Luminous Cathedral, Resupply.
There was comfort, immense comfort, in having a vast organization at her back. Broken gear, used-up scrolls, other consumables, returning to base meant full resupply. For now, she was effectively riding along in the war-chariot of the Radiant Church of the Sun. Naturally, Miss Maria wasn't about to be shy.
And she truly did need a proper resupply.
But "proper resupply" was complicated. Ever since awakening the bloodline of the Cainhurst Bloodkin, Maria was heavily restricted in her use of divine gear. Items infused with overly strong holy attributes could cause her painful holy burns. Already, she could no longer use divine healing scrolls, let alone something like holy water.
Back during the Seth Town incident, most of her weapons had been ruined. Getting a new weapon at the supply depot was essential. But here came the problem, holy-aspected weapons were off-limits to her. Maria, however, had her own solution.
"…Only this once."
The elderly priest who once teased Maria about potion ingredients now trembled as he held out a key to the silver-haired, crimson-eyed nun.
"Rest assured, just this once." Maria looked solemnly at the unremarkable chapel before her and gave her word.
This was the relic vault of the Luminous Cathedral.
Most of the foes subdued by the Radiant Church were cultists, whose leftover weapons posed grave danger to ordinary people. Such arms had to be brought back to the sanctum for suppression and purification. Over time, the cathedral's vault had become a very particular place.
And in it lay weapons suited for Maria.
Frankly, if not for her solid reputation, and the fact her request bore the endorsement of Archbishop Mark, Maria, as a vampiric being, might have been facing extermination squads instead.
Vampire-kind.
In Fractured, any extraordinary creature feeding on blood was classified as Vampire-kind. Inherently, this didn't always oppose holy power. But the terror they inspired in ignorant mortals made their alignment delicate. The Churches' stance varied: the final consensus was, so long as vampire-kind committed no atrocities, they would be treated as neutral. In exchange, they could not endanger their prey during feeding.
Once the vault was opened, Maria stepped inside without hesitation. Minutes later, she emerged carrying two blades.
One was a longsword with a hollow-winged ring for a hilt. Its sheathed blade gleamed as though freshly wiped clean of blood. The other was a single-edged shortsword, dark and lusterless, treated specially for work in shadow.
Both radiated a sinister air.
The old priest examined them with some satisfaction. The longsword was a killing blade; the shortsword, an Elven-crafted assassin's weapon. Neither belonged to the ravingly evil camp.
Twin blades.
One long, one short, the perfect complement to cover each other's weaknesses. In close combat, Maria now resembled an Elven ranger, a high-agility type. Except she lacked the elves' traditional talent: the bow.
Pre-battle resupply.
Maria had chosen suitable weapons, though she dearly hoped she wouldn't truly need them in the coming Lord of Cinder quest.
......
When Su came to find Maria again, he discovered her at the training grounds, practicing earnestly with one of her unfamiliar weapons. Her movements were deliberate and solid, the flashing edge humming faintly through the air.
Learning a weapon's length, balance, and weight, like learning the contours of a lover's body.
Maria was no prodigy; even with new gear, she had to practice. In combat, an inch too long or too short could decide fate. Rapid familiarity with one's weapons was the foundation of every extraordinary fighter, though each found their own way to practice.
"This is your second time seeking me out today." The blade's cold light swirled as Maria's soft hands traced graceful, deadly arcs with the longsword.
Hummm.
The blade halted, its tip leveled at Su. He reflexively raised his hands, feeling a strange prickle where the bright edge pointed.
"Mr. Harvett has already shared the schedule with me. Do you want to look it over first?"
"Thanks." Smiling faintly, Maria flipped the sword into a reverse grip and sheathed it with a clang. She followed Su into a secluded corner of the training ground, where he handed her a wax-sealed letter from Harvett. For Maria, the honorary mayor of Seth Town seemed to be taking particular interest.
"Sister Maria, have you heard of the Lord of Cinder?"
Su opened with a straight pitch, like some friend hawking him a product. Maria stared, speechless for a moment. She hadn't expected such bluntness. Still, blunt had its merits, and as half a player herself, Maria appreciated the directness.
On one side, players banking on the nun's strength and potential quests. On the other, Maria's longstanding curiosity about the Lord of Cinder storyline.
NPC Sister Maria was quickly persuaded by Player Su.
Their exchange flowed almost too smoothly, smooth enough that Su half-wondered if he'd stumbled into an exploit. But soon Maria's questions choked him like an invisible hand at his throat. She pressed about the players' motives: had they bribed so-and-so? What were their real intentions regarding the Lord of Cinder? What was their ultimate goal?
Su stammered and deflected until at last, Maria let it pass.
And she got what she wanted.
Just as she had suspected, the closed-beta players who descended upon Southwind Province were already gravitating toward the game's main storyline. Through forum communities, they traded information, mapped the continent by provinces, and realized every large-scale regional quest pointed toward the ancient path of Kindling.
The Fourth Calamity surmised: once open beta launched, the main story and Kindling would be inseparable.
And the Radiant Church already looked like it was on death's door.
Before the beta ended, players across the provinces would gather intel and stir chaos, hastening the downfall of the Radiant Church.
Then, when open beta began, perhaps those same Church-aligned players could joyfully inherit the Church's legacy.
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