Treasure Hunting System： The Ocean Conquerer

They were a Treasure Hunting Team, after all.

They couldn’t just start digging around under the foundations of other people’s buildings.

”Right, I almost forgot you’re a Treasure Hunting Team.” Grefar said.

”You’re only at the Fifth Stage, so you really don’t need to be expanding your reputation yet.

Didn’t anyone from the Church tell you?” Grefar turned his head to look at Alka as he asked.

Alka shook his head.

”Mm...” Hearing this, Grefar fell silent for a moment in thought.

”This is something you only learn once your strength reaches the Sixth Stage. Of course, powerful people often know about it in advance, and may even prepare ahead of time.

Since the Church didn’t tell you, and the Holy Mother didn’t tell you either, I have even less standing to talk to you about it. Maybe they’re hoping you’ll reach the Sixth Stage and learn it for yourself.”

After all, Grefar did know a bit about Alka’s situation. If he spoke carelessly, he really might incur the Holy Mother’s punishment, and that would hardly be worth it.

All things considered, this matter could be called neither big nor small, yet it did seem to carry some importance.

”No need to be overly curious. It isn’t some great matter, and it won’t be long before you advance to the Sixth Stage. By then, even if no one tells you, you’ll come to know on your own.” Grefar said.

Hearing this, Alka nodded and didn’t press him. He was only curious; it wasn’t something he had to know.

Because their name was already starting to spread.

And from the reaction just now, he had already learned something—that the spread of their reputation didn’t seem to be for the sake of some formula for apotheosis.

Clearly, there was some other reason.

Right now there were other questions he cared about more.

”Then I’d like to ask about something. I want to learn about the Curse Blade Clan.”

Hearing this, Grefar, who had only just been puzzling over something else, now had an even more bewildered look on his face as he stared at Alka.

He couldn’t quite understand why Alka would be interested in such things. Asking him clearly meant Alka knew he was one of the few remaining descendants of the Curse Blade Clan.

”You want to know about my clan?”

Alka nodded, and without hiding anything said directly, ”I’m in a Treasure Hunting Team, so I’m very interested in things steeped in history or the unknown, and that includes the famous Curse Sword.

The weapon you’re using shouldn’t be the Curse Sword, right?”

”You can tell? You’ve got a good eye.” Grefar couldn’t help but laugh instead.

A rare smile appeared on his face; clearly, this topic pleased him.

”Most people—almost everyone—thinks the weapon I use is the Curse Sword. But as you said, the weapon I use is not.”

As he spoke, a look of reminiscence surfaced on Grefar’s face.

He began a simple account: ”The reason our clan became renowned, even gaining the ’Curse Sword’ as a prefix and being called the Curse Sword Clan, was because of that Scepter-level Treasure named the Curse Sword.

But anyone who understands the history of the Saralan Empire should know our clan was actually among the earliest founding generals. We were also among the first Knights to follow the Saralan Emperor.

So our clan has been passed down since that time, and the blade I wield now is the clan’s true inherited Treasure.

Almost every member of the clan was qualified to wield that Treasure, and suited to it.

However, the most famous Curse Sword wielder, one of our ancestors, was also quite renowned within the clan.

Because he wasn’t suited to our clan’s original Treasure. With so many people, there are always exceptions.

Yet by relying on his own strength and talent, he mastered a new Treasure—the Curse Sword.

And he became the most famous figure in our clan’s history, so famous that outsiders formed a mistaken impression of our clan because of him.”

At this point, Grefar couldn’t help but laugh; he clearly still admired that ancestor.

”It’s a pity. After that, although the Curse Sword he wielded was kept within the clan, very few people could master it.

On top of that, the clan’s original Treasure was also a sword, so over time people came to believe that original sword was the Curse Sword. Isn’t that amusing? People always prefer to believe what they already believe.”

Grefar suddenly remarked.

Hearing this, Alka nodded. It was indeed so.

”Since what you want to know about is the Curse Sword, you must be curious about the last person who wielded it, right?”

At these words, Alka nodded again.

”The last one to master and wield it was a Commander who led the resistance against the Demons when the Empire was destroyed in the Demon Invasion, and he was also the clan head at the time.

He was one of the few in the clan then who could handle the Curse Sword. It was precisely because of that that the clan’s original Treasure survived.”

”His name was Lief Pan, Commander of the Third Legion. According to the soldiers’ accounts left from that time, he and most of the other Commanders remained on the front lines resisting the Demons. That included most of the clan’s capable members back then.

Roughly in this region.”

As he spoke, Grefar stood up and drew a circle on one area of the map behind him.

That area was exactly where Alka and the others had previously set up camp, which showed how the Demons had nearly occupied most of the region back then.

”The Demons emerged here, and from there they fought their way along this path.”

Grefar pointed to the depression at the center of the map, the source of that body of water.

The line he traced ran almost straight toward the Giant Stone Fortress.

”The last survivors formed a defensive line by the sea, using some of the nearby Islands as logistical bases...”

In this way, Grefar briefly summarized the situation of the time for Alka.

”If you need them, I still have some records from back then.”

Alka nodded. ”Thank you, that would be for the best.”

Then, unable to hold back his curiosity, he asked, ”Aren’t you curious where that sword ended up? Or don’t you want to take it back? It’s the symbol of your clan, isn’t it?”

Hearing this, Grefar shook his head.

”That sword is only a symbol in outsiders’ eyes. The true symbol is the one I wield.

And besides... even if I brought it back, so what? There is no Curse Sword Clan anymore, and I have hardly any clansmen left.

I don’t even feel much honor in this clan, nor much sense of belonging.

Even if I did reclaim it, I’d just hang it on a wall as some ornament for looking back on the past. It would mean nothing.

This place is no longer called the Saralan Empire; it’s the World Scar now.

What we need is not to look back, but to look forward.”

At these words.

Alka fell slightly silent, then nodded.

”Thank you for your help. I’ll take my leave for now.”

Grefar nodded, and Alka pushed the door open and left.