Rise Online: Return of the Legendary Player

Chapter 698 Royal Capital of Mibothen

As they approached the Royal Capital, the smell of smoke and ash began to fill the air. The city, once majestic and full of life, now lay in ruins. The once imposing walls were shattered, the roofs of the houses were consumed, and the cries of merchants were now just an ancient memory.

Eraskan clenched his fists in anger as he looked at the destroyed city. "It can\'t stay like this!" he grunted, his voice laden with determination.

With determined steps, the group entered the city. As you might imagine, the streets were deserted, with many traces of the sudden disappearance of people. The stalls still had fresh fruit, some service carts had fallen over, and in the squares there were several objects on the ground and tables still with plates of food and mugs of beer.

The air was heavy with the smell of destruction and abandonment. As the players walked through the deserted streets of the Royal Capital, they could feel the emptiness that the once pulsating city now contained.

Jayaa gently touched one of the fruits on the ground. It was still fresh, a red, juicy apple that probably came from Tretidian or Vrikhodour. He picked it up, enjoyed it and carefully placed it on the stand, as if he were offering a small favor to the fallen city.

As they continued to explore, Eraskan led the way, his sharp eyes scanning the surroundings for any sign of life or danger. Every step they took reverberated across the cobblestone floor.

"All this makes it look like people left in a hurry..." he observed, his voice calm and thoughtful. "Could it be that, unlike that village near the border, the people here saw something coming?"

An icy wind blew occasionally, making the worn and torn banners on the walls sway like ghosts. It wasn\'t snowing anymore, but it was still very cold.

In the same square where the food stalls were, there was a toy store with dolls and strollers lying on the ground, a bookstore with books scattered and pages blowing in the wind, a blacksmith\'s store with swords and armor left behind as if the blacksmiths had evaporated into thin air. Each place told a story of abandonment.

Finally, after walking down the main street, they reached the central square, where a majestic monument once commemorated the heroes of the past. Now, the pedestal was empty, the statue of the king, which once stood proudly at the top, now slumped beside it.

Eraskan gritted his teeth hard, his fist clenched close to his robes. "We need to find the canal and put an end to this once and for all," he declared, his eyes sparking with determination. "We can\'t let this city, this kingdom, stay like this."

Jayaa nodded silently, his gaze fixed on the empty square. "We\'re in this together," he said softly, but with an unwavering strength in his voice.

Determined to put an end to this threat, the group made their way to the canal, which was not far from the squares, after all it cut the city in half, so that it created an X with the main avenue.

The group of adventurers approached the canal, which was frozen over. The surface of the frozen water glistened in the faint light of the moon, which struggled to break through the numerous clouds, its contours distorted by the remnants of frozen water.

Jayaa climbed down the ladder and reached out to touch the ice, feeling its coldness penetrate her fingers. "The ice is thick, but be careful, it can be treacherous," he warned, his eyes fixed on the icy surface. The others nodded, aware of the danger that awaited them under that fragile material, especially for someone as big as Kaizen.

Cautiously, the group began to walk along the canal. Each step was taken carefully, and the clear sound of their boots was enough to make the ice creak strangely.

The minutes stretched out like hours in the silence of the city, and everyone\'s eyes were fixed on the frozen ground, looking for cracks or signs of weakness. Then a faint crack echoed through the air. Everyone froze, eyes wide with fear. A small latch appeared in the ice under Bloody Lily\'s feet. Her companions moved away from her quickly, spreading out like a fan, distributing their weight to avoid a large-scale break.

"Slow down," Kaizen whispered, his voice laden with tension. "Keep moving, but carefully. We can\'t afford to fall into the icy water."

With slow, deliberate movements, they started walking again. Every time they heard a pop, their hearts leapt in their chests. The chill of the night mingled with the sweat on their foreheads as they struggled to keep their balance on the treacherous ice. Jayaa, however, was the one who took a wrong turn. The ice beneath him gave way, and he almost collapsed. Eraskan acted instantly, reaching out and grabbing him by the arm before he could fall into the dark water below.

"Hang on!" he said, his muscles tense as he pulled Jayaa back onto the firm ice. Their eyes met, a mixture of relief and terror reflected in them. Jayaa took a deep breath, shaking from the fright, but relieved by Eraskan\'s quick reaction.

Determined not to take any more risks, they began to walk more slowly than before. Their faces were numb from the cold, but they kept going.

Finally, after an eternity of slow movements, they reached the end of the river. They looked ahead and saw that, in fact, the corrupted woman was right, at least during her brief moment of lucidity, because at the end of the river there was indeed a large cave, with torches and everything.