Chapter 70: Michael Eats Good
The first thing Dante reached for was that tarot-sized card. From the moment he saw it, he could already feel his greed rising.
Bringing the appraisal lens to his eye, he read the runes of the artifact.
[Name: You Thought You Had Me?]
[Tier & Grade: Tier 5 (Purple)]
[Description: Reverses all physical damage, including lethal damage, back onto the inflicter. Just seeing the card is enough to inflict the status effect: [Confusion] upon a target. It can be activated by saying the word: "Reverse."]
[The inflicter does not need to be human or even a living thing for the card to work.]
[Cost / Drawback: This can only be used if the owner is still somewhat conscious. They have to say the word "Reverse" either physically or mentally.]
[ - It consumes a massive amount of physical and mental energy after use.]
[ - This card can only be used once per battle and once per person. It can also only be used a total of six times.]
[Number of uses left: 2]
’I can only use it once? Why do all overpowered artifacts come with such restricting costs?!’ Dante sighed.
Either way, he put the card to his side. He was definitely keeping this!
Out of curiosity, he raised the appraisal lens to read the information on the greatsword.
[Name: Storm-Breaker]
[Tier & Grade: Tier 2 (Purple)]
[Description: This artifact grants a 20% increase to strength and a 10% increase to agility. It also shortens spell casting time for wind-related spells. Finally, it allows the user to jump twice in mid-air.]
[Note: This is a skilled weapon set.]
[Cost / Drawback: It drains stamina rapidly, requiring high physical endurance to wield for prolonged fights.]
[Compatibility: Most suitable for Warriors.]
[Skills: Wind Burst, Wind Blades]
[Wind Burst: Generates a slicing shield of compressed wind that repels incoming projectile attacks and pushes back close-range foes.]
[Wind Blades: The blade can launch razor-sharp arcs of pressurized wind.]
[The number of times the Skills can be used are dependent on the Grade of the mana-gems embedded within the Storm-Breaker.]
’This has Michael written all over it,’ Dante thought as he shifted his gaze to a different item, which was a silver ring.
[Name: Armor of the Knight of Honor]
[Tier & Grade: Tier 2 (Purple)]
[Description: Upon activation, this ring grants the wearer a 25% increase to physical and magical defense. It has a 95% resistance to attacks from guns. Its effects can also be activated automatically in the event of a sudden high-impact threat.]
[The protection of the artifact increases from 25% to 35% if the wearer is protecting someone.]
[Cost / Drawback: If the armor absorbs a certain level of damage, it could get permanently destroyed.]
[ - The armor cannot be worn by undead creatures.]
’Michael is eating really good this harvest,’ Dante thought as he moved on to a different ring.
[Name: Wardrobe Keeper]
[Tier & Grade: Tier 2 (Blue)]
[Description: Stores up to twenty-five items for the user in its spatial pocket. Items can be retrieved or stored on mental command. It can also mend all torn clothes within its pocket over time.]
[Cost / Drawback: The ring changes color on its own at random.]
’Hm...’
As for the rest of the items, they were not artifacts. Well, except for the jade pendant, which Dante could tell at a glance was a Template.
He looked up to see Michael counting the money that was in the wallet. The gold leaf notes suggested some were crowns, while the faded green paper notes were francs.
When Michael noticed Dante staring at him, he raised his head with a smile. "It’s a total of 25 Crowns, 15 Francs, boss."
Dante was not interested in the money, so he looked away and pointed to three vials on the ground. "What’s that?"
"Oh this?" Michael picked up one. "It’s called Tiger Juice. It’s a drug that’s sold around these parts. It’s very addictive, just as much as it’s expensive. I hear it doesn’t just induce intense euphoria, it also makes one insanely strong and even boosts the traits of their class. But the thing is... it can cause severe physical mutation and psychological degradation with prolonged use."
’There’s something like that?’ Dante frowned.
This was another thing that had never showed up in the game he played, even though he had been to Sylveria a few times.
Seeing his doubtful expression, Michael twirled the liquid in his fingers and chuckled. "I heard it’s a chemical concoction that’s smuggled in here by another gang and it’s quite popular among the folks here. Make sure you don’t try it, Boss."
Dante scowled. "I should be the one giving you that warning. You throw every euphoria inducing stuff you find into your mouth!"
Michael smiled and dropped the vial back onto the floor.
Meanwhile, Dante picked up the card and made it disappear into his Gentleman’s Golden Pocket, then, as he leaned back, he said casually, "I’m keeping the..." He paused as he realized saying its name would be too cringe.
"I’m keeping the card with me. You can have the rest."
Hearing that, Michael suddenly beamed and cupped Dante’s hand in his hands. "Ah... love you, Boss!"
Dante grimaced and dragged his hand away, before tossing the Appraisal Lens to Michael.
As the tanned-skin fellow began to appraise the details of the other artifacts, Dante closed his eyes to finally have some sleep.
***
Sometime later...
——
"Uh... I don’t understand boss." A look of confusion crossed Michael’s face when he saw that the carriage was heading closer and closer to where the Labyrinth was located.
Turning back to Dante, he frowned with a mix of anxiety and irritation. "Why are we going to a Labyrinth?"
He had managed to get the explosives from a dealer in one of the local clubs before noon, and some minutes past noon, Dante had pulled him along into a carriage that was meant to take them to the ’important place’ he was to blow up.
So... why the byss were they on their way to a Labyrinth?
"You’ll find out when we get there." Dante waved dismissively without even opening his eyes.
Not long after, the horses whinnied and reared back, indicating their refusal to step any further.
The duo then alighted the carriage in front of the Center of Respite. Since Dante still had the permit from the last time, that was what he planned to use as he was not a Purger. As for Michael, Dante was just going to claim the man was his knight, since his permit allowed him to bring companions.
Despite it being past noon, this part of the city looked dark and gloomy. The large obelisk reached up into the sky like a jagged needle, giving off a grim, suffocating vibe in the distance.
"Come on," Dante patted Michael’s back, hard enough the man began tumbling forward.
They both began to make their way to the obelisk. Unlike before when Dante first came here, he wasn’t that nervous as he now had lots of means to protect himself.
Of course, he could have simply let Michael come alone. But that would mean that the man would have to go floor by floor down to the ninth fighting off monstrosities.
Despite this being a Green Labyrinth, this particular Labyrinth was said to have creatures of the fourth, fifth and sixth tier beginning from the sixth floor.
The poor man might not make it back alive, so he came to make things easier.
When they eventually arrived at the entrance, Dante could see ten people, whom he presumed to be purgers, standing outside. They looked like they had wanted to go in a bit earlier but were stopped by the high priest to wait for the duo whom they could see approaching.
Now that they were here, the eleventh person, who was a man in black clerical robes approached them. He didn’t stop until he got very close to them, standing only inches from them, after which he placed both hands in front of him.
"Welcome to the Labyrinth. I’m Father Osric of the Order of Night. I can feel that you are both Apostles. Have you got your permit?" He asked in a low voice only they could hear while offering a small polite bow.
Dante reached out his hand and the permit appeared in it, which he handed over.
The man looked through it quickly before lifting his head to study the duo. While Michael was dressed in one of Dante’s expensive three-piece tweed suits, with a kerchief masking his face and Dante’s baker boy cap pulled low over his eyes, Dante was dressed in the same tailored three-piece suit, with the Crow Feathered Fedora on his head.
Not being able to recognize the two Apostles, the man narrowed his eyes slightly. "Is this your first time visiting this labyrinth?"
Dante shook his head. "No."
"I see." He handed back the permit, then took out two stone pendants from his pocket and offered them forward. "Here are the keys that will help you use the doors."
This time, Dante took a key just for the sake of it. A subconscious part of him felt that part of why he was attacked the first time was because he announced he was a high priest.
Michael, too, took a key after which the high priest gave another bow. After confirming that no other person could be seen coming behind them, he turned back to the rest of the group.
"Alright," his voice grew louder for everyone to hear. "I will now open the gateway into the Labyrinth."