TF Chapter 28 The Artifact

My heartrate sped up as I took a step towards the artifact. There was this rising feeling of anticipation, as if my body was reacting to something. I paused for a moment to try and regain my bearings. I shouldn't let myself be flustered by the sword...I chanted that within my mind.

After steadying my breathing, I swiftly appeared infront of the gleaming silver. Honestly, the silvery glow wasn't something that should have mesmerised me, but there was an otherworldly quality to it that constantly drew my attention towards it, as if everything else was dull by comparison.

"Its bizarre, right?"

"Why?" I asked back.

"(Sigh)...why haven't you inspected it with your spirit yet?" Danny asked, his voice dripping with exasperation.

"...I was admiring the craftsmanship." I couldn't divulge the fact that I had been caught in a daze, right? It would be too embarrassing!

I released a thread of my spirit...at the start, we couldn't even shape it effectively, but now, we had improved enough to do things like this.

I directed the strand towards the hilt and wrapped it only for my heart to jump a little from shock.

"Wow!" I exclaimed in amazement, but without withdrawing my spiritual thread.

The hilt was pulsing with spiritual energy, giving me the impression there was a heart inside.

"That's what makes the sword amazing. I wouldn't be surprised if the forgers get greedy when they return." Danny spoke with a chuckle.

His words were true, yet for some unknown reason, I could feel that the pulsing of the hilt somehow echoed my heartbeat. Could it be that I had a connection to it?

That question alone caused me to develop feelings of aversion towards the fact that it might fall into someone else's hands.

"Aaaaah..." I yelled out upon feeling my spirit being severed. What the hell had happened?

I investigated only to find that my spiritual thread had surpassed the hilt and made it to the double edged blade, where it had tried to loop around, only for it to be severed.

"That is what makes this blade special!" Exclaimed Danny from behind me. Couldn't he have warned me beforehand? The severed spirit never returned to me, instead dissipating in the void. It would have been amazing if not for the horror that had enveloped me. I quickly withdrew my spirit and took a step back.

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This was a very dangerous artifact! Maybe I hadn't yet become important enough to know about some forger details, that's why I was horrified. What if a forger tried to claim this for themselves? If they found out that I had a connection with it, wasn't I going to be killed?

I breathed out forcefully. That forger from before had ignored the the artifact...maybe I was just paranoid. But what if that man had just been an oddball among forgers? What if the next one took an interest in the sword?

My problems had just escalated! Even if the Ross family didn't retaliate, other forgers could now kill me for the blade!

"Nathaniel! Why do you have such an expression?" Bora's voice brought me back from the sea of thoughts and worries clouding my mind.

"...with the specialness exhibited by this sword, there is a chance that a forger might take an interest in claiming it for themselves." After a long pause, coupled with adjusting my expression, I spoke. Bora and Danny had at some point arrived beside me.

"Are you scared because you believe that its your property...or could it be something else?"

"...I feel a subtle, but powerful connection to it." Inwardly, I had just debated the pros and cons of revealing this to them...ultimately, deciding to place my trust in them.

"That isn't surprising considering it was you...no, the other you who created it. Anyway, I do believe that there is no way they will steal it from you." Danny's words didn't even possess a hint of worry.

"I must admit, my problems keep getting bigger and bigger..." A sigh escaped my lips while may gaze narrowed at the hilt of the sword.

"We will stand with you on whatever decision you make...don't take me wrong, I am not doing this entirely out of the kindness of my heart, but because there is something to gain from you...an increased chance to become a forger." Bora's words were spoken in a deadpan manner, but still, they brought warmth to my heart.

"There is also something bizarre about this sword...like its alive or something."

I changed the topic to what I had discerned in that short moment that I had had my spirit caressing the sword.

"Its pulsing, yet every atom its made of appears to be flowing...moving with such purpose...its like I am interacting with another living thing!"

"Yes, I do believe that whatever took control of your body in that moment imbued its spirit within the metal atoms...I wonder how strong you would have to be to even attempt such a feat! The forgers possess their armors, but those have to be maintained with spirit. Any lapse in concentration, and the entire thing solidifies." Danny caressed his chin, eyes glinting with curiosity.

"It will be better if we put this behind us and rest to recover our spirit. We are lagging behind some of the other teams, so we have to hurry up." Bora walked away towards a corner and sat down with her back leaning against the wall.

"Yeah...you are right. This artifact is far too complicated for us to grasp at this time." I also stalked off, having held off my desire to caress the hilt with my hand. For now, it would be better if I didn't do anything rash that could lead to problems down the line. In the novels, an artifact could form a bond with a character...now, imagine a powerful artifact like this sword falling into my hands, wouldn't I be killed in order to sever my bond with it?

Human greed was something that couldn't be underestimated! Not to mention the fact that my future was still an uncertainty with me having become enemies with the Ross family.