Theodore and Jack were in Farmer Jed’s field, with the former just having come there to ask about progress and the latter working on figuring out whatever that thing was. Their breaths formed small clouds in the cold air.

"Any progress, Jack?" Theodore asked.

Jack shook his head, frustration evident in his furrowed brow. "Nothing, my lord. It's as inscrutable as ever. No magic I know can penetrate its defenses or reveal its nature. Nothing can chip away at it, either."

Theodore sighed, his shoulders sagging slightly. He approached the dome, placing a hand on its smooth, cool surface for the first time evet. "What is it—"

He began, but his words caught in his throat as a familiar blue screen materialized before his eyes.

[Side Quest Activated: Sever the boulder sent by Sunder with a single strike.]

Theodore's eyes widened, his hand still pressed against the dome. Jack, oblivious, looked at him with concern.

"M'lord? Is everything alright?" Jack asked, taking a step closer.

But Theodore didn't respond

Theodore blinked rapidly, clearing the text from his vision. He turned to Jack, schooling his expression into a mask of calm.

"It's nothing," he lied smoothly, dropping his hand from the dome. "Just... a chill."

Jack looked skeptical but didn't press the issue. "Perhaps we should return to town, my lord. The cold can play tricks on the mind."

Theodore nodded absently.

Sunder sent this... boulder? And now wants me to sever it? Why? Why is Sunder suddenly taking such an active interest in me?

"You go ahead, Jack," Theodore said. "I want to try one more thing."

Jack hesitated, then nodded reluctantly. "As you wish, my lord. Don't stay out too long,” Jack said before he left.

Taking a deep breath, Theodore drew his sword. He centered himself. His fingers tightened around the hilt.

Then struck at the dome with all his might.

CLANG!

Pain shot through his muscles as the force rebounded and reverberated through his arm. The sword nearly flew from his grasp. Theodore stumbled back, hissing through clenched teeth.

"By the gods," he muttered, massaging his throbbing arm. The dome was smooth, there wasn’t even a single scratch on its surface.

Theodore retreated, eyeing the structure warily. What is this thing made of? He thought with a sigh before he turned to leave.

***

Theodore's fingers twitched as he made the mental decision to claim his rewards. It had been a while since he'd killed Malakai. But he hadn't claimed all the rewards yet. When he decided he wanted the rewards, and gave a mental nudge, a soft ping rang in his mind, followed by the system's crisp voice:

You've claimed all your rewards!

He blinked, adjusting to the sudden appearance of items before him. The first to catch his eye was a small, pitch-black marble—the Necrotic Core. Theodore reached out, surprised by its diminutive size. He could easily hold three in one palm. Rotating it between his fingers, he hummed thoughtfully before setting it aside.

He honestly had no uses for it. Heck, he didn't even know where and how he should be utilizing it. He'd most likely be giving it to Jack.

Next, his attention shifted to the Divine Essence. Ten golden shards lay before him. Theodore picked one up, and light bent and refracted around it in impossible ways. It was as if he held a fragment of something impossible. Accurately describing it… wasn't really possible, somehow.

It felt as if it was an object that didn't quite belong in three-dimensional space.

He placed the shards carefully to one side, making a mental note to experiment with absorbing one later.

The Arachnid Carapace came next. Theodore ran his fingers over its surface. A tough, resilient material.

This could make for some impressive armor, he mused. Maybe I should contact Artos. That dude will love this.

Shaking his head, he turned his attention away from it.

Theodore's gaze fell upon the Necromantic Grimoire. The book had this uncanny feeling about it. A weird sensation that wasn't quite describable. Ominous.

As Theodore sorted through his newfound treasures, a thought struck him.

He hadn't received any rewards for severing the connection to the Outer God.

Does it only work if I kill? he pondered, his brow furrowing slightly. It would be a bummer if that was true, and from the way things had been so far, it was indeed true.

He should've at least killed Eliza, maybe that would've given him a reward. But he hadn't been able to—Alden had done it.

Pushing the thought aside, Theodore returned his attention to the items before him. He picked up the Necrotic Core once more.

Its obsidian surface cool against his skin. Almost like that thing Sunder sent here… Hmm, is it because both are related to gods and divinity somehow? But are Constellations gods? Uhhhh, nevermind. Let's think about it later.

Setting down the core, Theodore's eyes were drawn back to the Divine Essence.

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

Curiosity piqued, he decided to attempt absorbing one.

Picking up a shard, Theodore turned it over in his hand. He frowned, realizing he had no idea how to actually absorb the essence.

First, he tried pressing it against his forehead, feeling slightly foolish as he did so. Nothing happened. Gosh, why did I even do that?

Shaking his head, he attempted to crush it in his fist, thinking perhaps breaking it would release the energy or whatever it was—and then he could absorb it.

The shard remained stubbornly intact.

Goddammit.

Sighing, Theodore closed his eyes and tried to will the essence into himself through sheer mental effort.

Still nothing.

Hmm. What if I treat it like mana? I've absorbed that before. Focusing on the shard, Theodore imagined it as a liquid, flowing into him through his palm. He reached out with tendrils of his own mana, a bit hesitant.

Touching it directly with his own mana could be unpredictable. But—

—Nothing changed. Then, suddenly, he felt it.

A sensation.

It spread from his hand up his arm. His eyes snapped open to see the shard slowly dissolving, golden motes of light sinking into his skin.

A rush of warmth—one that he'd never felt before—flooded through him, followed by a sensation of lightness, as if gravity had loosened its hold. Theodore gasped, and involuntarily let go of the shard. It clattered onto the table in front of him.

The sensation continued for a few moments, then it vanished.

For a moment, Theodore felt the pull. His fingers twitched, his Adam’s apple bobbed, and he swallowed. He nearly reached for the shard again. The allure sang a siren's song in his ears. Temptation. A want. A need.

He took a sharp intake of air and stood up, retreating a few steps.

Yeah, Theodore thought, a wry smile twisting his lips, not touching that with a ten-foot pole. Shit's like drugs.

Fucking hell. It made him itch for a cigarette.

Frowning, he slapped his cheeks. Then, His eyes moved to the grimoire, quickly thinking of something to distract himself. The book was dangerous, yes, but also valuable. In the right hands, it could be a powerful asset. Or in the wrong hands, a catastrophic threat.

Theodore's mind settled on a decision.

He would give it to Jack. His friend had the knowledge and discretion to handle such a thing.

Plus, it would make for one hell of a gift.

And—a welcome distraction.

“Thank you, my lord," Jack said when he gave him the book.

Theodore smiled. “No need. I'm glad you like it."

“I do!" Jack nodded with a grin. “This is great stuff."

The man looked eager to… study. Thus, Theodore took his leave quickly.

***

Theodore leaned back in his chair as he surveyed the parchment before him. The sketches of the public baths were beginning to take shape. With the kiln built and brick production underway, he could finally turn his attention to this project.

He tapped the quill against his chin, recalling the public baths he'd known on Earth. "Let's see," he muttered to himself, "we'll need separate areas for men and women, obviously. Can't have any scandals in this prudish society."

Gonna have to simplify things a bit, Theodore mused, sketching a basic floor plan. No need for all the fancy trimmings, at least not yet.

He drew two identical sections, one labeled "Men" and the other "Women," each with its own entrance. Changing rooms first, he thought, adding small cubicles along the walls. Then the main bathing area.

Theodore paused, considering the practicalities of heating water in this world without modern plumbing. Well, why not? We'll need a system of pipes sooner or later, he decided, sketching a rough diagram of a hypocaust system. Heat the water from below, let it circulate. It'll be a challenge, but doable.

He added a series of pools to his drawing—one large central pool for general bathing, and smaller ones of varying temperatures around the edges. Cold plunge, hot soak, something for everyone.

Leaning back, he grinned before getting to work again.

In this world, regular bathing was a luxury few could afford. Mostly nobles. Majority of the people made do with infrequent dips in rivers or quick scrubs with cold water. The introduction of public baths would be revolutionary in terms of hygiene.

"They'll be able to bathe regularly. And the health benefits..."

A sly smile spread across his face as another thought occurred to him.

And of course, more bathing means more soap. More soap means more sales. Got to keep the business angle in mind.

Theodore stood up, stretched, working out the kink in his neck from hunching over his sketches, then paced the length of his study.

We'll need attendants, he realized. And someone to manage the fires for heating.

He made a mental note to start recruiting staff soon.

Returning to his desk, Theodore added more details to his sketches.

He drew benches along the walls, places for people to rest and socialize. They'd need rules. They couldn’t just have people bringing in food or drink. And they’d also need to enforce cleanliness. Maybe a preliminary wash before entering the main pools?

He added a small antechamber to each section, with low benches and water spouts.

There. A place to rinse off the worst of the dirt before getting into the main bath.

The bricks from his new kiln would form the main structure, but he'd need to source other materials as well.

Marble for the pools, if he could get his hands on it. Theodore shook his head. Scratch that. For now, he needed a working place first. Rest could wait.

He made a list in the corner of his parchment: Bricks, stone, pipes, pumps, heating system, towels, soap…

The list grew longer as he thought of more necessities.

This wasn’t going to be cheap.

The rough sketches were starting to look like a real plan. He could almost smell the steam, hear the splash of water and the murmur of voices. It would be a slice of luxury in this often harsh world, a place where people could relax, get clean, and maybe even enjoy themselves a little.

He added a small shop to his sketch, near the entrance. Soap, towels, maybe even some basic grooming supplies, he mused. Combs, nail files, that sort of thing.Theodore's quill flew across the parchment as he refined his ideas. He added details to the heating system, sketching out a series of furnaces and pipes that would keep the water at the right temperature.

He thought about the water supply next. In this world without modern plumbing, keeping the baths filled and clean would be a challenge. So, they’d need a good source of fresh water, and a way to drain and clean the pools regularly.

Theodore added a water tower to his sketch, positioned to use gravity magic to help fill the pools.

And drains, he thought, drawing in a system of channels leading away from the baths. We'll need somewhere for the dirty water to go. Can't just dump it in the streets.

He imagined the reactions of the townspeople when the baths opened. There would be skepticism at first, he was sure. Many would see regular bathing as an unnecessary luxury. But once they experienced the comfort and cleanliness for themselves...

Theodore chuckled, picturing the gradual shift in attitudes.

They'd wonder how they ever lived without it.

Of course, not everyone would be pleased.

He thought some more, then with a satisfied nod, Theodore placed the rolled parchment on his desk. Tomorrow, he would begin turning these plans into reality.