Alright, back again for more deliciousness! I've been getting a lot of love from everyone so far, tons of ideas for animals that you could just pick up and tear into, to character ideas ranging from the minor to the REALLY out there. Some of which I'll actually be using in the following chapters as the story progresses! Of course, I'll credit when someone makes something else at the bottom of the chapter, but until that point, I hope you all enjoy this world we're exploring.

Chapter 5: Chillingly Sweet Part 1

OR

Vanilla Ice Has Never Been So Good

It is said, that deep within the depths of the sea, lies a creature like no other. Nestled within a shell as hard as diamond in the pitch black depths, rests a treasure many have tried and failed to acquire, a single pearl as vibrant as a rainbow in the sky. Within this pearl lies a liquid so smooth, so rich and malty that just a single drop can make a man pass out drunk with a smile on his face. Those who can withstand this potent brew however, proudly declare it to be the most delicious alcohol in the world. This, is Dark Depth Oyster Pearl Liqueur!

The Ice Hell, also known as the Frozen Hell, was aptly named. Ignoring the below minus 20 weather even during summer, the blistering winds that cut through the sharp valleys and brought with them shards of pelting ice, the main killers of the place, were also the reason most bothered to travel to it. Its ingredients.

Century Soup, which was eagerly monitored at observation stations for literal centuries just to get a taste or try and replicate its miraculous nature recipe. Great beasts such as Tundra Dragons, Silver Grizzlies, and Growlus that provided massive amounts of high-quality meat and precious fat that kept one feeling warm for days to weeks on end in the frozen environment. Hot and Cold Mushrooms which were some of the few ingredients that actively fed off of or could recreate temperatures, pricelessly useful for travel storage and emergency cooking situations. Even the very snow itself was precious, gathered together to be melted into some of the purest water available in the Human World.

None of those things mattered to me though, not with other Gourmet Hunters and researchers sent by the IGO planning on doing the obvious. No, I was on an expedition for much more specific ingredients, already standing out from the crowd of people prepping their snow gear as I read a novel off to the side, casually dressed in some black cargo pants and t-shirt over a light hoodie, my backpack taking up the seat beside me. The benefits of 'focusing' my Gourmet Cells through my preferences towards hot and cold foods.

For the next week and a half, I would be searching, and experimenting with specifically, Snow-Drop Marshmallow, and, if my luck holds up, some Eternal Glacier Ice. The former was unfortunately common, while the latter was...not rarer, but harder to access.

I say Snow-Drop Marshmallow was unfortunately common because, well...it was particularly deadly. The ingredient itself was a product of its environment, created when a smaller creature native to the Ice Hell, the Sugar Mink, runs over freshly fallen snow, leaving a trail of sugar in its wake that settles into the snow. From there, the snow is mixed too and fro by the blistering winds it exists in until the sugar and ice solidifies, creating a creamy, doughy soft existence that sets among its regular brethren. Normally, such a thing would be a wonderful surprise to whoever finds it, but one must also remember where it is found. Those who run into it expecting or not realizing its not regular snow, would find themselves stuck or caught in the substance, either trapping them completely as the sheer cold of the material seeps into the clothing, or outright suffocating those who try to chew their ways through the sticky substance, to say nothing of nearby predators who seek to use the Marshmallow as their own trap for easy meals. As such, it quickly gained the nickname of 'Icing Quicksand' in the Food Community.

The only reason it was known at all was because it was discovered Hunters could escape by lighting a fire to weaken the marshmallow, before it would toast to a gorgeous browned texture. It also served as a somewhat luxury item used in Sweet Housing as highly effective plasters or molding finishes, right up there with Prime Marzipan.

My plan was to use the Snow-Drop Marshmallow to try and find, then follow, the trails of Sugar Minks to see how they live and if I could successfully bring some back with me to be domesticated, like the Chocolette Squirrels, or Spice Weasel. Plus, well, the Marshmallow itself was worth a fair amount, either to be sold to private contractors or to use ourselves, to say nothing of its sticky delightfulness rivaling a toffee. It could make some amazing mochi, to say nothing of a cheesecake.

As for the Eternal Glacier...it was a bit trickier. Resting directly in the heart of Ice Hell, it was assumed to be the source of ever-present cold assaulting the area, as even getting into its presence risked freezing the blood in ones veins. Even then, attempts done by machine to try and pierce the Glacier had all been met with complete failure, either snapping apart under the extreme temperature and hardened core, or only succeeding at scraping across the surface and shaving off some bits. Those shavings though...

I wanted to try them. I needed, to try them. So I would at least try while I was close.

After getting a quick summarization of that on my paperwork for why I was traveling to the Ice Hell 'To try and capture Sugar Minks, alongside viewing the Eternal Glacier', I was given the standard IGO issued emergency flare, a general map to get to some of the forward bases or emergency supply caches with a note to let the organization know if I used any of them so they can be restocked before I leave, and signed the boiler plate that I would agree to be help accountable for any endangerment or illegal poaching attempts to the fullest extent of the law while in their territory, which, given the options, generally amounted to a bullet to the head and a meal for the Ice Jaguars. They didn't fuck around if you tried to hunt Wall Penguins or Twelve-Coloured Eels.

Then, we were let free to roam a frozen wasteland full of opportunity. A vast majority simply got on the shuttle heading for the main camp, but I was among the few simply breathing in the biting air, enjoying the feel of wind on my face even as I licked away at a fistful of fresh snow topped with some Honey Syrup I brought with me for a quick snack. A normal person would be covered in goosebumps and probably well on their way to a slow death of hypothermia, but this was as refreshing as a summer day to me. So, without further ado, I set out, leaving a trail that the falling snow was already at work to erase.

END OF CHAPTER

Here we go! First actual 'arc' of my story! And, as a heads up, this story will NOT be retreading or generally interacting with canon. This fic is dedicated towards the world itself and the wonders that inhabit it, and as much fun as the Shonen escalation is, I think the whole story works better as a place filled with zany but delicious creatures with even stranger hunters trying to eat them. So strap yourselves in, prepare your lap napkins, and grab your drool guards because we're just getting started. Plus, with this 'arc', I promise you'll get a peak at my Full Course Menu! Or at least what I have of it so far. Until that point, keep on pouring that love! It never fails to make me smile when I see all of you wracking your brains for wonderfully tasty ingredients or characters for us to sink our teeth into.

I'll be back with more in a short while, maybe today, maybe tomorrow, we'll see how I feel once I eat. Writing about food makes you hungry, who woulda guessed?