The Newt and Demon - Book 8 Chapters 70,71,72

Chapter 70

System Reset

Tresk wasn't happy to give up her dream of writing about dinosaurs for the rest of her life, but there were other things they had to do. After the group had created the gongs for the four planets, Theo got an idea about synchronization. Currently, they were working well enough, but he recruited his two companions to help him ensure they were operating at the optimal frequency.

Theo was surprised to see that there were no improvements that could be made to any of the gongs. Indeed, as promised, the planets had tuned them perfectly, forcing each of the celestial bodies to act as massive tuning forks that resonated just the right way at just the right time to store and release energy in measured doses. The alchemist checked and double-checked the readings his senses gave him before deciding that everything was just right.

"Well, I suppose I'm off to meet the system," Theo said, sending his thoughts into the Tara’hek itself. "And did you guys want to come along?"  

"I'd rather jump into a pit filled with ticks," Trask said. "Good day, sir."

Suppressing a shiver, Theo folded the void in on itself and soon arrived in the snowy landscape that the system called home. He climbed the steps and stood on the platform, looking at the individual spots where the new gods typically occupied. They were busy right now, training to fend off the attacks that would come the moment they removed the temporal barrier. It didn't take long for the system herself to spring up in the center. This time, she didn't have the manic look on her face or the tone of somebody ready to break.

"An auspicious guest for a hallowed place," the system said, regarding Theo with the cold indifference of an expressionless face. "I feel your efforts in stabilizing the sector deserve some kind of reward.  

"I'll take power in the form of attributes or celestial energy," Theo said.  

The system actually released a half-hearted chuckle. "Good try. I was thinking of giving you the honor of a certain button. Would you like to see it?"  

"Well, I love buttons. Let me see it." 

A system message appeared in Theo’s vision, and his mouth fell open.

[Initiate System Reset]

Time Until System Destabilization: 25 days (local).

Reboot Time: 50 years (local).

Would you like to initiate the system reset? Doing so will place the local system into stasis and remove the local temporal barrier? This action cannot be reversed.

CONFIRM?

Theo read the message several times. He thought they had bought the sector a few days, but instead it now claimed they had an additional 25 days to wrap everything up before the system reset. The local sector would also go into a lockdown for 50 years before it could be completed. More importantly than both of those things was that the system had presented the prompt to him. It wanted the alchemist to initiate the reset.

"I'm thinking this is a greater honor than you're letting on," Theo said, looking at the message for a long time before dismissing it. Just to be sure he still had access to it, he summoned it again and shook his head. "You should probably hand this to somebody who's more responsible.”

“But I don't want to give it to somebody who's more responsible. I want to give it to you. Because of all the people in charge of defending this place or making it better, you and your companions have done the most."

Nothing made Theo want to crawl into a hole and die more than praise. He worked a lot better when people were doubting his abilities, not celebrating them. Looking back on the things that he had accomplished since coming to his new home, he knew that most of them were due to the interaction of others. He'd done his best, but in reality, his arrival in Broken Tusk was a catalyst. He figured they would have risen to greatness with or without him.

"Thanks for this great honor," Theo said, bowing his head slightly. "And I apologize. I'm not used to people interacting with me on a level playing field. Everyone has an agenda."

“You may confirm at any moment. When you do, all mortal souls from the mortal plane will be collected and sent to Death's Gate. There, they will await reincarnation when the cooldown period is done. You do not need to give me a warning before you press the button.”

“And what about my plan to scoop up an entire region?” Theo asked. “Do we have any problems with that?”

The system gestured to the empty spots where the gods should’ve been standing. “They’re busy. So, they can’t object.”

“Hot damn. Okay, this is some really good news,” Theo said. “In my position as Dreamwalker, and as a representative of the remaining Throne Holders, I have to ask if you need anything else. I know we’re weaker with Fenian gone, I just can’t find him, but we can still get stuff done.”

“He’s in Death’s Gate,” the system said.

Theo felt his heart increase pace. A cold realization washed over him. “Oh, crap. Wait, what?”

“He took advantage of Death’s distraction and plunged inside,” the system said. “The time dilation within is rather powerful, since the spirits don’t experience time the same way we do. They hardly notice, but for him, a few hundred years have passed.”

Theo took in a deep breath and let it out. The Throne of the Herald was unguarded. The man who was meant to sit atop it was currently adventuring in Death's Gate. The problem was that the alchemist didn't understand exactly what that meant. It was hard to know what life was like in there. The one thing he was certain of was the elf's purpose for plunging into something so dangerous. He was after his wife. It all made sense now. Ever since she died at the hands of Karasan, he had been on a path for revenge. The last part of his plan was to retrieve his wife's soul and get her a new body.

“And I can’t do a damn thing about that,” Theo said, whipping his tail back and forth. “What are his chances for survival?”

“He’ll make it out unharmed,” the system said. “I say that, not because it is easy to survive in Death’s Gate, but because he is Fenian.”

Of all the things Theo could do in response, rushing to Fenian's aid wasn't the right move. Perhaps he could use his assertively powerful willpower to make it to the man. But without knowledge of the inner workings of the gate, it was just as likely that he would get stuck or killed within. The best thing he could do was ensure that the herald's throne was protected and pave a path for whenever Fenian returned.

“This is good information,” Theo said, his thoughts gathering for his next steps. “I’ll head out… I need to go to Erradon.”

“A wise decision.”

Theo didn’t need to light the beacon for Tresk and Alex. They were getting decent with the void technique, and arrived at the same place and time as him. Calet, the sprawling landscape of snow and ice, stretched before him. The winds didn’t blow with as much snow as they did on Iardein, but it was still cold enough to cause Tresk to shiver. The group didn’t say a word as they stood there, all their thoughts flooding into the Tara’hek to form a plan.

“Yep,” Theo said, reaching the same conclusion as the others. “We need to defend the throne.”

Tresk withdrew some bars of mystery metal from her Dimensional Storage Bag. A wide smile painted her face. “I’ve been holding onto these for a while.”

The problem with defending Fenian’s throne was that they were forced to move it to Erradon some time ago. When the planet was empty, that wasn’t a problem. But the Throne of the Herald carried with it a piece of the Herald’s Realm, which was the source of their authority. That authority had to be transferred to the planet, making it a more complete thing. Fenian had then shaped his throne room into… An evil castle in the tundra. Of course he had.

The group trudged through the snow, looking and finding absolutely no defenses on the outer area of the castle. The landscape might’ve been hostile enough to deter regular people from approaching, but anyone with enough power or determination could break their way through. Freezing on the spot, the alchemist erected a barrier around him and his companions. Above, forming in an instant, fell a fireball the size of a small town. It crashed against the shield, casting embers to the ground below that melted feet of snow in an instant.

“Halt, ya bastards!” a voice called from up above. “Drop your weapons and kiss your asses goodbye!”

Theo offered a heavy shrug. “We’re unarmed. And the dragon can’t drop her claws.”

“Guess what? Another fireball!” the man called down.

Theo narrowed his eyes, trying to get a good look at him. Somehow, he pushed Tresk’s urge to stab the guy in the face away. They hadn’t expected a defender for the Throne, but there he was. This was exactly what they wanted to happen, so there was no need to take hostile action. But the alchemist still needed a word with the mysteriously powerful guy. The second fireball fell, twice as powerful as the last.

“He cracked my barrier,” Theo said, looking up in indignation. “I stopped a city with this barrier.”

“Come on. Just one stab,” Tresk said, jumping up and down. “It’ll be clean.”

Theo shook his head. He fought against the authority of the Herald, folding space and interdicting himself and the group into the castle. He placed Alex and Tresk in the courtyard below, and appeared behind the elven defender. With long, brown hair and simple-looking robes, the man waved a wooden stick around that radiated magical power.

The elf spun, a look of shock on his face since Theo had appeared directly behind him without fanfare. “Hey, those were some pretty powerful barriers I put up. How’d ya get through?”

“Void folding,” Theo said. “I’m the Dreamwalker, and that’s the Dreamer. We’re holders of Thrones of Power. Why are you, a Warrior of the Shard, guarding Fenian’s throne?”

“Oh, damn,” the man said, nodding as a massive smile spread across his features. “You’re good! That cat-dude said the other throne peoples were smart, but you’re quick, too. Anyway, I’m Zephyr. Archmage and whatever. See, I thought you were baddies.”

“Can I stab him!?” Tresk shouted from below.

“No! You cannot stab him!” Theo shouted down. “Check the throne.”

“Yes, sir!”

Theo cleared his throat. “Khahar put you up to this?”

“Meya gave the order,” Zephyr said. “What was your name?”

“Theo. That’s Tresk, and the dragon is Alex,” Theo said. “Meya is your leader, right? So, she knew Fenian would go for Death’s Gate?”

“I dunno,” Zephyr said, looking around. “I’m out here living my life in Calet while the others take care of the gods. Don’t ask me nothin’ about their plans, because I don’t know.”

“Your orders were to defend the throne, and that’s it?” Theo asked. “Well, they certainly picked the right man. That was some high-level magic.”

“You like?” Zephyr asked, wiggling his eyebrows. “Years of practice. So… are you gonna kill me?”

Theo sighed, looking down at Tresk below. She had her daggers out, ready for some serious stabbing. “No. We’re going to help you reinforce this place.”

“Oh, cool. Got some guns?” Zephyr asked.

“You really are from old Earth, aren’t you?”

“Old Earth? Do we have a new one?” Zephyr asked.

“Come on. I need to craft a few golems to help you out,” Theo said. “Without a parameter, you’ll have trouble defending this place.”

“Neat. So, what news from the outside world?” Zephyr asked. “Did we win the war?”

“Yeah, you’re winning,” Theo said. “Just be ready. You’re going on another adventure pretty soon.”

“Cool. Where to?”

“No idea.”

Chapter 71

Unobtinium

Planning the defense of a location that wasn’t connected to a town core was difficult. Theo went through the various approaches and determined his plan before even considering constructing a golem. The golems would play a small part in the defense of the fortress, but shaping the surrounding terrain into something more easily defensible would have a higher impact. That meant it was wise to start working with his Earth Sorcerer’s Core first, but the metal Tresk had brought was too tempting not to work with.

“Where did you even find this stuff?” Theo asked, looking down at a bar of the material. Even without asking, he could tell it was some alloy of Drogramathi Iron and something else.

“Oh, you know I have my sources,” Tresk said, trying to act as mysterious as possible. But she was actually quite bad at keeping secrets. “Dad made it for me.”

Theo shook his head, feeling the weight of the bar in his hand. Tresk had a lot of it, which meant they could make a lot of golems, or one really big one. The metal itself was like the other Drogramathi Iron alloys, and it didn’t take long to figure out what the second metal was. The alchemist was under the impression that Drogramathi Iron wouldn’t play well with Mythril, but the strands of bright silver that ran through the bar gave it away even without him inspecting it.

It wasn’t as though combining the two metals was impossible, he just didn’t think anyone in town had the skill. Theo summoned the system description of the item.

[Unobtinium]

[Metal Ingot]

Legendary

Quality: Perfect

An alloy of mythril and drogramathi iron. The skill required to produce this ingot is other-worldly. The name? Not so much.

“I feel bad for Azrug,” Theo said, shaking his head.  

“And why is that?” Tresk asked, knowing full well what he was about to say.  

“That is easily the stupidest name I’ve ever seen. Unobtinium? Like, did you mean ‘unobtainium?” Who comes up with a name like that?” 

“What?” Tresk asked, inspecting the item. “Ah, crap! Ya messed up, Azrug! I clearly said ‘Unobtainium.’”

“Too late now,” Theo said. “Anyway, wanna see how far we can push my golem-making?”

“Yeah, let’s ignore my huge mistake and move on and never talk about it again. Please and thank you.”

If Theo was honest with himself, he would admit that he wasn’t the best golem maker in the world. He wasn’t even kind of good and had basically faked his way through almost everything to get to where he was. He understood the general concept, but when it came to the art of creating golems, he was an amateur. Each Golem he had constructed so far was made from the very simple concept of a containment core, monster core, power source, and a construction medium. When they came to metal golems, they also required something with the fire element to keep them running for a long time. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be able to reform themselves after damage.

“What’s the highest level Monster Core you can find?” Theo asked, tapping his chin. “And how much of this stuff do you have?”

Tresk dumped the contents of her inventory on the ground. The pile of ingots was high, numbering somewhere in the hundreds. He was completely unsure where she had gotten her hands on so much material, but he wouldn’t question it. She looked at him with glittering eyes, rubbing her hands together.

“Okay, when you ask me how high, is that a challenge?”

“Yes, that actually is. I want to see how far I can push my willpower with golem construction. So, go wild.”

Throwing her head back, Tresk cackled. Twin daggers appeared in her hands and then she was gone. Zephyr, who had been watching from the battlements above, poked his head over and regarded the alchemist with a lazy expression.

“Is that normal?”

“Very,” Theo said. “With any luck, she’ll come back with a Level 1000 Monster Core.”

“No idea what that is,” Zephyr said, assuming his reclined position yet again.

While Theo waited for Tresk to return with a ridiculously high-level monster core, he slotted his Earth Sorcerer’s Core in his chest and assessed the surrounding environment. A lot of the tundra was ice, but underneath that ice was a thick layer of rock that he could use to create his castles. He walked out through the main gate and surveyed for only a minute before injecting his willpower into the landscape. Town-sized chunks of rock rose into the air and were unceremoniously thrown far into the distance. Zephyr made a shriek of surprise from the battlements above and, from that point on, watched as the alchemist did his work.

Theo created concentric rings of trenches and leveled all the nearby hills and mountains until, for miles around, it was flat ground. That would give Zephyr the line of sight he needed to destroy any attacking force at the bottom of each chasm. The alchemist placed wicked spikes that shot up from the ground and intended to dispatch anybody who was hapless enough to fall within. The one thing he couldn’t account for was the skies above. Any flying enemy would easily get over, just as Alex was currently demonstrating. But he could only prepare for conventional war and would have to rely on the powerful mage to take care of anything else.

“Wow, I would have paid good money to have you back in the day,” Zephyr said, finally removing himself from his perch and coming down to inspect the overwrought defenses. “You could have had any of the major cities defended in an afternoon.”

“I heard you guys had it rough back in the day,” Theo said, adjusting the bridges he had created to go over the pits. He didn’t just want to leave an entire section of rock there. Collapsible bridges had become a favorite defensive strategy.

“Oh, it wasn’t all bad,” Zephyr said with a shrug. “As long as you weren’t involved in the politics of it, it was pretty fun. We had decent control of the monster waves, and we got to use some interesting tactics.”

“Like what?” Theo asked, cocking his head to the side.

“We always conducted the fights and phases. Typically, we knew where the monster waves were going to come from, and Elrin eventually figured out how to tell which monsters were going to be in that wave. We would employ hit-and-run tactics at first. We had a whole team of people dragging cannons around the countryside and firing on the forces as they moved. The orcs were the easiest because they had the longest walk.” Zephyr paused as though to remember a fond memory. “I got to work with Princess Dilya, who was one hell of a mage. She taught me a lot about spellcraft, so I owe her a lot.”

“How big were your forces?”

“Depends,” Zephyr said. “The Assault of Perisart was pretty tame. I can’t remember, but we had to whittle down something like thirty-thousand orcs. They had a week-long walk from the Strait of Calet, and we hammered them every step of the way. I’m talking about cavalry charges, explosives planted in the ground, cannons wheeled on carts, and light skirmishes in open fields. The Warriors numbered about five-thousand then, but we had irregulars reinforcing us from the cults, and some random guilds out of Hallben.”

“Casualties?”

Zephyr laughed at that, patting Theo on the shoulder. “A few hundred, if you can believe it. Our commanders took no chances, and by the time we backed up to the Forest of Perisart, we had a series of walls to hide behind. I can still smell the gunpowder from the mounted cannons… You ever see a Chimeric Aberration take a shot to the face?”

“Can’t say that I have.”

“Now that is a thing of glory, my friend.” Zephyr let out a wistful sigh. “Anyway, group magic was pretty important. Princess Dilya led a cadre of mages that summoned powerful spells from the sky. We watched hundreds of those orcs perish in single casting. Now here I am. All alone with my silly fireballs. Fire isn’t even my specialty!”

“You could have fooled me,” Theo said. “You actually cracked my barrier. I can’t imagine much getting through your defenses, but I like being cautious.”

“Hell yeah, dude. Well, look at that. Your little goblin friend is back, and she looks extremely pleased,” Zephyr said, pointing into the distance. “Think she found what she was looking for?”

“Yep. She found a Level 500 Monster Core in a negative dungeon,” Theo said, setting his jaw. “I’m not sure if I can handle that.”

“You said to bring the biggest one I could find!” Tresk shouted, pumping her fist in the air. “And I got the big daddy of all Monster Cores!”

Truth was such a high-level monster core might be dangerous, and the alchemist wasn’t sure if he could work with it. His willpower would help him construct it, but after that, how would it be controlled? He fell into his thoughts, working through every scenario until something popped into his mind. A lodestone carrying a wisp of his power was good, but what if he were to imbue that lodestone directly into the monster? He could flood it with all his willpower and hope for the best. Eventually, he shook his head and accepted the absurdly high-level monster core from Tresk.

“Let me get to work. My instincts tell me I’m going to need almost all of the ingots you brought me,” he said.

“All of them?” Tresk asked. “I mean, is it going to make a gigantic golem?”

“Yes, it is.” 

Theo had the materials in his inventory to create the golem. He just hoped the containment core could handle the monster core and got to work. It accepted everything with ease, thanks to his infusion of high willpower. Even the monster core slotted into the containment core without any problems, resting in there as though it had belonged to him for a long time. When everything was in order, he stood back, looking around to ensure there was enough space so he didn’t set the castle on fire.

The moment Theo added the Fire Construct to the arrangement, the golem burst into flames. With impossible heat, the metal all melted together, surrounding the containment core with frightening speed. The creature drew itself up, taking on the form of a bipedal humanoid glowing with a red-white light. That human shape didn’t remain for long, though. It began twisting as molten metal formed into an altogether unfamiliar shape.

“This process is taking longer than normal,” Theo said, shielding his eyes from the light. “I added something special, so… Yeah, let’s take cover.”

Tresk didn’t need to be told twice. She dashed off far into the distance before Theo had even finished his sentence. Zephyr needed a little more encouragement, so the alchemist grabbed him by the arm and ran. Only when they were behind the main wall of the castle did he stop listening and feeling for aberrant magical energies. A few minutes later, a pulse shot out from the courtyard, rumbling the walls hard enough to shake mortar loose from between the stones.

“That was a good boom, right?” Zephyr asked, throwing his head back in laughter. “Oh, man. This reminds me of the good old days.”

“I’m glad you’re having fun, but the highest Monster Core I’ve ever used was Level 30,” Theo said. “That made a Greater Golem, so I can only imagine what this creates.”

The sound of groaning metal issued from within the courtyard. Theo cocked his head to one side, trying to figure out what was going on by sound alone. He eventually got too curious, and stuck his head around the corner.

“Well, that’s more impressive than expected,” Theo said. “I suppose I should’ve expected the unexpected.”

Chapter 72

Golem Hives

The resulting golem looked nothing like Theo had expected. The golem had remained in a humanoid form for only a few moments before shifting. It had instead taken on the shape of a large metallic cone, with the lodestone the alchemist had embedded inside resting on the top. He took a few tentative steps through the main gate and did his best to determine if the machine would either explode or lash out at him at any moment. When nothing happened, he came closer, running his hands over the surface and looking up at the 20-foot height of his creation.

"What is that?" Zephyr asked, getting closer and tilting his head from side to side as though a new angle would give him new insights. "Did you make a building? I thought you were making a golem to help me defend this place."

The Golem rumbled. A fire was visible within the structure itself. There were gaps here and there, but Theo couldn't make out anything that was happening inside. He could only see the light.  

"I was trying to make a Golem, but this is something different," he said, pressing his hands against the warm surface again and summoning the system message.

[Celestial Metal Golem Hive]

[Alchemy Construct]

Level 500

Golem Hives function as production and control points for golems. The hive may produce and control a number of golems based on the imbued willpower of the creator. Created golems may be constructed from any metal material.

Containment Core: [Alchemically Treated Azrugium Cage]

Medium: Unobtinium

Alchemy Slates: [Evolved Mana Construct]

Power System: [Atmospheric Siphoning (adaptive)]

Siphon System: Adaptive Native Siphoning

Additional Modifications: [Fire Construct], [Hive System], [Signaling Lodestone]

Theo stood dumbstruck as he read and reread the description of the golem he had created. There was too much information to process at once. The most important thing to note was that it had changed itself to be something entirely new instead of being a regular golem. It had become a hive that was cause for concern, but the prefix on the name was even more concerning. It was "celestial." Seeing as the most advanced golem he had crafted so far was a Greater Golem, this was a big deal.

"It evolved the mana system I gave it," Theo said, scratching his head. "I didn't know it could do that. Creating the mana siphoning system is a pain in the ass, so we typically don't do it."

"Sounds like a good thing to me," Zephyr said, having obviously inspected the golem. "It says here it can make little baby golems. That's pretty cool. You guys got a big pile of metal I can borrow?”

"I think it's drawing from some reserve metal inside it, but yeah, I've got a whole stack of ingots it can use."

The alchemist dug through his inventory and took whatever metal he had been holding onto. He found a spot on the hive that was clearly made to accept ingots and tossed everything inside. That caused the hive to seethe with magical flames. Tresk was somewhere nearby, watching from behind something solid as the hive did its work. Theo observed everything the hive did, making note of the magical and physical forces going on within. He was certain. It was making a golem.

“Make some space,” Theo said, gesturing to the front of the hive. The metal was parting, making way for a fresh golem.

Lumbering from within, a golem stumbled out into the courtyard of the castle. It was a lot bigger than Theo had expected, coming in at half the height of the hive itself. He approached it without fear, placing his hand on the newly created golem and inspecting it.

[Celestial Alloy Golem Soldier]

[Alchemy Construct]

Level 250

Metal golems are excellent at combat. Hive Soldiers are bound to their hive and are able to operate in an area around the hive based on the associated willpower. When low on power, or too damaged to operate, this golem will return to the hive for maintenance.

Containment Core: [Alchemically Treated Drogramathi Iron Cage]

Linked Hive: Unnamed Hive 01

Status: Awaiting Orders

Even at half the level of the Hive, this soldier golem would be a force to be reckoned with. Theo read through the description, noting the differences between normal golems and it. There was no mention of a power system or other modifications. It simply declared that it was linked to the Hive and that it was awaiting orders. The alchemist reached out to the Hive itself, imparting something of a series of instructions. He wanted the Hive to manage the area in a defensive capacity. He didn't want to have to give it a series of finite instructions, instead preferring that the Hive make the decisions for him. Were his suspicions true? The golem, which had just been created, stood at attention for a moment and then lumbered towards the main gate. The high level of the Hive itself meant that it could make rational decisions on its own, perhaps bordering on some kind of sentience.

“You thinking what I’m thinking?” Tresk asked, coming up alongside Theo and slapping his butt.

“Yep. Golem army,” Theo said with a nod. “Infinite golem army, if we set it up right.”

“You two planning to take over the world?” Zephyr asked with a nervous chuckle. “I think that goes against my orders.”

“Nah, we already have two worlds. Don’t need another,” Tresk said. “What we do need is a way to make up for Fenian’s lacking presence. Homie just ups and leaves, so now we have to replicate his combat prowess.”

Theo looked back to the hive, almost feeling a sense of recognition from it. “Think you can do it?” he asked, imparting some of his will on the hive. He felt it send back a confirmation. “I asked the hive to produce various troops, not just the big lumbering golem-style ones.”

"Oh sweet, my platonic life partner is talking to a chunk of sentient metal," Tresk said. "Sounds like a light novel title."

"At least it isn't sapient," Theo said. "It's more like some kind of artificial intelligence. I don't really know how far it goes, but this would be very interesting to experiment with. I didn't even expect the hive to appear, but I think it can work on a versatile number of platforms for the resulting golems."

"Yeah, but what if it becomes sapient?" Zephyr asked. "I feel like you're the kind of guy who doesn't think before he does stuff. You need to consider the implications. Does this thing have a finite power source? I know it has a finite amount of resources, but is it possible this thing could go off on its own and find metal to self-replicate infinitely?"

At that moment, Theo realized that Zephyr was a man who had seen war. He was a member of the Warriors of the Shard and had fought Kuzan back in the day. This revealed that during Elrin's time, they dealt with world-ending scenarios such as this. The one thing that set this apart was that Theo's will over the hive was absolute. The hive couldn't do anything that was outside of his willpower, which was, in a way, a reflection of the alchemist himself. He thought of it mostly like a copy of his desires and motives, but it was still something important to consider before creating an infinite army of golems.

Theo slipped his will into the hive yet again, setting definite restrictions.

“Those are valid concerns,” Theo said. “I’m putting… what would you call it? Rules. I’m putting rules into the hive that I doubt it can disobey.”

“Good idea,” Zephyr said with a wink. “As much as I love the Terminator movies, I’d rather not see them become reality.”

The group watched as the hive produced 10 soldiers over an hour. They varied in size and function, ranging from the hulking form of regular golems to ones that were far more delicate. Each one had a role in combat, from scouts to guards, but they were all similarly linked to the hive through a strand of willpower. The smile that spread across Zephyr's face when the hive plunged metal tendrils into the ground was annoying, but Theo had to recognize the man's foresight.  

"It's going underground to find metal," Theo explained, "which means you were 100% correct, Zephyr."

"I know I am. You don't have to blow smoke up my ass about it. The checks you put in that thing will prevent it from replicating infinitely, right?"

Theo nodded. "I gave it a maximum number of golems and a range in which it could operate. It can only do actions that help it defend this location. If it goes outside of that protocol, it's supposed to recycle the soldiers it has created. And most importantly, notify me."

Tresk clapped her hands together, gaining the attention of the others. "So what applications are we thinking of? A general defense force for remote locations or a primary fighting force on the mortal plane? Come on, I want ideas.”

Theo cupped his chin, thinking about the best use for this thing. Tresk was right on the money when she said it would be best used to defend remote locations. In a place like Broken Tusk, they wouldn't need an army of golems. Well, they already had an army of golems and the incidences of attacks had reduced to almost zero. Instead, he wanted to put one in each throne room, including the one in Khahak.

“I want one in every throne room,” Theo said. “And any other remote location we’ll need to defend.”

Tresk scratched her chin as she thought. “What about Leon’s place?”

“I don’t think so,” Theo said. “Something tells me he won’t appreciate these things.”

“Speaking of… How strong are they?” Tresk asked.

Theo sent a mental signal to the hive. One golem, the smaller and faster ones, turned to Tresk and raised its bladed arms. “You can kill it, but it won’t kill you. Have at it, ya little murder goblin.”

Tresk screamed with glee. “Thanks, Dad!”

Testing the strength of the spawned golems was important. Of course, Theo wanted to know how strong a level 250 golem was compared to Tresk's own strength. The fight went about as he expected. If the marshaling fought at a fraction of her power, it stood a chance. But she was simply too fast and strong for it. Unlike the instructions he had given her, she didn't kill it outright. Instead, she seemed to be teaching it how to fight properly. The pair clashed, jumping through the air and causing a shower of sparks to land on the icy ground below.

Theo had trouble not appreciating the aptitude of the golem. It was far better than the ones he had created before, especially the ones he had made for combat. Those old model golems were really only good at apprehending very slow things. This one performed a dance of death that would put most adventurers at Level 100 to shame. It was hard to imagine a living mortal who could stand toe-to-toe with this thing. Which made Zephyr’s warning real in the alchemist’s mind.

“I feel safer already,” Zephyr said. “Wait, do I even need to stay?”

“Can you disobey Meya’s orders?” Theo asked with a wink.

“Nope, she’ll kill me. I’m just bored. And lonely,” Zephyr said.

“Now you have some metal friends to play with,” Theo said, patting the man on the back. “Cheer up. Gives you lots of time to practice your Celestial Cultivation.”

“I’m not even gonna ask why you know that phrase,” Zephyr said. “But I guess this means I can head to town for supplies.”

“Assuming there’s a town to head to. I know this place looks like the old Iaredin, but it is mostly on fire.” Theo shrugged. He couldn’t think of any place on the planet that wasn’t war-torn.

“Then I can go fishing,” Zephyr said. “Somewhere sunny. Like Yoh’til.”

Theo nodded in agreement. “If you can teleport, I’d say go for it. So long as you can keep an eye on this place.”

“Come on. What mage worth their weight can’t cast a simple detection spell? Although, I’ll have to configure it to ignore a bunch of Level 250 golems… Hmmm…”

Theo smiled, dragging his gaze back to Tresk and her fight. His smile turned to a frown when the Metal Golem twisted in the air, pushing off against nothing and almost catching the marshling in the chest.

“What do we do with our problems, Zephyr?” Theo nodded toward the man. “That’s right. We ignore them.”