Treasure Hunting System： The Ocean Conquerer

In the pitch-dark environment, the FlyYen stood alone at the island's harbor. Many abandoned shipwrecks were piled on the adjacent beach. This was the central region, a characteristic of islands where no one survived the dark outbreak. No one was currently guarding the FlyYen; it had been left there, seemingly without worry.

Soon, footsteps echoed in the darkness. A few figures emerged, guided by a dim light. A bronze lantern floated above their heads, casting a faint glow that prevented their immediate surroundings from being completely swallowed by the darkness. Although Alka and Chadite had already reached the Two Spirals level, enabling them to maintain constant Spiritual Protection, this protection, when actively defending against an attack, inevitably accelerated Magic Power consumption. Resisting the elemental assault in the darkness this way consumed significantly more Magic Power than simply maintaining the lanterns. The choice was clear.

Alka approached the FlyYen, stepped directly aboard, went to the mainmast, and removed a bell tied there. This was a Magic Item he had acquired over the past six months. This bell could help them with the ship's security, triggering an alarm if any other life form attempted to approach the vessel. Alka would receive the alert immediately and could react. Of course, the sensitivity level could be adjusted to prevent small creatures from triggering the alarm.

Pororo and Chadite also boarded the ship, raised the anchor, and unfurled the canvas. As the Spells along the ship's sides faintly glowed, the FlyYen slowly sailed out of its berth. Within seconds, it accelerated to maximum speed, slicing through the seawater as it dashed towards the nearby island.

The rapid voyage didn't take long; in less than half a day, the ship reached the vicinity of the target island. Using Dark Vision to observe the distant island, Alka steered the FlyYen toward the harbor. When the harbor came clearly into view, Alka immediately extinguished the lantern. The vessel was plunged into darkness.

The moment the light vanished, Chadite and Pororo tensed. This signaled that Alka had noticed something amiss and needed to extinguish the light to conceal their presence. Over the past six months, they had encountered this situation many times and had developed a silent understanding.

As they drew closer to the harbor, the reason for Alka's caution became clear. It was a black-sailed, three-masted frigate bearing the emblem of their enemies, the Prayer for the Dead.

Alka didn't steer the ship toward the harbor berth but headed for the coastal bluffs nearby. There were submerged reefs there that could damage a ship, but their vessel was a slender speedboat. These reefs, barely submerged, were unlikely to harm their vessel, especially since its integrity as a Spell Ship was guaranteed. This allowed them to hide the ship among the reefs, unseen by the enemy. Alka also took the opportunity to circle around and observe the ship moored in the harbor.

A faint glow from a Lighting Stone was visible on the ship, and Alka spotted crew members on deck and in the crow's nest. Judging by the ship's characteristics, it appeared to be a regular vessel, not a Spell Ship. This ship, over thirty meters long, likely carried more than one hundred pirates.

Alka had dealt with these pirates for a considerable time and had some understanding of them. Typically, such ships were led by three Touchers, but given the current situation, there might be six or more. This was because others were also targeting the Prayer for the Dead, according to information Alka had previously gathered from these pirates. On the outskirts of the Realm of Pitch Darkness, warships of the Holy Mother Church had inflicted significant damage on them, killing many Touchers and destroying more than half of their ships. Consequently, the remaining warships now had more Touchers aboard.

After mooring their vessel among the reefs, a small, finger-sized boat figurine, resembling an ornament, appeared in Alka's hand. He infused it with Magic Power and tossed it onto the sea. A small boat, approximately four to five meters long, materialized on the water. With Pororo propelling them, Alka and Chadite swiftly reached the shore.

Once ashore, Alka touched the prow, and the small boat instantly reverted to a finger-sized figurine, which he then placed into his ring. The Finger Boat was one of Alka's favored Magic Items and was considered relatively precious. They were typically sourced from renowned Blacksmiths and were mostly custom-made. Regular Touchers wouldn't bother with such fancy items; only the wealthy, with money to burn, would commission such things. Once infused with Magic Power, it could switch between its normal and miniature sizes at will, making it extremely convenient. This type of control could also be achieved using a Magic Device linked to a Magic Crystal Stone.

"How do you intend to deal with them?" Chadite asked from beside him. As she spoke, her gaze was fixed on the pirate ship in the not-too-distant harbor.

"First, we'll board the ship and secure the crew," Alka replied. "Then, we'll destroy both the ship and everyone on it."