Theo knew his new [Rejuvenation Essence] could be created into a normal potion, but he had little interest in that. It was likely something that created a restorative effect, perhaps something in the lies of affliction purification. Like most support potions, the one he wanted to create needed a second essence to work properly. The result was a very favorable ratio of essence to water, but discovering the perfect combination took time. The alchemist spread the list of suspected essences on the table, tapping his chin as he considered which to try first.

Essences with the properties of [Regeneration], [Healing], [Purifying], [Cleansing], [Preserving], and [Imbuing] sat on his table. He scooped them up in his inventory and headed to the gravel yard out back. The rain was some ways away for the day, putting Azrug in a good mood. The shopkeeper was organizing his piles of junk as the alchemist pushed his way outside.

Theo started down the line of essences, copying the format of his tannery potions exactly. 5 units of [Stabilized Water] to 0.1 units of two essences each. The first reaction, combining the [Regeneration Essence] with the [Rejuvenation Essence] filled the yard with a thick, choking fog. The next produced a surprise potion he hadn’t expected. When he applied the [Healing Essence] to the same style of mixture, it bubbled and produced a thick paste the color of blood.

[Alchemic Regenerative Salve]

[Alchemy Salve]

Common

Created by: Belgar

Grade: Excellent Quality

Applied to wounds to restore lost digits.

Effect:

Repeated application of this salve will restore lost fingers and toes. The effect is not immediate, often taking weeks depending on the level of the user.

I found a potion that restores lost toes and fingers, Theo said, using the telepathic link to Tresk.

Oh, that might be useful, Tresk said. Marshlings can regrow toes and fingers.

You can?

Yep.

Still, it could be useful enough to sell. It was another thing he’d need to run by Fenian. The [Purifying], [Cleansing], and [Preserving] essences all created something similar to the horrid fog. Some caught the air on fire, forcing Theo to leave the gravel yard and wait for the flames to subside. Once it cleared, he attempted to make the [Imbuing] property take hold. The liquid bubbled and sent gouts of steam high into the air. It filled the area with a sickly sweet smell, cloying at the alchemist’s lungs as he waited for the reaction to subside. What remained was a liquid the hue of wet grass, although the smell remained. He placed the stopper on the vial, smiling as he inspected the result.

[Alchemic Soil Enhancer]

[Farming Agent]

Common

Created by: Belgar

Grade: Excellent Quality

Improves the quality of soil, immediately restoring all nutrients.

Effect:

Restores the state of any soil back to arable conditions.

Theo retreated to the lab, waving off Azrug as he went. More piles of junk had appeared since he last saw the shopkeeper, but he dismissed it for now. The pile of dirt sat on his table and he approached, sprinkling the smallest amount of the solution on before inspecting his new dirt.

[Enhanced Arable Soil]

[Soil]

Uncommon

Enhanced soil currently ready to accept seeds. This soil has been imbued with alchemical properties, reducing the time it takes to grow crops and increasing the yield significantly.

Theo scooped the soil into his hands and darted downstairs, holding it out for Azrug to inspect.

“Why are you thrusting dirt into my face?” Azrug asked.

“Look at it,” Theo said, grinning. “Inspect it.”

Azrug sighed, then his face brightened. “You made magic dirt.”

“I need to show Banu,” Theo said, opening the door and tossing the soil outside. The farmer wouldn’t be satisfied with his example, he’d need to see the transformation of the soil first hand.

“Before you go,” Azrug said sheepishly. “I still need some potions.”

“I’ll work on those today,” Theo said. “What’s with all the stuff?”

“I’m buying everything the adventurers are looting from the monsters. They’re eager to get rid of all this junk,” Azrug said.

“You need a dimensional storage crate,” Theo said.

“I know.”

Theo was out the door, half-running up the main street toward the farm. He found the farmers toiling away as they always were. Banurub was in his farmer’s workshop, scowling for only a moment before correcting his expression.

“Another visit from the mayor,” Banu said, smiling a fake smile.

“I have something to show you,” Theo said, leading the Half-Ogre toward a fallow field. He bent low, scooping a handful of the depleted dirt.

[Depleted Soil]

[Soil]

Common

This soil has been drained of all its nutrients.

“So, this is the soil that you have,” Theo said. “You’re waiting to get the labor to go down to the swamp and bring back mud, right?”

“That’s correct,” Banu said. “Very labor intensive work. Takes as long to get the mud as to grow the crops.”

“Not with this,” Theo said, producing a green vial. “Watch.”

Theo sprinkled the liquid over a section of the fallow field, tracing a path along the edge. 5 units of the [Alchemic Soil Enhancer] covered more ground than he expected. The liquid seemed to spread as though it knew where to go, avoiding the dirt outside of the designated field. The alchemist confirmed that the [Depleted Soil] had been changed to [Enhanced Arable Soil], smiling up at Banu.

“So, this is how you replace our jobs?” Banu asked, letting out a heavy sigh. “With fancy alchemy.”

“I have not replaced your job,” Theo said. “The land still needs to be tilled, seeds planted, crops harvested. We just removed one annoying step from your process. You’ll more than double your output.”

Banu let out another sigh, casting his eyes over the farm. “Change is hard, mayor. Some of us don’t like it.”

“You’re not changing for me. You’re changing for Broken Tusk. To serve her best interests, you need to change. I assume milled Zee sells for more than the raw product.”

“It does. Significantly so,” Banu said, shrugging.

“We’re doubling your output, and increasing your profits,” Theo said. “Have you increased the price of your Zee?”

“Nope.”

“Yet everyone else is increasing their prices and wages,” Theo said. “You need to grow alongside the town.”

Something twinged in Theo’s mind, like an itch he couldn’t locate. He narrowed his eyes, expecting something to happen before the system’s window popped up.

[Broken Tusk’s] tax bracket adjusted (manual change).

[Property Tax Change] 10% to 15%.

[Export Tax Change] 10% to 20%.

[Sales Tax Change] 10% to 15%.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Tax changes take effect immediately.

“What the…”

“Did you see that?” Banu said, scoffing. “Did you change that?”

“That wasn’t me,” Theo said. “Qavell controls the brackets, I think.”

“This is outrageous,” Banu said. “Are you joking? A 10% increase on export tax? We’re going to go under, Theo.”

“Absolutely absurd,” Theo said. “Grub had something to do with this. That little… Can I use your workshop to contact the capital?”

“Are you going to yell at someone?” Banu asked.

“Yes.”

“Be my guest.”

Theo found a chair inside Banurub’s makeshift home-workshop. He grasped his communications crystal tight, felt the haptic buzz in his mind, then the angry beep. The alchemist scowled, squeezing again and receiving the same result. He repeated the process until suddenly plunging into the icy depths of that dark dimension, finding himself on that stone platform. The familiar form of his contact sat on the far side of the platform, shrouded in darkness.

“What is it?” Banthub spat.

“Who the hell raised my taxes?” Theo asked. “10 percent increase on exports? Are you insane?”

“I have nothing to do with those changes, alchemist.”

“Well, you certainly haven’t been taking my calls,” Theo said, folding his arms. “I’m wondering what the value of the Kingdom of Qavell is, exactly. Not like we got any support for the monster wave.”

“You were meant to report the wave here,” Banthub said, likewise folding his arms. His tone was annoyed.

“You didn’t answer!” Theo shouted.

Banthub shook his head. “If you want to buy the rights to a duke title, that’s on you. Scrape together the 3,000 gold coins, if you can. Otherwise, you’re in the kingdom's embrace.”

“The interface said it was 3 spiritstone coins,” Theo said. “Not 300.”

“There’s 1,000 gold to a spiritstone, boy,” Banthub said. “The tax increase was across the faction. You have no place to complain.”

Theo was more flustered than he’d ever felt in his new world. Banthub wasn’t even trying to work with him. A new goal filled his mind, even if it was further off than he thought. “Thank you for your time,” he said, severing the connection before the lizard-person could say another word. Banu was standing there when he returned, casting a concerned expression over the alchemist.

“You looked angry,” Banu said.

“He told me to kick rocks,” Theo said, shaking his head. “The change was intentional.”

“What can we do about it?” Banu asked.

“Make more money,” Theo said. “Make as much money as we can to get out from under Qavell’s thumb. I need to talk to someone about this. Someone who knows more than he’s letting on.”

“Alright. Well, consider the farmers a participating party from here on out. When can you produce enough of that magic liquid for my fields?”

“Today,” Theo said.

Banu’s eyes went wide for a moment. “Alright.”

Theo stomped out of the workshop, making his way to the Marsh Wolf Tavern. People hailed him as he went, trying to ask about the new tax but he brushed them off. The person he was looking for was likely wooing Xam, drinking, or both. As he pushed into the tavern, he found that his suspicions were correct. Uharis was swaying on the spot, making eyes at the poor owner of the tavern. The alchemist made his way to the bar, grabbing the Archmage by the arm and dragging him to a table.

“What the hell is going on?” Theo asked, plopping down in a seat and crossing his arms. “We just got a tax increase. And you’re leading me down the wrong path.”

Uharis swayed in his chair, a stupid smile playing across his face. He withdrew a kettle from nowhere, setting it down on the table, filing it with water and conjuring a magic flame before dropping a pinch of [Sanchrin Leaves] inside. After a moment, he drank the liquid directly from the hot pot, shuddering for a moment before straightening up.

“Well, you’re smarter than I expected for one,” Uharis said, smiling. “Do you think I’m leading you astray by my suggestions?”

“I don’t know what you’re doing, and that’s the problem,” Theo said.

“Well, here’s some good faith,” Uharis said, withdrawing a crystal from his inventory.

The crystalline device was small, able to fit in the palm of Theo’s hand. It was currently a placid blue color, thrumming with power. He rolled it over in his hands, trying to inspect it with no luck. “What is it?”

“Your early warning system,” Uharis said. “The closer the hue is to red, the closer the next monster wave is—and there will be another monster wave, I know. Your taxes were increased because there’s a war. Wars are expensive.”

Theo softened for a moment. An early warning device was an amazing boon. The last monster wave came without notice, leaving them to scramble for defenses.

“So, you’re here in an innocent capacity,” Theo said, taking the device into his inventory. “Am I supposed to believe that?”

“Believe what you want,” Uharis said, straightening his ruffled robes. “I came to keep an eye on you, and monitor the events taking place here.”

“What does that mean? The magical convergence?”

“Naturally,” Uharis said. “The world is in a strange place and Qavell is no exception. We’re on the brink of something big, although no one seems to know what it is. I have a different theory.”

“You’re going to make me ask, aren’t you?” Theo asked.

“Of course,” Uharis said. “Well, you’ll earn your independence from Qavell easily. The thing that hamstrings most towns is their access to resources. But they’re in abundance here. Every direction you turn, things are growing faster than they should. Your reagents, the crops on the farms, the trees, the stone. I wonder what a prospector would find in the hills to the south…”

“Is that a hint?” Theo asked. “Should I be expanding my resource collection schemes?”

“You should,” Uharis said. “I’ve caused you a great deal of trouble during my meddling, and I apologize for that. I wanted to see how you’d react. To my advice, to my prodding. Most mayors would have ordered me out onto those walls to solve their problems. ‘Reform my landscape. Kill those monsters. Give me gold.’ is what I normally hear. Begging. You called me a drunk. Didn’t ask for a single thing. That independence is what I wanted to see.”

“Well, I hope you’re happy,” Theo said, shaking his head. The Archmage might have been rude in the way he tested Broken Tusk, but the alchemist understood. It must have been a common sight. People begging the high-level Elf for free things.

“A gift,” Uharis said, withdrawing something from his inventory.

It was a small, box-shaped crystal. Theo could inspect this one.

[Celestial Resource Storage Crystal]

[Dimensional Storage]

Legendary

A resource storage device. Only raw resources may be placed in this storage space. Has infinite capacity.

Theo frowned. “How much is this worth?”

“I’d rather not say,” Uharis said. “I’ve had it for quite a while. It dropped from a Demon Lord, if you can believe that story. You can attach it to the town, allowing you to insert and withdraw resources from anywhere within the town’s boundaries. It will only accept raw resources such as stone, wood, and metal.”

“Metal,” Theo repeated. “What kind of metal is in the southern hills?”

Uharis smiled. “I’m glad you picked up on that. You’re not as dull as I first thought. My magic detected copper veins mingling with iron.”

“Hmm. Copper is as cheap as dirt,” Theo said, leaning back in his chair.

“I wonder how expensive infused copper is,” Uharis said, grinning. “Well, I think that’s enough hints for now. I’ll leave your town without a word. That’s what you want, right?”

Theo thought for a moment before responding. Moments ago he wanted nothing more than the strange Archmage to leave Broken Tusk forever. Now he was torn. The Elf was testing him, for aptitude or intelligence, but that test was for something greater. A path laid out for the alchemist, a road he couldn’t depart.

“Stay, if you like,” Theo said. “But, I don’t think Xam likes you.”

“I know,” Uharis said. “But she humors me.”

Theo nodded. “How do I apply this storage crystal?”

“Press it into your monolith,” Uharis said. “The upgrade will apply automatically.”

“Thanks,” Theo said, standing. “Please don’t lead me on again. I do value your counsel.”

“Ah, the highest of praise,” Uharis said with a slight bow. “I’ll be back, but Sulvan has been pestering me. There are Demons to slay.”

A blinding flash of light saw the Archmage gone in an instant. The chair he was sitting in blasted back, clattering against a table and shattering. Xam let out an exasperated sound, coming over to inspect the damage.

“He destroyed my chair!” Xam shouted.

“I have a feeling you got off easy,” Theo said. “I’m sure the tips he gave you cover the cost of chairs.”

Xam huffed, but Theo was already out the door. He withdrew the resource storage crystal from his inventory and pressed it into the monolith, receiving a prompt.

Apply [Celestial resource Storage Crystal] to [Broken Tusk]? Y/N?

Theo sent his mental approval, receiving another prompt.

[Celestial resource Storage Crystal] applied to [Broken Tusk]. You may now access the dimensional resource storage space from anywhere within the town’s limits. Access currently restricted to [Mayor] roles, you may change this in the interface.

Theo inspected the new menu in his mayor’s interface, creating a list of people that could add and withdraw items from the storage space. He gave permission to every producer in the city—everyone related to the collection of raw resources—before heading out to check on Sledge’s progress with the wood.

It was a short walk. He spotted the Marshling working a length of timber with some scraping tool. It had two handles and a sharp metal blade in the center. She pulled it toward herself with impossible strength, taking a thick section of bark with each stroke. A pile of boards, worked from raw timber, sat in neat stacks near the workshop. Theo counted them out mentally before getting her attention, finding hundreds of boards waiting for him.

“Sledge,” Theo said, tapping the woman on the shoulder. She looked tired, but happy.

“How did I do, boss?” Sledge asked. “I had to hire laborers to help me move the raw lumber, but I made good progress.”

“You made great progress,” Theo said. “What price do you think is fair? Per hundred boards.”

Sledge screwed up her face, casting her eyes over the endless piles of worked boards. “Five silver?”

Theo’s [Intelligence] was finally getting to the point where he could estimate that kind of math. It was something like 5 copper per board, which seemed fair enough. If she could work a hundred boards in a day, that would place her in the upper-tier of producers in the town.

“Five is more than fair,” Theo said. “Perhaps a bit cheap.”

“It’s for the town, right?” Sledge asked, nodding to herself. “We gotta take a hit sometimes. For the sake of Broken Tusk.”

Theo withdrew ten silver from his inventory, handing it over to the woman. “Double for the first batch. Keep your workers happy.”

“Thanks, Theo,” Sledge said. “So, Tresk was telling me you have an open position? [Fabricator]?”

“Ah, right,” Theo said. Tresk must have enacted her plan to get the woman the [Fabricator’s Core]. “It doesn’t pay directly, but you’d be taking jobs from citizens and me. I want at least a hundred boards a week, so if you can’t manage that I can find someone else.”

“No!” Sledge blurted, suddenly trying to compose herself. “I mean, if you have someone else in mind. It just sounds interesting. Very creative work.”

Theo withdrew the [Fabricator’s Core] from his inventory and handed it over. “Well, consider yourself hired. This comes with extra responsibilities regarding both the town, and the buildings within.”

“I can manage a weekly board quota and learn this class,” Sledge said, smiling. “Just wait. I’ll be the best [Fabricator] in the land before long.”

Theo smiled, patting her on the shoulder. “I’m counting on it.”

The alchemist made his way over to the piles of wood, pressing his hand against them and adding the resources to the town’s storage. He consulted his screen, finding that it fell into a different inventory than the resources meant for repairs. He could transfer between the two inventories easily, though. Theo transferred every board into the town’s repair pool, turning to nod at the Marshling.

“These are perfect,” he said. “Keep up the good work.”

“I will.”

As he turned to leave, he saw something new on the woman’s face. It was a smile that bled into her eyes, creasing the corners of her wet face. The smile was genuine. She was happy.