Alfred

Good... seems like all of us are here now... and things seem to still be running smoothly... Guess we might not have to worry about our connection after all... Corey thought as he walked over to Blaster and started to observe the map. Where they had been discussing would, indeed, be a decent spot to start looking for encounters... however if SAO were to follow any similar pattern to any MMORPGs, the spawns wouldn't be that close to the town...

"I say we move a bit farther out... It is more likely that we will run into something to practice as we put more distance between us and the town..." He suggested, pointing to a spot that seemed to be, by the world map's scale of the first floor, about a half a mile north of where Blaster had originally suggested.

"Since there are four of us, we can easily take on a couple mob spawns before returning to town. We'll just have to ensure that we start returning to town when we start getting tired. Even though this is a game, I'm sure we can still get fatigued..."

The first thing that Corey experienced was the world around him vanishing in a flash of colors, then all went black. Slowly, he heard voices. far off at first, but eventually got closer as his vision also came into focus. He was definitely in Aincrad, SAO's world. Standing in front of him were his brother, Alex, and his friend, Shiroji. Alex seemed to be scrolling through the menu while Shiroji was testing out his new weapon.

"You guys don't waste any time, do you?" Corey asked, reaching for the blade at his hip and unsheathing it. The weight shocked him initially, as he wasn't expecting the blade to weigh the same as it would in real life... but after a couple of swings, he adjusted to it before returning the blade to its sheath. Looking around, he tried to see if their other friend, Erika, had made her way to the game yet.

"Has Erika appeared yet? I want us all to stick together until we get the hang of the game." Corey asked, hoping that there wasn't any connectivity issues for all four of them since they were all using the same internet connection to log into SAO. I didn't even consider that with all four of us on the same connection, we may have issues... Crap...

---

Alfred's Stats
Level 1
HP: 20
EN: 2
1HSS Dmg: 2

Greetings everyone, I'm Alfred.

I am one of Blaster's above-mentioned friends and the brains of the group.

For all things concerning Vanguard, I play Nova Grappler, but my very first deck was a Gold Paladin Alfred deck.

Alfred

(Image used is from Cardfight Vanguard)

Profile
Username: Alfred
Real Name: Corey Yamada
Age: 25
Gender: Male
Height: 6' 2"
Weight: 220 lbs
Hair: Short blonde
Eyes: Blue

History
He's swinging for a high number... and I barely have enough to block... but I still have one more attack to deal with after this one... three of the twenty five cards left in my deck are heal triggers, so I have a 12% chance of survival without blocking... Decisions decisions...

Calculating how to ensure his survival against his brother, Alex, Corey was having a hard time defending his vanguard as their friend, Erika, watched them, waiting for the winner to be declared so she could play. Corey has always been a fan of Cardfight Vanguard ever since its initial release nine years ago in 2010. He loved the artwork of the cards and the playstyle, especially the fact that it wasn't as simple as cancelling out an opponent's card like other card games, you had to know when to play a unit and how to block and when to take a hit. This calculating and strategic playstyle suited him perfectly. 

Just as he was about to declare his block, someone walks up to their group.

"Interesting game. My name is Shiro. Mind if I sit down and learn?" the person asked politely. Looking up to Shiroji's face, he was younger than he was, but in his eyes was a genuine interest in the game. Smiling, he went to speak, but his brother beat him to it.

"Sure! You can learn using my deck! My name is Alex. These two are Corey and Erika." Alex told him cheerfully as he offered the chair next to him so he could be coached. Looking over to Erika, he smiled and nodded as she smiled cheerfully as well in approval at their potential new friend. Corey loved it when others took an interest in the game.

"Here." Corey said to Shiroji, handing him a sheet of paper with an address and his number on it. "That address is the card shop we go to all the time. The phone number is mine in case you need a ride. We typically meet up on Sundays for a local tournament. You're welcome to come and meet everyone if you like." He offered with a smile. As Shiroji accepted it cheerfully, he walked off, thanking them and waving goodbye. Smiling as they got in the car, Corey couldn't help but chuckle...

"Looks like things are about to get interesting..." Corey told both Alex and Erika, both nodding their agreement as they drove off.

Little did he know that this little interest in the game would become a passion over the course of the next three years, and their friendship as thick as blood. It was as if both himself and Alex had adopted a younger brother... Inseparable... They had become the best of friends. One cheerful and always smiling, the other calm and collected and always calculating the strong points of everyone's decks and helping them to improve their skills. They really made a great team.

Bringing ourselves to the current day, Corey found himself waiting in line with the rest of the group eagerly waiting to pick up their hard copies of Sword Art Online, which they have been looking forward to for quite some time. It was Shiroji's idea to play and attempt to recreate their favorite Vanguard cards in the game with their armor and weapons. Intrigued at the possibility, Corey tagged along without hesitation. It would be amazing to play the game as his favorite liberator card, Alfred. 

Once they had obtained their copies and Nerve Gear, they all drove to Shiroji's house to get set up.

"See you guys on the other side! Link Start!" Shiroji exclaimed, diving in before everyone else. His eagerness to play the game and get started made everyone laugh.

"Guess we better run in before he starts trouble..." Alex teased as he also put his Nerve Gear on and fired up the game. "Link Start!"

Following suit, he winked to Erika before laying down on the floor and also logging in. "Link Start!"

Personality
Corey is a very complex person, always calculating and factoring every outcome. Meeting Shiroji has helped to break this habit slightly, but he will still calculate everything he can beforehand. Calm and collected, he is well known for keeping his cool under pressure and devising a talent for strategizing and creating a plan from nothing. He also has an uncanny ability to see a person's true nature and intentions, thanks to a well trained insight from years of reading peoples' tells and body language while playing trading card games. In the team, he acts as their leader and manager, always assuring that all travel arrangements are planned months in advance when a large scale tournament is announced and setting a budget for the team to get what they need, as well as forming connections with other teams. 

Despite his calm and collective demeanor, Corey is a very soft and caring individual who only wants to see others enjoy the game he loves and to get along. It is because of this that many tend to call him the Silent King, since he has always been the veteran player and had a natural talent for keeping a group of people together and keeping everyone's ideals and needs in mind. 

Virtues
Leadership - Putting others before himself and the ability to assess a situation and take charge, Corey demonstrates his ability as a well defined leader. Always has a plan for everything and everyone so nobody gets left behind. When put into a tight situation, he keeps a level head and tackles it head on, sometimes even taking one for the team.

Strategic - The ability to plan something from nothing at all in a matter of minutes, even seconds, has always been Corey's strong suit. His many years of playing trading card games has taught him to formulate a plan with even the weakest of tactics and turn them into something unbelievable. This ability, although amazing, can also be considered a flaw since he will sometimes overthink a situation and take longer than necessary when deciding on something as simple as what he will eat for lunch. (See Overthinker)

Insight - Reading tells and body language and behaviors of his opponents over the years, Corey has developed an above average insight. With the slightest twitch of a finger or nervous tick, Corey can determine one's intentions by reading the signs of the human body as easily as reading a book. Although his skills with insight is great, needless to say that anyone can be fooled...

Flaws
Overthinker - Due to his strategic nature, Corey tends to overthink a situation as simple as what to eat for lunch or even where the best spot in a room would be to start vacuuming. This leads to many arguments with his brother, Alex, who tends to act first and ask questions later. A telltale sign of this habit is when he constantly rests an elbow on his forearm that is resting across his chest while scratching his chin.

Honest - Always true to his word, Corey has always maintained a reputation as one of the most honest people you can meet. While this would be considered a virtue in many cases, it is not so for Corey since he will not tell a lie, EVER. He has ruined so many secret parties, including one for Erika's sweet sixteen surprise party, because he can't even lie to keep a secret.

Serious - Always maintains a calm and collected demeanor, leading to a more serious nature. This seriousness tends to push people away unless they get to know him better, making it hard for him to make friends. Typically, Alex or Erika will take the time to introduce someone to him and warn them of his behavior to ensure they meet the real him and not the seemingly cold persona he unknowingly developed.

Profession: None

Skills
//==============================================================\\
|| One Handed Straight Sword - Rank 1                                                            ||
||---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------||
|| Weapon Skill                                                                                                       ||
|| [5/13]---{/////////////}---> to Rank Up                                                                      ||
|| Each Rank in this skill adds +1 Base Damage when the player attacks with a   ||
|| One Handed Straight Sword weapon.                                                                ||
\\==============================================================//
//==============================================================\\
|| Empty                                                                                                                ||
||---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------||
||                                                                                                                            ||
\\==============================================================//

Inventory
//==========\\
|| Iron Blade  ||
||----------------------------------------------------------------------------------||
|| Starter One Handed Straight Sword                                             ||
||      A basic iron weapon for those starting on a new adventure.   ||
\\===================================================//
//===============\\
|| Iron Breastplate  ||
||----------------------------------------------------------------------------------||
|| Starter Heavy Armor                                                                     ||
||      Basic iron armor for those starting on a new adventure.         ||
\\===================================================//