Rise Online: Return of the Legendary Player



Silence hung heavy in the chamber as Kaizen continued to stare at the Mana Crystal, his eyes deep and reflective. The magical light danced around him, casting ghostly shadows on his face. Xisrith, watching him with a worried expression, slowly approached.

"Kaizen," she murmured, her voice as soft as a night breeze, "what Linus said? is there any truth to it? Do you really believe that Chaos is a conscious threat?"

Kaizen sighed, his shoulders heavy under the weight of responsibility. "Probably so... The Eye of Hermodr has always obeyed something, and what I know is that there's something terribly wrong with the flow of the paranormal, and Linus is connected to it all somehow now. I don't know if he's delusional, if he's been persuaded by someone to do what he's done, but he's already done what he needed to do, otherwise he wouldn't be willing to die today by my hand. He didn't say, but I believe all this destruction was caused by this thing." Kaizen said, touching the Mana Crystal.

Xisrith nodded, understanding the gravity of the situation. "What about Linus? What are we going to do with him?"

Kaizen looked at the ground for a moment before answering. "We'll take him to Alina, as we've decided. She'll be able to keep him under control until we have more information. We can't let him loose, not now."

While Andrew and Jayaa dealt with Linus, Kaizen turned to Xisrith, his gaze searching hers. "We need to decide our next step. Going back to Tretidian might be the best option for dealing with Linus. There, I'll be able to get more help, look for possible allies, because Mibothen is already their terrain now."

"But did we need to find your friend Klank?"

Kaizen frowned, remembering that she had promised Bloody Lily that she would help find Klank. "You're right... So, what do you say we split up for now? You take Linus to Tretidian, arrest him and..."

"No." Xisrith promptly replied.

"What?" Surprised by Xisrith's reaction, he asked instinctively.

Xisrith realized how harsh it was. "I-I mean... We haven't even registered our guild with the Adventurer's Association yet, but we're already a team, we can't split up now, and I bet you guys agree with me, don't you, guys?" She asked.

Andrew and Jayaa, who were on the other side of the chamber, looked at each other, unsure what the question was about, but swallowed and answered:

"Yes, ma'am!"

As Xisrith looked like an older woman and was quite different from the other girls, they were a little afraid of her.

Then Kaizen looked at Xisrith and smiled. "You're right, Xisrith," said Kaizen, his deep voice laden with respect. "We are a team, and we must stick together. Linus can be taken to Tretidian later, we must continue our search for Klank. However, we must also consider what to do with him, we can't just wander around with him, if he escapes it could be dangerous."

Xisrith nodded and then looked around. "Despite the destruction, this place isn't bad and it's something that could be used to our advantage. What's more, having a base here would also allow us to have a kind of Outpost, where we can host other guilds and so on.

Kaizen considered her words, pondering this suggestion. "You're right. Establishing a base here in Mibothen could be the key to gaining an advantage. And, who knows, maybe we can also find the whereabouts of the survivors."

"Then it's decided. We'll set up a base here in Mibothen. We really need a safe and strategic place to be able to log out and continue the mission afterwards. And we mustn't forget this thing either." She said, pointing to the Mana Crystal.

Kaizen looked at the Mana Crystal. "I was already thinking about how the hell I was going to carry this thing out of here. HAHAHA!"

Kaizen's laughter echoed off the worn walls of the chamber, mixing with the hum of the magic crystal. In the flickering light, his eyes shone with a mixture of excitement and determination. Xisrith smiled, infected by his energy, while Andrew and Jayaa exchanged a look of relief. For the first time since they entered Mibothen, the atmosphere seemed to become a little less tense.

Determined to turn this building into a temporary home, the group got down to business.

Kaizen quickly descended from the mountain with <Psychokinesis> to call Alina, explain the situation and also pick up the Black Cloud.

Meanwhile, Xisrith began mapping out strategic points of the fortress. In addition to the entire damaged structure, they needed to strengthen doors and create safe resting areas.

Andrew and Jayaa were tasked with searching for supplies in Mibothen's labyrinthine corridors, where they found a few places with medicinal plants, healing potions and some food, but if anything was missing, they could buy it at the World Market for a slightly overpriced price.

In the center of the chamber, the Mana Crystal stood as a constant reminder of the threat they faced.

Kaizen, always curious and resourceful, began to study the crystal with Alina's help.

Alina explained that the Mana Crystal was an ancient artifact created by the gods and that there was only one in each of the worlds. In other words, it was the rarest and most important object in Midgard, which made it clear to everyone that Linus knew exactly what he was doing when he used it and upset the magical balance on purpose, allowing Chaos to infiltrate the world.

At the same time, Alina made a point of imprisoning Linus in a magical cell, linked directly to the energy of the Mana Crystal, meaning that this was a cell that even if she died, Linus would still not be released, and the magical circles that formed this cell were so complex that not even Kaizen could break it, not even with the Ragnarok sword. The traitor was completely powerless, his face twisted with frustration as he remained imprisoned in the chamber.

On top of all this, Alina decided to restore the structures of the place with her magic, perhaps reversing the cracks to put everything back in its proper place.

So Alina, with her in-depth knowledge of magic, immediately set to work restoring the structures. Her graceful gestures and words of enchantment echoed through the chamber, unleashing a powerful wave of magical energy that reverberated through the worn walls. The cracks and fissures that marked the walls and ceiling began to close up, as if time itself was going backwards. Displaced stones returned to their original places, and the pillars that threatened to collapse were reinforced by a glowing magical aura. The site was transforming from a heap of ruins into a solid fortress once again.

Kaizen, always curious and eager for knowledge, watched Alina's every move intently. She explained every spell she cast, every magical symbol she traced in the air with grace and precision. This knowledge was practically useless to him, because his class didn't allow him to do magic, but it was important to know a little about it, to understand more about how the Mana Crystal worked.

While Alina worked on her restoration magic, Xisrith supervised the creation of strategic areas in the fortress. Doors were reinforced with wooden and steel barricades, making them almost impenetrable.

Rooms were designated for rest and recuperation, with makeshift beds made from the skins of defeated monsters. Xisrith was a natural leader, efficiently coordinating everyone's efforts, and Kaizen was sure she was ideal for the role of deputy guild leader.

Naturally, the group began to feel more at ease in that place, despite the constant threat of Chaos outside, and with the warmth of a fire created in a corner of the main chamber, which was now protected from all corners, they sat down to enjoy some food and finally end the evening.

Alina was a very elegant mage, but when it came to food, she ate like a barbarian, perhaps because she had experienced few different things being stuck in a Magic Library for so long.

"Uuuh!!! This is wonderful! What is it?" She asked, tasting a thigh that was the size of her arm.

"That's wild boar." Kaizen replied with a smile. "Eat well, Alina. You've worked too hard today."

Andrew, whose face was normally serious, was relaxed at that moment and took a sip of the fresh water in the barrel next to him. His green eyes reflected the dance of the flames, but also carried a shadow of concern. He was like the Paladin of the group, so he was always on the alert, even in his hours of rest.

Jayaa studied Alina's face with curiosity. His gaze was full of respect for her magic, a skill he deeply admired and one that, being a bard, he was sure he envied because she made incredible things look so easy. As Alina ate, he found the courage to speak:

"Alina, how did you learn to do magic so naturally? It's something I've always wanted to understand better."

She looked at him, her yellow eyes shining with a mixture of kindness and wisdom. "Magic is like a dance, Jayaa." She said. "You need to feel the rhythm of the universe, understand the subtle movements of the energies around you. Each spell is like a unique choreography, and you must learn to perform them with as much intensity as you can. You're a singer, you know how to control intensity, you just need to refine that perception with your mana."

Jayaa nodded, absorbing every word like a thirsty sponge. He dreamed of one day being as skilled as Alina, of manipulating magic in the same way she did to put this place back in order.