The Carrot Knife's Cravings
[OBM-175] Vampiric Dagger
“Why are you giving this to me?”
I said, looking down into the metal case.
Lying neatly inside was none other than the carrot knife—an object the Foundation itself had assigned a number to. It was also Chris’s keepsake.
And there was one more chilling detail—
Chris / B Rh+
A blood pack filled with Chris’s blood had been placed inside the case alongside it.
“I already told you. It’s a consolation gift from the Foundation.”
Park So-lim answered with her usual deadpan expression.
“Not that empty formal excuse. What’s the real reason you’re trying to dump this thing on me?”
“Simple. The Foundation has judged you a compatible user for OBM-175.”
“That means…”
“Yes. We’d like you to become a Hunter in Chris’s place.”
“Ha? On what grounds did you make that call?”
I was speechless. Suddenly they wanted me to be a Hunter?
Even if a key personnel slot had opened up… the Foundation’s intent to slot in a replacement this fast was thoroughly unpleasant.
Especially since they were trying to hand me the very weapon that had hurt me.
“Your shoulder got run through yesterday, didn’t it?”
“So what?”
“OBM-175 is an object-type anomaly that runs on blood as its power source. It particularly loves human blood, and if you don’t feed it regularly it develops a mutation that forces it to get that blood on itself by any means necessary.”
“By any means necessary…?”
“It moves through space in ways we can’t explain, balances itself precariously on a shelf, then falls and impales the target. Or it sprouts countless thorns from the hilt. Things like that.”
Park So-lim shrugged as if it were nothing and continued the explanation.
“Yet amazingly, it showed zero reaction to your blood. Even though, with Chris dead, you’re the most promising human it could take as a host.”
“Maybe it just didn’t like my blood.”
“No. The only blood this thing refuses is anomaly blood.”
“……?”
The shocking answer froze me for a moment.
“…So that means I’m not human—I’m an anomaly?”
“How would I know? What matters is that a user who can wield 175 without side effects has appeared.”
“There’s no way I can handle something that doesn’t react to my blood at all.”
“Well. You’ll find out once you grab it, won’t you?”
“How can you say something so irresponsible?”
“Ah, please don’t misunderstand. I hope you’re human.”
Sincerely, Park So-lim added quietly as she pushed the case forward.
Take 175 or refuse it—your choice. Decide quickly, that was the message.
“…And if I refuse?”
“Of course you may refuse. This is only a gesture of goodwill from the Foundation, not an obligation. However—”
Park So-lim trailed off and glanced around.
As if someone were watching and listening in an office that held only the two of us.
“…I’ll be in a bit of a tight spot.”
She let out a small sigh. Even so, a faint smile lingered on her face.
Emotion rarely showed on her usually expressionless features. Probably consideration so she wouldn’t pressure me.
It was obvious.
The higher-ups had leaned on her again.
Make him take that 175 no matter what.
“Honestly, I felt relieved when Chris died yesterday.”
“Hm?”
“But that bastard is still making trouble for me even after he’s dead.”
This time her brows drooped.
The emotional display had been uncharacteristic of her from the start.
What kind of punishment would she face if I refused, for her to act like this?
“…What will you do?”
Park So-lim pressed again in a slightly trembling voice.
Somehow I even felt a twinge of sympathy.
But that sense of dissonance lasted only a moment.
Acquiring this entity will allow you to operate as a Foundation-affiliated Hunter going forward.
!! WARNING !!
Your decision will cause your survival rate to rise or fall dramatically!
Maximum overall survival rate fluctuation: 10%
Current overall survival rate: 30%
So it does have an effect after all.
The warning messages that floated up at every major fork. I was used to them by now.
And I had a rough sense of which choice would raise my survival rate.
If I refused 175, the Foundation would look at me with even greater suspicion. That would create dangerous situations inside the Foundation more often.
The higher-ups were the problem, as always.
“Han-sung?”
“I’ve decided.”
Thud.
I immediately reached out and picked up the carrot knife from the case.
There had to be a reason it hadn’t reacted to my blood.
You have chosen the path of a Hunter!
You will now receive the highest level of treatment from the Foundation.
Overall survival rate has increased!
Current overall survival rate: 30% → 35%
…Only five percent?
The increase wasn’t large, so I was a little disappointed, but I was satisfied that it hadn’t been the wrong choice.
However—
“Ah…? H-Han-sung?!”
Park So-lim’s reaction was somehow off.
“Hm? What’s wrong all of a sudden?”
“P-put it down right now! Don’t tell me I didn’t explain?!”
“Excuse me? Explain what?”
“This can’t be…! If it’s your first time grabbing 175, you have to feed it Chris’s blood first for safety!”
Park So-lim suddenly shouted in a thoroughly startled voice.
Her reactions had been strange for a while now.
Why was she telling me something that important only now?
“What? For something like that, I feel fine. And didn’t you say it showed no reaction to my blood anyway?”
“Wha…? I-I said that?”
“……?”
A flustered answer came back from Park So-lim. As if she had never said any such thing.
And before I could even react—
—Success. As planned. Looks delicious.
A playful voice rang through my head, and searing pain flared in my palm.
Shunk!
“Kh…? Thorns sprouted…?”
As if I had grabbed a steel hedgehog, sharp thorns punched through my palm and jutted out.
Then they greedily sucked up my blood.
Like a single living, independent organism.
I couldn’t even let go of it easily.
The metal thorns piercing my palm shifted in real time into T-shapes, locking my hand so it couldn’t be pulled free.
—Yesterday. Endured well. Worth it. New host. My meal.
A childish voice dug into my consciousness next.
It seemed Park So-lim had been hit by the thing as well, not just me.
[If you don’t feed it blood periodically, it develops a mutation that forces it to get that blood on itself ‘by any means necessary.’]
This anomaly would trigger unexplainable mutations and achieve its goal no matter what if it meant getting blood.
…No wonder the atmosphere felt different from usual.
It had clearly interfered with Park So-lim’s mind and guided me into grabbing it.
Moreover, my body had been judged human by the system.
Yet the reason 175 hadn’t reacted to my blood was probably a smokescreen so it could transfer to a host with even tastier blood.
“Popopop…! A-are you okay?!”
Poyu burst out in a panic, but
there was nothing she could actually do either.
If she mishandled 175, my arm would take damage along with it.
“Kh…! So-lim? What do we do about this?!”
“W-wait! This thing can shatter diamond—physically prying it off is impossible!”
Coming to her senses, Park So-lim hurriedly tore open Chris’s blood pack.
Then she poured every last drop onto 175.
She seemed to be trying to calm it by feeding it its original host’s blood.
However.
—Tastes bad. Unpleasant. Comparison made. New host. Best.
It only backfired.
Damn it. At this rate it’ll drain all my blood.
The thing kept sucking blood without pause.
175’s greed was endless.
It drank like a child who’d spotted a delicious snack right in front of it.
I had to make a decision.
“Poyu! Cut my hand off!”
“Popot?!”
“Right now, hurry! I’ll be fine!”
Would it hurt if my wrist was cut? I didn’t have time to hesitate with thoughts like that.
Whatever happened, it was a better option than dying.
And I had the regeneration ability I’d received from Cro.
“F-forgive me…!”
Poyu squeezed her eyes shut and brought her hand-blade down.
—Clang!
With terrible agony, 175 fell away still embedded in my hand.
Drip-drip…!
Blood fountained from my wrist, but only for a moment.
Held ability ‘Supreme Blood’ has completed automatic regeneration!
Proficiency of held ability ‘Supreme Blood’ has risen, slightly increasing Soul Resonance.
Current Soul Resonance: 12 → 13
You have exhausted all daily uses of this held ability.
The Dragon Heart will enter hibernation until the next day.
I safely recovered from the wound and, as if by a lie, obtained a brand-new hand.
Whew, I was worried it would only heal the wound site and leave a stump…
I brushed off the dizzy feeling and approached the thing that was still craving my blood.
—Danger. Plan failed. Not enough blood.
Had drinking my blood yesterday been the trigger that formed affinity?
Its voice had been reaching me continuously for a while now.
Even though its plan had failed, it trembled with anxiety yet still refused to give up my blood.
“You want my blood that badly?”
—Yeah. Can you hear?
“I can hear you.”
—Figures. Crazy bastard. Not human.
Apparently Poyu’s mind-reading ability was letting me converse with this thing as well.
Nothing else made sense.
“Answer me. I asked if you want to keep drinking my blood.”
—Carrot. High-grade blood. Tasty. Need it now.
“Is that any way to treat your host?”
—Blood. Meal. Food. Doesn’t matter.
“If I die you won’t be able to drink anymore. Is that right? Isn’t it better to keep me around long-term?”
—Oh…! G-genius. Smart. Acknowledged.
What the hell is this brat?
Its voice already felt like a little kid’s, but listening to its thoughts, its thinking was way too short.
Preschool-level intelligence, maybe.
—Anyway. Hungry. Blood. Give.
Look at that—I just told it, and we’re back to square one.
It simply craved my blood on pure instinct.
Yet without a user to wield it, it seemed unable to do anything. Until it triggered a mutation the way it had interfered with Park So-lim’s mind just now.
They probably made a special case specifically to prevent these mutations.
Then the method was simple.
“So-lim?”
“Y-yes? What is it?”
“You said this thing hates anomaly blood, right?”
“That’s right. Information I heard directly from Chris.”
Park So-lim answered, frowning as if recalling something unpleasant.
“Why is that?”
“Chris said he didn’t know the details either. It wasn’t like he could talk with it the way you can.”
“So becoming the host doesn’t automatically enable communication.”
“But one thing is certain. Because 175 hates anomaly blood, it generates resistance every time it cuts one, and that apparently makes the critical hits against anomalies even more lethal.”
“I see. A creature with clear likes and dislikes—that actually works in our favor.”
“Pardon? What does?”
“I’ve thought of a way to tame this willful little thing.”
“Is that true? You don’t necessarily have to force yourself to take it—”
“It’s better for you if I become a Hunter, right?”
“Th-that’s…”
I showed a light smile to the hesitating Park So-lim and moved my lips.
“Then I’ll go see Cro for a bit.”
From ancient times, a beating was the answer for a disobedient brat.
Inside Cro’s containment chamber.
—Sizzle…! Sizzle-sizzle!
A savory aroma suddenly filled a space that had only ever repeated horrific experiments of flying blood and flesh.
“Crong…? The smell’s different from yesterday again?!”
“Yesterday was pork. This is beef.”
“Beef! It was definitely not great when I ate it raw?!”
Cro gulped as she stared at the sirloin undergoing the Maillard reaction on the grill.
“That was dairy cow. Don’t tell me you already want to eat?”
“Cro-rong…! The smell’s too good! I want to stuff my face right now!”
“Not yet. You said you hate raw meat now, right?”
“B-but…! This much should be enough, right?!”
“Ah, for you, rare might already be enough?”
Kang Han-sung flipped the meat while soothing Cro.
Behind him sat the special case for 175. Next to it lay a large-animal syringe as well.
[It’s better for you if I become a Hunter, right?]
…He really is a strange person.
Park So-lim was watching everything from the observation room beyond the glass wall.
“Alright, can Poyu help with the feeding?”
“Popopo…? Is that really okay?”
“Meat fed by Mom! Good!”
Having finished grilling the meat, Kang Han-sung left the rest to Poyu and moved over to pick up the syringe.
“Popopo… It’s hot, so eat slowly.”
“Cro’s fine! Waaah—!”
The moment Poyu picked up the meat with tongs, Cro lunged straight at it.
“D-delicious…?! A different taste from pork…!”
As soon as Cro began her meal, Kang Han-sung, as if he’d been waiting for this moment—
—Shunk!
Carefully inserted the needle into Cro’s tail and drew blood.
True to being an undying reptile, she seems pretty dull to that level of pain.
Chomp-chomp!
Perhaps because she was completely absorbed in the beef, drawing the blood didn’t seem to pose any major problem.
Click…!
Having drawn Cro’s blood, Kang Han-sung immediately opened the case containing 175.
And without hesitation—
—Splash!
He poured Cro’s blood into the case.
“I’ll take you out again when you feel like cooperating.”
Click.
With those words, Kang Han-sung firmly shut the case.
—Save me! Sorry! Please! Aaagh!
—I was wrong! Hate it! Fuck! Let me out!
—Right now! Hell!!! I’d rather! Die!
—Please……!!!!!!!!!!
Horrific screams poured from inside the case.
Loud enough to make my head throb.
Way too noisy.
But it was no problem for me.
A day or two should do it?
I could read a target’s inner thoughts as needed, after all.
———.
The moment I turned my attention away, the sound naturally muted.
“Delicious! Delicious!”
“Popopo… Is it that good?”
“Crong! It’s even better because Dad grilled it and Mom fed it to me!”
“Popot…. How cute.”
Only the warm, cheerful sounds reached me naturally.
“Mom, you eat one too!”
“Popot? I’m fine, really?”
“No! Cro wants to feed you!”
When I turned my head, Cro was awkwardly pinching a piece of meat with her blunt front paws and holding it out toward Poyu.
“Aaaah—!”
“Poooo…?”
Faced with Cro’s adorable display, Poyu reluctantly bent at the waist and opened her mouth.
Did she eat meat too? No—come to think of it, she had natto this morning, didn’t she?
I was nodding in rough acceptance when—
“Crong?”
Cro, who had been holding out the meat, suddenly stopped and sniffed the air.
Then she continued with a puzzled expression.
“Mom’s mouth smells like flowers.”
“Popot? What kind of flower…?”
“Night-blooming flower smell!”