Treasure Hunting System： The Ocean Conquerer

Alka stepped forward and pushed hard along the crevice, revealing a clearly man-made tunnel before the three of them. This tunnel had been dug very large, at least four or five meters high, apparently not just for personal convenience; it had certainly also been designed to facilitate the transportation of certain things downwards.

As the tunnel opened, the sound of the sea ebbing and flowing seemed to drift from afar. A fresh fragrance and the salty, damp scent of the sea instantly grew strong inside.

It was almost certain that a cave below connected to the sea beneath the Island, very likely an underground river. It was highly probable that this basement, or even the Governor's Mansion above it, had been deliberately constructed because of this underlying cave.

Since the tunnel was large enough not to hinder Pororo's movements, he moved directly ahead of the other two, clearing the path. After all, he was thick-skinned and sturdy, with a strong and tall physique.

They proceeded along the stone slab path underfoot, past long-extinguished lanterns on either side, spiraling downwards. Along the way, they encountered a few skeletons at the tunnel's entrance that rose to attack them.

There seem to be quite a few permanent residents underground, they thought, yet in the basement, no Evil Spirits or skeletons had tried to stop us.

When the trio reached the end of the passage, near a corner that seemed to lead outside, a faint glimmer of light shone in, reflecting on the stone wall at the passage's terminus. Seeing this faint, flickering light, the three of them exchanged glances.

This light was clearly not natural, not after all these hundreds of years.

The Governor went to such great lengths to build this down here; what exactly did he hide?

The three of them shifted from vigilance to a state of readiness, prepared to attack at any moment. Maintaining their formation, they crept forward slowly, then suddenly darted out of the opening at the bend.

What greeted them wasn't anything formidable, just a few skeletons slowly rising from the ground. Pororo stepped forward, kicking each one into fragments before they could fully stand. Only then did the three see what was emitting the glow before them, and for a moment, they stood rooted to the spot, somewhat dazed.

This was a massive cavern. Although there were signs of human alteration, it was clear that the cave itself was originally natural. An underground river flowed through it, its current audible. Its source was a vast pool of water that occupied more than half the cavern's area. The source of the glow was a large, transparent blue crystal floating above this pool.

What shocked them wasn't the transparent crystal itself, but what lay within it. It was a beautiful woman with a delicate, mature, and alluring face. Her irresistibly curvaceous body was scantily clad, with two pretty shells covering her chest. A necklace made of pearls hung from her neck, from which dangled an ancient-looking key. Her long, aquamarine hair partly veiled her body, making her appear even more enticing.

With both arms, she cradled her slightly curled lower body. It was a fish-like tail, and through the crystal, they could see its shimmering scales, each like a perfectly cut diamond affixed to its surface. Yes, this was a Mermaid—a creature existing only in stories, in legends. She was peacefully and motionlessly sealed within the crystal.

Recovering his senses, Alka couldn't help but turn to look at Pororo beside him; even Chadite did the same.

It's hard not to associate Merfolk with Mermaids, Alka thought. Perhaps there's some connection between the two Races.

Pororo noticed their gazes.

"Damn it, I don't know either!" Pororo exclaimed, still looking shocked. "Like you, I've only heard of such beings in legendary tales. Merfolk and Mermaids... there's no special connection. Even we Merfolk believe Mermaids are fictional."

Seeing Pororo still hadn't recovered from his shock, Alka and Chadite nodded, somewhat reassured, and turned their gaze back to the crystal.

"So, is this thing real or fake?" Pororo asked them, his voice still tinged with disbelief.

He genuinely had no idea about such things. After all, the Mermaid is sealed in that crystal. Who knows if she's real or fake? What if it's some kind of Magic Item? Over the past six months, he'd witnessed all sorts of human oddities, but also some very useful Magic Items.

Alka gazed at the massive crystal before him and the Mermaid sealed within, who appeared to be in a Deep Sleep.

This crystal is marked as treasure on the map, with a blue border around it.

A semicircular wooden platform extended from the shore to beneath the crystal. However, being made of wood, it had long since decayed and was riddled with cracks. It looks like it could easily collapse if someone stepped on it. The other half of the cavern's dry land was filled with various long-rotted implements, now covered in vines and moss.

However, in response to Pororo's question, Alka just shook his head.

I don't know if it's real or fake either, Alka thought for a moment, then said aloud, "Shall we go over and take a look?"

"Will it be dangerous?" Chadite couldn't help but ask. Safety should come first right now.

"It should be fine," Alka replied. "See that platform? It was specifically built. This place seems to have been designed for studying this... thing. They must have touched this crystal before, so there shouldn't be any major problems."

The main reason Alka wanted to touch it was so the map's blue dot marker would register that he had acquired the treasure. Doing so would unlock more information, potentially revealing the item's specific name and allowing him to deduce more about it.

With that said, Alka walked towards the platform. Although it was somewhat decayed and cracked, it seemed to support his weight without major issue. Stepping onto the platform, Alka extended a finger and gently touched the crystal floating in mid-air. The sealed crystal hovered no more than half a meter above the water's surface.