The dagger released energies that spread throughout the city, making it accessible to everyone and visible to everyone.
Even those who were going about their daily activities stopped because the aura it radiated was so powerful.
"What is this...?!"
"This... Is it some kind of energy!"
"Is it from an artifact?!"
On the other hand, Infori and the white-robed woman, who were watching, could only watch in silence as the dagger floated and released immense energy.
The woman could only surrender, but Infori could not.
Infori stepped forward toward the dagger, surprising the woman. She didn't expect the shopkeeper in front of her to step forward.
"...?!"
Meanwhile, he himself was knocked back when he tried to approach her.
Infori took a step, but his steps felt oppressed and heavy. This was due to the energy emitted by the dagger, which wasn't strong enough for a Nephilim like Infori to withstand.
However, he wouldn't stop. Not until he got his artifact back, the artifact he had been guarding all this time.
His footsteps were still moving, albeit slightly restrained. He covered his eyes with his left hand, which he placed in front of his face, intending to shield them from the strong winds around him, which were blowing rapidly towards him due to the energy waves, which were also causing the wind to deviate.
"Tch..."
He continued moving, while the woman remained fixated on Infori.
"..."
Infori was almost near the floating dagger. He reached out to grab the hilt of the knife or dagger. Almost there, he just needed to take a step with all his might to reach it.
And finally, he managed to reach the hilt, grasping the handle of the dagger. The energy that had been blasted across the city suddenly seemed to be sucked back into the dagger.
However, not long after,
The dagger released a tremendous wave of energy, its power even surpassing that of the previous one. This was the extraordinary power of a rare artifact.
Here, Infori was once again sent flying backward, crashing into the wall.
"WAA—!!"
In fact, it wasn't just Infori. The white-robed woman, who had been standing still a short distance from the dagger, was also affected by the impact. She was sent flying and slammed into the wall behind her.
"Ack—!!"
Unexpectedly, the dagger shot out at incredible speed. It shot unhindered toward the giant sacred tree, still visible from a distance—Everness.
WOOSH!
The white-robed woman was shocked beyond belief; the artifact she was supposed to be guarding had vanished from her sight. Her expression was clearly alarmed, her eyes wide and her mouth agape.
He could only stand there, speechless, helpless as the artifact sped away from him.
"Damn…" he muttered softly. "…If only I hadn't been tricked when I chose the box, none of this would have happened…!"
Infori was also stunned as he watched the artifact shoot toward Everness, reminding him of the glimpse he had when he first touched it.
Then, his gaze fell on the white-robed woman—she had gotten up and started walking. One word from Infori stopped him in his tracks.
"Wait…"
The woman turned to Infori, who only stared at him with a look filled with guilt.
(That look…)
Infori asked, gasping for breath after being slammed into the wall twice. It was enough to cause him pain, though not too severe.
"Hey… who are you?"
"Sorry, for almost letting you get involved in my mission."
"What do you mean, mission? What exactly is your mission?"
"It concerns the world tree—Everness."
That answer shocked Infori. The vision of the world tree meant more than just a vision. It was the mission of the white-robed woman.
That answer also clarified one thing, which is why Infori asked to confirm.
"Wait, you're from the Seraphim race, aren't you?"
Finally, the woman chose to be honest. While revealing her identity, she removed the hood from her robe.
This revealed herself to be a woman with midnight-sky hair, snow-white skin, and ocean-blue eyes.
"Yes. I am from the Seraphim race, my name is Lilith, and I was ordered to obtain a rare artifact called the Blades of Mirage, found in the renowned Nephilim race shop—Atziluth Artifacts."
Now, everything was clear to Infori. Why this woman wanted this rare artifact so badly, and also the reason behind the vision Infori had received.
However, there was still one odd thing.
"If you're from the Seraphim race, then why did you steal that rare artifact from my shop?"
"I didn't mean to steal!" he exclaimed loudly. This silenced Infori for a moment, the woman named Lilith still gripped by immense guilt. "If only I hadn't been deceived when I chose that platinum box... Maybe none of this would have happened."
"...So, what are you going to do now? Let the artifact disappear into thin air?"
"...I will pursue and search for the dagger, because... That is my duty now."
Silence fell, with only the sound of the wind ringing in their ears.
Infori understood that the Seraphim named Lilith in front of him had a much more difficult task than he, a Nephilim. Nevertheless, this woman had already committed theft, even if unintentionally.
The relationship between the two races, the Nephilim and the Seraphim, had been strong for a very long time. Therefore, Infori knew what he should do.
"Hey..." Infori said, breaking the silence. Lilith turned to him. "How about we work together?"
Lilith was immediately confused.
"Eh...?"