The Mage didn't move. He didn't reach for his lockpicks. He stood a comfortable ten feet away, his sapphire robes shimmering as he began a low, rhythmic chant.
[Warning: High Mana Concentration Detected.]
"Analyze," the Mage muttered. A pulse of blue light hit my lid.
[Skill Detected: Detect Trap (Intermediate)]
[Result: FAIL. Your 'Deceptive Stillness' is too high for a Level 7 Mage.]
"Interesting," the Mage whispered, his eyes narrowing. "The spell says you're an inanimate object. But my gut says you're a tomb."
He didn't take the bait. He was a 'Professional.' On Royal Road, these were the guys who usually lived until the end of the book. I had to change that.
The Mage raised his staff. A ball of swirling orange flame materialized at the tip.
"If you're a chest, you'll survive a little heat. If you're a Mimic... well, I've always wanted a pile of ash for a trophy."
[Skill Activated: Firebolt (Rank 1)]
*WHOOSH!*
The fireball slammed into my front panel.
[HP: 135/150]
[Status Applied: Minor Burn ( -1 HP/sec )]
It hurt. It felt like someone had pressed a branding iron against my soul. My black obsidian wood began to hiss, and the smell of charred lacquer filled the room. If I stayed still, he'd just kiting me from across the room until I was nothing but charcoal.
I couldn't *Hop* fast enough to catch him. He was a Mage; he probably had a teleport or a blink spell ready. I needed a ranged attack.
I looked into my internal inventory. I had three gold coins and a pile of iron scraps from the Warrior's armor.
"If I can't reach him," I thought, "I'll make my loot reach him."
I focused on my *Lock Manipulation* and my *Tongue Lash*. I didn't whip the tongue out; I coiled it inside like a high-tension spring, placing a gold coin right at the tip. I used my internal pressure to build up a "launch" force.
[New Skill Improvisation: Coin Shot (Experimental)]
The Mage was already preparing a second Firebolt, his face twisted in a smug grin. "Still not moving? Fine. Die, you wooden—"
*K-CHINK!*
I cracked my lid open just a hair.
*FWOOSH!*
The gold coin blurred through the air. It wasn't a neat, aerodynamic projectile; it was a spinning, whistling disc of heavy metal.
The Mage's eyes widened. He tried to tilt his head, but he was mid-chant.
*THWACK.*
The coin didn't go through his head, but it slammed into his throat with the force of a hammer. The Mage's chant turned into a wet, gurgling sound. He dropped his staff, clutching his neck as he stumbled back.
[Critical Hit! Silence status applied to target.]
"My turn," I thought.
[Skill Activated: Heavy Slam]
I launched myself. With my new *Iron-Bound* weight, I wasn't just hopping; I was a three-hundred-pound cannonball.
I landed right on his chest.
*CRUNCH.*
The sound of his ribs snapping was even better than the Warrior's armor. He tried to scream, but with a crushed windpipe and a chest full of Mimic, he couldn't even manage a whimper.
[Lid Snap: Activated.]
I didn't just bite him. I engulfed him.
[Enemy Defeated: Human Mage (Lvl 7)]
[Experience Gained: 450 XP]
[LEVEL UP!]
[Iron-Bound Mimic -> Lvl 6]
[Devour Complete. Extracting Attributes...]
[Loot Acquired:]
[- Mage's Staff (Rare): Absorbed for Mana Core.]
[- Sapphire Robes: Stored.]
[- Skill Unlocked: Mana Sense (Passive) - You can now see the 'flow' of magic.]
[- Skill Unlocked: Fire Resistance (Minor) - 10% reduction in fire damage.]
I sat there, smoldering slightly, feeling the cool, refreshing taste of "Mage Mana" washing away the pain of the burn. The staff was particularly delicious—it tasted like ozone and expensive wine.
[Hunger: 65/100]
I was getting stronger. I was getting smarter. But as I looked at the charred mark on my front, I realized something.
Humans would eventually stop coming one by one. They were social creatures. They were "Adventurers." And sooner or later, they'd bring the whole guild.
I needed to prepare my room for a party.