From the giant rat Nana-san had brutally killed, I cut off two whiskers.
Using these two whiskers, we were finally about to begin the resurrection potion experiment.
「All right, shall we start, Nana-san?」
「Yes. Then I will handle the whiskers」
「Ah, okay. Thanks」
After handing the whiskers to Nana-san, I took a ceramic plate and the resurrection potion out of my magic bag.
I placed the plate on the ground and dripped several drops of the resurrection potion onto it.
「Now then――we will immerse the two whiskers into the resurrection potion at the same time」
「Do your best, Nana-san」
「I will. I will do my best to immerse them as simultaneously as possible」
Nana-san held one whisker in each hand and slowly brought them closer to the resurrection potion on the plate.
Now then, what would happen?
Would two giant rats be revived from these two whiskers, or not?
If that happened, it would mean we could duplicate the same individual giant rat.
Which would mean――even duplicating Jered-kun would be possible.
A duplicate of Jered-kun…..
Now that I thought about it, this experiment suddenly felt pretty terrifying.
Even so, it was something we needed to know. No, rather, we absolutely had to know the results properly…..
So, what would it be? Come on, come on. The result would be――!?
「Oh」
「Ohh」
I think it was almost simultaneous. Nana-san immersed the two whiskers into the resurrection potion at nearly the same time.
At that moment――only the whisker in her right hand began twitching and pulsing.
「This feels kind of gross, so I am letting go」
「…..Yeah」
The whisker Nana-san tossed aside continued to pulse even after hitting the ground. Then, at the tip――no, the root. The root began to swell, and something like flesh started to form.
Skin covered that flesh, hair grew, and――in the blink of an eye, the head of a giant rat was completed.
Then bones extended from the head, forming a torso, which gradually took on flesh…..
「This is kind of amazing…..」
「Yeah….. Huh? Is this the first time you have actually seen it, Nana-san?」
「I know it as knowledge, but this is my first time seeing it with my own eyes」
「I see. …..Oh, looks like it is revived」
While we were talking, the giant rat completed its revival and sprang to its feet――
「Kii!」
「『Glowing Paralyze Arrow』」
「Ki」
I immediately fired a 『Glowing Paralyze Arrow』 into the newly revived giant rat with a quick shot.
The giant rat was paralyzed, and moss grew over it.
「Why moss para?」
「…..Could you not make weird abbreviations? Well, I guess, sort of, yeah」
After all, moss-type skill arts are not something I ever use in proper combat. If I do not use them at times like this, I never get a chance to use them.
Still, if I keep using them now and then, I might eventually come up with a good way to use them, or maybe they will evolve as skill arts. Well, something like that.
「Now then, Master. Please look at my left hand」
When I turned my gaze to Nana-san’s left hand, said in a way that sounded like a tour guide――the giant rat whisker that had not been revived was still there.
「So that one did not revive」
「Does this mean that duplication is not possible after all?」
「Hmm….. wait a moment」
I took out the walking mushroom we had defeated and collected earlier from my magic bag and peeled off a small piece of it.
Then I lightly dipped the mushroom fragment into the resurrection potion on the plate, tap tap――
「Yep. It revived. Even though it was already used once, the resurrection potion still seems to be working properly」
「It appears so」
The fragment of the walking mushroom quickly increased in size and completed its revival as a walking mushroom.
It stood up straight and tried to start walking, so――
「『Glowing Paralyze Arrow』」
I had it get paralyzed for now.
I could have just defeated it, but the resurrection potion’s effect might still be active. If so, it would be impossible to properly defeat it.
We were still in the middle of various experiments, so I had it wait for the time being.
「Shall I try this whisker one more time?」
「Ah, yeah. Please」
Nana-san repeatedly soaked the giant rat whisker she was holding in her left hand into the resurrection potion on the plate, but….. there was no change.
「It really does not revive. So, a second one is impossible」
「Looks like it. To sum it up in a rough and simple way, only one can be revived, and if it is alive, it will not revive. Something like that」
「That is quite rough, but….. it does seem to be the case. So mass production of Jered-sama is impossible」
「I would really like you to not try to mass-produce my best friend…..」
I had imagined something similar myself, but I had not gone as far as mass production.
「Still, this is a reassuring specification. It is good that people do not get duplicated by accident」
「That is true」
…..But it is strange in its own way.
In other words, the resurrection potion does not seem to simply revive whatever it touches. Does it check whether the thing it touches is still alive somewhere else…..?
No, maybe it is the opposite? Because it is alive somewhere else, it cannot be revived…..?
「Kii!」
「『Glowing Paralyze Arrow』」
「Ki」
While I was absentmindedly lost in thought, the paralysis on the giant rat wore off, so for now I gave it an additional dose of 『Glowing Paralyze Arrow』.
「Alright. Let’s do the analysis slowly after we get home. For now, we’ll end the experiment――ow」
「Fufu」
I got headbutted by the walking mushroom.
It seems the paralysis on the walking mushroom had worn off as well. Walking mushrooms do not make sounds, so I had not noticed.
Or rather, Nana-san was laughing while watching me. Did she notice it beforehand, perhaps?
「『Glowing Paralyze Arrow』….. ah, maybe it did not even need to be paralysis anymore」
I added more moss to the walking mushroom, but it probably would have been fine to just defeat it normally.
We did not give it a large amount of potion, and the resurrection effect had likely already worn off.
「Alright, let’s defeat them. …..Ah, that’s it. Before we do, let’s offer our deep gratitude to the rat and the mushroom that became sacrifices for this experiment」
「Yes. Shall I do the killing?」
「Huh? Yeah. That’s fine, but…..」
「Then please excuse me――『Circular Saw』『Circular Saw』」
Nana-san fired one 「Circular Saw」 each at the giant rat and the walking mushroom.
「Uwaa…..」
As expected, defeating a giant rat with 『Circular Saw』 is awful to watch and hear.
On the other hand, defeating a walking mushroom with 『Circular Saw』 somehow feels peaceful.
It just looks like someone is cutting an ordinary mushroom.
「Thank you very much」
「…..Thank you very much」
For now, Nana-san and I put our hands together in prayer for the giant rat and the walking mushroom.
「Alright then, let’s dig holes and bury them」
「Yes. Meat and mushrooms revived by a resurrection potion are still something I hesitate to eat」
「Yeah」
I think they would probably be fine.
The potion’s effect duration should have ended, so they should be safe, but….. I still want to refrain.
「Alright, I’ll start. First, dig a hole, then bury them together inside――」
「Do you think they might fuse and give birth to a walking giant rat moss mushroom?」
「…..Let’s dig two holes」
We will dig two holes some distance apart and bury them separately.
I feel a bit bad for Nana-san, who seems a little excited, but I am not conducting experiments to create that kind of chimera.
next chapter: Hair and Whiskers, an Afterword
Leave a Reply