Chapter 364

Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation

This journey, aside from expending some energy, hadn’t resulted in much loss. The troops that suffered casualties could mostly be resurrected at the Resurrection Altar, and the resources spent were just a small fraction of what we’re about to gain.

After Yasen’s promise, he couldn’t help but wonder, “Your Excellency, may I ask how you plan to rescue the trapped soldiers inside?”

Ji Chen revealed a mysterious smile and, as if walking on calm waters, made his way to the hill.

He casually chose an entrance and went in.

Yasen and the others, although puzzled, followed behind.

After entering the cave for several dozen meters, they found the path blocked by collapsed rocks and mud. Some elven warriors were vigorously digging with various tools, but their low-efficiency excavation methods had a minimal effect on the magically reinforced rocks.

Seeing Ji Chen and Yasen enter, they stopped their activities and saluted Yasen.

“Lord Yasen.”

Then, with a solemn expression, they saluted Ji Chen, their eyes carrying a hint of gratitude.

They all knew about Ji Chen’s feat of capturing the Deceivers who had intended to escape secretly.

Ji Chen waved his hand and asked, “What’s the current situation?”

One of the elven warriors looked at Yasen first, receiving his nod of approval, before responding, “Due to the Deceivers’ long-term use of the Eternal Fortification Spell to continuously reinforce the mountain’s structure, the hastily placed explosives did not completely demolish the hill. The actual explosion only affected the surface caves and some interior spaces.

So, apart from some soldiers who were crushed by falling rocks, a considerable number are trapped in the deeper caves.

We dare not use explosives for clearing out of fear that it might trigger further collapses. But with the current excavation efficiency, it’s unlikely our brothers inside can hold out until we break through.

The biggest problem at the moment is that we have no way of knowing where our comrades are trapped.”

Ji Chen nodded slightly.

Although the situation was more challenging than he had anticipated, it was still within his control.

Amid the elves’ astonishment, he slowly raised his right hand, gathering magical power.

Soon, they heard the sound of rushing water. Just as they thought it was an illusion, a floating stream of water slithered into the cave like a serpent. Following Ji Chen’s gestures, it seeped into the cracks in the rocks.

Water could be tangible or intangible.

It could become a cutting blade under Ji Chen’s control, slicing through enemies. Alternatively, it could return to its gentle nature under his command.

Water’s exceptional malleability was one of its greatest advantages. By attaching his spiritual power to water, it became a flexible method of exploration, capable of delving into places that were typically difficult to reach.

Under his control, the water flowed through crevices and hollows, turned corners, and even flowed upwards.

Soon, his gaze focused on something.

Seeing this, Yasen, who had his heart in his throat, couldn’t help but ask, “How is it going?”

Ji Chen withdrew his mental power slightly and replied, “In the depths of this passage, there are indeed dozens of elven warriors trapped, but the situation doesn’t look good. Many of the elves are injured.”

Yasen’s eyes brightened momentarily, but his brow furrowed again. A new challenge had arisen. Although they had found the trapped soldiers, how could they rescue them as quickly as possible?

Feeling the gaze of Yasen and the group of elves, Ji Chen smiled faintly.

The water stream retracted, and its front end condensed into a massive drill bit with grooves covering its surface, almost equivalent to the diameter of the cave.

The formerly pliable water had transformed into a solid, and the drill bit began rotating, drilling into the obstructing rocks with a thunderous roar.

Ordinary tools like pickaxes and mattocks were fragile compared to this water-turned drill bit.

Broken pieces of rock and soil were continuously brought out by the grooves on the drill bit, forming a layer of debris on the ground.

“Don’t just stand there. Take these excavated rocks and soil outside, don’t block the way here.

Also, reinforce the excavated passage to prevent a secondary collapse.”

Ji Chen’s words woke up the stunned elves, who nodded in a hurry and began clearing the debris. They also inserted wooden stakes into the sides and the top of the passage for support.

Their minds were filled with astonishment.

Could there be such a technique?

Watching them in their dumbfounded state, Ji Chen felt a rare sense of superiority over the people of this unfamiliar world, especially the elves who considered themselves powerful and civilized.

If a player were here, they would surely exclaim, “Isn’t this a drilling machine?”

Through Ji Chen’s condensation and manipulation, he had essentially created a simplified version of the device, consisting only of the drill bit. Everything else relied on manual operation.

This was an organic combination of modern scientific theory and the fantastical magic of this otherworld.

The difference was that the energy source for his drill was magic, whereas on Earth, it would have been diesel fuel.

The water, empowered by his magic, became incredibly hard, even more resilient than metal. It had a highly efficient performance in excavating rocks and soil. Due to the nature of water, the drill bit didn’t need to consider issues of wear and tear at all.

Yasen watched the water drill bit vigorously rotating under Ji Chen’s control, and there was a hint of amazement in his eyes. “How clever! Your Excellency, you truly surprise me.”

“It seems you’ve seen something similar before?”

Yasen smiled and nodded as if recalling something.

“Although the form of this drill bit is somewhat different, it does bear a striking resemblance to our elven ironwood drilling device or the drilling tools used for alchemical mining. At the very least, they are quite similar in appearance….”