Exo Seeker: The Strongest Human Woke Up In The Future!

The Level Up Center was a giant circular building that could fit an entire street. It stood at the very heart of the Central District, right in the middle of the city. Its outer walls were crafted from an obsidian-black alloy fused with luminous hex-tech veins, pulsing gently with blue energy—like a living, breathing organism made of metal and light.

From above, the building resembled a colossal ring with a hollow core—a central dome visible from the sky—serving as both a symbol of evolution and a hub of transformation. Transparent lift tubes spiraled around the structure's perimeter, constantly ferrying Primers up and down like beads of light dancing in perfect rhythm.

Kael stood in front of the colossal entrance, and seeing the number of Primers gathered, he couldn't help but be amazed.

For such a small city to have this many Primers... it just showed how popular the occupation was. Well, on planets like this, where they mostly relied on Fissures to grow stronger and surpass human limits, Primers were everywhere—especially in places like the Level Up Center.

Kael entered the building alongside the other Primers. Once inside, he took a moment to observe his surroundings.

The ground floor of the Level Up Center featured a massive circular reception area, where receptionists were busy assisting Primers with their concerns.

Holographic screens floated all over, displaying various information and videos—most of them news segments or flashy advertisements.

A screen drifted in front of him, displaying a two-dimensional animated character: a yellow bird wearing an Exoskeleton Suit. Its feathered head turned to the White Prime with a cheerful smile.

"Hello!" chirped the bird, its high-pitched voice echoing from the holographic display. "I can see that you're new! But that's even better! With our specialized Exoskeleton Suit, even your meager Stats will soar to new heights! Please follow me to continue your amazing journey as a strong Primer!"

Kael watched the floating screen begin to drift away, clearly expecting him to follow. But he already knew this type of advertisement. Too well.

He'd traveled across countless cities and planets—this bird was practically a celebrity in scammy ad campaigns.

Letting the screen float off, Kael resumed walking toward the location Trey had messaged him. However, after only a few steps, the same screen zipped back into view with a bright flash.

"Hello again! Please follow me to continue your amazing journey!" the bird said enthusiastically, fireworks exploding behind it for extra flair.

"Go away," Kael muttered, waving his hand in annoyance—but of course, it passed right through the screen.

"Are you sure you don't want an amazing Exoskeleton Suit? This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that could change your life!" the bird pressed on, its voice suddenly sad and disappointed.

"Yes. Go. Away," Kael said more firmly, a frown forming on his face.

These advertisements were like persistent scammers. They wouldn't give up unless the target verbally rejected the offer.

"Alright then! But the ExoDeath Store is always open for you! In case you change your mind, just follow this map to reach our physical store! I hope to hear from you soon! Thank you!"

The screen flashed once, then vanished completely.

Kael shook his head and continued heading in Trey's direction.

But after just a few steps, yet another holographic screen popped up in front of him—this time featuring a bunny-like creature in an Exoskeleton Suit, surrounded by floating bottles.

"Hello! I see that you are a new Primer! Would you like a set of Elixirs? From Health Potions, Poison Resistance Vials, Endurance Potions, and many more—the Elixy Store has it all! Please follow me, new Primer! This is very important—it could save your life in many situations!"

Kael walked straight through the screen, causing the hologram to flicker and distort.

However, the bunny popped up in front of him again, infuriating the White Prime.

"I don't want any Elixirs," Kael said coldly.

"Aw, that's unfortunate! Because for new customers, we're offering a 10 to 20 percent discount! Are you sure about your decision?" the bunny on the holographic screen asked, its voice now tinged with sadness.

"Yes," Kael replied flatly, walking through the bunny again without a glance.

This time, the bunny didn't follow him—but many more advertisements swarmed around the White Prime.

This is annoying, Kael thought, stopping in his tracks. At least five holographic screens floated around him, each one pitching a different product and begging him to follow. Some were animated animals, others looked like mini-Behemechs, and a few were bizarre-looking creatures trying way too hard to be cute.

But Kael wasn't about to follow any of them. Especially not when they were this irritating.

And they know I'm a new Primer, Kael narrowed his eyes, raising his left arm to look at the Status Band on his wrist.

So they don't care about a Primer's privacy, he thought. He could modify the Status Band to stop these annoying ads from tracking him, but that would require bypassing the dedicated server—and the kind of Grid the Level Up Center used to read metadata from a Primer's device.

Not that it mattered to him right now—his stats were still very mediocre. But later, if this happened in every major hub, it would become a real problem.

Hiding one's strength is also a strategy in battle, Kael thought.

These holographic ads knew his level—still at zero. That's why they targeted him. He glanced around and noticed that none of the more seasoned-looking Primers were being harassed by ads like this.

"So low levels experience this annoyance," Kael muttered with a sigh. He couldn't change his Status Band settings right now, but he'd make sure to tweak it in the future to avoid this frustration. With that thought, he continued walking, swiping away the holograms still following him like persistent flies.

…

Trey sat inside the cafeteria on the ground floor of the Level Up Center, glancing between the entrance and the clock on his Status Band.

"D*mn, he's late," Trey muttered. His gaze dropped to the bag sitting on the table in front of him. "And walking around with this many Growth Orbs… does he really think I can handle it if someone tries to rob me? I'm just an ordinary Primer who hasn't even used his Status Points yet!"

Just yesterday, they'd come out of the Grey Fissure, and afterward, Trey and Kael exchanged Info through their Status Bands.

Trey had wanted to contact him again, but after sending a bunch of messages, Kael had only replied once—with a single line: On my way.

If Trey tried to contact Kael again, it would seem like he was being impatient. In the end, he could only wait while trying to keep his pride intact.

But even after sitting in the café for almost an hour, the man he was waiting for still hadn't arrived.

"Dammit, where is he?" Trey muttered, annoyed, glancing again at the entrance. But when he finally saw someone walking in, the irritation on his face vanished—replaced with a wide, flattering smile.

Kael casually swatted away a holographic advertisement before walking into the café. His eyes scanned the room, and he immediately spotted Trey, who was already walking toward him.

"Kael, you took your time," Trey said with a smile. Though he was displeased that Kael was late, now that they were a team, Trey wanted to keep things cordial between them.

For Primers, forming or joining a team was normal. Even those confident in their strength still ended up in teams. After all, having allies was far better than facing Behemechs alone.

Besides, being part of a team came with a lot of benefits. It gave Primers flexibility, and when entering a Fissure, it helped knowing there were people they could rely on.

Only lunatics or maniacs dared to enter a Fissure solo. Even the strongest Primers in the entire universe—the Exo or Aegis Primevals—had teams. So why wouldn't weaklings like them follow that example?

Those who chose to go solo… history had already proven their actions to be no better than suicide. The ones who could actually clear a Fissure alone were monsters—existences that appeared only once in a millennium. And even then, it depended on the type of Fissure. A Primer strong enough to handle Black Fissures could clear Grey ones with ease. But trying to close a Black Fissure solo?

That was just suicide.

Great talent and massive resources were required to even consider something like that—and the kind of resources needed weren't something even the top Primer Company on Planet Taros could provide.

"There was traffic. And those annoying ads slowed me down," Kael said with a frown.

"Oh? That's understandable," Trey nodded. "Let's sit over there."

He led Kael to his table, though deep inside, he couldn't help but feel suspicious.

The ads I can understand—I've dealt with that. But traffic? That can't be right. Hury City hasn't experienced traffic ever since the Anti-Traffic System was implemented... Trey thought as they sat down.

He raised his hand, prompting a waiter to bring them a tablet menu to place their orders.

Holographic screens were mounted in each corner of the café, and suddenly one of them lit up with a breaking news broadcast. Trey, who was in the middle of picking his breakfast, glanced up at the screen.

The report showed a vehicle speeding recklessly down the highway, nearly crashing into several others and causing chaos all over the road. It looked like the driver was either drunk or had no idea how to operate a vehicle.

Trey narrowed his eyes. The vehicle on the screen looked familiar. Then, like a jolt, the memory hit him—he remembered seeing Bach and Kael driving off together the day before.

His eyes widened as he stared at Kael. "Kael… did you drive here?"

"Yes. Quite a fun ride," Kael answered, a smile playing on his lips.

"You drove alone?" Trey asked, gulping.

"Yes, why?" Kael tilted his head innocently.

"Oh… haha… nothing," Trey said quickly, wiping the sweat from his forehead.