Chapter 1: Rose of a Ruined World

In the world of [Fractured], everything could be divided into two categories: players, and NPCs. No matter how intelligent, powerful, or ancient they were—be it golden-blooded elites, chaotic abominations, or taboo entities—they were all seen as just "NPCs" in the eyes of players. Even those with intelligence leagues above humans. That’s why, in the early days, many players who entered [Fractured] without the right mindset... ate dirt, hard. Naturally, charming NPCs became the center of gossip and obsession among the playerbase. Take for instance— [Rose of a Ruined World], [The One Who Gave the Gentle Kiss], [The Maiden Beneath the Radiant Tree], [Lady of the Astral Clocktower], [Version 3.2’s Most Broken Boss], [The Most Beautiful Hidden Boss], [Heart-Stealing Senior Sister]— All of them were titles belonging to a single humanoid NPC: Maria. Even when Rick joined the game late, around version 3.5, Maria’s fame was still everywhere on the forums. Her tragic aura, mysterious past, her unexplained decision to help players—and her shocking reveal as a hidden boss in 3.0—kept players theorizing nonstop. Her fans had given her an affectionate title: “Big Sis.” Even though, technically speaking, she served as an early mentor figure and should’ve been called “Master,” everyone preferred calling her “Big Sis.” I... am Maria. Rick’s mind froze. He’d long tossed away his sense of shame from playing female alts and scamming love-struck newbies for spare coin. But this? This was something else. If he really was the Maria from the game... then when the players show up, he might just be hacked into mincemeat by every single one of them. The mere thought gave him thousand-yard-stare vibes. ‘Wait, maybe players haven't shown up yet... wait, no players means [Fractured] dies faster. 1.0 [Ashen Embers], 2.0 [Feast of the Hunt], 3.0 [Nightmare of the Blood Plague], 4.0 [The New Continent]—the difficulty only went up. Without players pushing the main storyline with their lives on the line, [Fractured] would’ve died in version 1.0! Let alone surviving up to 8.0 with the Chaos Invasion... Either way, I’m screwed. Why the hell did I wake up in this mess?!’ Outside the carriage, the woman—likely a [Blood Knight]—fell silent after exchanging brief words with Maria. The eerie stillness yanked Maria out of her panic spiral and reminded her: she was still on the run. It could’ve been a coup, or a rebellion. Either way, Maria, the rightful noble heir of [Cainehurst], was being smuggled out by her loyal knight. As a young noble girl, she'd apparently witnessed many tragedies with her own eyes—something that lined up disturbingly well with player theories on the forums: that Maria had suffered a dark childhood. Even in 3.0’s expansion, no one truly knew Maria’s origins or past. She was a mystery. But now, Rick had the chance to experience it all firsthand—and that stirred a weird spark of excitement in his heart. Being born a player, Rick quickly understood his situation and accepted this identity. In fact, now he was itching to do something. ‘When in doubt, check your stats.’ That was the first instinct of any true [Fractured] player. Status Name: Maria von Cainehurst Race: Half-Human (?) Strength: 1.7 Agility: 3.0 Constitution: 3.5 Perception: 2.1 Willpower: 5.0 Class: [Apprentice] Status: Weakened (You’ve been injected with a special potion that leaves you extremely weak. Congratulations, little girl—you won’t suffer permanent side effects!) Talents: Noble Lineage: As a descendant of Cainehurst, extraordinary blood flows through your veins. But after witnessing the monstrous side of your legacy, you now instinctively reject your blood magic. +50 initial favorability with Good-aligned factions due to refined manners. +25 favorability with Evil-aligned factions due to underlying bloodlust. No effect on Neutral factions. Noble Education: Raised as a noble, you were trained in persuasion, leadership, discipline, and sacrifice. You gain bonus insight into topics you’ve studied. Warning: Knowing more doesn’t always mean you’re safer. Holy hell! Double talents? A unique race? Great stats from the start?! If it weren’t for his current situation, Maria would’ve burst into birdsong from excitement. [Fractured] was hard—the average stat for a healthy adult male was 1.0. Maria’s starting attributes? Off the charts. Her race? Totally broken. Her talents? Literally game-changing. As expected of a version 3.0 hidden boss. If she was this cracked already, no wonder she guarded the final gateway of the old continent storyline. And that wasn’t even the best part! Forum players had long theorized that Maria went easy on the players in her boss fight because of her past connections. That meant she had enormous potential, at least up to version 3.0. And let’s be honest—version 3.0 of [Fractured] was brutally hard. Every boss was nerfed multiple times just to be manageable. Just a moment ago, Maria had been sulking over her fate. But now? She was mentally screaming: ‘This is actually amazing!’ Because in [Fractured]—power and reputation were everything. “Milady, are you alright?” “...Yes.” “I smell filth on the wind. The rebels have brought their wolfspawn and are tracking us.” The woman’s voice remained calm and unwavering. “Maria, please brace yourself. I’ll accelerate the carriage. We must reach the southern frontier before dawn... and deal with them.” Her tone was factual, as if she were merely reciting what must be done. She was one of the [Wild Hunt], the elite knights sworn to protect the Lady of Cainehurst. Her pride came from relentless training and trial by fire. Among those of her rank, she feared no one. No matter the cost, she would deliver the blood of true Cainehurst safely to the South. That was the vow she had sworn—to the Lady, and to her honor. Even in her [Weakened] state, Maria couldn’t help but admire the woman’s riding skill. The nightscape outside flashed by in streaks of shadow and moonlight, but the ride inside the carriage barely jolted. Maria’s thoughts were already racing. A battle was coming. Even weakened, surely there was something she could do. Her red eyes shimmered with a hunter’s ruthless gleam in the dark.