"Huff… huff…!"
His breathing came in ragged bursts, his heart pounding so violently it felt like it would burst out of his chest.
ROAR!
A savage roar exploded behind him, shaking his eardrums and sending a chill of terror straight into his bones.
Su Yi sprinted for his life through the dense forest, dodging wildly between towering trees. His modern clothes had long since been shredded into rags by branches scraping against him. Some struck his skin, leaving burning welts—but he had no time to care.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
Heavy footsteps pounded like war drums, shaking his mind with every impact.
Behind him, a massive brute wyvern crashed through the trees, charging straight at him with unstoppable momentum.
"I'm dead—I'm dead—I'm so dead!"
Panic screamed in his mind as he weaved through the forest, using the tangled terrain to slow the monster, desperately trying to shake it off.
ROAR!
The creature behind him grew increasingly irritated.
Its pale pink skin rippled as it roared. Black fur along its back bristled. Near its tail, two sail-like membranes suddenly flared open. Its nasal cover snapped apart, exposing a towering nasal crest, and its massive nostrils flared as it sniffed the air—
Locking onto Su Yi completely.
"That's an Anjanath, isn't it?! What the hell—why did I wake up in the New World?!"
Taking advantage of that brief moment, Su Yi glanced back—and saw the monster he had hunted countless times in the game.
That confirmed it.
This wasn't some prehistoric world.
This was the main setting of Monster Hunter: World — the New World.
A land where monsters ruled, and humans struggled to survive—fighting, coexisting, and trying to maintain ecological balance.
But Su Yi wasn't one of those hunters wielding massive weapons and slaying gigantic beasts.
He was just an ordinary office worker from the 21st century.
Right now—
He was prey.
Just slightly faster than the herbivores Anjanath usually hunted.
ROAR!!
The Anjanath fully entered hunting mode. It stepped back, gathering strength—
Then—
BOOM!
With a thunderous stomp, it launched itself into the air, leaping toward Su Yi from a distance.
Hearing that familiar sound, the countless hunts he'd done in the game flashed through his mind—
And his hair stood on end.
WHOOSH!
BOOM!!
The multi-ton monster crashed down.
The ground shook violently.
The impact threw Su Yi off balance. He stumbled—
—and fell hard to the ground.
Despair flooded his heart.
"Is this it…? Am I really going to die like this…?"
He looked up—
A maw full of razor-sharp teeth.
A wave of foul stench from the monster's breath.
Cold terror engulfed him.
"Someone's in danger, meow!"
A nimble figure darted past the Anjanath.
At the same time—
A foul-smelling object was hurled straight into the monster's open mouth.
ROOOAR—!!
The disgusting stench and taste instantly made the Anjanath recoil, shaking its head violently as it gagged.
"Run, meow!"
A small, cow-patterned feline creature sprinted on all fours, turning its head to signal Su Yi.
"I'm saved!"
Strength surged back into his limbs.
Ignoring the Anjanath's furious roars behind them, Su Yi followed the agile figure deep into the forest.
"Huff… huff… I can't hear it anymore… we should be safe now, right?"
Su Yi gasped, his chest heaving.
Every muscle ached. His lungs burned like fire.
"For now, we're out of danger, meow."
The small feline stood upright—barely a meter tall—and adjusted the leather goggles on its head.
"Thank you… kitty."
Only now did Su Yi finally get a good look at his savior.
A cow-patterned cat.
And one that could talk.
This—
Was an Felyne.
Highly intelligent beastfolk, known to hunters as Palicoes.
They had their own culture and society. Various fur patterns. They could work, socialize, and hunt just like humans.
And most famously—
They served as companions to hunters.
In hunts, they could distract monsters, set traps, heal, gather materials…
Brave. Loyal. Adorably dependable.
The perfect partner.
Back in the game, Su Yi had been saved countless times by Palicoes—
drawing aggro, using Vigorwasps, clutch saves at critical moments.
And now—
The first one to save him in this world…
Was still a Palico.
Su Yi couldn't help but sigh in admiration.
How could such a creature even exist?
This—
This was the real aibo.
Fake aibo (Handler): expert at pulling aggro, basically a baby Deviljho.
Real aibo (Palico): tanky, versatile, fearless—taking monster attacks head-on.
"No need to thank me, meow. My name is Lushui. Say… you're not a hunter, are you, meow? Why are you alone in the dangerous Ancient Forest, meow?"
"I'm Su Yi… as for how I got here… I don't really know."
Before this—
He had just been an ordinary employee.
Endless work. Exhaustion.
His only escape was gaming—
like Monster Hunter: World and Pokémon.
He thought back.
After a long day, he had opened his Nintendo Switch, planning to play for a bit—
Just a quick nap while the game loaded…
And then—
Nothing.
"That's strange, meow… Are you from Astera? Which fleet? Hmm… you don't look like it, meow. You're so young—were you born there, meow?"
"…You can think of me as someone who ended up here by accident."
"Could you be from the Old World, meow?"
Lushui circled him curiously—
Then suddenly stopped.
"Hey! That book on your waist, meow! It has the Hunter's Guild symbol!"
"…A book?"
Su Yi looked down.
Sure enough—
A thick, ancient-looking book hung from his waist.
It felt weightless—he hadn't even noticed it while running.
He took it off.
At the center—
A blue star symbol.
Below it—
A white banner bearing the emblem of the Fifth Fleet.
"Huh? That insignia… it's not from the first four fleets, meow. Are you from the rumored Fifth Fleet?"
Su Yi's eyes narrowed slightly.
"So… right now, Astera only has four fleets?"
"Of course, meow! But recently, there are rumors—they're applying for a Fifth Fleet to investigate the Elder Crossing, meow."
Su Yi's heart skipped a beat.
So—
He was in the timeline before the main story began.
Soon—
The Fifth Fleet would arrive.
The colossal Elder Dragon Zorah Magdaros would cross the sea.
And everything—
Would begin.
A decades-long investigation into the New World and the Elder Crossing would finally reach its climax.
But it wasn't the end.
It was just—
The beginning.
"…Could I become the Sapphire Star of the New World?"
Looking at the blue star on the book—
Something long extinguished within him began to burn again.
This wasn't the end of a story.
It was the start.
Maybe—
He could become part of the legend.
He opened the book.
The yellowed pages shimmered—
Forming a clean interface:
[Quest] [Map] [Monstie] [Ecology Report] [Items]
Only Quest, Items, and Monstie were active.
"…A system?"
Su Yi's eyes lit up.
"This is my cheat… right?"
"Monstie… isn't that from Monster Hunter Stories?"
He opened it.
Empty.
"As expected… then—Quest."
[Beginning of the Journey: Obtain Your First Companion]
Time Remaining: 2 days 1 hour 30 minutes
Support: 5 Capture Balls
Reward: 5 Capture Balls, Basic Hunter Skills
"…Capture Balls?"
He opened the item menu.
A single item appeared—
A red-and-white sphere.
Quantity: 5.
"…No way…"
He tapped it.
A small ball appeared in his hand.
He pressed the button—
Pop!
It expanded to palm size.
"This is literally a Poké Ball…"
Use Poké Balls—
To capture monsters—
To turn them into companions—
To become a Pokémon Master?
"…That's insane."
He checked the description:
[Capture Ball: Has a chance to capture monsters. More effective when the target is weakened.]
"…You're telling me this thing can catch those monsters?"
"Hey, what are you staring at, meow? Why are you zoning out at a blank book?"
"You… can't see this?"
"See what, meow?"
"…Nothing."
So—
Others could see the book.
But not what was inside.
"…Then where do I even find my first companion?"
He looked around.
The forest was eerily quiet.
Too quiet.
"…Is it just me, or is this place too quiet…?"
"I don't like this, meow…"
Lushui's fur bristled.
Then—
Su Yi froze.
In the shadows behind the trees—
A pair of crimson lights flickered.
His scalp tingled instantly.
Something was there.
SWISH—!
A tail lashed through the darkness.
Sharp projectiles tore through the air—
"Watch out!"
Without thinking—
Su Yi tackled Lushui to the ground.
SPLASH!
One spike grazed his back—
Tearing open his flesh.
"—!!"
"What was that, meow?! A monster?!"
Lushui scrambled up—
Staring into the darkness—
As a black figure slowly emerged…