Checking the side room would be useful...

Your vision is sharp-sighted, even in the semidarkness of this dilapidated tower, and despite it being nighttime.

However, you can discern the outlines of objects and perceive everything you see in shades of gray.

Under these circumstances, it seems strange that you noticed that fleeting, very faint glimmer of some object in the side room.

"How can this be explained? It's dark now, and there's been no light in this tower for a long time... Hmm... Perhaps the object buried under piles of rubble and debris is a magical artifact! Due to an enchantment, this object could emit a faint glow!" - you think, and enthusiastically head toward the side room where your keen eye has spotted signs of something valuable.

Trying not to stain your clothes with the dirt and mold that cover the crumbling walls of this room, you carefully move forward (orienting yourself from memory – in the direction of that faint glimmer).

You have to tread very carefully: the entire floor is littered with rubble from stone walls and pieces of a collapsed ceiling.

Damn… You even notice a huge, half-rotted ballista shell that has pierced the wall of the room and now blocks your path, so much so that you almost trip over it.

It seems that in ancient times, this tower was subjected to some kind of attack using siege weapons…

"Well… These are events of bygone centuries… Long-forgotten events which have no significance now…" - you mentally reason.

You begin the dirty and arduous task of clearing the rubble.

The piles of rubble and debris must be discarded so that you can find the object whose glimmer attracted you. Ten minutes later, you're almost there...

When suddenly, your ears catch a sharp rustling sound to the side!

With a lightning-fast movement of your left hand, you throw your dagger in the semi-darkness, following the sound.

The short squeak fades a second later...

"Fuck... Nasty rat..." - you curse quietly.

You're about to go to the left wall of the room for your dagger and remove the noble steel from the rat's bloody carcass.

However, the familiar glint appears again in the periphery of your vision!

Much closer now...

It seems the object is right under your feet...

Now the stone fragments you've removed no longer prevent you from touching the object.

You squat down, reaching out to the object emitting a faint silvery-blue glow...

"What is this? "This... This is a narrow chain leading to... a chest?!" - you say out loud in surprise.

Your fingers make only one touch of the metal chain.

Alas, it seems your reflexes weren't so quick this time...

The effect of your touch is stunning: the remains of debris and rubble (partially pinning the chest) fly in all directions, some hitting your body (damn... a nasty bruise on your shoulder...).

A vile, predatory hissing and chomping sound comes from the direction of the chest.

The "metal chain" (which just recently emitted a bluish glow) transforms into a long, writhing tentacle that wraps around your right arm with incredible agility, hindering your movement.

Three more similar tentacles rush at you from the direction of the "chest."

The veil of illusion falls completely...

The "treasure chest" takes on its true form: a hideous monster with a huge maw riddled with needle-sharp teeth.

"Fucking mimic!" - you scream reflexively, seeing the mortal threat bearing down on you.

Hmm... if you were hoping for a quiet, stealthy exploration of the ruins of this tower, after so much noise, you can forget about that intention...

However, it's not a given that you'll even survive...

The monster's mouth, coated in disgusting bile, chomping - this approaching "circumstance"- hints that someone has "gastronomic plans" for your body.

The first tentacle squeezes your right arm ever tighter...

The three remaining tentacles attack you, clearly intending to grab your limbs and render you a helpless victim. The palm of your right hand unclenches and the scimitar drops...

In a split second, you grab the hilt of your scimitar with your left hand and begin making rapid slashes.

One of the three tentacles suffers a painful wound...

The other two tentacles recoiled, unwilling to suffer the pain.

Mimic lets out an angry hiss and a gurgling, slurping sound. Its tongue, coated in growths and bile, writhes like a thick snake.

It's clearly displeased with your resistance, but it moves purposefully toward you, ready to swallow your body and chew your flesh with its sharp teeth.

The monster's mouth is getting closer...

"Fuck... I could really use my dagger right now..." - you think bitterly.

Alas, the dagger you threw at the rat is now about seven meters away (pinning the rodent's pierced, bloody corpse to the floor).