《Mahendra and bakei》 the start of the adventure In a small village surrounded by dense forests lived a 17-year-old boy named Mahendra. With messy black hair and eyes full of determination, he carried big dreams passed down by his parents. That day, on his 17th birthday, Mahendra made a big decision: to leave the village and explore the world. It was the beginning of his life''s story. --- Mahendra took a deep breath as he packed his clothes and food supplies into his worn-out backpack. His hands trembled slightly as he stood before a small table where a photo of his late father and mother rested. "Mahendra will travel to many places, just like your dreams, Father and Mother... I hope you''re at peace up there," he said with a shaky voice. As he stepped outside, the village head, an old man with a face full of wrinkles, approached him. He looked at Mahendra with a heavy gaze. "Son, are you really serious about this?" he asked, pulling Mahendra into a tight hug. Mahendra gave a small smile. "Yes, sir. Sooner or later, I have to go. Thank you for everything you''ve done for me. You''ve been like a father to me." The village head patted his shoulder. "Be careful out there, son. The world beyond this village isn¡¯t always kind."This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. Mahendra nodded, then walked away. He turned back one last time, waving at the villagers who had come to see him off. "GOODBYE! TAKE CARE OF YOURSELVES!" --- The sky was getting dark when Mahendra arrived at the forest on the village''s outskirts. He set up a makeshift tent near a large tree and went to gather firewood. But the sound of roaring from deep within the forest made him stop. "AAAAHGGG, boar! You bastard!" someone shouted. Mahendra frowned. "Who loses to a wild boar?" he muttered, walking toward the source of the voice. But he stopped in his tracks when he saw a giant boar towering two meters tall with a body as big as a car. "What the heck is that boar?!" he exclaimed in shock. The boar glared at Mahendra with its red eyes, then charged through the trees like a bulldozer. Mahendra gripped the Mandau 7 Rupa, an artifact passed down from his ancestors. "Mandau of Wind, unleash your blade!" he shouted. Sharp winds shot out from the sword, slashing the boar''s skin but leaving only shallow wounds. "I need a stronger attack!" Mahendra twisted a small lever at the hilt of the Mandau. "Mandau of Water, unleash your might!" A powerful stream of water burst from the sword, soaking the boar¡¯s body. He now smirked slightly. "Mandau of Lightning, strike with fury!" Lightning struck the boar¡¯s wet body, bringing it crashing down, lifeless. As Mahendra stared at the giant boar¡¯s corpse, he heard another voice. "Bro, can I have some of that meat?" Mahendra spun around quickly, his eyes widening. In a tree above, a black monkey was lounging casually with a broad grin on its face. "T-The monkey¡­ TALKED?!" Mahendra shouted, taking a defensive stance. "Whoa, chill, bro, relax," the monkey said, raising both hands as if surrendering. Mahendra still watched it warily. "What language are you even speaking?" "I dunno," the monkey replied, grabbing a piece of boar meat and munching on it hungrily. Mahendra sighed and sat down by the campfire. "Fine, just don¡¯t eat it all," he said, grabbing some meat for himself. The monkey pointed at the Mandau in Mahendra¡¯s hand. "By the way, what¡¯s that?" "Oh, this?" Mahendra raised his sword. "It¡¯s an artifact from my great-grandfather. It¡¯s called the Mandau 7 Rupa." The night grew late. Mahendra slept in his sturdy tent while the black monkey hung from a tree, casually chewing on leftover meat. --- Quick Info: 1. The Mandau is a traditional weapon similar to a long machete, used by the Dayak people. city of adventurers On a bright morning, I began packing my belongings and headed to the nearest city to buy a map. "Hey bro, where are you headed?" asked the monkey. "I''m going to the nearest city. Why do you ask?" "The city? The city is in the opposite direction, bro. Are you trying to head for the cliff?" the monkey said, pointing north. "Wait, are you serious? This forest is too dense; it¡¯s hard to see ahead," Mahendra replied, turning northward. "Hey bro, where are you actually going?" "I¡¯m planning to travel the world and see how beautiful it is," Mahendra said with sparkling eyes. "Whoa, bro, that¡¯s a great idea," the monkey said, following Mahendra. Not long after, they arrived in the adventurer''s city, a city without a ruling authority but under the domain of Duke Gram. Adventurers are a group of people who make their living primarily by conquering dungeons and selling valuable artifacts at high prices to the nobility. "Wow, the gates are so tall," Mahendra marveled at the 5-meter-high walls. "Hmmm, a tamer, huh? You must be impressive to tame such a large monkey," said a gatekeeper. "Huh? A tamer? No, I¡¯m a swordsman," Mahendra replied, showing his identification. "Hmm, from Hanjewu Village. Mahendra... wait, a swordsman?" The guard looked surprised and disappointed since tamers were rare. "Oo oo ah ah!" the monkey suddenly acted like a typical monkey, hugging Mahendra as if it were his pet. "It seems you have a talent for taming," the gatekeeper said, letting them pass even though the monkey didn¡¯t have any identification. "Hey, why are you still following me?" Mahendra asked, his tone rising slightly. "Well, bro, there¡¯s the equipment store," the monkey said, pointing to a shop named Sumber Jaya to change the subject.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. "You little rascal," Mahendra muttered. The monkey opened the door to reveal a muscular old man cleaning his wares. "Alright, fine." "Hey, what are you looking for?" the old man asked with a friendly smile. "Do you have a map and some potions here?" "What kind of potions?" "Three each of healing and mana potions." Mahendra looked around and noticed a book titled Beginner¡¯s Guide to Magic. "And this, how much for everything?" he asked while taking out his coin pouch. "Hmmm, just 6 gold," the old man said, eyeing the coins in Mahendra¡¯s pouch. "Wait, bro, that price is definitely off," the monkey whispered. "Hey, old man, isn¡¯t that price too high? 3 gold," Mahendra said, feigning confidence. "Huh? What are you saying, kid? This is already the best price," the old man replied, sweating slightly. "3 gold, or I¡¯m leaving." "3.5 gold." "3 gold." "Fine, I¡¯ll leave then," Mahendra said, walking slowly toward the door. "Wait!" the old man finally conceded. The items were purchased for 3 gold, and the monkey laughed uncontrollably outside the shop. "Hahaha! That old man was obviously trying to scam you." "Hey, wasn¡¯t that wrong?" Mahendra asked, feeling guilty about what had happened. "You¡¯re so naive, bro," the monkey said as if it understood the world. "HELP!!!" a woman¡¯s scream came from a narrow alley. Mahendra quickly rushed to the source of the scream. Four men surrounded a woman and an old man. The old man was injured, his stomach pierced by a knife. "Run, Princess, while I can still hold them off," the old man said, panting, blood gushing from his wound. "Earth Mandau, unleash sharp thorns!" Spikes erupted from the ground, lightly wounding two of the attackers. "Oh ho, someone dares to challenge us, FODOG." "Water Mandau, suffocate them!" Four bubbles filled with water covered the attackers'' heads. "Gurgle... gurgle..." The FODOG members gasped for air before passing out. "Light Mandau, heal the wound!" A bright light enveloped and slowly healed the old man¡¯s injuries. "We are in your debt," said the beautiful woman with long white hair and a graceful red gown. She appeared to be around 22¨C25 years old. "I¡¯m Gram Van Dylias," the elegant woman introduced herself. Here, names signify one''s caste: four names for imperial families, three for kings and dukes, two for marquesses, counts, viscounts, and barons, and one for commoners or lower-ranking knights. "There¡¯s no need to owe me anything, Princess. I simply did what I had to do," Mahendra said, bowing his head. "Ugh," the old man groaned as he opened his eyes. He assumed a defensive stance, as if still expecting danger. "Wait, sir, it¡¯s over now," Mahendra said, raising his hands. The old man looked around and apologized formally, "Forgive me, savior." "First of all, I am Fraun," he introduced himself with a bow. "By the way, why is the Princess here?" Mahendra asked, slightly stiff in his formal tone. "No need to be so formal, savior." "Oh, that¡¯s a relief," Mahendra said, looking visibly relaxed. The Princess smiled slightly at his demeanor. "We¡¯re here to purchase an A-rank artifact, the Mirror of the World," she said, showing a small round mirror framed in gold. Artifacts are items that can only be found in dungeons. They come in eight tiers: C, B, A, S, SR, SS, L, and the rare God tier, said to be capable of leveling an entire kingdom in one night. They boarded a horse-drawn carriage parked at the alley''s entrance, seemingly traveling alone. Inside the carriage, the Princess muttered, "Ah, I forgot to ask the savior¡¯s name." ¡ª Meanwhile, Mahendra wondered where the monkey had gone. "Hey bro, done already?" The monkey was on a rooftop, watching the whole incident. "You¡¯re unbelievable." They headed to the nearest inn. "How much for one room with a bed?" Mahendra asked. "1 gold." "Come on, be honest," Mahendra said, learning from earlier mistakes. "5 silver," Mahendra said, handing over the coins. "Tch, fine," the innkeeper grumbled, handing him a key. The room was messy, with a single bed. "Ugh, I wouldn¡¯t even pay 3 silver for this," the monkey teased, grinning at Mahendra. Mahendra groaned and opened the Beginner¡¯s Guide to Magic. After reading a bit, he sighed, "I don¡¯t und erstand any of this." He closed the book and went to sleep. The monkey, curious about magic, took the book and slipped out the window. To Be Continued... First match Morning "Hoaaahm... Eh, your face looks awful," Mahendra was startled to see the monkey''s face. "Yeah, I''m super sleepy. I didn''t sleep all night. Turns out this book is actually pretty interesting," he said while returning the book Beginner''s Magic Guide. "You read this? Do you even understand it? Even I struggle to get it," Mahendra doubted him. "Easy. Blazing Fire... Fireball." A magic circle appeared on his palm, followed by a ball of fire. Mahendra was both shocked and jealous of his ability. "Isn''t it true that you can use magic too, like yesterday?" "That wasn''t magic. It was the power of an artifact. This artifact allows its user to control an element, but only one at a time." The Seven-Faced Mandau was an S-tier (Special) artifact. The monkey went back to sleep. As Mahendra was about to head to the inn''s lobby, a loud shout echoed. "WHERE IS THAT KID?!" It was the bandit gang from yesterday. They grabbed the innkeeper by his collar. "Oi, oi, you guys only dare to pick on an old man? What are you, little kids?" Mahendra mocked them in the bar. "BASTARD!!!" One of them dashed forward, aiming a punch at Mahendra. Thud! Someone blocked the punch and said, "Do you even realize where you are? This is my territory." The man looked familiar¡ªhis muscular body seemed recognizable. "Hey, kid, you''ve only been in town for a day, and you''re already causing trouble?" The one who blocked the punch turned out to be the shopkeeper from yesterday. "Step aside, Aragna! He''s the one who hurt my men yesterday!" Broin was the leader of the Fodog party. Aragna was the boss of the Arunika clan, one of the three major clans in the adventurer city. "Kid, do you have anything to say for yourself?" Aragna furrowed his brow. "They robbed the second princess of the Gram Duke family yesterday," Mahendra said, pointing at the four man behind Broin.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Aragna glanced at them. "You believe this outsider?" Broin''s killing intent surged. "In that case, let''s settle this the way we do here-the strong rule! A party battle will decide!!!" The bar instantly erupted with cheers. "AN EYE FOR AN EYE, A TOOTH FOR A TOOTH!!!" "Fine, this evening at the plaza. I swear I''ll kill you," Broin spat before storming out of the bar. Instead of standing around in a daze, Mahendra felt a heavy hand slap his back. "Rather than spacing out, you''d better find a B-tier artifact to bet with," Aragna said. Mahendra''s mind struggled to process what was happening. "Why do I need to buy an artifact?" "For the bet, obviously. Just buy one at my place." At Sumber Jaya shop. "Got anything magic-related? Might be useful for the monkey." "You''re in luck. Here, the Mana Ring," Aragna handed him a silver ring with a blue mana crystal in the center. Mana crystals come from monster cores and are ranked by color-gray (weakest), blue, orange, red, and pitch black (strongest). They provide additional mana and faster mana regeneration. "This, plus an Intermediate Magic Book Part 1. How much?" Mahendra stared at Aragna. "Five gold. Swear, just five gold." Aragna struck a peace sign and winked. Mahendra gagged, as if he had just seen something utterly disgusting. Afternoon "Monkey, wake up! It''s already noon. We have a match this evening," Mahendra shook him awake. "Huh? What? How?" The monkey was still half-asleep, trying to process Mahendra''s words. "This Mana Ring and the intermediate magic book-both for you." "Huh?! Wait, how did a match happen while I was sleeping?" "Just hurry up and memorize those intermediate spells. Our opponents are a B-rank party from the Dhairya clan." Like it or not, the monkey had to join since he was part of Mahendra''s party. Mahendra began explaining his strategy. "You think that will work?" the monkey asked while flipping through the magic book. "70% chance of success-if you can master intermediate magic fast enough." Evening The colosseum was packed with spectators. "LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, TODAY WE WITNESS A MATCH BETWEEN-THE SUPER ROOKIE WHO SINGLE-HANDEDLY DEFEATED A CORRUPTED BOAR-MAAAAAHENDRAAA!!!" the announcer''s amplified voice boomed. "Wait, is he a tamer? I heard rumors he uses a sword and magic," an adventurer in the stands muttered. "Hey, look! Why are the Pillars here?" "THEIR OPPONENTS ARE JUST AS STRONG-A ROOKIE PARTY THAT ROSE TO B-RANK IN JUST A MONTH-F00000ODOOOOOOG!!!" The Fodog party emerged with a full five-man lineup: a tank, a swordsman, an archer, and two mages. "Puspita, why are you here? This is between Arunika and Dhairya," Aragna frowned. "True, but if you two fight, who''s going to stop you?" Puspita''s sharp gaze flickered between Aragna and Anala. "Besides, I also want to see the one who took down a Corrupted Boar alone," she said, staring at Mahendra. "Aragna, where did you find this guy?" Anala asked. "He hasn''t joined any clan yet," Aragna replied. Both Puspita and Anala were visibly surprised. "I''ll end this quickly," Broin growled. His killing intent was so strong it formed a skull-like aura. "You think you''re someone special?" Mahendra grinned widely, locking eyes with Broin. "Bro..." The monkey''s instincts tingled-Mahendra felt dangerous. To be continued... Fun Facts: 1. Arunika (Sanskrit) means "red" and can also mean "sunrise," "beginning," or "awakening." 2. Tushar (Sanskrit) means "cold" and can also mean "frozen" or "snow." 3. Dhairya (Sanskrit) means "courage."