In an ancient wood, saturated with the purest mana, there was a “little” boy. Of course, this was “little” only by ogre standards. The boy was 8’1” (2.4688m) with skin like the darkest night. Although he was no more than seven or eight years old, he already had well sculpted muscles. A solid physique was an inherent gift of the ogre race.

Scars of varying sizes coated his body like paint splattered on a canvas. In contrast to his ebony skin, his hair was white as the purest snow. It cascaded down to his lower back and partially obscured the youth’s eyes. Those eyes were a deep crimson color that could easily chill the souls of the weak willed.

Two small nub-like protrusions could be seen on both sides of his head, which would eventually grow into horns. He had a strong jaw and thick lips that seemed to be stuck in an eternal scowl. He had sharp eyebrows and a piercing glare that made him look as though he had a grudge with the world. His only article of clothing was a loincloth made from some sort of animal hide. This combination truly made the boy look like some sort of hellspawn.

If one were to say that this was a kindhearted child, few would be inclined to believe it. Although many might say that one shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, it doesn’t change the fact that appearance impacts impression. This scary looking child was quietly humming a tune to himself as he moved through the wood.

Orbs of light could be seen dancing around him and if one looked closely, they would notice that the plants and trees all seemed to be swaying with happiness. The orbs of light were spirits of nature. Spirits of the flora and fauna, the rocks and soil, the wind and rain. They seemed to be fawning over this child, as if to console him.

“Haah. I want to make friends…”

A sigh escaped from him and a lamentation followed soon after. The voice that echoed through the quiet forest was surprisingly immature compared to its imposing owner. To this sudden declaration, the spirits seemed to dim in sadness and the plants seemed to wilt in sorrow. They felt hurt, as though they were not viewed with the same affection that they viewed this child with. It was a painful feeling, even for plants.

“Ah! That’s definitely not what I meant! You guys are my family. If not for all of you, I wouldn’t be here now. It’s just that aside from all the spirits, beasts and monsters, there really isn’t anyone to talk to. I want to know more about what’s outside the forest.”

The plants and spirits all seemed to be cheered up by his words and expressed their joy. But soon after they also expressed their sympathy. For them, they would forever be bound to this place, unable to leave and wander the earth. Even they wished to see a glance of the world beyond their own. If they felt this way, it was no wonder that this boy wanted to see the outside with his own eyes. As they felt comforted, a smile spread across the face of the youth. However, to a passerby it would surely look like a murderous grin. Thankfully it didn’t bother the company he kept.

As he chatted with the forest and the spirits, his journey went by much faster. The youths destination was a large lake at the heart of the forest. It was the place where most every creature came to drink. This area was special. It was an area where conflict was forbidden. Anyone or anything that came to drink here was safe from predation. Those who violated this decree would be killed by the spirit of the lake, an undine.

The glowing orbs still followed him happily, bobbing in tandem as if they were dancing merrily. This lake was one of the richest sources of mana in the forest and therefore was an extremely nourishing place for them. On the other hand, the boy liked this place because it was peaceful. This was also the home of someone he cared for deeply.

“Aqua, I came to visit you.”

“Oh, it’s Grahl. How nice of you to stop by.”

A melodious voice replied to him. From the lake, thousands of silk-like threads of water extended from its surface and intricately wove themselves into the figure of a voluptuous woman. She had caramel colored skin and aquamarine colored hair. Her eyes were a shade of sky blue and she wore a dress that seemed to be made of flowing water. All in all, she was a striking beauty that held a seductive air.

Grahlgar, or Grahl as he was affectionately called, wore a beaming smile as he saw Aqua emerge from the surface of the lake. No matter how many times he had witnessed it, he was still amazed.

“Ah, big sis Aqua is really pretty. I want a bride as beautiful as you one day.”

Grahl spoke with purity and admiration, causing even the immortal undine to feel a bit embarrassed. Still, she was flattered all the same and replied,

“I’m sure that Grahl will find someone even more beautiful than me. After all, Grahl is gentle and kind.”

“Heheh, thank you, Aqua. But even I realize that it’s hard for an ogre to make friends, let alone trying to find a bride. Still, I won’t give up!”

Seeing Grahl, so fired up about something so grown up at such a young age, elicited a chuckle from Aqua. Indeed, Grahlgar himself was a bit of a peculiarity among ogres. Most were rather short tempered and aggressive, though they usually kept within the bounds of their own territories. So long as one did not trespass, they would keep to themselves. Grahlgar however, was a gentle and sociable child.

“That’s the spirit! Though if you ever get weary of searching, you can always come back to me.”

Aqua said jokingly as she sent a mischievous smile to young Grahl. It might have been difficult to see, but her comment caused him to blush furiously. Seeing him act so embarrassed, Aqua felt a sense of victory and vindication. Still, in order to spare him from any further teasing, the playful undine decided to change the subject.

“Anyway, Grahl is probably here in order to train his mana, correct?”

Upon mention of training, Grahl quickly recovered from his flustered state.

“Yes! I need to get stronger! I can’t always rely on the forest and spirits for help.”

At Grahl’s earnest desire for strength, Aqua could only sigh. Just based on brute strength, Grahl was already a force to be reckoned with. However, this nameless, ancient forest was home to many powerful beasts, spirits and monsters, not all of which were kind. It certainly wasn’t wrong to desire the strength to protect oneself and the things that they cherish. In the face of this innocent desire, Aqua could only acquiesce.

After all, Aqua knew that even Grahl’s parents had faced their end within this forest. Ogres were powerful, but they were not at the top of the food chain. Grahl had been raised and educated by Aqua and other spirits. Although the circumstances were not clear, it seemed as though his parents had entered a territorial dispute with a strong demon beast. They beseeched the undine to watch over their child until they could return to raise him. Unfortunately, they were never able to return.

“Alright, then let’s get started. Since you’ve already gotten the hang of gathering and externalizing your mana, you can start practicing your magic skill.”

“Yes! Finally! But...what ?”

“Grahl, as an ogre, your race is born with an inherent magic skill known as “Reinforce.” It’s simple in concept, but it has a wide variety of uses. However, most ogres only use it for the sake of reinforcing their strength, when it has much more potential than that. Therefore, I’m only going to teach you the basics of this skill, then you have to show me at least five different ways to utilize it. Consider this as a challenge to prove your determination!”

After hearing Aqua’s explanation and more importantly, her challenge, Grahlgar was fired up. His eyes were instilled with a blazing passion to learn! Aqua had already grasped Grahl’s personality. If you questioned his determination, he would stubbornly push forward to prove himself!