A wash of magical energy rolled over the wizard’s tower. The sting on Theo’s skin was disconcerting, and a visible plume of purple magic rose from the [Swamp Dungeon] in the distance. Arrays filled the air before them, the magical makeup of the dungeon system laid bare. But it wasn’t a simple task to understand those sigils. While the alchemist could read them with decent proficiency, that didn’t mean he could understand what they meant. Even Xol’sa had trouble with that.

The color of Toru’aun’s core, currently resting in Theo’s palm, seemed to shift. It was an iridescent glow that never settled on a single hue for long, cycling as though driven by some unseen force. The alchemist had delayed inserting the new core into his chest, if only to gain some room to think. His thoughts came slowly, crawling along through the mire of complication. The twists and turns he found in his new life were not unlike that swamp below. Bubbling with unseen danger, fetid at times, and otherwise mysterious.

“Delaying won’t do you any good,” Xol’sa said, prodding at a few more symbols. A satisfied nod later and he turned to the alchemist, placing a hand on his shoulder. “Best to stitch the wound quickly.”

Theo shrugged, holding the core out for a few more moments before placing it against his chest. The fabric where the robe had been torn was still mending, as well as his layer underneath. Cold metal pressed against his bare flesh for only a moment before shifting light poured out, grasping to accept the new core. Pain flashed for only a moment, then there was nothing. Just the warm comfort of another slot in his chest filled. The alchemist inspected his new core, reading it aloud for Xol’sa to hear.

[Toru’aun Mage’s Core]

Unique

Mage Core

Bound

2 Slots

Level 1 (0%)

A mage core given by the Queen of Mystery Toru’aun. Little is known about the Demon Goddess.

Innate Skills:

[Sensitive Weaving]

The Elf let out a groan. “Could it be more vague? Wait, what was the rarity?”

“Unique,” Theo said, scratching his head.

“What? No, that doesn’t track,” Xol’sa said, producing notes from nowhere and inspecting them. He mumbled to himself for a while before jabbing his finger into the page. “Here. I have a record of a Dronon who died and was… Examined. They had a Toru’aun core—a mage style core.”

Theo thought for a moment, flitting through his near-perfect memory to search for answers. But the ability to recall whatever he wanted didn’t mean he could force logical connections between those things. The pair traded ideas for a while before it came to him. Something he’d heard a while ago.

“It’s the wrong core,” Theo said, reading the name of the core again. “I was supposed to get a [Toru’aun Demon Mage’s Core].”

Xol’sa sputtered. “What? How in the realms does that work?”

“What’s the difference? Demon mage versus mage?”

“It’s just what the mages of the Demonic races are called,” Xol’sa said. “Toru’aun forged you a new core. Why?”

“I guess they don’t call her the Queen of Mystery for nothing, do they?” Theo asked.

Xol’sa sighed. “Fine. The skill attached to the core is extremely standard. It reduces interruption rates for spellcasting.”

Theo examined the skill.

[Sensitive Weaving]

Mage Skill

Rare

While casting spells, your rate of interruption is decreased.

Effects:

Reduces the chances that your spells will fizzle when your concentration is broken.

“Fair enough,” Theo said. “Alright. You got a kettle? Some tea? You need to help me look through these skills so I can pick the best one.”

“Of course.”

Theo and Xol’sa settled into the study. The Elf lit a [Flame Artifice] and put on a kettle, mixing his own tea in a mortar and pestle. Unlike the moss tea the alchemist was used to, this version was made of many different leaves. It had a pleasant bouquet that filled the room once placed in the hot water. Then the pair got to work, going through a list of near-endless skills. They quickly narrowed it down to a few picks, and learned a great deal about what kind of magic Toru’aun represented.

“It’s painful to be right so often,” Xol’sa said, unable to hide his smile. The striations of glowing blue on his skin flashed for a moment. “[Surface Application] is the winner here.”

“Alright,” Theo said, scrolling through the list. He found the skill in question, then examined it.

[Surface Application]

Toru’aun Demon Mage Skill

Legendary

Subverts the nature of your wards, allowing you to place them on any surface.

Effect:

When casting your warding spells, you may apply them to any surface.

The length of time your wards remain on mundane items is halved, based on intelligence.

Wards applied to magical items last for a day, plus a day for every 10 intelligence you have.

“Tell me why this is useful,” Theo said.

Xol’sa grinned. “I was right about the way the Queen of Mystery works. Yes, you can stop applauding. No, you’re too generous.”

Theo simply stared.

Xol’sa cleared his throat. “Wards are a standard form of magic. I use them very often. The most common ward is a shield.”

The Elf gestured, mana flowing from his core to form a semi-transparent barrier in the air. It was in the shape of a circle, and pulsed with pale blue energy.

“Magic wards and physical wards. The most basic form possible,” Xol’sa said. “Take my wards out in the swamp for an extreme example. I’ve applied them to enchanted standards, a medium for them to latch onto. They detect, redirect, and manipulate the power of a god.”

“Right. Two extreme examples,” Theo said with a nod. That was a good way to give an example of how something worked. Show the most and the least of something. He liked it. “Give me an example on how you think Toru’aun’s spellcasting is going to work.”

“Why not cast it now?” Xol’sa asked with a smile. “Produce that book she gave you, and we’ll give it a go.”

Theo gave the Elf another look. He was hesitant to work with mana in the real world, even if he was getting better by the day. But this was the point in his advancement he’d been preparing for. There had been enough practice. He removed the book from his inventory and set it on the table. Xol’sa poured two cups of tea. The alchemist took a sip.

“Damn good tea,” Theo said.

“It’s my own blend. Now, we’re going to ward this stone,” Xol’sa said, setting a mundane stone on the table. “Remember the parts of spellcasting. Intent, focus, and mechanism.”

“Explain those before I blow your tower up on accident,” Theo said.

This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

“Intent. What do you want the spell to do? Focus. Keep your mind on the task. That part allows your mana to flow into the spell. Mechanism. That’s the spellcasting method. We’ll use chanting for this one. It’s the easiest.”

“Disadvantages of chanting?”

Xol’sa shrugged. “You need to chant. It leaves you open to attacks, and everyone can hear your spell. Easy to counter-spell, isn’t it?”

Theo thought about the task before moving forward. He’d always thought of Toru’aun’s spell as an array, rather than a chanted thing. But his mind twisted around the problem and found a solution quickly. The way the rings attached to each other was the key to understanding the story hidden within. So, instead of reading each page individually, he’d need to jump between pages and string the words together in a chant. Without his increased memory, this would be an impossible task. As it stood, he could do it without referencing the book.

“Ready? Good. Hold your hand out, and start the chant. Keep all those things in mind,” Xol’sa said.

Before starting the process, Theo sensed that this was his favorite way to interact with systems. Sometimes he needed to put tremendous effort into what he was doing. Summoning mana from his core was one of the biggest points of pain for him, but he could feel this was an automated thing. He began chanting the story. It was about a group of Dronon that had encircled to defend themselves against an attacking army. They fought and died for thirty days before they were overcome, resulting in the destruction of their people. It was a sad tale, and the alchemist doubted it was real. But that wasn’t the point.

Mana flowed in a constant rate from his new core, iridescent motes that latched onto the rock. On his third go through the chant, something snapped. The rock glowed, shifting colors rapidly, then stopped.

“Done,” Xol’sa said, pressing his hand onto the stone. He laughed. “Perfect. Inspect the stone.”

Theo obeyed, pressing his fingers against the rock.

[Rock]

[Mundane Item]

Common

An uninteresting rock.

Wards:

[Lesser Defense]

Naturally, the alchemist inspected what [Lesser Defense] was next.

[Lesser Defense]

[Advanced Ward]

Creates a reactive barrier. Barrier only responds when attacked.

Trigger:

Attack

Duration:

1 day.

“Alright, that’s kind of awesome.”

“Kind of awesome?” Xol’sa asked. “You really aren’t naturally attuned to magic. This is amazing. Let me tell you the rule of wards. You cannot apply them to mundane items. Ever. Applying them to magical items is difficult. Meaning…”

“We’re out here breaking the rules. Again,” Theo said, chuckling.

“More than that,” Xol’sa said. “Based on this, and what I’ve already studied, you can use these on potions. Because what does [Surface Application] say? You can apply it to any surface.”

That would make for amazing synergy. But what would [Lesser Defense] do with a potion? No, that wouldn’t work for a potion. He’d need to discover more wards to chant. For the sake of thoroughness he inspected his mana, finding that it had taken about 20% to cast the spell. For such a small object, and such a small spell, that seemed like a lot. But the alchemist was new to this spellcasting thing and tucked that away into his mind for another day.

“Watch this,” Theo said, pulling a stick from his [Tara’hek Inventory] and smacking it against the stone.

Xol’sa shrieked. A barrier sprung up around the rock to protect it, catching the entire force of the blow. The stick shattered in half, the errant end spinning across the room missing the Elf narrowly.

“Careful!” Xol’sa shouted, looking back with dismay. The stick was lodged between two books. He sighed, returning his attention to the rock. “The ward is still active. Look, it’s returning to the inert state.”

The barrier around the rock faded, but the ward remained. The pair theorized how many charges it had, and Xol’sa determined it was linked to the amount of mana used in the spell. He also suggested the quality of the spellcasting had a major influence on the resulting ward, and that Theo should practice with everything.

“What happens if I throw the rock at someone?” Theo asked. “Would the ward activate? Throw the rock at me, Xol’sa.”

“I’m not throwing the rock at you,” Xol’sa said.

“Come on. For science.”

Xol’sa groaned, grabbing the rock and tossing it as hard as he could manage at Theo. It wasn’t that hard, but hard enough to activate it. But nothing happened.

“See, intent matters more than anything,” Xol’sa said. “There was no intent to attack the rock, so the ward didn’t activate.”

But that led Theo to think of the many ways wards could be used. The implication was that he could alter the intent trigger, setting up different scenarios for usage. It also led to the next biggest problem with the spell.

“Not really super useful,” Theo said. “Just putting a little barrier on stuff.”

“It’s… Kinda useful. Not extremely so, but you know. Low-level magic is that way,” Xol’sa said. “Leave the book with me, and I’ll see what I can do. It’s locked in that memory of yours, right?”

“It is,” Theo said. “Xol’sa… I appreciate the help, man. I really do.”

“I’m an Elf, not a man,” Xol’sa said. “To have another spellcaster in town is a boon. We seem to be a rare breed.”

“Agreed,” Theo said.

Instead of heading out straight away, Theo lingered to enjoy his tea and talk to the Elf. His work on the dungeons had taken most of his time, so he wasn’t able to explore the implications of Tero’gal. Since things were going well, it didn’t seem like an emergency. But then the topic shifted to the Elf’s relationship with Zarali and how it was evolving. It was getting more serious and they were considering marriage and a situation more dire than anything the Demonic Gods could bring their way.

“I’m not even sure if we can have a child,” Xol’sa said.

“You’ll never know unless you try,” Theo said, resting a hand on Xol’sa’s shoulder. He regret his words immediately. “I didn’t mean to say that so creepily. I mean, who knows what races can mix.”

“Everything, technically. But I’m not from the mortal plane,” Xol’sa said. “I appreciate the support, but I was just curious if you’d be interested in heading our marriage.”

“Not really sure what that means,” Theo said. “I don’t think you do marriage the same way here as we did back on Earth.”

“I don’t know my people’s tradition. Zarali’s people don’t have a tradition. So we’d do it in the Broken Tusk tradition,” Xol’sa said.

“Which is?”

“A fistfight‌,” Xol’sa said, nodding.

“Oh.”

“I’m kidding. A ceremony and a party. Nothing insane.”

“Well, that’s easy enough. I’d be happy to marry you.”

“Would you?” Xol’sa asked. “You’ve been strange about the relationship.”

It was tactful to pause for a moment to allow his thoughts to gather. Theo had found his thoughts easier to contend with lately. His ability to silence both his attributes and his cores was growing, that was already an effect he’d observed. But it also affected his emotions, helping him dismiss the ones that bled through his [Tara’hek Core] and banish those coming from his Drogramathi cores. The answer came to him suddenly.

“Khahar said something about this,” Theo said. “Going into his own realm would help his broken brain. Wait, does that mean my brain is broken?”

Xol’sa shrugged. “Broken is relative. But, that might be the case. Again, we need to study your private realm.”

Theo felt something twinge in his mind. He checked the stack of status bars in his vision and found that Tresk had suddenly lost stamina, and a bit of health. Coming in to mingle with a sense of danger were reports from his lodestone network. Not from his combat golems stationed in the mine, but those wandering around town.

You alright?

Chirp!

Some monsters charged at the eastern wall, Tresk said. Just a small group. No biggie.

“Monster attack in town. I better go,” Theo said.

“Don’t forget about me. Send me a message when you’re planning on delving into Tero’gal,” Xol’sa said.

“Alright. Again, thanks.”

Theo paid close attention to the sensation he felt as he passed through Xol’sa’s portal. He focused on the idea of planes, and skimming over the bridge as he went. To the alchemist, it felt more like threading a path around the other realms, as though he was a drifting ship in space that got caught in the gravity of planets. That singular moment he spent between realms felt longer this time, giving him a glimpse of that darkened void between places.

Heading over to the eastern wall, Theo found several adventurers looting monsters that had scaled the wall. Tresk was there, directing the work and organizing a scouting party. They’d head out to investigate what caused the attack, then report it back to the administration. Investigations like this normally fell to Xol’sa, so the alchemist would see him again before the day was done.

“Report, soldier,” Theo said, grinning at his companion.

“Buncha frog-people, sir!” Tresk said, performing a salute she could have only learned from his memories. “Gave them a good stabbing.”

“Wanna see something cool?” Theo asked.

“Uh, only always.”

Theo summoned the golem that had helped with the fight. One of his few remaining [Lesser Mud Golems], normally tasked with scouring the marsh for motes. The alchemist knelt near his creation, held his hand out and began chanting the only spell he knew. Tresk was nearby to shout words of encouragement, hooting with excitement every time a mote traveled from his hand to the golem. He managed worse this time, chanting the spell four times before it stuck. The golem shivered.

“Alright. Try smacking it. When you do—”

Tresk didn’t wait for further invitation. She coiled her fist on the spot and drove it hard into the golem’s chest. The barrier sprung up in an instant to intercept the attack, forming that pale, shifting barrier. Doubling over and cradling her hand, the Marshling let out a series of curses Theo had never heard before. They were as foul as they were creative.

“I meant with a weapon.”

“You could’ve told me!” Tresk shouted.

“I was in the middle of telling you when you attacked.”

Alex chirped, then honked, then produced a plume of smoke from her bill.

“Drink this,” Theo said, withdrawing a healing potion from his inventory and handing it over to his companion. He kept his eyes on Alex. Did he see smoke? From her mouth?

“Yeah, she spat fire earlier,” Tresk said, downing the potion. Her hand twisted back into place in an instant, and she let out a sigh of relief. “We got a fire goose!”

“Theo!” a voice sounded from below. Azrug was there, waving his hands wildly. “Do you have that order? For the Dwarf?”

“For Gronro?” Theo asked, shouting his words back.

“Yeah, I’ve got a carriage ready to go. We’re leaving within the hour.”

That wasn’t nearly enough time to get his potions ready. He was low on [Swamp Onions], but Tresk kept a secret supply hidden in the lab. But what was the point of having a personal realm where time moved slower if he didn’t use it?

[Theo]: Xol’sa, report to my lab. It’s time to do the thing. You know which one.

“Does that mean you got them?” Azrug asked, squinting against the sun.