The damage to the eastern gate was extensive. Theo’s wards might have prevented a complete annihilation of the wall, but it didn’t stop the elemental from running wild. Chunks of frozen [Living River Water] had impacted buildings as well, adding to the list of things that needed tending. The alchemist picked his way through a field of the ice, watching as the precious reagent melted away. He couldn’t stuff his inventory full of the stuff fast enough.

Broken Tusk’s administration was busy examining the effects of the damage. Even now, only an hour after the attack, the wall was rebuilding itself. Stones, surrounded by glittering motes of light, lifted themselves from the ground. Other stones appeared from nowhere, forming out of raw magic. All the while the resources of the town drained, patching the damage magically. More interesting than that was the effect that the nation had on the damage.

The [Kingdom Core] that powered the Southlands Alliance also drew on its own energy. It drained away its stores, helping the town’s rebuilding process. The magic was thick enough in the air to see, casting everything in a gentle shimmer of blue and purple. Theo sneezed after inhaling a thick cloud of magic. He didn’t stop to question how that worked, moving on to collect more precious river water.

Despite the damage, celebrations had already kicked off near the town square. Someone had lit a massive bonfire, and a gathering of citizens was dancing around it. The newest batch of elves played tinny instruments and beat on hide drums. Theo spotted Tresk amongst them, having the time of her life.

“I may have miscalculated.”

Theo turned, finding Xol’sa looking pensive. The planar elf rarely held a look of guilt on his face, but this was close enough to it. The alchemist clapped a hand on his shoulder. “Clearly. The boss was too difficult.”

Xol’sa shrugged, tapping a pen into a length of parchment. “If we recalculate for the other dungeons, I think we have… a problem.”

“When don’t we have a problem? What is it?”

“I need to instigate a wave from every other dungeon. That should purge the magic well enough.”

The last thing Broken Tusk needed right now was another wave. Theo thought for a while before responding, but the answer was clear. If they allowed the power to build in the other dungeons, it would only be worse. Xol’sa wasn’t one to mess his calculations up, which was strange. Perhaps his new position as a dungeon engineer had thrown him off. Whatever the problem was, it needed to be sorted.

“What level are we talking about? For the [Mountain Dungeon] and [Hills Dungeon]?”

“Those dungeons have grown very little. I’d estimate they’re between Level 15 and Level 20. But we can do more to dampen their strength before they come.”

“How?”

“Clearing bosses and monsters within.”

“Folks don’t like running those dungeons,” Theo said with a sigh. “And I don’t blame them. They’re a pain in the ass to get to.”

“Doesn’t matter. It has to be done.” Xol’sa slouched for a second, then straightened himself. “I’ll need Aarok to cooperate. Can we give an incentive for clearing those dungeons?”

“Of course. If we need to. What about the [Swamp Dungeon]?”

“The adventurers run that daily. We shouldn’t have a problem. That’s also the dungeon I have the tightest grip on, as it’s close to my tower.”

They didn’t bother discussing the [Ocean Dungeon]. Of all the dungeons around town, that one was the weakest. Xol’sa had theories why that was. Based on the position of the dungeons, the [Swamp Dungeon] and the [River Dungeon] were in the direct path of the power flowing from the heavenly realms. From there, it spread like tendrils throughout the world. The stronger a sequential link was, the more power a dungeon was given.

“Boiling it down,” Xol’sa said, tapping his chin with his pen, painting it with ink. “There’s nothing important in the chain after the [Mountain Dungeon] or the [Hills Dungeon]. Which gives me more cause for concern. There are more powerful dungeons somewhere in the world. And we’re feeding them a steady diet of Drogramath’s power.”

“Yeah, I try not to think about that.” Theo scooped up another chunk of ice.

“Understandable. When I level my [Dungeon Engineer’s Core] more, I’ll have more information for you. Until then, we’re just guessing.”

Aarok didn’t take the news very well, but there was nothing anyone could do. They needed to kick off a monster wave as soon as possible, then another after that. What he didn’t mind was the need to soften the dungeons before the wave was triggered. He saw it as a chance to sharpen his soldiers. Long-term engagements to military action weren’t uncommon. So he claimed. The half-ogre’s eyes twinkled a bit too much when the idea entered his mind.

“Round everyone up,” Aarok said, rubbing his hands together as he turned to Luras. “We’ll split them into teams. Send them into the dungeons until they drop.”

“Sounds fun,” Luras said, turning away with a chuckle.

“You’re sadistic,” Theo said. “I like it.”

The administrators roped Theo into a tour of the town. He wanted to complain, but it was a good chance to see the damage. From the wall, it was hard to tell which buildings had been hit. The Newt and Demon took a glancing blow, as did the manor. Whisper’s butcher had some of the worst damage, but that didn’t stop the toora woman. She was cutting meat outside on a long wooden table as though nothing had happened. Sledge’s sawmill had a collapsed roof. The worst of the damage came to Theo’s farm, outside the protective walls.

“That’s hardly surprising,” Alise said, folding her arms. “I think your golems are dead.”

“They’re beyond dead.” Theo stooped low, scooping up a pile of scorched vines. “How did they even get burned?”

“No idea. I hope they weren’t worth much.”

That was the point of the exterior farm, though. Only the golems worked that farm, meaning that no one was ever at risk. Those golems were fairly cheap and easy to make. Constructs were a field that Theo had made little progress in. After he sorted the power system out, he dropped it as an important project. One day he hoped to have self-sufficient golems, but the methods to create siphoning systems eluded him.

“Nah,” Theo said, stacking plant matter into a pile. “They’re cheap. They’d be cheaper if the containment core didn’t melt when they died. But, it’s a chance to fuse a higher-level core.”

Alise watched as the alchemist made several piles of plant matter. He had enough spare [Alchemically Treated Drogramathi Iron Cages] to build more, so why not? But the golems he had been crafting were all classed as ‘lesser.’ As he infused the core, bound it to the pile of wilting plants, and shoved a [Mana Construct] into the mix, excitement washed through him.

“Oh, he’s gonna be a big boy,” Theo said, watching as the golem rose to life. “I used a Level 20 core. Should be the second tier this time.”

“It’s gross,” Alise grimaced, watching as the plants writhed on the ground.

The plants coiled around the core, pulsing with energy. Then it sprung up, assuming a much larger version of the old [Lesser Plant Golem]. Theo felt the creature pull on his willpower, challenging him for a moment. The sensation was more difficult to manage than the older version. This would reduce the amount of golems he could have on the lodestone network. It would only be worth it if the new golems pulled their weight. The alchemist inspected his creation, nodding with approval.

[Plant Golem]

[Alchemy Construct]

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

Level 23

Plant Golems excel at tending to the natural world, while also having mild combat capabilities.

Containment Core: [Alchemically Treated Drogramathi Iron Cage]

Monster Core: [Fald Interloper] (Level 23)

Medium: [Plant Matter]

Alchemy Slates: [Mana Construct]

Power System: [Mana Construct]

Siphon System: None

Additional Modifications: None

“Clean this mess up,” Theo said, jabbing a finger toward the ruined field.

The golem shambled off.

“Should you be so mean to it?”

Theo thought for a moment. He shrugged. “Golem! You look great!”

Alise huffed. “You’re trying to get a rise out of me, aren’t you?”

“Maybe. Do you know anything about constructs?” Theo asked, working on another identical golem.

“Not much. I’ve always thought of them as a shared craft between artificers and enchanters. I guess they’re also shared with alchemists. Maybe just Drogramathi Alchemists.”

“That’s… really accurate.” Theo nodded with approval. “Everyone approaches the constructs differently. I soak mine in essences, Zarali infuses hers with mana. I’m not sure what Throk does, but I’m certain he can do constructs. I’ve had a problem with the golems for a while. They can accept modifications, but I’ve never done much with those.”

“Let me guess, you can’t spare the time to experiment.”

Theo finished another golem, feeling the sense of mana draining from him mingle with his fading willpower. Even latched to the lodestone network, the golems were drawing too much from him. “Two is enough for now. Hopefully, they can do the job of five. No… Yeah… Maybe. I need to make time, though. They’re so cool.”

“Autonomous workers are always good,” Alise agreed.

“Hey, help me pick up all this ice before it melts,” Theo said, scooping up a small chunk of ice.

Alise joined with him, stuffing ice into her inventory. The most annoying part about the process was stooping so low, then snatching up the cold ice. Even Theo’s new coat couldn’t stop the cold from seeping through his gloves.

“From the description on your golem, it seems like you’re supposed to use a different power source.” Alise assumed a pensive posture, crossing her arms and tilting her head to one side. “It takes refined mana, right?”

“Yeah, the mana needs to be refined. The golems cannot run off of raw power. Throk was working on the battery system that elven construct used, but it was beyond him.”

“That’s sad. Seems like something Throk could figure out in a minute.”

Throk always figured stuff out quickly. Theo had given the topic thought in the past, determining that the marshling artificer was running into a wall because of his approach. Instead of thinking about the idea of creating a battery and going from there, he was trying to reverse engineer it. If the alchemist had learned anything about elves, it was that they were always creating amazingly complex things. And those things were complex for the sake of complexity. But there were more problems than that.

“The only reason the [Mana Constructs] work is because they’re magical. The system handles everything for me. I don’t have to worry about charge, discharge… whatever the magical version of current and resistance is.”

“It’s worth looking into. I heard your combat golems did some decent fighting.”

“Did they?”

Theo searched the lodestone network, finding that several [Lesser Copper Golems] had been damaged during the siege. He was disappointed that they didn’t report it to him, but it hardly seemed to matter. The damage was on the surface, and they had already raided Throk’s stores of copper to replenish themselves. Something worth investigating was how golem tiers were influenced by materials. Was there such a thing as a [Copper Golem]? Or did the next rank need to be an [Iron Golem]?

The alchemist shook his head, disconnecting from the network as Alise said something about how brave the golems were. She really liked golems.

“The more I think about it,” she continued. “The more I realize how neat the golems are.”

“I can see a situation where I have a lot of golems. Maybe if Tresk let me borrow her willpower.”

Not happening.

Theo clicked his tongue.

“Why not borrow it from your special realm?”

Well, that was a thought. But Tero’gal didn’t really have a will of its own. It kinda did. But not really. Maybe?

“I’m undecided,” Theo said. “Seems like controlling a golem with other golems. I don’t know if that would work.”

“Worth a try!”

Theo shrugged. Alise was right. He had already discovered so many things by just trying. He closed his eyes, letting his mind drift through the realms. Tresk could do this way better than him, but he had watched her enough to get the general idea. The surprising thing was that the realm felt closer than ever. Instead of drifting through the void, the alchemist felt his mind edge toward the temple. With some effort, he connected his lodestone network there. It felt strange.

“Did it work?” Theo asked, watching his golem working in the distance. “The golem is still moving. The mental load feels lighter. Success?”

“Success!” Alise shouted, tossing a chunk of ice at Theo. He caught it, stowing it in his inventory. “See? It’s always worth trying.”

How the load was reduced was interesting. Tero’gal, or more likely Tresk, was fighting back. Theo had the sense that there was a throughput limit. A willpower bandwidth, or something like that. Like many things, it required testing. But it was enough to get the alchemist started down that road. If there was a tangible connection between his willpower and the realm, it was worth exploring.

The golems went about their duty, cleaning up the ruined farm. The damage done to the small building near the farm would be repaired. Eventually.

“Yeah. Always worth a try, isn’t it?” Theo scooped more ice into his inventory.

“Not to bring business into this, but…” Alise cleared her throat, putting on her best smile. “I hit a roadblock with Pogo.”

Pogosophoro was the dragon that lived under Broken Tusk. It was a recent discovery with unknown implications. Of course, the creature was placed there by Khahar. Her purpose was to protect the underground passage leading to the town, but eternal life hadn’t been kind for her motivations.

“How so?”

“Well, they don’t want what we’re selling. Trade is going to be difficult to establish with the rock-folk. And the dragon ignores me half the time when I go to see her.”

“Can we be happy with her as a silent guardian? Do we know what monsters live underground?”

“Can we be happy? Absolutely. Aarok and his soldiers have done some scouting. Like the overworld, the underworld is filled with towns, dungeons, and monsters. Like a mirror society of ours.”

It was hard for the alchemist to form an opinion about the new area below his town. The situation felt like a towering stack of blocks, threatening to fall over at any moment. Not because it would boil over, causing conflict, but because of the threat of the unknown. There were too many new things down there that they didn’t understand, and it would only get worse. A formal alliance with a dragon meant little if he didn’t understand the dragon’s intentions.

“These people always have an ulterior motive. That’s all I know.”

“I agree,” Alise nodded fervently. “That was my first thought! Since I started my position, I’ve watched as powerful people drew themselves to you. Like frogs to Salire.”

Theo heard the croaking of a frog-like creature in the distance and shivered. He shook his head, remembering the tower of blocks. “That’s why I don’t want to push it too hard. They’re doing their own things, and we can’t babysit them.”

“That’s fine by me. For now, we won’t worry. There are other things that concern me, though. How worried are we about an attack from Qavell?”

“The king is dead, right? He should be, anyway. We can only prepare for when they come marching down. Ah, I have an idea.”

“Yeah?”

“Let’s focus our efforts on purging the lands north of Gronro. We can always feign ignorance if they come knocking.”

Alise sighed. “Of course. What else can we do? I have reports from Rivers and Gronro that the first round of treatments you sent are working well. Especially in Gronro, where the corruption is the worst.”

“Yay. You’ve been reading my reports, right? We have a mass-production method. I’ll have third tier [Hallow the Soil] potions soon. Then we simply need a distribution method.”

Alise only nodded a response, picking more of the ice up. Theo went into his thoughts, both testing the connection with Tero’gal and pondering their situation. Throk’s sprayers were pretty good. Maybe they could strap backpack artifices to people’s backs, then have them head out into the cursed lands. That seemed dangerous. Mortars, maybe? Rail guns that shot the potions out over the landscape? More feasible!

“Oh,” Theo said, turning to Alise. “What if we make an airship that shoots the potion down? That would be cool. Right?”

“While it might be cool, Throk has concerns about that idea.”

Theo’s shoulders slumped. “Yeah, he told me about magical interference. An airship needs powerful anti-magic enchantments to work in areas of strange power.”

“Even Gronro reports the occasional malfunction with their artifice sprayers. If only we had a wizard in town that specialized in warding,” Alise said, feigning a dramatic sigh. “Then all our problems would go away.”

The way Alise thought of Theo as a wizard in any regard was kind. He was a fumbling alchemist, trying his hand at the most simple form of warding he could get his hands on. Creating a bubble of anti-magic around an airship was simple to think of, but much harder to implement. It was a problem of creating a bubble that prevented magic from entering, while not affecting the magical artifices on board.

“Well. Like you said, I gotta try.”

Alise smiled. “You gotta try.”