Stormgarde

"Cool. I want to keep this smartphone." Terrell raised his arm while holding the object. He inspected it thoroughly.

Suddenly, an intense flash emitted from the patterns of the object.

Terrell fainted. White particles of light covered his entire body and turned to various numbers and symbols hovering over him.

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A black open circle was spinning midst of the white background.

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❍

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Initiating installation sequence...

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Establishing the connection to the cyberspace...

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Connection established successfully.

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Connecting to the primary database...

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Connected.

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Connecting to the secondary database...

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Connected.

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Downloading the data...

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10%

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100%

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Download completed.

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Extracting the data...

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Extraction completed.

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Installing the data...

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Installation successful.

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Synchronizing the game system to the player...

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Synchronization successful.

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Scanning the player's physique...

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Scan completed.

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Analyzing the player data...

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Analyze completed.

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Loading the user interface...

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Load completed.

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Starting up Stratus Isle...

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ー 〔 Stratus Isle 〕 ー

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Numerous white fluffy Stratocumulus clouds moving along with the current of the wind on the blue sky.

In a park located in a small island floating in the air...

Terrell found himself in the middle of a park. He looked around at his surroundings. He had never been at this place before.

A window popped up in front of him.

'Cling!'

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ー 〔 Character 〕 ー

〖 Player 〗Terrell Arce

〖 Elemental Affinity 〗Lightning & Wind

〖 Merit 〗Excellent

〖 Charisma 〗75

〖 Appearance 〗60

〖 Luck 〗45

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"What is this? Why my name is written in here?" Terrell was puzzled. He ignored the status window and gave up to think about it. He continued to observe the surroundings.

He saw four towering cylindrical pillars made out of white quartz carved with circuit patterns. A crystal-clear cube gyrated at the top of each pillar.

White poplar, thunderchild crabapple, and spring snow crabapple trees grew around the park and aligned orderly.

Alpine currant hedges separated the fertile soil covered with Kentucky bluegrass and the white marble tiles.

There are also circular shaped flower beds, each of them grew assorted varieties of flowers. white Guelder rose, white Columbine meadow rue, white Alpine aster, and white Astilbe.

Terrell was fascinated by the elegant and blissful impression of the park. He felt like he was in a paradise.

Terrell walked around. Meanwhile, he drew closer to the flower bed planted with Guelder rose and white Astilbe. He smelled the fragrant scent of the flower.

Suddenly, a grey tiny bird wore a tiny checkered scarf flew towards him.

"Greetings player, welcome to the Stratus Isle! Chirp!" The grey tiny bird landed and perched on a wooden bird stand that appeared out of thin air.

"Oh! What a cute talking bird!" Terrell was surprised, he had never personally seen birds that are able to speak before, not even mentioning parrots.

"Chirp! I'll take that as a compliment! Chirp!" The bird blushed a bit.

"Can I ask? What is this place?" Terrell scratched his head with curious eyes.

"This park is called Idyll, located at the center of Stratus Isle. Chirp!" The bird swayed its wing sidewards.

"Oh, I see. I really like this place."

"Me too, this place is perfect to relax and unwind. Chirp!"

"Uhm... why I am here?"

"You are here to select your class! Chirp!"

"What class?"

The bird explained briefly about classes and how to choose a class.

"Oh, I see. Uhm... I don't have any ideas. Can you help me?"

"Okay! Chirp!"

"Thank you!"

The bird saw the window hovering beside Terrell. The bird was intrigued by the high values of his character and two elemental affinities.

"Okay, do you want to control magic or fight with weapons?"

"Oh! I want to fight! I like to watch the action and Chinese kung fu movies! My favorite martial artists are Pryce Rhee, Jockey Chen, and Jed Yi! I am a fan of Pryce Rhee!" Terrell was enthusiastic when he remembers those old kung fu movies that he watched when he was a kid.

"I suppose you are a melee fighter. What kind of weapon you like to wield?"

"Weapons, what weapons?"

The grey bird introduced different types of weapons, it explained in detail.

"Oh! Uhm... I always use an iron poker to find trash since I was young. I helped my father to collect odds-and-ends and sold them to the junk shop at the town." Terrell told his past story, and he continued.

"Well, now he's gone from the trash slide from the typhoon. My mother also died when I was born, I was alone with no relatives."

"Thanks to my brother, I am not lonely anymore. I met him 10 years ago. It was raining, I saw him at the alley on side of the road when I walked back home from school."

"He was rawboned and gaunt, covered with bruises and scratches. I approached and talked to him. I decided the let him live at my house in the mountains."

"We collected bamboo shoots, cassava, and sweet potatoes and boiled them to eat. I gave him an extra iron poker previously used by my father to collect trash." Terrell told his past and concluded. The iron poker was actually a part of his entire being. It was filled with memories.

The bird was touched and felt emotional it can't help but cry from his story.

"Oh, why are you crying?" Terrell was worried.

"No, no. Sniff. Don't mind me. Chirp!" The bird waved its wing while it wiped its tears.

After the bird calmed down and collected itself...

"Do you want to wield a halberd? It is a versatile weapon similar to an iron poke. Also, famous and skilled martial artists use staff and polearms! Chirp! Additionally, if you want to be powerful, you must able to wield magical artifacts! Chirp!" The bird suggested Terrell.

"Halberd and magical artifacts... Okay! That's great!" Terrell was happy and credulous as he trusted the bird.

"I will recommend a class suitable for you. Since you have lightning and wind affinity; melee type class that uses a polearm, halberd. You are Stormgarde! Chirp chirp chirp!" The bird declared with grandeur.

"Stormgarde, Stormgarde... Unn! What a cool name! I agree! I want to be Stormgarde!" Terrell was thrilled and cheerful.

"Stormgarde, please stand up at the middle of the magic array. Chirp!" The bird pointed with its wing and flew to guide Terrell.

"Okay." Terrell nodded, he followed the bird. He stood up at the center of the park.

"Stormgarde, please confirm you choice!" The bird flapped its wings and excited.

A window popped up in front of Terrell.

'Cling!'

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Confirm?

ー〔 Class 〕ー

〖 Stormgarde 〗

ー〔 Weapon 〕ー

〖 Polearm 〗

〖 Magical Artifact 〗

〔 Yes 〕〔 No 〕

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Terrell selected 'Yes'.

The bird flew away. Terrell looked at the bird as it flew farther away from him.

At the perspective of the bird, one can see the park was actually an enormous circular magic array.

The intricate design from the marble tiles forms into geometric shapes and mystical, arcane symbols that constitute the entire array.

Trees, shrubs, and flowers were also part of the magical array. The flower beds were distributed equally at eight points. The trees form a circle and the Alpine currant hedges formed an octagon.

The four white towering quartz pillars stood at four equidistant points of the magical array, glowed intensely. White rays of light shot upto the sky from the gyrating crystal cubes.

The sky became dark as it was covered with thick nimbus clouds. The rays of light became bolts of lightning that arced towards Terrell.

Terrell can't react, he closed his eyes and protected himself with his arms.

Countless flickering lightning arcs struck him. A deafening and thundering roar followed instantly. He didn't feel any pain, more like the lightning tickles him.

The lightning faded. Everything went calm. The clouds cleared away, the bright blue sky appeared once again.

Terrell was awakened to Stormgarde.

A window popped up in front of him.

'Cling!'

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ー 〔 Stormgarde 〕 ー

A zealot, an expert of the versatile halberd. Each sweep slaughters the wicked like a vicious gale of wind. Each thrust pierces the heavens like a bolt of lightning. Drags down the malicious, corrupt and the sinful to eternal damnation with justice and righteousness.

Reisläufer techniques obtained.

Imperial Tempest Dragon's Halberd techniques obtained.

Lightning Halberd skills obtained.

Wind Halberd skills obtained.

Stormgarde talent obtained.

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Terrell stood up straight and didn't move. He opened his eyes slowly and moved his arms away from his face.

Terrell checked himself. He felt nothing happened to him.

A grey tiny bird flew towards Terrell and slowly descended. It perched on a wooden stand that appeared instantly.

"What happened?" Terrell scratched his head.

"Congratulations. You have awakened to Stormgarde! Chirp!" The bird applauded with its wings.

"Oh, I've become a Stormgarde? Thank you very much!" Terrell was grateful and his expression showed joy and esteem.

"Since you have been awakened its time for you to return! Familiarize yourself with the Anima. We will meet once again when the time comes. Chirp!" The bird started to flap its wing.

"Hey! Wait!" Terrell shouted to the bird with his right palm pointed towards the bird.

"What? Chirp?" The bird halted its actions in a moment.

"What is your name?" Terrell asked.

"I'm Wren, a game master! Chirp!" Wren continued to flap its wing.

"Okay! I'll remember you!" Terrell waved and his body covered with light. He slowly vanished into light particles.

"Whew." Wren wiped its sweat in its forehead.

A brilliant white light shone from the center of the park. Another figure formed from particles of light.

"Oh, crap. Oh, crap!" Wren quickly flew away, the wooden bird stand disappeared. It perched on the branch of spring snow crabapple tree.

A handsome young man stood in the middle of the park, but the expression on his face makes him look funny.

A window popped out infront of him.

'Cling!'

"Where am I?" Eirwyn scratched his head.