Chapter 15: Change and Purpose

Maria wrote home. To her father Lynn, the faithful servant of the [Radiant One], who never once cursed his fate. To her mother Ruth, ever gentle and ever ill, who gave her love to both her daughters without reservation. To her sweet, innocent sister Felia, who could light up a room with a smile. The letter glossed over the dangers of Maria’s current life. She focused instead on Flowstream City’s prosperity, describing the bustling markets, aristocratic enterprises, and the latest fads conjured up by inventive minds. Everyone wanted to be the next Steam Baron. The nobles’ extravagant spending was unmatched. Toward the end, Maria asked seriously about her mother’s condition. She encouraged Lynn to bring Ruth to the [Luminous Cathedral], where skilled priests might be able to help. Why not a doctor? In [Fractured], divine spells rendered most mundane medicine obsolete. If one healing prayer didn’t work, two would. This made doctors a dying breed—more like mystics or witch-doctors than scientists. Entrusting your life to them was risky, especially when priests existed. Still, for the poor who couldn’t afford divine intervention, they had no choice but to hope the local herbalist didn’t kill them faster. After sealing the letter, Maria sighed. Had she never known progress, perhaps she could've endured ignorance. Even if the [First Flame] still burned, without change, the world would collapse eventually. That’s why, in version 1.0 of the game, when players uncovered the truth of the flame, they overwhelmingly opposed the flamekeepers. The fire would die. But that wouldn't be the end. The deep sea that welcomed all—an era of abyssal unity—was coming. Name: Maria von Cainhurst Race: Half-Human (?) Strength: 6.5 Agility: 7.3 Constitution: 8.0 Perception: 10 Willpower: 10 Class: [Apprentice] Profession: Unselected Status: Sub-Healthy (Hey, nun! If you keep pushing yourself, you’ll start losing hair!) Talents: Noble Bloodline – As a descendant of Cainhurst... Noble Education – Raised in nobility, you’ve received refined instruction... Inviolable – You possess a resolute will. Both good and evil gods see you as prime follower material. Divine spells are 50% less effective on you. Until you swear allegiance to a god, you cannot cast divine miracles. Background: Beautiful daughter of a pastor. Skilled in many crafts. You joined the Radiant Church’s ranks for your own reasons. But even dying embers can offer warmth before the dark. This was Maria’s progress. Her stats had surged as she neared adulthood and continued physical training. She was now at the threshold of the [Iron] tier. But she intended to delay her advancement until she acquired the right profession—one that would grant her a bonus skill during the promotion. She might look delicate, but Maria could swear on her Rakuyo: among all closed beta players, there were barely any who could beat her in a fight. Even without a proper class, her raw skills with standard weaponry were lethal. System-blessed or not, her strikes could kill. "Four-Season Petals, Rose Essence, Tier-Seven Gold Powder, and Divine Mercury..." Maria ticked through her alchemical inventory. These rare materials had drained her coin purse. Nearly all the gold she’d brought from Sette Town was gone. She was preparing two potions: One to awaken latent bloodlines. The other, a class-transition catalyst. The spread of the [Root of Man] had lit a fire under her. Flowstream was a breeding ground for sin. Its nobles had grown wary of the Church. A large outbreak was inevitable. The scale of that outbreak would depend on how prepared the [Awakened] were. Maria was strong now. Strong enough to survive. But not strong enough to lead. And she needed to lead. Not all her ingredients were ready. But she was getting close. Her preparations had to be finished before the outbreak. After tidying her room and locking things down—habit, even in the cathedral—she slipped out with her sealed letter in hand. There were no player-thieves around now, but when the public servers went live? With rogues and assassins roaming the land? You’d be a fool to trust your chest over your pocket. "Gotta get myself a storage charm soon," she muttered, smiling at the priests she passed. She was looking for Phoenix, the stern [Flame Warrior] in charge of player training. If she wanted help gathering resources, she’d need pawns. And to get those pawns—well, it helped if they didn’t hate you. Phoenix wasn’t hard to find. When Maria explained her request, his brow furrowed. "Trainees? Sister Maria, forgive me, but they’re barely able to protect themselves. Let me assign you a squad of full [Followers]. That would be far safer." Sometimes, high rapport brought problems too. Maria politely declined. She didn’t want warm bodies. She wanted players. Tools, yes—but tools she could mold. Tools that would eventually awaken to the truth of [Fractured]. Tools who might one day choose to break the cycle.,