The Rich Cultivator-Chapter 325. Mimic

The Abyss devours worlds. It is a boundless, insatiable force that consumes entire civilizations, leaving only remnants of what once was. In certain depths, one might stumble upon the echoes of lost worlds, where ancient ruins cling stubbornly to existence, slowly corroding away in the Abyss’s gluttonous embrace.

Mana soared through the air, her emerald eyes scanning the decayed structures beneath her. The remnants of an old civilization lay sprawled across the abyssal floor, their once-grand architecture now mere skeletons of stone and steel. Time had not been kind, nor had the Abyss, which seemed to relish the slow decay of its feast.

Below her, a shimmering protective array hummed faintly, shielding a small group from the corrosive influence of the Abyss.

"Which direction are we going?" Mathilda asked, arms crossed as she glanced at their leader.

Tyler reclined in his chair within the array’s safety, lazily sipping a cool, citrusy juice. "I randomly picked a direction from the compass. Let’s bet on luck. Once Mana returns, we can move forward."

A distant roar shattered the eerie stillness.

The ground trembled as a massive Abyss creature—a bear-like monstrosity with jagged, obsidian fur and molten cracks running along its hide—raged in the distance. The beast let out another agonized howl, swiping its colossal claws at the five Grandmaster-level cultivators battling it.

Mathilda turned, observing the skirmish with mild interest. "Still fighting that thing, huh?"

The Grandmasters, having regained their Aura and Mana after entering this region, resumed their duties as bodyguards. Their swift, calculated movements contrasted with the raw fury of the beast.

Tyler remained unbothered. "They’ll handle it."

Then, a voice echoed in his mind.

"Tyler... Come and look at this..."

It was Mana’s voice.

Tyler set his drink down and stood. "I’ll go check on Mana."

The Grandmasters, sensing the battle nearing its end, redoubled their efforts. With a series of coordinated strikes, they brought the massive Abyss beast to its knees. One of them sealed the dying creature in a storage artifact before following Tyler.

They traversed through the ruins of an abandoned kingdom, past crumbling archways and shattered statues of long-forgotten deities. The air was thick with the scent of dust and decay.

Soon, they reached Mana.

She stood in the middle of an open courtyard, pointing excitedly at something before her.

"Look, look! A treasure!"

Tyler’s gaze followed her outstretched hand—to an old treasure chest sitting amidst the ruins.

At first glance, it seemed ordinary—weathered wood reinforced with golden bands. A faint, ancient energy emanated from it, hinting at valuable relics possibly hidden within.

Mathilda arched an eyebrow. "A real treasure chest in the Abyss?"

Tyler narrowed his eyes. Something felt off.

The Grandmasters instinctively reached for their weapons, sensing danger.

But before anyone could stop her—

The chest’s lid snapped open.

A cavernous maw filled with razor-sharp teeth was revealed.

In an instant, a grotesque, slimy tongue lashed out, wrapping around Mana’s waist and yanking her inside.

"AAAAAHHHH!"

CHOMP!

The mimic devoured her, leaving only her butt and kicking legs sticking out.

For a few seconds, no one moved.

"...Interesting view," Mathilda muttered, tilting her head. Her eyes were on Mana’s butt.

"If only I have a D and pound her from behi-"

"Cough... You are leaking your thoughts." Tyler reminded her.

One of the Grandmasters exhaled. "A mimic..."

Astrid’s eyes widened. "Like in those old adventurer tales? Mimic are real?"

Inside the mimic’s gaping mouth, Mana struggled against its slick, muscular tongue. "YUCK! IT’S LICKING ALL OVER! THIS IS DISGUSTING!"

Mathilda smirked. "Licking all over, you say?" Her eyes gleamed with dangerous amusement.

Tyler shot her a glare. "Stop being a pervert!"

He then gestured toward the Grandmasters. "One of you, get her out."

One of the Grandmasters, a seasoned warrior with a steely gaze, stepped forward, his aura flaring as he approached.

The mimic twitched.

And then—

CHOMP!

The creature clamped shut, pulling Mana completely inside.

"MANA!" Astrid shouted.

Before anyone could react, the mimic shuddered violently—then spat her out.

Mana hit the ground covered in thick, slimy saliva. She coughed and groaned, struggling to wipe the goo from her face.

"Ugh... Mana hate this thing..."

But before anyone could respond—

The mimic convulsed again.

And then—

It spat out another Mana.

The second Mana landed beside the first, equally drenched in mimic slime.

Silence.

The entire group froze, their eyes darting between the two identical Manas.

"...What?"

One Mana sat up, shaking off the goo. "Okay, Mana really hate this thing."

The other Mana mirrored her movements. "Seriously! That was the worst thing Mana’ve ever experienced."

A collective sense of unease settled over the group.

Mathilda took a cautious step forward. "So... Which one of you is the real Mana?"

Both Manas turned to each other, their eyes widening.

"WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?!" they shouted in perfect synchronization.

"MANA IS MANA. WHO ARE YOU?"

The group tensed, hands hovering over their weapons.

Tyler’s mind raced. "A mimic that doesn’t just devour people, but... duplicates them? It’s seems similar to something."

One of the Grandmasters muttered, "This isn’t a normal mimic. It’s something far more dangerous."

Astrid hesitated. "Could it be an illusion?"

One Mana huffed. "Not another Village of Vale please."

Mathilda’s lips curled into a delighted grin. "Ooooh, I love this! Two Manas! Twice the fun!"

Tyler sighed. "Alright. We need a way to tell them apart."

He looked at the first Mana. "What’s your favorite drink?"

Both Mana blushed.

Damn.

Tyler already know the answer because the answer is perverted one.

"Oh.. I know it’s Tyler’s Yogurt." Mathilda said which made Astrid blush.

Then Mathilda smirked. "Alright, let’s try this... Mana, tell me the most embarrassing thing you’ve done."

One Mana crossed her arms. "Not happening."

The other Mana turned scarlet. "For research purposes Mana and Tyler had sex in different age form!"

Silence.

Tyler slowly turned toward her, his expression unreadable. "...What?"

The first Mana immediately pointed at the blushing one. "FAKE! The real Mana would NEVER admit that!"

Mathilda turned red with anger. "Disgusting! How could you do something like that... without me?!"

Tyler groaned, rubbing his temples. "Shut up, pervert." Then, turning to the remaining Mana, he continued, "She’s right, though. The real Mana would never admit something like that." His expression grew firm. "Besides, she’s my ghost spirit—our connection is still there."

Mathilda smirked. "Oh... So you were just watching the show?"

The second Mana flinched, her expression shifting to one of disbelief. A sad, knowing smile formed on her lips. "So... This Mana is fake one, huh?"

As soon as she uttered those words, her form shimmered.

Then, she vanished.

A faint golden wisp drifted into the air before fading into nothingness.

For some reason it reminded them of Village of Vale. Even Mathilda who was cheerful felt little sad.

Silence.

A strange heaviness lingered in the air, as if something significant had just been lost.

"For some reason... I feel guilty," Tyler muttered, breaking the stillness.

"Me too..." Astrid nodded.

"Me three .. it’s a pity we didn’t bang he- ouch..." Mathilda was about to say something but her legs got stomped by Astrid.

"You are not the cute Catherine from before." Mathilda said with a betrayed tone.

"Huh...?" Mana suddenly clutched her head.

Tyler frowned, stepping forward. "Are you okay?"

Mana blinked rapidly, her eyes shining with an unusual light. "M- Mana got her memories." She looked up, realization dawning on her face. "She was Mana’s clone. When she disappeared, her memories merged with Mana."

Tyler’s eyes gleamed with interest. "A mimic that creates clones instead of just eating its prey...?" He turned toward the mimic, curiosity brimming in his gaze.

The mimic, as if understanding the danger, suddenly sprouted two stubby legs beneath its chest-like body. It took two awkward steps backward, trying to escape.

"Oh no, you don’t." Tyler smirked turned towards the Grandmasters "We’re taking this thing with us."

One of the Grandmasters, who had been observing quietly, nodded. "Alright... after Miss Mathilda finishes playing with it."

Tyler’s brows furrowed. "Playing?" He turned to look at Mathilda, only to be met with a bizarre sight.

His face went blank.

"What... are you doing?" Tyler asked, his tone utterly neutral.

Mathilda, who had somehow managed to stick herself halfway into the mimic, looked up nonchalantly. Unlike Mana, whose upper half had been inside the creature, Mathilda’s lower half was now inside, while her torso remained outside.

"Just... testing," she replied with a completely serious expression.

Tyler crossed his arms. "Alright... Then explain to me why you’re in that position?"

Mathilda’s expression remained neutral, though a faint blush dusted her cheeks. "Testing the tongue."

Silence.

Astrid’s mouth hung open in horror. "W-Wait, WHAT?!"

The Grandmasters already left the place and distanced themselves. They also made sure not to eavesdrop the conversation even accidentally.

Tyler sighed deeply, closing his eyes for a brief moment. Then, without another word, he stepped forward and placed his hands on Mathilda’s face.

Mathilda blinked. "Uh... Tyler?"

Then— ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm

He shoved her.

CHOMP.

The mimic swallowed her whole.

"Wait , I didn’t Test the Tongue yet..." Mathilda screams lingered in the Air.