Rise Online: Return of the Legendary Player

Chapter 787 The Reconstruction Meeting (Part 3)

?The guild leaders exchanged cautious glances, assessing the sincerity behind the words of the leader of The Eye of Hermodr. It was difficult to accept the offer of help coming from someone who, until recently, was seen as a formidable enemy.

Korgrak, the Leader of the Metal Dragons Guild, broke the silence once again. "Zylok, you talk about reconstruction, but how can we trust someone whose past actions have caused the current situation? The city is in ruins, and many of our fellow players have suffered irreparable losses. Items, potions and a lot of money."

Zylok remained unperturbed, his expression firm, as he replied: "I understand your mistrust, and I don't expect you to accept it immediately. However, I believe that the only way to prove my sincerity is to act. I propose that I personally cover the costs of rebuilding the city. From restoring the buildings to supporting the affected NPCs. All the players who have incurred costs have already been duly rewarded with your victory by completing the story mission and event. So I'm willing to put all the resources I have at your disposal to help those who really need it."

Everyone's eyebrows rose, inevitably surprised, but Taznaar was the only one who managed to externalize this feeling.

"Resources? And where on earth would you get so much money from?"

Zylok smiled slightly, as if he had been expecting such a question. "The Evolved have a vast knowledge of the game and its mechanisms. Over time, I've accumulated wealth and artifacts that go beyond what most players can imagine. I can use these resources to bring the city back to its former glory and make up for the losses everyone has suffered."

Kaizen, until then a silent observer, finally decided to speak up. "If Zylok is willing to sacrifice so much, it shows that he has already changed a lot. Although he still has a long way to go to gain the full trust of everyone in this room, he shouldn't be the only one willing to put aside past differences for the sake of the greater good. What's more, his recent actions during the battle prove that he is committed to this cause."

Bloody Lily, who was sitting next to Kaizen, looked straight into Zylok's eyes. "I'm Kaizen's partner and now he's led by you, Zylok, but that doesn't cancel out the feeling I get when I look at you. I don't trust you. Not yet. So I can't deny that your offer is tempting, but we need guarantees. How can we be sure that, once the city is rebuilt, you won't go back to your old ways?"

Zylok nodded understandingly. "I understand the need for guarantees. I propose an alliance pact, between everyone in this room, that none of us will harm the other, otherwise we'll lose all levels. That would be enough to ensure that not only I don't betray you, but that you don't betray each other."

Silence hung in the room as the guild leaders pondered Zylok's proposal. Their gazes met, each leader assessing the others for signs of hesitation. But Korgrak stood up, slammed his hands on the table and said:

"Guys, there's no need to be so hesitant. Everyone here can be trusted, because everyone here has been investigated by me and my guild, and that's the only reason they can be trusted. Each of the thirty guild leaders present here are honest in their intentions." Then she finally took off her mask in front of everyone, letting her flowing hair finally show.

The revelation that Korgrak was a woman came as quite a surprise to most of the people in the room. She was always wearing dark clothes and that changing mask, which made it hard to imagine that she had been a woman all along.

Bloody Lily smiled and stood up too. "Well, if Korgrak says that everyone here can be trusted, we'll accept your proposal, Zylok."

Zylok nodded, satisfied, and all the other players in the room got up from their seats too.

"If any of us break the agreement, we'll suffer the consequences both in the game and out. Many here are close to becoming Evolved, aren't they? I imagine they don't want to lose their levels." Korgrak said.

Zylok smiled, his expression serene. "I propose that the very essence of the pact be shaped by the wishes of each of us. Each leader here will have the opportunity to contribute a condition, and the magic will be woven based on those terms. That way, none of us will be able to claim partiality."

Kaizen agreed with the proposal. "A magic shaped by everyone's wishes, a true expression of our commitments. I believe this is the best way to guarantee the integrity of the pact."

All the guild leaders agreed with the idea, and the atmosphere in the room began to change.

"All right, everyone put your right hand forward, palm facing up," instructed Zylok, approaching Fryft to also stand in front of the table.

Everyone did exactly as he asked, and a magic circle appeared in the center of the room, radiating a soft, ethereal light.

"Now, each of you focus on a condition. If the condition is the same as what others are imagining, that condition will be even more rigid and inflexible."

Each leader focused on their intentions, contributing a condition that they considered crucial to the success of the pact.

Korgrak, with his imposing voice, set the first condition. "That the city be rebuilt with the same grandeur it once had, and that the resources invested by Zylok be used exclusively for this purpose."

Kaizen then contributed his condition. "Let all players, regardless of their guild, have equal access to the benefits of the rebuild. No player should be left behind."

Blood Lily, for her part, imposed her condition. "Let Zylok reveal all his secrets and past intentions, providing total transparency. There will be no more room for betrayals and hidden manipulations."

Zylok, showing humility, added his own condition. "Let every leader here commit to a true alliance, overcoming old rivalries and working together for the prosperity of Midgard."

Other players like Taznaar also uttered their conditions, and for each condition said aloud a rune appeared in the magic circle. Finally, the magic circle glowed with intensity, absorbing the intentions of each leader and transforming them into a unique and powerful magic. A pulsating energy ran through the room, connecting everyone present in a magical bond of chains, which wrapped around their forearms.

As soon as the pact was sealed, the light disappeared and a sense of relief filled the room. Each leader somehow felt the presence of the others, a connection that went beyond past rivalries, and the mark was in a kind of tattoo that appeared on different parts of each one's body. This mark was a small lightning bolt symbol.

With the pact established, Zylok took the lead in rebuilding the city. His resources were now invested in restoring the buildings, revitalizing the fields and offering support to the affected NPCs. The city, which had witnessed destruction, began to transform into a symbol of resilience and cooperation.

*

The next two weeks passed so quickly after that big meeting, but a lot had changed.

The capital of Mibothen was already at a much more advanced stage of reconstruction than expected, thanks to the efforts of players and NPCs. With the release of the roads, many came from other kingdoms to get jobs, missions and so on.

The streets of Mibothen, once ravaged by war and chaos, now vibrated with a different energy. The builders and craftsmen, both players and NPCs, were hard at work rebuilding the city. The walls that had once been cracked and crumbling were now erected with new, sturdy stones.

Where the Capitol used to stand and also the crater where the crucial meeting took place, a monument was beginning to take shape. It was a sculpture symbolizing the union of the guilds, a heap of several hands. While work progressed on the streets, Zylok, sitting behind a desk in his new office in this city, leafed through a pile of documents relating to the reconstruction. His expression reflected how tired he already was.

"Hurf... it's like I've gone back to my old job in real life."

Next to him, an attentive secretary provided by the local government was organizing the papers and informing him of the latest developments. However, among the piles of papers, one absence stood out to the secretary who, with a curious look, asked Zylok:

"Sir, I just noticed that I haven't seen Kaizen involved in the activities anymore. What happened? Has he gone back to Tretidian?"

Zylok sighed slightly, looking away from the sheets of paper to the window that provided a panoramic view of the city under reconstruction. "Kaizen is busier than I am."

"What do you mean?"

"He's preparing for a mission outside Midgard," he explained. "He recognizes the importance of the pact, but he believes that, right now, he needed to repay someone for helping him during the war."