Chapter 2.34: Decoy Stash

Chapter 2.34: Decoy Stash

Theo woke the next morning in a haze. The remainder of the previous day was spent securing reagents and distilling his fermented ingredients. 600 units of fermented [Moss Nettle] produced an equal amount of the [Surge] modifier essence. There was even time enough to distill his [Swamp Onion] fermentation down to 200 units of [Aerosolize] modifier essence, which he would reserve for his gardening experiments. Half the [Surge] produced was to make potions, while the other half was for the tricky task of experimentation.

Tresk wasnt happy that he had pilfered her store of onions and demanded satisfaction. She challenged him to a duel at sunset, something that never came to be. The busy Marshling was asleep before the sun even crested the horizon and she forgot about the challenge by morning. Instead, he found her making breakfast in the lab. Theo approached, withdrawing the early warning crystal from his inventory and setting it on the table.

Still orange? Tresk asked.

Theo eyed what she was cooking suspiciously. The normal wolf steak had been replaced by something resembling a sausage and onions.

I thought I stole all your onions, Theo said.

You stole my decoy stash, Tresk said.

Of course. Also, yeah. Whatever Xolsa is doing, its working, Theo said.

Theo leaned back in his chair, casting his eyes out the window. Too many things had happened in too short a time, leaving him feeling confused. It felt as though hed taken hasty turns in a maze, running on his gut feeling with little else to steer him. Even the advice he received was questionable, but he sorted that out. There were innocent souls in this world that would help him without an agenda. Xolsa was one of those. Having no home of his own left him adrift, unable to anchor himself to the ways of his people.

He let those thoughts drift from his mind, replaced by the smell of the strange sausage and sizzling onions.

One day, people are going to have Broken Tusk food on their plates, Theo said.

And Broken Tusk potions in their belt, and Broken Tusk stone underfoot, and Broken Tusk timber in their bridges, Tresk said, smiling as she rolled a fat sausage over.

Exactly, Theo said with a nod. The teakettle whistled, and he poured himself a cup, taking a delicate sip. One thing isnt good enough. We need to do everything.

Well, Im doing my part, Tresk said, plating the strange breakfast. Im getting really good at stabbing.

Theo was reminded that Tresk took something of a hybrid class recently. He had been wrapped up in his own stuff and hadnt inquired about it. As he cut his first piece of sausage, watching the Marshling swallow hers whole, he asked, how is [Shadowdancer] going?

Its perfect, Tresk said, coughing, choking, then recovering. I only have 1 skill for it so far, but its a good one. I can use [Shadowdance] to move between the shadows. Its effectively a travel power. The bonuses the core gives me are great, though.

Theo mentally activated the phrase [Shadowdance] to inspect the ability.

[Shadowdance]

Shadowdancer Skill

Rare

Cooldown: 5:00

Allows the user to jump between shadows while remaining in stealth.

Effect:

The user must be in stealth and standing in a shadow to activate.

The user may jump from shadow to shadow.

If the user isnt broken from stealth, they may jump to another shadow (maximum 10).

The skill didnt detail how far she could jump, so he assumed it was line-of-sight. This is how she was zipping across the swamp so readily.

Seems powerful, Theo said.

Yeah, the whole class is great, Tresk said, slurping down her onions.

Theo bit into the first sausage. An herbaceous, greasy flavor coated his tongue in an instant. The coating of the sausage exploded under his teeth, making a faint popping noise. It was the strangest, most delicious thing hed eaten since arriving in Broken Tusk, and it made him wonder where the Marshling had bought them.The initial posting of this chapter occurred via N0v3l.B11n.

Are you buying food from Fenian? Theo asked.

Yeah, Tresk said, taking a moment to prepare her tea. I cant even remember what these sausages are called, but they come from the northlands. Those bear-people.

The Toora, Theo said, nodding. We had one of their people pass through town. Boral I dont know what happened to him.

Cool. Well, I dont care who made it, or how they made it, or what its made of, Tresk said. Its delicious. We should start importing food.

I wanted to make my own food, Theo said.

Yeah? Got any Karatan in those fields? Tresk asked, laughing. Come on. Be realistic, for once.

Theo let out a sigh. She was right. He needed to take things one step at a time. Once he got his ranch running, he could worry about the creation of food, whatever that meant. He could end up exporting Karatan butter, for all he knew. It all depended on how fast the strange cow-like creatures grew.

Yeah. No livestock, no meat, Tresk said, tilting her head after sipping from her cup. Well, I guess we could process the wolf meat we get. Make wolf sausages Well, wed need some spices for that. And we dont have spices.

Im working on a farming concept, Theo said, waving her away.

Zaulize, Theo said, knitting his brow. He moved to pick up a yellow gem before inspecting it as well.

[Cut Glanthierize]

[Processed Gem]

Rare

A holy gem, cut and prepared.

I get it, Theo said. So, do the gems hold alignment to gods?

Ziz shrugged. No idea, but theyre worth a lot of money.

The system is just attaching ize to various gods names to the gem. Zaul is the god of shadows. Glanthier is the god of healing, Theo said.

Oh, thats fun, Ziz said, smiling. I wonder if theres a Drogramathize.

Somehow I doubt it, Theo said. I have a feeling these only fall into the Prime Pantheon.

Whatever that is, Ziz said. Hey, I have some money for you.

Theo waved him away. Ill take some of these gems instead.

Oh, that works, Ziz said.

And well draw up an official contract, Theo said.

The alchemist made something quick and dirty, promising to only take 10 percent of their earnings. As he thought back on the deal he made with Ziz originally, he was happy with it. The original plan was to take most of the stone and use it to make roads, but that wasnt necessary. The towns seed core provided those. Now, with the stoneworkers agreement, it provided them with the materials they needed to repair the town. That reminded him of his agreement with Sledge. She hadnt approached him about their deal to work the forest and collect lumber.

That works, Ziz said, accepting the deal. Take as many gems as you want, Theo.

Ill take one of each, for now, Theo said, finding a section of the workshop that wasnt covered in chipped stone and sat down on the ground. I want to export lumber, but I have a feeling Sledge is dragging her feet.

I saw her plying her new trade, Ziz said, flashing a smile. You might have distracted her too much.

Indeed, Theo said. That was the impression he got from her, but he could blame her. The [Fabricator] class seemed fun. He imagined her running around, changing peoples houses to suit their needs. So, I need lumberjacks.

Whats a lumberjack, Ziz asked.

Foresters, Theo said with a shrug. Sometimes his thoughts didnt translate as well as hed like. The system could only do so much.

Well, if you want someone chopping trees full time, you need specialists, Ziz said.

Then its too much right now, Theo said. Ill be happy with what Sledge gets me.

Spreading yourself too thin? Ziz asked, coming to sit by the alchemist.

Far too thin, Theo said. Well, Im working on that. Im trying to focus on only a few projects at once.

Only a few, Ziz said, barking a laugh. That sounds like you. A ranch, a mine, an entire town, and your alchemy business. Just a few.

Theo smiled, punching the Half-Ogre playfully in the arm. They shared a laugh, only continuing the conversation when it died down.

The plan is to set these things up, and let them run themselves, Theo said. Dead Dog Mine is my newest test for that idea.

What a name for a mine, Ziz said, stretching. I get you, though. Its working well for this place.

Well, I suppose you were my first experiment for that, Theo said, clapping his hand over the mans shoulder. And look how youre doing. Making decisions on your own. Advancing this place without direction.

Were not children, Theo, Ziz said. Put more trust in Broken Tusk and shell treat you right.

Theo let those words linger in his mind for a long time. While he wanted to believe he broke that habit, it was still lingering. He still treated these people like they needed a minder. The mayor didnt need to be involved in every single thing they did.

Then, another test, Theo said, nodding and smiling. I dont need metal from the mine. Not yet. The operation can take a long time to get running. It doesnt matter to me.

So, set them off and let them work the mine, Ziz said. See what they can do on their own. People thrive when you give them the chance. They want to prove you right with the faith you put in them. Or prove you wrong if youve doubted them.

Theo rose from the spot and exited the workshop without another word. From the northern hills, he could see the adventurers homes and the farm sprawling to the south. Those specs on the horizon, those little lives going about their day in Broken Tusk shone brighter than the gems in his palm. That was the genuine treasure of this place. He knew that.

Theyll thrive, Theo said, pulling Ziz into a sidelong hug. Even if it's this town against the world, well come out on top.

Ziz answered with a warm smile, simply standing there with his friend. Despite the alchemists intent to manage his time well that day, he spent most of it in the northern hills, among the workers of the quarry. Their tools rung out, echoing through the vast expanse, singing a chorus of labor and industry. By the time he left, the sun hung low in the sky. No rain fell over Broken Tusk that day, and Theo took it easy. Sausagesand onions seemed like a strange meal to have for dinner, but it didnt matter. The 36th day of the Season of Blooms fell into twilight over the town.

Tresks snores quickly filled the room after they retired for the night. The early warning crystal, shining from underneath Theos bedsheets, stayed that faint orange color.