Girl in the Box: Please tell me why I was reincarnated as a mimic monster!

Page 175

Using her incantation, she repelled the two madmen. She struggled to get out of bed, wrapped the blanket around herself, and warily watched the two like an injured kitten. The power of the Time-Space Dragon King was activated unintentionally, and a colorless barrier separated the bed from the room.

Chaoyang and Chaoyin were thrown back by Li's sudden counterattack, and their original interest was also ruined. Now the two of them were quite angry, and the black shield and white gun suddenly appeared in their hands.

"He still needs some discipline." Chao Yin pointed the spear tip at Li. "Is it because the erotic tattoo and collar didn't work?"

"Tsk, who knows. What a stubborn bitch, enough is enough for us." Chaoyang raised his shield and charged in without hesitation.

Given the current state of affairs, this barrier would undoubtedly be shattered, and she would then suffer even more brutal or inhuman treatment than before. However, she was surprisingly calm and fearless; she felt she could withstand it.

Listen, you stupid box, concentrate your magic on one point to maximize the localized effect of your magic.

That familiar voice echoed in her mind. This voice gave her strength, and she exerted force on her hands, stretching them out as if to support the barrier and inject power into it.

Boom——!

"What?!" Chaoyang looked surprised.

It didn't shatter, not even a crack, not even the slightest ripple. The barrier's sturdiness far exceeded their expectations. Why? They had rendered her powerless, so how could she still unleash such strength?

"Brother! Let's do it together!"

"it is good!"

The brother and sister worked together to challenge the barrier, but to no avail. Even when they tried to get closer, the barrier would forcefully push them back.

How could they be so helpless against a prisoner despite having an overwhelming advantage? Where would they put their pride as "Gods of Punishment"?

“Brother…” Chaoyin sought Chaoyang’s opinion.

"Tch..." Chaoyang clicked his tongue, "Let's just leave her like this, I don't believe she can last another night tormented by the collar and the erotic markings! Let's go!"

Thank goodness, the two left just like that. Li maintained that posture for ten minutes until she was sure they wouldn't come back before she lowered her hand. The barrier didn't dissipate because of her crucial action, just like the person who was silently protecting her.

"...!"

Once they were temporarily safe, Li couldn't hold back her tears and her mental defenses finally crumbled.

She untied the blanket and frantically wiped the parts of her body that they had touched with it, even when the skin was broken and bleeding, she kept wiping as if she wanted to wipe away all the marks they had left on her body.

But the wounds they leave on the heart are incurable by such behavior.

No matter what she did, she couldn't calm down. In despair, she hugged her knees and huddled in the corner of the bed, crying loudly to vent her emotions.

Zhou Dong, Xiao... Lei Erfa, Nao...

She thought of those people, her family who had been there for her during those initial times...

Ning... please save me...

Chapter 39 Approaching

"Hey, Peter, that's not how you go, is it? You should go this way, this way, and then this way..."

"Shut up, uncle."

"Yeah, Zanoba, you're so annoying."

In the recreation room, Peter Pan, the "Seven Stars," is playing chess with Queen Ilan; this is one of the recreational props provided in the recreation room.

Serik called it "chess," then taught the rules to the Punishers and actually played it with them. Among those who were very interested in it were Elan, Peter Pan, and Zanoba.

"General."

Eileen confidently laid down her queen, and just as she had said, Peter Pan's king was checkmated by Eileen's queen. Peter Pan desperately searched for a weakness, but could not find one, so he raised his hands.

"I surrender," Peter Pan said with a wry smile. "You're too strong."

"Hmph, huh~ right?" Ailan laughed smugly, "How can small fry like you protect the king?"

This person probably projected reality into the battle on the chessboard; there are indeed some similarities, but they are by no means comparable, and...

“I say, Peter,” Zanoba suddenly reached out and rearranged the chessboard, “you see, you could actually win. If we go back five moves, you could do this, then this, and this… and checkmate Elan.”

“Oh…” Peter said with a sudden realization, “So that’s how it is…”

“And then there’s Ailan.” Zanoba turned his attention to Ailan again.

"W-What are you doing, you stinky old man!" Ailan felt a sense of oppression for no apparent reason.

“I admit, you played very well,” Zanobá said sternly. “But why didn’t the king make a single move?”

"What does it matter!" Ailan retorted angrily. "Isn't it the duty of subordinates to protect the king?! Why is the king running away everywhere?! I'm all you need! I will dismantle all malice towards the king!"

“That’s why I think children are such a hassle…” Zanoba scratched his head in exasperation. “Let me put it this way: there will come a day when we can no longer protect the king. When that day comes, what will you do to protect your king?”

"Then I'll go back right away..."

“I mean—we’ve all died in battle, what are we going to do?” Zanoba asked without a trace of emotion.

"I……"

Unable to speak, Ailan was well aware of the situation, but she didn't want to answer. Since she was mixing reality and chess, Zanoba would do the same, guiding her to improve.

“But that won’t happen, will it?” Peter Pan said, trying to smooth things over. “We can’t lose, and we can’t afford to lose.”

This was a consensus among them, the punishers of God, and thanks to him, the atmosphere eased considerably. Enraged, Ailan grabbed the chessboard and slapped it across Zanoba's face before storming off.

"Ouch...that really hurts!"

The chessboard slid off his face, leaving a few chess pieces stuck to it. Zanaba removed the pieces, leaving marks on his face. He sat down in the spot where Ailan had been and enthusiastically began setting up the chess pieces.

“You’ve angered her,” Peter Pan said, watching Irene’s retreating figure. “That’s too much, my friend.”

"Hmph, she's just a kid, she won't hold grudges. Besides, what kind of game is this?" Zanaba insisted he was right. "Come on, Peter, let's play a couple of rounds. What can you possibly play against a little girl like that?"

“No,” Peter Pan stood up. “Find someone else. I’ve been down for too long, and my back is hurting now. By the way, you really do seem like an old man, so enthusiastic about this.”

"I'm too lazy to correct you anymore."

Zanaba readily accepted the identity of the older man. Because of Ailan, this impression seemed to have spread throughout the entire army. So what if he looks a bit older and is a bit more mature in mind? He was really wronged.

"That's all, I'm leaving now."

"Oh……"

Peter Pan waved goodbye to Zanoba, and as he watched Peter Pan leave, Zanoba felt a pang of sadness. He then looked wistfully at the chessboard already set up. What should he do? Playing chess alone wasn't fun…

"If you don't mind, how about I be your opponent?"

"Ok?"

At that moment, Zanoba raised his head and saw a black-haired youth approaching.

The young man had been staring at them since the beginning, and they looked at him with some suspicion, wondering what he was up to.

“It’s like this,” the young man explained, “I’ve been watching you ‘Punishers’ play chess. This is called ‘Chess,’ right? I’m also very interested in it.”

"Wow..." Zanaba became interested. "Kid? You think you've learned it after just watching a few games? Want to try? Chess isn't something that's easy to understand..."

He didn't dislike bold people, but he hated superficial people. He felt that this person, who thought he had learned chess after watching a few games, was underestimating the game.

He released his aura, wanting to test whether this person would just desert at the last minute.

"Yes." The young man nodded.

The young man didn't leave. Instead, he accepted Zanoba's "challenge," which startled Zanoba for a moment before he burst into deafening laughter. The laughter startled the guards stationed there, but the young man remained calm, as if he had weathered many storms.

“Good, you’ve got guts. Come, sit over there.” Zanoba happily invited him to sit down. “I’m really surprised. An ordinary soldier would definitely not dare to talk to us ‘Punishers’. You’re pretty reckless, kid.”

"You flatter me," the young man said modestly. "I just saw that you were troubled, so I wanted to help you."

"Haha, not bad." Zanaba seemed quite pleased. "Let's begin then... Kid, do you know how to play?"

"I wouldn't dare say I know all of them," the young man smiled, "but I've memorized the basic rules."

"Hmph~" Zanaba snorted lightly, "In that case, I'll let you go first. What's your name?"

"Mo Yueya," the young man said, revealing his name.

As he uttered his name, Mo Yueya moved his troops without hesitation, his eyes gleaming with fighting spirit and confidence.

Zanoba could see the boundless fighting spirit and unwavering confidence in his eyes. This man was definitely being modest with Zanoba just now; he must have already learned everything.

"Kid, your name is Moon Crow, right?"

Zanoba was unknowingly drawn into Mo Yueya's rhythm. Although the two were not actually fighting, the soldiers standing guard nearby had the illusion that the two were drawing their swords and slashing at each other.

"Come and fight!"

"Please enlighten me."

Chapter 40 Successful Integration

The pieces kept falling onto the board. In the fierce battle, both sides applied more and more force to the pieces, and even made sounds, with the pieces being shaken up by the falling pieces.

The battle remained deadlocked, but it was clear that something was missing to end it; both sides were searching for that opening. Finally—

"General——"

The black chess piece held by Mo Yueya checkmated the king of Zanoba.

"Oh, it's over! That was amazing!" "Brilliant, brilliant!" "So that was one of those tricks!"

Unbeknownst to them, the soldiers holding the fort gathered around curiously, watching the unusual battle between the two. They had watched Alan and Peter Pan play quite a bit before and were also somewhat interested in chess.

Watching the two players so engrossed in their game, the others couldn't contain their curiosity and tried to get closer to see more clearly. But somehow, when they came to their senses, they were already gathered around the chessboard watching.

Since Zanoba didn't say anything, they simply became bolder and started watching.

Zanobba looked at his checkmated king, pondering as he searched for a breakthrough on the chessboard. He might spend a lot of time, but Mo Yueya was patiently waiting for him.

"Damn it!" Zanoba yelled in frustration. "You planned this all along, didn't you? Although it seems like there's still a way to break through, if I take one more step, I'll be checkmated."

"You flatter me." Mo Yueya smiled modestly. "I just counted more steps."

"Hey, I surrender this round." Zanoba readily conceded defeat, then rearranged the table. "Let me tell you, don't think you can run away after winning. Let's play one more round, and I'm definitely going to beat you. Don't hold back."

“I’m happy to play as many games as you like.” Mo Yueya resumed his chess-playing mode. “You’ll go first this time.”

"Come on, come on! Let's see if you can defend against my attack!"

They started the second round with great fighting spirit, and the few onlookers watched with great interest, also starting to feel itchy to try it out.

Mo Yueya had to admit that Zanaba was a formidable opponent, and he had to go all out to win. In fact, the last round was quite risky; if Zanaba had discovered the weakness eight steps earlier, Mo Yueya would have been the one checkmated.

He enjoyed playing against Zanoba, but he didn't forget why he played against him in the first place. It was a strategy to get closer to the "Punisher," and among the eleven "Punishers," Zanoba was the easiest to approach.

Just like those around him described him, a forthright and shrewd middle-aged man, a highly skilled warrior and commander on the battlefield. However, Mo Yueya wondered if targeting this person might expose him.

Perhaps the other "Punishers" appear incredibly ferocious, cold-blooded, and bloodthirsty, but none of them are as unfathomable as this uncle before him. Is he too simple? Or is he extremely cunning? Mo Yueya couldn't say.

"What's wrong? It's your turn." Zanoba stared at the dazed Mo Yueya. "This has only just begun, there's not much to think about yet, is there?"

"Sorry, I'm a little tired." Mo Yueya moved a chess piece. "But that won't stop us from continuing."

"That's more like it, Moon Raven!"

Zanoba moved his chess piece with satisfaction, seemingly unchanged from before, but the look in his eyes earlier sent a chill down Mo Yueya's spine. After that, nothing particularly noteworthy happened.

Zanobba and Mo Yueya played chess for an entire afternoon, playing four games non-stop. Including the previous game, Mo Yueya won three games and Zanobba won two.

"Ha! That felt so good!" Zanaba relaxed completely and lay back on the sofa. "You're pretty good, kid. You can actually hold your own against me."

"Hahaha... We're still far from it." Mo Yueya lay exhausted on the sofa.

The two of them had been battling it out in chess, and now both were exhausted and unable to play another game. But, thankfully…

Mo Yueya's lips curled up slightly.

He seemed to have developed these emotions without even realizing it. He now felt genuinely exhilarated, the kind of satisfaction one gets after doing something wholeheartedly and with all their might.

Zanobá was very strong, and the two exchanged blows repeatedly, drawing gasps of amazement from the onlookers. The exciting chess battle was so captivating that time seemed to stand still. Only when they came to their senses did they realize it was already evening, and they reluctantly ended their thrilling match.

“Playing chess with you is such a pleasure,” Zanoba praised him without reservation. “I never thought there would be such a strong opponent. There are always people better than you, and there is always something beyond your understanding.”

"Don't say that, I almost lost that round just now," Mo Yueya said with a wry smile.

“Yeah, if I had noticed earlier, I would have won.” Zanaba patted his shoulder. “I really want to introduce you to the King. The King would definitely be happy to play another game with you.”

“That is truly daunting.” Mo Yueya waved his hand. “I really dare not play chess with the ruler of a country.”

"Hey, what are you afraid of?" Zanoba chuckled. "The king likes smart people like you. But it's getting late, I should go back too. Listen up, tomorrow at the same time, come here again, and don't try to run away after you win."

The last sentence was emphasized, and Zanob's expression turned fierce, sounding more like a threat than an agreement.

“But I’m just a handyman.” Mo Yueya shrugged.

"Hmm... I'll make it clear to the manager beforehand. You'll still come here tomorrow, understand?" Zanoba made the decision for him without any room for argument. "That's settled then. I'll be going now. You can all go back and rest."