Rise Online: Return of the Legendary Player

Chapter 673  Parents being parents

When Emma mentioned Klank's name, Klaus' gaze immediately met hers. This news carried great weight for both of them, because Klank was not only a member of Emma's guild, he also had a close bond with Klaus. Klank was one of the few people with whom Klaus had regular business relations, exchanging information and valuable in-game items. More than that, they had developed a genuine friendship over the last few months.

Klank was also known for being an extremely skilled and meticulous player. He stood out not only for his skill in combat, but also for his dexterity in obtaining information and for being a classic in-game diplomat. All this made him an important member of Emma's guild.

"Klank..." muttered Klaus, his concern echoing in his words. "He's been in Mibothen since the beginning of the week? That's not good." He said, when Emma explained the situation.

Emma nodded, sharing Klaus' concern. "Yes, he was investigating some things about the Kingdom of Mibothen. He believed there was something significant hidden there. But now, with the kingdom gone..."

"Does that mean Klank has disappeared too?" Klaus couldn't help the unease in his voice. "What happens to a player when something like that happens? If they die, how can they respawn in a place that doesn't exist?"

"We don't know for sure," replied Emma, her gaze now distant as she tried to process the situation. "It could be that it happens like when a player dies during an event, the waiting time for respawn is longer and they can respawn outside the event's area of effect. In any case, Dathan tried to get in touch with him, but communications via friendship chat seem to be broken."

Klaus and Emma were facing a situation that was beyond their comprehension. This had never happened before. The idea that an entire kingdom within the game could simply disappear was surreal.

While they were talking, Emma's cell phone vibrated again, interrupting the conversation. She looked at the screen and saw a message from Klank. Her eyes widened and she quickly opened the message. It was an audio.

"Leader..." Klank's voice sounded tense and breathless. "I don't know what's going on. Mibothen is falling apart. I was inside the castle when everything started shaking and falling apart. I barely managed to escape in time. I'm in a completely strange area now, and I don't know how I got here. I managed to log out, but there's a 10-minute time limit to log out and back in, so I can't talk. Please find me. I was in the capital."

Klank's message left both Klaus and Emma in a state of shock. If he was in an unknown area and didn't know how he got there, the situation was even more serious than they imagined, because either the kingdom had been destroyed in a way that left him unrecognizable, or he had ended up somewhere else.

Emma quickly typed a reply. "Klank, we heard you. We're going to help. Stay where you are, we're coming to you."

Emma looked at Klaus with determination. "We need to find him as quickly as possible. If he's in an unknown area, he could be in danger."

Klaus agreed, and they hurried out of the karaoke bar. For now, the continuation of their situation and how they felt had to wait, as this was a very important situation for both of them.

Emma dropped Klaus off at home and they said goodbye with a hug and a few words, saying that when everything calmed down, they needed to meet once more, to clear everything up, and that this meant they shouldn't expose it to anyone for the time being.

However, when Klaus entered the house, he found his mother, Chun, before he had even taken off his shoes and coat. She gave him a piercing look and smiled complicitly.

"Klaus, who was that girl?" She asked, with a tone of voice that indicated she knew a lot more than she was letting on.

Klaus sighed, knowing he couldn't hide anything from his mother. "Oh, she's Emma, Mum. Do you remember her? She's the one who let me live in her apartment when the bank thing happened, and today we met when I went to talk to Jayaa."

Chun arched an eyebrow, clearly intrigued. "You met, did you? You seemed to be getting on very well."

Klaus laughed, a little embarrassed. "Well, Mom, we talked about some important things. You know she's involved in the same game as me. So it's only natural that we have some things in common."

Chun nodded, looking satisfied with the explanation. "I just want to make sure you're okay, Klaus. After what that Ashley girl did... You know you can talk to me about anything, right?"

Klaus smiled and hugged his mother. "I know, Mom. I love you, and I'll share everything with you."

As he went up to his room, Klaus couldn't help but smile, but before he could reach the middle of the stairs, his father called out to him from his armchair in the living room.

"Klaus, come here for a minute," said his father with a mischievous grin.

Klaus rolled his eyes and went downstairs again, knowing that his father was probably about to make an embarrassing comment.

His father, a middle-aged man with almost gray hair and a quirky sense of humor, looked at Klaus with a complicit look.

"You know, son, I was thinking... you don't have to worry about using a condom, do you? I want to have a grandchild before I'm 60! PUAHAHAT!"

Klaus, embarrassed by his father's lack of filter, shook his head and tried to keep his composure. "Dad, you can't just say that to Ard here!"

His father laughed out loud, clearly amused by Klaus' reaction. "Okay, okay, I'll stop. But seriously, son, I'm here for you, jumping from one relationship to another is not a good thing, try to take it seriously this time, don't do anything stupid and, if you do, apologize. This Emma seems like a nice girl."

Klaus was grateful for his father's concern, even if it was expressed in a rather embarrassing way. So he smiled and gave his father a weak pat on the back. "I know, Dad. Thanks, Dad. I'll come down for dinner later."