《Re: Mimic》


 0th - Past Death, Mid-life ,Future Birth

    Past Death, Mid-life, Future Birth


    Ever since I was born, I had lived as a reclusive coward.


    Since the beginning of primary school to the end of middle school, I''d never joined any group nor accepted anyone who approached me. I was never the type to be around other people nor was I comfortable about it. There were people who showed me kindness and people who threatened me, bullied me in fact, but I just ran away from them all. And so, I was labelled as a loner by everyone and no one ever came close to me since then. An out-of-sight shadow that no one ever took notice, at least, that was what I thought.


    My parents, on the other hand, weren''t the parental type of people either. It was more of a give-and-take relationship for us where I play my role as a school kid and they provide the food and bed. But other then that, there was absolutely no interaction between us. So on my fifteenth birthday, I had the choice of staying or live independently and continue such close-minded lifestyle into high school.


    It was obvious which I picked.


    Fast forward, halfway through my first year in high school, my personal boundary has already been set and no one had approached me since the second week of school. I partook the lessons as usual with me walking to and from home before and after school, and I was content with the fact that not a single person had bothered me for any reason. However, when I thought I was fine, suddenly an incident occurred which changed my life completely.


    For some god damned reason, I was called out for a love confession by a girl. Worst of all, out of all the girls that could have fallen in love with me, it just had to be the most popular one; the school''s idol and top beauty; Naomi Elynor.


    It all happened one afternoon when I received a note telling me to stay in the classroom after school. I should have realised it by then that it was a note for a love confession, but I thought I was in the clear for such things. I waited until almost everyone had left. The last three students, three girls including Naomi who stood by the doorway approached my desk. I was prepared to give my usual response of denial if they were going to ask me to do something or just run away immediately if they were going to bully me, but the love confession that came from Naomi completely blow my mind.


    "I-I liked you since I met you. Please go out with me."


    "..." I replied with silence.


    I hope I could look at myself at the time, because I swear I made such a ridiculous face that it made the two backup girls twitch for a second. How pathetic of me.


    I don''t really know how I got her to fall in love with me nor when it even happened, but apparently, she had been in love with me since primary school, though I don''t remember her at all? I guess that''s what happens if you distance yourself from the world. You miss things that happens around you. In this case, a beauty fallen in love with me since primary school.


    "...I...wha...is..."


    My conscious were still trying to piece together and understand what just happened at the time so only half-words and syllables came out of my mouth. The girls were surprised by my reactions as well and only stared at me dumbfoundedly.


    "Erm...Are you okay #####?"


    Naomi asked me with genuine concern, but I must have been in an even bigger shock than discovering your loved one cheating on you or something, because I just sat there, mouth wide, gawking at her words. By then, the other girls were already disappointed in me and told Naomi to give up on me. I guess now that I think about it, even I would have gave up on myself if I were to act like that. Really, how pathetic am I?


    From that point on, I don''t really remember what happened. I think the girls left and I just walked back to my apartment still with the same face. If that doesn''t make me sound lame, then how about the fact that I became a NEET the very next day? I couldn''t face her nor anyone again after that and contacted the school for me to withdraw from going there anymore. And like that, I never saw her face-to-face again.


    And I regretted it.


    After I became a NEET, I went back to my parents house and secluded myself in my room. As I have said before, my parents were not really the parental type, so they didn''t really cared if I became a NEET or not. By staying in my room, I became more and more depressed about what happened that day, and strangely, about my life.


    ''Was I making an even more fool of myself by not going to school after that?''


    ''Does she still like me? No, definitely not now after what happened.''


    ''Am I really going to be happy by staying in here?''


    ''Can someone like me be allowed to live?''


    I developed a very pessimistic view and heavy depression over the course of years and suicidal thoughts began to rise. I couldn''t bring myself to face society much less Naomi as the years went by. That is, until I saw something on TV.


    "Everyone! Thank you for all your support!"


    It was Naomi. Even after several years, she was still a beauty and she became an actual idol that everyone loved after she graduated. Dressed in clothes that some might say a bit revealing with her dark brown hair let loose, she smiled beautifully at the wild audience with her cheerful spirit. The audience loved her.


    I...loved her.


    But it was too late, I thought. I had a chance to say it, but I ran away instead. I could never face her now, not after years.


    As I was about to turn off the screen, she once again said something that blow my mind, even after these years.


    "This is a song dedicated to an old, unfulfilled love of mine, which I had hoped to fulfill."


    She still remembered me, I thought.


    Then I ran out, out of the room which kept me secluded for the last few years, out of my parents'' house which kept me living aimlessly, out of the boundary which I constructed to keep people away. I ran towards the studio that was filming her at the time; I ran furiously; I couldn''t care less about the pain in my legs nor the pain in my heart. I just ran.


    However, I also didn''t care about traffic...


    And thus, ended my pathetic life of being a coward.


    I as look back on those past experiences, I could only say: I was a pathetic, cowardly idiot.


    "God, if you are even there, if I get a second chance at life, I promise I won''t run away again."


    ----------------------------------------------------------------------


    On the shallow surface of the void stands a lone figure. A girl dressing only in a pitch black hooded robe holds up a mass blob of living spiritual energy, also known as a soul. She was a void reaper, one of the transporter of souls to the next life. By borrowing the void''s power, the girl can read the life of the new soul that came into the void and as she read, she looks at the near-transparent soul she held in her hand with slight pity.


    "What a harsh life you must have had."


    "It''s his own fault for being like that."


    Another void reaper approached her as she''s inspecting the soul''s lifeline. The approaching reaper was much bigger and intimidating, but she didn''t flinch at the sight at all, not when she was already used to it.


    "Still, he deserves a better life," the girl retorted.


    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    "The highest life he can get is either something small or weak due to his cowardliness," the large reaper explained, "Nothing else is allowed I''m afraid. I''m sorry, but the rules are the rules."


    "...I see."


    The girl placed the soul in mid-air with disappointment and prepared to perform the usual ritual. The large reaper sighed as he looks at her. Then before she could begin the ritual, the large reaper spoke.


    "If you must know, there is a way for him to become higher being."


    "Really!? What is it!?" the girl''s eyes widen like she was about to receive a Christmas gift.


    (Author''s Note: Was Christmas day, what did you expect)


    The large reaper explained his method to the girl and then she began to prepare the special ritual the large reaper spoke of to sent the soul to the next life.


    "I hope you''re right about this. I don''t want to get caught nor let the little guy return here immediately after I sent him."


    "Even if you''re caught, the higher-ups can''t blame everything on you anyway. And... well, you''re just that kind of a person so I can''t stop you even if I want to." The large reaper also gave a thumbs up to reassure the girl.


    "...Thank you. I''ll be sure to come back within the next couple of years." The girl sincerely thanked the large reaper.


    "Don''t worry. We''re immortal anyway. I can wait a couple lifetimes if I want to. And it''s not like we can do anything anyway," joked the large reaper.


    With that, the small reaper leap with the soul into the next world.


    "Ha... now I just have to make sure the higher-ups don''t find out about this. Man, this is what I get for trying to act cool in front my daughter."


    ----------------------------------------------------------------------


    (''Ouch...My head hurts so much...Hmm? Where am I?'')


    I was in a state of confusion as I was roughly awoken by a spiteful headache. When I opened my tired eyes, I only saw darkness surrounding me. With so many questions in my mind already when I awoke, it took me quite a while before I finally tried to move my body, but strangely as I tried, I couldn''t feel anything from my body at all.


    (''What the heck is going on? What happened?'')


    As I tried to remember what led up to my current predicament, flashbacks of what happened surfaced from my messy memories.


    (''I saw the girl I loved on TV, I ran, and then... a truck hit me? Did I lost conscious and were sent to the hospital?'')


    Different ideas popped up in my mind, but I chose to neglect them all as I tried to figure out what is happening currently right now. I looked around the darkness more, until the scene of a door opening with immense light pouring through were burned into my eyes into my eyes.


    (''Ah! Too bright! My eyes!!!'')


    My pleas were heard by no one as the door continued to open up before me. Within a couple seconds that seemed like an eternity to me, the door was open wide with the room fully lit up. As my eyes has adjusted to the bright light, I was surprised by the fact that the walls and floors were made out of curved stone and gravel. It was nothing like a hospital that I was expecting. While I inspected the room, a humanoid figure dressed in some sort of medieval styled metal armor came into the room. Also, did I mention that he was really, really loud?


    "AHAHAHA! I have FINALLY found a treasure box! This will DEFINITELY make me RICH!"


    (''Stop with the shouting! Please!'')


    It seems the man couldn''t hear me because he just continued to shout loudly, or maybe he''s just born like that. But the second possibility seems very small.


    "What does it contain? MONEY!? POWERFUL WEAPONS!?"


    The man walks closer and closer to where I am, at least, closer to where I''m looking at the man from. I said as such because when I tried to look at myself, I couldn''t see anything that resembles a human limb. In fact, for reasons unknown, I look more like... a treasure chest that you would see be used by stereotypical pirates.


    (''Wait, he just said treasure chest, right?'')


    "HahaHAHAHAHA. I can''t WAIT to be RICH!"


    (''Seriously though, his speech pattern is horribly annoying. But more importantly, if I''m a treasure chest right now (for some unknown reason) and he opens me, WHAT WOULD HAPPEN TO ME!?!?!?'')


    Not wanting to find out, I straggled to move my chest of a body. But not even a bit was I moved and the man has now come close enough to touch me.


    (''NO NO NO WAIT NOT YET I''M NOT READY AGHHHHH!'')


    "HeheHEHE."


    His speech, his laughter, actually just his damned expression scares the heck out of me right now. Even my head hurts with him this close to me. When he was just about to take hold of the rim of my chest of a body to try to ''open'' me...


    *Chomp*


    "..."


    (''...'')


    ...I ate him.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    You have gained the ability of "Info Windows"


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    You have gained the title of "Newborn Mimic"


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    You have gained the title of "Clean Eater"


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    You have gained the title of "Deceptive Bastard"


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    You have gained the title of "Subconscious Murderer"


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <hr>


    Author''s Notes:


    Okay, first of all: MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE! Though my family is not really a Christmas celebrating family, it''s still great to see the whole community coming together on a day like today. I do wish I could see some snow on this day though because Australia is... very bare of snow. I mean, it''s summer in Australia, ON CHRISTMAS DAY (and boxing day and new years). But hey, we got great fireworks at least and I''m not really a outdoor person anyway.


    Now back to Re: Mimic...


    Yes, I know this starts off depressingly unlike my first try. However, I promise there will be less of this depression and more comedy in the future! (I guess I am a depressing person myself, though I don''t really have any depression disorder that I know of)


    Also, I know in this chapter that the MC is being very stupid and there is a lot of plot holes. I wrote like this on purpose. If you could get past that, then you''ll be fine for the rest of the story.


    Lastly, as I have already said, this time I''ll actually try to write properly instead of messing around so much that I even confused myself about the plot of the story (for some reason). But I guess it''s mostly because I can''t remember things very while. Oh well.


    So yeah, as usual, tell me if there''s anything you want to know that I missed or correct anything I got wrong. Thank you and merry Christmas. Good night.


    -Colsane

 1st - Let鈥檚 Ignore Reality

    1st - Let¡¯s Ignore Reality


    {Mimic}


    (''What.'')


    Currently, my mind was in an absolute confusion state -in other words, broken- where I am even questioning myself for what just happened. The sudden appearance of a man, the fact that I think I somehow ate him and not to mention that I did it without meaning to, I could only stare at this... floating blue box in front of me as I replay those recent memories in my mind, over and over again.


    << Rewind


    ''The man approach me, I can''t move with my chest body, I panicked, then I ate him.''


    << Rewind


    ''-proach me, I can''t move with my chest body, I panicked, then I ate him.''


    << Rewi-


    (''Hang on a minute! What the hell is going on?!'')


    As I replayed everything that just happened in my mind, I began to see so many abnormalities within the span of me waking up to me eating the man. Streams of questions pops up one after another in my head as I continued to stand absentmindedly in the position of where I ate the man.


    ''Why the hell am I a chest?''


    ''Where the hell is this place?''


    ''Who the hell was that man?''


    ''WHY THE HELL DID I JUST ATE HIM?!''


    ...But right now, the most abnormal thing is...


    (''What the hell is this blue box thingy?'')


    After I have been rambling endlessly in my mind, I noticed that this blue box has been floating in front of my face for a while. As I finally calmed down after staring at it a bit more, I inspected the box more carefully. The words on the boxes seems to be regular English and I can make out each letter and word clearly. The content of the boxes however, was just as confusing as everything that just happened.


    (''Info window?'')


    I tried to think if there were any special meanings to those words, but I could only assume that by ''Info windows'', the blue box is talking about itself. Remembering several RPGs I played online when I was bored in my room, the box resembles those type of ¡®info windows¡¯. I then tried to reach out for the so called ''info window'' to see if I could touch it, until I realised the fact that I still have a treasure chest body. And so putting the thought about the info window in the back of my mind, as I inspected my current body instead.


    Just as I have described before, my current body looks like one of those pirate''s treasure chest. The base is made of a dark coloured wooden material while the rim is made of some sort of metal. Iron, I guess. Now that I think about it, I don''t even know how it is possible for me to see myself if my body was a chest. Where are the eyes? Where am I even looking from? I have a feeling that these questions can only be answered in the future.


    Looking past the biological matters, I tried to move this time. I tried to get the feeling of moving my limbs like my old body, but then I thought about this. I don''t exactly have any limbs. How do I actually move? Try as I may, but I couldn''t think of any ways to actually move. I mean, I''m a freaking treasure chest, what do you expect? Treasure chests aren¡¯t meant to move. So, instead of thinking, I just wing it. I tried to brute force the solution by... well, brute forcing it.


    After struggling for hours, or what seems to be hours to me, I could finally move! Well... barely a couple centimetres if you ask me, but nevertheless I moved! After what I think is hours, I could finally move two centimetres...which is not quite as impressive now that I think about it. But as I thought about my self-depriving achievement another info window came up, overlapping the first info window.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    You have earned the ability of "Mimicry Movement Mastery (I)"


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    I read the text on the new info window and cheered happily in my mind.


    (''Movement mastery, that must mean I can move myself better right?'')


    I tried to move again and this time I can smoothly move with the speed of a crawling tortoise Happy with what I got, I could finally move around freely I thought and I slowly but steadily ''crawled'' to the doorway the man can from. Of course I''m still very confused about me eating the man, but with so many abnormalities happening one after another, my sanity couldn''t keep up and so I abandoned it instead and went with the flow.


    (''What other things is going to happen to me, I wonder.'')


    Yep, I guess I gave up on my current reality all together with my sanity after I tried to understand these info windows that''s been following me as I move. ''Life is stranger than fiction'', that quote suddenly appeared in my mind. Hmm, I wonder why.


    After a while of slow crawling, I finally reached the doorway. I peeked through the open space of the door to check the other side before deciding to go wherever the door leads to. Not to my surprise, it was another unfamiliar place. The door lead to a dimly torch-lit corridor like one you would see in a medieval castle. And by torch, obviously I mean a fire-lit wood torch and not a flashlight. There were several torches, each hang on the walls going across by set intervals. The walls of the corridor is as described like something that came from a castle; stones and stones and stones, all the way across. The floor is the same, but perhaps smoother than the walls.


    Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    (¡®Just where the hell am I?¡¯)


    Noticing no movement whatsoever even after waiting for a while, I carefully crawled out of the room I was in. Now that I am out, I can see the ends of the corridor completely. The left has the corridor stretching deeper into wherever I am with some sort of strings hanging around. When I looked closer, I realised they were broken spider webs, probably cleared by the man I ate or something. The right has the corridor turning into a corner so I couldn¡¯t see much on that end. There is several ominous looking white objects littered in the corner though. On closer inspections, I believe they are¡­some sort of bones.


    Not wanting everything to do with the end with the bones, I crawled the other way hoping I won¡¯t encounter anymore madman. The feeling of eating a man is still quite strange, especially when I didn¡¯t even know what I was doing.


    (¡®Man, I feel terrible after I awoke.¡¯)


    With that thought, I slowly descended into the long corridor, trying to reject and cope with my current reality at the same time.


    ----------------------------------------------------------------------


    {Mimic}


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    "Mimicry Movement Mastery (I)" has evolved into "Mimicry Movement Mastery (II)"


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    It¡¯s been another several hours and now a new info window has appeared. I read the contents of the info window and pause to think for a bit.


    (¡®So whatever this ¡°mastery¡± is, it can evolve? I do feel like that I¡¯m moving faster though.¡¯)


    Immediately after the window appeared over the other windows, I noticed that now I¡¯m moving at the speed of a crawling infant. It¡¯s not as fast as the walking speed of a man comparing this to the madman I first encountered, unless that man is faster than the average human. Though he is genuinely insane, he doesn¡¯t look different from anyone that I know. Then again, I was secluded in my room for years so I don¡¯t even know that many people.


    Anyway, now that I have received another info window, I realised another problem has come up. With all of these info windows piled in front of me I¡¯m starting to lose sight of my surroundings, and even when I turn myself around, these windows still follow my eyesight, or whatever sight I have at the moment. I can only see the walls from the side of my view by now.


    I thought about how similar these info windows sounds like to those in RPGs and reincarnation novels -my favourite genre of games and novels by the way- and tried something.


    (¡®Dismiss!¡¯)


    ¡­Nothing happened.


    (¡®Erm...Proceed!¡¯)


    ...As above.


    (¡®...Close window?¡¯)


    Suddenly, the windows all disappeared just as fast as they appear, and¡­


    *Kichi Kichi Kichi*


    ...I froze at the giant shadow imprinted on the wall in front of me. It was a monster of a spider¡¯s shadow.


    Now that I think of it, the web I saw earlier was abnormally massive, even when broken into parts. Was it this guy¡¯s handy work? Maybe I should have realised it by then that this path is not safe.


    The shadow of the gigantic spider creeped towards my shadow that was on the wall just beside me. Slowly, I turned around. Bad move.


    *Stare*


    *Stare*


    We face each other, even though I really don¡¯t have a face right now.


    (¡®What am I making a joke for?! THERE¡¯S A HUGE FREAKING SPIDER IN FRONT OF ME!!!¡¯)


    I can¡¯t move at all when I lock my sight at its eight bright red eyes, all looking directly at me. If I still had my human body, I think this is when I would piss myself.


    (¡®Oh god oh god oh god oh god...¡¯)


    My mind can¡¯t calm down at all and it¡¯s even worse when it¡¯s moving closer and closer to me.


    (¡®Ah, so this is how I die. By the hand of a giant spider. Wait, should I even call those limbs ¡°hands¡±?¡¯)


    While I was making my peace, the spider got to the distance that it can touch me.


    (¡®Ah, that¡¯s it, I¡¯m going to die now.¡¯)


    And so, I blacked out for the second time.


    ----------------------------------------------------------------------


    {???}


    ??? A: ¡°Hey! I found the last one!¡±


    ??? B: ¡°This one¡¯s distracted by that chest for some reason.¡±


    ??? A: ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure that there wasn¡¯t a chest here before though?¡±


    ??? B: ¡°Maybe someone was carrying it and left it here after seeing these guys?¡±


    ??? A: ¡°Probably. For now, let¡¯s just take it back with us.¡±


    ??? B: ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea, and this child doesn¡¯t want us to touch it anyway.¡±


    ??? A: ¡°Ha¡­ Hey! If you like it so much, why don¡¯t you take it back yourself?¡±


    ??? B: ¡°Ah, he really did went back with that chest by himself.¡±


    ??? A: ¡°Oh well. Whoever left it here is probably long gone or died by now.¡±


    ??? B: ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ??? A: ¡°It¡¯s fine! And plus, that child can play with that chest however she wants. It¡¯ll be like a new toy to her.¡±


    ??? B: ¡°...All right. If you say so.¡±


    *kichi*

 2nd - How to open a chest

    Author''s Notes:


    I''M ALIVE! And I sincerely apologises to all who liked this little story and wanted to see more (don''t worry, I''m not dropping this, it''s just an apology for being VERY late with a new chapter).


    I am a very moody person and I''ve got a lot of reading (novels and mange) to catch up on (oh, and also school work). Those two (actually three) things don''t mix well together when you want me to write stories. But then again, those are just excuses so, I returned with a new chapter!


    I cannot say how sorry I am for being so very late with this, so I''ll be performing in a sliding dogeza (not performed live, or actually ever, sorry).


    Again, I''m really sorry, and please enjoy the story!


    <hr>


    2nd - How to <del>violate</del> open a chest


    {Mimic}


    As I wake up from my second blackout, the feeling of nausea suddenly hits me with the desire to vomit. When my mind is fully conscious of what is happening, I forced myself to hold back the vomit... or whatever was going to come out from inside my chest body.


    Slowly recollecting my memories again, I realised I¡¯m still here, meaning that spider I saw didn¡¯t eat me, or maybe I¡¯m just inside its stomach. Either way, I opened whatever that I¡¯m using to see and realised why I feel like vomiting. I was hanging upside-down on a giant spider web, wrapped tightly in a cocoon made of what feels like steel-strong threads with the ¡®lid¡¯ part of my body facing the ground.


    (¡®Ah. This must be one of the levels of hell. There¡¯s no other explanation for it. I¡¯m so sorry mum and dad, for not interact with you more. I¡¯m sorry to society for being a Neet. I¡¯m sor-¡¯)


    Interrupting my apology speech mid-sentence was the giant black spider that I saw previously. Now that I¡¯m seeing it the second time, with my mind is a bit more stable than when I saw it the first time, I can now properly describe it without panicking over every detail.


    Though its body is black, it¡¯s not completely pitch black to the point where you won¡¯t see her in the dark. The back of her body has a faint red line across the middle similar to a ¡®redback¡¯, but all the way till what would be the neck area where it just blends into the black color. The front of her legs also has dark grey lines, which I thought at first was just light reflecting,  going down to the tip of her¡­ er, legs? It¡¯s hard to describe a spider, but I guess that would be it? I¡¯ve never seen such a spider with that type of body patterns, but then again, this spider would be about three times as long and just as high as... that person.


    (¡®Now that I think about it, if I did vomit, will I vomit the remains of that person out?¡¯)


    *Kichi*


    (¡®Oh, sorry. I got side-tracked by that person. Please continue with your hellish torture.¡¯)


    I then prayed to god again, not for my life this time but for a painless torture. Ah, wait, it wouldn¡¯t be torture without pain could it? Then I¡¯m praying for a torture with as less pain as possible.


    *Stare*


    The spider is just staring at me. What is it doing? What is it going to do? What is such a creature of complexity thinking about?


    (¡®That was quoted by the way, from¡­ some totally legit professor which I don¡¯t remember where I got it from.¡¯)


    While thinking to myself to keep myself from panicking, the spider crawled away.


    (¡®...Wait, what?¡¯)


    ...And returned with a small key in its jagged mouth.


    *Kichi*


    (¡®...Is¡­ Is it doing what I think he¡¯s doing!?¡¯)


    Unfortunately, just as I predicted, the key was going to be inserted into me by the spider.


    (¡®Wait! NO! STO- AAAGGGHHH-


    [[[The following scene was too graphic to be described normally and was omitted]]]


    [[[Please enjoy this picture of a dog instead]]]


    [[[Now back to our regular program]]]


    (¡®Ha...Ha...God has abandoned me~¡¯)


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    You have (unfortunately) earned the ability of ''Pain Resistance Mastery (I)''


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    (''...No, never mind. He''s here, just mocking me.'')


    *Kichi*


    After that hell finally finished, I tried to bring myself back together again. I felt like my body was violated over and over again with that demon spider trying to open me forcefully. Never in my life I¡¯ve wanted something to stop. Just what vile thoughts was it thinking while doing that, even twisting it in a way that nearly sent me to heaven for just a moment there. What¡¯s even worse was the fact that all that lasted for about five seconds.


    *Kichi*


    When I heard the spider come back, my insides died a little, along with a bit of my dignity as a man for some reason, as I finally realised the terrible truth of this place.


    (¡®...There are three more keys...¡¯)


    I was in the deepest parts of hell and I cannot escape it.


    ----------------------------------------------------------------------


    {Sandy}


    I am a spider. A proper, eight-legged spider but giant in proportion with silver lines running down my legs. I think there''s also a red line down my back, but spiders can''t see their behind since their so-called neck don''t really turn around like a human''s.


    Stolen novel; please report.


    The moment I realised all that was the first time I looked at myself in this world, some place with a wide lake. Emphasis on ''in this world''.


    And also, I realised that since my mother is a arachne.


    By now you should have realised who I am.


    Yes, I''m a reincarnate human. More specifically, I''m a girl, an otaku at that.


    No, I''m not that other spider with god like abilities, though I wish.


    Maybe, I hope I get OP after a dungeon run/training montage/fortunate meeting with some important figure.


    ...What? Who doesn''t want to be OP? But I wish I could skip the troublesome parts though...


    Anyway, enough about my past, it''s no use talking about what''s gone.


    It''s already been a couple years since I was born. Because I lived in a dark cave-like place, I don''t exactly know how long I''ve lived though. But despite not knowing the exact time, my biological clock works perfectly! So me and my three digit younger siblings always goes to bed on time.


    I say younger but technically we are all born at the same time. I''m just more of a big sister per... spider, compared to all of them. Actually, I''m more of a nanny since mother mostly just leaves me to look after them and go on a honeymoon with dad. What useless parents.


    Oh, and erm... My dad is a human. Not kidnapped by mother, I think...


    As time moves on, my parents realised that some of us are very intelligent in the whole bunch (of about a hundred, what are the chances?) and decided to personally teach us. We were taught everything, from preying other monster by mother to different languages of this world by dad. Though I can''t speak, yet, I could still learn to understand them in the future, probably something my dad predicted we were going to need.


    And so like this, I understood many languages from dad and survived from what I would guess, a mini-boss, from mother. Not a fan of mother''s teaching method, especially when I realised that she wasn''t going to help me nor my siblings in any situation, including life-threatening ones. Actually, especially life-threatening ones.


    But somehow, another year passed and I was still alive.


    Now that we''re much stronger than dad -who was actually once a top-ranked adventure in the past (which I found out recently)- and more intelligent than mother -generally, not in battle, never in battle- we could explore around the place by myself, finally!


    (''I''ve been waiting for this!'')


    The excitement of an adventure, the thrill of a wild encounter battle, the joy of getting loot and treasure!


    That was the feeling of taking on the world! A fantasy world!


    So, while my fellow siblings went away in different directions, I also explored...


    And explored...


    ...And explored...


    ...And found nothing.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    You have obtained:


    nothing


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    (''You don''t have to rub it in!!!'')


    Ah man, even the system mocked me.


    Oh, right. The system is something that''s part of this world''s setting. This world is one of those ''game worlds''. Kind of makes sense since this world is actually a parallel world''s virtual reality world.


    I figured it out when I listened to my dad talk about the history of the world. It''s really obvious when there are a race of people who can appear and disappear from this world as they choose and the fact that they call every person an ''An-pi-see''. I''m more surprised that they didn''t realise that this world is a game. No, maybe I shouldn''t be, I''m alive here aren''t I?


    Well, getting back to the present, I got nothing.


    I walked, or crawled, I don''t know, point is that I traveled for as far as I can and yet I did not even see a twitch of movement. It was only when I came back that my mother told me she already cleared out everything in that direction. Still not a fan of her personally.


    But after that incident, the next day, I went the other way.


    I stuck gold! Well, I found a dungeon, but to me it''s more than gold!!


    (''The excitement of adventure, the... oh, screw it, LET''S GO!!!'')


    Once again, I traveled. This time, I found something.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    You have obtained:


    Keys X 4


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    (''YYYYYEEEEEESSSSSSSSS'')


    I can''t describe that feeling when you got something so great that you would pass out. Oh wait, I think I just described it.


    Making myself a makeshift bag using my natural silk, I wore the new bag on my left side using my leg with the keys inside it and advanced.


    But those keys though, I never would thought that I would be using them so soon.


    (*Gasp* ''Is that!?'')


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    You hav-


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    (''I KNOW WHAT IT IS! YOU DON''T HAVE TO TELL ME!!'')


    I found a chest.


    <hr>


    Edit: I quickly drew up the scene where she found the chest, using the great, old and wise drawing program - MS Paint (Windows Vista).


    Yes, you read right, vista. I need a new laptop.

 3rd - Escaping Web Hell

    3rd - Escaping Web Hell


    {Me, the narrator}


    ("I''ve had it!")


    Sandy threw her front legs up; a solid object flipped in her mind. She was so frustrated with the non-progress she has been making these past few days that she''s almost about to go back and smash the chest into the ground. A very tempting course of action, but not adventurous enough for her. She wanted to open the chest the ''true adventurer''s way'', no cheating by smashing the chest or using forged keys. ''A true adventurer will never walk the shortcut'', her words exactly, a bit too stubborn in her old human judgement.


    She has explored the dungeon for a couple of days, but the only thing she has discovered was the loot from day one. Other than monsters that tried to hunt her for food, she hasn''t found a single soul, sign, or object that can be qualified as loot for that matter.


    Finishing the day of exploring with a ring from her biological clock, she stormed back to her new ''base of operations'' which is more of a bedroom than anything. The web in her room shakes from her furious moving-about, covering more of the walls of which she claimed as her''s. The room was found near the entrance of the supposed old dungeon, the only room big enough to fit her size and everything else. Her first hunt rewards her with three keys and a single test, the main source of her frustrations, stringed from the ceiling. She doesn''t know why she did it, hanging the chest like that, but she guessed it was her arachne instincts.


    ("I need to calm down. Don''t want mother to throw me into a goblin nest to ''cool me down'' again.")


    Counting to ten, a habit from her human life, she crawled in circles.


    ("...seven, eight, nine, ten.")


    "Always a peculiar one, aren''t you?"


    Standing in the way of the only exit from the room was a human male, head covered with dark brown coloured hair with a decent enough face for girls to fall in love with, but coincidentally a face Sandy''s mother fell in love with. With a slightly bigger than normal human body in a blue set of what Sandy describes as ''adventurer''s outfit'', stood Alexander, Sandy''s father, at least, she thinks so.


    She never knew how an arachne can reproduce with a human, nor does she actually have the ability to ask since she can''t exactly speak except for making a few clicking spider-y noises. But some of the times, he seemed to understand her telepathically. It must be a father''s sense, she thought.


    "Your mother is calling you for dinner, the big one this time, so you better go before it''s gone."


    Her father walked in, eyeing all over the room she made as her own. He was used to this scene of messy webs all about after being with his wife for years. He even thinks it was a bit more tidier than his wife''s handiwork, a thought not to be told in her face or else he''ll regret. His eyes spot the keys on the floor, feeling slightly happy that this child took up his sense of dungeon crawling without being taught.


    Then he froze at the sight of the chest. He looked at the keys again and seemed to be holding back a laugh.


    "Good luck, little one. I hope you''ll survive."


    He than walked out, leaving Sandy confused.


    ("Survive? Survive what? Is there something here?")


    Hanging a question mark above her head, she followed the back of her father, walking back the way he came, laughing. She never notice the solemn gratitude sent from the chest behind her.


    ----------------------------------------------------------------------


    {Our Captured Mimic}


    Mentally thanking the second human I''ve seen in my time here, my determination was revived!


    ("Whoever you are, I promise I will survive!")


    I don''t care if I get eaten anymore! I will escape this hell!


    ("...But how do I do that?")


    I racked my non-existing brain hard for an answer, but the answer came unexpectedly.


    Suddenly, I fell to the ground. I looked up to see where I was hanged and saw a tiny knife stuck close to the strings that was supporting me. Half of the string seemed to be cut while the other half was torn from my weight. I tip my hat to you stranger, you proved an escape and led the monster away!


    Seriously though, if it wasn''t for him, I would be stuck in here until the spider thought of smashing me open or something. Good thing she''s just a spider.


    I crept slowly towards the exit and out that hell. Three days, the longest three days I''ve ever had in my life, and I''m finally escaping. I''m not going to question why I''m still alive without food, but that can come later. Right now, I need to disappear before that monster comes back.


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Scouting my surroundings outside of the room, I saw a cave-like area through a large gaping hole on the other end of the corridor in what would be a giant door. Some of the rocks outside were so soft that I could see some heavily imprinted marks on the ground, the monster''s marks.


    Trusting my logic again, even though it failed me last time and led me to the monster in the first place, I went the other way, deeper into the corridor of bricks and torches.


    ("I hope I don''t go through that again.")


    ----------------------------------------------------------------------


    {Sandy}


    Ah, dinner as usual was delicious. At first, I was skeptical of the food when I first saw it as a spider since I didn''t realise what was happening and it was literally just a monster corpse. But after the first bite, I was in heaven. If I realised just how good fresh raw corpses can taste as a spider back when I was a human, I would die the moment I heard it. My favourite right now is the giant lizards'' skin, crunchy with a hint of many variety of flavours from their preys'' blood. It reminded me so much of the potato chips from my old world, but better.


    My dad has to cook a part of the food for himself; he is a genuine human after all. I tried eating a cooked meal, but with me being a spider, it tasted absolutely horrible. It was like the taste was all burned away, leaving a chunk of tasteless meat. My mother has ate his cooking before, be she didn''t say it was horrible or anything the like. It seems an arachne''s tongue is a combination between a human''s and a spider''s. Unfair I say!


    I quickly took a chunk out of the fresh ogre meat laid for the whole family to eat. My siblings are all eager to consume the whole thing for themselves, so I always have to move fast during gatherings or else I will be left with nothing. But I''m not so heartless, or brainless like them, that I would leave them hungry, so I always only take at most a quarter of the food.


    My siblings are mostly small spiders no bigger than about twice of my dad''s big hand, exceptions including me and a dozen others. These big spiders are the ones who were under the teachings of our parents, intelligent enough to evolve into arachnes, though right now we are still considered to have the intelligence of a human child. I''m recognised as the smartest one out of the group, not surprising with my human memories.


    <table><tbody><tr><td>You have a bad feeling.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    ("Hmm? What''s this?")


    ...AH! I forgot to close my room off using the fake wall! I made a fake wall panel using my spider web to hide it from the greedy other-worldly dungeon raiders. I only started using it on the first day when I just thought of it, but I still haven''t made it a habit yet.


    Quickly racing towards the dungeon again, I ignored my parent''s call. I hoped nothing has happened to my stuff!


    ...


    ("NOOOOOOOOOO MY CHEST! WHY DIDN''T I SMASH IT INSTEAD?!")


    ...Meanwhile...


    *A cold shiver ran down the irons of the wandering chest*


    <hr />


    Author''s Notes:


    Once again, I have returned after... how many months now, three? I don''t even know, just a long time. Can''t even be bothered to check the time difference.


    I can''t believe it''s been that long since I came back to writing this story. I must have been so down in a slump that I can''t even write one sentence without thinking it''s the worst one yet. However, the moment I start writing that again, I just instantly typed a page-full of a chapter and more. What the heck brain?


    But I hope that continues, cause if not, I will be milling around the forums reading too much stories for my own sake and forget about this story again, not something I can morally do now: leaving something good behind because of laziness. I seriously need to change, and my school work has been a bit hectic as well, due dates and all.


    Anyway, enough self-depriving ranting. I hope you enjoyed the chapter <del>as much</del> more than I have been writing it.


    It would also do me much favours to point out any errors in spelling, grammar, or even things I got wrong about, like how I accidentally typed how the mimic was hanging with the lid open but the spider was trying to open it. That was kind of stupid of me to not realise that.

 4th - Deep within the Dungeon

    4th - Deep within the Dungeon


    {Mimic}


    I have inched far, far away from the hell that would''ve been a lifetime. I don''t know how long I moved, but I''ve been hugging the left wall for so long that I don''t even remember how many times I turned left. It should be safe here, it has to be. I''ve already promised myself to not get stuck in another situation like that again, never again. Damn it, the pain is still lingering in my mind. Even if the keys were only used once each, that monster has a temper that uses me as a punching bag. I get that''s why it was hanging me up instead of placing me on the ground. What a sadistic beast.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    "Mimicry Movement Mastery (II)" has evolved into "Mimicry Movement Mastery (III)"


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Closing the new window, I stopped running away. Though I said running away, I was still only moving at the speed of a walking child. I tried moving now, and it seems my max speed has increased to a walking adult. Better than nothing I guess. I paused and surveyed the surrounding once more.


    Now, I''m stuck in a corridor with my back facing the corner I turned from. The corridor lies straight with a cross conjunction a couple metres in front of me. I moved towards the conjunction and checked both sides. The left, another corner twisting back towards where I came from, the right, a short distance to a door in a dead end. I''ve actually never seen any other doors than the one with a hole in it and the door to where I woke up from.


    Though curiosity killed the cat, right now I am a chest. The only connection is that both words starts with ''c'', but that shouldn''t matter, should it?


    ("Towards the door I go then.")


    I really couldn''t help but be curious. There''s just something about that way that attracts me. It does have some pretty mystical patterns on it though.


    With only the door in mind, I moved towards it. Upon reaching the door, I realised it was larger than I though it was. Using the man I ate before as a measurement, it''s practically double the height, slightly smaller than the giant spider. I looked around the frame and found symbols of some sort. Maybe another language?


    But as I touched the door, the cracks and spaces around the door suddenly began to shine. It was so bright that I had to look away; I did try to cover my eyes but, chest body, and I still don''t know how my vision works. The light lasted for a instant before dimming with the door sliding open. I can''t see anything inside.


    ("What the?")


    The inside was literally pitch black like when I woke up, but the darkness only stopped at the door frame. No matter which angle I look inside from, I just couldn''t see nil. I have a bad feeling about this.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    You have earned the ability of "Instinctual Prediction (I)"


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    You have a bad feeling


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Oh, thank you for repeating what I just said. What the hell is with that useless ability? But the bit on the end of the ability''s name, doesn''t it mean that there''s a better version if it was like the movement mastery? What could possibly be the power of this ability?


    ("No, I need to stop being distracted all the time. That''s how I will die in this place.")


    I wanted to go into the pitch black darkness, just to see what''s beyond it. But with what I had just experienced, I just stood there. Something is pulling me in, but my feeling of running away seems to balance out. I froze on the spot for a while until a loud voice cut in.


    ("Just enter the room and get consumed by me alre- I mean, you must be tired standing outside, why not come in and take a rest from all that running from that immature arachne?")


    ("Yep, totally legit. I leaving.")


    That was close. I almost jumped into the mouth of another monster, though this one''s strangely nice-mannered, if you ignore the first bit. From what he, or is it she? From what it said, I guess he was somehow attracting me towards it? Maybe it''s these strange mystical symbols, which now that I look at it, they''re slightly glowing.


    ("Grr, damn, I was so close to enjoying such a rare meal.")


    ("Haha, too bad, I''m not falling into another monster''s hands, or, claws, again. I mean, you get the point.")


    ("Don''t get cocky. I only thought you were just like other mimics. It seems I was wrong.")


    ("Wait, it can read my thou-")


    A force stronger than gravity suddenly ripped me from the place I was standing and into the darkness. It happened so fast that the scenery immediately changed from the opened door to a dome-like room with curved supports lined to make a cross in the middle of the dome.The most obvious thing to notice was thered glowing orb floating in the middle. Did I mention that it''s on fire?


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    ("You, how did you resist my ''beast attraction'' runes?")


    ----------------------------------------------------------------------


    {Alexander}


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Someone has set off your ''Castilian Dungeon BackEntrance''alarm


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    While I was playing with the less evolved spiderling children, an old alarm which I set just in case was tripped. It seems that even this place cannot hide from those barbarianimmortals.


    Suddenly staring with a grim face must have startled the children. They all stopped when I read the content of the message. They were so happy jumping around before, just how scary were my expressions I wonder?I''ll have to hunt something for them later as an apology.


    "Daddy can''t play with you all right now. Something suddenly came up, so I''ll play with you guys later okay? I promise I''ll get lizard meat for everyone later, all right?"


    They all leaped for joy, like a pet suddenly getting what it wanted. They''re all so cute. If only the big ones act like this more. Well, the biggest oneof them does, so I guess I don''t really mind that much.


    I leaped quietly towards the place where the alarm was set off usingthe skills ''Power leap'' and ''Silent dash'', the two skills I''m most confident at, even if a certain someone can catch me when I uses these two skills. Man,I can never beat her in physical combat. But with these two skills, I quickly reached near the back entrance to the Castilian dungeon. My biggest child, a daughter no less, seems to like it here. I''ve already seen her own room, claimed near the entrance. Fortunitely, she is currently with her mother; she''s definitely not going to get away from her, much less come here.


    "I don''t think this is a part of the dungeon."


    Hearing the language of the immortals, I instinctivelyduck under the shade of a nearbyboulder. Using another skill of my old profession, I peeked out from my position without giving itaway. A party of three, half the usual, either unsociable, stupid or powerful enough to be by themselves. From their conversation, it seems it isn''t the last. A happy-go-lucky bunch of teens It seems.


    "Never mind the new area. We have only barely scratched the surface of this new dungeon! If we dawdle, it''ll be the same as letting the other players get ahead of us and find the treasures first!"


    A hotheaded blond, one of those rich kid types,always putting pride first and competesover everything for himself. I could see the greed in his eyes. Good thing he''s also anidiot.


    "But a new area means nocompetition and more treasure for us! Shouldn''t we go and check it out first?"


    The smart black-haired sidekick, trying to show off with his intelligence to be the most popular, but inevitably fails every time. Tragic little runt, if not for his personality and the people he hangs with.


    "What do you think, Neru?"


    "I''m fine with whatever you choose, Haji."


    And then there''s the maiden, pink hearts streaming out of her head. Just how love-struck can a teenage girl get? Even my wife wouldn''t be like that, at least, I don''t remember her to be. She and the blond are a couple, who would have guessed? Blonds just have that charisma that attracts these types of maiden for some reason. Just look at those two, dumb and dumber, who''s who is the question.


    Looking at them is making my hatred and rage return.


    "Come on, just one look. We could find something even more impressive than others!"


    "...Okay fine. We''ll go have one look. What''s the har-"


    I cut off his heads the moment they turned. Should have decided to go back, dumber.


    "Haji? Why are you-"


    There goes the head of dumb, or maybe this one''s the dumber. Didn''t even realise her partner just got offed.


    "?! Who the hell are-"


    These so called ''smart guys'', always questions first, never figure things themselves. Dumbest maybe?


    The blade I used to cut their head wide open was clean. Not a single blood was stuck, clean deaths, I still got it. The three heads rolled as their limb bodies finally fell to the ground. Then, their bodies burning with white flame, disappeared without a trace. Not going to see those three again anytime soon.


    My rage dissipates, my hatred still active, but I focus for the ''other players'' the immortals were talking about. Nothing. Not risking missing anything, I waited, and waited, and waited.


    Looking down the corridor of the Castilia dungeon, I slide my blade back into the sheath. I walked out the hole I made in the door, a mistake from my youth, and began setting another alarm.


    "I hope I still have enough time to hunt a lizard before dinner."

 5th - The First Meeting

    5th - The First Meeting


    Ah, how peaceful. The dome-shaped room is so quiet that if someone drops a needle I would hear it clearly. Here I stand, or however a chest ''stands'' in front of the flaming orb that is the dungeon core while the crazy spider that entangled me in its web is behind me. The two of the most fearful beings I''ve met right now is having a staredown, with me right in the middle of course. Where else would I be?


    Ah yes, it''s so peaceful that I don''t want to move at all. It''s not that I''m too scared to move, that''s clearly not it.


    So, where am I and what the hell is going on with this staredown that seemed to have lasted for two years (*cough* no comment from author *cough*)? Well, I do believe it''s time for a flashback. Yay! Who doesn''t like flashbacks?


    Let us go back to about three minutes ago, where I just entered the room...


    <hr>


    ("You, how did you resist my ''beast attraction'' runes?")


    I lied there, dumbfounded before I realised I was in the room with the mysterious voice interrogating me. The same force that pulled me in was now stopping me from moving at all. Not even my all powerful mimicry movement mastery (III) can save me anymore!


    ("Beast attraction runes?")


    The best I could do was repeat what was asked. I could kind of guess what it is from its name but I really don''t have much idea on what the hell''s going on damnit! I was only here in this weird fantasy world as a chest for a couple days, and now you''re asking me how I resisted something I''ve never even heard about in my life? Is this still the same life I''ve had? I don''t know! I''m probably already dead and landed in the weird part of hell for all I know! And now I''m just ranting relantlessly! AHH!!!


    ...But still, back to the question...


    ("How should I know something like that?")


    This is literally the only thing I could think of, the honest answer. In front of this mysterious voice, which I''m starting to think is coming from the orb, I don''t think I should lie, especially when I know it can read my mind. I bet if I answer it with something like ''as if I''ll tell you'' and anger it, I''m not going to walk- I mean, crawl away scot free.


    Right now, all I could do was to wait for the voice to reply. And...


    ("...Good point.")


    ("That''s it?")


    With that, the voice stopped talking. It seemed to be contemplating something. Wow, that was easy. I guess it pays to be honestly ignorant? It can''t be that easy can it?


    As I thought about it, well, it isn''t going to be that easy. Not with the villianous spider crashing into the room a second later. Hey there my worst nightmare. I thought you would give up on me now that I escaped, but it seems I just made you angry instead and it seems you''ve been searching deeply for me instead. Oh boy. With the unknown force still sticking me on the spot, I guess this is it for me huh.


    ~Ah, I can feel my spirit floating away~


    <hr>


    Damnit! I finally found it! My treasure!


    I''ve been running around the dungeon for hours looking for anything moving that may have stolen the chest I found. All the mobs that I ran into were just goblins and other low level monsters that can''t even tell left from right. Just in case though, I still killed them all and checked their hording stashes. Damnit, none of them had anything as valuable as my treasure chest.


    I ran around some more before I came to a door that tried to attract me inside. I was about move on and check it later before I thought, hey, if I''m being lured in, wouldn''t the thief that stole my treasure be lured as well?


    Well, that logic works. Let''s head into the trap!


    Bang! I pushed open the door so hard that it seemed that I almost broke it with an explosion. The room was like a bird cage with a pillar supporting the roof in the middle... Wait, is that my chest!?


    ("I did it! I found it!")


    I threw up my front legs and hurrahed. I felt someone staring at me but I didn''t care for the time being. I''ll deal with the thief hiding somewhere in here later. I''m too happy for that.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ("Where did you come from??")


    Ah, it seems the thief is surprised. For stealing my treasure, I''ll... Hang on, where is he? There''s nothing blocking my view in the room and the pillar is too thin to hide someone behind. Where is that thief?


    ("Hmm, you should be intelligent enough to understand. Try speak to me in your mind.")


    ("Huh? Like this? Wait, are you using telepathy outside of the room? Damnit, where are you hiding!?")


    ("Ah, wait-")


    ("I''m going to take my treasure back and kill you three times over if I find you!")


    ("I said WAIT A SECOND!")


    The voice frozen me on the spot. Was that an ability that was used? Damn, what a troublesome ability.


    ("You have mistaken me. I am the core of this dungeon and I have not stolen your treasure!")


    The dungeon core? Is it the ball-thing in the middle of the pillar that''s on fire? Wait, am I talking to the heart of the dungeon!?


    ("You''re the ball that''s on fire?")


    ("...Yes, I''m the ''ball that''s on fire''.")


    ("Then how did you steal my chest? Magic?")


    ("AH! I JUST explained, I DIDN''T steal your chest! And this isn''t a- Ah, you''re not listening anymore are you...")


    So who stolen my chest and how did it get here? Did the thief left after entering the room? No, it can''t be, unless the dungeon core is in cahoots with the thief?


    In my mind, I thought about all the possible factors of how the chest got here and where the thief could be. The dungeon core is saying something but I''m too busy think about this to know what he''s saying. Ah, maybe the thief is going to come back?


    ("Perhaps I should let it talk to this one.")


    Right after I heard the core say something, I heard another voice in my head. This one was completely different in tone and seemed a little... afraid? It must be the thief then if he is afraid! He is afraid the owner has come to take his loot back and he should be, because I am!


    ("Wait what!? Why do I have to talk to it?")


    ("Where are you, you thief! I''ve already got my treasure chest back so come out wherever you are now and face my wrath!")


    ("Who in their right mind would come out when they hear that!?")


    ("Ah, good point.")


    The thief is quite smart it seems.


    ("Why is everyone accepting what I say so easily? Or is the phrase ''good point'' such a popular thing to say? Hang on, that''s not it! Why am I the straight man in this situation!?")


    ("Hey, I told you to explain yourself to the spider, not reacting to its words.")


    So the dungeon core said. Explain? What is it talking about?


    ("...Anyway, I guess I''ll introduce myself. I''m... Well, I don''t remember my name, but the important thing is, I''m the chest in front of you.")


    I looked at the chest. It moved and faced my direction by itself naturally as if it was alive. Well, I guess it is actually alive, just that I didn''t know about it.


    ("You?")


    ("Yes, I''m the chest. I''m apparently a mimic.")


    ("...No treasure?")


    ("NO! No, I''m not treasure. Please don''t insert another key inside me ever again.")


    ("...")


    ("...")


    ("So I''ve tried to tell you, there was no thief, just a mimic. See?")


    ...Well, this is... a bit awkward for the both of us...


    <hr>


    Within the Blackfire Empire where several kingdom was absorbed undera single power, the state captial ''Crimere'', a particular rumour began to spread around the city and outward the country. It was not the citizens of the empire that was talking, but the immortal beings that once appeared out of nowhere several years ago.


    Within a cheap and dingy pub of poor quality, two ''players'' sat by the counter near the bartender chatted among themselves.


    "Hey, have you heard about a new dungeon that was discovered?"


    "No? There wasn''t any notification about a new dungeon though?"


    "No no, apparently it''s a hidden dungeon that was found behind Greenhill Village, right under every player''s noses."


    The two players didn''t notice the cold, inspecting eyes of several people from around the pub, including the bartender. They continued to talk about the dungeon casually.


    "Really? What level is the dungeon anyway?"


    "I don''t know. The players that reported it only inspected the entrance before leaving to tell everyone about it. There must be others that entered but no one has speak out about anything inside it yet."


    "Do you think we could strike it big if we go now?"


    "Hmm, I think most of the players that heard about this has already gone in, but I guess yeah, we could if we''re lucky."


    "Then what are you waiting for?"


    As he was about to stand and leave, the bartender suddenly grabbed his arm.


    "Please pay for your drink, sir."


    "Ah, sorry, here it is."


    The player materialised two copper coins out of nowhere and threw it towards the bartender, who caught the coins neatly. He checked the coins while staring at the players and put it away, letting the player go.


    "Dude, I don''t like this place. Next time, let''s just hang out at the guild canteen. I don''t care if it''s not cheap. This pub gives me the creeps."


    The other player followed his friend and left with two copper coins on the counter while gesturing at the bartender. With the door of the pub swinging close, six figures that wassurveillancing the two players stood up together and walked into the back of the pub. One of them stopped before the bartender.


    "Do you want me to assign a team to follow them?"


    The bartender glanced coldly at the man, before turning back to collect the other two coins on the counter.


    "Do you think they''re stronger than the general?"


    The man only nodded once and left, acknowledging the bartender''s words.The pub now suddenly became silent except for the sound of glass wiping.


    "Looks like Alexander is going to have a lot to deal with in the upcoming days."


    The bartender spoke to no one, and continued to clean the glasses.


    The night goes on without a single customer entering, but the bartender didn''t care. It was not this place''s purpose anyway. It was only his hobby.


    "Maybe I should visit him and see how''s he dealing with that wife of his."


    He chuckled. ''Perhaps another day, when I need an excuse to leave,'' he thought.

 6th - Am I Powerful? Am I magical? Am I... Oh

    6th - Am I Powerful? Am I Magical? Am I... Oh


    What do I do now?


    Speaking out from that awkward moment, I asked the spider if it has a name, and surprisingly, it was actually a she! Her name was Sandy and she was the smarter one out of many spiderlings born between an arachnie and a human; I didn''t know that was possible and apparently neither did she at first. Wait, why did she thought it was impossible? Oh well, it doesn''t really matter does it? It''s spider logic I guess, just like with the...*shudder* key incident.


    ("What about you?")


    Not sure if brave or stupid, Sandy asked the core about its background. Although I get she''s curious since I am too, but Isn''t she scared of its aura or force? Is it just me? I know the core was nice enough tolet go of the stong force that held me in place just so that I could explain to Sandy that I''m a mimic, but still, couldn''t it could use the same force on her? Is it because I''m weak? Is that it?


    As I contemplated my lack of strength and ranted pessimistically in my mind, the core began to explain himself.


    ("As you both know, I am the dungeon core. I have lived for a couple decades and I''ve gain enough knowledge to understand and communicate with other beings.")


    He told us about how a dungeon core was born. It''s formed naturally by a concentration of mana over decades and it could be anywhere from underground to the skies; there''s alsoapparently floating islands in this world and a dungeon core is the reason they exist in the first place as they are the heart of the islands.


    As he continued on, we - Sandy and I - both became absorbed into his stories of his years as a dungeon core. He expanded from a single cave to a large structure of monsters and treasures, even though most of the treasure had already been looted by a human. When he talked about the human though, Sandy seemed angry and, a bit embarassed? Could it be the human was her father?


    Nah, that can''t be right. This can''t be the work of a single human. the treasures must be slowly looted over time by different humans that wondered into the dungeon. Yes, that must be it. Otherwise, why would he need all these treasure if he''s living with an arachne? Well, I guess trade?


    Ah, I missed what we were talking about. The core is now talking about some troublesome monsters that just won''t obey his orders. Hm? Wait a second.


    ("By the way, I have to ask first: what was that force you used on me?")


    Well, since the core kindly responded to Sandy, I guess it can''t hurt asking about the specific of what happened before right? I want to know how the force work so I could avoid it next time.


    However, it seems the core knew what I was thinking and destroyed my expectations.


    ("Since I''ve built this dungeon by myself, the entire dungeon is under my command. Therefore I can forcefully control everything born within as well, including you, mimic.")


    Ah! This is not fair! This is slavery from birth! I demand equality among beings!


    ("Even if you don''t like it, it''s just how it is.")


    ("But then what about Sandy? Why didn''t you use that force on Sandy? This is injustice! Prejudice! Sexist!")


    ("You have a sex?")


    Eh, I think I do? I just randomly shouted out several opposing phrases, sorry.


    ("Anyway, for some reason, I cannot force her by my will at all despite my efforts. It''s like she''s exempt from my power.")


    ("Ah, it might be because I''m not born from within the dungeon?")


    I felt like the core just looked at Sandy weirdly, even though it doesn''t have eyes. Was it just me?


    ("Hey, if you can forcefully control being in this dungeon, why didn''t you just control me to this room in the first place?")


    ("Well, it wouldn''t be any fun, would it?")


    He''s just messing around isn''t he? Just how bored are you?


    ...


    We continued to talk about ourselves before Sandy had to go. From what she said before, she has a very accurate biological clock in her and it''s currently telling her it''s dinner time. As if an alarm rang from within her head, she stood up in mild surprise.


    ("It seems it''s dinner time for me, so I have to go.")


    ("Ah, I see.")


    ("Dinner time?")


    This reminded me, I feel like I could tell it''s almost night time. Could that be my biological clock or some sort of mental clock from my subconscious? That''s pretty cool actually, the feeling of being about to tell the time at anytime, anywhere.


    ("Well, I''m sad that I found out that my supposed treasure is actually just a mimic, but at least I''ve made two friends who are not from my family finally!")


    ("And I''m happy that I won''t have keys inserted into me for the time being again.")


    ("Well, I was going to try and eat both of you, but it seemed more interesting to keep you guys around instead.")


    Both me and Sandy looked at the core, I was looking with fear while she seems to be looking at a pervert instead. Do we still have some misunderstandings? I feel like we do, don''t we?


    ("I''ll be going then. Don''t actually eat him when I''m gone though. I''ll be back tomorrow.")


    ("Don''t worry. I already said I won''t.")


    The exit opened for Sandy and she left just like that, leaving me and the core in the room alone.


    ...


    ("So, what now?")


    ("Well, I did say that I''m interested in you, since you somehow resisted my beast attraction runes.")This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Oh, that''s right. He did ask me how I resisted that rune thing when we first met. I completely forgot about it until he brought it up just then.


    ("Although I could guess, what exactly are those rune things anyway?")


    ("The short version is, they are common magic-related writings that are engraved to perform specific tasks.")


    Oh boy, I wonder what the long version is going to be if the short version is going to be like that. I have a feeling I should never ask the core to explain really complicated things. What? Did I ask about the long version? If course not!


    ("Then how did I resist the rune if it''s meant to attract beasts?")


    ("That''s what I want to know. The only three ways for someone to resist runes is if they use anti-magic items, they are so powerful that their mana exceeds the rune''s power, or if they have absolutely no mana in them at all which is impossible.")


    ("Why is the lastone impossible?")


    ("Because theoretically, nothing is absent from mana. Everything has at least a sliver of mana in them.")


    ("So, do I have an abundance of mana?")


    Hang on, doesn''t that mean I''m pretty powerful? It did say that the more mana you have the more powerful you are right? Am I quite OP?


    The core went silent for a few second.


    ("I just tried to sense how much mana you have, and the result is that I can''t sense much in you.")


    ("Huh, what?")


    Wait. Then what does that mean?


    ("You know, I think it might be the first possiblity. Maybe it''s because you are a mimic, you somehow inherited an anti-magic item''s property to dispel mana.")


    ("Is that even possible?")


    At least, it kind of makes sense? But I don''t remember seeing any items that could be anti-magic. Actaully, I don''t really remember seeing any items at all... except...


    ("I did ate an entire guy. He might have something that is anti-magic?")


    ("That''s possible.")


    ("Is there a way to know? Can I check myself if I have any anti-magic properties?")


    The core went silent to think about what to do.


    ("Haveyou seen any blue boxes floating in front of you before?")


    ("Ah, yes. When I ate the guy there was a bunch of them popping up everywhere.")


    ("Then think of the words ''Inspect self'' in your mind.")


    ("Inspect self?")


    Suddenly, I became more confused, and yet almost everything seemed to make sense as I read the most important status info box appear that appeared in front of me.


    <table style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto">


    <thead>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="4">Status Information Box</td>


    </tr>


    </thead>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Name: N/A</td>


    <td>Race: Mimic</td>


    <td>Type: Chest</td>


    <td>Alignment:Error</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="4">Titles:</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="4">


    Reincarnator (Hidden), Blessed by the Grim Reaper (Hidden), Newborn Mimic, Clean Eater, Deceptive Bastard, Subconscious Murderer,Cannibal (ERROR;Hidden)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="4">Abilities:</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="4">


    Mimicry, MimicryNatural Adaption (I), Info Windows,Mimicry Movement Mastery (III),Pain Resistance Mastery (I),Instinctual Prediction Mastery (I)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="4">Mimic Properties:</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: left" colspan="4">


    Extra life, Treasure Chest Form, HardCasing(Wood, Metal,), Corpse Form - Male Human, Dagger Form, Potion Form, Cloth Form, Soft Casing (Leather, Wool) ManaMitigation


    Currently Active:Extra life (Cannot be inactive, one time use), Treasure Chest Form, Hard Casing(Wood),ManaMitigation


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <hr>


    I arrived back home, our large cave of webbings everywhere. I didn''t see any of my siblings until I went inside and then I knew why they weren''t outside. I walked in to see dad splitting the corpse of several large lizards among my excited siblings, all scrambling for a piece to eat. It''s quite scary too see, if only I wasn''t a spider as well.


    What''s the occasion for the large pile of food though? It''s not someone''s birthday or something is it?


    I went towards dad and he gave me a larger piece out of the ones he cut with his personal skinning knife. Damn, this is so delicious. It tastes like chicken. I wonder if it''s because chicken was originally evolved from a dinosaur? I''m pretty sure I read that from somewhere online before. Eh, I don''t remember. It doesn''t matter anyway, since this is delicious.


    "I''m going to be away for a couple days from tomorrow onward."


    Although the smaller spiderlings either didn''t catch what he said or didn''t care, me and the other intelligent spider stopped. A business trip? Wait, if dad''s not going to be here for a couple days, what will happen to our lessons?


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">You have a bad feeling</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Oh god no.


    "Your mother already knows about this and she said she''ll be fine teaching you by herself."


    We are going to die.


    We just stood there with our mouth open as we stared at dad. Some of the more cheekier spiderlings took a couple bites at our piece of the lizards as we were stuned. We didn''t even care about that, at least I didn''t. We have more important things to worry about.


    Dad seemed to know what we were thinking about and continued.


    "Don''t worry, you''ll survive before I get back."


    Doesn''t that mean we''ll die if you don''t!? Oh god we are so going to die!


    ...


    We ate the rest of dinner in silence. Dad sighed at our miserable looks of dejection but didn''t do anything help improve it. Damnit dad! You''ve practically abandoned us with a monst- I mean, mother!


    ''Well, mother is technically a monster...''


    The next day, dad disappeared. Replacing him as our tutor for language, mother stepped forward.


    "Already everyone, your father should have told you already last night, but if not I''ll tell you."


    I''m pretty sure he told everyone about this already. Mother, you''re just tormenting us by reminding us about his absence, isn''t that right?


    "For the next few days, I''ll be the one to teach you everything your father teaches for the time being, since he has some very important... jobs to do."


    Ahhh, just kill me now.


    <hr>


    Alexander double-checked his luggage for any missing items that the spiderlings might have taken out of curiosity. He''s not strict with how to raise his children, but even so, right now he can''t afford to miss any items before taking off.


    "Ah you sure you don''t want me to go instead?"


    His arachne wife, the love of his life, watched him with a sorrowful expression. She wanted to trade places with him, keeping him with the kids and away from harm. She knew it''s useless to ask but still voiced it out loud.


    "I''ll be back. I promise."


    He kissed her lightly and lept ahead. There was no way to change his mind now that he was set on going. She knew that. She knew everything about him and she loves him.


    Alexander kept going until he saw a group of dark figures.


    Twenty humans rested by a cliffside, hidden from view unless one was an expert scout. They were citizens of the empire, more accurately, they were elite soldiers loyal to the emperor and the publically exiled general. Each person dressed in a cloak that covered the bodies and heads of the soldiers, signs of weapons barely visible from the outlines from the bulges of the cloth.


    As soon as they spotted Alexander approaching, they came out of their hiding spot and saluted him.


    "General Alexander sir!"


    "No formality, I''m publically exiled already so I''m not one of the empire''sgeneral anymore. Since we''re moving in secret, we should also keep our talks short, so just address me as Alex."


    With strict trainning, they immediately accepted his request and followed him.


    "Our, mission I suppose, is to kill anyone entering the dungeon. Remember to leave one alive in the end and lay the bait for the immortals. Any questions?"


    No one spoke up. They had all been informed of the plan and agreed. The talk Alexander gave was only a last comfirmation.


    "Then Iet''s go. We''ve already got a target."


    The group moved as one with Alexander in front, heading towards the same entrance where he had killed the three players. They stopped by rough terrain, crouching within the shadows away from the opponentparty''s eyes.


    The other party was a raiding group consisting of two dozen people, a total of four official player parties each with their own leading member. They moved in a diamond formation - a forward party, two side party and a rear party, imperfectly covering their surroundings.


    With a single signal from Alexander, the soldiers moved in. Taking one person each, the soldiers assassinated almost all of the members of the entire raid group. The three surviving players absentmindedly stared at their fallen teammates, before two of them were killed by the nearby soldiers.


    "You are not acknowledged by Ashenhilt. You do not possess his permission to enter. Come back when you do!"


    As the last word left his mouth, Alexander executed him coldly.


    "The first bait has been set. Let''s go. There''s still more coming."

 7th - How to train your mimic

    7th - How to train your mimic


    <table style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto">


    <thead>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="4">Status Information Box</td>


    </tr>


    </thead>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Name: N/A</td>


    <td>Race: Mimic</td>


    <td>Type: Chest</td>


    <td>Alignment: Error</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="4">Titles:</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="4">


    Reincarnator (Hidden), Blessed by the Grim Reaper (Hidden), Newborn Mimic, Clean Eater, Deceptive Bastard, Subconscious Murderer, Cannibal (ERROR;Hidden)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="4">Abilities:</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="4">


    Mimicry, Mimicry Natural Adaption (I), Info Windows, Mimicry Movement Mastery (III), Pain Resistance Mastery (I), Instinctual Prediction Mastery (I)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="4">Mimic Properties:</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: left" colspan="4">


    Extra life, Treasure Chest Form, Hard Casing (Wood, Metal,), Corpse Form - Male Human, Dagger Form, Potion Form, Cloth Form, Soft Casing (Leather, Wool) Mana Mitigation


    Currently Active: Extra life (Cannot be inactive, one time use), Treasure Chest Form, Hard Casing (Wood), Mana Mitigation


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    I inspected the info box in front of me containing all sorts of stuffs that seems to have come from an RPG game back in my previous life. With reincarnator being the first title on the list, I can''t help but accept reality. I really hoped for this to be a really long dream, but with how long this has be going on and the ''dream'' telling me directly that this is not a dream, I can''t deny the possibility that it''s just a dream anymore.


    I really might have died huh...


    ("You''re honestly not that strong.")


    ("Ouch, the truth hurts when you say it out load damnit! I was only born a couple days ago and most of the time I was stuck in Sandy''s web!")


    I protested against the core dejectedly as I make an orz pose in my mind. I was having a serious realisation moment, why did you go run your mouth and ruin it! Ah great, now it just made me feel like reincarnating and living again is useless because I''ll get killed by other monsters, or even greedy humans like the first one I''d met.


    ("Is there a way to get stronger?")


    ("Yes.")


    Oh, that was a quick response. I didn''t think there was actually going to be an easy way to get stronger.


    ("What is it then?")


    ("Station somewhere and hope for the best.")


    Ah! I should''ve seen it coming! Of course he''s not actually going to suggest any good way to get stronger. Station somewhere and hope for the best? That''s practically suicide! I know that I''m a mimic, but the only time I''ve ever actually ''ate'' someone was when I first woke up in this world. I didn''t even know what I did initially! I''m pretty much a bird that don''t know how to fly because it didn''t learn how to during its childhood.


    Damnit, I really don''t want to die, especially not like this!


    ("Is there no other way to get stronger? I don''t want to die so quickly after I was born.")


    The flame of the core flickered rapidly for a while. I''ve figured out that he is thinking deeply when he does that after looking at him for a while. He''s actually pretty easy to read if you know what to look for, like if he is dejected, his flames will be slightly smaller. Right now, he''s been thinking for a considerably long time; it''s the longest I''ve ever seen him think, I think?


    ("...I''ve thought about it.")


    ("Yes?")


    I waited for him to speak, even though I''m already feeling defeat. What is it this time? Jumping into a goblin hobble?


    ("I''ll help make you a boss monster.")


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">"Instinctual Prediction Mastery (I)" has evolved into "Instinctual Prediction Mastery (II)"</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">You have a very bad feeling.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Wait what?


    ...


    ("GODDAMNIT I WAS RIGHT!!!")


    I flew across the hallways, screaming mentally. The destination is a group of young goblins on the other side of the dungeon, the weakest part of the dungeon for breeding purposes. Oh, have I said that I was ''flying''?


    The bastard seriously forced me into a goblin hobble! What the hell?!


    The scenery is flying by too quickly to know where I''m going exactly, butit doesn''t matter anyway since the destination is already predetermined. I flew throughout the corridor like a jetcoaster; if it wasn''t for the fact that I didn''t have a stomache, I think, I''d already be puking mid-air. Uh, I''m also getting extremely nauseated from this experience. He doesn''t even care which direction I''m facing and I''m literally turning ninety degrees at the corners.


    I''m so going to destroy that core one day.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    As I reach the hobble, I saw a bunch of small creatures running away at the sight of me. Well, I''m going as fast as a car at this rate, so I don''t blame them for running away from something as fast as that coming towards them. I would too.


    The force stopped me immediately on the ground, silently. I would be impressed if not for the headache and nausea. Now that I''ve stopped, safely thank god, the creatures I saw are curiously coming towards me. Small, ugly, pointed-ears, sewage green? They''re goblins alright, the classic ones.


    One of them approached me excitedly. I think he knew that I was a treasure chest. Oh god not again.


    He ran forwards and was about to touch me before...


    *Chomp*


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">You have gained the ability of "Mimicry Ambush Mastery (I)"</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Ah, I ate him, or her, or it? Does it even have a gender? Wait, that''s not the problem here.


    I stared out into the crowd of goblins, frozen in fear. That''s it? No ''using all of my strength to eat the opponent'' or ''it''ll take time to devour the guy'', just a chomp? I didn''t even taste the goblin, or wait, do I have tastebuds? Nevertheless, huh, this might be easier than I thought.


    The other goblins that saw this was again, running away in a frenzy. Hmm, this might really be a good way to get stronger. You know what? Dungeon core, I mis-judged you. You are not as bad of a person, wait no, core I mean, as I thought.This''ll be easy with these small mobs. It''ll be like a grind feast for experience like the MMORPGs I''ve played!


    I began to ran around, hunting for the goblins as I make a devious face in my mind. Looks like I''ll be here until I commit goblin genocide, mwuahahaha.


    MWUAHAHAHAHAhahahaha...


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">You have gained the title of "Laughing Madman"</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Hey! I was just joking around! I think. It''s not like I''ll try to perform ganocide on the goblins. Though I say that while rolling my eyes, I''m still chasing goblins one after the other to devour.


    ...


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">You have gained the titleof "Predator"</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">You have gained the titleof "Terrifying monster"</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">You have gained the abilityof "Fear Aura Mastery (I)"</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">You have gained the abilityof "Tracking Mastery (I)"</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">"Mimicry Movement Mastery (III)" has evolved into "Mimicry Movement Mastery (IV)"</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ...Look at these boxes popping up one after the other. I''m even feeling stronger already. It''s becoming so easy to catch up to one of the slow moving goblins now.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">"Fear Aura Mastery(I)" has evolved into "Fear Aura Mastery(II)"</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">"Tracking Mastery (I)" has evolved into "Tracking Mastery (II)"</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">"Mimicry Movement Mastery (IV)" has evolved into "Mimicry Movement"</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">You have gained the title of "Mobile (Suit) Mimic"</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">You have gained the ability of "Mimicry Agility Mastery (I)"</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ...Hang on, what?


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">You have gained the late title of "Retorter"</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Why the hell did you gave me this title so late into the story!? Wait, don''t try to change the subject, info boxes! What the hell is mimicry agility mastery?


    As I stopped chasing the goblins to retort at the info boxes, another box suddenly appeared in front of me.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Mimicry Agility Mastery (I)</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    The mastery of agility-based mimicry actions that require fast and flexable movement of the mimicking body. The greater the mastery, the faster the mimicry actions.


    Prequirements: Mimicry, Mimicry Movement


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <hr>


    Oh, are you wondering what''s happening to Sandy? Well, sorry to disappoint you, but she''s currently not available. Her mother is teaching her various languages, the hard way.


    Therefore, I have to apologiseto the reader and Sandy for this tragic- I mean, temporary disappearance.


    And so, to replace Sandy''s daily corner, I''ll narrate what''s happening in the ''other world''. What? You don''t know what the other is? Why, it''s the world where the players came from of course; you should already have figured that out, it''s plainly obvious.


    Anyway, what that about the other world? Is it Earth? Well... Not really. It''s close but it''s more of a parallel world than the actual Earth that the mimic came from. Why would it be his former world? We don''t want to cause some sort of, space-time casuality, destruction, event, thing? I don''t know, but I''m pretty sure it''s not good for him to have a way to go back to where he died previously.


    This world is Hearth, yes one extra letter. It''s a parallel world, what else did you expect? Everything is about the same, except it has technology that are more developed. VR has evolved to become AR, alternate reality!


    I mean, everyone was pretty sceptical when an unknown company came out of nowhere and released the greatest game known throughout the world, ''Alternate Reality K''. No one even really know what the K stands for, and it doesn''t matter since everyone just abriviatedit to ''ARK'', not to be confused with another, older game of the same name.


    Everyone loved the game, because it was like another world!


    Now, I bet you know where I''m going with this, so I''m not going to say anymore. Instead, I''ll justtalk about the dreaded wasteland that is itsonline gaming community. I didn''t mean it like its toxic, but...


    - How to get rich in three hours with this simple trick!


    -Eastern servers are number 1!


    - ''Protect the Lolis'' brigade meeting


    ...Well, you can''t really tell what is useful or even worthwhile of your time on the community forums anymore. With the freedom to do anything in ARK, the possibilities for doing anything is endless, and ultimately meaningless to inform others since there''s countless ways that are better personally. Any real helpful topics soon turn into arguments of what''s the best method. Recommendations became useless since everyone experiences the world differently. There are still some who look for these posts, but that''s only the minority.


    Soon after the release of ARK, the game''s forum became a meetingground for random players to rant, boast, or just start arguments with others for the heck of it.


    In the end, the community is a lost cause, not of the game''s fault; eh, partly of the game''s fault.


    Right now, I don''t know where I''m going with this, honestly. I''m just filling in for Sandy''s part of the story, but she''s still in hell- I mean in her mother''s lessons.


    Hm? Sandy''s lesson is almost over? She''s going to be the star of the next chapter? Okay then. I guess I did my part. See you next time, with me, the narrater as I explore the world of Hearth!

 8th - The Teachings of an Arachne

    8th - The Teachings of an Arachne


    Seven days.


    Seven long, hard days in hell, under the watch of the dreaded spider demon that is Clare - Sandy''s arachne mother.


    As an arachne, Clare was clearly not equiped withthe same moraleand sympathy equal to the human''s. She was born and raised in the harsh environment of the wild where hundreds of her siblings died upon birth, much less surviving the initial period that is''childhood''. Her knowledge was earned through experience and her mindset was''only the strong will survive and the weak will die.'' This was the demon that taught Sandy and the most intelligentof her siblings physical combat, and now human knowledge.


    Each day was a sin to be represented and the spiderlings under her iron-fist tutoring could not escape the torturous lessons at all. Only the hundreds of ignorant spiderlings who are not intelligent and wise enough to think and reason were spared. Truly, ignorance is bliss.


    This wasn''t the first time they felt being intelligent was a curse, but it would be the beginning of when they felt being intelligent was despairing.


    ...


    The first day.


    For the first time in her life to teach her dear children about common knowledge, Clare was prepared; she was too prepared for the spiderlings however. Her mass information dumping was classified as expert-level and her confidence in her children began to overwhelm their tiny, young brains.


    "And this is... For this... You can not do..."


    The lesson continued through lunch without pause. Several spiderlings had already fainted and more were to collapse later on. Even Sandy who had inherited past human knowledge was beginning to feel sick. It was like being mentally hosed down by a torrent of highly pressured water; the force were simplytoo much to handle.


    As the lesson was about to approach dinner, the ones still left standing were given food for the day as Clare organised her notes for the lectures. Looking around the make-shift classroom of stone tables, although the fainted spiderlings were already carried to thenest to rest, Clare counted the remaininggroupafter the rapid succession of knowledge crammedinto the spiderlings head.


    "...Hmm? There''s still half of you left. I guess we''ll keep going then."


    ("Wait, half of us are actually suppose to drop out?!")


    With regret for surviving so long just to have more knowledge crammed into their heads, the lesson continues into the night. This was only the beginning of the seven days in hell.


    ...


    The second day.


    Thelesson today were languages.


    As the group had already experienced the horror that was yesterday, many were reluctant to get up in the morning. However, with the bloody smell of freshly killed reptile flesh out in the open, everyone approached their breakfast with glee, completely disregarding the previous day''s events, Sandy included.


    Although Sandy knew, she still cannot resist the taste from her new spider palate. The fresh taste completely captured her as she would willingly walk right into the hands of the demon for food.


    The demon who was surveillingright beside everyone knew they cannot resist the delicious temptations. It''s in their nature. Her past experiences tells her that natural instincts trumps reasoning during the younger periods of beasts and this proves it further. She watchedon with squint eyes, her smile hinting at something sinister.


    Sandy who caught a glimps of her mother froze for a second, before she brought another piece of reptile into her mouth. Since it''s just the mental pressure from the massive info dump, the rest of the week''s not going to be that bad for her, right?


    Right?


    ("AHHHHH!!!")


    Sandy regreted thinking that earlier during the morning. She ran around the large cave system like a fleeing rat. A group of larger-than-normal bats chased after her siblingsand her in anger, the reason being Clare''s nice gestures of waking them up much earlier than needed, or should''ve.


    ("What does this have to do with languages?!")


    Sandy questioned her mother''s seemingly insane and inane actions before Clare sensed what her children were thinking.


    "Ah, the clicking sound from the bloodrock bats are actually them cursing at you. Remeber this sound because you''ll hear it a lot more in life than you think."


    ("What the hell?!")


    And so, the spiderlings were closely chased by the swarm of bloodrock bats until it was close to night. The bats were killed by Clare and later became their dinner. They were delicious and no one had any objections afterwards, again.


    ...


    The third day.


    A brilliant plan was forming in the devilish minds of the mother arachne - a plan to encourage her children toimprove. A point system, based on the merit system from the immortal beings, to improve her smart children in pursuing knowledge instead of seeking strength. A system for them to compete aganst each other for the most intelligent of them all to raise. It will be great!


    ...Was what she explained to the spiderlings as she began her lesson on mathematics.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    The first spider to solve a problem will be awarded a point, while the rest gets nothing for second or worse. This was to teach them that the first one to strike gets the loot. She were to allow spiderlings with high amount of points to eat, with the highest having extra.


    The spiderlings, itching for food again, roared with cheer. They are not going to suffer after all! If they could answer some questions, they can eat, simple as that! It was going to be an easy lesson this time, was what they thought.


    Until they realised the anomoly in their group: Sandy.


    ("Ha, this is so easy.")


    Sandy didn''t realise she gainning something else along with points for dinner. The stares of her siblings could kill a man if physical (or perhaps if they were basilisks), yet she didn''t notice them at all and only kept answering her mother''s basic maths questions. She was too relaxed due to how easy the questions were.


    With more than twenty point under her name, she was beginning to anticipate the feast that she was going to get.


    In the end, she never noticed the looks that were exchanged between her siblings behind her back. She only blindly gathered points for her feast, unknown to her the fate that was about to come.


    And so, as Clarewent out to catch more food for the rest of the spiderlings, Sandy was beaten unconscious, completely missing out on her feast, which were divided by everyone else instead.


    Clare pretended that she didn''t saw a thing - a personal lesson to Sandy for being careless with her actions.


    ...


    The fourth day.


    As condolences for being beaten by her siblings, Sandy was given extra breakfast and allowed rest for her injuries.


    although Sandy was internally weeping in her mind when she woke up and found out about it, she was glad that she doesn''t have to put up with her mother''s lesson for the day. She was free! Even if it was just for the day, she was able to relax properly.


    She went back to sleep and slept through the morning.


    When she woke up however, she was about to be eat alive my her siblings. Thinking she was dead, the smaller spiderlings crawled all over her body and started biting everywhere, each clambering for a part. Sandy didn''t think of anything at the start, thinking she was just itchy. Soon, the itch spread throughout her body and she could only wake up to see the hundreds of tiny spiders covering her body.


    ("Damn it you idiots! I''m not food")


    As she tried to shake everyone off of her, her mother saw how energetic she was and called her over. Break time''s over.


    However, when she arrived, she saw everyone fainted on the floor. ''What in the world happened here?'' She could only imagine.


    "Ah, well, I guess everyone''s tired from these lessons. They were doing so well too. Too bad."


    ("What does that mean? Why does it sounds like something bad''s going to happen to them if they continued?")


    "Okay then, how about you? You''ve had a nice rest, haven''t you? It''s time for a one-on-one lesson, my dear girl."


    Clare looked at her daughter with intense passion, as a teacher of course. Though some would consider this as a positive experience, Sandy felt like she has been targeted by the worst demon in hell. She can''t even move due to her mother''s glare, as if petrified, the turning-to-stone kind.


    ("!!")


    "Don''t worry, I''m not going to hurt you too hard. It''s only biology."


    And so, she was back in hell once again, this time with an itching body due to the bites.


    ...


    The fifth day.


    After collapsing, everyone was back to Clare''s lessons together with a clear conscience, except for Sandy who stayed up late with her mother''s extracurricular lessons.


    After four days of knowledge, Clare decided to return back to physical training. One must keep their fangs and instincts sharp after all, even if they''re spiders.


    Guiding the class of spiderlings to the usual field where they perform mock battles with her, Clare secretly attracted the surrounding monsters towards their group through her own means. No one knew what was coming, and it wan''t until the monster swarm surrounded Sandy and the rest that they realised the training has begun and there''s nowhere to run.


    With her natural skills, Clare had already left to hide behind the swarm, looking over the group''s torment that was their physical training. From the way the monsters enclosed on the group, she had even timed her attraction so as to leave no room for them to escape from, forcing them to survive only by fighting back.


    Sandy was terrified at first. Yet, after killing off a couple of the monsters, she realised they were too hard to beat, only too exhausting with the amount they had to fight with. She tried to pick out from the crowd the weakest to beat so the swarm can decrease in numbers for the time being, and while she scanned around, she stopped at a particular spot past the monsters.


    She saw a figure lazily hanging back, watching her group suffering the attack - her mother.


    Getting agitated from this scene, she complained in her mind how unfair this is just like every other day of physical training.


    ("How come she gets to relax while we are in a life and dead situation? She''s just taking today''s training as an excuse to take a break from the usual lessons!")


    Getting angrier at her mother, she went berserk with the monsters and gained a new skill: "anger burst[I]".


    She wailed and slashed wildly towards her mother''s direction, killing any monsters in her way. With her actions, the other spiders followed with a cautious distance to escape encirclement. Soon, they all got out of the circle.


    "Hoh, not bad."


    Clare, impressed in Sandy''s new skill watchedon casually. She was definitely taking the physical training as a break from the usual lessons in class - for herself - and leaned back on a self-made web hammock. Sandy''s outcry turned her head, but she soon went back to her relaxed position, as if her daughter''s anger didn''t concern her.


    As Sandy was about to strike Clare, her vision suddenly turned dark.


    She later woke up with a sore bruise on her head, and more monsters to occupy her senses. Clare decided the amount was not enough and attracted more to the scene then went back on her hammock.


    ("What the heck! That''s not fair!")


    This time, Sandy could only fight back the horde with an exhausted body. She even thought the lessons conducted wereeasier than this, but her stubbornness won''t let her agree.


    And so, she and the rest of the spiderlings spent the day holding back a swarm of monsters, while they (which is really only Sandy) briefly glanced at Clare occasionally in envy.


    ...


    The sixth day.


    It was a lesson onhealth education.


    Sandy was especially flustered due to obvious reasons, despite others being nonchalant. It was an intense day for Sandy to handle, even though Clare was actually teaching them normally on this particular day. Clare just couldn''t think of anything to excite her children about since this was a pretty boring topic to teach from her point of view. Even she herself doesn''t want to continue the lesson.


    Sandy on the other hand was think of many different things. She may be reincarnated, but she''s still, let''s say, ''new'' to this. She doesn''t know if she is embarrassed, confused, or simply fearful of mating with another spider and... Eh... Let''s not talk about this, for various reasons.


    And so, as they stop at lunch this time, Sandy was at the point of almost passing out again, for an entirely different reason this time.


    However, then came the last day.


    "He should be back by about now."


    Clare was unsure if she needed to teach for another day. Alexander promised to come back in a week, yet he never specified on the last day or the day after.


    With Clare contemplating how to go about with the rest of the day, Sandy and the others were celebratingbecause they could finally rest. With everything that happened within the week, it''ll take some time before they could all process the information they learned.


    The day seemed so uneventful, until noon.


    A presence was sensed by Clare. Someone was coming.


    "Hmm? Alex? Is that you-"


    Before she would finish her words, what appeared was a group of humans carried an unconscious Alexander home, covered with bandages over heavy injuries. They said nothing as they stopped before her. Their face were masked but definitely not happy. Kneeling down, the vice leader of the group apologises.


    "I''m sorry."