Several light years from Earth existed a planet called Macha. It was a lush world full of life. Macha was a lot like the Earth: it had a medium sized star for a sun, there was plenty of water and the lands were always bountiful. However, life was not all smiles for the humans that lived on this planet. Oh, no.

For many years, mankind lived at the mercy of monsters small and great, ordinary and legendary. Towns, villages and crop fields were burned at leisure, and humongous beasts made the very ground quake and crack asunder almost weekly. It was a nightmarish hellscape almost every other day.

But all of that changed in the year 1800. Having been fed up with constantly losing loved ones and livelihoods, a group of brave souls banded together and formed a revolutionary organization known simply as the Hunters' Guild. This organization trained and produced extraordinary soldiers for the salvation of human society. They were the Monster Hunters. At first there was very little change, for most monsters were just far too strong. However, halfway through the year, out of the many great struggles and one-sided losses suffered by the humans, a miraculous power was granted known as Chikara. The power of Chikara endowed hunters with increased physical capabilities, the ability to augment their weapons and armor, and allowed them to wield a certain few elements of nature against the monsters.

With a strengthened morale, the Hunter's Guild grew in members and in strength, racking up new victories daily. By the end of the year, monster kind was given the boot they finally deserved, successfully suppressed to the point that the human societies could begin advancing in knowledge and technology. At some point, Monster Hunting Life became both an important role and a viable occupation for those who could handle it. While every human was granted Chikara, not everyone became a hunter. Hunters generally had stronger Chikara levels.

There arose numerous clans, of which of the most famous was a hunting clan family known as the Kasai. Their mastery of Chikara was rather exceptional even among hunters. They took on jobs at no one else would. Their founder was a man known fondly as the "Fire of Kokoto."

Kokoto was a village on the west of the city of Minegarde, wedged between the rolling Arcolis hills at the north and a desert at its far south. Our story today is about a special youth from this village, an orphan at the tender age of 2, now a budding hunter about to begin his journey to greatness.

December, 2097.

Under a mid afternoon sky, there was a blanket of tall, pink Sakura like trees. To the naked eye, it was just a pretty forest and nothing more. But such a person could not be any more wrong even if they tried. Under this nestling canopy was a village. It had four main roads which formed a cross junction in the exact center of the village. Feeder roads snaked out at various points. At the north east corner of the cross junction was a Hunter's Guild outpost gathering hall. Near the entrance stood a handsome young man with bizarre navy blue hair. Originally, his hair was black, but it changed color as a sign that he could wield his Chikara, and thus he was finished with his training and therefore ready to become a real hunter.

In front of the man was a strange, short being whose species was known as the wyverians. They looked like humans, but had four fingered hands and larger ears. Some were short, like Koto, and others on rare occasions were as huge as monsters! This particular wyverian was the current Village Chief of Kokoto and also the hunting life instructor for the village.

"Alex, congratulations on finishing your training; I have a present for you," said the Chief with a as he held out a scroll.

"Thank you, Master Koto," replied Alex as he took the scroll. He opened it and began to scan. His eyes lit up and he lowered the scroll from his face again to look down at Chief Koto. "Does this mean you want me to take this job? I'm not sure I want to leave your side yet. I still feel like I have a lot more to learn from you."

"No, Alex. I can't look after you forever. You have come of age, so it will do you so much better to spread your wings and branch out. You will grow a lot more this way."

"I understand, Master Koto. I can at least visit sometimes, right?"

"Of course. Your life as a hunter will take you all around the lands, so you can always drop on in if you are close by."

"I will."

"Good, now let's get you set up. You leave tonight via airship."

"Alright, let's go." Alex and Chief Koto made of down the road to Koto's house.

Several hours later, Alex got out of the airship at a clearing near a very deep canyon known as the Canyon of Great Evil. It was made artificially by a generation of the strongest Kasai Clan members around in order to separate people from the dangerous humongous monsters, such as a mountain sized dragon known as Lao Shan Lung. Sometimes, you could even hear echoing roars coming up from the depths. An ever present fog in the canyon prevented anyone from seeing anything within it, adding to the mysterious air surrounding it.

As the airship began fly away back to the west, Alex turned to stare up at the illustrious snow wrapped Furahiya Mountain Range. Somewhere to the north east in these snowy mountains was an important mining community in dire need of a new Head Hunter. While Alex was new, that did not mean he was not skilled. Besides which, the community had no more viable hunters at this time. Let us have a look at Alex's current arsenal.

Hunter Stats

Alex Water (HR1)

Weapon: Bone Kris Sword and Shield

Armor: Mafumofu Lv1

Skills: Cold Negate, Divine Protection, Heat Increase.

The Mafumofu armor set was provided by Pokke Village, Alex's destination, as a gesture of goodwill. It had a special feature that made traversing through cold places a walk in the park, the 'Cold Negate Skill.' Skills were the special powers a person gained whenever he or she donned a particular armor set.

Alex turned until his gaze came upon a path. He inhaled deeply before releasing. "Okay, here I go." Alex began making his way up the path.

Snowy Mountains Hunting Area 8: The Summit.

It was the middle of the night, and Alex was on the summit of the last mountain before his destination. To his left was a sheer rock wall, and to the right was a cliff. Because he was pretty high up, all he could see was snow and clouds and other tall enough peaks. A multitude of stars could be seen unhindered due to the altitude.

After rounding the wall, Alex stopped dead in his tracks at the sight of some Popo carcasses. Popos were large herbivorous monsters known for their giant bent fangs and delicious meat. It was their tongues however that were the true delicacy, netting frequent requests to the guild as a popular "account item".

The carcasses were ravaged and fresh, their blood staining the snow covered ground. I wonder what could have done this, thought Alex with curiosity as he went closer to check them out. A pack of Velociprey? No wait, that can't be. They don't live way out here in the cold.

Suddenly, a loud roar sounded. Alex became alert. Some low snarls and snaps turned his gaze to the top of the wall of rock to his right. There on the ledge crouched a beastly combination of tiger and T-Rex, a wyvern. It was covered in brown scales and had blue on its face and limbs. Alex unsheathed his small bone sword and became at the ready as the wyvern jumped down with a great thud.

What IS this thing? Alex thought. I have not even seen Pokke yet and I'm already face to face with powerful looking wyvern.

"Young novice, I am a Tigrex, but those who know me call me General Tiggy," boomed a thunderous, prideful voice.

"WHAT THE…!?" Alex was alarmed. Either I'm going crazy... or I'm so scared that I'm hearing things.

"No, you are not going crazy," the voice rang out in Alex's head. "You are merely going to be my desert!"

"Wait, you can talk!?" Alex asked the scary looking wyvern before him. It shook its head in the negative, however.

"Strictly speaking... no. I just happened to be blessed with higher intellegence than most. We appear to be communicating via telepathy."

"I have telepathy? Wow, that's pretty cool… Wait! What was that before!? There's no way I'm letting you eat me! I'm not even an official hunter yet!"

"Tch! If that's the case, then you're nowhere near powerful enough to take me on. You are worse than a novice. Well, easier for me, I guess. Prepare yourself!" With a snarl, the Tigrex rushed forward on all fours with surprising speed towards Alex.

Alex held up his shield as the Tigrex made a flying leap. There was a brief release of sparkles as the wyvern's dominant left claw struck home. Alex screamed in terror and pain as the attack sent him sailing over the cliff. Down into a cold drop he plummeted. "Nooooo…!" His scream lost volume as he disappeared into the darkness of night far below.

"Tch! There goes my meal," thought Tigrex as he peered down where Alex fell. "Perhaps if he survives, we'll meet again. I'll be waiting, novice." With that, the fierce wyvern roared powerfully into the snowing sky. The sonic vibrations of his roar caused a few avalanches.