Rise Online: Return of the Legendary Player

Chapter 700 Chains

"You're stronger than you look, Lord Ass-Kicker..." muttered Zilgath, his sewn lips moving grotesquely. He held out his hands and a dark mist began to form around him. "Let me show you the true power of a... of a..."

Kaizen didn't wait for Zilgath to finish his sentence. He lunged forward and, with a thud created by his advance, landed another punch on Zilgath, knocking her into the wall.

"Go!" Kaizen shouted to his friends.

At that moment, Bloody Lily, Eraskan and Jayaa saw that this was their chance, so they ran past Kaizen's back. Meanwhile, Zilgath tried to get up from the wall, but Kaizen reached forward and held him back with <Psychokinesis>.

Jayaa looked back, worried, but the Bloody Lily pulled him forward. She trusted his strength completely and wasn't worried about whether or not he would beat Zilgath. But that didn't matter anymore, at least not yet. The entrance to the cave was wide and carved out of solid rock. A set of torches arranged on the walls reflected the torches' reddish light.

The air was impregnated with a strange smell, almost like the smell of sewage, and the thunderous sound of the clash between Kaizen and Zilgath still echoed off the walls of that gloomy place, to the point where the tremors caused by the battle were felt there too, causing small loose stones to fall from the cave ceiling like a shower of dust.

Blood Lily, Eraskan and Jayaa, through their trust in Kaizen, began to walk towards the darkness of the cave. Bloody Lily was the one leading the group, his hand wrapped tightly around his sword. His eyes, adapted to the darkness thanks to an ability, scanned the interior of the cave for any hidden threats. Eraskan followed close behind, attentive to the reactions of Lilith, who had much sharper senses than anyone else there, and from the way she was cowering, it was clear that this was a dangerous place.

As they advanced the first few meters, the echo of Zilgath's words still rang in their ears.

"URGHH!!! You won't... beat me like that..." Zilgath said and then another bang echoed.

Kaizen didn't seem to be giving his enemy any slack.

Back in the cave, the trio soon came to a crossroads. There were two paths to follow, both plunging deeper into darkness. Bloody Lily frowned, uncertain which direction to take, but just then a distant roar echoed through the cave, causing everyone to take notice, only it seemed to be a roar of pain rather than anger.

"That came from the depths of the cave to the left." Eraskan said. "At least now we know which way to go."

"And why the hell are we moving so slowly? Kaizen says it will buy us time, but that doesn't mean we don't have to be quick." Jayaa said with a straight face.

Bloody Lily nodded. "You're right, let's pick up the pace. It would be a shame if Kaizen caught up with us before we found anything."

The three players, Blood Lily, Eraskan and Jayaa, hurried towards the cave on the left, guided by the roar of pain that echoed in the depths. The sound of their footsteps echoed off the stone walls, creating a deep resonating sound that reverberated in their ears. The light from the torch in Bloody Lily's hand, although weak, was enough to illuminate the path and reveal the unevenness of the rocky terrain.

As they advanced, tension was stamped on their faces. The battle between Kaizen and Zilgath was still causing tremors, and uncertainty hung over the outcome.

"Listen..." said Jayaa suddenly, bringing a finger to her lips. "Did you hear that?"

Silence enveloped the group, and in the midst of the stillness, a faint, repetitive sound could be heard. It was the sound of chains dragging across the stone floor, or something similar. With his curiosity piqued, Bloody Lily took a step forward in the direction of the sound, his boots echoing discreetly. Cautiously, the trio advanced down the last dark and narrow corridor, following the sound of the chains. With each step, the tension increased and their senses became sharper. Finally, around a bend in the cave, they spotted a scene that left them perplexed.

In a large but very dark space in front, a man was kneeling, his hands and feet chained to heavy rings attached to the stone floor and also to the walls. He was on his back, but his appearance was worn and aged, as if he had been held captive for a long time. His long hair was tangled and his clothes were torn and dirty.

"What is it..." Eraskan muttered.

For his part, Jayaa acted quickly and ran to help the man. From what she could tell, he had been trapped there for a long time and any lost second could be crucial.

Eraskan looked at Lilith and noticed that she was still much more withdrawn than usual, a clear sign that she was afraid, and when he looked at the Bloody Lily, who was standing next to him, he could see in her expression that something was wrong.

"What is it?" asked Eraskan, worried and tense.

Then the Bloody Lily shook her head and, before answering anything, he approached with cautious steps. Looking more closely, he finally fully recognized the prisoner's clothes and hair.

"It can't be..." muttered Bloody Lily, her eyes widening in surprise.

Jayaa and Eraskan looked at her, observing their companion's reaction.

"Lily, do you know him?" asked Eraskan, perplexed.

The red-haired woman swallowed, unable to believe her eyes. "Yes, I know him. That man is Cephal."

Shock spread across Eraskan's face, and he immediately took several steps back. "Are you talking about that one, Cephal?" Eraskan asked.

"Wait, guys. What are you talking about? Who is he?" Jayaa asked, looking at the unconscious man.

"Jayaa, this man next to you is an Evolved." said Bloody Lily, which made Jayaa jump backwards in fear.

"What? An Evolved?!" He shouted and when he looked at the man, he saw that his eyelids were fluttering a little, perhaps because of the noise, so he whispered afterwards: "And how the hell did he end up like that?"

"I don't know..." Bloody Lily replied. "All I know is that if an Evolved was taken down and imprisoned, what we're facing is much stronger than we imagined."