Chapter 34

Despite its prayers, the chest revealed itself as a true Mimic. Its gaping maw, lined with sharp teeth, snapped shut on the Imp in one swift motion, swallowing it whole without leaving a trace.

The Mimic let out a satisfied burp before slamming its mouth shut again.

When no treasure emerged, the group exchanged puzzled looks.

“It’s closed back up,” Ethan observed.

“Maybe it needs more food?” Derek suggested.

“Can you summon the Imp again?”

“I can summon it two more times. Let’s keep feeding it.”

Without hesitation, Justin activated the summoning again. A swirl of purple smoke brought back the same unfortunate Imp, who now looked utterly terrified.
“M-Master… Why have you called me again so soon?”

“The Mimic hasn’t spat out its treasure yet. Seems like it’s still hungry.”

“…!”

“Go on. Get eaten again.”

The Imp’s face turned deathly pale as it opened its mouth to protest, but Justin simply repeated the earlier command.
“This is an order. Go get eaten. No exceptions.”

“Wait! Please, listen for a moment—!”

Despite its flailing protests, the Imp stumbled toward the Mimic once more.

“Please! I’m just a low-tier demon! I won’t even taste good—”

“Kyaaaaah!”

“Gyaaaah!”

Crunch. Chomp. Gulp.

The result was the same as before—the Mimic devoured the Imp whole. Still, it refused to open its mouth and reveal any treasure.

Summoning the Imp for a third time, Justin began to speak,
“Imp, the Mimic still hasn’t—”

“Master! I understand now! I finally understand your great wisdom!”

Before the smoke had even cleared, the Imp collapsed to its knees, eyes streaming with tears of sudden revelation.

“This suffering… It was your way of correcting my arrogance! Through this ordeal, I have learned humility and my true role as your loyal servant!”

“…”

“Master, I beg your forgiveness and swear my eternal loyalty! From this moment on, I shall serve you without hesitation!”

Its heartfelt declaration echoed like the solemn oath of a knight pledging allegiance to their lord.

Justin blinked, deadpan.
“Imp.”

“Yes, Master!”

“Stop spouting nonsense. Just go get eaten. I should do it one more time.”

“…!”

The Imp’s tears dried instantly, its face going blank with disbelief.

Unmoved, Justin repeated himself for the third time.
“Go. Get eaten. This is an order. No exceptions.”

“M-Master! You… you heartless…! Damn it, seriously—”

“Kyaaaaah!”

“You son of a—AAARGH!”

Crunch. Snap. Chomp.

The sound was oddly satisfying.
If only you had listened from the start, Justin mused. I might’ve even entertained one of your “strategies.”

Clack.
“It’s open!”

Only after devouring the Imp three consecutive times did the Mimic finally slump forward, mouth agape. The team quickly rushed over, peering into the gaping maw.

There was no visible tunnel or cavity to suggest where the victims had disappeared to. All that remained inside was what looked like a dried tongue, flat like a cushion—and resting on top of it, a single book.

“A… book? That’s the treasure?”

“Seriously? After all that, couldn’t it at least be a piece of equipment?”

Disappointment spread through the group like a wave. They had all hoped for something grand and powerful—a weapon, armor, anything remotely exciting.

But Justin’s expression sharpened. He quickly reached in and snatched the book. There was only one type of book in World Breaker that could be considered a true treasure.

〈Skill Book: Dual Enhancement〉

“A skill book!”

Just as he had suspected. The only books worthy of being called treasures in this world were those that directly granted skills.

“What? A skill book? You’re kidding! That’s a skill book?!”

“What kind of skill is it? Tell us!”

Ethan and Derek’s eyes lit up with excitement, as expected. In World Breaker, there were only two ways to learn new skills: by reaching certain levels tied to their respective classes or by using rare skill books.

The former came naturally through progress, but the latter? That was different—
A skill book allowed the acquisition of a skill without any conditions, even granting abilities unrelated to the user’s chosen class. It was essentially a lottery ticket for power.

Pushing aside their eagerness, Justin focused on reading the item’s description:

〈Skill Book: Dual Enhancement〉

• Category: Consumable Item
• Effect: Grants the skill [Dual Enhancement] upon use. Once a skill has been learned, the book turns to dust and disappears.

[Dual Enhancement]

• Category: Enhancement Skill
• Effect: When applied to a specific skill, it doubles its power. However, stamina consumption and usage limits are also doubled. The amplified power resets after use.
• Additional: Daily use limit (5/5)

“…!”

Justin’s eyes widened.

Initially, he’d thought this skill would be of little use to a dark sorcerer unless it was some rare spell-enhancing tome. In fact, if the skill had been mediocre, he had considered letting someone else learn it as a favor to earn goodwill.

But this? This went far beyond his expectations.
“I have to learn this.”

For a magician, raw firepower was everything—and this skill would double that destructive potential. Sure, the trade-off was increased stamina consumption and fewer uses per battle.

But for someone like him, that didn’t matter. A dark sorcerer could easily restore stamina mid-fight. The supposed drawbacks were irrelevant; as long as he won the battle, he could recover afterward without issue.

Having made his decision, he turned to Ethan and explained the skill.
“Dual Enhancement—this is insanely powerful.”

“Yeah, whether you or I learn it, it’ll be incredibly useful.”

“Nah, you should learn it, Justin. I’m good.”

The unexpected ease with which Ethan withdrew from contention surprised Justin. For a healer, it would’ve still been an invaluable asset. He could have justified learning it by arguing that doubling a healing spell’s potency could save lives.

Sensing his confusion, Ethan chuckled bitterly.
“You’re colder than you let on, Justin, but deep down, you’re soft-hearted.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Let’s be honest—you opened the Mimic by yourself, didn’t you? Fed it the Imp three times until it finally coughed up the treasure. Without you, we wouldn’t have been able to open it at all.”

“…”

That was true, but most wouldn’t concede so easily. After all, this wasn’t just any item—it was a skill book.

As if reading his thoughts, Ethan shook his head again.
“I’m not the type to take credit where it’s not due. Sure, if it were a skill that worked best with healing magic, maybe I’d argue for it. But this? It’s clearly better suited for you.”