Treasure Hunting System： The Ocean Conquerer

”Everyone, please follow me. I’ll take you to a place to rest.”

Alka nodded.

He walked out with Chadite and the others.

Outside, the air was thick with the scent of blood, a stench that no amount of floral fragrance could conceal. Severed limbs and chunks of flesh were scattered everywhere. However, the soldiers who had survived now stood up, fully intact. They dispersed, picking up what remained of their fallen comrades. Alka and the others glanced briefly, unable to bear the sight, and turned their heads away.

Suddenly, he felt a weight on his shoulder. Lucilia dropped down from a flying construct in the sky, landing on his shoulder near his ear. Then she handed Alka the Xuan she was holding.

”I don’t know what’s wrong with her; she’s been sleeping constantly.”

Alka looked at Xuan in his palm. ”Don’t worry, she’s just submerged in the Dream Realm.”

Simon, who was sitting outside, saw Alka’s group emerge and quickly hurried over to them.

”Are you all okay in there?”

”Do I look like something’s wrong?” Jason said with a smile, wrapping his arm around Simon’s neck.

Simon nodded reassuringly. ”That’s good. It looked like there was quite a commotion in there.”

Upon hearing this, everyone nodded in agreement. It was almost certain that the burly man inside had been successively possessed by two different Divines. However, it seemed that the condition of these two Divines wasn’t good, perhaps even worse than the Flower Fairy. This could be considered a blessing in disguise.

Under the Priest’s guidance, they walked toward the city center. Along the way, they saw residents emerging from their hiding places. Some residents spontaneously began cleaning up the destroyed houses and debris. They started to gather the bodies scattered on the ground with the soldiers. Cries and wails rose and fell, echoing in their ears. They walked in silence, occasionally glancing around, then quickly averting their gaze.

”If only we had...” Chadite began.

”We’ve already done our best,” Alka interrupted him immediately. ”Don’t feel guilty.”

When they arrived at the square, part of the rubble had already been cleared, and most of the residents who had gathered there had dispersed. Few remained. Julia and Juanlu were sitting beside the shattered altar, recuperating their strength, lost in thought. Seeing Alka and the others approaching, they quickly stood up and came over, carefully observing them.

”It’s good you’re okay.”

”Yes, you too,” Alka said, turning his head to look at Lucilia. ”How are the Puppet Girls?”

”Not too bad, the losses aren’t severe. Twenty-one sisters need major repairs, and the others just need minor fixes.”

Alka nodded. ”That’s good.”

”Major repairs” meant that parts were definitely missing. Luckily, they were Puppet Girls. Unless completely destroyed, they could be repaired.

Seeing the Priest wanted to lead them to the church, Alka said directly, ”No need. We’re fine staying in the Flower Forest.”

Upon hearing this, the Priest leading the way turned, looked at the group, and nodded. He was about to escort them to the Flower Forest.

Alka said, ”You don’t need to accompany us. Go on, many people still need you.”

The Priest pondered for a moment, then nodded. ”Thank you.”

He quickly turned and left.

Alka and the others headed toward the Flower Forest near the inn. More and more flying constructs were returning, carrying quite a number of Puppet Girls. When they arrived at the inn, they saw a group of soldiers resting at the entrance, all looking rather miserable. Civilians were helping to treat them, and the conditions of those still alive had stabilized considerably.

A young woman, her head bowed, knelt to one side. It was the innkeeper who had previously led them to this inn in the Flower Forest. In her hands, she held a severed arm. Her hands trembled unceasingly, and glistening specks of moisture were visible on the severed arm. All around, the ground was littered with blood, flesh, and fragments of limbs.

Alka and the others sighed silently. Slowly, they skirted the edge of the crowd and entered the Flower Forest without disturbing anyone.

”Is this war?” Lucilia, sitting on Alka’s shoulder, couldn’t help but ask.

Alka shook his head. ”I don’t know. Maybe.”

None of them had any experience with war. Their only experience, perhaps, came from data and various books.

They entered the hall.

”Let’s rest well first,” Alka said. ”We can deal with things after we wake up; it won’t be too late.”

Everyone nodded and returned to their rooms. However, Alka and Simon remained, along with Lucilia, the leader of the Puppet Girl Knight Order.

”Those with severe damage, come over and let me take a look,” Alka said to the Puppet Girls lying scattered all around. Minor damage might only consist of some gashes, while severe cases involved severed limbs or significant damage to their torsos, even their heads. Thankfully, though these girls possessed souls, they were essentially puppets. Their heads weren’t as vital to them as to ordinary humans; they served more as components that enabled them to speak and see. Thus, injuries that would be fatal for ordinary people were not a major issue for them.

”Those without missing parts, I’ll leave to you,” Alka said, turning to Wu and her team.

They nodded quickly. As logistics and remote support personnel, they had sustained almost no damage.