The Newt and Demon - Book 5 Chapters 50,51,52 (Patreon)

Chapter 50

Earth Sorcerer’s Core

Unfortunately, Xol’sa had adopted a local Broken Tusker tradition. As Theo sat with him and Zarali in the wizard’s tower, a faint fire crackled in the fireplace. If not for the Coat of Rake, the alchemist would have been uncomfortable. Instead, he sat among those musty tomes with his companions feeling as though he was experiencing a cool summer breeze.

“Earth magic is interesting,” Xol’sa said, rising to pull a few books from his shelves. “It might pair well with your personality.”

“As in, you’re stubborn,” Zarali interjected.

Xol’sa nodded in agreement, returning books and pulling new ones as he went down the line. He returned to the plush sofa, setting the books down and spreading them out over the table. After a moment, he selected one and opened it, flipping through the pages before finding what he was looking for.

“Your desire to increase your willpower is a problem,” Xol’sa said, holding the book out for Zarali to take. He then found another and began flipping through that. “But there might be a solution.”

“Yes, willpower is difficult to train. Most crafting cores give you a bit, but not enough to make a difference.”

“We can consider exploiting the system with spells and potions, but that might not be enough for you,” Xol’sa said, shaking his head. “I have a better idea.”

Theo waited as the pair went back and forth, searching through books to find what they were looking for. Eventually, the wizard nodded to himself and placed several books on the table, open to the pages he wanted.

“First, we need to talk about magic. Do you remember when I had you learn Axpashi?”

“Of course,” Theo responded in the language. “I love ducks.”

Xol’sa gave him an annoyed look at first, but smiled. “Decent. For a slacker. Most mage-style cores open magic to their users with three distinct modes of casting. Channeling, which means that you form magical arrays in your soul. Chanting—that’s the one you use—means that you form the array through words. Somatic gestures allow the caster to make arrays with hand gestures, like this…”

Xol’sa performed a series of rapid hand movements. A magical circle appeared in the air before him, laced with intricate sigils. Theo clapped.

“Thank you,” Xol’sa said with a bow. “The system tags all cores that use that form of spell work as ‘mage.’ Your mage core is based off of that, although I think it was originally a demonmage core before it was altered. There is another mode of casting, though.”

“That’s where I come in,” Zarali said, jabbing her elbow into Xol’sa’s ribs. He grunted, giving her a look. “Priest-style cores use faith to cast spells. We request the power from our god, usually through prayer, and the spell is granted by that god. But there is another style of magic.”

“There is another style of magic that uses your will. Spells are formed through instinct, but there’s a problem,” Xol’sa said.

Theo inspected the book. Whoever had written it distinguished between magery and sorcery, and determined that the second one was almost useless. Compared to a spell cast through an array, one woven with one’s willpower was absurdly weak. It was the difference between tossing an exploding fireball, and hurling a flaming dart.

“I should hamstring myself to get more willpower?” Theo asked, looking up from the book.

“That’s the point, isn’t it?” Xol’sa asked. “The magic you use will be weaker, but your willpower will expand considerably. Also, sorcery is better at interacting with the natural world. If you want to perform earth magic, that might be the way.”

“What kind of core am I looking for?” Theo asked.

“A Earth Sorcerer's Core,” Xol’sa said. “Traders should have them. They’ll sell them for cheap.”

Theo drummed his fingers on the cushion of the sofa. This was perfect. Getting a weak, seemingly useless core, worked perfect for his current plan. He would buy the core and evolve it using his new Drogramath ability, turning it into a Drogramath Earth Sorcerer’s Core. The alchemist’s base-level willpower was weak compared to Zarali, but with his access to Tero’gal he could easily put her to shame.

“This is perfect,” Theo said, rubbing his hands together. “You guys are great.”

“Oh, please go on,” Xol’sa said, fanning himself.

Theo stayed in the tower for a few hours, talking to Xol’sa and Zarali. The way was shaping up to be a relaxing one, even if there were some new items in his administrative screen. The alchemist wrapped up at the tower and headed back to town. Sarisa and Rowan had not traveled through the portal with him, instead waiting on the other side back in town. They just hadn’t gone through it enough to build up their tolerances, unlike most of the adventurers in Broken Tusk.

“Ziz was looking for you,” Sarisa said, jerking her head toward the lab. “He dropped off some requests with Salire.”

“Ah,” Theo said, looking around for a moment. His body wanted to go in two directions at once. The harbor and the lab. After shaking away his intrusive thoughts, he angled toward the lab and headed off. “Let’s see what he needs.”

On the first floor of the Newt and Demon, there was no one to be seen. Theo sniffed the air, detecting the scent of something familiar. He had to pause for a few long moments to identify what it was. Salire was running the stills upstairs. The smell was that of churning river water mixed with something more metallic. It was the Living River Water being run through the stills, and one of the least offensive scents produced in essence making. The alchemist headed upstairs, placing his hands on his hips when he saw his apprentice working diligently. The reagent she was working with was forgiving, allowing her to perform all steps of the process alone.

“She’s all grown up,” Theo said, pretending to wipe a tear from his eye.

Salire turned, revealing the big smile on her face. “I knew you would say something like that. Ziz dropped by for some Tunneling Potions. He said you were covering the cost. Is that true?”

“Yes. We’re covering whatever expenses he has with his new projects. I just don’t want to burden the town.”

Salire chuckled nervously, returning to her work. “I’m not sure we can afford it.”

Theo waved her objections away, walking over to check on her work. Everything looked fine from where he was standing, but it took little to get the Living River Water going. “When you work with Ziz, you have to understand what he means. We’ll provide his workers with their standard rate and cover the cost of the potions. He’ll provide the stone for free, as always.”

“Oh. Guess I don’t know the secret rules,” Salire said.

Theo shrugged. “No point digging our hands into each other’s pockets when we’re trying to build something nice.”

Only outsiders seemed to misunderstand the way they did things in the town. Anyone who wasn’t a Broken Tusker was more selfish than someone who was. There were many people looking in from the outside, objecting to the way they did things here. Those people could keep their coins. Perhaps they would use that money to fill a pool in which they could swim. They would do so alone, of course. Sad and alone. The alchemist shook the thoughts from his mind, unwilling to entertain the whims of others.

Salire had started three stills to make a large batch of Tunneling Potions. While Theo would assume he could produce fifteen-hundred units of essence from that, the apprentice would have some loss. It would be far more than enough to finish the river job, and would leave a surplus for them to use later. The alchemist admired how smart that was, as he didn’t enjoy doing one-off brews when they needed it. It was always better to have it on hand all the time, only doing new batches to bolster their supplies.

“You’re doing well,” Theo said, patting Salire on the back.

“Thank you,” she responded, her eyes snapping back to the stills.

Before heading to the harbor, Theo checked their current stock of Refined Hallow Ground Essence. Over in Gronro, Grot had been giving reports of their Hallow the Soil Potion usage. It was far less than the alchemist had expected, representing another surplus. They would burn through their current stock in a few days, but that was all the time the lab needed to replenish. If the Wanderer made good on his deal, then it would be even easier to push back the corruption with his help. Glantheir’s plan remained his own, and the alchemist wouldn’t concern himself with it too much.

“Do we have traders in the harbor?” Theo asked.

“Some from Tarantham, and one from Bantein,” Salire said. She always enjoyed hitting the stalls. They always had cool stuff to buy, and their prices were cheap enough.

“And one Khahari ship. If you could call it a ship,” Sarisa said, laughing to herself.

“Strange,” Theo said, tapping his chin. The Khahari hadn’t been engaging in trade lately. That might have been because their boats sucked, but… “Anyone wanna make a bet?”

“Sure,” Rowan said, straightening up.

“I bet you a copper coin I can say which trader has the exact core I need,” Theo said.

Rowan narrowed his eyes. He grumbled. “I like bigger stakes, but sure. My copper is on the ship from Tarantham.”

“I’ll take Bantein,” Sarisa said, producing her own copper coin.

“Put me down for the Khahari ship,” Salire said with a wink. Theo laughed at that. “Theo knows it will be the Khahari ship because Khahar orchestrated this before he ascended.”

“Rats,” Rowan said.

Theo pat Salire on the shoulder. “She gets it. Khahar could see into the future to an extent. I’m guessing he predicted this.”

Rowan cracked his knuckles, a grin spreading across his face. “Buy everything they have.”

“What?” Theo asked.

“If you’re right, then Khahar assumed you would know what you needed. But what happens if there’s something there that you need, but you don’t know you need it?” Rowan asked, puffing his chest out. “I’m a genius.”

Theo didn’t want to admit it, but that was pretty smart. He had no plans to buy everything offered by the Khahari traders, but picking up quite a few of their wares was a good idea. “You are,” the alchemist said with a nod. “That’s actually clever.”

“‘Actually?’” Rowan asked, the look of pride fading from his face. He now looked offended. “I’ll have you know, I was the smartest boy in our class when we were growing up.”

Sarisa grimaced, looking at her brother in disbelief. “A turtle was in our class.”

“He wasn’t officially in the class,” Rowan objected. “Snappy didn’t take any tests, so he was only an honorary member of the class.”

“I saw him take a test,” Sarisa said.

“You did not.”

“But he could have!”

Theo pinched the bridge of his nose, sighing. He only did so to hide the smile on his face and stifle his laughs. Once the bickering was over, he left Salire to her work in the lab and made his way to the port. Instead of taking the road to the north, which ran east near Miana’s ranch, he walked through the sparsely wooded area behind his lab. Both the greenhouses and the experimental garden plot were doing fine. The Plant Golems saw to that.

Even before they reached the harbor, Theo could see the masts of the massive ships from Bantein and Tarantham. Those built by the elves had a sleek design that seemed as though they couldn’t handle the open ocean and would tip over at the slightest breeze. The ships from Bantein had a stockier design, sitting wide and low in the water. They seemed made for war rather than trade. But the moment the alchemist crossed over the wall, he saw the pathetic offering from the Khahari. Their single-masted ship was dwarfed by the two larger ones, looking as though it would have trouble sailing in a lake.

“Look at that,” Rowan breathed.

The merchants had set up stalls throughout the harbor, flying flags and barking their offerings. Theo wasn’t sure how much money they actually made by selling to the alliance, but it must have been worth it. Broken Tuskers were always parting with their money to buy foreign goods. Once the north was clear of the undead, that trade would balloon even further.

“Should we bother with the others,” Sarisa asked, gesturing to the human and elven merchants. “Or should we go find the cheat option?”

Theo had no interest in distracting himself with other things, and was certain that his hunch was correct. He approached the Khahari stalls, browsing what they had out. There were a few interesting whole plants that he wanted to buy, but he didn’t see a collection of cores. Khahar had mentioned that his little kingdom had coresmiths. He leaned in, inquiring about any cores in Russian. That fact still tickled him.

“No cores this trip,” the man said, waving him away.

“Oh. Are you sure? Hiding it in your pockets, maybe?” Theo asked.

“No.”

“Huh,” Theo said, turning away from the stalls without buying anything.

“Cores? You looking for cores?” a human vendor for Bantein asked, beckoning the alchemist over.

Theo glared at the Khahari trader for a moment, earning a shrug in return. “Yeah. Do you have any sorcerer cores?”

“Oh, yeah,” the man said, raising a brow. “Got plenty of those. But wouldn’t you like to buy something more… expensive?”

“Let me see your wares, vendor.”

Theo had never seen so many cores. The Bantein vendor had enough cores to choke a dragon, including a lot of stuff the alchemist couldn’t have imagined. Sure enough, he had a Earth Sorcerer’s Core for purchase. Only one silver, and the vendor had twenty in his ship’s dimensional storage. He inspected the core after purchasing it.

[Earth Sorcerer’s Core]

Common

Sorcerer Core

Unbound

2 Slots

Level 1 (0%)

A sorcerer core focused on the earth element.

Innate Skills:

[Earth Attunement]

This was the most plain core Theo had ever seen. It wasn’t particularly interesting on the surface, was common rarity, and came with one common skill. The alchemist drilled down, inspecting the skill.

[Earth Attunement]

Sorcerer Skill

Common

Allows the user to sense and manipulate materials aligned with the Earth element, which includes dirt, stone, sand, etc.

There was a level of excitement that came from this core and the attached skill. Not because of the raw power they represented—that was minimal—but the potential. He turned away from the grumpy vendor, nodding and thanking him for the core. Theo approached the Khahari vendor, intent on buying some of those plants.

Chapter 51

Rocky

While Theo was excited to test out his new core, he instead returned to the Khahari traders to inspect their plants. He was disappointed that he was wrong about them at first, but then realized the wisdom in inspecting their wares. A Wisdom of the Soul message confirmed that, stating that it would have been annoying for the traders to bring cacti and desert grasses across the sea. Especially in such a small boat with a tiny crew.

“How much for the three?” Theo asked, gesturing to all the plants the traders brought. Naturally, he used Russian instead of Qavelli.

“A gold,” the trader said, looking at Theo as though he was bored of the entire venture.

The alchemist found a few other trinkets that didn’t seem useful at all, and presented them as a package deal. The trader agreed without a fight and Theo realized he could have talked them down. But the deal was done and he was now the proud owner of three weird plants from the Khahari desert. He sucked them into his inventory rather than carrying them by hand and left the busy harbor. As he was going, he thought about expanding the town and establishing a market area on the far side of the river. He made a note of it in the administrative panel, assigning Azrug and Gael to the task. Even if they couldn’t find a seed core, they could use the Dynamic Incorporation upgrade on the town to make a less-powerful seed core building.

Theo withdrew the plants behind his Herbalist’s Workshop, setting the clay pots near the garden for inspection. The first was the easiest to understanding, as it appeared similar to the cacti back on earth. Bulbous leaves sprouted from the stem, displaying bright red fruits with barbs on them. The alchemist examined those fruits without touching them.

[Khahari Cactus Fruit]

[Alchemy Ingredient] [Food]

Common

The fruit from a cactus known to grow throughout the Khahari Desert. This fruit is considered sacred by the Khahari people.

Research:

Infused with intense energy from Khahar.

Long growth cycle with magic properties.

Properties:

[????] [????] [????]

“Easy enough,” Theo said, inspecting the fruit closer. “But you can’t just pick them. These spikes have barbs. They’ll dig into your skin and never let go.”

“Nasty little things,” Sarisa said, shaking her head at the stout plant.

“What about this one?” Rowan asked, stooping low to examine another plant.

The second plant looked like a tumbleweed, round and bushy with dead-looking branches and leaves. Sand-colored flowers sprouted all over the plant, giving the impression of a desert-borne cotton. Theo examined those flowers, finding that it was exactly as he expected.

[Khahari Cotton]

[Alchemy Ingredient]

Common

Cotton known by the Khahari people to insulate against the oppressive sun. Clothes made from this material will keep the wearer cooler while providing excellent protection from the sun.

Research:

Infused with intense energy from Khahar.

Long growth cycle, quick bloom cycle with excellent textile potential.

Properties:

[????] [????] [????]

“Finally. More cloth,” Theo said.

“Does that say it makes cold clothes?” Sarisa asked, shoving Rowan out of the way to inspect the flower. She reached out, but had her hand slapped away by Theo.

“Note the barbs,” Theo said, withdrawing an inert bone knife from his inventory and lifting the flower.

“Does everything in the desert have spikes?” Rowan asked, chuckling nervously. He edged away from the plant.

“Let’s find out,” Theo said, turning to the last plant.

This was a strange plant. It was smaller than the others with a fat trunk and two slender leaves. Between those leaves was a single flower that shimmered between black and purple. Without examining the flower, Theo could feel the item’s affinity for poison. As he inspected the item, he determined it had custom text set by a loremaster. That usually meant it was a hybrid.

[Night’s End]

[Alchemy Ingredient]

Epic

Upon the end of the night's kiss, I found it. In my last moments, I curse it. This flower is death.

Research:

Infused with intense energy from Khahar and Zaul.

Long growth cycle, slow bloom cycle.

Extremely deadly to the touch. Handle with extreme caution.

Properties:

[????] [????] [????]

Rowan wasn’t the only one to edge back this time. Both Theo and Sarisa joined him at a healthy distance after reading the description of the item. The loremaster failed to put which plants had hybridized to create this one, and the warning wasn’t clear. The research section of the item put away any questions as to how deadly the flower was. Edging toward the plant, the alchemist tapped the side of the pot to return it to his inventory.

“I’m not so sure about that one,” he said.

“Did they ride with that thing? On a boat?” Rowan asked, scoffing. “Absolute insanity.”

Theo knew exactly what to do. If he could figure out the properties of the plant, he could create an antidote. While it was too dangerous to handle in the real world, the Dreamwalk would protect him. The alchemist was content to put the two plants that wouldn’t kill him and everyone he loved into the Experimental Garden Plot. He mentally documented the best way to plant and propagate each plant. The cotton had little seeds that were tucked under the puffy sand-colored balls, while the cactus could just be cut at any part and replanted. His biggest problem was his lack of greenhouse space, which wasn’t helped by the lack of seed cores from the vendors.

The best place to test the Earth Sorcerer’s Core might have been the Dreamwalk, but Theo was eager to test it out now. He held it out and inspected the object, finding it to be completely plain. Even the power from within seemed weak compared to the other cores he had seen. As he pressed it into his chest, he realized how long it had been since he slotted a new core. The sensation was unfamiliar, but welcome.

“Anything?” Sarisa asked, inspecting Theo’s expression.

The alchemist double-checked that the skill was slotted into the core, which it was. He didn’t feel any different than he did before, but realized that he should expect such a reaction. After taking the Drogramath Dedication skill, each core that he slotted didn’t influence him at all. There was a complete barrier between himself and the core, making it feel like a distant thing. Only when he actively focused on the core did he feel some effects of the Earth Attunement skill.

“Interesting,” Theo said, looking around the area.

The surrounding ground pulsed with faint green energy. His mind felt somehow connected with the dirt beneath his feet, tugging on his senses as though trying to get his attention. He reached out with his new skill, pressing his mind against that energy. But nothing happened. Theo had trouble understanding what the disconnect was, but decided it was a matter of simple practice.

“Let’s go for a walk,” Theo said, turning away from his garden area and picking a random direction.

The hills to the north were a fine place if he wanted to interact with only dirt, but the area near the mine had more rocks. Theo felt the need to practice this new skill on  small stones before he could move on to dirt, but one thing was obvious. When he attempted to move the ground near the greenhouses, he felt something tugging on his willpower. He had become familiar with it by falling through the realms. When he went to the moon, it was the biggest display of willpower control he had shown in his life in this world.

“So, when do you start casting spells?” Rowan asked, jogging to keep up with the alchemist.

“Once I figure out how to connect this core with my willpower,” Theo said, nodding to citizens as they passed.

“Not as though you’re a novice spellcaster,” Sarisa said, slapping Theo on the back. “I’ve seen you make some serious wards.”

Theo had to think about that for a moment before responding, but she wasn’t wrong. Toru’aun’s magic was weird, even when compared to Xol’sa’s Axpashi casting. When creating a ward, especially using the Linked Wards skill, there was a level of intuition that went into the casting. The alchemist had to shut off part of his brain to cast them correctly, pushing away his logical side to get a handle on things. He had a feeling that sorcery was like that, but different. It should have been easier for him, falling in line closer to willpower manipulation with his Tara’hek Core.

The group passed by the smelters, then into the hills dotted with homes. People who places their houses in the southern side of town didn’t care for roads. They just claimed a plot and placed a seed core down with a mind for the view, rather than accessibility. Theo spotted one house atop a rocky hill, and he couldn’t figure out how the owner got to the front door. It led to a sheer cliff.

“Lots of stones here,” Theo said, kicking a loose cluster of rocks as they approached the mine. He waved to the miners working there and they waved back.

“What’s the plan?” Rowan asked, sounding bored with the whole thing.

Theo focused on his new core, once again seeing the world light up with green energy. Each stone at his feet was a mote of shimmering green, pulsing with the beat of his heart. He reached out to a piece of pea-sized gravel and seized it with his will, focusing on the sensation he felt when he traveled through the realms. After simulating that sensation, he felt a rush flow through his chest. Mana flowed from his body in all directions, undirected and untamed. Both Rowan and Sarisa stepped back.

“You’re glowing purple,” Sarisa said.

Looking down, Theo realized he was indeed flashing with the purple fire of Drogarmath’s mana. When he checked his mana levels, he realized that none had been consumed. He looked back to the gravel and forced his will upon it. The aura of mana flared again, intensifying until the tiny stone floated a few inches from the ground.

“Interesting,” Theo said, breaking his concentration and allowing the stone to fall. “This is a weird class.”

Lifting the little stone hadn’t even consumed a single point of mana. It hadn’t even pushed his willpower to the limit. At least a system message appeared, informing him that his Earth Sorcerer’s Core gained some fraction of a percent experience. Over the next few hours, he lifted small stones with his mind. While he didn’t make any amazing breakthroughs, he got good enough to lift a stone the size of a chicken’s egg into the air.

“I have an idea,” Rowan said, rising from his position on the ground. He had found a comfortable spot to rest while Theo played with rocks. He turned to his sister and nodded. “You remember the focus training we used to do?”

“Uh… Frog-stick?” she asked.

“Yeah. This old guy was training us to fight. He would force us to hold a long stick out, then balance an octofrog on the end.”

“How does that work?” Theo asked, scratching his head.

“You’re supposed to prevent the frog from jumping off the stick. You move it side-to-side when the critter goes to jump, then it won’t jump,” Rowan said.

Sarisa sighed. “The point is you hold a stick up and balance a frog. You should do the same thing with the rock, but instead of a frog and a stick, you use your magic and a rock.”

That wasn’t a bad idea, actually. Willpower usage was more instinctive than anything, and Theo’s instincts were honed. His mana flashed out as he reached for another egg-sized rock. He guided it above his head and held it there with his willpower.

“Like this?” Theo asked. He didn’t look up to see the rock, instead feeling it with his new core.

“Exactly,” Rowan said, clapping a hand on Theo’s back.

The rock fell, bouncing off of Theo’s horn. He tried to snatch it with his power before it fell, but failed. The alchemist waited for the rock to settle before reaching out again and grasping it with his mind. He lifted it up, holding it above his head once more.

“Now you should go do other stuff. Keep doing the rock thing until it becomes second nature,” Sarisa said, shoving Theo in the shoulder. The rock fell again. “Once you can maintain focus while being smacked, you’ll have it.”

Theo nodded in approval. Sarisa and Rowan could provide random interruptions to his focus. Stuff he couldn’t predict. Perhaps this was just a way for them to smack him around, but it would do wonders for his focus and willpower.

“Perfect,” Theo said. “What do we have left on our agenda?”

“Let me see,” Sarisa said, grumbling as she pulled up her version of the administrative panel. Theo watched as her eyes went glassy. She finally clicked her tongue. “We could go talk to Azrug about the market.”

“Excellent,” Theo said, clapping his hands together. The rock fell once again. “Let’s go!”

“I’ll bring some spare rocks,” Rowan said, gathering stones from the ground.

During the walk from the mine to Azrug’s new shop, Theo dropped his stone fifty times. But on the last leg of the walk, he was shoved twice by Rowan and didn’t drop the rock. Everyone considered this a great success, and the low draw of mana meant he could do this forever. They entered the half-ogre’s shop, finding the young man counting coins behind the counter. He looked up, making eye-contact with Theo before his eyes shot up to the rock.

“What’s with the floating rock?” Azrug asked, a look of confusion spreading across his face. “And the purple.”

Theo held his hand out, commanding the rock to sit upon his finger like a bird. “This is my new companion.”

“Rocky,” Rowan said without missing a beat. “Sweetest living stone you’ve ever seen.”

“Go say ‘hi,’ Rocky,” Theo said, commanding the stone to float over to Azrug’s counter. The gray rock danced across the counter, tapping against the wood surface in an uncoordinated rhythm.

“Isn’t he darling?” Sarisa asked.

Azrug raised an eyebrow, looking down at the dancing stone. He waved sheepishly at the rock and forced a smile. “Hi, Rocky.”

Theo lost command of the stone and it fell onto the counter, clattering and rolling onto the floor.

“Well, you’ve killed him,” Rowan said, crossing his arms and tutting.

“I did not!” Azrug shouted, scooting his chair back and away from the crime scene. “I didn’t touch him!”

“You breathed on him. Sapient rocks are allergic to half-ogre breath.”

Azrug clapped his hands over his mouth. Only a moment later, he narrowed his eyes on the trio. “You bastards.”

“Oh, look,” Theo said, wrapping his will around the rock once again. He brought it back on the counter, forcing it to dance once again. “He lives!”

“Har-har,” Azrug said, swatting at the rock. “What do you idiots want?”

Theo cleared his throat, pulling the rock back above his head. “I wanted to talk to you about the market idea.”

“Alright. I’m happy to discuss business. After you explain the rock.”

Theo gave Azrug the rundown of the rock and how he was training his new core to work better with his willpower. The young half-ogre glared at him the entire time.

“I’m still calling it ‘rocky,’” he said, letting out a labored sigh. “Why do you need me for the market project? Sounds like a Ziz problem.”

“I wanted your input on capacity and design,” Theo said. “If we’re expanding east and north, we’re talking about a lot of real estate.”

Azrug withdrew parchment from his inventory, glared at Theo for a while, then started sketching ideas out. They worked together for a while, brainstorming about the best way to construct the market. Everything would be built by hand, which gave them a chance to create a custom market, rather than something provided by a seed core. The biggest concern was the design of the town after the created the market. Once they had expansions to the north and east, the town’s center was no longer in the center. Therefore, the market would become the center and there would be districts surrounding it.

“This is my best idea,” Azrug said. “If the plot you buy is the same size it has been, we’ll have plenty of room for a market. And I recommend dedicating the entire expansion to the market.”

Azrug went on about how important an extensive market area was. As things opened up, they would need more space for traders from abroad and local. Theo also liked the idea that the area could be used as a fairground during seasonal celebrations. Once they had agreed on some details concerning the placement of permanent structures, the alchemist headed out to submit the idea to Gael.

“Say goodbye to Rocky,” Theo said, making the stone vibrate in the air.

“Bye Rocky. I hate you,” Azrug said, forcing a smile on his face and performing several rude gestures.

Chapter 52

Reshape the Land

The Dreamwalk spread before Theo, the imagined version of Broken Tusk representing a perfect image of the actual place. He had spent the rest of his day working on his core. The gap between his willpower and the power of his core was shrinking at an alarming pace, and he couldn’t stop thinking about how strange of a core it was. Unlike most cores, the Earth Sorcerer’s Core relied almost entirely on willpower and skill. Some cores were useless without skills, while others needed skilled spellcraft to be useful. This one was just different.

“Mind if we destroy the town?” Tresk asked, elbowing Theo in the ribs.

“Go for it. I’m going to try something… it might be cheating.”

“Oh. Think anyone can stop you in here?”

“Nope.”

There were quite a few dangerous potions that Theo had crafted. The nastiest ones came from the Hallow Ground property, often producing potions related to the undead. Of those many potions, there was one that mentioned the imbiber’s will. The alchemist imagined a version of that silvery potion in one of Salire’s fancy vials. He held it up for examination.

[Hallow Ground Potion]

[Embolden]

[Potion] [Modified Potion]

Epic

Created by: Belgar

Alignment:

Drogramath (Middling Bond)

Grade: Excellent Quality

Drink to create a zone of denial.

Effect:

Imbiber creates a fifty pace circle around themselves with the [Emboldened Hallow 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.

Embolden had been the most dangerous modifier essence within the lab for a long time. Potions like this had usurped it, bringing in a new age of secretive alchemy. According to the description, he would need to overpower the will of undead creatures. Depending on how many undead there were, the challenge would be greater. The problem was the failure condition. If he didn’t overpower those undead things, he would join whichever necromancer had created them.

That’s where the Dreamwalk came in.

The Dreamwalk was a unique space among unique spaces. Rules didn’t matter here. There was a time where it had a will of its own that overpowered both Tresk and Theo. The marshling was the first one to rise above, and the alchemist followed closely after. They now had near perfect control of it, which hopefully meant that he could pull himself out of any simulated control of undeath.

Theo shrugged, feeling confident in his abilities. He imagined a single undead skeleton at first, making sure that the thing belonged to the Dreamwalk, instead of any specific deity. The creature shambled toward the alchemist, grasping at the air with bony hands.

Theo popped the glass stopper on the vial and downed the liquid within.

The imagined world went black. Theo stood with the undead thing in a blank arena. Without warning, he felt something assail his mind. Almost too late, he realized he needed to fight back without hesitation. The alchemist sent his will wide, smashing against that of the imaginary skeleton. Once that initial wave of willpower came crashing down, the skeleton’s will crumpled. The dark arena vanished in an instant, and the undead monster was now under his control.

Theo ordered the skeleton to move around the area before doing a little dance on a rock. He nodded with approval, finding that a single skeleton wasn’t enough to overpower his will. But there was an important lesson to be had. If his willpower wasn’t extended already, his defenses were low. Anything that sought to perform an attack based on willpower could snake into his mind without warning.

“Note to self… practice keeping that barrier up.”

Two skeletons appeared as the first vanished. They limped across the street, jaws snapping as they reached for Theo. He downed another potion, this time with his expressed willpower extended, and crushed the will of them both in one fell swoop. They fell under his control an instant later, right after the darkened arena vanished.

“What are you doing?” Tresk asked, coming to sit on a rock.

“Yeah, what are you doing?” Alex honked.

Theo explained his plan to increase his willpower by exploiting this potion. Tresk thought it was a stupid idea at first, but then she read the description. It reminded her of physical training for adventurers. The training they did presented no change to their levels or experience, but they got stronger. After that, she cheered the alchemist on as he summoned five skeletons. He repeated the process until he found his breaking point.

A small army of skeletons shambled through the streets of Broken Tusks, arms outreached and bones clattering. Theo quaffed his potion, encircling the eighty undead creatures within his grasp. His willpower spread out like a bubble, soaking through each skeleton. It seemed like a simple thing at first. But once one skeleton resisted the effects of his willpower, another followed suit. Those he had already dominated were freed from their prison, sending a shiver through the alchemist’s body. The wave of undead willpower came crashing down on him like a tidal wave, sweeping any sense of self away.

Theo gasped for air as Tresk slapped him in the face. He was laying on his back, his tail painfully bent under his body. While he had slammed his head on the cobblestone street, he didn’t feel the pain. The Dreamwalk saw to that.

“Guess that’s your limit,” Tresk said, patting Theo on the head. She pumped her fist in the air. “I didn’t even help you! It’s time to go beyond!”

Theo pumped his own fist into the air. “Yeah!”

Tresk had a way of getting people riled up. Theo was good at avoiding that infectious nature, but he allowed himself to fall into that contagious fervor.

“Do eighty again!”

“Okay! I’m gonna do it!”

This was where the Dreamwalk came in as a requirement for this plan to work. While Theo was working with an amount of undead creatures he couldn’t control, he didn’t feel any change in his personal willpower. But when he fought, and lost, against a group that he couldn’t handle, he felt the needle move. It wasn’t a slight move, either. The alchemist tried dominating eighty undead again, and easily beat them. The number went up to eighty-five the next time, which he lost to.

This process repeated itself for the entire night. Tresk kept her fight nearby, selecting another giant horned snake to battle. When Theo lost his battle with the undead, she came over to slap him in the face. In reality, she was resetting the conditions within the Dreamwalk to release him from the Dreamwalk’s control.

When dawn drew closer, Theo felt exhausted. He had never stepped into the Dreamwalk tired, and left tired. This would be the first time that happened. But the number of undead he could control had skyrocketed from eighty to four-hundred. There wasn’t even enough room within Broken Tusk to accomplish this, forcing them to change the scene to a wide-open field. Even then, it was hard to cram all those undead into a fifty pace area. Proper placement was required to get them all in.

“Do you feel more willful?” Tresk asked.

Theo could feel Tresk’s intentions. She wanted to do the training herself, but had allowed him to be the first person to test it. But he felt as though his willpower had expanded to unthinkable levels in a single night. Where it was a puddle before, it was now a duck pond.

“Do you want the truth?” Theo asked.

“Uh… duh.”

Theo thought about how to quantify the progress to her. But the amount of undead he could handle was a decent representation of how much he had improved. “By a factor of five. I think.”

“You’re five times more willful, huh?” Tresk asked, tipping her head back and barking a single laugh. “Yeah, we’re doing this every dang night.”

There were likely diminishing returns with this technique, but she was right. There was no reason not to exploit it. Theo wanted to test his new core within the Dreamwalk, but waited. It would be better to show off how far he had come in the real world. Tresk announced that dawn was approaching shortly after, and she pulled them out of the Dreamwalk. Instead of dashing downstairs, she stared at him for some time with a big smile on her face. Her excitement for the improvement bled through the core. She wasn’t even trying to hide it.

“Stuff your face quickly. I wanna see you move some big rocks.”

Theo, Tresk, and Alex went downstairs to get some food. Rowan and Sarisa had already prepared a simple meal of pozwa eggs and wheat bread. The alchemist ate as quickly as he could, finding the act to be annoying more than anything. While he was excited to test the core, he liked to sit and chat while he enjoyed his meal. This was something that Sarisa picked up on.

“You’re in a rush.”

“We did some wacky stuff,” Tresk said, cackling. “Theo is eager to test it.”

“Clearly.”

Tresk actually waited for Theo to be done before heading out. She joined him, walking out onto the streets of Broken Tusk to find an appropriate boulder. They found one near the road, stuck in the ground to the south of the Herbalist’s Workshop. The marshling was jumping up and down, cheering him on.

“Ready?” Theo asked.

“Ready!”

Theo invoked his Earth Sorcerer’s Core, focusing on the large stone with his willpower. He willed it to move up, neglecting to impart a command of ‘slowly.’ The boulder shot into the air, slipping from his will as it rocketed skyward. Half of the alchemist’s mana vanished in an instant.

“Ah, crap!” Tresk shouted.

Theo squinted against the sky, searching for the errant rock in the air. Feathers ruffled next to him as Alex took fight. He watched her soar, scanning the skies for her target. She kept going on until she was a tiny dot against the pale blue sky.

“I got it!” Alex said. “Oof! That’s a heavy rock!”

Tresk and Theo watched the sky as the goose descended with the rock. She placed it gently on the ground, avoiding any serious problems.

“When did you get so strong?” Theo asked. The boulder was larger than Tresk.

“I’ve been working out,” Alex said, preening.

Theo cleared his throat. “Clearly.”

“That was awesome!” Tresk said, rushing over to hug Alex. “You’re the strongest goose in the entire world!”

“I know.”

“Hey Theo, let’s try that again. This time with less danger.”

Theo nodded, turning his attention to the stone once again. This time, he eased his will onto the rock. Mana seeped from his soul, but he made sure that wasn’t going wild either. The boulder rocked to one side, then rose into the air. The alchemist held it there with his will, finding that the hardest part of this was keeping it from shooting into the air. Maintaining a steady stream of willpower and mana was more difficult than keeping the stone aloft.

“Great job, Theo,” Tresk said, patting him on the back.

“What are you guys doing?” Salire asked, jogging down the street to see what all the excitement was about.

“Levitating boulders,” Theo said, moving the rock through the air. “Pretty cool, huh?”

“Oh, that’s neat,” Salire said, staying at a healthy distance. “What was all that shouting about?”

Tresk and Theo shared a look. “Nothing,” they said in unison.

Theo ran the situation down for Salire. She thought it was dangerous, but wouldn’t argue with the results. The group talked about how far the power could be taken, all while the alchemist tossed the rock around.

“So, the only reason you’re so good at this is because of some hidden attribute?” Salire asked, tapping her chin. “That sounds like cheating.”

“Yeah, but no one has stopped us,” Tresk said, rubbing her hands together and giggling.

“How far does the power go? Can you pull the stones from buildings?” Salire asked.

Theo dropped the boulder, turning his attention to the foundation of the Herbalist’s Workshop. His mana wove with his will, but nothing happened. It wasn’t as though the will within the seed core was fighting against him. It just wouldn’t work.

“Nope.”

“Very interesting,” Salire said, withdrawing a notebook and jotting something down. “So, what was the point of this?”

Theo thought for a second, almost forgetting what the point of the new core. “To increase my will. And move some soil around in the town.”

“Nice. Do you need the lab today?” 

Salire always had an academic attitude to most things. She was also ‌very curious about how stuff worked, especially with the things Theo was doing.

“Just leave one still for me. I’m going to occupy myself with this new core for most of the day. But there’s a Khahari flower I want to distill.”

“Yes!” Tresk shouted. “The new poison flower? The deadly one?”

Theo nodded. “That’s the one.”

“Excellent,” Tresk said, steepling her fingers. “Tell me when you are done, alchemy man. Come, my minion.”

“Yes, master,” Alex honked, waddling after Tresk as she walked away.

Once Tresk was out of earshot, Salire turned to Theo. “Is she evil?”

“Kinda.”

Theo chatted with Salire for a bit, but he wanted to get over to Ziz’s place. The half-ogre would be impressed with his new powers. He just knew it. It was a good chance to test the core on a wide scale, as well. The alchemist departed, bidding farewell to Salire as he walked north toward the quarry.

There was still the problem of his free pick. Theo hadn’t found a skill that stuck out to him. He could pick something for his new core, but that seemed wasteful. Both his Alchemy and Herbalist cores just got new skills, so he had already picked the best ones from those lists. The alchemist reflected on his new pick as he walked to the quarry, laughing at himself for picking something that required so much work. At least it fed into his other cores by increasing his willpower. Once he got it to a decent level, it would be worth the effort.

Theo passed through the various parts of town, checking on Banu’s Large Farm as he went. They had the Throk’s Weed problem under control, and had true zee growing in a few fields. Thankfully, the old farmer had taken the random mutation in stride, seeding it into a few fields.

The alchemist approached the quarry, finding Ziz and his boys back at full strength. They were mining the hell out of that quarry, pulling more stones than ever from the pit.

“Hey!” Theo shouted down into the pit. Ziz looked up, shielding his eyes. He smiled when he spotted the alchemist. “Wanna see something cool?”

“Of course!” Ziz shouted up, rushing over to the ladder. “What is it?”

Theo smiled down at the stonecutter. “The ability to reshape the land.”