**

In the snowy town called Pea, north of the mountainous boarder of the kingdom of Akau, an unknown fragile looking boy is inside a cozy warm environment of the adventurer academy's library reading an crusty old book.

Makani is a thin youth with long scarlet hair. When he was just an infant. Makani was found in front of the adventurer academy's door at the night of the great blizzard. One of the the instructors of the adventurer academy volunteered to raise him as his own. Fourteen year later, Makani is known for being a knowledgeable person but is also known for being physically weak.

With his figure, long scarlet hair and handsome face, at times Makani would be easily mistaken for a girl. But Makani didn't care about his outer appearance at all. All he really care for is finding ways to aid his ambitions so that he could be successful in his endeavors in life. So far Makani has found a way to do that by reading books.

Out of anything in this world Makani loves to read. In his mind even if a person is stronger than any holos, what good is it if their heads have nothing inside. To simply put it knowledge is more powerful than raw strength to Makani.

As he enjoys reading the book in front of him, he ties his long scarlet hair into a bun due it being on the way while he read his favorite book.

Whenever the boy is immersed in reading, he would tie his hair up as how a woman would do so that his hair would stop falling down in front of his face. Currently the boy is reading about the epic battle between the mortal men and the gods. As he sat there playing the battle out in his head a voice calls his name.

"Makani!"

Makani's brow furrowed as he instantly felt irritated. Out of everything else there is in the world, one of Makani's pet peeve is being disturbed while he's nose first in a book. Specially when he's reading his favorite of all!

Makani slowly closed the crusty ancient book and frowned. As he left off from his favorite part of the book, he felt a sense of discontent. The part of the book where he left off was where the ancient great hero Kai turned into a gigantic sphere of energy then abruptly exploding. In the result of the the violent and destructive explosion, most of the gods that were in caught in in perished. Those that survived suffered unimaginable critical injuries.

Before the explosion, the Hero Kai desperately hurled hundreds of marbles called Manas through out the lands. These marbles called Manas piqued Makani's interest the most ever. Ever since he first read the ancient book in the library, he's thought about all the various abilities he could obtain.

To Makani obtaining one of these Manas would make one of his dreams come true. Though the chances of acquiring one would be close to zero, the thought of obtaining one kept him motivated in search of them. Even though he has other ambitions in life, having one of those Manas in his hands would exhilarating.

Makani stretched his arms outwards, he yawned and rubbed his eyes. As stood and walked over to the library's desk counter, he placed his favorite book on the desk counter. He knew why he was being called upon and that was the reason why he hid himself in the library.

Once he stood in front of the counter desk, an old woman wearing a pair of pointy glasses looked at him in with a serious face.

"You should be outside mingling with the others!"

Makani frowned and looked irritated at the same time.

"I'd rather be reading."

The old woman gave a big sigh and grabbed his favorite book.

"I want you to go outside and mingle with your class mates. This is your last year together! I'll be holding on to this until tomorrow. So for now go outside!"

Makani felt irritated that he's being forced to associate with the people that he despises the most; his classmates. As he heads towards the door of the library, the sound of people cheering loudly outside caught his attention.

The noise coming from outside began to accumulate and increase in volume. It made him curious what was happening outside so he decided to walk towards the window. From the window he looked around outside the snow covered streets and saw that a big crowd had gathered outside of the academy's library.

Makani saw from above that in the crowd, many from his class seemed ecstatic to see the seasoned adventurers that are returning from their dangerous hunt. As the groups of adventurers marched their way inside the town, they're greeted by the cheering crowd.

Behind the groups are the enormous bodies of Holos that the seasoned adventurers had slain. These slain holos are being dragged by their steed.

One of the youth in the crowd began to wag his tail and pointed at one of the known adventurers.

"Look! Its my dad! One day I'll be like him!"

The youth pointed at Ray Kekona one of the well known adventurers in town. Ray currently belongs to one of the high ranking clans in Akau Kingdom. At the moment the clan Ray belongs to are having funding issues and are using means that he doesn't agree with. One of those means of raising funds are related to hunting the Dire-bears.

The Dire-Bears in the area had been roaming ransacking and eating children at the nearby farms. Being a father himself, Ray is also relieved that the creatures that were going around eating children had been eliminated. He pitied the parents that had lost their children because of the huge Holos and in his mind, he had regretted not acting sooner to rid of the monstrous creatures. But since he wasn't the leader of the clan that he currently belonged to, he was in no position to tell them what to do. It angered him that their leader had waited until the bounty on the mission was sufficient enough for them to accept it.

Though his remorse weighted him down, he understood why their leader had done it. It was because the clan was in need of funds and their leader will do anything necessary to keep the clan going. The youth in the crowd pushed his way through the crowd yelled as he ran to his father who was beside one of the horse that's pulling several huge bodies of Holos. After defeating several of the Holos, Ray had been seriously injured, though he's in serious pain he didn't give a hint on his face and pretended that he's doing okay by acting happy to see his son.

"Dad!"

The middle aged sturdy looking man who is covered in wounds put his hand on his son's head and scuffled it.

"Tristan! Have you been behaving?"

The youth continued to smile as he looks up with admiration to his father.

"Of course dad! What happened?! Tell me, what's this Holos called?" Tristan eagerly asked questions as he continued to show a big bright smile to his dad.

The middle aged man forced himself to laugh. Though doing so made his ribs ache, he kept on smiling making sure that his son didn't notice that he was seriously injured and is in serious pain. Ray grinned as he began telling the story of how he and his party slayed the dangerous beasts. Moments later after telling what had happened, Ray gave his son a present. After handing his gift to his son, his entire party went straight to the Adventurer's Guild to claim their rewards.

**

As Tristan's father headed towards the Adventurer's Guild, Tristan went off to go with the other children. Near the watering well, where the youth of the town would usually gather and play, Tristan rallied his peers to him.

"Hey guys look at this!"

Tristan took out an object wrapped in cloth. He then slowly revealed the tooth that his father had given him as a gift. The boy then raised the large fang up in the air for all the youth to see.

"This is one of the tooth of the Holos that my father killed! The great Holo is called the Dire-Bear!"

The children exclaimed in admiration as Tristan showed off the large fang. Everyone knew in town how dangerous Dire-Bears are and that it would take exceptionally strong and seasoned adventurers to take one down. The fang that Tristan held continued to boast and exaggerate how his father had single-handedly slayed the monstrous creature.

"My father killed this one all by himself with his big sword!"

The youth continued to bunch up to try to get a closer look at the Dire-Bear's long sharp fang.

Far from the bunched up youth, a frail looking boy listened and watched from afar.

**

Makani left the comfortable warm room of the library out of curiosity. He wanted to see up close how these terrifying creatures looked but as he walked his way to where the adventurers were taking the bodies of the holos, he noticed that many of his classmates from the academy were gathered mesmerized in something.

Tristan who's currently entertaining his classmates noticed Makani from afar. As the blonde haired youth shows off the Dire-Bear's fang, he began to smirk as he stared at the frail looking boy. Seeing that he had done enough to spread the exaggerated story of his father, Tristan began to tease Makani.

"Oh look everyone its Makani! Hey Makani come over here and tell everyone how one day you'll be the best adventurer known through out the lands! Maybe one day you'll be able to single handedly defeat a Dire Bear by yourself!"

Makani turned around and began to run away from the group of children. He felt embarrassed because of Tristan's teasing. Whenever Tristan would see Makani, he would always remind Makani of the first day of the academy.

*Three years ago*

On the first day of class in the adventurer's academy when everyone was made to yell to top of their lungs their names and their goals in life, Makani announced his goal which would be to travel the lands and become a well-known adventurer. Every student in class instantly burst out laughing.

Makani's classmates all thought that he had said that he would become the best adventurer throughout the lands. All the children thought it was too hilarious that someone who has a frail frame and is the shortest in class would attempt such feats. Makani felt so uncomfortably self-conscious that ever since that event of the first day in class, he kept to himself and only talked to a few who he could trust.

**

Makani continued to run in the snow covered street until he exited out of the town's walls. He then stopped once he arrived at the outskirt of the snowy forest. As he stood trying to catch his breathe, the snow flakes would melt and moisten his handsome face. Makani vigorously whispered to himself.

"I will be a well known adventurer!"

Then suddenly he heard a sound coming from his stomach.

*Grrrbgrbrgdd*

Makani held his belly as it made grumbling sounds. Since he had been reading all day in the library, he forgotten to eat anything at all. On the day to day basis, one of the academy instructors would food provide for him. Since that instructor haven't returned from his travels, Makani decided to search the place where he would go to for food when ever he was hungry.

**

The snowy forested mountains near Pea town is called the Horns of the Devil due it being infested with various high tier monstrous creatures. Throughout the lands, the Holos that live in the Horns of the Devil are known for the highly valued resources yielded from the bodies of the Holos.

Everyday in the Horns of the Devil desperate new adventurers try their chances to take down a Holo there because one high tier Holo can bring enough gold to change their livelihood. But most who would attempt their luck ends up in the belly of the holos that they attempt to slay.

Makani slowly trekked his way up through the snowy thick forested mountain. For years now, Makani had been exploring the mountains to search for food so that he could eat them and sometimes share them with his very few friends. It was also the only way he knew of to some how be less of a burden to the academy instructor that took care of him.

Buying food in town is cheap but Makani had no way to make money. Since Makani was fortunate enough to have been adopted by the academy, he didn't have the need to do such things. But from time to time Makani would feel guilty because the instructor in the academy has his own family to take care.

As Makani aged his guilt felt stronger. The guilt he had began one day when the most senior instructor named Aslak had noticed that Makani's clothes had become worn out and holes had started to appear. Since clothes in Pea town is vital to a person because of the cold temperature Aslak, decided to do something about it.

Out of the salary that Aslak had earned working at the academy, the elder instructor bought Makani a new pair to wear made out of pelts from holos called Ruby eyed hares. Hides of the Ruby eyed hares just like many of the holos parts have magical attributes in them. Their hides are very gentle to the touch and at the same time gives off a constant aura of a relatively comfortable degree of warmth making any harsh frigid weather bearable for anyone who wears them. The hides from Ruby eyed hares are the best for the frigid environment of Akau Kingdom.

Makani felt a great depth of gratitude and promised to one day be able to return the old man's kindness by doing his best to fulfill his ambitions.

Through out the land, a normal being would have some type of income by becoming an adventurer. Mostly every being throughout the lands are adventurers. To become an adventurer one has either to go through the academy where they learn the basics of survival or take series of tests. Once a person finishes all the basic classes or take the series of tests, he or she is then appraised by the Adventurer's Guild to be categorized into a class and are given a license to be able to be labeled and be known as that class of adventurer.

There are three types of adventurer class;

The first and strongest class would be the fighters. Fighter class would usually be the adventurers who would use their raw strength and talent to hunt down the numerous terrifying monstrous Holos that exist through out the lands. Fighter class would usually have a shorter life span than any of the adventurer class due to their trait of being brave and daring. Fighter classes often enter tournaments to test themselves. Some fighter class would train under the best schools throughout the lands so that they may might earn great rewards if they some how manage to become the champion in the arena.

Though other classes may join the the tournaments if they please but almost all the time, the champions of the arenas are usually of fighter class.

The second class would be the Support adventurers. Support class adventurers would be adventurers that would use various remarkable skills to their advantage. Most support class adventurers would be adventurers who would fight from a far. Most support classes are rangers, trackers/trappers, tamers or summoners.

Support adventurers would often partner up with Fighters class adventurers to cover their weakness of being more vulnerable than fighter class. Support classes don't usually travel alone due to their weak defenses.

The third class and the lowest of all are the Merchant class. Merchant class Adventurers are usually alchemist who create various types of potions, store keepers, butchers of monstrous creatures killed by other classes, blacksmiths or tailors who would create armors and weapons and when all else fails they become teachers.

Merchant classes are the weakest in all physical aspects of all adventurers. Instead of fighting they would use their wits and knowledge that they have to survive in the world.

Makani slowly continued his way up to where he knows fruit bearing trees would be flourishing. Even though the area would be often be covered in snow, there would be surprisingly abundant of trees that would bear fruits.

When he was younger, Makani always had problem with his stamina. After years of forcing himself to hike up to the snowy forested mountain, Makani's stamina greatly improved. As he continued on the trail that he would take towards the fruit bearing trees, Makani suddenly began to hear people talking. Upon hearing the voices, he immediately stopped and hastily but silently hid behind a tree.

Makani cautiously peeked out of the trunk of the tree and saw two shady looking beings whispering to one another. One is hairy, thick in stature and wide. The other has the head of a dog. Makani made an educated guess that the hairy one is a Dwarf and the other is a Beastman.

Dwarfs are uncommon in the surface of the earth. Most would live very deep underground in giant magnificent cities. Most dwarves on the surface are those who's been banished from the great underground kingdoms. Beastmen are much like humans but are mostly animal like in features. But in physical aspects they are stronger and faster.

Makani had never seen the other races before in person. But in the academy's library he has seen drawings and heard about them from the instructors at the academy. Makani stayed quiet and continued to eavesdrop on the suspicious looking beings.

"GWrr. .Let's kill her Dume! so we can take all of her abilities!" Growled the beast-man who looks much like a hyena.

The dwarf named Dume grabbed the beastman named Wek by his collar and pulled him closer to his face. Dume became annoyed with Wek's suggestion and yelled at him in a low volume.

"You fool! You can't take other people's abilities! Once a being ingest a Mana the ability forever belongs to that being."

"Gwrr..How do you know of this?!" The beastman snarled at the dwarf

"I've tried it before! I attempted to steal someone's ability not too long ago. I killed the person who had the ability to heal people using her hands alone. But after gutting the person up with my axes, I could not find the marble that the person supposedly ingested."

"Gwwrr then what do we do with this adventurer?!"

"Since she has the ability to some how detect Manas we'll just have to wait and we'll steal the marble that she acquires from this creature she's hunting down."

Upon hearing their conversation about the mythical Manas, Makani was confused. In his heart he felt that some how the ancient tales that he had read for the old book from the academy library were all real. After asking about the Manas from the old instructors, Makani had began to doubt and was close to giving up on trying to one day obtain a Mana. But now upon encountering these beings, his hopes of acquiring one is been replenished. Now Makani will do what he can to get one of the marbles.

Makani slowly followed and stalked the two shady beings. Though he was very tired from the long trek all the way up to the forested mountains, his energy returned to him after just being informed that Manas are real. After a moment had passed, Makani continued to cautiously follow the two beings.

Makani remembers a story about people who preyed on the innocent. These people in the story that he read in a book these people are called bandits. These bandits looked just like how the book had described them. Makani continued to stalk the two bandits while making sure that he was not detected. Then suddenly from beyond the trees a loud monstrous shriek could be heard.

"Kkkrrrreaaaaaaaa!!!"

Dume the dwarf took the two small axes strapped on his back and held one in each hand. The beast-man took out his crossbow and pulled out a bolt from one of his many quivers. The dwarf stopped and hid behind a boulder. After quickly peaking at their target, he gave the hyena instructions.

"Once she slays the Holo let's kill the her and steal the Mana she acquires from it."

The beast-man grinned in agreement showing his nasty looking sharp crooked teeth.

Makani was also somewhat prepared. He was confident that he could out run and out maneuver the bandits going down hill in the snowy forested mountain that he was very familiar with. While he discussed to himself of the different actions that he could do in the situations that he might encounter, Makani heard various sounds that ends with the beastman's distinct laughing.

Makani peaked to see what had happened with the bandits. From where he hid, he saw the bandits had overwhelmed a hooded womanin the open area. The hooded woman had just fought a monstrous holo and immediately after bandits attacked the woman.

The two bandits had viciously ambushed the hooded woman inflicting serious damage. The result of the sneak attack caused the hooded woman to bleed out dyeing the snow in the area in red. As the two looked down on the bloodied hooded person they pry open her still shut hand.

"Nyahahaha! Gwrr..She didn't stand a chance with our ambush!"

"Hello sweetie now hand over the marbles."

The two bandits snatched the marbles out of woman's hand that she acquired from the terrifying creature. The beast-man began to laugh celebrating in their success.

As Makani stayed hidden, he could hear the bandits celebrating from where he hid. He cautiously peaked at the bandits and saw the two bandits gawking over two shiny small spherical stones.

'Are these the Mana that the ancient books had mentioned?' Makani thought to himself as he observes what was in the bandit's hand.

Makani began to argue with himself. He started telling himself to wait until there was a perfect chance to take the marbles at the same time he told him self that it was now or never. Instantly Makani started to feel anxious and as he was about to prepare to lunge in to snatch the Manas from the two bandits, the critically wounded hooded woman stood and stabbed both bandits on the nape of their necks.

Instantly the two bandits fell on the red dyed snow lifeless. The two shiny small stones fell and became embedded inside the red dyed snow as the hooded adventurer fell along with the two dead bandits.

Seeing the opportunity, like a hungry wild animal, Makani jumped towards where the two shiny marbles fell and frantically searched for them them. Adrenaline kicked in and Makani's heart throbbed really fast then suddenly he found them. A manic smile appeared in Makani's face, he stopped for a moment to make sure that he had them in his hands.

As he stares at the magical marbles, he licks his lips and without any hesitations, Makani swallows both marbles at the same time.

**