Treasure Hunting System： The Ocean Conquerer

Alka even suspected that the enemy might possess a Crown-level Treasure.

Of course, it was just pure speculation.

”Maybe they just want to cause chaos?” Juanlu said from the side.

It was no surprise for cultists to do such things. Even if there were no benefits, pure chaos, destruction, and slaughter were enough for them.

Thinking this way, indeed, there was no problem.

”Alright, let’s not dwell on this,” Alka said as he and the others began to discuss their plan. They decided it would be best to split into groups and wait at various locations.

Alka believed that the reason these people had allowed them to stay wasn’t due to their own strength. Because, to put it bluntly, no one in their group surpassed the Fourth Stage. The role they could play was ultimately limited. However, one aspect could not be ignored: the growth of the Puppet Legion. Alka and the others, despite all being in the Third Stage, were considered strong for their level. Alka himself could perform exceptionally well. But the most noteworthy asset was the Puppet Legion, comprising over seventy Third Stage members. Despite their small stature, their strength was not to be underestimated. These dozens of Third Stage individuals instantly boosted their overall combat power.

Since they were helping others and had accepted the commission, they naturally had to strategize carefully to ensure the Puppet Legion could display its proper role and strength. They had to be deployed strategically.

「Two days passed quickly.」

Dawn had just broken. Sounds of revelry, filled with cheer and a festive atmosphere, drifted in from outside.

Alka and the others were in the Flower Forest, making their final preparations. Even though today was the Blooming Festival, they were not in a hurry. The ceremony hadn’t started yet; the Great Gardener and the attendant priests were still arranging things and weren’t overwhelmed yet.

If the enemy foolishly launched an attack now, they wouldn’t have much to do. In fact, they almost hoped someone would cause trouble right then—the sooner, the better. If that happened, they would have done almost nothing yet still enjoyed someone else’s grand festival. After learning more information, they had even received 500 gold. Nothing could be better than that.

But clearly, the enemy wasn’t that stupid. Jilenna had entrusted them with such crucial information, indicating that an enemy attack was almost inevitable. Alka and the others made their final preparations, awaiting the start of the ceremony.

Lucilia stood on a table. Below her, the Puppet Knight Order was lined up neatly in six columns. Each column comprised two five-member squads. These squads had been formed by reducing each original team by two members, a measure not applied to the distinct, wingless flying squad. Each squad was led by a captain.

The flying squad, led by You Jiu, would operate as an independent unit, ready to provide support at any moment. They even carried their unit banner; its background depicted the Island’s Compass. However, the central eye of the Compass was replaced with an image of a long-haired puppet wielding a staff and a blade. This was their Knight Order’s banner. It looked quite impressive indeed.

In addition to these six columns, a separate assault squad stood behind Lucilia, its members modeled after specific individuals. These were: Second, modeled after Chadite; San, modeled after Julia; Fourth, modeled after Matilda; and Xuan, modeled after Alka. And the final member of this special Puppet Girl squad was Jing, a Dragonman type, created based on the Crystal Dragon Ulu Liwus. After her creation, Jing had stayed by Ulu Liwus’s side, learning and comprehending the power of the Giant Dragon. She was also responsible for calming and caring for Ulu Liwus.

Lucilia declared from her position on the table, ”Sisters, this is the first time all of us are taking action together! We will play a crucial role in this mission. This will be the first battle for our Puppet Knight Order! We must give it our all and display our might!”

”CHARGE!”

”PUPPET KNIGHT ORDER IS INVINCIBLE!”

”HOORAY!”

Lucilia’s speech was met with a cacophony of enthusiastic but chaotic responses from below. They certainly didn’t resemble a disciplined, elite army, nor did they look like a band of unruly thugs. Because these Puppet Girls simply looked... rather silly.

”Is this really okay?” Matilda couldn’t help but ask, looking at the group of Puppet Girls. The sight was rather worrying. After all, if they don’t actually encounter any troublemakers, all this hyped-up enthusiasm will become rather awkward.

”Let them be,” Alka said with a smile. Truthfully, this really could be considered the Puppet Girls’ first major battle. In previous engagements, he and his core group had usually taken the lead, with the Puppet Girls typically deploying only one or, at most, two squads in support. It had been difficult for the Puppet Legion to fully leverage its primary strengths.

Thinking of this, Alka turned to Simon. ”Are your preparations ready?”

Simon nodded and gave an ’okay’ gesture with his metallic hand. ”Rest assured, it’s foolproof. The entire city will definitely be within range.”

Hearing this, Alka said no more. From a nearby table, he picked up two Puppet Girls and handed them to Simon. ”I’m entrusting these two to you. Make sure you protect them well.”

Ling, the Vice Captain, adjusted her skirt and replied politely, ”Don’t worry, Captain. I’ll protect them and myself.”