Rise Online: Return of the Legendary Player

“Klaus? What are you doing, man? You almost let that handsome deer get away,” said Andrew.

“Ha… Haa… I was going to catch up with him.” Klaus replied, very tired now.

Andrew let out a laugh as he approached Klaus, looking totally relaxed. “You? Catch up with that deer? Looks like someone forgot it’s not the flash. I hardly know how I could hit that thing with an arrow.”

Klaus glared at Andrew, but then allowed himself to laugh too, realizing how absurdly fast the silver deer was.

“Okay, maybe you’re right. That thing is like lightning.” Klaus said.

Andrew patted Klaus on the shoulder, still laughing. “Hey, don’t worry, you still have more chances. After all, that’s why we’re here, right? Now look up and see me overtaking.” Andrew said, pointing to the main screens of the SoFi Stadium.

However, Andrew’s name was still in fifth position and compared to before he killed the deer, practically nothing had changed. In other words, contrary to what he and Klaus had imagined from the deer’s appearance, it wasn’t worth as many points as they had hoped.

At that moment, Klaus laughed at Andrew’s expression, which changed from genuine happiness to the purest semblance of disappointment.

As the two of them laughed at the situation, the air around them seemed lighter and even some people in the audience laughed too.

Klaus looked at Andrew and shook his head, admiring his friend’s ability to bring humor into even the most intense circumstances. Still panting, Klaus straightened up and watched the display on the main screens. The competitors’ rankings continued to flash in bright colors, updating every moment. Klaus was fifth, just behind Lara Cavalcanti, Emma and Sofia.

“Come on… We still have time to improve our position.” Klaus said to Andrew, giving him a pat on the back.

Andrew nodded with a determined smile. “You’re right. We can’t throw in the towel too soon.”

They exchanged a look of complicity and, with a gesture, decided to resume the hunt. After all, it was obvious that this grand finale was not only testing hunting skills, but also endurance, strategy and the ability to deal with the unexpected. With bows in hand, Klaus once again began to explore the area. He was on the lookout for any movement, sound or glint that might indicate the proximity of another unique creature.

As he advanced through the dense forest, the sounds of nature filled the air. Then, as the clock ticked down to the last five minutes of the grand final, they finally spotted something different. Resting on a branch of a tall tree was a beautiful bird, with bright, curious eyes, very red feathers and as big as a buzzard.

“That’s incredible,” whispered Andrew, amazed at the sight of the silver fox and its presence startled Klaus.

“Wait a minute, were you following me the whole time?” Klaus asked, startled.

“Of course I was, you’re clever. You were going to find something for me, I can’t stay out of the TOP 3.”

“And I need it to try to reach the TOP 1. Lara has 545 points, I can still reach her, you only have 149.” Klaus tried to argue.

“So even if I need it, if I don’t get points now, I’ll be dropped to sixth place in no time.” Andrew also tried.

A silence hung over them at that moment, because now they were in a dilemma. However, before they could solve this problem, the scarlet feathered bird stretched its wings and seemed ready to take off. Klaus and Andrew looked at each other, knowing that this was their chance, so the competitiveness gave way to a smile of defiance on both their faces.

Klaus and Andrew acted simultaneously, putting their arrows in their bows and releasing them as fast as they could.

The arrows sliced through the air towards the bird, but the creature was agile and unpredictable.

The audience held its breath for a moment.

Klaus’ arrow grazed the bird’s tail feathers, while Andrew’s pierced one of the feathers, causing it to break free in the air. The bird, however, managed to fly high into the treetops.

Unlike the deer, there was no way to chase it, it would be pointless, because it would simply fly above the treetops. So they had to make the most of the little time they had and try to shoot one more arrow each.

With their hearts racing, Klaus and Andrew quickly retrieved other arrows from their quivers and adjusted their positions. They exchanged a quick glance, a mixture of determination and anxiety reflected in their eyes. The scarlet-feathered bird was now at a considerable height, but still within range of a well-executed shot.

“Come on, Andrew, you can do it!” Andrew encouraged himself, ready to launch his arrow straight away.𝒐𝒱𝗅xt.𝑪𝒪𝑚

Klaus took a deep breath, blocking out all the noise around him. He tuned into the vibration, feeling the wind rushing past his ears and the energy of the forest pulsing around him. With intense concentration, he lined up his aim and sliced through the air, drawing a beautiful trajectory. For a moment, time seemed to slow down, and all eyes were fixed on that little arrow that cut through the air, flying between the branches and leaves.

Then, suddenly, a sound echoed through the forest as the arrow hit its target. The scarlet feathered bird let out a high-pitched cry, its wings flapped wildly and it began to lose altitude rapidly, until it broke apart in an explosion of pixels.

A mixture of shock and triumph crossed his face as he tried to take in what had happened.

The crowd erupted in applause and shouts, celebrating the shot he had just made.

As the noise of the crowd echoed through the forest, Klaus turned to look at Andrew. His eyes widened when he saw that Andrew’s arrow was still tangled in the bowstring, as if it had frozen the moment before the shot. It was clear that something had gone wrong.

Then the sound of the table being updated caught everyone’s attention. With each update, Klaus climbed up the ranks, overtaking his competitors. First Ethan, then Emma, and finally Lara. His name rose to the top of the leaderboard, and he felt a mixture of emotions: elation, surprise and gratitude.