Since the start of the closed beta, many of the veteran players had finally gathered after enduring various hardships.
In their downti between training sessions, they began sharing the intel they had uncovered.
Their discussions revealed just how imrsive [Fractured] really was. The ga 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 cos 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 ga 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 sothing to do with the [Root of Man]," Tyre replied. His encounters made it clear: the NPCs were terrified of it. Even soone like Phoenix, who acted like he feared nothing, seed 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 tis.' 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 rchant Guilds.
Using a forum embedded in the neural VR network, testers shared updates and theories. They discovered that the most frequently ntioned term across all three factions was related to the Solar Pantheon.
All signs pointed to this mont in the ga 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, soone had to lead them. These beta testers saw themselves as that vanguard.
"Soone's coming!"
The chatter died instantly. Players smoothly switched topics, talking instead about dinner, training routines, and harmless chanics. 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 re 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 welco sight:
Sister Maria.
She’d bring herbs to ease their aches. Sotis even homade snacks that, to everyone’s surprise, gave minor stat boosts. So 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?"
FWIP!!
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 nas—each one a known player with a solid head on their shoulders.
"Would you be willing to accompany to the outskirts of Erald Port tonight to... catch sothing?"
As she spoke, each of the selected players received a system prompt:
Maria has offered you a quest: Accompany her to Erald Port to capture a live [Root of Man] specin. Difficulty: [Apprentice] ~ [Iron]. Reward: Unknown. Hint: Maria rarely gives quests. Perhaps this is your chance to learn more about her... Accept / Decline?
Maria... not Sister 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 unard.
Thanks to Maria’s favor, Phoenix didn’t mind bending the rules a little to loan them proper equipnt.
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