Treasure Hunting System： The Ocean Conquerer

Chapter 11: Chapter 11: The World Leading to the Other Shore

A pitch-black space, yet peculiarly bright. Alka gazed at this dark space, observing himself standing on the still water surface. Unknowingly, at some point, his shoes had disappeared, leaving his bare feet on the water. There seemed to be a trace of cold beneath his feet.

A vague sensation circled within his heart: tranquil and peaceful, gentle as the wind. Though he had never been here, he felt indifferent to this place and wasn’t curious about its origin. He only wished to stay quietly in place, as if time itself could not pass through his body.

PLINK!

A sound, like a single drop of water splashing on the surface, rang out.

Ripples flowed across the water ahead. Wave after wave spread outwards, until they disappeared into the bright darkness.

With the ripples, something began emerging from the water.

Alka watched this scene. His heart felt no fear, nor curiosity. Only calm remained.

A woman’s silhouette slowly emerged from the water’s surface. Her gaze, fixed on him, was filled with affection and longing. Her face seemed both blurry yet profoundly clear. It was his mother.

She reached out towards Alka, grasping weakly, before her hand ultimately fell, powerless. The smile on her face carried a hint of reluctance and resignation.

He wanted to go over. He wanted to reach for her hand. As soon as this thought surfaced in his mind, one foot had already stepped forward.

Memories emerged—Alka’s, and his own from a past life. His mother’s face began to blur slightly.

His pace quickened, yet the distance remained unchanged. He broke into a sprint. His feet stirred the water, creating ripples upon ripples, yet the distance remained utterly unchanged.

A canoe appeared beside his mother, unnoticed, as though it had always been there. A wooden paddle lay atop it, with a small lantern hanging at the prow.

His mother’s figure gently stepped into the canoe. Then, she sat down, took up the paddle, and began to glide softly across the water.

Finally, she turned around. Her face became clear, her eyes full of longing. In the end, all Alka could see was his mother moving further and further away, her silhouette sailing into the blackness. She sat in the small boat, lantern in hand, heading into the darkness.

HUFF, HUFF...

It was then that he weakly fell to his knees on the water, gasping for breath. A certain conviction in his heart vanished completely.

Tears, not his own, suddenly flowed from his eyes, like a bursting dam. Ripples spread across the water’s surface before him.

Though not much had outwardly changed, a new understanding surfaced in his mind: he had truly merged with this body. His memories were no longer unfamiliar or slow to recall. His body felt lighter, his mind significantly clearer.

「The scene abruptly changed.」

Light blazed down from above. With a jolt, his eyes opened. He realized he had returned to reality, still in the same posture, hands crossed on his shoulders.

”What was that just now? Did I hallucinate?” Alka couldn’t resist asking the Priest before him.

The Priest shook his head. ”That was the river leading to the World of Death. Under the Stone Mother’s protection, family can bid her farewell for the last time.” Then he added, ”Do not worry. The Stone Mother will watch over her until she reaches the other side.”

It was then Alka noticed that the pile of bones beneath the Stone Mother’s statue had completely disintegrated. They had turned to bone powder. Beneath them, a cloth bag had already been laid.

The Priest turned, walked over, and lifted the bag, allowing the bone powder to slide into it.

Taking the cloth bag containing the ashes, Alka bowed again to express his gratitude. Then he asked, ”Priest Parker, why did you believe Mother was already dead several years ago, even though you never saw her body?”

”I thought you would hold it in and never ask,” Parker said with a smile.

He then led Alka outside, walking to the cemetery nearby, and found the tomb he remembered as his mother’s.

At this point, Alka noticed that the wooden cylindrical tombstones were peculiar; each had a distinct circular depression in the center of the wooden post. Each depression held a stone, half of which was already cracked. His mother’s tombstone was the same.

”See these stones?” the Priest said. ”They represent each resident on the island. When they die, the stone will crack.” Saying this, the Priest picked up a shovel from behind the tombstone and, with two quick movements, dug a small hollow. Turning back to Alka, he said, ”Go ahead and scatter your mother’s ashes in there.”

Alka nodded. As he did so, he continued to ask, ”What about my father? Was there no funeral for him because his stone didn’t crack?”

”No, that’s not it. Your father wasn’t a resident of the island. Outsiders don’t have stones.”

”What about me? Do I have one?”

”Of course, you do. Your mother was blessed by the Stone Mother and was a resident of the island. Since you were born here, you naturally have your own stone.”

Hearing this, Alka nodded. Silently, he filled the hole, burying the ashes.

After a simple remembrance and offering, just as Akka was about to leave, Parker said from beside him, ”Do you truly want to become a Treasure Hunter?”

”Of course!” If it weren’t for his system, Alka certainly wouldn’t have considered being a Treasure Hunter. But since he had a system to help with treasure hunting, and it suited his established persona, why not? Not to mention, these treasures concealed Extraordinary Power, which he had already experienced. For someone who had lived an ordinary life only to die from an illness due to a fragile body, how could he possibly resist the temptation of Extraordinary Power? As he thought, Alka touched the Ring on his left little finger. He was just one step away.

Hearing Alka’s answer, Parker nodded. ”You are a gifted child. Yesterday’s success proved your worth, but you know too little about this world. Letting you roam the seas like this is too dangerous. I have some friends outside the island, and one of them is a Treasure Hunter. Would you like to board his ship?”

Hearing this, Alka couldn’t help but furrow his brows and fall into thought. Why would Parker help him like this? Just as this thought appeared in his mind, memory provided the answer. There was no specific reason; on this island, mutual help was simply natural. As the Priest of the Stone Mother, Parker was akin to the island’s leader—an island leader chosen by the people, or perhaps divinely appointed. This made him somewhat conflicted. Following Parker’s arrangements might help him learn about the world faster and could possibly be safer. But it might also be more dangerous.

”You’ve experienced the power of that Ring, haven’t you?” Parker looked at Alka’s pensive expression and couldn’t help but tease him. ”Aren’t you curious about the mysterious powers you’ve encountered these past few days? This is a bit unlike you. Have these experiences made you fearful? Are you becoming hesitant?”

It was like a clap of thunder in Alka’s mind. Parker had figured it out! Yes, after everything Alka had experienced, it was obvious this world possessed magical powers. And clearly, this island concealed such powers. For a priest of a potentially Divine being to possess Extraordinary Power wasn’t surprising. The vision he had just experienced was evidently not normal. His attempt at concealment was as obvious as a student misbehaving right under the teacher’s nose. Arriving in this Otherworld for the first time, even with the aid of memories, he had been too cautious, trusting absolutely no one. This was both a good thing and a bad thing.

Parker, seemingly noticing Alka’s predicament, continued as if speaking to himself, ”Wanting to obtain this Extraordinary Power without a channel is impossible. Coincidentally, the Treasure Hunter I recommended has such a channel. If you demonstrate your talent, you will have an opportunity.”

Hearing this, Alka no longer hesitated. He nodded and said, ”No problem. I’m willing.”

”Hahaha, you may be willing, but they might not be!” Parker laughed heartily, then patted Alka’s shoulder. ”Alright, young man, head back. I’ll notify you when they arrive. Train your body well; you need a good physique to roam the seas.”

Alka nodded. Crossing his hands, he bowed to Parker. ”May the Stone Mother bless you.”