Treasure Hunting System： The Ocean Conquerer

If they had merely understood it on a superficial level, they wouldn’t have had such a strong reaction.

The problem was that they truly empathized, having genuinely shouldered the world’s suffering.

They had merely been brushed by the tides, yet that suffering was as vast as the Ocean.

Such pain... was far beyond what life could comprehend.

This was a pain that even the world could hardly endure.

When everyone gathered once again in the captain’s cabin, they sat around the round table in silence. The atmosphere turned somewhat heavy.

Julia, in particular, looked haggard, as if she had endured a severe illness. Her complexion was snow-pale, her lips purplish, and dark circles ringed her eyes.

”After a night, I believe you’ve all thought it through,” Alka said, his gaze finally resting on them all. ”Now, I will do my utmost to save the world, to rescue her from this pain.”

”Alright.”

”Save it.”

”I too am willing to save it.”

”ROAR!”

Everyone stated their positions one by one.

When only Julia remained, Alka, his decision already firm, looked at her. He said, ”If one hasn’t tried their utmost to save... then one is clearly unfit to be an agent of destruction.”

Hearing this, Julia lifted her head to look at him, then turned to look at everyone else.

She took a deep breath and nodded.

”I am willing... to exert my utmost effort to save it.”

It was normal for Alka to choose this path. He felt an immense debt of gratitude to the world, and he had to do something.

Julia would strive for this cause due to her century-long dedication and sense of responsibility.

As for the others, it was simply because they were born into this world.

A closer look would reveal that the doctrines of the Four Gods all contained, to varying degrees, tenets about safeguarding the world. However, none of the gods held this as their foremost principle.

Even now, Julia kept the idea of world destruction buried in her heart, intending to unleash it only if salvation proved impossible. Yet, the Gaze of Life, which had departed from her, showed no sign of returning. She still spurned some of Life’s core doctrines.

”Even though we’ve set a goal, the question is, how should we act?” Chadite asked from the side.

The excruciating pain they had experienced was still deeply imprinted on their hearts. They couldn’t ignore it.

If they didn’t keep striving, this soul-searing pain would forever haunt their spirits, because it was the pain of their progenitor.

Alleviating the world’s pain and making it a better place didn’t conflict with their individual goals. But the problem was the lack of a clear path for their efforts.

Hearing this, Alka helplessly shook his head and said to everyone, ”Even though we’re debating these personal choices, we lack the power. We are too weak.”

Saving the world wasn’t that easy. With their current strength, they didn’t even qualify to participate. They didn’t even possess the means to alleviate the world’s suffering.

”ROAR! Buji...” The Crystal Dragon beside them roared, its cries unintelligible.

Jason, listening nearby, nodded repeatedly.

”Wait for her to grow a bit more. When we all reach the Fourth Stage, she will take us to a place,” Jason said from the side.

After yesterday’s events, they all knew something of the Crystal Dragon’s origins; perhaps it was even more different than they had imagined.

She had only gone through the First Stage of growth—the phase of transforming from a newly hatched dragonling into a young dragon—and had already attained some knowledge related to the world’s suffering.

Moreover, it was clear she had experienced the overwhelming tide of the world’s sorrow.

Such a heritage stemmed from her parents, her ancestors. Clearly, this Crystal Dragon’s identity was somehow linked to saving the world. Perhaps her ancestors had been striving for this very purpose for generations.

”There’s a saying that rings true: this world is ultimately founded on strength. Without strength as one’s foundation, one is not qualified to do anything,” Alka said.

”Alright, let’s bury the memories of these past two days deep within our hearts. Commit them to memory.”

”Now we have more important tasks. Let’s focus on what’s before us and enhance our abilities.”

As Alka finished speaking, everyone nodded. Each left their seats and resumed training their respective abilities.

This Trial Island was indeed a rare place.

...

「Two days later.」

Everyone once again arrived at the base of the Tower of Trial.

”A week has passed already. Are you here for another trial?” the triangular body floated nearby and inquired.

”Let’s begin. I’ll go first this time as well,” Alka said as he stepped onto the Teleportation Platform, disappearing without a trace.

This time, there were no preliminary trials; he was teleported directly to the fifth level.

As Alka pushed open the stone door, the instructor’s figure was revealed.

Has it already been a week? he murmured to himself, watching Alka enter.

Then, as he looked at the approaching Alka, he suddenly froze, staring intently at him.

”You’re different.”

Hearing this, Alka stood rooted to the spot, looking at the instructor with some confusion. He then glanced down at himself but saw nothing out of the ordinary.

”How am I different? I don’t see any change, do I?”

”No, there’s a huge difference. You are now burdened with... a heavy fate that you should not have to bear.” The instructor looked at Alka, his expression grave.

Hearing this, Alka looked up at him and suddenly smiled. ”Can you tell fortunes too?”

”As an instructor of the Tower of Trial, I don’t have to push every path to its limits, but I must walk each one. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be qualified to be an instructor of this Tower of Trial, to be the crucible for strivers.”

Evidently, he was very satisfied with his role.