Kyle Sundara. He was an ordinary teenager living in the year 2125, in a world that had forgotten nature.
The Earth was suffocating. Skyscrapers of steel and glass soared high, blocking out the sun. Forests, rivers, and grasslands... the homes of animals... had long since disappeared, displaced by infrastructure and an unstoppable human population.
In this era, animals were a luxury, a nearly extinct bedtime story.
His grandfather was one of the few pure-hearted people left. He dedicated his entire fortune to one thing: gathering the remnants of Earth's animals and building a zoo.
It wasn't just his grandfather's zoo; all the remaining zoos in the world were always overcrowded. Ironic. In a world that had destroyed the wild, visiting these places was the only way for people to see the true form of a deer, an elephant, or a tiger.
Today, as usual, Kyle Sundara was at the deer enclosure. He was stroking the neck of a doe that had just recovered from an illness.
"I wish you could run in a forest, Rumi," he whispered. The deer just looked at him with its big, calm brown eyes.
"Hey, Kyle Sundara! Talking to the deer again?"
The cheerful voice belonged to Rakai, his best friend. He jumped over the barrier, something that would have made the security guards panic if they had seen him.
Rakai was Kyle Sundara's opposite; he lived for technology, the latest gadgets, and the bustle of the city.
"It's rare to see you here," Kyle Sundara said with a smile. "What's up?"
"I'm here to get you out of here!" Rakai clapped him on the back. "Let's play a game."
Kyle Sundara frowned. "A game? You know I rarely play games."
"Ah, this one's different!" Rakai's eyes sparkled. "It's called 'Beastverse Online.' The newest VRMMORPG. And I know why you'll love it... this game is full of unique 'animals'! Not just skeleton monsters or goblins. I saw creatures that look like horses but with wings, giant turtles, and many more. The world is still wild, Kyle Sundara. Still natural!"
That one word 'natural' struck a chord in Kyle Sundara's heart. A world where 'animals' still roamed free.
He finally trusted his best friend. That very afternoon, Kyle Sundara spent his savings to buy the latest VR unit and download 'Beastverse Online'.
When he first logged in, he was greeted by a confusing interface. [PLEASE CHOOSE YOUR JOB]
A list of jobs appeared in front of him: Warrior, Mage, Archer, Priest... Kyle Sundara, who had never played a game, felt dizzy.
He began to read the short descriptions under each job.
[Warrior: An expert in close-quarters combat, using brutal strength...] [Mage: A master of the elements, destroying enemies from afar...]
He shook his head. They were all about fighting and killing. That wasn't why he was here.
He remembered why Rakai had invited him: "unique animals" and "a world that is still natural."
He kept scrolling down the list until he found one job that was different.
[Summoner: An adventurer capable of forging bonds with monsters and beasts, calling them to fight as loyal companions.]
Kyle Sundara's eyes were fixed on the phrase "forging bonds." This was it. The only choice that didn't seem to focus solely on destruction.
This was the only job that gave him a chance to interact with the 'animals' of this world.
Without hesitation, he chose 'Summoner'. The next second, his world changed.
He was no longer standing in his cramped room. He was standing in a grassy plain that stretched as far as the eye could see.
The sky was a clear blue, bluer than anything he had ever seen on Earth.
Buildings in the distance looked like castles from a fairy tale. He was spellbound.
"So? Cool, right?" Rakai suddenly appeared beside him, already wearing cool leather armor.
"I'm already level 12. Come on, I'll help you level up. We're going to the 'Giant Rabbit' dungeon!"
Kyle Sundara was glad to have a guide. Otherwise, he would have just stood there, dazed like a lost child.
They entered a glowing white gate. The scenery changed to a darker, gloomier grassland.
And that's where Kyle Sundara saw it. The 'Rabbit'. He was shocked. His mind had pictured the cute white bunnies from his grandfather's zoo.
This one... was completely different. It was the size of a small bear. Its fur was matted and pitch black. Small horns protruded from its head, its teeth were sharp, and its eyes glowed red with sharp vertical pupils.
"Charge!" Rakai shouted, leading the other party members who were already waiting for him.
Without hesitation, Rakai lunged forward with his sword. Magic exploded, steel clashed. Kyle Sundara could only watch, frozen in place.
The rabbits shrieked... it sounded incredibly painful. This wasn't a hunt. It was a cruel slaughter.
After the fight was over and the monsters had vanished into particles of light, Kyle Sundara gathered the courage to approach Rakai.
"Kai... can you... not hurt them... it's pitiful," he said quietly.
Suddenly, a man in heavy armor in Rakai's party burst out laughing.
"Hahaha! That's hilarious! Hey Rakai, what kind of loser did you bring here? Feeling sorry for monsters?"
Kyle Sundara looked down in shame. His face grew hot.
"Shut up, you!" Rakai snapped at the man, before finally turning to Kyle Sundara with a gentler look.
"It's okay, Kyle Sundara. Don't confuse animals with monsters. These are monsters. If we don't attack, they'll attack us. Besides," he patted Kyle Sundara's shoulder, "it's just a game, it's not real."
Kyle Sundara looked up, forcing a smile. "Alright... you're right."
But his heart still felt heavy. He knew it was just a game. He knew they were just data. But seeing them slaughtered for no reason other than to "level up"... it felt wrong.
"Is there... no other way?"
His inner voice came out in a low tone, quieter than a whisper. But it seemed 'someone' heard him.
Suddenly, a transparent notification window appeared in front of him, visible only to him.
[Do you wish to save the monsters?] Kyle Sundara was startled. What kind of question is that? he thought.
"If I can... yes, I do," he answered firmly.
The notification window immediately changed. [Hidden Job "MOTHER OF MONSTER" has been triggered.] [Do you wish to accept?] ["YES" / "NO"]
Kyle Sundara frowned. "Mother of Monster? But I'm a man."
[Risk: DEATH] [Reward: ???? (Will be known after accepting)]
Kyle Sundara's eyes were fixed on the word (DEATH). "That's a scary risk," he thought. But a second later, he remembered Rakai's words.
"...why be scared, it's just a game, you can just respawn." If that's the case, what's there to doubt?
He pressed the [YES] button.
The world around him seemed to tear apart. The grassland vanished. Rakai and his party froze.
Kyle Sundara was pulled through a tunnel of light, and a second later, he landed in a dimly lit cave room.
In front of him... was another rabbit. But this one was vastly different.
It was twice the size of the ones outside, its fur a soft, glowing silver-white.
It had large, majestic horns. It didn't look monstrous; it looked... regal.
The creature slowly approached Kyle Sundara. He just stood still, terrified.
"God, it's huge... what is it going to do?"
When it arrived right in front of him, the majestic creature bowed its head.
A voice echoed in Kyle Sundara's mind, gentle and full of despair.
"Please save us, Sir."
Somehow, he understood its language.
CRASH!
The stone door at the back of the room burst open. Rakai and his party stormed in.
"Geez, Kyle! You disappeared mysteriously, and now you're suddenly in the boss room!" Rakai exclaimed, bewildered.
In that instant, his eyes locked onto the silver rabbit standing near Kyle Sundara.
His gamer instincts immediately took over.
"Hey, Kyle! Get away from there!" he shouted, raising his sword and running towards Kyle Sundara.
The boss rabbit saw Rakai charging with his sword drawn. Thinking Rakai was going to hurt him, the rabbit reacted.
With a swift motion, it kicked... pushed... Kyle Sundara backward, sending him rolling away from danger.
But Rakai saw it differently. He saw the boss monster just "attack" his friend.
"YOU BASTARD!" Rakai roared, his anger exploding. "HOW DARE YOU HURT MY FRIEND!"
The battle was brief. Rakai, whose level was much higher, unleashed his fury to "protect me."
Kyle Sundara could only scream "No!" as Rakai's sword slashed the boss's neck.
The silver-white creature looked at Kyle Sundara one last time, its large eyes filled with sorrow.
Then, it vanished into particles of light.
Rakai ran over to Kyle Sundara, his sword disappearing. "Are you okay, Kyle?" he asked, full of genuine concern.
Kyle couldn't answer. He just stared at the spot where the boss rabbit had been.
A moment later, they were all teleported out of the dungeon. Two system notification windows appeared. One for Rakai and his party.
The other, just for Kyle.
[Rakai & Party Notification]: [Congratulations on clearing the "Giant Rabbit" dungeon! Reward: 500 Gold. Exp: 10,000]
[Kyle Sundara's Notification]: [You have FAILED to defend the "Giant Rabbit" dungeon.]
Kyle Sundara stared at the screen, numb. Then, one more line of text appeared below it.
A sentence that hit him harder than the rabbit's kick.
[Giant Rabbit Race: EXTINCT.]