WorldCrafter - Building My Underground Kingdom-Chapter 54: Explosive Talisman

Ben returned to the main base and made his way toward the excavation site where the krell workers had been tirelessly digging for grimslate rock. The area had expanded significantly—nearly 100 blocks wide—with some sections forming small tunnels stretching further underground. He had instructed the workers to dig toward the north and east, hoping to connect to another chamber or underground structure, but so far, he had found nothing of significance.

Now, with the talismans Elvira had made, Ben planned to accelerate the excavation process.

He reached into his storage pouch and pulled out one of the talismans—a small, polished sphere made from white gemstone. The smooth, crystalline surface shimmered, reflecting faint magical runes etched across its surface. At first glance, it looked like an exquisite piece of jewelry, something the rich might wear on a pendant. But Ben knew better. This thing is no diamond, it’s a grenade. A distrubing tough than apepar on his mind, ’if somethign like this exist on my old world, assinatoin will rasie into new level. No one will suspsect agrande turn otu to be a grenade.’

Elvira had designed it so that with just a small infusion of mana, the talisman could activate in one of two modes. The first was timer mode, where it would detonate after a set delay. The second was impact mode, triggering an explosion immediately upon striking a surface.

A single white gemstone could be crafted into a hundred of these talismans, but that was only because Ben had specifically requested a power reduction. If Elvira had her way, these things would be strong enough to collapse an entire mountain. He needed controlled force, not reckless destruction. And more importantly he want to save on material.

Ben surveyed the tunnel ahead, evaluating the weak points in the rock formations. His past experience as a miner and construction worker kicked in, allowing him to pinpoint the most efficient spots for placement. He didn’t just want to blast through blindly—if he placed the explosives carelessly, he might weaken the tunnel structure or cause an unintended collapse.

Carefully, he set several talismans along the rock face, adjusting the spacing to ensure maximum efficiency. He activated them in timer mode, setting each to detonate in sequence rather than all at once. A chaotic explosion could cause instability, but a controlled chain detonation would clear the path smoothly.

Stepping back to a safe distance, Ben took a deep breath before triggering the first talisman. Mana surged through the runes, and a faint hum resonated from the sphere as its surface pulsed with a soft glow, signaling that the countdown had begun. "Let’s see how good this thing really is," he muttered, his eyes locked onto the tunnel ahead. So far, everything had been theoretical—simulated by Elvira’s magic—but this was the first real test.

Elvira had used her magic to project a detailed simulation of how the explosion would interact with grimslate rock, calculating force distribution and expected fracture points. The thought reminded him of another spell—the one she had cast on him. Absentmindedly, he reached up and placed a hand on the back of his neck, feeling the subtle warmth of the still-active magic circle. It was constantly working, storing all his memories from his previous world.

Even after all this time, the spell hadn’t finished its process. Elvira had told him this wasn’t normal—it should have completed long ago. She suspected it had something to do with him being a traveler. But Ben couldn’t help but wonder—was this spell the key to unraveling the mystery of how he arrived in this world in the first place?

As he dwelled on the thought, the countdown ticked closer to zero. The first explosion was about to go off.

BOOM!

A controlled explosion rippled through the rock, a deep, reverberating impact that sent tremors through the ground. Dust and debris shot outward in a wave, but the grimslate cracked cleanly along the intended fracture lines, just as the simulation had predicted. Large chunks collapsed, revealing more of the tunnel ahead.

A grin crept onto Ben’s face. "Not bad," he muttered, stepping forward to check the result. As the dust settled, he took a closer look. The explosion had stripped away a significant layer of grimslate, exposing a new pathway. He clicked his tongue in annoyance. "Tch. Still nothing."

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The explosions echoed through the cavern, controlled just enough to avoid excessive vibrations. The grimslate crumbled precisely as expected, but the more he continued, the more his patience wore thin. There was nothing. Just endless grimslate in every direction. ’Should I just explore the white lava river and head to the other side? This method feels like a complete waste…’

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It was costly and time-consuming, but Ben had preferred this approach because it expanded the base toward the cavern. It was far better than attempting to build across the volatile white lava river. He had thought of a few solutions—constructing horizontal support columns or even a massive vertical bridge connecting the cavern walls—but the sheer width of the river made such a project an absurd resource drain.

Now, seeing the results of this approach, his hope was dwindling fast. ’Oh well… might as well grind until I run out of these explosive talismans.’

BOOM! BOOM!!!

Ben moved erratically, blasting in random spots while still keeping the general direction intact. Sometimes he went up, sometimes left, sometimes deeper, carving out a chaotic web of tunnels in his search for something—anything. But so far not even a single animal or insect could be seen.

Eventually, he reached the final batch of talismans. Exhaling sharply, he rolled the last one between his fingers, feeling the smooth, cool surface of the white gemstone sphere. ’Well, this is the last batch… let’s hope it actually does something.’

5… 4… 3… 2…

BOOOM!!!!

The explosion sent a controlled tremor through the tunnel, rock crumbling away as dust and debris shot outward. The familiar sound of stone collapsing echoed through the cavern. But this time—it wasn’t just darkness beyond the rubble.

Ben’s lips curled into a grin. A faint glow flickered from within the newly opened passage. ’Finally… something.’