The mirror was crystal clear, set in a golden frame. Small and exquisitely crafted.
But why would Kael send him a small mirror? Bilbo frowned, turning it over in his hands.
As he brought the mirror close to examine it, a cartoon yellow baby dragon appeared on the surface.
"Hello, Master, please bind your identity and complete authentication to better use the mirror," the dragon said.
Bilbo yelped, nearly dropping the mirror. His heart pounded. "You, what are you?"
"I'm your mirror's assistant, responsible for helping you remotely contact other mirrors... I can help you do many things!" The baby dragon introduced itself in detail.
After understanding the mirror's capabilities, Bilbo's mouth dropped open. "You're saying I can contact other people who have mirrors through this?"
The baby dragon nodded.
"Yes, but first, Master, you need to complete identity authentication and bind this mirror."
"Identity authentication? How?"
"Just follow my prompts... Please place your entire face within the mirror's range... Please nod... Please blink..."
Bilbo followed the baby dragon's prompts step by step, making facial expressions and movements.
"Authentication complete! Congratulations Master, you now own this mirror!" The baby dragon said proudly. "From now on, without your permission, no one else can use this mirror! Also, if you don't like my current appearance, you can change to a new one."
"New appearance? What kinds are there?" Bilbo asked curiously.
The baby dragon on the mirror instantly changed into a small, fat bird surrounded by lightning. "This is the Thunderbird form."
Then it changed into a cool little green snake wearing sunglasses. "This is the Basilisk form."
Then, a small eight-legged octopus with bared fangs. "This is the Giant Kraken form."
"There's also Pegasus, Hippogriff, Three-Headed Dog..." The mirror spirit changed into several more forms.
"Of course, Master, if you're still unsatisfied, there are also Elf, Orc, Troll, Warg, Nazgûl, Sauron forms... If that doesn't work, you can also design new appearances yourself."
"Wait, you're saying you even have Sauron's form?!" Bilbo's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Of course! I'll show you right now!" The mirror spirit patted its chest, then transformed into a cartoon dark shadow with a burning flaming Eye behind it. Its voice became cold and comical.
"Master, what do you think? If you like this appearance, I'll set this skin."
Bilbo shuddered, frantically shaking his head. "No, no need! I still think the dragon form is best!"
He must be mad to like this Sauron appearance. He didn't know what Kael was thinking, actually designing such a form.
Hearing Bilbo's answer, the mirror spirit instantly reverted to baby dragon form, saying proudly, "Master, your taste is good. I also like this skin best, so I chose it from the start."
After selecting the skin, the mirror spirit asked again, "Master, do you want to contact Lord Kael now?"
"Yes, contact him." Bilbo nodded eagerly.
The baby dragon immediately turned around, vigorously knocking on a mirror-within-mirror that appeared. "Hey, hey, hey! Number 3, open up! My master, Mr. Bilbo Baggins, wants to video call Lord Kael!"
Another golden baby dragon appeared in the mirror, emerging halfway and fiercely punching the yellow baby dragon. Stars literally circled its head.
"What's the rush? You'll pay if you crack the screen! Besides, my master is on another call. Wait!"
Watching the baby dragon sprawled on the ground with its tongue out, then looking at that violent little golden dragon, Bilbo shrank back.
Apparently, not all mirror spirits were so easy to talk to.
Bilbo didn't wait long. The mirror-within-mirror instantly enlarged, overlapping with the outer mirror. Both baby dragons disappeared, and Kael's smiling face appeared on the mirror surface.
"Long time no see, Bilbo. This time I'm sending you a Two-Way Mirror. You can use it to contact me anytime, or Gandalf, Balin, and others. If we're busy and can't answer, you can leave a message. The mirror spirit will notify us."
"This is amazing! Kael, thank you for the gift!" Bilbo said happily.
Taking in Kael and becoming friends was the best thing that had ever happened to him.
Not only did he experience a great adventure, but he'd also witnessed many magical things.
He didn't feel the gift was too precious to accept. After all, he'd already been given the Elixir of Life, which had added a full ten years to his lifespan without aging.
Moreover, Kael said he'd give him another Elixir every ten years.
Compared to the Elixir of Life, though this mirror was precious, it paled in comparison.
He could only hold his gratitude close.
The two chatted for a while before ending the call.
Especially for Kael. After other mirrors reached their recipients, calls started coming to him one after another.
Owls departed from Hogwarts Castle and flew to all corners of the world, just like they had for Bilbo.
Lothlórien, Mirkwood, Dale, Lonely Mountain, Moria, Rohan, and Gondor all received gifts brought by owls.
Under the mirror spirits' guidance, everyone figured out the mirrors' functions.
Take Gandalf riding his horse Shadowfax, wandering Enedwaith south of Eriador. Upon receiving the mirror, he eagerly explored it, chatting with the mirror assistant for quite a while.
He set the assistant's appearance to rotate daily, with a new look each day to keep things fresh.
He was even amused that the appearances included Sauron's form.
During his call with Kael, he gleefully said that if Sauron knew, he'd definitely be furious.
The other gift recipients customized their mirrors as well.
Legolas set the assistant's appearance to a Thunderbird. Skin-changer Beorn set it to a Three-Headed Dog.
Dwarf lord Balin had an unusual preference, setting it to an Orc appearance. He particularly enjoyed hearing the assistant speak in Orc chieftain Azog's voice, calling him master.
After customizing their mirrors, everyone thanked Kael, expressing how much they loved this gift.
As people explored the Two-Way Mirror's functions, they discovered it also had messaging, group chat, and sharing capabilities. Everyone became immersed.
Dwarf Balin became the network's most active user, sharing various Moria scenery, mithril mining, banquet scenes, and other images on the Magic Network to gain others' likes.
Others followed suit. Beorn recorded himself transformed into a giant bear battling an Orc squad in the Misty Mountains.
Rohan King Théngel uploaded photos of himself riding horses, leading cavalry in pursuit of prey across the plains.
Gondor Steward Prince Denethor II stood atop the White Tower, capturing Minas Tirith's magnificent scenery.
The once-empty Magic Network grew vibrant, filled with information, messages, and images.
Through the mirrors, many people who didn't know each other began connecting.
For example, Gondor's Steward met Moria lord Balin on the Magic Network and struck a business deal. Gondor would import mithril from Moria to forge the sharpest, hardest weapons.
As the Magic Network flourished, Kael began preparing another matter.
He summoned steward Edward. Looking at this young man who had come of age, with his calm bearing and ability to manage the castle flawlessly, he asked directly.
"Edward, do you want to become a wizard?"