The Brown Mimic's Proclamation

The battle always began with lines like, "Huh? That bearded guy—he was with us when we came back from the wolf den..." "Oh yeah. And there's the man he was carrying on his back. His leg's already healed? Must have dropped some serious cash on it."

The man with thick sideburns connected to a full beard was the leader of the party that had returned with us from the wolf den. I remembered his name was Park Gwang-bae from when he'd come asking for help. Something like that, anyway.

Park Gwang-bae, the bearded man who had stepped forward, spoke to the man who appeared to be the leader of the middle-aged party.

"Um... by any chance... were you thinking of trying that thing...?"

"...... Hah. And who the hell are you?"

Even though Park Gwang-bae had asked with extreme caution, the reply that came back was full of thorns. Naturally, the man didn't like someone showing interest in an item his group had found first.

Though a servile smile played on his lips, Park Gwang-bae must have run the numbers before coming. If it came down to it, he was probably prepared to fight.

Give me a break. You're not nearly high-level enough to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠be eyeing that thing.

His side had two more people than the middle-aged party, plus two skilled fighters who hadn't been there last time. It looked like he was testing the waters, but it was a hopeless endeavor. At best, his group and the four in the middle-aged party were evenly matched for mutual destruction.

Glancing sideways, Park Gwang-bae kept his gaze fixed on the mage party and the Ilseom party behind them even while speaking. His eyes seemed to ask, I'm helping you like this—aren't you going to do anything?

The mages and Ilseom's group had some sense after all. They stood with deep frowns, seriously weighing their options. Weapons were already gripped tightly in their hands, but it seemed they hadn't decided on a target yet.

It had gone somewhat according to Park Gwang-bae's plan, but from my perspective the balance wasn't nearly as fragile as he thought. If the middle-aged party had possessed overwhelming power that could rival the other two teams combined, things might have played out as he hoped. But with the three parties so evenly matched in combat strength, the first thought that came to mind wasn't joining forces to eliminate one group—it was the fear of getting stabbed in the back the moment you moved first.

These were obvious possibilities that would occur to anyone who thought about it for even a moment. I could only conclude that Park Gwang-bae's heated state had clouded his judgment.

It must have looked tempting. At the very least, he probably hoped to secure even the lowest seat among the confronting factions.

"Ahem..."

Sweat began to bead on Park Gwang-bae's forehead. The two skilled fighters standing behind him bit their lips hard. Unlike me, they didn't possess exceptional senses, so they would have only realized the truth after getting close enough to engage directly. That sudden, sinking feeling of Ah, this is bad.

The two skilled fighters had reached roughly the same level as me. But unless every member of Park Gwang-bae's party was at that level, it was meaningless. It would be a different story if they possessed exceptional skills or traits, but the atmosphere didn't suggest anything of the sort.

Should I just dive into the box?

Too many eyes were watching for me to act on that impulse.

For a brief time, a silent battle of nerves unfolded between them and the group standing near the box. While one team had discovered it first, that detail grew less important with every passing second. Which party was stronger? If they fought, who would survive? Was it worth taking damage to fight here? Such calculations were laid out on the table of reason and desire, where they were busily evaluated.

Twitch. Twitch. The wind brushing past their necks, the rustle of grass—every tiny sound made the confronting hunters' shoulders jump. They looked ready to explode into violence at the slightest provocation. As the hunter with the longest career here, I could guarantee that the moment anyone drew a weapon, this place would turn into a bloodbath.

Swish. Swish. Swish. Swish.

Yeonhee finally finished summoning the entire lizard unit. The spectators all rose from their seats, waiting for the signal to begin. We were supposed to be in the audience, yet as nearly seventy hunters gradually raised their magic power, the situation reached the point where fighting had become inevitable.

A single glance revealed sweat droplets forming on Park Gwang-bae's chin before falling with audible plops. For this single moment, silence reigned absolutely.

One hundred and fifty eyes bored into him.

If he hadn't expected the situation to spiral into this kind of atmosphere, that ignorance was an experience in itself.

Back off. Better to swallow your pride for now.

Park Gwang-bae's lost gaze wandered until it landed on the summoned lizard unit. More than thirty summons—a force worthy of being called an actual unit.

Gulp.

His Adam's apple bobbed dramatically. Then he turned toward the middle-aged party, bowed deeply at the waist, and spoke.

"M-my apologies for the rudeness."

"Heh heh, well isn't this something. Hurry up and get lost, why don't you?"

Even one Yeonhee sitting in the spectator seats would have been more than he could handle, yet he'd somehow mustered the courage. Should I call him out for it? The man who received the apology was probably thinking exactly that as he looked at Park Gwang-bae.

But Park Gwang-bae wasn't someone to be underestimated. In his own way, turning his back on an opponent after exchanging such sharp killing intent showed considerable resolve. It wasn't nearly as easy as it looked.

Of course, cold sweat was pouring down his back from the eerie presence crawling up his spine right now, but no one except me would ever know that.

"Wouldn't it be fine to yield the first turn and then challenge on the next one?"

At this point, such thoughts were inevitable. Just step back, let another team try, and if they failed, seize the next opportunity. But it was common knowledge that once someone was sucked into the subspace, the mimic would disappear regardless of success or failure.

One might then think to simply wait for the person who entered the subspace and steal their spoils. However, it was also known that upon exiting the subspace after the match with the mimic, one would appear at another random location inside the dungeon. This too was the stuff of rumors, but I knew it for fact because I'd heard it from someone with actual experience.

Step. Step.

The six hunters including Park Gwang-bae soon left their position and began heading toward the hunting grounds, their faces filled with lingering regret as they ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠stared at the wooden box. Of course they could watch for another chance from a safer distance, but a dog that had already tucked its tail between its legs couldn't afford to stand its ground.

"Tsk. How pathetic. When he was begging for help he acted so innocent, but he's actually a scheming bastard. This is exactly why I can't help but distrust humans."

"I don't like people like that either."

Well, one team was out of the picture. Fewer competitors was always better.

"Hunters gathered here! And everyone still arriving, listen carefully!"

Is he about to suggest we all throw down?

The middle-aged man who currently held priority raised his hand high as he spoke. Seeing even the smallest flies trying to butt in, he must have decided enough was enough.

"We discovered this box first! You all know that attacking monsters another party is already fighting is strictly taboo!!"

"Excuse me, mister. When exactly did you fight? We saw everything from behind—you were just standing there staring."

"We were formulating a strategy. The mimic isn't your average monster, you know? And I'm in the middle of speaking, so don't interrupt."

"Strategy my ass... Sigh..."

"......Anyway, it's only right that we get to choose first! Yet these two teams interfered with our actions! We didn't want to fight! Truly!"

He's got quite the tongue on him.

When the middle-aged man cleared his throat to continue his rambling, something strange began happening to the wooden box.

Thud!

Rattle-rattle-rattle―!!

The box shook violently on the ground, convulsing wildly. The rusted lock attached ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to it fell to the earth with a clunk. Then the lid creaked open slightly, and a tongue the size of a human palm flopped out with a wet smack.

Lick. Lick. The tongue flicked rapidly up and down. Next, two legs emerged from the bottom of the box while arms poked out from the sides, cautiously extending the creature's body into the outside world.

The limbs were short and thick, making it look like four screaming mushroom bodies had been attached to the box. At the size of a small refrigerator, it stood fairly tall and possessed a certain monstrous presence, yet those stubby, comical limbs completely undermined any sense of threat.

People felt both surprise and fear simultaneously, yet as if possessed, they were gradually drawn closer to the box. After waddling around for a moment, the living chest stopped in place and clattered loudly.

Everyone knew monsters could speak, but actually encountering one was a first for all of them. The somewhat scatterbrained mimic tilted its box-like body and repeated "Came? Did I come?" several times.

What is this chubby little mimic...?

It was an incredibly sloppy mimic, yet its single statement threw every hunter into confusion at once. The crowd of spectators had swelled dramatically; nearly a hundred hunters were now watching the scene. The area turned into a chaotic marketplace in an instant.

"What is it?! What is it!! What? A golden mimic?"

"Uwaaaa!! So what are we supposed to do with that?!"

"It's, it's none of our business, but... if by any chance... that is...! Since we don't know anything about..."

Just looking at Yeonhee, Arin, and Joo-ah's reactions told the whole story. They had clearly won some exciting event, but it seemed extremely dangerous. At the same time, standing still didn't feel right, and participating felt like it would cause major trouble. That vague, instinctive feeling.

Since nothing had been clearly explained yet, their confusion was perfectly natural.

Fortunately, the commotion didn't last long. The one called the Brown Mimic had presented a clear standard.

Fighting is good, but who exactly are we supposed to fight?

"What exactly are we supposed to fight?!"

Thankfully someone shouted the question in a loud, clear voice. The mimic, apparently not expecting to be addressed directly, panicked and flailed about.

The mimic's plump arm opened the box and rummaged inside for a long time, but the Brown Mimic couldn't produce any answer.

...... So there are no set rules?

This was completely different from the stories I'd heard, but one thing was certain.

Only one team gets to enter!

The moment my calculations ended, my body moved first. I shot forward like a bullet, kicked off the ground with all my strength, and soared high into the air.

"Huh? W-why is Ilwol doing that?"

"What is he trying to do?!"

"Ilwol!! You can't be serious?!"

Perfect! I've been annoyed with them since earlier!

Floating in midair, I hurled a barrage of bombs toward the bastards who had been harassing Arin.

Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwang!!