8:15 AM

A multitude of thoughts swirled around in Tantalus’s head before the figure had a moment to respond. There was an individual, about the size of a man, within Tantalus’s office. His vision had just started to return, so he could tell that the man was wearing muted colors. Perhaps beige, perhaps brown. The figure certainly wasn’t wearing a Revenant’s military uniform. It was either an NPC or a Revenant dressed as a civilian.

If this individual meant to harm Tantalus, there would only be a moment to act. His vision was just barely good enough to hit a target at such short range. Tantalus readied himself to kill the man in front of him if he moved too quickly.

The figure jolted upward, either in surprise or preparation. Tantalus moved his finger to the trigger and was about to raise his pistol before he was cut off by the man’s voice.

“Oh, Tantalus. It’s Dr. Walker,” the voice of Riemann came from the figure.

Tantalus sighed audibly as the tension left his body. He didn’t have the energy to hide the release of tension from Riemann. “Sorry,” he said as he holstered his weapon.

“I was waiting for you,” Riemann said. “Though, I figured you wouldn’t be back for another hour or so.”

“I was injured during training,” Tantalus said. He stumbled toward his desk and felt his way toward his chair. “A concussion. I’m basically blind right now.”

“Curious,” Riemann said, sounding legitimately interested. “You’ve activated Rapid Healing, I take it.”

“Yeah,” Tantalus said, leaning back in his expensive leather chair. That chair wasn’t a recliner like Tantalus preferred, but it was comfortable all the same. “I activated Rapid Healing about ten minutes ago, and I’m still blind.”

“Perhaps your ability recognizes your blindness as a ‘long-term injury.’ Such injuries take seventy-two hours to heal,” Riemann said helpfully.

“God, I hope not,” Tantalus grumbled. “I'd rather not be out of commission for three days."

“I'm here to talk about your meeting with the Duke," Riemann said. “Most of the players are pretty upset about what he said. I, too, would rather not be branded with the Mark of the Outlaw so soon after starting the game.”

“Yeah,” Tantalus said, “I’ve been thinking about that. I’m gonna create a General Staff when I have the time. You know, non-combat soldiers that help support the front-line soldiers. Would you rather be in Intelligence or R&D? Both are relatively safe, but Intelligence officers will need to travel with the HQ, while R&D soldiers can stay in permanent settlements.”

“You’ve put a lot of thought into this,” Riemann said.

“Somebody has to,” Tantalus muttered. “Recursion is in one of the other two starting cities, so I’m the only halfway-decent military strategist I know of in this city.”

“Intelligence seems like a good pick,” Riemann answered Tantalus’s earlier question. “My unique… situation means that I know more about this game than anyone. You should know, however, that I’m a pacifist. I’ll only fight in self-defense.”

“Alright then,” Tantalus said, trying to make eye contact with Riemann but only managing to look over his shoulder. “I’m putting you in charge of the Intelligence Department. Welcome aboard, Lieutenant.” Tantalus stood up and stretched his hand out for Riemann to shake.

“You know,” Riemann shook Tantalus’s hand, “I hate it when my superiors are competent. It always means that I have to do more work.”

“I’ll take the compliment,” Tantalus smiled. “Is there anything else you want to talk about?”

“Nothing in particular,” Riemann said. “I’m working on a collection of documents to help us prepare for the coming years we must spend in this game, though nothing is complete yet.”

Years? Riemann clearly expected that the Revenants would not be able to kill GM within a short time frame. Tantalus secretly hoped that he would be able to catch GM off guard before Christmas and free all three hundred thousand Revenants.

“Very nice,” Tantalus says. “If there’s nothing else you want to talk about, could you go downstairs and teach the gathered Revenants the basics of magic? You’ve got a basic grasp on how elemental magic works, right?”

“Yes,” Riemann said, surprised. “Though wouldn’t it cause issues if an unknown third-party reveals that he has far too much knowledge when it comes to the System? If they realize that I’m a developer, they might blame me for their imprisonment.”

“Certainly, some of them will blame you,” Tantalus admitted, placing his elbows on the table to place significance on his words, “but your knowledge is far too valuable for us not to utilize it. I don’t think it would be an overstatement, Dr. Walker, to say that you’re the most important person in Osiris right now. More important than me, more important than Ashcroft, certainly. Your knowledge is worth a hundred S-ranks.”

“I’m flattered,” Riemann said, remaining cool in the face of Tantalus’s flattery, “but that doesn’t change how people will react. Aren’t you concerned we could have a riot on our hands if people learn who I am?”

“Perhaps,” Tantalus said. “If that happens, FullDan, GatorKing, Redgrave, and I will protect you. If nothing else, I trust those three men with my life.” Before Riemann could speak, Tantalus continued talking. “So… here’s the plan: Redgrave will deliver the lesson on gun safety, then I will introduce you as a developer of this game, and then you will give the lesson on the magic system. Does that work for you?”

“I suppose so,” Riemann sighed. “Everything is just moving a bit fast for my taste.”

“You have my condolences,” Tantalus smiled. “I’ll see you in ten minutes. I’m gonna stare at the ceiling and see if my Rapid Healing fixes my eyes within that time period."

The blob standing in the center of Tantalus’s office departed, leaving Tantalus alone with his thoughts once again. If he was really making a staff corps, he would need a chief of Logistics, Personnel, and Research. Four non-combat staff departments total. This would serve the dual-purpose of allowing the Greycloaks to operate more effectively and also putting more players on the books as soldiers in the Osirian Military. These players would be saved from Duke Edwin Mandelbrot’s wrath.

Secretly, Tantalus was happy that the Duke had threatened to brand the Revenants with the Mark of the Outlaw. Without question, it made his job easier. Revenants who might otherwise not be willing to fight would now pick up a rifle and help the war effort. Tantalus figured that the number of soldiers available for the militia would likely double or triple as a result of the Duke’s threat. These additional soldiers would open up new strategies for them to use and could potentially bring the war to a speedier conclusion.

This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

Rubbing his eyes, Tantalus spent the next ten minutes leaning back in his leather chair. His vision was definitely starting to improve, though everything he looked at was still far too blurry for him to differentiate most objects. The pounding pain in his head had also mercifully subsided to a dull thrumming pain.

Realizing his break was over, Tantalus got to his feet. He exited his office and began to walk toward the waiting Greycloaks below.

Blood Points: 61/110.

8:45 AM

Tantalus saw through the eyes of Bridge21. Apparently, one of the men under VK’s command had uploaded the video of the fight between him and FullDan. Many of the soldiers of Tango Company had recorded the fight, but Bridge had the best view of it.

It was strange, Tantalus thought, seeing himself from someone else’s perspective. This was not helped by the fact that Tantalus had not fully internalized his new appearance yet. He was aware that the smaller man being kicked in the head was him, but it was difficult to fully comprehend. Tantalus had only looked in the mirror briefly before he watched the video. Now that he really looked at himself, he thought it was strange.

The man Tantalus saw on the screen was an unassuming man with thin hair and glassy blue eyes. He was slightly effeminate in the way that certain women seemed to find attractive. One’s perception of the small, waifish man was completely shattered when the fight began.

Even Tantalus himself was surprised at the intensity of the fight. Every strike thrown was delivered with murderous intent. Tantalus realized that his teeth were bared throughout the fight. There was the blood choke, and Tantalus released it. On the screen, it almost looked like he was showing mercy to FullDan, though the two S-ranks knew the truth.

Then, there it was, the knockout. Tantalus reeled from FullDan’s headbutt. Then, without a moment’s hesitation, FullDan swept his heel high into the air and kicked Tantalus in the head. The man in the video just stood there silently and took the hit.

Tantalus silently swore at himself. How stupid could he be? He just stood there - well within FullDan’s strike range - blind as a bat. Tantalus silently flipped through the comments of the video. [Wow! What a hit!], [Did Tantalus throw the fight?], [I want Tantalus to choke me like that], [I thought S-ranks were supposed to be good at fighting. Cringe.].

There was nothing particularly interesting in the comments. Tantalus opened his eyes and looked at the scene around him. He still couldn’t see anything in detail more than five feet away. It was getting better, though. Most of the people around Tantalus were ignoring him. That was just fine with him. If it were up to him, he wouldn’t be nearly as well-known as he was at that moment.

Based on the sound, Redgrave was finishing up his speech on the basics of gun safety. Tantalus wasn’t listening. He had heard the gun-safety spiel a hundred times. Most of the people present probably already knew the basics of gun safety. They were Americans, after all. Some people probably hadn’t heard the spiel, however, and it was absolutely imperative that everyone heard it at least once. Tantalus didn’t want to lose any soldiers to negligence.

While Redgrave spoke, Tantalus thought about the organization of the Greycloaks. He would definitely need a Chief of Staff and a Quartermaster. Luckily, these jobs could be handled by non-combat officers, and there were plenty of desperate players throughout the City thanks to the Duke’s order. Tantalus had a few ideas for who could fulfill these roles. If his predictions were correct, the people he wanted for the jobs would come seek him out soon.

“Okay,” Redgrave said. “That’s it for lesson two. The Captain tells me that lesson three will be handled by Riemann. Please come to the center of the West Gate now, Riemann.”

Hearing this, Tantalus confidently strode to the center of the crowd. His vision was good enough at the time that he was able to dodge out of the way of the other Revenants on the way over.

“Hello, again,” Tantalus projected loud enough for everyone to hear. “Sorry I had to take a brief leave of absence. Lieutenant FullDan really rang my bell back there. But that’s beside the point. I’m here right now to introduce our guest lecturer: Riemann. He was a developer on Ninth Oasis and Ferrum Online before GM went rogue.”

Tantalus looked around, and he saw Riemann idling at the edge of the empty space in the center of the crowd of Revenants. Tantalus went over to stand next to the older man.

Riemann was dressed like an adjunct professor. He wore a beige sports coat over a turtleneck and jeans. Somehow, the Doctor had found the outfit that made him look as non-threatening as possible.

“Riemann here is going to show us the basics of magic,” Tantalus said. “That’s lesson three. And bear in mind: I’ve made Riemann the Chief Intelligence Officer for our unit. While he is a support soldier, he’s still a Lieutenant, so he outranks most of you. Have fun.”

Tantalus returned to his earlier position near the edge of the crowd. Unlike before, he was very interested to hear Riemann speak. He knew a thing or two about firearms, but he knew next to nothing about the magic system. From what Riemann had explained earlier, magic seemed to be fundamental to the various systems of the game they were all stuck in. Tantalus very rarely committed his whole mind to a task, but he did so in this case. He listened intently and committed every one of Riemann’s words to memory.

“It’s nice to meet all of you, I’m Riemann,” the Professor began. “To begin with, I must mention that I won’t be able to cast every spell I know due to my limited starting mana pool. I currently only have twenty-two mana, and the spells I will be showing today each cost five mana to use. Our mana naturally refills after four hours. For now, however, I can only show you four elemental spells.” Riemann cleared his throat.

“Today we will be learning about elemental magic. All other types of magic would take significantly longer to explain,” Riemann continued to lecture. “With intent and the right magic words, any Revenant can do magic, though those of you with female avatars have a significant starting advantage. Sorry, gentlemen.”

There was a brief round of semi-sarcastic complaining from the men in the audience soon followed by good-natured laughter.

“Pixie,” Riemann suddenly said the squad leader’s name, “could you tell me how much mana you have right now?”

Everyone turned to look at the slight blonde woman. She blushed, muttered something to herself, and opened her menu.

“Uh,” Pixie stalled for time. “Twenty-nine. It says my mana is twenty-nine out of twenty-nine.” Everyone turned back to Riemann, and Pixie was relieved that all of the eyes were off her.

“Correct,” Riemann smiled. “Even after some practice, my mana score is still seven points lower than yours. GM has not changed that aspect of the game, at least.”

“Why did you guys do that?” Elias demanded. “I can only cast two spells, but Pixie can cast five. Doesn’t seem very fair to me.”

“Game balance,” Riemann shrugged. “Pixie can cast spells better; you can punch harder. Either way, it wasn’t my decision.” Riemann cleared his throat louder to get the audience’s attention.

“To get back on track,” Riemann said, “elemental magic is split into five schools: fire, ice, wind, lightning, and earth. I remember how to cast one of each kind of elemental magic. In order, these spells are Fire Bolt, Chill, Wind Wall, Shock, and Earth Pillar. To cast these spells, you must speak the verbal components and then visualize the spell occurring.” Riemann faltered at this point in his speech. He was uncertain what to say next.

“Now… the visualization aspect of Ferrum Online is not something we coded in,” Riemann spoke carefully. “GM added it. I don’t know how to describe ‘visualization’ exactly. You just imagine the spell happening, and it happens. However, if you do not have a clear picture of the spell in your head, the spell will fail.

“Now for a demonstration,” Riemann said. “I will start off by showing everyone here the spell Wind Wall. If you wouldn’t mind, could you all give me some space? If I do it correctly, the spell will create a barrier of gale-force wind that is thirty feet long.”

Character Sheet

Name Riemann59 Level 3 Blood Points 100/100 Mana Points 22/22 Race Revenant Fortitude 10 Strength 8 Agility 10 Wisdom 14

Attribute Modifier: Mana Training (6)

Talents Holy Blood Rapid Healing Reverse Engineer

Traditions Known: Elemental Magic

Earth Pillar Fire Bolt Freeze Shock Wind Knife Wind Wall

Riemann waved the people in the crowd into two smaller groups. About half was on one side and the other half on the other. There was a space bereft of people that reached from one side of the gatehouse to the other.

Riemann suddenly held his hands out to each side, forming an L with each hand. He looked to the left for a long second, then he looked to the right. He closed his eyes for a moment, then he opened them and spoke.

“Vento, thrush,” Riemann almost shouted.

Suddenly, the entire gatehouse was filled with a roaring wind. A moment before, the West Gate was completely silent, but the sound was completely deafening. Revenants screamed in surprise, unsecured belongings went flying into the air, several heavy concrete barriers near the center of the wind wall were knocked over. The only person unaffected by the wind was Riemann himself. He stood near the epicenter of the wind wall, but he was not knocked over. Riemann’s coat flapped in the wind, but he seemed unruffled.

In the center of a group of panicking Revenants, Tantalus watched the scene before him with a massive, childish grin on his face. A whole new world had just opened up. The Fire Bolt Riemann showed him before failed to impress. But this? This was magic.