Chapter 1

ROOARRR

The sound of a beast roaring is loud.

A young man runs fast toward the source of the sound. His movements are nimble between the trees, and he jumps over the roots sticking out of the ground. His hand holds the bamboo, which he makes into a spear. The young man's name is Thomas Adams.

A battle between beasts is taking place at the source of the sound. Nine boars are attacking a tiger. It seems the tiger is in trouble and is injured in several parts of his body. They fight over territory.

JLEP

A bamboo spear pierces the head of one of the boars. The boar die instantly.

Thomas arrives. He takes his spear again and moves to attack.

Thomas moves in a zigzag to thrust the spear into the side of the boar's body.

SET

Thomas jumps to avoid the boar that attack from behind.

SET SET JLEP JLEP JLEP

Thomas' zigzag movement can stab the spear into the boar's body. He kills the boar with just one stab.

It doesn't take long for Thomas to overthrow all the boars that attacked. He takes advantage of the boar's weakness, which can only move fast in a straight line.

When finished with the boar, Thomas approaches the tiger.

ROOARRR

Tiger roars while being alert. It flashes his sharp gaze at Thomas.

“Calm down! I will not attack you again. Calm down, please!”

Thomas walks slowly and warily approaches the tiger. He knows that the tiger still remembers him.

Thomas and that tiger fought a few days ago. Tiger loses, then Thomas lets it escape.

ROOARRRRR

Tiger runs away but fell down. Its legs were badly injured. Fear is evident in the tiger.

Thomas slowly approaches. His calm creates a non-threatening situation for that tiger. Thomas treats that tiger's wound with herbal leaves and then wraps it with a cloth.

“I can't leave this tiger here. It could be attacked by beasts again. I'd better take it to a cave near here. Meanwhile, he is safe in the cave until he recovers.”

Thomas makes a simple board to pull the tiger to the cave. Thomas also brings two boars for the tiger to eat as long as it can't hunt.

“Here, you will be safe. I hope you recover quickly. I ask you not to attack the villagers.”

Thomas strokes the tiger's head. That tiger is now calm near Thomas, no longer frightened as before.

Thomas leaves after confirming the tiger's safety. He comes back to the village.

Thomas has a well-built body with a height of one hundred and seventy-five centimeters. His hair is straight and black. He is fifteen years old now.

Today he will do a test to see the guardian spirit's form. He has dreams of becoming a great fighter. Thomas wants to become a great fighter to protect the village from all attacks.

"Thomas, Thomas, Thomas!" A middle-aged man calls the young man. The old man is the village head as well as Thomas’s adoptive father. His name is Barnard.

“Yes, Dad.”

“Hurry up! You have to go to the village hall! The teacher from town has come to start the test.”

"Okay!"

"Good! Don’t be late!"

Midday

Thomas and other youths his age gather at the village hall to take the test. They will do the second spirit test.

The second spirit is the guardian spirit that everyone has. Guardian spirits usually take the form of animals, plants, humans, or other living creatures. But human form is very rare. If anyone has it, there is certainly only one part of the body that becomes the form of the guardian spirit.

A teacher from the city meets the youths at the village hall. He is thirty years old. His tall is one hundred and seventy centimeters. His body is straight.

“Good afternoon. I’m the teacher of the White Tiger Academy who will test your guardian spirit. My name is Edward."

“One by one, come forward and sit cross-legged in front of me. Then flow your inner energy to all your body." Edward gives a method to see the form of the guardian spirit.

A young man comes forward, sitting cross-legged in front of Edward, then concentrating on flowing his inner strength. The rising energy then forms a parasite plant, the form of the youth's guardian spirit. The second youth and the others also do the same in turn. They usually have a guardian spirit in the form of plants and animals such as grass, buffalo, sheep, and mountain goats.

Thomas does the last order of tests. When his energy rises to form a creature, Edward is surprised because the creature formed by Thomas's energy is a garuda. Its form resembles a human with an eagle's head, wide wings, and eagle legs and claws.

‘This is garuda.’ Edward says in his mind.

"What's your name?"

“My name’s Thomas Adams.”

"What clan are you from?" Edward is enthusiastic.

“Clan? I don't know. Dad never told me.”

" If so, I want to meet your parents now."

“My parents have died. I live with my adoptive father.”

“Who is he?”

“Mr. Barnard, the village head.”

"After this, take me to meet him!"

“Yes. Sir.”

‘I've found the right young man to take to town.’ Edward says in his mind.

Baski isn't in the village head's office. Thomas invites Edward to his house.

The village head's house

"Dad, Master Edward wants to meet you."

“Come in! Sit down, please, Master!" Barnard greets Edward in a friendly manner.

“Did you find the right student candidate?" Barnard asks.

“I have seen the various forms of guardian spirits these village youths have. Out of all of them, a young man caught my attention."

“Really? Who’s he?”

“Thomas.” Edward replies.

Barnard is looking at Thomas. He doesn’t expect Thomas to be chosen. He feels happy and proud of Thomas. Barnard's surprised reaction is understandable because Edward had visited the village several times to look for students. But no one had ever been selected.

“Me? Really?” Thomas is surprised. He also doesn't expect that he is the chosen one.

“Yes. You have great talent to become a Jawara in the future. Your guardian spirit form is a type of high-level spirit. Your gurdian spirit is garuda. This guardian spirit is very strong.” Edward explains the form of Thomas's guardian spirit. He is very enthusiastic about explaining it.

Barnard doesn’t seem surprised after hearing Edward's explanation.

"You aren’t surprised. Did you know the form of Thomas's guardian spirit before this?" Edward asks.

“I had already guessed the form of the guardian spirit that Thomas would have. But I don't know how strong it is because I'm not a fighter.”

“It means you also know about the Garuda Clan.”

Barnard doesn’t answer. He stands up and enters the room. After that, he exits and brings a box.