The sun hung low in the sky, casting a warm, golden hue over the suburban landscape. The sounds of a bustling city hummed in the background, a comforting reminder of routine and normalcy. It was just another day in the life of Haruto Tanaka, a high school student who lived in the heart of the city.

Haruto was the kind of teenager who blended into the crowd. Neither a top student nor a troublemaker, he was just average in every sense. His grades were decent, his social life unremarkable, and his hobbies were as ordinary as they came video games, reading manga, and occasionally hanging out with friends.

As he walked home from school, his mind wandered. The final year of high school was supposed to be exciting, filled with dreams of the future, yet Haruto couldn't shake the feeling of emptiness that had settled in his heart. His classmates talked about university applications and career goals, but Haruto felt adrift, unsure of what he truly wanted.

He kicked a stray pebble along the pavement, watching it skitter ahead before coming to a stop. "What am I even doing?" he muttered to himself, frustration tinging his voice. The same thought had been plaguing him for weeks, but no answers had come.

Turning the corner, he approached his home a modest two-story house that he shared with his parents and younger sister. The front yard was neatly kept, with a small garden that his mother tended to every morning. It was a picture of suburban tranquility, but to Haruto, it was just another part of the routine that had started to suffocate him.

"Haruto, you're home!" His mother's voice greeted him as he stepped through the front door. The smell of dinner cooking wafted through the air, a mix of soy sauce and ginger.

"Yeah, I'm back," Haruto replied, slipping off his shoes and heading toward the kitchen. His mother was busy at the stove, her back turned to him as she stirred a pot of simmering stew.

"How was school?" she asked, her tone light and cheerful.

"Same as always," Haruto responded, grabbing a glass of water. "Nothing special."

His mother turned, a soft smile on her face. "You should try to enjoy these days, Haruto. They won't last forever."

"I know," he said, though he wasn't sure if he believed it. He finished his water and retreated to his room, eager to escape the conversation.

His bedroom was a small, cluttered space filled with the usual trappings of teenage life—posters of his favorite anime, stacks of manga, and a desk littered with schoolbooks and game consoles. He collapsed onto his bed, staring up at the ceiling as his thoughts continued to swirl.

"What am I even supposed to do with my life?" Haruto mused aloud. He grabbed his phone and started scrolling through social media, looking for a distraction. His friends were posting about their plans for the weekend, making him feel even more detached.

As the evening wore on, Haruto lost himself in a game, the familiar pixels and sound effects offering a temporary escape from reality. He played until his eyes grew heavy and the world around him faded into a blur.

That night, as he drifted off to sleep, Haruto had no idea that his life was about to change forever. The ordinary, monotonous existence he had known was about to be shattered, thrusting him into a world where the mundane rules of reality no longer applied—a world of dungeons, monsters, and unimaginable power.

But for now, Haruto was just a high school student, blissfully unaware

of the fate that awaited him.