"The thing called a human being… is a creature with limits."
Kairo Retsu lay helplessly in the gathering hub's common area, watching the hardworking Felynes bustling around busily.
Kairo Retsu. Male. Twenty-five years old. Height: 188 cm. Weight: 80 kg. No bad habits except for smoking and drinking.
Occupation… former supermarket owner, now the inaugural Grand Master of the First Hunter Corps.
As for why he's a "former" supermarket owner… that was because of something that happened just a few days ago.
At the time, Kairo Retsu had been crossing the street normally… just as he reached the middle of the crosswalk, a drunk driver plowed into him. By the time he hit the ground, he found himself in this Felyne-populated gathering hub, and was declared the First Grand Master of this unnamed hunters' assembly.
And over the past few days, Kairo Retsu had gained some understanding of this place.
First: This is another world—but not the world of Monster Hunter—because he was presented with a system interface.
Second: Kairo Retsu is the first person to become both a hunter and a Grand Master. He also has the permission to return to his original world, but the system said it would only unlock most permissions once all members of the First Corps arrive.
Third: Now that he's become a hunter, Kairo Retsu could feel his formerly sub-healthy body had gained hunter-like traits. For instance, he was significantly more robust, and could jump from extreme heights without injury.
Fourth… Felynes can do anything!
Kairo Retsu had experienced this firsthand.
For example, he had personally seen the Felynes drag a half-dead Rathalos into the hub, then carve off its tail meat and grill it for him.
And another time, when Kairo Retsu was feeling bored, the Felynes somehow produced a charger and Wi-Fi—no idea from where—and even connected to his original supermarket's network…
So, Kairo Retsu had completely given up trying to understand what the Felynes were capable of.
"Granny Felyne."
After lying around for hours again today, Kairo Retsu finally lost his patience and went to ask the most respected Felyne elder in the hunter base—a particularly gentle-looking calico.
"When exactly are the other hunters going to arrive?" Kairo Retsu whined at the Felyne granny. "Don't tell me I'm gonna grow old alone here?"
"Grand Master, there is no need to worry."
The Felyne granny gently patted Kairo Retsu's head with her paw, the one with soft pads. "The other Hunter Lords should be arriving very soon."
"Besides, even if the other Hunter Lords don't come, Grand Master, you are still the strongest hunter in our base… the hero who commands all admiration."
The granny spoke kindly to Kairo Retsu: "After all, you are the Guiding Sapphire Star, the Scourge-Purging Flame, the White Wind of the New World, the Heir of Kokoto Village…"
"That's exactly why I can't be the only one doing everything, Granny!" Kairo Retsu wailed, snot and tears flying. "Sure, there's Felyne support for forging gear, selling stuff, and crafting decorations—but the whole base can't rely on me alone, the Sapphire Star! I usually blow a signal arrow to summon three brutes to help me fight!"
"There, there."
Granny Felyne lovingly patted Kairo Retsu on the forehead. "Granny will bake you some fresh bread, don't be upset."
After being soothed for a bit, Kairo Retsu returned to the hub's center and watched as the Felynes handled monster materials.
"Damn it!"
Kairo Retsu angrily opened the system interface and pointed at the sky. "Where the hell are the First Corps' hunters?! What, are they gonna fall out of the sky—"
Before he could finish that sentence, he noticed something overhead—
A shadow rapidly descending with a scream, crashing straight into Kairo Retsu before he could even react—
"YIIIIAAAAA!!!"
As the thing that smashed into him screamed, Kairo Retsu, who had just begun to rise, was slammed back down by two more impacts, flattening him into the ground again.
The third and final impact was accompanied by a booming shout from a man:
"OH! MY GOD!"
At this point, Kairo Retsu was physically embedded into the ground by these three consecutive body slams…
If it weren't for the hunter transformation, he'd probably have been turned into a meat patty by these First Corps hunters that fell from who-knows-what height…
The sudden commotion drew the attention of the nearby Felynes, who rushed over.
"Meowww!! The First Corps hunters have finally arrived!"
"We can officially open the hub now! Hurry, notify the Grand Master, meow!"
"The Grand Master is at the bottom, meow! Dig him out quickly!"
As the Felynes approached the pile of people, a scream came from the third tier of the human stack:
"YIIIIAAA!!! CAT DEMONS!! Why the hell am I suddenly in another weird place again?! It's definitely that dumb goddess's fault!!"
A voice from the second tier followed:
"OH MY GOD! Why are there cats here?! They can talk?!"
And then from the topmost person, a confused young man muttered:
"Are those… monsters? No, probably demi-humans… Have I been summoned again?"
"SON OF A—You goddamn late bastards!! Stop lying on top of me while you're chatting!!"
A muffled voice rose from the pit in the ground: "I swear I'll rip off your arms and legs!! Get off me!!!"
"Hunter Lords, please come this way."
The Felynes swarmed in, dismantling the human tower, ignoring their protests, and loaded them onto carts to be hauled away. Two earth-toned Felynes then came over and dug Kairo Retsu out of the dirt.
"Grand Master, are you alright, meow?"
The cart-pulling Felyne asked with concern. "Grand Master! The First Corps hunters have all arrived, meow! We can hold a meeting at the gathering hall now!"
"Why the hell did they fall from the sky?!" Kairo Retsu shouted. "And why are we being carted off just for this short distance?!"
"Because when hunters are badly injured, they're taken by Felyne cart, meow."
The cart-pulling Felyne said matter-of-factly. "Grand Master! We've arrived at the gathering hall!"
With a dramatic drift, the Felyne swerved the cart straight into the hall. Kairo Retsu, who hadn't seated himself properly, was thrown out and skidded two meters using his face as a brake. Clutching his completely uninjured nose, he climbed up and spotted the other [Hunters] being pinned down beside the meeting table by several Felynes.
"You're the one… the First Corps' Grand Master?!"
A towering man nearly 195 cm tall struck a bizarre pose and pointed at Kairo Retsu. "Don't tell me… were you sent by Kars?! What is this place?!"
"You guys… are also Heroes?"
A black-haired youth in a green cloak, a shield fixed to his arm, furrowed his brows as he examined the group.
"Heroes?! This isn't the Demon King's frontline, is it?! I'm just an ordinary adventurer! Please send me back!!"
The last person, dressed like a rogue adventurer, looked utterly panicked as he pleaded.
"Uhhhh…"
Kairo Retsu, who had been about to blow up, suddenly noticed the names floating above the heads of these [First Corps Hunters].
"Joseph Joestar… Naofumi Iwatani… Kazuma Satou?"
"Why the hell is the First Corps made up of you three?!?!"