"What do you mean?" asked Kaizen.
Charles tilted his head and smiled enigmatically. "I know that you are a very talented gamer, Kaizen. And I also know that you are looking for a way to stand out in the world of Rise Online, and that you really enjoy this game, enjoy exploring it. However, you can't deny that you had a little help getting here.
Kaizen was now completely confused. He didn't know what to make of Charles' words, but he was curious enough to hear what he had to say. He felt a twinge of excitement growing inside him as he waited for Charles' answer.
"What do you suggest, Charles? Do you want me to delete my avatar?" asked Kaizen, his voice now soft and controlled, conveying great seriousness.
"No! Of course not!" Charles said, raising one of his hands. "I couldn't ask you to do that. It would be against my principles."
"Against your principles?"
"Yes! Even the mistakes that happened to you are not considered mistakes by me, but little shortcuts that the system found to make its way easier. If you had started playing RO at the start of the game, you would probably still have been the only player to get the Psych class, but your attribute points would not have been duplicated, and you would not have been forced to get the <Psychokinesis> ability the way it was."
"Are you saying that I am some kind of 'chosen one' by this system? That doesn't make any sense. I have put in countless hours of effort since I started playing."
"Yes, I know that. In fact, you've put in more effort than any other player. And that was one of the reasons you progressed so quickly, along with your cunning. So I wouldn't call you a 'chosen player', but an 'ideal player'. This was realized by the supercomputer Odin, which is a living server that manages, processes and develops Rise Online all the time, before anyone else realized it, maybe even before you.
"But how would he know about that? I've never played a VR game."
"You transferred your account from an old game called Myth2, didn't you?" Charles said with a smile, making Kaizen finally assimilate some things. "Exactly. It's shocking at first."
After a few moments, Kaizen shook his head a little and said:
"Okay, I probably had a little help then, but I still don't understand what you're getting at?"
At that moment, Charles Richards unclasped his back from the stone pillar where he was resting and took a step forward. "Klaus Park, you made a lot of money from selling and buying the items you got thanks to the attribute bonus you received. With this money, you were not only able to pay off the mortgage on your parents' house, but you were also able to deposit a substantial amount of money in your bank and pay several late and non-past due monthly fees for the luxurious hospital where your older brother is staying."
Kaizen clenched his right fist and suddenly shot an angry glance at Charles Richards, imagining that the latter was trying to blackmail or threaten him because of his family.
The developer raised both hands, though his staff remained suspended, and said:
"Easy, easy. I'm not there yet."
"Then proceed, kindly," Kaizen demanded in a not-so-peaceful tone.
"Well, let's say that in addition to all the money you got for leaving with the attribute bonus, you also just got a chance to participate in the selection process for the special program because we recommended you. And when you graduate, Klaus Park, you will be able to get into any college in the world and work in any company. With all that settled, I think you owe us at least one favor, don't you?" Charles winked with his right eye.
Kaizen clenched his eyes. "A favor?"
"Yes, a very important favor for me and the fate of Rise Online. However, don't think that just because it's a favor, we won't reward you very well."
"What kind of favor?"
Charles moved even closer, holding his staff tightly. "We are working on several projects at the moment. However, we can't move forward with many of them because the Evolved are up to something, and a major scandal involving the most powerful and influential players in Rise Online could be bad for business."
Kaizen was speechless, "I don't know what to say... These people are definitely dangerous. And if you are offering me money for this, I can make a lot of money selling the legendary tournament item. I could even retire."
"Sure, that would be great for you, right? If you win this tournament and sell a legendary item for a few million dollars, you could live a peaceful life anywhere in the world, earning money just from your bank investments. But what if I can offer you something more?"
"Something more? What do you mean?"
With an enigmatic smile, Charles looked at Kaizen, then opened the system interface and displayed a text file entitled "Effects of Virtual Reality on Neuroplasticity and as an Intervention Method for Cortical Stimulation and Restoration of Consciousness in Comatose Patients: An Experimental Approach.
This sequence of words, while very technical and complicated for some people, was not difficult to understand for someone like Kaizen, who had already spent hours on the webnet researching it. Still, Charles Richards clarified, while Kaizen was completely surprised.
"About your older brother named Rhyzer Park, I believe Hónghé Holdings can help you."
Kaizen was stunned to hear this.
Charles smiled again. "We know a lot about you, Klaus. We know about your family, about your past, and we also know about your brother, who unfortunately has been in a coma for years. And, as you can see, we have research to do with regaining consciousness in comatose patients. Normally, a company like ours would not take on this research because it is not financially rewarding to wake people up from comas, but if you are willing to help us, we will continue the research. What do you think?"
...
Edited by: DrHitsuji
If you want to see original illustrations of Rise Online characters, consider helping me on pa treon: /NandoFalske
More character images in:
https://discord.gg/bpqq9u4gS8
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