The Cheater's Return

by Brian McGoldrick

  I do some quick arithmetic. "Fifty-two minutes and I'll be completely OOM."

  Raven Goddess frowns, she is most likely frowning because I used 'OOM', instead of saying 'out of Mana' in its entirety.

  After a moment, Raven Goddess wipes the frown off her face, and holding up a basic Mana pot, she waggles it in my face.

  "How many do you have?"

  "One hundred."

  "I can go for a bit over eighteen hours with your Mana pots."

  Raven Goddess stares at the field of barrows. "If we run both ways, that should be just barely enough time."

  "I have a stack of a hundred Mana pots too."

  With narrowed eyes, Raven Goddess stares at me. "Why did you not include that in your estimate?"

  "You would have never admitted you had Mana pots. I'd rather go through yours first." I keep my expression completely blank.

  "Insufferable man." Raven Goddess glares at me, but for the moment, the anger and hate have left her eyes.

  To my left, Serena giggles and covers her mouth. She is staring at us with an expression of rapt attention, but when Raven Goddess' glare shifts to her, she puts on an innocent expression. "With the two of you around, things will not be boring."

  "Let us go." With a rigid posture, Raven Goddess turns her back on us and continues toward the still green barrow lands.

  Serena gives me a thumbs up and follows Raven Goddess.

  Cavallo shrugs and takes a few quick steps to walk at his wife's side.

  Chin-Sun glares hostilely at me and waits for me to take the lead.

  When we are a hundred meters from the knife edge demarcation line between the mud and the grass, Raven Goddess stops. "Cast the spell on us, now."

  "{Nonexistence to Undead} ."

  After I cast the spell five times, and check my combat log.

  Nonexistence to Undead: Spell Expression 96%

  Nonexistence to Undead: Spell Expression 97%

  Nonexistence to Undead: Spell Expression 94%

  Nonexistence to Undead: Spell Expression 95%

  Nonexistence to Undead: Spell Expression 97%

  Whether it was before I was perma-banned or now, my Spell Expression with Darkness spells has always been about the best of all my spells, but it is still not good enough. I need to break through the 100% mark and do it consistently.

  "Everyone's buffed."

  Raven Goddess suppresses a frown. "Let us go."

  "Don't get more than thirty meters from me. I can't maintain this spell at a greater distance."

  As a group, we walk into the still grassy barrow land.

  After walking a few meters onto the grass, Raven Goddess stops and scans the horizon.

  It feels like claws of ice are piercing my lower spine, my heart, and my balls, and I use Identify Monster and look at the incorporeal undead.

  Lost Spirit (Champion) (?? ??) Level ??

  » HP ??/??

  Forgotten Spirit (?? ??) Level ??

  » HP ??/??

  Forgotten Spirit (?? ??) Level ??

  » HP ??/??

  Lost Wraith (?? ??) Level ??

  » HP ??/??

  Cursed Wraith (?? ??) Level ??

  » HP ??/??

  Failed Heroic Spirit (Champion) (?? ??) Level ??

  » HP ??/??

  The information that appears over each of them reinforces the uneasiness griping me. They have both Classes and Ranks that cannot be seen on top of Levels too high to be read. I barely repress a cold shiver.

  "What the hell are these things?" Even though Nonexistence to Undead seem to be working and these undead cannot detect me, Identify Monster's inability to read their information makes me unconsciously whisper.

  Raven Goddess turns around and stares at me for a few moments. When she replies, her voice is a whisper like my own. "These are the last vestiges of the armies that followed Tuatha De Danan into the last war with the Fomhoraigh. Nearly, all of the warriors, the slaves of the Fomhoraigh, the Fomhoraigh, and the Tuatha De Danan died in that horrible war. Crom Cruach died in that same war. The survivors were broken and more dead than alive. After the survivors buried the dead, most of them built their own barrows and laid themselves to rest. It was the end of the days of majesty for both the Tuatha De Danan and the Fomhoraigh.

  "If not for that war, the Shackles of the Domination would never have been able to subdue the Sunset Lands."

  After looking around for a while longer, Raven Goddess heads almost due west, and the rest of us follow close behind her. Most of the undead are motionless or slowly wandering, and as they get within ten meters of us, the wanderers start to veer away. Seeing that my spell is effective, Raven Goddess picks up the pace and moves through barrow land at a steady jog.

  We circle around most of the motionless undead, but when we are in the middle of a group of several of them, one of the fast-moving wanderers heads straight at us. With a grim expression, Raven Goddess freezes in place and readies her weapons, but when the spirit is only a meter or so from her, it stops.

  For what seems like forever but cannot be more than twenty seconds, the spirit looks around, and it seems to be confused. Finally, it starts to slowly move around the outer edge of the area occupied by my group and the motionless undead.

  Until the spirit streaks away toward the southeast, nobody moves a muscle, and then, we all let out a collective sigh.

  Serena shivers. "That was too close. I thought that one was going to run right into us."

  Glancing over her shoulder at me, Raven Goddess narrows her eyes. "The insufferable man has always done better with the dead than the living."

  I shrug. "The dead don't wisecrack and don't backtalk."

  Without saying anything, Raven Goddess moves forward, again.

  The undead surrounding us never even notice our passage, and we quickly leave them behind.

  Once I burn 150MP, I tap Raven Goddess on the shoulder and hold my hand out, with the palm up. "Mana pot."

  Raven Goddess does not even look in my direction. "You have your own."

  "And what happens when I use all mine up, and we're in the middle of deep shit, and I need one, and I run OOM. If I drop this spell, we'll all be dinner for the dead."

  Raven Goddess takes out a Mana pot and drops it in my hand.

  Not bothering to conceal my smirk, I chug the Mana pot. "Ah. Other people's potions taste so much better."

  "Insufferable man."

  Behind me, Serena snickers. For some reason, that woman really seems to enjoy seeing Raven Goddess' Ice Queen Armor crack.

  Whenever possible, we avoid areas with too many undead in too close a proximity, but there are so many of them that in some places we have to wend our way through them in single file.

  The deeper we go into the barrow land, the more powerful the undead seem to get. The chill from my Danger Sense never lets up. It just gets colder and sharper, keeping me constantly on edge, but after several more close calls, everyone else adjusts to the constant danger to some degree. Even so, the tension is still thick enough to cut it with a knife.

  As time passes, the strain of constantly focusing on the spells, to maintain them, gives me a headache that grows in intensity. Letting Raven Goddess lead the way, I keep track of my Mana and make certain never to let the spells fail. After a while, I am uncertain of how much time passes, and I see the world around through a tunnel of blackness.

  When I stumble and fall to my knees, Raven Goddess spins around. "Crom! Are you okay?"

  Taking out my starter staff, I force myself to stand.

  I look up at the sky, but I cannot see the sun through the cloud cover. "How long?"

  Raven Goddess glances upward. "More than half the day. It is still several hours to our destination. Can you keep going?"

  "I'll manage."

  Cavallo takes my hand and puts it on his shoulder. "I'll help him stay on his feet. Keep moving."

  With Cavallo guiding me, I use him and my staff to stay o
n my feet. The world turns into a blur, and all I can do is take one step after another and focus entirely on my Mana pool and the spells. If I let one of the spells drop, someone will die. The only thing that keeps me from passing out is the constant icy feeling from my Danger Sense .

  Feeling Cavallo holding me back, I look around. I have no idea how much time has passed or where we are.

  Raven Goddess is stopped in front of a barrow. I manage to focus on it, but it does not look particularly different from any other barrow. After staring at the carvings of animals on the jambs and lintel surrounding the stone slab blocking the entry, she nods her head in satisfaction.

  "This is the one. Serena do you have any spells for digging?"

  "I do, but the spirits will almost certainly see the changes in the barrow."

  "I will cast an illusion. It is not my forte, but it should help conceal your actions."

  Despite hearing their words, I cannot focus my vision enough to clearly see what they are doing. The only things in my world are my spells, the pain, and the chill of danger.

  Cavallo pulls on my arm. "Give me your staff and duck."

  I let Cavallo take my staff and crouch.

  "More. Lean on me."

  Resting my weight on Cavallo's shoulder, I bend over further, and he leads me into the barrow.

  "Close the tunnel"

  "Crom, you can drop the spells." From the tone of Raven Goddess' voice, she sounds worried.

  I let go of the spells and blackness claims me.

  Sunset Lands, Toraigh

  First Month 27, 10 RC

  Opening my eyes, I see the flickering of firelight on the dirt roof over my head. Reaching behind my head, I feel a rolled up cloak. Sitting up, I look around. My staff is on the ground, next to me, and I put it into my inventory.

  "Good middle of the night." Sitting on the opposite side of the small fire, Serena stares at me.

  Everyone else is asleep.

  My head feels like it is packed with cotton, and my thoughts are slow. The freezing cold of imminent danger has faded to a mere chill.

  I open the UI and check the time: 03:06 First Month 27, 10 RC.

  Serena points upward. "I drilled a few holes to the top of the barrow to vent the smoke."

  Looking upward, I see the holes I missed when I woke up.

  I pick up the cloak I was using for a pillow and realize it is not mine.

  "It's Raven's. The look on her face was priceless. I have seen countless videos of her, but before this night, I have never once seen her look worried. The Immortal Ice Queen has always walked alone, but maybe, she has a found a partner, after all her long years." Serena has a smirk on her lips and a glint of amusement in her eyes.

  After putting the cloak next to Raven Goddess, I stare at Serena for a moment. "I'm a walking dead man. I have nothing to offer her beyond a tombstone."

  Serena frowns. "There is no guarantee that any of us will see the end of the war. It is okay to live in the moment."

  I sigh and shake my head. "Our relationship is complicated."

  "What is that supposed to mean?"

  As memories of my time with Raven Goddess in Avalon drift through my mind, I do not respond.

  Serena lets out an exasperated sigh. "I have only seen the two of you together for a short time, but I get the feeling that you are dancing around each other."

  Keeping my expression blank, I shrug. "It is what it is, and what it is not is your business."

  I do not know what to make out of the look Serena gives me. "Since you are awake, you can keep watch for now. It's almost time to wake Domina for her turn at 04:00. I am going to sleep."

  Suiting her actions to her words, Serena lays down next to Cavallo, and in a few minutes, she is asleep.

  Staring into the fire, I remember the last time I saw Raven Goddess in Primacy Online V . It was just days before I was perma-banned. After what happened, the last thing I ever expected was for her to show in Vinny's fight club.

  Since I am awake, I let everyone else sleep. When Raven Goddess stirs, I check the time, and it is almost 06:00.

  Raven Goddess sits up, and rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, she stares at me. "Are you well?"

  I shrug. "I never expected maintaining spells for that kind of a duration would be so demanding."

  Raven Goddess looks embarrassed. "If I did not know how complex and difficult Nonexistence to Undead was for such a low-Level spell, I would poke fun at you. I did not think of the burden it would place on you to keep five instances of it running. I am sorry."

  "It is what it is. Forget about it."

  "We could have made the run with just the two of us, and now, we have to still make the run out."

  I sigh. "Just, forget about it. We need to do what we need to do."

  "There is a shorter way out, and we can raid another good place on the way. It will just mean a longer walk through the mud to get back to the rift." A gleam of amusement lurks in Raven Goddess' eyes.

  Cavallo sits up, and next to him, Serena mumbles something inarticulate. Without saying anything, Cavallo takes out a coffee pot and dumps in ground-up, roasted beans, and water. Putting it on the fire, he takes out a tin cup and stares at the pot.

  There is no actual coffee in the game, but there is something close to it. I think it tastes like shit, but I am probably not a good judge of coffee substitutes. I hate coffee in the first place.

  After he pours a cup of the pseudo-coffee, Cavallo drinks it and frowns. "Crappy coffee imitation."

  Looking around, Cavallo seems to see us for the first time. "Good morning."

  Once everyone is up, Raven Goddess leads the way deeper into the barrow. "There should not be any traps or restless dead in this barrow. It precedes the last war with the Fomhoraigh, and Fintan was at peace when he died."

  The tunnel from the blocked entry to the central chamber is a straight shot, we do not even find a single pit or anything else.

  I am amazed at the condition of the interior or this barrow. If what Raven Goddess said is accurate, it is a hundred thousand years old, but there is no sign of collapse. There has to be magic involved, but I lack the spells or Abilities to detect it.

  In the central chamber, a human-sized skeleton rests on a meter high, stone slab. There is no sign that his undead spirit is still lurking around.

  At the foot of the slab, another stone block has twenty-seven rectangular notches cut into it. Sixteen of those notches have torcs made of gleaming gold in them.

  Raven Goddess picks up one of the torcs and turns to me with a brilliant smile. "Use Item Ancestry on this."

  Gingerly, I take the torc and repress my urge to cringe, but I do not bother to hide my frown.

  Item Ancestry . As I activate the Talent, the world around me goes black.

  * * * * *

  I am inside a cauldron of molten gold, and a man dumps a bowl of blood into the cauldron. As the blood touches the gold, it does not evaporate, but rather, it mixes into the gold. After a few minutes, the man pours the gold into molds, and the world goes black.

  * * * * *

  With a start, I look around the burial chamber. That was it? This torc has no history beyond its creation? I open the information window.

  Torc of Fintan

  » (Legendary) (1 of 27) (Soul Binding)

  » Minimum Level: None

  » The Torc of Fintan gives the wearer the power to shapeshift into any and all living things that exist under the heavens. The shapeshifting is fueled by the Mana of the user and limited only by the visualization of the user.

  » Once a specific form has been created it can be used as often as desired.

  » The wearer's intelligence may be limited by the new form.

  » The Torcs of Fintan were forged by the Divine Smith Goibniu.

  Fintan was once cursed by an unnamed Fomhoraigh and spent hundreds of centuries changing from one animal into another. He witnessed the passing of his wife, his children, his grandchildren, and his tribe. U
nable to speak in a human tongue, he was hunted and killed many times, but each time he died, he awoke in the form of a new animal. Once his curse was broken, he was left with only a short span of days remaining.

  As the time of his death neared, Fintan wished his curse to be turned into a boon and approached the God Goibniu for aid.

  After Fintan's Death, Goibniu used Fintan's blood, and mixing it with gold, Goibniu crafted twenty-seven torcs imbued with the power of shapeshifting.

  "What the fuck? Legendary? How the hell did you know where to acquire a Legendary item so easily?"

  Raven Goddess laughs. "Knowledge that others do not have access to is the greatest cheat of all. It goes far beyond stealing extra experience and manipulating inventory drops. You should explore the memories in your Aspect Class crystals. There should be a wealth of knowledge contained within them."

  Using Item Ancestry on the other fifteen torcs, I see the exact same scene, and the item window comes up with the exact same information.

  Raven Goddess stares into my eyes. "Fintan's curse was more than a simple shape change. Each time his shape changed, he actually became the creature he was shapeshifted into. His mind and consciousness were altered to fit his physical form. With a Torc of Fintan, as Fintan did, you can actually become what you shapeshift into. For this reason, it can affect your mentality, and it can severely impact your Characteristics, including your Mana. If your new form cannot house your Mana and consciousness, you can be permanently trapped in that form, and you may lose parts of your memories and consciousness, forever. You must be extremely careful how you use these torcs."

  Raven Goddess pauses. "Taken to the extreme, you can create an identity that changes your name and other personal information that can be rooted out with any type of identification or analysis spells or Abilities."

  There are a huge number of shapeshifting and disguise spells and Abilities available to different classes, but almost none of them change your basic physical nature. They do not affect your mentality based on the physical form in any way and are severely limited in the range of changes that can be made to your form. For the most part, you gain none of the Abilities of what you change into, and despite your outward form, you still show up as your original race with identification and analysis spells or Abilities.