The Newt and Demon - Book 8 Chapters 58,59,60 (Patreon)

Chapter 58

Elrin’s Boss

Theo wouldn’t consider the day’s agenda to be difficult. It was packed, that was for sure, but it was nothing they couldn’t handle. As they were reaching the maximum absorption of dragon energy the cheat way, their focus now turned to using that magic in a way that suited them. Tresk had a fight coming up in the arena, but not today. That just left gongs, and a trip to the edge of the sector. The alchemist was most excited about his trip to the fringes of this place. It was a place he expected to find answers.

If not answers, at least a vague plan for the future.

The one good thing about the way Sarisa and Rowan made their food was the feast that was present the day after. Theo was spoiled for choice when he sat at the table the next morning. Although he had spent a fairly hectic Dreamwalk going through the ways they could use the dragon energy, including a theory from Tresk that they could unlock a dragon system, he felt none of that tiredness in his mind or body. He faced the day with a belly full of ribs, starch, and enough potent tea to wake the dead.

“Are you coming?” Theo asked, poking at Tresk with his fork.

“Hells yeah. Wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Tresk said, patting her now-fat belly. “We should bring the dragon.”

“Which one?”

“Both.”

It wasn’t a bad idea. Theo didn’t know King Leon Batteux or what he stood for. All the alchemist knew was that the former king was a murderer. People changed, that much was true, but it didn’t mean he wouldn’t use caution. A bit of dragon’s fire had a way of smoothing over the most hardened people. All that was left was to collect Pogo and Alex.

The system had confirmed it, but Theo hadn’t looked too closely. There was a place on the edge of the void, almost as unnoticeable as the void island, that housed the king. Thinking about a way to uncover that location only reminded him of his responsibilities with Elrin.

“Just a few more shards,” Theo said, nervously pulling at his coat. “Unsure how that’s going to go.”

“Think you can hold the planet together long enough for the games to finish?” Tresk asked.

“I’ve done the tests. I know I can hold the region together with ease. I can also transport all of Broken Tusk to Tero’gal without breaking a sweat.” Theo looked to the ceiling, shaking his head. “With the gods busy, there’s nothing they could do to stop me. I could bring other places, if I wanted… But I have a feeling my window will be narrow. Once the system goes offline, big stuff will happen.”

“Big, bad stuff,” Tresk confirmed. She looked to Sarisa and Rowan, who had been eating their meal. Both had stopped, mouths agape as they observed the conversation. “Come on. You two should be used to this by now.”

“Not even a little,” Sarisa muttered, finally closing her mouth long enough to chew the food she had taken a bite of. “I don’t want to think about big things like this.”

“It isn’t that big,” Theo said, waving a dismissive hand. “And what does it mean to consider scale, anyway? We’re like a little baby sector. If you consider an infinite universe, there has to be problems people have faced that dwarf what we’re looking at. This is a road trip. We’re going from here to there.”

“Not like you guys have to worry about what comes after,” Tresk said. “We’re the ones who have to ensure the sector’s security after the temporal field drops. You should be more worried about what happens if we fail. Spoilers: everyone dies and the sector catches fire and everything you’ve ever known or lived explodes into ten billion pieces.”

“Oh, she has such a way with words,” Rowan mocked. “I feel completely comforted.”

Sarisa swallowed hard. “We’re going to work, right, brother?”

“Yeah, I’m not hungry anymore.”

With no desire to interface with the shards right now and a devious desire to see Elrin stranded on a foreign planet for a few hours, Theo decided to visit Leon first. After rounding up both Alex and Pogo, Theo dropped the group into the void. He couldn't teleport directly to his location since he was unsure about it. The moment they entered, he spread his senses wide, feeling his shadowy aura graze against unfamiliar things that still lay hidden. He couldn't exactly determine what they were and instead pressed on to the edge where the secret world was currently resting. It took some probing and no small amount of willpower, but he felt it. There was a world nestled between the layers of fabric that made up the temporal barrier.

"This place makes me feel uncomfortable," Theo said, pressing his hand against the wall and searching for any cracks. "I get an incredible sense of foreboding when I consider anything outside of this bubble."

“That'll be the effects of the temporal barrier,” Pogo said, moving to the edge of Theo's own bubble and trying to reach outside of it. Of course, she couldn't. There was a whole lecture the alchemist could give on why that wouldn't work, but he didn't bother. “Once this barrier drops, we're all going to be in for a world of hurt. That's why the system needs to go into a reset cycle. Otherwise, we'll lose our minds.”

Theo pressed his willpower into the crack, not willing to stand in the bubble with Alex much long. She was heavy, both in weight and in concept. Eventually, the thin veil that segmented the planet from the rest of the sector gave way. It wasn't designed as a firm barrier but rather as a sheet held over something to obscure its true form. This was a disguise to keep prying eyes from stumbling upon it. Once Theo had a decent idea of what the planet looked like. He picked the place with the only building he could see and angled them downward. A flash later, and they were standing on a rolling field of green, looking up at a gargantuan tower set off on all sides by puffy clouds into the blue sky.

“It's about time you came to Tel’vengar,” a voice called. It sounded thin, but still held a baritone low enough to rumble the ground. His timbre was thick with authority. “I was wondering when the local authorities would come for me.”

Theo held Tresk back before she could say something. Instead, he pointed in a random direction, indicating that both she and Alex should run off and do something before they stabbed someone. Theo and Pogo crossed the distance instead. The alchemist wasn't sure what old-timey greeting this man would want, so he waved awkwardly and immediately felt a fool.

"I don't really know about the authorities. I just wanted to check in on your little project and see if you needed any help," Theo said, feeling some of the awkwardness flee from his body. Standing before the elven king was an intimidating thing. He was old, with a gray beard and hair to match. His hair flowed down and fell over his shoulders. He wore a gold and orange cloak, which he currently had pulled over his head, but it was wide enough that the alchemists could see every feature of the man.

Theo had never seen someone so frail and intimidating at the same time.

Leon looked upon Theo with pale gray eyes, his brows raising upward as though confused. When Theo had known him in the paper world, he was a husk. Now he was slightly more filled out but still emaciated, looking as though he could croak at any moment.

"I broke out of your little prison though didn't I?" Leon asked, a smile playing across his face. "I didn't think you'd let that go easily."

“From what I understand, you're working on something very important here. I also know that you're kind of a despicable bastard that just about everyone you've ever come in contact with hates. So, while I'm approaching this relationship with caution, I understand how important what you're doing is.”

Leon let out a booming laugh. Pogo jumped in place, clutching her hand over her heart. "Excitable guy, isn't he?" she asked.

"You're one of the dragons, aren't you?" Leon asked, pointing at Pogo. "Maybe I should have listened to you guys back in the day, but here we are. So, what is your opinion on my project? Do you think I'll have it completed before I die?"

Theo allowed his senses to run wild. His aura spread out further than it had ever done before. It took him a moment to realize that his Dreamwalker's Core was fueling it. This was something within his authority, and it was eager to know whether this broke the rules. Before long, his aura had encompassed the entire world, blanketing the hills, mountains, and valley with his sense. It picked apart everything, processing the information for him and presenting a sense in his mind that resembled a report.

Theo clicked his tongue, turning to regard the tower and nodding with approval. “According to my core, you're operating within the bounds of the system. Something about a special exception that allows you to create a sector-altering world. I suppose I finally understand what the storm is about.” Theo took a moment, turning to Pogo and offering her a frown. “Why didn't you tell me the other dragons were working with him?”

“Are they?” Pogo asked, looking genuinely surprised. “I deal with the mortal world, mostly. Whatever the other flights are doing is their business.”

“And you?” Theo asked, pointing at Leon.

“No one told me anything about dragons working with me,” Leon said. “If you don’t mind me asking, what are you talking about?”

“There's a net over the entire sector designed to catch something called an interdiction event. My assumption is that it works exactly as I know and will catch people trying to enter the sector and redirect them to a point. Until now, I had only suspected that it was your planet, but upon processing information through my core, I can say that's exactly what will happen. When people try to attack the sector, they will end up here, meaning that your planet is the first line of defense.”

Leon’s brows rose higher. “That’s absolutely perfect.”

Pogo blinked a few times. “How are you going to defend this place, old man? Not sure if you’ve noticed, but you have a tower to show for your effort. That doesn’t exactly sound like you’re going to win against a crazed squirrel, let alone an army of hardened outworlders.”

He had felt a strange rush through his body. He turned, spotting the person who had disturbed his senses' so completely with an aura surrounding the planet. Every little shift felt like an explosion in his senses. He saw an unfamiliar woman wearing leather armor. She had her raven-black hair cut short just below the ear. In her eyes rested an instinct Theo had only seen once before.

He had seen it in Tresk’s eyes. It was ‌killer intent.

"If it isn't the hero of Parisart," Leon said, backing away slightly. He looked over his shoulder to find an escape route. "And what have I done to draw your ire this time, Meya?”

The woman strode over with enough swagger to sink a ship. She looked between Theo and Pogo, shaking her head. After jabbing her thumb over her shoulder, indicating both Alex and Tresk, she regarded the alchemist. “You’re the local adjudicator?”

“I’m not sure that’s the right word, but… I guess,” Theo said with a shrug.

Meya extended her hand, grasping Theo’s and giving a firm shake. “Call me Meya. Earth, 2000s. I understand you’re from the 2300s?”

“Just about,” Theo said, growing more confused by the moment. “Hold on, who are you exactly?”

“Commander of the Warriors of the Shard,” Meya said. “With the system busy, I can finally move unimpeded. I’m here to secure the sector.”

Tresk and Alex did a pretty impressive roll, the dragon landing alongside the group. “Wait, you’re Elrin’s boss!?” Tresk shouted from her point on Alex’s back. “Oh, this is gonna be good.”

Chapter 59

Pretty Badass

Theo's thoughts swirled. He had always been under the impression that Elrin was the leader of whatever that group was. Even if the man had revealed that he wasn't in charge, it was hard to believe. He was powerful to the point of ridiculousness and seemed to command people very well. But to learn that there was somebody above him was shocking enough to give the alchemist pause.

"We should have met sooner, and for that I apologize. But it's not exactly easy to move around when the system seeks to impede my every move," Meya said, spitting on the ground. "But my people are finally in position. To answer your earlier question, dragon, this world will be defended by my people for as long as it takes for the traitor Leon to establish his academy."

"And what, sweet Meya, will you do once I've established this world?" Leon asked.

She waved the thought away as though it was no concern to her. "Our fight is elsewhere. Once the Grand System comes into full effect, we'll be ejected from the sector anyway. My people are too strong, and a nascent sector like this can't support us."

Theo rubbed his face, trying to keep up. So Leon was creating an academy world, but for what purpose? If he extrapolated what he knew from the man, he could guess that his plan was to train people to defend the sector. He had some savior complex that made him atone for his perceived sins. Theo didn't have any problem with that, of course. If it meant they would actually have a chance at defending this place, he was all for it. But this was all news to him, and it was taking him longer than expected to adjust to it.

The problem was, he now had more questions than ever before and not enough time for answers.

“An academy world?” Theo asked. “What’s the plan there?”

Leon laughed, leaning heavily to one side. He released a sigh and looked up to the sky. "I made a deal a long time ago that I'd be able to atone for my sins. An entity made that possible, and here I am. The Academy World concept is simple enough. We understand that there are more worlds out there, worlds that are incorporated into the grand system by the day. Some of those people are sent off to train in Academy worlds just like this. The advantage is that we'll be able to attract powerful teachers to help defend the sector."

“Having a bunch of students in your debt doesn’t hurt either, does it?” Tresk asked.

“No, it doesn’t,” Leon said. “When the temporal barrier drops, we’ll be open to new souls reincarnating here.”

“I’ve done the calculations,” Meya interjected. “All the worlds in the sector will see an influx. A massive one to start. Each world is broken by sub-grade, so depending on the quality of the soul, they’ll be deposited to a different spot.”

Leon rubbed his chin. “My protocol will still work, right?”

“Like a charm. You’ll send up a flare that attracts the teachers you’re looking for, and the lodestone you’ve made will create the required environment.” Meya rolled her shoulders. “The gods will be ready for their fight. Foreign gods, probably minor ones, will try to usurp the thrones. Then, the mortals will assault Tal’vengar. Those that make it through are your responsibility.”

Theo pointed at himself. “Mine?”

“You and the other three Throne Holders.” Meya looked around. “Speaking of, where is Ivaran?”

“You mean Fenian?” Theo asked. “That guy vanished.”

Meya narrowed her eyes. “Dead?”

“The system would’ve told us, I think,” Theo said. “I suspect he dropped into a proto realm somewhere and got lost. But, good luck finding him.”

“Get a temporary replacement. After the reset, you’ll need to send a powerful defender to the mortal world to work in his place.” Meya clapped her hands. “Good. I’ve got some more help coming for you, Leon. But for now, you’ll have me and my people to help bolster your world. We can borrow some authority from the thrones for now. Especially since the Dreamwalker and the Dreamer saw fit to balance the energy in the sector. That’s going to help a lot, by the way.”

Theo felt like a child listening to an adult's conversation. He couldn't understand how this woman was so competent, and he had never seen her before. She was from the previous version of Earth. So he decided to ask. He wanted to know exactly how things had gone down.

“This might be out of turn,” Theo started. “I understand your time is short, but could you explain something to me?”

“What is it?” Meya asked, tilting her head to one side.

“What the hell happened on Earth? How and why are you here?”

Meya paused for a long moment before laughing. “Now that is a decent question. Help me infuse this planet with your conceptual power, and I’ll tell you while we work. Deal?”

“Deal,” Theo said.

Leon had created a system Theo was very familiar with. There was the concept of lodestones which he had used in his golems. But that concept went further. It was also the scheme the planet used through the shard system. As Meya had promised, she explained what had happened in the simplest terms, although the alchemist was sure she was leaving details out. He listened intently.

A very long time ago, even by Meya’s accounting, there was magic on Earth. Real magic, like people were throwing around fireballs and stuff. At a point, that magic diminished and fell into myth and legend. In her time in the 2030s, Meya had experienced the arrival of the monoliths over the surface of Earth. Hundreds of thousands of jagged pieces of rock had sprung up from nowhere. Although this had caused an initial panic, things were quick to calm down. As everyone was busy mulling over the implications of those monoliths, no one seemed to notice how the old magic had returned.

“This was a mechanism of the Grand System returning to Earth. We were meant to experience a system apocalypse, which would have opened the planet up to what you call interdiction events. There was supposed to be an invasion, but something went wrong,” she explained. “I don’t know why the system’s influence left Earth. Best I can figure is it left somewhere in the 1200s, but it had been seriously weakened by then. The interesting part was the monoliths, though. I suspect someone was messing with magic before me, creating something that prevented the apocalypse.”

Theo was focused on siphoning some of his authority into the planet. Tresk was doing the same and having a much harder time with it. He wondered if she would remember any of this when it was over. “Those monoliths gave you access to Iaredin, right?”

“Exactly. I think the two worlds were merging, so the system had to come up with a way to stop it. Anyone who touched the monoliths was given a choice. They could give up their body on Earth and migrate there permanently or become a visitor. Visitors were allowed to pass between the two worlds, maintaining their life on Earth while defending the fantasy world that had sprung up overnight. At first, people treated it like a video game. The message boards were alive with that sentiment. Until the first death happened.” Meya paused for a few long moments, looking off into the middle-distance as though recalling the event. “We realized how serious it was. Almost everyone from Earth got a combat class on Iaredin, so we formed an army. Cults from Iaredin banded together, and we even got minor support from the nations. But they were so scared.”

“And you used real magic on Earth,” Theo said.

Meya smiled, shaking her head. “I was interfacing with the Grand System. Blood Magic was the easiest way back then, but eventually I figured out the Celestial Cultivation technique. You should’ve seen it. I brought the system from the fantasy world to Earth. It was amazing.”

“And in the end, you guys flipped a coin. You defended this world and flipped a coin to decide which ones would survive. Earth lost,” Theo said, shaking his head. “Do you know how long that dragged out for?”

“I can’t apologize for the guy who started this,” Meya said. “The only thing I can do is end it. We defended Iaredin against the hordes. I watched my friends die, both on Iaredin and Earth. You weren’t there on the walls, watching as King Leon snubbed our request for forces. When Franz disappeared, leaving Hallben undefended. You didn’t see the Great Spirits of Whisperwood crumble under the endless waves of chimeras or the Archduke’s betrayal. You didn’t watch Boston burn.”

Theo drew his lips into a tight line. He had seen Berlin crumble. He had seen people starving on what was left of the streets. No, he didn’t see the horrors of the old world unfurl. But he had watched their smouldering ashes linger for far too long. Yet this wasn’t a time to measure trauma.

“Continue,” Theo said.

“Despite all that, it worked. We didn’t save Earth, but we saved her people,” Meya said. “They’re still in Death’s Gate right now, waiting to be reincarnated. That’s the one good thing Leon did for us. He sucked up all the souls of the dead, even long after our mission was over. Everyone from the end of my time, to the end of yours was stowed away like cargo.”

Theo blinked a few times. “What?”

Meya cracked a broad smile. “When Leon murdered his wife to claim the Elderling Realm of Death, he configured Death’s Gate to absorb the souls of the dead. At first, we thought he was doing it to screw everyone over. But he was creating a vault to keep everyone safe. He understood he couldn’t save everyone the way we were trying to make it happen, so he took another route.”

“Everyone? Do you mean like… everyone that died?” Theo asked.

“Yup. They’re all safe and sound. He even maintained control of the Gate up until a few hundred years ago, from what I understand.” Meya sighed wistfully. “Say what you will, but that guy has some balls.”

Theo turned, spotting the old man resting on a large rock. It was almost impossible to hold back his emotions, and his concentration on the planet faltered. His mind went back to the people he had lost over his lifetime. It was a shallow consolation that their souls were still intact. He thought about his parents, friends, and his wife. Those people from his unit were still in Death’s Gate, waiting to come out.

“If you’re looking for some badass people to defend Tal’vengar, I know a few,” Theo said with a mirthless laugh.

“Oh?” Meya asked. “What kind of people were they? Death can bring them back after the reset.”

Theo had to think about that for a second. With some incredible willpower, he pushed down who he wanted from the gate to recommend who they needed. “I’m pretty sure we faced down a god with some rifles back on Earth. After marching through an irradiated wasteland for about a week, of course.”

Meya’s brows peaked. “Okay. They do sound pretty badass.”

The prospect of getting everybody back was too exciting. Theo could barely contain himself as he thought about it. As his thoughts spiraled, he realized that he didn't really know those people. He didn't know them as well as he had come to know the people of Broken Tusk. It might be important to scoop several important individuals out of Death's Gate, but one thing was for certain. They were never truly his family. They were accomplices or acquaintances at best. The way things were on old Earth could never be brought back. That level of desperation was too much for one man to bear through two lifetimes.

For now, Theo focused all his efforts on getting this planet ready. Leon was indeed a bastard, but at least he had a purpose. Defending an entire sector was a noteworthy cause.

Chapter 60

The Worst Cook

Theo hadn’t expected to take a trip down memory lane. He especially didn’t want to know that magic was real in his time, which made no sense. People weren’t tossing fireballs or teleporting around back then, not unless one counted conventional weaponry and jets for transport. At least some gaps were filled in his knowledge. Earth had tried to merge with Iaredin thanks to the meddling of some dude who knew about magic, resulting in the monoliths. Then the people from Earth migrated, or visited, the fantasy world. When they figured out they could die in that other world, they did everything they could to defend it.

“Still doesn’t sit right with me,” Tresk said.

The group had added all they could to the academy world, and were back in the bubble. Theo couldn’t fold the void on itself while within that world. It was too close to the time bubble, and he wouldn’t risk whatever interactions occurred if he risked it. Sailing through the void was also a great way to clear his head, granting the alchemist some peace from the chaos of his life in recent memory. Even with Tresk prattling on about the mysteries of the world, he felt his mind reach a state of calm.

“That was educational and fun,” Pogo said.

“Edutainment!” Tresk said.

Ignoring them, Theo brought them back to the mortal world. The moment his feet touched the firm ground, he felt that calming effect double. Getting too close to the edge of the bubble had messed with him, he was certain. Without a word to his companions, he wandered off toward the arena, letting the sound of people cheering far in the distance to guide him. Tresk might’ve been following him, but he couldn’t tell. He ran through everything he knew about the merging of worlds, correcting details and marking others as curious. There were contradictions, and he wasn’t sure who was stretching the truth.

Theo stumbled back, turning to spot Tresk pulling on his sleeve. “Hold your horses, partner. Did that get to you?”

“No,” Theo said, shaking his head. “I think Meya fed us some half-truths about what had happened. Something about the story doesn’t click with what Elrin told me.”

“Which makes Elrin a liar. Meya didn’t have the motive. Also, why does it matter?” Tresk asked, looking around as though someone from a nearby crowd would back her story up. “Got too much crap to do, buddy. Sort the story out later.”

“Guess you’re right,” Theo said, pushing forward. “Let’s see what’s going on with the games.”

“Evading the question? Sounds about right,” Tresk said.

Theo would cope in his own way. He walked through the crowds, finding that the entrances used by normal people were completely crowded. While he wanted the normal experience, he just couldn’t spend his entire day waiting in line. After navigating through the tunnels underneath the arena, they found their way to the commentator’s boxes. The alchemist didn’t recognize the ogre and elf working at the desk and they hardly paid attention when he came alongside them.

The fight going on below wasn’t one based on combat. Theo recognized one ‘champion’ selected by Tresk, going crazy at a stove as the marshling threw everything into a pot. The cooking competition might’ve been fiercer than the ones involving fighting, if the concentration of the competitors was anything to go by.

Watching passively, the alchemist couldn’t tell which one would win. The commentary from the ogre and elf wasn’t much help, as they seemed to get side-tracked between the ten people cooking below.

“Bold move,” the elf said. “Not everyone likes spicy stuff.”

“Because you are weak!” the ogre shouted, slamming his fist on the table.

Theo lingered near the commentator's area for only a few moments before he headed to the back of the room, flopping on a couch and releasing a heavy sigh. “You'd think the end of the world wasn't just around the corner.”

"That's the whole point of the games though, isn't it?" Tresk said, doing a cannonball onto the couch and promptly falling to the ground. After she crawled back up onto the sofa, she took a relaxed pose as though she was ready to take a nap. “We’re distracting everybody so they don't freak out.”

“I think you should be slightly more freaked out about what's going on down there. Doesn't this determine if you fight or not? I'm not saying you're afraid. I'm saying you're excited to get your chance to actually participate in the arena games.”

Tresk let out a low laugh. "Well, there's no need to worry about that. I've sabotaged my representative's ingredients. When he serves it to the judges, they'll find that it tastes absolutely horrible." She rubbed her hands together conspiratorially, glancing at the window as she schemed. "I'll be fighting today with any luck."

Not that the fight would be fair. No matter what Tresk did, she would overpower her opponent. Theo wondered if she would toy with the person or give them the swift end they deserved. He shrugged, reclining further as he went over the things they still had left to do.

Gong project, arena games, some migration experiments…. “Migration experiments,” Theo said, sitting up straight. “I had a stupid idea.”

“Oh, hell yeah!” Tresk shouted, pumping her fist. “I smell what you’re cooking.”

“Ew. Do your fight first, I wanna test this in the Dreamwalk,” Theo said, nodding toward the window. “If you’re certain your cook will get destroyed, you need to do the fight.”

Tresk wiggled her brows. “I picked him specifically. Doesn’t have a sense of taste.”

Theo resisted the urge to smack himself in the face. Instead, he groaned and went back to his resting position. The plan was pretty simple. He had a problem to solve when migrating everybody, and his current hope was that the system would just take care of it for him. But with how tired and insane the system seemed recently, he doubted that would be a reality. Instead, he needed a way to reforge the souls of many people at once. He considered the idea that there would be many willing participants in the town. He had seen the sentiment that there were those who had no interest in seeing the games through and would rather head to his planet right now.

The solution to the problem was to combine his newly acquired dragon energy with his ability to cast spells using potion properties. The alchemist imagined himself channeling the concept of Reforge Soul, taking care of swathes of people at once. If the system failed him, that was the only way to move forward.

When the judging for the food came up, Theo watched at the announcer’s desk. Tresk's representative was last to present his food, and as expected, the look on the faces of the judges was hilarious. He held his side as he laughed. The judges spat the food onto the ground while the eager marshling stood with his hands behind his back. He seemed proud of what he had created, but when one judge flipped the table, things were over. He got last place at first, but then was swiftly disqualified after that. Only when the alchemist stepped in did they agree not to charge him with crimes.

“Time for your fight, I guess,” Theo said, looking at the elf and ogre. “You guys ready to see the fastest fight ever?”

“Well… we’ll see what we see,” the elf offered in an airy tone.

“Yeah, I got this,” Tresk said, rolling her shoulders. “Do you know which lizard they picked? Doesn’t matter. They all suck.”

"And off she goes," Theo said, watching as Tresk departed from the commentator's box. She was right. It wouldn't be much of a fight, but maybe it would help her get something out of her system.

It took a while for them to set up the next fight. Apparently, they had to feed more cores than normal into the arena to ensure Tresk didn't kill her opponent. As expected, when both fighters took to the field, Tresk had her daggers in her hands. He was shocked to see that they weren't dripping with poison. The alchemist was certain she would go all out, but for once, the little marshling was showing restraint.

Her opponent was a large, brooding, blue-scaled lizard man. It was not a good pick against her since a larger target only meant more for her to hit. Theo shook his head as he considered the matchup. He suspected Tresk would do one of two things. She would either toy with her opponent or end it with a single strike, likely a backstab after using her Shadowstep skill.

“The two parties are getting ready to fight. We've got Tresk in the red corner and Uldak in the blue corner. From what I understand, this is a match to settle a grudge or a debt. Well, we'll see how that plays out,” the elf commentator said.

"Yes, the pink one is puny. She shall lose immediately."

"Don't underestimate her size. From what I understand, that little marshaling is quite powerful."

“We shall see.”

Theo took a steadying breath, focusing all of his attention on the brewing fight below. He could feel a tress gathering energy in her legs. This was part of her celestial cultivation technique, although he didn't fully understand it. She was coiled like a spring under tension, ready to spring out the moment the alarm sounded. The elf and ogre announcer counted down the fight. The instant they were done, the alchemist felt time slow. He watched as a Tresk kicked off against the ground, hurdling through the air at a speed fast enough to send a sonic boom radiating outward.

Clicking his tongue, Theo focused harder on his danger sense. Time slowed even more, allowing him to fold space in on itself and appear on the arena floor. The sound of the spectators drew out as one long drone. Tresk’s daggers now glittered in the light from the sun above. He judged the quality of the arena’s barriers and found them lacking. Tresk didn’t plan on killing this guy. She would pull her punch at the last second, feinting after hitting the barrier that protected the lizard-man.

But that said nothing of the aftermath. With an annoyed grumble, Theo moved to watch the impact. As expected, another blast radiated outward. The barriers from the arena groaned under the force of the daggers before shattering like broken glass. The shockwave blew his coat and shattered his eardrums as he watched in slow motion.

“Always cleaning up your messes,” Theo said, passing his hand through the air. A series of circles appeared behind the ogre. First was one infused with Slowfall, then another with Healing, and another Slowfall after that. The last one, abutted directly against the arena’s barrier meant to protect the crowd, was one of his own shields, meant as a last-ditch effort.

Time resumed in a blur. Theo couldn’t hear a damn thing, but he watched as the lizard-man rocketed back. He had been shattered from head to toe, but between the slowing effect of the barriers and the field of healing, he’d live. Theo shook his head in disappointment, drinking a healing potion to regain his hearing. At first, he thought it hadn’t worked. The arena was completely silent. The barriers around them dropped, revealing how quiet the crowd had become.

“Well, that’s one way to do it,” the ogre announcer’s voice echoed.

“By the gods,” the elf said. “She isn’t a mortal.”

Theo regarded Tresk with a frown. “No. She really isn’t.”

“Yeah! Go me!” Tresk shouted, pumping her fist when no one else would cheer.

No matter how much she tried to get the crowd going, they didn’t join. Most people assembled hadn’t seen what it meant to fight at the ascendant level. They had only seen Tresk disappear, and the lizard-man slammed into the barriers after Theo appeared.

“Cool. Now they’re more afraid of you than ever.”

“Just as it should be.”