Above the vast expanse of ocean.
Inexplicably, a natural wonder appeared in this sea.
A spiraling tornado stood on an island in the center of the sea. This magical tornado soared into the sky, drawing everything around it into it.
Including the clouds in the sky, even the only moving cloud in the sky turned into a vortex.
This magical tornado affected an area of approximately four or five kilometers.
Outside the island, about two kilometers away.
A sailboat was anchored there.
Above the sailboat, a small magical vortex could also be seen.
But this magical vortex was much smaller than the one on the island.
This magical vortex was also absorbing magical energy.
The core of the vortex was located at the highest point of the ship, the observation room used to observe distant situations.
Everyone on board could sense the movement of Alka's breakthrough. Alka sat cross-legged in the center of the observation room, his Focusing Stone and the crystals used with it floating above his head.
Through this device, a pure, dense magical energy was gathered around Alka, allowing him to absorb it.
The amount of magic power required to break through from the fourth stage to the fifth seemed to exceed the amount of magic power the Focusing Stone could concentrate.
Even at full capacity, the Focusing Stone was still insufficient, causing the same magical vortex to appear outside.
But the Focusing Stone at least relieved Alka of most of the pressure. After all, a breakthrough would require significantly more magic power than usual, so suddenly reaching full capacity was normal.
This Focusing Stone should be enough for them to break through to the sixth stage.
At this moment, the 81 spirals within Alka's body were frantically compressing and overlapping, the three spirals almost indistinguishable from each other.
The compressed magic spirals brought with them even purer magic and a greater intensity.
Finally.
Under the immense pressure of external magic, the three spirals nearly merged. From three distinct groups, they transformed into a single, almost indistinguishable set of magic spirals.
This new set of 81 spirals stacked together produced even greater efficiency and power.
And above this massive set of spirals, a tiny ring appeared at a distance, so tiny compared to the others that it was barely discernible.
With the influx of magic, it began to build.
It broke free from the pull of the massive spirals and completely levitated above them.
With the perfect emergence of this new spiral, Arka's strength seemed to have broken through barriers and entered a new world.
The concentrated, pure magic began to flow back through the spirals to various parts of his body. The returned magic power began to nourish his body, penetrating his limbs and even his soul.
This strengthened his body and soul in all aspects.
The moment he successfully broke through, Alka released the strength he had been suppressing in his dream.
This caused Alka's spirit to instantly grow stronger, which in turn replenished his soul's strength.
Through his soul's strength, some of Alka's physical strength attributes were also enhanced.
With the restrictions lifted, Alka in the dream instantly ascended from the fifth stage of perfection to the sixth stage.
Because dreams differ from reality, the effect wasn't noticeable; it was simply a simple improvement.
As his physical strength reached the fifth stage,
Everything became different, yet also seemed the same.
Thankfully, with the foundation of his dream strength, Alka didn't seem overly unfamiliar with the fifth stage of strength.
It only took a brief moment to get used to the physical changes.
After completing the breakthrough, Alka stood up, turned off the magic gathering stone, and then walked out of the observation room and jumped onto the deck.
"Congratulations." The people who had been waiting on the deck had already sensed that Alka had successfully broken through to the fifth stage.
Alka smiled.
"Well, is there anything different about the fifth stage?"
Jason asked from the side.
Alka thought for a moment, raised his head, pointed at Jason's position, and gently nodded.
Jason was instantly frozen in place, unable to move, only his eyes moving.
He couldn't even make a sound.
Everyone gathered around Jason, taking in his current state.
They waved their hands around him.
"How did you do it?"
"I can feel the power of space involved," asked Lucilia, sitting on Alka's shoulder.
She grasped the space dagger and also felt the movement of the space energy.
Alka snapped his fingers gently, and Jason was immediately able to move.
"How did it feel just now?" Juanlu asked from the side.
Jason waved his arms, thought for a moment, and replied, "It felt a bit like being petrified. Even my thoughts seemed to be imprisoned. My thoughts felt incredibly slow."
"This is a combination of space, mirrors, and the spiritual power of dreams.
It primarily uses the spiritual power of dreams to imprison the soul, causing deception, which then affects the body. The mirror then reflects and amplifies the power of space, keeping the spatial area represented by your body fixed in place," Alka explained.
This was something Alka had already been able to do in his dreams, but now he could demonstrate it in reality using his own body.
This is Alka's advantage over others: he is always more familiar with power than his peers.
Although it's a bit complicated, the key point is that the mind is the primary object of confinement.
Then, using the mind's feedback to drive the physical body, stimulating it with relatively weak energies in reality, creating the illusion that it, too, is confined.
This is essentially a deception, yet it achieves a seemingly powerful control effect.
If one possesses a strong will and exceptionally sharp thinking, remaining completely calm while being confined, there's a good chance they'll detect the deception.
But such individuals are rare, especially when suddenly and dramatically confined.
Unless Alka can confine the enemy for a long enough time to calm them down.
Hearing this, Simon immediately waved his hand, and a Sentinel aircraft flew out.
"So, machines like this aren't easily confined?"
Alka tried it.
As the energy of space appeared invisibly through the mirror, the aircraft continued to move and take off, but more slowly, as if the surrounding space had become more solid and dense.
However, it remained unconfined and able to move.
Alka nodded.
"If it's used against an object without a soul or mind, then it can only slow it down."
"Are there any more powerful moves?" the free Jason asked, somewhat unsatisfied.
"Yes, but they wouldn't be very effective against a companion."
Even more powerful, of course, would be aimed at mental damage and the disruption of the connection between mind and body.
Such damage and disruption would take time to recover, and using them on everyone was clearly inappropriate.
Jason nodded at this. He was just saying it; he didn't really want to make himself uncomfortable.
Alka took out the hourglass from his ring and looked at it.
"Get ready! The Trial Tower will be operational again soon."
Everyone nodded.
It had been nearly a month since the Trial Tower was closed.
Alka had also broken through to the fifth stage during that same month.
After saying this, Alka returned to his room.
Sitting on the edge of his bed, he began to more carefully sense the changes within himself.
Now, his eyes, capable of seeing through secrets, could see deeper. He no longer needed to return to dreams; he could roughly discern the range of the divine essence from the outside world.
At this stage, no treasure, even the most concealed, could escape his gaze.
He could clearly see the treasures of others, and even, through the vibrations reflected by the treasures, determine the approximate range of the enemy's treasures and their potential functions.
Dreams, mirrors, and space.
The convergence of the three energies became easier and more manageable, though Alka still couldn't understand how these three powers worked so well together.
Then came the lucky coin he'd received only a year earlier.
However, since it was tied to the powerful principle of luck, the effect he could exert at only Holy Grail level was limited.
It merely granted Alka a certain power related to luck, at least the ability to sense the fortune and misfortune of his enemies.
The silver snake appeared in Alka's hand, launching himself into a sudden burst of energy before it completely fell, and he managed to catch it in his hand.
He was using it on himself.
He could clearly feel his luck level increase.
This could be considered a secondary function of the artifact, allowing Alka to sense his own luck and, to a certain extent, the luck of his enemies. It was a fluctuating process, but at least within a certain range.
"Excellent, the chance of influence is higher."
At stage 5, Alka gained greater control over whether the coin enhanced or absorbed luck.
In short, it meant becoming more fortunate or unlucky.
Before, Alka could only make the outcome his way with a 60% chance.
Now, he could control the coin, giving it a 75% chance of favoring his side.
However, it's best to use it sparingly in battle.
Alka looked at the coin.
The ability it represented seemed quite important to him, but it was also quite powerful, making it too weak to interfere with it.
Alka felt that this treasure primarily provided Alka with a ticket, allowing him to see something as abstract as luck.
Observing this relatively abstract realm.
Lying in bed, Alka pondered.
His current powers were too mixed, yet strangely harmonious.
Dreams, space, mirrors, luck, and the impending hybrid element.
They truly had nothing in common, yet they somehow complemented each other.
He felt comfortable using them himself.
Never mind, as long as it worked.
Maybe one day, obtaining the most crucial treasure would create a powerful chemical reaction.
Isn't that the principle behind the synergy between treasures?
Alka withdrew his thoughts and sank into the dream with his body.
In the dream, his strength had reached a level similar to that of the sixth stage.
He emerged from his dream bubble and sat on the throne.
He took out the iron ball he had been storing away and blinked.
Eyes capable of piercing deeper secrets pierced through the iron shell and gazed upon the divine essence within.
The multicolored ribbons represented the elements of nature.
Fire and ice, water and earth, wind and lightning.
The six colored ribbons swirled and intertwined, their respective colors interacting to create even more colors.
The divine essence shone with a riot of color, like a dazzling ball of light.
Alka could see even more.
Looking at this blend of elements, Alka scratched his head in even greater confusion.
Six?
It was a bit of everything, yet a master of none.
No longer dwelling on it, Alka turned to pondering how to construct this divine essence into a suitable treasure.
What kind of carrier would hold it?
Thus, Alka sat on the throne, lost in thought.
…
The next day.
The lingering magic tornado finally dissipated. A few hours after dissipating, the surrounding magic returned to its previous level.
There were only slight fluctuations compared to its previous stability.
They sailed back to the harbor. As soon as they landed, the Triangle they had been holding suddenly began to float up as if activated.
"What's wrong with me? I seem to have shut down?"
The Triangle floated up, puzzled.
Alka nodded. "Yes, the Trial Tower needed maintenance, so you were shut down."
"The Trial Tower needs maintenance? Does it still need maintenance?" Alka's words left the Triangle, an employee of the Trial Tower, somewhat bewildered.
"No? That's what the instructor said."
Alka said bluntly.
Triangle shook himself. He was just an outsider, so it was normal for him to not understand things clearly, so he stopped worrying about it.
"I sense you've cleared the Trial Tower, correct?" he asked, looking at Alka.
Aka nodded.
"Then congratulations."
The magic lines on Triangle's body flickered, then exploded like fireworks.
"Well, thank you for your congratulations."
Alka said, leading everyone to the base of the Trial Tower.
Looking at the Trial Tower, it didn't seem any different from before.
Perhaps it's been updated? Like it's been cleaned up a bit.
Sofia straightened herself, took a deep breath, and stood on the transport platform.
However, she didn't immediately begin her once-in-a-lifetime Trial Mode, but instead entered the daily Trial Mode, which she could enter at any time.
This way, he could meet the instructors during the trial and experience the conditions.
It would give him a sense of security.
The others waited nearby.
Alka found a place to sit down, a small notebook in hand, pondering something.
"Are you thinking about how to construct your new treasure?" Lucelia asked, sitting on Alka's shoulder.
After all, Alka's strength had reached the fifth stage, so the next focus would be on treasure creation.
Alka nodded. He had been busy with this matter since last night.
Although this treasure was a little strange, it was still something that could significantly enhance his offensive capabilities. Of course, he had to think carefully about how to construct it.
The required shape, the materials, and the ritual to enhance its integration and unleash its full potential.
These were all things he had to think about.
"Do you know the power of your divine essence?"
"Yes, it's a mixture of six elements."
"Ah? Six elements?" Lucelia was a little surprised.
"Right."
"Isn't that powerful?" Lucelia exclaimed in surprise.
After all, it has six elements, so it can't be weak, right?
"It's powerful, but each element alone isn't on the level of a scepter.
My feeling is that the strength of each element is only slightly stronger than the Holy Grail.
With all of them, and blended together, it forms a scepter-level treasure." Alka expressed his feelings.
"That's still quite powerful. Elements can blend and fuse, unleashing even greater power. And the freedom of the six elements is enough to deal with a wide range of situations.
Basically, it'll be difficult for the enemy to mount a targeted defense during battle."
Lucelia said, instantly thinking of various scenarios.
Hearing this, Alka nodded.
"So, even though I say that, I'm actually quite satisfied."
Looking at Alka's smile, Lucilia rolled her eyes.
What? So it's a happy trouble.
With that, she ignored Alka and jumped off his shoulder.
Soon, Simon and Mathilda gathered around.
Looking at Alka's records, they curiously offered advice.
However, Simon couldn't offer much help with this treasure. At most, he could assist Alka with materials.
Based on his knowledge of materials, he could basically guarantee to find Alka the information on any corresponding material he desired, as well as the most suitable material combination plan.
"If you're thinking this way, you might not be able to construct it in a short time," Simon said from the side.
Alka's divine essence covers a wide range of areas, so finding the right materials would be quite a challenge.
While not all materials will be needed in sufficient quantities, their variety and purity must be high.
The materials they currently have on board are definitely insufficient.
Alka, anticipating this situation, nodded and said, "So I'll just design it, then build a portion based on the available materials, and then prepare the ritual.
Once we reach Twin Dao Island, we'll purchase the remaining materials, then build and assemble the remaining components."
Simon nodded at Alka's idea.
"The materials you need can all be purchased on Twin Island, and even better ones can be found.
If you want perfection, you can only build these two. The corresponding elemental materials are of the highest quality on board."
And so, the group began to discuss their designs.
Since it was only the design phase, their words grew increasingly exaggerated.
Lucille joined in, knowing far more about the ritual than anyone else. "If you want to achieve your desired result, you must wait until Urulius awakens," Lucilia said.
Urulius had already fallen into a deep sleep, while Jason's strength had reached 78 Spirals and was on the verge of a minor breakthrough.
Urulius herself possessed a ritual-enhancing artifact. With her presiding over the ceremony, Alka's artifact would reach true perfection.
Primarily, Alka's artifact was elemental and hybrid, requiring a more demanding form, ritual, and material than artifacts more focused on rules and special effects.
After all, the effects of elemental artifacts were simple, direct, and effective, and they were closely tied to the natural environment.
As ideas multiplied, the forging process of the artifact was inexhaustibly prolonged.