The Newt and Demon

Chapter 3.44: Plant Golems

Theo had an arsenal of responses for Tresks assassin attacks now. The [Potion of Limited Foresight] gave him enough wiggle room to enact his plan, while the [Retreat Potion] allowed him to gain distance. Only when the Marshling summoned a literal army, would he die in the Dreamwalk, but still she wasnt satisfied. There were several flaws with his tactic, all around the idea that he couldnt drop his nuke if there was an ally nearby. While the [Tarahek Dreampassage] didnt work in the Dreamwalk, it would make for a potent weapon.

But once the dust had settled from a failed defense, Theo got to work on testing new golems. Hed never seen a containment core made of [Drogramathi Iron], and couldnt convince the Dreamwalk to allow him to produce it, but it allowed him to work with different mediums. Tresk lingered in the harbor with him, eager to see what the plant-based golem would look like.

Theo added the finishing touches on the golem, but felt the need to speak about something that had bothered him for a while. The waves lapped against the edges of the stone harbor, ghostly ships coming and going at the alchemists will. It was just a distraction. I know who Khahar really is.

Tresk poked her knife into a pile of vines, leaves, and branches. Uh-huh. Grand conspiracy mode Go!

Not sure about grand, Theo said, shoving his newest containment core into the pile of plant matter. It was made from a [Monster Core] belonging to a level 10 Fald Interloper and made with the standard treated iron. His version in the real world would be made of Drogramathi Iron. When I left Earth, the guy who sent me said everyone who was alive would be sent.

At this point in the development of the Tarahek, talking seemed more like a suggestion. Theo could feel Tresk picking up on his thoughts. She often suppressed them in the real world, waiting for the Dreamwalk to share information. Sometimes she defaulted to the [Tarahek Communication] skill, which seemed safe enough. But in their own realm, they were absolutely free from unfriendly ears.

So, thats a thought, Tresk said, plopping down on the ground. She wiggled her fat little tail with interest. Why havent we seen other outworlders?

Because whoever was left on Earth was the seed population for this world, Theo said. Khahar was among them. Meaning, he was alive when Earth ended but Well, I think he knew me.

Thats a problem. Since you didnt have any friends, Tresk said, chuckling. Sorry. Im putting on my serious pants.

I appreciate it. Notice how Khahar avoided a lot of the worlds history regarding the early days? He just talks vaguely about them. That guy just wont admit it, Theo said. He could infuse the golem with mana, bringing it to life, but he delayed. Hed known this for a while now, and Tresk must have known too, but he never wanted to say it aloud. What did it matter? That was 60,000 years ago.

So, this Harbinger guy saves your worlds population. Brings them here for reasons. Then what? Waits 60,000 years to drop you? Not making sense, buddy, Tresk said.

I never said it made sense why, but it fits, Theo said. I can think of about 15 people who would have an interest in checking in on me. The squad they formed to find the Harbinger. Morales, Bawa, Valkov, Belchev I cant remember that ladys name, though. My family was all dead. The North American Confederations command was down to a few hundred people. I grew up with Mark. He might have been alive when it ended, but I cant be sure. My

Theo stopped himself. The more he wrapped his mind in his old life, the worse he felt. Even in the Dreamwalk, a sick feeling spread through his stomach, mingling with an old fire that had died decades ago. The longer he spent in the Tarahek, the less those coals smoldered. He reflexively reached for his silver locket, only to find the mark of the Burning Eye. What a sad parody.

Im sure she was great, Tresk said, patting Theo on the shoulder. She scrunched up her wet little face. Let me see Right, so all those people you murdered in that Berlin Alliance thing were dead, too. Even that dude you thought was cool. What about that lady with the East Asian Independent Force?

Tresk was digging around in his brain. Hed never told her about the political entities back on Earth, let alone a rag-tag group like the EAIF.

Dig deeper, Tresk, Theo said, sighing. She died before the end.

Well, stop blocking memories out, Tresk said.

Theo blocked everything out. His willpower wasnt great, but it was growing thanks to his use of the golems. Khahar has to be one of my squad, someone at command, or someone I cant remember. Thats the end. Doesnt matter, anyway. Hes here. He needs to leave. Conversation over.

Tresk nodded. She took to playing with the floating spirit of the egg, giving Theo room to breathe. He appreciated it. She was just trying to sort this out, and he brought the subject up. Instead, he shifted his thoughts to this world. How similar it was to Earth. When the end came, creeping over the decades, people didnt spread out into the countryside. They bunched up in cities. It was no longer about sprawling suburban areas, but massive tenement buildings. Nations became cities almost overnight. That was a reminder of the way the southlands of Iaredin operated. Gronro-Dir, Rivers and Daub, and Broken Tusk.

No apology needed, Tresk said, ruffling Theos hair. Well talk to the guy about it when hes ready. No sense pushing a uh God? Is he a god?

Just about, Theo said. Once he ascends, its going to be trouble. Mark my words, were going to see the dawn of a new era. Well call it Khahars Ascension.

Theo pushed the idea of a war in heaven away and focused on his work. He introduced enough mana to kick-start his new golem. The vines swirled around the containment core, branches and leaves forming to a writhing mass of vegetation. The vague form of a person took shape. Stunted arms and stunted legs with a rudimentary head lumbered, awaiting orders.

Hes a cute one, Tresk said, hugging the new golem. Good boy.

[Lesser Plant Golem]

[Alchemy Construct]

Level 10

Plant Golems excel at tending to the natural world, while also having mild combat capabilities.

Containment Core: [Alchemically Treated Iron Cage]

Monster Core: [Fald Interloper] (Level 10)

Medium: [Plant Matter]

Alchemy Slates: [Mana Construct]

Power System: [Mana Construct]

Siphon System: None

Additional Modifications: None

Perfect, Theo said, grinning. His old worries washed away in an instant. Now I have a gardener. Want to see the next one?

Absolutely, Tresk said.

Theo tried to make a golem out of [Copper Nuggets], but it failed. When he used [Copper Ingots], it failed similarly but exploded. Alchemy often exploded if it wasnt performed correctly. He then went for [Alchemically Treated Copper Ingots], but found the golem wouldnt form. Tresk kept him company for some time, but scampered off after a while. The alchemist wouldnt blame her, it was getting frustrating.

What do you think, plant golem? Theo asked.

The [Lesser Plant Golem] shrugged despite being singed from the previous explosion. The eggs spirit floated around, dive-bombing Theos head as though it knew the answers. Try as he might, the alchemist couldnt figure out what the little guy knew. He resorted to creating random items to understand the spirits intent.

Theo created an alchemy still, a gun, platters of cheese, Marshy the god of all Marshlings, and finally a burning brazier. The spirit reacted to that, bobbing over the lit flame with excitement. The alchemist could feel the things excitement for that idea.

Fire? Theo asked, looking at his pile of copper bars. So, does it need some [Fire Essence] to melt the bars and take a form?

The spirit flew around, even more excited than before.

Free hints from the magic egg spirit, Theo said. He wasnt surprised by anything. No matter how weird it was.

The Dreamwalk could be picky about what Theo could do within. Sometimes it let him run experiments, and other times not. The rules were that he could do something if it was a single logical step away. He soaked a stone tablet in [Fire Essence], gaining a new construct for his efforts. The alchemist inspected his new [Fire Construct].

[Fire Construct]

[Alchemy Construct]

Common

Created by: Belgar

Grade: Excellent Quality

Emits a field of heat.

Material:

Stone (Poor Quality)

Effect:

20 halm bubble of heat, controllable by the user. Strength of the heat depends on the quality of this construct.

The egg spirit floated around the construct, rubbing its ethereal form up against it.

Are you a dragon? Theo asked. You like fire. A lot.

The [Fire Construct] wasnt useful for much, as far as Theo could tell, but if it could help the golem form itself out of the [Copper Ingots], that was good enough. He placed the containment core, [Mana Construct], and [Fire Construct] within the pile of ingots. It erupted in flames, the copper melting to take the same vague form as the [Lesser Plant Golem]. After a moment, the golem cooled. It looked much like the other golems, but made of poorly formed copper. It had gaps in its joints, devoid of copper, but seemed to hold together. Theo inspected his newest creation.

[Lesser Copper Golem]

[Alchemy Construct]

Level 10

Metal Golems are excellent at combat. They serve almost no use elsewhere, and require new [Fire Constructs] to repair themselves. Metal Golems without an installed [Fire Construct] will become more useless the longer they operate.

Containment Core: [Alchemically Treated Iron Cage]

Monster Core: [Fald Interloper] (Level 10)

Medium: [Copper Ingots]

Alchemy Slates: [Mana Construct]

Power System: [Mana Construct]

Siphon System: None

Additional Modifications: None

Theo should have figured the metal golems would be great for combat. It only made sense. Another advantage of the Dreamwalk was that he could test them here, and understand their capabilities before sending them in the field. The alchemist imagined a single, fishlike Fald with a rusted iron sword. With a thought, the monster attacked.

The first bout was one-sided. Like most of the people like monsters, Fald were feral in combat. Sticking low to the ground, the creature came in with a wild strike to the side. The [Lesser Copper Golem] didnt flinch as the attack scraped against its arm. But there was the golems weakness. It lumbered toward the monster, taking ponderous steps until the fish-thing was in range. Once it wrapped its crude arms around the Fald, it was over. No amount of flailing and screaming could keep it from the golems suffocating grasp.

Theo made a mental note about the encounter. To the level 10 Fald, the [Lesser Copper Golem] was unstoppable. Even the [Lesser Stone Golems] would have been damaged from the attacks. That made sense, though. Stone golems werent designed solely for combat, they were the all-rounders. The alchemist continued the test, summoning two Fald, then three, and so on. Only when the battle was five-to-one did the golem finally die, suffering a death by a thousand cuts.

As expected, Theo said, nodding to the eggs spirit. Five against one is great, though. Theyre technically the same level, so thats a lot of power.

The eggs spirit offered no insight on whether this was good or not.

While Tresk stopped by a few times to check in on the golem project, Theo just focused on collecting as much information as possible. Once a metal golem was injured, it required another [Fire Construct] to repair itself, along with [Copper Ingots]. The [Lesser Mud Golems] could just pull from the swamp, which placed the metal golems in a different category in his mind. They were combat specialists with an expandable lifespan.

Perhaps theyll make great mine guards, Theo said.

Whatever their final use, Broken Tusk would have at least one [Lesser Drogramathi Iron Golem] tomorrow. Seemed absurd not to try something so ridiculous. Theo imagined himself going to a meeting with the people of Rivers and Daub flanked by 10 such golems. That would make them crap their pants. Maybe they could bolt swords onto the golems.

But that was enough experimentation with the golems for one night. Theo wanted to grind out as much experience as he could. As he tended his gardens, he had a sense that his [Drogramath Herbalism Core] would hit 15 in the morning, while his alchemy core was right on the edge of hitting 17. The [Governance Core] would ascend to 15, while his personal level creeped closer to 20, currently at 15. At that point, hed have a big decision to make. He needed a new core.

Throk would do well with an artificer core from Tworgnoth, but that led to another thought. If a person took cores that conflicted with each other, what happened? Khahar would be able to answer that question, so he reserved it for the daytime. From what the alchemist understood, it all depended on what those cores were aligned with. If he paired a Grom Rang, Dwarven God of Mining, with Fanglir, Elven God of Fire, there shouldnt be a problem. But looking at another pairing, Lord of War and Death Zagmon with the Queen of the Path of Shadows UzXulven, and hed have a problem. Those two just didnt get along.

So, the problem fell to the experts. Theo didnt need an answer, he just wanted a good start on the problem.

Theo spent the remainder of the Dreamwalk grinding levels. He didnt have more experiments to run, so it only made sense. While he spent more time chatting with Tresk, they had nothing big to discuss. When the morning finally came, the alchemist sprung up before the Marshling could, racing her to the door. Unfortunately, she still had the [Dexterity] advantage.

Nerd! Tresk shouted, sprinting out of the Newt and Demon.

At least Im not groggy anymore, Theo said, patting the egg in his satchel.

The Season of Fire was showing its namesake. If it was warm when Theo arrived in Broken Tusk, it had now become sweltering. Even with the sun barely poking over the horizon, it was almost unbearable. The air conditioner in his inventory became more tempting by the moment, but he had a use for that. Hed donate it to Whisper. The Toora bear-people were from a horribly cold place north of Qavell. Shed appreciate it far more than anyone else. But first, it was time for breakfast.

The day didnt truly start until Theo had a cup of tea at Xams tavern. He remembered a time where he brewed all his own tea, but even his alchemy core couldnt compete with her cooking. Everything she made just tasted better. The alchemist sat with Tresk at a table, eating leftovers from last night and sipping his tea.

Hey, Khahar, Theo said. And then the Khahari man was there.

Yes?

You know I appreciate how you just dont answer our questions before we ask them, Tresk said, leaning in. The whiskers on the mans face twitched.

Most people see it as rude.

Phew. I know, right? How about that heat? Tresk asked. Her tail swiped from side-to-side excitedly. Getting kinda hot, huh? Like Mexico hot. Ya know what Im saying?

Khahar narrowed his eyes at Tresk. Theo kicked her under the table. She yelped.

Core alignments, Theo said. I want to know what happens if you use two cores that dont agree.

Nothing good, Khahar said, relaxing. He reached into his chest and pulled a core out. He didnt even flinch. It was a basic [Artificers Core]... Kind of. The metal cage looked pure to Theos eyes. It shone with impossible brightness, even the white glowing center seemed somehow better than any core hed ever seen. This core is roughly 59,000 years old. When the world was young, there were no alignments. I dont have a single aligned core to my name.

Wow, Tresk said, propping herself up on the table to get a better look. What level is that one?

12,582, Khahar said.

Theo gawked. Theres no upper-limit to levels?

None at all, Khahar said, reinserting the core into his chest. Were straying from your question, but theres a reason you dont see many people beyond level 30, let alone level 100. 30 is the first hurdle for most. Well, some struggle to get beyond 20. Then the problem becomes edging past 100 without going insane. The more you ascend, the harder it becomes to keep your mind. By my stage? I dont think any have gone this far, but most strive for godhood, no matter how minor the domain.

How do you keep it together? Tresk asked, her voice almost a whisper.

Khahar placed his hand on his chest and closed his eyes. I often dont. The longer Im away from my domain, the worse it gets.

Why dont you go back? Theo asked.

Khahar opened his eyes and smiled, placing a furry hand on Theos shoulder. You havent figured it out yet. Youre on the right track. Im from Earth. I just need to see you get it before I go. I need to see that spark I remember. That way, I can leave this realm happy. Ill know its in good hands.

Theo just stared. So, it was a game to him. A fun little thing someone did before they went off to fight with gods. The alchemist couldnt imagine the mans mind was all there, even if he did know him from Earth. Him? Could it have been a woman? There was nothing that said they had to keep the same sex when they were sent over. It could be literally anyone.

A near-perfect memory, Khahar said. Ive dropped enough hints, Spencer. To your question. Research cores that will help you with the town. Well, it wont be a town much longer, will it? Anyway, you have the aptitude to do anything you want. If you must take a combat class, I recommend something in the support realm. Hmmm Well, I suppose now is as good a time as any.

Khahar produced a small wooden box from nowhere. Theo went to inspect it, but the system refused to give him a prompt. It was ornate, inlaid with gold and jewels. The closer the alchemist got to it, the more he realized it was covered with an impossibly small network of absurdly complex symbols. They had a faint yellow glow and were written in the language of the Khahari. A language that Khahar himself likely devised.

What is it? Tresk asked, bouncing up and down.

This is how I spit in the face of the gods, Khahar said, his muzzle twisting into a wicked grin. Something will happen. Something planned for eons. When it does, the box will open and you will change fate. Again.