Chapter 107: Treasure Hunt

Chapter 107: Treasure Hunt

Chapter 107 - Treasure Hunt

Kai took back his twenty-seven pearls. So, how many did you get? he kept his voice even to not sound too eager.

Still looking bewildered, Ele offered him a small punch from her satchel. Opening the laces revealed a cascade of shining beads that quickly dampened his enthusiasm.

They are thirty-three, his sister said with just a hint of cheekiness.

Oh, Kai struggled not to sound disappointed. How did you manage that?

I really thought I got this one.

Ele chuckled, playfully poking his sides to tickle him. Whats with the funeral expression? Ive got years of experience. If you beat me on your first try, I should find another job. Its already ridiculous you caught this many.

You know, when you told me about your skills and training, I had a hard time believing you. Now, I think I finally get it. I truly have a genius brother.

And I got the best sister in the world. I think Im winning this one.

Any wise words of advice to improve, sis?

Ele wrung her wet braid. There is nothing I could improve on your method.

Then, how did you beat me?

She smiled mysteriously. Thats not something you can replicate.

Why not?

Because its my profession skill. It gives me a feel of where I should look and whats valuable. But thats not something you can learn unless you choose my same path.

And being a child strikes again.

Kai knew profession skills worked differently. General skills were based on what he could realistically accomplish. When he learned Mana Sense, he first had to perceive mana by himself. Then, the Guide helped him improve by leaps and bounds. But the base ability was his.

With a profession it was different. You could gain abilities beyond his comprehension. Someone without mana skill could throw a fireball. To counterbalance, you got far fewer of them. Kai heard most people only got a single skill from their red profession.

The spirits protect us from when you become fourteen. Im sure youll get something ridiculous. Ele tried to console him.

Less than three years away

Yeah, youre right.

Come on, Ill teach you how to appraise a pearl. You dont want to get scammed by a merchant after you put in all the work.

Back on the boat, they poured his pearls into two bowls.

These clear water pearls arent very valuable, but theyre the easiest to find. They make for a reliable source of income if you dont want to take any risks. No other species form such large reefs.

Going through their loot, Kai noticed all his sister's pearls were similar and generally bigger, while he had beads of all shapes and sizes.

Size and color are the most important factors for clear water pearls, the bigger the better. They need to be at least as big as the nail on your pinky to sell. Ele showed him several examples.

Merchants also like it if you have many of the same size. Then you must look at sheen and shape.

Ele gave him a brief crash course on how to estimate the value of a pearl. All the beads in her bowl respected the minimum standard, while five of his were too tiny to be worth anything.

The Shallow Sea around the Baquaire Archipelago created one of the best environments for shelled mollusks to grow. And the advantages of skills and profession meant there was a large supply. When possible, it was always better to sell to foreign merchants.

Common pearls sold for chips, but the price steeply increased for the rarer varieties. Naturally, mana-infused pearls sat at the top of the price list.

His hands couldnt help but fiddle with the bracelet at his wrist. The gift he received for his seventh birthday. The green mana pearl had lost none of its luster.

Where do we go next? Kai asked, eager to continue.

Seeing his sister hesitant, he pleaded his case. I wont do anything reckless, Kai solemnly promised, making puppy eyes with Acting for good measure. Ele always fell for them.

Okay, but you have to do exactly as I say.

Yes, Captain, he imitated a military salute.

After proving he wouldnt do anything reckless, Ele allowed him to explore the upper layer by himself. Kai collected a red algae that was a pseudo-mana herb. There were other interesting plants deeper, but he had sworn to follow his sisters rules.

As the sun rose higher, the rays of sunlight began to peer through the water's edge. Kai had filled his reserves with Water Mana, but spells were unnecessary. Within the calm waters of the pond, it was almost effortless to float in place.

Apart from his usual combo of skills, Kai found Blessed Swimmer was also useful in locating valuable objects. It wasnt as precise as Mana Sense, only pointing a vague direction. When he followed the faint whispers of the skill toward a particular reef of clams, he never left empty-handed.

Toward midday, they went back to the boat to have lunch, rest and compare the loot. A variety of pearls of different colors and sizes were thrown into the bowls. Once again, his sister had him beat: forty-six to thirty-nine. The numbers werent much higher than the clear water pearls, the value was.

Have you really never gone pearling before? Ele asked, perusing his finds with a critical eye to judge their value. You move like youve been doing this job for years.

Kai beamed, vainly trying to contain the pride surging inside of him. Ive got a skill.

Ele sighed. Of course, you have a skill. Whats this time, some kind of treasure sensing? Having the spirits dump riches in your lap twice a day?

Its called Blessed Swimmer.

His sister burst out laughing, with a tear in her eye.

Kai crossed his arms hoping to hide that his ears were burning. Whats so funny?

Nothing, its just so you, Ele said, struggling to breathe. If anyone else told me this, Id think they had a poor sense of humor and an overblown ego. But you arent joking, are you?

Im not.

And what does Blessed Swimmer do?

Well, it's hard to explain Kai struggled to put the sensations into words.

Does it make you Kahali's favorite son or something?

He glanced at his sister. How do you think I got the skill?

As she continued to stare at him, the amusement drained from her face. You cant be serious. Those things only happen in myths.

Her hand unconsciously rose to her hanging mouth as she found no mirth on his face. You really are blessed. The words were barely a whisper, then became faster. Does someone else know? Have you told Mom? We should probably tell somebody.

Slow down.

He didnt like the gaze of reverence his sister was giving him. No, we dont. Especially not mum.

Their mother had always been the most religious in the family, he didn't dare to think how she would treat him if she found out. Im not that special. Id bet there are many other people blessed by the spirits in the archipelago. They just dont go around telling people.

The great spirits saw he was far beyond his peers and blessed him as an investment. At least, that was how Kai liked to think of it adopting Viryas view. The more he grew in power, the longer he would survive, and the spirits would benefit. Especially if his actions were in line with their will and he spread their name.

Treating it like a transactional relationship might be cynical and sacrilegious, but Kai preferred to avoid delving into the whole religious aspect. The last thing he wanted was to have a group of fanatics treat him like some kind of messiah.

You need to promise me you wont tell anybody.

Ele still looked shocked by the revelation. II promise.

The walk back to the pool was silent. His sister didnt argue when he asked her to explore by himself.

Hoping to distract himself, Kai borrowed the lighting crystal and dived to the bottom. Dark fish with emerald fins swam around him. They were half his size but showed no hostile intention in his Danger Sense.

Indulging in the sense of peace Blessed Swimmer gave him, Kai went searching. He gathered three more pseudo-mana herbs he had noticed earlier and then moved to look for pearls.

Even though the clusters of mollusks on the seabed were smaller, they shone brighter to his senses. He read somewhere the mana density tended to grow higher the deeper you went. He hadnt expected that to be true even in this pool.

With Blessed Swimmer for navigation and Inspect to scan his findings, he quickly located a large clam the size of his head. The mollusk camouflaged itself at the bottom of a large crevice.

Checking there were no other dangers nearby, Kai slipped between the rocks to his prize. His initial efforts took him nowhere, Mr. Clam refused to open, no matter how hard he pried with his knife. He considered dislodging it and carrying it to the surface before realizing there was a far easier solution.

A blade of water slipped through the shut lid and pushed the side open from the inside, revealing a gleaming yellow bead.

I hope you dont mind Mr. Clam.

Well, he did. The pressure on his spell increased as Mr. Clam refused to peacefully get robbed. The edge of the shells brushed his fingers as the shell shut closed.

Kai was about to swim to the surface with his prize when Mana Sense noticed traces beneath the rocks going deeper. Focusing his skill, there was no doubt.

He had found a cave.