The Newt and Demon

Chapter 3.30: An'tal

The garden golems were doing a fantastic job of harvesting random reagents and keeping the weeds at bay. They understood how to recharge themselves using the [Dimensional Storage Crate], and seemed to need no rest. Theo stood in his cluster of greenhouses, kneeling to issue more commands. His audience, 2 [Lesser Mud Golems], and 1 [Lesser Stone Golem], looked on with interest. He made them look like that, but it felt better than just giving orders to soulless creatures.

The mud golems would keep up their good work around the lab, while the stone golem would patrol for the night. Hed walk the edge of the lodestones range, searching for enemies. Not that Theo expected any, but it was good practice to learn how commands worked for the constructs. The alchemist placed a [Reveal Construct] within the [Lesser Stone Golem], ordering him to test it.

A field of faintly shimmering light shot out from the little golem. Tresk let out a yelp, revealed from behind the lab. Theo knew she was normally lurking in the shadows, but it was still surprising.

Hell look for stealth people, Theo said.

How is he gonna know if he sees a stealth person if theyre stealth? Tresk asked.

Theo shrugged. It was more about how cool the feature was, rather than a practical use.

Tresk led the way to the Marsh Wolf Tavern for dinner. Theo met with Xam in her hectic kitchen, giving her a list of the names he was paying for that night. He paid upfront for a week, a decent estimate for how long the harbor project was going to take. The alchemist returned to the crowded tavern, finding the exterior dining to be superior. It was hot inside the tavern, filled with a strange mingle of sweat and cooking food. While the cooks newest rendition of wolf meat stew was delicious, the alchemist ate as quickly as Tresk.

Xolsa rarely left his wizards tower. When Theo saw him approaching, he feared the worst. The extra-planar Elf handled the magic that slowed and quickened the monster waves. The serious look on the Elfs face gave no information away, he always looked that way.

Youll need to prepare yourself for the next monster wave, Xolsa said. When he approached, Theo could see how worn he looked. It wont rise to your expectations.

Explain yourself, wizard, Tresk said, narrowing her eyes at him.

It wont be as powerful, Xolsa said.

Thats good news, Theo said.

Xolsa shrugged. Is it? Well, Ive noticed your little workers.

The golems? Tresk asked.

Xolsa eyes drifted into the middle distance for a moment before locking on to Tresk. The golems, he repeated. There are tales of wizards commanding minions. I dont have access to such magic, but I can see their use.

Theo nodded. He felt as though Xolsa was coming at him from a different angle than normal. Something close to academic interest. While they shared an interest in alchemy, only evidenced by strange equipment in the wizards tower, theyd never exchanged notes. The alchemist could only assume the constructs were enough of a motivator for him to start a conversation.

Three golems waddled down the street. Theo commanded the [Lesser Stone Golem] to hug Xolsas legs. He patted its head, a phantom of a smile playing across his face.

Theyre made entirely of alchemy? Xolsa asked.

Theo sent the mud golems off, inviting Xolsa to join them and the stone golem at the bathhouse. The attendant was reluctant to allow the creature inside, but bent when the alchemist assured her it would behave. It was his private room, after all. The trio were soaking in the pool moments later, the golem standing close enough so that Xolsa could study it.

The skill does most of the work, Theo said. [Alchemy Constructs].

Very interesting, Xolsa said, prodding the golem with his finger.

Theo explained how they were constructed, showing the wizard an example of a containment core while Tresk swam in the bath. Xolsa explained the magic theory behind golems raised by wizards, and even undead minions by necromancers. The principle couldnt have been more different, as most magical constructs had absolutely no spirit. The golems had a faint soul, driven by the [Monster Core] in their containment core.

But not really a soul, Xolsa said, holding a [Monster Core] in his hands. More like a series of complex instructions meant to mimic a living being. But theres a decent enough theory to pursue. How close to a real monster are you getting with your creations?

They have no willpower, Theo said, shaking his head. No agency at all. They just do what theyre told.

Xolsa nodded.

Have you heard of a [Coresmith]? Theo asked.

Ive heard tales, Xolsa said. The concept seems too outlandish to be true. Cores cannot be created.

Theo sent a command to his stone golem, who waved at the Elf.

Unless they can be.

Xolsas brow knit tight. He cupped his chin in his hand, his eyes drifting off once again. Well, it would be interesting. The [Coresmith] would hold great power.

Theo sank deeper in the water. Deep enough to cover his face, but not his ears. The idea was academic, but interesting. Fenian mentioned there were [Coresmiths] in the Elven kingdom, empire, whatever they were, but he didnt know if that changed much. Most seed and class cores dropped from dungeons, and they had no shortage of dungeons around Broken Tusk. The issue was, the local dungeons only produced base class cores. They had seen no seed cores, yet.

Theo found a better rock to sit on, raising his head above the water. Well, what do you think about the harbor?

It looks magnificent, so far, Xolsa said, brightening. That is the single biggest step you can take to get us known afar.

Theo nodded. He couldnt agree more. Tell me if you find a shipwright, he said, chuckling. And someone to sail the boats. Well, how are you enjoying the town?

Couldnt be better, Xolsa said, releasing a steady breath. More Demonic power than I could ever hope to study. Spatial distortions everywhere. Strange realms clashing against the will of a Demon Lord, and a merchant who travels the Bridge of Shadows. It is shocking there arent more wizards here.

One wizard is enough, Tresk said, glowering.

I agree, Xolsa said. Speaking of wizards, why didnt you hire one to take care of the harbor?

Theo stretched out his back, trying to find a more comfortable position to sit in. His tail scraped against the stones. I didnt want to hire one, he said. I also wanted to show that we could do it. Under our own power, you know? What if we called for help every time we needed it?

You never call for help, Xolsa corrected. You do everything yourself. Only recently have you created support staff. And you hardly use them.

That was true, even if Theo wouldnt say it out loud. He preferred to set people up and let them run on their own. They usually had better ideas than him. With the rate Broken Tusk was growing, other people would claim ventures within the walls but he owned the core production.

Hes working on it, Tresk said, spitting water at the wizard. Give him time. He lost his entire world.

Xolsa face went dark, but he let out a sigh and regained control of himself. I understand his position more than you know, sweet Marshling. Ive lost my people as well.

Oh, right, Tresk said. Sorry.

Dont worry, Xolsa said. Well, I should be going.

Dont be a stranger, Theo said, locking eyes with the wizard. You need to come to town more often.

I know, Xolsa said. Then he was gone.

Tresk and Theo lounged in the pool for a while longer. They had less to accomplish in the Dreamwalk than normal, but with the [Tarahek Core] at level 18, he was free to push for advancement in his other cores. They left when the attendant kicked them out. The [Lesser Stone Golem] went back to his old series of commands, walking the streets to find non-existent assassins, and the pair entered the Dreamwalk shortly after.

Theo fell to another attack orchestrated by Tresk, but had a mind to grind alchemy. Creating and operating golems gave a small amount of experience to both his alchemy and herbalism cores, as the skill shared both domains. He went between experimenting with constructs, to failing to splice plants together, to brewing potions. Tresk found him after a while, having the foresight to test his various [Hallow Ground Potions].

The Marshling had encountered undead in the [Swamp Dungeon]. While they were simple raised skeletons, Theo could test the effects of his new potion. Upon drinking a standard [Hallow Ground Potion], a circle of white appeared on the ground beneath him. It stretched out, creating shimmering white ground that pulsed with powerful energy. Tresk summoned a few of the skeletons, who crossed the line eagerly.

The moment one of their bony feet stepped over the edge, white fire spread across their body and they fled. Banishment apparently meant that they ran. And they ran for a long time, sprinting as fast as their skeletal bodies would take them. The [Hallow Ground Bomb] worked as expected, covering the skeletons in white fire and eating away at their bones. The [Web] modifier acted exactly as expected, creating a line between several skeletons that forced the others to flee. When it expired, those affected also ran with abandon. [Aerosolize] was the most useful, creating a roving cloud of white fire.

Theo couldnt test the [Anti-Mage] version of the potion, but was eager to see how the [Embolden] modifier worked. He drank the potion, feeling a thread of willpower connected between him and every skeleton in sight. His mind reeled from the required power, shattering his consciousness until the scene around him split. Then it reset, unable to comprehend the effects of the alchemist becoming one of the undead.

Unsurprisingly, the [Embolden] property is dangerous, Theo said.

That property sucks, Tresk said.

But the other properties didnt. Most of them were incredibly useful, and Fenian would be happy with them. Theos only problem was whether he wanted the potions for free. Their agreement was that he got the mushroom cave for free, but they should have established a better deal. Since the alchemist had little use for the anti-undead potions, he shrugged it off. At least someone would use them.

Theo was frugal with the rest of his time in the Dreamwalk. The amount of experiments he could run there was limited, mostly by his lack of new things to test. He couldnt move on to experiment with more essence-infused slates, and golems held no more secrets he could reach. He felt a sense of pride at that. When the alchemist hit his last barrier, he was clueless. Now he carried himself with confidence. This new Tarahek skill was overpowered. Doubling his working time for the day did wonders for his progress. Tresk experienced similar gains, rocketing toward level 20 in all 3 of her cores.

Why she still held onto the [Trackers Core] was beyond him. She showed no signs of upgrading it to something better, but he wouldnt pry. 2 legendary cores were good enough. That would have been her reasoning.

Theo was happy to rise from the Dreamwalk feeling refreshed. It was still a shock to zip out of the strange landscape, only to find himself safe in his bed. Tresk joined him to distill [Living River Water] before heading off to eat breakfast. A pulse of familiar hot wind washed over them at the table, but they dismissed it for Zaralis probing senses. She must have been looking for someone.

Each worker dedicated to the harbor project was there in the tavern. They assumed his offer for food extended to breakfast, so he paid Xam for the week. He didnt have the heart to tell them he only meant dinner, but the cost was less than a gold coin.

Taxes were due today, whatever this worlds version of Sunday was, but Theo saw Alise had already handled it. She assigned someone labeled as a junior administrator to the task. The mayors interface was filled with notes on the correct way to take taxes, including accepting a good excuse as payment. Broken Tusk never had a problem with people not paying taxes, not those who could. Everyone else who was too broke to pay taxes was put on another list, detailing people who needed jobs. And there was no shortage of jobs.

The work detail marched out of the gates after breakfast, Tresk included for security, and Theo considered his various operations. If he gave anyone a better payment scheme than he had, he would operate at a loss. They couldnt find traders to buy their goods fast enough, which made the port more important.

Alise directed everyone for the morning. She planned on laying everything out then going off to manage the town. The Lady Administrator admitted that Zizs good work put them ahead, and work began. Theo carved the landscape as Throks machines hummed to life. The marble walls held up overnight, even as the pit filled with river water. On the far side of the paved harbor, the snaking river came back to life.

After carving a fair section of the harbor, Theo was out of potions. He needed to head back to the lab and brew more, but the laborers had plenty of work to do. He was stopped by Tresk, pointing off down the river. A small Marshling, oddly similar to Tresk herself, was marching up the bank.

Hey, boss, he said. At least, Theo thought this was a he. Got a problem on the beach.

Tresk narrowed her eyes. What is it, Thronk?

Thronk? Theo said, grimacing.

Yeah. My brother. Thronk. I told you about him. Didnt I? Tresk asked.

Theo didnt care whose brother he was. Throk was unimaginative with his naming scheme, but maybe it was a Bantari Marshling thing. The alchemist shrugged.

Whats the issue? Theo asked.

Some guy came ashore on the beach. In a rowboat, Thronk said. Thought you ought to know.

Then, the little mud-colored Marshling was off as if it was no concern to him. Theo drank a [Potion of Limited Foresight] and led the way down the river. The walk took a while, but he spotted the small rowboat on the sandy shores of the beach. True to the Marshlings words, there was a Khahari standing on the sands. Barefoot and clothed in little more than a tattered loincloth, the Khahari put off a strange aura of authority. If not for the mans ragged appearance, Theo would have thought he was a king.

Hello, Theo said, waving. Are you lost? Need help?

The Khahari waited for Tresk and Theo to approach before bowing. When he rose, a smile hung on his face.

Im never lost, he said.

Theos eyes went between the rowboat and the man. He certainly seemed lost.

Are you hungry? Theo asked. Theres a town. Up the river.

River? the man asked, looking at the drying trickle of water that normally flooded into the bay. River bed, perhaps.

Want some food, or not? Tresk asked, glowering at the Khahari. Whats your name?

He paused for a long moment, staring into the distance. The smile dropped from his face for a moment before he continued. Antal. You can call me An. Or Tal. Or Antal. Whatever you like.

Im Theo. This is Tresk, Theo said, gesturing to his companion.

A pleasure, Antal said, bowing again.

Come on. Couldnt have been a quick trip in that boat, Theo said.

Antals gaze went slowly from Theo to the boat. He smiled again and took a few tentative steps. He hummed a tune as he followed, actively refusing to answer the alchemists questions.

Think hes dangerous? Tresk asked.

Maybe. But he looks pretty bad. Could have been lost at sea, Theo said.

Still, we should be cautious.

Theos senses told him nothing about the Khahari. It was as though the place where the man stood was a void for his intuition, which likely meant the man was a high level. But it made little sense to appear on a beach, be walked into town, then attack. Anyone high enough could just destroy the place from a distance. No need for subterfuge.

The workers checked on Theo as he passed, informing him they needed more space to make the wall. The alchemist sent Tresk with Antal to the Marsh Wolf Tavern while he went off to brew some [Tunneling Potions]. When he joined back with Tresk and the strange Khahari, he seemed eager.

Id like to work, he said, grinning. If you dont mind.

Yeah, Theo said, flicking him a sliver coin. Antal caught it with little effort. Do you know anything about stonework?

A thing. Or two, Antal said.

Theo made it back to the worksite with his new laborer. He sent him off to meet with Ziz, putting him down in the mud with the other stonemasons. It was dirty work down there. They had to shovel out mud that flowed back, move massive stones around in the muck, and set them in place to keep tons of earth from falling in. The alchemist didnt envy their job, but Antal didnt seem to care. He jumped down into the pit and landed as though hed just taken a step.

The work went on. Theo had several moments where he was just standing around, waiting for the laborers to get everything in line so he could cut more ground. They were approaching the section of the harbor that narrowed out, meaning they had less work to do from here. Fewer stones needed to be moved, and less earth had to be drilled out with the potion. Antal worked with deliberate slowness. Every motion of his body seemed planned, almost robotic. But he did it all with a smile on his face.

During his downtime, Theo noticed Zankir and Zansal standing on the eastern gate in the distance. He couldnt tell from this distance, but their pacing painted them as worried. Despite the dead spot Antal created for his intuition, his sense of logic wasnt hampered. When he brushed his intent over the man, laboring with excitement in the mud, the system refused to return the mans name, level, and class.

A powerful Khahari, Tresk said after Theo exchanged his concerns. Question is, what is he doing here and why are the other Khahari all in knots?

And why the hell does he want to labor in my mud pit? Theo asked. He shook his head, not willing to go down that road. There was work to be done.

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