Rise Online: Return of the Legendary Player

Although reluctant, in the end Og'tharoz accepted his friends' help. However, this didn't mean that they would immediately go to Hell, because there were preparations to be made beforehand and also the big problem that Kaizen was the only Evolved one among the group, i.e. the only one who could play at crossing the Realms.

That night, while still in camp, they began to discuss this.

"Og, if you came to Midgard and you're not an Evolved, it was through a passage, wasn't it? Couldn't we use it?" Jayaa asked.

Immediately, the demon with the long black hair denied it with his head. "Fortunately or unfortunately for this case, the passage I went through was closed many hundreds of years ago. Besides, we wouldn't have been able to use that path even if it had been open, because it was monitored by Surtr."

"You're right, we need to surprise him. If more demons are there when we attack him, even if they're lesser demons as you call them, they'll get in the way a lot." Kaizen pointed, analyzing everything with a hand on his chin.

"There must be one of those gaps between the realms still active, or one of those doors that Kaizen mentioned using to get to Niflheim." Alina said.

"A door? Perhaps, but when I questioned Zylok about it after the last meeting, he told me that he knows of no other door in Midgard than the one that leads to Muspelheim." Kaizen clarified.

"If he doesn't know of one, it doesn't necessarily mean there isn't one." Alina intervened with a touch of confidence in her voice. "There are ancient legends about these portals between the Kingdoms. One of these legends says that an ancient god called Týr made it his life's work to open passages to Yggdrasil that interconnect everything, including passages within the realms themselves. Gods do exist, don't they? If we can find him, we might find an answer."

Xisrth grimaced, pondering the proposal. "But finding a god? Isn't that exactly what we should avoid after Kaizen warned us about their existence?"

"Exactly." Kaizen nodded. "But if that's what it takes to save Og'tharoz's wife, we have no other choice."

The fire crackled in the center of the camp, warming everyone on that cold night.

"So, if we don't have an easier method of finding or even knowing if these gaps between worlds exist, perhaps this story of the god Týr is our best bet," agreed Og'tharoz.

The others nodded in agreement, even if some had doubts in their eyes.

Jayaa was quieter and more collected than usual. "That sounds like a fairy tale. Gods, ancient legends... How will we know if we're following the right trail?"

Kaizen looked up. "Before I try out this idea of Týr's, I think I have to test out another idea I've just had."

"What? What idea did you have, Kaizen?" Andrew asked.

The black-haired boy stood up and placed one hand inside the golden square that formed his inventory. He then took out a long, thin sword, the details of the blade of which looked like thorns. The entire handle of the blade was black and, from its root, it seemed to give off a dark aura - after all, this was the Sword of the Night.

The others watched in silence as Kaizen held the sword firmly in his inventory, all of them feeling the unsettling energy emanating from it. It was a powerful artifact, a receptacle for dark entities fighting for dominance. The last time Kaizen had interacted with Belial, the demon sealed in the Night Sword, was the morning he sealed it. Now, faced with the pressing need to find a solution, he decided to use this sword for the first time. He didn't know if what he had in mind would work, but as Belial was a rational being, unlike the Evil Spirit imprisoned in the same sword, there was a chance he could talk to the demon.

The night was thick, the silence that enveloped the camp seemed to amplify everything. His friends' gazes followed Kaizen's every move, mixed with anxiety and curiosity. He placed it at chest height, with the tip pointing towards the sky, and closed his eyes, turning his world as black as the inside of the sword itself.

"Belial," Kaizen murmured, his deep tone resonating in the stillness of the night. "I know you're there. I need information, and you have knowledge of realms beyond our own."

The atmosphere seemed to freeze for a moment, as if the very air was waiting for the imprisoned demon's response, and the fire in front of everyone went out with a cold breath of wind. A laugh echoed through Kaizen's mind, coming straight from the sword. A laugh full of malice and disdain.

"Kaizen, my friend, coming to me? I see you've finally realized how superior I am compared to you... What happened to your trust in Og'tharoz? Why don't you ask him? Oh, he probably doesn't know what you need to know either and you think I do, which automatically tells me that you think I'm more useful than he is."

Kaizen gripped the handle of his sword tighter, his eyes fixed on the jet-black blade. "We're not here to play mind games, Belial. We're looking for a way to cross the realms. What do you know about that?"

The demon let out a hoarse laugh. "Help? Interesting choice of words. You've imprisoned me here, forced me to share this space with an Evil Spirit with a thirst for violence. What would give me the pleasure of helping you now?"

Kaizen took a deep breath, controlling the frustration that threatened to bubble up inside him. "What do you want, Belial? Tell me, and perhaps we can find a compromise."

The demon's laughter echoed again. "I want freedom, Kaizen! Freedom to walk with my own legs, eat with my own mouth and now lick the body of that wretched wife of Og'tharoz!"

Kaizen's friends exchanged worried glances with each other, seeing how troubled Kaizen's expression had become. They couldn't hear what Belial was saying, but it certainly wasn't pleasant.

"I will never grant you freedom, Belial. But we can find a solution that benefits both parties. Help us, and I promise we'll find a way to improve your condition."

There was a moment of tense silence, broken only by the intense sound of the wind inside that dark world. Then the demon's voice rang out again, this time with a more thoughtful tone.

"A pact, Kaizen. A promise that you will do your utmost to find a solution. In return, I will provide you with the information you seek."

Kaizen nodded, accepting the deal. "I promise that I will do everything in my power to find a solution. Now, tell us, Belial, how can we cross the realms? What do we need to find to cross to Muspelheim?"

"Did you say 'Muspelheim'...? Do you want to go to Hell, Kaizen?" Belial asked, changing the subject. "Do you intend to save that idiot Luna's soul? HAHAHAHA! What fools! You'll never succeed! They're in the First Circle of Hell! Even if all the other Circles are without their commanders, the first is the only one that needs it and surely the one who's looking after her is Maelstrom, the strongest demon in existence, you bastards!"

"Is that a 'no, I won't help you'?" Kaizen asked.

"Of course I won't, Kaizen. I sincerely hope that your road to Muspelheim is filled with torment. The longer Luna's soul suffers, the happier I'll be, even if it means staying here for dozens of years. Don't forget, suffering fuels my existence. You are fools for trying to save a lost soul." Belial's voice echoed with a tone of malevolent satisfaction.

Kaizen gritted his teeth, controlling the anger that threatened to explode inside him. The anxious looks on his friends' faces reflected the tension in the camp.

"You are a despicable being..." declared Kaizen with unwavering determination.

Belial laughed, a laugh that echoed darkly through Kaizen's mind. "Ah, Kaizen, do you really think it will make a difference to say that to me? Do you think it will do any harm to hear it from someone like you? You bastard, know that there is no easy way to Muspelheim without compromising the entire structure of Yggdrasil. You are playing with forces beyond your comprehension! You are not gods!"

The warrior gripped his sword even tighter, his eyes fixed on the darkness ahead. "If you refuse to help us, then I will put more and more spirits in there with you, Belial. And the next one will be even more ferocious than the one sharing this space with you. That Witch's spirit is close to you, isn't it? You can definitely feel it, it's somewhere in this darkness that even you can't see."

Belial let out a guttural laugh, but weaker than the previous one. "Muspelehim is the land of fire, but the biggest flames produce the biggest shadows. I'm used to darkness, you idiot. "Now, listen to me, worm, Luna's fate is sealed, and if I were you I would never try to upset the balance of Muspelheim or the kingdoms by creating a forced passage. Surtr will be very angry and remember that it's no coincidence that when Surtr gets up and leaves Muspelheim to attack Asgard, it will be the day of the end, the day of Ragnarok. Yggdrasil will be shaken to its roots, and chaos will spread throughout the Nine Worlds. You don't want to be the cause of the end of everything, do you?"

Belial's last words before Kaizen left that demon seemed intended to scare him away, to make him fear Surtr and even inhibit his desire to go to Hell, but he knew they were empty words, after all, if it was so easy to upset the order of the realms with just one breach, Surtr wouldn't have done it just because of a contract.

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