Danmachi: Scavenger

"So, why did you call me in today?" Rex asked as he entered Zanis' office. 

It was early in the morning, and after finishing his shower, he'd been told by a guy that Zanis wanted to see him. Now, here he was. The golden sunlight of morning streamed through the windows, illuminating the large office, with the curtains next to the fireplace sitting area fluttering slightly in the breeze. 

Zanis didn't look up from the stack of paperwork on his desk—already piled high despite it being only six in the morning—as he replied, "You'll be attending Apollo's God's Banquet tomorrow, so I want you to get your clothes ready today."

The God's Banquet was a party for deities, by deities—a place for gods and goddesses to unwind and have fun. This time, the Apollo Familia would be hosting the event. From Rex Prime's memory, these parties were called 'Celebrations of the Gods' because, traditionally;

"Aren't only gods allowed to attend?" he asked.

"Indeed," Zanis replied, still focused on his paperwork. "However, this time, Apollo has decided to change things up a bit and asked the gods to invite their best members to flaunt."

"Ah," Rex mumbled, remembering this part from the show. 'Isn't this when Bell was challenged to a war by the Apollo Familia?' he thought. 

But he didn't feel like going. His stats were progressing at the rate he'd expected, and after three days of Dungeon diving, his Dexterity—his current lowest stat—was at 1,461. He estimated he'd need about three to four more days to max it out, and wasting tomorrow on a party he didn't care about would only delay his level-up.

"Nah," he said, declining the offer. "I'm not going."

"Yes, you are," Zanis said as he started calculating something in one of the two abacuses on his desk as he calculated something. "The Soma Familia and Apollo Familia are good business partners, and we're 'friends.' It would be unwise for us not to attend."

Rex nodded in understanding, then added, "I'm sure Soma isn't going to want to attend, so what's the point of me going?"

Zanis stopped speaking for a moment, his hands moving rapidly over the abacus with a speed Rex could barely follow despite his high stats. After his calculation, he wrote something down before speaking.

"He declined at first," Zanis admitted, "but I managed to convince him." He didn't add the part where he'd spent the entire day yesterday pestering Soma relentlessly like a child until the god finally agreed.

"Then why don't you go?" Rex asked, and the captain looked up from his paperwork, meeting Rex's eyes, then gestured at the table. He understood without needing further explanation. "You're still doing all the accounting by yourself? You really didn't hire anyone to help you?"

"I don't trust others to handle something so private," Zanis replied, returning to his paperwork. "But you don't have to worry about the party taking up your time. It normally only lasts three hours, and Apollo's party should start at eight. You'll be out by eleven or twelve." 

He glanced up briefly. "Besides, you don't sleep for that long, so it shouldn't mess up your schedule much."

"You're right." Rex sighed. "I guess now I have to go out and buy myself a suit," he said, turning toward the door. 

"A tailor from the Rhapso Familia is here for Soma's measurements," Zanis called after him. "You can just go to the guest room downstairs and get yourself measured too. You'll be getting a tailored suit. Don't worry too much about the price."

'Tailored suit? I forgot I'm rich.' But before he left, he added, "Also, I overheard two guys talking about leaving the Familia while showering."

This caught Zanis' attention, causing him to look up as Rex continued, "If anyone comes to ask to leave, just say yes without making it hard." He turned toward the door. "We don't need them for money, and the fewer people in the Familia, the less tax we'll have to pay."

Zanis thought for a moment before nodding. "You're right."

"Then I'll see you later," Rex said, opening the door. Zanis didn't reply, already absorbed in his work as Rex left.

Rex hadn't actually overheard anyone talking about leaving the Familia. He just remembered that around this time, Liliruca had come to the Familia to ask to leave, only to be captured by Zanis or something along those lines. This had led to her drinking Soma's wine, which caused the god to change for the 'better.'

Him changing would mess up a lot of things up for Rex and Zanis, and he didn't want that. 'It's not like that little girl is important,' he thought as he went downstairs to the guest room. 'She barely has anything of value.'

The suit measurement took about thirty minutes, and once it was done, Rex immediately made his way into the Dungeon. 'Alright,' he thought as he walked through the seventh floor. 'Let's hunt for that purple powder.'

Today, he decided to mass-hunt Purple Moths until he acquired their powder magic, just as he had with the Blue Papilio. Since he could sell Blue Papilio powder for a high price due to its healing properties, he figured the Purple Moth powder would also be valuable after being enhanced by his magic. Besides, it wouldn't hurt to have a skill that dealt mass AOE poisoning.

And after almost an hour of bullying the weak Level 1 monsters—who couldn't even attack due to Predator—he finally acquired the magic.

[Purple Moth Powder (Magic/Active): You can release the Purple Moth's poisonous powder through the movement of your body.]

A similar description to the blue powder.

'Alright,' Rex nodded, pretending to dust dirt from his hands as purple powder, similar to the Blue Papilio powder but with a violet hue, began to fall. 'When I get back, I should bottle some up and give it to Zanis to see if he can sell it on the black market.'

He then raised his hands and inhaled the purple powder, letting it flow into his lungs to test if he'd be affected by his own magic. 

Normally, when inhaled or after passing through the skin, the Purple Moth powder caused mild symptoms like nausea, dizziness, and slight muscle weakness. With continued exposure, these symptoms could escalate to severe muscle paralysis, respiratory distress, and eventually death.

Normally, it took about three minutes of continuous exposure to prove fatal, giving adventurers on the upper floors enough time to escape and take an antidote—unless they were surrounded or otherwise trapped.

Of course, nothing happened to Rex.

'Do I only have immunity to this magic or all poison?' He used scavenger and discovered that he is only immune to the magic he creates. He will still get poisoned by the Purple Moth's powder, which as a shame. "Can I use both powders at once?" 

Deciding to test it, Rex began walking while activating both magics. Sure enough, the blue and purple powders trailed behind him, mixing together to create an even more mesmerizing scene. 

'Healing and poisoning,' he grinned. 'I could cover an entire battlefield with this combo, continuously healing allies while poisoning enemies.' 

And since his magic stat was so high, the poison's potency should surpass that of the original Purple Moth's. And sure enough, after testing it, the results were impressive. It took only about fifteen seconds of continuous exposure for Level 1 monsters on the 12th floor to enter the paralysis phase, and another twenty seconds for them to die. 

While it wasn't as effective as his fire magic—especially since Level 2 monsters had higher tolerance, taking about a minute to die from the poison—it was still a useful tool. Besides, the potential profit from selling the enhanced powder was a major incentive.

Like the past few days, Rex spent twelve hours in the Dungeon. However, due to arriving thirty minutes later than usual and spending a few hours experimenting with spreading his poison across an entire room, he left the Dungeon after Rose had already clocked out. He was looking forward to talking to the chill woman, but it didn't bother him, and he instead sold his drops to the silver-haired elf, Sophie.

The next day arrived quickly, and with it came Apollo's God's Banquet. Rex spent a few hours in the morning buying the shoes and jewelries for his suit before diving into the Dungeon for eight hours. When he returned in the evening, Zanis was waiting for him at the door.

"I thought you were going to bail on me," the captain sighed as Rex entered the main mansion. "I've already delivered your suit to your room and the party starts in an hour, but you need to arrive early to socialize."

"Socialize?" Rex asked, falling into step beside Zanis as they walked. "You're asking me and Soma to socialize?"

Zanis glanced at Rex before nodding. "Just attend," he said, sounding resigned. "You can leave early for all I care. Just make sure Apollo or Hyakinthos sees you and Soma."

"Will do." Rex thought, reaching into his bag to pull out a paper bag containing two luxurious boxes. "Hand this to Soma. Tell him to wear it if he wants." Zanis took the bag as Rex reached into his pouch and handed him three bottled purple moth powder. "See if you can sell these."

Zanis took the three bottles, looking at them in confusion. "What is this?" He asked.

"They are poisonous dust." Rex replied as he walked off. "I'll shower, then we'll be on our way."

Rex entered his room, dropped off his gear, and took a quick shower. Returning to his room, he got dressed for the party, then walked to the front of the mirror. The man staring back stood at 191 cm, with a lean yet muscular frame, golden-brown skin, and sharp features—a strong jawline, high cheekbones, piercing deep-set amber eyes, and a straight nose. His jet-black hair, with faint reddish-brown highlights, now flowed slightly past his shoulders, and his pointed, Doberman-like ears stuck out from the top of his head.

He wore a one-button charcoal blazer that contoured his broad shoulders and tapered at the waist, accentuating his lean build without restricting movement. Beneath it, he wore a crisp white dress shirt with a deep burgundy tie and a three-piece vest that matched the blazer.

The matching trousers were held up by a black belt and followed the line of his legs, stopping at the ankle without excess fabric. Polished black Oxfords completed the look. He accessorized with a silver tie bar horizontally across the middle of the tie, a deep burgundy pocket square with paisley patterns, silver cufflinks, and a watch with a black leather strap.

All in all, he looked handsome.

"A 10 out of 10," he mumbled, twisting to look at his back. The blazer followed the contours of his frame perfectly, and his short tail was hidden beneath the trousers without discomfort so it didn't mess up the uniformity. "I can't believe a suit can make you look so much better."

This was only the second time he'd worn a suit. The first time was back on Earth—for a McDonald's interview. He had read that suits were important for interviews, as first impressions were everything, so he'd bought one specifically for the occasion. It had been one of the most embarrassing moments of his life.

'A suit for a McDonald's interview,' he thought, cringing internally at the memory.

'How much did this suit come out to?' Rex wondered, using scavenger on all the pieces and combining the price. It came out to be over…250 thousand. "What?" Rex checked again. "Why is it so damn expensive?!" He shouted.

Of course he knew it would cost more because he had them make the suit with salamander wool, but this shit cost more money than his adventure clothes! Even all his infant dragon armor only cost armor pieces was only about 150 thousand and his dual daggers were barely 200 thousand valis. 

"Why the fuck are suits needlessly expencive???" EVen his McDonald's suit was only 90 dollars. 

'If I had known this would come out to a quarter million I could have just gotten a jeans and white dress shirt and tie.' And if you combine Soma's suit, it would be over half a million valis. "Haah…" Rex sighed, deciding to push the thought to the back of his mind. 

"Let's get going," he said, locking his door before quickly returning to grab an elixir. 'In case something happens,' he thought as he left his room. 'I should probably start carrying an elixir everywhere I go.'

The carriage Zanis had rented for the occasion was already waiting in front of the main house—a simple brown carriage drawn by two horses. When Rex climbed in, he found Soma slouched in a corner, his body slumped against the carriage wall, his head tilted slightly downward as if trying to disappear into the shadows.

He was dressed in a similar three-piece suit to Rex, though his was baggier, tailored to his preference. He also wore an unassuming looking watch on his left wrist that Rex had purchased from the Plutus Familia that morning, costing a staggering 3 million valis. 

That's right—a watch is more expensive than Rex's third-class Infant Dragon Halberd.

Rex had bought it with his casino winnings, thinking it would make a good gift for the god. Thankfully, Soma had chosen to wear it instead of tossing it aside else he would have been mad. Even his own watch and jewelry don't reach that absurd price. 

Entering the carriage, Rex sat on the opposite bench and closed the door, with the god gaze remaining fixed on the floor, his long bangs hiding his eyes. He didn't even acknowledge Rex's presence, lost in his own thoughts.

The window to the coachman was tapped and Rex pulled the curtain across of him to see the coach man, who stuck up his thumbs and Rex nodded. Letting the curtain go, the carriage started moving. 

The duo sat in silence, then Rex decided to strike up a conversation, "So..." He turned to the god. "Looking forward to the party?"

Soma lazily shifted his gaze toward Rex, blinking slowly. Then, after a short pause. "…No." He turns his head away, clearly not interested in further conversation.

Rex decided to push further, wanting to try to build a relationship. "Not even a little?"

Soma sighs lightly, closing his eyes as if the question is a waste of time. "Why would I?" His voice remains flat, void of enthusiasm.

"I don't know, free drinks?" Rex shrugged. "Fancy food?"

Soma, still not looking at him, responded with a lazy voice. "… Things that are worthless.

Rex nodded in understanding then said, "Then just take the night off and enjoy yourself."

"Hmm." He mumbled, and the conversation ended there—he's mentally checked out.

'I feel bad for him.' Rex thought as the god started mumbling in a low, barely audible voice about things that only he finds relevant. 'He did not really want to go to this party. How did Zanis even convince him?'

The duo sat in silence throughout the entire ride. After about twelve minutes, the carriage came to a stop at their destination: a grand building located on North Main Street, surrounded by the luxurious homes of some of Orario's wealthiest residents.

Rex pushed open the door and stepped down, followed by Soma, who slouched as usual. More and more extravagant horse-drawn carriages arrived every moment, disgorging handsome men and dazzling women clad in luxurious attire. 

But the main attraction was the exquisite manor ahead, which looked more like an extravagant palace. The double doors of the front entryway were open, and a steady stream of guests made their way inside.

"…"

"...Why are we still here?" Soma's voice came from behind him.

They had been standing in the same spot for almost two minutes.

"I was waiting for you to move," Rex replied, glancing at the god.

Soma said nothing and walked ahead, with Rex following close behind. The entrance hall was just as ornate as the exterior of the building. Golden pillars adorned with candles lined the hallway, and the high ceiling gave the room an airy, cathedral-like feel. Alabaster statues of gods and goddess stood in various areas of the hallway, and the hallway led to a set of equally extravagant stairs.

The party was being held in the second-floor ballroom, which was already filled with guests who had arrived before them. The grand ballroom was primarily gold and white, illuminated by the many chandeliers hanging from the high ceiling, their light refracting across the polished marble floors.

Tall arched windows lined the walls, covered by deep crimson curtains that cascaded to the floor. Large arches with glass doors led to balconies, but with the sun already set, no natural light filtered in from outside. Music from a live ensemble filled the space, a gentle waltz blending seamlessly with the clinking of glasses and the murmur of conversation.

'Everyone is beautiful,' Rex thought, scanning the massive hall. 'So many good-looking people that no one stands out…' His eyes locked onto someone. 'Except that one. She's so ugly she stands out.' A quick glance at her status revealed she was actually a Level 4. 'Eh?'

He started scanning the room. Level 3, Level 2, Level 3, Level 2, 2, 3, 4, 5… No adventurer in the room was below Level 2, meaning he was one of the weakest. 'Well, I'm technically a Level 3, so—'

He noticed that Soma was gone and looked around to find the loner god sitting cross-legged on the floor in a corner of the ballroom. '… Sitting on the ground in a quarter-million-valis suit.' 

He sighed, then walked over to join his god, standing beside the mumbling man while surveying the ballroom. "We just have to wait until the party starts and Apollo or Hyakinthos sees us. Then we can leave."

"Waste of time… Tch." Soma clicked his tongue in annoyance.

'Yeah, it's a waste of time,' Rex agreed, putting his hands into his pockets as he looked at the god and goddess interacting with each other. 'But no one should bother us since we don't know anyone—'

"FU-HA-HA-HA!" A loud, obnoxious laugh rang out. "Well, if it isn't Soma!"

'Oh, no.' Rex wanted to punch himself for jinxing it as he turned to Dian Cecht walking over to him with his captain, Airmid. '...Is she legal?'

[Author's Note: I feel like the chapters have been getting longer and longer. When I first started, I was averaging 2200. Then it became 2600. Now its 3000. If I kept that 2200 pace, I would have had 50 chapters by now. 

Anyway, thanks reading and have a wonderful day my handsome readers~.]