CHAPTER 158: CHAPTER 136 TREASURE - DREAM CATCHER (10,000-CHARACTER CHAPTER)_4

Amidst the flames, something resembling an Evil Spirit was clearly seen flying out of the arm, vanishing into nothingness. The flames began to recede until they completely disappeared from the arm. At this moment, the arm looked no different from before; even the red markings on it hadn’t changed. But Alka could distinctly feel that the previously emanating evil aura had completely dissipated, giving it the appearance of an ordinary sculpture, devoid of any peculiar features.

Seeing that there were indeed no more issues, Alka waved the Sword of Love to extinguish the flames on it. He prepared to place it into the box.

Yet darkness invaded once again.

Again? It was exactly the same sensation as when Alka first held the Sword of Love.

Alka felt his soul being drawn out once more, plunging him into a world of complete darkness. He could sense his own existence but found he was merely a vague mist, unable to move, with no limbs to control.

Before him, the darkness erupted with light once more. The light spread, transforming into the scene he had witnessed previously. The Holy Mother’s ambiguous revelation had returned.

Alka couldn’t help but think. No, I shouldn’t think like this. Thank the Holy Mother for the revelation.

This time, however, what emerged from the light was not an image but a deluge of information that rushed directly into Alka’s soul. As the information flowed in, an image materialized within the light once more.

The image depicted the Thief of Death’s flagship, the Bloody Maw, with his father standing at its prow. The view then zoomed in, focusing entirely on his father’s right arm, revealing a chain tattoo on the inner side of his forearm. The tattooed chains were broken, with a gap at the wrist, while the upper section remained intact.

The image began to change again, this time showing a dimly lit church. The Brass Arm Alka had just seen rested on an altar, appearing identical to how it had looked moments before. No, the image zoomed in. The markings on the arm were different from what Alka had just observed. The markings on this arm were incredibly regular and symmetrical, possessing an aesthetic of perfect order. However, the figures in the surrounding gloom seemed to be chanting something unsettling.

Countless streams of dark red blood flowed across the floor and into the Brass Arm. The once ordinary Brass Arm began to turn malevolent, pulsating with a nauseating red glow. This blood infused it, altering the markings from their previously straight and orderly state to a curved, flowing design. Even the palm transformed, its markings now resembling a beating heart.

A figure, apparently the leader, emerged from the darkness clad in a dusky yellow robe. He picked up the Brass Arm sculpture, positioned his right hand in the same pose as the sculpture, and inserted it from the bottom. The previously sealed bottom became fluid like water, enveloping his hand until it melded seamlessly with his arm.

At this, the image vanished. Alka withdrew from the dark space, returning to his physical body.

He was still in the posture of returning the Treasure Sword to the metal box. He noticed that those around him hadn’t reacted, indicating that only a fleeting moment had passed in the real world. His perception of time in that dark space had been elongated.

Alka squatted, picked up the brass sculpture from his feet, and tried to place it into his Pocket Ring. As expected, it was impossible.

This item was truly a Holy Artifact. Alka knew this from the information he had just received; the Holy Mother had provided him with a significant amount of it. However, it was not the Holy Mother’s Holy Artifact but belonged to another Divine.

Watching Alka’s actions, the three people beside him all understood its nature. There was only one kind of item that could not be placed into various storage spaces. However, Alka clearly hadn’t registered anything amiss with his actions, because he already knew it was a Divine Artifact. This foreknowledge prevented him from considering other implications.

In the silence, Chadite asked, "Is this a Treasure?"

Alka turned to her, finally noticing the strange atmosphere among the group, and shook his head. "Of course not. It’s a Holy Artifact, though I don’t know which Divine it belongs to."

Hearing this, Chadite breathed a sigh of relief; she had been genuinely tense. Her tension stemmed from multiple factors, but primarily from the allure such a Treasure would hold for others. She had feared Julia might attack them on the spot.

Alka casually tucked the arm under his own, then produced the map of the Island in his hand. At this moment, the golden light on the Island map shifted, now pinpointing his current location. Alka took a few steps while observing the map, and the golden light on it shifted again.

It seems this doesn’t count as acquired yet. Besides the golden light at their current location, a dim blue marker appeared right next to it. This indicated it had already been acquired—precisely the Brass Arm Alka had just picked up.

He tapped their current location on the map.

[Dream Catcher]

[Difficulty: Keyholder]

[Fame: 244]

[Treasure Information: (Holy Grail) grade Treasure (Dream Catcher) is protected within a Treasure Chest isolating Magic Power, manufactured by the Holy Machine Church.

The key also needs to be constructed by the Holy Machine Church.]

With the information displayed, Alka put the map away, storing it in his Pocket Ring.