Theo woke the next day feeling refreshed. He was up well before dawn, and his stamina bar was full once again. It was impossible to tell how many hours it would be before dawn, and he didn’t even know if his new world worked on a 24-hour day. He considered the differences in the world he’d already discovered. It was impossible to shake the feeling that things were so similar. Whatever system deposited him in this spot knew exactly what he needed to be happy, and he was grateful.

As he blinked the sleep away, he heard something out in the lab, his heart immediately hammering hard in his chest. Theo padded across the room, pressing himself against the wall and peeking around the corner. He didn’t want to take any chances. A small pink form came into view, clad in the same black cloak he remembered from yesterday. Tresk sniffed the air, turning to meet his gaze. She toddled across the lab, coming to peek around the corner as the alchemist stood, trying not to laugh.

“Hire me, alchemist,” Tresk said, a burning intensity behind her eyes.

“I don’t need an adventurer,” Theo said, smiling.

The pair were nose-to-nose at the threshold. Tresk smelled like flowers, similar to the reaction of a [Lesser Healing Potion]. Theo simply drank the situation in.

“I can help,” Tresk insisted.

Theo considered his options before responding. Broken Tusk’s fear that he would take an outsider under his wing came to mind, and he didn’t want to offend the people of his new home. There was the problem that Throk, Tresk’s father, would get involved in the situation. But he didn’t need to hire her as an adventurer—he didn’t even need the services of an adventurer, yet. What he needed was someone who could climb trees and collect reagents.

He had to consider actually paying her, as well. He couldn’t offer her any kind of salary yet. The 50 copper that he got from the adventurers would dwindle quickly if he didn’t make inroads to selling more potions. But there was the problem. He needed materials to make potions. Every moment he spent out in the field was a moment he wasn’t crafting potions. It came down to this need that he decided ‌to hire the cute Marshling. How long Luras would continue to work alongside him was unknown, and he didn’t want to force the Half-Ogre to work for him forever. People often had their own aspirations.

“You can collect reagents?” Theo asked. “I expect hard work from my employees.”

“You don’t have any employees,” Tresk said, grinning.

“Not yet, but when I have them, I want them to work as hard as I do,” Theo said.

Tresk giggled at that. She shook her head, the feathery pink things on the side of her head flopping with the motion. “I don’t want any pay, but I’ll work hard.”

“I have to pay you,” Theo said, frowning. “Luras has a stake in our current contract, but I can pay for the materials you gather. I can give you a copper coin for every 10 potions for this contract, then we can renegotiate.”

“I don’t care,” Tresk said, finally leaving the doorway and entering the bedroom. Theo watched as she eyed up the room, nodding to the corner opposite his bed. “I need a place to stay.”

“You want to live in an alchemy lab?” Theo asked.

“Yeah. Father is going to kick me out when he hears you hired me,” Tresk said with a shrug.

“I don’t want to strain my relationship with anyone,” Theo said.

“He’ll be mad at me, not you. And he’ll get over it. I’m 20 years old—old enough to leave the nest by Marshling standards,” Tresk said. “Now, hire me, alchemist.”

“Done. Luras will be here soon, and we can discuss our plans,” Theo said. “We’ll get you a more agreeable sleeping arrangement when we can.”

“The floor is fine,” Tresk said.

Theo sighed and shrugged, leaving the bedroom with the Marshling close on his heels. The alchemist went around the room, lighting the candles until the sun rose. He realized that he didn’t know what they ate, and if she would find Zee offensive, but he started preparation anyway. Piles of useful stuff littered the edges of the lab, still without a permanent location. There was a tea set among the junk. He set about making a small fire and tossing the cast-iron kettle on filled with [Purified Water], waiting for it to come to a boil. With his knife, he cut small pieces of the [Zee Kernel] and set it on the flames just like Luras did.

Tresk watched intently the entire time, hovering behind him and making surprised sounds with every motion. Theo laughed it off, cutting a small portion of the [Moss Nettle] to steep in the boiling pot. The pair sat down next to the fire, digging the sliced kernels out of the coals and eating in silence. After a while, the tea was ready, filling the room with the scent of citrus. Theo poured two cups and tested his own, noting the subtle orange flavors and sudden rush of energy. It wasn’t coffee, but it would do for now.

“What is your world like?” Tresk asked, sipping her tea.

“It was dying before it was ‌destroyed,” Theo said. To his surprise, he finished his entire slice of [Zee Kernel]. It was incredibly filling, but the busy day yesterday left him feeling drained.

“Bummer,” Tresk said. “Do you have Marshlings there?”

“Nope, just Humans,” Theo said.

“That’s boring,” Tresk snorted.

“It had its moments,” Theo said.

“What did you do?”

Theo kept those thoughts internalized as much as he could. If he had to define himself in the other world, the word “assassin” came to mind. “Death squad” and “murderer” also came to the fore, a fact that sent a shiver up his spine. He watched the fire that burned behind the Marshling’s ruby-colored eyes. Her question came‌ honestly, not a prodding thing meant to make him relive those times. He could tell she didn’t mean to crack him open, revealing those dark things. He also couldn’t bring himself to lie to someone like her, innocent as she was.

“I was an assassin,” he said, favoring the most glamorous definition of his profession.

Tresk tilted her head, looking him up and down. She grabbed at his arms, almost able to wrap her tiny hands around his stick-thin biceps. “You? Assassin? You look like a [Clerk] more than anything.”

Theo burst out laughing, clutching at his sides as Tresk nervously joined with a chuckle. “That wasn’t the reaction I was expecting. Assassins aren’t seen favorably in my old world.”

Tresk shrugged. “Not so much here. You could call me an assassin—well, maybe one day. I have [Rogue] cores now, but I could be an assassin one day.”

“Then we’re going to get along well,” Theo said, grinning.

Tresk grinned, suddenly busying herself with the tea. Theo watched her reactions and wondered if she had any romantic intent. He only just met her, but had absolutely no interest in dating anyone in this new world. His life on Earth was a series of disastrous relationships that he sabotaged repeatedly. The door swung open, Luras leading with a lantern and sighing.

“I knew you’d be here,” he said.

“I need work,” Tresk said, hissing.

“I know. This was bound to happen, but your father won’t be happy,” Luras said.

“He’ll get over it,” Tresk said.

Luras crossed the room, setting down his lantern and sitting near the pair. He cut himself a piece of the Zee and started roasting it. “You made some tea?”

“Help yourself,” Theo said, gesturing to the pot.

Luras busied himself with the tea, removing something from his satchel and adding it to the liquid. He sipped it and let out a heavy sigh, casting his gaze to the ceiling. “Of course, your tea would be the best I’ve ever had. You’re an alchemist.”

Theo hadn’t thought about it before, but his alchemy core might influence the brewing of teas. It wasn’t exactly alchemy, but perhaps it was close enough. The trio sat for some time, mostly in silence, only exchanging the occasional word. When pale orange light flooded through the windows, the silence was broken entirely. The day started.

“As your minder, I need to ask your new hireling a question,” Luras said, staring Tresk down.

“Mind your own business, Ogre,” Tresk growled. “I’m trying to get to know him before I decide.”

“You plan on performing the Tara’hek, don’t you?” Luras asked. “You knew at first sight.”

Theo felt at a loss for words. He didn’t know what a Tara’hek was, and he was afraid to ask. The way the pair were staring at each other told him that it was something serious, but he was afraid to inquire. After a tense moment of staring, he broke the silence. “What’s that?”

“It’s a bonding ritual,” Luras said. Tresk flushed a deep shade of violet.

“What? You want to get married?” Theo asked with a chuckle.

“It’s not marriage!” Tresk shouted, returning her attention to her tea.

“The Marshlings perform a Tara’hek with someone who isn’t a Marshling for a lifetime bond. It has no romantic involvement. They can sense when someone, who isn’t a Marshling, would make a perfect life-partner,” Luras explained. “It’s a practical bond that improves the fortune of both parties.”

“That doesn’t sound bad,” Theo said. “I mean, I don’t expect you to work as an herb gatherer forever, Luras.”

“And I have no intention of doing so. I’m helping you get off the ground before I pursue other interests—interests you would be involved in‌,” Luras said. “But the bond isn’t something to take lightly.”

“I do not take it lightly!” Tresk shouted. “I have watched Theo from the moment he arrived. I know it is perfect.”

“Get to know each other before you take the plunge,” Luras said.

“That’s a good idea,” Theo said, smiling. “I think I just figured out what I’m going to name the lab, though.”

“What’s that?” Luras said, crossing his arms.

“The Newt and Demon,” Theo said.

Luras burst out laughing, slapping his hand against the ground. “Alright. This might be perfect.”

Tresk sat there, burying her face in her hands and shaking her head. Theo didn’t understand how serious being a Marshling’s life-partner was, but weighing the options it seemed like a decent idea. She could help with herb gathering, and one day delve into dungeons. He could only imagine what ingredients they could find in the swamp dungeon.

“She’s going to live here, so I guess that’s the first step,” Theo said.

“Yeah, Throk will kick her out for sure,” Luras said. “Right. How about we get down to business for the day?”

“Please!” Tresk pleaded.

Theo went to the table, bringing his tea along. The moss had a ‌powerful effect, and he was completely awake by the time he consulted his books. Tresk was a very studious person, taking notes as he explained her role in the collection of ingredients. She was tasked with the collection of the [Spiny Swamp Thistle Root], the easiest of the reagents to collect. The [Manashroom] was more difficult to collect, but nowhere near the level of difficulty as the moss. Tresk copied the drawings from the book onto a ream of parchment, noting the characteristics and nodding through the alchemist’s explanations.

“I’ve seen them before, but didn’t know they were alchemy ingredients,” Tresk said.

“That makes it easy,” Theo said, craning his neck to look outside the window.

The sun was up, the last vestiges of dawn giving way to a clear blue sky. Tresk departed first, hoisting a satchel over her shoulder and leaving the lab. Theo and Luras spent some time strategizing their collection effort. The [Manashroom] would be in a cave to the north, past the farmer’s fields. The Half-Ogre only remembered seeing them there because they glowed in the dark, illuminating the darkness with a pale blue glow.

“It’s an hour walk, but we’ll get more than we need from the cave,” Luras said.

“Let’s get to it,” Theo said.

The pair departed northward, stopping in the square to see if anything was going on that day. Miana burst from her home, spotting them through the window, but quickly retreated under Luras’ glare. They shared a laugh and continued on. Theo’s clothes were dirty, strewn with muck and smelling foul. It was another problem that he wanted to solve with alchemy, but his first plan to purify the water of the town had seen little use. The contract with the adventurers saw him chasing down useful reagents, unable to unfurl the purification plan completely. He would have to try dropping a unit of the [Purifying Essence] on his clothes when he got back to the lab. If everything else fell apart, he could start a laundromat.

Farmland passed on either side, and Theo regretted not making stamina potions. It wouldn’t drive away the need for sleep, but at least it could help the fatigue he felt in his muscles. Luras seemed at home while traveling, even when the dirt path disappeared and gave way to an open forest. Fortunately, it wasn’t a marsh like the lands to the west. The area was a dense pack of lowland trees, steep hills, and rocky terrain. It was easier to move through than the swamp, but had its challenges. They were attacked by several monsters, some kind of wolf, but Luras had no trouble putting them down.

They spotted the cave after an hour of mostly silent travel. The entrance was cut into the side of a stout hill, naturally formed in stone that appeared to be shale. It flaked off the edges of the yawning entrance, leaving messy piles on the ground.

“We’ll rest here for a moment,” Luras said, dropping his satchel and sitting on the rocky ground. “I was giving Tresk a hard time, but you should consider her for the Tara’hek. If you don’t have any plans for romance, it’s a good idea.”

Theo already planned on accepting, but his friend's words solidified the idea. The name he came up with was enough to give Tresk a stake in the lab, but having an adventurer as a partner was a very powerful reason. Some innate knowledge in his mind told him that alchemical finds in dungeons were valuable. It would give him the edge in the future, when his skill was renowned.

“If she likes me enough to do it, I’ll accept,” Theo said.

“Good. She’s a good person,” Luras said. “Rest is over. Let’s get some mushrooms.”

Theo would have been perfectly happy with a cave filled to the brim with snakes, wolves, or whatever other horror this world had to offer. He wasn’t happy with the fact that it was packed with the monster version of insects. Their strangely jointed limbs made him want to vomit. As the pair delved into the cave, they skittered along the ceiling and attacked. The monsters were no match for Luras’ prowess, easily falling to either his bow or his dagger, but the alchemist couldn’t stand to look at their corpses. He averted his gaze as they passed by the dead monsters, grimacing the entire way.

“Most people don’t like insectoid monsters,” Luras said with a shrug. “But the prize will be worth it.”

It didn’t take them long to see that promise come true. The cave was littered with the [Manashrooms]. They were scattered along the ground, emitting a faint light even after they were harvested. Theo inspected the first mushroom before continuing with his companion.

[Manashroom]

[Alchemy Ingredient]

Common

A mushroom emitting a pale blue glow.

Properties:

[Mana Recovery] ???? ????

“This is it,” Theo said, confirming what they already knew. “At least my book is accurate.”

“It’s going to have all the base level materials. Once you need more rare ingredients, it’s going to be trial and error.”

Luras worked them deeper into the cave, easily slaying the insects as they went. Theo hadn’t even thought about what level his friend was. He’d taken advantage of the Half-Ogres prowess for days without even thinking about it. With a thought to inspect the man, he reached out with his mind and received a pop-up that confirmed his suspicions.

[Luras Trinner]

Half-Ogre

[Ranger]

Level 12

“It’s considered rude to inspect people without their permission,” Luras said, turning to meet Theo’s gaze. The alchemist’s face went pale. “I don’t mind. Just a word of advice.”

“Sorry. I realized I didn’t even know what level you were,” Theo said with a sheepish smile. “I should have realized you were far more powerful than me.”

Luras grunted a response, pushing further into the cave. With the next mushroom harvested, Theo saw his first character level up. A screen similar to the one that appeared when he leveled his core popped up.

[Drogramath Herbalist Core] received experience (2%).

[Theo Spencer] received experience (2%).

[Theo Spencer] leveled up! Level 2.

[Theo Spencer] received one free point.

“I got a free point! What’s that?” Theo asked.

“You can put a point in any stat you want. I think your primary stat is [Wisdom],” Luras said.

Theo didn’t hesitate, mentally commanding his character sheet to appear and dumping the point into [Wisdom]. He looked over his sheet, noting that his [Wisdom] was extremely high compared to his other stats.

Belgar (Theo Spencer)

Drogramath Dronon

Level 2

Alchemist

Core Slots: 2

Stats:

Health: 40

Mana: 12

Stamina: 50

Strength: 5

Dexterity: 5

Vigor: 9 (+2)

Intelligence: 10 (+2)

Wisdom: 18 (+4)

Points: 0

Theo waved his noodle arms around for a moment, knitting his brow. “Should I put any points into [Strength]?”

“Not likely,” Luras said. “I don’t know many people around here who have their points into anything but [Strength] or [Dexterity]. Going outside of your focus isn’t a good idea.”

“I guess I need all this [Wisdom] to know what the hell to do with these ingredients,” Theo said.

Luras chuckled, fording deeper into the cavern. The journey into the cavern wasn’t as exhausting as climbing the trees. Theo just had to follow behind his friend and collect the mushrooms, but neither of them was interested in being outside of the town when dusk approached. By the alchemist’s judgment, they collected enough [Manashrooms] to make more than the 50 potions. They left the cave with bags glowing with the blue light bulging at the seams. The weight of their haul made the return journey more difficult.

The farmers were done in their fields, and the familiar sounds and smells of the swamp returned. While the area north of Broken Tusk had the advantage of northerly winds sweeping off the high mountains, the swamp was set low to sea level. The crickets sang, getting a head start on their nighttime routine, and townspeople chattered in the town square. The duo made their way back to the alchemy lab to deposit their goods, finding Tresk with an absurd amount of [Spiny Swamp Thistle Root], piled high on a table. Theo judged, with his alchemy ability, that there was enough root to make several hundred health potions.

“You’ve been busy,” Luras said, scoffing. “You don’t even have an herbalism skill.”

“It’s easy once someone tells you what to look for,” Tresk scoffed. “Also, I might have convinced my big brother to help me. Also, I’m homeless. Yay.”

“No, you’re not,” Theo said, unloading his [Manashrooms]. “You live at the Newt and Demon, now.”

“I like that name,” Tresk said, fiddling with her cloak.

The sun was getting low outside, dusk threatening to settle in over the town. Theo commanded his friends to join him at the Marsh Wolf for dinner, insisting on paying for everyone’s meal. To his surprise, they were serving a different ‌stew tonight. The wolf meat stew tasted exactly like the turtle meat stew, but he didn’t mind. They found a table near a window and ate their meal, sharing in light conversation until dusk hung over the town.

“I’m going to head out now that you have someone to haul you home,” Luras said.

“Alright. Stop by tomorrow, although I’ll just be distilling all day,” Theo said with a wave.

Luras left with a smile, leaving Theo and Tresk alone in the tavern. They ate in silence for some time, still feeling each other out. The arrangement that she was proposing was strange to him, but the idea grew on him by the second. Those long moments of silence stretched out, and he questioned why he hadn’t thought of such an arrangement before. He needed a companion to take partial ownership over the business. Theo couldn’t be everywhere at once. He’d need someone to run errands for him or help with the lab. It just made sense.

“Shall we?” Theo said, breaking the silence.

“Yes. I’m very tired—stamina is nearly gone entirely,” Tresk said, beaming.

The pair walked in time down the muddy street, the Marshling dragging her wide tail through the mud. She hummed a song as they went, skipping every so often. Whatever hopes she had for the future, Theo would help see them through. Just like every person in Broken Tusk that would benefit from the alchemy lab in their town, she’d get some piece of the fame. With the lab locked up, they brought a lantern into the bedroom to sort out new sleeping arrangements.

“The bare floor is fine,” Tresk insisted.

“Nonsense,” Theo said, scoffing. “There’s so much junk in here, there’s bound to be… Ah! There we are.”

Theo found a spare bedroll tucked away among a pile of junk. It sat under various linens and discarded flasks, stained from years of use but still comfortable. He cleared away the things cluttering the far end of the room and laid it out for her. It wouldn’t be a permanent place for sleeping, but it was good enough for now. The bed he slept on wasn’t much better than the floor. A straw-stuffed mattress wasn’t comfortable to sleep on, the wood slats underneath him pressing up at odd angles.

“We’ll do great things, Theo,” Tresk said. “Once I get to the point where I can go in the dungeon, you’ll see.”

“For now, I’m happy to have another pair of hands in the lab,” Theo said.

Tresk extinguished the flame as dusk set in, quickly giving way to night. She settled into her bedroll, curling up like a cat and casting him an excited look. He realized that this was likely her first time away from home. Pain mixed with excitement in his chest, the innocence of youth painted plainly on her face. There were still a lot of things he needed to understand about this world, but he understood something very clearly. He needed to protect his little pink Marshling.