Chapter 4: Great Events

In the world of [Fractured], the first four ranks of transcendents were: [Apprentice], [Iron], [Silver], and [Gold]. Beyond [Gold] was another realm entirely. Even in the 8.0 version Maria had lived through, only a rare handful of players ever surpassed the [Gold] rank. Those who did were all prodigies—pillars of strength in the war against Chaos. That said, high-ranking transcendents weren’t immune to missteps. Players looking to extract high-tier materials from powerful NPCs often created traps so intricate, so layered, that even experienced veterans fell for them. And right now, during Maria’s anxious wait... had Selena fallen for one of them? A blood-soaked figure in black armor strode toward her. Maria sat frozen in place, wide-eyed as her clear crimson eyes reflected the approach of the armored figure. Steam still rose from the blood on the armor. The black-armored warrior stopped before the delicate, doll-like noble girl and reached for the hilt of her blade— Clang! “Mission accomplished.” The armored warrior dropped to one knee and removed her helmet, revealing Selena’s cold and noble face. “They’re all dead?” “Mm.” Back before they split up, Maria had proposed the strategy: step one, scatter the enemy; step two, eliminate them piecemeal. Predictably, the survivors had regrouped in panic. With the wolves’ senses ruined by blood and decoy scents, Selena had simply donned their light armor and slipped among them like a ghost. The rest was inevitable. Against a [Silver] rank without a peer to challenge her, trying to resist was like trying to stop a landslide. In [Fractured], each rank jump required a tenfold increase in at least one stat. The gap between tiers was staggering. “Lady Maria, allow me to return you to the carriage.” After capturing the mercenary leader—a mere [Iron]-class fool—Selena had broken half his teeth, four ribs, and a femur to get the truth out of him. For now, they were safe. Cainhurst’s internal rebellion wouldn’t be ending any time soon. It was spreading across the north. The rebels were focusing on the main resistance forces. A single fleeing noble girl was low on their priority list. Only bottom-feeder mercs like the [Night Owls] would risk looting amid such chaos. Selena carried Maria again in a princess hold. Though Maria’s face remained calm, she felt deeply awkward. This petite, fragile body of hers made everything inconvenient—even her impressive stats couldn’t help much. Just then, a sliver of dawn pierced the horizon. Like a divine sword cutting away filth and darkness, light spread across the purple-black sky. Cradled in the arms of a gallant and beautiful knight, Maria felt that golden light fall upon her face—and for the first time, she truly felt reborn. She had arrived in [Fractured]. A new life had begun. “Knight, I never asked your name.” “Selena, Captain of the [Wild Hunt], blade of the lady of Cainhurst.” “After you escort me to Southwind County, what then?” “...I’ll return to Cainhurst.” Selena glanced down at Maria, her expression softening. She would honor the oath given to her lady—to ensure Maria could live a peaceful, ordinary life. That would be her new vow. May you grow up healthy and happy. May you forget the pain you once knew, kind Maria. ‘Did I just lose an S-tier NPC for free?’ Back in the gently rocking carriage, Maria’s lovely face was clouded with frustration. With her past gaming experience, she could tell that Selena’s favorability rating was nearly at [Affection]. Indifferent → Friendly → Intimate → Trust → Affection. If it didn’t deepen further, [Affection] was usually the cap. On the flipside, the only negative rating was [Hatred]. Favorability was tied to Reputation. Maria, born under the [Good] alignment, started with a +50 baseline. Add her noble status and a few surprising acts, and she’d already turned Selena’s head. But it still wasn’t enough to win her over. If Maria could keep a [Silver]-tier NPC like Selena at her side, she’d have a huge edge once the 1.0 main questline, [Embers of the Flame], began. She could use her prior knowledge to prevent disasters that would otherwise cripple NPC factions. But the world wasn’t that kind. Selena’s knightly oath was sworn to Maria’s mother. She would never serve another. Maria could command her for now thanks to status—but true loyalty? That would require [Affection] to overflow. And Maria had no way of achieving that before they parted ways. If they had more time, she could have tried. But they were still fugitives, and their journey was nearly done. After that? Who knew what came next... The morning light grew brighter. The snow-covered forest outside the carriage gleamed beautifully. The thick snow looked like heavenly clouds—soft and pure. It made one want to dive in. Maria, resting her cheek on her hand, stared out dreamily at the dazzling scenery. A lock of silver-white hair fell across her brow. Her slender, pale fingers toyed absently with her icy-metallic strands. The immediate crisis was over. Now she could finally think about the future. Choosing a transcendent path in [Fractured] wasn’t easy. Unless the 1.0 update [Embers of the Flame] reached its finale—the collapse of the sun god’s pantheon and the failure of the Flame Inheritance—no one could break through. After that, the factions opened up transcendent promotion requirements to save themselves. Of course, that also led to the 2.0 update: [Feast of Kings], where monarchs and would-be kings clashed across the continent. Maria’s pale fingers tapped rhythmically against the window frame as she sifted through her memories. The closed beta phase... Yes, near Southwind County, something major had happened. Some player, in typical reckless fashion, had revived a [Lord of Cinders]...