Not long after, Andre and Bobby returned to the ship.
"I checked. There is indeed a hidden space below. It should be Treasure Vault No. 5," Old Bobby looked at the group and confirmed.
Andre looked at Alka and said, "It seems Parker was right; you indeed have talent. Looks like I underestimated you in the trial."
He then pointed at Alka and Jason. "You two get ready. On this voyage, we’ll first take you to experience ’the Touch,’ then we’ll head to Holy Armor Island."
Seeing Alka and Jason were obviously excited, Andre frowned slightly. "This voyage might take over half a month. During this time, Chadite and Vanessa will assist you in preparing for the Touch."
Hearing this, Chadite, who was beside them, stared at Alka and smiled faintly.
Vanessa also raised a hand to her cheek, a teasing look on her face.
Seeing her expression, this might not be a good thing, Alka thought.
"Alright, hoist the sails! Let’s depart!" Andre commanded.
As Andre’s words spread, the previously furled sails automatically slid down with a CREAKING sound. The Sea Fist turned its bow and began sailing towards the distant horizon.
This scene was also noticed by those on the island who had been observing their movements.
"You say Andre and his group left?" a bald man with a tattoo of a wide-mouthed shark on his head asked. He was Welt, the leader of the "Biting Shark" Treasure Hunting Team.
In front of him, an ordinary-looking adult man nodded. "Yes, our members on the shore personally saw their Sea Fist leaving the waters around Meister Island."
"Did you send a ship to follow them?"
"We did. They left straight away, showing no intention of turning back or circling around."
Hearing this, Welt frowned, his coarse, fleshy face looking even more ferocious. Andre’s departure puzzled him. Although they had rarely crossed paths, both were well-known Treasure Hunting Teams in these waters. Through rumors, they each had some understanding of the other’s operational methods. So, from the start, he had never thought he could completely repel Andre’s group. He only wanted to find ways to obstruct them to gain time and opportunities for his own actions.
After all, he’d heard Andre’s group had been on this island for over a year, not to mention their prior preparation time. Their knowledge of the Sad Treasure Vault on the island was undoubtedly far more extensive than that of Welt’s group. He, on the other hand, only had a more general understanding of the Sad Treasure Vault.
"Alright, I understand. You may leave," Welt said.
The adult man nodded and slowly withdrew.
Not long after, the sound of crisp, loud footsteps interrupted Welt’s thoughts. Looking up, he saw Nivek in a clown costume. Most of the burns on Nivek’s body had healed by now, save for a single scar remaining on one corner of his face, seemingly left there intentionally.
"How’s it going, Nivek? What did that ’prey’ who slipped through your fingers get up to on the island?" Welt’s words carried a clear teasing tone.
Nivek’s expression was somewhat grim, but he still said in a low voice, "He rented a haunted villa and wandered around the city like a tourist."
"I checked it but found nothing unusual. Of course, it’s also possible that he erased anything out of the ordinary."
"Besides that, did he do anything else special?"
"He went to the Praying Insect Valley on the island."
"What’s that place?" Welt asked. After all, they had only been on the island for a week at most and were not yet familiar with all its locations.
In response to his leader’s question, Nivek replied, "It’s related to the island’s primitive faith. They use flying insects to convey their wishes to their god. That damn brat went there."
Alka had used a false identity on the island, and the movements under this identity hadn’t been deliberately concealed. Therefore, everything Alka had done and every place he had visited in the city over the past few days had already been thoroughly investigated.
Welt stroked his chin, deep in thought. This unnamed member of their Treasure Hunting Team is likely an apprentice from Andre’s ship. Andre’s group definitely has more comprehensive information than we do. For him to stay alone in the city while under a warrant, and even risk venturing out to that specific place... that valley must hold some significance.
"Let’s go. We’ll also take a look at what secrets this valley holds," Welt declared.
Nivek gave an exaggerated shrug, put on a very helpless expression, and followed his leader out.
Alka leisurely leaned against the ship’s railings, enjoying the sea breeze and watching the endless, unchanging ocean. The wide deck was empty. Only a junior member stood watch in the crow’s nest high above.
Such a massive three-masted sailboat, yet it only carries twelve people, Alka mused. A pitifully small crew.
While he was thinking, he heard footsteps on the deck behind him. Turning his head, he saw Old Bobby emerging from below deck, carrying a toolbox. Following him was a pair of young twins—the other two junior members, both Old Bobby’s assistants and apprentices.
Spotting Alka nearby, Old Bobby waved him over. After Alka approached, he said, "I’m about to perform maintenance on the ship’s Spells and some of the equipment. Want to come along? I can also explain some knowledge about Spells to you."
The core members of the crew all knew Alka had a very superficial understanding of the Extraordinary World. So, they often included Alka in their daily tasks, instructing him along the way.
"Of course, if it’s no bother," Alka replied, certainly not wanting to refuse such an opportunity.
Bobby nodded, waved Alka over, and led him directly to the huge mast at the ship’s center. Extending his right hand, he touched the mast with his index and middle fingers. A faint, dull yellow glow emanated from his fingertips as they touched the mast’s surface. A long, dense series of strange, light-blue patterns appeared in the air, intertwining and weaving around each other.
"After the Touch, everyone’s Magic Power color is slightly different," Bobby began to explain, teaching as he worked. "However, all external Magic Power normally appears light blue. Since you haven’t undergone the Touch yet, you probably can’t see the Magic Power all around us, nor some of the more subtle phenomena. But because you’ve handled Magic Equipment, the Magic Power within your body already possesses a trace of activity. This allows you to see some of the more obvious manifestations of magical radiance."
Behind him, the twin apprentices also began to assist.