Rise Online: Return of the Legendary Player

Chapter 714 Return

Hollie Rees noticed Charles Richards looking in the direction of the camera that was showing Zylok. She had been working with him for almost a year, practically since the launch of RO, so she could already tell what Charles was thinking on some occasions, even if he didn't have to say a word. And the look he was giving Zylok was an unusual one, one that stood out from the rest, it was a look of recognition.

"Wait a minute, you didn't tell me all this about this aura around people when they're doing what they love for nothing, did you? You think Zylok saw the same thing in Kaizen as you did." Hollie said.

Charles smiled with the corner of his mouth. "You got me..."

"I don't believe you're really considering it."

"And why wouldn't I be? Zylok is a man who is about my age and was going down a deplorable path until he met a young man who rekindled his hope in new players. I think I can see a bit of myself in him." Charles scratched his beard and sat down.

"But... Zylok had everything in his hands, including victory, why would he give it all up? It's not possible that he did all this just to have Kaizen as a companion."

Charles put his hands on the back of his neck and rested back in his chair, which tilted back slightly. "Zylok's motivation is an intriguing enigma, Hollie. In the real world, he's a man who has everything, a family, children and even grandchildren, he has everything I once wanted to have, but he was still going down a bad path. It could be that he saw in Kaizen not only a skilled player, but also a symbol of something greater. Something that goes beyond the game, I don't know, or maybe Kaizen reminds him of one of his children."

Hollie still looked confused, because although she had already learned that for most players Rise Online wasn't just another online game, she still couldn't understand everything about what was going on in the players' minds and maybe that wasn't even possible.

"Sometimes, Hollie, people make choices that transcend the obvious. In a universe where power often corrupts, Kaizen's simplicity of intent may have touched something inside Zylok."

While not only Charles and Hollie were watching the broadcast, Kaizen, the most talked-about player on the webnet at the moment, could already hear the buzz of the army of players surrounding the Royal Capital of Tretidian from the edge of the city. So he looked back and still saw, between the buildings, the roof of the capitol, where the demons were still guarding.

"I have to convince the army to turn around so that a slaughter doesn't take place here." Kaizen muttered to himself.

Then, when Kaizen came out of the walls protecting the city, a woman, who was watching with her magic eyes for any movement near the camps, saw him and quickly shouted:

"Hey, I see it!"

Immediately, horns began to sound and the larger players quickly organized themselves to form a makeshift front line, but when she looked at the figure again, she realized who it was.

"Wait, this is... It's Kaizen, everyone! No need to worry!"

The news of Kaizen's arrival spread quickly through the camp, like fire through dry straw. Murmurs of surprise and disbelief echoed among the players as they turned to see the man who had escaped alone from the now dangerous Royal Capital of Tretidian. A mixture of admiration, respect and disbelief shone in everyone's eyes as Kaizen approached, his steps firm and determined. He walked between the rows of players, who moved aside to make way for him.

Some players looked at him with reverence, others with envy and a touch of disbelief. Kaizen, for his part, held his head high, his expression calm.

As he crossed the camp, the players began to applaud. They recognized Kaizen as a hero, a symbol of hope amid the chaos of the impending battle.

The initial buzz of alarm and preparation turned into a chorus of cheers, as if a hero had returned triumphant from an epic battle.

"Kaizen! Kaizen! Kaizen!" The players' voices resounded in the air, a growing chorus of support. They raised their weapons and shields in salute.

Kaizen was a shy man, so although he was a little flushed, he waved to the crowd with one hand and scratched the back of his head incessantly with the other.

Finally, Kaizen reached the area where a large gathering was taking place. The players huddled in this area, chatting in smaller groups.

Kaizen spotted Salles and Jeewok, whom he greeted with a nod. Then he saw Gear, the leader of the group that helped with the gorgon's labyrinth, and her other party mates. It was a surprise for him to see them, as he had hoped never to meet them again, so he smiled and returned their nods. Finally, he spotted Ravastine, but before he could greet him properly or even approach him, several people who had been following him since the moment he entered the camp started asking him questions.

"Kaizen, what did you see in there? There are a lot of demons in the streets!"

"What about the missing players, Kaizen? Did you get any clues as to where they might be?"

"Why are we waiting so long?! Now that Kaizen's back, we're stronger than ever!"

Kaizen raised his hand, asking for silence, and the crowd instantly obeyed. His face was serious, his eyes brimming with determination. "What I'm about to say is of the utmost importance," he began, his voice strong and clear. "Yes, I have entered the walls of the Royal Capital of Tretidian and seen what is happening inside, so I want as much as you do to put an end to all this and return Mibothen to its glory. However, we must be calm, because there may be a chance that we won't even need to fight, so no one will lose items and everyone will still complete the mission they were all given to enter the Kingdom of Mibothen in its current state."

Kaizen's words caused the crowd to murmur, intrigued and anxious. Kaizen continued, keeping everyone's attention. "Not everything is as it seems, although it's tempting to start a war now, Mibothen could end up destroyed if that happens, so I'm going to pass on the information I've received to the people in charge and we'll have an answer as to what we're going to do soon."

The murmurs intensified as Kaizen's words echoed. Some players seemed skeptical, others irritated by the lack of action and many were deeply touched by the idea of ending all this without a war, after all, not all the players present were strong.

Kaizen raised his hand again to calm the crowd. "We're here with one goal in mind: to prevent further bloodshed and get everything back to normal. So those of you who are here just to fight, you won't feel like it, come before me right now, one by one or in groups and fight me. Don't you want a bit of action, then come on." He crossed his arms and stood in the middle of the thousands of people.

Silence fell over the camp as Kaizen challenged the players to face him. His eyes, calm and determined, traveled through the crowd, meeting looks of surprise, hesitation and, in some cases, acceptance of the challenge, but which quickly became looks of fear when they met their own. Thus, no player approached him to fight.

Kaizen sighed deeply, understanding the others' reluctance. "That's what I'm hoping for. Nobody's here to fight, we're here to help and that's what we're going to do. Now, if you'll excuse me..."

Kaizen then entered the area where the meeting was taking place, while Ravastine looked at Davster, a little surprised by Kaizen's reaction.

Davster, a black knight in white armor with braided hair, put one of his hands on the young woman's head, comforting her, and said:

"Don't worry, I'm sure he'll talk to you as soon as he has time."

"He's changed." Arthas, the former captain of the royal guard, his face riddled with scars from the last battle, said, looking at Kaizen's back.

"What do you mean?" asked Ravastine.

"Well, it must just be me, but he seems more tense and in such a short time. Maybe he doesn't just feel like he's carrying the weight of the world on his back, but actually is." Arthas clarified his thoughts.

The words 'the weight of the world' echoed in Ravastine's mind as she watched Kaizen walk. Indeed, he seemed more serious than usual and also much more powerful, but he still didn't seem to be a different person, he was still Kaizen after all, the man who had saved her and the man she loved platonically.