The Newt and Demon

The stacks of [Fald Eyeballs] kept coming. While Theo distilled reagents, Tresk delved deeper into the [River Dungeon]. Marshling physiology allowed her to hold her breath for a considerable amount of time, but she claimed there were plenty of air pockets. Most rooms within the dungeon were enormous caverns with pools of rushing water, a difference the Marshling claimed made all the difference. The [Swamp Dungeon] was all gnarled roots and fetid mud by her account.

Theo distilled down the rest of his ingredients using the enchanted water. He took count of what he had as he loaded 1,000 units of enchanted [Healing Essence] into the pressure vessel. The alchemist had a smattering of modified potions, 500 [Healing Potions], 1000 each of [Lesser Mana Potions] and [Lesser Stamina Potions], and a few random things. It was not his biggest order for Fenian, but he aimed to change that. With the enchanted essences, he could produce an equal part of essences, meaning the 1,000 units of each restoration he was distilling would make 1,000 second tier potions.

Zarali and Xol’sa didn’t show up in town that day, something that concerned Theo. The dungeons were being overloaded with energy, and he would rather release it sooner than later. If the [Swamp Dungeon] grew too much in power, they wouldn’t be able to fend off the wave. The other side of that problem, the more optimistic view, was that they shunted the energy off of a single dungeon, spreading it out over a wide area.

Theo pushed his concerns aside and spent the late parts of the afternoon sending the essences through the pressure vessel. Nothing about the process changed with the enchanted essences. The alchemist had to wonder how the enchantment would affect the fermentation stage of his process, but that was a task for another day. With the garden taken care of, essences distilled, and pressure vessel working as quickly as possible, it was time for dinner.

Xam, inspired by the success of her last banquet, put on another. Theo and Tresk were happy to pay for the pleasure, and the alchemist had to promise her he was working on the ranch, even if he wasn’t. The meal was the same as last time, but that didn’t make it any less delicious. The citizens that were in attendance enjoyed themselves and Gridgen established a place at the pair’s table.

The miners had taken it upon themselves to elect a smelter, something that impressed Theo. When dinner was done, they found their way to the smeltery, and gave the skill core to their elected person. The miners had even come together to buy a [Dimensional Storage Crate] from Azrug, placing it within the smeltery. Theo found he could designate this as a place for them to deposit the ore, and the money would automatically go to Gridgen. They were going beyond what the alchemist had expected, already gathering thousands of nuggets from the mine.

Banu caught Theo before he went to bed that night, finding him outside the Newt and Demon. The farmers had amazing results from the cultivation process. Once the alchemist unlocked the feature with his growth potion, they could pick out the best Zee crop and raise it within a matter of days, increasing the cultivation percentage to 70%. It was a feat far beyond anything Theo had accomplished before, but he was too busy to put his entire effort into the matter.

Theo and Tresk went to bed that night, gaining another burst of experience from their [Tara’hek Core] that almost pushed them over level 14. The next morning, everything felt even better. The alchemist hadn’t seen Zarali in a little while, giving him time to process her sudden arrival. While he had a sense she would come to bother him soon, his breakfast was undisturbed.

The Marshling ran off, barely having swallowed her steak whole, leaving him on his own for the day. Theo swapped out the contents of the pressure vessel, ending the run with his enchanted [Mana Essence]. The description on the new essence was right. He got a 1:1 ratio during the refinement process, setting that enchanted water at a special place of significance. Before undertaking brewing the potions, he instructed his companion to dump all her monster cores into their inventory.

Maybe you shouldn’t keep junk in the inventory, Theo suggested.

But it’s my junk. I like it, Tresk said.

After a while, she got rid of some of the less important garbage. Theo was surprised at the quantity of [Monster Cores]. There were hundreds of low-level cores, but a good amount of level 25 cores. She must have been holding onto them from the [Swamp Dungeon], waiting for him to give the word about upgrading the Newt and Demon. With a mental command, he inspected the building and looked over the information.

[Alchemy Lab] [Alchemy Shop]

[The Newt and Demon]

Owners: Belgar (Theo Spencer), Tresk

Shopkeeper: Azrug Slug

Faction: [Broken Tusk]

Level: 11 (31%)

Rent Due: Today

Expansions:

[Alchemy Shop]

[Drogramath Distillation Specialty]

Theo plucked [Monster Cores] directly out of the shared inventory, shoving them into the wall of the building and watching them disappear. The level 25 cores did a lot for the building’s advancement, providing 10% at level 11. He depleted most of her cores by the end, selecting random directions to expand the lab until level 15. Upon hitting 15, the system popped up the expansion menu, revealing a new option.

[Root Cellar]

A cellar for preserving reagents is housed under the lab. Reagents placed inside of the cellar decay at a slower rate.

[Experimentation Room]

A reinforced room is placed behind the lab, creating a safe place to conduct explosive experimentations.

[Shrine To Drogramath]

A shrine to Lord Drogramath appears in your lab. Make a daily offering of reagents to gain favor.

Effects (effect scales with favor):

If a daily offering has been provided, gain the following effects:

Increase the effectiveness of Drogramath Enchantments (1 level).

Remove all [Stamina] drain while performing alchemical actions.

“That was obvious,” Theo said, shaking his head.

The road he found himself on was leading this way. It was obvious. He wanted the [Experimentation Room] initially, but had to question that decision. A few explosions here and there never dissuaded him from doing alchemy. The benefits of the [Shrine To Drogramath] were extreme. He had more reagents than he knew what to do with, which would allow him to give tribute daily. Every action he took in the lab would cost 0 stamina, which was another amazing boon. Then, there was the increase to his water enchantments, bringing it up a level. All of this also scaled with his devotion to the Demon Lord.

Theo ran it by Tresk before deciding. She thought the other options were extremely lame and that he should go “full demon mode”. The alchemist thought about it for some time before deciding. While the bonuses from the shrine were good, it was another foot down a path he’d been trying to avoid. The alchemist clutched the Burning Eye’s sigil in his hand and closed his eyes. He didn’t know if he was praying or seeking guidance, but taking a moment like that made him feel better. A burning eye didn’t appear outside of his window, shooting fireballs and cursing his choices. Similarly, a giant Demon Lord didn’t appear, encouraging him on.

Theo’s choices were his own. He selected [Shrine To Drogramath].

The lab rumbled under his feet, the same way it did when the building expanded during leveling. A small plinth appeared near the window, abutting the table. It was made of a glowing purple stone with the image of Drogramath sitting atop. Near the feet of the statue was a purple stone bowl. The entire thing radiated a comforting energy that Theo couldn’t deny. He walked over and withdrew a [Spiny Swamp Thistle Root] from his inventory, placing it in the bowl.

Shimmering purple energy descended on the lab, a sense of accomplishment rushing through the alchemist’s body. Nothing popped up in the system’s notifications, but he knew it worked. Theo almost fell over when a voice came from the shrine.

“A wise choice.”

Theo stood there, casting his eyes around the lab in concern. The voice was wispy, as though coming in over a wind in an open field. He waited for Sulvan Flametouched to burst through his door, shaking him by the collar before smiting him. Perhaps Uharis would teleport in, throwing a lightning bolt at his head and removing the alchemist from this plane of existence. But none of those worries came to be. He stood there awkwardly for a long time. Nothing happened.

“Drogramath?” Theo asked, leaning in to inspect the statue closer.

While the image of the Demon didn’t respond, it wasn’t what Theo expected. Drogramath looked like any other Dronon, although clearly depicted in the best light. The detail on the statue was impossible. The alchemist could see the Demon Lord’s bandolier of potions, a tiny vial in one hand and a sickle in the other. Drogramath bore a proud expression, but not one of arrogance.

Theo patted the statue on the head, nodding to himself. “Thanks, Drogramath.”

“No problem,” a voice came from the door to his lab.

Theo whipped around, scowling when he saw Zarali standing there. A grin spread across her face and she burst out laughing. The flash of anger the Alchemist felt vanished. It was a good joke.

“Coming to snoop?” Theo asked.

“Coming to congratulate you,” Zarali corrected. “I came into town for food, but felt Lord Drogramath’s presence grow stronger.”

“I wonder if that’s a good thing,” Theo said, turning his attention back to the shrine.

“Of course it is,” Zarali said, crossing the room. She placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. While he didn’t want to accept it, she radiated Drogramath’s energy. It was a flow of power that felt right to him.

“You’ll understand if I’m reluctant to give myself in fully,” Theo said.

“People assume Demons are all evil,” Zarali said. “But see what He provides? Bonuses to alchemy. Increased herblore. How could such a thing be evil?”

“You have a point.”

“And you’ve learned how to enchant water without my instruction,” Zarali said, giving a definitive nod. “Well, you’re on your way to being a worshiper. Anyway, brother, I’m not here to ruin your mood. Not today.”

“That’s good,” Theo said.

“Xol and I have delayed the monster wave without allowing it to build power,” Zarali said. She tightened her grip on his shoulder and smiled. “You can speak to him later, but rest assured. Your town is safe.”

She turned on the spot without saying another word. Theo knew she had high [Wisdom], she could read people. He was the same way, though. He knew she was giving him space because of his reluctance to accept Drogramath and her. There was no ill will in her body. She wanted to help the town.

“Zarali,” Theo said, causing her to spin around. A smile spread across her face. “Thank you. This is strange for me, but I’ll get used to it.”

“That’s the spirit,” Zarali said. “Perhaps you’ll learn to call me sister one day.”

“One step at a time,” Theo said.

Theo watched her leave, thinking about what trust meant. He didn’t trust Zarali with his life, not like he did with Tresk. But he trusted her to bring the influence of Drogramath to Broken Tusk. There was a balance that existed in his mind, something that he wouldn’t cross. People like his sister brought something to him, and in turn they got what they wanted. The alchemist wasn’t using them; he was just entering mutually beneficial relationships. His high [Wisdom] score and the whispers in his chest saw no one taking advantage of him, although with the way the town worked that might be impossible. Only the best were drawn to the town. Those with a purpose.

The alchemist didn’t waste time after Zarali left. With a sacrifice of reagents to Drogramath’s shrine, he ran to the river to refill his empty barrels, purified the water, and enchanted them again. Theo drank a [Lesser Mana Potion] after each enchantment, inspecting the resulting water.

[Enchanted Water]

[Alchemy Component]

Epic

Water that has been infused with Drogramath’s energy.

Alignment:

Drogramath (Middling Bond)

It was easy to conclude that a minor bond was level 1, and a middling bond was level 2. Theo could extrapolate that information in his mind, understanding that more bonuses would come from the better water. This put worshiping Drogramath high on his list of priorities, but he didn’t know how he felt about the transaction. He didn’t know how he felt about any of the gods, let alone the patron he was forced under. It didn’t seem like worship back where he was from, where no logical benefit came from doing so. This was a relationship of convenience.

Theo withdrew a [Fald Eyeball] from his inventory. Tresk was going hard in the dungeon, and the image of her digging out some fish-person’s eyeballs entered his mind. It was a grim thought, but he mentally shrugged it off and ran the squelching things through his [Alchemical Grinder].

“I guess I have to clean this thing,” Theo said, dripping some [Cleansing Scrub] over the teeth of the grinder.

The alchemist settled on a 100 unit distillation with his middling [Enchanted Water], determined to find out what the [Wake] property meant. His mind shot to being awake, at first, but his intuition said that didn’t make sense. It would be something related to water, since it came from a fish-person. He returned the lid to his still, started it on his best guess for temperature, and placed a flask underneath the condenser, not wanting to contaminate the storage tank outside.

Theo went out to tend his garden, ensuring everything was growing well, and checked the pressure vessel. He held a vial under the extraction port and withdrew 1 unit of the liquid for inspection.

[Refined Healing Essence]

[Essence] [Refined Essence]

Common

Created by: Belgar

Grade: Great Quality

Alignment:

Drogramath (Weak Bond)

Alignment Effects:

Resulting potions will be more effective.

Purity: 70%

1 units (liquid)

Concentrated, refined essence of healing, used to create healing potions.

Things were getting complicated. Using the enchanted water did more than just give him a 1:1 ratio for refinement, and he had a feeling he should have been doing this the entire time. The essence gained a 20% increase in purity, which would already increase the effectiveness of the resulting potion. The quality hadn’t gone up, but it gained an alignment effect, making the end potion more effective. Theo decided at that moment he would worship Drogramath until the end of his days, even if it was just him going through the motions.

The alchemist made several trips back to the lab, returning to the pressure vessel to clear out the waste port and add more essence for refinement. Stamina was next, then mana, but he was eager to brew a potion with his new essence. He settled into the lab and considered the best course of action. Suddenly, he wished Zarali was around to tell him about catalysts.

“No, I don’t need her,” Theo said, knitting his brow. He was determined to remain independent.

Zarali mentioned something when they first met. She claimed he could energize catalysts, but his intuition wouldn’t say what that meant. Even the section in Basic Drogramath Alchemy didn’t mention the act, which seemed strange. The book seemed to only cover the system-supported actions, detailing nothing related to the more esoteric forms of Drogramathi Alchemy. Theo glanced up at the statue of Drogramath and shook his head.

“What do you think, Droggy?” Theo asked. “Just infuse more power into the catalysts?”

Theo waited for a response he knew wouldn’t come. The Demon God could influence the mortal realm, but only just. He felt a faint whisper in his core, but it was too dull to understand. The door to the lab swung open. Azrug stood with a puzzled expression on his face.

“You talking to someone?” Azrug asked.

“Just talking to myself,” Theo said, tapping his fingers on the table. He withdrew a few [Copper Shavings] and [Iron Shavings] from his inventory for inspection.

“You never talk to yourself,” Azrug said, coming to settle down beside the alchemist. His eyes went wide for only a moment before he spotted the statue of Drogramath. “Are we worshiping Demons now?”

“Yeah, I guess we are,” Theo said, letting out a sigh.

“Alright. Cool. Cool,” Azrug said. “Should I be worried?”

“I don’t think so,” Theo said, gesturing at the statue. “Who does he remind you of?”

“You,” Azrug said, not missing a beat. “Looks like a Drogramath Dronon.”

“Yep. Well, I’m trying to make some new catalysts but I’m at a loss,” Theo said, going on to explain how he enchanted the water.

“Just do the same thing,” Azrug said. “Why not, right?”

Theo shrugged. The shopkeeper was right, it could have been that simple and he wouldn’t lose anything by trying. He had enough [Lesser Mana Potions] to last a normal person quite a while. The alchemist held his hand over the pile of [Iron Shavings] and willed the mana from his core. It flowed on its own, more like a trickle than the torrent he felt enchanting the water. After a moment, the dull iron glowed with purple energy. The comfort it radiated fell on Theo’s face like the warmth of the sun and he smiled.

“See? Not that hard,” Azrug said.

Theo inspected the resulting shavings.

[Iron Shavings]

[Alchemy Component]

Common

Alignment:

Drogramath (Middling Bond)

Alignment Effects:

Increased stability during reactions.

Increase quality of reaction by 1 level, up to excellent quality.

Shavings from raw iron.

He gawked for a moment, blinking away the text.

“This is absurd,” Theo said. “None of my books talk about using my mana to do this stuff, but it’s so useful.”

“Would you have ever discovered it on your own?” Azrug asked.

“Maybe,” Theo said. “It would have taken years, though. I don’t doubt that I could have figured it out eventually, but without the enchantment technique I was probing in the dark.”

“So, how good are the potions going to be?” Azrug asked.

Theo didn’t respond, standing and approaching the [Glassware Artifice]. He generated a 2 unit flat-bottomed vial and returned to the table. The description of the [Iron Shavings] gave him a hint not to use the enchanted water for the final product, so he poured a unit of [Purified Water] in, introduced the [Iron Shavings], and then his aligned [Healing Essence].

The reaction was far less violent than normal. The second tier reactions typically filled the room with a choking fog, but not this time. It was more like when he performed first tier reactions, a simple effervescence that spewed a bit of smoke. Both Theo and Azrug inspected the potion.

[Healing Potion]

[Potion]

Rare

Created by: Belgar

Grade: Excellent Quality

Alignment:

Drogramath (Weak Bond)

A healing potion. Drink to restore health.

Effect:

Instantly restores 100 health points.

This was the first potion he created at second tier that was of excellent quality. He couldn’t guess how much that quality increase helped the potion, but combined with the alignment effect it went from healing 65 health to 100 health. The jump was absurd. All Azrug could do was whistle and shake his head.

“We’re gonna make so much money,” the shopkeeper said.

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