The air immediately thickened.
"Kevin" stopped whatever he was doing and stood there like an ice sculpture.
Calvin revealed a smile and continued.
"Aren't you the Spirit of that Notebook? How about we have a little talk, you know? Maybe a little confab, so we can get to know each other..."
"You..."
"Just who are you?"
Kevin asked with a grim look in his eyes.
"Didn't I already tell you everything that is there to me? You also verified those facts, so I don't see the point of answering that question." Calvin shook his head and casually said.
"You're lying!" Kevin violently replied.
"I'm lying, you say? On what grounds? I thought that the Notebook of Secrets That Will Destroy Your Life has the capability to verify facts? Didn't you already verify the legitimacy of what I said, or are you just being in denial? But I really don't understand, I'm showing my sincerity here, but why are you being in denial?"
"Why are you denying me?"
Calvin's eyes dangerously narrowed as he stared right into Kevin.
Kevin gnashed his teeth and a crimson light flashed across his eyes.
A cold draft brushed past Calvin's face, and before he knew it.
He saw Kevin standing right in front of him with a blade near his neck.
"Are you going to cut me down?"
Calvin remained steadfast in the presence of death.
Kevin hesitated for a moment before saying, "You're not afraid of dying, are you?"
"No..."
Calvin shook his head, "I am afraid of dying. As I said, I would definitely regret it if I die prematurely after being given this opportunity to change the destiny of humanity."
"Then, why are you doing all of these?"
"Why are you needlessly risking your life?"
Kevin couldn't understand Calvin's thought process.
Since he had virtually all knowledge regarding future impactful events, keeping a low-key was a better choice.
Keeping a low profile whilst one slowly improved their strength to face those calamities was better than needlessly risking one's life and potentially ruining his second chance of turning everything around for humanity. Calvin should be more than a century old at this moment, he should've known the consequences of being the tallest tree in the forest.
Yet, why was he doing all of these?
Kevin was confused.
The spirit behind the Notebook of Secrets That Will Destroy Your Life couldn't understand Calvin at all.
Calvin stared right at Kevin and said, "It's because I want you..."
"What?"
Veins bulged on Kevin's forehead.
"Cough... I did not mean it in a strange way... Dang, you've lived in this world for so long already, yet you're still thinking like a high-schooler! It's true that I want you, but I didn't mean it that way! I want you to become my Blessed Artifact!"
"Oh..." Kevin furrowed his eyebrows. Of course, he knew what Calvin meant. But since there was no harm of confirming everything, then why not confirm it?
"Why do you want me to be your Blessed Artifact? Since you already know about that term, then I am sure that you know what will happen if I become your Blessed Artifact!" Kevin glared at Calvin.
"Yes, of course..." Calvin nodded his head in a matter-of-factly way.
"Then, why are you asking me to be your Blessed Artifact?" Kevin was somewhat exasperated. He felt as if he was dancing above Calvin's palms.
"Just like I said, I need you... Is there really more that we need to talk about? So, what about it? Are you willing to become my Blessed Artifact or not?" Calvin lightly chuckled and stared right into Kevin's eyes.
"Of course, not! Why would I deliberately court death, when I'm already this comfortable in my personal bubble! Fuck off man, and get the fuck out of my world." Kevin raised his head and was about to summon his power to rip a hole in the space of this independent world, but then Calvin suddenly said in a teasing voice.
"Are you sure that you want to do that?"
Kevin raised an eyebrow.
His hand froze in mid-air as he asked, "What did you say?"
"No, I was just saying if you really want to waste this opportunity. I mean, you already stayed here long enough. I think it's about time for you to go out and see how the world changed within the past... I don't know, how old are you again?"
Calvin pressed his left hand underneath his chin and pondered, "Ah! I know! Within the past three thousand and sixty-eight years! Let me guess, you must be imprisoned here for only a few years, but you've been captured by a third-party for that long?"
Kevin was astounded.
"Did I hit the bull's eye?" Calvin revealed a cheeky smile.
"Oh, shut up, man... So, what if you hit the bull's eye? Did you really think that something like that is enough to convince me?" Kevin crossed his arms in front of his chest. Both men stared menacingly at each other, none of them were willing to admit defeat.
Especially Calvin who had long lusted after the Notebook of Secrets That Will Destroy Your Life.
"All right. I knew that this isn't enough to convince me. In other words, how about I just go ahead and tell you of my plans on how I can get you out of this place then?" Calvin lifted a confident smile.
Kevin thought that it was absurd, but for some reason. He felt an inexplicable trust towards Calvin. Was this because he was once an Apex Predator at the Writer Profession? Or was it because of what Calvin was strangely kind to the demons Ziya and Leonard?
Kevin wanted to know the answer to his question but before he could think even further...
Calvin was already speaking.
"You are an incredibly powerful being..."
"After being tricked by Fivecent, you were captured and became similar to a caged dog inside this nightmare called the Mount Spirit Sword Asylum. You've been here since the day that Fivecent established its power in the world of Las Felipinas..."
"Several years may not be a lot for others and even for me, but for someone like you who lusted upon the desires and secrets of others. Being placed in such a lonely place like this with only madmen and a dead sword as your company is probably too much to bear."
"You want to go out."
"You want to explore the world and unlock the secrets of the world and the universe."
"But unfortunately, you can't get out of this place with your power alone."
"Fivecent would almost immediately detect your actions the moment you did anything weird and once that happened, then they would lock you up and steal everything from you. Including this fake world that you made by your own hands..."
"After gathering the souls of the demons that Fivecent reared, you soon had enough souls to recreate an entire school..."
"As for the reason why you did all of these, perhaps... It is because you feel so lonely, or maybe because you have some strange fantasies in your mind regarding bullies and being bullied, but who knows?"
"Hey, you bastard! You're going too far!" Kevin jumped out of his seat and stared angrily at Calvin.
The air thickened and Calvin found it hard to breathe.
Calvin stretched his hand up in the air and draw a sign with his middle and index finger.
Then, he softly uttered: "Aksii..."
The suffocating air vanished like nothing.
He then turned to look at Kevin and said, "I'm still not done, don't overreact."
Calvin then opened his mouth and was about to talk, but Kevin interrupted him again.
"Wait, you!"
"How do you know the ancient art of Runecraft?"
Calvin stared at Kevin and smiled, "Runecraft? Do you mean what I just did? Well, I learned it as a hobby back then."
"You..."
Kevin's figure trembled like a sieve.
Learning an ancient lost art as a hobby? Do you really think that someone will believe that?!
He was fuming, but he hurriedly suppressed himself and continued to listen to Calvin's bullshit.
However, he was incredibly excited.
The reason why he refused Calvin's help outright was that he couldn't see how Calvin could help him escape from this place undetected.
But now that Calvin actually knew the ancient art of Runecrafting.
Kevin could see a vague beacon of hope amidst the darkness.
But it was clearly not time to speak, he would be quite rude as Calvin's senior to interrupt what a junior like Calvin was saying, so he closed his mouth and patiently listened.
Calvin continued what he was saying and, in the end, "In other words... I reckon that in order for you to escape from this place, you would need the help of the Spirit Sword and a third-party..."
"The third-party must know how to create a grand formation that can tap on the power of the Spirit Sword to the fullest without letting any strange Mana signatures waft out so that Fivecent won't notice the anomaly until it's already too late."
"Of course, with your knowledge. You can easily create a grand formation like that, but formations require certain materials such as special papers blessed by one of the Seven Gods and Goddesses for it to work. However, since you are just a Spirit of an Artifact, it is impossible for you to acquire the blessing of any of the Gods and Goddesses."
"Since I am a third-party, and even knows the ancient art of Runecrafting and acquiring the blessing of one of the Gods, I believe that I am more than enough to help you, what do you think?" Calvin took a deep breath. His lengthy persuasive speech was finally over.
Kevin's eyes were practically shining right now out of excitement.
To be honest, the time that he spent here wasn't really that long.
But since he was alone with nothing but a few dozen of demons whose hearts he manipulated through his power to make them seem like humans. Technically, he was still alone. He knew that fact himself, so he couldn't say that he wasn't excited hearing Calvin's proposal.
Furiously nodding his head as if he was a chicken pecking rice, Kevin replied, "Yes, yes, that's right! You're right! That is indeed the dilemma that I am facing. From the looks of it, you really are a suitable candidate to help me out of here. Will you be willing to help me?" Kevin revealed a begging puppy-eyed look.
Calvin felt weird seeing the expression on Kevin's face.
Even though Kevin's body was that of a child, he was still an artifact who lived for several thousands of years.
Does he not know the meaning of shame?
Calvin inwardly criticized.
But seeing that Kevin was waiting for his answer, he lifted a smile on his face and replied.
"Of course, I'm willing to help you."
"But the question is..."
"Are you willing to pay the price?"