Kuro was blinded by the bright light. As the light settles down, he opens his eyes to see that he is currently in an alleyway.
HONK! HONK! HONK!
The sound of honking echoed through the narrow alleyway, pulling Kuro's attention away from his disorientation.
He stood still for a moment, adjusting to his surroundings. The alley was dimly lit, with the light filtering through the narrow spaces between the buildings above. There were faint sounds of bustling activity beyond the alley's mouth, but the honking stood out like a sore thumb.
'Honking?' Kuro thought, his heartbeat quickening. He reached up to rub his eyes, still feeling the strange brightness from earlier.
Walking toward the sound, Kuro stepped out of the alleyway. His senses were immediately assaulted by the chaotic buzz of the city.
As Kuro looked at the scene, he couldn't help but recognize it.
"Time Square?" Kuro spoke in utter confusion. The flashing billboards, the sea of people, the ever-present hum of traffic—it was unmistakable. "But how?"
Tt-ring!
[Welcome to the first floor of the Tower of Heavens.]
[You are currently on a planet located within the first floor, Prime Earth.]
[To go to floor 2 of the tower, you must meet one of the 3 requirements.]
[Requirements:]
- Defeat the boss of Prime Earth
- Earn the recognition to ascend from Prime Earth
- Collect the Ascension Key
[Rewards: ?????]
Kuro blinked as he read the message from the system. What stuck out to him was 'Prime Earth'. "Does this mean that I have traveled back to Earth?"
BOOM!
There was a big explosion from an alleyway on the other side. People stop to look at the explosion with scared faces.
GRRRRRR
Growing noises come from the alleyway as a monster with a dog head comes out with a human in its arm.
Behind the monster, more of its kind comes out. When the people saw the monsters, all hell broke loose.
Kuro could hear people yelling and cursing as they started running like headless chickens.
One of the yells that stuck out was from a middle aged man with a bloated belly.
"What the hell is the Kardian Guild doing?! Don't they sweep the dungeon?!"
"Dungeon?" Kuro doesn't remember Earth having dungeons and monsters roaming around. "Does this mean this is not the Earth I am from?"
"Boy! What the hell are you just standing there for?!" Kuro felt someone lifted him and started running. "Where are your parents? Did they leave you to save themselves?!"
Kuro looked at the man that picked him up and saw that it was an old man. He could see some of his hair turning white due to age.
"Come on, boy! Stop spacing out!" the old man shouted, his voice gruff but full of urgency.
"My parents are in a far away place." Kuro replied to the old man. Since he couldn't recognize what was going out and was not in immediate danger, he went with the flow and allowed the old man to carry him to 'safety'.
'Niji, go and kill some of those monsters to see if I can get some EXP from them.' Kuro orders Niji telepathically.
Niji jumped to a nearby shadow without anyone noticing and made his way toward the monster.
After running to a safe distance, the old man puts Kuro down as he catches his breath.
He looked at Kuro and patted his head with a sorrowful smile. "So your parents have gone to a 'faraway' place."
Kuro looks at the old man and understands he has misunderstood him. "No, they are still alive. You are misunderstanding it." He tried to tell the old man but all he received was more head pat.
"Say, how about you move in with me?" The old man looked at Kuro with a warm smile.
Kuro didn't know what to say so he decided to switch topics.
"What are those things?" Kuro asked the old man.
"Monsters." The old man replied.
Kuro acted scared hearing about the monsters.
The old man saw how scared Kuro was when he heard about the monster and could help but feel pity.
"So how about it boy? Want to move in with me? Just so you know, I am a professor of the esteemed Hunter Academy." The old man puffs out his chest in pride.
'Hunter Academy?' Kuro thought. 'If I go with him, I can use the academy to learn more about Prime Earth and find clues about the ascension requirements.'
Kuro acted like he was thinking really hard about the old man's offer. After a while, he nodded his head. "S-s-sure old man. B-but if mom and dad get home, I will move back with them."
The old man couldn't help but ruffle Kuro's hair a little bit more when he heard Kuro's response. "Hahaha! Don't need to be afraid, boy! My name is Brian Otowa. You can call me gramp. From now on, you can consider me as your family!"
"Al-alright g-gr-gramp." Kuro 'stuttered' as he called Brian gramp.
"Attaway, boy! Can you move on your own now?" Brain asks him, thinking that Kuro's inability to move previously was because he was scared of the monsters.
"Yes. I can move now. Thanks gramp."
"Good. Now let's get out of here before those monsters get here." Brian took Kuro's hand as he started making his way toward Madison Square Park.
"B-but how about those monsters?" Kuro asked, wanting to get more information.
"Don't worry, boy. The hunters would be here soon. By then, no monsters will survive."
'Hunters' Kuro thought. 'This world does share a lot of similarities with Solo Leveling.
Before long, they arrive at Madison Square Park. Kuro saw a lot of white tents with people running around and some carrying the wounded.
As they walked through the entrance, Kuro's gaze kept drifting to the armored figures stationed around the park. Some were in heavy plate armor, while others wore robes adorned with arcane symbols. The mix of swords, shields, and magic staff-wielding figures tell Kuro that it was not the 'Earth' from his memories.
Brian squeezed Kuro's hand a little tighter as they approached a group of guards. "Professor Otowa, sir!" one of the guards greeted with a respectful nod, standing a little straighter. "It's been a while. Are you here to assist?"
Brian gave a casual wave of his free hand. "Just bringing the kid along. I'll be observing today, maybe lending a hand where I can."
Kuro looked up at Brian, still processing the scene around him. "These people... they're hunters, right?"
"Yep," Brian said, ruffling Kuro's hair again. "You're in for quite the experience, kid. The Academy trains hunters like them, and this is where they come when the monsters get out of hand."
As they passed through the camp, Kuro could hear snippets of conversation from the guards. They were talking about the ongoing monster threat, their patrols, and how quickly reinforcements would arrive.
A man, wearing a flowing robe with glowing runes embroidered on the sleeves, rushed by them with a hastily bandaged arm. He muttered a quick "excuse me" before dashing toward one of the tents.
"Are you a hunter too, gramp?" Kuro asked, looking up at Brian.
Brian chuckled. "Me? No, boy, I'm more of a teacher than a fighter. My job is to train the next generation of hunters at the Academy. If you are also gifted, maybe you can also attend the Academy to become a hunter."
Kuro nodded.
As they reached one of the larger tents, Brian waved to a few more familiar faces. He pulled Kuro inside, where a small group of hunters were gathered around a map, discussing the next move. The tent smelled faintly of herbs and antiseptic, and Kuro's eyes adjusted to the dim light inside.
"Ah, Professor Otowa!" A young woman, probably in her late twenties, looked up from the map with a smile. She was wearing a simple armor set, but there was a certain authority in her stance. "I didn't expect you today. What brings you here?"
"Well, I was going around town when the dungeon break happened. I saved this kid and decided to take him in after learning about his circumstances." Brain then turns to Kuro. "Kuro, this is Elara. She's one of the best hunters we've got, though she's too humble to admit it."
Elara laughed, standing and extending a hand to Kuro. "Nice to meet you, Kuro. Don't let my grumpy old professor scare you."
Kuro hesitated but shook her hand. "N-nice to meet you, Elara. I'm just trying to understand all of this."
Elara's eyes glowed when she got a proper look at Kuro. 'No wonder the old man took him in. He looks just like Harvey.'
Brian gave Kuro a pat on the back. "Get some rest, kid. We head back to the Academy once the situation has been dealt with."
Kuro nodded his head and went to a quiet corner. Notifications were going off soon after Niji left.
[Niji has killed a kobold. You have gained EXP.]
[Niji has killed a kobold. You have gained EXP.]
[Niji has killed a kobold. You have gained EXP.]
'So, I can gain EXP.' Kuro clenches his fist. 'I can get stronger.'
Kuro took a rest to organize some of the stuff he learned since arriving at Prime Earth.