Pirate Phantom
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Chapter 26: As Expected, and the Unexpected
🕑 Added 2025-07-14 22:51:11 +0000 UTCAs a cleric, one must devote their whole body, heart, and soul to the service of the gods.
Those heretics who covet divine power yet refuse to offer due sacrifice do not deserve to live under the protection of the First Flame!
To the [Radiant Church], the [Kasath Reclamation Army] were exactly that kind of despicable heresy. They had turned to the [Abyss], rejected the brilliance of the Sun Gods, and responded to divine punishment not with repentance, but with deeper blasphemy.
Unforgivable.
An unforgivable sin.
The only place fitting for such heretics was the pyre.
While religion often represented order and law, in some ways it could be just as savage as a primitive tribe. When that brutality wore the guise of righteousness, it could drive its believers to act with frightening efficiency.
The [Kasath Reclamation Army].
After the fire at Emerald Port, the [Radiant Church]'s targeted investigations quickly began to uncover traces of their operatives in Flowing Spring City.
And the Church responded fast.
The moment intel was confirmed, their military forces moved to apprehend suspects. But it seemed the enemy had already predicted this. They'd gone into hiding before the Church mobilized, likely knowing the fire would blow their cover.
To make matters worse, they left behind a taunting message defiling the gods.
From day to night and night to dawn, the Church combed through the city. But the results were meager. If the cathedral had been at full strength, with its three [Gold]-rank leaders and dozens of [Silver]-rank clerics, they could’ve launched a massive detection ritual to scan the entire city without blind spots. But with so many of its elites reassigned, the Church’s current forces fell short—and worse, they were still clinging to old assumptions.
And amid that growing tension, Maria received two unexpected visitors during her confinement:
Tyr and Phylin.
Seeing the two fully geared-up testers walk into her room, Maria honestly wondered if they were bold enough to try killing her for loot. She wasn’t being paranoid—[Fractured]’s realism meant player-on-NPC murder wasn’t uncommon.
"Good day, Sister Maria."
"Good day, Sister."
The two removed their caps and greeted her politely. Only after getting her permission did they sit down. Without wasting time, they shared the selectively filtered intel they'd gathered from their noble contacts. And, right on cue, a system prompt appeared:
‘Affinity with NPC Maria +5.’
Well...
It wasn’t much, but for Tyr—who considered Maria a high-difficulty, high-reward NPC—it was worth it. The harder the target, the better the bragging rights.
"I see," Maria murmured, resting her chin on her hand as she processed the information. Then she suddenly smiled.
The gentle, captivating radiance of that smile stunned even Phylin for a moment. Tyr, on the other hand, quickly averted his gaze. Something about her presence had become... dangerously alluring. Sweet and tempting—like blood still hot from the vein.
"I think I understand their intentions now. Thank you for this information," Maria said. "And yes, fire is very useful. The [Follower]'s path is thorny, and only fire can burn the way clear."
She sat upright, speaking cryptically—but not too cryptically for closed beta testers. She knew how much players valued return on investment, and her words were a clear nudge toward their upcoming class advancement.
Phylin, sharp as ever, got it instantly. Captain Phoenix had already briefed them about the Church's magic and potion system, and there were plenty of fire-related skills.
Yep, testers were definitely not to be underestimated.
Watching Tyr limp away on sore legs, Maria marveled again at his endurance. He'd actually finished the hundred laps, forcing even Phoenix to break protocol.
………………
Truth be told, Tyr and Phylin weren’t the only ones feeding Maria information. In her weeks at Flowing Spring, she'd raised plenty of affinity scores.
Even in confinement, she'd been piecing together whispers from passing soldiers and clerics. By now, she likely understood the city’s political undercurrents better than most.
"They should be letting me out soon," she murmured.
Pouring herself a glass of warm water, the black-clad nun stretched languidly, reclining in her chair. If her predictions were right, it wouldn't be long.
And before that, she needed to rest and restore herself.
After all...
She was just about to jump from one whirlpool into another. Beneath the surface, Flowing Spring was teeming with hidden threats—nobles, the Church, and [Abyssal] pactbearers. Emerald Port’s fire had only torn away the veil.
Even without her, the testers would’ve eventually uncovered this main storyline and escalated it to the surface. In her previous life, the beta players had likely taken a similar path—just using brute force and collaboration instead of exploiting an NPC’s identity like she had.
Next up? A deadly game of cat and mouse.
And maybe... a reunion with Captain Moll.
She'd struck him hard last time, but unless she saw the man truly dead, her heart couldn’t rest. Only a fully dead enemy was a good one.
Maria had always been a gamer. And deep down, she still had that same cold-blooded instinct.
Her prediction proved correct.
Not long after her prayers, one of the [White Priests] who’d once guarded her stopped by.
After a polite greeting, he delivered the message: Archbishop Mark wished to see her during the evening rest period, after dinner.
"Does the Archbishop need something urgent?"
"I don't know. But whatever it is, I don’t think it’s bad news."
The [White Priest] gave her a reassuring smile. Maria nodded in understanding.
It wouldn’t be the first time that high affinity twisted the narrative in unexpected directions.
