Rise Online: Return of the Legendary Player

Adamanthi was threatening Jayaa, but shuddered under Kaizen's penetrating gaze and immediately backed away.

The silence that followed was palpable, every member of the group sensing the tension in the air.

Jayaa, still resentful, glared at Adamanthi, but decided to remain silent, realizing that the moment called for caution.

Kaizen, with his firm expression, broke the silence. "Let's continue. We're all in the same boat here, and we must remember that each of us has a crucial role to play."

Adamanthi nodded slowly, his posture relaxing a little, but his eyes still shone with a mixture of resentment and respect for Kaizen.

"Right," muttered Adamanthi, turning again towards the large stone door. "Let's go."

With an almost ceremonial gesture, Adamanthi touched the intricate carvings on the door. The carved lines began to glow, and a low, resounding sound echoed loudly. Slowly, the door began to open, revealing the entrance to the Sixth Circle.

The group moved forward in silence, their footsteps echoing in the narrow, dark passage. Stone walls seemed to close in around them, adorned with more engravings that seemed to come to life as they passed. The scenes of torture and despair depicted on the walls were disturbing, and each of them felt a shiver run down their spine.

Finally, the passage opened onto a vast landscape that contrasted sharply with the sea of fury they had left behind. The Sixth Circle stretched out before them, a wasteland of graves and shadows. Hills of ash and more hills littered with tombstones and crosses spread as far as the eye could see, like an endless cemetery.

On the horizon, imposing and gloomy structures could be seen, like unholy temples erected in homage to forgotten gods. The air was heavy with the smell of sulphur and the oppressive feeling of an evil presence.

"Welcome to the place of heresy," said Adamanthi, his voice echoing darkly. "Here, those who defy divine dogma are condemned to eternal suffering."

Kaizen looked at his companions, seeing the fear on their faces.

"Let's continue. We have a goal to achieve and we can't allow this place to defeat us," he said firmly.

As they advanced through the stranger, they felt strange. This place was very different from the previous ones.

"This place is bizarre," commented Bloody Lily.

"Yes, but we just have to stick together and we won't have any problems."

They continued forward, the silence broken only by the sound of their boots crushing the rock and the occasional sound of a crow flying overhead. The atmosphere seemed to consume all hope and life from anyone's eyes.

Suddenly, a high-pitched scream cut through the air. They stopped, alert, looking for the source of the sound. A figure in rags, its body covered in burns and scars, appeared from behind a tombstone, walking towards them. His eyes were wide with terror and he was gesticulating frantically.

"Help... Please help me..." he said, his voice hoarse and slurred.

Kaizen stepped forward, preparing for any eventuality. "Who are you?" he asked, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword.

"I'm... I was a priest," the man replied, panting. "I defied the gods and was condemned to this place. Please, you have to help me get out of here! I know this is hell, it has to be, that alone would explain such eternal suffering!"

Andrew looked at Adamanthi, who quickly denied it with his head. "Don't listen to him. You can't help him. A condemned man cannot have his sentence reversed, just as a warrior's soul cannot leave Valhalla."

Kaizen kept his gaze fixed on the man in rags, the frown lines on his face deepening with the gravity of the situation. He knew that, in a place like this, the truth was often hidden behind skillfully woven lies. However, the pain and despair in the priest's eyes were real and unmistakable.

"We can't just leave him here," said Andrew, his voice a hoarse whisper. "Even if we can't help him escape, maybe we can ease his suffering. He was a priest, not far from what I am."

Adamanthi sighed deeply, his tense shoulders relaxing a little. "Group leader, the decision is yours, but remember what's at stake." he said, looking at Kaizen. "You want to get to the first circle, right? Every moment of distraction can be costly."

Kaizen nodded slowly, his gaze moving from Adamanthi to the desperate man. "You said you were a priest," he began, his voice laden with authority. "Tell us, what exactly did you do to be condemned here?"

The man trembled, his wide eyes flashing in terror. "I... I questioned the gods," he confessed. "I sought forbidden knowledge, I challenged dogma. I wanted to save my beloved daughter from death's embrace, but the magic granted by Odin wasn't enough. I gave in to the forbidden knowledge of the goddess of the dead, Hela, and in fact managed to save my daughter from a terrible fate. Discover hidden stories at m,v l'e|m-p| y r

I died a few weeks later, and they condemned me to this eternal torment."

Blood Lily frowned, crossing her arms over her chest. "And what exactly did you expect? You used black magic, from a priest you became a sorcerer."

The man shook his head, tears streaming down his dirty face. "I know! But... should I really be punished just for not having followed a single god for the rest of my life? Anyway, nothing else matters now. Only the pain, the pain was the only thing that remained."

Kaizen looked deeply into the priest's eyes, trying to discern the truth. Finally, he sighed, removing his hand from the hilt of the sword. "We can't get you out of here, but maybe we can offer some help. Tell us, is there anything we can do for you?"

The priest looked at Kaizen, but he didn't seem to be looking directly. It was more as if he was looking at something above Kaizen's head, something beyond what ordinary eyes can see.

"I... I... I want you to kill the gods!"

"What?!" Adamanthi exclaimed. "Ah, that's enough!"

"GODS DON'T DIE, THEY NEVER DIE! THEY DON'T KNOW THE VALUE OF LIFE AND DEATH! MAYBE, IF THEY LEARN, THEY'LL UNDERSTAND WHY I DID WHAT I DID AND UNDERSTAND THAT NO ONE DESERVES TO BE CONDEMNED TO HELL."