The battlements on the walls of Broken Tusk sat shrouded in a haze of rain. Each local within the town spoke of the rain with reverence. The Season of Blooms signified the start of a new cycle for them, ushering in a muggy era of muddy boots and unfinished work. Deep into that season saw them cursing those memories they had from childhood. Prayers for the end of the rain and the start of the sweltering heat hung in the minds of them all.

A Drogramath Dronon named Theo Spencer sat atop those battlements, legs hanging over the edge. He kicked lazily, whittling away the day as he had done for the past two weeks. The horns on his head swooped, tracing a line with his hair, matted by the constant drizzle. His black robes were soaked through, moccasins filling with water. The purple tinge of his demonic skin caught what little light there was, setting off the peerless gaze of his violet eyes. Behind those eyes worked a ceaseless search for answers, though none came.

Of the three cores, resting somewhere in his chest, his [Drogramath Alchemy Core] was the most stubborn. While it flooded his mind with unwelcome thoughts, typically related to the art of Drogramathi Alchemy, it failed to whisper the secret to push beyond level 9. What little information he gleaned from passing traders and artisans alike failed to push him beyond that barrier. He had it on good authority that he was the only living Drogramathi alchemist in the mortal realm. His peers were locked away in some demonic dimension, banished by the hand of the Order of the Burning Eye.

Theo pressed his hand against his chest, summoning a description of that core with a thought.

[Drogramath Alchemy Core]

Legendary

Alchemy Core

Bound

2 Slots

Level 9 (99%)

[Alchemy Core] given to the descendants of Drogramath.

Effect:

Increases the synergy of [Alchemy] abilities.

+3 Wisdom

The descendants of Drogramath. That phrase stuck out in his mind like an iron spike driven through his skull. He traced his demonic name, in the old Drononi script, on the wet stone. Belgar. Even when he thought of it in the low Qavelli tongue, it sounded evil. In old Dronon it whispered of greatness. The sort of name he’d expect to hear from some influential leader. It didn’t sit well with him either way. The strange world he found himself in hinted at neither of those things. While his alchemy helped the people of this town, something else was brewing. The death of Earth flashed through his mind in a series of horrific images.

Theo’s daily ascension of the mighty battlements wasn’t for self pity, though. It was an exercise meant to break that barrier. Over the past two weeks, he’d gotten closer to the truth of the barrier, but no closer to breaking it. His experiments proved his theories on essences and their volatility. Basic Drogramathi Alchemy remained useless, but the strange poems were coming into focus. Recipes under level 10 held a Drogramath alchemist’s hand. It removed the complexities of advanced alchemy to give the user a chance to adapt to distillation.

When he first arrived at Broken Tusk, he assumed the distillation process extracted exactly 1 property from reagents. His theory contradicted that knowledge. The system was the biggest player in this, creating that safe environment and designating an essence as a single property concoction. This brought him to the core of the issue. His high [Wisdom] score let him know this was the right path. He just needed to prove it.

In the time he’d spent experimenting, his [Drogramath Herbalism] core caught up to his alchemy core. He pressed his hand against his chest to inspect his herbalism core.

[Drogramath Herbalist Core]

Rare

Herbalist Core

Bound

2 Slots

Level 9 (15%)

[Herbalist Core] given to the descendants of Drogramath.

Effects:

+3 Vigor

It was almost on the cusp, and his wisdom once again informed him ‌it would be vital to level this to 10 as well. Theo rose to his feet, letting the gentle patter of rain play over his face. He had a meeting to attend as mayor of Broken Tusk. It was a position that he didn’t know he wanted and knew less about how he got. That was a mystery that begged answering, although like his barrier problem, nothing came. The previous mayor was thrust into the position, although she wouldn’t explain the exact circumstances. Someone was pulling the string behind the scenes, but they remained cloaked in obscurity. No amount of wisdom could produce the answers to unknowable things.

Theo descended the slippery battlements, intent on checking in on a friend before his meeting. He tracked a lazy path through the town, splashing in the puddles along the hard, cobbled roads. The roads were something he fought for under his Lord Administrator position, offering to cover the money owed by the town ‌for the choice. He found his way to the ex-hunter’s core building, which still needed a name. The door was open and Luras sat inside working on one of his projects.

“Can I come in?” Theo asked, poking his head inside.

Luras looked up, narrowing his brown eyes and grunting. The Half-Ogre’s dull ochre skin caught the candlelight inside, his proud features standing out in the gloom. “You’re wet.”

Theo withdrew a vial of [Cleansing Scrub] from his inventory, placing a droplet on the crown of his head and smiling. The scrub worked across his body in a wave of white light, removing both water and grime from his clothes and body. Luras grunted his approval and Theo entered.

“You’re still stuck,” Luras said as Theo took a chair.

The alchemist craned his neck to get a look at the moccasin the Half-Ogre was working on. The design improved significantly since.

“Desperately stuck,” Theo said.

“You’ll find no help from the artisans here,” Luras said.

That was true. The artisans, a name that Theo had coined though not at all original, were the producers of completed goods. They faced barriers between levels that others didn’t. For leatherworking, the barrier was well known. Some more obscure cores were harder to find information on, and often came at a price from scholarly cults that clung onto the information as though their life depended on it.

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After a silent moment, Luras spoke again. “Tell me what you know.”

Theo smiled, going through everything he’d learned so far. Essence extraction was, under level 10, a simple thing. An alchemist simply placed reagents in a still, heated it, and extracted the unpurified essence. Those essences would react with catalysts, typically [Copper Shavings]. Essences could also interact with each other, typically resulting in explosive results. The goal with the extraction process was to create potions. He continued, detailing the impurities within his current essence production process.

“Catalysts,” Luras said, grunting the word. “You told me a lot about how the unpurified essences respond to catalysts. Your theory centers on impure essences.”

Theo furrowed his brow. “Right.”

“So, have you tried experimenting with different catalysts?” Luras asked.

Something shifted in Theo’s mind. He didn’t think to consider that fact, immediately falling back into his thoughts. His books mentioned different catalysts, but they were too unstable to try at his level. One catalyst he’d used before was [Flaky Agate], which was used to create [Stabilized water].

Theo, lost in his own thoughts, muttered, “thanks,” before leaving through the door.

Luras didn’t bother responding, knowing the alchemist’s behavior too well. The rain still fell outside, playing a beat that quickened Theo’s thoughts. He worked a winding path back to the alchemy lab, bypassing the front entrance and moving into the gravel yard in the back. Shards of magic glass crunched underfoot as he crouched near the far end of the yard. The trees above swayed with a gust of wind, the relentless storm pushing in from the south.

This was the constant push and pull that Theo felt. The urging of his [Wisdom] stat, mixing with his powerful [Drogramath Alchemy Core] shoved him in the right direction. Often, he lacked the [Intelligence] to interpret the vague whispers, but Luras was right. Catalyst reactions were one of those guarded secrets, even by the alchemy world. That hidden piece of knowledge was worth a fortune, he realized.

Theo withdrew a vial of [Hallow Ground Essence] from his inventory. The [Hallow Ground] property was the closest thing he had to an advanced reagent, coming from a rare truffle that grew under the ground. It was another strange twist of fate that he found some, but it became clear at that moment. He unstoppered the bottle, withdrew a piece of [Flaky Algate], dropping it in and retreating to a safe distance.

The reaction was swift and violent. A column of white fire shot from the vial, dramatically shattering it to pieces. The flames licked the wet canopy above as the air filled with a mingling smell of burning foliage and peppermint. A wave of light washed over the yard, stinging Theo’s skin. He shielded his eyes and waited for the reaction to stop, but it remained for a few moments before finally abating.

Theo felt the familiar tingle in his mind as his soul-partner, Tresk, sent a telepathic message.

Is the town on fire?

The words came with a tone of urgency, but the alchemist was distracted. A wave of knowledge flooded through his chest, born from the [Drogramath Alchemy Core]. Whispers clawed at the back of his neck, seeking to gain purchase but finding the stout barrier Sulvan Flametouched had erected. The [Grandmaster Exalted Extra-dimensional Tracking Blocker] flared on his chest, wrapping him in ribbons of holy light. He felt something shrink back from the barrier, stung by the smiting power of the Order of the Burning Eye. A system message flashed, but he ignored it.

A voice filled his head for only a moment. The tone was disappointed, every word drawn out. “Too soon.”

Theo sat on the wet gravel for some time, his breath coming in labored gasps. Whatever foresight the order had was appreciated. He didn’t need to let the knowledge of the experiment seep into his mind; it was already there. He checked the system messages to confirm his suspicions.

[Drogramath Alchemy Core] received experience (1%).

[Drogramath Alchemy Core] leveled up! Level 10.

Obtained free [Drogramath Alchemy] skill point for hitting level 10 with this core.

[Drogramath Alchemy Core] gained an additional skill slot!

[Drogramath Alchemy Core] gained an enhanced effect: +4 wisdom.

[Drogramath Alchemy Core] gained an additional effect: [Unstable Material Handling]

Your [Grandmaster Exalted Extra-dimensional Tracking Blocker] has prevented the entity [Drogramath] from performing an interdiction event!

Further attempts by [Drogramath] will alert the [Order of the Burning Eye].

Your [Mark of the Burning Eye] has been activated.

[Sulvan Flametouched] has been alerted to the presence of a Demonic God.

Theo only had a moment to think about his discovery. The [Flaky Agate] reacted with the 3rd property still present in the [Hallow Ground Essence], causing a violent reaction. This solidified everything he theorized about excess properties in essences, earning him level 10 in the core. The issue was, Sulvan was alerted. The man would be there any moment.

Everything is fine, Theo said to Tresk. Sulvan is going to show up, I think.

What!?

The sound of heavy footfalls came from around the corner, falling wetly on the soaked ground. Luras turned the corner with a bow, an arrow nocked and ready. His eyes scanned the area, then he relaxed.

“You need to warn people when you’re experimenting on—” Luras started.

A sound like a thunderclap shook the ground under Theo. A mountain of a man appeared at the far end of the gravel yard, sword held aloft and glowing with white fire. His only remaining eye twitched over the scene, a look of relief washing over his face. His pitted face was covered in a sheen of sweat mingling with the falling rain. Another sound filled the gravel yard and another man Theo didn’t recognize appeared.

The interloper wore a long, threadbare robe and held aloft something that looked like no more than a tree branch. His features were similarly marred by a series of scars that ran the length of his sharp face. By the alchemist’s measure, this one was an Elf. A chain hanging from the man’s neck betrayed him as a member of the order.

“You’re far too fast, Sulvan,” the Elf said.

“You’re far too slow, you old doddering fool,” Sulvan grunted, returning his sword to his hip. The Paladin strode over, lifting Theo off the ground and tugging at his clothes to reveal the tattoo on his chest. “What happened?”

Theo gave him the short version of the encounter.

“Nonsense,” the Elf said, gaining a withering gaze from Sulvan.

“Your manners are lacking,” Sulvan said. “This is Uharis, Archmage of the Burning Eye. He’s itching for combat.”

“As are you,” Uharis spat. “I nearly soiled myself when the ward alerted us of Drogramath himself. In the middle of the southlands.”

Luras stayed at the edge of the building, not daring to interfere in the duties of a level 130 Paladin. He watched as the Archmage waved his hands, muttering something before shrugging.

“It’s a quirk of his heritage,” Uharis said. “The more power he gains, the closer to Drogramath he gets. He just hit level 10 with his [Drogramath Alchemy Core]. My, what an interesting turn of events. I’d very much like to study—”

“Silence, wizard,” Sulvan said, casting another look of daggers at him.

Suddenly, a small form burst from the shadows. Her pale pink body dove for Sulvan, leading with her daggers as the frills on the side of her head bounced.

“Get away from Theo! I’ll kill ya!” Tresk shouted.

Sulvan simply held his hand out, stooping low to keep the enthusiastic Marshling at bay. She swung her daggers wildly, hitting only air.

“Tresk, it’s fine,” Theo said. “I hit level 10. Drogramath tried to talk to me.”

“I’ll kill him, too!” Tresk shouted, growling.

Sulvan let the Marshling go, a smile creeping across his face. Tresk lost the nerve, whatever rage she felt fizzling out in an instant.

“They’re here to help,” Luras said from around the building.

“There’s nothing to help,” Sulvan said, straightening up. He placed his hand on Theo’s chest, energy swirling in motes of light, before backing away.

“I’d really like to stay for a while, if you don’t mind,” Uharis said, eyes bright.

Sulvan rolled his eyes. “Fine. A day. No more.”

Uharis was giddy with excitement, dancing in place. Sulvan disappeared in a rush of wind, off to find some more demons, no doubt. The Archmage had a wide grin on his face.

“He can’t teleport, you know,” Uharis said, raising his eyebrows. “He ran here. From Qavell.”

Theo let out a labored groan as the sound of more feet came padding around the corner. The entire town came to investigate the disturbance.

“Nothing to see here!” Tresk shouted, puffing out her chest and waving at those gathered. “Just interdimensional demon business. Move along.”

Uharis came to clap a hand over Theo’s shoulder. “Come, tell me how you came to be here.”

Theo grimaced. The Elf stank of ale and wet clothes. It was going to be a long day.