Chapter One: A Warm Welcome from the New Continent

Huff, huff! His breath came in rapid gasps, his heart pounding so violently it seemed ready to leap from his chest.

A furious roar erupted behind him, shattering the air and striking fear into his soul.

Su Yi dashed desperately through the densely wooded forest, his modern clothes already shredded from countless branches that had slashed at him during his frantic escape. Some twigs had whipped his exposed skin, leaving stinging marks, but he had no time to care.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Heavy footsteps boomed behind him like the relentless beat of a war drum, shaking his very spirit. Pursuing him, a colossal tyrannosaur crashed through the trees, charging with unbridled fury.

"I'm going to die, I'm going to die, I'm going to die!" Su Yi screamed inwardly, weaving through the labyrinthine forest in a desperate attempt to outmaneuver the beast.

Roar!

The pale-pink scaled tyrannosaur, its back covered in black bristles, grew increasingly agitated in the chase. With a thunderous bellow, it suddenly unfurled two sail-like membranes near its tail, raised a nasal crest, and flared its nostrils—massive cavities that sniffed the air voraciously, locking onto Su Yi's scent.

"So this is the Anjanath! Why did I wake up in the New World?!" In the split second the beast deployed its heat sails, Su Yi risked a glance and saw the very monster he had faced countless times in the game.

This confirmed it: he hadn't landed in the Jurassic era, but in the heart of Monster Hunter: World—the New World.

Here, monsters roamed freely, and humanity survived only by leveraging every advantage, coexisting with these titans, and striving to maintain the fragile balance of nature.

But Su Yi was not one of those hunters who wielded exaggerated weapons and challenged gigantic beasts. He was just an ordinary man from the peaceful twenty-first century—now nothing more than prey in the eyes of the Anjanath. His only edge was that he could run faster than the herbivorous dinosaurs the monster preferred.

The Anjanath, now in full hunting stance, let out another roar, drew back to gather strength, and with a thunderous crash, leapt toward Su Yi.

That sound alone—so familiar from countless hunts in the game—made his hair stand on end.

Whoosh!

Thud!

Weighing over ten tons, the tyrannosaur landed with an earth-shaking crash. The impact so close by threw Su Yi off balance, sending him sprawling to the ground, his heart sinking into despair.

"Is this how I die, for no reason at all?" Su Yi looked up, seeing a maw full of razor-sharp teeth and smelling the monster's fetid breath. It was like falling into an icy abyss.

"Someone's in trouble, nya!"

A nimble figure darted past the Anjanath, and in a flash, hurled a foul-smelling object right into the beast's gaping jaws just as it lunged for Su Yi.

Roar! The stench and nauseating taste made the monster recoil, retching and shaking its head in disgust.

"Run, nya!" A large cat, black-and-white like a dairy cow and running on all fours, turned to beckon Su Yi.

Saved!

Paralyzed with fear, Su Yi’s limbs were suddenly suffused with strength. As the Anjanath roared in anger, he bolted after the agile feline, disappearing into the dense forest.

...

Panting heavily, Su Yi glanced back, his heart still pounding. "I can’t hear it anymore. We should be safe now," he gasped, his body aching and his lungs burning.

"We’ve escaped for now, nya." The cat, standing upright at less than a meter tall, adjusted the leather goggles perched on its head.

"Thank you so much, Cat," Su Yi finally managed to express his gratitude to his savior.

The talking cat before him was a Felyne—one of the intelligent beastfolk known in Monster Hunter as Palicoes. These creatures had their own culture and society, came in many breeds and colors, and, like humans, engaged in production, socializing, and hunting. Most famously, they served as hunters’ loyal companions.

Palicoes helped with trapping, healing, gathering, distracting monsters, and more. Brave yet innocent, they were the hunters’ best friends and invaluable aides.

In the game, Su Yi’s greenhorn self had been saved countless times by Palicoes, who used their aggro-drawing abilities and healing gadgets. He never expected that, upon entering this world, he’d again be rescued by one of these endearing creatures.

How could such an adorable being exist? Su Yi thought in awe. This was the truest companion.

The so-called "false companion" (the Handler): master at triggering monsters, a walking Nargacuga cub.

The real companion (Palico): sturdy, resourceful, able to tank monster attacks and counter everything with their wits.

"No need to thank me, nya. My name’s Dewleaf. By the way, you’re not a hunter, are you? Why would you come alone to the dangerous Ancient Forest, nya?" Dewleaf blinked her wide, watery eyes in curiosity.

"My name’s Su Yi. As for why I’m here... I’m not entirely sure myself." Su Yi replied helplessly.

Before crossing over, he’d been just an ordinary office worker, slogging through monotonous days with gaming—Monster Hunter, Pokémon, and the like—as his only solace. He remembered finishing a long day’s work, grabbing his Switch to play a little, and drifting off while waiting for the game to load. He’d become so exhausted from work that even playtime was a luxury.

"Strange, nya. Are you a member of the Astera Base? Which fleet, nya? Hm… you don’t really look the part. You’re so young—were you born at Astera, nya?" Dewleaf cocked her head.

"Let’s just say I’m someone who’s fallen on hard times," Su Yi replied with a sigh.

"Are you from the Old World, nya?" The Palico circled him, then her attention was caught by a book hanging from Su Yi’s belt.

"Wait, nya! That book at your waist—it has the Hunter’s Guild emblem!"

"Book?" Su Yi looked down and indeed, an antique-looking volume, two fingers thick, was clipped to his belt. It seemed weightless, as he hadn’t even noticed it during his frantic escape.

"Did I buy this as merchandise? I don’t remember…" He unclipped it, holding it in his hands. The cover bore the guiding Azure Star, and below it, the Fifth Fleet’s banner, white ribbons emblazoned with the symbol of the White Gale.

"That’s not the insignia of the First, Second, Third, or Fourth Fleet, nya. Are you from the legendary Fifth Fleet?" Dewleaf pointed at the White Gale emblem.

Su Yi’s brow furrowed. "So Astera only has the first four fleets from the Guild right now?"

"Of course, nya! But recently, there’s been talk about requesting a Fifth Fleet to come and investigate the Elder Crossing, nya," Dewleaf replied.

So his timeline was before the arrival of the game’s protagonists, the Fifth Fleet. With rumors in Astera about applying for the Fifth Fleet, that meant the main story was about to begin.

Soon, the Fifth Fleet would arrive, Zorah Magdaros would visit the New World, and a chain of events would unfold, leading the Azure Stars to pursue the Elder Dragon’s trail all the way to the end of the Necrostream.

After more than forty years, the Guild’s investigation into the New World and the mystery of the Elder Crossing would finally yield answers. Yet, this wasn’t the end—humanity would see a vaster world, more wonders, and the unknown would continue to beckon. This was a tale of people guided by the stars, venturing forth with courage and curiosity to explore new horizons.

"Could I, too, become the White Gale of the New World?" Staring at the Azure Star on the cover, Su Yi felt his spirit—dulled by modern life—begin to burn again. He wasn’t at the story’s end, but at its beginning. Perhaps he could join the legend.

Drawing himself back, Su Yi gently opened the book. Faded yellow pages shifted and a simple interface slowly appeared.

The menu displayed: [Quests], [Map], [Companions], [Ecological Report], [Items]. For now, only Quests, Items, and Companions were active; the rest were grayed out, with blank spaces below hinting at future additions.

"Is this a cheat system? Pretty minimal, but I guess that’s better than nothing… though there’s not even a hint system…" Su Yi was excited. This was his ticket to survival.

"Companions? Isn’t that from Monster Hunter Stories?" He tapped the option, but the page was blank.

"As expected. What about quests?"

He returned to the quest menu. Only one task was listed.

[The Journey Begins: Obtain your first companion.
Time remaining: 2 days, 1 hour, 30 minutes (choose to return or continue exploring upon completion).
Mission support: 5 Capture Spheres.
Reward: 5 Capture Spheres, Hunter’s Basics.]

"Capture Spheres? That’s not from Monster Hunter, is it?" He checked the items tab. The only slot contained a red and white ball, the number 5 beneath it.

A powerful sense of déjà vu swept over him. He examined the ball, and, as he pressed the button, it popped open to palm size.

"This is a Poké Ball, isn’t it?" He turned it over—no question, it was straight out of Pokémon. What did this mean? Was he supposed to tame monsters as companions, become a Pokémon Master?

Legends: Arceus had often been compared to Monster Hunter, and Monster Hunter Stories’ battles were a lot like Pokémon’s. Who said the next Pokémon game had to be Pokémon, or the next Monster Hunter had to be Monster Hunter? Brilliant!

"Is there a description?" He checked the item details.

[Capture Sphere: A ball with a chance to capture monsters. Best used when the target is weakened.]

…Really? This was the iconic red-and-white Poké Ball. Could this thing actually capture the wild, ferocious monsters out here?

"What are you staring at that blank book for, nya? Did you forget something?" Dewleaf asked, puzzled.

"You can’t see what’s in the book?" Su Yi was surprised.

"Should I be able to, nya?" Dewleaf blinked wide-eyed.

"Uh, no, just thinking about something," he replied, shaking his head. So the cheat system was visible to others, but only he could see the contents.

"But where do I find my first companion?" Su Yi was at a loss. In the game, he’d navigated the Ancient Forest as easily as his own home, but now, with no region boundaries and the forest more confusing than ever, things were much more complicated.

"Do environmental creatures count?" He looked around. The sun was setting, and there wasn’t a single herbivorous or Jagras in sight.

In the game, wildlife fell into three categories. First, large monsters—the main targets for hunts, each with its own strengths and ecology. Second, small monsters, which added color and environmental challenge to the map. Third, endemic life: not primary targets, easily caught with patience, and mainly enriching the world’s realism.

Naturally, endemic life was the weakest, except for the Great Equalizer Frog.

Su Yi’s plan was to quickly capture one, complete the initial quest, unlock hunter basics, and then work up to taming true companions, eventually gaining a foothold in this brutal world.

But this wasn’t a game. Endemic life wouldn’t just sit and wait to be caught, and his mad dash through the forest had already scared off all the small critters. Now, the woods were deathly silent.

"It’s really quiet—not a single monster. If I can just complete the starting quest, I can slowly build up my collection…" Su Yi muttered, but something felt off. Even if he’d scared some creatures away, the forest was too quiet.

"I don’t like this, nya." Dewleaf shivered, her fur bristling with unease.

"What’s that…" Su Yi’s eyes caught two crimson glimmers wavering in the shadows behind Dewleaf. His gaming instincts kicked in—his scalp prickled in alarm.

Swish, swish!

A monster’s tail flicked in the darkness.

The air was sliced by a volley of sharp spines.

"Look out!" Without thinking, Su Yi tackled Dewleaf to the ground.

A sharp object grazed his back, slicing open a deep, bloody wound.

"What’s going on, nya?! A monster?!" Dewleaf scrambled from Su Yi’s grasp, staring into the underbrush as a shadowy shape crept closer.