"Then I have a question. How long will it take for this person you mentioned to arrive here, and how long will we have to wait?"
Alka asked, resting his hands on the table, looking across at Balazs.
"I just received news from the church a few days ago that he's leaving. Based on the distance, it'll probably take three or four months." Balazs thought for a moment and gave a somewhat vague answer.
Alka nodded at this answer.
Three or four months?
Then they could use that time to travel to Vastva and obtain that treasure.
At their current speed, it would only take about ten days to travel from Southern Cross Island to Broken Island, where Vastva is located.
And the information about Vastva's treasure has basically been discovered; only the conditions need to be met.
Alka turned to look at Balazs.
Given his current situation, it was clearly impossible for him to spare such a long time, especially at this time.
"It seems you need my help with something," Balazs said, taking a sip from the wine glass in front of him.
Arka didn't hesitate to answer, "There's something I need your treasure for."
At this, Balazs glanced at him, thought for a moment, and then his treasure appeared in his hand.
A round stone slab with lava-like patterns on it.
"Do you only need my treasure, or do you want me to go in person?
If I need to go in person, you know I can't be away for long, and that would definitely arouse Kriel's suspicion.
If it's just the treasure, then it should be no problem for a short period of time."
Arka looked at the treasure Balazs had placed on the table and glanced up at him. "Your treasure is all I need to complete a ritual unlocking process."
At this, Balazs nodded in understanding. Then he pushed the treasure towards him. "Then take it and use it. Of course, you must at least return it to me before anything begins, otherwise I won't have the strength to face such a powerful enemy."
Alka looked at the treasure in the middle and took it in his hand. It was unusually heavy, like a solid stone slab.
The treasure chest he had previously used to store the treasure appeared in his hand, and he placed the treasure inside.
"Don't worry, I'll return it in about a month." Faced with Balazs's trust, Alka couldn't be too stingy.
After a moment's thought, Alka said, "Because of this matter, I'll probably need to leave Southern Cross Island for about a month. Before then, I'll probably leave some of our crew members here. If anything unexpected happens, you can talk to them."
Baraz nodded and said, "If you have anything you need to tell me or need my help, just wander around the Chamber of Commerce. Then come here and wait, and I'll find out. If I'm away for a long time, it means something's going on that day, and I can't leave.
If I have any news to pass on to you, I'll also pass it on through here, and the boss will find you when the time comes."
Alka nodded in understanding, and after discussing a few more details with Balazs, they each left the hidden tavern on the second floor.
Baraz's departure point was clearly not the main entrance below the stairs.
Taking advantage of the night, Alka quickly returned to the ship.
However, several of the more prominent individuals on board, including the Crystal Dragon Urulius, naturally had to remain aboard. There was nothing that could be done about it.
Whether it was Pororo and the other three, Lucilia, the puppet girl, or the crystal dragon, they were all extremely conspicuous.
The protective membrane surrounding the treasure could only block out the situation on the deck.
With Alka returning to the ship,
Everyone sat down on the deck and began to discuss.
Alka also told them about today's conversation.
"Does that mean we'll have to wait at least three or four months before taking action?"
"Yes, before that, I've decided to go to Vastva to complete the ritual."
Sofia nodded. It was indeed a good idea.
Three or four months would be enough for them to complete the ritual on Vastva and obtain the treasure.
That was plenty of time.
"So you plan to split everyone into two groups, one to stay on Southern Cross Island, and the other to go to the Broken Islands?" Jason asked.
"That's right."
After a moment's thought, Alka had a rough list of names assigned to him. He said, "Jason, Pororo, Matresa, Lucelia. The four of you come with me."
In reality, because of Urulius, she absolutely had to go; otherwise, she wouldn't have anywhere to hide.
The same went for Pororo and Matresa; both were difficult to hide.
The same went for Lucelia, so naturally, the puppet girls would follow.
The rest of them could disguise themselves well at the port, indistinguishable from ordinary people.
After hearing Alka's plan, everyone nodded. This was indeed a relatively reasonable scenario.
"So when are you leaving?"
"Now," Alka said bluntly.
After all, the sooner you leave, the sooner you'll be back, especially since he's holding Baraz's treasure.
Of course, the sooner he returns, the better.
Everyone sprang into action immediately. Sofia and a few others gathered some luggage, grabbed enough money, and, donning some simple but perfectly practical disguises, disembarked.
Taking advantage of the night, they found a decent hotel near the harbor and booked a few rooms.
Alka and the others also took control of the ship, slowly sailing away from the harbor.
They sailed towards the Broken Islands. Their impatience was due to the fact that now was the perfect time for them to reach the Broken Islands.
Once they were almost there, it would be time to land on the island; otherwise, they would have to wait until another time.
Once out of range, Urulius could finally spread his wings and soar through the sky.
...
[Heart of Vastva]
[Difficulty: Four-Part Power (Three Stages)]
[Popularity: 126,000]
[Treasure Information: The city-state of Vastva, an ancient city, worships the ancient god of mystery, Four-Part, also known as Change...
... Gather the treasures from the four great temples to automatically gain Four-Part Power. In the Council, scatter the treasures into the hands of each statue, chant Vastva, and obtain the hidden treasure.
The original method of unlocking the treasure is no longer available due to special circumstances. You need to obtain other treasures related to spring, summer, and autumn, and gain a trace of divine power. Then, simulate Four-Part Power on the Council disk to unlock the treasure.] (Perfect)
Arka looked at the information displayed by the orange light on the map in his hand.
This was the first island they landed on after arriving in the Infinite Sea, and it was also the first scepter-level treasure they discovered.
Unexpectedly, it would take so many years before they were able to return and open it.
"We're almost there." From the sky, the crystal dragon descended directly onto the deck. Jason jumped off her back and announced that they had just spotted the Broken Island from the sky.
Alka nodded and shouted, "Speed up! We're going full speed!"
The song reached them with a rousing chorus, and the Voice of Dawn instantly gained speed, galloping forward with a sprint-like momentum.
Spray from the breaking waves splashed from both sides.
Soon, the nostalgic Broken Island appeared within everyone's sight.
After the better part of a day, they finally reached the Broken Island.
Alka glanced at the situation before them and said directly, "Landing is just ahead."
"Aren't we going to the town?" Pororo asked from the side.
Alka shook her head. "Let's go ashore from where we first landed. It's very close to where we're going."
Soon, everyone spotted the gap.
The Voice of the Dawn slowly approached and stopped.
"Alright, let's get down."
Everyone quickly jumped from the deck, and the Voice of the Dawn slowly sank into the water, concealing itself beneath the surface.
Jason stepped onto the sand, surveyed his surroundings, and said with a touch of nostalgia, "This is the first island we landed on in the Infinite Sea."
He took a few steps forward, leaving a trail of footprints on the sand.
Urulius streaked across the sky, radiating its might.
Everyone could clearly hear the sound of collisions in the jungle. Apparently, it had scared away some of the wild animals.
"Back in the day, we had to explore with great caution," Pororo said with a smile. With that, the group began to walk forward. Soon, they came upon the ruins they had seen earlier.
A wooden sign stood around the ruins, clearly inscribed: "Do not approach this place rashly, it is dangerous."
Looking at the sign, Alka couldn't help but smile, for he had written it.
After building a better relationship with the Broken Town, they suggested placing similar warning signs around more dangerous ruins.
They arrived at the ruins.
Turning to the others, they asked, "Are you ready?"
Everyone nodded.
Lucelia, perched on Alka's shoulder, spoke the name of the temple in Vastva. As the surrounding magic power increased, everyone was instantly pulled downward.
Soon, they landed on the ground.
The surroundings were pitch black. With a subtle snap of fingers, dots of light illuminated the surroundings.
Alka gazed at the underground cavern. Urulius, looking at the towering cavern, flapped his wings and flew up, circling the cavern.
This underground cavern was truly vast.
Looking at the rows of stairs stretching upward behind them.
"Follow me."
With that, they joined the others and reached the stone bridge connecting to the central altar.
They crossed the stone bridge and gazed at the abyss below.
It stretched down, reaching hundreds of meters at its deepest point.
Four massive statues, each holding something in its bare hands, towered around the central altar.
They arrived at the central Holy Grail statue.
"What do we do now?" Jason asked.
This was the detailed procedure, and only Alka could understand it.
Alka turned to look at Pororo and Matresa.
The two nodded and each released their treasure.
A bouquet of blue flowers, winter.
A sprouting bud, spring.
Arka stood still, taking his bearings.
"Matlisa, you stand here, beneath this statue, facing it.
Pororo, you stand beneath the statue to Matlisa's left."
The two nodded and followed Arka's instructions, standing beneath their respective statues.
Arka opened the box she was carrying. It was the large treasure chest she had purchased earlier, capable of storing two treasures.
The two treasures borrowed from both parties were now stored inside.
Arka took out the sickle, symbolizing a bountiful harvest, and handed it to Jason.
He then handed the stone tablet, symbolizing the heat of summer, to Lucelia.
"Lucille, stand to the right of Matresa. Jason, stand below the last statue."
The two nodded, picked up their treasures, and took their respective positions. The Crystal Dragon, with its adorable puppet girls, watched them from the distant stands.
After everyone had arrived, Alka took a deep breath. "Pick up the treasure and raise it above your heads."
Everyone followed Alka's words and moved in unison.
Alka looked at the Holy Grail statue before him, walked up, closed his eyes, and placed his hands on either side of it.
A billowing pink mist emerged from his body and began to spread across the entire platform.
Points of light began to gather in front of his chest, like tiny droplets of water.
The sheer power of the energy made everyone squint slightly.
The surrounding magic was instantly repelled, a more powerful, more concentrated energy repelling it, pushing it outward.
A magical vacuum arose around Alka.
A drop of water, shimmering with golden light, yet seemingly dreamlike and illusory, fully revealed itself.
This was a trace of divine power Alka had drawn from the fragment of the godhead he had devoured.
Controlling the drop, it dripped into the Holy Grail like a drop of water.
In the surrounding silence,
The drop of water fell to the bottom of the cup.
It seemed to make a shattering sound.
Energy exploded in an instant, the rushing energy filling the magical vacuum and pushing the surrounding magic back a step.
The people holding their treasures aloft couldn't help but squint their eyes and turn their heads slightly. The hurricane of magic blew across their cheeks, causing a stinging sensation.
Energy converged within the stone carvings of the Holy Grail.
Energy began to flow from beneath the Holy Grail, creating shimmering golden lines across its veins. Like liquid, it seeped into the floor, illuminating the veins there and spreading outward. It climbed the stone pillars and then spread to the statues.
The brazier ignited, a strange flame blazing from it.
It spread upward, completely aglow throughout the four statues. Finally, all the energy seemed to converge within their palms.
Pororo immediately felt the winter flower he held above his head, as if being pulled by some force.
He quickly released his grip, and the winter flower slowly floated upward.
Encased in a sphere of energy, it landed in the palm of the statue in front of him.
Then came Matresha.
Apparently, because it wasn't the original, it took a while for the tender sprout in her hand to float upward and land in her palm.
As her treasure ascended, the treasures of the other two also began to slowly float.
When all four treasures were completely within her palm, the energy within the Four Seasons Treasure began to be drawn.
The captured energy converged in the air, absorbing the previously repelled magic power.
It converged into a stream, connecting into a straight line that connected to the stone carving of the Holy Grail in front of Alka.
The energy, mixed with the small amount of divine power that had previously flowed within, began to fill the entire chalice.
Increasingly concentrated energy began to rise around it, and a vast amount of light appeared within the Holy Grail.
The four colors of energy mixed with the central color, creating a total of five colors, which began to swirl and merge.
A vortex of highly concentrated liquid energy appeared within the chalice.
As the vortex began to spin, the surrounding
The magical power was once again tugged at.
From the cracks in the stone walls and caverns, a natural music played by the wind resounded along with the swirling hurricane.
This music echoed throughout the underground hall, and everyone couldn't help but look up and watch.
Feeling the uniqueness of this music.
It was wild and natural, yet with a clear sense of worship.
It was a song of praise.
The design of the person who built this temple hall could be described as ingenious.
The vortex grew more and more violent.
Even the crowd could sense the chaos in the surrounding space, as if something was about to be torn out of the armor layer of space.
It seemed the ritual had succeeded.
The energy within the Holy Grail began to disappear layer by layer as it spun.
Until it vanished completely.
An object shimmering with brilliant light appeared.