[Fractured] called itself a second world, and from the closed beta testers' perspective, the AI was practically indistinguishable from real people.
That realism came with complications.
NPCs in [Fractured] had all the same flaws and vices as humans—greed, lust, hunger for power, and gluttony. But that very realism also made the game world more manipulable. If a quest stalled out, players could often nudge it forward with clever little tricks~
And those "little tricks"? Well, it depended on the player. After all, no matter how real it seemed, at the end of the day, it was still a game—a string of cold code.
Now the nobles were trying to pin the blame for the fire at Emerald Port on Maria.
A convenient excuse, really. The fact that the [Abyss] had spread so deeply into Flowing Spring City without the [Weavers] noticing was a massive failure. Heads might roll if anyone looked too closely. So why not give the [Radiant Church] something to deal with instead?
Of course, there was some personal revenge in the mix too.
Some nobles believed that if Maria hadn't interfered, they might've handled the situation at the port in a way that benefitted them more. Her meddling ruined that.
In short, she’d become a scapegoat.
After discussing it among themselves, most of the closed beta players aligned with the church agreed—Maria, with her strength and beauty, was far too valuable to burn as a disposable NPC. And using insider info from the nobles as a favor was a win-win.
Phylin got roped into it by Tyr. When the smug idiot dragged him to see Captain Phoenix, he radiated icy disapproval the entire way.
"Phylin. Is there something you need?" Phoenix asked, completely ignoring Tyr and sizing up the young man with some interest.
Phylin hesitated, lips moving as if trying to speak. In truth, he had no idea how to even begin. Tyr, watching the scene, could only sigh inwardly. Was this guy this stiff in real life too? He’s like a walking glacier.
"Haha, Captain, we were wondering if we could... visit Sister Maria?" Tyr stepped in, grinning, knowing full well Phoenix hated his guts.
A cold wind seemed to blow in out of nowhere. Tyr felt as if Phoenix had turned into a savage beast, staring straight into his soul with a look that decided life or death.
He realized too late—approaching Maria now was suspicious. Of course Phoenix would take it the wrong way.
"She’s fine. If you’re worried about her, the best thing you can do is nothing. Say nothing, do nothing."
After a tense pause, Phoenix finally backed down.
"No no, what I meant was—"
Phoenix cut him off with a glare, then flashed a smile that was anything but friendly.
"Recruit. Run a hundred laps around the cathedral. Weighted. If you don’t finish, I’ll personally boot your ass around the perimeter. You might be a [Follower], but in my eyes you’re still a pathetic rookie. Move it. NOW!"
Whipping out a training whip, he grinned like a demon. Tyr turned pale.
Given the cathedral’s size, a hundred laps...
His wails echoed through the sacred halls.
"Hmm? Did I hear something?" Maria blinked, almost falling over her desk at the sound of a distant scream.
The nun in confinement was incredibly bored.
She couldn’t study occult theology, couldn’t gather alchemy ingredients, and definitely couldn’t walk around grinding affinity points. Being forced to relax made her feel... uneasy.
With her safety now likely assured, Maria lay idle, thinking about her next steps.
From what she’d gathered so far, the closed beta’s main plot was centered on the fading power of the First Flame, which allowed [Abyssal] forces to rise. The [Radiant Church] still had the strength to suppress localized outbreaks of evil.
And that was after Pope Sulyvahn had siphoned away most of their top talent.
But without divine revelation from the Sun Gods, the Church would remain in turmoil. Maria knew the great tree she now sheltered under was bound to fall. In fact, she hoped it would—some rare materials needed for her future class advancement were locked behind the Church’s vaults, unavailable for mere gold.
Speaking of the past...
Back when Selena was helping her flee to Southwind Province, they’d passed a certain place and left something behind. The object bore heavy Cainhurst influence, so Maria had avoided retrieving it for now. It wasn’t necessary, and it was too conspicuous. For all she knew, there were still spies hunting for remnants of Cainhurst blood.
She had no intel on the state of the North after the coup.
All she knew was that Selena was likely dead.
Maybe her next step should involve leveraging more of the Church’s strength.
Captain Moll’s real identity had clearly tied him to the [Kasath Reclamation Army]. Maria had used Phoenix’s holy gift and his arrogance against him. The feud between them was now personal. To protect herself and fight back, she needed to reach [Iron] tier as soon as possible.