The Newt and Demon - Book 5 Chapters 1,2,3 (Patreon)

Chapter 1

Tainted Soil

Waves lapped gently against the white marble pier below. Seabirds flitted overhead, joining their calls with the lapping waves. The salty scent of the ocean wafted with gusts from the bay. Sitting atop one of two towers, Theo Spencer looked out over the endless sprawl of water. It was only segmented by the chains of barrier islands, breaking some of the open ocean’s worst offerings. While the little port saw little traffic, a merchant’s ship was visible on the horizon. Flying the colors of Partopour.

Angry calls from the birds above signaled Alex’s sentinel position among the clouds. The goose had taken the sky like… a goose. Unsurprised, but still worried like a mother hen, he pushed off the wall. Breathing one last breath of the sea-driven air, the alchemist descended from the tower. Fishes of all kinds held near the pier. They pecked at the edge of barnacles and plant life, searching for food around the structure. Looking out along the long track of hewn marble, it was hard not to appreciate how many things had changed.

The Southlands Alliance was strong. What they lacked in manpower was made up for with weaponry. All three towns in the alliance were heavy with defensive weapons, all of which were magical. System-generated towers that could hold back waves of monsters, and artificer-built rail guns that delivered withering payloads. As ever, the walls of Broken Tusk held firm. Within those walls were an amalgam of peoples. Cat-folk from the Khahari Desert to the west. Elves from the solitary nation of Tarantham. Native Bantari and half-ogres, along with lizard-folk from the south and full-blooded ogres from the west.

And humans. One of the most curious races on Iaredin was the only race from Theo’s home world on Earth. The histories of this place were unclear on their arrival. They were soft, compared to the half-ogres. But more even-tempered than the marshlings. But one’s origin hardly mattered in the alliance. Sweat was the bread of the land, and merit was her butter. All were welcomed into the expanding alliance.

So long as they signed the contract.

Theo worked a lazy path over the pier, then into the harbor. He looked up at the weapons on the walls, then over to the shipwrights constructing the town’s future. It was the twenty-third day of the Season of Fire. A red letter day for any wishing to trade with foreign parties. The harbor would soon become crowded with folks looking to buy exotic goods. So the alchemist made his way out of the harbor. As far away from the bustle as possible.

“Let the administrators handle it,” he told himself, ducking through the eastern gate.

Azrug’s newest venture was visible from there. A large barn that sat to the north of the ranch. What a shame it would see little use after introducing the maglev train. The same train that he planned on sending over the ocean to the south. As always, Theo bit off more than he or his people could chew. But that’s the way they liked it.

Most people in town didn’t know why the undead scourge had broken off their assault. They were unaware of the secret war Fenian Feintleaf had fought against the king of Qavell. They were equally unaware of that king’s death, and the shifting of power that moved in the heavens. That thought sent a shiver down his spine, but he pushed through. The undead had left behind a taint on the land. The northernmost town in the alliance, Gronro-Dir, was contending with a plague.

The little bell above the door at the Newt and Demon rang. Theo stepped into the first floor, which was a shop, and waved to his assistant. Salire had known to leave him to his machinations. She nodded politely, then went back to counting her money. Since the representatives from Gronro had brought a sample of the soil, she hadn’t wanted to go to the third floor. If the alchemist was honest with himself, he didn’t want to.

“Alright.” Theo let his thoughts trail off, cracking the windows and organizing the lab. Rows of alchemy equipment, mostly large distillation stills, crowded the space. But in the corner, there was a single clay jar. Filled with dirt.

The shadows stirred near the room’s corner. A powerful frame emerged from the gloom, materializing to reveal the half-ogre Rowan. He rolled his shoulders, then pulled up a chair.

“Back to it, then.”

“Indeed.”

Even being near the soil put Theo’s stomach into knots. The ventilation hoods above head clicked on automatically as he cracked the jar, releasing the necromantic foulness into the lab. It burned their lungs and sent their stomachs churning. But the work needed to be done. The alchemist had only been working on the problem for a day, but he learned quite a lot.

“Let’s review…”

Rowan had proven to be a font of knowledge with all things necromancy. It was odd to consider at first. But his patron was the ogre god Baelthar. Ogres were known for one thing. Chaos.

Theo cleared his throat and went over what they knew. Power permeated every corner of the world. It was the raw form of energy that was typically linked with a patron god. In Broken Tusk, the realms of Tero’gal and Grodul’harak were king. Those two realms belonged to Theo and Tresk, and Drogramath. Everything within the area was soaked in that power. From the rocks, to the dungeons. It all had the scent of those two realms on it. When the undead moved from their resting place in Gardreth, they had brought with them the stain of Balkor. The taint of Hoi’ch.

Power didn’t dissipate quickly, though. And the energy that soaked into the lands was not strictly raw power. It was processed, then crapped out by the rolling hordes of the undead. When raw [Refined Hallow Ground Essence] was dripped onto the soil, it reacted. Only slightly, but it was noticeable. Theo performed a demonstration on an isolated sample. Both men nodded, already knowing the effects.

“Sarisa is working with Zarali and Xol’sa on the problem,” Rowan said. His complexion looked more green than red today. Theo imagined his own face looked similarly putrid. “No progress.”

Theo returned the lid to the clay jar, swallowing hard. He had tried to take it into his inventory, but that only made the effects worse. “Not even a Priest of Spit can banish it. I imagine even Glantheir’s followers would have trouble.”

Rowan grunted a response, tapping his finger on a length of parchment. It contained all the effects that Theo could craft into potions. The problem was, all the anti-undead [Hallow Ground] potions destroyed undead. Not what they left behind. He jabbed his finger into the parchment. “What about this one?”

Theo didn’t have a chance to respond. His Wisdom of the Soul ability popped.

[Wisdom of the Soul]

[Mana Seep] is a property that transfers mana from one target to another. Your understanding of the property isn’t great enough to know the efficacy. Combining the [Mana Seep] property with the [Absorb Magic] might have an effect on the tainted soil.

“Wisdom says maybe not,” Theo said, slumping in his chair.

“Screw this.” Rowan stood suddenly. “Let’s go for a walk.”

Theo didn’t need a written invitation to leave the jar behind. He joined with the half-ogre, stopping briefly to chat with Salire. She wanted the jar gone as soon as possible. Working around it was horrible. No one disagreed.

Near the town’s center there was a pillar of black stone. Slightly off from there was a pulsating portal. Xol’sa’s contribution to the adventurers of the town was always appreciated. Theo and Rowan stepped through, finding themselves flung through reality and into the wizard’s tower. Conversation from the floors above filtered down, echoing off the stone. A single candle burned nearby, casting the interior in a pale orange glow. The men ascended the stairs to find the wizard and his betrothed in deep conversation.

“Any progress?” Theo asked.

“From the look on your face, I’d say we’re about even,” the wizard responded with a sharp laugh.

Compared to when he was injured, Xol’sa was doing great. With his vigor restored, so was his heart. Zarali was the sister of the man who originally owned Theo’s body. A man who now rested in a heavenly realm, working hard on the problem just the same as them all. Theo collapsed into a comfortable armchair, letting the conversation wash over him. He searched his memory for anything useful, letting Wisdom messages enter his vision occasionally.

Of course, the wizard’s theories were more refined. Not everyone thought like an alchemist. Xol’sa approached it as a problem of magic. Something to be dispelled or transferred to another place. Zarali saw it as a matter for the patrons. Something those heavenly beings could siphon away in an instant. As they spoke, Theo withdrew some salt from his inventory. It was an industry that had been taken away from him due to inaction.

“You know,” he said, interrupting the conversation. “Some cultures on Earth thought that salt banished evil.”

“Salting the earth sounds like a good way to kill all the plants.” Zarali laughed, shooting her adopted brother a sly smile.

Theo responded with a hum. At some point, Xol’sa made everyone some moss tea and served it. Unlike the stuff Xam made, it was completely unsweetened. Those earthy notes that the tea was known for came out in force. He brewed it strong and without sweeteners. It was an acquired taste. As was everyone’s habit of burning fires in the middle of this world’s Summer. Or not running their magical air conditioners. The tower was sweltering today.

The conversation shifted to alchemical solutions, demanding Theo’s attention.

“Once again, the problem is with the [Hallow Ground] property. My assumption is that the answer will come by creating a hybrid plant, then binding those hybrid properties with a suffuse potion.”

“The question remains. Which properties?” Rowan wasn’t asking a question. He was repeating a question that had lingered on both their minds since they started.

Reagent hybridization was an unknown method to the alchemist. Something he had only discovered accidentally. But there was a skill he could take soon, which would let him force the hybridization of the plants. That just brought the same question back around again. Which plants? Going from his experience, he would likely try the wheat from Earth first. Whenever a powerful being screwed with his life, they left behind clues from him to solve problems. It was as though they predicted everything. But instead of fixing it themselves, they left it to him to fix.

The conversation shifted yet again. There was only so much the group could handle before they wandered off.

“So, the wedding,” Zarali said, placing her hands in her lap and leaning in. “You’re officiating it, aren’t you Theo?”

“Of course. Any idea when you wanted to do it?”

“Not yet,” Xol’sa answered. “We’re concerned about the celebration in Rivers. We want the day to be special. Not overshadowed by ‌Treason Day.”

Theo couldn’t contain his laugh. He had forgotten, or wanted to forget, that his people wanted to make a new holiday. The name they picked for it was typical of the region. No tone of seriousness for their independence. The administration staff was working with the new mayor of Rivers and Daub to kick off the festivities. Since Gronro-Dir didn’t need to defend the northern border so much, they were free to attend. They planned to tie the party in with the opening of the maglev. A fitting time to celebrate.

“We should invite everyone.” Theo had been excited to see the wedding come together from the moment he was told about it. Love in the swamp was hard. Harder still when it was between a demon and an extra-planar elf. “Oh, I forgot. There’s a trader coming to dock at the port.”

Both Xol’sa and Zarali sprung up, shocked expressions on their faces. “No! All the good stuff is going to be gone!”

Without another word, they darted off. Rowan remained where he was, shifting the illusory tie around his neck. “They’re too high-energy lately,” he said.

“Agreed. We’ll break for now. I need some time with my thoughts.”

Rowan just nodded, then rose from his chair. He descended the stairs at a leisurely pace, then through the portal. Theo was left among the trappings of a wizard. Alchemy equipment, magical devices, and curios of all sorts littered the tower. While there were adventurers who passed through this place often, there was never a risk of theft. Not with those handy contracts in place. Although the town had grown to over five-hundred people, it was still small enough that everyone knew everyone.

Theo climbed to the roof of the tower, looking out over the [Swamp Dungeon] in the distance. He smiled as he saw adventurers training in the swamp. They fought with giant turtles, goblins, and wolves. He was reminded of the gristly wolf meat stew he enjoyed when he first arrived in town. The way the flavors did nothing to mingle together brought a strange sense of nostalgia. He left the tower, walking the streets of his town.

Mudball Fundamental was fuller than it had ever been. Children played in the yard. The operator, Bob, had organized the children into a hierarchy. The older ones managed the younger ones. Chaos was the result. Theo smiled as he watched the children battle each other with sticks. Mud was tossed at every opportunity. Broglings were small, but when needed Bob whipped the kids into shape. Mostly through verbal warnings, which always carried an undertone of malice. His instruction was borne from the patron Zaul, a shadowy figure in the Prime Pantheon.

“A moment of your time.” A voice came from behind Theo, carrying with it the warm sands of the Khahari.

The alchemist spun, finding one of their cat-person residents, Zan’kir, grinning a fanged grin. “What’s up? Care for a walk?”

“A walk would be lovely.”

They headed off, onto the main road that headed north. Before the Khahari said anything, they were passing by the sprawling neighborhoods of the town. Every day, there were more houses that popped up there. All to prepare for the good ship Wavecrest to return.

“I was speaking with the commander about this,” Zan’kir started. Theo had never seen him choose his words so carefully. “He sent me to ask you.”

“So, ask.”

North of the sprawling, crowded neighborhood were the homes of adventurers. Tresk had named it Stabby Groves, and no one seemed to want to change it. The cluster of buildings along the road had grown over the days, but not by much. Folks wanted to live crowded together, not on the fringes. Quick access to the shops and services was likely the cause.

“I want to form a new unit,” Zan’kir said after a while. “And I want to be the commander of the unit.”

“What would this unit do?”

“They would manage the automated and manually fired weapons of the alliance. There is a hole in your strategy, archduke. You cannot leave this matter to the administration. They do not understand combat.”

That was true. Alise and her people often stepped on the toes of the military. “Good idea. You need to come up with a good name, though.”

“Sandscourge Company,” Zan’kir said instantly. He had been thinking about that for a while.

“Ding! Good name.” Theo laughed, patting the man on the shoulder. “Where do you sit in the command chain?”

“Just under Aarok.”

That was fine. The more weapons they made to defend themselves, the harder it was to keep track of everything. Theo had learned early that he should defer to professionals. Since Zan’kir was a double-agent for Khahar, he must have been good at managing things. He also had a kid, which meant he was used to dealing with short-tempered folk like the half-ogres. Because half-ogres could often act like children.

They ironed out the details of the position as they walked through the town. Up the slow rise toward the quarry, then back again through Stabby Groves. Over the farmer’s hill, and back into the town proper. Theo created a new lord position, and made the Khahari sign another contract. By the end, Zan’kir was now the Lord Commander of the Sandscourge Company. As expected, he got to work right away. Darting off like an excited child with a new toy.

“Now,” Theo said, cracking his knuckles. “Time for some serious alchemy.”

Chapter 2

Procession of Souls

None of the areas within Tero’gal were named. Despite the residents' relatively long time here, they just hadn’t bothered. Theo soaked his feet in the cool waters of a lake that spanned as far as he could see. The nameless lake was a refuge within the realm, providing some much needed solitude away from the demands of the town. He had even dodged Benton on his way here. All that remained was the rustling of leaves nearby, and the gentle gurgle of a nearby stream.

Resting in his palm was a sample of [Wheat]. Magically generated, or magically transported to this place, the crop had always taunted Theo. A reminder of the old world, or a helping hand in the new one. It was always impossible to tell which it was. There were versions of the plant grown here, but the system recognized those as [Ansatari Wheat]. But this sample was unchanged by the world. Protected in the realm, it had remained as it was on Earth.

When the alchemist broke the reagent down with his [Reagent Deconstruction] ability, the results didn’t surprise him. Neither did the Wisdom notification. He pinched the stalk between his fingers, twirling it as he inspected the item’s description.

[Wheat]

[Alchemy Ingredient] [Food]

Common

A common plant often milled into flour.

Properties:

[Healing] [Regeneration] [Sow]

The [Sow] property was what he needed. Even without the helpful windows, he knew it would impart the land with the [Hallow Ground] effect. Yet he remained by the lake. Alone with his thoughts. He wished he could see through the realms as proficiently as his companion, Tresk. But he knew even she couldn’t see what their friend Fenian was up to. If he needed help, he was on his own. The swarthy elf could take care of himself. Right?

“Ah, there you are.”

The familiar voice came with the padding of spectral feet over soft ground. Belgar came to sit next to Theo, lowering himself onto a rock and offering a faded smile. It was the soul of his body’s original inhabitant. By the day, his form was more complete. But it was still transparent. The features weren’t right, either. The man was making a new form for himself.

“I’ll toss you a gold coin if you tell me what you’re thinking about,” the spirit said.

“I tried not to think about it. But we were right about the wheat.” Theo held up the reagent to punctuate his words.

“Now we need to brew it,” Belgar said, clapping a hand on his back. “You’re not always this dour, are you?”

“Not always,” Theo said, pushing himself to his feet. “You’re right. This is exciting. I’m excited.”

Belgar grabbed Theo by the shoulders and shook him. “Exciting! Let’s walk back to the village.”

The places between the vast lake and the village the spirits had built was vast. It wasn’t a distance that a person would normally walk. But both time and distance meant different things in a realm. The journey went by in what felt like moments. But the duo had covered a vast distance by foot. They passed through rolling hills, jagged ravines, and other picturesque landscapes. All to find themselves among the wandering spirits of the realms. Refugees of the void.

Each spirit that passed the master of the realm waved with excitement. By the day, they were becoming more solid. More a part of Tero’gal. But the few pieces of equipment Theo had brought from the mortal realm weren’t great. Four stills, old and underperforming compared to those high-tech things waiting for him back in the lab. But they would do just fine for a quick experiment.

Belgar was already preparing the minimum run for the stills. 10 units of the [Wheat] went into a still, along with an equal measure of [Enchanted Water]. They had enough [Refined Hallow Ground Essence] to drown the sea at this point, so it wasn’t required to make more. The fumes from the distillation smelled right. This felt like the path he needed to take to purge the tainted soil.

“We’re talking truly industrial levels of the potion here,” Theo said. “Ten thousand units of cheese, wheat, and enchanted water. Might even push a fourth tier potion if we try.”

Belgar drummed his fingers on the hot still, not seeming to notice it should have burned him. “Your lab has the capacity. But how long will the suffuse potions take to bake?”

Theo chuckled. That was a good way to put it. All suffuse potions needed time to ‘cook.’ The time required for them to complete varied depending on the rarity of the ingredients. Truffles, cheese, and wheat weren’t the rarest things the alchemist had worked with. “Shouldn’t be bad. I’ll brew them on the mortal plane, then let them steep here.”

Time really was difficult to understand in Tero’gal. Originally, the [Tero’gal Dreampassage] ability let him visit the realm for twelve hours. Now it was something like eighteen to twenty hours. Still, only five minutes passed on the mortal plane. That brought with it a confusing sense of disorientation that was always impossible to shake. Enough hours slipped away from Theo’s grasp for the distillation to complete. There were no complications with the [Refined Sow Essence] and nothing to note about the item itself.

Belgar watched with pride as Theo forced his mana into two vials of essence, breaking them down into their primal version. The next step was to take the powdered essence and introduce it to a solution with the [Suffuse Potion]. If the essences didn’t work together, the potion would simply explode. But as the alchemist introduced both the [Primal Sow Essence] and the [Primal Hallow Ground Essence] to the mix, they bound without issue. He then stepped back, cocking an eyebrow.

“Huh. It feels like they’ll only take a few hours to combine.” Theo leaned close, tapping the side of the flask. “I’m still concerned about industrial production.”

A sense of deep cold shivered through the realm. Theo flinched at first, then turned expectantly. An archway of icy stone rose from the ground. It filled itself with a pane of clear ice before the massive form of Benton, the Toora God of Winter and Death stepped through. As always, he had a fanged smile on his face and a booming belly laugh of standby.

“Tried to dodge me!” he shouted, his laugh carrying throughout the entire realm. “You know I wouldn’t let you get away without my sweets.”

“I was busy.”

“Busy busy busy. He’s always busy,” Benton said, slapping Theo hard enough on the back to send him tumbling forward. “Come on. Tea time.”

Benton always made the best tea. His scones were equally delicious. Despite his title as the God of Winter and Death, he was the sweetest person Theo knew. He had learned that the title was mostly related to the seasons and had little to do with killing people. People that died in snow storms often found themselves in his realm. The toora set up his kettle in the small cottage and got to brewing tea.

“I guess your plan worked,” Benton said. “What few souls have entered my realm talk about a new star rising. Well, I guess he’s an old star.”

Theo nodded. That was always going to be the end of Fenian’s journey. “Balkor,” he said, pausing for a moment. “I’m not sure what I think about it. I had a hand in resurrecting the Demon God of Necromancy.”

“Life to life, death to undeath,” Belgar said, nodding. His eyes were locked on the brewing kettle. Everyone loved Benton’s tea.

“That’s an old saying.” Benton noticed the confused expression on Theo’s face. “Necromancy is neither good nor evil. It’s a natural force.”

“Seems like a lie to me. Considering the corrupted soil north of my alliance.”

“Consider this,” Benton swirled the tea kettle, spilling a small amount onto the ground through the spout. He didn’t move to clean it up. “The necromantic energy left behind by Balkor didn’t go anywhere. It remained in the ruined kingdom.”

“It was bound to escape,” Belgar said.

“Fenian just pushed forward the schedule?” Theo asked, clicking his tongue. “I think it’s more likely he intentionally spread the energy, then expected me to clean it up.”

“You are cleaning it up, aren’t you?” Benton asked, raising one furry brow.

“That’s besides the point.” Theo gestured to the empty section of table in front of him. “And where’s my scones? I’m addicted, Benton. You need to provide me with the object I desire.”

The bear god laughed, then plucked a wicker basket out of the air. He set it on the table, uncovering the delicious treasure within. Theo went straight for the lemon-flavored ones, setting it before him and licking his lips. His opinion of Fenian’s actions didn’t matter. There was a job to do, and he would do it.

“Enough posturing,” Belgar said, snatching a treat of his own. “How is your realm, Benton?”

“Oh! The domes are done. Everyone was very excited to get out of the cold. But we realized something. They need the cold to survive.”

“That’s irony. Right?” Theo asked.

“Uh… No,” Belgar said. “That just sucks.”

There were unwritten rules in Tero’gal’s cottage. Conversations about ‘work’ were to be kept to a minimum. Tea was always to be served. If sweet treats were available, they were to be provided to everyone gathered. And if the Arbiter showed up, everyone was required to play poker. Theo didn’t write the rules, he just followed them. The conversation that followed strayed further from business by the moment. Until the group was sharing stories about their old lives.

Theo, Belgar, and Benton all had something in common. They had died. Theo’s old body was destroyed by his planet’s sun before he was rescued by a benevolent being. Belgar fell off a cliff, and no one knows what happened to his body after that. Benton gave up his mortal body to ascend to the heavens, claiming a new realm as his own. They were a triumvirate of weird individuals.

Hours rolled on as they drank tea, ate sweets, and talked about nothing at all. These were times where Theo was at his best. Neither alchemist noticed when the potion outside completed. They didn’t even realize it until Benton had left to return to his realm.

“That’s a lovely surprise!” Belgar said. “Good guess.”

Theo inspected the potion, nodding with approval.

[Hallow the Soil]

[Potion]

Epic

Created by: Theo Spencer

Grade: Good Quality

Alignment:

Drogramath (Middling Bond)

Purify any naturally occurring soil of all alignment-based befoulment.

This was big. Theo’s first thought was that he would need to hybridize plants to make this work. But that was a skill outside of his reach. Instead, his research into suffuse potions had proven fruitful. There were still problems about the scale of production. There were thousands of miles of land that needed to be scoured clean. Without a way to deliver the potion without getting his people sick, it was impossible to carry out the task.

Belgar chatted for a while, trying to come up with good ideas. Theo wasn’t certain any of them would work. He suggested everything from launching the potions from catapults, to strapping tanks to trained wolves. The only idea that appealed to the alchemist was the airship. And that was a way off.

“Alright,” Theo said. “Fingers crossed. I’m going to return to Broken Tusk to test the potion.”

Belgar formed a cross with either pointer finger, grinning and nodding with excitement. “They’re crossed!”

Theo let himself drift through the realms before he could correct the excited dronon. The scene swirled before his eyes, smearing for a moment before dragging into darkness. A familiar pull tugged at his ankles, and he let it take him. The Queen of the Bridge of Shadows was attempting to interdict him through the realms. Shadows swirled where darkness once was. Until a bridge appeared. It spanned in either direction forever. Dotted with pale gray lights, washing everything in monochrome, the Bridge was always intimidating. Moreso today, thanks to the procession of faceless figures that marched over the shadows.

Theo landed among those people. None looked up at him. They all marched on, each step falling at the same time. A shiver ran down the alchemist’s spine as the shadows gathered, revealing little of Uz’Xulven’s form.

“You don’t call. You don’t write! Theo, I thought we were allies.”

Uz’Xulven always had a monotone voice to match her monochrome world. But today, there was a tone of forced excitement in her voice.

“What’s up?”

“Just some information. Fenian succeeded in his task. He has assumed the throne.”

“Where’s the hidden ‘but?’”

“But he’s dying.”

Theo let his mind spiral outward. Fenian wouldn’t have engaged Karasan if he couldn’t win. No mortal wounds could have killed him. The elf was packed to the gills with enough healing potions to support an army. There was only one thing he could think of. Betrayal. Balkor must have performed a soul slaying after he came back, forcing the elven duelist on his knees. Yeah, there were a lot of gods that wanted him on their side.

“Can you take something to him? Something created on the mortal plane?”

“Of course!”

From his inventory, Theo withdrew a [Reforge Soul] potion. It would remake the elf’s soul from the ground up, removing all wounds Balkor could have inflicted. The recovery time wasn’t good. And it hurt like hell. “Slip this to him if you can,” the alchemist said, holding the potion out.

A shadowy hand reached out, plucking the potion. “Oh, you’re devious. Think Balkor smote his soul?”

“There’s no way Karasan got the better of him. So, yeah. Since Drogramath didn’t help me when I asked, I’m assuming gods can’t or won’t cure a soul slaying.”

“You’re correct. We won’t. Against the new rules.”

“Hmmm.” Theo turned his attention outward, back to the mortal realm. “I need to go.”

“Wait! Don’t you want to know about these dapper individuals?” Uz’Xulven asked.

This was the part where Theo normally left without another word. He didn’t like Uz’Xulven, but there was an opportunity. When a patron formed their realm, they did so specifically. Each realm was partly a reflection of their personality. But it was also a specialized thing, meant to accomplish a specific goal. The Bridge had been created to literally bridge the realms, giving people access to both the heavenly realms and the mortal plane. Instead of hurtling through the void like Theo did, they could cross the Bridge. This was great for souls who were stuck in the void, or headed to their eternal resting place. But recent developments made it less useful. Which represented an opportunity.

“Who are they?”

“I’m so glad you asked. Recently slain mortals without a realm to call their own. Balkor is causing a stink, so they have nowhere to go. Hmmm, I wonder if there’s a realm that could benefit from a sudden influx of souls.”

“Are you sending them to Tero’gal?”

“Oh, I could.”

“Is there a price?”

“Ah, well. Hold on.” Even under the mask of shadows, Theo could see her screwing her face up. “I did that in the wrong order. You were supposed to trade the souls for the potion.”

Theo shrugged. “Then our business is done, Uz’Xulven.” He paused for a long moment as his thoughts spread through adjacent realms. “Something is going to happen, isn’t it? A war?”

Uz’Xulven laughed, politely covering her mouth. Even though no one could see her mouth through the shadows. “Sharp as ever. Another ascendancy war, if you can believe it. We’re hoping for your support in the coming conflict.”

“I don’t involve myself in wars.”

“What if war comes to your doorstep?”

“Then we’ll respond.”

“Good enough! Oh, I’ve wanted to do this for a while. What with how you constantly leave while I’m talking,” Uz’Xulven said, letting out a contented sigh. “Begone.”

Theo felt something snatch at his midsection, then hurl him through the realms. He broke through the membrane of reality near the void’s edge, then continued to fall until he saw the mortal realm. It took more effort than he would care to admit to steer himself in the right direction, but Tresk provided an excellent anchor point. Moments later, he snapped back into the mortal realm with a faint pop.

“Oh!” Tresk let out a surprised sound. “Thought you were going back to where you came.”

Theo was standing knee-deep in mud. He grimaced, looking out over the vast swamp. “Ugh, what are you doing out here?”

“Patrol day!” Tresk said, hugging Theo’s mid-section. She left behind a mud stain. “How did it go?”

“We have a potion.”

“Oh, sweet! Let’s get back to town. Watch your step, I think there’s some turtles under here.”

Something clamped onto the alchemist’s toe and shook its head. As he pitched over, falling face-first into the mud, he cursed the name of the Queen of the Bridge of Shadows.

Chapter 3

Cheese King

The lab in the Newt and Demon was getting worse by the moment. Theo had battled his way back to town, fighting against the sucking mud and biting turtles. Covered in mud, he dumped a vial of [Cleansing Scrub] over himself before entering. Salire had gone somewhere, likely attempting to avoid the constant sensation of illness brought by the soil.

“That stuff is very gross,” Tresk said. She went to pinch her nose, but realized she didn’t have one. “Dang lizard face.”

“I’m thinking this potion isn’t strong enough to do all of Qavell,” Theo said, dumping out a sample of the soil. “But it should get us started.”

The alchemist tipped the vial, allowing some of the liquid inside to coat the soil. Running through the sample were seams of green. The potion soaked into those streaks immediately, glowing with golden power. Looking closely, he could see the battle within the dirt. The necromantic energy fought against the [Hallow the Soil] potion for control. But the potion did its work well, scouring the entire sample clean.

“Woohoo!” Tresk shouted, pumping her fist. “Do the big one next.”

Theo dumped the entire potion into the clay jar, then shielded his eyes. Golden light filled the lab, bringing with it a strange mixture of scents. The potion itself had a pleasant smell that he couldn’t pin down. Something like freshly laundered clothes. The soil had a foul stench, like rotting meat left out in the sun to bake. While the mixture was unpleasant, it didn’t last long. The potion cleansed the soil, leaving behind nothing but regular dirt. His stomach immediately unknotted itself, leaving behind only the faintest sense of unease.

“We’ll need to produce this in massive quantities. Do you know where Salire went off to?”

“Nope.”

“Okay. Perfect.” Theo eyed his stills, then sent his thoughts out to his lodestone network.

The golems working his pop-up farm had collected a massive amount of Earth’s wheat. He sent an order for them to march over to the lab, bringing as much as they could carry. Once the order was sent, he turned on the spot and headed out of the lab. Tresk followed behind, but went her own way once they were outside. Her duties to the stealther squads in town were absolute, and she did good work. Their scouting was vital to the town’s safety.

“Miana,” Theo called from the edge of a wooden paddock.

The half-ogre was grooming one of her many karatan charges. She waved happily, stood up from her stool and jogged over to the fence. “Yeah?”

“How much [Karatan Cheese] do you have?”

Miana held a knowing grin on her face. She leaned in over the fence, pressing her finger into Theo’s chest. “You’re going to ask me for a Theo amount of cheese, aren’t you? Is this official business, or have you just developed a taste?”

“I’m always official. Mister official over here.”

“How many units?”

“No less than a thousand.”

Miana grimaced. “You’re going to cause a shortage.”

“No other option. We’re talking about the undead here.”

Miana gestured back to her herd of Karatan. The horrific bug-cow hybrids were something Theo would never get used to. “I only have so much livestock. Isn’t that trader from Partopour here?”

“Does he have cheese?”

“I don’t think so.”

“Then I need your cheese. Give me the cheese.”

Miana sighed. “Fine. I’ll see what I can do. For the sake of your alliance, huh?”

Theo shook his head. She was still dealing with some stuff. Unlike most people in town, she was put in a horrific position. When the town was founded, she was held hostage. Forced to keep it at a low level. All for Theo’s sake, and all at the hands of Yuri. Well, Yuri never admitted it was him. But the writing was on the wall. When it came time to settle up for the cost of the cheese, he overpaid her by a considerable amount. Then he pretended not to hear her protests as he walked away with thousands of units of delicious cheese.

“Maybe I will start a cheese empire,” Theo giggled to himself. “Build a nice cheese tower.”

Creating the [Hallow the Soil] potions wasn’t really an issue. Theo consulted a map of the region in his mind on his way back to the Newt and Demon. He had difficulty estimating the square miles he would need to cover in the Southland Alliance’s lands. The number ballooned to absurd heights when he considered the places between the alliance and Qavell’s capital. He had crafted thousands of potions in the past. But none of those projects were this massive. Or this vital.

The bell above the door rang as Theo stepped into the shop. Salire was behind the counter, looking far more energetic than before.

“The smell is gone!”

“Indeed it is. I found a solution to the corruption problem, but…”

“But we need a lot? I figured.”

The alchemist’s apprentice was getting the hang of everything. But she was still locked into performing first tier reactions, and hadn’t shown as quick of advancement as him. She was still invaluable in the lab, though. Only Tresk had been able to handle the volatile materials before, and she was always too busy. The duo headed for the third floor, breathing in clean air for the first time in a day.

“My sanctum is restored,” Theo said, letting out a contented breath.

Salire giggled. “So, what’s the plan?”

“The only way we can get the Suffuse property is from cheese.” Theo removed a wheel of [Veostian Karatan Cheese]. “That’s a massive problem. Especially with the undead headed west. We can’t import ten-thousand units of the cheese if the place that’s known for it is gone.”

A dark thought made itself known on Salire’s face. Theo cleared his throat. “Not that I’m certain the undead are going for Veosta. Just a guess.”

“More than a guess, I’d bet,” Salire muttered.

“Right. So, the underground. Has Azrug given it a name?”

Salire shrugged.

“There’s a lot of reagents down there. Mostly mushrooms. We can cultivate mushrooms, so I need to know everything they have there.”

Salire brightened up at that comment. She withdrew an assortment of reagents, then set them out on the table. Theo tried to hide the prideful look on his face. His apprentice had taken the initiative while he was busy, likely heading down into the underground to collect reagents. None of the first properties were revealed to the alchemist, but the half-ogre went through them one-by-one. None had the properties he was looking for.

“So, here’s what we’re going to do.” Theo held the first wheel of cheese over a still. He crumbled it in his hands, letting the pieces fall onto the cold Drogramathi Iron below. “We’ll brew all of these, and I’ll check each reagent with [Reagent Deconstruction]. Sounds good?”

“Right!”

The lab was quickly filled with stifling heat. Salire turned on the artifice air conditioner, but it was a losing battle. Theo prepared the stills and set them to work. Then he turned his attention to the ten reagents resting on the table. He went through them, applying his mana to deconstruct them. As expected, there were reagents that had some of the same properties as plants on the surface. The [Lifeshroom] had all the same properties as the [Spiny Swamp Thistle Root]. One sample was just an uncultivated [Manashroom].

A mushroom at the end of the line felt promising. Unlike most mushrooms Theo had encountered, this one was as hard as stone. He could break sections of it off with his alchemically inert knife, but otherwise it would need to be ground with the grinder artifice. As the alchemist deconstructed the reagent, revealing all three properties, he rubbed his hands together.

“There it is.”

Salire was adjusting the heating settings on the stills. She spun around, nearly brushing against one. “Found it?”

“Yep.” Theo held up the [Dragon Talon Mushroom] for inspection.

[Dragon Talon Mushroom]

[Alchemy Ingredient]

Rare

This mushroom resembles the claw of a dragon and is inedible.

Properties:

[Hone Edge] [Distortion] [Limited Foresight] [Suffuse]

There were no new properties on the mushroom. Theo had to push himself to reveal the hidden fourth property, but he found it. Now it was only a matter of having the space in his mushroom cave to house them. After that, they would have an infinite source of the property. Once the reagent was cultivated, the yield would be even better than his cheese method.

“Perfect!” Salire shouted, clapping with excitement.

“Yeah, we might actually get our industrial production going. How rare is the mushroom in the underground?”

“Pretty rare.”

“All right. Watch the stills, I need to tend to the mushroom caves.”

Behind the building were a cluster of buildings. To the left of those were two entrances that went underground. A [Lesser Plant Golem] was coming up from the first [Mycology Cave], carrying an armful of [Azrug’s Mushrooms] with it. Each cave was at level 25, and Theo was certain he could push them to 30 without a problem. There might be problems pushing them any further, though. Both the alliance and the town itself needed upgrades. But that was incredibly expensive.

Broken Tusk was currently at [Massive Town] status. Theo was certain the next upgrade would require them to become a [Tiny Town]. The upgrade path went tiny, small, none, large, and massive. ‘None’ meant there was no prefix, so it just appeared as ‘Town,’ or ‘City.’ If the Wavecrest returned from Tarantham, they might have another fifty citizens. Not nearly enough to meet the requirement of a city.

It was one of those things. To get more people, he wanted to clear the way north of Gronro. To do that, he needed to upgrade his buildings. And of course, to upgrade his buildings he needed more people. It seemed like an endless cycle, but the alchemist pushed that thought out of his mind. It was time to upgrade both caves to 30, and reorganize their contents.

Theo shoved Monster Cores into the first building, expanding the interior as he went. When the new upgrade option came up, he read it thoroughly.

[Tero’gal Empowerment]

Latent energy, aligned with the Dreamrealm of Tero’gal, will be drawn from the air to enhance your mushrooms. Energy density affects growth rate, cultivation yield, and nutrient usage.

“Aren’t we double-dipping?”

The caves already had [Drogramath Empowerment]. That upgrade was already amazing for enhancing growth rate. And now he could do it again with his own realm? Perhaps one day a [Khahak Empowerment] upgrade would appear, allowing him to dip even further into the overpowered patron features. For now, he was happy enough to select the upgrade. Theo did the same thing for the second cave, then inspected one as a sample.

[Mycology Cave]

[Shortcut to Mushrooms]

Owners: Theo Spencer

Faction: [Southlands Alliance]

Level: 30 (15%)

Expansions:

[Spontaneous Spores]

[Deep Beds]

[Drogramath Empowerment]

[Rapid Growth]

[Untamed Cultivation]

[Tero’gal Empowerment]

Of course the upgrade was amazing. But the space within was the thing the alchemist was after. He entered the first cave, and noted how far it had expanded. Then it was a matter of organizing the existing mushrooms, which mostly involved a difficult choice. Both [Swamp Truffles] and [Manashrooms] were vital to his operations. He tapped his foot on the soft ground for a while before throwing his hands up in frustration.

“I need them both!”

Theo stomped out of the cave, then followed a straight path east. Once the harbor was in view, he cracked his knuckles and nodded to himself. With any luck, the traders from Partopour would have seed cores. They would likely charge him an absurd price, but he needed all his mushrooms growing. There was no other option.

As expected, the harbor was packed. Theo spotted Merchant Lord Miltar hawking his wares under a banner. Citizens from Broken Tusk bustled in the open-air market, tossing coins at products as though it was their final days. The alchemist shoved through them, finding his way to the shouting merchant.

“Archduke!” Miltar shouted with excitement. He then performed a deep bow. “I didn’t think we’d see you on this trip.”

“Been busy,” Theo said, having to raise his voice above the loud crowd. “I need some seed cores.”

“Come! Board my ship. We’ll discuss this in my cabin where it isn’t so LOUD!”

Theo followed the human trader onboard. The deck of the ship was massive compared to the trading vessels they were producing. Near the raised section where the wheel was, there was a door. The pair ducked inside, and the constant roll of loud conversation died in an instant.

“Ah. That’s better,” Miltar said, slumping slightly.

The room was spartan. There was a bed in one corner, and a large desk and chair dominating the center. The interior was lit by crystals that hung in ornate lanterns. A small black box hummed in the corner.

“[Mycology Cave] seed cores, if you have them,” Theo said.

“Ah, I might have some,” Miltar said, pulling random items out of his inventory. “You know, I’ve heard the strangest rumor.”

“Uh-huh. What’s that?”

“The undead are moving off!”

Theo nodded, watching as the man withdrew a carved wooden duck. “And they’ve left behind a serious problem. Tainted soil. The entire continent will be uninhabitable before long.”

“Unless you do something about it. Right?” Miltar smiled a blinding smile. “Anyway, I have a single [Mycology Cave Seed Core]. Fifty gold.”

Theo folded his arms. That wasn’t a horrible price. He could get it from Fenian for fifteen to twenty-five gold, and expected to be gouged within an inch of his life. “Sounds good. Oh, do you have any illusory necklaces? The ones that change your clothes.”

“Fresh out. I have a coat, if you want it.”

The heat within the cabin was awful. The padded gambeson Theo was forced to wear for safety was bad enough. Why would he want a coat of all things? “Not sure if you’ve noticed, but we’re in a swamp.”

“Oh, but this is no ordinary coat,” Miltar said, withdrawing a jet-black coat from his inventory. He swished it through the air, shaking the material out.

The coat was sized to the approximate height of a half-ogre. Or a dronon. Two sets of buttons ran the length vertically, and a large hood was attached to the collar. As cool as the thing looked, it also looked very hot.

“Inspect it,” Miltar said, noting Theo’s hesitation.

Theo did so.

[Coat of Rake]

[Leather Coat]

Epic

This coat once belonged to a mysterious dark-elf. He was said to live in a moon.

Effect:

The wearer of this cloak will have the [Extreme Comfort] status.

The first attack made against the wearer, per day, will be completely absorbed.

All attacks made while the wearer’s feet are not on the ground deal bonus damage.

“Please note, the [Regulated] status relates to a person’s body temperature. I have a ring that does the same thing.”

Theo took the coat into his hands, feeling the material. It seemed to be made of leather, but was supple. It was also stylish enough for him, although he was never one for fashion. He gave the trader a flat look. “How much?”

“This is a priceless artifact.”

“It’s only epic. A fair amount of my gear is already epic.”

“Ah, but does it make you comfortable? Also, note how the back end of the coat is split near the middle. Room for your tail. Tell you what. I’ll sell you the seed and the coat for seventy-five gold.”

That was robbery, of course. Theo was used to getting his gear for free, or at cost. But the [Coat of Rake] wasn’t just good for keeping him cool. It had the [Minor Foresight] effect on the second property, and an interesting effect as the third property. He hadn’t tried aerobatic combat yet, but this could be useful. When his feet weren’t touching the ground, this item would take effect. Otherwise his [Leather Boots of the Defiler] would be in play. The cost wouldn’t even drain his funds completely. Alchemy had been making money constantly, even if the town wasn’t doing so well.

“Sixty. Remembering that I’m the archduke.”

“Oh, the old ‘I’m the leader of this place so you’ll cut me a deal’ play? Alright, alright. I like it.” Miltar rubbed his hands together. “How about forty and a crate of your anti-undead potions.”

“How many is a crate?”

“Call it fifty.”

Theo reached out a hand. “Deal.”

Miltar shook Theo’s hand, then let go of the coat. The trader withdrew the seed core and handed it over. The alchemist took out his mid-tier [Hallow Ground Potions] and handed those over, along with the gold.

“I love when business goes well,” Miltar sighed.

“On a serious note,” Theo said, tapping his finger on the desk. “How is Partopour viewing the undead threat?”

“We’re unconcerned at the moment.”

“What if I told you that I was almost certain the undead were moving west? Toward Veosta, and perhaps Tarantham?”

“Well, that might raise our level of concern.”

“What about the fact that they can traverse the sea?”

“Ding! Higher. Anything else?”

Theo considered how much information he should include. “Balkor is alive.”

“Oh,” Miltar blinked a few times. The smile faded from his face. “How many potions can you spare?”

“I’m not producing the world’s supply of [Hallow Ground]. Doesn’t Partopour have alchemists? Any specialists in distillation?”

“We have a guild. There certainly aren’t any Drogramathi alchemists.”

Theo had to think about this for a moment before he acted. A part of him wanted to hold onto all of his secrets. Isn’t that why Belgar died? Isn’t that why Drogramath’s dronon were on the brink of extinction? There was no way that [Hallow Ground] could be used against the innocent. The [Experience Boost] property was dangerous, but it wouldn’t kill anyone. The alchemist withdrew a length of parchment and began scribbling.

“These are instructions on how to distill the [Swamp Truffle] into [Hallow Ground Essence]. I’m including warnings to only brew the first tier version. It should be strong enough.” Theo then withdrew a cultivated [Swamp Truffle] from his inventory, setting it on the table. “And a sample for your people to seed in a [Mycology Cave].”

“How much?” Miltar asked.

Theo didn’t care how much he was paid for the recipe. If the other nations didn’t prepare themselves for the undead, there wouldn’t be a soul left to trade with. “Free with a caveat.”

“Oh?”

“Spread the recipe to Bantein, the Khahari Desert—wherever. I have a bad feeling about the undead. I think we’re just getting started.”