The Third Realm

by Michael Chatfield

  Erik passed it back to Rugrat. There was nothing that they could do with it currently.

  “Well, don’t stay up too late. We’re heading to the Division Headquarters tomorrow.”

  Rugrat departed, with Erik returning to his room. He looked over his notifications. He had just been so busy since he left the trial he had not checked up on them.

  ==========

  Quest: Alchemist Association Trial

  ==========

  Congratulations! You have passed the third stage of the Alchemist Association.

  ==========

  Requirements:

  Complete Path of Alchemy trial

  ==========

  Rewards: Become alchemist candidate

  150,000 EXP

  ==========

  ==========

  912,717/1,055,000 EXP till you reach Level 31

  ==========

  Erik could only grimace. There was no increase in his Alchemy skill. It made sense, though; he had completed his concoction while inside the illusion formation so it was not real and it was not something that affected the Ten Realms, so it was not counted.

  With the growing array he had erected, although it had allowed him to raise powerful ingredients, even mutated ones, his ability was still lacking. It had met the level of a Journeyman alchemist; he had just done it using as many methods as possible to shock the moderators.

  The growing array, his knowledge of creating plant mutation—others might try to graft plants together or have one as a host to increase the speed or efficacy of the secondary product plant.

  His knowledge from the books was all very good and it helped him a lot, but again, he didn’t do anything physically with that information. He had done a test, yes, but the Ten Realms did not abide by tests one took.

  “Still, one hundred and fifty thousand Experience isn’t bad,” Erik said as he moved to his room to get a full night’s rest.

  Chapter: Alchemist Division Headquarters

  The next day, they all climbed aboard Old Hei’s flying beast. It was much larger and more powerful than the beast that had taken them from Khusai to Resam.

  There were other beasts that followed them as well, filled with guards who looked after Old Hei’s needs and protected him. Erik and the rest of the party were shocked. All of Old Hei’s guards and attendants were level forty or higher. Not only were they a high level, they wore armor and weapons of a high grade and they had a faint killing intent around them as they looked at others. These were men and women who had lived life-and-death and survived putting their enemies into the ground.

  Old Hei was akin to one of three emperors who ruled over the entire Third Realm. It was only with this entourage that they could see the power that he wielded.

  Erik felt it strange, but then he also understood why Old Hei enjoyed having people he could just talk to and didn’t want anything from him. The higher one traveled, the less friends he might be able to call on.

  As they rode, Erik and Old Hei would get to talking about Alchemy. Night or day, time seemed to lose meaning to them as they talked on techniques and information. Erik learned a great amount as Old Hei not only taught him, but had his mind opened by Erik’s thought processes. When Erik showed him his hand made tools, he personally asked Rugrat whether he would be willing to make him a set.

  Rugrat was pleased to do so and spent his time making alchemical tools. It required less Mana and more fine detailing with his Mana blade, so he could complete it much easier than working on armor, weapons, or making Earth-grade iron ingots.

  Old Hei got information on the Master-grade Mana Channel Revitalization pill, relaying this information to Erik. The two of them discussed the steps of the formula and how they would be able to complete it. For two weeks, they flew, crossing more land than Erik and Rugrat had crossed since entering the Third Realm.

  Erik and Rugrat, as always, were using their Dungeon Sense. They only found one dungeon as they were passing. It was added to their maps automatically so that they could visit it later on.

  They had been doing so more consistently, both as something to pass the time and also the hope that they might ping something good. They still had a distance to go before they recovered the dungeon core at Alva Dungeon to its peak; add in the loot one could get from a dungeon—to Erik and Rugrat, they were a gold mine.

  On the fifteenth day, they reached the Division Headquarters. Instead of the massive scale of the Resam Regional Headquarters, the Division Headquarters was much smaller.

  It was the tallest mountain out of a chain of them that reached above the rough, rocky terrain. Even though the terrain was rough, they were covered in vibrant life. Plants covered the entire area.

  The Division Headquarters was built across three mountains. The tallest looked as if the top had been cut off in one strike, the headquarters being built upon it. The other closest mountains’ peaks didn’t reach the main mountain. Flying beasts could be seen transporting people and items from across the realms to these three mountains.

  As they got closer, they could see the Division Headquarters in greater clarity.

  The Division Headquarters was a collection of buildings and halls that rested in the middle of the mountain’s surface. Each building was built from old and historied stone.

  When looking upon it, one could only think of the power of the ancestors to erect such buildings that had stood for centuries. The Division Headquarters stood, a monument that one could not defile, the overlord of this mountain and the realm beyond.

  Around it, a city had spawned. The manors and buildings were of higher quality than could be found in any other city where they could be imperial palaces; they were just common buildings here. The entire Division Headquarters was only twenty kilometers across. One could only reach it by the air or through the Ten Realms totem that was off to the side of the city.

  “That is the residential area, where traders and people of the Alchemist Association, or those who have business with us, stay.” Old Hei pointed to the massive manors that covered half of the city. Each of them were residences fit for a king, because one must be a king just to get an audience with the members of the Division Headquarters, who were the voices that decided the fate of people across a realm.

  “Also, there is a Blue Lotus, of course.” A Blue Lotus building shone in the sunlight, creating an impressive sight. Erik hadn’t had the chance to visit a Blue Lotus yet in this realm. Seeing this Blue Lotus, he recalled that, as long as he made a number of Age Rejuvenation potions, he could earn some more Mana stones.

  “There are the Pill Halls where alchemists can make concoctions, or practice them. The libraries are filled with the heritage of the Alchemist Association. The Mission Hall, where one can get contribution points to get classes and resources from the Alchemist Association, which would be impossible to get otherwise. Some missions are also done for gold. Then there are the Alchemy gardens and the Ingredient Hall. One can make their own ingredients but sometimes it is just easier to buy them. Then there are various stores and traders in the city that sell equipment, formulas, and ingredients. There is also the living quarters of the Alchemist Association guards and their training grounds.” Old Hei pointed to the fields where people were fighting one another or going through training.

  The flying beast started to descend toward a landing platform above an administration building that overlooked it all.

  “And that’s my prison—the administration building,” Old Hei said in a deeply unimpressed voice, as he looked at Erik with a suffering look in his eyes.

  Erik could only shake his head and roll his eyes at the older man’s antics.

  “The young have no sense of the older generation’s pain,” Old Hei complained in a quiet voice.

  Erik raised an eyebrow to Old Hei, who cleared his throat as if nothing had happened and continued talking.

  “The Alchemist Association is a pillar of the Ten Realms, a way to test one’s true ability in Alchemy. Our founder bel
ieved that the Ten Realms was a bit too…forgiving, shall we say. To have people to test others, then they need to lead by example. So while it is a pillar, it is also a living, breathing, beast of an organization with millions of members across several realms, all adhering to the same rules. We might all be from the Alchemist Association and when one of us is attacked, all of us are attacked. But we are also sentient beings. There can be assholes and greedy pricks in any organization—also jealousy and pettiness. You get what I’m saying. Now, I have not accepted anyone as my direct disciple—you’re the closest I would think I’d get—but I value your friendship and I have enough people bowing and doing all that crap. If you want to be one, I’d be happy to accept you, give you a bit more protection and allow you in more areas. Kind of a friendly agreement between us, but I swear to the damn alchemist god, I will smite your damn brain cells if you start doing all this bowing humbling shit!” Old Hei waved a finger as Erik let out a laugh.

  “So now that’s on the table and people might be a bit more annoying because you’ve jumped over their heads. Oh, and you can’t beat them up, but you can kick their asses in Alchemy contests!”

  The beast flapped its wings and they held onto handles as it settled on the ground.

  “I’ll collect the ingredients and deal with whatever mess has appeared. In three days, we’ll head to the Pill Hall. They have testing facilities like the ones in the Path of Alchemy trial that we can use to practice making the pill. Once we’ve got a good grasp of it, then we can try with the ingredients,” Old Hei said.

  “Just let me know what I have to do.” Erik bowed his head.

  “I’m doing this for a friend, so no bowing!” Old Hei warned.

  “You really hate bowing, don’t you?” Erik asked.

  Old Hei moved closer and talked in a low voice. “I’m trying to start a revolution, the anti-bowing revolution—want to join? Our backs are much more relaxed.” Old Hei wagged his bushy eyebrows.

  “How in the hell did you become one of the pill heads?” Erik asked.

  “Being too fucking awesome?” Old Hei shrugged as they landed.

  Erik couldn’t help but laugh at Old Hei’s expression.

  They said their good-byes and a guide took the group to a residence.

  “You feel that?” Rugrat asked as they entered the residence.

  “The Mana here is much higher than in other places,” Erik said.

  “One day of cultivating here would be worth ten days in the First Realm.” Rugrat nodded.

  Erik turned his eyes to Domonos and Matt.

  “With the conditions here, do you want to try to help them out, pop a few Mana gates open?” Erik offered him a box of needles.

  “Might be a good idea. Also, you got anything that might increase Body Cultivation?” Rugrat asked.

  “You want to cultivate your body?” Erik asked.

  “Well, it’s not my goal, but having some strength wouldn’t be bad, as long as it doesn’t take away from other things. Don’t get me wrong—sitting in a bath of poison sounds badass, but it smells just like you’ve swam through an ocean of sewage and dear God, you have to warn someone when you fart afterward!”

  “Always about farting with you.” Erik sighed.

  “I’m a simple man with a sense of taste and smell. I’d like to keep that.” Rugrat’s face twisted as he let out a fart, a right squeaker with notes of him blowing out his tail pipe.

  A look of alarm showed on his face as he clenched up and stood straight up and half waddled-walked toward the house.

  “You didn’t, did—oh God,” Erik said as the smell of Rugrat’s attempt at percussion instruments met his nostrils.

  Erik moved away from the scene of the disaster as Rugrat rushed into the house. “Gangway! Where the fuck is a shower in this place!”

  A moment later: “Fuck you, fucking stairs! Piece of fuck! Oh shit!”

  “Really such a diverse word.” Erik blinked at the lingering smell as he turned and left the residence, hearing Rugrat swearing his way through the house.

  ***

  Erik walked through the Division Headquarters. Although it was the size of a large city, calling it a city would have been stretching its boundaries. There were hundreds of thousands of alchemists all gathered at the headquarters to get missions, training, and carry out various duties. The rest of the people were there, summoned or having come of their own volition, to talk to the people in the Alchemist Association; others were here to fill the needs of the Alchemist Association.

  Although the city wasn’t the largest he had seen, the Blue Lotus here was larger than any he had seen previously.

  It had three floors that made the stem of the magnificent Blue Lotus. Erik took a moment just looking over the architecture of the building and wondering at the ability of the architect.

  He went through the doors. The guards were strong and powerful, looking over everyone but they weren’t as brutish as ones he had seen at other Blue Lotus buildings. This was the Division Headquarters of the Alchemist Association; few people would be willing to raise trouble here. The Blue Lotus, like the Alchemist Association, had deep and hidden roots. These two massive powers worked together instead of creating walls against each other.

  “Some things change, others remain the same.” Erik laughed to himself. The interior of the Blue Lotus, although it had a foundation and there were grander decorations around, had the same basic layout. Items to be purchased or bid on were to the left, and to the right, there were rows of counters where one could have their items appraised for sale or auction by the Blue Lotus staff.

  Alchemy might be the primary profession within the city, but farmers grew powerful ingredients, smiths created tools, formation masters enchanted them. All of these people called the headquarters home and had high-grade items to be bought and sold. Although there were a number of items for auction, most of them were from the higher realms as the items from the Division Headquarters were usually shipped to other Blue Lotus locations in the Third Realm to be sold.

  The area where one could buy items or look at the items for the next auction had stairs leading upward to the other three floors.

  Erik moved toward the counters. He stood in line and it wasn’t long until he reached the front of the line.

  “Hello, how might I be able to help you?” The woman at the counter smiled.

  “I would like to see if I can sell these items.” Erik pulled out a number of pill bottles filled with pills and potions.

  The woman’s eyes went wide as she held up her hands. “I think it might be best if you meet with one of our appraisers.”

  “Okay. Also, I have this medallion, might make things a bit easier.” Erik pulled out the medallion he had been given with the Blue Lotus emblem on it.

  He put it down and frowned. “I’m not sure if that is the right one.” Erik pulled out three more emblems. “One of these is the one I got in the Second Realm.”

  The woman looked over the emblems and picked one out. “This should be the one?” Her voice lifted as her smile was forced and her eyes alarmed.

  “Okay.” Erik shrugged.

  “Could you wait a moment, sir?” she asked.

  “Certainly. The name is Erik West.”

  “Okay.” She moved to the back. After a few moments, she appeared again. “Could you follow me?”

  “Certainly,” Erik said.

  She led him through a few doors and up four flights of stairs. They were now inside the blooming part of the lotus as they reached an office with powerful guards outside it.

  “Another Blue Lotus head?” Erik said.

  The woman coughed and her face went red. “Blue Lotus Head Ebeneezer.”

  The guards bowed their heads to Erik and opened the doors.

  “Erik West!” A large, happy-looking man waited on the other side of the doors. “We were wondering where you had gone to and then we heard from the Resam Regional Headquarters of how you took the Path of Alchemy trial, coming out with a mi
d-Journeyman-level medallion. Impressive!” The man laughed as he cupped his fists to Erik.

  “Well, not how I was thinking it would go—didn’t even know what the emblems meant until afterward.” Erik smiled as he returned the gesture to Ebeneezer.

  “Please, come in,” Ebeneezer said.

  Erik stepped into the office. Ebeneezer led him to a small garden that was part of his office. The garden was filled with ingredients that would allow one to feel relaxed.

  “What might I be able to help you with today?” Ebeneezer asked.

  “I have a few Journeyman-level concoctions that I am looking to sell.”

  “May I have a look?” Ebeneezer asked.

  Erik took out the different concoctions and put them on the table. Ebeneezer pulled out a spectacle and pinched it with his eyebrow. He opened the bottles and studied the contents, smelling a few or taking out testing papers. He went through them all in record speed.

  “We can definitely sell these. As with the Age Rejuvenation potions, you can collect payment from this Blue Lotus location or others when the items have been sold. Have you been able to concoct any more Age Rejuvenation potions?” Ebeneezer asked.

  “I haven’t made any more at this time but I have new plans for a stronger version of the concoction. I have a great need for Mana stones, so you can be sure that I’ll be able to supply you with plenty of Age Rejuvenation potions once I get some time.”

  “You do know that we would be willing to pay handsomely for the formula—even offer a yearly compensation for reproducing them?” Ebeneezer offered. “This is an offer from the higher-ups. They do not mind if you were to sell the formula to the Alchemist Association as it would still mean more of the potion in circulation. The simple thing is that we have a great need for this concoction and what one man has, others will desire. We are the Blue Lotus but we are not perfect.”

  Erik couldn’t help but take the offer seriously. Right now he knew the formula; it wasn’t all that hard and he could make the potions pretty easily. But even if he was to work for weeks without sleeping, he wouldn’t be able to supply even a tenth of the supply the Blue Lotus needed. It took time for him to create the potions. If he could just focus on updating the formula, though? Also, if someone in the Blue Lotus wanted to get the concoction to extend their lives and were able to find out who he was, couldn’t it lead to more issues and place him in danger? Getting a yearly stipend? He could get Mana stones and pour them into Alva Dungeon, increasing the speed that it could develop.