Chapter 16: Mission Posting

Since the start of the closed beta, many of the veteran players had finally gathered after enduring various hardships. In their downtime between training sessions, they began sharing the intel they had uncovered. Their discussions revealed just how immersive [Fractured] really was. The game world boasted absurdly high realism, and its NPCs acted indistinguishably from real humans. Naturally, this drew out the inner puzzle-solvers among the veteran testers. They wouldn’t stop until they peeled back every layer of this world. Never stop. Especially when it comes to uncovering [Fractured]'s mysteries. "The main storyline is actually pretty obvious now," said one player with scruffy stubble, chewing a piece of raisin bread. They were sitting in a courtyard nestled inside the cathedral grounds. In its center stood a statue of Gwyndolin, youngest of the Solar Gods. "Don’t tease us. Just spit it out. This game is weird as hell." "Relax! Don’t be so eager." The stubbled player threw a glance at a nearby patrol passing through. "Tyre, you’ve interacted with NPCs the most. Got any clues about the main plot?" "Probably something to do with the [Root of Man]," Tyre replied. His encounters made it clear: the NPCs were terrified of it. Even someone like Phoenix, who acted like he feared nothing, seemed especially wary. And Maria? She treated it like a forbidden word. "Right. Think about it—when do monsters usually appear en masse in a story?" "End of an era. Collapse of an age." A cool-looking male player spun a dagger in his fingers with impossible dexterity, forming sharp, dangerous patterns in the air. It was clear his real-life profession wasn’t your average desk job. "Exactly. Closed beta started just before this world’s 'end times.' It lines up with what players across different factions are saying." He subtly pointed at the sun-shaped insignia etched above the cathedral’s entrance. Everyone nodded knowingly. Three major factions currently held influence over the beta testers: the Church, the Nobility, and the Merchant Guilds. Using a forum embedded in the neural VR network, testers shared updates and theories. They discovered that the most frequently mentioned term across all three factions was related to the Solar Pantheon. All signs pointed to this moment in the game being the twilight of the Solar Gods' power. Their collective goal? To unravel the truth buried beneath this world before the public release. Once the floodgates opened and new players poured in, someone had to lead them. These beta testers saw themselves as that vanguard. "Someone's coming!" The chatter died instantly. Players smoothly switched topics, talking instead about dinner, training routines, and harmless mechanics. Not a word more about the end of days. From the corner of their eyes, they spotted a familiar figure: Phoenix, their unrelenting instructor. The mere sight of him made their muscles ache. Every misstep earned a lashing, and no amount of whining helped. But beside Phoenix was a far more welcome sight: Sister Maria. She’d bring herbs to ease their aches. Sometimes even homemade snacks that, to everyone’s surprise, gave minor stat boosts. Some had already flagged her as a potential quest-giving NPC with deep lore ties. And, well... she was easy on the eyes, too. "Anyone want to accompany Sister Maria on an errand?" Every single hand shot up. Even a patrolling church guardsman instinctively raised his hand before sheepishly lowering it under Phoenix's glare. "Sister Maria, seems they all adore you." "Love others as your siblings, and they shall return it in kind," Maria replied with a saintly smile. She stepped forward. The players leaned in, all ears. "Tyre, Ralph, Phylin..." She listed about ten names—each one a known player with a solid head on their shoulders. "Would you be willing to accompany me to the outskirts of Emerald Port tonight to... catch something?" As she spoke, each of the selected players received a system prompt: Maria... not Maria. Savvy players noticed the change in how the system referred to her. Another mystery to dig into. Everyone accepted. Not one refused. With their confirmation, Maria stepped back and nodded to Phoenix. He motioned for the ten selected testers to follow him. Since they were being tasked with capturing a live [Root of Man], they wouldn’t be going in unarmed. Thanks to Maria’s favor, Phoenix didn’t mind bending the rules a little to loan them proper equipment.