The Newt and Demon

The battle for Broken Tusk raged until the small hours of the morning. While the wave’s boss had been defeated, the monsters didn’t back off. They surged forth, pouring through the opened gate only to be cut down by the waiting adventurers. Theo finally got a good look at his new tower, a circular accumulation of stone that rose to a point, adorned at the top with a floating ball of lightning. When it arced off, it passed through multiple enemies at once. Fortunately, it was smart enough to target only monsters, leaving the fighters below safe.

The alchemist wavered on the spot as the last monster fell. Only the system’s message brought him back to reality, flashing in front of his face.

[Monster Wave] complete!

526 Monsters Destroyed!

10 gold bonus (paid to the Mayor of Broken Tusk).

Bonus for defeat both wave bosses:

Obtained: [Robe of the Defender].

Obtained: 2 gold, 25 silver, 3 copper.

[Broken Tusk] gained new effect: [Troll Slaying].

Theo absentmindedly inspected the town’s new effect by selecting the prompt on his screen.

[Troll Slaying]

All fire effects within the territory of [Broken Tusk] have their effectiveness enhanced.

Theo would have cheered in celebration, joining those around him, but he was beyond exhausted. His excitement for their victory was tempered by the sobering sight of the piled corpses and sapping exhaustion. He didn’t inspect his new robe, or consider the implications of such a large reward. He simply passed by Fenian’s carriage, supported by Tresk, and made his way back to the Newt and Demon. The alchemist was asleep before his head hit the pillow.

The next morning the streets of Broken Tusk were empty. The rain fell over unfinished work, banishing away any thought to labor. A long figure moved amongst the rubble and bodies, prodding them with a stick. The vestments of the Archmage repelled the constant downpour of rain, allowing Uharis to conduct his research. He ascended the battlements of the town, casting his eyes over the untold hundreds cast to the ground in the swamp.

“Far more interesting than expected,” Uharis muttered, shaking his head.

Theo woke in the morning, his head pounding. The sleep he took was born of exhaustion, not helped by the stimulating effects of the [Lesser Stamina Potions]. He rose from bed, smelling the familiar scent of moss tea and wolf steaks wafting in from the lab. As he emerged from the room, stumbling on shaky legs, he found Tresk preparing his breakfast. She had a wide smile on her face. Her untamed excitement was, as always, infectious.

“What a day,” Tresk said, shaking her head. “You slept all the way through yesterday.”

“What?” Theo asked. “Wait, it’s not the day after the battle?”

“Nope. It’s the 27th day of the Season of Blooms,” Tresk said. “You slept through the 26th.”

“Gods,” Theo said, lowering himself into his customary chair. “It’s all a blur.”

“I slept most of yesterday, too. But, I made my rounds through the town. They’re talking about rebuilding the adventurer’s guild,” Tresk said. “Fenian and Grub are still here.”

“What about Uharis?” Theo asked.

“I didn’t see him,” Tresk said. “No one died, miraculously. Everyone who took part got awesome loot.”

Tresk raised her hand, revealing a silver ring with emeralds inlaid. “More damage from behind,” she explained.

Theo withdrew his reward from his inventory. It was a closed purple silk robe that would sweep the ground when he wore it. There were intricate symbols etched in gold thread on the surface. The entire piece of clothing was impossibly soft and he undressed there in the lab, removing his threadbare black robe. The material wasn’t only soft, it was also cool. Unlike his previous robe, this one breathed. He inspected its properties.

[Robe of the Defender]

[Cloth Robe]

Epic

Scaling

Robes granted to the alchemist with the determination to defend his home.

Effect:

Aura: reduce stamina depletion for nearby allies and wearer.

“Reduced stamina depletion in an aura,” Theo said, nodding. “That sounds good. The bonuses from the [Tara’hek Core] are also getting awesome.”

[Tara’hek Core]

Legendary

Tara’hek Core

Bound

2 Slots

Level 10 (11%)

[Tara’hek] cores are given to those who accept a Marshling life-partner. You cannot change the skills inside the core, or remove it at any time.

Effect:

+5 Strength

+1 Vigor

The core was scaling to where it made up for Theo’s naturally low attributes. He inspected his character sheet to see where he was on that front.

Belgar (Theo Spencer)

Drogramath Dronon

Level 10

Alchemist

Core Slots: 3

Stats:

Health: 61

Mana: 20

Stamina: 53

Strength: 15 (+10)

Dexterity: 5

Vigor: 11 (+4)

Intelligence: 15 (+4)

Wisdom: 23 (+6)

Points: 0

[Strength], and [Intelligence] were now at an acceptable level for his purposes. He could feel his mind race with new thoughts and his muscles surge with new strength compared to when he arrived. His [Vigor] was catching up, albeit slowly. He had no plans to put any points into [Dexterity], though.

“Yep,” Tresk said. She dished out the steaks and poured the tea, swiping her hand to make them vanish into the Tara’hek inventory. “Now I can deliver your meal directly to your inventory!”

Theo laughed, opening his new inventory to retrieve his food. The concept of sharing an inventory with someone else was big. He assumed there wasn’t a range restriction for the skill, bringing thoughts of logistics to his mind. Could they instantly transport objects from one place to another? That would be truly powerful.

The pair settled into their meal without another word. The food filled Theo’s stomach, which felt like an endless pit. Going without food or water for a day had parched his lips and set him on a course for lethargy. Once his belly was full and he was watered, he felt his strength returning. As soon as he felt satisfied, a knock came from the shop below.

Theo groaned to his feet, descending the stairs to find Fenian smiling. “Quite a show,” he said.

“Come in,” Theo said, beckoning the Elf to follow him upstairs. They sat at the table, sipping moss tea and appreciating the breeze filtering in through the window.

“Well, I suppose I should get down to business. That’s why I stayed here. I’d like to commission your bombs,” Fenian said.

Theo scowled, quickly adjusting his expression. “That is too much to ask, friend. I’m not comfortable exporting weapons.”

“Ah, worth a shot,” Fenian said. “No, this is an understandable stance. I’m not upset. You don’t want the town associated with weapons like this, I know.”

“That’s strangely understanding of you,” Tresk said.

“I thought about it for a long time,” Fenian said. “A town’s exports count for a lot, regarding their reputation. Perhaps it was selfish of me to ask.”

“No, we’re all looking for the same thing here. Money,” Theo said.

“Speaking of that,” Fenian said, reclining and slurping his tea. “I have a different order for you. Modified potions. Whatever and however many you can make. We can talk about the price of each when you’re done.”

Theo’s instincts told him the potions created from the [High Pressure Refining] ability were going to be worlds better than his current potions. “I’ll keep you informed, but I’ll do it. I’m going to make some potions that are going to amaze you. Things you’ve never seen.”

“That’s the Theo I know,” Fenian said. “Oh, just so you know… Grub is writing poetry about you.”

“What?” Theo asked.

“Yeah, during the battle he stayed in the carriage and wrote poems about your heroism,” Fenian said.

The group burst into laughter. Theo couldn’t imagine the little Brogling doing much but complaining the whole time. Everyone had their coping mechanisms, though. They sat at the table for some time, replaying the battle through conversation. Fenian was impressed with the way Aarok commanded the adventurers. He also remarked on the nature of the monster wave.

“You really don’t see monster waves like that,” Fenian said. “Not against such a small town—it was localized to the [Swamp Dungeon].”

“But those prizes,” Tresk said, letting out a long sigh. “Imagine if we get another wave.”

“I even got a reward,” Fenian said. “A few silver, but that’s fine.”

“I got 12 gold,” Theo said.

Fenian let out a long whistle. “I’m going to assume you’ll attempt to loot all the monsters out there.”

“Hopefully, Aarok is already organizing that,” Theo said.

“He is,” Tresk said, nodding. “Says we’re gonna make a fortune.”

“He’d be right,” Fenian said. “Sort everything out, and I’ll buy it the next time I’m around. Although I wouldn’t begrudge you if you sold it to another trader.”

“There’s just the matter of repairing the western wall,” Theo said.

“That should fix itself over time,” Fenian said. “The turret wasn’t destroyed, which is good. Broken Tusk is a [Town] now, which means you can feed it raw materials for repairs and maintenance. That should speed the process up quite a bit.”

“Thank you for the help, as always,” Theo said. “I value your judgment more than most, Fenian.”

“Well, that warms my cold, black heart,” Fenian said, grinning.

“No! You’re one of the good merchants,” Tresk said, stamping her feet. “We love you.”

Fenian patted Tresk on the head and smiled. “We certainly are strange bedfellows, aren’t we?”

“We are,” Theo said.

Fenian rose after a while, excusing himself. Excited chatting came from downstairs. The group didn’t hear Azrug assuming his post at the shop, but his boisterous voice could be heard through the walls. Theo waited a tactful moment to allow their conversation to come to a natural end before descending the stairs. He found the shopkeeper there, dark circles under his eyes and an uneasy smile.

“That was intense,” Azrug said, nodding to punctuate his words. “Almost got killed by a Goblin.”

“Well, you did a good job. Raiding the pantry, as it were,” Theo said, gesturing to the mostly empty shelves.

“Those potions were vital to our success, Theo,” Tresk said. “You can make more. You can’t make more people.”

“That’s true,” Theo said, smiling. “Not people like this, anyway. Hard people—people raised in the swamp are different. They’re tough.”

“That’s right. We endure,” Azrug said, nodding again.

He was shaken from the events of the battle. Theo expected most of the citizens to be in such a state. Long stares that meandered into nothingness, sensitivity to sound, the tell tale signs of stress. He’d seen it many times before, and experienced it himself.

Tresk and Theo departed the shop, making sure Azrug knew he didn’t need to man the store today. He insisted it would help him reclaim some of his sanity, a familiar place that he could anchor his mind. The pair departed without another word, heading off to inspect the damage.

Theo was surprised at the progress Aarok’s people had already made on the adventurer’s guild. The rubble was cleared away, leaving only the muddy foundation where it had sat. The guildmaster himself was shouting orders to people, sending them around. He smiled when he noticed the alchemist and his Tara’hek.

“Good to see you awake,” Aarok said.

“Even better that everyone is unharmed,” Theo responded.

“Check this out,” Aarok said, ignoring Theo’s empathy and withdrawing something from his coat. It was a seed-shaped object, glowing with energy. “[Guild Hall Seed Core]. Bought it off Fenian earlier.”

Theo cast his eyes over Fenian's carriage. Galflower was pawing impatiently at the ground, pulling against the chocks holding the thing in place. He could see two beady little eyes peering out of the window.

“Congratulations,” Theo said. “The guild was homeless for exactly a day.”

“Well, there’s work to be done. That’s for sure. The wall needs repairs,” Aarok said.

“Fenian gave me a hint about that,” Theo said, moving to inspect the monolith.

[Town]

Name: Broken Tusk

Owner: Kingdom of Qavell

Mayor: Theo Spencer

Faction: [Qavell]

Level: 15 (1.5%)

Features:

Alchemy Lab

Blacksmith

Large Farm

Tannery

Tradesmen

Quarry

Adventurer’s Guild (destroyed)

Core Homes (x16)

Towers (x4)

Upgrades:

[Stone Walls and Gates] (Damaged 25%)

[Stone Roads]

[Defensive Emplacements]

Effects:

[Troll Slaying]

Current Resources:

Timber: 0

Stone Blocks: 0

Metal: 0

Motes: 0

As expected, there was now a section detailing stored resources. It also detailed the damage done to the town. The adventurer’s guild was the only section to be demolished, but it was a good thing. Since Aarok bought a seed core for a new guild hall, this took out some of the work regarding the demolition. None of this eased the other problem. The mounds of dead monsters strewn about the streets needed clearing, but the adventurers were working on that problem.

“We can add raw resources to the town to help it repair,” Theo said.

“Good news,” Aarok said.

“What are we doing about the corpses?” Theo asked.

“Tossing them in the river,” Aarok said. “We’re looting whatever we can, then just sending them downstream—into the ocean.”

“Oh, the ocean monsters are gonna be happy,” Tresk said, giggling.

“Extremely happy,” Aarok said, nodding in agreement. “Theo, this wave is going to produce more money than your alchemy projects have since you got here. There’s a fortune in gear and supplies on these monsters.”

Theo thought about that for a moment. Another confluence that turned things in their favor. If they got another wave, one they would be well prepared for this time, they could farm it for money.

“So, we’ll buy more turrets,” Theo said. “Stronger defenses to keep the monsters at bay.”

“More bombs, too,” Tresk said, nodding. “I got an entire level during that wave.”

“Most of our adventurers did,” Aarok said. “Everyone shot up from the constant combat.”

“What a curious sight,” Uharis said, appearing from nowhere.

“The drunk Archmage arrives,” Tresk said, rolling her eyes.

Theo understood, with little thought, that the Archmage’s absence during the battle was convenient. The man might have been drunk, but it would have been impossible to be blackout-drunk for the entire fight. Not with the constant explosions either from the bombs or the lightning turrets. The alchemist was already weary of Uharis, but had no interest in pushing the point.

“Not presently drunk,” Uharis said, smiling. “Well, the monster wave was bound to start sometime. Good to see you were prepared.”

“Is it localized?” Theo asked, probing for information.

“No, it’s not,” Uharis said. “I received word from my order. I suppose it was more worldwide than I expected.”

“So, you were wrong,” Theo said. “It is a worldwide monster wave.”

“The strength of the waves radiates out in a convenient circle. I wonder if you can guess where it's centralized?” Uharis asked.

“Broken Tusk,” Aarok answered.

The Half-Ogre had done more research into the increase in strange magical occurrences than anyone else in town. Qavell even sent records regarding the topic to him directly, teleporting the materials into the now-ruined adventurer’s guild. The conclusion he reached was a connection between the various dungeons of the land. Some sharing of power that enhanced all their powers, making them more deadly than before. The result was a monster wave, where the dungeons released an impossible number of monsters at once.

“We saw that coming,” Theo said. “More or less. How did they hold up in Rivers and Daub?”

“The Order of the Burning Eye doesn’t track these sorts of things,” Uharis said. “I only have the information Sulvan gave me concerning Qavell. They had it rough, but managed. I imagine Rivers and Daub didn’t fare well.”

“I understand,” Theo said, nodding.

That fact weighed heavily on his mind. If the monster wave was localized to Broken Tusk, it wasn’t a problem, but it wasn’t. He felt Tresk’s bright reassurance next to him, enhanced with the new level his [Tara’hek Core] had reached. It bolstered his heart, sending a flood of her optimism racing through his mind. Rivers and Daub wasn’t their responsibility. They had ample time to prepare for something that seemed inevitable.

“They can call for aid, can’t they?” Theo asked. “They can raise their own adventuring army, plant turrets along their walls, summon healers—they’re not our responsibility,” Theo said.

“They aren’t,” Aarok said, nodding. “If the strength of the wave weakens as it gets further from Broken Tusk, they are better off than us.”

“Maybe,” Uharis said. “Monster waves aren’t uncommon, but this is a different situation.”

Theo waved him away. “I’m not concerned about them.”

Uharis is being a pain, Theo said, sending his words into Tresk’s mind. Notice how he’s trying to divert us from protecting Broken Tusk. He’s sowing seeds of doubt.

I never trusted him, Tresk said, narrowing her eyes on the Archmage.

“Aarok, call a meeting with all the mercantile chairs,” Theo said. “Have them meet me at the Newt and Demon.”

“I can do that,” Aarok said, turning on the spot and walking off.

Theo withdrew a communication crystal from his inventory, rolling it over in his hands. It was the device that gave him a link to Qavell and his contact, Banthub. The lizard-person had been silent, lately. The alchemist wanted nothing more than a status report for the other towns, although he doubted the functionary would give him a straight answer. He turned on the spot and bid farewell to Uharis.

“I have a call to make,” Theo said. “How much longer are you going to be in town?”

Uharis cast him a knowing look. As always, he was hiding something.

“A few more days, perhaps,” Uharis said.

“Alright. How long until the next monster wave?”

To that, Uharis flashed a devious grin. “One day. One week. One month. Perhaps in a few minutes. I cannot say.”

“Can’t or won’t?” Theo said.

“Can’t. That’s not something I can determine from my magical probing,” Uharis said. “After seeing the wave, I can fashion an early warning system.”

“And what does that cost me?” Theo asked.

“Oh, nothing. Just allowing me to remain without banishment is payment enough,” Uharis said. There was something hidden in those words. As though Uharis knew Theo knew he was up to something. Perhaps it wasn’t malicious, but it was there. Under the surface. Like a bird surveying the land below for something juicy.

Theo departed the Archmage’s presence without saying another word.