At this moment, Alka had slipped on a pair of glasses.
Through these glasses, Alka could clearly scan the people before him. What level of strength were they at?
"Five at stage three...one at stage four."
Clearly, these people were quite strong, even quite powerful.
I just wondered how many of them possessed treasures.
"Hmm... well, all of them," Alka muttered silently.
These glasses were designed to analyze energy, but for intelligent beings, the information they produced was incredibly accurate.
But the group before him made no effort to hide the fact that they possessed treasures. Perhaps they were trying to intimidate Alka and the others.
Their treasures were left out in the open, emitting a faint ripple.
The ripples from the treasures were extremely obvious, and definitely intentional.
Otherwise, treasures would be subtle, ordinary objects that were difficult to detect.
The group simply approached, showing no signs of attacking.
After arriving at the stone tower, everyone got a clearer look at them.
The six individuals were clearly from the same family and all looked relatively young, with the exception of the leader, who appeared to be in his thirties.
But in this magical world, barring unforeseen circumstances, with a long lifespan, thirty years old is considered young.
The group all looked somewhat similar, all sporting dark green hair.
The leader, who had reached the fourth stage of strength, looked at Alka, and they nodded politely.
He tentatively said, "Hello?"
Their language was understandable to everyone.
For it was the common language of the Home Sea.
The moment he heard this, Alka folded his arms and nodded.
"Hello."
Seeing Alka's gesture, the six strangers in front of him immediately followed suit, crossing their arms.
They began to say, "May the Virgin Mary bless you."
"May the Virgin Mary bless you," Alka and Sofia Jason said, making the same gesture.
They were followers of the Virgin Mary.
Clearly, the person on the other side was also a follower of the Virgin Mary.
This was how each side could distinguish their identities.
Alka had previously learned from Sofia how to sense the aura of the other person when they prayed for the Virgin Mary's blessing.
Only true believers could achieve this.
Clearly, the other party also had this ability, because after Alka and the others made the gesture and chanted the Virgin Mary, their attitudes shifted from unfamiliar and wary to relaxed.
They could even see them relax, as if they had already given Alka and the others a sense of security.
"I didn't expect to see two Saints here. What an honor!" The fourth-stage leader, somehow identifying the two, immediately discerned their identities.
But since both sides were followers of the Holy Mother, this was clearly a good thing.
Furthermore, Alka and his men were clearly outmatched in both strength and numbers.
Having a superior status would facilitate peaceful communication between them.
He then immediately said, "Let me introduce myself. My name is Maru Tarutas, and the people behind me are my people."
"Arka Lagu, nice to meet you all."
Everyone briefly introduced themselves, and the atmosphere was quite cordial and friendly.
The other party was also unusually polite, perhaps due to their Saint status.
"Did you come to this island by accident? Or did you come here specifically for the Trial?" Maru asked curiously.
His question was restrained and not offensive. "We arrived here by accident, and are undergoing the trials with the help of our guide."
Maru nodded in understanding and said with a smile, "Then you must remember the location of this island. It's best to make a landmark flag. This island won't be wandering around."
This was clearly a gesture of goodwill, a direct message.
While this message was important, it also depended on whether Alka and the others would discover it later.
"Of course, we'll definitely do the same after we leave. Thank you for your kindness."
"Haha, you're welcome. After all, we're all believers in the Virgin Mary, and helping each other is only natural."
Alka smiled and nodded.
His guard had completely dropped, and he became more relaxed.
Both parties had long since let down their guard, because faith in the Virgin Mary was the best form of identification.
In this world where gods truly existed, true faith was free of any falsehood.
Especially with the Reverend Mother. If you don't believe in her teachings, if your actions don't align with her ideals, even if you pray to her, she won't even look at you.
You must truly identify with her ideals from the bottom of your heart, or your actions must align with the deity's teachings.
Otherwise, you won't meet the requirements.
Becoming a Reverend Mother means, at the very least, that you're not a villain; most are lawful.
After a brief chat, Maru noticed that some of Alka's group seemed to be undergoing trials.
"Are you all taking trials today?" Maru asked.
Alka nodded. "Yes, our refresh time is today."
Hearing this, Maru nodded, thought for a moment, and said, "In that case, we won't bother you anymore. We'll come back later to stagger the trial time with you."
"Sorry, that's perfect."
"No, we arrived later, so we should follow the order."
Maru smiled and nodded goodbye to everyone, then left with his family.
Looking at the departing people, Sofia suddenly said, "They truly believe in the Virgin Mary. Everyone they brought has the surname Tarutas, which means their entire family is a devotee of the Virgin Mary. In that case, they must know the location of the Cathedral of the Virgin Mary Church of the Vast Sea, right?"
Hearing this, Alka nodded. It was very likely.
It was strange that they had been in the Vast Sea for so long.
It was only on Southern Cross Island that they knew of the existence of a Virgin Mary Church.
The problem was that the island didn't believe in the Mother, and its followers were extremely rare. The Mother's mission there wasn't going very well, and the church was only in the central city of the capital island.
They hadn't been there before, so they didn't know much about the church in the Boundless Sea.
They hadn't gotten any useful information.
Now they'd encountered an entire family devoted to the Mother, and judging by the Triangle's words, this family had clearly been in the Boundless Sea for a long time.
As fellow Mother believers, it would be safer to ask them about the Mother's church or main gathering location.
Although this would clearly expose them as originating from the Four Gods Sea.
After all, as a Saint of the Mother, not knowing about the Cathedral of the Mother Church in the Boundless Sea would only expose that possibility.
"They should stay on the island for a while. Don't rush. Observe."
It's always wise to be cautious, even if the other party is a Mother's believer.
...
Huanlu, currently undergoing the challenges in the Trial Tower, had officially passed the third level.
Covered in blood, he struggled to hold himself against the stone wall of the space.
His lungs, like bellows, breathed frantically, making a rumbling sound as he tried to regain his strength.
He wasn't in good health.
A sharp laceration appeared on his thigh, the bone almost visible, and a profuse flow of blood continued.
He also suffered some internal injuries.
After a simple bandage, Huanlu pulled a large piece of beef shank from his pocket ring.
He devoured it ravenously, swallowing it quickly.
The food he ate quickly transformed into energy within his body, flowing into his thigh under his control.
The thigh wound wasn't so easily healed, but strangely, the bleeding stopped.
For Juanlu, this was enough.
Seizing this opportunity, he immediately scrambled to his feet, relying on his newly recovered strength. He quickly reached the stone door and pushed it open with all his might.
The immense force he exerted caused blood to spurt from his wounds again, but at least he managed to push a crack in the door, allowing him to roll through.
As his body passed through the crack, a surge of power swept through him.
The wounds on his body healed instantly, even washing away the blood stains.
The wounds within his body healed as well, and the pain gave way to relief.
Refreshed, Juanlu stood up, breathing a sigh of relief.
However, he didn't move forward immediately. Instead, he sat down, pulling a large amount of food from his pocket ring and frantically stuffing it into his mouth, chewing non-stop.
Such a frenetic eating habit quickly resulted in him devouring even more food than his own weight.
He could even see a noticeable increase in weight, his entire figure bulking up considerably.
Even his once flat, muscular abdomen had become a round, slightly bulging beer belly.
Having simply gained a bit of weight, Juanlu finally stopped eating and exhaled.
He picked up a pitcher of water and gulped it down.
The batting bat reappeared in his hand.
The batting bat had long since undergone an update and modification, becoming incredibly powerful.
Juanlu was becoming increasingly adept with this weapon.
Holding the weapon, he walked forward.
The area on this level resembled a swamp, overgrown with all sorts of strange plants that exuded a strange smell.
Beneath his feet lay a swamp of varying depths, a swamp covered in a variety of vegetation, making it impossible to tell just how deep it was.
The entire swamp was somewhat gloomy, and the further he went, the worse it became, even emitting an extremely pungent odor.
These pungent smells mingled with even more disgusting ones, irritating his eyes to the point of tears.
A foul odor wafted up, tinged with the stench of decay.
Huanlu's expression froze; the surroundings alone were enough to make him feel awful.
Magic energy enveloped his face, helping him to displace the air.
"Lucy is truly disgusting. He's targeting me, isn't he?"
Lucy was his instructor, and this was the most crucial level. Once he cleared it, his performance would most likely earn him the motivation to advance.
It was clear that this level had been deliberately crafted by the instructor, targeting his sore spots. As a chef, Juanlu had extremely strict standards for his sense of taste and smell, even undergoing specialized training to achieve precise standards.
This environment was unbearable for him.
His brain couldn't help but analyze the aromas he smelled, wondering what they were made of and why they were the way they were.
This involuntary feeling made him feel nauseous and drained his energy.
The ground in front of him suddenly began to bubble and boil. The greenish liquid, as the bubbles boiled, emitted an even more foul odor.
Even a tinge of dark green smoke drifted upward.
A rotting claw emerged from the liquid, grasping the nearby mud. Its bony fingers sank into the mud. With a sudden lift, it pulled its entire body free.
"Oh! God, Lucy, damn it!" Looking at the creature before him, Juanlu began to feel physically ill.
The creature before him was a standing wild boar. The problem was that its fleshy mass was covered in what looked like signs of decay.
One could even see fat maggots burrowing through its rotting flesh, oozing out disgusting pus.
When the monster emerged, the stench intensified, even mingling with magic.
This made it impossible for Juanlu to filter it out with his magic unless he used all of his own magic.
Once mixed with the surrounding magic, the odor wouldn't be eliminated, instead entering his nasal cavity.
The wild boar monster, gazing at Juanlu below, gaped its enormous mouth and laughed.
From its gaping maw, pus and fat maggots gushed out, the thick liquid dripping onto its plump belly.
Then it spread out like gel, triggering the maggots hidden within his rotting belly to emerge.
The sight nearly made Juanlu vomit.
After a few laughs, he closed his mouth and bit down hard, ripping the maggots clinging to his rotten teeth.
Dark green liquid splattered everywhere.
At this moment, Juanlu wished he could gouge his eyes out. He was about to vomit.
Ahhhhhh!
Everything about the monster he faced was against him, challenging all his senses.
Even the surroundings were like that.
The ball on the bat, ablaze with flames, was swung out by Juanlu with all his might.
He had to burn this damn place to the ground with flames. He was now covered in goosebumps and trembling uncontrollably.
It was all due to physical and mental discomfort.
The fiery red ball spun in a straight line, slamming fiercely into the enemy's body.
A green hole pierced through it, the flames consuming the rotting flesh with a sizzling sound.
It was like being ignited by oil, yet unable to spread.
The maggots withered under the flames, but the monster seemed completely unaffected, not even screaming. Instead, it lunged at Jason with laughter.
The piercing fireball rebounded once more, piercing through from behind, returning to Juanlu's side, where he swung it out with all his might.
However, it had no effect.
The wounds on his body had no effect on him.
Even after being pierced through, the wounds still burned with flames.
Facing Juanlu's attack on his head, he simply shielded it with his arm.
Under the seemingly fearless attack,
The body rushed straight towards Juanlu like a tank.
Thankfully, the monster was bulky, and Juanlu easily dodged it.
"Let me see if you're immune to attack."
Juanlu began swinging his bat, letting the flying balls slice through the monster's flesh.
Flames of burning oil and gas flew wildly.
The monster continued to charge, its speed increasing as its flesh diminished.
Finally, it completely outpaced Juanlu and sent him flying with a palm strike, slamming him into the swamp.
The foul-smelling juice stained his body.
The multiple attacks had drained a significant amount of his magic power.
He was forced to deactivate the magic air system on his face, letting the foul smell hit him in the face.
But the intensity of the battle and the pain in his body made him forget all about it.
The monster, resembling a skeleton, moved much faster, its flesh having been slashed by Jason.
In this situation, Huanle could only abandon his ball-hitting attack and engage him in close combat with his club.
The club's ranged ball-hitting mode was merely a built-in feature of the weapon.
Juanlu's true strength lay in his close combat, though it was difficult to utilize it on the ship.
He had hardly fought since boarding the ship.
Specialized combat specialists like Alka took care of almost all the combat duties.
He could only indulge himself in regular training.
This also allowed him to engage in a back-and-forth battle with the monster.
Even under the instructor's training, he completely dominated the monster in close combat.
Helping him lose weight faster, shaving off the remaining flesh.
But the monster seemed to have no weaknesses.
Even though its head had been crushed by Juanluo, leaving only a skeleton with a few shreds of flesh hanging from it.
Looking at the monster, its body riddled with holes and gaps, practically a skeleton, Juanlu smiled.
He spat fiercely to the side; the surroundings were still too disgusting.
"This time, I'll see if you survive."
The author's stick ignited with flames, and with a leap, he slammed it hard onto the enemy's head.
The arm he had used to block the blow was reduced to nothing but bones and the clung to flesh. It shattered under the heavy blow, and then struck the head.
The skull, composed of shattered bones, was shattered, and the last shred of flesh on top disappeared.
The blow completely knocked the monster to the ground.
It seemed this monster relied on its flesh and blood to sustain itself.
As the flesh and blood disappeared, many of its attributes decreased, except for its increased speed.
Watching the monster collapse on the muddy ground of the swamp, its broken bones covered in fetid juices,
Juanlu breathed a sigh of relief.
He wasn't uninjured, but he was able to endure it, and it wasn't fatal.
To be honest, this monster seemed a bit underwhelming for its level.
Its offensive methods were primarily too cumbersome.
When its offensive methods became more flexible, its other attributes were too weak.
Aside from the utterly disgusting body and environment.
Fortunately, at least the battle was won.
However, before Juanlu could breathe a sigh of relief,
The corpse on the ground rose again. The foul-smelling liquid from the swamp coated its skeleton, reuniting to form flesh and blood.
This flesh and blood was all the pieces of flesh that Juanlu had previously discarded.
Even the charred, stone-like flesh gathered together.
Trying to stop it was futile; the foul-smelling water surged in from all directions.
"Damn it..." Juanlu looked at the half-remaining magic power within him.
He pulled the remaining food from his pocket ring and began to eat.
The energy he had previously stored began to deplete.
His body, already slightly thinner, shrank even further, almost reaching its previous state of not having eaten.
However, the food in his hands, tainted by the foul odor of the surrounding environment, quickly began to rot.
Juanlu watched the situation unfold, his brow furrowed, and he cursed his instructor furiously in his heart.
However, the dire situation left him no choice but to bite down with a mighty bite.
He gave up chewing and swallowed it carelessly.
"Ugh..."
Suppressing his nausea, he continued eating.
The food was soon gone, and his condition had finally returned to full strength.
This time, he had to be more cautious; he had to find the true fatal weakness.
The battle continued once more.
It wasn't long before the enemy fell once again in the swamp.
Even his bones were shattered into dust.
Juanlu fell to his knees in the swamp.
"I'm going to die this time, right?"
However, the flesh and blood that had been scattered throughout the area, driven by the swamp water, once again gathered on his body.
"Why is it coming again... What should I do?" Looking at the pool of flesh and blood, Juanlu fought back his nausea and struggled.
He reached out and grabbed the largest piece of flesh.
Disgusting pus stained his hand, and the stench was overwhelming.
Looking at the flesh in his hand, which looked like rotting meat, Juanlu examined it carefully.
It really did look like wild boar meat...
Wait...
Damn it!