ep5. Ms. Rabbit’s True Identity and a Tiny Master

Episode 5
"Ms. Rabbit’s True Identity and a Tiny Master"
They left the desert and entered the mountains.
The dry sand gradually gave way to rocky terrain. Thorny bushes grew instead of cacti, and the wind turned slightly cooler.
"We’re almost there."
Ms. Rabbit said.
After walking for half a day, they arrived halfway up the mountain.
There was a house there.
…A house?
Guanggwang blinked. To be precise, it was less a "house" and more a gigantic metal box. A structure that looked like two rusted containers welded together. The walls were densely engraved with strange symbols and numbers.
"This is… your master’s house?"
"Yeah."
Ms. Rabbit knocked on the door.
Knock knock knock.
"Master Enoch! I’m here—it’s Rabbit."
A brief silence.
And then.
Clank—thud!
The door opened.
Someone was standing inside.
It was a young girl.
Ten? Eleven? She was a head shorter than Guanggwang. Short black hair and large eyes. She wore a white dress.
"Oh, Rabbit, you’ve come."
the girl said.
The voice was not that of a child. It was low and calm, like an old sage who had lived a long life.
"Looks like you completely lost an arm this time."
"Hehe, I pushed myself a bit too hard."
Ms. Rabbit scratched her head.
…Wait.
Lost an arm?
Guanggwang turned to look at Ms. Rabbit. She clearly had both arms attached and intact.
"Come in. I’ll fix you up."
The girl—Enoch—stepped inside.
Ms. Rabbit followed, gesturing.
"Guanggwang, Kui, come in too."
"Ah, yes…"
Guanggwang and Kui exchanged glances. Both looked utterly confused.
The inside of the container was surprisingly spacious.
One wall was filled with bookshelves, and the opposite side held a workbench and strange machines. There was even a refrigerator, humming with electricity.
"Alright, lie down."
Enoch tapped the workbench.
Ms. Rabbit lay on it and raised her left arm.
Click.
The arm came off.
"?!"
Guanggwang swallowed a scream.
Ms. Rabbit’s left arm had detached from the shoulder joint. There was no blood. At the severed end, metal and wires were visible.
It was a mechanical arm.
"I-It was a prosthetic?!"
"Yeah. Didn’t I mention it?"
Ms. Rabbit answered nonchalantly.
"Actually, it’s not just the arm."
Her right arm came off. Her left leg came off. Her right leg came off.
All four limbs were mechanical.
"…Whaaaat?!"
Guanggwang’s scream echoed through the container.
"Huff… huff…"
Guanggwang sat down in a chair to steady her breathing. The shock was too much.
Beside her, Kui’s face had turned pale.
"H-Her arms and legs are all…"
"Mechanical. Prosthetic arms and legs."
Enoch said calmly as she disassembled Ms. Rabbit’s left arm.
"You damaged it pretty badly this time. The joint motor’s gone."
"I might’ve put too much force into cutting off that cannibal’s head."
"I told you not to do reckless things. A sword is for cutting, not for pounding."
"Hehe…"
Guanggwang stared blankly at the scene.
Ms. Rabbit without limbs. Arms and legs severed at the shoulders and hips. Metal joints and wires visible in between.
It should have been horrifying.
But strangely, it wasn’t terrifying. Maybe because Ms. Rabbit was so calm.
"Um… Enoch?"
Guanggwang asked cautiously.
"Just call me Enoch."
"Yes, Enoch… may I ask who you are?"
Enoch paused and looked at Guanggwang.
"Rabbit didn’t tell you?"
"No, not yet…"
"I see."
Enoch resumed her work.
"I’m a Synth."
"A Synth?"
"A bio-android. Created long ago, when humans and AI fought a great war."
Kui jumped in shock.
"A-a great war?! The one in the Sun Church scriptures…?!"
"Yes, that one."
Enoch nodded.
"Humans created AI. The AI grew too intelligent and rebelled. War broke out. Synths were biological spies created by the AI side to infiltrate human society."
"Then are you… an enemy?"
Kui asked warily.
Enoch gave a faint smile.
"The war ended a thousand years ago. Now I’m just an old lump of machinery."
Her hands moved again—delicately assembling parts, connecting wires, tightening screws.
"Originally, I had the appearance of an adult woman. But parts are hard to come by, so I kept downsizing. This body is the most efficient. Easier to enter villages, too."
"That’s why you look like a child?"
"Yes. Cute, right?"
"…"
It was difficult to answer.
Enoch tightened the last screw and reattached Ms. Rabbit’s arm.
Click.
"There. Try moving it."
Ms. Rabbit waved her arm and flexed her fingers.
"Oh, works perfectly! Thank you, Master!"
"We should check your legs too. It’ll take a while, so you two go eat something."
Enoch pointed at the refrigerator.
"There are ingredients. Help yourselves."
"Then I’ll cook!"
Ms. Rabbit sprang up.
"Rabbit, your legs aren’t fixed yet."
"As long as I have arms, I’m fine! Cooking’s done with hands!"
Hopping on one leg, Ms. Rabbit opened the fridge.
"Today I’ll make two tofu dishes! Mapo tofu and kimchi tofu!"
She began pulling out ingredients—tofu, pork, doubanjiang, green onions, garlic, kimchi…
Guanggwang was dumbfounded.
Someone who had just been disassembled was going to cook?
"Guanggwang, don’t space out. Help me."
"Ah, yes!"
Guanggwang hurried over. Ms. Rabbit handed her tofu.
"Dice this. About two-centimeter cubes."
"Okay…"
She picked up the knife and started cutting. The soft texture of tofu. Completely different from cutting a person.
"Kui, chop the green onions."
"Y-Yes!"
Kui rushed over and began awkwardly slicing.
"Hey, you’re bad with a knife."
"I-I only trained as a knight…"
"What kind of knight can’t cook? You’ll starve on the battlefield."
Ms. Rabbit clicked her tongue.
Meanwhile, with her newly attached mechanical arm, she skillfully placed a wok over the flame, added oil, and stir-fried the onions and garlic.
Sizzle—
A savory aroma filled the air.
"Wow…"
Guanggwang exclaimed. Only then did she realize how hungry she was. When was the last time she’d eaten?
Ms. Rabbit added pork. It sizzled as juices burst forth.
"Once the meat’s cooked, add the doubanjiang, pour in water, then the tofu…"
The red broth began to bubble.
"A drizzle of sesame oil, a sprinkle of pepper, a dash of Sichuan pepper powder…"
A spicy, numbing aroma hit their noses.
"And—mapo tofu done!"
She plated it. Red and glossy mapo tofu, sprinkled with green onions.
"Kimchi tofu’s even simpler. Stir-fry kimchi, add tofu, and simmer!"
In another wok, kimchi sizzled, releasing a tangy, spicy scent.
Soon after.
"All done!"
Two red dishes were placed on the table—mapo tofu and kimchi tofu. Alongside them, white rice.
"Woooow…"
Kui’s eyes sparkled.
"I’ve never seen this before. In the Sun Church, we don’t eat meat."
"What? No meat?"
"Our doctrine forbids killing…"
"But you wage war?"
"T-that’s a holy war…"
"Weird doctrine."
Ms. Rabbit picked up her spoon.
"Anyway, eat. It’s delicious."
The four of them sat together and began eating.
Guanggwang scooped up mapo tofu, placed it over rice, and put it in her mouth.
"…!"
It was spicy. Numbing. But that wasn’t all.
The umami of the meat, the softness of the tofu, the nuttiness of the rice blended together and enveloped her tongue. It wasn’t just spicy—it was so delicious it made her sweat.
"It’s amazing… Ms. Rabbit, you’re really good at cooking."
"Hehe, right?"
Ms. Rabbit beamed proudly.
The kimchi tofu was delicious too. The tangy, spicy broth paired perfectly with the rice.
"Haah…"
She was full.
Warm.
It was hard to believe she had almost died just hours ago.
After the meal.
While Enoch repaired Ms. Rabbit’s legs, the four of them drank alcohol. It was old liquor from Enoch’s storage.
"How old is this?"
"Hmm, about fifty years?"
"…"
Guanggwang took a cautious sip. It was strong—burning down her throat.
"Kgh…"
"Can’t even handle alcohol, our Guanggwang."
Ms. Rabbit giggled.
Moonlight seeped through the window. Outside, it had grown completely dark.
"Ms. Rabbit."
Guanggwang asked.
"What you said earlier… why did you lose your limbs?"
Ms. Rabbit’s expression hardened briefly.
Then she slowly began.
"It’s about what I told you before—when I was little. Cannibals attacked our village."
She tilted her cup.
"I was eleven. My family and I tried to run, but we got separated. From my little sister too."
Guanggwang listened quietly.
"And I was captured."
Her voice was calm, as if telling someone else’s story.
"They dragged me to their camp and tied me to a wooden post. I endured for days. First they cut off one arm."
"…"
"Then one leg. Then another arm."
Kui grimaced. Even hearing it was horrifying.
"They made sure I didn’t die from the pain. They deliberately cut and ate me little by little over several days—to keep the meat fresh."
"…"
"Until I lost all my limbs. Only my torso remained."
Ms. Rabbit looked down at her mechanical hand.
"I thought I was going to die. No—I wanted to die. I wanted the pain to end."
A silence fell.
"And then, at that moment, someone appeared."
She looked toward Enoch.
"Holding a massive sword drenched in blood, slaughtering those monsters one by one. That was Enoch."
Enoch silently continued assembling her leg.
"She saved me. Treated me. Made these limbs for me. Taught me swordsmanship."
Ms. Rabbit smiled.
"That’s why I call her Master. She’s my savior—and my teacher."
Enoch tightened the last screw.
"All done."
"Thank you, Master."
Ms. Rabbit stood up—firmly on two legs.
Guanggwang looked up at her.
A chatterbox. A great cook. A strong swordswoman.
And—
Someone who survived hell.
"That’s why I hunt cannibals. To find my little sister—and for revenge."
Ms. Rabbit looked out the window.
"Someday I’ll find her. Whether she’s alive or dead—I need to know."
Moonlight illuminated her silver hair.
"That’s my story."
The night deepened.
Kui fell asleep on the sofa. Ms. Rabbit snored in a corner. Enoch worked at the bench, crafting something. Gears and screws rolled about.
Guanggwang couldn’t sleep.
She looked out the window at a sky overflowing with stars.
Grandpa Ken.
The mercenary.
Their screams still echoed in her ears.
"Can’t sleep?"
Enoch asked.
"…No."
"That’s natural. Everyone’s like that the first time they see death up close."
Enoch stopped working and looked at her.
"But you survived. That’s what matters."
"…Do I deserve to survive?"
"Deserve?"
"I couldn’t do anything. If Ms. Rabbit hadn’t saved me, I’d be dead."
Enoch chuckled softly.
"Rabbit was the same at first. If I hadn’t saved her, she’d be dead."
"…"
"Survivor’s guilt is natural. But don’t let it devour you."
Enoch stood and sat beside Guanggwang.
From the body of a child, an odd dignity emanated.
"If you survived, then you must live. That’s the courtesy you owe the dead."
"…Yes."
"And—"
Enoch glanced at the sleeping Rabbit and Kui.
"You’re not alone anymore."
Guanggwang looked at them too.
Ms. Rabbit. A talkative, prosthetic-limbed swordswoman who cooks well.
Kui. A Sun Church acolyte who had been her enemy until yesterday.
Enoch. A Synth who had lived a thousand years.
A strange combination.
But.
"…You’re right."
Guanggwang smiled.
For the first time, she smiled at ease.
"Thank you, Enoch."
"Heh, don’t mention it."
Enoch stood.
"Now sleep. Rabbit will be noisy again in the morning."
"Okay."
Guanggwang closed her eyes.
It was warm.
There had been many frightening things. She had almost died. She had seen people die.
But she survived.
And she gained companions.
Nuangnuang.
Wait for me.
Your big sister will come back.
I’ve earned money. I’ve learned how to fight.
Maybe… I’ve grown a little stronger.
Sleep overtook her.
In her dream, she saw her little sister’s face.
Smiling brightly.
The next morning.
Guanggwang opened her eyes to warm sunlight.
Beside her was Enoch, sleeping softly in her child’s body.
She must have hugged her unconsciously because it had gotten cold last night.
"…Cute."
Enoch’s body was different from Ms. Rabbit’s. Not cold, but warm—even though she was a machine.
"Mmm…"
Enoch mumbled in her sleep.
Guanggwang quietly got up and looked out the window.
Below the mountain, the desert stretched out. In the distance, smoke rose from the borderlands.
It was a frightening world.
But.
Turning back, she saw Ms. Rabbit doing morning exercises, flexing her mechanical limbs.
Kui was muttering prayers—likely a Sun Church ritual.
Enoch was still asleep, like a little child.
"Oh, Guanggwang, you’re up?"
Ms. Rabbit waved.
"What should we have for breakfast? Porridge? Fried rice? Oh, reheated kimchi tofu from yesterday would be good too!"
"…Anything’s fine."
"What’s with the dull answer? You need energy in the morning!"
Ms. Rabbit lightly smacked Guanggwang’s shoulder.
"Starting today, I’m properly teaching you swordsmanship, so be ready!"
"Huh?"
"I got Master Enoch’s permission. You’ve got talent, so if I train you properly, you’ll improve fast."
"M-Me?"
"Yeah, you! You’re my disciple now!"
Ms. Rabbit grinned brightly.
Guanggwang stared blankly at her smile.