Rise Online: Return of the Legendary Player

"I'm going to have to leave now, but take this." said Jayaa, holding out a perfectly rectangular crystal that had iron ornaments.

Kaizen found it strange, because he was about to log out and had never seen an item like that before.

"What is it?"

"Come on, analyze it with your magic eyes and you'll find out."

[Item: Teleportation Crystal (Royal City).

This is an item that will teleport whoever uses it across dimensions to a neutral point in the Royal City of the Kingdom of Tretidian.

Class: Primal.

Item Level: 0

Attack: 0

Defense: 0

Physical Fitness Level Required: 0.]

While reading the description of this item, Kaizen raised his eyebrows as if he had finally understood something.

"Ah! So, that's a Teleportation Crystal. Isn't that thing absurdly expensive?"

Psyker had heard of this kind of item when he accompanied Magma and his group for a foray into the Misty Woods, only he hadn't expected to see nor obtain one so soon.

"It's really expensive, but I know the right supplier. This is a consumable item, so when you use it, it will be destroyed. If you want, then I'll pass you the contact of the guy I know who sells these crystals." said Jayaa and winked at Kaizen with one eye, which made his sentence sound double-edged. "Anyway, I plan to farm here a little more tomorrow after I get back from work, so I will disconnect right here to save travel, how about you?"

Kaizen looked at the beautiful yellow crystal and replied:

"Since you said you know someone who sells it cheaper, I will test the Teleportation Crystal. I have been curious about it for some time."

"Right! See you later!"

"Wait a minute! How do I use this thing?"

"Hahaha! Just repeat the name of the city you want to travel to after saying the word 'teleport'. Since this item is already with a city set, it won't consume mana from you."

"Oh~ That's really cool.

After bidding farewell to the bard, Kaizen took a deep breath and wished the feeling wasn't the same as when he entered the maze of a jellyfish near the Howling Draughtsmen.

"Teleport Royal City." Kaizen uttered.

The crystal crumbled like sand in the tall man's hands at the same time that the end of the sentence was uttered. Suddenly, a spinning sensation plagued his belly, as if only his stomach was spinning. At the same time Kaizen watched his own vision distort, causing the glow of the beautiful aurora borealis to form a megalomaniacal tunnel of light. For a second, he didn't feel the firm ground beneath his feet, and when the soles of his boots finally touched something, his vision returned close to normal.

'What the fuck was that...' Kaizen said, still feeling like the world was spinning.

Abashed, he looked around him and realized that he was not in a Royal City square, but in the middle of a cold, dark forest, whose pine trees around him were crooked and strange.

"Shit... I think the guy who sold this Teleportation Crystal cheated Jayaa."

[You used an altered Teleportation Crystal. The nausea effect has been applied. Rest for a few minutes for the effect to disappear].

'Nausea?' Kaizen thought and then vomited like a faucet. "Bhurr!"

He quickly tried to disconnect himself and when he managed that, he was very relieved.

He had no idea where he was, nor if leaving the game would solve the problem with nausea for when he came back, but it was late and his day was long, so he didn't even think much about what he would do the next day.

*

In all corners of the Webnet, the word Kaizen was certainly one of the most talked about.

Legends arose about this nickname and its bearer. Everyone was curious about who this man was who had such an eccentric mask.

At the beginning of the rumors about this player, with the release of the video on the Howling Designers, many users and admirers of Rise Online judged Kaizen as someone dirty, of the worst kind of VRMMORPG players. After all, stealing the drops and experience of an entire raid was repulsive, to say the least. However, when the Real City Arena incident happened, Kaizen again drew the world's attention and once again a lot of discussion arose about him.

Many wondered what his class was, what he wanted, and things like who he served, but the biggest question about him was whether he was an asshole or in fact a nice guy. Since he saved Ravastine, the second princess of the Tretidian Kingdom, some thought that he just did it to try to get some special mission, considering that the fight was part of a Story Event. Even with some thinking logically about this, most people who were watching the live broadcast, came to see Kaizen as a hero.

Now the Webnet was in doubt. In the end, was Kaizen a hero or a villain?

[AgentLost: He saved the princess who was being tortured live. He definitely couldn't bear to watch like most of us and saved her.

Saddlewitch: That's what the media wants you to think!

Here7SheIs: Whatever it is, it is clear that he is not afraid of the high-level players, and that he did not like the accusations in that video. I'm looking forward to the challenge.

Pokemaniac: I have no doubt that he is an asshole! If he wanted to pick a fight with the stronger players, why didn't he challenge them from the beginning instead of stealing their Boss?

Siusarse78: You guys are blind. Analyze the situation and stop being stupid. It is clear that Kaizen is a friend of the Desert Lions and they are using all this to generate media for themselves!

Shemoriwuw: The world is judging a guy for saving a beautiful woman? Kaizen, you have my respect!]

Villain or hero? It didn't matter to Kaizen, and no wonder he didn't even bother to check forums or have social networks. All he wanted was to get his family off the bottom.

However, the rampant mention of Kaizen's name by millions of people eventually reached the ears of those who recognized this nickname.

...

Edited by: DrHitsuji

If you want to see original illustrations of Rise Online characters, consider helping me on pa treon: Pa treon.com/NandoFalske

More character images in:

https://discord.gg/bpqq9u4gS8

Like it? Add to library!

Don't forget to vote with Powerstone to support the book if you like it...