Rise Online: Return of the Legendary Player

Chapter 703 Clarification

Outside the cave, the snow fell silently and slowly, creating a white blanket over the frozen landscape of Mibothen.

The wind howled between the empty buildings and streets, creating a haunting sound that echoed through the dark city.

Kaizen was standing in front of Zilgath, and the fight between them had been intense and fierce. Both were exhausted, but the focus in Kaizen's eyes made him seem unshakable. He raised his right fist, preparing to deliver the final blow and put an end to Zilgath's life. Kaizen channeled a lot of energy into his fist and punched it very hard. The resulting explosion made everything around him shake, including the walls cracking and the frozen ground breaking up, sending fragments of ice flying everywhere.

Thus, as Kaizen floated, he saw Zilgath's body sink into the hole formed in the frozen river

However, when Kaizen raised his head and looked in the direction of the cave entrance, a voice from above caught his attention.

"Kaizen."

Surprised, Kaizen looked up at the sky above him. Ten mysterious figures were hovering above him, just over ten meters away, standing out against the firmament of grey sky, albeit dark with nightfall. They were imposing beings, nine of them with majestic wings and eyes that shone with an ethereal light.

Kaizen quickly realized that he was surrounded, because these figures formed a circle in the sky above him, so he turned completely around and questioned with his voice sounding firm:

"Who are you?"

It was impossible to make out the figures. As they were somewhat distant, they were like shadows in the sky to Kaizen.

However, Kaizen could tell that they were powerful without even needing to use <Analyzing Eye>.

One of the figures moved a little ahead of the others and began to descend. His voice was like heavenly music when he answered:

"Are you Kaizen?" She asked and, at the same time, a large stone behind Kaizen fell, plugging the hole in the cave where the Bloody Lily and the others were standing.

Kaizen didn't mind and confirmed the question, his voice a whisper in the freezing night. "Yes, I'm Kaizen. Who are you?"

The approaching figure slowly stopped in front of Kaizen, revealing her face. She was a stunningly beautiful woman with beautiful black hair and she wore a long dress that seemed to be made of stars. Her eyes were deep, serious and mysterious, shining with a light that was not of this world.

Kaizen had never seen her before, but something about her appearance made him suspect that this was someone he must know or have heard of.

In the silence that followed, the mysterious woman studied Kaizen with a penetrating gaze, as if assessing his soul. Her eyes, which shone with a supernatural light, seemed to read Kaizen's deepest secrets.

"Kaizen," she began, her voice still as soft as a song, "I am not your ally. I am the one who brought emptiness to Mibothen, who left this city in ruins and this kingdom desolate. However, I don't want you to see me as an enemy either."

Her confession echoed like thunder in Kaizen's ears. His eyes narrowed in suspicion, but he couldn't ignore the inexplicable attraction this woman exerted on him, perhaps because her aura was one of pure power.

"So, you're Fryft." Kaizen clenched his fists and said. "Why did you destroy Mibothen? What do you gain by plunging this realm into darkness? What do you gain by working with The Eye of Hermodr?"

The woman smiled enigmatically, as if she were aware of the whirlwind of emotions that were stirring Kaizen. "Ah, Kaizen, the reasons beings like me have are as complex as the stars in the sky. Sometimes we need to sacrifice a part to save the whole, or sometimes all we want is to see the world go up in flames."

Kaizen couldn't fully understand her words, but there was a sincerity in her eyes that intrigued him. "And why are you here now? Weren't you too busy with your Evolved things?"

The woman tilted her head slightly, as if considering her words. "I'm here to recruit you, Kaizen. By now, you should be more than aware of your potential. You're not just a Psyker, you're the only Psyker, something above a Legendary Class, you have a Unique Class. Unique classes are extremely rare and, as you might imagine, play key roles in the story of this game. You see, my class is Guardian, a bit ambiguous, don't you think? But I'm the only one in this universe."

Her words echoed in Kaizen's mind, perplexing him. He knew he couldn't trust this woman blindly, but she had an unusual eloquence.

"So, what do you want from me?" He asked, staring.

She moved closer to Kaizen, to the point where their faces were close, and whispered in his ear:

"I want to know your motivation, Kaizen. Why does a World Champion care so much about the history of a little game while you could be making millions playing for some team? Why are you willing to waste your time in a place that is now just an empty cocoon of what it was while on a mission to reach level 200?"

Kaizen was shocked to hear the last question. "How... how do you know about this?"

Fryft turned away again and winked at him. "Charles Richards isn't the only one who has his ear to the ground, and it's not hard to figure out his plans when he presents them with a projector in a room full of people where even the intern serving coffee can get in without a problem."

Kaizen felt a shiver run down his spine when Fryft blinked at him with an air of enigmatic insight. It was as if she could easily discover his greatest secrets. He couldn't deny that it baffled him.

"So, are you going to answer me? Why are you so interested in helping Mibothen?"

Looking into Fryft's eyes, Kaizen decided to reveal a fragment of the truth.

"Isn't that logical? You attack my city, almost kill the Royal Family of Tretidian and still commit abuses against supernatural creatures, disturbing the paranormal. As a Psyker, it's my job to deal with you in this way. Besides, I found out from Linus Farwynn that you of The Eye of Hermodr have plans to use chaos to 'deal' with me."

Fryft listened intently, his eyes shining with a hint of understanding. "Linus is just a madman who I easily manipulated. Yes, chaos will be brought about, but of course my plans are not to let him go free. Let's just say he'll be like a very fierce and very dangerous dog, but he'll be properly restrained on a leash made especially for him."

Kaizen arched an eyebrow, skeptical but intrigued. "And what happens when a very ferocious dog manages to escape? It wreaks havoc and maybe a few victims... You're confusing yourself, Fryft. If chaos does manage to escape, it will destroy everything and everyone, without the slightest forgiveness. Chaos doesn't want peace or balance, nor does it specifically want to kill me, it wants chaos, so it gets stronger and stronger. It would be the end of time."

Fryft smiled, a smile that contained a little frustration for the first time. "Kaizen, you have unique potential, a Unique Class. Your journey to level 200 can be much easier if you're by my side. As long as I'm by your side, you won't have to worry too much about anything. I may be risking my neck here, because you may betray me later on when you're stronger, but accept my invitation now, become my protégé and I promise you unparalleled power and wisdom. You want to become the best player in the world, I can make you."

Kaizen's eyes narrowed and then he looked up, where the nine demons were still hovering in the air. He took a deep breath and looked down again, into Fryft's eyes.

Fryft's offer was tempting, with the promise of incomparable power and wisdom. His unique potential as a Single Class Psyker made him a key player in this universe, and the temptation to reach level 200 with ease was almost irresistible. However, he couldn't ignore the knowledge he possessed about chaos and the catastrophic impact it could unleash.

Suddenly, a resounding crash echoed from the cave behind them. The stone blocking the exit from the cave was suddenly destroyed, and a cloud of smoke and debris billowed out, obscuring everyone's view. Kaizen, Fryft and the demons looked towards the point of origin of the explosion and, from within the smoke, four figures emerged, and as the mist dissipated, it showed that these figures were Cephal, Bloody Lily, Jayaa and Eraskan. They advanced, leaping gracefully out of the cave, their weapons in hand and expressions of determination on their faces.

Cephal looked around, but when he looked up, he saw Kaizen and Fryft flying towards the other nine demons.

Bloody Lily and the other members of Kaizen's group were shocked, disconcerted, because he didn't seem to be fighting Fryft, and it became even more obvious what was happening when Kaizen didn't even turn to look back, he just kept climbing, joining the other nine figures a few meters above.

For his part, Cephal opened his eyes wide and shouted with all his might:

"FRYFFFTTTTTTT!!!! YOU BASTARD, I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!!!"

Fryft, on the other hand, smiled mischievously as he watched the situation unfold over her left shoulder. "Old friends, Kaizen?" She asked. "They seem to have a different opinion about what's best for you."

Then Kaizen smiled with his mouth closed and his eyes calm. Without seeming to care.