As a brilliant blue light appeared, the previously chaotic space became remarkably stable.
It was a blue gem, its irregular yet numerous smooth facets reflecting a brilliant light.
With the gem's appearance, the energy within the Holy Grail dissipated, and the four treasures held in the stone sculpture's hands fell down, caught by the figures below.
The original patterns on the altar also dimmed and disappeared.
Everyone's eyes were fixed on the gem atop the Holy Grail.
Alka slowly approached, reached out, and took the gem, holding it in his hands.
It was a massive gem, and Alka held it in both hands. It completely exceeded his palms and felt incredibly heavy.
Everyone gathered around.
"Is this the treasure in the mural?" Lucilia, sitting on Alka's shoulder, asked curiously.
When the treasure appeared, it became reserved, like an ordinary, expensive gem, seemingly without any special features.
Or perhaps a gem this large and beautiful was already special enough.
"Try it on and see if it's compatible," Jason said, patting Alka beside him.
Alka nodded, slowly channeling his magic power onto the gem.
As he tapped the gem, a brilliant blue light emanated.
"Yes? Does that mean yes?" Jason asked in surprise.
Alka closed his eyes, carefully examining it. After a moment, he opened them, but the corners of his mouth were already curled up.
Clearly, he had found a treasure that suited him.
"Indeed, both the Mirror and the Dreamcatcher were not opposed to him, and even welcomed the interaction of their magic."
Clearly, these three treasures were compatible. While not perfectly compatible, they certainly had no objection to their mutual interaction. In other words, while they might not necessarily complement each other and produce a highly connected, compatible effect, their normal integration should be fully effective.
The magic powers wouldn't conflict with each other, blending seamlessly. This meant that when Alka used this scepter-level artifact, he could also easily use the other two grail-level artifacts. There was no barrier between them.
"Tell me what this artifact's power is? Isn't it said to open up a vast, habitable space?" Lucelia asked hurriedly.
They had spent a considerable amount of time on the Broken Isle, excavating various ruins and learning about some ancient legends.
Through these stories, they thoroughly understood the artifact's power.
Its primary ability was supposedly to open up a vast space, capable of accommodating an entire city-state.
The Broken Isle outside was merely a small corner of this city-state.
Furthermore, this space was habitable and extremely large.
An independent, viable little world.
But Alka didn't answer, instead frowning.
"Is there still a lingering personal presence?"
This puzzled everyone, and they couldn't help but look at him.
"Isn't that correct?"
"No, there is indeed a lingering personal presence, but it's very faint. It wouldn't even take half a month to clear it."
"Could it be that the preservation methods were so good that the personal presence was completely preserved?" Lucelia pondered for a moment and asked.
Hearing this, Alka nodded. It was indeed a possibility.
The place where this treasure was hidden could truly be described as secret.
It was stored in some kind of spatial compartment that required a ritual to open.
"So now..." Jason looked at Alka, his meaning clear.
Alka looked at the gem in his hand and placed it in another empty treasure chest.
"Let's return to the ship and wait until the aura here dissipates."
The group nodded and gathered, then, using a reversal spell, returned outside.
They quickly returned to the landing gap by the same route they had come from. They boarded the Voice of Dawn and, without stopping, began their return voyage.
"At this rate, we'll almost be back to Southern Cross Island once the aura dissipates," Alka said, gazing at the chest at his feet.
Hearing this, Pororo said, "Isn't that perfect? Let everyone know firsthand."
It just so happened that in a day or two, the Broken Island would shift course again, and they had to return quickly.
...
They were moving very quickly.
Soon, more than half a month had passed.
Some passing merchant ships had already appeared nearby; they were about to return to Southern Cross Island.
Alka sat on the deck.
"Has the aura of the treasure been dispelled?" Jason asked from his seat beside him.
Calculating the time, it should be about time.
Alka nodded. "It was dispelled yesterday morning."
The reason he hadn't tried to grasp it was because they were about to reach Southern Cross Island, and there was no harm in not rushing to let everyone see it together.
Hearing this, Jason turned and said with a smile, "Then I'm starting to get curious."
"I'm curious myself. Dawn Sound, speed up!"
"Woo~woo~"
A melodious tune rang out, and the ship accelerated.
As the sky was covered by a curtain, the ship landed at the harbor of Southern Cross Island.
Sofia and the others, who had been waiting on the shore, jumped aboard with smiles.
"Have you been free lately?" Alka asked, looking at Sofia.
Sofia shook his head. "It's very quiet, but it's said the turmoil in the royal city isn't over yet."
"Even at the port, there are many rumors about Kriel."
Alka nodded. After all, Kriel's methods were a bit too radical.
These rumors would definitely take a long time to dispel.
"You guys get on the boat first and go out for a while." Alka, treasure chest in hand, headed out into the night.
After all, he still had the treasure he borrowed from Baraz, so of course he had to return it first.
Alka quickly bought a small item at the Chamber of Commerce and then went to the tavern on the second floor.
At the tavern owner's nod, he sat in a corner.
After a while, the tavern owner personally brought him a glass of wine and whispered in his ear, "I can't make it. Go ahead."
Alka thought for a moment and opened the treasure chest, revealing Baraz's treasure inside.
Upon seeing the treasure, the owner nodded.
After some subtle maneuvers, the treasure fell into the owner's hands. Seeing him return to the bar, Alka left.
Baraz still had great trust in the owner. When Alka had accompanied him, Balazs had placed his treasure in the owner's hands several times.
It was also the owner who helped pass on messages.
After ensuring everything was alright, Alka, wary of any mishaps, tagged the owner before leaving.
In the dream, he also sent a small mist-like creature to attach itself to the outside of the owner's dream bubble.
Although Balaz trusted the owner, he still had to exercise due caution regarding the treasure Alka had borrowed.
After completing all this, Alka returned to the ship under cover of night.
Everyone was waiting for him on deck.
The moment Alka boarded the ship, everyone's eyes were fixed on him.
"I didn't expect you haven't mastered that treasure yet," Simon said, smiling at him.
Simon was naturally delighted by this.
Every moment of mastering a treasure was worth recording.
Let alone a scepter-level treasure.
"Alright, I know you're eager, let's go outside."
With that, he piloted the Voice of the Dawn out of the harbor and headed for the edge of Southern Cross Island.
After all, it was a scepter-level treasure, so who knew if some unexpected and dramatic situation might arise?
No one could guarantee that; it wouldn't be too late to do it when they reached the surface of the sea, where no one cared.
Soon, everyone boarded the Voice of the Dawn and reached the surface of the sea, where Southern Cross Island was no longer visible.
Alka opened the box.
Inside was a sickle and the enormous blue gem.
He slowly lifted the gem.
The personal aura above had been completely dispelled.
Alka took a deep breath, cradled the gem, and closed his eyes.
He slowly poured his own magic power into it. As Alka's magic was infused, the gem emitted a brilliant blue light.
Everyone immediately stepped back, making ample space.
The moment the light began to radiate, Julia frowned. Sofia, who was standing nearby, saw this and asked, "What's going on?"
Julia felt it for a moment and said, "I feel like the space around me is becoming a little chaotic."
Shortly after she finished speaking, the surrounding sea began to churn, and massive walls rose from the surface, swirling.
Everyone was already accustomed to this kind of situation; it was the exaggerated effect caused by the chaotic space here.
"This can't be a coincidence, right?" Jason asked, observing the scene.
After all, the space around Alka had become chaotic as soon as he grasped the treasure, leading to this situation.
Julia nodded, clearly no coincidence.
However, this time, the turbulence of the surrounding sea surface was beyond their imagination. The swirling sea surface no longer simply surrounded a certain surface or appeared directly in the sky as before.
Instead, it formed some strange, distorted shape. The spatial chaos had reached a rather absurd level.
If the previous space was compared to a blank sheet of paper, the previous occurrences were merely a slight fold or curl of the paper.
This time, it was as if someone had taken the blank sheet of paper and begun folding various crafts.
Suddenly, a blue light generated a shockwave.
The spatial chaos around them subsided in an instant.
In the instant it subsided, the turbulent sea surface suddenly returned to normal.
The change in environment was a bit too dramatic.
The moment the chaos subsided, everyone's expressions changed instantly, and they rushed to the sides of the boat and stuck their heads out.
Various retching and retching sounds rang out, and even Urulius's head stuck out.
Only Lucelia and the puppet girls looked at everyone with some confusion.
They, using puppet bodies, obviously didn't have such a vomiting reaction.
In that moment of extreme spatial chaos, the strange feeling of being flattened by space gave them a sensation similar to severe seasickness.
A long time after the vomiting subsided, and after they rinsed their mouths, Jason sat on the deck, holding his forehead with a look of discomfort.
He looked at Alka, who was still mastering the gem.
"I never thought I'd experience seasickness one day."
Compared to humans like Jason and Sofia, the three marine races like Pororo had never imagined they would experience such a feeling.
After a long pause, Julia regained her senses of the surrounding space.
She, with her keen sense of the environment, felt the sudden calming of space most acutely.
"The space has become solid. Not even the Twin Islands have ever been this solid."
As soon as he finished speaking, Alka opened his eyes, and the gem had vanished from his hands.
In its place, Alka's right eye had transformed completely into a crystal-like object. Through the faceted pupil, one could see the blue light within.
This was a manifestation of Alka's integration with the treasure.
It was surprising that it could be in his eyes.
It looked a little strange.
However, compared to this strangeness, everyone was more interested in the treasure's power.
Facing the curious gazes of the crowd, Alka sat down on the deck, frowning.
"Wait a minute while I examine it. There's something amiss with this treasure."
Alka said, closing his eyes.
"What's going on? My curiosity is about to burst." Simon said uncomfortably.
This treasure was clearly different, but he couldn't tell for a while. This feeling of almost knowing, yet having to wait, made him incredibly uncomfortable. He could only pace around the deck to relieve his anxiety.
The others had no choice but to wait.
Now, they didn't even have the desire to chat; they just sat there, staring at Alka.
Alka closed his eyes and began to carefully examine his gem.
The scepter-level treasure known as the Heart of Vastva.
Although this treasure was called the Heart of Vastva, it could also be called a different dimension or a space stone.
These names were perfectly acceptable.
Alka could clearly sense the artifact's inherent power.
It was the power to connect with and manipulate space, but this was merely a secondary benefit, not its primary ability.
The primary power was vague, as if deliberately hidden. Something was clearly amiss.
Alka couldn't quite put his finger on it, so he began to examine it carefully, exhausting his concentration.
Logically, the artifact's power should open a portal to another dimension.
Finally, after careful investigation and exploration, Alka finally sensed this primary power.
He could sense a vast, expansive space, as if carved out of reality.
It was similar to the real world, yet separated from it.
Finally, Alka discovered the reason for this.
The world shattered and then reassembled, pushing apart this alternate dimension, essentially a disconnected space from the real world.
Clearly, the four gods who had repaired the shattered world, barely holding it together, hadn't considered these tiny fragments.
Alka had to reconnect this space, or else the main power of his treasure would be completely useless.
He could only use the added ability to manipulate space.
While that was clearly a powerful ability of the treasure, Alka was more concerned with this core ability.
As his body shifted between dreams and reality, the people outside immediately sensed the difference.
"Alka is in a dream?"
"That should be right."
Alka was now immersed in his own realm.
The moment he arrived, he used a mirror to mimic Mirmi, with crystal antlers shrouded in mist growing from his head.
The moment Alka came out of his dream, Shadow Robe felt Alka's presence.
Ka's different form appeared beside him, along with Hirvi.
"Your Majesty? What's going on?" Shadow Robe asked, somewhat curiously.
The aura Alka had simulated with Mirmi after he emerged made him think something unexpected had occurred.
"I need the kingdom's power. Please help me."
Upon hearing this, Shadow Robe nodded, though he didn't understand what Alka was trying to do.
Soon, the mist-like creatures within the kingdom gathered.
Their power began to be transmitted back to the buildings within the capital, which then radiated the energy.
A vast amount of mist instantly filled the entire mirrored kingdom.
This power was sensed and controlled by Alkaso, who had already simulated Mirmi.
He began to use his royal authority and his connection to the world, through the treasure within his body.
He began to explore the distant fragment outside the world, sensing his presence.
Once he found it, he began to use his own power and the connection to the fragment of the world, attempting to pull it toward the world.
It was like a white rope stretched out, binding him and dragging him back to his former world.
With the help of Alka's dreamland, Mirmi's power, and the treasure, this process went remarkably smoothly.
It required only a slight expenditure of energy, and of course, assistance from the now completely dormant world.
But all it took was the mist creature to act.
Soon, through the white mist rope, the space finally approached the edge of the shattered world.
Alka had a very clear perception.
He could control the shattered space.
Opening the door leading inside.