't go to commit suicide. Look, half of my body is in lava, and nothing's wrong with me.

As you can see, after considering all the information above, you'll find that the lava here is no different from ordinary mud, so I think there's no problem going down directly.

I immediately plunged headfirst into the lava. The feeling of being completely submerged in the lava was like jumping into a mud pit. Uh, so I'm fine, I just couldn't breathe.

I tried to open my eyes to take a look, but lava rushed into my eyes.

Waaaaaah! My eyes!!!

Thankfully, I escaped quickly; I didn't go blind, just got some sand in my eyes. Why are my reflexes so incredibly fast in situations like this? The lava clung to my body and followed me to the ground; it felt much better to be on solid ground. The lava dried so quickly; it had already turned into a shell-like substance in such a short time.

So that's it. No wonder I could never effectively damage the Flame Mountain Elephant; it has that outer shell. The reason I was able to damage it last time was probably because the grenade blew through that shell.

In conclusion, this lava poses no direct threat; it's just mud covered in a lava layer. However, you can't open your eyes in lava, or you'll go blind. I'm curious about the depth of this lava, but since I can't open my eyes and can't be sure of the situation, running down like this is very dangerous. So what's down there...?

"Mother……"

Uh, how could there possibly be anyone down there?

"……Mother……"

So, there can't possibly be a mother down there, right?

Wait... is anyone speaking?

Chapter 53 I knew this mess wouldn't be that simple! (Flips table)

If I heard correctly, it seemed like someone was calling for their mother, but it wasn't human language. The full language comprehension was activated, which meant there was an intelligent being nearby who could speak.

But in this place, I couldn't see anywhere a person could stand; perhaps that creature wasn't human. The voice was still very young, constantly calling for its mother. Could it be that it was lost? I couldn't bear to leave the little one who kept calling for its mother, so I looked around the ground, searching for the source of the sound.

But I didn't see any figure. Could it be under the lava? What a surprise! Although the lava isn't harmful, I can't open my eyes to see anything down there. If I can't see anything, I won't be able to find the little guy's location.

Ugh, what should I do...?

Thinking carefully, what do I have that can solve the current situation... Since magma has almost no properties of magma, could I take a boat and go deeper into the ocean?

I immediately searched my body for something that could serve as a boat. Strangely enough, I had a whole boat—this terrifying thing. Who knows what it fell from the sky? And it looked like a warship, with those spikes under the bow used for ramming other ships? I think that's what it's called? I'm not sure. I'll just have to make do with this boat for now.

I used pliers to drag the boat down the lava, trying to pull it further away before getting back on. But the thing in my hand kept getting lighter and lighter. Looking back, I saw it was almost completely burned up. Wow, what happened? It caught fire the moment I got in the water! In the blink of an eye, all I had left was a plank of wood! Why am I completely unharmed?

A friendship boat that capsizes so easily—oops, I mean, a tiny wooden boat! Failure! Rejected!

I simply threw away the remaining plank in my hand, letting it fall into the lava. Just like before, it burned up. Why did it turn out like this? What happened?

I tried taking out other things and throwing them directly into the lava. Without exception, they all melted and burned away. Hey, that's strange. Why am I okay?

Is this forcing me to go down directly? Wow, once I go down I won't be able to come back up! The lava is so heavy, and I can't breathe. If I go down, I won't be able to come back up, okay?

The calls had stopped for a long time; I hadn't heard anyone calling for their mother again. Had I missed her...?

Looking around again, I still couldn't find the little creature calling for its mother. Instead, the lava began to stir, erupting in columns of lava that rained down on me, sticky and wet. If everything that entered this lava, except for me, would be melted and burned to ashes, then that little creature would probably end up like that too. I couldn't save it.

It's not that I feel particularly guilty or regretful; I just wanted to do what I could. It's not everyone's responsibility, I just did what I wanted to do. That being said, this is the first time I've felt so powerless… I've never felt this way even when facing the toughest monsters.

I left the lava sea as quickly as possible, because being covered in mud would be extremely uncomfortable, and besides, I hadn't seen any clean water anywhere else in the labyrinth except at Nao's place. If I wanted to take a bath, I'd have to go to Nao's.

Nao might know something about the lava sea, maybe I should go ask her... It's not that I want to take a bath!!

I'll put this matter aside for now. Although I care deeply, I have no clue how to get through this situation, or rather, I can't get through it alone. Speaking of which, that annoying gaze seems to have disappeared.

It's better that it's gone; at least it doesn't make me feel so uncomfortable. It's like reading a novel in class, and every now and then a teacher walks by in the hallway—you always feel like someone's watching you; it's absolutely terrifying. Like the feeling of a curse.

After that, I went to Nao's place. Actually, I almost got lost along the way. I didn't expect to run so far that I almost couldn't get back. But I followed the traces of the battle back, and only after I reached a familiar place did I start looking for the way to Nao's place. When I got there, Nao was already waiting for me, as if she knew from the beginning that I would come.

"Little Li, it's been a long time." Nao's smile was as touching as ever.

Well, uh, it hasn't been that long since we last met...

"That's true..." Nao looked at me meaningfully, "A lot happened in between..."

Yeah, I look so pathetic. I look like someone who's experienced the ups and downs of life. It's pretty miserable. Honestly, it would be strange if Nao didn't notice.

In short, a lot has happened...

"Is that so..." Nao didn't press for details; she probably already knew what it was about. "Then it'll feel better to take a shower first."

Nao didn't explain much before walking into the lake, which glowed with a shimmering blue light. Her thin robes became translucent after being soaked, revealing glimpses of her skin. I immediately glared at Zhou Dong, who was sitting to the side. This guy did absolutely nothing, just sat there all day. He kept his eyes closed, not looking at me, yet he understood what I meant. Then, with a turn, he faced the tree trunk.

Although I'm still a treasure chest monster, I must protect Nao's chastity. At the very least, I absolutely cannot let any stinky man see her emerging from the bath. Not even Zhou Dong.

Only after confirming that Zhou Dong couldn't see us did I feel safe enough to get into the water and slowly walk to Nao's side. I realized that I only reached Nao's waist, but in terms of size, I should be able to barely block her view. So, I moved between her and Zhou Dong, blocking part of her body.

At this moment, Zhou Dong simply stood up and walked to the other side of the Perseus Tree. Wow, so disrespectful! Nao is clearly so beautiful, yet this blockhead doesn't react at all?

"Little Li, you've gone too far," Nao said with a wry smile. "The swordsman wouldn't do that. He's an upright man."

Hmph, who knows... I don't dislike him, but there are limits to this kind of thing. Nao, you too, don't always act so unguarded, or a thirsty man will pounce on you and devour you.

"No way." Nao smiled. "Every time I encounter someone like that, before I can even react, the swordsman has already taken care of it."

Hey?

Zhou Dong? That guy actually does things like this? I thought he was some kind of aloof, immortal swordsman. Looks like I misjudged him… I went too far. Maybe I shouldn't do this again…

I didn't expect Zhou Dong to be such a considerate person. Look at him, sitting under the tree all day doing nothing and not saying a word. Right next to him is the incredibly beautiful Nao, but he seems completely uninterested. Isn't that the behavior of a repressed pervert? Uh, maybe I misunderstood. I apologize to people like Zhou Dong.

Nao gently scooped up water and poured it over me. The dried lava was impossible to remove, some had broken off when I moved, and some hadn't completely solidified. Nao chanted a couple of incantations, and the lava on my body actually showed signs of loosening. This shell was very useful, a great defense mechanism, but the problem was that it was too heavy, making movement very inconvenient.

"Did I take it off?"

Nao told me what she was going to do next, then reached into the crack between the lava rocks, gently pried it open, and peeled it off in one piece. Watching this, I felt a strange sense of satisfaction, like the urge to peel off a scab from your body. I've been scolded for doing this several times, so I haven't done it much. Don't do it like me, please don't!

Nao, don't throw that away, I'll keep it for later use.

"Are you going to keep it?" Nao asked, puzzled. "What do you need this stone slab for?"

Very useful! Can be used as a shield! Extremely tough!

"I don't really understand, but I'll just put it in, right?" Nao smiled wryly as she helped me collect the lava and then put it in my mouth.

After some time, I became completely refreshed again—literally, just like new! What kind of magic did Nao use?

"Alright, Xiaoli looks much better now." Nao was quite pleased with my appearance. "Xiaoli came here for something, right?"

Well, that's about it. I'd like to ask a few questions...

"Well, I also have something to ask Xiaoli." Nao stepped ashore. "Xiaoli, ask first. If I know the answer, I'll definitely tell you."

Who is following me?

"Ugh... I know that..." Nao said awkwardly, "But I can't say it..."

I couldn't resist teasing Nao a little; her reaction was adorable, but I shouldn't have gone too far. Although I'm also concerned about the guy who's been following me, the question I need to ask right now has nothing to do with him… probably.

Just kidding, that's not what I meant to ask.

"Ah, that's good."

Nao breathed a sigh of relief. Was that guy really that important?

I'd like to ask, was there ever a large area of ​​lava in this maze?

"Lava?" Nao thought for a moment. "Has something gone wrong?"

Do you know anything?

"Hmm, you know a lot." Nao's expression turned serious. "The situation has become very dangerous now."

what happened?

"Little Li, you probably don't know this, do you? This labyrinth seals away a divine beast." Nao explained to me, "That beast was once the guardian of the kingdom, but it became enraged when the king betrayed it. Since no one could defeat it, they summoned a hero to suppress it, but they failed and had to seal it away. And every year, the church has to send a saintess to the labyrinth to reinforce the seal. It's clearly not the beast's fault."

Wow, are those people really that scum? They actually summoned a hero to fight the divine beast that used to protect them?

So, there really are heroes in this world... which means there are also Demon Kings... Should I seriously consider which faction to join? Since humans are such scum, does that mean I have no choice but to join the Demon King's side?

But what does magma have to do with mythical beasts?

"That's not ordinary magma," Nao patiently explained to me. "It's a substance that was decomposed into this form by the influence of the dragon vein. It can decompose almost anything; it's the power that turns all matter back into dragon vein power. This is the power of the Divine Beast."

Was that thing really that scary?! I actually ran inside and nothing happened to me?! Mom, I promise I won't be naughty again.

"The divine beast's power comes from the dragon vein. The seal is to isolate it from external matter and also to sever the dragon vein. Therefore, I would like to ask Xiaoli..." Nao bowed respectfully to me, pleading, "Please, go and save the divine beast."

Chapter 54 The Divine Beast Is No Longer Here

Well, that's basically how things are. Let's review the information we've gathered so far.

I discovered a sea of ​​lava that stretched as far as the eye could see, and then I ran down there to die, but I didn't. After doing all sorts of things and realizing I had no clue what to do, I went back.

I thought Nao might have clues about this place, so I went to her place and took a bath. She told me that this labyrinth sealed away a giant monster—oops, I mean, a divine beast. And this divine beast is really powerful; it's the one that created the lava sea. And this lava isn't ordinary either; it can decompose everything! Everything! So I'm not dead, you bastard! Don't give me that false alarm!

The divine beast was sealed away because it wanted to attack the kingdom, and I learned that the outside world is a world full of scum. However, because this divine beast is so powerful, sealing it away is only a temporary measure. The seal needs to be repaired every year, but last year, due to some accidents, it wasn't repaired, leading to the current situation. It's truly... a breathtaking situation.

So why do you humans always have to stir up trouble? It's a perfectly good divine beast, a divine beast indeed, and you deliberately betrayed it. No matter how you look at it, it's all your fault, yet you even summoned a hero to fight it? Huh? EXM? Is this how you treat people? If it were me, I'd go help the divine beast and bite you all.

"Please, help me save the divine beast."

Yes, that's exactly how it's going to develop, emmm.

Why choose me? Because I won't be broken down by this thing.

Why did Nao know about this? She didn't know; she just felt I could help her.

Why can't I be decomposed? I don't know either.

A woman's intuition is terrifying... What? You're saying I'm a woman too? No, no, no, I'm a mimic now, but inside I'm a girl. So this kind of racial ability doesn't exist!

I don't deny that all those heartfelt words at the beginning were just bragging, but since Nao asked me, I couldn't very well refuse. So I went along with it and agreed to help her save the legendary beast. Then I came back here, to this boundless sea of ​​lava.

Oh dear, Nao is such a kind person... but perhaps a bit too kind... This mythical beast is the one that's going to destroy the kingdom.

Nao said that this was the kingdom's inevitable wrath, it was only a matter of time. That makes perfect sense, so I can't argue with it. But is it really necessary to break the seal now? If we just leave it alone, the divine beast will be released in time, right?

Hey guys, stop glaring at me! Easy for you to say! If you're so capable, why don't you do it yourself?! I'm just a mimic!

In short, I think it's too dangerous and I don't really want to go, but now that I'm already here, I'm in a bit of a bind. I guess I have no choice but to do it... Will the Divine Beast accidentally harm anyone unrelated?

According to Nao, the Divine Beast is sealed somewhere in this sea of ​​lava, and all I have to do is find it and destroy it. It sounds simple, but it's impossible! This lava can decompose everything! Isn't this deliberately making things difficult? Why shouldn't it decompose me when I go down there? Doesn't it treat me like matter? No, no, no, what I mean is, if I could be decomposed, I wouldn't be able to do this, and then I'd be perfectly safe!

But that's impossible. Why do I, as a mimic, always seem to work in strange places? Wouldn't it be better to just be a mimic waiting for its prey to come to it? I must be doing something wrong with how I'm approaching this other world. Can I start over, director?

I break out in a cold sweat just standing next to lava. If I step on it now, will I be disintegrated?

Ugh... Let's resolve this quickly, lest things get complicated.

I abandoned all hope of getting rid of it and stepped directly into the lava. Just like when I came before, it didn't disintegrate me. I didn't know whether to be happy or not; I was completely numb.

"Xiao Li? Can you receive this?"