Rise Online: Return of the Legendary Player

While one phase had ended for Kaizen, another was just beginning. He needed to refine his techniques and the use of his skills, because in the official Rise Online tournaments, the attributes were balanced, which meant that Victor wouldn't have a huge disparity in either physical strength or mana compared to his opponents.

However, it wasn't easy to find a place to practice while being much stronger than most players. Of course, without boosts or armor, Kaizen estimated that he had the attributes of a level 400 player. That was high even among the other evolvers, but there were still certain players who could fight him.

Cephal, the brutal evolved who had helped Victor fight the evolved Zylok when Zylok wasn't yet Victor's guild master, was a good option. However, Victor didn't have his contact information to make this request, so he had to use a teleportation crystal for Mibothen.

When he activated the crystal, an intense light enveloped Kaizen, and in the blink of an eye, he found himself in Mibothen. The last time he had been there, the place had been littered with craters, ruins, and many tents, the result of a devastating battle. Now, however, the sight before his eyes was completely different.

Mibothen was almost completely rebuilt. The streets, once littered with rubble, were now paved with well-laid stones. Buildings that had once been in ruins had been restored or replaced with new structures that combined traditional architecture with modern touches. The smell of dust and destruction had been replaced by the scent of flowers and herbs grown in gardens that adorned the city.

The sound of hammers and saws had been replaced by the murmur of everyday life.

Kaizen walked slowly through the city, taking in the details. Street vendors hawked their wares, children ran and played in the streets, and adults chatted in the squares and cafes. He felt a twinge of admiration for the community effort that had transformed Mibothen from a battlefield into a thriving place.

As he walked, he looked for the building Zylok had mentioned in the text message. It wasn't hard to find. The building stood out from the others, an imposing stone and wood structure with ornate details that blended ancient and modern in a harmonious way. The building, known as the Guardian's Tower, was located in the center of the city, and its height provided a panoramic view of Mibothen.

Kaizen approached the entrance to the tower with a mixture of anticipation and curiosity. The heavy oak door was ajar, and he could hear voices coming from inside. He pushed the door open carefully and stepped inside. The inside of the tower was as impressive as the outside.

The entrance hall was large and well-lit, with detailed tapestries adorning the walls and a majestic chandelier hanging from the ceiling. The polished marble floor reflected the light, creating a welcoming and elegant atmosphere.

A young, smiling receptionist in a blue and white uniform stood behind a dark wooden counter. She looked up as she saw Kaizen enter and greeted him with a nod.

"Welcome to the Guardian's Tower, where anyone can come for help and guidance. What can I do for you?"

Zylok has created a place to help and guide new players? Kaizen thought and replied: "Hello, my name is Kaizen. I'm here to meet Zylok. He mentioned that I could meet you here."

The receptionist was surprised to hear Kaizen's name. "A-ah, yes, Mr. Kaizen. Mr. Zylok is expecting you. You can go up the stairs to the third floor.

The first door on the left is his office."

Kaizen thanked him and made his way up the stairs. When he reached the third floor, he found the indicated door. He knocked lightly before opening it and entering.

Zylok's room was spacious, with large windows letting in natural light. The walls were lined with shelves of books and scrolls. Zylok, a tall man with gray hair and piercing eyes, sat behind a large dark wooden desk, surrounded by maps and documents.

"Kaizen!" called Zylok, rising to greet him. "It's good to see you. It's been a while, hasn't it? Did you manage to solve all those problems? Please come in and sit down."

Kaizen accepted the invitation and took a seat in one of the comfortable chairs in front of the table.

"You've set up quite a place here."

"I've done my best. After all, this town was destroyed because of me. How are things going?"

"I have everything under control. In fact, I'm here to talk about something important."

Zylok gestured for him to continue.

"Sure, what do you need?"

"I'm looking for someone to help me train and refine my techniques. Someone to challenge me and help me improve. I remembered Cephal, the brutally evolved one who fought alongside me against, well, you... Do you know where I might find him?"

Zylok frowned thoughtfully.

"Cephal, yes... He's a formidable fighter. He's been rather reclusive since I last saw him, but I know he's still around here somewhere. Let me check something out."

Zylok stood and walked over to one of the bookshelves and pulled out a scroll. He quickly flipped through the pages until he found what he was looking for. After a few moments, he returned to the table with a smile.

"Here it is. Cephal got a job as a guard at the old training arena south of the city. He likes the solitude of that place to train his skills, though the newcomers think it's still a working arena and that he's the official instructor."

Kaizen nodded, feeling a rush of relief.

"Thank you, Zylok. I'll go there and hopefully find him." Continue reading on m|v-l'e -NovelBin.net

Zylok gave Kaizen a friendly pat on the shoulder.

"Good luck, Kaizen. I hope you find what you're looking for."

Kaizen said goodbye and left the tower, following Zylok's directions to the training arena.

The aforementioned training arena was in a more secluded area, surrounded by tall trees and a stone wall that separated it from the rest of the city. Kaizen pushed open the iron gate that gave access to the place and entered. The atmosphere was peaceful; the sound of the wind rustling through the leaves was the only sound that broke the silence.

In the center of the arena, Kaizen spotted a familiar figure. Cephal was in the middle of a training area, practicing moves with his massive sword. His movements were repetitive, up and down with the sword.

"Hurgh... I told you, I don't give lessons to anyone, I'm not an NPC," Cephal said without looking at Kaizen.