Rise Online: Return of the Legendary Player

Klaus rubbed his eyes, trying to shake off the drowsiness that still enveloped him. He looked at his cell phone once more, confirming that it was indeed Charles Richards who was calling. With a mixture of curiosity and surprise, Klaus answered the call.

"Hello, Charles? It's Klaus," he said, still a little hoarse from sleep.

"Klaus, it's good to hear your voice," replied Charles on the other end of the line. "How are things on your end? How's work with Hollie Rees?"

Klaus sat up in bed, now fully awake. Hollie Rees had been supporting him these last few days and was helping to monitor him while he played Rise Online.

"Things with Hollie are fine," Klaus replied, thinking about how much easier the last few days of work had been and how much trust had developed between them in a short time. "We're dealing with a delicate mission in Niflheim right now, but on the whole, everything is flowing."

Charles nodded on the other end of the line. "I'm glad to hear that. I knew from the start that you'd make a good team, even though she didn't like you before you met."

Klaus was surprised by Charles' revelation. He had never noticed any sign of displeasure on Hollie's part, but now curiosity overwhelmed him. "Why didn't she like me?" asked Klaus, wanting to understand the situation better.

Charles let out a laugh on the other end of the line. "Oh, it's a long story, my dear Klaus. I think you'll have to ask her directly. But don't worry, you two got on very well now, and that's what matters."

Klaus nodded, even though Charles couldn't see him. "I see. I'll talk to her about it later. But what about you, Charles? How are things on your end?"

"Things are going surprisingly well. The number of Rise Online players fell this month for the first time, but that was to be expected. After the roaring success of the launch, every day more new players bought the game and its characters, but it would be unsustainable for the worldwide servers if the number of players continued to rise. We currently have almost 200 million players."

"200 million? That's crazy... A little while ago, it was 'only' 100 million."

"Our game provides instant translation into several languages and is the only one of its kind in the world with a procedural story, so players are made loyal by these differences.

The number of players shouldn't increase so much at the moment and shouldn't decrease any further, at least until the competitive tournaments start, then people will see the potential of this game not as another E-sport, but as an entertainment that can replace what Basketball and Football are for the world."

"An E-sport replacing a traditional sport?"

"Yes, in the end it's all about appeal. Anyway, Klaus, that's not what I want to talk to you about at the moment. I have some news for you. We're going on an important mission soon and I'd like you and Hollie to be ready."

The news made Klaus even more alert. A mission from Charles meant that the developer would finally want to involve him with other Evolved.

"Of course, Charles. We'll be ready for whatever comes, but when will the mission be?" asked Klaus, his mind already beginning to formulate possibilities.

"Next week, so you should be free of other missions by then. However, don't worry, you won't have to fight directly against Evolved yet. I want you to be responsible for testing a new platform we're developing, so you'll find an ADM in Rise Online."

"What? An ADM? You mean one of the people who supervises the other players? You said it didn't exist."

"I did? Well, I don't really remember. You know, I'm old. Anyway, there are ADMs, they're just not the main way we monitor players."

The conversation between the two continued for a few more minutes, with Charles updating Klaus on the company's ongoing projects and sharing some news. Klaus appreciated these conversations, because as well as receiving important information, he also felt a connection with Charles and thus didn't feel so guilty about working for him without trying to understand the other Evolved's side.

After the call, Klaus decided to get up and get ready for the night. He still had a mission to fulfill in Niflheim. After waking Andrew, he went to the bathroom, washed his face and brushed his teeth, trying to get rid of the drowsiness due to tiredness. After that, he went to the drinks machine in the dormitory and got an energy drink to keep himself awake.

Moments later, Andrew appeared in the lobby, dragging himself up with fatigue.

"It's lucky for you that your body's fatigue isn't transmitted to your avatar." Klaus joked and tossed Andrew a can of energy drink.

Andrew took the can of energy drink and smiled. "I'm lucky that my body will rest while I'm in the deep immersion capsule, but it's a shame that my mind won't."

After that, they left the dormitory and went their separate ways from campus. Andrew had to go into town to rent a pod and log into RO, but Klaus had the perk of being able to go to a private room.

As Klaus walked to the room, his mind went back to the conversation with Charles and the revelation about Hollie not liking him at first.

He wondered what could have caused this initial dislike, since they didn't even know each other. Klaus wasn't exactly the type to avoid conflict, no wonder he was always making enemies, but he had never done anything to Hollie and the idea of someone disliking him for no apparent reason intrigued him.

Arriving at the control room, Klaus found Hollie reviewing some reports from previous missions. She was concentrating, her blonde hair up in a messy bun and her thin-rimmed glasses sliding down her nose as she frowned in concentration.

"Hollie, can I talk to you for a moment?" called Klaus, approaching her table.

She looked up, surprised at being interrupted, but nodded. "Oh, you've finally arrived. Sure, we can talk. What do you need?"

Klaus decided not to immediately mention Charles' comment about her not liking him at first. He wanted to broach the subject more subtly, so he started with something more neutral.