Rise Online: Return of the Legendary Player

Pedro, the old merchant of the village and Astru's father, arrived at the local tavern after a few minutes. He was a bit fat, had a voluminous beard and rather long gray hair. Pedro had a sad expression on his face, which meant that they had already told him about what happened to his son.

Immediately, Kaizen stood up to greet Pedro, feeling the weight of responsibility on his shoulders. He knew he needed to tell his perspective on what happened to Astru, even if it was painful.

"Mr. Pedro, I am sorry for your loss. It was I who found your son in the mountains. He was trying to get through the snowstorm, but unfortunately the horses got spooked by a bear and ran away, and then Astru was attacked by a white wolf while waiting for the storm to pass. I was too late to save him," Kaizen said, his voice heavy with grief.

Pedro looked at Kaizen, his eyes reflecting the pain of loss. He shook his head slowly, as if still processing the news. "My son was always brave and fearless. He faced so many dangers on these journeys, but I never imagined this could happen..."

The other villagers looked with respect and sadness at Pedro, offering him their silent support. Kaizen felt the community's solidarity with the loss they all shared.

"Mr. Pedro, I can help you make arrangements for Astru's burial and help retrieve the body." Kaizen offered, knowing it was important that the body be honored and rest in peace.

Pedro nodded, grateful for the offer of help. "No, it is not necessary. That is a responsibility I have as his father. I will make arrangements and leave tomorrow morning, so I can also retrieve the supplies he risked himself to bring."

Out of options, Kaizen nodded. As the snowstorm roared outside, the inn turned into a place of mourning and remembrance for Astru. The residents shared stories and memories about the young merchant, honoring his courage and dedication.

As night fell, Kaizen waited patiently for the locals to mourn as he watched them drink. As a gambler, this was tedious, but it was necessary so as not to anger them and end up being kicked out of the village with nothing. Also, as a human being it was a beautiful thing to see how alive all these NPCs looked while drinking and talking for hours about another NPC that died, almost as if they were actually alive. Their AI was extremely powerful.

Before leaving for his home, Pedro approached Kaizen with a determined look on his face and a little drunk as well. "You said you're a traveler, right? That means you're even now, listening to us, hoping to get some information, right? HEHE!" he said.

Kaizen looked at Pedro, surprised by his perception. Then Pedro slapped him on the back.

Pedro smiled. "There is a trick to locating yourself that I learned from my father and that I later taught to Astru. Pay attention, to find this village you must always follow the direction in which it sets and when the sunset is no longer visible because of the mountains, you will finally know that you have arrived. In other words, to find Pokkir you just have to do the opposite process. Follow the direction in which the sun rises."

Grateful for the information, Kaizen smiled and nodded. "Thank you very much, sir. You look like someone wise."

"Ah! You know, many years of traveling these routes!" Pedro exclaimed, walking away.I think you should take a look at

After receiving Pedro's valuable information on how to get to Pokkir, the nearest big city to the village, Kaizen thanked the tavernkeeper and retired to the room that had been reserved for him.

The place was simple but cozy. The room had dark wooden walls, an iron bed with thick quilts and a small fireplace in the corner where the fire crackled softly. The dim, warm candlelight danced across the walls, creating a cozy atmosphere that comforted Kaizen at the same time the storm outside rattled his window.

The traveler placed his sword in the corner of the room and looked around, appreciating the quiet space. He felt a sense of gratitude for the tavernkeeper and the residents of Dämmerung, who had taken him in even at such a difficult time. The vision of Astru still accompanied him and he thought:

'I should turn on the sensitivity filter of this game.'

Sitting on the edge of his bed, Kaizen reflected on what had happened over the last few hours.

For a few minutes, he watched the flames of the fireplace dance. The soft lights created dancing shadows on the wooden walls, and the crackling of the fire filled the room with a comforting coziness.

The visions with the ancient kings, the battle against the spiral dragon, Astru's tragic fate in the mountains. It all seemed so surreal, and with that feeling he logged off.

Waking up in the deep immersion pod, Klaus closed his fingers and thought. "Things are so tense in Midgard that it feels like a relief to finally get back to the real world."

*

The next day, Klaus' day was so full that he barely had time to think about playing. As usual, the day started with his compulsory classes, then with a fitness class and he was still reminded by an email that he should pay more attention to his optional subject on artificial intelligence.

Definitely, Klaus was very busy. However, unlike many, who were feeling overwhelmed in the Special Program, Klaus had an iron health and an unwavering will, both earned by the different extreme workplaces he already had to go through.

As soon as he finished his academic obligations and physical activities, Klaus finally sat down to eat at a table in the cafeteria. However, it is clear that not even in this place would he have peace. Seconds after he sat down, two figures sat across from him, but contrary to expectations, they were not two bullies, but J. Paez and Riley Kauffmann, i.e. Dodir and Orkoi, both belonging to the Bloody Lily guild.