Tuesday. Week 1. Year 1.
No alarm sounded in the silence of his day off, but Hiro was awake regardless. He sat at his marble kitchen island, eating through a breakfast of waffles and bacon while the news droned on the flat screen.
A segment caught his attention, chilling the air in the luxury suite.
"Authorities continue to investigate reports of 'anomalous sightings' after sunset," the anchor reported, her expression grave.
"Residents are strongly advised to remain indoors after dark until the cause of these disturbances is identified."
Hiro took a slow bite of bacon. 'The Plot is progressing.'
The world was moving, and if there were things going bump in the night, they were likely sources of experience points.
He needed to learn how to actually fight before he went hunting The End. Otherwise, he'd get the floor mopped and his ass handed to himself.
[MANDATORY QUEST: LEARN COMBAT. PRACTICE YOUR ABILITIES. REWARD: 25 EXP.]
[QUEST LOG UNLOCKED!]
Hiro didn't waste time. He dressed in casual gear and hit the streets of Sato City. It was a bustling metropolis that's a chaotic blend of Tokyo aesthetics and New York energy. He spent an hour scouting until he stumbled upon a traditional dojo. As luck, or the world, would have it, they were holding open matches today with free admission.
He sat in the back, watching. He took mental notes of the rhythm, the footwork, and the way the combatants used their weight. It was like watching a brutal, high-speed dance. Suddenly, something clicked in his mind.
[CONGRATULATIONS! YOU HAVE LEARNED: BASIC COMBAT.]
[EFFECT: +5% PHYSICAL DAMAGE. YOU CAN NOW FACE NON-HUMAN FOES WITHOUT TRIGGERING THE 'FEAR' STATUS EFFECT.]
[NOTE: COMBAT STYLE CAN BE RAISED ONCE PER DAY AT APPROPRIATE LEVELS.]
[QUEST COMPLETED! REWARD: 25 EXP.]
"I can learn just by watching?" Hiro whispered in pleasant surprise, a grin spreading across his face. This was a massive shortcut.
Now, he just needed a place to test his Energy Sphere. He researched remote spots on his phone and found some grasslands a few miles out, but he lacked a physical map for navigation.
[OPTIONAL QUEST: PURCHASE A PRINTER. STATUS: $133/$300.]
"Three hundred bucks for a printer?" Hiro hissed. "What the hell is it made of? Gold?"
The system was clearly trying to gate his progress behind a paywall. He was still cursing the price tag when he spotted a shop: Equip Prodigies.
Inside, the shop was impeccably organized. Behind the counter sat a woman with long, ink-black hair and a bored expression that didn't quite hide her sharp gaze.
She was busy oiling a katana, her tight shirt left very little to the imagination. Hiro forced his eyes to stay on the merchandise.
"See something you like?" she asked in a low hum-like voice.
Hiro looked at the rows of blades. He didn't want to be some cliché sword-wielder, but guns were nowhere to be seen. He guessed he was going to have to go full "Kirito" just to survive.
"How much for that katana on the wall?" Hiro asked.
"Four hundred," she replied flatly.
Hiro sighed. "I've got a hundred and thirty-three dollars. Anything in that neighborhood?"
The woman's eyes narrowed, then softened. "Looking for a starter blade while you wait for payday? I can give you a discount on this short sword. One hundred flat... if you sign up for the membership."
"Is there stone kind of catch,' Hiro asked skeptically.
"It's free," she said, flashing a shark-like smile. "I just like to keep track of my regulars. More shopping for you, more profit for me."
Hiro signed the forms, handed over a hundred bucks, and took the polished short sword.
[CONGRATULATIONS! YOU ARE NOW EQUIPPED WITH A SHORT SWORD.]
[EQUIPMENT SCREEN UNLOCKED! CURRENT PERK: SECRET SWORD & MARTIAL ARTS COMBINATION PASSIVE ACTIVATED.]
[REWARD: 30 EXP.]
[LEVEL UP! YOU ARE NOW LEVEL 4. STATS INCREASED.]
"Maybe one day I'll teach you how to use the other sword you got down there," the shopkeeper teased, laughing at Hiro's confused blink.
"Just kidding. Now, beat it, I'm on lunch."
[RELATIONSHIP UPDATED: CLARE (NEUTRAL->CURIOUS)]
Outside, Hiro opened the manual that came with the blade. The pages dissolved into light, and the techniques fused with his muscle memory.
Currently, he felt dangerous. He felt as if he could take on a 10th planet black belt. But as he turned toward the bus stop, a red outline flickered in his peripheral vision that was more like a jagged, radioactive aura.
He focused his Analyze skill on the man approaching him.
[COMMON STREET THUG]
[LEVEL: 14]
[TYPE: HOSTILE / ENEMY OF THE CITY]
[WEAKNESS: HOSTILE DETECTION INSUFFICIENT]
[SECRET: HOSTILE DETECTION INSUFFICIENT]
Level 14? Hiro didn't hesitate. He turned and sprinted for the bus. He wasn't suicidal, thinking he could take on someone 10 levels higher than himself.
"Hey! Get back here!" the thug barked. "I'll find you, kid! No one humiliates us and gets away with it!"
The bus doors hissed shut, and Hiro let out a shaky breath as the vehicle pulled away. He didn't know what he did to piss that gangster off but he wasn't going to stick around and find out. Most likely, it was his "Protagonist Aura".
Suddenly, his phone buzzed in his pocket. It was text messages from Rin in succession.
Rin: Hiro, it's actually over!! I just finished talking to my father... and he actually listened to me for once? The marriage is totally off and he finally kicked Kaito to the curb where he belongs!
Rin: I really want to thank you in person for everything. Send me your address. I'm bringing over some sweets I made just for you! ☺️🍰
Hiro blinked. He hadn't expected the "Cold Beauty" to move that fast. But maybe this was a good thing for her.
"Sure," he typed back, sending the location. "See you in a bit."
He leaned his head against the bus window. A level 14 thug was hunting him, a high-level girl was coming over to his place, and he finally had a sword.
Sato City was starting to getting very, very interesting. And he was all here for it.
***
Ten minutes later, the knock came. Hiro opened the door to find Rin standing there with a plastic bag in hand. She stepped inside, pausing to kick off her shoes with a grace that felt entirely too polished for a college student.
"Welcome to the sanctuary," Hiro said, leaning against the doorframe. "It's not much, but make yourself at home."
"Not much?" Rin echoed, setting the desserts on the granite counter as she scanned the luxury suite. "You're living like a hermit king, Hiro. Is there some kind of apocalypse I don't know about?"
Hiro chuckled, shifting his weight in nervousness. Rin doesn't even know that she hit it right on the head. There indeed was an apocalypse… just not for this world.
He kept his posture balanced, hands in his pockets, making sure to stay light on his feet just to avoid any accidental "anime physics" collisions. No, no. He wasn't going to be the guy who tripped into a compromising position. Possibly her on top of him in a sort of cowgirl.
Taking his mind off those thoughts, his eyes drifted to the bag of sweets. 'Sugar, we meet again, my archnemesis!'
As a guy who prided himself on his "Athlete" status, he usually avoided sugar-bombing his system, but the smell was already testing his willpower.
"I see we have the same look in our eyes," Rin said, suddenly right beside him. Her voice was a low hum in his ear, making his neck prickle just like before back at the Library.
"Sorry," Hiro said, letting out a slightly nervous laugh. "I skipped lunch."
"Let's just order a pizza then," Rin suggested, pulling out her phone. "If you don't mind celebrating a new friendship and all that cliché garbage."
Hiro thought it quite ironic because she was, in fact, a living cliche herself, but he just felt around for his wallet.
Before he could mention his meager balance, Rin continued, "I know a place that'll deliver for free. They're desperate to stay on my father's good side. Any excuse to impress him."
"Well, if you're twisting my arm," Hiro grinned, sitting on the plush black sofa. "Free food is the fastest way to my heart."
[RELATIONSHIP UPDATED: RIN (FRIENDLY/ASSOCIATE --> FRIEND)]
Hiro felt a strange pang of conflict. Maybe he shouldn't have said that. He'd dodged the "neighbor sweetheart" trope with Hanako, but he genuinely liked her hospitality.
Still, he wasn't stupid enough to invite her over while Rin was here. Both of them had enough pride that a "harem" move would probably end with him getting a textbook to the face. Or worse, a knife in his back.
As of now, he needed allies, not a domestic war zone.
Rin sat down next to him. Close. Like, well-within-the-personal-bubble close.
Her perfume was high-end, a hypnotic scent that screamed "b*tch, I got old money." His "Protagonist" senses started ringing like a fire alarm.
"You're different," Rin said, her ocean blue eyes searching his. "Everyone else makes assumptions. They see my father's reputation and see a spoiled brat, or they're too scared to even talk to me. But you... you offered a stranger a place to stay. You were just kind. I'd like to actually get to know you, Hiro. I don't really have anyone else in this city."
Hiro didn't want to give her a look of pity because she clearly hated that. Instead, he opted for his trademark grin. "If you're looking for the finest friend in Sato City, you've already found him."
Rin gave him a sly, lingering smile. "Finest? Well, you're definitely putting in the work in that department."
She leaned in, the air between them growing heavy with a tension that he was sure the system was practically salivating over.
Suddenly, the doorbell rang, shattering the moment. Hiro's heart hammered against his ribs. If that's Hanako, I'm a dead man.
"I'll get it," Hiro said, standing up. Rin followed, a playful pout on her face.
"Let's pretend to be a nauseatingly happy married couple," she whispered. Before he could object, she locked her arm in his and pulled him toward the door.
To his immense relief, it was just the delivery girl. Awkward "I thought we had something" trope dodged!!
They spent the next few hours eating and talking. Hiro kept the "extradimensional kidnapping" part of his life out of the conversation, but he stayed as honest as he could. Rin opened up about her life before Sato City. About how she used to be in a garage band and how lonely the corporate ladder had made her feel.
[RELATIONSHIP UPDATED: RIN (FRIEND->CLOSE FRIEND LVL 1)]
[WARNING: ADVANCING TO LEVEL 2 WILL DRAMATICALLY INCREASE SEXUAL TENSION. JEALOUSY LEVELS MAY TRIGGER DANGEROUS NARRATIVE EVENTS.]
Rin leaned in, whispering something into his ear that made Hiro's pulse jump. She moved in for a kiss that promised to derail his entire night, but her phone suddenly started ringing. She pulled back with a sharp scowl and answered it.
"Yeah. I know. I'm on my way," she snapped into the receiver. "Fine. Fine." She hung up and sighed. "Apparently, there's a cab waiting for me downstairs. Worrywart parents."
"Oh yeah. You're about to get that 'college girl shouldn't be at a guy's place' speech."
"Word for word." Rin stood up, planted a quick, lingering kiss on his cheek, and headed for the door. She paused at the threshold. "See you in class tomorrow?"
"Count on it."
When the door shut, Hiro stood in the silence, questioning his own sanity. He was being seduced by an anime-style beauty with white-blue hair, and if that phone hadn't rung, he'd be in a situation he could never explain to anyone back on Earth. Well, except maybe the otakus and weeaboos, but that's about it.
However, Hito couldn't forget, he was a transient here.
8:00 PM. Checked the time just to make sure he was on track.
'Time to see if those 'anomalous sightings' were real.'
He willed his short sword out of his inventory. The weight of the steel felt reassuring as he stepped out into the night.
The streets of Sato City had transformed quite beautifully; the neon lights felt cold, and the silence was heavy, like a graveyard. A lot of the nightlife was reduced dramatically since the news broadcast earlier.
[QUEST: DEFEAT ONE MONSTER. REWARD: $50. ACCEPT: YES/NO?]
He selected YES immediately and set out. He searched the alleys for fifteen minutes, seeing nothing but shadows. Hiro was about to call it a night when his Hostile Detection spiked.
Click. Click. Click.
Hiro spun around. At the end of the street, a silhouette emerged from the gloom. It moved with a disturbing, jerky gait, its head tilted at an impossible angle. It was muttering something under its breath in a wet, rasping sound.
As it got closer, Hiro finally made out the words.
"Found... a... savior... break... him... open..."