Suddenly, Kalvin remembered that he needed to create The Clockwork Heart artifact. He had completely forgotten about it. He decides to summon two individuals who would gather the necessary components for the artifact and find the ritual required to activate it. Typically, artifacts drop after a Nexus is destroyed or a monster is killed. However, artifacts that are created artificially require a specific ritual to infuse them with power. Kalvin then used the power of the mysterious Blue Mist.
He saw several people before him who could assist him with these tasks. Kalvin thought, "There are more people here than needed, but I will only take two. For that, I need the two best people among them who will be absolutely perfect for these jobs." The Blue Mist set additional conditions on its own, which further aided Kalvin.
After the conditions were set, Kalvin saw only two people: one was a young and beautiful woman, with long, blonde hair, green eyes, and red lips; the other was a man with light stubble, black curly hair, red eyes, and faint dark circles under his eyes, indicating his tireless efforts.
As Kalvin tapped his finger once on the right armrest of his throne, the Blue Mist began to stir.
Inside a grand palace, a beautiful woman was looking at herself in the mirror. In a mountainous region, another person stood on the edge of a high cliff, looking down. At the very same moment, a transparent but blue feather floated past their eyes. Before they could ponder this, they both felt the Blue Mist enveloping them. Within moments, they were transported to the mysterious place of the Blue Mist. Like Alik, they saw a large shadow figure before them, sitting on a royal throne and looking at them.
The beautiful woman was slightly frightened, but the other man showed no fear. He observed his surroundings. After a brief pause, the man addressed the mysterious large figure, saying, "Who are you? And it seems you have summoned this woman along with me to this place. Would you kindly tell me the reason for this?" Kalvin asked them to step forward and take a seat before him. The two looked at each other and then, as instructed, went and sat on the thrones arranged for them.
The woman felt a sense of relief. Kalvin first asked them for their names.
The woman hesitated a little, and in her beautiful, soft voice, she said, "My name is Lily."
The man looked straight at Kalvin; his red eyes and firm posture showed no fear. His voice was deep and calm. "My name is Antoni."
Kalvin remained silent, only a cold energy radiating from within his shadowy form. Kalvin nodded calmly. Because of his massive, shadowy form, his facial expression was unreadable, but his voice was authoritative yet calm. Finally, his deep, reverberating voice broke the silence in the chamber.
"Lily and Antoni," Kalvin began. "Both of you have been chosen by the Blue Mist for an extremely vital task. I intend to create 'The Clockwork Heart' artifact. But two tasks are essential for me: firstly, collecting the indispensable components for it, and secondly, discovering a secret ritual or ceremony to infuse power into this artificial creation."
Antoni gestured to the dark circles under his eyes. "Why have you summoned us to create an artifact? Don't you have your own soldiers or collectors?"
Kalvin chuckled—not a laugh of joy, but a silent manifestation of deep power. "Ordinary tasks require ordinary people. But 'The Clockwork Heart' is not ordinary. It requires people whose vision transcends conventional boundaries. Antoni, you have faced much in your life; your eyes bear the mark of diligence and knowledge.
You know how to find necessary things through unconventional paths and confront the toughest monsters. Your investigative mind is perfect for component collection."
Then Kalvin's gaze turned towards Lily. Lily was still somewhat nervous.
"And you, Lily," Kalvin continued, "the Blue Mist has seen a rare purity and fortune within you. The rituals to activate this artifact are not written in any book.
They are ancient and extremely secret. They require someone whose mind is pure and whose fate is connected to the mysterious web of the Mist. Your beauty is not merely external; your inner radiance will reveal these secret ceremonies to you."
Lily and Antoni looked at each other. They had been brought together in a strange way—an experienced searcher and a mysterious woman.
Antoni asked, "Then where do we go? What is our starting destination?"
Kalvin leaned slightly forward from his massive throne. Just then, two objects began to form within the Blue Mist. The first moved toward Antoni—an old, worn leather register, whose pages were covered in an unknown language. The second went to Lily—a tiny glass vial containing a light blue, oscillating liquid.
"For component collection, Antoni, this is your 'Catalogue of the Lost'," Kalvin stated. "It will tell you the locations of all the Nexuses and monsters from which the necessary components can be obtained. And Lily, this is the 'Essence of First Mist'," he pointed to the vial. "When you are close to the ritual, this liquid will begin to glow brightly. Both of you are blessed by the Blue Mist. Your journey starts now. Are you ready to accept this responsibility? Do not worry; I will give you a good reward if you finish this task."