It was a giant rat who was there.

A rat the size of a cat is moving around the walls with a crust.

It would be like that if you turned up a regular dove rat or something.

"Wow... creepy"

My thoughts leak out of my mouth by accident.

The fact that the familiar organism just grew up is a creepier sight than I expected.

That's the first type I've ever seen, but is that a monster too?

No... you don't feel like that.

This feeling...... yes, it is close to the signs I feel for 'Momo' in one way or another.

A vague sign, like the middle of a monster and a normal animal.

"Ah... well, maybe"

Think that far, Ha.

Maybe that rat, like Momo, is the animal that knocked down the monster and ate the demon stone?

More than there is a real example of Momo, there is plenty of potential for that.

Or I totally lost sight of the possibility because I was dealing with all the monsters.

It's not weird to have animals like Momo who hunt monsters to increase their hunting levels or gain demon stone eating skills.

Plus the city had a bunch of demonic stones of defeated monsters rolling around.

Some animals must have eaten demonic stones left unattended.

Isn't that rat something like that?

I make my nose snap, and I'm on guard.

You're likely to have some kind of skill.

It goes without saying that the animals are better than humans in the first place when it comes to the point of 'surviving' in a way. You live in the wild originally, and you'll be used to the environment of being attacked by organisms stronger than you are.

Now, what do we do...

"What is it, Mr. Kudo? What was there?

You wondered if I was anxious to sit still, Mr. Ichinose opens his mouth.

"Oh, excuse me. I thought about it... Well, it wasn't the monsters that were there, it was the big rats."

"Rats......?

"Yeah, it's just not a regular rat. It could be fortified by eating demon stones."

"Huh...!

"Huh? What's that? What do you mean? I mean, what's a demon stone?

Signs of Mr. Itinose breathing came through.

By contrast, Rokuka doesn't seem to understand what I mean.

"Demon Stone is a stone that falls after defeating a monster. When other organisms eat it, they can strengthen their flesh and use their skills."

"Seriously? Uh, with that said, the stone did fall after the monster was defeated. He was such an amazing thing."

Well, you don't have to know.

In the first place, I didn't even know the list function of the item box or how to use it without the presence of Momo or Aka.

"... are you hunting?

"Right......"

That's where I think a little.

The target is not a monster.

It's a normal animal, even though it's gotten big.

But......

"It's possible you have germs or something, and you don't have a zero chance of attacking people.... you should crush it. - Momo."

"Wow."

With my signal, Momo's 'Shadow' stretches out toward the rat.

Then Rokka raised her voice of surprise.

"What!? or the shadow stretched!? What is this!?"

"It's Momo's skill. There is no danger. Please be quiet."

"Oh, yes, I'm sorry. Shh, wow..."

Even while I'm doing this, 'Shadow' approaches the rat.

All right, keep him in restraint, and slap him all at once.

"Chuh!?"

But the rat noticed Momo's shadow just before.

And by the time he was terrified, he had made an agile move and cast a shadow on Momo.

"Become!?"

Unexpectedly keep an eye on the motion.

You're lying, right?

What speed.

Lesser Wolf... no, it's shadow-wolf-like speed.

"Chit-chit!"

Furthermore, the rat skilfully scolds Momo's 'shadow' as he runs horizontally through the wall.

That's obviously 'skill'.

Besides, he probably has sensing skills.

I don't know if it's "Crisis Sensing" or "Hostility Sensing," but otherwise, it's impossible to shadow Momo right before that.

"Chit! Chit!

The rat shook off the 'shadow' and ran away as it was.

Soon, I won't be able to see that.

"... have you escaped"

"Ku..."

Momo makes a sound of regret.

"It's okay, Momo. There was no damage over here, and I don't mind."

Touch the head of a pompom and a momomo.

I guess the fact that he escaped doesn't mean that the rat himself has that much fighting ability.

'Crisis Sensing' wasn't too alarming either.

Maybe, in strength, it's no more than a goblin.

Probably should be seen as enhanced by specializing in 'agility' or 'escape'.

Or else I'm in trouble.

"There's no sign of anything else. I think we're good now."

With that said, I can break the tension between the two of you.

Still, animals fortified with demonic stones?

That's troublesome......

Monsters are a threat, but this one can be a threat enough.

Wildcats and wild dogs. And crows.

There are many animals in the city.

It's already been five days.

More and more fortified individuals, like Momo and that rat, will also appear.

What happens if bears, boars, and vipers in the woods are fortified?

Vegan and strong animals are further enhanced with demonic stones......

Isn't that no longer the same as a monster?

Another thing, you've got more worries...

"Nevertheless... a demon stone"

Substitutes that monsters and animals can eat to strengthen their flesh and gain skills.

But... is that really the only way to use it?

Maybe we just don't know and have other effective uses?

It's not a game, it's a classic weapon or capability enhancement...

What do you mean animals can eat demon stones in the first place, but we can't?

Oh, I still want an appraisal.

Moffing a depressing mob, I wondered if I could get an appraisal somehow.

Meanwhile, around that time...

Scary, scary, scary.

Rats were running desperately.

Suddenly, something black hit me.

I knew immediately that I was a jerk.

That's why I ran away.

Desperately escaped.

It was still a mistake to get out on the ground on a whim.

I ate a strange stone, my body grew bigger or I gained strange powers.

I was willing to do anything.

But that was a mistake.

There's a top up there, and I don't want to feel scared.

Again, let's live as carefully as ever in memory at the bottom of the earth.

I think so, and the rats run desperately.

"Chichichichichi"

The 'hole' that I crawled out of is looming in front of me.

Almost there.

I can go home in a little while.

Out of that relief, the rat relaxed for a moment.

And it created a deadly gap.

"Chip!?"

Perfectly, the movement stops.

No, it was forcibly stopped, to be exact.

Why? I can't move.

I move my body desperately, but the more I move, the more my mouse body stops moving.

So finally the rat noticed the 'sole' tangled in his body.

That's invisibly thin countless yarns.

"Chitty!? Chitty, chitty!

If you look closely, the yarn was strewn around here in large quantities.

And it appears in front of the rat.

The hole I tried to go home to.

From there, a single spider appeared, making a creepy noise with a razor.

"~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~"

Rat instincts do their utmost to raise the alarm.

Scary, scary, scary, scary.

Death Nitakunai, Death Nitakunai, Death Nitakunai!

But it's too late.

Predators were already on the verge of their own.

Sharp nails and fangs, and countless bones scattered among the slightly visible 'holes'.

That was the earliest sight the rat had ever seen.