Rise Online: Return of the Legendary Player

While Klaus was trying to resolve the situation in the Three Great Human Kingdoms, the second phase of the individual archery tournament was still taking place and although Klaus thought he already knew who would qualify, he wasn't entirely sure, because between Lara, Andrew, Max and Emma, one of them would be left out of the grand final.

After Emma's dazzling display, the atmosphere in the gym was electrified and some contestants still took part in the second challenge, only none of them managed to stand out as much as she did and so the second challenge ended.

During the break to prepare the stage for the next and final challenge, the audience was hungry for more, and all eyes turned to the center of the arena when the spotlights shone brightly, highlighting a peculiar structure in the middle of the stage.

A series of tall, slender columns had been erected, each with an apple carefully balanced on top. This was yet another challenge unlike anything the contestants had faced before. Murmurs spread through the crowd as the remaining contestants clustered at the edge of the stage, watching intently.

Then the narrator's voice reverberated through the Staples Center gymnasium.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the third and final challenge of this phase of the tournament is a test of aim. Each of the contestants will have the task of hitting targets at the top of the columns. However, there's an extra twist to this challenge." innr𝚎𝚊𝚍.𝚌𝚘m

The curious eyes of the ten competitors turned to the screens, waiting for more details.

"You'll have to shoot from behind a semi-transparent screen, which will blur your vision. In other words, this means that not only will you have to rely on your intuition, spatial perception and aim, but you'll have to rely on your archery skills to hit the target, because you'll need your arrow to go forward. What's more, there's a limit of five arrows each. Those who manage to hit the most targets will qualify for the next stage. What's more, the further away the target, the more points will be awarded. Good luck to everyone!"

A murmur of excitement and anticipation ran through the line of competitors. This challenge was like asking archers to hit a target by looking behind a wall, it was bordering on the impossible. They exchanged glances, some with confidence and others with apprehension.

Emma remained calm and her blue eyes showed it.

Then one of the tournament organizers approached and said to the competitors:

"Guys, feel free to go whenever you feel ready, you just need to let me know at least thirty seconds in advance. And if no one goes within a minute, we'll call you from the list in alphabetical order."

Heitor Al Thad, a young man of Arab origin, already stood out among the others with his skills, but at this moment he stood out more by stepping forward and raising his hand to be the first than at any time before. His dark hair was well groomed and straight. His smooth skin reflected the light of the spotlights and he wore an abaya, a traditional costume of his people, which made him look like a member of some royal family.

With firm steps, he positioned himself in front of the screen, looking at Max with a self-confident smile, as if he were about to perform an extraordinary act. Max watched with interest, curious to see how Heitor would do in this seemingly impossible challenge.

"Max, you don't want to miss this. Keep your eyes open," said Heitor, and his voice rang out like a soft echo, full of confidence.

Max, with his arms crossed, smiled and replied:

"That's it, go and show me how it's done, then I'll massacre your score using your technique."

Heitor raised his bow with grace, his posture elegant and the determination in his eyes never wavering.

The crowd was silent, all eyes fixed on Heitor as he prepared for his first arrow. He inhaled deeply, absorbing the tension of the moment, feeding his will with it, and then he raised the bow over his head and as he was tall, when he released the bowstring, the arrow just flew straight towards the targets, without needing an extraordinary turn. Heitor just used what he had to his advantage.

The blunt steel arrow flew over the semi-transparent screen, and for a brief moment, it seemed as if it would be lost. But then, a crashing sound followed by a soft clang echoed through the gym. The target at the top of one of the first columns wobbled slightly. The arrow narrowly missed it.

Immediately, the audience let out a murmur of admiration and surprise.

Heitor had not only demonstrated skill, but also a deep understanding of how to shoot even with an awkward body position.

Max watched, impressed, as Heitor kept his composure and continued to shoot his arrows. One after the other, the arrows were shot, but none of them were as spectacular as the first and the subsequent targets were further away.

When Heitor shot his last arrow and didn't hit either, the crowd applauded him, although they were left with the feeling that Heitor could have done better.

Still, Max couldn't help but admire Heitor's skill, as he had met the challenge head-on first.

With a subtle smile, Heitor turned away from the semi-transparent screen, returning to the competitors' area. Max approached, applauding him enthusiastically. "That was incredible, Heitor! How did you think of that?"

Heitor crossed his arms and smiled confidently. "I knew you'd like it, Max. True skill lies in hard training. It's not enough to use creativity and ingenuity."

"Really? I was impressed, how tall are you? But can you show me exactly how you did it?" Max insisted.

"Of course, all for a fan." Heitor said.

At that moment, Emma, who was standing next to Max, slapped a hand against her forehead, thinking that she didn't know who between the two of them was more stupid, whether it was Max trying to learn something to use at short notice or Heitor, who was being manipulated into helping a direct competitor without realizing it.