In traditional virtual MMORPGs, to make the game more engaging, the developers sometimes set up overlapping quests between two seemingly unrelated questlines.
When quests overlapped, players on both chains could either choose cooperation or confrontation. Typically, veteran players judged by circumstances. Overlap quests usually came with much higher difficulty, as conflicts grew fiercer and more unpredictable.
"…So, any good suggestions?"
Luminous Cathedral.
Tyr spoke gloomily, explaining how their plan had run into complications. Miss Maria had somehow gotten involved in a quest tied to the Lord of Cinder, while the noble military faction also seemed eager to make a move on the Lord of Cinder.
"Just keep pushing the quest as usual. There's no conflict."
Ralph was optimistic, far more relaxed than Tyr or Phylin. No matter how real it all felt, it was still just a game. Getting too emotionally invested wasn't wise. That was a perspective born from life experience, something young gamers rarely understood.
To knowingly embrace the false and lose oneself in it, pitiful, even tragic.
"What if we get the nun killed? She clearly still has quests tied to her. Her sister, the destroyed town, and… heheh."
You chase me, you catch me, and I'll let you heheh. An old dirty meme, black slang among players: "heheh" meant an NPC could be romanced. Because of policies and realism limits, VRMMOs couldn't fully simulate unspeakable acts, at most skirting the edge.
But Fractured's realism was absurdly high, and the policy lines seemed a bit blurred. Here, finding a drop-dead gorgeous NPC as a companion and enjoying intimacy before the servers shut down was no longer just a dream.
After all, didn't every player harbor a little fantasy?
"She's strong."
Disinterested in anything but growing stronger in combat, Phylin spoke up. He didn't believe a powerful black-robed nun would fall during a Lord of Cinder quest.
"Hey, maybe you guys have the wrong focus. Sister Maria could be an ally, not an obstacle." Su was firmly in the strategist camp, a gamer who loved tipping factional balances to achieve goals. A so-called schemer, never expending more effort than absolutely necessary.
"She's not clergy of the Church. If we share part of what we've discovered with her, we could win her trust and gain her help."
High realism and freedom ensured diverse gameplay. NPCs no longer acted on rigid scripts. Su had learned that after some time with the evil faction.
"Then, on behalf of the organization, I assign this difficult task to you."
They had been waiting for him to say it. Tyr and Ralph grinned slyly, their trap sprung. Su's eyes widened only then, realizing he had been set up. On the Fractured beta forums, there were already reports of players meeting grisly ends after failed persuasion attempts.
With such realism, NPCs were no different from real people, unpredictable in their sways.
Even if affection levels were maxed out, persuading an NPC to do something against their will carried a chance of failure.
And the risk varied.
Severe cases meant silenced, killed outright. Minor cases meant affection dropped.
For example: suppose you're on good terms with Sister Dolores, the Steel Nun, and then suggest she go murder and burn for the evil faction. What do you think will happen?
Now it was persuading NPC sister Maria.
Hopefully, that wouldn't prove fatal…
.........
Meanwhile, once again the target of players' schemes, Miss Maria's first action upon returning to the cathedral was to seek out Gehrman.
When she found her cheap master, he was drunkenly cornering two sweet-faced ladies with shameless chatter. The scene nearly gave Maria a heart attack.
She rushed forward, grabbed Gehrman by the collar, and dragged him away, rescuing the blushing ladies from his indecent banter.
"Lord, do you even know what you're doing?"
Maria fought the urge to cover her face. Gehrman, you're outrageous, flirting in this place? If the paladins had walked in, they would've run you through and thrown you out on the spot.
"It's just normal conversation~~ I love discussing life and ideals with beautiful woman." And from there, the conversation would drift to the bedroom. Gehrman even sneaked a lewd gesture.
"Gehrman!"
Angry now, Maria swung a slap at his face. Of course it missed. But it was enough to make him rein in his antics a little. Teasing his pretty apprentice was fun once in a while, but not worth pushing too far.
Like a man changing masks, Gehrman sobered, scanning the area before letting his right hand glow faintly.
"Soundproofing charm. Outsiders can't hear us."
"In a couple of days, I'll be leaving on a trip. Gehrman, can you look after Felia for me?"
"Leaving?" Gehrman stroked his chin. "Maria, didn't I tell you not to get too entangled with the Church? They've been overstepping more and more. Plenty of people already resent them. If not for their pilgrimages, chaos would've broken out by now."
Clearly, Gehrman had his own sources. He didn't want his first apprentice dying pointlessly.
"I have reasons I can't ignore." Though he had warned her, Maria knew too well the Radiant Church of the Sun would collapse in the future. Still, she had to fulfill her deal with Archbishop Mark. Once that was done, she intended to distance herself from the Church and lean toward the Noble Council.
"Is it dangerous?"
Looking at his kind but stubbornly determined apprentice, Gehrman shrugged helplessly. Impulse and recklessness were the privileges of youth. He didn't really mind seeing her risk herself. Worst case, he could step in and clean up, cutting down anyone who objected.
Never having taught an apprentice before, Mr. Gehrman felt his mentoring was excellent, even gave himself a mental thumbs-up.
"It shouldn't be." Maria lifted the Sun Emblem necklace in her hand. She hadn't worked for nothing, Archbishop Mark had added a special function to it.
"Fine, fine. When you get back from the quest, we'll have a drink."
Casually, he planted a massive death FLAG on his disciple, his expression saying: Go in peace, I'll take care of your little sister.
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