Chapter 5: Artifact
In the morning, the streets were bustling with movement.
Leo woke up and saw what was happening outside, thinking that this was just how busy the Tower was daily.
'Wow, I didn't expect so many people in the morning.'
|What plans do you have for today, Master Leo?|
'We are going to the blacksmith today.'
'Because it's not the one I want.'
On his way out, he paid for the stay, tossing the barman 200 gold and an extra 50 as a tip.
"Thanks, you too, kid."
Ding ding
In a moment, Leo was lost in the sea of sweaty flesh, unable to move.
"What's even going on?"
He asked the person standing right next to him.
"You didn't hear? Leo Astralis is apparently inside the Tower."
'Oh shut up, at least they don't know me.'
Luckily the only other person who knew his face was Sylvaine who was busy preparing for the floor 10th challenge.
Leo somehow squeezed his way through the sea of climbers, almost getting mashed into a paste in the process.
"You all act like Animals!"
The constant chatter and screaming drowned out his remark, not that anyone would take it seriously anyway.
But he didn't care; the only reason for doing so was to vent all the annoyance built up inside him.
And with that, he left the Tower for now, heading towards a blacksmith store next to Explorer's Guild HQ.
The walk there was uneventful, with all the climbers now gathered on the first floor.
With all of the money he had, he would be able to barely pay for the creation of the item he wanted.
|Sorry for my interruption, but why are you skipping all the stores?|
'That's because I have one in mind that I need to visit.'
He said, skipping past all the colorful store displays and inviting doors, as he turned into a dark alley.
A swarm of curious cats surrounded him, patiently watching his every move.
It looked like a dead end, but in reality, a set of heavy metal doors awaited him.
The entire place was trashed and abandoned, but this exact location was referenced in the books.
|Are you sure this is the place?|
'I'm no longer so sure myself...'
Leo thought while watching over his shoulder at the cats getting more and more restless.
The doors creaked as he pulled them open, making the cats hiss at him angrily.
"What do you want?!"
The gnarly old man shouted from inside, unhappy about being startled.
[Mind Archive]
Her rapier was made by a gnarly old man in a dark alley who hated getting customers.
Even though that's what the book said, he wasn't too sure anymore.
The place looked like it had been through a tornado. Cats hissed loudly behind him as they kept getting closer.
"I asked. What do you want!"
The old man stood up, ready to throw him out.
"I wanted to commission an item."
Hiss!
The oldest of the cats from the pack jumped towards him. Trying to scratch his face.
"Fluffy! Stop!"
With a loud shout, the cat froze up, and all of the others behind followed shortly after.
Their demeanor changed into a passive one, leaving the store once they made sure their owner was okay.
"I will humor your confidence. You better have a blueprint with you though."
'Fuck...'
'Noooo.... but could you give me the blueprint I want?'
Leo stared, waiting for the answer to appear.
...
Without this item, he would stand no chance against the upcoming gates, so he had to make the deal even if it wasn't favorable.
'Deal.'
Blue papers with the design he had in his mind appeared on the desk behind the smith.
"There."
The smith looked at the papers on his desk.
"Don't make me laugh kid, this is just a ball."
It seemed the artifact he wanted to commission was still too far ahead.
"So... you can't do it?"
He took the blueprint and started to roll it with a sad look on his face.
"I guess I will go to a better smith..."
As he was about to store it in his inventory, the man stopped him.
"I will make your stupid artifact."
Even though he said it wasn't possible, he grits his teeth and agrees.
His pride was on the line and there was no way he would just throw it away like that.
"But you will pay for all the materials."
Leo was already opening the unbound market to do that.
[Unbound Market]
[Place where Unbound can purchase and sell basic supplies for gold]
[Successfully bought Salamander Essence for 5 000 gold]
[Successfully bought 20 Mermaid Fins for 20 000 gold]
[Successfully bought Blank Rune for 5 000 gold]
[Successfully bought 1 000 Slime Ooze for 15 000 gold]
"Where do you want me to place it?"
The smith couldn't believe his eyes, 45 000 gold was an enormous sum.
And to think he spent it just like that.
"Right there."
He pointed towards the desk deeper into the store.
The smith couldn't take his eyes off of the resources. It was the first time he had worked work with such a complex design.
"I'll go now, see you tomorrow. "
Leo was about to go but the man stopped him.
"Didn't you forget to get a time set for when to pick it up?"
A smirk on the younger man's face as he stared back at the smith.
"I believe that you will finish it by tomorrow."
The smith snorted, shaking his head with a silent chuckle before pulling the blueprint closer.
With that, he was gone, leaving the old man to his craft.
|So now you are going back to the Tower?|
'Not yet. I need a few enchantment scrolls.'
On his way out, the once aggressive cats were now not even paying attention to the man leaving.
After a while of walking, Leo entered the enchanter's store.
The difference between those two stores was like night and day.
"How can I help you today?"
An enormous witch hat spoke to him.
[Mind Archive]
...
Nothing
"Are you a cursed object perhaps?"
Leo approached slowly, opening his inventory in case he needed to get the staff.
scrape
Without warning, the stool began to shift, possibly propelled by a sudden gust or by...
"Oh excuse me, dear customer."
Suddenly, the head of a young girl popped up from across the desk as she stood on the piece of furniture.
"Could you get the owner to the desk?"
splash
A water ball from the clerk's wand hit him straight in the face and made him slip to the ground.
"I am 25!"
She gritted her teeth with a furious expression on her face while stepping down from the stool and going towards Leo.
"So if you still want me to go for my 'parent', how about I make you go meet them?"
Her wand shone with a warm orange color as she began to chant.
"Oh no no no! I don't have a problem with you at all!"
The magic at the end of her weapon fizzled out as she offered him a helping hand while standing up.
"So how might I help you, dear customer?"
A cheeky smile across her face while she walked back on the stool.
"I would like to order 10 summoner enchantments."
|Aren't you scared that you will get found out master?|
'I am, but they are just that important.'
Her smile turned into a smirk as he mentioned the type of enchantment he needed.
"Oh, but I would need to see the weapon that's related to those, you know?