The Cheater's Return

by Brian McGoldrick

  As I look toward the horizon, I cannot keep the frown off my face. "You met Mi-Cha. You researched her history, right?"

  Raven Goddess cautiously nods her head. "You and she first met at age five. You were in the same school and class until you were age eight. She is a former Arena League Controller, and before her abrupt retirement, she was considered to be one of the most skilled female Controllers in the world. At the age of 20, she suddenly converted to the Church of the Resurrection. I see."

  Because I am completely unable to suppress the hate and bloodlust in my eyes, I do not look in Raven Goddess' direction. "Yeah. We were what you could call frienemies. We were both targeted by bullies and we both got into a lot of fights in elementary school. I was always better at fighting, and Mi-Cha is not the kind of person that can accept being second best. Even as a little kid, she hated that the fat pig in the class and was a better fighter than her. We were hardcore rivals, but she didn't hate me. At least, she didn't hate me before becoming a Resurrectionist. She was raised as some kind of pre-apocalypse Christian, and she was devout in her beliefs. Then, literally overnight, she converted to the Church of the Resurrection, and we went from a strange sort of friends, with her seeing me as her biggest rival, to her hating my guts."

  As I try to keep control of my anger, I sigh. "I never understood what the fuck happened, but if the Church can modify a person's mind, that would explain the change in Mi-Cha. Have you ever lied to me?"

  "No."

  The Church took everything I had and one of the few things that mattered. When they perma-banned me, they had all my assets seized. They even took the trust funds I had set up for my mother and Kelly. They even took Mi-Cha. I used to have a number of acquaintances I was friendly with, but in my entire life, she was my only friend. Because of her personality, we fought a lot, but we were still friends. I will never forgive the Church. I do not know how much I can hurt them, but I will take what I can get. I will fuck over every one of the bastards I can. Once the game goes into War Mode, I will torture and kill every one of them I get my hands on.

  I struggle to get control over my emotions, but with my hate hopefully hidden, I look at Raven Goddess and smirk. "I believe you. You never tell the whole truth, but I've never caught you lying to me."

  Raven Goddess smiles sadly. "You should not trust me so easily. This is my personal endgame with the Church. I am as likely to get you killed as anything."

  "I'm not stupid. I know that the chances of me getting a new Thompson's free body are pretty much zero to negative. The Church outlawed cloning and genetic research. They are the only ones that might be able to give me a new body, and there's now no way in hell they'll do that. I'm dead, Raven, and I'm gonna live every day like it's my last. In this artificial world, I'm going to come as close to being a God as I can."

  With a cold, malicious glint in my eyes, I grin at Raven Goddess. "Besides I owe the Church some payback. They took my frienemy away and fucked her over, and she can't even try to get any payback. If she has even an inkling of what they've done to her, her life must be a living hell.

  "By being locked in a cryo-capsule and living in this world, I could extend my life by ten or a hundred times. The few years I have left could be centuries. I may hate the Church, but I always loved playing Primacy Online . I'm gonna enjoy my last days as much as I can, and when I encounter any Church scum, I'm gonna hurt them as much as I can. It's a good plan, don't you think?"

  Raven Goddess gives me one her brilliant smiles that I have never seen on her face in the presence of another. "You are a lunatic. Let us play the Church's game and defeat them!"

  After taking the rag doll out of my item storage, I notice blanched faces and nervous expressions on a few of the nearby villagers. Looking at the village head, he seems to be too calm and has a decidedly unnatural demeanor of innocence.

  When I turn my eyes toward Raven Goddess, she has a blank look on, as though she has not noticed anything out of place. Her not noticing the villager's behavior is about as believable as a starving animal not noticing food.

  "Let's take a walk."

  In silence, we walk toward the edge of the plateau and surreptitiously make certain we are not being followed.

  "They recognized the doll."

  With a deep frown, Raven Goddess stares toward the edges of the field. "Yes. The old woman near the hut to my right looked very guilty when she saw it."

  I inspect the doll, but other than a once bright but now mostly faded red dress, there is nothing particularly distinctive about it.

  "Let me see it."

  Raven Goddess is particularly interested in the dirt stains on the red dress. "I do not think this is dirt. It seems more like a blood stain. Have you used your new talent on this?"

  I shake my head. "Not yet. Give it here."

  I open my character sheet and take another look at the description for Item Ancestry . Now that I have absorbed the Talent, it has a more complete set of information associated with it.

  Item Ancestry

  » Duration: Variable

  » Activation Cost: Minimum of 40MP

  » Item Ancestry allows the possessor to read the powers, history, and origins of an item. When Item Ancestry is activated, the user will experience the events that have left the strongest impressions within the item.

  » If the item has a sufficient pattern, the knowledge extracted with Item Ancestry can be used to Soulbind it to the user.

  » The target item may be a corpse, but it will not work on a living creature.

  » With stronger Perception, the user will obtain more detailed information from the item.

  » With stronger Willpower, the user will see farther into the past of the item.

  » The combination of the user's Perception and Willpower determine the quantity of information obtained from the item.

  » The difference in Level and Rank between the user and the item will affect all facets of the information obtained.

  » Warning: While using Item Ancestry, the user's senses will be cut off from their environment.

  » ???

  What the hell? There are more question marks. What is going on with all the unknown data? In Primacy Online , Talents are sort of like superpowers. Once you get one, it is what it is unless you get another Talent that modifies it. You cannot improve a Talent through training or spending experience on it; the most you can do is get better at using it. A Talent will always work and scale in the exact same manner, and very, very few Talents have a direct effect on attacking or damaging an enemy. Combat-related Talents are almost exclusively support or sensory in their nature.

  Some Talents have very intricate and detailed descriptions of how they work, and others are very simplistic. There are also hidden Talents, but I have never heard of a Talent with hidden facets or components.

  "I'm going to be out of it while using this. According to the description, Item Ancestry will cut off my awareness of the surrounding environment."

  Raven Goddess frowns. "Is it a direct experience type of divination?"

  "It says I will experience the events that have left the strongest impressions within the item."

  "Have you ever used any sort of direct experience Talent or Ability?"

  "No."

  Raven Goddess' eyes have a hint of dark amusement in them. "Steel yourself. You are in for the experience of a lifetime, pun intended."

  With a Talent of Ability being like a superpower, there is no need to go through the rigmarole of casting a spell. There are no chants, gestures, or components required. For noobs and third rate players, they can be activated by a spoken command, but once you understand the mechanics of Primacy Online , you just have to focus your mind and think of the Talent's name to activate it.

  Item Ancestry! As I think of the Talent, with the doll in my hand, I feel the Mana being sucked out of me. Even for a powerful Talent with a no Level requirement, 40MP is a ridiculously large activation cost, and I instantly feel dizzy like I have I have
been kicked in the head by a horse.

  When I started fluffing arena sheathes in Primacy Online V: Knights of the Mist , I knew very little about animals. The Arena League teams do not let new fluffers near their precious team sheathes, until they have been trained on low-Level sheathes kept on hand just for that purpose. When I started training, I was dumb enough to get behind a temperamental horse, and it kicked me in the head, so I know what it feels like.

  After a few seconds, the world goes black, and I feel like I am floating in an empty void. There is no sound and no sensation. I cannot even tell if I have a body anymore. I have no idea how much time has passed. It could be a few seconds or an hour. If it were not for the warning in the description for Item Ancestry, I would have already gotten upset, thinking something was very wrong, and even with the warning, I feel a sourceless, primal fear clawing at my mind, looking for a way in.

  * * * * *

  I do not know how much time has passed when I start to see things. At first, there is just ruddy flickering light, and the feeling of pressure on my body. Then, the giant face of a child fills my vision.

  "Mommy! A dolly! Is the dolly mine?"

  "Yes, Sine. Mommy made it just for you."

  "So pretty! I love my dolly!"

  With a sensation of more pressure, the world goes black

  * * * * *

  Thud.

  I am sitting on a table, and a thick, crude ceramic mug lands on the table in front of me. Another doll is sitting on the table across from me, and two girls are sitting on chairs on either side of the table. They are so small in relation to the table that their chins are just barely higher than the table top.

  Again, the world goes black.

  * * * * *

  "Ugly girl! Run home to your mommy!"

  The ground and sky spin through my vision, and the little girl is sprawled on the ground. She is a bit older than in the first image.

  A boy about the same age is standing over her, and there are two more behind him.

  Yet again, the world goes black.

  * * * * *

  "Waaaaaa! Waaaaaa! It hurts, daddy! Please, stop. Sine will be a good girl! Please, stop! Waaaaaa!"

  I am laying on a rough plank of wood, and the little girl's hand is next to me. She is naked, with nails through her wrists and ankles, and where her flesh has been cut away, the white bones of her ribs are visible.

  "Hurry up, Padean! Everyone's hungry. Finish butchering your brat!"

  For a long time, the world does not fade to black. I see the girl's flesh carved from her bones and listen to her agonized screams and pleas, but no one does anything to help her. In the background, there is indistinct conversation, laughter, and the sound of metal and wood on ceramic.

  I do not know how much time has passed before the little girl's screaming stops and the light in her eyes goes out.

  I cannot move or act. I can only watch.

  Finally, the world goes black.

  * * * * *

  I am back in the black void. After what I saw, my heart should be hammering like a jackhammer, but I cannot feel anything. I do not how much time passes. I scream, but there is no sound. Everything is nothing, and nothing is everything. Without any sight, sound, or sensation to lock onto, panic overwhelms me.

  Huff. Huff. Huff.

  I am on my knees, and Raven Goddess' hands on my shoulders are the only things that keeps me from falling over on my face.

  "Are you okay? Crom, talk to me! Are you okay?" Raven Goddess eyes are only about six inches below my own. They are the same icy grey as they are in the real world.

  As I stare into those normally cold eyes, I see a trace of fear and something else.

  "I'm okay. That was fucked up."

  "What happened? What did you see?" Raven Goddess' hands move from my shoulders to my cheeks, and her lips are slightly parted. Her eyes are filled with worry and concern.

  Seeing Raven Goddess like this, I cannot imagine how I could ever have thought of her as the Immortal Ice Queen. She looks so small, vulnerable, and alone.

  For a minute or so, we just stare at each other, and my ragged breathing steadies.

  "Tell me what you saw."

  "You don't want to know."

  "Tell me."

  "Don't say I didn't warn you."

  As I describe the scene of the mother and girl, a deep longing fills Raven Goddess' eye. When I describe the two girls playing house or whatever with their dolls, her longing changes to loneliness. With the description of the boys bullying the girl, wry amusement and hostility replace the loneliness.

  After describing the bullying, I stop talking. I do not know what Raven Goddess sees in my face, but the worry and concern return to her eyes.

  "What else was there?" Raven Goddess' voice is soft.

  As I describe the last scene, a wave of malicious darkness rises from within me, and I feel a desire to hurt people. Whether in the game or the real world, I am no stranger to violence, but the butchery of the little girl by someone who might have been her father is more than I can handle. I want to hurt those people and make them scream just like the little girl.

  After listening to the description of the last scene, Raven Goddess' eyes are like a winter storm. "Ever since the coming of the Fomhoraigh, Toraigh has been a land of evil. They brought out the darkness within the souls of all that fell under their dominion. It is time to cleanse this place."

  Raven Goddess picks up the rag doll and stuffs it into my hands.

  Ding!

  Quest: Follow the Dolly has been offered.

  Do you wish to accept? (Yes/No)

  "Yes!"

  Follow the Dolly (Unique) (Storyline Quest: 1 of ??) (Difficulty: ??)

  » Find Sine's remains

  » Lay Sine to rest

  » Avenge Sine

  » Reward: ??

  » Quest can be shared by up to 10 people (2/10)

  Raven Goddess looks toward the village. "Are any of the cannibals that ate Sine among the villagers?"

  I shake my head. "I don't know. I couldn't recognize any voices, and the only face I could see was the one who was carving her up. From what they said, I assume that was her father."

  "Any father that would do that to his own child deserves to be tortured unto death."

  A grim smile that has no humor in it settles on my lips. "I think her daddy is already dead. That ghoul you killed looked a lot like the man in my vision, but I don't see anyone that might be the other children in the visions."

  With a frown, Raven Goddess observes the village. "There are far too few children for a village this size. I have only seen five in total. Even with the high child mortality rates of this kind of environment, that is far too few for the village to maintain a viable population."

  I let out a heavy sigh. "This does not feel like a proper starter village."

  Raven Goddess laughs grimly. "It is not. This is an Extermination zone. Even if it was available as a starter zone, it would never have quests that follow the normal starter zone quest lines. When we chose to start here, the Quantum Control Program created a few random starter quests with a chance for very high quality rewards. Your Item Ancestry tome was a perfect example of that."

  Looking over the edge of the escarpment, there is a group of about twenty villagers dragging the bodies of the zombies into the brush toward the west near the foot of the escarpment. The body of the ghoul is already gone.

  "Let's go." After climbing down a rope ladder, I take out my starter staff and head toward the western side of the clearing, with Raven Goddess at my side.

  From the nervous looks that they cast over their shoulders, the villagers do not seem to be too happy to see us. It could be due to my being almost 2.9m tall, but I think it has more to do with them being afraid of us finding something.

  The biggest man among the villager drops the corpse he is dragging and moves to block our path. At about 1.8m tall and 80kg or so, he may be a big man among the villagers, but that is just bec
ause they run to the small and scrawny side of the spectrum. Raven Goddess is nearly as tall as he is, and she should be more than his match in her sleep.

  "Crom, use your Identify Monster on him." Raven Goddess points at the villager.

  Common Human (Fighter) Level 8

  » HP 1600/1600

  Identify Monster does not work on anything classified as an NPC, meaning technically playable races that are not rabid monsters in their behavior, but he shows up as a monster. In Primacy Online V , bandits and other types of automatically hostile outlaws will usually show up as monsters, but I never saw a human show up as Common Human with Identify Monster . What the fuck is that supposed to mean?

  I check a few more of the villagers.

  Common Human (Fighter) Level 8

  » HP 1630/1630

  Invalid Target

  Invalid Target

  Invalid Target

  Common Human (Fighter) Level 2

  » HP 260/260

  Invalid Target

  Common Human (Fighter) Level 5

  » HP 1140/1140

  Invalid Target

  Invalid Target

  "He's not the only one. Do you know why some of them are showing up as monsters?"

  Raven Goddess shakes her head. "I have a suspicion, but it could be wrong. I think the ones that are showing up as monsters would become ghouls if they were to die violently."

  "Oh really."

  I head straight for the man blocking my path. He has unhealthy looking, pale skin, like all the villagers, and his hair and full beard are dark brown. The other villagers that show up with Identify Monster move to join the big man. Including the big man, there are seven of them, ranging from Level 2 to Level 8.

  "You can't go this way. If you know what's good for you, you'll turn around and go back to the village."

  I smile at the man. "Do you really think you can stop us?"

  The villagers laugh, and the big man sneers at me. "You're nothing but them Outworlders that them idiot Theran Priests of El was spouting about. You're nothing but weaklings that take a long time to get strong."