The Newt and Demon - Book 4 Chapters 7,8,9 (Patreon)

Chapter 7

For Science

A wash of magical energy rolled over the wizard’s tower. The sting on Theo’s skin was disconcerting, and a visible plume of purple magic rose from the [Swamp Dungeon] in the distance. Arrays filled the air before them, the magical makeup of the dungeon system laid bare. But it wasn’t a simple task to understand those sigils. While the alchemist could read them with decent proficiency, that didn’t mean he could understand what they meant. Even Xol’sa had trouble with that.

The color of Toru’aun’s core, currently resting in Theo’s palm, seemed to shift. It was an iridescent glow that never settled on a single hue for long, cycling as though driven by some unseen force. The alchemist had delayed inserting the new core into his chest, if only to gain some room to think. His thoughts came slowly, crawling along through the mire of complication. The twists and turns he found in his new life were not unlike that swamp below. Bubbling with unseen danger, fetid at times, and otherwise mysterious.

“Delaying won’t do you any good,” Xol’sa said, prodding at a few more symbols. A satisfied nod later and he turned to the alchemist, placing a hand on his shoulder. “Best to stitch the wound quickly.”

Theo shrugged, holding the core out for a few more moments before placing it against his chest. The fabric where the robe had been torn was still mending, as well as his layer underneath. Cold metal pressed against his bare flesh for only a moment before shifting light poured out, grasping to accept the new core. Pain flashed for only a moment, then there was nothing. Just the warm comfort of another slot in his chest filled. The alchemist inspected his new core, reading it aloud for Xol’sa to hear.

[Toru’aun Mage’s Core]

Unique

Mage Core

Bound

2 Slots

Level 1 (0%)

A mage core given by the Queen of Mystery Toru’aun. Little is known about the Demon Goddess.

Innate Skills:

[Sensitive Weaving]

The Elf let out a groan. “Could it be more vague? Wait, what was the rarity?”

“Unique,” Theo said, scratching his head.

“What? No, that doesn’t track,” Xol’sa said, producing notes from nowhere and inspecting them. He mumbled to himself for a while before jabbing his finger into the page. “Here. I have a record of a Dronon who died and was… Examined. They had a Toru’aun core—a mage style core.”

Theo thought for a moment, flitting through his near-perfect memory to search for answers. But the ability to recall whatever he wanted didn’t mean he could force logical connections between those things. The pair traded ideas for a while before it came to him. Something he’d heard a while ago.

“It’s the wrong core,” Theo said, reading the name of the core again. “I was supposed to get a [Toru’aun Demon Mage’s Core].”

Xol’sa sputtered. “What? How in the realms does that work?”

“What’s the difference? Demon mage versus mage?”

“It’s just what the mages of the Demonic races are called,” Xol’sa said. “Toru’aun forged you a new core. Why?”

“I guess they don’t call her the Queen of Mystery for nothing, do they?” Theo asked.

Xol’sa sighed. “Fine. The skill attached to the core is extremely standard. It reduces interruption rates for spellcasting.”

Theo examined the skill.

[Sensitive Weaving]

Mage Skill

Rare

While casting spells, your rate of interruption is decreased.

Effects:

Reduces the chances that your spells will fizzle when your concentration is broken.

“Fair enough,” Theo said. “Alright. You got a kettle? Some tea? You need to help me look through these skills so I can pick the best one.”

“Of course.”

Theo and Xol’sa settled into the study. The Elf lit a [Flame Artifice] and put on a kettle, mixing his own tea in a mortar and pestle. Unlike the moss tea the alchemist was used to, this version was made of many different leaves. It had a pleasant bouquet that filled the room once placed in the hot water. Then the pair got to work, going through a list of near-endless skills. They quickly narrowed it down to a few picks, and learned a great deal about what kind of magic Toru’aun represented.

“It’s painful to be right so often,” Xol’sa said, unable to hide his smile. The striations of glowing blue on his skin flashed for a moment. “[Surface Application] is the winner here.”

“Alright,” Theo said, scrolling through the list. He found the skill in question, then examined it.

[Surface Application]

Toru’aun Demon Mage Skill

Legendary

Subverts the nature of your wards, allowing you to place them on any surface.

Effect:

When casting your warding spells, you may apply them to any surface.

The length of time your wards remain on mundane items is halved, based on intelligence.

Wards applied to magical items last for a day, plus a day for every 10 intelligence you have.

“Tell me why this is useful,” Theo said.

Xol’sa grinned. “I was right about the way the Queen of Mystery works. Yes, you can stop applauding. No, you’re too generous.”

Theo simply stared.

Xol’sa cleared his throat. “Wards are a standard form of magic. I use them very often. The most common ward is a shield.”

The Elf gestured, mana flowing from his core to form a semi-transparent barrier in the air. It was in the shape of a circle, and pulsed with pale blue energy.

“Magic wards and physical wards. The most basic form possible,” Xol’sa said. “Take my wards out in the swamp for an extreme example. I’ve applied them to enchanted standards, a medium for them to latch onto. They detect, redirect, and manipulate the power of a god.”

“Right. Two extreme examples,” Theo said with a nod. That was a good way to give an example of how something worked. Show the most and the least of something. He liked it. “Give me an example on how you think Toru’aun’s spellcasting is going to work.”

“Why not cast it now?” Xol’sa asked with a smile. “Produce that book she gave you, and we’ll give it a go.”

Theo gave the Elf another look. He was hesitant to work with mana in the real world, even if he was getting better by the day. But this was the point in his advancement he’d been preparing for. There had been enough practice. He removed the book from his inventory and set it on the table. Xol’sa poured two cups of tea. The alchemist took a sip.

“Damn good tea,” Theo said.

“It’s my own blend. Now, we’re going to ward this stone,” Xol’sa said, setting a mundane stone on the table. “Remember the parts of spellcasting. Intent, focus, and mechanism.”

“Explain those before I blow your tower up on accident,” Theo said.

“Intent. What do you want the spell to do? Focus. Keep your mind on the task. That part allows your mana to flow into the spell. Mechanism. That’s the spellcasting method. We’ll use chanting for this one. It’s the easiest.”

“Disadvantages of chanting?”

Xol’sa shrugged. “You need to chant. It leaves you open to attacks, and everyone can hear your spell. Easy to counter-spell, isn’t it?”

Theo thought about the task before moving forward. He’d always thought of Toru’aun’s spell as an array, rather than a chanted thing. But his mind twisted around the problem and found a solution quickly. The way the rings attached to each other was the key to understanding the story hidden within. So, instead of reading each page individually, he’d need to jump between pages and string the words together in a chant. Without his increased memory, this would be an impossible task. As it stood, he could do it without referencing the book.

“Ready? Good. Hold your hand out, and start the chant. Keep all those things in mind,” Xol’sa said.

Before starting the process, Theo sensed that this was his favorite way to interact with systems. Sometimes he needed to put tremendous effort into what he was doing. Summoning mana from his core was one of the biggest points of pain for him, but he could feel this was an automated thing. He began chanting the story. It was about a group of Dronon that had encircled to defend themselves against an attacking army. They fought and died for thirty days before they were overcome, resulting in the destruction of their people. It was a sad tale, and the alchemist doubted it was real. But that wasn’t the point.

Mana flowed in a constant rate from his new core, iridescent motes that latched onto the rock. On his third go through the chant, something snapped. The rock glowed, shifting colors rapidly, then stopped.

“Done,” Xol’sa said, pressing his hand onto the stone. He laughed. “Perfect. Inspect the stone.”

Theo obeyed, pressing his fingers against the rock.

[Rock]

[Mundane Item]

Common

An uninteresting rock.

Wards:

[Lesser Defense]

Naturally, the alchemist inspected what [Lesser Defense] was next.

[Lesser Defense]

[Advanced Ward]

Creates a reactive barrier. Barrier only responds when attacked.

Trigger:

Attack

Duration:

1 day.

“Alright, that’s kind of awesome.”

“Kind of awesome?” Xol’sa asked. “You really aren’t naturally attuned to magic. This is amazing. Let me tell you the rule of wards. You cannot apply them to mundane items. Ever. Applying them to magical items is difficult. Meaning…”

“We’re out here breaking the rules. Again,” Theo said, chuckling.

“More than that,” Xol’sa said. “Based on this, and what I’ve already studied, you can use these on potions. Because what does [Surface Application] say? You can apply it to any surface.”

That would make for amazing synergy. But what would [Lesser Defense] do with a potion? No, that wouldn’t work for a potion. He’d need to discover more wards to chant. For the sake of thoroughness he inspected his mana, finding that it had taken about 20% to cast the spell. For such a small object, and such a small spell, that seemed like a lot. But the alchemist was new to this spellcasting thing and tucked that away into his mind for another day.

“Watch this,” Theo said, pulling a stick from his [Tara’hek Inventory] and smacking it against the stone.

Xol’sa shrieked. A barrier sprung up around the rock to protect it, catching the entire force of the blow. The stick shattered in half, the errant end spinning across the room missing the Elf narrowly.

“Careful!” Xol’sa shouted, looking back with dismay. The stick was lodged between two books. He sighed, returning his attention to the rock. “The ward is still active. Look, it’s returning to the inert state.”

The barrier around the rock faded, but the ward remained. The pair theorized how many charges it had, and Xol’sa determined it was linked to the amount of mana used in the spell. He also suggested the quality of the spellcasting had a major influence on the resulting ward, and that Theo should practice with everything.

“What happens if I throw the rock at someone?” Theo asked. “Would the ward activate? Throw the rock at me, Xol’sa.”

“I’m not throwing the rock at you,” Xol’sa said.

“Come on. For science.”

Xol’sa groaned, grabbing the rock and tossing it as hard as he could manage at Theo. It wasn’t that hard, but hard enough to activate it. But nothing happened.

“See, intent matters more than anything,” Xol’sa said. “There was no intent to attack the rock, so the ward didn’t activate.”

But that led Theo to think of the many ways wards could be used. The implication was that he could alter the intent trigger, setting up different scenarios for usage. It also led to the next biggest problem with the spell.

“Not really super useful,” Theo said. “Just putting a little barrier on stuff.”

“It’s… Kinda useful. Not extremely so, but you know. Low-level magic is that way,” Xol’sa said. “Leave the book with me, and I’ll see what I can do. It’s locked in that memory of yours, right?”

“It is,” Theo said. “Xol’sa… I appreciate the help, man. I really do.”

“I’m an Elf, not a man,” Xol’sa said. “To have another spellcaster in town is a boon. We seem to be a rare breed.”

“Agreed,” Theo said.

Instead of heading out straight away, Theo lingered to enjoy his tea and talk to the Elf. His work on the dungeons had taken most of his time, so he wasn’t able to explore the implications of Tero’gal. Since things were going well, it didn’t seem like an emergency. But then the topic shifted to the Elf’s relationship with Zarali and how it was evolving. It was getting more serious and they were considering marriage and a situation more dire than anything the Demonic Gods could bring their way.

“I’m not even sure if we can have a child,” Xol’sa said.

“You’ll never know unless you try,” Theo said, resting a hand on Xol’sa’s shoulder. He regret his words immediately. “I didn’t mean to say that so creepily. I mean, who knows what races can mix.”

“Everything, technically. But I’m not from the mortal plane,” Xol’sa said. “I appreciate the support, but I was just curious if you’d be interested in heading our marriage.”

“Not really sure what that means,” Theo said. “I don’t think you do marriage the same way here as we did back on Earth.”

“I don’t know my people’s tradition. Zarali’s people don’t have a tradition. So we’d do it in the Broken Tusk tradition,” Xol’sa said.

“Which is?”

“A fistfight‌,” Xol’sa said, nodding.

“Oh.”

“I’m kidding. A ceremony and a party. Nothing insane.”

“Well, that’s easy enough. I’d be happy to marry you.”

“Would you?” Xol’sa asked. “You’ve been strange about the relationship.”

It was tactful to pause for a moment to allow his thoughts to gather. Theo had found his thoughts easier to contend with lately. His ability to silence both his attributes and his cores was growing, that was already an effect he’d observed. But it also affected his emotions, helping him dismiss the ones that bled through his [Tara’hek Core] and banish those coming from his Drogramathi cores. The answer came to him suddenly.

“Khahar said something about this,” Theo said. “Going into his own realm would help his broken brain. Wait, does that mean my brain is broken?”

Xol’sa shrugged. “Broken is relative. But, that might be the case. Again, we need to study your private realm.”

Theo felt something twinge in his mind. He checked the stack of status bars in his vision and found that Tresk had suddenly lost stamina, and a bit of health. Coming in to mingle with a sense of danger were reports from his lodestone network. Not from his combat golems stationed in the mine, but those wandering around town.

You alright?

Chirp!

Some monsters charged at the eastern wall, Tresk said. Just a small group. No biggie.

“Monster attack in town. I better go,” Theo said.

“Don’t forget about me. Send me a message when you’re planning on delving into Tero’gal,” Xol’sa said.

“Alright. Again, thanks.”

Theo paid close attention to the sensation he felt as he passed through Xol’sa’s portal. He focused on the idea of planes, and skimming over the bridge as he went. To the alchemist, it felt more like threading a path around the other realms, as though he was a drifting ship in space that got caught in the gravity of planets. That singular moment he spent between realms felt longer this time, giving him a glimpse of that darkened void between places.

Heading over to the eastern wall, Theo found several adventurers looting monsters that had scaled the wall. Tresk was there, directing the work and organizing a scouting party. They’d head out to investigate what caused the attack, then report it back to the administration. Investigations like this normally fell to Xol’sa, so the alchemist would see him again before the day was done.

“Report, soldier,” Theo said, grinning at his companion.

“Buncha frog-people, sir!” Tresk said, performing a salute she could have only learned from his memories. “Gave them a good stabbing.”

“Wanna see something cool?” Theo asked.

“Uh, only always.”

Theo summoned the golem that had helped with the fight. One of his few remaining [Lesser Mud Golems], normally tasked with scouring the marsh for motes. The alchemist knelt near his creation, held his hand out and began chanting the only spell he knew. Tresk was nearby to shout words of encouragement, hooting with excitement every time a mote traveled from his hand to the golem. He managed worse this time, chanting the spell four times before it stuck. The golem shivered.

“Alright. Try smacking it. When you do—”

Tresk didn’t wait for further invitation. She coiled her fist on the spot and drove it hard into the golem’s chest. The barrier sprung up in an instant to intercept the attack, forming that pale, shifting barrier. Doubling over and cradling her hand, the Marshling let out a series of curses Theo had never heard before. They were as foul as they were creative.

“I meant with a weapon.”

“You could’ve told me!” Tresk shouted.

“I was in the middle of telling you when you attacked.”

Alex chirped, then honked, then produced a plume of smoke from her bill.

“Drink this,” Theo said, withdrawing a healing potion from his inventory and handing it over to his companion. He kept his eyes on Alex. Did he see smoke? From her mouth?

“Yeah, she spat fire earlier,” Tresk said, downing the potion. Her hand twisted back into place in an instant, and she let out a sigh of relief. “We got a fire goose!”

“Theo!” a voice sounded from below. Azrug was there, waving his hands wildly. “Do you have that order? For the Dwarf?”

“For Gronro?” Theo asked, shouting his words back.

“Yeah, I’ve got a carriage ready to go. We’re leaving within the hour.”

That wasn’t nearly enough time to get his potions ready. He was low on [Swamp Onions], but Tresk kept a secret supply hidden in the lab. But what was the point of having a personal realm where time moved slower if he didn’t use it?

[Theo]: Xol’sa, report to my lab. It’s time to do the thing. You know which one.

“Does that mean you got them?” Azrug asked, squinting against the sun.

Chapter 8

Essence Bonding

The scent of pungent [Swamp Onions] wafted through the lab. Tresk refused to give up her secret store of random reagents, but Theo followed his in tuition. Some of her memories flooded into him, and he realized there was a new hidden compartment in his wall. When she had the time to do something like this, let alone coordinate it with Sledge, was beyond him. Xol’sa arrived in the lab just in time for the alchemist to stuff a mound of onions into his inventory.

“How long will you be gone?” the Elf asked, wheezing.

“Five minutes,” Theo said. “That’s my estimation.”

“And how long will it be on the other side?”

“Twelve hours,” Theo said. “Are you coming along?”

“Doubtful. I need to understand how the skill works before I attempt to pierce the barriers. Then, you’ll likely need to invite me. If what you’ve said is true.”

“Of course it’s true,” Theo said. “Let me know when you’re ready.”

Xol’sa didn’t chant whatever spell he cast. He performed a series of complex gestures that left trains of glowing blue energy behind. The room darkened around them, the shadows growing long and air growing stale. Boards beneath their feet groaned as a sheet of black glass appeared in the air.

The Elf grunted, strained by the power of the spell. “You may proceed.”

Not wanting to spend any more time in his darkened lab, Theo activated his [Tero’gal Dreampassage] ability and fell through the realms. That mirror hovered above the Bridge for a moment, then the alchemist was standing on those shadowy cobbles. Wraiths moved in the distance, along with flashes of golden fire.

“Uz’Xulven!” Theo shouted. “Let me pass.”

“Why?” a voice came from behind. “You’re peeking.”

Theo exerted his authority as the master of Tero’gal. The stones around him bent, as though sinking down into nowhere. Uz’Xulven, wherever the Mistress of Shadows was, pushed back. A little more force of will, and he would have passed on into Tero’gal, but the alchemist paused. It was always good to test the limits of one’s powers.

“Cheeky. Aren’t you?” she asked.

“My friend is just studying my realm,” Theo said. He’d already formed his theory about the Bridge and its purpose. So long as he held a realm, she couldn’t keep him here. Not against his will.

“Drogramath wanted to talk to you, but he’s occupied,” Uz’Xulven said. “On the tenth day of the Season of Fire, my Champion will return to your town. If you could crack the limb-regeneration salve, that would be lovely.”

“Is he in danger?” Theo asked, suddenly feeling less brave.

“He’s a dual-Champion. He’s always in danger,” Uz’Xulven said.

Theo felt the world swirl around him, but he held onto the Bridge. The surrounding railing bent inward, as if drawn by an immense force. “Nothing is free. Give me a hint on the salve.”

Shadows shivered in the area under the bridge. The air bristled with brief rage, then a sigh issued from every direction. “Bind two potions together that have [Regeneration] and [Healing]. Apply a [Solidify] modifier.”

“Was that so hard?” Theo asked, forcing his authority over the hole forming at his feet. He plunged through, coming to rest on the soft grass of Tero’gal. He made his way to the cottage, writing his thoughts out.

That was likely the thing Drogramath wanted to talk to him about. Binding two potions wasn’t something he had done, but he simply needed to trace the lines of coincidence to find the answer. Fenian brought Veostian Karatan to Broken Tusk, which produced [Veostian Karatan Cheese]. The [Suffuse] property would do the trick. More than gaining a free hint, the alchemist had spat in the face of a god. And it felt good. He wasn’t interested in playing games with them. They needed to understand the extent of his growing authority.

“I came here for something, right?” Theo said, chuckling.

Instead of getting to work right away, he made his way to the pond and sat by the bank. He stared up at the cloudy sky, spotting Xol’sa’s strange mirror somewhere near the fluffy clouds. Time passed by, perhaps an hour, before a popping sound issued behind him.

“Realm buddies!” Tresk shouted. Alex honked awkwardly, waddling over to the pond and jumping in. “I figured why not. RIght?”

“This is our first time in the realm together,” Theo said. “Did Uz’Xulven give you trouble?”

“Nah, I told her to bite me.”

“Me, too.”

Theo explained the situation with Xol’sa, pointing to the black pane of glass in the sky. Tresk threw rocks at it for a while, but it was too high to hit. What the man could see of the realm was a mystery, but they discovered it drew unwanted attention. An icy wind approached from nowhere, requesting entry into Tero’gal. The alchemist agreed, and the ice-rimmed doorway opened. The smiling form of Benton walked through.

“Did you guys see the weird black thing in the sky?” he asked.

“Yeah, don’t worry about it,” Tresk said.

“Fair enough.”

“Want some tea?” Theo asked.

Crowding into the cottage, Theo made some tea for the group. The kettle whistled after a while, and the alchemist poured the liquid out. Once again, it was nothing compared to Xam’s tea. But it was good to start a conversation about small things. Benton was a conversationalist, even being the newly crowned God of Death. Even by his own words, he didn’t know what that meant.

“More of a metaphor,” he’d said. More than once.

When the conversation died down, Theo got to work on his distillation while Benton and Tresk broke off. They had apparently taken to training west of the wheat. They used blunted weapons, and limited abilities, but both had a great time. While the god was new in an unknown pantheon, he had some impressive moves.

Theo’s brewing process was standard. He placed what onions would fit in the fermentation barrel and injected his own mana inside. While waiting for those to finish, he processed some attribute-enhancement reagents and set them to process. There was also the need to brew [Spiny Swamp Thistle Root] into [Refined Healing Essence] and [Refined Regeneration Essence]. It didn’t take the entire time-limit within the realm to accomplish the task, and he joined with the fighting pair when he was done.

“This is unfair,” Benton said, panting and resting on the soft ground. “I never got to see my realm before I ascended. Let alone dragging items from the mortal plane along.”

“Yeah, it’s awesome,” Tresk said. “Except when your soul-bound partner steals all your onions.”

“What are you hoarding 1,000 units of onions for?” Theo asked.

“A rainy day!”

“They’ll spoil if you don’t store them in a crate.”

“Yeah, but then you’ll find them.”

“When did you even have time to collect them, let alone hire Sledge to make a secret panel in the wall?”

“I do what I want!”

“Time to go,” Benton said, backing up through an icy archway that appeared from nowhere.

“Oh, I got your waxy leaves,” Tresk said, relaxing immediately.

Theo was going to ask her when she had time to do that, but he gave up. She likely used her [Shadowdancer] abilities to teleport to the coast, then teleport back. Instead of complaining, he found them in their shared inventory. He moved to the table and set some out, beckoning Tresk over to see his new process. Alex remained in the pool, happy enough to swim around and honk.

Tresk seemed impressed enough to see the process. She got bored after the first hour of billowing smoke and piles of salt, and jumped in the pool to play with Alex. Theo worked between his stills and the worktable. He made sure there were enough [Aerosolize] modified [Hallow Ground Potions] to keep Gronro happy. He inspected one example once the bulk of the order was done.

[Hallow Ground Potion]

[Refined Aerosolize]

[Potion] [Modified Potion]

Epic

Created by: Belgar

Alignment:

Drogramath (Middling Bond)

Grade: Excellent Quality

Shatter to create a cloud of denial.

Effect:

Throwing this potion creates a fifty pace circle around the point of impact with the [Hallow Ground] effect. Undead, ghost, etc creatures may cross into the cloud, but will be banished when they do so.

Some of Theo’s newest potions were impressive with the amount of text they crammed into his sight. This potion was elegant in its simplicity. A weapon designed to fight undead and nothing more. It was the most useful modifier by his estimation, far more useful than the [Embolden] modifier. That modifier had created fear in the alchemist’s heart. It was effectively a willpower check that, when failed, would add the user’s mind to the undead collective.

The alchemist turned his attention to the advice given to him by Uz’Xulven. He brewed a single [Healing Potion], and a [Regeneration Potion]. There was nothing extraordinary about either potion. Excellent quality on both with no modifiers. Withdrawing a [Suffuse Potion] to inspect it, Theo considered how to proceed.

[Suffuse Potion]

[Potion]

Rare

Created by: Belgar

Grade: Excellent Quality

Alignment:

Drogramath (Middling Bond)

A potion used to bind two properties to an object, or each other.

Effect:

Bind two properties.

That was a vague description. Two properties could be bound to an object, or each other. But a potion wasn’t just properties, was it? A potion was a mixture of different things, brought together to create an effect. Theo often thought of potions more as effects than properties, as those properties were the more base element of a potion.

“More primal!” Tresk shouted from the pool, picking up on his thoughts.

“More primal,” Theo repeated, nodding along.

Following the advice from the god, he considered his options. Theo verbalized his thoughts on the process, bouncing things off of Tresk and she played in the water. They examined the description on the [Suffuse Potion], as well as his only example of the primal essences.

“So, primal essences are representations of properties,” Theo said. “They are purified properties, meaning…”

He gave Tresk time to answer.

“We use them with the [Suffuse Potion]. Yeah, the system has a roundabout way of getting to that one. But it makes sense.”

“One question left. Do they need a catalyst to react?” Theo asked.

Tresk pursed her lips and hummed. “Assume the [Suffuse Potion] acts as a catalyst first. Since those just do the job of a binder. If there’s no reaction, then yeah. You can use shavings to kick-start the reaction.”

She really was stealing his brain power. Resting in their private realm could have caused that, though. Or it was just the fact that she had nowhere to be. They could relax in this place without worrying about running out of time. Whatever the case, it was time to experiment on that theory.

When Theo attempted to use his [Reagent Deconstruction] skill on a potion, it exploded. Not in spectacular fashion, but as though the liquid began to suddenly boil. It spilled out the top, shooting into the air bubbling furiously. After a few moments, and a concerned Marshling, the reaction stopped.

“Alright,” Theo said. “Guess we have to get our primal essences from the source.”

Removing [Spiny Swamp Thistle Root] from his inventory, Theo got to work breaking those down. After a few failed attempts, one last plume of smoke issued from the worktable. The resulting primal essence pulsed with a faint red light. The alchemist inspected his new pile of dusty [Primal Healing].

[Primal Healing]

[Primal Essence]

Rare

Created by: Belgar

Grade: Excellent Quality

Alignment:

Drogramath (Middling Bond)

Alignment Effects:

Reduces the chance of volatile reaction while bonding.

1 Unit (powder)

The primal representation of the [Healing] property.

There was nothing surprising about the result. It was simply a purified sample of the [Healing] property. Theo thought about other applications before he moved forward. If he used this to brew a healing potion, it would technically be stronger. Since raw essences were filled with little pieces of other properties, they often reduced the quality of the end product. He moved on without testing that theory, applying his mana and new skill to create a pile of [Primal Regeneration].

[Primal Regeneration]

[Primal Essence]

Epic

Created by: Belgar

Grade: Excellent Quality

Alignment:

Drogramath (Middling Bond)

Alignment Effects:

Reduces the chance of volatile reaction while bonding.

1 Unit (powder)

The primal representation of the [Regeneration] property.

Both primal essences shared the same pale red color. The version representing regeneration had flashes of green that traveled through the pile. They also bore the faint scent of sweetness, almost smelling like roses. It was hard to tell with deadened senses, though.

“Alright,” Theo said, setting a flask on the table. “Time to test.”

Pouring the [Suffuse Potion] in first, Theo scooped up the [Primal Healing] powder and dropped it in. Nothing happened. It fell to the bottom of the flask like sand, settling there and remaining with no further action. With a shrug, and Tresk hovering close by, the alchemist introduced the next primal essence. The reaction wasn’t as exciting as he’d hoped for. But it was beautiful.

Both powders swirled in the flask, creating a cyclone of liquid that issued a bright red light. The flask rumbled for a moment on the table before coming to rest. Theo inspected the resulting potion.

[Regenerative Potion]

[Potion]

Legendary

Created by: Belgar

Grade: Good Quality

Alignment:

Drogramath (Middling Bond)

A potion designed to regenerate missing body parts. Regeneration length depends on the quality of this potion.

This was exactly what he needed, and there was a lot to dig into about the item’s description, but Theo found something to be off. Why had Uz’Xulven said to apply the [Solidify Modifier] to the potion? It would do the job, going off the description alone. Since modifiers changed the way potions acted, perhaps the one with the modifier was simply better.

But this was a massive advancement for Theo as an alchemist. This was a third tier potion. The thing that gave it away was the quality of the potion. Another point was that he’d done no distillation to reach this result. Perhaps there was a process he could use to refine the primal essences, but it was interesting. The alchemist couldn’t use this as a method of generating vast quantities of potions, though. This version of the process was incredibly labor-intensive.

“Look at that,” Tresk said, clapping. “That triplet guy is gonna be so happy.”

“So will Fenian, apparently,” Theo said. “Let’s modify it.”

Theo withdrew a flask of [Refined Solidify] from his inventory and applied it to the potion. The potion bubbled, then emitted a faintly foul odor before turning into a jelly. The alchemist inspected the result, finding out why Uz’Xulven wanted him to apply the modifier.

[Regenerative Potion]

[Refined Solidify]

[Potion] [Modified Potion

Legendary

Created by: Belgar

Grade: Good Quality

Alignment:

Drogramath (Middling Bond)

Apply this salve to the affected area to regenerate a body part. Regeneration length depends on the number of daily applications and the quality of this potion.

“Well, there ya go. You can use this more than once,” Theo said. “With the other one, I’d guess a person could only drink it once. Any more than that, and they’d get sick. Or worse.”

“I can’t even remember the name of that guy who lost his leg. Tal? Pal? I see him hopping around all the time,” Tresk said. “Don’t look at me like that. He hops! I’ve seen it.”

“Might be time to head back to the mortal plane,” Theo said. “I feel my grip over this one fading.”

“Yeah. You have the recipe to regrow limbs. That’s pretty cool,” Tresk said, nodding with approval. “You’re like a pharmacy in a flesh suit!”

“Earth pharmacies couldn’t cure lost limbs.”

“Yeah, but you get the point.”

Theo put everything back in his inventory and headed for the edge of the floating island. He had the potions that Azrug requested, and a way to cure Fenian when he arrived. That was concerning, but when wasn’t the Elf cause for concern? Without a target to focus on in the mortal realm, the alchemist thought about the place that he left. He didn’t need to, though. His skill steered him in the right direction, sending him stumbling back into the lab.

The black mirror shattered. Xol’sa was thrown back, slamming hard against the back wall. Flasks and vials went tumbling to the ground as the Elf groaned. Theo tripped over something, almost pitched to the side, then came to kneel near the downed man.

“You alright?”

Xol’sa groaned, withdrawing a [Healing Pill], and a [Mana Pill] from nowhere and popping it in his mouth. “Feedback. From the spell.”

“Figure anything out?” Theo asked.

“Yeah. There’s a planet’s worth of magical arrays that bind the realms together. Even more blanketed over the damned new ones.”

Even with all his affinity for extra-planar travel, Xol’sa couldn’t even peer into Theo’s realm. Benton said something about the infant realms being protected, but he thought that was from the other gods. The alchemist helped the fallen Elf to his feet and dusted him off, removing shards of glass and splinters of wood from his robes. Footsteps thundered up the stairs, and Azrug stood with a concerned look on his face.

“What was that?” he asked, standing and looking around the room.

“Magic feedback,” Theo said. “Don’t go peeping into realms.”

“Never planned to,” Azrug said.

Theo withdrew the [Hallow Ground Potions] from his inventory and handed them over to the young trader. Azrug gave him a skeptical look for a moment, but he shrugged it off. “No problem. Just playing with magic in your lab. Theo, I’ve got my [Loremaster’s Core] leveled up to a decent spot. If you ever need something identified. Not today. I gotta go.”

“I appreciate the offer,” Theo said. “Keep up the good work, kid.”

Azrug laughed. “Yeah, no problem boss. Keep tossing wizards around your lab.”

Chapter 9

Fairy Plum Seeds

A fire crackled in the wizard’s study. Zarali knelt near Xol’sa, who was seated in a comfortable armchair. He nursed a cup of hot tea as the priestess ran the purple energy of Drogramath over his head. Errant embers from that power filled the air, crowding the stifling heat with their forms. Theo watched with concern, but said nothing. Her healing powers were minor, but they could stitch together more than the alchemist’s healing potions. Wounds of the mind.

There were many advantages to attempting to jump through the realms for the wizard. His highest-level class was based on the concept, and his people weren’t from the mortal plane. Logically, he should have been able to peer into Theo’s private realm. Especially with the owner of that domain’s permission. Instead, he was attacked. Only his familiarity with such magic saw him through without lifelong injuries.

“I’ve never heard of a mortal being attacked with a [Mind Hunt] spell,” Zarali said, pressing a bubble of purple flames into the Elf’s head. He winced.

“So, he’s fine. Right?” Theo asked.

Zarali shot him a look then jerked her head. “Stay here. I need to talk to our impetuous Archduke.”

“Take your time,” Xol’sa said, reclining in his chair.

The pair descended to the first floor of the tower, standing near the shimmering portal. Zarali took a deep breath, muttering words of comfort to herself. There was a tension in the air that only belonged to lovers in peril. Only now did Theo realize what a bad idea it was to allow Xol’sa to spy on his journey.

“I’ll explain this so your mushy brain can understand,” Zarali said. “A god attacked his soul. Directly. If they’d done so from their plane, he would have been fine.”

“But he was half-way into the other realms,” Theo said. “He said he was just going to look. I didn’t expect him to follow me.”

The priestess rested a hand on Theo’s shoulder and managed a weak smile. “Then you have a lot to learn about your wizard. About the way he thinks, and what he’s willing to do to learn something new.”

“Alright. I understand. But did he learn anything?”

“I imagine he learned a lot,” Zarali said. “You’re not meant to travel between realms as a mortal. He’s been researching how Fenian does it, and has concluded that the Bridge is an exception.”

Theo tapped his foot. “I figured as much. Uz’Xulven had a message for me from Drogramath.”

“What did our master say?”

“She wouldn’t give it to me.”

Zarali’s gaze drifted to Theo’s constantly tapping foot. She cleared her throat and he stopped. “From what Drogramath shares with me, Theo… It’s bad. Zagmon and Fan’glir are dead. But… Damn, I don’t even want to consider what the other implications are. When Khahar ascended, he didn’t waste a single moment. He went on the offensive. A murderous rampage.”

“So the realms are dangerous.”

“The high realms are. The lower realms should be fine. Your realm. That’s strange to say, isn’t it? You’re standing right here. You’re not a god—what does that mean?”

“I won’t even think about that problem. We have a bigger one. Is Xol’sa going to be alright?”

“There’s no potion you can brew that can cure him,” Zarali said.

Theo doubted that with all his beings. Even his cores rose to scream their objections. Zarali’s biggest blind spot was her long-dead brother. Belgar was many things, but a genius of potioncraft wasn’t one of them. The alchemist didn’t want to trample on the man’s grave, but the evidence was clear. He had a narrow focus, and lacked all the advantages he had. If there was a potion that could help Xol’sa, Theo would find it.

“But there is something,” Theo said.

“Care to make friends with Glanthier?” Zarali asked, chuckling. “Perhaps you could beg for a miracle.”

“I’m happy to beg,” Theo said, casting his eyes to the ceiling. “Elf healer. Please help.”

Zarali slapped him on the back of the head. A little too hard. But a grin spread across her face. “You’re a clown, brother.”

“I’ll tell you what I am. I’m determined. Tenacious. No citizen of mine is going to be wounded forever. Well, what happens to him? Is he in pain?”

“Some amount of pain. He’ll experience decreased mana, health, and stamina regeneration for a time. I’m basing this conclusion on a similar spell, but it could be different,” Zarali said.

“Give me an idea of the potential cure,” Theo said.

“You cannot heal him, Theo.”

“Please.”

“Anything that mends a soul should help. Priests that belong to a healing-based god should have the spell at an early level,” Zarali said.

“I only know of Glanthier,” Theo said.

“Glanthier from the Elven part of the Pantheon and Udok from the Dwarven one,” Zarali said. “There’s also Spit from the Ogre pantheon. But that’s unreliable. Better than nothing, though.”

“Spit?” Theo asked.

“Specifically, he’s Spit, Ogre Patron of Curing Things Most of the Time,” Zarali said, letting out a frustrated sigh. “Yes, that’s his full title. You’re meant to say it every time. I didn’t make up the rules.”

“Alright,” Theo said, turning to face the portal. “Put in a request at my lab if you need anything, alright? Maybe I can brew something for his pain. Otherwise, we can load him up with potions until I cure him.”

“Such confidence. Suitable for an Archduke,” Zarali said, giggling.

Theo passed through the portal before she could say anymore. An older version of himself would have been disturbed to see a close friend injured. But those feelings weren’t useful for helping people. As he walked north, toward the district Tresk had named Stabby Groves, he forced his will on the [Tero’gal Dreampassage] ability. But that was an absolute within the system. He couldn't force it to reduce its cooldown. He walked past the massive neighborhood north of Xam’s tavern, and withdrew the wooden box from his inventory.

“Coincidence?” he asked, shaking his head. “Maybe.”

But those plants would take great effort to grow. A corner in one greenhouse, maybe. One seed at a time. That hardly solved the problem now, but the alchemist sought to split his efforts on the problem. But first, it was time to heal a wounded adventurer.

“Hey there, Theo!” Ral said.

The bald headed human rose from a chair, resting near the front of his home. It was nestled among the other homes belonging to adventurers in town. When the man stood, he stumbled, leaning on a shaped piece of wood to make up for his missing left leg. It had been torn off near the knee, but hardly seemed to diminish the man’s spirits.

“Where are your brothers?”

“Oh, you know. Off adventuring while I’m stuck hopping around,” Ral said, managing a wry chuckle. “Feels like yesterday I was out there with them. Testing your silly potions.”

Theo nodded, reining in his emotions. Instead, he withdrew the [Regenerative Potion] from his inventory and held it out.

“Booze?”

“A potion,” Theo said. “A salve, really. Ignore the system text. Don’t drink it. You might grow an extra spleen or something.”

“What’s it do?”

Theo pointed at the man’s leg. “Restores your leg. Simple as that.”

“No,” Ral said, shaking his head. His brow knit tightly. “Fancy Demon priestess said that was impossible. So did that other guy.”

Theo forced the potion into the man’s hand. “Being a Broken Tusker means ignoring what people say is possible. But, you’re the first person who is going to use it.”

“How does it work?”

The potion seemed similar enough to one he’d brewed in the past. His old example only restored lost digits, not entire limbs. Theo explained that to the adventurer, detailing the need to apply this one multiple times a day. When asked, the alchemist agreed to supervise the first application. They entered the man’s house and positioned Ral on the bed for easy use. The stump that was left was clean with well-knitted flesh. That was the power of the healing potions.

“How am I going to get it out of here,” Ral asked, tipping the potion upside-down. The gel inside didn’t move.

Theo snatched a spoon from the side-table and fished a pea-sized quantity out. “Ready?”

“What’s there to be ready for?” Ral asked.

The moment Theo pressed the spoon to the man’s stump, he shouted in pain. In an instant, he was covered in a sheen of sweat. Arching his back, Ral screamed loud enough to attract other citizens to the house. Zan’kir entered the room with blades drawn, relaxing once he spotted the alchemist.

“Help me hold him down,” Theo said, unable to manage the writhing man. Zan’kir came over, applying his significant strength to the effort. But even after Ral calmed down, the Khahari man wouldn’t make eye contact. He turned around and left the building. “So much for water under the bridge.”

Ral did not regain consciousness. Theo sent a town-wide message, ordering his brothers to return to their home. When they did, they seemed incredibly concerned. Until they saw the potion Theo had brought. The pair agreed to look over their brother, allowing the alchemist to leave. What he left behind was a slightly longer leg on one of the town’s adventurers. That counted for something, didn’t it?

Theo made his way south, back toward his lab. When he passed by the blacksmith, the gruff voice of a Dwarf called out to him. “Hey! I got your order!”

The alchemist spun, spotting Thim waving like an idiot. The Dwarf had an expression of pure joy on his face, grinning widely. He saw what he was so excited about. Not the 3 stills Theo had ordered, but 5 impressive pieces of blacksmithing and artificer work. They were made of the Drogramathi Iron, and were all complete with [Custom Drogramathi Iron Bubble Plates], and [Custom Drogramathi Iron Vapor Pressurizers]. He came over to run his hands over the smooth metal, shaking his head in disbelief.

“Throk gave you a hand?” Theo asked.

“More than a hand,” Thim said, laughing. “Did all the artificer work on these. Cursed the whole time, but what do you think?”

Theo inspected one example, shaking his head yet again when he read the description.

[Custom Drogramathi Iron Artifice Still]

[Alchemy Equipment]

Epic

Created By: Thimamuri and Throk

A 500 unit capacity Drogramathi Iron still with attached advanced condenser and internal heating element. The advanced condenser allows for a more efficient cooling of essences, decreasing the time needed to distill.The internal heating element provides an even heating of the still, preventing burning.

Effects:

Distillation time reduced.

Occasionally produces more essence.

Reduces the chance of producing low quality essence.

Attachments:

[Custom Drogramathi Iron Bubble Plate]

[Custom Drogramathi Iron Vapor Pressurizer]

While it lacked enchantments, this was still a work of art. Theo inspected each one, finding the details beyond anything he expected. Throk was extremely good at blacksmithing, but Thim was the genius in that realm. With the pair coming together, they had created a still worthy of the alchemist’s art.

“How much do I owe you?” Theo asked.

“No idea. You gotta talk to the boss for that,” Thim said, turning and leaving without another word.

Theo drew the stills into his inventory, each action creating a silly popping sound. Then he turned, looking at Throk’s artificer building and hesitated. He drew in a deep breath, queueing some jokes up in his mind before heading over. The Marshling was working inside, although ‘working’ was generous. With a heavy iron bar in one hand, and a rude gesture in the other, he was bashing an artifice to pieces.

“Bad time?” Theo asked.

Throk turned, glaring.

“Just trying to settle up on what I owe you for the stills.”

“All the gold in your inventory,” Throk said. He rolled his shoulders and took a deep breath. “I don’t know. Labor, I guess. It’s your metal. Your fancy artifice workings from that dead guardian.”

Theo shrugged, approaching the wreckage. “What’s the issue?”

“The viscosity of your damn potion. I think,” Throk said. “No, don’t get your pants in a bunch over me. This is part of the process.”

Theo narrowed his eyes, looking at the ruined pile of metal. “I have a fun question that might help get your mind off of it.”

“Alright,” Throk said, raising the bar one last time to smash his creation. “Let’s hear it.”

“Think you can make something that can fly?” Theo asked.

“Gods, Theo. I don’t have the time to—”

“I’m not telling you to make it. I’m asking if you know if something like that could work.”

“Well, you gotta be specific about stuff like that. Alright? Can’t just come hobbling in here all like ‘Oh, I’m the fancy Archduke I’m going to make a flying machine.’’”

“I don’t sound like that.”

“You do.  But, yeah. I’ve read about… Hold on, I’ve got a book here in my pile.”

Throk crossed the room, digging through a pile of scraps. Near the bottom was a leather-bound book. He cracked it open to a page with diagrams for a flying ship. It looked like a normal sailing ship, but with many artifice attachments to the side. Instead of a mast, it had an attachment that looked like an engine. The design didn’t leave him impressed.

“While flying artifice vessels are common enough, they have quite a few weaknesses. You’ll see them in military applications, but only if there’s a mage onboard who can counter-spell powerful magic. See, it’s easy to ruin artifice work with magic.”

“So, you’d need powerful wards to fly something like this?” Theo asked.

“Oh, no. I know that look in your eye, alchemist. You want to waste your time going down another expensive road, that’s on you.”

“Look, I’m not saying you need to work on this today. Just keep it in mind. Alright?” Theo asked.

“Why? Are you planning on flying around your little kingdom?”

“I’m planning to dump a million units of [Hallow Ground Potion] on the undead.”

“Oh. Yeah, that’ll do it. Alright. I’ll look at the problem. But no guarantees.”

“Hey. You’re actually using Thim, now. Maybe that’ll free up some time.”

“Yeah, yeah. I get it. You’re picking on the old Marshling today.”

Theo stood awkwardly for a few moments. “So, how much do I owe you?’

Theo left the artificer’s workshop a few gold lighter. Gold was important for expansion, and feeding the nation’s hungry appetite, but time was the most valuable resource. A sense of unity had spread through Broken Tusk. Even the Elves seemed interested in seeing the new nation prosper, although perhaps it was time for a meeting with the leader of House Wavecrest. With his time freed by pressing matters, the alchemist assessed his golems through the network, approaching his greenhouses.

The [Lesser Plant Golems] had done well to maintain the reagent-bearing plants, keeping them alive and happy. They could even promote the cultivation of the plants, selecting those with the highest percentage and propagating them onward. Unlike the [Lesser Mud Golems], they had an affinity for the work. The current layout of the greenhouses leaned heavily to [Spiny Swamp Thistle] production. [Mage’s Bane] also had its own greenhouse, although Theo left a corner free for experiments. Then, the others were split between the various attribute-enhancement reagents.

Withdrawing a vial of seeds from Khahar’s wooden box, his eyes lingering on the note left behind. Theo found a corner in one greenhouse and withdrew 2 seeds from the 10 within. Before shoving them into the magically enchanted earth, he inspected the item.

[Fairy Plum Seed]

[Spirit Seed]

Mythic

Grows a small bush that produces Fairy Plums. Growth rate and production of fruit is extremely slow.

Without the [Grove Tender] ability, it would be impossible to manage the final plant. This was the next level of alchemy. Something others in the world could only hope to accomplish, even with the backing of a god. There were likely plants such as these in Tarantham, the continent the Elves called home, but nowhere near the Southlands Alliance. The alchemist placed 2 thumb-sized seeds into the ground, spacing them out, then buried them. A quick mental instruction to his [Lesser Plant Golems] roped them off as off-limits. He wouldn’t have his mythic seeds destroyed by over-eager golems.

While he was within the greenhouses, Theo went around and checked on his plants. Most had reached 200% cultivation, and were producing absurdly large fruit. His new [Grove Tender] ability would make that process even easier. Eventually, there would be another reagent worth growing. Checking on the mushrooms in his cave, he noted a similar circumstance.

After a brief chat with Salire, Theo made his way to the lab and placed 2 of his new stills down. He lacked enough tables, but his intention was only to do a large run of [Manashrooms] to power his golems. The mushrooms were easy to process, far easier than something like [Pozwa Horns] which required fine grinding. He crushed them with his hands, watching as blue juice flowed down his forearm. His eyes were drawn to the hole, still repairing, in his robes. That minor wound had healed almost instantly.

“Unlike Ral,” Theo said, topping the water off in one still. “Or Fenian. What kind of trouble are you in, friend?”

The internal [Flame Artifice] on his 2 stills clicked to life, and he activated the external one for the lab’s built in still. There were many buildings in town that could use an upgrade, including the town itself. Then there was the problem of upgrading his nation. The nation wouldn’t be tied to the level of each town, as that would have promoted upgrading towns in the Kingdom of Qavell. The nation’s progress was likely tied to the level of the capital.

There were many industries Theo owned in town. The butcher, mine, sawmill, weaver, harbor, and alchemy lab were all his to maintain and upgrade. He also had a stake in the stonecutter and quarry, but that was a minor investment that had already paid for itself. Ziz and his men were impossible to control, so it was best to leave them to their own.

Sitting near the slow boil of the stills in that stuff lab brought a sense of comfort to Theo. Things were more real on the mortal plane. The heat felt hotter, the bubbles were louder. Nothing was muted in his senses, allowing him to drink it all in. Even the system message flashing, informing him that his [Governance Core] hit 21 and his [Tara’hek Core] hit 22, wasn’t enough to break that calm. Even after the sheen of sweat covered his body.