Chapter 338 338: Faux Grade 3 Sealed Artifacts!
Luke set up a ritual in the middle of the Conference Hall, clearing the table.
The rest of the Apostles, along with Mushroom-nimi, had stationed themselves a few meters behind him, Nyx casually perched on Kazuho's shoulder.
After returning from the Gray Castle, because of his unstable state and pain, Luke had decided not to contact Mr. Fool right away.
Even if he had waited for a few more days, it wouldn't have mattered because of the sheer difference in the flow of time between the two worlds. He even believed that not even moments must have passed on the other side, with the Tarot Club members barely leaving the Gray Castle.
Also, Luke had decided to take advantage of the ritual itself.
The Apostles had just begun believing in Mr. Fool after seeing Dr. Blessed's miracle related to All Might.
Luke's Seer's intuition told him that this was the best moment to solidify their belief.
The Apostles knew of Mr. Fool's honorific name and prayed to Him excessively, but they also knew that the response they got in the form of renewal of their Beyonder Powers from time to time was Dr. Blessed's act, not Mr. Fool's directly.
So, to make them truly believe in Mr. Fool's benevolence, the best way was to let them witness a bestowal ritual.
Yes.
Luke wanted to get the faux Sealed Artifacts right now!
The faux Sealed Artifacts were only limited by the number of uses and the activation time limit, but could continue to exist for weeks and months if left unused.
Who knew when an unseen, unpredictable, and unavoidable matter would prop itself in front of them?
As such, it was better to hoard the items well in advance.
Then again, Melissa and Kazuho needed something to counter their physical weakness as soon as possible.
During the Training Camp incident, if it hadn't been for Mushroom-nimi, then Luke couldn't have gathered enough confidence to let Melissa act as Dr. Blessed when she was only a Seer.
Even during the Kamino Ward incident, the two girls had largely remained out of the picture. They did contribute as per their strengths. However, with the growing danger and the worsening state of the world, it was better to equip them soon.
To top it off, Luke would be moving into the dorm at UA tomorrow.
So, he would have even less time to watch over the Apostles.
"Trust in them and let them act on their own," Miss Justice, not the System but the one above the Gray Castle, had suggested privately to him near the end. "How will they grow if you keep taking all matters into your hands? Not that there's anything wrong with it, but, from the Blessed Gone Insane's matter, it's clear that it's not a viable option all the time, right?"
Luke nodded as he remembered that, and said, "I am done."
God…
The leader is about to contact a God!
Iwao, Kazuho, and Melissa stirred, an unusual nervousness settling in their hearts.
Meanwhile, an unusual, bronze-colored mushroom bubbled in Mushroom-nimi's palm. When they plucked that mushroom out and shook it, the chimes of a bell filled the entire Conference Hall.
All mouths twitched at that.
"… That's not needed, Mushroom-nimi," Luke said, looking over his shoulder.
"It's absolutely needed!" Mushroom countered. "We saw it on the internet. Gods favor eagerly when there's a bell ringing in the background. We are working on different frequencies and loudness these days…"
"…"
After a while, letting out a breath in defeat, Luke chanted the words.
…
The Fool that doesn't belong to this era;
The Mysterious Ruler above the Gray Fog;
The King of Yellow and Black, who wields good luck.
…
The flame seated in the middle of the table in front of Luke burgeoned instantly.
He saw an immense silhouette, the size of a titan, with a sea of gray fog lingering near its feet.
To keep things more… interesting, Luke used his enhanced illusion abilities, coupled with Thought Misdirection, to cast the same image directly into all the Apostles' minds.
A gasp left the girls' throats, and even Iwao looked shaken.
The chiming bell in Mushroom-nimi's hand came to a sudden rest.
Nyx, who knew more about Mr. Fool and His immenseness, cawed in shock anyway.
Meanwhile, as they had already discussed the matter of faux Sealed Artifacts at the Gray Castle, a list of items which each Tarot Club member had submitted to Mr. Fool manifested in Luke's mind.
Once chosen, Mr. Fool would bestow the faux Sealed Artifacts upon Luke right away.
Then he would have to accept an equal request from the said owner of the Sealed Artifact, just like last time.
As Mr. Fool had strengthened the System, Miss Justice received the words from Him directly and instantly relayed them to Luke.
…
[
List of faux Sealed Artifacts:
— Murlock Cufflink: Grade 3 (by The Justice)
— Alcohol Nemesis: Grade 3 (by The Magician and The Judgment)
— Green Essence: Grade 3 (by The Hanged Man)
— Oath of Rose: Grade 3 (by The Moon)
— Moonlight Sash: Grade 3 (by The Star)
— Peaceful Hair Strands: Grade 3 (by The Hermit)
— Mental Terror Candle: Grade 2 (by The Sun)
…
]
…
Luke kept reading down the list where Miss Justice listed the powers, downsides, and limits of all the faux Sealed Artifacts.
Even though he had already expected it because of Judge Button, Luke's breathing still quickened.
"… Are these the powers of different Pathways in Mr. Fool's world?" Luke asked, making all the Apostles take a step forward with curiosity.
[Yes,] Miss Justice nodded. [You can choose either two Grade 3 Artifacts or one Grade 2 Artifact.]
Luke licked his lips.
He dearly wanted to get his hands on Mental Terror Candle.
With the threat of Conformity influencing someone's mind to control them, this Artifact could become his trump card.
However, he wasn't getting them for himself at this moment.
And, there would always be a second time.
"Any recommendation?" Luke asked.
[Definitely Murlock Cufflink,] Miss Justice said. [And…]
Luke nodded. "Peaceful Hair Strands. Yes, let's confirm these two."
The words had just left his mouth when the flame almost exploded, making everyone squeeze their eyes shut.
In the next moment, two boxes appeared on the table — both brimming with Spirituality!
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