The OP Lich is a Returnee, Book 14 Prologue (Patreon)

Prologue – Trade Chat

(Magical World Disharmony Server, General Chat)

UsualSuspect, manoutoftime, muon, MewTwo, Avariel, Chummer, Golddigger, CrazyCelt, Blaze, DoYouEvenLyft?, MarcoPolo, MightMakesRight, MacD, Inquisitor, OrangeQueen, Lizard, RedFox, SemiSolidSnake, BabyShark, Lichwatcher, Not_the_Face!, TheLichQueen, Scholar, Salty, Anonymous3, Anonymous4, Anonymous7, Anonymous9, WhiskeyTangoFoxtrot, DigDug, Backlog, DarkAvariel, Knocker, GrimDark, BloodForTheBloodGod, BackDat@55Up and DarkAngel are in the chat.

DigDug: So, the Japanese are looking really strong going into the Magic Soccer World Cup this year.

muon: Really? I haven’t been paying attention. The teams from the US, China, and Russia have dominated the last few years. They have more money to throw at things, I guess.

DigDug: Well, don’t know about China, but I have a buddy who follows the Japanese team pretty closely, since he lives in Okinawa. They’ve apparently spent the last couple years working on this Warrior’s Way our favorite Lich Queen introduced. They managed to rank sixth last year, and are looking like favorites to be in the final four this year.

Scholar: Interesting. Are they solely using the Warrior’s Way? Or are they doing something like a hybrid, using CADs as well?

DigDug: Hybrid, so far. They aren’t throwing out all their institutional knowledge, from what my buddy says, but adding the physical abilities the Warrior’s Way gives them as a stronger base.

TheLichQueen: Yes, I’ve been following their progress as best I can. They’re doing quite well, actually, and have given me some ideas in ways I can combine thaumaturgy with my own abilities. Unfortunately, while the mechanics of thaumaturgy are easy enough to understand, there are obstacles to my being able to use it as fluently as mortals do.

DarkAngel: What kind of obstacles?

TheLichQueen: Hardware limitations, honestly. Specifically, with CAD calibration.

Scholar: Ah, you mean how CADs use brain scans to calibrate the device, which is what allows it to cast spells so quickly and accurately?

TheLichQueen: Exactly. Beyond the issue of a magical creature’s innate mana levels causing interference in the scans, there is the fact that my consciousness does not reside in the brain, but in my phylactery. I shed my flesh when I became what I am now, so the device doing the scans has no squishy brain matter to scan.

BabyShark: So, does this mean you can’t use CADs at all?

TheLichQueen: Current model ones, yes. However, I am aware of research being done to adapt different types of CADs for other purposes. So far, they are primarily specialized CADs, since those are simpler, and easier to deal with.

Scholar: So, is this something Phantomline is working on?

TheLichQueen: Them, and others. I did receive a test product as proof of concept, which I need to test out in live conditions at some point.

Lichwatcher: Too busy with the seals, I guess? On that note, how did Fire go?

TheLichQueen: The unsealing went perfectly, however the new heroes of Fire are going to have a bit of an adjustment period to get used to their new bodies.

Scholar: What did they transform into?

TheLichQueen: A pair of phoenixes. Very healthy plumage, and their souls were not harmed in the change. However, they are birds now, and while they can communicate through magic, that still leaves them with… issues.

BabyShark: Oof. That’s gonna make dating difficult.

UsualSuspect: So, did you fix them?

TheLichQueen: There was nothing to fix. They were perfectly healthy specimens. But the phoenix is not known for transformative powers.

DigDug: Man, that sucks. They won’t be able to have normal lives after that.

DarkAngel: So, there was nothing you could do for them?

TheLichQueen: Nothing at the time, no. However, I promised them that, when they managed to learn to fly with an acceptable level of proficiency, I would make enchantments for them which would allow them to transform.

SemiSolidSnake: Ooh, I wonder if that kind of enchantment could be used to turn into other creatures, as well? You could get into (and out of) a lot of sticky situations if you could just turn into a housecat, or a wolf, or a pigeon, or something like that.

TheLichQueen: The basic idea can work like that, yes. Which is why, if I make those enchantments, I promised to put a secondary effect that will attack anyone who tries to study the enchantment without my leave, hitting them with my full power.

Scholar: YOUR full power? Fuck.

TheLichQueen: Well, I am on record saying I don’t appreciate people trying to spread dangerous enchantments around. Anyone who can survive that attack is probably smart enough to be responsible in using those enchantments.

Lizard: What kind of attack were you going to use on that?

TheLichQueen: My normal attack is just to steal souls, obviously, but I don’t want to leave an easy loophole like being able to send a robot in to examine it. Instead, I’ll just have it activate the spell to cause everything in the area to age ten thousand years in an instant. That should take care of any technology trying to record it, as well as the storage medium.

DigDug: But what about any people still in that area?

TheLichQueen: Well, if it is a dry area, there will be some nice fossils. Otherwise? Dust on the wind.

Scholar: So, to survive that attack, they would either need to block a spell at your full power, or be some race capable of surviving for ten thousand years.

TheLichQueen: Exactly. And then I’ll pop by to make sure they won’t be a problem.

Blaze: Why not just ‘pop over’ at the start, instead of doing that?

TheLichQueen: Because I know someone would try and use it to lay a trap for me. But if there is anyone capable of building a trap still capable of capturing me after it ages for ten thousand years? Well, then they deserve their shot at the title.

Golddigger: Hey, LQ, which seal you going to, next? There’s only two, plus the main one left, right?

TheLichQueen: The Seal of Earth is my next target. I am reasonably confident things will go smoothly.

Lizard: You wouldn’t happen to have any good guesses about what the volunteers will turn into, do you? The Vegas line on that is going wild. Some ideas are set to pay out better than 50 to 1 if they come up!

TheLichQueen: No idea. There are simply too many options.

Lizard: But if you knew, you would tell us, right?

TheLichQueen: Of course not.