Rise Online: Return of the Legendary Player



Emma agreed to Klaus' request and drove to a quieter spot, where she parked the car. She looked at Klaus with a serious expression, ready to hear his story.

Klaus sighed deeply before beginning. "Well, you're right, Emma. The reason I didn't want to create a guild at first is related to my past. On the day of the accident, my older brother, my father and my pregnant mother were in the car. My father and mother were fine, because they were wearing seatbelts, but my brother had just got into the car and was still wearing a seatbelt when the accident happened. He was thrown out of the car and barely survived, but our lives were never the same again."

Emma felt a squeeze in her heart as she listened to Klaus' story. She had no idea that the tragedy involving his family was so devastating. She knew that he had an older brother in hospital, but he had never told her about it in detail, so she remained silent, giving Klaus the space to continue.

"After that, my family was never the same. My parents blamed themselves for what happened to my brother, and not having him around was what made me give up my professional career. As much as my brother was always passionate about games, and I knew he would have loved to see me at the top again, I couldn't go on. In the end, when I started playing RO, I promised myself that I would get to the top, not just for myself, but for him too and one day, Charles Richards came to me."

"Charles Richards? That head developer?"

"Himself... Charles came to me minutes before the final of the Three Great Human Kingdoms and asked me two things. The first was that I shouldn't appear in the final against you and that I should get to level 200 as quickly as possible."

Emma was stunned, barely able to process all the information Klaus was sharing with her. She had just discovered the real reason why Klaus hadn't shown up for the final of the Three Great Human Kingdoms, and the reason for that was something she had never imagined.

"Wait, Klaus." She said, her voice trembling with surprise and compassion. "Are you telling me that you didn't attend the final because of a request from Charles Richards? Why would he want that?"

"I don't know, honestly. However, I believe he thought that if I managed to defeat you, many Evolved would see me as the strongest non-evolved and it wasn't the right time yet, because they might look for me for various reasons."

"But what did he offer you to accept that?"

"He offered treatment for my brother... Rhyzer had multiple organ failure, but the equipment managed to keep him alive for a long time and he recovered very well, except for his brain. According to Charles, there are studies that can have his brain stimulated with the same technology as the NeuroGears, but in order to invest in more studies and experiments on this, he needed a reason and said that's why we could come to an agreement. If I work for them, they'll start the studies and experiments when I reach level 200."

Emma listened to Klaus' story with growing understanding. She now understood the real reason behind Klaus' actions and his decision not to compete against her in the final. The weight of this revelation was overwhelming, and she felt a mixture of emotions - compassion for Rhyzer's situation, surprise at knowing that Charles Richards was involved and, above all, respect for Klaus' choice to prioritize his brother's health.

"Klaus, I'm so sorry for everything you and your family have been through," Emma said sincerely. "I had no idea you were facing something so difficult. And now, after hearing about it, I can't help but admire your courage and determination to do what's right for your brother."

Klaus nodded, grateful for Emma's understanding. "Thank you, Emma. It means a lot to me to hear that from you."

When they arrived in front of Klaus' house, he thanked Emma for the ride. "Thank you, Emma, for bringing me back. And again, sorry about the surprise at the apartment."

She smiled. "No problem, Klaus. It was nice to see you again."

Klaus was about to get out of the car, thanking Emma once again, when something unexpected happened. When he tried to open the door, Emma leaned in and held the door open.

"Klaus, wait!" She said, making him turn around.

At that moment, their faces became very close without both of them noticing it beforehand, but neither of them moved after that either. For a moment, they were just a few centimeters apart, their lips almost touching.

Klaus' eyes were fixed on Emma's lips, and he could feel her warm breath. Their hearts were pounding and the silence between them seemed more intense than ever. They stood motionless, completely captivated by each other's closeness.

He looked at her, curious. "What is it?"

"I... I just wanted to..." She started to say, but her words faltered and didn't come out completely, because she was staring into the depths of his eyes.

The world around them seemed to disappear, leaving just the two of them standing there, on the threshold of something that seemed inevitable.

There was an undeniable attraction between them, a spark that had been rekindled during the conversation before Jayaa. He couldn't look away from her lips, and she seemed equally mesmerized by his. They were within touching distance of each other now.

It was Emma who finally broke the deadlock...

"Klaus, I..." She murmured, her voice almost a whisper, pulling away slightly, but at that moment Klaus grabbed the back of her head, making her turn and face him again.

...

Edited by: DrHitsuji

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