[Hunger: 25/100]
The Goblins were small, green, and smelled like a dumpster fire in a swamp. There were three of them. They dropped from the ceiling vent with practiced ease, their yellow eyes darting around the room.
[Goblin Scavenger - Lvl 2]
[Goblin Scavenger - Lvl 2]
[Goblin Scavenger - Lvl 3]
Unlike humans, who entered the dungeon with dreams of glory, Goblins were just looking for scrap metal and shiny trinkets. They saw the bloodstains on the floor, but they didn't care. To a Goblin, blood was just a sign that someone else had already done the hard work of dying.
"Kaka! Shiny!" one of them hissed, pointing a dirty finger at my base.
I had prepared for this. Using my *Lock Manipulation*, I had carefully spat out two of the gold coins I'd looted from the Rogue. They sat on the stone floor, catching the faint light like two golden eyes.
The Goblins scrambled toward the coins. They didn't even look at me. To them, I was just a heavy, old box too big to carry back to their nest.
"Mine!" the smallest Goblin shrieked, reaching for a coin.
"No, mine!" the Level 3 leader snarled, kicking the smaller one in the ribs.
The three of them devolved into a screaming, biting mess of green limbs right in front of my "mouth." It was pathetic. It was chaotic. It was the perfect opportunity.
I waited until the leader had his back turned, his hands busy choking his subordinate over a piece of gold.
*THWIP!*
My tongue lashed out, wrapping around the leader's waist. Before he could even let out a croak, I yanked him backward.
[SNAP!]
[Enemy Defeated: Goblin Scavenger (Lvl 3)]
[Experience Gained: 45 XP]
The other two Goblins froze. They looked at the spot where their leader had been standing, then they looked at me. My lid was shut, looking as innocent as a church pew.
"Kaka?" the smaller one whimpered.
Goblins are not known for their bravery, but they are known for their spite. They realized the "box" had just eaten their boss. Instead of running, they pulled out jagged bone daggers.
"Big Mouth!" the Goblin screamed, lunging at me.
I didn't play defensive this time. I used *Hop* to meet him halfway.
[Skill Activated: Shield Bash (Passive)]
My heavy iron-banded lid slammed into the Goblin's chest mid-air.
*CRUNCH.*
[Stun Applied!]
The Goblin hit the floor, dazed. I didn't give him a second chance. I rolled my body over him, using my three-hundred-pound weight to crush the air out of his lungs before dragging him inside.
The third Goblin—the one who had been kicked earlier—didn't wait to see the end. He turned and tried to scramble back up the wall toward the vent.
"Oh no, you don't. You're my ticket to Level 5," I thought.
I aimed my internal acid glands.
[Skill Activated: Digestive Acid (Lvl 1)]
*Ptooey!*
The glob of acid hit the Goblin's hand just as he reached the vent. He let out a piercing shriek and fell, tumbling back to the stone floor. I was on him in a heartbeat.
[Devour Complete. Extracting Attributes...]
[LEVEL UP!]
[Lesser Wood Mimic -> Lvl 4]
[Lesser Wood Mimic -> Lvl 5]
[Evolution Requirements Met!]
The taste was foul—bitter, stringy, and smelling of wet dog—tasting nothing like the "clean" Mana of the human adventurers. But as the third Goblin disappeared into my gullet, a massive surge of energy erupted from my core.
My wood began to groan. My iron bands glowed a dull, angry red.
[Milestone Reached: Level 5]
[Calculating Evolution Paths...]
[Please select your new form:]
1. **Rotten Mimic (Common):** *Specialize in poison and stealth. Your wood becomes porous and foul-smelling.*
2. **Iron-Bound Mimic (Uncommon):** *Focus on raw defense and physical power. Your wood is reinforced with heavy metal plating.*
3. **Ghost Chest (Rare):** *Become a spectral trap. You can turn intangible for short bursts, but your physical HP is halved.*
I didn't even have to think about it. If I was going to survive this dungeon, I needed to be a tank. I needed to be the kind of box that broke the swords of those who dared to touch me.
"Give me the metal," I whispered into the void of the system.
[Evolution Selected: Iron-Bound Mimic]
[Transformation Beginning... Warning: This will be painful.]
My hinges began to scream.