[Treasure Acquired: Data Core of the Ancient Guard.]
Alka looked at the information provided by the map in his hand, then glanced at the massive mechanical body in front of him.
Jason had just told him that they had already dismantled the Energy Core from that machine.
That was why Alka had come down to check the situation. Without that dim crystal, the Ancient Guard had truly become a pile of scrap.
And the so-called acquisition was the crystal that Jason had extracted.
Alka had thought this item was just an Energy Core. He hadn’t expected it to also store data, which greatly increased its importance.
The question was, if this crystal contained data, how could it be extracted?
He didn’t have the resources or the means. He had no idea how to extract the information from this thing.
No, perhaps not entirely.
He suddenly recalled the data transmitted from the Hand of Precision. He hadn’t fully mastered it yet, as there were advanced versions.
For something clearly related to mechanical structures , he might find answers within that knowledge.
But for now, he could only toss it into the Pocket Ring.
Afterwards, the group wandered around the ruins for a bit. They discovered a humanoid skeleton with a noticeable gap in its torso—likely the remains of the Frost Bloodline who had once controlled the Treasure.
Following their usual protocol, they collected the remains and packed them into a bone bag.
Alka also dismantled some seemingly useful parts from the machine and packed them up.
After confirming there was nothing else left to find, he climbed up.
They had already obtained the mission target for this trip.
[Treasure Acquired: (Holy Grail) Level Treasure Frost Nova.]
This was the blue Gemstone with a base that they had obtained.
Another new Treasure, related to Frost.
However, this item was a mission target. Naturally, it couldn’t be used personally; they could only admire it for now.
"We’ve got the item, let’s leave here first." New ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄhapters are published on novel-fire.net
Upon hearing Alka’s words, everyone nodded. They wrapped the Treasure in a cloth bag and quickly headed towards the tunnel exit.
Seeing the group emerge, Pororo immediately approached.
However, just then, they saw the Shaman in the distance, leading a large group of tribal residents and rushing towards them.
Seeing this, the group exchanged glances. Although their expressions didn’t change, they each became vigilant.
This wasn’t a good time; the Shaman was arriving at an inopportune moment.
The Shaman, leading a group of residents, approached. He saw Alka and the others emerging from the ice cave, and he noticed the water droplets sliding down the melting ice mountain behind them.
With a THUD, he knelt directly before them.
This grand gesture startled them all.
"Thank you, thank you all! Thank you all for liberating this place from the cold..."
His voice trembled, yet it carried obvious excitement.
Before he could finish speaking, Alka hurriedly stepped forward and helped him up.
"You shouldn’t thank us. You should thank the Church that sent us. Thank the Holy Mother."
As he spoke, Alka crossed his arms over his chest. "May the Holy Mother protect you."
This trick indeed worked.
The Shaman, and the residents behind him who were about to kneel, immediately mimicked the gesture.
After all, they were believers in the Holy Mother.
"Thank the Holy Mother for Her protection! Thank the Holy Mother..."
Alka turned his head and subtly gestured to his companions behind him, signaling them to leave first.
His companions nodded and promptly headed towards the port.
Alka remained in place and said to the Shaman, "We’ve dealt with the source that caused this area to fall into extreme cold. It shouldn’t be long before the environment here returns to how it was 800 years ago. I hope you are all prepared."
The old Shaman grasped Alka’s hand, repeatedly expressing his gratitude.
They exchanged a few more polite words.
Alka said, "We’ve completed our mission and need to return to the Church to report. We’ll take our leave now. May the Holy Mother protect you."
"May the Holy Mother protect you, and may your journey be safe."
Alka nodded and quickly caught up with his teammates.
Without exchanging any words, they sped towards the port, piloted the Swift back to their main vessel, and secured it.
Once the Swift was secured, Alka took control of the Spell Ship and navigated it out of the sea area.
Only then did he have the composure to observe the changes in the surrounding environment.
Firstly, the temperature was rapidly returning to normal; the cold was fading away.
Most noticeably, the biting cold winds and blinding snowstorms had vanished. Even the sky was clear of falling snowflakes.
The sun shone down, warming their bodies.
Alka removed his scarf and a layer of thick clothing; he was already starting to sweat slightly.
Nearby, Chadite and the others also shed a layer of their thick winter clothing.
Chadite then handed the Treasure she had been holding to Alka.
Alka took it out and placed it in his palm.
As soon as he held it, a feeling of rejection surged continuously from within him.
The pink crystal on his chest involuntarily emitted wisps of mist.
Noticing this change, Alka quickly handed it back to Chadite.
"It’s better if I don’t hold it. Its compatibility with the Dream Catcher is even worse than the banner’s."
If the Dream Catcher had consciousness, he thought, it would probably rush out and pummel this Gemstone right now.