Treasure Hunting System： The Ocean Conquerer

"There's still plenty of time now."

Having said that, Alka walked toward the core.

He arrived at the second-level gun deck, pushed open the door to a room, and went inside. The surroundings resembled a warehouse, piled with various materials, mostly wooden boards and supplies for ship repair. Alka bypassed these materials and went straight to the circular wall. He reached out, tapped it, and channeled his Magic Power. Dense lines spread out from the point he touched, then a door revealed itself, opening to both sides.

Alka walked inside.

A gigantic cello core, three meters high, floated in the air within the cylindrical space. As he looked at the core, the Dream Catcher on Alka's chest and the Mirror Surface above his head began to float. As his Magic Power surged forth, a pink mist and a transparent light started to cover the core, completely enveloping it. Alka was using the Treasure to link with the core, conducting its final enlightenment.

After completing the entire process, Alka retrieved the Treasure. The link for enlightenment between the Treasure and the core had been established. Only a little more time was needed, allowing it to be gradually influenced by the Treasure. In a few months, it could cross this final stage and become a true Ghost Ship. This could be done before leaving the Homeland Sea.

Alka smiled and tapped the core. "Come on, good girl."

Listening to the music emanating from the core, he smiled and walked out, sealing the door securely behind him.

When he reached the deck, Bobby, Andre, and Vanessa had already boarded the ship. Guided by the others, they were touring the entire vessel.

"This ship is really nice," Bobby said, looking at it with great satisfaction. He had worked in a shipyard for a while and knew a fair bit about ships. "If only I'd had a ship like this when I was young."

"Hahaha, you're old now. Envious, aren't you?" Jason teased with a laugh from the side.

"You brat, what did you say?"

Amidst such playful banter and laughter, they all waited for the feast to begin. The dining naturally took place in a cozy little dining room, spacious enough for everyone. Juanlu had also proven his worth, demonstrating that Alka and the others had made the right choice in spending so much effort to bring him aboard. Even old Bobby, who had roamed the seas for many years, was full of praise for his cooking.

Joyful voices and laughter echoed deep into the night.

* * *

"Still not working?" Alka asked, holding the Bloody Team Banner and looking at Julia and Jason before him.

Both shook their heads.

"No. Although we can't feel the aura of the Treasure on ourselves, it's very obvious to other Treasures," Julia said, recalling her recent attempt.

Over a month had passed since they returned to the Great Cathedral and acquired the Dawn Sound. After more than a month of settling in, everyone had thought they could attempt to master a Treasure once more. After so long, any residual aura from their previous Treasures should have dissipated.

Yet, it still didn't work. The faint trace of aura lingering on the two of them was indeed very apparent to the Bloody Team Banner Alka held. It was as if they still possessed a Treasure, causing the banner to resist their Magic Power. Treasures were far more sensitive to each other's Magic Power than they had anticipated.

Alka shook his head. "Looks like we'll have to wait a bit longer." Then, he carefully put the banner Treasure away. Since it didn't work, they would just have to wait.

Their ship, the Dawn Sound, was still docked at the Great Cathedral's port—not at the island's main public harbor, but at a private port to its side. This was a berth Andre had arranged for them. In front of this private port, there was also a decent training field.

Andre was already inside the Great Cathedral undergoing training to become a Regional Bishop and was also adapting to his Spell-Constructed Demon Arm. Once he fully adapted, it might even enhance his strength.

As for Vanessa, already a Priest of the Church, she was undergoing the assessment to become a Saint, relying on her proficient healing techniques. Once Andre completed his training, she would accompany him to other dioceses.

Meanwhile, Alka had arrived at the manufacturing hall on the second deck. Various materials, pieces of wreckage, and experimental items were already gathered inside. In several large, transparent liquid-filled tanks, unidentifiable tissues of flesh and blood could be seen, making the place resemble an evil laboratory.

However, the flesh-and-blood tissues inside those transparent tanks were not human; they belonged to beasts that had reached One Spiral or Two Spirals in strength. These materials were present because the new version of puppets Alka was creating required flesh and blood. Additionally, he needed the Mirror Surface to have more options, allowing him to select the most suitable targets for its mimicry.

The reason these new puppet constructs utilized such materials was that Alka had recently obtained a Spell while holding the banner. This opportunity to comprehend Spells from the banner arose because Alka would occasionally provoke it with his Magic Power. This kept it in an agitated state, and at such times, if Alka forcefully endured its rejection, others could also touch the Treasure, giving everyone a chance to comprehend a Spell.

And it was during one such instance that he comprehended a relevant Spell—coincidentally, one that could be used in puppet manufacturing.

[Blood and Flesh Veins]. The effect of this Spell allowed the user to absorb the power of other flesh and blood for recovery or temporary self-enhancement. It likely originated from one of the Treasure's secondary abilities—specifically, drawing strength from those it controlled. Of course, this Spell was clearly a degraded version, its effect not nearly as exaggerated as that of the Treasure itself.

However, when this Spell was combined with [Eternal]—another Spell commonly used by Engravers—it achieved a peculiar effect.