"Ah... How perfect this place is! Paradise everywhere!"

The eight-year-old boy, Rothe, shouted while diving to a flowing river from a ridge of the waterfall's base.

"How refreshing was that? Huh! Hey, Gael! Come here and join me. The water's too cold and refreshing. You won't want to regret one half of your living life, hmm well... As if there's a dying life." Rothe chuckled. "Look! I even drunk a lot of it. I can tell that I have already drunk one or two barrels of this water."

"Hmph! I don't trust you. It may be soothing water for you but I can't tell if it's safe. I want to live long and be an adult at least." The 7-year-old boy, Gael, insisted not to trust how Rothe tries to get him to dive on the flowing river as well.

"Ha! I know you'll say that. I have come prepared dreamy boy, Gael!" Rothe pulled the rope tied to Gael's left leg and it immediately made him slip from the ridge and splashed towards the flowing river where Rothe was bursting in laughing.

The river's water splashed an explosion of mist.

"You idiot! I thought I was going to experience the thing you said earlier, the dying life..."

Both of them best friends burst in laughing.

"Ah! That was momentarily exhilarating but it was a death wish if I happen to bump my head to a rock you dumb, Rothe!" Gael finally forgot the trust issues he had with Rothe for always making a prank out of him because of the soothing feeling from the river they are swimming in.

"Well for that my friend, my calculations are never wrong! Now enjoy the rest of the day in my paradise!" Rothe role-played as the owner of the river and dived deep down the water.

"Pft! Rothe is such a kid... Well, it's not that bad to have a friend like him though." Gael dived in and followed Rothe delighting the flowing river.

Gael is a loner kid in the village despite the Kingdom being peaceful and hospitable to everyone. Not that he was not friendly nor the people in the village but because of what he is experiencing personally in his daily life, the loss of family. Gael lives alone because his parents were long gone without any trace and without anyone having a clue to what happened of them couple, Gael's parents.

But one thing he exempts was the enthusiastic kid named Rothe.

"I don't know why I feel so close and familiar with Rothe. I'm thankful such a kid exists, although I'm one year younger than him. I'll stay as close to him and see where this empty life of mine lives towards the future." Gael thought all of these words while watching Rothe's back swimming in front of him.

Late afternoon came

"See you later, Gael! My mom will scold me if I-... I mean it will be dangerous for us to stay late even though we live in the best Kingdom of all, Kingdom of Magnolram. That's what the elders said." Being Gael's best friend, Rothe was always careful in choosing the right words to say for him not to offend Gael in any way as he lives alone every day without a family.

Gael smiled.

'You are truly a great friend, Rothe.' Gael muttered words of gratitude towards his only friend and best friend, Rothe.

"I know. I know that. We must live our living life for us not to experience a dying life. That was indeed catchy. To live is to live brighter. See you again tomorrow, my friend Rothe!" Gael turned around and waved his hands at Rothe as he walks away for home.

"See you... Gael." Rothe was surprised by the unusual mood and eyes of Gael. It seemed dim and empty even though he said sweet words for a friend.

'Argh! I think I made him sad! I need to be more careful next time. I spoke a word that must not be heard when Gael's around... It must still hurt him and affects him so much. Of course! Who would not, right? Agh! How dumb of me... You are dumb, Rothe!'

Rothe spent his time going home while blaming himself for making Gael sad.

Morning sun came

At a small house built from stone bricks,

"Hey, mom. You will be with dad today, right? So I'll go now and play with Gael today." Rothe still had water dripping in his face as he just washed and was excited to go on an adventure with his friend Gael again.

"It is still so early in the morning, why don't you eat bread first or have a sip of your soup?"

"No mom, don't worry. We will go hunting for food and cook it ourselves. It will be much more fun, right? Gael! Here I come...

See you later, mom!" Rothe jumped out their window and ran towards the steep slope outside their house.

"Ah! That kid! Always the energetic one... hope he won't be causing any trouble at the town or that kid he plays with, hmm... Gael, right? Come on and pack up. Let's go to the market, honey." Rothe's dad came out of their room and was prepared to go sell fishes and bread at the public marketplace at the town.

Rothe had it in him being a talented and athletic kid. He jumped over branches and slide towards steep slope without a hassle. He moves quickly for a kid.

"Why won't he just stay with us. He kept on insisting not to even though we offered him to live with us countless times. That kid is a survivor!

Hey, Gael! I'm here."

Rothe looked up at the treehouse where Gael resides.

"Is he still asleep? I wonder what he's doing?"

Rothe climbed up the treehouse and jumped towards a broken stair at the entrance of Gael's house.

"Hey, Gael! I'm here. What are you-" A terrifying sight welcomes Rothe at the doorstep of Gael's house. His best friend lying on the ground in a pool of blood.

Rothe backed off a step but accidentally fell off when he stepped on an old rotten plank.

"How... unlucky-" He hit his head on the ground and said despairing words before he turned unconscious.

"100 THUNDER ARMY! DOMINATION!"

'What is this weird memory I'm having again? I can't remember having these experiences in my life.' Rothe was watching a memory inside his head after he turned unconscious falling off the treehouse.

"He is very strong! Such outrageous power! The dark lord is indeed a foe to be reckoned with. Even facing us the legendary heroes of the Eight Great Kingdom, he is never fazed!" The dragon hero covered in blood clad in red armor was heavily breathing facing the dark lord surrounded by dark armies.

"I agree with you! I believe right now, all of us here acknowledge how strong this man is! We didn't expect him-" The long-haired green armored hero coughed a mouthful of blood as they were fighting for 2 days already. "We didn't expect this fight to be this long, and moreover, that he remains unfazed by our attacks. His composure and power are unbelievable!"

"I don't agree on the last part of what you said... Look at him carefully, he chose to surround himself with a hundred thunder army on par of our power because the Beast hero dealt a heavy blow on him earlier." The armored hero holding a giant cleaver noticed that the dark lord was breathing heavily.

"I commend you for noticing that, devil. I have a plan... Now is the time to end this!" A man clad in golden armor said. The Saint hero of the Eight legendary heroes of the Eight Great Kingdom.

"What is it now heroes? Shall we do it again? The swift combo we did earlier that finally dealt heavy damage on him." A woman covered in blood and clad in purple armor with an expectant face to see what decision will the other heroes make. For them to emerge victorious over the dark lord.

"I'll continue supporting! I'll blind him with my flash wing strike." The woman clad in white armor said. The support of the Great Eight.

"What is the plan, Great Eight heroes?"

"I have suggestion. It won't be needing any skill from any of us. Instead, it will require us to lose our powers." The Saint hero proposed a final trump card for them to have a chance to win against the dark lord.

"Lose our powers?! Are you serious?! We are in a detriment situation and this is not the time to-" The soul master woman said furiously while being pressured at the sight of the dark lord flying steadily in front of them while guarded by a hundred Thunder armies .

"I'm serious! This is the only chance we have left. Our trump card... I'm sure you have already noticed fighting him for two days that this man regenerates quickly. I can't believe how he achieved such a limitless extent of his power." The Saint hero was composed to the plan he is certain that will bring the defeat of the dark lord.