As I awoke from my slumber, I began to recall visions of past events form Earth. Everything from an attack by Professor Alistair and her cadre of malicious comrades. The fugitives from the Galactica Star Federation attacked the Earth's defense system. Their coordinated strikes weren't just physical attacks against the planet, but also cyber attacks that crippled Earth's communication systems.
The thief of the Planet's Heartstone was an artifact which embodies the very essence of the planet Earth. How did they breach the defenses of this Spiritual Realm? How did the very act send shockwaves through the fabric of reality itself, instigating unprecedented environmental and climatic disasters across the entire planet? The planet became cloaked in enigmatic, swirling clouds. Meanwhile, the remaining inhabitants of Earth found themselves being drawn away from their realm and thrust into an entirely new realm of existence.
I found myself and fellow classmates had already undergone drastic changes in appearance upon my awakening within this newfound realm called: Astra.
I examined the hallway closely as it had also undergone drastic changes. I saw floating iron lanterns near the wall with runes inscribed on them. I immediately felt a sense of awe, and amazement.
The rooms before me appeared much larger than before, and their new design was both grand and intimidating all at once. There was a certain elegance in its design that captivated me as I moved towards them.
I stumbled upon a bookshelf in one of the classrooms, which stood next to the blackboard. It appeared to be filled with unknown artifacts and objects from various cultures from this realm. The objects were: ancient scrolls, magical books, and ancient. These things were carefully arranged as if they held some kind of secret knowledge just beneath their surfaces.
In the center of the classroom were magical lanterns, several tables, and chairs for the students to sit at during their lectures or group activities.
These chairs and tables appeared to have been made from an unknown wood and decorated with intricate carvings depicting images of animals, plants, and other natural elements that were most likely found within this strange newfound realm.
The classmates who'd come here with me appeared quite different as well. Most of them had grown taller, stronger, and their eyes shining with a newfound confidence. My upper classmate, Stormi Brooklin, appeared quite confident as she walked past me.
I noticed many of the students were wearing armor made of leather or robes. These clothes material appeared mysterious, while carrying weapons such as swords, axes, staffs, and even bows. We'd all come here expecting something exciting, but none of us could have anticipated just how incredible this experience would have been.
I also noticed that my classmates had developed special abilities during their time here. One example was taming the wild beasts of the shadowlands, known as companions. You could store those companions as cards within a deck case. This made them appear even more formidable than they already were.
My former English Professor Sarah Jambers from the university appeared to be deep within meditation as she studied over cards.
"Hello, is there anyone here who can help me? I don't understand anything that's going on here. Is there anyone who can explain why the university appearance has also changed along with us?" I asked no one in particular as I stood in the middle of the classroom dumbfounded.
"Don't worry about it, I'll be glad to tell you. You have been unconscious for the past few days, and in that time your fellow classmates and I have discovered something called the "Card Battler System," which has allowed us to evolve and adapt to this newfound realm. These changes are a mystery to us too," explained Amelia Faith, the nurse's aid.
As I listened to her talk, I noticed something within my peripheral vision flashing called: The Card Battler System. It appeared suddenly without warning and resembled that of an old RPG game with my current level being set at Lvl 0.
One of my upper classmates, Jaffar, was standing at the classroom door. I decided to run up to him and we discussed the Card Battler System that had suddenly appeared within my peripheral vision.
"Upper classmate Jaffar, is that really you? Wow, I can't believe how much you have changed since I last saw you. By the way, I noticed something within my peripheral vision, something called the Card Battler System. Would you be able to explain what it is and how it works?" I asked.
"There isn't much that I can tell you about it, only that we discovered this feature earlier this week while the rest of you laid unconscious on the classroom floor. It appears many students like yourself, and even the staff members, needed more time for their bodies to adapt after being transported to this newfound realm. What I can tell you is that if you use the Card Battler System, you will become much stronger and better able to adapt to this newly found realm," explained Jaffar.
After listening to his explanation for a few minutes, it became clear to me that this was no ordinary system; it was something special indeed and it would in fact allow us to better adapt to this environment we found ourselves trapped within.
I was caught completely off guard after realizing how the Card Battler System functioned. The next impressive component I discovered, besides the status bar, was the ability to choose from six different distinct classes: Warrior, Knight, Scout, Ranger, Mage, and Healer. Each class came with its own unique abilities and stats which could be used in battle or exploration.
〘The Warrior Class is a frontline unit. That excels in aggression and resilience. Armed primarily with an Axe, Sword, and Martial Arts. They tend to be lacking in the defense department.〙
〘The Knight Class is a frontline unit who is well rounded in both strength, and defense. This armored unit possesses slow moments but can defend against overwhelming odds.〙
〘The Scout Class is a frontline unit. They excel in scouting and also excelled in gathering intel, and identifying wild herbs. Equipped with an arsenal of weapons including Daggers, Sword, and Bow.〙
〘The Ranger Class is a frontline unit who protects the forest. They have become one with the forest, and listen to the voices of nature. They also possess tracking skills for hunting prey.〙
〘The Mage Class is a backline support unit. They excel in magical attacks but are considered quite weak against physical attacks.〙
〘The Healer Class is a backline support unit. They excel in healing spells, and curing status ailments but are considered quite weak against physical attacks.〙
Each class provided advantages and disadvantages depending on what kind of approach one might take during their adventure. Choosing between them would ultimately depend on the individual preference or playstyle. With so many options available at this stage, it seemed like I would have plenty of opportunities for exciting experiences ahead.
"The only question is: which would be best suited for me," I inquired. I talked it over with my upper classmates who explained the different advantages and disadvantages that each class would present.
"Don't overthink it. It depends on what you prefer to use in combat. The starting class doesn't matter as much as you might think. I've been told the class we chose can evolve as we grow in strength," he explained.
Finally, I decided to trust my instinct and selected the Warrior Class.
〘Ding! You have received the Job Class Card called "Warrior Class."〙
〘Ding! The Affinity System has detected the Ice Affinity within you and has caused an evolution to occur to your selected Job Class. "Raymond the Traveling Warrior" card has been evolved from The Warrior Class Card to The Blizzard Warrior Class.〙
I was assigned an Ice affinity which astonished me as I pondered how this ice element would affect my overall experience. I then received a notification from the Card Battler System.
〘Ding! You have been promoted to Level 1.〙
〘Ding! You have also received two different Invocation Cards "Warrior's Blade", "Warrior's Shield."〙
〘Ding! The Invocation Cards have been added to your Invocation Deck.〙
〘The Invocation Deck is what the Card Battlers use when they engaging in Card Battle.〙
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Warrior's Blade: Frost Edge (Sword Technique) Which coats the sword entirely in magical ice, capable of lowering the target's temperature drastically with each strike. This weapon combines precision with the chilling power of a frost aura, making it ideal for swift, cutting blows that can encase enemies in ice.
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Warriors Shield: Glacial Guard (Shield Technique) Which coats the shield entirely in magical ice, capable of blocking the most fiercest attacks. This shield not only protects the Card Battler but can also emit a freezing aura, slowing down any adversaries who dare come too close.
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Card Battler: Raymond Cruise,
*Card Typing: Human,
*Age: 26,
*Level: 01 (00/ 10 Exp)
*1st Job Class Card: "Raymond the Blizzard Warrior"
*2nd Job Class: Locked,
*Card Class Tree: Axe, Sword, and Martial Arts.
*Class Description: The Blizzard Warrior is a frontline unit with innate connection to the ice element. This Warrior Class is endowed with robust physical prowess, excels in wielding axes and swords, alongside with a mastery of fundamental martial arts techniques.
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〘Ding! Upon leveling up you have received access to the "Frozen Paradise" this Dimension Storage Space can be accessed through meditation. This Storage Space can also be used to store small objects and later after it has been leveled up you can physically enter this Storage Space.〙
〘Ding! You have also received +2 Skill Points.〙
〘Ding! You have unlocked the Spirit Point Shop. This will allow you to spend the Skill Points you have acquired.〙
〘Ding! You have also unlocked the Side Quest Tab. This will allow you view, and complete Side Quest for extra Exp, or additional rewards.〙
Just as I had expected, leveling up increases my base stats while granting my additional skill points. This should prove to be quite an adventure for us all. I gathered with my fellow classmates as we began discussing our plans for returning to our own realm in the near future.
"I'm not sure I understand this realm and why everything around us has also evolved," I said.
"Who could understand this? It makes my head spin around. All I care about is returning home and bringing my cute little Raven's with me to see my hometown," said Riviera Rosewood.
"She's cute, and a little odd at the same time," I said to myself.
"Everyone, silence! Now that we have gathered you all here, the first thing we need to do is gather the students that have awakened today and tend to them. They will need to be well fed, get them acquainted with the Card Battler System, and how to access the Skill Tab within their Invocation Deck. After we have taught them the basics, only then will I permit any of them to engage in combat with the enemies who dwell in the surrounding forests below," explained the University President.
After he had finished discussing his plan for caring for us and the remaining classmates who awakened today. The tone of the room quickly changed as the next topic was brought up.
"Please everyone, bear with me. We need to decide what to do with the remaining students and faculty members if they don't wake up by the end of the week," explained the University President as he continued talking.
You could feel the despair as it quickly filled the room. It was at that moment that I couldn't even look in his direction. There was no way of knowing at this point if my teachers and closest friends who I hadn't seen walking around the campus had awakened from their slumber yet. I had spent the last couple of years back on Earth getting to know many of the professors at the university and the thought of allowing even one of them to perish here of all places wasn't an option.
"I know no one wants to talk about it, but we need to discuss this. Each day that goes by, the remaining students and faculty members of Garcinia Institute grow weaker and weaker. If this continues in the next couple of days, we will have to consider burying their bodies since we might have to assume that they may never wake up," he proclaimed.
"Resources like food and water have become scarce and we can't stay at this university forever. We need to start thinking about our future as we prepare to move forward. It's not realistic, and not to mention the strain of being taken into another realm might have been too much for their bodies to handle. In the meantime, I will keep a small group of people here to attend to the bodies that are still alive. At the end of the month, the caregivers will join up with us," he explained as he prepared for the backlash from the audience.
What he said made perfect sense from a logical perspective, but still they are human living beings. None of them asked to be brought here yet alone to die in this forsaken place. It wasn't fair. We must take into account that this realm might be too much for their fragile bodies to handle. The more he talked about it, the easier it was to see his point of view. That didn't make what he said any easier to handle as the day drew closer to an end.
"That's not all. We need to retrieve something precious that was stolen from our beloved planet Earth, it's called: The Planet's Heartstone. If memories serve me right, it was taken by Professor Alistair. I know I wasn't the only one who had received visions of what had happened to Earth upon awakening here," said the University President.
When the meeting ended, I walked back to the classroom that I had previously awakened in. I waited patiently for the student nurse to return.
"It will be alright Raymond. I understand that this might be a lot to take in. I'm very sorry that you had to hear that, but what he says does make perfect sense. We must prepare ourselves to bury the bodies of those who might die this week. We need to say our final goodbyes to our dearest friends and beloved professors. Oh, I got something for you," said Amelia, the nurse's aid, as she handed me a small backpack filled with basic supplies.
"What is this for?" I asked.
"It's nothing, just some basic supplies like a water canteen, a small blanket, and a journal for taking notes of your experience. Nothing special, just something we give all the new recruits once they have awakened. You left earlier before I could gather the needed supplies for you my new friend," she said as she gave me a big hug.
"We have been asked to explain the Skill Tab and its basic function to you newbies. The first thing that you need to understand is that you can find the Skill Tab in the main menu option. When you focus your gaze upon your deck case, you will see it through your peripheral vision," she explained.
When I had located the Skill Tab, she proceeded to the next part of the lesson. Amelia had the most beautiful smile I had ever seen. Her blond hair almost seemed to glow in the warm sunlight.
"Hello, are you still with us? You seem to have spaced out for a moment. You had a funny expression on your face that looked like this," she said as she made this funny expression on her face.
As I daydreamed, I noticed Amelia making an extravagantly goofy face, her eyes crossed and tongue sticking out comically to the side. Despite the heaviness in my heart, this unexpected display of silliness sparked a burst of laughter within me. It was as if, in that moment, I was reminded of joy and laughter even in the midst of sorrow. Her ability to infuse lightness into such a somber situation showcased the incredible strength and brightness of her spirit, a vivid contrast to the shadows of our current reality.
"Right, I'm sure my facial expression didn't look that goofy did it?" I scoffed as I became flustered.
"Who knows. By the way, I get so many guys and girls who are taken in by my beauty. I have quite a few admirers who decided to fetch me flowers and other medical herbs. Just between the two of us, I think they are trying to butter me up in hopes of getting some sort of date. I don't know why they would want a date with me. After all, I'm not that beautiful now, am I?" asked Amelia with those fluttering eyelashes.
"You're beautiful, don't be ridiculous," I objected. I pointed toward something in the distance to pull her attention away from me while I hit my head gently against the desk a few times before snapping myself out of it.
"I don't see anything and what's wrong with your face?" she asked.
"Nothing, what's wrong with your face?" I asked as I tried to play it cool in front of her.
"Right, okay now, then the next part after clicking on the Skill Tab you will be brought to the next menu. If you look over the skills page, you will see a small list of cards that are compatible with your 1st Job Class. Next to them is the Skill Point cost followed with a basic description. I don't recommend using this feature until you have reached at least level 10 and have discovered your fighting style. Once you have reached that point, then give it another look. That should just about do it. If you have any questions feel free to ask me, okay cutie?" said Amelia as my face turned red.
She is quite cute, isn't she? It's no wonder so many guys and girls have been crushing on her. I made my way towards the showers before calling it a day with so much info to process it would be a while before I was ready.