Daric, Kaelen, and the buff goat shot out of the portal like cannonballs and crashed into a muddy hilltop.
Thunder boomed overhead. Lightning slashed across a turbulent purple sky. The world smelled of rain, and ozone, and barely contained chaos.
System notification chimed:
[Welcome to the Realm of Thunder Tribes.]
[Objective: Unite the Tribes and Claim the Stormheart.]
[Warning: High Risk of Electrocution, Betrayal, and Epic Fashion Choices.]
Daric sat up, wiping mud from his face.
"You know," he said, "I could get used to dramatic entrances."
Kaelen helped him up, grinning. "As long as we survive them."
The buff goat stood proudly on a rock, lightning flashing behind him like a true heroic idiot.
—
Status Update:
Name: DaricClass: Primal Hunter (Legendary)Titles: Chickenbane, Monarch Slayer, Brunchbreaker, Stuffing Slayer, Realmwalker, The Ridiculous One, Mirror Breaker, Skybreaker, Breaker of MasksEssence Total: 795,000Primary Weapon: Shovel of Destiny (Enhanced)Secondary Weapon: Fancy Cane of TimekeepingLevel: 55Ascended Realms: 10Ascension Authority: 50%Companions: Kaelen (Frying Pan Crusader), Buff Goat (Lord of Gains)New Item: Crest of the Deep (Grants underwater breathing and enhanced speed underwater)
—
The landscape stretched into jagged valleys and massive plateaus, each guarded by towering stone totems crackling with electricity.
Fierce warriors clad in storm-battered cloaks rode giant wolves, wielding axes that sparked with raw lightning.
Welcome to Thunderland.
—
At the first settlement—a fortified encampment perched atop a cliff—Daric was immediately challenged.
A towering woman in bronze armor stomped toward him.
"Outsider!" she roared. "Prove your worth or be cast into the Pit of Shame!"
Daric turned to Kaelen.
"What's the Pit of Shame?"
Kaelen pointed over the wall to a massive pit where losers were being pelted with wet socks and soggy bread.
"Not ideal," Kaelen said.
Daric sighed, hefting his shovel.
"Fine. Challenge accepted."
—
The duel was savage.
The woman fought like a hurricane, her axe a blur.
Daric fought defensively, deflecting blows with the Shovel of Destiny, using quick counters and unpredictable footwork.
When lightning arced from the storm and struck near them, Daric seized the chance, using the Shovel to redirect the blast.
Electricity surged up the axe and knocked his opponent flat.
The crowd roared.
System flashed:
[Challenge Victory: Respect of the Stormfang Tribe Earned.]
[Minor Title Gained: Wolf's Friend]
The warrior stood, slapped Daric on the back hard enough to nearly dislocate his shoulder, and laughed.
"Good fight, Outsider! You have the storm's blessing!"
Daric grinned painfully. "Hooray."
—
The Stormfangs told them the truth:
The Thunder Tribes were fractured.
Only by uniting the three major clans—the Stormfangs, the Ironhowls, and the Skyrazors—could anyone hope to awaken the Stormheart, the realm's sleeping core of power.
Each tribe guarded a shard of the Heart.
Each tribe had its own... issues.
Of course, they did.
—
First up: the Ironhowls.
Their stronghold was a sprawling fortress carved into a mountain riddled with iron veins.
Their problem?
An internal rebellion led by an arrogant chieftain's son who thought "tradition" was just another word for "old people stuff."
Daric, Kaelen, and the goat infiltrated the fortress under the guise of "traveling motivational goat herders."
It worked disturbingly well.
Once inside, Daric challenged the rebellious leader to a Trial of Words.
System warning popped up:
[Diplomatic Trial Activated: Charisma Stat Severely Tested.]
Daric, feeling lucky (or stupid), brandished the Fancy Cane of Timekeeping and began a rousing speech about unity, honor, and the time he accidentally saved a town by punching a magical duck.
Somehow, it worked.
The rebellious youth dropped his weapon, convinced by Daric's heroic tales and questionable logic.
System chimed:
[Ironhowls Reunited. Shard of Stormheart Acquired!]
[Essence Gained: 30,000]
One shard down.
—
Next target: the Skyrazors.
A tribe of aerial warriors who rode giant hawks across the stormy skies.
Their issue?
Their Great Hawk Spirit had gone rogue, terrorizing their villages after eating some "bad magic berries."
Daric found himself strapped onto a hawk named Kevin, clinging for dear life as they soared into battle.
"THIS IS A TERRIBLE IDEA!" he screamed.
Kaelen whooped from a nearby hawk.
The buff goat flew solo, somehow riding a cloud like a majestic idiot.
They tracked the corrupted Great Hawk to a mountain peak where it perched, radiating dark lightning.
Daric unleashed Time Step at the last second to dodge a catastrophic bolt, allowing him to get close enough to drive the Fancy Cane into the beast's forehead.
Moonveil flared, cleansing the corruption.
The Great Hawk squawked once, then bowed its massive head.
[Skyrazors Reunited. Shard of Stormheart Acquired!]
[Essence Gained: 30,000]
Two shards down.
—
Back at the center of the realm, the three shards fused at the Heart of Storms—a massive spire of black stone humming with suppressed power.
System notification screamed:
[World Event: Awaken the Stormheart.]
[Final Guardian Approaching.]
The sky darkened further.
From the clouds descended a being of pure energy, wreathed in lightning.
It was massive, humanoid, crackling with storms.
[World Boss: Tempestron, Warden of Endless Thunder.]
[Level: Ridiculously High.]
Daric cracked his knuckles.
"Alright," he muttered. "Let's make some noise."
Kaelen twirled his frying pan like a warlord.
The buff goat put on sunglasses.
The battle for the Realm of Thunder Tribes was about to begin.