The Newt and Demon - Book 4 Chapters 22,23,24 (Patreon)

Chapter 22

Miltar of Partopour

A group had gathered in a meeting room in the town hall. Theo sat alone with Miltar and one advisor from the Partopour trade ship. The alchemist wanted his first meeting with another nation to happen alone. Without the influence of his over-zealous administrators who were busy enough as it was. He hoped the impression of the wounded downstairs wouldn’t foul the relationship before it started.

A junior administrator brought tea after long moments of silence. When the man left, Theo gestured to the pot. “Mister Sharp. Trade Admiral Sharp?” He poured three cups of tea, stirring them before distribution. “Before I subject you to my Lord Merchant, I had a few questions.”

Miltar shared a look with his assistant. The other man was another Half-Orc. Their race wasn’t as tall as the Half-Ogres, or the Dronon of this world. They were closer in height to Humans with similar builds. The assistant wore a practical coat and a button-up shirt he left open. He had no hat, but displayed the same balding pattern.

“Of course,” Miltar said, holding his arms wide. “This is a rare occasion.”

Theo nodded. He wondered how often a new nation sprouted up. “I’m hopeful about our future relationship. An opportunity for your people to dock on the continent. We’re a safe port above all else, and a neutral party in global politics.”

Miltar sipped his tea, nodding with approval. He cast Theo a look that said it all. The Half-Orc suppressed the smug expression as quickly as it came, something the alchemist appreciated. The representative from Partopour was sitting with a child. An inexperienced upstart that had not proved himself. Not on the continent, or the global stage.

“I’ll say one thing before we continue,” Miltar said, withdrawing a potion from nowhere. He set it on the table. Theo didn’t need to examine it to know it had his name on it. It was one of his early-stage potions. First tier. Poorly made. “When someone rivals our best alchemists with their first offerings, we get curious.”

Theo considered his options before responding. How arrogant would it have been to pull out his latest offerings? To show the trader that the potion he held, however he’d gotten it, was garbage. The alchemist withdrew an unmodified [Healing Potion] from his inventory, setting it on the table.

“We’ve made improvements to the process.” Theo tried not to tap his foot nervously.

“Vast improvements.” Miltar slid the potion over to himself, inspecting it. “Now, do you have questions?”

Dang, my pulse just quickened, Tresk said into Theo’s mind. You nervous about something?

Tresk knew why Theo was nervous. Her ability to infiltrate his mind grew by the day. Why she was so much better at using the bond was beyond him.

Fine. Just meeting with a representative from Partopour.

Neato. I’m watching from outside the window.

“I’d love to learn more about your culture. You can meet with my Lord Merchant later, but that’s what I’m interested in. Azrug will take care of any deals you want to make, don’t worry about that,” Theo said.

Miltar shared a look with his assistant. He shrugged. “Certainly. Partopour is a republic, and mostly neutral in global dealings. We occupy a small continent between the Khahari Desert and Tarantham. We’re politically neutral with both nations.”

That was a good sign. Theo wanted to engage with people where there were no strings attached. The first people he expected in his port, after the Khahari, were private traders. Not representatives from a nation. If Partopour was as neutral as they said, this was perfect. They could establish trade deals and sell their resources without worrying about backlash.

Something caught his attention in his administration interface. The conversation paused, but he held his hand up for a moment. Alise was talking with representatives from Rivers and Gronro at the same time. The ghost problem was settling down, but they had stirred up the undead. A wave crashed against the Sword and Shield, and they called for reinforcements. The alchemist sent a few quick messages to his administrators.

“Sorry. War and all that,” Theo said, clearing his throat. “I’m happy to hear that, I really am. Broken Tusk has a lot to offer, not just potions. We have access to a rare type of wood called [Ogre Cypress], and a type of iron called [Drogramathi Iron].”

Miltar kept his composure, but Theo saw a twitch in the man’s eye. The alchemist’s high [Wisdom] gave him insight on that. As he expected, the metal was rare. What a person could dig up from their mines depended on regional, cultural, and ownership factors. There was likely something to do with the Drogramathi power in the air, too.

“Don’t worry,” Theo said. “I won’t be involved in the negotiations. We also have perfect-grade stone. Marble.”

“Well, we’re here to trade. Aren’t we?” Miltar asked, letting out a chuckle. “We lack access to rare materials like you have here, but we’re industrious.”

“What I need most is a coin mint,” Theo said. “Although that seems like a dream the more days pass.”

Miltar let out a sharp laugh. He nodded. “They’re hard to find. The only [Core Smiths] I know if that can do the job are Elves in Tarantham. I’m sure you’re familiar with how they deal.”

Theo nodded. “Right, then. I suppose we’re done here. You can speak to Lord Azrug about trade.”

“If you wouldn’t mind answering a few questions,” Miltar said just as Theo stood to leave.

The alchemist sat back down. “Alright.”

“I told you about the governmental structure of Partopour. How our people operate, and our core values of neutrality. How about Broken Tusk and the Southlands Alliance?”

Theo froze on the spot. He gazed down at his tea, which was untouched. He had put less thought into this than he should have. There wasn’t a governmental structure. They’d thrown together things as quick as they could, never giving it much thought. His thoughts formed as he sat there, realizing the nature of the [Free City Alliance] was all he needed.

“We selected the [Free City Alliance] for a reason. We formed the alliance before we formed the nation to protect ourselves. The first idea was to defend ourselves against Qavell. When the undead came, it forced us to grow closer. Each town operates as its own government. While I hold the highest position, I don’t desire to tell the other leaders how to run their town.”

“And your ideals?”

“A fair shake for anyone who wants it. Opportunities provided by the state for everyone to live in comfort, if they want it. Any citizen can be whatever they want. We’re here to provide them with protection and opportunity.”

Sounds like communism, Tresk said.

“I assume you own everything in this town,” Miltar said.

“Not everything,” Theo said. “But I’ll admit, I own more than I should. Then again, I sent all funds from my profits into the town.”

“And your people have your word on that. Nothing else,” Miltar said.

Theo shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

Communism! You corrupt Archduke. Shame. Shame. Shame!

“You’re not wrong,” Theo said. “This setup is a gateway for corruption.”

“Just something for you to chew on, Archduke Spencer,” Miltar said. He smiled, showing more of those stunted tusks.

“Do you think my contracts are unfair?” Theo asked, leaning in over the table. He felt like that child Miltar saw him as. How would the Trade Admiral see this question?

“Depends on the contract.”

“They’re all based on profit-share,” Theo said. “Not for goods sold, but goods produced.”

Trying to make yourself feel better, Theo? Your stuff is more than fair, don’t let this guy get under your skin.

He’s not getting under my skin. He’s right. We own the entire town—and a nation—people can’t exactly say ‘no’ to us when we offer them a job.

Miltar’s expression faded from a studious stare into a surprised look. “So, they make something and they get paid? That’s an interesting approach.”

“Interesting in what way?” Theo asked.

“Normally workers get a salary. But that’s interesting. I assume this motivates your workers?”

“It does,” Theo said. “Everyone busts their asses because the more they produce, the more they get paid.”

“Well, perhaps I was wrong to judge you,” Miltar said. “I’ll reserve my first thoughts until I’ve met with your administration staff.”

Theo rose, bowing to both men before leaving. A junior administrator was waiting for him outside of the room. He instructed them to find Azrug and Alise. Then he handed over the potions that Gronro desperately needed. He’d held onto some of his [Hallow Ground] potions for Broken Tusk, but they needed them more. The administrator darted off, leaving him standing on the landing. He looked down, nodding to himself as he noticed less wounded.

People were being treated quickly. From what he could tell, [Stamina Potions] did the trick to cure whatever the ghosts were doing. Maybe that was a stopgap solution, but it was good enough for now.

Not sure why you had to poke me like that, Theo said.

You needed it, my dude. Sometimes you don’t act unless you get emotional. Your contracts with people are more than fair. Often too fair.

Honk!

Theo stepped out into the humid afternoon air. The days were getting even hotter, although he didn’t think that was possible. While I don’t want to agree, you’re right. First impressions are important.

Hope the Half-Orc likes us!

Honk!

That didn’t matter. Theo turned around, walking back into the town hall to find where Xol’sa was. If Partopour wanted to trade with the alliance, they would. He stood inside the wizard’s room for a few moments before his mind shot back to the present. Zarali stood over him, applying a wet rag to the Elf’s forehead.

“How is he doing?” Theo asked.

Zarali turned, offering a smile. “Better than expected. Even if that move took a lot out of him.”

Theo signed, falling into a chair. He ran his fingers through his hair, then traced the shape of his horns with his fingers. “Good. And you? How are you doing?”

“Quite fine. Now that he’s healed, anyway,” Zarali said.

“I should make some more [Hallow Ground Potions.”

“Yeah. After the ghosts? Might be a good idea.”

Theo had already used his trip to Tero’gal for the day. He could crank out an absurd number of his potions if he had another visit available. Instead, he sat there with Zarali for some time. She had thoughts on when she wanted to have her wedding. She hadn’t picked a season to host it, but that seemed like a distant thought. Xol’sa was recovering from something that should have killed him. The town and alliance were safe. There were new traders at their doorstep. What more could they want for?

The alchemist left the town hall, standing in the wide atrium for a while to watch the last of the wounded file out. Aarok had a report for him, but it was expected. Gronro needed help, and they were answering. He made his way back to the lab, finding Salire there with a stack of new orders.

“People want the [Hallow Ground] potion?” Theo asked.

“And the standard stuff.”

“How was the fight for you?”

“Fine. Just fine,” Salire said, stretching behind the counter. “A ghost sucked some life out of me. Wasn’t fun, but I just downed a few potions.”

Theo nodded. That was the way to solve problems in Broken Tusk. Drink a potion, have a rest. Everything would be fine.

“I have a suggestion. Depending on how grumpy you are today.” Salire cast a nervous smile the alchemist’s way.

“I’m at five out of ten grumpy today,” Theo responded.

“Oh, perfect. Maybe you should take an apprentice.”

This again. Theo thought about this often. The only reason it annoyed him when someone brought it up was because it was a mostly impossible task. Even handling the base-level essences was a challenge for anyone without a core. That came down to a normal, unaligned alchemist at around level 50. The only other path was to take a [Drogramath Alchemy Core]. Even then, that only unlocked the first tier of potions.

To make anything more complicated, they’d need the [Unstable Material Handling] and the knowledge of how this stuff worked. Theo cast his eyes to the ceiling and hummed for a moment. Salire joined him, looking up.

“What are we looking at?”

“Trying to figure out the best way to ask Drogramath for help,” Theo said.

The Demon Lord always felt so distant. Even with the shrine upstairs. Theo thought of the mage core in his chest, rolling the sequence of events over in his mind. That took the power of two members of the Demonic Pantheon to happen. The Elves in Tarantham had [Core Smiths] that could create class cores. He doubted they’d ever even think about making a demonic core.

Salire leaned in over the counter. “Is he listening?”

“No. I don’t think he is,” Theo said. “I need to figure that problem out, but you’re right. If we had an apprentice working on standard potions, things would be better for me. Do you have any interest in alchemy?”

“Not really. I don’t even really have my mind set on trade.” Salire shrugged, falling back into her chair. “Not really sure what I want to do.”

Theo stood there for some time, letting his mind and intuition roll over the problem. Not the problem of Salire’s profession. That was something she needed to sort out on her own. He thought about getting an apprentice. Beyond that, he thought of bringing other Dronon into the town. But Drogramathi Dronon were elusive people. He knew little about their culture. Just that they were reclusive. Secretive with their techniques.

Zarali had let it slip in the past that they were born in broods. That made it possible that they didn’t have parents. Something like that compounded the problem, leaving the alchemist without answers. Beyond that, there was nothing that said a Half-Ogre, or an Elf couldn’t take a Drogramathi core.

Salire joined Theo upstairs into the lab. She had been kind enough to purchase more [Dimensional Storage Crates] to place upstairs. The golems had been doing their own thing for a few days now, collecting mushrooms and inserting them into the exterior crates. The shopkeeper transported those [Swamp Truffles] upstairs, saving the alchemist the trip.

Theo loaded all his stills up with the truffles, not bothering to distill down more essence for the random orders. He had enough [Refined Healing Essence] on hand to sort them all out. The alchemist placed his grinder atop the first still, processing 500 units of mushrooms before moving on to the next one. Salire followed him as he worked, oddly interested in the process despite her previous words.

“How important is the grinding phase?”

“Simultaneously less and more important than the other phases,” Theo said, moving on to the last still. “At Tier 2 and 3, the grind still doesn’t matter a lot. For the distillation process, water and heat dispersion are still the most important aspect.”

Theo didn’t have enough barrels of [Enchanted Water] for the task. He held his hand over a barrel and let the mana trickle from his body. It dripped into the water, half-liquid half-flame as it mixed. Salire watched with interest.

“What does the [Enchanted Water] do.”

“It makes the essence better in every way.” Theo finished with the barrel, adding it to the first still. He needed to repeat this process several times, filling each still to the top. He downed a mana potion and got back to it.

“This used to be a two-part process, right?”

“Yeah, there was a massive pressure still outside,” Theo said, jabbing a finger toward the window. “We replaced it with a condenser coil.”

“So the essence gets the ‘refined’ tag, right?”

“That’s more than just a tag. It has physical properties, too. It’s more pure. Closer to the property than before. Watch.” Theo withdrew what little [Refined Hallow Ground Essence] he had from his inventory. “I couldn’t give you a percentage of purity, but this refined batch isn’t perfect. It has impurities from the other properties attached to the [Swamp Truffle].”

Without waiting for her words of understanding, Theo applied his [Reagent Deconstruction] skill on the flask. The silver essence inside went up in smoke, filling the lab with a hovering cloud. The [Primal Hallow Ground] that was left behind held the familiar silver sheen. He was just displaying an example for the shopkeeper, but it gave him some ideas. He could use the primal version of the essence to make a third tier potion. An experiment in the Dreamwalk was needed.

“This is as close to the property as I can get right now. It’s still not perfect.”

“How stable is that compared to the refined essence?”

Theo had to think about that for a minute. “Stable, or unstable. I don’t really know. Technically more stable, but… I wouldn’t test it.”

“Understood, Mister Alchemy.”

Theo explained the next part of the process. They had to wait for the slurry to heat evenly. Salire had some suggestions about replacing the medium from water to something more unstable. She also suggested stirring the mixture, perhaps with an artifice. The alchemist had stirred a mixture in the past, but it had little effect. But these weren’t the wandering thoughts of someone uninterested in Drogramathi alchemy.

“Would you take a [Drogramath Alchemy Core] if I found one?” Theo asked.

The smile that spread across Salire’s face was slow. She raised her eyebrows. “Thought you’d never ask.”

Chapter 23

Advanced Hallow Ground Potions

Miltar and his assistant stayed for dinner within the walls of Broken Tusk. There was a discussion in the administration interface about how foreigners should be treated within the walls. Theo didn’t have any actionable ideas, and the Half-Orc was enjoying himself. The alchemist didn’t invite the man into his private booth, sitting down for some time with his closest companions.

Even if one of those companions was a goose.

“So, we’re gonna make some serious profit?” Tresk asked.

Theo had watched the reports come in from both Azrug and Alise. The trader’s visit would be profitable. Far better than any deal they’d made overland. The alchemist was interested in making long-term deals, though.

“Naturally,” Theo said. “I don’t think there’s another producer of our iron in the world.”

“Sure, sure. Does this realistically solve our money problems, though?” Tresk asked.

Theo thought about that for a moment. Broken Tusk didn’t have money problems. Being rich or poor counted for nothing when they lacked the supplies to do what they needed. Progress didn’t come from the slow building of a nation. It came in fits and starts, a fact brought by the magical nature of nation-building. While they needed money to buy seed cores, there was no rule against plopping down a thousand homes in a day. The only limit was the seed cores and [Monster Cores].

That was an interesting point to reflect on. A mirror to gaze upon during the waning hours of the day. Broken Tusk had gone from nothing to the leader of a nation in a season. While Theo no longer saw the passage of time as the sequential procession of days, he was aware how short of a time he’d lived in this world. After a long pause, he found his answer to Tresk’s question.

“Money problems? Yeah, maybe. What we need is a long-lasting relationship.” Theo filtered through some reports written by the administration staff. “Curiously, they said they could make the trip from Partopour to Broken Tusk in a few days.”

“Magic, buddy. Isn’t it amazing?”

“So, they have enchanted ships. Or ships with artifice enhancements. At that point, why not just fly?” Theo asked, and held his hand up before Tresk could respond. “I know. Magic interference and whatever. Plop right out of the sky.”

“Don’t look at me. It’s a miracle that the Ogres even got here. Let alone the Bantari.” Tresk had finished her food long ago. As always, she had dumped a pile of noodles directly down her throat. It was funny how she ate more like a goose than Alex. “Canoes, ya know? That’s what the Bantari have.”

The pair chatted in the booth for some time. Tresk had a fun day leading a team of stealth-style adventurers around. Alex enjoyed her time shooting fireballs at ghosts. Theo doubted the goose did more than annoy the creatures, but at least she had a good time. After tea and cookies, the group departed for the bath.

There was nothing better after things went ass-up than a good soak. Dropping into Tero’gal daily had become something that soothed Theo’s mind more than anything. After soaking, they headed off into the Dreamwalk.

The world swirled around Theo, their bedroom dissolving into nothing as they entered the dream realm. Tresk dropped them into an old memory. Broken Tusk before the alchemist had arrived. It was a keen reminder of how quaint the place was before.

“Alright, anything you need to share?” Theo asked. Tresk gave him a confused look. “Assassins? Demons from another dimension? Giant, sapient chickens bent on the destruction of the town?”

“Why you gotta assume the worst?” Tresk laughed. “No. Nothing weird. Just the ghosts that tried to eat the citizens of our town.”

Theo narrowed his eyes, but nodded. “Alright. Sure.”

A dragon flew over the town, spewing fire on the southern side of town. That’s where a scatter of homes and the smelter was. Tresk had summoned the monster, and her thoughts on such a creature were clear. She’d never seen one before, so there were things about the dragon that were wrong.

“I think the legs are too short,” Theo said, watching as the dragon destroyed trees and turned rock molten.

The dragon’s legs shrunk, becoming shorter.

“Now he just looks sad,” Theo said.

Even from this distance, Theo saw tears form in the dragon’s eyes.

“Make him pink.”

The dragon was pink.

“Why are you so much better at this than me?” Theo asked. Even if he tried, he couldn’t produce things he’d never seen before.

“Dunno. If you’ll excuse me, I have a dragon to slay.”

Tresk disappeared without further explanation.

Theo forced his will upon the Dreamwalk. He planned to focus on one recipe tonight. It wasn’t something he’d created in the real world, and he intended to bend the dream realm to his will. Just like Tresk did.

The alchemist got the idea when he showed Salire the [Primal Hallow Ground]. He hadn’t thought about it when he consumed it for his wards, but giving her an example brought the idea to his mind. The base of his third tier potions was the [Suffuse Potion], which bound two properties together. While the results were strange, they were all powerful.

“Useful?” Theo asked, patting Alex. “Maybe not. Interesting? Absolutely.”

Theo compiled a list of interesting primal essences to combine with [Hallow Ground]. [Anti-Mage] was obvious and rote at this point. The elemental essences could be effective. [Sear], [Over-time], [Web], [Fire], [Retreat], and [Poison] were also candidates. The alchemist didn’t gain a sense for compatibility with those just by thinking about them. And he hadn’t made most of those into primal essences before.

That’s where his willpower came in. The alchemist forced himself on the Dreamwalk. He attempted to convince it he was the master here. It would bend to his will. But it felt like slamming his fist into a sheet of steel. Banging his head against a brick wall and expecting it to crumble. The harder he pushed, the more a sense of pain rolled through his mind. Until he felt it present a compromise.

Theo was attempting to tell the Dreamwalk to general the primals for him. The message it sent back was clear. It would bend, but only if he did the work here. As if he were in Tero’gal, or the mortal plane. The alchemist withdrew the essences he needed, and applied his mana to the vials. Smoke rose near the old riverbank. Black plumes carrying an acrid scent into the air. Alex played near the shore, shooting small fireballs at the rising clouds.

The Dreamwalk had relented, allowing Theo to break the rules. A strange sense lingered about that. Like it wasn’t his will that had broken the dream realm. The alchemist cast a confused look at Alex.

“Did you do that?”

Honk!

“Well, you’re getting far better at honking. So, we’re happy. Right?”

Honk! Honk!

“Cool.”

Of the primal essences Theo made, each one seemed to agree with his plan. Conceptually, each essences could be combined with the [Suffuse Potion] and the [Primal Hallow Ground]. While they still hadn’t seen mage-style undead, that didn’t mean it wasn’t worth using that as the baseline. Like the other suffuse-style potions, this one required time to brew. After the alchemist placed them in a large flask, the mixture boiled. He moved on the others, creating similar reactions that would just take time.

Theo pushed away from the table he’d summoned, looking over his potions. “Alright. Those are going to do their thing, Alex. We’re gonna fight.”

Alex gave a weak honk.

“Not ready to train?”

She honked again. Theo got the sense that she wasn’t ready for that. Not yet. But there was something else he could help her with. Theo might have been a fledgling compared to Xol’sa with magic, but he was learning. He sat cross-legged on the ground, lifting and resetting the goose a few times before she’d stay still.

“How does your magic work?” Theo asked.

Honk!

Theo generated a stone, then enchanted it with a ward. The rock shimmered for a moment, then a field of [Reveal] sprung up. “That’s magic.”

Alex waved her head around as though she were attempting to dislodge something from her throat. Then a gout of fire shot out, a stream that reached high into the sky.

“So, not magic?” Theo asked. “Is your fire more of a natural process?”

Honk.

“Not quite?”

Honk.

Theo was more confused about how the goose’s fire worked than before he started working with her. It didn’t help that each honk came with a flood of information. Things that felt more like feelings than words. Alex honked a few more times, slapping her webbed feet on the wet grass. The alchemist understood the basic meaning. She meant that her fire ability was somewhere between a spell and a skill. Maybe she had access to other spells, but they were all by feel. Nothing fancy like his spell interface.

“Xol’sa would know what all this means,” Theo said. “From what I understand, spells are crafted in the system interface. In my case, I can create the spells on paper and weave those into objects.”

Alex honked and Theo interpreted.

“You have something like that?”

A few more honks.

“Oh. Then the answer is simple. I was right. You need to train.”

A few honks, sadder this time.

“Of course it's hard, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try.”

Alex honked again. Theo narrowed his eyes. “Say that again.”

Bugs. Eat bugs.

Alex honked the words, but Theo swore he understood them. He could have been interpreting the honks, but that’s how he heard it.

“We can eat plenty of bugs later, but you need to practice your fire attacks,” Theo said.

How?

“Well, let’s start with this,” Theo said, summoning a small Goblin.

The creature appeared, dancing on the spot. Theo ordered it to stay where it was, but he gave it a copper-tipped spear to sell the illusion. There wasn’t any point in training against completely stationary targets, but Alex needed to start somewhere.

“Alright. Kill the Goblin.”

It took some convincing to get Alex to shoot her first fireball at the creature. Theo felt her affinity for living things, which struck him in the heart. She couldn’t bring herself to harm the Goblin until he convinced her it wasn’t real. The goose shot a fist-sized fireball at the monster, sending it tumbling back.

“I wonder why your affinity is fire if you’re a peaceful goose,” Theo said, clearing away the old Goblin and summoning a new one.

Life, Alex said.

“You don’t have the life affinity.” Theo took a moment to check on his potions. They had hours left to brew. “You have the fire affinity.”

Want life affinity.

Theo fell into a seated position near Alex. He pushed down the desire to send her forward on this path. To pursue the fire affinity. The alchemist thought about all the times he told people to reinvent themselves. He thought about the times where he’d reinvented himself, both back on Earth and here.

“You want to be a healer?” Theo asked.

No… yes.

She didn’t have the words to express what she wanted. While she was just a goose, a weird one engineered by Demons, she already had complex thoughts. Theo could feel what she was thinking to an extent, but it wasn’t like when Tresk felt his feelings. It was vague.

“You want a life-based affinity, but you don’t want to be a healer? Maybe nature magic? I don’t know a damn thing about that, little goose.”

Nature!

Theo nodded. If there was a way to change her affinity from a destructive to constructive one, he’d find it. The alchemist inspected the goose.

[Alexandria D’Goose]

[Goose]

[Familiar]

Stage:

[Goose]

Master:

[Dreamrealm of Tero’gal]

Level 9

Description:

Geese are known as the most loving creatures in all the realms. Any rumors spread to disparage these honorable creatures will be met with a flurry of feathers and bill.

Affinities:

Fire

“Affinities. Plural, right?” Theo asked.

Yes!

“Alright. That’s a path forward, anyway.”

They could only theorize on how to get more affinities. For now, it was enough to speculate. The potions brewing on the table completed one after the other near the end of the Dreamwalk. Tresk had a great sense for how much time they had left, while Theo didn’t. She even claimed to see outside of the dream realm sometimes, although that had been rare for her.

The alchemist inspected his potions, assessing them for usefulness.

[Purge Undead Magic]

[Potion]

Legendary

Created by: Belgar

Grade: Good Quality

Alignment:

Drogramath (Middling Bond)

Imbibing this potion purges all magical ability from the drinker’s soul. Must be consumed by an undead.

That was incredibly specific. Good luck trying to get an undead to drink a potion. How would he even get a skeleton to drink a potion? But that was a question for another time. This potion didn’t have a modifier, and the alchemist had the sense that it could be modified.

“That might be the first time that [Anti-Mage] sucks,” Theo said. Alex honked a response of approval. He inspected the next one made from [Sear].

[Flame of Dual Sleeping Gods]

[Potion]

Legendary

Created by: Belgar

Grade: Good Quality

Alignment:

Drogramath (Middling Bond)

Releasing this potion from its bottle will create a slick of flames that lasts 2 hours. All undead who come in contact with the flames are afflicted with [Searing Hallow Ground] for 1 minute.

That was the fanciest title that Theo had ever seen on a potion. He got the sense that the title came from the fact that both Balkor and Fan’glir were dead. As dead as gods could get, anyway. So, they were sleeping as far as the system was concerned. The effect was incredibly powerful, though. The alchemist poured some on the ground nearby, watching as the potion spread. It rested on the surface of the grass, white flames leaping high into the air. Alex honked with surprise.

Theo summoned a skeleton, then ordered the monster to walk into the fire. The flames rushed onto the skeletal form of the creature, consuming it entirely. Pieces of it broke away, falling to the ground as ash. It didn’t take long for the flames to consume it completely.

“Put that one on the ‘good’ list,” Theo said, moving on to the [Over-time] version.

[Slow Undead]

[Potion]

Legendary

Created by: Belgar

Grade: Good Quality

Alignment:

Drogramath (Middling Bond)

Imbibing this potion slows the drinker. Must be consumed by an undead.

This one was a stinker. There was no way around it. Even after adding the [Aerosolize] modifier, it might have still just been garbage. That was the point of the Dreamwalk experiments, though. To find out whether these would work or not.

“That one is going in the trash. For now, at least,” Theo said. “Let’s inspect the [Web] version.”

[Bomb of Link Undead]

[Bomb]

Legendary

Created by: Belgar

Grade: Good Quality

Alignment:

Drogramath (Middling Bond)

Throw to splash against targets. All targets affected by this potion will have their health pooled. All targets affected must be undead. Increases the damage every target takes based on the amount of targets restrained.

This one was just plain good. Theo wasn’t sure about linking the health of all the undead, but everything else about it was awesome. If the effect remained for a long time, he could use the potion to whittle down many targets at once.

“Yeah, this one is just good,” Theo said.

Alex honked.

“Next, we’re looking at the [Fire] one. Come on. Who doesn’t like fire? Just kidding.”

[Undead Annihilation]

[Bomb]

Legendary

Created by: Belgar

Grade: Good Quality

Alignment:

Drogramath (Middling Bond)

Throw at a single undead target. If the target’s resistance against fire fails, the target will explode. This effect can chain up to 20 times.

“Oh yeah. That’s the stuff,” Theo said. “We have our first winner, Alex.”

Alex honked.

“Next up, the [Retreat] property. See, I didn’t want to do this one at first. But then I got thinking about it, and… well, you never know with these suffuse potions.”

[Return Undead]

[Potion]

Legendary

Created by: Belgar

Grade: Good Quality

Alignment:

Drogramath (Middling Bond)

Imbibing this potion returns you to your master’s seat of power. This potion may only be consumed by undead.

“That’s just weird,” Theo said, narrowing his eyes. He read the description several times. “That could be useful, right? I guess I don’t even know what banishment means for undead targets. So, sending them back to their master would do what, exactly? Balkor is dead, and he caused the reanimation. Does that send the undead into the heavenly realms? That seems problematic.”

Honk!

“Last one. [Poison].”

[Crumbling Undead Phage]

Poison

Legendary

Created by: Belgar

Grade: Good Quality

Alignment:

Drogramath (Middling Bond)

Undead targets inflicted with this phage will break down in time. This effect may jump to a total of 256 targets, no matter how many targets you infect.

“Tresk is gonna love that one,” Theo said. “256 sounds like a lot of targets, but not really. Think about how many undead are outside the gates of Gronro.”

Tresk appeared from nowhere. “You rang?”

“Just made this sweet legendary poison,” Theo said, thrusting it into her hands.

“Oh, this is cool,” Tresk said. “But I hate fighting the undead. They don’t got no blood.”

“Yeah, might be worth making it a bomb with [Aerosolize]. Did you beat the dragon?”

“No. Still no. He’s too strong.”

“Well, you made him that way. Make him weaker.”

“Then what’s the point? If I can’t beat the strongest thing I can think of, why bother?”

Theo nodded. That was Tresk. “Oh, Alex wants to eat bugs and get a new affinity.”

“She always wants to eat bugs. Alex? I thought you liked fire.”

No, Alex said, her thoughts radiating through the minds of both Tara’hek members.

“Oh. She can talk now. Neat.”

Chapter 24

Big Ideas

Theo sat with Tresk and Alex in their booth at the Marsh Wolf Tavern. People came and went outside their little bubble, but they paid little attention. The goose had given a series of requests, mostly for bugs and new worms she’d never eaten. The Marshling had trouble convincing her that the worms they had were the best worms.

The alchemist wasn’t so sure. He occupied himself with the north-facing window of their booth. If he popped the window open, craning his neck outside, he could see the artificer’s workshop. Throk had piles of gears and other stuff that looked like junk outside. Pieces of the old Southblade artifice guardian that he hadn’t yet found use for. Other strange devices were strewn about with little thought to organization.

“Close the damn window!” Xam shouted beyond the booth.

Theo snapped it shut, turning to gape through the narrow entrance of their booth.

“You’re letting all the air out,” Tresk said.

Throk’s first round of projects had been useful for the town. Between his skills as an artificer and his genius in smithing, the man had saved them more than a few times. Now he’d gone into some insane spiral of strange inventions. Things that Theo had no name for. Or a use. This morning the Marshling tinkerer had assembled vast lengths of pipes, each with a whirring artifice in the center of the span.

“Gotta be pumps,” Theo said, watching as the angry blacksmith slammed a hammer against the side of a pipe. It rumbled ominously.

“For what, though?”

Tresk shrugged.

“He’s your dad.” Theo picked at his food, pushing aside the things he didn’t like. But the trader had brought with him a tomato-like thing. Slightly more bitter and acidic than the version on Earth, it was good. Chopped and mixed into a Pozwa egg omelet, and it was even better. The alchemist thought the addition of diced Zee was a bit much.

“Good luck figuring his brain out. Did he ever work on our airships?”

Theo was certain he explained this. “Too complicated. I was thinking of adding artifices to our boats.”

“I’m down to ride some speed boats,” Tresk laughed.

Theo tapped his foot rapidly, a thought entering his mind. That was the most dangerous thing for the alchemist to experience. An errant thought that sent his mind spiraling down unending passages. He imagined an airship flying from the north. From Karasan’s seat of power in Qavell. Or the east, where the Elves called home.

“Air defense,” Theo said.

“Huh?”

“We’re lacking air defense. Throk worked on that potion sprayer. Maybe he can come up with a new idea. A potion cannon.”

“You’re always talking about potions. Potion this. Potion that. When are we gonna talk about stabbing?”

“A stabbing cannon?” Theo asked. “A cannon that fires knives?”

“Go on.”

Theo shrugged. He wasn’t being serious about the idea. “You can read my thoughts. Better than I can read yours.”

“Yeah, you’re right. Just seems impolite.”

“When has that stopped you before?”

“Man, you’re on a roll today!” Tresk shouted. “Alright. Airships, right? I see a few problems. I can see the air defense weapons in your memory. Those ones you disabled in Berlin. How did those work?”

When Theo first arrived in Broken Tusk, he never wanted to think about those things. War was hell, and he’d divorced himself from all of its bloody trappings. But when he cast his mind back to that operation, he didn’t feel the same sick sense in his stomach. He saw the memory through a clinical lens.

“We destroyed the Berlin alliance with a kinetic bombardment,” Theo started, sipping his tea. “They used two methods to defend against this. The first was to intercept whatever orbital platform we used, and the other was an air defense cannon. Do you know what electricity is? Plasma?”

“Uh. I get the idea,” Tresk shrugged.

“Anyway. They would shoot whatever was in the sky out of the sky. Easy as that. They used a big particle beam cannon to do it. I don’t know exactly how they worked, but we won’t be using Earth science. We’ll hurl big hunks of metal, or potions. Doesn’t matter.”

“Sounds like a weapon of war.”

“Yeah, we’re past that. If Throk can make magic pumps, magic fires, and all that crap… he can make something that speeds up a round to absurd speeds,” Theo said.

“Then you just have to worry about operating the artifice. Training,” Tresk said.

Theo tapped his foot faster on the wooden floor. He didn’t know if this was the right move, but it seemed like a fool’s game to ignore Throk’s skills. When the air-based monsters came to attack, they were always at a disadvantage. But those monsters always descended to attack, resulting in their demise from the towers. What if a target was too far away for them to attack?

A dark thought entered Theo’s mind. What if they could put something in orbit? What if they could strike at Karasan without leaving Broken Tusk? He pushed the thought away.

“Yeah, let’s not do that,” Tresk said, reading his thoughts. “You’re quickly entering the realm of war crimes.”

Theo nodded. “We’ll stick to defensive measures. Think Throk will be pissed if I ask him to build something for me?”

“Maybe. Worth a shot.”

“I need to check up on his sprayer project, anyway,” Theo said. “Got any plans?”

Bugs, Alex said.

“Well, she wants bugs. I’m going to do some dungeons.”

Theo had enough things to do today. Fortunately, the administration staff handled the traders well. They’d already done their deals, earning a hefty sum for the town. That money went directly into the town itself, reserved for later use. Mostly, Alise earmarked it to pay the workers over the Season of Fire. In the town’s administration interface, she’d created different sections for money storage. The ‘Worker Fund’ wasn’t to be touched, and she had some strange notes about payouts from the fund.

Alise intended to keep everyone on the contracted payment scheme, plus a productivity incentive. Workers earned more money the more resources they exported through the port. People like Ziz would make less from that fund, since he owned most of the quarry. But workers in Dead Dog Mine would make out like bandits.

When the group finished eating breakfast, Tresk went off to do her dungeons. That left Alex with Theo. The goose continued to insist that she needed more bugs. She just kept shouting about the bugs, never clarifying what bugs. The alchemist left the tavern, following the goose as she hunted for her prey. The wandering path took them near enough to Throk’s [Artificer’s Workshop] to see the extent of the Marshling’s rage.

“Hey, Throk,” Theo said, raising a tentative hand.

Throk was crouched near a pile of junk. He looked back at the alchemist and narrowed his eyes. “You say it, and I’ll pummel your archduke's ass into the ground.”

“Watch your tone, I have an attack goose,” Theo said. Alex shot a small ball of fire into the air. Throk actually flinched.

“Need anything, alchemist?” Throk asked, suddenly softening.

“Not really. Just wanted to know about your potion sprayer project.”

“We already have one in service,” Throk said, waving the question away. “Up on the walls in Gronro. They’ve automated their defense by spewing your undead-killing cloud potions.”

While that made sense, it surprised Theo. “So, do you have some spare time?”

“Does it look like I have time?”

Theo’s intuition told him to push the Marshling. Throk was out here, digging through his crap, because he had nothing else to do. Thim was a great blacksmith, likely taking most of the boring blacksmithing jobs from the Marshling. When his mind wasn’t busy, he got to work on whatever else he could think of.

“I think you do.”

Throk grumbled. “What is it?”

Theo explained the idea of a cannon that used artifices to speed up an object. He emphasized the concept of not using an explosive charge to send the object forward. The alchemist detailed that it needed to send something as delicate as a potion, or as hard as a chunk of [Drogramathi Iron].

“I got something that might work,” Throk said, disappearing into his workshop without another word. When Theo didn’t follow, he shouted back, “do you need an invitation?”

Theo entered the cluttered workshop. Just like the exterior, the interior was strewn with garbage. Throk had access to storage crates, so he must have been organizing his stuff. The alchemist watched as he assembled something for display. He set out a long, rail-like artifice on a table after clearing it away. Once a mote was placed in the side, it hummed. Then he took a length of regular iron and set it atop the device. Instead of making contact, it matched the pitch of the hum and floated there.

“You’ve invented maglev,” Theo said, chuckling.

“Huh?” Throk asked. “Well, check this out.”

Throk adjusted something on the device, then tilted the bottom section upward. The bar of iron didn’t move. It was locked in place above the artifice. He adjusted a dial on the side, and the bar moved forward until it fell off the front, clattering to the ground.

“If I can get it right, I can launch that bar at some absurd speeds.”

“So, you’ve invented a maglev and a rail gun,” Theo said, nodding with approval. “Nice.”

“Alright. Explain both of those to me.”

Theo was happy to explain both concepts. Throk had intended to use the device to make a carriage without a Karatan. One that followed tracks. Basically, he wanted to make a train. He didn’t have the words for what he wanted to make, but the alchemist was on board all the way. That just made the Marshling more excited.

“From here to Rivers, we’ll need some serious metal,” Throk said, unfurling a length of parchment. He’d already drawn up the plans. “Which means I need you to give me metal. And money. And more metal, because I came up with a way to feed motes to artifices automatically.”

Throk was full of surprises today. He showed how his hopper-tube system worked. According to the Marshling, he gained a skill that let him interface two or more artifice systems. One artifice could be programmed to do a number of things. First was to report that it was low on energy. So the operating artifice could send word back to a hopper that it needed motes. Those systems could be chained to a central system, but there was the problem. They’d need an absurd amount of pipes to make it work.

“How many men and how long. To get this thing rolling?” Theo asked.

“Not so fast, alchemist. You’re not very smart, are you?”

Theo shuffled his feet on the spot. “No need to be mean.”

Throk snorted a laugh. “Grow some thicker skin. We’re not jumping headlong into this one. We’re going to build a test. I just need permission to use the tract of land between Perg’s place and the harbor.”

“Permission granted.”

“I can have an example read for you real quick. Maybe today if I can figure out how to adapt this to a wooden carriage.”

“You’re going to use wood for the train car?”

“Here’s the problem,” Throk said, setting up his maglev example pieces. He placed the iron bar over it, allowing it to hover, then pressed down. It took little force to make the bar touch the rail. “Weight.”

Theo approached the experiment, resetting the iron bar. He saw a few other problems he would not mention to Throk. The alchemist tilted the device all the way on its side. The iron bar was locked in place, seeming to ignore physics. That was a good thing for this project.

“Alright. I want you to have an example ready whenever you can. We’ll pull everyone for this. It’s too cool not to do. After your example is ready, we’re going into full safety mode. I want to see impact tests, Throk. Send one of these bastards down a track at full speed. Ram it into a brick wall.”

A smile spread across Throk’s face. “Oh, I love it when you get all involved. Ziz already signed up, he’s already working on the track’s base.”

Theo nodded. This is what he wanted out of his citizens. Pushing forward on awesome projects like this without asking for approval. He realized this would replace Azrug’s carriage system to an extent, but those carriages normally held only supplies. They were too fast and too bumpy for regular people to enjoy. No, this new project was a money-making opportunity. Who wouldn’t pay a shiny silver coin to ride between the towns?

“Alright. Report directly to me when you’re ready. I’ll smooth everything over with my Lady Administrator.”

Throk snorted a laugh, then pushed past Theo without another word. The alchemist left the workshop, finding Alex picking through the sparse grass for bugs. She joined him as he headed back to the lab. Although he intended to work on his new potions, he arrived at the lab to find Salire ready with a list of things to work on. Miltar had put in a request. A massive request.

“You told him these were off-limits, right?” Theo asked.

There was a sign on the counter that read ‘We do NOT sell bombs’. Miltar had still requested them.

“He offered to pay an absurd price,” Salire said with a shrug.

Theo had never sold a bomb. He didn’t have a price to give for the bombs. But Salire had invented a price for the defensive-style bombs. Bombs like the [Freezebomb]. Miltar had offered 10 silver each. The alchemist rubbed his eyes until he saw spots, shifting and glowing in his vision.

“No. He’ll have to be happy with… the 1,000 other potions he ordered,” Theo said, grimacing. “He really ordered a thousand potions? Are you kidding?”

“He paid upfront. Outsider pricing,” Alise said, dumping a massive pile of gold onto the front desk.

“100 gold coins. You’re joking,” Theo said, pulling 10 coins to the side. He took the other 90 into his inventory.

“Yep. I’m a good salesgirl.”

“Damn right. Okay,” Theo said, freezing on the spot. “I need…”

“Reagents.”

“Right. Okay. Reagents,” Theo said, darting out the front door and behind the building. He saw his [Lesser Plant Golems] working.

Upon seeing the alchemist, the golems sent a mental message into the lodestone network. They were low on [Mana Constructs]. To the point where the [Lesser Copper Golem] had shut down earlier that morning. Theo hadn’t noticed.

“Damn, alright guys,” Theo said, adding more [Manashrooms] to his inventory. “Give me five minutes.”

Theo darted back into the shop, his inventory filled with everything he’d need to fulfill the request.

“How long is MIltar still in town?” Theo asked.

“Not sure,” Salire responded, falling back into her chair.

“I’m taking this with me,” Theo said, holding the order form up. “Alex, let’s go.”

Alex honked, joining Theo as he fell through the realms. The pair passed over the Bridge for only a moment. It was far more calm than it had been in the past. He caught a flash of something in the distance, over that shadowy bridge, but it seemed normal. The alchemist popped his shoes off the moment he landed in Tero’gal, feeling the soft grass under his feet. He didn’t hesitate, heading directly for his three stills.

An archway of stone and ice appeared near the wheat field. Theo had already put on his first batch of [Spiny Swamp Thistle Root] for the order of [Healing Pills]. Benton stepped from his realm, shaking ice from his shaggy coat. He stood there in the faux-sunlight for some time before approaching the alchemist.

“Been a hell of a few days,” the bear god said.

Alex honked in agreement, offering no words.

“Tell me about it,” Theo said, adjusting the heat on his stills. “Did your realm suffer from the weird ghosts?”

“Nothing I couldn’t handle,” Benton said. “We only had a few stray wraiths. I saw the chaos on the mortal plane, though. As far north as Gora Sat.”

Theo paused his work. Gora Sat was the name the Toora people used to describe their home. It was a mountain range north of Qavell. The alchemist was horrible at estimating distance, but that was at least a thousand miles away.

“They made it that far?” Theo asked. “They originated in Broken Tusk. My town.”

“Of course you were the source of the problem,” Benton said, clapping a hand on Theo’s back. “Why am I not surprised?”

“But you’re serious. They were at the World Spine?”

“Yep. Just a handful, but they caused some problems with my people.” Benton withdrew a stone chair from nowhere, setting it down on the ground with a thud. He sat, withdrawing a knife and a length of bone from his inventory.

“Did you help them?”

“Nope. New rules.”

A memory flashed in Theo’s mind. Uz’Xulven said something to that effect when he was almost assassinated. She said that she wouldn’t agree to a new set of rules. Now that was interesting.

“The gods got a system message, didn’t they? Someone changed the rules of how you can interact with the mortal world,” Theo said.

“Well, we can use a vessel to visit. It has to be our champion, and we pay a high price to do so. Godly resources, you know.”

Theo paused his work. Zarali had channeled the power of Drogramath to heal during the ghost attack. Was that considered channeling the god?

“Who set the new rules? Was it just the system?” Theo asked. But he already knew the answer.

“Yeah, some new guy. A brand new ascendant that the system called the Arbiter. It said he was always supposed to exist, and that he now enforced the rules of being a god.”

Theo tapped his finger on an empty vial. “Now that is interesting.”