Rise Online: Return of the Legendary Player

With the arrow’s accurate hit and the disintegration of the scarlet feathers, a shockwave ran through Klaus. What had seemed impossible became reality in a matter of seconds. The look of astonishment and admiration on Andrew’s face echoed what Klaus felt inside. The cheers and shouts of the crowd reverberated through the forest, creating a chorus of celebration for Klaus’ incredible feat.

He looked at the crowd between the branches of the trees, and felt at first sight how they were vibrating and applauding, and so his chest inflated with an incredible sensation.

The world around him seemed to freeze as he processed the impact of what he had achieved. He couldn’t help but smile, a smile that reflected a mixture of surprise, joy and a deep sense of achievement.

People weren’t just applauding a victory, they were recognizing the dedication, skill and passion Klaus had invested in this hunting trip.

At that moment, in fact, it was as if time had stopped, allowing him to immerse himself in this instant of triumph. The weight of all the previous attempts, all the hours of training and dedication with the bow, converged on this culminating moment. Klaus was at the top of the table, beating all the other hunters.

Sofia was hunting a black wolf and lost sight of it. Then she felt everything shake and the roar of the crowd celebrating. She raised her head and looked surprised and slightly upset to see her name at the top of the table, but she couldn’t help applauding Klaus’s feat.

Emma lowered her bow and couldn’t hold back a proud smile. She knew how hard Klaus had worked and, despite the healthy rivalry, there were no hard feelings in his heart. She nodded to him and whispered to herself:

“Good job.”

Ethan looked up and saw the table with admiration and a hint of envy. Although envy was natural, he also understood that Klaus’ victory was well-deserved, after all he was one of the most physically talented people in the whole country.

However, Lara, the competitor whom Klaus finally overtook in the table, didn’t let her focus be shaken by the crowd’s celebration. She wasn’t ready to give up first place so easily.

With a sharp look, she adjusted the arrow on the bowstring, aiming precisely.

A murmur went through the crowd as they followed Lara’s movement. And then, in a surprising moment, she released both arrows at almost the same time. The arrows flew with incredible precision, each meeting the eye of the huge Orc standing in the distance.

The monster let out a deafening roar as it fell to the ground, shaking the forest and silencing the celebrating crowd. A reverential silence fell over the crowd, replacing the cheers and shouts. The Orc collapsed to the ground, killed instantly by Lara’s sharp arrows, and the crowd’s astonished gaze turned to the leaderboard.

A few moments before, Klaus’ attention had been on Andrew, whose arrow was still tangled in the bowstring, motionless and helpless.

“What… happened?” Klaus asked, seeing the situation his friend was in.

Andrew let out an awkward laugh. “Hehe! I think my mind went into a knot when I fired. My concentration broke and I couldn’t release the arrow.”

Klaus nodded understandingly. “There’s still time to score more points and secure a good position.”

Andrew gave a forced smile. “There’s no more time. Anyway, you’re…”𝒐𝒱𝗅xt.𝑪𝒪𝑚

At that moment, Klaus and Andrew heard the crowd go silent and instinctively looked up at the table on the big screens to see that, at the last minute, Lara had retaken the lead.

At that moment, the setting sun tinged the sky with warm orange colors, casting a golden light over the quiet SoFi Stadium, and the fallen Orc crumbling seemed even more imposing in that twilight, his ferocious features now frozen.

As the crowd processed the turn of events, murmurs began to spread, people slowly realizing what had happened. Still, alone in the middle of the forest, Lara raised her chin proudly, her confident expression conveying the clear message that she was not willing to be easily outdone.

Sofia, who had momentarily been distracted by Klaus’ feat, smiled wryly when she saw Lara’s name hit the top of the leaderboard at the last minute.

Emma looked on in shock, as did Klaus, who looked away from the scoreboard, dropped his bow and then began to clap solitarily.

He turned his attention to Andrew and said:

“Hey, what are you doing? You’re still in fifth place, but you can’t get cocky and not clap for our training partner, puahahat!”

Andrew was confused by Klaus’ reaction, but immediately understood that this was Klaus’ way of taking the public’s attention off himself, dispelling the frustration of not winning and congratulating Lara Cavalcanti on her victory.

Andrew smiled. “You’re right.” He started clapping too.

As Klaus and Andrew’s applause began to spread, the crowd followed suit, gradually applauding Lara’s impressive comeback. It was a gesture of respect and recognition for the skill and courage she had shown. Sofia, Emma, the other competitors and even Ethan soon joined in the applause, acknowledging Lara’s well-deserved victory.

When Lara saw the audience’s reaction, she couldn’t hold back a slight smile of satisfaction. She knew that the competition was fierce and that the last arrow had been her final chance to turn the tables. The feeling of winning first place brought her a wave of accomplishment and pride, because she had trained her whole life for this moment.

As the applause continued to echo through the archery field, Lara lowered her bow, feeling the adrenaline still pulsing through her veins. The rays of the setting sun reflected off her sweaty face as she waved in thanks to the crowd. The light wind ruffled her white hair, and her yellow eyes shone with a mixture of emotions: joy, gratitude and a touch of surprise.

…

Edited by: DrHitsuji

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

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