“A high inquisitor of the burning eye?” Azrug asked, shouting and jumping in place. “How are you not dead, man? You’re a demon!”

Theo just got done explaining the situation to the boy. In his normal fashion, he was overly excited and extremely animated. Watching his reaction gave the alchemist a bit of relief, letting him rationalize how dangerous of a situation it was. Tresk constantly spoke into his mind, reassuring him that this was a good thing. He wanted her to stop focusing on him and get on with her task.

“Tresk attacked him,” Theo said.

“She what?” Azrug said, groaning. “By the Gods—all of them at once—what on earth was that woman thinking? He could have thrown her into the sea. Into the sea!”

“She’s almost as excitable as you,” Theo said, smiling.

The door opened, the bell jingling noisily, and Perg stepped inside. “Are you okay?”

“Small town, huh?” Theo asked, scoffing. He gave her the short version, but she seemed more understanding of the situation.

“Right. Dangerous, but good. If what he said was true, you would be in far more danger without his help,” Perg said. “If Drogramath took an interest in you, it’d be over. He’s banished right now, but still has agents.”

Theo placed his hand on the Half-Ogre’s shoulder and nodded. “I appreciate the concern. I’m fine, and I got a fancy scaling necklace for my trouble.”

“What? Those are rare,” Perg said. “They grow with you as you level.”

“Speaking of. I’d really like to get some alchemy done,” Theo said. “Azrug, embellish the tale if anyone comes looking for me. Make it sound like Tresk and Sulvan had an epic duel by the river.”

“Oh, I was going to do that anyway,” Azrug said, laughing.

“Let me know if you need anything,” Perg said.

“Thanks,” Theo said, smiling.

The alchemist wanted nothing more than to put this behind him. He knew it was a good thing, and that Sulvan understood his situation, but he didn’t care. His only desire was to craft potions and protect the town, and he couldn’t do that while worrying about what some dormant demon lord had planned for him. He closed the door to the lab for once and left the windows closed.

“Still better than Earth,” he said, latching onto the thought for reassurance.

Sulvan’s sudden appearance was comforting. While the townsfolk of Broken Tusk constantly reassured him that being a Dronon didn’t matter down south, it clearly mattered elsewhere. As far as Theo was concerned, the necklace was the Order of the Burning Eye’s endorsement. If anyone had a problem with his horns, he could flash the necklace or show his brand. The alchemist understood how disturbing the situation would be to another person, but he was content.

Theo focused on the task at hand. Fenian placed a ridiculously large order and would return in a week to collect it. As he prepared the mash for his first run of [Healing Essence], he lamented the manual process. The [Spiny Swamp Thistle Root] was the hardest of the restoration essences to process in the initial stages. The hard root required cutting before mashing, and more time spent with the heavy stick and bucket to get it ground well enough. Theo’s increased strength from the necklace was a boon, making the mashing significantly easier.

Theo transferred the root in stages, making a mental note to get a larger bucket, and filled the first still. He leveled it off with [Purified Water] and started the [Flame Artifice] on its lowest setting underneath. The running list of notes wouldn’t receive additional entries this time. For his delivery to Fenian, he wanted to keep everything as even as possible and get 500 “excellent” quality potions for each type. Essence began dripping from the condenser not long after the fire starter. The alchemist prepared his next batch.

[Manashrooms] were easier to prepare than the hard root. Theo barely smacked his stick against the bulbous mushrooms before they fell apart. He placed a flask under the second still’s condenser and added the mash in steps before topping it off. With a mote stuffed inside his second [Flame Artifice], he set it under the second still and watched the fire burn away.

How are you holding up? Tresk asked.

Theo smiled to himself. I should ask you that. I’m not the one delving into a dungeon today.

The first floors are fine. The monsters here practically crumple at a light touch, Tresk said, scoffing. I was just worried that the Paladin shook you up.

Not really, Theo said. The necklace he gave me is awesome. It makes smashing up all my reagents easy. It’s a scaling item, which Perg said is rare.

They are rare, Tresk said, sounding surprised.

The bell jingled downstairs and for the first time in a few days, he heard Azrug’s boisterous voice. Theo suspected that there was actually a customer, his suspicions realized when the boy cracked the door to the lab and said, “got an outsider adventurer.”

Theo looked at his flasks before descending the stairs. The massive glassware he put under the condensers would be fine for a while, and he could attend to the customer. He emerged into the shop to find a cat-person standing behind the counter, drumming his fingers on the surface. He was slightly shorter than the alchemist, with a leopard’s pattern on his visible fur, the rest of his body covered by chain mail armor. His pointed ears perked up upon seeing the alchemist.

“Ah, the sign makes sense now. Newt and Demon, I get it,” the man said. “I am called Zan’kir, and I have come for potions.”

“I’m Theo, and this is Azrug, my shopkeeper,” Theo said. “Are you here for the [Swamp Dungeon]?”

“Not today,” Zan’kir said. “I’m going to run the [River Dungeon].”

“Well, a trader cleaned most of my stock out, but I still have a few potions,” Theo said, gesturing to the back shelf. “You’re welcome to browse.”

Zan’kir nodded and went to the shelves. He found the [Lesser Healing Potions] immediately and gave Theo a confused look. “You created excellent quality potions in this town? That’s impressive.”

“Only the best for our customers,” Theo said, smiling.

“I’ll take five healing potions, two barkskin, and a purify,” Zan’kir said. “I hope you’re not expecting Qavelli prices.”

Theo waved a dismissive hand. “Of course not. I’ll take 30 copper for each potion.”

Something about the cat-person, whatever their race was called, screamed bargaining. His discerning eye told Theo that much, and he intended on throwing him a price that was absurd to start with.

Zan’kir shook his head, grimacing. “I’ll give you 15 copper each, and not a coin more.”

Theo grinned. “20 copper each, and I’ll throw in a [Cleansing Scrub]. You’ll need it in this mud pit.”

Zan’kir reached out his hand for Theo to shake, which he did. The cat-person beamed. “Simple negotiation is the pleasure of life, is it not?”

Azrug was standing near the back of the room, mentally taking notes on the exchange, although he was still too timid to strike a deal with the outsider.

“Couldn’t agree more,” Theo said, shrugging.

Zan’kir brought his potions to the front counter and withdrew the coins from a satchel at his side. Theo noticed it wasn’t a dimensional bag. He placed one silver and 60 copper coins on the counter, gesturing for the alchemist to count it. His alchemical measuring ability didn’t extend to loose coins, and he quickly counted it out before adding it to his inventory.

“A discerning man like you knows the price these potions fetch in the capital,” Zan’kir said. “Your reasonable prices will make it possible for up-and-coming adventurers to delve.”

“That’s my plan,” Theo said.

Zan’kir let out a heavy sigh. “The laid back attitude of this place… It reminds me of home.”

Theo raised an eyebrow. He didn’t even know what the man’s race was called in this world, let alone where they called home. “Where is home, exactly?”

“Across the great sea to the east in a land called Khahan,” Zan’kir said. “It's mostly desert, but the Khahari have called it home for eons. We have Dronon there, but none of your lineage. Where do you hail from?”

“My home was destroyed,” Theo said.

“I’m sorry to hear that.”

“Don’t be,” Theo said, waving a dismissive hand. “We were doomed long before the sun sought to swallow us.”

“So, a second chance. An outworlder,” Zan’kir said. There was something wistful on his face, a longing for something else. “Broken Tusk is a delightful place to settle. I wonder, could I buy property here?”

“I think so,” Theo said. Upon thinking about the topic a screen appeared, displaying a detailed map of the town and the available properties. Only now could he see the amount of land assigned to the Newt and Demon. It stretched far to the east, encompassing most of the area between the town and the river. He dismissed the screen and nodded. “Yes, we have a lot of property. I’m the local administrator, so you can ask me to settle down.”

“A decision for a later time,” Zan’kir said. “My family will have a say, and I’ll have to sort my holdings in the north.”

“No rush.”

“Well, until next time,” Zan’kir said, waving and departing.

When the Khahari was out the door, Azrug let out a heavy sigh. “You should have told him about the stipend provided by the kingdom.”

Theo waved him off, running upstairs to swap the flasks out under the condensers before returning.

“We won’t convince him. He’s going to have to decide,” Theo said. “I’ll pay you an extra copper coin today if you stick around to help me with the stills.”

Azrug scoffed. “You know what motivates me.”

The boy stayed downstairs while Theo tended his stills upstairs. Some time during the distillation process, Theo got a level in his [Drogramath Alchemy Core].

[Drogramath Alchemy Core] received experience (5%).

[Drogramath Alchemy Core] leveled up! Level 7.

[Theo Spencer] received experience (2%).

The rest of the run went as expected, with 200 units of [Healing Essence] and [Mana Essence] both at excellent quality. He summoned Azrug upstairs and explained ‌how he dumped the stills out the window. The Half-Ogre boy burst out laughing, slapping his knees and pointing at the alchemist. Theo waited for him to get it out of his system.

“You’re the dumbest alchemist I know,” Azrug said, shaking his head. “You’ve got all this alchemical knowledge in your brain, but no common sense.”

“I’m the only alchemist you know,” Theo said.

The boy disappeared down the stairs, returning with a bottle of [Cleansing Scrub] in his hand and grinning. He placed a drop of the solution inside the first still, the powerful reaction bathing the room in a bright white glow. When it was done the massive pot was completely clean.

“I’m an idiot,” Theo said, nodding.

“I’m still getting paid more, right?” Azrug asked.

Theo produced three copper, as promised, and handed it over to the boy.

“See you tomorrow,” Azrug said, bounding down the stairs and out the front door.

The alchemist left the stills for now, stowing the essences in his inventory and making for the front door. Before he could leave to harvest more herbs the five burly laborers appeared. He directed them to deposit their hard work into the dimensional crate upstairs and took stock of the herbs before paying them. 200 more of the root, 200 more mushrooms, and 300 more of the moss. They must have figured out how to climb the trees properly to harvest the moss.

“Another day of hard work, guys,” Theo said, shaking his head. “You’re really doing a good job.”

Ziz grunted, holding his hand out and smiling. Theo produced 25 copper coins and placed them in the Half-Ogre’s hand. “Same for tomorrow?”

“Yes, after that I’ll have new reagents for you to harvest,” Theo said.

Ziz waved and departed, taking his band of laborers with him. Theo left, locking up the shop and swinging around the side into the gravel yard. He let out a groan, suddenly remembering that he wanted to talk to Miana. Any conversation with the woman ended with her scowling a hole through his forehead. He changed course, heading up the main street and into the square. Before entering her house, he checked the monolith in the square.

[Small Town]

Name: Broken Tusk

Owner: Kingdom of Qavell

Mayor: Miana Kell

Administrator: Theo Spencer

Faction: [Qavell]

Level: 4 (25%)

Features:

Alchemy Lab-Alchemy Shop

Blacksmith

Large Farm

Tannery

Tradesmen

Adventurer’s Guild

Upgrades:

None

The adventurers were doing a great job feeding the town cores. It would be level 5 soon enough. Theo knocked on Miana’s door and the woman emerged, glowering down at him. “What?”

“Business,” Theo said.

She reluctantly held the door open, allowing him to enter. She snapped it shut behind her and regarded him, shaking her head. “Well?”

“How do you communicate with the capital?”

Miana simply gestured for him to follow, leading him down the hall and into the office where the town’s mercantile seats held their meetings. She retrieved a small pink crystal from a locked chest and set it down on the table. “Just grasp it and you’ll be connected with some annoying functionary.”

“Alright,” Theo said. “I just wanted to know that you had a line directly to them.”

“I do. And now you do,” Miana said. Her expression softened for a moment and she sighed. “Why are you better at being a mayor than me?”

“I’m not,” Theo said, waving her off. “I’m better at being so self-interested that I’ve expanded my interests to the town.”

Miana laughed, maybe for the first time since he met her. “That alchemy shop has been empty for as long as I can remember. You show up, and suddenly the town is buzzing.”

“It’s a confluence of events,” Theo said. “The dungeon gaining levels rapidly has more to do with it than me. Have you considered the idea that we’re seeing more success because you have more support?”

“See? You even know the right words to say,” Miana said, letting out another sigh. “Keep it up. Use the crystal whenever you need.”

“Alright. I need to gather my thoughts on that one. It boils down to getting more financial aid from the crown,” Theo said.

“They seem willing,” Miana said, shrugging.

Theo bid farewell to the woman, not willing to commit to contacting whoever was on the other end of the crystal. He wandered toward the river, gaining updates from Tresk along the way. They went down to the 10th floor of the dungeon before turning back, and were currently making their way back up. She found new gear, and even a few reagents she thought were alchemical. Without an herbalism core, she wouldn’t be able to tell. He wished her a safe journey back.

The area between the shop and the river was picked over, but there were still hidden roots invisible to the laborers. Theo knew the plants would grow back within a day, but spent his time gathering the more difficult ones. He hadn’t considered why they came back so quickly, but dismissed the thought as soon as it came. The herbs in the area behind his shop were locked in his mind, their locations stored away by his high [Wisdom] stat. While he knew those well, the plants that grew along the river were unknown.

According to the information detailed in his book, elemental flowers were related to their equivalent stat. [Water Lilies] grew in thick patches along the muddy bank, and would produce potions that enhanced [Wisdom]. He stowed them away in his inventory and worked his way north until Tresk informed him she arrived back at the shop. A massive wooden bridge spanned the river at a point. He noted its location and turned back around, the journey back to the Newt and Demon resulting in 50 of the [Water Lilies] in his inventory.

Tresk looked exhausted, sitting in Azrug’s chair with her head resting on the front desk. Theo dripped a few drops of [Cleansing Scrub] on her head and she laughed. It washed away the layers of grime and blood covering her body, sending flashes of light through the shop.

“I got this new dagger,” Tresk said, pulling a wicked-looking blade from her belt and grinning. “Finally picked my level 10 ability, too. [Blades from Shadow] increases my first attack after leaving stealth.”

“You’re a sneaky one,” Theo said, patting her on the head. “Not much from me, today. Got level 7 in my alchemy core and made some potions.”

“Ah, the life of an alchemist,” she said, laughing. “I’m going to take a few potions from the shelf, if that’s okay.”

“They’re your potions, too,” Theo said.

Tresk shrugged, groaning as she stood and stowing 5 [Lesser Healing Potions] in her dimensional bag. “You’re working on the Elf job, right?”

“Yeah, I’m getting there,” Theo said. “I also owe Perg some tanning potions, so I want to get this job done soon. Is Luras stopping by for dinner?”

“He is. Perg will invite herself, too,” Tresk said.

Theo and Tresk went upstairs, propping the windows open and making a new batch of soup. The reagents she found in the dungeon turned out to be common plants, a fact that annoyed her. As if on cue, Luras knocked on the front door. Perg was with him, and they joined as a group upstairs. The soup was as delicious as the last time they made it, and the conversation switched around aimlessly. It finally landed on the inquisitor Sulvan.

“That’s the thing!” Perg shouted. “We sit here in some backwater town, knowing that there’s high-level people out there. It’s absurd to think about.”

“It’s scary,” Tresk said. “He didn’t even flinch when I stabbed him.”

“You shouldn’t have stabbed him,” Luras groaned.

“I thought he was going to kill my Tara’hek,” Tresk shrugged.

“Theo is just lucky that the guy was one of the good ones,” Perg said. “Imagine if he was just a jerk that killed all the unknown Dronon.”

“Well, demon lords are the least of our worries,” Luras said. “The [Swamp Dungeon] is still leveling, and we don’t have walls.”

“Has Aarok organized a night watch?” Theo asked.

“Have you sorted the night watch’s wages?” Luras shot back, grinning.

Theo shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He had the chance to talk to the capital earlier, but didn’t want to get ahead of himself. “No.”

“Well, he’s organized it anyway. Two people will patrol the streets in shifts,” Luras said. “It’s horrible work, but they’re doing it for free until we get that sorted.”

Everyone at the table but Perg was exhausted from the day. She babbled on for longer than was acceptable, and was eventually dragged out of the shop by Luras’ powerful grip. Theo and Tresk locked the shop up and headed for bed, pressing their foreheads together before saying goodnight.

Tresk’s loud snores filled the room immediately. Despite the softness of the bed, and his exhaustion, Theo was awake for quite a while. Twilight enveloped the town, and he still wasn’t tired. He replayed the events of the day in his mind, appreciating how lucky he was. There were still things he couldn’t change in this world, but Broken Tusk wasn’t one of them. He could alter the fate of the town for the better, sending it into an era of prosperity it could have only dreamed of. Only when embracing the dreams of his new home did he find rest that night.