Chapter 254 - 254: Elin and Thotmudo Escape Captivity, You Tell Me We’re in a Weakened State?
Ji Chen tried every method but couldn’t move or control himself. He slumped down in resignation, thinking that this time he had truly failed.
Just as he was about to give up. Suddenly, he heard Krieg’s howling voice, as if he had seen something unbelievable.
“Impossible! A human like you, how could you… be favored by… What merits and abilities do you possess!!
1 refuse to accept this! After scheming for so long, I was just one step away from returning to the world. I refuse to accept it!!!
Wait!! Spare my life, I’m willing to be your servant… Ahhh!!”
Before the words even finished, Krieg’s voice vanished without a trace, and the stars began to flow again.
At this moment, Ji Chen realized that he could move his consciousness, so he quickly withdrew from the Control Nexus. He saw the group of heroes looking at him with concern.
When Alice and the others saw Ji Chen interacting with the Control Nexus, they took the initiative to guard the surroundings to prevent any disturbances.
But after a few minutes, they noticed that Ji Chen hadn’t come out, didn’t respond to calls, and his brow was furrowed. They quickly realized something was wrong.
However, they didn’t dare to move his body, fearing that it might harm him, so they could only anxiously watch.
Then, they saw Ji Chen slowly open his eyes and immediately gathered around, asking with concern, “Lord, are you alright?”
“I’m fine.” Ji Chen waved his hand and tried to process what had just happened.
The consciousness of ArchLich Krieg, hidden within the Control Nexus, seemed to have tried to take over his body but inexplicably failed.
This time, he clearly heard the word “favored”.
Ji Chen opened his personal panel and looked at the Sea Favor under the Lord’s Talent section. Could it be what Krieg was referring to?
He felt uncertain deep inside.
Yet, amidst the uncertainty, he had a vague sense that this might involve a higher-level existence that could utterly destroy Krieg’s consciousness without any resistance.
With the crisis averted, Ji Chen’s tense emotions relaxed, and he couldn’t help but make a sarcastic comment.
First, he encountered the evil god named Alexei at the Black Skeleton Pirate Crew’s base, wanting to forcibly convert him to the cult. That alone was frustrating enough.
And now, this ArchLich Krieg Theredell had crossed the line even further, actually coveting his body and trying to claim it as his own.
Looking at the still worried group of heroes, Ji Chen let go of his worries and briefly recounted what had just happened, causing their faces to change drastically.
“Lord, it’s my fault. 1 failed to protect you properly!”
Daro took the initiative to step forward and take the blame.
“Indeed, if anything happened to you, we wouldn’t be able to explain to the residents of the Crown of the Ocean, nor could we justify it to ourselves. We would only be able to apologize with our lives.” Benbo also expressed his guilt with a troubled expression.
“It’s not your fault, no one could have anticipated that Krieg would be so cunning and set up such a complex trap.”
Ji Chen’s expression turned serious. “I’m going to touch the Control Nexus again. If you notice anything unusual about me, immediately pull me away.”
“Understood!”
Seeing this, Ji Chen once again extended his hand towards the Control Nexus, and his consciousness entered the realm of stars once more.
Nervously waiting for a while, Ji Chen realized that Krieg had indeed vanished. With this realization, he finally relaxed and the previous worries vanished as well.
Previously, he had been concerned that at some point in the future, Krieg might return here and find out that it was Ji Chen who had intruded and helped Elin and Thotmudo escape. He had feared the possibility of retaliation.
However, now that Krieg was gone, he had no more lingering concerns.
The best way to deal with the threat of retaliation was to eliminate the threat itself, once and for all.
Ji Chen didn’t waste any more time. First, he deactivated the magic formation, then he located the positions representing Elin and Thotmudo. He released their cages and lifted the seals.
Without further delay, he withdrew his consciousness from the starry space, leading his army back through the atrium, the hidden library, and the laboratory, returning to the space where Elin and Thotmudo were held captive.
From a distance, Elin and Thotmudo had already emerged from their cages and were stretching their bodies.
Seeing Ji Chen’s return, they walked over eagerly.
Elin had a smile on her face. “I never thought a human like you could actually find the Control Nexus and come back safely.”
Hearing this, Ji Chen immediately asked, “So you knew all along that Krieg had left a trap, and you just watched as 1 walked right into it?”
“Oh, you’ve got it all wrong,” Elin protested, her expression slightly wounded as she pouted. “1 just had a feeling that someone as cunning as Krieg would probably have a backup plan in place, but 1 genuinely didn’t know the details. If you phrase it like that, you might make me sad-”
Ji Chen looked at Elin as she held her chest, giving off a pitiful, heartbroken appearance, but he just furrowed his brows and didn’t say anything more.
Deciphering this millennia-old elven woman was quite the challenge. Determining which of her statements held truth and which were fabrications proved to be a puzzle he couldn’t solve.
Furthermore, now that she had broken free from the seal, her power as a level 79 Epic-tier entity was gradually being restored.
When she was confined within the cages, he had absolute control and authority. However, outside of those confines, he would lose that absolute dominance.
Seeing that Ji Chen wasn’t pressing the issue further, Elin’s cheerful smile returned, and she seemed quite content..