Fractured: I became Her【Genderbend LitRPG】

Chapter 141: All Beings Are Equal

North-forged warriors are tempered by harsh winds. Those who survive and thrive in such severe conditions naturally develop greater physical strength and resilience than those raised in sheltered environments. This stands to reason.Maria also hailed from the northern lands.

The frost and biting winds of the north remained as integral to her childhood memories as bloodshed and etiquette.

Alex, who shared her northern origins, was indeed a coarse brute. It was difficult to connect this muscle-bound man with the skilled artisans of the Machine God Sect. While most men would mind their manners before a beautiful woman, he showed no such concern, spitting on the ground right in front of Maria.

He cursed under his breath, clearly furious.

"Mr. Alex, it brings me joy to see you again."

Lady Maria's smile remained as delicate as ever on her exquisite face. She adjusted her collar and neckerchief, repeating nearly the same words she had spoken during their first encounter.

"But I'm damn well not happy."

Alex, a man of purely bestial appearance, flashed a murderous glint in his eyes. This muscle-bound brute was not known for his patience. Having been ambushed and thoroughly beaten by the Radiant Church at his own doorstep, he knew he must retaliate or lose all credibility in Torrent City.

Though Alex had anticipated some trouble, he had not grasped the full severity of the situation.

"They have made their move. You are one of their targets."

"What?! Those rioters have a death wish?" Scratching his buzz cut, the menacing-looking Alex immediately labeled the fanatical believers as rioters.

Well...

The term rioters did seem rather fitting. Maria continued speaking plainly, knowing directness worked best with this muscular brute. Despite his intimidating appearance and lack of manners, he proved to be a reliable partner.

"If I intended to lie, I would not choose such a flimsy falsehood that would be exposed by a simple walk through the city streets. Mr. Alex, I told you we would have opportunities to collaborate. Now... that opportunity stands before you." Maria smiled warmly, pleased to see her previous predictions coming to fruition.

She had previously proposed deepening their cooperation beyond the supply of non-sensitive materials. After all, even the servants of the God of Machines needed funding to research more sacred and grand mechanical devices. In these relatively peaceful times, few nobles or wealthy merchants were willing to bankroll the Church of Steam's expensive research.

A significant reason for this was the Church of Steam's failure to effectively transition their products from supernatural or military applications to civilian or commercial use.

Two specific factors contributed to this situation.

One issue was that the Steam Church clergy hadn't found the right direction for development yet. They were stuck in the traditional mindset of relying on chance, waiting for one of their products to luckily become useful so they could coast for years. Another problem was that due to environmental factors, most of their creations were lethal devices; any everyday tools they made were crude at best. But with the influx of players, the Steam Church's transformation would accelerate. Farsighted Maria could guide the servants of the God of Machines toward the correct path.

The integration of machinery with industry and commerce had been stalled for far too long. Religion's suppression of free thought deserved criticism as well.

"Let's do it! It's not like the nobles are worth a damn anyway!"

Without overthinking it, Alex slapped his shiny bald head and agreed immediately.

With no movement from the Weavebinders, Military Intelligence, or the noble armies, Alex's gut reaction was that the men of the Southern Territories were all spineless cowards. He'd rather follow this lady whose blood ran with the northern winds; it felt more straightforward.

Seeing that the Purge Squad's future equipment division was secured, Maria cheered quietly to herself.

The Transcendents of the Steam Church were just too overpowered. Maybe the God of Machines truly watched over them, but these people were born to handle machinery, materials, and devices. They could replicate almost any other maker's products within their capabilities.

"Excellent. I assume you don't mind giving us free access to everything here."

"Take it! Take whatever you want!"

"The boss is covering the whole place. Grab what works for you." Maria waved a hand and led the way inside.

Pointing deeper into the Armory, Maria unceremoniously called in the Purge Squad members scouting outside. No sense leaving free resources behind, especially with important tasks ahead for the Purge.

With this batch of long-range combat machinery and some claw transmission devices, the Transcendents could pull off all sorts of three-dimensional attacks in Torrent City, where most buildings stood two or three stories tall.

Aerial units were still rare and precious in the Fractured world.

"Tch…"

Alex clicked his tongue in annoyance but made no move to stop them.

"Got any high-powered firearms? Recommend one to me." Treating him as an acquaintance, Lady Maria tossed her flintlock, now inadequate for the fights she faced, to Alex.

Alex caught it, glanced at it, and smirked dismissively.

'A gun for women!'

From a certain perspective, Alex wasn't wrong.

"No guns. Want a cannon instead?" He tossed the flintlock back to Maria. Her ladyship tilted her head in resignation.

Sorry, but she had no intention of creating bizarre professions like "firearm scholar," "artillery expert," or "cannon envoy." Let the players have their fun with that.

"Where to next? Who do we hit?" Alex loaded Shuttles into his armor-like harness like ammunition, his face set in a vicious scowl. No doubt he'd find plenty to discuss with players who shared his simple, direct way of thinking.

"Many districts have been ambushed like this one. I'm uncertain how many attacks succeeded or failed, so we must prepare for the worst scenario."

Maria had very few available personnel. Even with her knowledge of the Radiant Church's impending operation, it was difficult to say whether anything could be changed.

"Worst? That's not a pleasant word."

"Prepare for Torrent City to be half-destroyed." With a casual tone, Maria took down a black compound bow with gear transmission mechanisms from the rack. She tested its weight in her hand, fingers lightly brushing over the steel-wound bowstring. This bow with its strong cross-era styling - she commandeered it.

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