Huff... huff...
Arlow gasped for air, his lungs burning as his heart hammered against his ribs like a trapped bird.
ROAR! A primal, bone-shaking shriek exploded behind him, vibrating through his skull and sending a jolt of pure terror down his spine.
He tore through the dense undergrowth of the forest, heedless of direction. His modern clothes—once clean and intact—had been reduced to tatters by jagged branches that lashed his skin, leaving stinging red welts in their wake. He didn't have the luxury of feeling the pain.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
The heavy footfalls shook the earth like a war drum. Behind him, a massive bipedal dinosaur smashed through the treeline, splintering ancient trunks as it barreled toward him with predatory intent.
"I'm dead, I'm dead, I'm so dead!" Arlow screamed internally. He veered sharply, trying to use the chaotic terrain of the forest to break the beast's line of sight and slow its momentum.
ROAR!
The predator—pale pink skin covered in patches of coarse black fur—was growing frustrated. It let out a guttural cry. Suddenly, two fan-like membranes flared out from its lower back near the tail.
Its nasal flap peeled back, exposing a high, fleshy crest that twitched as it tasted the air. Its massive nostrils flared, locking onto Arlow's scent with terrifying precision.
"That's an Anjanath, isn't it?! Why the hell did I wake up in the New World?!" Arlow stole a frantic glance over his shoulder and saw the heat-radiating sails he had seen countless times on a screen.
This wasn't Jurassic Park. He was in the heart of the "New World," the primary setting of the game Monster Hunter: World.
It was a world where monsters reigned supreme, and humanity survived only through ingenuity, massive weaponry, and a delicate struggle to maintain ecological balance.
However, Arlow wasn't one of those legendary Hunters who swung oversized blades at mountain-sized beasts.
He was just an ordinary guy from the peaceful 21st century. Right now, he was nothing more than prey—slightly more athletic than an Aptonoth, perhaps, but prey nonetheless.
Having entered its full hunting state, the Anjanath roared again. It skidded to a halt, coiled its powerful hind legs, and with a ground-shaking CRACK, it launched its multi-ton body through the air.
Having hunted hundreds of Anjanaths in the game, Arlow recognized the move instantly. The hair on his neck stood on end.
Whoosh!BOOM!
The massive brute slammed into the earth. The impact sent a shockwave through the soil that buckled Arlow's knees. He stumbled, losing his footing, and collapsed into the dirt. His heart sank into his stomach.
"Is this it? Am I going to die without even knowing why?" Arlow looked up, staring into a maw filled with jagged, serrated teeth. He could smell the rancid, sulfurous stench of the monster's breath. He felt as though he had been dropped into a pit of ice.
"Someone's in trouble, meow!"
A small, nimble shadow darted past the Anjanath. In one fluid motion, the creature hurled a clump of something foul-smelling directly into the Anjanath's open maw just as it lunged for the kill.
GRAUGH! The pungent odor and vile taste hit the monster like a physical blow. The Anjanath recoiled, shaking its head violently and gagging as it tried to spit out the "Dung Pods."
"Run for it, meow!" A bipedal cat with a black-and-white cow pattern gestured frantically for Arlow to follow.
"Saved... I'm saved!"
Adrenaline flooded Arlow's paralyzed limbs. Ignoring the Anjanath's disgusted roars behind them, he scrambled to his feet and followed the nimble figure into the thickest part of the forest.
"Huff... huff... I can't hear the roaring anymore. We should be safe," Arlow wheezed, leaning against a tree. Every muscle ached, and his chest felt like it was filled with hot coals.
"The danger has passed for now, meow." The cat, barely three feet tall, stood on its hind legs and adjusted the leather goggles perched on its forehead.
"Thank you... uh, cat," Arlow managed to say.
The talking feline before him was a Felyne, a highly intelligent race of beastmen known in this world as Palicoes. They had their own culture and society, often working alongside humans as chefs, traders, or—most famously—hunting partners.
In the game, Palicoes had saved Arlow's life countless times by distracting monsters or providing Vigorwasp heals. Seeing one in the flesh made him realize: this was the true "Aibo" (partner).
The Fake Aibo (The Handler): Constantly gets into trouble, basically a baby Deviljho magnet. The Real Aibo (Palico): Can tank hits, uses gadgets, and stares down Elder Dragons without blinking.
"No thanks necessary, meow! I'm Lucerne," the Palico said, its watery eyes blinking with curiosity. "But you aren't a Hunter, are you, meow? Why are you all alone in the dangerous Ancient Forest?"
"My name is Arlow. As for why I'm here... I'm not entirely sure myself," Arlow replied with a bitter smile.
Before waking up here, he had been a mundane office worker, exhausted by the daily grind. His only escape was gaming—specifically Monster Hunter and Pokémon.
He remembered finishing a long shift, turning on his Nintendo Switch, and closing his eyes for just a second while the game loaded.
He had simply fallen asleep. That was the reality of being an adult; sometimes you have the will to play, but the body just shuts down.
"That's very strange, meow. Are you from Astera? Which Fleet? Hmm... you don't look like a local. Were you born in the base, meow?" Lucerne tilted its head.
"You could say I'm just a survivor of a wreck," Arlow sighed.
"Maybe you're from the Old World, meow?" Lucerne walked in a circle around Arlow, inspecting him. Suddenly, the cat's ears perked up. Its gaze locked onto a book hanging from Arlow's waist. "Hey! That book, meow! It has the Hunter's Guild emblem on it!"
"A book?" Arlow looked down. Sure enough, a thick, weathered tome was clipped to his belt. It felt weightless; he hadn't even noticed it during his frantic flight from the Anjanath.
"Is this... merchandise? I don't remember buying this." Arlow unclipped the book. On the cover was a beautiful painting of the Sapphire Star, the light that guides the way. Below it was a sigil—a white ribbon emblazoned with the "White Wind" mark of the Fifth Fleet.
"Wait, meow! That emblem... It's not from the First, Second, Third, or Fourth Fleets. Are you part of the rumored Fifth Fleet?" Lucerne pointed at the mark.
Arlow's pulse quickened. "Are there only four Fleets in Astera right now?"
"Of course, meow! But recently, there's been talk of the Guild sending a Fifth Fleet to finally solve the mystery of the Elder Crossing," Lucerne explained.
Arlow realized with a jolt: I've arrived before the start of the game's main story.
If the Fifth Fleet hadn't arrived yet, that meant the Zorah Magdaros incident hadn't happened. The "Sapphire Stars" of the Fifth Fleet were still on their way across the sea.
The forty-year mystery of the New World was about to reach its climax, and Arlow was standing at the threshold of history.
"Can I become the White Wind of the New World, too?" Arlow looked at the Sapphire Star on the cover. The fire that had been extinguished by the monotony of modern life began to flicker back to life. He wasn't arriving at the end of a story; he was here for the beginning.
He opened the book. The parchment was a pale, antique yellow, but as he watched, the ink began to shift and glow, forming a clean, digital-style interface.
The tabs read: [Quests], [Map], [Monsties], [Ecological Report], [Inventory].
Currently, only Quests, Inventory, and Monsties were illuminated. The rest were greyed out.
"A Golden Finger? It's a bit minimalist... but I'll take it," Arlow thought, his excitement mounting. This was his ticket to survival.
"Monsties? Like in Monster Hunter Stories?" He tapped the option. The page flipped, but as expected, the list was empty.
"Right. What about Quests?"
He navigated back and clicked the quest tab. A single entry appeared:
[The Journey Begins: Obtain your first partner.]
Time Remaining: 2 Days, 1 Hour, 30 Minutes.
Quest Support: 5 Capture Balls.
Reward: 5 Capture Balls, Hunter Fundamentals.
"Capture Balls? Those aren't in Monster Hunter." Arlow opened his Inventory. Inside the first slot sat a red-and-white sphere with a '5' next to it.
The sense of deja vu was overwhelming. He tapped the icon, and a ping-pong-sized ball materialized in his hand. It had a small button in the center.
Click. The ball expanded to the size of his palm.
"This is a Poké Ball!" Arlow stared at it. "What does this mean? I'm supposed to catch Monsters, train them as 'Monsties,' and become a Master?"
Pokémon Legends: Arceus was often called "Monster Hunter with balls," and Monster Hunter Stories was basically "Pokémon with dragons." The lines were blurring.
He looked at the item description.
[Capture Ball: A sphere with a chance to capture a monster. Effectiveness increases if the target is weakened.]
"Classic," Arlow muttered. But could a simple Poké Ball really hold a raging, prehistoric powerhouse?
"Why are you staring at a blank book, meow? Did you forget something?" Lucerne asked, looking puzzled.
Arlow blinked. "You can't see what's on the pages?"
Lucerne's eyes went wide. "Am I supposed to see something, meow?"
"Uh, never mind. Just lost in thought." Arlow shook his head. It seemed the "Golden Finger" was for his eyes only.
"Now... where am I going to find a Monstie?" Arlow looked around. In the game, he knew the Ancient Forest like the back of his hand, but in reality, the scale was massive, the geography was vertical, and there were no "area loading" zones. It was a terrifying, beautiful labyrinth.
"I wonder if Endemic Life counts?" He scanned the area. The sun was beginning to set, casting long, orange shadows. There were no Aptonoth or Kestodon in sight.
In the game, creatures fell into three categories: Large Monsters (the bosses), Small Monsters (the minions), and Endemic Life (the birds, bugs, and frogs).
Arlow's plan was simple: catch something small and weak to finish the quest, gain the "Hunter Fundamentals" reward, and then slowly work his way up the food chain.
But this wasn't a game. Real animals didn't wait for you to approach with a net. His earlier flight from the Anjanath had likely scared off everything in the immediate vicinity. The forest was deathly silent.
"It's too quiet..." Arlow whispered. "Even for a forest."
"I don't like this, meow," Lucerne said, his fur bristling as he went into a crouch.
"Is that...?" Arlow's eyes caught a flicker of crimson light—two glowing red streaks swaying in the shadows of the trees behind the Palico. His gaming instincts screamed at him. His scalp went numb.
Zip! Zip!
Something in the darkness lashed its tail.
Several sharp projectiles whistled through the air.
"Look out!" Arlow didn't think. He lunged forward, tackling the Palico to the ground.
Slash! One of the sharp bristles grazed Arlow's back, tearing through his shirt and leaving a jagged, bloody gash across his skin.
"What happened, meow?! A Monster?!" Lucerne scrambled out from under Arlow, staring at the pitch-black shadow slowly emerging from the brush.
🌟 The story is already written… waiting to be unleashed. Claim early access on Patreon: Patreon.com/kazama677
🔓 You hold the keys to bonus chapters:💬 10 reviews ignite 1 bonus chapter🔷 60 Power Stones summon another
🔥 Your power determines how fast the tale unfolds.