Rise Online: Return of the Legendary Player

Kaizen and Xisrith exchanged curious glances when they saw the wooden box, and they approached it.

The wood of the box was covered in a thick layer of dust, revealing that it hadn’t been touched for a long, long time. What’s more, the wood looked strangely intact, as if time had spared its surface, but as the place was arid, you could tell that neither the mosses nor the termites had gotten that far.

However, while Xisrith stopped walking right at the beginning, Kaizen advanced cautiously towards the box, his eyes scrutinizing every detail. He could see how the cracks in the wood were a little corroded, but that, despite this, it was in fact an exceptional piece of craftsmanship, especially the product that had gone into its creation so that it had not been corroded by bacteria up to that point.

Xisrith remained alert, his katana still in hand, while Kaizen slowly lifted the lid of the box.

The creak of ancient wood echoed in the silent chamber, sounding louder than it should have in contrast to the recent frantic combat.

When the lid finally opened, Kaizen’s eyes widened in surprise. Inside the box, there were no shiny treasures or ancient artifacts. Just a simple note, with words handwritten in elegant calligraphy.

“What’s that?” Xisrith asked.

“Did you think it would be so easy?” Kaizen read the note as he turned to the descendragon.

Before they could begin to formulate answers, something extraordinary happened. The stone floor beneath their feet began to shake once again, but this time, it wasn’t because of the statues. A section of the wall at the opposite end of the chamber began to shift silently, revealing a hitherto unknown secret passage.

Kaizen and Xisrith looked at each other again and smiled, as if they finally understood the meaning of what was written on the note.

Kaizen then put the note in his pocket and adjusted the Ragnarok’s sheath and leather belt.

Kaizen and Xisrith advanced through the secret passage, and the passage led them to a smaller room, lit only by a dozen magic torches. In the center of the room, there was a large black marble stone with a text in an ancient language.

[Title effect ‘Master of Languages’ activated].

[You can now understand 30% of any language].

[Thanks to the ‘Talented’ title, you can now understand 50% of any language].

[You are trying to read a document that is in a written language specific to the dwarves of the Bloodstone Clan].

[Your current level of understanding of the Bloodstone Language is 50%].

Thus, Kaizen managed to read some of the text that was written, and although it wasn’t 100%, it was possible to understand some parts, such as:

[This is the sanctuary ****** of the dwarves ** *** Bloodstone. Those *** seeking the *** and the ******* must prove their bravery and ********. Advance *** carefully, for the path ahead is ********. Those who prove themselves ****** will be rewarded with ** ******** more ******* of our civilization ***** that has lasted ******* the ages].

Kaizen didn’t quite understand the meaning of the text, since he didn’t understand most of it, but it was clear from what she could read that the first chamber was just an initial test, like sending a CV to a company, and only now would the selection process actually begin.

So, a few moments later, a small golden key emerged from behind the marble stone and rested gently in Kaizen’s hands.

Xisrith looked at the key curiously. “What do you think this opens?”

Kaizen frowned, contemplating the key. “I have no idea, but it’s obvious that we’re on the right track. Still, we must be careful.”

Cautiously, Kaizen took the key and put it in his pocket. Meanwhile, Xisrith began examining the walls of the room in search of more clues. She found a series of carvings depicting a figure wearing a mask and holding a scepter. The figure’s eyes were made of precious stones that sparkled in the dim light of the torches.

“Look at that, Kaizen,” said Xisrith, pointing to the carvings. “It looks important.”

Kaizen approached and studied the carvings with interest. “Yes, that must be a symbol. Maybe it’s the wizard who helped them build this place. But what else is he trying to tell us?”

They were clearly at an impasse, inside an enigma. Unlike the previous chamber, the doors wouldn’t just open for them.

At that moment, Xisrith noticed something else. There was an empty hole where one of the gems should have been in the carved figure’s eyes. She looked around the room and found the stone on the floor, as if it had accidentally fallen in or had in fact been hidden.

“I think I’ve found it,” said Xisrith, picking up the stone and putting it back in place. As soon as the stone was in place, the carved figure seemed to come to life for a brief moment, its eyes shining brightly, and then the figure split in half. A door revealed itself exactly where it was between the two eyes of the wizard.𝒪𝓋𝓵xt.𝒞𝑜𝓂

With the door now in sight, they moved forward, passing through the threshold. The new passage led them into a narrow, dark corridor. The magical torches in the previous room didn’t fully illuminate the path ahead, leaving the adventurers with a view limited only by the torch Kaizen carried. They stood ready, alert for any possible threat. Their footsteps echoed down the corridor, but the sound suddenly multiplied, as if they were being followed by an invisible crowd.

Then they immediately stopped, covering each other’s backs. Kaizen turned back, where the sounds were coming from, while Xisrith aimed forward. However, seconds passed and nothing appeared in their field of vision.

“This is getting stranger with every step we take,” muttered Kaizen, as his eyes scanned the darkness.

…

Edited by: DrHitsuji

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