Chapter 280: The Gap Between People, Setting a Small Goal (2)

Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation

“Big Boss Ji Chen, negotiating with you is quite an exhausting task. 1 almost depleted all my energy 1 consumed after breakfast.”

“But you did get a decent outcome, didn’t you?” Ji Chen relaxed his expression and replied with a question.

“Well, that’s true,” she smiled and suddenly said, “Big Boss, do you know that when you were negotiating with me, your presence was quite intimidating?” “Intimidating?”

“Yes, I can’t quite describe it exactly… It felt like facing a venerable elder in their forties at times, and at other times, it felt like standing in front of a dragon. Your aura and pressure almost left me speechless.”

There was something like this?

Ji Chen pondered for a moment and then realized.

It probably had to do with his current appearance. In terms of status, he was the supreme lord of the Crown of the Ocean, commanding thousands of troops, tens of thousands of residents, and even over a hundred thousand Lizardmen.

This had unconsciously cultivated an aura of authority, which was evident in his serious demeanor.

Moreover, in terms of strength, being a Tidal Dominator was a legendary profession with inherent power. Under the influence of all this, he naturally exuded an aura of strength.

So, it wasn’t surprising that I_Love_Black_Stockings felt this way.

Ji Chen calmly responded, “That’s not a problem. If we are true friends, then this aura definitely comes from me, and not a dragon.”

I_Love_Black_Stockings, or rather, Jiang Xueqing, was slightly taken aback, then looked very serious as she said, “Big Boss Ji Chen, I’ll always remind myself to remember your words.”

She understood that this statement meant she shouldn’t forget how Ji Chen had helped and mentored her, even though she had become one of the leaders of the Player Alliance of King Kong Island and had gained some influence.

More importantly, it was a reminder not to become arrogant and not to stand against him.

Otherwise, the consequences would be as if she were facing a dragon, eventually leading to her own destruction.

Ji Chen was quite satisfied with her response and used laughter to ease the tense atmosphere. “Now that we’ve settled everything, let’s relax a bit. I’ll take you on a tour around the New Moon Islands. Even that elf said the scenery here is beautiful.”

That elf?

Curious in her heart, I_Love_Black_Stockings nodded and said, “Thank you for your kind offer.”

After several months of development, the main island of the New Moon Islands, where the Crown of the Ocean was located, was now thriving.

The jungle had been extensively developed, revealing clearings where various buildings were under construction—residential houses, warehouses, and workshops for crafting tools and weapons.

Stone pathways crisscrossed the area, connecting different sections, and the residents moved about energetically, creating a lively atmosphere.

If she hadn’t seen it with her own eyes, I_Love_Black_Stockings would never have believed that a player could achieve such a level of development at this stage—creating such a bustling territory.

However, when she considered that this was Ji Chen’s territory, it no longer seemed strange.

After all, while others were cautiously exploring near their home territory, Ji Chen had already embarked on adventurous journeys.

His courage and audacity surpassed that of the majority.

If Ji Chen knew what was going on in I_Love_Black_Stockings’ mind, he would surely smile knowingly.

In addition to courage and audacity, a bit of luck was also necessary.

Of course, the most important factor was having a kind of “cheat code”.

After spending three days on the New Moon Islands, I_Love_Black_Stockings took her leave. She needed to return to King Kong Island promptly and deliver the news of the successful negotiations.

Moreover, her territory couldn’t afford her prolonged absences. If she came back late and some other reckless player looted from her, it would be incredibly vexing.

l_Love_Black_Stockings’ departure didn’t affect the operation of the Crown of the Ocean.

In the steady pace of development, the dwarven hero Thotmudo finally opened all the gnomish crates.

Upon hearing this news, Ji Chen immediately went to a corner of the dense jungle. He had just arrived through a small path and saw that over a dozen metal crates were already open.

Dwarf Thotmudo was lying in the shade, leisurely drinking wine.

Seeing Ji Chen, he called out in a casual manner, “Human kid, I’ve opened them all. Where’s my fine wine!?”

Ji Chen was in a great mood and replied, “Of course, 1’11 fulfill my promise. I’ll bring the wine to you right away!”

In just over ten minutes, more than ten barrels of fine wine were delivered. Even the sealed oak barrels couldn’t contain the scent, which instantly made the dwarf, a wine connoisseur, light up. He exhibited an agility that belied his size, rushed forward, and pulled out one of the barrels’ plugs.

He took a deep breath, his face intoxicated, then raised the wine barrel and drank it down, gulp after gulp.

He had drunk nearly half of the quantity before he sighed contentedly.

“Delicious! Human kid, you’re not bad at all. This wine is really good! It rivals the quality of half the wine I used to drink.”

Although he didn’t know what kind of wine it was, a legendary-tier hero wouldn’t be drinking ordinary wine.

“If Your Excellency were to stay here, we can provide this kind of wine in unlimited supply!”

If it were in the past, Thotmudo would have loudly praised Ji Chen’s generosity and downed the remaining wine in one go.

But this time, the dwarven hero didn’t follow up with that. Instead, he slowly put down the wine barrel, his expression becoming somewhat serious.

“Kid, I might have to leave here for a while in a few days.”

Upon hearing this, Ji Chen’s smile slowly disappeared, and he remained silent for a moment before asking, “Are you going to the mainland to see the current state of the dwarves?”

“Exactly. Even though millennia have gone by, perhaps no dwarves remember me anymore, but I’m still curious to witness the current state of the dwarven race, fragmented and dispersed as it is now.

And I also want to know why the dwarves have split up in the current era. Back in my time, although the dwarves weren’t extremely powerful, we were incredibly united. We built our dwarven homeland, the Black Iron Fortress, and with our formidable forging and mechanical skills, no race dared to underestimate us.

Even the elves, who arrogantly looked down on other races, had to admit our unity.

There must have been some major changes that caused the once united dwarves to lose their homeland and be scattered across the continent.”

Thotmudo looked serious. “Our agreed-upon promises between us might have to be postponed.”

After a long pause, Ji Chen sighed. “Facing a dwarf who longs for his homeland, how could I stop you? Master Thotmudo, if you put it that way, 1 can only comply with your wishes and send my blessings.

In the next few days, I’ll prepare a ship to take you to the Western Continent.”

The Western Continent was a place where dwarves appeared more frequently, and it was currently known to be the location of dwarf settlements.

Hearing this, Thotmudo’s face showed a rare smile. “Human kid, I knew 1 didn’t misjudge you! But you don’t need to worry too much. As long as I, Thotmudo, am alive, I will definitely return here to fulfill my promise!”

Ji Chen sighed again and said, “You don’t have to sound so confident about it. When you put it that way, it makes me wonder if you’re planning to run off on me.”

“Would I, Thotmudo, ever run away? Oh right, I’ll help you repair the Dragon Slayer Great Sword these few days, so you won’t lose faith in me!”

In the following days, Thotmudo buried himself in the blacksmith’s shop. He used the prepared materials and incorporated them into the broken Dragon Slayer Great Sword. Using a repair technique that no one in the Crown of the Ocean could currently understand or learn, he successfully restored it.

The repaired Dragon Slayer Great Sword was now smooth and flawless, restoring all of its power, and making Anina reluctant to part with it.

On the day of his departure, Thotmudo stood on the ship’s railing, waving goodbye to Ji Chen.

“Kid, I’ll come back to find you after I’ve finished those things. You better not die, or I’ll laugh out loud… Ahem, i’ll be very sad!”

Ji Chen waved his hand without much enthusiasm, watching the ship carrying the dwarf gradually sail away.

He didn’t try to prevent Thotmudo from leaving. Forcing someone doesn’t yield good results, so letting him go was the right decision.

But this parting, who knew when they would meet again? It could be a year, a hundred years, or even a thousand years.

Or perhaps Ji Chen would never see him again, even until his old age. After all, Thotmudo had already lived for thousands of years, and it didn’t seem like a big problem for him to live for thousands more.

Alright, starting today, Ji Chen had a simple goal in mind.

He would ensure he lived long enough for Thotmudo to return and assist him in crafting more treasures!

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