The Newt and Demon - Chapter 4.60 - Laying Down The Law

A strange, disjointed landscape spread as far as Theo could see. The tunnel, made of something between marshmallow fluff and stone, was lit by fairy lights that danced on currents of air. Tresk had done her best to imagine what the tunnels under the mine would look like, but she couldn’t stop thinking about the fluff. But it was all speculation.

Dinner had been the usual who’s who of people popping in for the free food. They had enjoyed a nice bath before dropping into the Dreamwalk. It had taken Tresk several tries to get something resembling a cavern system going, and Theo wasn’t sure it was worth the effort. Instead, he imagined them back in a place he was all too familiar with. The scene shifted in an instant, bringing them to the area near Tworgnoth’s artifice.

“Hey! I thought that was pretty accurate,” Tresk said.

“Accurate to what exactly? No, it doesn’t matter,” Theo said. His thoughts wandered away from the mine. “This is weird, but I have a good feeling about whatever is underneath here.”

How could you possibly know? Alex asked, ruffling her feathers. She shot a small gout of fire, punctuating her thoughts.

That wasn’t a question easily answered. Theo’s intuition had always worked in weird ways within the Dreamwalk. But after taking the [Wisdom of the Soul] potion, it had redoubled its strange efforts. The time he spent dreaming now felt more hopeful than ever. Before, all those thoughts from other people clouded his judgment. They formed layers over the real ‘Theo’, making him feel more like a puppet going through the motions.

“You’re thinking too much about ‘self’,” Tresk said, shaking her head in disapproval. “You have too many versions of you in your head.”

“I’ve put a lot of thought into it. Maybe it isn’t worth retreading old wounds.”

“Agreed. You were Theo the killer, the regretful soldier, the puppet of Drogramath, the bosom buddy of Tresk, and now you’re something else.” Tresk placed her hands on her hips, grinning. “Summarized it pretty well, didn’t I?”

“Yeah, that was pretty good.” Theo knelt down, pressing his hand against the warm rock. He was imagining the warmth, but it still felt good. “Let’s talk cores. Levels. Progression.”

I’m making great progress, Alex said, spreading her wings wide and flapping to create a breeze in the tight mine.

“We aren’t,” Tresk said, giggling. “So there’s a cap at 30, huh?”

“I’m certain we need to get our personal level to 30 to advance.”

Theo’s two Drogramath cores were on the verge of hitting level 25. They were becoming more stubborn with every level, making it a slog to achieve any progress. Tresk had experienced something similar with her [Shadowdancer’s Core] and her [Assassin’s Core]. Like the alchemist’s pair, those cores seemed tied to each other. But she was closer to 30 than him by this point, edging toward 28 in both of those cores.

“Mine are stuck at 24,” Theo said, scratching his chin. “They’ll roll over at any moment, but you know. Kinda annoying.”

“We just gotta grind, grind, grind!” Tresk waved her hands through the air with a flourish. The scene before them shifted to a familiar scene from Tero’gal. The sprawling fields and sparse homes with a constant breeze that carried pleasant scents.

Theo took a deep breath and smiled to himself. Some part of that private realm carried itself into the Dreamwalk, connected by some unseen strand of power. For dramatic effect, he snapped his fingers and summoned a row of Drogramathi Iron stills and crates of imagined supplies. “I have a feeling about the mortal realm’s system.”

“Uh-huh,” Tresk said, screwing up her face. A dragon appeared in the air, frozen in place. “What might that be?”

“Fenian and Khahar said as much. There’s something wrong with it. The progression is all messed up. As though we were never meant to get past level 30, let alone 100.”

Tresk seemed disinterested in what he had to say. But she paused for a moment, scrubbing the top of her bare head with her nails then letting out a breath. “We should hit level 30, then see what we think. Use Tero’gal to figure out how it was meant to be.”

Theo imagined a grinder and got to work on the stills. Tresk seemed interested in talking now, which was an interesting thing to observe. Her mind felt more focused than usual, as though she was exerting great effort to narrow it to a point. “Great idea. What do you think we’ll find?”

“That whoever made our world is dumb.”

A harsh assessment that Theo wished wasn’t true. But where did the fault of stupidity lie with the system? Who created the system in the first place? There were too many questions to be answered, and not enough time to consider them. Tresk dropped the subject and ran off to fight her dragons. Alex joined with her, eager to grind out her familiar levels and hone her ability with the nature affinity.

Theo focused his efforts on understanding what went wrong with Salire’s distillation. He had a good idea before he had left the lab, but it was important to replicate her mistake in a safe environment. After less than an hour of testing, he confirmed her problem was with a property mismatch. She had focused on the [Hallow Ground] property when distilling the truffle, but the hybrid mushroom didn’t have that property. He set up several batches of the [Hallow Frost] property.

The system that controlled the Dreamwalk fought back against his actions, but Tresk corrected it. In Theo’s mind, it felt like a mother lording over her children. Snapping out only once when the child got out of line and setting them straight. It wasn’t the parenting he would have done, but the system wasn’t a child. It was a…

“What even is the system?” Theo muttered to himself, working the knobs and gauges of his stills.

In this world, that was like asking ‘what are atoms?’ Or something else that a science-minded person would understand. Theo had always been woefully uninformed about the technology of his own world. If someone were to ask him how the weapons he used daily functioned, he would draw a blank. Something about plasma, or supersonic rounds. Science must have been predictable for those that understood it, but the system was far more understandable. The guns he used back on Earth didn’t come with an item description.

Theo created enough [Refined Hallow Frost Essence] for testing. He withdrew a flask of the completed, second tier essence and swirled it around. The liquid was similar to both the [Freeze Essence] and the [Hallow Ground Essence], displaying bands of silver that mingled with blue-white. He got the impression of a banishing cold. A perfect mixture of both essences. Unlike the binding method he used to produce the suffuse potions, the hybrid reagent had created a blending of the two properties. From the outside, the alchemist had the impression that this would make a throwable potion. Somewhere between a bomb and a drinkable potion. There was a strange middle-ground with potions. Sometimes they seemed designed to be used as bombs, and would be useless without modification.

It was always best to create a second tier potion for testing. The third tier ones were better, but it was a waste of time. Especially in the Dreamwalk. Theo performed his standard brewing method for the potion, adding the catalyst to watch the reaction. While dreaming, the reactions were never as impressive as in the waking world. He watched the essence swirl tepidly. The smoke that rose from the top came in thin wisps. The alchemist leaned in, inspecting his newest creation.

[Hallow Frost Potion]

[Potion]

Epic

Created by: Theo Spencer

Alignment:

Drogramath (Middling Bond)

Grade: Excellent Quality

Apply to a surface or creature to create a zone of denial.

Effect:

Applying this to any surface, including creatures, creates a one pace circle with the [Hallow Frost] effect.

Targets inflicted with [Hallow Frost] will take banishment damage every time they act. Actions include spells, abilities, movement, attacks, and so on.

“That’s a weird one,” Theo said, tapping his foot.

The effect on the potion was completely unexpected. It had combined concepts from both properties, but the way it came out was weird. This was unlike any base potion Theo had ever created. Surface-application potions at this tier weren’t a thing. Those potions had to be modified to create an surface effect. The [Hallow Frost Potion] would be a candidate for Throk’s sprayer artifice. It would also make an amazing weapon for fighting the undead.

Theo could imagine a few scenarios where this potion would be useful. A fighter could cover themselves in the stuff, then wade into a group of undead. Depending on how long it took for the banishment damage to take hold, they might be unstoppable. The alchemist continued to grind experience as he thought of the applications. He felt himself creeping toward level 25 in his Drogramath cores and his personal level as he labored. That level would come with another big decision.

The Dreamwalk’s end came with a rush of sensations. Theo watched as his [Drogramath Herbalist Core], [Drogramath Alchemy Core], and his personal level all rolled over at the same time. Combined with the sudden ejection from the dreaming world, the alchemist’s head swam. He dismissed the notifications and laid in bed, staring up at the ceiling of his luxurious bedroom.

“That was a trip.”

“Stay in bed,” Tresk said, popping out of her bed and patting the alchemist on the forehead. “I’m off to grab some grub.”

The single attribute Theo had to pick wasn’t the hardest decision he had ever made. His Dexterity was still quite low, especially when compared to his Wisdom. Since he wanted to be better at throwing things, he put his point into dex and inspected his attributes sheet.

Theo Spencer

Drogramath Dronon

Level 25

Alchemist

Core Slots: 5

Stats:

Health: 105

Mana: 190

Stamina: 115

Strength: 20 (+11)

Dexterity: 18 (+8)

Vigor: 20 (+8)

Intelligence: 26 (+9)

Wisdom: 30 (+7)

Points: 0

“Good to know that my name changed there, too,” Theo said. He hadn’t checked his attribute sheet in a while, but the system was catching up with him.

Now came the arduous task of sifting through hundreds of skills to pick from. Theo had little interest in spending his free skill on his [Governance Core], and his Drogramath cores had enough skills to make him happy for now. If he needed something from those two cores to break the Level 30 barrier, he would buy them at Level 30. That forced him to turn his attention to his [Toru’aun Mage’s Core]. That core was going to become more important as time went on—he knew that instinctively.

Theo’s [Toru’aun Mage’s Core] currently had three skills. [Sensitive Weaving], which decreased his rate of interruption while casting, [Surface Application] which made him better at applying wards to things, and [Ward Propagation] which made wards last longer. He sifted through the skills he could pick for the core, finding that most were blocked by level requirements. The alchemist went back to double-check that there was nothing exciting for his other cores before settling on a Toru’aun skill.

[Linked Wards]

Toru’aun Demon Mage Skill

Epic

Allows the user to link their wards.

Effect:

Wards can now be linked to work together. This operates outside of the spell crafting system, and must be done by an ad hoc basis.

Wards that are linked may produce new effects, increased durations, etc.

Wildcard skills were fun to use. Theo understood enough about Toru’aun’s wards to know this would be an interesting one. In all his time working with her magic, he found wards to be independent things. They didn’t play well with each other, and revealed now possibilities of linkage. The alchemist’s mind unfurled, applying his knowledge of the art to hint at powerful spellwork. This was something he would need to consult with Xol’sa on, but he knew it was the right choice. Even without the popup he got from Wisdom of the Soul.

The skill linked with his core seamlessly, allowing a trickle of knowledge to flow into his mind. First and second tier wards were made different by the addition of more spellwork layers. This new skill added something similar to discrete wards. They would no longer be closed systems, but pieces of a whole Theo could exploit. He let his mind wander as he rested in bed, imagining how the wards could interact. Like the fabric of the spells, he could interlink two shielding wards. Instead of springing forth to shield one target, they could combine to make a larger shield. The same concept applied to field-based damage wards, revealing wards, and so on.

Theo headed down for breakfast, finding that his friends were already digging in. He helped himself to a few chunks of a fruit he didn’t recognize and fell into his thoughts. Fenian was there to remove him from the sanctity of his mind, kindly questioning him about his abilities in Tero’gal. Fortunately, Tresk was there to answer. She was confident that she could fling him to any realm she wished. The alchemist had his doubts about it, but Balkor’s realm was dead. He imagined it wasn’t in the high heavens at all.

After breakfast, Theo made his rounds through town. Aarok and his people needed time to organize. That was the claim, anyway. Gwyn had voiced her objections about cracking the mine, so the administrators went into meetings to sort it out. The alchemist excused himself from those duties, finding his way to the lab instead. A sense of pride flashed through his chest when he spotted Salire working the stills. She was creating a batch of [Hallow Ground Essence], something he smelled before even entering the building.

“Much better when you use the right ingredients,” Theo said, checking to make sure the product she was creating met his expectations.

“I really thought I messed up last time,” Salire said.

Theo nodded. She had messed up, but it was no fault of her own. Unlike Salire, he didn’t have such complex things as hybrid reagents to deal with. He had every advantage handed to him, almost making a mockery of her learning experience. But he wouldn’t let that get him down. Not when he had someone to share alchemical delights with.

“Remember the first rule.”

“Right. No one blew up.”

The upgrade pipe system in the lab allowed Theo to check their supplies of essence at a glance. There were a few orders that needed filling, so he stuck around to brew some potions before opening up the mine. With the vent system functional above, he didn’t bother opening a window. That would only let the cold air out and letting the humid air of the season in. There was no end in sight for the Season of Fire. There were forty-nine days left under the oppressive weather. If the last change was anything to go by, it would be sudden.

Salire required a few nudges in the right direction for her brewing technique. She might have been a natural at the art of alchemy, but it didn’t hurt to lay a solid foundation for her. The alchemist couldn’t complain about her lack of practice with her mana. He remembered a time before Xol’sa was injured. A time when all he did was put that training off. Like most things in alchemy, cultivating a base of knowledge took time. And grinding.

Theo noticed the administrators hadn’t sorted their disagreements out. Even though it had been several hours since they began their meetings. Some were concerned about the dangers of opening the mine. The alchemist couldn’t decide if his feelings of annoyance were justified or not. His people were moving at the pace of politics and it irritated him. He snapped out of his concentrated annoyance when a pair of thumbs pressed firmly into the muscles in his shoulders. Spinning around, he saw Salire with a smile on her face.

“Turn back around.”

Theo did so, summoning his administration screen once again. Salire kneaded the tense muscles in his shoulders. “I’m trying not to be a dick with my administrators.”

Salire pressed the heel of her palm into the center of his back. Something cracked, sending a wave of satisfaction through the alchemist. “You’re the archduke, right?”

“That’s my problem‌,” Theo said, wincing as the Half-Ogre cracked another row of vertebrae. “No one voted for me.”

“There’s a fatal flaw in your logic. No one voted for the administrators, either.”

Theo felt the shadows stirring somewhere in the lab. His magical senses weren’t developing well, but Sarisa practically tore a hole through them when she came out of hiding. “I vote that you lay down the law. Assert dominance.”

Salire found another tight muscle in the alchemist’s back and worked it into putty. He let out a breath, still holding himself back from yelling at the administrators. It could be as easy as ordering them into line with his interests. But they ran the town most of the time, leaving him to do whatever he wanted. If he took away their ability to govern when he was gone, what was the point of having them?

“It comes down to one simple fact,” Sarisa said, making herself known by slamming the end of her spear into the ground. “This isn’t an administrative issue. This is a military issue.”

That was the piece he was missing. This wasn’t the concern of the Lord and Lady Administrators. This was Aarok’s decision. One could argue that the military leaders of Gronro and Rivers had a say, but not the administrators. They weren’t discussing how to plan a road or feed their people. The conversation was about exploring the caverns beneath the town.

The alchemist turned, placing a hand on his apprentice’s shoulder. “Thanks for that. You too, Sarisa.” He titled to one side, feeling a few more bones crack in his back. “Much better. Let’s go lay down the law.”