The Rabbit That Melts Like Ice Cream

Waiting Room (5). This... is food, right?

An unfamiliar shape, unfamiliar sheen, and unfamiliar color.

I stared at that thing on the plate, embodying the holy trinity of strangeness, lost in thought.

First off, is this even a rabbit?

How? Where?

Even if it's a part of one, isn't it way too big...?

What part, exactly...?

Stop.

I need to quit thinking.

Doubt and anxiety are like embers—they only grow bigger the more fuel you give them.

A fork and knife neatly placed beside the plate.

Thank goodness these look familiar.

If the cutlery was alien too, the cultural shock might've made me skip tasting it altogether.

Guess I should cut into it... right?

I picked up the knife and lightly pressed it into the purple rabbit—no, the Space Rabbit Roast.

Squelch.

Can "roast" and "squelch" coexist? Must be some cosmic loophole.

My 50 Cron investment let out a sound no meat should make as it sliced smoothly.

Damn it. Should've asked the community...

Anyway, I managed to cut off a piece about two finger-widths big.

A jiggling chunk of meat, like pudding.

If they're selling it, it can't be inedible.

Some people must love it.

My Cold-Blooded skill was ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠operating smoothly as ever today.

Eyes shut tight, I popped it into my mouth... Huh?

The squelchy texture melted on my tongue like premium ice cream.

As it reached the core, the mushiness turned chewy, pleasantly pushing against my firm teeth.

Umami and sweetness that didn't exist on Earth flooded my mouth in ecstasy.

A few chews later, my esophagus greedily dragged the morsel down to my stomach.

Delicious.

You guys were hoarding this?

100 Cron can buy a health potion to save your life.

It can revive someone on the brink of death or restore a body melted by poison rain.

But who cares?

That money buys two Space Rabbit Roasts.

This is a blessing from a billion dimensions, the ultimate joy for us sword-swingers in this white cube.

I savored each remaining piece, marveling again and again.

This is a gourmet experience? Incredibly satisfying.

Can I really feel this bliss for just 50 Cron?

This aftertaste...

I want to share it with everyone.

Mixed reactions, huh.

Foolish mortals who haven't tasted this...

It's been a while since I posted something.

Even if it's just text, eating something delicious and connecting like this feels good.

What started half as a joke about a rest day actually felt like a real holiday.

My eyes naturally relaxed.

Selendia and Selin's faces came to mind.

Eldwin elves... Pretty old post...

They've been using mercs as shields like this for a while, huh...

I wonder if they're following the builds I suggested.

A few earth mages would shut that nonsense down...

And save Cron too.

Karnat is assassin-friendly, sure.

Starting with me...

Anyway, that username looks familiar.

"You grow up in back alleys or ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠what lol? Wanna raid your fort?"

Oh, that guy.

Got it.

Feels good after so long.

I lost track of time scrolling.

Saw stuff like this too.

And stuff like this.

I wrapped up browsing casually.

Sent Lena a fitting reply and advice for her Consultation Contract message, prepping for a sudden summon.

With praise too.

Finished all backlog, and then a summon alert blinked in front of me...

Huh?

Not a summon?

Holy shit. Lena.

Since Edinfelt, how many battlefields had passed?

How many messages had I sent?

Finally, the rank-up I'd been waiting for.

"Ha... haha!"

Laughter slipped out.

Even B Rank takes most people three years.

How much longer for A Rank?

Only ten Hero Grade mercs exist—maybe A Rank is just as rare.

It was a midterm goal, but I'd subconsciously shelved it, figuring it'd happen eventually.

No point rushing.

Guess stuffing tactics into Lena via messages paid off. Steadily, relentlessly.

Heh heh heh...

I'd already snagged Blood Spray, Super Recovery, and ghost-slaying assassin skills through weird means.

But the thrill of ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠buying real skills for real...

Countless upgrade plans flashed through my mind.

Can't get dragged to the battlefield without checking or bragging first.

Summons always hit at times like this.

Quick, open the shop—skills tab...

Hm?

Like gear, skills rotate in sets of five, it seems.

As I hovered my hand, a small tooltip popped below—thankfully.

Ah, got it.

Four-digit base prices make the shop nicer, huh.

Anyway, 9,000 Cron for air mobility.

Useful, but that price...

My "Black Lightning" nickname came from sky drops anyway.

Do I really need to hover?

If it let me double-jump mid-air, maybe.

For now, skip and check rotation.

Not my top priority anyway—no big loss.

Nothing worth buying, so my eyes went to the italicized duo.

Sold out?

Hovered over Onyx Flame.

Even worse than sold out.

Physical units like me use stamina, it seems.

No mana pool means no magic skills.

That's why the three potions work that way.

Can't learn magic...

Kinda sad.

No backdoor hacks?

Blood Spear is magic-ish.

{Huh? What's up?}

Even triggers keyword alerts for Blood Spear...

{You know about mana?}

{Of course! I'm basically a mage!}

{What spells can you use?}

{Turning into a bat!}

{...Right.}

Now I know exactly why I got Blood Spear. Pointless info.

Was wondering when it'd come.

But it's fine.

Got good rest, replied, browsed shop post-rank-up.

Battlefield info...

Magic tower?

High chance it's a mage battlefield.

...Probably?

They named it a magic tower, so not some "magic lol" placeholder.

Then...

Only one reason bookworms summon me.

Mages aren't idiots.

They want to use me.

Perfect.

I surrendered to the pouring white light.

If I play it right, I might snag another harvest.

Maybe several.