Depression and rabbits

"What are you doing, Master?" Sylphie asked curiously, tilting her head as Zane knelt on the forest floor.

"I'm creating a trap," Zane replied confidently, laying out the materials Sylphie had gathered. "So all we have to do is just sit and—"

Before he could finish, his eyes widened, and he froze mid-sentence. A faint, glowing black screen appeared in front of him, floating in the air like some kind of holographic miracle.

"Vista? Is that you, my love?" Zane suddenly shouted, his expression a mix of joy and disbelief.

"Master?" Sylphie blinked, thoroughly confused.

"Can't you see it? Of course, you can't." Zane waved a dismissive hand. "This is what we called privileges back home."

"Oh dear lord," he continued, suddenly clasping his hands in prayer. "I've never been a believer, but now I'll be sure to worship your holiness once a da—a week!"

Zane dropped to his knees, fervently mumbling prayers to the heavens while Sylphie stared at him like he'd completely lost it.

"Is this a side effect from the fall?" Sylphie murmured to herself, glancing around nervously.

But Zane ignored her, his focus entirely on the screen. "Oh, my dear system," he said reverently. "Why don't you show me my stats? My items? My gifts? Do I hunt monsters, or do I chop some trees to get a skill?"

The screen remained blank except for one glaring black square in the middle.

"System?" Zane called, his tone slightly less enthusiastic. "Hello?"

Nothing.

"..."

"Don't tell me it's just you, Vista?" he muttered, his excitement draining rapidly.

The black screen continued to glare at him as if to say, If I'm not good enough for you, go die alone.

Seeing Zane slump forward in utter despair, Sylphie hesitated before cautiously asking, "Are you okay, Master?"

"Yes," Zane replied flatly. "If by okay, you mean the kind of okay where you discover the one thing you've been praying for is a complete disappointment."

Sylphie's concerned expression deepened. "...Is it the soup? Should I make more bark soup?"

"No, Sylphie!" Zane snapped, throwing his arms up. "It's not the soup—it's my so-called system!" He groaned, rubbing his temples. "If I had known I'd end up with just Vista, I'd have made sure to upgrade it properly back home. But nooo, I had to spend all my resources on that stupid coffee maker that exploded."

As if in defiance of his despair, the screen suddenly shifted. When Zane touched one of the sticks, it appeared on the screen like magic, glowing faintly in a 3D representation.

"Ah!" Zane's mood flipped like a switch. "So it works like this now..."

He began eagerly touching each of the trap materials—string, sticks, and a sapling branch. With a finger, he dragged and positioned them into the shape of the trap on the simulation screen. Once everything was in place, he pressed a glowing button labeled Run Simulation.

The screen flickered, and text appeared:

Simulation Running...

Simulation Complete: 100%...

Success rate: 100%...

Invention Saved!

Mass Production Available!

Cost: 5 Mana Points per Trap!

Zane sat back, nodding to himself like a genius who had just unlocked the mysteries of the universe. "I get it! I totally get it!"

But then his expression darkened as he read the words again. "Wait a second..."

"The fuck do you mean mass production? When did you get that feature? Do you... do you mass produce food?" he asked, suddenly hopeful.

He grabbed a nearby wild berry and touched it to the screen, waiting eagerly for it to register. Nothing happened.

"It's just useless!" Zane yelled, throwing the berry aside in frustration. "And what the hell do you mean mana points! If I had MP, I'd be leaping over these trees with joy, you idiot!"

He looked up at the sky—the same sky he had so humbly prayed to moments earlier—and stretched out his middle finger. "I take it all back, you assholes!"

Sylphie gasped. "Master, you mustn't insult the heavens!"

"Yeah, yeah," Zane muttered, shaking his head like a disappointed parent. His enthusiasm thoroughly deflated, he began setting up the trap manually, following the layout he had created on Vista.

Sylphie watched him work, her concern slowly morphing into curiosity. "Are you okay now, Master?"

"Never better," Zane replied dryly. "If depression counts as a state of peak mental clarity." He finished positioning the trap and stood up, brushing dirt from his knees. "Alright. Now we wait."

Sylphie clapped her hands, smiling brightly. "You're amazing, Master! I'm sure we'll catch lots of rabbits with your incredible invention!"

"Is it that good?"

Sylphie nodded, "I have obviously seen better traps but never something so crude, but it's the first thing master has ever made with his own hand-"

"I get it!"

Zane sighed, folding his arms as he stared at the trap. "For both our sakes, Sylphie, I really hope so. Otherwise, it's back to tree bark soup—and this time, I'm adding cyanide to the recipe."

The two waited patiently. And patiently, they did.

If patience was a virtue, Zane would've been a penniless sinner, completely bankrupt in the spiritual bank of waiting. Sitting on a rock with his chin in his hand, he tapped his foot against the ground, muttering to himself about how he should've added Wi-Fi to Vista when he had the chance.

Sylphie, in contrast, stood perfectly still beside him, a serene smile on her face as though waiting for rabbits was the highlight of her week.

"Do you always have this much fun, Sylphie?" Zane asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Yes, Master!" she replied earnestly.

Zane sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. Just as he was about to yell in frustration and declare the entire venture a waste of time, a nearby bush began to shake.

He froze, his annoyance instantly replaced by a sharp focus. "Sylphie," he whispered, motioning for her to stay still.

From the trembling bush, not one but three rabbits hopped out, their grey fur blending perfectly with the shadows of the forest. They were slightly larger than the rabbits back home, but otherwise, they looked... normal.

Zane squinted, half-expecting fangs or glowing red eyes, but they seemed harmless enough. They sniffed at the air, their twitching noses scanning the ground for food.

"Finally," Zane muttered, sitting up straight. "Let's see how this trap works."

The rabbits edged closer to the trap, their beady eyes fixated on the bait—a few fresh clover leaves Sylphie had found nearby. The tension in the air was palpable as Zane and Sylphie held their breath, waiting for the moment of truth.

One of the rabbits—a particularly plump one—hopped directly onto the noose of the trap, lured by the clover. As soon as its tiny paw disturbed the trigger stick, the mechanism sprang to life.

The bent sapling, previously anchored by the toggle stick, snapped upright with incredible force, pulling the noose tight around the rabbit's hind legs. The poor creature let out a startled squeak as it was yanked upward, dangling harmlessly but securely in the air.

"Gotcha!" Zane exclaimed, leaping to his feet with a triumphant grin.

Sylphie clapped her hands, practically bouncing with excitement. "You did it, Master! You caught one!"

The other two rabbits bolted, disappearing into the underbrush as if they'd seen a ghost.

"Yeah, yeah, run away," Zane muttered, waving after them. "Tell your friends about the genius inventor who outsmarted you."

He approached the captured rabbit, inspecting it closely. It flailed its legs slightly but didn't appear injured—just confused and indignant.

"Well, look at you," Zane said, crossing his arms. "You're a plump little thing, aren't you? Bet you'll make a decent stew."

Sylphie gasped, her hands flying to her mouth. "Master, you're going to eat it?"

Zane stared at her, his eyebrow twitching. "Sylphie, we've been eating tree bark soup. If this rabbit knew, it would volunteer itself for the pot."

"But it's so cute," Sylphie said, her voice tinged with hesitation.

"Cute doesn't fill an empty stomach," Zane replied, kneeling down to unhook the sapling and carefully lowering the rabbit to the ground. It struggled briefly but couldn't escape the noose.

He stood up, holding the squirming rabbit by the scruff of its neck. "One down," he said, nodding to himself. "Now, let's see if we can catch a few more. I'm thinking stew, roasted rabbit, maybe even some rabbit jerky if we get enough."

Sylphie frowned but nodded. "If you think it's best, Master..."

"I don't think—it is best," Zane replied, resetting the trap with practiced efficiency. "Now let's see if these rabbits are stupid enough to fall-"

The rabbit suddenly let out a piercing, high-pitched scream, sharper and louder than the startled squeak it had made before. The sound echoed through the forest, making Zane wince and nearly drop the squirming creature.

"What the—" Zane started, turning his attention back to the rabbit. For the first time, he got a proper look at it.

Its once-innocent eyes now gleamed with a ferocious, almost predatory glint. The rabbit's mouth opened slightly, revealing sharp, unnaturally pointed teeth.

"Uh, Sylphie?" Zane's voice wavered, and he turned to see her face, which had gone pale with horror.

"Master, we need to run!" Sylphie shouted, grabbing his hand and yanking him into motion.

"What is going on?" Zane asked, stumbling to keep up with her as she dragged him away.

Sylphie's voice trembled as she explained. "Master, the information I got from the villagers was wrong! These aren't just grey rabbits—they're Grey Swarm Rabbits!"

"Grey Swarm Rabbits?" Zane echoed, dodging a low-hanging branch as they ran.

"Yes! They have mana cores and are intelligent enough to work as a pack!" Sylphie shouted, her grip on his hand tightening as she picked up speed.

"What's the difference between regular grey rabbits and these... swarmy ones?"

"The difference?" Sylphie glanced back at him, her expression frantic. "The difference is that regular grey rabbits are harmless. These are predators! One is dangerous, two are troublesome, but a pack is deadly!"

As if on cue, two more loud screeches echoed through the forest, followed by the unmistakable sound of something bounding through the underbrush.

Zane's heart skipped a beat. "You mean to tell me the fluffy murder squad back there has mana cores and teamwork?"

"Yes, Master!" Sylphie cried, glancing back over her shoulder.

Zane groaned, putting more strength into his steps. His lungs burned, his legs ached, but adrenaline kept him moving. "This is bullshit! Absolute bullshit! I didn't sign up for this!"

The sound of snapping branches and thudding paws grew louder behind them. Zane risked a glance back and immediately regretted it. A group of grey rabbits—no, Grey Swarm Rabbits—was bounding after them, their glowing red eyes locked onto their fleeing targets.

"Why the hell do they have red eyes?" Zane shouted, his voice cracking slightly.

"Because they're mad, Master!" Sylphie replied, panting as she dragged him around a tree. "You caught one of their pack, and now they want revenge!"

"Of course they do," Zane muttered bitterly. "Because why wouldn't killer rabbits with glowing eyes and mana cores have a vengeance complex?"

"Master, less talking, more running!" Sylphie cried.

"Believe me, Sylphie, I'm running!" Zane yelled, putting every ounce of effort into his legs. The forest blurred around him as branches whipped past, but the sound of the rabbits never seemed to grow quieter.

As the two darted through the woods, Zane's mind raced, searching for a plan—any plan—that didn't involve becoming rabbit food. He glanced at Sylphie, who was still clutching his hand and doing her best to keep them moving.

"Do you have any spells that could help?" Zane asked desperately.

"I-I can make a small fire!" Sylphie stammered.

"Great! Set the forest on fire!"

"Master, no! That would be—"

"Insane? Reckless? Brilliant? Just do it!"

Sylphie hesitated, then let go of his hand to raise her palms toward the ground. She chanted a quick spell, and a small burst of flame ignited in the brush behind them.

The rabbits skidded to a halt, their screeches rising in anger as they circled the flames.

"It worked!" Sylphie exclaimed.

"For now!" Zane replied, grabbing her hand again. "Keep running before they realize they can just hop around it!"

The two bolted deeper into the forest, leaving the smoldering flames and the enraged swarm behind.

As they ran, Zane yelled to the sky, "I hate this world! I hate it so much!"