Rise Online: Return of the Legendary Player

"Emma?" Klaus murmured, surprised to see her there.

She smiled, with a smile that had mixtures of nostalgia and friendship. "Eae, Klaus. It's been a while, hasn't it? I thought you could use a little support, even though the whole gym is rooting for you."

Klaus scowled a little, but nodded gratefully. "It's good to see you."

Emma lifted her head, tossed her hair back and crossed her arms. "I say the same..." She said, smiling with her mouth closing and looking at them with her radiant blue eyes. "I saw what happened. You and Ethan seem to be seriously competing." He sighed.

He sighed. "I have to admit, he knows how to tease."

"Don't let that get you down. From what I've seen, you're an amazing archer, Klaus, and you know you have what it takes to win."

Klaus looked at her, feeling touched by her words. "Thank you, Emma. I... excuse me..."

She laughed softly, interrupting him. "Don't say anything now. Now, I need to tell you about the next challenge, there are some things you need to know."

Hearing that, Klaus arched an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"According to my sources, Hónghé Holdings will change the schedule a bit. I hear it will be a shooting competition on the move. Targets will appear in different positions and angles, and you will have to adjust quickly to hit them, however there will be certain targets that will be worth more than others and these will be hidden from your field of view. That is, while there are targets at the top of a tree, on the branches and trunk, there may also be some behind it. You don't have to look for them, but if you see them, you know what to do."

Klaus nodded, absorbing the information. "That will be quite a challenge."

"Definitely. And there's one thing you should know about Ethan Williams. He may be arrogant, but he's one of the best archers I've ever seen. His accuracy on the move is as impressive as it is standing still."

Klaus looked at Emma, surprised. "You seem to know a lot about him."

She shrugged again. "Of course I do, we're from the same campus and the Washington Archery Department."

"Does that mean..."

"Yes, I hope we can face each other on the last day, in the grand final."

Klaus' eyes lit up at her words. All of this was a great surprise to her, for, contrary to what he had imagined, she did not seem to be angry or disappointed with him. Emma was as usual. On the one hand, he was grateful for that, for being able to talk to her. On the other hand, something deep in his heart was quivering, for some reason he didn't understand yet. Was that because he was heartbroken? Was that love? Or was it the feeling of guilt still trying to resist?

Either way, Klaus looked up and said with sincere gratitude:

"Thank you for telling me all this, Emma. Your help means a lot to me."I think you should take a look at

She smiled and shrugged again, as if it were a matter of course. "You're welcome, Klaus. You helped me with your advice too when I needed it, I'm just returning the favor. Besides, it would be a waste not to take advantage of the information available, since everyone tomorrow in phase two will know about the challenges."

Klaus nodded, sharing a look of complicity with Emma. He was really happy to meet her again.

Suddenly, the organizers' voice echoed through the gym, announcing that it was time for the contestants to return for the next challenge. Klaus and Emma exchanged one last encouraging glance and said their goodbyes.

"We'll see you later?" Klaus asked.

"Come tomorrow, so you can watch me beat your score."

"Then I'll have to see it for myself." Klaus said and waved goodbye.

The second challenge was about to begin, and Klaus was more determined than ever to show his skill and overcome the obstacles. With Emma's friendship and new information, he was confident that he could take on the archery challenge in circuit. When he returned to the arena, he saw how quickly everything had changed. The lanes of shooting stands had been replaced by a circuit of intricate obstacles, each designed to test the agility, accuracy and adaptability of the archers. There were moving platforms, and the walls that once contained the targets were now formed by rotating structures, with targets hidden behind different obstacles.

This circuit was basically like a classic FPS game stage for players to test weapons, much like a paintball arena, with doors to pass through, high windows and different types of structures.

As Emma warned, it was clear that targets would appear from different angles, and now he understood how hidden targets would give more points, because in the frantic pace and limited space it would be difficult to find them.

Klaus took a deep breath, focusing his mind and senses. He knew this challenge would require not only his skill with the bow, but also his ability to react quickly and adjust to ever-changing situations.

However, luckily this was a solo challenge, meaning the remaining twenty competitors would each go in turn. So Klaus sat down to watch, learn and understand how the circuit works.

The audience was buzzing, eager to see the archers in action again. The infectious music resounding through the gym suddenly stopped and all the lights went out, at which point a video explanation started playing on the big screens, to try and disguise the disadvantage the first competitors would have with details about the circuit.

"Welcome, fearless archers, to the exciting phase two of the Hónghé Holdings archery competition!" the voice of the excited presenter rang out, echoing through the room. "In this new challenge, you will be put to the test in a dynamic and challenging circuit. Skill in shooting on the move and agility in adapting to different obstacles will be key to success!". The circuit has been meticulously designed to test your capabilities as archers in real classic combat conditions."

Cheers and shouts of excitement from the audience filled the gym.

"Be agile and precise! The ability to think fast and act deftly will make all the difference in this exciting phase of the tournament, but don't forget to reason too." the presenter announced, encouraging the competitors to excel. "Now, get ready for the challenge! Good luck to you all!"

The video ended and the lights came back on to illuminate the arena. It was time for the first competitor to face the circuit.

"Allan Barry!" The voice called the name of the first, indicating that the order would be by initial.

A brown-haired boy stood up. He was thin, not very tall and looked a little nervous, but his position on the leaderboard was not bad at all, he was seventh.