Treasure Hunting System： The Ocean Conquerer
Chapter 41: Obtaining

Chapter 41: Chapter 41: Obtaining

「Morning.」

Alka drew the curtains slightly, a sliver of brilliant sunlight spilling onto his face. He raised a hand to shield his eyes. After a moment, the warmth of the sun on his face compelled him to get up. He stretched languidly, then fully opened the curtains. He spread his arms wide, as if to embrace the view outside the window and the light pouring in.

"I slept really well last night. It’s been a long time since I’ve slept this comfortably."

But then he felt something was amiss. At this thought, Alka frowned. He reached up to rub his temples but felt nothing unusual.

Was it a dream?

Unable to recall anything specific, Alka headed to the washroom, which wasn’t far from his room’s door. Upon entering, he noticed a mirror. Was there a mirror here yesterday? After a moment of surprise, he leaned closer and caressed his cheek.

Not bad, quite handsome actually.

Though, still a little lacking compared to my former self.

After muttering a few more words to himself, Alka began to wash up.

Back in his room, he got dressed. Just as he was putting on his vest, he suddenly heard a knock from downstairs. Fully dressed, he ambled down the stairs. He opened the door.

Standing outside was the lady who had rented the villa to Alka.

"Madame Anda, good morning! You seem even more beautiful this morning than yesterday. Has time started moving backward for you?"

Madame Anda was taken aback by Alka’s words. A moment later, she reacted, unable to resist covering her mouth and chuckling softly.

"Ah, it must be these beautiful earrings that add to your radiance."

Hearing Alka’s words, Madame Anda’s face showed a clear hint of pleasant surprise as she reached up to touch her earrings. Alka noted that she hadn’t worn these earrings yesterday and that they looked brand new.

"Mr. Hodini, you certainly have a way with words. Are all Magicians such gentlemen?"

Hodini was a pseudonym Alka had temporarily adopted.

Upon hearing this, Alka simply smiled.

"Perhaps. Who knows?"

At this point, Madame Anda carefully looked Alka up and down. "How did you rest last night, Mr. Hodini?"

"Very well, it couldn’t have been better. I must say, Madame, the construction of this villa and its interior decor are wonderfully matched."

Seeing that he seemed to be doing well and had rested soundly, Madame Anda nodded, a hint of relief in her expression. Alka took this opportunity to say, "My rest last night made me very satisfied with this villa. It almost tempts me to think about building one just like it in the future."

"Really? I’m glad you like it."

"Then, may I be so bold as to ask for a small favor?"

Perhaps Alka’s earlier compliments had put Madame Anda in a genuinely good mood, for she nodded readily.

"Of course, if it’s something I can do."

Alka quickly said, "The wonderful rest I had has made me truly fond of this villa. I was wondering, Madame, if you still have the architectural plans for it? I’d like to use them as a reference."

Then, he added self-deprecatingly, "Although a Magician’s earnings aren’t yet enough to build such a grand villa, it’s not bad to have an ambitious goal."

Although Madame Anda found Alka’s request a bit strange, she didn’t dwell on it and nodded agreeably. The fact that Alka hadn’t been frightened made her feel that perhaps the villa’s haunting was truly a thing of the past.

"Of course, that’s no problem at all. For such a small thing, I’m happy to help. You are quite the gentleman."

After a bit more conversation, Alka followed Madame Anda to her own villa, which was not far away. Several women chatting by the roadside and other nearby residents occasionally turned their heads, feigning casual glances as they observed Alka. Seeing Alka’s energetic appearance, they were somewhat surprised.

"Please wait here a moment. I’ll go inside and get it for you."

Madame Anda did not invite Alka inside.

Alka readily waited outside. He wasn’t keen on interacting too much with the local residents, if he could help it.

After all, I’m practically a wanted man now. Who knows if it might bring trouble to others?

A short while later, Madame Anda emerged holding a kraft paper file, from which she extracted a design drawing. Alka took it and looked. It was a blueprint detailing the layout of each floor and the courtyard. Judging by the annotations on the paper and the stamp in the corner, it appeared to be part of the original property purchase documents.

He blinked. A speck of light appeared on the drawing.

The light spot was on the second floor, in the master bedroom.

It was right where I slept yesterday!

After confirming the location of the light spot, Alka handed the drawing back.

"Thank you very much, Madame."

"Not at all. It’s just a small thing."

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Alka bid farewell and left. However, he did not return to the villa immediately. Instead, he wandered around the city. At some point, a city travel guide found its way into his hand, purchased from a bookstore he had just passed. The price was surprisingly low given its quality. He picked up the guide and flipped through it briefly.

After casually finding a decent-looking restaurant and enjoying a hearty meal, Alka returned to the villa. He pushed open the door and went straight to the master bedroom on the second floor. Standing at the doorway, he surveyed the layout of the master bedroom.

The light spot is on the left side of the room, towards the back corner.

Recalling the location of the light spot, Alka looked toward it. A row of neat, solid wood wardrobes stood there. He walked over to them, examining the row of wardrobes.

Only the three at the far end are likely in the area of the light spot.

He opened the door of the first wardrobe. A musty, faintly rotten smell wafted out. He waved his hand to disperse the odor. Alka peeked inside. It was empty, save for a few items possibly left behind by former occupants. There was no luminous outline in his vision.

He opened the second; still nothing.

His gaze fell on the third. He opened this wardrobe. This wardrobe, perhaps due to its position in the corner and being slightly obstructed by the nightstand, was covered in a rather thick layer of dust. It too was empty. Still no sign of the outline.

Alka couldn’t resist reaching in, feeling around and tapping the interior, searching for any hidden compartment.

Wait... He tilted his head slightly upward.

A palm-sized mirror reflected Alka’s appearance. The luminous outline was on the mirror.

So, it’s here!

A smile touched Alka’s lips as he carefully took down the mirror.

"Hmm?"

The outline on the mirror didn’t vanish. Frowning, he examined it closely. The luminous outline seemed to emanate from the mirror’s glass itself, not including the outer brass casing adorned with Silver Threads.