Rise Online: Return of the Legendary Player



Concentrating deeply, Klaus took a deep breath as he held his bow high, his hands steady and ready to shoot the boar. However, something inside him hesitated. The boar was real enough to trigger his most basic hunting instincts, but that flashing life bar on the creature made him reconsider his actions.

"500 life points..." Klaus muttered to himself, weighing up the options as the boar continued to move through the forest, still running, but at a much slower speed than before.

"It's not just about hitting the target, it's about maximizing the points and minimizing the risks, that's what makes someone a winner." Klaus said.

Watching the boar once again, Klaus slowly lowered his bow, letting out a sigh. He decided not to waste his valuable arrows on a creature that, although it was worth points, probably wasn't worth that much. With a wave of his hand, he allowed the boar to continue its uninterrupted journey through the forest, its heavy footsteps echoing as it moved away.

Now alone, Klaus began to walk through the forest, letting his thoughts revolve around his next decisions. He knew he had to be strategic, but this situation forced him to choose between gaining points or conserving his arrows for future challenges that might be worth more points.

As he followed the natural paths between the trees, Klaus could hear the gentle whisper of the wind through the leaves, although it wasn't the actual sound of the leaves being shaken, it was a very faithful sound. The atmosphere seemed more serene now that the excitement of the beginning had passed and, just then, he heard the sound of footsteps.

As the footsteps drew closer, Klaus turned his head towards the sound. His eyes met those of a young woman, probably in her twenties. She had light hair that flowed smoothly over her shoulders and determined eyes that watched him with admirable intensity.

"Klaus, right?" Her voice was soft but firm, carrying a mixture of emotions that Klaus couldn't immediately identify.

Klaus nodded, curious as to why one of the contestants wanted to talk in the middle of the final.

"Sofia?" He asked, recognizing the screen name and face because she had dropped it next to him at the start of the challenge. "Yes, it's me. Why do you...?"

"Yes, my name is Sofia Martins." She paused and then added, with a somewhat relieved smile. "Oh, I'm a big fan of yours, Klaus. Not exactly of Kaizen, but of yourself. It was a surprise when I found out that Klaus Park was actually Kaizen."

Klaus was momentarily surprised.  "That's unexpected, but great to hear." He replied sincerely.

"Actually," Sofia continued, "when I found out you were Kaizen, it was a little disappointing."

Klaus raised an eyebrow, puzzled. "And why is that?"

Sofia sighed, her eyes showing a mixture of frustration and determination. "I had a plan, you see. I intended to give you my arrows when you reached the final or to give you some other assistance that would make you champion. I thought you could win this tournament and use your position to change things, to show that not all these big corporations like Hónghé Holdings deserve all this power. They are destroying the world and encouraging people to adopt bad habits and society, encouraging bad habits and practices."

Klaus was surprised by the brutal honesty of Sofia's words, even with the stadium full and hundreds of cameras scattered everywhere. He tilted his head, wanting to understand more.

"But now, with you being part of it, it seems that my plan has fallen apart. Because now, with you being Kaizen, you're kind of linked to them, aren't you? It doesn't seem right, you probably learned everything you know from playing hours and hours of that brain-destroying video game of theirs. However, I'm going to win now to prove that even the greatest champion of Hóngué Holdings can be defeated."

Klaus crossed his arms, appraising Sofia. He could sense the passion and determination in her, even if her motivations were different from his own.

"You're taking part in the Special Program, right? The one sponsored by Hóngué Holdings?" Klaus asked.

Sofia nodded. "Yes, that's right. But it's also a NIST program, and I want to use this platform to do something bigger, to make the world understand the danger they're in."

As Sofia spoke passionately about her motivations and her desire to use the tournament for her own purpose, Klaus listened intently, catching the fervent energy in her words.

When Sofia had finished speaking, Klaus nodded, as if he completely understood her reasons. "I understand what you want to do. Sometimes you have to play within the system in order to really challenge it."

Sofia's eyes widened in surprise, clearly not expecting such an understanding response from Klaus. She hadn't known he was so aware of the shadows behind the corporation. Just as silence threatened to fall over them, Klaus pointed in a direction beyond the trees.

"Do you see that place? That's where a boar ran. I was hunting that boar before we met. If you want to win and prove your point, stand out by earning points."

Sofia looked in the direction indicated, glimpsing the movement of the leaves. She turned her gaze to Klaus, her eyes full of curiosity and intrigue. "Are you serious?"

Klaus smiled, a genuine smile that reached his eyes. "Of course I am, why would I fool around and try to trick you with something like that?"

If this had been a few months ago, Klaus might actually have been trying to trick Sofia in order to get ahead, after all he was on a rampage for money, only now he understands more about the world than he thought he did before.

Sofia nodded slowly, seeming to ponder Klaus' words. She could see that there was more depth to him than she had initially thought.

"Thank you, Klaus Park! See you on the podium!" She said, waving and running off in the direction Klaus had pointed.

After all, Klaus had no agreement with Hóngué Holdings about defending the corporation's honor, quite the contrary, he even felt used and manipulated by them at times, but if working with them was what it took to be able to save the life of his brother Rhyzer Park, who was in hospital, he would do it all without hesitation.