Rise Online: Return of the Legendary Player

Klaus was slightly surprised when J. Paez and Riley sat down at the table. He had already had a few encounters with members of the Bloody Lily guild on campus, but he still didn't know exactly what to think about them.

The guild was increasingly known for being competitive and often very collaborative in their interactions with other guilds and players, and Klaus was glad for that, because it meant Emma was doing well.

Riley, a tall, thin boy, smiled, looking a little forced. He was like the opposite version of his avatar in Rise Online, who was short and calm.

"Hey, Kaizen, when are we going to have an X1?" asked J. Paez, who was also completely different from his avatar, being short and not at all studly.

J. Paez's partner elbowed him in the stomach, making him shut up, and then muttered:

"I warned you not to speak his nickname that loud."

"Hey, Jay and Riley. How are you?" Klaus asked, trying not to look like he was bothered by their company, except that a vein in his forehead was almost popping out.

"We heard you were the hero again," Riley said, probably referring to the attack on the Tretidian Capital.

Klaus smiled modestly. "I just did what needed to be done. I'm no hero, I was just helping to protect the city I live in." replied Klaus in a humble way.

Jay, the other guild member, nodded approvingly. "I told you, Riley. He's fine, he's strong, as much as I am."

At that moment, Riley looked at his friend and replied:

"As much as you? Did you see the videos of his fight in the city skies?"

"Videos?" Klaus and Jay asked in a single sound, at the same time.

"Well, it's just that some people filmed the fight in the sky and posted it on the game's video platform. It went viral quickly. You must be a few who haven't seen it yet." Riley grinned mischievously and took his cell phone out of his pocket to show the video to Klaus and Jay.

The video showed a recording of Kaizen's confrontation against Sículo in the skies of the Tretidian Capital. The footage captured the impressive skill, maneuvers, and intense exchanges of blows between them, which reverberated for miles.

Klaus was a little embarrassed to see himself in action, but Jay was genuinely impressed. "That was amazing, man! You actually went up against someone that powerful?!" Jay exclaimed, looking at Klaus in awe.

Riley laughed, seemingly pleased with their reaction. "Lucky for you, those videos didn't get a good focus on your face, it's just that this scale of power you've reached has piqued the interest of many guilds. I believe that by now you are stronger than any player in Midgard.

Klaus shook his head negatively, still modest about his abilities. "It was a tough fight. I'm not that strong."

"You really believe that?" Riley inquired. "Privately, I don't think so. Your speed of evolution was a surprise to all of us, who have been so dedicated to this game since the beta. Anyway, to get to that level of power you must have hundreds or even thousands of hours."I think you should take a look at

Hearing this, Klaus was speechless. How was he supposed to answer something like that?

Riley then stood up, grabbed his food and said:

"However, Klaus, I'm talking about this with you not because I want to tease you or anything. I want to warn you. This discussion about you being the strongest living creature in Midgard first came up on the internet. After all, after the video of someone fighting in the skies of the capital appeared, most players thought it was you, since it's your custom to do that kind of thing. However, other people said it was someone else."

"Someone else?" Klaus was interested.

"Exactly. They talked about a black-haired boy who took out the magic barrier in one blow and that it could supposedly be this boy who was fighting in the sky." Riley stated looking unassuming as he picked up his tray of food. "Be careful, Klaus. Emma still cares about you."

As Riley and Jay walked away, Ashley approached with a smile because she saw Klaus from afar. However, she heard the last sentence spoken by Riley and the smile disappeared from her face. She approached the table and noticed Klaus' tense countenance.

"Hey, darling, what happened?" she inquired, concerned, and restraining herself from asking about who the hell Emma was.

Klaus was surprised by Riley's appearance. "Uh! Hi, how are you? Have a seat, it's vacant in here. Andrew had to go talk to Helen."

"I'm... fine, but what about you? Something seems to have happened."

"Don't worry, I'm fine, just a bit tired."

"Who were those boys?"

Klaus hesitated for a moment before answering. He didn't want to worry Ashley with his affairs, but he also didn't want to keep hiding things from her. As such, he decided to reveal a little about the truth:

"They are players I met in a game I play. We're on the same campus, so we talked about some game-related stuff, nothing too big." he said, trying to downplay the encounter.

Ashley nodded, but still looked curious. She knew she knew very little about Klaus and was willing to hear more if he wanted to share.

"Well, I was wondering, after class tonight, could I stay in your room? My dorm mates are having a party, but I'm not too excited to attend, and I'd love to spend some time with you." Ashley suggested, trying to change the subject.

Klaus smiled, relieved at the change of topic. "Sure, it would be great to have you there. Let's watch a movie or something, only the boys might be there, do you mind?"

Ashley returned the smile. "No, that's fine with me. Just being by your side sounds perfect. I can't wait."

As the day was full for Klaus, after finishing eating he said goodbye to his girlfriend and rushed to the Fencing Department.