The Newt and Demon

Chapter 2.16: Enriching Soil

Very few people knew about raising livestock in Broken Tusk. Without the wall, any animals they tried to raise were quickly picked off by the swamps creatures. Even the monstrous swamp turtles would lumber in to pick off small pens filled with Rabas. Rabas, as someone explained it to Theo, were a strange cross between a rabbit and a chicken. He spent hours discussing his strategy with anyone who would listen outside of Throks blacksmithing shop. He was taking his own advice. Lying low for the day. Not concerning himself with creating more potions. Things were quiet, once again.

Another day or so, Throk said, gesturing at his creation.

The pressure tank project had taken on a life of its own. Theo didnt understand most of the things that were bolted onto the massive tank, even when the Marshling tried to explain it to him. The artificers art was a strange mix of science and magic that was well beyond him. Small gears mingled with mana condensers. Input ports hooked up to magical batteriesit was all too much. What the alchemist understood was that Throk was going to get a lot of work in the town.

I need to trick Sledge into taking this, Theo said, holding up the [Fabricators Core].

Bah. Shell help if you really press her, Throk said.

I dont want her to help, I want her to do well, Theo said.

Like you wanted the farmers to do well? Ill have Banu yapping in my ear by the end of the dayquote me on that, Throk said, stooping closer to his webwork of artifice. Dont you have work to do?

Im waiting on this, mostly, Theo said. Listen, the farmers needed a nudge. Theyd just keep harvesting what they harvested forever without outside help.

And youre the one to help them? Throk asked, shaking his head. Whys it always gotta be you?

Who else? Theo asked, leaning against the edge of the workshop. No one else is stepping up.

Cause no one is dumb enough to force the farmers hands, Throk said. Banu has been running that farm for as long as I can remember. His methods work. Now you come in and dredge up his failures.

Hell get over it, Theo said. Once he sees the coin.

I agree, Throk said, pressing a gear into place. The object glowed purple for a moment, then fell apart. He sighed. Thats your job, though. Being nice works for some people. Others need a prod in the back. Assuming you want to help them at all.

Theo pushed off from the wall, casting his eyes over the road leading north. Its more than helping them, at this point. Think about it. One day, that crop might feed the entire kingdom.

Ambitious, and a bit childish But I get your meaning, Throk said. Now, can you go bother someone else?

I think Im going to go eat dinner and go to sleep, Theo said, looking at the fading sun through the clouds.

As long as youre not here, bothering me, thats fine, Throk said.

Theo left the blacksmiths workshop, taking no offense from the Marshlings words. The alchemist expected to be kicked out a long time ago. He wasnt one to chew an ear, but there was nothing else to do for the day. Nothing he had an interest in, anyway. He wandered through the town for a while, picking herbs and talking to Tresk over their telepathic communication. She kept making him open their shared inventory to inspect her findings. It was a very easy way for him to grade alchemical ingredients, although she typically found common grasses and leaves. Every so often, she found something useful.

Theo scooped a handful of dirt outside the Newt and Demon, inspecting it before entering. To his surprise, it was labeled by the system.

[Soil]

[Soil]

Common

Basic soil. Commonly found everywhere in topsoil layers.

He didnt know what he was expecting from the window. When he entered the Newt and Demon, he had to pause to take stock of the sea of junk resting on every surface. Azrug stood behind the counter with a wide smile on his face, gesturing at the massive accumulation.

Ive been buying up everything, Azrug said.

Have you sold any of it? Theo asked.

Well, Im out of potions, Azrug said. A certain alchemist hasnt made good on his promise to make more.

Ah, Theo said, nodding. So, you havent sold anything?

I have. Little pieces here and there, Azrug said. I have seen no adventurers todaylikely to do with those jammed roads.

They should clear up soon, Theo said. Well, this is your operation. Do you know anything about raising Karatan?

Only what I heard from traveling traderswhich isnt much, Azrug said. Some dwarf told me you had to feed them rocks.

Rocks? Really? Theo asked.

Yeah, other normal stuff, but rocks, Azrug said. Something about digestion.

Tresk will be home soon. Youre welcome to stay for dinner, Theo said.

Not today. Ive got things to do, Azrug said.

Theo ascended to the second floor, placing his pile of dirt on a table for experimentation. The [Water Lily] he had plucked the other day was still alive, sitting on the side table without a care. The alchemist wanted to experiment with cultivating his own reagents, but that would come after the farm job. There was no time left in the day for a run of his stills, his stamina stores too depleted, but he set up a row of fermentation barrels and set them to work. He ground up everything he could get his hands on, setting them off to do their work overnight.

When Tresk finally arrived, she seemed calm. She was covered from head to toe in mud, but washed it all away with [Cleansing Scrub] and prepared dinner. For the first time in a while, they had no visitors while they ate. The mood seemed calmer than it was earlier. Theo was grateful that he cleared the air, never one to linger on the past. He made plans for the next day, focusing on creating something that would enrich the soil of the farm without forcing them to cart mud back and forth.

Theo fell asleep that night without an issue. He attributed it to the [Lesser Stamina Potions] he took during the siege. Any worry he had fell away into his impossibly soft mattress.

Theo worked his [Drogramath Still] before theyd even finished breakfast the next morning, getting it ready for a run. He darted back and forth between the still and the table, eating his wolf steak breakfast and theorizing about the quality of the soilthe thing that made the Zee grow. Tresk listened politely, never one to impede an excited person. She was the kind of person who fed into that excitement, driving him to new heights.

Its obvious when I think about it, Theo said with a chuckle. First, this is live soil. Soil that has all kinds of junk in it to help plants grow. The problem is, the farmers plant the Zee and then the junk gets eaten by the plants. They have to repeat the mud transportation process at the end of every season.

How does alchemy fix this? Tresk asked.

We make it so the soil never loses its nutrients. With alchemy. Magic. Whatever you want to call it, Theo said, withdrawing a [Spriggan Heart] from his inventory. The thing oozed over his hand, dripping onto the ground. My cores guide me to conclusions now more than ever. I know this heart is the key to solving my problems, but I always thought it was because they had the [Growth] property.

Theo grimace, swallowed hard and then took a bite out of the side of the [Spriggan Heart]. Tresks eyes went wide with horror. He retched, doubled over, then spat the thing on the ground. It tasted like a mouth full of scummy pond water mixed with a chunk of wood. But the system flashed a window, confirming his suspicions.

[Properties Discovery!]

Youve discovered an additional effect from the [Spriggan Heart] by eating it.

[Rejuvenate] discovered.

Youre disgusting! Tresk shouted. Do you have any idea where that thing came from? I dug it out of a Spriggans chest! With my knife!

Worth it, Theo said, slowly climbing to his feet. The [Rejuvenate] property is exactly what Im looking for.

Ugh. Wash your mouth out, you filthy Dronon, Tresk said.

Theo obeyed. It was a good idea. The remnants of the heart left something tingling on his tongue. He washed it down with a ladle of [Purified Water] from his barrels. He dipped into his stores of the hearts resting in his [Dimensional Storage Crate], plucking 50 of them and sending them through the [Alchemical Grinder] to create a glowing green mash. Lastly, he topped the still off and sent it working, returning to the table.

Im fairly certain that property will enrich the soil, Theo said, taking a big bite of wolf steak. The [Growth] property is the obvious choice, and it still might work, but without the soil the plants will grow to be weak.

All of this comes from your intuition? Tresk asked.

My [Drogramath Herbalism Core] is screaming at me, Theo said, chuckling. Im pretty sure my [Wisdom] alone wouldnt do anything. Id have a vague sense of how it should work, but nothing exact. The information doesnt come from nowhere, though. I feel as though I need to have a base for it to work. The rejuvenation idea is similar to the [Cleansing Scrub], in a way.

How? Tresk asked, tilting her head.

[Cleansing Scrub], [Stripping Solution], and [Alchemic Tannin] are similar things, Theo said. The scrub is a utility potion, but they all fall under the [Cleaning Agent] or [Leatherworking Agent] item type. Im pretty certain that there are hundreds of these types of potions, meant to enhance other crafts.

Youre the support specialist of the crafting world, Tresk said, laughing. Thats kinda awesome.

Yeah. Drogramath is an outsider Demon Lord, so it makes sense, Theo said. Id wager he isnt even that evil. Maybe just a little evil.

Tresk lifted her steak with her hands and took a big bite of steak. A little evil still isnt good.

Theo waved her away. Evil in small quantities. Its not bad. But, no. This should work the same way as the others. I even have some dirt to experiment with.

Tresk gave him a flat look. Dont act like dirt is an accomplishment. Youre too happy about the dirt.

Let me show you something, Theo said, withdrawing a vial of [Cleansing Scrub] from his inventory, transferring it to a larger vial, and grinning. He added an equal amount of [Over-time Modifier] essence and watched the silvery sheen transform the potion. It bubbled for a moment, then settled down. He inspected the result.

[Cleansing Scrub]

[Over-Time]

[Cleaning Agent]

Common

Created by: Belgar

Grade: Great Quality

Cleansing Scrub instantly restores clothes, surfaces, skin, etc to a clean state. Leaves behind the smell of Qavellian berries.

Effect (modified):

Cleans anything it touches repeatedly, once every hour for 12 hours.

I mostly knew that would happen, Theo said. [Cleaning Agents] can have the modifier essences applied.

Woah! I can stay clean all day? Tresk asked.

Yeah, although I dont know how this works for others. The tannery potions would likely reject the modifier, but I think itll work for the soil-enhancement ones.

The [Drogramath Still] bubbled, condensing the vapors of the mash and sending them down the condenser.

Thats another thing I need to fix, Theo said, pointing at the flask under the condenser. I need to find something that can hold a lot of essence. Perhaps an infused copper reservoir.

That would be nice, Tresk said. Then you wouldnt need to sit here all day. You could come on an adventure!

Theos face paled. He shook his head. No adventure for me.

Tresk laughed, slapping her knobbly knees.

Im just messing with you, Tresk said. I felt your anxiety spike the moment I said it.

The pair finished breakfast, Tresk scampering off to perform her daily duties with the adventurers guild. That was the only thing that made them so strong, even if they were independent. Every adventurer in Broken Tusk would put in the hard work and do their part. With the [Drogramath Still] running a batch of the [Spriggan Hearts], focused on the [Rejuvenation] property, Theo turned his attention to the fermenting barrels. It was a row of 50 unit fermentations, the purpose of which was to discover the various essences they held. The problem was, he couldnt examine the raw mash to discover their secrets, but he could run small batches in his copper stills.

His first experiment would be with fermented [Widow Lily] and [Manashrooms]. Each experiment was done with an [Earth Mote] to promote consistency. Theo waited around for some time, relying on the buildings improvements to shorten the time of distillation. It was only a theory he had about different motes producing different effects on essence modifiers. He couldnt be certain about that theory. Switching out motes might just provide a different mana source. The alchemist wanted to conduct consistent experiments, though. Leaving something up to chance could have consequences down the line.

At the end of the modifier essences distillation, while the [Spriggan Hearts] were still cooking, he was left with two new modifiers. They seemed of dubious use, save for that generated by the [Widow Lily].

[Decay]

[Essence Modifier]

Rare

Created by: Belgar

Grade: Great Quality

10 units (liquid)

Add to a completed potion to add the Decay modifier. Decay applies necrotic effects to offensive potions.

Theos intuition told him this was useful for mixing in with poison potions, as it would add additional effects. Basic Drogramath Alchemy backed this idea up with its extensive section on poisons. According to the book, decay was a status modifier that acted a lot like poison. It wouldnt double the effect of the poison, but it would provide another DOT effect to the weapon coating.

[Mana Bloom]

[Essence Modifier]

Rare

Created by: Belgar

Grade: Great Quality

10 units (liquid)

Add to a completed potion to add the Mana Bloom modifier. Mana Bloom applies bonuses related to the mana resource.

[Mana Bloom] was obscure, having no reference in his book. Logic dictated that it would add a bonus to mana with every potion. Hed need to experiment with this, particularly with [Lesser Mana Potions], but he hoped itd be useful. Each modifier represented a new dimension to potion making. Something that would add an unexpected element, and more importantly value. If no one else was producing these rare things, then he could rake in the money. With the idea of his ranch looming in the distance, hed need every shiny copper coin he could get his hands on.

Azrug entered the shop below during his session, although Theo didnt hear the bell. Only when the bell rang again did he notice, as it was followed by an exchange of words. The sound of someone ascending the stairs broke the alchemists concentration, followed by a tepid knock at the door.

Come in, Theo said, looking up from his work with a furrowed brow.

To his surprise, Miana Kell walked in the room. She straightened her shoulders at the threshold and marched in, slamming her hand down on the table. The gesture was lost on Theo. The quills of her personality had been disarmed long ago, painting her as an unwitting rube rather than the defiant woman she presented herself as.

I want the ranch job, Miana said, staring into Theos eyes. There was a fiery passion there that he hadnt seen before. Something that lingered deep in her soul. His high [Wisdom] score told him she was serious.

Word travels fast, Theo said, nodding. He cast his eyes over the essences he had crafted, lingering on the dripping condenser.

Aarok told me, Miana said. He knows I love animals.

A love for animals doesnt make you the right person for the job, Theo said, feeling rather spiky today.

I didnt have the funds for a ranch seed coreor the cores, Miana said, suddenly going pale. Her gaze shot to the ground and remained there.

Theo tilted his head. He didnt need intuition to know what was going on in her mind, it was painted plainly on her face. A mix of regret and anger that flared to the surface easily. He put the pieces together, but wanted confirmation.

What cores do you currently have? Theo asked.

Miana shuffled her feet along the ground. Oh, shut up. You will not bait me.

Theo let out a long sigh, finding a seat near the window. Thats what he took isnt it? Your cores.

Miana set her eyes on him, fixing him in a withering glare. More than that, Theo. Gods, more than you could ever imagine.

Theo looked at the door, ensuring the Half-Ogre closed it on her way in. She did. He took your core slotshow is that possible?

I dont know. Hah! Can you imagine. Mean old Miana Kellrunning this dirt ball for twenty years without a single core What a laughing stock Id be if they found out.

Theo pressed his fingers into his closed eyes until he saw stars. This was too much for him. Her story was so tragic he couldnt stand to think about it, but that would be avoiding his problems. It was a simple request, and he needed a rancher.

What do you want? Theo asked.

Fund the seed core and the animals, Miana said. Ill get the skill core.

How do we split the profits? Theo asked.

I dont care.

Theo reached out a hand and shook hers, avoiding eye contact. Well figure out how to split it later. Miana I dont know what else I could do for you.

This is everything, she said. He could hear the hope in her voice. 20 years wasted, leading to this. This is all I need, Theo.

Perhaps you can reclaim those lost years, Theo said, shaking his head. I dont even know how long I was between worlds. Not that it matters, Earth was destroyed.

We both have lost time to make up, Miana said.

I wish you could tell me more about this mystery man, Theo said.

I didnt even see him, Miana said. He spoke into my mind when I was a kid. Thought it was just some strange magical somethingbut then I never got my cores. When you became mayor, I got my core slots. Empty.

Thats harsh, Theo said. Thats downright evil.

We move on, Miana said. We keep on living, despite our problems.

Theo gestured to his pile of dirt. If youll excuse me, I have an industry to revolutionize.

Of course. Thanks, Theo, Miana said, turning on the spot. Her shoulders were back, her chest swelling with pride. With hope.

Theo heard her exchange words with Azrug downstairs, a happy tone carrying to the lab above. He turned his attention to the dirt.

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