Rise Online: Return of the Legendary Player

"So what are you going to do now? There's no way to make other Psykers." Og'tharoz asked, interested.

Kaizen scratched his head, wondering what to do next. "I don't know. I need to think about it... Maybe I need to find out more about this prophecy, about the end of the world, and about my real role in all of this."

Og'tharoz nodded, understanding. "Well, if you need help finding that information, you know you can count on me. I may have the appearance of a beggar, but I know many things." He said, smiling.

Kaizen smiled back, grateful for the demon's friendship and support. "Thank you, Og'tharoz. I really appreciate it." He said, getting up from his chair and preparing to go to his storeroom.

"Aren't you going to talk to Alina?" Og'tharoz asked.

"She's busy organizing some bookshelves. I'll talk to her tomorrow."

Kaizen nodded gratefully and went to the warehouse, his mind full of thoughts.

Many miles from the Raven's Feather Lodge and far from the capital, well-dressed figures gathered in the twilight of the evening in the basement of a large temple. The place was dark, with little lighting, but the dim light from the candles scattered around the room was enough to reveal the presence of several elegant and mysterious people.

A man in a black suit with long hair stood in the middle of the room. The other figures looked at him with a mixture of respect and curiosity. The figure closest to the leader was a blonde woman with intense green eyes and a bright red dress that stood out against her very white skin. She seemed to be paying attention to the man's words, but she was also busy looking at the other people with an air of superiority.

Meanwhile, the candlelight reflected off the elegant costumes of all of them, but the darkness that enveloped the room added a certain mystery to the place. They formed a circle around a stone altar in the center of the basement, where a thick red candle burned with a flickering flame. In the center of the altar, next to the candle, was an old book whose cover was covered with symbols that were strange and indecipherable to most people.

The man in the black suit with the long hair approached the book and began to recite the words written in it, in a hoarse, sibilant voice and in an unknown language.

"Setnerc sues edsarvalap sade mevoj mu ed eugnas od sévarta aviver suedomsa edrol!"

The others repeated his words in a somber, hypnotic chorus. The air in the cellar became heavy and damp, as if a storm was brewing. A sense of fear and anticipation gripped those present, who knew they were about to summon something terrible and powerful.

As the words continued to be recited, the candles around the altar began to flicker, as if something was trying to get out of them.

Suddenly, the red candle went out with a loud snap, leaving the basement in complete darkness. A sepulchral silence fell over the room, broken only by the sound of the masked men's gasping breaths. Each waited anxiously for some sign of the being they had summoned.  The air in the basement grew heavier, and the figures around the altar felt the presence of a dark energy. The blonde woman seemed to be enjoying the situation, a wicked smile on her lips, while the others seemed to be growing more tense and anxious.

Then they heard a low, mischievous laugh coming from the altar.

"Who dares disturb my sleep?" said a deep, cavernous voice.

The man in the black suit felt a shiver run down his spine. He knew that this book was powerful, but he had never imagined that it actually contained the imprisoned spirit of a powerful demon.

"Master... I am a faithful student..." he stammered.

"Student? You are nothing but an insignificant worm! Did you think you could summon my presence and use me for your own selfish purposes? Did you think you could control me with these ridiculous words? You know nothing of true black magic!" The voice thundered.

The man in the black suit felt a stabbing pain in his head, as if a thousand needles were piercing his brain.

"Please... Master... forgive me... I only wanted to..." He tried to plead. "I just wanted to warn you."

"Warn me? About what exactly?"

"About the end of all demons. They... hunt not only us, your believers, but also you."

"They? Who exactly are they?" The thundering voice asked again.

Kneeling on the cold, damp ground, the man in the black suit put a hand to his head as the blonde woman approached him with a worried expression.

"Tell him what you know about this Order of Dalamyr! Tell him!" She shouted.

The man gasped, tried to catch his breath, and raised his head. "They're a secret organization of hunters. They kill every demon they can find, including the Master's subjects. They will be coming here soon. Linus Farwynn is their leader. He is strong, very strong."

"Oh, was that a compliment for me?" Linus Farwynn inquired, emerging from the shadows of an underground pillar. He had a wicked grin, round glasses that reflected the flames of the torches, and hair as disheveled as a madman's. The sound of his boots on the ground was enough to terrify anyone.

All of the masked subjects were stunned by Linus' surprise appearance, including their leader.

"And you are not alone? That's even better." He said, looking at the book in the center of the altar, which was emitting the demon's aura.

That early evening, not only did another cult of occultists fall, but the location of another demon was discovered by the Order of Dalamyr. After his massacre in the basement of this temple, Linus wiped his hands with a cloth as he walked up the long staircase, where he found a white man with blond hair and a thick beard standing with his arms crossed.

"Hey, Linus. How did it go down there?" The man inquired.

Linus looked at him and then turned away. "What do you want, Igan?"

"I want to talk about your new subordinate, of course. What was his name again? Kaizen, isn't it? It's time for you to give him some missions, we've given him too much time already."

Linus looked at him once more and then left the temple:

"That's up to me, but maybe you're right this time."

...

Edited by: DrHitsuji

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

More character images in:

https://discord.gg/bpqq9u4gS8

Like it? Add to library!

Don't forget to vote with Powerstone to support the book if you like it...