Rise Online: Return of the Legendary Player

Kaizen was surprised to see Teshi and Ryeis emerge from the dark corridor. The familiar voices of his two opponents from the Three Great Nations Tournament echoed in the room, interrupting his search for the throne room.

Seeing them, Kaizen couldn’t help but feel a mixture of surprise and irony. He knew that Teshi and Ryeis were skilled warriors from Vrikhodour, and he remembered vividly how intense their previous encounters in the tournament had been, but he hadn’t expected to see them again so soon. 

They didn’t seem to be in a fighting stance like the other times. On the contrary, they seemed to be engaged in a heated discussion about sword techniques. However, this did not prevent them from noticing the presence of a guard standing in the middle of the corridor they were following.

“What are you doing here?” asked Ryeis, still with his arms crossed.

“Just snooping around to make sure everything’s okay.” Kaizen told the best lie he could come up with in a few moments. “What about you guys?”

Teshi turned to Kaizen with less hostility and smiled. “We just came from a meeting with the king, and I was just trying to convince Ryeis that holding the sword less tightly gives you more control in battle.”

Ryeis snorted, sounding skeptical. “You are completely wrong, Teshi. Stability and power come from holding the sword tightly. There is no denying that. It’s fundamental.”

The two adventurers exchanged rival glances before discussing sword techniques. 

“That’s why Kaizen won with you, Ryeis. You don’t even think about the concepts, you just accept them.” Teshi said, turning his face and walking on, ignoring the guard.

“What are you talking about? He beat you too.” Ryeis followed him closely.

“Yes, but our fight was much more exciting. We were able to connect through our blades, we understood each other, and we became great rivals.”

“Rivals who only faced each other once?”

“Once for now! Our paths will cross again some day!” Teshi said, animatedly raising his right index finger.

“Perhaps sooner than you think, my dear. Kaizen thought as he watched them walk down the corridor, then called out, “Hey, wait a minute, please.

The two adventurers stopped and turned around, almost asking what the man in the guard’s uniform wanted.

“I’m a rookie, and I’m a little lost. I was asked to patrol this floor, check that everything is in order, and then introduce myself to the throne room, but I haven’t memorized where it is yet.” Kaizen explained. “Do you have any idea how to get there?”

Teshi scratched his chin thoughtfully. “The throne room? Hmm, I can help you. I spent some time here as a guard, so I have some knowledge of the castle’s structure and how difficult it is to remember.”

Ryeis sighed and looked resigned. “Well, if we are going to help them, let it be with words. The throne room is three corridors to the left. That is, go straight ahead and take the first corridor to the left, then take the first corridor to the left of the previous one, and then repeat the process again. It’s a secret path known only to members of the guard.”

“But that will result in exactly a 180 degree turn, right?”

“Exactly, the throne room is just beyond the stairs.”

“So if I follow the same directions to the right, I will also end up in the throne room?” Kaizen inquired.

There was a moment of silence as Teshi and Ryeis stared at the guard, then turned to face each other. What Kaizen said seemed idiotic to them in the first seconds, but slowly they began to understand how they, who had been the idiots for a long time, had been.

“Anyway, thanks for the information!” Kaizen thanked them and started on his way.

After a few seconds, Teshi and Ryeis were still staring at Kaizen’s back in disbelief.

“The new people are really smarter, aren’t they?” Teshi inquired, going back to the stairs.

“That’s why the security is weaker. This new generation thinks too much and doesn’t exercise their muscles.” Ryeis replied.

Meanwhile, Kaizen and Xisrith were thrilled with the information. Finally, they had a concrete clue to finding the throne room.

“Those were famous tournament players, right? This mission is more dangerous than I thought.” Xisrith commented.

“If we don’t have to fight, we won’t have a problem.”

𝞸𝓋𝓛xt.𝒞𝗈𝓶

The two adventurers followed Teshi and Ryeis’ instructions and turned left into the corridors. Following the described path, they continued to move through the corridors of the castle, ever mindful of the surrounding guards and security. As they approached the throne room, Kaizen and Xisrith remained cautious, aware that their mission was becoming increasingly dangerous. The fact that they had crossed paths with Teshi and Ryeis, famous players, only reinforced the idea that the situation called for caution.

“Right now, our goal is to find the king and get the information we need,” Kaizen muttered to Xisrith. “If we can avoid any confrontation, it will be better for us. Let’s stay stealthy and concentrate on reaching the throne room without attracting too much attention.”

Xisrith nodded in agreement with the strategy. They knew that to face the guards or arouse suspicion could endanger the whole mission.

Finally, after a series of twists and turns and dark corridors, they came to an imposing door with two huge guards standing in front of it.

Kaizen and Xisrith knew this was the entrance to the throne room.

Watching the guards for a moment, they noticed that the soldiers were distractedly talking among themselves, unaware of what was going on around them. The opportunity was perfect if they wanted to fight, but they would have to get past these guards, of course, so as not to trigger the security.

Kaizen made a discreet sign to Xisrith that he would talk to the guards and try to convince them, the only problem being that Kaizen was not one of the most creative people when it came to making up lies.