8 : Drop Rule – 1


“Mu……”
What do you even need to make a bag?
The shape and size would differ depending on its intended purpose too.
However, no matter what form the bag takes, it should be a size that would allow it to firmly hold other items. That was a demand that absolutely needed to be met.

“Finding some type of cable would be nice, but as one would expect, I wouldn’t really want to have to knit it into a bag.”
I searched around the office, a territory that once belonged to the now defeated Poisonous Bite Rat. Only a few usable cables could be found.
There were various lengths, the long ones which could be bundled around my abdomen and short ones which were only able to wrap twice around my wrist. For the most part, a majority of them were a degree of length which could be coiled over my thighs and upper arms so I roll those all up for the time being.
As for the material of the cables, the interior seemed to be a metal wire made of copper, covered with the surrounding component being a vinyl coating. If you use a little bit of strength, the cable was easily bendable and the curve would still remain even if you let go, so it was quite the convenient tool.
Though, braiding this into a bag was…… something I really didn’t want to do even if I had all the proper materials. It’d be way too troublesome.

“Unn, it would be simple if I just could obtain some cloth but……”
I lightly glance over the office space.
However, I wasn’t able to find something like a curtain anywhere. There also wasn’t any kind of wallpaper that I could just peel off.
A large cloth itself also obviously did not exist.
The only item I could use to make a bag here in this office was probably a Poisonous Bite Rat’s hide.
Clearly, there was no way I was going to craft a bag out of a desk or bookshelf.
Though, I could strip off the tabletop later.

“Defeat more rats?”
At any rate, if there was no other contender, I just have to pick whatever’s left.
With that verdict, I head off to defeat some more of the Poisonous Bite Rats that prowled within the office.


———-


“……”
Thus, I took down more Poisonous Bite Rats.
Including the first one, that made 3.

“It was certainly strange, wasn’t it.”
No matter how many Poisonous Bite Rats I defeated, they all weathered away immediately, only leaving their front tooth behind.
For the time being, I bind the Poisonous Bite Rat front teeth I’ve obtained to the cable, which properly holds it together.

“I don’t even want to think about the possibility of my luck for item drops being garbage……”
Defeating Poisonous Bite Rats wasn’t difficult in itself.
All I had to do was dodge the Poisonous Bite Rat’s first attack, straddle its back, use the Poisonous Bite Rat’s front tooth in my left hand to stab its body and stabilize myself. Then, obsessively swing down on the back of its head using the rebar with attached concrete.
By applying this method, I was able to one-sidedly take down the Poisonous Bite Rats.

“I feel like the way I was defeating them felt a bit unorthodoxed.”
The defeated Poisonous Bite Rat’s front tooth is intact so it drops. Rather, it seemed like only the Poisonous Bite Rat’s front tooth dropped because its the sole thing that satisfied the requirement to drop.
Maybe that weird disintegrating phenomenon was just a visual attraction, but.

“This world is filled with curses…… That being the case, was the disintegrating phenomenon also an effect of a curse?”
I recall CNP’s official site and the written setting.
CNP’s world was one that was overflowing with curses.
Because of those permeating curses, abominable beings strut among the world and tools were also contaminated with hexes, sending you into battle with risk carried on your back.

“Nn? Tools contaminated by a curse?”
I picked up on the problem.
By instance, if you were fighting against a Poisonous Bite Rat, it wasn’t like it was a monster in which you needed to have a special weapon to defeat it.
Of course, there might be monsters that do require you to kill them with a special weapon, but at the very least, I don’t think it was the same case as it was with the Poisonous Bite Rats.
As a matter of fact, without the biting part, it would just be a big rat.
Despite that, I felt like it was still premised that you were supposed to use a hexed tool, even for creatures like the Poisonous Bite Rat.

“If it wasn’t contaminated….. What would happen?”
Assuming that curses and hexes were the same.
In a world filled with curses, if there an object without a curse, how would it turn out?
Water flows from a high place to a low one.
What if a similar thing occurs for the curse?

“Supposing that the curse cascades in. Then does the disintegration phenomenon occur because of the flowing curse?”
The Poison Bite Rat’s front tooth used the surrounding curse to instill poison into a wounded entity.
Which means, it was already cursed from the start wasn’t it.
You could also say that the Poisonous Bite Rat itself was already cursed since it was transmogrified into a monster.
So, what about the curse on a dead Poisonous Bite Rat?
What if the curse that makes them mutate into a monster wasn’t defined to only their body, but also rooted into their mind and soul?
The Poisonous Bite Rat’s front tooth was cursed, but its body was empty. If not, then it was at least in a state where absorption of the surrounding curse was easier right?

“This could just be a wild delusion of mine but…… The idea couldn’t be denied either. Currently, that is.”
I thought it was a possibility.
And if it goes smoothly, I’ll be able to get everything I need from the Poisonous Bite Rat wouldn’t I.
The next problem is how I’m supposed to go about cursing the Poisonous Bite Rat’s body……

“Nn-, poisoning?”
The simplest way was to inject the poison produced by the Poisonous Bite Rat’s front tooth.
It was a situation in which a Poisonous Bite Rat would be poisoned I guess.
If the poison circulated around its entire body, it would be the same as if a curse was moving around in there instead.

“Well, let’s just try it out shall we.”
I put down the rebar with attached concrete and wield the Poisonous Bite Rat’s front tooth with both hands.
There was one Poisonous Bite Rat left in the office.
Though, I could see a pathway and a door that likely led to another room so there were still much more things to search.
That’s why it was okay not to worry about the number.

“If it doesn’t work then I’ll probably have to skin it while its still alive huh. In that case, a curse based on grudge might accumulate so that too might be worth doing.”
“Jyu……”
While floating in the air, I approach the Poisonous Bite Rat with a smile.
The Poisonous Bite Rat notices me and takes an offensive stance.

“JyuAAAaaaa!”
With its mouth wide open, the Poisonous Bite Rat dives at me.

“Yotto-“
“Jyuaa!?”
I evade by leaping into the air, just like the previous 3 times. I mount its back, thrusting the front tooth of the Poisonous Bite Rat into the back of its nape.

“Now then, the poison effect……”
Generally, without using the『Appraisal Loupe』, there was no way of knowing your opponent’s status.
Still, as expected, it would be strategically impractical to not know the extent of the ailment wouldn’t it.
A dark green sphere seemed to emerge out of the top of the Poisonous Bite Rat’s head and along with it, a display specifying effect, poison (10) appeared.
No, it could’ve been possible that while this display was appearing, the poison flowing into the Poisonous Bite Rat wasn’t considered a curse yet.

“Jyuaa!”
“Yotto-“
The Poisonous Bite Rat sprung out at me so I hopped from desk to desk to avoid its attacks.
Consequently, after almost 10 seconds had passed, the display on top of the Poisonous Bite Rat’s head became poison (9).
It seems like it decreased by 1 amount every 10 seconds.

“Now then, as for its HP……”
In order to confirm the continuously received damage, I direct my『Appraisal Loupe』towards it.

△△△△△
Poisonous Bite Rat – Level 4
HP : 1277/1480
Status Condition: Poison (9)
▽▽▽▽▽

“……”
“Jyuaaaa……”
It barely decreased.

“It needs to be stacked huh. It was probably better to think about the bleeding and consumption as a later concern.”
“Jyuaaa!”
While I was making a bitter expression, the next instance of poison damage triggered.
Thus, I appraise again for the second time yet, the damage it took was only 9.
It appears that the damage taken was determined by the count of the poison effect, suggesting that stacking the status condition was necessary

“Sei-! Hmph-! So that it gouges in!!”
“JyuGO-!?”
I pierce through the scruff of its neck thrice with the Poisonous Bite Rat’s front tooth, sinking it in as deep as possible. Then, with the final puncture, I add in a slight twist to widen the wound.

“J-Jyuaa!”
“Otto-“
The Poisonous Bite Rat rolled there on the spot, trying to shake off and crush me.
I realized I wouldn’t be able to win if it became a grappling contest so I instantly freed my legs and fluttered up with my wings, not stopping until I was relatively close to the ceiling.

“J-Jyu, Jyua……”
The display above the Poisonous Bite Rat’s head now showed the number, poison (31).
At that moment, the last inflicted cut began to gush blood in a flashy manner which then disintegrated in midair, returning back to dust.
I don’t think parts disappearing when they get separated from your body was a mechanic in CNP, so it seems like some sort of curse was coming into play after all.

“Let’s take a little look.”
The Poisonous Bite Rat glares at me in contempt but I’ve already flown to a height in which I won’t be attacked for at least several seconds.
Thus, I used the『Appraisal Loupe』on the spewed blood.


△△△△△
Poisonous Bite Rat’s Blood
Level : 1
Durability : 21/100
Interference : 100
Corrosion : 82
Abnormalities : –

The blood of a Poisonous Bite Rat.
▽▽▽▽▽

“The durability was decreasing tremendously and if it reached 0, it would disappear. No abnormalities but the corrosion rapidly rose. As anticipated, because it wasn’t cursed, it absorbs the surrounding curse then disintegrates. It was looking good wasn’t it.”
The Poisonous Bite Rat’s blood that I was watching had its durability reach 0 and returned to dust, a state in which appraisal became impossible.
With that timing, I landed on the desk.
Then, the Poisonous Bite Rat leaps at me. I avert its attack and began to run around.

“Jyugu…..ah……”
“Phew, at last huh”
Ten or so minutes pass.
The Poisonous Bite Rat who lost its blood and had poison circulate in its entire body fell on the spot.

“Nice, success”
And so, most of the Poisonous Bite Rat neglected to disintegrate, remaining as it was.

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