CHAPTER 4 : Outside The New World.

Leon and Raze emerged from the dark dungeon into the cool breeze of the outside world. Blinded, they squinted as their eyes adjusted in painful stages to the light of the sun.

"Finally we're out of that goddamn hellhole," Raze muttered, rubbing his eyes.

"Yeah, but we ain't safe yet," Leon said, his eyes on the horizon. "We gotta find some place to hole up for a while, then we can plan our next move."

Raze nodded, looking around at an unfamiliar landscape. "Do you have any idea where the fuck we are?"

Leon nodded. "We are in the forest of Sylvarion, but we can't stay overnight in the open. Let's walk toward those woods over there. We can find some cover there."

The two Mimics shifted warily toward the forest, their senses on high alert as leaves rustled around them and the calls of birds echoed from afar—little to assuage nervousness.

As they walked, Raze couldn't help but think back on the battle they'd just survived. "Hey, Leon," he said after a while. "You fought well back there. Didn't know you had it in you."

Leon snickered. "BWAHAHAHA! I could say the same about you. You're adapting quickly, you sneaky bastard."

Naoya still looked flustered and uncertain. "Leon, I've been wanting to ask, why did you ask me to come with you even when I tried to steal from you, and why the fuck take a total stranger like me on your journey?"

Leon chose his words carefully. "Because you see, you're not just any stranger. You're a fellow Mimic. And in this world, we need to stick together to survive."

Raze frowned. "But why? What's so special about Mimics?"

Leon sighed. "Mimics have powers that make us valuable and dangerous to others. That's what makes other species hunt us. They want to control us, use our powers for their own interests, or just eliminate us because they're scared shitless of what we could do."

Raze's eyes widened. "Hunted? Why the hell didn't you tell me this before?"

"There was no time, and I didn't want to worry you, especially since you said you came from another world. But now that we're out of the dungeon, you need to understand the crapstorm we're in."

They emerged to the edge of the forest and came upon a small clearing. Leon turned into a log and easily blended in, while Raze became a large rock.

"Let's stop here," Leon said. "We need to regain our strength before I take you to a place where Mimics like us live freely."

Raze nodded. His mind was now filled with new information. He looked at Leon, curiosity etched on his face.

"So, a community of Mimics? And what in hell were you really doing in that dungeon in the first place?"

Leon paled, his face darkening. "I came to raise the bar, seeking out bigger, badder monsters to copy. Years ago, when other beings started hunting us down—especially humans—for whatever fucked-up interests they had in mind, the Mimic community got together."

Raze raised an eyebrow. "So you went inside just to get a little stronger? You have guts, man—that's what you are: crazy."

Leon guffawed. "BWAHAHAHAHA! Yeah, I know. It was a risk, but necessary. You gotta be hard in this fucked-up world."

Raze remained puzzled. "Why the fuck didn't you tell me sooner? Why the hell didn't you tell me you were a Mimic before we had to stand in danger?"

Leon averted his eyes. "No reason. I just wanted to see how strong you were."

Raze burst out laughing. "BWAHAHAHA! You're really something else, Crazy Bastard!"

Leon smiled. "By the way, what's your name? We've gone through so much together, but you haven't told me your name yet."

Raze smiled. "You never asked moron. My name is Naoya. No, since I'm in a new world, I should have a new name. I don't want to remember the old me..."

Before Raze could finish, Leon cut him off. "So, what's your name? Cut the drama. Just the name."

"Fine, fine, fine. Call me Raze," he said with a grin.

And thus, the two Mimics readied themselves to set out again into the great unknown.

Their journey past the dungeon was only just beginning now, and Raze knew how many more trials he would face. He stood ready to do so with his new companion at his side.

The journey continued, but Raze's curiosity got the better of him regarding Leon's past. "Leon, in this world you are much older than me. Tell me a story from your past, what your experience here in this world has been."

Leon's face hardened. "Long story, Raze. I will just say I lost someone—leverage of the enemy because of our damn powers. I vowed to get strong enough to protect what is left of my kind."

Raze sensed the pain behind Leon's words and didn't delve deeper. Yet.

"In my past life, I was a nobody," Raze revealed. "No friends, no hope, no reason to live. Here, everything is fucking different. But it is also terrifying."

Leon clapped his shoulder. "It's okay to be scared, Raze. We all are sometimes. But together, there isn't much we can't face. You're not alone anymore."

Raze turned his eyes on Leon, and for the first time in years, he felt some of that coldness thaw. For the first time, he felt like he was home.

The two Mimics pushed deeper into the heart of the Sylvarion Forest as shadows lengthened and the air cooled down. Pine and moss hit them in the face, and calls from nocturnal creatures echoed across the trees.

"Yo, Leon," Raze spoke up. "What's this place like where the Mimics live free?"

Leon regarded him with a soft expression. "It's a sanctuary, Raze. Somewhere we can exist without the threat of being hunted. We call it the Haven. It's not huge, but it's safe."

Raze nodded. "Haven, huh? Sounds like paradise compared to where we've been."

Leon laughed. "HAHA! Yeah, it is. But don't get too fucking comfortable. We still got to keep our guard up. The world outside's always a threat."

They walked on, the trees gradually thinning out until the sound of running water was clear.

They came into a small clearing with an entirely limpid stream running through the middle.

The moonlight radiated onto the water, setting the scene with tranquility.

"We'll rest here a little while," Leon said. "The stream is fresh water, and the surrounding foliage will help hide us."

Raze dropped to a knee beside the stream, cupping his hands, and drank. The cool water refreshed him, washing some of the weariness from his bones.

"Leon, earlier you said that Mimics have special abilities. Just what sort of thing are we dealing with here?"

Leon sat on a nearby rock and became reflective. "Mimics are shapeshifters, Raze. We can turn into nearly anything. It is an ability that is very powerful, hence why other species seem so interested in us."

"Then why the fuck do we have to run from those hunting us if we're that powerful?" Raze asked, puzzled.

Leon sighed. "Because there's more of them than us, and they're not weak. We can't win every fight."

They rested a bit longer, the gurgle of the stream comforting, soothing their tension.

As the night deepened further, Leon got to his feet. "We really should get moving. The Haven isn't much further ahead now."

Raze followed Leon deeper into the woods. The trees grew closer and closer together, the path becoming very thin, until it took what seemed to be hours of walking to get through a huge tree with an enormous empty trunk.

Leon walked towards the tree and laid his hand on the bark. "This is the entrance."

The trunk shimmered and rippled before Raze's widening eyes, revealing a secret passageway. Leon motioned him to follow and they both stepped inside.

The inside was a network of tunnels, lit with glowing fungi that cast an ethereal soft light.

The air warmed and grew increasingly humid as they went down the tunnels. Finally, they broke into an enormous underground chamber.

Raze's jaw dropped. The room was full of living Mimics—every size, every shape. Some in their natural form, others having taken on other living things for faces.

"Welcome to the Haven," Leon said, pride evident in his voice. "This is where we live, learn, and grow."

Raze took a deep breath, feeling for the first time in ages that he was home. "It's fucking amazing," he whispered.

Leon clapped him on the shoulder. "Come on, let me show you a place to rest for the night. Tomorrow, we'll introduce you around and get you started on your training."

As Leon guided him through the bustling community, Raze's hopes surged.

Here was his place—the place where he would finally learn more about himself and where he would finally be safe.

He knew that there were more dangers waiting in the world out there and that they would need to prepare for them.

He was content for now to be in this haven with others like him. A new start had come, and he was going to accept it.

The deeper into the Haven they walked, the more Raze couldn't help but smile.

This was his new home.

Memories of his past life as a hikikimori flooded his mind, remembering no friends, no hope, no purpose.

Here, though, in this new world, his life had been given new light.

Raze's true adventure in this new world was just about to unfold, promising untold mysteries and epic challenges that would test his every limit.

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