Mimic

In this world, much like in games, certain areas were simply marked as [Unbreakable].

If this were a proper fantasy realm, there would surely be ways to bypass these barriers. Walls wouldn't stand immutable against determined adventurers. But this was a world governed by game-like rules, a realm where logic bent to mechanics and arbitrary restrictions. 

Here, even the buildings had levels. Village houses were fragile, easy to destroy. Yet towns, with their towering walls, posed a far greater challenge, barring entry to low-level monsters. To breach such defenses, both the strength and numbers of attackers needed to align with the structure's durability. 

As for a grand castle like this? If Anyi and Layton could demolish it with ease, wouldn't three Goblin Centurions be capable of razing it entirely? 

Karen led the way, her steps steady despite the oppressive darkness ahead. Among their group, only she and Anyi had the nerve to venture into the unknown without hesitation. Others, weighed down by caution, would falter in the lead. 

She didn't truly know where the King's throne room lay. But logic guided her steps. The heart of the castle—that was her goal. A hall of such grandeur would dominate the entire first floor. If they moved toward the center, they would inevitably find it. 

From ahead came an eerie sound: 

Clang… Clang… Clang…

"Be careful," Karen warned in a low voice. "More skeleton soldiers are coming." 

Her sharp vision caught the faint movements in the shadows. From both ends of the hallway, a horde of skeletal figures advanced, their hollow eyes glinting with an unnatural light. 

"Then let's fight!" Layton declared, raising his shield, his voice echoing with excitement. 

...

Above them, in the upper floors of the castle, a ghostly wraith drifted into a dimly lit chamber. Its ethereal form shimmered as it addressed the presence within. 

「Master… the soldiers are no match for those humans… They aren't afraid of my intimidation.」

The wraith's voice trembled with reverence, its tone laced with frustration. 

The strategy was simple. When humans entered, the first attack was never physical. The undead relied on fear—the type born from the unknown, the incomprehensible. The aim was to shatter their resolve, to break them psychologically before ever engaging in battle. 

First came the eerie, supernatural occurrences: whispers in the shadows, ghostly figures at the edge of perception. Then the relentless wave of reanimating skeletons, rising from defeat to strike again. For most humans, these horrors would be enough. Terror would overtake reason, leaving them easy prey. 

But these humans? They were unfazed. 

「Do you know what they intend to do…?」

From the depths of the room, a blue flame flickered to life. Its glow cast long, dancing shadows across the walls, exuding an air of malevolence. 

「For now, I heard they intend to go to the throne room. They seem to be looking for you.」The ghost's words carried a tremor of unease. 

「Looking for me…? Hahahahahaha—」

The blue flame erupted with mocking laughter, its light flaring ominously. 

「These clueless mortals! So they seek me out? Let the grand general in the throne room entertain them first. Perhaps they'll survive—though I doubt it. Their suffering will amuse me all the more… Hahahaha…」

As the laughter faded, the flame dimmed once more, leaving the chamber bathed in shadow.

...

The skeleton soldiers appeared with increasing frequency, like slimes in the earlier parts of their journey. No sooner had they cleared one wave than another would shuffle into view, rattling with eerie persistence. 

It wasn't overwhelming, not like the endless tide of slimes they had encountered before, but it was undeniably irritating. Yet, their annoyance was tempered by one thought—this had to mean they were heading in the right direction. 

Why else would such relentless defenses be set here unless they guarded something of significance? 

After dispatching yet another wave of skeleton soldiers, the group pressed on, their weapons at the ready. 

"Hm?" 

Ariana, holding the torch high, caught sight of something as they passed an open doorway. Beside the entrance, next to a decrepit wardrobe, stood a gold-inlaid chest. Its polished surface gleamed with a richness that seemed out of place in the ruined castle. 

"Wait!" Ariana called out, her voice filled with sudden excitement. 

"What is it?" Layton asked, halting mid-step. 

"Think about it! We've been fighting skeleton soldiers all along, and now, right after clearing them, a beautiful chest just happens to appear?" Ariana stepped into the room, the warm glow of her torch illuminating the ornate chest. Her eyes sparkled with anticipation. "Doesn't it feel like the skeletons were protecting something? What if this chest holds treasure?" 

Layton's eyes widened at the idea. "You're right! That makes perfect sense!" 

Karen tilted her head, intrigued. Their battles thus far had yielded little beyond meager experience points, and the thought of actual loot was a welcome diversion. She focused her gaze on the chest, hoping to glimpse its contents. 

But as her vision sharpened, all she saw was a line of text hovering faintly before her eyes: 

[Forbidden to View]

"What?" Karen muttered, frowning. "I can't see what's inside the chest…" 

The cryptic message only added to the chest's allure. 

"Then there's only one thing to do—we'll open it!" Ariana declared. Propping the torch against the wall, she knelt before the chest, her expression alight with excitement. 

"Be careful," Anyi warned, his tone calm but firm. He leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, watching with a faint hint of amusement. 

"It's just a chest! What's the worst that could happen?" Ariana brushed off his concern with a dismissive wave. 

The thrill of discovery coursed through her. Years spent cloistered in the Holy Temple had offered little in the way of adventure. Now, a golden chest in a haunted castle—it was almost too good to be true. 

Finding no lock, she placed her hands on either side of the chest's lid and began to lift it. 

Layton leaned forward expectantly. Karen, too, watched with eager curiosity, while Miruku peered nervously through the doorway. 

"Creak." 

The lid of the chest groaned as it opened— 

—and then snapped violently upward. From within, a mass of fleshy, writhing tentacles shot out, wrapping around Ariana's neck and shoulders. In a swift, horrifying motion, it yanked her halfway into the chest. 

"Ooh!!! Ugh ugh ugh—!!" 

Her muffled screams filled the air as the mimic's grotesque appendages bound her tightly, leaving her legs flailing helplessly behind her. 

"…" 

The three heroes froze, their earlier excitement replaced by sheer disbelief. 

"What… what is that?" Layton finally stammered, his voice breaking the stunned silence. 

A line of text materialized in their shared vision: 

[Unlocked new Bestiary: Mimic

Strength: 2 Agility: 10 Endurance: 10

Durability: 5 Prana: 0 Intelligence: 0

Technique: 0]

"Such high Agility and Endurance!" Layton exclaimed, his voice tinged with awe. "That's on par with a Goblin Centurion!" 

"Is this the time to admire its stats?" Karen snapped. 

Anyi sprang into action, his long sword flashing as he closed the distance. Without hesitation, he drove the blade into the mimic's chest-like body. 

Miruku yelped, startled by the ferocity of his attack, but quickly remembered that his strikes wouldn't harm Ariana—only the mimic itself. 

The mimic's lid began to loosen under the relentless assault. With one final thrust, Anyi pried it open, and Ariana slid free, collapsing onto the floor in a trembling heap. 

"Ah… ah… ah…" She gasped for air, her face flushed and streaked with sticky slime. Her hair clung to her skin, drenched in the mimic's vile residue. 

"I thought… I was going to… suffocate…" she panted, her voice trembling as she lay sprawled on the cold stone floor.