The Newt and Demon

4.23 - Advanced Hallow Ground Potions

Miltar and his assistant stayed for dinner within the walls of Broken Tusk. There was a discussion in the administration interface about how foreigners should be treated within the walls. Theo didnt have any actionable ideas, and the Half-Orc was enjoying himself. The alchemist didnt invite the man into his private booth, sitting down for some time with his closest companions.

Even if one of those companions was a goose.

So, were gonna make some serious profit? Tresk asked.

Theo had watched the reports come in from both Azrug and Alise. The traders visit would be profitable. Far better than any deal theyd made overland. The alchemist was interested in making long-term deals, though.

Naturally, Theo said. I dont think theres another producer of our iron in the world.

Sure, sure. Does this realistically solve our money problems, though? Tresk asked.

Theo thought about that for a moment. Broken Tusk didnt have money problems. Being rich or poor counted for nothing when they lacked the supplies to do what they needed. Progress didnt come from the slow building of a nation. It came in fits and starts, a fact brought by the magical nature of nation-building. While they needed money to buy seed cores, there was no rule against plopping down a thousand homes in a day. The only limit was the seed cores and [Monster Cores].

That was an interesting point to reflect on. A mirror to gaze upon during the waning hours of the day. Broken Tusk had gone from nothing to the leader of a nation in a season. While Theo no longer saw the passage of time as the sequential procession of days, he was aware how short of a time hed lived in this world. After a long pause, he found his answer to Tresks question.

Money problems? Yeah, maybe. What we need is a long-lasting relationship. Theo filtered through some reports written by the administration staff. Curiously, they said they could make the trip from Partopour to Broken Tusk in a few days.

Magic, buddy. Isnt it amazing?

So, they have enchanted ships. Or ships with artifice enhancements. At that point, why not just fly? Theo asked, and held his hand up before Tresk could respond. I know. Magic interference and whatever. Plop right out of the sky.

Dont look at me. Its a miracle that the Ogres even got here. Let alone the Bantari. Tresk had finished her food long ago. As always, she had dumped a pile of noodles directly down her throat. It was funny how she ate more like a goose than Alex. Canoes, ya know? Thats what the Bantari have.

The pair chatted in the booth for some time. Tresk had a fun day leading a team of stealth-style adventurers around. Alex enjoyed her time shooting fireballs at ghosts. Theo doubted the goose did more than annoy the creatures, but at least she had a good time. After tea and cookies, the group departed for the bath.

There was nothing better after things went ass-up than a good soak. Dropping into Terogal daily had become something that soothed Theos mind more than anything. After soaking, they headed off into the Dreamwalk.

The world swirled around Theo, their bedroom dissolving into nothing as they entered the dream realm. Tresk dropped them into an old memory. Broken Tusk before the alchemist had arrived. It was a keen reminder of how quaint the place was before.

Alright, anything you need to share? Theo asked. Tresk gave him a confused look. Assassins? Demons from another dimension? Giant, sapient chickens bent on the destruction of the town?

Why you gotta assume the worst? Tresk laughed. No. Nothing weird. Just the ghosts that tried to eat the citizens of our town.

Theo narrowed his eyes, but nodded. Alright. Sure.

A dragon flew over the town, spewing fire on the southern side of town. Thats where a scatter of homes and the smelter was. Tresk had summoned the monster, and her thoughts on such a creature were clear. Shed never seen one before, so there were things about the dragon that were wrong.

I think the legs are too short, Theo said, watching as the dragon destroyed trees and turned rock molten.

The dragons legs shrunk, becoming shorter.

Now he just looks sad, Theo said.

Even from this distance, Theo saw tears form in the dragons eyes.

Make him pink.

The dragon was pink.

Why are you so much better at this than me? Theo asked. Even if he tried, he couldnt produce things hed never seen before.

Dunno. If youll excuse me, I have a dragon to slay.

Tresk disappeared without further explanation.

Theo forced his will upon the Dreamwalk. He planned to focus on one recipe tonight. It wasnt something hed created in the real world, and he intended to bend the dream realm to his will. Just like Tresk did.

The alchemist got the idea when he showed Salire the [Primal Hallow Ground]. He hadnt thought about it when he consumed it for his wards, but giving her an example brought the idea to his mind. The base of his third tier potions was the [Suffuse Potion], which bound two properties together. While the results were strange, they were all powerful.

Useful? Theo asked, patting Alex. Maybe not. Interesting? Absolutely.

Theo compiled a list of interesting primal essences to combine with [Hallow Ground]. [Anti-Mage] was obvious and rote at this point. The elemental essences could be effective. [Sear], [Over-time], [Web], [Fire], [Retreat], and [Poison] were also candidates. The alchemist didnt gain a sense for compatibility with those just by thinking about them. And he hadnt made most of those into primal essences before.

Thats where his willpower came in. The alchemist forced himself on the Dreamwalk. He attempted to convince it he was the master here. It would bend to his will. But it felt like slamming his fist into a sheet of steel. Banging his head against a brick wall and expecting it to crumble. The harder he pushed, the more a sense of pain rolled through his mind. Until he felt it present a compromise.

Theo was attempting to tell the Dreamwalk to general the primals for him. The message it sent back was clear. It would bend, but only if he did the work here. As if he were in Terogal, or the mortal plane. The alchemist withdrew the essences he needed, and applied his mana to the vials. Smoke rose near the old riverbank. Black plumes carrying an acrid scent into the air. Alex played near the shore, shooting small fireballs at the rising clouds.

The Dreamwalk had relented, allowing Theo to break the rules. A strange sense lingered about that. Like it wasnt his will that had broken the dream realm. The alchemist cast a confused look at Alex.

Did you do that?

Honk!

Well, youre getting far better at honking. So, were happy. Right?

Honk! Honk!

Cool.

Of the primal essences Theo made, each one seemed to agree with his plan. Conceptually, each essences could be combined with the [Suffuse Potion] and the [Primal Hallow Ground]. While they still hadnt seen mage-style undead, that didnt mean it wasnt worth using that as the baseline. Like the other suffuse-style potions, this one required time to brew. After the alchemist placed them in a large flask, the mixture boiled. He moved on the others, creating similar reactions that would just take time.

Theo pushed away from the table hed summoned, looking over his potions. Alright. Those are going to do their thing, Alex. Were gonna fight.

Alex gave a weak honk.

Not ready to train?

She honked again. Theo got the sense that she wasnt ready for that. Not yet. But there was something else he could help her with. Theo might have been a fledgling compared to Xolsa with magic, but he was learning. He sat cross-legged on the ground, lifting and resetting the goose a few times before shed stay still.

How does your magic work? Theo asked.

Honk!

Theo generated a stone, then enchanted it with a ward. The rock shimmered for a moment, then a field of [Reveal] sprung up. Thats magic.

Alex waved her head around as though she were attempting to dislodge something from her throat. Then a gout of fire shot out, a stream that reached high into the sky.

So, not magic? Theo asked. Is your fire more of a natural process?

Honk.

Not quite?

Honk.

Theo was more confused about how the gooses fire worked than before he started working with her. It didnt help that each honk came with a flood of information. Things that felt more like feelings than words. Alex honked a few more times, slapping her webbed feet on the wet grass. The alchemist understood the basic meaning. She meant that her fire ability was somewhere between a spell and a skill. Maybe she had access to other spells, but they were all by feel. Nothing fancy like his spell interface.

Xolsa would know what all this means, Theo said. From what I understand, spells are crafted in the system interface. In my case, I can create the spells on paper and weave those into objects.

Alex honked and Theo interpreted.

You have something like that?

A few more honks.

Oh. Then the answer is simple. I was right. You need to train.

A few honks, sadder this time.

Of course it's hard, but that doesnt mean you shouldnt try.

Alex honked again. Theo narrowed his eyes. Say that again.

Bugs.Eat bugs.

Alex honked the words, but Theo swore he understood them. He could have been interpreting the honks, but thats how he heard it.

We can eat plenty of bugs later, but you need to practice your fire attacks, Theo said.

How?

Well, lets start with this, Theo said, summoning a small Goblin.

The creature appeared, dancing on the spot. Theo ordered it to stay where it was, but he gave it a copper-tipped spear to sell the illusion. There wasnt any point in training against completely stationary targets, but Alex needed to start somewhere.

Alright. Kill the Goblin.

It took some convincing to get Alex to shoot her first fireball at the creature. Theo felt her affinity for living things, which struck him in the heart. She couldnt bring herself to harm the Goblin until he convinced her it wasnt real. The goose shot a fist-sized fireball at the monster, sending it tumbling back.

I wonder why your affinity is fire if youre a peaceful goose, Theo said, clearing away the old Goblin and summoning a new one.

Life,Alex said.

You dont have the life affinity. Theo took a moment to check on his potions. They had hours left to brew. You have the fire affinity.

Want life affinity.

Theo fell into a seated position near Alex. He pushed down the desire to send her forward on this path. To pursue the fire affinity. The alchemist thought about all the times he told people to reinvent themselves. He thought about the times where hed reinvented himself, both back on Earth and here.

You want to be a healer? Theo asked.

No yes.

She didnt have the words to express what she wanted. While she was just a goose, a weird one engineered by Demons, she already had complex thoughts. Theo could feel what she was thinking to an extent, but it wasnt like when Tresk felt his feelings. It was vague.

You want a life-based affinity, but you dont want to be a healer? Maybe nature magic? I dont know a damn thing about that, little goose.

Nature!

Theo nodded. If there was a way to change her affinity from a destructive to constructive one, hed find it. The alchemist inspected the goose.

[Alexandria DGoose]

[Goose]

[Familiar]

Stage:

[Goose]

Master:

[Dreamrealm of Terogal]

Level 9

Description:

Geese are known as the most loving creatures in all the realms. Any rumors spread to disparage these honorable creatures will be met with a flurry of feathers and bill.

Affinities:

Fire

Affinities. Plural, right? Theo asked.

Yes!

Alright. Thats a path forward, anyway.

They could only theorize on how to get more affinities. For now, it was enough to speculate. The potions brewing on the table completed one after the other near the end of the Dreamwalk. Tresk had a great sense for how much time they had left, while Theo didnt. She even claimed to see outside of the dream realm sometimes, although that had been rare for her.

The alchemist inspected his potions, assessing them for usefulness.

[Purge Undead Magic]

[Potion]

Legendary

Created by: Belgar

Grade: Good Quality

Alignment:

Drogramath (Middling Bond)

Imbibing this potion purges all magical ability from the drinkers soul. Must be consumed by an undead.

That was incredibly specific. Good luck trying to get an undead to drink a potion. How would he even get a skeleton to drink a potion? But that was a question for another time. This potion didnt have a modifier, and the alchemist had the sense that it could be modified.

That might be the first time that [Anti-Mage] sucks, Theo said. Alex honked a response of approval. He inspected the next one made from [Sear].

[Flame of Dual Sleeping Gods]

[Potion]

Legendary

Created by: Belgar

Grade: Good Quality

Alignment:

Drogramath (Middling Bond)

Releasing this potion from its bottle will create a slick of flames that lasts 2 hours. All undead who come in contact with the flames are afflicted with [Searing Hallow Ground] for 1 minute.

That was the fanciest title that Theo had ever seen on a potion. He got the sense that the title came from the fact that both Balkor and Fanglir were dead. As dead as gods could get, anyway. So, they were sleeping as far as the system was concerned. The effect was incredibly powerful, though. The alchemist poured some on the ground nearby, watching as the potion spread. It rested on the surface of the grass, white flames leaping high into the air. Alex honked with surprise.

Theo summoned a skeleton, then ordered the monster to walk into the fire. The flames rushed onto the skeletal form of the creature, consuming it entirely. Pieces of it broke away, falling to the ground as ash. It didnt take long for the flames to consume it completely.

Put that one on the good list, Theo said, moving on to the [Over-time] version.

[Slow Undead]

[Potion]

Legendary

Created by: Belgar

Grade: Good Quality

Alignment:

Drogramath (Middling Bond)

Imbibing this potion slows the drinker. Must be consumed by an undead.

This one was a stinker. There was no way around it. Even after adding the [Aerosolize] modifier, it might have still just been garbage. That was the point of the Dreamwalk experiments, though. To find out whether these would work or not.

That one is going in the trash. For now, at least, Theo said. Lets inspect the [Web] version.

[Bomb of Link Undead]

[Bomb]

Legendary

Created by: Belgar

Grade: Good Quality

Alignment:

Drogramath (Middling Bond)

Throw to splash against targets. All targets affected by this potion will have their health pooled. All targets affected must be undead. Increases the damage every target takes based on the amount of targets restrained.

This one was just plain good. Theo wasnt sure about linking the health of all the undead, but everything else about it was awesome. If the effect remained for a long time, he could use the potion to whittle down many targets at once.

Yeah, this one is just good, Theo said.

Alex honked.

Next, were looking at the [Fire] one. Come on. Who doesnt like fire? Just kidding.

[Undead Annihilation]

[Bomb]

Legendary

Created by: Belgar

Grade: Good Quality

Alignment:

Drogramath (Middling Bond)

Throw at a single undead target. If the targets resistance against fire fails, the target will explode. This effect can chain up to 20 times.

Oh yeah. Thats the stuff, Theo said. We have our first winner, Alex.

Alex honked.

Next up, the [Retreat] property. See, I didnt want to do this one at first. But then I got thinking about it, and well, you never know with these suffuse potions.

[Return Undead]

[Potion]

Legendary

Created by: Belgar

Grade: Good Quality

Alignment:

Drogramath (Middling Bond)

Imbibing this potion returns you to your masters seat of power. This potion may only be consumed by undead.

Thats just weird, Theo said, narrowing his eyes. He read the description several times. That could be useful, right? I guess I dont even know what banishment means for undead targets. So, sending them back to their master would do what, exactly? Balkor is dead, and he caused the reanimation. Does that send the undead into the heavenly realms? That seems problematic.

Honk!

Last one. [Poison].

[Crumbling Undead Phage]

Poison

Legendary

Created by: Belgar

Grade: Good Quality

Alignment:

Drogramath (Middling Bond)

Undead targets inflicted with this phage will break down in time. This effect may jump to a total of 256 targets, no matter how many targets you infect.

Tresk is gonna love that one, Theo said. 256 sounds like a lot of targets, but not really. Think about how many undead are outside the gates of Gronro.

Tresk appeared from nowhere. You rang?

Just made this sweet legendary poison, Theo said, thrusting it into her hands.

Oh, this is cool, Tresk said. But I hate fighting the undead. They dont got no blood.

Yeah, might be worth making it a bomb with [Aerosolize]. Did you beat the dragon?

No. Still no. Hes too strong.

Well, you made him that way. Make him weaker.

Then whats the point? If I cant beat the strongest thing I can think of, why bother?

Theo nodded. That was Tresk. Oh, Alex wants to eat bugs and get a new affinity.

She always wants to eat bugs. Alex? I thought you liked fire.

No, Alex said, her thoughts radiating through the minds of both Tarahek members.

Oh. She can talk now. Neat.

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