Rise Online: Return of the Legendary Player

Kaizen was visibly shocked and saddened to find the whole place in ruins.

Not sure how to react, he walked through the rubble, looking at the books, magical objects and scrolls scattered on the ground. He stepped carefully over the broken books and objects, trying to find anything that might be salvageable. But it was all useless - only ruins remained.

Anger began to rise in him as he thought of the possibilities of what could have happened in this place, but he controlled that emotion for now.

"Alina! Are you here?!" He shouted as he walked towards the center of the section.

Nothing and no one answered him.

The sound of the crackling fire consuming some books and the creaking of some bookshelves about to fall over were the only things he could hear.

When he finally reached the center of the room, he found the epicenter of the funereal smell of blood. There was a large pool of blood on the floor and an entire arm.

Automatically, Kaizen covered his nose with one hand and looked at the scene uncomfortably. No matter how much he had gotten used to bizarre scenes since he started playing Rise Online, certain things still made him uncomfortable, especially since the graphics in this game were extremely realistic.

"Sons of bitches." He cursed aloud when he saw how badly the place had been destroyed and he still hadn't found any sign of Alina, after all, the arm on the ground was a man's.

Kaizen immediately began to wonder who was responsible for the destruction, and since he knew almost nothing about the history of this place, he thought that such barbarity could only be committed by players. After all, players are free to do whatever they want, and when they are out of sight of those who can punish them, everyone is more detached from their social ties.

The anger Kaizen had felt slowly turned to determination as he looked at the new landscape of this place. Gradually, he began to understand that he had been warned about all of this since he had seen the teleportation key to this place in his inventory a few minutes ago. However, he was not about to give up on finding Alina alive in the rubble of this place. Kaizen began to rummage through the ruins of the library, looking for any sign of Alina or any information that might give him a clue as to what had happened there.

Kaizen began to feel increasingly anxious, but his determination to find Alina kept him searching for answers.

Suddenly, he heard a sound coming from somewhere behind him, a sound of wind. Following the sound, he turned right down the corridor he was in and saw a large dark door at the end of a corridor he had not seen before.

The door was ajar, as if someone had recently left, letting in a little outside light.

Kaizen approached the door cautiously, knowing that he had no idea what he might find there. The sound of the wind grew louder, and he could feel a cold breeze in his face. The light outside was bright and clear, and he could see nothing beyond the door.

This door was made of black iron and had an ancient appearance, but still seemed to be in perfect working order. It was decorated with symbols and magical runes that glowed like a faint, simple light when they moved slightly, as if telling ancient stories. The door was so high that its top almost touched the ceiling, and so wide that two carriages could pass side by side. It appeared to be supported by large stone pillars that stood like mighty sentinels.

Kaizen was still speechless.

He pushed the door open carefully so that he could pass through the gap, and as he stepped outside, he also stepped onto tall grass. Immediately, he looked ahead and saw a place of incredibly tall trees, some with roots so large that they seemed to be reaching up from the ground, trying to reach the sky.

The vibrant green in every leaf, in every moss on the trunk, and in every foot of grass was somehow unlike anything Kaizen had ever seen.

In addition to all this vibrant flora, he was surrounded by lush wildlife, with colorful birds flying overhead and monkeys screeching in the trees.

The air was hot and humid, and he felt drops of sweat trickle down his face, but at the same time, the atmosphere was cool and invigorating, and the sound of running water could be heard somewhere nearby.

The sun was shining high in the sky, and he noticed that the sunlight was filtered through the leaves of the trees, creating a magical and mysterious atmosphere. The sound of insects was deafening, and he could smell the damp earth and wild flowers. A breeze blew, bringing with it the scent of plants and foliage.

Gradually, Kaizen began to feel small compared to the size of the forest around him. In this place, he was no longer the center of his universe, he knew he was just another small being in this wild and lush place.

With a sigh of admiration, he said:

"Wow!"

Kaizen looked back and saw the large door he had just passed through. From the outside, this door appeared to be an impenetrable barrier, as if it were part of an impregnable fortress, but it was surrounded by wildlife. Vines, mosses, and oxidation were slowly eating it away.

"Where am I?" Kaizen wondered aloud.

It was clear that he was in an area outside of the Library of the Magi, but his question was where exactly he was.

With that question still in his mind, he left the vicinity of the library and walked forward on what was clearly a path.

The ground he was walking on was soft but hard at the same time, and Kaizen walked carefully along the narrow paths of what looked very much like a tropical forest, admiring the beauty of the surrounding nature. The tall trees blocked some of the sunlight, creating mysterious and inviting shadows in some corners.

The sound of birds and insects created a natural symphony that enchanted the protagonist].

Suddenly, Kaizen spotted a brightness ahead of him on this path and walked in its direction. When he reached the spot, he was surprised by what he saw. In the center of a small clearing was what appeared to be a monument, for he had carved an elaborate stone floor. In the center of this memorial was an armor, glowing in the sunlight, covered with flowers, leaves, and moss. Surprisingly, the armor stood upright, like an immovable statue.

Kaizen was fascinated and approached it with admiration, observing the details of the armor. As a blacksmith, it was a shame to see each piece of such powerful armor covered with layer upon layer of forgetful marks, as if nature itself took care of it.

Intrigued, Kaizen approached the armor, in awe of its beauty and foliage cover.

Somehow, despite the contrast, the armor seems to be thriving, as if it were alive. Kaizen thought, marveling at the beauty of this setting.

Then he reached out to touch it, but suddenly the armor's eyes began to glow brightly, and a voice echoed from inside the armor.

"What are you trying to do by touching me, stranger?" The voice asked. It was a voice with a thick, chilling timbre.

Kaizen was surprised and let out a little air as he almost smiled upon hearing that voice. "What are you?"

"I should not explain myself to a stranger, but my creator gave me a sense of courtesy, so I will introduce myself. I am the guardian of this forest, and this is my home. Now answer my question, what is the purpose of your visit to this place?"

"Do you know the library about 200 meters in that direction? Well, I came to visit a friend who lives there or used to live there, I don't know yet." Kaizen explained, pointing back.

The Guardian was silent for a few seconds and then answered:

"Ah, yes, the Library of the Magi took refuge in the forest after its creator died."

"Creator?"

"That doesn't interest you."

Kaizen frowned. "Do you happen to know what happened in the library? I got there and found the second floor completely destroyed."

"That doesn't interest me."

Kaizen clicked his tongue, then scratched the back of his head, stopping himself from losing patience with this talking armor. And then he had an idea.

"Guardian, you're supposed to protect this place, aren't you? Don't you think it's a bit irresponsible of you to just sit there while someone attacks your domain and destroys part of the library? I mean, the library is already part of the forest, so technically you have neglected and abandoned your responsibility as guardian just to stand there while the birds crap on your head. Kaizen said, turning away and gesturing with his hands. In the same minute, a small sparrow landed on the Guardian's helmet.

Logically, the Guardian would not listen to any of this and stood still. For a few seconds, the sounds of grinding and falling earth mingled from the psyker's back, and at that moment, he revealed a closed smile.

...

Edited by: DrHitsuji

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