4.12 - Synergistic Links

4.12 - Synergistic Links

Bentons joyous spirit was infectious. His belly-laughs, combined with the effects of Terogal, set Theo in an excellent mood. Theyd taken a break from going over the reagents to have tea in the cottage. No heat came from the fire burning in the fireplace, just a sense of increasing comfort. The tea was hot, but not too hot, and the bear-god had even brought scones. The alchemist wouldnt pause, considering how the hell that worked. He simply dipped a lemon-flavored scone in his moss tea and ate.N0v3lRealm was the platform where this chapter was initially revealed on N0v3l.B1n.

You should get a hobby, Benton said, spreading more confections on the table.

I have enough work. Dont need a hobby.

Benton left the cottage, returning with a [Pozwa Horn]. He placed it on the table and chuckled. Your brain is going to turn to dust. I was thinking. Had a few decades to do that, didnt I? Thinking about your little mage core. Do you know what scrimshaw is?

Theo ran his fingers over the twisting horn. Nope.

Carving stuff out of ivory. Out of bone, Benton said, withdrawing a knife from nowhere and going to work on the horn. In a few moments, he produced a finger-sized figurine. It was a Toora, perhaps even an image of the bear-god himself. Pretty cool, right?

It looks like you, Theo said, taking the carving. He rolled it over in his hands, appreciating how much detail was represented in such a small space. Think itll help?

In more ways than one, Benton said with a shrug. We thought the Pozwa were extinct. Gardreth held them in secret, and when the Fallen Kingdom fell Well, we thought they were all gone. But theres more than alchemical uses for those horns.

It was easy to follow Bentons logic. But it was rude to steal the mans thunder. What do you mean?

Materials like these hold enchantments well. I think it should work for your new magic just as well, Benton said.

Youre saying I should make my weapons out of [Pozwa Horns]? Theo asked, idly scratching his chin. His plan was to use the high-quality stone from Zizs quarry.

Yeah, stuff you can just throw. Or set them down like little totems, Benton said. I got the idea from my homeland. From my people. We have a class that uses totemic magic. Usually made of wood, but Ive seen bone before.

Interesting, Theo said.

Mediums were often important in magic. Taking the golems as an example, Theo could see the wisdom in the gods words. But that depended on how well the horns took his wards. Another example to consider was making the horns into a construct. It wouldnt work, since they were alchemically reactive. But the alchemist could extract the properties from primal essences, and apply those to the carved horns. That led him down a trail of thought that was dizzying. His processes would change with the addition of his [Toruaun Mages Core].

Listen Think it over. Im just giving suggestions here. Im going to pop off into some adjacent realms and see if anyone knows anything about curing a soul-slaying, Benton said, placing a comforting hand on Theos shoulder.

One question before you go, Theo said, staring at the carved figure. Why are you helping me?

Didnt I say? Benton said, laughing. Our neighbors are assholes. None have invited me for tea.

Thank you.

Outside the cottage, an archway of ice rose. The Toora God of Winter and Death stepped through, vanishing from Terogal. It grew cold for only a moment, but that sensation subsided within moments. Theo was left in his cottage, snacking on scones and drinking his tea. He looked at the knife left behind by Benton, taking it in his hands and rolling it over. It seemed like a mundane thing, not noteworthy in any regard. But as he held it, pressing the blade into a length of horn, he found it dragged through the material with ease.

Magic knife, or weird god rules? Theo asked.

But the knife had no system message. When he pressed his intent upon it, nothing happened. A sense as though this thing existed only in his realm, just like those lemon-flavored scones, flooded his mind. Hed seen stranger things, but it was as though his hands moved on their own. They carved away at material as he watched, half-expecting the result of the possessed creation to be magnificent. The resulting sculpture was anything but impressive. The alchemist had produced a lop-sided figuremeant to represent himselfthat looked more like a mutated goblin.

It was calming, though. Hours passed as he made more abominations. Alex played happily in the pond outside, although they should have been training. Snapping himself out of his trance, Theo sat near the pond with his growing gosling. He let time slip through his fingers, worries melting away as those moments passed, before the gate opened. Icy wind blew, stirring the stalks of wheat, and then the echoing laugh of the bear-god filled the realm.

That was an adventure, Benton said, coming to rest near the pond. The area where he stood seemed to bloom with frost, touching the edge of the water and freezing it. Touched the edge of the high-heavens, and even the demon-realms, and found something interesting.

What did you find?

Well, one of the Drogramathis spirits was hiding within an infant realm, Benton said, groaning to a seated position. He dunked his feet in the water, freezing it. Alex honked in anger, moving far away from the spreading ice. Had a few words with him. Talked a lot about Telbaris. Spirits are weird that way.

Did you catch his name?

Nope. Hes wayward. Trying to find his way back to the mortal plane. But thats not possible. So hes losing his mind. I sent him back to his masters embrace Well, anyway. Telbaris. The shifting moon. When shes green, you can trundle off into the swamp and find yourself a flower.

Theo narrowed his eyes, mind spinning. What am I looking for?

A flower that blooms only when the moon is green. It doesnt glow or anything like that, so youll need a light. But, theres a hidden property on the flower. Grind it up on a plate of Drogramathi Iron, set it on fire, capture the smoke, then use some ability on it. The Dronon said youd have it if you were a decent alchemist.

Hidden properties? Theo asked.

The way property discovery worked was well-established, wasnt it? A hidden flower in the swamp. One that only bloomed when the moon was green. That seemed like a tale, rather than fact. But with no other options, and Bentons trustworthiness, Theo had no other options. The steps seemed easy enough. [Reagent Deconstruction] was the ability he was talking about, there was no doubt about that.

Yeah, he said youd know what to do.

Thanks, Benton, Theo said, nudging the bear-god with his elbow. I really appreciate it.

Hey, no problem. Im bored out of my mind, so Ill help however I can, Benton said. Did you ever think youd be friends with a god?

Youre not a powerful god, are you? Theo asked.

Nope. Thats true. Im one of the weakest, Benton said. I ran into a Bantari god. Two of them. Twins, maybe?

I didnt think the Marshlings had gods.

Well, when youre in these new realms youre a god in name only. We get a realm, we get to poke into the mortal world a bit, but Its not like the high realms. Nothing like the Prime Pantheon, or the Demonic one.

Apply production chain links between seed cores.

Effect:

Apply unaligned mana to establish bonuses to production chain buildings.

So anyone with that skill was only useful if the town they were in had the upgrade. That seemed like a very specific skill, but it depended on the bonuses they provided. Sledge explained the process, and more importantly, the requirements.

Links cost the three Ms, Sledge said. Money, motes, and materials.

Alright, Theo said, folding his arms. The last thing he needed was another expense. But he was too excited about the upgrades. Sledge shared the upgrade she wanted to apply to the nugget processing chain.

[Efficient Processing]

[Synergy Link]

Linked to:

[Smelter], [Mine]

Cost:

1 gold coin, 100 [Iron Bars]

Maintenance Cost:

100 Motes per week

Description:

Create a synergy link between a [Smelter] and a [Mine]. Nuggets which are mined from the attached [Mine] and processed in the attached [Smelter] are produced faster.

Effect:

Nuggets mined in the chain and produced in the chain will smelt 15% faster.

The cost wasnt that bad. If they applied a few of these to the town, the costs would ramp up rapidly. Theo produced a single gold coin and handed it over. He approached the smelting building, withdrawing the [Iron Bars] without invitation. Nira didnt turn her attention away from her work, too focused on the process. There were enough motes in the towns infinite storage to maintain the effect. With the alchemists [Lesser Mud Golems], that wouldnt be a problem.

Sledge held the coin above her head, standing on a pile of loose iron. Theo felt mana flowing from her [Fabricators Core], forming as motes of floating blue energy. They lingered in the air for a moment before forming a solid line that shot between the smelter and the mine. The pair watched as the line faded into nothing.

There we go! Sledge said, stumbling on the spot. She held her head. Alright. That took a lot out of me.

Theo moved to steady the Marshling, but she slapped his hands away. Fair enough. Think you can do more?

Maybe one more, Sledge said. After Ive had a mana potion. Wink wink.

Theo produced a [Mana Potion] from his inventory and handed it over. She drank it down in one go, belching loudly. Trying to flex her muscles, or strike a heroic pose, she stumbled again. This time, the alchemist caught her before she fell. Alex let out a honk. While Sledge recovered, he thought about the best link to make next. While he would like to have a link between the farm and the weaver, the most important one would be between the sawmill and the harbor.

Sledge moved on her own after Theo summoned a few golems to carry her. Once the [Lesser Copper Golems] had their hands around her, she could miraculously walk. They made their way to the sawmill, where a gaggle of people worked to cut the massive Ogre Cypress trees into boards. The Marshling hummed to herself as she looked through the options. They all followed a theme of using the materials between the two buildings. But she settled on one, sharing it for the Archdukes inspection.

[Thick Boards]

[Synergy Link]

Linked to:

[Sawmill], [Harbor]

Cost:

5 gold coin, 500 of any [Wood Planks], 100 [Iron Bars]

Maintenance Cost:

200 Motes per week

Description:

Create a synergy link between a [Sawmill] and a [Harbor]. Boards milled at the [Sawmill] and used in construction at the [Harbor] will add additional attributes to produced boats.

Effect:

Boats produced with boards milled at the [Sawmill] and used at the [Harbor] will produce a random enhancement on the finished boat.

Theo withdrew the materials from the towns storage, setting them on the ground. Sledge clutched 5 gold coins in her hand, holding it above her head. She swayed on the spot as she applied the link, and collapsed afterward. Nothing a [Mana Potion] and a [Stamina Potion] couldnt cure, but she left the encounter with a horrible headache. The act brought the alchemists funds down to 49 gold, but that last link was worth it. Perhaps that would invite the shipwrights to work faster. Who knew what bonus theyd get?