My Refrigerator Turned Into A Dungeon
Chapter 366

Electro Rat

When you descend to the 5th underground floor of the mountain dungeon, you'll find Electro Rats—Stunrats—loitering about.

Well, they're the same guys from the 4th floor above. Or rather, the ones here must've climbed up to the 4th floor. By the way, "electric shock" is how you'd write "感電" in English, but that'd make the name too long, and "Shock Rat" doesn't quite hit the mark.

So, taking inspiration from stun guns, we settled on calling them Stunrats.

"Huh, there are ones with such pale colors too."

"In winter, these'd be perfect to wrap around your neck—looks like they'd be nice and warm."

Yep, as Serai-san and the others said, their most distinctive feature is their long, curly fur.

They're so buried in fluffy, poofy fur that you can't even see their eyes or ears—from a distance, you can't even tell which way they're facing. That's right, these basketball-sized furballs are Electro Rats.

Some have the typical wild-animal gray or pheasant patterns, while others come in white or soft pastel shades like purple and pink—quite colorful.

"Hmm, indeed, compared to the coarse, spiky bristles of a giant boar's hide, these'd probably have more demand."

"Mmm, true. Though boar hides do seem perfect for sitting on in winter. The main house is old, so it gets pretty chilly."

Even comparing the giant boar hide we had in storage as a sample to the Electro Rat hide we just got, the rat's fur is clearly way nicer to the touch.

"Oh, looks like another one's coming. Alright, this time let's catch it and observe it more closely."

A white-furred Electro Rat came hopping toward us, so I steadied myself and waited.

"Squeek!"

"Whoa, not so fast. Your shocks won't work on us."

I firmly caught the Electro Rat with both hands as it lunged for my stomach.

I could hear the crackling of it trying to shock me, but the electricity just traveled along the suit's surface and grounded into the dungeon floor. So no matter how much it crackled, I didn't feel even a tingle.

Then, I flipped the caught Electro Rat over.

"...I see. Its hind legs are long, like a kangaroo's. No wonder it's hard to tell. It's a rat, but more like a jumping rodent-type monster."

"Ahh... so that's why it was hard to distinguish. Oh, its tail's pretty long too. The way it's desperately stretching its tail to the ground—maybe it's using it like a grounding wire?"

"Seems so. And look, this long, curly fur seems perfect for storing electricity too."

"Even with regular clothes, static builds up in winter. So this little rat's got a body suited for handling electricity beyond just its skills."

I see. It's the synergy between its skills and physical traits that makes its shock attacks so potent. No wonder Masaru's electric shocks are so weak. Sure, he's got fur all over, but it's not long enough to hold a charge.

Still, threat-wise, the Plague Rats on the 3rd floor of our fridge dungeon are way scarier.

If one of those bites you, who knows what horrible disease you'll catch? And since those guys are so terrifyingly disease-ridden, we've barely studied them.

…….

In the end, we stopped exploring after the 5th floor and returned aboveground.

Partly because we took our time carefully scouting the 5th floor, where a boss-level monster might lurk, but mostly because Nina-san and Serai-san got distracted hunting for skill orbs dropped by the Electro Rats.

We didn't run into a boss, but getting careless could lead to unexpected accidents.

So we decided to head back, and since it was just before sunset, we made it out at a good time. No need to rush—we can take our time tackling the dungeon.

….

After coming down the mountain, we changed into casual clothes in the car and headed to the home improvement store.

We also had to pick up fertilizer for Gramps. Once there, I used the restroom, and when I came back—sure enough—the two were getting hit on like it was as natural as breathing.

"Hey, we don't see girls like you around here often."

"Where're you from? Tokyo, huh?"

(Oh boy, here we go again...)

Two young guys were making moves on Nina-san and Serai-san, who were resting on a bench in front of a vending machine. Seeing the two beauties relaxed and worn out from the dungeon, they must've thought, "This is our chance!"

(Hmm. Well, take my advice and back off. These two can twist a monster's head off barehanded if they see it as prey. They're way out of your league.)

Thinking that, I slowly walked over—but before I could reach them, another young guy rushed in, looking frantic.

"Hey, back off! That's Nemu-san's girlfriend!"

"Wait, not the Michiko one? So this is the girl from that rumor where Nemu-san got dumped?"

"Shut up, dumbass! Say that and Nemu-san'll glare you to death!"

"No way, so Nemu-san's been in a bad mood lately 'cause of this chick?"

"......"

Ah, crap. That "chick" comment was a mistake.

To an outsider, it might not be obvious, but Nina-san's smile just turned into an icy smirk. And the moment Nemu-kun's name came up, Serai-san's expression vanished, like a desert fox...

(Ahh, guys, you've just entered the danger zone. Evacuate. Now.)

Still, Nemu-kun. Either you're well-connected or just have a lot of friends. I keep hearing your name pop up.