Chapter 11: The Unlucky Beta Tester

Massive virtual game [Fractured] launches its closed beta today! No need to buy gear! One slash, 999 damage! This is a whole new version you’ve never seen before! If you're a real bro, come fight me! Want to understand the true meaning of life? Want to really live? Come to [Fractured] and experience a second life full of mystery and dreams! Seriously? It’s already 9012 and they’re still using such cringey ad slogans? The devs and marketing team for [Fractured] must be brain-dead. If not for the graphics and backend engineers carrying the whole thing, this game would have flopped long before open beta. Blanket advertising must have cost them a fortune. From initial curiosity to jaded indifference, one had to admit: under the assault of information, human adaptability was terrifying. Still... Could you really have a second life? Could you truly live again? Maybe it was the absurd charm of that stupid slogan, but before he realized it, he was already standing in line for a reserved beta slot. A ridiculous thought—a VR gaming veteran like him, using his "elite" status just to grab a beta key. Hopefully, [Fractured] wouldn't let him down. Unlikely, but he could hope. With that in mind, he climbed into the pod on beta day and let the nutrient fluid wash over him. Consciousness sank into darkness. Unlike other VR games, this wasn’t just black—it was deep, empty, suffocating. A chill of dread began rising in his chest. BOOM!!! Light shattered the dark. A gentle brilliance embraced him. Born with the name Tyr, a class of [Adventurer], he descended upon the Old Continent with thousands of other unseen trajectories. On Solar Year 998, November 11th, the Harvest Festival—thousands of beta testers arrived in [Fractured], a world of lingering mystery, dawning tech, clanking steam, and unstoppable change. "A new world! I’m coming!!" Day 5 in [Fractured]. "WDNMD! I just stole a chicken! Is that a crime worthy of death? I'm a great adventurer! And you're chasing me over one lousy bird? Screw you all!" Tyr, [Adventurer] in name but thief in truth, sprinted down the alley while mocking the guards chasing him. Their rage was visible. Their stomping feet got louder. "Wretched thief!" "Stop right there!" "I’ll break your damn legs!" This wasn’t his first time doing this. He sneered internally at the dumb AI of these NPCs. Agile and nimble, he dashed through the alleys, scaling a rigged stack of crates and kicking it down once he was up. Now crouched atop a wall no normal person could reach, he looked down at the panting guards like they were a bunch of curly-haired baboons. With a smirk, he waved. "Later, losers! I’ll drop by next time for more fun!" Just as he turned to go, something felt off. The guards weren't furious like last time. They were... smiling? "So you’re the wild transcendent we've heard about? What a waste—talent like yours used for petty theft." [Iron]-rank [Flame Warrior] Phoenix of the [Radiant Church] stared Tyr down with contempt. In the blink of an eye, enhanced by speed talents, he launched up the wall like a fiery blur and kicked Tyr down hard. "Tie him up. Take him to the Church... A wild transcendent with innate gifts? The Bishop will be very pleased." "Yes, sir!" "Haha, got you now!" "Filthy thief!" So on Day 5, due to [Fractured]'s excessive realism and lack of guidance, Tyr was thrown in jail. No tutorials. No beginner monsters. No safe zones. With the world too real to just "grind mobs," Tyr spiraled into existential crisis. Who was he? Where was he? What was he doing? To fill his belly, he "borrowed" food. Got caught. Twice. Then they sent an [Iron]-class transcendent after him. Uh... can we get a do-over? Delete save? Start again? After meeting this Phoenix guy, Tyr finally got a sense of what this game was really about. To fall so far—a transcendent with talents, reduced to chicken theft? If other players knew, they’d die laughing. Tied up like a dumpling, he struggled in vain as Phoenix dragged him toward a massive, awe-inspiring structure. Southwind Province, Torrent City. The [Luminous Cathedral]! One of the major bases for the lawful-good faction of transcendents in Southwind. From here, orders were issued to combat cultists, darkspawn, and other supernatural threats. Beneath it were sealed dungeons containing cursed items and dangerous prisoners. Tyr still had no clue how much trouble he was in. Craning his neck, all he knew was the cathedral gave him chills. Even its architecture oppressed him. "Mr. Phoenix, you're back." A clear, ethereal voice called out. "Good day, Sister." Even proud Phoenix softened at her voice. No one dared scowl at this kind and beautiful nun. She was well-known for her compassion toward the suffering, showing mercy to all. "And this is...?" "A thief." "I’m not a thief! I was just hungry! I was gonna pay it back later! I’m a great adventurer!" Mummified in ropes, Tyr wiggled and shouted, trying to preserve his dignity. "Silence. Your sins will be judged before the gods." Phoenix narrowed his eyes dangerously. The crime wasn’t worthy of death, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t scare the brat. The nun on the stairs covered her mouth with a gentle laugh. "What a curious little adventurer." That was the first time Tyr saw her clearly. Beautiful, clean, yet radiant with a sacred presence. She had a kind smile, but didn’t seem weak. This was how Tyr met Sister Maria for the first time. In front of the [Luminous Cathedral], as its bells began to toll.