Rise Online: Return of the Legendary Player



After seeing a figure behind him, Kaizen became even more determined to explore every corner of this fortress. He knew there was something else there, perhaps someone not all the players could see, perhaps a ghost or a demon. And he was right. On his way, in the complete silence of the fortress, he heard a strange sound, the sound of pots and pans and noises coming from one of the towers.

So Kaizen decided to go to the top of that tower if he had to, and climbed a snail-shaped staircase with over three hundred steps. Kaizen proceeded cautiously, step by step, as the sound he had heard earlier became more and more audible. As Kaizen watched for any sign of impending danger, he was curious. As he got closer, he noticed that the sound became more intense and constant, indicating that the place of origin was not far away, until he finally reached a solid wooden door, decorated with intricate carvings, at the highest point of the tower that the stairs could take him to.

The sound he heard was clearly coming from inside the room, further piquing the player's curiosity.

Before opening the door, Kaizen felt a chill run down his spine. He didn't know exactly why, but he was a little nervous.

Still, he hesitated for a moment before opening the door, but his thirst for answers was stronger and he pushed the door open.

What he saw stunned him. The room was filled with not-so-sophisticated alchemical equipment, shelves full of vials and jars of colored liquids labeled with strange names. Test tubes were being heated in a small bluish flame, and a huge alembic was in full operation, with smoke rising from the top and dissipating into the air.

Some of the objects looked magical, and Kaizen was fascinated. But he also realized that there was a presence there. Someone or something was hiding in the shadows, watching him.

Kaizen squeezed his eyes shut to get a better look, but it was difficult to see exactly what it was that was looking at him. Then the creature moved and disappeared. Quickly, Kaizen tried to grab it with <Psychokinesis>, out of instinctive pull, but it didn't hit anything.

Frustrated, Kaizen looked around. He knew someone was there, he definitely wasn't going crazy, but he couldn't identify who or what it was. He began to look more closely at the objects in the room and realized that they were all related to alchemy. He was puzzled as to what anyone would want with so much alchemy equipment in a fortress full of Spider-Scorpions.

Kaizen approached one of the pots and just as he was about to touch it, he heard a voice.

"You have no business here, adventurer." A thin-voiced creature appeared to his left beside the still, wearing a typical leather glove to handle the large tap. He was a halfling, and seemed as surprised as Kaizen to see the player, but also a bit annoyed by his visit.

"Business?" Kaizen inquired, a bit taken aback.

"Yeah, no one invited you, did they? What are you doing here, adventurer? Have you come to kill me?" the halfling asked in a thin voice, trying to look menacing with a thin scalpel in his hand. He had a few hairs on his head and somehow appeared to be a man.

Kaizen raised his hands in a gesture of surrender, trying not to look intimidating. "I was just passing through and decided to explore this fortress."

The small being seemed calmer, but still did not lower the powerful and deadly weapon in his hands.

"Um... You have no business here, but I have a proposition for you," the halfling said with a cunning smile.

Kaizen raised an eyebrow in confusion. "And what would your proposal be?"

"It was you who killed those interesting creatures near the cellar, wasn't it? I saw you burning them."

"Yes, it was me."

"Very well, I was there to collect some tissue samples from their webs, as I need this rare ingredient for a potion I am working on." The halfling continued to point to the vials and alchemical equipment. "And while there is probably nothing left of the ones you killed, I believe you can help me get more."

Kaizen was a bit skeptical, but the NPC seemed sincere. "All right, I can help. But there shouldn't be any more webs in this room."

"Of course not, but from up here I can observe the forest very well, and I know where those fascinating creatures came from... If you help me, I can tell you."

At the same time that the halfling seemed excited and interested in Kaizen, he also seemed anxious and a little nervous, for while he waited for the Psyker to answer, he moved his hands frantically, not letting his fingers stand still even though he was wielding a scalpel.

Kaizen looked at the halfling and considered the proposal. He needed information about the region, and this creature seemed to have good knowledge. On the other hand, he didn't know if he could fully trust the small, nervous creature in front of him.

"I would consider helping you, but I need more information. What is your name? And how can I be sure that I can trust you?" Kaizen asked, keeping a calm, controlled tone.

The halfling seemed a little uncomfortable with the questions, but answered quickly and directly.

"My name is Tuck, and you can trust me because I have no other choice. I have been stuck here in the forest for a long time, and I have no way out. I need someone to help me get the ingredients for my invisibility potions so that I can get out of here safely, because as you can see, I'm not very strong. And honestly, you're the best option I've had in years." Tuck explained, gesturing nervously with his hands.

...

Edited by: DrHitsuji

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