Theo approached the greenhouse, resting on the old gravel yard behind the Newt and Demon. Several small orbs of light floated around the interior, a benefit of the [Sun Orbs] upgrade that provided the perfect light for those plants. His [Spiny Swamp Thistle] cultivation operation was in full swing, a fact made possible by the farmers in town. Without their insight on how to propagate plants, the alchemist would have been stuck in the first stages. When cultivated, plants grew larger than they should have. The one thing he hadn’t seen the effects of was the greenhouse’s newest upgrade, [Drogramath Empowerment]. Unlike most upgrades, the [Alchemical Garden] upgrade provided an entirely new building for the alchemy lab. It had its own upgrade path.

Cutting away at the vegetation, Theo hoisted a massive [Spiny Swamp Thistle Root] for inspection.

[Spiny Swamp Thistle Root]

[Alchemy Ingredient] [Cultivated]

Common

This [Spiny Swamp Thistle Root] has been cultivated. Selective breeding and applications of growth potions will increase the [Cultivation] modifier. [Cultivation] percentage increases yield and quality of this reagent.

Cultivation:

100%

Unit by volume:

12 units

Properties:

[Healing] [Regeneration] ????

Theo had been using the cultivation aspect of growing plants to produce larger plants, but that was only the start. He knew there was something else to it, even if that knowledge felt far away. A normal [Spiny Swamp Thistle Root] produced a one-to-one ratio of essence, and thus potion. The cultivated version provided far more. A fully cultivated root produced over ten-times that amount, and they grew quick enough in the greenhouse. There was a clear flaw in the way his greenhouse worked, though. His intuition said it was a staging area, meant to be used in tandem with a larger facility. These were seedlings in the world of cultivated reagents, ready for planting in a larger building.

Those were thoughts for another time, though. The garden needed attention. Weeds gathered near the base of stalks, clawing at the cultivated plants like hungry parasites. Theo plucked them all, tossing them from the greenhouse and preparing the magical earth for more crops. There were a few potions the alchemist wanted to keep on hand at all times. Healing potions and potions that removed diseases were invaluable. As he cut down the last plant, moving every reagent into his inventory, he sensed someone approaching the greenhouse.

“Always busy,” Zarali said.

Theo stood, watching the Drogramathi Priestess enter the greenhouse. She was the spitting image of the body he inhabited, so close in appearance they could have been twins. How Dronon were born was beyond him, so twins could have been an impossibility, but she sure seemed like a twin. When Zarali came to town it was a shock to his system. It revealed a truth that he never wanted to consider, that this wasn’t a body created especially for him. This was someone else’s body. But Belgar had died, allowing the alchemist to transition into this new world.

“Always,” Theo said, hoisting a pile of vegetation into his inventory.

“I have some time, if you want to go over some more alchemy,” Zarali said.

She was as tall as Theo, with the same black hair and the same swoop of horns rolling over her head. Her face was simultaneously kind and stern, her voice always lilting between words. She wore the robes of her station, dark purple silks with moccasins that magically repelled dirt. Theo wanted nothing more than to increase his knowledge on Drogramathi alchemy, and Zarali was the perfect person to teach it.

“If you’ve torn yourself away from the wizard,” Theo said, flashing a smile. “I have potions to brew.”

“That’s the spirit,” Zarali said.

They made their way up to the lab on the second floor of the Newt and Demon. The downstairs was his shop, but at the top of the stairs were two doors on either side. The left led to the lab, and the right led to his bedroom. Both rooms afforded a pleasant view of the greenhouse down below, everything else in town obscured by the boughs of what few trees remained in the town’s borders. The Ogre Cypress trees, impossibly tall and thick, dominated every other line of sight.

The lab had grown larger, compared to what it once was. It was a rectangular room, bordered on most walls by either tables, cabinets, or barrels. On the far side, near the window overlooking the greenhouse, was a shrine. The altar came from the [Shrine To Drogramath] building upgrade, and provided absurd benefits to potion making. Near the center of the room was a steel plate resting under a flue where the many vapors produced by alchemy should have been sucked away. It rarely worked. Under the vent was three pot-bellied stills, their condenser coils feeding over to a table in the center of the room. The first was a [Drogramath Still], an upgrade only available to members of the Drogramath Dronon race. The next two stills were creations of Throk, which bore a less intimidating appearance. Where the [Drogramath Still] had spikes and purple flourishes, the [Custom Copper Artifice Still] was made of alchemically treated copper.

“Always a pleasure to see so much equipment,” Zarali said, sighing and running her hand over the [Drogramath Still].

Theo nodded, moving to his shrine to make an offering. He placed an entire [Spiny Swamp Thistle Root], the cultivated version, on the small tray and watched as it vanished in purple flames. His daily offerings empowered his alchemy and brought him close to the Demonic God. The alchemist wasn't sure if that was a good thing, but the benefits outweighed the risks by a large margin. Zarali nodded in approval. He affixed his [Alchemical Grinder Artifice] to the top of the [Drogramath Still] and processed the remaining cultivated [Spiny Swamp Thistle Root]. His strength had grown significantly since he came to Broken Tusk, allowing him to easily cut a root to fit the grinder.

Theo inspected his attributes sheet as the grinder whirred away.

Belgar (Theo Spencer)

Drogramath Dronon

Level 12

Alchemist

Core Slots: 3

Stats:

Health: 65

Mana: 90

Stamina: 75

Strength: 16 (+10)

Dexterity: 8 (+3)

Vigor: 12 (+4)

Intelligence: 17 (+4)

Wisdom: 25 (+6)

Points: 0

The Tara’hek was designed to make up for what the other person lacked. Theo had a decent base score for [Strength], but the soul-bond core gave him an extra 6, and 2 [Vigor]. The effects of these stats were noticeable, especially those related to physical attributes. His plan for attribute distribution was to first get 20 in [Wisdom], then 20 in [Intelligence], then to obtain gear to make up for his other stats and distribute between the two mental stats every level. [Vigor] had become his biggest concern, after creeping close to 20 [Intelligence]. That attribute directly affected his [Stamina], which impacted his ability to work. He also suspected it influenced the amount of sleep he needed, but with the Dreamwalk that wasn’t a problem.

The real issue with his current build was his [Governance Core]. He inspected that core to get a better idea of what he needed to do.

[Governance Core]

Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

Legendary

Administration Core

Unbound

2 Slots

Level 6 (2%)

Advanced [Administrator] core, reserved for leaders.

Innate Skills:

[Command Structure]

[Titles]

[Automatic Books]

Effects:

+3 Intelligence

The strength of the core was that it leveled all the time. No matter what happened, he always got a large amount of experience just for being the mayor of Broken Tusk. The added [Intelligence] just made it that much better. Every multiple of 10, a core got a free skill. The list of skills was endless, but a few usually stuck out to him in that sprawling list. Theo needed to get this core to 10 as quickly as possible, but the same could be said of his other cores. The higher they were, the better. He popped another mote in the grinder's side as it came to a stop, urging it back to life. Only then did he notice Zarali standing there, tapping her foot.

“Did you hear anything I said?” she asked.

“No,” Theo said, “not a word.”

“Your attention span is lacking for someone with such high [Wisdom],” Zarali said, letting out a frustrated sigh. “I want to redesign your stills.”

“Of course you do.”

“Don’t be so negative, brother,” Zarali said. “We’re doing great work here. Aside from all that nonsense, I’m offering to enchant your stills.”

Theo perked up at that. He hadn’t seen her skill and a [Drogramath Enchanter], even if she had the building to support the endeavor. When she planted the seed core, it was an act of concession. The value of her building was impossible to calculate, but she planted it in Broken Tusk, offering her enchanting services as a way to build trust. The alchemist was often too trusting, but then again he was building something here. Those that he was kind to pledged their loyalty without a second thought.

“Alright,” Theo said, checking the temperature on the [Drogramath Still] before moving to fill another with [Spiny Swamp Thistle Roots]. Each had a capacity of 500 units, which would consume the entirety of his stock. “Not mentioning your enchantments, how will your modifications improve the stills?”

“Mostly, it will lower your operation time,” Zarali said. “My enchantments will do many things, but we’ll work on that. For now, I think we can talk about your process.”

“I thought we dialed it in pretty good,” Theo said.

“You have,” Zarali said with a nod. “I want you to consider a few facts. Belgar was 23 years old. Well, he might have been 25. We really don’t remember our childhood. He got his cores at 18, a rather late age for a Dronon, but he only hit the late 20’s in his cores.”

Theo didn’t need her to spell it out for him. He was moving too fast and missing things as he went, that just made sense. Normally an alchemist would slave away for years to obtain what he had. Those alchemists dabbled over the years, learning the secrets without making progress. That set them up for future success. It gave them a foundation that they could build upon. No one had access to the amount of reagents or support he did. The alchemists in Qavell held their secrets away from others, and the Dronon were often in the wilds, away from any support structure. Theo was in a nexus of Drogramath’s power, with an entire town to back his every move. It was a unique situation.

“So, I’ve missed things,” Theo said. “Approaching level 20 without the knowledge I need to succeed.”

“Just so,” Zarali said. “Well, you mastered mana infusion rather quickly. I’ve long suspected that whoever put you in this body repurposed Belgar’s old cores, putting them at level 1 so you could start from the start. Memories linger in those cores. Not memories, no. Instinct.”

“You’re saying I’m using borrowed knowledge,” Theo said, nodding. He didn’t have a problem with that. “I need every advantage I can get, so I won’t complain. What am I missing?”

“We’ll work on that,” Zarali said. “Mana infusion is the barrier for level 20. I don’t know the barrier for level 30.”

“That’s the crux of the issue‌,” Theo said. “The sticking point. I’m moving faster than I should be, so you can’t help me. But you can set me on the path.”

“He’s learning!” Zarali said, speaking to the statue of Drogramath. “We’ll make a Dronon out of you, yet.”

Theo adjusted the heat on his stills, summoning a hotter flame than before. Working with the temperature on the stills was a big part of distillation. It was a skill he still hadn’t mastered.

“Kinda leaves me with a question for you,” Theo said.

“I really wish you’d speak with more decorum,” Zarali said, frowning.

“What about you?” Theo asked. “Living out in the middle of nowhere all your life. Suddenly coming to civilization—that has to be weird for a Dronon.”

Zarali shrugged. “And so you have more to learn. Perhaps a Zagmon Dronon, or a Uz’Xulven Dronon, but not a Drogramath Dronon. We’re a different breed, brother. Before Balkor’s Betrayal, everyone hated Dronon. They still do in certain places of the world, but after that war things changed. Regular people realized that not all Dronon were the same. So, I’ve been living among the kind races of the world since Belgar died. In Veosta, if you must know.”

Theo’s brows peaked without his command. “My potions made it all the way to Veosta?”

That’s exactly how Zarali found him. She came to town with a potion in her hand. Each of his potions bore a tag, claiming it was made by Belgar. The idea that his work had made its way across enemy lines, into Veosta, was amazing.

“Indeed,” Zarali said. “Under my tutelage, there won’t be a corner of this world that doesn’t know about our work. Now, shall we move on to another topic?”

“Alright,” Theo said. “The stills are set for this run, but I have some fermentation to do.”

Theo wanted to make as much [Anti-Mage] modifier as possible, which is why he was cultivating it in his [Alchemical Garden]. He placed the [Alchemical Grinder] atop the first fermentation barrel, a product of the town’s woodworker Sledge, and set it to work. Each barrel could hold 200 units of material, causing him to fill all of them. He turned, waiting for Zarali to continue.

“We can begin the work that Belgar left off,” Zarali said.

“His work to break the level 30 barrier,” Theo said, snorting a laugh. “Alright. Explain it to me while we harvest reagents.”

The entire area within Broken Tusk was safe to harvest reagents. With powerful turrets on the walls and constant patrolling of adventurers, it was safe. Even within the walls there were herbs to gather. The most common was the [Spiny Swamp Thistle Root], although many others grew within sight outside of the walls. Theo simply preferred walking around town rather than discussing things in his stuffy lab.

“There’s a skill,” Zarali said, kneeling to harvest reagents. “It’s called [Reagent Deconstruction]. You should be able to see it now that you understand the nature of materials.”

Theo paused for a moment, summoning his skills screen and using the search feature. Without that search feature, he’d be scrolling through the infinite list of skills forever. He found it after a moment and inspected it.

[Reagent Deconstruction]

Alchemy and Herbalism Skill

Rare

Understanding the composition of reagents leads to their deconstruction.

Effect:

Increases the user’s ability to deconstruct reagents.

+1 Intelligence

Requires: Level 15 [Drogramath Herbalism] and Level 15 [Drogramath Alchemy] cores.

It seemed like a rather horrible skill, compared to his other skills. The only thing that stood out was the combined skill description. He’d never seen a skill that fell under the domain of 2 cores.

“Deconstruction,” Theo said, nodding. “We’re talking about properties, right?”

“Exactly,” Zarali said. “You’re working with refined essences right now, which is fine. But that’s as good as following the instructions in a book.”

Theo moved to another plant, a decent example of a [Stone Flower]. Its rocky petal disintegrated easily, if not handled properly. He could see what Zarali was getting at, even if she wouldn’t say it. [Reagent Deconstruction] was a stepping stone. If he didn’t take it, he’d be out of luck when it came time to break his level 30 barrier. That left him with a thought.

“Deconstruction relates to infusing stuff with mana,” Theo said with a shrug. It wasn’t a massive leap to say that. Things seemed to bleed from one step to the other, broken into the 10s of levels.

“Well, I’m glad you understand that much. There’s a difference between infusing things with mana and using mana to deconstruct them. Infusions happen automatically. Deconstruction requires skill,” Zarali said. “Belgar never tested the theory, but he predicted it. Processing reagents goes from distilling them down, to refining them, to creating something else. You began with blindly distilling properties, then you understood essences were a mix of properties, after that you bend those properties.”

“How does this help me now?” Theo asked.

They were picking their way to the western gate, which led onto an open plane split by a river. The other thing of note near the gate was the ranch, run by Miana Kell. Even now, Theo could see her working with the Karatan. Those strange beasts would do more for Broken Tusk than anyone knew. For now, he was content with watching her at a distance, letting her develop the business on her own.

“It requires training,” Zarali said, winking at an adventurer guarding the western gate. “When you take the skill, you’ll use it by deconstructing reagents. But it doesn’t happen automatically.”

“Which means I need to learn how to use my mana,” Theo said. “That’s the logical progression. Blindly processing reagents, then refining them, then manipulating them. It makes sense.”

“I’m glad you follow,” Zarali said.

They approached the wide river, watching as a group of Marshlings walked by with fishing nets in hand. Theo had never seen where they fished, or what they caught. The fishermen of the town were reclusive. Zarali approached the rocky bank, removing her moccasins to soak her feet in the cool water. Theo joined her.

“Sometimes I feel as though people are steering me in a direction,” Theo said.

“I said as much,” Zarali said with a shrug. “Drogramath sent me here to give you knowledge and help your town. I told you that.”

“Not just you,” Theo said.

“That’s your burden to bear,” Zarali said. “How is the [River Dungeon] doing?”

Theo couldn’t see the [River Dungeon] from the bank. It was underwater, buried among that churning river. “I haven’t read the latest report. I think the other 4 dungeons are growing steadily. Not sure if that’s a good thing, though.”

“It’s a wonderful thing,” Zarali. “I have long-term plans of my own, you know.”

The alchemist didn’t doubt that. With as much Drogramathi energy in the air as there was, she had to have something else up her sleeve. The pair sat there for some time, whittling away the day until the stills in the lab were ready. It was a good start in a new era of alchemy for him. Things were shaping up to create potions the likes the world had never seen before.