Treasure Hunting System： The Ocean Conquerer

There seemed to be some Spell obscuring vision. One needed to be within a certain range to see clearly.

Between the two giant stone pillars, the reefs had disappeared. However, all around, extending far into the distance, various gigantic sea reefs stood, blocking ordinary ships from passing.

Beyond these reefs, and next to the stone pillars, fierce storms raged.

Even between the stone pillars, the storm swept continuously, with intertwined purple, blue, and black lightning striking incessantly.

The space there was twisted and strange, with scenes resembling cracks appearing from time to time.

Who would dare to pass through such a spectacle?

Is that the gate leading outside? Alka wondered, gazing at the scene before him. It was truly spectacular; those two stone pillars were simply a marvel.

Chadite looked at Lucilia on his shoulder and Julia beside him.

He couldn't help but say, "Did you two come through such an environment?"

A lingering fear touched them both, as they had been unconscious when they passed through. Witnessing it now, they could hardly believe they had once traversed such an environment and emerged alive.

By this time, the Sound of Dawn had slowly reached the Island.

The entire Island appeared a pale black, from its soil to its rocks. Almost no vegetation was visible; it was a bare landscape.

The Island was small and already surrounded by large ships, so Alka and the others circled it but found no place to dock.

They had to anchor their ship on the open sea nearby.

It wasn't just them; several other ships, apparently also undertaking the same journey, were anchored in the surrounding waters.

These vessels were of various types, each distinct in appearance, and all emitted a faint trace of Magic Power.

Chadite observed these ships. Jason pointed to a nearby vessel painted black and red. Its sails were dark red, like flames, and it bore the crest of a flaming lava hand.

"Is that the Hand of Burning Blood Hunting Group?"

Hearing this question, Alka turned his head, and Chadite beside him answered, "That's right, it should be the Hand of Burning Blood."

The so-called Hunting Groups were very different from Treasure Hunting Teams; they could be considered oceanic Mercenaries or Adventurer Groups.

Compared to Adventurer Groups, their only distinction was that they accepted all kinds of tasks, without discrimination.

They accepted bodyguard tasks and assassination tasks alike. As long as the pay was sufficient, even attacking official factions was not out of the question.

However, their sphere of activity was the northern Homeland Sea, far from Alka's current location.

This meant Alka had never even heard of them. Only those like Chadite and Jason, who had previously gathered information for a Treasure Hunting Team, would be aware of such groups.

The reason this particular Hunting Group was so famous was because they possessed a Treasure.

Almost all renowned teams shared this characteristic.

Jason noticed another familiar emblem. "That's the Ahala Clan, isn't it? With the Sun Wand emblem."

Alka looked. It was a huge ship, over fifty meters long, with an overall golden color scheme that made it appear luxurious and magnificent. From their brief explanation, Alka gathered this was a family-based faction, similar to the Frost Bloodline of 800 years prior.

The two continuously explained to the others about some of the more well-known powers among these teams.

They identified as many as eight such prominent powers, which indicated the caliber of the factions seeking to leave the Homeland Sea.

Looking at these teams, Chadite suddenly mused aloud, "Even they want to leave here? If so, perhaps those well-known teams that vanished in the past also left this sea."

Well-known teams had often disappeared suddenly at sea. Previously, one might have assumed it was merely an accident or that they had disbanded.

Now, it seemed highly probable that most had actually left this sea.

After all, such renowned teams could be described as powerful, and the Holy Mother's Homeland Sea suppressed their true strength.

Once they developed ambitions, they would naturally consider leaving.

The others nodded in slight agreement. And these prominent powers, without exception, owed their renown to the Treasures they possessed.

Not to mention, among these groups were some relatively low-key ones, like Alka's own team.

This gathering arguably represented a significant portion of the most famous and powerful entities from the Homeland Sea of the past few decades.

Those with great power often harbored greater ambitions than others.

While Alka and his companions observed the other ships, the forces already present were, in turn, scrutinizing this unfamiliar team.

"A Compass with golden pupils? Which faction's emblem is that?"

"I don't know. There are no records. Perhaps they're a team from some obscure, outlying region."

"No, that's unlikely. That ship is very new, clearly fresh from a shipyard, and its Magic Power signature isn't weak."

These factors all indicated that the ship was powerful and had been constructed at a renowned shipyard.

Therefore, the team controlling such a vessel could not be underestimated.

Similar conversations were taking place on many ships.

"Isn't that the style of a Holy Mother Church shipyard? Aren't they supposed to refrain from building ships for outsiders?"