After nearly forty days and nights of sailing, they were finally nearing their destination. They hadn't encountered a single island along the way.
Although, in his dreams, Alka had discovered several clusters of dream bubbles.
But he didn't turn back.
After all, he had a destination.
Alka stood in the observation room, peering through the glass at the black dot at the edge of his field of vision. That was their destination.
His eyes glowed with a faint golden light, and Alka's vision was enhanced as he gazed into the distance.
No ships were seen anchored around the island, suggesting it was relatively safe.
No protective reefs were visible, and the sea was calm.
The island wasn't too large, at least not so large that its edges were invisible.
In the distance, he could see what appeared to be a circular building rising into the sky.
As they drew closer,
A towering stone tower stood atop the island.
Around the tower floated various rocks, seemingly drawn to the tower and spiraling around it.
Around the tower were various dilapidated buildings, though some seemingly intact ones were also present.
As they drew closer, the view was completely obscured.
Some structure seemed to enclose the island, whether it was a hillside or the original cliffs of the island itself.
Arka left the observation deck.
"How's it going?"
"We haven't seen any other ships around the island yet, but let's take a look around."
With this, the Voice of Dawn began to sail around the island.
Observing the situation.
Also, they could estimate its size.
It didn't take long.
They had already sailed around the island, gaining a general understanding of its situation. Most of the buildings on this island seemed to be of a grand and majestic nature.
They gave off a sense of grandeur.
"The concentration of magic power on this island is incredibly high. If you're going there, be prepared; everything here could be animated by the high concentration of magic power."
Julia said nearby.
"Animation? What does that mean?" Jason asked curiously.
"Animation means that inanimate matter, under the influence of high concentrations of magic power, becomes a magical creature.
They still don't have souls, but under the influence of magic power, they gain some instinctive awareness and special abilities."
Julia explained, and as if fearing Jason wouldn't understand, she added after a moment's thought, "You can think of them as the most primitive elemental creatures."
With this explanation, everyone understood.
Elemental creatures are purely material creatures, immune to mental and spiritual attacks.
Generally, it can only appear in an environment imbued with a single magical attribute.
This was some of the information Alka had learned in the dream world.
After a round trip, the ship landed at a port easily accessible for landing.
Standing aboard, Alka began to share with everyone the brief information he had learned about the island from Mirmi's memories.
"I don't know the name of this island, but I know of its existence from some memories."
"This island was once used for trials, so be careful. Even if it's abandoned and collapsed, some things still exist."
As he spoke, everyone couldn't help but think of Vasteva.
In the Age of the Gods, it was merely a small city-state surviving in a corner.
But many of its creations still survive today, and can even be reactivated by language.
This demonstrates the sheer scale of technological capabilities of that era.
Not to mention that Mirmi's information revealed that this place was constructed with the participation of gods.
There were clear signs of divine construction.
As for what these divine constructions were, Alka had no idea.
"So where should we dock the ship?" Sofia asked.
Alka thought for a moment and said, "Stop in the depression we just saw and disguise ourselves."
After all, they lacked familiarity with the island and didn't know if it was dangerous, so they ought to be cautious.
Then the Voice of Dawn sailed to a depression they had previously seen and slowly docked inside.
A mirror-like liquid appeared in Alka's hand, and he began to draw on the surrounding cliffs.
As he drew, it transformed into a mirror-like spell, instantly concealing the area.
Alka stood on the deck.
"Let's go! What are you thinking about?" Sofia asked, puzzled, as he observed Alka standing there in a daze.
"Wait a minute, I have a new idea. Let's try it out."
Alka said, and a mirror appeared on his face. A large mirror, three meters wide and six meters high, appeared on the deck.
The Dreamcatcher emerged, and a small round mirror appeared next to it.
The scenery revealed within the small garden was that of a dream.
Pink magic mixed with the gold and silver magic that flew from the small round mirror and began to paint on the mirror.
Densely packed spells were carved on the mirror surface.
It seemed very complex, but a closer look revealed that most of the spells were repeated.
As he carved, Alka carved the compass pupil icon in the center.
With the final stroke,
The entire mirror glowed with a different color, and the mirror structure became hazy, like the mist in a dream.
Looking at the mirror's structure, a smile broke out on Alka's face.
"What is this?"
Hearing the crowd's questions, Alka turned and smiled as he explained.
"A dream-traveling mirror. I'll be able to create another mirror right here. Then, through it, I'll be able to quickly return to the ship, avoiding the dangers I faced earlier."
"A portal?" Simon asked, looking at the mirror.
This thing sounds exactly like a portal.
"Yes, that's how you understand it."
This was achieved by Alka through a special method, a derivative of the previous travel mirror.
The previous one could only travel very short distances, used to enhance its cunning and flexibility in combat.
But since Alka had a trace of the Dream God's bloodline, coupled with the kingship within the dream realm, he could use this special structure to create his own ideas.
Using numerous spells, blending his own power with the magic of gold and silver, he could temporarily create a weak point leading to the dreamland.
Using his own mirror as a carrier.
And thanks to Alka's power as the Dream King, it directly connected to his palace.
When not in use, the energy wouldn't dissipate; Alka simply needed to solidify the mirror itself.
Such a large-scale, long-distance journey would consume too much magic power, practically a one-time effort.
After all, gold and silver energy is hard to come by.
Then Alka could activate another mirror at any time, using his dream palace as a transit point for a one-time long-distance teleportation.
It was called long-distance, but the distance clearly couldn't be too far.
But it was perfectly sufficient for the island.
He had already planned to use it to quickly return to the ship from the island for escape.
He now had another means of swift escape.
"That's a good idea, using dreams as a transit point..." Simon nodded, expressing his interest.
After all, true teleportation is based on space as an anchor point.
But this was clearly not something they could achieve right now.
After placing the mirror, they arranged for some puppet girls to guard it.
Everyone boarded the long-unseen Flying Swallow. This time, aside from a few puppet girls made of human hair, the rest of the captain and team members remained on board.
This island was too unknown and dangerous for them to operate.
Furthermore, it was an island used for trials.
If they encountered any of the trials, too many people might increase the difficulty.
At least that was Alka's understanding.
They boarded the Flying Swallow and landed near the abandoned port.
They towed the Flying Swallow ashore and hid it.
Everyone observed the surrounding situation.
"This place must have been visited. There are traces from almost every time period," Jason said, surveying the surrounding traces.
First, there were various remains, as well as some clearly old and new garbage and signs of camping.
"The magic concentration is indeed high," Alka couldn't help but exclaim, sensing the surrounding magic.
The island's dense magic energy enters the body with every breath.
With every breath, one could feel the magic entering, even causing a slight tingling sensation in the throat and nasal cavity.
Sofia walked ahead, leading the way. As usual, she was responsible for exploring the island.
Silver ripples continuously radiated from her feet.
After using it for a moment, Sofia frowned. "The magic concentration is too high. Even the soil is rich in magic. It's completely blocking the transmission of my silver ripples."
"Does that mean it's no use?" Alka asked.
Sofia shook his head, and a halo of light appeared above his head.
Then, silver ripples surged and forcibly expanded outward.
"Our ability to probe deeper has been weakened, but simple surface exploration is still possible."
"Let's continue, then. The main goal is to map the area. We'll find hidden spaces and holes later," Alka said.
After all, once a complete map of the island is available, we'll naturally know where the treasure is hidden. Whether it's buried underground or not will be revealed then.
Sofia nodded and led the group forward.
The harbor was lined with numerous buildings, stretching out along the way. However, most of them were completely dilapidated. Located right by the sea, they had long since decayed from the wind, turning somewhat black.
You could also see the remains of numerous shipwrecks, piled up here by the waves.
"Be careful! Something's coming," Julia said. A crackling sound echoed from the wreckage.
Strange creatures, composed of old, tattered clothing, seaweed, and various completely rusted weapons, crawled on the ground, twisting and turning towards Alka and the others.
The tattered weapons wrapped around their bodies were pointed directly at them, as if intending to attack them.
A buzzing sound arose.
Two Sentinel aircraft flew directly past Simon, attacking the strange creatures.
A flash of red light.
The beam struck the monsters directly.
The high-energy attack penetrated them directly, igniting the already dried seaweed and clothing on their bodies.
A turbid smell with a hint of foulness wafted into the air.
The struck monsters didn't seem completely dead. Amidst the flames, they coalesced into a larger creature.
"They are constructed from a high concentration of magical energy and should possess something like an energy core.
We can only destroy them by destroying or blocking the energy transmission between them."
Julia, observing carefully from the side, came to this conclusion.
Simon nodded at this.
Two more Sentinel aircraft flew over.
These two seemed to have different functions, with a ring of crystal-like objects on their fronts.
They began to orbit the giant monster.
They seemed to have located the core.
The two Sentinel aircraft immediately launched an attack, this time using bullets instead of beams.
With a dull thud, the bullets were fired.
Instantly piercing the monster's body, its body made of various fabrics and plant debris was too fragile, leaving it almost completely defenseless.
Everyone clearly heard a cracking sound.
Like a collapsing mass, the monster quickly disintegrated and collapsed into a heap.
The crowd then approached.
Simon formed an iron rod in his hand and scraped it.
A strange core, still faintly gleaming, was revealed.
This core object was actually a shattered skull?
The skull had long since turned a glossy black, and one could even see through the surface, revealing its crystalline texture.
Matthia leaned over and lifted the skull directly, not even disdainful.
She examined the skull carefully.
"This is likely the skull of a Toucher. Death and brain damage aren't related; the damage is acquired.
He must have been quite powerful in life, and the treasures or spells he likely used were related to the brain and spirit."
"After dying in such a high-magic environment, his head absorbed magical energy, changing its texture."
He handed the skull directly to Alka.
"It's a good biomaterial. If you don't mind, it can still be used."
Alka took it, examined it, and, without the slightest disdain, tossed it to Simon.
This kind of high-energy object is generally what Simon needs. After all, his constructs require energy to power.
Relying solely on his magic power would be too much for him.
After a brief interlude, the group passed by some buildings ahead and headed towards the island's interior along the central avenue.
The island's structure was somewhat peculiar. It was surrounded by towering cliffs, and the only entrance within the cliffs was the building area in front of the harbor.
There was a gap here, similar to a gate, allowing access to the interior.
This magnificent gate had completely collapsed and shattered, leaving only two stone pillars, one short and one long, still standing, both covered in traces of wind-beaten stones.
A few people had just stood at the doorway.
A suit of tattered stone armor had been condensed from the surrounding rubble.
The armor stood five or six meters tall. A massive hammer, formed from huge stones, floated before him, as if grasped by an invisible hand.
It looked like another creature formed by high magic.
"Be careful! His energy reaction is quite strong. The stones gathered on his body are also inscribed with spells and magic." Simon, the operator of the Sentinel aircraft, observed nearby. However, the seemingly damaged magic stone armor showed no intention of attacking them, simply floating quietly beside them.
‐‐Like the gate's former guardian.
‐‐"He won't attack?"
‐‐"Perhaps because we haven't taken any offensive action? Not all magic-infected creatures are aggressive, are they?"
‐‐Several of them slowly moved two steps to the side.
‐‐Still no further action was taken.
Attack.
He slowly moved to the gate, until everyone passed it.
The armor, gathered from the pile of stones and floating in the air, finally collapsed and tumbled back into the pile of stones below, as if it had never coalesced.
"So what's the point of him coalescing?" Jason asked, somewhat puzzled.
If he didn't want to attack, wouldn't he have just not appeared in the first place? Could he be out of curiosity?
Alka shrugged and shook his head. "Who knows? Maybe his duty is to guard the gate, observing anyone passing through."
Through the gate, one could see the interior.
Large tracts of ruins, along with some former buildings, still remained.
The massive tower in the center stood out.
Especially the rubble floating around the tower, which gave it a sense of grandeur.
Besides this spot, numerous large stones floated in the air around the entire ruined building.
These rocks seemed to form islands in the sky, yet they were not high above the ruins. The shorter ones floated only two or three meters above, while the taller ones floated more than ten meters above.
"A new trial-taker has arrived?"
"It's truly rare to find the bloodline of a god in such a devastated age."
"So, young people, will you participate in the trial?"