Treasure Hunting System： The Ocean Conquerer

"Messenger who clutches the wheat stalk, I beseech you to open the gateway to the Nether River..."

"Grant us a vessel that may traverse the Nether River, a lantern to illuminate the darkness..."

Unheard prayers flowed gently from Andre's lips, and as he chanted, the Sword of Love ignited. This time the flames were milky white, exuding a sacred, gentle aura, dancing along the blade toward the bones.

Enveloped by the sacred flames, the fire on the bones blazed fiercely. From within the flames, a thread-like flame extended, connecting to the beautiful soul.

Jasmine closed her eyes, embracing herself. An expression of deep relaxation spread over her face, her lips curling into a faint smile. The flames entwined around her, and Jasmine's soul emanated a gentle radiance, gradually dimming until it vanished completely.

The sound of flowing water, as if the sea were surging or a river running, resonated in the silent manor. But this place was far from the sea, and there were no rivers nearby. Where did this sound originate?

Alka seemed to see a tranquil sea. A vessel, with a white lantern aboard, slowly sailed closer, the scene hazy and indistinct.

As the flames on the bones faded, the sounds and images vanished entirely. The bones, at some point, had turned into a heap of ashes.

Having completed the Chanting, Andre opened his eyes and sheathed the Sword of Love back into the metal case on his back. The case closed slowly. Andre then clasped his hands before him and bowed ceremoniously. Only then did he crouch to carefully gather the ashes, placing them into a prepared cloth bag.

He then turned to Alka and the others, gestured with his head, and said, "Hurry and retrieve your rewards; it's time to return."

The three nodded and jumped down into the tunnel. As the light illuminated the way, they saw the wooden chest buried in the earth. They opened the chest and shone a light inside, finding many items piled up. Sitting on top was a small wooden box, along with some manuals and various tools stacked below.

Jason reached in, picked up the wooden box, looked at it, and handed it directly to Alka. "This is a gift just for you."

Alka took it and saw words etched on it.

Gami looked at the remaining items in the chest and said, "Let's move this stuff back to the ship before splitting it. There's quite a bit here, and staying is a waste of time."

The other two nodded, then forcefully pulled the wooden chest from the ground. After closing it up again, Gami held it aloft with his tentacles.

"Alright, let's head back," Andre said, stepping outside. When they reached the manor garden, he chose a spot with more flowers, dug a pit, and buried the ashes.

They then followed the path back, soon boarding the vessel.

In the night, the Sea Fist left its berth.

"We're setting sail to return," Andre announced. "Everyone can rest. Keep an eye on your mental state; we've spent too much time in the Realm of Pitch Darkness." With those words, he returned to the captain's cabin.

However, the rest had no intention of leaving, following him into the captain's cabin because Alka and the others still needed to divide their spoils. Chadite and the others were also curious about what items the girl had left behind.

They placed the chest onto the table, taking the items out one by one: a small booklet, several books, and a rather crude map of the Realm of Pitch Darkness. Then there were the Magic Items: a monocular telescope, a clip seemingly for binding hair, a lady's bracelet, and a dagger.

"Quite a lot of items," Jason couldn't help but laugh.

Gami began to appraise these Magic Items. "This telescope isn't much different from the captain's. It can see farther than a regular telescope and pierce darkness, fog, and bright light, provided these phenomena are not created by supernatural forces."

These four items were for Alka, Jason, and Gami to divide—their personal bounty.

Gami held the telescope and asked the other two, "Do you need this? If not, I'll take it." He had used the telescope in Andre's hands before and was very interested in it, feeling it suited him.

The two were not particularly attached to it, and since Gami wanted it, they had no intention of contesting. They shook their heads.

After Gami took it, he picked up the hair clip. "A lady's hair clip. It should uplift one's spirits slightly when worn. It looks nice and is made from expensive materials, worth two to three Golden Sails."

The three men looked at the item—decorated with gemstones and butterfly-like carvings—with no desire to claim it. It would be difficult for any normal man to accept wearing such a thing in their hair, not to mention they didn't have enough hair to secure it properly.

At that moment, Vanessa, who was nearby, patted the table and said, "You don't want it? If not, I'll buy it." She liked its appearance very much, and the fact that it had magical effects made it even better.

"Alright." The three had no objections and nodded.

Vanessa left the captain's cabin briefly and returned with three Golden Sails, handing one to each of them. Then she took the hair clip, placed it in her hair, and started chatting with Chadite.

"This bracelet," Gami said, examining it, "let me see... It's probably for ordinary people to wear. It can slightly enhance their physical condition."

Hearing this, Jason's eyes lit up. "Then I'll take this," he said eagerly.

Alka thought the item wasn't bad, but since Jason wanted it, he wouldn't compete for it. He nodded in agreement. Even though they were practitioners, they all had family who undoubtedly needed such things.

The last item, the dagger, which seemed the most valuable, ended up in Alka's hands.

Gami's appraisal of the dagger revealed that, aside from its exceptionally sturdy material, it also possessed a very common weapon attribute: sharpness. However, to bring out its sharpness, one had to infuse it with Magic Power, just like with a Locking Device. Gami thoughtfully crafted a makeshift cloth sheath for the dagger on the spot and handed it to Alka along with the weapon. Alka tucked it at his waist.

He was in need of a close-combat weapon, and the dagger wasn't bad. A Sailor's Saber would have been even better, though.

"The markings on this map should be where Jasmine mentioned she has leftover wealth on other islands, right?" Jason remarked, looking at the map. He then handed it to Alka. "You keep it safe. We'll explore those places later."

Alka nodded, took the map, and stored it directly in his Pocket Ring. Since he had storage equipment, it was best for this item to be in his care.

Gami flipped through the little booklet, somewhat surprised. "This booklet actually notes down several lost Spells! What a coincidence!"

"What do you mean, 'coincidence'?" Alka turned his head to ask.

"It has [Dark Vision] in here, the one Jason asked about before."

Hearing this, everyone felt it was quite a coincidence, as Jason had spoken about it when they first landed on the island. To think they had obtained it now!

Besides [Dark Vision], the booklet also contained [Swing Dagger], a Spell that made dagger attacks quicker, and [Stealth], a Spell that made actions more covert. The three Spells, combined with the dagger, could actually allow a practitioner to take on an assassin-like role. The combination was quite perfect.

[Stealth] was fine. It was a Spell that worked best when engraved on equipment, as using it constantly would be a waste of Magic Power.

Alka found the [Swing Dagger] Spell somewhat absurd; it seemed far too niche to be truly useful. He couldn't comprehend why it was limited only to daggers; it felt like a waste of effort to learn.

Unable to hold back, he asked, "This Spell is so weird. How exactly did it evolve?"

"It was either realized from a certain dagger-type [Treasure] or deliberately researched and condensed from a more powerful weapon skill Spell," Gami explained from the side in response to Alka's question. These kinds of peculiar Spells are often encountered after evolving from others, so they weren't too rare.

As for the other books, there was nothing particularly interesting in them. They were part of a collection containing some techniques and knowledge, but nothing of great use. They were all rare manuscripts, suitable as collectibles for a library. They could just give them to Liboka later.

Andre showed great interest in the [Dark Vision] Spell. He said to them, "Would you be willing to give this Spell to the Church? The Church will give an equivalent contribution."

Before Alka could react, Gami and Jason hastily nodded. Seeing their actions, Alka also nodded along.

For both of them to agree so quickly without even asking his opinion, the contribution from the Church must definitely be worth it. It wouldn't even cross their minds that this exchange would be unfair.

Chadite explained from nearby, "Church contributions are hard to come by; you must have genuinely brought some help to the Church for them to be awarded."

Hearing Chadite's words, Alka turned his head to look at her. "Do you know the Mind Reading Technique?"

Chadite couldn't help but cover her mouth and laugh. "HAHAHA! Of course not. It's just that whenever you're in doubt, you slightly raise an eyebrow. Haven't you noticed?"

Hearing this, Alka touched his eyebrows. "Really? I hadn't noticed."

Seeing all three agree, Andre said directly, "This Spell is quite useful here. Do we have the materials on the ship?"

Gami nodded. "Not on the ship, but the squid's blood from before can be a substitute."

"Hold on, I'll get it for you." With that, he hurriedly left the captain's cabin and headed into the ship's hold. Soon, he returned carrying a few vials of dark red blood, handing one to each person. Everyone was sure to learn this Spell; it was definitely a practical one. By handing this Spell to the Church, the Church would surely have to give the three a substantial contribution in return.

Then, everyone gathered around the booklet to read the important notes for learning the Spell. After memorizing it, they each returned to their respective rooms.

Back in his room, Alka didn't immediately start comprehending the Spell. Instead, he held out his hand, and a wooden box materialized on his palm. It was the gift Jasmine had said she would give him.

However, this was actually meant for Lucilia.

Lucilia promptly emerged from the Mirror, sitting down at the nearby table. Alka walked over, placed the wooden box on the table, and opened it.

Inside was another booklet, with a doll-like object placed on top. The doll was surrounded by a blue outline; this was the most valuable item in the box.

Alka picked up the doll, examining it. It was very heavy, weighing over ten pounds at least. The doll was humanoid, without any decorations, and was covered with grime and damage. It somewhat resembled something abandoned.

Alka couldn't make out what this thing was at all, and Lucilia, too, shook her head.

Alka set the doll aside and picked up the small booklet to read it.

So that was it, Alka thought. This really is perfect for Lucilia.