Kōya staggered out of the apartment front door while rubbing sleep from his eyes.
The morning air was cool, too cool for someone who hadn't even fully booted up mentally.
Reona had been awake far earlier because of course she had and the moment he told her he was "going on an outing," she'd forced a sandwich into his mouth like a mother bird feeding a chick.
'Reona is such a kind girl… but also way too energetic for six in the morning.' He thought while chewing the last bit of egg still stuck on the corner of his lip.
Then his half-awake brain woke up instantly.
'…What the fuck… is that a Dodge Challenger?'
Parked in front of the apartment building in shining black paint, chrome accents, muscular frame was something that looked exactly like a 2023 Dodge Challenger SRT.
The exact dream car he never managed to buy in his old world. Here it was, sitting like a final boss in a gacha banner.
Even the growl of its engine sounded right.
'Don't tell me Nami drives this monster… How the hell is she affording that on a Helper salary?'
The driver-side window rolled down and Nami leaned her elbow casually over the frame.
Today she wasn't wearing her KCAC uniform. Instead, she had on a black tank top with a denim jacket over it, shorts, boots… and sunglasses perched on her head.
A total "cool older woman" vibe.
She smirked.
"Get in, Kōya-kun. You look like you just saw your long-lost lover."
He opened the passenger door and stepped inside.
The interior smelled faintly of perfume like the type older women wore. He sank into the seat, letting the leather swallow him up.
'Holy shit… so smooth… so clean… This is EXACTLY what I wanted to buy after getting my house… Nami, what the hell are you?'
He glanced over at her again and nearly choked when she raised her phone.
"Heyy, Kōya-kun… what did you save my number as?"
On her screen, his contact was labeled:
'Kōya-kunnnnn ♡'
He raised his own phone to show her what he had saved hers as:
'Helper'
Nami froze.
"…Ah? You're mean."
He shrugged.
She puffed her cheeks, dropped her phone, grabbed the gear lever…
"Alright, let's go."
… and slammed the accelerator like she wanted to take off flying.
The Challenger roared and they shot forward.
Kōya's head slammed against the headrest.
"Why are you moving so fast?!" he yelled as wind blasted at his face, his hair whipping back violently.
"It's 6:40!" Nami shouted back. "The regular Awakened patrols and even the Rogues are still asleep! It's the perfect time to get good parking!"
"That's a horrible reason!"
She ignored him completely and continued talking as if they weren't going 120 km/h down early-morning streets.
"So I said I would teach you how to conduct yourself outside the barrier, right? First of all… you're going to be paying—"
"Paying 10 crowns to exit the barrier. Yes, I know."
He crossed his arms.
'It was in the manga… even if most of the fees are taxes, this one especially feels like a scam.'
"Yes." She nodded, eyes on the road as she drifted around a slow-moving truck. "And also, the zone you're allowed to enter… directly outside the barrier is called the Outer Zone. Every Supercity has its own Outer Zone. Just because there are only Rust and Iron class monsters doesn't mean you should overestimate yourself."
She flicked him a sharp look.
"There are occasional Bronze classes too. And if you meet one, Kōya-kun, you will die."
"I get it, I get it… don't fight anything that looks too shiny."
"I'm serious! And another thing… no rules exist outside the barrier. Loot gets stolen. IDs get stolen. Storage rings get hacked. People die because they get too comfortable."
She pointed at his ring.
"Never let that out of your sight."
"I understand." He sighed.
After another ten minutes of aggressive driving that shaved several years off his lifespan, the Dodge Challenger finally pulled into the parking lot of a stone building located directly at the edge of Keropolis.
Kōya stepped out of the car and looked up.
The famous barrier… the enormous blue dome protecting the entire Supercity towered above them. From up close, it was breathtaking.
It glowed with layers of mana, stretching so high into the atmosphere that the top couldn't be seen with human eyes.
Nami closed her door and pointed.
"This is KBB Branch 2. There are five exits around Keropolis that lead into the Outer Zone. You'll probably use this one the most since it's the closest to your apartment."
They walked to the door. The stone building looked medieval, except the sliding door had a card slot.
Kōya slid his Awakened ID into the device.
The slot glowed green, and the door opened automatically.
Inside was a reception room.
On the opposite end simmered the barrier… which was glowing gold. Whenever someone approached from inside the city, it changed color to blue as a protective measure.
They approached the receptionist. The woman looked up, saw Nami, and blinked in disbelief.
"Nami…? This one is yours?"
Nami sighed in defeat.
"Yes. Unfortunately."
The woman lifted her gaze to Kōya.
"Boy, I'd advise you against going outsi—"
"She already tried," Kōya interrupted. "I'm deadset on going. Please just run the ID so I can get going."
The receptionist stared at him for a long moment… then inserted his ID into the computer.
"Alright… verified in the database." She lifted her hand. "Your payment—"
"She'll pay." Kōya said immediately.
Nami didn't even flinch. She just pulled out her wallet like someone who had already resigned herself to fate.
The receptionist pressed a key on her board.
The barrier shimmered then turned gold, the color indicating an open passage.
"Alright," she said, gesturing him forward. "Head out… and come back quickly, kid."
Kōya nodded once, pocketed his ID, and walked toward the shimmering wall.
Nami whispered behind him.
"Please don't die, Kōya-kun…"
He didn't look back.
The moment he stepped through, he felt a sensation like pushing through a thin film of water.
The world changed instantly.
It felt like stepping out of a sealed bubble.
The air beyond the barrier was heavier and filled with raw mana that scratched at his lungs.
'It's a bit hard to breathe here… so this is what wild mana feels like.'
The light was different too, it was quite harsher.
A forest stretched ahead, which was impossibly dense and vibrant.
Kōya reached into his storage ring.
"Store… retrieve… ah."
A sword materialized in his hand… It was made of simple steel and beginner-grade, but sharp enough.
He held it loosely, letting the weight settle into his grip.
'Thank god I learned kendo from lessons. If not, I'd probably be holding this like a baseball bat.'
He took a slow step forward. His heartbeat echoed louder than the distant calls of unseen creatures.
"Where do I find a monster now?" he muttered, scanning the forest edge.