"Is this what you were looking for?"
Lucelia dusted herself off and climbed onto Alka's shoulder, asking. Alka nodded, looking at the gray cup in his hand.
"The wine cup once favored by Emperor Saralan has fallen into such a state," Lucelia couldn't help but exclaim, observing the dust and grime covering the cup.
Alka handed the cup to Lucelia and then surveyed the surrounding scene.
It was unknown how long the corpse before him had been dead. Its clothing and most of its belongings had long since turned to ash and debris over time.
Nearby, however, were the digging tools, now completely tangled.
In the breach in the wall, a tool kit could be seen, though the tools within were already broken and damaged.
Sofia, who had been wandering around, also came over, followed closely by Simon. There really wasn't much to see here; it was just an ordinary tomb. "Is this a tomb robber?" Sofia asked, looking at the corpse.
This was mainly based on the surrounding scene; it was incredibly obvious.
Alka nodded.
"I don't know how many years ago, perhaps before the fall of the Saralan Empire, this tomb robber arrived here."
"He used tools to chisel through the tomb wall and entered this chamber. Then he used tools to chisel open this sarcophagus.
He must have triggered the sarcophagus's protective mechanism, and died. Perhaps poison gas or something."
The tomb robber's corpse outside had no external injuries.
Alka squatted slightly and peered through the damaged sarcophagus. He saw a white light inside.
This meant that the white light seen on the map must have been inside these sarcophagi, belonging to the burial objects.
Only less valuable items were left outside.
The instant hourglass Alka had previously acquired should be relatively well-preserved.
The burial objects surrounding these older tombs have long since been destroyed.
They were likely favorites of the deceased, and since this was a fairly large family, their favorite items were likely valuable collectibles.
"But why did this wine cup end up in the possession of this tomb robber?" Sofia asked, somewhat puzzled.
If this wine cup is, as Alka claimed, the drinking cup of Emperor Saralan, then it's impossible for this tomb robber to have it.
They don't even know that the drinking cup is actually a holy grail-level treasure.
"That remains to be seen. Let it sink into the long river of history," Alka said with a smile.
How many coincidences and processes must have occurred to allow such a treasure to fall into the hands of tomb robbers?
"Then these sarcophagi..." Simon pointed to the coffins that hadn't been broken.
Alka shook his head. "Forget it. This isn't a particularly wealthy family, and the burial objects aren't necessarily valuable.
These protective mechanisms might not have completely worn off yet. Forget it, we've already taken what we need."
Hearing this, the others nodded, but said nothing more.
If these were just ordinary burial objects, they certainly wouldn't be worth much to them.
They returned to the hole they had just exited, then climbed back up through the hole they had dug. Once up, they refilled the hole with soil, sealing it.
After emerging, Alka took the cup in his hand. A water-blue water sign appeared next to him, and a stream of water began to flow around the cup.
Alka released the cup, and the water formed a spiral-like wash basin around the cup, washing it.
Sofia couldn't help but exclaim as she watched the scene unfold, "This should be considered an ancient artifact, right? While it's a magical item, it's been around for so long. Such a violent cleaning might damage it.
Selling it for a reasonable price won't be easy then."
As the person who appraised and sold most of the ship's treasure, she felt compelled to offer a warning at this moment.
Hearing this, Alka turned to look at her and smiled, "Don't worry, it'll be fine. This isn't just any magical item... it's a treasure."
"Huh?!!"
Several people around him turned and stared at him, their eyes wide open. He hadn't mentioned anything like this just now.
"Treasure?"
"Yes, it is a treasure, a Holy Grail-level treasure."
Simon frowned at this, immediately realizing a major flaw: "That shouldn't be the case. If it's a treasure.
Emperor Saralan couldn't just let this treasure go, could he? The connection between a treasure and its owner is so deep; it couldn't have been taken without Saralan's discovery.
Not to mention that a tomb robber took it, or even brought it into another tomb—that's incredibly strange."
Simon was the first to notice the problem.
Arka shrugged helplessly upon hearing this question. "I don't know why. I only know this thing is a treasure."
As she spoke, the murky water fell into the mud at her feet. Alka took the thoroughly cleaned drinking cup and placed it before the crowd.
The cup was exactly as described.
A thumb-sized gemstone was inlaid beneath it, and carved above it was a depiction of a fat man feasting and drinking at a table, surrounded by various men and women in extravagant attire, dancing and drinking.
The entire structure was likely forged from gold, giving the cup an extremely luxurious and extravagant look.
If it weren't for the relief carving depicting a Dionysian feast from the Golden Age, the cup would have a rather rustic, extravagant air.
Or perhaps the Dionysus of the past was a frivolous, extravagant, and rustic god.
Arka channeled his magic into the cup.
Three of the treasures he possessed repelled it, but the cup repelled all four.
Of course, Arka could use his scepter-level treasure to suppress the cup and force its use.
But that would be pointless; it would be like using an ordinary magic item.
It would require some effort to control.
"I didn't expect to obtain a Holy Grail-level treasure so easily?"
Sofia took the cup and looked at it, unable to help but exclaim.
Hearing this, Alka looked up at the sky. It was all he could say, for them, it was incredibly easy.
For anyone else, this treasure would likely remain buried there forever. Unless someone one day discovered the tomb below.
Or perhaps a new tomb robber or treasure-hunting group searched for these tombs and stumbled upon an unexpected find.
However, for Alka, treasures like these, accidentally found outside, buried somewhere unknown, were the easiest to obtain.
For Alka, such accidentally lost treasures were no different from picking up money.
At most, it required more effort to retrieve them, depending on where they were lost.
There was no deliberate concealment, no protective rituals for storage, no powerful creatures guarding them.
It was simply buried somewhere, perhaps never to be discovered. For Alka, it was like picking up money.
"What a shame, we don't really need Holy Grail-level treasures anymore," Simon said with some regret, looking at the cup.
"Take it and sell it. It's a treasure, and it's the drinking cup used by Emperor Saralan. Believe me, it will definitely fetch a higher price than a Holy Grail-level treasure."
Sofia said with a smile, looking at the cup in his hand.
At this moment, the sky suddenly darkened, and the curtain of night covered the sky.
Seeing this, everyone hurried back to the camp.
When everyone returned to the camp,
Jason looked at Alka and the others and said, "Did you gain anything? You actually stayed out all day."
That's about 20 hours.
Hearing this, Alka shook the cup in his hand.
"Is that the one?"
"Yes, the Cup of the Draught."
Everyone in the camp gathered around. They hadn't expected them to just go out for the day, supposedly to explore the route.
And yet, Alka and his companions had already taken possession of it. Their exploration had instantly transformed into a rewarding journey.
"Tell me how you got this thing," Urulius asked curiously.
Sofia recounted their adventures, while Alka placed the cup on the table for everyone to see.
He opened the map and looked at the now-fading golden light.
[Cup of the Draught]
[Difficulty: Tomb Raider]
[Notability: 665,000]
[Treasure Information: The wine cup used by the founding emperor of the Saralan Empire, the Savior.
For someone in such a high position, and also a lover of fine wine. This was the imperial king's favorite item.
Left behind in a tomb that didn't belong to him.
This is a treasure that can enhance the flavor of wine poured into a cup, elevating and sublimating it, adding special effects. This function can be used even without mastering the treasure.
Wait, Alka looked at the last item in the treasure's introduction after obtaining it.
In other words, the above description refers to the ability to enhance the flavor of wine in a cup and add special effects to it. This effect can be automatically exerted without mastering the treasure.
Seeing this effect, Alka didn't think it was fake.
He smacked his head, suddenly realizing it. If that was the case, everything that had happened before made sense.
In other words, this treasure was likely unsuitable for Emperor Saralan, but he had discovered its function and had continued to use it.
Because this treasure could unleash its true power even without mastering it.
It's like if a treasure takes the form of a sword, and that sword is exceptionally strong and sharp. Even if you don't master the treasure and don't use its special abilities, it's still a sword, wieldable and sharp.
You can even use the sword's properties to block enemy attacks, as it's extremely difficult to damage.
This is why weapon-type treasures, or shield-type treasures, are so valuable. Their appearance and the treasure's properties inherently enhance them in different ways.
The key to determining whether this treasure's value will continue to rise lies in the special effect it imparts to the wine poured into the cup. What exactly is it?
"So this is actually a treasure? You just went out for a whole day and brought back a treasure?" Jason asked, his eyes widening as he watched Sofia describe it.
Sofia nodded. "It's hard to believe, but it's true."
"So what's the difference between this and picking up coins? When will I be able to pick up some? Why am I so lucky?" Jason asked, somewhat bewildered.
Hearing this, a silver snake appeared in Alka's hand. It swung in front of Jason, then bounced up and held it in his hand.
Holding the silver snake, Alka couldn't help but nod. "Hmm... my luck's improved again."
Watching this, Jason felt as if he had swallowed a fly.
"You deserved it!"
Mattha looked at the cup in the middle with a pity.
"We don't lack Holy Grail-level treasures anymore. Excessive possession would only become a burden." It was a bit regrettable to say this.
"No, this treasure is different."
Alka dragged the cup in front of him, then looked at Juanlu. "Do you have any wine?"
Juanlu nodded and spread his hands. Suddenly, a wine bottle appeared in his hand.
The embroidered bottle contained a turquoise-green liquid, a bit like vegetable juice, but also somewhat clear.
Alka took it, uncorked it, and poured the contents into the glass in front of him.
The turquoise liquid fell into the glass.
Everyone looked at the wine in the glass; it didn't seem unusual.
Alka blinked, not seeing the treasure function. He sniffed it but didn't notice anything different. After thinking for a moment, he picked up the glass and took a sip.
He had drunk this wine before, so the contents of the glass hadn't changed at all.
Do I need magic?
Thinking this, Alka reached out and grasped the wine glass. Just as the magic was about to surge out, Alka abruptly stopped.
He re-analyzed the magic he was about to release, completely removing the mixed magic from various treasures, transforming it into the purest form.
This was a skill that required extreme control over one's magic.
Otherwise, one's magic would involuntarily take on the aura of the treasures.
This technique was one of the more difficult ones.
He poured the newly stripped and purified pure magic into the wine glass, and it actually absorbed it. It seemed to activate its effects.
The wine in the glass changed.
It was still turquoise, but it exuded a faint, forest-like fragrance.
This drink's main theme is a sense of returning to nature. Its refreshing aroma lingered in everyone's nostrils.
Take a deep sip, and it felt like returning to nature.
Additionally, the drink exuded a faint green glow.
"Changed? Does that mean this treasure has taken effect on its own?" Sofia asked, looking at the cup.
Alka nodded. "Yes, that's right."
"This wine smells truly enticing," Juanlu couldn't help but say.
"Let me try it first." Alka smiled, picking up the cup and taking a small sip.
The refreshing aroma of the wine exploded in his mouth, like the natural scent of a spring forest, pouring into his mouth and penetrating his heart.
It felt as if his entire body was inexplicably brimming with energy.
"Huh..."
Exhaling, Alka opened his eyes.
Besides enhancing the wine's flavor, Alka could also feel it improving his physical condition.
It seemed like a permanent improvement, but very, very subtle.
At the same time, it seemed to wash away his fatigue, leaving him feeling rejuvenated.
"Try it, too."
With that, Alka passed the wine glass over. Everyone drank the contents in one gulp, experiencing the same sensation.
"The taste is amazing!"