NEWT AND DEMON 3

©2025 EDWIN M. GRIFFITHS

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Contents

Also in Series

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

Chapter 36

Chapter 37

Chapter 38

Chapter 39

Chapter 40

Chapter 41

Chapter 42

Chapter 43

Chapter 44

Chapter 45

Chapter 46

Chapter 47

Chapter 48

Chapter 49

Chapter 50

Chapter 51

Chapter 52

Chapter 53

Chapter 54

Chapter 55

Chapter 56

Chapter 57

Chapter 58

Chapter 59

Chapter 60

Chapter 61

Chapter 62

Chapter 63

Chapter 64

Chapter 65

Chapter 66

Chapter 67

Chapter 68

Chapter 69

Thank you for reading Newt and Demon 3

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Also in Series

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Newt and Demon 2

Newt and Demon 3

Newt and Demon 4

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Chapter One

Theo Spencer smoothed back his black hair, letting his fingers linger over the pair of horns that traced the shape of his head. He stood, stowing away the quill, ink, and leather-bound journal into his inventory. It vanished with a faint popping sound. The body he inhabited came from a brood of Drogramath Dronon, tall demon-like creatures that were as secretive as they were reclusive. He straightened the folds in his silken robe, content with the cessation of constant rain. During the Season of Blooms, in the southlands of the Kingdom of Qavell, that rain was a fact. It came in sheets daily, fouling dirt walkways. But as he descended the battlements of his walls, soft-soled shoes gently padding against a cobbled road, he realized he missed the horrid weather.

Broken Tusk rested at the end of a small kingdom’s territory, bordered by a river to the northeast, a sprawling swamp to the west, and mountainous hills to the north and south. It would have been defensively impressive, if not for the five local dungeons. Those dungeons had produced more than their fair share of monster waves in recent times. Investing in defense and production had seen untold growth, an endless supply of high-quality raw materials that they had only just begun shipping off to neighboring towns.

Dead Dog Mine was a recent addition to the town. Theo nodded to Gridgen Dev, a hearty man from the mountainous region north of Qavell. A layer of dust covered every inch of the man, caked on to sweat, producing a glittering sheen. He moved on, not willing to engage with the rowdy miners. He spotted his goal, unexpectedly chatting with the smelter. Nira Weir ran the smelter, a modest human woman from the capital who remained reserved even as she adapted to life in the swamp town. She was chatting, a smile on her face for once, with Alise Plumm.

“All right there?” Theo asked, poking his head into the smelter.

Both women jumped at his sudden appearance. Dronon, like half-ogres, were heads taller than normal humans. Alise was especially small, her shoulder-length brown hair bobbing as she clutched her chest.

“Don’t sneak up on me like that,” she said.

Nira wandered off, back to her crucible.

“Time to renew your contract,” Theo said, beckoning for his administrator to follow.

They picked a lazy path to the eastern gate of the town, perching atop the battlements to get an excellent view of the river. The river cut from the base of the mountains to the north and tracked a path south, heading directly for the ocean. Centuries ago, that river dumped directly into the swamp. Only when an Earth Wizard arrived, offering to divert the river, did the half-ogres catch up with the rest of the kingdom. Theo doubted the providence of the story. He had theories.

“You have a meeting with the Mercantile Chairs today,” Alise said, clearing her throat and checking her notes.

“Which means you want to keep working for me,” Theo said.

“I’m getting comfortable,” Alise said, her face flushing.

Few things got past Theo these days. Only those with superior attributes could get one over on him, and Alise was a fledgling compared to him. She had another motive, but he wouldn’t prod. Their magical contract prevented her from hurting Broken Tusk’s interests. This was thanks to his Governance Core, the most recent addition in his collection of classes. It had everything to do with managing people and sat as a specialized administration core. Alise herself held a standard Administrator’s Core in her chest and was invaluable for handling the more mundane tasks related to running a town.

“We should renegotiate your wage,” Theo said.

“Ah, maybe,” Alise said, looking wistfully over the river.

Like most people in Broken Tusk, she wasn’t interested in having money. They loved to make money, but no one seemed to hold on to it for long. The community came together, pooling their resources to improve the town. This lay in stark contrast to the way other towns did business. Rivers and Daub, a town resting at the start of the river up north, employed the aggressive trade guilds popular in the kingdom. They were entities that pocketed large amounts of profit from the workers. Anyone who didn’t refuse that old way of doing things didn’t belong in Broken Tusk.

“A percentage, maybe?” Theo asked, smiling.

Alise looked shocked at the offer, knitting her brow and letting her mouth hang agape. “I couldn’t.”

“We really don’t make that much, as a town,” Theo said. “It all depends on the strength of our trade deals. And that comes down to you.”

Theo was, as always, being truthful with the people that worked for him. Alise was instrumental during the trade negotiations with Rivers and Daub. She was always there to poke him into action, forcing him to stay on the ball where it would normally fall away. She had a knack for this.

“Ten percent?” Alise asked. “Is that too much?”

Theo’s Intelligence attribute had grown significantly in the past few weeks. He could easily do the mental math, and his Wisdom allowed him to recall the deal they made with Rivers with perfect clarity. “Seventy-five silver coins a week,” he said, nodding. If this was the Broken Tusk that Theo saw when he first arrived, that sum would have seemed insane. Now, it seemed like a drop in the bucket.

“You like the percentage-based payment schemes, don’t you?” Alise said, reaching out a hand for him to shake.

“There’s no better way to incentivize performance,” Theo said, grinning. “Allow me to draw up a contract.”

Theo invoked his Contracts skill, a skill slotted in his Governance Core. He wrote up a simple contract for her to sign. Through the system’s interface, he could write at the speed of thought. A message box popped up for both of them to review and agree upon.

[Lady Administrator Alise]

Contract

Alise Plumm shall agree to adhere, to the best of her ability, to the interests of Broken Tusk in all matters. She will handle Broken Tusk’s needs where Theo Spencer (Belgar) is unable.

Terms:

Alise Plumm shall gain the title of Lady Administrator

Alise Plumm will draw a weekly salary based on the performance of existing and future trade deals.

Alise Plumm’s salary shall be 10% (before tax) of all profits related to exports and trade conducted by Broken Tusk.

Theo Spencer (Belgar) shall provide all due support to aid in her advancement.

Alise Plumm shall never harm Broken Tusk, intentional or otherwise, through any action.

Timeline:

Renewed every 3 months

Most people liked to change the wording of a contract, but Alise was fine with it as it was. Since it was a contract created by the system, Theo didn’t have to worry about manually paying her. It would automatically withdraw from either his inventory or the town’s inventory.

“Things are picking up, aren’t they?” Alise asked.

She was relatively new to the town, only calling it home for a few weeks. She didn’t know how rapidly things had changed when he first arrived. Back then, it was a mad scramble to get everything done. There were more things to accomplish back then, and their scope was more narrow. Now, they were looking at establishing themselves as a trade empire in the southlands with an aim to usurp the ensconced trade guilds.

“I hope so,” Theo said. “Let’s take a walk. I want to talk shop.”

“Talk what?”

Theo and Alise made their way back to town, passing by the newly established ranch. Miana Kell, the first person Theo had seen upon arriving in this world, worked to milk the Karatan and keep the Pozwa in check. Karatan were pleasant enough once a person had seen them enough times. More insect than cow, they were six-legged beasts with strange, short fur. This breed was specialized to produce as much milk as possible, a Veostian invention, according to his supplier. The Pozwa were horrid. A twisted cross between an irate rooster and an insane goat, they were not fun to look at. The beasts had a fan of horns behind their head, twelve chitinous protuberances that sent Theo’s stomach turning. They had feathers and laid eggs like a chicken but were quadrupedal. He shuddered as they passed.

Theo discussed his concerns with production, but Alise allayed his worst fears. She was coaching each producer to level up as quickly as possible and invest whatever money they made back into their seed core buildings. That didn’t sit right with the alchemist. It was his responsibility, contractually, to upgrade each building. He needed to have words with the producers of the town, but there was no time today. Not with a meeting scheduled.

The Mercantile Chairs were the only trade tradition Broken Tusk adopted from the northern towns and cities. Unlike Qavell’s version, the merchants in Broken Tusk saw no need to limit the number of chairs. Everyone who produced got a say. They’d even let the adventurers in on it if they wanted. Of course, they never did.

“We need to get a proper town hall,” Alise said.

The pair were approaching the building they used to conduct all meetings. The adventurer’s guild building was massive compared to every other building in town. It was two floors but sat more like a three-story building. The entrance was wide; a set of well-hewn stone steps led up to a massive set of wooden doors. Inside was a hall, massive and crowded with people. Among the citizens of Broken Tusk, half-ogres made up most of the population, followed by marshlings, then humans. There were a few stragglers that still had to arrive, but Alise got things underway.

It was the town’s standard meeting of the minds. Everyone had suggestions on how to make things better, but the focus remained on improving everyone’s buildings and levels. That would give them the most cost-effective way to increase production, and then they would be prepared to start trade negotiations across the sea. That was a long-term plan, though.

The meeting went on for hours, well past midday and into the scorching afternoon. The topic remained on production, and each chairman claimed they were making more resources than they could sell. That surplus went directly into repairing the town, owing to the seed core’s magical properties to consume the resources and apply them to the damaged sections of the wall. With the threat of monsters around every corner, this was necessary.

“We’re limited on trade partners,” Throk said.

Throk was a cornerstone of the town. He was their blacksmith and artificer, responsible for creating more amazing inventions than anyone else. Half of Theo’s alchemy equipment was created by the marshling, and he was the father of the alchemist’s Tara’hek.

“Not least of which because of our location,” Alise said with a nod. “Qavell is the obvious trade partner.”

That sent a murmur through the room. Most people this far out from the capital didn’t trust them, not least of which because of the reputation of the Merchant’s Guild up there. Alise calmed the room after a long moment of distrustful glares.

“Do you recall when the cults went to war?” Alise asked. The room responded with nods. “Something happened in Qavell. Mayhem in the streets. Under the king’s nose and conducted by the Merchant’s Guild.”

“This is the first I’m hearing of it,” Theo said, snapping out of his stupor. He’d been paying half-attention until now and hadn’t heard anything about a merchant’s war.

“They might need bulk goods,” Alise said, shrugging. “Who knows.”

“Perhaps a more measured approach,” Theo said. He didn’t want to get into bed with Qavell any more than he already was. “Smaller trade agreements with the towns that dot the path north.”

Alise nodded, and the room broke out into discussion once again. This went on for a few more hours with no obvious goal in mind. At the end of the meeting, sometime near dusk, Alise took responsibility to find any new contracts and present them to the chairs. Agreements only needed Theo’s approval, but it was always nice to loop everyone else in.

With the meeting dismissed, Theo found his way away from the crowd and onto the cobbled street outside. A figure twisted in the shadow of a bush, bursting forth and wrapping itself around him, bowling both of them over onto the hard ground. Tresk, a marshling and Theo’s soul-bond companion. She was short, only coming up about waist-high for him, but a ball of pure energy. Like most marshlings, she had slick skin, like that of a salamander’s, with a pink tinge to her skin and little frills that stuck from the side of her head.

“We’re eating spicy stuff tonight,” Tresk said, removing herself from Theo.

“Marsh Wolf?”

“Marsh Wolf.”

The pair made their way to the only eatery in town, The Marsh Wolf Tavern. Xam, the half-ogre proprietor, had only recently gotten a cooking core. That hadn’t stopped her from making some of the best food Theo had ever eaten. The squat, recently expanded building was already packed as the sun dipped lower in the sky. True to Tresk’s word, the moment they entered the building, their senses were assaulted by a wave of spicy air. They found their regular table, ordered, and waited for their food to be served.

“We need to find more trading partners,” Theo said, propping the window open.

That seat by the window was a prized position, even if it was made obsolete recently. Tresk had expanded the tavern, the magic of the seed core creating more windows along the long, south-facing wall. Most people could easily find a seat with a window, but that center one was the original.

Tresk shrugged in response. “Gonna be hard around here. Unless you want to go traitor and trade with Veosta.”

“I don’t imagine the kingdom would be happy if we traded with the enemy,” Theo said. “Not even the walls could hold back that tide.”

“Well, there are those lizard-people down south,” Tresk said.

“The patch of islands?” Theo asked, grimacing. “We’d need boats. Unless you’re volunteering to swim.”

“Not me,” Tresk said, holding her hands up. “Boats would be better.”

But the creation of boats that could traverse the coast was a long way away. From what Theo understood, there wasn’t a functional port on the entire east coast of the continent. Perhaps there were a few small fishing piers inland, but nothing worth noting. The capital, Qavell, was landlocked. Although he might have tried, it was impossible for him to understand the distance from Broken Tusk to the capital of the kingdom. Adventurers were a bad source of information on that. Disregarding travel powers, most of them could move quicker than a normal person. While they claimed a journey to the north took 7 days, the alchemist suspected it was as long a walk as Earth’s Europe was wide. But people didn’t seem to measure things by distance here. Perhaps that was just a Broken Tusk thing.

The image of Sulvan Flametouched stuck in Theo’s mind while he waited for his food. The Grand Inquisitor of the Order of the Burning Eye could cross the continent in moments. He just ran everywhere, which struck a hilarious image in his mind. By the time a person leveled their cores and themselves up to 130, they were something other than a regular person. They rested on the edge of something Theo might never understand.

The food came in time—two plates of something Theo didn’t recognize. Xam Slug herself delivered it. She was fair, as far as the hard-faced half-ogres went, shorter than her kin and softer all around. While her personality matched most times, she could match the temper of her race. But the tavern was too busy for her to stay and chat. Since she got her cooking core, that had been the case.

“Oh, yeah,” Tresk said, rubbing her hands together. While Theo understood how they were supposed to eat the meal, Tresk simply tipped the plate into her open mouth. Tears formed in the corners of her eyes from the spice.

The dish was interesting. A curry-like substance rested on milled and rolled Zee flour, reminding Theo of curry over couscous. On the side was a stack of Zee-derived flatbread, meant for sopping up the overflowing sauce and holding the wolf meat. Xam always used wolf meat, although it wasn’t uncommon to see Marsh Snapper meat. Before she got her cooking core, the food was always bland. Now, even at a low level, it was a treat. Theo’s eyes watered, sweat forming on his brow as he ate through the spicy food. As he finished the meal, fanning his face, a system notification popped up.

Food Buff! You’ve consumed a piece of Spicy Wolf Meat Curry, crafted by a cook.

+2 Vigor for 8 hours.

Theo and Tresk didn’t come to dinner service for the food buffs. The ambiance wasn’t much to speak of, either, especially since Xam started importing liquor from Rivers and Daub. The crowds were rowdier than ever, but the food was worth it. Soon, the Marsh Wolf Hotsprings would open, elevating the town even further. It was another feather in their hat.

Something Theo noticed, as they were preparing to leave, was the excess of strangers in the tavern. With the roads cleared, adventurers must have shuffled themselves southward. The opportunities up north were drying up, not least of which because of the war. The alchemist marked them as a mix of traders and adventurers but pushed it out of his mind as he left the tavern. Today was busy enough already, so he didn’t want to complicate it further. The pair returned to the Newt and Demon, their alchemy lab and home, entering the Dreamwalk.

Chapter Two

The Dreamwalk skill allowed Theo and Tresk to traverse into a strange place. It was a reflection of a memory, recalled through the minds of both members of the Tara’hek. This often painted it with more emotions than logic, twisting reality to suit whatever either of them was feeling at the moment.

“It’s a mirror to our realm,” Theo said.

The pair stood overlooking the ruins of Berlin. A month ago, this sight would have sent Theo running, desperate to wash the image from his mind. Now he stared back at it in defiance. The crater left by the orbital kinetic bombardment was absolute, leaving no survivors. They stood in the ruins of buildings, windows blown out with only a few walls to speak of. Crumbling bricks and the remnants of civilization all around them.

“Yeah, it’s neat,” Tresk said. “Didn’t you see this place before it got blown up?”

Theo nodded. With a thought, the image shifted. Tresk never enjoyed seeing the ruins. She always preferred to train in the busy suburbs outside of Berlin or that quiet forest somewhere in Canada. The alchemist could never remember the name of that town, but that didn’t matter. This was a place for them to hone their skills while they slept, a skill they took advantage of every night. The marshling disappeared, scampering off to summon monsters and practice her abilities. The Dreamwalk was the perfect place for alchemical experimentation.

The limitations of the Dreamwalk realm were only bound by the user’s imagination and knowledge. Everything worked like the real world. If they’d seen it before, they could reproduce it here with perfect accuracy. That was a hard limit, though. Theo could discover new things, such as properties of reagents, but it had to follow the logic of the real world. He couldn’t produce something from nothing, gaining knowledge he had no business poking into.

Theo walked for a few minutes, putting some distance between himself and the army of trolls that was pummeling Tresk. It always took her a few hours to realize she should create monsters that were in her level range. He found a quiet spot, off a main road and near a few trees. It should have been dawn, according to his memory of this place, but the sky was just a twisting haze of colors. With a thought, he summoned a facsimile of a person. They were faceless, like a mannequin, just standing there. He found it easier to have something to talk to as he went through his steps.

“The basics of Drogramathi Alchemy,” Theo said, nodding to summon a basic copper still. It appeared on the asphalt, flame already flickering below the pot-bellied still. He turned to his faceless companion. “Are you following? Of course not. Essences are the key to good Drogramathi Alchemy. Unrefined essences are the basis for low-level alchemy. Simply heat mashed reagents in a still, and you’ll distill those essences.”

Theo summoned a pile of Mage’s Bane flowers and a large mortar and pestle to mash them with. He deposited the mixture into the still, returned the lid, and adjusted the fire below.

“This is where the intent comes in,” Theo said, turning to his companion. “I’ve discovered two properties for the Mage’s Bane. Resist Magic and Absorb Magic. Following? When I start a run, I focus on that intent.”

Theo manipulated the head of his mannequin, forcing it to nod. “The result is something like this,” Theo said, conjuring a flask of basic Resist Magic Essence. “But there’s the problem.”

A bolt of lightning shot from somewhere in the suburbs, staining the twisting sky for only a moment. Theo paused, waiting to see if Tresk’s pitched battle would spill into his section of the city. It did not. He summoned Throk’s design for the refinement chamber, a pressure vessel designed to remove the impurities from essences. The alchemist loaded it with the essence and set it to work.

“Without my alignment bonuses and upgrades, the essences refine at a half-rate,” Theo said, slapping the side of the machine. He produced a flask and looked at the Refined Resist Magic Essence that poured from the side of the device, half of what he put in. “We’re skipping a few steps here, but can you see the logic? Where does this go?”

Theo walked over to the dummy and forced it to nod its head.

“That’s right,” Theo said, nodding and moving back to his equipment. “There’s more process here to discover. Well, while we’re on the topic of that… I’m fairly certain I’ve already discovered the next step.”

Theo moved to the side of his still, gesturing to summon a Fermentation Barrel. He placed more Mage’s Bane mash inside, adding water and returning the lid. The alchemist focused, allowing mana to flow from his body and into the device. “Fermentation produces modifiers. Modifiers allow you to alter the way a potion works. We’re making potions here, by the way. That’s the entire process, if you want to think of it in the simplest terms. Mashing reagents and placing them in stills produces essences. Those essences can be refined in pressure vessels. Fermentation creates modifiers—oh, but that leaves a question, doesn’t it?”

Theo moved to the pressure vessel, slapping the side of it to speed up the process and scooping the alchemical waste from the output port at the bottom. This was the biggest mystery to him. Back in the real world, he had piles of the stuff sitting in Dimensional Storage Crates, just waiting for experimentation. It didn’t matter to him if the waste was useful, but producing a byproduct meant his process wasn’t complete. He was missing a step.

“Well, there’s another mystery that might help that out,” Theo said, moving to a patch of open grass. Herbs sprung from the ground, growing far taller than they did in nature. “These are cultivated—” Theo looked back, moving to drag his mannequin over to the patch of earth. “These are cultivated plants. They produce better results than those grown in nature. I have a theory that once they hit the highest level of cultivation, you can splice them with other plants. I haven’t proved that yet.”

The distant battle came to a head, ending in silence. Theo waited, expecting the inevitable. Tresk came padding down the narrow street, whatever wounds she suffered from the fight gone through the magic of the Dreamwalk.

“Who’s that?” she asked.

Theo gestured to the faceless person. “I call him Bob.”

“All right. Is Bob helping you? Might be better to put him on wheels…”

“I’m just talking to him,” Theo said, moving over to his fermentation barrel.

“Kinda weird,” Tresk said. “What do you need to talk to Bob for?”

“It helps me concentrate,” Theo said. “I was explaining basic Drogramathi Alchemy to him.”

“Oh! Did you get to the part about bombs? Hey, that’s a good question,” Tresk said in one rapid string of sounds. “How big can those explosions get?”

Tresk was talking about the unrefined way of making bombs. The dangerous way. Essences rarely got along. When introduced together, they typically produced a negative reaction. That ranged from sizzling to smoke to something similar to a lot of explosives crammed into a small space. The limit of an essence’s ability to produce a negative reaction didn’t scale. Theo had already tested that here in the Dreamwalk.

“The largest improvised explosion is slightly bigger than the one I showed in Broken Tusk,” Theo said, producing a replica of the bomb. It was an improvised device, a two-chambered flask with a catalyst in the center. He handed it to Tresk to throw, which she did. It soared through the air, producing a sizable explosion on impact. “The problem is that the essences cook off before they can react. They get aerosolized, vaporized, or just get scattered before they can join the reaction.”

“That sucks,” Tresk said.

Theo smiled, patting her on the head. “No, that’s a good thing. Otherwise, I could just add enough essence to destroy the world.”

“Oh, right,” Tresk said.

“That’s about it, Bob,” Theo said, nodding to his mute friend. “Essences come from reagents. Modifiers come from fermentation. Refining essences strengthens them; puts them at the second tier. And I can now imbue water and catalysts with my mana. Well, that ignores the part about Drogramath’s influence on our world.”

“That’s concerning,” Tresk said.

“Well, at least we’re safe here,” Theo said, casting his eyes over the constructed world. “Pretty sure no one can hear us here.”

“We really haven’t tested it,” Tresk said. “Drogramath is an idiot.”

She waited, looking at the sky as though the Demon God would smite her down. When nothing happened, she shrugged, a look of smug satisfaction spreading across her wet face. Theo often struggled to be mad at her. Either through the connection provided by the Tara’hek or his soft spot for people who went goblin-mode regularly, he found comfort in her antics. She was maturing, but it was slow.

The pair moved off from Berlin, shifting through a series of dreamlike landscapes through the night. During the Dreamwalk they gained experience as though they had performed the actions in real life. Theo spent his time, in between adjusting to new environments, tending gardens to raise his Drogramath Herbalism Core. It was the toughest core for him to level. He inspected the core and adjoining skills sometime through the night.

[Drogramath Herbalism Core]

Rare

Herbalism Core

Bound

2 Slots

Level 13 (12%)

Herbalism core given to the descendants of Drogramath.

Effect:

+4 Vigor

Raising the core’s rating higher than rare was on his list of things to do, but it wasn’t pressing. That might have influenced his inability to level it so quickly, but with things being so busy, he hadn’t had a chance.

[Drogramath Herbalism]

Rare Herbalism Skill

Drogramath has an eye for reagents. His descendants have an easier time identifying plants that produce alchemical ingredients.

Effect:

You have a sense whether something will produce alchemical ingredients.

+3 Intelligence

Drogramath Herbalism was the skill that came with the core. It was the basis of everything he did, allowing him to identify herbs and process them. The increased Intelligence was also welcome.

[Drogramath Fermentation]

Epic Herbalism Skill

Drogramath was fond of fermentation. Not only for the brewing of alcohol, but also for the strange effect it has on reagents.

Effect:

Fermentations you perform happen rapidly compared to those without this skill.

Allows the modification of reagents to produce special modifier essences.

+1 Intelligence

Drogramath Fermentation was attached to his Drogramath Herbalism core as well. This allowed Theo access to modifiers. Once again, the Intelligence was a boon. The herbalism core may have produced the reagents he needed to perform alchemy, but his Drogramath Alchemy core was the means to everything else. That core allowed him to create impossible potions, the life’s blood of his entire operation in Broken Tusk. He inspected that core and the related skills.

[Drogramath Alchemy Core]

Legendary

Alchemy Core

Bound

3 Slots

Level 13 (50%)

Alchemy core given to the descendants of Drogramath.

Effect:

Increases the synergy of alchemical abilities.

+4 Wisdom

[Unstable Material Handling]

It was an understatement to call the core Rare. Even the Legendary rarity status undersold how scarce it was in the world. If the information Theo got was true, he was the only Drogramathi alchemist currently alive. While that was good enough for him, the Legendary status made it more powerful than a normal alchemy core. He didn’t have the exact numbers, but it was somewhere near 50 levels stronger than the common rarity Alchemy Core, and it was unlikely that any other core was aligned.

[Unstable Material Handling]

Rare Alchemy Skill

Allows the user to handle alchemical materials safely.

Effect:

While handling alchemy materials of any kind, you’re less likely to cause an unexpected reaction.

Unstable Material Handling affected more things than Theo could imagine. He understood, through intuition, that this allowed him to work his art. Anyone handling his essences would be hard pressed not to cause an unplanned reaction, likely resulting in their demise.

[Drogramath Distillery Specialty]

Legendary Alchemy Skill

You claim heritage to Drogramath, the potioneer. The Demon King’s specialty was distillation, allowing you to extract the essence of alchemical ingredients. Distillation produces a pure form of extract, although some claim it to be more unstable.

Effect:

Allows the user to operate distillery equipment at a significantly increased efficiency.

Allows the user to gauge, by eye, the exact quantity of mixtures in units.

+2 Wisdom

Theo didn’t know how he’d live without Drogramath Distillery Specialty. It was simply the best skill he had, hands down. While the alchemy guilds in Qavell fumbled around with archaic distillation equipment, the alchemist operated them all with ease.

[High Pressure Refining]

Uncommon Alchemy Skill

Requires: [Drogramath Alchemy Core] Level 10

Pressure has an interesting effect on essences. This skill allows you to safely operate a pressure vessel. Learning how a pressure vessel works is up to you.

Effect:

Allows the user to operate an alchemical pressure vessel safely.

Gives the user access to refined essence identification.

+1 Intelligence

High Pressure Refining was the next step in his journey to create truly powerful potions. It allowed him to take a regular essence, which he had come to think of as Rank 1, and elevate it to a new level of power. He thought of that next rank as Rank 2 potions. Most potions created with the refined essences were doubly effective.

[Drogramath Inventory]

Legendary Universal Skill

Your heritage gives you access to the extra-dimensional spaces claimed by Drogramath. This ability changes to suit the user, giving them access to a pocket dimension presented in a way that matches your true origin. Items can be stored in the dimension at will; the only limitation is based on your origin’s manifestation. Items stored do not encumber the user.

Effect:

Inventory (32-slot, item stack count based on item)

Of course, Drogramath Inventory was an absurdly powerful skill. Without this, Theo would be forced to carry around crazy amounts of materials in a satchel. This enabled him to do what most traders did. They stuffed absurd amounts of junk in their inventory. Anything stored within his inventory wouldn’t rot, and food would even stay warm.

The Dreamwalk ended as dawn approached. The transition between that strange realm and the waking world was hard to get used to. Theo woke up in his bed, even if he’d just been running around the dream world moments ago. He was completely rested, feeling as though he had just gotten a full night’s sleep. Even better was that every action he performed in the Dreamwalk translated into the real world. He gained experience for every action he took.

Theo and Tresk woke up, never ones to linger in bed, and made their way to the Marsh Wolf Tavern. Predictably, Xam served whatever she had on hand from the night before. The topic of discussion was her new building, still growing on the plot behind the tavern. It was the worst-kept secret in Broken Tusk. Once people figured out what the pipes were for, they understood the purpose of the building.

“That works for her,” Tresk said, nodding. “Building up excitement before the building is even done.”

“I’m supposed to work with Throk to get the details on the mixers,” Theo said.

“Huh?”

“He made these artifices that mix purification essences with the water to automatically purify the water,” Theo said. “I wonder which would be quicker… Boiling the water, or using the essences?”

Tresk shrugged, dumping her plate of food into her mouth. Theo spotted one of the strangers he’d seen last night, catching his eye. The man smiled, making his way over to the table. He was a well-dressed human, his short hair slicked to one side and expensive silks covering his body. Theo identified him as a trader immediately.

“Rud,” the man said, reaching out a hand for Theo to shake.

“Theo.” The alchemist took his hand, shaking it.

“Crazy times, eh?” Rud asked, shaking his head.

“I suppose,” Theo said, unwilling to give anything up.

Rud straightened his silks, adjusting a pendant hanging from a silver chain on his neck. He cleared his throat. “I represent trade interests in Qavell.”

“Well, we’re not interested in dealing with the Trade Guild,” Theo said, waving a dismissive hand. Tresk shot the man a glare.

Rud leaned in, tapping his fingers on the table. “Then we have that much in common. Hardly anything worth talking about, those trade guilds. Not after the war.”

Theo raised his brows, failing to hide his interest.

“See? Perhaps we can be friends, after all,” Rud said, flashing a grin.

“What happened with the guild?” Theo asked.

“Ah, that’s a story,” Rud said, leaning back in his chair. “The story depends on who you ask. Some people say the Mercantile Chairs had it out for each other for years, and it just boiled over. Others think assassins from the Order of the Burning Eye had it out for the Chairs. Then there’s the story about the duelist.”

“The duelist?” Tresk asked, standing up on her chair.

“Some elf from Tarantham,” Rud said. “Came in and shook everything up. Sent the Chairs into a fit. Then they ate each other alive.”

“Where is Tarantham?” Theo asked. He’d never heard the name.

“Ah, well… If you could find it, you’d be dead. Supposed to be west, across a sea,” Rud said. “But that’s not why I’m here. I work with bulk materials. Raw timber, stone, metal, motes.”

“Ah,” Theo said, spotting Alise entering the building. He waved her over.

“Sir?”

“Mister Rud is interested in buying raw materials,” Theo said. “Think you can sort him out?”

“I can,” Alise said, bowing. “Please follow me to the adventurer’s guild.”

Theo and Tresk watched the two people walk out of the tavern. Tresk punched him playfully in the arm. “You just get your minions to do everything now.”

Theo shrugged. “What’s the point of having an assistant if I don’t use her?”

They discussed how the trade deal would go. Their current deal with Rivers and Daub was good, but they needed to move more raw material if they wanted to expand the town quickly. The primary raw resources were, as Rud mentioned, wood, stone, metal, and motes. Broken Tusk had no formal way to manage the collection of motes, but that might have been something worth looking into. Stone was collected by Ziz and worked on a ninety-ten split favoring the stoneworkers. Gridgen managed the mine, Nira the smelter, and they got the ten percent of the split on their end. Sledge, another marshling in town, worked the lumber operation and received the same deal.

The pace at which each producer was working was always in excess. They made more resources than the town could consume or sell, which put them in stockpiling mode. Even if Rud wanted to match the deal that Rivers struck, he wouldn’t take more than they could make. Theo made a mental note to get with Alise and run the numbers on their production later. Until then, he turned his attention to the thing that consumed most of his time. Alchemy.

Chapter Three

Theo approached the greenhouse, resting on the old gravel yard behind the Newt and Demon. Several small orbs of light floated around the interior, a benefit of the Sun Orbs upgrade that provided the perfect light for those plants. His Spiny Swamp Thistle cultivation operation was in full swing, a fact made possible by the farmers in town. Without their insight on how to propagate plants, the alchemist would have been stuck in the first stages. When cultivated, plants grew larger than they should have. The one thing he hadn’t seen the effects of was the greenhouse’s newest upgrade, Drogramath Empowerment. Unlike most upgrades, the Alchemical Garden upgrade provided an entirely new building for the alchemy lab. It had its own upgrade path.

Cutting away at the vegetation, Theo hoisted a massive Spiny Swamp Thistle Root for inspection.

[Spiny Swamp Thistle Root]

[Alchemy Ingredient] [Cultivated]

Common

This [Spiny Swamp Thistle Root] has been cultivated. Selective breeding and applications of growth potions will increase the Cultivation meter. Cultivation percentage increases yield and quality of this reagent.

Cultivation:

100%

Unit by volume:

12 units

Properties:

[Healing] [Regeneration] [???]

Theo had been using the cultivation aspect of growing plants to produce larger plants, but that was only the start. He knew there was something else to it, even if that knowledge felt far away. A normal Spiny Swamp Thistle Root produced a one-to-one ratio of essence and thus potion. The cultivated version provided far more. A fully cultivated root produced over ten times that amount, and they grew quickly enough in the greenhouse. There was a clear flaw in the way his greenhouse worked, though. His intuition said it was a staging area meant to be used in tandem with a larger facility. These were seedlings in the world of cultivated reagents, ready for planting in a larger building.

Those were thoughts for another time, though. The garden needed attention. Weeds gathered near the base of stalks, clawing at the cultivated plants like hungry parasites. Theo plucked them all, tossing them from the greenhouse and preparing the magical earth for more crops. There were a few potions the alchemist wanted to keep on hand at all times. Healing potions and potions that removed diseases were invaluable. As he cut down the last plant, moving every reagent into his inventory, he sensed someone approaching the greenhouse.

“Always busy,” Zarali said.

Theo stood, watching the Drogramathi priestess enter the greenhouse. She was the spitting image of the body he inhabited, so close in appearance they could have been twins. How the dronon were born was beyond him, so twins could have been an impossibility, but she sure seemed like a twin. When Zarali came to town, it was a shock to his system. It revealed a truth that he never wanted to consider, that this wasn’t a body created especially for him. This was someone else’s body. But Belgar had died, allowing the alchemist to transition into this new world.

“Always,” Theo said, hoisting a pile of vegetation into his inventory.

“I have some time, if you want to go over some more alchemy,” Zarali said.

She was as tall as Theo, with the same black hair and the same swoop of horns rolling over her head. Her face was simultaneously kind and stern, her voice always lilting between words. She wore the robes of her station, dark purple silks with moccasins that magically repelled dirt. Theo wanted nothing more than to increase his knowledge of Drogramathi Alchemy, and Zarali was the perfect person to teach it.

“If you’ve torn yourself away from the wizard,” Theo said, flashing a smile. “I have potions to brew.”

“That’s the spirit,” Zarali said.

They made their way up to the lab on the second floor of the Newt and Demon. The downstairs was his shop, but at the top of the stairs were two doors on either side. The left led to the lab, and the right led to his bedroom. Both rooms afforded a pleasant view of the greenhouse down below, everything else in town obscured by the boughs of what few trees remained in the town’s borders. The Ogre Cypress Trees, impossibly tall and thick, dominated every other line of sight.

The lab had grown larger compared to what it once was. It was a rectangular room, bordered on most walls by either tables, cabinets, or barrels. On the far side, near the window overlooking the greenhouse, was a shrine. The altar came from the [Shrine to Drogramath] building upgrade and provided absurd benefits to potion making. Near the center of the room was a steel plate resting under a flue where the many vapors produced by alchemy should have been sucked away. It rarely worked. Under the vent were three pot-bellied stills, their condenser coils feeding over to a table in the center of the room. The first was a Drogramath Still, an upgrade only available to members of the Drogramath Dronon race. The next two stills were creations of Throk, which bore a less intimidating appearance. Where the Drogramath Still had spikes and purple flourishes, the Custom Copper Artifice Still was made of alchemically treated copper.

“Always a pleasure to see so much equipment,” Zarali said, sighing and running her hand over the Drogramath Still.

Theo nodded, moving to his shrine to make an offering. He placed an entire Spiny Swamp Thistle Root, the cultivated version, on the small tray and watched as it vanished in purple flames. His daily offerings empowered his alchemy and brought him close to the Demon God. The alchemist wasn’t sure if that was a good thing, but the benefits outweighed the risks by a large margin. Zarali nodded in approval. He affixed his Alchemical Grinder Artifice to the top of the Drogramath Still and processed the remaining cultivated Spiny Swamp Thistle Root. His strength had grown significantly since he came to Broken Tusk, allowing him to easily cut a root to fit the grinder.

Theo inspected his attributes sheet as the grinder whirred away.

Belgar (Theo Spencer)

Drogramath Dronon

Level 12

Alchemist

Core Slots: 3

Stats:

Health: 65

Mana: 90

Stamina: 75

Strength: 16 (+10)

Dexterity: 8 (+3)

Vigor: 12 (+4)

Intelligence: 17 (+4)

Wisdom: 25 (+6)

Points: 0

The Tara’hek was designed to make up for what the other person lacked. Theo had a decent base score for Strength, but the soul-bond core gave him an extra 6, and 2 Vigor. The effects of these stats were noticeable, especially those related to physical attributes. His plan for attribute distribution was to first get 20 in Wisdom, then 20 in Intelligence, then to obtain gear to make up for his other stats and distribute between the two mental stats every level. Vigor had become his biggest concern after creeping close to 20 Intelligence. That attribute directly affected his Stamina, which impacted his ability to work. He also suspected it influenced the amount of sleep he needed, but with the Dreamwalk that wasn’t a problem.

The real issue with his current build was his Governance Core. He inspected that core to get a better idea of what he needed to do.

[Governance Core]

Legendary

Administration Core

Unbound

2 Slots

Level 6 (2%)

Advanced [Administrator] core, reserved for leaders.

Innate Skills:

[Command Structure]

[Titles]

[Automatic Books]

Effect:

+3 Intelligence

The strength of the core was that it leveled all the time. No matter what happened, he always got a large amount of experience just for being the mayor of Broken Tusk. The added Intelligence just made it that much better. Every multiple of 10, a core got a free skill. The list of skills was endless, but a few usually stuck out to him in that sprawling list. Theo needed to get this core to 10 as quickly as possible, but the same could be said of his other cores. The higher they were, the better. He popped another mote in the grinder’s side as it came to a stop, urging it back to life. Only then did he notice Zarali standing there, tapping her foot.

“Did you hear anything I said?” she asked.

“No,” Theo said. “Not a word.”

“Your attention span is lacking for someone with such high Wisdom,” Zarali said, letting out a frustrated sigh. “I want to redesign your stills.”

“Of course you do.”

“Don’t be so negative, brother,” Zarali said. “We’re doing great work here. Aside from all that nonsense, I’m offering to enchant your stills.”

Theo perked up at that. He hadn’t seen her skill and a Drogramath Enchanter, even if she had the building to support the endeavor. When she planted the seed core, it was an act of concession. The value of her building was impossible to calculate, but she planted it in Broken Tusk, offering her enchanting services as a way to build trust. The alchemist was often too trusting, but then again he was building something here. Those that he was kind to pledged their loyalty without a second thought.

“All right,” Theo said, checking the temperature on the Drogramath Still before moving to fill another with Spiny Swamp Thistle Roots. Each had a capacity of 500 units, which would consume the entirety of his stock. “Not mentioning your enchantments, how will your modifications improve the stills?”

“Mostly, it will lower your operation time,” Zarali said. “My enchantments will do many things, but we’ll work on that. For now, I think we can talk about your process.”

“I thought we dialed it in pretty good,” Theo said.

“You have,” Zarali said with a nod. “I want you to consider a few facts. Belgar was 23 years old. Well, he might have been 25. We really don’t remember our childhood. He got his cores at 18, a rather late age for a Dronon, but he only hit the late 20s in his cores.”

Theo didn’t need her to spell it out for him. He was moving too fast and missing things as he went—that just made sense. Normally an alchemist would slave away for years to obtain what he had. Those alchemists dabbled over the years, learning the secrets without making progress. That set them up for future success. It gave them a foundation that they could build upon. No one had access to the amount of reagents or support he did. The alchemists in Qavell held their secrets away from others, and the Dronon were often in the wilds, away from any support structure. Theo was in a nexus of Drogramath’s power, with an entire town to back his every move. It was a unique situation.

“So, I’ve missed things,” Theo said. “Approaching Level 20 without the knowledge I need to succeed.”

“Just so,” Zarali said. “Well, you mastered mana infusion rather quickly. I’ve long suspected that whoever put you in this body repurposed Belgar’s old cores, putting them at Level 1 so you could start from the start. Memories linger in those cores. Not memories, no. Instinct.”

“You’re saying I’m using borrowed knowledge,” Theo said, nodding. He didn’t have a problem with that. “I need every advantage I can get, so I won’t complain. What am I missing?”

“We’ll work on that,” Zarali said. “Mana infusion is the barrier for Level 20. I don’t know the barrier for Level 30.”

“That’s the crux of the issue‌,” Theo said. “The sticking point. I’m moving faster than I should be, so you can’t help me. But you can set me on the path.”

“He’s learning!” Zarali said, speaking to the statue of Drogramath. “We’ll make a Dronon out of you, yet.”

Theo adjusted the heat on his stills, summoning a hotter flame than before. Working with the temperature on the stills was a big part of distillation. It was a skill he still hadn’t mastered.

“Kinda leaves me with a question for you,” Theo said.

“I really wish you’d speak with more decorum,” Zarali said, frowning.

“What about you?” Theo asked. “Living out in the middle of nowhere all your life. Suddenly coming to civilization—that has to be weird for a Dronon.”

Zarali shrugged. “And so you have more to learn. Perhaps a Zagmon Dronon, or a Uz’Xulven Dronon, but not a Drogramath Dronon. We’re a different breed, brother. Before Balkor’s Betrayal, everyone hated the Dronon. They still do in certain places of the world, but after that war, things changed. Regular people realized that not all Dronon were the same. So, I’ve been living among the kind races of the world since Belgar died. In Veosta, if you must know.”

Theo’s brows peaked without his command. “My potions made it all the way to Veosta?”

That’s exactly how Zarali had found him. She came to town with a potion in her hand. Each of his potions bore a tag, claiming it was made by Belgar. The idea that his work had made its way across enemy lines and into Veosta was amazing.

“Indeed,” Zarali said. “Under my tutelage, there won’t be a corner of this world that doesn’t know about our work. Now, shall we move on to another topic?”

“All right,” Theo said. “The stills are set for this run, but I have some fermentation to do.”

Theo wanted to make as much [Anti-Mage] modifier as possible, which is why he was cultivating it in his Alchemical Garden. He placed the Alchemical Grinder atop the first fermentation barrel, a product of the town’s woodworker, Sledge, and set it to work. Each barrel could hold 200 units of material, causing him to fill all of them. He turned, waiting for Zarali to continue.

“We can begin the work that Belgar left off,” Zarali said.

“His work to break the Level 30 barrier,” Theo said, snorting a laugh. “All right. Explain it to me while we harvest reagents.”

The entire area within Broken Tusk was safe to harvest reagents. With powerful turrets on the walls and constant patrolling of adventurers, it was safe. Even within the walls, there were herbs to gather. The most common was the Spiny Swamp Thistle Root, although many others grew within sight outside of the walls. Theo simply preferred walking around town rather than discussing things in his stuffy lab.

“There’s a skill,” Zarali said, kneeling to harvest reagents. “It’s called Reagent Deconstruction. You should be able to see it now that you understand the nature of materials.”

Theo paused for a moment, summoning his skills screen and using the search feature. Without that search feature, he’d be scrolling through the infinite list of skills forever. He found it after a moment and inspected it.

[Reagent Deconstruction]

Rare Alchemy and Herbalism Skill

Understanding the composition of reagents leads to their deconstruction.

Effect:

Increases the user’s ability to deconstruct reagents.

+1 Intelligence

Requires: Level 15 Drogramath Herbalism and Level 15 Drogramath Alchemy Cores.

It seemed like a rather horrible skill compared to his other skills. The only thing that stood out was the combined skill description. He’d never seen a skill that fell under the domain of two cores.

“Deconstruction,” Theo said, nodding. “We’re talking about properties, right?”

“Exactly,” Zarali said. “You’re working with refined essences right now, which is fine. But that’s as good as following the instructions in a book.”

Theo moved to another plant, a decent example of a Stone Flower. Its rocky petals disintegrated easily if not handled properly. He could see what Zarali was getting at, even if she wouldn’t say it. Reagent Deconstruction was a stepping stone. If he didn’t take it, he’d be out of luck when it came time to break his Level 30 barrier. That left him with a thought.

“Deconstruction relates to infusing stuff with mana,” Theo said with a shrug. It wasn’t a massive leap to say that. Things seemed to bleed from one step to the other, broken into the 10s of levels.

“Well, I’m glad you understand that much. There’s a difference between infusing things with mana and using mana to deconstruct them. Infusions happen automatically. Deconstruction requires skill,” Zarali said. “Belgar never tested the theory, but he predicted it. Processing reagents goes from distilling them down to refining them to creating something else. You began with blindly distilling properties, then you understood essences were a mix of properties, and after that, you bent those properties.”

“How does this help me now?” Theo asked.

They were picking their way to the western gate, which led onto an open plain split by a river. The other thing of note near the gate was the ranch, run by Miana Kell. Even now, Theo could see her working with the Karatan. Those strange beasts would do more for Broken Tusk than anyone knew. For now, he was content with watching her from a distance, letting her develop the business on her own.

“It requires training,” Zarali said, winking at an adventurer guarding the western gate. “When you take the skill, you’ll use it by deconstructing reagents. But it doesn’t happen automatically.”

“Which means I need to learn how to use my mana,” Theo said. “That’s the logical progression. Blindly processing reagents, then refining them, then manipulating them. It makes sense.”

“How pleasing it is to see your aptitude,” Zarali said, inclining her head toward Theo.

They approached the wide river, watching as a group of marshlings walked by with fishing nets in hand. Theo had never seen where they fished or what they caught. The fishermen of the town were reclusive. Zarali approached the rocky bank, removing her moccasins to soak her feet in the cool water. Theo joined her.

“Sometimes I feel as though people are steering me in a direction,” Theo said.

“I said as much,” Zarali said with a shrug. “Drogramath sent me here to give you knowledge and help your town. I told you that.”

“Not just you,” Theo said.

“That’s your burden to bear,” Zarali said. “How is the River Dungeon doing?”

Theo couldn’t see the River Dungeon from the bank. It was underwater, buried among that churning river. “I haven’t read the latest report. I think the other four dungeons are growing steadily. Not sure if that’s a good thing, though.”

“It’s a wonderful thing,” Zarali said. “I have long-term plans of my own, you know.”

The alchemist didn’t doubt that. With as much Drogramathi energy in the air as there was, she had to have something else up her sleeve. The pair sat there for some time, whittling away the day until the stills in the lab were ready. It was a good start in a new era of alchemy for him. Things were shaping up to create potions the likes of which the world had never seen before.

Chapter Four

Theo left Zarali at the river. She wanted to spend time there, but for what reason, he didn’t know. The entire time he lingered near the western border of his town, he felt eyes upon him. They weren’t eyes that pried, digging into his soul to determine his merit—they were kind eyes. Attention that brought comfort and protection. The alchemist knew Tresk lurked near enough to come if he needed, and he wouldn’t have to call for her aid. With her Shadowdance skill, she could enter the shadows and leap, ten times, to any shadow within line of sight. While he appreciated her attention, she would have been better off delving into the dungeons.

When Theo entered the town once again, he found Miana tending to her animals. Their agreement on the property was informal. Seeing the creatures grazing the fields, happily living out their lives, was enough for him. Even the horrific goat-like Pozwa crowed with excitement, butting each other with their many-horned heads and eating anything that wasn’t nailed down. He entered the paddock and approached one of the feathered creatures, holding his hand out flat for it to sniff. It bit him.

“That’s Bity!” Miana shouted. “He bites.”

“Creative,” Theo said, shooing the beast away and approaching the half-ogre woman.

The years weren’t kind to Miana. Despite that, she looked youthful and exuberant. She bore the features of her race, the half-ogres, tall and muscular with broad, powerful faces and olive-red skin. Her hair was always kept short, which seemed wise in the presence of the Pozwa. Unlike when Theo first arrived, Miana Kell now held a permanent smile on her face.

“Things are going well,” Miana said, patting the flank of a Karatan. “I’m prepared to give my thanks to Fenian.”

Miana moved off without saying another word, the intent for Theo to pursue lingering in the air. He followed her into the tall barn, which remained open on the paddock side while the creatures ate in the fields. The barn was a row, on either side, of stalls for the Karatan and Pozwa to rest at night. Tucked in the far corner was a series of tanks and devices meant to harvest the milk from the Karatan, joined by a new set of tools. The alchemist figured they were meant for removing the Pozwa’s many horns. The half-ogre woman hoisted a cylindrical object, holding it over her head.

“Cheese!” she shouted before handing it over to Theo.

“You made cheese,” Theo said, staring in disbelief. Milk was enough of a bonus, but cheese? That was something else entirely.

“How many farms produce cheese in Qavell?” Theo asked.

“Plenty, but not cheese like this,” Miana said. “Try some.”

Theo took a bite, finding the flavor to be excellent. He’d never had real cheese on Earth, only the powdered stuff that came with his meals. The texture was divine, crumbling in his mouth, and the flavor was a mix between herby garlic and creamy milk. A system message popped up the moment he swallowed.

[Properties Discovery!]

You’ve discovered an additional effect from the [Veostian Karatan Cheese] by eating it.

[Bind] discovered.

Theo should have figured the cheese could be used for alchemy. The massive wheel that Miana produced was at least 20 units worth. If the properties were good, it was possible that he could make a potion out of cheese. The thought made him laugh, but he inspected the cheese.

[Veostian Karatan Cheese]

[Food] [Alchemy Ingredient]

Uncommon

Unaged cheese made from the milk of a Veostian Karatan.

Properties:

[Suffuse] [Bind] [???]

As with most ingredients, the properties meant little. They sometimes related to the end potion, but often it was impossible to tell what they did. “May I?” Theo asked.

“Sure, I’ve got a bunch,” Miana said. “There’s an idea. I bet the Pozwa horns give you something.”

Miana disappeared for a moment, rummaging through a Dimensional Storage Crate before returning with a curled, brown horn. She held it out for him to inspect.

[Pozwa Horn]

[Alchemy Ingredient]

Epic

Pozwa are said to have a third eye, although that’s just metaphorical. These wise creatures produce this rare horn, prized by practitioners of scrimshaw.

Properties:

[Reveal] [???] [???]

“Don’t suppose you can eat that one, can you?” Miana said, chuckling.

“No, but that property is interesting,” Theo said. “[Reveal]… I have a feeling this could make a bomb? No, something else. This is big. Please reserve all your Pozwa Horn stock for me. I’ll buy them all.”

Miana laughed. “There he is. Big alchemist man with big alchemist money. Fine. I know you’re going to argue with me until I agree to take the money.”

Theo’s supernatural sense for things was getting stronger by the day. He felt a connection to the Pozwa Horn, understanding that it would produce a fourth family of potions. The way the alchemist understood potions broke them down into three categories. Standard potions were ones a person drank, giving them an effect. Detergent-style potions were potions someone poured over something else—his Cleansing Scrub was an example of that. Then there were the bombs, potions meant to be thrown at an enemy. He was eager to discover this new style of potion.

“How many do you have?” Theo asked.

“A few just shed,” Miana said, disappearing again. She returned with her arms full of the horns, dropping them onto the ground and smiling.

“I’ll have Azrug appraise them and run you the money,” Theo said, swiveling his head to find the sun in the sky. There were still a few hours of daylight left, but not enough to do a full run of the horns. He pulled them into his inventory and turned to leave.

“Thanks again, Theo,” Miana said.

Theo joined with Zarali on the road, finding her returning from the river. She took as much interest in the Pozwa Horns as he did, holding one in her hand and rolling it over. They both shared a connection to Drogramath, allowing her to sense the value of the item. When they returned to the lab, Azrug was working the shop as he always did.

“Could you appraise this?” Theo asked, handing the boy a horn.

Azrug was Xam’s baby brother, a boy that received his cores far earlier than normal. He was shorter than most half-ogres, owing to his age, but was the spitting image of his sister. Dark red skin with a mop of unkempt black hair. The shopkeeper held an excitement for mercantile affairs that was infectious.

“Oh, that’s from Miana’s horrors, right?” Azrug asked, taking the item in his hand and shrugging. “I can’t get a price on it, though. I can only appraise things that have been traded in the region recently.”

“Meaning Fenian really did bring you a prize,” Zarali said, nodding. “Where did he say he got them?”

“Gardreth, but I thought he was lying,” Azrug said.

Zarali snorted a laugh. “Gardreth? The Fallen Kingdom, Gardreth? Balkor’s Demise? The necromantical cursed lands? Who is this Fenian?”

“I don’t think we’ll ever know,” Theo said. “I’m buying them from Miana. How much should I give her?”

“You own the Pozwa,” Azrug said, laughing. “Don’t give her a damn thing.”

Theo narrowed his eyes.

“I don’t know. You want to know the real value? Priceless,” Azrug said, coughing. “I can only guess, but you’d get 20 silver minimum; 5 gold maximum. Per horn.”

“Still want to pay the ranch hand?” Zarali asked, cackling.

“Right,” Theo said, checking his inventory. He currently had 26 gold, 61 silver, and 44 copper. “I’ll work something out.”

Theo went to head upstairs, but Azrug grabbed his arm. “Quick word.”

“The traders,” Theo said. That was the only thing that would put such a dire thing on the shopkeeper’s face. “Something happened in Qavell. A merchant’s war.”

“You’re well-informed,” Azrug said. “There are big implications to that. We’re talking about massive shifts to the way Qavell does business. Traders are going to flood out of the city, snatching up all the deals they can.”

Theo pinched the bridge of his nose. He thought the implications were obvious, but not everyone saw the world the way he did. Since his Wisdom had increased past 20 and his Intelligence was almost there as well, he’d been able to extrapolate whole ideas from incomplete information. Broken Tusk’s biggest problem, even if they didn’t know it, was the stranglehold the Merchant’s Guild held on the region. They regulated everything, and coin had to pass through their hands before they allowed it to happen. If the guild fell, everything would change.

“Looks like an opening for us,” Theo said, sighing.

“Why so glum? That sounds like a great thing,” Zarali said.

“Because it means someone is pulling the strings,” Theo said.

“Could be coincidence,” Azrug said. “But it’s an opportunity, to be sure. The floodgates are open now, so we’re going to see a lot of traders in town. More adventurers too, probably.”

“Right,” Theo said. “Bring this up with Alise if you see her.”

“Sounds good,” Azrug said, settling back down onto his chair. “You can leave.”

Theo laughed, shaking his head as he ascended the stairs.

Zarali helped Theo tend to his stills. The run was complete, leaving him with almost 1,000 units of Healing Essence. He inspected a sample before taking it out to the pressure vessels for further refinement.

[Healing Essence]

[Essence]

Common

Created by: Belgar

Quality: Great

Alignment:

Drogramath (Middling Bond)

Alignment Effects:

1:1 refinement in pressure vessels

Increased purity from refinement

1 unit (liquid)

Concentrated essence of healing, used to create healing potions.

It could have been better, but for a bulk run, the essence was fine. It already overshadowed what the alchemists in Qavell could produce, both in quality and volume. The pair walked around to insert the essence into the pressure vessels outside, inserting motes to power the machines and setting them to work.

“Why do you act like that?” Zarali asked.

“Like what?” Theo said, kicking the side of the jumping machine. It settled down after a moment.

“Like the gifts you receive are curses,” Zarali said.

Theo walked, without talking, to the north-facing side of the building. He checked on his storage tanks, which were currently empty. Everything had been working great since they were installed, and he planned to fill them with the Pozwa Horn essence. He thought for a while before responding to her comment, not able to put it into words so easily.

“Because they can be curses,” Theo said with a resolute nod.

“Oh, yes,” Zarali said, gesturing to the burgeoning town around her. “This is such a curse. This cursed land produces nothing but woe.”

As if to punctuate her point, a pair of children ran by on the main road, laughing and smiling. Theo waved at them, and they waved back.

“Maybe you’re right,” Theo said. “But I can still be cautious.”

“There’s nothing wrong with a bit of caution,” Zarali said. She jabbed her thumb toward a tree nearby. “Especially with that following you around.”

Theo had already detected his companion, Tresk. She’d been lurking in the shadows since they got back to the Newt and Demon. He felt her comforting gaze grow closer.

“Another piece of the puzzle,” Theo said.

“Don’t stress it,” Tresk said, emerging from the shadows.

Zarali patted Tresk on the top of the head, smiling. “I heard Xam is making something with cheese today.”

Theo produced an entire cheese wheel from his inventory, nodding.

“Woah!” Tresk said, snatching at the cheese. Theo returned it to his inventory before she could get it. “Give me the cheese.”

“This is alchemy cheese,” Theo said.

As the sun grew lower in the sky above, the group made their way to the Marsh Wolf Tavern for dinner. It was always packed since Xam got her cooking core, but the mayor’s seat was permanently reserved. They talked about small things while they waited to be served, watching with jealous eyes as others dug into their cheese-infused meals. Theo was surprised at the amount of cheese Miana had created so far, noting it was enough for export. When the dish finally arrived, served by a new person the alchemist hadn’t seen before, it was worth the wait.

Meat was piled high in a ceramic dish, resting atop a bed of Zee flatbread and smothered in more cheese than made sense. Tresk did her typical thing, eating the entire meal in moments as Zarali and Theo took their time. Their conversation shifted several times, centered on the town’s progress and how well everyone was doing. The food might have just been a pile of meat and cheese, but it was delicious. Every bite was an explosion of that familiar garlic and herb flavor that made the cheese unique. Theo was once again left wondering what a high-level cook would produce.

Part way through the meal, someone came to join them at the table. Luras Trinner had become something of a legend within the town. He was broad-shouldered with a preeminent, fierce expression. Much like other half-ogres’, his skin was a dark hue of ochre. The man recently gave up on his dreams, or what Theo thought were his dreams after his uncle died, to take up the life of an adventurer once again. Since that time, he’d taken a Baelthar’s Hunter Core, which was a specialized hunter core aligned with the patron of half-ogres, Baelthar. He was also Broken Tusk’s captain of the guard.

“I hope you don’t mind,” Luras said, smiling.

“Not at all. I wanted to pick your brain,” Theo said.

“No business at dinner!” Tresk protested.

“It’s about the dungeons,” Theo said.

“Oh, carry on.”

“How did the plan go? Are the other dungeons growing in strength?” Theo asked.

Luras rolled his shoulders, taking a long breath before speaking. “From what I can tell, the plan worked. Every dungeon is now growing instead of just the one. I have concerns with all this Drogramathi energy flowing through the air, though.”

“Oh, come now,” Zarali purred. “Surely you’re not afraid of a little demonic energy.”

“Not really,” Luras said, shrugging. “Just seems like a waste. How much of that mana just floats into the air?”

“Ah, now I’m going to like you,” Zarali said. “I’m working on a project regarding just that. It’s all secret at the moment, but I promise it will be worth it in the long run. That reminds me, have you found silver or gold in the mines?”

“Just copper and iron,” Theo said.

“Dig deeper. I’m sure you’ll find at least silver,” Zarali said.

Theo didn’t say anything—that was his plan anyway. She was being coy about it, but he could tell that her idea required magic and precious metals. The alchemist couldn’t afford to dedicate any of his time to her project, so he left it at that. The group had a nice dinner after that. Luras was happy to share tales of his adventures in the different dungeons. He even went as far as the Ocean Dungeon, which was extremely difficult to reach.

Zarali departed for the mage’s tower while the portal was still open, Luras ran off to do whatever it was he did at night, and Theo and Tresk returned to the Newt and Demon for a good night’s rest. When they entered the Dreamwalk, Tresk had a fun idea. Instead of going to strange places they had been before, she brought up a memory of Broken Tusk. It was years ago, from when she was a child. There were no roads, no walls, and hardly enough homes for 20 people.

“This is still a strange feeling,” Theo said.

“I like it,” Tresk said, pulling him by the arm. “That was my house.”

Tresk pointed out Throk’s building, which had remained mostly unchanged since her childhood. Memories of people didn’t appear in the Dreamwalk, though. The closest it could get to replicating them was to create shadow-people—something that creeped Theo out every time. He preferred for the place to be empty or for him to summon a group of his weird mannequins. The marshling ran off to go fight some monsters, and Theo remained in the center of town.

The monolith that still marked the town square was there, looking just as it was in the present day. Theo needed little information to go on. Zarali would reveal a small piece of information to him, and he would run with it. He summoned a few basic examples of a Spiny Swamp Thistle Root and got to work. The first half of the night, he spent his time trying to understand how this would work. Without the skill, he’d just be going through the motions rather than making any real progress. He split his time between trying to summon his mana and performing alchemy reactions for the experience.

Sometime in the middle of the night, after Tresk had been defeated by her tenth dragon, he managed something amazing. Theo held his hand out, trying to get anything that looked like raw Drogramathi mana to appear. Liquid fire poured from his palm out of nowhere, right when his concentration was about to slip. It pooled there, glowing with the telltale purple energy of that Demon God. Before he could control the wild flames, they consumed him. He let out a shout of fear but felt no pain. A moment later, Tresk was at his side.

“How did you die?” Tresk asked, laughing.

Theo rose to his feet, patting himself down to make sure he was all right. He was fine. “I think my mana killed me.”

“How?” Tresk asked.

Theo explained the process he went through, pulling mana out of his body and willing it into his palm. Tresk was unsure of how that should work, as she hardly used mana every day. The only way she interacted with the resources was to cast her abilities; she never interacted the manual way. The alchemist sat there for some time, even after the marshling scampered off, lost in thought. If he tried to get ahead of himself in the real world, the mana would have killed him.

No Dronon had ever entered a Tara’hek. None of their kind had ever had access to a safe place to practice this art. Theo returned to a sitting position and brought more Drogramathi mana into his hand. This time, he didn’t shout when it consumed him.

Chapter Five

“Should you be practicing that Drogramagic?” Tresk asked.

Theo and Tresk sat in Xam’s tavern, which remained mostly empty during the morning. It was the 51st day of the Season of Blooms, eight days before the end of the season and the closing of the Festival of the Dying of the Blooms. The alchemist had many things to do before the season ended, but those were mostly self-imposed goals that could fall by the wayside. Alchemy was on the top of his list, but he couldn’t see himself hitting the level before the season ended.

“It’s fine,” Theo said, waving her away. “As long as I don’t do it in the real world. Not until I get that skill.”

“You should talk to Xol’sa,” Tresk said.

Xol’sa was the town’s wizard. He was a member of a strange elven race called the Bara’their, which hailed from the void of all places. No one knew much about the race. Zarali knew the most about the race, although she hadn’t told Theo about it. He held a Dimensional Wizard’s Core, which was just as mysterious. The alchemist had reflected on how dangerous that might have been, but danger and Broken Tusk went together like cheese and Zee. As he ate, he split his attention between entertaining Tresk and planning his day.

“The Tara’hek should be our number one concern,” Theo said. “Imagine what we get at Level 20.”

Just as he said that, his Governance Core leveled to 7. Benefits for cores only came on multiples of 10, although new skills unlocked along the way. He wouldn’t see much growth of his personal level until that core caught up to his others, stagnating his growth for a while longer. Leveling the Tara’hek was simple, and Theo had riddled the mechanics out fairly early. Any action the pair performed together gave them experience. If they encountered a difficult situation and made it through with the power of friendship, they got more experience.

“I’ll agree to that,” Tresk said, patting her belly after downing her food in one go. “I’m crawling toward 20.”

Tresk had a few cores to her name: an Assassin’s Core, aligned with the shadowy god Zaul; a Tracker’s Core, which needed upgrading; and a Shadowdancer’s Core, whose alignment Theo didn’t know. The marshling’s cores were a deadly addition to Theo’s own, making the Tara’hek fearsome. So long as she had poisons. While her Shadowdancer’s Core was a recent addition, it had been leveling at an absurd rate. She practically spammed her Shadowdance skill at every opportunity. With only a five-minute cooldown and zero mana cost, there was no reason not to zip through the shadows, using it as a travel power.

A quirk of the Tara’hek was that Theo could inspect her cores without her permission. He checked out how much progress she’d made.

[Assassin’s Core]

Legendary

Assassin Core

Bound

3 Slots

Level 10 (15%)

A specialized rogue core that focuses on assassination techniques. Can slot either Rogue or Assassin skills. Equipping this core unlocks the Assassin class. Equipping this core over an existing rogue core will consume the rogue core, setting this core to its current level.

Effect:

Increases the effect of all Rogue and Assassin skills.

+2 Dexterity

In order to take the Assassin’s Core, Tresk had to combine it with her Rogue’s Core, saving her arduous grinding back to 10. Not all cores worked this way—some reset to Level 1 when combined or upgraded. But she could hit the dungeons daily. Compared to the average adventurer, who might see a few dungeons a year, she was shooting up in the levels at an alarming rate. Theo was in the same situation with his cores, but for a different reason. He inspected her Shadowdancer’s Core next.

[Shadowdancer’s Core]

Legendary

Rogue and Illusion Mage Core

Bound

2 Slots

Level 8 (15%)

A hybrid core combining a Rogue’s Core and an Illusion Mage’s Core. This core focuses on support abilities not provided to rogues by default and is considered a utility core.

Effect:

Decreases the cooldown of all Rogue (and those of all variants, e.g. Assassin, Swashbuckler, and so on) and Illusion Mage skills twice as fast, as long as you remain hidden.

+1 Dexterity

The Shadowdancer’s Core should have been a higher rarity than Legendary. Tresk got the information from a wizard, Uharis, to combine a Rogue’s Core with an Illusion Mage’s Core to create the class. It paired perfectly with her Assassin’s Core, providing amazing utility. Her attribute sheet told a story of someone heavily invested in the Rogue-type classes.

Tresk

Bantari Marshling

Level 13

Assassin

Core Slots: 3

Stats:

Health: 65

Mana: 10

Stamina: 75

Strength: 19 (+10)

Dexterity: 26 (+6)

Vigor: 10 (+5)

Intelligence: 2

Wisdom: 8 (+5)

Points: 0

Tresk was on track for her goals. Once she was all right with Theo staying in town alone, she’d hit the dungeons again. He knew better than to prod her toward that fact, allowing her to realize that he was safe on his own. When they finished their meal, the marshling departed on patrol duty. Every adventurer did their time on the wall, protecting the town, and today was her day. The alchemist had his mayoral duties with the festival. He’d already contributed his part for the food portion of the festival—everyone ate for free during the Dying of the Blooms, but he still had to judge their wreaths.

Most citizens of Broken Tusk had homes just north of Xam’s tavern, nestled at the foot of the farmer’s hill. That area seemed more like a small town than anything else, with over fifty homes tightly packed and connected with a weave of cobbled roads. Theo made a note of each house that had dead wreaths, trusting his high Wisdom to allow him to remember who was disqualified. He greeted everyone as he went, even spotting Azrug leaving his house to head for the Newt and Demon.

While Theo wanted to check in on the adventurer’s enclave, a place north of the farmer’s fields where most adventurers built their houses, he had business at the adventurer’s guild. The guild was located near the western wall, across the road from Sledge’s sawmill. He watched as laborers hauled an impossibly large tree through the gate, dragging it along the ground as though it weighed nothing. The sawmill, named the Swamp Snapper Mill, had a bonus. Ogre Strength made it so that a tree felled within a distance from the mill would weigh almost nothing. With the massive Ogre Cypress Trees, this bonus was necessary.

[Ogre Strength]

All trees felled within a radius (scaling with the level of the sawmill) will weigh a fraction of their actual rate for all operators of the sawmill.

An upgrade on the town, provided by Uharis the archmage, allowed anyone with permission to insert and withdraw raw resources from anywhere within town. Once the sawmill turned the raw wood into lumber, they simply touched it to store it away. The storage was limitless, something Theo realized he needed desperately. The alchemist avoided the angry marshling’s attention and ducked into the guild without issue. He didn’t want to get distracted today. He found his way to the guildmaster’s office.

Aarok Thane was a massive half-ogre, even by half-ogre standards. His black hair was pulled into a topknot today, and the dull red hue of all half-ogres marked his skin. He had a powerful face that was fixed in a permanent look of concentration. Theo could sense Luras lurking around somewhere nearby, the power of Baelthar rolling off him in turgid waves. He wondered if others could sense Drogramath’s power flowing off him before Aarok grabbed his attention.

“You’ve been avoiding me,” Aarok said.

“I’m busy,” Theo said, grinning.

Aarok’s office was small but welcoming. It had a view looking east into the center of the small town. Early morning light flooded in, illuminating the wide table and rickety chairs. Theo took a seat and let out a breath.

“We’re all busy,” Aarok said. He gave Theo a flat stare. “I need to give a report. Not suitable for your assistant.”

“Alise is more than competent,” Theo said.

Aarok narrowed his eyes.

“I’m listening,” Theo said, holding his hands up defensively.

“Looks like the wizard’s gamble worked,” Aarok said. “The Swamp Dungeon has slowed down its growth significantly, and we’re not expecting any waves.”

“That’s exactly as planned,” Theo said.

“I have concerns,” Aarok said with a shrug. “Nothing major, depending on how you look at it.”

“What does that mean?” Theo said, suddenly feeling less bored with the report.

“There’s a good chance the other dungeons in the kingdom are growing at a significantly higher rate,” Aarok said. He stood near the window, casting his eyes over the town below. “If the energy we have here is bleeding into the entire network of dungeons… Well, I don’t know if that’s good.”

Theo stood, joining him at the window. “What do you think this town is going to be, Aarok? There’s something at work that we can’t understand. A force that no one can comprehend. From what I can tell, Drogramath found a loophole. He’s not supposed to interact with the world directly, so he’s sending his power instead. This place isn’t corrupted, is it?”

“No, but that doesn’t mean we should let our guard down,” Aarok said.

“We should do the opposite of that,” Theo said.

Aarok stewed on that for a while. He and Theo often agreed on matters of defense. They saw the defense of Broken Tusk as the most important thing in their lives, often investing significant sums of money into that task. The result was a town that could repel a Level 30 monster wave with ease, and they would only grow stronger. Behind those powerful walls, life was good. It was worth protecting.

“I just got worked up about it,” Aarok said, letting out a breath. “I have no loyalty to the crown, although I also don’t wish for its downfall.”

“So if the northerners get a spike of monsters, that’s not our problem,” Theo said. “Worst-case scenario, we get really tight with Rivers, maybe those lizardfolk down south. Hell, the Khahari might join in if it’s worth it.”

“I doubt the Khahari are interested in us at all,” Aarok said, “but I get what you’re saying. We could even mint our own currency if we want.”

“I think the dungeons do that for us,” Theo said, laughing. “Unless you’re interested in seeing my ugly face on a coin.”

“That’d be fun,” Aarok said, grinning.

“Come find me at the lab if you really need to talk,” Theo said. “I’m just not concerned with anything that happens outside of these walls.”

“Good. As long as we’re clear.”

Theo and Aarok talked for a while about other things. The adventurer’s guild had put up minimal effort on their wreath, and it had already died. The culture around the festival was celebration, not competition, so no one really cared. It was more about coming together and preparing for the long haul of heatwaves to come. Aarok recalled the festival when he was a child, almost 30 years ago. Before the alchemist arrived, food was scarce. Hunters played the most important role back then, followed by the farmers. They owed the bounty they enjoyed today to Drogramath’s energy, flooding the land and forcing things to grow at an absurd rate. The Demon God was known as the Potioneer, but he also influenced herblore and agriculture.

That was always part of Theo’s thoughts when he weighed the value of the Demon God. Even the pantheon those gods found themselves in was a misnomer. They were demons because their descendants had horns, oddly colored skin, and their association with a few nefarious beings. The Prime Pantheon was no better than the demonic one in Theo’s eyes. The gods asserted minimal influence on the world, often acting from their respective realms. This influenced the alchemist’s approach to most things, acting exactly like those gods, only striking out from his bubble of influence when it suited him. The walls of Broken Tusk were safe, like those godly realms.

Theo departed the guildhall feeling no different about his conviction. There was work to be done at the Newt and Demon. He withdrew the 1,000 units of Refined Healing Essence from the pressure vessel and went upstairs, giving his greetings to Azrug as he went. The shopkeeper was excited to see more potions flood into the shop. He’d been running a scheme where he bought all the adventurers gear they got from the dungeons and resold it. The plan was to have an appraiser, a loremaster, come to town to get the most out of the items, but that fell through. He couldn’t locate anyone who would make the journey, even if the money was good. Azrug would sit on those items rather than sell them off, more interested in waiting for a Loremaster’s Core than parting with them at a worse price.

Working with essences was easy when one was in a lab blessed by Drogramath. The building had effects that both made reactions easier to predict and materials safe to handle. In the hands of someone without a Drogramath alignment, or without his cores, the essences were explosive at the best of times. Theo dragged an alchemically treated barrel over, intent on performing advanced reactions 200 units at a time. His first go at the process was to mix 1 unit of essence with 1 unit of water right in the final vial. He learned quickly this was inefficient. Until recently, the only thing holding him back was the volatility of the reaction in performing large-scale advanced reactions. Now, with all those bonuses, he could do so easily.

Theo spent time enchanting more catalysts with Drogramath’s power, resisting the urge to try it the manual way. The system allowed him to simply place his hand over the small flecks of metal, and his mana would pour out on its own. The pile of Iron Shavings on the table glowed purple for a moment, subsiding into a shimmer that pulsed with the breath of magic in the air. He inspected the aligned catalyst before introducing 200 of the flakes into the barrel.

[Iron Shavings]

[Alchemy Component]

Common

Alignment:

Drogramath (Middling Bond)

Alignment Effects:

Increased stability during reactions.

Increased quality of reaction by 1 level, up to Excellent Quality.

Shavings from raw iron.

The alignment effects were absurd, and Theo owed it all to that small shrine near the window. This was his standard, second-tier reaction for healing potions. It could be produced in mass quantities—something the Qavelli alchemists could only dream of—and created some of the most powerful potions on the continent. Theo wasn’t foolish enough to consider himself the best in the world—yet. There were places he had never heard of, with people of considerable power that might pale even his creations. He introduced the water and essences, gaining a bubbling, spitting barrel of potion that sent a cloud of red fog into the air.

Theo propped the window, stooping low to peer up through the vents above the stills. He’d been thinking about it more lately and couldn’t shake the feeling that they weren’t functioning correctly. The alchemist approached his Glassware Artifice and fed it motes in order to create enough flat-bottomed vials to contain his 1,000 potions. As he did, he invoked a skill that allowed him to communicate with the entire town, belonging to his Governance Core. A system message appeared for every inhabitant of the town, popping up in a small window in the center of their vision.

[Theo]: Sledge, can you stop by the lab when you have a chance? It’s a paying job.

It was easy to motivate Sledge. She worked the sawmill for him, meaning that if he drew her off to do something else and paid her, she’d show up in a flash. Theo bottled a single healing potion to inspect the quality, expecting nothing less than excellent.

[Healing Potion]

[Potion]

Epic

Created by: Belgar

Quality: Excellent

Alignment:

Drogramath (Middling Bond)

A healing potion. Drink to restore health.

Effect:

Instantly restores 125 health points.

Despite easily overshadowing the potions created in the capital, this wasn’t the best potion Theo had ever created. He messed up the cooking phase of the potion, burning some of the mash on the bottom. The Newt and Demon had created perfect-quality Healing Potions in the past, something that was priceless within the small kingdom. There were many factors that went into a potion’s quality. The skill of the alchemist was foremost, but then came the quality of the distillation process, if he used cultivated ingredients, the quality of the catalyst, and the quality of the water. It would have been too much for him to keep track of if not for his Wisdom attribute.

Moments after completing the potion, a knock came at the lab’s door. Sledge didn’t bother waiting for a response. She barged in, looking around with hungry eyes. Sledge Grob was a strange woman. Marshling by birth, but raised by a half-ogre family, she was constantly spiky. Her skin was a muddy brown color, and she had pale gray eyes. She was the same height as Tresk, and twice as fiery.

“Paying job?” Sledge asked.

“I’ve just been dealing with it,” Theo said, pointing at the vents above the stills. “But I really don’t think the vents are working.”

“How much?”

“Give ya a gold if you can fix it,” Theo said, grinning.

A gold coin was far more than the job was worth, but Theo didn’t care. Sledge held a special place in his heart, mostly because of how obstinate she was. The people who didn’t want help affected him more than those that did. He saw them as a special case that needed a different approach, but her station also influenced his willingness to part with his money. Ogre Cypress should have been a rare tree, but they grew like weeds in Broken Tusk. That would be a massive export for them and an invaluable resource when they got to the stage of building sailing boats. The tree also provided a reagent he couldn’t live without. Ogre Cypress Bark was a chalky, sticky material that sat between the outer and inner layer of the tree and provided two absurdly valuable properties. [Cure Ailment] had saved Tresk in the past, and [Cleanse] was used in several detergent-style reactions.

Theo watched with amusement as the woman jumped atop a still and wriggled her way into the vent. He heard her cursing, her voice echoing from within. Something fell to the ground, covered in soot and burnt. A wash of cool air rushed through the lab, siphoning through the open window and through the vent. Moments later, Sledge dropped down, covered in filth and smiling with her hand out.

“There was some junk blocking the vent,” she said.

Theo produced a bottle of Cleansing Scrub from his inventory and dumped it over the woman’s head. A wave of light rippled over her, scouring away the dirt and leaving her pristine. She shivered under its effects. The alchemist produced the gold coin, as promised, and handed it over.

“Nice doing business with you,” Sledge said, turning to leave.

“Just a moment,” Theo said.

She stopped, turning to lock eyes with him. “More work?”

“No, I wanted to know how the sawmill is going,” Theo said.

“Check the dang town storage,” Sledge said, barking a laugh. “Yeah, we’re doing an absurd amount of boards a day. If I poke those lazy bastards, they’ll turn over five thousand boards a day. Per day. You realize how much wood that is?”

“I realize it’s a lot,” Theo said, nodding. “At a copper a board, you’re generating half a gold per day.”

“Five silver of which slips into my pocket,” Sledge said, rubbing her hands together.

Theo’s agreement with his workers was standard at 10 percent of market value. His idea was to incentivize them into working harder to make more money. Of course, he didn’t pocket the earnings. That went directly into the town, more often than not.

“Do you see production increasing in the future?” Theo asked.

“Get us some more upgrades, and yeah,” Sledge said. “The boys are leveling their cores, so that’s going to help it along.”

“Thank you, Sledge,” Theo said, turning back to his work.

“Oh, stop being so formal,” she said, slapping him on the back.

The marshling departed, saying nothing more. Theo finished his potions up, then took them down to stock the shop. Azrug was excited to have his hands on so many potions, but the alchemist reminded him not to sell them in bulk. He had an agreement with an elven trader regarding that and didn’t want to break his contract. Until that man arrived back in time, he’d keep experimenting with new ingredients. The next item on his list was the Pozwa Horns. Theo made his way upstairs, intent on refining the horns down into essence.

Chapter Six

If not for the powerful jaws of the Alchemical Grinder, the Pozwa Horns would have been impossible to grind into a fine powder. Theo fed the hard horns into the device, wincing as it groaned. But after a few moments, the job was done, and 100 units of powdered horn sat at the bottom of his Drogramath Still. The alchemist poured in enough water to get the still started, then set the temperature low and returned the lid. The clasps snapped shut, and the magical fire burned underneath. A stiff breeze came from the open window, sweeping over the lab and carrying the stuffy air out the vent.

When Theo inherited the building, he hadn’t thought to check the vents. There were a few things that remained from the early days that he should check, but the building was barely recognizable as the seed core lab he found at the start. He inspected the shop before continuing.

[Alchemy Lab] [Alchemy Shop]

[The Newt and Demon]

Owners: Belgar (Theo Spencer), Tresk

Shopkeeper: Azrug Slug

Faction: Broken Tusk

Level: 20 (2%)

Rent Due: 2 days

Expansions:

[Alchemy Shop]

[Drogramath Distillation Specialty]

[Shrine to Drogramath]

[Alchemical Garden]

It started at Level 1, and each level after that was harder to fill that experience percentage. There would likely be a restriction at Level 25 and 30 based on the size of Broken Tusk, but that was a task for another day. He inspected the result of his fermentation, the mash looking ready for distillation. Theo moved the contents of the barrels, destined to be [Anti-Mage] modifier essence, into his stills and set them to work. The modifier process was fairly simple. Fermentation, distillation, and refinement. Each modifier worked in unpredictable ways, but that was the fun of it for the alchemist. He intended to buckle down and make a complete list of every modifier essence and its effects on potions. But that was a daunting task.

The [Anti-Mage] modifier produced potions as the name described. It typically had the effect of draining mana from a magic-using opponent or giving them a penalty for casting spells. He could even make a firebomb designed to punish mages for casting their spells while on fire. Theo left his stills to simmer for a while. He left, crossing the cobbled street outside. Unlike the early part of the Season of Blooms, the sky was clear and bright. It had rained for weeks straight, something the locals saw as a good thing.

Zarali’s enchanting lab was magnificent on the outside and in. The exterior was a stone block construction, with purple wooden slats on top to represent its alignment with Drogramath. Theo pushed inside without knocking, finding the woman kneeling in the center of the room in front of a strange device. The alchemist saw ribbons of energy collecting from the surrounding air, sucking into a black cube that seethed with Drogramath’s energy. He shouldn’t have been surprised that she was doing this, but he still had an initial reaction of concern.

“Brother!” Zarali said, crossing the room to pull him into a hug. “How rare a visit is from you.”

“What’s that?” Theo asked, craning his neck to see around her.

“It accumulates raw mana,” she said, releasing him to pat her device.

The mana collector stood out among the decorations inside. Tools sat atop tables that crowded the walls, gems scattered everywhere. Banners bearing the mark of Drogramath were draped on the walls and each window was covered with thick strips of fabric, rendering the interior dim. Only the flickering candlelight brought brightness to the dingy interior.

“Enchanting stuff?” Theo asked, moving with caution to the side of the cube. “Is it dangerous?”

“Enchanting stuff. Yes, I need large amounts of mana to enchant stuff, and there’s no shortage of mana here. Raw, unprocessed mana,” Zarali said, letting out a wistful sigh. “It’s mostly safe.”

Theo moved away from the cube, running his fingers over the tools of her trade.

“I didn’t think Drogramath was the patron of enchanters,” Theo said. “Is your core aligned with him?”

“It is,” Zarali said. “My Drogramath Enchanter’s Core will never be as powerful as your aligned core, but it’s still better than most. Not better than those dedicated to the dwarven gods, but still. I won’t presume this is a social call. Do you need something?”

Theo had noticed, more in recent memory than ever before, that his high Wisdom didn’t work well against those with an equally high score. He felt a twinge in his mind as though she were hiding something, but his intuition went no further than that. Still, he sensed it wasn’t a malicious plan she was hatching. Self-interested, maybe, but nothing harmful.

“More of an academic thing,” Theo said.

“Ah, an area in which I am very educated,” Zarali said.

Theo led her out of the enchanting lab and back to his own lab. The stills were bubbling away, but there was nothing of their scent in the lab. It smelled clean, like the fresh breeze was depositing every corner of the lab with a pleasant scent. It was a drastic change that would take getting used to.

“I have a feeling about the Pozwa Horns,” he said, gesturing to his Drogramath Still. “The essence won’t make a bomb, a potion, or a detergent. I can’t figure out what it’ll produce.”

“I would guess the property is something close to ‘sight,’” Zarali said.

“[Reveal],” Theo said.

“That makes sense,” Zarali said. She raked her eyes across the lab, as though each slight mistake was an offense to her god. She snapped out of it. “The Fallen Kingdom was famous for their Pozwa. If the stories are true, the crown held each beast in secluded pens. Guarded, if you can believe it.”

“Why?” Theo asked. “What makes them so great?”

“That depends on which historian you ask,” Zarali said. “The problem with getting hit with a necromancer’s curse is that it’s become impossible to find records. Anyway, I would say they saw them as sacred creatures.”

Theo lowered the temperature on the Drogramath Still, sensing that the Pozwa Horn mash would burn otherwise. He struggled to think of this world’s history. He knew little about Broken Tusk, let alone the rest of the world.

“What happened to Gardreth?” Theo asked.

“The era we’re in—Balkor’s Betrayal—is named because a Demon God jumped pantheons,” Zarali said. “A war broke out in the other realms and bled out here in time. Five hundred years after the war started, Balkor was vanquished. The Prime Pantheon defeated him so completely that pieces of him ripped through reality. Unfortunately, Gardreth was in the direct path. He left his stain on that land, and only Glantheir had mercy, separating it from the mainland in an act of defiance in the face of the other gods. While the main continent was healed, Gardreth remained tainted.”

Theo knew Glantheir was the Elven God of Healing, but that’s where his knowledge of the events at Gardreth stopped. It was surprising to hear the Pozwa survived for such a long time if the land was as uninhabitable as Zarali said.

“That makes me wonder why Fenian went through the trouble,” Theo said.

“Some men enjoy spitting in the face of what’s possible,” Zarali said, a thin smile spreading across her face. “To your question about the [Reveal] property, I can’t say.”

The history that Zarali revealed showed just how much influence the gods had, but there was a clear line. They wouldn’t act overtly unless absolutely necessary, but Theo couldn’t understand that. If they had the power to change the world, why didn’t they? But that didn’t matter.

“I saw some strange alchemy in Xol’sa’s tower,” Theo said. “He was infusing gems with alchemy. Do you think that could be the way forward with this essence?”

“No, not likely,” Zarali said. “You might pick up that skill later, but not now. Not this low. He’s faking the effects with magic, perhaps an experiment of his.”

Zarali went silent for enough breaths for Theo to realize she was falling back into her memories. If she had something for the wizard, he didn’t want anything to do with it. Relationship drama often ended poorly, and he couldn’t imagine how it would end when the participants were superhuman. The Pozwa Horn mash bubbled away, and the priestess went on to lecture him on his stills and how inadequate they were.

“Your thought might be that you need more stills,” Zarali said, gesturing widely to the lab. There was only room for three stills, but he understood her meaning. More equipment meant more essence. “But that’s not the key to good Drogramathi Alchemy. Quality is where you need to go.”

“Volume has been working pretty well so far,” Theo said, shrugging the comments off.

“It has, and getting more stills is fine,” Zarali said, letting out a breath. Theo could tell his attitude toward quality distillation bothered her. She was too kind to mention it. “Would you argue that higher-quality potions sell for more? Would you agree that the higher tier potion, the harder it is to increase that quality?”

“I don’t disagree,” Theo said with a solemn nod. “My preference is a balanced approach between volume and quality.”

“We can work with that,” Zarali said. “Think of how your still functions. It heats reagents with water, extracting the desired property, and then condenses it into a liquid. Heat, condensation, essence.”

Theo repeated the three parts of the process. It had been his life since he arrived, and he was quite familiar with it.

“What happens if you run an essence through the still again?”

Theo shrugged. “Depends on the essence. I’ve only done it once, but it should increase the purity of the resulting essence.”

“The problem being, you lose some essence in the process,” Zarali said, a grin spreading across her face. She gestured to the top of the Drogramath Still, where a pipe connected to the lid. “What if we redistilled everything in place?”

“Are you going to suggest we put another still on top of my stills? ’Cause that sounds stupid,” Theo said.

“Only because you said it,” Zarali said. She waved his suggestion away with a dismissive hand. “We can create attachments for the equipment that replicate the effects of distillation on a smaller scale, and we can do it in sequence. I want to work with Throk to create a Bubble Plate Artifice that takes essence, in vapor form, through the bottom, redistills it in place, then sends it along.”

But that gave Theo another thought. His eyes flicked to the funnels that sat on the table. They led over to small, 1,000-unit storage tanks near the wall where he could flush them out to the large 10,000-unit storage tanks outside. Redistilling essences to create better-quality essence was nice, especially coming up against the third tier of essences in the distant future, but why was that a separate process? With a genius artificer in town and enough money to fund the project, why shouldn’t he expand his equipment further?

“That’s interesting,” Theo said, cupping his chin in his hand. “I know I can run the pressure vessel on processed essence, but what about vaporized essence?”

“Lord Drogramath,” Zarali said, clasping her hands together and letting out a heavy sigh. She crossed the room, wrapping her arms around him and laughing. “He’s learning! I’ll never doubt your wisdom again, my patron.”

She pulled away, tears forming in the corners of his eyes. Theo thought for a moment that she must have thought he was an idiot. He started with nothing here. The knowledge he gained on alchemy was through arduous experimentation, and he’d only been at it for the current season.

“So it’s possible?” Theo asked.

“Possible, and the correct way to do things,” Zarali said. “Vaporized essence should be easier to send under pressure.”

Theo narrowed his eyes. His intuition said that Belgar hadn’t ever made it that far. He knew their equipment had to be rough, since they refused to join society at large. The alchemist shrugged the comments off, not wanting to spit in the face of good advice. They went over the redesign together, and it was a fairly simple design that relied on Throk’s uncanny skills. The still would remain as it was, a simple pot-bellied heating device, but everything after that would change. Zarali wanted a stack of bubble plates over the output on the top. It would mix with enchanted water and force the vapor through another refinement process. A treated copper tube would force the vapor in a loop, entering the top of a small pressure vessel next to the still.

“After that, it just needs to be cooled to condense. I see a few problems with my design, but only because I’m so used to looking at it from a normal perspective,” Zarali said, a wide smile hanging on her face. “With an artificer in your pocket, we can ensure the vapor stays at the right temperature as it’s pressurized.”

The plan was solid. It was two-fold, of course. The first part with the bubble plates would get Theo to Level 30—his intuition said that much. It would overcome the difficulty of refining reagents above Level 20. Then, they’d apply the required pressure to turn a regular essence into the second tier of essences. What he had to do to send them into the third tier was beyond him, but the design was adaptive. They could add as many things as they wanted in sequence before the condenser coils. By the time they finished working out the fine details, namely the requirements from Throk, the Pozwa Horns were done distilling. Theo inspected a sample with the priestess.

[Reveal Essence]

[Essence]

Common

Created by: Belgar

Quality: Excellent

Alignment:

Drogramath (Middling Bond)

Alignment Effects:

1:1 refinement in pressure vessels

Increased purity from refinement

1 unit (liquid)

Concentrated essence of reveal.

“I get a strange sense from this essence,” Zarali said, casting her gaze over the shrine as though it would help.

“That’s what I felt,” Theo said, setting up a 2-unit glass vial on the table. “Let’s try a standard reaction.”

The standard reaction was what made consumable potions. It was 1 unit of essence, 1 unit of Purified Water, and any catalyst. Theo had been using his Iron Shavings lately but defaulted to Copper Shavings, since this was a first-tier reaction. The vial bubbled immediately, sending both him and Zarali scattering to find cover behind nearby furniture. The vial exploded, sending shards of glass zipping through the lab and peppering the wooden walls. They waited for some time before emerging to find a scorch mark on the table.

“Nope,” Theo said. “That’s going to be the same reaction for my other methods.”

Theo’s Drogramath Alchemy Core whispered, but the meaning was faint. A shudder ran through Zarali, and she turned to him with concern.

“Close your eyes,” she instructed. “If you removed your mark and that necklace, this would be easier.”

But Theo wouldn’t trust doing that. Not now, with the breath of Drogramath down his neck. He had been promised that this necklace kept him safe from Drogramath. A whisper was more than enough for him, and he closed his eyes. Images flashed through his mind. Treated copper. Imbued glass. That was it. The whispers gave him nothing more, but they left understanding. With an increasingly high Intelligence score and formidable Wisdom, Theo put the pieces together. He’d made a potion that he placed in the detergent class before because of the way it reacted. The Potion of Infusion imbued materials with an alchemically neutral property. This was a different kind of essence, but adjacent. The purpose of the essence wasn’t to brew it into a potion but to infuse an object with the property.

There were problems with this application, though. The object needed to be inert, so he couldn’t use anything made of base metals. Living objects wouldn’t work either—they would cause a reaction. Magical items would reject it entirely. Theo had an idea, darting from the lab and scooping a rock that fit comfortably in the palm of his hand, and rushed back into the lab. The alchemist generated an open-topped flask, filled it with the essence, scrubbed the rock of all dirt, and dropped it in.

“What are you doing?” Zarali asked.

“Watch,” Theo said, pointing at the rock. It bubbled. “I’m infusing the rock with the [Reveal] property. If it works, the stone will hold the property.”

“To what end?” Zarali asked, crossing her arms.

“There’s no end,” Theo said. “This is just an experiment. If the rock takes the essence, then I have a direction to move in.”

The pair watched as the rock bubbled away, clinking against the side of the flask, but the reaction grew no more vigorous than that. It settled after a moment, and Theo retrieved a pair of tongs, removing the rock and setting it on the table. The excess essence seemed to have spent itself, becoming inert. Theo inspected the strange rock.

[Reveal Construct]

[Alchemy Construct]

Common

Created by: Belgar

Quality: Poor

Emits a constant field of Reveal as long as the construct is powered.

Material:

Stone (Poor Quality)

Effect:

Creates a 1-halm bubble around the construct that removes stealth from any target.

“What in the realms is that?” Zarali asked, stooping low to inspect the construct.

“What the hell is a halm?” Theo asked, laughing.

“A unit of measure. About this big,” Zarali said, gesturing with her hands. Seemed like half a foot to his eyes. “How do you not know measures of distance?”

Theo shrugged. People in Broken Tusk often used relative height measurements in the way they spoke, never referring to how tall they actually were.

“It’s not active,” Theo said, stooping close to inspect the rock further. Seams of light ran through the rock now, as though it were imbued with the essence directly. The alchemist understood this was a mostly useless item, but it was a step in an interesting direction. He’d never heard of alchemy constructs, and he doubted anyone else had either. Too many hands laid themselves on this one, pushing Theo to create the construct. Between Drogramath giving him the answer and Fenian delivering the Pozwa, the alchemist had to wonder how long someone would take to figure this out on their own.

“Feed it mana,” Theo said after a moment. He didn’t trust himself to do so in the real world. The description said it required power to operate.

Zarali shrugged, holding her palm above the thing to allow a trickle of purple flame to pour over the rock. A bubble sprung up around the rock, flickering for only a moment before the construct shattered.

“This is amazing,” Zarali said, her brows knitted tightly. “A complete failure, but amazing.”

Theo stood back, looking at the shattered stone on his table. This was entirely unexpected, leading him to question what else he’d missed with the base essences. He made a mental note before moving on for the day. The essence soaked into the rock, imbuing it with its property. Mana activated the rock, which was like a catalyst. In the alchemist’s mind, it was storing the power of the reagent in a medium and activating it at a later date. It was the fourth method of performing Drogramathi Alchemy. Constructs.

Chapter Seven

Theo spent the rest of his day fiddling with the alchemy construct idea. Zarali stuck around for a while, but once Tresk returned home, she departed. The marshling spent her day patrolling the walls of Broken Tusk and seemed to have little interest in the constructs. She was always interested in things that would affect her life the most over the shortest time, and since the construct could barely hold its form, she didn’t care.

“You can really do more dungeons,” Theo said as they departed for Xam’s tavern.

Today, Xam had laid all her food outside in a buffet style. Everyone was guaranteed two meals a day during the festival, which was just a perk expected by the townspeople. Theo was more than happy to provide half of the funding for the event, and the effects were plain on everyone’s faces. They were having a great time. The food tonight was a variation on Zee bread and a cheese sauce with shredded wolf meat. It was delicious, as always.

“I’ll do more dungeons when I’m sure you’re safe,” Tresk said.

Someone caught their attention, and they turned, giving their greetings and well-wishes for the end-of-season festival.

“I can take care of myself,” Theo said.

Tresk let out a laugh, doubling over and slapping her knobbly knees. “Yeah, right. Your Dexterity is so low that you couldn’t stop a one-legged Marsh Wolf.”

That much was true. Dexterity influenced reaction time and speed, and it was his lowest score. Going from 8 Dexterity to 20, which would be an acceptable number, wasn’t possible. At most, Theo could expect to get somewhere in the mid-teens with the help of gear. It also wasn’t workable for him to drink potions all the time to keep that attribute up.

“We can bridge that problem somewhat, but I don’t think I’ll need to fight,” Theo said.

“Because I’ve been shadowing you!” Tresk said, stomping her foot. “We have to figure out something that works for you.”

“If it means you go back into the dungeons, I’m all right with that,” Theo said.

Tresk grabbed him by the arm, dragging him south toward the Newt and Demon. He stumbled along, not willing to stop the marshling when she had something in her head. When she wanted something done, there was nothing he could say to stop her. Not if she really wanted it. When they entered the lab, she began rummaging through Azrug’s many crates. The shop was large, following the footprint of the entire building except for the staircase at the back. A counter dominated the front of the store, but shelves and tables were neatly placed along most of the walls. One wall was dedicated to a row of Dimensional Storage Crates, which were full of the shopkeeper’s equipment.

“Why does he have so many things?” Tresk grumbled, pulling items out one after the other and shaking her head. “Look at all this stuff. Yeah, we can make you a set with this.”

Theo just stood by, prepared to wear anything Tresk suggested. She found a shirt, pants, two rings, and a pair of boots, laying them out on the floor and smiling.

“Azrug might be mad,” Theo said.

“Well, you own all the stuff, so he can deal with it,” Tresk said. “He has a few excellent pieces of equipment here. Right, so we’re going to make up for your lack of Dexterity. Put everything on, and we can go over it.”

Theo’s preference for magical equipment was stuff that made his alchemy and herbalism better, which were both rare enough. He was inching closer to doing this himself, since Tresk refused to go in the dungeons by herself. The alchemist didn’t need to win a fight—he just needed to get away and in range of the towers in town. He needed to survive long enough that someone else could help him.

He inspected the two rings first.

[Swift Motions Ring]

[Ring]

Rare

An enchanted copper ring.

Effect:

+5 Dexterity for 10 seconds after withdrawing something from your inventory.

[Effect Locked]

[Effect Locked]

[Dexterous Ring]

[Ring]

Rare

An enchanted silver ring, etched with designs.

Effect:

+2 Dexterity

[Effect Locked]

[Effect Locked]

It was easy to see where she was going with this. In any realistic engagement, Theo would need to withdraw things from his inventory, and the Swift Motions Ring would give him a burst of short-lived Dexterity. The Dexterous Ring gave him a flat +2 to the stat, which put him at 10. When he slipped it over his finger, he felt his body go over that cliff. He flexed his hands, noting how the motion of his fingers felt smoother.

“You’re not stupid. We’re going to make you a potion-thrower,” Tresk said. “Stack enough Dexterity so you can toss a potion and get out of there.”

Theo nodded, checking a pair of cloth bracers next. He rolled the sleeves of his silk robe up, slipping them over his wrists. They were perfectly cool, as most magical items were. He inspected the bracers.

[Cloth Bracers of Tossing]

[Bracers]

Rare

Enchanted Karatan wool cloth bracers.

Effect:

Increase the accuracy of any thrown item.

[Effect Locked]

[Effect Locked]

“Makes sense,” Theo said. “My accuracy isn’t great.”

“Next.”

Theo removed his robe, discarding his old gear in favor of the new clothes.

[Shirt of the Dexterous]

[Cloth Shirt]

Rare

Scaling

Magical shirt, granting the user a bonus to Dexterity.

Effect:

+2 Dexterity

[Pants of the Dexterous]

[Cloth Pants]

Rare

Scaling

Magical pants, granting the user a bonus to Dexterity.

Effect:

+2 Dexterity

“I have a pair of each of those,” Tresk said. “Amazing that Azrug hasn’t sold them; they’re absurd. Scaling gear is good, but I’ve only seen it with one or two effects.”

That put Theo to 14 Dexterity. He never wanted to stack gear to raise his attributes, but this made the most sense. They could burden him with magical items to make up for his horrible attributes while he put his free points into the ones that mattered to him. Both the pants and shirt were made of some material that hardly mattered. Magical items felt mostly the same, smooth like silk and cool as a night’s breeze. As Theo put his robe back on, he appreciated how nice they felt.

“Boots,” Tresk said, pointing at a pair of boots.

Theo put the boots on before inspecting the pair.

[Boots of Swiftness]

[Leather Boots]

Rare

Enchanted leather boots.

Effect:

+2 Dexterity

[Effect Locked]

[Effect Locked]

“Hooray, you’re geared for war,” Tresk said flatly. “When you take something out of your inventory, you’re going to be at 21 Dexterity. That puts you in a realm to compete with me.”

“We could get more Dexterity,” Theo said with a shrug. “So I can just sit at 20 at all times.”

“Maybe, but the system won’t let you wear two necklaces,” Tresk said, scratching her chin. She looked him up and down, pointing at the feathered hat on his head. “We could replace the hat, but I think it’s pretty good.”

Theo inspected his hat.

[Plume of Defiance]

[Cloth Hat]

Epic

Scaling

Hat granted to the alchemist with the determination to defend his home.

Effect:

During a siege, all potions used by defenders will be 1.25 times more effective.

+2 Vigor

The +2 Vigor was too nice to get rid of, and his necklace was also too valuable to remove. It was the necklace given by Sulvan Flametouched, providing him the highest amount of Strength. He would need to be happy with the 16 Dexterity.

“All right, now let’s go to sleep,” Tresk said, suddenly sounding much more comfortable. He could feel the ease at which she spoke—something about the spiky edges of her personality fading away.

Theo could claim he wasn’t tired, but that wasn’t true. Even if his stamina wasn’t dropping low, he was mentally tired. Not lingering on the edge of collapse, but tired enough to look forward to the Dreamwalk, even if Tresk intended to drill him in combat. They retreated upstairs a short time after the sun dipped below the horizon, pressed their foreheads together to get their Tara’hek experience, then drifted off into the Dreamwalk.

Tresk arrived first. Theo could tell because when he arrived, he was standing in the Newt and Demon’s lab. He figured out what her plan was quickly enough and mentally filled his inventory with potions and bombs. His inventory was always empty when he arrived in the Dreamwalk. It only took a few moments for the shadows in the corners of the room to stir. The marshling might have been a stealth specialist, but her subtlety was often lacking.

Theo withdrew a modified Basic Freezebomb from his inventory and waited only a few heartbeats. That was enough time for the two assassins Tresk had spawned to jump from the corners of the room, driving at him with daggers flashing. He felt his limbs before he commanded them, his Dexterity now sitting at 21, since he’d taken the bomb from his inventory. It shattered against the face of the first assassin, sending him stumbling back. Threads of ice surrounded the man, shooting off to ensnare the next one, and then the alchemist fled the lab, taking the steps with deft precision until he was on the hard, cobbled road.

The bomb he’d used had the [Web] modifier, and he inspected it.

[Basic Freezebomb]

[Web]

[Bomb] [Modified Bomb]

Common

Created by: Belgar

Quality: Great

Shatter against a surface to release ice that roots the target.

Effect:

Tendrils of ice shoot from the affected target, applying a weaker version of this effect to 5 adjacent enemies.

The [Web] modifier was one of his best. It multiplied the effects of a potion, usually connecting them with a web. After a moment, Tresk appeared at his side with a wide smile.

“The Dexterity paid off,” she said, waving her hand. Theo knew she was dismissing the creatures she created. “Let’s prove a point. Take the equipment off and try to run that again.”

It wasn’t worth running the exercise again. Theo knew he couldn’t outpace those assassins without the extra movement speed, especially that provided by withdrawing items from his inventory. But he obeyed, allowing the marshling to prove her point. That was when Theo learned something about combat in this world. He planned to overpower the two assassins, relying on his high Strength attribute to get them, but they were too slippery. Every time he went to grab one, they simply dodged out of the way, keeping a safe distance from his powerful grasp. They eventually overwhelmed him, killing him with a painless death.

“I summoned Level 30 assassins,” Tresk said, nodding. “You don’t have to be faster than them, just fast enough.”

Theo nodded. He felt himself falling into a familiar rhythm. On Earth, he did minimal hand-to-hand combat, but he was still trained. This reminded him of his work back then, part of those horrid death-squads. Berlin flashed in his mind again, but he pushed it away. He wasn’t ready to confront that fully. But other memories came back. He was cornered in an alleyway, forced to fight his way out. Instead of killing his opponents, he would often send them off balance and run away. He explained it to Tresk, knowing that she was the only person he could trust with his grief.

“Well, that’s a good start,” Tresk said with a nod. “Fighting is a lot about what Attributes you have, but equal parts about what you know.”

Theo couldn’t help but smile at the woman. He’d been responsible for more lives ended than she could ever understand, but the undertone of her message was clear. This wasn’t Earth. He couldn’t run away and order a tactical strike on an area. The knowledge translated. He had to run away and get his many towers to fire on the target or rely on a potion to take care of the problem.

“Let me show you something,” Theo said, producing a Reveal Construct with a thought. He couldn’t make anything he hadn’t already created, forcing him to give her an example with the useless thing. “Go stealth, please. And don’t move—I won’t be able to track you.”

Tresk obeyed, vanishing from sight. Theo didn’t trust his mana usage outside of the Dreamwalk, but in here it was safe. He activated the stone with a drip of fiery, purple mana, then tossed it in her general direction. The stone shattered in the air, but not before the field passed through where the marshling was standing. She looked shocked, her eyes darting around as though he’d performed some horrible act.

“What was that?” Tresk asked.

Theo produced another for her to inspect. She took the stone, rolling it over in her hands. “This kinda sucks.”

“Yeah, but think of the principle,” Theo said.

Tresk tilted her head to the side, bringing the stone close to her face and furrowing her wet little brow. “How?”

“Imagine that, but bigger,” Theo said. He couldn’t replicate an example for her. She’d just have to take his word for it.

“How much bigger?” Tresk asked.

“I always think about the extremes,” Theo said. “Imagine a field as large as Broken Tusk. Now imagine that it can absorb other properties from my essences. A field that cures diseases, sets enemies on fire, blocks magic. The applications are endless.”

“Is this still alchemy?” Tresk asked. “Seems like magic to me. And don’t think this gets you out of running drills.”

“I think it consumes either the essence, the medium, or both after use,” Theo said, shrugging. He ignored her comments about the drills. “This still counts as alchemy, although alchemy is kinda magic if you think about it.”

Tresk narrows his eyes at him. “You’re already far enough away from the Qavelli alchemists. You really wanna just go all out like that?”

“I do,” Theo said. The alchemist swiped his hand, changing the scene. They were standing by the river, near the bridge outside of the eastern wall of town. “That’s the plan for the whole town. Now, send more assassins after me.”

Theo equipped his gear again, but Tresk refused to summon them immediately. She told him to go about his work, and she’d insert the attack whenever she thought his guard was down, running off to train on her own for the time being. He shrugged it off, happy enough to know that at least he couldn’t get hurt for real here. The alchemist spent his time working with his mana and going over his brewing process. While he wanted to test Zarali’s idea for an in-line refinement process, he couldn’t get the Dreamwalk to allow him. He felt a gentle buzz in his mind every time he did, rejecting the concept wholesale.

There were few improvements he could make to his process while in the Dreamwalk, and his practice came down to just repeating the steps he knew until it was second nature. Theo could experiment with temperatures, making a catalog in his mind for all the reagents and the best temperatures for the run. Common ingredients were the easiest to work with, but he found cultivated reagents became more difficult. They required more attention than their un-cultivated counterparts, but he made a mental note of those.

Tresk’s attack came when Theo least expected it. He could still hear her battle raging in the distance when four assassins came from nowhere. His tactic from last time didn’t work, and he was quickly overwhelmed by the sudden press of daggers that seemed to fly from everywhere. The marshling stood in the distance, tutting.

“You fell for the distraction,” Tresk said. “You need to be focused at all times.”

Theo just smiled, watching as the marshling vanished. No amount of preparedness training would help him here. He needed an advantage that he could keep in his inventory at all times, and the constructs would help with that. The alchemist took part in Tresk’s drills, never expecting to overcome whatever gaggle of assassins she sent after him as he practiced his alchemy. To his surprise, he got better at evading them. The concept that he could be overtaken at any moment had him keep a mental finger on the trigger of his inventory, ready to open it and throw a modified Freezebomb at the closest attacker.

Tresk seemed happy enough with his progress, but the painless sensation of being killed by the fake assassins wasn’t pleasant. He spent the rest of the night in that cycle of alchemy and defense. While he didn’t elevate himself to the high standards of his companion, he got slightly better. It was like awakening old memories that wanted to stay dormant, bubbling them to the surface, and scooping off the useful stuff. By the end, he was ready to see the light of the real world. To practice real alchemy, which would fuel his advancement.

Chapter Eight

Theo awoke the next morning with one thing on his mind. During his time in the Dreamwalk, with Tresk’s constant interruptions, he realized this was a chance to understand which potions would be most useful for adventurers. He could simply take a poll to figure out which worked best for them, but people rarely knew what they wanted. In the dreaming realm, he could experiment forever without getting tired. As he walked with Tresk to eat their breakfast, his mind rolled over the possibilities.

Bombs were obvious. They came in as many flavors as he could think of and took modifiers well. For drinkable potions, there were too many to count. His plan was to root attackers with the Freezebomb, then pop a few potions to let him escape. Lesser Barkskin Potions would have been useful, but they diminished the imbiber’s speed. Lesser Sprinting Potions were obvious, as were the potions that increased stats. Theo wanted to put his mind to the problem, brewing the most potent of these potions to ease Tresk’s worries. If she saw him put genuine effort into the problem, she’d go back to doing dungeons.

“Roc Berries have a [Retreat] property,” Theo said as they sat down in the tavern.

The Marsh Wolf Tavern was busier than normal. Most citizens of Broken Tusk didn’t eat breakfast at the tavern, but since it was paid for, they seemed more likely to do so. Alise caught their attention, coming to have a seat with them and breaking Theo’s train of thought for a moment. Only then did he realize how obsessed he was over the issue, mentally kicking himself as to not do the town a disservice. The woman seemed bubbly today, sitting down and settling in with a smile on her face.

“I made a deal with a trader,” Alise said, setting something down on the table. Theo recognized it as a House Seed Core. “No, I didn’t overpay.”

“Why do we need more houses?” Tresk asked, tapping her foot impatiently. Theo could tell she was hungry. He’d be lying if he said he wasn’t.

“We had an influx of people joining the town,” Alise said with a curt nod. “Almost 70 citizens.”

The last time Theo checked, it was somewhere around 50. A sudden flash of concern spread through his body. Those assassins Tresk exposed him to weren’t doing him any favors.

“Think they would mind signing a basic contract?” Theo asked.

“A few of your powers extend to me,” Alise said, her grin growing broader. “They’ve already signed something to the effect of, ‘I shall not destroy Broken Tusk, her interests, and blah blah.’”

Alise was his subordinate in the administration structure of Broken Tusk. The advantage of his Governance Core was the sharing of abilities. His combat-related abilities went directly to the military structure, such as his tactical map, and his administration-related abilities went to his helpers. Alise was far more than just a helper, and he knew that. If the laborers and craftspeople of Broken Tusk were the muscle and bones, she was the blood. She was the person who kept everything running, leaving high-level decisions to Theo but managing the day-to-day things that would burden him quickly.

“Perfect,” Theo said, leaning back as a server came with his food and tea. “How are we distributing them?”

“No business at breakfast,” Tresk said, glowering.

“If we don’t do business at meals, business won’t get done,” Theo said. Tresk bristled, but he felt her concede to his words.

“They’re being distributed based on skill and experience,” Alise said, smiling as her food was delivered as well. She took a bite, swallowing the delicious, cheesy food before continuing. “More concerns about childcare are springing up.”

“That’s understandable,” Theo said. “Can we fund something like that?”

“With our current deals, yes,” Alise said. “I’ve secured a contract with that gentleman from Qavell, but it was a pittance. He wasn’t as illustrious as he claimed. We can claim the adventurer’s tax, but I think that’s a mistake.”

“Agreed. That should stay with them,” Theo said. “Last time I was in a pinch, Aarok was more than happy to help fund the defense of the city.”

“Why don’t people just pay for childcare?” Tresk asked, snorting a laugh. “If you’ve got ten kids, charge the people 1 copper a head.”

Theo had never thought of it like that. Even if it was something as insignificant as a single copper per child, per day, the town could supplement that. He spotted Zan’sal, a resident adventurer and member of the Khahari race. They were desert cat-people, as far as he knew, hailing from a continent to the east. He knew little about the continent, only what his cores wanted to whisper to him, but she was an honest person. She also had a child, something that often impeded her adventuring. He waved her over.

The first thing he noticed about Zan’sal was that she acted rather sheepish. It was as though she’d wronged him, although he couldn’t remember if she’d done anything recently. Both she and her husband, Zan’kir, kept to themselves in the adventurer’s district of town. She averted her gaze, staring at the floor and performing a rigid bow.

“How much would you pay for daily childcare?” Theo asked, sweeping his suspicions under the rug.

Zan’sal seemed surprised about the question, searching the faces of Alise and Tresk before meeting his gaze. Theo narrowed his eyes. His intuition went wild when she looked into his eyes, a kind of guilt burning hard. He made a mental note but wouldn’t act.

“10 copper. At least that much,” Zan’sal said after a long moment. “If Kir and I could hit the dungeon, we could afford to pay a lot more.”

Theo turned to Alise and nodded. Zan’sal seemed to take that as a dismissal, slinking away but not unnoticed by the alchemist.

“Take the temperature of that price,” Theo said. “See if everyone else with kids will pay for it. Plan for a school anyway. Use a seed core building or a specialized building if you can find it. Find the perfect nursemaid for our kids.”

Alise nodded. Theo sensed a swelling of pride in her chest. She was always so absurdly good at her job that he often found himself to be useless for the day-to-day things. But that’s where the alchemist shone. Taking care of the large decisions that were hard to make. It was more a matter of taking suggestions from the townsfolk and applying their ideas for the betterment of the town, but it could be difficult. Only after the thought had lingered in the air enough did Theo notice Zan’sal slipping away, his intuition and cores singing that something was fishy.

“What have Zan’sal and Zan’kir been up to?” Theo asked Tresk through their private communication.

He never suspected them of anything nefarious, because bringing a child to the town meant they had something to lose.

“Running the dungeons,” Tresk said, narrowing her eyes on the Khahari woman slinking away. Your suspicions are flooding through the core, buddy. Anything you want to share.”

“Just a feeling,” Theo said, knowing that his feel for things was often accurate. “Tail her for the day, if you can.”

“I love sneaking around and spying on people,” Tresk said, letting out an audible sigh. She vanished from her seat as the Khahari woman slipped out the door.

“The moment someone gets a travel power, they use it. Constantly,” Alise said, shaking her head. “What else do we need to do?”

Even with Theo’s amazing memory, things often slipped through the cracks. He could recall anything he’d heard or seen at a whim, but that didn’t mean his mind was constantly lingering on those topics. If he didn’t try to remember, how would he remember?

“Increase production; get a town hall; help Throk with his pipe system,” Theo said. “I’m sure I’m missing something, but that’s all I can remember.”

“Right. I’m off,” Alise said, standing and departing without saying another word.

Theo had a few plans for the day. He finished his food and tea and departed for the quarry. It was a reach to assume he could create anything useful with his alchemy constructs, but it started with good materials. His Drogramath Alchemy Core sent waves of approval through his body when he thought about the high-quality stone produced at Ziz’s quarry. Laden with Dexterity gear, the alchemy made amazing time to the quarry. Compared to his ponderous way of movement before the equipment, he was now moving at an absurd clip.

Ziz Rotgut originally worked for Perg. He and his gang of four laborers were her muscle, hauling fetid hides around and moving them through the stages of animal hide processing. Ziz always kept his head shaved, exposing his red, almost pink scalp. He was shorter than most half-ogres, but the broadness of his shoulders made up for that. The roundness of his belly didn’t help matters in having him stand apart from his kin, but like most half-ogres, he was kind and hard-working.

“Theo!” Ziz shouted, trundling over to scoop the alchemist up into a hug.

The quarry rested at the foot of a small mountain. Theo was never sure whether he should call it a large hill or a small mountain, but the terrain was rocky and sat high enough to give a splendid view of the town. The quarry itself was little more than a boundary marker, designating the sloped pit. White stone caught the light of a cloudless sun, seams of gems cutting through the layers. A woodcutter’s shack sat near the hole, larger than the alchemist remembered it but still quite small.

“Looks as though the stone is regenerating,” Theo said, finally released from the man’s powerful grip.

“We have a few upgrades,” Ziz said, grinning. “How have you been?”

Theo updated him on the discovery of alchemical constructs, detailing his theory about the stone. Putting his theories into words made him realize he only had half the truth and more questions than anyone on this planet could answer.

“That’s funny,” Ziz said, retreating into the stoneworker’s shop to retrieve a ledger. “I had a wizard stop by, not our wizard, to buy some stone. Said something about using them to bind spells.”

“Would you mind cutting me a few blocks?” Theo asked, gesturing to the stack of stone outside of the shack.

“How big?”

“Quarter halm by eighth halm,” Theo said, feeling a swell of pride for using a standardized measuring system for once.

“Huh?” Ziz asked.

Theo approximated the measurements for the half-ogre. It would be a rectangle of stone, small enough to fit in his hand for ease of experimentation. The thickness didn’t matter, but as Ziz got to work, the alchemist instructed him to make it no thicker than the width of his hand. When a craftsman worked on something, the system gave them an amount of wiggle room. He didn’t need to chip away at the stone to make a shape. The stoneworker simply smacked a chisel with a hammer on one spot, and the block split into sheets.

“How about that?” Ziz asked.

The sections he made were perfect. They were small enough to fit into Theo’s hand but thick enough to soak up a lot of essence. As expected, the quality of the stone was perfect. The more pieces he had for experimentation, the better.

“Absolutely perfect,” Theo said, taking 100 small stone slabs into his inventory. “I can see this method of alchemy benefiting everyone, but I sense it’s a long way off.”

Ziz shrugged. “Whatever works. Looks like exports are going to make up most of your income.”

“That’s the town’s income,” Theo said. “Speaking of, I appreciate the stone you’re donating.”

“Ah, well,” Ziz said, rubbing his sweaty, bald head. “Don’t worry so much about that.”

Spoken like a true half-ogre. Theo and Ziz talked for some time about little things, such as both their advancement. The alchemist would hit Level 13 with both his Drogramath cores soon, while his Governance Core still lagged behind. The Dreamwalk had done wonders for his advancement, but his administration-based core couldn’t level there, not from what he’d seen. He mentioned none of this to Ziz, preferring to keep his Tara’hek abilities as secret as possible.

Theo departed, finding his way to the heart of the town. Every day, near the imposing monolith which represented the center of town, a portal opened. Broken Tusk’s resident wizard opened it daily for the adventurers, giving them a quick and safe route to the Swamp Dungeon. When the cool mana of the portal washed over the alchemist this time, he braced himself but felt none of the horrible effects. Previously taking the portal, he found himself sprawled on the ground for minutes at a time. This time it was as though he passed through a cold waterfall and then suddenly found himself standing in a stone tower, the effects of an eccentric Planar Mage hanging from the walls.

The tower was protected with powerful wards that sent monsters away or killed them outright. Theo made his way to the top of the tower, finding Xol’sa standing and adjusting some magical device. The alchemist saw why those wards were needed, looking down into a mass of monsters beating themselves against his defenses. Monsters appeared not only in monster waves. From Theo’s understanding, they could appear anywhere there was magic, and since the swamp was filled with more Drogramathi magic than any place on the planet, they spawned in droves here.

“Yes, who is it?” Xol’sa said. That struck Theo as odd. The wizard normally recognized him with some manner of magical senses, as though he was expecting him before he arrived.

“Just your friendly mayor. Coming to pick your brain,” Theo said.

Xol’sa turned around, startled. He was an extra-planar elf, the Bara’their, with stark white skin that bore seams of blue energy. The pattern on his skin seemed to shift, but Theo never understood what caused the tapestry to shift. The elf looked at him for a long time before responding, squinting his eyes and scanning him up and down. After a moment, he turned back to his work.

“Something is different about you,” Xol’sa said, prodding a piece of wood into a strange copper device.

“I changed nothing,” Theo said, sitting cross-legged on the floor.

Theo withdrew one of Ziz’s stones from his inventory, a clean, empty, open-topped flask, and a beaker of his Reveal Essence. He placed the stone inside, drawing the elf’s attention again through the clanging of stone against glass.

As if invited, the wizard came to sit on the hard stone and observe the reaction. Theo could tell the essence liked the marble better than the garden rock he used the last time. He could also tell the effect was far less potent outside of his lab, and he made a mental note.

“What’s that?” Xol’sa asked.

“I wanted to ask you that,” Theo said. He explained how alchemy constructs worked, to the best of his knowledge. Wizards were often a trove of knowledge.

“Yes, wizards have access to a similar skill,” Xol’sa said. “My senses say you’re not doing it right, but I suppose you know that.”

Theo nodded to the elf, smiling. “Naturally.”

The personality trait the pair shared was the excitement of experimentation. Xol’sa was the foremost expert on all matters related to extra-planar energy interaction, even at Level 20. The elf’s claim was that he was the most knowledgeable about the subject on the planet, but Theo doubted it. There were places neither of them had seen in the world, opening up infinite possibilities for powerful Planar Mages.

“I understand this in concept, no further. Magic users can place a spell in an object, activating it later. Constructs can become devilishly complex. Artifices, for example, are a cousin to constructs,” Xol’sa said, watching as the stone stopped bubbling in the essence. “I think it’s done.”

Theo withdrew a pair of treated tongs from his inventory, withdrew the stone, and put everything else back into his inventory. Before carrying on, he inspected the new construct to confirm his theory about stone quality influencing the end product.

[Reveal Construct]

[Alchemy Construct]

Common

Created by: Belgar

Quality: Excellent

Emits a constant field of [Reveal] as long as the construct is powered.

Material:

Stone (Perfect Quality)

Effect:

Creates a 20-halm bubble around the construct that removes stealth from any target.

“Much better,” Theo said. “Can you drip some mana into it? I don’t have that much control over mine, yet.”

“I can help you with that,” Xol’sa said, smiling. The elf rarely smiled. “If you’d like to do some training.”

“I would,” Theo said, gesturing to the stone.

Xol’sa smiled and held his hand out, palm down. Mana built up on the man’s hand, dripping onto the construct. Unlike Theo’s mana, the Planar Mage’s mana resembled the seams of blue on his skin, shifting as the drops fell on the device. After only a moment, the field sprung to life. It consumed them in a bubble, tingling over their skin.

“Ah, I can already sense the weakness,” Xol’sa said, pointing at the construct. Small cracks were forming in the center of the hewn marble, tracing a spider web throughout its structure. The pair observed for minutes until the stone finally shattered.

“That lasted a while compared to my last one,” Theo said, explaining his last setup.

“Quality goes a long way, but there’s something else,” Xol’sa said. “A few flaws in the design. First, it targets everyone. Second, there’s no power regulation method. Third, the magical instructions in the stone are incomplete.”

Theo understood the first two problems with no explanation. “How are the instructions incomplete?”

“I don’t think you’re meant to use the essence that way,” Xol’sa said. “Gambling is for fools who wish to dispose of their coin, but I’d bet a gold that you missed a step.”

Theo nodded. That made enough sense to him—he was improvising with this essence as it was. Essences rarely interacted with something without first going through a transformation process. The detergent-style potions needed to be mixed with water in precise quantities, bridging the gap of their power with another essence. Potion-style reactions were performed in a one-to-one reaction between Purified Water and an essence combined with a catalyst. The alchemist was amazed this even worked, in hindsight.

“I suspect you might need a live medium to make this work,” Xol’sa said. “But that’s just a guess. Now, would you care to practice summoning your mana?”

Chapter Nine

Theo wouldn’t have trusted even Zarali to instruct him on how to produce mana reliably. The system covered that for him with his water enchanting, but without a skill related to the act, it was up to him to bridge the gap. Xol’sa explained it to him. The alchemist could grab a chisel and a hammer, practicing to create the stone tablets Ziz made for him. One day he might get rather good at it, but it would never compare to what someone could do with a Stonecutter’s Core. With one deft smack, Ziz could create the tablets with minimal effort. But that was where the wizard advised caution. Reliance on cores to do everything often led to devastation after Level 30.

“Because control is important,” Xol’sa said, summoning a pool of shimmering blue mana. “You can think of it as fuel, but without my exercises it will come out explosively.”

While the wizard’s instruction had been helpful, Theo didn’t want to tell him how he’d understood the dangers of mana. The exercises were simple enough. To practice, all he needed to do was imagine the mana drawing from his Drogramath Alchemy Core, pulling it to the surface of his skin and keeping it there. Xol’sa assured him the process was more complex than that, but the exercise would work well enough.

“Mastery over mana aspects takes time,” Xol’sa said, nodding. “You could understand Drogramath’s power as though it were your own breath, only to be crushed by Zaul’s. Every form has a unique flavor. Different preferences.”

If that were the case, then Drogramath’s mana was curious, ingenious, and determined. It was unyielding, yet it wanted to roam. Like the Demon God himself, it was a contradiction. Theo was happy that Xol’sa would spend the rest of the day helping him understand that strange resource. The wizard had better things to do, but the alchemist’s interest in the topic surely fueled his support.

When Theo finally left the tower, returning through the portal without issue, he understood something about bringing mana out. It wasn’t enough for him to try without supervision, but he was happy with the progress. Tresk attended the nightly feast with him, relaying what she’d observed from Zan’sal during the day. This sent Theo’s suspicions of the woman up in smoke. She just spent time with her child, joined the other adventurers on the walls, and helped around town. The alchemist brushed his concerns away, eating the strange, spicy stir-fry that Xam had prepared. It was good, but he was distracted.

Tresk was disappointed when they entered the Dreamwalk. Theo hadn’t created the potions he promised to make, meaning that he couldn’t test them. At first she seemed angry about that fact but softened with a grin on her face.

“You’ll just have to suffer,” Tresk said.

True to her word, his entire time in the Dreamwalk was made difficult. Theo fell into a constant state of awareness, but not paranoia. Even with the tools he had, escape became more of an option each time. He reinforced what Xol’sa taught him and made some discoveries about his theory on constructs. The system was available in its entirety in the Dreamwalk, allowing Theo to scroll through the endless pages while he worked on his alchemy. Something stirred inside him, signifying that his Drogramath Alchemy Core had leveled up, and he immediately switched to tending a field of dream plants before finally inspecting a skill.

[Alchemy Constructs]

Epic Alchemy and Herbalism Skill

Alchemy constructs can take many forms. They combine the power of essences with magical bindings and the natural world.

Effect:

Increases the success of creating a construct.

Constructs require less power to operate.

+1 Intelligence

Requires: Level 15 Drogramath Herbalism and Level 15 Drogramath Alchemy Cores.

Theo would only gain access to one skill at Level 15. While Zarali advised him to get Reagent Deconstruction, he knew that was a long-term thing required to break past Level 30. While he had a rocky start with constructs, they could help him now. He saw the potential in those little stone tablets, especially if he had a skill related to them. The description of the skill also gave him a hint on how to create better constructs, but he still only had theories. He spent the rest of his time in the Dreamwalk dodging assassins and tending his plants until he felt another twinge. His Drogramath Alchemy Core, Drogramath Herbalism Core, and his personal level all leveled up. He already planned to dump his free point into Intelligence and was eager for the night to end.

When the pair woke up in the morning, Theo was greeted with a series of system windows.

Drogramath Alchemy Core gained experience (5%).

Drogramath Alchemy Core reached Level 14.

Drogramath Herbalism Core gained experience (5%).

Drogramath Herbalism Core reached Level 14.

Governance Core gained experience (0.18%).

Governance Core reached Level 8.

Theo Spencer gained experience (1.7%).

Theo Spencer gained experience (1.7%).

Theo Spencer gained experience (2%).

Theo Spencer reached Level 13.

Theo Spencer received one free point.

While he didn’t expect the Governance Core to level up, he wouldn’t fight it. He put his free point into Intelligence, bringing it up to 19 with his modifiers. Once it hit 20, he’d reconsider his distribution strategy, but this was fine for now.

Theo made his offering and went to leave the building, expecting Tresk to be close behind. She grabbed him by the arm and gave him a serious look.

“Do you have Roc Berries?” she asked.

“Not enough for a run,” Theo said, feeling sheepish under her gaze.

“All right. We’re getting some before I leave you for the day. I’m not letting you slack.”

Theo nodded, being led by the arm to go eat breakfast. They ate quickly, not wasting time before heading to the hills to the south, still within the walls of the town. The Roc Berries grew there. They were tart, almost chalky berries that had the important [Retreat] property. It would have been better to cultivate the berries to get better potions at the end, but this would do for his testing. Tresk wasn’t happy with him promising to brew a potion based on the [Retreat] property and followed him back into the lab. To his surprise, Sledge and Throk were leaving when they arrived.

“What are you doing here, Dad?” Tresk asked, eying her father suspiciously.

“Zarali hired me,” he said, shrugging. “Hope it was sanctioned.”

Throk was a gruff old marshling, shorter than Tresk, with pale brown skin. He was a cornerstone to Broken Tusk’s operation. After a moment of silence, he spoke again.

“Theo, do you have a moment?” Throk asked.

“To the lab, Dad,” Tresk said, refusing to leave Theo’s side.

Sledge departed there, wanting nothing of Tresk’s ire, and the group went up to the lab. Theo noticed the work Zarali hired him to do immediately after entering the room. All three of his stills had new attachments. A thick pipe ran in a loop to the ground where a new artifice stood. It was much like a smaller still and had an output at the bottom that looped again, running over the table and into a new series of condenser coils. This wasn’t exactly what Theo had imagined, but he could see the logic in the design.

“There’s them bubbling plates on the top,” Throk said, pointing at the thick tube coming from the top of the stills. “I wanted to call them agitators, but Zarali insisted. Then, we have vapor condensers at the bottom. Basically, small pressure vessels with refuse releases on the side.”

“Did she pay you?” Theo asked, moving in to inspect the new artifices. A system prompt popped for both new attachments.

[Custom Copper Bubble Plate]

[Alchemy Equipment]

Rare

Created By: Throk

Achieves in-line redistillation effects without loss of essence.

Effect:

Increases the quality of the resulting essence by one grade, up to Excellent Quality.

[Custom Vapor Pressure Tank]

[Alchemy Equipment]

Rare

Created By: Throk

Refines essences in vapor form through extreme pressure.

“I’m all paid up,” Throk said, laughing.

Both were amazing. The bubble plate just increased the purity of the final essence, which Theo would need going into Level 20. But the vapor tank was amazing. He didn’t need to run out to the backyard to dump his essence in the massive pressure tanks. According to Zarali, the vapor needed less pressure to be refined, but he wouldn’t take her word for it. He removed the lid of his Drogramath Still—an action made more awkward by the bubble plates—set his grinder on top, and ground 200 units of Roc Berries inside.

Throk and Tresk caught up, which amounted to a screaming match in the lab about Tresk’s future. Theo ignored them, dumping his Enchanted Water inside and setting the still to work. Their argument grew more intense, but the alchemist went out back to check his plants. To his surprise, the pressure vessels were gone, which was fine with him. He could feel Tresk’s feelings as he clipped back his plants, pulling weeds and making sure they were watered. She wasn’t mad at her father—this was just how they communicated. As he finished gathering his plants, he felt a wave of love fill his heart. They must have gotten to the core of the issue, and as he entered the lab again, they were hugging.

“How many monster cores do I have left?” Theo asked.

“We’re having a moment,” Tresk growled.

Theo had bought 200 high-level monster cores the last time his favorite trader was in town, but he’d spent most of them. He found them in his Dimensional Storage Crate and returned them to his inventory, intent on increasing the size of his greenhouse while Throk and Tresk were having their moment. Of the 200 he’d bought, there were only 30 left. He went down to the greenhouse and fed motes inside, watching as it grew in size with each level. Every new level for a building gave it more size—maybe 5 halms in whatever direction he chose, but multiples of 5 gave it a new skill. The Alchemical Garden hit 15 very quickly, and the options were not incredibly impressive. The system usually listed three selections, but only one was typically good. He selected the best one.

[Rapid Growth]

Consume latent energy to increase the speed that plants grow within the greenhouse.

That would be absurd. The plants already grew to maturity within a day, but the other options were increased fertilization of the earth and a weed killer. Neither option seemed good, so Rapid Growth was the best. He kept feeding cores until he was down to a handful. Fortunately, the Level 30 cores went a long way, and he got the greenhouse to Level 20. It was more than twice the original size, large enough to hold a horde of plants. A single new option appeared, and it was clearly the only one worth selecting.

[Untamed Cultivation]

Increasing the ceiling for how high a plant can be cultivated to 200%.

“That changes everything,” Theo said, snorting a laugh.

Cultivation did a few things for reagents. The most important thing, if you asked Zarali, was that it increased the purity of the final essence. Theo’s main concern with cultivation was how it affected the size of the reagent. For every 10 percent of cultivation, a plant would gain at least a unit in size. A Spiny Swamp Thistle Root at 100% cultivation was 12 units, which was enough to make 12 potions. He could only imagine that a 200%-cultivated root would produce 24 units. It also gave him a clear path for something he wanted to do in the future, which was the hybridization of reagents. But that was a task for another time.

Theo had time to think as he worked in his garden. He could hear the voices of Tresk and Throk from the lab upstairs, deciding to give them a moment before he intruded. Only when their voices died down did he go upstairs, finding his companion smiling there and her father moving to leave. Theo stopped him at the door, dragging him back into the lab.

“Can you make me something, Throk?” the alchemist asked.

“I’m always making you stuff, Theo,” the marshling replied, giving him a flat look.

“I’ve been thinking,” Theo said, withdrawing a seed core building from his inventory. He set it down on the table.

“That’s always dangerous,” Throk said, laughing nervously.

A seed core was the base of all core buildings. They grew magically, fed by monster cores, but the design seemed genius to Theo. It typically had a metal cage containing some seed in the center. With the example on the table, it was an iron mesh cage surrounding a swirling mote of energy that looked like a mix between wood and fire.

“How much do you know about seed cores?” Theo asked.

“Nothing,” Throk and Tresk said at the same time.

“Same here,” Theo said, poking the small sphere. Without waiting for anyone’s approval, he produced a vial of essence from his inventory and dripped it on the seed core. He gained a shout of concern from Tresk and Throk. His companion ripped the bottle of essence from his hand and cast him a glare.

“Trying to kill us?” she asked.

“They’re alchemically neutral,” Theo said, shrugging.

“Because they’re magic, you dolt,” Throk said.

“Maybe,” Theo said, shrugging. “I need you to make me a few cages. Like this. I prefer something with a clasp, so I can put stuff inside.”

Throk narrowed his eyes at the alchemist. “What are you planning? Going to make seed cores?”

“No,” Theo said, waving him off. “I just had an idea based on a skill I can get next level.”

Throk grumbled but nodded. “I can do that? Copper? Of course. Well, I’m leaving before you blow me up.”

Throk departed, not wanting an explanation from Theo, but Tresk remained. The still was done refining the essence, and she wanted him to create a potion before he left. She was also interested in his explanation on the seed core, which he returned to his inventory. Theo withdrew a sample of his new essence for inspection.

[Refined Retreat Essence]

[Essence]

Uncommon

Created by: Belgar

Quality: Excellent

Alignment:

Drogramath (Middling Bond)

Alignment Effects:

Resulting potions will be more effective.

Chance to consume half of required essence during brewing.

1 unit (liquid)

Concentrated, refined essence of retreat.

It wasn’t anything unexpected, but Theo could feel that it would make a standard potion. He transferred the essence to his inventory and generated a single flat-bottomed vial to brew his potion in while explaining his idea about the metal cages.

“Xol’sa gave me a hint about the constructs, although I don’t know if he knew exactly what he was saying,” Theo said, pulling a vial from his Glassware Artifice. “He said to use a living medium, but that’s not what he meant.”

Theo mixed the potion with ease, but his mind itched to consult his Basic Drogramath Alchemy book. The mysterious book was written in code that could only be understood once he unlocked skills. He knew that the knowledge he wanted was not there or that it was still encoded until he unlocked the skill. The potion swirled in the vial, bubbling for a moment before turning a pale green color. He inspected it before Tresk responded to his comment.

[Retreat Potion]

[Potion]

Uncommon

Created by: Belgar

Quality: Excellent

Alignment:

Drogramath (Middling Bond)

One second after drinking, the imbiber will be propelled backward. Distance depends on the quality of the potion.

Effect:

[Retreat] on self.

“So, your plan is to make a seed core?” Tresk asked, following him as he left the lab.

“A mock seed core, maybe,” Theo said. “It makes sense, though. A metal cage on the outside to contain everything, a middle part that holds the magic. I’m just missing something. I need the skill.”

They were out on the cobbled roads of Broken Tusk after chatting for a moment with Azrug. The shopkeeper was irate about some missing stock but relaxed when he learned that Theo had taken it.

“Ready?” Theo asked, facing his back toward the south.

“For what?” Tresk asked.

Theo downed the Retreat Potion without hesitation. The difference between first-tier potions and second-tier potions was massive. If he had brewed the first-tier, he would have gone back a bit, but nothing spectacular. With the stronger tier of potion, he was thrown back with absurd force after one second. His feet scraped against the cobbles, but he tracked the fall of the terrain and suppressed a shout of surprise. With his increased Dexterity, he even maintained his footing when he finally came to a stop. The potion had thrown him from the lab, all the way past Perg’s tannery in an instant. Tresk came running down the street, shouting her excitement.

“Now that is a potion for running away!” she shouted, pumping her fist in the air.

Theo let out a steadying breath. He didn’t want to admit it to his companion, but the experience was equal parts exciting and nauseating. Tresk celebrated for a while longer and made him promise to brew at least one more of the potions before departing. After she departed, he was left with a different feeling. Brewing the potion took half the time it normally did, thanks to Throk’s additions to the stills. When the alchemist finally made his way back up the road, a familiar buzzing came from his mind. At first, he thought it was from the communication crystal given to him by the kingdom of Qavell. But it was the trader, Fenian. He squeezed it in his hand, establishing a telepathic link.

“My dear alchemist,” Fenian said, his smile bleeding into his voice. “Care to make me a few potions?”

Chapter Ten

“Your timing is suspiciously synchronized with when I create a new potion,” Theo said.

He took a seat in his lab, gazing out the window as the voice of Fenian echoed through his mind. The telepathic link was like the Tara’hek’s version, but different enough to render it cumbersome. The entire experience reminded him that the officials from Qavell hadn’t contacted him in some time, and the last time he tried to establish communication, they didn’t respond.

“I’m a man of many talents,” Fenian said. “Excellent timing is one of them.”

“The traders are flowing south like a tide,” Theo said. “Migrants and adventurers, too. Why do I have the feeling that you have something to do with the whole thing?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Fenian said.

Even through the communication crystal, Theo could spot a lie. The elf had something to do with the merchant’s war, but that was for the better. If Fenian dismantled that establishment, everyone in the kingdom would benefit. Fenian Feintleaf was a strange trader. He seemed more interested in seeing Broken Tusk built up than making a tidy profit, although he also did that. He was Theo’s link to the outside world, possessing a magical transportation that made long distances irrelevant. There had to be some limitations, but the alchemist never pushed him on the subject.

“Potions,” Fenian said, repeating his earlier sentiment. “If I know you, you have none in your stockpile.”

Theo stopped himself from rising to the comment, clearing his throat and letting out a breath. “Just a few things. The art of alchemy takes time to perfect, Fenian.”

“Naturally,” Fenian said. “Well, I’m dropping off an order soon. The winds have turned in my favor, and I have gold reserves again. I’ll buy every potion you craft.”

It was hard to think about the trader going broke. He seemed to pull gold from nowhere, but that was a childish thought. The elf had holdings somewhere, some investment he called on. For a few weeks, Fenian was transporting people vast distances to avoid the rise of the cults. According to the rumors, those cults were put down, and order had been restored. Only now did Theo think the cults were a ruse, something designed to hide the merchant’s war.

“I have some new ones,” Theo said, confident that he could brew massive quantities before the trader arrived. “Some strange, some useful.”

“Perfect. See you soon,” Fenian said.

Without another word, the connection was severed. The items Fenian coveted the most were obvious. Restoration potions and stat-enhancement potions. Those were the easiest to sell. Theo refused to sell the trader his bombs, any bombs, based on how dangerous they could be. There was also an experience boost potion he could make that was illegal, so he avoided the truffle’s properties altogether.

“Fenian is coming to town,” Theo said, tapping into his Tara’hek power.

“Sweet! I bet he has my order,” Tresk said.

Something about the way her voice came through let him know she was already in a dungeon. Excitement flooded his body as he realized she was over that hump.

Theo had a plan for the day’s work, but a few items he wanted to create were novelty items. He rummaged through his supplies and located a few things he’d need for the day’s brewing. Tresk always kept a store of Marsh Tubers nearby, and the alchemist was intent on extracting the [Solidify] modifier. He usually had enough Manashrooms to brew at least 500 mana potions, but he sat on a surplus. He prepared both ingredients, filling his fermentation barrels before stepping back to inspect the barrels.

[Enchanted Alchemy Fermentation Barrel]

[Alchemy Equipment] [Enchanted]

Epic

Created By: Sledge

Modified By: Zarali

A 200-unit capacity barrel capable of fermenting any reagents placed inside. Placing a mote with the mash is required for the process to take effect. Additional motes and mana may be required over the course of the fermentation.

Effect:

Creates a fermentation reaction when reagents are placed inside with a mote.

The speed of fermentation is greatly increased, depending on the strength of the mote.

Enchantments:

[Siphon Power]

[Distribute Power]

[Crafting Speed]

[Crafting Effectiveness]

Alignment: Drogramath

Although Zarali had made modifications to the barrels, the description only confused him. Siphoning and distributing power were hard to understand, but speed and effectiveness were simple enough. He set the Alchemical Grinder to the side and inspected the barrels. Instead of introducing a mote to kick off the reaction, he tried adding his Drogramath-aligned mana. It wasn’t like his practice with Xol’sa. The mana flowed on its own. He felt something drain inside him as he filled both barrels, nodding with some satisfaction as the contents of each barrel bubbled.

The plan was to begin by targeting two variations of his standard health potion. The first was easy enough. Using the Manashrooms, he would extract the [Mana Bloom] property. It was a simple property, adding a mana bonus to regular potions. His second plan, involving the Marsh Tuber would extract the [Solidify] property, which would allow him to turn his drinkable potions into small, chewable pieces. He’d cut those up, experimenting on if the system recognized them as individual things, then Fenian could sell them as a novel way of restoring health.

“Like pills,” Theo said, securing the lids of both barrels. Sometimes it helped to bring his thoughts out.

Theo rummaged through his reagents, trying to find something that stuck out to him. He’d cultivated Mage’s Bane but was reluctant to distribute anti-mage potions. That seemed more like a weapon than anything to him, so he skipped those. A creature called a Fade had attacked town recently, and Tresk was more than happy to collect their hard carapace. While he had never made a potion out of the hard shell, his intuition said it was a better version of the [Barkskin] property.

Managing the garden outside was becoming a chore, but Theo didn’t trust anyone else to take care of it yet. He went outside, chatted for a short time with Azrug, and worked the garden. The Mage’s Bane got a corner of the greenhouse, while the Spiny Swamp Thistle took up a majority of the space, even after the expansion. Propagating the tuber-bearing thistle plant was easy enough. The alchemist could cut one section of a single root, store it in a cool, dry place for a few hours, and it would be ready to plant once again. Everything moved faster in Broken Tusk.

Theo returned to the lab and set two stills to work, processing their full capacity of Spiny Swamp Thistle Root. He filled the last still with the Fade Carapace and left the lab to take care of some chores. It was a bad idea to neglect his Governance Core. He made good time to the mine, passing by Perg’s tannery to spot her dead wreath, then by a small cluster of houses meant for the miners and their families. Nira was working the massive smeltery building, as she always was. The sound of pickaxes striking stone met his ears even before he spotted Dead Dog Mine. Gridgen, the taskmaster for the operation, was taking a break outside.

It had become a habit for Theo to pick plants everywhere he went. During his trip to the mine, he stuffed as many Mage’s Bane and Stone Flowers into his inventory as he could spot, relying on his Drogramath Alchemy Knife to reveal the location of hidden herbs. Gridgen seemed in good spirits, smiling as he spotted the alchemist. The man was more weather-worn than most in Broken Tusk, his pale skin a tapestry of hard labor and scarce meals. He was a human, although what that meant here was often foggy. His particular brand of human came from the cold northlands, among the bear-like people called the toora.

“A visit from the boss,” Gridgen said, laughing. He slapped Theo on the back.

Unlike when Theo first arrived in town, the friendly slap on the back didn’t move him at all. He stood firm, bolstered by his attributes. He smiled back.

“Everyone happy?” Theo asked.

“More than happy,” Gridgen said. “I have a few new workers. We added another house to the miner’s village. Dead Dog Mine is spitting out copper and iron faster than we can mine it. Walk in, and your pockets fill with ore. Not really.”

Theo laughed. He had a purpose for his visit. Deeper was better with mines, if he took the hints from Zarali correctly. Mining manually downward was going to be an issue, especially if the stone regenerated. The alchemist needed to know the current layout of the mine and how to exploit the [Dissolve] property to create new caverns.

“I’d like a tour of the mine itself,” Theo said, clapping his hand over the man’s shoulder. Gridgen only came up to his chest, and the alchemist found himself constantly stooping to be at eye level with the smaller races of the world.

“Might be a tight squeeze for you,” Gridgen said, nodding.

Gridgen handed him a lantern, and Theo stooped even lower, crossing the threshold of that timber-braced entrance. The inside was exactly what he expected. Rough-hewn walls with men and women of all races hitting pickaxes against the walls. When they struck a nugget free, it vanished. The mine was upgraded with Automatic Deposit, which sent the nuggets straight to a Dimensional Storage Crate outside. The most surprising feature of the mine was that it was massive. At first, there was a single sloped path that led down, but it quickly forked off. Those forks had forks, and so on, until the mine turned into an ant’s hill of confounding passageways. Without his excellent memory, Theo would have gotten lost.

“This is the deepest point?” Theo asked, pressing his hand against the cold stone. Gridgen nodded, and the alchemist held his hand out. After a moment, the miner understood he wanted the man’s pickaxe.

“Does the base stone regenerate?” Theo asked, slamming the pick hard against the wall. Despite inadequate space, he brought a sizeable chunk of stone down with a single hit. Gridgen yelped in surprise as sparks showered them in the darkness.

“In some places, but mostly no,” Gridgen said. “We’ve been digging this tunnel for a while.”

Theo inspected the slab he dislodged from the wall, finding that it was just poor-quality stone. The nuggets in the mine were perfect-quality, which just went to show how this place was enhanced by someone. Who that was still eluded him, but he had theories.

“What do you figure the next tier of metal is?” Theo asked. “Copper, Iron, Steel, Silver, Gold?”

Gridgen shrugged at that, setting the lantern down on the ground. “I worked for silver mines and copper mines, but never gold mines. Everyone targeted the precious metals for coin minting, but we never hit incidental veins.”

Incidental veins, meaning veins of iron that sprung up near copper. Theo figured that much out from the context and nodded. Gridgen was getting at the fact that they were looking for silver veins in the mine, but even calling them veins was an inadequate way to describe it. They were more like points where the nuggets would pop into existence, clusters that the miners could reliably expect to regenerate.

“How dangerous is it to dig deep?” Theo asked.

“Fairly dangerous,” Gridgen said. “You can hit a cavern. Filled with monsters and all kinds of nasty things.”

That was easy enough to understand. Theo thought about the defenses in his town, spotting a weakness born of his thoughts to secure the mine. The town had a single wall and unlimited angles of approach. If the mine were to hit a cavern that contained monsters, it made sense to limit the approaches to one. An idea swirled in his mind and he looked around at the hard stone around him.

“This stone won’t regenerate?” Theo asked.

“We dug this tunnel a few days ago,” Gridgen said. “Seems to be holding.”

“Perfect. I have an idea,” Theo said, gesturing for the man to follow him up and out of the gentle slope of the tunnel.

Once they were up in the fresh air and bright sunlight, Theo went over his concept. “I have a potion that should dig the tunnels for you. I haven’t brewed it yet, but I’m certain it will work. Don’t dig more than one exploration tunnel at a time, and branch everything off that one tunnel you showed me. Dig a large area out in that tunnel, enough for us to mount a defensive point—stuff like metal gates and artifices—then use my potions to dig deeper.”

“Magical digging?” Gridgen asked, leaning on his pick and grinning. “You think potions solve everything, don’t you?”

Theo nodded. “Sometimes I’m wrong, but it often works out. You understand what the goal is, right?”

“To avoid monsters and find silver?” Gridgen asked.

“No,” Theo said, smiling. “To find both. I don’t imagine many people would be insane enough to look for those caverns, but I’m interested in farming them out.”

Theo’s mind shifted. Gridgen mentioned something earlier that he had riddled out through something Zarali said. He took a breath, stopped to collect his thoughts, then continued.

“Coin minting,” Theo said, nodding. “Tell me everything you know about minting currency.”

Gridgen stuck his hand into a sack hung from his belt, digging around for something. He withdrew a single copper coin and held it up. “Somehow you’ve stumbled on someone who knows a lot about something for no good reason. Well, I worked as a porter for the royal mint for a time. Not the mint directly, but the mine that supplied the mint. What is this coin made of? Why does it have any value?”

Theo understood the concept of a currency backed by a precious metal, but here that made little sense. A copper bar wasn’t worth a copper coin, and a copper coin contained less copper than the bar. That was a mystery that he never gave much thought, chalking it up to some system-related backing of the money. When the alchemist was given the first bit of information regarding a topic, he could extrapolate to the end with little effort. This one was more simple than he thought.

“Magic,” Theo said, shrugging. “The coins have some kind of magical use and are soaked in the stuff.”

“That’s how the royal minter explained it,” Gridgen said, flipping the coin in the air and catching it. “They have some secret process to press a piece of copper with magic. He said it was extremely dense. As in, there’s more magic in a copper coin than in his mana pool. And he had a lot of mana.”

“There’s the question, though,” Theo said, tapping his chin. Coins had mana, but what did that matter? “What’s the point of the coins?”

“High-level crafts,” Gridgen said, shrugging as though everyone knew that.

“How do we make a mint?” Theo asked.

Gridgen blustered, looking at Theo as though he were a crazy person, “You’d need a lot of ambient mana. And a specialized building. What’s wrong with your face? What’s the look for? Theo?”

Theo had fallen into thought, his mouth hanging open as he realized the implications. The mine already produced copper, and it would produce silver. They had more ambient mana than they knew what to do with. That was what Zarali was doing. Her long-term plans fell into his mind in an instant. She was accumulating mana in her enchanting building as a test, not just to satisfy her enchanting needs. Perhaps she was hanging on to the idea until she was certain it would work, but the alchemist had no such reservations.

“I’m going to brew you some potions to help you find silver,” Theo said. Without waiting for a response from the man, he sent a message through the town-wide messaging system.

[Theo]: Aarok, Throk, report to the mine. Not an emergency.

Gridgen explained how impossible it would be to do what he wanted while they waited for the two men to show up. Aarok arrived with Luras after a few moments. They must have not understood that it wasn’t an emergency. Throk came shortly after. Theo explained what he wanted. A defensive point in the mine to bolster against the possibility of a cavern breach and adventurers to man it.

“I can build an iron gate easy enough,” Throk said, waving him off.

“More than happy to spare a few adventurers for the effort,” Aarok said. “Sentry duty, right?”

“Exactly,” Theo said.

Theo went into detail on his plan. This was the first step in a long journey for Broken Tusk to mint their own currency. It was a chance to claw independence away from Qavell, and each man standing there on that hill were people he trusted with his life. People who wanted nothing more than to transform their little town into an independent nation-state. The one thing they needed more than anything else was money. Enough spiritstone coins to gain some amount of independence and stop paying the absurd taxes to the crown.

Currently, Broken Tusk owed taxes every month. It was raised recently to support the war effort. Property was taxed 15 percent on its value, exports 20 percent, and sales 15. That meant if they exported anything from the town, they owed 35 percent of the value of the item to the crown. Luras, Aarok, and Throk were on board, but Gridgen had his reservations. He simply didn’t believe they could gather enough energy to produce the coins.

“Well, you’ve gone and ruined my surprise!” Zarali shouted from down the hill.

All eyes turned to her. The Dronon woman was stomping up the hill, hands on her hips and a grim look on her face. “I’m not even done testing the quality of the mana,” she said, letting out a huff.

“It’s pure enough, isn’t it?” Theo asked, excitement flooding his body.

Zarali’s posture straightened, a smile spreading across her face. “Of course it is, brother. We just need the building, the metal, and someone with a minting core.”

Chapter Eleven

The coin mint was a long-term solution to a long-term problem. Gridgen assured the group that minting coins didn’t happen overnight. The only positive side to this new project was that it wasn’t illegal—anyone could mint coins if they had the resources. This was because the system often generated coins, giving them out as rewards to quests or for defeating monster waves. The Kingdom of Qavell couldn’t regulate something like that, not with their limited resources. While the miners could shift their attention to creating new tunnels, they worked at a snail’s pace.

Theo stood in his lab, appreciating his new refinement technique and preparing his stills for another run. He cleaned the stills with drops of his Cleansing Scrub, washing away all the junk inside with waves of white light. The Fade Carapaces had produced Carapace Essence, and the Spiny Swamp Thistle produced Healing Essence. During a monster wave, an animated column of water had attacked the town. It was frozen by the turrets, allowing the alchemist to collect a valuable resource. Living River Water contained the property [Dissolve]—something he was certain would help the miners. Without hesitating, he filled the Drogramath Still with Enchanted Water and the Living River Water, setting it to distill and refine the precious resource.

Potions fell into a few categories in Theo’s mind. There were different tiers of potions, but also different alignments. Compounded with that was the fact that they could be modified or cultivated. The fermentation of his reagents was done, allowing him to start those modifiers off on a distillation and refinement run. He filled the two spare stills with their respective mashes and set the heat.

Theo set up a few flat-bottomed vials to test the reaction for his Refined Carapace Essence. This potion would be a refined, aligned, second-tier reaction. He placed a single enchanted Iron Shaving at the bottom, introduced Purified Water and the essence in equal quantities, and watched the reaction. It was tepid, as far as reactions went, only bubbling a little and putting off a strange metallic smell. The resulting potion was a brown color, similar to that of a cockroach. He inspected his new creation.

[Carapace Potion]

[Potion]

Rare

Created by: Belgar

Quality: Excellent

Alignment:

Drogramath (Middling Bond)

A defensive potion. Drink to gain segmented plates over your body, significantly increasing your defense.

Effect:

Covers your body with flexible, chitinous plates. Effect lasts 30 minutes or until the plates are destroyed.

The Lesser Barkskin Potion mentioned a decrease in mobility, but this one didn’t have that in the description. As he expected, it was just a better version of that potion. The gears in Theo’s mind turned, thinking of the best modifier to apply to the potion. By itself, the potion was decent. It gave the user a defense boost, but something was missing. With little thought, it arrived at the usefulness of the [Anti-Mage] modifier. Since he’d been cultivating the Mage’s Bane flower for a while now, he’d accumulated a decent stockpile of the modifier.

Modifier essences were used to mix with regular potions, or bombs, to create different effects. The results were often chaotic, following a logic the alchemist hadn’t decoded yet. He withdrew a flask of the modifier from his inventory, transferred the potion to a 4-unit vial, and introduced equal parts of the [Anti-Mage] modifier essence. The result was much like the other potions he’d applied the modifier to, gaining ribbons of silver energy that flowed through the brown potion like liquid metal. He inspected the result.

[Carapace Potion]

[Anti-Mage]

[Potion] [Modified Potion]

Rare

Created by: Belgar

Quality: Excellent

Alignment:

Drogramath (Middling Bond)

A defensive potion. Drink to gain segmented plates over your body, significantly increasing your defense.

Effect:

Covers your body with flexible, chitinous plates. Effect lasts 30 minutes or until the plates are destroyed.

Chitinous plates are covered in a field of anti-magic. Reduces damage dealt by magical attacks and absorbs those spells to increase the duration of this potion.

Often, a modifier essence would change the nature of a potion to render it less useful. Sometimes, the result was even dangerous. This example was a complete win. It didn’t change the way the base potion acted and simply added a different effect. Now the plates that covered the imbiber’s body would absorb magic, even extending the duration of the potion. Theo was reluctant to export most things with the [Anti-Mage] property, but this was fine in his mind. He was all right with a defensive use of the property and created 500 Carapace Potions with the property, intending to keep some for himself and send the rest off with Fenian.

Some modifiers were outright monstrous in their effects. In the early stages of brewing potions, Theo had created poisons that would enhance Tresk’s ability to do combat. At the second tier of potioncraft, he’d created poisons that were devastating. He cataloged these in his mind as weapons, not fit for export from Broken Tusk. The pinnacle of his poison-making was a Poison with [Accelerated Decay] as a modifier. He withdrew one from his inventory for examination, a reminder of the power he could achieve.

[Poison]

[Accelerated Decay]

[Poison] [Modified Poison]

Epic

Created by: Belgar

Quality: Excellent

Alignment:

Drogramath (Middling Bond)

Coat your weapon to deal additional damage over time to an enemy.

Chance to inflict 2 stacks per hit.

Effect:

Cripples an enemy, reducing their Dexterity by 5.

Applies a stacking DoT effect based on poison quality. Maximum 15 stacks. Poison inflicts DoT damage, and decay increases the effects of all poison damage.

Stacks of poison take twice as long to fade.

Removing a stack of poison through any means other than the natural expiration of the effect causes the remaining stacks of poison to explode, dealing their remaining damage to the target.

Each effect was enough to make this potion worth it, but the list seemed to go on. It reduced a target’s Dexterity, applied a DoT effect, the poison faded slower, and if someone removed the effect, the poison exploded to deal its remaining damage. Something Theo had learned about modifier essences was how powerful they got after the refining process. Since his stills could now refine in place rather than transferring to the cumbersome tanks outside, this was something he was interested in. The alchemist organized his lab, sorting through crates of reagents, essences, modifiers, and random junk before his next phase was ready for testing.

With enough base healing potions in reserve and the [Solidify] modifier cooking off to completion, Theo could begin the next phase of his experimentation. Before he moved on, he inspected a Healing Potion.

[Healing Potion]

[Potion]

Epic

Created by: Belgar

Quality: Perfect

Alignment:

Drogramath (Middling Bond)

A healing potion. Drink to restore health.

Effect:

Instantly restores 135 health points.

Theo long suspected that the alchemists on this continent were incompetent. He’d heard whispers of a land in the west called Tarantham, which, from context and clues, seemed like an elven land. The potion he held in his hand was considered the best potion in the kingdom. It restored the most health out of all the other potions, placing it above what the Qavelli alchemists could do. But it wasn’t good enough for him. Modifiers were unseen to those same alchemists, and he intended to exploit that fact with his next creation. His [Solidify] modifier came out of the still as a [Refined Solidify]. Just like his [Refined Decay] modifier, this one was amazing. He inspected it.

[Refined Solidify]

[Essence Modifier] [Refined Essence Modifier]

Epic

Created by: Belgar

Quality: Excellent

Alignment:

Drogramath (Middling Bond)

Alignment Effects:

The resulting modifier will be more effective.

High chance to add an additional modifier to the resulting potion.

1 unit (liquid)

Add to a completed potion to add the [Solidify] modifier. [Solidify] has unpredictable effects and varies wildly from potion to potion. Typical effects include solidification of the potion itself.

Applying a regular [Solidify] modifier to a potion turned it solid, allowing a person to eat it piece by piece to restore health. Theo’s intuition and hopes sent his mind spiraling to the possibilities of this new combination. Instead of performing the reaction in a flask, Theo generated a shallow glass dish with his Glassware Artifice, transferred the potion, and introduced the modifier. It hissed for only a moment before turning solid. Despite being out of a vial, he was able to inspect his creation.

[Healing Potion]

[Solidify]

[Potion] [Modified Potion]

Epic

Created by: Belgar

Quality: Perfect

Alignment:

Drogramath (Middling Bond)

A healing potion. Drink to restore health.

Effect:

Turns the liquid of the potion into a solid item, which can be removed from the vial. If eaten entirely, 135 health is restored. Eating small amounts of the solid will restore a proportional amount of health.

Portioning out this potion results in a multiplicative effect of healing potency (gained from [Refined Solidify] modifier alignment trait).

It was often hard to understand the effects on potions, but Theo understood this. The alignment effect from the modifier was transferred to a second trait, increasing the effectiveness of the potion if it’s split into sections. Theo decided the best method was to split the potion into bite-sized sections, which resulted in eight individual pieces of the potion. He watched with a curious gaze as the segmented pieces seemed to harden, rounding themselves off at either side into something resembling a pill. The alchemist inspected the result.

[Healing Pill]

[Alchemy Pill]

Epic

Created by: Belgar

Quality: Perfect

Alignment:

Drogramath (Middling Bond)

A healing pill. Chew to restore health.

Effect:

Chew this pill whole to restore 80 health.

If the modifier didn’t lend the additional effect, this pill would have only restored 17 health. That meant that each pill received 60% of the power of the potion’s total healing. Another way to look at it was that Theo had increased the amount of health gained from a single potion by 470%, which seemed absurd. He created a new container for his creation, unsure of how they would sell them—something shaped like a pill bottle on Earth—and placed the glass stopper on top.

When the alchemist created something amazing, something they could sell, he often ran down to show the shopkeeper, Azrug. He found the young man downstairs, haggling with an adventurer over potions and equipment. Theo waited until their business was concluded before moving to thrust the bottle into his hands.

“What’s this?” Azrug said, shaking the bottle. The pills chimed against the side of the bottle as they rattled around.

“An invention,” Theo said, grinning. “Each pill only cost me one potion to make.”

Azrug knit his brow, his mercantile brain rolling over the information. “More profit?” he asked.

“More profit, but you have to sell those,” Theo said. “And I mean really sell, not just get rid of them. People are going to think you’re weird for suggesting they swallow a single pill.”

“Yeah, this is weird,” Azrug said, shaking the bottle again. He withdrew one pill and inspected it, then shrugged. “Adventurers go off the system description. They never take my word for it, so these will sell. You make any other pills?”

“I just finished that one,” Theo said.

But there was the problem. Most other potions did better with another modifier. Even the Healing Potion did better with a different modifier; turning it into a pill didn’t suddenly make it more powerful. The shape of the thing was nice, though. Anyone who didn’t have a dimensional storage space, such as an inventory, would want them. Theo knew he could do better, but whatever the solution was currently eluded his grasp.

“Good. Go make more,” Azrug said, grunting and turning back to the store. Another customer had entered.

Theo left him there, retreating upstairs. The excitement for creating something new blinded him to something he wanted to do earlier. He withdrew his copy of Basic Drogramath Alchemy and looked it over, trying to find new sections that had been decoded. Nothing new stood out to him. The book only wanted to feed him things he already knew, which was irritating. What hope there was to find information on constructs fell away, leaving him to make other plans. While he couldn’t imagine things he hadn’t created in the Dreamwalk, he could discover them through the normal methods. That would be his road forward for the skill.

He snapped the book shut and turned his attention back to the lab.

By the time the evening drew close, Theo had a lab filled with Carapace Potions and Healing Pills. It was enough to satisfy Fenian’s needs, perhaps far more than that. Tresk gave occasional updates on her delving, confirming that the Swamp Dungeon was no longer growing stronger. At least, not at the rate it was before. She had a poor sense of what was useful for alchemy, presenting all manner of monster parts in their shared inventory. None were useful, but he appreciated the effort.

Before Tresk arrived for dinner, Throk arrived to drag the alchemist out. He gave a tour of the pipe system, which still rested in deep uncovered trenches. Those pipes led from the river, where an artifice sucked them up, before heading to a substation. The artificer had outdone himself, creating a large metal box that automatically mixed the tainted water with essence, creating Purified Water. That was the theory, anyway. The alchemist had given him precise quantities for the reaction, but he only trusted himself for those measurements.

“The input pipes go to the water tower and the bathhouse. Hotspring. Whatever Xam is calling it,” Throk said, grumbling the words. “The outputs go back into the river, downstream.”

Theo nodded, moving to inspect the mixing station closely. Purified Water was a basic alchemy reaction, but it was precise. Every 20 units of water required half a unit of Purifying Essence. If Throk got the timing right on the machine, it could provide 20 units of water every 5 to 10 seconds, just to be safe. There was another substation, standing near the purification station, that looked more like the alchemy stills he worked with. The old marshling picked up on his curious expression.

“Backup station,” Throk said, nodding to the massive boiler. “I’ve got a simple line of instructions running between these two stations. When the purification station runs low on juice, it swaps to the boiler.”

Boiling water was a fine way to remove parasites and disease. By Theo’s estimation, the capacity of the larger tank was around 1,000 units. From experience, he knew it would take at least half an hour to bring it up to heat and another 15 minutes to boil. That depended on how hot they set the Flame Artifice that drove the machine. The alchemist shook his head. That wasn’t the order he would run them in.

“I’d run the boiler as the main,” Theo said, gesturing to the massive tank. “Perhaps run a few boilers in parallel—all at the same time—and increase the size of our holding tank. Better yet, run a holding tank for the bathhouse and the general water supply.”

Theo felt a twinge in his chest, his Governance Core gaining a spike of experience.

“Sounds expensive,” Throk grunted.

It made sense in Theo’s mind, though. Motes were cheap—almost dirt cheap in Broken Tusk—but essence wasn’t. Since the artifice that powered the boiler ran on those motes, it was the cheapest option long-term. Throk would have to create more artifices and pipes and wrangle Sledge to do some modifications, but it was the best long-term option.

“Well, since it’s going to cost more…” Theo said, gesturing to the area. They were in a small clearing of Ogre Cypress, the area north of the Newt and Demon. The cobbled road sat just a stone’s throw north, and the massive artifices were an eyesore. “I want you to rework these lines. One intake from the river, split it into four boiling artifices. A thousand-unit capacity each. Split the main line to each boiler and two emergency essence purification units. House it all in a building—hand-built—and join all six purification units to a single, massive tank for holding. Take lines from that tank and distribute it out.”

“That seems like a lot of⁠—”

“Then, make a new pump to draw water and send it north from the river,” Theo said, nodding to himself. “Build another station with a single essence purification unit that feeds into a closed system. For emergencies.”

Throk was left stunned by the scope of the new work, but Theo was confident they could get it done quickly. He had the authority to order people around, redirecting their efforts to complete the job in days. The heart of the alchemist’s idea was simple, but it had flaws. It centered around the idea that they needed water, no matter what. The first issue was that essence wasn’t infinite. Massive boilers were more reliable, especially under a siege situation. The second issue was the potential for damage during sieges. If the lines were cut, stations destroyed, or any other calamity, they needed a backup.

“There’s no sense in building it halfway,” Theo said, placing his hand on Throk’s shoulder. “We do it right, or we don’t do it at all.”

“Gonna be expensive,” Throk grumbled.

“Good thing I own the mine that makes the metal,” Theo said, smiling.

But Theo saw that flash of realization in Throk’s eyes. The original idea was good, but this one was more robust. It would house the ugly equipment under a sturdy roof, shielding it from both the elements and the eyes of the citizens. The alchemist was thinking more about appearances lately, and he couldn’t stand the idea of those boilers sitting in a field.

The marshling held his hand out, still grumbling. “Five gold. Down payment for the work and materials. I need to hire folks to get this done.”

Theo happily forked over the money, slapping his hand hard against Throk’s shoulder. “See? I have some good ideas.”

Throk grunted his approval.

Chapter Twelve

Where are you? Tresk asked. I suddenly feel a sense of overwhelming smugness.

Theo couldn’t suppress his smile, trailing Throk back to town. He met with Tresk outside of the Marsh Wolf Tavern. Xam had taken to holding the festivities outside. After the pair took a seat, the alchemist explained the source of that smugness. She didn’t have an opinion on the new idea, shrugging it off to await whatever the cook made tonight. It was another variation, unsurprisingly, on Zee-based bread with cheese and wolf meat. The more the days rolled on, the more delicious the dish became.

More people gathered outside than normal, a fact of the recent wave of migrants. Alise was keeping up with placing them all in homes, but there would be a breaking point. The only thing Broken Tusk didn’t lack was space. Before Theo arrived in town, it was sparse beyond belief. That was something that amazed him, even today. How those people clung to life in the unforgiving swamp before introducing Drogramath’s power. But it was a problem for the young administrator to sort out.

There was a look in Tresk’s eyes as everyone ate their meal. Theo recognized it as her plotting his demise in the Dreamwalk. He finally had a solution for that, although she might consider it cheating. In his mind, it didn’t matter as long as he got away unscathed.

Zarali joined them at the table after a time, settling in opposite the pair and awaiting her meal. She had a sour look on her face that vanished after only moments.

“I wish you hadn’t revealed my coin-pressing idea,” she said, letting out a labored sigh.

“But it was a good idea,” Theo said with a shrug.

Her plan might be difficult to achieve, though. A more attainable goal was his plan for a shipyard near the ocean. That required some research, since he’d have to stretch the boundaries of the town a significant distance. There were more issues, compounding the problem. He needed at least two Rare seed cores, one for a port and another for a shipyard, although that might have been an attachment to the port. Someone would need to build the vessels, then sail them. But the alchemist was never one to worry about doing every step at the same time. He was ponderous in his accomplishments, only worrying about what was right in front of him.

A massive share of his Living River Water would have been done brewing at the lab by now. He turned to Zarali, gaining her attention.

“First, we need the metal,” Theo said. “I have Throk… Well, perhaps he’s stretched too thin, but he’s working on a few projects. I’m brewing potions with the [Dissolve] property tomorrow. Hopefully, I can make some tunnels with those.”

“It should work,” Zarali said idly. “Dig deep enough. You’ll find silver and gold.”

“How about spiritstone?” Tresk asked, flashing a grin.

“Not a chance,” Zarali said. “I’m not sure if you can craft spiritstone coins.”

“How does this influence the economy?” Theo asked, picking at his food as he rolled ideas around in his head. “Making money out of thin air sounds suspicious.”

Zarali shrugged at that, dismissing his concerns with a gesture. “It seems to work. Both Qavell and Veosta mint coins.”

“Use your big brains,” Tresk said. “If no one made the money, even with the system generating coins from dungeons, quests, all that, then there’s no way there’d be enough to go around. High-level crafters wouldn’t operate. We’d be doomed.”

That was an oddly intelligent thing for Tresk to say. Her most complex thought usually boiled down to the best way to stab something, but she was right. If the coins were consumed at the end of their lifecycle, and the dungeons and quests couldn’t keep up, someone needed to generate enough to meet demand. Theo’s mind wandered to the next logical step. Most places didn’t have a high concentration of energy in the air. Perhaps the mint was worth pushing up before the docks. Still, he wanted to pick anyone’s brain who would listen.

“So, I have a problem,” Theo said, patting Tresk on the shoulder. “I want a dock, but the ocean is too far.”

“That’s not really within my realm of knowledge,” Zarali said.

Tresk shrugged. “Don’t look at me.”

“Fenian should know,” Theo said, nodding to himself. “He’ll be in town soon enough.”

The rest of the meal passed without incident. No interesting topics came up, so Theo spent the time in his mind, thinking about the way the town system worked. As the mayor, he could buy two types of land. There was incorporated land and unincorporated land. Most seed core buildings couldn’t be built on unincorporated land, but that option was significantly less expensive than the other. With his current finds, he could buy a snaking, unincorporated path to the bay, but then he was stuck. His logic ended there. That path of land needed to be connected to the primary territory, linked with the expensive option. He let out a breath and gave up for the evening. The moment he entered the Dreamwalk, his mind would feel refreshed, as though he had slept the entire night.

“Ready for bed?” Tresk asked, her eyes flashing with malice.

“I am,” Theo said.

The pair left the Marsh Wolf Tavern, bidding farewell to anyone who would listen, and fell asleep quickly. When the dream world sprung up around then, Theo turned to Tresk.

“You’ve been to the ocean, right? Recently?”

“I have,” Tresk said with a nod. He remembered her going there to inspect the monsters from the Ocean Dungeon.

“Take us there, please,” he said.

In an instant, they were standing on a sandy shore. Mountains rose to the south, and a slow rise of earth to their north. To the east, it was nothing but the endless lap of waves. It was breathtaking, even in the Dreamwalk’s haze.

“Unreal,” Theo said, taking a steady breath. “How close is this to town?”

“Well,” Tresk said, turning south and pointing at the sudden rise of mountains. “You could spit and hit the mine from here. Not literally, but you get it.”

Theo turned north again, watching the river empty into the bay. What he understood of ideal launching locations for sailing vessels included the need for a bay. It would break the fierce waves of the open ocean, giving them a steady place to build their boats. He filled his inventory with a few items as he surveyed the area, still dazzled with how perfect it was. A singular issue stuck out to him.

“This is entirely undefended,” Theo said. “Far enough from the walls to be dangerous.”

“Yup,” Tresk said, scratching the top of her head. “If you want a port here, you’ll need to extend the wall.”

Theo didn’t see that as the only option. Something in the back of his mind said there was a way to create something here to act as an extension of the town without being encased in the same wall. If it was separated from the town, that was one thing. There was also the option to hire an earth mage and move the entire ocean closer to town.

“Think we can walk from here to town?” Theo asked. Normally the Dreamwalk didn’t want them to move outside of a single scene, but they had done so in places both of them were familiar with.

“Time to test,” Tresk said.

It didn’t go unnoticed to Theo that she didn’t want to leave his side. She had something planned for him—something to test his ability to react to assassins. That was fine with him. He had a plan.

“Imagine an earth mage,” Theo said, gesturing to the river. The place where the river had entered the ocean had been worn away by years of sand erosion. The constant rush of water had dug the beach back, far from where it originally rested. This was evidenced by rocky islands and the strange presence of outcrops. They defied the normal contour of the land. According to local legend, an earth mage had already reformed Broken Tusk, rendering it easier for the locals to farm.

“I’m imagining an earth mage,” Tresk said, closing her eyes as she walked.

An earth mage appeared, faceless and generic in appearance. He was made of shadowy wisps, proving that Tresk’s mental image of the mage wasn’t great.

“He scoops the land out,” Theo said, gesturing to the river. The phantom mage obliged, surprising the companions.

The ocean rushed in to meet the bowl of water, suddenly missing. The pair continued, instructing the phantom until he’d created a channel from the ocean, all the way to the walls of the town.

“I didn’t know we could do that,” Tresk said. “We brought the ocean to Broken Tusk!”

This was a good plan. Theo could hire a mage that made his harbor into any shape he wanted, and the alchemist had always wanted to expand the town over the river. Using an earth mage gave him a chance to secure his shipyard and port without the need to fiddle with something that might not work. The alchemist folded his arms in satisfaction, looking over the new terrain. The bridge to the north wasn’t in sight; they were only at the very eastern tip of their territory, but the channel they created was massive. He couldn’t picture a boat large enough to get stuck in the waterway, and perhaps the mage could reinforce the edges so they didn’t erode.

“All right. Good luck,” Tresk said.

Without warning, she vanished.

Theo sensed danger before ten assassins appeared, poised with blades and diving for him. The world slowed around him, his Dexterity jumping as he withdrew three items from his inventory. This was his first chance to practice something he’d drilled in his mind a hundred times. He quaffed his Retreat Potion, tossed an improvised bomb in the air, then threw a Freezebomb with the [Web] modifier to the ground. Exactly one second after drinking the Retreat Potion, Theo was hurtled backward. He felt pain in his neck as he whipped back with unreasonable speed, rocketing away from the scene.

The Freezebomb struck first, sending tendrils of ice to wrap around the assassins. Theo ducked when the next part of his plan activated. The improvised bomb hit the ground. If this was the real world, his eardrums would have shattered by the sudden explosion. He watched as parts of the dream-assassins flew off, trailing smoke behind them.

“Wow,” Tresk said, appearing behind him from the shadows. “Working out some anger issues?”

“There,” Theo said, turning to her and folding his arms in front of him. “Now, leave me alone tonight. Once per night, that’s all you get.”

Tresk narrowed her eyes at him, tapping her foot impatiently. “All right. Fine. You win. Congratulations.”

“I’m fast enough to respond,” Theo said, placing his hand on her shoulder. “And we can refine techniques if you find something that can beat me—more assassins doesn’t count. You can send mages tomorrow.”

Tresk seemed to accept that as a response, and she vanished once again. Theo smiled, knowing that she’d do exactly that tomorrow. But there was an easy response for mages now that he had access to the [Anti-Mage] property. A carapace of anti-magic would work well enough, along with a few well-placed bombs. The marshling wasn’t even focusing on the thing he feared more than anything, though. If a mage wanted to capture him, it would be easy enough if they could teleport away with him. But there was always an alchemical solution.

While Theo couldn’t produce new things in the Dreamwalk, he could create them. The difference was that he couldn’t make something out of nothing, but he could go through the motions to create new potions. The one thing that eluded him was the function of constructs. Even after he produced a copper cage, treated it alchemically, and shoved a construct tablet inside, it didn’t work. He spent the night working on that problem, retreating to care for plants or do alchemical reactions when his mind went slack.

“I think the key is in the name,” Theo said, turning to Bob.

He forced the faceless mannequin to nod.

“These tablets aren’t the starting point,” Theo said, throwing a marble construct on the ground. “We’re looking for constructs. Things that do things. That’s a bad way to define the word.”

Bob didn’t respond.

Theo went about the night, finding the most efficient way to grind out experience for his alchemy and herbalism core. He still couldn’t figure out plant hybridization, but the experience he gained was absurd. Without the need to rest, he could run between a reagent garden and a row of stills. By the end of the night, the alchemist had a row of twenty stills running at the same time, with a swathe of land growing reagents. He kicked off reactions that filled the open air with thick plumes of smoke, threw reagents into piles, and knocked his mind against the construct problem.

When they woke in the morning, Theo gained another series of system messages for his efforts.

Drogramath Alchemy Core gained experience (20%).

Drogramath Herbalism Core gained experience (24%).

Governance Core gained experience (0.25%).

Theo Spencer gained experience (6.3%).

Theo Spencer gained experience (8%).

Theo Spencer gained experience (0.083%).

Without Tresk bothering him all night, he was able to do a week’s worth of brewing in a single night. He learned a few things about reagent production, but it was mostly going through the motions. The feeling of being refreshed after a night of work was still alien to him, leaving him feeling disoriented when coming out of the Dreamwalk. It reminded him of when he first traveled through Xol’sa’s portal, only to a much lesser extent.

There were tasks to accomplish for the day, but Theo had finally fallen into a decent rhythm once again. This is when things normally blew up in his face, either as interlopers or monster waves, but as he attended breakfast, none of those things happened. Tresk’s confidence in his ability to defend himself was at an all-time high. He could feel it seeping through their shared core, pulsing in his chest. The marshling pulled out a dagger for him to inspect, partway through breakfast.

[Marshthorn]

[Dagger]

Epic

Dagger made from the thorns of an infected troll.

Effect:

Increase the effects of poison.

[Effect Locked]

[Effect Locked]

It looked less like a dagger and more like a giant rose thorn with a handle. It was curved and dripped with poison. That must have been poison applied by Tresk, since the item made no mention of having innate poison. Theo took a moment to read the description again before letting the dagger fall to the table with a clatter.

“That’s disgusting,” Theo said, wiping his hand off on his robe.

“Chill,” Tresk said, taking her dagger back. “It dropped as loot. Hey! You’re one to talk. You’re always… Always digging in the mud and stuff. That’s gross.”

“True,” Theo conceded. “At least I’m not shoveling Karatan poop at Miana’s ranch.”

Theo hadn’t exploited half the resources that Miana’s farm would provide. He’d only tested the cheese and the horns, but there was still more to explore. The Karatan would provide wool, which he had a feeling would be alchemical, and the Pozwa would lay eggs. The idea of those goat-like things laying eggs was strange, but if he could turn it into a potion, he didn’t care.

The rest of their meal was shared in quiet conversation. Tresk was interested in his ideas, but that only went so far. She was a person who tackled problems when they came, possessing none of Theo’s foresight. Over the month, which the alchemist was learning was the entire Season of Blooms—the words were interchangeable—he’d improved his ability to plan ahead. The woodcutting operation was a means to build his boats. Dead Dog Mine was a way to supply his smelter—it all fed into something else.

“We’re going to need cloth,” Theo said.

“Hey!” Tresk shouted, slamming her hand on the table in mock rage. Then, her face shifted. “Not a bad idea. More exports?”

“Sails for the ships,” Theo said, finishing the last of his tea. “Ships, or boats?”

“If your boat ain’t big enough for another boat to fit inside, it’s a boat,” Tresk said, gesturing with a fork. She never even used the forks to eat. “Otherwise, it’s a ship.”

“A sudden, suspicious burst of knowledge,” Theo said, leaning on the table.

Tresk let out a long sigh. Theo could feel her building herself up, preparing to regale him with some constructed story.

“When I was young, I read a lot of books,” Tresk said. “Mostly about pirates and their adventures.”

“You can read?” Theo asked.

She narrowed her eyes at him, and he held up his hands defensively. “I can read two languages, you Towa zana.”

Theo didn’t understand the words; they sounded strangely guttural. Through his core, he understood they meant something close to “bumbling ass,” although he couldn’t tell if she meant donkey or his actual butt.

“What language is that?” Theo asked.

Tresk straightened herself up. “Bantari,” she said, looking proud. “I can teach you, if you want.”

Theo nodded. Tresk was a Bantari Marshling, which he took to mean she was a marshling from the southlands. The whispers he got, both through his core and gossip around town, were that this breed of marshling was a splinter group from somewhere else. They joined the ogres in the early days of the region. The lore was all fuzzy, passed down through the generations through oral traditions.

Tresk taught many words, which were effortless for him to pick up. His superior memory made the task easy, but their core also shunted information to him at an instinctual level. She could rattle off a list of words and their meaning, conjugations, and grammar structures, and he’d keep the information as if he were a native speaker. That frustrated the marshling at first, but once she recalled his stats, she was all right with it. When they were done playing their language games, the alchemist departed with a few words in Bantari, which made his companion smile.

The thing on Theo’s mind was the mine. Throk should have completed a few orders for him, including the copper cages for his construct experiment, but he wanted to dig deeper in the mine. The defensive emplacements should have been the priority, but the way the blacksmith’s mind worked would have him turning his full attention to the water problem. The alchemist approached the Newt and Demon, thoughts of the [Dissolve] property lingering in his mind.

Chapter Thirteen

Theo found no surprises with the Refined Dissolve Essence. Zarali’s improvements on his stills meant he didn’t have to worry about a second process to get the most from his essences, gaining him much-needed time. He inspected the essence one last time before deciding on what form of potion to create.

[Refined Dissolve Essence]

[Essence]

Epic

Created by: Belgar

Quality: Excellent

Alignment:

Drogramath (Middling Bond)

Alignment Effects:

Resulting potions will be more effective.

Chance to consume half of required essence during brewing.

1 unit (liquid)

Concentrated, refined essence of dissolve.

Looking at the faint hue of blue in the essence reminded him of those detergent-style essences. The alchemist set up a sample reaction within the lab, relying on his various skills and building bonuses to keep the essence from exploding. He worked his way up from a tenth of a unit of essence to 20 units of Purified Water all the way to half a unit of essence, finally getting the reaction he wanted. It bound to the water perfectly, the flask he used swirling and letting off a smell like a fresh sea breeze. Before inspecting the potion, he felt a strange sense shiver through his body. His intuition said it was an intent-driven potion, which would have been a first. He inspected the potion.

[Tunneling Potion]

[Potion]

Epic

Created by: Belgar

Quality: Excellent

Alignment:

Drogramath (Middling Bond)

After pouring this potion on stone, dirt, or other naturally occurring terrain materials, this potion will create a tunnel to the user’s mental specifications.

Effect:

Removes all naturally occurring terrain materials based on the user’s Willpower and the quality of the potion.

Potions normally gained their name from the property of the reagent. It was rare enough to see the result gain a different name, but it wasn’t a revelation. The Tunneling Potion was exactly what he needed, even if he didn’t understand the effects completely. As soon as the miners created the security area, he could begin digging down. It was dangerous, considering the idea of caverns, to just dig without regard. Another idea sprung up in his head, though.

Theo swirled the potion in the flask. If it could remove terrain, they wouldn’t need an earth mage. The water elemental dropped enough of the reagent for him to clear a mountain away, if it worked as intended. As with most things related to alchemy, it required testing.

The garden behind the Newt and Demon was lush. Too lush. The new upgrade he bought for the greenhouse also enhanced the growth rate of weeds, inviting them in to plague his crop. There wasn’t damage to his sprawl of reagents, but it was annoying. He spent a long time weeding that place out, preparing the cultivated Spiny Swamp Thistle for planting, and sorting them out for distillation. Back in the lab, he prepared his stills for a large run. He loaded two stills up with Spiny Swamp Thistle Root, then dug into his supplies for the last of his Flame Roses. The trader would be interested in Healing Potions and Strength Potions—they provided the most obvious benefit.

That also left room for experimentation. The stat-enhancing potions would act strangely with modifiers, but Theo still hadn’t given them free rein to see how well they did.

A bell rang downstairs, Azrug’s excited voice chiming in to meet the cheer of the tinkling sound. Heavy footsteps ascended the stairs moments later, Throk throwing the door open with a look of annoyance. The old marshling took a deep breath, forcing his face into a smile.

“You’re working me to death, Alchemist,” Throk said.

Theo waited for more context, but that was true.

“The mine thing is done,” Throk said, withdrawing a spherical cage from a dimensional bag at his side. “So is this thing.”

“Excellent,” Theo said, taking the mesh.

“And I’ve got workers tearing up the ground again, making some shoddy building for your boilers,” Throk said.

“You’re the best,” Theo said, finishing up his work with the stills. “I’ll expand the mine today. Looking for silver.”

“You won’t be satisfied until you strike gold,” Throk said. “And I’m guessing there’s gold in the ground, ’cause that’s your luck.”

Theo nodded.

“Do you know anything about sailing?” Theo asked. “I have an idea for a harbor⁠—”

“No thanks,” Throk said, turning on the spot. “I’ve got enough Theo work for now.”

“But I haven’t even asked…”

He was already gone. It wasn’t Theo’s fault that Throk was the most useful person in town, but the old marshling would have declined any work he couldn’t handle. That bravado was without substance, just something he did to keep the alchemist from piling more work on him. He wanted to ask about making a port and the best way to carve out large sections of earth for a harbor. Even if a marshling didn’t like the water, they seemed at home submerged.

With the defensive room operational within the mine, there was nothing to stop him from trying out the new potion. He brewed 10 of them to start, just enough to get the feel of how they worked, before departing his lab. He looked north while descending toward the mine, noting that the building Xam was working on seemed done. She wouldn’t open the bathhouse until the pipework was done, something Theo delayed unintentionally. The alchemist stopped by Nira’s smeltery before heading off to the mine, finding the human woman covered in soot and sweat, working the crucible.

Like him, she never took a break.

“Question,” Theo shouted, trying to match his voice to the clang of metal and the rattle of oversized chains. She shot him a glare, which was her way of saying she was listening. “Any experience with a coin mint?”

That got her attention. She stopped pulling the chain immediately, leaving her ingot mold half-filled. She jumped down from the iron scaffolding, bounding toward the alchemist before composing herself. Nira let out a breath, straightened her leather apron, and waited.

“Any experience?” Theo asked.

“Not directly,” Nira said.

“Indirectly,” Theo said, nodding. She always distilled things down to a few words, never one to speak more than was necessary. “A porter for a mint?”

“Smelter’s hand,” Nira said, nodding to herself. “Poured the silver.”

“Anything you can tell me about the process?” Theo asked.

Nira looked around as though there were eyes lurking behind the Ogre Cypress. She beckoned him into the smelter’s workshop and lowered her voice before continuing. “You’d be a fool not to do it. You own the mine, the smelter, and the town. Energy in this place is”—Nira paused for a long moment—“powerful. Puts the Qavelli mint to shame.”

“Perfect,” Theo said. He had a feeling she’d know something about it, but she’d never offer the information up without prodding. “Do you have two core slots? Don’t level anything you don’t want to get rid of—I need someone to work the mint.”

Theo turned to walk away. She was usually happy with that amount of information, but she grabbed him by the shoulder and turned him around.

“Don’t puff me up,” Nira said, still glancing around for unseen foes. “You want to do coins? Silver? Gold?”

“Whatever we can mine,” Theo said. “I figure we’re going to start with copper. That’ll give you a chance to level up.”

“What about the smelter?”

“That’s what laborers are for,” Theo said. “I’ll have Alise keep an eye out for Smelter’s Cores, and the town will fund it. I suggest you recruit as soon as possible.”

Nira answered that with a nod. She smiled before turning away, jumping up the scaffolding, and finishing her pour. Someone with that level of excitement for creating coins was the right person for the job, and she was already under his standard contract. Once he got the project underway, it would be useless to keep it a secret. Alongside that was the idea that it was a normal thing to do. From what he’d heard, it was almost expected that he would create his own money in time. Without reprisal from the capital, he felt good about that project. But the mine called him.

Gridgen and his men were taking a break outside of the mine. The fruit of their labor wasn’t visible, having been stored automatically in a Dimensional Storage Crate near the entrance. The workers greeted him with smiles, waving enthusiastically. He could feel their expectations for more tunnels, knowing that the alchemist would only visit if he had plans to work on the mine.

“Good morning,” Gridgen said, smiling. The group gave similar greetings.

“Time to test,” Theo said, withdrawing his Tunneling Potion for them to see.

Gridgen led him into the mine. There were several corpses of goblins piled just inside the entrance, resulting in a smell that was a choking miasma in the enclosed space. Theo could tell, without inspecting the bodies, that they were very low-level goblins.

“Any issues?” Theo asked.

“Well, the goblins just pop into existence sometimes,” Gridgen said. “Everyone here plunks enough points into Strength, so a swift hit over the head usually does them in.”

“No need for adventurer patrols?” Theo asked.

“None,” Gridgen said, leading the alchemist down those narrow passages.

The space inside the mine was too tight for Theo’s liking, but these miners were like moles. They seemed to enjoy the enclosed space, and none of the problems Theo expected had arisen. They were either too far south, or the magic of the mine prevented floods from happening. Logically, it should have been flooded long ago, but that never happened. The interior was always dry.

“Here’s the fancy new defensive stopper,” Gridgen said, gesturing to a large cavern.

The miners had dug the place out to allow adventurers room to fight. They created an interior larger than the size of the adventurer’s guild, lanterns burning on the walls to cast long shadows across the gray rock. Massive iron bars prevented anyone from passing from one side to the other, complete with a gate in the center. Gridgen produced the key, unlocking it and swinging it open. Throk’s work always amazed Theo, but this was beyond anything he expected. They proceeded to the far side of the cavern, and Theo focused on the wall.

“Your job isn’t to dig tunnels,” Theo said, holding the potion up. He sometimes felt a twinge of guilt when he replaced someone’s job with alchemy, although that was rare. “It’s to mine ore.”

Theo dripped the potion on the wall, a rush flooding through his body. He saw the wall in front of him with a ghostly blue outline superimposed on his vision. It reminded him of interacting with things inside the Dreamwalk, giving him an edge. He poured more of the liquid, letting it pool on the cavern floor, and commanded the system to change the image. It started as a straight hallway, leading nowhere. The alchemist poured more, then the entire bottle of the potion, imagining an identical room to the one he was standing in, connected with a short hallway. With his mental approval, the potion went to work.

Gridgen let out a surprised sound as the potion flashed a blinding blue light, eating at the wall with ravenous hunger. Theo stepped back—the resulting reaction put off a vapor that stung his lungs. But the potion worked away, over the course of half an hour, and the pair just watched. The single potion was enough to make another room of the same size, doing the job in a fraction of the time it would take the miners.

“Sure seems like you’re trying to take our jobs,” Gridgen said, wiping his brow and laughing.

“We just need to find the nodes,” Theo said.

Once again, Theo was reminded that this world didn’t work like reality. Ore didn’t run in seams along the walls of the mine. They spawned in nodes that replenished themselves if enough time passed. It was just like the reagents Theo harvested for his alchemy. Like those reagents, the nuggets didn’t always spawn in the same spot, just a general area. The plan was to create a series of exploration tunnels and more defensive gates. That would ruffle Throk’s feathers, but he’d pay double to get the job done.

“You were a porter for the smelters,” Theo said, daring to enter the hazy room. The vapors no longer burnt his lungs; it only stung a little. Gridgen coughed as he followed.

“Was that a question?” Gridgen asked, still coughing.

“There’s a logic to the mine,” Theo said. “I think of it as an extension of the entire seed core building. When you were a nugget-hauler, do you remember where the nuggets spawned?”

“Well, they just filled up carts,” Gridgen said, falling into another coughing fit. Theo approached the far end of the cavern, placing his hand on the wall. There was no evidence of metal here. “But I can tell you what I’ve seen here.”

“Copper appears near the top layer. Iron is a tad deeper,” Theo said, withdrawing another potion from his inventory. He poured it on the ground, imagining a switchback staircase of stone. It started working, and the pair retreated while the man coughed. “Lower than that is silver, or something else. They’ll spawn in layers—it only makes sense.”

“Not sure why you asked if you knew,” Gridgen said, sounding slightly scornful.

Theo took a breath of the relatively clear air. “I wanted to know if it worked this way everywhere. Remember, I’m just guessing based on my intuition. Everything works in tiers⁠—”

Theo stopped himself before saying “in this world.” He didn’t keep his alien nature a secret because he didn’t trust people; it just seemed foolish to sing it from the rooftops. Gridgen had everything to lose by coming to Broken Tusk. Anyone with a child got put to the front of the alchemist’s mental list of trustworthy people. They wouldn’t risk their offspring for something as stupid as spying on the town. Besides, he was a hard worker. Theo liked hard workers.

“Copper at the top layer, iron just under that, then somewhere between here and the Hells, we’ll find silver and gold,” Gridgen said, smiling once again. “I follow your reasoning. From what I remember, depth is the determining factor. When we hauled silver, we were deep.”

“Did you ever see gold?” Theo asked.

“Never,” Gridgen said. “Not sure if anyone produces gold in Qavell. If they do, they keep it enough of a secret so no one knows.”

“The Merchant’s Guild,” Theo said with a nod. “They would do anything to keep that a secret, and I’ll eat my feathered hat if they didn’t have a hand in it.”

“Whatever you say, boss,” Gridgen said.

They waited there for some time. Theo could tell the miasma hurt Gridgen’s lungs more than his own, likely owing to a difference in physiology. The alchemist’s plans for the mine were simple enough. For every level he descended, he’d have one of his defensive emplacements. His cores—or his intuition, he couldn’t tell—told him whatever lay in the caverns deep in the earth wasn’t to be provoked. The more iron they had to chew through, the better. From the other side of those defensive gates, he’d run tunnels to probe for silver or any other valuable metal.

“How is the family?” Theo asked.

“Well, Sarna is happy,” Gridgen said. A group of miners was talking in an adjacent tunnel, not willing to brave the toxic air. “She’s had a lot of time to spend with Gasem, since we get paid well enough.”

“Well enough,” Theo said, feeling his stomach knot. Their pay wasn’t great, but the silver would change that. “You’ll be living like a king when we pull gold out of Dead Dog.”

The miners in the hall were listening in on that. They all cheered from the other tunnel.

“I don’t mean to overstep my bounds,” Gridgen said, holding his hands up defensively. “But I think you’re chewin’ the bone before you’ve had your meat.”

That was another idiom, likely from Qavell. Theo liked it and understood the miner’s meaning immediately. The alchemist often found himself pushing for the best possible thing, but that was a problem here. It could take him a long time to find silver, let alone gold. But the upper levels of the mine already bore copper and iron.

“We should expand the upper floors first,” Theo said. “Right. You’re a miner; I’m not. Direct me.”

Gridgen was surprised at Theo’s forwardness. Where he had developed the sense that the alchemist was unapproachable was beyond him, but the miner led the way up the slick path to the top level. They were almost at the entrance before he stopped, pointing at an unfinished tunnel.

“I’d take a dagger from your Tara’hek if this path didn’t have copper,” Gridgen said.

Theo spent his time, almost until the late afternoon, helping the miners create new tunnels in the upper level of the mine. They were amazed at the speed at which the potion dug through the rock, shouting victoriously when a new tunnel was created. The alchemist had to go back to his lab to create more of the potion, but Gridgen’s intuition was excellent. Of the 30 new tunnels they created, more than half of them had swathes of nuggets, ready for mining. They were embedded in special sections of the rock that regenerated over time. This made them easy to discover, since the potion refused to chew through them.

More than once, a section of rock hung in the air awkwardly. It was a strange sight.

Gridgen slapped Theo on the shoulder, grinning. “Now we won’t have to sit on our hands when the nuggets run out.”

Theo talked with the miners for some time, listening to their problems and worries. He felt his Governance Core growing stronger as he spoke to them, ignoring the messages that popped up about experience points. Their concerns were laid to rest when Theo expanded the scope of his plans for the mine. It was a pillar of their economy, representing one of the three major ways they made money. Wood, metal, and stone would see them all rich in time.

When Theo finally departed from the mine, it was late into the afternoon. He would normally have felt as though he wasted his time there, but the excited looks on the miners’ faces were worth it. For the alchemist, it was comforting to know that he influenced the production of the town with his alchemy. But as his eyes turned north, back toward the Newt and Demon, he knew his next task involved the brewing of an absurd amount of potions for Fenian. That man was the town’s lifeline.

Chapter Fourteen

Theo spent what was left of the afternoon on reactions. His alchemical garden was at the point where it could produce hundreds of Healing Potions per day, but that left a gap for his other potions. Fenian enjoyed walking away from the town with a variety of potions. Attribute-enhancement potions were popular, but the alchemist was interested in brewing more niche potions. While his idea for constructs had fallen to the side, he needed to take the chance to produce for the trader. The cost of his potions had reached the point where gold couldn’t buy them. Bartering would be the way forward, which worked well for everyone.

Tresk signaled she was returning home as Theo wrapped up the day’s brewing. As he waited for her to return, he went through his mental list of modifiers to discover the best pairing for his stat potions. [Mana Bloom] might work in interesting ways, especially for attribute potions that enhanced Intelligence. [Embolden] was mostly useless, as it seemed far too dangerous to use. The effects usually traded mana for health, but the user could die if they didn’t have the required mana to fill the gap. By the time the marshling got back to the Newt and Demon, he had a short list of modifiers that he could use, which led to a singular thought.

He needed more modifiers.

His mind tracked along a familiar path as they walked to the Marsh Wolf Tavern. Anything that arrived in town that came as though it were part of some destiny always made great potions. Theo had yet to experiment with Veostian Karatan Cheese, but the properties were [Suffuse] and [Bind]. Their wool was likely to create good potions, although he didn’t look forward to eating hair to discover properties. The Pozwa Horns had already produced an essence that was unique, so that was sorted as an excellent investment. The only thing he had left for those horrid goat-things was their eggs.

Tresk went over her day, Theo splitting his attention as she talked. She met her fair share of new adventurers and had formed a small friend group among them. The influx of new adventurers to the town was a boon, according to her. Theo agreed, if only for the increased business his store would draw. It was the first time at the Marsh Wolf that Xam did a repeat of a previous meal, but the curry-like Zee couscous was just as delicious as before. No one had a single complaint.

Alise had a few updates, even after Tresk shouted at her about not bringing business to dinner. She heard about Throk’s new project and took the lead on hiring adventurers and organizing the work. She used the town’s funds to buy more House Seed Cores, but otherwise it seemed like a calm week. Xam took the opportunity to point Theo out as the reason her new bathhouse wasn’t open. By now, everyone knew what it was, and it was impossible for her to keep the secret for more than a few days. The alchemist didn’t mind. Throk worked quickly.

Despite Theo not telling anyone about Fenian’s arrival, others in town seemed to know. Azrug was the likely culprit, having a communication crystal linking to the trader. Everyone seemed to prefer the elf’s prices over the various traders that had been visiting. Theo had to wonder how the man even made a profit, but he shook the thought off.

When Tresk and Theo fell into the Dreamwalk, the marshling’s assassination attempt was poor. The sneaky bomb technique he developed was enough to handle more assassins than she could spawn, and she didn’t take his advice on changing the scenario. He was fine with the situation, as she abided by their new rule of having only a singular attempt every night. That left him with an uninterrupted night to experiment and refine his process. He took the chance to brew essences from the Veostian Karatan Cheese, reminded once again that he couldn’t create anything new, but he could discover it through the normal process.

Something Theo learned about the Dreamwalk was that the boundaries were flexible. If he believed he couldn’t do something, then it was so. But there were still hard limits to his abilities inside the dream, even if he felt it growing stronger by the day.

The cheese had the [Suffuse] and [Bind] properties, but neither seemed obvious. When he held a bottle of the Refined Suffuse Essence in his hands, it felt strange. Each reaction type failed, and his cores had no suggestions on making it happen. The Refined Bind Essence was easy to discover. It would produce a bomb-style potion and a modifier essence of the same name. Whatever rules bound the Dreamwalk allowed him to pursue that bomb, resulting in an ordinary-looking bomb with a swirl of smoky energy behind the glass. Theo inspected the result.

[Bind Bomb]

[Bomb]

Rare

Created by: Belgar

Quality: Excellent

Shatter against a surface to release binding shadows.

Effect:

Bind a target. Time based on potion quality.

This bomb served a niche purpose, but Theo could see its use. His current strategy for binding targets centered on using a Freezebomb with the [Web] modifier. He could see this entering the arsenal he carried at all times and a use for the adventurers who manned the walls of Broken Tusk.

Theo pushed himself in the Dreamwalk, trying to force his cores to advance to Level 15. He ran more stills than he would have managed in the real world, tending gardens that sprawled over the landscape. They’d picked a pleasant memory from Tresk’s childhood, where she played in the hills north of Broken Tusk. Even with the delightful view, the alchemist had concerns about his core’s advancement. When he only had two cores, it was easy enough to understand how that affected his personal level. If they were both Level 10, he’d be Level 10. With three cores, that problem became confusing. Instead of providing half of his experience requirement, they all now provided a third, scaling with his level.

Both his Drogramath Alchemy Core and his Drogramath Herbalism Core were on the edge of Level 15, but that would be useless for him. He’d unlock access to skills he desperately needed, but until his personal level hit 15, he couldn’t buy them. His Governance Core went up to 9 yesterday, but his personal level sat at 13, stubbornly refusing to go higher. Times like this, it was tempting to use the Lesser Experience Boost Potion, but warnings given by Fenian weren’t something he took lightly.

According to the trader, it affected advancement and was considered illegal in the kingdom. The lesser version of the potion capped at Level 10, but he was certain the second-tier version would work up to 20. Theo pushed those thoughts aside, working through the night and waking the next morning to a rush of experience, but nothing to push him over the edge. Tresk awoke at the same time as him, now that they used the Dreamwalking skill. Before heading off for breakfast, he ran his wheel of Vesotian Karatan Cheese through his grinder, made an offering to Drogramath, and set his still working on the first property, [Suffuse].

The leftovers from the night before were delicious, as they always were, and Theo went to make his rounds for the festival. While his wreath stood strong, most others had fallen to the elements. The alchemist tutted as someone in the neighborhood district had used mushrooms for their entry. It wasn’t a flower, but he allowed the entry anyway, since the mushrooms had a short lifespan, especially outdoors.

His Governance Core drank up each action he performed for the town, sending a series of small experience gains as windows popping into his vision. Theo ended his route at the marble quarry, finding a need to check in with Ziz and his gang of stoneworkers. The companionship gave him time to reflect on what he’d done in the town and what needed to be done.

“Expansion is important,” Theo said, bringing his thoughts to words before the burly stoneworkers. “We have stone, metal, and wood production. Trade goods, an enchanter—even if she’s not doing much yet—and a wizard.”

“You stress out too much,” Ziz said, patting him on the shoulder. “I heard Throk cursing your name about the new water project.”

Theo nodded at that. He might have pushed the marshling too hard, but he’d appreciate it in time. When things got better, people always forgot about the hard work they’d put in to make something happen. The hirelings were finishing up the last of the changes to the water system, the thought bringing Theo back to his idea of what they produced. Motes were needed to power most everything in town, but they had failed to create anything that harvested them in mass quantities.

“I wonder if we can set up a mote collection system,” Theo said, tapping his chin.

“Don’t look at me,” Ziz said. “You need stone? Gems? I got you. All that other stuff is too much to think about.”

Theo reclined on an unfinished pile of stone blocks, looking over his town below. At this rate, they’d break 100 citizens by the middle of next month. That was a point that stuck in his mind constantly. It was a number that seemed absurd compared to the 20-something citizens he started with. Alise was clever enough about planning the city to make sure everyone had a nice place to stay, but his thoughts went back to the idea of expansion. They needed more land, and only the area east of town was suitable for habitation.

“Those gems are expensive, right?” Theo asked.

“Extremely expensive,” Ziz said. “Although Zarali buys almost all my stock now.”

Theo didn’t have a comment for that. She had a lot of money, but he didn’t know how.

“How are you guys doing?” Theo asked. “Need anything?”

A laborer laughed somewhere near the quarry. Ziz smiled.

“We’re good,” Ziz said.

“Have you met with any of the new people?” Theo asked.

“Yeah, I saw Alise throw a few folks out,” Ziz said, scratching his chin. “She has a great sense for people. She can smell a bad one before they hit the bridge.”

Those words were exactly what Theo wanted to hear. No one in town was slacking on their duties, which was made clear by the meeting they had with Rivers and Daub. When they brought assassins to take over the town, Aarok, Luras, and the adventurers were ready to intervene. The townsfolk of Broken Tusk fell into their roles with excitement, and that’s all he could ask.

Theo spent some time relaxing with the stonecutters. They were a rowdy bunch, though, so he made his way down to inspect Throk’s work as his mental timer ticked away. Instead of taking a straight course to the angry marshling, he ran around and collected reagents for his potions. The wild reagents weren’t nearly as good as the cultivated ones, but they’d work for creating mass-production potions.

Xam’s bathhouse, resting behind the Marsh Wolf Tavern, looked much like the tavern itself. Dark wood slat walls with a blue wood-tiled roof. A sign hung from the door, claiming they would open as soon as Theo got his head out of his butt. That would be today or tomorrow, depending on how fast Throk was working. As he made his way into the fields, across the road from Miana’s ranch, he saw their work was almost completed. The building the workers erected wasn’t the most beautiful, but it was better than a few boilers sitting in the middle of the town. Throk’s workers had already filled the trenches, which meant they were done putting the pipes in place.

When Theo entered the building, he found his requested boilers in place, all with complex timing artifices hooked up. Other pipes ran from the boilers to hoppers, mounted on the side of the square building, which he understood was for motes. So long as the hoppers were full, the boilers could run forever. He left the small building, finding his backup system north of the ranch. An even smaller building stood near the bank of the river, but Throk was nowhere to be found.

The new water system was nice, but there was an old problem that Theo never solved. He made his way back to the Newt and Demon, stopping to chat with Azrug as he considered the issue.

“Salt mines were a thing on Earth,” Theo said. “But I still haven’t figured that out.”

“You said salt was in everything,” Azrug said, leaning over the counter.

“That’s true,” Theo said. “If I could figure out this reagent deconstruction thing, I could pull salt from them.”

“Well, everyone is buying up your new potions,” Azrug said. “You should make more.”

“Go weed my garden,” Theo said, grinning.

“If I weed those giant plants in the greenhouse, will you brew more Healing Potions? Maybe something other than those?” Azrug asked.

Theo waved him away. “I just need a bigger greenhouse. I suspect there’s a dedicated building I could use.”

“Oh, you mean this?” Azrug asked, pulling nothing out of his pocket. He smiled. “Just kidding. That’s something Fenian would do, right? Just show up with exactly what you need.”

“He has a habit of being overly informed,” Theo said.

Theo bid farewell to the shopkeeper, walking out the front door instead of up to the lab. He needed to spend time in his greenhouse anyway, gaining as much herbalism experience as he could so he could push his core to level. The alchemist maintained the current pattern of the garden, favoring fully cultivated Spiny Swamp Thistle plants over introducing new ones. He had a small row near the northern side of the glass building where he kept his other creations, propagating them occasionally so he didn’t lose that progress.

There was a problem with producing cultivated reagents that restored mana and stamina. Manashrooms were mushrooms that only grew in a dark cave, north of town. Moss Nettle only grew in the tall Ogre Cypress Trees. Neither reagent was suitable for growth within the greenhouse, limiting his options on which he wanted to grow. A thousand Healing Potions at absurd quality was better than a few of each at decent quality. When he was done in the greenhouse, he went to the lab to tend to his stills.

Theo moved the flask of Refined Suffuse Essence to the side, saving that for later. He cleaned his stills with Cleansing Scrub and set them up for another run. The alchemist already brewed enough potions to make Fenian’s trip worthwhile, but the shop needed more potions. With the stills loaded with cultivated Spiny Swamp Thistle Root and Stone Flowers, he turned his attention to the new essence.

It was nothing special to speak of. Something about the Dreamwalk blocked his senses when he was there, perhaps a personal failing, but out in the real world it spoke to him as a detergent-style essence. He ran the basic experiment to figure out the essence-to-water ratio, settling on a strangely dilute mix of the two. It reminded him of the Tunneling Potion in its design, but the description was too vague to understand.

[Suffuse Potion]

[Potion]

Rare

Created by: Belgar

Quality: Excellent

Alignment:

Drogramath (Middling Bond)

A potion used to bind two properties to an object or each other.

Effect:

Bind two properties.

Sometimes the system gave him exact numbers, effects, and side effects of a potion. Other times it gave him vague hints as to the use of a potion. He set the flask of potion aside, scratching his head in confusion. Theo was snapped out of his stupor, a system message he’d been waiting for popping up.

Drogramath Alchemy Core gained experience (5%).

Drogramath Alchemy Core reached Level 15.

Drogramath Alchemy Core gained an enhanced effect: +5 Wisdom.

“One core down,” Theo said, feeling the slight tingle in his mind as his intuition expanded by a fraction. “One to go.”

Theo left the lab, letting his potions cook down. He wouldn’t discover the secrets of the Suffuse Potion, but he suspected it was related to a skill he hadn’t unlocked. It wasn’t entirely like the [Reveal] property, but it had the same flavor. That led him to think it was related to constructs. If that was the case, he wouldn’t have a use for the potion until his personal level hit 15. The alchemist planned to leave Reagent Deconstruction for Level 20, taking Alchemy Constructs at Level 15. His mana control was still horrible and would require greater practice before he found a use of the skill.

Attempting to level his Governance Core, Theo split his attention between visiting citizens and picking herbs. The woodcutting operation was going great. Sledge elected someone to be the forester that managed which trees to cut and which to leave. The Ogre Cypress, despite towering to the heavens like skyscrapers, grew at an absurd rate. With the help of a forester, that process was even faster.

The miners were doing fine, but they hadn’t found new metals in the ground. Their new tunnels allowed them to increase production, but that bottlenecked at Alise. The smelter had found an apprentice in record time, even buying her a Smelter’s Core with the town’s funds. She must have told Alise about the situation, who then sorted the money out.

As Theo made his way back to the Newt and Demon, he felt a familiar haptic buzz in his mind. He recognized it as Fenian’s communication crystal, which he withdrew without hesitation.

“Alchemist!” Fenian shouted, excitement seeping from his words. “Is the far side of the river still clear?”

Theo blinked a few times, trying to let his brain catch up to the strange question.

“Last I checked.”

“Perfect!” Fenian shouted, laughing into Theo’s mind. “If you wouldn’t mind charging your towers, that would be lovely. I’m coming with an unfriendly guest!”

Chapter Fifteen

Warning bells clattered, a frantic staccato rhythm that sent every adventurer in Broken Tusk into a frenzy. Theo set the alarm with a warning, using his town-wide messaging system. Every able-bodied citizen stood ready behind those sturdy walls, ready for whatever Fenian brought with him.

Theo stood with his command structure, looking out over the short field to the east. Something shimmered in the distance, but Aarok and Luras were too busy forming battle plans to notice. It was all wasted breath and effort against the unknown, but at the core of the alchemist’s intuition, he knew it wasn’t anything they couldn’t handle. Fenian’s mode of transportation allowed him to slip beyond reality, and he would never lead anything too dangerous to the gates.

“Call him again,” Aarok said, turning to bark more orders to the assembled adventurers.

“He’s not answering,” Theo said. “But his method of transport⁠—”

Across the river, far in the distance, the world split apart. A gash formed in the air, bleeding shadows like a rolling fog. A carriage looking like a miniature in the distance flew from the fissure. Demonic Karatan drove the black lacquer carriage. Fenian stood atop the roof, waving his hands and shouting something. He was still too distant to hear.

“His method of transport is instant,” Theo said, his eyes fixed on the tear in space.

Xol’sa appeared next to him, his swirling eyes locked on the tear in space. “That’s curious,” he said, withdrawing a notebook and scrawling something.

“Ready?” Aarok shouted.

Adventurers were moving the defensive artifices around, bringing more of the Chain Lightning Towers to the eastern gate. It left the other walls open to attack, but no one could be certain what the trader would bring along with him. Stillness hung in the air, even as Fenian crossed the bridge and approached the gate.

Theo’s throat seized with what came next. A figure, twice the height of the town’s walls, crossed the threshold of the tear. It closed behind the monster, snapping shut like a bear trap. The thing walked with a limp, its entire body made of slick silver metal. It brandished a sword as tall as itself and let out an ear-shattering sound. The portcullis slammed shut as the trader passed the threshold, his demonic Karatan skittering to a stop and letting out mournful chitters of dismay. The alchemist swung around, jumping from the wall with questions.

“Are you an idiot?” Theo shouted, throwing his hands up in the air. He wanted to punch the elf in the face, but the moment the thought sprung to his mind, his intuition warned him against it. There was something about Fenian he hadn’t noticed before. There was power sitting behind those eyes.

“My dear alchemist,” Fenian said, holding his arms wide and bowing. “I’ve brought you a gift!”

“Looks like a big old horrible monster!” Tresk shouted, emerging from the shadows.

“Come now,” Fenian said, waving them away. “Ascend the wall and observe.”

Theo and Tresk joined him on the battlements, watching the horror limp across the open fields near the river. It stumbled, falling face-first into the bridge and destroying it. Fenian groaned, cleared his throat, then continued his speech.

“I apologize for the bridge,” Fenian said, coughing into his hand.

“My grandfather helped build that bridge,” Aarok said, scowling.

“Well, your grandfather would have loved to get his hands on this beauty,” Fenian said. “Before you attempt to remove my head from my shoulders, I’d like to explain myself.”

Fenian was always honest with Theo. He hid a few things, but it wasn’t the things that mattered. Even if the elf had done something reckless, the alchemist couldn’t afford not to do business with him. He was simply too important.

“Go on,” Theo said, gesturing to the flailing creature attempting to untangle itself from the debris of the bridge.

“I was pilfering some Taranthian ruins,” Fenian started.

“The elves?” Xol’sa said, brightening up. No one else seemed as interested in where the ruins were.

“The very same!” Fenian said, nodding and causing the feather sticking from his hat to wobble. “The fun part is that you can’t get to these ruins. Unless you have my talents—yes, let’s call them that. The monster you see flailing around in the river is as old as Tarantham itself, buried for untold eons. It’s actually an artifice, if you can believe that.”

Theo squinted, trying to force himself to see further. He could make out the whirring of gears on the side of the creature, so that made sense to him. It wasn’t a monster at all, just a big hunk of metal and… artificing materials. If it was advanced enough to move on its own and pursue an enemy, it was a trove of materials. Even the metal, which the alchemist assumed was some kind of steel, was worth a lot of money.

“Wouldn’t you know?” Fenian asked, slapping Theo on the shoulder. “The whole machine is weak to what? Lightning! Isn’t that amazing? Not that it matters. It might fall apart before it even reaches the walls.”

“I’d second that opinion,” Luras said, his eyes flashing with the power of Baelthar.

“The materials you gather from the thing will pay for the bridge,” Fenian said, waving a dismissive hand.

“How did you get it to take the Bridge of Shadows?” Theo asked.

“I thought that was a secret,” Fenian said, pressing his finger into his chin and frowning.

“If you were holding the secret against a group of toddlers, maybe.” Theo shrugged.

Fenian’s use of the Bridge of Shadows wasn’t a secret, not to the alchemist. It was easy enough to smell the influence of the Queen of the Path of Shadows, Uz’Xulven, on him whenever he came to town. But it was another thing to understand what the trader sought to gain from the bridge. Something in his cores whispered, Uz’Godan Bokrak Tal, but nothing more, simply the name of the bridge.

“He wouldn’t be arrogant enough to align with Uz’Xulven,” Theo said, sending his thoughts to Tresk.

“Wanna bet?”

He didn’t care to wager against that.

“At any rate, this is a gift,” Fenian said, bowing deeply. “I can no longer afford the cost of your potions. So, we revert to the old way. Bartering and gifts.”

Theo nodded, watching as the artifice weapon drew closer to the town. When it fell in the river, it was damaged even further. The limp became more pronounced, with more of its inner workings exposed on its side. The alchemist could see a heraldic crest on the front of the thing as it drew closer, the image of a compass and a sword. Then he plugged his ears as the towers hummed to life.

Fenian said something muffled, clapping his hands over his ears a little too late as the four Chain Lightning Towers fired at the same time. The artifact stumbled back from the force of the strike but adjusted its footing and pressed on. The artificial monster was saying something now, but Theo couldn’t hear. Each tower sent a stream of lightning at the monster, bolts that jumped from the various parts of the thing, quickly joined by the other towers. Cones of frost, fireballs, and firebolts fired off in rapid succession.

Fenian was right about the mechanical creation—it was weak. After a few fierce volleys, before the adventurers could even get a shot off, it let out a prolonged sound and collapsed, shaking the earth under its feet. The ease of the fight didn’t temper the adventurer’s excitement for victory. They shouted and jeered at the fallen monstrosity, pumping their fists in the air.

“Is it dead?” Theo asked, turning to the trader.

“What?” Fenian shouted, digging his fingers into his ears.

“Looks dead to me,” Tresk said, peering over the wall. The creature was motionless. The gears inside weren’t moving, and it showed no signs of life.

“You must remove the Power Core,” Fenian shouted, still digging in his ears. “Then it will be useless.”

“Where’s the Power Core?” Theo shouted his question back.

Fenian simply beckoned him to follow. The trader jumped over the wall rather than descending the battlements and approaching through the gate. Theo trusted his Strength and Dexterity to carry him safely, so he joined. With a rush of wind, he landed harmlessly on the unpaved road outside. The trader approached the fallen artifice, climbed its slick metal body, and withdrew a sword from nowhere. In an instant, he cut through the hard exterior of the artifice and removed an object.

“Power core,” Fenian said, smiling. “I still can’t hear a damn thing.”

Theo handed the elf a Healing Potion, shaking his head. While Fenian drank, the alchemist inspected the core. It looked more like a large crystal surrounded by a cage of the strange metal than something that conducted electricity. It pulsed with white energy, but the alchemist put it in his inventory and inspected it from there.

[Power Core]

[Construct Power]

Epic

A device used for the storage of raw, magical power.

Current Power:

25%

The item was plain, but something caught Theo’s eye, and something clicked in his mind. While the metal monster might have been an artifice at its heart, it had a literal heart related to constructs. The design looked similar enough to the idea the alchemist had, surrounding a living medium with metal to create a fake seed core, that it would be useful to study.

“That’s better,” Fenian said, opening his jaw to pop his ears. “You’ll find that the machine is made of… What is the word in Qavelli? Ah, barrowsteel. The Qavelli word actually comes from my native tongue, as it relates to the burial sites of my ancestors. If we’re talking tiers of metal, this is⁠—”

Theo interrupted him. He could feel the power of the metal. “Third tier of metals. I have a feeling we’ll find this in the mine.”

“Then you’ll be rich!” Fenian shouted.

“We’ll organize the retrieval tomorrow,” Theo said, shouting up at the battlements.

The day was getting too late to worry about the metal monster tonight, and he wouldn’t ask his people to work through the night. It wasn’t going anywhere, and the towers were trained on that approach. Aarok shouted his approval down, joined by the other adventurers. Once Theo had left the fallen construct’s side, others came to poke at the dead beast. The alchemist beckoned for the trader to follow him, intending to get some dinner.

“You’ve been busy,” Theo said, nodding at Fenian.

“How can you tell?” Fenian asked.

Tresk appeared next to them, grinning. “Because you’re always busy, big guy.”

Instead of leading Fenian back to the privacy of the lab, Theo led him to Xam’s latest offering for the festival. The attack hadn’t diminished her spirit to prepare delicious food, and everything was prepared and presented outside. Theo enjoyed the idea of dining outside, so long as the fair weather lasted. When the next season was called the Season of Fire, it was hard to see it as anything but sweltering. The trader seemed reluctant to conduct business in front of everyone, but their relationship had grown closer over the season.

“We’ve come to the point where I can’t afford an outright purchase of your potions,” Fenian said, nodding to the server that brought him a drink.

“I said I’m willing to barter,” Theo said.

The smell of whatever Xam was preparing wafted from the interior of the Marsh Wolf Tavern. When the scent singed his nose, Theo felt his pulse quicken slightly. She was making spicy stuff again.

“Of course,” Fenian said. “The guardian is part of that accord. Theo, I thought you’d be more excited.”

The alchemist realized his demeanor didn’t suit him. He cleared his throat and looked at the situation in the best light possible. The metal would sell for a lot, but not a fortune like Fenian would propose. Throk would appraise the real treasure of the encounter as the artificing materials within the thing. Monster cores were more valuable than gold right now, along with rare seed core buildings. Everything that was happening suited him just fine—he was just tired.

Theo dug deep, releasing a breath and focusing his mind on the evening negotiations. “I’m extremely excited about this,” he said, even if he doubted that himself. “We’ll get down to business and see if we can meet in the middle.”

As with all things related to the trader, their conversation wasn’t much of a negotiation. The thing that Theo found interesting was that Fenian had a sense for the price of his new potions after claiming there was nothing like it in the kingdom. He could reliably get a silver for the new products, but that relied on the willingness of rich families to spend. They settled on a split between coin and goods for the potions. Thirty gold coins seemed like a low sum, but that came with another 30 gold in credit.

“And a gift,” Fenian said, leaning in, “if you wouldn’t be opposed to retreating to your lab for this one?”

The sun started its descent in the western sky, looming over the swamp like a blazing sentinel. Xam’s latest spicy dish was another interpretation of milled Zee, Karatan cheese, and wolf meat. Her twist for this dish was the addition of the spicy Fire Salamander Eggs, which made it much more enjoyable. With the meal done, Theo was happy to go back to the lab and discuss whatever sensitive topic Fenian had for him.

“Just for good measure,” Fenian said, placing a small cube of metal on the second-floor landing before entering the lab.

“I need monster cores, a seed core for a coin mint, and any other interesting production buildings you might have,” Theo said. He was under the impression that the trader didn’t want the others to see the high-cost exchange they normally did.

“A mint?” Fenian said, laughing. “Now, you’re clever. Look at this.”

Fenian withdrew a gold coin from his inventory, setting it down on the table. Tresk had to stand on her chair to get a good view of the coin. It was like the coins Theo had seen before, but the image rendered on the golden surface was different. While the render seemed similar to the symbol on the front of the guardian artifice, it had enough difference to claim a different source. Theo knew instantly that this was a coin produced in a foreign land. It didn’t have the laurel crown of Qavell’s coinage, nor the words that traced the edge of the coin.

“It all goes to the same place when you have an inventory, but you can pull them out individually,” Fenian said, nodding to himself. “They’re all standard currency across the world. If it doesn’t go in your inventory, it’s a fake.”

“Where did you find this one?” Theo asked.

Fenian only smiled in response, changing the topic.

“A mint will cost you… well, a mint,” Fenian said.

“Just to confirm what I heard, they’re legal?” Theo asked.

“Yes, you won’t have the crown crashing down on you. Not that they could. They’re busy,” Fenian said, his grin turning wicked.

That explained why Theo hadn’t gotten word from Qavell. If he was honest with himself, he knew that this was better for them. Any undue attention would throw off his plans, and the last thing he needed was meddling princes. Still, the elf’s proximity to how busy the kingdom was didn’t sit well with him, but he managed to shrug it off for the sake of profit.

“That leads me to something I need from you,” Fenian said, withdrawing a seed core from his inventory and setting it on the table. He then withdrew a sack and a book, setting them down next to the seed.

Theo pressed his intent into the seed core, inspecting it.

[Mycology Cave Seed Core]

[Seed Core]

Epic

A core for the plantation of a Mycology Cave. This allows you to cultivate mushrooms.

“That solves that problem,” Theo said. “What’s in the sack?”

“Monster cores,” Fenian said, opening the bag for Theo to see. “I need a favor. Do you remember the Swamp Truffles?”

Theo tried hard to forget about those mushrooms. They carried the [Experience Boost] property, which seemed to be more trouble than it was worth.

“I remember,” Theo said, casting his eyes over to Tresk. She seemed content enough to just exist during the meeting, likely keeping an eye out for threats.

“Here’s your task,” Fenian said, clearing his throat. “I’m giving some… ah, swimming lessons. I’m not interested in the experience part of it. I need Hallowed Ground.”

It felt odd for someone to reference a property, especially when they weren’t alchemically inclined. Even with Theo’s intuition, he couldn’t understand what the elf would do with potions made from the property.

“Bombs or potions?” Theo asked.

Fenian stood from his chair, opened the door to the hall, and tapped the top of his strange cube. The air shimmered through the lab, and Theo felt a sense as though a sheet of ice had been placed over his body. The elf was satisfied enough, coming back to sit at the table by the window.

“Brew me the most effective way to repel the undead,” Fenian said. “Some way to steer them away from me while I work. There’s plenty of ruins to be plundered, such as your Pozwa, but it becomes difficult when the damned skeletons come calling.”

Theo understood what the elf wanted to accomplish, but a strange feeling washed over his body. The constant whisper of suggestions belonging to his cores was absent, and he understood the purpose of the cube. He was keeping unfriendly ears away, those belonging to the gods. He wondered if it was to keep Drogromath out, or whoever Fenian called his god. The field shimmered out, and for the first time since he met the elf, Fenian looked slightly nervous.

“I can do that,” Theo said.

“Hey, that sounds shady as hell,” Tresk said, speaking into Theo’s mind.

“That’s no skin off my back.”

Tresk nodded, agreeing with him in an instant. Theo would ensure that whatever he exported couldn’t be used as a weapon. That was his general rule for every potion he made, although it was a loose rule.

“Perfect!” Fenian said, throwing his arms wide. A smile hung on his face. “I have a selection of seed cores you might be interested in. Take a look.”

The amount of cores he dumped on the table was absurd. They spilled over immediately, clattering onto the ground. Tresk and Theo sifted through those cores for hours, even after the sun went down. As both their Vigor attributes grew, they needed less sleep. Only the Dreamwalk lured them to their beds every night.

A few cores stood out and were all self-descriptive. By the end of it, Theo selected a core simply labeled School Seed Core, another called a Weaver’s Seed Core, and the biggest shock of them all, a Harbor Seed Core.

“Ah, that last one is a bit pricey,” Fenian said, smiling. “You’d owe me a few hundred gold.”

“Then I owe you,” Theo said, collecting his seed cores.

Fenian tilted his head like a predatory bird but softened after a moment. “Call it 100 gold, then. Paid at a future date. The upgrades for that one include a shipwright.”

“Perfect,” Theo said. “One question, before you retire.”

“Of course,” Fenian said, bowing his head.

“I have a potion that can dig out a channel for my harbor, but would it be wiser to hire an earth mage?”

“Planning to move the ocean closer to town? Smart,” Fenian said, rubbing his chin. “Some advice? Do it yourself. Your issue is hardening the edges of the channel, although I’m sure you’ve thought of that. Perhaps it’s time your stonecutters got some experience with building.”

Fenian withdrew five cores from his inventory, setting them on the table. Stonemason’s Cores. Even if the elf was feeling generous, nothing he provided was free. He held his hand out and grinned. “A gold for five.”

Theo handed the money over without hesitation. It was time for the stonecutters to stretch themselves thin to serve Broken Tusk. Fenian’s instructions weren’t lost on him, and a plan was forming in the alchemist’s head to get the harbor project underway. The massive water element left him enough Living River Water to cut a wide channel and still have enough to dig his tunnels in the mine.

“As always,” Theo said, reaching out to shake Fenian’s hand. “We both prosper when the other is doing well.”

Fenian leaned in, grinning again. “You have no idea.”

Chapter Sixteen

Tresk got clever with her assassination attempt in the Dreamwalk that night. Instead of ordering her minions to attack simultaneously, she staggered them in stages. It was hard to hide intent through the Tara’hek, and Theo already had a solution for that problem. His mana control in the real world was bad, but within the dream realm it was acceptable enough to not kill him instantly. When he tossed a Reveal Construct in the air, bathing the surrounding landscape with a pale glow, it dropped stealth on the 20 assassins she’d generated.

“That’s cheating!” she shouted, looking over the mangled bodies of her creations.

“Try again tomorrow,” Theo said, patting her on the shoulder.

The marshling only pouted for a moment, moving off to train and come up with better ways to kill him. Theo could feel she was happy about his success in thwarting her. That was the point of the exercise, after all.

The landscape Theo chose tonight was the exterior of Broken Tusk, following that snaking river off to sea. He generated his Tunneling Potion and decided on the best way to carve out the landscape. His first attempt ended in failure. He dug from the sea toward the town, which resulted in the ocean rushing in to destroy the earth at the side. When the sea joined with the river, the effect was worse. This meant there were several problems.

Theo’s potion worked underwater, but that wasn’t the problem. His team of stoneworkers wouldn’t be able to move in and reinforce the walls of the harbor with marble. Digging from the river’s side or the ocean’s side would flood the work area. Both approaches left him unable to build the stonework.

Standing over the newly refreshed landscape, Theo tapped his chin. It didn’t help his concentration that he normally spent his time in the Dreamwalk training alchemy. It was a waste of time, but this was important. The alchemist dug a shallow version of the harbor from the river’s side almost the entire way to the ocean. It was a massive rectangle dug into the earth. This approach was almost workable. The flood of the river was slow, and there were solutions he could employ to empty the basin. Thanks to how low the area of the swamp was, the footprint he created was no deeper than he was tall.

The river filled the shape he’d carved out, and Theo reset the landscape once again. He dug the same shape again, only far deeper this time. Deep enough to hold the boats he hoped to create. He worked the channel toward the ocean and imagined a stone wall holding in the massive quantities of soil on either side. At some point, the Dreamwalk was smart enough to know there was a water table, and he hit it. But the harbor continued out to sea, with Theo creating stone walls with his mind and applying his potion to remove dirt. The sea rushed in, but he continued digging his channel out into the bay until it was deep enough for his vessels.

Theo stood back, looking over his work. There were problems to sort out, but he’d managed most of them. As long as he could remove the water from the river faster than it could accumulate, this plan would work. A massive surge from the ocean met the already resting river water, creating a brackish mix that spat sea-foam into the air. The alchemist looked over his new harbor and nodded, trotting over to the head of the structure. It would come almost all the way to the eastern gate, where the bridge used to be. In the Dreamwalk version of Broken Tusk, the bridge remained.

The system refused to allow him to expand the walls of Broken Tusk, but he could imagine it. An expansion east, perhaps a single expansion, would see the wall over the river. Instead of expanding all the way to the ocean, he could save money by creating his own harbor. A flash of pride raced through his body, content with the modification to the landscape. The only mystery left to the process was how the town’s seed core would bridge the wall over the river and harbor, but that wasn’t a problem for now. It had always been intelligent enough to understand the shift of terrain, automatically placing their gates in the best spot. He hoped for the best.

Tresk had suggestions for the harbor, highlighting weaknesses in the plan. Her concerns centered on Ziz’s ability to do the work, but she conceded the point. The stoneworkers would have time to practice on the bridge, and there was no shortage of stone for them to practice with.

“What’s your take on Fenian?” Tresk asked, sitting on a stump and observing the strange harbor. “He’s lying about something.”

“Little lies,” Theo said, waving her away. “Small things that don’t involve us. For example, he didn’t tell us about what ruins he was exploring. But clearly the guardian had to be dealt with, so bring it to us. We were just a simple solution. He knew we’d be happy to get the materials.”

“I can live with that,” Tresk said.

The marshling had a soft spot for anyone who had done a favor for her in the past. If it didn’t affect her directly, she had trouble relating to others. With time, the Tara’hek would give her more of a heart. She’d get more of Theo’s generosity—he hoped as much anyway. Or perhaps she was just growing as a pillar of Broken Tusk.

“What’s the deal with the flooding project, anyway?” Tresk asked.

“The idea is to dig a channel, so we don’t have to take the town to the sea,” Theo said, gesturing at the large swathe of earth he’d removed. “We bring the sea up to us.”

“How does that work?”

“Well, the landscape rises,” Theo said, making a motion with his hand to explain the point. “But if we dig at, or under, sea level, we can let the ocean rush in. No need to expand the town out. No need to get close to the Ocean Dungeon.”

“Yeah,” Tresk said, nodding. “Makes sense. Refresh my memory. Why do we care about boats?”

That was a decent enough question. Theo was pulled toward the idea of owning a merchant fleet since the idea first came to him. It would be costly, likely taking years to make money off of the idea. But that wasn’t the point. From what he understood, Qavell didn’t own a merchant fleet. They didn’t have a single vessel to their name, leaving the market wide open. Without competition, they could ferry exotic goods from one place to the other and make absurd profits for just operating the fleet.

“Trade,” Theo said, distilling the concept down for his companion. “We’ll move standard goods, but there’s the concept of bringing in scarce materials from places where they’re abundant.”

Tresk seemed to accept that answer. She nodded, motioning for him to take a seat next to her on a log. He did, and she pressed her head into his side. She wasn’t nearly tall enough to rest her head on his shoulder, even if that’s what she wanted to do.

“Ever feel like we’re getting in over our heads?” Tresk asked.

Theo paused for only a moment. “Have you ever questioned why you forged a Tara’hek with me?”

Tresk offered a small pause, running her tongue over her teeth. “Nah, I made the right pick.”

“Agreed. We’re where we need to be,” Theo said.

Theo felt the pull to get things done in the Dreamwalk, but this was nice. It wasn’t wasted time if the time they got was extra to begin with. They just sat there, watching the ebb and flow of the imagined ocean for hours. The sounds and smells were real enough to make the experience extremely pleasant. A tingle ran up the alchemist’s spine—a sense of belonging that he wouldn’t trade for the world. Every moment he spent in this place was worth the effort it took to keep things running. Nowhere he’d ever lived had felt as much like a home as Broken Tusk.

With the harbor problem sorted, Theo turned his attention back to alchemy. He assessed where his current cores and personal level were as he worked the stills and fiddled with constructs. His alchemy and herbalism cores were at the same level now, sitting at Level 14, while his personal level was at 13. That was enough to prove his idea that each core provided a third of the total experience pool wrong, but he focused on his Governance Core. It would hit Level 10 the moment they left the Dreamwalk—he could feel it. That, however, brought about another problem.

The skill list was endless, and the restricted list was equally daunting. When a core hit a multiple of 10, he was allowed to purchase a skill related only to that domain. Flicking through the menus, Theo found a few that stuck out. One gave a small reduction in taxes, so small to be useless. Another reduced the cost to upgrade with monster cores, but once again the bonus was small. The one skill that stuck out among the others was Districting.

[Districting]

Rare Governance Skill

Allows the user to create and manage districts within their town.

Effect:

Create and manage districts.

Districts will appear on all town-related maps.

Requires: Level 10 administration core.

The Governance Core was a class that provided a lot of bonuses up front. The crawl to a higher level would see less benefit than that initial burst, but Theo was happy to play the long game. Districting was interesting, if only because it mentioned managing districts. There was something about it that said it would improve something, but he couldn’t put his finger on it.

One thing Theo learned about making constructs was their nebulous nature. Without the skill, he was stabbing in the dark. Within the Dreamwalk and without the skill, he was flailing at phantoms. The alchemist could only build up so much knowledge without proper experimentation, but he tried anyway. Only when Tresk suggested the concept of Golems did his mood brighten. He filed that thought away, intent on exploiting that nugget of information later.

Morning finally came, and Theo sat upright immediately. His mind spun with the possibilities, but nothing would come of the revelation until he got the skill. Golems were enough of a myth back on Earth that he’d seen before. The small piece of information contained within Tresk’s suggestion related to the origin of the creatures. They were made of inanimate matter, powered by something. That was what made it click in his mind. He was working under the idea that he could create a pseudo seed core and grow a construct, embedding it with alchemical properties. After seeing the power source in the guardian, he had a solid direction.

“Golems, huh?” Tresk asked, belching. She ate Xam’s offering in moments, not even trying to savor the spicy flavor. The food was, as always, leftovers from last night. It was still hot, thanks to the power of the inventory.

Theo placed a few things on the table, clearing away Tresk’s plate to demonstrate. “A monster core to power the thing, surrounded in appropriate inanimate matter, then doused in essence to drive its nature.”

Tresk leaned in, smacking her lips. “The monster core tells it what material to use; the essence drives what it does. Gotcha.”

Tresk normally didn’t care about this kind of stuff. Not the way it functioned, anyway. She was always interested in using his potions, not so much the brewing part.

“Well, time to set districts,” Theo said, selecting the Districting skill and slotting it into his Governance Core. A sense of expansion filled his mind, then faded.

Theo opened his mayor’s interface and found that his map had changed. A panel opened up on the side, complete with tools to draw out new districts. There was a pen tool, a text tool, and even a fill tool. He chuckled and drew out his districts while he ate his breakfast.

“I can change the names at any time,” Theo said. “What should we name the quarry area?”

“Rocktown,” Tresk said, nodding resolutely.

Theo named the northern stretch of the town “Rocktown,” then moved on. There was a middle section between the area with the quarry and the farms, where most adventurers were housed. Tresk apparently knew he was going from the north to the south and spoke up before he had a chance to pose the question.

“Stabby Groves,” Tresk said.

Theo named the adventurer’s area “Stabby Groves.”

“Sea of Zee,” Tresk said, naming the farmer’s area before he could even think about it. And then it was so.

She named the area just north of town “Town Time” and the central area “Tuskburg” before moving on to the other sections of town. The small stretch of land between “Tuskburg” and the vacant hills she named “Cool Kids.” Those same hills, mostly absent of people, she named “The Dreadwastes.” The entire area surrounding the mines was simply called “Dead Dog.” Miana’s ranch area was called “Cheese Empire.” And finally, the section along the wall to the east she named “In Memory of a Very Angry Water Elemental.”

Theo laughed the whole way through. The other members of the town, especially those in command or administration positions, wouldn’t let the silly names stand. But for the time being, it was fun to play with the things the system provided. As if by heavenly command, Alise came stomping over to the table. She narrowed her eyes at the mayor and huffed a breath.

“Most of these names are fine,” she said, clearly consulting her administration interface. “But… ‘In Memory of a Very Angry Water Elemental’? That’s just… Theo, did you let Tresk name the districts?”

“Was it that obvious?” Theo asked, sipping his tea.

“We’ll need to change them,” Alise said.

Theo waved her off, producing the School Seed Core from his inventory. “Got you a present.”

Alise’s eyes glittered. She snatched the core up, mouth hung open, as she tried to form words. “I just hired a brogling!” she said, finally getting the words to come out. “The parents agreed to pay a weekly fee to have their children cared for. This is better!”

Theo groaned, but not because he hated broglings. He just didn’t like their names. “What’s his name?”

Alise had to consult her interface for that one. “Graplaptappin Tublubbin Grappin,” she said, stumbling through the words.

The last brogling Theo had met was named something similar. He just called the man “Grub.” This guy would also need a nickname. “Credentials?”

“Former researcher for a scholarly cult. Zaul, specifically,” Alise said. She finally saw this as a meeting and took a seat at the table.

The mention of Tresk’s patron had her attention. “Zaul? Oh, that’s cool. Real cool.”

“There he is!” Alise said, waving over to the tiny man.

Broglings only came up to Theo’s knee. They looked like puffed-up field mice, complete with a sweeping tail and short snout. Every time Theo saw one, their little whiskers were jostling as if they were constantly sniffing the air. The little man came over, doubling over as he bowed. He was wearing a clean black robe, and a chain hung from his neck. The amulet at the end of the chain held an image of the god Zaul.

“Graplaptappin Tublubbin Grappin at your service,” he said.

“Do you have a nickname?” Theo asked.

“None,” the brogling said.

“May I give you one?”

“By all means, Mayor,” he said, bowing once again.

“Bob,” Theo said. “You’re Bob, now.”

“Then Bob it shall be,” he said. “I’m eager to work with the children. I find most small towns don’t appreciate the importance of an education.”

“Have you seen many small towns?” Theo asked.

“Between here and Slagrot? Just about every small town there is,” Bob said, laughing. “All those small settlements between Rivers and Qavell, the plains outside the city, and those mountain holds between the territories. Then the fishing villages in Veosta, the hamlets in Tarantham. I’ve seen them all.”

That seemed to be a point of pride for Bob. He was well traveled, beyond any of Theo’s expectations, which would render another service. The alchemist needed reliable opinions about other nations, and an objective one for the Kingdom of Qavell. He withdrew a single gold coin from his inventory and flicked it over to the brogling, who caught it with surprising grace. A disciple of Zaul, indeed.

“If you wouldn’t mind binding yourself to a contract,” Theo said, dipping his head.

“I’d expect nothing less from someone looking to educate and protect the children of his town,” Bob said, bowing his head to meet Theo’s gesture.

The pair spent time writing the contract. It was extremely verbose, detailing all of Bob’s responsibilities with the children. Theo made sure to put a section in there regarding the teacher’s knowledge and his willingness to share with the town. Broken Tusk was willing to put aside whatever money he needed to better the lives of the children, to an extent.

“Not that I don’t trust your dedication,” Bob said, grinning. “When you come to a new town, look for the kids. Are they fat and happy? Playing in the fields? Or are they working the mines, starving? That’s a true test of a town’s worth.”

Theo swelled with pride at the comments. They finalized the contract, signing it with their souls. Bob took possession of the School Seed Core, and Theo carved him out a section of land in Town Time. Now he realized how absurd the names were.

Alise had some other business for Theo to attend to, so Tresk left for her daily adventure. The alchemist explained his plans about the harbor, which she thought was a great idea. He still needed to distribute the Stonemason’s Cores to Ziz and his men, but word got out that they were already planning on replacing the ruined bridge with a marble one.

“Right,” Theo said, smiling to his assistant. “I’ll pass these cores out. Make sure Bob has everything he needs.”

Alise looked sheepish for a moment, casting her eyes away from Theo’s as though she had something to say. She finally found the courage to say, “Can I change the district names?”

“Keep the themes,” Theo said, nodding at her. “But yeah, change them.”

Chapter Seventeen

Theo found Ziz and his men hauling blocks from their quarry, down to the river. He watched with amusement, waiting for the group to detect his presence. Only after the men cursed and kicked at the absurdly heavy blocks did they notice him.

“An inventory!” one shouted.

“Theo!” Ziz said, huffing to regain his breath. “Mind giving us a hand?”

“More than you know,” Theo said, producing five Stonemason’s Cores from his inventory.

Ziz’s eyes lit up, letting his hands drift over the cores. “We were gonna do it by hand.”

“Paid for by Fenian,” Theo said with a nod. “Since he destroyed the bridge.”

“Since he destroyed the bridge,” a laborer said, letting out a heavy sigh. “So, you helping?”

Theo nodded, taking the existing blocks into his inventory. To the worker’s credit, they got it most of the way down toward Miana’s ranch. He didn’t know how they planned to get it the rest of the way, but it didn’t matter. The group went back to the quarry and loaded up the alchemist’s inventory with blocks. They walked down to the river with ease, everyone joking about how long it would have taken them to do this by hand. Even with their high Strength, the blocks were absurdly heavy.

The bridge was ruined, barely a post or two left after the guardian’s rampage. Theo could see the body of the guardian from here, trusting that Alise would organize everyone to dismantle it. If she didn’t, Throk would take up the mantle and dig out all the artificing materials.

Ziz and his workers inserted their cores, which told Theo something. Ziz was Level 10, and the others either had an empty core slot or were also at Level 10. Even without levels and experience, the cores themselves would give the men at least basic skills for stonemasonry. It would be enough to make a crude bridge, but the stoneworkers had been nothing but perfectionists. They met challenges with a stubborn determination that the alchemist always appreciated. It reminded him of himself.

A laborer removed a book from a satchel at his side. “Knew this would come in handy,” he said, holding the pages up for Theo to see.

It was written in the standard language of Qavell, the Qavelli script, and detailed bridge-making methods. It specifically related to the use of stone to make bridges, which was perfect. While it was nice that they were prepared for such an event, Theo wanted to pick Ziz’s brain about his plan for a harbor. The stoneworker ordered his men to get a plan together while the pair headed down the river. Theo explained his plan.

“Once we understand how to put blocks together, it should be a breeze,” Ziz said, letting out a startled sound.

Someone dropped from the nearby treeline and rushed them, stopping only feet away. He was coiled in pale orange energy, but once the field of power dispersed, Theo saw it was only Luras. He had a serious look on his face, leveling his gaze over the alchemist.

“Tresk would kill you,” he said, growling the words.

“I have an escape plan now,” Theo said.

“Does that plan involve killing Ziz as you retreat?” Luras asked flatly.

Ziz looked fearfully at the alchemist, still clutching his chest from Luras’s sudden appearance.

“Point taken,” Theo said, gesturing down the river. “Could I hire your services for a few hours?”

Luras softened, a smile spreading across his face. Since he took the patron of the Ogres as his deity, he’d become harder. More of a weapon. But he was still the same old hunter that Theo met at the start of the season. “Naturally,” he said, nocking an arrow and nodding.

“The river is nothing compared to the ocean,” Theo said. This was the first time he’d been here in his physical form. It felt strange. “We’ll dig from the riverside out, creating the full channel. Then we need to drain the water that the river dumps.”

“Why not divert the river?” Luras asked.

“That might work,” Theo said, gesturing to the other side of the river. The beach leading out into the bay was wide enough to accomplish the task. “My only concern is filling it up afterward. My potion eats stone and earth. It won’t deposit it elsewhere. An earth mage is too expensive or unreliable.”

Theo explained all the things he saw wrong with his plan, as well as the positive points. Both Luras and Ziz agreed it was best to bring the harbor to the town, cutting out a massive rectangle that allowed boats to come right into town. They both seemed to think the seed core of the town was smart enough to adjust the walls to allow something like that to happen. When they approached the ocean, the alchemist spotted his next problem.

“Ah, there’s a hitch,” Theo said.

A group of Fald, a strange mix between a man and a turtle, stood on the shores of the beach. They were undoubtedly remnants of the last monster wave, milling around without a target. The Ocean Dungeon was too far from the town for the waves to attack directly, forcing them to hold in the ocean and the beach forever. During the last wave, each dungeon was shuffled and forced to attack Broken Tusk. Theo hoped that meant all the monsters would die, but that wasn’t the case.

“You’ll need to protect the mouth of your harbor,” Luras said, narrowing his eyes. “There’s more in the water.”

“Another roadblock,” Theo said, rubbing his chin. The Ocean Dungeon was directly in their path out to the bay.

“Do you think so?” Ziz asked, tapping his foot on the wet bank of the river. Theo could see the gears turning in the half-ogre’s head. “I see it as free defense.”

Luras raised a brow at that comment.

“Think about it,” Ziz said. “If others don’t know about the monsters, they’ll get swarmed.”

“I’d feel better if we had towers over here,” Luras said. “Seems like a risk to any boat we send to sea.”

“Would you mind setting a contract for the Fald?” Theo asked, turning to Luras. The half-ogre nodded. “We’ll worry about their viability as weapons later. For now, keep the beach clear and make sure we have a few adventurers covering Ziz and his workers when they’re away from the walls.”

“We appreciate that,” Ziz said.

“Who is funding those contracts?” Luras asked.

Theo was just impressed that his companion had the good sense to think about that. The town’s finances were split between the adventurer’s guild and the town itself. He didn’t care which pool they drew from, as they often shared the cost of defense.

“Whichever,” Theo said. “Talk with Alise if you need funding. She’ll take care of it.”

“She always does,” Luras said, laughing. His eyes went hazy for a moment.

Luras had access to the command structure’s tactical maps, which also allowed him to assign adventurers remotely. This feature had been valuable during the last siege, allowing them to move people around as they were needed.

“Three adventurers,” Luras said, nodding. “They scooped up the order as soon as I placed it. Your guys should be safe, Ziz.”

“Always appreciated,” Ziz said.

Theo was satisfied enough with the way things were and headed back with the group. When the trio of adventurers arrived, Luras ensured everyone knew their jobs before he left to patrol the exterior of the wall near the ruined bridge. The half-ogre Captain of the Guard joined the alchemist as he made his way back to the Newt and Demon. They had had little chance to catch up lately.

“How is the new core?” Theo asked.

“Hard to fight Baelthar’s rage sometimes,” Luras grunted.

“You need to balance it out,” Theo said. “Find another aligned core that competes with him.”

Luras eyed him for a moment before they entered the Newt and Demon. When they passed by Azrug, entering the lab upstairs, he had more to say. “How about you? Drogramath can’t be easy to fight. Unless you’ve gone full demon mode.”

“He’s a useful tool,” Theo said. “No, there’s something else. The Tara’hek Core. It’s strange. Hard to explain. Imagine the border between two factions, fighting back and forth. The Tara’hek keeps Drogramath at bay.”

Luras grunted a response, playing idly with some alchemy equipment. The look he had on his face was of a man struggling with the concept. Theo’s intuition and instincts said he was doing the right thing, but few had access to the Tara’hek. The alchemist withdrew the Mycology Cave Seed Core from his inventory and held it up for Luras to see.

“A new seed core,” Luras said, snapping out of his contemplative mood. “For mushrooms, I suppose.”

Theo nodded, rolling the metal ball in his hand. He couldn’t imagine what Fenian’s plan for the seed core was, or rather the potions it would produce. Even with his intuition, it was hard to predict the moves of the trader. Again, it was easier to accept gifts and put them to use than to worry about the details. Those were problems for the lands outside of Broken Tusk.

“Give me your honest opinion on the harbor,” Theo said. He found a sense of comfort from the warm, earthy energy the seed core put off.

“We’ll command the only navy this side of the continent,” Luras said, shrugging at the question. “As long as you don’t count those paddle-driven crafts the lizardfolk use on the islands.”

Canoes hardly counted as merchant vessels. Theo’s mind was still locked on the concept of trading overseas, particularly with the Khahari. The option to trade with Veosta would be sealed off until they settled their dispute with Qavell. Most of what he’d heard about the conflict centered around border disputes, which seemed silly. The two kingdoms were separated by a spine of impassable mountains. Unless Qavell wanted to push further into their enemy’s lands, they would have to be content with what they had. But a greedy mind always saw what others had, thinking it should be theirs.

“How long is the Veostian conflict going to last?” Theo asked, sighing. “Not sure if we can handle another increase in taxes.”

“It won’t end well,” Luras said. He had a darker look on his face than before. Contemplation was replaced with something close to fear. “Makes you wonder what the king has in mind.”

A king Theo knew almost nothing about. He removed his communication crystal, the one connected with the capital, and tried it again. The haptic ringing in his mind was uncomfortable, but once again it bore no fruit. They were happy enough to collect his taxes while ignoring his communication.

“I wanted to get ahead of it,” Theo said, crossing the room and assessing the contents of his storage crates. He always felt better when he was organizing things, even if he didn’t like doing it. “We already showed Rivers and Daub that Broken Tusk is a force. At first, I wanted as much defense for the city because of the monster waves. But now? Now I’m wondering what happens when Qavell falls.”

Luras picked up on what Theo was suggesting startlingly fast. “An alliance with Rivers? It could work.”

“A defensive alliance,” Theo said. “A military move that works for both of us.”

“Because if something comes from the north, they’re the first line of defense,” Luras said. “Smart thinking. What does Aarok think?”

“I haven’t asked him,” Theo said. “We only have a trade relationship with Rivers, and I don’t know how they’ll react. I just want to be ready to jump on it if the time comes.”

Theo’s Drogramath cores whispered that it wasn’t a matter of if the time came. It was a matter of when. It was all the more reason to prepare their harbor. That would give them a straight shot to the sea and represent a lifeline of trade if anything happened in the north. Broken Tusk was positioned perfectly to become a small hermit kingdom, conducting all business from behind the safety of their walls. The alchemist had no interest in taking a crown, but there was more than one way to run a government.

“The concept expands out,” Luras said. “Qavell falls, or changes. We get annexed by someone else, or we have to strike out on our own. The town no longer gets support from the north, and we have to make an alliance. Better to make it from better footing, right?”

“Right. Better footing,” Theo said. “Being proactive has worked so far, so there’s no reason to stop. This town will function as if the world will collapse tomorrow. That way, we’ll be ready if it does.”

Luras didn’t have a response for that.

“I’m going to plant my seed core,” Theo said, holding up the orb of living material.

“All the best,” Luras said, still pensive.

Theo left the lab. He prided himself on his tenacity, but he was also very good at pushing things out of his mind. By the time he reached the back of his building, where he planned to place the new Mycology Cave, those worries had melted away. By his estimation, Fenian provided enough monster cores to get the building up to Level 20, perhaps higher. The alchemist owned a large swathe of land between his building and the eastern walls, so he selected a spot right next to his greenhouse, off what was left of the gravel yard.

It took very few monster cores to get the cave started. Theo planted the seed core in the ground, watching as roots sprung up to form the vague shape of a tiny building, then fed his cores. Roots wrapped around themselves, forming something similar to the entrance of a mine. Those wooden roots gave way to stone, sloping down into the earth, with a wooden door frame providing an entrance. The alchemist descended into the building and spotted four rows of planters. They weren’t raised from the stone floor but set down in them. It was very similar to the greenhouse, just underground. He exited the building, not wanting to experience the sudden shift in size as he fed it cores.

Theo set a name on the building, then examined it.

[Mycology Cave]

[Shortcut to Mushrooms]

Owners: Belgar (Theo Spencer)

Faction: Broken Tusk

Level: 1 (0%)

It was plain, which new buildings always were. Each multiple of five would offer him a new potential upgrade. Some upgrades seemed to align with gods. Theo fed cores to the building and inspected the upgrade options, only concerning himself with the clear winner.

[Spontaneous Spores]

There’s a chance that your mushrooms will spontaneously spawn more mushrooms within the growing beds.

The Level 10 upgrade was a similar situation. Theo didn’t know how he was going to plant the truffles in the mushroom cave, but this new upgrade gave him the option.

[Deep Beds]

Specialize your Mycology Cave for all species of truffles. Your growing beds are now deep enough to grow truffles, and all truffle variations will grow at an increased rate than in the wild.

Some buildings had upgrades that made them more of a specialized place. Theo’s alchemy lab was dedicated to Drogramath, which would have been a useless option for other alchemists. He wasn’t sure if that was an upgrade only he could get. The two options he’d selected for the Mycology Cave would help tremendously, and he still had at least two more upgrades to purchase. Spontaneous Spores made up for his lack of knowledge on propagating mushrooms, and Deep Beds allowed him to grow his target mushroom.

Theo fed the building more cores, watching in amusement as it grew. The ground shook, but the building didn’t increase in size. Only the area underground grew. He selected the next, most logical option.

[Drogramath Empowerment]

Latent energy, aligned with Drogramath, will be drawn from the air to enhance your mushrooms. Energy density affects growth rate, cultivation yield, and nutrient usage.

The Level 15 option he selected was one he’d selected for his greenhouse. The way it affected the greenhouse was simple. It affected everything. Growth rate, cultivation rate, nutrient density—that skill did it all. And with Drogramath’s energy so thick in the air, he’d be a fool not to take it. Theo realized that the cave was throwing him copies of skills he got for the greenhouse. When he hit Level 20, he selected another valuable copy.

[Rapid Growth]

Consume latent energy to increase the speed that plants grow within the mushroom cave.

He was out of the cores that Fenian gave him, but if the cave followed the same pattern as the greenhouse, the next upgrade was necessary. Theo fed his personal stock of monster cores into the building. As expected, he found the skill he absolutely needed if he wanted to make crazy potions for Fenian.

[Untamed Cultivation]

Increasing the ceiling for how high a mushroom can be cultivated to 200%.

That was a surefire way to make sure the end result of his truffle cultivation would produce powerful potions. Theo inspected the building one last time.

[Mycology Cave]

[Shortcut to Mushrooms]

Owners: Belgar (Theo Spencer)

Faction: Broken Tusk

Level: 25 (21%)

Expansions:

[Spontaneous Spores]

[Deep Beds]

[Drogramath Empowerment]

[Rapid Growth]

[Untamed Cultivation]

Theo only had a vague idea on how to propagate mushrooms. He understood they had spores, but that’s where his knowledge stopped. Fenian left him with a book, which the alchemist didn’t need to crack open to understand what was inside. The cover had a picture of mushrooms, claiming to be Care for Lowland Mushrooms. He found a nearby stump and sat down, cracking open the book and absorbing the information inside. After only thirty minutes of research, he found everything he needed—a section on truffle propagation. He snapped it shut and stood from the stump.

“Right,” Theo said. “Time to make some mushrooms.”

Chapter Eighteen

Theo was certain the information provided by the book was not accurate to how things worked on Earth. The Swamp Truffles worked much like the Spiny Swamp Thistle Root for propagation. There might have been some spores involved, but the way the book described it was like growing a plant from a tuber. Truffles weren’t the easiest mushrooms to access, either. They buried themselves deep in the semi-wet soil, typically near the space between the Newt and Demon and the eastern wall. But he only needed one sample to start the cultivation process.

When working with alchemy to speed up the growth of plants, Theo had discovered a problem. Using an undiluted Lesser Potion of Growth caused them to become monsterized. That might have been useful in a different context, but it wouldn’t work for plant cultivation. Instead, he applied the [Aerosolize] modifier to the potion, diluting its effectiveness just enough to kick off the cultivation process. After that, he just needed to let the plants grow and keep back the best samples for further growing.

“They started the cleanup,” Tresk said, speaking into Theo’s mind.

She must have been talking about the guardian outside of the gates. Theo had spotted Fenian’s carriage near the ranch, so he was still in town. Whatever he forgot to buy would be remembered before the elf left town.

“Any news on the metal?” Theo asked.

“They’re still trying to figure out how to cut it away,” Tresk said. “Oh well. I took a job to check out the Ocean Dungeon. I pilfered your potion stores.”

“Sounds good.”

Tresk often stole his potions, but she was frugal enough to understand which potions were off-limits. Theo guessed she took some Potions of Wake, which would allow her to brave the depths of the sea without worrying. It allowed the user to hold their breath longer and swim better against currents. Until they had a solid plan to keep the dungeon at bay, this would be the best way to handle it. The alchemist made a note in his mind to brew more of those potions, experimenting with modifiers to find the best kind. Adventurers would be more likely to brave that dungeon if they had such support.

The one bright spot of the entire problem was that the Fald, the monsters that spawned around the water-based dungeons, dropped the reagent required to make the potion.

Theo dusted his hands off, having applied his growth potion to a truffle. He inspected his first cultivated mushroom before burying it.

[Swamp Truffle]

[Alchemy Ingredient] [Food] [Cultivated]

Epic

These extremely rare truffles, found typically in swamplands, are prized for their flavor and properties.

Cultivation:

10%

Unit by volume:

6

Properties:

[Experience Boost] [Hallowed Ground] [???]

This was the best approach he’d found to cultivate, although he understood there might be a better way.

Theo made his way to his greenhouse, sorting out those plants for the day. Aside from his daily tasks of distilling as much of his cultivated plants as he could, the alchemist wanted to focus on leveling his Governance Core. His alchemy and herbalism cores would roll over to 15 at any moment, leaving him at a bottleneck. His mind itched to get to work on constructs, both his intuition and cores urging him forward on that front. Alchemy was a craft that supported others. Every potion he made was a way to make the lives of others better, and the concept of constructs was no different.

With that in mind, he dusted off his silken robes and straightened his feathered hat, heading upstairs to set his stills to work on his cultivated Spiny Swamp Thistle Root. He dusted himself again once the stills were running, heading downstairs to ask Azrug how he looked for the day. Fenian was with him, discussing business.

“Like a plucked Pozwa,” Azrug said.

“Do you know how close your shopkeeper is to getting his third core?” Fenian asked.

“Hopefully very close,” Theo said. “Can’t wait to have a loremaster.”

“Did I tell you that?” Azrug said, huffing. “I don’t remember telling you that.”

“This is the obvious choice,” Fenian said. “My first pick for him was an Enchanter class. Well, you have one of those now. Also, do you know how rich this young man is?”

Azrug’s ochre skin turned a little more red around his cheeks. “Not my money,” he mumbled.

“I never check the balance in the shop,” Theo said. “He can’t have made that much money, could he?”

“About 200 gold,” Fenian said, puffing his chest. The elf thought of himself as Azrug’s mentor, so there was some pride in his words. “In coin. Not merchandise.”

Azrug had been buying gear from the adventurers, intending to get it identified by a loremaster, then selling them to traveling merchants. What he ended up with was an endless supply of equipment and adventurers hungry for a piece of gear that was just right for them. The shopkeeper’s stock and Theo’s deal with Fenian did not intersect—they were discrete things. While he was no master merchant, the alchemist planned to help the young half-ogre learn about trade.

“Turns out, I don’t know a thing about trade,” Theo said, shrugging. He felt a sudden need to amend his deal with Azrug. “We should renegotiate your salary.”

“Agreed,” Azrug said.

Fenian laughed.

Theo waved any idea of complex negotiations away. He hated negotiations. “Just take what you need. Keep as much in reserve as you think you need. Use the rest for yourself.”

“That might be too generous,” Fenian said.

“He made the money,” Theo said. “If the kid can turn 5 silver into 200 gold, I don’t want to stop him.”

“Work out something more formal,” Fenian said, nudging Theo in the ribs with his elbow.

Theo let out a sigh but drew himself up. Azrug was a citizen of Broken Tusk, which meant if he worked with him and created a contract, the alchemist would gain a lot of experience. He wasn’t married to the gold made in the shop. It was the one place people could buy things in town, but it had a fatal flaw. He knew one day the young man would leave his employment, buying a general store and running that. The shop had always been a place to distribute potions to the townsfolk for cheap, but it would never gain the benefits of a real seed core building dedicated to trade.

He drew up a loose contract that gave Azrug half of everything he made. In Theo’s mind, that was cruel, but he’d put the money into the town. The shopkeeper was doing all the work—and was damn good at it—but he put a clause related to the boy leaving the shop for another job.

“You can’t hold onto him forever,” Fenian said, grinning.

“Yeah, but I can make sure he hires a replacement before he goes,” Theo said. Azrug signed the contract eagerly.

“You’ve given him wings,” Fenian said, leaning in. “Let him fly.”

Theo pushed him back, nodding. The elf was being too weird today, and he wasn’t interested in dealing with it.

“You’ll have a shop of your own,” Theo said. “Whenever you want, I imagine. Ah, hell. What’s the point?”

Theo went into his mayor screen, finding the section that assigned citizens titles. He created a new group for merchants. There was only one requirement, made by the system, that kept a townsperson from gaining a lord title. Azrug owned the seed core house he shared with Xam, allowing the alchemist to grant him the title of Lord Merchant. The shopkeeper’s eyes went wide.

“I present to you,” Theo said, gesturing with as much flair as he could manage, “Lord Merchant Azrug Slug.”

Fenian bowed, removing his hat and swiping it through the air as he bent over, his nose almost touching the ground. “Long live the Lord Merchant.”

It was almost too much for a young man, only sixteen years old, to handle. Tears formed in the corners of his eyes, but he grinned through them. When Theo and Feniand didn’t release their poses, he said, “That’s enough.”

“The second you form a guild,” Theo said, jabbing a finger in Azrug’s direction. “I’m banishing you to the mine.”

“I won’t,” Azrug said, nodding eagerly.

“Right. That didn’t end well for the Mercantile Chairs in Qavell,” Fenian said, throwing his head back and cackling. “I heard that the last chairman with a head fled the city! Imagine that.”

“Yeah, I bet you heard that,” Theo said, narrowing his eyes at the trader.

“More like saw,” Azrug muttered.

“I have no idea what either of you are talking about,” Fenian said. “I’m just a simple trader. That’s all.”

Once the conversation died down, Theo watched the system notifications roll in. As expected, that gave him enough administration experience to fill half a level in his Governance Core. He left Azrug and Fenian to talk as he checked his stills upstairs, adjusting the temperature on them and ensuring they were heading to his storage tanks within the lab. When he returned downstairs, he found Alise chatting. Money exchanged hands, and she held something up for him to see.

“Town hall!” she shouted, jumping up and down. “The migrants have been confused about meeting in the Adventurer Guildhall.”

There was the thing Theo forgot to buy. He was so focused on getting his expensive harbor that he didn’t think about a central place for his administration workforce. He patted her on the shoulder and smiled.

“Oh, Azrug,” Theo said, turning to his shopkeeper. “Pay Fenian 100 gold. I owe him.”

The shopkeeper’s shoulders slumped. Theo and Alise left the building, scouting out a place for the town hall.

The center of town held many buildings and roads heading in every cardinal direction. Down the road to the west, there was the guildhall and the sawmill. Xam’s tavern sat on the corner of the northern road and the eastern road, while Throk’s blacksmith sat on the corner of the southern road and the eastern road. That left the corner of the southern road and the western road open for the new building.

“He said it’d be big,” Alise said, “but I drained the town’s treasury to make sure we could upgrade it.”

Most large buildings required a lot of monster cores to get them going. Theo remembered a time when Aarok’s guildhall sat unfinished for at least a week, adventurers scrambling to shove cores in as fast as they could. But there was no way around it, and this was the perfect spot.

Theo carved out a section of land in the mayor’s interface, paying the fee to assign the plot back to the town. The system was weird like that. Technically, Qavell owned all the land. When they wanted to buy land, they had to pay the crown. Even then, they didn’t own the land. It was more like renting, which always struck the alchemist as unfair. Alise planted the seed core, and the pair of them began shoving monster cores in. Roots sprung up, creating a larger building the more cores they inserted. By the time it was done consuming the cores, it was slightly larger than the adventurer’s guildhall.

The new town hall was massive, but it fit the style of town. Buildings were normally stone construction or wood-paneled walls with smart, colored roofs. Where the other buildings in town had a natural wood color, this one came painted white. It looked like a mansion. Two floors, the second one ending in a purple, slatted roof, with massive pillars that held an awning over the entrance. When Theo and Alise entered the building, they were both speechless. The interior was much like the adventurer’s guildhall, with a massive open space after the entrance. It was filled with tables and chairs, a large fireplace burning on the opposite side of the room. The floor was hardwood slats, polished and treated by the magic of the building.

Alise darted to the far side of the room, falling into a purple, plush armchair and letting out a heavy sigh. Theo followed, spotting hallways that led from the main foyer off into individual offices and meeting places. The second floor looked similar, with a platform and well-polished banister that gave a great view of the bottom floor. The alchemist joined his assistant in an identical armchair.

“This is nice,” he said, looking over the building. The warm fire crackled, washing over him with a wave of comforting warmth.

“Very nice,” she said, letting out a heavy sigh.

They sat in silence for quite some time. Theo even ignored the notifications concerning experience for his Governance Core.

“Lady Administrator Alise Plumm,” Theo said, trailing off. He noticed how deeply he’d sunken into the armchair, straightening his posture and staring into the flames. “I think this might be too much room for just the two of us.”

“Far too much,” she said, waving him off. “It’s more about the message the building sends.”

Theo agreed with that. “How are our migration numbers?”

“Rising,” Alise said, going glassy-eyed. She was accessing her version of the mayor’s screen. “When I started, we had about two a week. This week, we’ve had 30.”

“How concerned are we about food and housing?” Theo asked.

“We aren’t,” she said, turning to flash her bright smile at him. “I’ve had a word with Banu at the farm. Since you made their Zee bigger, they’ve had a surplus. I gave orders to stockpile Zee flour. Aarok has the adventurers butchering every butcherable creature they kill, so there’s another stockpile.”

“And we sell it to Xam?” Theo asked.

“That’s a different agreement,” Alise said, waving him off as though he should know the fact. He should have, of course. “Effectively, we’ve changed the agreement with her. It boils down to her getting ingredients for free. Then she pays us back in the future.”

“Food on loan,” Theo said. “How about Miana’s operation?”

Alise shrugged. “She gives me everything she makes, then I distribute it. You own the ranch.”

“You’re paying her, right?”

“I am.”

“Get with Azrug,” Theo said, withdrawing a fire poker from the side of the fireplace and prodding the logs. He didn’t know if this fire was magical or not, but the action was fun. “And hire more administrators. You’re too busy.”

“I’m glad you noticed,” Alise replied, grinning. “I already hired a few people.”

“Of course you have.” Theo reclined back into his chair. “Are we making a good command structure here?”

“An excellent one,” Alise said. “You’re at the top, so you make all the big decisions. I’m on the same level as Aarok. Well, now Azrug as well. Aarok deals with anything related to the military. I deal with everything related to administration. Azrug deals with everything related to trade. So, just like Aarok has Luras under him, I have my little team of administrators.”

“I like it,” Theo said. “You’re distributing the workers, right?”

“I am,” Alise said. “Most new migrants fit into a laborer role. But… ugh.” She paused for a moment. “Stabby Grove has been growing lately.”

Theo barked a laugh. “I thought you were going to change that name!”

“The adventurers refused. They like it,” Alise said, frowning. “Well. We hit 100 citizens today.”

Theo didn’t know if he had the funds to upgrade the town to the next level.

“What comes after Large Town?” Theo asked.

“No idea, but we should do it,” Alise said. “But, we’re currently broke.”

“We could borrow money from Aarok,” Theo said.

“I’d prefer if we made it ourselves,” Alise said.

Theo inspected the town with a thought.

[Large Town]

Name: Broken Tusk

Owner: Kingdom of Qavell

Mayor: Theo Spencer

Faction: Qavell

Level: 18 (22.12%)

Core Buildings:

Alchemy Lab

Blacksmith

Greenhouse

Mycology Cave

Large Farm

Windmill

Quarry

Stonecutter

House (x63)

Tannery

Tavern

Adventurer’s Guild

Hotsprings

Sawmill

Mine

Smelter

Enchanter

Ranch

Town Hall

Defensive Emplacements:

Chain Lightning (x9)

Frost Cone (x4)

Fireball (x7)

Firebolt (x20)

Upgrades:

[Stone Walls and Gates]

[Stone Roads]

[Turret Emplacements]

Effects:

[Troll Slaying]

[Coordinated Fire]

Current Resources:

Timber: 10,583

Stone Blocks: 4,290

Metal: 6,002

Motes: 382

The adventurers must have been shoving cores into the town. He left it at Level 15 after getting it to large town status. Theo only had to hope there was something worthwhile for the Level 20 upgrade, as the others were not great. The current, unselected upgrades were Watchtowers and Water Tower. If something nice didn’t show up, he’d pick Watchtowers and hope they’d provide something that synergized with his other upgrades.

Upgrading the town was a long-term goal. Theo had plans for the immediate future that needed doing.

“What’s your take on the harbor?” Theo asked.

“The harbor is a great idea. I’ve heard people talking about it. You’re going to bring the ocean to the town,” Alise said. “But there’s a lot of work to be done with that. We need someone to build the boats, then someone to pilot them. Then we need to scout out trade locations. That might take a while.”

“I wonder if Zarali can enchant the boats,” Theo said, sinking further into the chair. It was just too comfortable. “Maybe make them go faster. Make them less likely to take damage and sink.”

“Are you planning on importing the cloth for the sails?” Alise asked.

Theo withdrew the Weaver’s Seed Core from his inventory, holding it for her to see. “We’re gonna grow our own.”

“Might need to expand the farm,” Alise said.

Theo grunted a response, falling into his thoughts. The problem with the farm was that they were out of room. Now that was a problem for another day. He rose from his chair, happy to see his Governance Core level up to 11. He then headed for the door.

“I really don’t want to hire an earth mage.”

Chapter Nineteen

Theo returned to his lab, dodging the crowd that formed to marvel at the new town hall. He had a sense that his stills were done cooking, and his reserve tanks were full of Refined Healing Essence. In his mind, he always considered a good batch to have at least 1,000 units of any essence. With the expansion of his garden, he could make one full batch and half of another with a different reagent. While he considered which plant was the most valuable to cultivate, excluding the small patch of Mage’s Bane in the corner of his greenhouse, he inspected a few leftover ingredients.

Monsters often had parts that could be used for alchemy. Fades had their carapaces, Falds had their eyeballs, and so on. But there were a few ingredients that seemed completely useless on the surface. Ogre Snapper Spleens provided the [Poison] property, but there were easier ways to get that one. Theo laid out a bottle of Troll Blood and a pile of Goblin Tongue. He’d already explored everything possible with the blood, but he considered the tongues for a moment, inspecting the item.

[Goblin Tongue]

[Alchemy Ingredient]

Common

The tongue of a goblin. It’s disgusting.

Properties:

[Insatiable Hunger] [???] [???]

[Insatiable Hunger] didn’t seem like a useful property. Aside from its use as a modifier. And there was no way he was going to take a bite out of the short, slimy thing to discover a new property. Even after having a single session with Xol’sa, he was confident enough that he could decompose reagents without exploding himself, but Zarali still hadn’t told him how to discover properties without eating them. Theo took a tongue over to his shrine, making an offering with no effect. He cut the tongue open, probing at the insides and learning nothing. With a heavy sigh, he sat down near the window and considered his options.

Zarali wanted him to take Reagent Deconstruction for his Level 15 skill, but he wouldn’t. Alchemy Constructs was too tempting. As he’d practiced in the Dreamwalk, Theo pulled mana from his Drogramath Alchemy Core and let it dance in his palm. That was where the mana was, he’d learned—resting in a physical location in his chest, spread over his cores that could handle mana. In his mind’s eye, he could see two purple stars glowing, flames bursting out and licking his insides. The mana in his hand was like burning water, glittering with the power of Drogramath.

It obeyed his commands as though it were an extension of him, but that came with practice. This was a wild energy that wanted to join the power of Drogramath in the air. Willpower was the only thing that battered it into a usable shape, but still it pulled against his consciousness. Theo tipped his hand, letting the liquid flow over the Goblin Tongue. It consumed the reagent in purple flames, flaring up and fading out in an instant. The only thing remaining was a pile of unusable ash.

Theo took mental notes on how the sensation felt, withdrawing more tongues and cleaning his stills out. If he couldn’t discover the second property, he could at least figure out what kind of potion the first one made. He started a small, 100-unit batch for testing. Anything less than that risked burning the mash, which would cause a low-quality potion. The alchemist waited by the window, whittling the time away by practicing with his mana in the real world and prodding at his constructs.

His problem with constructs was worse than reagent deconstruction. Theo had alchemically treated a copper cage, scooped mud from the swamp, rolled a monster core from a Marsh Wolf in that mud, and inserted it into the construct. Nothing happened, but he felt a twinge in his mind as though he were on the right track. Shoving a Reveal Construct into the mix caused his chest to swell with intuition. It worked. It should have worked, but nothing happened. The last piece of the puzzle was the skill.

Theo’s personal level was on the verge of tipping to 14. He’d put one last point into Intelligence, then grind for the remaining experience to hit 15 in both his Drogramath cores. His Tara’hek Core was at 16. That core always needed to be higher than both his Drogramath cores, unless he wanted to give in to the Demon God completely. The afternoon was winding down, and someone came knocking on his door. He didn’t even hear the bell jingle downstairs.

“I felt a flash of Drogramath’s power,” Zarali said, smiling. She always wore a soft smile when she talked about her patron.

“I’m almost there,” Theo said, nodding to the stack of Goblin Tongues on his table.

“Disgusting. I never explained these to you,” Zarali said, crossing the room and running her fingers along the fermentation barrels. The script of Drogramathi was scrawled all over them, but he still didn’t know how they functioned.

“If you wouldn’t mind,” Theo said, gesturing to the barrels. “I’ve been too busy to figure it out on my own.”

“They require power,” Zarali said. “Do you see this series of enchantments?”

Theo saw them and could read them, but they were nonsense. Drogramathi magic usually came as flowery poetry the alchemist had no interest in understanding.

“I see them,” Theo said flatly.

“Siphon Power,” Zarali said, tapping the runes. “Then Distribute Power.” She gestured to another series of runes. “And then all the other enchantments are powered. Crafting Speed, Crafting Effectiveness.”

“I need one of those power-grabbers like in your building,” Theo said.

“Power-grabbers,” Zarali said, nodding sage-like. “That’s what you need.”

Of course, Zarali had one of those devices on her. With great effort, she set it on the table and patted the top as though it were her favorite pet. Theo inspected the device.

[Power Siphon]

[Specialty Artifice]

Epic

Created by [???]

Converts raw power into usable mana. Depending on the density of power in an area, the rate that mana is accumulated varies.

The description provided by the system was simple enough to understand. Theo already knew that Drogramath’s power soaked the air in Broken Tusk, and it seemed like a waste not to use it. His mind spun at the possibilities, not only for his mint but for other uses. But the possibilities answered themselves through logic. Coins were the standard way to store mana, so that’s how he’d have to do it. Still, it wouldn’t hurt to press Zarali on a few issues.

“What storage mediums are there for raw mana?” Theo asked.

“Coins are the easiest,” Zarali said. “Don’t think I didn’t see you snag the Power Core from that elven guardian. That’s another way to do it.”

Theo still had the Power Core in his inventory. But that wasn’t storing mana—it was storing raw power. “You’re mistaken,” he said, withdrawing the large Power Core from his inventory. “This only stores power, not mana.”

“My mistake,” Zarali said, running her fingers over the device. “I’ve never seen one.”

“Is this a product of an alchemist or an artificer?” Theo asked.

“Both, I think,” Zarali said, stepping back from the core.

Theo smiled. “I was right. There are other powerful alchemists out there.”

“Not here,” Zarali said, waving his statement away. “Certainly not in Qavell. This is a product of Tarantham.”

The elves were mysterious, and Theo knew little about Tarantham. But a theory had stuck in his mind for a few days, ever since Fenian arrived with the guardian. There were powerful alchemists over there, people who put the alchemists in Qavell to shame. The Kingdom of Qavell seemed like a child in comparison. This land already had its end of days. They had only rebuilt recently, rising from the ashes of destruction to join the wider world. Only they hadn’t rejoined it in full—they remained two hermit kingdoms and one destroyed landmass.

“About Reagent Deconstruction,” Theo said. “Do I need the skill to do it?”

“Certainly not, brother,” Zarali said. “But you’ll train for years before you figure that out on your own. That’s what skills do, after all. They bridge the gap of knowledge, thrusting you forward years at a time.”

“Fair enough,” Theo said, swiveling his head when the timer on his still clicked. It was done running. “Speaking of, I have this reagent that’s useless. Goblin Tongues. Well, the modifier is decent enough. [Desiccate] is an all right modifier.”

“You already know this, but some essences can only do certain things,” Zarali said. “I doubt there’s an alternative use for the property. You’ll need to discover another property if you want to use that reagent. Well, I suppose you won’t want to eat it.”

Zarali grinned, moving over to look at the pile of Goblin Tongues.

“Unfortunately, you’ll need to get better at deconstruction to discover properties with mana. I can’t help you there, but would you like to learn how to use your new toy?” Zarali asked, gesturing to the black cube on his table.

The operation of the device was simple enough. It had some way of converting power to mana, so it always had a bit of mana inside. If it ever ran dry, Theo would need to introduce his own to jump-start it. Otherwise, it just sat there. Accumulating raw power and converting it into mana. The moment Zarali started the device up, simply by tapping it on the top, the runes on the side of his fermentation barrels glowed purple. She must have been in an educational mood because she showed him how she inscribed runes.

“Some people call enchanting ‘runesmithing,’” Zarali said, withdrawing a sharp awl and a gemstone from her inventory. “Every aligned enchanter is different, but I weave my enchantments with Drogramathi.”

The purple gem melted in her hands, forming a pool of liquid glass in her palm. It flowed onto the tip of the awl, and she scratched a few runes into his Drogramath Still. These were the same enchantments she had put on his fermentation barrels, and the literal translation was silly. It was a poem about the early Dronon and their desire to wander. That part drew in the mana. Then another one about their desire for power. Their craftiness wrapped the entire thing to complete the enchantment. Zarali was done with the process in a matter of minutes, skillfully engraving her story onto the still.

“And that’s it,” she said, keeping calm while beads of sweat formed on her forehead.

“That takes a lot out of you, huh?” Theo asked, leaning in to inspect the still.

[Enchanted Drogramath Still]

[Alchemy Equipment]

Legendary

Created By: [???]

A 500-unit capacity Drogramathi still with an attached advanced condenser, which allows for a more efficient cooling of essences, decreasing the time needed to distill. The Drogramathi metal increases the spread of heat, providing an even distribution across a run.

Effect:

Distillation time reduced.

Occasionally produces more essence per run.

Enchantments:

[Siphon Power]

[Distribute Power]

[Crafting Speed]

[Crafting Effectiveness]

Alignment: Drogramath

The runes glowed to meet the power accumulated by the Power Siphon. That led Theo to a question he’d been mulling over for a while. Perhaps he should spend more time talking to his adopted sister, but he’d been too busy.

“Can you enchant my boats?” Theo asked.

“I can enchant almost anything,” Zarali said, laughing. “Dronon were never known for their seafaring abilities, but I can weave a story good enough to enhance an entire sailing vessel. Speed, turning, durability. We’ll have your fleet moving at a clip even in dead wind.”

That was a relief. Theo wasn’t interested in sending slow-moving boats out into the open ocean, but the promise of increased performance was enough to put his mind at ease. Zarali was often wise when it came to these kinds of things, but he hadn’t gotten her opinion on the harbor. He looked over the Refined Insatiable Hunger Essence and shrugged. His senses told him it was useless for anything but modifiers, something he missed last time.

Theo explained his plans for the harbor to her, detailing every step of the process to ensure she knew the challenges he faced. She nodded along as he spoke, soaking up the information and processing it with all those years of wisdom and the aid of her Drogramath-aligned cores.

“If you can move a mountain, you should,” Zarali said, nodding. “Digging a channel to bring the ocean to us is the right move. When you expand the town over the harbor, it will automatically create a gate over the water.”

“Really?” Theo asked. That was one of his worries about extending the town.

“Well, I imagine it won’t be a town much longer,” Zarali said, chuckling. “By the time you’re done making the harbor, we’ll be a small city.”

That was something to look forward to. A hundred people didn’t seem like many, but when Theo compared it to the twenty-some they started with, it was absurd. Even with the citizenry sitting at 100, there were just as many visitors weekly. Without his support structure, it would be impossible for him to manage everything. His mind went to the wisdom of those around him and their endless ability to forestall danger.

Theo looked out his window, spotting the failing sun. It cast the town in an orange glow, throwing long shadows as the day wound down. His conversation with Zarali was a pleasant one, marking the end of the 56th day of the Season of Blooms with excitement for the future. As long as they could keep up with the demand for housing and food, they’d be fine.

Without words, Theo knew Tresk was approaching the town. He could feel her off in the distance, jumping through shadows to reach the town. He didn’t tell her, but the quest she was on was one that he instigated. The adventurer’s guild had a keen interest in making sure they could keep the Fald under control.

“Want to grab dinner?” Theo asked.

“I usually dine with Xol’sa,” Zarali said.

“I’m sure you love dried meat and wine, but Xam cooks,” Theo said.

Dinner time! Tresk shouted into Theo’s mind.

“All right. Let’s go,” Zarali said. “I enjoy eating outside.”

There were even more people than normal around the Marsh Wolf Tavern. Theo didn’t know where Xam got the extra tables, but the entire street was blocked by rows of tables and chairs, all lit with lanterns to fight the fading sun. Tresk joined with Zarali and Theo, jumping from the shadows and shouting. She was covered in seaweed and still wet from swimming down to the Ocean Dungeon. The alchemist tipped a few drops of Cleansing Scrub on her head, washing away the filth.

Xam’s meal tonight was a rehash of an old favorite. Wolf meat stew. Compared to the original version, this was amazing. It had just enough spice to make it interesting, but nothing to offend foreign palates. Broken Tuskers seemed to like their food on the spicy side. Theo admitted to himself that he felt disappointment that there wasn’t anything new. When he was preparing to leave, with all the tables cleared away and the good cheer dying down in the darkness, the servers brought something else out.

“What is this?” Tresk asked, her eyes going wide. “Bread? Sticky bread? Puffy sticky bread!?”

Theo wanted to temper his expectations, but that would not happen. Xam let everyone take their fill from the serving trays before clearing her throat and gaining the attention of all in attendance. The alchemist’s eyes darted between the half-ogre woman and the pastry on his plate. A pastry. It was made of flaky bread, likely Zee, but not her normal flatbread. A white drizzle of something sweet-smelling rested artfully on top. He tore his attention away to listen to Xam speak.

“A treat!” she shouted, loud enough for everyone to hear. “The Pozwa are finally making eggs, and I couldn’t be happier.”

The crowd cheered, and Miana blushed.

“This day marks a very important occasion,” Xam continued. “100 citizens is impressive—thank you, Theo—but there’s something more exciting! The Marsh Wolf Bathhouse is now operational! Thanks to Throk and his boys for working so hard to get the water treatment system operation—no thanks to Theo—and putting in those long hours!”

“I was paid!” Throk shouted, his next words coming as annoyed mumbles. “Just doing my job.”

That got a chorus of laughter from the crowd.

“The big room is open for free to all citizens, and anyone can rent one of twenty private rooms,” Xam continued. “I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised with what we’ve created here. Enjoy!”

Theo knew better than to rush the bathhouse. Tresk was itching to get in there and try it out, but he held her back.

“I could use a bath,” Zarali said, nodding.

Xam came over, smiling the entire way. She was brimming with excitement. “The best room is reserved for you, Theo.”

Theo looked up in shock, not expecting any special treatment. “I’ll still pay,” he said.

“It’s always the same with you,” Xam said, sighing. “Here, take my money. Oh, I got a problem. Let me just throw gold at it until I’m purple in the face. Yeah, that’s you.”

Theo wasn’t happy with how spot on her impression of him was, either in tone or content. He felt his cheeks sting with blush. He ate his pastry, and while it was delicious, he couldn’t spare the space in his mind. The idea of the bathhouse was too much.

“Sorry about the delay,” Theo said. “I needed to make sure the water system could survive if anything happened.”

“And we have a new ugly building to show for it,” Xam said, nodding. “Just messing with you. Go check out the bath. I labeled your room. I guarantee it’s better than that Cleansing Scrub you’ve been using.”

“Let’s go!” Tresk shouted.

Theo, Tresk, and Zarali cut the line to the bathhouse. Xam already hired attendants to work the place. They stood in the front, taking money from people renting rooms and checking a list to weed out visitors. Broken Tuskers got the first crack at the new bathhouse. The interior of the building was already warmer than the night air outside. It was a wide entrance with potted plants lining the walls, a stone floor, and wooden walls. Lanterns hung from the ceiling, casting yellow light over every surface. An attendant led the trio down a series of hallways, finally coming to the back of the building and a door labeled “Theo’s Room.”

“Fancy,” Tresk said.

The room was large and square, with natural rocks bordering a circular pool at the center. Benches rested on the walls, and a window sat high up, giving a view of the night sky. Spigots poked from the walls, and there were drains scattered along the floor. Steam rose from the surface, and the scent of minerals hung in the air. The attendant handed them towels, bowed out, and closed the door.

“This is very nice,” Zarali said.

Theo had learned early on that this world had a different view of modesty than Earth. His time working in close quarters with others had dulled his sense of embarrassment while naked, so he was the first to strip down. Tresk was the first to discover that the spigots coming from the wall were meant for washing up before going into the large pool, and the bathhouse provided powdered soap for the job. The water that came from the walls was ice cold, sending a chill down the alchemist’s spine. His skin was gooseflesh by the time he lowered himself into the deep pool.

“Now this was made for half-ogres,” Theo said, finding a smooth rock to sit on.

He leaned his head back as the others got into the pool. There was a section shallow enough for Tresk to soak with her head barely poking out of the warm water. A sense of relaxation spread through his body immediately, even as the marshling took to swimming in the massive pool.

“Oh, this is nice,” Zarali said, letting out a long sigh.

Time passed, but no one seemed to notice. They sat in silence until their fingers pruned. Using the Cleansing Scrub was one way to clean himself, but this was completely different. The cold shower outside primed his body for the soak, and it felt as though the minerals from the water were soaking into his skin, washing away every bit of stress that accumulated in his muscles. The alchemist couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt this relaxed.

Only when a system message popped into Theo’s vision did he snap out of his relaxed stupor.

Bathhouse Buff! You’ve soaked long enough in an enriched pool of water provided by a bathhouse.

+1 to All Stats for 1 day.

Actions taken use reduced [Stamina] for 1 day.

“Well, I guess we’re coming here every night,” Tresk said, laughing.

Chapter Twenty

Theo wasn’t surprised where Tresk wanted to spend her time in the Dreamwalk. While she soaked in the bathhouse, not content with the few hours they had in the waking world, the alchemist worked on leveling his cores. Both alchemy and herbalism would roll over when he woke up—he could already feel it—and then his personal level would reach 14. One more level, and he could start serious work on the idea of constructs.

Zarali knit together a few pieces of information for him. The mana-grabber she brought over gave him a few ideas, but he’d need Throk’s help to make it happen. The second part of that idea came from the elven guardian, the massive artifice creature that still sat outside of the east gates. Throk would find more artifices, likely a Power Siphon within the tangle of metalwork.

Theo recalled seeing Fenian at dinner last night, although the trader was more interested in eating than talking with others. If he spent any time in the bathhouse, the alchemist wasn’t aware of it. He normally spent at least a day in town before heading off to do whatever it was he did. Whether the elf was actually responsible for the fall of the Qavelli Merchant’s Guild was beyond even his intuition. A crumbling economy in the north meant exactly nothing to Broken Tusk and would mean even less once they got the coin mint up and running. He made a mental note to meet with Alise and Azrug tomorrow, going over the town’s finances.

From the perspective of alchemy, Theo was doing just fine. Progress had become more important than profit lately, so it didn’t matter what he was making. As long as that experience percentage went up, he was in a good place. Another mental note entered his impressive memory. If Fenian had another greenhouse, he’d buy it. Perhaps two. Or four. However many he could afford. The alchemist found himself not doing large runs of naturally growing reagents, finding Zarali’s perfectionism bleeding into his work. He found a greater sense of satisfaction brewing high-quality potions rather than the relatively poor ones.

Tresk didn’t train at all that night, even if she was edging closer to 20 in her Assassin class and 15 with her Shadowdancer class. She just soaked in the bathhouse, refusing to come out even when Theo asked her to send assassins after him. He was grateful she didn’t, because he hadn’t come up with any new methods of defending himself. At least she wasn’t so heartless as to send a dragon after him.

When the morning finally came, Theo saw a string of system messages. Both his cores went up a level, as did his personal level. He inspected the screens before moving on, eager to get a few potions going to barter with Fenian.

Drogramath Herbalism Core gained experience (2%).

Drogramath Herbalism Core reached Level 15.

Drogramath Alchemy Core gained an enhanced effect: +5 Wisdom.

Drogramath Alchemy Core gained experience (5%).

Drogramath Alchemy Core reached Level 16.

Theo Spencer reached Level 14.

Theo Spencer received one free point.

He felt an imbalance in his chest as he lay in bed. While Tresk could happily level her Zaul-aligned cores beyond the Tara’hek Core, he couldn’t. It affected him differently than her, and he choked back a feeling of dread. He waited for Drogramath to speak into his mind, for the Grand Inquisitor Sulvan Flametouched to burst through his door, but nothing happened. After wiping cold sweat from his forehead, he got out of bed and met Tresk’s eyes.

With the Tara’hek growing stronger, they didn’t even need words to communicate the danger.

“I’ll stick with you today,” Tresk said, nodding. Her face was resolute, but her hands were still on her daggers, ready to flash out at a moment’s notice.

Theo nodded, the sensation of fear fading to give way to another strange feeling. His mind reached out, thoughts racing as though new neurons were forming in his brain. Consulting his attributes sheet, he figured out the source of the change. He expected it, but it was still jarring to get a sudden boost of mental capacity.

Belgar (Theo Spencer)

Drogramath Dronon

Level 14

Alchemist

Core Slots: 3

Stats:

Health: 85

Mana: 130

Stamina: 95

Strength: 18 (+11) (+1)

Dexterity: 17 (+8) (+1)

Vigor: 17 (+8) (+1)

Intelligence: 21 (+7) (+1)

Wisdom: 27 (+7) (+1)

Points: 0

Buffs:

[Bathhouse Soak]

His attributes were balanced, despite his worries. But he wasn’t strong on his own—it was only the bonuses from his gear and cores that made it so. Still, he wouldn’t worry about it too much. The increase in mana alone was enough to put a smile on his face.

Tresk helped him with his morning chores, insisting that the more she did the work, the less he’d have to worry about accidentally leveling up. She pruned the weeds in the garden, clumsily harvested the Spiny Swamp Thistle Root, and kicked off the stills as though she were a professional alchemist. Perhaps she’d been observing him more than he knew. They left the stills to do their work while they went to find Alise and Azrug. They stopped by Xam’s tavern, taking their food and tea with them to the town hall.

As expected, Azrug and Alise were sitting by a roaring fire, eating breakfast of their own. Theo brought over two chairs, stealing them from an adjacent room, and sat down with them by the fire.

“Lord Merchant,” Theo said, bowing his head to Azrug before turning to Alise. “Lady Administrator.”

That put a smile on both their faces. Azrug was always a young man that acted twice his age, like an old soul thrust into the arms of responsibility. He rose to the occasion, never doubting his abilities for a moment.

“I see you have a personal bodyguard today,” Azrug said, gesturing to Tresk. “Are we about to die?”

“It’s a demon problem,” Tresk said, scarfing down her food. “You wouldn’t understand.”

Theo nursed his hot tea, staring into the flames. The memory of the bath still lingered in his mind, as did the power of the buff in his body. But they had a pleasant breakfast in the town hall, even if a few citizens poked their heads inside to ask questions.

“I’d like to have a meeting,” Theo said after a lull in their conversation. “About finances.”

“Finances?” a voice called from the door.

Theo craned his neck to see Fenian grinning in his ruffled robe and audacious hat. The alchemist beckoned the elf to join them. He was always a source of sound financial advice. The trader pulled a plush, red armchair from his inventory and took a seat. He then produced a bottle and a wine glass, pouring himself a cup and settling into the chair.

“Shall we?” Fenian asked.

“Azrug, have you settled into the position yet?” Theo asked.

“I don’t even know what I’m supposed to do,” Azrug said, shrugging.

“We haven’t gone over it yet,” Alise said, pausing and turning to greet more people coming in through the door. She gave them simple instructions, then sent them off. They were her new administrators.

“You couldn’t have picked a better man for the job,” Fenian said, smiling at his student.

“I’ll break everything down, if you like,” Alise said. Her eyes went glassy as she consulted her administration screen. “Fifty percent of the traders that come to town are running some kind of scam. When they arrive, they’ll now report to Azrug for a consultation. We’re going to give them tokens and take their names so we know they’re trustworthy.”

“I’m on that list, aren’t I?” Fenian said, smiling.

“Always,” Theo said, cutting off Alise before she could talk. “Fenian should get the prime deals as well.”

“Agreed,” Fenian said.

“Yeah, I agree,” Tresk said, belching.

“Of course,” Alise said, coughing into her hand. “We’ll go over income first. The town takes most of its money from your holdings, Theo. Since you don’t skim the books, everything the sawmill, smelter, and mine make goes into the treasury. Except for the pay the workers get.”

“Everything else goes to the crown,” Fenian said, finishing her thought.

Theo sank into his chair. The taxes they paid to Qavell were absurd, and they’d only get worse.

“Fenian, what happens when we buy our way out of this?” Theo asked. “My contact in Qavell isn’t answering, so I’m lost. We pay them 5,000 gold, then what?”

“You’ll get hit with a flat tax rate,” Fenian said. “Something like 10 to 15 percent.”

Broken Tusk had a strange taxing system. They paid 15% of the value of every property, 20% of all exported value, and 15% of all sales value weekly. That all went in the treasury, then Theo paid it to Qavell at an irregular rate. He thought it was monthly, but they hadn’t come searching for their money in a while.

“But what are they taxing at that point?” Tresk asked.

“Well, that’s a good question. I’m not sure,” Fenian said, pressing his finger into his chin and humming for a moment. “Total value of the town, I’d guess. Production versus seed core value. But it’s the right move, for certain. If you’re not interested in paying, you can always rebel.”

That was the last thing Theo wanted to do.

“We’ll raise the money,” Theo said, waving the idea away. The motion felt comforting, at least. “I can see where this goes, though. At that point, we can tax our citizens. Even 5% on sales would go a long way for us.”

“Exactly,” Alise said. She seemed ruffled by Fenian’s opinions.

The conversation went on for some time without Azrug having much to say. He was absorbing the information more than participating. Alise worked out a few deals for the small towns between Broken Tusk and Qavell, increasing their weekly income. So far, everyone had provided their own traders, but that wasn’t always the case. She turned down a few towns because they wanted Broken Tusk to establish the trade route.

“That’s a wise choice,” Fenian said. “I know an honest Qavelli Karatan breeder for when the time comes.”

Fenian explained the importance of the Qavelli variant of the six-legged beast. They were smart. Smart enough to follow the same path for thousands of miles, even having some kind of intelligence to take the right path to get to a location. They were tireless, pulling a cart at speed for a week at a time before needing rest. The work animals had been his favored creatures for the job before he got his demonic breed.

“That falls to Azrug,” Alise said, gesturing to the young man. “My preference is to recruit from citizens.”

“I know a few guys,” Azrug said, straightening up and nodding. “If Broken Tusk can provide the wagons, the Karatan, and the goods, I could move a lot of bulk materials.”

“Smart,” Fenian said.

Tresk had taken to peering out the window, hands resting impatiently on her daggers. She’d given the one that looked like a thorn a name, even if the system already named it. Her fingers played favorites with Stab Stab over her dagger made of metal and wood.

The group finished up with their discussion, centered on the expansion of the town. Citizens were coming in droves, stretching Alise’s capacity to house them further than she expected. Fenian entered a deal with her right there in the town hall, offering House Seed Cores at absurdly low rates. Theo used to buy them five or six to a gold coin, and now he was offering them at 1 gold for fifteen. When the meeting was done, Alise and Azrug had to attend to the new administrators, and Theo pulled Fenian aside.

“I have some more potions,” Theo said.

“I’m nearly broke,” Fenian said, grinning, “but my guess is you want to barter.”

Theo often found it suspicious that Fenian had exactly what he needed, when he needed it. But he wouldn’t complain about the four Alchemical Garden Seed Cores the trader had on him. It only made sense, since he had the mushroom cave seed with him.

“Where do you find this stuff?” Theo asked, taking the four cores into his inventory. He now owed Fenian 20 gold. Even the price of his potions wasn’t enough to overtake the expensive nature of the greenhouses.

“A core like this?” Fenian asked. “Why, only the finest coresmith could craft something so brilliant.”

The elf was leaving something out. Theo stretched his new Intelligence to figure out what he was hinting at—the trader always loved his riddles. But he’d pieced enough of Fenian’s past together to understand what was going on. They were standing in the lab, Tresk lurking in the corner, while negotiating over the new seed cores.

“When did Tarantham take you back?” Theo asked, grinning.

Fenian actually looked shocked at the words. He craned his neck, making sure it was only the three of them in the room, before clearing his throat.

“I need to be careful with the information I give you, Theo,” Fenian said. “I hide facts for your safety. To put it bluntly, they haven’t taken me back. I’m using an alias.”

The symbol on the elven guardian came rushing back to Theo. It didn’t feel like much of a revelation, just more of a passing curiosity, but he’d already riddled out the elf’s past. To an extent.

“You’re not using Southsword anymore?” Theo asked, his smile growing larger.

“Hah!” Fenian said, slapping Theo on the back. “Nice try. You almost had it. Listen, Theo. I’m serious. Look at my face. For once, I’m serious. You’re content enough to sit in your town and build from here, but others don’t have that luxury. I’ve walked a long road, and there’s still much to do. I advise you to stay out of elven affairs. They’re quite vicious.”

“Southblade,” Theo said, nodding. Fenian’s reaction said that was it. His original surname was Southblade. “I understand, and I really don’t care. I know you’re doing something, likely trying to overthrow the crown or something, but it’s fine. Hell, give us a couple of years under Qavell’s yoke, and I think the southlands would rebel.”

“They certainly would,” Fenian said, mopping his brow. “Tresk. You, sneaking in the corner. Theo might understand, but you need reinforcement. Don’t share this information with anyone.”

“I’m good at keeping secrets,” Tresk said flatly.

That was true, though. Tresk might have been impulsive and quick to anger, but once she gave her word, she stuck to it forever.

“I was expelled from my family—the Southblades, as you’ve determined—and banished from Tarantham. Enough time has passed that the northern houses don’t remember who I was or what I did. So, you get fantastical goods from the elven homeland. Isn’t that lovely?”

“It is,” Theo said, nodding eagerly. He just wanted to know a little information about the trader’s past.

“You’re a disgraced elven general or something, aren’t you?” Tresk asked, giggling in the corner.

Fenian’s eyes focused on something far in the distance as a pained smile played across his face. “Something like that. I could teach you a thing about combat, young lady.”

Tresk puffed up but continued her stealthy vigil.

Theo placed his hand on Fenian’s shoulder and stared him down. “Above all else, Fenian, stay safe. Broken Tusk will always be your ally, no matter what you do. You have my eternal gratitude.”

“Thank you,” Fenian said, returning the gesture with a shallow bow. “Now you’re loaded up with new buildings. New monster cores. And you owe me money. Get to work!”

They exchanged pleasantries before Fenian departed. Even Tresk seemed reluctant to let the enigmatic elf leave, but he had business to attend to elsewhere. Theo meant what he said, though. Every word. There was no one outside of the walls that treated Broken Tuskers like he did, and Theo would never forget that. There was also a familiar power radiating from his chest, something he hid too well.

Whatever Fenian’s past was, it didn’t seem all sunshine and roses. Whatever path he walked was scattered with bones and blood, but could Theo say something different about himself? As long as his taxes kept going up, there was nothing that the trader could do to Qavell that would upset him. The swamp would rise.

Looking back on it, Theo realized he should have focused more on his plant cultivation schemes. He was too locked into the idea that one idea was enough, even when this had been the largest limiting factor to his process. Tresk joined him out in the swathe of land he owned, picking the best location for his new greenhouses. She suggested spacing them because it would be nice to give enough room for them all to grow, allowing for sizable gaps of space between the seed core buildings. Between them, they had enough to bring all four new greenhouses to Level 20, picking the same upgrade path as his existing Alchemical Garden.

The glass buildings were arranged three on the side closest to the Newt and Demon, with two on the other side. A space between the rows was left clear, giving easy access to any building. Looking over the new seed core buildings, Theo’s mind swirled with possibilities. He’d finally have the space to experiment with splicing plants together, creating hybrid reagents. Before attending to his other duties for the day, he stood there and appreciated the sight with a smile on his face.

Chapter Twenty-One

Tresk’s efforts to help with gardening and alchemy should have been dangerous. Theo’s instincts and the many warnings on skills related to essences held that to be true. But she worked with the garden with no troubles, even performing several reactions of her own to create potions. It was proof enough for him that their skills bled through to each other, or she was incredibly lucky.

Theo had a big decision to make, though. His plans for the day included checking in on the miners and the loggers, but with his new greenhouses, those could wait. The alchemist needed to select which reagents he would place in which building. A split between each building would also work, but he needed to have highly cultivated plants if he wanted to perform high-quality potions.

Mage’s Bane was an obvious choice. Theo already had a few of the plants sitting in the corner of his Spiny Swamp Thistle patch, ready for propagation at 100% cultivation. That would take some time to fill the many rows out, but the effort would be worth the trouble. It would be lovely to have a cultivated Ogre Cypress Tree, but that would be impossible to fit inside the glass building. A task for another day. Tresk urged him to dedicate an entire plot to the Widow Lily, a plant that produced the [Poison] property. Before committing to the idea, he took stock of what he had with stat-enhancement reagents.

The Water Lily was particular about where it grew, but his intuition said it would be fine in the greenhouse. Flame Roses would be an issue. The plant, in its complete form, put off sparks occasionally. He would pair that one with Stone Flowers to avoid a disaster. The stone-like flowers that grew on the Stone Flower plant, hence the name, seemed to be made of actual stone. They’d resist stray embers just fine. With five attributes and five corresponding flowers, he could split the odd reagent with the Widow Lily plants.

Theo had only recently recovered the two missing plants he was looking for. The Lightning Poppy had the [Increase Intelligence] property and the Wind Tulip held the [Increase Dexterity] property. They would pair well with each other, and then the Water Lily could share space with the Widow Lily. Tresk was upset that the reagent with the [Poison] property didn’t get its own greenhouse, but when the alchemist told her it would produce around 500 units of poison, she was satisfied. It was far more than she needed. This was all relatively long-term, though. The plants would take time to cultivate.

“Seems like a lot of space for not a lot of plants,” Tresk said. She sneered at the small crowd that had formed outside of the greenhouses.

The split buildings only had two plants each, as they needed time to cultivate. Theo tossed a bottle of Aerosolized Lesser Potion of Growth and watched a Widow Lily grow to twice its normal size. Spiny Swamp Thistle took up the entirety of the first greenhouse, then Flame Roses shared space with Stone Flowers in the next. Water Lilies and Widow Lilies had the third greenhouse, with Lightning Poppies and Wind Tulips housed in the next. That left a building free to grow his Mage’s Bane, although he could rotate the plant out for another split design in the future.

“Part of the process,” Theo said, dragging her arm to press his forehead against hers. They gained far more experience for their Tara’hek Core than normal, 20 percent for the day so far. “We’ll have to do this occasionally. To keep up with my other cores.”

“You’re just weak of mind,” Tresk said, waving him off with a smile. “Gotta have a strong brain like me.”

Zaul just wasn’t interested in Tresk. That was how Theo thought of it, anyway. He knew that the truth would elude him for some time, but it wasn’t something to worry about today.

Before entering the new cluster of gardens, the pair kicked off a still with the Living River Water. With the daunting task of cultivating each plant to the first stage, they had more time than expected.

“You just do boring stuff all day,” Tresk said, letting out a heavy sigh. “I can’t handle it.”

“A day of rest isn’t all bad,” Theo said. “We have more time to talk. I can figure out what kind of potions work for you.”

Tresk jabbed a finger at the greenhouse that held the growing Wind Tulip. She wanted to get her hands on that potion more than anything. Theo nodded in response. They didn’t need words to share the feeling of desire for that potion.

Azrug was missing from the shop, likely dealing with his new station, so the pair went upstairs and brewed some Tunneling Potions. Theo was still reluctant to apply any modifiers to the potion, as it already did the job just fine. They departed with the potions in their shared inventory, marching over to the mine. Tresk was excited that there might have been monsters inside—those strange dogs with tentacles—but the alchemist doubted it. Goblins had been spawning there after they cleared it for the first time.

Theo spotted Nira working with a few smeltery apprentices. Unlike some in the town, she took his suggestions to heart and worked hard to get them done as soon as she could. It was a mix of five people—half-ogres, humans, marshlings, and a lizard-person. The alchemist still knew little about the lizard-people and regretted not learning about their homeland to the south. Again, he faced too much to do in too little time. Things fell by the wayside, and that was fine with him.

“Theo!” Gridgen shouted from the mine.

Theo heard his thunderous voice even before he heard picks striking rock. He gave a hearty wave, snatching Tresk’s hand and forcing her to do the same. She grumbled.

“Should we be worried?” Gridgen asked, gesturing to Tresk. “Not often do you get a visit from the number one adventurer in Broken Tusk.”

“Damn right,” Tresk said.

Theo forgot about the adventurer rankings but didn’t doubt that she was the best. All she did was delve dungeons and kill monsters, even in her dreams.

“It’s a Tara’hek thing,” Theo said, placing his hand on the human’s shoulder and smiling. “How is the mine?”

“Good enough,” Gridgen said. “We haven’t found anything fancy down there, but we need to go deeper.”

“Well, guess what? We’re here to dig more tunnels,” Theo said, laughing. “I have a feeling we’ll hit Barrowsteel before we hit silver.”

“Barrow-what?” Gridgen asked. “Never heard of it. Are you talking about that stuff they’re pulling off from the big artifice out by the river? Ain’t called Barrowsteel—not that I’m aware of.”

Theo waved the question away. Whatever Fenian wanted to call it was no matter to him. It was the next non-precious metal in the tier list. “Whatever the next metal is called, we’ll hit that.”

“Easy enough to find out,” Gridgen said. He turned to shout into the mine. “Lunchtime, boys! And girls. Sorry.” He lowered his voice and turned to Theo. “We got some new miners, not all of them guys. Kinda shocking when a little brogling gal comes in and swings a pick harder than a half-ogre.”

Theo waited as the miners filed out of the mine. Their numbers had increased recently, 20 by his count. He stopped the brogling in question before letting her leave for lunch, a meal that few Broken Tuskers took. She was a migrant from Rivers and Daub, which shocked him. It was rare for anyone in the southlands to migrate further south, let alone to his town. She claimed a few of the newer citizens were from further north, beyond the treacherous passage through the mountains that separated the southlands from Qavell proper. It required prodding to get her to stop calling it “Murder Passage,” revealing the real name of the place as Gronro-Dir. A dwarven name, no doubt.

“People in Gronro are hard,” Gridgen said, leading the pair into the mine. “I’ve only seen the town once, but it was amazing. Their walls scrape against the mountain. Meaning you can’t go north unless you go through Gronro-Dir.”

Tresk shared a look with Theo. They shared the same sentiment at that moment, one of interest. If their plan was to fortify the southlands from northern aggression, they’d need to make quick friends with the people of Gronro-Dir. The concept of a defensive alliance had been cooking in the alchemist’s mind for a while. Rivers and Daub was his first option, but he found those people to be too soft for the task. If not for the massive, magically enchanted farms in Broken Tusk, they’d rely on Rivers for their food.

“Well, Throk came in and installed all the gates,” Gridgen said, arriving at the first gate. A small group of goblins growled from the other side, swiping rough daggers through the bars.

“Oh, hell yeah!” Tresk said. She vanished from the spot and reappeared behind the goblins. Theo turned his back as she did her work. He felt blood splatter against his robe and winced. He should have walked to a safe distance.

“They’re not really strong,” Gridgen said, shrugging as Tresk stood proudly over the corpses. “We usually just bonk ’em.”

“I had to get some anger out,” Tresk said, letting out a heavy sigh. “Feels better.”

The complex of tunnels they’d already created wound a path deep into the ground. It was impossible to tell how far down they were, but five sets of stone staircases led them to the latest gate installed by Throk. Each tunnel Theo had made so far was a failure. Gridgen wanted him to focus his efforts on creating a maze of tunnels near the surface, increasing their copper and iron production. That worked, but he was looking for the Barrowsteel, or whatever it was actually called.

Tresk helped with the design of the tunnels, taking a potion in hand and forming rough passages through the rock. Her command of the potion wasn’t as good as Theo’s, but this was a team-building exercise. The mine didn’t have to be well-hewn rock; a rough passage would work.

Hours later, and three more downward passages, they hit their first string of Barrowsteel nuggets. Gridgen was kind enough to remove one of the purple-gray nuggets from the hard stone wall, handing it over for Theo to inspect with a wide smile on his face.

[Drogramathi Iron Nugget]

[Metal Ore]

[Rare]

Quality: Perfect

A raw nugget of Drogramathi Iron. Needs refining.

“Demon nugget,” Tresk said, nodding. “That has a ring to it.”

“Why am I not surprised?” Theo asked, stuffing the nugget in his inventory. “I’d bet 100 gold coins that Zarali expected this.”

“So, what’s the plan?” Gridgen asked.

This might have annoyed Theo. Another task to occupy his time, but then why have a Lord Merchant if not to put him to work? It was likely that no one else was mining Drogramathi Iron, which made it a novelty. It would be as strong as Barrowsteel, if that was actually a real thing, and bear the alignment of the Demon God.

“Just mine it as normal,” Theo said. “I’ll have a word with Nira about what to do with the final product, and we can talk to Azrug about the details.”

That seemed good enough of a response for Gridgen. He nodded and joined with Tresk and Theo as they carved out more tunnels. When they found enough deposits of the metal, they called it a day and emerged from the mine. The miner had some exciting news about the school. Theo hadn’t seen the building go up, but parents were now able to enroll their children in the school. Bob, the brogling that the alchemist named, was an amazing teacher. He had a knack for connecting to the errant minds of the kids.

“We’ll have to check it out,” Theo said.

Tresk and Theo departed, finding Nira at the smelter. She was teaching her new employees how to work the smelter, only pausing to come speak with her mayor. Theo handed over the new nugget, and she gave him a flat look.

“Bit on the nose,” she said.

“My thoughts exactly,” Theo said. “Hold these in reserve. Don’t let anyone buy them, but smelt them if you have the space.”

“Speaking of,” Nira said, jabbing her thumb at the smelter. “Could use a few upgrades.”

Theo inspected the smelter, trying to determine how many monster cores he could spare.

[Smeltery]

[Midnight Damsel Smeltery]

Owners: Belgar (Theo Spencer)

Operator: Nira Weir

Faction: Broken Tusk

Level: 10 (50%)

Rent Due: 3 days

Expansions:

[Preservation of Heat]

[Pattern Alloy]

Theo could afford to get the Midnight Damsel Smeltery to Level 15 without worrying about his stock. Why she had named it such was beyond him, but it was hers to name. He shoved cores inside, directing the expansion in whichever direction until the expansion prompt came up. He discussed the options with Nira, but there was a clear winner.

[Double Smelter]

Your smeltery now has two massive smelters. Increases floor space accordingly.

Nira cleared her people out before Theo selected the option. The building stuttered for a moment, rocking ominously before gaining half its width in additional space. Another crucible appeared out of thin air, gaining a series of surprised yelps from the new workers.

“That good for now?” Theo asked.

“Need a bit of a budget for these,” Nira said, nodding her head to her new employees. “Fenian is still around. I can’t afford their cores.”

Theo flicked her a single gold coin, bringing his total down to 47 gold, 61 silver. He didn’t have an option, though. Their contract stated that he handled the improvement of the building and the cores that the workers used. Since they only got 10% of profits, that made sense.

“Always a pleasure,” Nira said, gesturing for the pair of them to go away.

“I like her,” Tresk said when they were well up the road.

“Me too,” Theo said.

Theo rarely ran around and checked in on his investments, but sometimes it was necessary. He was waiting on his garden to produce cultivated reagents, so there was nothing else for him to do. Their next stop brought them to Sledge’s sawmill. She had hired more people as well, which was a sign they were making enough profit to be comfortable. The spiky marshling didn’t want a single thing from her employer, claiming they were doing just fine without him. He shrugged the insult off and found the human man with the Forester’s Core.

Within the sawmill team, he took care of the health of the swamp’s towering Ogre Cypress Trees. The alchemist dedicated the rest of his afternoon to learning about the trees and how the man cared for them. Thanks to Drogramath’s power, everything in the area grew at an increased rate. The cypress trees dropped seeds daily, and a sapling would grow to a full-sized tree within a week. This was great for the lumber industry but created problems. If the forester didn’t cull excess trees, it would quickly become a tangled mass of impassable trunks.

The forester was covered in mud, constantly scratching his head as Theo explained the process of cultivation. He was a short, stocky man, even by human standards, that required multiple explanations to understand a point. Once the alchemist showed him how to inspect the trees for cultivation percentages, he understood. They selected a small group of fresh saplings to apply the Aerosolized Lesser Potion of Growth to. Once they were exposed to the potion, they’d increase their cultivation naturally.

“Only select the seeds from the cultivated trees,” Theo said, waving his hand to get the forester’s attention. “Understood?”

“Yeah,” he said.

Theo left with no confidence in the forester’s ability, but he was content with putting in the effort. A cultivated Ogre Cypress would grow even larger than the current version, providing more wood. Once every non-cultivated tree was culled, it would be a forest of even larger trees that needed no maintenance. Theo considered the implications of removing a naturally occurring tree and went back to express the need to have natural trees in the mix. The forester seemed to understand that much.

The day was busy, but things were winding down. For their efforts, the Tara’hek Core hit Level 17. Theo felt a wave of relief when it did and reminded Tresk that they needed to do this more often. The best she could offer was half-days, as she was itching for combat. Theo didn’t receive her invitation to join her in the dungeons well. He pushed aside his reservations and agreed to join her at least once. The problem was, she wasn’t great at identifying reagents. Even if they were sharing some of their skills.

When they made their way back to town, Theo tried to invoke some of Tresk’s skills. He crouched in the shadows outside of Xam’s tavern, gaining only a hearty laugh from the marshling. The way skills were shared through the Tara’hek was something he’d need to test in the future. Zarali didn’t join them for dinner that night, waiting until they’d completed their meal of Pozwa egg scramble slathered in too much Karatan cheese to invite them to Theo’s private bath.

They were soaking in the deep pool before the Drogramathi priestess revealed her true intentions.

“I could smell the nugget,” she said, holding the Drogramathi Iron Nugget in her hands. “Lord Drogramath whispered that you’d found something impressive.”

“Can we sell it?” Tresk asked, dipping below the surface of the water before waiting for a reply.

“We can,” Zarali said, dunking the nugget under the surface of the water. “It gives a nice stamp of our identity on the second-tier metal. Anyone using Drogramathi Iron will know where it came from.”

Theo had given up on chasing down all the ways that Drogramath affected the swamp. The more they dug, harvested, or chopped trees, the more he realized how deeply that power imbued the land. He let those thoughts wash away, aided by the soothingly warm water he soaked in. It was hard to be concerned about anything while neck-deep in the enriched mineral water. Those worries melted away—something for another day.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Theo enjoyed his soak in the pool for as long as he could. He wasn’t as eager to get into the Dreamwalk as he was in the past, owing to his ever-growing cores. Drogramath Herbalism Core was at Level 15, Drogramath Alchemy Core at Level 16, with his Tara’hek Core at 17. His Governance Core hit 12 during the day, but it wasn’t enough to tip his personal level over to 15. It was on the edge, but not there yet. During his soak, he took time to inspect his cores, making a mental note of his progression.

[Drogramath Alchemy Core]

Legendary

Alchemy Core

Bound

3 Slots

Level 16 (10%)

Alchemy core given to the descendants of Drogramath.

Effect:

Increases the synergy of alchemical abilities.

+5 Wisdom

[Unstable Material Handling]

[Drogramath Herbalism Core]

Rare

Herbalism Core

Bound

3 Slots

Level 15 (12%)

Herbalism core given to the descendants of Drogramath.

Effect:

+5 Vigor

[Tara’hek Core]

Legendary

Tara’hek Core

Bound

3 Slots

Level 17 (45%)

Tara’hek cores are given to those who accept a marshling life partner. You cannot change the skills inside the core or remove it.

Effect:

+6 Strength

+2 Vigor

[Governance Core]

Legendary

Administration Core

Unbound

3 Slots

Level 12 (2%)

Advanced [Administrator] core, reserved for leaders.

Innate Skills:

[Command Structure]

[Titles]

[Automatic Books]

Effect:

+3 Intelligence

The first thing to note was the importance of attributes that came from cores. The Governance Core grew at a slower rate, adding less to his Intelligence, but that was a tradeoff. It came with several skills from the start, giving him a massive advantage of not having to dump precious skill points into the core. When a core hit a multiple of 10, it got a free skill in that domain. That was easy enough to understand, and without that quirk of the system, it would be impossible to fill each core. He also got a free skill every multiple of 5 with his personal level. A new skill slot opened on every tenth level, adding to the problem.

The issue was that he didn’t have enough skills to fill his core slots. That was a problem for another day, but his mind was locked on exploring constructs. His personal level was so close to the edge of 15, granting him both a free attribute point and a free skill, that he couldn’t wait any longer. Theo made a plan for the Tara’hek’s Dreamwalk, a plan to grind herbalism until his hands bled. Otherwise, it was important to slow down on the alchemy in the Dreamwalk. What they really needed was another threat to elevate the Tara’hek Core, giving it a safe lead on his Drogramath-aligned cores.

Zarali had opinions about this, but she was more cautious than normal.

“I see the wisdom in your thoughts,” she said, placing a wet washcloth on her head and letting out a sigh. Theo couldn’t even remember how long they’d been in the bath. The sun was down—that much he knew.

“I thought you’d be all about embracing the demon,” Tresk said, emerging from under the water.

Zarali seemed lost in thought, cradling her chin in her hand. She splashed the water at the marshling as she thought. Tresk took this as a declaration of war, splashing back as though it were a personal slight. She only stopped when the priestess went to talk again.

“You’re a unique case,” Zarali said, gesturing to the webwork of marks on Theo’s chest. The mark that alerted the fanatics of the Burning Eye of any demonic activity.

Theo had noticed that she never pressed the issue. She allowed him to wear both their pendant and the mark without concern. His intuition was enough to say that was odd, seeing as she was aligned deeply with the Demon God. That struck an odd chord from the start, resonating in his mind since his adoptive sister arrived in town. She was nothing like what he expected, even for someone grieving her lost brother. But there was the key to it all. This wasn’t really his body. It was repurposed.

“If this is all part of Drogramath’s plan,” Theo said, letting out a heavy breath, “why does another god need to interfere to make it work?”

“He hasn’t told me,” Zarali said. She seemed frustrated by that fact. “Understand the way the heavens work. Time works differently there. Slower. Imagine the attributes the gods have. Tens of thousands of points into Intelligence. They can press their fingers into the world and cause a million events to occur.”

Theo was done with thinking of heavy thoughts for the night. He never saw his path as a razor’s edge but as guided. Things worked out so far, so he wouldn’t change them. Even with the power of the Tara’hek, he couldn’t be confident that it could hold back Drogramath’s influence. Not yet.

“Which brings us to other matters,” Zarali said, pointing at Theo’s chest. “Your herbalism core sucks.”

“Did you teach her that?” Theo asked, looking at Tresk. He’d never heard the priestess say anything as crude as sucks.

“I did,” Tresk said, grinning.

“You’re a bad influence.”

“For the aligned cores, it’s harder to upgrade,” Zarali said. “You need a priest or priestess from the god, a good amount of their raw power, and some ingredients.”

“Hey, look!” Tresk shouted, pointing at Zarali. “A priestess!”

“Exactly,” Zarali said.

“What are the chances that this makes my condition worse?” Theo asked.

“Should be fine,” Zarali said.

Shortly after that declaration, they were kicked out of the bathhouse. An attendant arrived, informing them that the path was closing for the night. The trio left reluctantly, making their way to their respective homes. Zarali went back to Xol’sa’s tower. The only shocking thing about that was that the wizard still had his portal open. Tresk and Theo returned to the Newt and Demon, settling in for the night and the Dreamwalk.

Tresk wanted to pick the bathhouse again, but Theo refused. She answered by summoning a few monsters to attack him with a mix of trolls and goblins, but his current strategy worked for them as well as it did for assassins. The pair split off for half the night, the alchemist tending to imagined plants in the Canadian wilderness and Tresk battling an endless horde of skeletons. Halfway through the night, he joined back with her to help her fight. She was shocked at first, but then realized he was just trying to get more experience in their shared core.

“Is that all I am to you?” Tresk asked, folding her arms and shaking her head. “A walking core?”

“Would it offend you if I said yes?” Theo asked.

“Nothing offends me,” she said, looking grumpy.

Tresk fought in a hit-and-run style. She’d jump from the shadows, apply poison to a monster, then flee. Her current training exercise exposed the weakness in that plan. If she couldn’t apply poison to something, she had a hard time dealing with more than one. This was the first time Theo realized how important poisons were to her strategy. Without them, a few skeletons were enough to overrun her. They went back and forth for a while, trying to bridge the gap with skill or tactics, but nothing worked.

“I need better poisons,” Tresk said, throwing her imagined daggers to the ground.

“You need different poisons,” Theo said. “The Dreamwalk is too limited for me to take two steps to make a new thing.”

“What?”

“I’ve never brewed the truffles into a modifier,” Theo said. “But I’m guessing I can modify your standard poison to stop undead.”

“Yeah, we should just make me a bunch of situational poisons,” Tresk said, nodding. “A poison for every occasion.”

Tresk blustered often, but that was a good plan. A poison for mages, for undead, perhaps even specialized poisons that affected families of monsters specifically. If his first line of defense was his companion, then she needed to carry as many poisons as she could. They switched topics, Theo coaching her on the use of the two specialized poisons they had.

“[Accelerated Decay]-enhanced Poison is your current standard poison,” Theo said, producing a bottle of the poison for her to inspect. This poison just made the poison stronger. “But [Desiccate] could be useful.”

“I can dry people up,” Tresk said with a shrug. “How can that be useful?”

“If your enemy is too high of a level. You can’t bridge the gap in skill or power, but you can dry them up. Large enemies might be a problem, but this could work for smaller ones.”

“I’m not seeing it as useful.”

“Maybe not, but the alignment effect on the new poisons can apply two instances of the poison. Double the desiccation. Besides, this is an example of what we can expect. I think [Anti-Mage] and Hallowed Ground are going to be the most useful for now.”

“Yeah, plus Fenian is acting all weird with the mushrooms,” Tresk said, rubbing her wet head. “We should expect an undead invasion tomorrow.”

That was ‌good advice when dealing with Fenian’s plans. They came together like a hurricane, appearing just off the horizon before Theo could prepare. But there was nothing he could have done about it then. His truffles were cultivating, and they’d soon have enough to start large-scale production. Until then, the alchemist wanted Tresk to run other combat drills.

“What happens when you lose your daggers?” Theo asked, snatching them away from her. She looked offended, grabbing them back.

“I get ’em back!” she shouted.

Theo withdrew a potion from his inventory, gaining a sudden boost of Dexterity. He grabbed the daggers away again and threw them far into the distance. Tresk looked even more offended by that, but without warning, he struck her in the face. The marshling stumbled backward, a look of sheer horror on her face.

“You hit me!” she shouted.

“No daggers,” Theo said, dropping into a combat stance and raising his hands. It had been a long time since he’d done this. “What do you do?”

“I’m gonna smack you is what I’ll do,” Tresk said, coming at him with no sense of what suitable form was. He planted a kick straight in her chest, sending her tumbling back.

Tresk wouldn’t learn a lesson if Theo told it to her. She was too hard-headed. The only way he’d get through to her was for her to channel her anger into something useful. His lesson here was that she couldn’t always rely on her daggers, not when she could be disarmed. She needed to learn how to fight with her fists and her feet when the time came. Only when the little marshling came in, biting him on the leg, did he realize teeth were an option.

“Good,” Theo said, shoving her away. The damage they inflicted on each other here wasn’t like actual pain, more like an echo. “Again.”

Theo was almost as quick as Tresk by now. Her cores gave her a massive boost to her stats, but her gear was centered on enhancing poison effects. When she suggested she would just load their shared inventory with extra daggers, he denied her the escape, and they fought. Old memories of hand-to-hand combat drills came back to the alchemist in those hours. Wonderful memories and terrible memories mingling together to create a tapestry of his old life. It was a catharsis he couldn’t have known he’d needed.

By the end of an hours-long training session, Tresk had the idea in her head. She combined her class’s skills with basic pugilism to bring the best out of both. Her hit-and-run tactics were on full display, and Theo was begging her to stop by the end. The point was made, and the marshling learned.

“Now,” Theo said, coughing and hacking. He was out of breath, even in the Dreamwalk. “I like the idea of backup daggers.”

Tresk punched him in the face, bit his leg, and cackled. “Me too,” she said through a mouthful of flesh. “We should fight more.”

Theo wouldn’t deny her excitement about the friendly spar, even if she took it too seriously. He could feel the experience roll into their shared core. Besides that, these were valuable skills. They didn’t need to practice withdrawing daggers from the shared inventory. That was a very simple action. They just needed to get their hands on as many daggers as they could, eliminating two problems. Tresk would hold several daggers in reserve with no poison and several that had the specialized poisons yet to be brewed. The marshling could call on whatever she needed at a moment’s notice, never having to stop to coat her weapons.

It took a while to keep Tresk from attacking him. He convinced her to dedicate a few hours every night to her training, which would grow more intense as they went on. Theo was allowed free use of all his potions, while Tresk was limited to her daggers and nothing else. They would alternate between armed and unarmed combat, just to make sure the information stuck. She took to this plan well, as though she only just realized this was a safe place for her to pummel her companion.

Theo spent the rest of their time in the Dreamwalk tending to reagents but brewing no potions. He even spotted Tresk drilling her unarmed combat with goblins in the distance, hiding among the trees and the snow. She was modest enough to admit it was a good idea, but then the alchemist considered the weight that was placed on her. When he met her, she was trying to get out from under her father’s yoke. Throk didn’t want her to be an adventurer, but it was her dream. Now she was the best adventurer in a growing town, and that gap between her and others was widening. Perfection often came at a cost, but then again, the others didn’t have access to this amazing training tool.

When the night ended, the morning sun was already shining through the window. Tresk ordered Theo to get to work on her new poisons, running off to grab breakfast from Xam. He didn’t have the heart to tell her the poisons wouldn’t be as potent as they could be. Without a stock of cultivated Widow Lily or [Anti-Mage] modifier essence, it would be weaker than a perfected version. Still, he humored her.

Theo had a fair amount of un-refined [Anti-Mage] modifier essence lying around and several unmodified Poisons. As he laced the poison with the modifier, he watched the reaction. It glowed with a soft, blue light, only bubbling slightly under his expert hand. He inspected the result before Tresk was even back with breakfast.

[Poison]

[Anti-Mage]

[Poison] [Modified Poison]

Epic

Created by: Belgar

Quality: Excellent

Alignment:

Drogramath (Middling Bond)

Coat your weapon to deal additional damage over time to an enemy.

Chance to inflict 2 stacks per hit.

Effect:

Cripples an enemy, reducing their Dexterity by 5.

Applies a stacking DoT effect based on poison quality. Maximum 15 stacks. Poison inflicts DoT damage. Targets inflicted with this poison take 1 point of damage for every mana spent, multiplied by the amount of stacks. This applies to ongoing spells cast before the poison was applied.

Stacks of poison take twice as long to fade.

Removing a stack of poison through any means other than the natural expiration of the effect causes the remaining stacks of poison to explode, dealing their remaining damage to the target.

Now there was a poison built for killing mages. The active casting description was bad enough, but if the [Anti-Mage] effect also inflicted damage for ongoing spells, that was devastating. This was all combined with the nightmarish DoT damage that was already devastating to any target. Tresk arrived shortly after the poison was done, withdrawing food and tea from the shared inventory.

“You’re done? Already?” Tresk asked.

“I had this stuff on hand,” Theo said, sliding the potion across the table for her to see. She let out a low whistle, then stuffed it in her personal dimensional storage sack. “This isn’t even as strong as it can get.”

Tresk was already impressed with what he produced. The promise for more devastation was enough to make her giddy with excitement. They ate breakfast, discussing the progress they had made in the Dreamwalk. The Tara’hek Core got more experience than normal while they were asleep, marking the usefulness of spending more time together in there. The marshling declared she would spend the entire day away from Theo, delving dungeons and killing monsters.

Theo had plans to perform more town-related tasks today, but his gardens needed tending. He made an offering at his shrine, then ran the tasks for the day through his mind. The elven guardian out front should have been taken care of by now, but if it wasn’t, he’d need to shuffle people around. His new administration staff needed direction—he knew that out of instinct—but it wasn’t anything Alise couldn’t handle. He mostly wanted to check in on that front. Azrug might need encouragement for his new position and prodding to get a new person to man the store at the Newt and Demon. All of this hung in his mind, even as Tresk pressed her forehead against his.

Theo was eager to spend more time with his people, as the people of Broken Tusk had truly become his. They were building a new culture, something not seen before on the continent. It was a place where anyone with a strong back and determination could make a life for themselves. Away from the horrid guilds with their archaic mindsets. Above all else, it was a place to be free.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Broken Tusk was bustling by the time Theo made it to the center of town. It had been long enough since Theo made his way to the general housing area, and he was eager to see what kind of town planning skills Alise had. The population tracker on his mayor screen increased at a steady rate, signaling the reality of migration. His leather gloves were still dirty from digging in his garden and the strange loam-soil of the mushroom cave. While the truffles showed promise for rapid growth, they had a long way to go to become fully cultivated.

The road heading north, toward the farms, split at a point. To the east, there was the sprawl of houses, where to the west there was a single two-story building looming among the trees. That would be the new school, which Theo noted was placed in the perfect location. First, he headed down to walk the many streets of a place Tresk had named “Town Time.” According to his map, it has since been renamed to “The Iron Residences,” which didn’t sit as well as the silly name.

The houses were arranged in a grid, blocks extending out toward the eastern wall. By the time Theo made his way to the end of the housing area, he counted seventy-five houses, twelve more than the last time he counted. Small vendors had popped up along the streets, the merchants selling whatever at fair prices. It was the first time Theo saw someone producing food at scale that wasn’t prepared by Xam. They offered meals for less than a copper, even providing meal plans. If he spotted anything else, he would have banished them from the town for good.

Theo had a single mind for food. Baseline food should have been free, or as close to free as possible. There was no shortage of it, and it seemed foolish to charge citizens for something they needed to survive. It wasn’t an entirely altruistic thought, though. Anyone who came to live in town swore loyalty to Broken Tusk through a magical contract. They could only act in the best interest of everyone, and while that struck him as dystopian, they could always leave.

Several townsfolk greeted him as he passed, looking from windows or cracked doorways. From their perspective, he was doing a good job, although he could only judge by their words of encouragement. Theo’s reason for visiting this part of town wasn’t to inflate his own ego but to make sure that everyone was doing their job as he wanted them to do it. He had no reason to doubt Alise’s ability, but it was still good to check. His next stop was the school, a straight path from the bustling neighborhood. Perhaps it was more accurate to call the housing district a town in its own right.

The school was a friendly-looking building, hosting a yard out back that allowed the children to play. The facade of the building was done in the tasteful tradition of plain wooden planks, only showing color on the trim with red. A large bell hung from a wooden tower at the top, no doubt to signal to children and parents alike when they started and ended. Theo ascended the steps leading to the front door, inspecting the building before entering.

[School]

[Mudball Fundamental]

Owners: Alise Plumm

Operator: Graplaptappin Tublubbin Grappin

Faction: Broken Tusk

Level: 15 (92%)

Rent Due: 2 days

Expansions:

[Dormitories]

[Play Yard]

[Speedy Education]

Whoever named the school had a good sense of humor, but Theo was more surprised about how far it had advanced. Level 15 was a good starting point for a building in the town, and the upgrades seemed interesting. He wasn’t sure why they would pick [Dormitories], but he’d inquire with Bob.

The interior of the school was split into individual classrooms on the left, a large area with a board for drawing in the center and rows of chairs and desks, and what must have been the dorms on the left. The interior was painted with a nauseating array of colors, a clear mark of the children. Ten children watched as Bob instructed from the front of the room, currently going over a map. Every head in the room turned to spot the alchemist.

“Mayor!” Bob shouted, trundling his little brogling body over to greet Theo. He waved the children away, sending them out the back door for some free time. “I was hoping you’d stop by. What do you think?”

“It looks great,” Theo said, nodding. “How are the kids treating you?”

“Broglings have a natural affinity for teaching and another natural affinity for taking care of children,” Bob said, gesturing to the dorms on the left. “We even have a few orphans.”

“Orphans?” Theo asked, blurting the thought out. He wasn’t aware of any children without parents.

“Refugees from other towns. No place to go,” Bob said, looking down at the ground. His mood brightened a moment later. “But never mind that! The children are keen to learn. I have some of the older ones studying by themselves in the private classrooms. They teach themselves while they wait for their cores.”

“Where do they go once they’ve earned their cores?” Theo asked.

“Good question. I’m working with your assistant on that,” Bob said.

“Lady Administrator,” Theo corrected. He didn’t want people getting confused about who was in charge.

“Right. Sorry,” Bob said, scratching his furry head. “Lady Administrator Alise has been instrumental to Mudball Fundamental.”

Theo chuckled at the name. But Bob was doing good work here. It was nice that a child could spend all day with their parents, but those orphans stuck out to him. They didn’t have that luxury, and this would be a safe place for them to develop into productive members of the town. The alchemist asked Bob about the specifics of how the children were fed and was happy to hear that Xam catered for them daily. She had increased her staff to a point where she could focus on creating dishes rather than running the tavern, attached inn, and her bathhouse.

Bob also seemed ecstatic about his position, claiming that the children were sponges excited to learn. Each pupil stood out as the star student in his words. Further digging revealed that the man hadn’t seen fit to instill them with any principles passed down by Zaul, the God of Shadows. While the brogling claimed him as a patron god, it was mostly for Zaul’s Scholar of Zaul Core.

At the end of their meeting, Theo flicked the man a single gold coin. It brought his total funds down to 46 gold, but until they found a worker incentive program, this would have to do. Bob was grateful for the money but said it wasn’t necessary. Theo insisted.

With his business at the school sorted, Theo found his way to the eastern gate. He checked in on Miana, who wanted nothing to do with him. The herd of Karatan were thriving, and the Pozwa were doing just as well. The only thing she revealed to him was that she was skimming the profits so she could pay for things like monster cores and feed for the animals. He established a contract on the spot, giving her express permission to do so. It was left loose enough that she could take all the money if she needed, as he really didn’t care about the profits. The only stipulation he put in was related to who she sold to, underlining the concept that profit on exports should go directly to the town’s coffers.

A trio of adventurers had been trailing him since he left the school, annoyingly named Bal, Dal, and Ral. Theo spotted them keeping a healthy distance, as though they were monitoring him. He invited them up to the battlements of the eastern gate, looking over the deconstruction of the elven guardian. Each adventurer, brothers as they were, was almost an exact copy of the others. Shaved heads, trimmed beards, and enough scars to show their true nature as hardened adventurers.

“Sorry, boss.” Bal seemed to be the one to talk first, revealing him as the oldest brother. “Just a quest.”

Theo stared out over the deconstruction of the guardian, watching as Throk directed the work. They’d pulled the main section of the thing’s chest apart, revealing an endless tangle of artifice cogwork. The marshling was salivating over the find, rubbing his hands together and laughing. He’d go down after confronting the brothers about the contract.

“What contract?” Theo asked.

“Showed up in the guild this morning,” Bal said. “Someone wanted you guarded.”

Theo didn’t need to see the contract to know that Tresk issued it. She might have hid her intentions well, but she wanted to make sure he was safe while she adventured. He turned to look at the brothers, still uneasy about how much alike they looked. It seemed like a waste to have three adventurers watching him when one would have done the job.

“Do you all need to be here?” Theo asked.

“Dal lost some fingers, so he’s useless,” Bal said, the hint of a sneer on his face. “Ral broke his leg, so we’re waiting for that to heal up. We’re just bored.”

Theo huffed a breath. They should have come to him immediately about both matters and had to wonder about the wisdom of adventurers who didn’t know when to turn to alchemy. He ordered them to stay at the top of the wall, then went down to check on Throk’s progress. It was a brief conversation. The metal was indeed Barrowsteel, as Fenian claimed, and it was harder to break down than they expected. The artifice pieces inside the guardian were worth a fortune, according to the marshling. Naturally, he intended to keep them all for himself.

After confirming that there was nothing he could do to help, Theo marched his new bodyguards back to the Newt and Demon. When he arrived, a half-ogre woman was standing in the shop section. She began making introductions, but he told her to hold off until he had the time, heading to the lab to grab a tin of Alchemic Regenerative Salve and returning to his guards. The salve would restore Dal’s lost fingers, but he had nothing for broken bones. He only assumed they’d tried drinking his potions, so they crossed the street to see Zarali about mending a bone.

“Have they tried drinking a potion?” Zarali asked.

“Didn’t work,” Bal said, still speaking to his brothers.

Zarali let out a breath, standing from her chair and abandoning her enchanting work. She closed her eyes and held out her hands. After a moment, her eyes snapped open. “You have a disease that prevents healing items from working.”

“Lesser Potions of Purification are available for free at the adventurer’s guild,” Theo said, narrowing his eyes at the offending adventurer.

“Oh,” Ral said, his eyes narrowing. “Really?”

“Really,” Theo said, producing one such potion from his inventory and handing it over. He followed that with a common Lesser Healing Potion, and the man drank both. The audible sound of Ral’s leg snapping back into place sent a shiver up Theo’s spine, but a look of relief spread across the human’s face.

“Hooray,” Ral said. Theo took a deep breath, calming himself.

“You need to apply that cream daily,” Theo said, jabbing a finger at Dal. “If you have a question, please head to the town hall and get it sorted with the administration staff there. Don’t suffer because you’re too dumb to ask for help.”

The three brothers just nodded, looking at each other with shamed expressions.

“Is that all, Theo?” Zarali asked.

“Yes,” Theo said, clapping his hand on her shoulder and casting her a concerned look. “For now.”

Theo left the enchanter’s lab with his entourage, heading back to the Newt and Demon to meet his new shopkeeper. She was lean, for a half-ogre, and he didn’t recognize her as a native to Broken Tusk. She was far too shy to be from these parts and had a mousey appearance despite her massive stature. While most half-ogres stood at the same height as Theo, she was a head shorter, likely the shortest of her kind he’d ever met.

“Salire Hogrush,” she said, bowing. An untamed mop of curly black hair fell over her face, obscuring her ochre features for a moment. “Azrug assigned me to the shop.”

“Theo Spencer,” the alchemist said, reaching a hand for her to shake. The three brothers watched awkwardly from the door. “Tell me about yourself.”

The half-ogre woman blushed at his question, clearly not used to the direct nature of Broken Tuskers. Then she told her story. Salire Hogrush was from a small town in the mountains leading north to Qavell. It was a fortress town, not unlike Broken Tusk, known for their ability to repel the many monster waves of the treacherous cliffs. There was little room for a merchant, and that was her aspiration in life. Once she heard about the exodus to the south, she couldn’t contain herself and left everything behind.

“Azrug has been accommodating,” she said.

“Must be weird having a kid be your boss,” Bal said, sniggering.

“Stand outside,” Theo said, casting him a glare. The brothers left, grumbling their objections. He turned his attention back to the new hire. “Azrug outlined everything, I hope. This is more of a place for citizens to buy potions at an absurd discount. We mostly export with a reliable traveling merchant.”

“Everyone has heard about Fenian Feintleaf,” Salire said, nodding. “You don’t topple Mercantile Chairs without getting a few songs to your name.”

“Right,” Theo said, his mind wandering. “Let me know if you have any questions.”

“Thank you.”

Theo retrieved his guards and led them into the lab, directing them to sit by the window. They seemed restless but happy enough to get paid to do nothing. The alchemist was surprised with how interested they were in his process. The Tara’hek Core had enough lead for him to work on a few minor potions, but he didn’t want to push it for now. The alchemist spent some time organizing his crates before setting up his fermentation barrels. With a tap, the Power Siphon turned on, and he ground Mage’s Bane into the barrels. That was when the brothers paid attention.

Theo explained every step of the process, from grinding the reagents down into a fine paste to the introduction of Drogramathi mana to the mix. They were in awe when he transferred it to a still hours later. He explained the difference in tiers of processing, from the basics of distilling reagents down to the enhanced process of refining that essence. The alchemist forgot himself as they observed, missing the chance to brew a large amount of potions. It was better that way, though. He wanted to hold his Drogramath Alchemy Core back for a while, and this was a good excuse to take it slow.

After setting his modifier essence up for refinement, he led his gaggle of adventurers off to the mine. They were excited to meet with monsters, but Theo assured them it would be uneventful. Even if monsters spawned, they would be low-level goblins. That dampened their mood slightly. Nira was teaching her new hires how to work the double smelter and offered a meek wave before turning her attention back to her work. Gridgen was outside of the mine with his wife, Sarna. Both offered hearty greetings and made fun of the alchemist’s guests.

“Tresk hired them,” Theo said.

“She worries too much,” Gridgen said. “I bet you could take all three of them alone.”

Theo didn’t know where the miner got that idea, even if he was half-right. He had enough escape plans to make it out of a few sticky situations, even if he didn’t know what the brothers had to offer on the battlefield. They didn’t seem to take the insult personally, collectively shrugging it off.

“Nira looked busy,” Theo said, patting Gridgen on the shoulder. “Has she smelted any demon metal?”

“None that I know of,” Gridgen said.

“She has her hands full,” Sarna put in.

Theo, joined by Gridgen, Sarna, and the trio of adventurers, went and explored the lower level of the mines. A few of the tentacled dogs lined the walls, dead at the hands of the miners, but it was uneventful.

“Gonna hit a cavern soon,” Bal said. All eyes turned to him.

“Are you sure?” Theo asked.

“Very sure,” Bal said, placing his hand on the stone at the end of one tunnel. “Feel how cold the rock is?”

Theo placed his hand near where Bal had. The rock was wet and cold, even if he didn’t know what that meant. He searched the adventurer’s face for clues, but it just held a stupid smile. “Care to explain?”

“Caves are cold,” Bal said, shrugging the question off. “The colder the rock, the closer to a cave. Makes sense, right? But you got a real problem here.”

“Please, explain,” Theo said.

“When you hit the cavern, you’re going to hit it at a weird angle,” Bal said. “Likely from the top, which means you’re in trouble. How do you get down?”

“Well, that’s a good thing,” Gridgen said, shoving himself into the already claustrophobic press of bodies to feel the rock. “We don’t want anything living down there to come up.”

“Oh, yeah,” Bal said, removing himself from the press. “That’s a good thing. Is this going to be open to adventurers?”

Theo had considered the idea before. It was his main motivation for hitting a cavern, but he didn’t know what would be down there. It could open the gates of hell under his mine, even if he’d prepared for the event. Sending adventurers down to retrieve whatever valuable items were down there was a good thing, but sending them to their deaths wasn’t.

“Once it’s cleared through the guild,” Theo said. “Well, this is good information. Thank you, Bal.”

“No worries.”

Gridgen and Sarna had some small talk they wanted to get off their chests. They were excited about the new school, claiming it gave them more free time to pursue their own interests. Sarna was, according to her husband, an accomplished miner by now. Even when she was stuck watching their child, she’d outpaced Gridgen in a short span of time. Once Theo was sure that none of the miners were worried about mining demonic ore, he departed from Dead Dog Mine. It was the 58th day of the Season of Blooms, and he’d be expected to host the gathering tomorrow.

When Theo left the mine with his bodyguards, he broke the news that the rest of the day would be spent inspecting festival wreaths. They groaned, but came along anyway. There were a few select wreaths still alive, and he didn’t know how to judge them. One thing stuck out in his mind above all the other thoughts. He wouldn’t allow himself to take the prize, even if the next most viable wreath was wilting away on Perg’s door. It felt like cheating to give an alchemist such a task. Still, it was the spirit of the festival that mattered. He made his way back to the lab, intent on finishing out the day performing alchemy and cracking the shell of the strange adventurers that had become his bodyguards.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Xam served a feast on the night of the 58th day of the Season of Blooms. The Dying of the Blooms festival was the signal that the season was over, but there were still a few weeks left in the season. Theo sat with Tresk, Zarali, Xol’sa, and the new shopkeeper Salire, no longer flanked by his cadre of adventurers. They ate through each meal, stuffing themselves with a starter of Pozwa omelets, moving on to a dish of wolf meat curry over Zee flatbread, and finishing it with pastries that exploded with impossibly sweet flavors. Perhaps it was just because the alchemist hadn’t had sweets in so long, but the dessert tasted too sweet.

The new tradition was to head directly for the bathhouse after eating dinner, and Theo was eager to invite his companions to join him. Salire was reluctant to join at first, but a bit of friendly prodding had her marching in step with the others up to the building. Even Xol’sa seemed excited to try the bath out. When the group entered the room, tossing their towels to the side to strip down, the new shopkeeper flushed with embarrassment.

“Could you use the towels? Just while I’m here?” Salire asked, turning away.

Tresk was already naked, but she grumbled and picked up her towel. The group followed suit, not wanting to put off a new citizen with something so silly. When they all slipped into the bath, her worries seemed to melt away. That was when she retold her life’s story.

Theo faded in and out of listening to the woman’s story, trying to plan tomorrow around hosting festivities. During his parade around town after leaving the mine, as he inspected everyone’s wreaths, he got more Pozwa Horns from Miana. The goat-like creatures seemed to shed their horns more often than was reasonable, but they were meant to be a closely guarded secret of Gardreth, so it wasn’t surprising. He’d only had their eggs in whatever Xam was cooking, which didn’t reveal any of the properties. The shell usually contained the reagent-producing material.

The towel clung uncomfortably to Theo’s body as he listened to Salire’s story. While the town of Boro Hold had little in the form of commerce, she specialized in buying and reselling adventuring gear. That made her the perfect person to pick up Azrug’s good work. But once again, it was hard to focus. One more level in anything, and his personal level would hit 15. Then his attention would be captured by the constructs. A section of Basic Drogramath Alchemy would unlock, and he’d get more information than he needed to build his first real construct.

The group swapped stories for hours after that until the attendant kicked them out. Theo moved in a haze, bidding farewell to his friends, new and old, and heading back to the Newt and Demon.

“So, you really hired adventurers?” Theo asked.

“I’m up to my eyeballs in gold,” Tresk said. “You can’t put a price on peace of mind.”

After their forehead pressing and some kind words, the pair drifted off into the Dreamwalk. It was uneventful, even for a realm that existed only when both of them were asleep. Theo avoided alchemy, favoring herbalism once again. They carved out their time to train, and Tresk tested her new anti-mage poison. With the monsters they could spawn, it was incredibly effective. She practiced switching between daggers in her inventory, already coated with different deadly poisons, but she wanted more. Theo saw no harm in trying to get her even more poisons and fully intended to provide. Even if the risk of the Drogramath Alchemy Core overtaking the Tara’hek Core was high, he couldn’t help himself. He was an alchemist.

The Dreamwalk ended, and while his Drogramath Herbalism Core stubbornly refused to roll over to Level 16, the Governance Core had no problem providing the last bit of experience to grow Theo’s personal level to 15. Theo’s eyes flicked open, a series of system messages waiting for him to read.

Governance Core gained experience (0.1%).

Governance Core reached Level 13.

Theo Spencer reached Level 15.

Theo Spencer received one free point.

Theo Spencer received one free skill.

Even knowing what skill he was going to pick didn’t dampen Theo’s excitement for the level. He selected Alchemy Constructs without hesitation.

[Alchemy Constructs]

Epic Alchemy and Herbalism Skill

Alchemy constructs can take many forms. They combine the power of essences with magical bindings and the natural world.

Effect:

Increases the success of creating a construct.

Constructs require less power to operate.

+1 Intelligence

With the extra point in Intelligence, this made selecting Wisdom easy. He’d debated putting points into Vigor, but it was growing so much with his various core bonuses that it no longer made sense. Perhaps he’d alternate between Wisdom and Vigor, but today he felt his primary stat needed boosting.

Alchemy Constructs came with a rush of knowledge. Some skills imparted hidden information to the wielder, and when he slotted this skill into his Drogramath Alchemy Core, he felt a surge play on his mind. Without a word to Tresk, he made his way to Basic Drogramath Alchemy.

The poems and ballads that existed before had vanished. The section held the same header, but the content was different. He thumbed through it, finding the Drogramath Dronon to have a low opinion of the art. Despite this, it held step-by-step instructions. Joined with his intuition and things he had heard, he was confident he could make it happen. They were effectively helpers with no intelligence. They followed a series of instructions, the complexity of those instructions depending on their creator, and worked as long as the monster core that powered them lasted.

Theo found his first disagreement with the book immediately. The short-sighted Dronon, only concerned with the power of alchemy as potions, hadn’t considered an alternative fuel source. That, or they hadn’t delved far enough into the skill to unlock its true potential. Either way, the alchemist intended to split his time today and create his first construct.

Tresk felt his mania for the new skill and went off to retrieve breakfast. Theo pored over the tome, making mental notes that would stick. He was almost completely on point for his assumptions on the constructs’ creation. He needed an alchemically treated precious metal cage, a monster core, and a dead ingredient. That was where his knowledge was different. He assumed the base material needed to be naturally occurring. But the book advised alchemists new to the skill to work with simple materials. Mud, copper, and low-level monster cores. After mastering that subtle art, it suggested moving on to infuse stone tablets with essence properties.

Another surprising find was that the little golems could act as portable potion dispensers. The examples were thin, focusing on the [Aerosolize] modifier, but Theo’s mind was already getting creative. The only problem with his plan to dive head-first into the creation of constructs was the long list of chores and duties he had to fulfill. When Tresk returned, he gave her the full picture of the skill.

“You can make little workers?” Tresk asked. “Time to fire everyone.”

“Not sure if they can mine,” Theo said. “Or cut wood. I’m starting small.”

“Mud golems!” Tresk shouted, unconcerned about Theo’s reservations.

Theo picked at the leftovers from last night’s feast. The tea was the only thing he really needed. He still felt stuffed from the banquet and enjoyed the +1 to all his combat stats. Combined with the bathhouse buff, things were getting interesting.

“So, you’re coming with me to do the final judgment on the wreaths. Perg is going to win,” Theo said.

“But ours is better,” Tresk said, glaring.

“We can’t make ourselves win. That’s not fair.”

Tresk had a look on her face like she wanted to argue, but she shrugged. As someone who had cheated in the past, Theo hoped she learned a lesson. It wasn’t about who won; it was about coming together at the end of a season. There wasn’t even a prize for winning.

Theo didn’t need to bring his copy of the Drogramathi tome with him to view the pages. Tresk joined him to do the final judging of the wreaths, making fun of him for staring into the distance. She made most of the calls on who was out, and by the end of their hours-long rounds, only two wreaths remained. Something carried on the wind as he inspected one of the two final wreaths, Perg’s wreath. A familiar smell of shoe polish drifted from the collection of flowers, sending his alchemical senses into overdrive. He drew back as his mouth dropped.

“Perg!” Theo shouted, dropping his voice when he noticed a crowd following them around during the judging. He grabbed the half-ogre woman’s arm and drew her close. She had a look of fear on her face. “You treated your wreath with my potion? You cheated?”

Perg held her hands up defensively, smiling sheepishly. “Caught me.”

“Damn it,” Theo said, letting out a breath. The alchemist couldn’t let this kind of cheating go unchecked. He thought about it for a moment longer. He really didn’t want to win. “You win, anyway.”

“Really?” Perg asked, looking around at the crowd. “I win?”

“Yeah, you win,” Theo said, removing the wreath from her door and stuffing it onto her head. The fumes made her sway on the spot. “That’s your punishment.”

Perg stumbled off, immediately embraced by the crowd. No one noticed she lost consciousness when they hoisted her on their shoulders. The fumes shouldn’t have been fatal, but she would have a horrible headache when she woke up.

“That’s what dirty cheaters get,” Tresk said, giggling.

“Help me with the garden,” Theo said, gesturing back toward the Newt and Demon.

“No! I paid those brothers to watch you again today,” Tresk said, gesturing in the same direction.

Theo saw the trio of men coming down the road. They may as well have been clones of each other, and it annoyed him every time. He let out another breath. His duties as mayor were done for the day, and he could force his new bodyguards to help him trim the garden. Tresk vanished before he could object again, jumping through the shadows to go run a dungeon.

“Bal. Good morning,” Theo said, waving at the oldest brother.

“Hey.”

The group followed Theo to his greenhouses, and he put them to work. They were all on weeding duty, which had become something of a job. The alchemist watched them, making sure no one touched the reagents while he sorted his cultivating plants. Most plants experienced a fairly slow rate of cultivation, something around 10% per day. This was absurdly fast, by the standards of the world at large, but Theo had grown fond of his fast-growing town. He was broken from the calming act by a strange buzzing in his mind. It took him a long moment to realize what it was. Fenian’s communication had a certain flavor, but the one provided by the Kingdom of Qavell had a totally different feel.

Theo told his bodyguards what was going to happen, removing the crystal from his inventory and holding it in his hand. He squeezed it tight and fell into a shadowy realm, his mind cast into a wide stone platform. Dark shadows obscured everything, even his own body, but he saw the figure of Grub on the far side of the dias.

“Long time,” Theo said, narrowing his eyes at the man. It was hard not to feel some amount of betrayal. They’d left him to fend for himself for most of the season.

“Things are busy,” Grub said. The brogling bounced when he talked, but none of his form could be seen. It was a shadowy outline of a tiny man. “It was hard enough getting a chamber to myself. Not with the war. Not with the… well, never mind. I won’t be collecting your tax in person. Please ensure that all 125 gold, 15 silver, and 33 copper are available in your town’s treasury.”

“Any chance my taxes are going to drop?” Theo asked, ignoring the absurd amount of gold.

Somehow, despite the brogling’s vague shape, Theo could sense a deep concern. Grub drew closer, waddling across the wide platform.

“Be thankful there’s a kingdom to pay,” Grub said, suddenly cutting the connection.

Theo was sent hurtling out of the shadowy realm, stumbling back into the hands of a waiting adventurer. The alchemist couldn’t tell, but he supposed it was Ral that caught him.

“Good news from our home city?” Bal asked, smiling.

“Always good news,” Theo said, lying.

The implications of the message were dire, but Theo pushed it to the back of his mind. He bid the adventurers to follow him up to the lab, dismissing whatever his shopkeeper said to him. He paused at the foot of the stairs, taking a deep breath. Instead of pushing those worries for the future away, he cast them out entirely. They were preparing for anything.

“Sorry, Salire,” Theo said, smiling. His higher stats made compartmentalizing his fears easier. “What was that?”

“I was admiring Azrug’s little enterprise,” Salire said, not daunted by his sour entrance. “He’s only 16? That’s amazing.”

Theo ordered his guards up to the lab, coming close to his new shopkeeper and taking her by the shoulders. He stared into her eyes, finding all the potential that Azrug had when he started in the shop. Citizens had access to more means here, giving them the chance to rise above what was normally possible.

“You’re on the first step of your journey,” Theo said, patting her shoulders. “Please don’t compare yourself to someone like him.”

“No, I was just admiring it,” Salire said.

“Good,” Theo said. “Because that’s you. In a month. Maybe less,” Theo said. “We move so many items through here; the experience just rolls in.”

“I’ve been meaning to ask about that,” Salire said, laughing. “Seems like money just comes out of the ground here.”

Theo actively refused to let his mood be taken down by Qavell. He drew himself up and explained why things were the way they were around here. She listened to every word he said, nodding along. The young shopkeeper wasn’t even concerned about the power of Drogramath floating in the air, claiming she’d seen much worse in her hometown. When the alchemist was satisfied with her level of comfort, he went to join the brothers upstairs. They were messing with his equipment and required a firm shouting-at.

“All right,” Bal said, stuffing his hands in his pockets. “The alchemy stuff can blow up. Got it.”

Theo processed his existing Spiny Swamp Thistle Root, everything he harvested from the garden with the brothers. The alchemist filled two stills, flushing his reserve tanks and sending the refined essence out to his massive storage tanks outside. That was their purpose, after all. When he was too busy, he could just fill up his exterior tanks and go about his day. He had time enough to grind some Pozwa Horns and eat the powder, something that made each brother grimace.

Theo had never eaten ash, but it must have tasted like this. A system message flashed.

[Properties Discovery!]

You’ve discovered an additional effect from the [Pozwa Horn] by eating it.

[Limited Foresight] discovered.

Theo let out a groan, immediately correcting himself.

“Is there a problem? Are you dying? You just licked horn dust—want me to get your sister?” Bal asked.

“No, thank you,” Theo said, rolling his shoulders. “This property is too good not to try.”

Theo processed 500 units of the Pozwa Horn, loading his last still up and forcing his intent on it. He targeted the [Limited Foresight] property and set the process off. He made his offering at the shrine and regretted the first batch of the new reagent being so big. There were usually things he needed to tweak during the run to get excellent-quality essence, but the building bonuses did a lot to mitigate that problem.

Before leaving the lab, Theo made sure he had everything he needed to make his first construct. He pilfered the shared inventory, stealing a low-level monster core. It was a Level 5 core from an Ogre Snapper, which seemed like the safest bet. If the golem he created had any instincts from the monster, it would be a bad idea to use a goblin’s core.

“Didn’t know the mayor needed a babysitter!” a voice called from afar. Theo spotted Luras, giggling to himself in the distance. Theo thumbed his nose at the half-ogre, a gesture he knew the man wouldn’t understand.

Before long, the group was outside the western gate, among the loggers and the swamp.

“Swamp mud should work the best,” Theo said. “There’s a bit of a nature’s element in every piece of nature.”

“If you say so,” Bal said, shrugging. “Just watch that snapper.”

An Ogre Snapper was looming in the distance, its massive shell poking out of the mud. They usually waited there for unsuspecting people, bursting from the muck to claim their victim.

When Theo placed the monster core in the center of his copper cage, he let out a surprised gasp. The core floated where it was, glowing with a dim light. His Drogramath Alchemy Core flooded him with approval, and he moved to the next step. The brothers helped him slather the entire cage with swamp mud, never ones to worry about getting their hands dirty. The mud stuck to the cage, even flowing over the surface to even out the display. After a moment of waiting, Theo dropped it in the swamp.

“Now, the part that might kill me,” Theo said, closing his eyes to summon mana to his hand. It flowed from his Drogramath cores, a pool of purple fire. He placed his hand over the ball of mud, then scrambled back and waited.

“Should we be worried?” Ral asked, uncharacteristically speaking for his brothers.

“Maybe,” Theo said, watching his creation.

Nothing happened. Theo approached the ball and tilted his head, running through the steps in his mind. He didn’t miss a single step. The Drogramathi mana should have been enough to activate the skill. He gently kicked it with his foot.

“Come on,” Theo said, disappointment flooding through him. “Do something.”

A whirlpool of mud began surrounding the ball. More mud was sucked from the surrounding area with a great squelching sound, joining the ball. It was already the size of Theo’s head, but it kept growing. After another moment of tense mud-gathering, the mud grew taller. Stunted arms that ended without hands or fingers appeared, then little legs without feet. Eyes made of rocks appeared, and the thing looked up at Theo expectantly.

“Good golem,” Theo said, reaching out to pet his creation on the head.

The golem squelched in response.

Chapter Twenty-Five

A thin thread of willpower stretched between Theo and the Lesser Mud Golem. It was a strange mix between a foreign will and his own, not battling for dominance but working together to make the thing functional. There wasn’t an attribute for willpower, though. The alchemist knew, through instinct or logical deduction, that the quantity and complexity of the constructs he commanded were limited by that factor. Sheer will.

“Great, you made a mud monster,” Bal said, edging away from the alchemist’s creation. The golem smacked its muddy lips in response, trying and failing to form words. But its intent flooded into Theo.

“He wants to help,” Theo said, patting the golem. “How long can you work for, little guy?”

The golem’s intent flooded into him again. A vague series of thoughts that was almost understandable. Theo got the general idea and determined it would only last a few hours before expiring.

“Two hours, maybe,” Theo said, nodding. He locked that in his mind.

“Can I pet him?” Ral asked. Theo gestured, giving the man permission.

While the brothers took turns patting the golem’s wet head, Theo inspected the creature. Most monsters could be inspected, even if they gave little information. The screen that popped up was shocking in its content—far more than he could have hoped for.

[Lesser Mud Golem]

[Alchemy Construct]

Level 5

Mud Golems are considered lesser golems. Their strengths lie in the abstract nature of mud, allowing them to move through spaces as small as their Containment Cores. They are friendly, playful helpers.

Containment Core: [Alchemically Treated Copper Cage]

Monster Core: [Ogre Snapper] (Level 5)

Medium: [Enriched Swamp Mud]

Alchemy Slates: None

Power System: None

Siphon System: None

Additional Modifications: None

Each component he used was present on the screen, from the copper cage to the mud he used. Theo took more mental notes on the matter, locking in the additional parts of the screen that read “none.” His first theory about the constructs was that nature would take care of everything, an idea he revised after seeing the elven guardian. Between the information Basic Drogramath Alchemy had and the guardian, he had an excellent picture of how they worked. The monster core was the brain, while the cage contained the core. The mud was just the thing that made up their body, but there was more. He could improve the design, giving his creations the ability to operate for longer periods of time.

“You know what you’re looking at, guys?” Theo asked, slapping the top of the mudman. “The future defenders of Broken Tusk.”

“I could see it,” Bal said, scratching whiskers on his chin. “Big old army of mud guys. How strong are they?”

“What to find out?” Theo asked. He felt the golem’s eagerness to please him. “It’s only Level 5, so go easy.”

Bal did not go easy. True to the description of the golem, though, unless the adventurer went for the core, the mud kept reforming. He would swipe the creature’s arm off, only to have it regrow after sucking in some mud from the surrounding swamp. But Bal was avoiding the core on purpose, intending not to break Theo’s new toy. Likewise, the alchemist urged the Lesser Mud Golem to restrict movement, not to attack outright. The display was interesting, making it easy to see the potential of this new skill.

Bal was out of breath, and the golem backed off, sensing his opponent weakening. That much of Theo’s will bleed into the core. “I yield,” Bal said.

The golem bowed with a sloppy flourish, gaining laughs from all the brothers.

Today held too much excitement for Theo. The looming celebration tonight hampered his spirit slightly, but his golems worked. He made his way to Throk’s blacksmith, three adventurers and a mudman close behind. The marshling looked up from his anvil, bags under his eyes, and let out a groan.

“You’re giving life to the swamp, now?” Throk asked. “Why am I not surprised? And you need something.”

“Have you worked with Drogramathi Iron yet?” Theo asked.

Throk rummaged through a pile of junk, producing a bar of gray-purple metal and smiling. “Can’t fault you for bringing me cool stuff,” he said, gesturing vaguely at his workshop.

It was filled with parts of the elven guardian. Pieces of artifice equipment and the strange Barrowsteel littered the workshop. The value of the metal and artifices would have been priceless. Theo hadn’t noticed when Fenian had left the town, but he was gone. If the trader stayed in the town, he would have more things to buy, but it was better this way. The bill he owed the kingdom loomed over his head. He shook it off again.

“I need some more cages,” Theo said.

Throk jabbed a finger at a Dimensional Storage Crate. “Filled that one up recently. See, I’m getting good at anticipating your needs.”

“How much?”

“You own the metal,” Throk grumbled. “10 silver for my new apprentice’s time.”

Theo handed over the money and collected the goods. It was a mix of different containment cores in various styles. There were hundreds there, no doubt meant to test the skill of Throk’s apprentice. They came in square cages, spherical cages, and even triangular cages of copper and iron. Theo was now interested in cages made of Drogramathi Iron. He gave Throk a look, and the blacksmith groaned again.

“Don’t get ahead of yourself,” Throk said. “You just got your weird skill. Practice for a while, then use the advanced materials. Why do I have to tell you this?”

Theo nodded, giving thanks to the man that always came through for him. Broken Tusk would have been a worse place without such a good blacksmith, let alone his artificing skills. The wreath hanging from the marshling’s door, a tangled web of pipes and gears, let out a long farting sound. Perhaps he should have let Throk win the contest on sheer ingenuity.

Before leaving the workshop, Theo discussed the idea of creating their own Power Cores. Throk doubted he had the skill to make something so complex, but the alchemist pushed him. After examining the core from the elven guardian, he grumbled his agreement but argued that he didn’t have the time to work on a new project. They agreed to work on it at a later date.

Theo led his troupe back to the Newt and Demon, kneeling to his golem and issuing a series of mental instructions. He wanted to test how the creature would work on its own, moving far away from its creator and carrying out a single task. A grim part of himself knew the implications of sending a small, low-level creature out carrying a few of his bombs. It was a great tool for assassinations, but he had other plans.

The guards stayed downstairs while Theo checked on his latest essence, inspecting a sample.

[Refined Limited Foresight Essence]

[Essence]

Epic

Created by: Belgar

Quality: Excellent

Alignment:

Drogramath (Middling Bond)

Alignment Effects:

Resulting potions will be more effective.

Chance to consume half of required essence during brewing.

1 unit (liquid)

Concentrated, refined essence of limited foresight.

Everything was in order, and he gained a higher grade than he expected. Essences never gave away much information. Theo’s intuition said it could brew a standard potion, or the base reagent could extract a modifier that mirrored this essence. The name alone made his heart beat faster. He set up a simple reaction, enchanting a handful of Iron Shavings with his Drogramathi mana and dipping into his barrels of Enchanted Water. He poured the clear essence into a 2-unit, flat-bottomed vial before introducing the water and catalyst. It swirled in the vial, turning a spinning mix of gold and silver and putting off a scent like warm bread.

Theo leaned in, inspecting the unmodified potion.

[Potion of Limited Foresight]

[Potion]

Epic

Created by: Belgar

Quality: Perfect

Alignment:

Drogramath (Middling Bond)

For 6 hours after drinking this potion, the next 4 attacks made against you will miss.

Effect:

For 6 hours, all attacks, magical or otherwise, will miss. This potion may be overcome by gross differences in levels.

Theo must have some bad luck coming his way. Between the golem and this, it was too good to be true. A potion with a 6-hour duration was absurd, but one that made an attack miss no matter what? That was too good to be true. Some potions had negative effects if someone drank them back to back, but the alchemist couldn’t get a good sense for this one. It required experimentation. He drank the potion, feeling a strange sensation spreading through his body. The potion tasted like bread, thankfully.

The brothers were chatting with Theo’s new shopkeeper, both striking up friendly conversation and showing off their muscles. The alchemist didn’t see their physiques as impressive, especially compared to the massive half-ogres, even if Salire seemed smitten.

“Hit me!” Theo shouted, pointing at Bal.

The brothers must have been annoyed with babysitting the alchemist all day because Bal struck out without further prompting. His fist came in with all the quickness of a seasoned adventurer, rocketing at Theo’s face. It should have been a solid hit. Something changed, almost imperceptibly. Theo couldn’t tell if it was Bal who changed positions or him, but he felt the wind from the strike blow past his cheek.

“What?” Ral asked, blinking. Bal looked equally shocked.

“I’m invincible,” Theo declared.

Bal took another shot, missing again. Then another, and another. Only when Theo held up his hands, asking him to stop, did the adventurer stop. He was out of charges on the potion and would have been clocked in the face if he let Bal continue.

“How?” Bal asked. He had a look on his face as though Theo had just ruined his entire world. He looked down at his hands, stammering something else.

“New potion,” Theo said, rushing up the stairs again. The brothers followed. “I have a job for you boys.”

“Uh, does it mean we get some of those potions?”

“Yes.”

There were a few options for modifiers on this one. Dodging four attacks was good, but he could use the [Solidify] modifier to create pills, likely reducing the amount of charges to one or two. [Anti-Mage] was an obvious one, likely adding some feedback for missed attacks with magic. There was also another experiment he hadn’t had the time to work with, the Suffuse Potion, but that wouldn’t be useful for now. He settled on the modifier that worked more often than not, withdrawing a flask of [Refined Anti-Mage] from his inventory. He brewed another Potion of Limited Foresight, introducing the [Anti-Mage] modifier and watching as a hint of blue was added to the swirl of silver and gold.

Theo inspected the result, giggling with excitement at the result.

[Potion of Limited Foresight]

[Anti-Mage]

[Potion] [Modified Potion]

Epic

Created by: Belgar

Quality: Perfect

Alignment:

Drogramath (Middling Bond)

For 6 hours after drinking this potion, the next 4 attacks made against you will miss.

All magical attacks made against you will be reflected to the caster, consuming a charge.

Effect:

For 6 hours, all attacks, magical or otherwise, will miss. This potion may be overcome by gross differences in levels.

Reflects all magical attacks as long as charges exist.

The refined modifiers often produced excellent results. Instead of changing the way the potions worked, they added another effect. The brothers whistled in amazement as they inspected the potion. Even Salire came upstairs, abandoning the shop to see what all the fuss was about.

“How much do you think that is worth?” Theo asked, grinning at her.

Salire squinted her eyes, clearly using a skill. After a moment, she let out a breath. “I can’t get a read on it. No one has sold a potion like this in the area recently.”

“All right,” Theo said. “I’ll brew the rest of the batch, but we’re not stocking these.”

“What?” Bal asked, scoffing. “You can’t tease me like that. Come on!”

Theo had to explain the dangers of potions to the brothers, giving the only example he knew of. If someone used Potions of Growth repeatedly, their heart would suffer permanent damage. Since there was no documentation on the Potion of Limited Foresight, he wanted to take it slow before distributing it to the town. Then he would consult with Fenian and ask his opinion on wider distribution. With perfect timing, the bell downstairs rang. A pair of heavy boots stomped up the stairs, and the door swung open.

Aarok stood, drenched in mud, followed closely by a golem.

“Is this your idea of a joke?” Aarok said, gesturing to the amalgam of mud following him.

Theo moved over, clapping his hand over the half-ogre’s shoulder and dumping some Cleansing Scrub over his head. “I was testing my new golem.”

“Well, good for you!” Aarok said. “Why are there so many people in your lab?”

Theo thrust a Potion of Limited Foresight into his hand and grinned. Aarok’s mouth dropped open. He looked between the potion and Theo for a while before finally finding words to speak.

“How much?” Aarok asked.

“It requires testing,” Theo said, waving him off. “The mud attack was another test. Sorry about that.”

The golem seemed to laugh at that, but no sound came out. Just that squelching noise.

“I volunteer,” Aarok said.

Theo laid out the bounds of the test to everyone who wanted to take part. They each needed to visit Zarali after consuming the potion and couldn’t take more than one every six hours. He wanted them to expend the charges on the potion only after having a day where they only took one, then take another and report to the priestess of Drogramath. She’d be able to tell if there was anything wrong with them, and only with her approval would he distribute the potion. Each man agreed to the terms without hesitation.

“Imagine,” Bal said. “This is going to make bosses easy.”

“Maybe,” Theo said. “But that is the future of Broken Tusk.”

Everyone gave him a flat look after he pointed at the golem. But the test he gave it was proof of that. The only thing he told the golem to do was to find Aarok and splatter him with mud. It was a simple task but proved that it could go off and perform a simple, two-step task. Find a target, engage. With upgrades, better materials, and stronger monster cores, these golems could revolutionize the defense of a city. The others weren’t convinced, but that didn’t matter.

Theo chatted with Aarok for a bit, discussing the defense of the city. Xol’sa informed him they were expecting a small monster wave soon, but nothing like they’d experienced in the past. Salire went back downstairs to work the shop, as someone had just entered. After an appropriate amount of friendly chatter, the alchemist excused himself with his bodyguards. The golem came as well.

Zarali was working in her enchanting building, and Theo couldn’t resist showing off his creation. She wanted him to take another skill at Level 15 but was still excited to see a working Golem.

“Belgar never took that skill,” Zarali said, patting the creature on the head. “Said it was useless.”

That seemed to hurt the little guy’s feelings.

“We’ll see,” Theo said.

Zarali had a few insights on the creation of a Power Core and offered her expertise in the matter. Working with enchanting meant that she was often using a Power Siphon and understood their operation well. So a project that would have been just the alchemist and Throk now included the enchanter.

“Imagine tireless guardians,” Theo said, letting out a wistful sigh. “Just like the elven guardian.”

“You’re a dreamer,” Zarali said, a smile playing across her face. “You always see the best way to help the town with your creations. So you’re on a different path than Belgar. Different motives.”

Theo nodded, engaging in some more small talk before departing with his guards. They made the rounds once more. The alchemist watched with interest as the golem deteriorated. It began by walking sideways, then its legs crumbled to dirt, and then the core expired. When he inspected the remnants of the construct, the copper cage was useless, and the monster core had spent itself. He felt no sadness watching the thing die, as it wasn’t really ever alive. Just an echo of an Ogre Snapper and some mana.

The afternoon wore on, and Theo caught several glimpses of what Tresk was doing. They were more of vague feelings than anything, but he felt her triumph as she cleared some dungeon. She was heading back to town early as he made his way to the town’s center, prepared to host the festivities. If Xam was true to her word, the feast would start soon and Perg would take a place of honor as the winner of the festival.

Theo and his group went off course before heading to the festival. They were back out through the western gate, digging in the mud to create a few Lesser Mud Golems. The alchemist had to drink a few Mana Potions to get the job done, finding a sense of exhaustion washing over him by the fourth golem. His willpower was also stretched thinner than he expected, a problem he’d have to remedy later.

The four golems went off to hide behind the Marsh Wolf Tavern. Theo planned for them to emerge after Perg arrived, hoisting her up and carrying her around to celebrate her victory. It was mostly meant as a punishment for her cheating, but he knew she’d take it in stride.

Tresk arrived, giggling as she joined everyone at the rows of tables. Something of Theo’s plan leaked out to her. She just gave him a sidelong glance, nodding her approval. When enough people were gathered, Theo started things off with a short speech.

“We’re here to celebrate the end of the season!” he shouted, gaining a raucous response from the crowd. “We partake of the bounty provided by the swamp and celebrate. While the winner of the festival receives no prize for their participation, they can stand tall, knowing that they didn’t cheat and hide it from me for the entire time the festival happened.”

Theo glared at Perg. He wasn’t actually angry at her and knew she thought this was good fun. Half-ogres were hard to offend.

“I’m proud to announce that Perg Grott had the longest-living and most beautiful wreath this year!” Theo shouted. The crowd went wild, many people coming over to slap her on the back or give her words of encouragement. “Breaking from tradition, I’d like to celebrate her win with a temporary gift.”

The golems emerged from behind the tavern at a thought from Theo, waddling over to Perg. She looked fearful at first.

“Enjoy your time with the Mud Crew!” Theo shouted.

Perg’s words of objection and shrieks of anguish were drowned out by the laughter of the crowd. The golems hoisted her above their heads, working as a collective to parade her around the tables. They squelched their joy for the task the entire time.

Chapter Twenty-Six

Theo did his best to avoid the wine served at the feast. Xam had imported a watered berry wine from Rivers and Daub. While it was likely not strong enough to affect a half-ogre, even by the barrelful, he still shied away from it. The celebrations carried deep into the night, even after the golems melted into mush, but the alchemist and his friends retreated to the bathhouse long before that. Luras joined them this time, taking full advantage of the private bath.

“Your private room is much larger than the others,” Luras said, lowering himself into the pool. He let out a satisfied sigh. “And the water is hotter.”

Theo was joined by Tresk, Zarali, and Luras tonight in his private bath. Salire politely declined, staying back at the party and taking full advantage of the wine. The alchemist took the chance to grill his adoptive sister on the concept of willpower, which she was happy to share her opinions on.

“Some say that’s a hidden attribute,” Zarali said, soaking a cloth in the water, then placing it on the top of her head. She closed her eyes as the water dribbled down her face. “You’re already on the path to increase it, using your mana the way you are.”

“Aarok was pissed about the mud people,” Luras said, flashing a smile. “I haven’t seen pranks like that in Broken Tusk in years.”

“I fear retaliation,” Theo said.

“You should,” Luras said, dipping his head below the surface of the water. Tresk was just swimming around.

“Willpower develops naturally,” Zarali said. “I have a few games you can try to increase it, but it’s part of your focus. You’re already a very focused person.”

Theo nodded. That much was true. He often carried out mundane tasks, day after day, with no problem. His ability to focus on a task was enhanced by his attributes and cores. Zarali was of the opinion that they acted as a growth modifier for his natural willpower, meaning that they would only influence someone with an already high will.

“I’m interested to see what your little mud people can do,” Zarali said.

Luras had surfaced already, putting in his opinion. “Weapons.”

“That idea didn’t escape me,” Theo said. “I don’t want to say it out loud, but I could send them into a group of monsters with a bomb.”

“Weapons of assassination,” Luras said, amending his previous comment.

“That too,” Theo said, although he really wouldn’t say that one out loud. “How about tireless guardians that watch the mines. Haulers that move things from one place to another. Fieldhands. Lumberjacks. Soldiers. They can be anything.”

“I’ve never seen you attached to an idea like this,” Luras said, settling down on a rock. “You get excited about alchemy, but this? You’re going all in.”

Theo was often excited about brewing potions. His latest creation, the Potion of Limited Foresight, was unrivaled in its power. The value of such a potion was impossible to determine, not without someone like Fenian appraising the thing directly. It also wasn’t difficult to brew, following the same steps as all his other potions. An unlimited supply of Pozwa Horns meant an unlimited supply of the rare potion, but where did potioncraft stop? Not soon, the alchemist realized with little thought. The complexity of potions would grow only in their function, influencing different aspects of life.

These are all fanciful dreams of a rising alchemist, though. It was impossible for him to peer into the future to determine his path. He’d just follow it as it was laid before him.

“So, a monster wave?” Theo said, changing the subject.

“Xol’sa has been talking about it,” Luras said.

Theo withdrew the early warning crystal from his inventory. It had been a long time since he’d looked at it, but it was a deep yellow color. When the dungeons were malfunctioning, they put out a wave every week before Xol’sa stopped it. The people of Broken Tusk wouldn’t complain, though. The waves brought wealth and a massive boost to experience.

The group lounged in the bath for a long time. Zarali took to teaching Theo a few games to play with his mana. The idea was to summon the dancing flames of Drogramath and control them to represent shapes. After that, he could focus on controlling the fire outside of his reach. The priestess displayed her aptitude, sending hundreds of balls of fire through the room, letting them dance off the water and assume various shapes. The alchemist was nowhere near that level of control, but it didn’t discourage him. He could practice.

They shared small topics after practicing, never lingering on one thing for too long. The end of the season was in sight. Theo learned that each season was broken into 70 days each, meaning they had a 280-day year. The alchemist might have had his intelligence increased recently, but he couldn’t figure out what that meant for the planet they were standing on. He dismissed the concept entirely, only concerned that the next season they faced was the Season of Fire.

If this world’s equal to spring was hot, their summer would be even worse. Theo had an idea early in his residency in Broken Tusk for a cooling system. With increased access to both artifices and reagents, he had another idea entirely. Why not hook the entire town up with central cooling? Throk could whip something like that up in an afternoon. The alchemist didn’t dare share his ideas, fearing the retribution of his friends. They would make fun of him for chasing the next, newest thing on his mind.

When Theo and Tresk returned to the Newt and Demon, they descended into the Dreamwalk. The marshling was immediately disappointed when he used his new potion, tilting the scales against her once again. She was even less impressed when he made mud bodyguards. With any thought of attacking him out of her mind, she left him alone that night. This gave him enough time to practice and experiment with his new skill.

The first thing he discovered was his lacking technique. Alchemy constructs were more an art of putting pieces together than a linear process like standard alchemy. Golems were a puzzle. From the monster cores Theo had seen—cores he could replicate in the Dreamwalk—each had a unique personality. Goblin cores just wanted to fight, monsterized animals were good at labor, and each specific core held quirks. Theo learned the importance of a good containment core.

Containment cores weren’t just things that held the monster core in place. They were the beating heart of the golem, and when he brought them to life, he noticed small changes depending on how he injected his mana. Without his practice on the subject, the constructs would have been useless. Several hours into studying, he injected too much mana into a construct, and it exploded. The force of the explosion would have killed him if he wasn’t in the Dreamwalking realm.

The amount of mana injected into the thing didn’t matter as much as where he injected it. Theo was effectively infusing the metal cages with mana, which acted as the spark of life. When he experimented with the different-shaped cages, he noticed a massive change in the golem’s behavior.

“Look at this,” Theo said, laying a few cages out for Tresk to see. She was taking a break from fighting, changing the scene from the exterior of Broken Tusk to the bathhouse.

“Some are fancier than others. Curious,” she observed, pointing between the cages.

Throk’s cages had flourishes and points of significance, some more complex than others. Small images that stood out among the repeating patterns. His apprentice’s metal cages were simple things, holding none of the interesting parts. Those cages with more intricate patterns created stronger constructs that lasted longer. The iron cages held the form together for twice as long as the copper ones, and Theo suspected Drogramathi Iron would double that number. His instincts said silver cages would be even better, as the precious metals were often excellent components.

Theo went through his list of theories with Tresk, centering on a few simple observations. Since she saw them as useful tools, she was happy to share her opinion. They spent an hour going over ways to improve the design of the cages, coming to an interesting conclusion.

“The cage uses mana to bind the will of the dead monster,” Theo said, pointing at his example sinking to the bottom of the bath. “That’s the thing’s brain. It’s making pathways based on how complex the cage is.”

“What’s the best way to make something smarter?” Tresk asked, grinning.

Theo pointed between Tresk and himself. “Give it two brains.”

Then the plan formed a logical pattern. Two cages, one surrounding the other, of various shapes. Each combination would provide unique attributes, and it gave him a clear path forward for integrating external power supplies. The cages could hold a core, a siphon, and a power-to-mana converter all inside the golem. That would increase the price of each construct, but it should extend their life. During his testing, he learned that if he fed the cage mana, it extended the life of the construct.

All this experimentation highlighted how valuable the Dreamwalk was. He was getting experience for his cores, learning new things, and testing everything in a safe environment, never fearing a horrible reaction. He spent the rest of his time that night in the Dreamwalk working on the golem problem, intending to bring an additional request to Throk.

Despite his excitement, Theo thought better than to eat his breakfast in the lab like a recluse. Tresk joined him at the Marsh Wolf Tavern to enjoy more Pozwa omelets. The marshling retold her adventures in the dungeons, stating once again that she’d gone deeper than ever before. It wasn’t a lie, even if she’d been to the last room of the dungeon several times. While the Swamp Dungeon wasn’t growing as fast as it had been, it was still expanding downward every day, gathering strength. The adventurers of Broken Tusk just saw it as a chance to earn a ton of money.

Breakfast was pleasant. Xam’s tea tasted better every day, somehow gaining an edge of sweetness against the bitter Moss Nettle. The peace of the morning was broken when Alise came scrambling over, her hair plastered to her face with sweat. Her eyes were wild, but Theo could sense that she was being overly dramatic.

“Council,” she said, heaving breaths. “Alran Cherman. Rivers. Town Hall.”

It was easy enough to piece together that information. Alran Cherman was a Mercantile Chair from Rivers and Daub. Some towns in the kingdom worked on a system of representation from the highest earners—something Theo hated. He nodded to his Lady Administrator, then to Tresk. The last time they were here, they tried to kill him. The marshling vanished, and he could feel her rushing to find Aarok and Luras. Broken Tusk’s guard would go on high alert while the meeting took place.

Theo drank a Potion of Limited Foresight.

Alran was a portly man. He wore the same ruffled robes and ostentatious hat as Fenian, a hat that Theo now wore as his Plume of Defiance, but he didn’t wear it well. He was a human with a balding mop of curly hair, round features, and beady eyes. Still, despite his appearance, he made good on their trade deal. Alran stood outside of the town hall, hands on his hips, with his guards close by.

“You have a town hall now? Finally catching up,” Alran said, sneering. He adjusted his expression immediately, coughing into his hand and dropping the act. “We have dire news to discuss.”

Theo ushered him inside, taking him to a back room on the second floor of their new building. He would normally send a private message to Tresk with instructions on what to do, but he could feel her lurking in the shadows of the back room, completely hidden in the corner.

“Luras is outside. Bal’s boys are running patrol. Zarali is weaving some magic thing. Let them try something,” Tresk said.

The room the pair entered had a long table with chairs on either side. It was odd when the two of them sat on opposite sides of the table. At least the view outside of the window was good.

“Have you received word from your contact in Qavell?” Alran asked.

Theo ran his fingers through his hair, tracing the ridges of his horns. That was always comforting. His tail poked out from the open-back chair, swishing like a cat ready to pounce. He could put together enough information from the frantic look on Alran’s face. Enough to know bad things were coming.

“Sounds like we’re screwed,” Theo said, steepling his fingers and leaning in. “My contact refused to give me more information. Just some nonsense about being thankful we have a kingdom.”

Alran let out a steady breath, smacking his palms against his face. When his cheeks were sufficiently red, he looked Theo right in the eyes. “I’ve sent word to Gronro-Dir. We need to have a meeting—every power in the southlands.”

“I’m interested,” Theo said, grinning at the shocked expression on Alran’s face. The chairman thought this was supposed to be hard, but it was what Broken Tusk wanted. An alliance of the southlands. “I don’t know what’s happening in Qavell, though.”

“War. And worse,” Alran said. “My spies—yes, I have spies—report bad news on the Veostian front.”

“We’re losing the war?” Theo asked.

“Handily,” Alran said. He withdrew a length of cloth from his inventory and wiped his brow. “Why the king started it to begin with is anyone’s guess. We had good borders. A delicate line cut by the spine. I live here. You live there. No one wants the damn cursed mountains.”

Theo leaned back in his chair. Alran was being too open with his information. If he had spies, he could feed Theo information any time he wanted. The only conclusion was that this was indeed very dire. Still, any overt action against the south would take ages, and they weren’t a big target. Which meant Alran was still hiding something. A bigger threat. The alchemist filed the information away. It wouldn’t serve him in this discussion.

“It’s suspicious, right?” Theo asked. “The cultists’ rebellion. Qavell makes war, and they rise. Then the Mercantile Chairs of the city get their heads lopped off. Whatever force comes for us will break on Gronro-Dir.”

“If they don’t come from the sea,” Alran said, scoffing.

“I’m working on that,” Theo said. “Broken Tusk is happy to offer supplies to Gronro-Dir when the time comes. Money, weapons, potions, whatever they need. I have a question. What can you provide?”

Theo knew the answer before Alran spoke. He was just trying to poke the sweating merchant.

“Food. Wine. Textiles. Adventurers, if they’re needed,” Alran said, puffing himself up. “Don’t take me for a fool, Theo. I made one mistake, but I’m not so arrogant to think Rivers and Daub can weather this alone. We’ve had enough problems with the monster waves.”

That struck Theo in the heart, though. Broken Tusk was responsible for the monster waves, in a way. But he wouldn’t apologize and look weak. He was trying to put things in place; make sure everyone knew where they stood.

“Broken Tusk is the industry, you’re the farm, and Gronro-Dir is the sword and shield,” Theo said, nodding to the man. “We’re already enjoying a fantastic trade relationship. There’s no reason to hurt that. An alliance. Three small towns against a kingdom. Sounds good to me.”

Theo reached out to shake the merchant’s hand. Alran was dumbfounded, sputtering his objections. He never expected Broken Tusk to agree so easily.

“Surely there should be stipulations,” Alran said.

“Of course,” Theo said, shrugging. “But we’re not negotiating here. Not without Murder Passage at the table.”

“Please don’t call it that,” Alran said, going white in the face.

Theo and Alran agreed on basic terms, but nothing went into writing. They established an agreement to communicate at least every other day, sharing whatever information they had. Broken Tusk had little to offer in that realm. The thing that really reeled Alran in was a promise for decreased prices for everyone in the alliance.

“Well, now I’m very interested,” Alran said, smiling for the first time since he got into the small, hot room.

Theo rarely talked to other leaders in this world. He had a few questions lingering in his mind.

“Has Rivers ever thought of breaking from the kingdom?” Theo asked.

“Many times,” Alran said. “As has Gronro-Dir. I suppose I’ll give you a history lesson, if you’ll have it.”

“Please, do,” Theo said, gesturing to the man.

Alran withdrew a wineskin from his inventory, as well as two cups. He poured one for himself and one for Theo, sliding it across the table. The alchemist’s advanced senses for alchemical meddling told him it was a simple berry wine, nothing untoward.

“After Balkor’s Betrayal, almost everyone on the continent was dead,” Alran started, drinking deeply from his cup. Theo did as well, finding it to be pleasantly sweet and tart in equal measure. “Glantheir stitched it back together at great expense, defying the other gods. The survivors rebuilt. Ogres sailed, however they sailed, from Slagrot, settling in the southern marshes. Broken Tusk. Settlers came from the north, joining with those ogres to create the half-ogres we know today. Then Qavell was formed. They pushed south, conquering every town along the way. It didn’t matter how small the town was, they planted their Town Seed Cores and reaped the taxes.”

Alran paused for a long moment, leaning forward. “My family has lived here since Balkor’s Betrayal. Almost one thousand years of history, and the kingdom paved it in a month. We’ve never enjoyed occupation. The curious thing about freedom from these shackles? The price goes up every time we try to pay.”

Theo let out a steadying breath. Grub, his contact in the city, always seemed to push him away from the idea of the Duke title. If the kingdom was doing this to Rivers and Daub from the start, what hope was there for Broken Tusk to get out from under their thumb?

“I hold no grudge against Qavell,” Theo said. “But if their ashes mean the growth of a new power, the southern alliance of towns, then I’ll gladly watch it crumble.”

Alran held his glass out, toasting the sentiment.

“We’ll work on the name,” Alran said.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Alran’s sudden appearance in Broken Tusk sent shockwaves through the town. News traveled fast, even as the town grew larger. As Theo and Alran exited the town hall, the concept of an alliance was the only thing hanging on anyone’s lips. The alchemist gave a brief tour of the town and brought the Mercantile Chair to do business the way Broken Tuskers did. Atop the eastern wall, overlooking both the elven guardian and the nearly completed bridge.

“I was surprised to see a new bridge,” Alran said, withdrawing a comfortable chair from his inventory. Theo sat atop the crenelations.

“We’ve been busy,” Theo said. “What surprises me more than anything is that you came alone.”

“I have my guards,” Alran said.

Theo’s mind had shifted completely to Rivers and Daub. He didn’t appreciate their duplicitous nature, but he understood where they were coming from. Some people needed to be shown power to understand where they stood. With a shortage of high-level people in the south, this was easy for Broken Tusk to do. Now they sat on the wall as equals, scheming against a common enemy. That brought enemies together, after all.

“Yet I’m suddenly worried about your safety,” Theo said, letting out a sigh.

“How kind,” Alran said flatly.

There were several steps they could take immediately to improve their relationship with Rivers. The trade deal was a good start, but it wasn’t the firm bedrock the alchemist wanted to seal the alliance together.

“A road,” Theo said, gesturing beyond the safety of his gates.

Every road from Broken Tusk to Rivers and Daub was packed dirt‌. Conditions were worse at the start of the Season of Blooms when the endless rains came to ruin it all. A sturdy road was a way to decrease the time for travel between the settlements. It would have a practical use, but also a philosophical one.

Alran wiped his brow again. “I didn’t expect you to receive me so well.”

“I want to squeeze you for cash,” Theo said, grinning. “Well, you’ll want to use my port, and I’ll charge your people for the privilege.”

“A port?” Alran said, ignoring Theo’s snide comment. “Honestly? That would… We wouldn’t need Qavell. Not for a damn thing. We could sail to Veosta, The Khahari, Slagrot, or even Tarantham.”

“That was my idea,” Theo said. “A fleet of merchant ships, and perhaps a small military navy.”

“We would gladly pay the fee. Whatever it was,” Alran said.

“Roads first,” Theo said. “Once my guys figure out how to make bridges, they’re going to build my harbor. Then we can work on the roads and talk about boats.”

Theo and Alran went back and forth after that, discussing the best way to prepare for the future. Their thoughts both centered on the idea of a harbor on the eastern shores of the continent. It wasn’t enough to build it. They needed to get the word out that it was functional and ready for travelers. Adventurers would come from other powers in the world to explore the local dungeons, strike trade deals, and experience the once-dead continent. All this talk got the chairman excited.

Aarok came at Theo’s request, joining him on the wall. The alchemist requested an escort for the chair, all the way back to Rivers and Daub. The Guildmaster saw how dire the expression on Theo’s face was, assigning some of the best adventurers and paying out of the adventurer’s guild’s private funds.

Traveling from Broken Tusk to Rivers could take as much as a day if you moved at the pace of a normal person. But once a person pumped points into Dexterity and Vigor, that journey would take far less time. Aarok expected them to return by the end of the day but issued secret orders for some spying. Alran would expect that, though, and Theo hoped the chairman was smart enough to give them a tour.

Once everything was sorted and the chairman was on his way back to Rivers and Daub, Tresk joined Theo to inspect the progress on the bridge. According to her, their first few attempts were horrible. It collapsed twice in one day and three times the next. Their current iteration of bridgework held enough for someone to cross the wide river and showed no signs of collapsing. Still, the alchemist kept his distance as he spoke with Ziz.

There were more laborers than before. Ziz normally worked with four of his friends on stoneworking jobs, but there were twice as many working on the bridge. Everyone was expanding their teams, and for good reason. They were all stretched thin as the town grew more rapidly than they could keep up with. Still, they were excited with the idea of working on a road, promising their skills would expand after completing the harbor.

Theo returned to town and had a short meeting with his people. Aarok, Luras, Alise, Azrug, and Tresk all attended. They shared the alchemist’s feelings on the future of the town, wishing for nothing more than to get closer with their neighbors. Alise took the opportunity to command the room and give a full report of administrative concerns. Azrug gave a half-hearted report on their finances, looking as though he was tired from the task. Heavy bags sat under his eyes, and he slurred his words as though he were about to fall asleep at any moment.

Alise advised he hire administrators to help.

Theo was happy to escape with his sanity. Any more meetings in the day would have worn him down, draining his mental stamina to nothing. There was much to do in the town, more than the alchemist could handle in a single day. Without the ever-growing support structure, he wouldn’t get any of his alchemy done.

Bal and his brothers didn’t show up to shadow Theo, and a part of him missed them. They were all off testing his newest potion, likely in a dungeon, and Tresk was confident enough to leave the alchemist to his own workings for the day. He had several hours left on his Potion of Limited Foresight, so that might have helped ease the marshling’s concerns. All the meeting with Alran and concern about Grub’s grim message had his mind shooting in every direction. Only when things got stressful did he find the inspiration to move past a hard problem.

Theo made his way back to Ziz and his workers, finding a nice spot by the river to sit and withdrawing a journal. He wrote everything he’d learned about constructs. Since the Drogramathi Dronon didn’t seem to care about doing it, he’d be happy to take up the mantle. Once he was done writing his high-level thoughts, he added a section about power systems.

“It’s easy,” Theo said. A worker had come over to see what he was doing, sitting there by a pile of chipped stone. “Why bother with a complex power system?”

“What?” the laborer.

“Imagine if you had your Stonecutter’s Core, but you needed another class to cut the stone,” Theo said, withdrawing a marble tablet from his inventory. “That wouldn’t make sense. Production chains are fine, but it’s nonsense if a class can’t produce the base materials for crafting. What is the most pure concentration of mana I have?”

“Uh,” the laborer said, scratching his head. “Potions?”

“Exactly! Well, almost exactly,” Theo said, withdrawing a flask of Mana Essence from his inventory. “Filling the core of a construct costs somewhere around 40 mana. This essence has about 100 potential mana.” He produced a glassware tray, setting his stone tablet inside and then pouring the essence over it. “This is my power system. Alchemy. Makes sense, right?”

“Wait, is power mana?”

“No, mana is mana. Power turns into mana,” Theo said, rolling his shoulders. “I misspoke. The golems run on mana. So they can recharge themselves by inserting these tablets into themselves.”

Theo withdrew the tablet from the essence with a pair of alchemically neutral tongs. He held it up, letting the excess drip off before inspecting the new item.

[Mana Construct]

[Alchemy Construct] [Mana System]

Common

Created by: Belgar

Quality: Excellent

Infuse an object with mana. Can be used as a disposable power system.

Material:

Stone (Perfect Quality)

Effect:

Holds 150 unaligned mana points. Distribution rate and total capacity limited by quality of materials. The tablet will break after all mana is expended. Cannot be recharged.

“A bit more complex than I expected,” Theo said, reading the description a few times.

Several laborers had come over to check out what Theo was doing, but he did have a point. The amount of mana he infused into the golem was 40 points or so, which revealed a flaw in his strategy. He could keep dumping mana into the golem to keep it alive or shove a Mana Construct inside, which would allow for longer operations. If the monster core was advanced enough, he could even tell the golems to refuel themselves. All of this for a few units of Mana Essence. He imagined mud golems running around with little essence tanks on their backs but pushed the thought away.

The most complex containment core Throk had made so far was a single iron cage, laced with intricacies. Theo selected that one for his newest experiment, as well as a Level 10 Fald monster core. Next, he set the assembly on the ground and shoved a pile of chipped stone over it, watching as the marble attached itself to the new core. He introduced enough mana, then ordered the creature to life.

A stone golem rose, assembling itself from the various chunks of marble strewn around the site of the bridge. It formed a rudimentary face but still held the stunted limbs of the mud golem. Theo handed over the Mana Construct, which the golem shoved in its chest, then inspected his newest creation.

[Lesser Stone Golem]

[Alchemy Construct]

Level 10

Stone is considered the most practical medium in golem construction. Stone golems are hard-working, durable constructs.

Containment Core: [Alchemically Treated Iron Cage]

Monster Core: [Fald Interloper] (Level 10)

Medium: [Enriched Swamp Mud]

Alchemy Slates: [Mana Construct]

Power System: [Mana Construct]

Siphon System: None

Additional Modifications: None

There were many combinations Theo could use in golem construction. This seemed suited for work near the river, since the core came from the amphibious Fald. The addition of the Mana Construct gave him the sense that it would last for about a day before losing power. His only problem with the thing was the added mental strain. It was harder to keep his willpower around the Level 10 monster core, but a solution for that itched in the back of his mind.

“Say hello to your new helper,” Theo said, patting the rocky creation on the head.

“Hello,” Ziz said, poking his head out from behind the bridge. The golem waved back under Theo’s command.

The construct operated by Theo’s will, not verbal commands. Still, it felt better to issue orders to the little guy out loud.

“Stick around here and do whatever Ziz tells you to do,” Theo said. “When you’re low on mana, come back to the Newt and Demon. There’s going to be a crate outside with more Mana Constructs. Exchange your current one and discard the other. When Ziz is done working, patrol the mines and kill the monsters that spawn. Understood?”

The golem nodded, but Theo made him do that. He could sense the construct’s willingness to take orders, but that was the limit. The alchemist had given a few too many orders, which were pared down to a more simple set of instructions. Then it turned to Ziz and waited.

“So, I just tell it what to do?” Ziz asked.

“You can think of it as a he, if it helps,” Theo said. “But yes—just give him verbal commands.”

Ziz didn’t hesitate. He ordered the golem to pick up a heavy stone block, carry it to the far side of the bridge, then set it down. Impressed enough with the work, the stonecutters started shouting orders at the stone golem one after the other. Theo left them to have fun, feeling a thread of willpower trailing behind him as he went. The problem of maintaining his will over the constructs was easy enough to solve, although he didn’t know how he knew. He made a note of that.

It was later in the day than he liked, but Theo made his daily offering and went down to tend his garden. A lot of the work came down to weeding the plants. Anything he was cultivating just sat there, getting replanted every few days. Then when something was fully cultivated, it was easy enough to just cut away a part of the plant for future growing and save the rest. It seemed like the perfect mindless task for golems. The only problem was that strand of willpower, floating off toward the bridge.

“I need help,” Theo said, standing awkwardly after Zarali opened her door. He saw she was working on some enchanting task but dropped what she was doing.

“Certainly!” she said, clapping him on the back. “Construct troubles?”

“I thought you were the best person to ask about this,” Theo said. “I’m looking for a way to take the mental strain off of so many constructs.”

Zarali smiled. She pulled a jewel-tipped hairpin from her hair and handed it over. It was made of copper, tipped with a purple gem on the end.Theo inspected the device.

[Decorative Lodestone]

[Cosmetic Lodestone] [Enchanting Equipment]

Rare

Created by: Zarali

Quality: Perfect

A lodestone acts as a focal point for a person’s willpower. Issue a command to the lodestone, which will be repeated to attached artifices, devices, creatures, and so on, who accept will-based commands.

“How much does this help?” Theo asked.

“From what you described, this couldn’t handle a single golem,” Zarali said. Right when Theo wondered why she even brought it up, she continued. “But I can make a bigger one. I use them to split my concentration between enchanting tasks, especially ones that require my full attention.”

For someone who had no experience with constructs, she seemed to work in an adjacent field to what he was using. Constructs seemed like an alchemist’s solution to artifices, although using Throk’s craft to create autonomous workers was a far-off dream. Golems fell into a strange category of magical devices, halfway between an artifice and a potion. As strange as that was.

Zarali invited Theo into her lab, crossing the room to retrieve gemstones. “What type of mana are you using?”

“Unaligned,” Theo said. “I’m powering them with essences now.”

“Aren’t you clever?” Zarali said, withdrawing a handful of gems. “Come up with that one on your own?”

“I did,” Theo said, feeling some amount of pride. “The golems accept Mana Essence–infused marble slates.”

“Very clever,” Zarali said. She closed her eyes and the green gems melted. She poured them onto the ground, and it rose up like molten glass dripping in the wrong direction, forming a thin pillar of gemstone. Theo inspected the result, but it was close enough to the one Zarali had to do the same thing.

[Large Ornamental Lodestone]

[Cosmetic Lodestone] [Enchanting Equipment]

Rare

Created by: Zarali

Quality: Perfect

A lodestone acts as a focal point for a person’s willpower. Issue a command to the lodestone, which will be repeated to attached artifices, devices, creatures, and so on who accept will-based commands.

“Come, I’ll show you how it works,” Zarali said.

The installation of the device was simple. Zarali asked him where he wanted the golems to work, and she drove the lodestone into the ground near his greenhouses. Then they went off to form two Lesser Mud Golems. Theo used a Level 10 monster core from an Ogre Snapper and iron containment cores. He didn’t want to go forward into using the complex version of the cores he had in mind, sticking to the ones that worked. Two golems rose from the mud outside the western gate, stretching the alchemist’s will to its limit.

Theo led the group back to his new lodestone, where Zarali instructed him on binding them there.

“We’re going to infuse your will into the gems,” Zarali said. It was hard for Theo to pay attention, but he managed.

Zarali went through the steps to bind his will, and it was easy enough. He held the lodestone, feeling something of himself pass into the pillar of green gems. Then he transferred command of the golems to the lodestone, feeling that thread of will lightening. He took a deep breath, wiping the sweat from his forehead. The longer he was attached to so many higher-level golems, the harder it was for him to focus. It was as though someone pulled a curtain over his consciousness, but freedom from that burden felt like a relief.

Instead of the three threads of will flowing from him, there were only two. One going to the bridge construct, and one to the lodestone.

“That helped, right?” Zarali asked.

“A lot,” Theo said.

“When you want to issue commands or change current commands, just send it to the lodestone,” Zarali said. “Make sure your Power Siphon is on in the lab. The lodestone should be able to reach it from here. Perhaps anywhere in town.”

Only Zarali would offer to do something like this for free. Theo bound his will to the lodestone, giving his new creations a simple series of instructions. He didn’t want to complicate things, so he would have them weed the gardens and pick reagents outside of the greenhouses. The alchemist set up a few Dimensional Storage Crates for them to deposit their findings in and another for them to withdraw Mana Constructs. He then tended to his reagents, all while the Drogramathi priestess watched and chatted.

Each greenhouse was coming along nicely. He’d have 100%-cultivated reagents soon, even as he was pushing for the new goal of 200%. The Spiny Swamp Thistle Root was climbing toward that goal, but it was slow. Considering all these things, the alchemist felt good about the day. Without the need to judge wreaths, he was free to pursue whatever he wanted. There was a lot of work to do.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Theo was done with his greenhouses for the day. He made a list of things he could do for the rest of the day, finding himself falling into a familiar trap. He put too much on his own plate too often, drowning in work. Perhaps it was some self-imposed feature of the body he inhabited, preventing him from doing too much alchemy and out-leveling his Tara’hek core. Nothing would seem strange by now, not even something as a created fate.

It was easy to let those concerns fall away. With properties to discover, various experiments to conduct, and a town to run, he wasn’t short on tasks. Fenian had already left, but there were still potions to brew. After discovering the Mana Construct, Theo felt a sudden urge to get some Manashrooms cultivated. There was room enough in his mushroom cave, as the truffles had taken to the cultivation process slowly. He stopped by the bridge, borrowing his Lesser Stone Golem and heading off for the cave that held the mana mushroom.

This was a precaution, though. Adventurers had been regularly clearing the cave out, often harvesting the mushrooms themselves. When Theo approached, there was no sight of the strange insectoids anywhere. But the golem was a comforting presence. The alchemist sent the construct in, not willing to risk himself for anything. It found a patch of the pulsating blue mushrooms quickly, bringing it back to him with an infectious eagerness. He stuffed the mushrooms away and dismissed the golem on his way back to the lab. Ziz would be happy to get his helper back.

Against Theo’s expectations, the Swamp Truffle had taken up most of the cave. He had to dig through the beds to retrieve them, only their leathery caps sticking out. He culled almost all of them, selecting a few to go on to the next generation. The Spontaneous Spores expansion for the Mycology Cave would have been the culprit for their expansion, but he needed room for the Manashrooms. After dashing a bottle of Lesser Potion of Growth against the ground, he left them to grow.

Hallowed Ground was an interesting property. If a person were fighting the undead, they needed the potion. That was what Theo determined by Fenian’s intent. He inspected an old potion he made, something that seemed to have little use at the time.

[Lesser Hallowed Ground Potion]

[Potion]

Epic

Created by: Belgar

Quality: Excellent

Drink to create a zone of denial.

Effect:

Imbiber creates a 20-pace circle around themselves with the [Hallowed Ground] effect. Undead, ghosts, and similar creatures may cross into the circle but will be banished when they do so.

It wasn’t up to his current standards for potion making. If this came out at the end of a distillation process now, he’d throw it out. That bit of Zarali bled into him more as the days went on.

Theo had a few tasks to accomplish with what little of the day remained. It was midday, but he had enough time to run some tests. His top priority was to get a better version of the Hallowed Ground Potion and figure out the best modifier pairing for it. He assumed Fenian was delving ruins in Gardreth and needed to keep the undead horrors away from him, so a few modifiers came to mind. [Aerosolize] would likely make the effect a gas cloud instead of a circle. [Web] would make it target fewer undead while having an increased effect. [Decay], [Anti-Mage], and [Sear] might all be useful, but it was hard to tell without experimentation.

The alchemist started, as he did with most things, by sending it through the stills. While he let that work, he bolstered his supply of the more common modifiers. With the stills all running at full capacity, Power Siphon humming ominously, and fermentation barrels bubbling, the lab was getting too hot. The idea of a cooling system was pushing itself to the forefront of his mind.

The crates within the lab were scattered with so many abandoned experiments, as well as leftovers from sieges. At a point, Theo crafted large amounts of Basic Freezebombs to combat the monster waves. He was left with several units of Freeze Essence. It was low-quality, unrefined essence, but it worked perfectly fine for experimentation. The alchemist consulted his mental notes, physical notes, and his copy of Basic Drogramath Alchemy before proceeding to experiment. Freeze Essence didn’t make a standard potion, but his intuition said it could make what he labeled as detergent-style potions.

Thinking about it, marking them in his mind as detergents wasn’t accurate. It was just the most common use for the technique, even if Perg’s tannery relied on a stripping solution made from the same method. It was too late to change the name now, so he went forward with the experiment.

The ratio of water to essence followed the standard he’d seen before, a tenth of a unit of essence to 5 units of water. It would have been nearly impossible for a normal person to get the amounts right, but that was a strength of his Drogramath Alchemy Core he often overlooked. He measured it down to the exact tenth of a unit, watching as the water formed tiny ice crystals. But it didn’t freeze, and a new solution was created. He inspected the result.

[Freeze Solution]

[Cooling Agent]

Uncommon

Created by: Belgar

Quality: Excellent

Apply to dramatically lower the temperature of anything.

Effect:

Apply enough solution to freeze an object, person, monster, or similar.

Theo poured a drop of the solution on the ground without waiting for—or thinking about—the consequences. Almost nothing happened. The spot where the solution made contact got rather cold, but it didn’t produce the magical effect he expected. His lab wasn’t miraculously cooled in moments, which was disappointing. He poured most of the 5-unit solution out on the ground, only gaining frozen floorboards for his efforts. The alchemist took physical notes on this discovery, underlining Throk’s name three times before moving on.

Air conditioning worked somehow back on Earth. It had something to do with blowing air over something cold, then cycling that through a building. Theo never paid attention to the way things worked, leaving him to riddle it out with his current knowledge. He settled on the idea of an artifice to blow air over copper tubes filled with his Freeze Solution. Throk would have more insight on the matter, and he moved on to inspect his distilling Swamp Truffles. Enough of the essence had brewed out for him to run a test on the Refined Hallowed Ground Essence.

Theo’s new sense for alchemy let him know this essence could be brewed in two different ways. The first was the drinkable version, while the second would be a bomb that held a similar effect. He made one of each and examined them individually.

[Hallowed Ground Potion]

[Potion]

Epic

Created by: Belgar

Alignment:

Drogramath (Middling Bond)

Quality: Excellent

Drink to create a zone of denial.

Effect:

Imbiber creates a 50-pace circle around themselves with the [Hallowed Ground] effect. Undead, ghosts, and similar creatures may cross into the circle but will be banished when they do so.

An increase in the effectiveness of a potion was standard for a jump to the second tier. Theo was disappointed it didn’t gain an additional effect, but it made for a more powerful base to apply modifiers. He examined the bomb version, the only difference in their creation being the intent while brewing. A better vessel for the volatile bomb helped as well.

[Hallowed Ground Bomb]

[Bomb]

Epic

Created by: Belgar

Alignment:

Drogramath (Middling Bond)

Quality: Excellent

Shatter against a target, or surface, to inflict damage on undead targets.

Effect:

Shattering this bomb against an undead target will inflict scaling damage based on the quality of this bomb.

It was different enough to be useful but hard to judge. Theo had never faced down undead creatures, but they must have been hard to deal with. It was a passing interest, and he moved on to selecting the best modifiers for the potion version. The bomb could wait until he consulted with someone familiar with undead monsters. Instead of going for the modifiers that made sense, he first went for the ones that didn’t to rule them out. The alchemist applied the green-yellow [Surge] modifier essence to the potion, transferring it into a 4-unit vial. He examined the result after the smoke cleared, tilting his head to appreciate the vent that finally worked.

[Hallowed Ground Potion]

[Surge]

[Potion] [Modified Potion]

Epic

Created by: Belgar

Alignment:

Drogramath (Middling Bond)

Quality: Excellent

Drink to send off a pulse of power that forces undead to flee.

Effect:

All undead within your line of sight have a 50% chance to flee, based on the user’s mana. If any of the undead targets within your line of sight have a greater value of mana, every undead resists the effects.

This potion fell into the category of potions that were too complicated for Theo to understand. He knew what it did, based on his knowledge and the description, but couldn’t tell if it was useful. A mage who used this could cause fields of undead to flee, turning the tide in a battle where the undead forces outnumbered defenders. He decided it was a good potion and set it aside to show Fenian.

Next up was a more powerful modifier, the [Refined Anti-Mage] essence. The description on this modifier claimed it would often add another modifier, thanks to his alignment bonus. This additional modifier was the reason Tresk’s poisons were so powerful. He introduced the liquids, inspecting the result.

[Hallowed Ground Potion]

[Refined Anti-Mage]

[Potion] [Modified Potion]

Epic

Created by: Belgar

Alignment:

Drogramath (Middling Bond)

Quality: Excellent

Drink to create a zone of denial.

Effect:

Imbiber creates a 50-pace circle around themselves with the [Hallowed Ground] effect. Undead, ghosts, and similar creatures may cross into the circle but will be banished when they do so.

All undead within the radius of the circle will have all their mana sapped, granting it to the target.

All undead within the radius of the circle will be silenced from spellcasting for an hour.

There it was. The overpowered potion Theo expected from the [Anti-Mage] property. It didn’t mention the level of the undead target, which meant this would cancel the efforts of any undead magic user. The only problem he could see with it was a person had to be close enough to use the potion. That was enough to level the playing field, but a thought stuck in his mind. He hadn’t considered the undead wielding magic.

The [Decay] modifier refused to bind to a Hallowed Ground Potion, as did [Sear]. Theo ran down the list of his modifiers, creating many duds and leaving only the best for less. Best was a relative term, though, because the modifiers he applied were [Web], [Aerosolize], and [Embolden]. [Embolden] had created effects that would kill the user if they didn’t know what they were doing. He avoided it for that reason, but Fenian was clearly looking for effective weapons.

[Hallowed Ground Potion]

[Embolden]

[Potion] [Modified Potion]

Epic

Created by: Belgar

Alignment:

Drogramath (Middling Bond)

Quality: Excellent

Drink to create a zone of denial.

Effect:

Imbiber creates a 50-pace circle around themselves with the [Emboldened Hallowed Ground] effect. The imbiber must overpower the will of each undead, in succession. Failure to overpower will result in the user’s mind joining the undead’s collective. Success will put those undead affected under the user’s control.

“Yep,” Theo said, nodding to himself. “That’s absolutely horrifying.”

He sealed the knowledge away in his mind, drawing the potion in his inventory to destroy later. Things like this didn’t need to see the light of day. Only a desperate idiot would try to use the potion. Theo knew from controlling the golems, the Lesser Stone Golem still sapping his will, how difficult it was to maintain control. He inspected the [Aerosolize] property potion next.

[Hallowed Ground Potion]

[Aerosolize]

[Potion] [Modified Potion]

Epic

Created by: Belgar

Alignment:

Drogramath (Middling Bond)

Quality: Excellent

Shatter to create a cloud of denial.

Effect:

Throwing this potion creates a 50-pace circle around themselves with the [Hallowed Ground] effect. Undead, ghosts, and similar creatures may cross into the cloud but will be banished when they do so.

Aerosolize was predictable, and Theo was satisfied with the results. It took the base potion and made it a bomb, which was fantastic. He’d need to modify the container, as every flat-bottomed vial he created was unnaturally strong. When the alchemist used the Glassware Artifice, he could specify the strength of the vials. Now he had a reference point for most of the modifiers, but he moved on to inspect the last one. [Web] was often a great modifier, and he was disappointed he didn’t have any [Refined Web] on hand. The alignment effect was enough to make it worth it, but these were baseline tests.

[Hallowed Ground Potion]

[Web]

[Potion] [Modified Potion]

Epic

Created by: Belgar

Alignment:

Drogramath (Middling Bond)

Quality: Excellent

Drink to create a web of denial.

Effect:

Imbibing this potion creates a web of denial, applying the [Hallowed Ground Web] effect to the nearest 20 targets. Undead, ghost, and similar creatures will be banished when touched by strands of the web. Targets afflicted with [Hallowed Ground Web] will receive the effect of [Hallowed Ground] when the [Web] modifier expires.

That was more complicated than Theo expected. Twenty targets were bound by a web, and any undead that touched the web would be banished. Most of these potions used the word banished, but Theo was uncertain what that was defined as. He could imagine a field of undead, all crossing over the web to get banished. That was good enough for him, and he let out a breath.

Theo fell back into a chair, wiping his brow with a cloth. The heat didn’t bother him much, but the lab was sweltering. Even with the window open, it wasn’t enough to stave off the fading sun outside. The Season of Fire was going to be rough if he didn’t get his air conditioning idea working. Then there was the new project he promised himself to—the road. Something in his chest sang praises for that idea, but it would be expensive. He should have hammered out a better deal with Alran before he left, something like financial support.

While he always thought solitude would fit him well, Theo was going stir crazy. It was only a few hours since he’d talked to a person, but the lack of constant conversation was getting to him. It fell with his schedule to check in on citizens, though. With his Hallowed Ground issue sorted, the only thing he needed to do with alchemy was wait for his gardens to grow. At that point, he’d experiment with cultivated attribute-enhancement essences. He slipped downstairs and found Salire haggling with a customer. The alchemist watched the process.

Azrug was a natural at squeezing coin out of people. The man, a human, was arguing with his new half-ogre shopkeeper. She seemed meek when Theo saw her before, but here in her element she was fierce. When the man asked for an absurdly low price, the cost of potions skyrocketed. When he asked her to include something to sweeten the pot, she took it away. Theo could tell he was giving her a hard time and felt a swell of pride when she refused to budge. They came to terms after a while.

“Impressive,” Theo said after the man left, moving to clap his hand on her shoulder. She blushed.

“Sorry you had to see that,” Salire said. “Traveling adventurers are a certain breed.”

“Where was he from?”

“Some no-name town west of Qavell,” Salire said, placing the coins she’d made for the day on the counter—10 gold for the pot. “We’re doing good so far. Just keep my shelves stocked.”

Theo withdrew a few unmodified Healing Potions from his inventory and helped her restock the shelves. It wasn’t a great offering, but it would do to hold people over.

“Just take whatever you need from the shop’s coffers,” Theo said, waving her away. She was trying to give the money to him, but he wanted it to stay in the shop. “Use the cash to buy stuff from traders. You’ll get a lot of experience that way.”

Salire put her hands on her hips, her face hardening for once.

“How are you in business?” she asked.

“This isn’t my primary money-generating venture,” Theo said. “This is just where I train upstart merchants.”

She laughed at that.

“Still, I might rob your funds at any moment. Make sure you have enough to live on, but try investing the coin,” Theo said. “Azrug did well that way.”

“He still has 100 gold here,” Salire said.

“Yeah, and I bet he spent 500 on the gear he stocked,” Theo said. “I just don’t want to worry about the shop. I want you to run it if Azrug isn’t coming back.”

“He seems very busy,” Salire said, her gaze drifting off to the front of the store. “Well, if you’re taking requests…”

“I’m not.”

“I need some attribute potions and more of those healing pills,” Salire said.

“People like the pills?” Theo asked.

“People love the pills,” Salire corrected. “I only know because they keep asking for them.”

Theo sent a mental command to his lodestone outside. His golems were currently searching for whatever they could find, but he replaced that instruction with another. He commanded them to find more Marsh Tubers, a knotted root that created the [Solidify] modifier essence. He sensed they knew what he meant, leading him to believe they had some of his core’s abilities. The alchemist produced his Mana Essence and marble tablets and created more Mana Constructs for his golems. Salire watched on with curiosity in her eyes.

“How do you like it here?” Theo asked.

“It’s weird,” Salire said, shrugging. At least she was honest. “I heard you haven’t been the mayor for more than a season. And before you, it was a destitute place.”

“Seems like part of someone’s plan,” Theo said. “If you could answer the question of who created that plan, you can have all my gold.”

“Drogramath?” Salire asked.

“Maybe,” Theo said. “Maybe not. Say, what do you know about coin pressing?”

Salire knew more about minting coins than Theo expected. She corrected him immediately, letting him know there was more than one method to make currency. Gronro-Dir had their own mint, but they used an upgrade that allowed them to pour metal into a mold. He picked her brain for a while, feeling bold now that he knew a close neighbor was creating money.

“They do it for the prestige,” Salire said with a defeated shrug. “They’re lucky if they get 10 silver in a week, but… I guess that won’t be a problem here. You take a breath and get a lungful of Drogramath’s power.”

Theo nodded. Now he just needed the seed core. Then things would really come together.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Theo often wondered how he ran the town without support. He stood with Alise as the sun set over Broken Tusk, looking from the eastern wall. The bridge was done, a surprise to everyone, and they were planning for the harbor. She drew lines with her fingers, detailing how hard it was going to be to dig out so much bare earth, then fill in a portion of it with stonework. She talked him out of doing such a deep harbor, favoring only the depth he needed for boats not to run aground.

Tresk had returned from her daily adventures. She was riding the Lesser Stone Golem, which apparently listened to her will.

“Throk already has something we can use to remove excess water,” Alise said. “You’ll have to work closely with everyone to make this work, and I have my doubts.”

Theo waved her away. It was the first enormous project of this nature Broken Tusk had attempted, and there were going to be mistakes. It wasn’t worth worrying about what could go wrong. They’d just deal with it when it happened. The biggest problem with the harbor was the two opposing forces. The river will fill the hole he made, and the ocean might flow back to do the same. If this world had drastic tides, that would add to the problems. Still, the alchemist couldn’t help but feel excitement.

“It’s going to work one way or the other,” Theo said. “If the ocean fills in our hole, we’ll load everyone with potions so they can breathe underwater. If everything collapses, we can send for an earth mage. We’ll make it work.”

“We should have sent for an earth mage to start with,” one of Alise’s new administrators said.

“Got the coin for that?” Theo asked, leaning in and smiling. “I don’t either. So we use potions and good old Broken Tusk muscle to solve the problem.”

The group debated the ideas for some time, coming up with backup plans for their backup plans. Theo saw it as a healthy discussion. He didn’t want to stifle his administrative staff’s creativity, but he also didn’t want them to hinder the project. When bureaucrats impeded progress, that’s when he’d put his foot down. The harbor was happening, starting tomorrow, and they’d just have to figure out a way to help or move out of the way.

Theo bound his Lesser Stone Golem to the lodestone, giving his creation the same instructions as the mud men. There was enough Mana Constructs to keep them running for a few days, assuming they didn’t degrade with use.

Xam was getting artful with her food creations. She served layers of bread, egg, meat, and savory sauce in a Pozwa eggshell bowl. The eggs were roughly the size of Theo’s head, and the shells were thicker than the width of his little finger. When everyone was done eating the delicious meal, he took their shells into his inventory. It seemed wasteful to throw away good alchemy ingredients.

Zarali didn’t join Tresk and Theo at the bathhouse today. They went alone and enjoyed the silence it brought. The pair of them soaked in the hot water without sharing words. They shared something else entirely. Through the Tara’hek, they shared thoughts and concepts that transcended words. Without speaking a word of it to each other, they pushed the bounds of the core. Theo got the sense that Tresk had been in a dungeon today and that she was having a lot of fun. It was hard for him to get much more than that, but he shared his experiences for the day with her.

“You brewed potions?” Tresk asked, mocking him. “What a shocker!”

Theo summoned motes of Drogramathi mana and did his best to chase her around the bath with them. She didn’t explain why, but she was afraid of those floating wisps. His control of mana was getting better, but it was slow. It was nothing like earning experience to level his cores—he actually had to do the work. But that was a warning he got recently. Level 30 was the cutoff. After that, things would be harder. That was the reason there was a vast gap between people at Level 30 and anything higher. You either learned how to control yourself, or you died.

It was comforting, even if the alchemist didn’t know why. He was eager to improve himself and his town, and this was a great way to pass the time. Chasing Tresk around with purple fire became less fun when she used her core’s abilities, easily dodging the flames. Still, silly games like this were a great way to improve his control and gain experience for his Tara’hek Core at the same time.

When they retired to the Newt and Demon, well before they were kicked out this night, they fell into the Dreamwalk. Tresk wanted to give Theo a tour of the inside of some dungeons, and he was eager to see it.

“This floor is interesting,” Tresk said, gesturing to the surrounding scene.

According to the marshling, it was the first floor of the Swamp Dungeon, as she remembered it from long ago. This was before the dungeon started growing, but it was still fascinating. The entrance of the dungeon stood behind them, a swirling mass of black and green energy. The dungeon itself was segmented into rooms, the first of which looked like a swampy cave. Plants hung from the walls, debris from an abandoned cart was stuck in some mud, but there was no sign of monsters.

“When I was trying to start off, this room was hard,” Tresk said. She waved her hands, and a group of goblins and Ogre Snappers appeared. “Can you imagine? Five Level 5 goblins almost killed me when I first got my Rogue’s Core.”

“Five goblins is a lot,” Theo said. “How do the monsters regenerate?”

“Depends,” Tresk said, shrugging. “The Swamp Dungeon can fracture itself into multiple instances that bind to your soul, so more than one person can run it at the same time. The other dungeons aren’t strong enough for that yet. So everyone just piles into those.”

“That makes it more dangerous,” Theo said.

“Yeah. I like danger,” Tresk said. “Let’s go!”

The scene shifted. They were standing in a large, circular cave. Around the room were pools of marshy water, plants and bone sticking from under the water. Braziers hung from the ceiling, supported by clattering chains. Tresk waved her hand again, and a two-headed troll appeared on the far side of the room. He’d seen them before during monster waves.

“10th level boss,” Tresk said, blowing raspberries. “He’s easy. I just sneak past all the floors and kill him so I can go down. Sometimes he rotates out for a one-headed version.”

The scene shifted again. They were in a similar room, this time with more water covering the ground. Tresk summoned the next boss, who also didn’t attack. This was a team of bosses. A wolf-riding goblin, a troll, and an Ogre Snapper. Theo assumed this was the Level 20 boss room.

“Yep. Level 20,” Tresk said, picking up on his thoughts. “They’re kinda hard. Nothing compared to Level 30.”

Tresk swiped her hands, and they descended the dungeon. The next room was massive, at least twice the size of the previous rooms. There was no more land, just the stretch of swamp. The fires seemed to burn brighter in this room. When the marshling produced the next boss, Theo could see why the room was so large. The Ogre Snapper that appeared was massive. Its shell almost touched the ceiling of the room. Every piece of the monster’s body was covered in a thick, bony plate, as though it had a shell on every limb.

“Big old turtle,” Tresk said, running over and slapping the turtle’s leg. She barely came up to its knees. “I couldn’t beat him without the poisons.”

Theo studied the snapper for a moment, nodding. That made sense, but the thing must have been slow. A few good Freezebombs would lock it in place, then her poisons would do their work. This might have been a suitable candidate for the [Dessicate]-modified Poison. But that was academic. Tresk had her own way of fighting, and he wouldn’t question it.

“Each level the dungeon gets, it gains a new floor, right?” Theo asked. He’d never been much to entertain dungeon theory, but knowledge was always useful.

“Correct, my student,” Tresk said, bowing. “Then every 10th floor, they get a boss. I don’t think we’re actually descending to lower levels. This place would just be all water. This is another dimension, or something.”

“And Xol’sa’s new wards are working?” Theo asked.

“Yeah, we haven’t had a new level to this bad boy in forever,” Tresk said, letting out a wistful sigh. “On the bright side, the other dungeons finally have bosses.”

Theo nodded. “Show me Rivers and Daub again.”

Tresk shrugged, shifting the scene with a thought. They were standing in Rivers and Daub as it was at least a decade ago. Theo turned north, something he could only do by tracing the path of the river. He spotted the mountains far in the distance and could even see the cut where Gronro-Dir must have been. Broken Tusk didn’t have the line of sight on Rivers, but that was a feature of the rising landscape. The only reason he could see where Gronro rested was because of the scale of those mountains.

“Gigantic mountains,” Theo said, whistling.

“Yeah, something about that elven god,” Tresk said, waving it off. “There’s a song about it, but I can’t remember the words.”

Theo was just impressed that her memory of Rivers and Daub was good enough to produce this strong of a picture. The event must have stuck with her, but he wouldn’t pry. He could sense it was attached with other feelings. Loss, mourning, and other feelings she didn’t want to face.

“We need fresh memories for the Dreamwalk,” Theo said. “How quick can you get from Broken Tusk to Rivers?”

“Real quick,” Tresk said, pulling her daggers out and stabbing at the air. “Like that quick.”

“Seriously,” Theo said, leveling his gaze at her.

“Less than a day,” Tresk said. “As long as there are some shaded trees.”

“How about Gronro-Dir?” Theo asked.

“Well, so here’s the problem,” Tresk said, folding her arms. “Shadowdance allows me to jump from shadow to shadow, but I need to see it. I can jump from here to those mountains if I can spot a shadow. But then I’m on a freezing cold mountain.”

“So, longer,” Theo said, nodding.

“Yeah, longer,” Tresk said. “You want me to jump to Rivers to scout? Good idea. Gronro might be a problem, but I’ll check it out tomorrow.”

“I have faith in your abilities,” Theo said.

“Have faith in this!” Tresk shouted, summoning ten troll bosses. They attacked Theo immediately. “Surprise!”

Theo held his own against the trolls for a while, but they were too overwhelming. Even with his retreat tactic, he wasn’t able to get all of them in one go. After Tresk dismissed them, declaring him dead, she went off to train on her own. The alchemist saw this as a win, since he could conduct his experiments without her conjuring any more assassins, trolls, or dragons to ruin his night.

In the Dreamwalk, experimentation was more valuable than training for Theo. He worked a small patch of ground, growing various reagents to get his Drogramath Herbalism Core up, but it wasn’t his focus. Understanding constructs just felt important. He started by unraveling the lodestones. He could imagine the one that Zarali built and test it without fear of breaking it. True to her word, and the name of the item, it was an anchor for his will. It still required his mind to work, but it acted like a coprocessor, reducing the strain on his mind.

Next on his list was the usefulness of the Power Core. Since he’d seen one, he could reproduce it. While it gave the golems an incredibly long operating time, it wasn’t worth the trouble. Manashrooms were easy enough to grow. His constructs could swap out their own batteries and keep on functioning. Having operational helpers was more important than having perfect helpers, especially if he could make a large quantity of them.

He spent the rest of the Dreamwalk running simulations on the harbor project. This talk would be impossible without magical help. There was just too much dirt running from the bridge to the ocean, and Theo was seeing the wisdom of Alise’s new plan. The potions would run out before he got halfway to the ocean if he dug it as deeply as he wanted. The ocean often rushed in when he tested, following the path left by the river. If Throk said he had a solution, he wouldn’t fight it.

Theo got a smattering of experience when he woke up the next morning. The Tara’hek Core rolled over to Level 18 but got no bonuses. Where his other cores struggled to gain experience at this level, the Tara’hek didn’t care. As long as Tresk and Theo were doing things together, they got experience. They made their way to get breakfast after checking on the constructs. Alise directed them to the town hall, forcing them to bring their breakfast along for the ride.

Alise wanted to hold a meeting to make sure everyone knew what they were doing for the harbor project. She still thought it wouldn’t work, or they’d run into something they couldn’t solve, but she pushed forward. The harbor was alluring beyond reason. If they wanted to get noticed by foreign nations, this was the best way to do it.

Ziz and Throk were heading up the construction side of things, sharing the responsibility for removing the water as it was a problem. Alise would measure, plan, and correct as they worked. She designated half of the day for the task, repeating it until it was done. That gave everyone enough time to handle their other tasks while still getting the job done. After the artificial harbor was done, Theo would plant the seed core, and they would all shove as many monster cores in as it would take.

Throk showed off his water-sucking device. He called it that, anyway. It was a simple pump, but it might not have been enough. Theo changed his mind after the artificer produced fifteen more identical pumps.

“We don’t want to expand the city until the harbor is done,” Alise said, snapping her fingers to get everyone’s waning attention. “So, Tresk is on defensive duty. She’s rounded up a few adventurers to help us out. Anyone with an inventory is on notice for stone-hauling duty. Ziz and his boys can effectively weld them together with their new skills. Got it?”

Everyone mumbled their approval, and the group broke. Theo finished his meal long ago, disappointed there wasn’t another shell for him to pilfer. He had enough Tunneling Potions to get the job going today, but he’d need to brew more for tomorrow. Alise clapped her hands as she led everyone to the work site, trying to keep the workers focused. She drew people from every profession and those who hadn’t found jobs in the town. Even with taxes looming, she had a decent buffer to get them paid for their work, although most offered to work for free.

The first stage of the harbor was the easiest, if not the most tense. Alise placed sticks in the ground, one on the close side of the river and the other on the far side. She mimed drawing a line, then gestured to Theo. It was his turn to etch the vague shape of the harbor out. Looking down at the distant glint of the ocean to the south made him realize how daunting the task was. He dumped the first potion and cut a line between either side of the riverbank. A single potion was enough to make a line Theo’s height wide and as deep as Alise needed it. She told him to stop when it was at the right depth.

The group watched as the water rushed to fill the hole, the edges of the shape crumbling in to join the slurry.

“That was expected,” Throk said, grunting. “Just wait for it to get bigger.”

No one acted. All eyes turned to Theo, and he repeated the process under Alise’s guidance. She had a good plan, and he didn’t want to mess it up. Several potions later, they had a square pit that filled less rapidly with water. Tresk passed out Lesser Potions of Wake. She’d been hoarding them to run the River Dungeon, which sat upstream from where they were. Throk got to work.

Before long, a chorus of artifices running filled the air. They pumped the water at a wild speed, sending water in every direction as though shot from a firehose. When they ran out of water to pump, they simply shut down. The artificer was a genius with automated responses from the machines, something Theo appreciated on his timed flame artifices.

Ziz’s team descended into the wet pit, going to work with abandon. They framed the massive walls in minutes, setting wooden scaffolding out with trained precision. This reminded Theo more of the work they did at the quarry. This was their element. He turned his attention, focusing on burning through as many potions as he could. As long as the artifices could keep up and the ocean didn’t rush in, they were fine.

The distance they covered in a single half-day of work was equal to half the width of Broken Tusk. Ziz’s group wasn’t done setting walls and floors for the muddy pit, but they were working at a steady pace. Theo watched as the half-ogre placed a brick against the mud wall, held his hand over it, and fused the two marble stones together. It gave the appearance of perfectly hewn stones mortared to perfection.

“This is lavished,” Tresk said, snorting a laugh. “Marble for a harbor. How fancy.”

When the midday sun came and went, Theo inspected the work. Alise was calling for them to stop working for the day, but everyone seemed fervent about completing the assignment. Even if they were paid by the day. The head of the harbor was thicker than the passage that led out to sea. They needed a lot of space for people to moor their boats near the harbor seed core building, but the passage only had to allow a few boats at a time. During the early stages of dumping his potions, Theo had widened it beyond what Alise requested, gaining a firm scolding. But it was better for the long run.

Theo clapped his hands to gain everyone’s attention when they stopped working. The crowd was milling around, edging toward the town’s wall to get back to their lives.

“Food is on me while you’re working,” Theo said, gaining a ripple of cheers. “Lifetime discount at the Newt and Demon for anyone who finds buried treasure. I keep the treasure; you get 10 percent off.”

That got enough laughs to put a smile on Theo’s face. He gave his thanks to everyone who filtered back toward the town. Ziz and his laborers were stubborn, refusing to leave until they finished the current section of the seawall. Throk was discussing something with them. Something about needing to brace the wall near the length of the approach. They were planning on using massive metal arches, tall enough to allow ships underneath. Theo offered to pay, since it sounded like a talking point for the town.

Tresk lingered with Theo, helping the stoneworkers where she could. It took most of the afternoon, but it was worth it. They were an eighth of the way toward the ocean and one step closer to their protected harbor.

Chapter Thirty

The garden golems were doing a fantastic job of harvesting random reagents and keeping the weeds at bay. They understood how to recharge themselves using the Dimensional Storage Crate and seemed to need no rest. Theo stood in his cluster of greenhouses, kneeling to issue more commands. His audience—two Lesser Mud Golems and one Lesser Stone Golem—looked on with interest. He made them look like that, but it felt better than just giving orders to soulless creatures.

The mud golems would keep up their good work around the lab, while the stone golem would patrol for the night. He’d walk the edge of the lodestone’s range, searching for enemies. Not that Theo expected any, but it was good practice to learn how commands worked for the constructs. The alchemist placed a Reveal Construct within the Lesser Stone Golem, ordering him to test it.

A field of faintly shimmering light shot out from the little golem. Tresk let out a yelp, revealed from behind the lab. Theo knew she was normally lurking in the shadows, but it was still surprising.

“He’ll look for stealth people,” Theo said.

“How is he gonna know if he sees a stealth person if they’re stealth?” Tresk asked.

Theo shrugged. It was more about how cool the feature was rather than a practical use.

Tresk led the way to the Marsh Wolf Tavern for dinner. Theo met with Xam in her hectic kitchen, giving her a list of the names he was paying for that night. He paid upfront for a week, a decent estimate for how long the harbor project was going to take. The alchemist returned to the crowded tavern, finding the exterior dining to be superior. It was hot inside the tavern, filled with a strange mingle of sweat and cooking food. While the cook’s newest rendition of wolf meat stew was delicious, the alchemist ate as quickly as Tresk.

Xol’sa rarely left his wizard’s tower. When Theo saw him approaching, he feared the worst. The extra-planar elf handled the magic that slowed and quickened the monster waves. The serious look on the elf’s face gave no information away; he always looked that way.

“You’ll need to prepare yourself for the next monster wave,” Xol’sa said. When he approached, Theo could see how worn he looked. “It won’t rise to your expectations.”

“Explain yourself, wizard,” Tresk said, narrowing her eyes at him.

“It won’t be as powerful,” Xol’sa said.

“That’s good news,” Theo said.

Xol’sa shrugged. “Is it? Well, I’ve noticed your little workers.”

“The golems?” Tresk asked.

Xol’sa’s eyes drifted into the middle distance for a moment before locking onto Tresk. “The golems,” he repeated. “There are tales of wizards commanding minions. I don’t have access to such magic, but I can see their use.”

Theo nodded. He felt as though Xol’sa was coming at him from a different angle than normal. Something close to academic interest. While they shared an interest in alchemy, only evidenced by strange equipment in the wizard’s tower, they’d never exchanged notes. The alchemist could only assume the constructs were enough of a motivator for him to start a conversation.

Three golems waddled down the street. Theo commanded the Lesser Stone Golem to hug Xol’sa’s legs. He patted its head, a phantom of a smile playing across his face.

“They’re made entirely of alchemy?” Xol’sa asked.

Theo sent the mud golems off, inviting Xol’sa to join them and the stone golem at the bathhouse. The attendant was reluctant to allow the creature inside but bent when the alchemist assured her it would behave. It was his private room, after all. The trio was soaking in the pool moments later, the golem standing close enough so that Xol’sa could study it.

“The skill does most of the work,” Theo said. “Alchemy Constructs.”

“Very interesting,” Xol’sa said, prodding the golem with his finger.

Theo explained how they were constructed, showing the wizard an example of a containment core while Tresk swam in the bath. Xol’sa explained the magic theory behind golems raised by wizards and even undead minions by necromancers. The principle couldn’t have been more different, as most magical constructs had absolutely no spirit. The golems had a faint soul, driven by the monster core in their containment core.

“But not really a soul,” Xol’sa said, holding a monster core in his hands. “More like a series of complex instructions meant to mimic a living being. But there’s a decent enough theory to pursue. How close to a real monster are you getting with your creations?”

“They have no willpower,” Theo said, shaking his head. “No agency at all. They just do what they’re told.”

Xol’sa nodded.

“Have you heard of a coresmith?” Theo asked.

“I’ve heard tales,” Xol’sa said. “The concept seems too outlandish to be true. Cores cannot be created.”

Theo sent a command to his stone golem, who waved at the elf.

“Unless they can be.”

Xol’sa’s brow knit tight. He cupped his chin in his hand, his eyes drifting off once again. “Well, it would be interesting. The coresmith would hold great power.”

Theo sank deeper in the water. Deep enough to cover his face, but not his ears. The idea was academic, but interesting. Fenian mentioned there were coresmiths in the elven kingdom—or empire, or whatever they were—but he didn’t know if that changed much. Most seed and class cores dropped from dungeons, and they had no shortage of dungeons around Broken Tusk. The issue was that the local dungeons only produced base class cores. They had seen no seed cores yet.

Theo found a better rock to sit on, raising his head above the water. “Well, what do you think about the harbor?”

“It looks magnificent, so far,” Xol’sa said, brightening. “That is the single biggest step you can take to get us known afar.”

Theo nodded. He couldn’t agree more. “Tell me if you find a shipwright,” he said, chuckling. “And someone to sail the boats. Well, how are you enjoying the town?”

“Couldn’t be better,” Xol’sa said, releasing a steady breath. “More demonic power than I could ever hope to study. Spatial distortions everywhere. Strange realms clashing against the will of a Demon God and a merchant who travels the Bridge of Shadows. It is shocking there aren’t more wizards here.”

“One wizard is enough,” Tresk said, glowering.

“I agree,” Xol’sa said. “Speaking of wizards, why didn’t you hire one to take care of the harbor?”

Theo stretched out his back, trying to find a more comfortable position to sit in. His tail scraped against the stones. “I didn’t want to hire one,” he said. “I also wanted to show that we could do it. Under our own power, you know? What if we called for help every time we needed it?”

“You never call for help,” Xol’sa corrected. “You do everything yourself. Only recently have you created support staff. And you hardly use them.”

That was true, even if Theo wouldn’t say it out loud. He preferred to set people up and let them run on their own. They usually had better ideas than him. With the rate Broken Tusk was growing, other people would claim ventures within the walls, but he owned the core production.

“He’s working on it,” Tresk said, spitting water at the wizard. “Give him time. He lost his entire world.”

Xol’sa’s face went dark, but he let out a sigh and regained control of himself. “I understand his position more than you know, sweet marshling. I’ve lost my people as well.”

“Oh, right,” Tresk said. “Sorry.”

“Don’t worry,” Xol’sa said. “Well, I should be going.”

“Don’t be a stranger,” Theo said, locking eyes with the wizard. “You need to come to town more often.”

“I know,” Xol’sa said. Then he was gone.

Tresk and Theo lounged in the pool for a while longer. They had less to accomplish in the Dreamwalk than normal, but with the Tara’hek Core at Level 18, he was free to push for advancement in his other cores. They left when the attendant kicked them out. The Lesser Stone Golem went back to his old series of commands, walking the streets to find non-existent assassins, and the pair entered the Dreamwalk shortly after.

Theo fell to another attack orchestrated by Tresk but had a mind to grind alchemy. Creating and operating golems gave a small amount of experience to both his alchemy and herbalism cores, as the skill shared both domains. He went from experimenting with constructs to failing to splice plants together to brewing potions. Tresk found him after a while, having the foresight to test his various Hallowed Ground Potions.

The marshling had encountered undead in the Swamp Dungeon. While they were simple raised skeletons, Theo could test the effects of his new potion. Upon drinking a standard Hallowed Ground Potion, a circle of white appeared on the ground beneath him. It stretched out, creating shimmering white ground that pulsed with powerful energy. Tresk summoned a few of the skeletons, who crossed the line eagerly.

The moment one of their bony feet stepped over the edge, white fire spread across their body, and they fled. Banishment apparently meant that they ran for quite some time until bursting into silver flames and vanishing. The Hallowed Ground Bomb worked as expected, covering the skeletons in white fire and eating away at their bones. The [Web] modifier acted exactly as expected, creating a line between several skeletons that forced the others to flee. When it expired, those affected also ran with abandon. [Aerosolize] was the most useful, creating a roving cloud of white fire.

Theo couldn’t test the [Anti-Mage] version of the potion but was eager to see how the [Embolden] modifier worked. He drank the potion, feeling a thread of willpower connected between him and every skeleton in sight. His mind reeled from the required power, shattering his consciousness until the scene around him split. Then it reset, unable to comprehend the effects of the alchemist becoming one of the undead.

“Unsurprisingly, the [Embolden] property is dangerous,” Theo said.

“That property sucks,” Tresk said.

But the other properties didn’t. Most of them were incredibly useful, and Fenian would be happy with them. Theo’s only problem was whether he wanted the potions for free. Their agreement was that he got the mushroom cave for free, but they should have established a better deal. Since the alchemist had little use for the anti-undead potions, he shrugged it off. At least someone would use them, and he’d get the experience.

Theo was frugal with the rest of his time in the Dreamwalk. The amount of experiments he could run there was limited, mostly by his lack of new things to test. He couldn’t move on to experiment with more essence-infused slates, and golems held no more secrets he could reach. He felt a sense of pride at that. When the alchemist hit his last barrier, he was clueless. Now he carried himself with confidence. This new Tara’hek skill was overpowered. Doubling his working time for the day did wonders for his progress. Tresk experienced similar gains, rocketing toward Level 20 in all three of her cores.

Why she still held onto the Tracker’s Core was beyond him. She showed no signs of upgrading it to something better, but he wouldn’t pry. Two Legendary cores were good enough. That would have been her reasoning.

Theo was happy to rise from the Dreamwalk feeling refreshed. It was still a shock to zip out of the strange landscape, only to find himself safe in his bed. Tresk joined him to distill Living River Water before heading off to eat breakfast. A pulse of familiar hot wind washed over them at the table, but they dismissed it for Zarali’s probing senses. She must have been looking for someone.

Each worker dedicated to the harbor project was there in the tavern. They assumed his offer for food extended to breakfast, so he paid Xam for the week. He didn’t have the heart to tell them he only meant dinner, but the cost was less than a gold coin.

Taxes were due today, whatever this world’s version of Sunday was, but Theo saw Alise had already handled it. She assigned someone labeled as a “junior administrator” to the task. The mayor’s interface was filled with notes on the correct way to take taxes, including accepting a good excuse as payment. Broken Tusk never had a problem with people not paying taxes, not those who could. Everyone else who was too broke to pay taxes was put on another list, detailing people who needed jobs. And there was no shortage of jobs.

The work detail marched out of the gates after breakfast, Tresk included for security, and Theo considered his various operations. If he gave anyone a better payment scheme than he had, he would operate at a loss. They couldn’t find traders to buy their goods fast enough, which made the port more important.

Alise directed everyone for the morning. She planned on laying everything out, then going off to manage the town. Lady Administrator admitted that Ziz’s good work put them ahead of her projected timetable, and work began. Theo carved the landscape as Throk’s machines hummed to life. The marble walls held up overnight, even as the pit filled with river water. On the far side of the paved harbor, the snaking river came back to life.

After carving a fair section of the harbor, Theo was out of potions. He needed to head back to the lab and brew more, but the laborers had plenty of work to do. He was stopped by Tresk, pointing off down the river. A small marshling, oddly similar to Tresk herself, was marching up the bank.

“Hey, boss,” he said. At least Theo thought this was a he. “Got a problem on the beach.”

Tresk narrowed her eyes. “What is it, Thronk?”

“Thronk?” Theo said, grimacing.

“Yeah. My brother. Thronk. I told you about him. Didn’t I?” Tresk asked.

Theo didn’t care whose brother he was. Throk was unimaginative with his naming scheme, but maybe it was a Bantari Marshling thing. The alchemist shrugged.

“What’s the issue?” Theo asked.

“Some guy came ashore on the beach. In a rowboat,” Thronk said. “Thought you ought to know.”

Then the little mud-colored marshling was off as if it was no concern to him. Theo drank a Potion of Limited Foresight and led the way down the river. The walk took a while, but he spotted the small rowboat on the sandy shores of the beach. True to the marshling’s words, there was a Khahari standing on the sands. Barefoot and clothed in little more than a tattered loincloth, the Khahari put off a strange aura of authority. If not for the man’s ragged appearance, Theo would have thought he was a king.

“Hello,” Theo said, waving. “Are you lost? Need help?”

The Khahari waited for Tresk and Theo to approach before bowing. When he rose, a smile hung on his face.

“I’m never lost,” he said.

Theo’s eyes went between the rowboat and the man. He certainly seemed lost.

“Are you hungry?” Theo asked. “There’s a town. Up the river.”

“River?” the man asked, looking at the drying trickle of water that normally flooded into the bay. “Riverbed, perhaps.”

“Want some food, or not?” Tresk asked, glowering at the Khahari. “What’s your name?”

He paused for a long moment, staring into the distance. The smile dropped from his face for a moment before he continued. “An’tal. You can call me An. Or Tal. Or An’tal. Whatever you like.

“I’m Theo. This is Tresk,” Theo said, gesturing to his companion.

A pleasure,” An’tal said, bowing again.

“Come on. Couldn’t have been a quick trip in that boat,” Theo said.

An’tal’s gaze went slowly from Theo to the boat. He smiled again and took a few tentative steps. He hummed a tune as he followed, actively refusing to answer the alchemist’s questions.

“Think he’s dangerous?” Tresk asked.

“Maybe. But he looks pretty bad. Could have been lost at sea,” Theo said.

“Still, we should be cautious.”

Theo’s senses told him nothing about the Khahari. It was as though the place where the man stood was a void for his intuition, which likely meant the man was a high level. But it made little sense to appear on a beach, be walked into town, then attack. Anyone high enough could just destroy the place from a distance. No need for subterfuge.

The workers checked on Theo as he passed, informing him they needed more space to make the wall. The alchemist sent Tresk with An’tal to the Marsh Wolf Tavern while he went off to brew some Tunneling Potions. When he joined back with Tresk and the strange Khahari, he seemed eager.

“I’d like to work,” he said, grinning. “If you don’t mind.”

“Yeah,” Theo said, flicking him a silver coin. An’tal caught it with little effort. “Do you know anything about stonework?”

“A thing. Or two,” An’tal said.

Theo made it back to the worksite with his new laborer. He sent him off to meet with Ziz, putting him down in the mud with the other stonemasons. It was dirty work down there. They had to shovel out mud that flowed back, move massive stones around in the muck, and set them in place to keep tons of earth from falling in. The alchemist didn’t envy their job, but An’tal didn’t seem to care. He jumped down into the pit and landed as though he’d just taken a step.

The work went on. Theo had several moments where he was just standing around, waiting for the laborers to get everything in line so he could cut more ground. They were approaching the section of the harbor that narrowed out, meaning they had less work to do from here. Fewer stones needed to be moved, and less earth had to be drilled out with the potion. An’tal worked with deliberate slowness. Every motion of his body seemed planned, almost robotic. But he did it all with a smile on his face.

During his downtime, Theo noticed Zan’kir and Zan’sal standing on the eastern gate in the distance. He couldn’t tell from this distance, but their pacing painted them as worried. Despite the dead spot An’tal created for his intuition, his sense of logic wasn’t hampered. When he brushed his intent over the man, laboring with excitement in the mud, the system refused to return the man’s name, level, and class.

“A powerful Khahari,” Tresk said after Theo exchanged his concerns. “Question is, what is he doing here, and why are the other Khahari all in knots?”

“And why the hell does he want to labor in my mud pit?” Theo asked. He shook his head, not willing to go down that road. There was work to be done.

Chapter Thirty-One

Xol’sa’s tower was strewn with what could only be described as junk. Since he arrived in Broken Tusk, bringing all his belongings, he’d only accumulated more. Every available shelf was full of devices, items, or trash. The wizard himself sat across from Theo, Zarali, and Tresk, taking part in the ongoing conversation. A magical fire crackled in the room’s corner, but it put off a pleasantly chilly wind instead of a hot one.

Theo swirled his mug of wine. It was whatever Xol’sa enjoyed drinking, and he enjoyed drinking it a lot. One of the center sections of the tower was now dedicated to casks of the stuff. Where he got it, the alchemist couldn’t say. But it was good. Slightly sweeter than he liked, but a pleasant change of pace.

“If we’re talking about powerful Khahari, An’tal doesn’t show up in the history books,” Zarali said. “The An family is old enough to appear, though. I don’t see a record of Tal, though.”

“My magic is useless,” Xol’sa said, shrugging. The elf looked more dejected than normal.

The group had retreated to the tower for dinner. The day of laboring saw more progress than the day before. Alise said they’d be done before the original estimate, and Ziz took that as a challenge. Theo lent him the Tunneling Potions so he and his laborers could do some night working. The alchemist wouldn’t object, as An’tal rested heavily on his mind.

“The Khahari are a strange people,” Zarali said, taking a long drink of her wine. “They follow a mortal named Khahar. Hence the name. But they’ve had hundreds of notable heroes in their history. Strange thing, they all have one thing in common. They rarely leave the desert.”

“Why did you specify that Khahar is a mortal?” Tresk asked, leaning in. “That’s suspicious wording.”

“Because he’s a mortal, by definition,” Zarali said, throwing her hands up. “By all accounts, he was here when the planet was formed. Lived through every age and never left his desert. But that’s our hint. He’s raised many high-level warriors. This might just be his wayward son.”

Theo nodded. The best way to figure this out would be to just talk to the man, but if he wasn’t causing any trouble, it was hard to justify.

“That just leaves Zan’kir and Zan’sal,” Theo said. “Why are they acting weird?”

“The Khahari worship their heroes,” Zarali said, dismissing his thought. “They might recognize this man from their tales.”

Theo could live with having a legendary Khahari hero in his town. He didn’t think An’tal would stay for long, but he didn’t care either way. He toiled hard in those mud pits and was currently enjoying the bathhouse. The group gathered within Xol’sa’s tower was left with no answers. They threw ideas at the wall, but nothing stuck. Tresk steered the conversation back to pleasant topics after a while, and the group just enjoyed the company. The tower was ‌cozy, even with the occasional blast from the defensive wards outside. Firefly-like bugs floated by the window occasionally, adding to the ambience.

“We should come here more often,” Theo said.

“Agreed,” Zarali said, making eyes at Xol’sa.

“I’d rather you not,” Xol’sa said.

“Well, there’s no problem to solve here,” Theo said, rising from his chair. “I’ll talk to Zan’kir when I can, but it doesn’t seem like it’s an issue.”

Everyone said their farewells. Xol’sa activated his portal again, giving Tresk and Theo a ride back to town. Night had fallen, and while the alchemist’s stamina was low from a day of work outside of his lab, it wasn’t empty. They stepped through the portal and onto the hard cobbles of an empty street. A pale orange moon rose over the northern sky.

“What’s that?” Theo asked, pointing at the moon.

“The moon,” Tresk said, scoffing. “Come on.”

“Antalis,” a voice came from behind. Tresk jumped. “That’s what my people call it. Dark most days.”

Theo turned, unsurprised to find An’tal standing there.

“In the low tongue, the bastard of Qoharin, Qavelli, they call it Aitilis,” An’tal said, a gentle smile on his face. The orange light cast his sandy fur in a striking light. He had a proud face with a wide muzzle that seemed regal. “The crawling adventurer. The midnight sun, the barrier world… Ah. Good evening.”

“Hey,” Tresk said, waving. “So, are you some Khahari hero?”

An’tal looked surprised at Tresk’s directness, but his expression faded slowly back to a soft amusement. “I wouldn’t say that.”

That was all he said without further prodding. He put off an air that felt strangely familiar to Theo. Perhaps this was a Khahari that Belgar knew.

“What are you doing here, An’tal?” Theo asked. There was no better time to ask the question.

“Searching,” An’tal said, his voice drifting off. His eyes locked onto the moon.

“Well, did you find what you were looking for?” Theo asked.

“I think so,” An’tal said.

The hair on the back of Theo’s neck stood up. He felt a sense as if they were being watched. The alchemist scanned the road, finding the source of the issue. A pair of ears stuck out from behind the adventurer’s guild. A Khahari. Likely Zan’kir or Zan’sal. Whatever connection they had with this man ran deep. An’tal turned his head in a slow, fluid motion to meet the gaze of the interloper. His eyes narrowed.

“Begone,” An’tal whispered. And the offending Khahari was gone. He turned to Theo and smiled before continuing at full volume, “Are we meant to work tomorrow?”

“If you’re up for it,” Theo said. “The laborers enjoyed having someone of your prowess down in the pit.”

“They’re still working,” An’tal said, eyes drifting back to the moon. “They paid for my bath.”

“Broken Tusk is legendary for its charity,” Tresk said, nodding.

“The legendary Theo Spencer,” An’tal said. It was as though he refused to look at them. “And his legendary town. Goodnight.”

Then the strange Khahari was off, up the street and toward the inn. Tresk and Theo stood there for a long time, both trying to figure out what just happened. The marshling slapped him on the back to break the silence.

“I like him,” Tresk said, turning and leaving without another word.

After thwarting Tresk’s attempt to kill him in the Dreamwalk, Theo summoned a likeness of An’tal from his memory. He studied the figure for a long time, standing and cupping his chin in his hand. He scratched his head in frustration, finding the features of the Khahari too familiar to dismiss. An’tal’s coat was like the Khahari he’d already seen, a mottled sand pattern, but his build was too familiar. There was something in the way a person walked that could give them away, but nothing came to mind. Like the void An’tal made for his intuition. This felt like a piece of his memory was cut out and abandoned.

While he couldn’t shake the strange feeling, Theo moved on for the night. He ordered the image of An’tal to accompany him on his experiments. Last night there wasn’t much new to discover, and tonight was worse. The alchemist did the same few reactions he’d done many times before, committing more of the heating processes to memory. He found a few better ways to run the stills, but no more progress could be made until he passed into the Level 20 range. That was when things would get interesting, owing to the power of the Reagent Deconstruction skill he skipped.

Boredom took over, and Theo went to train with Tresk. He had no plans to fight anything in the real world, but it paid to stay sharp. She insisted he find a weapon that worked for him, but nothing felt right. Spears were too unwieldy, axes were rough, and daggers just felt too small. He simply fought her with his fists, almost keeping up pace with the rapid tempo of her combat. Between sparring sessions, they shared their thoughts on the way things were going.

“We still need boats!” Tresk shouted.

“We need a place to build them.”

They trained until the morning came and they found themselves back in their beds. After setting his stills to brew more Living River Water, Theo intended to go get a bite to eat, then lead the laborers back into those muddy pits. A knock at the door downstairs, and Tresk vanished from where she stood in the lab.

“It’s Zan’sal,” Tresk said. “She looks nervous.”

Theo descended to the first floor, opening the door to find the Khahari woman biting her nails. The alchemist let her in and led her upstairs. Without prompting, he put a pot of Moss Nettle tea on a Flame Artifice and set it to boil. He gestured for her to take a seat, and she did.

“You can’t trust him,” she said after a long silence.

“Duh!” Tresk shouted, bursting from the shadows. “We know he ain’t An’tal. We just can’t figure out his real name.”

Theo held his hand up, silencing the excited marshling. “Why can’t we trust him?”

“Zan’kir called him,” she said, looking out the window. “Not that it matters. He can hear us.”

“The walls are pretty thick, lady,” Tresk said.

Theo knew what Zan’sal meant, but Tresk was wrong. An’tal wouldn’t be able to hear them because of the power of the Tara’hek. If the man wanted to use otherworldly means of eavesdropping on their conversation, he’d have to pierce into their private realm. From what he understood, that was difficult. It was like crossing from the Demonic Pantheon to the Prime Pantheon. A feat worthy of a god.

“So, who is he?” Tresk asked.

“I can’t say,” Zan’sal said. “He’ll know I gave him up.”

“So, write it down,” Tresk said, scoffing. “Come on! Spill the beans!”

Theo held his hand up to silence her again. “You can’t tell us who he is. Tell us why he’s here.”

Zan’sal took a steadying breath. “It’s almost impossible to communicate with those in the Khahari desert. The power there makes long-range communication crystals impossible. When we migrated from the north, we received word. He was looking for somebody.”

“For Theo Spencer,” Theo said, shrugging. It was obvious. “The question is why?”

“I don’t know,” Zan’sal said. “I swear I don’t know—and I didn’t send word. That was my husband. He reported we found you. It was just difficult to find the materials to do so.”

“All right,” Theo said, letting out a breath. He really hated all this skullduggery. “So, this guy is powerful?”

“Extremely.”

“Then there’s nothing to worry about,” Theo said. “Anyone who can kill me but doesn’t isn’t a threat.”

Zan’sal’s mouth dropped open. She looked from Tresk to Theo, searching for more information. “That’s it?”

“Yeah, whatever,” Tresk said. “You can’t tell us ’cause you’re haunted or whatever, and he was looking for Theo. Well, he found Theo. And he ain’t dead.”

Zan’sal stammered, but no words formed.

“We can talk with Zan’kir‌,” Theo said. “My intuition doesn’t give me a read on An’tal, but he’s doing good work. Maybe he wants a vacation. Did you ever think of that? Broken Tusk is charming in a lot of ways, and people can feel a deep sense of community here.”

Zan’sal tapped her foot, biting at her claws.

“Look, my people are on it,” Theo said. “Just relax. Go run some dungeons. Get it out of your system.”

Zan’sal stood up and left the lab without another word. Her worry hung in the air like a miasma.

“She’s wound tight,” Tresk said.

Theo nodded.

They departed the Newt and Demon and headed for breakfast. An’tal was there, along with all the other workers. The Khahari seemed eager to get back in the mud pits but held a wide smile on his face.

“Wait until you see what your workers did last night,” he said. “They’re exhausted, though.”

Ziz and his gang all had their heads pressed to the surface of the table. Theo recognized the symptoms of Stamina Potion use.

Alise clapped her hands at the entrance to the tavern, gaining everyone’s attention. She looked equal parts annoyed and impressed.

“Despite my warnings, someone worked late into the night,” Alise said. “Ziz! I’m looking at you! Wake up!”

Ziz didn’t wake up.

“Someone dump something cold on them,” Alise said, letting out an annoyed breath.

An’tal took up the task with excitement, emptying a mug of water over the half-ogre’s head.

“I’m awake!” Ziz shouted, throwing punches at the air. An’tal smiled.

Alise detailed how much work Ziz’s crew did. The narrow section of the harbor’s approach was nearly half finished, which seemed like an absurd amount. Theo didn’t want to believe it until they all marched down to the river. The massive hole had filled up overnight, but it stretched far into the distance. It followed the general path of the river but cut a straight line instead of a snaking trail. Tresk whistled.

“Dang,” Tresk said. “We’re going to be done soon if we keep this up.”

“But you can’t keep this up,” Alise said, stomping her foot. Theo had never seen her this angry, but she calmed herself down after a moment. “The new guy is in charge of the pits now.”

“Me?” An’tal asked.

“Yes, you. Any other new guys around here?” Alise asked. Another steady breath and her face stopped being so red. “Let’s get to work.”

Alise directed them more closely today. She enjoyed having this much control, and Theo didn’t blame her. The current harbor was looking amazing, with the wider section near the town looking as though it were ready for ships. The area of that wide harbor area was almost half the size of Broken Tusk. They’d be able to fit a lot of boats in there.

An’tal seemed excited to be in charge of the stonework. Theo didn’t know if he had a core for the work, but he worked in the same way Ziz did. He welded stones together with more precision than the other stonemasons, showing significantly more strength for lifting the heavy marble stones.

“Do you have a stonecutter’s core?” Theo asked, shouting down into the pit.

Some of the rough edges of An’tal had rubbed off. He seemed more excited than yesterday to do the work, and he looked up with a wide grin. “I have a Legendary stonecutter’s core! Khahari Stoneweaver.”

That made sense to Theo. If anything, An’tal was holding back. The power that came from each of his stone-welding actions was like the scouring winds of the desert, all rolled into a single technique. He left little designs in the magical mortar, images too small for the alchemist to spot from the top of the pit. It was amazing to watch him work.

Halfway through the day’s session of digging, pumping water, and laying stone, Theo spotted Zan’kir from the eastern gate. He beckoned the alchemist over, waving until he got his attention. Theo splashed the last of his potion for the day on the ground, etching out another stretch of the approach. Alise glowered at him as he left.

“What’s up?” Theo asked, shouting from the outside of the eastern gate.

Zan’kir scowled. “I’d rather have this conversation in private.”

“So, come down.”

Zan’kir crossed his arms. “No.”

Theo shrugged, entering the town and ascending the battlements. Zan’kir was waiting for him, concern on his face.

“Zan’sal told you what I did,” he said. “If you want to expel me from the town, that’s your decision.”

“All right,” Theo said, holding his hands up. “You guys summon some Master Stonemason from somewhere, and he comes in and helps me build my harbor. Why am I going to be mad?”

“He is many things,” Zan’kir said. Theo noticed he refused to look in the harbor’s direction. “Not just a stonemason.”

“Then stop being weird,” Theo said. “Tell me who he is and why I should care.”

“I’ve sworn an oath,” Zan’kir said.

“To protect An’tal, the greatest stonemason alive?” Theo asked.

“Not to protect him. To protect you,” Zan’kir said.

“I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again,” Tresk said, coming from the shadow of the wall. “Spill the dang beans.”

Zan’kir narrowed his eyes. “Master of the Sands. Destroyer of Hamtal’Tan. Fate of the Khahari.”

It was a long list of titles that meant nothing to Theo. He’d been meaning to learn more about this world’s history and important historical figures, but even Tresk didn’t get it. The marshling tapped her foot impatiently, throwing her hands up. Both Zan’kir and Zan’sal were being too defensive about this Khahar’s identity, and it was wearing on the alchemist’s patience. He didn’t care who it was at this point. He just wanted to know.

Zan’kir took in a lungful of air and closed his eyes. “An is the first surname given to the Khahari. Given by our progenitor. At the forging of the world and the scouring of the desert. The man who gave that name is…”

He trailed off without completing the thought.

“The Khahari who gave us the name was…” Zan’kir said. He just couldn’t get the words out. Theo finally recognized some kind of oath binding the man from speaking, but he was over the game. There were enough pieces of the puzzle in front of him.

“Hey!” Theo shouted over the open field between the wall and the river. “Khahar! Get your butt up here!”

The master stonemason laboring on Theo’s harbor moved. An’tal was standing at the edge of the pit, then he was standing on the wall. Zan’kir dropped to the floor, pressing his forehead against the ground, and shuddered. His breaths were ragged gasps, interspersed with inane muttering.

“Yes?” Khahar, a man as old as the planet and leader of the Khahari, asked.

Chapter Thirty-Two

“Was that so hard?” Tresk asked.

“Hmmm? What?” Khahar asked.

Zan’kir was glued to the battlements of the wall. He shuddered as though he wanted to speak, but nothing came out. The absolute power Khahar held over his people was impressive, if not frightening. Theo had it in his mind that An’tal was Khahar from the start, but he couldn’t find a motive. If what Zarali said about him was true, why the hell would he row a boat across the ocean to visit Broken Tusk? Or was it as simple as needing a vacation, as the alchemist had suggested.

“Letting us know who you were!” Tresk said, clapping her hand over his shoulder. “Oh, you’re real firm for an old guy.”

Khahar smiled.

“Could you do something for him?” Theo asked, pointing at the quivering mass of Khahari that was Zan’kir. “And give me a little backstory on why you want to visit Broken Tusk so badly.”

“We shall work,” Khahar said, “as we discuss this.”

Khahar vanished from the wall again, reappearing at the edge of the pit. Zan’kir gained some of his senses again but was still muttering nonsense. Theo and Tresk jumped over the wall and joined the leader of the Khahari near the harbor.

“Hey, no vanishing while you’re on the clock,” Alise said. “Back in the pit.”

Khahar bowed and jumped back into the pit. He moved his blocks into place, setting them with the magical mortar. It was as though the reveal meant nothing to him, so why travel under an assumed name?

“I didn’t mean for you to find out so soon, Theo,” Khahar shouted from the bottom of the pit. “I wanted to take the measure of a new leader. What better way than to see how they treat their workers?”

Theo helped transport more blocks into the pit. Those who had inventories were valuable for that task. He loaded his inventory up with stones, then climbed down the makeshift ladder the laborers had assembled. Those citizens of Broken Tusk that were working at the bottom of the muddy harbor seemed confused about this turn of events.

“I found your shores easily, but I have been watching for a week,” Khahar said.

Whatever he said was music to Theo’s ears. It didn’t matter what the leader of the Khahari did, just that he came clean with the alchemist. That mattered more than anything.

“What kind of man is Theo Spencer? I asked myself that question,” Khahar said, lifting a marble block with one hand. He set it in place, pushing aside the mud with his free hand. “Why is he interested in trading with the Khahari?”

“I heard no one trades with your people,” Theo said. “Didn’t expect contact until we had the port running.”

Khahar paused, turning to smile at Theo. There was a warmth there that radiated outward, bathing that stinking pit with a cleansing light.

“Thoughts travel my way. Sometimes,” Khahar said, setting another block in place. “Intent. Dreams. Errant wills. Most are consumed by the Will of Khahar, but your willingness to establish contact was too strong.”

Theo doubted that. He bought some of the leader’s story but had learned to look out for other motives. Even if Khahar heard him from across the ocean, it seemed like a strange way to make contact. Still, there were more interesting questions he could ask an ancient leader.

“What level are you?” Theo asked.

“Ah, that’s a good question,” Khahar said. He was softening by the moment. “You should have seen the world when it was forged, Theo. Chaos. Did you know levels go into the thousands?”

In fact, he suspected that was the case. But there seemed to be a tendency for people on this planet to fight for godhood when they reached a certain level. The alchemist understood Khahar’s thought process was likely incomprehensible. It would take his entire willpower to even speak like a normal person, let alone engage in a conversation.

“I thought it might,” Theo said, hoisting another block for Khahar to set. “How hard is it to think like a normal person?”

“Always smart,” Khahar whispered, not low enough to avoid Theo’s ears. “It’s almost impossible. Like instructing an ocean how to dance. Or… Ah, well. It’s difficult.”

It should have been intimidating talking to someone so powerful. But since Drogramath had become a familiar bedfellow, Theo didn’t find himself put off. He just wanted to get as much information out of Khahar while he was here. The man’s whims could send him off, back to the Khahari Desert, at a moment’s notice. Even now, the alchemist realized the small rowboat was a diversion or a coincidence. It was part of a plan that fell apart too soon for Khahar.

Then something struck Theo. This was all planned. Khahar’s Intelligence attribute was at a level that made coincidence impossible. He’d have everything planned out to an unknowable stage.

“It would never take you long to figure that out,” Khahar said, chuckling. The laugh seemed fake, and Theo was taken aback—either by Khahar’s foresight or ability to read his mind. “I can’t read minds. I just make predictions.”

“I’m not sure which is worse,” Theo said.

Khahar nodded, suddenly sullen. Then he righted his expression and smiled again.

“No need to worry about all that,” Khahar said. “My people don’t even know I’m gone, and I’ll be back before they realize. I’m just here to watch.”

Theo nodded. Overwhelming power like this couldn’t be fought, and he was lucky Khahar seemed friendly, if a little distant. He relaxed in the presence of the godlike figure, helping him set the stones in place and trying to strike up a conversation. He was glad to give a brief history of his people, including a first-hand account of the forging of the world.

60,000 years ago, the planet was formed. Khahar skipped some details about how everyone was brought here, but it was a scramble for survival. The system was set in place the moment they set foot on the planet, then hell broke loose. Everyone was encouraged to fight to the death until only a few survived from each of their races. Khahar paired with a woman, and they formed the Khahari people, who had endured for all those millennia without significant changes. Their desert was surrounded by a field of power known as the Will of Khahar, which acted as a shroud.

“When my wife joined the Prime Pantheon, I remained,” Khahar said, staring in the distance for a breath. “One moment.”

Khahar vanished for less than a blink. Then he was back. He smiled again.

The story went on for a while. As the years passed, Khahar became distant. He blamed the increase in attributes, namely an Intelligence over 1,000. Things got harder for him, but he pressed on. Theo felt like the godlike cat-person was pouring his emotions out, but nothing resembling sorrow played on the man’s face. It was a strange contrast, but the alchemist was there as a shoulder to cry on. Even if there weren’t tears in that mud-strewn pit.

Theo would have flagged long before quitting time if not for his enhanced Strength and Vigor. Even if he didn’t have those stats to bolster his body, he would have remained for another word from the leader of the Khahari. It was a situation too strange to pass up, but he could sense something deep within Khahar. The simplicity of labor sent him back to a simpler time, where people weren’t bowing at his feet to gain his favor. That was something Khahar further explained. The constant begging for attention from such a powerful being—it was why people normally ascended to godhood.

“You give them one ounce of help,” Khahar said, welding another string of blocks together, “then they owe you their life. It’s exhausting.”

“Broken Tuskers are different,” Theo said, running his hand along the perfect mortar. There were sections with images of a cute rendition of Khahar himself, dancing in the sun. “We’ll beg you not to help us.”

Khahar smiled. The surrounding laborers laughed, shouting their words of support. People in Broken Tusk were known for their independence. It was a reason they were so destitute when Theo first arrived. But it was a strength now, and Theo would do everything to preserve that strength. They weren’t wowed by the leader of the Khahari, treating him like any laborer they had ever worked with. A Broken Tusker wouldn’t bow to anyone unless they offered a steady job and a plate of hot food. There was a charm to that.

“Good to hear, Theo,” Khahar said, grinning. “I can feel that monster wave coming on.”

“Bet you could deal with that in a breath,” Theo said, laughing. “Sorry. The loot is all ours.”

The work went on for hours. Khahar was clearly holding back, trying to limit himself as much as possible to work at the laborer’s pace. Ziz overcame the effects of his stamina potion before midday, coming down into the pit to give directions. He was in no condition to lift the blocks and set them in place. Throk’s artifices were working wonders, but the ocean hadn’t come into play. The alchemist was worried about that, but they were at least a day away from worrying about that. Even with their new rapid pace.

There was a slight tension in the air when Theo called Khahar’s true name from the battlements of Broken Tusk. Once the leader of the Khahari returned to the harbor as though nothing happened, the tension lifted. Shortly after, it was as though he was equal to any laborer in the town. The Khahari population in town wasn’t high, so no one saw him for anything more than he was. A hard worker, quick with a smile, and kind. Before working hours were over, he invited Khahar and Alise to dinner at the town hall. They’d have the open area of the hall to themselves, the crackling fire giving excellent ambience. Khahar accepted.

“He’s WHAT?” Zarali asked.

The Drogramathi priestess caught Theo outside the Newt and Demon. He needed to check on his gardens and golems, rearranging the plants to encourage the highest level of cultivation. Zarali followed him to the rows of greenhouses, huffing at him the entire way. A mix of excitement and fear painted her face.

“He could rewrite what we know about history, you know?” Zarali said, trying a different tactic. “If I could ask him a few questions, I could publish the results. An interview with Khahar? That hasn’t happened. Ever. No mortal remains from the Forging. I could be⁠—”

“I get it,” Theo said, interrupting her rant. “You’re welcome to come to dinner tonight. Pick his brain, but don’t be rude.”

“Can I bring Xol’sa?” she asked, eyes glittering with excitement.

“Yeah. Alise wants to bring a guest too,” Theo said.

Zarali looked herself over, scoffing. “I can’t wear these. I need to change—when are we eating?”

“The same time we eat every single day,” Theo said, giving her a flat look. “Just chill out.”

Zarali did not chill out. She stormed off, headed to her lab.

Theo was happy to get back to something at least tangentially related to alchemy. The reagents in each greenhouse were doing well to cultivate themselves. The buildings provided the ideal environment for them to grow, even if most of those buildings were almost entirely empty. Meanwhile, the mushroom cave was almost ready for full production, and the golems had collected enough random ingredients to do a few batches. They were targeting the Marsh Tubers, but also grabbed whatever they saw. It was mostly Stone Flowers, Water Lilies, and Spiny Swamp Thistle Root. The alchemist took his mind off the sudden events by starting two of his stills with 500 units of Stone Flowers, and Water Lilies. They weren’t the cultivation quality he wanted, but more for the store was better. Salire would be happy.

“Hey!” a voice called from downstairs in the shop. Theo recognized it as the rough sort of thing Sledge would say.

“What’s up?” Theo asked, descending to the first floor.

Sledge stood with her hands on her hips, that permanent scowl on her face. She was covered in sawdust.

“The sky. Hahaha,” she said with exactly no emotion. “Got a question for you, fancy pants.”

“You can’t know I’m wearing pants,” Theo said, tugging at his silken robe.

“Are you purposefully underutilizing my vast abilities?” Sledge asked, narrowing her eyes. “Or are you just dumb?”

“You’re running the mill, right?”

“I need Fabricator work, Theo! Dammit!” Sledge said, slamming her hand down on the front desk. “I need inspiration!”

“Sledge, that’s on you,” Theo said. “You’re the taskmaster for the sawmill, but I gave you free rein. Assign a person to run it for you, then take fabricator jobs.”

“No one wants to hire me,” Sledge said.

Theo gestured for the angry little marshling to follow him upstairs. He was certain that most marshlings were just angry people, but he saw them for what they were. Hard-working, dedicated individuals who had a keen sense of community. She followed him upstairs and took a seat by the window, letting out a breath. The alchemist joined her.

“Here’s what we’re going to do,” Theo said. “I’m working on a project. Everyone in Broken Tusk is going to want one, and we need you to attach the pipes through the houses.”

“I wanna do more than just lay pipes, Mayor,” Sledge said, crossing her arms.

“Yeah, but you need experience to get more skills,” Theo said. “Let’s start over. What skills do you have?”

The Fabricator class was based around the idea that seed core buildings couldn’t be modified. If a person took a brick from their house, it would vanish, and then the building would repair itself. Fabricators could modify the structure of a seed core building, and perhaps a town’s seed core, and so on. Sledge explained that she wasn’t even Level 5 yet, as she was too busy with the mill. Her only ability was Modification, which allowed her to rearrange the structure of a building without it rebuilding itself. It was a long road before she’d be doing what Theo wanted her to do.

“That’s when you’ll get the Tamper skill,” Theo said. They took a while to review which skills seemed like the best ones. The alchemist found the skill in his endless list thanks to the search feature and inspected it.

[Tamper]

Epic Fabricator Skill

Allows the user to change the nature of a seed core.

Effect:

Apply unaligned mana to any seed core to change its nature.

“Look at the wording,” Theo said. “It says ‘seed core’ rather than ‘seed core building.’ That’s big.”

Theo didn’t want to go into where he thought this would go. This was the first step to becoming a coresmith—he could feel it with his intuition. Like most things with the system, it was training wheels for something bigger.

“So, what can I do with this?” Sledge asked.

“Hard to say, but I think we’ll be looking at some serious upgrades,” Theo said. “I want you to take that ability at Level 10, and then if you can spare the point at Level 15, take Synergistic Links.”

Theo inspected that skill, which seemed like the real winner here.

[Synergistic Links]

Legendary Fabricator Skill

Apply production chain links between seed cores.

Effect:

Apply unaligned mana to establish bonuses to production chain buildings.

“Production chains mean things like mining to smelting to blacksmithing,” Theo said.

“I understood that,” Sledge said, glowering. “You don’t have to treat me like a baby.”

“But baby asked for help,” Theo said, grinning. He continued before she could slap him. “You’re busy. I get it. Talk with Alise or one of her henchmen if you need help restructuring the sawmill. Remember, you’re the most important piece to my boat-building puzzle.”

Sledge swelled with pride at that comment. She puffed her chest out and smiled.

“I am, aren’t I?” Sledge asked.

“You are,” Theo said, patting her on the head. He explained what was so important about the Fabricator class with his air conditioning plan. Sledge didn’t understand it entirely—the heat didn’t hinder the marshlings as much as the other races. But with humans and other cold-weather-enjoying races coming to town, this would be important. People would pay a premium to keep their houses cool, and seed core houses didn’t have upgrades to regulate the temperature. Theo just hoped Xol’sa wouldn’t sell his magically cold fire.

“Yeah, I saw an elf,” Sledge said. “An elf. Living in Broken Tusk. Well, they look hard as shells, so there’s that.”

Theo nodded. He needed to remember to check in with Sledge more often. She needed more direction than the others, and she wouldn’t come to him for help unless it was dire. The marshling was happy with his advice and his promise that she would lead the air conditioner project. The alchemist wasn’t sure if the project would pay off, but that didn’t matter. Leveling his Fabricator was more important, so he would push ahead anyway. Work like this often led to other work. It revealed a hole in the needs of Broken Tuskers that he could exploit.

“I’m off,” Sledge said. “Thanks. Oh, and you’re the baby. I’m not a baby.”

Theo couldn’t even remember what he was doing before Sledge arrived. His mind felt scrambled from so many weird things happening today, but he righted himself when Tresk sent him a private message.

“You coming to dinner or what? Zarali’s about to melt. She can’t even talk to this Khahar dude,” Tresk said.

Theo rushed out of the lab, making his way directly to the town hall.

Chapter Thirty-Three

Zarali was the only one dressed up for the dinner. Khahar remained in his tattered loincloth. Alise had brought Nira as her guest, both of them wearing their simple clothes, and Tresk was still covered in mud. But Zarali wore a flowing purple gown with fine jewels hanging from her neck. She even did her hair, although Theo did not know how.

“The guest of honor has arrived,” Khahar said, clapping once.

“About time,” Tresk said, huffing.

Someone, likely Alise, had rearranged the floor of the town hall for the dinner. Instead of the plush chairs sitting by the fire, she’d arranged a dining table. She even set it with a nice tablecloth and dinnerware, which seemed a step too far for Theo. He took his seat at the head of the table, granting him a view of the crackling fire. It was warm, but not overly hot in the hall. It was too vast to get stuffy.

“Well, thanks to everyone who came,” Theo said. “I think Tresk picked up the food.”

“We’re waiting on Xol’sa,” Zarali corrected, clearing her throat.

“He’s the Bara’thier you were talking about,” Khahar said, nodding. “Strange people.”

“Right!” Zarali said, sounding more nervous than Theo had ever heard her. She produced a journal from nowhere and started writing. “I would be honored by whatever you’re willing to share.”

Khahar smiled, but Theo could sense some amount of annoyance.

“Treat it as story time, Khahar. She’s a historian—and overly excited—but I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable,” Theo said. Zarali shot him a look.

“To be honest, I’m content that none of you are pressing your foreheads to the ground,” Khahar said, letting out a long sigh. “I can’t remember the last decent conversation I had. On to the Bara’their’rak.”

Zarali brightened up, scribbling something down. Khahar told the story of Xol’sa’s people while they waited for the wizard himself. They were originally from this world, sent when everyone else was, but they left to live in some place that wasn’t real. Theo didn’t really understand how that worked, but Zarali picked up on everything. They went back and forth for a few minutes before the door opened.

“Sorry I’m late,” Xol’sa said. “I suspect our guest is disrupting my portal system.”

“That happens,” Khahar said, seeming slightly dejected.

“Don’t worry,” Xol’sa said, taking his seat. “What’s for dinner?”

Tresk produced their food from her inventory, eating hers in one go before dishing it out for everyone else. It was whatever Xam was serving at the tavern tonight, the closest thing to an Alfredo sauce on noodles that Theo had seen since he arrived in town. It was served, of course, with wolf meat instead of chicken.

Khahar ate like a gentleman. He used more utensils to eat the simple dish than Theo knew existed and talked about Xol’sa’s people politely as he did so. It was a tragic tale of loss and mistakes that affected an entire people.

“And you never met your parents,” Khahar said, gesturing to Xol’sa. “Because they’re locked away in that self-made dimension. Getting you here would have cost them dearly.”

Xol’sa smiled, tears forming in the corners of his eyes. “I never thought of it like that.”

Zarali grilled him about more things that were wrong in the history books. Khahar had a perfect recollection of the past 60,000 years and went on record to correct what was written. He never left the Khahari desert, and people rarely visited outside of the race, but he was happy to recount the world in brief. The Drogramathi priestess scribbled furiously, trying to keep up with his pace.

“So, Alise,” Theo said, leaning to the other side of the table. “And Nira. How are you two doing?”

“We’re fine,” Alise said, brushing some of her messy hair out of her face. “Thrilled to be a part of this harbor project. This is going to do a lot for us.”

“Yeah,” Nira said, poking at her food.

“We finally planted a house seed. Carved out a really pleasant spot in the south of town,” Alise said. She messed with her hair again, a nervous habit perhaps.

“It’s close to the smelter,” Nira said.

“And close enough to town hall,” Alise said, chuckling nervously.

“I never set up the housing area north of the town’s center,” Theo said with a shrug. The conversation between Zarali and Khahar went on, Xol’sa interjecting his thoughts occasionally. “It was like that when I got here, so we just kept it.”

“We’re zoning out a small section of the southern area of town for housing,” Alise said. “But that section is going to be industry, but we just love it down there.”

“We do,” Nira said, half-heartedly. It seemed everything she said was half-hearted, though.

Theo picked up on the real purpose of the conversation after a while, but his mind still lingered on the expansion of the town. He consulted his mayor’s screen, tracing his eyes along the straight line of the eastern wall. The zones he could expand lined up perfectly with the harbor, but he’d need to purchase three eastward expansions to get all the way across the river. This would enclose the port section of the harbor within the wall, accomplishing all his goals in one action. If the wall created bridge-walls like he expected, it would be even more perfect.

“Yes, we’re just happy to have this chance,” Alise said, nudging Nira.

“Oh. Just so happy,” Nira said, her tone completely flat.

“No one needs my blessing to have a relationship,” Theo said, holding his hands up.

“Leave it to Spencer to miss the point entirely,” Khahar said, grinning. “They don’t want your blessing. You’re her boss. She manages Nira’s work.”

Theo’s face flushed violet. He thought Alise was shoving her new romantic entanglement down his throat, but she just wanted to know if it was all right. Of course, she managed some of the work Nira did, directing her to focus on one metal or the other. That would be a conflict of interest, but the alchemist didn’t care. He picked at his food for a moment, lingering on how accurate Khahar’s assessment of the situation was.

“Well, of course,” Theo said, keeping his eyes on his plate. “It’s totally fine.”

“Look how embarrassed he is,” Tresk said. “What? Girls didn’t like girls back on Earth? You’re in a soul-bond with a lizard. Grow up!”

“That was normal on Earth,” Khahar said, nodding. “I imagine.”

“And now we change the subject,” Theo said, coughing into his hand.

Alise and Nira had more plans than their involvement, though. Lady Administrator was helping organize the workers for the smeltery. Zarali bristled when they stole away Khahar’s attention, but he clearly needed a break.

“Minting coins is a fantastic idea,” Khahar said. He produced a single, rocky coin from nowhere and placed it on the table.

Theo’s eyes went wide. He didn’t need to inspect the item to know it was a spiritstone coin. It represented 1,000 gold. On the face, it had the image of a desert, complete with palm trees and a small pool. It must have represented an oasis. On the reverse, it had the year it was minted and some text the alchemist couldn’t read. He suppressed an urge to snatch the coin away, pushing that feeling deep down. They already had every advantage in the world here. Broken Tusk wouldn’t prop itself up with any more outside help.

“How many do you produce a year?” Zarali asked, inspecting the coin.

“Several thousand,” Khahar said. “The royal crafters use all of them.”

“Interesting to actually see that the Khahari track time from creation,” Zarali said, placing the coin back on the table. She was right—it had the number 59584 on it.

“We don’t care for tracking time by eras,” Khahar said, waving her away.

Khahar’s attention drifted from the conversation. Theo watched as his eyes traced through the air, as though he were following an invisible thread, but it led back to Theo. He stared into the alchemist’s chest, tilted his head, then traced his fingers through the air. A burning sensation spread through Theo’s chest.

“Oops,” Khahar said, blinking rapidly. “I’m sorry, Theo. I was tracing a strand of power, and I may have⁠—”

A sound like an explosion came from the far side of the town hall. Theo groaned. Khahar tilted his head, a grimace hanging on his face. Uharis, Archmage of the Order of the Burning Eye, stood at the entrance, a staff in one hand and a spell coiled in the other. Khahar waved his hand, and the spell vanished. He didn’t rise from his seat; he just gestured for the wizard to join them.

“Awkward,” Tresk said.

“Abomination,” Uharis said.

Khahar shrugged.

The doors to the town hall were blown off their hinges. Theo couldn’t tell exactly what had happened. It happened way too fast, but Khahar was no longer sitting in his chair. He was standing near the entrance, holding the arm of Sulvan Flametouched, Grand Inquisitor of the Order of the Burning Eye. Sulvan’s flaming sword was in his hand, poised to strike.

“I’d rather you not damage this lovely building further,” Khahar said.

Sulvan was frozen in place. The Level 130-something paladin had seemed like a force of nature the first time Theo had seen him. Now he could see how powerless the man was against Khahar’s might. Something was exchanged between them, some battle of wills no one could see. Then Sulvan’s eyes flashed, and the room was flooded with immense power.

“Yet you remain,” Sulvan said. His voice boomed through the hall, carrying with it a power that Theo couldn’t comprehend.

“The Burning Eye,” Zarali whispered.

“You violate your oath,” Khahar said. “Return to the heavens, you old bastard.”

“You first.”

Theo couldn’t believe he was watching a pissing match between two powerful beings. Then it got weirder. Zarali’s eyes flashed purple. Apparently, the Burning Eye’s possession of his faithful was enough for Drogramath to take off his gloves. She rose from her seat, joining the others near the entrance. She walked with more swagger than should be possible, striking an odd image given the beautiful dress she wore.

“Why have rules if you don’t follow them?” Zarali asked, her voice booming to match the others. “Why bind my followers while yours run free?”

“Back to the demonic realm with you, fiend,” the Burning Eye said.

“Make me,” Drogramath said, growling.

The room filled with yellow light. Theo felt the winds of the Khahari desert blow through the town hall, washing everything clean. He felt as though he’d rested for an entire night. His stamina bar was suddenly full. Only now did he notice Tresk wasn’t in her seat. Whatever Khahar did broke her stealth, and she stood with twin daggers ready to strike out at the representatives from the Burning Eye. Sulvan and Zarali sagged, their eyes returning to their normal hue.

“That’s quite enough of that,” Khahar said. “Archmage Uharis, Grand Inquisitor Sulvan, I apologize for instigating this. It was never my intention.”

Zarali snuck away from the action, coming to take her seat back at the table. She slumped in her chair, huffing breath.

“Broken Tusk is under our protection,” Sulvan said, his voice as emotionless as ever.

“Broken Tusk is under your yoke,” Khahar corrected, tightening his grip on Sulvan’s wrist. The flaming sword clattered to the ground.

“Ascend, you old fool,” Uharis hissed. “Stay out of our business. Go back to the desert.”

“Concerning my friend,” Khahar said, pointing a finger at the wizard, “I’ll do as I please.”

Uharis vanished.

“Clever piece of runework, Flametouched,” Khahar said. “How long have you been eavesdropping on the alchemist?”

“Since the start of the season,” Sulvan said.

“And you led him to believe this would keep Drogramath out?” Khahar asked.

“I did,” Sulvan said.

There was no lying to the leader of the Khahari. Between the two men sat a gulf of power that was impossible to understand.

“I’m altering your work and telling him the truth,” Khahar said. “This was a pleasant dinner, and I’m sorry for activating the rune. But, leave.”

Khahar released his grip on the Grand Inquisitor. Sulvan picked up his sword, returning it to its scabbard. They shared an intense stare for a long moment.

“I think I’ll—” Sulvan started. Then he was gone.

“I don’t think you will,” Khahar said. With a gesture, the damaged doors were back on their hinges. The spot burned by Sulvan’s flaming sword was repaired. Everything was back to normal. He vanished from one spot, reappearing in his seat. “Sorry about that.”

“Hey, what in the hells just happened?” Tresk asked, letting out a nervous chuckle.

Alise and Nira stopped trying to escape out the window. They returned to the table reluctantly, not willing to sit.

“I disagree with the Burning Eye,” Khahar said. “He’s not wrong, though. I don’t intend to stay in this world much longer… The damage to my mind is becoming harder to contend with.”

It was too much all at once. Theo couldn’t find the words to express what he felt. He certainly wasn’t surprised that the Order of the Burning Eye was using the runework etched into his chest to spy on him. What surprised him was the activity of the gods. They had a battle in his town hall without throwing a punch, and Khahar banished them with a gesture.

“I’m not hungry anymore,” Nira said.

“Expose the rune, Theo,” Khahar ordered.

And it felt like an order, not a suggestion. Theo removed his robe and the Dexterity shirt underneath. He looked down at his chest, noticing the glowing runes. They were normally just a scrawl of black marks on his skin. With a gesture, Khahar changed it entirely.

“They can no longer spy on you, and the original intent has been removed,” Khahar said. “It was never meant to stop Drogramath from possessing you, as you may have thought. Sulvan created it to prevent an interdiction event. They didn’t want you crossing into another dimension. Why? I cannot say.”

But Khahar knew. He just wasn’t saying. If Khahar could see a thousand steps ahead of what someone was planning, Sulvan could see ten steps ahead. The only reason they didn’t want Theo to be interdicted was to prevent him from using the Bridge of Shadows. The Order knew Fenian would get it eventually, allowing someone to travel long distances by jumping dimensions, but the question remained. Why?

There was no reason to keep this from Khahar. He knew. “Why prevent me from using the Bridge?”

“To keep you here,” Xol’sa said, swallowing hard. “That’s the only thing that makes sense.”

“Perhaps,” Khahar said, stroking the fur on his chin. He shook his head, then locked his eyes on Tresk. “I see a million permutations of events at all times. Fates that haven’t come to pass. Sometimes it feels like I’m a puppet following those motions. A distinct path opened when I removed the interdiction suppression. You’ll survive now.”

Theo felt a column of ice seize his spine. His blood ran cold at the idea that Khahar had seen something in the future that ended his life. He might not have had attributes to rival these godlike people, but he could put two pieces of a puzzle together. He was dead before the interdiction prevention was disabled and alive afterward. The idea haunted him, forcing him into an uncomfortable silence.

“Yay, you’re gonna live,” Alise said, laughing.

“I’ve never had so much of Lord Drogramath’s power flow through me,” Zarali said. Her face was gaunt.

Somehow, the events hadn’t dampened Zarali’s spirit to get more information out of Khahar. After a cup of tea and a bit of food, she was back at it.

Theo broke off from the conversation to talk with Xol’sa and Tresk, leaving Alise and Nira to recover on their own.

“How the hell do I use an interdiction event to save my life?” Theo asked.

Xol’sa scratched his head. “An interdiction event is defined as an event that pulls a person from one plane to another, usually against their will. Khahar won’t tell you exactly how, but using the Bridge to avoid your fate makes no sense.”

“Hey, maybe you can just hide in the Dreamwalk,” Tresk said, laughing. “Oops. I don’t think we wanted to tell you about the Dreamwalk.”

Theo then had to explain the Dreamwalk to Xol’sa, who dismissed it as a solution to the problem.

“There’s a realm between you two,” Xol’sa said. “I’ve been studying it from afar. It generates power aligned to your Tara’hek, but nothing like another dimension. Still, that skill sounds fascinating. Can you really gain experience while in the Dreamwalk?”

“Yep,” Tresk said. “It’s overpowered and awesome.”

“Sounds like it,” Xol’sa said.

Somehow, the dinner got back on track. Conversation shifted away from the events, even after townspeople came to check things out. Aarok sent a team of adventurers to investigate the disturbance, but they were dismissed by Theo. He didn’t need every mouth in town talking about the damn Burning Eye again. It was enough of a problem last time. He took solace because they wouldn’t be back. Not until Khahar left the mortal plane.

When dinner was done, no one was tired. Khahar had used a mass-purification skill that banished otherworldly beings, cleansed the spirit, and restored everyone’s health, mana, and stamina. The side effect was that it acted as though everyone affected got a good night’s sleep and a hot meal. But Tresk and Theo didn’t actually sleep. When they returned to the Newt and Demon for the night, they fell into the Dreamwalk. The only place where they could talk, and no one could hear them.

Chapter Thirty-Four

Theo spent little of his time in the Dreamwalk working. He sat with Tresk, going over the events of the day. She retold the story of what happened in the town hall, presenting herself as the fearless hero that was ready to stab the Burning Eye to death. Even with their potent poisons, Sulvan would have swatted her like a fly. But he let her tell the story anyway. The alchemist was more concerned with the portent of death and what that meant for the symbol Sulvan marked him with.

Khahar had changed the runes significantly. According to him, it wouldn’t prevent an interdiction event. Theo went back and forth with Tresk, trying to figure out if that was a good thing. They also debated what the Dreamwalk was. Their bodies were in the real world, while their minds drifted into this strange realm. The topic turned to Khahar himself near the night’s end.

“Yeah, but can we trust him?” Tresk asked. “He knows the future, but he doesn’t wanna tell us? Come on.”

Theo shrugged. They were sitting inside of the Marsh Wolf Tavern, an empty version of the real thing. The familiar haze of the Dreamwalk hung over everything, casting it in an eerie light.

“But he told us,” Theo said, “and steered us in the right direction. No, think about it. He’s said a few weird things so far. There’s just something about him I can’t place. He called me his friend.”

“Yeah, no one wants to be friends with you,” Tresk said, giggling.

“Sucks to be you, then,” Theo said.

“All right, all right. I’m sorry,” Tresk said. “This guy has got me all bundled in a knot.”

“He wants to chill out in town and pretend like he’s not super strong. If he drops a few coins while he’s here, what’s the problem?”

“Did you see that spiritstone coin?” Tresk asked, her mouth falling open. “Slap my tail and call me a turtle. That was impressive.”

“Is that another idiom I don’t understand?” Theo asked.

“Yeah,” Tresk said. “Can you imagine that much money?”

Theo’s goal had been to get out from underneath the banner of Qavell since he arrived. Things were shaping up to make that more difficult, especially with the way the war was going. There might not be a kingdom to get away from by the end, but that wouldn’t solve all his problems. He ran the scenario through his mind already. If the kingdom fell, what would happen to Broken Tusk? There was some kind of kingdom seed core that ran everything, so what would happen if that collapsed?

His mind didn’t stay on the topic for long. When the Dreamwalk ended, he had potions to brew and a canal to finish. Khahar wasn’t the person speeding the project up, though. Ziz and his guys were still going against Alise’s words and working on the project at night. Theo knew they were doing the same thing tonight after recovering from the effects of using Stamina Potions. Still, there was a lot to look forward to.

Salire was coming into her own in the shop, treating it like a learning experience. Theo didn’t care how much money she skimmed, so long as she was leveling her cores. He was trading gold for experienced merchants, which he’d need more than anything. The idea of caravans hadn’t left his mind, even as the port neared completion. Even if they were cut off from the northern section of the continent, they’d need to run goods between the three major towns of the southlands.

The mine was also producing Drogramathi Iron Nuggets, which would make for interesting alchemical experimentation. Sledge might have finally realized she could direct work instead of doing everything herself. The golems were just starting to be useful, and the alchemist had plans to get more lodestones from Zarali. His intuition on the matter said he could run ten of them at the same time with his current level of willpower. He was practicing the things the Drogramathi priestess showed him, but it was slow work.

That left the excitement for the harbor and a dangling thread he hadn’t fixed up yet. Fenian sold him a Weaver’s Seed Core, which he wanted to use to make the sails for the boats. He just hadn’t cultivated the right crops to get the job done and hoped Banu, the local farmer, made progress on his splicing project. If anyone could figure out how to merge two plants, it was that guy.

When the Dreamwalk ended, Theo sorted out his stills from the previous days. His holding tanks were half-full of attribute-enhancement essences. He cleaned the stills, dropped in some frozen Living River Water, and set them to work. Tresk joined him for breakfast at the Marsh Wolf Tavern. It was whatever was left from yesterday with a Pozwa egg on the side. The egg was a meal by itself.

When Theo and Tresk arrived at the work site, everyone except Ziz and his people was ready to go at it. He walked the length of the harbor. The alchemist wanted to stop thinking of it as a harbor. It was a marina connected to the ocean by a canal, but it was easier to think of the entire thing as a harbor. This was the last stretch for the project, although that felt surreal. He stood at the last length of earth that needed to be dug, the ocean in sight. Tresk had to clear some monsters away from the beach, but otherwise it was smooth sailing.

Khahar didn’t seem affected by the drama last night. He went back to work, just happy to use his hands and get paid his single silver coin. Seemed like a shame, since the man held at least one spiritstone coin in his inventory.

Theo poured the last potion on the ground, urging it to cut the last section of canal, connecting it to the ocean. The workers had cleared out of the pit just as the ocean came rushing in. The alchemist had never seen so much water move at one time, and it was going to be a massive problem for the pumps. They wouldn’t be able to clear out the surge of the ocean fast enough, and the supply of salt water was endless.

“Told you this would be a problem,” Alise shouted. “Now we have an unfinished section of the harbor.”

It was an impossible problem. Perhaps they could have waited for a lower tide or dammed the ocean somehow, but he was out of ideas. They would just have to deal with an unfinished section of the canal, allowing the dirt to wash out and ruin the beach area. He would just have to come to terms with changing the landscape and potentially harming it forever.

“I never wanted to offer more help than a standard laborer,” Khahar said, coming over to inspect the issue. “But would you mind if I held the ocean back while we finish?”

Theo didn’t even know that was in the cards. He assumed Khahar’s abilities centered on a desert theme. “If you can,” he said, shrugging.

The power of someone at such an absurd level was on display again. Khahar barely moved. He just swiped his hand, and all the water in the canal rushed out into the ocean. A barrier went up at the mouth of the canal, holding the entire ocean at bay.

“Well, that’s cheating,” Alise said, folding her arms over her chest. “What’s the point? If he could have just built the entire thing in a blink.”

“It’s only cheating a little,” Theo said, although he didn’t truly believe it. This was cheating a lot.

Khahar didn’t even need to channel whatever skill he used. He was back in the pits with the laborers, pushing stones into place and mortaring them together. Ziz’s boys showed up a few hours before quitting time and helped with the effort, but Theo just watched. The last brick went into place, then the ocean rushed in once again. The workers didn’t pause for a break, hoisting massive metal struts into place over the canal. They estimated the place where the walls would go, leaving them bare of the metal supports, and completed the work in a half hour.

The result of a few days’ labor, sped up no doubt by the assistance of a godlike Khahari, was a marvel. The main harbor was massive, stretching in the distance to show the churn of the ocean meeting the river. Their canal ran for miles toward the sea, cutting a straight line through the landscape and giving Broken Tusk something they desperately wanted. In moments, they would plant the only harbor on the eastern side of the continent.

The alchemist had enough money in his inventory to expand the town’s unincorporated border the three spaces he needed, but not enough coin to incorporate it. He spent 30 gold to lay the groundwork, allowing him to plant the seed core. This dropped him to 16 gold, not nearly enough to expand his walls around the new building.

Theo held the Harbor Seed Core in his hand, feeling the power of the legendary item. It was a silver metal cage surrounding a swirling vortex of water and wood. He could feel the item’s intent. It needed to be placed near a wide body of water. Ziz and his men were working on a way to deal with the river, but the alchemist couldn’t wait. He needed to plant the harbor now. He knelt near the head of the harbor, watching as a crowd formed outside the protective gates of the city.

The moment Theo placed the harbor in the ground, he was knocked back by massive roots springing from the ground. They formed a gnarled shape, but people couldn’t shove cores into the tangle of wood fast enough. Theo didn’t even invite them to do so; they just did it. He joined in, applying his highest-level monster cores and watching with excitement. The roots took shape, forming a building twice as wide as the adventurer’s guild. A wooden dock sprung into the harbor, finding purchase in the marble stones. The building looked more like a massive warehouse than a dwelling, sporting the familiar theme of a blue slatted roof and wooden sides.

Theo inspected the new building.

[Harbor]

Owner: Belgar (Theo Spencer)

Faction: Broken Tusk

Level: 1 (0%)

Rent Due: 7 days

Expansions:

Cheers went up through the crowd. Everyone moved in to inspect the town’s latest building. Theo even spotted Khahar cheering with excitement. Even if this accomplishment meant nothing back in the Khahari Desert, the excitement was infectious. It was a real accomplishment.

Theo had enough cores between him and Tresk to get the first 20 levels down on the harbor. They took turns inserting monster cores. Once it hit Level 5, Theo picked the only option that made sense. He thought it should have been a default option for the building.

[Expanding Docks]

Creates new docks based on the level and size of the harbor.

While the building expanded to either side, still not coming close to matching the size of the harbor they’d hewn from the earth, another dock sprung up from the water. The Level 10 upgrades weren’t normally impressive, but this one was good. Another dock sprung up as he selected the option he liked most.

[Delayed Decay]

Power this building with motes to prevent the decay of all ships docked. Ships that remain docked for more than a day will repair themselves, depending on the level of this building and the amount of motes stored.

Theo nodded to himself, ignoring Tresk. She was shouting advice to him on which option to pick, even if she couldn’t see the upgrades he did. The Level 15 option gave him hope. He’d wanted a separate building for a shipwright to work, but this was even better. It was one of those upgrades that added another building to the mix, which was often just as good as the independent building. The only example of a worse version of a new building was the shop in the Newt and Demon, but they needed this.

[Shipwrights Drydock]

A shipwright’s workshop will appear at the nearest section of land adjacent to the water. This feature includes a dry dock, a separate building with unique upgrade paths, and a ramp for launching new boats.

True to the description of the upgrade, a building appeared on the eastern side of the harbor. The marble blocks cut themselves, creating a shallow ramp into the water. The shipwright’s workshop wasn’t as large as the harbor building, but it was still impressive. It had covered areas for someone to work on boats before they were launched, and the slope would make it easy to launch whatever they made.

“Oh, that’s a good one,” Tresk said.

Theo breathed a sigh of relief. He moved with the crowd to the drydock, finding that it was a separate building from the main one. That meant he could send it along its own upgrade path. It was a problem for another day, as his supply of monster cores was running low. The closer the harbor got to Level 20, the more it required. Their Level 20 upgrade was utilitarian, but no other upgrade seemed worth it. Theo selected it.

[Fair Winds]

Sailing vessels within 13,000 halms of the port gain the [Fair Winds] bonus. Vessels with this effect may turn sharper, catch more wind, and tread less water.

Vessels that remain within the harbor for at least 12 hours receive this effect for 6 hours after leaving the harbor.

Without his increased Intelligence, Theo would have had trouble with that distance calculation. Since a halm was about a quarter foot, the effect would work out to a mile from the harbor. His motivation for selecting it was to ease turning within the harbor, an issue he foresaw. Even as citizens celebrated around him, the alchemist inspected his new building.

[Harbor]

[Avast Ye Newts]

Owner: Belgar (Theo Spencer)

Faction: Broken Tusk

Level: 20 (23%)

Rent Due: 7 days

Expansions:

[Expanding Docks]

[Delayed Decay]

[Shipwrights Drydock]

[Fair Winds]

Theo wasn’t sure when Tresk could have set the name of the building, but she was giggling, so it must have been her. This was a great start, but he still needed to secure the funding to expand the city. The first expansion was 30 gold, the second 40, and the third 50. It was getting incredibly expensive to get land for the town, but he was sure he could borrow the coin from people in town.

“Anyone have 120 gold I can have?” Theo asked, shouting to the crowd.

Suddenly, the citizens of Broken Tusk remembered tasks they hadn’t completed for the day, walking off and muttering to themselves.

“I’ll spot half of that,” Tresk said.

“I can get a quarter,” Ziz said, shrugging.

“The adventurer’s guild will cover it in full,” Aarok said, appearing from the thinning crowd.

“We’ll split it between the town’s coffers and the adventurer’s guild,” Alise said. “Like I planned.”

Of course Alise had a plan for this. The entire project went off the rails, and she was grasping for control the entire time. She was a person who wanted everything to go a certain way, and Theo admired her for that. But in Broken Tusk, things rarely went as planned. They pooled their money, handing it over to Theo, and he expanded the town.

Aarok sent out an alert to everyone in town before the changes applied, warning them to dismount the walls. The group that remained near the harbor cleared the way, giving the expanding town a wide berth. Then when Theo bought the incorporated land, the walls rumbled ominously. They crawled across the open fields after the first expansion, edging closer to the river with the second, and bridged the gap on the third. The wall now enclosed the entire harbor area, and as predicted, there was a strange half-wall, half-bridge spanning the river and canal.

On the ocean side of the harbor, where the wall went over the canal, it rose to an incredible height. It was now high enough to allow ships to pass underneath and came complete with a gatehouse-style building that could drop a massive portcullis into the water, preventing ships from entering. It was operated by the same winch system used for the main gates of town. The eastern gate was now located facing north, along the new stretch of wall, with another gate facing south on the opposite side. The section of wall spanning the river wasn’t as tall as the canal side and had a permanently fixed grate instead of a portcullis.

The new wall was exactly what Theo wanted out of the expansion, and then some. They had their harbor, and it was enclosed. Broken Tusk had more land to defend, and there was only one person who could provide the emplacements to accomplish the task.

“Looks like we need to call Fenian,” Theo said. He laughed. The trader was going to lose his mind.

“And look!” Tresk shouted, pointing at the sky. “It’s barely midday!”

Theo remained in the new section of town for some time. Tresk joined him on the new bridge-wall facing south. They stared down the canal that stretched out into the ocean. There was still more work to do, but it felt good. The alchemist had to etch out channels in the bay, ensuring there was enough depth for large vessels to travel, but it was the first step. The first step in establishing trade with other lands.

Chapter Thirty-Five

Tresk remained in the harbor for as long as she could. When the sun crawled closer to the early afternoon, she was off. Theo watched her bound off, climbing the hills to the north. He couldn’t see her anymore, but he could feel her. With a rush, she was gone. Jumping through each shadow on the winding path to Rivers and Daub. She knew to keep him updated, and he needed to make a call.

The communication crystal Fenian gave to Theo was a strange thing. The more he learned about long-range communication, the more he realized how weird it was. Even Khahar said people couldn’t use similar methods directly in the Khahari Desert. It was hard to put his finger on it, but the alchemist suspected a greater force at work. Still, he couldn’t deny the trader’s usefulness.

Theo clasped the crystal in his hand, letting the haptic buzz play through his skull.

“Theo? Is your town ready? I’m bringing a dragon!” Fenian said. There was too much excitement in his voice. A person’s smile seemed to carry through the telepathic link.

“Har har,” Theo said. “How’s it going, Fenian?”

“Better than I expected,” Fenian said. “I have a solid price on your potions. The elves are fighting a protracted war—with themselves, of course—and are buying everything up. Well, they’ve been buying potions up for about 50 years, but I wasn’t in the business back then.”

“That’s good to hear. What prices are you getting?” Theo asked.

“They are very selective. Your fancy Healing Potions for 2 silver apiece. They said if you can do the same for your attribute potions, they’ll go as high as 10 silver. That translates to about 5 silver each, though. They’re tough on negotiations and expect deals on bulk orders. So, expect less.”

That wasn’t the worst-case scenario, though. The alchemist’s ability to mass-produce potions was getting better by the day. If he ran his stills full tilt, all day, he could make 3,000 potions. Fermenting, distilling, and applying modifiers would take another day, but if he focused on only attribute potions… He could put together an order in a few days and make 150 gold. That didn’t seem right, and he didn’t know if Fenian had the coin on hand to pay that amount. The only other limiting factor was his capacity to produce the reagents. But he was getting ahead of himself.

“All right. Let me know when you’re stopping by,” Theo said.

“Theo. Have you worked on my other project?” Fenian asked.

“I have an array of the Hallowed Ground Potions for you. Speaking of that, are you paying me for those?” Theo asked.

“I thought the cave was enough,” Fenian said.

“Bring me another cave, and you can have them for free,” Theo said. “I need another cave to grow Manashrooms.”

“Best I can do is 50 gold for a new cave,” Fenian said.

Theo thought for a moment. It wasn’t like Fenian to withdraw his hand like that. He settled on the idea that the elf was low on funds, which was likely the case.

“Take it out of my next order,” Theo said. “And one more request?”

“Let’s hear it.”

“Find me a plant that I can weave into durable cloth. Canvas, if possible, for my sails,” Theo said.

“Oh, my. The port? Yes, I know the perfect plant. Starbristle Flax is incredibly strong. It’s also blue, like my eyes. I’ll bring a few samples from Tarantham. You only need one plant, right?” Fenian asked.

“A single living plant is enough for me,” Theo said.

“Perfect. I’m near some farms. I’ll steal a few for you,” Fenian said. “Anyway, contact me again when you have potions to sell. I’m in the middle of wooing an elven noble lady. Wish me luck!”

Before Theo could wish him anything, the connection cut out. He returned the crystal to his inventory and sent out a mental pulse, checking on his golems. The more he practiced, the easier it was to connect to the lodestone from afar. The alchemist got a vague impression of the greenhouses. He gleaned nothing useful from the act and dismounted the wall to check on them manually. When he arrived, Zarali wanted a word with him.

The Drogramathi priestess was concerned about the alteration of his mark, but he waved her off. She also wanted to push forward with upgrading his herbalism core, but he couldn’t spare the time today. The directions she gave on upgrading the core seemed simple, but he felt as though she were holding something back. Her possession by Drogramath had shaken her more than she’d admit.

“How are you holding up?” Theo asked.

“Honestly? Not well,” Zarali said, managing a weak smile. “Xol’sa has been listening to me ramble and sob. Drogramath sent me a message. Well, it was more of a feeling. An apology. It helped a lot.”

That just cast the Demon God’s motives in an even more confusing light. If it was hard to understand Sulvan’s motives, people like Drogramath and Khahar were impossible. Everything seemed to fit in their neat little plan for the mortal world, but what they witnessed in the town hall was the first time the alchemist saw any god take direct action.

Theo let Zarali join him in tending the gardens. The greenhouses had a substantial effect on the rate of cultivation. Each of his plants was ready for propagation, and he went about that work. It would take a few days to get each bed filled with reagents, but not as long as it would take outside of Broken Tusk. He then had to worry about cultivating whatever Fenian brought to town, but that was a task for another day. Since he used the flowers to brew the essence for his attribute-enhancement potions and the stems to create new plants, he skimmed a few 100%-cultivated flowers from each type.

“This would be easier with a Legendary herbalism core,” Zarali said.

“Maybe,” Theo said, slapping an ember from a Flame Rose from the air. He snipped the end of a healthy-looking branch and shoved it in the ground. That was usually enough for them to grow.

“Are you enjoying the golems?” Zarali asked.

Theo could feel them foraging through the area near the Newt and Demon. Each had already exchanged their power supply a few times, but he had enough slates to last them. He took a moment to think about the question. The Constructs skill was incredibly useful. It provided utility he didn’t have before. Another pair of hands to take care of mundane tasks.

“They’re great,” Theo said. “We can work on upgrading my herbalism core later today.”

“Oh. Exciting,” Zarali said.

“We’re going to check on the mine,” Theo said.

“We?”

Theo’s Lesser Stone Golem waved from outside the greenhouse. Zarali gave him a flat look.

“I thought you were including me,” she said.

“You’re welcome to come.”

Zarali was bored enough to join them down the road, headed for the smelter. Nira was working hard, not distracted by the excitement of the port. Theo waved at her and her apprentices, then pushed on to the mine. Sarna was working near the entrance, in one of the many tunnels the alchemist created near the surface. They were pulling more copper out of the mine than ever, along with regular iron and Drogramathi Iron.

“Did your workforce double again?” Theo asked, spotting many unfamiliar faces.

“Indeed it has,” Sarna said, wiping sweat and soot from her forehead. “I wonder if we’re keeping up with the housing demand.”

Theo shrugged. Alise would handle it if it became a problem. Even if he got reassurances to the contrary, he was worried about their supply of food. Importing from Rivers and Daub was an option, but he’d rather not.

“We should get a bakery,” Theo said, inspecting the walls of the mine. He didn’t know what he hoped to find here. Just a distraction while he waited for Tresk to return, perhaps.

“Now you’re talking,” Sarna said, slapping him on the back. “So, we’re on the edge of a cavern. What’s the plan with that?”

The cavern was behind several well-placed iron gates, in tunnels designed for a fighting retreat. If they hit anything nasty, the miners could back out through the tunnel and shut the gates behind them. If things got terrible, they could abandon the mine and let the towers take care of the monsters. The southern wall was tangled up in the rocky hills, but he was certain they would reach monsters emerging from the mouth of the cave.

“We’ll have to see what Aarok wants to do,” Theo said, scratching the back of his head.

“Uh-huh,” Sarna said, nodding. “What about the god hanging out in our town?”

“Khahar isn’t a god,” Theo said, waving her question away.

“Kinda seems like a god.”

“I feel like he has something to say to me,” Theo said. “He just can’t get the words out. Something is wrong with his mind.”

That didn’t give Zarali or Sarna confidence that Theo had the problem under control. To him, it was like stuffing a hurricane in his pocket. Completely impossible.

Sarna dropped the topic. Zarali was interested to see where the Drogramathi Iron was spawning, so she led the way. The priestess inspected the nuggets for some time, nodding her approval. According to her, nothing in the cave was a natural deposit, but Theo already knew that. It required further study.

“So, I’m not eager to test these monster-stoppers,” Sarna said, slapping an iron gate. “But throw us a few good adventurers, and I think we can do it.”

If Theo wasn’t trying to whittle away the time while his reagents grew, he would have been annoyed. Aarok could handle the situation. He’d know how many people to send and which ones to send. Instead, Sarna wanted the alchemist to do something about it now. There was a lingering fear there, though. As long as that last bit of rock stood between them and the next room, the mine would function without worry.

“Are things that boring around here?” Theo asked, letting out a sigh. Aarok and his people would have been preparing for the monster wave, especially with the newly expanded walls. They’d need to move the towers around, especially to the new harbor wall.

“Do it, Theo,” Zarali said.

They were standing in the last room, right past the newest iron gate installed by Throk. The icy part of the cavern wall was ahead, the place that signaled a portal into an underground world. Theo shrugged. What’s the worst that could happen?

Theo dumped a Tunneling Potion on the ground, one of the last he had, and let it go to work. He created a large opening into the cavern, carving out the rock with his mind, then stopped. Everyone stopped, sucking in a collective breath.

“What is that?” Sarna said, moving closer to the opening.

Theo’s potion sat eagerly in the rock, wanting to eat more away. But there was an obstruction. Gray, magically hewn rock gave way to hand-carved stones. The alchemist revealed more of the strange structure, tracing along one side of the wall until he found an archway, a massive stone slab in the middle. It bore an inscription none of them could read. Not even Zarali.

“All right, the workday just got interesting,” Sarna said, laughing. “This isn’t a cavern at all.”

“But it is cold,” Theo said. He pressed his hands against the wall and let the chill wash through his body. There was something familiar about this stone, but he couldn’t place it. Like a memory removed from his mind. It lingered with a sense of pull, as though the stones had their own gravity.

“The symbols are glowing now,” Zarali said, moving closer to the wall.

If Theo had remembered to drink his Potion of Limited Foresight that morning, he might have seen the artifice emerge from the doorway. The black doorway rippled, and a claw-like hand snatched his. In an instant, Zarali summoned blue fire to attack the claw, Sarna let out a startled yelp and smacked it with a pickaxe, and the alchemist shrieked.

Pain, like nothing he’d ever felt before, flooded through his body. System messages popped up as his health drained away. He could feel the black claw sucking his life force from him, draining his blood. Instinctively, he drank a Retreat Potion but didn’t withdraw a bomb. A surge of Dexterity sharpened his reflexes, but the potion didn’t work. His body throttled backward, but his hand remained, shattering something in his shoulder. Zarali and Sarna shouted something, but he couldn’t hear them. The pain seared his mind, grinding his will into dust. Even the Lesser Stone Golem struck the doorway, desperate to defend its master.

As quickly as it started, it was over. The black claw melted back in the door, and the alchemist collapsed. Time must have passed, but a sickening crunch woke up Theo from his unconsciousness. He took a sharp breath and sat up, the chilly cavern floor leaving phantom cold on his back. The alchemist watched the hole in his hand mend. Zarali was chanting something, allowing the healing power of Drogramath to flow through his body. And the door was open.

“Theo!” Zarali shouted, voice quivering with fear. She shook him. “What happened?”

Only then did he have time to check the system messages.

Genetic Matching… Dronon, Drogramathi Detected: [MATCH]

Willpower Matching… Above Average Detected: [MATCH]

Core Matching… Drogramath Herbalism Core: [MATCH]

Core Matching… Drogramath Alchemy Core: [MATCH]

Unknown Core… Governance Core: [SKIP]

[ERROR]: Unexpected realm overlap detected.

Attempting Remapping… [SUCCESS]

[ERROR]: Dual Soul detected.

Attempting Remapping… [SUCCESS]

Theo Spencer, Tresk bonded.

Opening Sequence… [SUCCESS]

Egg has been bound to Theo Spencer, Tresk.

[Power Down]

Theo blinked, trying to force his mind to catch up to reality. The Lesser Stone Golem was destroyed on the ground, just a pile of rubble. Sarna had run off to get someone’s attention, only now returning with a gaggle of miners.

“I’m fine,” Theo said, groaning to his feet.

He noticed what was in the room.

Sitting on a fine pedestal covered with a fine purple cloth was an egg. A Dronon script ran from the top of the far wall to the bottom. Theo could understand pieces of it, but it was like reading a broken language.

“You all right? I brought the workers,” Sarna said, heaving breath. “What’s that say?”

“Could we please have the room?” Zarali asked, her tone frantic.

Sarna, Gridgen, and the rest of the mining laborers were happy to clear out of the room. Whatever they expected in this cavern wasn’t this. They were all too happy to get as far from the room as possible. Zarali turned to Theo when they had finally all left.

Theo explained the system messages, reading them out for her.

“What?” Zarali asked, shaking her head. She looked at the text once again, her breath catching in her throat. “Tworgnothi.”

Theo felt sore and spent. Tworgnothi sounded like a Dronon script, which made enough sense. What it was doing in his mind was another question.

“Can you read it?” Theo said, making to cross the threshold.

“Wait!” Zarali said. “I don’t know what it says. I can only make out parts. Something about a weapon. A horror.”

Theo shrugged. “Whatever this thing did, it did it. It’s done. That’s the curious thing…”

He didn’t want to finish his thought out loud. It was looking for him, but it found Theo and Tresk. Someone set this up. When they did, they neglected to predict that Tresk would be in the mix. That had to count for something, even if the artifice completed its run. Even that part was disturbing, though. He’d never seen an artifice interact with the system interface like that.

“Can you make a zone of silence?” Theo asked.

Zarali swiped her hand. The air shimmered with purple magic, bathing the newly excavated room in its light. The low whistle of the rest of the cave was drowned out immediately.

“Khahar!” Theo shouted. “I’m in danger!”

Nothing happened. Either Khahar knew it was a bluff, or he couldn’t hear them. Either way, no one came running down the tunnel. It was good enough. Theo explained every part of the message, including the part about Tresk. He gave his theory as to someone setting this up, then failing to account for the Tara’hek.

“If it was Tworgnoth,” Zarali started. She closed her eyes, slapping her cheeks and shaking her head. “I can’t see why the Master of Demonic Artifices would be involved. He’s a core demon in the Demonic Pantheon.”

“But that artifice looked pretty demonic,” Theo said.

“Well,” Zarali said, letting out an exasperated breath. “You’re bound to an egg now. Might as well investigate.”

Theo smiled. He knew her curiosity for the egg would get the better of her. He entered the room, still bathed in the zone of silence, and pressed his hand to the velvet cover over the egg. A sense of deep belonging flooded through his body. The egg was the size of his fist and warm to the touch. He removed the cover, spotting the speckled, stony surface of the egg. It felt too familiar. Like pressing his forehead against Tresk’s.

The system didn’t give a description of the thing. Theo took it in his hands and just stared.

“I don’t recognize the egg,” Zarali said.

“Maybe a dragon?” Theo asked, slightly hopeful. Who wouldn’t want a pet dragon?

“Dragon eggs are as large as you are,” Zarali said, shaking her head. “This is smaller. Your robes are too tight. Let me have it.”

Theo found he wanted nothing more than to never give Zarali the egg. It wasn’t as though he didn’t trust her. The egg created something that ran deep into his heart. A new bond that he’d do anything to protect. He stuffed it in his robes and shook his head.

“We need to figure out what this is. I assume you have books on the subject,” Theo said. Zarali nodded. “Off to the lab.”

Chapter Thirty-Six

Alise didn’t take the discovery of the egg well. Theo found an old satchel in Azrug’s crates, although he supposed those were Salire’s crates now, and nestled the egg inside. He created an open-topped glass cube with thick walls and padded it with spare cloth. His egg was now safely nestled in the satchel, protected by a cage of magical glass. The alchemist felt a sense of warmth flowing from the egg, even as he entered the town hall to take his beating.

Aarok, Luras, Alise, and all her new functionaries were standing in the hall. The new administrators took notes while Aarok and Luras looked pensive. Alise just looked mad.

“I don’t have to tell you how dangerous that sounds,” Alise said.

“Did Zarali rat me out?” Theo asked.

“Yes,” Alise said. “Let’s see the egg.”

“Absolutely not,” Theo said.

Alise was just trying to make sure everyone was safe, but that wasn’t her job. That title went to Aarok and Luras. The two half-ogre men stared on for a moment before turning to each other. They shared a long look before shrugging.

“It’s a setup,” Luras said. “Just show us the egg, Theo. No one is going to touch it.”

Theo made sure he was at a fair distance, mentally holding on to the various potions in his inventory. The moment that thought entered his mind, he took a mental step back and froze on the spot. Everyone in the room, even the functionaries, had a look of concern. The alchemist was just assaulted by a magical door, then he scooped up the egg like it was his own baby. Compared to most normal people, his mind was a fortress. This sudden invasion sent him into a momentary panic.

Reluctantly, he withdrew the egg and held it out.

“Khahar?” Luras asked.

“It’s a bonded creature,” Khahar said, emerging from nowhere. “Spencer is defensive because they now share a minor soul-bond.”

“You guys just went straight to the living god, didn’t you?” Theo said, chuckling. He wanted to blame them, but he couldn’t find the heart to do so. He would have done the same thing. “Any reason to be worried?”

“May I touch her?” Khahar asked.

Theo nodded, a ripple spreading through his body. “It’s a girl.”

Khahar placed his hand on the egg for only a moment, then withdrew it. “A common creature, modified by Tworgnoth, Uz’Xulven, and Drogramath. She is completely harmless.”

“Thank you, Khahar… Your uh… Majesty,” Alise said. “Sorry for the scare, Theo. Can’t be too careful with these things.”

Theo explained how he was suddenly aware of his defensive behavior, finding it to be the most shocking thing of all.

“It is a harmless soul-bond,” Khahar explained. “Think of it as a small version of the Tara’hek.”

Theo had already given Tresk the entire story. She felt the bond with the egg, too. A deep sense to protect it at all costs that the distance did nothing to dampen. She was jumping back to Broken Tusk now, as the light faded.

“So, is this a dragon?” Theo asked, still hopeful.

“No, it’s a mundane creature,” Khahar said, cracking a smile. “Like back on Earth.”

“But she’s going to be powerful, right?” Theo asked.

“Beyond anything you know.”

“All right. Everyone loves the egg. Hail the egg,” Aarok said, waving his hand as though to clear away a foul smell. “Khahar, you’re dismissed. I appreciate your council. I’d pay you, but you’re rich as hell and a god.”

“Not exactly a god,” Khahar said. His eyes went unfocused, then he shrugged and vanished.

“Everyone here knows what’s going on,” Aarok said, clearing his throat. “We’re not stupid enough to miss simple details. So far, everything we’ve found has helped us. The things left for Theo. That’s no reason to let our guard down, but we have to assume one fact.”

“The egg is important to the survival of the town,” Theo said, finishing the thought. “Because something is coming.”

“Exactly right,” Luras said, his words more a growl than a statement.

“Any more information from Fenian on that?” Alise asked.

There were a few paths Fenian could take. Theo had put a lot of thought into it, but his latest ventures threw him off the scent. The trader established a new relationship with the elves under an assumed name, Fenian Feintleaf. He was also trying to destabilize Qavell, which seemed off. Tarantham and Qavell had little in common, separated by another nation and an ocean. That made his covert actions against the crown personal. Personal matters rarely ended with logical actions.

“Just what I can piece together,” Theo said.

“Let’s hear it.”

“Fenian is trying to topple the crown,” Theo said, as though that wasn’t a big deal. Only the new people acted with surprise. “His motivations are personal, and…”

Theo paused for a long moment after that. There was too little information to make assumptions on what he would do to accomplish his goals. The trader was a whirlwind, and the best option was to stay on his good side.

“And he’s trying to establish a relationship with Tarantham, Veosta, or both,” Theo said.

“Best course of action?” Alise asked, turning to Aarok and Luras.

“Weather the storm,” Aarok grunted. “Get that alliance going before the end of Fire. Bolster Gronro. Hunker down.”

Those were Theo’s exact thoughts. Broken Tusk was powerful if you considered only the three major towns in the south. Khahar would ascend to godhood soon enough, so they couldn’t rely on him. That might actually create an awkward situation with the Burning Eye, but that was a problem for another day. For now, it was like Aarok said. Buy weapons, mount them on the walls, and prepare for whatever came seething from the north.

“Agreed,” Alise said with a curt nod. “Now, on to financials.”

Theo’s eyes glazed over. He ran his fingers over the egg as she spoke. No one sat down as she detailed their position. The harbor project cost them more than they could afford, and trade deals weren’t rolling in fast enough. If not for the charity of the other folks in town, they’d be in the hole. Tresk, unbeknownst to Theo, had given the town a sizable loan to pay this season’s taxes. Grub had already collected mid-season, but that was a tenth of what they paid for the end-of-season taxes. The alchemist only interjected when expansion came up.

“If someone else could own a bakery, that’d be great,” Theo said. “Otherwise, I’m planning on renting some fields for Starbristle Flax for a textiles industry.”

“Good, we need ideas for more income,” Alise said. “That’s everyone’s task. Squeeze more money out of this town. Our port is useless without ships, so get on that.”

Alise went on until sunset. Theo was exhausted from his encounter in the mine. Gridgen and Sarna even came to check up on him partway through the meeting. He used the excuse to slip out, sensing Tresk drawing closer. She appeared from the shadows, startling the miners. But she went straight for the egg, holding it in her clammy little hands and staring at the shell.

“That’s what was in the room?” Gridgen asked, laughing. His son, Gasem, playfully tried to snatch the egg from Tresk. He was too slow.

“Yeah, some kind of bonded creature,” Theo said.

They traded guesses on what it was for some time. Tresk insisted it was a dragon, despite Khahar’s advice. She was reluctant to return the egg but relented when she saw the setup Theo had for it. They made their way to the Marsh Wolf Tavern for dinner, which was something that looked suspiciously like enchiladas. The more Theo ate, the more he realized they were exactly enchiladas. Xam claimed she got the recipe from Khahar, but he didn’t believe her.

Theo found Zarali, worn from the day and waiting for him and Tresk to arrive near the bathhouse. They made their way to their private room and went over the day. Tresk left out the part where she went off to Rivers and Daub to do recon. The alchemist soaked in the water, listening to the theories about the egg. It sat near the edge of the water. Somehow, he knew it enjoyed the heat.

“A bonded familiar is great,” Zarali said, holding her finger up to curtail any agreement. “But this is different. It bonded with you both.”

“Double bonded,” Tresk said, nodding excitedly.

Zarali let out a sigh, sinking deeper into the water. “There’s no point arguing, is there? This place is like a tidal wave.”

Conversation swept back around to the harbor. The road ahead was long, but no one seemed to care. The townsfolk saw it as a symbol of Broken Tusk’s power. They laid claim to something no one else in the region could, and that had to count for something. Zarali seemed content enough to count herself among the growing collective.

Tresk dragged Theo back to the Newt and Demon when they were done with their bath. She had a lot to say, and nothing she would put into words. Their only safe place to talk was the Dreamwalk. The alchemist made a small area between their beds for the egg, wrapping it in a blanket and placing a stool over top. He didn’t want it getting squashed. The pair pressed their foreheads together and gained a massive amount of Tara’hek experience, shooting them to Level 19. No bonuses came, but a feeling of eager anticipation settled into the alchemist’s chest.

They would receive another skill next level.

The Dreamwalk formed around them. First darkness, then a shaded view of a walled city. It spanned over a river, connected by a series of ornate bridges. Their walls were impressive, if sparse with towers. Theo could only spot a single weapon per gate, which was far too few. He didn’t know how Rivers and Daub had survived any monster waves, let alone several. The alchemist looked down from a tall tower. Tresk must have scouted the place out from here.

“So they’re split into districts,” Tresk said, gesturing to the town below. She swatted at something, then narrowed her eyes. “What’s that?”

Theo didn’t notice it at first. A small mote of light was flying around their heads, as though it wanted their attention. He realized what it was after a moment.

“The egg,” Theo said. “That system message said something about our soul-bond.”

“Egg!” Tresk said, snatching the wisp from the air. She cradled it in her hands, cooing.

“So, the districts?” Theo asked.

Tresk shrugged. “Adventurers, crafters, nobles. Lots of nobles. Too many. There are the farms out there,” she said, gesturing to the east. The farms weren’t enclosed in the wall, which was a problem.

The location of Rivers and Daub wasn’t great. The city had gone up to take advantage of the river, but that was their last and only advantage. Open plains to the east, south, and west, with the rocky incline of hills to the north. No side of the place was easily defensible. It presented a nightmare scenario that could only be overcome with raw firepower. Broken Tusk was in a very similar situation with their monster waves, but they were prepared. Their walls bristled with weapons, and their treasury was fat with motes to power them. This place felt weak, even through the Dreamwalk.

“The air feels thin,” Theo said, not knowing what that meant. This was a dream. But it was Tresk’s recollection of the town, so he supposed those senses came too. He didn’t remember feeling this when she took him into her memories from childhood.

“Thin is a good word for it,” Tresk grumbled. “You’re too used to how it is in Broken Tusk.”

They went over everything wrong with the town. It lacked enough defenses to withstand much more than a Level 15 monster wave, or so they theorized. The reality of it was, they were only used to dealing with high-level monster waves. More towers was always better, unless a town didn’t have the motes to power those towers. The mote-collection idea floated to the top of Theo’s priorities.

“Worst case, I get Zarali to make me a lot of lodestones. Then I can make an army of mote-collecting golems,” Theo said. “They’re cheap enough to make. They can scour the swamp.”

“So we’re going to sell motes to Rivers?” Tresk asked.

“Feel how thin the Power is in the air?” Theo asked. “I’m guessing they don’t have the motes to power their towers. That’s why they only have… What? Four?”

“I counted four,” Tresk said.

The scene shifted, and they were standing on a wall. Tresk must have snuck across the perimeter of the town because they could walk around without the Dreamwalk breaking. True to her word, they only had four towers, all low-quality Firebolt Towers, the cheapest available. Not that the price had anything to do with tower availability. Theo suspected his supplier, Fenian, got them from an elven source. He couldn’t prove that, but perhaps they could come to an arrangement.

Until then, they walked the streets of Rivers and Daub. Theo didn’t need Tresk to tell him the big problem in this town. The wealthy held much of the landscape with sprawling manors that were more like palaces than anything else. Mercantile Chairs were a scourge to any fair town. His mind drifted back to his original plan to conquer Rivers. It was posturing with Luras, but it seemed like a good plan at this point. Especially when they entered the slums.

“See, when I came to Broken Tusk,” Theo said, pointing at the shacks. “Everyone lived like this. There wasn’t this divide.”

“Yeah, well,” Tresk said, chuckling. “We don’t have the resources to take them over.”

“We also don’t have to defend them,” Theo said.

“Oh,” Tresk said, looking around. She shaded her eyes as though the dim light prevented her from seeing clearly. “Where did my alchemist go? My precious, loving, charitable alchemist?”

Theo punched her in the arm. “I get it,” he said. “I’m dropping the first sack of gold coins I mint on the slums.”

“I tossed a beggar a few silver,” Tresk said with a shrug. “That’s like putting mud on an open wound. Might feel good now, but you didn’t solve the problem.”

“All right. This isn’t our domain,” Theo said, realizing what was going on. He was getting emotionally invested in a problem he didn’t understand. The alchemist barely understood how to run Broken Tusk, if at all. His support staff would have better ideas. It was a problem for Azrug to solve.

“Oh! Neato,” Tresk said, scampering off down the street. She led him to an imposing-looking building made of black stone. “The prison!”

“That’s not fun,” Theo said. “That’s the opposite of fun.”

“Come on! We need a jail!” Tresk shouted.

“Everyone in town is under a magical contract,” Theo said. “There’s no point.”

“Yeah, but look at it!”

The building was impressive, if a bit imposing. It ruined the look of the town, even if he recognized the strategic location of the place. Right near the slums. Again, he ignored that. His people could sort this out better than him.

They checked out every part of town. Even if there weren’t people in the memory and the Dreamwalk only seemed to project buildings unless instructed otherwise, Theo got a good sense for the town. They relied on their crafters and farmers for all their income. The chairmen likely took most of the coin for themselves, and they would have suffered greatly from the increased export tax. The pair settled down in the city. Theo conducted experiments on large-scale golem operations, and Tresk fought hordes of monsters from the battlements. She even got the towers to work.

There was a hard limit on Theo’s willpower, even with the lodestones. It was something like twenty golems active at one time, but that stretched him thin. He could work fifteen at a time without an issue, which seemed like enough for his mote harvesting venture. Even in the Dreamwalk, the constructs had a good sense for finding items. But there were also experiments he wanted to conduct that couldn’t be done in the Dreamwalk. He needed to test the effectiveness of the Pozwa Eggs. There was also the mystery of the Suffuse Potion. He inspected that one to get a better idea of what he was working with.

[Suffuse Potion]

[Potion]

Rare

Created by: Belgar

Quality: Excellent

Alignment:

Drogramath (Middling Bond)

A potion used to bind two properties to an object, or each other.

Effect:

Bind two properties.

Binding two properties to an object made little sense to the alchemist. Since properties were effectively essences, that meant it could create a new essence from two existing essences. The only thing that happened when he used the Suffuse Potion to combine two essences was a massive explosion, even without introducing a catalyst. Like most things in alchemy, this meant he was missing something.

Theo tried, for about an hour, to pull reagents apart with his mana. They exploded every time he tried, but he learned a few things. True to Zarali’s word, he could feel that there were more than three properties on a reagent, but it was more complicated than that. He died in an explosion after trying to rip a Spiny Swamp Thistle Root apart but got a sense there was something inside there. It was as though there was an entire realm within that one tuber. A sprawling universe where micro-properties were intertwined in some delicate dance. Pulling the reagent apart without knowing how to do it was like splitting the atom.

Before the Dreamwalk expired, he narrowed his thoughts down on the matter. Once he thought of the Suffuse Potion as a true binder, it made little sense. It was a catalyst. Plain as that. Even with his most refined essence, he couldn’t feed it something pure enough to make a connection. Discounting the limitations of the Dreamwalk, he knew he needed something base. The pinnacle of properties. In his mind, he named the elemental properties. Essence so fundamental that nothing could interfere with the Suffuse Potion’s bond.

Theo needed to grind experience more if he wanted to taste the benefit of the Reagent Deconstruction skill.

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Theo awoke the next morning to find Tresk cradling the egg in her arms. She had a rare look on her face, one of soft sympathy. While his companion cooed at the rocky egg, the alchemist considered what this new bond meant. It felt as though the Tara’hek had strengthened, but the core didn’t reflect that. It remained as it was, with no additional bonuses even when it edged closer to Level 20. He scrutinized it closely, just to make sure, just to make sure.

[Tara’hek Core]

Legendary

Tara’hek Core

Bound

3 Slots

Level 19 (12%)

Tara’hek cores are given to those who accept a marshling life partner. You cannot change the skills inside the core or remove it.

Effect:

+6 Strength

+2 Vigor

It still had the same three skills slotted in—Tara’hek Communication, Tara’hek Inventory, and Tara’hek Dreamwalking. It wasn’t surprising, as he thought he’d notice an evolution of the core, but it deepened the mystery. If any of his cores randomly got a new skill, it would be that one.

Theo had to argue to get the egg in his care for the day. He had enough means to escape an attack that Tresk wasn’t as worried, but she still wanted to cradle the egg all day. He was content with having it near him in his bag. The alchemist only convinced her after drinking a Potion of Limited Foresight.

“I still need to know the long-term effects of these things,” Theo said.

“You’ve been drinking them almost every day, Theo,” Tresk said, narrowing her eyes. “Feel any different?”

“Besides the egg? No,” Theo said.

They departed shortly after, heading off to eat breakfast. Theo’s first thought at the leftover enchiladas was that Xam was great at reheating food. He quickly realized it was more likely she set them in a dimensional storage container overnight, keeping the same heat from yesterday. People in the tavern seemed more interested in striking up a conversation with him that morning. They wanted to see the egg, although he wouldn’t allow any of them to touch it. Some newer citizens had insights into the soul-bound creature situation.

It was common enough in the northern mountains. Theo remembered talking to a toora bear-person from the area north of Qavell. Bora was a pugilist‌, but the newcomers in Broken Tusk told him about the more shamanistic peoples of the toora. They’d form bonds with wild animals, or newly born ones that fought side-by-side with their bonded person. They seemed to think it was a powerful option; the downside being the difficulty of obtaining a creature.

Theo realized the wisdom of Tresk’s core selection during breakfast. She broke through Level 20 for her personal level and most of her cores. Her Tracker’s Core and Assassin’s Core both tipped over the edge, and she had already selected her two free abilities. Her Shadowdancer’s Core was lagging slightly, despite her constant use of the Shadowdance ability. She shared her new abilities with him for inspection.

[Marked for Death]

Uncommon Assassin Skill

Tracked targets receive double damage during Sneak Attacks while marked.

This skill would seem situational if Tresk didn’t already have a Track Monster skill from her Tracker’s Core. There was also her Pursuit skill from the same core, which increased damage by 1.25 to tracked targets. The uncommon rarity was therefore confusing. The system saw it as something that needed synergy to work, but she already had that synergy. She created a great build, evidenced by the next skill she shared.

[Lingering Poison]

Epic Tracker Skill

Marked targets that don’t detect your presence receive 1.5x damage from poisons.

Then her entire build came together. The hit-and-run style of combat paired perfectly with the Tracker’s Core. Tresk was officially a terror on the battlefield, coming in hard with her daggers and then vanishing away. The Lingering Poison ability would make them suffer while she held back, safe from reprisal.

Tresk also held more of a sharp edge now. Her eyes flicked from the corners of the room, flinty and searching. Theo considered her a spiky person at most times, but she was changing into something else. A true assassin. And he couldn’t tell if that was a good thing or not. Without the Tara’hek, she would likely be off the rails. They balanced each other out.

Alise interrupted the discussion after Theo expressed how impressed he was with Tresk’s build. The marshling went off to her adventures for the day, and the alchemist was dragged to the town hall. He hadn’t even finished his tea.

Lady Administrator had information about the influx of citizens to the town. Food was officially a concern, second only to housing. There were too many people and too few House Seed Cores to give them homes of their own.

“We can’t have that many people,” Theo said, shrugging it off.

“We’ll hit 200 citizens before the Season of Fire even starts,” Alise said. She peered into the ever-burning fire of the town hall and shook her head.

Theo’s mind had trouble catching up with her words. It was 10 times the amount they started with at the beginning of the season. An unsustainable number. Xam might have been making a killing, but her supplies weren’t infinite. Especially not when new citizens were offered free meals. The alchemist groaned, heading for the door without saying a word to Alise. She and her functionaries followed close behind.

When the group passed by the neighborhood area, Theo spotted even more houses springing up, sprawling toward the eastern wall. The roads were more crowded, even if the alchemist felt that was a good thing. His goal wasn’t the residential district, though—it was the farm. Alise hadn’t renamed it from Sea of Zee yet, so it must have stuck. When they arrived at the sprawling farm, it was thick with the cultivated grain. Uncultivated Zee was roughly the size of Theo’s head, but these new plants were ten times the size. It was an absurd sight.

“Banu!” Theo shouted, gaining the attention of the farm’s owner. Banurub was a massive half-ogre, skin wrinkled from the constant sun exposure. He had a worn look on his face. “I hear we have a food problem.”

“Not yet,” Banu said, mopping his brow. “Soon enough, though.”

Theo turned to Alise, scratching his chin.

“Can we subsidize them?” Theo asked.

“How do you mean?” Alise asked. The functionaries took notes.

The farm currently had sixteen fields. The last time Theo had been here, they harvested every week. Before he arrived, cultivating the plants, the alchemist had observed the harvesting every two weeks or so. It was hard to say with their farming method of transporting mud from the swamp, letting it bake on a fallow field, then planting. Now, Banu split his fields between the traditional way and the new way.

“First, are we low on food already?” Theo asked.

“Not yet,” Alise said.

It was hard to do the math, but sixteen fields seemed like plenty to feed 200 people. Then he saw the problem as they walked through the massive farm. Everyone was looking to Theo for solutions, but they hadn’t taken the chance to walk around and see the problem. Some fields were planted. Not even the eight-to-eight split on tradition and alchemical growing methods. On both sides of the farm, split by the cobbled road, half of the fields were fallow. For the traditional method, that made sense. But alchemically enhanced soil could produce forever, even if it generated a few monsters.

“Banu, what’s the deal?” Theo asked.

“No one wants to work,” Banu said, quick to blame. That was farmers, though.

They made their way back to the farmhouse on the property, Banu’s home and the site of the seed core. Theo inspected the farm.

[Large Farm]

[Rotbog Farms]

Owners: Banurub

Faction: Broken Tusk

Level: 10 (1%)

Rent Due: 7 days

Expansions:

[Fresh Tilled Earth]

[Enhanced Growth]

Theo sighed. “Banu, why aren’t you upgrading your farm?”

Banu shrugged.

The problem was twofold. The farm wasn’t getting the upgrades it needed, and Alise wasn’t being pushy enough about assigning people to farm duty. It might have been dirty work, but it needed to be done. Theo’s idea for subsidies, where he’d fund whatever the farm needed to grow, would still work. But the administration of Broken Tusk needed to take a hard turn. Alise’s prowess for organization was amazing, but she could be soft. The alchemist wouldn’t blame her, since she brought the problem to his attention before it was actually a problem.

The more Theo considered that idea, the more he dismissed it. Perhaps she was being nice, but the big decisions still fell to him. She was Lady Administrator, not the mayor.

“We need more farmers,” Theo said. “And some monster cores to upgrade the farm.”

“It’s hard to convince people to do farm work,” an administrator of Alise’s said.

“Perhaps you could work the farm,” Theo said, pointing at the human. That made him wither.

“I’d be happy to take more workers,” Banus said, shifting uncomfortably on the spot.

“We’re already getting a deal from the farmers,” Theo said, waving a dismissive hand. “But food variety is already an issue. I don’t want more Zee.”

“I like Zee,” Banu said.

“We all love Zee,” Theo said. “Give me a sample of the 100%-cultivated Zee, and I’ll get it to 200%. Then we need to find some other stuff to grow. I want to take a few fields for my own purposes. Then Alise is going to round up everyone without a job and put them to work.”

“That’s easier said than done,” Alise mumbled.

“We’re not here to do the easy thing,” Theo said. “Anyone who doesn’t want to work the fields goes to the mine. Anyone who doesn’t want to work the mine goes to the sawmill, and so on. These are paying jobs; we’re not forcing people into slavery. If they don’t want to work with the industry we have here, they can start something for themselves.”

Alise didn’t seem to have the words to respond. Theo was always easy on the people in his town, letting them do whatever they wanted, but that only went so far. He knew that any half-ogre or marshling worth their weight would work until their fingers bled, but the newer people were disillusioned. They didn’t know that they could make a living doing basic labor. But those were the bones of Broken Tusk. Hard work and dirty hands made coin here, and the new people would find that out soon enough.

“Yes, sir,” she said, going glassy-eyed. “Of the 150 citizens we have, 30 haven’t updated me about their job status. Meaning, they’re unemployed.”

“They slipped through the cracks,” Theo said. “They must have missed your lecture about getting a job, or your functionaries failed to tell them.”

Two of the three administrators winced. The third, a woman who appeared to be human to Theo’s eyes, stood proud. The alchemist only hoped Alise saw her as the best of the bunch, but that was up to her. He didn’t want to get too involved with the administrators.

“Right,” Alise said, gaining some of herself back. “We’ll work on this.”

Theo waved at the new administrators, dismissing them from the farm. Alise looked confused, but he spoke once they were out of earshot.

“If any of them drag you down, send them to the fields,” Theo said. “You’re normally sharper than this.”

“I’ve been offloading my work on them,” Alise said, letting out a sigh. “I didn’t think they’d miss something like that.”

“Yeah, the human girl is the only one with a head on her shoulders,” Theo said.

“Half-elf girl,” Alise corrected. “Woman, really. She’s not a girl.”

“Put her in charge of the other two,” Theo said. “She can fire them if she wants. They need a fire under their asses.”

“Hah!” Banu shouted, clapping his hand on Theo’s shoulder. “You’ve changed. All it took was 60 days of hard labor for you to harden. I like it.”

Theo smiled. He had things to do today and didn’t want to go on about how people who weren’t from Broken Tusk didn’t get it. Mostly because that thought was wrong. His newfound logic, borne from his growing Intelligence score, told him that was wrong. This was an administrative error. In under an hour, he’d tracked it from the new citizens to Alise herself and right down to those three new administrators. Problem solved, and they’d future-proof their food production.

“I’m getting there,” Theo said. “Once Fenian comes back, we’ll resupply our monster cores.”

“I have a core dealer,” Alise said.

“But we’re broke,” Theo said.

“Right,” Alise said.

Theo spoke with the pair for a while, reinforcing his idea that the two administrators needed a babysitter. Alise needed to be more selective with the people she picked. She was a rare find.

The two remaining Lesser Mud Golems had done a great job keeping the greenhouses clear of weeds, but they were useless for cultivation. Theo found a place to plant the fruit of a Zee plant, counting on his upgraded greenhouses to bring it above 100% cultivation. If increasing the size of a Zee kernel to ten times the original size wasn’t enough, he planned on doing it again. When he was done, the fields would produce Zee the size of a small Karatan.

Enough attribute-enhancing reagents had reached 100% cultivation. The good thing about those plants was he didn’t need to destroy them to get the reagent. The alchemist went around, picking enough flowers from the Wind Tulips to brew some dexterity potions and finally test the modifiers. Salire and Azrug were working together in the shop today, so he stopped to chat with them. It was nice having the young man back in the shop for once, but he wasn’t there for good.

Theo split his 100 units of Wind Tulip into 50-unit batches, one for fermentation and one for brewing. With his Power Siphon running, he left it on most days now to power his lodestone; he went back to the gardens for more maintenance. He cleared the Spiny Swamp Thistle out, harvesting their roots and replanting every available space, thinned out the Mage’s Bane to get rid of some low-cultivated plants, and tended to the mushrooms. The Manashrooms were randomly reproducing, and the Swamp Truffles just over 100% cultivation. Unlike growing regular plants, mushrooms were more random. They spawned chaotically, spreading through the cave and making his neat rows uneven.

Zarali was working on a few jobs in her lab, but Theo got her for a half hour. She made him five more lodestones, all made from the green gems. She claimed they could network together, sharing the load of the constructs. He took her word for it, placing the lodestones in his inventory. Standing at the door, he withdrew 5 gold coins from his inventory. The alchemist threw them in the enchanting lab before darting out and slamming the door shut. He was back at the Newt and Demon before she could object.

Bal and his brothers were gathered outside of the lab, and Theo ushered them upstairs quickly. They came to report on the effects of the foresight potion, with interesting findings. Ral got sick after drinking two potions in a six-hour period. Other than that, there seemed to be no long-lasting effects. They even had a signed letter from Zarali. The same Zarali that was banging on the lab’s locked door. Theo heard coins jingle, then saw 5 gold roll under.

“What a nice problem to have. Free money,” Bal said, laughing.

Theo returned the money to his inventory, grumbling. He left the lab with the brothers, departing from them to place his Large Ornamental Lodestones around town. He had a sense for where they should go to give maximum coverage. They formed a chain of command and power, drawing from the Power Siphon in the lab. As long as they were close enough together, he could string them through Broken Tusk. The last lodestone went near the western gate, giving the golems a decent range out into the swamp. He tested the range with his existing two Lesser Mud Golems.

Mud golems were the obvious choice for collecting motes out in the swamp. The swamp was lousy with Earth Motes, and the golems could use the mud to regenerate their bodies if they were attacked. He couldn’t do anything about their cores being destroyed, though. For that, he would make Lesser Stone Golems. Theo crafted some golems and was forced to chug a few Mana Potions to get them all done. He experimented with different containment core shapes to test their performance but ended with seven Lesser Mud Golems total, with three Lesser Stone Golems to guard them.

The strain on Theo’s willpower was minimal. He felt a faint tickle in the back of his mind, but that was it. Zarali’s lodestones were doing their job and worked a lot better as a network. Theo got some strange looks when he marched down the street with 10 golems behind him. His own little mote gathering army. He checked in with Aarok before sending them outside the gates, making sure the adventurers knew not to attack them. Luras watched him from the western wall, laughing the entire time. The little golems spread out through the marsh, digging through the mud and making happy squelching sounds. The alchemist left them to it.

Theo’s mental timer on his small batches was done, so he went back to the lab. He transferred the fermented mash of Wind Tulips to a still and held the Refined Dexterity Essence up to the light at the window. It held a faint green color and the smell of a summer’s breeze. Tresk was going to go insane when he showed her the resulting potion.

The alchemist patted the egg at his side and got to work.

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Theo wasn’t surprised with the Refined Dexterity Essence he’d brewed. It was made from cultivated and aligned ingredients that had been distilled. It was almost the peak of his ability, missing twice the amount of cultivation and a few levels of alignment favor with Drogramath. But, as with all things related to Drogramath, establishing a relationship took time. Not that offering some herbs at his shrine every day was much of a relationship.

The alchemist brewed a sample of the Dexterity Potion and inspected it.

[Dexterity Potion]

[Potion]

Common

Created by: Belgar

Quality: Excellent

Alignment:

Drogramath (Middling Bond)

Drink to enhance Dexterity.

Effect:

+13 Dexterity for 1.75 hours.

Before, he had only brewed aligned, refined potions for stats. This one was aligned, cultivated, and refined. The difference between 0% cultivation and 100% cultivation for this potion was apparently an additional point in the related stat and a quarter-hour increase on the duration. Those were the small increases he was used to, but the result was still monstrous.

It took a while for the still to spit out enough modifier for Theo to experiment with. His new setup meant he could skip a few steps and end up with a better result. Even before examining the modifier essence, he could feel its alignment to an element. Everything about the essence seemed related to wind, from the way it swirled in the bottle to the scent it put off. The alchemist was unsure how he could have bottled the smell of the breeze, but there it was.

[Refined Elemental Wind]

[Essence Modifier] [Refined Essence Modifier]

Rare

Created by: Belgar

Quality: Great

Alignment:

Drogramath (Middling Bond)

Alignment Effects:

The resulting modifier will be more effective.

High chance to add an additional modifier to the resulting potion.

2 units (liquid)

A refined modifier essence. Add to a completed potion to add the [Elemental Wind] modifier. Elemental wind is unpredictable. Consult elemental alignments for best effect.

That was unnecessarily mysterious. [Elemental Wind] seemed just vague enough to be a good modifier, but that was hard to say. His instinct said it would make great defensive potions. Something about the [Elemental Wind] spoke to him, like flying away on a gentle breeze. He snapped out of the thought and set his sights on his Retreat Potion. He had a decent stock of the potions, since it was part of his escape plan. The alchemist mixed the [Refined Elemental Wind] with his Retreat Potion and inspected the result.

[Retreat Potion]

[Refined Elemental Wind]

[Potion] [Modified Potion]

Rare

Created by: Belgar

Quality: Excellent

Alignment:

Drogramath (Middling Bond)

One second after drinking, the imbiber will be propelled backward. Distance depends on the quality of the potion.

At the end of this potion’s effect, the imbiber will gain [Featherfall] for 10 seconds. Imbiber will fall slowly for the duration of the effect.

A blast of elemental wind staggers all targets in front of imbiber.

Effect:

[Retreat] on self.

[Featherfall] on expiration of [Retreat].

[Elemental Wind Blast] casts in a cone.

The potion improved in every way, a result of the refined modifier essence. Everything those refined modifiers touched turned out better than what they started as. The investment Theo made into researching the refinement techniques and taking Zarali’s advice on improving his current setup was worth it. This might have been the best pairing of potion to modifier he’d ever done, so he took a little time to appreciate his work. The egg in his bag swelled with approval.

While Theo was happy to have discovered the [Elemental Wind] modifier, there was a lot of work to be done. He considered which modifier would bring the best out of the Dexterity Potion. His new modifier might work, but he still considered which others would be nice. Having the potion in a pill form could be useful, but diminished effects on stats would turn adventurers away. They’d always want as much as possible. Surge could work, but he didn’t see how it could benefit an increase in attributes. His intuition said it would shorten the duration but boost the Dexterity increase. He rummaged through his row of Dimensional Storage Crates until he found an old flask of [Refined Surge] modifier.

The [Refined Surge] modifier complemented the Dexterity Potion well. They swirled in the new vial, bubbling and putting off a yellow-green vapor that shot up the vent in the ceiling. After a moment, Theo let the reaction calm down and examined the result.

[Dexterity Potion]

[Refined Surge]

[Potion] [Modified Potion]

Epic

Created by: Belgar

Quality: Excellent

Alignment:

Drogramath (Middling Bond)

Drink to enhance Dexterity greatly for a brief period.

Gain a small boost of Dexterity when this effect expires.

Effect:

+26 Dexterity for 10 minutes.

+5 Dexterity for 30 minutes after the initial effect expires.

Now that was interesting. The potion consumed most of the time to create a doubling effect on the bonus Dexterity. He couldn’t tell if it was worse or better, though. If he drank the potion, it would more than double his current Dexterity. He’d be zipping through the town for 10 minutes, but there had to be more than a few downsides. Suddenly changing attributes was disorienting. Even the 5 Dexterity improvement he got from withdrawing items from his inventory wasn’t easy to handle. He’d have to leave it up to the adventurers to tell him if it was worth it. A sudden burst of Strength or Vigor might be the difference between winning a fight and losing a fight.

The Dexterity Potion with the [Refined Surge] modifier led to a strange thought. How much Intelligence did it take to get the weird precognition powers that Khahar displayed? Or the absurd speed that Sulvan showed? Even with his relatively low scores, he could riddle the answer out. Cores often provided stats when they were leveled. A person’s overall level did matter, but it was only a single point into a stat every level. If he had ten cores, all adding 10 Intelligence, he’d have an extra 100. That was something to consider for core synergy. But Theo always thought of building himself like a generalist, getting the most from every attribute.

It was too much to worry about for now, and he dismissed the entire idea. The only thing that mattered at that moment was that he had decent potions to enhance every attribute and the means to grow them at 100% cultivation. Theo had enough [Refined Anti-Mage] to test those out, so he did so. He inspected the result after brewing the potion, a swirling mix of silver and green for his new Dexterity Potion.

[Dexterity Potion]

[Refined Anti-Mage]

[Potion] [Modified Potion]

Epic

Created by: Belgar

Quality: Excellent

Alignment:

Drogramath (Middling Bond)

Drink to enhance Dexterity.

Creates a magic shell around the imbiber. Spells cast against the imbiber must perform a check. If the attacker’s primary attribute is less than the defender’s primary attribute, the attacker’s spell does half damage.

All damage halved is redirected to the caster.

Effect:

+13 Dexterity for 1.75 hours.

[Magic Shell (Dexterity Check)] for 15 minutes.

Failing [Magic Shell (Dexterity Check)] inflicts halved damage back to the caster.

This was what Theo expected from high-quality essences. [Anti-Mage] was the property that kept on giving amazing potions, all geared to stopping mages. The alchemist had little trouble from mages, excluding Uharis, but it was worth investing in. It was the most stable modifier, often producing the best results. If he wasn’t careful, customers might assume he was planning a secret war against mages all over the planet. It might be a title he could live with.

While he didn’t think the [Refined Elemental Wind] modifier essence would add much to the Dexterity Potion, it had a clear elemental alignment. Since this was all a test run, he could part with more essence for the sake of experimentation. Even if the potion wasn’t useful, it would be worth checking out. Theo applied his [Refined Elemental Wind] modifier to another Dexterity Potion, having to brew another of his attribute-enhancement potions to check the effect. He inspected the result.

[Dexterity Potion]

[Refined Elemental Wind]

[Potion] [Modified Potion]

Epic

Created by: Belgar

Quality: Excellent

Alignment:

Drogramath (Middling Bond)

Drink to enhance Dexterity.

Drink to increase speed scaling.

Effect:

+13 Dexterity for 1.75 hours.

For 1 hour, your physical speed scales 1.25 times better than normal.

The rules on the aligned modifier essences stated they might provide an additional modifier to a potion, but Theo had never seen it happen. If it could provide two modifiers, it did. He assumed the situation here was that the Dexterity Potion could not provide a second modifier for the [Refined Elemental Wind], and he couldn’t blame it. Raw Dexterity increased the speed of the user. It was hard to understand the effect, but it was significant. If the potion applied to all the user’s Dexterity, then this was big. He set that aside in his mind as the possible biggest winner of the day.

Theo contacted Tresk about the potions, asking her which she’d rather have with her. Since the potions didn’t stack, something she claimed to have tried before, it came down to the situation.

“The speed one wins out,” Tresk said. “The burst one sucks, and the anti-magic one is situational.”

Theo made a mental note of that, and the pairings for the other attribute potions were clear. Each one would pair best with their respective elemental modifiers. That would unlock more potential for scaling improvements. He could imagine that Strength potions would scale with physical strength, Vigor potions with durability, but Wisdom and Intelligence were always a mystery. The alchemist worked a knot out of his neck, rolling his shoulder and cracking his back. He was hunched over the table for so long, it was well into the afternoon.

The store below would have to wait for some attribute potions. Theo spent a small amount of time brewing Lesser Potions of Purification from his leftover stock. He set one still to distill some Refined Healing Essence, another to make Preserving Essence, and the last for Supple Essence. Perg had not come around for more of her alchemical tannery supplies in a while, but she should have been getting low. He’d have to remember to swap them out at day’s end, distilling some Purifying Essence. It was hard to predict when an epidemic would spread through the town.

Theo’s governance core hit 14 as he was heading downstairs, something that no longer surprised him. He found Salire haggling with some people for gear, and he waited for them to finish.

“Getting the hang of it?” Theo asked.

“Just about,” she said, giggling. “It’s kinda fun.”

“Yeah, Azrug seemed to enjoy it,” Theo said. He could sense his golems doing something abnormal but couldn’t get the full picture through the lodestones. “How much money are you skimming from the store?”

“Enough to eat and pay my bills,” Salire said, running her fingers through her hair nervously. “Feels wrong to take more.”

“Ah, just set yourself a salary,” Theo said. “I don’t know what the hell to do with this store. Seems like it’s just a place to train new merchants.”

“Might not be a bad idea,” Salire said. “Just watch out. Azrug was talking about opening a general store.”

“Well, I knew he would,” Theo said. “You might become obsolete.”

Salire’s face flushed. She ran her fingers through her hair faster, rubbing the back of her neck as though it held all the stress in the world. “Do you think so?”

“Well, you’ll learn an important lesson if he does,” Theo said. “You can make this place more profitable. Lean into the strengths.”

Salire stopped rubbing her scalp, turning to him. She had a look in her eyes that said she had a plan. Theo just smiled back, patting her on the shoulder.

“I have some work to do,” she said, withdrawing a notebook from nowhere and writing frantically.

Theo left her there to figure it out. If he was telling the truth, he’d say he wanted nothing at all to do with the store. He enjoyed the work where he took orders rather than just making whatever he thought people would buy. A test of Salire’s ability would be for her to shift the business away from that model, coming up with something truly amazing. Something to stand out when a hundred different shops popped up in town. He made his way to check on the smelter and the mine.

The alchemist found no differences in either industries, besides the production of Drogramathi Iron Ingots. He took one for himself, for future testing. The mine had a minor change. They’d boarded up the ominous room in the bottom levels. No one wanted to go down there with the creepy pedestal. They had more employees than ever, and they were digging tunnels themselves.

Theo made his way over to the sawmill next. A part of him just wanted his Governance Core to level more, but it was a dual-purpose visit. Beyond his wildest expectations, Sledge wasn’t there. When he asked the workers, they said she was off doing her Fabricator class, which pleased him. The second part of the visit was to check on the golems. He made his way to the top of the battlements, but he heard the shouts and jeers before he ascended.

“What’s going on?” Theo asked the adventurer at the post.

“Oh, uh,” they said, looking suddenly guilty. “Nothing, sir.”

Theo looked out over the battlements, finding a group of adventurers. Including Tresk. Two of his Lesser Rock Golems were battling a single Ogre Snapper, surrounded by a ring of cheering adventurers. He watched as the adventurers threw coins on a log, placing bets on who would win. He let out a groan, narrowing his gaze on Tresk. She felt his eyes and turned, then vanished.

“I thought you were running dungeons,” Theo said.

“Sorry. Can’t hear ya. Real noisy in here,” Tresk said.

Theo withdrew a Reveal Construct from his inventory, activated it, and tossed it near where Tresk disappeared. She appeared, wide-eyed and crouched in the marsh. Instead of turning to face the alchemist, she ran into the marsh, waddling through the thick mud.

The battle was reaching its conclusion. Slowly. Theo sent a mental command to his lodestone network, summoning all of his golems. The fight went on for a few minutes before the snapper was overwhelmed by the mud golems. He laughed when the adventurers let out a groan. Some of them went to gather the coins from the log.

“I think those coins are mine!” Theo shouted, pointing at the pile of silver on the stump. The adventurers scattered.

Theo amended the commands for his golems, including a stipulation that if one golem was in trouble, they would all come running. They accepted his orders and went back to work, leaving the Ogre Snapper’s corpse where it was. Several moments later, an adventurer came to loot and skin the creature. Adventurers had a way of passing the time when they were bored.

There was something about that half-elf administrator that stuck with Theo. She seemed far sharper than the others, so he expected the farming issue to be resolved. The alchemist left the wall and headed for the farm. Another dual-purpose visit. There was a lot more activity at the farm, but not as much as he expected. Banu gave a brief report, stating they would do a lot better with the help. Theo silently blamed him for the failure, but with things growing quickly, he wouldn’t verbalize his concerns.

As Theo made his way north, through the farm, he realized his visit to the northern stretch of the town had three purposes. He spotted the sprawl of adventurer’s houses between the Sea of Zee and Rocktown. There were far more than before, which meant Stabby Groves was growing. More adventurers was better. As long as they didn’t waste their time betting on golem fights.

Rocktown was doing fine. Ziz and his guys were taking a break from the bridge and harbor job. They were handsomely rewarded, but they were used to that. The quarry was a goldmine of gems and rare stone. As long as their contact in Qavell was still buying stone, they were set for life.

“Doing all right, Ziz?” Theo asked.

Ziz reached out, grabbing Theo’s hand hard. “Doing excellent!” he shouted, trying to overpower the alchemist. “You’re a big, strong alchemist now, aren’t ya?”

Ziz laughed, releasing Theo’s grip. The stoneworker’s Strength was still much higher than his own, leaving his hand and arm sore.

“Yeah, let me chug a Strength Potion,” Theo said with a laugh. “See how strong you are then.”

Ziz laughed again, loud enough to send the sound echoing off the surrounding hills.

“Come on in, have a drink,” Ziz said, gesturing to the growing stoneworker’s building.

The other four workers came and gathered in the small building, cracking open a keg of some swill. Theo admired that about Ziz. Their team should grow, but they were making so much money they didn’t need to. This was a bad business move, and after several drinks, the alchemist got brave enough to share his thoughts.

“Yeah, well,” Ziz said, still laughing. “You’d have to be an idiot not to do that. See, we’re smart. Ain’t we, boys?”

The laborers cheered in agreement.

“We only need folks with the Stonemason’s Core, so we’ve been buying them up,” Ziz said. “We’re modeling ourselves after the Qavelli army.”

Ziz meant that he and his crew were the core team, or the regulars. They’d give others a less favorable rate and call them irregulars. Although, the more Theo thought about it, the more he realized that didn’t work well for Qavell. They were getting crushed in the Veostian campaign. He wouldn’t bring that up with them. He simply asked for another drink and demanded everyone toast the quarry.

The more Theo spent time with heavy drinkers, the more he wanted a potion that neutralized the effects of the alcohol. He’d need to steal some Sanchrin plants. Until then, he humored the laborers by drinking way less but celebrating just as much. They were more than just a cornerstone of the town. They were his friends.

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Shafts of sunlight broke through Theo’s window, but that wasn’t the reason he awoke from the Dreamwalk. Emerging from that ethereal realm was more like stepping from one room to the other, only to appear in his comfortable bed. Tresk scampered off to the lab before he had time to say anything, but he just lay there. Even with the increasingly oppressive heat of Fire barreling toward them, he enjoyed the warmth of his sheets.

A strange sense of tension was building in his body. Theo placed his hand on the egg to find some comfort, resulting in excitement building in his chest. The Tara’hek Core was edging closer to Level 20 by the moment. Thanks to the Dreamwalk, his other cores weren’t slouching either. But today would give way to a blur of alchemy and administrative duties he wasn’t sure he was ready for. At least the egg was there.

“Breakfast!” Tresk shouted, entering the room and glowering. “I require breakfast!”

Theo sipped his tea and ate his leftovers in Xam’s tavern. Khahar found a different table, isolated from the townsfolk to take his breakfast. The more the leader of the Khahari spent time in the town, the more he seemed like a fixture. But even the admission of the man himself painted that as a facade. He was here for a short time, bound for some heavenly realm no one seemed to know a thing about. There was just something strangely familiar about Khahar that lingered on Theo’s tongue. He couldn’t wash away the sense no matter how hard he tried.

Work cut those thoughts short. Theo had a sense that Fenian would arrive any day, which would require him to have a selection of Hallowed Ground–style potions ready for the man. The elf expected the potions for free and would offer another mushroom cave for 50 gold. What the alchemist was truly interested in was more plants for the farm. Something from the elven continent would be nice, adding an even more exotic flair to Broken Tusk. The trader was smart enough to bring a selection of plants, wasn’t he?

Fenian’s anti-undead arsenal was based around two styles of potion. Drinkable and throwable. The Hallowed Ground Bomb targeted only undead but dealt scaling damage. Scaling damage likely meant a percentage of damage based on the creature’s maximum health. Hallowed Ground Potion with the [Aerosolize] modifier would create an amazing zone of denial for any approaching undead, and the one with [Web] sent strands of banishing power to the nearest 20 targets. Theo didn’t want to think about the horrors of the [Embolden] one. The other variations were good, but he wanted to make Fenian pick which ones he wanted.

“Maybe I’ll make the elf squirm,” Theo said, staring in the distance.

“Fenian?” Tresk asked, wiping her broad mouth clear with her sleeve.

“Yeah, he should be in town soon,” Theo said. That sense in the back of his mind pulsed.

“He’s coming from Gardreth,” Khahar said, suddenly at their table. The Khahari leader had a pensive look on his face. “I expect he’ll be here in the morning.”

“That’s where he got our Pozwa from,” Theo said.

“More exciting news,” Tresk said, bouncing in her chair. “We’re going to hit 20 in the Tara’hek today.”

Khahari smiled. “Of the futures I see, the most likely outcome will be interesting.”

“How cryptic,” Theo said, chuckling. “No spoilers.”

The more time Khahar spent in Broken Tusk, the more uncomfortable Theo was getting. Not because he wasn’t a good man or good company. It was the idea that he was running from something no one could see. A responsibility to his people he was abandoning. Another responsibility to leave the mortal realm. What kind of impact was his presence having on the world, if any?

“This world is built on a foundation of destruction and growth,” Khahar said. He couldn’t read people’s minds directly. He just saw the future. No big deal. “From the first Shattering to Balkor’s Betrayal, we’ve seen it. Those who read the signs know.”

“That another is coming,” Theo said with a shrug, finishing Khahar’s thought.

“Karasan knows as much,” Khahar said.

“King of Qavell,” Tresk said, sensing Theo’s confusion. He’d never heard the name of his king.

Theo shook his head, waving away a bubbling thought. “Why go to war with Veosta if he knows disaster is coming?”

Khahar considered the question for a long moment. His eyes always went glassy when he was looking elsewhere, into the future, or whatever else he could do. Eventually, his brow furrowed.

“I don’t know.”

Maybe he didn’t know, or maybe he was hiding something. The passing match Khahar had with the Burning Eye and Drogramath was proof enough that the gods were up to something. Even more concerning was that a deity from the Prime Pantheon, the Demonic Pantheon, and an aspirant were talking as though they knew each other. To save himself from being read by Khahar, Theo kept that to himself. There was something between them.

“Khahar, the Burning Eye, Uz’Xulven, Tworgnoth… I wonder who else is involved,” Theo asked.

Tresk shrugged. “No opinion.”

“You must have an opinion.”

“Nope.”

“How long are you sticking around for, Khahar?” Theo asked.

“As long as I can get away with it,” Khahar said. “My people already set members of the clergy sailing, but they won’t be here for a while. We’re not known for our seafaring abilities.”

“Not that you have to worry about it. Mister teleport.” Tresk snorted.

“It’s not teleporting… Not exactly,” Khahar said. “My movement is more like bending the rules. Reach my level, and you can tell the system where you want to be.”

“Sounds like cheating,” Tresk said, narrowing her eyes. “No one likes cheaters.”

“Yeah, but maybe… Khahar, can you cheat for me?” Theo asked.

“No cheating, Theo!” Tresk shouted, gaining the attention of the other patrons.

“A small cheat,” Theo said. “We already have a guy who can teleport all over the world, but I never asked him to bring crops for our farm. I want some exotic stuff. Maybe a staple crop from each major civilization.”

“Do you know how many major civilizations there are?” Khahar asked, smiling.

“No.”

“Then you haven’t earned a cheat,” Khahar said. “I’ll tell you what my picks would be if I had your resources when I started. From Tarantham, I would pick Ansatari Wheat. From Iaredin? Zee. You already have that. I’d select Bulb Blobs from Slagrot—the ogres are terrible at naming things. Khahari Cacti from my home. Fairy Apples from Partopour, and absolutely nothing from Bantein. Those people wouldn’t know food if it bit them in the ass.”

Theo had heard of, or seen, something about Slagrot in the past. But Partopour and Bantein were completely new to him. Other civilizations, resting in places of the world too distant to matter to him, had never graced his ears. But Fenian could get them for him, even if there was a massive problem. Those plants grew in certain climates. A problem for another day. The alchemist would focus on cultivating the Zee to produce even more food.

“Well, I appreciate the suggestions.”

Theo finished his breakfast and bid farewell to Tresk and Khahar. His first stop was to check on the progress of his golems. They were burning through his Mana Constructs at an unsustainable rate, but there were always more Manashrooms. The alchemist patted the egg, resting near his side, and nodded to himself. The drop-off crates for the motes were packed full, and the golems had taken to just leaving them on the ground. He sorted out his greenhouses for the day, harvesting what was ready and replanting. The Lesser Mud Golems were still too unintelligent to handle the gardens.

Alise’s half-elf assistant intercepted Theo on his way to the lab.

“We haven’t been properly introduced,” she said, affecting a deep bow.

Theo bowed back. Maybe the elves bowed a lot.

“Gwynestarea Whisperstream. Please, call me Gwyn.”

“Theo. How can I help you?”

“Alise gave me free rein on the food problem,” Gwyn said.

Theo studied her for a moment. If he looked hard enough, he could see both features of the humans and the elves. She was as tall as a regular human, coming up to his chest, with stunted, pointed ears that weren’t quite elven. She had a head of long, well-kept black hair with gray eyes. Like most administrators, or those that didn’t need combat armor, she wore a loose robe and boots suited for the muddy environment.

“Any ideas?” Theo asked.

“I’ve been in talks with Guildmaster Aarok about the problem,” Gwyn said. She couldn’t hide the smile on her face. “Unless the corpse of a Marsh Wolf is butchered within a day, it fades. Most adventurers take what they need and leave the rest to the swamp. With your approval, I want to issue an order to the adventurers.”

Theo rubbed his chin as though that was a hard request. He’d be lying to her if he said he knew the adventurers were just abandoning good meat in the swamp. That brought another problem, though. If the adventurers brought in a bunch of wolves, who would butcher them?

“I’m glad you’re taking your role seriously,” Theo said. “I wish I could say the same about your peers. How much meat are we leaving in the swamp daily?”

“Several hundred units. On the low end,” Gwyn said. “I don’t believe the town has the funds, but we need to establish an industry around the idea.”

“Any volunteers?”

“We’re in luck,” Gwyn said. “A toora family moved in recently. The matron has a Butcher’s Core, and she’s prepared to accept a contract for the position. Sledge agreed to lend part of her workshop—even if it’s outdoors—until we get the Butcher’s Seed Core.”

Theo couldn’t help but grin. This was what he loved about having an administrative staff, especially if the people doing the administration were smart. The food problem cropped up, and Gwyn handled it swiftly.

“Have you sent your peers to the farm yet?” Theo asked.

“The sawmill and the mines,” Gwyn nodded. “They were oddly excited about it.”

“Good. Fenian is going to be in town later. I’ll see if he has the seed core we need. Start looking for your replacement. I want administrators who know what the hell they’re doing. We’ll review your contract at the end of the season,” Theo said.

Gwyn looked slightly offended. “You’re not planning on firing me, are you? After I fixed the problem so swiftly?”

“The opposite. I’ll grant you the Lady Administrator title at season’s end if you keep it up,” Theo said. That brightened her up. “I want you to watch Alise and make sure she doesn’t slip up again. There’s too much crap to do, and I don’t want more crap falling through the cracks. Understood?”

“Yes, sir,” Gwyn said, straightening her back. She looked so proud.

“Find more people like you. Do you already have an administrator core?”

“Yes, I do.”

“Perfect. Who is managing the farm project?”

“That would be me.”

“Excellent…” Theo said, trailing off. Gwyn’s eyes snapped to the east. A sound like an explosion echoed through the town, followed by the thunder of otherworldly hooves. “Fenian is here.”

With thoughts of exotic plants and a well-run chain of food production in his head, Theo made his way to the town square. The clattering team of demonic Karatan made their way over the eastern road, wreaths of black-purple energy coming off the lead beast in waves. Galflower always seemed like the most willful of the team, and Fenian had said as much. That was about it for information the elf would give up about the Uz’Xulven-aligned things.

Fenian dismounted his carriage train, now trailing three carts behind the lead one. They were all in the same style of lacquered black materials, almost featureless when compared to the lead car. The elf was anything but featureless, wearing his trademark ruffles and flourishes that would put a king to shame. He pulled Theo into a tight hug before the alchemist could object.

“Always a pleasure to see you,” Fenian said.

“Let’s discuss things in my office,” Theo said, gesturing to the town hall.

“Naturally.”

Theo didn’t really have an office in the town hall. There was a room that he used when he needed to, but he’d never lay claim to it. Until Broken Tusk built competent support staff, that building would remain to be used for functional purposes. They couldn’t spare the monster cores to upgrade it and didn’t have competent staff to make it worth it. The office gave a decent view of the city below, affording them the sights of the western wall and the swamp beyond. The alchemist fell into a chair at the head of the table. Fenian took the opposing seat, all the way on the other end.

“How is the project going?” Fenian asked, setting a small black cube on the table and activating it.

“What project?” Theo asked, snorting a laugh. “The town, the god roaming around my streets, or your mushrooms?”

“All of them?” Fenian said, flashing a roguish smile.

Theo set out single examples of the Hallowed Ground Potions he’d come up with. He didn’t see the need to answer the other questions. Fenian inspected them all, satisfied with each. “How many have you produced?”

“The samples,” Theo said, gesturing to the table. “I can have 500 to 800 of whatever you need today.”

“Such a hard-working alchemist. How did I get so lucky?”

Viewing the gifts that were thrown at Broken Tusk with a spiteful eye was a bad move. Theo never asked for what he got, but he never turned it down. He never looked at those that gave him these things with scorn, burying them in his heart for later revenge. The alchemist was happy to accept and exploit them every day. Fenian’s arrival in the town was no different.

“I’m suspecting a conspiracy more by the day,” Theo said. “I also have an assortment of other potions if you want to see those.”

“Naturally.”

Fenian focused on the modified stat potions Theo had made so far. Variations of the Healing Potion were always welcome to the trader and would make for good trading. Of course the elf had a Butcher’s Seed Core, an uncultivated Starbristle Flax plant, and an Ansatari Wheat plant to offer. The alchemist considered the food shortage problem sorted and would dedicate several fields to the flax plant.

“Keep the wheat in your inventory until you have the means to plant it,” Fenian said. “As resourceful as I am, I haven’t been able to find a Farm Greenhouse Expansion. I’ve searched, though.”

“The great and powerful Fenian Feintleaf unable to find an item?” Theo asked, grinning. “Never thought I’d see the day.”

“Even I have my limits,” Fenian said. “So, down to the marrow of it. I’ll buy up all the Healing Potions and modified attribute potions. Shall we negotiate?”

Negotiation with Fenian was more about balancing the scales of money with items. Broken Tusk needed monster cores more than anything, along with a few odd things. Theo didn’t offer his Retreat Potion, or Potion of Limited Foresight for trade. While he was happy to offer the wide world attribute and restoration potions, he wasn’t comfortable doing so with the powerful potions.

They went back and forth for a while. Fenian’s stocks were shockingly low, but Theo got several hundred monster cores, a Butcher’s Seed Core, and another Mycology Cave Seed Core on top of 50 gold coins. The money seemed like nothing compared to mounting expenses, but it was always nice to have cash on hand.

“So,” Fenian said, concluding their business. “Khahar lives in Broken Tusk now?”

“I’m not sure that’s a good thing,” Theo said. “He’ll be leaving soon.”

“Intriguing,” Fenian said. “Anything interesting happen? With Rivers? Murder Passage?”

Leave it to Fenian to poke his nose in their problems. Theo explained the idea of an alliance, using Gronro-Dir as a spearhead against whatever wanted to come from the north. Their plan was in the early stages and required the people in Rivers and Daub to get their heads out of their asses. Broken Tusk’s administrative team hadn’t even gotten in contact with Alran Cherman, the trade representative of Rivers. That twin town could have solved their food problems, but once again they preferred to be independent.

“I always thought that anything south of Murder Passage should go their own way from the kingdom,” Fenian said, adjusting his fancy hat. Whenever Theo saw the man’s absurd hat, he realized he had one too. “I have no love for the kingdom. Mark my words—the war with Veosta will spell the end of them.”

Theo tapped his fingers on the table. His high Wisdom gave him enough intuition to feel between the words.

“What’s going to happen when your plan comes together?”

Fenian leaned in, a smile playing across his face.

“I never said it was my plan. Make sure you stock Gronro-Dir with these potions once the alliance is formed,” Fenian said, holding up a Hallowed Ground Potion. “I have a feeling that Balkor isn’t done with the gifts he’s given on our fine continent.”

Theo filed away the statement with the other suspicious things the elf said. Overthrowing the kingdom seemed like a task that one man couldn’t complete. How soft had Qavell become over the past season? Or was it a matter of unseen attrition, leading to a necessary war with Veosta? The alchemist only had questions and feared the answers the trader would give. He was missing a piece of the puzzle.

Caution was important, but Theo had to work on Fenian’s Hallowed Ground order. He concluded his business in the town hall, watching as others filed in after he left. Citizens of Broken Tusk often took advantage of the trader’s large stock and excellent prices.

Chapter Forty

Fenian agreed to stay the night in Broken Tusk. His Karatan needed to recharge, and that gave Theo enough time to complete the Hallowed Ground order. The order was simple enough to fill, but there were experiments the alchemist had left on the shelf in favor of production. As he filled the last of the vials, night drawing closer by the moment, something he wished to put off for a few more days happened.

It was impossible to stop the progress of the Tara’hek Core, and Theo was mostly happy when it leveled up. Increased defense against unwanted intrusion to his mind was excellent, and the bonuses were always good. The problem came with Tresk’s excitement for new skills, and Level 20 would ‌bring a new one. It also became hard to understand whether they were in a new realm of power, as multiples of 10 often separated large jumps in power. Though the alchemist tried to ignore the level-up, a loud snapping sound came from behind him, followed by manic cackling.

“Teleportation!” Tresk shouted. She was coming out from the bottom of the Hills Dungeon when they spoke last. There was much to examine, so Theo started with the new skill.

[Tara’hek Dreamwalk]

Mythic Marshling Bond Skill

Slip through your dreams.

Effect:

Either member of the Tara’hek may Approach the other once a day, resetting at midnight. [Approach] distance depends on the level of the Tara’hek Core and the stability of the bond.

“Mythic,” Theo said, his brow knitting tightly. It was above Legendary, but that hardly gave him a sense of the ability’s power. He inspected his core, finding a +3 to Strength and Vigor from the old values.

[Tara’hek Core]

Legendary

Tara’hek Core

Bound

4 Slots

Level 20 (1%)

Tara’hek cores are given to those who accept a marshling life partner. You cannot change the skills inside the core or remove it.

Effect:

+9 Strength

+5 Vigor

Theo felt a surge in his muscles as his Strength hit 20. There was no noticeable change from his Vigor, but +3 wasn’t enough to faze him anymore. But the important part was that the Tara’hek Core was well above his others now. The Theo-Tresk bond was strong enough to blanket them in a protective realm.

“Very nice,” Theo said, nodding. He inspected the Tara’hek Dreamwalk skill again. Something formed in his mind that he pushed aside for the moment. It wouldn’t be productive to linger on the mechanics of the skills. “How far away were you?”

“At the bottom of the Hills Dungeon,” Tresk said, snorting a laugh. “Seems like a decent range. Once a day? That’s awesome.”

Theo nodded, lost in thought about the ability. He double-checked his stock of various Hallowed Ground Potions, removing his Drogramathi Iron Bar from his inventory and staring at it. The alchemist sent a mental pulse to his lodestones, finding that all his golems were hard at work in the swamp. They’d switch to patrolling the town soon, bolstering the adventurers on their night watches.

“Hey, I feel a swirl of uncertainty in your little brain,” Tresk said, poking Theo in the chest. “What’s up?”

“I’ll tell you in the Dreamwalk. Go run to Xam’s, and I’ll teleport to you.”

Theo didn’t want her to worry about anything, so he pushed the thoughts out of his mind. He wasn’t concerned, just deeply interested in how things were playing out. More than anything, Khahar needed to leave the town. More attention from powerful people wasn’t something he was interested in. As it stood, the alchemist had to hope the Order of the Burning Eye turned their attention to the Khahari and not him.

Tresk had scampered off the moment Theo told her to, and she gave her signal several moments after that. It was hardly enough time to prepare him, but he activated the Tara’hek Dreamwalk skill. A flash of images rushed by. A dreamlike world where he and Tresk had toyed around in flashed, then faded. Then he was standing in the Marsh Wolf Tavern. People let out yelps of surprise. Fenian, sitting in the corner nursing a drink, raised an eyebrow.

“Helluva way to make an entrance!” Xam shouted from behind her counter.

Xol’sa, who was eating his meal with Zarali, rushed over to grill the pair. Theo took his seat with Tresk while the elf rattled off a list of questions.

“Even short-range teleportation is tricky,” Xol’sa said. “One wrong move and poof! You’re in the ground!”

“It didn’t feel like teleportation,” Theo said, grinning. It was pretty fun, after all. “More like… Just moving a few steps.”

He didn’t include the part where it felt like waking up from the Dreamwalk.

“Yeah, super neat. Where’s my food!” Tresk shouted.

“Calm your tail down, you impatient lizard!” Xam shouted.

Tresk slumped in her chair, folding her arms. She forgot her anger in moments, babbling back and forth with Xol’sa. Theo noticed Fenian didn’t take his eyes off them the entire time, but he never approached.

Dinner that night was a square-cut piece of layered wolf meat, bread, and a cream-based sauce that reminded Theo of biscuits and gravy. It was far better than the versions he had in the past.

“Anyway, you were going to get dragged into a meeting tomorrow,” Xol’sa said. “Guildmaster Aarok has a report on the state of the dungeons, and we’re expecting a monster wave soon. The short version is, the dungeons have slowed their growth. But I have something more interesting to talk about.”

Theo looked around the tavern. Citizens were leaning closer to see what the wizard had to say, so the alchemist waved it away.

“Let’s talk about it tomorrow morning,” Theo said.

“Of course. Dinner and all that,” Xol’sa said with a nod.

“And all that,” Tresk said, chuckling. “Theo has to eat. Get big and strong. Strong boy!”

“Don’t talk with your mouth full,” Theo said.

“Meh. Hey! Fenian! Grumpy-looking elf!” Tresk shouted, waving her arms at the trader in the corner. “Wanna come see the bath?”

Fenian looked surprised. He looked around as though there was another grumpy elf roaming the tavern but eventually shrugged and nodded. Xol’sa and Zarali invited themselves to Theo’s private bath, which he never minded. The alchemist just focused on enjoying the delicious food, savoring every moment of the completely not bland offerings that had become a regular occurrence.

Theo, Tresk, Fenian, Xol’sa, and Zarali all filed into the private bathhouse. The massive pool was large enough to hold a larger party, but it was more pleasant to have fewer guests. They all lowered themselves into the pool, except Tresk, who dove, and let out a collective sigh of relief. Discussion broke out sporadically, ranging over mundane topics.

“Perhaps a few more days in town won’t hurt me,” Fenian said, having stayed relatively silent for the soak.

“What is the plan, Fenian?” Theo asked, draping a wet cloth over his twin horns like a tent. The warm water dribbled over his face, tracking lines down his angular face.

“To build an empire,” Fenian said without missing a beat.

“A trade empire, right?” Tresk asked, emerging from the water. Maybe she could hear underwater. Theo didn’t know.

Fenian shrugged.

“He’s going to kill the king,” Zarali said. “Take the throne, perhaps. Although I don’t know if Qavell is worth ruling.”

“Hardly,” Xol’sa said, dismissing the concept with a wave of his hand. The seams of blue running through his skin seemed to pulse with the flow of energy in the air. “King Karasan is well on the way to killing himself. If Fenian wants the throne, he needed to just stand near it and wait.”

That actually got a laugh out of Fenian, but there was a sardonic look in his eyes—a hard glint that differed from his normally cheery demeanor that rang true for Theo.

“I keep others out of my machinations for their safety,” Fenian said. “I made the mistake of bringing an old friend on an adventure some weeks ago. Her blades were appreciated, but I underestimated the toll it took on her. We were right on the spine, you know?”

“The spine?” Theo asked.

“The mountains between Qavell and Veosta,” Zarali said, always the teacher. “An agreed border, if only because it’s a pain in the ass to cross.”

“Well, we met with a priestess of Uz’Xulven and had a merry jaunt through the Bridge of Shadows,” Fenian said, chuckling. “Apparently, the Queen of the Path of Shadows didn’t agree with the priestess’ decision! Can you imagine? Well, we fought off the queen’s minions atop my caravan, barreling over the Bridge and fighting for our lives. When we emerged, my dear old friend departed forever. I even paid her!”

“I can’t imagine you fighting,” Tresk said, swimming around the pool’s center.

“I’m quite good at it, you know.”

“Yeah, take that veil off your cores,” Xol’sa said, flashing a grin. “We’ll see just how good.”

“Hah! A discerning man,” Fenian said, sinking lower into the pool. “Is there some potion in these waters that makes a man more chatty? I actually considered doing it.”

For the rest of the evening, the group continued guessing what Fenian’s cores might be. The consensus was that they were aligned with a powerful god, but Theo knew even if they guessed the right core, the trader wouldn’t say. His money was on a flashy assassin-type core and a Mythic trading core. Although, the more he thought about it, the more he realized the man’s trading prowess wasn’t great. He could just move great distances, giving him the advantage over other traders.

Starlight filtered through the windows of the bathhouse to mingle with yellow candlelight after a time, but the conversation continued. The group was kicked out before anyone could discover the elf’s true cores, but their debate was fun enough. Xol’sa and Zarali departed for the tower while Fenian joined Theo and Tresk on their walk to the lab.

“I really mean it, Theo,” Fenian said. “My goal is to spare as many innocent lives as possible. I don’t want to embroil others in my grand quest.”

“Bit late for that,” Tresk said. “Broken Tusk is basically married to you.”

Fenian nodded. “And I apologize for that. I’ll tell you anything you want to know. Just realize that you’re in the dark for good reason.”

“Do you, or your actions, pose any threat to Broken Tusk?” Theo asked, staring the elf right in the eyes.

Fenian paused before answering. “The moment you appeared in this town, you set off a chain of events that no one could stop.” He waited a moment before jabbing a finger at Tresk. “She is the reason things are going to get worse before they get better. But this world is meant for cycles like that. Annihilation is an important part of growth. To answer your question, no. The coming events would happen with or without me. I’m just making sure everyone is ready.”

The undeniable confidence that Fenian had was infectious. Theo wanted to believe everything he said and likely would save for some reservations. The trader had only ever prepared them for what was to come and was likely working with whoever orchestrated Broken Tusk from the start. Intuition and hard-won experience revealed that much to the alchemist. But a phrase echoed in his mind as they approached the Newt and Demon.

She is the reason…

Theo’s intuition told him that statement was more pointed than it would appear on the surface. Like the mirror version of a catalyst in alchemy. An obstruction to someone’s plan that could shift the course of fate. An unexpected roadblock.

“I see,” Theo said.

“Well, I don’t,” Tresk said, folding her arms. “Y’all always talking in code and crap. How’s a lizard supposed to follow along?”

“In time, Tresk,” Fenian said, patting her on the head. “Well, I’m off to enjoy Xam’s hospitality. I’ll see you tomorrow for the potions. So long.”

Tresk and Theo stood in their room, lingering in the expanding puzzle of their lives before the Dreamwalk. She had questions about what everything meant, but he silenced her through their Tara’hek Communication ability. Every surface of the town had ears lately. They delved into their safe realm before continuing the discussion.

Theo looked over the dream-version of his new harbor. He imagined large ships in the distance and ordered them down the canal. It served no purpose but was fun to watch.

“So, what’s the deal?” Tresk asked.

The ship passed under the wall-bridge, entering the massive port and heading for the docks. Theo sat on the wall, watching as ghostly sailors unloaded goods that he’d imagined. A pulsing ball of light zipped around the scene, the egg always eager to participate in the Dreamwalk.

“Not sure,” Theo said. That was his honest assessment of the situation. “Someone put me here to do something. Did Fenian mean that when you showed up, it changed that person’s plans? Remember Miana? How she lost her core slots, like they were preparing me to take over the town… I mean, how rare is the Tara’hek?”

“Look around, stupid,” Tresk said, smacking him in the back of the head. “A Mythic skill at Level 20? The Dreamwalk? Pretty freaking rare. You gotta have a connection with another person’s soul to do the Tara’hek. And one of those persons needs to be a marshling.”

“You’re thinking too small, Tresk,” Theo said. “Khahar said he could see a million possibilities every second. Now imagine the gods. How much can they see? Why didn’t they see this coming?”

“Well, now you’re thinking too small,” Tresk said. She waved her hand, and a giant marshling appeared on the horizon. Its head went past the clouds, cloaking its face in obscurity. “Behold. The marshling god… Uh… Marshy. Damn, I fumbled the joke. Point being that another god is meddling.”

Theo waved at Marshy in the distance. They waved back. “I mean, big reveal with Khahar being in town. Gods are just people.”

“Yeah, super powerful people,” Tresk said.

There was a connection there that Theo couldn’t quite make. He’d curse his low Wisdom attribute, but it was pretty high. He was satisfied with his precognition as it was and wouldn’t spend more time than needed frustrating himself over the puzzle pieces that just wouldn’t fit. Overlooking the gift they had, the Dreamwalk, was a foolish thing. To sit there and contemplate unchangeable facts was beyond idiotic. Grinding experience and running experiments was the way to go.

Tresk agreed with the sentiment and ran off to fight Marshy, the fictional marshling god.

Of Theo’s outstanding experiments, the only one that interested him was the golems. There were always essence modifiers, distillation techniques, and random alchemy stuff to test, but the golems were just fun. He knew they weren’t sentient creatures, but they were just so damn cute.

The golems had more abilities than just manual labor, but a large gap in Theo’s research was the creation of constructs. Constructs were, from what he understood, things that could attach to golems. In the information screen for golems, that would show up under the “Additional Modifications” section. The alchemist imagined a clone of one Lesser Stone Golem he had defending the town while he slept and inspected it.

[Lesser Stone Golem]

[Alchemy Construct]

Level 10

Stone is considered the most practical medium in golem construction. Stone golems are hard-working, durable constructs.

Containment Core: [Alchemically Treated Iron Cage]

Monster Core: [Fald Interloper] (Level 10)

Medium: [Enriched Swamp Mud]

Alchemy Slates: [Mana Construct]

Power System: [Mana Construct]

Siphon System: None

Additional Modifications: None

The amalgam of stone lumbered around, wandering without any orders issued by Theo. He imagined a Reveal Construct and beckoned the creature over. It made a sound like tumbling rocks as it approached, tilting its rocky head as it approached.

“So, the idea is that you’d run around and reveal stuff,” Theo said, pressing the Reveal Construct into the golem’s body. It sucked it in. Theo felt a tickle of excitement when the white wisp flew around the golem. Theo inspected the golem again before testing further.

[Lesser Stone Golem]

[Alchemy Construct]

Level 10

Stone is considered the most practical medium in golem construction. Stone golems are hard-working, durable constructs.

Containment Core: [Alchemically Treated Iron Cage]

Monster Core: [Fald Interloper] (Level 10)

Medium: [Enriched Swamp Mud]

Alchemy Slates: [Mana Construct], [Reveal Construct]

Power System: [Mana Construct]

Siphon System: None

Additional Modifications: None

Abilities: [Reveal] (5 charges)

“Well, we were wrong about that, egg,” Theo said. He turned to look at the floating ball of energy, realizing they still needed to name it. “Can’t just call you egg forever.”

The wisp floated up and down, signaling its agreement. The faintest sense of emotion flowed from the egg, nothing close to what he felt from Tresk. But it was getting there.

“Five charges,” Theo said. He issued a mental order to his golem to use the Reveal ability.

A wave of barely visible force flowed from the golem in a sphere, washing over Theo harmlessly. As expected, the charges were reduced to 4, but the alchemist got the sense that some power had been used from the Mana Construct. A tradeoff for having more than one charge. The downside with the Reveal Construct was its size. Without a larger bubble, the golem could only reveal targets that were nearby, which seemed to spit in the face of the point. But it was progress all the same.

Theo’s laundry list of things to do grew by the moment, but this one was exciting. When he delivered his potions to Fenian tomorrow, he’d have ample time to work on experiments. The alchemist laughed.

“Yeah, right. Like anything works that way in Broken Tusk,” Theo said, turning his gaze to the massive, lumbering marshling in the distance. “Mark my words, Marshy. Xol’sa will have horrible news for me tomorrow.”

Chapter Forty-One

Theo woke up the next morning feeling refreshed. Good experiments within the Dreamwalk, a new ability, and the waving away of cloudy thoughts found him eager to meet the day. Whatever happened, he was happy to face it with a smile. Experience gain from the night was good, but not enough to push anything over. The Governance Core was a sponge that absorbed all actions within the town, hurtling it forward every second. The damn thing would overtake his alchemy and herbalism cores any day.

Tresk was in rare form. As they made their way out of the lab, waving at passing citizens, she talked about their new skill. Even after she devoured her leftover swamp-style biscuits and gravy, she went on. Theo let her ramble on about the skill, even after they ate their fill.

“You could come to the bottom of the Swamp Dungeon!” she shouted.

“How would we get out?”

“Damn. You’re right.”

Fenian came to collect his Hallowed Ground Potions, bringing with him a live plant. The Starbristle Flax was exactly what Theo needed to get the sails for his future shipping industry going. It would take time to cultivate them high enough to be worth planting at the farm, though. Fenian stopped being standoffish and returned to his normally jovial self. The elf described the massive profits he’d made so far and promised to remain within the Broken Tusk until the end of the day. That gave Theo time to think of the other things he’d forgotten he needed. Alise and Gwyn should have handled the Administrator Core situation, and the citizens were capable of buying whatever they needed for their own businesses.

After meeting with Fenian and watching Tresk depart for the dungeons, Theo considered his growing list of things he needed to do. He planted the Starbristle Flax plant in his garden before finding Aarok by the square, claiming they needed to have a meeting with all the higher-ups. Xol’sa had something dire to portent. The alchemist also needed to sort the butcher situation, a task generated by Gwyn’s swift attention to the food problem. Then there was his new mushroom cave, more Mana Constructs for his golem army, upgrading his herbalism core, and more things that didn’t come to his mind immediately.

As the portal in the center of town flickered to life, blurred edges like broken glass with a sheen of impenetrable darkness in the middle, Theo decided Xol’sa came first. Aarok was still rambling when he stepped through the portal, the world spinning for only a moment before he appeared in the wizard’s tower. The wizard himself stood awkwardly on the far side of the room, staring into Zarali’s eyes.

“Awkward,” Zarali said.

“Not really. Let’s discuss whatever you have for me,” Theo said, gesturing to the stairs.

Zarali joined them, always in the know for whatever horrible disaster awaited them. Xol’sa summoned the array of magical symbols on the roof, creating a tangled webwork of angry red symbols mingling with happy blue ones. Theo had a basic understanding of what was going on, but only by instinct. He couldn’t read the symbols or make sense of them; he just got a feel for what they did. Even then, it was vague.

“Look at this,” Zarali said, poking her finger into one symbol.

“No touching,” Xol’sa said, smacking her hand away. “This is an active array.”

From what Theo understood, the symbol in question was part of the formation that dealt with the dungeon system at large. It was the sinew that held the network together; the thing that relayed information. The symbol pulsed between red and blue, slow and with purpose. Unlike the other fluctuations in the array, this seemed deliberate. There was a pattern.

“A signal,” Theo said, boiling down an absurdly complex problem to a simpleton’s estimate.

“He’s so smart,” Zarali said, grinning.

“He has eyes,” Xol’sa said. “The pattern is too constant to be anything other than a message. A signal.”

But that gave way to a problem none of them could solve. From Theo’s understanding, dungeon cores worked in a mysterious way. They were part of a collective that shared information and energy and might be at least a bit self-aware. They grew in level when raw power was introduced and could generate creatures, money, and items. But that’s where the alchemist’s knowledge on dungeons ended.

“That’s cool,” Theo said, nodding. He studied other parts of the array, finding it to be mostly like he remembered. There were small alterations that could have been anything. But they were just symbols preserved in memory by his Wisdom. “What would it mean if the other dungeons were sending a signal?”

“Anything,” Xol’sa said. “My working theory is that this is a response to the changes we made.”

“Which brings us to a point,” Zarali said. “Mister Feintleaf⁠—”

“Oh god, no,” Theo said, groaning. He thought about how Khahar could think a thousand steps ahead and how Sulvan could see ten steps ahead. The alchemist could see two steps ahead without effort. “What did you promise him? Where did he get the core?”

“He doesn’t have it yet,” Xol’sa said. “I would need to compromise my morals and some ethical issues, but he promised to put me in contact with a priest of Tworngoth.”

“We consider Tworngoth to be an ally of Lord Drogramath,” Zarali said.

Theo ran his hand over his horns for comfort, then switched to stroking the egg. An egg engineered by the Demon God Tworngoth. Or was it a Demon Lady? The trustworthy lords and ladies of the Demonic Pantheon could be counted on a single hand. Drogramath the Potioneer, Uz’Xulven the Queen of the Bridge of Shadows, and Tworngoth the Master of Artifices. What was one more demonic entity in the town?

“All right,” Theo said. “Tworngoth offers you a core, and you take it. Where does that get us?”

“Besides another step toward someone else’s plan,” Theo thought.

“What?” Tresk asked.

“Even my thoughts aren’t safe anymore,” Theo said. Somehow, that was comforting.

“Nothing.”

“What? Well, a Legendary Dungeon Engineer Core would help my current studies,” Xol’sa said. “I already consider myself the foremost expert of dungeons on Iaredin. Not to rival the true elves in Tarantham, but I’m getting there.”

“Think of a child’s playground. Like the school in town,” Zarali said. “Outsiders are already paying us to hit the dungeons. If we can control the process more closely, we can tailor their experience.”

“You see this as a money-making opportunity?” Theo asked. His hand hadn’t left the egg. The alchemist did enjoy having large sums of money.

“More than that.” Xol’sa swiped through the web of arcane symbols. “I would have better control of this network. We could understand things better.”

Theo nodded, realizing what they brought him there for. Xol’sa wanted permission to do this, which was fine with the alchemist. The planar wizard already handled most of their issues with the dungeon, so that wasn’t a concern. Any accidents that happened were a chance to strengthen their adventurers for whatever disaster Fenian foretold. No matter what, it was a win.

“Go for it,” Theo said with a nod and a smile. “Find me some damn shipwrights while you’re at it. And some sailors.”

“That’s on you. Esteemed mayor,” Xol’sa said, punching Theo in the arm. The elf was far more playful than normal. He must have been sitting on this for a while.

The group fell into theorization of how the class would work, coming to no solid conclusions. Having scorned the Burning Eye, Theo was happy to welcome another demonic presence in town. It would have been nice if someone from the Prime Pantheon wanted to sponsor the small town, but no one had approached. The largest presence of that Pantheon was Zaul, who didn’t seem to care what Tresk did. By the end, the alchemist was scolded by both Zarali and Xol’sa. He hadn’t been practicing his mana control and had put off upgrading his herbalism core yet again.

Theo darted through the portal before they could convince him to upgrade the core right there. He couldn’t miss his meeting with the administration staff.

Town Hall was buzzing with activity. The spacious atrium was filled with people talking among themselves. Theo found his way to a meeting hall, stuffed with familiar faces. From the administration staff, Alise and Gwyn were seated at the far end of a long wooden table. They had several new people with them that he didn’t recognize. Aarok had the representatives from the adventurer’s guild, including Luras, Zan’kir, Zan’sal, and a smattering of others. Azrug sat with Fenian, Salire, and Miana. There were others, but the alchemist’s study of the room was cut short when all eyes snapped to him.

“Packed house,” he said, clearing his throat and taking his seat at the head of the table.

“All other business aside,” Alise started, “we received a letter from Alran Cherman, representative of the Trade Coalition from Rivers and Daub.”

“Fancy title,” Azrug mocked.

Alise stared him down, forcing him to wither under her gaze.

“It’s a proposal of a formal defensive alliance,” Alise said. “Between Broken Tusk, Rivers and Daub, and Gronro-Dir. We’ve already sent our formal acceptance, but we want to hammer out terms.”

“The summit will take place in Rivers and Daub,” Gwyn said, taking the floor ceded by Alise. “Where we will propose that Broken Tusk shall be the seat of power.”

Theo wanted to say something goofy to break the tension, but nothing came. He knew nothing about the people in Gronro-Dir, but what he knew of Rivers said they were unlikely to accept it.

“This is, of course, overreaching,” Alise continued. “We’re hopeful that they’ll offer equal power.”

Thank god.

Alise and Gwyn went back and forth, detailing their strategy. They had already sent spies to Gronro-Dir and Rivers to determine their abilities. Rivers was the biggest problem, with their prolific corruption and support of the merchant class. Gronro-Dir was the real gem in the alliance deal. They were a mix of toora bear-people, half-ogres, and humans that were hardened by their namesake. Murder Passage held several dungeons that seemed to spew creatures at a rate faster than Broken Tusk. Thanks to this quirk of the area, they were flush with magic items, monster cores, and hardened soldiers.

“They’ll only grow stronger with what we can provide,” Alise said.

“In terms of trade, we’re talking about cores, items, and that’s it for Gronro,” Azrug said, taking the floor for their financial interests. “They desperately need stone, metal, lumber, and motes. Those walls get beat harder than a cursing half-ogre child.”

“Gronro will accept, then,” Theo said with a nod.

“Rivers is going to accept. Now that we have a port,” Alise said. “Once we have sailors and ships? Every town from here to Veosta is going to want to enter into a formal agreement.”

They went back and forth for a while before Fenian spoke up.

“I feel as though Theo has lost faith in me as of late,” Fenian said.

“I trust you plenty,” Theo said, narrowing his eyes. “Stop being so shady, though.”

“I’ll be as shady as I need to!” Fenian declared, standing for a moment then sitting down again with an awkward cough. “I may have a solution to your boat problem, but it comes with strings.”

No one responded. The half-ogres were rowdy at the best of times, but something about a formal meeting calmed them greatly. Everyone just watched and waited until the elf spoke again.

“The strings come in the way of… Ah, what’s the best way to put this? War criminals,” Fenian said.

That got a laugh from the group.

“Nothing untoward. No murderers or anything like that… The civil war in Tarantham is reaching an end,” Fenian said. “A house I’m quite familiar with is losing. Would you care to know what they’re famous for?”

“Shipbuilding,” Throk grunted. Theo didn’t even see him glowering in the corner.

“A sweet for the sweet marshling!” Fenian said, producing a square confection from his inventory and tossing it at Throk. He caught it in his mouth, nodding with approval.

“We’d be taking refugees?” Theo asked. “Fine by me.”

The administrative staff voiced their approval, and then a wave of agreement spread through those gathered.

“We’re happy to have as many elves as you think need safe haven,” Alise said.

“I’m glad you mentioned that!” Fenian said, grinning. “I said ‘strings,’ not ‘string.’”

Fenian produced a sack from his inventory. He tossed it across the table. It landed with a rattling thud, the items inside shifting. Theo opened the sack, finding exactly 100 House Seed Cores.

“I hope your 100 elves enjoy the taste of wolf meat and Zee,” Theo said, narrowing his eyes at the trader.

“They’ll be executed by the empire, so I’m sure they’ll learn to love it!” Fenian said. “Calm down, my dear alchemist. The 250 elves I’m bringing have all been primed on their new home.”

The color drained from Alise’s face. She stammered, “Tw-two hundred fifty?”

“Yes, the civilians are separate from the shipbuilders. But they’re part of the same deal,” Fenian said.

Theo slumped in his chair, falling into thought. No, 250 new citizens was a great boon. Fenian wouldn’t lie about their willingness to integrate into Broken Tusk society, so they’d make great workers. His mind swirled with the possibilities. Everything he’d heard about the elves painted them as artisans of the highest quality. A town could only hope to have that many of the people show up at once, even if it put a strain on the town. If the alchemist had learned anything about managing this place, it was that with the system’s features, he could expand rapidly.

“We’re happy to take them,” Theo said.

“What’s the split?” Aarok asked. “Manual labor, artisans, adventurers?”

“Uneven split favoring workers,” Fenian said. “Most of House Wavecrest was annihilated. I have what’s left, roughly 260 souls, sequestered in a… Ah, well, don’t worry about that.”

“Workers are good,” Azrug said with a nod. “We can always find something for them.”

“Agreed,” Theo said. “Are they shy about working the mine? The farm? The lumber mill?”

“Absolutely not. Despite our completely gorgeous appearance—soft hands and fair faces—the elves of Tarantham are no strangers to labor.”

“What’s the chance we can feed 250 more mouths?” Theo asked, turning his attention to Alise.

“How soon are they coming?”

“Four days… Make it five days,” Fenian said.

“If we can get the butcher going,” Gwyn said. Her eyes went glassy as she consulted her administrator screen. Theo smiled, happy that they’d sorted the core problem on their own. “We’ll enter a rationing phase.”

But only if they tried to produce all the food themselves. Drogramath blessed the lands with absurd growth rates, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t lean on their allies for help. Theo turned his attention to Azrug and smiled.

“Then I ask the Lord Merchant Azrug,” Theo said, nodding his head to the young man. “Contact whoever you can and work out a deal for the food. Alise and Gwyn, work on zoning these new House Seed Cores. Get the information from Fenian on what these people are going to be doing and zone them accordingly—I don’t want an enclave of elves, marshlings, half-ogres, or whatever. I want them to integrate. Also coordinate with our gorgeous trader here to make sure they have the right cores for their jobs. Questions? Comments? Concerns?”

“I think it’s foolish to rely on Rivers,” Throk grunted. “Grow the food here. That’s what I say.”

“The administration’s number for food is based on current Marsh Wolf meat rates,” Luras said. “We’re forming a special team of adventurers that collect their corpses to be butchered in town.”

“Broken Tusk was already defined by multiculturalism,” Azrug said, shrugging. “Another culture isn’t going to harm us. I mean… Do they speak Qavelli?”

“Most do,” Fenian conceded. A grin spread across his face. “Taranthian isn’t that hard to learn, though.”

Theo barely had a handle on Qavelli and Bantari, let alone another language. He worried about it for a moment before he realized that Fenian had made a joke. He laughed.

“Oh my!” Fenian said, fanning himself. “What a coincidence! Your refugees will arrive on the exact last day of the season. Hmm, strange.”

Another ripple of laughs spread through the room. The meeting went on for hours after that, everyone working to hammer out details that really didn’t matter. Alise and Gwyn had formed a new group within the administrative staff meant to weed out bad administrators. The junior administrators were a group of sheepish youngsters that looked equal parts eager and scared. But when the meeting ended and everyone cleared out of the meeting hall, Alise and Theo remained.

“I just wanted a word,” she said, blocking the door.

Theo had a lot to do today. He hadn’t even touched any alchemy for the day and was itching to do so. But he smiled and sat back down at the table, finding the look on her face worrying.

“Please,” Theo said, gesturing for her to take a seat.

“I wanted to say I’m sorry,” she said. She couldn’t look at him.

“For what?”

“When you trusted me to run things for you, I thought I could do it. I really wanted to do it,” Alise said. “But when things slipped through the cracks, I couldn’t forgive myself. I can’t find a way to make it up to you. How can I live with myself if I fail again?”

Theo tried not to laugh. It came out as a stifled chuckle, which drew her attention.

“Alise Plumm… Lady Administrator Alise, you stumbled. I’m not about to rake someone over the coals because they messed up. If we punished people for messing up, I’d be locked away in a cell.”

“But the food,” Alise started, trailing off.

“You gave the job to someone else because you were busy,” Theo said. “Remember that if the work you assigned falls to you, it ultimately falls to me. Let’s dust our hands off and think about those refugees. You and Gwyn have a better system now. We fail, we learn, we move on. That’s it.”

Alise sat there for some time. After a time, they both stood. She had her eyes locked on the floor but approached and pulled Theo into a hug. He placed his hand on her back and waited for her to stop, but she didn’t. They just stood there for a long while, letting whatever fear and anxiety she had built up over the weeks fade away with a hug.

Chapter Forty-Two

Alise and Theo stood on the road west of the square, looking over a plot of land next to the adventurer’s guild. They decided on the best place to plant the Butcher’s Seed Core. Being so near to the guild would make it easy for adventurers to drop off their carcasses, also incentivizing the action. The woman destined to run the building, a hulking toora from the mountains north of Qavell named Whisper, seemed impassive about its placement.

“Too hot,” she said, her growling voice carrying on the air like the rumble of winter air through dead trees.

“I’m working on that,” Theo said. It was mostly a lie. His air conditioner project hadn’t moved in weeks.

Alise debated the woman’s pay for a while as Theo looked on. He sent his senses out to feel what his golems were doing and found them working in the swamp. One golem, presumably smarter than the others, warned they were low on Mana Constructs. He expected them to be all out by now.

“That’s fine,” Whisper said, accepting the condition of Alise’s deal. It was a percentage-based production deal, just like the other producers in town. But since Whisper would run an important industry, just like the farms, she would receive subsidies if the pay was insufficient. This was all written into Theo’s Contracts ability, including a section related to Whisper’s loyalty to the town, and signed in moments.

Theo left Alise with the new butcher and headed off to solve a few problems with a single stroke. He planted his new Mycology Cave Seed Core, feeding it enough high-level monster cores to bring it up to his existing cave’s level, and entered his first cave. The Manashrooms had reached 90% cultivation, which was good enough for him. Seeding his new cave with the mushrooms was easy enough, and he collected what he could to brew some Mana Essence and Freezing Essence.

Salire was working the shop when he entered, a smile hanging on her face. When she approached him with a business proposal, his first instinct was to brush her off. After a single breath, he matched her smile and beckoned her to follow him into the lab. Theo cleaned his stills, organized the clutter, and started two stills off with 250 units of Manashrooms. The first would be for his Mana Essence, the second his Freezing Essence. Salire detailed her plan as he worked.

“Patrons can come into the shop and place an order based on a list,” Salire said. She even made a mockup of her planned menu on a sheet of parchment paper. It had selections for the base potion and checkboxes for Theo’s current list of modifiers. “They put in the order, and wait! You don’t have to worry about stocking specific things because people will request them.”

Theo saw that as a fantastic idea, but his mind was always wandering. The big problem there was keeping essences on hand to fill orders. He considered the tanks he already had, some half-full of various essences, and decided he’d need more. Massive 1,000-unit tanks filled with all kinds of essences were easy enough to build, giving him access to them‌. Maybe some kind of automatic self-flushing system that ran Cleansing Scrub through the lines and dispensed essences at the turn of a knob. Maybe that was just too much, but Throk always loved a new project.

The alchemist laughed at that.

“Did you come up with this all on your own?” Theo asked.

“Azrug helped,” Salire admitted.

“Good… Always good to pick his brain,” Theo said.

Some people might feel bad blood between themselves and Azrug, but Theo understood the culture in Broken Tusk. The young man had no agreement to be the alchemist’s slave, and the shop was always a jumping-off point for the merchant. No one knew Broken Tusk better than a true Broken Tusker. The alchemist snapped out of his thoughts when he saw his new merchant’s eyes glittering with expectations.

“You have my full approval,” Theo said. “Offload all the gear as quickly as you can to make room for this new plan. Actually, sell it all to Azrug. If he wants his general store, he’ll want stock. Start taking orders for potions as soon as you feel comfortable.”

While the essences brewed, the pair discussed the best way to execute the plan. It wasn’t hard to conceive of an order-based system for the shop. It only made sense, considering the difficulties of stocking mass quantities of potions that no one wanted to buy. Patrons could pick what they wanted from a menu while they kept basic things like Healing Potions on the shelves. This gave Salire more experience than just buying and selling things. She’d get better with people, giving way to the possibility of running a trade operation between Broken Tusk and other towns.

“This is just great,” Salire said, bouncing up and down on the spot. She was too spunky for a half-ogre. Must be all that northern air dulling her sense of brooding.

“Let me know if you need anything else,” Theo said, extracting the last of the Freezing Essence.

Salire gave her thanks and ran back downstairs. Theo considered his newly brewed essences alongside his idea for more storage tanks. Maybe that was a bit too much work for Throk. Maybe he just needed to organize his lab better, get some more Dimensional Storage Crates in a more sensible order. Perhaps he was just being lazy about it.

Theo crafted enough Mana Constructs for his golems and set them in the crate out back. A pair of Lesser Mud Golems were doing their job in the greenhouses by clearing away weeds and tending the plants. He spotted a pile of discarded vegetation and bit back the urge to create a plan golem.

“Experiments first, then we can make more golems,” Theo said, urging himself back into the lab.

As Theo sacrificed a piece of Spiny Swamp Thistle Root to his shrine, gaining no additional benefits for now, he inspected his Freezing Essence.

[Refined Freezing Essence]

[Essence] [Refined Essence]

Rare

Created by: Belgar

Quality: Perfect

Alignment:

Drogramath (Middling Bond)

Alignment Effects:

Resulting potions will be more effective.

Chance to consume half of required essence during brewing.

Cultivated Effects:

Increased effectiveness of resulting potions. Effect carries over through refinement.

Purity: 82%

250 units (liquid)

Concentrated, refined essence of freezing.

It was a great essence, as far as those things went. The current application he had for the essence was a Freezebomb, but that was a waste of essence. Lurking in Theo’s memory was an old recipe for a cooling agent, something that felt like his Cleansing Scrub recipe. Those detergent-style or cleaning-style potions were meant for large-scale applications. The alchemist ran his fingers over his Drogramathi Iron Bar, considering whether he should do more than one experiment at the same time. He shrugged.

“Screw it. Why not?”

Throk wasn’t happy to see Theo. Whenever the alchemist approached the smithy, it was to deliver a missive of work. More work than the old marshling wanted to do, considering how busy he already was.

“Begone!” Throk shouted. “We don’t need a new aqueduct.”

“Oh, dang. That’s a good idea,” Theo said, scratching his head.

“No!”

Theo held out his bar of Drogramathi iron, grinning. The black-purple bar, as long as his arm and heavy, caught the sun. Throk softened significantly on spotting their new metal.

“I just need some shavings,” Theo said. “Figured you had the magic touch.”

Throk did indeed have the magic touch. Logic didn’t factor into his smithing. He could shape metal into impossible things with a few smacks of his hammer. The marshling pulled something that looked like a cheese grater on a stick and got to work. Each stroke of the tool brought sloughs of shavings off the bar, sending them tumbling to the ground. Theo just watched with a grin on his face, enjoying the sight. It only took him a few minutes to shave down the entire bar, leaving a pile of thousands of shavings. The alchemist scooped them up into his inventory and tossed the blacksmith a copper coin.

“For your troubles,” Theo said.

“A copper!?” Throk shouted. Theo tossed a silver coin, laughing as he ran out of the blacksmith’s hammer range.

Back in the lab, Theo enchanted a pile of the shavings with his mana before inspecting the result.

[Drogramathi Iron Shavings]

[Alchemy Component]

Rare

Alignment:

Drogramath (Middling Bond)

Alignment Effects:

Increased stability during reactions.

Increased quality of reaction by 1 level, up to Excellent Quality.

Shavings from raw Drogramathi Iron.

There might be some unpredictable reactions between reagents and these shavings, depending on if plants had alignments. Theo couldn’t think of any god or realm that would lay domain over the Manashrooms, so he shrugged it off and performed some test reactions. With his vent working, the failed reactions didn’t fill the air with cloying smoke. He didn’t even need to open a window and got the numbers right on the mix after a while. The resulting 5-unit solution was as clear as glass with lines of frosty blue running through it. He inspected the result.

[Freeze Solution]

[Cooling Agent]

Rare

Created by: Belgar

Quality: Perfect

Apply to dramatically lower the temperature of anything.

Effect:

Apply enough solution to freeze an object, person, monster, or similar.

The recipe was extremely efficient: 5 units of Stabilized Water to 0.1 unit of Freezing Essence. The 11,000 units of Freeze Solution he could create seemed like an absurd amount, but that depended on how it worked. There was also an issue with the way the potion worked, something Theo hoped to solve with another experiment.

As Theo tipped the solution over onto the ground, he noted how it froze the wooden boards. The amount of cold air that came off was minimal. How air conditioners worked back on Earth was a mystery to him. He only understood that there was something passed between something else that cooled some coils, thus cooling the air. Well, this world had magic, didn’t it? Why not cool the air directly? And the best way to do that was…

“Aerosolize,” Theo said, holding a flask of the modifier in his hand.

The only issue was that he’d never modified a solution. His intuition said it might work but gave no guarantees. After the first flask exploded, sending a splatter of solution that made the alchemist’s robes stiff with frost, he worked on getting the quantities correct. The low concentration of properties in the solution meant it needed less of the modifier essence to do the job. Theo pushed his ability to measure small quantities, dripping an amount of modifier so small into the solution that it was nearly impossible to measure.

The reaction swirled in the flask, turning the solution a faintly yellow tinge. It stained the seams of frosty blue a deep purple but remained otherwise unchanged. Theo held it up for inspection, smiling uncontrollably.

[Freeze Solution]

[Aerosolize]

[Cooling Agent] [Modified Cooling Agent]

Rare

Created by: Belgar

Quality: Perfect

Apply to dramatically lower the temperature of the air.

Effect:

Apply enough solution to lower the temperature of the surrounding air.

This effect lingers, constantly cooling the surrounding air until the effect expires. Length depends on the quality of this potion.

“Air conditioner in a bottle,” Theo said, dripping the solution on the ground.

Instead of freezing the wooden planks, the solution created a hovering sphere of frost. It put off a constant wave of cold air that cooled the lab. After a few moments, ‌the amount he dripped was too much. The lab became frigid, and the alchemist opened a window to let some warm air in. He studied the reaction and timed it mentally. The wisp of white faded after around 5 minutes, but the effects were clear. Frost had formed on the interior of the lab, coating every surface with a spiderweb of crawling, frozen moisture.

“This can’t be good for the potions,” Theo said, shaking his head.

But the first step to bringing air conditioning to this world was here. The artifice that would drive it was equally simple. Theo imagined a simple copper box with a fan attached to ducts that moved the air around. Throk always had better ideas, but that’s how he saw it.

“Swamp Dungeon is deeper than ever,” Tresk said, her voice sing-song. “Sure you don’t wanna come on down?”

“I’d rather do anything else,” Theo said.

“Shame. You could be a battle alchemist,” Tresk said.

“I could be anything. I want to be a normal, boring alchemist.”

“Ain’t nothing boring about you.”

As Theo went to leave the Newt and Demon, Salire had a few fine details she wanted to chat about. She grilled him about the modifiers he could make, but he had to reinforce the idea that some things weren’t for sale. She didn’t get it at first, but he repeated himself until she understood how dangerous some things were. Most of their clients would be Broken Tuskers. If an outsider killed themself with his potions, not that big of a deal. But he’d feel personally responsible if a local did. She understood his meaning and made notes to amend her list.

Theo passed by Throk’s smithy without stopping. He wanted to stop in and propose the idea but made a show as if he wasn’t going to. The alchemist was checking in with Bob at the school. Mudball Fundamental had grown since he’d seen it last. Both in size and the amount of students they taught. Bob was out back with several younger townsfolk the alchemist didn’t recognize. The children were undergoing combat drills, which was whatever to Theo. It reminded him of his childhood.

Bob had a lot to say about the students. The only other brogling Theo knew was Grub, and that guy was a dick. It wasn’t good for a person’s mood when a kingdom crumbled around you. The communication crystal in the alchemist’s inventory was still silent. No one on the other side, and no response when he called.

“Clever bunch of rascals,” Bob said, climbing on the fence to meet Theo’s gaze.

They talked about what kind of education the critters were getting. Theo wasn’t horribly interested, but they seemed to get a thorough run of educational pillars. Writing, reading, skinning animals, fighting. Normal things.

Theo checked in with Banu at the farms. The old farmer wanted nothing more than to keep things the way they were, but this was a wellness check for the health of their food production industry. Things would go better once the Zee was cultivated to 200%, doubling its size yet again. Other than hiring a few new people, there were no changes at the farm. The alchemist headed back to Throk’s, only to be intercepted by Zan’sal.

“He needs to leave,” she said.

“Khahar will leave soon enough. He said there are boats coming for him,” Theo said, waving her off. “Why are you so against him?”

Zan’sal seemed at a loss for words. “He’s going?”

“Yeah, said he’s going to be a god or whatever,” Theo said. “Try talking to the guy.”

Zan’sal stopped, bowed, and shook her head. “We’re not allowed to talk to him.”

It was a nice day. It was warm, but not too warm. There was no rain, but a scatter of shielding clouds that kept away the harsh sun. Theo had sorted out some issues with the town, had a guarantee for 250 new hard-working citizens, and the possibility of a safeguard against disaster with an alliance. If Zan’sal wanted to bring her doom and gloom into town, she could go do it in the swamp. Far away from him.

“He was looking for you,” Zan’sal said.

Theo kept walking. She caught up after a moment.

“He could have found me if he wanted to. Seems like he can be anywhere at any time,” Theo said.

“When he’s inside of the realm of the Khahari, yes, that’d be true,” Zan’sal said. “But once removed? His mind fades. His body fades. He fades.”

Theo stopped walking. Khahar was looking for him. Theo Spencer. Not Belgar… Curious.

“I can ask him to leave,” Theo said, shrugging. “I figured he just wanted a vacation from the godlike life. A break where he could pretend to be normal. I mean, he’s been talking like he likes it here.”

“I’m sure he does,” Zan’sal said. She still had a sharp look about her but had softened slightly. “He admires you. There’s a place in our history… I don’t…”

But the woman trailed off. Theo gave her a hard look but placed his hand on her shoulder. He understood what she was saying and was forming a theory about the leader of the Khahari. She didn’t need to say any more, and he didn’t want to hear it.

“He’ll go,” Theo said. “We’ll be fine.”

It didn’t matter if she believed it or not. The Khahari looked up to the guy like he was a saint. Well, he was as near to a god as anyone, so maybe that was true. But Theo didn’t see Khahar that way, and he never would. He was just another guy working in the mud, helping form the harbor. Just another guy.

“Throk!” Theo shouted. He’d shaken Zan’sal for the moment and earned the ire of the marshling. “I have a job!”

“Gods, no,” Throk shuddered. “I’m behind.”

“Well, this can happen whenever. I’m not picky,” Theo said. “Aren’t you always uncomfortable in the heat?”

“Marshlings love the heat.”

“Well, have I got a product for you,” Theo said, producing a flask from his inventory. “Introducing… this stuff.”

Theo poured the smallest amount on the ground, forming a ball of pulsing white energy. It released a wave of cooling air that washed over the pair in a wave. Throk closed his eyes as the breeze came, letting out a sigh.

“All right,” Throk said. “Maybe marshlings don’t love the heat. What do you need?”

Chapter Forty-Three

Throk banged out an overly efficient design for the air conditioner in mere minutes. The man had a mind built for artifices, and Theo couldn’t help but think of the Demon God Tworgnoth. The way the marshling slapped together a treated copper frame, installed a fan, and worked the artificing internals within moments was amazing. It was a simple design. Too simple to meet the needs of the alchemist’s plan.

The entire point of the air conditioning project was to provide Sledge a way to level her Fabricator’s Core. He wanted a series of pipes that led to an outside unit, but that wouldn’t work with Throk’s design. The blacksmith had a straightforward approach to most things, and this project was no different. A rectangular cube, made of the treated copper, sat in the workshop. He’d fashioned two fans, one on either side of the hollow cube, to draw air through. A tank on the top released the cooling solution at a set rate, adjustable by a knob on the top.

“This is amazing,” Theo said, tilting the machine so it blew cold air on his face. “One problem.”

“I work miracles,” Throk started, leaning against his work table with a heavy sigh, “and you complain.”

“Disregarding the fact that this will make you rich, I wanted something for Sledge to work on,” Theo said. “If the units just sit inside someone’s house, what’s the point? I expected her to run pipes everywhere, changing the seed core houses for some sweet experience.”

Throk tapped his chin with his hammer. How the man didn’t knock himself out was beyond Theo. Like the example artifice sitting on the workshop’s floor, the gears in the marshling’s head were turning.

“She could still mount them in the homes,” Throk suggested. “We can shift the design so the controls are on the side. Or the bottom. Then mount them up high so the cold air falls down.”

That might give her decent experience. Perhaps if she installed a unit in each of the 100 new houses they had to plant…

“I have a job for you,” Theo said, smiling. Throk groaned.

“What? Didn’t you take an apprentice?” Theo asked.

“Yes. They’re all useless,” Throk said, jabbing his thumb back into the workshop.

Where Throk hit his anvil with grace, his apprentices were just smacking metal against metal. It wasn’t a pretty sight. Theo consulted his mayoral screen, trying to find the root of the problem. Alise always added the right tags to citizens so they could be searched up based on their experience and cores. The kids in the blacksmith were the best fits for the job, so that wasn’t the issue. The more he thought about it, the more he realized this was something worth calling a meeting for.

“All right,” Theo said, trying to jump-start his mind. “This is a luxury item. I want you to get with Sledge. Work out a price for each unit. We’ll install a few for free, then the word will spread. Sound good?”

“Better than your normal orders,” Throk said. “Normally you’d just say to do it, then I’d have to do it.”

“Right. Next point. Do you need help from the town with your operation?” Theo asked.

“I don’t need a damn thing,” Throk said.

Theo nodded, taking the prototype unit in his inventory and bidding farewell to his friend. Throk being so defensive meant he needed help. It was another thing that slipped through the cracks but wasn’t surprising. He was so spiky with everyone; it was hard to know when he really needed help. Before departing, he examined the blacksmithing building.

[Blacksmith’s Workshop]

Owner: Throk

Faction: Broken Tusk

Level: 10 (20%)

Rent Due: 5 days

Expansions:

[Even Heating]

[Strict Labor]

Unsurprisingly, Throk had put little effort into upgrading the building. Theo wasn’t surprised anymore when he saw stuff like this. Maybe it was a trend born from Miana’s pact to keep the town at Level 1, but it had to stop. No building in town should be below Level 20; otherwise, they were missing out on amazing upgrades. This led to a second problem. They needed a workshop geared to artificing. The alchemist considered this as he made his way to the center of administration.

It was nice to see the town hall buzzing. The young administrators were fielding questions from citizens in the atrium, hosting impromptu sessions near the fire. Theo found Alise and Gwyn in a meeting with Ziz and Gridgen and found a seat. Everyone stared at him when he plopped into a chair, but he waved them away. They were discussing production quotas and the distribution of workers. The subject was dry and uninteresting, but mercifully short.

“How can we help you, Mayor?” Alise asked, ushering Ziz and Gridgen out.

“I’m concerned about Throk,” Theo said, laying it out as plainly as he could. “How much money does the town have?”

“We’re creeping back to 100 gold,” Gwyn said, clearly consulting her screen. Theo didn’t know why he asked. He could have checked.

Would it pay to have another town-sponsored project? Theo thought about the problem before suggesting a solution. Throk’s work was important to the town, but he had his own business to run. The issue was that his work was so important because of his core combinations. A blacksmith that was an artificer worked so well together that nothing else would do. But his current apprentices weren’t making the cut. The alchemist scratched his head and groaned. There seemed to be no solution to the problem.

“If we get him a building for his artificer work, does that solve the problem?” Theo asked. “No, it doesn’t. We need another person with that specific core combo… Then we need to upgrade Throk’s core combination.”

“Upgrade?” Alise asked, looking confused. “You all right, Theo?”

“Assure me we have the absolute best students for Throk,” Theo said.

“I don’t think anyone fits his requirements,” Gwyn said, taking the reins. “According to the notes, they’re all either too stupid or too lazy.”

“The problem is, he’s a genius,” Theo said, standing. He wouldn’t find his answers here. “All right. Thanks for your time. I just needed to verbalize it.”

Alise had a few items for him before he left. Her first draft for the elven population distribution was done, and it looked great. They were evenly spread across laboring disciplines and would be housed accordingly. The neighborhood area would house something like 70% of their population, the rest going to Stabby Grove, Dead Dog, or nearby Cheese Empire. She repeated how much she hated the names, but they’d stuck.

“That’s perfect,” Theo said. “Let me know if we have any changes.”

Gwyn also had a few items about the junior administrators. They were inviting citizens in to give their opinions on the town. This gave the new administrators time to cut their teeth before moving on to larger projects. There was a plan to split the administration staff into domains, but that was far off. Gwyn and Alise would handle everything until then. Theo left the town hall, the egg twitching in his satchel as he went.

“Yeah, we’re off to see Zarali,” Theo said, petting the egg. The surface seemed warmer than before.

Fenian was chatting with Xol’sa and Zarali in the wizard’s tower. It was shocking to see the elf hang around for so long.

“A few questions about Tworgnoth,” Theo said, pulling the Drogramathi priestess aside. Xol’sa and Fenian continued their discussion on the Dungeon Engineer’s Core.

“A few questions about why you haven’t upgraded your Drogramath Herbalism Core,” Zarali said, placing her hands on her hips.

“It’s on my list,” Theo lied. “How do we get an artificer’s core aligned with old Tworg?”

“Old Tworg,” Fenian said, snorting. “You pledge yourself to the Master of Artifices. Strike a deal, and all that.”

“Sounds like you’re suspiciously familiar with the topic,” Theo said, staring at the trader.

“I might have a demonic core. You never know,” Fenian said, his face impassive.

“He has at least one,” Zarali said. “A priest of Tworgnoth can create a Tworgnoth Artificer’s Core, or you can strike a pact with the god himself. Thinking of taking up a new trade?”

“Nah, this is for Throk,” Theo said. “Hey, Fenian. Do you have an Artificer’s Workshop Seed Core on ya?”

“Does a Pozwa howl at the darkened moon of Antalis?” Fenian asked, placing his hands on his hips and grinning. “Oh, if that wasn’t clear, the answer is yes. Fifteen gold.”

Gold changed hands, and Theo placed his new Artificer’s Workshop Seed Core in his inventory. Throk would never spend the money, and the alchemist didn’t have time to spare to wait for him to scrape the gold together. What the hell did that guy even spend his cash on? It didn’t matter. It was done, and a decent solution for one of two problems. This brought him down to 51 gold and nothing to spend it on.

“Actually, I need some more high-level monster cores,” Theo said.

Down to 25 gold.

Theo left the three people to their discussion and headed for the roof of the tower. The day was fading by the moment, but he took time to appreciate the swamp below. The Ogre Cypress Trees towered high enough above the marsh to afford a decent view. Most days were clear enough to see to the dungeon, but today it was obscured by a low-hanging fog. Monsters scurried around in the mud, hunting and being hunted by adventurers. Once Xol’sa got his new core, they could worry about turning this place into a theme park.

“All you can slay. Five gold,” Theo said, smiling to himself. The egg in his satchel wiggled.

The alchemist withdrew his journal, an inkwell, and a quill to write some notes down. Something that fell by the wayside was his desire to write a guide to Drogramathi Alchemy. The swamp below gave him ample inspiration, but time didn’t favor him. With a wistful sigh, he took the portal back to town and sent a mental ping to his golems. They were doing their thing. Following his instructions and collecting too many motes. He chatted with Tresk and practiced his focus for a while before heading to the mine to check on the miners.

Nira had her apprentices honed to a razor-sharp edge, unlike Throk. She just stood by and watched as they worked the smelter, pumping out an endless supply of ingots for the town. Gridgen and his men were happily working the mine, excited to give the alchemist another tour.

“We had our first real monster scare,” Gridgen said, gesturing for Theo to follow him down the switchback stairs.

They approached the revealed chamber where Theo found the egg. Blood stained the walls, faint but noticeable. That confirmed another theory. The deeper they dug, the stronger the monsters that spawned were.

“The gates worked,” Theo said, looking back at the gate they just passed through. It was bent in sections but still functional. “Put a work order in with Throk. Replace those with Drogramathi Iron.”

“Yes, sir,” Gridgen said, saluting. “Nothing the adventurers couldn’t handle.”

The mine was the biggest success story of Broken Tusk, as far as Theo was concerned. Theo didn’t even care about the weird room with the egg; it was just another hidden thing for him to find. One in a long list of constructed junk just waiting to be revealed.

“Your people are safe, though?” Theo asked.

“With the gates? Yeah,” Gridgen said. “We’ve only seen monsters spawn while we were in here once. And we were on the other side of the mine.”

It would still be nice if they had around-the-clock protection. Copper might not have sold for much, but like Theo’s potions, it was a numbers game. A plan formed in his head. Something he could test in the Dreamwalk tonight.

Gridgen was always happy to chat about whatever. His son, Gasem, absolutely loved Mudball Fundamental. It wasn’t just a school, but a daycare and a training center rolled into one. As they talked about the kid’s progress, Theo realized how nice it would be to have something to keep normal citizens safe during a siege. A castle, maybe? A bomb shelter? Maybe they could all cram into his mushroom caves. Another problem for another day.

Tresk signaled she was done in the dungeon for the day, claiming the last boss kicked her ass. The miners were wrapping up their work anyway, so they joined Theo in locking the place up for the night. While the miners went ahead to Xam’s, the alchemist held back to plant his new seed core. Without Throk’s permission, he found a pleasant spot on the man’s property and planted the seed, feeding it enough cores to grow it to Level 1.

Tresk appeared from nowhere, stumbling as she came into existence behind Theo.

“Woah! Thought you were going to dinner,” Tresk said, folding her arms. She’d used their new ability to exit the dungeon quickly, giving her a few more minutes of dungeon time.

“Just taking care of some stuff.”

Tresk shrugged, scampering off without waiting for him.

The building sprung up like seed core buildings did. Roots sprung from the ground, wrapping around an amorphous form. With enough power, the writhing roots twisted into a concrete form. The new Artificer’s Workshop looked much like the smelter. There was an attached building that was an open-air workshop, scattered with tables and equipment with a sheltered interior. It was an all-board construction with a slatted roof painted blue.

Theo assigned Throk as the owner and inspected the building.

[Artificer’s Workshop]

Owners: Throk

Faction: Broken Tusk

Level: 1 (0%)

Rent Due: 5 days

Expansions:

None

Nothing crazy there. Theo left a sack of monster cores inside the building, giving Throk the option to pick his upgrades. Theo might think he knew which upgrades were the best, but it was best to let someone who knew what they were doing take care of that.

Theo ran into Miana on the way to dinner. She pulled him aside wordlessly, dragging him to the ranch. It was a short walk from the center of town, so it wasn’t a big deal. The alchemist often found himself just picking at his food, taking his time as his Tara’hek dumped the entire plate in her mouth. The Pozwa were kind of cute, anyway. In their own way.

“Look,” Miana said, pointing at the stable.

It was hard to see in the low light, especially at a distance. But there was something in the stable, nestled in a ball of hay. Theo moved his head around, finally catching a shimmer. It was an egg.

“More Pozwa eggs?” Theo asked. They had plenty of those.

“Karatan,” Miana said, her voice reverent. “Our first little baby Karatan.”

“That’s awesome,” Theo said. His urge to enter the paddock faded when he saw the mother of the egg prowling nearby. “What’s the life cycle for a Karatan egg?”

“Should be an entire season,” Miana said. “We’ll see if that Drogramagic works on the livestock.”

“Any plans to expand the livestock program?” Theo asked.

“Yeah, got something real special coming up,” Miana said. “Fenian just brought me the core, so we’ll see how it works.”

Theo patted her on the shoulder. “All right, then. Keep your secrets.”

“It’s a Monster Tamer’s Core,” Miana said, grinning. “The damn elf let me buy it on credit, but I’m out almost 100 gold. Extremely rare. Been working with the bastard since I got the ranch to find the thing.”

Miana explained her plan with the new core. She wouldn’t reveal the alignment, but it would allow her to domesticate any monster. Well, any monster based on her level and skills. She’d start off with monsterized versions of small creatures, like the Fire Salamanders in the swamp, then work her way up. This was a synergy Theo didn’t expect to find, but the half-ogre woman had discovered it. Anything that exploited the overly abundant supply of monsters was great. They could domesticate the monsterized critters and sell them off or keep them for themselves.

“I’m sure we’re willing to cover some of your debt,” Theo said.

“So I can be in your debt?” Miana asked, scoffing. She cleared her throat, straightening her posture. “Sorry. I’d like to make this work on my own. Even have a small team of people helping now.”

“No, I appreciate that,” Theo said.

When Theo arrived in town, others in his situation might have thought of Miana as an adversary. She was hard as they came in Broken Tusk, owing her flinty edge to her circumstances. While she lost some of that brusque behavior, she was still hard. Just differently. This would be a massive industry if she could get it rolling, and the alchemist wanted the town to be there for her in any way they could.

Broken Tusk, as a member of the Kingdom of Qavell, wouldn’t profit from her venture. It wouldn’t make money on most things that were sold in town—that all went to the kingdom. But Qavell wasn’t there for them anymore. Blind loyalty no longer made sense, and secession was the way forward. Once they went independent, taxes collected would enter the town’s coffers. Even if they only collected 5% of sales, banishing export fees, they would be rich. The question of how to secede without paying the high price.

Theo’s intuition told him to wait it out. Something would happen.

When Fenian visited the town, he often brought with him exotic food. For the Broken Tuskers, exotic meant large hunks of meat. Steak. When Theo met with Tresk at the Marsh Wolf Tavern, they dug into a weird dish. Massive Karatan steaks with a side of Zee draped in a layer of cheese. It was weird. And delicious.

Theo had plans to test different forms of golems in the Dreamwalk tonight. He had a feeling that the material he made them out of determined how good they were at a task. Mud golems were great at digging through the mud, so that was an easy one to understand. If he could make one out of plant material, perhaps they’d be better at taking care of plants. A golem made of metal just made sense for defense. He wanted to create a copper golem to help defend the mine. That would require him to either increase his willpower or remove a few Lesser Mud Golems. Fewer mud golems might be a good thing. He already had crates of motes and nothing to do with them.

Another export opportunity, perhaps.

When dinner wrapped up, the tavern filled with a more rowdy crowd than normal thanks to the Karatan steaks. Theo and Tresk made their way back to the Newt and Demon. The egg twitched as the alchemist nestled it in his sheets. Tresk didn’t seem to mind that he carried it most of the time. She was often adventuring, after all.

The Dreamwalk sprung up around them as sleep took over. A group of assassins lunged for Theo, rekindling Tresk’s need to drill him constantly. He’d fight them off the best he could and move on to experimentation. There was no need to waste such a gift.

Chapter Forty-Four

Theo had an arsenal of responses for Tresk’s assassin attacks now. The Potion of Limited Foresight gave him enough wiggle room to enact his plan, while the Retreat Potion allowed him to gain distance. Only when the marshling summoned a literal army would he die in the Dreamwalk, but still she wasn’t satisfied. There were several flaws with his tactic, all around the idea that he couldn’t drop his nuke if there was an ally nearby. While the Tara’hek Dreamwalk didn’t work in the Dreamwalk, it would make for a potent weapon.

But once the dust had settled from a failed defense, Theo got to work on testing new golems. He’d never seen a containment core made of Drogramathi Iron and couldn’t convince the Dreamwalk to allow him to produce it, but it allowed him to work with different mediums. Tresk lingered in the harbor with him, eager to see what the plant-based golem would look like.

Theo added the finishing touches on the golem but felt the need to speak about something that had bothered him for a while. The waves lapped against the edges of the stone harbor, ghostly ships coming and going at the alchemist’s will. It was just a distraction. “I know who Khahar really is.”

Tresk poked her knife into a pile of vines, leaves, and branches. “Uh-huh. Grand conspiracy mode… Go!”

“Not sure about grand,” Theo said, shoving his newest containment core into the pile of plant matter. It was made from a monster core belonging to a Level 10 Fald Interloper and made with the standard treated iron. His version in the real world would be made of Drogramathi Iron. “When I left Earth, the guy who sent me said everyone who was alive would be sent.”

At this point in the development of the Tara’hek, talking seemed more like a suggestion. Theo could feel Tresk picking up on his thoughts. She often suppressed them in the real world, waiting for the Dreamwalk to share information. Sometimes she defaulted to the Tara’hek Communication skill, which seemed safe enough. But in their own realm, they were absolutely free from unfriendly ears.

“So, that’s a thought,” Tresk said, plopping down on the ground. She wiggled her fat little tail with interest. “Why haven’t we seen other outworlders?”

“Because whoever was left on Earth was the seed population for this world,” Theo said. “Khahar was among them. Meaning, he was alive when Earth ended, but… well, I think he knew me.”

“That’s a problem. Since you didn’t have any friends,” Tresk said, chuckling. “Sorry. I’m putting on my serious pants.”

“I appreciate it. Notice how Khahar avoided a lot of the world’s history regarding the early days? He just talks vaguely about them. That guy just won’t admit it,” Theo said. He could infuse the golem with mana, bringing it to life, but he delayed. He’d known this for a while now, and Tresk must have known too, but he never wanted to say it aloud. What did it matter? That was 60,000 years ago.

“So, this Harbinger guy saves your world’s population. Brings them here for reasons. Then what? Waits 60,000 years to drop you? Not making sense, buddy,” Tresk said.

“I never said it made sense why, but it fits,” Theo said. “I can think of about fifteen people who would have an interest in checking in on me. The squad they formed to find the Harbinger. Morales, Bawa, Valkov, Belchev… I can’t remember that lady’s name, though. My family was all dead. The North American Confederation’s command was down to a few hundred people. I grew up with Mark. He might have been alive when it ended, but I can’t be sure. My…”

Theo stopped himself. The more he wrapped his mind around his old life, the worse he felt. Even in the Dreamwalk, a sick feeling spread through his stomach, mingling with an old fire that had died decades ago. The longer he spent in the Tara’hek, the less those coals smoldered. He reflexively reached for his silver locket, only to find the mark of the Burning Eye. What a sad parody.

“I’m sure she was great,” Tresk said, patting Theo on the shoulder. She scrunched up her wet little face. “Let me see… Right, so all those people you murdered in that Berlin Alliance thing were dead, too. Even that dude you thought was cool. What about that lady with the East Asian Independent Force?”

Tresk was digging around in his brain. He’d never told her about the political entities back on Earth, let alone a ragtag group like the EAIF.

“Dig deeper, Tresk,” Theo said, sighing. “She died before the end.”

“Well, stop blocking memories out,” Tresk said.

Theo blocked everything out. His willpower wasn’t great, but it was growing thanks to his use of the golems. “Khahar has to be one of my squad, someone at command, or someone I can’t remember. That’s the end. Doesn’t matter, anyway. He’s here. He needs to leave. Conversation over.”

Tresk nodded. She took to playing with the floating spirit of the egg, giving Theo room to breathe. He appreciated it. She was just trying to sort this out, and he brought the subject up. Instead, he shifted his thoughts to this world. How similar it was to Earth. When the end came, creeping over the decades, people didn’t spread out into the countryside. They bunched up in cities. It was no longer about sprawling suburban areas but massive tenement buildings. Nations became cities almost overnight. That was a reminder of the way the southlands of Iaredin operated. Gronro-Dir, Rivers and Daub, and Broken Tusk.

“No apology needed,” Tresk said, ruffling Theo’s hair. “We’ll talk to the guy about it when he’s ready. No sense pushing a, uh… god? Is he a god?”

“Just about,” Theo said. “Once he ascends, it’s going to be trouble. Mark my words, we’re going to see the dawn of a new era. We’ll call it ‘Khahar’s Ascension.’”

Theo pushed the idea of a war in heaven away and focused on his work. He introduced enough mana to kick-start his new golem. The vines swirled around the containment core, branches and leaves forming a writhing mass of vegetation. The vague humanoid form took shape. Stunted arms and stunted legs with a rudimentary head lumbered, awaiting orders.

“He’s a cute one,” Tresk said, hugging the new golem. “Good boy.”

[Lesser Plant Golem]

[Alchemy Construct]

Level 10

Plant golems excel at tending to the natural world while also having mild combat capabilities.

Containment Core: [Alchemically Treated Iron Cage]

Monster Core: [Fald Interloper] (Level 10)

Medium: [Plant Matter]

Alchemy Slates: [Mana Construct]

Power System: [Mana Construct]

Siphon System: None

Additional Modifications: None

“Perfect,” Theo said, grinning. His old worries washed away in an instant. “Now I have a gardener. Want to see the next one?”

“Absolutely,” Tresk said.

Theo tried to make a golem out of Copper Nuggets, but it failed. When he used Copper Ingots, it failed similarly and exploded. Alchemy often exploded if it wasn’t performed correctly. He then went for Alchemically Treated Copper Ingots but found the golem wouldn’t form. Tresk kept him company for some time but scampered off after a while. The alchemist wouldn’t blame her, but it was getting frustrating.

“What do you think, plant golem?” Theo asked.

The Lesser Plant Golem shrugged despite being singed from the previous explosion. The egg’s spirit floated around, dive-bombing Theo’s head as though it knew the answers. Try as he might, the alchemist couldn’t figure out what the little guy knew. He resorted to creating random items to understand the spirit’s intent.

Theo created an alchemy still, a gun, platters of cheese, Marshy the God of All Marshlings, and finally a burning brazier. The spirit reacted to that, bobbing over the lit flame with excitement. The alchemist could feel the thing’s excitement for that idea.

“Fire?” Theo asked, looking at his pile of copper bars. “So, does it need some Fire Essence to melt the bars and take a form?”

The spirit flew around, even more excited than before.

“Free hints from the magic egg spirit,” Theo said. He wasn’t surprised by anything. No matter how weird it was.

The Dreamwalk could be picky about what Theo could do within. Sometimes it let him run experiments, and other times not. The rules were that he could do something if it was a single logical step away. He soaked a stone tablet in Fire Essence, gaining a new construct for his efforts. The alchemist inspected his new Fire Construct.

[Fire Construct]

[Alchemy Construct]

Common

Created by: Belgar

Quality: Excellent

Emits a field of heat.

Material:

Stone (Poor Quality)

Effect:

20-halm bubble of heat, controllable by the user. The strength of the heat depends on the quality of this construct.

The egg spirit floated around the construct, rubbing its ethereal form up against it.

“Are you a dragon?” Theo asked. “You like fire. A lot.”

The Fire Construct wasn’t useful for much, as far as Theo could tell, but if it could help the golem form itself out of the Copper Ingots, that was good enough. He placed the containment core, Mana Construct, and Fire Construct within the pile of ingots. It erupted in flames, the copper melting to take the same vague form as the Lesser Plant Golem. After a moment, the golem cooled. It looked much like the other golems but was made of poorly formed copper. It had gaps in its joints, devoid of copper, but seemed to hold together. Theo inspected his newest creation.

[Lesser Copper Golem]

[Alchemy Construct]

Level 10

Metal Golems are excellent at combat. They serve almost no use elsewhere and require new [Fire Constructs] to repair themselves. Metal Golems without an installed [Fire Construct] will become less useful the longer they operate.

Containment Core: [Alchemically Treated Iron Cage]

Monster Core: [Fald Interloper] (Level 10)

Medium: [Copper Ingots]

Alchemy Slates: [Mana Construct]

Power System: [Mana Construct]

Siphon System: None

Additional Modifications: None

Theo should have figured the metal golems would be great for combat. It only made sense. Another advantage of the Dreamwalk was that he could test them here and understand their capabilities before sending them in the field. The alchemist imagined a single, fishlike Fald with a rusted iron sword. With a thought, the monster attacked.

The first bout was one-sided. Like most of the people like monsters, Fald were feral in combat. Sticking low to the ground, the creature came in with a wild strike to the side. The Lesser Copper Golem didn’t flinch as the attack scraped against its arm. But there was the golem’s weakness. It lumbered toward the monster, taking ponderous steps until the fish-thing was in range. Once it wrapped its crude arms around the Fald, it was over. No amount of flailing and screaming could keep it from the golem’s suffocating grasp.

Theo made a mental note about the encounter. To the Level 10 Fald, the Lesser Copper Golem was unstoppable. Even the Lesser Stone Golems would have been damaged from the attacks. That made sense, though. Stone golems weren’t designed solely for combat; they were the all-rounders. The alchemist continued the test, summoning two Fald, then three, and so on. Only when the battle was five-to-one did the golem finally die, suffering a death by a thousand cuts.

“As expected,” Theo said, nodding to the egg’s spirit. “Five against one is great, though. They’re technically the same level, so that’s a lot of power.”

The egg’s spirit offered no insight on whether this was good or not.

While Tresk stopped by a few times to check in on the golem project, Theo just focused on collecting as much information as possible. Once a metal golem was injured, it required another Fire Construct to repair itself, along with Copper Ingots. The Lesser Mud Golems could just pull from the swamp, which placed the metal golems in a different category in his mind. They were combat specialists with an expandable lifespan.

“Perhaps they’ll make great mine guards,” Theo said.

Whatever their final use, Broken Tusk would have at least one Lesser Drogramathi Iron Golem tomorrow. Seemed absurd not to try something so ridiculous. Theo imagined himself going to a meeting with the people of Rivers and Daub flanked by ten such golems. That would make them crap their pants. Maybe they could bolt swords onto the golems.

But that was enough experimentation with the golems for one night. Theo wanted to grind out as much experience as he could. As he tended his gardens, he had a sense that his Drogramath Herbalism Core would hit 15 in the morning, while his alchemy core was right on the edge of hitting 17. The Governance Core would ascend to 15, while his personal level crept closer to 20, currently at 15. At that point, he’d have a big decision to make. He needed a new core.

Throk would do well with an artificer core from Tworgnoth, but that led to another thought. If a person took cores that conflicted with each other, what happened? Khahar would be able to answer that question, so he reserved it for the daytime. From what the alchemist understood, it all depended on what those cores were aligned with. If he paired a Grom Rang, Dwarven God of Mining, with Fan’glir, Elven God of Fire, there shouldn’t be a problem. But looking at another pairing, Lord of War and Death Zagmon with the Queen of the Path of Shadows Uz’Xulven, and he’d have a problem. Those two just didn’t get along.

So, the problem fell to the experts. Theo didn’t need an answer; he just wanted a good start on the problem.

Theo spent the remainder of the Dreamwalk grinding levels. He didn’t have more experiments to run, so it only made sense. While he spent more time chatting with Tresk, they had nothing big to discuss. When the morning finally came, the alchemist sprung up before the marshling could, racing her to the door. Unfortunately, she still had the Dexterity advantage.

“Nerd!” Tresk shouted, sprinting out of the Newt and Demon.

“At least I’m not groggy anymore,” Theo said, patting the egg in his satchel.

The Season of Fire was showing its namesake. If it was warm when Theo arrived in Broken Tusk, it had now become sweltering. Even with the sun barely poking over the horizon, it was almost unbearable. The air conditioner in his inventory became more tempting by the moment, but he had a use for that. He’d donate it to Whisper. The toora bear-people were from a horribly cold place north of Qavell. She’d appreciate it far more than anyone else. But first, it was time for breakfast.

The day didn’t truly start until Theo had a cup of tea at Xam’s tavern. He remembered a time when he brewed all his own tea, but even his alchemy core couldn’t compete with her cooking. Everything she made just tasted better. The alchemist sat with Tresk at a table, eating leftovers from last night and sipping his tea.

“Hey, Khahar,” Theo said. And then the Khahari man was there.

“Yes?”

“You know… I appreciate how you just don’t answer our questions before we ask them,” Tresk said, leaning in. The whiskers on the man’s face twitched.

“Most people see it as rude.”

“Phew. I know, right? How about that heat?” Tresk asked. Her tail swiped from side to side excitedly. “Getting kinda hot, huh? Like… Mexico hot. Ya know what I’m saying?”

Khahar narrowed his eyes at Tresk. Theo kicked her under the table. She yelped.

“Core alignments,” Theo said. “I want to know what happens if you use two cores that don’t agree.”

“Nothing good,” Khahar said, relaxing. He reached into his chest and pulled a core out. He didn’t even flinch. It was a basic Artificer’s Core… Kind of. The metal cage looked pure to Theo’s eyes. It shone with impossible brightness, and even the white glowing center seemed somehow better than any core he’d ever seen. “This core is roughly 59,000 years old. When the world was young, there were no alignments. I don’t have a single aligned core to my name.”

“Wow,” Tresk said, propping herself up on the table to get a better look. “What level is that one?”

“12,582,” Khahar said.

Theo gawked. “There’s no upper limit to levels?”

“None at all,” Khahar said, reinserting the core into his chest. “We’re straying from your question, but there’s a reason you don’t see many people beyond Level 30, let alone Level 100. Thirty is the first hurdle for most. Well, some struggle to get beyond 20. Then the problem becomes edging past 100 without going insane. The more you ascend, the harder it becomes to keep your mind. By my stage? I don’t think any have gone this far, but most strive for godhood, no matter how minor the domain.”

“How do you keep it together?” Tresk asked, her voice almost a whisper.

Khahar placed his hand on his chest and closed his eyes. “I often don’t. The longer I’m away from my domain, the worse it gets.”

“Why don’t you go back?” Theo asked.

Khahar opened his eyes and smiled, placing a furry hand on Theo’s shoulder. “You haven’t figured it out yet. You’re on the right track. I’m from Earth. I just need to see you get it before I go. I need to see that spark I remember. That way, I can leave this realm happy. I’ll know it’s in good hands.”

Theo just stared. So, it was a game to him. A fun little thing someone did before they went off to fight with gods. The alchemist couldn’t imagine the man’s mind was all there, even if he did know him from Earth. Him? Could it have been a woman? There was nothing that said they had to keep the same sex when they were sent over. It could be literally anyone.

“A near-perfect memory,” Khahar said. “I’ve dropped enough hints, Spencer. As for your question—research cores that will help you with the town. Well, it won’t be a town much longer, will it? Anyway, you have the aptitude to do anything you want. If you must take a combat class, I recommend something in the support realm. Hmmm… Well, I suppose now is as good a time as any.”

Khahar produced a small wooden box from nowhere. Theo went to inspect it, but the system refused to give him a prompt. It was ornate, inlaid with gold and jewels. The closer the alchemist got to it, the more he realized it was covered with an impossibly small network of absurdly complex symbols. They had a faint yellow glow and were written in the language of the Khahari. A language that Khahar himself likely devised.

“What is it?” Tresk asked, bouncing up and down.

“This is how I spit in the face of the gods,” Khahar said, his muzzle twisting into a wicked grin. “Something will happen. Something planned for eons. When it does, the box will open, and you will change fate. Again.”

Chapter Forty-Five

Theo dodged a downpour of questions from Throk, running from the center of town with the marshling in pursuit. He lost him behind the town hall, circled around, and found his way to the new butcher’s building without incident. The old man would refuse to accept the new building, so it was best to leave him to it. In time, he’d accept the gift and use it to better the town. That was the way things always went with the codger.

The new building rested near the adventurer’s guild, across the road from the sawmill. It took the form of a wood slat building with a blue shingled roof, matching the spreading motif of the town. The entire thing was quaint, but Whisper had settled into it as though it were her home. Theo found her butchering the bodies of several wolves, even displaying skill in skinning them. She had a sad smile on her face when he entered but bowed her head as a greeting.

“Mayor,” she said simply, resuming her bloody work.

“Still too hot for ya?” Theo asked.

“It’s all this fur,” Whisper said, looking down at her body. Under her bloody apron was fur matted with gore. It marred the interesting, mottled patterns of brown and gray.

“We’ll have Sledge install this properly,” Theo said, withdrawing the air conditioner from his inventory. That caught the woman’s interest. “I worked with the blacksmith to get you more comfortable. I understand the home of the toora is quite cold.”

“Frigid,” Whisper said. She dropped her cleaver and moved over, hands reverently stroking the artifice.

“I don’t have a sales pitch,” Theo said with a weak shrug. This entire plan was half-baked from the start. A need for comfort with no obvious solution. “I just want you to tell everyone how great the air conditioner is so Throk can sell more.”

“Conditioner?” Whisper asked. “What condition does it put the air into?”

“It’s just a box that blows cold air,” Theo said, flicking the switch on the side. He had it set to the lowest setting, which would provide a drip of potion every half-hour. The alchemist explained the controls and provided a flask of modified Freeze Solution.

“This is amazing,” Whisper said, standing in front of the artifice and closing her eyes. “I was planning to leave the town… The heat is just too much. I can purchase more from the angry marshling?”

“Yeah, and stop by The Newt and Demon if you need more of the potion,” Theo said. “It’s cheap to make, but this should last you a while.”

“I’m going to turn it all the way up,” Whisper said, cranking the knob on the side. “I shall purchase more.”

Problem solved. It had been a long time since Theo could fix an issue with so little effort. Whisper was hot, so he cooled her down. But the problem he solved wasn’t the one he set out to solve. Sledge was the issue. Her need for experience outweighed the need for comfort, even if the two goals were aligned. As much as the alchemist didn’t want to deal with the erratic marshling, now was the time. He left the butcher and made his way over to the sawmill.

Sledge was more like Nira than Theo realized. He’d assumed most in Broken Tusk would bungle a job involving organizing people, but she was doing great. The marshling had everyone outside of her mill, directing them for their daily tasks. Her team had grown significantly, resulting in a tightly packed crowd compared to the earlier scatter of folks. It was a sight that warmed the alchemist’s heart. Anything that required less of his touch made him happy.

“And, you’re off!” Sledge shouted. “Make mama proud!”

Theo winced. She was still weird.

“Everything going well, Sledge?” Theo asked, approaching the glowering woman.

“Fine as ever,” Sledge said. “Got these mud-sucking Pozwa broken into a command structure. The business just runs itself!”

“Do you have enough time to work on your Fabricator’s Core?” Theo asked.

“Plenty. Been doing minor upgrades for townsfolk. Trying to get my next skill. You know how it goes,” Sledge said.

The biggest surprise was that she wasn’t mad. It was easy to feel as though these people fell off Theo’s radar, falling into obscurity. With so many things to do in town, that wouldn’t be a lie. But that was the point. These people needed to build their businesses up on their own, running them in whatever way they saw fit. The stars of the town were Ziz, Nira, Sledge, and Gridgen. All required no guidance and produced vast quantities of resources.

“Once you get a decent skill, let me know,” Theo said. “Until then, talk to Throk. He’s going to have air conditioners for you to install.”

“Air what?”

A quick explanation of climate control saw the marshling’s head nodding. Southlanders didn’t mind the heat, but that didn’t mean they wouldn’t enjoy something to cool their homes. With a boatload of elves on the way, that just brought the problem into focus. Theo chatted with her for a while about her operation. The man she elected to carry the Forester’s Core was getting better by the day. Regeneration rates of the famed Ogre Cypress Trees were increasing, and the quality of the wood was better. Sledge claimed it was better, anyway. To Theo, every perfect-quality board looked the same.

“You don’t see the knots?” Sledge scoffed. “Look at the difference!”

The alchemist nodded. The two boards she held up looked the same. “I see it now,” he lied.

Departing from Sledge’s, Theo realized he had to face Throk. If he wanted some fancy Drogramathi Iron containment cores, he’d need to take a lashing.

“Always better to ask for forgiveness,” Theo said, approaching the angry marshling.

“There’s no forgiveness for you, Alchemist,” Throk grunted. But he didn’t look up from his work. He was fiddling with some artifice components from the Southblade Guardian, something that was still lingering outside the eastern gate.

“I thought you’d like a fancy new workshop,” Theo said.

“Yeah, well… You didn’t ask. I’m not broke.”

“You sure act like you’re broke,” Theo said. That statement got a steely glare from the man. “Keep it up, and I’ll hire another blacksmith.”

Throk couldn’t hide the interest on his face. He looked up from the cogwork, knitting his brow. “That might work.”

“You’re supposed to take apprentices,” Theo said. “Train them up so they can do what you do.”

Throk grunted. “The only one with potential is that kid.” He jabbed his finger at a small, bearded man. He looked like a man to Theo, anyway. Must’ve been a dwarf.

“A new arrival?” Theo asked. He didn’t remember seeing the person in town.

“As new as they come,” Throk said. He turned, raising his voice to his sheepish apprentices. All but the dwarf flinched. “I’m about to fire every one of you! Except Thim!”

“Yeah, we all love Thim,” Theo said, craning his neck to get a better look. The young dwarf was grinning. “Thim, care to take a walk with me?”

“Don’t you poach my only good apprentice, Theo,” Throk said, leveling his gaze at the alchemist. “I’ll take your damn legs.”

“I won’t. Promise,” Theo said, beckoning for the dwarf to follow.

Like most dwarves, Thim was a sturdy bloke. A head of brown hair, concealed under a green cloak, with a massive brown beard. Bushy eyebrows, slate-gray eyes, and features as hard as stone. Theo led the dwarf behind his lab, collecting vegetation for his next experiment. After his talk with the new blacksmith, he’d convince Throk to make him a new containment core.

“Whatever you’ve heard of the Rhomthrong is shit,” Thim said, watching as Theo trimmed his garden. “We’re sturdy folk, make no mistake. Honest and hardworking as any. I’ve already been through the wringer with your functionaries. They like me.”

“When you give someone a chance to talk without asking a question,” Theo said, tossing a thick patch of weeds into a pile, “they often tell you what they’re most afraid of being asked.”

“Aren’t you just a regular damn philosopher,” Thim said, scoffing. “Care to read my palm while you’re at it?”

Thim would fit in with the marshlings and half-ogres well. A hard edge would take him far here.

“I’ll just say I don’t know where Rhomthrong is. Or what people live there,” Theo said. “I know hard work when I see it. I know potential.”

“Good for you.”

“If Throk says you’re any good, then you’re good,” Theo said. “The man wouldn’t even take his own son into the shop. The boy works the river now.”

While it was still new to Theo, the stronger his connection to the Tara’hek realm got, the more he could feel other realms. The dwarf held a flavor he couldn’t recognize, something cold like the mountains but as fiery as the forge. He either had a contradictory set of cores, or his main core was just that way. A split between those two concepts—likely a dwarven god. Thim was silent.

Zarali could throw out some magical sense, feeling people around her. Theo knew how to inspect people, but his senses were clumsy. He focused on the dwarf’s chest and forced his will inside. Thim flinched as though an icy hand had reached out to grasp at his heart.

“Borhig, right?” Theo asked after a time. His senses didn’t tell him the deity the dwarf was under. “Dwarven God of Blacksmithing. Is that correct?”

“Obvious guess, but yeah,” Thim said.

“I’m still working on that,” Theo said. “This might seem like a confrontation, but I just wanted to make sure you’re up for the job. Throk is overworked. I can’t rely on having a single blacksmith in town, and you look like the man for the job. You’re not an apprentice, though.”

“Not by a long shot,” Thim said, shifting on the spot uncomfortably.

Theo produced a Drogramathi Iron Ingot from his inventory, walking over and handing it to the dwarf. “Are you familiar with this?”

Thim narrowed his eyes. “Demon metal. Strong as the mines are deep. Never seen an ingot. Never seen a scrap that wasn’t pulled off some Dronon’s corpse.”

“Exactly,” Theo said, back to his pruning. “I have a theory that the only demon-aligned metal is produced by Zagmon’s brood.”

Thim flinched at the mention of the Demon God of War and Death.

“That would be my experience.”

So the dwarves had some in-built hatred for Zagmon. Every gentle race that walked the planet should have a hate for that guy, from what Theo had heard so far.

“I need you to make me something from the ingot,” Theo said, finalizing his pile of debris. He explained the containment core and its purpose. Thim nodded the entire time, asking for more details but seemingly satisfied with the job. The alchemist reached out a hand for the dwarf to shake, which he did. “Theo Spencer.”

“Thimamuri Ironmoore,” Thim said, nodding. “Since you’ve riddled my core out…”

A blazing furnace emerged from nowhere. It was dark black with a roaring fire resting in the mouth. A moment later, an equally dark anvil sprung from the ground to join it. Without missing a beat, Thim nestled the ingot into the coals and urged his magic furnace to go to work. Within several minutes and exactly four swift strikes of a hammer, the dwarf produced a perfect containment core made from the demonic iron.

“Sometimes you need to bring the forge and anvil to you,” Thim said, flashing a grin.

Theo inspected the item.

[Drogramathi Iron Containment Core]

[Containment Core]

Quality: Perfect

A containment core used for the production of constructs and golems. It is made of Drogramathi Iron.

The alchemist mentally severed his connection with one Lesser Mud Golem, making room for his new golem, and suspended a Level 10 monster core inside. He removed a bottle of Infuse Essence from his inventory and treated the core. Thim watched as he inserted a Mana Construct and the core into the pile of vegetation. After adding the smallest amount of mana, the pile of plant matter twisted to life. The dwarf jumped back in surprise.

“Collect the fully cultivated plants and deposit them into that crate. Restore your mana with that one,” Theo said, inspecting the creature as it lumbered off.

[Lesser Plant Golem]

[Alchemy Construct]

Level 10

Plant golems excel at tending to the natural world while also having mild combat capabilities.

Containment Core: [Alchemically Treated Drogramathi Iron Cage]

Monster Core: [Fald Interloper] (Level 10)

Medium: [Plant Matter]

Alchemy Slates: [Mana Construct]

Power System: [Mana Construct]

Siphon System: None

Additional Modifications: None

This was much like the example Theo made in the Dreamwalk, only with a different core. From an outsider’s perspective, the difference wouldn’t be obvious. But even without connecting the golem to the lodestone network, the alchemist felt far less pull on his mind. It made sense, since the containment core acted as the creature’s brain. With better materials, that brain became more capable. Smarter wasn’t the right term to describe it—they weren’t intelligent. It simply reduced the load on his mind.

Theo flicked the dwarf a gold coin, judging that the amount of Drogramathi Iron left was enough for nine more cores. “Nine more of those, please.”

“All right,” Thim said, loosening his shoulders. “Now you’re speaking my language.”

The dwarf made quick work of the other containment cores, making it look like a joke. He might have been young—by dwarven standards—but he was incredibly skilled. Theo knew that Throk could have run circles around him, but there was hope for Broken Tusk to have another skilled blacksmith.

“Take your time with Throk,” Theo said, watching as the dwarf dismissed his forge and anvil. “You don’t need his blessing to work in town, but you don’t want to be without it.”

“I’ll admit. The asshole is already growing on me. Reminds me of home,” Thim said, bidding farewell.

Another job done. Theo stood in the cluster of greenhouses for a while, only moving to check on the cultivating Zee. It had a few more days of growth left before he could send it back to Banu. That only left one more thing to do for the farm before he’d be satisfied and several more items to accomplish for the shipyard to be functional.

“Medieval ships,” Theo said, patting the egg at his side. “We’ll need more than wood and cloth to make that work.”

Another problem for another day.

No one seemed to want to bother Theo today, and he was happier for it. He ordered his golems back to the Newt and Demon and replaced them all with better versions of themselves. The team of golems working the marsh was reduced to three Lesser Mud Golems and two Lesser Stone Golems. He experimented with different metals for his metal golems but found even regular iron to be too difficult. The alchemist defaulted back to copper, something he knew would work. It took a while to adjust the lodestone network in town, but by the end of it, he had his team.

Two Lesser Plant Golems would work the greenhouses night and day. Three Lesser Mud Golems accompanied by two Lesser Stone Golems for the swamp and three Lesser Copper Golems to run around the mine and along the walls.

Upon returning to the Newt and Demon, Theo had a chat with Salire about how her plan was coming along. Azrug had completely abandoned the shop, all his time going toward trade efforts, so he wasn’t interested in buying up the excess gear. The new shopkeeper was happy about that, giving her time to gain confidence in haggling with the growing population of adventurers in town. She’d already made a stack of gold coins, and the alchemist encouraged her to go wild.

But it was Theo’s ideal day. No one came to disturb him when he worked the stills. He created an array of essences that would work for Salire’s new plan. With enough excess Manashrooms, he even distilled some Refined Mana Essence. Xol’sa might be happy about that. The key was to have enough essences on hand without making too much wastage. If people came in asking for something he didn’t have, that would be a waste of time.

All thoughts of time wasted went away when Theo’s core conspired against him. Before midday, his Drogramath Herbalism Core went up to Level 16. Then, in the early afternoon, his Governance Core hit 15. Since the Drogramath Alchemy Core didn’t want to be left out, it hit 17. This caused a cascading effect that sent Theo’s personal level to 16. He didn’t want to rush his free attribute distribution, so he sat near his open window and consulted his attribute sheet before deciding.

Belgar (Theo Spencer)

Drogramath Dronon

Level 16

Alchemist

Core Slots: 4

Stats:

Health: 100

Mana: 140

Stamina: 110

Strength: 20 (+11)

Dexterity: 16 (+8)

Vigor: 19 (+8)

Intelligence: 21 (+7)

Wisdom: 27 (+7)

Points: 1

Another point in Wisdom wouldn’t hurt, but it seemed a shame to leave Vigor out of the game. Theo had a strange spread of stats. The Tara’hek Core gave him more Strength and Vigor than he should normally have, resulting in a mash of stats. The first idea he had for point distribution was just to pump everything into Wisdom and ignore everything else. Now that he had cores supporting his attributes, it made more sense to get them to the thresholds and then move on.

Theo reminded himself of the rules of the system, starting with the threshold of attributes. Stats got a boost in effectiveness every 10 points he put in. Whether that was points applied or the total for that attribute was beyond him. Every personal level, he got a point. Every 5 personal levels, he got a skill point. When a core hit a multiple of 10, it got a free skill specific to that core. The growth of attributes attached to cores was entirely random but seemed to be every 5 levels. All this thought just brought him back to putting Vigor over the 20-point threshold, so he put in his point.

It was hard to judge if he felt healthier after applying the point. But he could feel something, as though he had more energy to spare. Not just in that his stamina had gone up to 115 from 110, but something more base about his body. The alchemist shrugged it off, turning his attention to the organizational mess of his lab. It was time to separate his Dimensional Storage Crates out to make more sense. That’s the only way Salire’s plan would work.

Chapter Forty-Six

Grand dreams sometimes died in the face of practicality. A system of pipes and tanks wasn’t off the table, but a simple organization of the lab’s storage crates would go a long way. The supply of unrefined essences was dwindling, giving way to only refined essences in Theo’s stock. While it wouldn’t be safe to dispose of those low-tier essences, it was easy enough to jam them all in a single Dimensional Storage Crate and forget about them for now. The process of organization had taken a few hours. The alchemist ran between the crates, his stills, and his fermentation barrels, targeting the most useful essences and modifiers.

From the perspective of an adventurer, [Anti-Mage], [Solidify], [Web], and [Aerosolize] were the most useful modifiers. For essences, restoration and attribute enhancers were the most valuable. Patrons might ask for other things, though. Stocking and organizing was about reducing the time it would take from receiving an order and completing it. No order would take more than a day, though.

The Lesser Plant Golem sent a signal into the lodestone network, signaling that it was done tending the garden. It went through the list of orders it had and found one, shambling off into the thin forests within Broken Tusk to find more reagents. Of the three Lesser Copper Golems, Theo selfishly kept one near his lab. When the elves arrived, he’d have ten. It didn’t hurt to make a good impression, even if that impression was one of awesome power.

Theo let out a heavy breath. When he felt anxious, he often busied himself with other things. Zarali had been gently pushing him to upgrade his herbalism core, and it was time to make that happen. He locked his eyes on the shrine to Drogramath in his lab, letting his gaze linger over the form of his deity. It was too much like a Dronon to deny the reality of gods. They were just people with more power than others. Reading between the lines, the alchemist understood what everything Khahar said meant. The true meaning, not the cryptic junk he left on the surface.

The gods in the Prime Pantheon were all from Earth.

The thought of pledging his loyalty to some person back on that doomed planet was disheartening. But time changed a person. Even months could ease old wounds and dull the edges of a personality. Sixty thousand years would have altered them completely. So Theo left his lab, heading across the street to Zarali’s enchanter’s workshop. She was often back by the late afternoon, having left Xol’sa’s tower to tend to whatever work she was entertaining.

“Theo,” Zarali said as he let himself in. “How do you feel about elves? Are we certain they can be trusted?”

“They’ll sign the magic contract,” Theo said. “Same as everyone else.”

“Oh, I would enjoy seeing an elf ripped apart by a magic beast,” Zarali said, sighing. “Anyway, how can I help you?”

“Time to upgrade this core,” Theo said sullenly.

Zarali clapped her hands together, letting out a shriek of excitement. With one deft motion she threw the table in the room’s center aside, then snatched a rug from the ground and tossed it. Beneath were Drogramathi enchanting symbols arranged in a series of circles. In Drogramath’s style, the symbols were written as stories. Short snippets about a Dronon conquering death, or Drogramath himself ascending to the Demonic Heavens. What a hilarious contradiction.

“This is a very simple spell,” Zarali said. “Well, it would be simple… But Belgar’s Drogramath Herbalism Core was only at Rare. We never had time to upgrade it to Legendary. So! We need to jump two rarity levels, which is more expensive.”

“Do you need money?” Theo asked flatly.

“Of course not,” Zarali said, waving him away. “Just stand in the center of the circle and let’s go!”

“Hold on. I’m not jumping in some demon circle just because you said so,” Theo said, crossing his arms. “How long is this going to put me out for? What do I have to give?”

“When we did the ritual for Belgar, he wasn’t out for more than a few minutes,” Zarali said. “What we have to give, as you say, is quite a lot of materials. Oh, my! Look at all this Drogramath-aligned metal we suddenly have. Convenient, isn’t it?”

“Too convenient,” Theo grumbled, moving into the circle.

He could leave his herbalism core at its current rarity, but his abilities would suffer. Since the Constructs ability was tied to both alchemy and herbalism, he wasn’t getting the most out of it. This was a necessary move, even if he didn’t like it.

“Take me all the way to mythic, if you wouldn’t mind,” Theo said.

Zarali cackled, slapping her knee. “Oh, good joke. Now, stand still. Let me know if you experience any pain.”

The pain was immediate and mind-numbing. In a flash, it was as though Theo’s chest was filled with angry, flaming bees. But as quickly as it started, it ended. The room faded to black, and the pain was gone. The alchemist found himself in a new room, not unlike that which he went to when talking to the Qavelli representative. A single, shadowy figure stood at the opposite end of the room. The swoop of the man’s horns and swishing, thin tail gave him away as a Dronon.

“I admit to some deception,” the figure said with a shrug. He had a calming voice. Not what Theo was expecting. Not from a Demon God. “But the faithful are often easy to deceive.”

“Drogramath,” Theo said. He didn’t know whether to bow his head or spit in the demon’s face. “So, am I getting my new core? Or am I screwed?”

“The new core, I should think,” Drogramath said. “Time is short. The realm of your Tara’hek is growing too strong. An unintended twist that bore more fruit than I could have imagined. Glantheir, Parantheir, Zaul, Ulvoqor, Uz’Xulven, Tworgnoth, Toru’aun, and Khahar. Those are the realms you can trust for your next core. Select myself, Uz’Xulven, and Khahar as your town’s patrons, in that order, when you upgrade Broken Tusk next. Again, time is short.”

Theo’s mind swirled. His superior memory would ensure he remembered every single word, but it struggled to understand the meaning. Drogramath was nothing like he expected, and in an instant the meeting was over. The alchemist didn’t have time to ask another question. The Demon God flicked his hand, and the room faded into nothingness.

He gasped for air, waking in a cold sweat in his bed.

“Theo!” Tresk shouted, slapping him across the face. “You’ve been asleep for ten years!”

“Shut up, Tresk. You stupid idiot,” Luras said.

“It was funny!”

Aarok grunted his disapproval.

“Someone bring me up to speed,” Theo said, his mind still reeling from the encounter with Drogramath.

“Theo, I’m so sorry,” Zarali said.

Theo had time to take stock of his surroundings. Tresk, Aarok, Luras, and Zarali were all crowded around his bed. Morning sunlight flooded through his window, casting them all in a halo of yellow light.

“Zarali messed up your ritual,” Luras said, his eyes burning with the power of his Ogre Patron.

“I didn’t mess it up,” Zarali said. “I did exactly as He said.”

Theo ignored their bickering and inspected his cores, finding that Drogramath kept up his end of the bargain.

[Drogramath Herbalism Core]

Legendary

Herbalism Core

Bound

3 Slots

Level 16 (25%)

Herbalism core given to the descendants of Drogramath.

Effect:

+5 Vigor

[Rare Material Handling]

While his friends argued about who messed what up, the alchemist inspected the new skill attached to his herbalism core.

[Rare Material Handling]

Rare Herbalism Skill

Allows the user to handle rare reagents without destroying them.

Effect:

Some reagents are too gentle to be handled by normal people. This skill allows you to handle those reagents without destroying them by touch.

It was a skill to match his Unstable Material Handling skill, although he found no reagents he couldn’t handle. That meant there were plants in the world he hadn’t discovered yet.

“Enough,” Theo said, snapping out of his thoughts. The room went silent. “It was a ploy by Drogramath, but he delivered. My core is upgraded, and that’s the end. No more shouting—I have a headache.”

“I really didn’t mean to do it,” Zarali said.

Tresk must have been reading Theo’s mind or his emotions. She shot him a wide-eyed look but kept her mouth shut. The marshling knew that if he had a good reason to hide information, she wouldn’t force the issue. The group talked, but Theo fell into his thoughts. His first real encounter with Drogramath had ended in a way he couldn’t have expected. Where he expected a fearsome creature, he found a man.

“Just a man,” Theo thought.

The group let out a gasp of surprise as Tresk disappeared. Only a few heartbeats later, her voice filled his mind.

“Teleport to me.”

Theo obeyed. The Dreamwalk flashed by, and then he was standing on a hill. A chilly breeze blew from the north. Broken Tusk sprawled out in the distance to the south. Tresk knew exactly what he needed at that moment. Perspective.

“Spill the beans,” Tresk said.

Theo relayed the events through their communication skill. He spared no detail, making sure his companion knew he didn’t feel in danger. The cold snapped away in an instant. Warmth like nothing he had ever felt washed over him. It was dry and inviting, as though part of an ancient family home.

“What are you going to do when you die, Khahar?” Theo asked. His heart thumping in his chest like a drum. He stole a look at the Khahari leader, who smiled.

“I don’t know about you, but I’m going directly to hell,” Khahar said, grinning wider. “Although, that strip club in the sky is sounding more appealing by the day.”

“Were there any strip clubs left? By the end, I mean,” Theo asked.

“No. No, there weren’t,” Khahar said.

“What’s a strip club?” Tresk asked, keeping her voice to a whisper.

“A place where nude women—” Khahar started.

“So, you and Drogramath,” Theo interrupted. “I mean, damn, is it even safe to talk aloud?”

“Around me it is.”

“You’re working together?” Theo asked. “Where did you send Sulvan?”

“Antalis,” Khahar said.

Theo’s brows knit tightly. It was now too much information to take in. Was it Drogramath, Khahar, or someone else that had a plan? And where did that plan go? A catastrophic event was coming—an event they thought Theo could survive—but there had to be a plan. While the alchemist now knew Khahar’s true identity, it didn’t seem to matter. With a deep breath, he stroked the egg at his side. It was always at his side now. None of it mattered.

“Didn’t know you could live on the moon,” Theo said, gesturing to the town below. “Doesn’t matter, though, does it? Look at the harbor. People running around like little ants… We don’t even have any boats, but I can feel their excitement from here. Look! A refugee train. We’ve been getting those often. Is it really coming together? Just like that?”

“Looks like it,” Tresk said, finding a rock to sit on.

“Rivers and Gronro have also seen an influx of citizens,” Khahar said. “The situation in Qavell is… horrible.”

“You could fix it all, right?” Theo asked.

“I’ve done that before,” Khahar said. “It doesn’t end well.”

Theo nodded. “I’m good. Thought it would be worse when I finally saw that guy, but I’m good. Still can’t shake the feeling that I’m a pawn, though.”

“You were a pawn,” Khahar said. “Someone orchestrated this entire scenario, but they didn’t count on one factor. I can see a million futures. I discount the ones with the least likely probability. Whoever did this never expected a new Tara’hek.”

So Theo’s survival hinged on a fluke with Tresk. Something that shouldn’t have happened, but it did. There were still more questions than answers, but it hardly mattered. The way forward was clear, and he’d done everything he could to prepare. Sixty-six days seemed so short, looking back on it.

“Doesn’t matter,” Theo said. “We got work to do. You can go home, Khahar.”

Khahar shrugged. “I’d like to see the elves one last time before I leave.”

“Suit yourself,” Theo said. “Mind giving us a ride back to town? Would that be cheating?”

Theo was standing with Khahar and Tresk in front of the lab. There was no spatial distortion when they moved. They were simply standing in one place, then another. No one even noticed them arrive. People just walked around them as they appeared. Like so many things before, the alchemist washed his hands of the situation. It wouldn’t do to dwell on something he couldn’t change. The right move was to work, making Broken Tusk better than it was before. More weapons, more people, more food… meant a higher chance at survival.

“Right. Time to call a meeting,” Theo said. “Thanks for the ride, Khahar.”

“My pleasure.”

[Theo]: Administration staff, please report to the town hall meeting room. This is not an emergency.

“Always good to tell them it’s not an emergency. That always works,” Tresk said.

Alise assembled her staff at a moment’s notice, cramming everyone in the small meeting room. Aarok, Luras, Zarali, and Azrug were also there. Fenian had departed while Theo was unconscious. The staff was concerned, but Theo waved all concerns for himself away. Zarali’s process worked, and the alchemist had more information on which realms to trust for the future. That was a big win, and he expressed that sentiment to everyone.

“Just glad you’re not dead,” Zarali said. She looked like she was going to be sick.

“Well, it ended well,” Theo said. “I know Drogramath is an ally.”

“I’m disappointed you ever thought otherwise,” Zarali said, drawing herself up. In classic fashion, she recovered in moments.

“That’s fine,” Theo said, waving her away. “I’d just like a report from the administration staff on how we’re doing. Food, resources, trade deals. All that stuff.”

Alise cleared her throat. “Despite our original estimate of 200 citizens before the first day of the Season of Fire, we’re now expecting 300. At minimum. Without counting the elves.”

“That would have impacted our food quotas, but Azrug has taken care of that. If you would, Lord Merchant?” Gwyn said.

“I shoved a hot poker up the collective asses of Rivers and Daub,” Azrug said with a shrug. “Altered our original deal, so now we have wagon trains of dried food coming in. I got the food at a steal, so we’re attaching it to the free food initiative we started. Funny thing about Broken Tuskers, though.”

“No one is taking it,” Alise finished. “There are jobs enough for everyone, so everyone is working. Making a decent wage and buying their food. So there are two options they can take. Cheap dried food provided by the town, or expensive meals prepared by the tavern.”

But it was as important to be self-reliant. Throk had made that comment before, and Theo couldn’t agree more. The alchemist hated when systems were built without the idea of failure in mind. But it was a good start.

“Do we have any trade deals with anything north of Gronro?” Theo asked.

“Several,” Azrug said. “If you want my opinion, we need that harbor functioning. We’re sitting on piles of resources with no way to trade them.”

“Once we do get boats, I can enchant them to move faster than anything else on the ocean,” Zarali said.

The conversation devolved from there. Theo got what he wanted to hear. These check-in meetings were too important, and he wanted to do them more often. Another scandal like the farm situation would be horrible. The alchemist sat and listened to their strategies, agreeing where it was appropriate and declining otherwise. It was the perfect salve to an unsavory event, leaving him feeling excited and confident. When they finally broke off, sometime around midday, he went to inspect his town.

[Large Town]

Name: Broken Tusk

Owner: Kingdom of Qavell

Mayor: Theo Spencer

Faction: Qavell

Level: 19 (22.12%)

Core Buildings:

Alchemy Lab

Greenhouses (x6)

Blacksmith

Artificer’s Workshop

Large Farm

Windmill

Quarry

Stonecutter

House (x231)

Tannery

Leatherworker

Tavern

Adventurer’s Guild

Hotsprings

Sawmill

Mine

Smelter

Enchanter

Ranch

Town Hall

Butcher

Defensive Emplacements:

Chain Lightning (x12)

Frost Cone (x7)

Fireball (x10)

Firebolt (x25)

Upgrades:

[Stone Walls and Gates]

[Stone Roads]

[Turret Emplacements]

Effects:

[Troll Slaying]

[Coordinated Fire]

Current Resources:

Timber: 32,501

Stone Blocks: 15,000

Metal: 20,000

Motes: 5,000

While the town’s level hadn’t made progress, that was part of their plan. They needed more citizens to make that work, and it was only a matter of time before they had another flood of people. Theo consulted his mayoral interface to inspect the map. Alise pointed out a few areas they could expand easily, creating more land for homes. Purchasing land to the west, into the swamp, wasn’t ideal. But there was plenty of land to the northeast. After that, they could expand from the harbor to the east, taking over the vast prairies. Xol’sa needed to get his Dungeon Engineer Core so they could do something about the River Dungeon, which now sat north of the harbor.

Another notable thing to come out of the meeting was that Aarok had purchased more weapons for their walls. Theo still wanted to get Sledge to work with Throk to create an automated mote-feeding system for the artifices, so that might be their next project. The old marshling would moan about how he didn’t want to do it, only to eventually cave. There was also the need to get rid of their resources. They were packed to the gills with all the important ones, more than they could ever spend repairing their walls and buildings. Some of those resources were now being traded for dried food, but that was fine. Production was at an all-time high.

Theo looked forward to the meeting with Rivers and Daub and Gronro-Dir. Whatever alliance they formed would form the basis of the southland’s power and their ability to fight whatever was coming. Azrug had expressed his plan to create an overland shipping operation, and he had a General Store Seed Core in hand. The young Merchant Lord was reluctant to reveal this information, but Theo had expected it.

“The truth is,” Theo said, patting his egg. “Seeing that guy took a weight off my shoulders.”

The egg chirped in response.

Chapter Forty-Seven

Theo stared at the egg in his satchel. There were no cracks visible on its surface, just the same familiar sheen. He pressed his fingers against its surface and waited, but there was no movement. The egg had become such a fixture. The alchemist didn’t know what he’d do when it hatched. He didn’t even know what was in it, despite Khahar’s statement that it was simply a mundane creature from Earth. He shrugged it all off and returned to the Newt and Demon. While he could feel Tresk’s tiredness from staying up all night with him, she’d be fine. Stamina Potions didn’t seem to have long-term negative effects.

“We have our first order!” Salire said, bouncing excitedly when Theo entered the shop. “Orders, actually. There’s a few.”

Theo nodded, taking a sheet of paper from the woman. It was more than just a few items, though. She followed him upstairs, watching as he made his daily sacrifice to the Drogramathi Shrine.

“100 Healing Pills, 200 Mana Pills, 25 Carapace Potions with [Anti-Mage], 1,000 bombs—we’re not doing those—a lot of attribute potions, and a hell of a lot of restoration potions,” Theo said, scratching his head. “I’ve never made a Mana Pill.”

“Exciting, right?” Salire asked. “Did I do good, boss?”

“No, you did great. I like this format,” Theo said, setting the paper down and assessing his stores. He had enough essences on hand to make everything except the Carapace Potions. The alchemist sent a mental message to his Lesser Plant Golem. The creation had already tended the garden for the day, depositing everything in the barrel. It also reported back that he was running low on Mana Constructs.

“Thank you,” Salire said, grinning.

Theo’s new shopkeeper was leveling her unaligned merchant core quickly, giving her access to a general price of the items she was selling. She raised their prices, even for natives of the area, but maintained a deep discount for members of the adventurer’s guild. They were already paying a premium for the right to delve into the dungeons and would need the potions. People with healing cores seemed to be few. The alchemist got to work on his potions, inviting his shopkeeper to chat as he did.

“I wonder if I should take a healing core,” Theo said.

Healing Pills were some of the easiest items to make as far as potions went. He generated a flask for the purpose. The Glassware Artifice was a square flask that would have little purpose in other reactions. But since it was a square, he could cut the resulting solid mass into little cubes. The alchemist introduced the [Solidify] modifier, double-checking that the vent was open. It reacted immediately, turning the pale pink liquid opaque. With a few quick shakes of the flask, a blob of solid healing thumped onto the table.

“Maybe,” Salire said. “You’d need to find a god willing to take you.”

Theo grunted. Maybe that wasn’t the answer. He rattled off the list of acceptable gods given by Drogramath. Glantheir, Parantheir, Zaul, Ulvoqor, Uz’Xulven, Tworgnoth, Toru’aun, and Khahar. “Which of those would you pick to help the town?”

Theo cut the pills into sections, using his Drogramath Alchemy Knife to create perfectly sized rectangular cubes. He planned to perform the action several times, creating a surplus stock for the store to sell. Refined Healing Essence was not in short supply.

“Well, Glantheir is the healing one. Right? I doubt you’d enjoy aligning with the duelist, Parantheir, or Zaul. So, Uz’Xulven, Tworgnoth, Toru, and… Wait, Khahar isn’t a god,” Salire said, chuckling. “Unless he’s part of some weird pantheon.”

“Uz’Xulven,” Theo said, pausing his work. He shrugged and continued. What good would the Bridge of Shadows be to him?

Theo started his still to run some Fade Carapaces. It wasn’t an essence he kept on hand, but it seemed popular enough with adventurers to run a batch of 500 units. He talked with Salire while he worked, exhausting her knowledge of aligned cores before thanking her and summoning Zarali to his lab. The alchemist found that picking the brains of people not in the know was a great approach. Normal people like Salire had an untainted view of the world, and they usually provided vital information.

When Zarali arrived, she had dropped all of her previous reservations about knocking Theo out. The process worked, after all.

“So glad to see you up and moving again,” Zarali said.

“Never thought I’d see a Dronon… Let alone two,” Salire said, chuckling.

“You should visit Slagrot sometime,” Zarali said, patting the woman on the shoulder. “Your ancestors mingle openly with every manner of demon.”

“I’ll pass. Ogre food never worked for me.”

Theo went back to work, finishing the Healing Pill order and moving on to the Mana Pills. While he’d never crafted them, it was the same recipe as the last. His [Solidify] modifier stock grew thin, but he simply started another still and set the timer. The lab was growing hot with three bodies mingling and two stills running. The company was too good to dismiss either Salire or Zarali, and the pair seemed to get along.

“A priest of Uz’Xulven core would be lovely,” Zarali said.

“Meh. I’m not too interested in teleportation. Besides, Fenian had his carriage blessed to use the bridge,” Theo said. “Why couldn’t I?”

“Fair enough,” Zarali said, watching as Theo poured his Refined Mana Essence into the square flask. He mixed in the [Solidify] modifier and they watched as it hardened. “Oh, how I’d love to see a Toru’aun Dronon. From what I understand, she doesn’t hand out priest cores.”

“Interesting.” Theo checked his still running the Fade Carapace. That reagent wasn’t as picky as others, happily running at full heat for the entire distillation cycle. He swished the flask of distilled essence, nodding with approval. “What does she stand for?”

“Mystery,” Zarali said, doing something suspicious, like jazz-hands. “They say not even the other Demon Gods know what she stands for.”

That was a lot to think about. Not only that, but if Theo wanted a core from any of these gods, he’d need to contact them or their representatives. After asking Zarali, even she admitted she couldn’t generate a new Drogramath core. The resulting thought the alchemist had was obvious. There was another Drogramathi priest out there that could do it. They weren’t alone in the wide world, just confined to their little continent.

As expected, the Mana Pills were simple to craft. Theo cut them into cubes, setting them aside as he did so. After finishing his first square flask, he inspected a sample.

[Mana Pill]

[Alchemy Pill]

Epic

Created by: Belgar

Quality: Perfect

Alignment:

Drogramath (Middling Bond)

A mana pill. Swallow to restore mana.

Effect:

Swallow this pill whole to restore 75 mana.

Theo didn’t have a sample to compare to, not having crafted any Mana Potions recently, but this was great. This single pill would restore half his total mana, although he rarely used it. That was a shame, leading him to think more about things that would take advantage of his unused pool. Whatever class he took for his Level 20 slot needed to take advantage of that. Something inside him urged him to take another demonic core, avoiding the Prime Pantheon. Drogramath listed allies in that group of gods, but he couldn’t guess at what would happen when the war kicked off.

“What cores would you produce, Khahar?” Theo asked.

“Combat cores related to hit-and-run tactics and magic related to the magic of the desert,” Khahar said, appearing from nowhere.

“How about Toru’aun?” Theo asked, not looking up from his work.

“Ward magic, often related to reactive effects,” Khahar said.

“That’s cheating!” Zarali said, a look of horror spreading across her face.

Theo ignored her protests. “Could you put me in contact with her or her representatives before you go?”

“Easily,” Khahar said, smiling. “Your egg is hatching.”

The egg chirped.

“Yeah, she’s been making noise,” Theo said, finishing the Mana Pills. “I’m guessing you’ll cheat now that Drogramath spilled the information. My intuition says Toru’aun is my best bet, so I have synergy with my useless mana pool.”

“Khahar, you’ve broken down a timeless mystery in moments,” Zarali said, huffing. “What right do you have to peer into the Demonic Pantheon?”

“I was there when it was formed,” Khahar said. “I watched her ascend.”

“Oh.”

“Toru’aun has more synergies than just your mana pool,” Khahar said. “If she’ll grant you a demon mage core, you’ll have access to spells which can enhance your town.”

“Sold,” Theo said. “Thanks.”

“My pleasure,” Khahar said, vanishing.

Salire chuckled nervously. “Just casually summoning a near-god to your lab. No big deal.”

“We were friends,” Theo said. He shut his first still off, satisfied with the essence it produced. The alchemist cleaned it out with a few drips of Cleansing Scrub and rubbed the egg in his satchel. He set aside the excess essence he didn’t need and got to work on the [Anti-Mage] Carapace Potions. “When my world was dying, what little government there was left fought over everything. Yuri Volkov was a bastard, fighting for the Moscow Alliance. I spied on his people a few times. He caught me. We got drunk and settled it over poker. Cards, since you don’t know what poker is. Yuri was shit at Texas Hold’Em.”

Zarali gawked. “You settled a dispute—while spying on another kingdom—by getting drunk? Playing cards?”

“It was a different time,” Theo said, lining up some flat-bottomed vials for his reaction. “We were supposed to kill enemy spies, but we rarely did. Only the real assholes did that. There was a silent agreement to settle our differences in other ways. Hey, then he became a great friend when the world went shitter.”

“Wait. You’re an outworlder?” Salire asked.

Theo often forgot he was trying to keep that a secret. Now that he thought about it, after communicating with Lord Drogramath, he didn’t know why. Secrets got him in trouble in the past, both on Earth and in Broken Tusk. But it didn’t matter. This batch of Refined Carapace Essence was perfect quality and would produce some absolutely amazing potions. Whatever adventurer had ordered these was in for a treat.

“Yeah,” Theo said.

That seemed to be enough for the shopkeeper. Zarali pressed Theo to ask Khahar for more information about the mysterious demoness. The alchemist didn’t really care. If Khahar said it was a good pick, then it was the best pick. He’d find whatever information he could after they put him in contact with her representative.

Since the Lesser Plant Golem had been tending the greenhouses, Theo’s time was freed up considerably. His cultivated attribute reagents might have been ready for distillation, but the alchemist only had a few hundred of each essence on hand. It wasn’t enough to fill the order, but it was a start. Both Salire and Zarali let out a yelp when the golem came to deliver some attribute reagents at Theo’s request.

“Thanks, little guy,” Theo said, patting the twisting mass of vines and plants on the head. It made no sound, but the egg chirped.

Theo worked his stills as he chatted with his friends. Xol’sa showed up at some point, no doubt summoned by Zarali, to give his advice on Toru’aun. While the wizard didn’t know the secrets of the god’s mysteries, he could extrapolate information.

“I would absolutely take that core, Theo,” Xol’sa said.

The lab was even more crowded now, making it difficult to move around and work the stills. Theo thought about dismissing everyone, but he was having too much fun crafting theories with them. There was nothing better than looking forward to getting a new core, trying to find how it synergized with his other cores.

“As you know, my planar wards are already effective,” Xol’sa said. “But compared to someone with a specialized core, I’m an amateur. Even at Level 1, you’d be a boon to my operation. We could easily wrangle the dungeons for my plan.”

“The theme park?” Theo asked, laughing.

“Yes, that,” Xol’sa said.

Everyone had an opinion on the best Level 20 core to take, but Theo wouldn’t decide right away. Khahar’s option would likely be the best, but it was important to keep an open mind. If something cropped up that would help the town more, the alchemist would take that. Any mana-using class that aided his cause was worth consideration. This also brought up a thought about the difficulty of leveling past 30, as so many others had said before.

By Level 30, Theo would have five cores. Each core would need to level in order to advance his personal level. Then at Level 50, he’d have seven cores and so on. That all assumed that he didn’t use other means to generate a core slot, which Uharis had said was possible. His cores twitched at the thought, as though there were some solution to the problem. But it was another problem for another day. Filling the orders for people in town wasn’t just about making money anymore. It was about providing his people with the means to get stronger by running dungeons and killing monsters. If they really wanted to turn this place into a theme park, they needed refreshments. Potions sold at a premium to visiting adventurers. Another machine that printed money.

Zarali was always happy to sit around and watch Theo make potions. Perhaps it was her way of apologizing for putting him through anguish, but he didn’t mind whatever the reason. Salire had to scamper off to attend to the shop when the alchemist was almost done with the attribute potions. Making new Dexterity Potions gave him a chance to compare the effects of using Iron Shavings and Drogramathi Iron Shavings. He examined the pure iron version first with a [Refined Elemental Wind] modifier for reference.

[Dexterity Potion]

[Refined Elemental Wind]

[Potion] [Modified Potion]

Epic

Created by: Belgar

Quality: Excellent

Alignment:

Drogramath (Middling Bond)

Drink to enhance Dexterity.

Drink to increase speed scaling.

Effect:

+13 Dexterity for 1.75 hours.

For 1 hour, your physical speed scales 1.25 times better than normal.

Without wasting essence and without a base sample to compare to, he created another Dexterity Potion using the [Refined Elemental Wind] modifier and his new shavings.

[Dexterity Potion]

[Refined Elemental Wind]

[Potion] [Modified Potion]

Epic

Created by: Belgar

Quality: Excellent

Alignment:

Drogramath (Middling Bond)

Drink to enhance Dexterity.

Drink to increase speed scaling.

Effect:

+14 Dexterity for 1.75 hours.

For 1.25 hours, your physical speed scales 1.30 times better than normal.

Shavings were described in books as catalysts. Theo had observed that they were better described as binding elements. Not binding agents, but elemental things that brought a potion together. Whether it was a bond between the water and the essence or a potion and a modifier, the catalyst served as a way to bring those things together. Something twinged in his mind as he considered the idea, but he had to push it away for now. The base effect of the potion had barely changed, but the effects added from the modifier were enhanced slightly. The reasoning behind this was that the potency of the catalyst also increased the potency of alignment effects, which were bound through the catalyst.

Once again, Theo found himself the foremost expert on the topic in his realm. But it wasn’t easy to forget that there were other followers of Drogramath out there. Someone in some far corner of the world could have all these secrets tucked away, either in their mind or in a tome. Anything to show up the alchemists in Qavell was worth it, though. And it wasn’t as though Drogramathi Iron was in low supply. All these thoughts led to more experimentation while potions were brewed and the stills were run.

“Interesting effect about the demon iron,” Theo said, producing another Drogramathi Iron Ingot from his inventory. “I realized a reactivity test is in order.”

Without waiting for Zarali’s approval, Theo let a drop of essence fall on the iron. The normal reaction would have been a horrible hissing and popping, often resulting in a small explosion. He’d been treating the Drogramathi Iron as though it were a normal metal, but a grin spread across his face when he realized. Drogramathi Iron was naturally alchemically inert. That only made sense. It was a metal aligned with the master of potions himself, so it tracked. While this was a nice bonus, it added little to the alchemist’s needs. He could already treat metals with a solution.

“No big gain there,” Theo said, shrugging. But Zarali went on about how amazing it was.

“This is the power of our Lord Drogramath,” she said proudly. “Isn’t it amazing?”

She turned to Xol’sa, who stammered for a moment. “Absolutely amazing.”

The Lesser Copper Golems sent a signal through the lodestone network that they were engaging something in combat. But as soon as it came through, they sent the all-clear. Those were the golems working the mines, meaning something had spawned in the dying hours of the day. Gridgen and his people must have finished work for the day, forcing the monsters to spawn.

“Can we upgrade the lodestones?” Theo asked. “I want more golems.”

“You can upgrade your willpower,” Zarali scoffed. “Look inward before you rely on tools, dear brother.”

“You’ve been neglecting your mana control, too,” Xol’sa said. “That’ll become important if you take a mage-type core.”

“I’ve been practicing,” Theo said, half-lying. He practiced in the Dreamwalk, where he felt most safe.

Zarali nodded. “We can upgrade them, but I’d rather see you grow your will first. Then worry about getting more fancy toys.”

“I’ll work on both,” Theo said, finishing his work for the day. He delivered the items to Salire, his stomach grumbling. He missed dinner last night and breakfast that morning. And his bath. That was Zarali’s worst crime against him. No one should be deprived of Xam’s amazing cooking or her amazing bathhouse.

The alchemist left his lab, intent on eating until he puked.

Chapter Forty-Eight

Theo finished his second helping of Xam’s Zee and wolf meat pasta bake. He washed the meal down with some imported mead and let out a satisfied sigh. With the world conspiring to some unknown end, it was nice to get back to enjoying the little things. The Marsh Wolf Tavern was more crowded than ever, and the staff had set tables outside to accommodate each patron. The only stain on the pleasant meal was the pestering of citizens, asking for “cold juice” to power their new air conditioners.

Word spread at the speed of a small town, the way it always did, and folks were buying up Throk’s new offering. The blacksmith would make a fortune, and Theo would line his pockets by selling the Freeze Solution. Without his mushroom caves, this would be an impossible task compared to the demand. But as the evening wound down, the alchemist directed all requests to Salire. He went to the bathhouse with Tresk for a nice soak.

They had the private room to themselves tonight, not willing to share on such a strange day. The companions sat in silence, without a need to verbalize their feelings. There was a new mingle of emotions joining their realm. The egg, which now bore cracks on the shell, sat near the warm water and wiggled. It was hard not to throw theories around about what would be inside. Tresk was still set on a dragon, but dragons were hardly mundane.

“It might be a chicken,” Theo said. “One must always beware of chickens.”

“What’s a chicken?” Tresk asked. “Oh, annoying little flightless birds. Got it.”

“How deep can you dig into my brain?” Theo asked. He couldn’t seem to skim the marshling’s thoughts, let alone form full ideas.

“I just close my eyes,” Tresk said, closing her eyes and pressing her fingers into her temples, “and poof. I see the chicken.”

Theo closed his eyes and focused, trying to imagine something from Tresk’s childhood. In an instant, a younger version of Throk popped into his mind. Broken Tusk was far smaller back then. Far muddier, too.

“I guess it worked,” Theo said, keeping his eyes shut.

That led to the idea that they would soon just share a brain. Theo couldn’t decide if that was a good thing or not. Their mingling of emotions was intimate enough, but now they’d share thoughts without trying.

“I talked to Fenian about my next core,” Tresk said, floating in the water on her back.

Testing his new ability to read her mind, Theo dug through her mind for the memory. There it was, sticking out like a beacon. Tresk burst from the shadows, cornering the trader and grilling him on the best core for her to take at Level 20. He treated her as though she were an overly excited toddler, giving her all the information she wanted but coloring his opinions. The elf had something to gain by suggesting a Parantheir Duelist’s Core. The memory came with more information than the alchemist wanted to sift through, but it seemed to hold a lot of synergy with her current build.

“You’ll be better at one-on-one combat,” Theo said, repeating what he’d seen in the memory.

“With a fancy sword.”

“Do you even like swords?”

“Fenian said they’d give me a real little one.”

Theo nodded. What was a dagger if not a really little sword?

Soaking in the bath was more than just getting clean. Everyone could easily clean themselves with Cleansing Scrub, but the soak was more. For Theo and Tresk, it was their daily rest. While the Dreamwalk left them feeling physically rested, it was still important to reset mentally. The egg seemed to agree, wiggling near the bath with increasingly powerful motions. With no plans to help the creature emerge, they just bathed in silence.

The staff at the bathhouse kicked them out at closing time, clearing each patron out for the night. Broken Tusk’s streets were flooded with those who’d enjoyed the bath, who promptly dispersed. Theo cast his eyes to the moonless sky, wondering if Sulvan was staring down at the planet from some unseen moon. Khahar’s power was a parody of what should be possible and represented a middle finger to the gods. What the Burning Eye said might have been more pointed than the alchemist realized. No one should remain in the mortal realm with so much power.

“Never gave the moon much thought,” Theo said, walking the cobbled streets with Tresk.

“The dark one or the light one?” Tresk asked.

“Either.”

“Qavelli and Bantari adopted their names from the elven language, Taranthian. Antalis is the black moon,” Tresk said, pointing in a vague location in the sky. “Can’t see it, ’cause it’s dark. Duh. Telbaris is the shifting moon. Different colors whenever it shows up.”

“How often does it appear?”

Tresk shrugged.

The history of this world was still mostly a mystery to Theo. He absorbed the information Khahar gave to Zarali but hardly understood it. Iaredin was in a period of stagnation, something brought on by Balkor’s Betrayal. After the Elven God of Healing repaired the land, Qavell sprung up to war with Veosta without missing a beat. The alchemist’s intuition said King Karasan spread himself too thin over far too short a time. Broken Tusk was proof enough of that. It was all radio silence from those representatives in the kingdom.

“I’d have to guess that a kingdom requires large amounts of resources to function,” Theo said.

“Wow, I wonder where we’d find those,” Tresk said, chuckling. They entered the Newt and Demon together, heading upstairs and falling into the Dreamwalk without hesitation.

Theo stood overlooking Broken Tusk on that hill to the north. He had brought Tresk to this hill before. The shift from the real world to the Dreamwalk was becoming effortless. By the day, it felt more like passing through rooms than entering an unfamiliar state of being. Their conversation didn’t falter during the shift.

“Do you think we have enough resources to support a kingdom’s core?” Theo asked. “Isn’t that quick? Going from Level 1 to a nation in a season?”

“Use your brain, smarty pants. Just like Broken Tusk was a small town, once we finally snatch independence from the north, it’ll be a small nation. Hey, look at the egg’s spirit.”

The floating wisp of white had grown since they entered the Dreamwalk. It took on a new form, almost distinguishable as a real thing. But the edges were still blurry, too mercurial to make out. She would hatch by the morning, bringing a new member to their little group and just as much mystery.

“Can’t imagine a core for a kingdom is cheap. We’d still need to raise the money to buy independence,” Theo said.

“Maybe we’ll get lucky and something bad happens to Qavell.”

“Would that be lucky though?” Theo asked. He was reminded too much of his old work. With a thought, he shifted the scene to the crater of Berlin. A once-proud nation-state annihilated because of that sentiment. “Could you pull the trigger?”

Theo shifted the scene again. It was a moment frozen in place. Plumes of earth shot up, fire mingling with dirt as the orbital bombardment cleansed the land of life. In his hand, the alchemist held the detonator. The trigger that disabled the defenses of a nation, opening the sky to certain death. Rendering it to dust. He remembered what he felt during the operation. Nothing.

“Maybe,” Tresk said. For all her ruthless nature, that was something few were willing to do. Theo’s actions were indirect, but the result was the same. “But Fenian sure would. That man has it out for someone in the kingdom.”

“I’d love to disagree with you on this, Tresk. I really would. But if someone dissolved Qavell, we’d have an easier life.”

“Think of it like this. People are fleeing the city already. They’re not stupid. The majority of the population will migrate east or south. Those who can’t wield power for the betterment of their people don’t deserve it. King Karasan included.”

But it created more problems than most realized. Population displacement wasn’t a simple thing. The other towns and cities of the continent wouldn’t be ready for an influx of people, not like Broken Tusk. The more people saw the swamp town as a refuge, the more they’d come. And Theo would be there for them with open arms. Anyone who signed a magical contract was allowed in, and if they didn’t sign it, he would happily offer them their boats to another land. The Khahari to the east, the lizardfolk to the south, the ogres to the west, or the elves in the same direction. One-way tickets: one gold a head. Whatever worked.

Theo blinked the image of Berlin away, shifting the scene back to Broken Tusk. Back on that hill. He drew across the landscape with his finger, painting the gray hills and green fields with red. From here, it was easy to see that east was the best expansion direction. Up to the river, where the River Dungeon might threaten citizens, it was clear grassland. Miana’s ranch could expand northward, butting against an endless sprawl of houses. The alchemist jabbed his finger along the path he drew, dotting it with places where taverns and general shops could be placed. Once they conquered the River Dungeon with Xol’sa’s new core, they could push further east.

“Always keeping the sacred swamp safe,” Theo said, verbalizing his expansion plan. “We’ll take the east, the north, and the south. But west? That’s our playground. Our theme park.”

Tresk nodded, drawing lines of her own. She turned, gesturing to the sprawling hills behind. “I got a plan.”

The marshling continued drawing her lines. Straight lines that connected four points in the town. “No way around it. Only one dungeon in our area is easy to get to. Then you gotta swim to the bottom of a raging river. The Hills Dungeon? That’ll take most Level 1–20 people a day to get to, unless they have a travel power like me. Not because of the distance, but because of the terrain.”

“The Swamp Dungeon isn’t much better,” Theo said, gesturing vaguely west. He couldn’t see the dungeon from here, but he could see Tresk’s lines leading off into the distance.

“The Mountain Dungeon is worse,” Tresk said, gesturing to her south-running line. “The solution?”

“Roads. Highways. Tunnels,” Theo said, reading Tresk’s mind. “Ziz is already working on building a team of road-builders, right? We’re going to connect Broken Tusk with Rivers soon enough. Then they can work with Gridgen and the miners to make a tunnel to the Mountain Dungeon in the south and the Hills Dungeon in the north. And a highway to the Swamp Dungeon. How quick can someone get to the Swamp Dungeon if there’s a raised road?”

“An hour,” Tresk said, not missing a beat. She’d put a lot of thought into this. “Talking about your theme park with Xol’sa, right? Imagine little general stores right outside those dungeons. Keeps surrounding the entrances with guards. Artifice weapons to mow them down when they spawn during a wave—we’re talking about total control of the dungeons. Treat them like the resource they are.”

“Resources,” Theo said, his thoughts coalescing.

This entire game had been about resources from the start, so it made sense. A Dungeon Engineer Core falls into the lap of the town’s wizard, and that’s supposed to be a coincidence? But Theo couldn’t discount the hard work they’d put in. He shifted the scene back to his arrival in town. Twenty houses clustered at the foot of the farmer’s hill with a scatter of ramshackle buildings around the town’s square. He forced the image back to Broken Tusk today. It was sprawling by comparison, the walls dominating much of the terrain.

“So, you really met Drogramath?” Tresk said, the worry in her voice plain.

“Yep. Seems like a good guy,” Theo said. “Makes you wonder what he’s planning.”

“What they’re planning,” Tresk corrected. “Who cares. Strong walls will see us through anything.”

Theo cast his gaze to the floating egg-spirit. It was forming into a more solid thing by the moment, resembling a forming embryo. Of what kind, he couldn’t say. His money was still on it being a chicken.

“Well. Time to exploit a twist of fate, huh?” Theo asked.

“Yeah. Time to grind experience.”

Tresk shifted the image back to the harbor, finding a place near the river to summon creatures. She wasn’t interested in calling more assassins, so that was nice. Theo was able to put his focus completely into his art. The alchemist already understood his Level 20 barrier for the Drogramath Alchemy Core and the Drogramath Herbalism Core. Mana infusion seemed like a simple technique, but it was devilishly hard to master. When he used the fermentation barrels, it was as simple as holding his hand over them and letting the mana flow. But when summoning mana manually, it was more like controlling a wildfire with his mind.

A line of ten copper stills bubbled away as Theo blew himself up with his own mana. The golems he’d created regarded him with annoyance as they moved random objects from one place to another. The ghostly ships that Theo summoned dropped off invisible goods, bringing some comfort to the alchemist’s mind. Gaining mastery over his mana was nothing like he expected. It wasn’t a calm, meditative action. It was a battle for control over that fire. But each time he pulled mana from his Drogramath Alchemy Core, he got a little better at holding it in his hand. Its desire was to consume him whole. A battle of wills between the alchemist and the mana filled the harbor with a purple glow.

“Well, egg-spirit,” Theo said, dusting himself off after dying again. “I wonder if my next core will have a different flavor of mana.”

Theo closed his eyes, looking into his cores. He was eager to learn spellcraft, whatever form that took, but couldn’t run before he walked. The more he thought about it, the more he realized his lack of knowledge on the subject. Xol’sa seemed to just cast spells, so how did that work? He poured an entire bottle of refined essence over the head of a golem to study the effects, nodding when the creature exploded in a shower of shredded plant matter. Shifting his attention, he studied the effects of essence on a Drogramath Iron Ingot.

It was still fascinating how it worked as a catalyst but remained non-reactive otherwise. Logic said that anything alchemically inert wouldn’t interact in any way, including as a catalyst. But logic failed in the face of the system. The iron just worked, and that was the end of it. It was imbued with something that made it work, and trying to discover the logic was an exercise in madness. With these situations, Theo just accepted it and moved on.

The Dreamwalk was always a safe haven for Theo to express himself and experiment with ideas, though. The only thing it lacked was outside information, which made for a stifling experience when he wanted to discover new things. He shifted away from mana control and worked on his defenses against random assassins again. While they couldn’t use the Tara’hek Dreamwalk here, he could imagine how it would help him get out of a bad situation. The tactic to prevent assassinations was still very simple.

Theo generated a Retreat Potion with the [Refined Elemental Wind] modifier and inspected it.

[Retreat Potion]

[Refined Elemental Wind]

[Potion] [Modified Potion]

Rare

Created by: Belgar

Quality: Excellent

Alignment:

Drogramath (Middling Bond)

One second after drinking, the imbiber will be propelled backward. Distance depends on the quality of the potion.

At the end of this potion’s effect, the imbiber will gain [Featherfall] for 10 seconds. Imbiber will fall slowly for the duration of the effect.

A blast of elemental wind staggers all targets in front of the imbiber.

Effect:

[Retreat] on self.

[Featherfall] on expiration of [Retreat].

[Elemental Wind Blast] casts in a cone.

He experimented with the Elemental Wind Blast effect, combining it with a Potion of Limited Foresight, Carapace Potion with the [Anti-Mage] modifier, and Freezebombs modified with [Web]. The foresight potion allowed him to dodge four attacks once every six hours, which gave Theo enough time to react upon being attacked. He’d just need to have one of those active at all times. Next, quaffing a Carapace Potion summoned an encumbering shell of chitinous plates that would punish any mage attacks and prevent most physical attacks. When he drank the Retreat Potion, ten assassins diving in to kill him, green wind shot out in a wide cone. The faceless assassins stumbled back as the alchemist shot back with enough force to snap a normal person’s neck.

Theo found his footing, fluttering to the ground to land gently. The Freezebomb he left behind exploded, shooting icy webs out to capture those stumbling assassins. In the worst case, he could chug another Retreat Potion, even if it damaged his body. Drinking another Potion of Limited Foresight wouldn’t be unwelcome, even if it put him in bed for a few days. Anything was better than dying, and his intuition was saying it was more likely by the day.

Ten Lesser Copper Golems lashed out at a group of twenty assassins, whirling around to protect their master. Theo didn’t even need to drink his potions when the metal golems got involved—they were far too fearsome. The only problem with this tactic was that he’d need to know there was an attack coming. It wouldn’t work to have all his worker golems dedicated to combat, or the other way around. Another experiment saw that three metal golems wouldn’t do the job against many assassins. They needed to be right on top of the alchemist when the attack happened, so he reworked their orders.

Instead of trying to fight the assassins off, Theo had them use their massive bodies to hold down three assassins. In a scenario where five assassins attacked, that left Theo with two to deal with. It was less effective when he summoned twenty assassins, but Tresk stopped by to appreciate his dedication.

“Well,” Tresk said. “Feels like morning is coming. You ready to meet Beepy?”

“We’re not naming the egg-thing Beepy,” Theo said. “No matter what it is.”

“When it comes out beeping, you’re gonna change your tune.”

Chapter Forty-Nine

“We can’t call him Cheepy,” Tresk said, frowning at the wiggling chick.

Theo and Tresk awoke to the sound of a small chick chirping happily near the alchemist’s bed. It had a dark black bill, similar patterns around its all-black eyes, with a mix of yellow and gray downy plumage. Unlike an Earth chicken chick, which could easily fit in the palm of his hand, this one was large. Beepy, or whatever name the pair decided on later, was larger than the Dronon’s head. It chirped, snapping at the air as though expecting food.

“It’s not a chicken,” Theo said, inspecting the creature. “Hold on, can I inspect it?”

[Goose]

[Familiar]

Stage: Gosling

Master: [Dreamrealm of Tero’gal]

Level 1

Description:

Geese are known as the most loving creatures in all the realms. Any rumors spread to disparage these honorable creatures will be met with a flurry of feathers and bill.

Affinities:

Fire

“That’s a goose!” Tresk said, moving to snuggle the creature. It seemed to hug her back, wrapping its stunted neck around her.

“Just a goose,” Theo said, reading the description several times. It sounded like something someone wrote, not like something generated by the system. And what was Tero’gal?

“Guess we have a name for our Dreamwalk,” Theo said, keeping those things between him and Tresk.

“Cheep,” the goose responded, the sound echoing through his mind.

“Oh, can’t wait for my mind to be filled with honks,” Theo said, patting the goose on the head. “Let’s name it Jeff.”

“We’re not naming the goose Jeff!” Tresk shouted. “I won’t allow it.”

“She needs a name.”

Despite the gosling’s need for food, the pair descended into arguments about the creature’s name. The debate only ended when Khahar appeared from nowhere, his hands full of squirming grub-like creatures. He placed them in Theo’s hands without a word and smiled at the squawking gosling. The alchemist held the worms above his new familiar, who tilted her head back and opened her bill. He dropped a few grubs in, silencing the constant chirping.

“I shall name her,” Khahar said, his face taking on a pensive look.

Theo was suddenly worried. The goose looked a lot like “Jeff” to him. If Khahar named the goose something stupid, could he live with himself? This would be the thing’s name forever. What if she didn’t like it? There was little he could do but wait for the verdict.

“Alexandria D’Goose,” Khahar said, cracking a smile. “Alex for short.”

“All right, that’s pretty good,” Tresk said, still hugging Alex.

In the blink of an eye, all the tension left Theo’s body. The gosling chirped happily at the new name, bobbing in the marshling’s grasp. But the alchemist now felt like a mother hen, realizing they had nothing prepared for Alex. She’d need a safe place to sleep at night and rest during the day. Food, water, everything a pet needed. But she was more than a pet, and the implications of her master on the system screen was big. She wasn’t bound to Theo or Tresk, but to the realm that was expanding between them. Alex was bound to the Dreamrealm of Tero’gal.

“Explaining what that realm will become is cheating,” Khahar said, petting the goose. “But she has some interesting potential. She’ll become sapient after a while.”

“Sweet, what’s that mean?” Tresk asked.

“She’ll have a consciousness,” Theo said. “Already seems like she has a mind of her own.”

Alex had wriggled free of Tresk’s grasp and slapped her webbed feet on the wooden floor. She explored the cramped room, pecking at anything that looked remotely edible and chirping the whole time. Theo found it hard to tear his eyes off the little goose.

“How do we level her up?” Tresk asked.

“The normal way. She needs goose experience,” Khahar said. “Let her do goose stuff, and she’ll level quickly.”

“All right. Breakfast time,” Theo said, clapping his hands. “No dawdling.”

Theo turned without regarding Khahar. The leader of the Khahari disappeared moments later, off to do his own thing. Tresk followed behind Alex, making sure she could take the stairs without issue. The gosling flapped its stunted wings with each step, making frantic chirps. The alchemist waited at the bottom of the stairs, watching as his companion corralled their new goose.

“One step at a time, Alex,” Tresk said, patting Alex on the head. “Take it easy. You’re gonna be a big, strong goose one day, aren’t you? A fire-breathing nightmare goose!”

Once on flat ground, Alex found her feet. She waddled along the cobblestone path to Xam’s tavern, keeping up with the alchemist’s long strides. Tresk had to help her with the steps at the tavern, but the gosling managed. They found their usual table, pulling a new chair over for the goose, and waited for the server to come by. Theo ordered two plates of the leftovers, and two moss teas. Hopefully, the strange grubs were enough of a breakfast for the excitable gosling.

“No pets allowed,” Xam said, coming to the table and crossing her arms.

“Alex is a familiar,” Tresk glared, hands on her daggers.

“Just joking,” Xam said, chuckling. The marshling’s zealous attitude did not put her off. “That’s the egg, right? The one you’ve been carrying around.”

Theo still had the satchel at his hip, keeping it there despite not needing it. Now that Alex was out of the egg, he felt that sense of comfort washing over him constantly.

“Yeah, her name is Alexandria D’Goose, and she’s precious,” Tresk said.

Alex chirped in response.

Xam pet Alex on the head, cooing at the gosling. “Such a good little birdie. Aren’t you precious?”

A dagger appeared in the gosling’s tiny bill, clattering to the floor.

“Hey! That’s my backup dagger number twelve,” Tresk said, snatching the weapon up and stowing it away. “No rummaging through the inventory!”

Four more daggers appeared from nowhere, finding a similar fate. Then a pile of stone, actual garbage, a dresser, and finally a scattering group of angry bugs. Alex waddled from the chair to chase the bugs, pecking at them and swallowing what she could catch down.

Theo blinked the scene away. The status bars in the bottom left of his vision had become such a staple he hadn’t even noticed. An additional set of bars joined Tresk and Theo’s, labeled as “Alexandria D’Goose.” She had access to their Tara’hek powers. Which meant she had a Tara’hek Core inside her chest. That only made sense, as Alex had chirped into their mind.

“Wait,” Theo said, rushing out of the tavern. Alex seemed distraught that he left so quickly, but no one else did. He focused his mind on Alex and invoked the Tara’hek Dreamwalk. Instead of appearing in the tavern near Tresk, he appeared near Alex.

“Oh, damn,” Tresk said.

Theo inspected his Tara’hek Dreamwalk skill.

[Tara’hek Dreamwalk]

Mythic Marshling Bond Skill

Slip through your dreams.

Effect:

Each member of the Tara’hek may Approach any other member once a day, resetting at midnight. Approach distance depends on the level of the Tara’hek Core and the stability of the bond.

The wording had changed slightly. It referenced a single member of the bond before, but now it seemed more inclusive for additional parties. Theo searched his memory, trying to find a time when an ability had evolved like that. Tara’hek Communication had changed before. That left the lingering question of ability evolutions and how he could instigate them again. For now, it was a neat thing they could do, creating another anchor point for them to teleport. He checked the description of each Tara’hek Core skill, finding them to no longer talk about just two people.

“Alex is a member of the Tara’hek now. What does that mean?” Theo asked.

“Dunno. I, for one, welcome our new goose overlord,” Tresk said.

“Cheep.”

Alex drew a lot of attention in the tavern. Everyone wanted to come over to say hi to the newest member of Broken Tusk, despite the constant flow of migrants. Some had stories of other bonded creatures, but only Xol’sa knew about familiars. He was a young wizard, but the more Theo learned about his past, the more he realized it was as hard as it was brief. They left the tavern to discuss the new goose at the wizard’s tower, finding that she preferred standing on the ledge of the roof.

“I’d take Khahar’s words and let her be a goose for a while,” Xol’sa said. “Until she grows to her adult age, she won’t have access to the monster evolution options.”

Xol’sa had explained that familiars were much like roving monsters, only bound to a person. Wizards normally did this to enhance their strength, but it wasn’t unheard of to find an egg. The elf consulted one of many books on the topic but found nothing about a pair of people sharing a familiar. Theo didn’t mind what the outcome was. The emotions that normally flowed from Tresk were anger and determination. Alex put off a constant, calming vibe that seemed to affect both of them positively.

For now, it was fun to marvel at the gosling. New things in Broken Tusk often had implications that were hard to deal with. Theo planned on taking it easy today, letting his golems tend the garden for the morning. Alex needed a proper introduction to the town, and Xol’sa supported the idea. Her intelligence and empathy would grow like any person’s, feeding off her surroundings to form her personality.

“Keep in mind, she’ll be powerful,” Xol’sa said, inspecting Alex’s feathers and measuring her. “You can’t expect something like this to end in a mundane animal. She’s already monsterized, if you care to think of it like that. A few levels, and she’ll be spitting fire thanks to her affinity.”

“So cool,” Tresk whispered, stroking the gosling.

“Don’t forget the monster wave today,” Xol’sa said. “I’ll have a better sense of what to expect soon, but we’re expecting an all-out assault again.”

“That’s fine,” Theo said. “Come on, Alex. Let’s get a tour.”

Aarok and his adventurers would handle the wave. They hardly needed Theo anymore for the assault, only his potions. Several town-wide alerts went off, informing the adventurers that they should remain within the walls for today. They all had their units and were expected to respond at a moment’s notice. Tresk decided to stay with Theo and the gosling for the tour, since she couldn’t head off to fight in the dungeons.

“First stop,” Theo said, gesturing widely to the town square. “The middle of town. Nothing really going on here, but you’ve already been to the tavern. There’s the town hall, and down that street is the sawmill, butcher, and adventurer’s guild.”

“Cheep.”

Theo introduced Alex to everyone he saw, gaining a mixture of reactions. Some thought it was ridiculous to introduce a creature; others couldn’t get over how adorable she was. Salire was standoffish about the gosling but put on a brave face. Nira and her hardened smelters melted at the sight of Alex, making formal introductions and taking turns holding her. Someone was feeding the Midnight Damsel Smeltery monster cores, as it had grown significantly over the past week. They were pouring more molten metal than ever before, racing to beat the previous day’s record.

Nira’s workers could only expand so much before she had to dump massive quantities of monster cores into the building, urging it further along. But no upgrade offered a third crucible, and they were at a production stand-still.

“Another building, or you need to upgrade the town,” Nira said. “Why haven’t you been upgrading the town?”

“I’ve been waiting for the buildings to catch up,” Theo said.

“Well, they’re caught up.”

And that was all Nira had to say on the subject. Theo added it to his mental list.

Gridgen and his miners didn’t mind the gosling, but they weren’t overly excited to see her. The miners were more interested in singing the praises of the metal golems, who were still tirelessly defending the mine. The golems had orders to protect each miner, and while the monsters still weren’t strong enough to pose an actual threat, they still worked hard. Miners loved nothing more than anything that worked harder than them.

Theo gave a tour of the mine’s interior, leading Tresk, Gridgen, and Alex down the passage where they found the egg. Blood-splattered golems stood sentry outside of that dark stone room, but the gosling seemed excited to see the room. She flapped her little stunted wings, trying to return to the plinth where her egg rested, but failed. When the alchemist placed her atop the dark stone, she just chirped excitedly. But the miners had dug new tunnels out of the hard rock, revealing more spawn points for nuggets. Like the smelter, their production was increasing by the day. Even the miners themselves were growing stronger, most pushing past Level 10 and a select few edging toward 20.

The miners were smart enough to keep their exploratory digging to the top levels of the mine, targeting copper and iron but hoping to hit silver. Theo’s plan for a mint required massive amounts of copper. Once Nira got her specialized minting core, she’d need to grind levels to mint higher-tier coinage. Theo would have to face whatever rested in the deep places of the rock before getting the coveted Silver Nuggets. For now, he was happy to see them increasing their daily production.

“Fenian better make good on his promise of the shipbuilder,” Theo grumbled as they left the mine. But his grouchy mood was washed away with a single chirp from Alex.

“Oh! Show her the harbor next!” Tresk shouted.

Theo wanted nothing more, but the next stop was Miana’s ranch. The baby Karatan hadn’t hatched, but the half-ogre woman was eager to see Alex. She nestled the gosling in her arms, cooing at her the entire time. The visit came with a list of things they needed to do for Alex, including dietary information and sleeping arrangements. Miana promised to drop everything off at the lab before noon.

The harbor had seen some changes. Aarok ordered the new weapons to be placed on the new section of wall, completing the town’s defenses. Alex chirped excitedly to see this part of town, having an infectious eagerness to splash in the harbor’s water that almost saw Theo taking the plunge. Unlike in the Dreamwalk, the bridge-gate on the southern side of the harbor was closed. No ships came to Broken Tusk’s port, and it was a real shame. But that would soon be a distant memory.

Theo picked up his mostly cultivated Starbristle Flax from the greenhouse, finding that his Lesser Plant Golem had propagated the plant on its own. The small corner he reserved for test subjects was now filled with the strange plant, and the alchemist took a moment to inspect it. It was a flowering plant, with leaves that looked like tall blades of grass ending in bristling blue flowers. The sample he inspected was twice as large as the original, sitting at 135% cultivation. It was good enough for mass planting, so he scooped up ten live plants to give to Banu. That guy could propagate anything.

Banu didn’t care to see Alex, but what Theo saw disappointed him greatly. Gwyn had sorted the worker issue out perfectly. Almost every field was packed with people working the land, sorting the Zee plants out. What hurt the alchemist was the lack of upgrades. The farmer was making enough money to buy his own monster cores, but his stubbornness just wouldn’t give in. A quick breath and a wave of comforting warmth from the gosling dulled the edges of his harsh words. Where he wanted to throttle the farmer for disregarding his advice, his words came like a scolding parent.

“No upgrades?” Theo asked, placing his hands on his hips. “I thought we talked about this, Banu.”

“Things have been tight,” Banu said, mopping his brow.

“Uh-huh,” Theo said. “What with all the free money you’re getting from the town. Come on, we need to sort this out. Now.”

Banu stammered but followed Theo to the seed core building’s center. The farmhouse was nice enough, even for a single-floor situation. Theo had more high-level monster cores than he knew what to do with and began jamming them in the building. He wasn’t the owner, so he wouldn’t get the prompt to select the upgrades. That didn’t matter; the farmer had great intuition.

With increasing Intelligence, Theo could understand the upgrade cost for buildings. Before, it seemed to be arbitrary, but he got it now. If a building was under the level of the cores used, it needed around 5 cores to hit a new level. Plus one, in some cases. That part still didn’t make sense. He experimented with an equal-level core at first, then cores that were a level lower, and so on until the building hit Level 15 and got the first upgrade. Monster cores that were a lower level than a building worked on a less effective formula. At Level 11, the building ate 10 Level 10 cores. Level 12 took 20, and it seemed to scale from there.

Banu made his selection, and Theo moved on, feeding cores until the building hit Level 20. The alchemist noticed new fields had sprung up to the west. The farmer expanded the farm in that direction, expanding the level ground created by that ancient earth mage. When the alchemist went to inspect the farm’s upgrades, he realized how good these upgrades would be.

[Fresh Tilled Earth]

Any fertilizer-baring substance tilled into this soil will be doubly effective.

This was an upgrade Banu had already selected. It was likely the reason why the swamp mud did so well with fertilizing the fields. This was a possible synergy for Theo’s potions, but it was hard to say without experimentation.

[Enhanced Growth]

Reduce the time required to grow plants within the farm by a significant margin.

Enhanced Growth combined with the naturally fast-growing effect of Drogramath’s power was a killer. While a normal growing season might have been around 30 days on this planet, Banu’s selection of this upgrade made it half a week or less. But the reason for the farm creating new plots of land was the next upgrade.

[Scaling Expansion]

New fields will be generated when this building is expanded. Expanding in any direction results in the leveling of terrain, providing the perfect growing surface.

So the upgrade sorted out the strangely shaped land. That was beyond useful, something that Theo wouldn’t pass up for the world. Banu made a great pick with that one.

[Drogramathi Cultivation]

Your power is now aligned with Drogramath. Fields present in an area of high Drogramath Energy will provide higher yields.

Theo stared at the upgrade for some time. His mind couldn’t process the depth of dedication a half-ogre would have to possess to pick this option. While people didn’t outwardly hate the Demon God, there was still a stigma. Banu could have selected it from a logical standpoint, but that man wasn’t very logical.

“Banu, you’d seriously align yourself with Drogramath?” Theo asked.

“Big ol’ Demon God has done nothing but good for us, huh?” Banu asked, sounding moderately offended. “Seems a shame not to pledge to whoever is gonna help me out. Demon or not.”

Theo clapped a hand over the half-ogre’s shoulder, smiling. He might have known, but that was a massive step forward for the people of Broken Tusk. It would make it easier to set their patron to Drogramath when the time came. Whenever that might be.

They finished their business at the farm, handing Banu the Starbristle Flax plants and leaving it at that. The farmer didn’t need instructions; he’d plant them today and get massive fields of the plant rolling before the sun set. Tresk remained silent for the visit, happy enough to just be there with the gosling. Ziz’s place was next, and the stoneworkers were all too happy to see the baby goose.

Ziz’s cadre had expanded significantly, although he still kept outsiders at a distance. His idea of creating a group of core stoneworkers and another group of auxiliaries was fine by Theo. He shared his idea of making raised roads, tunnels, and so forth, and the stoneworkers seemed to think it was a great idea. While it was a problem for another day, that didn’t stop them from drawing up plans on a tattered piece of parchment.

All these thoughts for the future fell away when a bell echoed up from the town below. It was a slow ring that could only mean one thing. A town-wide message popped up to punctuate the thought.

[Aarok]: Defenders to your stations. We’ve sighted the monster wave.

Chapter Fifty

Goblins stumbled through the swamp west of Broken Tusk. Theo stood, flanked on either side by Lesser Copper Golems, with Alex perched on his shoulder. The gosling was excited to see the oncoming attack but jumped and nearly lost her footing when the bombs went off. Throk was getting more creative with his defensive artifices, but they hardly seemed to matter. The alchemist stuffed the scared goose into his satchel, leaving enough space for her to poke her little head out if she wanted.

“What an appreciable change of pace,” Theo said, watching as citizens and adventurers carted the motes around. Eight of his golems were helping with the job, transporting the supply of motes they’d collected to the walls. “The first wave we had was a bit of a nightmare.”

How Xol’sa had instigated a simple wave was beyond the alchemist’s understanding. Theo wouldn’t complain. It gave him a chance to see how well Aarok had drilled the adventurers. There was no misunderstanding between them now. Each unit was drilled to perfection, often leaving the walls for a sortie. The goblins would have trouble pushing into the range of the turrets, let alone to the walls. He walked the walls, finding his way south to Aarok’s command post.

Wooden poles held up a hide awning, shading Luras and Aarok from the sun. Adventurers came in, giving status reports, but most of the commands were given through the tactical interface. Theo checked the interface, finding each adventurer segmented into distinct squads. Some ran to the north, checking on the Hills Dungeon; others to the east for the River Dungeon; and so on. There was no activity outside the swamp.

“Most towns don’t have such a mind for defense,” Khahar said, appearing from nowhere.

“That’s because most towns don’t have to worry about it,” Theo said. “We’ve got five dungeons to think about, so weapons were our first concern.”

Luras grunted, leveling his gaze at the Khahari leader. “How quick could you level this rabble?”

“In a blink,” Khahar said. “But then, how would you get stronger?”

Theo nodded. He leaned over, trying to stifle a laugh. “Hey Yuri, remember that one time you got set up by that lady from the Asia Alliance?”

“I can’t even recall her name,” Khahar said, trying and failing not to laugh. “Left me out to dry. Why? Because I cheated at her dice game. The nerve.”

“What?” Luras asked.

“I tried to go back,” Khahar said, ignoring the half-ogre. “Figured if I could get strong enough, maybe I could turn back time. Save the planet. As I learned, it wasn’t our planet that was destroyed. It was the universe.”

“Bummer,” Theo said, watching a goblin get zapped. Alex twitched at the booming sound of the turret, but everyone else was used to it. “Not sure if my current position is much better. I often feel like a puppet.”

“Because you’re short-sighted,” Khahar said. Aarok barked orders to a passing adventurer. “It’s going to take you a long time to understand this, Spencer. When you arrived, you were a pawn. When you took the soul-bond, the person who pulled the strings lost control. The moment you were out of the Burning Eye’s reach, Drogramath betrayed him. Flipped the entire operation on its head.”

“Then Drogramath is pulling my strings,” Theo said.

“Wrong. Your realm grows stronger by the moment. If Drogramath can’t pull your strings, he’ll do the next best thing. Make sure no one else can pull your strings,” Khahar said. “Your heart beats once, and the gods have made a thousand moves in the heavens. Time marches slowly down here, but in the adjacent realms? Well, maybe all this information is cheating. But you’re making your own decisions now.”

Theo never felt as though he was following someone else’s plan. The more he thought about it, the more he realized this whole experiment seemed like a failure. Even with two Drogramathi cores, the Demon God’s influence seemed miles away. But could the same be said for Fenian Feintleaf? One more cheat.

“Does Fenian intend to harm Broken Tusk?” Theo asked.

Khahar leveled his gaze at the alchemist, piercing him with the power of the Khahari Desert. “Who do you think knocked their plans off course? When he’s done with the first stage of his plan, remember that empathy.”

Theo looked over the wall again. Yuri wouldn’t lie to him. If he said Fenian was on the level, that was the end. Khahar might think the alchemist had some love for the kingdom, but he was wrong. The only thing he felt was disappointment. Unless King Karasan showed he cared about anyone in the south, it would be a good thing if Qavell fell. Especially if they were expecting something big to happen, failing to inform their subjects. At least it was a good example of what not to do when running things.

Khahar remained near the command tent, giving no advice on what they should do for the battle. Both Luras and Aarok seemed to dislike, if not hate, the Khahari leader. But that was half-ogres. They trusted authority as much as a rabid Marsh Wolf, and those with power even less. Theo just listened in to the reports being given, eventually finding himself running motes for the northern section of the wall. Goblins had slipped past their defenses and were making a run for the section near the farm.

Many of the crates stationed near the farm’s turrets needed a resupply. Civilians were manning those stations, feeding motes into the turrets as quickly as they could fire. This section of wall wasn’t well-defended, but Aarok showed his mettle as a tactician. Theo spotted Tresk in the forest of Ogre Cypress below, weaving her way through the Goblin’s back ranks with a team of stealthers. To his surprise, the marshling made an excellent commander. Her group executed hit-and-run tactics expertly, never lingering long enough to draw the mass of seething monsters. They were methodical, leaving poisoned goblins to writhe in the dirty marsh before moving on to another section of the monster wave.

Theo picked up on chatter from passing adventurers. They spoke of a group of hooded figures in a copse near the river. When they brought it to the alchemist’s attention, he deferred to Aarok’s command. If migrants were on the road to the east, they should be safe from the wave. He made his way to the northern section of the wall, finding none of the crates in need of resupply, and moved on to the eastern wall. The alchemist tracked a path to the harbor’s wall, trying to see what the fuss was about. He drank a Potion of Lesser Foresight just in case there was trouble.

There were no migrant trains visible from the wall, despite it being a clear day. Theo sent a mental signal to his lodestone network, recalling his remaining Lesser Copper Golem and standing perched on the wall. The terrain to the north was a gentle slope of land, the road following the river’s path. He spotted the cluster of trees the adventurers spoke of but couldn’t see anything strange. Broken Tusk didn’t own the land that far out, so people might have been roaming the area. He walked the perimeter of the harbor, finding nothing suspicious on the other end before meeting with the adventurers who saw the figures.

Bal and his two brothers were the ones who saw the people, but none had much to say.

“Just a few people,” Bal said. “Thought we’d make the report, ’cause you never know.”

“Right,” Theo said. “Too far out for any detail.”

“Exactly,” Dal said, nodding.

“All right. Keep it up,” Theo said, petting Alex within his satchel.

Theo made his way around the eastern part of the wall, spotting nothing unusual on the river-facing section of the town. Even from a distance, he could see Nira’s smeltery working even under the siege. Gridgen and his people weren’t in the mines, or they were too deep for the alchemist to hear the ringing of their picks. Tresk sent a few messages, updating him on the situation. This would be their cleanest monster wave, but that was the point. Xol’sa was trying to control the conditions of the wave, and he was getting better by the day.

The solitary walk along the wall was relaxing. With Alex nestled in the bag, Theo was left alone with his thoughts. When the sieges came, he couldn’t help but feel useless. But it was his hard work that made the defenses possible at all. He set down the groundwork to establish the walls and the weapons. Without the alchemist’s funding, none of this would have been possible. One day he’d need to face the reality that he was the leader here. Not Aarok or Alise. While he didn’t expect them to challenge his authority, he needed to remind himself of that fact. A wave of encouraging comfort came from Alex, washing away all his doubts.

“If they won’t respect my authority, they’ll respect the goose,” Theo said, patting the gosling on the head. She chirped in response.

Theo made his way back to the command tent without haste. Some sections of the wall in the south of town were at such an extreme angle, it was hard to take the steps. Without the constant raining, there was no chance of slipping, but it still paid to be cautious. By the time he made it to the western battlements, his last metal golem caught up with him. A familiar warm wave passed over him as he approached the commanders of the siege. Zarali had joined with Aarok and Luras, casting the alchemist a concerned look. She pulled him to the side.

“Did you feel that?” she asked.

“Reminds me of when you were scanning the town for me,” Theo said, chuckling.

“Because that’s exactly what it was,” Zarali said. Another flash of warmth signaled her using her senses to scour the town. But she shook her head. “Strange. A priest could be searching for you, so stay sharp.”

Theo gestured to his metal bodyguards. “They got me covered.”

Aarok and Luras had overheard the exchange, giving their opinion of the sensation. If the goblins had a shaman among them, they could direct the attacking forces to target the leader of the town. That was just a theory, but it made as much sense as anything else. When Theo directed his intuition on the matter, he got nothing. All theories for the matter fell away when a lumbering troll appeared in the distance. The alchemist groaned. Troll Blood sucked as a reagent. He’d take a water elemental any day over the vile trolls. A system message accompanied the appearance of the boil-ridden monster.

Boss Monster spotted! Plague Lord Gripstink has been sighted. This monster is stronger than regular monsters; exercise caution.

Like most trolls, Plague Lord Gripstink was a massive creature. It had a face permanently dumbstruck, mouth hanging agape with beady eyes darting every way, covered in boils that dripped hissing fluid. Unlike most trolls, Gripstink’s sores and boils all dripped that foul liquid. Any place it touched seemed to wither away in an instant.

“It’s quite important he doesn’t reach the wall,” Zarali said, all concern for Theo washing away. “Have you crafted a Potion of Cure Plague?”

“Nope,” Theo said, trying and failing to blink away the image of the disgusting troll. “Do you have the recipe?”

“I only know of the property from Throneroot,” Zarali said, managing a defeated shrug. “Aarok, you must instruct your adventurers not to attack this thing directly. Don’t touch that foul liquid, and don’t engage in close combat.”

Aarok didn’t hesitate. He sent out a town-wide message advising everyone to steer clear of the boss. Theo searched his memory for the [Cure Plague] property but found nothing even similar. [Cure Ailment] and [Cleanse] were his closest options, but if this was a specific disease, they’d be in trouble. Since Zarali mentioned it by name, the alchemist assumed that was the case.

“All right,” Theo said, gesturing to his metal golem bodyguards. “You three are up.”

The golems shuffled off without complaint, obeying their master absolutely. Aarok tried to object, but Theo shut him down.

“They’re not intelligent, and they can’t get sick,” Theo said. “Damn, I should have made more before the attack.”

“We’ll keep the thing at range,” Aarok said.

“Get the bomb-throwers in range,” Luras said.

“I’m a bomb-thrower,” Theo said, suddenly realizing he could help. “I’ve got some gear that helps me throw stuff.”

“Get to the gate.”

Theo sprinted off, passing his golems and standing with the other throwers at the western gate. The troll was lumbering in the distance, still too far away for bombs to be effective. While the alchemist was confident he could land bombs near the monster, the towering Ogre Cypress made getting a direct hit impossible. But his bag of tricks was hardly limited. His inventory was full of utility bombs, meant to get him out of the range of assassins. Luras came over shortly, giving orders on what bombs should be thrown first. He was far more prepared for this scenario than Theo would like to consider, but that gave him a sense of pride.

With a Freezebomb modified with [Web] in his hand, Theo prepared to let loose. The pattern for throwing the bombs was the first pattern they established. They would root the boss in place, toss standard Firebombs to apply a fire-based DoT effect, then throw another Firebomb with the [Surge] modifier to consume the effect and apply massive damage. The important part was to maintain a fire effect at all times, avoiding the troll’s impressive regeneration abilities.

There was no target in the world that deserved a bomb to the face more than a Plague Troll. The monster lumbered over a wide expanse of soggy ground, stumbling as often as keeping his feet underneath him. Each plodding step brought him closer to bombardment, but they came slowly. Luras placed as many glowing red arrows in the thing’s bulbous body as paces a marshling would take between the wall and the creature’s position. There was nothing Theo could do but wait, anticipating the moment when his bomb would soar through the air. True to his increasing Dexterity, his aim was true.

Webs of ice launched from the point of impact, binding both the troll and the surrounding goblins down in a tangle of tendrils. Moments later they were broken by the first Firebomb, then the next with the [Surge] modifier, and another. The fetid troll became a funeral pyre on the swamp, representing the death of uncertainty and the proud call of all Broken Tuskers. Those on the wall shouted with delight as the troll burned. The alchemist kept a mental grip on his improvised bomb, preparing for if things went wrong. But between the rooting effects of the blasts of the Frost Cone Towers, bombardment of bombs, Luras’s well-placed arrows, and massive damage of the Chain Lightning Towers, the boss was reduced to a pile of ash.

It wasn’t a slow process. Theo was surprised with how many hits the thing took before it died. The troll left a trail of slimy goo along its march, plants rotting in its wake. Aarok knew better than to let that trail of filth stay where it was, ordering the bomb-lobbing adventurers to burn the swamp with the alchemist’s Firebombs. But the familiar system message popped up the moment the Plague Lord died.

Boss Monster defeated! Plague Lord Gripstink has been slain. Bonus Wave!

Bonus Wave! Broken Tusk defeated the monster wave in 3 hours! Bonus wave: Aerial Attack!

[Aerial Attack!]

Monster Wave

Duration: Infinite

Pincer Attack!

The Swamp Dungeon has generated aerial enemies!

These half-bird, half-elf creatures don’t care about your walls! Hope you’ve invested in ranged attackers or wall-mounted weapons.

Defeating this wave will result in a greater reward, but the difficulty is increased significantly.

Effect:

A flying boss monster has spawned from the Swamp Dungeon. She leads a group of aerial enemies!

Increased reward for completing the monster wave.

Gain an additional effect for completing the wave within a time limit (24 hours).

“Ah, shit,” Aarok said, issuing orders to the citizens of Broken Tusk.

Everyone in the town was sent to find refuge indoors. He ordered adventurers to pair up with the ranged attackers, getting inside if they couldn’t find a partner. Most adventurers in town were melee attackers, rendering them obsolete. Theo saw a problem with running motes to the towers while they were bombarded by aerial enemies but remained at the western gate. Alex let out a concerned chirp.

“They got me!” Tresk shouted into Theo’s mind, only to appear beside him a moment later.

“Never mind,” Tresk said. “They came flooding out of the dungeon. Like a flock of angry birds. They were cussin’, too.”

The adventurers waited on the wall, spotting the clouds of bird-like monsters after a few minutes. Tresk’s squad rushed in through the open gate, trailed by several others that were trapped out in the open. When the bird-things drew close enough for Theo to see, he recoiled. They looked like elves twisted into the form of birds. Clawed feet with mottled plumage covering their nude bodies. They had wings where their arms should have been, ending in jagged talons. Even their faces were vile, beaked and chittering as they were.

The first assault saw the air filled with the scent of singed feathers, a smell not unlike burning hair. The Chain Lightning Tower fired volleys, joined by their less powerful Fireball Towers and Firebolt Towers. While the Frost Cone Towers froze the monsters in place, forcing them to drop from the sky, the bird-things were smart enough to fly patterns around them. Aarok issued orders frantically, eyes glued to his tactical map as he rearranged adventurers. More than once, he redirected Luras to free a captured adventurer, resulting in a scramble to feed them healing potions from the damage of the fall.

Theo felt his body go weightless as his eyes were glued to a captured adventurer. He watched him fall just as quickly as he rose, spotting a bird-person above him. His Lesser Copper Golems took the attack personally, snatching the bird from the air and pummeling it on the battlements. Tresk also took this to heart, seeking monsters to graze with her poisonous knives.

The battle went on like this for a while, a wild scramble to reposition the few ranged attackers in town. Xol’sa saw the most kills, warping reality around clouds of the beasts and ending the life of the boss. Theo didn’t even get to see the boss monster until it plummeted into the center of town. The first part of the monster wave only took 3 hours, but the bonus wave consumed the afternoon. When the system message finally flashed, the defenders of Broken Tusk were tired and wounded. Zarali had established a station for healing in the center of town, right near the fallen corpse of Flight Lady Zoot. The alchemist relished the wave-complete message.

Boss Monster defeated! Flight Lady Zoot has been slain.

Monster Wave completed!

Reward:

50 gold,,

[Ring of Tero’gal]

Theo breathed a sigh of relief after receiving the message. He rushed to his lab, finding Salire shaken but carrying an armful of healing potions. The alchemist sent her to Zarali’s healing station and ran inside to fill his inventory. While the battle was over, there were wounded citizens to attend to.

Chapter Fifty-One

There were a few wounds too grave for even Theo’s potions to save. No one died from the siege, but several adventurers were left with missing appendages. But even those who now hobbled through the streets of Broken Tusk were excited for the victory. An oversized crowd formed at Xam’s tavern as she cracked open casks of the nice mead. The alchemist got his mug and joined the celebrations, even as his stamina flagged. Work needed to be done today, even if no one had the energy to do so in the dying light of the late afternoon.

The golems mirrored Theo’s desire to collect reagents from the fallen monsters, and he allowed them to pick over the creatures. While the goblins would produce nothing but the near-worthless Goblin Tongues, the new bird-people might have something of use. Even the Lesser Copper Golems seemed eager to get out there, so he allowed it. When he slipped his new ring over his finger, he stared at the description for some time.

[Ring of Tero’gal]

[Ring]

Epic

Scaling

An enchanted gold ring, inlaid with the image of a Dronon and Bantari.

Effect:

Reduces the cooldown of all Tara’hek members by 2%.

At first blush, it wasn’t a very useful item. Two percent wasn’t much, but it was a global cooldown. And it scaled. The inscription was also pleasant to look at, and Alex took to pecking at the golden band. Since the ring scaled, it would grow more powerful with the alchemist. One day, it would be useful.

Theo didn’t know the golems could get excited, but he felt that sensation filtering through the lodestone network. The Lesser Plant Golem was the one to send the message, insisting that the alchemist meet it outside the tavern. When he went, the crowd parted for the golem who was holding two items in its arm-like appendages. The first item was a feather, simple in its design and roughly the size of his palm. The second item was a long, jagged talon. Inspecting them both, the alchemist had mixed feelings.

[Zureah Talon]

[Alchemy Ingredient]

Rare

The menacing claw of a Zureah.

Properties:

[Slash] [????] [????]

At least it revealed that the creatures were called Zureah. Like with most hard reagents, he couldn’t eat this one right away to discover the second property. He also wasn’t eager to eat the feather.

[Zureah Feather]

[Alchemy Ingredient]

Epic

The feather of a Zureah, said to hold the creature’s affinity for flight.

Properties:

[Levitate] [????] [????]

How the feather was more rare than the talon was beyond him, but the [Levitate] property seemed useful. It would require experimentation, but this seemed like a great reagent. Theo sent a mental order to the golem network, instructing them to focus on collecting as many feathers as possible. If they didn’t get as many talons, he wouldn’t mind. Just the idea of floating through the air appealed to him.

“I wouldn’t have to walk,” Theo said with a nod.

“Theo,” Aarok said, whistling to get the alchemist’s attention. Tresk appeared near the alchemist, as though she’d been stalking him. She was still on edge from the siege. “We need a word.”

Theo brought his mug of mead, his eyes lingering on those few adventurers without limbs. Alchemy could solve this problem; he knew it. As he followed Aarok toward the town hall, he rolled his options through his mind. The Alchemic Regenerative Salve could regrow fingers and toes, so it stood to reason there was something more powerful for limbs. During his time in town, he’d noticed several people with scars or missing eyes in Sulvan’s case. Without a proper healer, the alchemist would need to find a solution.

Aarok said something, but Theo was in his thoughts. His previous attempts at the Alchemic Regenerative Salve were done with low-grade materials. He was certain that refining his process would produce a better salve, perhaps even one powerful enough for the job. Those suffering from unexpected amputations were healthy, thanks to the power of the potions, so they weren’t dying from infections or related ailments. But it was a shame to see the defenders of the proud town brought low, and the alchemist would do anything to see them whole again.

“Theo,” Aarok said, tapping him on the shoulder.

They were standing in a room with the command staff and administration staff. Aarok, Luras, Alise, and Gwyn stared back at him. Tresk poked him in the side while Alex nipped at the new ring on his finger. He didn’t remember entering the town hall, so he drained the rest of his mug and put on a brave face.

“Right. Why are we here?”

“We have a meeting in Rivers and Daub tomorrow, as I just said,” Aarok said. “We expect you to attend.”

Theo cleared his throat. Of course he should attend. He owned the town. His mind swirled at the thought, discomfort stemming from the idea of leaving the safety of the walls. Instead of letting himself succumb to those fears, he bolstered his mind with a plan. Yuri wouldn’t help. That old Khahari bastard would make this a lesson about reaching out to the other towns in the area to strengthen the alliance. The only option he had was to go on foot, leaving Alex back in town. Theo and Tresk could teleport to her when the meeting was over, spending as little time away from home as possible.

“Naturally,” Theo said. “This is a political meeting. I’m guessing that Alran Cherman guy convinced the leader of Gronro to meet in Rivers. The plan is to lay it out like it is. No matter what anyone says, we’re the strongest town in the Southlands.”

“Well—” Luras started.

“There’s no ‘well’ about it,” Theo interrupted. It was time to shit or get off the pot. “Both Fenian and Khahar told us the end is coming, whatever that means. They’ve laid out how things are going to work. Period. Gronro will become a bastion against whatever comes. Rivers will crank out food, and we’ll make sure both are capable of the task. Once our shipwrights arrive, we’ll make boats. Contact the other nations and form alliances.”

“Wow, someone grew a spine,” Gwyn said, snorting a laugh.

“More than a spine. A purpose,” Theo said, thumping his fist on the table for dramatic effect. “No one has us by the strings, and I mean no one. We’ll propose an alliance like this. Broken Tusk is the brain, Rivers the heart, and Gronro the sword and shield. Any objections?”

Luras grunted, and Aarok nodded. Tresk just shouted, “Yeah!”

“That works for me,” Aarok said.

“No objections,” Alise said. “I have some long-term ideas for Rivers, but the first step is to get them to join a defensive alliance.”

“Once they realize how much they need us and Gronro-Dir, we can throw more weight around,” Gwyn finished with a nod. “Until then, we need to display our power.”

“We’re young in their eyes,” Theo said, feeling his face get hot from the mead. “But we’ll make them see that time isn’t a factor.”

Aarok took the table and went through the step-by-step plan for the meeting. The trip would take a day for a mundane person and half a day for most Level 10 to 20 adventurers, but Azrug had come through with his new venture. The young merchant had secured Qavelli Karatan and wagons. The beasts were known by all merchants for their ability to gallop along trails tirelessly, often needing no instruction from their driver. They’d leave at dawn and arrive before midday with a group of hardened adventurers.

“But we’re not leaving the town undefended,” Aarok said.

“I have a few tricks for our own defense,” Theo said, rubbing his hands together.

Alise and Gwyn sorted out some other business about the cleanup efforts. No one was permitted into the swamp until the sludge left from the Plague Troll was burned away. The task would be annoying. It wasn’t easy to burn away sludge that mixed with water, but the administration had already tasked Xol’sa and Zarali with the problem. The wizard had a solution, but it would take time. Until then, they’d just burn what they could.

“I’m off to take a bath,” Theo said, exiting the meeting once they’d concluded business.

No one joined Theo and Tresk for their nightly bath. Alex didn’t want to get in the water, but she was happy to play by the side of the pool. The pair shared no words relating to their plan for tomorrow, only letting feelings and memories flow between them. Theo’s plan was simple. He’d create new Lesser Copper Golems to join them on the trip, ten in all. After deactivating his current non-metal golems, he’d leave a cadre with Alex in Broken Tusk. Five on the road, five back to guard the gosling. When the meeting in Rivers was over, they could teleport back to town.

“Yuri, you still around?” Theo asked. Nothing happened. “Khahar?”

Khahar was suddenly in the pool. He let out a sigh and reclined in the water. A pained look lingered on his face. “Not for much longer.”

“See any futures about our trip to Rivers?”

“There’s a low percentage chance that assassins will attack on the road,” Khahar said. “Curiously, I cannot see who their master is. If you go on foot, they will attack. By wagon, only a 5% chance. With your golems, it’s likely impossible to happen.”

“Sounds like cheating,” Tresk said, narrowing her eyes.

Khahar shrugged. “I’m fading, so I don’t care anymore.”

“What about Alran?” Theo asked. “Is he going to try anything?”

“I think he’s seen the importance of an alliance,” Khahar said. “He knows the people of Broken Tusk won’t follow an oppressor.”

“Good news,” Theo said, sinking further into the bath. “Wanna stick around and soak?”

“Naturally.”

Khahar and Theo exchanged stories about the old days. Given the chance, neither would return to their old world if they could. Things weren’t going well, even if the soon-to-be Khahari God could turn back time. He’d have to rewind it back to the industrial age to stop the path they set themselves on. Even then, he had his doubts. With his own hands, he helped shape this world. Counting all its flaws, it was far better than where they came from.

Tresk remained silent for most of the bath, only commenting on the strange inventions Earthlings came up with. Khahar finally revealed how desperate things were when this planet was seeded.

“The strangest thing, though,” Khahar said, running his clawed fingers through Alex’s down feathers. She chirped happily. “There were no humans. Maybe whoever brought us here thought we needed different bodies to adapt, but our modern humans in this world come from elves. Someone from Earth got placed in an elf body, so they worked on making a race that looked like they used to look. Funny how we hang on to stuff like that.”

Theo nodded. He realized how much he’d miss having an old friend when he was gone. It brought him more than comfort and companionship. Khahar brought a sense of confidence that he hadn’t had since arriving. Others might look at his work back on Earth and think he’d be a man of conviction, but that couldn’t have been farther from the truth. Their unique form of spycraft was different. Enemy spies were often close friends, and everyone was just following orders. Kill orders on others often ended in failed attempts, and the governments eventually gave up on the idea. It reminded the alchemist of how Khahar wanted to spit in the faces of the gods now.

“What’s in the box?” Theo asked.

“Can’t tell you what’s in the box,” Khahar said. “What’s the point of telling you what’s in the box?”

“’Cause I wanna know.”

“You can’t know.”

“Because if you say what’s in there, the gods will know?” Theo asked.

“No, because it’s a surprise,” Khahar said, laughing. “God, I forgot. You can’t handle surprises, can you?”

“He’s horrible at surprises,” Tresk said, giggling.

The conversation lasted until they were kicked out of the bathhouse. People were still celebrating in the streets, and Theo’s golems were still hard at work outside the walls of Broken Tusk. They’d work through the night if the night watch let them. Even then, they might keep on going even after being told to stop.

“Time to enter Tero’gal,” Khahar said, smiling.

“You meant to say ‘good night,’” Theo said, clapping Khahar on the shoulder.

“Naturally.”

Feeling better than he had in a while, Theo made his way back to the Newt and Demon. Reports still rolled in, but they were tepid. Monsters were spawning from the other dungeons, but not in amounts that were concerning. No one had sighted the strangers out near the trees. But it was time to go to bed, off into the Dreamwalk where the alchemist could grind more levels.

Alex was happy to sleep wherever, finding a cluster of blankets in the room’s center to curl into. Within moments, the room swirled around Theo. The ethereal world of the Dreamwalk sprung up around him, replacing reality with the personalized realm. The gosling took on her true form here, waddling around with her webbed feet to peck at the ground near the river. While she was busy with her goose stuff, the two members of the party went over their plan. It was always good to wait until they had privacy.

But there were a few changes they needed to make to ensure Alex’s safety. They’d hand her off to Miana and surround her with golems and whatever adventurers needed a contract before leaving the town. It would have been riskier to take her with them than to leave her here. Broken Tusk had massive guns on the walls, after all.

When it came time to split off, Alex wanted to stay with Theo. The alchemist’s plans for the night’s Dreamwalk were to grind out alchemy and herbalism experience. When he got his imagined stills set up, the realm refused to let him distill his new reagents. Once again, it was particular about what they could do.

“Doesn’t matter,” Theo said, working his stills. “At least I have company that’s not trying to kill me.”

Alex chirped her response.

The Drogramath Alchemy Core rolled over to Level 18 during the night, with the Drogramath Herbalism Core almost hitting 17. Theo didn’t get a system message while in the Dreamwalk but could feel it in his chest. Both his Governance Core and Tara’hek Core gained a massive dump of experience from the siege, enough to push his administration-based core over the edge into 16, but not enough for the Tara’hek to advance.

During his brewing, golem construction, and tending of gardens, Theo reflected on how his alchemy was going. There seemed to be a limit to what he could do at his current tier, but something scratched at the back of his mind. The hints were all before him, as they always were. Working with his current selection of reagents was limiting. Once he unlocked the Reagent Deconstruction skill at Level 20, he’d better understand the nature of his ingredients. Until then, he could use the skill from his herbalism core to make inferences.

Rare Material Handling was a skill that surprised him when he got it. The only reagents he’d seen didn’t need much special handling. Once distilled into their essence form was when he worried about handing it off to a normal person, but the reagents? Those were all fine to handle. No matter how he tried to project his mind, to twist it around a possible future, Theo couldn’t see what rare materials would mean for alchemy. His intuition said it would be different, but he couldn’t determine in what way.

Alex was an excellent helper. She didn’t physically do anything, but her calming presence added more to the Dreamwalk than anything else. Theo couldn’t feel the regular flash of hate that Tresk exuded during their training. It was more a focused calm, like a properly trained fighter. It was a sudden shift that left the alchemist thinking about the lodestones Zarali had made. Perhaps the little gosling acted much like those, spreading the mental weight of conflicting realms out over the Tara’hek. He shared the information with Tresk through their communication ability, and she came to visit them by the river.

“Maybe,” Tresk said with a shrug. “I’m feeling less pissed off with the goose around.”

Alex chirped and nodded.

“I’m certain no one has done this before,” Tresk said.

The number of people who held a Tara’hek in this world was likely low, if not zero, outside of their bond. Khahar might know, but then again, he might not tell the truth. It seemed the longer the man spent outside of his desert kingdom, the worse off he was. Why he didn’t just pop back to the desert in an instant to rest was beyond the alchemist. Yuri now functioned on a level that was impossible to understand. He was beyond normal logic.

Theo and Tresk sat by the river for some time, sensing the end of the Dreamwalk drawing near. The marshling summoned a sunrise for them to watch, complete with the massive, fake Marshling god Marshy. Tresk was a horrible dancer, and so was the massive salamander. For the first time since he’d met her, Tresk just sat there. She didn’t fidget or play with the knives at her hips. She allowed the true power of the Tara’hek to consume her, giving in to that calming sensation completely.

By the time morning came, Theo couldn’t decide if it was a change he enjoyed.

Chapter Fifty-Two

Azrug was a man who took his job seriously. While he was absent from the Newt and Demon, he’d been working on a project. Theo felt pride flash through his chest when he saw the Karatan-drawn carriages, two in total. These creatures were unlike those being milked at Miana’s ranch. They were thinner and more muscular. Even their insect-like faces seemed sharper, meant for distance hauling and speed rather than milk or meat production. The carts they drew were open-topped, their wheels spiked with treads. It was hard to miss the glowing purple scribbles running along the side of the carts. They’d been enchanted.

While the arrangements were made suddenly, Theo hardly minded. His inventory was loaded with copper, Drogramathi Iron Containment Cores, and various potions and constructs. He had already dismissed every golem besides his three Lesser Stone Golems and a single Lesser Plant Golem. When they were deactivated, they melted into puddles before their containment cores exploded in purple fire. The alchemist went to check with Miana for the fourth time before departing Broken Tusk for the first time.

“Take care of her,” Theo said, feeling the pain of leaving a member behind. A mantra played through his mind. This was the best thing for her. The safest option.

“I think they’ll sort out her safety,” Miana said, pointing at the five Lesser Copper Golems prowling around the ranch. “Or them.”

Theo placed a contract in the morning, spending several gold to wrangle everyone who wasn’t on guard duty. Zarali and Xol’sa offered their services to defend the gosling but were redirected to be the town’s commanders for the day. The ranch’s position near the eastern wall afforded it more defenses than most places in town, decreasing the chances that the little goose would be attacked. None of this put the alchemist’s mind at ease. Unless Alex was with him, he wouldn’t consider her safe. Even if she’d be safer here.

“I’ll ensure her safety,” Khahar said, appearing behind Theo to offer his comforting warmth.

“That’ll do it,” Theo said, turning around to grin at his old friend.

Khahar merely shrugged.

“All right, folks!” Azrug shouted, clapping his hands. “My Karatan can’t jump through dimensions, so we gotta get moving.”

Tresk accompanied Theo to the rearmost carriage. They climbed inside and cast puzzled looks at the series of leather straps littering the benches. Azrug took charge in the lead cart, providing a demonstration on how things would work.

“One strap isn’t enough,” Azrug said, holding up a single strap. “Two isn’t, either. You need to use all three straps. Over each shoulder and around your belly. If you’re not strapped in when I give the word, you’re gonna tumble out the back.”

Theo felt a sudden need to master the straps. He got the shoulder ones on without issue, but the one meant for his waist was being difficult. Tresk had hers done in moments and leaned over to help the alchemist. They had it sorted before the call to head off was issued. No one else in the caravan had trouble with their straps. Before the young merchant’s command came, Theo drank a Strength Potion for good measure. His muscles swelled with power, suddenly tossing him into a new realm of power. Gripping the bench, he braced himself for the call.

“Off to Rivers and Daub!”

The caravan shot off like a bolt. Each cart had a team of only two beasts. But between those two creatures, they generated an impossible amount of force. Theo’s head bobbed from side to side, Alise and Gwyn in the lead carriage faring far worse. They shouted as the carts took off, an unending scream that echoed over the hills even after they jumped the bridge.

“I’ll take Fenian’s carriage next time, thank you,” Tresk said, gritting her teeth.

“Don’t talk or you’ll bite your tongue,” Theo said.

“Cheep,” Alex said.

Azrug undersold the power of the Karatan. From his occasional shouts of surprise, it was clear even he didn’t expect this. How long the trip to Rivers took was beyond Theo. It was a blur, but by the time they reached the town straddling the river, his Strength Potion had expired.

Rivers and Daub was a different town in person. The Dreamwalk did little to convey how sprawling it was and how weak the walls looked. People of all races walked over the paved roads, sharing confused looks at the arriving caravan. Theo’s teeth chattered after he dismounted the cart, his butt numb from the ride. It took a few moments to appreciate the town.

The south-facing gate of the town was adorned with a single defensive artifice. Even worse, it was a Fireball Tower, not the more powerful Chain Lightning Tower version. The alchemist studied the skyline as he assembled five Lesser Copper Golems, bringing them to life right outside of the gates of their new potential ally. The copper ingots half-melted, forming into rough shapes. With the new Drogramathi Iron Containment Cores, he hardly felt a strain on his mind, even if his connection to the lodestone network was too distant to sense.

Azrug spoke with a guard who directed him to bring the carriages inside the town, then directed the others to their meeting place. The party shuffled into the town, heads swiveling around to inspect the buildings.

“These are mostly hand-built,” Luras said, his brow knitting tight.

“Not a good sign,” Theo mumbled.

“Scouting time!” Tresk said, vanishing from the spot.

Theo ordered two metal golems to trail Alise and Gwyn, keeping three to defend himself. They walked the streets, getting odd looks from each citizen. The minder directing them where to go went through great effort to avoid the less affluent parts of the town. These were places that the alchemist had seen in the Dreamwalk, and he made a note of the show. They looped around the circular town, crossing over the river and finding their way to the noble’s district. Each building in this area was massive, often containing well-maintained gardens out front. The people here were friendly, offering their greetings to the delegation. It felt like too much of a facade.

Their journey didn’t last long. Rivers and Daub wasn’t massive, and the guard picked a quick path to the town’s administration building. This was a seed core town hall that looked nothing like the one in Broken Tusk. It was an all-stone construction with columns and wide steps out front. Massive stained-glass windows covered the front, and the door was made of etched copper-like metal that bore detailed images.

“Just updating my memory of this place. Not much has changed,” Tresk said. “The party from Gronro is waiting at the north end of town.”

Theo sent his acknowledgment without words, trying to hold back his laughter from the interior of the town hall. Twin pillars lined the atrium, the floor a sleek, polished marble. By each pillar stood a plinth with a sculpture, each wall adorned with detailed paintings or tapestries. Groups of silk-clad administrators moved around the place like they had somewhere to be, casting the delegation from Broken Tusk in a dirty light.

“Fancy shit,” Aarok grunted.

“Mayor Spencer,” a voice called from across the hall. Theo’s golems stomped in behind him, turning their faceless gaze over the room. “If you’d join me, we’re ready to start.”

“What about us?” Alise asked.

“This is a meeting between leaders,” the administrator said, trying and failing to hold back the impatience in their voice. “Follow me.”

“I’m bringing my pets. No worries,” Theo said, waving them off.

Aarok and Luras weren’t all right with this, but they had no choice. Theo kept his mind on his Tara’hek Dreamwalk ability, ready to get the hell out of there at a moment’s notice. He was led down a series of halls that gave his enhanced memory a workout. The golems kept pace, and they soon found themselves in a massive meeting room. Two men were standing inside, discussing something. When Theo entered the room, they fell into an uncomfortable silence.

“Introducing Mayor Theo Spencer,” the administrator said, bowing. “And his creatures.”

Theo entered the room, ordering his 3 golems to cover his flanks. The first man was Alran Cherman. On paper, he was the trade representative of Rivers and Daub, one of many mercantile chairs the town held. The reality of it was clear, though. The employer of assassins—failed assassins—ran the show. He was portly, draped in fine green silks with a head of greasy, thinning hair slicked back. The next man was a dwarf. Even by dwarven standards, he was short. He had a head of well-oiled, long, black hair and a beard to match. The dwarf wore chain armor layered over padded cloth with a sword at his hip. His face carried the scars and pits from years of conflict, his gray eyes maintaining the same edge.

“Theo, so nice to see you,” Alran said, holding his arms wide. He gestured at the table. “Allow me to make introductions⁠—”

“Grot Stormfist,” the dwarf said, waving the formalities away. “Let’s get on with it.”

“As long as there aren’t assassins waiting in the dark,” Theo said, approaching the table and taking a seat.

“A lapse of judgment,” Alran said, wincing.

Each man took their seats: Grot near the massive windows, Alran on the far side of the room, and Theo nearest the door. The alchemist ordered two golems to defend the door and one to protect him.

“Not that you’re lacking in defense, Dronon,” Grot said, gesturing to the golems. “Didn’t know we could bring friends.”

“You’re free to drop your sword out of the window,” Theo said.

“Point taken.”

“I don’t know about you, but administrators do gabble on,” Alran said, sighing. “While I’m certain your staff will be upset, I’d prefer to do this between the genuine leaders of each town.”

“How oddly wise,” Theo said, leaning in.

“I have my moments,” Alran said. “So, the assassins I sent. We won’t make progress until we deal with that topic.”

“I’m here in good faith,” Theo said.

“And armed to the teeth,” Grot laughed.

“More than you realize,” Theo said.

“Right,” Alran said, clearing his throat. “We can head out into the courtyard and fight it out like savages, if you like. Run me through in front of my people. Would that please you?”

“Not even a little,” Theo said, letting out a sigh.

The assassins were a distant memory by now. That play was a desperate attempt to seize power, played by a man who underestimated his enemy. While Broken Tusk could take Rivers and Daub for themselves by declaring some kind of civil war, it wasn’t the right move. This idea of an alliance was about more than just a single town. It was about building something that could rival Qavell in the north, even after whatever disaster befell it.

“Business,” Grot said. “We’re all screwed if we don’t come together.

“Exactly,” Alran said.

“Tactically, you could ignore Gronro in your little ‘everything is so great’ southlands deal. But we are the rock the tide will break against,” Grot said.

“You’re more than that,” Theo said. “You’re the sword and the shield. When the hordes come south, we need you in fighting form.”

“Wow, someone who agrees with me,” Grot said, staring at Alran. “Should’ve just been the Tusk-Gronro alliance.”

“Rivers has plenty to offer,” Alran said, chuckling nervously.

“Yeah, whatever,” Grot said, waving the merchant away. “Undead from Gardreth. That’s what we’re dealing with.”

Theo gasped for dramatic effect. He’d already put the pieces together, though. Alran clutched his chest in genuine shock. The merchant stammered, his eyes darting between the alchemist and the dwarf.

“They’ve never crossed the sea,” Alran whispered.

“Now they have,” Grot said, nodding. “You know how the crown has gone silent? Yeah, they’re too busy dealing with the wave of undeath spreading across the eastern reaches of the kingdom.”

Theo fell into his thoughts. Fenian knew the undead were coming—how did he know that? None of that seemed to matter at this moment. Because of the elven merchant’s scheming, the alchemist now stood with a bargaining chip. This entire council would now play to whatever tune he set, unable to deny the usefulness of the potions resting in his inventory. The best way to approach this was to play it cool.

“You’re well informed, Grot,” Theo said, nodding to the dwarven representative.

“Doesn’t take much,” Grot said, sighing. “My first report came in yesterday, from a migrant train. Then more reports came in, claiming to see strange magic rolling onto the shore. Some amount of undeath touches the eastern shores, but no one lives there. It’s moving inland.”

“What are we going to do?” Alran asked. His face looked gaunt.

“We form our alliance,” Theo said. “Not equal partners, not part of the same nation… Independent partners with the same interest. We can let our administrative staff work the details out, but Broken Tusk is eager to aid the people of Gronro-Dir.”

Grot raised a brow, saying something as Theo withdrew a Hallowed Ground Bomb from his inventory. He set it on the table, silencing the dwarf before he could continue. The other men took a moment to inspect the bomb, turning their attention to the alchemist.

“This is the worst of my weapons for fighting undead,” Theo said, withdrawing the more powerful Hallowed Ground Potion modified with [Web]. He let the men look it over.

“You’re offering us weapons to fight the undead a day after I learned that’s what we face,” Grot said, narrowing his eyes at Theo. The golem behind Theo moved to the side but stopped when commanded. “Pardon me if I’m suspicious.”

Theo leaned in, smiling. “Then die. I don’t care what you think. You’re not here to think. I’m not just offering you access to these weapons, which I might say are worth more than you can afford. I’m offering you access to my dungeons and my potions.”

“Lots of hard talk for a Dronon,” Grot growled. “You think you can take over Broken Tusk and a season later rule the south? My family has stood strong at Murder Passage for generations.”

“You have two options. Accept, or die,” Theo said.

Alran seemed like a scared mouse. He tried to make himself look as small as possible as the two other men leaned in over the desk. Theo’s golem grumbled while Tresk’s murderous intent spiked in the alchemist’s mind.

Grot leaned back in his chair, letting out a heavy breath. After a moment, he laughed. “Damn, the humans in Gronro have softened me. Been too long since I’ve knocked heads with another true dwarf, let alone with a Dronon. The sword and the shield, huh?”

“Exactly,” Theo said. “Broken Tusk is happy to sharpen your edge and bolster your defenses for the tide.”

“As is Rivers and Daub,” Alran said, his voice breaking.

“Boil it down. We’ve all got treason on the mind,” Grot said, relaxing after a moment. Theo’s golem backed off, and the tension dropped from the room. “Qavell has been an absent father for too long. Even before they dropped out of sight, they were rubbing me the wrong way. You can count me as the rock in our arrangement, but King Karasan? He’s up to something.”

“Agreed,” Theo said with a nod. “The war with Veosta is nonsense.”

“It doesn’t help matters that Tarantham is backing Veosta for the war,” Alran said, studying the faces of his peers. After a moment, confusion washing over Theo, the merchant grinned. “Oh, for once, I don’t feel like a drowning rat in this conversation. Veosta is now allied with the Tarantham Empire. Unless we actively cut ties with Qavell, we’ll be swept up in the storm.”

“You’re joking,” Theo said, blinking away his confusion. That seemed like important information Fenian should have delivered. “How long before they reach Qavell proper?”

“Doesn’t matter,” Grot said. “There’s a reason no one goes to Gardreth. A reason Glantheir split it from the continent. It would take a miracle to stop the undead from laying waste to the heartland of the Kingdom of Qavell. The elves will find only ruin.”

“Unless the kingdom had access to an alchemist’s potions,” Alran said, tapping his chin.

“Absolutely not,” Theo said, glaring at the merchant. “There’s no way I’m jumping to save the kingdom. They wouldn’t afford us the same luxury.”

“Agreed,” Grot said.

“It never hurts to ask,” Alran said. “Then this is it. Three small towns against the world. What do you think our chances are?”

“Excellent. If we work together, we’ll be fine,” Theo said. “As far as I’m concerned, the alliance is formed. We’ll let the administrators work the details out, but feel free to amend whatever agreement they come up with.”

“Agreed,” Grot said. “I want to see this in writing before I commit.”

“We should distribute communication crystals,” Alran said. “Between the members of the alliance.”

“Good luck finding those,” Grot laughed.

“I know a guy,” Theo said.

“Everything is clear out here. I guess they’re finally on the level,” Tresk said. “I feel the meeting went well. Nice job putting your foot down.”

The group allowed their conversation to fall into logistics. Theo offered Azrug’s race Karatan to run supplies for the time being, something the young merchant likely had in mind anyway. If he didn’t have that in mind, he would. It would be important for transferring both goods and messages between the towns until they got a hold of long-range communications. Letting his rough edges fall away, Grot was excited about the alliance. Gronro stood alone for so long, her people had forgotten what it was like to have someone at their back.

The sun was setting by the time their meeting ended. Administrators from all 3 towns were hammering out the details of the alliance. Theo trusted them to do the right thing, joining with Tresk on the streets of Rivers and Daub. They stood on the bridge, watching as people passed by. It would be nice to think of every citizen of the town as an enemy. Someone to stand in their way. But even the nobles of the town were just people. Some were insufferable, but they were still people.

“It’s hard not to worry about the people in the north,” Theo said, keeping his concerns in the Tara’hek.

“Can’t save everyone,” Tresk said.

Theo just nodded. He instructed Tresk to take a poke around Gronro while they were in the region. She claimed that between the [Elemental Wind]-enhanced Potions of Retreat and her Shadowdance ability, she could make the trip in an hour. The alchemist didn’t doubt it, looking over toward the towering crags. She vanished on the spot, and he waited there for her to give the signal.

The sun was setting by the time Tresk reported, and they both activated their Tara’hek Dreamwalk ability. Even with the marshling being further north, their realm was strong enough to carry them back to Broken Tusk without an issue. They fell through the winding path of dreams, arriving in Miana’s stables. Alex was there, chirping happily.

Chapter Fifty-Three

It was hard enough to spend time away from the gosling, no matter how little, but harder still to leave once Theo had returned. The junior administration staff had things for the alchemist to look at, but Tresk promised to stay with Alex. Things had moved quicker than expected. The sudden meeting at Rivers and Daub increased the pace of an already hectic few days.

The town seemed more somber without their support staff and commanders. Theo found his way to the town hall, led by a gaggle of administrators to meet with Zarali. Where Xol’sa had a mind for war, the Drogramathi priestess seemed more suited to administration. But even a day of management left her hair frazzled and her expression dazed. The alchemist clapped a hand over the bedraggled woman’s shoulder and smiled. She jumped at the contact, eyes darting as though she were asleep standing up.

“Theo! How did it go?” she asked. “Didn’t expect you until tomorrow.”

“It was great,” Theo said. “Threw my weight around and all that. How are things here?”

“We’re scrambling to get everything in order. I can’t read Alise’s handwriting, and Gwyn isn’t much better,” Zarali said, knitting her brow.

Theo checked his mayoral screen, finding a section where the pair had scribbled endless notes. He compared these to the handwritten notes Zarali held and confirmed they were the same. It was a list of what needed to be done before the elves arrived tomorrow. The houses Fenian meant the refugees from House Wavecrest would need to share homes. The chattering administration juniors confirmed all those homes were planted, ready for their occupants. Food still needed to be distributed to Dimensional Storage Crates for distribution, but otherwise, things were looking good.

“Looks like you’re mostly done,” Theo said. “Should we expand the town to impress our new townsfolk?”

The administrators gave a series of overlapping sounds that were a mixture of agreement and disapproval. Theo stared them down for a moment, dismissing them to distribute the food before the refugees arrived. Zarali let out a sigh of relief, falling into a plus chair near the fire. It was too hot for a fire, but half-ogres always loved when there was a fire burning.

“Why not?” Zarali asked. “I’m already exhausted, and I have done nothing today. Just walked around with a group of chittering children. How does Bob do it?”

“Let’s go,” Theo said, grabbing her by the hand and hoisting her to her feet. She trailed behind him, too tired to keep pace. Standing near the town’s monolith, the alchemist consulted his map.

The town held a few sections that were logical to expand. They already owned all the immediate area around Broken Tusk as unincorporated land, so they couldn’t build there. But the best place to expand was to the east and west of the farm, by one expansion, and expand that until it met with the northern wall. Naturally, that was too expensive. Buying property around the town was getting absurdly expensive. Each purchase would set him back 10 gold at the minimum. But without the property, they couldn’t upgrade the town’s status, resulting in an inability to level it to 20.

“We’ll settle on the eastern side for now. The land between the farm and the quarry is perfect for housing. Once I get more money, I can think about taking that section with the farm to the east,” Theo said.

“Uh-huh,” Zarali said. Theo poked her in the arm, but she didn’t respond.

Theo ignored her, checking the next upgrade stage for the town.

Broken Tusk can be upgraded to a [Massive Town] when the following conditions are met:

Large Population: COMPLETE

Expanded Land Ownership: INCOMPLETE

If he had the money, he could hit whatever was after Massive Town right when the elves arrived. But income was slowing down and would only get worse when the undead attacked Gronro. For now, he needed to be happy with what he had. Theo selected several expansions, starting from Stabby Groves and working his way eastward. Each purchase was more expensive than the last, resulting in him spending 50 gold between 4 expansions. The ground under their feet rumbled as the walls readjusted themselves. The alchemist realized he should have sent a notice when shouts of fear rose from the townsfolk.

[Theo]: Just expanding the town. No need to worry.

Theo checked his money, his warning not calming anyone in the slightest. The total amounted to 25 gold, 61 silver, and 44 copper. It seemed a shame to keep that much gold in his inventory, but there was nothing to spend it on. Perhaps Azrug’s caravans would provide him with something worth buying. For now, he clicked the button to upgrade the town to a Massive Town. It provided no benefit but allowed him to push Broken Tusk over the Level 20 mark. It only took a few monster cores to push the town over the edge.

The upgrade screen popped up, displaying the familiar Water Tower and Watchtowers options. But the Level 20 option was great. It was something Theo could have only dreamed of. The alchemist read through all the options anyway, just to make sure.

[Watchtowers]

Your town will gain watchtowers placed along the border. The watchtowers will move to match the edge of your borders should you expand. Twelve watchtowers will be placed.

[Water Tower]

Your town will gain a single 1,000-unit water tower in its center. The tower will not automatically fill.

[Synergistic]

Enables the Production Chain Synergy ability on all buildings within town. Linking buildings requires a fabricator. Results of synergies vary based on the skill of the fabricator.

How could he resist the Synergistic option? Broken Tusk had enough production chains to make it worth it. Theo thought about the Weaver’s Seed Core in his inventory and his eventual plan to use that to spin his Starbristle Flax. Once the shipwright got to town, he’d have a better idea of what other parts of the shipbuilding chain they’d need. But this was too good not to pick. After selecting the upgrade, he inspected his town while Zarali fell asleep standing up.

[Massive Town]

Name: Broken Tusk

Owner: Kingdom of Qavell

Mayor: Theo Spencer

Faction: Qavell

Level: 20 (15.11%)

Core Buildings:

Alchemy Lab

Greenhouses (x6)

Mycology Cave (x2)

Blacksmith

Artificer’s Workshop

Large Farm

Windmill

Quarry

Stonecutter

House (x352)

Tannery

Tavern

Adventurer’s Guild

Hotsprings

Sawmill

Mine

Smelter

Enchanter

Ranch

Town Hall

Butcher

Defensive Emplacements:

Chain Lightning (x12)

Frost Cone (x7)

Fireball (x10)

Firebolt (x25)

Upgrades:

[Stone Walls and Gates]

[Stone Roads]

[Turret Emplacements]

[Synergistics]

Effects:

[Troll Slaying]

[Coordinated Fire]

Current Resources:

Timber: 40,101

Stone Blocks: 17,006

Metal: 18,108

Motes: 8,418

Theo sneered at the owner of Broken Tusk. Whatever was happening in the north would change their fortunes, but it was hard to tell if that was a good thing. The normal road to gaining independence came with purchasing a dukedom. That wasn’t even full freedom—it was just less taxes. The alchemist needed the disaster in the north to go well for him. He held onto that idea of reaping taxes from the region, creating a constant flow of money he could use to enhance the region.

“Done working?” Tresk asked, trotting through the square. She cradled Alex in her arms, the gosling constantly chirping. “You had fun with Auntie Miana, didn’t you? Got to see all those big, scary Pozwa. Good girl.”

“Mostly. Should I dump cores into the town or upgrade buildings? Everything can get past Level 30, now,” Theo said, tapping his chin.

“Buildings,” Tresk said. “No need to waste cores when we need another status upgrade.”

Theo nodded. “I think it’s time for some recon.”

“Hell yeah.”

Theo deposited Zarali through Xol’sa’s portal, checking with the administrators that everything was good for the night. When he was satisfied, the alchemist ordered his 5 remaining Lesser Copper Golems to guard the Newt and Demon. It paid to be cautious.

Theo, Tresk, and Alex fell into the Dreamwalk together. They appeared on a snowy mountain, the lowland of Rivers and Daub stretching to the south. Every other direction was craggy mountains reaching into the sky like jagged daggers. Gronro-Dir was a horrid place. The buildings were squat, some built into the mountain itself. They had a wall, but it was under-defended, and the interior of the town was tiny. The alchemist estimated it was about the size of the farm in Broken Tusk.

“Yeah, I wasn’t impressed,” Tresk said.

But Gronro had one thing going for it. There were only two approaches to the town. North and south. Anything attempting to attack would need to brave the bitter cold and jagged peaks of Murder Passage. Theo walked the wall, finding a lack of defensive towers. He was glad that cold didn’t translate to the Dreamwalk, but he was concerned about his ally’s lack of defensive capability.

“They defended this for how long?” Theo asked, looking out over the north-facing wall. The approach was horrific. A narrow passage, only wide enough for two half-ogres to walk shoulder-to-shoulder, ending on either side with a plunge. Deep valleys were on either side of the path, at the bottom of which were more jagged rocks that would shred anything. “Oh, that’s how they did it. Right.”

“Put a few Chain Lighting Towers on this bad boy,” Tresk said, patting the wall. “And you got yourself a defensible position.”

Alex chirped her agreement, jumping off the wall. Theo watched her go, unconcerned for her safety. Dreamwalk rules applied for everyone in the realm. She couldn’t be hurt.

“So, the meeting,” Theo said. He explained how it went. Tresk pumped her fist when he got to the part about throwing his weight around. She had concerns about Rivers and Daub pulling their weight but agreed it seemed weird to leave them out.

“They want to be the breadbasket,” Theo explained. “But we’ll out-produce them soon.”

Tresk tapped her fingers on her daggers, humming for a moment. “Why can’t they get their own patron?”

“Well, nothing says they can’t… But our latent power comes from the dungeons,” Theo said. Working with Xol’sa had increased his knowledge on the function of godly power. It shouldn’t have been as simple as asking a god to fill a dungeon with power.

“They have a dungeon here,” Tresk said, pointing northward.

In the distance, behind a haze of snow and clouds, was a dungeon entrance. It was hard to see from the walls, but there it was. Theo shifted the scene, arriving on the walls of Rivers and Daub. Tresk helped him scan the horizon without asking questions, but they weren’t able to spot a dungeon.

“I’m sure they have a dungeon around here,” Theo said, squinting to see farther. It didn’t work. “They must. Right?”

“Not so sure about that,” Tresk said.

Theo fell into his thoughts while they searched. That would put Rivers at a massive disadvantage. Then a realization washed over him. It wasn’t a problem of having an overpowered growth rate. Banu’s farm had several upgrades that allowed him to grow stuff far faster than normal. Miana’s ranch likely had upgrades that worked similarly.

“The lazy bastard,” Theo said, shaking his head.

“You think he doesn’t have seed core farms? Is that psychopath growing stuff by hand?” Tresk asked, gasping. “Surely not!”

“Should’ve inspected the town,” Theo grumbled. “We’re hoping Alise and Gwyn are sharper than I was. That was the point of leaving the administrators to hammer it out.”

“We’ll be better leaders than the king,” Tresk said.

Theo didn’t want to think about that, but it was true. He was setting himself up to lead the three towns in the southlands. While the alchemist didn’t want to lead them, it was necessary. They had the resources to make everyone else better. If Alise and Gwyn didn’t stipulate it in the defensive agreement, he would request the disbandment of all mercantile chairs. That was a poison that had no place in towns, always leading to greedy bastards getting theirs and screwing everyone else. Their goal was always to give people the chance to work and be part of something bigger than themselves. All these people needed was a chance. Broken Tusk just needed a bit of cash and the right connections, and it rose to dominate within a season. How far would Rivers and Daub go with the same opportunity?

“Can’t forget Gronro,” Tresk said, invading Theo’s thoughts.

“I’m just worried about what happens if Qavell falls,” Theo said. But there was a logical element to that. The alchemist could step through the logic of the world and come to a singular conclusion. “Qavell likely has a seed core for the kingdom. Nation Seed Core, maybe? Take the logical step. If we remove our Alchemy Lab Seed Core, the bonuses inside would cease to function.”

“If the nation core thingy goes away, our Town Seed Core stops working,” Tresk said. Her expression was grim.

“Pray that Fenian knows what’s going on,” Theo said.

Theo shifted the scene back to Tresk’s memory of Gronro-Dir. She walked with him as he inspected the buildings. While the Dreamwalk wouldn’t allow him to inspect the seed core buildings, he assumed the ramshackle ones weren’t seed cores. They had it hard here. The marshling pointed out the seed core mine nestled against a rocky outcrop. That was the town’s only exportable item. They didn’t even have a smelter to process the nuggets. Without room to grow food, this place was destitute.

“Reminds me of Broken Tusk,” Tresk said, a sad smile playing across her face. “I mean from before, though.”

If no one wanted to migrate to Gronro, Theo wouldn’t be surprised. It wasn’t appealing in any way. But the town was more important than the others defensively. Controlling that singular path to the southlands was vital to everyone’s survival. Grot Stormfist would get more aid than Alran at first. But at least the leader of Rivers and Daub understood the importance of coming together in a time of crisis. That was a starting point the alchemist could work with.

Grot reminded Theo of the other dwarves he had seen. That race reminded him of the half-ogres, in a way. They were stubborn, perhaps lacking the kindness that lingered in the hearts of all half-ogres. How Qavell’s culture of greedy merchants had bled beyond the hard walls of Gronro-Dir was a mystery.

“A hard road made harder by our refugees,” Theo said, snapping the scene away from Gronro and back to Broken Tusk’s port. “Here’s the most important thing. Let me know when you get annoyed. Feels like I talk about this harbor more than anything else.”

Alex chirped, falling into the water of the harbor.

“Yeah, you’re annoying,” Tresk said. “But this harbor is everything. Once we’re cut off, Fenian is our only supplier.”

It was hard to tell if that was a bad thing. Fenian brought many of the items Theo took advantage of. The only thing the elven trader didn’t provide was supplies. Food, materials, and so on were lacking when he came to town. That set the southland’s alliance up for famine if something disastrous happened. The harbor was insurance against that exact scenario. More than that, it was a portal to the wider world. Qavell was just too insular.

Tresk and Theo talked about the problem at length, spending the first quarter of the night going over the best trade partners. Separating themselves from the kingdom as soon as possible was the best option. Even considering the consequences of losing seed core buildings, it was better than being trampled by elves. How their refugees played into making deals with Tarantham was yet to be seen. The alchemist hoped there was mercy in the heart of the elves. Either way, they either made enemies passively by not leaving Qavell or actively by accepting House Wavecrest.

They returned to Gronro-Dir before splitting off for the night. Tresk might have been able to convince the Dreamwalk to create the undead, but Theo’s attempt was a failure. She must have really believed she’d seen a dragon if it let her create those, but undeath was a step too far. He tested the defensibility of the northern wall against other enemies.

A horde of goblins thundered down the narrow pass, most of them falling off the cliffs to the sides. The ones that made it to the gate were easy enough to pick off with bombs, even without the help of the towers. There was no room for the creatures to fight. A single Firebomb forced a retreat, spreading the flames among their ranks. When Theo created more goblins than he’d ever seen in one place, the result was the same. With a horde 3 to 4 goblins wide, they marched up to the gates and received bombs to the face.

Gronro-Dir’s biggest weakness was flying enemies. Theo didn’t have experience fighting off high-level people, but he hoped the scenario wouldn’t play out. Even with Broken Tusk bristling with towers, someone like Sulvan would make it through. The alchemist felt pushed, the way he often did, to solve that future problem before it came about. When Khahar left and the followers of the Burning Eye returned from the moon, he needed to be ready to fight them off.

“Because why not send your enemy to the moon?” Theo asked, looking up into the sky. He still hadn’t spotted the dark moon Antalis. That was the problem with a moon that matched the color of the night’s sky.

Pushing away his thoughts for defense, Theo summoned alchemy and herbalism equipment to practice his trade. He cycled between brewing potions, growing crops, and working on his mana control. Xol’sa’s words echoed through his head as he brought mana from his core to his palm. It felt smoother by the day, his power over his own body expanding. Soon he’d be comfortable summoning his mana outside the Dreamwalk. Later he’d have the confidence to pursue a mage class.

Chapter Fifty-Four

Despite Theo’s expectations, there wasn’t a massive portal outside the town’s walls. No elves poured through, flooding Broken Tusk in the early hours of the morning. Instead, he had tea and ate a breakfast of sweetened Zee porridge at Xam’s tavern. The citizens of the town didn’t notice the absence of their military and administrative leaders, though. Tresk cradled Alex near the window in the Marsh Wolf Tavern, watching with interest as groups came and went from the building.

There was an energy in the air that was infectious. People talked about the elves. They chatted about their future lives, bolstered by the hard work of a noble race. But there were also reservations. Worries about the cultural dilution were prevalent among the few remaining natives of the region. Even now, with the population of the town reaching toward 300, the natives were outnumbered. That struck a sad chord in Theo’s chest, but he moved past it. There wasn’t time for slow growth. They needed able-bodied workers—as many as would come—and they needed them now.

Theo spent the early morning reviewing the list of elves provided by Fenian. There were over 250 set to arrive, giving way to a suspicion that there would be more still. If the elven trader made good on his promise to bring along sailors and shipwrights, it would be fine. The trade would be even as long as he brought those things. Isolation was on everyone’s minds, and if they didn’t produce the means to trade with foreign lands, Broken Tusk was doomed to fail. But there were other matters to attend to.

“Boss,” Salire said, entering the Marsh Wolf Tavern. “Fancy time to disappear. People are beating down the door for the air conditioning thing.”

“The Freeze Solution?” Theo asked.

His mind swirled before she formed a response. There should have been plenty of Swamp Onions lying around, but they weren’t fermented. With his Lesser Plant Golem hard at work, there were enough Manashrooms to last a lifetime. Before Salire had opened her mouth, Theo resolved to sort that problem out.

“That’s the one,” she said. “I want to sell them in 10-unit flasks. One silver per flask.”

Theo found it easier to bite back his next words. Air conditioners weren’t a right—they were a privilege. Broken Tusk was already doing so much for her citizens that they didn’t need to give out free air conditioners and Freeze Solution as well.

“Perfect,” Theo said. “I’ll get working on that right now. I’ll make enough to last you a lifetime.”

“Thank you, sir,” Salire said.

“Not a problem.”

“Oh! I forgot to say. Azrug came along and bought up all the old gear from the shop,” Salire said.

Theo paused, his teacup halfway to his mouth. He then took a sip. “He got his Loremaster’s Core,” he said, nodding to himself. “Expect that general shop to pop up any day.”

“Good. I can unlock some properties on my gear,” Tresk said, rubbing her hands together.

Theo talked with Salire about her plans for the near future. While she was originally from Gronro, she found solace in the hard-working nature of her people. The dwarves had a hardened sense of responsibility that didn’t include the welfare of their own people. She missed the kindness that rested in the hearts of all half-ogres. That warm-hearted nature might have come with jibes or challenges, but it was there all the same. When the conversation wound down, Tresk left Alex and excused herself to meet with Xol’sa about the town’s defense. The alchemist walked with Salire back to the Newt and Demon to tackle the day.

One Lesser Plant Golem and five Lesser Copper Golems remained in town. The plant golem worked the greenhouses and caves, although each of them sent a signal that they were low on Mana Constructs. Theo assembled another Lesser Plant Golem and kept the metal ones for now. Until Aarok and Luras returned, he didn’t trust the defenses of the town. The alchemist sorted the mana issue first, burning through the last of his marble slates and Mana Essence. He linked the new golem to the lodestone network, watching as his metal golems patrolled the Newt and Demon. Alex chirped her approval.

There were enough Manashrooms in the delivery crate to run the stills all day. The plant golems were more than pulling their weight, allowing Theo to fill all three of his stills with the easily mashed mushrooms and set them running. Finding a stash of Swamp Onions was hard, though. The alchemist found 100 units worth in the shared inventory and pilfered those for fermentation. After dropping those in the fermentation barrel and setting Zarali’s power accumulator to work, he departed the lab.

It was a lovely day for a walk, so Theo took Alex the long way to Ziz’s place. She snuggled down in his satchel and chirped at all the sights, interested in returning to Miana’s to check in. The half-ogre rancher was working with her Pozwa, sending them to the far side of the paddock to collect their horns. Theo didn’t envy the job; those creatures looked and sounded horrific. She came over after spotting Alex and took the gosling into her arms.

“How is my favorite little goose?” Miana asked, cooing.

Alex chirped a response. Theo got the feeling that she meant she was doing well but felt strange interpreting for a bird. That didn’t stop Miana, though.

“Yes, Auntie Miana gave you all the good stuff. You need to tell your daddy he needs to increase the protein in your diet,” Miana said, stroking the gosling. She looked up, narrowing her eyes at Theo. “That means meat. Worms. Bugs.”

Theo nodded.

“We need some bugs for Alex,” Theo said.

“I’m already on it. Digging through the swamp,” Tresk said.

“Cheep.”

Today was a day to take it easy. Theo chatted with Miana about her ranch. Things were going slowly, but she planned on building her empire one brick at a time. She was as concerned as anyone about their ability to export goods. The entire process was on hold until they sorted the harbor situation out, a fact that didn’t sit well with anyone. Exporting locally was the only option until then, something that relied on Azrug’s hellish carriages. But the weather was nice, and the farm animals were happy. That counted for something.

Theo left the ranch and headed east, to the harbor. Alex wanted to play in the water for a while, so he allowed her. It was only when he spotted a big fish coming to investigate the vulnerable gosling that he pulled her out. She needed a pond to play in. This was far too dangerous for the baby.

Banu had good news about the farm. The Starbristle Flax took to the soil like a weed, growing at a predictably absurd rate. He already had a quarter-field planted with the flax with no plans to stop. The new farmhands were also doing extremely well. They worked the fields, the mill, or hauled goods between storage crates. The farmer promised he knew how to harvest the flax, and Theo didn’t doubt it.

The expansion of both the town and the farm had resulted in two new fields to the west. Banu guaranteed those fields to Theo’s projects but was eager to talk about payment.

“If you can get a price on them, I’ll give you the market price,” Theo said with a shrug. “Wait for Azrug to get back, though. His core should automatically gather information from Rivers. Assuming they buy or sell textiles.”

“How did that meeting go?” Banu asked.

“Better than expected.”

Theo talked for a while. His mental clock said his stills had a long run to go, and it was his only task for the day. Once Fenian’s elves showed up, it would be a madhouse. For now, it was more important to enjoy the relative silence.

The section of town named Stabby Groves had seen growth. Some of the coming elves were adventurers, so houses were planted in the area. Where there was once a few isolated cottages now rested a full neighborhood. Theo passed by Zan’kir’s home, spotting the man inside by a roaring fire. The alchemist knocked on the window, causing the Khahari man to jump. He then rushed over to the door and pulled him inside.

“Have you seen Zan’sal?” Zan’kir asked.

“Nope. What’s up?”

“She won’t talk to me. Hasn’t since I brought Him here. No—I was just following orders, and she turned her back on me. She won’t forgive me.

Theo had recently learned how Khahar knew he was in Broken Tusk. According to the godlike man, while he was in the Khahari Desert, he wouldn’t fade away, but his power to reach out was diminished.

“Khahar,” Theo said, trying to predict which direction the man would appear. He popped in right behind the alchemist.

“Yes?”

Zan’kir hit the ground, pressing his forehead against the wooden floor.

“Can you sort out your followers?” Theo asked. “Zan’kir is getting divorced if you don’t fix this.”

“Is this true, my child?”

Zan’kir didn’t respond. He stayed on the ground, shaking.

“I’ll have a word with your wife,” Khahar said.

“Hey, Yuri. Wanna check out the quarry?” Theo asked. He assumed the problem was solved. Zan’sal just wanted Khahar gone, and that would be sorted in a few days. He could worry about playing marriage counselor once that happened.

“Sure,” Khahar said, leading the way out of the building. Theo followed. “Leave your children alone long enough, and they create stories about you.”

“Hands-off approach, huh?” Theo asked. “How long did you leave them alone to create that kind of mythos?”

“Ah, a thousand years,” Khahar said. “I poured myself into maintaining my realm after discovering a disparate thread of fate. The one that carried you to this world.”

“How does that look?” Theo asked. He couldn’t imagine what maintaining a realm was like. He just had to exist with Tresk to keep his realm strong.

Theo spotted Bal, Dal, and Ral before Khahar could respond. He winced when he spotted Ral’s missing left leg. He hobbled around with a peg leg as his brothers cheered him on. That hit too close to home. There had to be a way to regenerate the missing limb.

“I sat in my temple. Mind focused on maintaining the realm,” Khahar said.

“Meaning your realm is diminishing,” Theo said, turning his gaze away from the injured adventurer. He’d sort them out later.

While Khahar could likely heal them, or provide the knowledge of how to heal them, Theo didn’t want that. His old friend was leaving. If Drogramath proved anything, it was that communicating after leaving the mortal realm was difficult. It was a crutch. The alchemist needed that motivation to push forward. To heal his people.

The pair walked the path north, taking the incline slowly to the quarry. That rise in the landscape always provided a splendid view of Broken Tusk. Theo stopped to appreciate it.

“None before me have brought a realm to this strength before ascending,” Khahar said. “I have allies on the other side, but no peers.”

“What’s it like on the other side? In the other realms?”

“Much like this,” Khahar said, gesturing down to Broken Tusk. “Like Tero’gal, my realm will be a place of my making.”

“That’s some multiverse shit,” Theo said, waving at Ziz. The stoneworkers always got too excited when the alchemist stopped by.

“We’re excited!” Ziz shouted, his workers joining with him. “Since my dwarf buyer dropped off, I’m just shaping blocks for the road. And the highway thing. And the tunnel.”

“It’ll be a famine of coin until we get the port operational,” Theo said.

“I’m leaving instructions with my people to count you as a trade ally,” Khahar said. “Once I’m gone, they’ll need lumber. We have a navy, after all.”

“That was the whole point, wasn’t it?” Theo asked. “Trying to get in contact with you. Well, all’s well that ends well. Right?”

“Right.”

“Anyway, take a mead,” Ziz said, shoving a mug of mead in both Khahar’s and Theo’s hands. “None for the little goose. Sorry, little guy.”

“Little girl,” Khahar corrected.

“Sorry, little girl,” Ziz said, nodding at the chirping gosling. “Can you get drunk, cat-guy?”

“I cannot.”

“No worries. Time for a little day drinking,” Ziz said.

Theo really needed to get the Sanchrin plant. Any time he went to Ziz’s place, he left drunk. But the stoneworkers paced themselves this time. They mirrored the rest of the town, taking it easy for the day. The group just sat on piles of stone, watching for any sign that Fenian was on the way. The alchemist tried calling the elven trader, but there was no response.

“The communication crystals are unreliable while he’s off the mortal realm,” Khahar said.

“How are the refugees doing?” Theo asked.

“It’s difficult to look into Tarantham,” Khahar said. “I’m feeling less inclined to bend space by the day.”

“I’ll drink to that,” Ziz said, downing another mug of mead.

Only the constant notifications from the golems pushed Theo to accomplish his task. Ziz was working on marble stone tablets, creating a gigantic pile in the stoneworker’s workshop. He offered them for free, and the alchemist didn’t decline. After shoving them in his inventory, a cloud of dust appeared on the far side of the river. Azrug’s caravan, magically enhanced by Zarali’s enchantments, came barreling down the dirt road, returning from Rivers and Daub.

“They’ll move faster once we get that road going,” Ziz said, belching.

“I’d better get down there. Alise is going to tear me apart,” Theo said. “I bailed on them.”

“Rest in peace.”

Theo and Khahar left the hilly north of Broken Tusk, stopping by the Newt and Demon to make some Mana Constructs. They watched as the golems crowded the Dimensional Storage Crate, replacing their spent power sources. Each golem gave him an eyeless look of disappointment. Since no one sent a town-wide message, the alchemist went up to his lab to brew a few Freeze Solutions for Salire. It didn’t take long, as the essences were done brewing. She was appreciative that he made the project his priority, and she had enough potions to satisfy the town for a few days.

[Alise]: Theo, please report to the town hall.

“The fun is over,” Theo said, laughing. Khahar just smiled, then vanished.

Alise was waiting for Theo in the large meeting room in the town hall. She looked oddly well-rested, her posture and face holding no signs of anger. When Theo entered the room, she smiled.

“That went well!” she said, clapping. “You must have lit a fire under their asses.”

Theo barked a laugh, taking a seat at the wooden table. He looked out the window, watching the people pass over the street below. “I didn’t expect that.”

“Well, you left us there with full authority. The groundwork you set resulted in the formal creation of the Southlands Defensive Alliance. Congratulations, we’re traitors.”

“If we’re wrong about the undead horde, we’re in trouble,” Theo said. “But I don’t think we’re wrong. I assume Azrug is handling our caravans to both towns.”

“He is,” Alise said. “He’s recruited drivers and has a seed core building coming from Fenian. We came to an agreement with Gronro. They’re trading silver and iron nuggets for those potions you showed him and access to our dungeons. Rivers requested help sourcing seed cores for their farms, and in exchange, they’re trading us food. We’ll need to negotiate on providing them with defensive towers.”

“That’s perfect,” Theo said. “Hopefully it wasn’t stressful for you or Gwyn.”

“She’s getting the hang of it. Honestly, I’m just happy to have competent help,” Alise said. “I’d like to see Nira before the elves arrive. Do you have any other business?”

“None.”

Alise left in a hurry, leaving Theo there feeling like an ornament. He left the town hall, pushing through the new administrators and making his way to the adventurer’s guild. Everyone was piled in a meeting room there, and the alchemist let himself in. Tresk and Xol’sa were giving a presentation about what happened while everyone was gone. Aarok, Luras, and a contingent of adventurers were nodding at every word. The entire presentation was not necessary. Nothing happened while they were gone. Monster activity was low after the wave, leaving the town in absolute peace.

Xol’sa had some interesting readings about the power flowing into the dungeons. Something was pushing back from the north. His theory was a corruption of necromantic magic, something his current skill set wasn’t useful for dealing with.

“We’ll prepare to welcome our new wizard when he’s ready,” Xol’sa said, gesturing to Theo. “I’ve already written a guide to magic for Toru’aun. All based on theory, of course.”

The elf withdrew a massive tome from nowhere, letting it fall on the table with a thud. Theo pulled it over to himself, making a show of how heavy it was. He groaned upon opening it. The entire thing was written in the language of the arcane, something he knew almost nothing about. Xol’sa tossed another book on the table.

“First, learn Axpashi. Then you can read my notes. No, don’t complain. Your mana control is already pathetic; the least you can do is learn Axpashi. No. Stop whining. On to other business,” Xol’sa said, licking his finger and pointing it in the air. He grinned when the bells rang frantically outside. “We have visitors.”

Tresk vanished from the spot. Luras and Aarok scrambled, rushing out of the room and the adventurer’s guild. Theo walked with Xol’sa, both shaking their heads.

“The Bridge of Shadows has a specific flavor,” Xol’sa said. “Although, I’ve never felt it open this wide.”

Theo joined with everyone on the walls of the harbor. North, past the bridge, the air shimmered with dark energy. A crack in space formed, soon shattering to reveal a haunting image. It was like staring into a dark window, the other side reflecting a reality that didn’t exist. There was a bridge made of twisting smoke and shadows. Standing on the bridge, led by a dark lacquered carriage, were hundreds of elves.

Chapter Fifty-Five

The glittering portal remained open for far too long. Theo got more uncomfortable the longer the Bridge remained open, even after Fenian drove his Karatan team out from within. The elven refugees seemed to march in an endless line, more than the original promised number. Alise and her administrators desperately tried to keep a count of heads, but it was impossible. The Bridge finally closed with a snap, the darkness from within retreating in moments.

“That’s a bit more than 250,” Tresk said, nodding to the crowd.

As Theo went down to greet the new members of Broken Tusk, he noted what a terrible state they were in. Gaunt eyes and sunken cheeks revealed the truth of the matter. Each elf, even the children, was emaciated. Many were scarred, burned, missing limbs, or wrapped in bandages all the same. But hope glimmered in their eyes, burning against the reality of war.

“My dear friend!” Fenian shouted, dismounting his carriage. Galflower snorted her disapproval. “Apologies for the excess of refugees. We fared far better in the escape than expected.”

“Fenian,” Theo said, grabbing the elf by the shoulder and pulling him to the side. “These people look horrible.”

Fenian nodded, lowering his voice. “Things were bad, Theo. The empire was hunting down members of the Wavecrest family. They’ve been living in a cave.”

“Damn,” Tresk said, cradling Alex.

“Alise!” Theo shouted. “Get on it. Process everyone.”

That snapped the administrator out of her stupor. She stood, looking over the crowd with a pained expression. She scurried down the wall after that, ordering her group of junior administrators around.

“You’ll want to meet their patriarch,” Fenian said, turning on the spot to snag an older-looking elf.

The man was as gaunt as the others, his brown hair showing streaks of gray. Upon seeing Theo, he bowed at the waist. “Gaeleithia Wavecrest. Unwitting patriarch of House Wavecrest. Please, call me Gael.”

“Fine collection of half-dead elves you got there,” Tresk said.

“More than half dead‌,” Gael said, rising to give a pained smile. “We have business to discuss. Please… The children…”

Theo nodded his head to the administrators. Bob was among them, helping the children aside to get food and water. The alchemist spotted more than a few of his healing potions being administered.

“We’ll go to the town hall,” Theo said, leading the way back into town.

Gael’s steps were uneven. While Fenian flaunted his grace, the leader of House Wavecrest stumbled with every step. Tresk was there to support the man as they went while Theo was busy rolling the situation over in his mind. He should have expected it to be this bad. They weren’t running from a pack of cuddly bunnies—they were fleeing a civil war. The destruction of their house. But Broken Tusk was prepared, the way it always was. They’d over-prepared for a reason, he reminded himself.

Gael sank into a chair in the town hall. Theo remained standing while Tresk ran security in the area, disappearing into the shadows. The alchemist signaled his golems, instructing them to monitor the refugees. Just in case.

“Broken Tusk welcomes her newest citizens with open arms,” Theo said, producing a Stamina Potion and a month-old bowl of steaming wolf meat stew. Gael took both and ate without words. “I’m afraid you’re out of the empire and into a worse situation.”

“I’m sorting that out,” Fenian said.

Theo leveled his eyes at the trader. “I’ve already sorted it out. The Southlands Defensive Alliance is formed, and we’re ready for whatever undead horrors you’ve unleashed.”

“I have nothing to do with the undead,” Fenian said.

“Uh-huh.”

“Honestly. Well, I have plans for them. But they moved on their own,” Fenian said.

“Do your plans involve destroying the kingdom?” Theo asked.

“Nope.”

It was hard to be mad at Fenian. Theo had plenty of time to prepare for whatever crap he was pulling, and it only benefited them. If the insane elf could destroy the kingdom, everyone in the south would be better off. Assuming he made good on his promise to bring sailors and shipwrights.

“Where are my shipwrights?” Theo asked.

“Among the refugees,” Fenian said. “I picked them up along the way.”

“We can’t thank you enough,” Gael said, looking much better after his potion and stew. “You won’t regret this, honored mayor. Those who remain in House Wavecrest aren’t noble by birth. We’re workers.”

“Old Gael here was a carpenter,” Fenian said, slapping him on the shoulder.

Theo had seen the name on the incomplete manifest. It was a grim thought, but everyone who was left alive in the house was worth taking into Broken Tusk. They were workers, a few artisans, and craftsmen.

“So we have a problem,” Theo said. “What is the empire going to say about me taking in House Wavecrest? They’ve allied with Veosta, so we’re just waiting for them to come knocking.”

“They’ve allied with Veosta?” Fenian asked, raising a brow. “Really? Well, they’ll have to slog through fields of undead to destroy your alliance.”

“I’m always disappointed when I’m better informed than you, Fenian,” Theo said, sighing and dropping into a chair. “Please tell me your plan is for the betterment of the world.”

“It absolutely is,” Fenian said, withdrawing a spouted clay jar and four stout glasses from his inventory. He set them down on a table, pouring out wine and handing it out. A single glass remained for Tresk to take at her leisure.

Theo sipped the wine. It was tart, almost unpalatable, but he drank.

“One piece at a time, Alchemist,” Fenian said. “Is the Lord of Sand still here?”

Khahar appeared, looming over the group. “I’m happy to see what’s left of House Wavecrest alive.”

“Honored Lord,” Gael said, bowing. “You flatter a dying house.”

“Dying no longer,” Khahar said. “Not behind these walls. Not with these people.”

“Not with the alliance formed,” Theo corrected. “Fenian’s undead will break against Gronro-Dir. House Wavecrest has to do its part to guarantee the safety of our domain. I just need to know your people will put in the work. Once they’ve recovered, of course.”

Gael stood, looking much more hale than before. He bowed again, rising to meet Theo’s eyes with a fierce gaze. “By my life I swear it. You’ll question how you lived without Wavecrest brawn in your town.”

Theo nodded. But it wasn’t good enough. He drew up a contract for Gael to sign, something similar to the one he agreed with Alise on. The text detailed House Wavecrest’s willingness to integrate into the town and never bring harm to Broken Tusk by any means. Intentional, or otherwise. Once the leader of House Wavecrest signed it, the alchemist was happy. Alise and Gwyn had the arduous task of getting the other elves to sign the contract.

“Just like that, huh?” Theo asked, turning to Fenian. “You moved a faction of elves across the sea in moments.”

“A special request to Uz’Xulven,” Fenian said, his face going dark. “At significant cost.”

“We’re in your debt forever, Southblade,” Gael said.

Fenian turned, grinning. “I know.”

Theo let that hang in the air. He didn’t have the will to confront what that meant. Perhaps these elven matters should be left to the elves. Once Gael had recovered enough, they left the town hall and found an orderly line of refugees forming outside the eastern gate. Every member of Broken Tusk was along that train of elves, administering food, potions, and tea to soothe their weary spirits. The smiles that hung on their faces spread a sense of warmth through the alchemist’s body.

“This is the Guildmaster of our adventurer’s guild,” Theo said, introducing Gael to Aarok. “And the captain of the guard, Luras. Azrug is our Lord Merchant, and over there you’ll see Lady Administrator Alise.”

“This is quite the sight,” Gael breathed.

“Wait until you see this,” Azrug said, gesturing north.

A cloud of dust rose from the north over the rise of earth. Even in the light of day, Zarali’s purple runes glowed to battle the choking dust. One of Azrug’s carriages raced down the dirt path, almost throwing its portly rider along the way. Theo couldn’t believe it when he spotted the driver. Alran Cherman held onto the reins, his pale face dripping with sweat. He pulled alongside the train of elves, tossing wooden crates to the ground and shouting invitations.

“Food for all!” he shouted. “Eat your fill!”

“Part of the deal,” Azrug said, laughing. “We settled on an open-refugee policy. As long as they sign your magic contract, they get full citizenship to any of the three towns. The moment Alran learned we wanted to help Rivers instead of conquering it, he became a humanitarian.”

“Lord Slug,” Alran said, pulling his cart up to Theo and Azrug. “Which arm of mine shall I cut off to take this carriage off your hands?”

“You’re welcome to use it for a while,” Azrug said, waving him off. “Don’t complain to me when it runs out of power in your power-starved region.”

“I shall complain,” Alran said, dismounting the cart and patting the Karatan on their heads. “Mayor Spencer. I see your refugees have arrived.”

“They have, Mister Cherman,” Theo said, bowing his head. It was hard not to feel humbled in the presence of so many people coming together. “We appreciate the help.”

“Indeed. I have more supplies to distribute at the head of the line. If you’ll excuse me,” Alran said, bowing and leading his cart by foot toward the gate.

Theo watched as the elves dug through the boxes hungrily. He winced, thinking back to the famine that struck Earth. It was a tale that struck too close to home, and he didn’t care to relive it. Unlike back then, there were magical means to make sure these people were always fed. They’d have well-paying jobs the moment they recovered. Clean water, food, and shelter in the meantime. But none of it mattered if they didn’t get the damn harbor working.

“Fenian, walk with me,” Theo said, gesturing toward the harbor.

“Certainly.”

Azrug and Gael stayed behind. Theo felt Tresk lurking somewhere in the shadows as they approached the harbor, finding Sledge in deep conversation with a group of twenty elves. Even without inspecting them or asking for their professions, the alchemist knew they were sailors. They had the look of old salts about them.

“You call this a harbor?” an elven woman shouted, her laugh booming over the waves. “Might as well be a damn duck pond. And who are you to say what I can build, shorty?”

“I’ll show you short!” Sledge shouted, swinging at the woman.

Fenian moved in, far faster than a normal trader should have been able to move. He scooped up Sledge and tossed the elven woman to the side. Each motion was more graceful than anything Theo had seen. Every footfall was a silent, purposeful thing that routed the fight before it started. He stood, dusting his frills with a grin on his face.

“Now, we’re going to play nice,” Fenian said. “May I introduce Laedria Wavecrest. Master Shipwright and all-around pain in the ass.”

“A pleasure,” Laedria said, rolling her shoulders. “Me and little Sledge here were just ironing out some details. I’m your new shipwright. And I’m not impressed.”

“You’re welcome to return to Tarantham,” Theo said.

Laedria wore simple shirts and slacks, dirty and torn from their ordeal. She kept her brown hair short, and her blue eyes had a sharp edge to them. But there was a tiredness in those eyes that betrayed her boisterous words. Like the other refugees, she was tired. Like most half-ogres, she needed a good knock on the head to get her mind straight.

“Nope,” Laedria said, giving one resolute nod. She marched over, holding her hand out for Theo to shake. “I understand you, Mayor. Laedria Wavecrest. Running from war and happy for any safe harbor.”

“A pleasure,” Theo said, shaking the woman’s firm hand. “While I’m happy to see you and your workers eager to get to it, you need to rest.”

“There’s no rest for us, Mayor,” Laedria said. “Just running, killing, and dying. If I don’t get my hands on a delightful piece of cured timber here in the next few minutes, I’m gonna lose my mind.”

Theo turned, gesturing to the towering Ogre Cypress Trees. All eyes followed, lingering over that forest. “That is Sledge’s source of lumber. Look around and use your eyes before you talk with your heart. I’m guessing even Tarantham doesn’t lay claim to such magnificent trees.”

“They don’t,” Fenian put in, laughing. “Scrawny little oaks.”

“Not sure how well cypress does for boats,” Laedria said, sighing, “but let’s do it. I’m not waiting a second more.”

“Fine,” Theo said. “Things are going to be busy, so stick to the planning phase. Let the administration staff know what you need, and you’ll get it.”

“Got it.”

Theo and Fenian stuck around in the harbor for a while. Sledge and Laedria tried to fight again, but they broke off before drawing back their fists. The alchemist ordered a single Lesser Copper Golem to tail the new shipwright with instructions to break up fights if they happened. The pair got on well after a while.

“How are things in Tarantham?” Theo asked, leaving the harbor with Fenian.

“This happens often with the elves,” he said with a weak shrug. “My house had the same sort of purge. We accept it as a fact.”

“That sucks,” Theo said. “But the problem seems out of my realm. Seems like an elf problem. This is great for us. We’re useless without that shipwright. Once we have boats in the water, we’re opening trading lanes.”

“Good idea.”

Fenian was happy to help with the refugees, intending to stay in town for a few days. The trader had a hard exterior at most times but held a clear soft spot for his countrymen. Under the guidance of the administrators, the refugees were processed quickly. Theo found his way to Mudball Fundamental a few hours into the procedure, standing outside the play yard to watch the new children. Once they had food in their bellies, all worries about the world they just left vanished.

Bob remained in the play yard, shouting at overzealous Broken Tusker children when they got too rough. Elf children didn’t play like half-ogres or marshlings, but there were enough human kids at the school to make things run smoothly. Once the parents of the children were released into the town, they came to watch everyone play with a mixture of pride and sadness. Some openly cried near the fence, but the alchemist took them as tears of joy. But this wasn’t a refugee camp. This was a full integration of a fallen house. It was nothing like those camps on Earth.

The children invented a game on the spot. It was like Earth’s version of tag, but with Broken Tusk rules. Someone was the monster, and all the others were regular people. Whoever played the monster got a ball of mud. Once another child was hit with the mud, they became a monster, and so on. During the hour that Theo watched, the rules changed to include force fields, freezing powers, and more that he couldn’t follow. It devolved into a yard filled with dirty kids, so the alchemist handed over a flask of Cleansing Scrub before moving on.

Theo reserved his desire to work on alchemy projects to check in on everyone throughout the day. Sledge and Laedria were at her workshop, going over the details on the boat project. Most refugees took the chance to rest, finding their shared residences and sleeping for the day. Only a few elves worked so close to their ordeal. Xam organized a massive feast, setting out tables in the streets and inviting everyone to join. But Alise came to find the alchemist, pulling him into a meeting with Aarok, Luras, Gwyn, and Azrug. Tresk joined them in the town hall with Alex cradled in her arms.

The administrators had reports to deliver. Each of the new 290 residents signed the contracts without complaint. Most didn’t read it, just agreeing and shambling off to their new homes. From the window of the meeting room, Theo could see the new citizens feasting in the streets. He made a mental note to invest in a bard, or someone who could play music for these events. The constant shouting of celebration was nice, but it could use some music.

“We got a few gems,” Aarok said. “Some hardcore adventurers to bolster our roster.”

“Mean sons of bitches, more like,” Luras said, brooding in the corner. “They might fit in better at Gronro.”

“No spellcasters or priests?” Theo asked.

“Absolutely none,” Gwyn said. “We’re talking about a house of 50,000 people. Reduced to 290. They’re lucky to have survived from the stories I heard.”

“I want everyone to force these people to rest,” Theo said, thumping a finger against the table. “They need time to process this crap.”

“You think so?” Tresk asked. “That’s not what you did.”

Theo drummed his fingers on the wooden table, letting his claws chip away at the surface. Tresk was right, even if he didn’t want to admit it. Working hard was a great way to forget past losses. It gave him a chance to work through it at his own pace, coming to terms with things while being useful. Perhaps being of use to the town would give them a new purpose, washing away that foul taste of defeat.

“Fair. Encourage them to take a break,” Theo said. “Now, is anyone else starving?”

Chapter Fifty-Six

Xam’s feast was legendary. With food provided by Rivers and Daub and the expanding production of Broken Tusk, she wove an array of dishes that brought the two towns together on the table. The elves ate, despite already getting their fill, and were happy to socialize with their new neighbors. Theo and Tresk took a table outside, giving their usual table to the refugees and enjoying the hot evening air. It was only getting hotter by the day.

“Try this,” Tresk said, shoving a baked, turnip-like vegetable into the alchemist’s hand.

It was a mix between a spicy radish and a sweet potato, and not to his liking. But he ate anyway, just happy to see the new citizens mingling. He wanted to make a speech, but nothing came, as though a blanket was placed over his thoughts. They came as half-formed, muffled things that seemed more like the ramblings of an emotional teenager than a leader. Best to keep those things inside.

“We still don’t have salt,” Tresk said, snatching the potato-radish back and taking a massive bite. “Might wanna get on that.”

Theo waved her away. Salt was far from his mind, even if the solution might be simple. While they could just boil the seawater, he could already hear Throk complaining about creating the artifice to harvest the resource. There was also the problem of their access to the sea. Without reliable guardtowers, any devices planted near the coast were prone to destruction from the Ocean Dungeon. The problem was easier to put off when the idea of limited trade came to mind.

“Until we have boats, I’m not focusing on exports,” Theo said. He pointed to their new shipwright, Laedria, drunk and dancing on a table. “I still need Sanchrin Leaves to cure hangovers.”

“Yeah, but I like salt,” Tresk said. Alex chirped her agreement.

Theo nodded. He liked salt too. The alchemist looked over the new numbers for his labor force. Almost 300 new laborers meant a spike in production, but it came at a cost. Broken Tusk didn’t have the infrastructure to support so many workers. That would be their task, then. Expanding the depth of the mine, upgrading the sawmill, sowing new fields at the farm, and doubling down on Ziz’s construction projects.

A handful of elves had no designation in the mayoral interface. Their jobs were yet to be determined, but there were so few of them. Those were the artisans of House Wavecrest, destined to become producers on their own. Then there was Azrug’s new venture to consider. A caravan to the other two towns was beyond important—it was vital. Everything led back to the stoneworkers’ new project. The road.

There was groundwork to be laid on that front. A shallow ditch to replace the existing dirt path, gravel to line the bed, and magically placed cobbles on top of that. The cost of the road would be astronomical if they were paying market price for the cobbles. Ziz generously offered each stone for free. Cut off from the north, there were no buyers for his stone. The workers claimed that even the stock of stone in the town’s infinite storage might not be enough to do the job. But now they had the labor. It could be done.

When dinner was drawing to a close, Theo invited Fenian and Gael to join him at his private bath. The elven trader rubbed his hands together, nodding with a stupid smile on his face. The patriarch of House Wavecrest was reluctant but joined them all the same. He insisted on covering himself with a cloth instead of going full native in the nude.

“Whatever,” Tresk said, diving into the pool naked.

Theo lowered himself into the pool, setting Alex to the side and letting out a sigh. These rooms needed Throk’s air conditioners. There was nothing better than soaking in a hot bath while the outside temperature was freezing.

“You’ll have boats soon,” Fenian said, removing his many articles of ruffles and entering the pool. Gael followed, preserving his modesty.

“First steps to our trade network,” Theo said. “We’ll need to scout places out. I figure we’ll make contact with the lizardfolk down south first.”

“A wise decision,” Fenian said with a nod. “They’re the closest.”

“I’m afraid I’m out of my depth,” Gael said with a weak shrug. “Trade was never my strength.”

“Take a page from my friend Theo’s book,” Fenian said, splashing Theo in the face. “Rise to the challenge.”

Theo wasn’t sure if he ever rose to the challenge. He’d been bumbling through leadership from the start, trying to tear himself away from personal projects to serve his people. That was a funny phrase to think of now. His people. Because the Bantari marshlings and half-ogres of the land had truly become his people. From the moment he arrived in town, they treated him like one of their own. Warmth spread through him, hot enough to rival the bath water, when he thought of how the elves were accepted.

But Fenian was hiding more than he was sharing. The alchemist had trouble deciding if the situation with the undead was good. He didn’t know how far those necromantic powers went or if they had limits. The image of long-dead warriors dotting the horizon gave him chills. Like most challenges that came his way, it only made sense to overprepare for them. That meant more Hallowed Ground Potions and a solid way to deliver them. Something better than just tossing them over the walls of Gronro-Dir and praying for the best.

“What level are you, Fenian?” Theo asked, the thought coming to him in a moment. He reached his senses out, poking the trader in on the shoulder and receiving no system prompt for the inspection.

“A man must have his secrets,” Fenian said.

“You have enough secrets for an entire town,” Tresk said, blowing bubbles in the water. “But we know you have an aligned trading core and a Paratheir Duelist’s Core.”

“His house was known for their alignment with Paratheir,” Gael said with a shrug. “It wasn’t until King Karasan⁠—”

“Ah, let’s not give the game away,” Fenian interrupted. “We’re saving that fact for the finale.”

Gael just nodded, sinking lower into the bath. Fenian knew that Theo’s intuition was high enough to place the pieces of the puzzle. He was a few parts shy of the truth but had enough to know Karasan betrayed House Southblade. The history of Iaredin painted that as a strange situation. This didn’t give hints as to the elven trader’s age, but it revealed that Qavell had dealings with Tarantham before Qavelli-Veostian relations crumbled. By the alchemist’s estimation, that could have happened in recent memory, or as far back as 300 years.

“Whatever slight he brought on your family… Hopefully your punishment fits the crime,” Theo said.

Fenian just smiled, scooting over to pat Alex on the head. He cooed as though laying eyes upon the cutest thing he had ever seen.

Without a response from the elf, Theo turned his attention to his levels. It was an excellent time to grind levels now that trade was cutting off. The amount of Hallowed Ground Potions Gronro needed would provide a massive dump of alchemy and herbalism levels. While his Drogramath Herbalism Core was creeping along, almost at Level 17, the Drogramath Alchemy Core was sprinting ahead. The alchemy core would hit 19 soon after the herbalism core hit 17. The alchemist’s Governance Core saw a massive spike of experience when the elves arrived, sending it to the edge of Level 18, currently sitting at 17.

Sometime during the busy day, Theo’s personal level rolled over to 18. He placed the point in Intelligence, wanting to dump more points into the attribute most likely to influence spellcasting. All that put him two levels away from Level 20. Once skills rolled over to 20, he’d have a massive pool of free skills to pick from. When a core hit a multiple of 10, the system gave a core-related list of skills, which he could pick one of. Reagent Deconstruction was obvious for his Drogramath Alchemy Core, even if it was a skill shared between alchemy and herbalism. Then there was the Governance Core’s skill. That would be hard, and it would pay to consult with his administration staff on that one. Anyone with an administrator core in town shared some of his abilities.

Then there was the problem of finding a demon mage core aligned with Toru’aun. Theo had already thumbed through the book on the Axpashi language. While his high Wisdom stat didn’t grant him a perfect memory yet, it was close. But memorizing a list of words and grammar was different than completely understanding a language. That would take time. The alchemist couldn’t understand Xol’sa’s theories about the Demon God of Mysteries, but he was edging closer. He was hopeful that the Dreamwalk would allow him to spawn the book in for some light reading while grinding levels.

Conversation had sprung up around Theo, but he hadn’t taken notice. He was lost in his thoughts, making progress on future decisions. Once the chatter wound down, he interjected his own rambling thoughts.

“How much do you know about Toru’aun?” Theo asked, nodding at Fenian.

“Almost nothing,” Fenian said. “That’s the idea, isn’t it?”

“Never saw her on the Bridge?”

“There are few visitors to the Bridge of Shadows,” Fenian chuckled. “I’ve seen your Lord Drogramath there. Once. But the Bridge isn’t a material thing. It doesn’t link one point to another. The space inside is more of a suggestion.”

“Should I take an Uz’Xulven core instead?” Theo asked.

“I don’t recommend it,” Fenian said. “Since Azrug has an Ulvoqor Loremaster’s Core, that class is off the table. A Tworgnoth Artificer’s Core might be nice, but I don’t think you have the aptitude. You don’t seem like the healing type or a melee fighter. No, I think a defensive mage class would be best to add to your arsenal. A defensive demon mage is even better.”

That was also Khahar’s opinion on the matter, but it always paid to get another mind thinking about the problem. Since Azrug got a loremaster core, as Theo suspected from his sudden purchase of the old gear, that would be redundant. He’d never been interested in creating artifices, so a defensive mage seemed like the best option.

“Khahar said he could put me in contact with Toru’aun,” Theo said.

“I bet he can.” Fenian laughed.

“I’ve already made contact,” Khahar said, suddenly sitting in the pool fully clothed. “She says you have potential.”

Gael swallowed hard, averting his eyes from the Khahari. Tresk splashed him. Khahar splashed back, cracking a smile.

“When and how will she contact me?” Theo asked. “I’d like to know the specifics of how her demon mage class works.”

Khahar shrugged. “The Bara’their is better informed than one would expect. Just read his book; it’s mostly accurate.”

Xol’sa’s people were called the Bara’their. Of course it was something that Khahar would know, as he knew everything.

Theo felt the fading of an age more in that moment than any moment before. The end of Balkor’s Betrayal reverberated in the alchemist’s bones. Keeping such strange company didn’t help matters. Gael was curious enough, but Fenian and Khahar made the scene laughable. In the near future, the Khahari leader would ascend to something else. He’d become a god, whatever that meant. People around the world would take his core, doing his bidding and reaping the rewards he gave. The elven trader schemed, perhaps under the thumb of one or more gods. If the entity that brought Theo to this world was the Harbinger, Fenian was the Harald.

Tresk seemed to care about none of it. She played in the water as though it were any other day, splashing people playfully. Some of her murderous intent had faded away, likely absorbed by Alex. It still smoldered in her heart, fading to dying embers of a life lived weeks ago. Because things moved fast in Broken Tusk, perhaps the world at large. She talked with Khahar about devoting herself to Paranthier, which he thought was a good idea. Fenian took this as validation of some path he was on.

“You should tell them your other name,” Khahar said, tilting his head to Fenian.

“Stick to one name,” Tresk growled.

“I’ll tell them when I’m ready,” Fenian said.

The group wasn’t kicked out of the bathhouse tonight. Xam had told her people to keep it open as long as possible, but Theo’s party had their fill of the enhancing water. They left, Khahar vanishing the way he always did, and the rest lingered on the streets for some time. Fenian left to spend time with his countrymen while Gael was eager to get more rest. Theo, Tresk, and Alex went back to the Newt and Demon to delve into the Dreamwalk realm of Tero’gal. They slipped into their sheets and through the ethereal curtain that segmented reality.

Theo twisted the scene to the harbor the moment the Dreamwalk resolved around them. Something stuck in his mind, still offending him hours later.

“The harbor isn’t small,” he said, gesturing to summon four massive ships. In Earth’s history, they would have been galleons of some kind. He didn’t know the specifics, but they had three sails and towered into the air. There was room for each ship to turn comfortably in the harbor, towed by ghostly lines running to shore.

“Looks big to me,” Tresk said with a shrug. Neither of them knew much about boats. “Did that elf get to you?”

Theo shook his head. “That was all just posturing.”

Tresk wanted to run a few combat drills. There were no new potions to test out, so it was more of the same. Theo couldn’t see any holes in his strategy. The marshling’s attempts proved that to be true. Unless an army was attacking him, the alchemist could ensure his safety with their standard method. Flying enemies were now on the table, but they couldn’t develop a decent strategy for them. The best idea was to keep Alex in town as an anchor point, teleporting behind the walls when things got bad.

Theo was delighted to see he could summon Xol’sa’s books and read them in the Dreamwalk. The limits of the realm were absolute, though. If information wasn’t in his mind, he couldn’t view it. There were sections of the Axpashi manual that he hadn’t committed to memory, so those were missing. But it was again a problem of understanding it as a language, not a set of symbols to memorize. Like Drogramathi enchanting script, it was more about painting a picture than giving symbols that represented something.

What little the alchemist could read of the Toru’aun tome painted the demon’s magic as complex. Theo started his work by setting up his stills and getting them running and creating greenhouses to tend imaginary crops. While he moved between them, he worked on his mana control and on understanding Xol’sa’s book. Going between the Axpashi book and the Toru’aun book bore more fruit than focusing on either, but his concentration strained to spread between the many tasks. Things would be better if he had more time to spend in the Dreamwalk.

The closer Theo edged to Level 20 in his Drogramath Alchemy Core, the more he realized his assumption about mana control to be correct. That was the barrier that separated the teens from the twenties. The key to breaking the barrier for his Drogramath Herbalism Core was cultivation, another thing he already had down. Broken Tusk had a tendency to be prepared for anything. Theo found his approach to classes following a similar vein. Others might have been waiting for the signal to go, but the alchemist was already running.

There were few reagents Theo had access to that he didn’t know the proper heating stages for. When the elves came to town, he didn’t have time to test the Zureah reagents. But the Dreamwalk wouldn’t let him distill those. Another problem with the Zureah Talons was that they were just as hard as the Pozwa Horns. Theo was confident his grinders could handle them, but there was always a chance they’d need to be smashed by someone with high Strength. Even without the distilled essence, the alchemist had a sense for each property.

Zureah Talons had the [Slash] property. The alchemist got the sense that it was something for attacking, but also dangerous. He was reminded of the [Embolden] modifier, which often had horrible side effects. The Zureah Feathers were a different story. They held the [Levitate] property, which the alchemist’s senses said was exactly what the word implied. Those kinds of properties were often tied to the quality of the potion. In this case, it would be the height of levitation and duration.

A school of experimentation Theo had been ignoring was the constructs for his golems. His previous experiment showed that golems could use the slates to effectively cast a spell, but there was a part of the whole he was missing. While he didn’t expect to master the Constructs skill in a day, there were too many pieces he was missing.

Theo spent the night going between his experiments, grinding out his cores. Alex kept him company in the harbor. Unlike the real version, she was free to play in the water without fear of fish coming to eat her. Tresk stayed to herself, fighting fields of monsters and perfecting her hit-and-run tactics. The last monster wave shook her confidence, but that was a good thing. If she ever became comfortable with her abilities, that would be worrying. When she gave up on improvement, she wouldn’t be the same person. A woman like her saw minor failures as major ones, always pushing her forward.

The night came to an end, the experience rolling in over the system message when Theo returned to his bed. With no sense of drowsiness, he set his mind on the task at hand. It was time to grind more alchemy.

Chapter Fifty-Seven

Theo sat at his regular table with Alise, Tresk, and Alex at the Marsh Wolf Tavern. It was clear they would need more places for townsfolk to eat. Xam was working hard to keep everyone fed with luxury meals, but for the first time she had to turn people away. The backup system of dried and fresh food stored in Dimensional Storage Crates would bridge the gap for now. Until then, the alchemist enjoyed his position of power, sipping on his moss tea and eating through the leftovers from the feast.

Alise explained the schedule for the day, something Theo wasn’t looking forward to. He’d planned to grind more alchemy and herbalism levels and sort out his golems. Instead, that same position of power forced him to check in with all the production groups of the town. He hadn’t even worked with Sledge for the town’s new upgrade. But the refugees, hungry to dig into the town’s coffers, wouldn’t wait for anything.

“At the current market rate, we’d be fine,” Alise said, tapping a quill on a ream of parchment. She hadn’t touched her food or her tea. “But our trade contracts from the north have already been canceled. People are fleeing south, and we’ll be cut off soon.”

It wasn’t a great first day of the season. Word had already come to Theo that Laedria might not be what she claimed, but that didn’t diminish the hard work she put in. The woman was up all night with Sledge, working on sourcing their materials for the boats. A list of required materials had already come his way, and it boiled down to timber, ropes, cloth, and pitch. If he hadn’t planted the Starbristle Flax, that would put them behind by a few days. All that concern for boats fell away to ensuring the elves were settled into jobs.

“How long can we fund the town without trade?” Theo asked.

Alise shrugged, underlining some numbers on her parchment. “A few weeks. Maybe.”

“All right,” Theo said, standing. He hadn’t finished his tea or his meal. Alex chirped, begging to go into her satchel. The alchemist scooped her up, placing her inside. Tresk dropped some worms in the bag. “Let’s make the rounds.”

It didn’t matter which stop they made first. The sawmill was closer, so that made sense. When Theo and Alise approached Sledge’s operation, the elves mingled with their new neighbors in orderly rows. The marshling taskmaster was shouting orders, pointing her finger, and making grand proclamations. She wouldn’t need help, but they’d check in on her anyway. It took a while for her to finish her speech.

“All good?” Theo asked.

“Fifty new workers,” Sledge said, laughing. “Yeah, I’m real good. Real good! I’m great!”

“You didn’t sleep, did you?” Theo asked.

“That woman,” Sledge said, narrowing her eyes at the alchemist, “is a monster. She has an unlimited supply of energy. I suspect stamina potions.”

Theo nodded. Despite Sledge’s erratic behavior and sleep deprivation, she had organized her operation well. She never issued commands for work directly, favoring a military-like structure where orders filtered down. Each group had their commander, who planned for the day, and everyone reported to the operator of the sawmill. That freed the marshling up to do her fabricator work and reduced her stress greatly. The addition of fifty additional workers didn’t affect her at all.

“How is the boat project?” Theo asked, snapping his fingers to get Sledge’s attention.

“That lady is organizing everything,” Sledge said. “You got her list of supplies, yeah?”

So, Sledge was useless until she got some sleep. Theo clapped a hand on her shoulder and moved on, happy enough with her organization to check on the next producers. Alise was worried about the marshling’s ability to work without sleeping, but it was fine. Everything was fine.

“If the forester can keep up with their pace of cutting, it should be fine,” Theo said, reassuring himself. He made note of the piles of Ogre Cypress Bark next to the sawmill. Perg hadn’t come calling for a while, which would be worrying if he weren’t so busy.

“I’ll just put a checkmark on the ‘wood’ list item,” Alise said. “Farm?”

“Sure,” Theo said.

The streets of Broken Tusk were busier than normal. The familiar faces of humans, half-ogres, and marshlings were now mixed with elves. It was reassuring to see they weren’t so gaunt. A day of rest and a good meal did wonders for their health. The school was also packed, the play yard filled with screaming children. Despite the noise, it was a pleasant sight.

Banu’s farm was packed. Theo found him scrambling around the fields, barking orders to his farmhands. Unlike Sledge, his organization was chaotic. There was no command structure and no wiggle room for the half-ogre. Orders came from him and no one else, creating a mad scramble to plant and harvest whatever he said. Where the sawmill got fifty workers, the farm got a hundred.

“You need better structure, my friend,” Theo said. Banu gave him an empty stare.

“We can assign an administrator to help,” Alise said.

“Oh, not that again,” Banu grumbled. “Not with what happened last time.”

“Then I’ll send Sledge,” Theo said with a nod. Banu’s stare grew more vacant, a hint of panic in his eyes. “Sort out a structure, or I’m sending Sledge. Got it?”

Banu swallowed, nodding. “I’ll sort it.”

Theo doubted the farmer would sort the problem out, but they could check in later today. The worst-case scenario meant that someone like Gwyn would help manage the farm’s restructuring. In hindsight, the alchemist should have fixed the problem before it was a problem.

“You can’t fix everything without growing pains,” Theo said as they moved down to Stabby Groves. The elven adventurers that lived here were missing, likely already working with Aarok on assignments.

“We’re going to rename these districts,” Alise said, scowling.

Theo still didn’t care what the districts were named. Until they actually did something, it was just flavor text. When the pair approached the quarry, they were met with an empty worksite.

“Working on the road, maybe?” Theo asked.

“Likely,” Alise said, making a note on her parchment. “Ziz talked about structuring his workforce like the Qavelli army. Regulars and irregulars.”

Theo voiced his agreement. Ziz always had a decent way to manage his people, taking a similar approach to Sledge. The difference in approach came down to numbers. The lumber operation utilized a massive force, all lumped together, while the stoneworkers segmented their people into specific jobs. How that translated to building roads would be interesting to see.

According to the reports from the administration staff, Ziz got seventy-five workers for his operation. Alise and Theo left the quarry, ascending the battlements of the wall and walking to the eastern gate. It was faster to take the road south, but this gave them a chance to bump into elven adventurers. When those fighters spotted the mayor and his administrator, they stopped and performed a salute by placing their palm over their chest and bowing. That kind of respect and discipline was unheard of in Broken Tusk. Normally, the alchemist would get a smile and a nod.

The wall was better patrolled now. Aarok did a great job stationing the refugees along the wall. Theo even saw some of them maintaining the artifice towers, shoving motes inside to keep them powered. Once the pair made their way to the north-south running section of the eastern wall, they spotted Ziz’s crew. They were shoveling out the old dirt road, placing gravel in the bed, and setting stones with their Stoneworker’s Core powers. At a distance, it was a sight to behold.

“Here’s the question,” Theo said, leaning against the crenelations of the wall. “Do we go down there and give them my extra Tunneling Potions?”

Alise drummed her fingers on the hard stone, humming for a moment. “Wouldn’t he have asked for them if he needed them?”

“Maybe,” Theo said. “Could be him trying to build teamwork. Look how coordinated they are. One team to dig, one team to place the gravel, one team to set the stones… Hey, someone on the team has an inventory power.”

Theo watched as an elf pulled some stone from nowhere, almost tripping and falling over. A half-ogre from Ziz’s original crew rushed over to steady the man. Then they laughed about it.

“All right, it’s absolutely a bonding thing,” Theo said, dismissing the matter. “They’ll hit the bridge soon. Damn, they’re moving quickly.”

“Some people think the elves aren’t a physically powerful race,” Alise said. “I’m wondering if it’s just a thing with House Wavecrest, or all the elves, but they’re hard workers.”

That’s exactly what Broken Tusk needed. Hard workers who knew the value of putting in the sweat. The elves working on the road below weren’t dainty things. They were in the dirt and the mud like the half-ogres, not shy to get filthy for the cause. They’d fit in.

Just south of the eastern gate was a sharp turn, jutting out over the river and enclosing the harbor. Ziz and his workers shouted proclamations of greatness from below when they spotted Theo and Alise on the wall. The pair only cleared out when the invitations to get dirty came, complete with mud balls hurled at speed. On the eastern wall of the harbor, Laedria spotted them and ascended the battlements.

“Big day, boss!” she said, slapping Theo on the shoulder. “I’m collecting materials. Got any pitch? Tar? Uh… Glue?”

“I can work on that today,” Theo said.

“Yeah, alchemist seems like the right class for the job,” Laedria said, twitching. Her team was asleep in the shaded sections of the harbor. “Got any stamina potions? Like… any? I need some.”

“I suggest you rest,” Theo said. “I have your list of materials, and I’ll get them ready today.”

“Yeah, rest. No, I’m good. All right, bye,” Laedria said, jumping from the wall. She rushed over to her workers, kicking them awake and shouting. Alise and Theo moved on before she returned to the wall.

“That wasn’t the weirdest thing I’ve ever seen,” Theo said once they were clear of the harbor, “but it’s up there.”

The shipwright went into his mental list of people to watch. She was too important to lose because she refused to sleep. Theo and Alise descended the battlements beyond the harbor, working their way through the sparse forest to find Nira’s smeltery with only a few new workers. There was nothing to do here, so they moved on after exchanging pleasantries. Gridgen was outside of Dead Dog Mine when they approached. He was smiling, which Theo took as a good sign.

“Can’t say I’ll turn away good workers,” Gridgen said, laughing. “The elves don’t seem built for the mines, but they sure are working.”

“No issues?” Theo asked.

“Well, there aren’t enough nuggets to mine, so we’re working on expanding the tunnels,” Gridgen said. “Couldn’t be happier with the arrangement.”

Gridgen invited them in for a tour. The top level of the mine had been expanded significantly, snaking in all directions to get at the Copper Nuggets. The next layer wasn’t as well dug but provided a few new spots to get Iron Nuggets. When they reached the bottom layer of the mine, near where Alex’s egg had been found, there were even fewer new tunnels. That last layer held only Drogramathi Iron Nuggets for now, but Theo’s hope was to find silver. His intuition said it would appear either on the last layer or the iron layer.

With everything being so busy, it wouldn’t be wise to dig deeper. Gridgen shared that concern. His team wasn’t structured like any of the others. Mining seemed to be solitary work, with only enough space for one person to swing a pick in the tunnels. It was more of a mental game than anything, balancing the stiflingly hot conditions of the mine while keeping one’s sanity from the lack of sunlight. But they seemed happy enough to take a more leisurely pace, often returning to the surface for breaks.

“Might need ventilation,” Theo said, standing in a long tunnel on the copper level. The sound of picks rang through the mine, creating a deafening noise that gave him a headache within moments. “And ear protection.”

“I don’t think the mine requires attention, though,” Alise said, clearing her throat. “Not with the current emergency.”

Alise’s biggest weakness was her limited foresight. Theo couldn’t fault her for it, though. Everyone had their strengths, and her greatest skill was to handle problems immediately. She was reactive, and that had merit. Times like these made it hard to plan for the future. Having someone who focused on the present made those problems vanish as they cropped up. Integrating the refugees was proof enough of that.

Theo wasn’t much better at planning for the future. He planned for all possibilities, not the most likely one. That was something he could work on, but his goal was to establish an amazing administration structure to bridge the gaps he had. Gwyn was more cautious with her planning, but she hadn’t had the chance to run with it. Sarna, Gridgen’s partner in the mine, came to interrupt the alchemist’s thoughts. She gave her opinion on the mine’s operation, but every word lined up with what the alchemist already heard.

Alise checked the mine off her list, and the pair went to check on the artisans of the town. Throk’s blacksmithing workshop was buzzing with activity. Most of the potential smiths were gone, leaving only a few promising pupils. Thim had his own workstation now, and the blacksmith himself was nowhere to be seen. The dwarf shouted his greetings, beckoning the pair over.

“Ya really made the boss mad,” Thim said. “Been in that new workshop you gave him for a few days.”

“He’ll get over it,” Theo said. “Since he’s gone, how are your new apprentices working out?”

There were a few elves that had the knack for blacksmithing. Some even had cores, according to Thim. But cores didn’t make the blacksmith—it was more about personality and drive.

“Well enough. Not that we have many orders,” Thim said, setting down his hammer. “Everyone just wants the Bantari’s artificer work. Air condensers for everyone.”

“Air conditioners,” Theo corrected. “That works. Any opinions on the refugees?”

“Absolutely none,” Thim said, drinking from a wineskin. “They’re working. They’re getting paid. Who cares?”

There was a commotion on the far side of town. Theo poked his head out of the blacksmith and watched as people stopped in the street, casting concerned looks north. But the bells didn’t ring, and Aarok didn’t send a town-wide message, so he ignored it. He downed a Potion of Lesser Foresight, just in case.

“All right. Thanks for the help, Thim.”

Theo knocked on the door of Throk’s artificer building but got no response. After knocking the third time, the marshling shouted back in anger. It was best not to disturb an angry marshling when they were working, especially not one as angry as Throk.

“We should check with the admin staff,” Alise said, pointing toward the town hall. “Make sure everything is lined up for the day.”

The town hall was filled with citizens and the junior administration team. Gwyn was directing the chaos, but it seemed to be routine things. Some elves weren’t assigned jobs, and they were upset about that. It was only a group of three, but they insisted on being placed on teams they didn’t deserve. Especially not the one claiming to be an enchanter. One inspection revealed him to be a Level 3 laborer. Further investigation showed his only core to be a Laborer’s Core. There wasn’t time in the day to worry about setting everyone up with their dream jobs.

[Aarok]: Theo, report to the guild. Not an emergency.

“Is it ever an emergency?” Theo asked.

“We’re good for now, if you want to go,” Alise said.

“I mean, the message said I gotta go. So… Enjoy this rabble,” Theo said, gesturing to the angry elf.

Theo made his way to the adventurer’s guild. A small crowd had formed outside, all talking among themselves. There was time enough in the day to gawk at whatever the guild was doing, but not enough time to work? The alchemist took a deep breath. People could take breaks if they wanted. They only owed him three days of labor a week. That was the standing agreement, anyway.

Inside the guild hall was no less chaotic than the outside. Adventurers talked among themselves, a tone of anger spiking their every word. Theo found his way to Aarok’s office, eyes lingering on the crowd surrounding something on the ground. When he entered the cramped office, he found it not as stuffy as before. Only when he spotted Throk’s air conditioner in the corner did it make sense to him.

“Bit of trouble,” Aarok said, sitting behind his table and scribbling something in a leather-bound book. He gestured for Theo to take a seat and sighed. “Well, we figured out what happens when someone breaks your contract.”

Theo searched his memory. The crowd in the guild’s atrium were all surrounding something, a cloth strewn over it, but what was it?

“Ah,” Theo said, inspecting his memory closer. “How many?”

“Three elves,” Aarok said. “Registered with the adventurer’s guild and assigned to patrol the marsh. We just hauled them in, still taking witness accounts.”

“That’s Luras’s job, right?” Theo asked, letting the memory of the red-stained sheets fade from his mind. “What exactly happened?”

“Early report says they tried to take out another adventurer,” Aarok said, leaning back in his chair. “Well, they picked the spot well. Out of range from our towers and out of sight from the other adventurers. An elf on the wall saw the air split open, then some beast jumped out and… well, I’m sure you saw it. The criminals were torn to shreds.”

Theo leaned back, falling into his thoughts. His early impression of the Contracts skill was that the punishment would fit the crime. The entire situation seemed grim, but it was a clean way to deal with new citizens. If they would sign a contract and then break it immediately, they deserved what they got.

“It’s a great example for the new citizens,” Theo said, shrugging. “They read the contract, right?”

“They did,” Aarok said, leaning in. “Not sure you’re the same Theo. Figured you’d have a negative reaction.”

Theo took a long moment to respond. “There’s one simple law in this town. Don’t harm Broken Tusk or her people. That’s it. If someone can’t follow that, we can’t help them.”

“So, the punishment is death?” Aarok asked, raising a brow.

“I assume they did more than just plot the murder? There had to be an attack, right?” Theo asked.

“There was,” Aarok said. “The person they targeted was attacked, but that’s all the information I have. She’s still alive.”

“Then yes. The punishment is death,” Theo said.

Aarok was pleasantly surprised by that. He fell into conversation about other things, mostly about their new citizens. Three bad actors out of the 300 wasn’t cause for concern. Everyone else was acting in good faith, and all the adventurers he’d recruited, aside from the three, were more than pulling their weight. They worked with a professionalism never before seen in Broken Tusk, bringing with them a breath of fresh air. It was not unlike the cool breeze that filtered through the air conditioner in the room.

Chapter Fifty-Eight

An attempted murder wasn’t the best start to the Season of Fire. Theo sat discussing the issue with Aarok, staring out the man’s office window and idly responding. He was lost in his thoughts, pondering the situation. There had been attempts on his life before, but never on other members of Broken Tusk. That fact hit hard, but it came with good news. The contracts worked, and they extended out to protect his citizens. There was nothing to be done about outside forces, though.

“My biggest concern for security is the inquisition of the Burning Eye,” Theo said, breaking away from his thoughts and dismissing whatever topic was at hand. He explained what Khahar had said. That they were on the moon.

“Didn’t know you could live on the moon,” Aarok said, shifting uncomfortably in his seat. “Also didn’t know the old Khahari could send them there.”

Theo suspected there were many things they didn’t know about Yuri. But he wouldn’t voice them to his friend.

“You’re becoming less of a guildmaster,” Theo said. “More of a general.”

“I’d rather not think about it,” Aarok said. He failed to hide the smile on his face. “Not gonna lie. I love it.”

“Your boyhood dreams of military service are coming true,” Theo said. “Any contact with that dwarf from Gronro? I had a feeling he wanted to cut his people’s teeth in our dungeons.”

“On the dungeons,” Aarok started, taking a moment to collect his thoughts. “We’re eagerly awaiting Xol’sa’s new core. Once he can control the dungeons better, we’ll start a training program for anyone in the alliance.”

What the Southland Defensive Alliance accomplished, in the eyes of the kingdom, was treason. They made a bet on Qavell collapsing, or being whittled down to a point where they’d need outside help. With each day that went by, the adventurers looked more like soldiers. Theo feared the day that people showed up to their gates, but it might only be a matter of time. He dismissed the thought before it derailed the conversation.

“I hope you have a plan for their training,” Theo said. “And ours, of course.”

“There’s a flexible plan in place. Fenian made big promises about the Dungeon Engineer Core. One promise was instanced dungeons, where more than one party can run it at a time. Currently, everyone just flops into the same dungeon. Even if he makes only two instances, we can double our training time,” Aarok said.

It was hard not to think about the Dreamwalk. That would be an absurd skill to share.

“I want you to work on preparing for the undead,” Theo said. “Once the refugees are settled, focus on that.”

“Are you giving orders?”

“No, just expressing my intuition,” Theo said. “Which is rarely wrong. All we can do is imagine the scenarios and train for our expectations. You’re on the walls of Gronro-Dir. Skeletons and whatever flooding down the path. What do you do?”

“What would I do?” Aarok asked, scratching the stubble on his chin. “Line the damn thing with towers and feed them motes.”

“That works for a regular monster wave, right? I’ve got a potion design specifically for the undead, though. I can confidently supply enough to handle a normal-sized wave of undead, but what if that wave is endless?”

Aarok shrugged it off. “Well, what could you do against an endless monster wave?”

There was no answer to that. Theo felt himself missing a chance to create something greater than what he had. Perhaps a system of pipes that poured the potion over the attackers, like the old medieval castles. Instead of boiling water and tar, they could dispense Hallowed Ground Potions. But the quantity required for that would be unsustainable. Not for a long time, anyway. It was just impossible to plan for an enemy they’d never seen.

“Something to think about,” Theo said. “Maybe we can send scouts north to get eyes on the undead.”

“Don’t discount your new allies,” Aarok said. “Grot has a head on his shoulders. I’d be shocked if he didn’t have eyes on them already.”

The statement brought a new thought to Theo’s mind. They wanted an easy way to communicate between the towns, and Fenian was still staying in Broken Tusk. The trader gave both Theo and Azrug communication crystals, so he must have a source. Only now did the alchemist think about the cost of that item, withdrawing both it and the Qavelli crystal from his inventory. On a whim, he squeezed the one provided by the crown and got nothing. He held it up for Aarok to inspect.

“Why haven’t they contacted me?” Theo asked. “Qavell is big… Right? Maybe they’re strong, but if there’s an enemy at the gate, why didn’t they call?”

Aarok rubbed his chin some more. There was a glint of recognition in the half-ogre’s eyes that was hard to shake off. “What are we talking about? I’m not as quick as you, Theo.”

Theo didn’t think he was quick at all. But the pieces were falling together. “Maybe the undead are moving on their own. Maybe this was planned.” He paused, rewording his next statement in his mind to avoid mentioning Khahar directly. “The big cat person said there was a plan for me, but it fell apart. That smells off to me. Something about the whole damn thing stinks.”

“When you suspect a conspiracy, ask one simple question. To what end?” Aarok asked.

Gods or otherwise, what would someone gain by destroying Qavell? Perhaps it was a way to spit in Glantheir’s face for saving the continent. Both the elves and House Southblade had a stake in seeing King Karasan dead, even if Theo couldn’t figure out why. Aarok’s question rang in his mind. To what end? This wasn’t something he’d solve by considering the facts in the guild’s office. There was no trail to follow when the answer was so distant. The alchemist pushed the thoughts from his mind, shaking away his uncertainty.

“To what end,” Theo repeated, swiping his tail through the air as the question fell away. “Well, fair enough. We need more information.”

“Agreed.”

Aarok went back to discussing practical defenses for the town. Theo entertained the conversation until it was exhausted, taking his leave from the guild. The bodies were still downstairs, but the crowd had thinned. Gael was waiting to speak to the guildmaster, apologizing to the alchemist about his people’s behavior.

Theo pushed his way out into the streets of Broken Tusk.

Fenian’s carriage was parked near Miana’s ranch. The elven trader was petting the Pozwa, trying to imitate their chittering shrieks. While the creatures didn’t enjoy it, Miana was laughing. Theo pulled him aside to ask about the communication crystals.

“How many? Two? Quite fine,” Fenian said, producing two crystals from nowhere and pressing them into Theo’s hand. “They just need to touch these, then they’ll work. These are low-grade versions, so they don’t have the world-wide range of mine.”

Theo blinked away his confusion, but it didn’t work. “How much?” he asked.

“For free.”

Theo just stood, staring at the elf for a long while. The grin never dropped from Fenian’s face. When the alchemist turned, he walked away slowly, waiting for the shouts to follow him. But there was nothing. He had his crystals for free. Fair enough.

It was the late afternoon by the time Theo made his way back to the Newt and Demon. He summoned his golems to organize their ranks. The alchemist got to work behind his lab, near the greenhouses. He went with one Lesser Stone Golem to guard two Lesser Mud Golems in the swamp. They’d be on mote duty, harvesting the bounty of the swamp. The five Lesser Copper Golems were fine. He just didn’t need as many motes as the Lesser Mud Golems were harvesting, so additional defense for the town was great. That left him to create one more Lesser Plant Golem to tend the greenhouses. While 1 seemed to work decently, there was only so much it could do.

With the golems sorted, Theo turned his attention to providing them with power. His stock of Mana Constructs was dwindling, but thanks to the Lesser Plant Golem, the second mushroom cave was full of Manashrooms. The alchemist sent a list of mental orders to each golem, sending the mote team out to the swamp, the plant team to the greenhouses, and the metal team roaming the town and mine.

Theo dodged questions from Salire, heading up to the lab with an inventory filled with Swamp Truffles and Manashrooms. She followed him, forcing him to look at a ream of parchment filled with orders. The alchemist wanted to protest, but there was around 20 gold worth of orders. Being low on cash meant he had to shift his priorities. There wasn’t much time left in the day, but half the orders could be filled with essences he had in the lab.

“How do you like the elves?” Theo asked, starting off with the Healing Pills.

“They’re very nice,” Salire said. “I always thought they were too good for us mudfolk. An adventurer elf is trying to woo me. I think.”

The elves were like most races on the planet, even if they seemed like isolationists. Tarantham was the first place Theo had heard of that held a single race, although his information was spotty. It hardly mattered, with the amount of work to do in the lab. More stills would go a long way, but the floor space was too small. The Newt and Demon could produce massive quantities of potions, but there was room for improvement. An assistant would be the best, but there was no Drogramathi Dronon with the alchemy core banging on his door for a job.

Theo transferred enough units of Refined Healing Essence into his square flask, having a thought before inciting the reaction. The alchemist used his makeshift pipette to place less than a unit of the essence into a flat-bottomed vial. He swirled it around, watching as the pink liquid coated the sides of the pristine glass.

“An experiment,” Theo said, handing it over to Salire.

She took the vial and cast a concerned look at him. A normal person might not see the change, but Theo could. It went a darker shade of red, small bubbles forming at the bottom.

“Swirl it around,” Theo said, gesturing to the vial. Salire obeyed despite her confusion.

The moment she moved the liquid, it bubbled angrily. It went from a clear liquid to a frothing mess of sputtering sparks and smoke. Salire dropped it to the ground, shouting and scrambling to the door. After a few heartbeats, the violent reaction was over. The shopkeeper’s anger did not abate.

“What was that?” she asked, sputtering, not unlike the essence.

“I knew others couldn’t handle the essences,” Theo said, adding enchanted iron shavings to his square vial, then leveling it out with enchanted water. This reaction was controlled. It bubbled, spewed a small amount of smoke, then became a large flask of Healing Potion. “I’ve never seen it, though.”

Salire blustered, “I’d rather not be an experiment.”

“But Tresk touched the essence before. That’s curious,” Theo said, introducing the [Solidify] modifier to the mix. It hardened in a moment, going opaque. He dumped it out on the table and cut the lump of potion into pills. Salire huffed near the door. “It was so little of the mix, it wouldn’t have hurt you. Healing Essences are the most stable I have. Imagine if I handed you Fire Essence.”

“Doesn’t change the facts,” Salire said, straightening herself up.

“Imagine if someone came in here and messed with my stuff,” Theo said, gesturing to the lab. He issued an order to a single Lesser Copper Golem. An order to guard the lab at all hours of the day. “Is that carelessness? Well, I don’t know. I had the idea of bringing in an assistant, but they wouldn’t be able to do anything.”

Salire took a deep breath. “So, you were sure it would not kill me?”

“Yeah,” Theo said, cutting another section of the solidified potion. “What do you think the best option is? Focus on producing more, or what?”

“I think you should focus on quality,” Salire said.

There was wisdom in that, of course. Zarali always talked about the quality of potions, and Theo could feel something in his chest about that. The next tier of potions might be completely different; it was impossible to tell. Nothing came to mind when he thought about ways to refine his potions further. Maybe there were more fermentation processes or another way to use the pressure vessel. But it seemed like a faraway dream, even if he was standing near the edge of Level 20.

“Healing pills done. I agree with you. Quality over quantity… After we make a crap-load of potions,” Theo said. “What’s next?”

“More requests for bombs. Poisons. Stuff on your blacklist. But there are also more attribute potions with different modifiers.”

One item stuck out that was interesting enough. It wasn’t on his list, as he didn’t list the elemental potions. Someone wanted a Strength Potion with the [Elemental Fire] modifier. Theo couldn’t remember who he told about the elemental modifiers, but he could guess what the effects of the potion would be. When he applied the [Elemental Wind] modifier to a Dexterity Potion, the physical trait that scaled with the attribute got a multiplier. He withdrew an example from a nearby storage crate, inspecting it.

[Dexterity Potion]

[Refined Elemental Wind]

[Potion] [Modified Potion]

Epic

Created by: Belgar

Quality: Excellent

Alignment:

Drogramath (Middling Bond)

Drink to enhance Dexterity.

Drink to increase speed scaling.

Effect:

+14 Dexterity for 1.75 hours.

For 1.25 hours, your physical speed scales 1.30 times better than normal.

Theo was shocked Tresk hadn’t stolen this one. It was made with the enchanted Drogramathi Iron Shavings, with cultivated ingredients, combined with alignment effects. The alchemist didn’t have Refined Elemental Fire on hand, but he had enough Refined Strength Essence to get everything started. By the time dusk came, with the help of Zarali’s enchantments, he could have a sample ready. The alchemist started a fermentation barrel with Flame Roses and busied himself with the other orders while he waited.

Salire was happy to stay and chat. Whatever anger she felt from holding the sizzling vial had passed, and she was back on friendly terms. Theo made a note to increase his stockpile of his standard essences. As always, restoration, purification, and attribute essences would always sell. People rarely needed the Potion of Purification, but when they did, they needed it immediately. He checked the items from the list, digging into his store of essences. Some requests wanted strange combinations of modifiers, but he didn’t object. Whatever customers wanted, he’d make. As long as they weren’t outright weapons.

That rule of providing no bomb-style potions to citizens was wearing thin, but Theo didn’t want to abandon it. There might come a day where a regular Firebomb didn’t seem like such a destructive weapon, but that day wasn’t today.

An order on the list that surprised the alchemist was one from Rivers and Daub. Alran must have requested the 100 Hallowed Ground Potions because it was just listed as “undead killing potions.” Instead of blowing off the request, Theo took it seriously. Instead of providing the man with a useless version of the potion, he crafted 100 Hallowed Ground Potions with the [Aerosolize] modifier. He inspected the result, finding no differences from the ones he’d made before.

[Hallowed Ground Potion]

[Aerosolize]

[Potion] [Modified Potion]

Epic

Created by: Belgar

Alignment:

Drogramath (Middling Bond)

Quality: Excellent

Shatter to create a cloud of denial.

Effect:

Throwing this potion creates a 50-pace circle around the point of impact with the [Hallowed Ground] effect. Undead, ghosts, and similar creatures may cross into the cloud but will be banished when they do so.

This version was the easiest to use and most effective for dealing with large groups of undead. That was Theo’s assumption, anyway. Without a practical application, it was hard to say which version was the most effective. He told Salire to make a note to Mister Cherman about the cost of these potions. As part of their alliance, Broken Tusk promised to provide these undead-killing weapons at a cheap price. When he placed the order, he expected to pay full price.

“Almost as if he doubts our alliance,” Theo said with a sigh, finishing the Flame Rose fermentation and transferring it for distillation. “That man needs to learn to trust.”

“When your fate is in the hands of others, it’s often hard to trust,” Salire said, nodding to herself. “Felt like that when I left Gronro.”

Theo pushed down the guilty feeling in his chest. Salire came to Broken Tusk for a better life because she wasn’t built for the combat of Gronro-Dir. It wasn’t his fault that she had a hard time starting. She was doing so well now. He couldn’t tell she’d ever feared her future after coming to his town. The alchemist continued with his work, asking her more about how she felt upon arriving in town. She reversed her previous statement, claiming that it was just the nerves. But a move, no matter the world, was a hard thing. She left behind family and friends to join this experiment.

The timer went off on the still right when dusk set in over Broken Tusk. Theo crafted a Strength Potion using Enchanted Drogramathi Iron Shavings and introduced his newly crafted Refined Elemental Fire to the mix. The red-tinged potion flared, seams of living fire spreading through the vial. While the reaction was stable, Salire stepped back. The alchemist’s experiment left a lasting impression on her. But he examined the result all the same, finding his expectations to be true.

[Strength Potion]

[Refined Elemental Fire]

[Potion] [Modified Potion]

Epic

Created by: Belgar

Quality: Excellent

Alignment:

Drogramath (Middling Bond)

Drink to enhance strength.

Drink to increase physical strength scaling.

Effect:

+14 Strength for 1.75 hours.

For 1.25 hours, your physical strength scales 1.30 times better than normal.

[Refined Elemental Fire] enhanced a person’s physical strength, just like [Refined Elemental Wind] enhanced a person’s speed. Those were the easy ones to guess, and how the elemental line of modifiers influenced Vigor, Intelligence, and Wisdom was beyond him. But that was a problem for another time. Theo crafted the 10 Strength Potions in the order and handed everything over to Salire. They didn’t fill every order, but it was close enough for the day. It didn’t help that Tresk was screaming in Theo’s ear to get to the tavern. It was dinnertime.

Chapter Fifty-Nine

An uneventful day was a good one. Theo had finished his work in the lab, finding his way to Xam’s tavern with his friends. Tonight’s meal was a variation of the wolf meat stew, this time infused with Karatan cheese. A single day after arriving in town, the elves were settling in well. The alchemist could see their eagerness to forget the past, finding it a mirror to stare into. Alex pecked at some Zee bread, prancing around the table as they ate.

It would be wise to meet with Fenian before he left town. Others had collected their goods from the trader, but Theo didn’t have outstanding orders. There had been no request for bulk potions this trip, leaving his pockets too empty. Even filling a 20 gold order from townsfolk, spread across many adventurers, wasn’t enough to keep the town afloat. All hope now rested with the shipwright.

But no one came calling, even as Tresk and Theo slipped into their bath. The marshling seemed somber compared to her normally bombastic nature. He could feel her mind churning through information, trying to make connections between something. How she’d become so good at hiding her thoughts was beyond him. That was a question for the Dreamwalk, though. The alchemist dismissed his doubts before they crept up on him.

“The only thing that could make the bath better would be an air conditioner,” Theo said, sighing. Even keeping his head above the water did little to stifle the lingering heat. Fortunately, the showers outside the bath ran cold water. Once the Season of Fire set in, it might be too hot to bathe.

“Check it out,” Tresk said, holding something up for Theo to see. She must have held it in the shared inventory. It was a core. “Elven God of Duels. Parantheir.”

Theo let out a slow breath, sinking further into the bath. He wanted to be upset about another god coming to town, but the support they provided was undeniable.

“That’s your solution to close combat,” Theo said, nodding. “Need to figure out your Tracker’s Core next.”

“Working on it,” Tresk said, nodding. “Been asking around, but I don’t think anyone around here knows much marshling lore. Let alone Bantari.”

That much was true. Even the local marshlings held little of their cultural heritage. “The lizard-dudes to the south?” Theo asked.

“That’s my best bet,” Tresk said.

That lined up well enough with their current plans. Once their boats were on the water, those islands to the south were their first stop. Even if the lizardfolk didn’t want to trade with Broken Tusk, it would help to get the word out. Once merchant vessels knew they were open for business, people should flood in for trade. Fees on imports alone would help pad the coffers, but making first contact was the most important part. A harbor was a way of signaling that a town was open for business. That was how Theo hoped it would go.

They didn’t linger in the bath for long. Tresk and Alex were eager to get into the Dreamwalk, but Theo examined the gosling before leaving with them.

[Alexandria D’Goose]

[Goose]

[Familiar]

Stage:

[Gosling]

Master:

[Dreamrealm of Tero’gal]

Level 4

Description:

Geese are known as the most loving creatures in all the realms. Any rumors spread to disparage these honorable creatures will be met with a flurry of feathers and bill.

Affinities:

Fire

She had advanced, but not much. While her outward appearance might have changed, it was hard to tell since Theo saw her every day. He placed his hand on the chirping gosling and judged that she’d grown, if only slightly. How familiars worked was beyond him, but her calming presence was enough to make it worth it. The group made their way back to the Newt and Demon, running into several people on the streets. They politely pushed past as the sun dipped lower behind the horizon and entered the Dreamwalk.

The schedule in the real world was unforgiving. Theo wanted to work on something that would imitate pitch, since alchemy seemed the best bet, but he hadn’t had the time. Instead, he watched as Tresk departed near the harbor and focused on developing his mana control. It was simple enough for him to draw that fiery purple mana from his core and hold it in his palm now. Repeated practice made the process reliable, even if he didn’t trust himself in the real world. But that was fading as time went on. There was no point in practicing in the Dreamwalk if he didn’t apply what he learned in real life. That was what Xol’sa would have said.

Theo’s time in the Dreamwalk became a race to gain as much experience as possible. With Throk’s basic timing device, he practiced what it would be like to run five or more stills in real life. He found it easy to run ten at a time, not caring about the result, but operating five was difficult if he expected quality essence. There was also a strain that came with running so many stills, as though part of himself was tied to the process. In the real world, he found this strain pressing gently on his chest when running his current setup. But that exertion was like a phantom of itself in this realm. The weight was lighter.

Alex had gone with Tresk tonight, leaving Theo alone with his ghost ships and his thoughts. The alchemist summoned Marshy on the horizon, waving to the fictitious god. Somehow, that looming creature’s presence was comforting. He felt restless that night. Running between so many stills had become a comfort, but there was a lingering anxiety that built in his mind. It had been a while since he ran up against the first barrier in this world. Back when he was under Level 10, struggling to find the secret to advancement. Coming up against another barrier, this time with much more knowledge, allowed him to identify the source of the block.

It wasn’t a mental thing, he realized. At the last barrier, Theo felt irritable. That barrier put up more than just a block against advancement. It weighed on his heart and mind, forcing a sense of uselessness down his throat. With increased willpower, the alchemist pushed back. He knew the way to advance this time. Zarali had dropped enough hints to send him into the next bracket, but it was the one that loomed at Level 30 that gave him pause.

“This is the part with training wheels,” Theo reminded himself. That was what Khahar had said. “This is easy mode.”

Forcing his will against those fears for the future, Theo turned his attention to his stills. More stills wasn’t the answer. Larger stills might work, but that brought more problems. Even the current design had problems. Heating a mash from the bottom worked when there wasn’t a lot of liquid inside. But the more alchemical mash he added to a pot, the higher the chance the bottom would burn. Burnt reagents meant lower-quality potions. Throk was going to hate him. He needed a new design for the still. That annoying reality sent him into a spiral of questions, none of which he had answers for.

Theo summoned a likeness of his Drogramath Still. It was a magic item provided by the seed core building. He fell down that spiral, letting it consume him. The still was made of Drogramathi Iron—that much was clear. Since it was part of the building, there was only one person who could enable modifications. Sledge needed to work with Throk to change the still. The alchemist stretched his will over the Dreamwalk. It didn’t want to create a larger version of the still, but it wasn’t the master here. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead as he focused, drilling into the fabric of the realm. His command over the golems had strengthened his will, honing it over the weeks. A loud pop issued after a moment, the air shimmering to reveal a 1,000-unit Drogramath Still.

It was the same design as the last. Unnecessary spikes everywhere, but lacking the enchantments provided by Zarali. Theo tested his theory about burning the bottom of the still, finding that to be true. He imagined several Flame Artifices and stone plinths of various sizes. The alchemist arranged them around the still, leaving the single flame underneath, and adding four to the sides about halfway up the still. This added a layer of complexity to the run. Heating the still was no longer as easy as flicking a switch at a certain temperature. He had to keep all the flames at their lowest setting. But it worked after exhausting experimentation.

The key was to arrange the flames at the right distance, providing the right heat. This would make calculating the perfect run for reagents a nightmare, but that wouldn’t be a problem. Once Throk got his hands on the project, he’d come up with some genius way to distribute the heat around the still. The old marshling might even have a better method by now. Perhaps a way to heat the metal directly, but that was up to him to solve. For now, the alchemist was happy with the stills. He was even happier with the way he commanded the Dreamwalk.

Tresk returned after a while, whistling at the new, massive still.

“Felt something weird shiver through the realm,” she said, slapping the side of the still and burning her hand. She cursed. “That’s hot.”

“They’re always hot,” Theo said. “I forced the Dreamwalk to let me have a big still.”

“I forced it to make Marshy,” Tresk said, pointing at the horizon.

Alex chirped her agreement, conjuring bugs to eat.

“See? She gets it.”

“It seems easier for you,” Theo said, making a mental note of that. “No idea why.”

Tresk shrugged, scooping Alex. She dumped the gosling into the harbor and watched her swimming around. Theo took a break from his experiments, sitting at the edge of the water and kicking his feet.

“It really feels like something is coming, huh?” Tresk asked.

Theo waved the question away. He wasn’t afraid of what was outside of the walls anymore. Preparation was the thing that would save them, and they had plenty of that. Maybe a bit too much‌.

“I’m more worried about going broke before we get our boats rolling,” Theo said. “Can’t figure out the pitch thing.”

“Is that your job?” Tresk asked, snorting a laugh. “I thought that angry shipbuilding lady was working on the problem.”

“Isn’t it my job?” Theo asked. He really couldn’t tell. It seemed like something an alchemist would do.

“Not sure it is, buddy,” Tresk said, slapping him on the back. “Thought I saw her workers boiling a bunch of wood.”

“Ogre Cypress?” Theo asked.

“Yep.”

If anything could produce pitch, it was the fleshy white part of the Ogre Cypress Trees. The first two properties on the item were Cure Ailment and Cleanse. There was a possibility that the third one could be something sticky, good enough to be used as caulking for the boats. Then again, Theo had the [Solidify] modifier. But that would simply work on potions, not the gaps of boards. Then again, this might not be his domain. With a sigh, he resigned himself to trusting the knowledge of an expert. If they boiled the bark to get their pitch, that’s how Broken Tusk would do it. Theo needed those boats.

The haze of the Dreamwalk seemed to float by as Theo considered the days to come. He held a request in his mind, something he wouldn’t verbalize to his new shipwright. Those boats needed to be done yesterday. Even a small boat would be a boon. When he thought about the problem more, it stuck out more. The endless loop of amplifying worry was cut. Calming waves of warmth flowed from Alex. The alchemist forgot why he was so concerned. There was plenty to be done in town. They had Fenian as a contact and two towns to trade with. Everything would be fine.

Theo wouldn’t want it to stop, but the sudden shift in his thinking didn’t go unnoticed. He watched Alex playing in the water, wondering what kind of lodestone she was.

“Ever notice how calming she is?” Theo asked, pointing at the playing gosling. “I get worried about nothing and then… Well, there she is.”

“I noticed,” Tresk said. “Dunno if she’s doing it on purpose, but it’s been cutting through my murderous rage.”

“We’ll count it as a good thing.”

The pair split off again, tending to their own training. Theo kept his focus on his alchemy core but didn’t neglect his herbalism core. Getting his personal level to 20 was the plan, and it didn’t matter if his herbalism core was along for the ride. The Governance Core would provide more than enough experience to push him over the edge—the damn thing was almost at Level 19.

The Dreamwalk ended after many more tests with the stills. Theo got a notification that his Tara’hek Core leveled to 21, and his Governance Core leveled to 19. He walked with Tresk to eat the leftover wolf meat cheese stew, something he didn’t expect he’d like at first. But as a breakfast option, it was too heavy. The alchemist cut it with Zee bread, dipping it into the stew and sipping his tea between bites. That was enough to tone down the overpowering flavors and jump-start his day.

“See, if I go to Throk first… That just sets the day up for disaster,” Theo said.

“Well, I can feel you itching to talk to the elf trader,” Tresk said. She’d already dumped the soup down her gullet.

Before Theo could decide what to do, Alise found him in the tavern. She joined them for breakfast and took her time eating the leftover stew, chatting about small topics. The most important topic she covered was Sledge’s fabrication abilities. Alise and Nira had the marshling install an air conditioner in their house, mounting it high on a wall. The cooling effect was impressive, but she was edging closer to an ability to exploit the Synergistic upgrade on the town. With more people ordering her fine work, it was only a matter of time.

Alise, Theo, and Alex left Tresk to her adventuring. They marched over to the town hall and took their large meeting room, taking their time to get settled. Gwyn was missing from the meeting, off handling some issues with the elves for the morning. That left the pair of them to get down to something Alise seemed proud of.

“I spoke with Fenian,” Alise started, tapping her fingers together and grinning. “He wasn’t interested in hauling bulk goods, but I’ve convinced him.”

“Just like that?”

“No. Not really. I’ve been wearing him down over the past few trips,” Alise said. “It was Nira’s idea, actually. She complained we weren’t exporting enough metal. Saw it as a shame.”

“What buyers is he targeting?” Theo asked.

“Elves. I think. Taranthians? Taranthiams? How do you say ‘the people of Tarantham’?”

“Taranthians,” Theo said. “Which house?”

“The dominant house, actually. The one that destroyed House Wavecrest. House Baelstar.”

“That’s not ominous or anything,” Theo said.

There was some moral issue there the alchemist couldn’t find. This wouldn’t count as direct trade with the elves, since Fenian was acting as a fence. It was still a solution for the short term, putting a stop to their hemorrhaging finances. It might not have sat right with him, putting his entire fate into Fenian’s hands, but there was nothing they could do until the boats were built.

“This is our only plan,” Alise said. “He won’t have a price for us right away, and he’ll be gone for about a week.”

“I like it,” Theo said. “Thanks for sorting that out. Anything else to report?”

“Just a lot of numbers about the new elves. We lost a few more last night,” Alise said. “Only two this time.”

“They broke the contract?” Theo asked.

“They did. But I’m not surprised. I had them marked on my list as troublemakers. They refused to sign the contract until I threatened to kick them out.”

“Another layer of defense.”

“Exactly,” Alise said, clapping her hands to punctuate the idea. “Well, I have a candidate for your tailoring position. They slipped through the cracks—didn’t report all their cores—but they’re not happy about working the fields.”

“Funny,” Theo said, running his clawed fingers through Alex’s plumage. She nestled in his bag, chirping as though he owed her worms. It was possible he owed her some worms. “They could have avoided that if they were just honest. Maybe the contract-breakers put a fire under their asses.”

“I think so.”

“Should I plant the Weaver’s Seed Core near the farm, or in the town’s center?”

“We’re looking at the center of town as more of an artisan’s area,” Alise said. “There’s a lot of unused space between the center and Miana’s ranch.”

Theo consulted his map, finding plenty of free plots around the monolith. Any of them would be fine, but it made sense to keep it away from the sawmill. Whisper, the butcher, didn’t seem to care about the noise, but there was no sense in exposing others to it. The alchemist rose from his chair and looked out the window, peering down at the road that ran north-south. He could see the Newt and Demon from here, along with part of Zarali’s enchanter’s workshop. An idea hit him before he could resist.

“Maybe it’s time to see if our fabricator can tell the roads where to go.”

Chapter Sixty

Theo stopped by the Newt and Demon to set the stills to work. Salire stopped him to discuss their current orders, going over the things he missed from the other day. The interruption would have annoyed him, but she produced 10 gold coins from nowhere. The shopkeeper had a sheepish smile on her face, holding the money out with a nervous hand.

“I heard about the town’s money problem,” Salire said. She was too nice for her own good. A person with less honor would have pocketed the money and said nothing of it. Theo wouldn’t have noticed.

“We’re fine. For now. Sit on the cash and try doing something with it,” Theo said, waving her away.

“All 100 gold of it?” Salire asked, wincing. It was likely the most gold she’d ever seen.

“I forgot Azrug bought all our old gear,” Theo said, looking around to the Dimensional Storage Crates. They would have been empty by now. “Reminds me to ask Fenian about a mint… He seems busier than normal. Right?”

“I wouldn’t know.”

“All right. Give me 75 gold, and keep the rest for whatever. Like I said, use it to start a new scheme. Level your cores,” Theo said, clapping a hand on the woman’s shoulder. “Be the best you.”

“Thank you,” Salire said, bowing slightly. She’d been around the elves.

Theo placed the money in his inventory, intending to lose it as quickly as possible. If Fenian had the mint, he’d buy that. Otherwise it would go into the town’s coffers to pay wages. Either way, he didn’t want it sitting too long. Unspent money was a waste, after all.

The alchemist kicked off all his stills, dipping into the reagents his golems were harvesting. He made a note to check on the greenhouses and caves more often. After cleaning each still, he mashed Manashrooms for the first, Swamp Truffles for the second, and Flame Roses for the last. Throk’s artifice timers made it easy to set the flame and walk away. Of all his projects, the idea of mass-producing potions aligned best with the Swamp Truffles. It was better to have far too many Hallowed Ground–derived potions than the others, with the undead approaching. Again, it was best to let Throk get over whatever he was having problems with.

Theo flushed the contents of his storage vessels inside, placing them in 200-unit flasks and storing them away with his new organization system. He checked the larger, 10,000-unit exterior tanks and found them at various levels of fullness. They contained healing, stamina, and mana essences that were of dropping quality compared to his new creations. It would be worth holding them there, though. Emergencies were hard to plan for, and any essence was better than none.

Fenian was still around, socializing with elves. They broke off upon seeing their mayor approach, bowing their heads and moving on. The elven trader performed an overly exaggerated bow.

“My lord,” Fenian said, his voice quivering. “That’s how they treat you. How are things, my dear alchemist?”

“They’re fine,” Theo said. “Stop bowing. Did you find the mint?”

“No. Not yet,” Fenian said. “A devilish task. I’ve been sent a different task from that lovely woman Alise.”

“Right. The bulk materials. Think you can get a good price?”

“Not likely. But I’ll get a price. Material trade in Tarantham is regulated. The Bridge can’t penetrate the Khahari Desert, so that’s off the table. The Veostians are broke, and Qavell… Well, they’re not buying anything at the moment.”

“So, you really are fencing the materials. Whatever works. Where are you going?”

“Excuse me?”

“Alise mentioned you were leaving for a week,” Theo said, locking his gaze onto Fenian’s eyes. He felt a compulsion to exert his will. Perhaps it was Alex in his satchel urging him on, or his own intuition. But after a moment, nothing happened. The elf remained silent for a few heartbeats, then shrugged.

“A debt to be paid,” Fenian said, grabbing his left forearm and wincing. “I think you’re ready, though.”

“Ready for what?”

Fenian massaged his forearm, closing his eyes. “I may need more of the potions before I leave. The Hallowed Ground ones. And a few special requests. I’ll pay this time. Potions of Limited Foresight, Potions of Retreat, the [Elemental Wind]-enhanced Dexterity Potion, and anything you have that works against mages.”

Theo let his intuition play the logical course of actions out. Each item would help Fenian run away and fight a mage. A question lingered in the alchemist’s mind. Who the hell did the elf intend to fight? Another question. What was his end goal? To what end?

“I’m happy to do it. Even if you won’t tell me what it’s for,” Theo said.

“For the sake of the continent,” Fenian said. He moved closer to Theo, leaning in and lowering his voice. “I am bound not to speak of it. Remember your contracts? When the job is done, I can tell you everything. I promise. Just a little more trust. One more step into the darkness.”

This wasn’t just a matter of trust. Theo trusted Fenian with almost everything. The elf had done nothing but good for him and his town, so why would now be any different? Perhaps another leader might see the descent of the undead as a bad thing. But not Broken Tuskers. The unspoken words on everyone’s lips sang freedom from the kingdom. Open rebellion, if necessary. The alchemist placed his hand on Fenian’s shoulder.

“We’re with you, Fenian. No matter what the hell you’re doing, we’re right there with you. If Qavell has to fall… Well, we’re happy to see it,” Theo said.

Fenian nodded. That was all he could say, though. Theo could almost feel the bonds of a contract radiating from the man, coming off in wreaths of strange power. It was like raw mana leaking into the air, forming chains that pulled him down.

“Just so,” Fenian said, taking a long breath. “I’m glad to hear it. Keep the faith, Theo. And work on my potions.”

“I’ll have them done today,” Theo said. “An arsenal.”

Theo didn’t want to tell the elf the potions would be effortless. Maybe if he pretended it was difficult, he could raise the price a few gold. There was no point in working on the potions until he’d made his rounds, but as the alchemist worked through the streets of Broken Tusk, stopping first at Sledge’s sawmill, he realized the problem of the day. The workers at the sawmill said the marshling was off servicing homes and installing air conditioners. It was a matter of going door-to-door, asking everyone when they had seen her last. He felt as though he was going in circles until he finally caught up with her at a home near the smeltery.

“I have a question,” Theo said.

Sledge was standing on a ladder, leaning against the interior wall of a home. She wove bone-white mana into the boards of the wall, mounting a stand for the artifice air conditioner. The home’s owner watched on, clasping their hands together with anticipation. The marshling refused to answer Theo’s question, waiting to finish her process before communicating. She walked over to the homeowner after she was done, holding her hand out. The owner dropped several silver coins, putting a smile on her face.

“What is it?” Sledge said, snatching her ladder and making for the door.

“You’re interacting with the House Seed Core when you do that, right?”

“That I am,” Sledge said. “Thanks to your goofy air cooler, I’m getting a load of experience. Keeps me away from that psychotic elf, too. Out there just burning trees.”

“Right,” Theo said, keeping up with the stomping marshling. He’d see what the progress on the boats was today. Just after he talked to Sledge. “Could you interact with the Town Seed Core?”

Sledge stopped. She spun around, almost hitting Theo in the head with her ladder, swishing her fat tail across the smooth cobbles. “All right, Theo. You have my attention.”

Theo gestured to the road they stood on. It was one of two major roads that ran through town. North-south and east-west. His plan was to create smaller roads that shot off from the main thoroughfares, creating small districts of town like the neighborhood. Those dirt roads were built before they got the [Roads] upgrade on the town. The system must have identified them as such, and generated the cobblestone road for that section. Now it fell to the fabricator to do that. He explained the general idea of telling the Town Seed Core to make new roads. She nodded the whole way through.

“All right. Yeah. Maybe—it depends on how complex the magic array for the roads system is,” Sledge said. “The sight behind the scenes for something simple like a House Seed Core is dead easy to understand. A few instructions here and there and poof. I can install something. But telling it to make new roads? Might be a challenge. You got a place in mind?”

Theo led Sledge to the area near Zarali’s enchanting workshop. If they could take a section of road, sending it toward the wall, then north to connect near the adventurer’s guild, it would be perfect. They’d create a series of roads running north to south, sectioning the area off and allowing more artisans to move in. Including his weaver. The marshling studied the road for some time, abandoning her ladder and pressing her face against the cobblestones. The alchemist thought he could hear her sniffing the road.

“Oh, yeah,” Sledge said, standing after a while. She swiped her hand through the air, summoning a glittering white series of symbols. It wasn’t exactly Axpashi, but it was similar enough that Theo could read pieces. “Welcome to the language of creation. Looks a lot like that arcane babble, right? Wrong! It’s not. This is the big daddy language of the world, Mister Mayor. The scribbles that made life.”

“A bit dramatic,” Theo said, leaning in to study the array. Like most arrays, it was represented as a large circle bordered by symbols. The inner workings were all interconnected smaller circles, each representing a concept. After studying it for some time, the alchemist understood very little of it. There was something about roads, another bit about expansion, and a suspicious mention of ducks and other waterfowl. “How do you interact with the nodes?”

“Like this,” Sledge said. She beckoned dripping white mana to her hand, then shoved it through a node in the array. The ground trembled beneath their feet for a moment, and she tutted. “Don’t be like that, baby. Work with mama.”

Theo winced.

“Right, so it’s complex. Looks like I can… Yeah, just gonna reach in here and… Nope, that’s not the one,” Sledge said, the cobbles beneath their feet vibrating. They stopped when she twisted her hand the right way. “All right, there it is. Let’s make a line that way…”

A dotted yellow line appeared on the ground, heading toward the western wall. The wall wasn’t completely visible from here, but the way the line changed and bent revealed that Sledge was still fiddling with the system. After a moment, she got it to extend west, then cut a 90-degree angle toward the adventurer’s guild. Theo just watched in shock as the marshling worked her magic. This was magic, after all. Fenian told him this was a form of magic, but he didn’t believe it until that moment.

“You’re a genius,” Theo said. The line solidified on the ground, and then the ground rumbled again.

“There are a bunch of features the seed core doesn’t support,” Sledge said, digging her hand deeper into the floating array. “Pretty sure this is going to consume materials from the town’s storage… Not that we lack materials. Just a warning, you know?”

Sledge turned her hand, mana bleeding into the air to cast motes of glowing white light to the ground. The town rumbled again. Stones sprung up from the ground, moving out to cover the yellow line. In moments, where there was just soggy soil was now a road, perfect in every way. The marshling couldn’t hide her grin.

“All right. That was the coolest thing I’ve seen in a while,” Theo said, slapping her on the back. She swayed on the spot, swiping a hand to dismiss the array. “You all right?”

“Took most of my mana,” Sledge said. She paused for a moment, then looked up at Theo. The marshling tried to make her eyes look bigger, a frown spreading across her face. “How am I going to work for the rest of the day? How am I going to feed my family?”

Theo groaned. He withdrew a gold coin from his inventory and placed it in her hand. “That’s for future work, too. No way I’m paying a gold every time we need a road.”

“Why not?”

Theo glared at her, but she just shrugged.

“Worth a shot, right?” Sledge asked. “I’m more than happy to lend my talents where they’re needed. No need for payment. I’m keeping this coin, though. But, hey. There are limitations you’ll want to hear about.”

“Such as?”

“Can’t make anything outside the walls, yet. There’s a skill I can get later that lets me turn exterior buildings into pseudo seed core buildings. For now? Just within the walls. This is also taxing on me. I’m not joking when I say it took most of my mana, but it took something else. Like the town was sapping my willpower for the day. That’s happened before when I installed thirty air thingies in a day.”

Theo nodded along as she spoke. Those were some very lenient restrictions. The skill she mentioned was the most interesting part. The alchemist was already talking with Ziz about different projects outside the town’s gates, so that would be perfect. They already had the bridge. The road Ziz’s guys were constructing was another example.

“All right. I’m going to have a word with my staff about you,” Theo said. “We’ll want to take you on as the town’s fabricator officially.”

“Which means?”

“You’ll be Lady Sledge Grob,” Theo said. “You’ll also get paid for your jobs. Mostly, I want you to know how important you are to us.”

Theo had never seen Sledge show much emotion besides anger. Was greed an emotion? But at that moment she blushed, averting her gaze from the alchemist and stammering. Alex chirped excitedly from her bag.

“Fine by me,” Sledge grumbled.

Theo tried to engage in some small talk, but Sledge claimed to be too busy. She brushed him off and stomped away, forgetting her ladder. When he shouted after her, she scurried back to grab it and continued to stomp away. The alchemist found a spot to plant his Weaver’s Seed Core, favoring the first turn of his new road. He planted it and fed enough high-level monster cores to grow it. There was no sense in upgrading it until he had his weaver inside. It was always better to ask the operator what the best option was.

With that sorted, Theo went back to the lab to check on his distillations. They were still going, so he hadn’t been gone for that long. While he waited for them to complete, he worked on Salire’s checklist and a few of Fenian’s potions. The alchemist mass-produced his best Hallowed Ground Potion, the one modified with [Aerosolize]. That drained the last of that modifier but gave the elf a hundred new potions to work with. It was always fun creating the Elemental Wind Dexterity Potions, though. Once the stills were done running, he had enough to fill yesterday’s order of potions.

Before heading downstairs, Theo crafted enough Mana Constructs to keep his golems going for a few days. When he went down, Salire had a new list of requests from patrons. Halfway up the stairs, a town-wide message came in from Aarok.

[Aarok]: Theo, please report to the adventurer’s guild. This is not an emergency.

“Not sure if it’s just a thing now,” Theo said, turning around on the stairs, “but we really don’t need to say that everything isn’t an emergency.”

Salire laughed, a nervous smile on her face. “Think it’s urgent?”

“Everything is urgent,” Theo said, drinking a Potion of Lesser Foresight. He felt the latent power of precognition flowing through his body, spreading like a dull fire in his chest. “I’ll be back.”

Like a good mayor, Theo went straight to the adventurer’s guild. It was full of people checking out contracts on a big board. There was even an attendant accepting new contracts behind a heavy oaken desk. The alchemist stopped by there first, putting in an adventuring contract for Swamp Onions with a limit of 5,000 units. The clerk happily accepted his money, scurrying off to post the contract on the board. The adventurers nearby howled with delight.

“Easy contract!” one shouted.

Theo realized it might have been better just to create Lesser Plant Golems, then send them into the swamp. But there was something about posting a paper contract that was just delightful. The look in the adventurers’ eyes was worth it.

Aarok was waiting in his office with Luras and Bal. The triplet brother looked shaken, nursing a tea in the corner. Both half-ogres had a grim look on their faces.

“We’ve had another attack,” Luras growled.

The air conditioner, nestled in the top-left corner of the room, kicked on. It flooded Aarok’s stuffy office with a cleansing breeze. Theo didn’t know how to respond to the information. If elves wanted to betray their contract, dying to some magical beast, that was their concern. Not his.

“More dead elves.” Theo shrugged.

“Not an elf,” Bal said, nodding to himself. He took another sip of tea.

“Young Bal here barely got out with his life,” Aarok said, gesturing to the man. “Seems he’s chugging your Lesser Potion of Foresight every day. Dodged some guy’s attacks and got out of there. The attack happened in the swamp, just outside the dungeon.”

“I just wanted to kill some goblins, y’know?” Bal asked, laughing a mirthless laugh. “This guy jumped out of nowhere—hooded bastard—and took a few swings at me. Hah! I already drank your potion, Theo. All he got was air.”

“Have you dispatched anyone to investigate?” Theo asked.

“Our best tracker,” Luras said.

Funny. Theo thought Luras was their best tracker. His heart sank when he realized who their best tracker was.

“You sent Tresk?”

“Tresk, where are you?” Theo asked.

“Tracking some bad guys. That’s my job,” Tresk said. “Oh, shit!”

The mortal realm parted, and Tresk appeared next to Theo, dripping with mud and both daggers drawn. She heaved a breath, looking around. “That’s my panic button,” she said, turning to look at Aarok. “They got away, boss.”

Chapter Sixty-One

“You can’t just send her out like that,” Theo said, locking his eyes on Aarok. The half-ogre wouldn’t give, staring right back.

“I’ll remind you what we are. By your own words, we’re a military force,” Aarok said. He didn’t budge, either in demeanor or position. “She’s the only one with an escape option like that. Now, do you mind letting my little soldier give her report?”

Theo felt a surge of conflicting emotions. Bal wasn’t the most powerful adventurer in town, but he was good. Ranked top 10 in the town, even if they hadn’t shuffled the rankings since the elves arrived. Tresk was still ranked first, with Luras trailing at a close second. If the marshling had to run away using the Dreamwalk ability, that meant all her other skills were on cooldown. Even with multiple forms of escape, she had to resort to that one.

“Please,” Theo said, gesturing. He sank into a chair and sighed. There was no reason to go for everyone’s throat.

“Just a couple of slick bastards,” Tresk shrugged, dripping Cleansing Scrub over her head. Waves of white washed her clean in moments, removing the layers of mud. “I thought I had the jump on this one guy, but then his friends jumped out of the forest north of the dungeon. They were fleeing to the mountains.”

“Did you see their faces?” Aarok asked, still staring Theo down.

“Obscured by some magic crap,” Tresk said. “Hooded in black. I cut one of their arms with my dagger. They’ll be lucky to keep the arm with Theo’s poisons.”

“Bandits?” Theo asked.

“Perhaps,” Aarok said, finally looking at Tresk.

“We expected that,” Theo said, straightening up. “Are these the same people we saw near the river? Either way, what are they after?”

“Why don’t you just ask Khahar?” Luras said, chuckling.

“There are threads of fate I cannot pull,” Khahar said, appearing near Bal. The human adventurer yelped in surprise.

That left a sour taste in Theo’s mouth. He looked at Tresk, who didn’t seem shaken at all. She held herself with the pride of the strongest adventurer in town. Being a leader meant taking control but also understanding where he wasn’t useful. The alchemist was familiar with subterfuge, but this was different. If someone asked him to attack Broken Tusk, he wouldn’t start by picking off people on the outskirts of town. He would infiltrate and sabotage. This seemed more like a petty robbery.

But why would such skilled people need to rob? Running the dungeon made more sense if they just wanted money.

“No hints?” Tresk asked, grinning at the Khahari leader.

“None.”

“I think it’s bandits,” Theo said.

“No one said otherwise,” Luras laughed. “People were driven from the north; it only makes sense.”

But the look Khahar gave Theo said it was more than that. He might not have used his words to communicate the dire situation, but it was there in those eyes. Eyes that faded further from the mortal realm by the day. The walls of Broken Tusk were strong. These bandits, or whatever they were, wouldn’t strike at the heart of the town.

“We have a plan for this,” Aarok said. “Sending our only Shadowdancer to engage was the first step. We needed information. Now we know they’re strong enough to worry about.”

“Which means we’ll issue a general call to arms,” Luras said. “No more solo adventuring until we sort the problem out. Everyone who goes outside the walls goes with a team.”

That was a decent plan. If Tresk had backup, she could have taken the group. Theo could feel that in his heart, information was bleeding over through the Tara’hek. She’d underplayed the condition of the man she struck. The potions were strong and almost impossible to remove unless there was a specialist there. Even the alchemist would have trouble curing his own poisons.

“Good plan,” Theo said with a nod. “Do what you have to, Aarok.”

“I will,” Aarok said, moving on to discuss specifics with Luras.

Tresk was upset that she had to stay within the walls for the day. Theo wouldn’t let her risk it since her Dreamwalk skill would be down until tomorrow. But she understood, vowing to stick by Theo’s side for the rest of the day. They left the meeting after a while, departing the adventurer’s guild to arrive at town hall. Another meeting with Alise and her administration staff.

Theo explained the situation. The sawmill team needed heavy escorts now compared to their lighter ones. Golems would bridge the gap of lacking manpower, running around town and protecting the citizens. Halfway through the meeting, Xol’sa and Zarali showed up to give their opinions.

“No signs of tampering with the dungeon,” Xol’sa said. He had a broad smile on his face. “I’ve just been leveling my Dungeon Engineer Core, so I’d see.”

“Drogramath is silent,” Zarali said. “Unsurprising. What’s the big deal, anyway? A few rogue bandits shouldn’t grind our town to a halt.”

“Better to be cautious,” Theo said.

The door of the meeting room opened again, and Fenian strolled in. He sauntered across the room, the many bangles on his wrists playing a merry tune. The elf took a seat, kicking his feet up on the table.

“So, bad guys?” Fenian asked. “Shall we meet them in the marsh at sundown?”

“I’d rather not,” Theo said.

“Bet you could take them,” Tresk said, grinning at the elf.

Fenian just shrugged.

“Could you take them?” Theo asked.

“I’d have to see them first,” Fenian said. “But I don’t make a habit of fighting without understanding my enemy.”

“Didn’t think you fought at all,” Alise muttered.

“You have a lot to learn about our trader,” Theo said. “It’s a hot topic of speculation. What cores does our illustrious trader have?”

“I never kiss on the first date, my dear alchemist,” Fenian said, waving the question away. “I’ll promise you this. The next time they attack, they will be but red smears on the road.”

“Is that really a promise?” Theo asked, leaning in.

While most had theories about what cores Fenian was hiding, Theo knew. At least one of the elf’s cores was a Parantheir’s Duelist Core, which must have been a close-range fighting core. He might have others, but that was his highest-level core. How high was beyond anyone’s guess. Anyone but Khahar, perhaps. The important thing for the alchemist to consider was the storied past Fenian never revealed. The fate of House Southblade and their association with King Karasan. At every turn, the elf walked a path paved in blood and stone.

“It is,” Fenian said, flashing a grim smile. “Not even ten of Zaul’s strongest assassins could best me.”

“Think so?” Tresk asked, jumping up from her chair.

“I do.”

Tresk moved in a blur, falling into the shadows and jumping from them in a single heartbeat. She appeared behind the trader, fist cocked back and ready to deliver a blow to the back of his head. Fenian’s chair flew across the room, propelled by the force of him standing so suddenly. The marshling’s strike hit air, and she tumbled forward to smack her face into the hardwood table.

“My face!” Tresk shouted, pressing her palms into her forehead.

“At least you can take one of Zaul’s okay-ist assassins,” Theo said, producing a Healing Potion for Tresk to drink.

“No fighting in my meeting room!” Alise shouted, pointing at the ruined chair at the far end of the room. “You owe me a chair, Tresk.”

The marshling downed the potion, the welt on her forehead disappearing. “Yes, ma’am.”

“Adventures are children,” Alise huffed. “Don’t think I won’t smack you with a wooden spoon, Mister Feintleaf.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Fenian said, producing an ornate wooden chair from nowhere and sitting on it. “My point stands. I won’t start my mission until the interlopers are dead.”

“Well, I appreciate it,” Theo said, finding it hard to express his feelings. It was easy to thank the elf for the trade he provided. But for protection, that just seemed weird.

There was other, boring business to attend to. Alise had financial reports and wage forecasts for the Season of Fire. They’d go bankrupt in a few weeks without Fenian’s offer for material trade. Theo handed over 50 of his 100 gold to the cause.

“You know… You can add this to the town’s treasury,” Alise said, touching the gold. It vanished.

“I knew that,” Theo said. He didn’t.

When the meeting was over, everyone went off to do their own thing. Tresk joined back with Theo, heading to the lab to make more potions for Fenian. The process went quickly, since the marshling seemed to handle the essences well. She could act as his assistant in the lab, even if she couldn’t perform the reactions herself. After they were done there, they headed off to the farm to check on the Starbristle Flax production.

Banu had made his first harvest of the new textiles, replanting the ever-cultivating crop to expand his production. The more the farmer expanded his core building, the more fields he’d have. But it was hard to convince him to do anything. There was nothing Theo could do about it now. He left with an inventory full of his new crop and headed to drop it off at the weaver’s building.

Despite Tresk’s desire to get out and adventure, she had a great time running around with Theo. It gave them a chance to talk in person. Their discussions were normally through the Tara’hek Communication ability. While that was fine, there was something different about talking to each other in person. Alex also enjoyed having both of them so near, chirping from her bag constantly. The marshling fed her a constant supply of random bugs, worms, and whatever other crap she had in her inventory.

When it came time to drop the materials off at the weaver, Theo found a scrawny, gray-haired elf waiting outside. She was tall by elven standards, coming up to the alchemist’s shoulders. The older woman wore threadbare slacks and a shirt with no shoes. When she spotted the group coming around the corner, she bowed low and made her introductions.

“Sara’teil,” she said, casting a nervous look at Theo. She pressed her palm into her chest. “Kaya.”

“Oh. I don’t think she speaks Qavelli,” Tresk said, scratching her damp, hairless head. She switched to Bantari. “You speak any lizard languages?”

“I don’t think she does,” Theo said, noting the confused look on the woman’s face. He switched to Drogramathi. “How about demon languages? No? Axpashi?”

“You scared her,” Tresk said.

Theo assumed the woman’s name was Kaya from her gesture. The roughness of the demonic tongue had scared her, however. The alchemist switched back to the Qavelli language. Not that it mattered.

“This is your building,” he said, gesturing to the weaver’s workshop. He produced a stalk of flax from his inventory. “Can you turn this into thread? Sails for my boats?”

Kaya had a confused look on her face, but she took the item from Theo and nodded. She pushed into the workshop without another word, and the pair followed. The elf paused at the far side of the room, in front of something that looked like a giant comb. She held her hand out, shaking the bundle of flax in her other hand.

“She wants more,” Tresk said, nodding to Theo.

The alchemist produced all the flax he had, placing it in the room’s corner. That seemed to be what Kaya wanted. Each stalk of the flax plant had a long, dried section ending in a tangle of seed pods and smaller sticks. The elf grabbed a handful and ran it over the comb, which removed all the extra material at the top, sending it tumbling to the ground in a pile.

“She’s getting rid of the seeds,” Tresk observed.

“Keen eye.”

Kaya moved her handful of flax to the other side of the room, near the window. She set it on a table, found the nearest blunt object, and began beating the hell out of the flax. Theo winced at the first strike but kept his cool. The woman’s strength and endurance were impressive, and she had the Starbristle pulverized in a few minutes. Kaya then produced a dull knife and raked it against the stalks, removing some more of the exterior sections of flax. The next step was to take the stalks and run them through a finer comb near the comically large one. Within a few minutes, the rough plant was looking like a bundle of shining blue thread.

Kaya said something else in her native language, gesturing to the large spinning wheel that dominated the room’s center. She sat down and worked her magic. To Theo, it looked as much like magic as anything else, because within a few minutes she had a bobbin loaded with smooth, blue thread. It wasn’t rough, like Theo expected. The alchemist thought it would come out the other end looking more like twine. But that was the difference between a mundane weaver and one with a core.

“Payment,” Theo said, knitting his brows. What was the best way to communicate that this was a paying job? He arrived at the solution quickly. “Contracts.”

Theo drew up a contract for Kaya. He hoped the magic in the Contracts skill would translate the text for her. When the prompt showed up, Kaya made an excited sound, then babbled in her native language.

[Starbristle Weaver]

Contract

Kaya Wavecrest will provide Broken Tusk with 3 days of labor per week to spin Starbristle Flax into Starbristle Thread. At her own pace, she shall weave the Starbristle Thread into Starbristle Cloth for the construction of sails. She shall earn 15% of market value on all items produced. Theo Spencer agrees to support Kaya Wavecrest’s endeavors to ensure her success within Broken Tusk.

Terms:

Kaya Wavecrest will work the Weaver’s Workshop no less than 3 days per week.

Kaya Wavecrest is responsible for all workers she hires, including the distribution of funds.

Theo Spencer (Belgar) will supply all materials for the weaver to work.

Theo Spencer (Belgar) will ensure the safety of all workers.

Theo Spencer (Belgar) will provide [monster cores] to upgrade the weaver.

Timeline:

Renewed every year

Theo thought he had some logic to the way he drew up payment on contracts. It was more of a feeling if someone got 10%, 15%, or 90%. She made no changes to the contract, sending it back to Theo with her magical signature. Kaya reached out, still speaking in Taranthian, and shook his hand.

“Hey, I guess she likes it,” Tresk said, laughing.

“We need to tell Gael about this,” Theo said, watching as the woman got to work. “If his people need tutoring in Qavelli, someone needs to provide it.”

“Agreed,” Tresk said.

Theo inspected the thread that Kaya produced before leaving the workshop.

[Starbristle Thread]

[Textile]

Uncommon

Starbristle Flax is known for its alluring color and strength.

The contract automatically filled in the prompt for Starbristle Cloth, but without an example, Theo couldn’t figure out how to inspect it. That didn’t matter, though. They had a way to make cloth. Something large enough to create sails for his boats, and the system message said Starbristle was known for its strength. The alchemist would need to come back with an interpreter and find the best upgrades for her workshop.

While he was thinking about his boats, Theo figured it was a good time to check on how the pitch production was going. Tresk joined him out on the street, listening to the calls of Kaya inside. They supposed she was saying goodbye and moved on. Laedria Wavecrest was at the port, overseeing several bonfires raging on the paved ground. He didn’t want to yell at them for burning a grease stain onto his beautiful harbor, so he bit back the words bubbling from his throat.

“Mister Mayor! Fancy you showed up,” Laedria said. “See, I haven’t been paid for my good labor. I’m out here choking on smoke and making your Ogre Cypress Pitch without a single copper coin in my hand.”

“Have you built a boat?” Theo asked.

“Well, I’ve made pitch. And assembled some lumber,” Laedria said, crossing her arms.

Theo reminded himself of the proper way to deal with someone like Laedria. If this was someone else, he would have fawned over her efforts. Pitch was a big deal. But Laedria Wavecrest was a pain in the ass. She wanted to knock heads with others for no good reason and needed a good knock in the head back.

“Food is free in town if you can’t pay. You have housing and food. Show me even part of a boat, and we’ll talk terms,” Theo said. “Until then, I’ll assume you’re worthless.”

“Hah!” Laedria said, thumping her hand on her chest. “I like you, Mayor. You want a Glan-damn boat? I’ll give you a boat.”

Theo thought about the expression she used for a moment. Glantheir was the Elven God of Healing, so that was her way of saying “god damn.” He tried to hide the smile on his face, moving over to inspect the pitch she was creating. Through burning the Ogre Cypress Bark, running it over a fire in large copper pots, she had produced Ogre Cypress Pitch.

[Ogre Cypress Pitch]

[Alchemy Ingredient] [Pitch]

Rare

Pitch useful for sealing.

Properties:

[???] [???] [???]

“I’m not eating that,” Theo said, looming over a pot of foul-smelling sludge.

“No one asked you to!” Laedria shot back, cackling.

The harbor had more problems than just needing boats. They needed someone to run the harbor alongside their shipwright. Theo couldn’t think of anyone for the job, but he’d find someone. For now, the harbor was on its way to being the most vital part of Broken Tusk. The alchemist watched the team of elves stoke fires, his mind swirling with ideas to improve the process. Throk’s Flame Artifices would have been better to work the Ogre Cypress Bark, but it would be nice to let Laedria and her people sweat over this. A person like her needed hardship to find their place.

Chapter Sixty-Two

Tresk and Theo spent the rest of the day working on potions for Fenian. They didn’t limit themselves to what he’d requested, making anything that fit with his theme of defensive potions. Although the day was fading, they pushed to complete an example of a Vigor Potion with the [Refined Elemental Earth] modifier. Any chance to test the effects of a new modifier was a good chance, so he took it.

Theo held the completed vial up for inspection, noting the brown-yellow tone and flecks of glowing yellow material behind the glass.

[Vigor Potion]

[Refined Elemental Earth]

[Potion] [Modified Potion]

Epic

Created by: Belgar

Quality: Excellent

Alignment:

Drogramath (Middling Bond)

Drink to enhance Vigor.

Drink to increase resistance scaling.

Effect:

+14 Vigor for 1.75 hours.

For 1.25 hours, your physical resistances scale 1.30 times better than normal.

Vigor was a defensive attribute, even if it influenced stamina directly. Health scaled directly with the attribute, although Theo hadn’t noted the scale. The problem was the vague way it described resistances. They were physical resistances, but what did that mean? Tresk thought it was a good potion, so they made 10 for Fenian to sample. If the elf was sticking around for a few more days, they could make more for him before he departed.

“Well, a hard day’s work done,” Tresk said, dusting her hands off. She had barely helped, but it was more help than he expected.

“A job well done,” Theo said, patting the marshling on the head. “Time for dinner?”

Alex chirped.

Xam had been feeding her tavern monster cores. It expanded to the east, encroaching on the space occupied by the bathhouse. The building also pushed north, threatening no other buildings. The Marsh Wolf Tavern also seemed taller, as though it got another floor. When they had expanded, the building was beyond him, but it had to be during the day, when he was too busy to notice. Theo and Tresk entered the tavern, noting the significant increase in area.

“Got a new dining floor!” Xam shouted over the constant buzz of conversation. “Go upstairs; I have a table reserved for you.”

Theo and Tresk shared a look. They’d both be lying if they said they didn’t appreciate the special treatment. The first floor of Xam’s tavern was nice, but the second was amazing. With the sun fading outside, the windows on the second floor caught more of that dying light. Downstairs, the kitchen and bar area took up much of the area, but the second floor didn’t suffer from that problem. It was filled with tables, packed from the landing of the stairs to each corner of the room. A single booth, roped off with a sign reading “For the Mayor” sat on the east-facing side of the room.

“Oh. Fancy,” Tresk said, jumping into the walled-off section.

Theo moved around the rope, sitting to find the seats far more comfortable than the normal wooden chairs in the tavern. Each chair in the booth was upholstered in something that looked like red silk, stuffed with comfortable material. There was a small hay-strewn box in the booth’s corner with a small name tag.

“It says ‘Alex’!” Tresk shouted, jumping up to snatch the gosling from Theo’s satchel. She placed her inside, patting the creature’s head as she nestled among the hay.

“They’re really trying to spoil us,” Theo said, chuckling.

Before long, an employee came along with plates laden with salad. That’s the only way Theo could think to describe it, anyway. Piles of leafy vegetables drizzled with some mixture of oil and Karatan cream and cheese. Tresk turned her nose up at it, but with a bit of prodding, she ate.

“All right, this is good,” Tresk said, finding it hard to dump the entire plate in her mouth at once.

By the time their plates were cleared, the second floor had filled. Theo felt like a lord in his little box, staring out his window and waiting for more food. Before long, the server returned with two plates of Zee pasta, covered in a cheesy sauce with flecks of green Water Leeks sprinkled on top. The next course also came with cups filled with the mead from Rivers and Daub. Before the server left the table, they set a small cup down. It was filled with worms.

“They’re treating you like a queen, Alex,” Theo said, dumping the worms into the gosling’s little enclosure.

Alex pecked at the worms, happily slurping them down. She was growing more by the day. Her plumage had changed, becoming less downy as her body grew. While it was hard to tell when she’d become something more than a gosling, ‌change would come soon.

As with all of Xam’s cooking, the meal was impossibly delicious. Cheese was cheating, but Theo wouldn’t complain. His investment in Miana paid off daily. He would have given any amount of gold to see fresh Karatan cheese and milk served with his meals. And the half-ogre tavern owner had never been happier to sling Miana’s products, weaving them into every dish she made.

Luras joined them after a while, squeezing his broad frame into their little booth. It had seats for six people and a table large enough to accommodate more. He looked more grumpy than normal until the mead came, and he dug into his Zee pasta. After a few drinks and a full belly, he got more conversational.

“Can’t believe they beat you out there, Tresk,” Luras said, laughing. “Maybe we gotta take your number one spot.”

“From my cold, dead hands,” Tresk said, glowering.

“How have you been, Luras?” Theo asked, changing the subject.

“Great,” the adventurer replied. He averted his gaze from Theo.

When Luras took his Leatherworker’s Core, it left a sore spot. He was forced into the position unfairly, acting on the wishes of a dying relative. Now, in his position as the Captain of the Guard, he hit his stride.

“Luras likes to guard people,” Tresk said, nodding. She spoke the words with no malice. Just an observation of a friend, even if he was a rival.

“I don’t see as much action as people like Tresk,” Luras said, taking another massive drink of mead. “But you can’t put a price on protecting people. Might even take an administrator core.”

“Maybe there’s a core for guards,” Theo said. “Hopefully you’re drawing a good salary.”

“Good? No, I’m rich. By Broken Tusk standards? Extremely rich,” Luras said, laughing. He slammed his fist on the table to punctuate his point, sending the dishes clattering around. “This is a job I could have only dreamed of. Gods… Do you remember when you got here? We were skulking around in the mud, hunting turtles to survive.”

“I’m honestly not sure how you guys survived,” Theo said.

“We didn’t,” Tresk said, her eyes going unfocused. “Broken Tusk was on the decline for years. When the Ogres left, they created a void. When Qavell swooped in, they installed a yoke.”

Luras nodded, raising his glass and taking another swig. “Before Theo showed up, there was nothing worth exploiting here. Just the meager taxes we provided. Then boom. Suddenly the hills are rich in ore and marble. Land cluttered with more dungeons than any other region. The trees are growing faster than weeds. Yeah, bet they’re mad about missing out on that.”

“Yeah, screw them,” Theo said, raising his glass. “To treason.”

Others in the tavern heard Theo’s toast. Apparently, his voice was too loud, because a chorus of voices echoed his sentiment back.

“To treason!”

Everyone on the second floor drank to that, elves included. That was the way Broken Tuskers rationalized what they were doing. It wasn’t exactly treason, but they were on the edge of declaring their independence either way. Some taxes were still withdrawn from the town automatically, while others required manual collection. Coins slipped out of their pocket weekly, and every building in town still required the owner to pay property tax. The administration had halted that collection, even if the timer ticked down daily.

Theo saw little reason to collect taxes on the value of a property. Once they broke from Qavell, he’d do whatever he could to rearrange that. If someone spent the money on a seed core building and the land, there was no reason for them to keep paying for it. His plan was to remove taxes that people paid to live. That should be free. Instead, he’d place less-steep taxes on sales and exports. Anything sold in Broken Tusk to Broken Tuskers would be tax-free. He’d work out the details with his administrators.

The important point was to keep the town from becoming another merchant-controlled city. Rivers and Daub displayed how that could go wrong in spectacular fashion. The slums on the western side of their town were a testament to that, revealing the selfish nature of those in power. Theo wondered if he could keep himself from temptation, but the evidence was already in. The moment he got a little money, it went right back into the town. He still enjoyed the luxuries provided by his position but wanted to keep those minimized.

So long as the people were happy, so was he.

Luras had a fun time that night, even after he got completely hammered. Tresk and Theo had to help the half-ogre back to his house, passing by the old leatherworker’s workshop that no one was using. It was a sore reminder, but the drunk didn’t seem to notice. After depositing him in his bed, the pair made their way to the bathhouse. The sun had set, but there was no reason not to get a nice bath. That private bath was another comfort that the position of power provided.

“What a day,” Tresk said, sinking into the pool.

Theo found the bucket he used to bathe himself before hopping into the mineral-rich pool and filled it from the cold tap. He set it near the pool’s edge and placed Alex inside. She didn’t care for the hot water of the tub, often preferring to just sit around the edge. The gosling now chirped happily from her bucket, full of worms and comfortable. They bathed for quite some time, but the staff had reinstated their rule about staying too late. Tresk, Theo, and Alex were kicked out of the bath. They returned home without another thought.

The sleeping arrangements in their little apartment had changed little since Theo got there. His bed sat on the east-facing wall with the window, while Tresk took the interior wall. They both had nice goose feather beds, a fact they wouldn’t reveal to Alex, and it was comfortable enough. With the Dreamwalk, it seemed as though the quality of the mattress didn’t matter. Instead of lying in bed, waiting for sleep to come, it was more of an agreed-upon command that sent them into the Dreamwalk. While it was nice, he never had trouble going to bed in this world. The days were too exhausting to do anything but rest.

Theo considered his current core levels, alongside his personal level, before getting in bed. His Drogramath Alchemy Core should have rolled over to Level 19 today, and his Governance Core would roll over tomorrow. Drogramath Herbalism Core would hit Level 18 in its own time, still trailing behind everything. That should be enough experience to send his personal level to 19. Then it was just a single level to unlock a new core slot.

“I need to study,” Theo said, watching as Tresk got into bed.

“Why? Your Axpashi is getting better,” Tresk said. “Can we continue this discussion in Tero’gal?”

Theo nodded, hopping into bed and checking on Alex. She was snug in her makeshift bed, ready to sleep. They needed to improve her sleeping area, but that was a task for another time. Instead, he and Tresk issued the mental command that sent the world spinning. Moments later, they arrived in the Dreamwalk. The haze lifted after a moment, revealing the harbor once more.

“So, here’s the damn problem,” Tresk said, narrowing her eyes at Theo. “I don’t think those are normal bandits.”

Theo blinked a few times, trying to force his thoughts to catch up with the moment. He could normally feel his Tara’hek companion’s deception. But she’d kept it from him so expertly, perhaps afraid of someone listening in. But the Tara’hek Communication skill should have been between them. And the goose.

“What?” Theo asked.

“Didn’t want to tip anyone off,” Tresk said, shifting the scene to the swamp.

Theo spotted a group of five people, as hazy as Tresk’s memory of the event. He spun around, finding the dungeon to the south, spinning again to find a forest of Ogre Cypress and the mountains to the north. He slogged through the marsh, coming close to a prone figure.

“I can’t see many details,” Theo said, stooping low to look at the ethereal man in the mud.

“Well, this is when I hit them. And my memory ain’t so great,” Tresk said. “Four were fanned out near the forest’s edge, one ranging ahead. Looked like a fighting retreat to me.”

Theo inspected the scene closer. The figures by the forest were even hazier than the one crouched in the swamp. The man was clutching his forearm, and the people near the trees were rallying.

“Would bandits be this supportive of an injured companion?” Theo asked, pointing at the four people.

“I doubt it,” Tresk said. “Maybe a tight-knit group of career bandits. But I’m not convinced. The magic they hit me with… Hold on…”

The scene changed again. Tresk’s memory of the magical attack was even more blurry. A red wave came from the line of trees, undefined. Theo got a sense of the attack from the memory, but it was even more hazy than the physical appearance. He couldn’t sense any magical properties from the magic and let out a heavy sigh.

“So, it was almost like a wave of blood,” Tresk said.

Theo took a deep breath through his nose. He could almost smell the scent of rust in the air, but it was too distant. With all this information, he had to wonder what those people were really doing. They scouted near the river, then acted near the dungeon. If they wanted to sabotage a dungeon, the Swamp Dungeon was the worst pick. The Ocean Dungeon was the easiest for that task, even if they had to go underwater to do it. Nothing his intuition could tell him added up.

“Wave of blood,” Theo said, pushing his Wisdom to its limit. “I don’t get it. What kind of magic is that? Why were they here? How did the attack start?”

Tresk changed the scene again. She created a ghostly representation of herself hiding behind a tree, looking over a singular figure lurking in the swamp. The others near the tree weren’t visible yet, waiting for their companion to return.

“I saw that weird magic obscuring his face and attacked without warning,” Tresk said, changing the image to show her emerging from the person’s shadow. He turned, blocking the strike with his forearm. “I had your best poison on Stab Stab. The one with [Accelerated Decay]. Got four hits on the guy’s arm before the magic happened. Then I ran.”

Theo nodded. “Yeah, don’t mess with magic.”

Anyone afflicted with that poison would have a hard time surviving. [Accelerated Decay] increased the damage of all poisons, and removing the poison manually caused all stacks to apply at once. If the man’s companions could heal him, he would lose the arm. Theo had no doubt in his mind about that. His poisons were beyond deadly. Tresk’s Tracker’s Core also provided the Lingering Poisons effect, which increased the damage of poison on targets she tracked by 1.5 times.

“My lingering question,” Tresk said, drawing the daggers from her hips and stabbing the ghostly visage of the interloper. “What level is this guy if he didn’t go down choking on poison?”

That was a question Theo didn’t know if he wanted answered. It was bad enough to think about a band of low-level bandits roaming around, but if they were a high-level group… That was far worse.

“We need a plan to take them out. Think Fenian can do the job?”

“He’s hiding something,” Tresk said. “I think his Parantheir Duelist’s Core is at least Level 30.”

“Really?” Theo asked, shaking his head. “Surely not that high.”

Tresk returned her daggers to their place, leaning in. “I think he was holding back when he dodged me. Could’ve moved way faster.”

Fenian moved fast enough in that encounter to dodge Tresk. How much faster could he have moved? But Theo didn’t want to entertain any more questions. That’s all they were finding with this problem. More questions.

Grasping at things beyond his reach was a futile thing. Theo realized that long ago. It was a quagmire, as much as the swamp outside the western gate was. Doubts and questions were as likely to suck a man under as the marsh itself. If he was well-practiced in anything, it was the art of ignoring massive problems to push forward. Because without more levels, more wealth, and more notoriety, what was the point of their little experiment?

Theo pressed his forehead against Tresk’s and smiled.

“Whatever happens, we’ll face it together,” Theo said.

Tresk nodded, her expression set with determination.

“Together.”

Alex chirped her support.

Chapter Sixty-Three

Sunlight filtered through the window in Theo’s room, casting shafts of light through the dusty air. He couldn’t remember the last time he dumped a bottle of Cleansing Scrub over his bedroom, but that was the least of his concerns. A barrage of system messages clouded his vision, worse than the particles of dust in the air. So many cores had rolled over to new levels that the window took up most of his sight.

Drogramath Herbalism Core gained experience (8%).

Drogramath Herbalism Core reached Level 18.

Drogramath Alchemy Core gained experience (5%).

Drogramath Alchemy Core reached Level 19.

Governance Core gained experience (0.5%).

Governance Core gained experience (0.2%).

Governance Core gained experience (0.2%).

…

Governance Core reached Level 20.

Theo Spencer gained experience (5%).

Theo Spencer reached Level 19.

Theo Spencer received one free point.

Progress came swiftly in the Dreamwalk. It was better than the real world for grinding levels, even if the products he made didn’t matter. Theo considered where to put his free point, but more Intelligence would help over anything else. One more level, and he’d find himself with a magic-based core. That assumed that Khahar made good on his promise, contacting Toru’aun and setting him up with a demon mage core. While he didn’t normally like leaving things to chance, the alchemist had few other options. He’d take his time to pick the skill for his Governance Core.

He inspected his attributes screen, distributing the free point into Intelligence.

Belgar (Theo Spencer)

Drogramath Dronon

Level 19

Alchemist

Core Slots: 4

Stats:

Health: 105

Mana: 160

Stamina: 115

Strength: 20 (+11)

Dexterity: 16 (+8)

Vigor: 20 (+8)

Intelligence: 23 (+9)

Wisdom: 27 (+7)

Points: 0

That single level meant a lot. Perhaps not as much as the ascension into the Level 30 range, but it was big. Another core meant he could lend himself better to the defense of Broken Tusk. With his Axpashi improving, he’d leafed through Xol’sa’s book in the Dreamwalk. With enough of it memorized, he saw how the elf’s theories about the core would benefit him and the town. He theorized that the Demon Lady’s wards were much like limited-use enchantments. They were all reactive and could be applied to almost everything. The example given in the book was a miner’s pick with a ward to imbue it with greater power, allowing the miner to take a few swings with impossible strength.

Tresk placed her hand over Theo’s shoulder, breaking him from his thoughts. He turned, finding her with a faint smile on her face. They shared more than just feelings now. He didn’t need to tell her about his excitement for the new core. It just bled between them, turning their thoughts brackish with a mingling existence.

“Breakfast time,” Theo said, rubbing his hands together.

Another thing to be excited about was their private booth. While their table by the window was all but reserved, they still had to contend with the crowds. The pair left the lab, running into a gaggle of people on the street. There were more fresh faces in town, not accounted for by the surge of elves. More refugees fleeing from the north to find a home in the swamp town. Theo was glad to have them. Strong back and determination would win their little rebellion, if it ever came to that.

The booth was as pleasant as last night. Theo swept his tail through the air, watching as Alex nestled in her box in the corner. The view outside the window was better, even if slightly obscured, by the bathhouse. He could see the boiling rooms where the town’s water was purified. The adventurers walked the walls, guarding it more like soldiers than anything. They moved in groups of three now, never straying far from their squads. More like a military every single day.

“They’re more like mercenaries,” Tresk said, reading Theo’s thoughts.

“Maybe. Soldiers get pay. What’s the line between soldier and mercenary?” Theo asked.

Tresk tapped her fingers on the table, humming for a moment. During her thinking, the server brought the leftovers from last night. This time, there was no mead, only the deliciously sweet moss tea.

“Thank you,” Theo said, flicking the server a silver coin. It seemed wise to tip now that he had a private booth. That act added to the illusion of his power.

“Soldiers fight for a cause. Mercenaries fight for money,” Tresk said, finally allowing her thoughts to form.

“But you can’t assume the motives of every adventurer in town.” Theo picked through his leftover salad, finding only the largest chunk of crumbly Karatan cheese. “We’re not a nation—yet—but that’s exactly what these people are fighting for. The town.”

“Yeah, keyword yet on that whole thing.” Tresk pushed the salad to the side and devoured her meal. “But you’re right. They’re something else entirely. An adventurer army.”

Theo nodded, sipping his tea. “How many of them fight for the top ranks?”

“Maybe everyone in the top 20. Not that anyone can catch me,” Tresk said, posing heroically. “No, but they’re talking about integrating our non-guild with Rivers and Gronro. I heard that dwarf-dude is losing his shoes trying to get in on that deal. Aarok already has a few of his guys running the Swamp Dungeon.”

Theo picked through the parts of his food that he liked. The tea was the only thing he really needed to get the day going, but it was hard to resist the cheese. Once the silence had set in, Alex chirped, as though she had something to add to the conversation. Her sounds became more frantic as the moments rolled on, ending with her tumbling from the box and pecking at their heels.

“Calm down, bird,” Tresk said, picking the growing gosling up to cradle her. “What’s going on?”

The chirping continued. But a sound issued from outside the tavern sent Theo’s blood running cold. A spike of adrenaline flooded him as the frantic clatter of warning bells issued from the walls. It started with a single, distant bell ringing rapidly. Then it was joined by others along the wall. Tresk’s daggers were in her hands in an instant, and she disappeared into the shadows.

A few heartbeats later, she sent a mental message to Theo.

“Ships on the horizon—a whole damn fleet,” she said.

“Cheep!”

Theo stuffed Alex in his satchel and ran from the tavern, downing a Potion of Limited Foresight and rushing to the town square. Aarok was sprinting, his footfalls matching the frantic pace of the bells. The two men joined on the road, headed for the eastern gate.

“An attack?” Theo asked.

“No idea.”

There was no sign of an attack at the eastern gate. Aarok ascended the battlements to get a report, and Theo sprinted south to the other side of the harbor. Up on those battlements, he could see ships far in the distance. They rolled in on a bank of fog, obscured so that none of their features could be discerned. Adventurers scrambled around him, pushing past on the narrow path and asking for orders. Theo just stared.

“They’ve finally arrived,” Khahar said, appearing behind Theo.

“An attack?” Theo asked. No one would be suicidal enough to sail up the river to face their towers. Right?

“My people. The clergy of my cult come to take me home,” Khahar said. He let out a slow breath.

All the tension released from Theo’s body. His shoulders relaxed, giving way to the logic of his mind. Khahar had mentioned that his people were coming to get him, even if the Khahari leader could just teleport back to his home. The tension came back when Tresk sent another message.

“I’m about to jump onto the boat and murder these idiots!” Tresk shouted.

“Stop!” Theo shouted back. “They’re Khahar’s people. Come to collect him.”

“Man. All right. Standing down.”

Theo opened his mayoral interface and wrote a message, sending it town-wide.

[Theo]: They’re Khahar’s people. Everyone stand down. Report to me, south of the harbor on the wall.

Theo realized the scale of the ships he was seeing. The mouth of the river was miles away, but the sails still stood proud on the horizon. Moments ago, they’d loomed like harbingers of their own. Now they seemed more tame and inviting, heralds of a man’s ascension into godhood.

“Are you ready to go?” Theo asked.

Khahar leaned against the wall. He looked tired. “It’s not death, like you might imagine. Honestly, I can’t wait to be gone. Spencer… They’re insufferable. They hound me day and night. ‘Khahar, what is your great wisdom? How can I be a better person?’ I don’t know! Stop being an asshole!”

Theo tried not to laugh—he really did. But in moments, both he and the godlike figure were holding stitches in their sides, laughing at the absurd situation. Once the alchemist’s breath came back to him, he looked at his old friend. Those unfamiliar eyes shone with excitement. A new adventure.

“How long will it take?” Theo asked.

“Instantaneous, once I get back,” Khahar said. “Time moves slower in the godly realms. Depending on the strength of the realm, it will move even slower. With the power I accumulated, I’ll have a realm powerful enough to rival the combined pantheons.”

“Then what?” Theo asked. “To what end?”

Khahar cast Theo a knowing look, a smile creeping into his face. “Then I’ll shatter the barrier between the pantheons. Kill Zagmon, Fan’glir, the Eye, and a few others.”

“So, nothing big?” Theo asked. “Just relax for a while. Take it easy?”

“No such luxury. If my math is right, a second in this world will equal a year in mine. Time in the heavenly realms is the currency. That’s why the gods have such trouble influencing the mortal realm. Imagine if you started a plan down here and watched your agents take plodding steps.”

“Will you be watching me?”

“I’ve already reached an agreement… Well, I can’t say exactly what agreement I made with whom. Yes, I’ll watch over the Southland Defensive Alliance.”

A clatter of footsteps issued behind the pair. Aarok, Luras, and every adventurer in town came running, crowding the wall and the area beneath it.

“They’re your people?” Aarok asked, hand itching toward the dagger at his hip.

“They are,” Khahar said, gesturing vaguely to the sea. “Come to collect their wayward god.”

With the joking over, Khahar reverted to sounding completely bored.

“Can you keep that promise?” Aarok asked.

“Unfortunately,” Khahar said, letting out a heavy sigh. “It’s been nice living here. I wish I could stay for longer. But my task can fall to no other.”

The chatter from the adventurers was the only sound near the wall. Khahar just stared off toward the coast, as though this was something he’d been dreading for a long time. Theo’s hope was that he would be happier in the heavenly realm. If being near his own people was so burdensome, then that should have been a relief.

“Cat people are going ashore. I’m tailing them. Heh. Get it?”

Alex chirped from Theo’s bag, scrambling to remove herself from it. Khahar turned, smiling at the gosling and scooping her up. Frantic chirps led to the man nodding as though he understood. He produced a handful of wiggling beetles, holding his palm flat for her to peck at.

“You take care of him, Alex D’Goose. You hear me?” Khahar asked.

Theo spotted the figures moving along the river. They were all Khahari, dressed in shades of yellow and brown. The one leading them wore a tall hat decorated with gleaming yellow gems. The cat-person looked ancient, gray streaking through their fur. Aarok and Theo just watched them approach, eyes occasionally flicking to the towers. Just in case.

“Lord Khahar!” the lead Khahari shouted. He got to his knees, pressing his forehead into the dirt. “The time has come for you to ascend. Please! Don’t make your faithful wait a moment longer!”

It took Theo a long moment to realize what language the Khahari priest was speaking. Khahar stood next to Theo, a massive grin on his face. One last joke from Yuri.

“Did you teach your people Russian?” Theo asked, mouth hanging open in shock.

Khahar burst out laughing, slapping the wall. After a while, he wiped tears from his eyes.

“I told them it was the holy language,” Khahar said, trying to stifle his laughs. “The system made me start with Khahari, but I still remembered all my old languages. Ah. Good times.”

If not for his endless mingling with people in Moscow, Theo wouldn’t have understood the joke. The Russian language the Khahari priest spoke was rough. The pronunciation was bad, even while shouted, but the alchemist got the point. But it was nice to see more of the old Yuri. The good-natured jokester.

“That’s how I remember you,” Theo said, slapping Khahar’s shoulder. “Tossing jokes until the end.”

Khahar nodded, turning and pulling Theo into a hug. The alchemist tried to keep his head in that moment. But something hot stung at the edges of his eyes, breaking the surface to trace a line down his cheek. He hugged his old friend back with everything he had, pulling away only to watch Yuri’s grin spread across that cat-person’s face.

“A trade ship will arrive soon. See ya in heaven,” Yuri said, disappearing and reappearing with his people outside the wall.

“See ya in hell!” Theo shouted down in Russian. That got the attention of the group of Khahari priests. They looked up as though the alchemist had committed some mortal sin. Yuri just laughed, walking toward the beach without another word.

Alex pecked at Theo’s shoe, so he picked her up. He cradled her in his arms, pressing his face into her plumage. Tresk emerged from the shadows, producing a small length of cloth from nowhere and holding it out for him to take.

“A hankie for these trying times?” she asked.

Theo took it, dabbing his eyes. Even with an audience, he didn’t care. It was like losing Earth again. Even though he knew it would happen, the moment that Yuri departed hurt more than he thought it would. Only the calming wave of comfort coming from both Alex and Tresk banished those feelings away. The slow murmur of chatter from the adventurers, kicked up again by Khahar’s departure, helped him snap out of it. He returned the handkerchief to Tresk and nodded his approval.

“Right,” Theo said, clapping his hands together. “One problem solved. A million to go.”

“Come on,” Aarok said, reaching out to grab Theo by the arm. His attempt missed, thanks to the Potion of Lesser Foresight. Tresk’s daggers were in her hands. She crouched low, ready to vanish into the shadows and strike. The half-ogre gave her a flat look. “We need to talk about this. In private.”

“Use your words, dummy,” Tresk said, refusing to return her weapons to her hips.

“Let’s go,” Luras said, turning away.

Theo shrugged, following them through the crowd on the wall. He made a note of how his potion activated when Aarok attempted to grab his arm. That meant the half-ogre intended to restrain him, not just grab his arm. So even grappling counted as an attack.

“Aarok acting real funny all of a sudden,” Tresk said.

Her concerns were apparent through the Tara’hek, but Theo didn’t agree with her feelings. Aarok wasn’t trying to control them. He was scared. The alchemist didn’t blame him. As Khahar walked along the river, headed for a fleet of Khahari warships, Broken Tusk was left at the mercy of one god. The Burning Eye might see this as a chance to act. The group found their way to Aarok’s private office, all taking seats in the cool air.

“Now we’re open to an attack,” Aarok said. “As much as having a powerful person in town is bad, now we have a target on our backs.”

“You think so?” Luras asked, leaning against the wall. He never seemed to sit in these meetings. “If the Eye was so petty, wouldn’t he have acted?”

“Is the Eye even a boy or a girl? Isn’t it just a big old eye?” Tresk asked, scratching her head.

“The Eye doesn’t have an agent to act,” Theo said. “Did I mention Uharis and Sulvan are on the moon?”

“What?” Aarok asked, blinking slowly. Theo could see his mind trying to catch up with reality.

“Khahar put them on Antalis,” Theo said plainly. “I don’t know if they can get back, or how long that would take.”

“Yeah, screw them,” Tresk said. “We’ll get strong before they get back.”

“Level 130 strong?” Luras laughed.

“Yeah! Maybe… I don’t know,” Tresk said, her ego deflating a bit.

The situation wasn’t good, but this was Theo’s fault. He should have thought about the implications of having someone that powerful in his town, throwing his weight around. They knew he would leave one day, leaving an opening for other gods to act against them. Especially the ones that they pissed off.

“We hang our hopes on one thing,” Theo said, knocking the table to gain attention over the argument. Luras and Tresk had engaged in a shouting match over the issue. “It’s the same hope we’ve always had, right? Drogramath will protect us if it comes to gods attacking us. They can’t act directly—Khahar was an exception. He wasn’t a god yet.”

“Consider the fact that Khahar promised to attack the other gods the moment he ascended, including the Burning Eye,” Aarok said, finally helping Theo be the voice of reason. “They’ll be too busy with him to worry about us.”

This was normally the time that Tresk would promise to stab the Burning Eye personally, paying no heed to the fact that he was a god. But Theo felt the response building in her mind reach a measured conclusion. It was strange.

“And we’ll be ready for whatever else comes with that,” Tresk said.

Chapter Sixty-Four

Theo avoided confronting his feelings about Yuri departing. All this time he was thinking of him as Khahar, another man entirely, and that wasn’t a lie. So much time in this world had changed him, but there was a glimmer of that Russian spy in there somewhere. But as that realization hit him, another one of solace came in just as strong. He didn’t belong in this world. The realm of the gods awaited him, and there couldn’t have been a higher calling than that. Right?

Aarok went on about the defense of the town, doubling patrols and increasing the size of squads. But Theo was left feeling a deep sense of comfort where he expected grief. Reports rolled in from adventurers about the departing Khahari, others from the walls stating that everything was quiet. If the Burning Eye had plans to strike, he didn’t play his hand now.

More concerning reports came from Aarok’s lips, telling of reports from Gronro-Dir.

“They’ve already been hit,” Aarok said. “A small wave of Skeletal Warriors made their way down Murder Passage.”

“That reminds me,” Theo said. “I have a communication crystal for both leaders.”

The midday sun filtered through Aarok’s lone window. Just like Theo’s bedroom, this room could have used a few units of Cleansing Scrub. There was dust in the air, blown around by the constant buzz of the air conditioner. The alchemist splashed some cleanser on the ground, watching as the magic scrubbed the room clean. It didn’t remove the particles of dust in the air, leaving them floating through the shafts of light. Maybe that was a change he could make for the air conditioners Throk had invented. An air purifier.

But those were just idle thoughts brought to stave off the accusatory stares coming from Aarok and Luras. Tresk didn’t seem to care.

“Those would have been useful,” Aarok said.

“I have to hand it to them myself,” Theo said. “They attach to the first person they touch. That’s what Fenian said.”

“Fine. We’ll sort it out later. But I had a point,” Aarok said. “Their defenses are crap. We should send aid.”

“In what form?” Theo asked. “Aren’t we already helping by training their people?”

“Immediate aid. Even a single Chain Lightning Tower would help,” Aarok said.

“So, it’s a matter of money,” Theo said. “Right. You want to split the cost with the town?”

“Assuming Fenian has one,” Aarok said, softening a bit. “If we can’t get one today, there’s no point.”

Theo let it sink in for a moment. Undead had already reached as far south as Gronro. What that meant for the northlands was beyond him, but it couldn’t have been good. There were also the towns between the south and Qavell to consider. How long could they hold out without the aid of the kingdom? All these facts made the defense of Murder Passage even more important, placing it at the top of the alchemist’s priorities.

“Did we misjudge something?” Theo asked, trying to see a flaw in their logic. They’d prepared well but had no experience working with other towns. If the horde descended on Broken Tusk, they’d be fine.

“We’re new to this,” Tresk said. “We’ll stumble a few times, but we’ll get it.”

“Tresk is right,” Luras said, cutting off Aarok before he could speak. “We can’t expect to get it right every time. Aarok is doing his best.”

The phrasing of that statement was specific. Theo took a moment to study the half-ogre guildmaster’s face. Anger lingered on his face, but the thing resting behind his eyes was fear and disappointment. He realized, perhaps a little late, how this affected Aarok most of all.

“I said we,” Theo said, punctuating the statement by smacking his fist on the table. “No one in the command structure carries a burden alone. If everyone in this room—and the administration staff—missed something as simple as arming Gronro, we’re all to blame.”

“Broken Tusk doesn’t carry the burden of outsiders,” Tresk said. “We’re not some well-funded empire.”

“Well said,” Luras said, patting her on the head. Theo often forgot how close they were before he arrived.

“Fine. Done grabbing each other’s butts?” Aarok said, huffing a breath. “Here’s the plan. I’ll spend the guild’s funds on towers. We’ll use Theo’s contracts to give them on loan to Gronro. Pitch in whatever you can from the town’s funds and your personal funds.”

“I have some cash,” Tresk said with a shrug.

“Yeah, me too,” Luras said.

“I have 50 gold to pitch in, if needed,” Theo said. But that was all his money.

“Right. Perfect. This doesn’t leave this room. I don’t want people thinking we’re in a financial pinch. If they think we need to collect money from random people… Yeah, I don’t know what they’ll do,” Aarok said.

Theo could see the half-ogre’s nerves wearing thin. He didn’t realize how stressful the defense of the town was, let alone the defense of another one. The alchemist stood, placing a hand on his shoulder.

“We’ll sort it out. Stop stressing,” Theo said. “I’ll find that elf and see how many towers he has in stock.”

Theo turned to leave the room without another word, Tresk following close behind. The marshling cradled Alex in her arms, kissing her on the head. Aarok and Luras remained, falling into discussion the moment they cleared the room.

It was getting harder to find Fenian in town. Even if the trader’s carriage train was resting near the ranch, the elf himself was nowhere near it. Theo had to run around town, asking if anyone had seen him before getting a tip. He was near the mine, hanging out with the miners and trading tales with anyone that would listen.

Theo and Tresk headed to the southern part of town, finding Fenian outside the mine. He was standing on a crate, all the miners of Dead Dog Mine sitting cross-legged and enraptured.

“…and then I said to the Shadow Prince, ‘If you want him, come and get him!’” Fenian said, ending the statement with a flourish. “Oh. The alchemist is here. Sorry, but I’ll have to continue this story another time.”

The miners issued a collective groan, all eyes turning to Theo.

“I need some towers,” Theo said, shrugging off the stares.

“Business? A worthy reason for interrupting a tale,” Fenian said, jumping from the crate and grabbing Theo by the arm. He dragged him down the road, Tresk following closely behind. “I have two Chain Lightning Towers in my inventory. The last towers I’ll get my hands on for a while.

“Standard price?” Theo asked.

“Indeed,” Fenian said.

Theo removed 20 gold from his inventory and handed it over. If everyone was in such dire financial straits, he was happy to carry that burden. The less the people felt the strain, the better.

“Thanks,” Theo said, placing the turrets in his inventory. “Actually, I wonder if you could deliver these to Gronro for me. And the communication crystals.”

“What was the point of me handing them over, then?” Fenian asked, laughing. “Let me see… I have to leave tomorrow. It’s a long journey, but I suppose I can stop by Rivers and Gronro. As a favor.”

“Does that mean you’re heading north?” Theo asked.

“Yes, but cardinal directions mean little on the Bridge. They’re more vague suggestions than anything.”

“Could you take someone with you? One of my administrators needs to have Grot sign a contract.”

“Of course. No problem,” Fenian said, playing with the feather on his hat. Anytime the trader was around, it reminded Theo of his own absurd hat. “I heard Khahar left town. Finally.”

“Is that cause for concern?”

“No. You should be fine. They will be busy.”

Fenian either knew more than he was letting on, or he was just guessing his way through this. At that moment, Theo couldn’t figure out which was worse. But he was reminded of the trader’s intentions. At every turn, he was there for the betterment of Broken Tusk. He was more than an ally; he was a friend.

“How is Galflower doing?” Theo asked. He knew better than to ask how the elf was doing. Better to ask about his favorite Karatan.

“Oh, she’s loving it,” Fenian said, giving Theo an excited look. “Days ago, she was grazing on the rampant energy of the Taranthian highlands. Now she gets more of her favorite food. Drogramath’s unfiltered energy. It’s the closest thing to her preference. Which is Uz’Xulven’s power.”

Since he had the elf’s attention, Theo led him to the eastern wall. Fenian wouldn’t normally follow him around like this, but he seemed bored. They toured the defenses, spotting that the shipwright team was making the rough shape of a boat. They talked about the town and the importance of the alliance. Somewhere near the eastern gate, near the bridge, they landed on Qavell.

“What happens if Qavell is destroyed?” Theo asked. “What happens to the towns connected to the Kingdom Core?”

“They’ll degrade,” Fenian said. “You can feed them motes and materials to prolong the effects of the magic, but it’s only a matter of time. You’ll need another Kingdom Core to keep it alive.”

“I’m not interested in running a kingdom,” Theo said, peering into the distance. He hoped to spot those bandits, but there was nothing to the east or the north.

“Good news!” Fenian said. “You can select many governments.”

“Can you find me a Kingdom Core?” Theo asked.

“I’m having a hard enough time finding your mint,” Fenian said after a long pause. “I know a coresmith in Tarantham, but they’re backed up. To get a Kingdom Core, you’d need to delve into a high-level dungeon and get really lucky. Or get an equally high-level coresmith to do the job.”

“How high?” Tresk asked, reminding everyone that she was always lurking in the shadows.

“I’ve heard about Level 80 dungeons dropping them. Good luck finding a Level 80 dungeon, though. Seems about the same level for the coresmith, but that’s more about the person’s skills,” Fenian said. His eyes lingered over the harbor. “I can’t wait to see ships docking there.”

Theo paused for a long moment. There was no way they’d find a Kingdom Core on short notice, and despite the trader’s words, he didn’t want to be a king. Only time showed him he wanted to be a mayor, but that was tenuous. If there was an option where he could save Broken Tusk, Rivers and Daub, and Gronro-Dir without making them his subjects, that would be ideal. He wanted them to have autonomy, to an extent. Maybe a duchy.

But all the thoughts of expanding his power led him to think about Fenian’s involvement.

“Why are you helping us?” Theo asked. “Actual answers only.”

“Would I ever lie to you?”

“Yes.”

Fenian let out a heavy sigh. He averted his gaze from both Tresk and Theo.

“When House Southblade fell, it wasn’t a quick thing. The empire cut us off from the Kingdom Core and let us die a slow death. They knew they couldn’t take us on brute strength. We’d have depleted their army. What good is one Champion against famine?”

Fenian let that hang in the air for an uncomfortable amount of time. The same thing that happened to Broken Tusk happened to House Southblade. It was different, but similar enough to send a twinge of pain through Theo’s chest. Qavell left the southlands to rot over time, not directly removing them from the kingdom.

“So, I see my people in your town. When I arrived, I saw those hungry eyes. But the path to strength isn’t paved by handouts. The stones and mortar set in that road are hard-won battles,” Fenian said, letting those words linger in the air. “You’ve already paved your road with hard work. With sweat and blood. With stone and ore—potions and lumber. And some luck. I’m just making sure you get what you deserve.”

Theo felt a rush of emotion from Tresk. That hit home for her more than him, and he felt the years under the yoke of Qavell weigh heavily on his soul. The Bantari people and the half-ogres native to Broken Tusk were driven to near extinction over several hundred years. King Karasan would regret his decision to turn his eyes from the town. If the undead horde didn’t destroy his kingdom, the Southlands Defensive Alliance would come knocking in a few years. The twin heart the alchemist shared with Tresk guaranteed it.

“Music to my ears,” Tresk said.

Alex chirped her agreement.

“I already said it, but we’re with you,” Theo said.

“I know. When my next job is done, I’ll return to Broken Tusk for refuge,” Fenian said. “When you establish your seat of power, I hope you accept an old friend. Even after what he has to do.”

“Always.”

Fenian was a master of changing the subject. Theo had pushed him, over the days, to talk more plainly. While the elf was happy to do so, it came with a weight that stifled the air. When he changed the subject back to Galflower, and by extension Alex, the alchemist was happy to entertain it. The Karatan that drove his carriages weren’t familiars, but they shared a special bond. When asked if Alex could bond with Uz’Xulven using the Bridge, Fenian couldn’t answer.

“The price might be too heavy for you, dear alchemist,” was Fenian’s only comment on the matter.

Theo, Tresk, and Fenian spent hours talking about whatever. Whenever things roamed to serious topics, they were quickly diverted. Eventually, the elf asked about his potions. The alchemist was happy to lead the way back to the Newt and Demon to show off his wares. Salire was in the shop talking with a customer. She bowed her head at the elf trader but offered no other words, too engrossed with a paying customer to pay them any mind.

The first potion Theo showed Fenian was the Vigor Potion with the [Refined Elemental Earth] modifier. The alchemist inspected it as he handed it over.

[Vigor Potion]

[Refined Elemental Earth]

[Potion] [Modified Potion]

Epic

Created by: Belgar

Quality: Excellent

Alignment:

Drogramath (Middling Bond)

Drink to enhance Vigor.

Drink to increase resistance scaling.

Effect:

+14 Vigor for 1.75 hours.

For 1.25 hours, your physical resistances scale 1.30 times better than normal.

“The scaling effect is the important part here,” Fenian said, comparing the Vigor Potion and a Dexterity Potion. “Yes, the attribute enhancement is great, but… these potions would be effective no matter what your level. Hard to say what price I’d get these for. Anywhere from 5 to 20 silver a potion, depending on the buyer.”

The problem with making more powerful potions was finding the right buyer. That’s why Theo was focusing on making tailor-made potions for the citizens of Broken Tusk. The point with that wasn’t to make a massive profit but to provide the most benefit to his people. Everything influenced everything else. If the adventurers were performing better, the laborers could work without fear they’d be eaten by a monster. If the laborers were happier, they produced more, which made more money for the town.

There would come a time when Theo had to renegotiate his contracts with everyone, something he didn’t know how to approach. The more industry he owned in town, the more he felt like a fascist dictator. Those thoughts never stopped him from expanding his holdings, which didn’t help matters. He wondered what the difference was between someone who held all the power for the betterment of their people and one that held it only for themself. But he was never one for politics. He just wanted to see his town and the alliance grow. Maybe that was enough.

“I don’t feel like negotiating,” Theo said. “We’re in a transitional period, and Broken Tusk considers you a close ally. Whatever you can pay.”

“We’ll settle on the bare minimum of market value,” Fenian said. “With a 10% discount because you love me so much.”

Fenian was very interested in the Potions of Lesser Foresight. Theo made sure he knew the limitations of the potion. Anyone who drank them could only drink one every six hours, else they’d grow deathly ill. Theo had plenty of Pozwa Horns from the ranch and began brewing a full batch for the elf as they went over the other potions. Fenian needed as many health, mana, and stamina potions as they had but took interest in his other creations. Especially poisons.

“We don’t normally sell poisons to outsiders,” Tresk said. “But you’re our dude.”

“The one with [Anti-Mage] interests me,” Fenian said.

This was the poison that Tresk considered a “mage killer.” She wasn’t wrong. As Theo inspected the poison, he reflected on how deadly it was.

[Poison]

[Anti-Mage]

[Poison] [Modified Poison]

Epic

Created by: Belgar

Quality: Excellent

Alignment:

Drogramath (Middling Bond)

Coat your weapon to deal additional damage over time to an enemy.

Chance to inflict 2 stacks per hit.

Effect:

Cripples an enemy, reducing their Dexterity by 5.

Applies a stacking DoT effect based on poison quality. Maximum 15 stacks. Poison inflicts DoT damage. Targets inflicted with this poison take 1 point of damage for every 1 point of mana spent, multiplied by the amount of stacks. This applies to ongoing spells cast before the poison was applied.

Stacks of poison take twice as long to fade.

Removing a stack of poison through any means other than the natural expiration of the effect causes the remaining stacks of poison to explode, dealing their remaining damage to the target.

If a mage didn’t understand the effects of the poison, they would die quickly. If they did understand the effects, they were locked down for the duration of the poison. Both options meant it earned its name and reflected Fenian’s desire to fight at least one mage.

After the Pozwa Horns were distilled into Lesser Foresight Essence and brewed into a variety of potions with different modifiers, they settled into negotiations. Theo paid little attention to this part, letting Fenian set the terms. The alchemist was just happy to have weapons for Gronro and more monster cores than he needed. They ended the deal, settling on 30 gold for potions worth far more than that. Those potions included an array of Hallowed Ground Potions, both in bomb form and otherwise.

“Well, this has been an eventful day,” Fenian said, stuffing everything in his inventory. “Pretty half-ogre… Lurking on the other side of the door. Care to join us for dinner?”

A lilting, stammering voice came from the other side of the door before Salire stumbled inside. Her red-tinged skin was stained a deeper shade as she tried to get the words out.

“We’ll take that as ‘yes,’” Tresk said, giggling.

Chapter Sixty-Five

Fenian, with too much elegance, twirled his fork in Zee pasta before slurping it down with grace. “Life is better when you have a private section at a tavern.”

Theo, Tresk, Alex, Fenian, and Salire sat in the private booth at Xam’s tavern. While the day wasn’t as busy as it had been in recent memory, the alchemist enjoyed the slow pace. The food was great, even if he declined the imported mead. While he felt no aversion to the drink, he simply enjoyed water with his meal. When something was produced as the fruit of Broken Tusk labor, it tasted sweeter than any mead could.

No progress had been made on finding the strange people lurking outside the walls. Theo received reports that Ziz’s team, working on the road, hadn’t been accosted. Patrols around the dungeon had tripled, even through the night, and the alchemist dedicated a small team of golems to roaming the area.

Fenian and Salire chatted, although Theo couldn’t tell if it was with more than friendly interest. The elf often sought to flatter those around him, so it likely meant he was interested in her in a mercantile capacity. Perhaps she was his next project, like Azrug was. No matter his intentions, it was nice to have more company at the dinner table.

“I wanna tour the road tomorrow,” Tresk said. “Ziz made some progress. They’re well beyond the bridge.”

Theo picked at his foot, considering the importance of the road. “Maintenance on the road will be a problem. Can we incorporate it into the town somehow?”

“I think so,” Fenian said.

But he left it at that. The elf normally had far more to say on these matters, so it was disheartening. Running the town was hard enough without having to guess at how things worked. If they couldn’t bring elements like the road into the town, Broken Tusk would simply need to establish a permanent group that maintained buildings without seed cores. Ziz would sort that out. He had already proved himself worthy of the position. Expanded projects, such as the highway and tunnel, would fall under their umbrella. Once again, Theo thought too far ahead. It was better to focus on what was right in front of him.

“Yeah, we should see the road,” Theo said.

“Assuming it’s safe enough,” Salire said.

Fenian puffed his chest out, grinning. “It’s always safe enough with Uncle Fenian around.”

Maybe this was a chance to get that mysterious band to reveal themselves. Theo had enough tricks up his sleeve to stay safe, even if he was attacked. It would take the force of a god to stop him in his tracks. But there was something in Fenian’s eyes that revealed he knew something. A glimmer of knowledge he wasn’t sharing. It was as though the elf was expecting something to happen without revealing what that was. The alchemist’s intuition told him it was a good thing, even if it didn’t tell him directly. So much of dealing with superior intuition was about trust. His Drogramathi cores whispered their approval. No matter what happened, it would end well.

The conversation around the table didn’t stray far from Broken Tusk’s situation. Fenian was confident they’d have boats soon and promised to put them in contact with traders from far-off lands. Theo’s disappointment rested with Khahar’s departure. While it was nice to see an old friend, he left nothing to give them a head-start on trading with the Khahari. When they came to collect their leader, they left no instructions on initiating trade. Perhaps that was Yuri’s way of keeping his promise to not cheat, but it stung more than he expected.

“There aren’t trade routes from here to the Khahari Desert,” Fenian said. “We’ll need to map those out ourselves.”

“Khahar said trade ships would arrive. Although, I don’t know how long that will take,” Theo said.

“Or how many of them will be left,” Fenian said. “Why don’t you make the journey to the holy desert? Scared of sailing?”

“If the monsters on land are anything to go by, the ones in the sea would be worse.” Theo drummed his fingers on the table. He might have been afraid of the monsters at sea, but the killer would be boredom on the open ocean. Weeks or months confined in a ship’s cabin. It didn’t appeal to him.

“It’s been an age since I sailed,” Fenian said. “When I first arrived on the continent.”

“Yeah, screw that,” Tresk said.

Fenian paused his elegant consumption of the noodles. “Don’t you have an affinity for the water? As a Bantari?”

“Maybe fresh water. Shallow pools,” Tresk said, leaning back with a contented sigh.

“So what happens after Khahar ascends?” Theo asked. It was nice to have a calm evening, but those questions lingered like smoldering coals in his mind.

“Chaos in the heavens. They don’t want him to ascend, you know. Most of them, anyway,” Fenian said. “I have theories, but nothing more. The process of becoming a god isn’t documented.”

Theo picked at his food, pushing the noodles around and slurping up the strays when he wanted. There was a lot to consider with Khahar’s ascension. Followers of other gods might come to cause trouble in Broken Tusk, but there’s no way the leader could have stayed here forever. The road ahead was uncertain, but that was nothing new. A wave of calm flowed from both Alex and Tresk, the marshling’s confidence overwhelming. Whatever happened, they’d sort it out.

Their conversation diminished again, shifting to smaller topics. Fenian was evasive about his current trade deals, and Theo let him have that. When the elf departed, he’d take with him either Alise or Gwyn to form a contract in Gronro. That led to talks about wider trade, something Broken Tusk needed desperately.

“How about a bath?” Theo asked, finally having his fill of the food. He left his plate mostly full, a knot in his stomach. Tresk didn’t seem to notice.

“What danger?” Tresk asked, jumping into the hot pool and swimming around.

The group had moved from the tavern, finding Theo’s private room at the bathhouse and settling in. The alchemist set the enchanted Khahari box near the pool’s edge, studying the many strange symbols on the surface.

“On the road,” Theo responded idly. “When we go to inspect it.”

“Oh, just bring your army,” Fenian said, settling into the bath. The water came up to his shoulders, and he let out a contented sigh. “Should be good enough to deal with some bandits.”

“Also we have you,” Tresk said, splashing water on the elf. He didn’t flinch. “To swoop in and save us.”

“It won’t always be that way.”

Theo was half-listening, focused on the box. What would Yuri leave him that would make a difference? Why did it have to be sealed away? There were too many questions to face, and the bath was far too comfortable. But Fenian took notice, edging over to stare at the engraved container.

Fenian cocked his head, poking the box before shrugging. “Did he say what was inside?”

“Nope. Just said I’d need it,” Theo said.

“Bet it’s useful,” Tresk said. “He took that spiritstone coin away. The one I stole.”

“Allow me to tell you a tale of my people,” Fenian said, cracking his knuckles. “The common belief is that the elves have been in Tarantham since the dawn of the world. Endless beings of wonder and might. But that is not the case. Like many things in this world, we were sucked into that cycle of destruction and rebirth.”

“Why does that happen?” Theo said, cutting the elf off before he could continue. “How does it happen? The system seems more like a well-tuned program than a natural law.”

Fenian failed to hide the smile on his face, although he tried. “Because the bastard gods were meant to stay where they are. This is my theory, of course… But they bent the rules. You only need to look at Balkor entering our realm to see that as true.”

“Bah,” Tresk grunted, splashing around in the water with Alex. “How can you know?”

Fenian shrugged. “Back to my story. Destruction and rebirth. Gods and cores. Levels and plateaus. We experienced rapid expansion in my house. More than the empire would suffer, so we were destroyed. You two are leveling faster than anyone I’ve seen before—thanks to ideal conditions—and it makes me wonder about you. If you’ll fall into that cycle. Wouldn’t it be nice if that cycle was gone? Forever?”

Theo looked to the wooden rafters above. The world was ruled by the system, and those rules determined the cycles. It might have been unintentional, but that’s the way it went. The alchemist had covered Level 1 to almost 20 in around 70 days. But that wasn’t exactly true. He thought back to when he started using the Dreamwalk and the sudden boost to experience it gave him. He doubled his daily experience gains, adding to the confusion of his progress. It was confoundingly quick.

“But how would you stop the cycles?” Theo asked.

Fenian shrugged the question away. “Excellent question.”

Theo filed those statements away in his mind. There was a special box labeled ‘weird stuff Fenian said’ somewhere in his consciousness. The elf wasn’t prone to philosophical ramblings, but it got him thinking. If the cycle destroyed Qavell, they were better off for it. Assuming they could find a Kingdom Core. That made Broken Tusk guilty of enjoying the fruits of the cycle, whatever the cost. Once again, more questions than answers. He settled into the water and let out a contented sigh. Whatever concerns he had, he could share within the Dreamwalk.

It was just after dusk when the group departed the bath. Fenian stayed at the tavern, leaving the trio to wander under the moonless sky for a short time. But each member of the Tara’hek desired the same thing. That comforting sensation washed over them the moment they hopped in bed, vision swirling to deposit them in the harbor.

“Weird talk from Fenian,” Tresk grunted, scooping up Alex and depositing her into the safe harbor. “What was his story about? Something about the Southblades?”

“He meant we can’t avoid the cycles. Trying to prime us for when Qavell falls,” Theo said. “That’s my guess. He’s high enough in level so I can’t use my intuition to its fullest.”

Tresk grunted her response. Theo could feel her ambivalence to the topic, but that was typical. She had the right idea, though. Fenian measured out exactly as much information as he wanted to share, never giving more than he needed. That often left the alchemist grasping at unseen futures, twisting himself into knots when he didn’t need the added stress. With a thought, he summoned his regular fare. Distillation stills and plant beds, ready to help him climb toward Level 20.

“What’s that?” Theo asked, pointing to the short rapier in Tresk’s hand. It was only half the length longer than her normal daggers, but thin-bladed with a basket guard.

“Gotta make Papa Parantheir happy. Right?” Tresk asked. “There’s a skill I’m interested in in the Parantheir Duelist’s Core.”

“What is it?”

“Fenian explained it to me. Something about isolating a target. Synergizes with my other cores.”

Theo nodded, watching her scamper off into the distance. Alex let out an excited chirping noise, diving into the safe waters of the harbor. His concern was still on her common Tracker’s Core, something she didn’t seem willing to part ways with. Track Monster worked with Marked For Death directly, allowing her to deal twice the normal damage on her first attack out of stealth on marked targets. Combined with her Tracker’s Core’s Lingering Poison, it made for a brutal build focused on quick strikes and the attrition of potions.

“But that’s the flaw, Alex.” Theo sighed, tending to his stills. “Both of us are useless after the first bout.”

She chirped in response.

The night went by the way it normally did. Theo busied himself with sifting through Xol’sa’s research as he tended both the stills and his gardens. Tresk summoned various monsters to test her techniques and was oddly measured about it. Normally she’d summon a dragon first, then work her way down until she wasn’t dying immediately. She learned a lot about how to use the rapier but didn’t seem convinced it was the best fit. But that was the weapon of Parantheir. Or so she claimed.

The next morning came, and it seemed more peaceful than most in recent memory. The group made their way to Xam’s tavern, finding their private booth and settling in for tea and leftovers. Excitement welled in all members of the Tara’hek. They’d purposefully kept away from the road, giving Ziz time to extend it over the river, then to the north. With the team working for days without harassment from either monsters or the bandits, it seemed safe enough. Regular patrols from the adventurer’s guild didn’t hurt matters.

Theo felt energized after his moss tea. He spotted Ziz and his workers heading out for the day, crossing down the north-south road by the tavern and heading east. The alchemist ran up beside them, nudging the stoneworker.

“We’ve come to inspect your work,” Theo said, grinning.

“Hah! Well, prepare to be impressed,” Ziz said, rubbing his calloused hands together. “We’ve got the technique down well enough. Thought we’d burn through what few Tunneling Potions we had, but the trenches we need are so shallow they last a while.”

“Good to hear,” Theo said, gesturing for the stoneworker to lead the way.

Miana waved as the group passed. She was tending to her animals, letting them out in the massive pasture to clean out the stables. Theo hoped her core building had something to help her with that. Although, now that he thought of it, the droppings might have alchemical uses. He shook the thought from his mind, focusing on the literal road ahead. It stretched from the eastern gate, heading east toward the new stone bridge over the river. To the south was the harbor’s wall and the portcullises situated over the rushing river.

“So, you might know, but we have a solid technique,” Ziz said, stomping his foot on the white stone road as he went. It seemed firm and wide enough for two carts to travel side by side. “We dig a trench, put fat gravel at the bottom, thinner at the top, then level sand if we need it. The new guys mostly need the sand—those with a few levels in our cores can handle it fine.”

“It’s quite sturdy,” Theo said, stepping onto the bridge. “So is this.”

The bridge was an all-stone construction, arching to span the river without support on the bottom. Another quirk of the free-standing things made by the stoneworkers. The road turned after they crossed the river, heading north and tracking a path along the water. It was a healthy distance away, and Ziz went into detail about how important the gravel was for drainage. The leader of the stoneworkers was excited to talk about his work, but so were his companions. The group had grown, but only the original team was walking the road this morning.

Theo looked to either side of the road, spotting the mountains north of Broken Tusk to his left and more mountains in the distance on his right. It seemed safe enough, but he drank a Potion of Limited Foresight anyway. It was habitual by this point.

“So, I’m guessing you have an inventory now,” Theo said, gesturing to the group.

Ziz laughed. “Yeah, we’re not interested in hauling stone this far out. One of the boys took a Trader’s Core just for the inventory.”

“Yeah, I can’t imagine living without it,” Theo said.

Tresk paused on the road, cradling Alex in her arms. She cocked her head to the side, knit her brow, then let out a breath. “Ah, shit.”

It happened faster than Theo could respond. With a river to their left and clear fields to the right, this seemed like a place immune to ambushes. When five red-skinned, horned figures emerged from nowhere ahead, his blood ran cold. One Zagmon Dronon in the rear raised a staff high, filling the air with a keening that blasted out like an explosion. Red, thorny vines burst from the ground and seized Tresk, binding her where she stood. Ziz and his men had their makeshift weapons out, but another Dronon had already sprinted toward the group. Toward his target.

Theo.

Deft strikes that depleted the potion. Faster than anyone he’d seen before. But Theo had already withdrawn his improvised explosive, although he was fearful of the results. Using it so close to his companions would cause one thing. But it didn’t matter. The leather-clad Dronon was quicker than him, crouching and pivoting to place the sole of his boot on the potion. He kicked it away with enough force to send it sailing far into the distance.

Tresk shouted. Ziz’s men did a hopeless battle with the other Zagmon Dronon. And Theo struggled for his life.

But the assassin was toying with him. Theo withdrew a Freezebomb, only to have it slapped away. Then a Retreat Potion, finding a similar effect. The alchemist’s face twisted into a grimace. There was only one thing he could think of to escape. Something to buy even a moment of time. He focused on his Dreamwalk skill.

Even as a dagger sliced through the front of his silken robe. Ripped through his undershirt. Pierced his skin and parted bones searching for his heart. A shout of pain rippled across the scene. Theo shared a look with Tresk before…

Theo Spencer vanished from the mortal realm.

Chapter Sixty-Six

“Theo!” Tresk shouted. She struggled against the vines holding her tight, rolling herself over to protect Alex as she dug for her dagger. Each motion brought a wave of agony.

The Dronon said something in a tongue she didn’t recognize. Likely one of the damned demon tongues, but she could sense the confusion in their words. They all shared looks, even as the warriors in the group batted away hammers and awls. She didn’t like being toyed with. Not like this. And where had Theo gone? She couldn’t feel him nearby, but he wasn’t dead. She’d know if he were dead.

“I’m gonna claw your eyes out!” Tresk shouted, gnawing on the magical vines.

The Dronon mage turned to regard her, leveling his gaze. He was an older man, wearing ceremonial robes and hoisting a staff made of bones. It looked gross, and the vines tasted disgusting. It was like chewing on a pile of ants. “Where has he gone?” the mage asked in Qavelli.

“How the hell should I know?” Tresk asked, grunting. She withdrew a dagger from her shared inventory, but it clattered over the stones, out of reach. Cursing, she wiggled her hand through those vines. Those lacerating vines.

The mage approached, stooping low and paying no attention to the battle behind him. That assassin who tried to kill Theo came close, standing behind the mage and crossing his arms. “Where? You are his soul-bond. Both of you, don’t struggle.”

“Have you tried checking in your butt?” Tresk asked, chuckling at her own joke. She winced when the laugh forced the spike of a vine into her side.

“You should take this more seriously,” the mage said. “What hope does a Level 20 have against a 100?”

Yeah, that sucked. But the scaling damage on her poison might do something to them. Enough to make an arm fall off or something like that. Good enough trade for such a smug piece of⁠—

The mage rose, squinting and looking southward. Tresk did everything she could to crane her neck, even as the vines drew more blood. There was nothing to see over there, but the marshling felt something. Like a storm bearing down on them, thundering hard and full of fury. A snap like lightning echoed over the road, and then a man appeared on the road. Arms crossed, Fenian Feintleaf grinned.

“I’ve gained my share of titles over the years,” Fenian said, scanning the scene. Everyone stopped fighting. Ziz’s men edged away with instinctive self-preservation. “Perhaps you know a few.”

“Stay out of this, elf,” the mage said.

“My title as Champion was The Gale of Parantheir,” Fenian said. A rapier appeared in his right hand, blue-silver and inlaid with more adornments than Tresk could count.

“You’re not the only Champion to walk the world,” the mage snarled. Energy gathered near his staff but didn’t lash out.

“That’s a bluff, Alex,” Tresk said, whispering to the gosling.

“No, but I’m looking for some new titles,” Fenian said. Another blade appeared in his left hand. A rapier that seemed to be made of pure shadow. As though it sucked in all the surrounding light, almost formless. “What do you think about…”

It didn’t matter how much Dexterity Tresk had—it was impossible to follow Fenian’s next move. The road beneath his feet cracked, then fissured, creating a trench that spanned 100 paces in either direction. Silver-blue fire flashed with impossible shadow as the elf struck out at the first Dronon. He didn’t just kill the man standing near the rear of the formation. He annihilated him.

“Shadow Hurricane?” Fenian asked, pursing his lips. “No, no… Too cliché.”

The assassin launched an attack. Tresk had never seen someone shut down so completely. She was sure there was a parry in there somewhere. Maybe a feint, but it didn’t matter. The Dronon assassin was simply gone after an exchange of strikes.

“I suppose it doesn’t really matter,” Fenian said, tapping his foot. “You can’t really give yourself titles, can you?”

Fear played across the Dronon mage’s face. Pants-crapping fear.

Another series of exchanges saw the other warriors destroyed in moments. Fenian stood before the mage, dual rapiers glowing with their respective powers. Each eye took on the hue of a god. Parantheir’s blue-silver in his right and the depthless shadow of Uz’Xulven in his left. Then there was a pause in the fight, as though the two men were battling each other in their minds. Tresk dismissed the idea when she felt a flare of power from both parties. A torrent of red flame burst from the Dronon, but it was battered down by twin fires from Fenian. Brutal fires that consumed everything of the mage, leaving nothing but a…

“Greasy red smear!” Fenian said, chuckling as the vines faded away. “That’s what I promised, right?”

“I think I remember that,” Tresk said, rising to her feet with a groan. She popped a healing potion and felt her skin knit back together. “You really messed them up!”

“I held back,” Fenian said with a bow. Both of his rapiers vanished.

“We all right? Where’s Theo?” Ziz asked, scampering back to the scene. His eyes went wide when he saw the damage to the road. “Better than dead, I guess.”

Fenian fixed his eyes on the place where Theo vanished. He didn’t seem surprised about the attack at all. Tresk would put a stack of gold coins on the idea that the elf knew what was going to happen. It was like he wanted this to happen. What did that mean?

“Ah,” Fenian said with a nod. “He’s safe. Just… Ah… Not here. Well, ‘here’ is relative.”

“All right. How do I get my boy back?” Tresk asked.

“We wait. About five more seconds… Ah, there he is,” Fenian said.

* * *

Theo gasped as the blade crushed his ribs. The pain flashed for an instant but was banished just as quickly. Then he was falling through something. Impenetrable darkness and twisting shadows all around. A gentle descent, then things came into view.

A dark bridge stretched in either direction. It was vaguely the shape of a stone bridge with ornate railings. Shadowy cobbles jutted here and there, but there seemed to be nothing over the edge. It reminded him of the communication crystal he used to talk with the capital. Back when they actually listened to his calls.

“Hello?” Theo asked, watching the coiling shadows below. “Anyone there?”

“Strange circumstances,” a soft voice came from behind.

Theo twisted around, spotting a hooded, cloaked figure. Her features were obscured completely.

“Uz’Xulven?” Theo asked.

“Not quite,” she said, drawing closer. She held her hand out for a moment, then nodded. “Interesting skill evolution. Not sure that one’s been done before.”

“What?”

“Your interface is obscured here. You cannot see the message.”

“Where is here?” Theo asked.

“Uz’Godan Bokrak Tal,” she said.

Theo looked around. If she wasn’t Uz’Xulven, but this was the Bridge of Shadows, what the hell was he doing here? It snapped in his mind in an instant.

“Toru’aun,” Theo said.

“Perhaps you are worthy of a core,” she said, a smile bleeding into her voice. “My sister allowed me to approach you here when she felt you fall.”

Theo rubbed his chest, finding the wound there. The damage to his flesh was real, but the pain had gone. But what did it mean to physically enter the Bridge of Shadows? Was it an actual bridge, or another realm? Perhaps something between the two—a realm that connected realms. That was the only thing that made sense, but he couldn’t understand how he got here. The last thing he remembered doing was using his Dreamwalk ability.

“How did I get here?”

“An interdiction event,” Toru’aun said.

Theo knit his brow. “Where was I going?”

“Tero’gal.”

Theo took a deep breath and held it for a few heartbeats. That made little sense. “Did you interdict me?”

“My sister did,” Toru’aun said, withdrawing a notebook and a class core from nowhere. “I give the same instructions to all my followers. I do not suffer priests, and I do not speak to my followers. This is the first and last time we will speak.”

Theo took the items, flipping through the book. Each page was written in what must have been Toru’aun Drogramathi and displayed a series of strange symbols arranged together. It was around 50 pages.

“Are these different sigils for spellcasting?” he asked.

“This is the first sigil,” Toru’aun said. He could hear that grin in her voice yet again. “Learn this, and perhaps I’ll teach you more. Until then… Good luck.”

The Bridge seemed to consume Toru’aun. Theo was left standing alone. Enough time passed to allow his mind to catch up. Urgency flooded through him. He was safe, but what about Alex and Tresk? The assassin was powerful.

“Funny. He said you’d arrive, but I didn’t see it,” a voice said. It didn’t come from anywhere.

“Uz’Xulven,” Theo said. Who else would have such power over the realm?

“Hope you don’t mind me plucking you from your journey. My disciple is cleaning up on the mortal plane. Don’t worry,” she said. “It’s very curious. I never thought I’d see such mastery over an infant realm. Well, perhaps the two of them.”

“My friends are safe?” Theo asked.

“They’re fine. Fenian is destroying them,” she said. “Your arrival was unexpected but welcome. Hope you had a good chat with my sister.”

Theo felt something about this realm, as though it were brushing up against his mind. It wasn’t a probing sensation, but an uncomfortable irritation that rubbed his psyche raw. He could fight it, pressing his willpower against that of the god’s, but it wasn’t a contest.

“My power over this domain is absolute. Think of it as though every molecule within this place has no doubt that I am the master,” Uz’Xulven said.

That was an excellent description.

With his friends safe, Theo didn’t feel so uneasy. He allowed himself to relax, allowing that authority of the realm to wash over him. It was a comforting sensation, like resting while traveling. “Where do we go from here?”

“No spoilers, right?” she asked, laughing. “Ah, I can’t wait to see the next person to tread the Bridge. What a time to be a god.”

Theo was headed to Tero’gal before this. That was what the Queen of Mystery had said—that he was going to the Dreamwalk. While he didn’t fully understand it, the alchemist knew he shared a realm with Tresk and Alex. The Dreamrealm of Tero’gal had never seemed like an actual place to him. It was a place that lived in his dreams. A result of the Dreamwalk ability. And what was the Bridge for, if not to connect the realms?

“Before you go, I feel a stern lecture is in order,” Uz’Xulven said, her voice echoing over the shadowy landscape.

There it was. Just beyond that curtain of shadows, nestled somewhere in their embrace. His realm. The place where his authority was law. Theo reached out with his will and grabbed onto that idea as the Queen of the Bridge of Shadows rambled on about responsibility. He pulled hard, holding the Dreamwalk skill in his mind.

“Wait, I’m not done—” Uz’Xulven started. But it was too late. The shadows swirled, and Theo was gone from another plane of existence.

Puffy clouds floated above in a blue sky. Soft grass underfoot. A gentle breeze blew across growing wheat, blowing the scent of the crop into Theo’s nose. The tension of the day flooded from his body as he walked, letting his hand trace a path along the plants. Out onto a grassy field with a creek running through it, feeding into a small pond. Beyond that was nothing. It was as though the world ended in a drop. The edge of Tero’gal. The edge of his world. Where the authority belonged to two people and a goose. A snap of willpower and system messages flooded his vision.

Skill Evolution!

Your Tara’hek Dreamwalk ability has evolved!

Tara’hek Dreamwalk has evolved into Tero’gal Dreamwalk.

Interdiction Event!

A god of the Demonic Pantheon has started an interdiction event!

Your ascent to Tero’gal has been redirected to Uz’Godan Bokrak Tal.

This is a domain controlled only by Uz’Xulven. Assail it with your forces to capture it.

You have 0 troops with you.

Entering passive mode.

Theo shook his head. That was a lot that happened in a short amount of time. The messages claimed his Tara’hek Dreamwalk ability evolved when he used it, sending him to his private realm. Then Uz’Xulven tore him from the path and placed him on the bridge to meet with the Queen of Mystery. The last part was the most interesting. The gods could attack each other’s realms. But where did that put him? Why had the system placed him on the same stage as the gods? Surely he couldn’t hope to compete.

Then again, Uz’Xulven willed her realm to look like a bridge. Not this beautiful, verdant field that Theo found himself in. He knelt near the water and scooped it up, sipping a mouthful. It tasted like fresh spring water, filling his mouth with a cool sensation that traveled all the way to his stomach. It seemed real. He removed his shoes, sitting at the edge of the pool as he inspected the damage to his chest.

“Easy enough to fix,” Theo said, finding that his inventory power was active. The fire of a Healing Potion raced through him, stitching the flesh back together in an instant. But there was no pain. “Time to inspect the new skill, I guess.”

[Tero’gal Dreamwalk]

Unique Marshling Bond Skill

Slip through your dreams. Through reality.

Effect:

Each member of the Tara’hek may travel into Tero’gal, while awake, once per day. Once within, you may choose to exit ‌and return to the point you left or Approach another member of the Tara’hek. The duration within Tero’gal depends on the level of your Tara’hek Core, the strength of your realm, the stability of the bond, and willpower.

That was frightening. Of all the Tara’hek skills, that seemed like the most powerful. According to Khahar, time moved differently in heavenly realms. He’d been sitting near the pool of water for a few minutes. How much time had moved in the real world? While he was eager to get back to his companions, this was a good time to test the skill’s limits. This wasn’t the Dreamwalk he’d seen in the past. It was entirely different. Rising to his feet and leaving his shoes behind, Theo worked his way around the floating island.

Tero’gal had the fields of wheat, the spring, the brook, and the pond. But on the far end—something Theo decided was south—was a small cottage. It was much like those in Broken Tusk. Those that were in the town before he arrived. Faded wooden walls with a blue slatted roof. Inside, a fire burned that put off a sensation closer to comfort than warmth. The small writing desk was inviting, but he left the cottage, finding his way back to the edge of the floating island.

Legs over the side, Theo watched the clouds swirl below. After a while, he saw something. Looking closer, drilling down with his willpower, he noticed it was his friends moving in incredible slow motion. Fenian was kicking off from the road, two rapiers blazing with strange colors in his hands. Tresk was trapped under that curtain of vines. The alchemist found he could move the image around, but it only went so far. It was centered on the other members of the Tara’hek.

“Fair enough,” Theo said, watching the image. “But I’m the master here. Right?”

The air seemed to shiver, responding to his statement.

“How long is a minute outside compared to here? How long can I stay?”

Theo didn’t know how he knew. But he knew. He could remain within the realm for five minutes on the mortal plane. He would experience twelve hours within, although it wouldn’t pass like regular time. If his mind slipped, time would slip away from him. But that was all he wanted to know. He allowed his concentration to slip, watching as the image below sped up. Fenian destroyed the Dronon—Zagmon Dronon by his guess—and freed Tresk from the spell. He smiled, sensing that the world around him was slipping away. Like the other members of his soul-bond wanted him back now.

“No time like the present,” Theo said, grinning to himself. He jumped from the side of the island, forgetting his shoes behind and plunging into the clouds. Intent on Approaching Tresk.

The clouds parted, darkness whipped by for only a moment, and then he was standing on the ruined road. Barefooted and smiling.

“Where’d your shoes go?” Fenian asked, cocking his head to the side.

Theo tumbled over, caught in Tresk’s embrace.

“I felt you go there,” Tresk whispered. “I wanna do it. How do I do it?”

But she knew. She just wanted to stay on the mortal plane for a while longer, hugging him over those cracked stones. Ziz and his gang stood back, stammering but unable to get the words out.

“It’s a strange thing, Theo,” Fenian said, coming over to hoist the group to their feet. “Even the most knowledgeable scholar of Tarantham couldn’t tell you what that was. Tell me… What is it like to touch the heavens?”

Theo extricated himself from Tresk’s grasp and slung an arm around the elf’s shoulder. “Let’s see where this road goes. Then I’ll tell ya.”

Chapter Sixty-Seven

The wraiths within the Bridge of Shadows seemed tepid today. Theo’s appearance—the appearance of a weak mortal—had given them pause. Fenian enjoyed his moments of peace, riding atop his black carriage. The enchanted Karatan seemed happy enough to gallop on without a direction, but the elf wondered if he was content to do the same. He knew where they were going but hesitated.

“Give a man a minor realm and he thinks he owns the heavens,” Uz’Xulven said, appearing on the carriage from a boil of shadows.

Fenian winced. The form she took was hauntingly familiar. A simple yellow dress embroidered with golden thread. And a face that haunted every sleepless night of his life. But he wouldn’t rise to the bait. Not this far into his journey. Instead, he flicked her elven ears.

“Do you even remember your mortal form?” he asked.

“Nope,” she said, reclining on the driver’s bench. “Well, that’s a lie. I just don’t think about it. So, why do you even need that thing?”

“Because none of our plans work without it,” Fenian said, tightening his grip on the reins.

“Is it our plan now?” she asked, laughing. “Aren’t you so generous.”

But the generous one here was the Demon God. She brought herself into this scheme when he asked for her power. All she needed to do was to lend him the power of the Bridge, but she went beyond that. Claiming him as her Champion. With the full power of Parantheir and Uz’Xulven, there wasn’t a mortal alive who could withstand his fury. But that drew attention. Displays like he just performed were dangerous. But perhaps it was time to do away with caution.

“Can you see how the central cities are faring against the undead?” Fenian asked.

“Not well,” she responded, not sitting up from her comfortable position. “You’re certain they’ll seek the Town Seed Cores?”

“If the madness of their master is anything to go by, then yes,” Fenian said. “If Khahar kept up his end of the bargain, it won’t matter either way.”

Uz’Xulven hummed.

The shadows formed a gap ahead, and the Karatan chittered excitedly, then nervously. Harsh light stung Fenian’s eyes as they burst through the veil of reality, the carriage shaking ominously as they transitioned. The smooth shadow brickwork of the bridge, to a ravaged landscape. Galflower pushed through the first row of undead skeletons, sending their bones clattering along the rocky ground. The elf reined her in, withdrawing a potion from his inventory and cocking his arm back.

“Steady, my sweet Galflower,” Fenian said, tossing a [Aerosolize]-modified Hallowed Ground Potion at her feet.

A cloud of white rushed out, and the skeletons screamed. Blue magic leaked from their eyes, collecting in a miasma over the ground and lingering there. Bones fell to the ground, unbound by Balkor’s necromancy. Those outside of the fifty-pace circle didn’t dare to cross it. They leered from a distance with eyeless sockets.

“Phase one completed,” Fenian said, clapping his hands together.

The area outside of the circle was thick with undead. There were remnants of a city in the distance, but the stonework was crumbling to dust. Even the air was filled with the fetid miasma of the Demon God’s curse, filling Fenian’s lungs and stinging them with every breath. He dropped another potion at his feet, and the air seemed to clear. Not enough to draw a lungful of clean air, but enough to give him room.

“Now,” Fenian said, withdrawing an ancient map from his inventory, “where is that toe?”

It was fortunate the alchemist had created so many potions for this trip. Landmarks were scarce in Gardreth, even though Fenian had already scouted it out. It was once attached to the continent before being split off. A surgical cut by Glantheir to save the rest, but in doing so he’d obscured the topology. If that god were watching what he was doing, he wouldn’t be happy. Not in the least. Two days and two nights without sleep, tossing potions and forging ahead through the endless undead.

“This must be the right place,” Fenian said, falling in a slump on the stained ground. “Some skeletons still have some meat. That’s a good sign, right, Galflower?”

The Karatan chittered, a sign he took to mean agreement.

Fenian dug into the crater as the twin moons rose. He could see the edge of the dark one and the full orange one. It was a sight, but the digging was brutal. Rocks, fallen trees that were covered with rubble, and…

“Ah!” the elf exclaimed, tossing another potion at his feet. The ground rumbled in response, and the trader cheered. The surrounding undead joined with him. A chorus of ghostly screeches.

Excavating the rotting bone was a chore, but he didn’t falter. Digging around the sides, he finally got a good look at it. About the size of his torso, with seams of blue running through it. Fenian dropped another Hallowed Ground Potion at his feet before hoisting the thing above him.

“Damn, that’s heavy!” he said, stumbling and dropping it behind him.

Fenian tightened the rope around the fragment, climbing up the pit and tying it off on the carriage. Another potion on the ground and a few more spread for good measure. He ordered his team to drive forward. Slowly, the last fragment of the Demon God Balkor rose to the surface. For the first time since his demise, the full power of the necromantic god was released onto the world. But the blue seams—those points of the dead god’s power—were subdued under Theo’s potion.

“We might need more, Galflower!” Fenian shouted, dragging the bone to insert it into the rear carriage. “And a few more points into Strength.”

The carriage buckled under the weight, groaning as though responding to the weight of its importance.

“Let’s really mess things up in the capital. Shall we?” Fenian asked.

* * *

“I’d rather you not bring something like that in my domain,” Uz’Xulven said. “The Bridge is under attack. Thanks to you.”

Fenian waved her off. He focused on the road ahead. That long road, stretching off into infinity. “Did you want to see it?” he asked. “Bet you’ve never seen the bone of a dead god.”

“Because we’re not meant to cross into the mortal realm,” she said, sitting on the bench and looking stern.

“Is this going to be another lecture?” Fenian asked. “You agreed to the plan.”

“And what happens when Karasan catches you near the capital?”

“You used to be fun, Uz,” Fenian said, snapping the reins.

“I’m still fun,” she said.

But she wasn’t. The Bridge rocked under them, sending the carriage train skittering for only a moment. The powerful team driving it righted its course in a moment. That would have been the other gods. Angry about what she allowed him to do. Well, they’d be busy enough in moments. Busy with phase two of their plan.

“The old bastard needs to ascend,” Fenian said, gritting his teeth. “It all hinges on his distraction.”

“Well, where is he? The Morning Star, as you said. The Arbiter, you claimed,” Uz’Xulven said. “Arbitration of what, exactly? Sitting in a temple and performing ancient rituals? Just ascend, you fool!”

“For once, we agree,” Fenian said, almost tumbling out of the cart when the ground shook again. “We’re here. I may call upon your power.”

“Don’t. I won’t have enough to spare.”

“Then we’ll hope Parantheir is paying attention… Did the Bridge just grow silent, or is that me?” Fenian asked.

“Hah! He’s doing it,” Uz’Xulven said, clapping excitedly. “Oh? What? No, I will not consent to a new set of rules… Hey! Fenian! Don’t⁠—”

But Fenian had already found a seam in the shadows. Galflower plunged through, the cart clattering against a well-worn dirt path. Strewn with rocks and fallen undead alike at the northernmost town between Qavell and the Southlands. Drybrook, the second-to-last failed defense of the Kingdom of Qavell.

“And a perfect spot to bury the bone of a dead god,” Fenian said, whooping excitedly. “Oh, calm yourself, Galflower. There’s a good girl. It’s only temporary.”

More potions flew, clearing the way over the infested road. Night lingered overhead, but by the light of the orange moon—shifting toward red—Fenian steered the carriage toward the walled town. He spotted the defenders on the wall and pushed down the guilt he felt. They would never survive the siege anyway, right? There weren’t undead rising from the bodies of the defenders yet, but they’d fall in time.

Galflower barreled through another line of undead, Fenian pulling the reins tight to lead her to a burnt-out farmhouse. Close enough to the walls to inflict damage, but not close enough to be discovered. He tossed more potions out, clearing a path for him to drag the damned bone and bury it again.

“We’re going to need a long break after this one,” Fenian said, groaning as he jumped from the carriage. “Don’t move, my sweet. Allow me to do my work.”

The Karatan were happy to live within their cloud of undead-repelling mist. Fenian dug at the hard-packed earth, cursing as he hit rocks and roots. Nothing his enhanced strength couldn’t handle, but annoying still. He took breaks to study the battle outside the ring of purification, applying more potions as required. Where the undead went, a taint followed closely behind. The befouled earth where the potion touched seemed purified, sent from a sickly shade of brown back to vibrant greens where the grass grew. It was as though time itself was going back, reverting to its normal state.

Two man-heights underground seemed good enough for the burial, and the elf worked on dragging the bone to the hole. Skeletons and the freshly dead crowded near the edge of the ring, not daring to cross but watching. Fenian knew they were without a master, just feeding on the latent energy of Balkor. And still the regret lingered. The sins of a leader fell to his people in times like this. It was true that the undead were marching even before he intervened. Something had stirred them up, sending them toward the capital, but the help they received in crossing the ocean was immense.

Everything led back to King Karasan’s betrayal. Fenian scooped the last shovelful of dirt over the hole, patting it down, before withdrawing a silver bracelet from his inventory. How long had it been since he’d looked at it? There was little he needed to fuel that rage in his chest. It burned daily—for centuries now—and showed no signs of subsiding. If he could drive only the smallest of thorns in the side of Qavell, it would be worth it. But if Khahar did as he promised, it would become a spear instead of a splinter. A death blow to the damned pretender.

Ascending the carriage and tugging on the reins, Fenian found that the Bridge was reluctant to have him. He expected an attack from the defenders of the town, but they were far too busy. Uz’Xulven should have had enough energy to allow him passage. The elf let out a heavy sigh, removed a wineskin from his inventory, and unstoppered it. Reclining on the carriage, he looked up at the edge of that dark moon. A smile spread across his face, thinking of the Burning Eye’s minions stuck up there. Wandering around in that monster-infested place, fighting for survival every day.

“I’d wager they’re eating fetid moon-monster meat,” Fenian said, chuckling to himself. “Did you see this coming, my old friend?”

“I did,” a voice from behind answered. That familiar voice.

“Oh, you positively love pretending you won’t get your hands dirty,” Fenian said, not daring to look back. It was best to keep his eyes on the moon. “I wonder if you can still feel anything. How long has it been since you could have been called a mortal?”

“I cannot say,” the voice responded. “I’m content with this experiment, though.”

“Are you?” Fenian asked. “Even after I put one foot on my path?”

“Your path is the true path. The way things were meant to be.”

“But you could have fixed it. With a blink. Or a wiggle of your eyebrows.” Fenian let out a heavy sigh. It wasn’t as though he hated godly figures. They were just so pompous. As though they could lord their power over the mortals and get away with it. Well, they could. But that wasn’t the point.

“I don’t lord my power over anyone,” the voice said.

“But you’re happy to read my mind. How about a favor for fixing your broken system? Allow me to see Khahar’s ascension.”

“It was brutal. And swift. The system wasn’t ready for him. Changes were necessary.”

“As planned.”

“Fine. The Bridge will become stable after you’re done… viewing the event. So long.”

Fenian cracked his knuckles. Fluttering feathers sounded from behind him, and the presence of the being was gone. The elf’s mind tumbled through realities.

* * *

The ritual for Khahar’s ascension was tedious. His mind was unraveling by the moment, splitting his consciousness and sending fissures through his psyche. Yet those Khahari still chanted, begging for him to rise and fix the world. That was a dream too far, he knew well, but his followers didn’t need to know. Maybe they did. His concentration faltered for a moment, and he watched the western coastline of his continent, spotting a crab scuttling across the beach. It snapped again, down into the caves beneath a city to the mushroom grow-caves. Again, to the sky high above his domain.

“Enough,” Khahar growled. His focus faded by the moment. Moments that crawled by in his high-level vision.

The Khahari leader’s attention snapped to the ziggurat, desert stretching into the distance. A million Khahari were assembled there, only a portion of his people prepared to take the journey with him. He wouldn’t reveal his knowledge to them. The fact that they might not make it. That this promised land was nothing but another form of existence. An ill-fated plan prone to failure.

“We are ready,” the high priest said, bowing on the flattened top of the structure.

Khahar sat on his throne, pressing clawed fingers into his head. The system prompt he’d seen for uncounted eons popped up again.

[Ascension]

You’ve collected enough power and expanded a realm far enough to ascend to godhood! Declining this prompt will have consequences. The higher your attributes get, the more difficulty you’ll have dealing with the real world. Once your mind passes a point, you will no longer control yourself.

(It is recommended that you accept this prompt the moment you get it. Leaving it will result in permanent damage to your mind that can only be reversed by accepting this prompt.)

[Y/N]

That taunting window. A promise for release from this torment. Resistance brought by the strongest of wills and faith in his cause. Khahar mentally accepted the prompt, and the world around him melted. A ripple of power issued from the temple, reducing it to a city-sized crater in a moment. People in the far reaches of the world would feel the effects—the sudden ascension of an overly powerful god.

Darkness crowded Khahar’s vision, but the pain in his mind was gone. The heavy weight of cores in his chest diminished to nothing. And he was finally free. Even the darkness was inviting, rolling over him like a comforting blanket. Relief. Ease from the pain he’d suffered. He could see it clearly now. Fifty thousand years of torment. Was it worth it? Why did he try to do this in the first place? Then the system messages came rolling in. Thousands of them.

All cores removed…

Personal level at ascension (rounded): 10,000

ERROR: Unable to calculate God Core level. Overflow.

SOLUTION: Recalculating theoretical power maximum.

Completed…

Assigning God Core at Level 100.

Personal realm strength at ascension (rounded): ERROR

ERROR: Strength of realm is too powerful. Overflow.

SOLUTION: Recalculating theoretical power maximum.

ERROR: Overflow… Recalculating…

SOLUTION: Theoretical power maximum raised.

Assigning [Ascendant God Core] at Level 100.

Core count and level at ascension (rounded): ERROR

…

…

…

Assigning [Arbiter’s Core] at Level 100.

…

…

…

Approaching [The Arbiter’s Citadel]. Please ascend the throne to name your realm.

Khahar skimmed through, looking for the most interesting messages, but all those were expected. He’d overflowed the system’s maximum count for stats and created a new realm. Something outside the normal flow of the gods. The plan worked. That feature, nestled somewhere in the code that ran their world, was forced to revert to the way it was. Reversing the inane rules placed on it by the previous gods. Those restraints were lifted.

More than that, Khahar’s mind was clear. The pain was gone, and his thoughts came in ordered patterns. One thing after the other, not a jumbled mass of potential futures and events. His eyes were in his head, although he stood in darkness. They didn’t flit over the entire world at once, forcing him into a state of constant agony. He was free.

In a blink, he appeared in his new realm.

“Kahak,” he said, finding himself standing on endless dunes of sand. Before him stood a citadel, impossibly high and constructed of gray stone. Behind him, those one million souls kneeled. He turned. Without a word, he ordered them to begin building as he ascended to the Throne of the Arbiter.

Chapter Sixty-Eight

Khahar’s calculations were correct. Well, mostly correct. The flow of time in the heavenly realms was strange, but no more strange than back on the mortal plane. With his absurd attributes, he’d experienced time as a collage of events rather than a linear progression. At least here he could count one moment passing after the other. One thought coming, then going.

The throne room of Khahak was massive. Perhaps the size of his old capital back in the Khahari desert. His followers rushed around the massive space, fading in and out of existence. A shimmering portal appeared before him at his command, allowing him to view the mortal plane. But he could also view the other realms, crowded as they were. The Prime Pantheon was scrambling, but the Demonic Pantheon seemed calm. All except for Zagmon’s cursed realm.

“Sire, we’ve repelled the first attack,” the high priest said.

“From Zagmon?” Khahar asked, enjoying the way his thoughts flowed.

“Yes, sire.”

“Prepare for a counter-offensive,” Khahar said, a smile spreading across his face. “You have a century to ready the troops.”

“Yes, sire. And a visitor. He only needs your consent to enter,” the high priest said.

“Who?”

“Glantheir.”

Khahar’s smile broadened. “Allow him in.”

Reality parted before the throne. A stately elf appeared, clad in pure white robes with flowing hair to match. He held a staff with the symbol of his realm. Intertwined laurels made of gold, working their way down the staff to the floor. The god took a knee.

“We beg your forgiveness for this intrusion, Arbiter,” Glantheir said. “My aim has only ever been to serve the mortal world.”

“So it has been noted,” Khahar said. “Yet you share a Pantheon with the Eye. With Fan’glir.”

“I’ve come to give introductions, not excuses, Yuri,” the elven god said. “None of the gods alone can challenge you, but they’re questioning your authority as a collective.”

“Is that so?” Khahar asked, rising from his seat and crossing the wide space between them. “Arbitration doesn’t mean pacifism. I am the arbiter. The collective judge of you. Whomever I say is guilty is. The authority is thus.”

“Of course,” Glantheir said, bowing his head lower. “We look to your wisdom. And I beg for your mercy on the mortal world.”

“My interest has only ever been in protecting the mortals. I will not poke my head in their affairs. Neither will any of the other pantheons.”

“Just so.”

Glantheir departed. It might have been a moment later or a few years. But then the century flashed by in a blink, and Khahar found himself on the bone-strewn fields of Zagmon’s realm. The Dronon forces of war crumpled beneath the ascended Khahari. Continents were raised, castles destroyed, and the Arbiter climbed the steps of the Demon God’s citadel. Casualties were a strange thing in the heavens. Souls didn’t just die; they went back to their realm. So long as their patron was alive.

“I suppose you think you’re quite clever,” Zagmon said.

The Demon God sat atop a throne of bones and blood, peering down with fearful eyes. The citadel of Zagmon overlooked pools of blood, fields of corpses, and other unpleasant things. He’d fashioned himself a world of death and torture. How no one in the expanded pantheons of the universe had done away with this monster was beyond Khahar. Arbitration was necessary.

“Quite clever.”

“I hope this isn’t personal, Arbiter,” Zagmon said.

Khahar studied the demon for a while. He appeared like the other Dronon of the world. Swooping horns with skin tinged the color of their nature. The Zagmon Dronon were all red, a deep shade like the devils of Earth’s lore. But he was more muscular than those depictions, with a belt of skulls, a heavy glaive by his side, and a thick plate of armor oozing with an unknown substance covering his body.

“Because your agents attempted to kill my friend?” Khahar asked. That was certainly one reason Zagmon would die first.

“Your friend? Your Harald,” Zagmon said, laughing wryly.

Khahar stood for a long moment, still finding his new thought process to be difficult. Then he joined the Demon God in laughing, crossing the distance between them before wrapping his hands around the creature’s throat. He squeezed.

“You’ve been one step behind this entire time, Zagmon,” Khahar said. “Let the truth be heard by those in this room, and them alone. Theo Spencer was never meant to be the Harald. As I ascended the throne of Arbiter, so will my agent ascend the throne of Harald.”

Khahar leaned in, whispering the name of his agent into Zagmon’s ear. The Demon God’s eyes went wide before godly life faded. Before the realm of the dread, Dronon God of War crumbled around them, turning to ash.

* * *

As hard as it was to convince himself to take a break, Theo forced himself. Each citizen seemed to have sworn an oath to keep him on his ass for as long as possible. Sitting in a rocking chair outside of Xam’s tavern, he watched people move around and work. Alise had already returned from Gronro-Dir with the contract signed. A Khahari trade ship had arrived in the harbor, remaining there until they worked out a deal, and all seemed well.

Alex chirped somewhere under his chair. She managed to deftly avoid the rise and fall of the rocking chair, turning it into a game. But boredom was getting to Theo. He crumpled up another sheet of paper and tossed it to the side, retrieving a fresh one from his inventory and starting again. Several lines into his journal, someone approached, disturbing his concentration.

“Roads are going well,” Ziz said.

Theo looked up and smiled. “Let’s go for a walk. I’m bored.”

“Ah, well,” Ziz said. “I don’t think you should go out so soon. Tresk would skewer me.”

“We’ll just walk the wall,” Theo said, dragging his old friend along.

“That… Yeah, that should be fine.”

Theo and Ziz ascended the battlements, Alex following closely behind. She had trouble with the steps, but the pair waited for her at the top. Looking out to the swamp to the west, they spotted golems moving around and adventurers doing their thing. House Wavecrest had integrated well enough, but there were too many things left hanging. The alchemist leaned against a crenelation.

“Ral still doesn’t have a leg,” Theo said, letting out a sigh.

“Yeah, but he doesn’t seem too upset about it,” Ziz said. “Are you trying to solve that one with alchemy?”

“Of course I am,” Theo said, snorting a laugh. “That’s all I ever do. Fix stuff with alchemy.”

The alchemist removed the Toru’aun Mage’s Core from his inventory and stared at it for a long while. The book she’d given him was impossible to understand. Xol’sa was trying to figure that one out, but he’d made little progress. Theo suspected the point was only he could understand it, but he didn’t have the heart to deny the mage. Those skills for planar magic would become more useful in the coming times, but for now it was just time to restore.

“So, what was the Bridge like?” Ziz asked.

Theo shrugged. “Dark. Lots of shades moving in the distance.”

“Not as glamorous as I expected,” Ziz said. “Any word from Fenian?”

Theo placed the core back into his inventory, shaking his head. It couldn’t be helped. That was only yesterday. How much progress could the elf have made in such short a time frame? And what was his plan? That was a fact beyond everyone—just a mystery lingering in the air indefinitely, like a foul smell in a cramped room. The group began walking the perimeter of the town, heading north to the quarry first.

Ziz had made progress with the quarry, designating his workers to handle most of the daily operation. He had more than one pit now and had figured out the best way to drain the constantly regenerating stone. Like most in Broken Tusk, they were taking a break. They stood there for a long time, looking down on both the operation and the town.

“Sure is hot,” Ziz said.

“At least it isn’t muggy,” Theo said.

“Yeah… Hey, what is Tresk doing, anyway?” Ziz asked.

It was hard not to notice. The marshling wasn’t relaxing like everyone else. Despite her shouting orders for everyone to chill, especially Theo, she was out scouting for more Zagmon Dronon. Once she learned who their master was, she was on the hunt. It made sense that adventurers couldn’t take breaks, though. Not when so much had happened in such a short time. He explained the situation to Ziz, who simply shrugged.

“That’s Tresk for ya,” he said, grinning. “So, how are you feeling about being attacked?”

Theo took a long time to think about that question. He felt little, if he was honest with the half-ogre. He could have been mad at Fenian for not coming to the rescue sooner, but that was all part of the plan. Maybe it was a coincidence, but he suspected the elf knew the Tara’hek Dreamwalk skill would evolve. So he needed to experience that fear of his life ending to get something much better. A bit of hardship for a new, overpowered skill was worth it.

“I’m fine. Did you know skills can evolve?” Theo asked.

“Can they?” Ziz asked. “Not sure if I’ve heard about that.”

“Well, I got a skill evolution out of it,” Theo said. “All part of Fenian’s plan, I think.”

“There’s a thought,” Ziz said, clapping a hand over Theo’s shoulder.

“Did they force you to talk to me?” Theo asked.

“Nah. Just saw you in front of Xam’s. All sad.”

“I’m not sad.”

“Melancholy?”

“Hmmm… Not sure about that one.”

“Wistful.”

“That’ll do,” Theo said, pushing off from the wall and making his way east. Both Ziz and Alex followed.

The group moved along the defensive wall, spotting the bridge to the east as they turned to walk southward. Over the eastern gate, then coming to rest over the harbor. The single Khahari ship docked there sat high in the water, as though it were never meant to cross the sea. But it was long, with two tall masts that gave the bridge-gates little room to breathe. Theo had to wonder how quickly Khahar could have returned to his desert continent. In an instant, he realized, but maybe the ceremony of his people would have dragged the process out.

There might be effects on the mortal plane, but that was hard to say. With only a short trip to his own realm, the alchemist wasn’t certain of much. The Dreamwalk itself had evolved. When he visited the realm at night, it was the familiar landscape. Anything he could dream up would appear, but that was just a mirror image of the minds of those within the Tara’hek. When he visited it in person, it was the floating island with the creek and the cottage. Withdrawing a stalk of Wheat from his inventory, he contemplated how strange that was.

Things conjured in the Dreamwalk were left there, no more substantial than dreams themselves. But traveling to Tero’gal was different. Those things were real. He could bring them back to the mortal plane, although he hadn’t tested doing it the other way around. These uncertain rules left him feeling uneasy. He wouldn’t let it slip through his fingers. There was no point in that. He needed to do everything he could to press his advantage.

“We need to name the war with the undead,” Ziz said, watching the dockhands work below. “Gotta be something flashy.”

“Do you have anything in mind?”

Ziz offered a weak shrug. “How to get boned in 44 simple steps?”

Theo narrowed his eyes. “Have you been talking to Tresk?”

“Maybe.”

That matter did fall to the Southlands Alliance to sort out. Whatever Tarantham and Veosta wanted to call the war was up to them. Theo had no doubts they had a name for their ongoing conflict, but he wondered what they were fighting for. If the reports from Gronro-Dir were accurate, the land they left behind was tainted. A state that the Hallowed Ground Potions reversed.

The alchemist withdrew the enchanted box that Khahar gave him, running his fingers over the sigils. It seemed like people were setting him up for success. Although he had worked hard, there was a sense that it wasn’t earned. But a helping hand didn’t remove the value of what they’d done. No matter how short a time they’d been at it.

“I’ve got some plans cooking in my head,” Theo said, nodding to himself. “Once things calm down in the north.”

“Calm down, eh?” Ziz asked, chuckling. “You mean when our kingdom is destroyed. When we’re cut off from the capital and left to fester.”

“Feeling a sudden wave of wistfulness?” Theo asked, playfully punching his friend in the arm.

“Fear, more like,” Ziz said with a nod.

“Half-ogres fear nothing,” Theo said.

“If only that were true,” Ziz sighed. “Hey, what’s your box doing?”

Theo looked down, spotting the light coming from the ornately decorated box. It hadn’t changed otherwise.

The wall beneath their feet rumbled. A wave of power washed from the north, and shouts rose from the harbor below. A few jostling moments later, and everything was calm. Tresk appeared at Theo’s side in an instant—likely using their new ability.

“Bad news!” Tresk shouted, breathing hard. “I felt that in Tero’gal! Holy moly!”

“What?” Theo asked. “What happened?”

“I think… Oops! Yep! There it is!” Tresk shouted.

A series of messages flashed into Theo’s vision.

[Connection Severed]

Your connection between Broken Tusk and Kingdom of Qavell has been destroyed.

Connection destroyed through core chain…

Drybrook (Core Destroyed)…

Stonesbed…

Heartpass…

Barrowsdeep…

Gronro-Dir…

Rivers and Daub…

…

Broken Tusk, Gronro-Dir, Rivers and Daub have been placed in a one-day state of suspension.

Calculating…

Southlands Alliance temporarily formed.

Your towns will share power-generating resources (motes, coins, and so on) until one town gains a Kingdom Core.

Please contact the owner of your civilization’s Kingdom Core if you have further questions.

Theo read through the notification several times, his heart thumping hard in his ears. Then he heard a snap and a creak. Looking down, he saw Khahar’s enchanted box opening. He saw the cage of metal, white light pulsing steadily inside. He saw what Yuri had left him. A gift fit for a king.

A smile spread across the alchemist’s face.

Chapter Sixty-Nine

Theo Spencer,

5th Day, Season of Fire,

873rd Year of Balkor’s Betrayal

Well, the privacy of my writings is no longer in question. No living mortal outside the bond can tread in Tero’gal. Well, just to be certain, I’m writing this entry in Axpashi. Yeah, it’s a strange language with many quirks. You can’t really understand it until you understand that it’s tied to the standard language of magic. Super happy I wasted time learning it, since the language of Toru’aun is nothing like this.

Thanks, Xol’sa! Ya damn space elf.

elves. I got a lot of those in my life now, and I’m not sure if I care for them. Yeah, all right. I’ll calm down. This whole thing with Zagmon has me feeling spicy. Tresk worked with me to defend against regular threats, but we didn’t see that coming. How could we, though? She said the Zagmon mage was Level 100. I can’t imagine what the assassin was. Well, I could. But I don’t want to. He was too damn fast. Too clever.

Well, they’re all dead now. Funny how you think you know a guy. Fenian sold himself as a simple trader, although that was clearly a lie. Turns out he’s something called a Champion. Tresk said he’s the Champion of two gods, but I’m not sure how that works. It doesn’t matter, though. We need him as much as he needs us. Does he need us? I don’t know. He brought elves to my town to help with the labor shortage. Beefing this small town up to be something worth talking about in the Southlands.

We’ll have boats soon enough. Maybe just fishing boats, but those still count. Laedria Wavecrest is our shipwright—one of those elves brought by Fenian. All of House Wavecrest seem like hard-working people. Well, besides those troublemakers. But they’re dead, too!

The magic contracts I force everyone to sign are working. I’d wax on about a person’s free will, but I don’t care after being attacked. That event left no scars, but it pays to be careful. I still think the crime fits the punishment with the contracts, but testing would require someone breaking those rules. It doesn’t seem worth it when you consider the horrible beasts that came to destroy the Wavecrest rule-breakers.

I suppose I should write more about Yuri, but I just can’t find the words. In the messed-up world we left behind, we were something close to friends. He remembered that after migrating to this new world, holding on to whatever we were for an absurd amount of time. His gift comes with no strings attached, right? Sure.

I got a new skill that lets me make golems. They’re great workers, and a constant trickle of experience. I’ll take the skill that lets me deconstruct reagents when I hit Level 20, which is going to be awesome. Maybe. It’s vague. My stats are leveling out. More of a generalist approach thanks to my supplementary stats from cores and skills. That was never my intention, and I won’t put more points into the other attributes. My plan is to dump things into wisdom and intelligence so I can understand these inane symbols for my new core.

Yeah, like most of Dronon magic, Toru’aun’s flavor is more like poetry than Axpashi runic magic. The book she gave me is 50 pages for just one symbol. What the hell does that even mean? Queen of Mystery. Yeah, that’s a damn good title for her. But there’s a bright side with the stuff she said. That god wants nothing to do with me! Hooray! I don’t have to sit here and worry about another one breathing down my neck.

Oh! I just had to pause my scribblings to talk to someone. A god? Said his name was Benton, which was a shock. Seemed like an Earth name to me. All the infant realms are nestled against each other, so it wasn’t as though he was a powerful god. Said he ascended at Level 100, which just seems wrong. Anyway, he invited me over for a chat in his little realm, but the system wouldn’t let me leave. Apparently I’m not a god.

What am I, then? How realms work is beyond me. If I had to summarize them, it’s a manifestation of something on the mortal plane. All right, hold on. Think of planes as layers of existence. Like an onion? No, that’s a horrible analogy. Like plates stacked in your cupboard. Again, that’s just not right. How about intersecting planes in three-dimensional space? They all converge at some point, either near the mortal plane’s center or off to infinity. But they share that common anchor point and never converge with each other.

Planes, realms, holds. Whatever you want to call them, they seem to share the same local space. That segments them into pantheons. Tero’gal, which is my realm, shares space with the low-level gods. They’re people who were kinda powerful in life, but not powerful enough to play with the big boys. The Prime and Demonic Pantheons are the most powerful ones. I suspect the Prime one is full of Earthlings.

All right. I’m on a roll here. These heavenly realms intersect with the mortal realm. At those points of convergence, the god’s power can be felt. Yeah, they can influence other places in the world, and maybe they can shift where their realm intersects, but that’s the important part. They cannot converge on the same spot. Well, they shouldn’t. That seems to go against the system’s rules. How did I come to this conclusion? Think back, mysterious reader. Tresk, if you’re reading this, don’t think too hard. Your brain might explode.

Drogramath said he could no longer communicate with me. Forget whether that makes sense. He’s never tried to talk to me before, except when he tried to interdict me. The Tara’hek is blocking him out. Because the planes cannot overlap. Meaning he’s ceding control to me. Why the hell would a god bow out like that?

Things are going to get interesting. I’m going to expand my realm. Bathe the entire southlands in this weird power and see what happens. If my suspicions are right, the system is going to recognize my growing power in Tero’gal and give me some upgrade options. How do I know that? Because it’s all upgrades all the time, baby. Look at everything around us. Towns, kingdoms, cores, buildings.

Well, you certainly are a mysterious reader. Coming into my realm and reading my journal. Perverse, don’t you think?

Until next time.

THEO IS A NERD. HE WRITES WEIRD NOTES IN A WEIRD LANGUAGE I CAN’T UNDERSTAND. NERD!

ALEX WAS HERE.

JUST KIDDING, IT’S ME TRESK.

LOVE YOU.

The story continues in Newt and Demon 4!

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