At this point, a circle of members sat around the central round table in the hall.
Among them was Alka.
On either side sat Rekai and a member of the Holy Mother Church whom Alka had never met or recognized.
She was an ordinary woman of unremarkable appearance, her entire body concealed within a form-fitting, easy-to-move robe of holy light.
Her hood revealed only a slightly tanned complexion.
She felt Alka's gaze and turned, smiling and nodding at him as a greeting.
Besides the two church members,
The people at the table who surprised Alka the most were the two mermaids they had met outside.
Gardener Furna looked in the direction of the mermaids and could sense a discord between them.
So, gathered here were the followers of four gods, three members of the Four Gods, and an ancient god who was about to return to the throne.
After seeing that everyone had almost arrived, a young man beside Ruikai stood up.
He dropped an unknown mechanical device onto the center of the table.
Then, with the sound of mechanical creaking, a blue light twisted and turned.
A three-dimensional blue map was projected, providing a very precise understanding of the surrounding terrain.
Alka could already tell from this topographical map where the map was located.
It extended from the boundary between the Land of Life and Death and the Land of Heavy Spirits.
This long strip of topographical map was depicted. It extended from the direction near the Land of All Spirits all the way to their defense line.
In other words, the map essentially encompassed the already occupied Land of All Spirits, extending outward to the area at the border of Life and Death.
"This is as far as we can explore now. Going any deeper would result in unacceptable losses."
Furna, the gardener, looked at the map and said, "Can we be sure their energy source is in the border area?"
If they went any deeper, even if they knew where the energy source was, they wouldn't be able to destroy it.
Hearing this, the young man from the Church of the Holy Machine nodded.
"These cultists haven't reached any agreement with the undead at the border of life and death. Even if they enter the border, they will still be attacked by the creatures there.
They must have used some material that simulates a similar object to trick the undead, extracting energy at the border.
To avoid being exposed, they don't even dare to extract too much."
Otherwise, the chaos behind them wouldn't be as simple as it seems.
As he spoke, the young man extended his finger and swirled it, sending a few drops of magic energy onto the map.
In the area at the border of life and death on the map.
Three points of light flashed.
"These three points of light represent areas we've discovered where energy extraction devices may be buried. However, we're not particularly powerful, and we're afraid to stay longer, so we can't confirm them completely.
Based on screening the connected energy channels, only two of the points of light are correct. One point of light isn't the energy core."
After listening to the young man's explanation, the unknown mermaid at the end of the table asked, "Does this mean the teams entering the life-or-death realm will be divided into three?"
Rikai nodded. "Yes, we initially planned to have three teams, inviting the appropriate personnel."
Alka surrounded the members at the table.
The two mermaids had both reached the fifth stage, but their auras seemed unstable, suggesting they had only recently reached this stage.
Rikai was a fifth-stage expert, and the unknown woman from the Holy Mother Church was likely also at the fifth stage.
The gardener was at the sixth stage.
Besides the five of them, Gilliana sat next to the gardener. She would likely join this operation as well.
There were also some people Alka didn't recognize. Everyone seated at the table had reached the fourth stage.
"Who are you planning to send? This operation needs to be covert; too strong a force could easily be detected," said the gardener, Furna.
Alka had a vague idea of what she meant.
The records of the Church of the Holy Machine outlined the conditions at the border of life and death.
The stronger the force, the more vulnerable they were to attack by the undead, or even to targeting the entire area.
The stronger they were, the more attention they attracted.
Unless they were strong enough to ignore the dangers of this area.
And obviously, Furna, the gardener, was stationed on the front lines, so she definitely couldn't join them.
Otherwise, with her taking action, the outside world of the border of life and death wouldn't be in any danger.
Rickey said, "I, the Silent Saint of the Holy Mother, Taluun, and the mermaid from the Seed of Life, Chanaris.
We will lead the three teams, each one a separate group."
He extended his hand and introduced each side.
After his introduction, Alka looked at the Silent Saint of the Holy Mother.
The Silent Saint was the title given to Taluun, a woman known for her silence.
Alka had heard of her on the Twin Islands; she was a relatively well-known figure in the area.
As for the mermaid on the other side, Alka had never heard of her.
He had never heard of any Seed of Life churches around the Twin Islands.
After all, there were already cathedrals dedicated to two gods, leaving no room for four more.
Perhaps asking Julia would give a clearer answer.
After a brief introduction, Rickey said, "We plan to form a team of four.
One Stage 5, two Stage 4s, and one Stage 3."
Does it really need to be so complicated?
Alka was a little confused. He could imagine adding two Stage 4s to a Stage 5, but why would we need to add a Stage 3?
It felt like a bit of an unnecessary risk.
However, after seeing everyone at the table nod in understanding, he no longer had any doubts.
After all, the people at this table surely understood the situation at the border of life and death better than he did.
Then Rickey looked at Alka and said, "Besides you, I'd like to have three more Stage 3 members on your team."
If Stage 3s were the only options, then the best choices would naturally be the members of Alka's team.
They were all essentially at the pinnacle of Stage 3, each possessing a treasure and possessing extensive experience in teamwork.
No one at the table objected, leaving the two mermaids, unfamiliar with Alka and his crew, staring at them curiously.
Alka nodded: "No problem."
"Who do you want to choose for the team?" Alka said, looking at them.
"They're all your teammates. You definitely know them better than we do. Besides, I've heard a little about your team's exploits, and each one is trustworthy. So, you make the choice."
Alka couldn't help but smile at Rickey's question. He nodded without delay.
Then he turned to look at the team members behind him. He needed to choose the right people for this operation.
After a moment's thought, he said, "Sofia, Pororo, Julia. You three."
In fact, Simon and Jason could also be chosen.
But there were already several members of the Holy Machine Church at the table, and it was clear that they were also part of the team. Since the methods of the Holy Machine Church are somewhat similar, Simon is less necessary. There might even be some conflict between their functions.
As for Jason, if he were to act, he would absolutely have to bring Ululius with him.
However, bringing Ululius with him would completely negate the need for covert operations. This crystal dragon would be too conspicuous in battle.
And it was clear that they couldn't be considered a single entity in this situation.
"Is that all right?"
At Alka's words, the three shook their heads.
The others would have to wait inside the fortress and help with its defense.
"These are detailed documents regarding the boundary between life and death. Everyone, take a copy."
The young man from the Holy Machine Church spoke, a large stack of documents appearing in his hands.
He had already divided several copies and handed them to the people at the table.
Alka also took a few copies and handed them to Sofia and the others behind him.
At this point, Rickey clapped his hands and said, "Let's end today's meeting here. We'll begin our operation tomorrow morning. Meet at the main gate."
With that, the meeting was dismissed and everyone left.
As Alka and the others left the meeting room and stepped outside, they saw the two mermaids approaching.
The mermaid named Chanaris approached Julia and said, "Thank you very much for bringing Master Meister's body. We will be performing a withering ceremony for her now. If you don't mind, would you like to come and see it?
I believe Master Meister's spirit would be happy to see you."
Hearing this, everyone looked at Julia, awaiting her response.
Julia paused for a moment, then thought for a moment before nodding.
"Excellent! Come along, everyone."
With that, she led everyone to the rear of the fortress.
They arrived at a relatively secluded area of water.
Unlike other places, the vines here were slightly thicker, practically floating on the water's surface.
The two mermaids stood facing each other as the crystal encasing the corpse appeared in the air and slowly drifted down.
Canaris silently chanted a spell, and the crystal gradually transformed into a fluid, becoming a single crystal.
She turned and handed the crystal to Julia, who was standing nearby.
Julia took it back.
The two mermaids then continued the ritual.
Under the mermaids' control, the vines beneath the corpse began to grow. Emerald green shoots sprouted and began to wrap around the mermaid's body.
Slowly, they covered her body, and then, in the center, darker shoots formed a symbol.
It was a symbol like a sprouting seed.
Arka knew this symbol.
It was the symbol of the Seed of Life Church, and it represented life itself.
The two mermaids began to pray, a prayer that sounded like they were hoping for the soul's rebirth. Then their voices grew louder, their chants turning into songs.
From the lyrics and the melody, everyone could sense it was a song praising life. Julia stood there, slightly stunned.
The song seemed to have drawn her into a memory.
With the song, the surroundings filled with the scent of life. The underwater vines began to grow and sprout.
The place was teeming with life.
A faint green glow transformed into leaves and branches that drooped down.
From the empty air.
It landed on the corpse.
A soul, eyes closed, floated out of the corpse.
After emerging from the body, she opened her eyes. It was the corpse's soul.
She looked at Julia beside her.
She floated over and embraced her.
"Thank you, dear sister."
Meister paused for a moment, then looked at Julia with a look of pity.
"Be strong in your resolve, and the arms of life will always be open to you. You will always be a child of life."
She gently embraced Julia again, touching her forehead with hers.
She followed the green leaves and branches that drifted down from the sky, slowly drifting upwards.
Only then did she turn her gaze towards Alka and the others.
"Thank you, too. May the vitality of life fill your bodies."
As soon as she finished her words, her soul dissipated, and even her body, which had fallen below, vanished without a trace.
Only a pile of green leaves remained, wrapped in vines.
A gentle breeze blew, and the leaves scattered across the sky, flying across the swamp.
Gazing at the green leaves dancing in the sky, the two mermaids closed their eyes and prayed silently.
At some point, Julia closed her eyes as well.
With the ceremony complete, the two parties said a simple farewell and returned to the fortress. Alka and the others also returned to their resting place. Julia remained somewhat silent throughout the journey.
Alka and the others hadn't offered her any comfort; now she simply needed some peace and quiet.
Back in the room, Alka spread out the documents.
From them, he pulled out a map. This map was the same one the young man from the Holy Machine Church had just presented during the meeting.
He spread the map on the table.
Alka blinked.
Just during the meeting, he had discovered the treasure related to the Spring of Life, left by the mermaid Life Master at the border of life and death.
It emanated golden light.
However, with everyone watching, he couldn't possibly reach out and touch it; it would have been too conspicuous.
He didn't feel reassured until the information provided included a map.
Otherwise, he would have had to ask for another copy after he left.
Looking at the map, Alka reached out and touched the golden light.
Information was revealed.
Before he could read it, Julia's hand touched the golden light.
Alka looked up at her.
"Here, this is where the Life Master left her treasure.
Her spirit just told me this: the area around here is not safe.
But she used the treasure to create a life-related barrier, creating a small, safe zone.
It can isolate the undead and any dangerous disasters at the border between life and death. Once the undead enter this area, their deathly nature is stripped away, leaving only the plant life attached to them.
To remove the treasure, simply praise life and then touch it with a living hand to remove it. However, the ritual will dissipate the moment you do so."
Julia recounted the information she had just received from Master Meister.
After all, information was crucial to Alka.
And then, Alka watched with her own eyes as the treasure column, which hadn't yet disappeared, changed. That meant the last column of treasure information changed.
The treasure information unfolded before his eyes, expanding as Julia spoke.
This was the first time he had witnessed such a scene.
It couldn't help but feel a sense of novelty.
[New Buds]
[Difficulty: Holy Light Warrior (Level 4-5)]
[Popularity: 136,000]
[Treasure Information: A treasure left here by the Mermaid Life Master.
The treasure, emitting a pure aura of life, isolated the surrounding dead and life.
The intertwined aura of chaos made this place a safe zone within the dangerous borderland of life and death.
To obtain the treasure, one must be a living being. While praising life in their hearts, they can touch the place where the treasure is placed to obtain it. (Perfect)
Alka looked at the information about the treasure spot, which was identical to what Julia had said.
Confirming this information, Alka nodded.
Looking at the three points marked in the area bordering life and death,
This safe zone is located at the corner between the point on the left side of the map and the point in the center.
This means that as long as Alka's team chooses one of these two routes, he will be able to retrieve the treasure in this area upon his return.
The area where the treasure is located is safe, but the difficulty of reaching it fluctuates.
This difficulty level is clearly indicated.
The difficulty of finding the treasure depends primarily on their luck, and whether they'll encounter insurmountable enemies along the way.
However, judging by the difficulty, it's certain that only enemies up to level five will appear in the border areas.
This means that even in the most dangerous situations, Alka has enough strength to escape.
No wonder today's team is led by someone at level five.
This means that if they venture a little deeper, they'll likely encounter enemies at level six.
It truly is a terrifying place.
Alka pondered the information revealed above.
But now he was in a dilemma.
Alka was struggling with whether to seize the treasure during this operation.
Is now the perfect opportunity? This required careful consideration.
After all, in this situation, they would undoubtedly be traveling with others.
The treasure they obtained would then need to be shared among the others. This is the rule of treasure hunting.
‐‐Not to mention, those traveling together are all followers of the Four Gods and are on their side.
‐‐In fact, after they've determined the location, they can come and take it themselves later.
‐‐If necessary, Alka can also advance to the fifth stage under certain circumstances, exerting equal strength.
‐‐At least at the fifth stage, he has the ability to escape.
‐‐There's no need to come and take it now.
‐‐For now, just consider it a matter of getting to know the situation first.