Rise Online: Return of the Legendary Player

Chapter 656 Bloodstone (Part 2)

When the colossal door was destroyed, revealing the tunnel ahead, an ancient scent of dust emerged from the darkness.

Kaizen and Xisrith's gazes met, full of anticipation, before they dared to step forward, with Kaizen holding the legendary Ragnarok sword tightly in his hands.

The corridor proved spacious enough for the two of them to walk side by side, their footsteps echoing in the silence. As they walked deeper into the crypt, the light of the golden moon began to fade on the polished stone walls, which absorbed it hungrily.

On the walls, there were various symbols meticulously carved into the dark stone, some murals narrating the epic of the Bloodstones, the legendary dwarves who once inhabited this arid land. These detailed representations told the story of epic battles against monstrous creatures, the forging of magical artifacts and the construction of structures that have lasted to the present day, such as the pillars and statue at the top of the Tretidian Capital.

Entering the corridor after the first bend, they found themselves in front of a majestic room, a sight that left them speechless. It was a large, lofty space, its walls adorned with a collection of bizarre and fascinating statues. Each statue represented a member graced by an item forged by a Bloodstone, each immortalized in a unique pose and with a captivating expression. Under the faint light of Kaizen's sword, the stone figures seemed almost alive.

Kaizen approached one of the statues, looking at it closely. The sculpted man was holding a large hammer, his eyes narrowed. Every detail, from the wrinkles on his forehead to the veins in his hands, was carved with a precision that bordered on the unbelievable.

Xisrith was also fascinated by the statues. She approached another, depicting a woman in a combat position, wielding a spear as if about to impale an invisible enemy. Each sculpted muscle seemed to pulse with tension, as did her hair, which seemed to have been sculpted strand by strand.

The atmosphere was oppressively quiet, with only the whisper of the two adventurers' breaths breaking the blanket of stillness that enveloped the room. However, the silence was soon interrupted by an unexpected sound: a creak, like the shifting of stone. Kaizen and Xisrith's eyes turned to the statues. Slowly, several of them began to move. Their captivating poses turned into combat stances, and stone eyes stared at the intruders with an icy intensity.

Xisrith quickly leapt backwards, agile as a panther, dodging the surprise attack of one of the statues who lunged towards her with an axe.

The statues didn't speak, but their imposing presence made them look like sentinels standing guard, protecting something priceless, which brought a smile from Kaizen, because if there was protection, it meant that there was also something to be protected.

Xisrith took the sword out of the scabbard on her lower back and revealed the red blade of her Katana, and when she saw Kaizen's smile, she couldn't help but smile too.

Kaizen brandished the Ragnarok sword, blocked a blow from one of the statues and counterattacked, causing the statue to shatter into several pieces and the entire chamber to shake with the power of the weapon.

"Watch out, Xisrith!" he shouted as he fended off the attacks. "They're stronger than they look!"

Meanwhile, Xisrithse dodged another attack, sliding across the polished stone floor. His katana found a leg and brought one of the statues to its knees.

"Don't worry, I'm not planning to get hit!" she replied.

Kaizen struck a powerful blow with the Ragnarok sword, severing the arm of one of the statues, which fell with a metallic clang. The crypt shook again, pieces of stone breaking off from the ceiling. He quickly rolled to the side to avoid an attack from another statue, and the stone blade grazed the floor where he had been only a moment before.

Xisrith, agile as ever, spun under a statue's arm and delivered a precise blow that split its head in two. Fragments of stone flew through the air, echoing in the wide space as they hit the ground. She then launched herself towards another statue, her katana glowing like a flame.

The statues, however, were no mere enemies. They defended themselves with coordinated movements, blocking Kaizen's attacks and one of them even managed to push Kaizen with surprising force, causing him to crash into the wall. He felt a little pain, but managed to resist.

Xisrith, for his part, seemed to dance between the statues, gracefully dodging the blows coming his way. His blade found its target again and again, but the statues didn't seem to end.

"Kaizen, there's something wrong here!" she shouted, her voice echoing through the majestic room.

Kaizen stood up and looked around, searching for some clue as to how to stop the statues for good. That's when he noticed a crystal at the top of the chamber, a red crystal, which made Kaizen deduce that it was some kind of stone that was enchanted with the ability to keep remaking the statues. Then Kaizen bent his knees and leapt upwards, seeming to fly, and hit the crystal full on, causing it to shatter.

The shards of the crystal fell to the floor, and at the same moment, the statues stopped moving. The room sank back into an oppressive silence, with only the sound of Kaizen and Xisrith's panting breaths filling the space.

The statues that filled the rooms immediately stopped moving, locking into their positions and when Kaizen landed, causing the ground beneath his feet to crack, he looked at Xisrith, who was standing in the middle of the various statues, and they shared a brief smile of relief. They had survived the first challenge, and now the chamber was free to be explored.

Cautiously, they began to examine the place, and quickly found, in the center of the room, a small stone pedestal. On top of it was an old, dusty wooden box.

…

Edited by: DrHitsuji

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