Klaus was eager to enjoy his time at home, but he also knew that he had some unfinished business in the Kingdom of Vrikhodour that he needed to resolve before he could fully dedicate himself to rest. He took the NeuroGear from his backpack and carefully placed it on his head, virtually connecting to the world of Vrikhodour.
[Connecting to world server. Standing by...]
[Checking for RISE ONLINE game updates...]
[An update has been found.]
[Downloading the update...]
[Downloading the update...]
[Downloading the update...] [An update was found...] [Downloading the update...] [An update was found...
...] [Installing the update...]
[Update installed successfully].
[Do you want to connect to RISE ONLINE? YES/NO]
As Kaizen spawned, he looked down at his own hand and said aloud:
"An upgrade? This is my first."
"Your first? It's everyone's first since the beta test." Xisrith said, also already in the living room of the house provided by Duke Frugold.
"Are you already here? That will make things easier." Kaizen said, looking at the Descragon. "Any news since the Duke missed our meeting yesterday?"
The day before, coincidentally the day of the special program test, Kaizen had spent his afternoon waiting for Frugold to show up to get the answer to Xisrith's first proposal, but he didn't show up at any time.
"I asked the butler of the house if he knew anything, and he told me he knew nothing. If the point between my clan and the royal family here was a player, I could try to find out something, but since it's an NPC, things are much more difficult.
As Kaizen and Xisrith discussed their strategies, an uneasy feeling hung in the air. Their doubts about Duke Frugold troubled them, and they longed for any clue that might lead them to answers. In the midst of this concern, they began to wonder if there was something going on in the city of Vrikhodour, some event or incident that might be related to the Duke's sudden disappearance.
"Kaizen, I have a feeling we should investigate if something unusual is happening in the city," Xisrith said, his voice filled with concern.
Agreeing with Xisrith, Kaizen considered the possibility of finding someone in the city who could provide valuable information. A witness, perhaps, someone who had seen something out of the ordinary. As they pondered these possibilities, a strange sound echoed through the house - the back door being opened.
Normally, this would not have surprised them, as the house staff came and went throughout the day without any problems. This time, however, the door opened abruptly, indicating that someone strange had entered the residence. Kaizen and Xisrith shared a look of surprise. Only then did they realize how quiet everything had been, how they had seen neither the butler, nor the maids, nor the housekeepers. Even the street in front of the house was quiet, which was unusual since the house was located in the center of the city.
Klaus and Xisrith exchanged a quick look of understanding as the back door opened. Instinctively, they realized that the best strategy was to hide and watch the intruders before acting.
Silently, they carefully moved to hide behind a wall adjacent to the living room. There they would have a clear view of the intruders and no chance of being attacked from behind. As predicted, the first room the intruders checked was the spacious living room, probably because they had heard the voices earlier.
"They can't have gone far. Search the whole place." One of the invaders said.
"Yes, sir." The others replied in unison.
At that moment, Kaizen looked in and saw that there were seven men in all, all armed with swords and wearing typical mercenary robes. The intruders began to pace the room with heavy, confident steps. The little sunlight that came through the windows that day illuminated their partially masked faces, making their intentions even more obvious.
Klaus and Xisrith watched as the intruders moved through the living room, scanning the room for anyone. Their intention was obviously not to steal, for they did not even look at the objects with such a pretense, on the contrary, they scanned every corner of the room with their eyes, looking for something else. The tension grew by the second, and the players knew it was only a matter of time before they would have to face the intruders.
While the intruders were distracted, Klaus and Xisrith exchanged silent hand signals to coordinate their next move. They knew that the element of surprise would be crucial to gaining an advantage in the impending battle.
With courage and determination, they emerged from their hiding place and suddenly advanced on the invaders. Their footsteps were so fast that they barely made a sound on the wooden floor, and they jumped over the furniture, each one aiming at a different target.
The intruders, surprised by the sudden appearance of their targets, quickly pulled themselves together and brandished their swords, ready for battle.
"They're here!"
"Kill the man and let the Descragon live!"
"You have no chance..."
Before he could finish speaking, Kaizen's right hand struck him in the face with such force that it instantly crushed his skull, deforming his face and throwing him against one of the wooden walls. The raider's sudden death stunned his companions for a moment, unable to react in time.
[You have killed a human mercenary and gained +100 XP.]
"Ah! You're just rats, this won't take more than a minute." Kaizen said disappointedly with a blood stain on his fist.
Meanwhile, Xisrith focused her fiery energy on another intruder. The shock enveloped the mercenary's body and mind, causing pain and panic even before he was struck by her blade. He fell backwards, his butt on the ground, trying to beg forgiveness, but Xisrith's sword showed no mercy. The screams of agony that echoed through the room for a second, filling it with an air of violence and chaos, were quickly silenced.
...
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
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