Rise Online: Return of the Legendary Player

Chapter 708 Zylok

'Is he really trying to invite Zylok to a guild? Does he think that Zylok is some kind of NPC who can be talked into it and hasn't realized that he's a player? No, someone as famous as him wouldn't be that dumb...' Fryft thought as the whole situation unfolded.

However, contrary to what everyone imagined, Zylok seemed to consider Fryft's proposal for a moment, after all, looking at it from a long-term perspective, the conditions were indeed unfavorable for him if he didn't manage to obtain the King's Sword.

"What you're proposing is..." Zylok began, leaning his head on one of his hands. "Tempting. Having the biggest and best un-evolved player under your command and on top of that having the mighty Fryft still as your right-hand man is something no one would want to turn down."

"Isn't it?" Kaizen spread his arms, as if presenting a pit. "Only then would you be able to be even more than you want to be. Why settle for being the villain of the whole story when you can be a great hero?"

"And why exactly are you proposing something like this? I understand that you want to avoid the destruction of this world and the others, because you must like this game, but I think you'd rather not have someone bossing you around, otherwise you would have accepted one of the many invitations from guilds and organizations. So why have me as your leader and not risk fighting against me and in the end still have your freedom? I imagine it's not just because you're too benevolent and want to help the weak who can't protect themselves. You wouldn't gain anything from that." Zylok asked as he assumed a more serious pose.

At this point, Kaizen seemed to be a little surprised by the question, so he gave a tight smile and shook his head. "Yes, you're right. I could have all the freedom in the world working for me, but that would take a lot."

"What do you mean?" Fryft asked, still a little in shock at what was unfolding before her eyes.

"Time." Kaizen and Zylok answered at the same time and then exchanged a look.

Then Kaizen quickly made sure to explain his answer.

"Continuing to fight The Eye of Hermodr would take time, a lot of time. It would basically be a war and that would require as much of me as it would of Zylok. He would have to command one side and as much as I could command the other side, I wouldn't. There are many people stronger than me who might want Zylok's head, like Cephal for example. Besides, it would be complicated to divide my attention between getting stronger, fighting a war and taking care of my personal life. I'd rather it all ended as quickly as possible here and now, after all, we've been fighting for a long time, haven't we?"

Kaizen's eyes were on Zylok's and in the midst of all the tension that had been hanging around since Kaizen entered the room, a smile appeared on Zylok's face.

"Kaizen, earlier you asked why I would settle for being the villain when I could be a hero. Fortunately, you're not the first to ask me that, because I've already asked myself that question looking in the mirror. Do you know what answer I gave to my own reflection?" Zylok asked as he rose from his throne and began to descend the staircase before him.

Kaizen shook his shoulders. "I don't know, maybe it would be fun? I could understand if that was the case. Not acting the way people expect you to is strangely satisfying."

Zylok stopped a few steps away from Kaizen, among the crowd of vampires around him. He was a tall gray-haired man with a strong stature and under his cloak he wore black armor, which in the eyes of a blacksmith like Kaizen was definitely recognizable as legendary armor. A smile crossed Zylok's lips and he replied:

"Bingo, Psyker... The truth is, I do it because it's fun. Being a villain, challenging the rules, surprising everyone... It's a delight. And being the best villain is even more exciting."

Kaizen looked at Zylok with a puzzled look. "So you do all this because it's fun?"

Zylok laughed. "Oh, I've been a hero in other games, Kaizen. In fact, all my long life, I've played MMORPGs imagining myself as the great hero. However, when I heard about Rise Online for the first time, months before the beta, I was madly attracted by the proposal of unrestricted freedom. The truth is that heroes always have to follow the rules. They have to follow a moral code, protect the weak, save the day... It's very predictable, and the gratification is fleeting. Being a villain, on the other hand, gives me freedom. I don't have to follow rules, I can be unpredictable, and the fun never ends."

Kaizen looked thoughtful, but then Fryft saw a spark of determination in his eyes. "And being a hero is more challenging than being a villain?"

Zylok arched an eyebrow, considering Kaizen's question. "No, it certainly isn't. You just react, you don't plan, there's no work."

Kaizen nodded. "For me, that's true freedom. I'm not calling myself a hero or anything, because I don't believe there really are heroes, but there's no one freer in the world than a hero who has accomplished his ultimate goal, which is why I've always enjoyed reading and watching anime about what happens after the demon lord is defeated."

The villain pondered Kaizen's words for a moment, then looked at Fryft, who was watching the conversation with interest. "What about you, Fryft? What do you make of all this? Is Kaizen right?"

Although Fryft was still in a bit of shock, she looked at Kaizen and then didn't hesitate any longer. "I a-believe what Kaizen is saying... Zylok, you are powerful, and this is an opportunity to channel that power into something positive. Imagine the reputation you could get. You might not be considered a hero, but avoiding a war would certainly save you a lot of stress."

Zylok looked contemplative, but his mind was not yet made up. Then Kaizen raised his hand, wanting to speak once more. Zylok nodded, allowing him to.

"Before you accept my proposal, I want to ask you a question and impose a condition to be able to work for you." Kaizen said.

The gray-haired man frowned. "What is it?"

"About those vampires around you, how much experience does each one give?"

Kaizen's question seemed to outrage not only Zylok, but also Fryft, and although the vampires were confused by the terms in another language that these three were using, they could understand perfectly well that he was talking about them, so a buzz quickly spread.

Zylok raised one hand and clenched his fist, causing everyone to fall silent instantly, then he took another step forward and answered seriously:

"I don't know, I've never killed any of them because I'm of the same race. However, I believe they should give just over 100,000 XP each, including the weakest ones, because they are rare and powerful beings. For what reason?"

"I was honest at the beginning of our conversation. I want to reach level 200, one way or another, as soon as possible, and I have my reasons for that. So, if you want to have me as your subordinate, I want to be able to kill them all." Kaizen said and pointed with his right index finger at the vampires, which made them as excited as baboons when they see a predator in the crown of their tree.

Once again, Zylok had to silence them and silence hung over the vast hall where Zylok, Kaizen and Fryft were gathered.

Zylok studied Kaizen with a mixture of surprise and curiosity in his glowing red eyes. The villain couldn't help but admire the determination of the young man in front of him. The tension in the air was palpable as everyone present awaited the powerful vampire leader's response. There was something in the young Psyker's eyes, an intense flame of determination that Zylok had never seen before. Fryft, even in his frightened condition, looked expectantly at Kaizen, as if he were the only hope in the midst of the darkness that enveloped them.

After a long moment of silence, Zylok finally spoke, his deep voice echoing through the dark, icy room. "Killing my own, that's a high price to pay... But I see you have a clear goal and you're willing to do anything to achieve it, even if it means going to war with me, right? Isn't there an easier way to resolve this? I could send you to Muspelheim as I first proposed."

"No, I'd still have a lot of work in Muspelheim, it would take too long." Kaizen said, looking at a specific vampire among them.

Zylok looked back over his shoulder and realized that Kaizen was staring at Thenomor, the vampire he had placed to infiltrate Tretidian. Then Zylok took a deep breath and replied:

"Very well, I accept your proposal and your condition. But know that if you fail to kill them, I won't interfere. They're stronger than they look, even more so in packs."

The vampires were surprised by their leader's response, and while some advanced to attack Kaizen, others began to flee. At that moment, Kaizen smiled and with his quick fingers opened his inventory to equip an item.

"Don't worry, boss. I have a card up my sleeve, I hope you don't get angry." Kaizen said and a sword with a golden hilt and a white blade began to materialize in his right hand. This was the King's Sword.