Even Lucilia from the Mirror floated out and sat beside him.
With a crisp sound, the box’s mechanism unlocked as the key turned.
Alka slowly opened the lid.
Inside lay a layer of cream-colored velvet, upon which a pink, bubble-like object rested steadily. Pink mist churned endlessly within the bubble’s center. It somewhat resembled a Crystal Ball, but it felt much thinner to the touch; "bubble" was a more fitting description.
Alka studied the object’s exterior. With an appearance , how could it possibly be considered subtle? Any normal person would see this thing is extraordinary. Still, it’s fortunate that most people wouldn’t immediately connect its appearance to the idea of a Treasure. Indeed, judging by sight alone, nothing beyond its striking exterior was discernible.
If Alka, along with Chadite and Lucilia beside him, hadn’t known beforehand that this was a Treasure, they would have, at most, thought it was a meticulously crafted Magic Item, perhaps a very powerful one.
Alka reached out, his hand slowly touching the Crystal Ball.
No one stopped him. Everyone just watched quietly.
Until Alka finally held the Crystal Ball in his hand.
The pink mist surging within the Crystal Ball instantly swelled. Like a tidal wave, it furiously burst from its crystal confines. The mist swiftly climbed Alka’s hand holding the Crystal Ball, spreading upwards.
In a mere instant, before anyone could react, Alka was completely enveloped in the pink mist.
At that moment, everyone else reacted, but the pink mist, having engulfed Alka, immediately erupted. It spread outwards, enveloping everyone present in the same manner. The mist expanded with such astonishing speed that by the time they registered what was happening, they were already shrouded within it.
After enveloping everyone in the pink mist, it ceased its spread, remaining contained within that area. If anyone had been looking from the outside at that moment, they would have seen no pink mist at all—only an empty space.
When Alka sensed the mist enveloping him, he had already realized what was happening, but he could do nothing; the mist was too fast.
Once the mist completely covered him, Alka didn’t feel anything was wrong. The Crystal Ball was still in his hand, yet his surroundings had drastically changed.
He sat on a lush green lawn under a clear sky where white clouds drifted leisurely. There was no sun, yet it was very bright. It had been a long time since he’d entered a world without darkness. The verdant prairie beneath him stretched out as far as the eye could see. The entire space seemed to consist of only three distinct Elements: the grassland, the white clouds, and the blue sky. It felt incredibly vast, extending to the very edge of his vision.
Alka looked at the Crystal Ball in his hand. He knew it must be the Treasure he held that brought him to this place. Dream Catcher... The name ought to relate to its ability, so could this be a dream? he couldn’t help but wonder.
He looked at the Pocket Ring on his hand, then turned it. A card appeared in his hand.
Items from the Pocket Ring can be taken out... Is this reality? Alka thought, staring at the card. He then picked up the card for a closer look, glancing again at the Crystal Ball he still held in his left hand. Inside the Crystal Ball, the pink mist remained, unchanged from how he had seen it before.
Gazing at the card in his right hand, Alka quickly tossed it aside. He had noticed something amiss.
The moment he realized something was off, the Hand of Precision appeared, covering his right hand.
That was what felt wrong, he thought. He hadn’t noticed when he first arrived. His right hand should have been wearing the Hand of Precision; how could it have been bare? The moment he registered this discrepancy in his mind, the Hand of Precision appeared on his right hand.
Looking at the Hand of Precision that had appeared, Alka felt he’d stumbled upon something interesting.
He looked toward the vast prairie, and a wooden courtyard with a house abruptly materialized before him. This small courtyard and house were precisely the ones Alka resided in on Golden Wheat Island.
This really is a dream, he realized. If it’s a dream, then could I perhaps...?
At this thought, skyscrapers and metal structures appeared before him. Wide asphalt roads and stone-brick sidewalks materialized at his feet. In an instant, the surrounding prairie transformed into a modern city.
Yet, the entire city was deserted; there were no pedestrians or vehicles.
Then, vehicles appeared on the roads, but they were merely parked; still no pedestrians. The vehicles began to move, yet the roads and surrounding walkways remained devoid of people.
Alka stood in the middle of the road, watching the vehicles constantly stream past him. They rushed by with a WHOOSH, stirring a breeze that brushed against his face. He saw the vacant driver’s seats, the empty steering wheels.
Then, the skyscrapers and the steel jungle vanished once more before him, and the surroundings reverted to the green grassland.
It was all just a fleeting fancy, Alka mused.