Chapter 2.31: I Ain't Going Through No Portal!

Chapter 2.31: I Ain't Going Through No Portal!

What? Tresk asked.

The Marshling had pilfered two extra servings of Xams strange stir-fry. She set the bowls out on the table, peering out of the window with suspicious eyes. The bowls were still steaming hot, a benefit of their shared inventory. Theo dug into his idly, rolling his mind of the possibilities. The next monster wave should be a few days off, not imminent. With the last wave finishing only 2 days ago, it felt way too soon. Whats worse, the crystal had shifted to a slightly darker color since last night.

Highest on the suspect list? That dang wizard, Tresk said, narrowing her eyes at Theo. Never trust a wizard, Theo.

Theo leaned back in his chair, letting out a breath. He doubted the level 20 [Planar Mage] could do much to harm the dungeon, or instigate a monster wave. If any spell caster were to blame, it would be Uharis. The Archmage of the Burning Eye arrived right before the monster wave, even providing the alchemist with a means to detect it. That was suspicious, but hardly proof. Theo would point to himself as the cause of the issue before anyone else, his knowledge of such magic severely lacking.

Maybe, Theo concluded with a shrug. Seems like starting a monster wave hurts his cause, though. Xolsa wants a place to live, away from the cults.

Im distrustful of anything I cant stab, Tresk said. If it doesnt bleed, how can you understand it?

Thats fair enough, Theo said, sipping his moss tea. Instead of worrying about the cause of the problem, we should worry about bolstering our defenses.

Yeah, Fenian is still in town. Buy some guns, Tresk said.

Im broke, Theo said, withdrawing all 8 gold coins from his inventory.

Tresk grinned, reaching into her dimensional sack and placing a pile of gold on the table. By Theos count, there were nearly 30 gold coins in the stack. She had been hoarding gold, but it wasnt a surprise. The adventurers were making a lot of money from the monster waves, receiving a similar bonus per wave. The alchemist didnt want to think about it, but the waves were generating an absurd amount of revenue.

Everyone is getting rich, huh? Theo asked.The initial posting of this chapter occurred via N0v3l.B11n.

The alchemist summoned his mayors screen, tabbing over to the financial tab and sorting everyone by money earned. Theo was on the top, although his income was almost equal to his expenditures. Aarok came second, although the interface made a note about the money belonging to the adventurers guild. Tresk came next, and a gulf separated the top earners with the rest of the town. Even Zizs stoneworking business lagged them, coming in at 20-some gold for the last 30-day period.

Not that rich, I guess, Theo said.

Rich enough to get new guns, Tresk said.

The pair sat there, theorizing to no end about the source of the problem. Theo was reserved that they would never understand, but Tresk pinned the blame on everyone she could. She listed off gods that might be at fault, but none of that lined up with what the alchemist understood. Their conversation was cut short when a system message jumped into the middle of their vision.

[Aarok]: Theo report to the square.

At least he didnt say not to panic, Theo said.

Need an escort? Tresk asked.

Theo felt a twinge in his mind that he might need her blades. Despite the message appearing in text, containing no emotional information from Aarok, he knew something was up. They departed from the Newt and Demon immediately, making their way to the square. The alchemists new combination of slightly increased [Vigor] and [Dexterity] saw him up the hill quicker than ever. He couldnt hope to keep Tresks pace, but she stuck to shadow-jumping, anyway.

In the distance, near the black monolith marking the center of town, Theo spotted a shimmer of light. A silver portal rested near the square, pulsing with a powerful light. The edges of the thing were a defined line of silver, but the center was pitch black.

Portal, Aarok said, pointing at the portal with his bow in hand. Appeared a few moments ago.

Where panic would seize most people, Theo had an excellent memory. Xolsas words about creating a means of transportation between his tower and the town came back clearly. The alchemist held up a calming hand.

Thatll be our new wizard, Theo said.

I told you wizards were no good, Tresk said from the shadows.

The portal shimmered. The pitch black at the center of the thing solidified, giving the observers a view of a buildings interior. While the image was flickering and shimmering like the surface of water, Theo could make out some details. The strange, extra-planar Elf stood on the other side of the portal, waving his arms and muttering something. A moment later, he stepped through, emerging onto the cobbles with shaking legs.

Forgive me, mayor, Xolsa said, bowing deeply. I would very much enjoy your company at my towerI have something urgent to discuss.

Theo appreciated the mans discretion. Others in the group might not have noticed the slight quaver in the Elfs voice, but the alchemist noticed. There was an urgency that couldnt be explained by excitement for ones tower.

Tresk, lets go, Theo said.

I aint going through no portal! Tresk said, appearing from the darkness.

Its safe, Xolsa said.

Theo didnt know about that. The Elf had told him it wasnt entirely safe in the past, but this was urgent. Without another word, Xolsa disappeared through the floating, shimmering pool and the alchemist followed. It felt like stepping under a waterfall, a cold sensation rushing over his head to cover his entire body in chills. The effect of suddenly traveling into the tower was disorientating, and he fell to the ground in a heap. Tresk followed shortly after, tumbling over him and striking the stone floor with a curse. The center of the portal returned to deep black, barring passage for any others.

Welcome to my tower, Xolsa said, experiencing none of the disorientation. Welcome to grave news and bad omens.

A cheery welcome, Theo said, rising to his feet.

Accompany me to the towers roof, Xolsa said, gesturing to a set of winding stairs. They worked their way up the edge of the tower, snaking through a floor directly above them. While the base of the tower bore a stone floor, every floor after that had wooden floors.

The group ascended the stairs, Tresk and Theo on shaking legs. Each floor held something different, something interesting. Magical equipment, endless curios and trophies, and even alchemy equipment that the alchemist recognized the function of. When they finally reached the roof, the view was breathtaking. They were far enough away from Broken Tusk that Theo couldnt spot it on the horizon.

Theo wished he didnt have such keen intuition. Xolsa was a planar mage, something the alchemist could extrapolate. That meant the offending string of symbols were related to things outside of this plane of reality. The Elf was connected to thisthe offending change must have felt like a wound to the nature of the world.

Something tampered with the dungeon, Theo started, letting his thoughts come together as he spoke. To draw power from another plane, or to send instructions from another planewhatever it is, its affecting the wave timer.

I would place a gold coin that your intuition comes from your cores, Mayor, Xolsa said. Drogramath is legendary for tampering where he shouldnt.

Theo doubted that. Drogramath seemed to pride himself on the Old Drogramathi script, not arcane scribbles. He wouldnt raise this issue with the Elf, though. This was a magic far outside of the alchemists reach.

What can be done? Theo asked.

Yeah, how do we fix it? Tresk asked. She was clearly feeling left out of the conversation.

The symbols you see here are representations of reality, Xolsa said with a shrug. Theyre not whats actually happening, just something visual to look at. I can create an array of magical beacons to stabilize this additional rune. I am, as you might guess, the single expert on the topic alive today.

Theo leaned against the wall, the crashing sense of confluence entering his mind once again. So many people were drawn to one spot with absurdly particular skills.

Is it hard to do? Tresk asked. Do you need anything from us?

It is simple, Xolsa admitted. As a [Planar Mage], I can see that webwork of magic. I see it everywhere. Even when I close my eyes, I see the damned web.

Theo sensed a sore subject there and wouldnt press. He could put enough together to understand the mans pain and the implications of his core.

You cant take your core out, can you? Theo asked.

I would die, Xolsa said with a shrug. My people arent meant to live in this world, so the system created a way for me to survive. A curse and a blessing.

Maybe theres an alchemical solution to your problem, Tresk said.

Maybe. Until then, I simply need your permission to begin my work, Xolsa said, brightening up considerably. I admit. When I spotted the problem, I set up the array without hesitation. I havent slept, but the array is completed. It only needs activation.

You have my permission, Theo said.

Theo and Tresk lingered on the roof for some time while Xolsa went downstairs. The alchemist wanted to drink in the swamp's flavor from a safe vantage point, spotting groups of monsters roaming through the marsh. The Marshling giggled when a wolf-riding Goblin got too close to the tower, receiving a large fireball to the face. Magic tingled through the air after a while, stinging their skin and sparkling across the swamp. The Elf returned with a smile on his face.

Easy enough, Xolsa said. The array seems stable.

The Elf gestured, and the magical diagrams zoomed, centering back on the intruder. Only a few characters had changed, pulsing gently.

That is all the change we need, Xolsa said. Ill adjust the array, but this requires testing. Ive delayed the monster wave by some time.

Good, Theo said, nodding. Something came into his mind that he couldnt push away. Why didnt you just portal here? Why did Fenian bring you?

Ah, Xolsa said. An academic question. The range is quite poor, and I need a [Mages Tower] to cast the spell.

Makes sense, Tresk said with a shrug.

Speaking on that topic, Xolsa said. Ill operate the portal daily for the adventurers. The distance from here to the dungeon is shorter than from town."

Thats very kind of you, Theo said.

Its the least I can do, Xolsa said. My findings are interesting enough to make the trip worth it. A day of experimentation in this place has brought me a trove of information.

Xolsa gave Tresk and Theo a brief tour of his tower. Most of what he said made little sense to them, but they appreciated the gesture. Even the alchemy equipment the Elf used was strange. It condensed reagents into small gems that were used as catalysts for spells. The alchemist saw little use for this process in his form of alchemy. Perhaps one day he would be at a level where the method made sense, but for the time being, it was unusable.

He ended the tour by showing off the wards at the edge of the tower. They functioned like the defensive emplacements on the towns walls, but had many drawbacks. The rate of fire was significantly decreased, and Xolsa had to be present to operate them manually. According to him, he had a sense for everything around the tower. Only when he gave the mental command would the weapons fire, otherwise he relied on a heavy stone wall that ran around the perimeter of the tower. The section of dry land Theo found him was nice, even with the oppressive humidity of the swamp.

My hope is that whatever fears youve had by my settling here have been banished, Xolsa said, placing his hand on the heavy metal gate that lead out from the tower. Ive searched for so long for a place like this. The energy in the air is almost intoxicating. Some lingering miasma from your transition, I think. That requires quite a bit of study.

Well, thanks for the tour, Theo said, shaking the Elfs hand. We should get back to town. I bet the militia is assembled at the portal.

Very well, Xolsa said, bowing. Please remember to inform the adventurers of the portal.

Thanks.

Theo and Tresk took the portal, emerging on the other side in a heap once again.

Maybe hes not evil, Tresk said, standing and falling again.

I dont think he is, Tresk, Theo said.