Chapter 2.22: Monsters and Mines

    For all of Theos fear of the initial assault of the plant monster, its roots dug deep into the ground, rooting it there. The monster howled with rage, flailing razor-sharp limbs in the air to little effect. Once he caught his breath, the alchemist was on his feet, dusting the dirt from his backside and letting out a low chuckle.

    That was close, Theo said, observing the monster for a few moments.

    While the one that received the growth potion had turned monstrous, the other plants were fine. They showed no sign of monstrous tendencies, simply swaying with the gentle breeze. Perg poked her head around the corner of the Newt and Demon, laughing as she watched the monster.

    Were making monsters, now? Perg asked.

    Theo turned his gaze to the Half-Ogre woman, smiling despite his fear. I didnt mean to. I was trying to cultivate my own reagents.

    Well, youve cultivated something. Is it immobile? Perg asked, moving toward the monster with a stick in her hand. She poked at it, the creature slicing the piece of wood clear in half. Guess so.

    They stood there for some time, watching as the monster did its best to uproot itself. The implications of creating monsters were vast, but no practical applications came to Theos mind. Lining the walls outside with monstrous plants might seem good on the surface, but if the constant shrieking impacted the lives of the citizens, it wouldnt be worth it. Several minutes passed by before a shrill voice sounded from nowhere, cutting through the monsters protests.

    Die fiend! Tresk bellowed, emerging from the shadow of the building and leading with both of her wicked daggers.

    Theo could barely keep up with the fight. The Marshling moved in a blur, popping up behind the plant monster only to vanish a moment later. She ended the fight as quickly as it started, leaping over the monster, vanishing from sight, and appearing as a thin white line that split it in half. Each side of the creature fell away, soaking the ground in a vile green ichor.

    Tresk rushed over, patting Theo down with a concerned look on her face. Are you alright?

    Perg laughed.

    Im fine, Theo said, patting the Marshling on the head. I was just experimenting.

    With monsters? Tresk asked, heaving a breath. I ran all the way here from the dungeon.

    Wow, Perg said. How did you do that?

    Tresk perked up, puffing her chest out and grinning. I have secret assassin powers.

    She burned her cooldowns, Perg said, nodding.

    Theo laughed, shaking his head and approaching the monster. He inspected the corpse, pushing away the dirt and pressing his hand against the roots. They looked different, swollen with that same green, sticky material. He was shocked when the system produced an item description.

    [Immature Monsterized Spiny Swamp Thistle Root]

    [Junk]

    Rare

    The root of an immature monsterized spiny swamp thistle plant. This item has no practical use. If left to mature, this monster will produce a reagent.

    Oh, thats interesting, Theo said, explaining what the description said.

    Im not saying you should start a monster farm, Tresk said, dancing in place. But I got experience for killing that thing.

    Theo ran his fingers along the line of his jaw, falling into thought. That was an interesting thing to consider. The [Lesser Potion of Growth] was easy enough to make, and he could create an enclosure for the monsters to keep everyone safe. He shook his head, banishing the thoughts from his mind. For the time being, this was another distraction that took away from his immediate goals. He filed it away in his mind and set his gaze on Tresk.

    Another time, I think, Theo said. Weve got a few too many projects going on.

    Tresk nodded. I heard you were going to tax the adventurers.

    How did you hear that? Theo asked, knitting his brow. You keep saying word travels fast, but this is ridiculous.

    I saw Zankir earlier, Tresk said, shrugging. He knew.

    Taxing the adventurers? Perg said, moving closer to inspect the monster. Is that smart?

    We want to be taxed, Tresk said, shrugging. Everyone thought it was a good idea, since we pull so much money out of the dungeon. None of that goes back to Broken Tusk. Only those dirty Qavelli fat-cats get any of it.

    Speaking of fat-cats, Perg said, withdrawing a single gold coin from a satchel at her hip. She handed it over to Theo with a smile. Your take of a few sales.

    Theo repeated the process for his 2 other stills, filling them both with 200 units worth of salamander egg shells. He did not know how Tresk could collect so many of the rare eggs, but he didnt care. The Marshling came up behind him and hugged his waist, making an angry, frustrated sound.

    You can do it, Tresk said. We have another daydont take another potion.

    Theo let out a frustrated sigh. She was right. He needed to be conscious when the attack happened, even if he was worthless in combat. He could let the stills do their work when he slept after swapping out the flasks once. After that, he could spend the next morning distilling the remainder of the eggs. If he did a full run, hed have an obscene amount of [Flame Essence]. The alchemist looked at an eggshell on his hand, shrugging and popping it into his mouth. The spice spread across his tongue instantly, bringing tears to his eyes.

    [Properties Discovery!]

    Youve discovered an additional effect from the [Fire Salamander Egg] by eating it.

    [Force] discovered.

    I should have done that earlier, Theo said.

    But it wasnt a safe bet to make a large run of a newly discovered property. It didnt help that [Force] was not a good descriptor, and he didnt remember it appearing in the bomb section of Basic Drogramath Alchemy. Instead of departing from his current path, he stuck to it.

    As he continued his work, Aarok made himself at home. Tresk and him were conspiring near the window, whispering between themselves before setting up the Marshlings copper skillet on a free [Flame Artifice]. They cooked the meal as the alchemist worked the stills, setting them up for the last run of the day. By the time each of the 3 stills was running, the wolf steaks were done cooking. Theo had to push the scent away as he worked, his stomach grumbling its objections by the time he sat down near the window.

    Im surprised we dont have visitors, Aarok said, gesturing to the door.

    Perg and Luras must be busy, Tresk said, tearing a chunk of steak off with her teeth.

    The group settled into their meal. Theo had grown accustomed to eating steak for every meal, even when it got repetitive. It was hard to argue against having steak every morning and night, but he dreamed of a day when a ranch would produce other things. There was a lot of work to be done on that front, and something the alchemist would prefer to keep in the back of his mind for now.

    Now, I have a very loose plan, Aarok said, cutting a small chunk of his steak. During the last assault, we were surprised. Now that we know when theyll come, even if its not exact, well be ready.

    I saw some guys digging pits outside of the walls, Tresk said, laughing. Is that part of your plan?

    Part of it. To slow the monsters down, we really just needed to focus our ranged attackers last time, Aarok said, shrugging. Combined with Theos bombs, that would have taken care of them.

    Theo craned his neck, looking to see his filling flasks near the still. With his current run of [Fire Essence], he could make enough bombs to catch the swamp on fire. He didnt want to fool with his improvised bombs, as they seemed more likely to explode in someones hands than on an enemy. He regretted making one in the first place, kicking himself for the needless show of force. The alchemist withdrew a [Manashroom] from his inventory, setting it down on the table and thinking out loud.

    I want to make more than the one bomb type this time, Theo said. Perhaps a bomb to freeze the monsters in place.

    Maybe more artifice weapons, Tresk said.

    Hard to get those on short notice, Aarok said.

    Were filling gaps before they appear, Theo said, nodding to himself. Thats the important part. To stay proactive. One of those gaps is the adventurers. Were getting more as the days roll on.

    I met the three brothers, Aarok said. Theyre strange.

    Well, they bought two plots of land, Theo said with a shrug. I also have a few people to run the mine.

    The mine? Aarok asked, raising a single brow.

    Apparently, the new people dont gab as much as Broken Tuskers, Theo said, grinning. I think there is ore in the southern hills. Ive set the new settlers on finding it.

    Smart, Tresk said, nodding.

    What can we really do with more metal? Aarok asked.

    Exporting, Theo said. We can process the ore and I can treat it alchemically. My intuition says itll make us some money. Also, the town can use more metal.

    Even though it repaired itself with stone and wood, Aarok said, grinning.

    Planning for the future, my friend.

    Theo felt exhaustion rolling through his body like an upcoming storm. He forced himself to stay awake long enough to talk with his friends. Tresks suggestion to take it easy for the evening was a good idea. That kind of exhaustion caught up with a person quickly, he knew all too well. The conversation among his friends gathered to small things, the way it always did. The alchemist zoned out as they talked about the people in the town, nodding off several times.

    Tresk cleared everyone out, pressing her forehead against Theos and leading him to the impossibly soft bed. The world swirled around him as sleep took over, pushing away all the concerns he had for the future of his town.