Chapter 257

Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation

Originally, he thought it would be a simple task to subdue the Skeleton King. Little did he know, he got lost in the red desert for several days. After finally making his way out, he was unexpectedly caught off guard by the Skeleton King Solin, who severed his arm.

Then, by slaying Solin, he obtained the 7-star treasure, the Sword of Warlords. Following the map’s guidance, he entered Krieg’s laboratory and encountered Elin and Thotmudo, two epic-tier powerhouses imprisoned for thousands of years. They struck a deal.

Little did they know, when they found the Control Nexus, they were unexpectedly manipulated by the slumbering Krieg. If it weren’t for the intervention of “providence”, he would have already been overtaken, body and soul, resulting in spiritual death.

These past few days were truly full of twists and turns. The Crown of the Ocean lost over half of its forces, two treasures were rendered unusable, but the gains were equally remarkable.

Dozens of Heroic Soul Essences, several Bone Forges, two Skill Scrolls, a 7-star treasure, a 4-star treasure, an invaluable alchemical notebook, and the highly promising pledges from Elin and Thotmudo.

In other words, this journey into the realm was not only free from losses but also turned out to be quite lucrative—bloody well lucrative!

Thinking about how he would soon acquire two 7-star treasures from Elin, Ji Chen’s mood instantly brightened, and his steps became much lighter.

With his army and Elin’s group, they headed towards their territory.

Passing through forests and beaches, they returned to the Crown of the Ocean after days of separation.

In just a few days, the Crown of the Ocean had undergone many changes. The number of structures had increased, and the flow of people had become denser.

A thriving vitality emanated from every corner.

From the desolate subsidiary island to the prosperous main island, only a forest and a beach separated them.

Observing the bustling crowd, ships docked at the harbor, and clusters of buildings, Elin was slightly surprised.

It wasn’t because of the prosperity. As an epic tier elven powerhouse, she had seen all sorts of bustling cities.

She had even overseen the construction of an elven city herself a long time ago, so naturally, she wasn’t easily impressed by a domain of this scale.

What truly surprised her was the diverse array of races coexisting in this territory-humans, sea-dwellers, half-orcs, lizardmen…

Not only did they appear to be free of conflicts, but they also coexisted harmoniously?

This territory was rather intriguing…

Ji Chen instructed Daro to lead the army in finding a place to bury the fallen half-orc warriors. Afterward, he returned and smiled.

“How’s it looking? The Crown of the Ocean seems decent, doesn’t it?”

“Well, it’s passable, better than most territories,” Elin replied.

Ji Chen was momentarily taken aback, then chuckled.

Who was Elin? She was an elven hero who had lived for thousands of years, with experiences far beyond the ordinary. Giving such an evaluation to the Crown of the Ocean was already quite a concession.

In comparison, the dwarf Thotmudo straightforwardly remarked, “I wouldn’t even want this kind of territory if it were given to me.”

Ji Chen’s expression darkened immediately. He couldn’t help but feel that the reasons for Thotmudo and Elin being imprisoned were somewhat reversed. It should have been Thotmudo who got imprisoned for his blunt remarks.

“Anyway, Lady Elin and Lord Thotmudo, feel free to move around. As long as you don’t enter restricted areas, you can roam freely in the rest of the territory. The Crown of the Ocean will provide you with accommodations and food.”

Neither of them refused. Even though this was just a relatively small island, it was enough to let them experience a taste of freedom.

Of course, Elin and Thotmudo went their separate ways.

Elin ventured into the lush jungle, while Thotmudo headed straight for a Ruins Guardian and began his first study and research in thousands of years.

Following the terms of the deal, Elin needed to provide Ji Chen with two 7-star treasures.

However, Elin was currently in a weakened state and unable to activate the Void Tunnel to retrieve them. She could only fulfill her promise once she recovered.

On the other hand, Thotmudo needed to repair the Dragon Slayer Great Sword and create four treasures with a maximum rating of 6 stars. Additionally, he would impart basic forging techniques. He could start working on these tasks at this time.

Two days later, Ji Chen and Thotmudo stood in front of the blacksmith’s workshop, gazing at the Dragon Slayer Great Sword placed on the anvil. The broken edge of the blade looked particularly glaring.

Thotmudo stroked his newly tidied beard and spoke after a moment, “Repairing this sword isn’t overly difficult, but it requires several materials.” “Namely, Mithril, Crystals, and Molten Iron.”

He knew about Mithril and Crystals; there were quite a few of them. But what was Molten Iron?

Seemingly sensing his confusion, Thotmudo casually explained, “Molten Iron is a rather rare type of iron. Its ore is found near magma deep underground. Only it can perfectly restore this sword.”

Near magma deep underground?

Didn’t that mean the lava rivers near the Lizardmen Kingdom below ground might produce it?

Leaving the blacksmith’s workshop, Ji Chen immediately mobilized the Lizardmen to search for Molten Iron ore.

Ever since he conquered the four major Lizardmen Kingdoms, his commands in the underground world were as unbreakable as divine decrees. Tens of thousands of Lizardmen immediately began their search, and he believed results would come soon.

When Ji Chen hurriedly returned to the Lord Manor, Elin was already waiting.

After resting for two days, Elin’s strength had only recovered to around twenty or thirty percent. Yet, even in her weakened state, she exuded a terrifying aura. When her power surfaced, it was akin to a mountain descending.

If Ji Chen was comparable to a swiftly growing small lake, then Elin could be likened to a vast and expansive sea.

The former had boundless potential, but the latter appeared more substantial and spectacular.

“Lady Elin, I hope these two days of rest have treated you well.”

“Very well. Although this place of yours isn’t large, the scenery is quite pleasant. I’m quite satisfied.”

Elin smiled lightly and quickly got to the point.

“Now that my strength has sufficiently recovered, I can open the Void Tunnel and fulfill the promise I made earlier.”

With that, a tremendously terrifying energy emanated from her. She slightly raised her right hand, and her index finger drew a line in front of her.

The space was disrupted, and under certain rules, it began self-repairing.

Yet, Elin abruptly halted this process and harnessed the energy. Within the fissure she had etched in space, she formed a rectangular Void Tunnel.

In a flash of white light, two spheres of green radiance flew out of the tunnel, hovering in the air.

After completing all this, Elin immediately waved her hand to close the tunnel, but a few drops of sweat had already formed on her forehead.

Clearly, her recovered strength was insufficient to sustain the tunnel for an extended period.

Among the two spheres of green radiance, one was a mask engraved with intricate patterns, with a texture resembling a mask. The other was a silver ring carved with mysterious runes.

At first glance, both items appeared exceptionally extraordinary.

[Illusory Mask]

[Rating]: 7-star treasure

[Effects]: ® Mana Recovery (Increases mana recovery speed by 400%)

® Charisma (Significantly increases charisma, enhances chances of persuasion and convincing)

[Skills]: ® Concealment (Able to alter appearance, body shape, voice, aura; can hide information panels and even the soul)

@ Disguise (Able to mimic other creatures, imitating their appearance, body shape, aura, and even soul)

[Elin Lin Apocalis’ mask, the Elven hero, possesses powerful concealment effects, seemingly still retaining her aura…]

[Once worn, even your mother wouldn’t recognize you standing in front of her.]

[Void Ring]

[Rating]: 7-star treasure

[Effects]: ® Void Sight (Able to see through some illusions and illusions)

[Skills]: ® Blink (When used, can instantly teleport to any location within ten kilometers, cooldown time: 30 minutes)

@ Void Tunnel (Able to create a short-lived, continuous Void Tunnel, passable by living beings, cooldown time: 72 hours)

@ Void Restoration (Able to draw power from the void, significantly accelerates self-injury and mana recovery)

[Elin Lin Apocalis’ ring, the Elven hero, possesses powerful life-preserving abilities…]

[Void Tunnel is currently being established…]

Holy crap!

Ji Chen’s pupils suddenly contracted, and he was utterly stunned.

This was just too damn powerful!