Rise Online: Return of the Legendary Player

Kaizen rode for hours, crossing the vast lands of the Tretidian Kingdom to near the southern border, following his map to avoid getting lost. Since the Black Cloud mare was fast, it didn’t take long for the environment around him to change from the vast open fields to a dense and slightly dark forest. At that moment, he knew he was on the right track.

“I hope Alina is right and this place really is around here.” Kaizen said, tugging a little on Black Cloud’s guide to slow the pace of the run.

Few players and NPCs dared to enter the Pyria Forest, which was known to harbor extremely dangerous creatures, and because it was far away from the main cities, it was not a very famous city among players. However, Kaizen did not care about the rumors or Alina’s warnings. He had a mission to accomplish. His quest was for the memorable Sword of Ignis, a weapon capable of setting its enemies on fire with a simple touch. According to Alina, it was an epic-level weapon that she believed was hidden somewhere in this forest.

And apparently, he had arrived in this forest at the beginning of fall. The leaves on the trees were almost orange, and even a single gust of wind caused by Black Cloud passing near the trees was enough to make the red and yellow leaves fall like snowflakes, covering the forest floor with a colorful carpet. Unhurriedly, he rode on, the cold autumn wind blowing into his face, causing his black hood to sway.

One of his swords, tucked behind his back, glistened in the sunlight that pierced the treetops.

Soon, a clearing opened up in front of him, where he saw a huge cave dug into the rock. At that moment, Kaizen pulled on Black Cloud’s reins, causing her to stop running, and as soon as the sound of her horseshoes hitting the ground stopped echoing, everything fell silent. It was still morning in the world of Rise Online, but there weren’t even any birds in the trees or in the sun. The Pyria Forest was completely silent.

Kaizen dismounted his mare and tied her to a nearby tree. Then he took the sword that was on his back and held it with one hand, without much concern, just in case.

“Lest I forget, Alina said there are giant wolves and stone trolls. I hope they are high level.” Kaizen said, looking at the blade of his sword.

The gray sword with the beautiful hilt was the Næġling Falske, but it already had several scratches on the blade and was well worn. Normally, Kaizen would repair a weapon as good as this, but now that he had the time and materials, he wanted to make the real version of this, the real Næġling, a legendary sword, or at least that was what Kaizen hoped to be able to forge now that he had lost the Legendary Item of the Tournament.

According to the books in the Wizards’ Library, forging a Legendary Sword required much more than an excellent smith, it also required incomparable items, such as the Ancestral Sea Dragon Fang, which was a Mythical Item and could be developed into a Legendary Item if handled by a great smith. However, to forge the true Næġling, one needs not only a Mythic Item for the blade, but also one for the hilt and the guard. Therefore, Kaizen was in search of the Sword of Ignis.

With that in mind, Kaizen took a deep breath and faced the mouth of the cave once again. He then took a step inside and lit a fireball in his left hand to light the way.

The cave was dark and damp, with drops of water running down the rocky walls and forming puddles on the dirt floor. The air had a strong, earthy smell, mixed with the scent of the moss and lichen that covered the rocks. As Kaizen went deeper into the cave, the sunlight gradually faded, replaced by an eerie darkness. The sounds of his footsteps echoed through the empty, silent space, seeming to multiply and fade into infinity. The air was cold and damp, making Kaizen’s skin tingle and making him wary of any danger that might arise. There was definitely something wrong with this place, Kaizen could tell from his experience. There was a thin layer of mist on the floor of the cave, which was not normal considering that everything outside looked normal.

Kaizen tightened the grip on his sword, holding it ready for battle. The darkness and silence was oppressive, and Kaizen felt a chill run down his spine as he moved forward, not knowing what awaited him in the depths of the cave.

With his keen senses, Kaizen could hear the sound of his footsteps echoing off the rocky walls with every step he took.

Suddenly, he stopped, sensing a strange presence in the air. A silhouette appeared in the darkness in front of him, large and frightening, making him think it was a monster, but when he looked closer, he realized that it was a humanoid silhouette, wearing a hat on its head with seemingly wet hair. He couldn’t see its face in the darkness, but something about its posture and the way it moved made him feel uncomfortable.

The Psyker naturally thought:

‘Is that a damn ghost?’ Kaizen wondered, pointing his sword forward.

So Kaizen cautiously approached the humanoid figure, and as he got closer, he noticed that it was wearing a somewhat familiar wide-brimmed hat, only he couldn’t tell from where. When he was only a few feet away from this person, the figure turned toward him, and to Kaizen’s surprise, he recognized the man. It was Linus Farwynn, the man who had tried to recruit him some time ago into the Order of Dalamyr, a sort of organization that fights against the paranormal.

“Linus? What are you doing here?” Kaizen asked, still half surprised.

…𝞸𝑣𝓵xt.𝗇𝓔t

Edited by: DrHitsuji

If you want to see original illustrations of Rise Online characters, consider helping me on pa treon: Pa treon.com/NandoFalske

More character images in:

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