He had thought that the people before him would make some demands or negotiate with him...
But cooperating seemed to be all benefits and no harm to him... Colin's expression remained unchanged as he continued to ask:
"So, what is the cost of using this magical artifact?"
"Chest pain, varying in intensity depending on the strength of the target," Anna did not hide anything, she just paused and then added,
"The Sigh Blood Crystal can also disguise multiple targets at once, but the downside is that all targets will suffer the same chest pain, while the user will endure approximately 1.5 times the pain.
Moreover, for every ten targets as a threshold, the pain for the targets other than the user will increase fivefold, and for the user, it increases tenfold."
Colin nodded slightly.
Magical artifact... He clearly remembered the near-death agony he endured while escaping from the Foolishness Scepter in the Elf Kingdom.
These things, similar to bugs, had the costs of bugs.
In the depths of his senses, he realized that the chest pain from the Sigh Blood Crystal... seemed to be a trivial price to pay, but perhaps it was not so simple behind the scenes!
However, there was no alternative now, you had to choose the lesser of two evils.
What was most important at the moment was breaking through the Divine side's front line and returning to the Wizards' side.
If the Sigh Blood Crystal could help with this, then even if there were hidden dangers, he would have no choice but to use it...
After all, it's far better than losing one's life!
"I'll speak frankly, I need the Sigh Blood Crystal, and in exchange, I can fulfill one request within my power for you," he continued in a grave tone, with no expression on his face.
As his voice fell, the captain's cabin suddenly plunged into silence.
Ante's face revealed a trace of panic; from the moment Anna mentioned the Sigh Blood Crystal... no, even when Colin asked his first question, he had anticipated the current situation.
The Sigh Blood Crystal..., was clearly not going to be kept.
His lips moved slightly, wanting to ask Colin to take them along to escape from here.
But he was afraid that such a request was too much and would end up fruitless, so he could only purse his lips and remain silent.
"My lord, are you here to carry out a mission in the Sea Domain?" After a moment of silence, Anna suddenly mustered the courage to ask; she wanted to confirm some information.
Colin shook his head.
After taking the Sigh Blood Crystal, he would handle the memories of the three ordinary people before him—this was but a minor trick of spiritual power for a First Rank Wizard.
So at this moment, there was no need to hide anything.
"If you're planning to infiltrate Pahama Island with the help of the Sigh Blood Crystal, then I have to tell you, that's going to be very difficult to achieve."
It seemed that Anna thought Colin wasn't telling the truth, she paused for a moment and continued to say:
"This is partly because of the special defense mechanisms of Pahama Island... or rather, all the islands controlled by the Divine.
You may not know that over the past few months, we have often seen wizards attempting to infiltrate Pahama Island."
At this, Anna paused slightly as if recalling something, her face still showing remnants of fear, she continued:
"Yet those wizards, whether they transformed into birds or disguised themselves as believers taking boats, were all precisely filtered out by a certain mechanism, and the moment they set foot on the island, they were hung up by invisible threads, then turned into a burst of blood-red 'fireworks' in mid-air."
After saying this, she looked at Colin, paused slightly and then continued:
"On the other hand, it is also because of the defects of the Sigh Blood Crystal."
"Defects?" Colin furrowed his brow.
"Yes, defects."
"I don't know how strong you are, my lord, but my father once told us that typically, the user of the Sigh Blood Crystal can be at most an Advanced Wizard Apprentice... Otherwise, the unbearable chest pain will cause the user to lose consciousness or even fall into an eternal coma."
As Anna spoke, she gestured for her brother Ante to take out the Sigh Blood Crystal worn on his chest.
Ante hesitated but eventually succumbed to his sister's guidance and handed the Sigh Blood Crystal to Colin standing before him.
"Sir," she continued, "if you do not trust, you may try it yourself."
Colin cautiously received the bright red crystal, the sensation in his palm immediately clarifying that this was indeed the oddity.
However, he did not rashly attempt to use it, but instead secured the Blood Crystal and gazed at the young girl before him, asking further:
"Do you have anything else you want to say?"
This girl named Anna, having said so much, clearly wasn't merely explaining; he had already formed a suspicion in his heart.
Seeing Colin give nothing away, Anna subconsciously bit her red lip, finally revealing a hint of vulnerability.
She paused, glanced at Ante beside her, and decided not to be coy any longer, she spoke up:
"Sir, you intend to cross the battle lines and return to the region controlled by the wizards, correct?"
Without waiting for Colin's response, Anna continued:
"The level of pain caused by the Sigh Blood Crystal largely depends on the user's assessment. If you let my brother use the Sigh Blood Crystal by your side, the pain you endure will be reduced to at least a fifth... It will no longer cause unconsciousness."
"So—" she looked at Colin intently, pleading word by word:
"Perhaps, sir, you might consider taking my brother with you. He has the strength of an Intermediate Knight and is also a Basic Level Wizard Apprentice. He may not be able to help you much, but at least he won't be too much of a burden."
"Anna, sister!" Ante was first taken aback, then realizing what was happening, he instinctively called out in a low voice.
But Anna didn't answer, merely bowing her head, silently waiting for Colin's reply, as did Old Jack beside her.
Ante was the Basa family's only hope now.
And now that they finally encountered a wizard, they must seize this opportunity, daring only to request the departure of Ante alone.
Colin fell silent upon hearing these words.
Anna's request was clear; she wished for the young boy before her to be able to leave this place.
"I cannot guarantee that I can successfully take him across the battle lines," he said softly.
"It doesn't matter, sir." Anna smiled, the slight curl of her lips briefly revealing her exceptional beauty, despite the deliberate smudges on her face... like a lotus rising from the mud, pure and charming.
She went on: "Besides, even if we remain here, we might not always be able to hide... our cover will eventually be blown."
"Let Ante follow you. At least... With the disguise of the Sigh Blood Crystal, you will have a greater chance of crossing the defense line. The usual detection mechanisms generally cannot see through the disguise of the Sigh Blood Crystal.
And the disappearance of Ante won't draw any attention... This is the sea, and we are merely fishermen now, going out and coming back with a few less is nothing out of the ordinary."
Colin remained silent, carefully weighing the options in his mind.
Ante, unable to accept the choice of fleeing alone, seemed panicked and blurted out:
"Anna, sister... The wizards at the front, with the help of the Elf Clan, have already gained the advantage! I heard they are about to take back the Southern Seven Islands!
Once they reclaim the strategic islands of the Seven Islands, it won't be long before they can advance to our location..."
Ante's words struck like a bolt of lightning, abruptly interrupting Colin's thoughts.
"Help from the Elf Clan?" he suppressed the sudden turmoil within him and asked sharply, word by word.
Ante, clearly frightened by his tone, stammered:
"Yes, sir, didn't you know?"
"The fabled Elf Clan that disappeared long ago, not long ago re-emerged. Just as a thousand years ago, they formed an alliance with the wizards, coming to the front line to jointly resist the Divine Disaster sweeping across the world once again..."
"With their help, especially that of the Tree Elves, the wizard's side finally reversed the downturn, pushing the battle line significantly forward, and I heard they've retaken dozens of islands!"
"And their next target is the crucial hub of the Southern Sea Domain, the Southern Seven Islands!"