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

"Wait, wait, wait, please explain to me what happened first, okay?"

"Hmm? That's true... Let's go outside and talk."

Here's what happened: On the day Risa didn't arrive, Ning simply sealed off all the exits with magic and began closed-door development. Thanks to this, the development progress accelerated rapidly (by the way, Kana was suppressed by Ning).

This was a hellish, closed-door development process. The development of the Mecha Dragon had entered its final stage, and the only thing missing for the complete body was the final core connection to the nervous system.

However, because of this, they also hit a bottleneck. You might not believe it, but starting from the third day, Ning had already entered a state of malfunction and turned into the zombie-like state she was just now.

At first, on the first day, only her light blue hair began to darken, and Alice didn't pay much attention. But on the second day, it turned into a deep purple, and on the third day, it turned completely black, turning her into a walking corpse.

Ning, now a walking corpse, is no longer a fighting force and offers no help whatsoever. He is completely unable to work, but he retains the rationality to work. Thus, he transforms into a powerful overseer, exploiting everything that Alice and Kana have.

That's why Kana acted that way just now; maybe Kana really does have a nemesis.

Thanks to her, there was actually some progress, though Ning was no longer the main force but rather a guide. Alice also vaguely sensed that something about her was changing, that she was becoming increasingly lost.

Even now, the three of them are completely immobile, no matter what they do. Ning's words have broken down decisively, just like before. Alice simply pretends to be unconscious, and the focus of the fire naturally shifts to Kana, who is attracting more attention.

Li's sudden burst in was unexpected, but judging from Ning's state, she probably wouldn't break the barrier and magic on the door, so it was a good deed.

It's truly remarkable that Alice can maintain her sanity under such high pressure; she's now dragging Kana's "corpse" to clean herself.

Now, only Li and Ning are left in the studio.

"........."

Now that only the two of them were left, Li felt inexplicably awkward, anxious, and hot all over. She couldn't easily move Ning or look her in the eye.

"Aaaaaah! I can't take it anymore!" Rin exclaimed, grabbing her hair in despair. "Let's clean this up first, 'Power Liberation'."

Because I couldn't concentrate, I started doing other things to distract myself.

The power of the Time-Space Dragon King was unleashed, and the Dragon King's emblem appeared in the form of light behind him. Time and space were brought under the control of reason, but she still did not have a real sense of this power.

You see, in her original world, she hadn't even finished high school. Let alone understand concepts like spacetime, which is why she had never come into contact with this field.

Is it like this...? Layfa...

time.

By sorting through Raelfa's memories, Raelfa's power to control time was restored, but this only allowed time to speed up, slow down, or even stop.

space.

Drawing on her experience in this world, Li began to explore this space, using her powers cautiously to avoid any major mistakes...

"This... was used incorrectly..."

"~ ...

A strand of light blue hair brushed against her face and, under the influence of gravity, landed on Li's shoulder. The person who draped this strand of hair over her shoulder was its owner, Ning.

Ning had somehow climbed onto the back of the wheelchair and rested her head on Li's shoulder. Her breath was faint but strangely clear. Although she was uncomfortable, Li couldn't ask her to leave.

"If this is the case..."

Ning's soft whisper, tinged with a seductive breath, brushed against Li's ear, causing Li's ears to flush instantly with embarrassment. Ning seized the opportunity to grab Li's hand, and in this state, Li could only submit to her will. Li could sense Ning's triumphant smile behind her.

"Use actions... or words to reinforce the subconscious imagery, so that the power can be stably activated..."

Ning explained it to Li carefully, as if she were speaking seriously, yet it seemed as if she wasn't speaking at all, creating a vague and elusive feeling that penetrated the depths of his heart and mind.

By separating the key components and the main body of the machine dragon, and directly using his powers to rewind the timeline of this workshop to a few days ago, at least it wouldn't look too dirty and messy.

But... wouldn't it be pointless for me to do that?

I originally did this to calm my chaotic mind, but Ning's antics only made things more chaotic. The worst part is that she shows no sign of leaving.

"Um~?"

"What's wrong……"

"It's so heavy..."

"...Let me rest for a while..."

"...Waaah...okay...how are you feeling now..."

"I'm so tired... I don't want to move at all, I can't squeeze anything out... Let me recharge for a bit..."

"I'm not a power bank, am I...? Okay, you win... I have something to say to you."

"...Wait a moment."

"Then let's wait a bit..."

My mind is a mess, and I don't understand what kind of feeling this is, but I feel like I have to say something.

Chapter 51 Take a nap

Under Ning's guidance, there were no problems with the use of the powers, the dragon remained as it was, and no problems were found in the details, so it can be considered a successful attempt.

Regarding the power over time and space, how could an ordinary girl possibly know how to use it? Because the concept is too vague, Li Cai dares not use this power.

In addition, some novels about time on Earth influenced her, which has led her to still fear this power from Rielfa.

He usually only uses spatial abilities, partly because of his unease about that power. The hand Ning held was filled with strength, and Li felt confident he could do it.

After an unknown amount of time, Ning's breathing gradually stabilized. Just as Li was pondering how to begin, Alice returned, drying her hair.

Alice, who had just returned, noticed the two's intimate behavior and smiled awkwardly.

"Um...excuse me?" She slowly retreated.

"Ning, wake up, Alice is back." Li shook Ning helplessly. "I have something to tell her."

"Tch... I know." Ning clicked her tongue, seemingly unhappy, and then obediently left Li's side.

"Oh, you two can continue, don't worry about me," Alice teased the two of them. "I won't let anyone else near here."

Alice carefully placed the towel she was using to dry her hair, took a slight surprise at the restored studio, and then, regaining her composure, prepared to return to her development work. But Reason stopped her.

"Compared to my situation, shouldn't you all take a break?" Rin said. "Anyway, the development progress has stalled, right? The development progress in the workshop has almost come to a standstill, including yours. You must be exhausted from working such high intensity for so long."

“That’s true…” Alice frowned, “but isn’t this the most crucial moment? We don’t have much time left, and if we keep dragging this out…”

"That's why you need to rest now!" Li retorted forcefully. "You don't have any clue either, do you? You've been trying and trying, and you feel like you can't squeeze anything out anymore, right? Everyone in the workshop feels the same way, right? So the most important thing right now is your health. It would be a loss if you collapsed from exhaustion. It's also important to balance work and rest."

“laoyijiehe?” Alice didn’t understand the last sentence, but she obediently gave in, “Ah… then I won’t do it anymore, I’m really exhausted.”

Alice was surprisingly decisive; she dropped her tools, found a place to sit down, and collapsed without any regard for appearances.

"So straightforward..." Li muttered helplessly.

“Don’t say that… I’m exhausted too. I accidentally got completely absorbed in the role of the princess.” Alice twirled a strand of hair around her finger. “This matter is indeed very important, but as a craftswoman, I’ve gone too far… My master will probably scold me…”

"Hmm...probably not." Li pushed the wheel closer to her. "Want to go out together tonight? Someone caught a huge Gastly pigeon and is going to roast it and share it with everyone. It's going to be quite a lively affair."

"Huh? A Geese pigeon? Roasted?" Alice asked with interest. "Hmm, how big is it?"

"About this big?" Li described, spreading her arms wide. "It's the kind of size that would take three people to hug."

“Well, we really should go and see…” Alice sat up. “I’ll go tell my men to take a rest and go out for a walk tonight.”

Having put all other things out of her mind, Alice just wanted to rest. The past few days of work had pushed her to her limit, which was why she gave up so decisively.

Having assumed the identity of the former princess, she was driven by a sense of responsibility to persevere for so long, and looking back, she realized that she was no longer a princess.

So, I calmed down.

She knew her limits very well, so she decided to stop here for the time being and take a break.

“Let’s go together,” Li suggested. “You’ve all been working these past few days, haven’t you? Savi and the others are back, I’ll tell you about the situation outside… Ning, won’t you come along?”

"Coming right now, you stupid box," Ning said somewhat perfunctorily.

"...So don't call me by that nickname."

Li couldn't figure out why Ning suddenly got angry again. Even if he asked, he probably wouldn't get an answer. This person was still the same as always, a really hard person to understand.

As for Kana, she's already been dragged to the rest room; she looks exhausted too, so there's no way to take her with us. What exactly did Ning do to make Kana so exhausted? She certainly hadn't seen that during the dungeon.

Let's skip over that for now.

After gathering the members in the workshop lobby, Alice announced a holiday, ending the past few days of overtime development, and explained the reasons.

Then, it was time to explain the external situation and make predictions about the future. Now all parties have begun to take action, and Sanko Workshop has done everything they could to get here. They can be proud of what they have done.

San Gu's Workshop - Currently on holiday.

…………

After resolving the matter at the Sanko Workshop, Rie took Ning to find Finoir. Ning pushed the wheelchair as Rie talked about Finoir.

Li originally thought she wouldn't care much about this kind of thing, but she listened very attentively and even asked questions, even though she had never cared much about other people's affairs.

After leaving the workshop and going outside, they saw Finoer, who was alone, approaching them. She looked very excited.

"Sister," Li called out to Finoer, who was approaching.

"Everyone, please take that thing called 'air conditioner' to the neighborhood committee," Finoer said as she approached. "It's such a convenient thing; it can even absorb magic energy from the air and then blow out a suitable breeze. Hmm? And who is this?"

Finoer saw Ning pushing a wheelchair and was somewhat puzzled because she had never seen him before. She scrutinized Ning with a wide-eyed look, but Ning stepped forward confidently.

“Hello, Frost Dragon King Finoir.” Ning bowed politely and then introduced herself, “I am a member of the Li family, a member of the Yi family. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

"Hmph~" Finoer snorted lightly, "Hello, you clever little kid."

"...!"

Seemingly provoked, Ning shuddered, and her expression showed signs of breaking down. A strong sense of tension filled the air between the two.

Huh? What's going on?

Li was caught in the middle, at a loss. The two exchanged friendly smiles, but those smiles were truly toxic; why couldn't she feel any genuine joy in them at all?

“Oh, right, sis,” Li deliberately interjected, “it’s been so long already, we should go back now, we can’t keep everyone waiting too long.”

"That's true... Let's go back quickly then."

"Okay, let me open the door."

Having successfully shifted the topic, the tension dissipated, and Finoer's attention turned to her promise to the residents. Had she already developed feelings for Akihabara in such a short time...?

Rin skillfully activated the temporary teleportation device, which connected to the Akihabara Neighborhood Committee. She first sent Finoer over to gather the committee staff, as she and Ning still had some things to discuss…

Chapter 52 I Like It Here

"Ning...? What's wrong?" Li turned to look at Ning. "What happened just now?"

"It's nothing." Ning gripped her arm and turned her head away.

"...Are you bothered by what my sister just said?" Li asked tentatively.

The reason for the atmosphere just now was probably due to something Finoir said. Ning didn't answer, which was taken as a yes.

"Well, how should I put it..." Li scratched her face, carefully choosing her words, "Actually, I think... it's fine for you to stay like this. Sister, you're going a bit too far..."

“No…” Ning said with a wry smile, “She’s right, I do like to play tricks.”

The moment Ning met Finoer's eyes, she felt as if Finoer had seen right through her. Every inch of her being was clearly visible, leaving her nowhere to hide.

She had originally intended to make a good impression on Finoer, but her actions were completely seen through by Finoer, and Ning looked away because she felt guilty... This was a fatal flaw.

Because of this, Ning seems to have left a very bad impression on this earnest older sister. This is troublesome... if she doesn't try to improve their relationship...

"A child who loves to play clever tricks..." Ning couldn't help but smile wryly.

For a being of Phineas's caliber, coupled with the lifespan of a Dragon King, many people are probably just children in her eyes. Her life experience is unimaginably vast; she simply doesn't frequently interact with human society.

“…I don’t know how to tell you this,” Li tried hard to tell her her thoughts, “No matter what you say, I still want to be with you.”

“~! Cough cough, um, um, don’t worry,” Ning coughed shyly twice, “I won’t leave you over something so trivial.”

The sudden, direct attack caught Ning off guard. She tried to hide her hesitation and pushed Ri into the Magic Circle, arriving inside the Akihabara Residents' Committee building. After the two of them passed through, the Magic Circle closed automatically.

"Speaking of which," Ning asked, "how's your injury?"

"I'm almost healed." Rin looked at her leg. "This other world is so convenient, with breathing and health regeneration... Besides, if I don't get better soon, I'll be a burden to you guys."

Since defeating the kingdom's army, Li was seriously injured and has not been able to move freely until now. However, thanks to the Dragon King's constitution, he has recovered in a short time.

They don't have much time left. In a little while, the kingdom will launch its attack. If they can't recover by then, they probably won't be considered a fighting force anymore.

Moreover, the development of magical technologies such as the Mecha Dragon has now reached a bottleneck, and given the current lack of combat power, we cannot afford to further reduce it.

According to Xuanze, there is no need to worry about the demons at all, because the demon territory is filled with all sorts of threats, as well as various harsh environments and other things that reduce combat capabilities.