Chapter 249

Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation

“That’s all. Besides these, the Lich probably left some things inside. You’re free to search.”

Ji Chen’s eyes brightened as he heard this. The Lich left something behind? Well, his fatigue seemed to vanish instantly.

A Lich capable of imprisoning so many powerful beings would surely leave behind something valuable.

He wasn’t too greedy, a few legendary treasures would be sufficient.

“So, there are no guards here?”

Elin shook her head. “No, that perverted Lich had confidence in its own seal and didn’t leave any guards here.”

“But if you are talking about security, it seems it created a batch of low-tier mutated skeletons within the native skeleton realm outside, disguising and guarding the existence of this experimental workshop.”

“Since you managed to enter, you must have encountered them.”

Mutated skeletons?

Ji Chen suddenly realized that those mutated skeletons were created by the Lich, no wonder they even attacked Solin.

Suppressing his thoughts, he turned his attention back to Elin and Thotmudo, his expression serious.

“Next, it’s time to discuss the rewards I can receive for helping you break free from your predicament.”

Hearing this, both the elf and the dwarf grew serious. They understood that nothing comes without a cost and that rewards often come with sacrifices.

After a moment of contemplation, Elin spoke slowly, “The previously mentioned reward still stands. I can give you two powerful Seven-Star treasures. Once I break free from the suppression here and regain some strength, they can be retrieved through a void tunnel. Besides, you should be a lord, right?” Elin’s eyes flashed with shrewdness.

Ji Chen nodded without hesitation.

Seeing this, Elin became more confident.

“In that case, you mentioned before that the elven race has established a formidable empire. As a lord, you wouldn’t refuse help and support from an elven empire, would you?”

Even Ji Chen had to admit that this condition carried weight, and he had no doubt about its sincerity.

The assistance of the Elven Empire, even if only temporary, could already give the Crown of the Ocean a significant boost.

It was a condition he couldn’t refuse.

But still, it wasn’t enough!

Looking at the confident Elin, Ji Chen shook his head.

“Besides these, I have one more condition.”

“What is it?”

Elin, a truly epic-level elven hero, maintained her composure upon hearing this and decisively replied.

“It’s this: if my territory or I face some catastrophic crisis beyond my ability to handle, you must do everything in your power to help me resolve it.”

“Oh?” Elin narrowed her eyes and, after a brief consideration, agreed, “Fine, I accept this condition.”

“Under the name of the elven hero Elin Apocalis, 1 pledge that when you or your territory are in crisis, I will do my utmost to assist in resolving it. Is this sufficient?”

Years of captivity had fostered an intense yearning for freedom within her. No one understood how terrifying it was to be trapped in a tiny prison for thousands of years, especially with a chattering dwarf that almost drove her mad.

Now, with a glimpse of hope for escape, her initial reservations had significantly diminished.

Seeing Elin’s enthusiastic acceptance, Ji Chen also nodded, not seeking further conditions.

The key to a successful negotiation lies in balancing gains and forging good relationships with powerful allies.

With the deal completed with Elin, it was now the dwarf Thotmudo’s turn.

“Is it my turn now? Hurry up, you guys!” Thotmudo, seeing Elin being able to leave, grew increasingly impatient. He acted like a mischievous child, urging them incessantly.

Ji Chen could only walk over with a helpless expression. “Lord Thotmudo, you may state your conditions.”

“I don’t possess any treasures or the like,” Thotmudo stated confidently from the outset. “Given that the pointy-eared one made a promise earlier, I can’t back down either. I can craft five treasures for you, with a quality of up to 6 stars, anything within my forging capabilities.”

“Treasures up to a maximum of 6 stars? Can’t you make 7-star ones?”

“Hey, human! Do you think 7-star treasures grow on trees? Even for a legendary blacksmith, crafting a 7-star treasure requires a tremendous amount of effort!”

“True, but didn’t you say you could help craft ten items before? How come it’s been halved?”

“Ahem, I spoke without thinking.” Thotmudo’s face turned red, and he thickened his skin, “I’m already so old, making ten items would be the death of me!”

Elin’s observation was accurate; dwarves were known for their unpredictable nature, and their commitments couldn’t be accepted at face value.

After a moment’s thought, Ji Chen had Anina bring over the Dragon Slayer Great Sword and the severed sword tip. “Lord Thotmudo, can you repair this treasure?”

Thotmudo’s interest was piqued as soon as he saw the Dragon Slayer Great Sword. Although he couldn’t touch it due to the seal, his eyes lit up, fixed intently on it. Soon, he relaxed his expression. “Of course 1 can. Although it’s quite severely damaged, it’s relatively intact. It shouldn’t pose a big problem for me.”

At these words, Ji Chen also smiled. “Then repairing this great sword shall count as the first treasure.”

“Now, for the second condition…”

“I want you to impart some of your forging techniques to the Crown of the Ocean!”

“Impossible, absolutely impossible!” Thotmudo practically jumped up, his face turning red as he immediately raised his voice in refusal.

“The forging techniques of the dwarven race must never be passed to the outside world!”

Ji Chen maintained an unsurprised expression; Thotmudo’s reaction was quite intense.

Dwarves were renowned for their stubbornness and self-centeredness; their trustworthiness was questionable. They were hesitant to craft equipment even for substantial compensation, let alone share their forging techniques with other races.

“Hence, I merely mentioned a segment—nothing intricate. I solely require fundamental forging skills, and I promise to maintain utmost secrecy about them.”

“That won’t work either! Regardless of the extent, it goes against our ancestral teachings!!!” Thotmudo stood his ground firmly, clutching his beard as he protested.

“I see… In that case, we won’t be able to continue our discussion.” Ji Chen sighed with a look of regret, turning to walk away slowly.

“Hey, hey, human, don’t leave!” Seeing Ji Chen about to leave, Thotmudo grew anxious, shouting loudly, “It’s just this one thing that’s not possible. Apart from that, everything else is fine!”

“Other than forging techniques, do you have anything else to offer?” Ji Chen turned around and inquired.

“I do, I do…” Thotmudo’s face turned even redder, unable to fathom what else he could offer.

“You see, you can’t even come up with anything yourself.” Ji Chen shrugged and turned away, walking further.

With the Crown of the Ocean’s group in tow, they headed towards the core laboratory, moving farther away.

Thotmudo became increasingly frantic upon seeing this. He widened his eyes and shouted, “I can craft six treasures for you!”

Ji Chen didn’t look back.

“Seven items!”

“Eight items, that’s the maximum!”

Ji Chen remained unfazed, his pace uninterrupted.

“Nine items… ten items!”

“Eleven items should be enough, right!?”

Ji Chen still didn’t turn around; he even began chatting and laughing with Alice and the others.

“Thirteen items, fifteen items!! Alright, alright, I agree with you!!!”

Ji Chen raised his right hand to signal the group to stop, then walked back with a cheerful smile, meeting Thotmudo’s sulky expression.

“All, Lord Thotmudo, you truly are an incredibly generous and helpful dwarf.”

“I’m delighted to have such a dwarf friend; it’s my fortune.”

Thotmudo glared, ignoring the flattery, his face stern as he gritted his teeth. “Cunning human! I knew you were trying to scare the great legendary blacksmith, Thotmudo!”

After grumbling angrily for a few sentences, Thotmudo finally calmed down.

With a sincere tone, Ji Chen said, “Look at it from a different perspective—using some basic forging techniques to break free from millennia of imprisonment, isn’t that worth it?”

“If you hadn’t encountered me today, you might have been trapped here indefinitely. Without any surprises, you would have been unable to escape, and your formidable forging skills would have been buried in this cold place forever. Isn’t that a pity?”

This somewhat flattering explanation seemed to calm Thotmudo down somewhat.

However, he still grumbled discontentedly, “Quite the silver-tongued human; indeed, you humans love to argue.”

Seeing this, Ji Chen chuckled again.

“Add another additional condition: after you’re freed, you’re not allowed to harm me or my troops.”

Thotmudo widened his eyes once again, but eventually, he crossed his arms and muttered, “Hmph, the great legendary blacksmith Thotmudo disdains attacking a group of weaklings!”