The Newt and Demon - Book 5 Chapters 16,17,18 (Patreon)

Chapter 16

Tram Ride

Theo squinted against the horizon. Wind whipped at his face, sending tears welling in his eyes. Those tears were pulled away by the force of the wind as the alchemist rode the tram. He sat crowded with other citizens of Broken Tusk, intent on seeing Rivers and Daub. Tresk held on with both hands, gritting her teeth and cursing the entire ride. When the train pulled into the station, everyone on board breathed a collective sigh of relief.

“Screw that thing!” Tresk shouted, jumping out of the tram.

Theo found his legs in time, stumbling out of the train and onto the wooden platform. Music sounded in the distance, and there were people partying outside of the town. Trevas Parn, the newly elected mayor of Rivers and Daub, approached the train with a beer in either hand.

“Archduke!” he shouted, laughing as Theo and Tresk stumbled off of the platform and onto the firm ground. He shoved a beer in each of their hands. “Welcome to Rivers! To Treason Day!”

“Thank you, Duke Parn,” Theo said, wobbling on the spot. He sipped his mug of beer, nodding with approval. It was the local brew, something similar enough to mead for him to enjoy. “Things are already starting, huh?”

“Indeed, they are. And you must be Tresk… Oh, she’s gone,” Trevas said, scanning the area. Tresk had vanished, off to scout the town. “Shall I give you the tour?”

“Lead on.”

Rivers and Daub had seen a substantial change. Theo’s heart twanged with recognition as they entered the town, following a path along the river. The town was named as it was because it was originally two towns. On one side was Rivers. On the other, Daub. They had combined into a single town at some point. In recent memory, they were run by Alran Cherman. A corrupt man who only had an interest in lining his pockets. Broken Tusk had put him to better use, under threat of death.

Now the town thrived.

“You’ll remember this side of town from last time,” Trevas said with a chuckle.

The duke gestured to stacked rows of buildings. The last time Theo was here for a tour, they were the slums of the town. Each building had looked like burned-out shanties. Filth was strewn along the streets, and citizens lived in horrid conditions. Trevas had transformed the area into a beautiful, verdant garden of well-maintained houses and cheerful people. Little gardens, filled with local flowers and saplings dotted the area.

“This is amazing,” Theo said. “How did you manage it in such a short time?”

“We get a subsidy from the alliance,” Trevas laughed. “Thought you would have known about that. We turned the slums into free housing. The only catch is that citizens who take advantage of the housing need a job with the town.”

Theo walked the renewed streets, nodding at everything with approval.

“This place looks clean,” Tresk said, speaking into Theo’s mind. “He’s not hiding the slums anywhere.”

The slums were on the western side of the city. Almost everywhere around Rivers and Daub were low, rolling plains. This made construction easy, both for seed core buildings and manually built ones. A group of citizens danced by, singing a song and sipping from filled tankards of mead. The alchemist watched with a smile as they passed by.

“We’re taking advantage of the port in Broken Tusk,” Trevas said, gaining Theo’s attention. “Happy to pay the fee, of course. Rivers and Daub hasn’t sold this much produce in ages.”

“Funny how that works,” Theo said, continuing his tour throughout the western district. It was almost entirely housing on this side. Farms stretched far into the distance at the town’s edge, and the alchemist realized how much Trevas had expanded that operation. “When we were connected to Qavell, we barely sold anything. Now that we’re cut off, we’re making a fortune.”

“Well, also remember…” Trevas trailed off, smacking his lips as he thought. “Qavell provided more food for the world than you would think. Especially local produce, such as Qavelli Berries and Ansari Wheat.”

“Interesting.”

Once the tour of the western district was done, Trevas led Theo to the eastern district. This was the original seat of corruption in Rivers and Daub. They had emulated the merchant chairs from Qavell, resulting in a vampiric relationship between the merchants and the citizens. The buildings here were all much better quality, despite the recent renovations. All the town’s artisans, merchants, and nobles were housed here.

“I’m sure you read the reports,” Trevas said, shifting uncomfortably on the cobbled road. “But this was a grim place only weeks ago.”

Theo had glossed over those reports. “What happened?”

“Oh. Well… You see, the merchant lords wouldn’t give up their seats. So, Alran… Well, he disposed of them.”

“Long live the revolution,” Theo muttered, pushing on with his tour.

The repeated cycle of destruction and rebirth present in this world had always stuck out to Theo. He didn’t like it. It reminded him of the way things had gone back on Earth. Only, they never got to experience the rebirth part of that equation. They got to enjoy a long line of destruction, with no hope of recovery. While he hoped Khahar had some grand plan to make things right, he realigned his thoughts on the present.

Trevas finished his tour at the town hall, inviting Theo inside for some tea. They had something in common, at least. The duke of Rivers and Daub had administrators covering the day’s events, leaving him free to worry about other things. They sat in a well-furnished room with the window cracked open. Rivers had yet to adopt the air conditioner technology used in Broken Tusk, resulting in a sweltering interior. At least they had [Cleansing Scrub].

“I hope you’re enjoying your position as mayor. And duke.”

“I have seen little about the ‘duke’ part.” Trevas laughed, sipping his tea. “But, yes. I’m enjoying my position as mayor.”

The duo chatted for some time. Theo could feel Sarisa and Rowan somewhere in the shadows nearby. Tresk was scouring the northern reaches of the town, desperate to find something that implicated Trevas as a traitor to the alliance. But no matter how long she searched, even with the help of Alex in the sky above, she couldn’t find anything.

“How has the corruption been?” Theo asked, moving on to his third cup of tea. He didn’t care much for mead.

“It’s not great,” Trevas said. “But I know our brothers and sisters in Gronro have it worse. So we don’t complain.”

Theo pushed himself out of the comfortable chair, pulling his coat closer. “Show me.”

Trevas led the way through the town. The streets were now thick with people celebrating the holiday. Most were already drunk, although it wasn’t even noon. Those that remained sober were on guard duty, keeping an eye out for any troublemakers. In Theo’s administration interface, he had seen notes made by Alise to give the guards in Broken Tusk a day of their own. They were taking the celebrations in shifts.

“Just up near the northern stretches,” Trevas said, drawing labored breaths as they walked. “We’ve had several people complain about illnesses related to the corruption. The farmers burned one field, but nothing major.”

The ground changed to a vile shade of green near the northern gate. Theo could feel the necromantic energy emanating from the ground. Even standing still, he could feel it spreading by the moment. If left untreated, the rot would spread to all corners of the continent before long.

“This is worse than I expected,” Theo said, kneeling to inspect the befouled soil.

“I was told you were working on a treatment,” Trevas said, fidgeting with his hands nervously.

Theo withdrew a barrel of the [Hallow the Soil] potion from his inventory. It fell to the ground with a loud thunk. He popped the lid, scooping a two-unit sample size with a flask and dripped it on the ground. Like the [Cleansing Scrub] potion, the ground exploded with light. From the point where he splashed it, the potion worked its way out. Perhaps a foot in each direction. Two halms, by the local measurements. He made a note of that in his mind, and continued to spread the potion. Trevas watched in amazement as the corruption was banished from his town.

“I didn’t know you had finished the potion,” the duke said, gawking.

“Yeah, take this,” Theo said, producing a flask and holding it out. “We’ll purge it from the town, then work our way out.”

The archduke and the duke worked together, scooping up small amounts of the potion and spreading it on the soil. Ripples of light rolled through the landscape as they worked. A small, rowdy crowd gathered nearby as the pair worked. One among them had a stringed instrument, and began playing and singing an improvised tune. Trevas went red in the face as they worked, but within a few hours the corruption was beaten back beyond the town’s border.

“I’m leaving this with you,” Theo said, patting the half-empty barrel of [Hallow the Soil]. “Just keep the corruption at bay for now. We’re working on a way to disperse the potion over a wide area.”

“Thank you,” Trevas said, clapping a hand on the alchemist’s back. “This calls for celebration!”

Of course, the celebrations had already started on the streets of Rivers and Daub. The citizens didn’t need the duke’s permission to drink, lighting fires, and sing in the streets. Theo was left with a feeling of accomplishment as he watched those people celebrate. But he was also left with a realization. This region, the middle of the southern edge of the continent, was the last enclave of Qavelli culture left. Gronro to the north had a harder edge to them like the dwarves, while Broken Tusk to the south held a unique blend of ogre, marshling, and human cultures.

Theo found himself in the thick of the celebration. He desperately searched for a theme. The Dying of the Blooms festival had a contest and everything. The Embers holiday devolved into dancing around bonfires and drinking far too much. Although he had his complaints about the specific themes of the holiday, the alchemist joined with his people around the fires. He even spotted some of his administrators dancing around a fire, and spied Alise singing a song to Nira.

“What a sight,” Theo said, turning away from the festivities to find a quiet corner. He slumped against a stone wall, sensing Rowan coming forth from the shadows.

“Big party,” the half-ogre grunted.

“I thought there would be more to it.”

“Some people need to release their frustrations. No reason to stop them.”

Theo nodded, watching as a pair of humans tumbled down some stairs. He allowed his mindset to shift. Away from a taskmaster and toward an enjoyer of parties. Celebrations were never something he was interested in on Earth, but he saw the value in them here. Citizens of the alliance lost themselves around those bonfires. As they danced, their troubles seemed to melt away. Perhaps that was due to the titanic quantity of booze they had, but still. It hardly seemed to matter at the moment.

Rowan and Theo roamed the party, finding no common theme between the various roads and alleys of the town. The alchemist found that he liked this celebration more than the last festival. It was free of constraints, allowing those participating to express themselves however they wanted. That allowed him to melt into the background as an observer, rather than a participant.

Lining the bank of the river were people. They cheered, and jeered, as something happened in the waters below. Theo watched them throw coins on the ground, betting on whatever was happening. He angled his way through the crowd, pushing to the river’s edge. Standing on a single log were two figures. Tresk and Grogrog Stormfist, the duke of Gronro-Dir, were rolling a log. Each had a tankard of mead in their hand, and were chugging it as though their lives depended on it. When either person finished their drink, the crowd would shout a number before tossing them another sloshing mug.

Theo withdrew a cold coin from his inventory, tossing it down onto the ground. Like the others around him, he shouted his bet. “One gold on the angry lizard!”

Tresk shot Theo a look, but chugged her beer even faster. The battle raged on for minutes, each participant downing a seemingly endless supply of booze. The alchemist cheered the entire time, certain that his champion would falter at any moment. The marshling wasn’t great at holding her liquor, and he could sense her flagging more by the moment. Keeping the log in place was a feat unto itself, so the spectacle was worth the price of admission.

“She’s faltering,” Rowan said, gesturing toward Tresk.

The little marshling had indeed lost her balance for a moment. Through their connection, Theo could feel her mind fading away from the task. The mead was taking its hold on her, dulling the edges of her senses. Before long, she wouldn’t have the coordination to stay upright. That prediction only took a few minutes to come to fruition. Tresk pitched over the edge, yelping as she splashed into the cold river water below.

“Never challenge a dwarf to a drinking contest!” Grot shouted, returning to his chugging. He took a deep breath. “Who's next!?”

Another challenger jumped onto the log, but quickly found themselves in the river. Theo sensed that Tresk had retreated to their private realm to recover, but was too busy cheering for more challengers to care. Minutes later the marshling appeared at his side, cracking her knuckles.

“I’m gonna do it again.”

Theo left the log competition, finding similar contests going on throughout the town. Perhaps that was the soul of their new hybrid holiday. Lighting fires and testing each other’s strength with interesting battles. The least interesting thing he witnessed was a fire-jumping contest. Guards within Rivers and Daub refused to allow folks to spread embers throughout the streets. The result was pathetic fires that anyone could jump over.

The guards within the town were an interesting sight. Before the alliance had formed, Theo thought of them as weak. But Aarok was building them up to be more than anyone could have imagined. No longer able to rely on the protective curtain of the crown, they were now subjected to the same training as everyone else. Their willingness to change in the face of a threat was inspiring.

Falling into a steady rhythm of watching people party, and inspecting the infrastructure of the town, Theo made his way through the festivities.

Chapter 17

Purge

Tresk groaned, rolling and falling out of her bed. “Ugh. My head.”

The poor marshling crawled along the ground, finding a spot in the room where the sun wasn’t shining. Theo threw his legs over the edge of his bed, watching the poor creature curl into a ball. She went too hard yesterday. No matter how many times Grot beat her on the log, she kept trying. While she expected the Dreamwalk to cure her hangover, it just didn’t happen.

“Too bad I never found sanchrin,” Theo said, finding a bucket to place near his companion. “You should retreat to Tero’gal.”

Alex honked, flapping her wings in agreement.

“Good idea,” Tresk groaned. Then she vanished on the spot, set to return in about five minutes.

Theo went down for breakfast, finding Xol’sa and Zarali already eating. He found a seat and looked over the spread that Sarisa and Rowan had gotten from Xam’s tavern. She was smart enough to know that people would search for greasy food. Sausages, oil-fried pozwa eggs, and a strange hangover cure that contained mostly fire salamander egg shells. The alchemist passed on the cure, going instead for a plate filled with sausages.

“Our Theo is wise enough to know,” Xol’sa said, jabbing his finger into the air. “A leader never gets too drunk.”

“He has an aversion to drinking,” Zarali said. She poked at the sausages on her plate. “Be nice.”

“I was mostly interested in how far Rivers had come.” Theo took a small bite of a sausage, finding the flavor to be explosive. Whisper had a secret blend of spices she wouldn’t reveal to anyone, no matter how much they begged. “Their new duke is doing well.”

The conversation rolled on, mostly falling on pleasant topics. Both Zarali and Xol’sa had seen Tresk competing in the log-rolling contest. Both agreed it was foolish to challenge a dwarf to drinking. After the conversation died, resulting in a temporary wave of silence in the dining room, Tresk thundered down the stairs. She snatched several things from the table. After shoving them down her throat, she darted out of the building without a word.

None seated at the table saw this as odd.

After chatting for a while, Theo left the manor and headed off to the lab. Salire wasn’t there, which likely meant she was hung over from the night before. The alchemist rummaged through her notes down in the shop, finding that there were several orders in for restoration potions. A quick thought to his lodestone network, and his plant golems were carrying supplies upstairs for him.

Theo designated three of his stills toward the production of restoration potions. He would use the remaining seven to create [Greater Hallow the Ground] potions. He ground [Spiny Swamp Thistle Roots], [Manashrooms], and [Moss Nettle] into three stills. The golems came in part-way through the process, bringing enough supplies to bolster his emptied stocks. While the new crop of [Dragon Talon Mushrooms] weren’t cultivated to their fullest, they were close enough for this batch of [Suffuse Potions].

By the time Theo got most of the ingredients ground and the stills boiling, Salire stumbled into the lab. She had dark circles under her eyes, and pulled away from any source of light.

“There’s a cure for hangovers,” Theo said, finishing the last of his stills. He moved to the far side of the room, cranking his air conditioner to full.

“Why haven’t you brewed it?” Salire grumbled, walking like a zombie throughout the room. She was looking for something.

“I’d need a sample of the sanchrin plant.”

“Do we have any [Fire Salamander Eggs]?”

“You’re after that half-ogre hangover cure, aren’t you? Xam is serving it.”

Salire’s hooded gaze scraped over the room, landing flatly on Theo. “Be right back.”

Theo laughed to himself, then double-checked his stills. They were all set on automatic runs, which wouldn’t require his attention. The three restoration essences were distilling straight into barrels, while the [Refined Suffuse Essence] would go directly into the building’s storage. The alchemist once again turned his attention to the lodestone network, closing his eyes to probe the strength of his willpower. When he had first attached the network to Tero’gal, the connection was tenuous. But as the days rolled on, that connection grew more stable.

“Time for an upgrade,” Theo said, ordering his army of plant golems to the back of the lab. He assembled piles of vegetation as he waited for them.

The strength of the golem’s connection to Tero’gal had grown to a point where he was confident they could all be upgraded. He turned each [Lesser Plant Golem] into a [Plant Golem], watching with satisfaction each time they assembled themselves. The second tier golems were stronger, faster, and more intelligent thanks to their higher-level cores. While he had made no improvements to their containment core, the monster core upgrade was enough.

The alchemist returned to the lab to find Salire crunching on raw salamander eggs. He excused himself, making his way to Throk’s workshop. The angry marshling was there, working on one of his hover engines.

“This right here,” Throk said without even turning around. “Is a small version of my power condenser.”

Theo spotted the device. It was a small, glowing artifice packed into a Drogramathi Iron cage. He could feel it sucking ambient power in from the surrounding air. Throk didn’t stop there, though. He turned, holding another device in his hands. It was a metal frame that seemed perfectly shaped to fit the alchemist’s mana slates.

“I already tested this with a discarded mana construct of yours,” Throk said, holding it out for Theo to inspect. “The siphon should charge your construct, allowing your golems to operate for longer periods of time. The recharging will degrade the constructs, so they’ll need to be changed… weekly? I don’t know.”

“Excellent work,” Theo said, taking the artifice from Throk. “I was just working on my golems.”

“Well, they’re doing good work out in the field.” Throk sighed. “Folks like the wheat you’re growing. And I know those copper golems have done good work in the mine.”

“How many of these can you produce?” Theo asked.

“I’ll give you a trickle. Gearing up for full-scale production on my remote sprayer platform.”

That was exciting. Judging by the Tworgnothi Copper cables laying around the workshop, Throk had taken Theo’s advice on controlling the airship remotely. That project was turning out to be more of a floating platform that sprayed potions from up high, but it didn’t need to operate at a high altitude. If the airship-thing was controlled remotely, there was no risk that the operator would get sick from the necromantic taint.

“How are your normal sprayers operating in Gronro? Are they doing well?”

“They’ve been doing fine,” Throk said, waving Theo’s concerns away. “Not enough moving parts for magical interference.”

“Next question. What do you think about the ambient necromantic mana lingering in the air? Is that going to reinfect the land once we’ve purged it?”

“We’re in triage mode.” Throk banged a wrench against the side of some machine. It kicked to life, humming in the workshop’s corner. “Better to focus our efforts on one thing at a time.”

Theo knew that was true, but couldn’t help himself. He understood a bit more about the way that power leaking from realms worked. Like a newly born star, the resurrected realm of Balkor would have been bright in the night’s sky. As the he chatted with Throk, the alchemist summoned a [Plant Golem] for testing.

“Oh, you’re going to do it here? In my lab?”

“Why not?”

“I don’t know. What if it explodes?”

Theo regarded his golem, thinking about that possibility. The containment core should have been strong enough to prevent the thing from exploding. That was the most over-engineered part of the golems, after all. Since all the power passed through that containment core, there shouldn’t have been an issue. Throk was too used to the alchemist’s promises of ‘no explosions,’ forcing him to take the golem outside for testing.

“We’re replacing the siphon system, and the mana system,” Theo said, urging the golem to kneel to his level. “Unlike an artifice, we don’t have to wire this manually. Everything should just work.”

“Let’s hope so.”

Theo withdrew the crude mana construct from the golem’s chest. It sagged, large sections of decaying vegetation sloughing off in sheets. He jammed Throk’s new condenser into the thing’s chest before slotting his old mana construct into the new battery device. While the old mana construct needed an upgrade, this wasn’t the time. The alchemist was happy enough to get this one step completed. With everything inside the golem, he sent a mental command for it to awaken.

The golem drew the various pieces of vegetation into itself. It swelled as visible motes of mana drew inward, seeding the creature’s mana construct with power. Moments later, it moved, searching for commands from the lodestone network.

“That worked. Shockingly,” Theo said, inspecting the golem. Everything seemed to function, but the amount of power it drew from the air was low. “The only part I have to work on is the mana construct in your battery system.”

“You could always use my coins,” Throk shrugged. “Or a plate of Drogramathi Iron, maybe? Well, we would have to worry about discharge rates…”

Throk had some ideas on how to make that part of the golems better, but Theo’s mind centered on one fact. The golems should have been immune to the power of Balkor. If anyone needed to go out into the area north of Gronro, they could. The fleeting thought that his golems could act as massive siphons, removing energy from the air, left his mind as quickly as it entered. The necromantic magic that ruined the land was mana-based, not power-based. The difference was subtle, but mana was refined power. And Throk’s new artifices accepted power, not mana.

Theo was once again reminded that this was a problem for another time. Instead of fretting about it, he inspected his new golem and made plans to go to Gronro-Dir today.

[Plant Golem]

[Alchemy Construct]

Level 20

Plant Golems excel at tending to the natural world, while also having mild combat capabilities.

Containment Core: [Alchemically Treated Drogramathi Iron Cage]

Monster Core: [Fald Scrier] (Level 20)

Medium: [Plant Matter]

Alchemy Slates: [Mana Construct]

Power System: [Tworgnothi Copper Battery]

Siphon System: [Tworgnothi Copper Siphon Artifice]

Additional Modifications: None

After chatting with Throk for a bit, Theo left to head to the lab. Despite their industrial production of the [Greater Hallow the Soil] potion, he didn’t have the confidence he expected. This was the cure to heal the land, but they needed so much. The quantity required was staggering, and the more he thought about it the more he wanted another solution. But like the old marshling said, there was only so much they could do. The Southlands Alliance needed to focus their efforts on what they could change now. Like, right now. The folks in Gronro had it the worst, so immediate action was required.

The alchemist stuffed Drogramathi Iron bars into his inventory, soaking a construct tablet with [Fire Essence] as Salire watched him work. Theo double-checked his supplies before opening his administration interface, creating a new note. Alise would be mad if he didn’t tell her he was headed to Gronro to work on the corruption problem.

“You sure you don’t want to come?” Theo asked, packing a few last-minute things away into his inventory.

“I’m certain,” Salire said, laughing nervously. “Someone has to watch the stills. Right?”

Theo only nodded his response. Maybe it was time to upgrade the lab again. But more alchemy equipment didn’t mean more potions. The lab was at its capacity based on supply, rather than production. It didn’t take long for Alise to sign off on the trip to Gronro-Dir. Everyone in town had been worried about the town, although they didn’t express it. That problem was a shadow hanging over everyone.

“Ready?” Theo asked, waiting and watching the shadows. Moments later, Rowan and Sarisa emerged. They nodded in unison.

“I’m coming, too,” Alex said from afar. Theo could sense her circling overhead.

“Can you keep up?”

“We’ll see.”

The journey to Gronro-Dir would have taken days, if not weeks, on foot. Throk’s absurdly fast tram made the trip possible in an hour or two, depending on factors the marshling wouldn’t explain. Theo reflected on the lack of fixed rail systems in this world as he made his way to the platform. He would put money on the fact that Bantein and Partopour had something similar, if not another transportation system entirely. Tarantham seemed too stuffy to embrace such things, though.

Theo and his assistants climbed into the train car, strapping themselves in with a surly-looking dwarf. The attendant at the station waited for the all-clear, then sent the cart hurtling down the track. Opening one’s eyes and looking directly forward was a recipe for disaster. The alchemist kept his eyes shut tight as the landscape whipped by, preventing his eyeballs from drying out in an instant. No conversation could occur during the trip. The passengers listened to the sound of wind rushing by, and the occasional hum of the cart as it shot up a hill.

When the tram finally pulled into the Gronro station, all passengers disembarked on shaking legs. Theo felt the oppressive presence of the necromantic energy swirling around him in an instant. The guards near the main gate looked pale, almost sickly. Even the sky above glowed with an eerie green hue. Grot waved at the group from the gates, a smile painting his face.

“Welcome, archduke!” he shouted, seemingly unaffected by the foul air. Theo felt sick to his stomach.

“Duke Stormfist,” Theo said, bowing his head slightly. “Sorry for the unannounced visit. I wanted to see the stain of Balkor myself.”

“Look around.” Grot’s face darkened slightly. “The mountain itself screams in agony.”

Gronro was at a considerably higher elevation compared to both Rivers and Broken Tusk. Nestled between two mountain ranges, the town had been the ideal spot to stop the undead’s advancement. Grot had held Murder Passage the entire time, never losing a soldier during the fight. But now the people were flagging. Balkor had left behind a befoulment that would continue unless they intervened.

“Off to the wall,” Theo muttered, clapping his hand on Grot’s shoulder as he went. “Is everyone holding up?”

“Only just. We’re taking it in shifts. Folks get sick. They run down to the Tusk to get some rest, then return when they’re ready.”

“I don’t envy your position.” Theo watched a group of slumped soldiers as they passed. Whatever this sickness was, it ran deep. The alchemist paused as they passed by the town’s monolith. “That doesn’t look like Broken Tusk’s monolith.”

“No, the one in your town is weird,” Grot said, standing next to the root-like structure of his monolith. Broken Tusk’s crystalline monolith looked as though it could be made of onyx, or obsidian. The one here in Gronro appeared more like a tangle of roots, formed into the shape of a pillar with little blue fruiting crystals on the knotted surface.

The town’s seed core felt weaker than Broken Tusk’s version. With what little magical sense he had, Theo reached out and felt the composition of the seed core. It wasn’t low-leveled. A Level 20 seed core town should have flooded his weak senses with an errant will. But there was almost nothing behind the town. If he tried, the alchemist could pierce through the thing’s will and dominate it. That wouldn’t bring anything, positive or negative.

“Strange,” Theo said, moving off from the town’s center.

The northern walls were completely abandoned. Theo and his assistants ascended the battlements, peering over the edge to the endless expanse of undeath. Piles of skeletons created mounds almost as tall as the walls in the distance. The narrow bridge had been cleared, but the ravines below must have been filled with Balkor’s leavings. Everything was soaked in the necromantic energy. Even the stones beneath their feet.

“I’m worried the energy is going to soak into your town seed core,” Theo said.

“If it hasn’t already,” Grot laughed, regaining some of his humor.

The alchemist withdrew a barrel of his [Greater Hallow the Soil] potion in a barrel. He produced a flask, dipping it into the solution and splashing it on the ground. The effect was immediate and violent. Light soaked into the stones, washing across half of the northern wall to scour it clean. In a flash, all those on the wall breathed in fresh air. The color returned to Grot’s face.

“That’s something else,” the dwarf said, kneeling to inspect the stones.

Theo thought back to his experiments in Rivers. He used the same amount of potion to cover the same amount of area, gaining the same result. This meant that the potion didn’t care how foul the ground was. If it was only slightly tainted, or corrupted absolutely it would clear it away.

“We can cover the entire town today. Then some of the corruption outside of the northern gate,” Theo said, licking his lips. Despite his expectations for fortitude, his stomach was twisting in on itself. Being so close to the corruption made him want to vomit. “I might have something else, too.”

Sarisa, Rowan, and Grot all grabbed flasks and joined with the alchemist. The purged Balkor from Gronro over the course of hours. Those pale-faced soldiers in the town regained their composure the moment the town was cleared.

“It worked.” Theo breathed a sigh of relief.

Grot slapped him hard on the back, laughing. “Was there ever any doubt?”

Theo declined to answer, turning his attention to the area north of town.

Chapter 18

Clearing the Way

Ripples of pure white light washed over the bridge outside of Gronro. Theo worked with his companions to drive Balkor’s influence back, sending the befouling necromantic magic retreating into the mountains. The alchemist reserved half a barrel of [Greater Hallow the Soil] for the southern section of town, but intended to scrub as much of the northern section clean as possible. Destroying the source was more important than addressing the residual energy.

Theo stepped over the bridge, approaching a pile of skeletal remains cautiously. The pile of bones seethed with more of the demon god’s power, and the potion didn’t affect it. “I don’t think these skeletons are dead.”

“Can skeletons die?” Rowan grumbled, releasing a single arrow into the pile. It didn’t move.

Grot approached the pile, then dug through it with abandon. “We hit some skeletons with conventional means.” The dwarf withdrew a skull with glowing green eyes from the pile. It chattered, emitting a low, whispering moan. “Yeah. It’s still ‘alive.’”

“Back in the pile,” Theo commanded, watching as the dwarven duke complied.

Once the skull was back in the pile, Theo tossed a [Hallow Ground Bomb]. He watched with satisfaction as the pile of bones lit up with white flames. After a few minutes of burning, every undead within the heap was truly dead. The souls that were trapped within the skeletons were sent into the void, where they would find their way to their new homes. That might have been Balkor’s realm, or another god entirely. It was hard to say.

The group got back to work, clearing piles and curing the land. Theo pulled Sarisa aside as they worked. A thought had been lingering in his mind since they started their work that day. “I have two ideas.”

“Here we go,” Sarisa said, smiling.

“The town’s core is weak. I can ward it with my newest ward easily. That would create a safe bubble around the town.”

“And the second idea?”

Theo splashed some [Greater Hallow the Soil] potion on the ground. He watched the wave of light wash over the ground. “I can overlay my realm over the town. That was my first idea when we got here. Before I felt how weak the town’s core was.”

Sarisa’s amused expression shifted to concern. “You can do that? Would that do anything?”

It was worth experimenting with things like this. Theo planned on warding the town, rather than overlapping his realm here. But any avenue of power was worth pursuing, so it was important to consider it.

“It would remove Balkor’s influence entirely. But I’m not confident I could do the entire town.”

“Then go with the ward. No need to stir up a demon god.”

Theo nodded, getting back to work. He let that reckless part of himself fall away, favoring something that would protect the town rather than bolster his own confidence. As he worked around the craggy area, he constructed a new ward in his mind. Combining both concepts of anti-undead essences, and magic repulsion, he could create a linked ward that did a bit of both. Thanks to his [Detect Adverse Magic] trigger, the spell was easy enough to craft.

The group finished their work, meeting back at the gates to observe the changed area. The haze of green that lingered in the air had been banished. When they breathed in the air, it felt crisp and pure. Of course, Grot withdrew a barrel of stale-smelling beer from his inventory. Theo politely had a mug, but refused another. The guards within the town poured out into the cleaned area, kicking off an impromptu celebration. Of course, the alchemist had more work to do.

Theo felt Alex flying overhead. She might have been confident that she could keep up, but that proved not to be the case. After hours of work in Gronro, she caught up. He could feel her exhaustion from the flight, and beckoned her to land.

“I cannot fly fast,” Alex spoke into Theo’s mind.

“I can see that,” Theo said, watching as the goose sagged on the spot. “You can ride the train back home. We’ll leave as soon as I finish here.”

“Thank you.”

Taking a seated position near the town’s core, Theo got to work on his newest spell. Sarisa seemed interested, kneeling nearby and watching him work. The moment he pressed his willpower against the town, he felt it fall away. There was virtual no defense against his probing, which made sense. He wasn’t casting a negative effect on the town. The spell he wove was two parts, requiring him to chug a few [Mana Potions] while he cast. First, he layered the concept of the [Deflect Magic] ward he had created before.

[Deflect Magic]

[Advanced Ward]

Creates a reactive barrier that impedes all foreign magical energy from entering the bubble.

Trigger:

Detect Adverse Magic

Duration:

5 days.

Theo linked another ward to that one, binding it together with his [Linked Wards] ability. The result was a ward that bound the effects of [Deflect Magic] and [Hallow Ground] together. He inspected the resulting ward after weaving them together.

[Deflect Necromantic Magic]

[Advanced Ward] [Linked Ward

Creates a reactive barrier that banishes all undead-aligned magic.

Trigger:

Detect Adverse Magic

Duration:

5 days.

It only took a few moments for the ward to activate. A silver barrier sprung up from the town’s seed core, spreading out over the town in an instant. It encompassed the entire town, bringing with it shouts of surprise and awe from the citizens. Theo slipped to one side, tripping over his own feet. Sarisa was there to catch him.

“Took a lot out of you.”

Theo nodded. It took something more than mana to create the ward. And he wasn’t done. The alchemist went back to his sitting position, withdrawing supplies from his inventory. He placed a pile of [Drogramathi Iron Ingots] on the ground, then got to work binding a new [Monster Core] to a containment core. He tossed the core onto his pile of metal, then his [Fire Construct]. It erupted in flames, melting the iron instantly. The [Drogramathi Iron Golem] rose, the black-purple metal glittering in the afternoon sun.

“One more experiment,” Theo said, channeling the same ward he used on the town onto the golem. It was much easier to brand the hulking metal golem, and the barrier sprung up immediately. “He’s a walking undead cleaner.”

The golem regarded Theo without expression. It was a blank slate, waiting for orders. The alchemist withdrew two more things. A lodestone to bind his will to, and a [Mana Construct] to power the golem while it worked. This wasn’t the ideal plan. The alchemist had wanted a golem that would walk around, sucking up the ambient energy in the air. But for now, he could set the golem to scour the landscape while he wasn’t in town.

As with most things, there wasn’t one solution that would fix the corruption problem. It was a long list of things he needed to do. The most important thing was to change and adapt as they went. Balkor’s energy was a living thing. There was no reason to assume it wouldn’t shift to meet the alchemist’s measures. Perhaps that meant it would double down, growing more powerful and resistant to the [Hallow Ground Potions]. Or maybe the undead would return.

“That’s something,” Sarisa said, looking up at the golem. As with all the second-tier golems, it was huge. Unnecessarily so. “What’s he gonna do? Guard the town?”

“An undead cleaner,” Theo repeated, driving the base of his lodestone into the ground. “He’ll wander around, clearing the mountains while we’re not here. And if I link him to Tero’gal’s will…”

Theo had to focus hard on the lodestone. He added a fraction of his willpower to the stone before linking it to his realm. He felt a thread of connection spear through the void, then into Tero’gal. Distantly, he felt the power of his lodestone network in Broken Tusk falter. That network should have been smart enough to release one golem from its control, making way for this new one.

“I can tell what he’s doing,” Theo finished, looking up at his creation with pride. He wove a series of instructions into the lodestone. The golem would walk around the mountains, clearing away the corruption with the ward. It would return to town when low on power and report back if it found anything odd.

The hulking golem lumbered away, drawing a crowd from the locals as it went. Before long, Grot came asking about the intimidating thing. Theo explained it, and the duke seemed happy enough. These were the three means the alchemist intended to use to clear the town of corruption. Golem sentinels, undead-clearing potions, and town-sized wards. It was a lot for one man to do, but he was up for the challenge.

“Can you find your way back to Broken Tusk?” Theo asked. Sarisa’s face took on a look of confusion. “I’m headed to my realm. From there, I can jump to wherever Tresk is.”

“Oh. Uh… Can you bring me along?”

“Me, too?” Rowan asked, approaching in a drunken stupor.

Theo shrugged. “Grab the goose, Rowan. Sarisa, take my hand.”

Rowan scooped Alex up, nuzzling his face into her plumage. Sarisa grabbed Theo’s hand tightly. She was clammy, meaning she was nervous. Most people didn’t like falling through the void, but the alchemist enjoyed it. The infinite blackness put things into perspective. Theo and Alex dropped through the veil‌, leaving Gronro-Dir at the same time. Uz’Xulven didn’t summon them onto the Bridge, allowing them passage directly to Tero’gal.

The spirits were doing their own things, and there were even a few new souls to the mix. Theo accepted them errantly, watching as familiar archways sprung up. Uz’Xulven, Benton, and Glantheir entered the realm at the same time. They said nothing to the alchemist, chatting amongst themselves as they moved into the cottage. Rowan and Sarisa just looked around, dumbstruck as ever.

After accepting five new souls into his realm, Theo headed to the cottage for some tea. His companions joined him, but Alex teleported away. He felt her head for the sea. Off to hunt some fish, no doubt. The alchemist found his seat at the table, listening in on the conversation as Benton made tea. Glantheir was an extremely supportive conversationalist. He encouraged both Benton and Uz’Xulven to pursue pet projects they had been working on. After light conversation, scones, and some tea, the Elven God of Healing turned to Theo.

“Are you ready to transport Sulvan?” Glantheir asked.

Theo took a sip of his tea. “I’m ready if you’re ready.”

“We should do it outside,” Glantheir said, standing and dusting the crumbs from his plain robes. “Just in case.”

Theo left with the elven god. Instead of bringing Sulvan to the town of souls, he teleported himself and Glantheir far away. There was a mountain range to the west, just beyond the sea he had created, that was isolated enough. In a snap, both men appeared in a heavily forested area. Conifers grew skyward, and the sound of forest creatures skittering in the underbrush echoed off their trunks. A delighted smile played across the elf’s face.

“I’m ready when you are,” Glantheir said.

Closing his eyes, Theo felt for connections with his willpower. It was as though a million threads spread out from him in every direction. Through intuition, he focused on one. Sulvan’s thread felt like a cool summer’s breeze. The alchemist wrapped his willpower around that thread and tugged, sending a strange sensation spreading through his body. A moment later, and a loud popping sound, Sulvan Flametouched appeared in the forest.

Sulvan’s eye was still missing, and his face was a webwork of old scars. But the humility that now lingered in his remaining eye was shocking. The big man took a knee, casting his gaze to the ground. “I am not worthy of forgiveness, Lord Glantheir.”

“None of that ‘lord’ stuff,” Glantheir said, waving the thought away. “Rise, Paladin of the Eye.”

Sulvan rose to his feet, eye still glued to the ground.

“Too bad Uharis didn’t want to come,” Theo said.

“Give him time,” Sulvan said.

Glantheir cleared his throat. “I don’t like paladins. Therefore, I’m not offering you a [Glantheir Paladin’s Core]. I’m offering you a [Glantheir Cleric’s Core]. Is that agreeable?”

“I live to serve.”

“And serve you shall.” Glantheir chuckled, punching Theo in the arm. “Sulvan’s heart was so wrapped up in his service to the Eye, that he couldn’t see how much the beast warped his heart. When the Eye hears about…”

A loud snapping sound came from behind Glantheir. Khahar appeared with a scowl on his face.

“Sorry, Yuri,” Glantheir said, wincing. “I’m just excited to see this man’s redemption.”

Sulvan took a knee once more.

“Mortal,” Khahar said, looking down at Sulvan with spite. “If it was within my ability, I would strip you of your personal level. Reset you to Level 1 and watch you flounder through the ages.”

“I accept whatever punishment I deserve,” Sulvan said, head still bowed.

“Really?” Khahar asked, surprised.

“Yes, Arbiter.”

“Oh, my. This might get interesting,” Khahar said, snapping his fingers.

Tero’gal warped around Sulvan. Space bent, but the ex-inquisitor remained motionless. Theo felt his intent through the realm, like an echo. He had spent his entire life serving the Burning Eye. But he wasn’t a willing servant. The Eye had bent his will, filling his mind with whatever nonsense suited the dead god. Well, perhaps not a dead god, since Glantheir slipped up earlier. All that regret poured off him like an open faucet, flooded through his body and soaking into the surrounding air.

“All 100 Levels you gained while in the Eye's service have been purged. A fact only possible by your willingness to serve Glantheir,” Khahar said, looking down on Sulvan with an expressionless gaze. “Rise, Cleric of Glantheir. Are you prepared to serve?”

Theo watched in awe as Sulvan stood. He was smaller. Less broad in the shoulders, and shorter. A pair of gray eyes stared back at Khahar. Two complete eyes. The scars that tracked the man’s face were gone entirely. Other signs of age had been purged, such as the lines at the corners of the man’s eyes. A smile crept across his face.

“You understand what I ask of my followers, right?” Glantheir asked. “Forgiveness. One day you may have to forgive even the Eye. Are you prepared to do so?”

“I’ll do anything to atone,” Sulvan said, locking eyes with Glantheir.

Theo felt his conviction in the air. The fire of the Eye had been replaced with another kind of warmth. Heat that spread from his chest. It was absolute and unwavering. A flash of light issued from Sulvan’s chest.

“Now, let’s play some poker,” Khahar said, twirling his finger in the air. They all appeared outside of the cottage in an instant. Each one of them filed into the building, finding a seat at the table as the Arbiter produced his deck of cards.

“Look at him,” Benton said, gesturing to Sulvan. “Reborn and all that.”

Sulvan remained silent, finding his seat at the table. The bear god poured him a cup of tea, and scooted a berry scone across the table. The newly reborn Cleric accepted the food with humility, but he couldn’t hide his constant smile. After playing poker for several hours, Khahar had to take his leave. Glantheir remained to chat with Benton for a while, but Theo pulled Sulvan aside. He teleported them to the ocean where Alex was still hunting for fish in the water.

“Uharis will come around,” Sulvan said, looking at his hands as though they weren’t his own. “Do you know his surname?”

“Banetouched, right?”

“All followers of the Eye get new surnames,” Sulvan said, removing his shoes. He approached the beach, digging his toes into the sand. “Those with the Banetouched surname are the most fervent.”

While that was interesting, there was only one question lingering in Theo’s mind. “I need to ask,” he said, laughing. “Are there really people on Antalis?”

“There are,” Sulvan said, nodding and smiling. “An entire civilization living up there. Living their lives.”

“Do they have access to the system? To cores?”

“They do. But I have a question for you.”

“What is it?”

“Have you forgiven me? Truly?”

Theo didn’t have to think about that one. He had experienced the effects of a core’s influence before. Even if Drogramath’s intentions were good, the demon god had tried to manipulate him. Sulvan had at least 100 Levels in his Eye-aligned core. The alchemist couldn’t imagine how devastating that would be for a person’s personality. Over those 100 Levels, Sulvan would have become an entirely different person. The man standing before him was the true Sulvan.

“I forgive you completely,” Theo said, placing a hand on the cleric’s shoulder. “Glantheir didn’t say it, but I’m pretty sure you’re coming back with me. To Broken Tusk and the alliance. I trust you around my people, but…”

“I’ll sign a contract,” Sulvan said. “Already signed one with Glantheir, but I’m happy to do it again.”

Theo and Sulvan lingered near the ocean for the rest of their time in Tero’gal. While they spoke little, they shared a lot in their silence. When the time came, they found Sarisa and Rowan. The alchemist linked arms with Sulvan and Sarisa while Rowan held the goose. Tresk was standing guard on the walls in Broken Tusk, and the group fell through the void toward her.