From the moment rumors of the similarity between Kaizen and Klaus began to swirl around the webnet, Kaizen had already analyzed the risks and rewards of having his identity revealed sooner or later.
Unfortunately, it came sooner than he expected, but in the end, it turned out differently than Kaizen had imagined.
At first glance, it was obvious to Kaizen that Hóngué Holdings would use the advantage of knowing his identity to blackmail him into doing whatever they wanted, and perhaps they realized that this wasn't enough to convince Kaizen to work for them, so they resorted to a proposal that was beneficial to both of them. This agreement between them made Kaizen a little more relaxed about his identity being leaked, after all very few people knew, it was something very personal.
Apart from his family, only Jayaa and Emma knew about his true past, as well as his colleagues and the technical staff of the organization to which he belonged, FirePunch. However, he was sure that it wasn't anyone from the committee or the owners of FirePunch, after all, they had been able to grow so much thanks to Kaizen, and they were even very understanding about never exposing the Parks' accident to the media, or to their own Kaizen colleagues.
So whoever exposed the information about Kaizen must have been someone from the team, someone who didn't care about money, otherwise they would have sold it to a newspaper instead of posting it on a forum.
Kaizen didn't care much about all this, he didn't feel angry about being exposed, but deep down he was curious about who it could have been. The options were: Evan Elliott, Issac Kaufman, Peter Hopkins and Raiden Cortez. All former Kaizen colleagues.
However, he certainly didn't want to think too much about it now, because on the night that Maskle visited him, Kaizen had only left the game for a while to take a shower and eat something to help Xisrith explore a place in the Kingdom of Vrikhodour, which might be of interest to him, because it was said that the best blacksmiths in history, the Bloodstone dwarves, hid their best diagrams in that region.
As they moved away from the hustle and bustle of the Vrikhodour Capital and into the sandy region beyond, the landscape changed rapidly.
Small sand dunes stretched as far as the eye could see, rippling like a golden sea under the calm moonlight. The serene night wind blew, scattering the grains of sand a little, but it was nothing compared to the footsteps of Kaizen and Xisrith. In the midst of all this, large rock formations rose from the sand like obelisks, their surfaces worn by wind and time.
"We're not far away. Just another 200 meters." Xisrith said, closing her system map.
"Is this part of a mission?" asked Kaizen.
"Not really. I just thought you'd be interested. Besides, I think I need to reward you for everything you've done for me and if there really is something there that's useful to you, I'll be happy."
Kaizen smiled as the golden moon illuminated the desert around them, casting mysterious shadows on the sand dunes.
"You don't have to reward me, Xisrith. We're friends, aren't we?" replied Kaizen in a voice full of gratitude.
Xisrith looked at him in surprise for a second and smiled. "Yes, of course we are. But I still think you deserve it."
So they continued walking, with Xisrith leading the way.
The Vrikhodour Desert that stretched out before them was vast and mysterious. The stars shone in the night sky like diamonds embedded in darkness, and as they approached the rock formations, Kaizen felt a peculiar energy in the air. His Psykers' passive abilities weren't always useful, but they always sent him a signal when something was wrong.
When they finally reached the large rock formations, they spotted a large stone door, completely illuminated by the moonlight.
Kaizen and Xisrith stopped in front of the imposing stone door, observing the details carved into it. It seemed to be a work of art, with inscriptions and symbols that basically meant: whoever finds this place will have to go through challenges, but if they make it in the end, they will find rewards.
"Do you think this is where the diagrams of the Bloodstone dwarves are hidden?" whispered Kaizen, looking at Xisrith.
Xisrith nodded, his gaze fixed on the door. "I'm almost certain of it. The map I took was called the Bloodstone Crypt. Besides, as far as I know, they were known for their ability to create powerful structures and enchantments. Let's try to open it."
"All right."
Together, they approached the door and Kaizen noticed that there was a depression in the center of it, perfectly designed to fit something in. It was as if the door was waiting for them, but they had nothing. So Kaizen took out the Ragnarok sword from his inventory and raised the noble and powerful sword high into the air.
However, before brandishing the sword, Kaizen looked at Xisrith and said:
"You'd better go a few meters back. That'll do some damage."
Xisrith nodded and took several steps back.
"A little further." Kaizen asked again, and Xisrith retreated even further. "Yes, now," he said, turning to face the door.
With a decisive movement, Kaizen swung his Ragnarok sword towards the door. The moment the blade of his sword met the stone, a crash resounded through the desert and sparks of magical energy flashed around the point of contact, turning the door into a massive structure of ice, which began to tremble and emit a deep, guttural sound, as if something was moving inside the rock.
Xisrith watched with wide eyes, amazed and a little frightened by the spectacle before her. Kaizen kept the sword firmly embedded in the door, resisting the force that tried to push it back.
"Kaizen, look out!" Xisrith shouted as cracks began to form in the ice surrounding the door. She raised her hand, preparing to conjure a protective barrier around them.
But before she could do so, the door opened with a deafening bang, revealing a dark and mysterious tunnel ahead. An ancient, damp smell escaped from inside, as if time in there had been frozen for eons.