Chapter 268: Alchemy Death Cannon, Treasure Key

Fragments, Gloria

Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation

But what disappointed Ernesto immensely was that he didn’t recognize this person at all.

As a gnome merchant who traded along the coasts and islands of the Mid-Ocean, he had made his fair share of enemies over the years, but few ever sought revenge.

Although Ernesto appeared greedy and cunning on the surface, he was clever enough to avoid unnecessary conflicts.

Powerful forces and races were not something he would provoke, and while they might find gnomes distasteful, they usually didn’t stoop to seeking revenge due to the gnomes’ significant influence.

As for those with low or middling power, they were often suppressed and dared not retaliate, enduring their losses in secret.

It could be said that gnomes occupied an ecological niche perfectly suited for their survival, showing respect to the powerful and looking down on the weak, living quite comfortably.

No matter how Ernesto racked his brain, he couldn’t recall when he had offended such a formidable figure.

The person before him was an old man, hunched and with a weathered appearance. The wrinkles on his face outnumbered those of a gnome, and he wore a luxurious velvet robe. In his hand, he held a gem-studded staff, and a profound magical energy surrounded him.

A single glance revealed him as a formidable individual.

Ernesto’s expression shifted rapidly, from anger to astonishment, and finally to respect. It took less than three seconds.

Ignoring the wailing gnomes and the chaos all around, he hurried to the deck, his expression full of reverence as he gave a distant salute to the old man.

“Esteemed lord, may I ask why you suddenly attacked us? There doesn’t appear to be any enmity between us.”

However, the old man did not respond or move, but his murky eyes deliberately and unintentionally fixed on Ernesto, exerting immense pressure on him.

After a long while, the old man finally spoke, his hoarse voice clearly audible.

“Oh? Are you sure?”

Ernesto was momentarily stunned. He had an excellent memory and was certain he had never encountered this powerful individual, let alone offended him.

Wiping the sweat from his forehead, he forced a smile. “I’m certain I’ve never met you, sir. Could you be mistaken?”

As he watched Ernesto’s forced smile, the old man, in his heart, couldn’t help but chuckle.

This old man was none other than Ji Chen. Shortly after dispatching the Lobster Knights to track Ernesto, he had followed closely behind. It wasn’t until the gnome merchant ship had left the Stormy Sea and moved far away from the Crown of the Ocean that he revealed himself.

This appearance of the old man was naturally the ability of the 7-star artifact, the Illusory Mask.

The Illusory Mask’s skill of disguise allowed Ji Chen to completely alter his physique, appearance, voice, and more, essentially transforming him into a completely different person.

For the sake of better action, Ji Chen had deliberately disguised himself as a formidable old man, and the effect was ideal. It immediately frightened Ernesto.

With a single word, his unique hoarse voice rang out.

“I don’t think I’ve made a mistake. Do you remember what you did before? For the sake of profit, you actually killed my descendants.”

Ji Chen intentionally spoke vaguely.

Sure enough, upon hearing these words, Ernesto was instantly stunned. His face turned ugly, as he struggled to recall how many people he had killed for the sake of profit.

Naturally, he took the old man as an elder of one of those victims, seeking revenge.

Damn it!

It never expected those lowly mudfoots to have such a powerful protector. Its luck is truly terrible!

With this thought, Ernesto’s expression became even more respectful, and he lowered his posture.

“Esteemed strong one, please allow me to explain.”

“Oh? Is there anything to explain?” Ji Chen remained unperturbed, appearing quite confident, as if he had everything under control.

Seeing this, Ernesto became even more convinced. He flattered, “I deeply regret what happened and feel immensely guilty. However, once someone dies, they cannot be resurrected. Even if you were to kill me, it wouldn’t bring your descendants back to life.

Moreover, killing me would inevitably make you the target of some vengeful gnomes. So, killing me yields the lowest benefit.

So, you might as well spare my life. I’m willing to compensate for my recklessness and cleanse my sins.”

“Oh?” Ji Chen’s face displayed a thoughtful expression as if he were pondering this proposition.

But in his heart, he was laughing.

This was just what he wanted.

Directly killing Ernesto was, in fact, the least profitable option.

As long as he could maintain his disguise perfectly, he could make this greedy gnome return everything, with interest, and perhaps even gain more.

“You make some sense. Although the one you killed among my thousands of descendants was nothing remarkable, it did tarnish my reputation, and for that, punishment is necessary.

I’ve heard that gnomes are skilled in trade and possess quite a few valuable items. If you can present something that satisfies me and redeems your wrongdoing, sparing your life won’t be a big deal.”

Upon hearing this, Ernesto felt a glimmer of hope and quickly nodded.

“I will not disappoint you, esteemed sir! I guarantee your satisfaction!”

“Hurry and hoist up Cargo Crate Number 7!”

Externally, the gnome merchant ship appeared to be in poor condition, but the internal damage wasn’t as extensive as it appeared. Surprisingly, the hoist and cargo holds were still operating efficiently, showcasing the prowess of gnome technology.

The ship’s structure, though battered in appearance, was relatively intact, and even the sturdier cargo crates had only suffered superficial damage.

Once Cargo Crate Number 7 was hoisted up, Ernesto promptly opened it, hesitated briefly, and then used a key to unlock the right side of the first row of cabinets..

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