Rise Online: Return of the Legendary Player

"Orkoi, of course!" Klaus exclaimed, surprise mixed with joy in his voice. "I had no idea he was a member of the fencing department, much less that he talked about me. It's nice to know that he thinks so highly of me."

The revelation that Riley, known to Klaus as Orkoi, had praised Klaus to Lucas was comforting, despite the fact that Klaus had abandoned his guild leader waiting in the grand final. At least with Riley being in charge of leading the team in the fencing department it would be easier for Klaus to explain his disappearances.

Lucas noticed the expression on Klaus' face and smiled understandingly. "It seems that fate has a funny way of bringing friends together. I'm sure your participation in the team will be valuable to us, Klaus."

With the invitation accepted, Klaus and Andrew left the fencing department building quickly, except that Andrew obviously didn't forget what he heard inside.

"Rise Online, is it? I didn't know you played those VRMMORPG games." Andrew stated, a little seriously.

Klaus took a deep breath. "I didn't play... I still do. By the way, do you know those games?"

"Why do you look so surprised? The only one who should be surprised here is me, because, you know, you don't seem like the target audience for those kinds of games at all."

"No?"

"Of course not. First, you're strong, athletic, handsome, popular, and you get along with the girls. You're not the kind of gamer guy I usually see in lines in front of supermarkets when some new console or game is released."

Klaus laughed. "Believe me or not, when I was much younger, my brother and I used to be exactly that kind of guy."

"Really? Ow... I'm not saying it's impossible, but I certainly can't imagine it."

"What about you? How do you know Rise Online?"

Andrew's eyes slid briefly to Klaus and then looked forward again. "Let's just say that during elementary school I was about thirty pounds fatter than I am now, but half my height. And although my fascination with burgers and pizza was resolved, my fondness for online games continued."

Klaus listened to the story intently and couldn't help but laugh as he imagined what Andrew looked like at the age of twelve.

In any case, it was an interesting discovery that they both shared an interest in games.

"So, you play Rise Online?" Klaus asked, curious.

"Yes, I'm an avid gamer!" Andrew replied, enthusiastically. "It's one of my favorite games. The immersion and vastness of that virtual world is just incredible. Have you tried it?"

Klaus nodded, smiling, "Yes, I started playing a few months ago and am loving it. I find it fascinating how the game allows you to explore a world full of adventures and challenges. It's a completely different experience than anything I've done before."

"Absolutely!" Andrew agreed. "I love the freedom that the game offers. I can be anything I want, a brave warrior, a powerful wizard or even a skilled archer. And the interaction with other players is also fantastic. I've already made amazing friendships through the game, and I'm even in a guild. A shame I haven't had much time to play recently, I only play when David and Nathan are out of the room."

Klaus was confused, "What do you mean? You don't use the deep immersion capsule room to play?"

"Deep immersion capsules?"

At that moment, Klaus remembered how he happened to find the capsule building, so he laughed and said:

"Come with me. I'll show you."

So Klaus and Andrew walked together toward the deep immersion capsule building in the center of the campus. As they entered, they were greeted by a futuristic atmosphere that Andrew was not expecting. The pod room was lit by a soft, bluish light, with rows of pods lined up neatly, each with its own console and equipment.

The air inside the room smelled faintly of sweat, but a sense of anticipation hung in the air.

Klaus felt a mixture of excitement and familiarity as he entered the space, while Andrew looked around with wide eyes, clearly surprised by his surroundings.

The deep immersion pods, with their futuristic white design, looked like small tanning booths, only they were ready to take players on adventures beyond reality. Each capsule had a comfortable and ergonomic seat, with a holographic screen in front of the player that showed the current situation of the player's body.

Klaus noticed Andrew's surprised expression and smiled, understanding his friend's reaction to this impressive environment, as he had the same reaction the first time.

"Isn't that amazing?", Klaus asked, excitedly. "These capsules put us into deep immersion and we don't get up with back pain like when we're using the NeuroGear."

Andrew looked around, his eyes shining with curiosity. He seemed fascinated by the technology and the potential those pods offered. "I never imagined I could play RO in something fortable." said Andrew, with a tone of wonder in his voice.

Klaus nodded, sharing Andrew's enthusiasm. "Would you like to test it out?"

Andrew hesitated for a moment, but curiosity and enthusiasm spoke louder. He nodded with excitement and made his way to the pod next to Klaus.

"Sure, why not?" replied Andrew, with an excited smile.

Klaus and Andrew settled into two pods on the upper floor and adjusted their seats.

The holographic monitors in front of them displayed an interactive interface, allowing them to customize their capsule settings, such as a timer with a disconnect warning and also how to integrate their cell phone with the capsule platform, so they could receive messages even inside Rise Online.

Andrew and Klaus arranged to meet in the Tretidian capital in four hours, because Andrew was in a neighboring city, and so they immersed at the same time.

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