Chapter 81: The Old Mimic

【Invitation to the Bloody Training Ground (White)】

【After tearing the card within a Dungeon, the next area will be changed to the 【Bloody Training Ground】】

【This is merely an invitation, not a discount coupon; remember to keep it safe.】

"Thank you."

Yun Mu looked at the card in her hand, offered her thanks, and then tucked the card away into the inner lining of her coat.

She left the Bloody Training Ground with Lucy and Dabai, continuing forward along the path beneath her feet.

Soon, they entered the next area.

"Huh, how come I don't see any monsters?"

Ignoring the healing prompt triggered by High-Speed Regeneration, Yun Mu scanned her surroundings, seeing only an old wooden chest under a withered tree not far away.

"Is this a Treasure Chest?"

She walked up to the chest and reached out to wiggle the old, rusted iron lock on it twice.

There was no need for Lockpicking at all, because the lock itself was broken.

Hiss, something's wrong, very wrong.

Yun Mu frowned.

She retreated two steps to put some distance between herself and the wooden chest, then took down the Bone-Severing Great Blade that had been hanging on her back—the one originally dropped by the Bone-Chopping Priest—and cautiously pried open the lid of the Treasure Chest.

"Snap!"

The wooden chest suddenly moved; the moment the lid was opened, it snapped wide open, revealing two rows of sharp fangs, and then bit down hard onto the blade of the Bone-Severing Great Blade.

"Grass, there really was a catch!"

Feeling the force with which the Bone-Severing Great Blade was being bitten, she couldn't even imagine what would have happened if she had been the one bitten.

And after exposing the enemy's disguise, the game's combat prompt sounded right on cue.

【You have encountered an enemy—【Old Mimic lv13 (Elite)】】

Old Mimic lv13 (Elite)

Race: Mimic

Max HP: 36

Attack 12, Spell Strength 11, Defense 12, Tenacity 5, Dodge 35, Speed 15, Precision Correction 25, Crit 3%

Traits: Sturdy (Defense increased by 150%), Intermediate Magic Resistance (20% damage reduction from Spell Strength), Storage (can hold far more things in its belly than it appears), Blind Sense (Mimics possess a special sensory ability)

Skills: Lick, Whip, Bite, Acid Spit】

【Under the influence of the special event 【Scarlet Mist】, enemy Attack and Spell Strength +5, Crit +12%】

The Mimic's body suddenly retreated, putting distance between it and Yun Mu, and both sides officially entered combat state.

First turn, Yun Mu acts first.

"What kind of broken trait is that, Defense increased by 150%?"

"And Intermediate Magic Resistance too?"

12×（1+1.5）=30

Thirty Defense!?

If I use Mental Shock to attack, the damage is...

【41×（1+0.5）】×0.8-30=19

Oh, I can kill it in two hits, so that's fine.

Yun Mu felt she couldn't live without Mental Shock anymore; it was truly simple, mindless, and effective, and if she was lucky, it would even Stun the enemy.

Of course, all of this was inseparable from the two blue paintings and the high Spell Strength provided by the Scarlet Path.

Well, although I can kill it in two hits, just to be safe, I should still cast the 【Falling】 Black Fog skill first.

Thinking this, Yun Mu summoned Falling behind her and released a large amount of Black Fog to shroud the Old Mimic.

【Immune!】

"Huh?"

Looking at the text popping up above the Mimic's head, Yun Mu was shocked.

This was the first time she had encountered an enemy capable of immunizing against the perception-shielding effect of the Black Fog.

Let me explain here: Precision and Precision Correction represent hit rate; if it doesn't hit, it will display 【Dodge.】

As for Stun and forced displacement, they are affected by the Tenacity in the stat panel, with one point of Tenacity negating 10% of the probability.

The rest are special attributes like Bleeding, Corrosion, and Marking; these only depend on the character's corresponding resistances.

These resistances are hidden attributes and cannot be seen on the panel.

This naturally includes the perception shielding of the Black Fog.

This perception shielding doesn't just block sight through physical effects; it can also block a person's hearing, smell, and even touch.

Even the mental perception gained after becoming a Transcendental is forced to be compressed.

So, she hadn't paid much attention to the Blind Sense in the Mimic's traits at first.

Who would have thought that even the Black Fog's perception shielding couldn't block it!

"Dabai, use Counterattack Guard on Lucy!" Yun Mu immediately ordered.

"Roar!"

Dabai's projection let out a roar and immediately stood in front of Lucy.

【Defense +10】

【Counterattack】

The game's prompt floated above Dabai's head.

The next moment, it was the Treasure Chest monster's turn to act.

Although it had no legs, the Treasure Chest monster could easily control its body to jump forward from the ground.

It was seen quickly jumping in front of Yun Mu, extending a pink tongue from inside the chest, and directly Lick-ing her body.

【Lick】

【Melee/Single-target Damage/Spell Strength】

【Range 3】

【Base Accuracy 100/Damage Modifier -25%/Armor Reduction 40%】

【Self Speed +2】

【Armor Reduction: Reduces defense; the specific value is determined by the number following 【Armor Reduction】.】

【-0】

【-6 Defense】

"Ew, what a disgusting skill." Yun Mu looked disgusted, both visually and in terms of the skill's effect.

Although in turn-based combat, she could feel almost nothing, the thought that she would receive non-turn-based combat memories after the battle ended...

... was definitely not a very good experience.

"Lucy, use the skill Blade Constellation!" When it was Lucy's turn, she decisively issued the command.

【Constellation Magic: Blade Constellation I】

【-1】

【Worn-out Treasure Chest monster: 35/36】

"This damage is way too low," Yun Mu complained.

After resting at the Camping site, the Severe Injury effect on Lucy had been removed, so her current Spell Strength was 18 points.

Eighteen multiplied by the skill and trait modifiers, then subtracting the 20% Neutral magic resistance reduction, and finally subtracting the defense.

Because the Blade Constellation skill came with 5 points of armor penetration, only 25 points of defense needed to be subtracted.

Grass, it really only did one point of damage.

"I still have to do it myself!"

Yun Mu raised her right hand, and a surging Mental Shock struck out instantly.

【-19!】

【Worn-out Treasure Chest monster: 16/36】

The Treasure Chest monster's health bar instantly dropped below half; as long as Yun Mu used Mental Shock one more time, she could kill it.

"Gaba gaba gaba gaba!"

The Treasure Chest monster suddenly became restless, repeatedly opening and closing its lid, and then it actually turned around and ran away!

【【Worn-out Treasure Chest monster lv13 (Elite)】 has fled!】

【Speed check in progress.】

【【Worn-out Treasure Chest monster lv13 (Elite)】 failed to flee!】

"Gaba gaba gaba!"

The Treasure Chest monster moved even more violently, its mouth constantly snapping open and shut, and then it lunged toward Yun Mu.

【Bite!】

【Melee/Single-target Damage/Attack Power】

【Range 2】

【Base Accuracy 105/Damage Modifier +25%/Armor Penetration 5】

【Armor Penetration: Attacks that ignore enemy defense; the specific value is determined by the number following the effect.】

【-16!】

【Yun Mu: 33/49】

PS: Actually, I wanted to write about a Treasure Chest monster before, but I felt it was unreasonable for a Reward Area to have one.

After all, it was supposed to be a Reward Area, so how could it require combat to obtain the reward?

So I moved it into a Suiji Shijian.

(End of chapter)