The Cheater's Return

by Brian McGoldrick

  As she stared at Morgan, Laura's eyes almost seemed to shine. "Raven Goddess, I never would have imagined that I would see you on my doorstep. You have been an inspiration and a target to overcome for millions of girls, myself included."

  Morgan revealed a faint smile. "That was never my intention. Now, I understand why you were such a difficult opponent. Two strategists, with two different approaches. It explains why I could never pin down how you would act or react."

  Unable to conceal a satisfied smile, Laura turned her attention to Patrick. "So you are Crom Cruach."

  Without any visible change of expression, Patrick nodded his head. "That would be me."

  Laura smiled warmly and held out her hand. "It is a pleasure to meet you in person. I took great pleasure in watching you cut a bloody swathe through the Holy Crusaders in Northwald. Your disappearance left me greatly disappointed."

  Patrick shook Laura's hand. "They were just in the way. Back then, if they hadn't fixated on harassing me, I never would have bothered with them."

  "And now?"

  Patrick's fat lips parted to reveal his bright, white teeth, but it was not a friendly expression. "I'm gonna kill every mother fucking one of them I can get my hands on."

  "My husband has told me that he plans to adventure with you. Would you object to my presence in your party?"

  When Patrick looked at Vincent, Vincent revealed a rare smile and nodded his head.

  Patrick shrugged. "Since Vinny is okay with it, I don't have any problems with you coming along."

  "Mother, are you going to play that abominable war game with this fat pig and Father? He looks like some plebeian swine that crawled out of a rubbish heap." The boy, who had the pale skin of his mother and dark brown hair, had an expression of incredulous anger on his face, and his tone of voice betrayed a clearly upper-class education.

  "Antonio, mind your manners." Laura did not so much as glance at her son, but there was no mistaking her air of humiliation.

  Laura looked Patrick straight in the eye. "Crom Cruach, my apologies. My son is an idiot that believes money is the only measure of a man's worth."

  Patrick chuckled. "No problem. I'm used to it. I've seen more than enough self-entitled little bitches like him in my life."

  "Fat disgusting swine, you're lucky –."

  Crack.

  With his hand holding his rapidly reddening cheek, Antonio stared at Vincent in shock. "Enough already. You are embarrassing us and yourself."

  "Crom, I am truly sorry that you had to witness my son's poor manners. He has never met a problem that I could not solve with money. It was a mistake on my part."

  "Forget about it, Vinny. We should really get a move on. I have another stop to make."

  "Of course. Rick, put the luggage in the car."

  "Yes, Boss."

  * * * * *

  Morgan's limousine had been parked outside the service entry of Mi-Chin Capsule Heaven for several minutes, but Patrick had still not left the vehicle. He just stared out the window with a dark anger simmering in his gaze.

  "Do you want to return to the plane?"

  As Patrick took a deep breath and slowly released it, the anger in his eyes was hidden. "No. I have to, at least, see Mi-Chan one last time. Do you think there is any way to undo the Church's mental reprogramming?"

  Morgan frowned, and for just a second, a flash of anger was visible in her eyes. "One day, it may be possible. We have people studying it in the City of Mann, but to date, they have had little success."

  "If I kidnapped Mi-Chan, could we get her out of Yukon City?"

  Morgan did not immediately reply. If Patrick had turned around, he would have seen a complex mix of emotions on her face, but after a minute or two, her face was schooled back into her normal icy mask.

  "Do you love her?"

  As Patrick turned to look at Morgan, the surprise in his eyes was easy to see. "No. Why would you think that?"

  Morgan smiled, but it was only with her lips. "You want to abduct a woman and abscond with her to another city-state. That is not an action one would casually take."

  Patrick snorted. "Mi-Chan can be an arrogant bitch, but we were more friends than enemies. I suppose we were never really enemies. She just can't stand anyone being better than herself at something she takes pride in. I hate the thought of her spending her life like she is."

  Morgan shifted her gaze from Patrick to the service entry door. "We could do it, but for her to have any chance of being healed in this lifetime, she would have to be put in cryogenic suspension until a process was developed to undo the Church's work. It might be impossible to ever completely fix the damage."

  "Fuck."

  Without being able to make a decision, Patrick exited the limousine and walked toward the service door. With a heavy frown, Morgan followed behind.

  Once inside the building, Patrick headed straight for his workshop and passed through it to the small room where he slept. After stuffing some clothes in a duffel bag, he returned to the workshop and stored his tools in toolboxes that he stacked up next to the door.

  "Fat Pig! I've been calling you all day! Why haven't you called me back! Are you leaving with this woman!" With her hands on her hips, Mi-Chan stood in the open door, glaring at Patrick.

  Behind Mi-Chan, another girl looked on and frowned at Patrick. Her eyes were filled with disgust, but beneath the disgust, there was a hint of fear. If someone saw a picture of a seventeen or eighteen-year-old Mi-Chan's face, they would swear it was a picture of this girl.

  "I'm moving to the City of Mann. Tonight."

  "You're what?" Mi-Chan's question came out as a gasp, and she stared at Patrick in wide-eyed amazement.

  "Sis, I told you that fat pig was useless. I don't know why you think so highly of a disgusting animal like him." The voice of the girl behind Mi-Chan had a whiny, self-absorbed tone to it.

  "Be quiet, Chin-Sun." Mi-Chan's apparent command was delivered in an offhanded manner.

  As Patrick stared at the sisters, his face revealed about as much emotion as the ball that it resembled. "What do you want Mi-Chan?"

  "Chin-Sun was drafted."

  "And how is that my problem?"

  "The Archbishop won't allow me to play Primacy Online . Help Chin-Sun. Please." Mi-Chan's face revealed an anguished expression. She looked ready to break down into tears at any moment.

  "You heard Chin-Sun. I'm just a fat pig, a disgusting animal. How could I help her?"

  Rage transformed Mi-Chan's face, and angry tears fell from her eyes. "God damn you, Fat Pig."

  Mi-Chan ran to Patrick and repeatedly hammered the bottoms of her fists against his chest. "I know the truth! You're Crom Cruach! You raised Thunder God! You created Fire God's Nova Blast! You're the best! No one can beat you in Primacy Online ! No one! Help my sister! Don't let her die! Please!"

  Grabbing onto Patrick's shirt, Mi-Chan leaned against him and cried. "Chin-Sun is all I have left. She's the last of my family. They took everything else. Don't let them take her, too. Please."

  Chin-Sun stared at Patrick and Mi-Chan with a horrified expression. "Sis, I'm not gonna die. I'll be the best ever. You wait and see. I don't need that fat pig's help."

  The top of Mi-Chan's head did not even reach Patrick's collarbone, and he looked over her head at Chin-Sun.

  The hidden anger was back in Patrick's eyes. "By the Archbishop, do you mean Archbishop Green?"

  "Yes." Mi-Chan looked up at Patrick, and her eyes were filled with desperation.

  Patrick put on an expression that might be called a smile. "I'm sorry, Mi-Chan. This is for your own good."

  With the tips of his fingers, Patrick struck Mi-Chan on both sides of her neck, and before her unconscious body could fall to the floor, he grabbed her by the shoulders.

  "Sis!" With a shriek, Chin-Sun charged into the room.

  Moving almost faster than the eye could follow, Morgan intercepted Chin-Sun, and with a single blow to the back of the girl's neck, she knocked her unc
onscious.

  Looking at Patrick, Morgan raised one eyebrow. "I gather that this means we are kidnapping both of them."

  Patrick displayed a grin, but the anger never left his eyes. "Pretty much. Archbishop Green seems to be in the middle of a lot if shit. What was the name of his sheathe?"

  "Vicar Apostle Claudius Servilius."

  A mix of anger and hate twisted Patrick's expression into a demonic mask. "He's that mother fucking piece of shit? Once the game goes into War Mode, I'm gonna kill that bastard."

  After tossing Mi-Chan over one shoulder, Patrick took Chin-Sun from Morgan and tossed her over his other shoulder.

  "Grab my duffel bag. Damn Mi-Chan had better appreciate me leaving my tools behind for her sake." Patrick headed for the service entry.

  Following behind Patrick with his duffel bag in hand, Morgan chuckled. "You can get new tools in the City of Mann."

  "I'm used to my old ones. New tools won't feel natural. I hate breaking in new tools."

  Even though Patrick could not see, Morgan rolled her eyes. "Goddess, I never thought the great Crom Cruach would be a crybaby about some tools."

  "A man's tools are a man's tools. No two tools are exactly the same."

  "Insufferable man!"

  Seeing Patrick leave the building with two unconscious women over his shoulders, Vincent exited his limousine and went over to him, but when he saw Mi-Cha's face his froze. "This is Mi-Cha Song. She is one of Green's dogs."

  "Not by choice. They reprogrammed her mind."

  Vincent frowned, but he still helped Patrick load the two girls into Morgan's limousine. "If we get caught before we leave the city-state, things might get troublesome. Even if she was brainwashed by the Church, this is still kidnapping."

  Patrick laughed. "I guess being a gangster just runs in my family. My father was a piece of shit gangster and pimp. His normal practice was kidnapping early teenage girls, getting them strung out, and putting them out on the street."

  As he looked around for security cameras, Vincent's frown did not change. "I actually do not know your name. Who is your father?"

  "Who was my father? He's dead. Ross Armagh."

  Vincent's back stiffened, and he stared at Patrick without saying anything.

  Patrick laughed again, but it was an unpleasant sound. "Don't worry Vinny. I always knew you put the hit out on that piece of shit, but you did me a favor. I really owe you a thank you. If you hadn't had him killed, I would have done something stupid and wound up dead or in jail."

  Despite what Patrick said, Vincent still carefully appraised him, but he could see no signs of hostility in Patrick's eyes. "What do we do, now?"

  Patrick's fat lips separated, and he grinned, showing his big, white teeth. "We get the fuck out of Yukon City and go have some fun in Toraigh. We have a war to fight, and I'm looking forward to fucking with the Church."

  As the two cars left the alley, a man in a trench coat, with his features concealed by his hat, stepped out of the shadows. After the tail lights of the limousines disappeared around another corner, the man returned to the shadows without anyone noticing his presence.

  Barrow Raiding

  Earth: Yukon City

  May 15, 1337 AA

  "Keep these two sedated until we reach the City of Mann."

  "Yes, Ma'am."

  Mi-Cha and Chin-Sun were both strapped into standard looking airplane seats that were set in a reclining position.

  Looking at the two sisters, Morgan Danan unconsciously frowned. Kidnapping the pair was of little concern for Morgan. Without the Church taking direct action, no one else on Earth would dare to interfere.

  In truth, there were very few actions that Morgan would not dare to take, but even with the advanced technology under the control of the City of Mann, there were still many things that she would be unable to accomplish. With a very faint sigh, Morgan returned to the main cabin of the scramjet. Looking around, she gave no indication of what thoughts might be troubling her.

  Morgan picked up a handset from a cradle on the wall. "Take off as soon as possible. Our destination is the City of Mann. If the locals object or try to delay us, inform them of your intentions and take off without waiting for clearance."

  Returning the handset to its cradle, Morgan turned to the others in the cabin and revealed a slight smile. "My people will have arranged living accommodations for all of you before we land. Quantum connection capsules will be included."

  Morgan looked directly at Vincent. "Cavallo. Serena. If you change your minds and do not choose to participate in World War IX, you can simply not log in. The Church can do nothing to you in the City of Mann."

  Vincent had a faint, out of character smile on his lips and a dark look in his eyes. "I will not change my mind. I have been bored for too long. Primacy Online is just not the same when your life is not on the line."

  Laura kept her face as expressionless as Vincent's normally was. "I agree with Vincent. I find myself looking forward to playing in War Mode. Sometimes the books can only be balanced during a World War."

  Sitting in a corner of the cabin, by himself, Antonio glared sullenly at his parents but did not say anything. Despite keeping a straight face, his eyes revealed the resentment he kept bottled inside himself.

  "There are still more than eight days until War Mode is activated."

  "Eighty to ninety days in the game will be plenty of time to get ready. It will still be possible to reach Level 20 and advance to Rank 1." Vincent's eyes had an eager glint in them.

  "What about a school for Antonio?" Laura's gaze settled on her indignant son.

  "The City of Mann has some of the finest schools in the world. Choose whichever one you want and the city-state will make the arrangements." Morgan did not even glance at the teenager.

  "Thank you." Laura gave Morgan a genuine smile.

  Morgan looked at Patrick Armagh, who was standing near the door to the back cabin. "There will be no issues with the quantum connection if we are logged in during the flight."

  Patrick nodded absently. "Okay. Let's log in."

  "Crom."

  Hearing Vincent call him by his character's name, Patrick looked at him.

  "If you really have three hidden classes from the same source, you should use them. At a minimum, you will gain a solid five Levels worth of Attribute advantage from it. It could even be worth more depending on the synergy between the classes."

  Patrick stared at Vincent for a moment and nodded, again.

  Dead Islands, Toraigh

  First Month 12-13, 10 RC

  It was almost midnight on the ninth of First Month, when logged out, and the close to six hours we wasted in the real world is almost another three days. Even though we lost almost three days, it should not hurt us too much. There is still plenty of time to reach Rank 1, before War Mode is activated.

  "Are you going to take all three Aspect Classes?" Raven Goddess' voice has an eager undertone to it.

  "Yeah. It's not that bad of a deal when you look at how brutally the experience curve goes up after each Level for a new Rank."

  "Do you know how to use a Class artifact like those crystals?"

  With my mouth hanging slightly open, I stare at Raven Goddess for a moment. "Uh…no."

  Raven Goddess laughs merrily. "It is rather simple. Each crystal should have all of the Class specific Skills and information, including Aspect Abilities, to take you to the Level that the originator raised the Class to. Other than common Abilities that the originator used, it is unlikely to have any common Abilities, and there will be no Talents. In addition to what is in the Aspect Class crystal, anything from any Archetype or Class that an Aspect Class can fill the criteria for should be learnable, but you will need to learn them from other sources. You will just have to experiment a bit to find what might be usable.

  "To learn the Aspect Class or to increase your Level, you will have to meditate on the crystal and insert your consciousness inside of it. Since you have been acknowledged by th
e guardian left behind by the God Crom Cruach, you should have no problems."

  I take out the three crystals and stare at them. Primacy Online is a game, but because it is a constructed reality, you experience everything like it is the real world. Absorbing a tome ranges from uncomfortable to downright unpleasant. I have never absorbed knowledge from something like these Aspect Class crystals, but I expect it to be a lot worse. I do not manage to keep a frown off my face.

  Seeing the smirk on Raven Goddess face, I sit down cross-legged and hold the Dark Slayer crystal in my hand. From the description blurbs for the classes, they appear to have been created in a definite order, and Dark Slayer was the first.

  Inserting my consciousness into the Dark Slayer gem is easy enough. It is something that every player has to learn to do by the time they reach Rank 1. Those that cannot are doomed to be the bottom-feeders of the game forever. Without being able to insert your conscious mind into an object, there is no way to take the quests to advance to Rank 1.

  Image after image bombards my consciousness. At first, there are dozens, then hundreds, then thousands and millions of them. It feels like my mind is getting run over by a never-ending fleet of heavy cargo haulers. Nearly, all the scenes are memories of violence, combat, and killing. Most of them involve hunting and secretly killing a target, assassinations more or less. The pain from trying to comprehend the information in that stream is worse than any headache I have ever had, but I cannot run or hide from it. If I do, I will have to start all over again.

  The Dark Slayer is a Class that seems more like something from the Specialist Archetype than something that originated in the Rogue Archetype. For the most part, Dark Slayer appears to be a sort of fusion between a type hunter and a type of assassin, but the breadth and scope of its Class Abilities is nothing short of broken compared to any other Class I have seen. Since I never heard of an Aspect Class before this, Dark Slayer could be completely normal for an Aspect Class, but my gut tells me that it is not.

  First off, I have never heard of a Rogue-based Class that could equip full plate armor without any significant penalties, but chainmail should still be the most efficient armor for a Dark Slayer.