Treasure Hunting System： The Ocean Conquerer

And then there was the most critical issue. Alka had probed indirectly; from their reactions, it was clear this Magic Mirror indeed possessed a considerable history. However, this "considerable history" was only relative to them. In the grand scheme of the world, it was but a brief span—likely not exceeding a few hundred years. The problem was that the history of the recent few thousand years had been meticulously recorded, showing no major upheavals, not even dramatic shifts in islands or sea regions. Furthermore, the historical records on the ship originated from the Holy Mother Church and were highly credible.

At the time, Alka had his suspicions. However, he truly didn't know which era Lucilia belonged to, so he hadn't told her about this. He speculated her origins lay beyond the Edge Sea Region. But concerning the lands outside the Edge Sea Region, there was no recorded information whatsoever—a complete blank, as if deliberately concealed. Telling Lucilia wouldn't have achieved much anyway; it couldn't help her discover her era or place of origin.

However, when he encountered the Mermaid Julia, especially upon witnessing the clear bond of trust between Lucilia and Julia, he knew the mystery of Lucilia's past life was about to be unraveled. Coupled with Lucilia's words at that time and the information obtained from Julia, he could almost completely confirm his suspicions. Although Lucilia, at that moment, didn't seem to have considered this point enough to deliberately inquire further.

Julia was a living Intelligent Life, sealed by crystal for at most 400 years. Setting aside the actual length of her lifespan, it was certain she had some association and communication with Lucilia's former Race. Her reaction upon seeing Lucilia was one of pleasant surprise, not astonishment, indicating that their two Races had communicated before.

At this moment, Lucilia finally spoke, her voice tinged with undeniable confusion.

"Hmm, when I was chatting with her just now, she did mention something about our Race..."

Saying this, she turned her head to look at Alka.

"Did you know? Neither she nor I actually come from here. Or rather, not from this world."

Through her conversation with Julia, Lucilia learned that Julia came from the same place she herself once belonged to. During their conversation, Julia had inadvertently mentioned a few well-known locations that only existed during the time she remembered being alive. Furthermore, judging from Julia's state, it was evident she might not yet realize she was in an entirely different place than before.

Julia had been sealed in crystal because she encountered a major crisis at some point and had to resort to such a method to ensure her survival. From the moment she was sealed, she had lost consciousness, only regaining it a short time ago. This meant that even she didn't know how she had arrived here.

This gave Lucilia hope, yet also plunged her into despair.

As for Julia's Six Spirals strength, it wasn't surprising from Lucilia's perspective. After all, the place they came from had the Meditation Method, and it wasn't considered anything particularly extraordinary there. With the aid of the Meditation Method, rapid improvement in strength was inevitable. It was only because she had spent a long time with Alka and the others that she clearly understood just how extraordinary the feats a Six Spirals expert could accomplish were. Previously, she had only learned about such things from books, lacking any concrete frame of reference.

Now she knew: her family might very well be alive, her former friends could still exist in the world. Her former hometown still existed. This realization fascinated her, stirring the homesickness that had been buried deep within her heart during her time in the dark confines of the Magic Mirror. She had previously believed that too much time had passed, that everything she knew was long gone, vanished like smoke. Thus, she hadn't allowed herself to care or reminisce. Because it was all gone, reminiscing wouldn't have brought any benefit; burying it deep in her heart had seemed sufficient.

But now she knew it wasn't that time had erased everything, but that she was simply too far away. At least there was still a chance.

Her hometown was still there! Her relatives and friends might still exist!

This suppressed emotion surged forth instantly, leaving Lucilia confused and somewhat bewildered. The hope blooming within her clashed powerfully with her sense of powerlessness in reality.

Alka watched as Lucilia's beautiful face revealed confusion, longing, and a mixture of various other emotions. He could understand; he could even empathize with her precisely.

Because my own situation is perhaps no better than Lucilia's in any respect. The drastic change in environment, the joy of resurrection, yet the regret of potentially never being able to return...

These were all things Alka had previously buried deep in his heart, things he tried not to let himself dwell on. If Alka were to learn of a way to return to his former world, he too would instantly become just as bewildered. But he would undoubtedly strive to meet whatever requirements were necessary. That was why he could resonate so strongly with Lucilia now.

He spoke, "Do you want to go home?"

Upon hearing this, Lucilia turned her head again to stare at him, then helplessly shook her head.

"But I have no idea how to go back."

"You've been overwhelmed by this sudden information. You should calm down and think carefully. Do you really not know?"

"What do you mean?" Lucilia's face was filled with confusion.

I should know? How could I possibly know?

Alka closed his eyes and opened his hand. A thick, ancient-looking book appeared in it.