Treasure Hunting System： The Ocean Conquerer

Simmons Ragu stood at the bow of the ship, feeling the connection with his son becoming increasingly vague.

Such a sharp kid. I wonder how long you can stay in there, he thought.

The old man standing next to him said, "Captain, the ships ambushing around us came up empty-handed; their ship is too fast."

Simmons nodded, indicating he understood.

He wondered how his son had managed to acquire such a speed-specialized Spell Ship in such a short time.

"Send these scumbags out to search the perimeter," Simmons ordered. "Don't let him hide comfortably in there. Constant pursuit will keep his mind on edge, exposing flaws and making him easier prey for the darkness within."

Upon hearing his captain's command, the old man nodded.

Simmons' gaze remained fixed in the direction Alka had departed.

「...」

"So many ambushes! Good thing we slipped away quickly," Alka couldn't help but remark as the ships that had been trying to surround them completely disappeared from sight.

They had just turned to flee when they encountered ships attempting to encircle them from all directions.

Fortunately, the enemy never anticipated they possessed such a fast ship, and Alka's group escaped before they could react.

The enemy's encirclement was useless against them; their ship was too swift, and the distance between them rapidly increased.

With no pursuers left, Alka sat on the ship and began to thoughtfully plan his next actions. This reconnaissance had set the tone for his future strategy.

"Right now, Father is probably patiently waiting for me to succumb to the darkness here," Alka said aloud, continuing his thoughts. "He's lying in wait, expecting me to fall right into his trap."

"But it won't take long for him to realize I'm not as afraid of this darkness as he expects."

"When that time comes, he'll definitely change his plans and find other ways to capture us."

Hearing Alka's words, Chadite stared at him. "But you have to understand," she said, "you can only last longer than others; you can't completely ignore the darkness here."

He nodded at Chadite's reminder.

Her soul is stronger than an average person's, and she can allow Lucilia to enter her Soul Space to assist her with Spiritual Protection, Alka considered. But this is just a temporary measure; this method is inadequate to completely ignore the darkness. The longer she stays here, the more the corrosive darkness will leave its mark. Eventually, even a soul stronger than average would be useless against it. However, the time Father would need to wait might be longer than I anticipated—perhaps even five or six times longer. But this would eventually lead to my capture.

Even with Chadite beside me, who might draw some of the darkness's attention, a significant amount would still target her. Chadite would be the first of the three of us to be driven mad by the encroaching darkness. And I can't just watch idly. As for Pororo, he's completely fearless of the darkness, not to mention his strength surpasses that of the other two.

At this thought, Alka closed his eyes and began to communicate inwardly with Lucilia.

"Can Chadite learn the Meditation Method you taught me?" he asked. "This way, she can quickly reach Two Spirals and master the Spiritual Protection you mentioned."

His own Meditation Method had been taught by Lucilia, so he had to seek her opinion.

Lucilia agreed without hesitation.

"Of course, no problem," she replied. "It will also help her grow strong quickly, so she can assist you in any possible upcoming battles."

Hearing Lucilia's reply, Alka inwardly said, "Thank you!"

Alka opened his eyes but didn't immediately begin teaching Chadite.

It's best if fewer people know about this Meditation Method, he thought. So, he decided to wait until Pororo left the ship to fish.

As his understanding of the Extraordinary World grew, Alka became increasingly aware of how enticing the Meditation Method would be to ordinary Touchers.

Currently, his cooperation with Pororo was temporary, based solely on their shared goal of vengeance. They knew too little about each other, so Alka dared not recklessly reveal the Meditation Method to him, especially since Pororo's strength already surpassed their own.

"Chadite, I have something important to tell you. You must keep it to yourself and not disclose it to anyone without my consent," Alka said seriously. "Swear by the name of the Holy Mother."

Chadite, who was at the helm, looked puzzled when she heard Alka's words. Her expression turned serious when he asked her to swear by the Holy Mother's name. This indicated that what Alka was about to say was extremely important, not an ordinary matter.

Chadite furrowed her brows. After a moment of thought, she nodded. "I swear by the name of the Holy Mother that I will keep what Alka is about to tell me locked in my heart forever."

As a follower of the Holy Mother in this world where the Divine truly existed, violating such an oath would mean abandonment by the Holy Mother, or even a Curse.

Hearing Chadite's vow, Alka nodded. He then began to explain some details about the Meditation Method and taught her the associated Spell.

"Your strength... you've reached One Spiral?" Chadite asked, her voice filled with surprise.

Since advancing to One Spiral, Alka hadn't fought, so his true strength hadn't been revealed. Chadite knew that Alka had only been a Toucher for a few months, during which he had always been with them. Yet, he had advanced to One Spiral in such a short time, while it had taken her two years to achieve the same.

After Alka finished explaining the Meditation Method, she couldn't help but exclaim, "Something like this actually exists? Are you sure it's okay to teach it to me?"

Hearing this, Alka chuckled. "Don't worry, it's fine. Lucilia taught this to me, and she agreed that I could pass it on to you."

At his words, Chadite stared at Alka's chest. "Thank you, Lucilia," she said.

"HEE HEE! No need to thank me. We're friends now," Lucilia's spirit chirped, emerging from Alka's chest.

When Pororo returned to the ship and took over sail control from Alka, Alka, in turn, relieved Chadite at the helm. This allowed Chadite to rest and begin learning the Spell and experiencing the new Meditation Method.

Alka now controlled the ship's helm. The calm sea meant he didn't need to worry too much about what lay ahead, so his mind began to consider their next course of action.

I need a clear plan, a well-thought-out one, Alka thought. Time waits for no one, and we're still being pursued. We're not completely safe, and time is not on our side. The first thing I need to do is advance my strength to Two Spirals before the darkness consumes me. This is the primary condition and my top priority. I estimate it will take no more than a year to reach Two Spirals; at my current pace, perhaps a little over six months. The time I can currently endure within the darkness is clearly longer than half a year, especially since I have the Pocket Ring with plenty of Potions for clearing mental afflictions. The Realm of Pitch Darkness will be the ideal place for me to increase my strength.

Beyond that, I need to consider practical combat. If I truly have to confront Father head-on, then I must obtain one essential item: a Treasure. Without a Treasure, even if I advance to Three Spirals, I'll have no way to fight back. Possessing a Treasure would provide at least a minimum guarantee.

Currently, I know of three locations where Treasures are buried. One is the Golden Location marked on the map from Sad's youth; I still have the Compass that points to this Island. But I only have the Island map and its specific direction; I don't know where the Island was located back then. It's very likely outside the Realm of Pitch Darkness. So this option isn't feasible for now.

However, the detailed sea chart of the Realm of Pitch Darkness that I possess shows two golden markers. This means there are two Treasures buried within this Realm of Pitch Darkness, waiting for me to find them. The accompanying detailed charts don't cover these two specific areas, which means I first have to go to the Islands indicated by the golden markers. I'll need Chadite to draw detailed maps so I can learn more about these Treasures. At the very least, I need to know the Difficulty of obtaining them. That way, I can make adequate preparations. In the meantime, I can explore more 'blue' treasures—I'll choose the ones that are easy to obtain to increase our strength.

After all, the entire Realm of Pitch Darkness was destroyed suddenly. Many treasures were simply left out in the open, not deliberately hidden. That's why many of the 'blue' treasures aren't very difficult to obtain. If only the golden Treasures were like that too... but of course, reality isn't so kind. Every Treasure is precious, regardless of the era. It was the same even in Lucilia's time. They would typically be kept in the most secure locations or carried by powerful individuals. There's no chance they'd just be casually discarded somewhere, easy to find.

With these thoughts, Alka spread the sea chart out on the helm and examined it carefully. The two points of light were located within the territories of two former countries. Undoubtedly, one was on the edge of the core region, near its center, while the other was right next to the core region.

First, it's certain that Undead exist in such areas. And where there are Treasures, there must have been Touchers—possibly a great many of them. Touchers turn into Evil Spirits when they die. The Evil Spirits we encountered on the way to find the Sword of Love already proved this. So, it's certain that numerous Evil Spirits surround these Treasures, perhaps even some as strong as or stronger than an Archbishop. The probability of that is quite high.

This will be the first major hurdle. Trying to map these Islands will undoubtedly mean facing attacks from the Evil Spirits there. But when all is said and done, all these problems boil down to one thing: strength. It seems obtaining a Treasure within half a year is impossible. I'll have to wait until I reach Two Spirals before even attempting to investigate. By then, if Pororo joins us, we'll have three experts at the Two Spirals level, which will give us a much greater chance of success. Besides, I still have my final trump card.

At this thought, Alka shrugged slightly, hitching the metal box strapped to his back a little higher.