Rise Online: Return of the Legendary Player

The Tournament of the Three Great Human Nations was the most anticipated event of the Midgard year. The best warriors, mages, thieves, and clerics from each realm would face each other in epic duels, testing their skills, strategies, and courage to the very end. The winner would receive the honor of being crowned Champion of Midgard, as well as a generous reward of gold and a legendary item.

After weighing his options, Kaizen decided to enter the tournament. He didn't have much to lose, and if he died facing an opponent too strong for him, it would only add to his excitement.

The tournament was held in the great Valkyria Arena, the only border between the Vrikhodour, Tretidian, and Mibothen kingdoms, and it was many miles from the Tretidian capital. By this time on Saturday, thousands of spectators were already crowding the stands, eager to secure the best seats. The flags of the three kingdoms were probably already fluttering in the wind: the golden lion of Mibothen, the red dragon of Tretidian, the blue griffin of Vrikhodour.

However, Kaizen didn't know if what he'd heard on the web was true, as he was still halfway to the tournament grounds. Since he hadn't visited that place before, he couldn't use an empty teleportation crystal and a named teleportation crystal that cost a mere thousand gold coins, which was about ten thousand dollars in the real world. Kaizen was not a crazy person to spend all that, so he put a hardware kit in Black Cloud's alfajores, picked up a few items he needed, and began his journey.

Luckily, the Black Cloud was lightning fast and evolved in the middle, making it even faster.

Kaizen was so eager to get to the tournament site that he completely forgot that long ago, as a child, he had dreamed of participating in such a tournament in an MMORPG. He traveled for hours, following a caravan of carriages, wagons, and riders heading to the same place. Among these people, who were late for the start of the event, were other competitors and many spectators. Kaizen passed through forests, mountains, rivers, and plains, admiring the scenery and wonders of Tretidian territory, sometimes meeting other caravans, but always going to the same place.

Finally, they reached the border between the three kingdoms, where the tournament would be held. Kaizen was astonished by what he saw. A colossal, magical hexagonal wall surrounded the place, glowing with different colors in the sky. Inside the wall, a temporary city was rising, full of life and movement. Kaizen could see tents, stalls, caravans, stages, makeshift arenas with pig pens, and monuments of all shapes and sizes. He could hear the sounds of music, laughter, shouts and applause, and smell the smells of food, drink, smoke, and magic.

As the human caravan entered the city, following the orders of the guards and organizers, Kaizen separated from them without even realizing it. He looked everywhere, trying to take in everything he saw. He saw wizards demonstrating potions and elixirs in their stalls, doing amazing things like flying, disappearing, or changing shape. Kaizen also saw performers juggling and acrobatics, impressing the audience with their skill and grace. Bards told stories and sang songs, thrilling and entertaining the people with their words and melodies, which for a short time reminded him of Jayaa.

There were soothsayers and fortune tellers telling people the secrets and mysteries of the past, present, and future, as well as vendors offering trinkets and relics that they claimed were magical, rare, or valuable.

However, the thing that caught Kaizen's attention the most was the large stadium where the dueling phases would take place. It was a colossal structure made of stone, metal, and magic. This building was larger than any stadium in the real world and had a capacity for hundreds of thousands of spectators who would be able to watch the group stage matches on large magical screens. The stadium also had a magical dome that not only served as a second magical barrier, but could also change the atmosphere and setting of the duels, creating challenges and surprises for the competitors.

Kaizen felt a chill of excitement in his stomach at the thought of fighting in this place, and before he could think too much about it, someone approached him.

"Hello, friend! You seem to be looking for something special," a vendor from a small potion stall said.

"We have elixirs that can increase your endurance, speed, and strength. We also have a potion that can make you invisible for a few hours." His brother continued.

Kaizen smiled politely, ignored them and continued walking. Soon, he heard another loud voice coming from a stall selling combat equipment.

"Come here, warrior! We have magic armor, sharp swords, and strong shields that can save your life in the group stage! Don't be unprepared for battle!"

Kaizen paused for a moment to look at the equipment, but soon decided to move on. They were all of terrible quality.

As he walked on, he heard a female voice calling out to him. "Hey, handsome! Would you like to take a look at our magical relics?"

He turned to see an attractive woman sitting in a stall with necklaces and rings. She had long black hair and eyes as dark as night.

"We have rare and powerful items that can change your life forever. Come take a look!"

Kaizen smiled and approached the stall. He wasn't very good at making accessories, so he was interested.

"What's interesting about you?" Kaizen asked.

"Well, we have this magic necklace that can protect you from curses and spells. We also have a ring that can increase your luck and fortune," the woman said as she showed Kaizen the items.

He was intrigued, but when he looked at these items with <Analyzing Eye>, he found that what the saleswoman said was nothing but a lie. Since he didn't want to spend his money on something he knew wouldn't really work, he said:

"I'll think about it. Thanks for the offer," Kaizen replied politely before walking away.

As he left, he heard another merchant call out. "Come taste the best ox barbecue in the entire tournament! Made with unique magic and spices. It will make your mouth water!"

Kaizen got hungry just hearing the description. He followed the smell of barbecue to the stall and ordered a portion. The taste was truly divine, unlike anything he had ever tasted before, so good that a message sounded.

[His maximum health has been increased by 10 points. Effective for 1 hour].

...

Edited by: DrHitsuji

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