The Newt and Demon - Book 7 Chapters 46,47,48 (Patreon)

Chapter 46

Approaching the Twin Realms

Theo understood. The key to getting any stonework project done in town was to hook Ziz. Once the half-ogre had his hooks in a project, he wouldn’t let go. All the alchemists had to do was lay the foundation for the new colosseum for him to dive into the deep end. It took him about two days of work to get a basic foundation laid, but there was still much more work to do. He sat at the breakfast table with his companions, picking over fried eggs and thick lengths of bacon before starting his day.

“This competition is really going to liven up the town.” Tresk said. She had already eaten all of her food but still remained at the table. “Some adventurers are getting bored, especially with the closing of the dungeons.”

“We can’t ignore the dungeons to the north,” Theo said. “Not that we can manage every single dungeon on the planet, but we can at least keep our local area clean. Unless we want to come to the defense of Gronro against an army of dragons. Which I realize now is likely appealing to you.”

“Very appealing,” Tresk said, rubbing her hands together.

Whatever dreams Theo might have had to get his foundation completed would fail. Unfortunately, today was a spell space elf wrangling day. It wasn’t just a hard task, but also a dangerous one. The elves themselves provided little challenge. It was just that bringing them to the mortal plane would cause issues. And yet, those issues might have been diminished by the capture and transport of the shards. Elrin would be required to breathe life into those things, and that guy could be difficult to deal with.

Once breakfast was finished, Theo gathered the people he would need to sail across the void. Fortunately, Fenian had not left town, so Theo pulled him away from whatever perceived duties he had, rounded up Tresk, and retrieved Xol’sa. They gathered near the monolith and the statue of Xol’sa and his wife before preparing to head out.

“Remember, the goal is to capture them.” The alchemist said, regarding each person. ‌”I should have a spell that will work well on them, but I’ll be honest, I’ve never cast a spell on the void island, so I’m reluctant to do so.”

“Your spells should work fine,” Xol’sa said with a shrug. “But we should be enough to gather whatever stragglers remain.”

“Which makes you, my dear alchemist, the supervisor,” Fenian said with a mirthful chuckle.

“I would have liked to bring Elrin with us, but...” Theo paused, withdrawing the communication crystal from his inventory. He squeezed it, and nothing happened. “He isn’t picking up the phone.”

“Are you saying we’re not enough to make this happen?” Tresk asked, looking slightly offended.

“Nope,” Theo said, spreading his aura over the gathered group. “I said nothing like that. Are you guys ready to go?”

Once he had received enough nods, the alchemist dropped them into the void. The transition was always so sudden and could be quite jarring for those who weren’t prepared. Fortunately, everybody here was experienced in traveling through the negative space of the universe. He angled them directly towards the void island, and the alchemist couldn’t help but think that it was getting further from the central mortal plane. They really needed to get to work, either pulling the island back or withdrawing those crystals. If only Elrin had given him more information on how that was supposed to work.

“The energy is becoming more turgid,” Xol’sa said, raising an eyebrow as the Void Island finally came into view. “It’s odd to think that the combination of purifying and damaging energies worked together for so long, but not for much longer.”

As haunting as that statement was, the alchemist didn’t really want to consider it right now. Instead, he focused on landing them safely on the island. As always, it was easiest to land at the ziggurat in that jungle landscape. The group set foot on the moist ground, and the eerie silence of the area settled in around them. Theo shivered as he scanned the tree line and found several of the space elves waiting for them. He couldn’t help but think that they had taken on a more insane appearance than the last time.

“Time to get hunting,” Fenian said, rolling his shoulders as he giggled to himself. “For the record, I just tie them up and toss them in a pile, right?”

“That’s right,” Theo said with a shrug. “Just trying not to hurt them too badly. You’ll put more strain on our healers if you do that.”

Fenian vanished from the spot where he stood in the blink of an eye. An instant later, he was back in the same spot, this time with a hog-tied space elf draped over his shoulder. “That’s one for me,” Fenian said, teasing Tresk. “Oh, I hope the lizard can keep up.”

“Oh, it’s on like Donkey Kong,” Tresk said, cracking her knuckles.

Theo stood with Xol’sa. They watched as the pair rushed off into the forest, gathering as many elves as they could.

“They really are insufferable, aren’t they?” Xol’sa asked, shaking his head.

“Those two are the spice of life.” Theo said he didn’t disagree with Xol’sa’s assessment of how annoying they were, but if things always went well, would they truly be interesting? Anyway, let’s get to work. I want this to be over as soon as possible.”

###

The group had worked tirelessly for hours, transporting loads of elves between the Void Island and what they were calling the mainland. It was exhausting work, made doubly so by the strange time dilation that had set in on the island. Time was acting strangely, rubber banding between slower and faster. With each visit, the energy there was unstable to a ridiculous degree, and the alchemist wasn’t sure how long they could work without everything falling apart.

Xol’sa stood before one of the inert shards, holding a magical device in his hands and humming to himself. Theo approached and placed a hand on the man’s shoulder, startling him. “What do you have there?” Theo asked.

“According to the Guardian, if we attach this to a shard and toss both into the void, it will find its way back to the mortal plane with a bit of steering.”

The group had taken a break after a large batch of space elves was sent to the mortal plane. Theo understood little about how these magical devices worked, so he had little to offer. Everyone was taking a break before handling another load, and he was bored, so he had searched around the ziggurat to see if there was anything interesting. The most interesting thing, of course, was Xol’sa.

“Another interesting thing the Guardian told me was that we can’t bring them all back at once,” Xol’sa said, “which has me concerned for the safety of this island.”

“Well, I mean that makes sense,” Theo said. “If too much void energy at once is bad for the planet, then sucking it all up at once won’t be good either. We really need to get in contact with that man.”

Xol’sa sat in silent contemplation, leaving the alchemist free to do whatever he wanted. Of course, there wasn’t much to do with everybody resting, so he fell back on a reliable way to pass the time. He searched the area for reagents, relying on the senses he drew from his core to steer him in the right direction. Several things popped into his awareness, but everything was so bathed in the void’s energy that it was hard to tell when one magical thing overlapped with another.

The alchemist knelt, pressing his hand against a patch of moss and feeling something in return. The system message was reluctant to appear, and it made sense. Despite Xol’sa’s reassurances, his magic wasn’t working as well as it could here. He tried to cast the Field of Despair spell, but it only caused the space elves to act in an even more insane manner, if that was at all possible. But eventually the message appeared, revealing what the moss was.

[Emberstone Moss]

[Alchemy Ingredient]

????

????

Properties:

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

Question marks in an item description could mean different things. Here, Theo suspected this was a rig that needed to be identified by a Loremaster. Although it had a name, everything else was blank. That made him worry it was tinged with too much void energy. So, he marched back to his resident space elf for a consultation.

“What do you think about this?” Theo asked, holding out a clump of moss for Xol’sa’s inspection.

“Yes, that certainly is moss,” Xol’sa said, taking it and rolling it over. “With a bit of dirt still on the bottom. Why do you ask?”

“Well, I just wanted to know if it was dangerous,” Theo said. “You know, since the stuff from the void typically isn’t safe.”

“I wouldn’t bring back a lot,” Xol’sa said. “In fact, I probably wouldn’t bring back more than one piece, but a single clump should be fine to handle.”

Realistically, that only left Theo with one option. He would bring one sample back for identification and then burn this one here, absorbing all the properties. At least then he could use it in an infusion-style potion. He held the bit of moss out and allowed it to decompose in his hand. What was left was the primal essence as dust and a vapor he inhaled to reveal the properties. It took a moment longer than usual for the process to complete, but when it was done, he viewed only three properties. The fourth one refused to reveal itself, and he didn’t like the idea of exposing himself to more void energy.

Theo inspected the new properties.

Properties:

[Comfort] [Soothe] [Inspire] [????]

“Well, that just sounds like a lovely reagent,” Theo said, chuckling as he looked at the description of the plant. Of course, nothing else had been revealed, just those three properties. He hadn’t seen them before, which, of course, made them valuable.

“This should be the last batch,” Xol’sa said, gesturing as Fenian tossed another elf onto the pile. The space elves squirmed, but once they were immobilized, they stopped struggling and fighting so much.

“I’m just going to do one more round,” Fenian said, wiping the sweat from his brow. “Then we can go.”

That’s something Theo appreciated about Fenian. He seemed haughty, but he could easily roll up his sleeves to get the job done. Once they had collected all the elves, the alchemists surrounded them with their aura again, and they set off. They didn’t want to bring any of the shards back to the mortal plane before they had the go-ahead from Elrin. Once they landed in the center of Broken Tusk, a team of people was waiting to take the elves from them.

“You’re really pushing us to our limits here,” Sulvan said with a smile. He clapped Theo on the shoulder and gave him a solemn nod. “Excellent work today.”

They only stood there in the town center for a few moments before a familiar shrieking sound echoed from the distance. Everyone froze in fear for a moment before letting out a steady breath. As if summoned by so many people thinking and talking about him, Elrin approached from the north, riding his dragon. At least he was kind enough to dismount far away and then walk the remaining distance.

“You know, you can pick up your phone,” Theo said, placing his hands on his hips as he assessed the man. He was wearing different armor and a new cloak. The gear he currently had on was slightly more ornate than his last set, but it followed the same design: heavy leathers with metal plates woven in between the gaps. It was all of the finest quality. “I see you’re crafting again.”

“The system has restricted me to two crafting professions,” Elrin said, annoyed to have been reduced to only two crafting professions. “But I’m trying not to complain.”

“Well, I have a question about the shards and the void.”

“Let’s go,” Elrin said, jerking his head to the side. Somewhere in the distance, his dragon turned to mist, vanishing from the spot. And somewhere even more distant, Tresk groaned in disappointment.

A moment later, both Elrin and Theo were sailing through the void, angling back toward that island. The alchemist wasn’t sure how much more he could take of the void today, but a few more minutes shouldn’t hurt. They soon landed on the now vacant island, the Shard in the ziggurat seeming to resonate with the man’s presence.

“We can bring one back today,” Elrin said, ascending those blocky steps with easy strides. “But any more might set the world off balance. Even this one is going to be difficult to implant.”

“And this will help with the void energy, right?” Theo asked.

“If I’m right, it should absorb all the energy,” Elrin said with a shrug. He approached the shard and placed his hand upon it. A flash of blue ran through it, and it shot upright, hovering with a low, humming sound. “There she is. Far weaker than she ever has been, but still alive.”

“You talk about them as though they’re people,” Theo said, cautiously approaching the shard but keeping enough distance. The energy it emitted was warm and comforting, but he didn’t understand enough about it to feel at ease.

“Because she is living,” Elrin said simply, placing one of his devices onto the shard. “If you drop us all into the void, this one should go to its home.”

Theo shrugged, expanding his aura and thinning the veil between places. One moment they were on the Void Island’s plane, and the next they were in the void itself. To his surprise, he saw the shard shoot off with a streak of blue. Beside him, Elrin smiled widely.

“Where exactly is it going?” Theo asked.

Elrin turned, winking at Theo. “Your city, of course.”

Theo clicked his tongue and angled them forward. “Well, there wouldn’t have been a better place for it. Perhaps the proximity to where they were planning to heal the space elves will hurry along the process.

The bubble surrounding them shuddered, and the alchemist felt something familiar.

“Oh, come on,” Elrin grumbled, narrowing his eyes as he looked to the side. A tiny, glowing rabbit appeared on his shoulder. “Can you fight?”

“Uh… Not really,” Theo said. “I mean, kinda. Why, what’s happening?”

But he didn’t have to wait for long. A system message appeared to explain it all.

[Interdiction Event]

Your travel through the void has been interrupted by a divine being. This action has been sanctioned, passing the Seal of Judgement and the Seal of Passage.

Approaching the Twin Realms…

Chapter 47

The Seal of Wisdom

It happened in a flash. One moment, Theo had been sailing through the void, and the next, he was standing in an expansive redwood forest. Trees stretched in all directions, and the sky above had a tinge of both dark black and glimmering gold. Elrin already had his impressive halberd out. He swung it through the air, forcing it to a stop that shook the very ground itself. The alchemist almost lost his balance as he heard a derisive chuckle.

A young elven woman, no older than 12 years old, stood in a plain white dress. She had her golden hair pinned in a bun and wore a smarmy expression on her face. With her arms crossed, she looked up at the impressive figure before her. "You stink," she said.

"You smell twice as bad, princess," Elrin said, cracking a smile. "Don't think I'm above killing you and destroying the throne."

"He would be hard-pressed to do something like that in a place like this." A dour voice came from somewhere behind Theo. He turned to find a male elf of the same age sulking near a tree. His long hair covered half of his face, and his eyes were downcast.

“Fate and Omen, right?” Theo asked, looking between the elven twins in confusion. “I'm not sure why you've brought me here, but—”

"Oh, he does prattle on," Fate said with a dramatic sigh. She flicked the axe head of Elrin's halberd, and it went flying, embedding itself into a tree and vibrating with enough force to resonate with that mighty redwood. "The rules have changed, Elrin, and you should learn to change with them."

To Theo's surprise, Elrin then knelt and pulled the god into a hug. He held her by the shoulders at arm's length and smiled at her. "To see your true form after all these years," he said. "It's good to see you're still alive."

Omen approached from the back, patting Elrin on the head. Although he seemed to be happy, no smile graced his face. “Good to see you too, old man.”

“Does anyone want to explain what’s going on?” Theo asked.

"Let's go somewhere more pleasant," Fate said. She jerked her head to the side, and then the entire group was in a completely different location. It was still a dense redwood forest, but there was a raised platform with two ornate thrones. Those were the thrones of the two gods. The helm of the Twin Realm.

"The gods have determined that you're breaking the rules," Omen said, ascending the platform and sitting on his throne. "And since my sister here has an interest in that violation, judgment has been passed solely to us. Huzzah."

"Oh, why bother getting straight down to business?" Fate objected, waving her dour brother's concerns away. “While it's true I want to sort the alchemist out, I really just wanted to see Elrin in the flesh.”

“I assume we can speak freely here,” Elrin said.

“You’re correct,” Omen confirmed.

"It worked," Elrin said, a look of sheer joy spreading across his face. "Against all odds, it actually worked."

"Yes, I suppose it did," Fate said. "Except there's quite a bit of damage that needs repairing."

"So, does anybody want to clue me in on what's going on since you bothered dragging me here?" Theo asked.

"When our two worlds were colliding, we were left with a choice," Elrin said. "Unfortunately, we had to pick one world to save and another to destroy. Earth was too far gone, so we selected Iaredin."

"And those two were gods at that point, right?" Theo said, pointing at Fate and Omen.

"More like what your people call ascendance," Elrin said. "Only now are they true gods. Actually, Fate has been to Earth, haven't you?"

"Oh yes, I went on a road trip and everything," Fate said, smiling. "It was quite fun. Until the killing started."

“She even met Jan. If you can believe it, they became pretty good friends."

"Yeah, that's a bridge too far for me to believe."

But Theo knew better than to talk back when two true gods were before him. He currently had both of their votes for his ascension plan, but that could change. It was better not to make them angry if he could avoid it. Whatever violation he had made would pale in comparison to getting his people and all their creations to a safe place. The celestial landscape was changing, and he had to move with the times.

"I'll let you guys catch up then," Theo said, waving as he walked a healthy distance away from the thrones. To his surprise, they actually started chatting without him. He absorbed the sense of godly power in the area. It was unlike anything he had ever felt before. This was a different divinity, something far more pure than what he had experienced in the Ascended Realms.

Along with that sense of pure power, there came an understanding that time dilation was indeed in effect in these realms. Theo was familiar enough with the stunted passage of time to know that things were moving slower on the outside than they were on the inside. This meant that these gods had the advantage of time dilation, which was completely unfair. His realm currently experienced a two-to-one passage of time, although it had, in the past, enjoyed a much more favorable rate.

It took the group some time to finish chatting. During that time, Theo did his best to steal reagents from the godly realm. He found a few things he could pick, but the system refused to allow him to both inspect and take it.

“Stop trying to steal the flowers,” Omen said, shaking his head as he approached. “And come on. We’re ready to sentence you.”

Theo had an idea what this meeting was about. His suspicions were based on grapevine information he had gleaned about Fate and her power set. Without the uniqueness of her power, would she still have the same sway as a god? While he absolutely hated it, he was ready to enter the negotiation phase. 

Elrin had wandered off after the meeting with Fate and Omen, leaving the platform open.

“Now,” Fate said, gesturing for Theo to ascend the steps. “Let’s get down to business.”

“These kinds of meetings will be common after the change,” Omen said. “But the gods have decided you and the other throne-holders are subject to power adjustments since you have access to stronger-than-normal abilities.”

“We’re effectively adjusting stuff before the reset, hoping for a better result,” Fate said. “If you haven’t guessed, the powers my brother and I have are based on past and future events.”

“Right. I can read coming disasters,” Omen said. “Which is a power that has evolved to include large changes.”

“And I read the fates,” Fate said with a shrug. “I see the world as a tangled ball of golden yarn. Certain threads hold more weight, and I can follow them through realms and universes when it applies.”

“Which conflicts with my future-sight,” Theo said. “And the powerset Khahar had.”

“Exactly. You’re not allowed to mess with fate. That’s my job,” Fate said. “You people don’t understand how strong that ability is, and Khahar was lucky nothing horrible happened. I’ve been working without rest to fix these fates, and Elrin has been helping.”

“So, wait… You’re not bound by the Seal Of Passage?” Theo asked.

“I’d rather not explain exactly how it works,” Fate said. “But worry not. It follows the letter of the law.”

“So, you don’t want me to have my future-sight ability anymore, right?” Theo asked.

“Correct.”

“Give me something else,” Theo said. His goal was to play hardball. He knew the system wasn’t regressive. It wouldn’t remove an existing system without providing something else in return. He had seen it when the ascendants fell. Those aligned upgrades on his building were adaptive, to an extent.

“He’s playing hardball already!” Omen said with a laugh. “I like him.”

“This is the problem in dealing with experienced people,” Fate said with a sigh. “Much easier to nudge the fates of those who are unaware… Yet, I have viewed the future with the most favorable outcome for everyone.”

“Oh. Right. You’re the queen of future sight,” Theo said.

“Indeed. You’re the only living mortal with enough Wisdom to gain this future sight,” Fate said. “When I weave the Seal of Wisdom, it will remove that ability for all future users of Wisdom. And so, I will make you an offer you will accept.”

Losing future sight meant Theo would need to get something exceptional.

“Okay. I’m listening.”

“Your current use of your future sight ability is almost exclusive to sensing future danger,” Fate said, nodding to her brother.

“Ah, yes. That’s where I come into play,” Omen said, clapping his hands once. “You’d be perfect for my domain. Fate wants to swap your future sight for something closer to danger sense. The system has agreed to integrate this concept into your Wisdom of the Soul upgrade.”

Theo needed no more convincing about Fate’s ability to see the future. Perhaps even the past. This was effectively the only way he used his future sight ability. But he needed details.

“How would this power manifest?” Theo asked.

“That’s the fun part,” Omen said. “You’re going to need to make it your own. It could come as a sense, a system message, or even interpretive visions!”

“Omen took a long time to develop his power,” Fate said. “Even after ascending the throne.”

Theo should have taken some time to think about this. But he wasn’t standing before an ascendant he could scheme against. This wasn’t Zagmon or Balkor who he could one day kill. This was a true god who had looked through the fates. She had seen the best path forward for him and presented it. The alchemist allowed his gaze to linger over the forest before finding Elrin in the distance. The man gave him a sharp nod.

“Fine,” Theo said. “I trust you to do the right thing for me.”

“Exactly as I saw it going,” Fate said, clasping her hands together. “Your future sight will be transformed into a power of your own development. The Seal of Wisdom shall be placed upon the universe. And all is right with the world!”

Theo felt as though the world had tilted to the right. He stumbled on the platform, barely maintaining his balance as he reached the edge. The Dreamwalker’s Core in his chest shuddered with the power of the seal. A system message appeared a moment later.

[Dreamwalker’s Core Message]

A seal has been set in place. A recent exploit has been discovered has forced a change by the Godly Council led by Fate and Omen. The Seal of Wisdom has been set in place, limiting unintended power sets derived from the Wisdom attribute.

The world around Theo went gray. He watched as the potential futures reduced  down to one, not realizing until now how much he relied on that future sight. The alchemist sagged, falling to a knee and taking a sharp breath.

“Oof. That stings,” Theo said.

“You took it on the chin,” Elrin said, coming over to help Theo to his feet. “I respect that.”

“Have you fought back against the gods before?” Theo asked. “It doesn’t end well.”

“I have,” Elrin said, pointing at Fate and Omen. “I fought them. They won.”

“And that was back before we weren’t true gods!” Fate said. “You won’t stand a chance now.”

“Yes… But now you’re limited,” Elrin said with a devious smile. “You couldn’t smite me without approval now.”

“Blah, blah,” Fate said, hopping down the steps. “Stop being so dramatic. Do you think father would have been pleased with the way we handled that?”

“Armel?” Elrin asked, scoffing. “That stuck-up asshole? No, he won’t be happy. Not even with the fact that you’re gods.”

“The Beast Tamer is right,” Omen grumbled.

“I’m gonna go, now,” Theo said. “I have a headache.”

“Right. Take the bura rider with you,” Fate said.

Theo was happy to do so… But he wasn’t the one to send them back into the void. He was drawn into it by the gods themselves, ejected from the heavens now that his trial was over. Not that it was much of a trial to begin with. Fate had a plan for him from the start, and there was little he could do to fight against it. At least he got a nice consolation prize for his efforts.

“That was eventful,” Elrin said as the pair approached the mortal realm. “I can see the shard up ahead. Working as expected.”

“That was the first time I’ve been to a true god’s realm. Very fun,” Theo said. “Not really, but whatever. They just kinda do what they want.”

Theo and Elrin landed in the center of Broken Tusk a moment later. The alchemist narrowed his eyes, turning as an unfamiliar shadow loomed in the distance.

“Excuse me, but what the hell is that?” Theo asked.

“The giant tower in the center of the farms?” Elrin asked. “That right there was the best place to put the shard. It wasn’t the original resting place for her, but with the way the continent was realigned… Well, I’ve had to redistribute a few things.”

“Excellent. I’m sure Banu will be thrilled about the massive eyesore you’ve planted right on his head,” Theo said, folding his arms. “Though I guess I can’t complain… This will help with the void energy, right?”

“It should already be in effect, although I’m not sure how you would check,” Elrin said.

Theo made a note in the administration interface. Elrin was right. He could feel a difference in the air. It wasn’t just that the shard was absorbing the new void energy. It was purging all kinds of random energy that still lingered in the air. If he was right, it was possible they could save at least one of the local dungeons.

“That was close,” Theo said, skimming through his administration interface. “They were going to destroy the Swamp Dungeon today. That was our most resilient and reliable dungeon.”

“Happy to help,” Elrin said, patting Theo on the shoulder. “I’ll come back around when I’m ready to pull another shard. Dunno how long that will take, but just be ready. And good luck with your new power.”

Theo watched as Elrin jogged off. The man didn’t even go to check out the new shard on the mortal plane. But the alchemist was excited to see what was within the massive gray tower. Before he even set off from the city’s center, he could hear the curses of the farmers echoing over the landscape.

Chapter 48

Hail the Giant Crystal

“What in the hells are you doing building a giant tower in the middle of my farm!?” Banu screamed, shaking Theo by the shoulders. “Get it out of here!”

The farmers had taken the appearance of the giant tower just as well as the alchemist had expected. It blocked the road that headed from south to north and even overlapped a few fields. The base was circular, maybe fifty feet in diameter, and made from a pale gray stone. On the south-facing side it had an archway with stone steps, leading to the spacious interior. The building might have been impressive, but Banu just wasn’t having it.

“We can remove the tower,” Theo said, nodding and rubbing his chin. It was hard to do, since Banu was still shaking him violently. “But the continent may be destroyed.”

“Excuse me?” Banu asked, finally stopping his assault.

“We need the shard to keep the void energy stable,” Theo said. “Without it, we’re all dead.”

“Okay… But does it have to be here?”

“Yes.”

Banu deflated, his eyes downcast. “Can you at least expand the farm’s mound?”

“Sure thing, buddy,” Theo said, patting him on the shoulder. “We’ll expand it a bunch. Just for you, pal.”

“Thanks…”

Theo wanted to get a good look at this giant crystal before he fixed the farmer’s mound, though. Once he removed himself from the grasp of the distraught half-ogre, he made his way up the stairs. Even at the threshold of the tower, he could feel an unfamiliar energy radiating from within. The dim interior was illuminated only by the shard, which rotated on the spot and emitted a constant hum.

Stepping through that archway was more difficult than the alchemist assumed it would be. He forced himself inside, fighting against a wave of energy that rippled over his skin. It left behind a tingling sensation that stung a little. The shard itself was a sight to behold. The massive twenty-foot-tall crystal was made from a solid chunk of translucent rock. Bright blue light shone from within, refracting off the many odd-angled surfaces.

Theo approached the shard, pressing his hand against the rotating face. It was cold to the touch, carrying an undertone of the same electric sensation that filled the air. Elrin talked about these things as though they were alive, but the alchemist just couldn’t sense it. Even after spreading his shadowy aura over the object, he got nothing from it.

“This thing will generate a cult pretty quickly,” Theo said, turning to spot the people already gathering at the entrance. “Those half-ogres sure do love shiny things…”

Pushing through the crowd was difficult, but Theo broke free of the press. He made his way through town, finding the temple and the sparse crowd gathered there. This crowd was made up of space elves, coming to check on their newly integrated people. The alchemist could feel the stain of void energy in the air already, filling the ground floor of the building with an oppressive sense that crushed in from all sides.

Making his way into the dungeons below, he felt that feeling double. Bilgrob, Sulvan, and Zarali were working with people from the administration team to feed everyone both potions they needed to survive. On top of that was the constant healing they needed to survive the process, putting a strain on them all. Healing Potions weren’t good enough to cure whatever afflicted them, forcing the hand of the only healers in the city to take care of each elf.

“Anything to report?” Theo asked, coming behind Zarali and shadowing her as she attended to the elves.

“Thankfully, no,” Zarali said with a heavy sigh. She poured a Reforge Soul potion down someone’s throat. “We’re ready this time, and there haven’t been many surprises.”

“That implies there was at least one surprise,” Theo said, frowning as his eyes scanned over the elves he could see. They looked completely fine to him.

“The reaction has been less violent,” Zarali said.

“Must be the giant world-altering crystal in the farm.”

“Oh, right. Because that’s a normal thing,” Zarali said, huffing as she moved off to another elf.

Theo shadowed them for a while, helping with the administration of the potions or the movement of patients. It went far better than the last time, with almost no one having extremely negative reactions. The alchemist suspected this was not only the work of the shard now housed at the farm. It was also likely thanks to the slight increase of quality with the potions. The first run of a new potion was always tricky, resulting in lower-quality potions.

“I’m shocked. I don’t think we’ll be here all night,” Sulvan said, joining with Theo and the other healers near the entrance to the dungeon.

“Yes, the puny elves are sturdier this time,” Bilgrob said. “A much better stock this time.”

“They’re from the same group,” Theo said. “There’s this whole… Giant crystal thing… You know, we should have a meeting about this.”

There was almost nothing for Theo to tell people, but he knew they would ask. Instead of dragging everyone into a meeting, he made a note in his administration interface. Just the important stuff, of course.

The giant crystal will not harm you.

The giant crystal is our friend.

Hail the giant crystal.

And so on. Alise could sort out the details.

Three things now rested on Theo’s to-do list. The arena, Banu’s farm, and some new interesting properties to experiment with. Since the farmer would freak out if he did nothing about it, the alchemist proceeded to the farmer’s mound with his Earth Sorcerer’s Core equipped.

Long ago, during the inception of Broken Tusk, a wizard stopped by. The locals had a problem. The nearby river emptied into the swamp, making it difficult for them to farm through all seasons. That wizard had redirected the river and created the mound the farmers now farmed upon. Two-hundred years later, Theo was there to pick up where the unknown wizard had left off.

To ensure the soil wouldn’t wash out from under the new extension on the farm, Theo pulled from the rocky hills to the north, dragging large boulders through the air over his head. He held them over the swampy ground west of the mound. With a flex of his willpower, the boulders split and crumbled, creating a thick layer of gravel that splashed into the scattered pools.

Of course, since he was already putting in the effort, Theo intended to expand the farm a great deal. Because why not?

Moving earth was much easier than moving stones. Theo pushed a bunch of dirt along the ground, acting as a bulldozer to move it around. He piled it up, mounding it to match the height of the farmer’s area. It was dirty work, but anything involved with the swamp made one dirty.

“So,” Banu said, slogging through the mud of the swamp. He watched with his hands on his hips as Theo moved the dirt around. “You just casually double the size of our mound? Like you could’ve done this the entire time?”

“Well, I wouldn’t say that I’ve doubled the size…”

“The point being, ya could’ve done it before,” Banu said with a glare.

“I’m a very busy demon,” Theo said, tossing another pile of dirt up onto a pile. “You need to be louder if you want me to get something done for you.”

“I get it. The others pay you off,” Banu said. He withdrew a sack of coins from his pocket. “How much do I owe you?’

“Oh, get outta here, Banu,” Theo grumbled. “Just enjoy your new area.”

It took the alchemist a while, but he dodged payment from the half-ogre. It wasn’t an act that deserved payment, especially since it only took a few hours. As the evening closed in, the insects in the swamp woke up. The chirping of some distant creatures filled Theo’s ears as he finished with the mound. While not quite double the size of the original platform, there was plenty of room for them to reorganize the position of the fields. So long as there was a mechanism for them to do that through the seed core building.

There was some interesting chatter in the administration interface. News that put a smile on Theo’s face. All but one dungeon in the surrounding area had been destroyed. The only one that remained was the Swamp Dungeon. The people clearing the dungeons had left it for last, and it was a good thing they did. That dungeon had been a staple of the town since as long as the locals could remember. Thanks to the introduction of the Shard, it would now remain.

Theo approached Aarok, Luras, and Tresk on the southern wall. They informed him Xol’sa was somewhere distant, weaving spells to check the magical makeup of the air.

“Looks like we have a functional dungeon,” Aarok said.

“Did the Shard do its work that fast?” Theo asked.

“Yup. We’re still in business,” Luras said.

“Interesting to consider how powerful that thing is,” Theo said. “There hasn’t been a Shard on this continent since the space elves took them all away. How will that affect the local fields of magical energy?”

“You’re asking the wrong people,” Aarok said.

“Shouldn’t be too hard to guess.” Luras let out a heavy sigh as he peered over the wall’s edge. “Those ascendant powers were never meant to bleed through so easily.”

“The big shiny thing is gonna be like a sponge, right?” Tresk asked. “A massive filter that clears the air.”

“We can only hope,” Theo said. He gave a brief description of what happened with the space elves. “They’re recovering better than last time. I’m pretty proud of that… Oh, also they took my future sight powers away.”

“They!?” Tresk asked, her face aghast. “Who are they? I’m gonna kill them!”

“I thought you would’ve already looked at my memories. Fate took my power away, creating the Seal of Wisdom. Didn’t you get the message?”

“I got it. Didn’t read it though.”

“Well, she shifted my power to be something closer to what Omen does, which is to sense disaster.” Theo joined Luras in looking at the swamp below. He still hadn’t felt even a twinge of what that power could manifest as.

“That’s not a fair trade, Theo. We need to go back and stab someone.”

“I think assailing the Twin Realm might be harder than you think,” Theo said. “I’m sure the power will turn out just fine. Hey, try hitting me.”

Tresk slapped Theo in the face without missing a beat. At least she did so open-palmed.

“Ow. Okay. Try that again,” Theo said. This time, he gave himself a breath to focus on the task.

Two things happened at the same time. Theo could feel Tresk’s intent to hurt him even before she cocked her hand back. It came to him as a vague sense at first, growing stronger the closer it came to the event. Then time slowed, increasing in intensity the closer she got to pulling her hand back. The alchemist watched as his companion swatted through the air, giving him just enough time to move back from the strike. He extended his foot, pushing her forward. Time sped up as she slammed face-first into the ground.

“Oof!” Luras grunted, wincing. “That wasn’t pleasant to watch.”

“That wasn’t pleasant to experience!” Tresk shouted, jumping to her feet. “You wanna tussle, potion-boy?”

“Not really. Although, I wouldn’t decline some practice with my new ability…” Theo trailed off as he sensed another flash of danger. This time, he ignored it. And he was punched in the chest for it. Although it didn’t hurt that much, it still stung. Perhaps he had missed something about the way the skill worked. “Try again.”

This time, when Tresk went to drive her fist into his stomach, he focused on that sense of danger. The moment he did, time slowed. So the two were connected. If he didn’t shift his focus to the sense of impending doom, the slowing effect wouldn’t activate. He slapped her hand to the side, finding his high Dexterity easy to work with in the slow-motion effect.

“Oh, this might be better,” Theo said, laughing as Tresk growled in frustration.

“I can’t read your intentions when you do that,” Tresk said.

“Perhaps because you’re trying to hurt me,” Theo said. “The ability slows time when I sense danger. It isn’t as useful as future sight—obviously—but this is still powerful.”

Luras didn’t give warning when he tossed a throwing knife out of nowhere. But Theo could feel the same sensation of danger as he had before. This time when he focused, he felt his attention being drawn to the man. His eyes moved on their own, locking onto the spot where the half-ogre reached under his cloak. A moment later, a knife came hurtling toward Theo. And he snatched it out of the air.

“Very interesting,” Theo said. “It seems like Omen was telling the truth. This is a satisfying power.”

“No more sneak attacks?” Luras asked. “I wouldn’t mind that power.”

Theo reached into the air, plucking another throwing dagger and tossing it to the ground. Tresk had snuck off during Luras’ attack, finding a position in a nearby tree. The marshling had shielded her mind, preventing him from anticipating the attack. But his sense still caught her, popping up to give him a chance to respond. There would be some limitations to the ability, but the alchemist could work with this.

“I wonder if this extends to dangers from non-sapient things,” Theo said. “Like explosions in the lab.”

“Only one way to find out! We should blow up the lab,” Tresk said.

“Let’s not do that,” Theo said. “I think another way it could be defeated is if someone had more Dexterity than me.”

“Pick a fight with Fenian!” Tresk shouted. “Again. The last one was hilarious.”

“I’m not fighting Fenian,” Theo said. “Come on. We have much more important things to do. Like eat dinner.”

“Woah, you inviting us?” Luras asked.

“Both you and Aarok have an open invitation,” Theo said.

“I never agreed to cook more food,” Sarisa grumbled, stepping free from the shadows.