A Question of Superior Horses and Inferior Horses

When [Mimic Tear] suddenly popped out like that,

Maru was utterly terrified!

Scared—scared out of her wits!

Because the last time they had seen a Mimic Tear was when they challenged the first exceptionally powerful boss in Sain Underground City that required more challengers than usual—[Mimic Tear of the Full Moon Queen]!

That monster had looked round and adorable in its initial form, but once it transformed into Rennala, it became incredibly vicious, leaving a profound impression on Maru and every adventurer who had seen it.

Moreover, Mimic Tears had only appeared twice before: once here, and once in Fort Faroth while mimicking a Giant Bear. Both appearances had left adventurers with the impression that the monsters transformed from Mimic Tears were extraordinarily brutal.

The Mimic Tear of the Full Moon Queen had even achieved an impressive top-five ranking in the Sain Underground City monster popularity poll.

That was mainly because the contrast it created was simply too striking. It also had both strength and visual appeal, and back in Sain Underground City, the magical effects it used in battle were among the very best.

Combined with Topps's Barrier, which was almost indispensable for defeating it, the pairing of a popular monster and a popular character greatly boosted both their popularity.

Mimic Tears, as a monster species, also entered the sight of monster researchers on the strength of that momentum.

And they left a deep impression on the researchers as well.

Monsters capable of imitating other creatures were a classic monster type, but every monster with imitation abilities had more or less some kind of flaw. Some could only copy appearances, while others could imitate voices, auras, or combat strength. There had never been one capable of possessing all of those at once.

Researchers had regarded this phenomenon as a