In the small building built by Alka and his companions in the magic-proof fortress, there were five people sitting in the living room: Alka, Jason, and Juanlu.
In addition to the three of them, there were two strangers. These two were the people Jason and Juanlu had mentioned yesterday who might be able to help them.
They were Keparo and Anka.
Keparo was a middle-aged man with an unusually rugged appearance. He wore a cross-body robe, completely exposing his left chest, which was covered in scars.
Even on his face, fine scars could be seen, along with a wound that ran the entire length of his face.
From his clothing and style, it was clear that showing scars was a custom among his tribe.
He also carried a weapon on his back that looked like a pickaxe, only a magnified pickaxe.
Anka, on the other side, had unusually pale skin. But his skin was almost completely uncovered, completely shrouded in black clothing.
His gender was completely unknown; only his eyes and the skin around them were visible.
His eyes, in particular, were distinctive, with pupils tinged with a cyan-blue hue.
Despite being completely covered up, his demeanor revealed him to be not a gloomy person, merely quiet and reserved. He looked about the same age as Alka and the others.
Given this, it was unclear how Juanlu had become familiar with him.
After all, Juanlu wasn't Jason, a socially awkward person.
In reality, this Anka was likely over 100 years old; it was only because of their unique race that they appeared so youthful.
While the normal lifespan of humans doesn't change much, their lifespan increases with increasing strength.
However, appearance will still change with the passage of time; extending lifespan doesn't necessarily mean that appearance will stop aging.
This only happens to those who are naturally long-lived, or possess certain treasures.
At this moment, all five of them were covered in blood.
The demons had begun their attacks again, but as they had previously stated, the frequency of the attacks was very low. The number of demons was also small.
At least for the demon-proof fortress, this level of attack made them feel somewhat relieved.
The others had already returned to the fortress for routine defense. Alka and the others had just been relieved, so they invited the two of them over for a discussion.
Coparo sat down, looked around, and then asked, "Brother Jason, what's the matter with inviting me here?"
Anka turned and glanced at Juanlu, a questioning look in his eyes.
The two of them were not very familiar with Alka and had barely communicated.
Honestly, this was Alka's first time meeting the two; he'd only heard vaguely of them before.
While there were quite a few Stage 6 and 7 warriors here, there weren't too many.
After all, there were many defensive areas on the city walls, and he spent most of his time in the area managed by the Mother Church.
But Jason and the others each had their own defensive areas.
Only Alka and Sofia were essentially stationed in the Mother Church's area.
Just like Julia's defensive area, it was generally in areas like Life.
Simon was primarily responsible for various city defense equipment, while Pororo spent most of his time in the Storm Church's area.
Hearing this, Jason leaned back in his chair, glanced at Alka, and said, "Our captain needs your help."
Hearing this, Coparro and Anka turned to Alka.
Alka smiled and nodded at the two of them.
"No problem. If there's anything I can help with, just let me know," Copalo said after a couple of hearty laughs.
Anka, standing beside him, nodded, indicating he shared the sentiment.
Alka smiled and said, "Thank you for your help. I asked you two to come here because I want to capture a demon alive."
"Capture a demon alive?" Copalo repeated.
Both of them couldn't help but recall the moment Alka had sealed the demon that had attacked him.
That battle had been quite intense, and nearly everyone in the fortress's stronger ranks had noticed.
From then on, almost everyone knew Alka must possess the ability to seal demons within.
Later, Alka would occasionally demonstrate this ability, such as when he helped the Holy Blade Saint Annafiel seal the demon she had been fighting after she advanced to the seventh stage.
So it wasn't really a secret.
However, Copalo frowned and asked curiously, "With your strength, a demon around the seventh stage shouldn't be a problem for you. If you want to capture an eighth stage alive, I honestly don't think I can offer much help."
Alka had sealed seventh-stage demons numerous times, and their team was quite famous here.
Primarily, no other team could match theirs; each character pushed themselves to the limit, and their strength was immense.
After all, they'd been here for quite some time, and everyone could more or less tell that their artifacts were perfectly compatible with each other.
With so many people on the ship, everyone possessed at least two artifacts.
Some, like Alka, could easily be found to have more than three or four.
How could such a team not be famous?
If Alka and the others couldn't do it themselves, Copalo didn't think he could offer any significant help.
Although he and Anka beside him had both reached the seventh stage, at this stage, it was no longer possible to say that a seventh-stage demon was capable of dealing with an eighth-stage demon.
The higher the demon's rank, the stronger it became.
An eighth-stage demon was even more powerful than someone of the same level who possessed a treasure.
Of course, the specific power depended on how much treasure the person possessed.
"It's not that exaggerated The demon I want to capture alive is Kaland," Alka said bluntly.
Hearing this, both of them fell into deep thought. On reflection, Kaland was indeed within their ability to provide assistance.
"It's completely fine for you to capture Kaland alive, right?" Keparo asked.
After all, Alka and the others were so powerful that even if you brought five Kalanders, they wouldn't be their match.
Alka nodded, but said helplessly, "The problem is, he knows we're targeting him, and he knows a little about us.
Unless there's only one of us, he'll definitely avoid us."
Hearing this, Keparo probably understood.
Although Kalande seemed reckless, he was indeed quite cunning.
But he also said helplessly, "I've been here for a long time, and I've fought Kalande before. He knows my abilities. Yes, we're also wary from time to time.
So if I help you, he'll also be wary. We'll have to find the right time."
He looked at Anka beside him. "But if you ask Anka to help, the chances are quite high.
But such an opportunity will take a long time to wait."
Alka nodded.
Anka, standing beside him, waved his hand and said in a clear but somewhat muffled voice, "While I'd love to help, my current workload might not allow me to do so for long."
The meaning was clear.
Of course, assistance is possible, but expecting it to last a long time would clearly be putting too much pressure on others.
Keparo nodded in agreement upon hearing this.
They were both seventh-stage powerhouses, with many things on their plate.
Especially since both of them were actually soldiers of the Alliance, receiving strong support from major factions.
For example, Keparo was supported by an archipelago faction.
Anka was supported by a large signpost island faction.
They all had their own affiliated factions.
Of course, they also had their own priorities.
"Of course, I'm not asking you to help for free. I'll provide ample compensation.
All you need to do is use your abilities to assist me during a specific timeframe, when the opportunity arises."
As he spoke, Alka reached into the space and pulled out an item.
It was a wand-shaped, holy grail-level piece of equipment, roughly the length of a forearm.
After taking it out, Alka activated it with his magical power, causing it to emit the unique vibrations of a treasure.
Looking at the two men, his meaning was self-evident.
Seeing Alka present the treasure, the two exchanged a glance.
Based on the assistance they could provide, plus the compensation Alka offered, if calculated according to market value, it was honestly quite even.
But the problem is that market value is market value, and few people would actually offer treasures as compensation.
Because treasures are truly important to a powerful faction.
No one would complain about having too many treasures.
This treasure was enough to keep them both waiting for a long time, providing an opportunity for assistance.
"It seems your treasure-hunting group truly possesses astonishing wealth," Keparo said, unable to help but smile as he gazed at the treasure.
This was a rumor circulating within the fortress.
For example, there were rumors that Alka and his companions each possessed three treasures.
After all, their use of treasures in various locations was easily discernible, without requiring any deliberate observation.
And everyone present was at the sixth stage of strength, possessing the formula for godhood within their minds.
The fact that they could produce a single treasure, rather than exchanging it for a suitable one, was enough to indicate that Alka and his companions had likely already gathered at least the three most basic Holy Grails.
This was indeed a bit outrageous for a treasure-hunting group.
After all, in the eyes of these powerful individuals, many things were clear. For example, Alka and his companions were essentially confirmed to be an independent treasure-hunting group, not truly affiliated with a particular church.
It just so happened that there were members from various churches there, a fact not uncommon in other teams.
This meant that Alka and the others were a separate faction, lacking any assistance in the trials.
However, Anka, standing next to him, said, "I'm not short of Holy Grail-level treasures."
Keparo nodded.
Both of them were promoted by major factions, considered leaders, and held high positions within their respective superior factions.
They were also renowned powerhouses throughout the Infinite Sea.
Both possessed Holy Grail-level treasures.
"But if this reward is split equally between us, it will be enough for us to provide you with the assistance you mentioned," Keparo said.
Anka nodded in agreement.
It was a very reasonable reward, and considering Alka and the others' strength and future performance, it was more than enough.
Hearing this, Alka tapped the table lightly, thought for a moment, and said, "If this treasure isn't very important to you, I can offer another form of compensation."
Although the two had already essentially agreed to help, they nodded at Alka's words, curious about what his alternative form of compensation might be.
After all, for them, ordinary wealth couldn't be worth this treasure.
"I'd consider myself a treasure craftsman."
"Treasure craftsman?" Copalo repeated. To be honest, he had never heard of such a term before.
Alka nodded, then smiled and explained briefly, "You two should both know the process of treasure construction, right?"
The two nodded. It was indeed no secret to them. "You should also know that some treasures, due to unexpected circumstances or other reasons, aren't a good match and can't fully unleash their potential.
The carrier that carries the treasure isn't even close to the treasure's essence, or the materials used are too ordinary."
Anka couldn't tell from his expression when he heard this, but Keparo could at least tell he understood, and he nodded twice.
He also grumbled a few times: "Yes, some treasures are really... hard to describe."
Watching the two perform, Alka smiled and said, "I have the ability to separate these mismatched treasures.
Then I can construct a suitable carrier that's more suitable for the user and the divine essence. And it supports a certain degree of customization."
After hearing Alka's words, the two instantly understood what he meant by this term.
Then they couldn't help but stare at Alka with surprise. Honestly, such an ability was practically unheard of. Even those at the top of the world had never heard of such a capability.
He knew Alka wouldn't be joking around at this hour to trick them. So, what he said was essentially the truth.
He wasn't trying to tease them, but Copalo couldn't help but ask, "Are you serious? Can you really do something like that?"
He needed a definitive answer to confirm what he'd heard.
Alka smiled and nodded.
"Hiss..."
This got the two of them thinking.
If this were true, then it was incredibly important.
Both for them and for those from other factions.
"If it's possible, then I'm definitely willing to help," Copalo said bluntly.
From his recent performance, it was clear that he truly possessed such a profoundly inappropriate treasure.
Or rather, it's hard to imagine any of the three Holy Grail-level treasures being without this problem.
Even Alka and the others had this problem. Alka and his companions all possessed a treasure, either specially customized with divine essence.
Or, they had previously been reconstructed after being deemed inappropriate.
This demonstrates that a significant portion of the world's treasures share this condition.
This was particularly evident at the Holy Grail level, which possessed the largest number of treasures.
Anka, standing beside him, nodded. "If possible, I would also offer assistance."
Hearing this, Alka nodded and then said, "Such assistance is subject to certain conditions.
First, the treasure must be incompatible; there's a clear problem between the divine essence within and the outer carrier.
Second, using this method, the treasure would have to remain with me for a period of time, and I would certainly be aware of some of its abilities.
Finally, while the carrier can be customized to a certain degree, it cannot be too biased towards the abilities displayed by the divine essence.
Also, you must provide the materials for the carrier yourself."
Alka laid out some conditions first to avoid any problems later.
Faced with these conditions, the two nodded without hesitation. These were foreseeable problems, something they had already considered when they agreed.
Most importantly, these issues were completely insignificant compared to their needs.
"Since you agree, then let's sign the contract. Afterwards, you can hand over one of the treasures you feel needs to be separated.
If feasible, you can also provide some of the carriers you desire. Each treasure will take a month to process, and then I'll return the new treasure to you."
"No problem, I can't wait."
With that, he pulled out a blank contract.
It looked like he had specially selected a contract with the Virgin Mary.
Anka nodded and handed it over.
Alka quickly wrote down the conditions on it. After the two reviewed them and confirmed they had no problems, they performed the soul seal.
The contract was thus established.
Then, Keparo actually took out two of his treasures and placed them in front of Alka.
"To be honest, I'm not very satisfied with either of these treasures. I also think their appearance seems a bit lackluster. Which one would you choose? See which one would be the worst match."
Each treasure was a bracelet-like object, looking very simple.
The other was a large ring; surprisingly, both were jewelry.
Alka picked it up and examined it.
Then he pushed the ring away.
"The material of this bracelet is rather low-quality; it's just ordinary copper and iron. It can't hold this divine essence."
Hearing this, Keparo nodded in agreement.
"Then this one will do. I'd like it to be carried in an arm guard."
Alka nodded, and the arm guard's design was decided on the spot based on Keparo's arm.
He had even specifically requested an arm guard for his right hand. Anka watched this scene from the side, and he was probably certain that Alka still had such ability. As for him, he needed to go back and think about it.
Thus, the agreement between the two parties was reached.