If you want the perfect book about the most extreme, coolest adventurer ever, you’re in the right place. Everyone loves strong, fearsome warriors. People would do anything to be them. Who wouldn’t want to dive into armies of brutes or fight off savage beasts ready to tear any creature’s limbs, all to protect life? Or maybe to get a great deal at the food market? Okay, adventurers might not battle for a half-off deal, but I am a different tale.

Speaking of brave warriors, I should introduce myself and my home since I’m bound to become a legend. My name is Kaipo Apollo Fang. I'm twelve years old, and I aim to be the world's greatest explorer. Don’t underestimate my skills because of my age. I also live in this wonderful, yet slightly dangerous world of Arkgore.

Arkgore is a world of mythic landscapes and supernatural biomes, each ruled by one of eight races.

I was supposedly born in the nation of Bouer and later raised there, in the middle of Arkgore near the mountain region. It’s where creatures’ intelligence is said to be greater than the mountains themselves. The Harkens live there, too. They are a race of short, friendly people, known for being stubborn but also passionate about crafting and machinery. Long ago, when I was an infant, the townsfolk and their chief, Udo Fang, found me outside the village gates.

Harkens chose leaders for their leadership, toughness, and brilliance. Udo had all these traits, in mind and body. His hair was long and black like a deadly serpent, hiding half his face. Metal armor covered his chest and legs; he was always ready for a challenge. His tall, robust body and long black hair made him look unstoppable, which earned respect. Luckily, Udo wanted to keep and raise me as his own, when most villagers saw me as a 'blooper' or outcast.

At twelve, I'd grown used to living with Udo. But I also noticed how the villagers truly treated me. One peaceful morning, while I was sleeping, Udo gently kicked down my door before rattling my bed so hard it felt like the whole house was shaking.

"Rise and shine! Time for your big day, wee Kaipo," Udo yelled with excitement as he completely flipped me out of bed and onto the floor, forcing me to wake up. I slowly picked myself up as I gave Udo an annoyed and sleepy gaze.

"Agh! Can’t you let me sleep a while longer? Why are you so happy this early?" I rubbed my eyes and tried to wake up as I followed Udo downstairs. He flashed a mischievous grin. I sighed and entered the beautiful dining room filled with Udo’s craftsmanship. I sat at the table while Udo leaned on the kitchen counter.

"Do you know why I woke you up this early?" Udo said while he rubbed his thickened, long beard as if he couldn't contain what he was about to say.

"Is it because you’re finally letting me leave the village to become an adventurer?" I replied, nearly matching Udo’s excitement. He paused, crossed his arms, and looked outside with a bleak expression. Udo shook his head, then grabbed a pot from the counter and stirred morning soup over the fire.

"Oh, sorry to kill your hope," Udo said. "But today is the day you finally go to Bouer Academy since you are not as little as you used to be." As Udo placed my breakfast on the table, I felt a heavy disappointment sink in. I had really believed today might be the day my dream started, and now I just sat there, shocked and wishing things were different.  

Bouer Academy was a school that invited children from all over the nation to learn about culture, craftsmanship, and strength at a specific age. Honestly, it sounded boring, with lots of sitting and note-taking. Although I was adopted on Bouer land, I am a legal citizen and must attend, even if my ancestry is different. I shoved my meal aside and stared at Udo, my irritation evident.

"But, Papa, must I attend this school?" I inquired firmly, crossing my arms and letting my annoyance show openly on my face. "Why can't I just be an explorer instead of spending my days studying how to make junk?"

Udo shakes his head in disappointment and returns my meal. "If you’ll ever learn anything in that little brain of yours, that rubbish is going to save your life someday," Udo responded and stared back. "You never take my words seriously, as you only care about this adventurer nonsense ever since I told you those bedtime stories about the Guardians of Arkgore."  

Udo was right about my mind wandering to adventures, but who could blame me? Legends say the Guardians of Arkgore were once brave warriors who united to fight a powerful evil called Crago, the Shadow Man. Rumor had it that Crago was once normal until he learned dark magic and began his conquest of Arkgore.

The battle against Crago lasted for years. His strength grew as hope waned, until the heroes stumbled upon an ancient underground temple. No one knew its origins, but they sensed a strange presence deep within.

As they moved deeper, they found two massive holes torn in space and time. They looked like gateways to life and death. The guardians noticed colorful crystals pouring energy through the portals. One guardian planned to use a crystal to send Crago into the dark portal, believing it would be a worse fate than the light one.

The guardians agreed and broke off seven crystal pieces beneath the dark portal, forging them into keys. These "Keys of Power" allowed the guardians to open otherworldly gateways and empower them with strength, durability, and powers beyond imagination.

When the guardians reached Crago's palace for the final battle, they surprised him and fought for hours. Each guardian used a key to trap Crago in the darkness of a lost realm. With Arkgore at peace, they were hailed as heroes and rewarded. Years later, the guardians disappeared, hiding the keys to prevent another dark lord from rising.  

The main reason I adored the legends about the guardians is that they put their lives on the front lines, facing death head-on, so the world today can flourish. And perhaps if I do follow in the footsteps of the guardians from long ago and be a mighty adventurer of today, people might recognize me for being me.

I sighed and grabbed my spoon as I began to slurp down my stew, while Udo formed a smile on his face as he watched me gain nourishment.

"I have a surprise before my morning meeting, since we’re talking about adventurers." Udo smiled and pulled out a shiny golden scroll, as if handing me my destiny. "Is this really what I think?" I asked joyfully, unrolling the scroll.

"It is something that I have been working on for this special day of yours," Udo said before pushing my hands to reveal the paper entirely. "It is your morning quest for Bouer Academy." Udo nervously chuckled as he saw my expression turn from exhilaration to dissatisfaction almost immediately.  

I couldn’t believe Udo had tricked me again, making me think he took my dream seriously. I frowned and read the scroll. "Before you head to Bouer Academy, you must do these tasks, young explorer. Change into your armor upstairs. Grab your bag of fine weaponry at the front door. Use the map of fate to reach the wise one's fortress."

I crossed my arms and went back to drinking up the rest of my soup while Udo only patted my head playfully. After I finished eating, Udo stopped walking as he was close to leaving the back door of the kitchen. "And one more thing I forgot to add to the scroll," Udo said as he grabbed his large bag of tools at the door. "Have a great first day at school, and don't get into any trouble, you hear?" Udo laughed and closed the door behind him, and his laughter slowly faded away. I nodded my head in annoyance but still smiled at Udo's words before deciding to get ready for the day.

After washing out my bowl and cleaning the table, I walked back upstairs to my room and slowly lifted the door that Udo had kicked down earlier. I leaned the door onto one side of the room before looking around for my so-called suit of armor. I kept looking for a while until I found folded clothes on my dresser that looked similar to Bouer national clothes but were more formal and taller for my size. It wasn't something a soldier or heroic wanderer of the world today would wear, but it looked nice, at least. The pants and shirt were dark brown with stripes that had lovely, warm white fur on the sleeves. I undress my night clothes and slowly dress myself before looking at the mirror in the corner of the room.

Even though my clothes were explicitly designed for me, my appearance still stands out, as my orange hair and height make me look distinctly different from the average hero. I stared at the mirror for a while before I started to question who I was:

Would I ever turn out like the great legends of the past? Could I ever become the great fighter I was so meant to be? Was my dream of adventure just a wish that would never come true?

After a moment of staring at the mirror, I shook my thoughts away and continued getting myself ready for the day. I checked underneath my dresser for my shoes, but they weren't there. As I continued searching for my shoes, I became increasingly frustrated while moving my action figures of knights and drawings of adventurers, which were scattered around the room, before tripping over them. "Wait a second, they were here the entire time!" I yelled out loud, even more annoyed at the fact that my shoes were simply on the floor, and I hadn't noticed them at first.

After getting back up and putting on my shoes, I headed downstairs and saw the "bag of arsenals" hanging off the front door. I grabbed the bag off the door and opened it with curiosity in my mind. As I searched through the bag of tools, I opened a folded piece of paper that appeared to be a scale of the town, with a red circle drawn around a large building. It didn't take me long to figure out that this was the "map of fate" I had to follow to get to school. "I guess it's time to head out to the so-called wise ones and start the amazing journey that I very much wanted," I bitterly said to myself before heading out into the village.