The Miraculous Treasure Hunting System-Chapter 150. The Unexplored Island

"With this nautical chart, we can find a safe passage through the Dark Region, even in total darkness."

Fearing they might not fully grasp its importance, Elena elaborated.

"In the Dark Region, the deadliest thing for ordinary merchant ships is the pitch-black environment. They can't see and have no way of knowing what reefs or rough seas might lie ahead, risks they can't accept. But with this chart, they can navigate safely through the Dark Region's shipping lanes. The value of that is unimaginable."

Hearing Elena's explanation, the two instantly understood. The existence of the Dark Region hindered communication between many forces, forcing them to take extremely circuitous routes, all of which added extra cost and expense. If they could pass straight through, distances would be shortened by at least one-third, and in some cases by more than half. Such shortcuts were worth a fortune; whoever controlled these safe sea routes would generate unimaginable wealth.

"However," Elena said, changing tack, "their value isn't as great as you might think."

"Why?" the two asked, puzzled. Hadn't she just said they were incredibly valuable? Upon reflection, they could indeed sense the charts' preciousness.

"Because these sea routes were actually discovered long ago, and they're controlled by a single power, the Blood Gold Alliance."

"The Blood Gold Alliance?" Ed asked, confused.

"Yes. You know the Blood Gold Alliance was founded 400 years ago, right?"

The two nodded.

Elena smiled. "Then guess when the Dark Region was formed?"

"Also 400 years ago," Ed said, having specifically researched it. He slapped his hand as the connection dawned on him.

After Elena's explanation, the two understood completely. The formation of the Dark Region hadn't completely destroyed the two ancient countries; only the central and adjacent areas suffered devastating damage. The destruction of these core areas led to the annihilation of most high-ranking officials, causing a total leadership collapse. The people in the outer areas mostly fled, and this was no small population.

Considering the formation of the Blood Gold Alliance and their current methods, Ed couldn't help but ask, "The Menichel Alliance?"

Elena shook her head, looking at them. "Not only that, but also the Vastin Empire."

"Huh?" This puzzled Ed. Weren't those two bitter enemies? They had fought countless times, ultimately perishing together. Yet after the destruction, survivors from both sides had joined forces with local powers to form the Blood Gold Alliance. It was undeniably ironic and interesting.

These combined forces meant many survivors from both sides must have known these routes, perhaps even possessing identical maps.

Elena shook her head helplessly and smiled. "I don't understand it either, but that's just how it is. However, handing this map over to the church is a good contribution for us." It would allow the church to claim a share of the Dark Region and develop its power.

Hearing this, Ed didn't dwell on it and pulled out a specific map—the one of Parvati Island.

He blinked. A dense array of dots appeared. There were at least twenty white dots and five blue dots. Without a doubt, no treasure-hunting team had yet thoroughly combed the island; otherwise, there wouldn't be so many white dots left. Based on how such teams looted, they would only leave a few exceptionally well-hidden spots, not this many.

Ed looked at the map and focused on the blue dots. As expected, four were magical treasures. The final one was their target, located in the church area marked on the map.

[The Holy Mother's Artifact

Difficulty: Holy Mother's Follower Warrior (Double Spiral)

Fame: 1.45 billion

Treasure Information: Legend has it that this is the weapon used by the Holy Mother's agent, Meneix, when she traveled the mortal realm. She left it behind upon returning to the Sanctuary. A sacred artifact of the Church of the Holy Mother, it was placed in Parvati Church, destroyed hundreds of years ago, through a pilgrimage of grace.]

What shocked Ed was not the description, but the utterly absurd fame value.

1.45 billion? What a strange number! It made Ed instantly feel something was off with the system. How could this thing have such high fame? He frowned, thinking.

It wasn't that Ed looked down on it, but based on the world map he had seen, where over 90% was ocean, could the remaining land and islands alone support 1.45 billion people? Obviously not.

This fame was very likely tied to the chapter in the Holy Mother's scriptures about Saint Meneix's mortal travels, which repeatedly mentioned her weapon, the Sword of Mercy. In other words, there were 1.45 billion followers of the Holy Mother who had read the scriptures. That didn't even count the countless illiterate believers who couldn't read but believed regardless. The true number of believers was even greater.

The question was: where did so many believers come from? Ed seemed to have stumbled upon something incredible.

But with no more information at hand, he pulled his thoughts back and focused on more immediate concerns, like the difficulty rating.

The "Holy Mother's Follower Warrior" difficulty meant they would be fighting using holy light elements, which implied the presence of evil spirits or skeletal warriors on the island. Furthermore, they needed to be followers of the Holy Mother themselves.

The "Double Spiral" primarily indicated the level of strength required, meaning enemies of that tier awaited them. Fortunately, Andre was at that level and was also a follower of the Holy Mother. They perfectly met the requirements.

After a moment's thought, Ed got up to leave. "It's not far; we'll be on the island soon. I need to prepare, there's a high chance of a battle."

Hearing Ed's words, Jason also stood up and slapped his forehead, involuntarily recalling the situation on the previous island. "Right, I need to prepare too."

Elena glanced at the two men. They had just arrived at their target island and had only scouted the perimeter when they received Ed's message and returned to the ship, so they hadn't encountered any combat there. Considering the battle Ed and the others had described, the island holding the Sword of Mercy would likely have a much larger population of undead waiting. The probability of facing even more skeletal warriors was high.

She, too, stepped out of the captain's cabin to get ready for the fight.

...

Meneix, a devout follower of the Holy Mother, wields a sharp blade to protect her sacred faith in the world.

When encountering wicked villains, her blade pierces their chests, holy light burns their hearts, and the Holy Mother's divine light purifies them utterly.

She uses her blade to send the sinful souls of her enemies to the Holy Mother's Confessional. There, they will be cleansed of their sins until they are restored to holiness.

When she encounters the helpless, she plunges her blade into their palms.

The sick become healthy.

The suffering find happiness.

The hungry are fed.

Mothers and children receive blessings.

…

Turning the pages of the Holy Mother's scriptures before him, Ed read the chapter on the compassion of the Agent of Mercy, Meneix.

The religious connotations were overpowering, but one could also glean from this chapter some abilities the Sword of Mercy might possess. After all, nothing is more revealing than a foundational story, especially since this sword truly existed and was their target.

"Legend says that those who are faithless and wield the Sword of Mercy will be burned by holy flames. Only true believers of the Holy Mother who wield it will receive protection and blessings," Elena remarked casually, watching Ed flip through the holy book.

Hearing her words, Ed instantly thought of himself. He wasn't sure he could even be considered a follower, given that his soul came from another world. Taking over the body of someone who was blessed by the Stone Mother felt like walking on the edge of a blade, akin to a murderer taking a job at a police station.

His faith… well, let's just say it depended entirely on whether the entity he worshipped was effective and offered tangible benefits. If it was truly powerful and useful, then believing was fine. If not, he wasn't interested in that kind of nonsense; he'd only be screwing himself over.

If Elena and the others knew the true state of his faith, he'd be labeled a heretic at the very least, or worst case, kicked into the sea.

Thinking this, Ed resolved never to touch that dichotomous sword. Being burned would be incredibly embarrassing. To be burned while wielding the Sword of Mercy in a place surrounded by the Holy Mother's followers would be simply suicidal.

Just then, a clear bell rang out, signaling their imminent arrival.

"Looks like we're almost there. Let's go out," Jason said, putting down his things and opening the wooden door first. The others followed closely behind, fully armed and equipped.

Reaching the deck, they were met with complete darkness. Then, the thick, dark clouds in the sky thinned, letting in slivers of light—a rare opportunity in this place.

Using the faint glow, they looked ahead and saw a massive object floating on the sea in the distance.

"This island is quite large!" Elena exclaimed in surprise.

The map had only marked the island's location, not its size. Directly ahead lay the remnants of a former port, its dilapidated ruins hinting at past prosperity. Several badly damaged ships still floated on the surface, a miracle they hadn't sunk.

From their size and the remaining exteriors, one could glimpse their former glory a century ago. Only ships of impeccable craftsmanship could have survived in this corrosive seawater for so long.